Bollywood has faced a number of upheavals and transformations, but one remarkable change of the recent times is the experimentation with techniques and themes.

The former years had a lot of restrictions in terms of presentation, handling and theme of the movie from the director’s point of view. They could not take up challenging horror or action sequences because it demanded special effects, the result was a gapingly scant collection of horror flicks, and in the name of action the viewers had to do with adoring Dharmendra’s power-packed fists that floored the villains in one thunderous punch with the roar: “Kuttey! Mein tera khoon pee jaunga!!! (the pun was unintentional). There were some potential substitutes, too, like Dara Singh, who promised some drum-centric music enhanced (read overshadowed) action sequences, where an army of goons was hurled about in all directions by him. Then we had Amitabh Bachchan in ‘Angry Young Man’ avatar and then the action mantle fell on Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan, Suniel Shetty, and Akshay Kumar. With time, action sequences became considerably better, with slow-motion punches adding to the overall action effect of the fist-power.

In the same era, Hollywood churned out a hair-raising thriller-horror ‘The Wind’ (1987). This particular movie became hugely popular due to the sheer simplicity with which the horror was built-up. It was chilling, scary, violent and gripping. It used no effects other than some high voltage fans to create the windstorm in a deserted village. And its background music was self-effacing, yet adding to the chill. A novelist (Meg Foster) retires to a crumbling villa in a village to complete her book, and is hounded by the caretaker who has a fancy of killing with a scyth – pretty dumb and clichéd storyline. No extraordinary props, no high-tech, hard-to-get gadgets that were a dream for our Bollywood procurers. We didn’t, but Nico Mastorakis created a timeless and ingenious example of making viewers start in dread. It was frightening for an adult then; it still is for his son now.

Recently, we have seen an explosion of new age technologies giving our cinema an unusually updated look. (They have even mastered ‘The Matrix’ 3-D effect after copying it in ‘n’ number of movies!). ‘Drona’, ‘Krrish’, ‘A love Story-2050’ are all effects-based flicks, using the latest technologies. Even animation has reached its adolescence and full time films like ‘Roadside Romeo’ are at par with regular feature films. Sometimes the animated characters look plastic, but new-age children are used to it so they don’t mind much. After all, they practically live in a world overflowing with polymer.

Of course, there has never been a dearth of romances in Bollywood. (The audience get a chance to let their imagination run amock fuelling bollywood gossip). They actually started with a good guy in white kurta-pyjama (not the night-dress, it was the over-loose dress of those times!) serenading his lady love, looking at the metaphoric moon, without a glance at that well made-up, simpering, dupatta-biting lass standing beside him. That was love. Then they held hands and danced, then they hid behind trees in gardens (with a close-up of two flowers!), then they let the lass’ dupatta slip, then it disappeared altogether. But now our directors have a wide variety of romantic options from bed-scenes to kisses landing smack on the mouths. Almost all versions of romance seem to have been exploited in the present cinematic period, but we can always expect from creative directors who always discover a new kind of romantic instance for youngsters to moon about.

Having used up the available expected lot of genre, Indian cinema is also extending shoots towards parallel cinema. Out of league movies are rising in number, and doing good despite targeting a niche-audience. The success-secret is the capitalistic metropolitan approach of distributors. They make a movie for one segment of audience; take the urban thinking ones. Then they release it only in PVRs, multiplexes that charge a ten to twenty percent more than the small-town halls. They earn as much on selling a hundred tickets as they would in a small place selling a thousand. The film is a success – the trend becomes popular. And ‘Bheja Fry’, ‘Slumdog Millioanaire’ and ‘A Wednesday’ are a rage!

Talking of ‘A Wednesday’, the horrifying attacks in Mumbai, and before that the sporadic incidents across the country have sent shock waves through Bollywood. The upper class has been hit this time, so, fight against terrorism has spread across all the sections of society. Only a few days have passed, and the inspiration has hit the scriptwriters and filmmakers hard. In a recent Bollywood news update, twenty titles based on the Mumbai attacks have been submitted for approval. Another burst of trend changers? Welcome to contemporary Bollywood!

