Top 10 Avant-Garde Filmmakers

With the coming of the film media, those who did not “comform” to the new Hollywood production line often broke off and formed films of their own – usually with deeper meaning then any you would see in your local cinema. Avant-Garde (literally “advance guard”) is an experimental style of film that uses unconventional filmmaking styles to express a meaning to an audience. These films are usually plotless, surreal, dark, humorous and part of the “underground” sub-culture. The purpose of these films is not to achieve world-wide appeal, but to simply share artistic vision. In no particular order:

10

Jonas Mekas

The “Godfather” of avant-garde, Mekas came a long way from his childhood, which he spent in hiding after escaping from a prisoner of war camp in Germany, during World War II. After buying a 16mm camera, he discovered the film media, and the importance of screening his films, which he regularly did at a local cinema after moving to Brooklyn, New York.
He was involved in the underground movement of the 1960s, mingling with other artists such as Nico and Allen Ginsberg. He was a fan of Jack Smith’s controversial short “Flaming Creatures”, but shopping it around various cinemas brought on an arrest for screening an obscene film. Afterwards though, he was one of the first to incite a campaign against the strong censorship laws (a few years before Jack Valenti’s introduction of letter based ratings)

9

Man Ray

A frequent collaborator of Salvador Dalí, Man Ray worked more or less as an absurdest painter and photographer before moving to film. It was Man Ray who first exhibited Dali’s and Luis Buñuel’s Un Chien Andalou, including it with his own film, Les mystères du château de Dé.
Though American, Man Ray spent his artistic life in Paris, first exhibiting his work with the likes of Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. One artwork done by Man Ray that most will be familiar with is Violon d’Ingres, a photograph of Alice Prin (Kiki de Montparnasse) with f shaped holes, normally found on a violin, on her back. It was in the 1920s that Man Ray started to make short films, most of which were only a few minutes in length. Not only did he make his own films, he assisted with his vision on a number of other avant-garde films of the era, usually doing photography or editing work.

8

Maya Deren

In 1943, Maya Deren and her husband Alexander Hammid filmed the influential Meshes of the Afternoon (above), a surrealistic fantasy short that hinted at the turmoil that her and her husband were going through. The film contains many distinct and famous images: a flower placed by an outstretched arm, a haunting figure in a hood, a key which turns into a knife, all of which add to the effect that the film has on the audience.
The short was filmed with a 16mm camera that was bought with the money left to Deren by her late father. Over all, the budget was revealed to have been just $275, but lack of funds did not hinder Deren’s artistic vision. Born in the Ukraine, but moving to New York as a child, Deren not only made avant-garde films, she wrote about them, in books, newspaper columns, in fact, she repeatedly attacked Hollywood for lacking artistic direction and controlling cinema. It seemed as if she wanted all films to have the same treatment to the world. She never did achieve this, however, as in 1961, she died suddenly at age 44. She spent her life making films which communicated with their audience, rather then just give them what they had seen before.

7

Andy Warhol

Who here would not be familiar with Andy Warhol? His art of Marilyn Munroe, Elizabeth Taylor and cans of Cambell’s soup are surely timeless, but Warhol made many shorts from his studio “The Factory”, such as Taylor Mead’s Ass (which consisted of Taylor Mead standing in front of the camera without trousers), Sleep (which consisted of a man sleeping) and many others that not only consisted of simple images, but lasting ones that the audience would take home.
Warhol was born to Ukrainians. After moving to New York from Pittsburgh, he remained there all his life. His first move was towards artwork, but with a twist. Several of his prints consisted of soup, coke bottles, dollar bills and shots of famous actors. He started on his short films in the early 1960s, and began making them from The Factory, a studio on the 5th floor of a building on East 47th st, Midtown. He not only made films, but hosted wild parties. His films made here, however, featured what were called “Warhol superstars”, the regular casts of his film, which included Nico, Edie Sedgwick, Ultra Violet, Viva, Mary Woronov, Taylor Mead and Billy Name. His ideas for his film were often very simple and not planned out. For example, for Chelsea Girls, he took a napkin, drew a line down it, put B on one side and W on the other. Sure enough, the film was made in split screen with one side in Black & White and the other side in Colour.

