Hollywood views blog

Soul Number 7

2011-07-20T23:49:00.001-07:00

People with the Soul Number 7 crave for just knowledge. These individuals love solitude and try and feast themselves on knowledge of the subject they are interested in. These people might be interested in subjects like mysticism, spirituality, occult, etc. This happens because the number 7 is believed to be the number that joins heaven and earth.

http://www.wishafriend.com/numerology/soulnumber/

Are you a happening teenager?

2011-07-01T03:45:00.001-07:00

Are you a happening teenager?

My Quiz Result: You are a happening teenager. You enjoy every moment of your life. You are focused on developing yourself into a healthy individual. You enjoy exercising and cultivating a hobby during your free time. Good going!

Take this quiz: Are you a happening teenager?

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You Are My Dream

2011-06-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

My world feels incomplete without you,
What would I ever do without you, I have no clue;
Love is not love, without you my dear,
My heart is not the same, without you here;
Get out of my dreams and get in my car,
So that I can take you away afar;
To a world filled with peace and love,
To a world where it would be just the two of us.
I love you and I always will.

- poem by wishafriend.com

http://www.wishafriend.com/

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

2011-06-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Born on the 15th

You have a very magnetic personality. You always stand out in a crowd. You are usually smiling and spreading cheer around. You are serious about life. You have certain goals in life which you want to reach and you strive hard to achieve them. You pour your everything in a relationship. Sentiments are very important for you.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Find your movie personality

2011-06-10T01:57:00.001-07:00

Find your movie personality

My Quiz Result: Your movie personality is - romantic.

Take this quiz: Find your movie personality

Take more quizzes, myspace quizzes and fun quizzes on personality, love and other topics.

The Real Stars of Hollywood

2010-04-05T02:32:00.000-07:00

Odysseus celebrates yet another birthday this week. I won't tell you when and I won't tell you how many Odysseus has observed in his all too short life but suffice it to say that birthdays are not quite as much fun as they used to be, although they are a hell of a lot more appealing than the alternative.

Be that as it may, this birthday provides a wonderful opportunity to detour a little from the posting I had originally planned and to reflect a little on what's important in life and how quickly it all passes. Time, even more than real estate, is one thing they make far too little of.

And project time is saddled with its own particular set of constraints, with so much to do and so little time to do it in. In my 13 years of SAP consulting, I can't remember a single time when a project went live on its originally projected date. Whether at work or at play, time always seems to slip away.

That's why your colleagues are so important. This is a real no-brainer: people are a lot more interesting than technology. Good people make good technology. And SAP, with its vast application vistas, its complex business rules, its obtuse German acronyms and its sometimes dense and uninformative help screens, especially needs good people working well together for a successful implementation.

It's not enough to be smart. I've run into too many bright SAP consultants, often fresh out of business school, who demonstrate a particularly infuriating arrogance inconsistent with the lack of practical business, technical or life experience they bring to a project.

Luckily, these folk rarely cut it. They have a tendency to offend the client and unless they have a critical skill, which they rarely do, are usually the first to go.

There was one European consultant I knew on a project in Asia who was Teutonic to the core. Let's call him the Continental. He stood out as a particularly engaging rogue. He oozed that smug, self-satisfied arrogance that some SAP consultants display as if it were a birth-right. It was as much a part of him as the meticulously stylish blue suits that he wore as un-self consciously as his skin.

Yet the Continental was a funny and likeable character whose company was always enjoyable. His real skill was a level of incompetence so monumental that it was actually very engaging. You got a perverse pleasure out of helping him through his daily round of bungling even if your only reward was his perennial exclamations of Scheissen …and … Idi-oht!

I've worked with a lot of German-speakers in my time but have never run into anybody who approached the artistic genius, the passionate disdain, embodied in the Continental's use of that pungent and oft-quoted German expletive.

Our cozy little 820 EDI build had no Continental to entertain us with his endearing brand of incompetence. But we did luck into an interesting and quirky cast of characters representing a complementary range of critical skills. But hey … this is Hollywood, isn't it? If you can't find engaging characters here they just don't exist. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

From the snowy wilds of Canada came the String Bean, a Sterling Technical Architect who designed and built the base technical and application architecture for our GIS EDI subsystem. He was fast-paced and brilliant, particularly in front of a white board where his ideas stormed out of his head in a non-stop stream of consciousness orgy of talking and sketching. I never saw anybody who could fill a white board with good ideas as quickly as the String Bean.

He had little to do with our 820 build but he did provide the base EDI application framework on which everything else was built. Without his efforts, ours couldn't even have begun.

There was the Map Lady from San Francisco. She loved to build and document maps with the Contivo Vocabulary Management System. The Map Lady is pure California: born in the Philippines of Chinese ancestry, her sister married a Frenchman who fastidiously sends his children to France every summer to ensure their facility in that oh so romantic language. His own genius bends towards the culinary arts: the Map Lady often regaled us with tempting descriptions of the gourmet cuisine at her brother-in-law's charming French restaurant in San Francisco.

Intelligent and generous with her talent to a fault, the Map Lady nonetheless has a superstitious aversion to the number 666. This came out on June 6, 2006 when she became spooked and flustered whenever I teased her with the date 6-6-6, which I did frequently after I realized just how much it spooked her. You're such a bad boy she would complain … and never once repeated the number.

And who could forget our SAP Accounts Receivables Guru who worked closely with me to flesh out the details of our evolving 820 design and had to go back again and again to face the users each time we had to make a change. He deserves a medal for his untiring patience and for the diplomatic skill with which he managed the expectations and anxieties of our users. We shall name him Doug.

An Indiana farm boy, Doug woke up one morning in San Francisco and said to his little dog: Toto … I don't think we're in Kansas anymore ... Not that there's anything wrong with being an Indiana farm boy but it's a role that Doug just wasn't cut out for. He's never looked back and every day he thanks the gremlins that haunt SAP for washing him up on the shores of the distant Pacific.

We were also lucky in that we had our very own personal ABAP programmer at our beck and call to help work us through our latest headache. I'll call him Raja because it means King and he was the King of the ABAPers on our project, excluding yours truly of course and I was told to keep my mitts out of the ABAP code, except for the design.

Raja was a youthful and endearing presence excitedly planning his first trip back to India in five years. While Raja put up with my design changes each time we hit the reality of our data, his parents were busily dreaming of wedding bells and grandchildren, appraising likely feminine prospects and casting horoscopes for an auspicious match in anticipation of his visit home.

There were many, many others, far too many to name here. Our users deserve special commendation. They had been thrust into a new and uncertain world from an old one that worked comfortably, and they were still responsible for processing and clearing tens of millions of dollars worth of payments each month. They were rightly anxious that the new system would work at least as well as the old.

And of course the larger SAP project, with a team that grew to more than 60 very bright and ambitious consultants and programmers, client IT personnel and business process owners and users working together to transform their Enterprise.

In the end it's all about the people and their jobs, the work that they do everyday that keeps our beloved Acme Studios afloat. These are the real stars of Hollywood: the ordinary and the extraordinary people that run and operate the business of the studio that generates the revenues that keeps the dream factory alive.

Hollywood Newspaper

2010-04-01T02:08:00.000-07:00

I started working at a tabloid paper titled the "L.A. Star." It was a local Los Angeles porno paper. Paul and Shirley Eberley owned and published it. It was an underground type of thing and had been quite successful at that time. I told them about an idea I had for the Hollywood Star. They asked me to do an ad for it to run in their paper. But, this was so sudden and I had no idea how to do this. I just had an idea for a newspaper with no particular design. So there was no workable ad. They were behind on paying their contributors too, so after a few articles, I left but had watched and learned a lot about how to do a small newspaper. I had also taken Journalism in high school, which helped me a bit too.

Then I came up with a format that I liked for the paper. I used to love the old "Confidential Magazine," of the fifties with their exposes of the stars. This is what I wanted to do. I bought a layout pad with press-on format letters to create a headline. It would resemble an ordinary newspaper, but with eye catching headlines that would guarantee sales (I hoped). Then I had to try to find a backer to pay for the typesetting and printing costs. The stories I wanted to write about, were already stored in my head. Things I knew about but nobody had ever written about them. I wanted to be anonymous but at the same time I wanted "my name" to be known. So, in many issues, in photos taken with celebrities, I had my face blocked out before I went to press. I needed to remain anonymous so I could gather gossip without people knowing what I looked like.

And on occasions I would get into semi-drag, (my face would be made-up in drag), for a disguise, but I would wear men's clothes. I went to a "porno" premiere at the Pussycat theater on Santa Monica Boulevard like this too. And another time, singer Frankie ("Sea Cruise") Ford, drove me to "That's Entertainment II." But, studio publicist, Ted Hatfield, who had promised a press pass for me, wouldn't let me in when he saw me with my face made up.

Frankie had stopped his car in front of the bleachers that had been set up for fans and tourists so they could see the stars as they went into the Cinedome Theater. And we opened the trunk of his car and took out bundles of THE HOLLYWOOD STAR and passed them out to everyone in the bleachers. The crowd was ecstatic. But, later I was pissed because Ted had ignored me and wouldn't let me in. I had already seen the film at a press screening, but I wanted the exposure.

So, a few days later, after writing to his boss stating that if it had been Elton John in drag, or any other celebrity like Alice Cooper, they would have gotten in and that the make-up was "my thing" and I had been made a fool of. So, I was told I would be on their screening list "for life"...probably so they wouldn't have to go to court over my threat of a lawsuit.

I had the HOLLYWOOD STAR format all figured out. It would consist of three pages of gossip, an occasional celebrity interview, a controversial editorial called "On my soapbox," in memory of Louella Parsons, who often used that term, and "I Nominate for Stardom," page, giving space for new actors. I would include numerous movie reviews with photographs and of course a male, nude celebrity photo, whenever possible. I ended up with several stories on transvestites, male strippers, circus freaks, Hollywood murders, autopsy reports of celebrity victims, a music review section and a few "freebie" ads. I would reword items making them aimed at adults. If so and so was making a comeback, I would write that but would add, who the fuck cares? Of course if someone was getting a divorce, I'd say so and so are no longer fucking....they are getting a divorce.

I developed many fans as well as enemies. The studio publicists had mixed emotions. Jet Fore, at Fox, was always friendly and loved the newspaper and always wanted extra copies. The Paramount publicists hated me. With Columbia Pictures, it was an on and off romance with them, according to what mood they were in. If I did a nostalgia thing, they loved it, but if I gave a "candle-up-the-ass award," (this was for persons who gave me a hard time), then Columbia would be up in arms. Ironically, 99% of the time, the persons who I gave that award to, left their jobs soon after. Well, not all were demoted or fired. A couple had been promoted.

For such a small paper, I began to receive notoriety. I received phone calls from around the world, with foreign radio stations wanting to interview me. Many of my stories had been reprinted and published in European newspapers. The Los Angeles Coroner, Thomas Noguchi, congratulated me on a headline story he had seen in a foreign newspaper. I don't even remember what story it was that he had seen copies of, but I heard that one story was headlined in a newspaper in Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia. Even CNN's Anne McDermott interviewed me. I don't recall now what the story was that she reported on. It was probably the paper itself, or a pick-up from the Los Angeles Magazine interview or the Harriet Choice story in the Chicago Tribune. Yes, I had my fifteen minutes of fame, if you can call it that.

One of my stories made headlines in the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, written by reporter, Denis Hamill. He had been advised, via a phone call from Nevada, not to print the story. He did write it and it made headlines. It was about the David Begelman affair, the head of Columbia Studios at the time. The whole thing is chaptered in this book.

I also had a threat from actress Jean Peter's husband, when I ran an article saying she was "getting cobwebs in her pussy," while married to Howard Hughes, because they weren't having sex. I heard she had laughed at the article but her new hubby was pissed. He had personally phoned and threatened me. But, the HOLLYWOOD STAR was never sued. The Los Angeles magazine printed a lengthy story by Mitch Tuchman, about me and the newpaper. This made me halfway legitimate. SCREW was one of the first publications to do a story on the newspaper, followed by another publication titled "Brut," that re-ran some of my stories. Harriet Choice, of the Chicago Tribune, flew in and interviewed me and wrote a syndicated story that went over the wire services to other newspapers across the country, where they ran half page stories. I was on Cloud 9 and had gained a lot of clout. I would often be invited to "private press screenings" at the studios. I could be sitting, with two or three people at 7:00 a.m. watching a horror film. Press screenings became a one a day thing.

My first scandalous headline in the first issue of the paper was, DAVID McCALLUM IS BLIND. Nobody today, even knows who the hell David McCallum is. Well, he was one of the stars of the popular TV series, "The Man From Uncle." I mentioned this in the gossip section, where it was sort of buried. But, the headlines sold the paper, even though he is only "blind in one eye"...probably from birth.

The papers were sold, mostly in news vending racks on the street, although the local newsstands sold them too. The second headline was TAB HUNTER SAYS I'M HOMOSEXUAL! Thirty years before his autobiography TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL. But, it was no secret in those days either. At that time he had all ready told this to a magazine but I went to press with it first and their story came out a couple of months later. But, I was first! My distributor had been disappointed when the first issue came out. He said, "it isn't selling." Well, I had absolutely no advertising nor promotion. It was just "there' in the news racks with the headlines. But, the next week he said, "Guess what? All the Beverly Hills racks are empty...and the money is there too." Word of mouth was selling the paper. A lot of the exposes had been old stories that had been around Hollywood for years but were never in print. People in Hollywood, knew they were true. I pushed the paper as "Movie Gossip for Adults."

I started using four letter words, to try and out-do Rona Barrett publications. They were too boring and filled with studio hype. The Laufer Company paid for and used her name but she seldom, if ever, wrote anything for them. Barbara Sternig was Barrett's ghost writer. She also found stories for Rona's three minute daily ABC clip. Bill Royce was the editor and he was, at one time much later, a producer of Jay Leno's Tonight Show. I asked Sternig is she had written Rona Barrett's book and she denied that she had written anything for her, (at that time), but in Sternig's book she told the truth.

I would always keep my ears open to conversations in restaurants and had a way to sneak inside the studios to find out things. I also had a gossip "hot line" and would get leads from people. Often celebrities themselves would phone me and tell me gossip. People would call at hours of the night. Many had run ins with celebrities and wanted to dish me all the dirt.

The third big headline was 8 STARS WHO WERE FORMER HOMOSEXUALS. If there is anything such as a former homosexual. Among those were Rock Hudson, Tab Hunter (again), Tony Curtis and Alain Delon. Anyway, you get the idea without me running down each and every title. I already mentioned the Elvis Presley story on his drug addiction in the first issue of the paper. And now Lisa Marie Presley Cage, (well Cage for three months), admits she too had been a drug addict, in her teens, after Elvis was long gone.

I later named 150 MALE BISEXUAL STARS. Brad Davis, star of "Midnight Express," Tony Perkins ("Psycho"), were on the cover as well as French film star, Alain Delon. As we all know now, both Brad and Tony died of AIDS. Both talented actors and I miss them very much. The reason I named and outed so many actors, was to get it done and over with. (I explain this in the 150 that were named, and now listed in this book). Not one actor was hurt by my outing. Only two persons complained to me. Donna Summer (through her agent) said she wasn't gay or bisexual, (she was in the list of bisexual female actresses), and Scott Baio phoned me and said, "I'm Scott." I said, "Scott who?" and he hung up. I knew it was him from his voice.

I later heard, from a limousine driver, that Scott had knocked up a girl and that he and his Dad were arguing in the limo about it. His Dad said he he should have used a rubber. So, I deleted both of them from the lists, although I have heard "rumors" about them since the paper ceased publication.

I recall, way back in the fifties, Tony Perkins had suddenly disappeared. And Louella Parsons had written in her column to "check out Tab Hunter's apartment on Sunset, that's where Tony Perkins car is parked." Tony was at the peak of his good looks and had just started acting in films. He was in "Fear Strikes Out," a baseball story and then "The Tall Story," with Jane Fonda, also starting her film career. That's when she was living with her agent, Dick Clayton. Tony was tall, lean and lanky and sexy. I saw him at the premiere of, "The Gunfight at the OK Corral," which premiered at the Hollywood Paramount theater, (now the El Capitan). He was wearing goggle type of glass frames, usually used for sunglasses. But, he had plain, untinted glass in them. Later I would have the same type made up and other than the President of General Motors, we were the only three who had those type of frames. Today they are all too familiar.

I saw Tony another time at the Mocambo on Sunset, after the premiere of, "The Spirit of St. Louis," at the Egyptian theater in Hollywood, many years before the paper. There was a benefit fund raiser for the widow of the owner and Frank Sinatra was appearing. Tony came out the front door at intermission and just looked over the fans and tourists who were crowded around the front door, then smiled and went back inside. Frank came out and asked if we could hear the music alright? The front door was left open so we could listen.

It was a star studded event and it's where I learned there is a small group of autograph hunters who keep up on celebrity events and they all go to them to get autographs. One of their group was "discovered" by Tab Hunter and at another event Tab "arrived" with the former autograph hound. (Today autograph hunters are called stalkers. It's a damned shame).

Funny that one of the autograph hunters, who had been there, appeared years later when I was taking photographs of the Carradine's at the Ebelle theater. He was standing in the crowd. He told me he had lived in New York but was retired and had moved to Hollywood. Hard to believe, but harder to believe I had remembered his face over all those years.

Jack Sernas, the handsome actor from, "Helen of Troy," was there and I got his autograph and he "wrote down his phone number." He was married to an obese woman, who was with him, but he was obviously gay. And believe it or not, I never phoned him. Jack was very short, sort of an Alan Ladd type. He looked tall and muscular on film. The only other film I saw him in was, "La Dolce Vita." He reminded me of a good looking usher at the Capitol theater in Flint, Norman Courney.

I saw Brad Davis after the screening of "Chariots of Fire," at the Academy theater. I had gone there with artist Kenneth Kendall. Kenneth had painted a porcelain miniature of Brad, so I introduced myself and Kenneth, while Brad was waiting for the red traffic light to change. He talked to Kenneth for quite a while. After Brad's death, at a memorial service at the Doolittle theater in Hollywood, Kenneth gave the miniature to Brad's widow. Brad's death was very sudden and his illness had been kept quiet from the press. Brad's brother, Gene, is more handsome than Brad and he still hasn't recovered from losing his brother. Gene starred with Charles Bronson in, "10 to Midnight." Kenneth Kendall's brother, Lester, (nee Katz) had been Bronson's agent when Charles was using his real name, Charles Buchinski. Kenneth was a James Dean fan and created the James Dean Memorial at the Griffith Park Observatory, where scenes for "Rebel Without A Cause," were filmed. He dedicated a similar memorial in Fairmount, Indiana where Jimmy grew up. It stands in a small park near the edge of town. Kenneth passed away September 3, 2006.

The Hollywood Star newspaper didn't make up stories but we wanted to be sensational as well as truthful. There was "no intent" of hurting anybody's career and it was a sort of cat and mouse game. If actors wanted to be mousey, then we were catty and often caught up with them. Many stories seemed to be outrageous when they were written and many people didn't believe what we printed. But, as time went by and the things we said were proven true, then attitudes changed. We wanted to be more "confidential" than Confidential magazine ever was.

We erred on two stories that I can recall. Actually it was one story and one photo. The" Sal Mineo's Killer is Known," headline, proved later that our sources were wrong. At that time, even a detective thought it was credible. And a nude of Kent McCord, wasn't Kent McCord. It was a questionable photo. Some thought it was him while others didn't. The Hollywood Star had an editor's pledge that read:

"Whatever we print, we believe it to be true.
If we should err on any item or story, we
will acknowledge it in future issues. We research
our stories to the best of our ability. We hope you
enjoy our paper and will recommend it to others" - Bill Dakota

I would often venture out with my face in drag, as I mentioned here. After the Westwood Village premiere of , "A Star Is Born," (where I had worn a white, rental tuxedo, as everyone had to do, so that when Ms. Streisand came, wearing a red gown, she would stand out like a rose-.....phew). Anyway, the following evening I went walking down Hollywood Boulevard, in the tux, and face in drag, with a tape recorder interviewing theater managers and I used this in a column titled, "Waltzing Matilda."

"Deep Throat," had played at the Pussycat theater on Hollywood Boulevard for a couple of years. I stopped and asked to see the manager. Then I asked him a few questions, such as how the movie was holding up after such a long run? I had never done this before, and I can imagine what they thought, seeing and talking to a man in a white tuxedo and face in drag! Anyway, this turned into a full page story, things happening along Hollywood Boulevard. And some people even asked me for my autograph. That's Hollywood!

Of course people knew me in the bars that I frequented in those days, the Sideshow, the Beachboy and the Kenmore Lounge, where some scenes for "Barfly," were filmed. All of which are now gone.

The HOLLYWOOD STAR was started on a shoestring. The first few issues had different backers. Some were the vendors who owned the racks, (this was before we bought ours). It was the best selling tabloid on the street. It outsold Playboy Magazine at the World Book and News on Cahuenga Boulevard. I finally got a backer who bought 120 newsracks and they were put out, along Hollywood Boulevard, on nearly every corner, along Sunset Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard in North Hollywood, and some special places like the original Brown Derby on Wilshire Boulevard, and in front of the post-offices.

The paper only came out once every two or three months. Yet, each week the racks would often be sold out. Other tabloids were weekly and they never sold as well. My backer had purchased an Iteq Quad typesetter (this was before computers of course), which cost around $18,000 in those days and $5,000 for a printer. The copy was in a sealed binder that had to be run through a developer or printer. We also had a photo machine to do half-tones as well. I operated out of the basement of an apartment building I was managing. So, this is how the Hollywood Star was born. Well, it was born in Hollywood earlier but it wasn't that secure, moneywise.

My 24 hour hot-line could also be dangerous, so I taped all of the phone calls. I also asked for names of witnesses for whatever it was they were calling me for. I tried to get a minimum of two other names and then I would verify the information. I often found myself phoning restaurants or bars for verification. I may have been duped a few times, but I always printed the fore-mentioned disclaimer. I didn't want to intentionally hurt anyone by making up gossip on them.

Hollywood Old Songs

2010-03-31T01:48:00.000-07:00

Hollywood Undead are about to drop a musical bomb. On their debut album (A&M/Octone), they've concocted an explosive cocktail of hip hop, rock and metal, forging an alternative style that's primed to blow the scene up. They craft incisive, sharp and sarcastic raps that slash the jugular of mainstream pop culture. They aren't your standard rap or rock crew. They're something new, dangerous, funny and alive. Deuce busts out the melodies. Johnny 3 Tears, J-Dog and Charlie Scene lead the lyrical charge, while Funny Man drops rhymes, and Da Kurlzz hypes the fray. Donning individual masks, Hollywood Undead possess a dark aesthetic that's connected to their hometown's depravity. Tracks like "No. 5" dissect the frivolities of Hollywood with witty, catchy choruses. Album opener "Undead," sets the tone, firing off a big melody and buoyant beats. Meanwhile, "Los Angeles" examines the town's evil edge. However, Hollywood Undead has got the gusto to be earth shattering far beyond cyberspace. They're already knocking at your door, and they're about to break it down.

Hollywood Undead’s sound cuts with a distinct hip hop swagger and a brooding, hard rock aggression. The band recorded seventeen songs with production by Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails), Don Gilmore (Linkin Park) and Deuce. J-Dog describes the sound best. "It's different genres mixed together with no holds barred. The rap songs are straight-up club songs. The rock songs are in your face and industrial. It's a collaboration of six people with different thoughts, coming together and not holding back." Charlie Scene elaborates further, "It's the truth about what average, suburban teens are thinking. No one else is rapping about how those kids party and what they go through in life, but we are."

Everything was born from a collaboration by Deuce and J-Dog in 2005. They posted a couple of their songs on the internet, and within a day, they had a slew of friends and plays. They inked a deal with A&M/Octone in 2008, and they're ready to unleash their manifesto. Johnny 3 Tears delves deeper into the band's message. "Our music and lyrics are just a communication of our lives. That's the best way to define it. It's all extremely and explicitly honest about stuff we go through--love, hate and pain. People see that honesty, and they respond to it. I want it to last forever for them. It's not fleeting."

The masks contribute to the band's mystique. Charlie explains, "In order to keep everything a mystery, we didn't want people to know what we look like." That mystery is just as important to the band's identity as the city is. J-Dog continues, "I've seen too many people who just couldn't cut it out here. This city literally chews people up and spits them out. In Hollywood, there are aspiring actors, artists, crack heads, gang bangers, taggers, and homeless people. They all add to the culture. Growing up around so many different people made us who we are. Hollywood was always known for its rawness, and we have that." The world will soon see that Hollywood Undead is as raw as it gets.

This song began life as "Jockin' My Mercedes," and was performed during a couple of festival sets during some of the brief Mutations promotions. The song did change a little from then, but it was basically the same as what you know now.

"Hollywood Freaks" might be the most typical Midnite Vultures track. As the perfect example of the Vultures mood, "Hollywood Freaks" would have been Beck's first choice as a single for the album. "That's the one I would choose because this is what I would wanna hear if I was in a club...you know, on a Thursday night, feeling mildly excited." The song is a catchy and melodic, but at the same time, a bit of a goof, as proved by all the laughing and silly references.

Beck's a master at finding the right words to match the right attitude of the music (and vice versa). There are so many pop references, it's hard to begin! (See below.) Basically, as the title conveys, the song is just full of freakiness: neon mamacitas, tropical oils, twenty-million dollar fantasies. But as Beck put it, it's a riff on all "the pervasive R&B entrepreneurial superstar star-maker man-male '90s machines." I'm not sure how Norman Schwarzkopf fits that description though!

Beck explains his love/hate relationship with Los Angeles, which comes out subtly in "Hollywood Freaks." "I love L.A., but there's certain elements that are repelling to me, but at the same time I enjoy it. I love to hate it. As a musician or somebody who works creatively, you tend to take things from your environment that bug you or disturb you and try to reassemble them the way you see fit. That's one of the licenses you acquire when you start writing songs or making movies. You're able to do odd things and rework the world as you see it. So I took the liberty to do it with Hollywood because it's taken liberty with me. It's a two-way relationship."

Often "Hollywood Freaks" is considered a spoof (as is much of Midnite Vultures), but Beck takes issue with that. He explains, "I don't think of that song as a parody at all. There is a fine line there but it isn't parody. I love the new stuff and the old school. That song to me is just my aesthetic. In my fantasy world that is the kind of hip hop song you would hear on the radio, hear Puff Daddy rapping."