ZeeBuddy
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/bollywood-rediscovers-itself-686174.html

A cartoon is described in the dictionary as being a ’simple drawing showing the features of its subjects in a humorously exaggerated way’. Cartoons have evolved from their origins as preparatory drawings to satirical sketches in newspapers and periodicals in the 1800s, and more recently to an exaggerated representation of human life as shown by modern examples such as The Simpsons.

Although the satirical types of cartoons sketches do still exist, with controversy often surrounding the artist and subject matter, the term cartoon has evolved massively in the last 150 years. A cartoon means something completely different today as TV shows, films, advertisements and comics rely heavily on cartoon characters and the art of illustration in place of realistic drawings or life-like art.

Cartoons, as humorous drawings, originated in 1843 when satirist magazine, Punch, used the term to describe the sketches by artist John Leech. Leech’s Cartoon no. 1: Substance and Shadow, shows the first use of the term cartoon in relation to a humorous drawing or satirical sketch.

The political or humorous cartoon had been used for years previously, but Leech was the first to coin the phrase. As early as 1754, Benjamin Franklin created the drawing of a snake in various pieces with the caption ‘Join, or Die’ to encourage unity amongst the colonies prior to the French and Indian War. The use of editorial cartoons to promote a specific message originated in the early 1700s.
strap-line
Cartoons were often used to promote political or social awareness, as they would appeal to people of all levels of education with a simple message. An easy-to-understand message would prove invaluable as a persuasive tool and so posters and editorial cartoons would use cartoons with a strap-line create a brief, concise meaning.

The Franklin cartoon was the clever use of an iconic image with a single line to portray a strong message. This type of cartoon became regularly used in the 1900s when gag cartoons would be published in popular magazines including Punch and the New Yorker. One of the key artists, Peter Arno, is widely credited for inventing the gag cartoon when working for New Yorker magazine.

As well as the single-caption gag cartoon, comic strips became popular around this time. Comic Strips originated in the late 19th century in American newspapers. The difference between comic strips and the gag cartoons of the same era, is primarily that of length. The comic strip will tell a story in a series of images with text attached in speech-bubbles or captions.

Some of the most famous comic strips that use this traditional method are still in use today. From its beginning in 1950, the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz published a total of 17.897 strips before the death of Schulz signaled the end of the cartoon. The success of the Peanuts comic strip led to the four-panel gag strip becoming the industry standard for comic strips in the United States.

Peanuts would be one of the pioneers of the cartoon transition from comic strip to television and film. Others that would make the move with varied success include Dennis the Menace, Dick Tracy, Andy Capp and Garfield. The motion picture would be the biggest step in the evolution of the cartoon, most famously made by the films of cartoon legend Walt Disney.

Disney’s first venture into animated film is shown in the Alice Comedies, a series of short films that combine a real girl with an animated cat, all set in front of an animated landscape. This technique was revolutionary and signaled the direction of future live-action/animations including Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Space Jam in the 1990s.

Disney would go on to create some of the most influential cartoons in history, including the most recognisable cartoon character of all – Mickey Mouse. Mickey was created in 1928, first appearing in the Plane Crazy cartoon with his long-term beau Minnie. Mickey went on to star in hundreds of cartoons and remains the most popular cartoon character that Disney ever created, ahead of the likes of Donald Duck, Dumbo and Pinocchio.

The change in media to animated film paved the way for some of the most influential cartoons of the 20th century. As well as the massive number of Disney films that would change the landscape of film forever, many other cartoons would light up the silver screen as the years passed. Warner Bros. cartoons began soon after Disney’s inception and would introduce the world to a number of amazing characters that remain popular to this day.

