Movie Review: Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

For a movie that so desperately wishes to be Tolkienesque, it's a questionable choice to burden it with both the Snow White moniker and Kristen Stewart. There's a certain stigma to the young actress, not limited to just her abilities or appearance, but more pressingly concerning the conflict between her presence and the requirements of a competent action adventure. Moments of creativity seep into the film in the form of special effects, atmospheric set designs, and macabre interpretations of the classic fairy tale, but for all the unique additions to the celebrated story, too many instances of overdramatic nonsense and liberally borrowed ideas from superior fantasy staples bury its momentum.

Though blessed by the birth of his beautiful daughter, Snow White (Kristen Stewart), King Magnus (Noah Huntley) falls into despair when his queen dies shortly after. Spying an opportunity to usurp the throne, wicked sorceress Ravenna (Charlize Theron) seduces the king and murders him. Declaring herself the new queen, she watches with gratification as Snow White languishes in a tower prison and the once lively kingdom crumbles beneath her tyrannical rule. When Ravenna's magic mirror informs her that she can obtain immortality by killing the king's daughter, she attempts to do just that - but Snow White escapes and hides in the treacherous realm of the Dark Forest. Once there she joins forces with eight dwarven warriors, her childhood friend William (Sam Claflin) and the very hunter sent to kill her (Chris Hemsworth) to plan an attack and reclaim the throne from the malevolent witch.

The strong approach of seriousness to the generally whimsical fairy tale is ironically the film's undoing. In an overly melodramatic, guts-and-glory-infused, action-oriented manner, Snow White and the Huntsman tries exhaustively to be awe-inspiring, resulting in accidental humor, generic dialogue, and unconvincing chivalry. It starts with a narration by the Huntsman (awkwardly never given a formal name - odd considering the evil queen is specifically christened) that seemingly follows the original Brothers Grimm version. Ten minutes in, however, it deviates sharply into a yarn of epic battles and macabre sorcery. This might be the only adaptation in which the magic mirror oozes from a metallic gong into a liquid-cloaked specter. And in what contrary, preposterous universe is Kristen Stewart fairer than Charlize Theron?

Movie Review: Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

"Magic comes at a lofty price," muses Finn (Sam Spruell), the queen's brother and yet another inessential addition. The spell-casting onslaught shares the screen with sinister makeup, lavish costume designs, and complex special effects, including appointing distinguished British actors to the roles of the dwarves. That's perhaps the only laudable aspect (and a costly gimmick); every bit of the plot struggles to imitate more substantial franchises and projects, most notably The Lord of the Rings, Willow, Conan, and Robin Hood. Theron is sensational for her brief introduction but rapidly becomes deluging when she substitutes flinch-worthy vociferating for believable ferocity. Silly fantasy also briskly edges out thrills with the worst offender being intensifying music and a rousing speech (a la Braveheart) by a mail-clad, sword wielding White that triggers nervous laughter. At least the movie has an angle to it, although that particular slant was similarly executed in 1997 (with the triple-Emmy-nominated TV movie Snow White: A Tale of Terror).

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com)

Movie Review: Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
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The Massie Twins are identical twin film critics who have been professionally reviewing movies full time for over 5 years, appearing on TV, radio, online and in print. They are members of the Phoenix Film Critics Society and the Internet Film Critic Society and their work can be seen at GoneWithTheTwins.com

Every Child Is Special: A Movie Review

Every Child Is Special is probably my first Bollywood movie. (I do not count Slumdog Millionaire because I have watched it only in parts and have not even gotten to the ending, haha.) Anyway, Every Child Is Special is a Hindi drama film released in 2007 (Taare Zameen Par, translation: Stars On Earth) produced and directed by Aamir Khan. It tells about a boy, Ishaan Awasthi, who was always getting in trouble at school for being so misbehaving and out of focus from his lessons. Too often, he would be caught by his teacher daydreaming and getting low grades. Because of this, his father sent him to boarding school, all alone and homesick with the hope of disciplining him. But the academic status of Ishaan did still not improve. Instead, he became withdrawn and lonely, far from the Ishaan who was active and fun-loving. Then came a new art teacher who would just change the way Ishaan would act towards school and learn to appreciate himself even more.

How can I not love this movie? Darsheel Safary is perfect for the role of Ishaan Awasthi. Safary, with his innocent eyes and face, made me laugh with his funny antics and at the same time rend my heart as he goes through the agony of enduring boarding school alone and away from his parents. From start to finish, the movie gripped my attention, and the musical portions added to my fascination. I cannot speak about the technical aspects of film-making as I am not knowledgeable of such, but for an easy to please movie fan like me, Every Child Is Special is one heart-touching movie.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Every Child Is Special: A Movie Review

Every Child Is Special is an eye opener as to the worth and significance of every child. The story deals with an issue that is as real as it is unrecognized - dyslexia. I first knew about dyslexia in the book, Pearl Harbor by Randall Wallace, but the movie has increased my education on this kind of ailment.

Every Child Is Special is a movie that can tug the heartstrings and at the same time bring hope that having dyslexia is not a desperate situation. Family support, patience, and love are central themes in this story, plus the primary focus on painting and art. The theory on multiple intelligences in education plays a major role in this movie and can be very informative to teachers and parents alike.

I really love this movie and I highly recommend this to everyone. My sister has also been nagging me to watch The Three Idiots. Maybe, tonight.

5 stars.

Every Child Is Special: A Movie Review
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Best Gaming Laptop Review on Sony VAIO E Series SVE14A1HFXBC Boomdizzle

One of the recently-released laptops today is the Sony VAIO E Series SVE14A1HFXBC, which was launched last June 13, 2012. This is a especially-designed mobile computer that is built for utmost home entertainment and bundled with a top-notch DJ headphone to further enhance the enjoyment of its use.

While this laptop was mainly engineered to provide maximum entertainment at home through listening to top-quality music and watching high-definition movies, this review is done to assess if this laptop is up for gaming. Keep in mind that in order to launch new generation games, higher system specifications may be required compared to simply watching movies and listening to music.

In this case, speed is a critical aspect to consider, especially when playing action-packed games like the Modern Warfare 3. When it comes to speed, the Sony VAIO E series Boomdizzle is fully-armed with a powerful Intel Core i5 2.5GHz processor, which is next to the top-of-the-line Core i7.

Best Gaming Laptop Review on Sony VAIO E Series SVE14A1HFXBC Boomdizzle

This is already a great platform that has the power to launch various applications at high speed. But what makes it even more powerful is the DRAM RAM space of 8GB. This is way beyond the required RAM space of even the most demanding games in the market nowadays, and even for games scheduled to be launched in the next couple of months.

