Wickedfacts

Best Movies of 2003

City of God

I saw this movie barely knowing anything about it, but was blown away by the end of it. A great story about two boys in Rio de Janeiro who grow up doing very different things, one is a drug dealer, and quite successful at it, and the other is a photographer. The grittiness gets under your skin and stays there.

Old School

When watching this movie for the first time I know I was looking at a classic of the genre, like Animal House or Caddyshack. Will Ferrell is such a master and an icon of comedy at this point. The scene when he gets shot with the dart, need I say more? Oh yeah, Vince Vaughn was good too.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

This just happens to be The Lord of the Rings movie for this year, in my opinion they are all simply amazing. Peter Jackson has a serious brain in that head of his. Watching this series I don’t think there is one aspect that I could cut on, it is perfect.

Elf

I had to include Elf. This is a Christmas favorite at my house. The kids love it and I’ll watch it a thousand times, after all, it’s Will Ferrell.

The Matrix: Reloaded

I think the follow up to the original is pretty dang good. After having a movie like The Matrix it had to have a sequel for so many reasons. And since the big secret was let out in the first movie, how can the second measure up? Although it is not at the top of the genre like The Matrix is, Reloaded is a great sequel and did not disappoint. It simply was not possible to be as successful in the review point of view as the first.…

Online Movie Ticket Booking

Thanks to ecommerce, we can buy movie tickets right from home. No more buying in black!! The process of buying on the cinema theatre sites has to improve though. They haven’t paid attention to user experience. Why wait at the counters in the queues at the last moment for the tickets? Also the convenience of planning and tension free visit to the theatre to relax is a boon.

The tickets are available in advance and the user can book film tickets for the upcoming 6 days for the movie of his choice running the theatres though his credit and debit cards. The print out of the ticket needs to produced at the counter with an identity proof for the theatre authorities to issue an original ticket. Theatres have their own websites that provide this service or have tie ups with websites to provide this service to the consumers. It is available in all the metros in India.

This online booking has prevented malpractices of selling the tickets in black at higher rates and exploiting the consumers. There were times the consumers stood disappointed when the theatres displayed the houseful board while people sold tickets outside for double the rates and the consumer purchased it out of compulsion to have come all the way to watch the movie with his family, friends and others.

The consumer now books the movie ticket from a computer and has an option to check out availability of seats for a particular cinema in the theatre running different shows. It’s very common with almost every online film ticket booking website to offer a seat map and you get to select your own seats from the map – everything online. The user can choose a seat of his choice (provided available) and is assured of watching his favorite movie on the big screen. Also the consumer can opt to avail value add services offered by the theatres.

The ticket purchased is non transferable. Children aged 3 years and above require admission ticket. The management reserves the right to refuse admission by refunding ticket price purchased. The consumer has to collect his tickets 1/2 an hour prior to the show time from theatre with your booking ID.

The process of booking the tickets is simple and goes this way.

From the website you can online see the movie schedule and check ticket availability. From the homepage select your choice of movie, theatre and date, on submission it will display schedules of all the matching shows. If the show is open for booking, then click on that show to check the cinema ticket availability. The seat position is dependent on the theatres. Consumers can book tickets in advance for movies that will start playing the following week (from Friday). As long as the movies are listed on the site, you can book tickets for those movies. Once tickets have been bought online, they are considered sold and cannot be cancelled, refunded or exchanged. Once you have finished booking your tickets, you will be given a ticket by the booking center that is called as the confirmation slip. This slip has to be provided at the respective theatre to exchange for the original ticket. If you lose or damage the confirmation slip, no replacement or no refund will be provided and you will not be able to get the original ticket also. They add a very nominal amount as a service charge per ticket.

What are you waiting for? Start booking your cinema tickets for your favorite movies at your nearest theatres. Happy ticketing!…

Movie Review – Hot Fuzz

I recently watched a gem of a movie called “Hot Fuzz.”

The movie centers on Police Constable, Nicholas Angel (a wonderful Simon Pegg), who is a superior law-enforcement specimen. He’s efficient, effective and driven to a fault. He’s so consumed by his job that he sabotaged his relationship with his girlfriend. In fact, his only ongoing relationship is with his precious Japanese Peace Lily.