Hollywood Young Circle

2010-03-30T01:17:00.000-07:00

Young Circle Park and Amphitheater is a beautiful park-like setting located in the heart of Hollywood. It serves the community with a wide range of performances – everything from the Hollywood Philharmonic to Hollywood Playhouse performances have graced the stage.

The park itself is a popular venue providing a charming, natural backdrop for yearly events including the Mardi Gras Fiesta Tropicale (February), the St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival (March), Hispanic Fest and Kuumba Festival (April), LoveFest and the Fourth of July patriotic kickoff (July), Viva Italia, Love Radio’s Jazz Harvest, Footy’s Y-100 Wing Ding, the Herald Hunt (October) and dramatic Holiday light displays (December). These major events mirror Hollywood’s cultural diversity and its commitment to the arts.

Surrounding the park are charming restaurants and open air cafes, filling the air with the scent of fresh baked pastries and breads.

No city in Broward County has high stakes development decisions like Hollywood. It's why for the last decade it's become an emotionally charged issue. For all the fine points that fill the debate, the argument comes down to whether you believe the city should accommodate the developer or if the developer should accommodate the city. The projects have changed, but the debate has not.

In Monday's post about the Block 25 project, planned for the northeast corner of Young Circle and Federal Highway, commissioners Patty Asseff and Linda Sherwood argued that the city should be grateful to developer, Chip Abele, for his willingness to build in Hollywood. For this he's entitled to a big share of the future taxes the city would collect on the property, as well as the right to design his condo tower as a "planned development," or just "PD" -- status that frees him from the zoning guidelines that tend to cut into profit margins. Last evening, in a 5-2 decision, the Hollywood City Commission gave Abele his PD.

The culture of giving developers incentives and architectural cart blanche is, for better or worse, the legacy of former Mayor Mara Giulianti. And despite her defeat in January 2008, a majority of the commission still subscribes to Guilianti principles. Commissioner Heidi O'Sheehan, who was elected that same month, is in the minority.

"Unfortunately, there's this feeling in the city that if we don't say 'Yes' to everything, (developers) are just going to walk away and not build anything," says O'Sheehan. "And I don't believe that."

Hollywood, she argues, is selling itself short: "This is prime real estate in South Florida -- there aren't a lot of places left to develop. We're holding a lot of cards that we can bargain with."

More from O'Sheehan, and the city activists who take her view on developing Hollywood's downtown, after the jump.

In July the city's Community Redevelopment Agency hired Miami urban designer Bernard Zyscovich to revise a master plan he crafted in 2004 that was never formally recognized. Abele and his backers on the commission are eager to lock in planned-development status before that happens .

This seems a contradiction. Zyscovich is being paid to ensure a city design in which individual projects fit within a collective vision, while the commission is doing the opposite -- letting each project define the collective vision. And Block 55 development is just the latest example.

Or at least that's how it seems to Terry Cantrell, president of the Hollywood Lakes Civic Association, whose members have lobbied hard against letting the project get in line ahead of the Zyscovich plan. "The city has spent $200,000 to do the (Zyscovich) master plan and zoning recommendations," says Cantrell. It could have delayed approval for Abele's project until Zyscovich's ideas became permanent policy. "Why not wait another couple of weeks?" he asks.

Activist Sara Case lost narrowly in the January 2008 election to Asseff, an event that had big implications for Hollywood development. Case wonders why the commissioners don't trust Zyscovich. "They hire him, and then they don't pay attention to him," she says. "How can they substitute their judgment for the judgment of a professional planner like Zyscovich?"

Supporters of the Hollywood Circle development caution that by delaying its approval, the city would not only risk losing the project, it might make the city vulnerable to a lawsuit. That threat seems implicit in the commission presentations by lobbyist Alan Koslow.

"I think that's a bogus argument," says Case. And if the city really wanted to protect itself from legal action, she adds, it would have called for a "zoning in progress" that freezes new development until new design guidelines and regulations can be adopted. Hollywood has not done so.

While Abele's group may have started the development review in September 2007, Cantrell points out that the developer didn't apply for zoning changes until this past November -- four months after Zyscovich's arrival. By that time the developer should have known that the city's plans were fluid.

Hollywood Cricket Club

2010-03-29T02:45:00.000-07:00

Hollywood Cricket Club was founded in 1932 by Sir C. Aubrey "Round the Corner" Smith. Club's By-Laws were passed by the committee on January 20, 1932 and were approved on February 18, 1932.

Brief History of Sir Aubrey Smith.

Sir Aubrey Smith was born July 21, 1863 in St. Stephen's Hospital. As time went by he became serious soccer player, but his real desire was to play cricket.

Sir Aubrey Smith, an opening brisk fast-medium bowler, played for Charterhouse, Cambridge, Sussex and England. He debut in 1882 for Sussex County Cricket Club and was Captain in 1887, 1888, and 1890. He also was the Captain of two England Touring Sides (to Australia and South Africa). As a finale, Sir Aubrey named his house at 2881 Coldwater Canyon Drive, near the junction with Mulholland Drive, "The Round Corner."

Created a C.B.E in 1938 at Buckingham Palace, he went there again in 1944 to receive a knighthood from the King. Sir Charles Aubrey Smith, famous cricketer and film actor died in Beverly Hills on December 20th, 1948.

He will always be remembered by Hollywood Cricket Club.

A great moment for international ‘cricket you can believe in’ was held at the Village Green, Woodley, Los Angeles over the weekend where Credo Cricketer’s, The Rev and the traveling Custard, joined the Compton ‘Homies and Popz’ Cricket Team in a match against Beverly Hills/Hollywood Cricket Club.

Compton is a neighborhood in South Central LA with a reputation for gangs, violence and disadvantage. The Cricket Team was started when the teams patriarch and icon, Ted Hayes, an African American, Republican voting, Jewish, homelessness activist was introduced to cricket by British film producer Katy Haber. Ted resonated with the ‘Spirit of Cricket ‘which he saw as being significantly different to the showy, ‘Me first’ culture of American sport and its mean streets.

With the Hollywood connection it was the Beverly Hills team, made up of ex-pat Englishmen that first taught Ted and the boys how to play. Today however, it was time for the apprentices to become the masters. Compton bowled and fielded well, amongst the trees and undulations of the aptly named ‘Village Green’ to restrict Beverly Hills to 9/134 off 25 overs with America’s version of the Warne/Magill leg spin combination, Ted Hayes (3 for) and The Rev (2 for) proving a handfull.

In response, Compton born and bred, Ricardo starred with the bat with a 50 made up of orthodox forward defense and blistering baseball style swats which peppered the legside boundary. The Rev made 18 and Custard brought the team home with 28 not out. 4/135 with 5 overs to spare.

At the conclusion of the game Marcus Curnow, spoke about the story of Urban Seed’s Credo Cricket with disadvantaged people in Melbourne and the recent Laneway Cricket matches held in response to street violence against Indian students. He handed out Australian team training shirts, and, whilst being heckled by the defeated Beverly Hills Englishmen, recommended the ‘Homies’ wear the shirts for the remainder of the day as the Ashes would be lost by morning! Luckily Ted Hayes received a Victorian Bushrangers 20/20 shirt for whom the Compton ‘Homies and Popz’ will be ‘rootin’in the upcoming Champions league in recognition of Cricket Victoria’s ongoing support for ‘very believable cricket’.

Meet the Players

Ahmed Butt
You heard of the one where the boy wants to be a king. Well here we have a very good middle order batsman, who really wants to be a bowler. Aspirations of Shoaib Akhter, there is an ongoing bet that Ahmed will not take a single wicket this season...

Arvind Vanthasavi
He batted unbelievably well once, but think the rough and tumble world of LDHCC was just too much, so he does nt respond any more.

Asim Bilwani
Another one of our flambouyant openers, its just a pity that he possibly gives the most mis-informed, terrible intel ever. From getting the ground directions wrong, to high certainty but completely misguided views on the strengths of the batsman, he is truly a product of Investment Banking

Hassan Mohammad
The british rude boy, one gets the sense he would really prefer to get stuck into a big team fight with the opposition or our team, than participate in this genteel game. He can bat (I think)

Imran Shah
Certainly the tallest member of the squad, Imran has a very languid presence about himself. A dynamic opening batsman, likes nothing better than rolling a Rizla in the outfield and genuinely encouraging rival batsman.

Kanik Arora
Definitely a tradion buster, our fast bowler disdains the white kit for a multi colour uniform straight from the IPL, as well as famously at one stage removing his pads while batting in one game to free himself for a few big hits. He was bowled next ball.

Kany Bengali
Allegedly a Bangladesh U-19 player, but we are nt really sure, since the floods washed away the Bangladesh cricket academy in '08.

Karan Abbot
More bollywood than hollywood, he is Facebook friends with everyone who has played with or against us. After the mother of all battles with the captain, he was finally allowed a ball in the first match and promptly took two wickets in his first over.

Kashif Sheikh
Every organisation, building, country is built around one entity, in the case of LDHCC, its Kashif. He keeps wicket when we need him to, bowls fast and is leading the race for highest run scorer this season. Kashif is there to win it, the other 10 generate the noise.

Mirnal Jalan
Our chereubic leg spinner, who belies his appearance with some sharp fielding from cover as well as being a solid middle order batsman. Visibly discomforted by the blustery English weather…

Nicholas Khan Roper
The real pin up idol in a team full of Hollywood wannabes. Starting his bowling career 16 years later, he s continued his love affair with the red cherry, never straying from that off stump line. Leading wicket taker and is comfortable at Number 11.

Omar Sheikh
Part 1 of the famous "Shake" brothers. Generates a mean pace from a short run up and capable of the mean bouncer as well. A very solid batsman in a flambouyant top order.

Raj Daryanani
Every team needs the wily, grizzly old pro, who has been there and done that for a good decade. Raj is our man, knows every ground south of the Midlands, bowls fast and furious and when he bats, he tees it up and launches into the stratosphere. Keeps as well.

Rehan Latif
Great Captain likes to think of himself as the poor man's version of Gary Sobers. Left handed, bowls spin, a little medium, bats anywhere, keeps (badly). The fact that all of them are done with little success is beside the point. It would be fairer to say the fact that Rehan has ADD is why he tries to do everything, if he was nt so focused on trying to place the fielders, he would probably wander off every 5 minutes.

Roopak Radia
His one innings was a revelation and sensationally he was the first (and maybe last?) person to take a catch at slip for us.

Rushi Luhar
The scholastic right arm seamer with a competitive streak. Reads the game well as expected from the Morgan Stanley Indoor Captain and dependable lower order batsman, a complete team player.

Samir Dada
The sensitive fast bowler, nifty pace, but like any well groomed prima donna handle with care. Threatens to walk off the field atleast twice every innings. And on an aside, the most bearish equity trader you are ever likely to meet....

Zain Latif
The second of the second pair of brothers, he only adds to the feeling of relaxed languidness that LDHCC display on the field, hands folded no doubt thought drifting to concerns that would typically pre-occupy Investment Banking Directors in this day and age. Scorer of our first 50.

Hollywood In Hindi

2010-03-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

Well Done Abba (2010)

Staring:

Boman Irani
Minissha Lamba
Sammir Dattani
Sonali Kulkarni
Ravi Kishan
Ila Arun
Salim Ghouse
Rajit Kapoor
Yashpal Sharma
Ravi Jhankal
Rahul Singh

Director:

Shyam Benegal

2) Hum Tum Aur Ghost (2010)

Staring:

Arshad Warsi
Diya Mirza
Sandhya Mridul
Boman Irani
Zehra Naqvi
Shernaz Patel
Tinu Anand
Javed Sheikh
Asawari Joshi
Rituraj Singh
Ashwin Kumar
Nilu Kohli

Director:

Kabeer Kaushik

3) Elektra (2005) (In Hindi)

Starring:

Jennifer Garner ... Elektra
Goran Visnjic ... Mark Miller
Kirsten Prout ... Abby Miller
Will Yun Lee ... Kirigi
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa ... Roshi
Terence Stamp ... Stick
Natassia Malthe ... Typhoid
Bob Sapp ... Stone
Chris Ackerman ... Tattoo
Edson T. Ribeiro ... Kinkou
Colin Cunningham ... McCabe
Hiro Kanagawa ... Meizumi
Mark Houghton ... Bauer
Laura Ward ... Young Elektra
Kurt Max Runte ... Nikolas Natchios

Director:

Rob Bowman

4) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) (In Hindi)

Starring:

Daniel Radcliffe ... Harry Potter
Michael Gambon ... Professor Albus Dumbledore
Dave Legeno ... Fenrir Greyback
Elarica Gallagher ... Waitress
Jim Broadbent ... Professor Horace Slughorn
Geraldine Somerville ... Lily Potter
Bonnie Wright ... Ginny Weasley
Julie Walters ... Molly Weasley
Rupert Grint ... Ron Weasley
Emma Watson ... Hermione Granger
Helena Bonham Carter ... Bellatrix Lestrange
Helen McCrory ... Narcissa Malfoy
Timothy Spall ... Wormtail
Alan Rickman ... Professor Severus Snape
Oliver Phelps ... George Weasley

Director:

David Yates

5) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) (In Hindi)

Starring:

Harrison Ford ... Indiana Jones
Cate Blanchett ... Col. Dr. Irina Spalko
Karen Allen ... Marion Ravenwood
Shia LaBeouf ... Mutt Williams
Ray Winstone ... George 'Mac' McHale
John Hurt ... Professor Harold 'Ox' Oxley
Jim Broadbent ... Dean Charles Stanforth
Igor Jijikine ... Dovchenko
Dimitri Diatchenko ... Russian Suit #1
Ilia Volok ... Russian Suit #2
Emmanuel Todorov ... Russian Soldier #1
Pavel Lychnikoff ... Russian Soldier #2 (as Pasha D. Lychnikoff)
Andrew Divoff ... Russian Soldier #3
Venya Manzyuk ... Russian Soldier #4 (as Veniamin Manzyuk)
Alan Dale ... General Ross

Director:

Steven Spielberg

6) Daredevil (2003) (In Hindi)

Starring:

Ben Affleck ... Matt Murdock / Daredevil
Jennifer Garner ... Elektra Natchios
Colin Farrell ... Bullseye
Michael Clarke Duncan ... Wilson Fisk / The Kingpin
Jon Favreau ... Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson
Scott Terra ... Young Matt
Ellen Pompeo ... Karen Page
Joe Pantoliano ... Ben Urich
Leland Orser ... Wesley Owen Welch
Lennie Loftin ... Nick Manolis
Erick Avari ... Nikolas Natchios
Derrick O'Connor ... Father Everett
Paul Ben-Victor ... Jose Quesada
David Keith ... Jack Murdock
Frankie J. Allison ... Abusive Father (as Frankie Jay Allison)

Director:

Mark Steven Johnson

Hollywood Jokes

2010-03-26T04:26:00.000-07:00

In Hollywood they get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day.

The hardest thing in Hollywood is to keep the marriage a secret until the divorce leaks out.

I was invited to a Hollywood wedding. Traffic was heavy, so I got there late
Divorce Magazine provides advice and support for those coping with separation, divorce, and remarriage.

From time to time, Hollywood loves to make movies about itself.

It's a place so insular and self-centered that it's convinced that everyone else on the planet is as enraptured as they are about themselves and the going-ons behind the scenes. That is the central theme behind the new rambunctious, and very hit-or-miss comedy Tropic Thunder.

It's an occasionally funny comedy that actually isn't nearly as funny or as clever as it thinks it is. It's mainly aimed for people who like to delude themselves that they're "in the know" about the movie business although most of the really savage satire would sail right over their heads without them having a clue.

Marking his return to the director's seat since his unfunny Zoolander and the underrated and dangerously subversive The Cable Guy, Ben Stiller plays a fading action movie star who is working on a big budget Hollywood action flick about the Vietnam War, that is being shot on location in Vietnam, alongside fellow actors Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel and Brandon T. Jackson. Jackson plays a rapper with the name of Alpa Chino (say it loud to yourself), who is acting in his first film.

However it's obvious from the very start that the film's clueless, stressed out, neophyte Brit director (Coogan) is in way over his head and the film quickly winds up over budget and way behind schedule, incurring the anger of the film's extremely foul mouthed, hyper-aggressive producer (Tom Cruise wearing a bald wig, scraggly beard, fat gut and profuse chest hair).

Desperate to save the film, and more importantly his career, Coogan gets rid of most of the film crew and comes up with the insane idea of dropping his actors in the middle of nowhere in the jungle to make a low budget, guerilla style movie with hidden video cameras placed all around as they struggle to make it out on their own.

Of course there wouldn't be much of plot of things didn't quickly go from bad to worse, (as it does) and the actors find themselves tangling with dangerous real drug dealing guerillas led by a 12-year-old kid (Soo Hoo), though the actors are too imbecilic and self-centered to realize that they're not making a film anymore and their situation is for real.

Though Thunder definitely has its genuinely funny moments especially due to Jack Black, who while relegated mainly to the background at first eventually comes into his own with some hilarious crazed behavior and rudely twisted lines, the film suffers badly from a lumpy pace with its uneven storyline and too many scenes of people screaming at each other for no apparent reason.

It's also dragged down by one too many inside jokes about the business that are not even that funny for those who gets who's being spoofed such as McConaughey's manic part inspired by real life super agent Ari Emanuel, Coogan's take on the real British film director Sam Mendes (Jarhead) and especially Cruise's character who's a blatant mockery of legendary producer Scott Rudin (No Country for Old Men) who's famous in the business for his volcanic temper and tyrannical behavior.

However, no doubt most of the attention will center around Robert Downey's Kirk Lazarus, a Russell Crowe type known for his intensity and hard drinking behavior who's so dedicated to his craft that to play a black man in the film he undergoes cosmetic surgery to look black to play the part. Of course the concept is intentionally outrageous and decidedly non-PC with the image of a white guy in modern day blackface to illustrate how ridiculous Lazarus is, especially in his awkward and embarrassing attempts to portray a black man.

And besides, since it's the current "Mr. Cool of Hollywood" Iron Man himself, so how bad could it be? But when it gets down to the basic core of the idea, the fact of the matter is that blackface is still blackface regardless.

Another problem as well with the basic concept it that doesn't make sense either. Although the film is a comedy and a satire of the film business, why would a producer and director in the film hire a white guy to play the part of the black guy? Wouldn't it have made more sense to have a black actor spoofing another established, serious black actor such as Forest Whitaker or Denzel Washington?

Things are not helped either with Jackson's rapper character (who's the only black person in the entire film) basically playing a character that is barely a step above Flava Flav. If Lazarus' character was conceived as an attack on the image of blacks in cinema, then neither him nor Jackson's character help in any way. And, in this new age of Obama, the whole thing falls flat.

After everything is taken in, what we have left with Tropic Thunder is a film that could have been a whole a lot sharper and better. There are truly funny and outrageous moments, but unfortunately, the film becomes sluggish as it repeats itself again and again to an increasingly lesser effect.

Perhaps if the filmmakers had stopped gazing into the mirror a tad less often and weren't as convinced that they were so much more clever than the audience, Tropic Thunder might have been a better film.

Hollywood Movie Anaconda

2010-03-25T01:43:00.000-07:00

Having tackled the most venomous snakes in Africa, Austin Stevens seeks out the largest and most powerful snake in the world. A snake which can weigh over 1,000 lbs, with a girth of 44 inches. One of the few snakes in the world that actually preys on humans. Throwing a 'death loop' of coils around its hapless victim this monster is capable of crushing a man to death. Austin plans to photograph one of these feared beasts in its natural habitat. To do that he'll need to wrestle it from the water. Austin is a black belt in Kung-Fu, but he has been undergoing additional training for this mission for the last twelve months, working on the amount of time he can stay underwater, and increasing his upper body strength. Now there is no turning back.

No animal in the Amazon is more feared and respected than the world's largest and most powerful snake, the Anaconda. Fully grown, it can approach a length of 30 feet, and weigh close to a quarter of a ton. Physically, no animal in the New World can match its strength. Worshipped as a god and feared for its magic, the Anaconda stands alone at the top of the hierarchy of predators in the Amazon and is the living symbol of the river.

Series combining stunning wildlife with high octane adventure as a team of explorers search the depths of the last great unspoilt jungle on the planet. Cameras follow the team every sweaty step of the way as they explore the beautiful wilderness of Guyana, from abseiling down one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world to climbing to the very top of the rainforest trees. Known as the land of giants, Guyana is home to the huge anaconda, the world's largest tarantula and giant otters.

The big snakes are back..well ok, big “snake”, for another round of body chomping in our newest edition called ”Anaconda: Trail of Blood”. Our evil master mind this round goes by the name of
Murdoch, who has funded a very large project to find a serum to heal fatal illness. The intent though involves some very devious intentions and the use of creating very large snakes. The cure comes from a hybrid of the black orchid flower which produces regeneration and healing effects of halting decomposition. The tests used on snakes produces a species that requires constant feeding with a higher metabolic rate.

To summarize, there’s really not alot new going on here. The names have been changed but the play is much of the same. With a bunch of assassins confusing the the mix you really just want to get to the munching . Which you more or less assume that all bad men will get eaten. My favorite still stands with the first Anaconda movie but then again they had an all star cast also. Is it me or would just poisoning the carcasses do the trick to kill a big snake? or maybe throw a tasty meat stake attached to a grenade? Oh ya…one problem. The snake can regenerate…so it will take a bit more to kill him off so easily.

It goes without saying that this is snake, like the last, episodes and goes on a killing spree, attacking the scientist on duty, the rescue team sent to find him, Amanda’s crew in search of the snake and the mercenariesMurdoch sends to retrieve the cancer serum. Again, the experiments have made the anaconda huge and aggressive, but this time it also has the power of regeneration, which is never exploited adequately in the story.

Hollywood chrismas party

2010-03-23T03:53:00.000-07:00

Christmas parties… It’s that time again when we’ve just had our Summer Party and now it’s time to plan our Christmas Party! This year why not hire your exclusive Christmas venue and have a themed Christmas Party? Whether you’re having a Christmas Party in London or Scotland Christmas-events.com are here to help. We are Christmas party organisers and a specialised Event Management company, who offer party planning, venue finding, event management, event production and event entertainment! We help to plan out every aspect of your corporate Christmas Party, to ensure you have a fantastic and memorable xmas party!

This year why not enjoy your Christmas Party in the style of Hollywood! A perfect theme for your corporate Christmas party celebrations!

Imagine beginning your evening walking down the red carpet, paparazzi flashes everywhere while you enjoy being a star for the night!! Your exclusive Christmas event continues as you enter the fabulous Hollywood, greeted with champagne and canapés. As you and your guests take in the magnificent themed Christmas venue, you will begin to be seated at your tables, ready to enjoy a sumptuous three course Christmas menu.

Once seated why not mystify and amazed your guests with a Walkabout magician who will leave your Christmas party guests stunned and thoroughly impressed!

While coffee and chocolates are served to guests your manager will have the chance to hand out those golden globe awards to members of staff.

After your deliciousdinner, you will be thoroughly entertained by a Marilyn Monroe impersonator, followed by a fantastic Elvis who will leave guests ‘All shook up!!’ and ready to walk down the walk of fame onto the dance floor!

Your xmas event is yet to finish there… with a Christmas chocolate fountain, Christmas novelties, a Hollywood photo booth and disco this will be a fantastic corporate Christmas Party not to be forgotten!

Having an exclusive Christmas Party has the benefits of a large corporate company having an exclusive Christmas venue to themselves. However, many smaller companies, can participate in a shared Christmas parties with the same package, except a cheaper Christmas Party package!

Your guests will be talking about your party for months when you host a Hollywood Christmas Party this year. What greater reason to dress up than Christmas? Add a touch of Hollywood and you really have glamor! I've put together some simple ideas that will help you host a Hollywood Christmas Party. The party always starts with the invitation. Your invitation is the first door your guest open to your party. And during a season where everyone is partying make your invitation stand out. Here are a few ideas for your Hollywood Christmas Party.

1. Create a Hollywood DVD to give as invitations. It's easier than it sounds. Just record your invitation to a disc and hand them out. Where your best glamor outfit and using your best dramatic performance to invite your guest to your Hollywood Christmas Party.

2. Purchase elegant invitations and on the front write "And the Nominee for Best Actor is...." When your guests open it they will find their name. Then beneath it write the blurb about your party. You might invite your guest to dress formal and give prizes for the Best Actor and Best Actress, (based of course on appearance).

For party decorations there are a few things you simply must have.

1. A red carpet! Let your guests come in to your home or party space on the red carpet.

2. Cameras with a flash. Anyone who comes not dressed up takes pictures of the guests as they arrive. You can buy disposable cameras with the flash. At the end of the night you'll have a great record of memories. Or you might ask a friend who likes to stay in the background to be the paparazzi.

3. Your Christmas tree would be perfect for a Hollywood Christmas Party with these sensational Christmas ornaments. Buy the inexpensive picture frame ornaments. Download some pictures of your favorite Hollywood Stars like Bette Davis, Cary Grant, Paul Newman. Print each picture and put them in the frames. Place them all over the tree. Make sure you have one for each guest so you can use them for a game later. Have extras!

hollywood movies 2010 Videos

2010-03-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

Hollywood movies releasing in 2010, Hollywood movies releasing in January, 2010, February 2010, March 2010, Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in April 2010, May 2010, June 2010, July 2010, August 2010, Hollywood movies releasing in September 2010, October 2010, November 2010, December 2010

Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in January, 2010
January 1, 2010: Case 39
January 8, 2010: Youth in Revolt
January 15, 2010: Let Me In
January 22, 2010: Tooth Fairy
January 29, 2010: When in Rome

Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in February 2010
February 5, 2010: Dear John
February 12, 2010: The Butchering Ghost
February 19, 2010: Shutter

Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in March 2010
March 5, 2010: Alice in Wonderland
March 16, 2010: The Back-Up Plan
March 19, 2010: Season of the Witch
March 26, 2010: How to Train Your Dragon

Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in April 2010
April 2, 2010: Repo Men
April 9, 2010: The Losers
April 16, 2010: Piranha 3-D
April 22, 2010: Oceans
April 23, 2010: Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps

Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in May 2010
May 7, 2010: Iron Man 2
May 14, 2010: Robin Hood
May 21, 2010: Shrek Forever After
May 28, 2010: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in June 2010
June 4, 2010: Killers
June 11, 2010: The A-Team
June 18, 2010: Toy Story 3
June 25, 2010: Grown Ups
June 30, 2010: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in July 2010
July 2, 2010: The Last Airbender
July 9, 2010: Despicable Me
July 16, 2010: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
July 23, 2010: Salt +1 more release

Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in August 2010
August 6, 2010: Step Up 3-D
August 13, 2010: Ramona and Beezus
August 20, 2010: The Expendables
August 27, 2010: Resident Evil: Afterlife

Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in September 2010
September 3, 2010: Born to Be a Star
September 10, 2010: The Town
September 17, 2010: Warrior
September 24, 2010: Guardians of Ga'Hoole

Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in October 2010
October 1, 2010: Priest October 8, 2010: The Zookeeper
October 15, 2010: Faster
October 22, 2010: Saw VII

Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in November 2010
November 5, 2010: MegaMind November 12, 2010: Unstoppable
November 19, 2010: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
November 24, 2010: Rapunzel 3-D

December 17, 2010: Tron: Legacy
December 22, 2010: The Green Hornet

Hollywood relesing 2010

2010-03-19T01:15:00.000-07:00

If you're serious about selling a spec script to a Hwood movie studio, you're well advised to keep up with what stories they're buying and what movies they're releasing. For the former, GITS posts every spec script and original pitch that sells as they occur. Re the latter, over the next four days, I'll post the 2010 movie release schedule, one quarter per day.

