Criminal Stars

Thievery is alive and well in Hollywood. The glamorization of crime invariably tickles the curiosity of the public. Criminals have been portrayed as exciting, daring and cunning tantamount to hero status. They are the risk takers who should not be completely judged upon their criminal expression but rather looked at as individuals with some merit. They are cast sympathetically as their relationships are examined and ultimately lend credence to the justification, in their minds, of the criminal choices they have made. But worst of all, they are often shown as being ‘cool’, even as they hurdle towards the death of their freedom.

    Take, for example, the jewelry or art thief. Movies like the Italian Job, the Score and Ocean’s Eleven display criminals as generally model citizens, other than when they are committing crimes. There may be such criminals but are they so suave in their real lives? Are they seemingly morally upright in their relationships with others? Are they really just good guys who happen to commit crimes? In real life the majority of criminals are not suave, cool or sympathetic figures. They are cutthroat, ruthless and to a degree, sociopathic. Mob figures are the best example of the paradox between the glamorization of criminal life and reality of criminal behavior.

   All agree that the Soprano’s, a show about mob life in New Jersey, is a great show. The production value is high, the actors are skilled and the plot lines are well conceived. People get whacked, money gets laundered and criminals get promoted for good work. Yet, in order for the audience to tune in every week they must connect with the characters. Hence, the boss of the family, Tony Soprano is shown as a father, a husband and as attempting to improve his relationships with the outside world by visiting a therapist. This is a ploy to create sympathy for a ruthless murdering crime boss. And it works, as the Sopranos is a hit. What then are the real criminals doing?

   True mob figures don’t give a damn about the outside world. Their loyalty lies with their crime families. They lie, cheat and murder for riches and would stomp on the average person, literally, to further their gains. A true jewelry thief is usually a two bit criminal who robs the local family owned jewelry store, as can be verified by FBI criminal statistics. Real criminal life is fraught with betrayal, pain and stints in prison. Most criminals are caught at some point with over 13 million arrests made in the US in 2005 alone, according to the FBI.

   The business side of Hollywood is reactionary in nature. The glamorization of criminal life is partly in response to a demand by the public. Interest in stylized underworld figures comes from a public perhaps bored with their average daily existence. The idea that there are people who survive in a world where they ignore the law, fascinates us. But when the glamour is shaken off, and the dust clears, there is only an empty fancy suit left, where a thief once stood.

Convert your DVD movies to play on an iPod

Most iPods, besides their music features, offer high quality video capabilities; it’s one of the reasons they are one of the most versatile gadgets on the market. We all enjoy watching movies to relax and unwind, so why not convert your own DVDs to the iPod format and watch them whenever you want, wherever you are?

Transferring your DVD movies to play on your iPod, iPhone, Touch, or Nano can be simple, or in some cases, time-consuming and difficult. There are many iPod converters available, but only a few are worth purchasing: some are too expensive, some are hard to use, and many aren’t reliable (they mess up sound and/or picture, or they can’t convert new movies). A good iPod converter must meet the following conditions:

•    User-friendly interface – the program must be easy to use.

•    Fast encoding – the program must be able to encode fast so that the entire process will be finished fast.

•    Versatile – the Converter should be able to output video for all iPod Video formats: Classic, Nano, Touch, and iPhone.

•    Quality – the converted movie must offer excellent sound and picture quality.

•    Error Processing – the program must be able fix any problems that appear during the converting process.

•    Features – the program must have popular options implemented, such as picture quality, subtitles, different languages, etc.

It’s also helpful if the program has a tutorial/help section where the user can learn how to take advantage of extra features. Another important thing regarding conversion from a DVD to an iPod is the ability to zoom from widescreen to full screen. A good converter should have this feature implemented in order to allow for a clean transition.

The program should allow inexperienced as well as advanced users a satisfactory experience. For novice users, a good converter should have an option for automatically adjusting settings to achieve the best results. For advanced users, there should be the ability to manually adjust a wide variety of parameters. A good iPod converter should also allow converting from both NTSC and PAL DVD movies.