PC Angel learns he’s being promoted to Sergeant, but not in London, in the sleepy village of Sandford. Of course, he wants to remain in action-packed London, but isn’t wanted there because he’s making his fellow officers look bad.

He arrives in the quaint village of Sanford and promptly starts arresting a good deal of the village, including his bumbling, new partner Danny (Nick Frost).

He quickly learns that the Sanford Police Service is more than happy to do the bare minimum work as long as their stomachs are filled with ice cream and cake. That’s not a problem, though, because he’s also informed that Sanford is the safest village in the country and is the winner of the “Village of the Year” contest. The village pride is evident by the high-tech Neighborhood Watch Alliance.

Sergeant Angel is stuck attending to a run-away swan, speed-trap duty, wayward hedge-clipping and church fair security. That is, until a series of bizarre accidents convinces him there’s a serial killer on the loose.

No one believes in his wild theories, but as the bodies add up, even the most skeptical are forced to face the reality.

This movie is hilarious and Simon Pegg playing the straight is absolutely delicious.

The smash-cut editing-which was used with limited success in “Shaun of the Dead-is used to terrific effect and makes the movie that much more enjoyable.

This movie was obviously created by movie buffs, with multiple shout-outs to “Point Blank,” “Bad Boys II” and the power of Grayskull.

There loads of violence and gore, but it all comes off with such a humorous angle that it isn’t nauseating. In fact, this movie contains one of the most gruesome and hysterical movie deaths I’ve ever seen.

Just when you think you know the direction the movie is heading, it takes a left turn and ends up in a completely different place. It’s glorious.

Bottom line: Brilliant, hilarious, gory and Simon Pegg playing it straight. It doesn’t get any better than “Hot Fuzz.” And remember it’s all for the “greater good.”…

Several Mistakes to Avoid When Shopping for Home Theater Audio

A home theater audio system is undoubtedly a wise decision. With benefits for both movie watching and listening to music–two important aspects of many people’s lives–it’s definitely not a purchase that will go unused. The biggest drawback of buying a new audio system actually lies with impulse buying. People in general have a tendency to want immediate results and thus opt for either the first unit they find, or the cheapest that they find, or else they allow themselves to be goaded or rushed into making a decision, or are upsold unnecessary features by clever salespeople. All of these things can be avoided if you keep in mind a couple of important pointers pertaining to selecting the best quality and most useful audio system for your particular needs.

Listen to Speakers Thoroughly

The most important test of a speaker’s quality to an individual is invariably a sound test. It’s quite simple: the speakers have to sound good to you, otherwise you’re going to be happy with them. It’s helpful to know what the different specifications and features mean, but in the end if you’re satisfied with the sound produced by a cheaper set of speakers then that’s the best model for you. Make sure you bring along movies or CDs that you listen to frequently when testing speakers, so you can assess the sound quality of a medium that you’re familiar with.

Use Common Sense

If you think you’re going to buy tiny, inconspicuous satellite speakers and have them hold up to full blown home theater action movie sound effects without straining or distorting, I’m afraid to say that you’re living in a dream world. If you want big sound, don’t expect it from compact speakers. Likewise, if you want detail and finesse to the sound quality then don’t expect it from the system that advertises the most thunderous, mind-shattering bass on the market. There’s a lot of subtlety to audio systems, and many ways in which the lows, highs and midranges can be combined and balanced to achieve different effects.

Additionally, the larger the room you intend to set up your speakers in, the more speaker you’ll need to fill all that space. Especially when it comes to surround sound or bass effects, don’t expect to achieve the quality you want with “imitation surround systems” or built-in woofers. You need solid, dedicated units for these kinds of sound systems. Take your time when selecting your audio system, use your head and be prepared to pay for the kind of quality that you want, and you are sure to make a decision that you’re satisfied with for years to come.…

Top DVD Movie Rentals – How to Choose a Top DVD Rentals Company

There are many providers who offer what I like to call movie by mail. This article will look at the top DVD movie rentals companies out there on the market today and what each of them can offer you.

