Prince - Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas
Under the Cherry Moon
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Prince - DVD Collector's Box
Simply put, anime is a form of cartoon animation created in Japan, which explains animes formerly-popular moniker, Japanimation. Anime's history began at the start of the 20th century. This was when Japanese filmmakers began trying out new animation techniques that were being used in the Western world. Anime did not reach mainstream status until the 1980s, and since then it has blown up not only in Japan, but around the globe.
Part of the draw that anime possesses is the fact that they can target wide ranges of viewers. This is due to the fact that animes are not confined to one category, but run the entire gamut of genres, including action, sci-fi, drama, romance, horror, and yes, even erotica. Many animes do not limit themselves to one particular genre and mix genres together.
Animation itself allows anime creators to convey just about any storyline they desire. It is much easier to make a cartoon about large robots featuring huge action and destruction sequences than it is to produce a live-action film including the same things. With recent advances in CGI animators have even more power to transfer their wildest imaginations on to a screen. Storylines, characters, and settings are limited only to what creators can conjure up in their minds.
Though animes seem to be simple cartoons on the surface, many of them have deeper storylines and character development. This may be conveyed through the use of character-based flashbacks, which portray part of a character's past to the viewer, allowing them to understand why they act a certain way or say the things they say. Juvenile humor may be thrown in sporadically in drama-based animes, but do not be surprised if you see poignant and profound character development in humor-based animes as well.
Needless to say, not all animes are just cartoons for kids. In fact, the majority of animes feature violence, sexual innuendos, and language that may not be suitable for children. This is likely a major reason why anime's popularity has exploded in the past few years across the world. With animes, cartoons are no longer just for kids, and even adults can find themes of romance and drama that they might otherwise find only in real-life television shows. The unique blend of animated characters with more mature themes is undoubtedly an enticing combination for adult-viewers.
Most anime series find their foundations in manga, or Japanese comics. These mangas are usually a few episodes ahead of the actual television series and have become popular among international audiences as well.
When animes are released in theaters, on television, or on DVDs in countries outside of Japan, distributors must decide whether they want to use subtitles or dubbed voices. There are pros to both sides of the issue, and there are strong proponents of both. Some viewers enjoy watching their anime without having to read words on the bottom of the screen, which they say take away from the visual pleasures of the anime. Others prefer to hear the original voice acting and enjoy reading the more literal translations. DVDs offer both sides a satisfying medium, as they allow for either subtitles or English voice tracks.
Now that you know the basics of anime and its history, it is time to find the right animes for you. There are countless resources on the Internet that give recommendations and reviews of numerous anime series, many of which are readily available on DVD and even on television stations. Pick a genre, read up on reviews and summaries of shows that you are interested in, and enjoy.
Happy hunting.
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The controversial film from director Ang Lee has reached store shelves in DVD form. Little needs to be explained of the discussion surrounding the movie and just about everyone has heard of or participated in these discussions already. That being said, the movie has earned its fair share of attention both in terms of recognition and ticket sales at the theaters, however the DVD version of the movie doesn't really contain anything outstanding in terms of bonus features or materials.
Brokeback Mountain stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger and takes viewers through an engaging tale of two cowboys who fall in love and the obstacles they must overcome as they try to hide that love and later deal with the fallout of their love for one another. The movie is a journey through the human heart that has left movie-goers with a variety of different opinions and feelings as they watched. Needless to say, there are countless numbers of different meanings that the movie has to different people.
The groundbreaking theme and the excellent acting on the part of Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal combined to earn the movie three Academy Awards including Best Director for Ang Lee. Brokeback Mountain's themes can be criticized and debated over, but the quality of the film as a whole has been largely recognized and rewarded by film institutions worldwide.
The DVD version of the movie, however, doesn't offer the same quality as the movie itself. Four short and uninspired featurettes accompany the DVD and most viewers probably won't take the time to view them. By themselves, the bonus material does not warrant a purchase for those who have already seen the movie.
Despite the lackluster DVD release, Brokeback Mountain is still a DVD that is recommended to those who are interested in seeing the movie for the first time or even for repeat viewers. The extras offered by the DVD aren't enticing by themselves but the DVD still does offer the same meaning and message behind the movie itself that the big screen version contained.
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Few movies have captured the attention of an audience and left as many lasting memories as The Godfather. Little needs to be said of the movie, its prestige and renown precede it. It is simply a classic, a masterpiece of American filmmaking. It's raw, it's brutal, it's deadly, and it's still oh so much fun to watch.
Paramount Pictures has released a pricey but well worth it DVD collection of the Godfather movies appropriately titled, "The Godfather DVD Collection." It's can't get much more straightforward than that, and if you want to live, you had better be straightforward with the Corleone family at all times. The movies all together on the DVD weigh in at a hefty time of 700 minutes, that's over eleven and a half hours for the mathematically challenged, meaning that you might want to put aside a weekend if you plan on watching all the movies at once.