Excellent iPod converters can be found for around $40.00, and they’ll do everything, and often more, than some of the more expensive programs. You can try and go the inexpensive route, using two or three free programs in combination (Videora, DVD Shrink, Handbrake, etc.), but I found that the free programs involved a large number of steps, produced mixed results, and wouldn’t convert many new DVD movies (those produced over the past four years). Don’t get me wrong, I’m a thrifty guy, and if there’s a cheap way to do things, I‘m usually on-board, but in this case, the hassle just wasn’t worth it.  The advantages offered by a good converting program far outweighed the trial and error hassles I found using outdated free programs.

Converting your DVD movies to play on an iPod allows one to watch their favorite movies and T.V. programs while on the bus or subway, on airplanes or long drives, or whenever you have a few free moments. DVD conversion software is getting more and more popular, as they facilitate the perfect transition from the ‘big screen’ to the ‘little screen’.

Common Strategies of Animated Comedy

As an independent filmmaker specializing in animated comedy, I'd like to share my thoughts and observations on how to create projects intended to make people laugh (in a good way).  By taking a close look at recent popular shows and movies (i.e. Simpsons, Family Guy, Shrek, etc) I've outlined a brief analysis that identifies some of the major strategies of humor used in many of today's animated television programs and shows, as well as the advantages/disadvantages of implementing them. Just a note before we continue: this article isn't intended only as a guide for comedy filmmakers- I'm sure those of you who appreciate good humor will get something out of it as well.

The following compilation is the result of my own observations, and I'm certain you'll see what I mean if you take a closer look this Sunday night when Family Guy comes on.  Later, I'll share some of my own thoughts on the subject of creating effective humor for mainstream audiences.

1.  PARODY: This involves poking fun of well-known genres and plot formulas (action, horror, porn, etc), and making references to well-known films, TV shows, famous people, significant historical events, etc.  Very often, these genres, films, and TV shows are spoofed.  Think of the number of times you've seen a reference to a Kubrick film during an episode of The Simpsons, or a Star Wars reference in Family Guy to emphasize a joke. 

Advantages: First off, it's easy to do and often elicits laughs.  The basic structure of the joke is based on a well-known source, and the audience is likely to get it right away. 

Disadvantages:  To be blunt, it's lazy filmmaking.  Too much parody thrown in a story can often be interpreted as a lack of creativity/originality, and ultimately limits the project's depth.  Jokes/gags of this kind will only last as long as the spoofed or referenced subject is popular or is  fashionable.

2.  ANIMATION THAT IS DELIBERATELY BAD/CHEESY: Includes the use of poorly drawn/animated characters and backgrounds as an important element of the humor.

Advantages: Sometimes more efficient and more cost effective than using more detailed animation techniques.  It's funny to watch and calling some attention to the bad animation can generate new jokes and great sight gags.  Think of shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Sealab 2021.

Disadvantages: Like the parody, this can quickly turn into lazy filmmaking.  Depending only on bad animation for laughs might make the project difficult to maintain in the long run.

3.  GROSS-OUT HUMOR/EXPLICIT LANGUAGE: Includes humor that is, but not limited to being scatological, sexual, bloody, etc.  Also includes use of foul language.  Since the Simpsons and South Park, audiences have come to expect jokes of this kind.

Advantages: In small doses and if done with subtlety, gross-out humor and the use of explicit language combined with visual sight gags can be hilarious.

Disadvantage: Easy to overuse.  Dialogue containing too many four-letter words for the sake of being obnoxious will turn off most viewers.  Gross-out humor, if only used for shock value, will seem shallow if it does nothing to contribute to the overall story. 

4. NON-SEQUITORS (RANDOM HUMOR):  Jokes, statements, events, etc. that happen out of nowhere.

Advantages: Absurd humor that occurs at random works on several levels, which include the outlandishness of the act itself, its unpredictability, and also its general disregard for logic in context with the scene's apparent focus.  It can take an audience by surprise, and can add some originality to the project.