January 1

Case 39 (Paramount): Renee Zellweger, Bradley Cooper

Horror, Thriller

Social worker Emily Jennings is trying to rescue Lucy Sheridan, 10 years old girl from Margaret & Edward, abusive parents but begins to suspect the girl may not be so innocent after all.

January 8

Daybreakers (Lionsgate): Ethan Hawke, William Dafoe

Horror, Action, Thriller

Two-time Academy Award nominee® Ethan Hawke plays Edward Dalton, a researcher in the year 2019, in which an unknown plague has transformed the world's population into vampires. As the human population nears extinction, vampires must capture and farm every remaining human, or find a blood substitute before time runs out. However, a covert group of vampires makes a remarkable discovery, one which has the power to save the human race.

Leap Year (Universal): Amy Adams, Matthew Goode

Comedy, Romance

An uptight woman travels to Dublin to propose to her boyfriend on leap day, Feb. 29, following an Irish tradition in which women propose to men on that day and the man has to say yes. When weather derails her trip, she enlists the help of a surly Irish innkeeper to make an unexpected cross-country trek to pull off the perfect proposal in time.

You In Revolt (Weinstein): Michael Cera, Steve Buschemi

Teen Comedy

While his trailer trash parents teeter on the edge of divorce, 14-year-old Nick sets his sights on dream girl Sheeni Saunders, hoping that she'll be the one to take away his virginity.

January 15

Book of Eli (Warner Bros.): Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman

Post-Apocalyptic Drama

A lone hero fights his way across the wasteland of post-apocalyptic America. He's the protector of a sacred book that may hold the key to saving humanity.

Hoodwinked Too!: Hood vs. Evil (Weinstein): Hayden Panettiere, Amy Poehler

Children’s Animation

Red Riding Hood is training in the group of Sister Hoods, when she and the Wolf are called to examine the sudden mysterious disappearance of Hansel and Gretel.

The Lovely Bones (Paramount): Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg

Drama

Centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.

The Spy Next Door (Lionsgate): Jackie Chan

Action, Comedy

Former CIA spy Bob Ho (Chan) takes on his toughest assignment to date: looking after his girlfriend's three kids, who haven't exactly warmed to their mom's beau. And when one of the youngsters accidentally downloads a top-secret formula, Bob's longtime nemesis, a Russian terrorist, pays a visit to the family.

January 22

Extraordinary Measures (CBS Films): Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser

Drama

The true story of John and Aileen Crowley, whose two children had a rare genetic disorder. Rather than give up hope that nothing could help his children, John Crowley found a researcher (Ford) with a potential cure.

Legion (Screen Gems): Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid

Action, Horror, Thriller

When God loses faith in humanity, he sends a legion of angels to wipe out the human race. It's only hope is a group of misfits holed up in a diner, aided by the archangel Michael.

The Tooth Fairy (20^th Century Fox): Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd

Comedy, Fantasy, Family

Derek Thompson is a minor league hockey player, nicknamed "The Tooth Fairy" for his tendency to loosen molars and bicuspids while working. But Derek gets an entirely new gig when he's tapped by Magical Forces to be the real Tooth Fairy and to save the tooth fairy kingdom.

January 29

Edge of Darkness (Warner Bros.): Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone

Thriller, Drama, Crime

Ron Craven, a cop and widower, witnesses what first appears to be the accidental killing of his daughter, Emma. Distraught by the loss and further troubled by his conviction that the bullet was intended for him, Craven takes on the murder investigation with an obsessive zeal to see justice done. The investigation leads him to uncover an illegal plutonium stockpile.

When in Rome (Disney): Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel

Rom-Com

During a short trip to Rome, Beth Martin steals a handful of coins from the Fountain Of Love and as a result, the seven people who tossed those coins in the Fountain all fall wildly, hopelessly, irritatingly in love with her.

February 5

Dear John (Screen Gems): Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried

Romance, Drama

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love - and face the hardest decision of his life.

From Paris With Love (Lionsgate): John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Action, Thriller

A young embassy worker and an American secret agent cross paths while working on a high-risk mission in Paris.

February 12

I Love You Phillip Morris (Freestyle): Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor

Comedy

Steven Russell is happily married to Debbie, and a member of the local police force when a car accident provokes a dramatic reassessment of his life. Steven realizes he's gay and decides to live life to the fullest - even if it means breaking the law. Steven's new, extravagant lifestyle involves cons and fraud and, eventually, a stay in the State Penitentiary where he meets sensitive, soft-spoken Phillip Morris. His devotion to freeing Phillip from jail and building the perfect life together prompts Steven to attempt and often succeed at one impossible con after another.

My Name is Khan (Fox Searchlight): Shahrukh Khan, Kajol

Drama, Romance

Rizwan Khan, a Muslim from the Borivali section of Mumbai, suffers from Asperger syndrome (a form of high-functioning autism complicating socialization). The adult Rizwan marries a Hindu single mother, Mandira, in San Francisco. After 9/11, Rizwan is detained by authorities at LAX who mistake his disability for "suspicious" behavior. Following his arrest, he meets Radha, a therapist who helps him deal with his situation and his affliction. Rizwan then begins a journey to meet US President Obama to clear his name.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (20^th Century Fox: Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman

Fantasy, Family

A young boy discovers he's the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods.

Valentine’s Day (New Line): Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba

Comedy, Romance

The story centers on 10 people in Los Angeles whose lives intersect on Valentine's Day.

The Wolfman (Universal): Benecio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins

Action, Horror, Thriller

Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man (Del Toro) is bitten, and subsequently cursed by, a werewolf.

February 19

Shutter Island (Paramount): Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo

Thriller, Mystery, Drama

Set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on Shutter Island.

February 26

A Couple of Dicks (Warner Bros.): Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan

Comedy

The story follows a pair of cops as they track down a stolen baseball card, rescue a Mexican beauty and deal with gangsters and laundered drug money.

The Crazies (Overture): Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell

Horror, Thriller

"Crazies" revolves around people in a small Kansas town who are beset by a virus that causes insanity and death after a mysterious toxin contaminates the local water supply.

Takers (Screen Gems): Matt Dillon, Paul Walker

Crime, Thriller

A Manhattan detective is pit against a young crew that specializes in spectacular heists.

March 5

Alice in Wonderland (Disney): Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp

Fantasy, Adventure, Family

A girl named Alice falls down a rabbit-hole into a fantasy realm populated by talking playing cards and anthropomorphic creatures.

Brooklyn’s Finest (Overture): Ethan Hawke, Richard Gere, Don Cheadle

Crime, Drama, Action

Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths.

March 12

Green Zone (Universal): Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear

Thriller, Drama, War

A thriller about a pair of CIA agents on the trail of certain Weapons of Mass Destruction and the New York Times correspondent following their mission.

Greenburg (Focus): Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig

Drama, Comedy

A New Yorker moves to Los Angeles to housesit for his brother and figure out his life and he ends up having a relationship with his brother's assistant.

Hard Ten (Dreamworks): Jasika Nicole, Jay Baruchel

Comedy, Romance

An average Joe meets the perfect woman, but his lack of confidence and the influence of his friends and family begin to pick away at the relationship.

Letters to God (Vivendi): Robyn Lively, Jeffrey S.S. Johnson

Drama

A young boy fighting cancer writes letters to God, touching lives in his neighborhood and community and inspiring hope among everyone he comes in contact. An unsuspecting substitute postman, with a troubled life of his own, becomes entangled in the boy's journey and his family by reading the letters. They inspire him to seek a better life for himself and his own son he's lost through his alcohol addiction.

Our Family Wedding (Fox Searchlight): Forrest Whitaker, America Ferrera

Comedy

Two families who clash while trying to throw together a wedding in two short weeks.

Remember Me (Summit): Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin

Drama, Romance

A pair of star-crossed lovers meet and fall in love while struggling to deal with family tragedies that threaten their relationship.

March 19

The Bounty Hunter (Columbia): Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler

Comedy, Action

A bounty hunter is hired to retrieve his ex-wife, who has skipped bail.

Chloe (Sony): Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson

Drama, Thriller

A doctor hires an escort to seduce her husband, whom she suspects of cheating, though unforeseen events put the family in danger.

Hot Tub Time Machine (MGM): John Cusack, Rob Corddry

Comedy

A group of adult male friends, bored with their lives, visit a hot tub where they once partied. After knocking a few back, they find it can transport them to a time two decades earlier and to their younger, raunchier selves.

Last Night (Miramax): Kiera Knightley, Sam Worthington

Drama, Romance

Joanna and Michael Reed seem on the surface to be a "perfect couple." But when Joanna accuses Michael of contemplating sex with his attractive co-worker Laura, she succeeds only in shoving him into Laura's arms. And while Michael is off an a business trip with Laura that soon becomes fraught with sexual tension, Joanna meets ex-boyfriend Steven Mann for a casual evening that soon becomes emotionally complicated for both of them and desire, regret, guilt and passion hover like storm clouds over both adulterous couples.

Season of the Witch (Lionsgate): Nicholas Cage, Ron Perlman

Thriller, Supernatural

Set in 14th century, the film follows knights who are transporting a girl suspected of being the witch responsible for spreading the Black Plague.

March 26

Clash of the Titans (Warner Bros.): Sam Worthington, Mads Mikkelsen

Action, Adventure

The myth of Perseus, son of Zeus, and his quest to battle both Medusa and the Kraken monster in order to save the Princess Andromeda.

How to Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks): Jay Baruchel, Gerrard Butler

Family, Comedy, Animation

The story centers around a Viking teenager, who lives on the island of Berk, where fighting dragons is a way of life. Initiation is coming, and this is his one chance to prove his worthiness to his tribe and father. But when he encounters, and ultimately befriends, an injured dragon, his world is turned upside down.

The Twilight Quiz

2010-03-18T03:50:00.001-07:00

The Twilight Quiz

My Quiz Result: Most of your answers were correct. You are a true Twilight fan.

Take this quiz: The Twilight Quiz

Take more quizzes, myspace quizzes and fun quizzes on personality, love and other topics.

Visiting Hollywood

2010-03-17T02:19:00.000-07:00

Hollywood, California conjures up images of movie stars, film production and fame seeking hopefuls arriving by the bus loads daily. While some of these perceptions are true, most film production has moved on to other parts of Los Angeles. A visit to today's Hollywood is more of a bustling tourist destination and beginning point for all the sights around LA and a historic landmark to the film and television industry's past.

The main route through Hollywood is Hollywood Blvd. It is along Hollywood Blvd visitors will see the Walk of Fame, Hollywood and Highland entertainment center, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the El Capitan Theatre and several hotels including the Roosevelt Hotel, the brand new W Hotel and the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. In addition to the main sights and attractions of Hollywood Blvd, it is also the street to catch one of many tour buses departing hourly for tours of celebrity homes, Beverly Hills and Downtown Los Angeles.

One of the newest and biggest attractions to open in Hollywood in recent years has been the Hollywood and Highland entertainment center on Hollywood Blvd and Highland Ave. The center is a multi level outdoor shopping, dinning and entertainment complex. The structure has an U shape with the open end facing out onto Hollywood Blvd. At any of the levels visitors can look out onto busy Hollywood Blvd and the Walk of Fame, the Hollywood sign, the many fountains on the ground level or take in the sight of both the Kodak Theatre and Renaissance Hollywood Hotel rising from the back of the complex. It is the Kodak Theatre where the annual Academy Awards are now held. At the base of the Hollywood and Highland center and along the Walk of Fame is Grauman's Chinese Theater. Here visitors from all over the world come to place their hands in concrete imprints of hands and feet left from some of the biggest movie stars in the world.

All along Hollywood Blvd and adjacent to the Hollywood and Highland center is the Walk of Fame. Consisting of over 2,300 stars representing celebrities from music, film, radio, TV and producing, the Walk of Fame extends down Hollywood Blvd and up down the side streets. There are many budget shopping opportunities along this stretch of Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood memorabilia stores are a dime a dozen on this stretch selling Hollywood t shirts, plastic Oscars, discarded paparazzi photos of celebrities and more. In front of the Hollywood and Highland complex tour buses depart hourly for all parts of Los Angeles including tours of celebrity homes, Beverly Hills and Downtown Los Angeles.

Extending behind the Hollywood and Highland center is Franklin Ave. Off of Franklin Ave is a little street that stretches deep into the Hollywood Hills called the Outpost Estates. This was the original neighborhood that the first major Hollywood stars of the 1920s and 1930s called home. Many of the homes in this area have been renovated to maintain their original look and feel from that time. Today most of these houses are all over a million dollars and many, the higher up on the road, have amazing views of all of Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles. Regular tour buses departing from Hollywood Blvd give visitors a complete rundown and exposure of this historic area of Hollywood.

La Brea Blvd is the major north, south artery running through Hollywood. There are many boutique shopping and dinning opportunities along this stretch. At La Brea and Melrose is where the Melrose Ave shopping district is located. Extending west from La Brea all the way past Fairfax and into West Hollywood, the Melrose Ave shopping district is full of boutique retailers selling everything from belts, boots, chic clothing, lingerie and even movie poster, books and music. The first ever Johnny Rockets opened on Melrose Ave still stands there today. On Melrose Ave east of La Brea is the famous Paramount Pictures studio lot. One of the last studios to call Hollywood home, Paramount has a long history of producing some of the biggest movie titles of all time. Today this active studio lot is home to daily productions of day time and prime time television shows, movies and commercials. Paramount Pictures does offer a guided tour of the lot and visitors can get some revealing glimpses of the inner workings of the studio just by walking the perimeter.

A visit to Hollywood and taking in all the sights and attractions can easily be accomplished in one or two days. Hollywood is a great place to book a hotel and make it a visitor's anchor while seeing the other sights of LA such as Beverly Hills, Universal Studios and West Hollywood.

If there is any center point in all of LA that is full of hustle and bustle, sights and sounds and a starting point to find out what to do in all of LA, it is Hollywood. Home to such famous landmarks as Grauman's Chinese Theater, the Hollywood walk of stars, unobstructed views of the Hollywood sign and a plethora of Hollywood memorabilia, the Hollywood area of LA is a must see for any visitors. Historically, once the epicenter of everything movies and tv, as studios branched out across LA, the Hollywood area has remained as an active area for tv and movie enthusiasts from all over the world to congregate

Historically this part of LA was ground zero for all things tv and movie. From such mega legends as Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Rock Hudson, this was the area to spot huge stars and see the movies being made. Although many independent studios and back lots remain, today the business of Hollywood has extended its tentacles all over greater Los Angeles, from the Valley, to the Ocean to areas far to the north and east. However, this historic area of Los Angeles remains exciting, vibrant and is full of movie and tv buffs that come from all over the world to experience this historic landmark. In recent years, Hollywood has come to emulate the Times Square area of New York City with extensive shopping and dining areas, hotels and lights and glitter.

Today Hollywood has become of the prime neighborhoods of Los Angeles with a constant hustle and bustle of traffic, tourists and locals. Hollywood Blvd has a heavy stream of traffic and the sidewalks are always full. It is on Hollywood Blvd visitors will find over 2,300 pink granite stars representing celebrites from movies, radio, music and television. Many of the buildings in Hollywood have retained their architectural appeal from their original 1920s and 1930s construction. Several older theatres still dot the landscape including the Egyptian and El Capitan Theatres. The Roosevelt Hotel is located in the center of Hollywood blvd across the street from the Hollywood and Highlands Center. Just like like its hey day of the 1920s through 1940s, the hotel is still a playground for the Hollywood set who come to its lounges and clubs in the lobby level.

As far as celebrities and seeing stars themselves go, most will never be found in Hollywood. These days they have moved west for both their living and stomping grounds to the likes of Beverly Hills, Brentwood/Bel-Air, Santa Monica and Malibu. However several times of year there are movie premiers held at the Mann's Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd where red carperts are laid out, bright lights are set up and visitors standing on the opposite side of Hollywood Blvd are sure to get a glimpse of the stars as they arrive for the big even.

All along Hollywood Blvd there are stores and museums dedicated to Hollywood. Most of the retail stores sell t shirts, plastic oscars and old discarded paparrazzi photos of most every celebrity that ever was big in the past ten years. In between these stores are museums including the new Madame Tussuards on Hollywood Blvd. Those looking to take bus tours of Hollywood and LA will find regular departures from the front of the Hollywood and Highland center that include tours of celebrity homes, Beverly Hills, the beaches and Downtown Los Angeles. There are also regular shuttle buses that depart Hollywood for Universal Studios.

Hollywood Actor Johnny Depp

2010-03-15T01:05:00.000-07:00

Actor Johnny Depp was honored yesterday in Los Angeles, leaving his hand and footprint on the Hollywood Boulevard.

Depp, escorted by Vanessa Paradis and their two children, Lily-Rose and Jack, attended the ceremony outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Boulevard.

"So this is weird," Depp said at the ceremony outside the Theatre. "To say that this is overwhelming is probably the understatement of the millennium."

His prints join those of screen legends such as John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe, The Chinese Theatre in Hollywood being one of the most famous movie theater in the world. Millions of visitors flock there each year, most of them drawn by its legendary forecourt with its footprints of the stars.

Depp is the father of two children, Lily-Rose (1999) and Jack (2002), with his partner, French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis. He and his family divide their time between Los Angeles and a villa in the South of France.

He has also dated actresses Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder, and model Kate Moss.

The 42-year-old is currently filming Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man`s Chest and Pirates Of The Caribbean 3.

A Kentucky-born, Florida-bred, teen-aged Johnny Depp and his band, The Flame, were popular in local nightclubs. And after renaming themselves The Kids, they toured with and opened for Iggy Pop.Sparse gigs and odd jobs in Los Angeles led to acting – Depp's now ex-wife Lori Anne Allison (1983-85), a makeup artist, introduced her husband to actor Nicholas Cage, who, in Turn, shared his agent.

It wasn't long before Depp landed his first major acting job in Nightmare on Elm Street. He went on to earn roles in several other films including Slow Burn and the Academy Award-winning Platoon. Depp then won the role that would prove to be his breakthrough, as undercover detective Tom Hanson on the popular Fox television show 21 Jump Street. He starred on the series for four seasons before segueing to the big screen in the lead role of John Waters' affectionate homage to the 1950's, Cry Baby.
After starring as Hunter S. Thompson's alter ego in Terry Gilliam's trippy adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas(1998), Depp tried his hand at sci-fi horror with The Astronaut's Wife in 1999. The same year, he again collaborated with Burton on Sleepy Hollow, starring as Ichabod Crane in the remake of Washington Irving's classic tale. Appearing the following year in the romantic drama Chocolat, Depp jumped back into the big time with his role as real-life cocaine kingpin George Jung in Blow, before gearing up for roles in the thriller From Hell & Once Upon a Time in Mexico. He's set to play Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory due for release in July 2005.

He has had romantic involvements with several female celebrities including Winona Ryder, Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey and Kate Moss. In 1999 he fathered a daughter, Lily -Rose Melody with French singer/actress Vanessa Paradis. And in 2002 he had a son, Jack, also with Vanessa. They have been dating since June 1998, and they are currently living together in France.

Full Name: John Christopher Depp II

Sometimes Credited As: Oprah Noddlemantra

Birthplace:

Owensboro, Kentucky

Birthday: June 9, 1963

Family: Father - John Depp Mother - Betty Sue Palmer Brother - Danny
Sisters - Christy & Debbie

Children: (both with Vanessa) - Lily-Rose Melody -born May 27, 1999
- Jack - born April 9, 2002

Tattoos: Right arm: - Wino Forever & Indian head - Jack - a bird in flight

Left arm: - a heart with Betty Sue in it - inverted triangle

- the Brave symbol on right forearm
- 3 rectangles on right index finger
- skull & cross bones &'Death is Certain' on right ankle
- number 3 on left hand
- Lily-Rose on his chest, over his heart

Other:

- he's 5'10"
- he's afraid of clowns
- adopted Goldeneye (Gunpowder from Sleepy Hollow)
-7018 Hollywood Blvd (address for his Walk of Fame star)

Full Name: John Christopher Depp II

Sometimes Credited As: Oprah Noddlemantra

Birthplace:

Owensboro, Kentucky

Birthday: June 9, 1963

Family: Father - John Depp Mother - Betty Sue Palmer Brother - Danny
Sisters - Christy & Debbie

Children: (both with Vanessa) - Lily-Rose Melody -born May 27, 1999
- Jack - born April 9, 2002

Tattoos: Right arm: - Wino Forever & Indian head - Jack - a bird in flight

Left arm: - a heart with Betty Sue in it - inverted triangle

- the Brave symbol on right forearm
- 3 rectangles on right index finger
- skull & cross bones &'Death is Certain' on right ankle
- number 3 on left hand
- Lily-Rose on his chest, over his heart

Other:

- he's 5'10"
- he's afraid of clowns
- adopted Goldeneye (Gunpowder from Sleepy Hollow)
-7018 Hollywood Blvd (address for his Walk of Fame star)

Hollywood singers

2010-03-12T22:36:00.000-08:00

Hollywood is not just a name of a place but has become a universal metaphor for big dreams, ambition, success, glamour and much more. From actors, producers and songsters Hollywood has given wings to the talents of many and has turned dreams into reality for numerous stars over the years. The best of Hollywood singers like Madonna, Janet Jackson and others have made the world dance to their tune with their remarkable talents and a deep passion for their profession. “There’s no business like show business” and Hollywood is the biggest living example to testify this statement. The best of Hollywood singers along with other stars have shown us what dreams are actually made of.

The list of some of the best of Hollywood singers includes Shania Twain, Kylie Minogue, Shakira, Jessica Simpson, Gerri Halliwell, Christina Aguilera, Lauryn Hill and Justin Timberlake among several others. These singers have produced some of the biggest bestselling albums which have topped several billboard charts in the US and UK. More and more new singers are debuting in Hollywood and with their talents and drive they have a great career ahead. There are also many music videos by the best of Hollywood singers which have made it to the top music charts. When it comes to real entertainment, there is nothing like Hollywood which is the ultimate destination for most artists across the world. Some of the other best of Hollywood singers include Sinead o’ Corner, Gary Lewis, Dido, Jennifer Lopez, Maria Carey, Britney Spears and Celine Dion. Few of these stars like Madonna and Jennifer Lopez have also featured in a few of the Hollywood movies and have been appreciated for their acting skills as well. There is so much about Hollywood that has intrigued people from all across the world.

Among the best of Hollywood singers, Britney Spears started her singer career at quite an early age. Born on 2nd December, 1981, Britney Jean Spears’s debut album “Baby One More Time” released in 1998 and became an instant international success and made her a young icon and star overnight. The debut album was ranked 25th on Rolling Stone and MTV's "100 Greatest Pop Songs of all time and in later years Spears have given big hit singles like "Oops!... I Did It Again", "I'm a Slave 4 U", "Toxic" among several others. Britney Spears is one of the many song artists who tasted commercial success at an early age of merely seventeen.

Britney Spears's success in music together with her controversial image made her one of the biggest stars of 1999 and every American female youth wanted to be like her. She is best known for her music videos, studio albums, and songs and her fame in the music industry led her to experiment with other forms of media, like films and reality television shows. Britney Spears had her fair share of success and low phases but she has always managed to catch the attention of the media with her every move. Some of the biggest single album of Britney Spears includes Baby One More Time, Oops! I Did It Again, Britney, In the Zone, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative and more. She has also attended may music world tours like Hair Zone Mall Tour, Baby One More Time Tour, Crazy 2k Tour and Dream Within a Dream Tour among others. She has also been the recipient of several music awards like the prestigious Grammy Awards and others. There are many song artists apart from Britney Spears who have entertained the world with some of the greatest hits. The more you learn about Hollywood and its stars the more curious we tend to get.

Hollywood Actress Angelina Jolie

2010-03-12T01:35:00.000-08:00

Hollywood Actress Angelina Jolie, who arrived in New Delhi on Saturday and happens to be the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has reportedly met Sikh refugees from the war-torn Afghanistan.

Additionally, she also met refugees who have fled from Myanmar. She has been acting as the Goodwill Ambassador since 2001 and has helped bring the forgotten refugee crises to the attention on world media.

On Sunday, the actress, who was accompanied by his four-year-old adopted son Maddox, had a meeting with Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma in New Delhi on Sunday, November 5, to discuss issues concerning refugees and children.

The actress has come to Pune to shoot “A Mighty Heart”, based on Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and slain by terrorists in Pakistan in January 2002.

Angelina Jolie not only plays lesbian and bisexual roles, she is open about the fact that she is bisexual and has had relationships with both men and women. In a move rare for Hollywood, Jolie is open about her attractions and relationships with women. She was in a relationship with Jenny Shimizu, her co-star in Foxfire in 1996.

Angelina Jolie's lesbian and bad girl roles:

Angelina Jolie played a lesbian in the movie Gia in 1998. She's also known for her 'bad girl' roles in movies such as Foxfire (1996), Girl, Interrupted (1999), Tomb Raider (2001) and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003).

Angelina Jolie's background:

Angelina Jolie was born on June 4, 1975 to Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight and model/actress Marcheline Bertrand. She has an older brother James. Her parents divorced in 1976 and Angelina was raised by her mom in New York State.

Angelina has been married to Jonny Lee Miller (1996-1999) and Billy Bob Thorton (2000-2002). She has a son Maddox, who was adopted from Cambodia, and a daughter, Zahara, adopted from Ethiopia. She and Brad Pitt are parents to daughter Shiloh.