Bugs Bunny appeared for the first time on screen in the 1940 animation A Wild Hare. In 2002, Bugs Bunny was named by a popular television magazine as the greatest cartoon character of all time. Other popular Warner Bros. characters include Speedy Gonzales, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.

Another popular company to produce animated cartoons was the American company, Hanna-Barbera. Responsible for some of the most respected cartoon series in the latter part of the 20th century, Hanna-Barbera produces classics including Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones. These animations would influence some of the biggest hits of the century, as cartoons began to mimic real-life and have more realistic characters instead of the animals or fantasy stories of Disney and Warner Bros.

As the animated film became the most common place to find cartoon characters, the style, themes and techniques changed dramatically. As situation comedies dominated TV schedules on both sides of the Atlantic, animators would look to recreate this style with cartoons as the main characters. Out of this concept, the most popular animated series of all time was born as the world was introduced to The Simpsons.

The Simpsons were as far removed from the likes of Walt Disney as could be possible. The fantasy, fairy-tale style that was so prevalent in Disney’s cartoons was replaced by crude, raw animations of a ‘normal’ American family. Launched in the late 1980s, the cartoon has remained immensely popular with over 400 episodes and a feature-length movie grossing almost 600 million dollars worldwide.

The Simpsons would be criticised by conservative sections of the US as they claimed it provided bad role-models in the forms of the lazy, incompetent Homer and the naughty, disruptive Bart. The Simpsons would show a normal, working-class family in some realistic and some unrealistic scenarios, yet the characters themselves were always believable and empathetic. The disruptive, anarchic style and often controversial episodes would pave the way for even more controversy and animators pushed the boundaries of acceptability in cartoons.

The most controversial cartoon series of the 20th century would follow The Simpsons with regressive cut-out animation, cartoon violence and satirical story-lines. South Park would parody popular culture and satirise current events, but would arrive amidst a storm of controversy for its toilet humour and offensive language.

174 episodes later, South Park has been running for twelve series and has achieved Academy Award nominations for its feature-length South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. Despite its seemingly puerile beginnings, South Park would develop into a cutting social commentary, satirising subjects as diverse as euthanasia, the church of scientology, sexuality and global terrorism.

The Simpsons and South Park represent the current crop of exciting, contemporary cartoons that will influence the cartoons of the future. There are already countless other cartoons that borrow style, themes and humour from these two pace-setters, with the likes of Family Guy, American Dad and Futurama continuing the trend.

However, Disney has been opting for computer animations with its most recent films including Ratatouille, Finding Nemo and WALL-E. So is the art of the cartoon dying out in the modern cartoon’s home – Florida? With new film-makers, animators and artists always looking for the next-big-thing, cartoons will always be popular for creators and the viewers, so the cartoon will continue to go from strength to strength.

Patrick Omari

Humne Jeena Sikh liya India’s First Co-Operative Film

Pune based, Spandan members and have produced India’s 1st co-operative film HUMNE JEENA SEEKH LIYA an adaption from a famous Marathi Novel ‘Shala’ – a best seller by by Milind Bokil.

Amarjeet Amle along with Milind Ukey a talented director who assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali, a winner of many state awards for his Marathi film DEVAKI, and the man who actually brought to life a rejected project which happens to be India’s 1st Animation film HANUMAN, thought of making this film on co-operative basis. They collected shares from all their Spandan members and gave the film a reality.

HUMNE JEENA SEEKH LIYA is a story of teenage romance of a school boy and a school girl blooming amidst the schooldays, fun & masti… but runs into trouble with socio – political issues. The film makes a strong statement on the education system & many issues of teen age, handled skillfully by Milind Ukey.

All credit goes to Amarjeet Amle a student of cinema and his friends, who first thought of this cooperative cinema movement, and gave it a life.

Spandan Parivar Cinema Movement was found, and started conducting workshops on cinema teaching student various aspects of cinema.

A family of 150 people who have shared some amount and collected funds to produce cinema, promote good technicians assist them in their studies their necessities regarding career in the field of film making.