Disadvantages: If an absurd and random act suddenly shifts the focus of the story, it may disappoint viewers who have otherwise been engaged in the narrative.  Also, many people may not "get it," which has the potential of restricting the viewing demographic.  When a nonsequitor serves as a story's conclusion, it's usually evidence of an inability to create an effective ending. 

On creating more effective humor:

Characters with unique qualities: Trying to be original isn't easy, but it is a lot of fun.  When creating characters, don't worry too much about whatever's "hip" or "in" at the moment.  Start off with characters that have very specific personality traits, habits, etc.  Base them off yourself, off of people you know, your experiences, or just let your imagination run wild.  Give your characters specific hobbies, unusual interests (i.e. a hero that can't resist objects that squirt water), and/or specific likes/dislikes.  These concrete qualities will often provide opportunities to develop character, storylines, and above all, humorous events. 

Stories with solid conclusions: Many creative folks I've talked to notice the difficulty of coming up with good endings.  No matter what the genre, filmmakers of all sorts can learn a valuable lesson from mystery novel authors.  When you come up with the idea for a film, start by knowing how it's going to end.  This gives the story focus, and makes it easier for all the events to logically pan out.  Another important tip to remember- audiences will almost always forgive a film with a bad beginning, but will never forgive a film with a bad ending.

Understand that being funny isn't the same as acting funny:  Okay, what does this mean? Here's an illustration:  There was a video on the internet of a careless skateboarder falling on his face multiple times after trying to coast off the roof of his parents' house.  It wasn't funny to the skateboarder, but it was funny to most of the people who saw it happen.  Why?  On a psychological level, it's in our nature to laugh or take some kind of satisfaction in someone else's misfortune/failure so long as the screw-up doesn't result in death or dismemberment (most of the time).  On a more practical level, most of the online viewers laughed at the sheer idiocy of the act. After all, the careless skateboarder who plunged off the roof actually expected positive results from his stunt.  So how do we apply this to creating comedy? Create situations that are funny to the audience, but not to your characters.  One effective way of doing this is having your characters expect serious results from doing things that are clearly dangerous, stupid, or both.

These are just a few pointers to help you get started with creating your own comedy, or to help you understand some of the more successful comedy out there today.  I hope you enjoyed the article.  Have a good laugh!

Classical Movie - Why It Remains Relevant For Viewers Today

So what really is considered a classical movie? Can we simply associate as a black and white film noir thing? Containing some of those cheesy classical music? How about big powdered wigs? Do you think of the formal nature of both the characters as well as the period get-up and attire? Is a classic movie one which garnered 10 Oscars? Or do you think a classic movie simply one which down to the perception of the viewers and individuals?

The classical movie IS truly one of the great inventions since we discovered hamburgers. The classical movie is also the one show that we had the benefit of watching when we were kids, cause at the time only three television channels were available. It was during those good old Saturday afternoons and Sundays, when my dear father wasnt consumed by the sports programmes on show, when those classic movies from the past, movies featuring the glamour girls and the guys that inspired us boys to want to be cowboys, were made available for us to enjoy in all their splendour.

Though there is obviously a distinct difference between classical movies and classical movies with only classical period elements (music, costumes, storylines, etc.), I would like to address the delight of the classical movie of yesterday and today that does involve only a particular period of history and does, then feature only classical period elements.

I tend to associate the black and white flicks with the beauties and the beaus, the comedies with the curmudgeons, the histories with the insights into who people were back then, like us but with an added je ne sais quoi that we must find out, learn about, and finally to appreciate in as great a depth and as wide a breadth as we can, in order to do them the justice they deserve.

