Wickedfacts

Sucker Punch (2011) – Zack Snyder’s Newest Eye Candy

Zack Snyder have only made four movies, but he already established a certain style, we can say, “Hey that’s Zack Snyder’s movie.” All his movies are profitable and they receive generally warm acceptance. With the success of 300 (2007) and Watchmen (2009), Snyder also managed to create a fan base among comic book fans. His success primarily came from his ability to merge beautiful graphics and action packed scenes to please the audience.

Snyder’s latest installment uses the same approach he used in 300. Sucker Punch (2011) tells a story about a girl called Baby Doll (Emily Browning). When Baby Doll’s violent stepfather sent her to Lennox House for The Mentally Insane against her will, Baby Doll is faced with a nightmarish news about her scheduled lobotomy. Not willing to give up and end her life on the operating table, she devised a plan to escape from the institution. Baby Doll gathered other girls at Lennox House and told them about her plan. She urged four other young girls, the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung) and the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), to band together and try to escape their terrible fate.

To bear with the harsh reality of day-to-day life at Lennox House, Baby Doll created an alternate universe inside her head. In her new vision of the mental institution, Baby Doll is faced with the challenge to gather some items to help her escape. She will receive these items as a reward for defeating deadly enemies. The story continues in the alternate universe where fire-breathing serpents, giant robots, and samurai warriors exists.

Sucker Punch’s newest trailer offers us a glimpse into Snyder’s magnificent fantasy world. The view of epic battles, spectacular setting, and scary enemies are served as nonstop eye candy. Of course, Snyder kept his signature slow motion style with every bullets shot, exploding bombs, and head-splitting sword fights.

This time, Snyder is not making movie adaptation. Sucker Punch is written by Snyder himself, and Steve Shibuya. He already came up with the idea of filming the story a couple years ago. Snyder also said he enjoyed the freedom of filming his own original script. But it doesn’t mean that Snyder will stop making movie adaptations from comic book characters. His next project is The Man of Steel (2012), and the production of Xerxes and Ga’Hoole’s sequel might come sooner than people think.

Sucker Punch is ready to battle other box-office contenders next summer. The movie is scheduled for release on May 25, 2011. Will Zack Snyder continues his box-office streak?…

JLS Facts

JLS facts are not hard to come by seeing as the band was established in a public manner via the television show, The X Factor.

JLS stands for Jack the Lad Swing and consists of four members. Aston Merrygold was born on the 13th February 1988, Marvin Hume was born on the 18th March 1985, Jonathan “JB” Gill was born on the 7th December 1986, and Orits?� Williams was born on the 27th November 1986.

The formation of the band is the result of Orits?� deciding to get involved with the music industry as a member of a boy band due to his mother suffering from multiple sclerosis. His ambition was to raise money to help find a cure of the disease. Orits?� initially wanted to be a part of an existing band but was not satisfied with the groups he found as he wanted a band that had a close bond. As a result of his dissatisfaction, he decided to create his own band.

Orits?� met with Marvin through friends, and soon after, Aston joined the band, with JB being the final member, who was welcomed by the others because of his strong ‘musical ear.’ JB is often considered the ‘harmoniser’ of the group because of his vocal ability.

The foursome, now known as JLS was originally called UFO, standing for Unique Famous Outrageous. They received raved reviews before being signed by a major record label. In 2007, they were awarded for Best Unsigned Act at the Urban Music Awards under their previous name, UFO.

JLS, still known as UFO, auditioned for The X Factor show in 2008, where they changed their name to the now widely know JLS after the name UFO had already been taken by another group. The guys were a quick favourite with the judges, considered to be the winning act by Simon Cowell after performing the Rihanna smash hit song “Umbrella.” The band made it to the final but was beaten by Alexandra Burke who got to perform with Beyonce Knowles on the night. Although the band came in second place, they were already firmly in the public eye and were swiftly given a recording deal by Epic Records in January 2009.

In July 2009, the JLS debut single “Beat Again” was released, which reach number 1 on the Official UK Singles Chart, with an album that shortly followed. JLS concert dates were soon released with thousands of tickets being snapped up by fans who till this day remain loyal to the band.