Adv. Vikram Swaran Singh Chadha
http://www.articlesbase.com/movies-articles/indias-first-cooperative-film-333141.html

The ‘Golden Age’ of Mexican cinema, was during the 1940’s, when movie stars, such as Pedro Infante and Delores Del Rio came to prominence, captivating native audiences. Consequently, there was a high demand from an enthusiastic movie-going public and the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) produced a series of successful movies.

Despite the local popularity at the time, Mexican cinema was not strongly embraced by International audiences, receiving only minor recognition. This was a trend that was to continue into the latter half of the 20th Century, contributing to the gradual decline of Mexican cinema, to the point of contempt from those who once celebrated it.

Nuevo Cine Mexicano (New Mexican Cinema) were the words of the 1990’s, that offered a ripple of hope to the fading industry. Ambitious and visionary directors, such as Alfonso Cuarón, Arturo Ripstein and Alfonso Arau, breathed new life into Mexican cinema’s stale conventions with their innovative ideas and unique styles. Noteable examples of this new movement are Como agua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) (1992) and Sexo, pudor y lágrimas (Sex, Shame and Tears) (1999), both of which were well received by the Latin American public. As the 20th Century came to an end, it appeared that Mexican cinema was finally on the incline again.

The arrival of the new millenium proved this was not a false dawn, as it stirred the ripple of cautious hope into a wave of excitement, that flooded Hollywood and continued, unrelenting, to Europe. The reason for the excitement was Amores Perros (Love’s a Bitch) (2000), the movie which heralded the beginning of a Mexican revolution, that would prove to be far reaching in its scope.

Amores Perros was a massive critical success on its release, being lavished with praise from one end of the globe to the other and well worthy of it. This level of impact is achieved by skilled and insightful writing from Guillermo Arriaga, magnificent performances from a talented cast, particularly Gael Garcia Bernal and by the masterful González Iñárritu, as he interweaves the disparate story lines with awe inspiring flair.

The movie went on to win 51 awards worldwide, with a further 14 nominations. These included an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001, a BAFTA win in the same category (2002) and the Cannes Critics Week Grand Prize in 2000. In addition, it provided a respectable profit for IMCINE, as it was produced for approximately $2 million and ultimately grossed an estimated $21 million worldwide.

Amores Perros gained Alejandro González Iñárritu recognition for his direction and served as the launch pad for his career. Its critical acclaim prompted an offer from BMW to join an assembly of reputable directors in making a series of short movies promoting their vehicles. González Iñárritu’s input was Powder Keg (2001), starring Clive Owen. In 2002, he was invited to direct a segment for another compilation, 11′09”01 – September 11 (2002), focusing on the aftermath of September 11th. Its subsequent success opened the doors of Hollywood to González Iñárritu, which he modestly entered. Then, in 2003, he brought in Amores Perros writer Guillermo Arriaga to pen his first US production, 21 Grams (2003).

Alejandro González Iñárritu may have been enticed away from Mexico, but Mexican cinema continued to gather momentum in his absence, through the talents of his close friend Alfonso Cuarón.

When Amores Perros was released in 2000, Alfonso Cuarón had already experienced some success. Firstly, with Sólo con tu pareja (Love in the Time of Hysteria) (1991), then he laid down his marker in Hollywood with two modest, but impressive, projects A Little Princess (1995) and Great Expectations (1998). Each of these movies showcased his distinct visual style and flair for storytelling.

In 2001, he made his contribution to the reinvigorated Mexican industry by co-writing and directing the coming of age comedy/drama Y tu mamá también (And Your Mother Too) (2001), starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. This movie did not reach the critical heights of Amores Perros, but it proved to be a bigger commercial success than its predecessor. After Y tu mamá también, Cuarón’s reputation flourished and it was not long before he felt the draw of Hollywood again.