Say for example, my favorite classical movie of all time, Impromptu. This film basically enacts a couple of years in the lives of the characters George Sand, Franz Liszt, Freiderich Chopin, and the regal and wealthy folks who took artists in, allowing them to paint, create, compose, write, in exchange for wonderful company and fine entertainment. The film concentrates on Sand, who is bent on partnering with Chopin, her aggression equal in magnitude, as was his weakness. The costumes, the soundtrack, the dialogue, and the setting are all as breathtaking as the direction, technique, and the delivery of words and emotion.  There is even a theme or two that humans from the beginning of time until today can identify with or appreciatethe love and hate, good and evil, as well as longing and belonging motifs that are as timeless as the movie itself.

Other classical movie choices I have an affinity toward are those less mainstream & popular ones.  I would consider Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (though clearly POST-classical periods), Wilde, and Jefferson, for instance, as worthy of classical movie acclaim as say Amadeus, Emma, The Piano, and any number of Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson productions.

Cinema - Film Posters for the Collector

At The DiscountMoviePosters Store you will find that collecting posters is easy with tons of movie posters on the market. Our great selection of movie posters range from 1916 copies to about to be released movie posters. You can't be frusterated with our discounted prices.

In the event you are eager to be the 1st amongst your friends to hang the science fiction movie posters, now is the perfect moment to add a poster to your collection since the prices are so affordable! These movie posters could be regarded as classic movie posters and raise ten to twelve times in cost, just as the first Star Wars movie poster.


The collection of movie posters by film star is very fashionable. Do you need
Hollywood movie posters of popular actors like Clint Eastwood, Clark Gable, Paul Newman, Sylvester Stallone or George Clooney? Or do you prefer movie star posters of actresses - Nicole Kidman, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Jennifer Aniston, or Reese Witherspoon?


You'll find in our >classic vintage movie posters catalog, our site has a big assortment that includes French classic movie posters, Italian vintage movie posters, Classic Mexican movie posters, Vintage Russian movie posters, and German classic movie posters. For those of you who are history buffs there is background information about the movie era of each country and it includes artists and styles.

Included in our Vintage U.S. movie posters index, are Western Movie Posters, both new releases and classics.
Posters of westerns are purchased often bought for the interesting scenery or full of action photography.

If you are into collecting movie and movie star posters, then it is very important to become educated in how to restore and safeguard your movie posters.

• Movie posters are developed for commercializing and are printed on thin, acidic paper. After a while these acids are going to hurt your movie poster. So movie poster maintaining techniques such as chemical stabilization, identifying pH levels and examining pH levels are essential methods to learn about.
  
  
• Movie poster conservancy framing comes about when all materials used during the process of framing do not jeopordize the integrity of the poster.
  
  
• Concerning poster reconstruction Valuable posters could come with irregularities. Restoration specialists can mend the irregularities and possibly mend torn off pieces to their genuine condition.

Bruce Lee - Enter The Dragon

BRUCE LEE

ENTER THE DRAGON
LITTLE KNOWN FACT
WAY OF THE INTERCEPTING FIST
A WARRIOR'S JOURNEY
LAST MAN STANDING
GAME OF DEATH
NUNCHAKU
FISTS OF FURY
THE CURSE
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
SILENT BUT DEADLY
ELVIS & BRUCE
THE DRAGON

"Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own"
- Bruce Lee

ENTER THE DRAGON

Bruce Lee Jun Fan Yuen Kam was born in the year of the dragon, 1940, and at the hour of the dragon, between 6 and 8 AM.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT

Bruce's ancestry was Chinese and German. His father was Chinese while his mother was of German-Chinese decent. Her mother was Chinese and her father was German.

WAY OF THE INTERCEPTING FIST

Jeet Kune Do, also known as Way of the Intercepting Fist, was Bruce Lee's personal martial art style. He developed it with the idea of being more flexible and practical with martial arts techniques. In doing so, he commonly considered the greatest martial artist of the 20th century.

A WARRIOR'S JOURNEY

His Jeet Kune Do instruction was a premium in the highest demand and commanded a staggering $275 an hour. His students consisted of some of Hollywood's most elite, including Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Joe Lewis and Chuck Norris.