Angelina Jolie: Bisexual Role Model?:

With so few lesbians or bisexuals out in Hollywood or in the public eye, Angelina Jolie has been embraced by the lesbian and bisexual community. She speaks openly and honestly about her feelings for women. Despite the fears that would keep some celebrities in the closet, Angelina Jolie continues to win big awards and big movie roles.

Hollywood Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger

2010-03-11T00:53:00.000-08:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger is known worldwide as a famous bodybuilder and a Hollywood action hero, but he is also a successful businessman, generous philanthropist and California's 38th Governor. Whenever people talk About Hollywood,they do mention the name of Arnold Schwarzenegger one of the Popular Hollywood Male Actors. For him his muscles do the talking. Arnold Schwarzenegger has created a worldwide persona that brought him countless riches and everlasting fame. Arnold Schwarzenegger has won seven Mr.Olympia titles .Then he set his sights on Hollywood and proceeded to become one of the biggest movie stars of all time, with starring roles in "Total Recall", "True Lies"and the Terminator movies. Taking on politics too, he was elected California's governor on October 7th, 2003.

At the preliminary stages he made it big with numerous bodybuilding titles before making it in Hollywood, where he gained fame not only for the otherworldly physique, but for his sense of humor and charisma. The beginning of his bodybuilding career began when he wanted to join the soccer team. He later joined the Austrian army when he was all of 18. His bodybuilding career was merely a prelude to the enormous success he would achieve as an action movie star. He followed his destiny of achieving the American Dream. This world-famous athlete and actor was born in Austria in 1947, and at 20 became the youngest person ever to win the Mr. Universe title. He came to America shortly after this. Challenging both his body and mind, he earned a college degree from the University of Wisconsin and became a U.S. citizen in 1983. Arnold Schwarzenegger did his first role in a motion picture was for the movie "Hercules Goes to New York" in 1970, which later landed him an appearance on the "The Merv Griffin Show".During the 1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger was a top box office draw, mostly appearing in action films, but also adding comedy to his acting career. Films like Terminator 2, Judgment Day (1991) was even more successful, and Arnold Schwarzenegger became one of the highest paid actors in showbiz world.

Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has hinted that he will quit politics after his final run as Governor of California finishes in late 2010. The Austrian-bon Republican insisted that he did not looked at himself as a politician.

"I have never labelled myself as a politician, so I am not going to run for anything else," Contactmusic quoted him as saying. He had earlier sparked rumors of running for U.S President after challenging the country’s rules on the nationality of those who seek election for the highest post.

Popular Hollywood personalities making appearances in Bollywood flicks have become a trend of sorts. We have seen many such instances in the past, British actress Rachel Shelley in Lagaan and Baywatch star Brande Rodricks’s appearance in Out of Control are a few such instances.

The movie failed to make an impact at the box office, though it hasn’t stopped producers from lining up to cast foreign actors in their films, at least in cameos, in an attempt to pull the crowds to the theatres.

Sajid Nadiadwala has always had good relationship with agents of Hollywood actors and this time around he has used them to his advantage by managing to convince seven times Mr. Olympia and the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to do a cameo in his film Kambakth Ishq, which has Akhsay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor playing the lead roles. Sources indicate that pop diva Beyonce Knowles is also in contention to do an item number in the film. Efforts are on to rope in more Hollywood biggies for this project. Fans in India would be in for a treat with Arnie treating the male and female fans while men would have a double whammy feasting on the bootylicious Beyonce.

Born :- July 30, 1947 (1947-07-30) (age 62)
Thal, Austria
Nationality:- Austrian/American
Political party:- Republican
Spouse(s):- Maria Shriver (1986–present)
Children :- Katherine (born 1989) Christina (born 1991) Patrick (born 1993) Christopher (born 1997)
Residence :- Brentwood, Los Angeles, California
Alma mater:- University of Wisconsin–Superior
Occupation:- Politician
Profession:- Bodybuilder, Actor, politician
Religion:- Roman Catholic
Signature:-
Website:- gov.ca.gov
schwarzenegger.com

Hollywood Music Directors

2010-03-09T23:21:00.000-08:00

Portland, Ore. … How Beethoven revolutionized the music of his time will be explored by guest conductor David Alan Miller as he leads the Oregon Symphony in the second Front Row Center concert appropriately titled “Beethoven the Revolutionary” featuring pianist Susan DeWitt Smith on Friday, Jan. 30 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. This concert also marks the beginning of the Symphony’s month-long Beethoven Festival, which continues through March 7. The Front Row Center series is sponsored by Bridgeport BrewPub and Southwest Airlines.

Miller, formerly the Asscociate Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is now the Music Director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra in New York. He is known for his interpretations and recordings of American music but also is known as a Beethoven specialist. “Beethoven is arguably the most revolutionary and innovative composer,” Miller explains. “I hope this concert will be a fun and lively journey into the world of Beethoven’s music.”

Miller and the orchestra will spend the first half of the concert exploring Beethoven’s “revolutionary” persona, by performing excerpts from his Fifth, Seventh and Third Symphonies to demonstrate how Beethoven’s ground-breaking compositional techniques changed both musical form and style from the prevailing Classical standards of his time, which stressed balanced phrases and smooth transitions from one key to another. The concert opens with the famous first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, with its “fate knocks at the door” rhythm and continues with the final movement from the Seventh Symphony, which, according to Miller, “blew the roof off how rhythm is perceived in music.” This movement demonstrates Beethoven’s use of repeating rhythmic fragments to generate a whole work, and Miller will get the audience involved by giving them a short participatory exercise for understanding rhythmic repetitions. The concert continues with the first movement of the Third Symphony, “Eroica,” which shows how Beethoven transformed symphonic formal structures and the overall scope of symphonic music.

After intermission, Miller and the orchestra will turn their attention to the more introspective, humanistic side of Beethoven’s character, beginning with the last movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, “Choral,” in which the audience will be invited to sing the chorus part along with the orchestra and celebrate along with Beethoven the power and glory of the human spirit. “Beethoven’s music is so direct; he was a populist,” says Miller. “He wanted his music to speak to all of humanity, not just kings.” The concert continues with an excerpt from Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, with pianist Smith, a member of Third Angle and a soloist with an active performing career, who will demonstrate Beethoven’s approach to lyricism and melody through this quiet, thoughtful work. The concert concludes with the Leonora Overture No. 3, a work that speaks to the transformative power of love.

When conductor Thomas Wilkins takes his place at the podium in front of a major orchestra, he knows what he won't be doing.

"I used to wave my arms a lot when I was starting out my conducting career," said Wilkins, principal guest conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. "It was a very physical thing for me. But ultimately I learned that less is more. There are physical benefits of not over-conducting."

He added, "It's about trusting the orchestra, which allows me to put more focus on the essence of the music, the shape of the sound. The better the orchestra, the less need for them to be timed."

Wilkins, who will guide the orchestra Friday through Sunday in the Bowl's fireworks finale, "Blame It on Rio," is also aware that no matter what he does with his arms, he instantly attracts attention -- not only of musicians, but of audiences -- in another, more subtle way: He is one of the few African American conductors leading major orchestras.

As music director of the Omaha Symphony and resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony, Wilkins is gaining recognition as the ranks of major conductors grow more culturally diverse.

Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel will make his debut next month as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. New York-born Alan Gilbert, whose mother is Japanese, is about to begin his tenure as music director of the New York Philharmonic. China's Xian Zhang, that orchestra's associate conductor, made her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut in May, leading the L.A. Philharmonic in a performance of Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto.

Nonetheless, Wilkins and others bemoan the fact that the number of professional African American conductors is still small. "There certainly are not a lot at the upper lever professionally," Wilkins said. "At my level, there's probably less than 10 in the country."

Among the most prominent African American maestros are James DePreist, director of conducting and orchestral studies at the Juilliard School and laureate music director of the Oregon Symphony; Paul Freeman, founding music director of the Chicago Sinfonietta; and Michael Morgan, music director of Oakland East Bay Symphony. Kay George Roberts, founder and music director of the New England Orchestra in Lowell, Mass., is one of the few female African American conductors.

All have accumulated honors and appeared with many of the country's major orchestras. Many are spearheading programs to help expose classical music to more young people.

When conductor Thomas Wilkins takes his place at the podium in front of a major orchestra, he knows what he won't be doing.

He added, "It's about trusting the orchestra, which allows me to put more focus on the essence of the music, the shape of the sound. The better the orchestra, the less need for them to be timed."

As music director of the Omaha Symphony and resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony, Wilkins is gaining recognition as the ranks of major conductors grow more culturally diverse.

All have accumulated honors and appeared with many of the country's major orchestras. Many are spearheading programs to help expose classical music to more young people.

"African Americans haven't had as many nurturing opportunities," said Morgan, who is in his 20th year at the Oakland symphony. "I see part of my job being helping the orchestra have a relationship with the community. Young kids need help, and you have to make sure they see a logical path. Then they will take it. It's harder when they don't see anyone at the far end of the path that looks like them."

Ensemble Members

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music, Joël Belgique has been an 8-year member of fEARnoMUSIC. He has performed at Italy’s Spoleto Festival, Alaska’s CrossSound Festival, Wyoming’s Grand Teton Music Festival, and Michigan’s Interlochen Center for Arts. In Portland, he is Principal Viola of the Oregon Symphony, has performed with the Oregon Symphony String Quartet, and with the faculty of Portland Summer Ensembles. He also is the Principal Viola and Orchestra Manager of the Astoria Music Festival and a frequent guest with Portland-based band Pink Martini.

Joel Bluestone, D.M.A., is entering his 18th year as co-founder and Percussionist with fEARnoMUSIC. His project The_Waters_Bluestone_Duel for percussion and live electronics has taken him all over the world. He has been the head of the Percussion department at Portland State University since 1989. Current love: performing and traveling all over the world with the San Diego based group Swarmius, where a sonic fusion of Hip-Hop and House-Lounge-Techno meets Modern-Classical.

Violinist Paloma Griffin is in her first year as member of fEARnoMUSIC. A former member of the Oregon Symphony, her concerto appearances include performances with the Oregon Symphony and the Fresno Philharmonic. As a member of Pink Martini, Paloma appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and “Late Night with David Letterman.” She can be heard on the Pink Martini albums Hang On Little Tomato and Hey Eugene, as well as The Shins album, Wincing the Night Away.

Nancy Ives is newly rejoined with fEARnoMUSIC this season, having been acting Artistic Director during the 2003-2004 season. She is Principal Cello of the Oregon Symphony, and most recently has been featured soloist with the Oregon Symphony, Cascade Festival Orchestra, Clark College Orchestra and the Vancouver Symphony. She is a member of the Rovetti Quartet and Trio Arete and has appeared with Chamber Music Northwest, Third Angle, New Music at Willamette, Music in Context, Friends of Chamber Music, the Oregon Symphony String Quartet, and the Astoria Festival.

Jeffrey Payne co-founded the fEARnoMUSIC ensemble with percussionist Joel Bluestone in 1992. As a member of the ensemble he has appeared in New York City, California, and Colorado, as well as throughout the Pacific Northwest. During his tenure as Artistic Director for the group he was responsible for presentation of twenty World premiere or American Premiere performances of works by Pacific Northwest composers. In 1997 he founded the Young Composers Project, as part of the mission of fEARnoMUSIC, and continues as its Director, overseeing the development of aspiring young creative minds around the region.

A Venezuelan native, Inés Voglar is in her fifth year as fEARnoMUSIC’s Artistic Director and its principal violinist. She has helped make fEARnoMUSIC one of the nations premier new music ensembles. She has reached out globally to find collaborations with the best composers as well as emphasizing the importance of the great local composers by featuring many performances of their music. She is currently a member of the Oregon Symphony violin section and has been a guest with the OSO String Quartet, the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and is the Concertmaster and chamber musician for the Astoria Music Festival. She was formerly a member of the prestigious Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble and the Free Marz String Trio. Her principal teachers are Roberto Valdés and Andrés Cárdenes where she is a graduate of Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon University.

Hllywood Directors James Cameron

2010-03-07T23:57:00.000-08:00

Oscar Winning director James Cameron was honored with the 2,396th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard in front of the historic Egyptian Theatre Friday, December 18, 2009.

Cameron, whose credits include "The Terminator", "Aliens", "Terminator 2", "True Lies" and "Titanic", winner of eleven Academy Awards® and the most successful movie of all time, recently completed "AVATAR", which Twentieth Century Fox released on December 18.

Born in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada, Cameron grew up near Niagara Falls. In 1971, he moved to Brea, California where he studied physics at Fullerton College while working as a machinist and, later, a truck driver. Cameron quit his trucking job in 1978 and raised money from local dentists to produce a 35mm short film.

The visual effects in this film led to work on Roger Corman’s "Battle Beyond the Stars" (1980), on which he served as production designer, matte artist and visual effects DP. The next year he became second unit director on Corman’s subsequent sci-fi thriller, "Galaxy of Terror".

In 1983 Cameron wrote three scripts: "Rambo:First Blood part 2, "Aliens", and "The Terminator". He directed "The Terminator", starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, in 1984. It became an unexpected box office hit and made Time Magazine’s “Ten Best of the Year” List.

Cameron subsequently directed "Aliens" (1986), then wrote and directed "The Abyss" (1989). Following that he wrote, produced and directed "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" (1991), "True Lies" (1994), and "Titanic" (1997). He also co-wrote and produced "Point Break" (1991) and "Strange Days" (1994), as well as producing "Solaris" (2003).

His films have blazed new trails in visual effects and set numerous performance records, both domestically and abroad. "Titanic" currently holds both the domestic and worldwide box office records having grossed over $1.8 billion at the global box-office. Cameron’s films have also earned numerous nominations and awards from a variety of organizations, culminating in "Titanic"'s 14 Academy Award nominations (a record) and 11 Oscars (the most any movie has received), including Cameron’s three Oscars for Best Picture, Best Direction and Best Editing.

In 1999, Cameron co-created the one-hour television series DARK ANGEL. The show ran for two seasons on the Fox Network and gained a loyal following and a number of prestigious nominations and awards, including the ‘People’s Choice Award’ for ‘Best New Television Drama’. It also launched a new star: Jessica Alba.

Among the guest speakers at the Hollywood ceremony were Sigourney Weaver, which he directed in "Aliens" and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger which he directed in the Terminator films.Also present were the castmembers from "Avatar" including Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Michelle Rodriguez to name a few.

Many critics around the world have claimed that the Hollywood movie Avatar has fallen way short of expectations. Despite the snobish critics rating it 2/5, the sci-fi thriller continues to rock the audiences throughout the world. The brilliance in the IMAX-3D work can't stop the viewers from exclaiming.

After 15 years, Terminator, Aliens, True Lies and Titanic fame director James Cameron has now come out with eco-minded epic Avatar that cost $500 million. The movie Avatar delivers a good message. It is all about an evil corporation using USA military to exploit the natural resources of a foreign planet.

The graphics work is awesome. Especially, the 10 feet tall creatures and the beauty of Pandora are just stunning. Avatar is an entertaining movie with the essence of love, family, relationship, humanity, action, and adventure. It can be recommended to those who love movies like Bridge to Terabithia, Jurasic Park, War of the worlds and 2012.

Besides graphics, the actors are also phenomenal in this movie Avatar. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang are truly a magnificent actor. They have delivered brilliant performance.

Hollywood Lyrics

2010-03-05T22:39:00.000-08:00

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Hollywood Music Directors

2010-03-05T02:22:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce Dr. Sheridan Ball will be our guest conductor this year. Choirs under Dr. Ball’s direction have toured Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece, Israel, England, Scotland, Ireland, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Russia. They have performed in New York's famed Carnegie Hall on three separate occasions and appeared at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, the Hollywood Bowl, sang a Mass at the Vatican in Rome (twice), and performed on Radio Vienna . In the Summer of 2008, their tour agenda will include the cities of Oslo, Norway; Stocholm, Sweden; Helsinki, Finland and St. Petersburg, Russia concluding with a tour extension to Berlin, in the German republic.

Dr. Ball currently conducts the Southern California Master Chorale, the Meritage singers, and has directed choral ensembles at Cypress College for over 25 years, where he built the choral department to a strength of five choirs. In addition to teaching in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas and California public schools, Sheridan directed church choirs for ten years and, as a choral musician, he has performed with the Kansas City Philharmonic Chorus, Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, William Hall Chorale, Pacific Chorale and the John Alexander Singers. Professor Ball has served on the Board of Directors for the Music Association of California Community Colleges, the American Choral Directors Association, and the California Choral Conductors Guild, where he also served as the Orange County Chapter President. Sheridan also taught music courses in Salzburg, Austria and Florence, Italy in conjunction with the Cypress College Semester in Europe program.
A native of Nebraska, Dr. Ball completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Voice with a minor in German followed by a Master of Music degree in Choral Literature and Conducting at the University of Northern Colorado. He received a fellowship to study and perform at the Aspen Music Festival in 1984 and studied conducting with Don Neuen at the Eastman School of Music in 1987. Sheridan received his doctorate in Conducting from the University of Southern California in 1995 and, that summer, studied with the renowned scholar/conductor, Helmut Rilling. We are very excited he has chosen to join us for this event!

Festival Directors

Swami Atmavidyananda (a.k.a. William A. Scott III) is a swami of the Ramakrishna Order of India. Currently he is organist, choir director, composer and treasurer of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. He also serves as occasional lecturer, campus minister for Hinduism at UCLA, USC, and CSULB. He has composed an operetta and an opera with interfaith themes, and one oratorio in addition to numerous choral numbers. He has a major in mathematics and a minor in chemistry from Occidental College (Magna Cum Laude) and also received his MA and secondary teaching credential from Stanford University.

Kenny Callaghan is Music Director of St. Matthews Lutheran Church. Mr. Callaghan has directed choirs over 20 years ranging from large to small community and church groups. As an undergraduate, Kenny studied choral music under Dr. William Hall at Chapman College in Orange, CA where he also served as the choir accompanist for three years. Kenny has also studies under Dr. Jane Hardester, Roger Wagner and John Koshack. After leaving college Kenny taught elementary school music for fifteen years before completing an MDiv. at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. Besides serving at St. Matthew’s, Kenny is the Events Coordinator at Many Paths Bookstore in North Hollywood.

Jose Antonio Espinal moved to Los Angeles by invitation to work with Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as his Apprentice in 2000. Jose Antonio Espinal has received many international recognitions, awards and artistic grants including the Conductor's Award by the Mexico's National Endowment for the Arts and Culture with an Annual Grant in 1996-1997 and again in 2000-2001. During his position as Dean of the St. Thomas School Of Sacred Music (2002-2005), he founded an all-girls choir: Harmonies of St. Thomas. After leaving his position in that church, the choir became an independent choral group (Mr. Espinal's own choir) changing the name to Harmonies Girls Choir. In November 2004, Mr. Espinal was appointed Music Director of the Spanish Choir at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Maestro Espinal has just founded an International Children's Choir Festival in Aguascalientes, Mexico, in collaboration with their government.
Prior to his work in USA, Mr. Espinal was a member of the Piano Faculty at the Mexico 's National Conservatory of Music from 1989 to 1996. Maestro Espinal worked for 12 years at the National Opera Company of Mexico, as vocal coach, opera accompanist, stage manager and band and choir conductor at the Palacio Nacional de las Bellas Artes from 1991 to 2002. Mr. Espinal has conducted the most important major orchestras in Mexico, including the Symphony Orchestra of Veracruz, Symphony of Querétaro, the Classical Orchestra of Orizaba and the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico. In the USA he has conducted the Carnegie Mellon Orchestra (in Pittsburgh, as assistant conductor), the Contemporary Ensemble of Mexico (performing works by Esa-Pekka Salonen in Mexico City ) and the members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic ensemble (with Harmonies). Mr Espinal founded the Opera Company of Atizapan, fully sponsored by the Government, on January 2001.
Antonio Espinal holds a Bachelors degree in Piano with Honors from the National University Of Mexico (Unam), and a Bachelor degree in Orchestral Conducting from the National Conservatory of Mexico . He received his Master Degree (MFA) in Orchestral and Choral conducting in year 2000 from Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied under Juan Pablo Izquierdo (Orchestral) and the legendary Dr. Robert Page (Choral Conducting).

Gelo Francisco is the Choir Master of the Philippine Chamber Singers. Gelo is highly sought-after as a vocalist for his fluid baritone to soprano vocal range. As a conductor, he has handled numerous choirs from small amateur ensembles and college choirs to the 100-voice Grand Festival Choir of the Cultural Center of the Philippines' during commemorative events. Originally pursuing a nursing degree, Gelo shifted to the University of the Philippines College of Music in 1991 where he majored in voice. That same year, he was invited to join the world-renowned U.P. Madrigal Singers whom he toured with extensively on international concert tours, festivals and competitions. In 1995 he formed the pop vocal group 3 of a Kind which stylishly and successfully merged mass appeal and formal vocal training, thus winning critics' praises at the A Cappella Harmony Sweepstakes and becoming the Bay Area Champions of 2002.

Laurie Franks is a director, soprano soloist, organist, teacher, broadway performer, television and movie actress, recording artist and author. Giving service to the church since age 11, she has received bachelor and masters of music degrees at College of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she was raised. While in Cincinnati, she was organist/director at Bond Hill Methodist, soprano soloist at Walnut Hills Methodist, taught voice and organ at Wilmington College and taught voice at Hendrix College. She received an honorary Doctorate from Emmanuel United Methodist Church, Ohio. While in New York she pursued theatre and became soprano soloist at Park Avenue Methodist as well as becoming involved in over 250 Actors Equity Shows including Broadway. Her career continued in Los Angeles as church director, film actress and author of the book "Lucasville Lore"

Joseph Lawrence, born in Long Beach and raised in a suburb of Seattle, has been performing and teaching in Los Angeles since 1985. He is on call as a solo pianist, rehearsal pianist for operas, musicals and voice classes, accompanist, arranger and teacher. Graduating from California State University, Northridge, he studied piano under Dr. Charles Fierro and Ms. Francois Regnat. He studied composition under Dr. Daniel Kessner. Currently, he is on staff at Los Angeles Pierce College as dance class accompanist. Also, Mr. Lawrence is music director at Mt. Hollywood Congregational Church in Los Feliz where he is the organist, pianist and choir director.

Eldon M. Turner III began his work as an organist/choirmaster when he was 14 at St. Rose Church in Hampton, Virginia. His posts continued with Trinity Church, Norfolk (the proposed Cathedral of the Diocese of Southern Virginia), for the historic Newport Parish, St. Luke’s Shrine - Isle of Wight, Virginia, at St. Matthew’s Church, Glendale and now at Hollywood Lutheran Church. He studied music at Christopher Newport College, the Royal College of William and Mary, Williamsburg and later taught music at the College’s Norfolk, Virginia branch, Old Dominion University at the Governor’s School of The Arts. He studied operatic and cantorial singing with Metropolitan Opera soloist Howard Bender. He was soloist with the Virginia Pro Musica, comprimario singer and chorus conductor of The Virginia Opera as well as baritone soloist and ensemble leader of the Virginia Symphony.

Richard Warne is Music Director for Hollywood United Methodist Church. A native of California, Mr. Warne was born in Glendale, and at age 12 became the organist at the First Lutheran Church of Northridge. He obtained his Master's Degree in Music Education, Baccalaureate Degrees in Psychology and in Church Music from the University of Southern California. He has performed with various musical groups including chamber, choral, and orchestral. He is also the organist at the White Memorial Seventh-Day Adventist Church and at Kingsley Manor. Besides being a voice and keyboard instructor, he is also an experienced pipe organ builder and a campanological technician.

Hollywood Directors

2010-03-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

If this were an EC comic from the 1950s, the cover line would scream, "Comic artists conquer Hollywood!"

For some years, Hollywood has been plundering the comics, grabbing stories and heroes to transfer to the screen. But a counterattack has begun, and comic artists stealthily are beginning to invade Hollywood.

Not that Hollywood is likely to resist. It already has succumbed to such waves of outsiders as commercials directors and music video helmers, and comic artists bring a lot of the same visual flair. But they bring something else that could distinguish them: a focus on plot and character development.

Canadian artist Kaare Andrews -- in postproduction on the indie horror feature "Altitude," which is likely to debut at this year's Toronto International Film Festival -- puts it best.

"You've seen the commercial guys go into directing, you've seen music videos guys go into directing; now you're going to see comic writers and artists," he predicts. "I think that the one thing we have the others don't is the sense of storytelling."

Examples are cropping up everywhere.

Last month's release "The Book of Eli" drew on comic book influences. Although some might have assumed the comic book qualities were there because "Eli's" directors, the Hughes brothers, are known aficionados, some of the credit goes to Chris Weston, a Britain-based comic book illustrator who served as storyboard artist for the movie, and Tommy Lee Edwards, who served as concept artist. Both were making their Hollywood debut.

To cite another case, Mike Mignola -- creator of the Dark Horse comic "Hellboy," which was turned into two movies by Guillermo del Toro -- recently returned to Los Angeles after a short stint as a designer on "The Hobbit," which is being directed by del Toro.

The influx isn't limited to below-the-line work.

Indie comic artist Tory Nixey is in postproduction on "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," starring Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes.

And a December episode of Joss Whedon's Fox series "Dollhouse" was directed by comic artist John Cassaday.

"I believe if you're a strong storyteller that comics can be just as good of a training ground for directing as any other job you may find in film, television or elsewhere," says Cassaday, who got his break after working with Whedon on an "X-Men" comic. "In both comics and film, I believe there's a tangible cross section of thought. When I read a comic script, I can see the scenes behind a camera -- the shots, the movements, the sounds, the actors. At times, I've read screenplays and seen the comic page. These things blend in my mind, so I do my best to shape them into what is needed. I believe in cinematic storytelling, whether it's on a comic's page or on film."

Offers Whedon: "There's no job that prepares you for directing -- not even writing. It is a very diffuse and very complicated skill set." But turning to comic artists, he adds, "The thing you look for is someone who will get that extra visual pop.

"For example, you have a hero shot, someone crouching. Normal TV directors are going to shoot that person from eye level, and it will show someone crouching. A comic artist is more likely to go, 'Let's put the camera on the floor so our guy stands out from the background.' And you get that iconic comic image," Whedon explains.

Not everyone agrees that drawing comics makes for good cinematic training. Despite raving about Weston, Albert Hughes says that because of the usual solitary nature of an artist's life, knowing how to draw well doesn't necessarily equal knowing how to edit film or draw strong performances from actors.

"You might be terrible at getting things out of a human being because you're used to being locked up in a room by yourself and not communicating with anybody," he says.