As I stated above there are many companies that you can choose from, however you only want the best, so from this pile of movie rental companies I have narrowed them down to the top two rentals companies just for you.

In this article I will compare both Netflix and Blockbuster. These are the top two movie rental company in the UK at the time of writing and my research has shown me exactly why.

Both Netflix and Blockbuster have over 100,000 movies to rent, they also charge the same competitive prices for their service. So far they both offer the same value, however closer inspection shows the little differences between the two.

Netflix offer 1000 movies available to be streamed as soon as you join them. This means that you can watch some movies on your computer straight away. I think this is excellent, however some people may not own large computer monitors and if they do not then watching a Hollywood action movie on a tiny screen really would not do the movie any justice.

Blockbuster on the other hand do not offer this service, they do however allow you to go into store and pick up your favourite movies and drop them off, this speeds up the whole process of renting your movies so this means you can watch much more and much quicker than you would than if you used Netflix.

Blockbuster also offers you the option to watch movies on Blu Ray at no extra charge, Netflix however do charge for this service.

As you can see from above, there is not that much between the top DVD movie rentals companies in the UK and choosing which one is best comes down to your individual circumstances.…

Movie Themed Halloween Costumes

Halloween is here again, and the race is on to get together the very best Halloween costumes for you and your friends! The Halloween season is a ton of fun for everyone that gets involved, and while there is always a lot to prepare for with Halloween parties, such as the right Halloween games, decorations, snacks and so on, the main thing that many people want to get sorted out first is what to do about their Halloween costumes.

While the traditional kinds of Halloween costume, such as vampires, ghouls, demons, Frankenstein’s monster and so on, are all wonderful things to dress as, as well as being perfectly recognizable, how about movie themed Halloween costumes?

A movie themed outfit would  get you instant recognition at any Halloween party or club event, as well as getting you a lot of attention thanks to everyone’s love of movie characters. Horror film characters are a great starting pit for movie themed costumes, and there is a massive range of horror icons to create a costume of.

For starters there are obvious choices such as Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Leatherface. Then there are other horror stars such as Pinhead from Hellraiser, Hannibal Lecter and more. Beyond horror movie characters, there are a number of other great ideas for movie themed costumes, such as the Star Trek movies, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Underworld, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride and countless others!

One of the great things about movie themed Halloween costumes is the fact there is such a wide range of costume ideas for  everyone- men and women, boys and girls. Alongside the traditional spooky characters and creatures that are usually turned into Halloween costumes, movie themed Halloween costumes can really get you noticed and cause a stir at whatever Halloween party or event you’re heading to this year.

What about a Ghostbusters Halloween costume to combat all that spookiness? Plus, thanks to these costumes not being linked to a specific season, you can use them again and again at other social functions, parties, conventions and all manner of other events!…

Centurion Review

The Ninth Legion marches north through Britain with orders to take out the savage Pict forces. As the soldiers make their way behind enemy lines, they are ambushed by the very people they were sent to exterminate. After the ambush the few survivors of the legion must head further into enemy territory to escape being hunted by the enemy forces and rescue their General, captured by the Picts during the ambush.

Starring Michael Fassbender, who played Hicox in Inglorious Bastards and will star as Magneto in the upcoming X-Men: First Class. I believe he is an excellent upcoming actor. Olga Kurylenko, a Ukrainian actress who stared in Quantum of Solace as one of the famed Bond Girls, also has a starring role in Centurion. Kurylenko adds sex appeal to the slaughter, making murder look almost sexy.

Fassbender plays Quintus Dias, a centurion leading the Roman survivors through the British wilderness, who is left in charge after the capture of the Ninth Legion’s general. Quintus must keep his men alive and rescue their general before making their way back to the Roman line. The small Roman band is being chased by a group of Picts, lead by the beautiful warrior woman Etain(pllayed by Kurylenko.) Etain has a deep childhood hatred for everything Roman and will stop at nothing to see the soldiers dead.

As I watched, I was drawn in by the action. The special effects were not great but everything had amazing realism. From the beautiful scenery of the sets to the amazing fight scenes, that definitely don’t skip the blood and gore, I was captivated by the way it all came together to form an interesting and entertaining storyline.