LAST MAN STANDING

In many ways his celebrity gave him a parallel to the characters he portrayed as he was contantly being challenged by movie extras and other men who could get near him seeking to gain fame by beating him in a fight. Many tried, but he was never beaten.

GAME OF DEATH

His last film was "Game of Death" and was his only film to be shot with sound. His earlier films were shot without sound and the voices were later dubbed in.

NUNCHAKU

Nunchaku were Bruce Lee's hand weapon of choice and when wielding a pair he was an undefeatable force. He developed his legendary routine under the instruction of karate master Hidehiko "Hidy" Ochiai. The two men first met at the Los Angeles YMCA in the mid-1960's.

FISTS OF FURY

Bruce Lee's ultimate secret was his lightning quick speed. To demonstrate he developed a trick where he had a person hold a coin and close his hand around the coin, but before they could do so Bruce would quickly remove the coin and replace it with another most often without the participate even realizing what had happened. When they opened their hand, it would be the new coin.

THE CURSE

As most know, Bruce Lee's death was deemed to be extraordinarily bizarre. Motivating many to be belove it was the work of "Oni", a Japanese term for demons or evil spirits. This curse apparently carried on to his actor son, Brandon Lee.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

During an interview, composer Lalo Schifrin revealed that Bruce often trained to the "Mission Impossible" TV Show soundtrack.

SILENT BUT DEADLY

Another claim to fame was Bruce mastered a technique called, "The One Inch Punch". With it he could deliver a devastating body punch just with his fist just a mere inch from his target.

ELVIS & BRUCE

Elvis Presley and Ed Parker had a pet project film they were constructing in 1973 and 1974, but then suddenly it was forgotten until 2003 when the footage resurfaced. The film is basically groups of martial arts experts going at it. The cast reads like a 'who's who' of the martial arts world of the time and although he is not featured in the film, 20 minutes of never-before-seen footage of Bruce Lee was also discovered with this lost footage.

THE DRAGON

When he passed away on July 20, 1973 Bruce Lee was only 32 years old was 5'7" and weighed 128 pounds. He might have been small in stature but was one of the all time greatest film stars and the most accomplished martial artist in modern history.

Bring Home a Real American Hero

After 40 years of fighting the bad guys, Hasbro's very own American hero, G.I. Joe, is finally coming home - in the form of his very first full-length CGI feature film on DVD.

In "G.I. Joe: Valor Vs. Venom," brought to you by Paramount Home Entertainment and Hasbro, the popular character sets out to protect the world from complete destruction. Once again he faces off against the evil Cobra, who has unleashed an army of unstoppable soldiers with fierce battle skills.

The leader of this formidable army is none other than the infamous Venomous Maximus, a creature made using the DNA of G.I. Joe's own Commander, General "Hawk" Abernathy, as well as that of some of the most terrifying creatures in the universe. In order to defeat Cobra's army and save his own Commander from this chilling fate, G.I. Joe needs to summon all of his scientific and heroic skills.

Marking the 40th anniversary of the G.I. Joe character, the DVD features tons of special features for his loyal fans, including a trading card game guide, a CD-ROM game and a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the movie's creation.

You can also scroll through character profiles, groove to a Valor vs. Venom music video and check out a drawing board-to-film comparison.

If you're doing the math, G.I. Joe debuted in 1964 as an 11 1/2- inch doll for boys that had 21 moving parts. After the movie "The Story of G.I. Joe" was released, he became the world's first "action figure."

While the character's challenges most often dealt with the evil Cobra Commander, G.I. Joe was also called upon in 1992 to help the Drug Elimination Force combat the growing drug problem. In-school programs were launched using the character to teach kids about the dangers of drug use.

Filled with history, as well as important lessons for kids of all ages, G.I. Joe has continued to reinvent and modernize himself throughout the years, without losing sight of his main mission - to protect the world from evil.

Now you can take home this timeless character in "G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom" to share with future fans of the ever-evolving G.I. Joe, who is still up for the challenge of educating the young and old.