The DVD captures all of the excellence and gritty drama of the crime family epic in great fashion. Most of the movie has been digitally restored and the quality is quite good, however certain parts of the movie still reveal the age of the movie. There are a few specks and particulate here and there throughout the movie, and a couple scenes look like they might be able to use a little more work and were a little behind in terms of quality, but overall the movie translated to DVD form extremely well.
The extras are what really ices the cake for this DVD collection of The Godfather. The Francis Ford Coppola commentaries alone that are included with the DVD weigh in at over 9 hours. That is absolutely unheard of, but the DVD still offers much more material than that. A family tree, galleries, behind the scenes, and more are all included as bonus features. There are also quite a few deleted scenes that were included for the viewer's pleasure. Needless to say, all of this bonus material only enhances the experience known as The Godfather.
The Godfather DVD Collection is definitely a bit pricey, coming in at just over $100 in most cases, but considering that includes over eleven and a half hours of film and even more bonus footage and materials, the DVD is well worth it for The Godfather fans. For anyone looking to revisit The Godfather and enjoy all that the classic has to offer or even for those who never had the joy of watching all of The Godfather movies, this DVD is a great choice and is highly recommended.
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Online movie rental is popular. Like any service or product that sells a one billionth unit one must assume that it is valued, that the quality is high, and that customers are satisfied or it would not have reached such a mark. Indeed, the exclusive one billion club includes some pretty impressive members and in many cases members have had to endure for many years to attain membership.
In February 2007, Netflix, the founding online movie rental service, delivered its one billionth DVD. This was just beyond seven and half years after their initial offering in September 1999. Certainly, this was a milestone to celebrate for Netflix and one that reflects well upon the popularity of the service but how does it stack up to the achievements of other products and services which have attained this status?
One company that also recently hit the billion mark is Casio. In January of 2007, Casio sold its one billionth calculator. Impressive, however it took Casio approximately fifty years to reach this milestone. In 2049, when the online movie rental pioneer recognizes its fiftieth year, the 7 billion mark could be realized even if growth does not escalate. Will Netflix still be around? If it is, it will probably be a bit different, but it's flexibility in adapting its service in response to changing technologies is a positive sign. The first step in moving toward electronic versus mail delivery was initiated earlier this year.
Computers are probably considered one of the biggest product introductions into the market during the past century. The growth of the internet was explosive in the 1990's. However, it wasn't until approximately 25 years after the introduction of personal computers that the one billionth unit was shipped back in 2002; and this was a worldwide market. Likewise, despite humble beginnings way back in 1969 the internet experienced its billionth user, worldwide, in December 2005; nearly 36 years later. The Netflix online movie rental service is a more local service; providing classic, indie, and new release films for an audience based in the US. Of course, all of this could change as electronic delivery takes hold in coming years; could Netflix become an international player?
Certainly, when one imagines "billions" being sold, the name McDonald's is bound to crop up. We all know that many billions have been served but how long did it take them to reach their first billion? It appears that it took approximately 15 years after their introduction to achieve this status. At the time of course, McDonald's was not the mega international corporation that it is now. In addition, families ate most of their meals at home in the early years of the fast food icon. Perhaps McDonalds and similar services played a role in changing how Americans dine; taking them out of the home for nearly half of their meals. This change certainly played a role in hitting the billion mark. Likewise, it would seem that online movie rental services are also changing how we obtain and view movies; first from the comfort of our homes and now on demand through electronic delivery.
Global markets certainly increase the likelihood of attaining the one billion mark and getting there fast. Mobile phones, probably more than any other product, have taken the world by storm in the past fifteen years or so. Clearly mobile phones are used globally. In addition, these devices perform a wide range of tasks that make them nearly indispensable in the modern world. From communication and entertainment to connectivity and personal assistant types of functions, mobile phones are multi-tasking wonders. It is estimated that at least one billion mobile phones were shipped in 2006 alone.
Apple's iTunes has experienced similar success. After only three years in operation the service served up its one billionth download in Feburary 2006.
Online movie rental is not currently a global service like iTunes or mobile phones. Could this change? Perhaps. Certainly, iTunes has altered the way many people enjoy their music and mobile phones have changed the way we do business and stay in touch with others. Likewise, online movie rental appears to be gradually changing the way we enjoy movies. Perhaps recent changes to implement improved delivery will be the key to matching the success of mobile phones and the music downloads of iTunes.
Author Bio
The author, Christine Peppler, provides information on home electronics and home entertainment options through her website. Readers are invited to visit the site and learn more about online movie rental.
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