6

Alejandro Jodorowsky

The man responsible for creating the “midnight movie” sub-culture, Jodorowsky’s El Topo found artistic success through these means. At midnight, at cinemas like the famous Elgin in New York, his film would screen to an audience not expecting what they were about to experience.
A Chilean, Jodorowsky moved to Mexico where he would make his yes work. In 1970, Jodorowsky made El Topo, a surrealistic western, often called an acid western. It was through celebrities like John Lennon and Yoko Ono that the film received a wider release. Lennon, Ono and even George Harrison were such fans of El Topo that they invested in his next project, The Holy Mountain, which was just as surreal and bizarre as El Topo. Jodorowsky was going to film an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, which was to feature Salvador Dali and Orson Welles, amongst other big names, but the project was too large in the end to produce.

5

Michael Snow

Snow was more then a renowned sculptor, he also made several short films that were milestones in the world of avant-garde. In 1967, his most famous project, Wavelength, was released.
His works in sculpting can be found throughout his naive Canada, but Wavelength shows the true nature of avant-garde. The entire film is one zoom, which passes all the action around it, including a death, but the camera continuously moves past, and eventually to a wall in the back. This wall houses a photograph of the ocean, which was the subject of the zoom all along. Snow made several other shorts in the years to come, including <—> (aka Back and Forth, in which the camera moves around at different speeds) and WVLNT (aka Wavelength for Those Who Don’t Have the Time). The clip here is his film La Région Centrale.

4

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Fassbinder was, along with filmmakers such as Win Wenders and Werner Herzog, one of the founders of New German Cinema. He spent his early career making feature length avant-garde films before making critically acclaimed theatrical films like Ali: Fear that Eats the Soul.
Fassbinder’s first films were avant-garde shorts, such as Love is Colder then Death and Beware of the Holy Whore. These films were the first to bring Fassbinder to critical acclaim. From the favorable release of these is what brought Fassbinder to start making films for the masses. These were almost all shot very quickly, on 16mm and with a minuscule budget, but never the less, Fassbinder remained popular internationally from them. He never got to see the premier of his last film, Quarelle, as after a hectic life of strong drugs, he overdosed at age 37.

3

David Lynch

Hollywood director David Lynch hardly seems like a suitable submission here, but his films, especially his early work, do contain traits of avant-garde, especially his haunting 1968 short, The Alphabet. Throughout his career, his films kept these elements, and never did deviate too much.
In his 20s, during the 1960s, Lynch experimented with short film. He did several apart from The Alphabet, such as Six Figures Getting Sick, The Grandmother, and The Amputee. His first feature film, Eraserhead, kept many of the techniques he used in his shorts, apart from giving his film a (semi) feasible plot. His later films, like Dune, Blue Velvet, Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive, in some ways, keep trace elements of the haunting mystery he used extensively in his early shorts.

2

Kenneth Anger

Kenneth Anger spent his life filming what he felt inside: his films contained his pent-up homo erotica that he could never himself admit. Films like Fireworks and Scorpio Rising were not only avant-garde film, they were an expression of Anger’s inner feelings towards himself.
Fireworks was made while Anger was still young; in fact, he filmed it the weekend his parents were out of town. Never the less, the film stands as the ultimate expression of the underground homosexual culture. Several years on, and Anger continued making these kinds of films. Scorpio Rising, about a group of gay, nazi, sado-masochistic bikers, gained critical acclaim during it’s release in the early 1960s, however, during a screening of the film, police raided the theatre and arrested Anger and the theatre manager. The case of Art vs. Obscenity was brought to the Supreme Court, where they ruled in Anger’s favor.

1

Luis Buñuel

Luis Buñuel is probably known to all readers – as said before, his collaborating with Salvadore Dali is one of the most known avant-garde films. Un Chien Andalou is one of the most timeless of all shorts in the genre. The haunting images stay with the audience for times to come.
Un Chien Andalou was made by Buñuel and Dali in 1929, and made use of many pointless scenes and plots, such as a woman getting her eye slit, in the way a cloud slices across the moon. Ants crawling out of a hand, a priest dragging a piano, rotting donkeys, all pointless but incredible images to convey meaning. Later on, Buñuel tried his hand at making actual films with plots, one being Belle de Jour with Catherine Deneuve, but in the later parts of his life, he reverted back to making films with little plots, just as he had started out. The clip above is from the wonderfully absurd The Phantom of Liberty.