In stores now, "G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom" is rated PG and has a retail price of around $20. - NU

Bollywood actress hot & sex y cleavage pictures and videos

Besides its factual description, sex carries a significant weight in all aspect of the entire world. It does affect people’s discourse in various areas apart from politics, religion, sports, economics, education and entertainment. Similarly Bollywood is greatly influenced by bollywood sex, Boobs and bollywood sexiest actresses are doing wonders in it, known for their curvaceous body and exposing lot of their skin in bollywood movies.

The tremendous bollywood babes like striking Priyanka Chopra, leggy Shilpa Shetty, bootylicious Ayesha Takia, voluptuous Bipasha Basu, gorgeous Malaika Arora, stunning Katrina Kaif and even the upcoming lady on the block and sensual Jia Khan are well-known for their sexiness and seditiousness in bollywood.

The all time news buzz Mallika Sherawat is an eminent figure in bollywood for her sexy body and showing her skin. From the hot and spicy films like Murder, Mallika had set a trend for highlighting bollywood breasts. Exposing bollywood boobs has now become a vital element in gaining instant popularity for which bollywood sexiest actresses are adopting various mode like as featuring themselves as nude bollywood at various occasions like shows or bollywood nude photo shoot in magazines.

Unlike other bollywood sexiest actresses Kim Sharma, a bollywood sex and hot babe was approached by Maxim magazine in which she was asked to show her bollywood boobs. But the bombshell ducked out and went back to her home refusing the offer. Vikram Bawa wanted her to give a revealing pose as much as she could or try giving nude bollywood shots for the front cover of his magazine. At one point this dazzling actress accused Bawa for wanting to show her bollywood breasts only for her pleasure.

To hit the headlines or to publicise themselves bollywood sex iest actresses don’t hesitate to go for breast enhancement surgery. According to a report, the sizzling Bipasha’s bust line has more increased by 3 inches. She underwent this surgery for her role in the movie Jism in which she has exposed bollywood breasts a lot. These sex babes sexily highlight their cleavage onscreen and offscreen as well. The two sisters Malaika Arora Khan and Amrita Arora Khan are also known for their bold poses and appearance. The elder one is recently spotted in bollywood bikini in the current released movie Welcome. Most heard name in bollywood bikini is of Celina Jaitley who mostly appears in bikini on the screen exposing bollywood boobs. Bollywood actresses like Koena Mitra, Kim Sharma, item girl Rakhi Sawant, Bipasha Basu, Ayesha Takia, Mallika Sherawat etc are well known for having sexiest bollywood breasts.

The existence of bollywood boobs of bollywood sex iest actresses is not a present trend but it is prevailing since the golden era of legendary Raj kapoor. In his great hits like Mera Naam Joker, Satyam shivam Sundaram, Ram Teri Ganga Maili and Prem Rog, the actresses were dressed in a way to showing up their cleavage of Bollywood Breasts, boobs . After turning down by bollywood beauties like Esha Deol and Malaika Arora Khan to walk on the ramp in two-piece exclusively for the Ms. Bikini India contest, the next name in the list is of Neetu Chandra who will be performing hot numbers in the event wearing bollywood bikini to add a little glamour in the most awaited event. For more information about bollywood sex, bollywood nudes, bollywood actress, sexy bollywood scenes, visit the page:

Blades of Glory - Review

Set for release on March 30, 2007, Blades of Glory from Dreamworks is a sports comedy directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck and Produced by Ben Stiller.

Will Ferrell and Jon Heder are the lead "pair", who exploit a loophole to do their act in this movie - which is to "Kick some Ice".

So, welcome to the world of competitive figure skating - and all its passion and power generated by an unlikely pair who aim to steal the trophy, beating the odds. Two men skating together -- Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) - become the first male pair in the history of figure skating!

As aintitcool.com states, 'figure skating for the first time ever is finally watchable. Also, hilarious.