Off the back of two tremendous performances in Amores Perros and Y tu mamá también, Gael Garcia Bernal received very favourable publicity. In the former, he displayed his exceptional dramatic capabilities and in the latter, his natural charisma and talent for light comedy. His next major project was the controversial drama El Crimen del padre Amaro (The Crime of Father Amaro) (2002), a movie which presented him with an opportunity to substantiate his growing reputation as Mexico’s hot new star. Garcia Bernal emerged triumphant, as the movie proved to be a big success and earned him the award for male revelation of the year at the Cannes Film Festival. Soon after completing El Crimen del padre, Gael Garcia Bernal departed Mexico to pursue other enterprises. However, he left behind a film industry that had regained its dignity after many years of obscurity.

Back in the US, González Iñárritu was given creative freedom over 21 Grams, a sign of the confidence the producers had in him. Also, he was able to secure the services of Hollywood heavyweights Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro. The result of this collaboration is an uncompromising study of the essence of humanity, which extracts every ounce of emotion from you. Guillermo Arriaga once again displays his enormous talent for dramatic writing and should take some credit for González Iñárritu’s rise to prominence.

Despite its unconventional style, 21 Grams performed well at the Box Office, grossing an estimated $60 million, from a budget of around $20 million. Also, it enjoyed very favourable critical reviews, which lead to two Oscar nominations, for Del Toro and Watts, and five BAFTA nominations, including Best Original Screenplay for Arriaga.

After the success of 21 Grams, it was Alfonso Cuarón’s opportunity to woo the international audiences, when Warner Brothers invited him to direct the third Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).

The fantasy elements of the Harry Potter books enabled Alfonso Cuarón to fully explore his fertile imagination and, in this movie, he expresses himself with stunning visual flamboyance that echoes the beauty of A Little Princess (1995). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban provided Cuarón with his largest Box Office success to date, grossing an estimated $790 million worldwide.

Article written by Alan Munro

Complete version

For the website Trapped in Mexico´s Periferico

http://www.elperiferico.com.mx

Jose Ignacio Prieto
http://www.articlesbase.com/movies-articles/mexican-films-from-obscurity-to-a-bright-future-part-1-109481.html

Movie genres are as numerous and varied as the screenwriters, directors, producers, and actors who help make them possible. This article will identify some of the most common types.

Of all of the many movie genres in existence, the drama is inarguably one of the best known and most popular. Dramas are plot, as opposed to character driven, which means that the action of the story revolves around situations and circumstances affecting the characters.

Dramas are said to be the largest, or most encompassing film genre, incorporating the sub categories of the melodrama, the historical drama, and the romance film. Unlike many other movie genres, dramas do not rely heavily on the use of special effects.

Horror films are designed to do what their name implies, horrify and frighten. Horror movies often focus on common human fears, and feature monsters and terrifying situations.

The first horror film, Le Manoir Du Diable, or The Devils Castle, was made by french filmmaker Georges Meles in 1896. Although it was only two minutes long, it did contain many plot elements that later vampire and horror genre films would feature. The first popular horror film, Nosferatu, also dealt with vampires and was made in 1922, based on Bram Stokers novel, Dracula. Many, many, official and unofficial adaptations of the novel have been made over the years, but Max Shreks characterization of Count Orlock has become a classic horror movie icon.

Science fiction movies have genre characteristics similar to those of horror movies, particularly science fiction films dealing with supernatural creatures or monsters from outer space. Distant planets, alternate universes, and futuristic technology are common plot elements of the science fiction film.

Georges Meles is also credited with making the first science fiction film, A Trip To The Moon, which depicted the adventures of a group of astronauts who encounter a tribe of aliens after landing on the moon. This film is notable also for the stop action photography techniques employed within it.

Fantasy films are often included within this genre, since they share similar elements. The earliest science fiction writers, such as Jules Verne and HG Wells, often incorporated elements of fantasy into their science fiction novels, which have undergone many film adaptations since then.