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Top 10 Filmmakers Who Weren’t Always

by Ryan Thomas

A calling is just that: a calling. The universe maintains no request line when it comes to living purposes, and anyone doing anything but what they originally intended will confirm. As such it usually takes a lot of dabbling in vast possibilities before any one path is settled upon. For instance, it took actor Mark Wahlberg two years rapping with his shirt off as a member of the “Funky Bunch” to realize music just wasn’t for him. While many get it right the first time, mostly by honing in on their craft and mixing passion with a fastidious dedication, others simply wander until they stumble upon something they thrive at. Many a filmmaker has only taken a seat in the director’s chair after much exploration elsewhere; here are ten of such explorers.

10

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson is best recognized, other than as a belligerent bigot, as a versatile actor and Hollywood’s most ruggedly handsome hunk in the late 80s-early 90′s. His most iconic role is as wild card cop and partner to Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon, if not as William Wallace in Braveheart (“They can take our lives, but they’ll never take our FREEDOM!”), which he directed and won two Oscars for. In recent years, however, Gibson has avoided screen time (with a few very recent exceptions) in favor of being a director. While Passion of the Christ may have seemed like Christian indoctrination, it did earn record gross profits. And his guilt-free projects have been equally seat-packing. Even if it seems he hides behind the camera, putting his toes in the water on occasion, when his public reception is less then warm, there’s no denying his abilities on either side of the lens.

9

David Lynch

David Lynch is a bit of a renaissance man, but originally he wanted more than anything to paint. He studied painting at the Boston School of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the latter where he was most “inspired,” and the former where he was least so. He even hopefully, however unsuccessfully, ventured to Europe to be trained by an impressionistic painter. It was when he desired to see his pictures move that he collaborated with an animator to make his first short film Six Men Getting Sick. In addition to still painting, he is a musician and photographer, composing and producing several of his own film scores with Angelo Badalamenti, and has been featured in art galleries. Collaborating with Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse, a multimedia project entitled Dark Night of the Soul features his photography and music, in addition to that of myriad other guest musicians and singers.

8

Rob Zombie

Rob Zombie used to make demented grunge-metal with hyper-violent, disturbing subject matter as part of the band White Zombie. Now he makes demented movies with hyper-violent, disturbing subject matter as a filmmaker, notably in his films House of 1000 Corpses, the Devil’s Rejects, and Halloween remakes. In them he also produces the music and lives in a haven of undead glory, reeling in blood and completely id-driven self-indulgence. As long as his fans share his grisly fantasies, he will likely keep on doing what he does best.

7

Ron Howard

Before he became an Oscar-raking filmmaker, directing the likes of Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, and the Da Vinci Code, he was Opie Taylor and Richie Cunningham. Always the innocent ginger, he was an oft-typecast actor, always playing someone with no spine. In the big chair, he has not only spine, but great visual command, the kind that doesn’t come about by hitting a camera with the back of your fist. Meanwhile, the Fonz goes on to get stabbed to death in the first Scream film, and Don Knotts continued to live and die in sitcom hell.

6

Duncan Jones

Duncan Jones, a.k.a. Zowie Bowie, son of David Bowie, did anything but wear his father’s golden slippers. He made no attempt at constructing a musical legacy; instead, he got a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, and aimed towards a PhD before alternately going to film school. Now, he is a critically acclaimed filmmaker, rearing the sci-fi space-drama Moon and most recently the time travel-thriller Source Code. His lack of convention and otherwise strangeness can, if nothing else, be traced back to his father, the undisputed King of Weird.

Kevin Smith

Before he made low-budget movies with aimless plots and even worse sequels and romantic movies aimed at sellout-status commercial success, Kevin James was a comic book geek. He is a convention regular, and has lived his dream by writing stories for several comic book series, most notable the Marvel’s Dare Devil. In addition to scribing others’ characters, he has developed his own and adapted comic versions of Jay and Silent Bob. He also co-created the animated television series, which lasted a little while. While he’s had critical and cult hits with Clerks and Dogma, he has announced his retirement as a filmmaker following his self-championed Red State, which merges comic culture, religious fanaticism, and subversive filmmaking (and claims to be driven by true, wide-eyed passion and not the usual complacent greed that’s come to define Smith).

