Movie MemorabiliaMovie Memorabilia And Movie Reviews

You can’t spend thousands of dollars on a Plasma TV and then slap a set of “rabbit ears” on it! This is the 21st century . . . you can’t expect to plug old style broadcast or cable into a Plasma TV and get a decent picture. A High Def Plasma TV is four times sharper than your old picture tube TV. It needs a high octane, finely detailed signal to produce that crystal sharp Plasma screen image you expect and deserve.

If you are willing to pay the price for a High Def Plasma, go all the way and upgrade to digital cable so you’ll have a HDTV signal to go with it. Of course you should buy a home theater system with a High Def DVD player, and get several good sets of HDMI cables to connect everything.

With your new Big Screen TV connected to a Dolby Surround Sound system, a HDTV DVD player and digital cable, you can sit back with your family and enjoy your splendid new Home Theater!

And also never forget to budget for all the peripherals you’re going to need. For full enjoyment of your new Plasma TV, you can’t just buy the TV and sit back grinning. You’re going to need other stuff: HDMI cables for each peripheral, surge protectors, a TV stand or wall mount, a HDTV DVD player and digital cable for High Definition broadcasts. You’ll also need an amplifier with at least Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, a subwoofer and speakers and a comfortable viewing area. “Home Theater in A Box” systems start at $200 with Dolby 5.1 and go up to more than $1000 for Dolby 6.1 and 7.1 systems.

If you are willing to pay the price for a High Def Plasma, go all the way and upgrade to digital cable so you’ll have a HDTV signal to go with it. Of course you should buy a home theater system with a High Def DVD player, and get several good sets of HDMI cables to connect everything. With your new Big Screen TV connected to a Dolby Surround Sound system, a HDTV DVD player and digital cable, you can sit back with your family and enjoy your splendid new Home Theater! You’re going to need other stuff: HDMI cables for each peripheral, surge protectors, a TV stand or wall mount, a HDTV DVD player and digital cable for High Definition broadcasts.

I’m not trying to scare you. A modest system can cost less than $300 if you hook up your old stereo, DVD player and VCR to the Plasma TV. This will not give you HDTV or Dolby sound, but it will beat the crappy built-in speakers.

A good system (with HDTV DVD player and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound) should cost in the range of $800-$1000. The sky is the limit for the price of a Top of the Line Home Theater System (Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound, soundproofing, TiVo, digital cable, theater seating); prices start at $1500 and go up. None of the above cost estimates includes the price of a Big Screen HDTV Plasma, DLP or LCD TV.

By: Bob Willson

Bob helps people understand the DISH Network DISH TV Service and DISH Network receivers. He can help you find the best DISH Network Deals for new customers.

Certainly you know that shopping for a Plasma TV can be both scary and confusing! All you want to do is buy a Big Screen TV, but you’re forced to tip toe through a minefield of complicated new technology. Never buy a Plasma Television from a “No-Name” Retailer. Don’t get me wrong here. I love small businesses; quirky little antique shops, comic book stores, even fruit stands on the highway. Small business is the engine that drives our economy . . . and the last place you want to buy a Plasma TV.

As fond as I am of small businesses, I know that they often don’t have the motivation or the means to protect their retail reputation the way a major corporation does. It’s very important to purchase your Plasma TV from a well known, reputable dealer selling brand name merchandise.

Protect yourself by purchasing your Plasma from someone who offers helpful information instead of sales pitches. The merchant should be willing to guarantee his or her products and offer a 30-day return or replacement policy. You know the big retailers you and your family has trusted all your lives; now is when that trust really counts. Let that trust guide you to the retailer you want to deal with. The return of a faulty $2000 Plasma TV won’t bankrupt a corporation like Wal-Mart, Panasonic or Sony; but it could devastate a Mom and Pop electronics store. Just buying Plasma at some high priced electronics stores could devastate your wallet. Bottom line – Make major purchases with a major retailers offering brand name Plasmas at a discount price.

You should also make sure that you don’t Fall for Plasma Internet Scams! Everyone love to shop on the internet! However, I’ve seen what look like great deals on Plasma TVs online. But exactly what is a great deal? A great deal means getting great merchandise at a great price.
Never buy a Plasma Television from a “No-Name” Retailer. Don’t get me wrong here. I love small businesses; quirky little antique shops, comic book stores, even fruit stands on the highway. Small business is the engine that drives our economy . . . and the last place you want to buy a Plasma TV.