Although movie genres are varied and sometimes intertwined, they nevertheless contain specific, unique thematic elements that distinguish them. Learning more about these elements and the history behind them leads to a greater understanding and enjoyment of the films themselves.

Terry Parker

When discussing vintage gay porn, it is impossible not to mention 1908’s Le Menage Moderne du Madame Butterfly. Not only is this film, directed by Bernard Natan, a stunning example of vintage gay porn, it is also the first known film to depict hardcore bisexual and homosexual acts. The french film has a complex plot and the production value of the movie are exceptionally high. Because of legal restrictions, early gay porn was called forced to remain underground. That which was made commercially available was laughably tame and consisted largely of individual men wearing a g-string or in shorts posing like a body builder.

As for American vintage gay porn, also known as stag films, most historians agree that the first ever hardcore gay scenes are found in 1929’s The Surprise of a Knight. Featuring homosexual intercourse exclusively, the movie focuses on two individuals: the lady and her gentleman caller. After flirting for awhile, the lady plops down on the sofa with her rear in the air, exposing her bare buttocks. The gentleman caller, also known as the knight promptly enters her.

After both individuals orgasm, the man walks off screen. Immediately afterward, the lady raises her skirt to reveal the surprise: she is really a he. The gentleman caller then returns onscreen and helps the lady remove the rest of his clothing, then the two dance together. After a cutaway, the lady is shown wearing a business suit, then winks at the camera and walks off of the screen.

The Surprise of a Knight led a brief movement of hardcore homosexual porn during the days of stag film in the era before it was banned by the legislative branch of the United States government. It wasn’t until 1970 that porn became legally commercially available, and it wasn’t until 2003’s Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence vs. Texas that sodomy laws were decided to be unconstitutional.

When one thinks of how far the industry has gone and how much individuals and homosexual groups had to overcome to advance the cause, it really makes that type of porn more titillating. While hardcore gay porn is not as taboo as it used to be, at one time purchasing and possessing it was a jailable offense. Whether or not those types of consequences added to the eroticism of the media can be debated, but few people can argue that the advances made in terms of deregulation haven’t been an overall positive.

Phoenix Delray
http://www.articlesbase.com/sexuality-articles/a-look-at-some-vintage-gay-films-318506.html

Cinema advertising has always been an effective marketing tool for some advertisers, while for others they have yet to see the benefit of this unique form of media. When an advertiser hears the term “Cinema Advertising” automatically they think the slide that is shown on the big screen with the soothing music played in the background.

For many years that is exactly what it’s been but companies like the National Cinema Network and Regal Entertainment along with new technology have changed the scope of how cinema advertising is perceived. At many theatres you can actually have a total digital experience from the time you buy your tickets to the time that you sit in your seat. With LCD screens in the theater lobby and digital advertisements replacing both slides and rolling stock, it’s no wonder why both Regal and AMC Entertainment are on the hunt for more mergers and acquisitions.

The phasing out of slide and rolling stock advertising in cinemas across the nation and the progression to digital advertising puts the cinema advertising game in a new field. Making it more inviting for advertisers, entertaining for the patrons and above all giving advertisers potentially a greater return on their investment.

This just adds to the bottom line of the theater, more advertising means more profits, this is what will drive mergers in this industry. Cinema advertising is growing up and the companies that control the industry will reap the rewards that will follow.

They will no longer have to seek outside assistance to attract advertisers to their advertising platform, Regal and AMC have implemented this practice already and they haven’t looked back. So now with AMC merging with Loews Entertainment and Regal Entertainment taking over the National Cinema Network, it just remains to be seen as to which one of these companies will be sinking their teeth into the Cinemark theater chain.

This can happen sooner than later as we enter into the summer months with the big holiday season to follow.

Lou Victor New Age Media Concepts 888-463-9237 www.namct.com

Louis Victor
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/cinema-advertising-is-big-business-so-mergers-are-a-natural-245.html