The lure of movies appears to be something many comic creators can't resist.

"All comic strip writers are huge movie fans," Weston says. "So you get kudos among peers when you do something there. It's cooler than comics."

Comic talent, knocking on Hollywood's doors, is finding those doors opening.

Sometimes, it's a matter of happenstance.

For Weston, becoming part of the "Eli" team grew out of his friendship with the movie's screenwriter, Gary Whitta, a comic book nerd. When Whitta was set to submit "Eli" as a spec, he asked Weston to draw concept sketches he could use in his pitch; Whitta promised he'd do what he could to get Weston involved in the movie if it sold.

Mignola also became involved with the movies by chance when he was a young artist in the San Francisco area, working on the comic adaptation of Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula." He used to drop by the Zoetrope offices so often to pick up photo references that he became well-known. One day, when the production needed a model redrawn quickly, he was called on because he was nearby. Mignola ended up storyboarding three sequences, two of which made it into the final movie.

Artists whose aim is to direct films have had to work longer laying the foundation.

Andrews, based in Vancouver, attended the Canadian Film Center and made short films and PSAs before finally getting a shot at a feature film.

In the past, few comic artists paved the way, though they tended to be isolated exceptions.

The late Jack Kirby, creator of Captain America, worked in Saturday-morning animation during the 1970s, when he was on the outs with Marvel and DC. But that animation doesn't carry the same respect today as live-action feature work does, so it became more noteworthy when Geoff Darrow worked as a concept artist for the Wachowskis, putting ink to paper for "The Matrix" movies and "Speed Racer."

The first major artist to make the jump above the line to director was Frank Miller. His "Sin City," which he co-directed with Robert Rodriguez, grossed $158 million worldwide. But when he took over as sole helmer on "The Spirit," Miller stumbled, and the movie died at the wickets.

That setback might have slowed, but hasn't stopped, the migration of comic artists to film.

One of the first things they discover is that the pay is much better.

"You're getting paid by the hour, whether you're working or not," Mignola says of his work below the line. "In comics, you're paid by the page; in Hollywood, it's less work, and you're making more money for the same amount of time."

But there is a trade-off, artists say: They must surrender creative freedom. Although comics let them create entire worlds, on a film set, they become a tool of the director.

"I was there to drag out what was in Albert's head," Weston says. "In the comics, I'm pleasing myself."

Mignola had a similar experience working with del Toro on "Blade 2" and the "Hellboy" movies. "My job was to get his idea on paper, and more film-centric guys would translate that stuff into things that could actually be built or filmed," he says.

Depending on the director, there also is less of a chance to cut loose artistically.

"There are some occasions where I am allowed to create, but most of the time del Toro is really clear about what he is looking for," Mignola says. "Much of my time is trying to pick his brain and understand what he wants. ... When I'm working on a del Toro picture, my job is to help him put out a del Toro picture."

Another drawback: Working in Hollywood has forced some artists to put their comic work on hold.

Weston, who also worked on "Eli's" digital-motion comics released online in advance of the movie, took heat in the blogosphere for falling behind on his Marvel comic "The Twelve."

Because of that, Mignola isn't in a rush to do more movie work.

"I haven't produced the kind of comics I would like to produce, so as I get older, I'm a little bit more choosy as to how I spend my time," he says.

"If I take the amount of time I put into movie preproduction doing whatever I want in my studio, then I've created something that is published, and I can say, 'That is me,' " he adds. "Whereas, if you spend three months on a movie, and the movie comes out, you might be able to say: 'See that guy's fingernail? I designed that.' I would kinda like to spend my time doing my stuff."

By contrast, after working on "Eli," Weston wants to become more involved in film. He's getting feelers from producers more interested in the storyboard work he did on "Eli" than in any of his comic work.

Andrews, meanwhile, has lined up his next directing gig: "The Hunted," an assassin thriller being produced by Gale Anne Hurd.

Whedon predicts that comic artists shuttling between books and movies is the wave of the future. "I was a writer who said I wanted to direct, and they mocked me," he says. "Now, it's not strange. People bopping between TV and movies used to be a stigma, and now it's not anymore. What you're seeing, and what technology is allowing, is people creating a chance for themselves."

Hollywood Movie Avatar

2010-03-03T00:07:00.000-08:00

Many critics around the world have claimed that the Hollywood movie Avatar has fallen way short of expectations. Despite the snobish critics rating it 2/5, the sci-fi thriller continues to rock the audiences throughout the world. The brilliance in the IMAX-3D work can't stop the viewers from exclaiming.

After 15 years, Terminator, Aliens, True Lies and Titanic fame director James Cameron has now come out with eco-minded epic Avatar that cost $500 million. The movie Avatar delivers a good message. It is all about an evil corporation using USA military to exploit the natural resources of a foreign planet.

The graphics work is awesome. Especially, the 10 feet tall creatures and the beauty of Pandora are just stunning. Avatar is an entertaining movie with the essence of love, family, relationship, humanity, action, and adventure. It can be recommended to those who love movies like Bridge to Terabithia, Jurasic Park, War of the worlds and 2012.

Besides graphics, the actors are also phenomenal in this movie Avatar. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang are truly a magnificent actor. They have delivered brilliant performance.

Bollywood and Hollywood movie ‘Avatar’, Cameron’s forthcoming action adventure is a fantasy epic made on a whopping budget of Rs. 1200 crores (approx USD 230 million) that clearly makes it the biggest film ever made.Just when everyone in Bollywood was talking about the humungous budgets of ‘Blue’, James Cameron (the maker of Titanic and Terminator) is here once again with his next film that seems to have crossed all records not only in terms of the budget but also the technique of filmmaking with its path-breaking technology.

Produced by leading Hollywood studio Twentieth Century Fox, Avatar is a blend of live-action photography and new virtual photorealistic production techniques where Cameron again combines elements of massive spectacle and intimate character to tell a relatable and emotional tale.Renowned Hollywood filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Abrams, Guillermo Del Toro are already planning some big-budget films with Cameron’s latest technology, closer to home directors like Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Mahesh Bhatt and Sanjay Gupta were heard saying that the film will alter the way movies are made.

‘Avatar’ is the story of a wounded ex-marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival.
With a budget of Rs 1200 crores, James Cameron’s ‘AVATAR’ is the biggest film ever.

Mr. Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios India says, “There is an incredible buzz building up for Avatar across the India media, our theatrical partners and the core audiences. The dramatic increase in the number of 3D screens, as well as the strong interest that we are getting from the Hindi, Tamil and Telugu language markets reaffirms the strong buzz for the film.”

Since I am a certified sci-fi geek and most science fiction movies are quite bad this habit unfortunately forces me to watch a large number of bad movies. It’s one of my little perversions. I have just watched the most expensive B-movie ever made, the US$ 237 million Avatar by director James Cameron, famous for having produced films such as The Terminator, Terminator 2, Aliens and Titanic. Briefly summed up I would say that while it is visually spectacular, as is everything Mr. Cameron makes, Avatar has to be one of the most anti-Western and especially anti-white Hollywood movies I have seen in a long time.

The hero is the U.S. Marine Jake Sully who has been sent to the planet-like moon Pandora because humans desire the mineral resources found of Pandora, which is inhabited by a race of tall, blue-skinned aliens, the Na’vi. They have a non-industrial civilization technologically inferior to ours but apparently spiritually richer and in perfect ecological harmony with the natural environment. The hero predictably falls in love with the native culture and connects with a native girl.

“Going native” is in itself not an original theme; it resembles Dances with Wolves, only with aliens instead of Sioux. Neither is the preference for pre-industrial civilization, which was after all shared by a good man such as Tolkien in his The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien had personally experienced the meaningless horrors of trench warfare during the First World War and this naturally affected his view of industrialized society. What is different about the movie Avatar is how it portrays whites as a bunch of raging monsters, something which Tolkien never did.

Basically, the white characters are portrayed as brutal, greedy and insensitive beasts who rape the environment and destroy other cultures with a smile in the search for profit. The main antagonist is the white Colonel Quaritch, a brute who hardly possesses a single positive character trait. The final climax of the movie is when he screams “How does it feel to betray your race?” to the protagonist while he is trying to murder him. Although a few of the white characters such as Jake Sully are portrayed in a more redeeming light this is only because they totally reject their own civilization and join the other team in the fight. In other words: the only good whites are the ones who utterly turn their backs on their own destructive and evil culture. As reviewer Armond White put it, “Avatar is the corniest movie ever made about the white man’s need to lose his identity and assuage racial, political, sexual and historical guilt.”

Of course, back in the real world whites are among the most self-critical and least ethnocentric people on Earth, and have been so for a long time. Whites are also disproportionately represented in the environmental movement whereas many “diverse” Third World peoples couldn’t care less about the environment. But why let the truth get in the way of making a good anti-white movie? The fact that quite a few among the predominantly white audience cheered for this movie shows that anti-white hatred and stereotypes have become so widespread and accepted that most people cannot even see it, least of all whites themselves.

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart,” said William Wordsworth. Thus, without letting our admiration for James Cameron come in the way of our verdict on ‘Avatar’, with a heavy heart, we’ll have to say that we found Cameron’s highly anticipated, expensive motion picture ‘Avatar’ not living up to our expectations.

Many who have seen the film have an opinion that since so much time (10 years), effort and sweat has gone into creating stereoscopic 3D effects for the film, and combining live and computer animation, one ought to appreciate it. True as it might be, at the end of the day, if a film fails to establish an emotional connect with the audiences, no effects whatsoever can salvage it or make it special.

Coming to the story, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is an ex-marine who is forced into participating in Avatar program. The program is setup by humans and comprises of encroaching a distant moon Pandora as it has an abundance of precious minerals on its land. However, getting hold of Pandora won’t be easy as humans can’t breathe on it. Also, the warrior Na’vi tribe resides in it.

In order to encroach Pandora’s land, one has to be able to breathe its air and thus become one of the Na’vis. Scientists thus create these genetically-bred human-Na’vi hybrids known as Avatars. The Avatars have a Na-vi body and a human DNA. Jake becomes one such Avatar...human kind’s weapon to make truce with Na’vis and thus force them to evacuate their planet. As Jake starts shuttling between his human and Na’vi body, he starts getting emotionally attached to Pandora and there begins the conflict between his medium of existence.

Avatar begins well but goofs up as it progresses. The story which seems promising initially starts faltering the moment Cameron shows Jake fall in love with a Na’vi woman. The film then on becomes just another clichéd love story where a hero will save his lover and her people from the villains. The villains happen to be humans here who now want to wage a war on the Na’vis as they refuse to give in to their demands. Jake even readies himself to battle it out with the humans to save his Na’vi tribe... things people do for love! If the love wasn’t clichéd enough, Cameron even makes his hero single out the lead villain and engage him in a one-to-one fist fight with him!

Avatar begins well, drags tremendously in between and then picks up on its pace towards the climax, but its too late by then. Titanic oozed romance and we loved it but the setting of Avatar didn’t require romance as its prime ingredient. This wrong move of Cameron transforms a sci-fi ‘Avatar’ into a highly clichéd run-of-the-mill dramatic love story set against a war backdrop.

The film is a visual delight, but lacks an original plot. This visual treat doesn’t make up for the weak storyline. The infusion of human trauma in an idyllic fantasy setting doesn’t seem to be a good idea! Avatar loses direction somewhere along the way, and its huge length plays spoil sport too.

Performances are decent, but not outstanding. Unfortunately, so is the film! However, ‘decent’ is not what one expects from a James Cameron.

Hollywood Entertainment Jobs

2010-03-02T02:08:00.000-08:00

Hollywood is a non-profit organization that assists individuals from historically underrepresented communities in Los Angeles to effectively compete for and gain access to jobs and business opportunities in the entertainment industry.

The entertainment industry and community leaders, who realized that there were large numbers of people in greater Los Angeles who were disconnected from the industry workforce, founded Workplace Hollywood in 1998. They saw a lack of access to information about career opportunities, trainings and internships. And, of course, they understood that these people did not have the connections necessary to pursue careers in Los Angeles' signature industry.

The goal of Workplace Hollywood is to provide critical services to individuals who are trying to break into the economic mainstream of Los Angeles' society.

The life of a Hollywood executive may seem fast paced and glamorous, but there are hundreds of entertainment jobs in the film industry that go unnoticed and unknown. From the humble PA's, to the tech savvy effects editors, to the agents and managers, Hollywood is a multi-clogged machine that seems to have a job for everyone. The secret is, finding out how you fit into the machine, and finding a way in.

Types

It seems as if everyone dreams of fame and fortune at one point or another, but honest, nine to five, everyday jobs are also the norm in the entertainment capital of America. The most visible type of entertainment job in Hollywood is the performer. Actors, actresses, singers and other performers flock to Hollywood by the millions to find their big break, and some actually make it. Directly on the other side of the camera is where you will find the second kind of Hollywood entertainment job: the crew. The crew encompasses a vast amount of jobs, ranging everywhere from the properties manager up to the director. The third kind of job to be found in Hollywood is often thought of, ironically, as the most underrated and overlooked. That is the job of the Hollywood writer. The fourth type of job in Hollywood entertainment is, perhaps, the most notorious and scandalized, but indispensable none the less. That is the job of the Hollywood executive.

The Actor

Being a part of the Hollywood entertainment machine as an actor has more to do with chance than anything else. That is why there are so many down-on-their-luck stories out there about starving actors working tirelessly at day jobs, dreaming of their big break. The key to surviving in this field is perseverance. There are a handful of stories about the boy from the Midwest who moves to LA with five dollars in his pocket and lands the role of a lifetime at his first audition, but these are fairy tales. While they do happen, it is just as realistic to think that the next time you purchase a lottery ticket, you will win the million-dollar jackpot. Taking classes, networking and, more than anything else, constantly auditioning, is the only chance to make any headway in this profession. When a job is landed, one must be absolutely professional and grateful. Word travels fast in Hollywood, and if you are difficult to work with, you'll find it hard to land consistent work.

The Crew

For those who love to figure out how things work, and want to find a way to make them work better, this is the field for you. Within the world of the crew, there are subsets. There is the audio crew. They not only mic the shoots that take place, but also mix and edit any audio during and after the shoot, as well. There is the video or film crew. These are the camera operators, the assistant camera and the dolly operators. They are the muscles behind making the visual ideas the director has come to life. Then there is the "post" crew. These men and women spend the majority of their time in front of banks of computer monitors in dark rooms editing, recoloring and adding CGI special effects to film and television after it has been filmed or recorded. There are the directors of the crew, as well. This does not literally mean the "director," proper, but more specifically, the people who are the leaders of the crew. These people include the cinematographer, the key grip, the director of Photography and, of course, the director. Last, but certainly not least, are the Production Assistants. A film or television shoot would be a disaster, were it not for these tireless, underpaid laborers who do everything that no one else wants to do.

The Writers

The writer spends almost all of their working time completely alone. In motion pictures, it is often common to see three or four people listed in the credits for writing the screenplay. This does not necessarily mean that they ever worked together. If the names of the people listed are separated by an ampersand (&), this indicates that those people are a "writing team," and worked in tandem on the script. If the names are separated by the word "and," that means that the script was passed from writer to writer to do "rewrites," and these writers most likely had no contact with each other. Oftentimes, rewrites are done to shorten the script or to give the script a certain "feel" that the production team thinks only a specific writer can give it.

The Executives

There are two main types of Hollywood executives: studio executives and representatives. The studio executives work for companies like Warner Brothers, Sony and Disney. They not only decide which movies get to be made, and which don't, but they are saddled with the task of finding the money to actually make these movies. In the last two decades, movie making has become more and more complicated as the films being made have become more and more expensive. Finding a million dollars is one thing. Finding several hundred million is something else, entirely. The executives now must go to the world financial markets and source the money for these would-be blockbusters the same way companies that go public on the stock market do. The representatives are the high-powered agents and managers that represent actors, writers and directors. They negotiate contracts, set up auditions and meetings and cultivate their client's careers. Agents generally take 10% of everything an actor makes, while managers make around 15%. This, of course, is not the case with actors and directors that make hundreds of millions of dollars. Those contracts are negotiated separately.

West Hollywood Information

2010-02-26T22:42:00.000-08:00

The West Hollywood City Council unanimously approved the Proposed Ordinance Prohibiting the Sale of Dogs and Cats in Companion Animal Stores, on Monday, February 1, 2010 at the regularly-scheduled City Council meeting. This ordinance prohibits the sale of all dogs and cats at companion animal stores, providing exemptions for humanely bred, reared or sheltered animals. Existing pet stores will be provided a grandfathering or amortization period to allow them to adjust to the new ordinance. The second reading of the ordinance will be at the regularly-scheduled City Council meeting on Tuesday, February, 16, 2010. If approved upon the second reading, it will become effective on Friday, March 19, 2010.

"This ordinance represents an important step toward ridding our nation of the cruelty of puppy mills and other commercial assembly-line animal breeders," said Councilmember Jeffrey Prang. "The ordinance not only contributes to the fight against animal cruelty it also recognizes the enormous cost of pet overpopulation in our society, both fiscal and humanitarian impacts. I urge those seeking pet companionship to consider adoption from municipal shelters and other nonprofit rescue agencies," Councilmember Prang added.

The goal of the Ordinance Prohibiting the Sale of Dogs and Cats in Companion Animal Stores is to address the inhumane conditions endured by animals in the puppy mill industry, which relies heavily on sales through retail pet stores for its profits.
Puppy mills are large-scale commercial breeding facilities that mass-produce puppies for sale in pet stores, online and directly to the public.

Documented problems of puppy mills include over breeding, inbreeding, veterinary care that doesn't meet the same standards as other breeders, relatively poor quality of food and shelter, lack of human socialization and overcrowded cages. Dogs bred in puppy mills are more likely to have behavior and/or health problems. While kitten factories are not as common as puppy mills, similar problems are reported regarding kitten factories.

The City of West Hollywood has been on the forefront of the animal rights movement for decades. It was the first City in the United States to outlaw cat declawing and has consistently worked to enact cutting edge animal welfare legislation, both locally and across California.

The Companion Animal Protection Society, Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Humane Society of the United States were instrumental throughout the last year in bringing this issue forward.

West Hollywood Information

West Hollywood, California is home to 3 practicing colon surgeons & rectal surgeons who have offices in 1 county and the zip code of 90048.

According to 2005 Census estimates, West Hollywood has a population of 36,732, which gives it a specialist to resident ratio of 1 colon surgeon & rectal surgeon for every 12,244 residents.

California Information

California’s population is 36,142,137, and it is America’s third largest and most populous state. It also claims the highest and lowest altitudes in the lower 48 states. The lowest point in the country, Death Valley, is also home to the nation’s highest recorded temperature, 134 degrees. Tourists flock to this state for its many outdoor activities and attractions, including Universal Studios, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive shopping, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, wine country tours, and California’s numerous beaches and parks. Los Angeles is the nation’s second largest city, but California’s capital is Sacramento. The giant sequoias in California’s forests are among the oldest living things in the world, and a redwood in the Redwood National Park is said to be the world’s tallest tree, at 365 feet. California achieved statehood in 1850, and was named the Golden State after the beginning of the Gold Rush in 1848.

According to 2005 Census estimates, California has a population of 36,132,147. Of this population, 9,308,563 are under the age of 18 and 3,827,038 are at or above the age of 65.

Hollywood Horror Songs

2010-02-26T01:52:00.000-08:00

Have Hollywood horror movies gone too far? The answer for me is an irrefutable NO. The reason I say this is because the reality being that very few movies spawn from Hollywood, I put it that the question should really be "Have American horror movies gone too far?" To which I'd still reply NO!

Hollywood Horror

Sadly the horror movies that spawn from Hollywood are very rarely my perception of horror. The likes of Friday The13th, Nightmare On Elm Street, and Halloween all headed to Hollywood for funding to be released, but never originated from Hollywood. The reality of the point being that few movies actually originate in Hollywood, having literally turned up there for funding. Hollywood does not have a partially good history when it comes to horror, for Hollywood is all about the money and nothing else, Horror movies generally have a higher certificate and render the movies potential earnings considerably less. So Hollywood tend more to lean on the side of psychological thrillers.

Wes Craven's Scream was the first example of a good Hollywood horror, and in reality since then they have been few and far between. Hostel, Saw, 30 Days Of Night are not Hollywood horror, neither was The Exorcist.

American Horror

While in America there are movies that push the limits, the aforementioned Hostel, Saw and 30 Days Of Night all being prime examples, America is majorly behind the times, Italy was delivering these sort of scares 30 years ago, Spain 25 years ago, while Japan was delivering this sort of horror 15 years ago. America like the United Kingdom are far behind the rest of the world.

As for the context of the story, these aspects of horror have been around for as long as horror. Heads have always rolled all the way back to the 1920's, and organs have always been severed. Look back to the 1960's at the scenes of brain devourment from George Romero's Night Of The Living Dead, this is every bit as graphic and disturbing as today's horror. Think back to the original Sweeney Todd movie from the 1930's, your talking victims being brutally murdered, chopped up, then turned into pies? Are we really challenging horror as far as it can go? We are addressing nothing now that we were not the best part of 80 years ago.

There is a big void between horror and a psychological thriller, and the trouble being is that to some there is no void, some do not realise the difference and that is where things really start to fall down. What Saw and Hostel do, is almost create a synergy of the two

genres, fooling the audience; think about it really, what category do these movies really fall into?

American horror can go a long way yet, 30 Days Of Night is a classic example of where horror writers should be looking, gone are the days when a man in greased hair and a cape can terrify an audience. Today's horror fans need more, we love to be thrilled, we love to be appalled, we love to feel scared. As the world changes and more and more real horror is brought to us our culture needs to react, you can watch the news and be more horrified than any movie that you might stumble upon, think about Daniel Pearl, think about Ken Bigley, think about September the 11th, think about the 7th of July; there are things far more frightening in the real world than you'll ever see in a movie.

I will make a slight exception here as to what has gone too far, anyone who has had the misfortune to see any of the August Underground "features" or the movie Scrapbook will understand what too far is, but to the best rationale to my mind these are not "movies" per say, any more than hardcore pornography is.

The person that asks the question have horror movies gone too far? Is exactly the same person that tries to wrap us in cotton wool and stop us from seeing the world as it is, while the world is beautiful it is also very dark. Horror movies do not increase madness, if someone has evil in them it stems from their very soul, not because they watched a horror movie.

It's time that these "deeper thinking" people accepted the difference between visual entertainment in the form of scares, and the excuses they blame for minority actions. The average man or woman know the difference, but our nanny states try to make us believe what we watch is part of the cause.

Hollywood Movies 2010

2010-02-25T01:07:00.000-08:00

Science fiction movies should be allowed only one major transgression of the laws of physics, according to a US professor who has won backing from a number of his peers after creating a set of guidelines for Hollywood.

The proposals are intended to curb the film industry's worst abuses of science by confining scriptwriters to plotlines that embrace the suspension of disbelief but stop short of demanding it in every scene.

The guidelines are by Sidney Perkowitz, a professor of physics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and a member of the Science and Entertainment Exchange, an advisory body run by the US National Academy of Sciences.

Perkowitz said he liked Starship Troopers, but criticised its giant insects, saying if you scaled up a real bug to that size it would collapse under its own weight. He hated The Core, in which a team of scientists travel to the centre of the Earth and detonate a nuclear device to start the planet's core spinning again.

The Science and Entertainment Exchange is backed by Dustin Hoffman, Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker and Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote the screenplays for The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Perkowitz said: "The hope is that it will get better science into film while still making them interesting."

Most recently, the exchange has advised on the Watchmen movie and the TV series, Heroes.

"I am not offended if they make one big scientific blunder in a given film," Perkowitz added. "You can have things move faster than the speed of light if you want. But after that I would like things developed in a coherent way."

"If you violate that you are in trouble. The chances are that the public will pick it up and that is what matters to Hollywood. The Core did not make money because people understood the science was so out to lunch," he added.

Ron Howard's 2009 production of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons also fared poorly among scientists. In it, Tom Hanks's character, Robert Langdon, has to protect the Vatican from being destroyed by an antimatter bomb that is confined in a glass vial by a magnetic field produced by a small battery.

"The amount of antimatter they had was more than we will make in a million years of running a high-energy particle collider," said Perkowitz. "You can't contain it using an iPod battery."

Hollywood movies releasing in 2010, Hollywood movies releasing in January, 2010, February 2010, March 2010, Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in April 2010, May 2010, June 2010, July 2010, August 2010, Hollywood movies releasing in September 2010, October 2010, November 2010, December 2010

January 1, 2010: Case 39
January 8, 2010: Youth in Revolt
January 15, 2010: Let Me In
January 22, 2010: Tooth Fairy
January 29, 2010: When in Rome
February 5, 2010: Dear John
February 12, 2010: The Butchering Ghost
February 19, 2010: Shutter
March 5, 2010: Alice in Wonderland
March 12, 2010: Green Zone
March 16, 2010: The Back-Up Plan
March 19, 2010: Season of the Witch
March 26, 2010: How to Train Your Dragon
April 2, 2010: Repo Men
April 9, 2010: The Losers
April 16, 2010: Piranha 3-D
April 22, 2010: Oceans
April 23, 2010: Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps
April 30, 2010: A Nightmare On Elm Street
May 7, 2010: Iron Man 2
May 14, 2010: Robin Hood
May 21, 2010: Shrek Forever After
May 28, 2010: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
June 4, 2010: Killers
June 11, 2010: The A-Team
June 18, 2010: Toy Story 3
June 25, 2010: Grown Ups
June 30, 2010: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
July 2, 2010: The Last Airbender
July 9, 2010: Despicable Me
July 16, 2010: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
July 23, 2010: Salt +1 more release
July 30, 2010: Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
August 6, 2010: Step Up 3-D
August 13, 2010: Ramona and Beezus
August 20, 2010: The Expendables
August 27, 2010: Resident Evil: Afterlife
September 3, 2010: Born to Be a Star
September 10, 2010: The Town
September 17, 2010: Warrior
September 24, 2010: Guardians of Ga'Hoole
October 1, 2010: Priest October 8, 2010: The Zookeeper
October 15, 2010: Faster
October 22, 2010: Saw VII
November 5, 2010: MegaMind November 12, 2010: Unstoppable
November 19, 2010: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
November 24, 2010: Rapunzel 3-D
December 10, 2010: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
December 17, 2010: Tron: Legacy
December 22, 2010: The Green Hornet

Hollywood Horror Movies

2010-02-24T00:44:00.000-08:00

Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films effectively center on the dark side of life, the forbidden, and strange and alarming events. They deal with our most primal nature and its fears: our nightmares, our vulnerability, our alienation, our revulsions, our terror of the unknown, our fear of death and dismemberment, loss of identity, or fear of sexuality.