You may have seen great prices, but what kind of merchandise are they selling? Has the Plasma been returned, has it been revamped, is it “gray market” or “B stock” merchandise, is the seller an authorized retailer? There are internet scams, auction scams and lots of deceiving spam. The seller should be willing to give you his real name and address. He should have a written replacement or return policy. Anything else amounts to begging some con man to tear you off!

Internet scammers will sell “gray market” Plasmas that have been returned or repaired as if they were new TVs, with no way for you to get a return or refund. It’s rare for these people to qualify to become authorized dealers. Buy the best brand name Plasma TV you can afford; search top retailer’s web sites to find sale prices from authorized dealers.

By: Bob Jackson

Bob helps people understand the DISH Network DISH TV Service and DISH Network receivers. He can help you find the best DISH Network Deals for new customers.

I was at the Rock and Shock horror festival last Sunday and had a chance to meet actress Ashlynn Yennie and Akihiro Kitamura from the film The Human Centipede. This film was written, produced and directed by Tom Six and co-produced by Ilona Six. I honestly had never heard of this movie before Sunday so I asked the actors a little more about it. They said it is fairly disturbing but well done. I told them I would rush to the video store and grab it on my way home.

The clerk at the video store told me to consider renting something else because I wont be able to eat after watching The Human Centipede. He was surprised when I thanked him for selling it to me. I have a very strong stomach and have seen the goriest of horror movies so I more excited than worried about getting sick. I glanced at the back of the cover and noticed a quote from someone who watched the movie stating that she threw up twice, so my curiosity was starting to get the best of me. I was still skeptical about whether or not it could turn out to be a flop but I went for it nevertheless.

I turned the movie on expecting a slightly ridiculous story line. I mean, come on, a human centipede? What could possibly happen that would be that interesting other than the initial shock factor when I see this strange being? I assumed it was basically a film about this “freak of nature” and maybe it was killing people or something but I was way off. This was not your average everyday monster like The Blob or Pumpkinhead but something even stranger and much more interesting.

The idea that the plot was not totally impossible was the most intriguing part of the whole movie. A doctor is running experiments in the basement of his home in Germany and is determined to finally create his masterpiece, The Human Centipede. He is a sick, twisted psychotic character with a fetish and will stop at nothing to invent the creature he fantasizes about on a daily basis. Dieter Laser plays the main character Dr. Heiter (sounds a little like Hitler). Laser should be hailed for his performance in this independent film because it was nothing shy of perfection. If they ever do a remake of Silence of the Lambs, this guy should be number one on the list for Hannibal Lecter.

The Human Centipede is not a scary movie but more of a psychological thriller that holds your interest from beginning to end. I did not come anywhere near throwing up but I was prepared for the worst so that could have helped. I was pleasantly surprised with this film and will keep my eyes open for other upcoming movies by Tom Six an Ilona Six. There is a sequel in the works to The Human Centipede and I look forward to seeing how they carry this film into a second round. It seems like they can make it even better than the first if they do one of the two things I have in mind. Check out The Human Centipede if you like the idea of a movie that takes you on a bizarre journey into the dark, evil, secluded life of a mad doctor and his innocent victims.

By: Bob Willson

Bob helps people understand the DISH Network TV Service the DISH Network Packages and Channels. He has all of the DISH Network Special Promotions and Deals for new customers.

Making television programs is not rocket science. You need to have an idea and lots of energy to turn that idea into a visual reality, and then immortalize it on tape. Working with modern digital kit means that you do not need a big team of people, or a lot of money, to make your own movie or television program. But you need to know how to get the best out of that digital camera and how to make something someone else will want to watch.
The Blair Witch Project

The hugely successful feature film The Blair Witch Project was reportedly made for $35,000. That sounds too much for an average 'home' budget, but by Hollywood or broadcast television standards it is less than tea money. You can make films or programs for a great deal less than that without compromising your story or production values. The award winning European film Festen was made with a camera costing less than $2000.
One Life Stand

Very low budget feature films shot on freely available digital cameras and edited on a home computer are regularly shown at film festivals. One Life Stand, shown at the 2000 Edinburgh Film Festival, was written, shot and edited on digital video by the director May Miles Thomas. Made on a staggeringly low budget', it elicited considerable praise from the Guardian: 'this is a very fine film indeed.' Documentary films, or factual TV programs, can be expensive on research time, but in many ways the digital camera is a boon to documentary filmmakers. You can have very long takes and the kit is extremely portable, while the quality of sound and vision can be excellent. So how do you do it? First of all you need an idea.
Your idea

Who you are, what you are interested in, and what you watch on television or in the cinema are the essential building blocks for a good television program idea. It is best to start with something simple. Before making a feature film, everyone should start by thinking through a three minute film story.