4

Terry Gilliam

Terry Gilliam is the visionary behind the surreal epics Brazil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and the Fisher King. Before his imagination was channeled into a live action medium, it was uncapped in purely animated terms. He was initially a cartoon strip artist and children’s show animator (alongside future Monty Python cast members), before he stepped aboard the Flying Circus. As part of the outfit, he was the show’s animator and principal aesthetic director, designing everything in between all the wonky sketch comedy. Co-directing and also animating sequences in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, he acquired his chops in making full length features. Thereafter, he would only become more refined and eccentric, dabbling in more than just the historical topics of his earlier works, the common inspiration for a lot of droll British humor. Gilliam’s progression was also a regression in many ways: he evolved insomuch as he tapped into deeper, uninhibited sectors of his child-like imagination.

3

Tim Burton

Growing up, Tim Burton’s imagination was always finding its way outside of his messy head, where others might find it. Well when it fell on a piece of paper, and eventually into a pencil-drawn animated short called “Stalk of the Celery Monster,” Disney found it and recruited him as an animator and conceptual artist. Eventually he was deemed incongruous to Disney’s essentially style (an imaginably more cheery one as opposed to his death-obsessed gloomy one). From there, he produced films in his own rite, in accordance with his quintessentially gothic flair, such as the Vincent Price-narrated short Vincent (which foreshadows the imagery and stop-motion animation that would comprise the much obsessed-over Nightmare Before Christmas). Already two mediums down, it would take little effort for the visionary to lend his visual storytelling to a medium populated by living humans, wherein which his darkly fertile imagination would thrive under big lights. Let cinematic masterpieces as Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Batman, and Beetlejuice stand as proof (ignore his remake-rampage of recent years) that he works best when he gets to fixate on the unbearably worst.

2

Michel Gondry

This French connoisseur of DIY filmmaking didn’t always make quirky little indy movies. He used to be a drummer in a band called Oui Oui, for which he also made clever little animated music videos. Given that, it comes as little surprise that he would foray into a career as a music video director, directing such notable acts as the White Stripes, Radiohead, Beck, Foo Fighters, the Rolling Stones, and Daft Punk. His conceptual brilliance found itself right at home in peculiar full-length (Science of Sleep and Be Kind, Rewind) films and in the arms of brilliant, existential screenplays by Charlie Kaufman (Human Nature and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Michel Gondry has proven in the most literal sense that he marches to the beat of his own drum.

1

Frank Oz

With a name like Oz, fantasy and unbelievability are evoked. Before directing movies like The Dark Crystal (with Jim Henson) and the Muppets Take Manhattan, Frank Oz was a muppet himself: he supplied the voices and characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Grover, Cookie Monster, and Bert amongst others, not to mention Yoda from the Star Wars franchise. Looking at his photograph, what appears is less man than muppet. Branching out, he’s directed mostly light-hearted movies, as the man seems not to possess an ounce of seriousness in his fleshy makeup, movies such as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, What About Bob?, Bowfinger, a remake of the Stepford Wives, and Death at a Funeral. While he seems incapable of shaking the urge to be perpetually silly, Oz has certainly come a long way from animating felt corpses with his hand like a goofy version of Jeffrey Dahmer.

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10 Great Fiction Books Out of Copyright

by Vagabond Sam

As my first submission to listverse, I have decided to share somewhat of a passion of mine. It’s an eclectic taste of weird and wonderful fiction from, predominantly, the turn of the century pioneers of weird stories. As technology has progressed to the point where it is easy to carry around vast amounts of literature in ones pocket, a whole new world was made available to me. I started out using an eReader app on my old iPod touch, then my new android phone and finally, on a kindle. As much as there are those that love tree-books, the ease of access to e-books, particularly ones out of copyright, mean that there are thousands of worlds for people to explore for free. All you need is an eReader or smart phone. Of course, a printer with plenty of paper and a stapler could work too.
The main restriction I have for this list is that the books must no longer be under copyright and available for free. I have tried not to repeat authors, however in some cases I could not bring myself to omit another book, so I ask you to overlook these indulgences. These are my personal favorites and I cannot put them in a ‘top ten’ order and so will go through them chronologically.