The only negative aspect of this movie was the slight inaccuracy of the historical facts involving the leadership and politics in the year A.D. 117, but this is only a slight draw back to those who know more than average about Roman culture and is easily overlooked.

With a number of epic battles, that easily compare to Gladiator and 300, and an original story that keeps the viewer interested but more importantly entertained, Centurion is a must see film.…

Best Movie Camera for Christmas 2010 With Flash Memory

JVC GZ-HM550 movie camera 32 gig bytes of memory and you can add a card for long recording periods like a relatives wedding. Great Camera but two things are odd. 1. It does not come with the cable to be able to play back the movie in HD. Mini-HDMI cable has much better picture than the standard cable in the kit. 2. Factory setting inside the camera is XP (high quality) you must choose UXP (high-definition) then it prompts you with a warning it can only be copied to Blu-ray. Well that makes sense but during the copy process if you use a DVD it automatically downgrades the recording to XP for the copy. You will still have the UXP on the camera. Being rather techie I would default to record in the highest format so that the information is captured then you can choose a lesser quality recording device if you want. I am thinking from the studios perspective they use really high quality because if it’s not there at the recording site you can’t rebroadcast and make up the missing quality. Your reviewing of the movie from disk is your broadcast. The DVD player can’t make up quality that was not put down on the disk.

So that said, Buy it it’s a great camera. Order the cable at purchase and when you get the camera read the directions and change the setting right away to UXP. You will be happy with the quality and the camera easy to use. Battery life can be as long as 1.5 hours in constant use and must be charged on the camera. This can shorten to 45 minutes of use for intermittent 8-10 minute shots over several days. Get the stand-alone charger and a high-capacity battery. This gives you two batteries and one can always be in the charger. Like on Christmas morning. The camera will record 2 1/2 hours.

It has great software features that let you organize your movies in calendar form. All in all I am very satisfied with the camera.…

Why 13 Can Be Lucky For Aspiring Performers

Actors and many involved in the entertainment field can be a superstitious lot of people. There are customs and traditions in the field of theater that are based on suspicions. Did you know, it is bad luck to whistle in a dressing room? Never wish an actor good luck, but instead say “Break a leg.” The origins of the “Break a leg” wish remains uncertain, but a prominent theory suggests that the thin curtains that mask the wings of the stage are referred to as “legs” and to enter from the wings, an actor must first “Break a leg.”

The number 13 is widely considered as unlucky, with an associated phobia, specifically developed around it, labelled as Triskaidekaphobia. It is not legally required, but in public places, no floors are labelled with the number 13. The origin of the belief of 13 as being unlucky appears to have some Christian connotation, as there were 13 people at the Last Supper and Jesus was crucified on Friday 13th. Conversely, the number 13 can also be considered as lucky in some cultures:

Thirteen is the age at which boys achieve Bar Mitzvah in Judaism.

It is also believed that God has 13 Attributes of Mercy.

Sikhs believe that the number thirteen is special number because of the legend of Guru Nanak Dev.

In Hinduism, memorial feasts are held for the peace of the departed soul, on the thirteenth day following a death.

The seal of the United States contains 13 colonies on which the country was founded.

As an actor or anyone involved in the field of entertainment, the year 2013, should hold some significance, no matter, what your belief or superstitions are. Movie Auditions 2013, will provide the aspiring actors, singers dancers or any type of performer to showcase their talents. Auditioning may be a difficult process, and often, much support is needed. The idea of having to audition for a role, may be as, or even more intimidating to neophytes, than performing in front of thousands of people or in front of the camera. Proper auditioning is a process, that requires knowledge and practice.

The real world auditions 2013, provides the chance for thousands of young adults to be one of the seven strangers picked to live in a house and have their daily lives taped. One of the shows that became the purveyors of reality television, it is viewed by millions and no prior acting experience is required. In fact the only requirement is to be between the age of 18 to 24 yrs old. The process of trying out for “The Real World” is simplified to either attending a casting call or mailing in an audition tape. The experience may be invaluable to the aspiring actor.

There are opportunities for the aspiring actor to create and maintain luck in 2013, despite some of the unlucky association that are are attached to the number 13.…