The tandem of Intel Core i5 with 8GB of DRAM RAM memory space is always enough to guarantee that this laptop is truly up for heavy gaming. What is even more interesting is that RAM is upgradable up to 16GB.

But this is only in retrospect to speed, which is just one aspect of playing games. The other aspect is the quality of the video card. This feature largely influences the quality of the graphics, which is crucial in watching movies and playing games.

No matter how great the game is, but if your laptop is not able to present the full potential of the game in its maximum graphics presentation, then your gaming entertainment is not fully optimized. In order to enjoy the optimum quality of the games in terms of graphics, make sure that the video card meets the required system specs.

Traditional games normally need minimal video card requirement of about 512MB. With this video card onboard, you can easily play Scrabble, chess, and other standard games. But if your preferred games are the new-generation types that are relatively demanding in system requirements, then go for laptops with state-of-the-art video cards.

The Sony VAIO E Series SVE14A1HFXBC laptop is bundled with Intel HD graphics 4000 that provides integrated solution for graphics. This is highly capable of running demanding games that require Direct X11. RAM memory is shared with the integrated 8GB DDR RAM, giving it ample graphics space for maximum performance during games.

Other notable features of this model of Sony VAOI are as follows:

G-Sensor shock protection technology Impressive compact sound system powered by Dolby Home Theater v4 technology Backlit keyboard more efficient gaming at night time 750GB of hard disk memory Licensed 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium Battery life of up to 6 hours under normal use

Having all the above features bundled in one laptop for only about 0 is already a good bargain; and you are also better assured that the E Series SVE14A1HFXBC of Sony VAIO is truly one of the best gaming laptops today.

Best Gaming Laptop Review on Sony VAIO E Series SVE14A1HFXBC Boomdizzle
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IPhone 3G Downloads - How to Download Music, Movies, Games and Software For 3G IPhone

The demand for iPhone 3G downloads is expected to grow with the new device rocking the worldwide scene. Released in different countries across the globe, while the first day was not too smooth with some tech glitches, this is a teething problem as with any kind of new phone or PDA.

Built to be twice as fast as the older generation of iPhone, this 3G phone is priced at half the predecessor's price. With such a formidable combination, it is expected that the sales volume will be in the range of millions. Users will be keen to find iPhone 3G downloads other than using mainstream websites like iTunes for obvious reasons - cost savings!

There are dozens of mainstream music and phone download services like Amazon, Yahoo Music and so on. But the only setback is that the price tag of per download is about to .99 depending on what is the file type. For , you will get a quality music or song download for your iPhone 3G. For .99, anyone can download and play a nice movie.

IPhone 3G Downloads - How to Download Music, Movies, Games and Software For 3G IPhone

Other than such resources, there are obviously also websites where you pay nothing to obtain those downloads. It can be for podcasts or homebrews of songs, videos and even games. But, to play it safe, you have to be absolutely careful since the new phone cum iPod is a little fragile and if you load it with corrupted files, it can break down.

I will not advise you to download anything from websites that are unsecured. It is really easy to tell. Take a quick look at the site's FAQ and also observe the terms and conditions if there are any. A professional service normally has both of them.

Next, we have the recent paid membership services. These sites charge you either a monthly or 1 or 2 year fee to access their database. Depending on the site, the number of iPhone 3G downloads you can get can vary.

There are also several sites that offer a one-time unlimited lifetime access. This is the most popular among phone owners since you get unlimited downloads of music, songs, games, software, movies and videos for the price of one membership which is less than .

Such services can offer you the convenience of 24/7 accessibility. Reviews have reported that millions of media files are available for your phone as well. There are no limits when it comes to the number of files you want to transfer, and no bandwidth limit. These sites are also careful to ensure that their sites are secured and offer full protection to your PC when you visit them for your iPhone 3G downloads.

IPhone 3G Downloads - How to Download Music, Movies, Games and Software For 3G IPhone
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Get your iPhone music, videos, movies and games from the cheapest and most popular iPhone download sites.

Waterproof Digital Camera Reviews - Which Is the Best Tough Digital Camera?

Today's digital waterproof camera models are not only able to withstand getting wet, but many also have true tough digital camera attributes including the ability to cope with freezing temperatures as well as knocks and drops for example. Read further for waterproof digital camera reviews of what is considered by many to be the best of the bunch.

So which one is the best? Each year, manufacturers bring out new and improved features. One thing is sure though, the quality of pictures and wealth of features offered by these digital waterproof camera models are as good as many of the non tough digital camera equivalents.

Waterproof Digital Camera Reviews: The Top Five Models You Should Consider

Waterproof Digital Camera Reviews - Which Is the Best Tough Digital Camera?

Pentax waterproof W90 camera has a tough exterior with a solid rubber edging which conveys robustness. The layout is typical and intuitive to use. The Pentax waterproof W90 camera is fully loaded with features including HD video and a 5x optical zoom.

Canon Waterproof D10 is a sturdy looking digital waterproof camera and is also freeze proof and shock proof. There is a 2.5 inch LCD, a 3x optical zoom together with 12.1 MP lens. Its waterproof feature extends to a depth of some 33 feet (10m) making it one of the deepest digital waterproof camera models.

Panasonic Waterproof Camera FT10 / TS10 provides a 14 MP lens, a 4x optical zoom and a 2.7 inch LCD. This is a great rugged camera and can be taken anywhere given its waterproof, freeze proof and shock proof features. It also comes in a selection of bright bold colors.

Fuji Waterproof Camera XP10 is good-looking with an improved 12 MP lens and a 5x optical zoom. This camera takes great pictures and additionally has HD movie recording. This is also relatively inexpensive than other digital waterproof camera brands.

Olympus Mju Stylus Tough 8010: The Olympus mju 8010 is the flagship model with a 14 MP lens, a 5x wide-angle optical zoom and 2.7" LCD. There is also HD movie recording. As well as being waterproof, this is also freeze proof, shock proof and crush proof. In fact, Olympus mju is the only rugged camera brand that offers a crush proof feature.

Waterproof Digital Camera Reviews: The Verdict

The king of the tough digital camera stable has to go to the Olympus Mju Stylus Tough 8010. While all of the above digital waterproof camera brands are tough rugged camera models offering shock proof and freeze proof attributes, the Olympus Mju 8010 takes the crown given its added crush proof feature, being able to withstand a force of some 220 lbs (100 kg).

Waterproof Digital Camera Reviews - Which Is the Best Tough Digital Camera?
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If you would like to read further unbiased waterproof digital camera reviews, click www.Tough-Camera-Store.com for more tough digital camera models.

The Best 10 Movies About Magic of All Time

So here we go, the best 10 movies about 'magic' of 'all time'. That's a tall order and will of course become a list that will be challenged by many.

