Sequels

Think of your favorite movies.  A lot of movies have sequels to them.  Some of the most successful films have sequels.  Movies such as Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Saw, and Harry Potter.  These are all very different films, what they have in common are sequels.

It always seems likes the original movies are the best, but sometimes, the second or third sequel quickly becomes your favorite.  For instance, everyone loves the American Pie films.  As much as I love the first film, the second is my favorite.

For some people, sequels keep getting better and better.  I am not at all a fan of the Harry Potter films, but from what I am told, the films are better each time a new one comes out. 

Maybe the reason sequels are better is because after doing the original, it is easier to make improvements and adjusments.  After seeing how the audience reacts the the first film, the creators have a better opportunity to make a better and more creative sequel.

For those who aren’t that crazy about sequels, maybe the originals are better.  The fact that the first film is original and sets the bar for the next films to come says a lot.  The first film has to be successful in order for there to even be sequels.

This summer has great sequels coming up.  Sequels from movies such as Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and Harry Potter.  At http://geeksofdoom.com/2008/02/12/2008-movie-sequel-guide/, you are given a list of what sequels are coming out in 2008.  With each movie, it also tells you what films came before that particular sequel.  It’s an interesting and informative website to check out.  Find out which of your favorite sequels are coming out soon.

The Animation Process

Think about your favorite animated movies. Do you ever think about how they are made?  Everytime I watch a Disney movie, I am constantly asking myself, “how do they do that?”  I used to just think that the artist would just draw one million different pictures and flip them, one after the other to make the pictures come alive.  Obviously, the process is much more difficult than that.   At www.Justdisney.com, there are ten steps that are involved in creating an animation feature.  In the animation section of this website, they go through the process of making their films.  They will walk you through and explain each step in this process.

Technology has improved so much since the beginning of animation.  If you look back at older animated films, they look faded and hand drawn.  An example of this would be Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dworfs.  Artists painted the background of the film on glass and then joined it with other backgrounds that were painted on glass as well.  The purpose of this is “to create the illusion of extreme movement” (www.justdisney.com).

More recent movies aren’t created the same way.  Today, animated films come to life with the use of computers, and scanners. 

Even though many people enjoy viewing the positive changes made over time in animation, it is very interesting to see how it all began.  It’s hard for many people to imagine what life would be like without improvements in technology.  To be honest, things would be fine.  As far as animation goes anyways.  I am interested to learn more about the process.

Top Selling Movies of All Time

Have you ever wondered how popular your favorite films are?  I always wonder if the movies that I love are loved by other people as well.  On www.imdb.com, you can see the list of All-Time Worldwide Box Office.  This website will show you the highest selling movie of all time all the way to the lowest.  The list consists of three hundred and twenty five different films.  I looked at the list and counted one hundred and fifty nine movies that I have seen on that list. 

It is really interesting to see how much money all of these different movies made at the box office.  It should come at no surprise that the number one movie of all time at the box office is Titanic.  I don’t know how many of you have seen this film, but it does not come as a shock to me that it made $1,835,300,000 (www.imdb.com). 

The Top 10 on this list are (www.imdb.com):

1) Titanic

2) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

3) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

4) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

5) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

6) Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

7) Star Wars Episode I- The Phantom Menace

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

9) Jurassic Park

10) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

After looking at the list, it seems that the most popular films, are the first and sequals of a movie.  I imagine this is because many people are so interested to see what will happen next.  To check out more of the list go to www.imdb.com.

Meaningful Movies

What movies have touched you the most?  Are they the memorable sports movies with a heroic ending?  I personally have been touched by movies such as “A Walk to Remember”, “Fried Green Tomatos” and “Remember the Titans”.  These are three very different films with very differnt characters and plots.  Somehow they have all made me feel so emotional and touched.

“A Walk to Remember” is a movie about two teens who come from totally different backgrounds who fall in love with each other.  At the peak of their relationship, one of the two find out that they have lukemia.  This character eventually dies.  This was one of the most emotional movies that I have ever seen.

“Fried Green Tomatos” is a movie about the strong bond between two women.  They have completely different personalities.  They are like day and night, yet they are the perfect friends.  It’s a story about loyalty, friendship, and honor.

“Remember the Titans” is a sports film and it is a true story.  It is a story about an interacial football team during the 1970’s.  They overcome a lot of adversity all throughout the movie.  They deal with racism, prejudice, and life or death situations.  While dealing with all of these issues, this team comes together to form a brotherhood, a bond, and a new kind of respect for each other to accomplish their goal.

 All of these films have their own specific story.  They all have their own memorable endings.  These movies have all touched me in a different way.  They helped me discover different things about myself.