After only a few short years in the public eye, the band are loved by millions of fans across the country, with more people – namely teenage girls – following the band’s career dedicatedly. Their second album, “Outta This World” has seen demand for JLS Tickets soar, with fans wanting to see them perform their rave review dance sequences. Recently, the band announced the release of the JLS 3D Concert Movie title “Eyes Wide Open,” which is being shown simultaneously across cinemas nationwide in June. A “JLS ticket” to this concert movie screening is treasured by fans leading the boy band to grow their fan base with amazing reviews from both fans and critics.

JLS are said to be working on their third album, which is predicted to garner an even bigger fan base, with JLS concert tickets set to be a high commodity when news of new JLS tour dates are released.…

Movie Poster a Treasure For California Family

In 1978, Anne Stafford was shopping for a gift for her husband’s birthday.

“He is a B horror movie fan and he loved Dracula and Sherlock Holmes and stuff by Roger Corman,” says the California mom.

Stafford ended up in an antiques store, not certain what she was looking for or what she would find when a stack of movie posters caught her eye. She began flipping through the sheets when one in particular stood out. “When I saw it, it was just stunning,” Stafford recalls. “I knew I had a terrific hit on my hands.

“It was the perfect gift,” she continues. “There were maybe 10 movie posters on that table, but honestly I don’t remember what the others were. I just remember the ‘Freaks’ poster.”

Stafford paid $10 for the 14-by-36 inch poster and her husband was delighted with the gift.

When released in 1932, ‘Freaks’ shocked moviegoers. It was based on a short story about circus performers published in February 1923 in Munsey’s Magazine. Rather than using actors in costumes and makeup, director and producer Tod Browning cast real performers as “freaks.”

It was too much for audiences of the time and MGM quickly pulled the movie from theaters. The studio called it an error in judgment, but decades later, it would become a cult classic at revival houses and on college campuses.

For 30 years, the Staffords had little idea that the poster hanging on their wall was one of the last remaining original posters for the controversial movie. “Movie posters from the original release are virtually unheard of,” says Grey Smith, director of vintage movie posters at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. “It’s one of the hobby’s greatest rarities.”

While researching the poster, at least one dealer offered the Staffords $60,000. But the family decided an auction was the best option for them. In March 2009, an East Coast collector purchased it for $107,550 at a Heritage auction.

“We all like nice things,” Stafford says, “but we certainly can’t take it with us. We enjoyed it for 30 years. It was fun having it.”…

Movie Review – Marley & Me

I recently succumbed to my curiosity and rented the movie “Marley & Me.” I resisted this like the plague, since I read and loved the book and knew that a movie would not be able to do this wonderful story justice.

The movie centers on the Grogan family and their lovable, lug-of-a-dog Marley. The story begins with a young married couple, John (Owen Wilson) and Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) Grogan, who adopt a dog as a gateway towards children.

They choose an adorable, little, golden-retriever pup and get ready to begin the next stage of their lives. Well, things didn’t go exactly as planned. The tiny pup grows enormous, seemingly overnight, and becomes quite a doggy menace.

There are many scenes showing: John and Jenny running after Marley, Marley destroying everything in his path and the general chaos this dog inflicts on their daily lives.

Of course, they also show how, even though he’s a big ball of destruction, he’s a fabulously loyal dog and very much a part of the family.

I didn’t love this movie, mainly because I read the book, but also because I didn’t believe in the relationship between Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. These two exuded very little chemistry and it threw the whole love-story aspect off-kilter.

In addition to the misplaced chemistry, the scenes were lacking that heart-warming, organic flow. A portion of this could be attributed to the story’s lengthy time span, but I feel the majority is a result of the painfully, mechanical writing. I know it’s hard to have snappy dialogue when you have a hundred-pound pupper bouncing around, but a little more effort could have been used to avoid the blatant clichés and tearjerker manipulations.

I did enjoy the rapid-fire editing-accompanied by voice-over-which allowed many life moments to be realized quickly and efficiently. This technique moved the story along nicely and was extremely effective.