What I have tried to do is collate a list of movies that feature films which have magical themes or very obvious magical references in them. Of course the rash of Harry Potter films, the excellent Lord of the Rings trilogy and even Star Wars could be included. However, from a desire to expand the list of magician inspired or magically themed movies I have left these out as being 'too obvious'.

For reasons of brevity I have also not included fully animated movies in this list, so the likes of Fantasia, Sword in the Stone and even The Illusionist (Sylvian Chomet's 2010 film) are not considered.

The Best 10 Movies About Magic of All Time

I've also ignored television series, such as The Magician (Bill Bixby trained by Mark Wilson), Jonathan Creek, the quirky 1970's TV series Ace of Wands as well as specific Colombo, Midsummer Murders, One Foot in the Grave episodes that were based around magic and magicians.

So this brings us to a quick round-up of some of the best of the magician-in-the-movies films I am aware of. Starting with those just outside the Top Ten - not because of any lack of quality, just because they are a little peripheral to the main list.

Passport to Pimlico (1949) directed by Henry Cornelius and featuring great performances from Stanley Holloway and Margaret Rutherford. This great Ealing comedy contains a sequence on the tube train where magician of the day The Great Masoni, drops his case allowing his doves to escape adding to the surreal nature of the comic moment.

Dead of Night (1945) directed by Alberto Cavancanti is a superb Ealing portmanteau horror movie which contained a series of stories about a dream told by a guest arriving at remote farmhouse. The film is said to have influenced cosmologists Hoyle, Gold and Bondi to develop the 'steady state theory'. They were inspired by the circular nature of the films narrative. However the movie contains a story about a ventriloquist and a less than charming dummy. Ventriloquism is related to the magical arts, hence its inclusion here. The story is the forerunner of one that is actually in the list, Magic, starring Anthony Hopkins.

Thirty Nine Steps (1939) directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The original and perhaps greatest version of this film the climax of which is takes place as in a theatre where a 'memory man' is performing. The Memory Act can be considered as a subset of the magical art of Mentalism. The great magician Harry Lorraine is world famous not only for his 'magic' act but also for his contribution to the training and development of the human memory.

The Raven (1963) directed by Roger Corman sees the great Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff as medieval magicians involved a magical duel. This fun, camp and colourful movie loosely based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem The Raven, is not the greatest example of the Corman-Price collection, but is great fun.

Night of the Demon (1957) Jaques Tourneur. This great movie is an adaptation of M R James' story "Casting the Runes". Starring Dana Andrews as a sceptical psychologist 'cursed' by the Faustian looking magician and 'cult' leader Julian Karswell (Nial MacGinnis). In one sequence Karswell dressed as Dr Bobo performs magic at a children's party. The conversation which then ensues between the psychologist and the magician holds within it a host of performance frames and ideas for budding bizarrists out there!. Tourneur apparently never wanted the audience to 'see' the demon. I many ways I wish he had had his way. The film would be even creepier and scarier if the terror was left to the imagination - again bizarre magicians take note!

The Magician (1958) directed by Ingmar Bergman. The only reason that film is outside the top ten is because of the possibility of being considered as being 'pretentious' if it is placed where I think it belongs - in the top 5 at least! Max von Sydow plays a travelling magician and 'magnetic-healer' (harkening back to the days of Mesmer) caught up in a tale about prejudice, honesty, the class system and..... well the whole thing is multilayered. Sydow is brilliant, he rarely speaks, and Bergman's visuals are great. The film has been called a 'thinking mans horror movie/. It is creepy surreal and brilliantly acted and directed.

The Great Buck Howard (2008) directed by Sean McGinly is built around John Malkovich's character who is in turn based upon the mentalist Kreskin.

Next (2007) directed by Lee Tamahori sees Nicholas Cage as a man who can see a few minutes into the future and disguises his gift by working as a lounge magician. Cage is seen as another kind of 'magician' in the fantasy movie The Sorcerers Apprentice (2010 directed by Jon Turtletaub) which makes direct references to the Disney Sorcerers Apprentice in Fantasia.

Magic Man (2010) directed by Roscoe Lever stars Billy Zane who plays Darius, the Magic Man of the title. Billed as a thriller, this movie hasn't received the best of reviews. As I've not seen it yet I can't comment - but maybe a future review of this list may see it included.

So onto the Top Ten

10. Excelsior Prince of Magicians 1901 directed by Georges Melies. This pioneer of film making was a magician before turning his hand to cine-magic. He produced many short films of which this is only one, but many of which featured movie versions of stage tricks that magicians would love to be able to actually do. He was one of the first film makers to feature stop frame, time lapse and multiple exposures. He also hand painted many of the black and white films he shot. A true innovator.

9. The Grim Game 1919 directed by Irvin Wilat. Not the greatest of movies to watch, but from a magician's point of view a must. It featured Harry Houdini in the title role showcasing his feats of escapology. Houdini, not only a great magician but a great entrepreneur embraced early cinema but to be quite honest he made little lasting contribution to cinematic art. In some ways, perhaps, Melies earlier 'trick photography' lessened some of the dramatic impact Houdini's live performances will have had.

8. Lord of Illusions (1995) directed by Clive Barker and based on his novel of the same name. This film is notable for its magical references. Not only does the 'evil' lead character Nix have supernatural powers, but his disciples have them. One of his disciples, Swann, after Nix's early demise (prior to his later resurrection) uses his magical powers to become a popular illusionist. The staged magic sequences are well done, there is a cameo appearance by the great Billy McCombe and the Magic Castle is represented as a place of secrets. The basic concept that 'magic is a dangerous reality' is a great theme for the Bizarre Magicians out there.

7. Cast a Deadly Spell (1991) directed by Martin Cambell, sees Detective, Harry Philip Lovecraft (played by Fred Ward) living in a 1940's Los Angeles where magic is common place. He is recruited by a rich man to find a lost book - yeap, you've got it... The Necronomicon! It's really a Bogart-esque film-noire with a magical flavour, of course by definition then there are magicians. It's witty, fun and full of Lovecraftian references. Unfortunately at the time of writing it, unlike its less sharp sequel (Witch Hunt) is not available for purchase on DVD.

Witch Hunt (1994) directed Paul Schrader. A sequel to Cast a Deadly Spell in which detective, H. Phillip Lovecraft played by Dennis Hopper combats the evils and corruption of a magic wielding senator. As a sequel not shoddy, but perhaps not quite as fun as the first movie.