Blades of Glory is about two rival figure skaters (Ferrell and Heder) who after a fight with each other in front of 30,000 fans, have their gold medals stripped from them and are banned from competitive skating for a lifetime.'

Three years down the line, one is many pounds heavier while the other is still girlish, but still not "hot". Both agree to put aside their differences as well as their similarities - they're both men! --and exploit a loophole (created exclusively for the movie) that would allow them to compete in the pairs figure skating category.

This category is, of course, usually reserved for opposite-sex couples and this duo must go face-to-face with fierce competition from rivals far more experienced at the art, such as Stranz (Will Arnett) and Fairchild (Amy Poehler), the unrelentingly competitive reigning champion pair.

'Amy Poehler and Will Arnett (as evil brother and sister figure skaters) manage to steal almost every scene they're in. There are some really great moments including a hilarious ice skate chase and some very funny ice routines (that i won't spoil). The ice skating was never boring. And the costumes are as funny as the people wearing them, especially the outfits given to Poehler and Arnett. Also, Jenna Fischer has never ever looked as hot as this. Purr-Rawrr.'

This very funny movie was shot in both Los Angeles, California and Montreal, Quebec (Canada).

Black Christmas movie review

This festive fright-fest was a nice surprise from what I was originally expecting. This is another horror remake (from the people behind ‘Final Destination’ – great film), but un-like so many others; it did manage to come up trumps; such as ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.’ This is a remake of Bob Clarke’s 1974 classic slasher movie, ‘Black Christmas’; which actually came four years before John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’. Some fans lay claim that it was the original slasher flick.

From the outside, this looks like just another of your basic ‘there’s a psycho hacking up a bunch of pretty girls, who are running up the stairs instead of out of the door,’ and to a certain extent that’s correct, it’s the way this is conveyed which is interesting and enticing to watch.

The story: crazed killer, Billy Lenz, escapes his psychiatric ward and is determined to make it to his childhood home, where he was abused, by Christmas. Problem is, it’s years later and the home is now a Sorority house. It’s Christmas Eve and a who’s who of teen/horror girl stars are there to welcome him, including Melissa (Michelle Trachtenberg , ‘Buffy the vampire slayer’ fame), Heather (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, ‘Final Destination 3’), Dana (Lacey Chabert, ‘Mean Girls’) and Kelli (Katie Cassidy, ‘When a stranger calls’ remake.)

This movie is actually pretty good, it has a constant feeling of being watched that runs right through it and adds a sparkle to the scares, and the tension is kept high. The actresses, although spouting some awful lines at times, also say some good ones. The acting is good, and because most of the leading ladies are stars, and most of them horror stars, the audience doesn’t guess which one is going to make it to the rolling credits. The story-line builds well, and there is a mounting tension, as the killer first phones the girls, and then starts to do away with them.

A similar storyline to the original ‘Halloween’, with a killer coming home for the holidays, there are also many similar P.O.V shots of the killer, watching the girls throughout the house. The Christmas theme bleeds in nicely with the plot, and it comes across in places (especially, the flash-backs to Billy Lenz’s childhood) like something, director, Tim Burton, would dream up. The film gets darker and darker as we move through it, with some very violent scenes, and the music by Shirley Walker is great; capturing horror and Christmas all in one twisted melody. Also, the use of red and green lighting throughout (owed to Christmas) is very cool, and creates a great atmosphere.

Due to it being set in a Sorority house, and this no longer being 1974, some of the dialogue just doesn’t cut it. I can’t imagine many of these girls’ staying in the house with a crazed serial killer, just because they can’t find their ‘sorority sister,’ believable in 2007 – sad, but true. There is, unfortunately, the obligatory shower scene, but it’s used for scares, not thrills, and so works.

Right from the start you can tell, this isn’t your usual run of the mill slasher, it actually has a back story, and we do find ourselves caring for some of the characters, for example, Kelli, played by Katie Cassidy is great; plus if you hated ‘Dawn’ in ‘Buffy the vampire slayer’ – you are gonna love this movie.