Bottom line: If you’re a dog-lover, you will respond to the antics of the lovable Marley. If you’re like me, you will give your own pupper (a fourteen-pound mini-Marley for me) an extra squeeze as the movie nears the end. Have lots of tissues handy.

Better yet… read the book, it’s so much better. Tissues will still be necessary.…

Alien: Resurrection Review

After the Alien saga was treated by a Brit and two Americans it was time for a Frenchie to step in and take the reins. Enter French auteur Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the man to helm the fourth Alien movie, Alien: Resurrection. This fourth installment takes place 200 years after Alien 3. Scientists have gathered blood samples from Fury 116, Lt. Ellen Ripley’s final resting place, and used them to create a super strong alien/human hybrid clone of the Xenomorph slaying expert. These scientists pulled the Queen alien that was inside of Ripley out of her and used the Queen to start breeding the Xenomorphs. And, as one would expect, things quickly go wrong. It is, once again, up to Ripley to save a rag tag gang of space pirates from these horrific creatures running amok on a ship that is headed towards Earth at an alarming rate.

Alien: Resurrection is undboutedly a Jeunet film, with its darkly comic atmosphere and animated and eccentric style. He adds all of his usual European flare to this exciting and explosive film. Alien: Resurrection reverts back to James Cameron’s way of doing things in this saga, making the film an action film rather than a suspense horror. Honestly, this is something I was happy about. It was neat to see the series switch back and forth between these two genres with Alien being a true sci-fi horror, Aliens being a strictly action packed film, and Alien 3 returning to the horror roots. Alien: Resurrection is non stop action and with Jeunet’s visual brilliance it is an absolute visual spectacle.

Where Alien: Resurrection fails, however, is in its script. Not so much because the script is bad, but writer Joss Whedon and director Jean-Pierre Jeunet had two different visions for the film. Whedon wrote a crazier and more tounge-in-cheek script, while Jeunet directed a more straight edge final product. This clashing is what makes this film falter the most. The style doesn’t match the script, and when characters say or do things that seem a little silly in a more serious environment it feels awkward and cringe worthy at times.

Also, Joss Whedon made a very bold move in what he did with the space pirates. He tried to create a group of characters who we could believe have worked together for a very long time and he tried to create an atmosphere around them that made them feel like a true space crew, not just actors thrown together to play certain archetypes. This is one of the most revolutionary things that the original Alien succeeded phenomenally at. No science fiction film has ever created this sort of atmosphere, and Alien: Resurrection doesn’t even come close. Whedon tried to pay a great homage to the first film in doing this, but really he just revealed to us the things that made the crew of Alien work by showing us what absolutely doesn’t work.

Visually, Alien: Resurrection is astounding and as pure entertainment it works pretty well. It’s definitely fun and a great way to kill two hours. But with a script that is mismatched with the film’s style and a story that is full of odd plot holes that continually take you out of the experience this film is kept from being much more than just a fun little action film. It has some great moments and if you’ve seen the other three films then definitely see this one, but don’t expect the kind of quality you are used to with this franchise.

6/10…

Fun Face Painting With Kids

Kids always love exciting and new activities that you do with them. These kids have simple ways to enjoy their selves. One of the best activities that they always enjoy doing is face painting. It is an activity that also develops their creativity. It can help a budding artist develop his full potential. It is a fun activity indeed. There are some tips and information that you have to remember all the time.

DRAW THE DESIGN

It is important that you have samples to show to kids so that they will be able to choose among the designs that they will see. It will give them the freedom to choose the best design for them. Guide them as they choose from the designs that you have prepared for them. It is always a good way to make sure that the kid will like the design that you will put in his face.

INCLUDE SIMPLE DESIGNS

You have to include simple designs in the choices that you will give them. It is very vital for those who do not want to be messy looking but would want to participate in the activity. Simple designs may include shapes like heat, star, musical note and a lot more.

COLORS

Try to realize that you need to have the appropriate colors that you will need for each design. Have the basic colors like red, yellow and blue. You can mix them to come up with a new color. Make sure that you will mix the appropriate amount to be able to attain the desired color tone.