6. The Great Kandinski (1995) directed by Terry Windsor. This 'made for TV' movie must be included in this list, not only for its charm and humour, but for its sensitivities. Richard Harris (whose work is admirable) plays a retired escapologist living in a nursing home. The story revolves around Kandiski's desire to 'chase one more secret' and do one 'final show'. The escape featured is Houdini's Water Torture cell, which is a testament to the iconic nature of that one illusion.

5. Nightmare Alley (1947) directed by Edmund Goulding. An impressive movie and perhaps one of the all time greatest examples of film noire. Tyrone Power plays a 'psychic con man' Stanton Carlyle whose trail of deceit and self deceit take from rags to riches to rags. Of course the magicians out there will immediately see a link to a performer who used to go out under the name Rinaldo, but was better known professionally and now to mentalists' world wide as Stanton Carlisle. (1928 - 1990). Stanton insisted, despite many good natured challenges, that that was his real name and was not influenced by the Goulding film.

4. House of Games (1978) directed by David Mamet. OK not really a magic film, but features a performance of one of my all time magic heroes, Ricky Jay. Ricky is one of a group of con-men in this Hitchcockesque thriller. Mamet, as always does a great job in capturing mood and the movie explores human motivations and behaviours. Ricky Jay is of course no stranger to the big screen, with roles in the Bond Movie, Tomorrow Never Dies, Magnolia, Buck Howard, The Prestige and many more. This, I believe however was his first venture onto the 'big screen'

3. Houdini (1953) directed by George Marshall with Tony Curtis in as Houdini. This movie does have a lot to answer for in that it creates some of the longer lasting myths about the life of the genuinely 'mythic' Houdini. His death on stage as a result of performing the 'water torture cell' is not fact, but the movie certainly hints at it. The 'brush with death' in a frozen river; the first performance of the 'straight jacket' at a Magicians Society dinner almost surely never happened - but the romance and innocence of the moment saves it. The magical advisor on this movie was Dunninger.

I suppose it is worth mentioning in passing that in 1998 there was a TV movie about Houdini (directed by Pen Denshem) and an earlier attempt at a biopic remake in 1976 with Paul Michael Glaser in the title role (directed for television by Melvile Shavelson). The movie Death Defying Acts (2007) directed by Gillian Armstrong focuses on Houdini's documented interest in mediums and psychics and he is really the vehicle through which another story can be told.

2. Magic (1978) directed by Richard Attenborough and staring Anthony Hopkins. In the film Hopkins' character starts out as a magician, but sees success as a ventriloquist. The movie charts the fall into insanity as the relationship Hopkins has with his dummy 'Fats'. It's a classic movie with some of the creepier overtones being softened by, what some claim to be, slower sequences of sentimentality.

1. The Illusionist (2006) directed by Neil Burger and staring Ed Norton. The pace and the feel of this film is wonderful. It is a love story with some great performances from a superb cast. The magical advice came from Ricky Jay and Michael Webber. Norton as Eisenhiem is the ideal stage magician. The cinematography is brilliant, the plot nicely involved and with, perhaps a few surprises.

1. The Prestige (2006) directed by Christopher Nolan. Whilst The Illusionist is sumptuous and engaging and at its core 'hopeful' and 'romantic', The Prestige is darker and deals with revenge, envy and competitiveness. Great performances from Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as the feuding magicians each with a 'secret' and a narrative that is non-linear make the film engaging and well worth the little effort you need to keep up with the tangled web of intrigue. The 'prestige', the finale of the film, contains revelations that may surprise. Intelligent scripting brings the emotional tension to life and the rich magical references (Chung Ling Soo, The Bullet Catch, The Water Torture) make this film a must for magicians. Ricky Jay appears as an established stage performer and Michael Caine is great as the illusion builder - although I would never ask him to build me a vanishing bird cage!

I really can't separate these two films in terms of quality of acting, direction and story so they share first place billing with the less serious....

Magicians (2007) actually deserves a Gold Star in this list. Directed by Andrew O Connor and with script written in collaboration with David Britland, Andy Nyman and Anthony Owen and others this is a magical tour de force. Opting for a comic look at the world of the conjuror, Magicians, sees Mitchell and Webb rattle through some great one-liners; pay homage to some key magicians and have a real knock at some of the oddness that is part and parcel of the magic scene. The great Pat Page makes an appearance, and most of the magic 'stalls' at the magic convention hosting the competition at the centre of the films plot were provided by well known magic dealers.

The Best 10 Movies About Magic of All Time
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Alan Jones is a performing Magician and Mentalist. He is a Member of the Magic Circle and is currently UK President of the International Magicians Society. You can find out more about him by visiting http://www.alanjonesmagic.com

"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker - A Review

This is a story, set in the rural American south, family house in a pasture, in which an African-American mother, "Mama Johnson," who grew up in the early part of the past century, struggles to absorb, understand, evaluate and appreciate the ramifications of her strongly bucolic and dirty background in comparison with a daughter (Dee) who had obtained an impressive advanced formal education in Augusta in Georgia and migrated to work in an urban environment. Mama, in several ways, views her other daughter, Maggie, who is in the comparison the less fortunate one. Her ungenerous appearance partly stems from a house fire that left her with severe burns from which conspicuous scars remain. In Mama's words: "Have you ever seen a lame animal, perhaps a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to own a car, sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him? That is the way my Maggie walks. She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire that burned the other house to the ground. Dee is lighter-skinned than Maggie, has nicer hair and a fuller figure."

The story begins with Mama and Maggie awaiting the visit of Dee. Despite Dee's being a direct blood relative, the two went to great lengths, the previous afternoon to make the yard, "so clean and wavy." This is a moving short story that illustrates the conflicts between formal education, rural tradition, urban modernism, culture, individualism, egocentrism, community, cooperation, family relationships, aesthetic appearances, capitalism, morality, abandonment, transformation, opportunism, intimidation, oppression, and emancipation. The story illustrates a common American scene, more so in the African-American context.