Your first three minute film story idea can come from something you are interested in or know about. Perhaps there is something new that excites you. Many people started playing golf on their local pitch and putt course, or learnt to juggle or sail board after trying it out on holiday. Before immersing yourself in a new sport or activity, find out more about it by making a three minute film. You might be fascinated by the new craze for micro scooters (or steam trains, or hill walking or salsa dancing). Do some basic research on the Internet. You will be amazed at how much access you get to clubs, associations and so on, just by saying you want to make a short video. Follow up your initial interest with practical research. Talk to people.

Now you can shoot a three minute film to persuade other people that micro scooters, or steam trains, or hill walking or juggling is just for them. Longer than three minutes and nobody will watch; shorter and you will not do it justice.

By: Bob Jackson

Bob helps people understand the DISH Network TV Service the DISH Network Packages and Channels. He has all of the DISH Network Special Promotions and Deals for new customers.

A window on the world: that is how a television has been described by many authors in their books. Indeed for most people, television has turned out to be their window on the planet they live in. The sight a TV proffers appears to be the world. They have faith in its authenticity and comprehensiveness. A Television can decide on the view it imparts or it can decide the lighting or can it rapidly alter the spectacle just to cling to your interest. Such features radically shape your outlook about what you are watching. However, you should also keep in mind that the most impartial of news broadcasts and documentaries are exposed to manipulation.

Television – A master seducer

Most often, the people who are in charge of television broadcasts are attempting to manipulate spectators. In advertising, for example, they have practically free restraint to employ every seductive attention-grabber at their clearance to entice you into the vibes to buy. Those gimmicks can be color, music, gorgeous people, eroticism or stunning surroundings. Their range is enormous, and they exploit it masterfully.

It is quite viable to converse through media, for instance TV, precisely hooked on to people’s heads and subsequently, like a certain ethereal magician, leave descriptions inside their heads that can bring about them to do what they possibly will otherwise never have considered to accomplish. By 1950’s it was pretty obvious that TV will become such a formidable power. Let’s take an example where a lipstick company that was making nearly $40,000 a year embarked on to promote its products on U.S. television. In the next couple of years, sales skyrocketed to $5,000,000 each year and that is astounding! A bank was all of a sudden avalanched with $25,000,000 in credits after it publicized its services on a Television program which was well accepted with women.

Indeed for most people, television has turned out to be their window on the planet they live in. The sight a TV proffers appears to be the world. They have faith in its authenticity and comprehensiveness. A Television can decide on the view it imparts or it can decide the lighting or can it rapidly alter the spectacle just to cling to your interest. Such features radically shape your outlook about what you are watching. However, you should also keep in mind that the most impartial of news broadcasts and documentaries are exposed to manipulation.

These days, an average American views over 50,000 advertisements every year. The commercials amuse you seductively on the emotions. It is very much spot on that we are influence by what we view. The advertisements that pass through on a daily basis persuade us relentlessly. This exploitation is perilous in particular because it is a lot difficult to tell the difference, and so it will accomplish something till we are taught how to recognize it. However, TV sells much more than lipstick or perfume, political perspective, and even culture. What's more, Television additionally sells ethics and principles – or the lack of them.

By: Bob Jackson

Bob helps people understand DISH Network Satellite TV Service. DISH Network is available in your area, and Bob can help you choose DISH Network Packages and Channels the fit your budget.

Horror fans everywhere are getting to know Adam Green, one of horror's newest filmmakers. Green has suddenly gained popularity with his newest movie Frozen and is slated to direct the new film Killer Pizza, a big-budget film based on the popular kid's novel of the same title. If you know Adam Green's work, you might notice that he and Eli Roth seem to have a few things in common. They can both create movies based on unlikely but possible events that turn into tragedies and shock the audience. Roth's film Cabin Fever and Green's Frozen both bring drama and horror together for a perfect mix offering unique but believable stories and deliver a their fair share of gore. Green and Roth are not the only filmmakers in the industry that enjoy adapting horror into real-life situations.