Whatever dark, primitive, and revolting traits that simultaneously attract and repel us are featured in the horror genre. Horror films are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. The fantasy and supernatural film genres are not synonymous with the horror genre, although thriller films may have some relation when they focus on the revolting and horrible acts of the killer/madman. Horror films are also known as chillers, scary movies, spookfests, and the macabre.

Introduction to Horror Films

Horror films go back as far as the onset of films themselves, over a 100 years ago. From our earliest days, we use our vivid imaginations to see ghosts in shadowy shapes, to be emotionally connected to the unknown and to fear things that are improbable. Watching a horror film gives an opening into that scary world, into an outlet for the essence of fear itself, without actually being in danger. Weird as it sounds, there's a very real thrill and fun factor in being scared or watching disturbing, horrific images.

Horror films, when done well and with less reliance on horrifying special effects, can be extremely potent film forms, tapping into our dream states and the horror of the irrational and unknown, and the horror within man himself. (The best horror films only imply or suggest the horror in subtle ways, rather than blatantly displaying it, i.e., Val Lewton's horror films.) In horror films, the irrational forces of chaos or horror invariably need to be defeated, and often these films end with a return to normalcy and victory over the monstrous.

Of necessity, the earliest horror films were Gothic in style - meaning that they were usually set in spooky old mansions, castles, or fog-shrouded, dark and shadowy locales. Their main characters have included "unknown," human, supernatural or grotesque creatures, ranging from vampires, demented madmen, devils, unfriendly ghosts, monsters, mad scientists, "Frankensteins," "Jekyll/Hyde" dualities, demons, zombies, evil spirits, arch fiends, Satanic villains, the "possessed," werewolves and freaks to even the unseen, diabolical presence of evil.

Horror films developed out of a number of sources: folktales with devil characters, witchcraft, fables, myths, ghost stories, Grand Guignol melodramas, and Gothic or Victorian novels from Europe by way of Mary Shelley or Irish writer Bram Stoker. In many ways, the expressionistic German silent cinema led the world in films of horror and the supernatural, and established its cinematic vocabulary and style.

Frankly, the strangest things scare me. I don't like clowns or butterflies but can tolerate spiders, snakes and other creepy beasts. But when it came time to put together a top list of horror films, compiling this 'Best Of' list was relatively easy. Most of the films I've selected are mainstream frightfests that send goosebumps racing up and down the spines of even the most hardened horror movie fans.

The Exorcist':
It's impossible to put together a Top 10 Horror Movies list without placing The Exorcist at or near the top. Linda Blair stars as the young daughter of an actress (played by Ellen Burstyn) whose imaginary friend turns out to be the Devil. With scenes that even in this age of CGI technology produce screams and shivers from viewers, The Exorcist is a thoroughly frightening look at demonic possession.

Hollywood Actors

2010-02-23T02:14:00.000-08:00

Hollywood, studio executives are no longer looking to cast actors who will demand upward of $15 million just to appear in a movie and then a hefty portion of the film's revenue. Instead, the ideal package is a big concept with low-paid stars.

Transformers is the ultimate example. The 2007 film featured actors Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, but the real stars were the massive computer-generated robots that turned into cars. LaBeouf and Fox have their charms, but they're also cheap to hire. DreamWorks didn't have to pay through the nose for LaBeouf and Fox as they would have for actors like Matt Damon and Drew Barrymore.

Thanks to Transformers (and the most recent Indiana Jones movie) LaBeouf, 23, lands at the top of our latest return on investment list. The young actor was lucky enough to catch the eye of Steven Spielberg who has cast him in many of DreamWorks' most lucrative movies. Because of his inexperience and (until recently) unproven ability to draw in audiences, LaBeouf earned relatively small salaries in films that grossed hundreds of millions of dollars. As a result, for every dollar he was paid, LaBeouf's movies returned an average $160 for the studio.

In order to create our list, we looked at the 100 biggest stars in Hollywood. To qualify, each actor had to have starred in at least three movies in the past five years that opened in more than 500 theaters. We did not include animated films because the actors aren't really the draw (pun intended), and they tend to take pay cuts for voice work.

For past lists we have required that actors earn at least $5 million per movie, but we decided to waive that this time around. Studios consider these lower-paid actors key to making money these days and even higher-paid actors are sometimes taking smaller salaries. On Yes Man, for instance, Jim Carrey worked for nothing upfront in exchange for a large share of the film's profits.We calculated each star's estimated earnings on each film (including upfront pay and any earnings from the film's box-office receipts, DVD and TV sales). We then looked at each movie's estimated budget (not including marketing costs, which are susceptible to accounting chicanery) and box office, DVD and television earnings to figure out an operating income for each film.

We added up each star's compensation on his last three films and the operating income on those films and divided total operating income by the star's total compensation to come up with each return on investment number. For the sake of this particular version of our list, we are only looking at the men. We'll have an actress list in a few weeks.

LaBeouf's numbers don't include Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which came out June 24 of this year. In order for a movie to qualify, it had to have been released before June 20 to ensure two months of box-office earnings before we finalized our numbers.

Coming in second behind LaBeouf is 30-year-old Scottish actor James McAvoy. Until recently McAvoy was best known for his work in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland where he starred opposite Forrest Whitaker who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

But last year McAvoy was lucky enough to appear in Wanted with Angelina Jolie. The modest-budget action flick earned $342 million at the box office and catapulted McAvoy into the realm of Hollywood's hottest. His small salary on the film meant he was able to offer a huge return to Universal on its investment. Expect his payday to jump for a proposed sequel.

Superheroes do well on our list. Because it usually doesn't matter who is behind the mask (Christian Bale is a popular Batman, but so was Michael Keaton in his day) studios can offer lead actors small paydays. The trade-off for the actor is if the movie hits, like Iron Man, that star will be in a position to demand a much larger payday next time around.

Batman (Bale) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) both make our list. For every dollar Bale was paid his last three films, including The Dark Knight, the studio grossed an average $55, ranking him eighth on our list. Since the Dark Knight was a sequel to Batman Begins, Bale was able to negotiate his salary up but not nearly as much as he will be able to do on a proposed third film, since Dark Knight earned $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

Downey, who until recently was considered such a risky choice that studios were able to pay him a Hollywood pittance, does even better than Bale, placing fifth on our list with a $78 return for every dollar he earned.

Young actors also tended to do well on our list. Because they are still proving themselves, they have yet to earn the $10 million paychecks of some of their older co-stars. So 21-year-old Michael Cera ranks third on our list. He has appeared in a number of super low-budget movies that performed well at the box office including Superbad, which earned $170 million at the worldwide box office on an estimated budget of $20 million. His most recent film, Year One, was a flop earning only $53 million despite an estimated $60 million budget. But with his low paydays Cera still comes out near the top of our list.

Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe, 20, is the youngest man in the top 10. He earns much more for his work in the Warner Bros films than some of his fellow actors, but the Harry Potter movies make such spectacular gobs of money that his salary turns out to be a good return on investment. For every dollar Warner pays Radcliffe, his films earn $93.

Hollywood And Vine

2010-02-22T02:19:00.000-08:00

Whether you come by to buy a bottle or glass of wine, you can always expect great personal service from us at Hollywood Vine.

Operated by Steven Krakow, our wine bar and shop is home to more than 600 wines from all over the world. We competitively price our wine, spirits, artisan cheese, beers and gourmet foods and combine those offerings with excellent service. If you’re looking for a particular wine we don’t have, let us find it for you. Plus, we deliver!

Our relaxed atmosphere is perfect for retail shopping to take home, meeting your friends to engage in sparkling conversation or making new ones as you unwind, sample, savor and enjoy. Every Tuesday from 6-9 p.m., we offer the perfect setting to unwind with our weekly wine tasting that features select wines and special guests that enrich the experience by sharing their knowledge of wine, regions, food pairings, cheese and a whole lot more.

Hollywood Vine is also the ideal place to enjoy recorded concert performances, movies and live sporting events. If you’re planning a party or a special event, you can count on us to help because we’re perfectly suited for all parties and all occasions.

Hollywood & Vine restaurant in Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park offers a casual family buffet for dinner that features American cooking freshly prepared at on-stage cooking stations.

The Art Deco-designed Hollywood & Vine restaurant pays tribute to the Golden Age of Tinseltown and proudly displays in neon across the entrance that this is the "Cafeteria to the Stars."

The Hollywood & Vine dinner buffet may include such specialties as herb-crusted baked salmon with citrus butter, and red pepper pesto multigrain pasta (vegetarian). Fresh-roasted meats, peel-and-eat shrimp and mussels complete the array of savory selections. End dinner on the sweet side with treats from the sundae station and dessert bar.

Fantasmic! Dinner Package — When making reservations for Hollywood & Vine restaurant, ask for the Fantasmic! Dinner Package to receive priority seating during the spectacular nighttime show at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. Witness up-close the heroic struggle of Mickey, as he faces Disney villains in this lavish spectacle sure to thrill the whole family. This package must be booked by calling (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463 up to 180 days in advance. Guests under age 18 must have parent or guardian permission to call.

Playhouse Disney's Play 'N Dine Character Dining at Hollywood & Vine Restaurant — Join popular Playhouse Disney pals, such as JoJo and Goliath from JoJo's Circus, and June and Leo from Disney's Little Einsteins, at the Hollywood & Vine restaurant as they host two fun-filled, musical meals: a breakfast buffet and a lunch buffet.

Character Dining Breakfast Buffet: Start your day with song. Sing along with your hosts to familiar Playhouse Disney tunes. Featured on the breakfast buffet are favorites like Mickey Mouse-shaped waffles, frittatas and fresh fruit.

Character Dining Lunch Buffet: The Playhouse Disney pals continue the festivities at Hollywood & Vine from breakfast through lunch for more singing, dancing and playing. Across the lunch buffet, find kid- and adult-friendly entrees, such as baked chicken and assorted deli selections.

Hollywood Information

2010-02-19T23:24:00.000-08:00

You can learn more about Hollywood and what you'll see on our Hollywood Tour. Are you wondering what's so special about Hollywood? Hollywood is one of the most interesting and fun places to visit with so many things to do and see. If you don't know whether or not you want to come to Hollywood and enjoy one of our Hollywood Tours, we have a lot of information about everything Hollywood has to offer. Read about it, and then join us for a tour of Hollywood!

Hollywood is a district of the City of Los Angeles, California, USA. The population of the Hollywood district is estimated at about 300,000 people.Due to its fame and identity as a major center of movie studios and movie stars, the word "Hollywood" is often used colloquially to refer to the American motion picture industry in Southern California.

Hollywood

Although located close to some lovely areas of Los Angeles, Hollywood itself was a real dump, populated all-too-frequently by hustlers, pickpockets, drug addicts, con artists and panhandlers.

To view the "major attractions" at the time - the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grauman's Chinese Theatre - you had to walk a gantlet of tacky souvenir stands, adult book stores and X-rated movie theaters.

It has come a long way since this review just 4 years ago.
Fortunately Hollywood is now significantly more pleasant than it used to be, and Disney has played a major role in the improvements. The changes started in the mid-1990s when the city of Los Angeles decided to place a stop on the new Metro Red Line subway right in the heart of Hollywood.

From that point on, improvement has been happening slowly but surely along the central section of Hollywood Boulevard.

The good news about Hollywood is, everything you will want to see is located within about three city blocks, with the center being Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave. (The famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine has nothing to offer.) If you want to do the "grand tour," consider the Hollywood CityPass, which provides admission to many of the major attractions at a discounted price.

The bad news is, there's still a seedy side to Hollywood, even in the central tourist area. Be prepared for crowds. Watch for pickpockets. Also, be aware that there are many costumed individuals, particularly in the plaza in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, who will try to get you to have your picture taken with them, and then charge you money. These people are not official, licensed or authorized to do this, so proceed with caution.

Getting to Hollywood and Getting Around

Assuming you want to visit Hollywood in conjunction with a Disneyland vacation, there really are 4 ways to get to there: driving, a tour, the Metro 460 bus or taking the train.

Disney does not offer any kind of bus or shuttle service between the two.

Renting a car is a good bet but it is not for the faint hearted. Los Angeles is a town dominated by the automobile, so traveling by car is the quintessential way to experience it but just remember, there are more people living in this city than in many countries of the world and EVERYONE has somewhere to go. Disneyland and central Hollywood are about 34 miles apart. Driving time to Hollywood is about 45 minutes from Disneyland, if traffic is light. (In heavy traffic, it can take up to 2 hours. Avoid rush hours: 6:00 to 9:00 am and 3:00 to 7:00 pm.) Once you're in Hollywood, park at Hollywood & Highland Center. The parking underneath is plentiful and, with a validation, you can save a few dollars.

The Metro 460 Bus leaves from in front of Disneyland at the OCTA bus stop right next to the main, walk in entrance on Harbor Blvd. You can either take it direct to the Red Line at 7th and Metro or get off in Norwalk and take the Green Line train to the Blue Line train to the Red Line train.

There is an easy to follow map available at the Anaheim Visitor and Postal Center so stop in and we'll point you in the right direction.

If you prefer the train, you'll first need to get a cab to the Anaheim train station, located about 2.5 miles from Disneyland. From there you can take either an Amtrak train (fare about $9 one way) or a Metrolink commuter train (fare about $6.75 one way) to Los Angeles Union Station. This portion of the trip takes about 45-50 minutes. At Union Station, transfer to the Metro Red Line toward North Hollywood and exit at Hollywood & Highland station. The Metro fare is $1.25 and this portion of the trip takes 21 minutes.

Taking a tour is great because you see everything you want to see in all the different areas of LA including Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Venice Beach and More!

Taking taxis in Los Angeles is a bad idea. Distances are large and fares are high. As an experiment, I tried taking a cab from the Beverly Hilton to Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, a distance of less than 6 miles. The one-way cab fare, including a modest tip, was $29.

Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame, created in 1960, consists of the famous bronze and terrazzo "stars" imbedded in the sidewalks along Hollywood Blvd. between Gower St. and La Brea Ave., and along Vine St. from Sunset Blvd. to Yucca St.
If you want to visit your favorite celebrity's "star," visit the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce web site to learn its location.
Bear in mind that in the central tourist area of Hollywood (around Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave.), many of the "stars" are difficult to see (much less photograph) due to the high volume of pedestrian traffic.

Kodak Theatre
Kodak Theatre, new home to the Academy Awards, was opened in 2001. Most concerts, shows and other events held at Kodak Theatre are open to the general public, so if you're going to Hollywood, check to see what's playing during your visit.
Even if you don't choose to attend a live show, there are some aspects of the theater anyone can enjoy. Walk through the impressive multi-story portal from Hollywood Blvd. to approach the theater, which is set back from the street. Once inside the portal, you can wander along an Awards Walk of glass plaques featuring winners of the Best Picture Oscar.
Kodak Theatre is located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard (north side, at Hollywood & Highland Center). For information call (323) 308-6300.
30-minute guided tours of Kodak Theatre are offered seven days a week, every thirty minutes from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm (June 1 to August 31) and 10:30 am to 2:30 pm (rest of the year), except when there are schedule conflicts due to rehearsals or productions. Guided Tour tickets cost $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (65+) and children (ages 3-17).

Hollywood & Highland Center
Hollywood & Highland Center, opened in 2001, is now the focus of Hollywood's revitalization. You'll definitely want to check out the center's over-the-top Babylon Court, inspired by D.W. Griffith's 1916 silent film Intolerance. The two gigantic elephants and huge columns are quite amazing.
Hollywood & Highland is the home of many restaurants, a couple of nightclubs, a trendy bowling alley/restaurant/lounge called Lucky Strike Lanes, a multiplex movie theater (Mann's Chinese 6) and the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel .
For a reasonably-priced meal, Hollywood & Highland has quite a few options such as Quizno's, Great Steak & Potato Co, California Pizza Kitchen and Johnny Rocket's. There are also some high-end eateries, including two operated by Wolfgang Puck: Vert and Loggia at the Highlands.
Hollywood & Highland is located on the north side of Hollywood Blvd., half a block west of Highland Ave.
There is a large parking structure in Hollywood & Highland Center and this is the best place to park for your explorations of Hollywood. Entrances are on Highland Ave. and Orange Ave. Parking is $2 for 4 hours (with validation) and $1 for each 20 minutes thereafter. There is a $10 per day maximum charge.

. If you plan to shop or eat at Hollywood & Highland, be sure to get an Elephant Card in advance, since that will give you lots of discounts.

. The 2007 Los Angeles Entertainment Books contains coupons for up to 50% off at Lucky Strike Lanes. Expires 12/31/07.

. If you purchase the 2007 Orange County Entertainment Book (perfect if you are going to Disneyland) you can print a coupon from the Entertainment web site for 20% off (up to $25 savings) at Lucky Strike Lanes. Expires 12/31/07.

Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store
Located next door to El Capitan Theatre, Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store makes a nice addition to any outing to Hollywood. It offers excellent ice cream that is trucked in from Bakersfield, where it is made by a famous old-fashioned soda fountain called Dewar's. The "soda jerks" at Disney's fountain are even trained by Dewar's soda jerks!
The atmosphere is fun and the menu is simple - ice cream cones, sundaes, shakes, malts, freezes, phosphates and old-time flavored sodas, plus a few basic food items like grilled cheese, hot dogs and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. Prices are pretty reasonable considering the location and surroundings: you can get a nice big sundae for under $7.
The adjacent Studio Store itself isn't anything too exciting - just the usual Disney plush toys, videos and souvenirs at inflated prices.
Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store is located at 6834 Hollywood Blvd. (southwest corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave., next to Disney's El Capitan Theatre).

Disney's El Capitan Theatre
The fabulous El Capitan Theatre began life in 1926 as a live theater, hosting major plays of the day. In 1942 it was converted to a movie theater. Beginning in 1989, Disney undertook a phenomenal, "museum quality" restoration of the 1,040-seat theater and added a Dolby sound system. The theater reopened under Disney's ownership in 1991.
The El Capitan usually hosts Disney's movie premieres. If you want to watch the latest Disney movie in style, this is the place! You'll get a kick out of the elaborately costumed ushers.
Be sure to arrive early so that you can enjoy the pre-show, which includes live organ music performed on a giant 1920s Wurlitzer. Some movies are preceded by a full-on live stage show with characters. During the run of certain movies, special exhibits about the making of the film, sets and props, etc., are displayed in the basement of the theater.
The El Capitan is located at 6838 Hollywood Blvd. (south side of Hollywood Blvd, west of Highland Ave., across the street from Grauman's Chinese Theatre).
There are two movie ticket options at the El Capitan: general admission and VIP. Tickets usually sell out, so buy in advance. You can order online or by calling (800) DISNEY6. There may be a processing fee for ordering online.
. General admission tickets vary in price depending on the movie showing, but average $9-$14 for adults, $8-$11 for seniors and children. General admission tickets provide open seating only (no reserved seats).
. VIP tickets also vary in price depending on the movie showing -- typically $20-$23 per person (no discounts for kids or seniors). VIP tickets entitle you to reserved seats in the center section of the theater and include popcorn and a drink. If you have VIP tickets, you do not have to wait in the long general admission line to get into the theater. In my opinion, the VIP tickets are worth the extra money.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre
One of the most opulent of the city's old movie palaces, Grauman's Chinese Theatre originally opened in 1927. Probably the most famous landmark in Hollywood, it still has the power to amaze. The forecourt in front of the theater is well-known for its handprints and footprints of movie stars, while the 90-foot tall theater itself is an wacky, "only in LA" architectural marvel. It is operated by Mann Theatres.
Grauman's Chinese Theatre is located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. (north side, just west of Highland, across from Disney's El Capitan Theatre). Call (323) 464-8111 for showtimes.
Backstage tours of Grauman's Chinese Theatre are offered 7 days a week. Call (323) 463-9576 for tour times and prices.
If you just want to see the interior, you can attend a movie at regular movie theater prices. However, be careful to pick whatever movie is playing in the actual Grauman's Chinese Theatre itself. It has only one screen. There is an adjacent theater called the Mann Chinese 6, which is a new multiplex -- nothing special to see there.

Egyptian Theatre
One of the most amazing movie palaces in Los Angeles, the Egyptian Theatre (built in 1922) has been nicely renovated to its old glory. It is operated by a non-profit organization, the American Cinematheque, which shows art films, documentaries and classics on its giant screen.
The Egyptian Theatre is located at 6712 Hollywood Blvd. (south side of Hollywood Blvd. about a block and a half east of Grauman's Chinese Theatre). Recorded program information is available by calling (323) 466-3456.
Regular show admission is $9 for adults and $7 for students, seniors and children under 12.
On weekends at the Egyptian Theatre there are two daily afternoon matinees of Forever Hollywood, an excellent 55-minute film on the history of movie-making. Tickets to Forever Hollywood are $7 for adults and $5 for students, seniors and children under 12.
Private group tours of the Egyptian Theatre can be scheduled by calling (323) 461-2020. Groups must be 10 or more people, but sometimes individuals can join a scheduled group tour, so if you don't have 10 people, call and ask if there is a tour coming up. Tour prices are $7 for adults, $5 for students, seniors and children under 12.

Musso & Frank Grill
For a true "Old Hollywood" dining experience, the only choice is Musso & Frank Grill, which opened in 1919 and moved to its current location in 1937. Musso & Frank is an expensive chop house with a décor seemingly unchanged since its original opening: red leather booths and lots of dark wood. It's so "old school" it doesn't even have a web site.
Tourists come here, but so do locals who have been eating here for 60 years or more, and occasionally movie stars. The waiters are a trip. Some of them seem to have been working here since the place opened, and while they are super-professional, they tend to be cranky.
Everything, including side dishes, is sold a la carte at Musso & Frank. Expect to pay $60-$100 for dinner for two. Paid parking is behind the restaurant, and you enter through the back.
Musso & Frank is located at 6667 Hollywood Blvd. (northwest corner of Hollywood & Cherokee, about 3 blocks east of Highland Ave.). Call (323) 467-7788 for reservations.

The Hollywood Museum
Located in the renovated Max Factor Building (a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture), The Hollywood Museum features four floors of Hollywood exhibits, including displays on Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe and Mae West, as well as costumes and props from a few films including Moulin Rouge and Silence of the Lambs. (As with the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, selections are pretty random.)
Naturally there is a significant focus on makeup impresario Max Factor and the way he invented the "look" of many famous stars of yesteryear: there's a whole floor devoted to his color theories. A photo gallery gives you a chance to enjoy "Old Hollywood," with pictures of long-lost movie-star hangouts like The Brown Derby and the Trocadero Ballroom. Special exhibitions are sometimes offered, such as an exhibit on "Egypt in Hollywood."
No photography is allowed in the museum and they will hold your camera at the entrance.
The Hollywood Museum is located at 1660 N. Highland Ave. (just south of Hollywood Blvd.). For information call (323) 464-7776.
Hours are Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Hollywood Funny Movies

2010-02-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

It just wouldn't seem right to end the year without a bunch of those best of' countdown thingies. The holidays inspire everything from great joy to depression, faith, dysfunction and everything else befitting of a dramatic feature film.

It's only natural that the yuletide season serves as the backdrop for so many of our most beloved movie classics.

I'd like to draw your attention to the oft overlooked and far less sappy holiday fare, with my slightly gothic and dark-sided Best Holiday Movie list!

Edward Scissorhands. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's first collaboration. Perfectly tragic, comedic and romantic.

Gremlins. A classic holiday horror comedy! Even as a little kid Gremlins weren't very scary. They're wonderfully hideous things that still make people LOL.

The Ref. A burglar holds a dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas. Hilarity ensues.

Home for the Holidays. This is technically a Thanksgiving movie, but who's counting? Absolutely dead-on in portrayal of the typical dysfunctional family.

A Christmas Story. You'll shoot your eye out!

Die Hard. Now I have a machine gun, ho-ho-ho!

Scrooged. One of the best adaptations of A Christmas Carol ever.

Nightmare Before Christmas. Naturally!

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. An absolute classic that holds up today.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas! Who can deny the original 1966 animation as the all-time holiday great? Thoroughly enjoyable at all ages, no matter how many times you've seen it!

Thankfully, however, Hollywood’s nagging box office troubles are finally a thing of the past now that President-Elect Obama is busily healing the economy and the MPAA’s 6th Fleet is bombarding the movie pirates off the Barbary Coast. It’s finally safe for America to return to the local octoplex and enjoy the rich $10 cinematic experience they’ve been avoiding for the past year. Just look at some of the promising releases in store for 2009:

Incident at Amity: Steven Spielberg directs this cerebral CGI-heavy remake of ‘Jaws’ slated for summer release. Insiders say the 34-year update will feature “additional points of view” and “be less judgmental about sharks.” Starring Willam H. Macy as the anti-shark fundamentalist, and Russell Crowe as the Great White.

Silenced Wood: George Clooney stars and directs in this drama about the climate of fear among liberal ventriloquists during radio’s notorious Charlie McCarthy era.

Hershey Highway: Based on the Tony Kushner play, a candy factory worker (Joaquin Seymour Gyllenhall) and an Amish teen (John Phillips Sousa Huffnagel) find forbidden pleasure in a poignant love tale set against the gritty backdrop of Pennsylvania’s chocolate belt.

Me Billy: Based on the inspirational true story of a learning disabled man (Sean Penn) who rescues New Orleans from a racist flood with a magical red beer cup.

Dark Spinach: Brooding, conflicted superhero sailor man (Matt Damon) must face his own inner demons and canned vegetable addiction to save his anorexic lover (Gwyneth Paltrow) in the violent screen adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel. Featuring Mickey Rourke as Bluto.

Oh, Hell No: Martin Lawrence, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and Chris Tucker reprise their roles in the surprise hit ‘Big Fat Sassy Grandma’ in this raucously degrading comedy based on the popular urban catchphrase.

Ice Station Wasilla: Global warming unleashes Nixon, McCarthy, and Sarah Palin from a glacial tomb in this stylish post-apocalyptic horror set in Alaska. With Keanu Reeves as Al Gore.

The Vespa Diaries: Romantic revolutionary scooterist Pol Pot (Fulgencio Del Taco) and US intellectual Noam Chomsky (Sparky Affleck) find forbidden rainforest love in Steven Soderberg’s Cambodian remake of ‘Roman Holiday’ that had Sundance audiences cheering.