It was realized early in life that Dee was the significantly brilliant and ambitious one of the two daughters, she longed for the modern advanced setting; in Mama's words, "She use to read to us without pity; forcing words, lies, other folks' habits, whole lives upon us, sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice. She washed us in a river of make-believe, burned us with a lot of knowledge we didn't necessarily need to know." She was outspoken and unabashed, loved to dress well and display her beauty, "Dee wanted nice things." Mama, a woman whose formal school education was shut down in 1927 right after she had achieved a second grade education, apparently embraces her daughter's brilliance and ambitiousness by raising money, with the help of their church to send her to school in Augusta. Mama and Maggie, must have, on one hand, been eager to see Dee leave the home habitation, at least for sometime. The aura in the story, of her boldness, ambitiousness, and zeal for sophistication and achievement making people uneasy while struck with awe, is very powerful. Dee was a young lady of beauty and sophisticated language; Mama tells Maggie that she knows of some childhood friends that Dee had. To Mama, such friends were mostly mysterious, grim-faced, and they often seemed to be in a Dee-induced trance...astounded by her knowledge, bombastic articulation, and beauty. Mama says, "She [Dee] had a few [friends]....Furtive boys... Nervous girls who never laughed. Impressed with her they worshipped the well-turned phrase, the cute shape, the scalding humor that erupted like bubbles in lye." The author, Alice, Walker does not mention the father or fathers of Dee and Maggie, although she is strong on mentioning her, "rough man-working hands." It is hence safe to presume that Mama is a single mother. Walker would also lead us to wonder about the relationship between the two sisters. Mama, in the piece of writing, concentrates on these two so much that it is likely that these were her only children. Dee apparently has a certain level of fondness for her less fortunate sister, but that seems to be overshadowed by her superiority complex, by her looking down upon Maggie because Maggie does not measure up to her aesthetic and intellectual attributes as well as world view. Dee is quite outward looking and ambitious.

"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker - A Review

Maggie is quite the opposite...burned, bruised, poor sighted, ungainly in appearance, abashed to the extent of often hiding in corners and wanting to bury her head in the sand. At some point in the text, Mama says of Maggie, "...she stops and tries to dig a well in the sand with her toe," giving us the impression that she sometimes wished that the world would swallow her. The fire that burned and handicapped Maggie, undoubtedly contributed to her stultified development and reservedness. But it is not clear whether the bullying attitude of her older sister Dee also contributed to this. We must remember that Dee did read to her sister and mother, indicative of her desire for these blood relatives to become of higher social level and esteem. Mama talks of Maggie, "Sometimes Maggie reads to me. She stumbles along good-naturedly but can't see well. She knows she is not bright." The author also makes us curious about the house fire that scarred Maggie. Mama emphasizes that Dee hated the house and seemed to rejoice in it's burning down. This would raise suspicion that Dee had something to do with the fire. But hardly anything about how the fire was started is mentioned.

As Mama and Maggie await Dee's arrival, Mama imagines what it would be like for her to be introduced alongside an imagined celebrity Dee in a Johnny Carson-like high audience show, a situation in which she would get to travel in a luxurious limousine. She knows it is mostly a dream, and she knows that there is some pretentiousness and vanity in such shows, much of it scripted. Mama opines that in the TV spotlight, it is people of such attributes as slender build ("hundred pounds lighter" than she is) and fair-skin ("like an uncooked barley pancake") that are preferred. She displays unappreciation for staring straight into a ("white") stranger's eyes, and she was raised to be wary of whites. She marvels that Dee can look anyone in the eye, without hesitation. It is indeed a new generation of blacks, and more are coming. Mama knows that TV leaves out a lot of reality. She is a good example of reality, and she is proud of her bucolic strength: "In real life I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands....I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man." Unlike this era, such comparisons between masculine and feminine strength seem to have been quite common.

The visit, by Dee, to such close blood relatives that she had not seen for years, is notably short. Mama and an intimidated Maggie are astounded by the glamorous, brilliant, luxurious attire and jewelry on Dee. They are also awe-struck by the appearance of her, "short, stocky," companion from the other side of the car. Dee starts by uttering, "Wa-su-zo.Tean-o." Although, nothing further is mentioned about those words, some, with some knowledge of African languages would know that it stands for, "Wasuze otya nno?," 'How was your night,' in the Luganda east African language. The man starts with the Arabic-Islam greeting, "Asalamalakim," which Mama, at first, thinks is his name. Dee says she is no longer Dee, but now goes by the African names, "Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo." No explanation of these African names is offered, aside from Dee's dubious mentioning that they attach her to her indigenous African heritage, and displace names given to her by "oppressors," this in reference to her legacy of slavery. Walker does not tell us that Leewanika is probably a misspelling of the name of southern African King Lewanika who collaborated with the British. Neither does Walker elaborate further on the other names. "Ngero," in Luganda, means "stories" or "tales," "Wangero" meaning, "the one associated with stories/ tales." Kemanjo is probably a misspelling of some African name, or it is not a common African name. Mama gets to learn that "Asalamalakim" is Hakim-a-barber, probably a mishearing of the Arabic Islam names, "Hakim Akbar." All this is quite representative of the movements toward Africanism and black power in the 1960's and 1970's. Many of the quite formally educated, started adopting African and Islamic names, many times they did not know the meaning or histories of these names, and many became misspelled. It was an attempt at Africanization of identity, and embracing of Islam as an alternative religion to Christianity which was often perceived as the religion of oppressors. Indeed, many slavers and their ancestors have been Churchgoers. The paradox here is that the Dees and Hakims of this world are disdainful of their black-African heritage that is closest to them. Compared to the African culture of the Deep South, adopting African names is only a token of African culture. This ambivalence is becomes even more profound as Dee attempts to plunder his family of valuable crafts, such as quilts (put together over ancestral generations) and a churn handed down from previous ancestors. Dee likely wants to keep these valuables, as tokens of her heritage, as souvenirs, displayed in her home. Dee even belittles Maggie who owns some of them, saying she was only capable of putting them to, "Everyday use," and laughingly saying that, "Maggie's brain is like an elephant's" (also meaning that she has a good memory). Both Mama's and Maggie get disturbed and angered by Dee's demeanor of disrespect, insulting, selfishness, and aggression. Maggie still wants to give in to Dee, over the quilts that she really wants. An animated Mama, strongly declines and throws the quilts into Maggie's lap. Dee and Akbar leave shortly, soon after Dee implying to Mama that she did not understand the value of heritage and that Maggie should elevate herself out of the southern black rural environment. It is in this last incident that Mama gets to appreciate the strength and value of her younger daughter as against the seemingly foreign brash mannerisms of her older sister.

This story is quite representative of African-American social dynamics and dilemma. Of those who look down upon their past, as well as their less fortunate peers, while looking for fame and fortune in the capitalist world that involves aggressiveness, opportunism, and acquisition of wealth. The rural South is slow, family is important, with traditionalists finding it hard to cope with the extremes of urbanism. Many who leave traditional black culture are ashamed of it, but they still try to hold on to it by keeping cultural artifacts, antiques and souvenirs. Dee delights in seeing their house burn down, yet she comes back to retrieve articles that well could have burned in the same place. She comes to visit with a weird looking man whom she little talks about. But Mama knows exactly the man that Dee will marry. Family, and culture is strong in the rural south; Individualism and ambiguity are strong amongst the black educated elite, who in this piece are shifting to the culture of "oppressors," though they quite deny that they are doing so. It is a story on black identity crisis, and the place of black culture and values.