PREPARE FOR CLEAN UP

Sometimes this activity can become messy. Try to prepare for the cleanup. Make sure that you have enough water in place as this paint can be removed by water. Try to include soft cloth to aid in the removal.

It is always an exciting activity to do face painting. There are a lot of designs and shapes that you can do. You need to have the appropriate equipment and tools and have the designs prepared initially. Try to remember the tips so that you will be able to enjoy it with your kids.…

Movie Pages – To Enjoy Watching Movies With Comfort

Many people want to watch and enjoy the movies in the comfort of their room peacefully. They do not want to stand in the queues or wait outside the theaters to get the tickets and then for the show to begin. At home with the availability of DVD, now watching movies has become very easy and most comfortable. And the latest edition in this section to get the fun of watching movies is the internet. With the help of internet you have to just log on to the search engine and look for the best movie pages and search for the DVD that you want. It not like the general DVD renting stores and outlets where it took loads of time to search for the DVD of the movies which are a bit older and which are not on the hit list. With the help of the movie pages one can search for one and all the movies from the oldest to the latest and from the most hit number to the one that went unnoticed.

At the movie pages you will get the only the original DVD therefore there is no danger of getting in the list of users of those who do the illegal act of piracy. And also one would get the best prints and video with the best and original sound. Other than this the movie pages also offer the facility of not just getting the DVD that you want for buying but one can also get the DVD on rent through the movie pages. Other than this one does not even have to go and get the DVD on his/her own. The movie page site owner makes the arrangements for the delivery of the DVD that you have ordered for purchase and in case you have just rented them they will only make the arrangements for delivery as well as the pickup.

In case, the movie pages through which you have chosen the DVD has to deliver it in the same city then normally it takes one hour for the job and if in case it has to be delivered in any other city then on normally it takes one day. With the movie pages one can also get all the information of the all the latest and the other movies that one may need to find about and also get to see the trailer and the also read the reviews on the particular movie. There are a few movie pages through which one can get to know about the story and other related aspects of the movies. And also there are gossips and the movie news that make one thrilled if he/she is a movie freak and loves to be part of them fully.

Yet another interesting feature of you will see here is one can also read the scripts of the movies that are about to be released soon and get to know about the details about the cast and the crew and even the shooting schedules. There are few movie lovers who just like collect the posters of the movies and this is like a hobby or a passion for them. On the movie pages one can get the best of the collection of the posters.…

Wholesale DVD Distributors – The Benefit of Patronizing Wholesale DVD Distributors

In the world of business, often we heard of wholesale distributors that have specialized products. Like selling beauty products, school supplies, home furniture, DVD s and others are among those in the top selling items in the chart. When we talked about entertainment, the children and adult alike love watching movies, but often working adults do not have much time to got to movie houses to watch the shown in the movie houses, and will just resort in buying DVD. Wholesale distributors license the DVD distribution rights from studios producing the movies and supply DVD s to retail stores, online merchants, DVD rental companies and mail order stores.

Often these products are sold in packages, containing different titles. Drama, action, comedy, horror, family, kids, martial arts, science fiction and western are some of the popular DVD genres. These DVD s are sold as ready packed or custom-made according to orders. Time and again the items contain extra content not available to viewers in the movie theaters. This has added in features like interviews with the movie stars, behind the scenes action from the movie sets and scenes which have been deleted from the movie. These extras are an added attraction for its consumer.

The big proceeds build up to the distributors would be through the sale of video products to retail shops and video rentals. In one of the market study made about this business, there has been considerable growth in the mail order rental via the internet. There are plenty of rental companies available in the internet and this has more than two million customers patronizing the business.

Using the mail to order process using the internet has been rising in terms of sales. In which is also known to be called as digital distribution that includes providing a movie download service via the distributor’s own broadband infrastructure, game center, video demand services and more. The video on demand systems allow users to watch video over a network as part of an interactive television system.

Ever since retailers enjoy good revenue doing the business, and there are more people are purchasing these items in bulk from a distributor. And which case the demand increases, more people are earning through this scheme. Many deal to drop shipping and mail the DVD s directly to the end consumer, through this way it has been a convenient way to watch movies.…