10

The Divine Comedy

Dante Alighieri – published in 1306

The oldest book, by far, in the list, The Divine Comedy is a piece of prose detailing Dante’s decent through the Inferno, Purgatory and then to Paradise. The entire piece is a work which follows the path of people through their daily lives on to redemption. The Inferno depicts the way in which man stumbles and falls from God into sin. Purgatory depicts the way in which man struggles to find redemption and, finally, Paradise depicts the ways in which men draw closer to God. While this all might sound very preachy it does not read that way and is still a fantastic allegory. the original was written in Italian as an Epic Poem, so the translation can be challenging at times, but it is very rewarding.
Fun fact. A game for the PS3 and Xbox 350 was released two years ago, Dante’s Inferno, which re-interprets this epic poem as a violent video game.

9

Crime and Punishment

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky – published 1866

From a divine poem to an existential story of struggling with poverty and moral ambiguity. Crime and Punishment is one of Dostoyevsky’s most well known works. Rodion is a poverty stricken former student who has proposed a hypothesis that some people are capable of evil deeds that are for the greater good. He convinces himself to murder a pawn broker, who feeds off the unfortunate detritus of society for his own gain, and to use their ill gotten money to perform good deeds. The book deals with remorse, guilt and a constant question of whether to do the right thing, regardless of circumstances. A fine piece of existential literature. If you can’t get through The Divine Comedy and it’s religious setting, then Crime and Punishment provides a humanistic alternative. You should still read both, though.

8

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Robert Louis Stevenson – published 1886

A classic tale of split personalities. I am sure most of you reading are aware of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. What is probably also true, is that not all of you have read the original novella. Far from being a monstrous transformation, Mr Hyde is just Dr. Jekyll without his moral objections. A feeling that Dr Jekyll relishes at first. While Mr. Hyde is described differently from Dr. Jekyll in appearances, one can’t help but get the feeling that the only real difference is their personalities, and that is what people see. Mr. Hyde becomes more and more brazen and soon even Dr. Jekyll disappears for some time. Until another murder is reported…

7

Island of Dr. Moreau

H.G. Wells – published 1896

The first of the two H.G. Wells books I have chosen for the list. The Island of Dr. Moreau is the first entry from the turn of the century, where we first see weird fiction rise. Edward Prendick is a shipwreck survivor, picked up by a crew delivering exotic animals to an island inhabited by Dr. Moreau. If the name of the book doesn’t sound familiar, then the fact that Dr. Moreau was attempting to make sentient animals may be familiar. Dr. Moreau is a mad scientist, and his experiments at Anthropomorphising animals leads to questions of the nature of Man, and the inherent responsibility for what we create. Somewhat foreshadowing of our more recent concerns with sentient AI, and the implication of creating something that not only feels, but can tell you precisely how it feels.

6

The War of the Worlds

H.G. Wells – published 1898

Before there was Independence Day, there was the War of the Worlds. This follows the invasion of Martians (ones actually from Mars for a change) into London and the surrounding shires. The unnamed narrator struggles through various events throughout the invasion trying to find his wife. Classic Science Fiction before there was Science Fiction, it was, at the time, called Science Romance. It’s style and presentation are that of a local man seeing his city destroyed by a seemingly unstoppable advanced life form. Themes of Imperialism and Darwinism abound. Of course, it is also nice to see an Alien invasion not focused on America. London was still the ‘Centre of the Universe’ at this point.

5

The Metamorphosis

Franz Kafka – published 1915

Another deeply philosophical delving into the inner workings of the human mind. The Metamorphosis deals with Gregor Samsa and his Metamorphosis into a giant, monstrous insect. One thing that the story expects of you is to take the Metamorphosis as given and it offers no explanation or reason as to why Gregor has suddenly transformed. Over time, his alienation and disconnection from the family he loves begin to cause problems for Gregor and his family, as they no longer are able to communicate, although Gregor can understand them. His actions are misinterpreted and the strain on their relationship grows. It is a very poignant tale and the ending is a very thoughtful one.