"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker - A Review
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Bollywood Movie Releases of 2009, Hindi Films of 2009

Here is the list of Bollywood movies releasing in 2009. Akshay Kumar has quite a good line up of films in 2009 while Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan have a film each, apart from their special appearances in three films. Among the actresses, the three Ks-Kangana Ranaut, Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif look set to have a good year.

* Victory: Victory starring Harman Baweja, is one of the most expensive movies of 2009. The story is about a boy from a small time village in Rajasthan who fulfills his father's long cherished dream of being an acclaimed cricketer at the national level. There are cameo appearances by many international cricketers as well. Anupam Kher and Amrita Rao costar in Victory.

* Acid Factory: Acid Factory, a Sanjay Gupta film has an elaborate start cast of Dia Mirza, Irrfan Khan, Fardeen Khan, Manoj Bajpai, Aftab Shivdasani and Danny Denzongpa. Acid Factory is about a group of people, whose sense of past has been erased from their memory. It is a high octane thriller, making the bad and evil relish-able. Dia Mirza plays a bad woman for the first time. The music of Acid Factory has been give by many music directors, including Sandeep Chowta, Anand Raj Anand, Mika Singh. The director of Acid Factory is Suparn Verma.

Bollywood Movie Releases of 2009, Hindi Films of 2009

* Raaz-The Mystery Continues: Director Mohit Suri attempts to show in this sequel to Raaz, that no one is good or bad totally; every one has their own demons to fight. Raaz-The Mystery Continues is a story of three people. Emraan Hashmi an artist, visualizes and prophecies the brutal death of Kangana Ranaut. Kangana's beau (reel and real life) Adhyayan is determined to save her at any cost. The movie under Mukesh Bhatt's Vishesh Films releases on January 23, 2009.

* Chandni Chowk to China: Director Nikhil Advani is back with a prized Akshay Kumar starrer-Chandni Chowk to China. The story is such that Akshay Kumar works at a roadside foodstall in Chandni Chowk, cutting vegetables and dreaming of a better life. He consults astrologers, tarot readers and the lot, believing in everything but himself. His redeeming moment comes when two strangers from China claim that he(Akshay) is a reincarnation of a war hero and takes him to China. Akshay moves along with Ranvir Shourey in a bid to realize his brave past. Along the way he meets Deepika Padukone and they set off in a series of adventures.

* Billu Barber: If Aamir Khan adapted a movie Ghajini from the south last year, Shahrukh Khan does a similar thing this. Billu Barber produced by Shahrukh Khan is loosely based on the friendship between Kishen and Sudama and also borrows from the Malayalam superhit Kuselan. Shahrukh Khan plays himself in the movie(call it an extended special appearance) while Irrfan Khan, who is the protagonist plays a small town barber. Whatever the fate of the film, one thing is for sure: you will blown away by the performances of two of the best actors of Bollywood.

* Delhi 6: The best director of 2006 Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra produces and directs this film. It is an autobiographic take on his growing days in Delhi. The film should be the trump card for actress Sonam Kapoor. It also stars Abhishek Bachchan. There is a huge expectation from the director who started a revolution with Rang De Basanti.

* Delhi Belly: Imran Khan who had played two distinct roles in hit Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and flop Kidnap, comes back in a frothy comedy, to be made by the best producer in Bollywood, yep you guessed it right, Aamir Khan. There is buzz that Delhi Belly is an adult comedy with 'strong language' and sexual innuendos. The movie Delhi Belly is being marketed as an adult copy, appealing to a niche audience and international market. The film is directed by Abhinav Deo.

* New York: Kabir Khan who surprised us pleasantly with "Kabul Express" comes back in 2009 with a taut thriller called 'New York' . New York stares Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh and John Abraham who has stripped himself to the buff(rejoice girls!) for a particular sequence of the film. New York is a contemporary story of three friends whose lives are scarred events beyond their control.

* Luck by Chance: The man of multiple talents Farhan Akhtar stars in what could be one of the finest Bollywood movie release to 2009.The star studded release include Hrithik Roshan, Rishi Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Dimple Kapadia, Isha Sherwani, Juhi Chawla and Sanjay Kapoor. Luck By Chance is a take on the aspiring actor with stars in his eyes, who wants to get a foothold in the Bollywood industry. It is a movie about how much of an impact does luck play in Bollywood.

* 8 x 10: This will be Akshay Kumar's first 'non-filmi' movie if one can use this term. In a relatively low budget film directed by the ever dependable Nagesh Kukoonoor and produced by Percept, it will portray Akshay Kumar as a man who can look into the past of dead people by touching objects that belonged to them. Inspired lightly by 'Sixth Sense,' this film is a must watch.

* Alibaug; Directed by Sanjay Gupta, it has a bevy of actors: Sunjay Dutt, Sanjay Suri, Diya Mirza, ROhit Roy and Maushmi Makhija. The story deals with nine youths who have just graduated from college and are looking at the real world that awaits them.

* Alladin : Alladin is an interpretation of Arabian Nights. It stars Riteish Deshmukh as Alladin and Amitabh Bachan as the genie. Expect a lot of special effects in this funny tale. Sanjay Dutt also stars in the film as a villain called Ringmaster, directed by Sujoy Ghosh.

* Ajab Prem ki Ghajab Kahani: Raj Kumar Santoshi, one of the prolific directors of Bollywood, attempts to bring the magic of Andaaz Apna Apna once again with a comic caper cum love story, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. The movie has a simple story of Ranbir Kapoor who moves around in his life, aimlessly. He keeps on fooling around till he meets Katrina Kaif and falls in love with her. After that the fun and madness begins.

* * Aashayein: Aashayein directed by Nagesh Kukunoor stars Ayesha Takia and John Abraham. John Abraham plays a compulsive gambler suddenly discovers that he is a victim of terminal illness, and that he has only 90 days to live. He is admitted to a hospital where he discover love, companionship and the beautiful meaning of life.

* Kambhakkt Ishq: One of the most talked about movies, Kambhaqt Ishq has beeen in news since 2008. Kambakth Ishq has cameo roles from major Hollywood stars including Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. Akshay Kumar who plays stuntman, will be back in his action avatar, doing dare devil stunts. The movie also stars Aftab Shivdasani, Amrita Arora and is directed by debutant Sabir Khan. Kambakth Ishq is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala.

* London Dreams: London Dreams, one of the most expensive movies of 2009 stars Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan and Asin. London Dreams is a story about two pop stars Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan who fall in love with a South Indian girl, Asin.

* Rensil D' Silva's next: Rensil D'Silva who was Rang De Basanti's screenplay writer become director with this film. It is a thriller with global terrorism in the background. The movie stars Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi and Kareena Kapoor. Karan Johar is the producer.