French film director Alexandre Aja also knows how to make a great thriller with a very limited budget. You may not have heard of the independent film High Tension as it didn't include well-known American actors and a major production company obviously did not release it. When movies are made on a small budget there is usually little money for advertising and gems like this could go undiscovered. I was lucky enough to catch a preview of High Tension on a DVD rental so I high-tailed it to the video store to rent it the next day. This was another film that reminded me just how great a movie can be when you focus more on the plot and story rather than flashy special effects and an over-the-top budget.

Other filmmakers that know how to shock their audience and turn their unique ideas into hit films are Rob Zombie, Darren Lynn Bousman, Neil Marshall, Greg McLean, James Wan and Leigh Whannell. We all know Rob Zombie by now and he has become so popular that the press already has wind of his plans to make a new movie in Salem, Massachusetts based on witches that return to town from over 200 years ago. He hasn't even written it yet but everyone's already eagerly awaiting Lords of Salem and checking the internet every day for new updates. I am a Massachusetts native and have been an extra on the set of a movie that was filmed here. I'd like another opportunity to be on the big set and although Zombie uses very few (if any) extras in his films, there's always hope to get behind the scenes on this future thriller.

Darren Lynn Bousman is probably not a name that you hear every day but he is the mastermind behind the hit movies Saw II, III and IV. Bousman wrote and directed these films and though one or two of them may not have been your favorites of the series, you have to admit that the guy has a knack for coming up with nail-biting catch-22 situations that keep you entertained and begging for more. If you already know Bousman, you may be aware of his film Repo! The Genetic Opera.

Who is Neil Marshall? He is the writer behind the movies Killing Time, Dog Soldiers, The Descent, Doomsday, Centurion and was the executive producer of The Descent Part 2. I'm not a huge fan of The Descent films but Dog Soldiers won Marshall an award at the The Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film in 2002. This is a British werewolf movie that I will be watching soon. If a werewolf movie can convince me, then it is a huge accomplishment in my book. Rotten Tomatoes seems to think that Dog Soldiers is above average, giving it a rating of 76% “fresh” rather than “rotten”. Something tells me that the best is yet to come for Marshall.

Greg McLean is at the edge of directing a new movie titled Insidious and it sounds like just that. A family's child is comatose yet the boy keeps attracting evil spirits. His family tries to hold on to their hope while praying for the safety of their child. It's movies like these that hit home and make you question, “What if?” McLean was the writer and director of the original Saw and the producer of Saw II-IV as well as Saw 3-D. Chances are McLean won't be putting out too many low-budget films considering the size of his wallet by now. Leigh Whannell is writer of Saw I-III, Dead Silence and the upcoming film Insidious. He is also an actor and starred in over ten movies.

Why am I giving you the rundown on all of these moviemakers? Because I have a feeling you'll start hearing much more about them. What do they all have in common? Well, I'm sure you notice that a few of these guys were involved with the Saw films but this is not what ties all of these stars together. They are known as the “Splat Pack” and no, I didn't coin the term, though I wish I had. Starting in 2002 these filmmakers came out with a slew of hit movies and many of them shared a common theme…they brought torture back to the big screen. They are not best friends with the MPAA but of course most of us want to see their work even more for this very reason. The PG-13 horror movie is not enough to get the crowd riled up, they want all-out, no boundaries, eye-popping thrillers. These guys have shown us that there is not always a need for a outrageous budget to make a good film. All you need is a great plot, decent acting and a boatload of creativity and they have what it takes.

Adam Green is currently struggling to get his future film Hatchet 2 down to an R-rating. I'm looking forward to seeing this movie for the controversy alone and because it should be dramatically different from the original. It is movies like these that prompted film critic Alan Jones of Total Film to group these individual filmmakers together an call them the “Splat Pack” after their love for gore and violence. Keep your eyes open, you never know if they will one day combine their efforts and make the most whacked horror flick of all time. I'd love to see what happens should these sick minds collaborate on a new project that totally breaks the mold.

By:Bob Willson

Bob helps people understand DISH Network Satellite TV Service. DISH Network is available in your area, and Bob can help you choose DISH Network Packages and Channels the fit your budget.