4

The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath

H. P. Lovecraft – published posthumously in 1943

The first entry from the Author that started it all for me. While closely related to the Cthulhu Mythos it explores the subconscious of humanity and what realms we can access through our thoughts. It also poses questions like ‘if something is imagined, is it not real enough to the one imagining it?’. It is the longest of his Dream Cycle stories and features Randolf Carter, a recurring protagonist. In it Rudolf Carter dreams three times of a wondrous Sunset City. A city of such fantastic beauty that he becomes obsessed with going there. He prays to the God’s of the Dream to allow him entry, and finds that he now no longer dreams of the Sunset City. Dedicated to his cause he decides to descend into the Dream Realm and find Kadath, the home of the Dream Gods, to demand they show him the whereabouts of his dream city. Along the way extramundane creatures join him, even as others begin to try to stop him from uncovering the secrets of Kadeth. This shares heavy links with several other pieces of Lovecraft’s work such as ‘The Cats of Ulthaar’, ‘Pickman’s Model’ and ‘The Other Gods’. Reading the stories preceding the Dream Quest does add meaning to some of the recurring characters, however none of them employ such an eclectic and enjoyable journey.

3

The Tower of the Elephant

Robert E Howard – published 1933

This is one of the first appearances of Conan the Barbarian. In this tale, Conan is still a young thief and has his eye on the Tower of the Elephant which is rumored to have a vastly precious gem at the top of the tower. A description of the story here does little justice, as Robert E Howards’ prowess with making a living breathing character, like Conan, is so perfectly executed that every page is a joy to read. While all of Conan’s major moments happen between the stories (He becomes king of Aquilonia for example) his adventures are full of a life and vigor that I have not seen surpassed. Howard was also a close contemporary with Lovecraft and you can see the mixing of ideas in this short story quite clearly. If you enjoy this, Robert E Howard wrote a fictional History of the Hyborean Age where this is set. It traces the origin of the races in Conan’s world. Through the power struggles and changes, up to when Conan is king and continues to the ultimate demise of all the civilizations and their metamorphosis to contemporary people. A perfect preface to the many Conan short stories.

2

The Shadow over Innsmouth

H. P. Lovecraft – published 1936

My justification for including a second Lovecraft book (Besides him being my favorite author) is that this particular book is a fine example of the Cthulhu Mythos, as opposed to the aforementioned Dream Cycle. H.P. Lovecraft was the master of cosmic horror on such a vast scale as to render the reader a feeling of hopelessness and pessimism. While Call of Cthulhu is his most well known story, The Shadow Over Innsmouth offers a more cohesive ending for people new to Lovecraft. The Shadow Over Innsmouth follows Robert Olmstead in his tour of New England, for antiquarian and architectural interests. Coming to Innsmouth he hears stories of Deep ones who bring the town fish for their industries and Gold for riches to those who send human sacrifices to their city deep beneath the Atlantic ocean. Far more is occurring in the dilapidated town though it’s citizens shamble about and all are afflicted with the odd ‘Innsmouth Look’. With the Bus out of town stricken with engine failure, Robert is forced to spend the night. There is a delightfully sinister ending to this novella. While I could recommend a few stories from Lovecraft if you enjoyed this, that could be a list in it’s own right.

1

Nineteen Eighty-four

George Orwell – published 1948

Last is possibly the most well known book out of this list, except for perhaps War of the Worlds. Set in a dystopian future where the government controls all aspects of the peoples lives, Winston Smith works as a civil servant and revises history to ensure The Party is always right, and to maintain the propaganda that helps to keep the minds of it’s citizens under control. Winston, however, struggles intellectually with ‘Big Brother’ and meets Julia who also is looking for ways to rebel. They begin an illicit relationship, illegal under ‘The Party’, and their control over all parts of society. Many concepts, now familiar vernacular, are coined in the story. The idea that a Big Brother figure is always watching you grew immensely in the 2000′s with the travesty of a reality show show being committed upon people all over the world. Room 101 also entered reality TV show circles, with celebrities relegating their most hated things to the dreaded Room 101, used in the book as a room that contains whatever the person fears most. Also themes on controlling how people thought through removing words used to express dissension and rebellion in the implementation of the new language, Newspeak. The defining Dystopian story in my opinion. Sadly this book is still under copyright in some countries, such as the UK and USA. Canadians and Australians should still be able to access it, though.