* Hissss: Hissss is synoymous with Mallika Sherwat. Hollywood collaborates with Bollywood to produce Hissss. Mallika plays a snake who is on the way to seek vengeance. An American visitor steps into the jungles of India and kills the female snake's mate which makes her seek revenge. Expect a lot of special effects in this flick. Apparently Mallika Sherwat who is dressed in a painfully heavy snake costume(she couldnt even go to the loo for 10 hours flat while shooting for this film) has no dialogue to mouth in the film.

* De Dhana Dhan: Priyadarshan is back with his style of comedy with De Dana Dhan. The movie stars the current hot onscreen pair-Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar. Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal also star in the film, hopefully to recreate the Hera-Pheri magic, 9 years ago. De Dana Dhan is a story of two broke guys who are in search of big money, to prove a point to their girlfriends. The movie also stars Sameera Reddy and Neha Dhupia.

* What's Your Rashee: Director Ashutosh Gowariker tries a love story with What's Your Rashee? starring lovers Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja. The movie is an adaptation of a Gujarati novel by Shri Madhu called Kimbali Ravenswood. The romantic movie is a story about how Harman Baweja has just ten days to win over the love of his life, Priyanka Chopra.

* Kaminay: One of the most prolific directors, Vishal Bharadwaj comes back with a bang in Kaminay, starring Shahid Kapur, Priyanka Chopra and Amol Gupte(the creative director of Taare Zameen Par). Easily one of the awaited films of 2009, you will see Shahid Kapur in a double role here. The look of Shahid is going to be totally different for Kaminay and it is reportedly kept under the wraps. The movie is supposed to be a comedy with a difference.

* Imtiaz Ali's next film: Imtiaz Ali, who had given the saccharine sweet Jab We Met, two years ago, comes up with a romantic intense tale, which stars Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan. Though the story is kept under wraps, it will be a true-blue love story of 2009.

* Wake Up Sid: Call it unconventional romantic pairing, but we have Konkona Sen Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor starring in Wake Up Sid, directed by debutant Ayaan Mukherjee. It is a Karan Johar production. Will be interesting to see how people from two different genres, Konkona and Ranbir do with this one.

* It's My Life: The sweetheart of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na(2008) pairs up with Harman Baweja in the movie Its My Life. The movie is directed by the director with the superhit track record, Anees Bazmee.

* Wanted-Dead or Alive: Starring the muscular Salman Khan and the voluptuous Ayesha Takia, Wanted-Dead or Alive should be the first big hit of the most under rated performer of Bollywood, Ms. Takia. Prabhudeva's first Bollywood directorial venture is a remake of his Tamil-Telugu blockbuster Pokiri. The pairing of the two beautiful actors is wonderful and the chemistry is going to sizzle the screen.

* Blue: Blue, one of the most expensive film of Bollywood ever(budget more than Rs.100 crores), has Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Lara Dutta and Zayed Khan in lead roles. The action film is shot in Bahamas and is written by American writers Joshua Lurie and Bryan M. Sullivan. The movie has a lot of underwater scenes and dare devil stunts by Akshay Kumar. A.R.Rahman has given music for the film. Australian singer Kylie Minogue has been reportedly paid 1.5 million dollars to sing for Rahman, Antony D'Souza is to direct the film.

For more exciting Bollywood movie releases of 2009, please refer to my blog.

Bollywood Movie Releases of 2009, Hindi Films of 2009
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V.S.ARUNRAJ, in his entertaining blog Bollywood Trends gives a low-down on the news, views, reviews, masala and trends of the biggest and the busiest film industry in the world-Bollywood

Titanic - A Love Story Movie Review

'Titanic' is a love story that captures the romance of two young lovers as the tragedy of the doomed vessel, RMS Titanic, unfolds around them. It was released in 1997 and was a great commercial and critical success, winning 11 Academy Awards (the first to do so since 'Ben Hur') and 3 Grammys.

It was was written, directed, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron, who also won the Academy Award for best director. 'Titanic' became the highest grossest movie of all time, earning .8 billion at the box office, until it was surpassed in 2010 by 'Avatar', another movie by James Cameron.

The story concerns two young people from different social classes - Leonardo DiCaprio appears as Jack Dawson and Kate Winslet has the role of Rose DeWitt Bukater - who fall in love while aboard the doomed maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. Although the love story is fictitious, many of the characters - crew and passengers - were based on those who were actually aboard the real vessel.

Titanic - A Love Story Movie Review

For instance, the brash Margaret "Molly" Brown (played by Kathy Bates) was famous for her heroic efforts (not shown in the movie) of trying to save drowning passengers. She later became known as the "Unsinkable Molly Brown".

There were many scenes in the movie, although only briefly touched on, which added greatly to the emotional impact of the inevitable sinking on passengers and crew. Two historical characters were Isador and Ida Strauss. Isador was a former owner of R.H. Macy and Company and was also a former NY Congressman. In the movie, his wife Ida has a chance of leaving the ship in a lifeboat but declines and returns to her husband, saying she will honor her wedding vow and remain with Isidor. She is last seen embracing him as they lie on a bed in their stateroom, with the water rushing in.

Layers of emotion are added with other scenes that depict obvious heroism by crew members. Joseph Bell, the Chief Engineer, and his men work desperately until the last moments to maintain the power for lights and so distress signals can be sent. All are lost.

Wallace Hartley, the bandmaster, and his orchestra, continue to play uplifting music to the very end, even as the ship sinks.

The two lovers, Rose and Jack, initially come together when he rescues her from a suicide attempt brought about by her despondency at a loveless engagement, having been pressured to marry a wealthy suitor, Cal, because of her family's financial needs.

Jack is scorned as inferior by Rose's mother and Cal but he does manage to attend a stuffy first-class dinner, where he renews his acquaintance with Rose and their bond deepens.

The next day, Rose defies her mother and Cal and goes to the bow of the ship where she meets Jack, realizes her feelings for him and the two passionately embrace. They then go to the privacy of Rose's stateroom and she asks him to sketch her wearing only the Heart of the Ocean, a blue diamond necklace which was an expensive engagement gift from Cal. She later leaves the sketch in Cal's safe.

While attempting to escape from Cal's bodyguard, Rose and Jack enter the cargo hold where they enter one of the cars stored there and make love on the back seat.

They witness the collision with the iceberg and overhear the lookouts discussing how serious it is. Rose and Jack decide to warn her mother and Cal but, in the meantime, Cal has discovered the nude sketch of Rose and furiously plants the necklace on Jack; then accuses him of stealing it. Jack is arrested and taken below deck, where he is handcuffed to a pipe.