The Royal Fluffers: Lovable band of misfit stoners with Jew-fros trick Queen Elizabeth into filming a porno in this sweet coming-of-age teen fart bong sex comedy from Judd Apatow. Starring Jonah Sethberg, Seth Justinstein, Jay Justin Jonahbluth, Ron Jeremy, and Helen Mirren. (British release titled “On Her Majesty’s Secret Cervix”)

Sex And The City II: Hot Flashes. America’s favorite quartet of pre-menopausal Gotham divas return for more breezy mimicking of gay men.

Fearful Silence: Courageous ‘What’s My Line?’ contestant (Leonardo DiCaprio) refuses to answer panelist questions in this game show drama set against the McCarthy-blacklist era. With Ralph Fiennes as Bennett Cerf and Keith Olbermann as Kitty Carlisle.

High School Musical 5: Donner Pass Prom Party. Music, love, and cannibalism are in the air as the Wildcat gang gets stranded in the High Sierras. Featuring the hit Zach Cody – Melissa Vanessa duet, “I Never Thought It Could Taste So Good.”

Cold Humpcrack Creekwater: Two retarded gay cowgirl sisters (Rene Zellweger, Traci Lords) defy a fundamentalist sherriff (Chris Cooper) and discover love in this 1930’s period piece set in the Appalachian outback of Nebraskansaw.

Angel Soft This: In a shocking and sometimes humorous indictment of the toilet paper industry, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock documents the ravages he suffers after 30 straight days of non-stop butt-wiping.

Zaftig Pi: The Eigenvectress. Plus-size video game super-heroine comes to life, as Oscar winner Kathy Bates battles Christian fundamentalist aliens with kung fu cartwheels.

Muggers: Jim Carrey, Will Farrell, and Jack Black team up in new comedy about three men who spend 92 minutes yelling and making annoying facial expressions. With Jennifer Aniston as the exasperated woman.

Lunch Lady: poignant story of school cook turned playground serial strangler has generated advanced Oscar buzz for star Scarlett Johannson, who reportedly gained 400 pounds, facial tattoos and gum disease for the role.

Fearful Deadly Fear: Blacklisted 1950’s screenwriter Damon Runyan (Tim Robbins) writes a secret screenplay about the the McCarthy-era blacklists, in this 1950’s blacklist drama set against the background of the McCarthy era blacklists.

Snow Fuji Mountain: Mothra (Toby Damon) and Gamera (Orlando Law) discover forbidden love while destroying Tokyo in this story of nuclear-triggered sexual awakening.

Frosty/Nixon: Historic confrontation between disgraced president (Vince Vaughn) and magical dancing snowman (Ricky Gervais) in this 6-hour animated holiday political interview thriller from Ron Howard.

Lotta Splainin: Javier Bardem plays a verbally abusive Cuban bandleader and Cate Blanchett a neglected woman with a secret Vita-meata-vegamin addiction in this beautifully filmed marital drama set in the repressive 1950s. With Larry the Cable Guy and Kate Winslett as Fred and Ethel.

Reservoir Puppies: Quentin Tarantino teams with Pixar in this animated children’s holiday tale about six lost whelps and a botched burglary. Starring the voices of Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, and Samuel L. Jackson as Mister Pinky.

Silenced 1984: Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Errol Morris interviews the survivors of Hollywood’s notorious Reagan-era ‘Year of Fear,’ when only three McCarthy-themed movies were released.

The Red State Menace: Hollywood patriotism returns with a vengeance in this contemporary crime thriller starring George Clooney as an undercover G-Man who infiltrates a Kansas Rotary Club to uncover Republican subversives for the House Un-Obama Activities Committee.

So what are you waiting for America? Make your 2009 resolution to get Hollywood and America back on their feet — visit your local theater and reserve one on the aisle. Movies remain your best entertainment value, if you ignore the $40 for tickets, parking, and snacks.

But if you decide to stay at home again, that’s cool. There’s always that bailout thing.

Hollywood Movie Money

2010-02-18T01:28:00.000-08:00

"Highest-grossing_films">Highest-grossing filmsEnglish-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2009. The top ten films of 2009, by worldwide gross in United States dollars, as well as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia grosses, are as follows:

1) Avatar 20th Century Fox $2,350,388,502 $666,388,502 $116,547,653 $89,291,338

2) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Warner Bros. $933,959,197 $301,959,197 $84,089,250 $34,999,141

3) Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 20th Century Fox $884,490,567 $196,573,705 $56,859,040 $24,725,499

4) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Paramount Pictures/DreamWorks $835,274,255 $402,111,870 $44,383,558 $33,554,033

5 ) 2012 Columbia Pictures $769,304,749 $165,790,127 $31,052,159 —

6 Up Disney/Pixar $723,007,303 $293,004,164 $55,413,275 $13,396,267

7) The Twilight Saga: New Moon Summit Entertainment $705,583,090 $295,159,000 $43,409,449 —

8 ) Angels & Demons Columbia Pictures $485,930,816 $133,375,846 $30,726,140 $14,065,391

9 ) The Hangover Warner Bros. $467,322,503 $277,322,503 $36,033,624 $17,934,378

10 ) Sherlock Holmes Warner Bros. $460,950,996 $204,350,996 $38,342,487 —

Hollywood Casino Indiana

2010-02-17T04:22:00.000-08:00

In 1990, the Riverboat Gambling Act legalized riverboat gambling in Illinois. The Act allows for riverboat gambling upon any water within or on the border of the State of Illinois, other than Lake Michigan. Chicago area riverboats are located on the Des Plaines, Fox, Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.

In 1993, Indiana legalized riverboat gambling. Indiana allows riverboat gambling on Lake Michigan and the Ohio River. Iowa legalized riverboat gambling in 1989. Chicago Traveler features one casino in Iowa, located in Bettendorf on the Mississippi River.

Each of these states prohibit boarding by any person under 21 years of age and wagering must be cashless, so tokens and chips are used. All of the casinos offer slot and video machines with various levels of wagering. Table games typically include blackjack, poker, craps, roulette and baccarat. See below for more information on machines and games as well as a link to each casino’s website.

When one can not get out to enjoy river boat gambling there is always online gaming. One can play table games like blackjack online.

Everyone's Going Hollywood

Are you ready to rule the red carpet? Hollywood Casino is the place for you! We'll add dazzle to your days and life to your nights with free admission, pulse-pounding games, incredible restaurants, and great giveaways.

Excitement Comes Alive

With 53,000 square feet of spine-tingling casino action, you'll never run out of ways to play at Hollywood. Get that winning feeling with more than 1,170 of the hottest slots around. We're congratulating new jackpot winners every single day. Our next big winner just might be you! Or challenge lady luck at Hollywood's 26 table games, including a live poker room with Texas Hold'em games seven days a week. Deal yourself in!

Claim Your Place in the Spotlight

Everyone's an A-lister at Hollywood Casino. Come land a starring role in the fun and revel in celebrity perks and super star treatment you won't find anywhere else. With this much excitement all in one place, any time is the right time to go Hollywood!

Penn National Gaming opened its new state-of-the-art riverboat casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana today, near the Kentucky border. The new gaming venue replaces the Argosy Casino, which docked there for thirteen years.

Penn officials noted the upgrade, which was two years in the making, will help safeguard revenues and retain patron loyalty if gambling laws in nearby states change, introducing more competition to the area.

The general manager of the Argosy, Tony Rodio, said the investment in the Hollywood Casino will help "defend our market if and when they (other states) get gaming.”

The new riverboat cost $335 million and contains a 150,000 square foot gambling floor. Over 1000 more customers can gamble at additional slots and table seats for blackjack and roulette than were able to on the Argosy.

The boat will also host a stop on the expanding World Poker Tour.

The Argosy had grown so popular that customers were turned away on weekends, as the 3700 passenger capacity had been filled. The Hollywood will hold over 9000 employees and patrons at one time.

Penn National executives estimate that the new casino will generate between $60 million to $80 million more in revenue over the first twelve months it operates.

When the former Argosy Casino Hotel Lawrenceburg changes its name to Hollywood and introduces a new casino on June 26, it will be the home to four new World Poker Tour® poker tournaments, including the Hollywood Poker Open, a $10,000 WPT Season VIII main event that will be filmed for broadcast on Fox Sports Net in the United States and on leading networks in over 100 countries worldwide. The first WPT tournament at Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg kicks off in August, 2009.

“We are so thrilled to add the Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg to our tour—not only is this our first ever WPT stop in the Midwest, but it’s also our first ever WPT event on a riverboat-style property,” said Steve Lipscomb, WPT founder and chief executive officer. “The Hollywood Casino not only adds a new and unique element to the tour for professional players, but it’s also the perfect property for bringing the WPT experience to players in the Midwest.”

In addition to being one of only eight exclusive properties to host a WPT event in the U.S., one of the major attractions of the new facility will be the addition of a 41-table, World Poker Tour-branded poker room. Hollywood Lawrenceburg will be one of only a few live World Poker Tour poker rooms in the U.S. and the largest poker room of any kind in the Midwest.

Designed for Player Comfort

Guests playing at every Hollywood poker table will sit in leather, high-back chairs, each with lumbar support, adjustable seat-height and rollers for easy movement. Other features include electronic readers so guests can be swiped in and rated as soon as they sit down, and 22 large-screen plasma TVs placed in locations throughout the room to entertain players while they await their next move.

The Hollywood poker room will cater to guests of all skill levels, including those who are looking to step up their game at the casino’s nine-table high limit area situated on a raised platform. Earth tone décor and rich, masculine woods are surrounded by movie stills depicting classic cinema poker scenes.

“Our space compares with the elite poker rooms in Las Vegas,” said Tony Rodio, Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg general manager. “There’s nothing like it in the region, and we expect players throughout the Midwest to travel here and make Cincinnati one of the country’s major poker destinations.”

Hollywood will offer a stream-lined registration process for the new room. Dedicated podiums will be available for individual tournament and high limit area sign-ups, and a state-of-the art tracking system will monitor game and tournament play and page guests when a new seat is available.

Two poker tournaments will be held each day at the Hollywood poker room with weekday start times at 11:15 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. Weekend times will vary by date.

Looking for an exciting adventure 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Then check out Hollywood Casino and Hotel (formerly Argosy Casino) Lawrenceburg, Indiana, just 20 minutes from Cincinnati!
Hollywood Casino, a "Superboat", has over 2,600 of the most innovative and exciting slot and video poker machines on 3 floors. With denominations ranging from 1¢ to $100, you’re sure to find all your favorite slots here.

If table play is more your style, try your hand at some of the most popular table games, including Blackjack, Craps, Roulette & Three Card Poker, just to name a few. Don’t forget to ask about our free table games class each month.

Our Poker Room also has live poker 24/7, with All the best action, all in one room. Try your hand at Seven Card Stud, Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha High & Omaha High/Low Split Eight or Better. Tournaments are going on constantly, be sure to check out our poker room.

Feeling Hungry? Explore the three levels of our pavilion and we’re sure you’ll find something delicious at one of our 4 restaurants. For a quick bite try the hot and cold sandwiches, salads, pizzas, or coffees at Jonathan’s Deli or The Riviera Café.. If you’re looking for sports or live entertainment head to the Chart Room for a juicy cheeseburger and an ice cold drink. The Buffet is open for breakfast, lunch or dinner and always has a fresh selection of traditional favorites and international dishes. Bogart’s Grille has a sumptuous array of steaks, fresh seafood and delicious pasta dishes.

The brand new Hollywood casino facility in Lawrenceburg produced $44.5 million in revenue during its first full month in business, a twenty percent improvement over its predecessor's gaming performance during the same time one year ago. The July gaming performance brings to $247 million the total revenue produced by Hollywood parent company Penn National Gaming Incorporated, which invested a total of $326 million to improve its Lawrenceburg operation.

Penn National told investors in late July 2009 that the Lawrenceburg gaming facility would show double digit profit growth. But they also said that it would take 3 to 4 quarters to get the establishment fully operational.

The president and Chief Operating Officer of Wyomissing, Pa.-based gaming organization, Timothy Wilmott said on August 10th, 2009 that what they are seeing in Lawrenceburg is a lot of new customers coming into play but a lot of the growth is coming from different segments.

The July figures, which were released by the Indiana Gaming Commission, show Penn National's revenue has reached $247 million through July. That is down by nine percent for the year. Other casino facilities in Southeast Indiana saw revenue declines of 9% in July. The Belterra casino facility reported adjusted gross earnings of $13.4 million, down by 9.1% from last July; the Grand Victoria casino is down by 9.8% to $9.9 million.

Penn National took an $11.7 million impairment expense in the 2nd quarter for issues associated with shutting down the old casino and opening a new gaming facility. Wilmott told gaming investors it took longer and cost more than they expected to move the casino equipment from one boat to another. The cost against earnings was one of the factors in Penn National's 23% net income drop for the quarter.

Hollywood Movies 2009

2010-02-15T23:46:00.000-08:00

Filmsite is an award-winning website for classic film buffs, students, moviegoers and anyone else interested in the great movies of the last century. Detailed plot synopses, review commentary and film reference material are just some of the features available on the site. The site also contains film analysis, original content, information on the top films and most memorable movie scenes, "best of…" articles, and the most popular film quotes in all genres of film. Its many resources include a comprehensive overview of film history, a complete survey of the Academy Awards (Oscars), milestones and turning points in the industry, and background and descriptions for hundreds of classic Hollywood/American and other English-language movies from the last one hundred years. In the mid-1990s when it was first launched, Filmsite.org was one of the first websites to initiate the trend to select 100 Greatest Films in the history of cinema.

Catch up on many of the major, box-office film series-franchises of all-time, including all 6 Harry Potter films, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the trio of Pirates of the Caribbean films, all the Batman, Star Trek, Terminator, Spider-Man, X-Men and Superman films, and much much more! Every entry includes a full plot description, pictures of all the major characters/cast members, and interesting trivia and facts about each film. A remarkable and rich reference source for all film buffs - take a look!

1. BRIDE WARS

Liv (Kate Hudson) and Emma (Anne Hathaway) are best friends who since childhood have planned every detail of their respective weddings. At the top of their bridal "must
have" list: a ceremony at New York's ultimate bridal destination, the Plaza Hotel.
Now, at age 26, they're both about to get married; they're about to realize their dreams;
and they're about to live happily ever after. Or maybe not... When a clerical error
causes a clash in wedding dates - they're now to be married on the same date! -
Liv, Emma and their lifelong friendship are put to the ultimate test. Liv, a successful lawyer who is used to getting what she wants, including the perfect job and the perfect man, won't settle
for anything less than the perfect wedding she has dreamed of for years. Emma, a schoolteacher who has always been good at taking care of others, but not so much in looking after herself,
discovers her inner Bridezilla and comes out swinging when her own dream wedding is imperiled. Now, the two best friends who'd do anything for each other, find themselves in a no-holdsbarred, take-no-prisoners struggle that threatens to erupt into allout war.

2. BUTTERFLY EFFECT: REVELATION

A young man discovers he has inherited the powers of "The Butterfly Effect" and
attempts to solve the mystery of his high school girlfriend's death using his
newfound ability, only to unwittingly unleash a vicious serial killer.

3. PAUL BLART: MALL COP

In Columbia Pictures' comedy "Paul Blart: Mall Cop", Kevin James stars as the title
character, a single, suburban dad, trying to make ends meet as a security officer at a
New Jersey mall. Though no one else takes his job seriously, Paul considers
himself on the front lines of safety. When a heist shuts down the megaplex, Jersey's most formidable mall cop will have to become a real cop to save the day.

4. UNDERWORLD 3: THE RISE OF THE LYCANS

This prequel story delves into the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires, known as Death Dealers, and the barbaric Lycans (werewolves). A
young Lycan, Lucian (Michael Sheen), emerges as a powerful leader who rallies
the werewolves to rise up against Viktor (Bill Nighy), the cruel vampire king who
has persecuted them for hundreds of years. Lucian is joined by his secret
lover, the beautiful vampire Sonja (Rhona Mitra), in his battle to free the Lycans from their brutal enslavement.

5. INKHEART

Mo Folchart (Fraiser) drags his daughter Meggie (Bennet) all around the world. At the last home, an old enigmatic acquaintence of Mo's shows up named Dustfinger (Bettany). All
of a sudden the next morning Mo packs up and leaves with Meggie without telling her what is going on. They travel to Meggie's Great Aunt Eleanor's (Mirren) house to stay at. Then
one night a bunch of thugs arrive at the house and kidnap Mo to take him to see Capricorn, a cruel and evil dictator. Meggie soon finds out that Mo has the ability to read characters out of
books. The only drawback is that when he brings something out of a story, something
must go back in to replace it. This is how Meggie lost her mother Theresa and
Capricorn and Dustfinger are characters from a book called Inkheart. Determined
to get Mo back, Meggie sets out with Eleanor to Capricorn's village. However, in
short of arriving there, both women are also abducted and locked up with Mo. Dustfinger soon comes to the rescue and smuggles them out with a boy who also came out
of a book named Farid. Now the group of them must find away to get another copy of Inkheart to send Capricorn and his thieves back into its pages.

6. THE PINK PANTHER 2

Steve Martin reprises his role as the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the modern-day farce. John Cleese will play chief inspector Dreyfus in the film. Garcia, Molina and Rai have signed on as detectives and experts who join forces with Clouseau to catch the thief who has been stealing artifacts around the world.

7. HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU

Based on the best-selling book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. The Baltimoreset
movie of interconnecting story arcs deals with the challenges of reading or misreading human behavior. Jennifer Connelly plays a woman stuck in a tired marriage with Cooper's character. Kevin Connolly, meanwhile, is a man pining after a woman, still not cast, who is having an
affair with Cooper. Goodwin is a young woman obsessed with Kevin Connolly's character who tries to set up accidental meetings with him only to run across his friend, played by Long,
who takes her on as a "My Fair Lady" experiment. Barrymore plays a woman perpetually confused by dating, now more than ever in a culture that is more obsessed with technology than
actual human contact.

8. FANBOYS

In this riotous new road movie from producer Kevin Spacey, a group of friends who are avid Star Wars fans travel west to see the Holly Grail of all sci-fi movies, "Star Wars: Episode I." The
year is 1999 and for these death star dorks, the Star Wars films are more than just movies; they are a way of life. So, after one of the group takes sick it is nothing short of a moral imperative
that the friends break into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch to watch the seminal scifi
picture together before its release. Enlisting the help of an estranged friend, who has traded in his Darth Vader mask for a proper day job, the adventure lays way to some extremely funny situations, including an outrageous brawl with some hard-core Trekkies.

9. CORALINE

A high-definition stop-motion animated feature - the first to be originally filmed in 3-D - with spectacular CG effects, based on Neil Gaiman's international best-selling book. A young girl
(Dakota Fanning) walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life - only much better. But when this wondrously off-kilter, fantastical adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents (including Other Mother [Teri Hatcher]) try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home - and save her family.

10. FRIDAY THE 13TH

Searching for his missing sister, Clay heads up to the eerie woods of legendary Crystal Lake where he stumbles on the creaky remains of rotting old cabins that lie in wait behind moss-covered trees. And that's not the only thing hiding under the brush. Against the advice of police and cautions from the locals, Clay pursues what few leads he has with the help of a young woman he meets among a group of college kids up for an all-thrills weekend. But they are about to find much more than they bargained for. Little do they know, they've entered the domain of one of the most terrifying specters in American film history - the infamous killer who haunts Crystal
Lake armed with a razor-sharp machete...Jason Voorhees.

11. THE INTERNATIONAL

In The International, a gripping thriller, Interpol Agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) are determined to bring to justice one of the world’s most powerful banks. Uncovering myriad and reprehensible illegal activities, Salinger and Whitman follow the money from Berlin to Milan to New York to Istanbul. Finding themselves in a highstakes chase across the globe, their relentless tenacity puts their own lives at risk as their targets will stop at nothing - even murder - to continue financing terror
and war. Directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) from an original screenplay written by Eric Singer, The International is being shot on location in Germany and throughout Europe.

12. STREET FIGHTER: LEGEND OF CHUN-LI

"Street Fighter" is a live-action feature film based on Capcom's video game. The new
film is focused on female fighter Chun Li and her journey for justice. Street Fighter main characters, Ryu and Ken will not be in this movie.

13. WATCHMEN

A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, "Watchmen" is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday
Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the watchmen?

14. KNOWING

In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule. But one of the students, a mysterious girl who seems to hear whispered voices, fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead. Fast forward 50 years to the present: A new generation of students examines the contents of the time capsule and the girl's cryptic message ends up in the hands of young Caleb Myles. But it is Caleb's father, professor Ted Myles (Nicolas Cage), who makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts with pinpoint accuracy the dates,
death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years. As Ted further unravels the document's secrets, he realizes it foretells three additional events-the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve Ted and his son. When Ted's attempts to alert the authorities fall on deaf ears, he takes it upon himself to try to prevent more destruction from taking place. This gripping supernatural thriller charts one man's faltering steps towards belief in the ultimate order of the universe even as he finds himself surrounded by mounting chaos. With the reluctant help of Diana Whelan (Rose Byrne) and Abby, the
daughter and granddaughter of the now-deceased author of the cryptic prophecies, Ted's increasingly desperate efforts take him on a heart-pounding race against time until he finds himself facing the ultimate disaster-and the ultimate sacrifice.

15. THE ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND

New York firefighter Patrick Sullivan had no idea his seemingly idyllic life was about to go up in smoke - especially as the unwitting, second-hand recipient of advice from famed love expert and radio host Dr. Emma Lloyd. One day he is a happy, golucky guy looking forward to a life with his soon-to-be-bride. The next thing you know, his fiancée Sophia is seeking couples counseling on the radio from Dr. Lloyd. The no-nonsense, ever practical Dr. Lloyd questions Sophia's concept of romantic love and advises her to break their engagement, which she swiftly does. But when Patrick and his computer-savvy neighbor decide to give Dr. Lloyd a taste of her own medicine and "accidentally" join them in holy matrimony - something that doesn't go over too well with her fiancée (played by Colin Firth) -- it isn't long before they learn that sometimes even an expert in love needs a second opinion...

16. MONSTERS VS. ALIENS

When California girl Susan Murphy is unexpectedly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall and is instantly labeled a "monster" named Ginormica. The military jumps into action, and she is captured and held in a secret government compound. The world learns that the military has been quietly rounding up other monsters over the years. This ragtag group consists of the brilliant but insect-headed Dr.
Cockroach, Ph.D.; the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link; the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B.; and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement time is cut short however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country. As a last resort, under the guidance of General W.R. Monger (on a desperate order from The President), the motley crew of Monsters is called into action to combat the aliens and save the world from imminent destruction.

17. FAST & FURIOUS

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker reteam for the ultimate chapter of the franchise built on speed -- "Fast and Furious." Heading back to the streets where it all began, they rejoin Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster to blast muscle, tuner and exotic cars across Los Angeles and floor through the Mexican desert in the new high-octane action-thriller. When a crime brings them back to L.A., fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto (Diesel) reignites his feud with agent Brian O'Conner (Walker). But as they are forced to confront a shared enemy, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmanuever him. And from convoy heists to precision tunnel crawls across international lines, two men will find the best way to get revenge: push the limits of what's possible behind the wheel.

18. DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION

[Based on] The King Piccolo Saga [Dragonball], also known as the Piccolo Daimaoh Saga (Demon Lord Piccolo Saga) is the penultimate saga from the anime Dragonball. It occurs after the Tien Shinhan Saga and precedes the Piccolo Junior Saga. It includes the battles between Goku and King Piccolo's sons, Goku's first encounter with the Samurai warrior, Yajirobe, Goku's quest to
find the Holy Water, his final battle with young King Piccolo, and the birth of Piccolo Junior. Appearances also made by Yamcha and Bulma but regretably not Pu'ar or Oolong, nor even Krillin. Ox King and his Daughter Chi Chi are speculated.

19. X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

Using several resources that include the Marvel Comics lore, along with the more recent Weapon X graphic novels by Frank Miller, "Wolverine" mixes action with an origin story about how Logan emerged from a barbaric experiment as an indestructible mutant with retractable razorsharp claws.

20. STAR TREK

The film explores the origins of James T. Kirk, Spock and the crew of the USS Enterprise from the original "Star Trek" series and how these iconic characters came together. According to rumors, the story involves an elder Spock (Nimoy) and a group of Romulans (led by Nero, played by Bana) being transplanted into the past where Spock must prevent the Romulans from
irreparably damaging the timeline. To do so, he will have to enlist the assistance of his younger self (Quinto).

21. ANGELS & DEMONS

The team behind the global phenomenon "The Da Vinci Code" returns for the highly anticipated "Angels & Demons," based upon the bestselling novel by Dan Brown. Tom Hanks reprises
his role as Harvard religious expert Robert Langdon, who once again finds that forces
with ancient roots are willing to stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their
goals. Ron Howard again directs the film, which is produced by Brian Grazer, Ron
Howard, and John Calley. The screenplay is by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman.
When Langdon discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati - the most powerful underground organization in history - he also faces a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization's most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. When Langdon learns that the clock is ticking on an unstoppable Illuminati time bomb, he jets to Rome, where he joins forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and enigmatic Italian scientist. Embarking on a nonstop, action-packed hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra will follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that mark the Vatican's only hope for survival.

22. TERMINATOR SALVATION

In the highly anticipated new installment of "The Terminator" film franchise, set in postapocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the
human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor
was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

23. NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN

Sequel to the box office hit will bring the dead presidents and extinct animals of the "Museum at the Museum" back to life. Original film featured single father Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), as he
grudgingly accepts the supposedly menial graveyard shift as a security guard at the Natural History Museum. To his utter astonishment and disbelief, Larry watches in shock and awe as,
one by one, the primeval beasts and storied icons that surround him stir magically to life - and total havoc ensues.

24. UP
-
From Disney•Pixar comes “Up,” a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon
salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great
adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the
wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has
stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer
named Russell. From the Academy Award®-nominated director Pete Docter
(Monsters, Inc.), Disney•Pixar’s “Up” invites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth. “Up” will be presented in Disney Digital 3-D in select theaters.

25. THE PROPOSAL

When high-powered book editor Margaret (Sandra Bullock) faces deportation to her
native Canada, the quick-thinking exec declares that she's actually engaged to her
unsuspecting put-upon assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), who she's tormented for
years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his
own. The unlikely couple heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family (Mary
Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White) and the always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after another. With an impromptu wedding in the works and an immigration official on their tails, Margaret and Andrew reluctantly vow to stick to the
plan despite the precarious consequences.

26. TRANSFORMERS 2: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots return for the live action follow up to Michael Bay's 2007 blockbuster "Transformers."

27. ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS

The continuing adventures of Manny, Sid & Diego.

28. PUBLIC ENEMIES

An adaptation of Brian Burrough's book "Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-43," the film centers on the government's attempt to stop
John Dillinger and his gang. Depp is playing Dillinger to Bale's famed FBI agent Melvin Purvis. Wenham is playing Pete Pierpont, a member of Dillinger's crew who has a violent hostility
to all authority. British actor Graham will portray Baby Face Nelson.

29. 2012

"2012" revolves a family who goes on vacation in December 2012, just as the Mayan calendar is coming to a close. Over the decades, many have prophesized that the world will end when the ancient calendar ceases on Dec. 21, 2012.

30. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

The war against Voldemort is not going well; even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from
Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already
suffered losses. And yet... As in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to
Apparate - and lose a few eyebrows in the process. The Weasley twins expand their business. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. So it's the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter. Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort - and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.

31. G.I. JOE: RISE OF COBRA

"G.I. Joe," the live-action feature based on Hasbro's line of action figures. While some
remember the character from its gung-ho fighting man '60s incarnation, he's evolved.
G.I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil
organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer. The property is closer in tone to "X-Men" and James Bond than a war film.

32. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Inglourious Basterds begins in Germanoccupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo
Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as "The Basterds," Raine's squad joins German actress and undercover
agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a
revenge plan of her own...

33. THE SURROGATES

FBI agents (Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell) investigate the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows
people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves—fit, good looking remotely controlled machines that ultimately assume their life roles—enabling people to experience life
vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes. The murder spawns a quest for answers: in a world of masks, who's real and who can you trust?

34. PLANET 51

Animated sci-fi tale set on "Planet 51," whose inhabitants live in fear of an alien invasion. Their paranoia is realized when astronaut Capt. Charles "Chuck" Baker arrives from Earth.
Befriended by a young resident, the astronaut has to avoid capture in order to recover his spaceship and return home.

35. AVATAR

"Avatar" is the story of a wounded exmarine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival.

36. THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others,
Dr Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. Long ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr Nick, in which he won immortality. Many centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his first-born reached its 16th birthday he or she would become the property of Mr Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this 'coming of age' milestone and Dr Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet,
renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey,
Dr Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr Parnassus must
fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles - and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all...

37. SPY HUNTER

In this adaptation of the 1983 video game, The Rock will play a former F-15 pilot Alec Sects who joins a government agency called International Espionage Services (IES) and a group called Spy
Hunters. With his experimental car the G-6155 Interceptor, Alec and the Spy Hunters are told to bring down the leader of an organization called NOSTRA International, Daemon Curry. Of course this organization wants world domination and are equipped with their own high-tech gear.

Hollywood Reporter

2010-02-15T00:21:00.000-08:00

After exploring the romantic angst of vampires in "Twilight," Summit is developing an action-oriented take on the most famous of the fanged: Dracula.

This one already comes with its own heartthrob in the form of Brad Pitt.

The company has picked up "Vlad," a script by actor Charlie Hunnam, and is in negotiations with music video and photographer Anthony Mandler to direct the project. Pitt is producing, not acting, with Dede Gardner via the duo's Plan B Entertainment production shingle.

"Vlad" centers on Dracula as a young prince; he is known to history as Vlad the Impaler, the man behind the Dracula myth.

Summit picked up "Vlad" awhile ago, developing it quietly, but when execs saw Mandler's reel, the project got a shot in the arm.

Mandler is a music-video director who has worked with Rhianna (helming 10 of her videos), the Killers and Eminem. Execs were wowed by the reel he prepared, which drew comparisons to Zack Snyder and his work on "300"; Summit tried to land the latter project before it ultimately was made at Warner Bros.

With "Vlad," Summit hopes to make a visually edgy and radical period movie that also will break a new talent.

Mandler will oversee a polish of the script.

Summit president of production Erik Feig and vp production Meredith Milton are overseeing the project. Jeremy Kleiner will oversee for Plan B.

Hunnam stars in FX’s “Sons of Anarchy,” recently picked up for a third season, and is shooting “The Ledge,” which Matthew Chapman is directing and stars Peter Sarsgaard, Evan Rachel Wood and Terrence Howard. He is repped by WME and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

Mandler, repped by UTA and Management 360, is also developing "Allegra" with Gregory David Roberts, the author of "Shantaram."

Activision Publishing, maker of the hit videogame "Band Hero," is standing up to the band No Doubt with a new countersuit alleging breach of contract.

In an answer and counterclaim filed last week, Activision accuses the band of failing to do its due diligence on the videogame before signing away its digital likeness, breaching a contract to provide marketing and promotion to the game, and being unjustly enriched by their inclusion in the game.

Last month, No Doubt set the stage for a very interesting court fight with Activision.

The band was unhappy that "Band Hero" allowed game-players to manipulate avatars to engage in unapproved acts, from having a Gwen Stefani virtual character perform the Rolling Stone's "Honky Tonk Woman" in a male voice to making band members do unrealistic dance moves. In a claim in federal court, the band asserted that its agreement with Activision granting publicity rights didn't cover these unanticipated features.

The game publisher admits that "Band Hero" allows players to "unlock" in-game characters in a variety of ways, but it says these features have been "publicly known" since the "Guitar Hero" franchise first appeared in 2005. The band participated in the motion-capture production process for the game, says Activision.

So who is breaching the contract?

Activision says it's No Doubt, by failing to live up to contractual obligations to promote the game. Since the band is allegedly failing in that regard, Activision believes that No Doubt has "obtained benefits from its inclusion" in the game and wants the band to disgorge all payments and pay damages.

Warner Bros. will release the next two "Harry Potter" films in 3D, a move underscoring the post-"Avatar" rush for extra-dimensional boxoffice.

Studio executives on lots around town have been scrutinizing film slates for opportunities to expand forays into 3D releasing. Warners has been testing footage from its upcoming "Clash of the Titans" -- converted into 3D by an outside vendor -- and the tests have gone so well that execs have decided to release not only "Titans" but also the two-part "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" in 3D.

Warners refused to confirm the decisions Tuesday, but an announcement on "Titans" -- a co-production with Legendary Pictures -- is expected by week's end. Official word on the "Potter" pics also is awaited.

Conversion expenses have been coming down, so each film will cost just $5 million to change into 3D. Warners also will absorb an additional $5 million expense per pic to pay for 3D glasses for exhibitors handling the movies.

In a related move, Warners will push back the release of "Titans" one week to April 2. "Deathly Hallows: Part I" is set to unspool Nov. 19, and "Part II" is slotted for July 15, 2011.

The only previous "Potter" pic to dabble in 3D was last year's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," which included brief footage viewable in 3D in Imax venues. It was unclear whether "Potter" author J.K. Rowling had to OK the move into the third dimension.

As for the impact on boxoffice prospects for the final two "Potter" sequels, consider the more imminent situation with "Titans."

A remake of a 1981 film starring Laurence Olivier, "Titans" previously might have been expected to fetch no more than $200 million domestically, and even that was an aggressive projection. Released in 3D, Warners figures to reap well north of $200 million, with 2007's $211 million domestic grosser "300" considered a beatable benchmark.

"Titans" in 3D also is considered a safe bet to best the $245 million in foreign coin that Warners fetched with "300."

The "Titans" move is not without risk. The installed base of 3D movie screens has been growing rapidly, but it's not sufficient to release the film entirely in 3D.

That should be less of a concern by the time the next "Potter" hits multiplexes. But execs also are quietly confident of getting enough 3D playdates for "Titans."

"I would not think it would be an issue to establish ourselves in the 3D marketplace with 'Titans,' " a studio insider said. "By sliding it back a week, we should at least have enough screens in the major markets."

Warners should secure upward of 1,000 playdates for "Titans," which will unspool a week after Paramount bows DreamWorks Animation's spring tentpole "How to Train Your Dragon."

The "Titans" move might spur further reshuffling in the spring release calendar, as its new date makes for a fifth wide opener set for Easter weekend, which historically is a solid boxoffice session but hardly one to support that many big pics.

Other wide openers set for April 2 include Fox's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," a likely PG-rated film adapted from a book series popular with middle-schoolers; Disney's PG-rated Miley Cyrus starrer "The Last Song," adapted from a Nicholas Sparks novel; Universal's futuristic action thriller "Repo Men," starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker; and Lionsgate's latest Tyler Perry pic, "Why Did I Get Married Too?"

Meantime, the move of "Potter" into the extra dimension could prompt other high-profile moves. Could a 3D James Bond loom?

Warners' decision with its "Potter" franchise is likely at least to prompt 3D discussions between MGM and 007 producers. But unlike Warners' incremental move with the "Potter" franchise -- going with full-on 3D only after an initial foray into partial Imax 3D -- Lion execs would be starting at square one in talks on Bond.

Still, there is the siren call of those extra-dimensional dollars -- and other 3D currencies. In addition to lusting after "Avatar"-like boxoffice, industry execs have taken note of how well 3D pics play overseas.

Warners 3D horror pic "The Final Destination" overperformed internationally this summer, and Sony's 2D "Zombieland" did less than one-fourth as well overseas as domestically a few months later.

Perhaps by no coincidence, Sony might send "Spider-Man" into the third dimension with the webslinger's next pic.

In this corner is Guy Ritchie, master of visual con-game action movies that tend toward all-style-no-substance. In that corner is Sherlock Holmes, the cerebral master sleuth who solves crimes with quiet deduction, intense concentration and a seven-percent solution. It's no contest: The winner is Ritchie in a pyrotechnical knockout.

"Sherlock Holmes" goes wrong in many ways except for one -- at the boxoffice. Credit action uber-producer Joel Silver for recognizing that the only way to revive Sherlock Holmes for contemporary audiences is by turning him into Jason Bourne and hiring someone like Ritchie to overload the senses with chases, fights, effects, editing, bombastic noise and music. Warner Bros. should have a large hit this holiday season with "(Not) Sherlock Holmes."

Even the Holmes/Watson pairing is odd, but if the film concentrated at all on character, it might have worked. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law certainly don't fit previous castings, which is fine, only they're a little too much alike. Both are glib, smart, good-looking guys and fine actors of about the same age and build. If Downey would hand his pipe to Law, they could switch roles from scene to scene.

The two banter a lot with faux hostility, which adds little to what the film takes for wit and subtracts a good deal from whatever suspense the action is meant to generate. If the protagonists crack wise, what danger can they possibly be in?

Each is given a love interest of sorts: Kelly Reilly as Watson's fiancee, who doesn't much care for his pal, and Rachel McAdams as "the only woman ever to have bested Holmes." All of which might have been interesting if the women didn't disappear for chunks of the movie.

The plot? Wish you hadn't asked. One is not meant to completely understand it, of course; you never do in a Ritchie movie. McAdams' Irene Adler drops by Baker Street when Holmes is in one of his stir-crazy fits -- this happens whenever he's between cases. She pays him to find a missing midget.

Before Holmes can say, "The game's afoot," he and a reluctant Watson are ensnared with ritualistic murders, black magic, a diabolical magician (Mark Strong), a resurrection from the grave and an attack on Parliament right out of the Gunpower Plot of 1605. All that's missing is Guy Fawkes.

As is Ritchie's signature style, as fast as the movie flies by, it can abruptly freeze and backtrack to show audiences what they missed but Holmes did not: the muddy boot, a key dropped into a shirt, a blank bullet slipped into a gun chamber. Or the film can flash ahead, as in a completely gratuitous bare-knuckle fight Holmes engages in, where he imagines in slow and stop motion the next one-two-three moves that will cripple his opponent.

The sets and CGI backdrops give Ritchie a post-Industrial Revolution London of grimy backstreets, congested thoroughfares and a bustling, bridge-building riverfront that's an ancestor to the milieu for his modern gangster films. Philippe Rousselot's cinematography smoothy marries the various components, the great matte shots and CGI into a smart-looking film.

Hans Zimmer has composed better film scores but none noisier than this one. It begins with banging drums, then descends into a cacophony of sounds from furious fiddles to Irish airs. This film is never quiet.

It also doesn't operate at less than warp speed. So there is no time for Downey and Law to develop anything more than a jaunty repartee. Because this is Holmes and Watson we clearly haven't met before, one wonders: How did they meet and why is Watson's medical practice in Holmes' Baker Street flat? What binds them together other than this being a buddy movie?

Downey plays the detective as if he were -- and there are literary grounds for this -- under the influence of any number of substances. He treats the world as a reality belonging to others but not his, one where he might investigate its phenomenon but never get much involved.

Law's Watson pleads for a normal life that would include a wife and his own domicile but acts more like a confirmed bachelor. Yes, their relationship does have a latent homoerotic undertone.

McAdams and Reilly do well with thinly written roles, delivering enough energy and wit to give their few scenes a spark. Strong makes a menacing presence -- something like a Bond villain, two dimensional yet memorable -- and Eddie Marsan has fun with Holmes' long-suffering Scotland Yard counterpart, Inspector Lestrade.

Hollywood Stars Valentine's Day

2010-02-11T03:10:00.000-08:00

"Valentine's Day'' might boast the most shirtless dudes we've seen in a movie since "300.'' Ironically enough, the often bare-chested "Twilight'' star Taylor Lautner isn't one of them.

If this Hallmark card of a film didn't already make it clear, the beefy bodies of "Valentine's Day'' does: This is a movie aimed squarely at women and, one supposes, their unfortunate accompanying dates.

Set in Los Angeles, the film begins with the baritone voice of a "DJ Romeo Midnight'' announcing that in honor of Valentine's Day, he's going to play "the songs you love and the songs you love to love to.''

We have Ashton Kutcher, as a pink-clad florist, paired with his reluctant fiance, played by Jessica Alba. Jennifer Garner, a teacher, is matched with a cheating Patrick Dempsey. Anne Hathaway, paying the bills as a phone sex operator, is falling for Topher Grace.

Teen love is represented in the pairs of Emma Roberts and Carter Jenkins, and Lautner and Taylor Swift, making her feature film debut as a bouncy airhead. Our elderly couple is Shirley MacLaine and Hector Elizondo. We also get a little puppy love in a fifth grader played by Bryce Robinson.

Our freelancers include Jamie Foxx as a cynical sports reporter, Kathy Bates as his boss, Eric Dane as a Brett Favre-esque retiring quarterback, Queen Latifah as his agent, Jennifer Biel as his publicist, George Lopez as a happily married man (whose wife is the only one virtually left out of the movie's pairings), Bradley Cooper as a jet-set businessman, and his airliner seatmate Julia Roberts, absurdly playing an Army captain on leave of duty.

Many of these luminaries will - not unlike real-life Hollywood - play musical chairs on one fateful Valentine's Day. Cynicism will be defeated and love will triumph. Teenage sex will be treated fearfully. The kindness of airline workers will be relied on to fathom the importance of a dramatic moment.

To his credit, director Garry Marshall juggles the many overlapping story lines successfully, though "Valentine's Day'' is obviously strained by the excess. Marshall is a funny man who has, in a long career, made some excellent movies and some lamentable ones ("Runaway Bride'').

"Valentine's Day'' is exactly what it professes to be: an overdose of sentimentality. One certainly can't mistake it, like one confused 5th grader in the film does, for anything related to the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. But the reference is enough to make one wish for "Scarface,'' or, if love is still on the menu, "Some Like it Hot.''

Los Angeles – Director Garry Marshall sure knows how to throw a party. He just starts with making a movie jam-packed with a who's who list of Hollywood superstars, then invites everyone to the premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. That's just what happened on Monday, Feb. 8, when Marshall hosted his "Valentine's Day" premiere and party in the heart of Tinseltown, and his actors flocked to the red-and-pink carpet.

Julia Roberts and her niece Emma Roberts led the way; they both have roles in the multi-generational comedy-romance. For the elder Roberts, it was a return to the familiar with Marshall, who made her a star a long time ago.

"There were a lot of 'Pretty Women' people on the movie," Roberts mused at an earlier press conference, referring to Hector Elizondo and Larry Miller, who both star in "Valentine's Day," too and joined her and Marshall at the glittery premiere.

"We laughed about a lot of things. Particularly how old we've all gotten in twenty years. Twenty years older, in fact, in twenty years. Now I just do whatever Garry wants me to do. I'm his comedy slave every ten years. We did 'Pretty Woman,' and then ten years later we did 'Runaway Bride,' and then ten years later we did 'Valentine's Day'!"

Julia Roberts may feel a bit old at 42, and she was certainly surrounded by beautiful youngsters both in the film and at the premiere. Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, and Christine Lakin glowed, while Taylor Lautner, Ashton Kutcher, and Bradley Cooper caused the massed fans across the street from the theater to scream uncontrollably.

They all star in the comedy, along with a gang of other hotties who came to the celebration, including Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Eric Dane, Topher Grace, and Jennifer Garner, whose lacy Valentino sheath proved she's back in shape after the birth of her second daughter with hubby Ben Affleck. He stayed home with the kids, but many others in the cast brought their famous families. Eric Dane brought his pregnant wife Rebecca Gayheart, and Demi Moore and her daughter Rumer Willis joined Ashton Kutcher for the fete.

And it was the happily married Kutcher who explained the underlying message of "Valentine's Day" at the press conference, encouraging audiences to spread the love they'll hopefully feel after seeing the film.

"When it comes to love, everybody wants to receive it but at the end of the day you don't get to receive it until you start to give it," he said.

Hollywood News

2010-02-10T02:03:00.000-08:00

t is the quickest and least expensive way of getting the leads and contact names in advance. (Subscribers avoid the heavy research costs of trying to find events and the proper contacts to cover them.)

Emailed (or Faxed) Monday through Friday, the Calendars are constantly updated. Full details five days in advance; major events two to three weeks in advance. Our 24-hour Hotline gives you access to last-minute news alerts.

I realize that Luke Snyder doesn’t care what I think but I just want to say, ‘Hey Luke! Damian’s gone! Count your lucky stars – and your inheritance!)

But Luke is determined to find out what happened to the creepy Damian and goes to the Oakdale cops who, I’m sure, will be of no help since they never are! Holden, the man who raised Luke, is not happy with this because, well, he may have killed Damian in a fight.

“I need to find Damian and I need him to explain this to me to my face,” he tells Holden who’s probably thinking, ‘Not gonna happen, he’s toast.”

Holden reminds Luke that “family is more than DNA … you’re a Snyder – always have been.”

Because I read a snarky comment about him last night on Twitter and decided to show my appreciation for the star of The Matrix trilogy as well as such memorable films as My Private Idaho, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Point Break, The Devil’s Advocate, A Walk in the Clouds, Speed, Something’s Gotta Give, The Gift, Constantine and many other films over the past 20-plus years.

Keanu, now 45, has been around long enough as a leading man that he certainly deserves some respect. I never found him more appealing than opposite Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give but also liked him in the less successful The Replacements and Sweet November.

I’ve never done a sit down interview with Keanu but I have had a couple of red carpet encounters with him, including at the Oscars 3-4 years back. I found him to have a good energy and very professional – a movie star who is very good at his job.

I think that’s why he’s lasted so long.

Love Portia de Rossi, the lovely actress who was so good in Ally McBeal, Arrested Development and Nip/Tuck. She’s currently in the ABC comedy Better Off Ted and, of course, is married to Ellen DeGeneres.

“It’s one thing to have attention; it’s one thing to stand for something,” she says in an Advocate cover story regarding her marriage to Ellen. “But unless it’s backed up with genuine happiness, I think people can sense that it’s not worth celebrating.”

“Ever since Ellen and I got together, I feel like I’ve been given an opportunity to actually—God, this sounds corny…” She rolls her eyes at herself, fidgets, and then forges ahead. “Well, I feel like my life can actually kind of stand for something. And I don’t mean that in a self-aggrandizing way, like, ‘Look at me, I can make a difference.’ But I feel like, maybe I get why I’m here. … Maybe by sharing my life, I can make people more aware of how important gay marriage is.”
“I think it’s up to us to save marriage,” she adds. “Up to gay people across the country, seeing as though we’re fighting for it so vehemently.” De Rossi has an impressive ability to marry the personal and political: “This whole thing has been a wave of excitement and hope, and then it gently falls back into despair. And then it picks us up again. Unfortunately, we’re the ones who have to suffer this—this humiliation, really. There’s kind of a dignity that’s been stripped from us. Gay people are the ones who have to suffer through it—but without it, it won’t change.”

Anne Hathaway, star of The Devil Wears Prada and an Oscar nominee for Rachel Getting Married, tell GQ that she left the Catholic Church after her older brother came out as a gay man.

“The whole family converted to Episcopalianism after my elder brother came out,” she said. “Why should I support an organisation that has a limited view of my beloved brother? So I’m… nothing. Fuck it, I’m forming. I’m a work in progress.”

Good for Anne!

BARROWMAN IS ALIVE: John Barrowman, the star of the smash hit Torchwood and upcoming guest star on several episodes of Desperate Housewives, really gets to show what he can do when he performs on stage.

On London’s West End, Barrowman has been a smash in such shows as Anything Goes, Hair, The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, Miss Saigon, Godspell, The Fix and most recently in a revival of La Cage aux Folles. But one of his greatest triumphs was the role of Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard.

It’s not easy being Luke Snyder.

His boyfriend Noah has gone blind and the hot doctor who’s going to restore his sight doesn’t want Luke anywhere near the hospital. Then his biological dad, the creepy Damian, leaves town under mysterious circumstances and leaves Luke in charge of this huge corporation where nobody wants to do what he says.

Then on Friday’s episode, he finds out that Damian tried to kill his aunt Meg! Meg is the sister of Holden, the man who raised Luke as his own and who possibly killed Damian – or at least it seems that way. Some stranger comes to the door and hands Luke’s mom, Lily, Damian’s wallet which he found floating in the water.

Hollywood Movies

2010-02-09T02:05:00.000-08:00

Hollywood is the land of stars to its visitors, you can visit your favorite Celebrity Grave or drive past Celebrity Homes and Famous Houses. Whilst driving you will also recognize many famous Film Locations, from films which the stars appeared in. The world famous Beverly Hills, Sunset Boulevard and Sunset Strip are just a few minutes away, as is the Hollywood Bowl, and opposite is the historic "Barn" where the worlds first full length movie was made. The grave and last home of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe are both within easy reach and visited daily by her admirers. The world famous Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard shopping districts can be found not far away, as can the "Hard Rock Cafe" and the unique "Tail of the Pup" hotdog stand which has appeared in numerous films. Visitors to the area will be unable to miss the famous Hollywood Sign set in the Hollywood Hills. Hollywood Boulevard is also a destination most tourists won't want to miss. The Hollywood Walk of Fame comprises of 18 blocks of stars embedded in the sidewalk that honor Hollywood stars of the past and present. Grauman's Chinese Theatre is a must see attraction along Hollywood Boulevard. Here, you can match your foot and handprints with the stars in this famous landmark's courtyard. The theatre itself opened in 1927, the same year movie idols began leaving their hand and footprints outside the building. Today over 200 prints of Hollywood legends exist for tourists to see. Hollywood is brimming with the faces of the stars, and murals can be found in all kinds of places. A short walk past Grauman's Chinese Theatre is the Hollywood Entertainment Museum where you can see how movies and TV shows are made or sit in Captain Kirk's chair on the Starship Enterprise or Norm's at the Cheers set. If you don't catch a glimpse of a real-life celebrity, stare as long as you want to at the life like figures in the Hollywood Wax Museum. Or, feel the excitement of movie-making on one of the famous Hollywood Studio Tours.

Hollywood became part of greater Los Angeles in 1910, and just one year later the first motion picture studio was established. Today, Hollywood is synonymous with the film industry, portraying visions of glamour and nostalgia unmatched anywhere else in the world.

Los Angeles, known as "L.A." or the "City of Angels", is the largest city in the state of California and the second-largest in the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood and is the county seat of Los Angeles County. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a population of 3.8 million and is the core cultural and economic center of the Los Angeles - Long Beach - Santa Ana metropolitan area, with a population of 12.9 million. Los Angeles is one of the world's most important centers of culture, science, technology, international trade, and higher education. It has also hosted two Olympic Games - in 1932 and 1984 and is home to numerous world-renowned institutions of a broad range of professional and cultural fields. In addition, the city is arguably the world's leading producer of popular entertainment such as motion pictures, television, and recorded music which forms the base of its international fame and global status. Los Angeles is also one of the most cosmopolitan places in the world. People have long been attracted to the world-class city for its balmy weather, unique and vibrant lifestyle, laid-back energy, Pacific Rim Gateway status, and the hope of realizing the "American Dream."

Los Angeles has year round sunshine, palm trees & fabulous golden beaches making Los Angeles one of god's paradises on earth. "Los Angeles" covers over 1000 sq. miles and consists of 88 incorporated cities & dozens of individual neighborhoods many of which have their own city halls, police forces & fire brigades. Whilst all the major attractions are widely advertised, there are far more which are not. These attractions plus many more can all be found on this website, allowing you before departure to familiarize yourself with Los Angeles & Hollywood - Movie Capital of the World.

How is a Hollywood film genre created, and who creates it? The answer is really quite uncomplicated. There are two creators of film genre; the audience and the studio. While popular forms of genre entertainment had already existed in fiction and theater, it was the film industry that brought this type of entertainment to its peak. In the early days of motion picture production movie studios would produce films that were universal in appeal. It was their hope that any film they made would be loved by everyone regardless of who they were or how old they may be.

Whether or not you think Unbreakable was a great movie, you almost have to agree it was a great idea for a movie. It's a grown-up superhero film, without the silly costumes or CGI monsters or preposterous plans to take over the world -- Just a taut battle of wills between extraordinary men, both of the roles played by charismatic superstars. But right as the story reaches its crucial apex, where the hero tracks down the evil genius and realizes he must Stop Him at All Costs, the film abruptly ends. Credits.

That there was supposed to be a sequel (in fact, a trilogy, according to Willis) is obvious. What is not obvious is what in the holy hell M. Night Shyamalan was thinking.

Dan Aykroyd has been desperately pushing for a Ghostbusters sequel for over a decade (yes, we're refusing to acknowledge that Ghostbusters 2 exists). He wrote a script years ago called Ghostbusters: Hellbent (later changed to the more descriptive Ghostbusters in Hell when co-conspirator Harold Ramis got involved) where the ghostbusting crew wind up in a version of New York that exists only in Hell. As the original actors aged and the film continued to not get made, the script was changed to accommodate new, younger group of comedy all-stars to play newly-hired ghostbusters-which, for better or worse, was going to include Ben Stiller.