The emotional elements of the 'Titanic' are very powerful, with the later scenes showing the aftermath of the collision, the desperate attempts of those aboard to find shelter on a lifeboat, or the brave acceptance of their fate. As there were not enough lifeboats, more than 1500 passengers and crew perished in this catastrophe. Throughout, the musical score strongly reflects their feelings and the dangers they face. The closing song, 'My Heart Will Go On' (sung by Celine Dion) won an Academy Award and two Grammies. Following the success of 'Avatar', a 3-D version of 'Titanic' will also be released.

Titanic - A Love Story Movie Review
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Read more of the story of Rose and Jack and what happens to them here: Titanic A Love Story and also on this page: Titanic Romantic Movie.

10 Movies You Must Watch Before You Die

Dying very soon? Are you on a death toll? Well, before you die, there are 10 great movies that you must watch first. How did I know that this is worth your time? I watched it, and so must you, to prove that I am right.

Due to boredom and got nothing else to do, I decided to have a movie marathon by myself. I went to my entertainment room and selected 10 movies that I love the most. It took me 15 hours just watching them. Here are my top 10 greatest movies of all time. I started with:

1. The Goonies - a 1985 movie that was directed by Richard Donner and a story made by Steven Spielberg. A ragtag group of young misfits are what they call the "Goonies". These "Goonies", who were from the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon, started to go on an adventure to find the buried treasure of One-Eyed Willie, a legendary 17th-century pirate, hoping to save their homes from demolition.

10 Movies You Must Watch Before You Die

2. Never Ending Story - is the 1984 film adaptation of the German fantasy novel by Michael Ende and the production was directed by Wolfgang Petersen.

Starring Barret Oliver as Bastian Balthazar Bux (named only "Bastian Bux" in the movie), Noah Hathaway as Atreyu, and Tami Stronach as The Childlike Empress.

The story began when Bastian started reading the book "The Never Ending Story". And his adventure started when he started reading the book. To be able to save "Fantasia", Bastian should rebuild the entire world through wishes and imagination.

3. Kids - a 1995 American film written by Harmony Korine and directed by Larry Clark. The film is focused on a day in the life of a group of teenagers in New York City and Disturbing, dark, low-budget independent film about teenagers growing up in poverty in New York City.

The story focuses on Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick), a teen who has a goal to de-flower as many virgins as he can. When one of his old encounters discovers that she is H.I.V.-positive, after only one encounter with a guy, Telly remains undaunted. (http://www.imdb.com/)

4. The Godfather - a 1972 crime film based on the novel of the same name, The Godfather, written by Mario Puzo. The movie was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, with screenplay by Puzo and Coppola. The Godfather was initially ranked as the third greatest film in American cinematic history. The story spans ten years from late 1945 to 1955 and chronicles the life of the Corleone crime family.

5. The Godfather Part II - is a 1974 motion picture directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. The Internet Movie Database ranks it as the third best movie of all time with the movie's predecessor, The Godfather, ranked as #1, and the American Film Institute lists it as #32. Considered by many, they all say that "The Godfather Part II" is the greatest sequel of all-time. This sequel is nominated for 11 Academy Awards and winning 6, including the Best Picture Award and the Best Supporting Actor Award.

It is considered by some critics to be even better than the original. The film is both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather, chronicling the story of the Corleone family following the events of the first film while also depicting the rise to power of the young Vito Corleone, played by Robert De Niro.

6. The Godfather Part III (1990) - is the third and final film in the Godfather trilogy written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola. It completes the story of Michael Corleone, a Mafia godfather who tries to legitimize his criminal empire. The movie also weaves into its plot a fictionalized account of real-life events - the mysterious 1978 death of Pope John Paul I and the Papal banking scandal of 1981-1982 - and links them with each other and with the affairs of Michael Corleone. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy Garcia, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, and Sofia Coppola.

7. Good Fellas - is a 1990 film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, the true story of mob informer Henry Hill. The film stars Ray Liotta as Henry Hill, Robert De Niro as Jimmy Conway (based on Jimmy Burke), Joe Pesci, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the sociopath Tommy DeVito (based on Tommy DeSimone), Lorraine Bracco as Hill's wife (Karen Hill), and Paul Sorvino as Paulie Cicero (based on Paul Vario).

8. City Of God - is an Academy Award-nominated 2002 Brazilian film, released in its home country in 2002 and worldwide in 2003. It was adapted by Bráulio Mantovani from the 1997 novel of the same name written by Paulo Lins which, both the film and the book, are based on a true story; the war between Knockout Ned and Li'l Zé is based on their real life counterparts. It was directed by Kátia Lund and Fernando Meirelles.

The film received four Academy Award nominations in 2004: Best Cinematography (César Charlone), Best Directing (Meirelles), Best Editing (Daniel Rezende) and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) (Mantovani). Before that, in 2003 it had been chosen to be Brazil's runner for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but it was not nominated to be one of the five finalists.

In October 2002, a spin-off television series, City of Men, premiered on Rede Globo.

9. Y Tu Mama Tambien - (literally "And your mom, too", released in English-speaking markets under the original Spanish title) is a 2001 Mexican film written by Carlos Cuarón and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The film chronicles a coming-of-age story of two teenage boys taking a road trip with a woman in her late twenties. The film is set against the backdrop of the political and economic realities of present-day Mexico, specifically at the end of the uninterrupted seventy-year line of Mexican presidents from the Institutional Revolutionary Party, and the rise of the opposition headed by Vicente Fox. The film achieved great success in its native country and received awards and critical acclaim in foreign territories.

10. Amores Perros - is a Mexican film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu in 2000. It is an anthology film, containing three distinct stories, which are connected by a car accident in Mexico City. Each of the three tales is also a reflection on the cruelty of humans towards each other, showing how they end up living darker and more hideous lives than the dogs around them. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001.

The film was released under its Spanish title in the English-speaking world, although it was sometimes translated as Love's a Bitch in marketing. In a 2001 interview on National Public Radio, Iñárritu pointed out that an American English idiom, Love's a Bitch is not a satisfactory translation of the title. (http://en.wikipedia.org)

There you have it, my top 10 greatest movies. Anyone who share same interests as mine, feel free to comment, or you could also suggest some movies that I should also watch before I die. Enjoy!

10 Movies You Must Watch Before You Die
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I am a fan of shoes and films. I am striving and an aspiring director. I know what I like and I try very hard to get them. I don't like people who are content with what they've achieved, I want to be surrounded by people who dream big, and act to achieve their goals and dreams. You can visit my blog http://scoot30.vox.com for more articles about life, entertainment, movies, and a lot, lot more.