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Top 10 Influential Arcade Games

During the late 1970s video games became sophisticated enough to offer good-quality sound and graphics, though they were still very basic. As a result, companies had to rely on simple and fun gameplay in their arcade games to become popular. This emphasis on the gameplay is why many arcade games continue to be enjoyed today despite their technology being vastly outdated by modern computing technology. I included links for entries where I could find them, so you can play some of the games for yourself.

10

Asteroids

Asteroids was released in 1979 by Atari. It was immensely successful and soon became one of the most played games of the 1980s. The game was so popular that video arcade operators sometimes had to install larger boxes to hold the number of coins that were spent by players. Due to Asteroid’s success, a sequel was introduced by Atari, in 1980, named Asteroids Deluxe.
In the game itself, the player controls a triangular space ship flying in an asteroid field, the objective being to avoid contact with asteroids whilst also destroying them to gain points. Occasionally, alien space ships will traverse the player, usually posing more of a threat than a regular asteroid. These can be destroyed for bonus points. [Play Here]

9

Pheonix

Pheonix was developed by Armstar Electronics and released by Centuri, in 1980. Upon release Pheonix became well-renowned because of it’s full color graphics, a seemingly new feature at the time. The most notable aspect of Pheonix is that it has one of the earliest examples of a “boss” battle, within a video game. During the boss battle, the player fights the “mothership”, which is visible in the image above.
Like many other arcade games of the era, Pheonix features an outer-space theme. The player controls a space ship that may move horizontally, but not vertically. The objective is to destroy enemy space ships that appear similar to birds, whilst avoiding opposing fire. After facing numerous waves of enemies the player is confronted by the “mothership”, which is difficult to destroy but yields significantly more points. [Play Here]

8

Galaga

Galaga was created and published by Namco, in 1981. It proved to be extremely successful; five sequels were developed by Namco in the following years. The latest sequel is “Galaga Legions”, released to the Xbox Live Arcade, in 2011.
In the typical game of Galaga, the player must destroy insect-like aliens to earn points, whilst avoiding fire and contact with enemies. The aliens swarm in formation whilst firing and may fly towards the player if not destroyed fast enough. Different colored aliens represent the enemy rank. Green aliens are typically the most deadly, with blue being the least dangerous. [Play Here]

7

Q*Bert

Q*Bert is a platform game ,published in 1982, by Gottlieb. It was well received in arcades and by critics, who praised the graphics, unique gameplay and main character. The success resulted in sequels and use of the character’s likeness in merchandising, such as appearances on lunch boxes, toys and an animated television show.
The object of the game is to light up all horizontal squares on a pyramid, by having the protagonist jump onto each one individually. The player can only jump diagonally, and must also avoid obstacles such as red balls that fall onto the pyramid from a height. Jumping off the pyramid also results in the player losing a life. Upon death the main character emits a sound likened to swearing. [Play Here]

6

Frogger

Frogger was first introduced to arcades in 1981. It was developed by Konami and licensed by Sega. The game was originally going to be named: “Highway Crossing Frog”, but developers didn’t feel this captured the true nature of the game, so it was changed to simply Frogger. Because of it’s worldwide popularity, Frogger has ensured it’s immortality in popular culture; appearing in animated television shows and even song lyrics.
The object of the game is to direct frogs to their homes one by one. To do this, each frog must avoid cars while crossing a busy road and navigate a river without falling in water. Skillful players may obtain some bonuses along the way. Once a player successful returns five frogs to their homes, they will advance to the next stage. [Play Here]

5

Mario Bros.

Nintendo released Mario Bros. worldwide, in 1983. Surprisingly, the game was only modestly successful in Japan and wasn’t well-received by critics. However, Mario Bros set the foundation for Nintendo’s future successful video games. The character of Luigi was introduced for the first time, as well as several recurring enemies in the Mario franchise. Mario was also portrayed as a plumber for the first time, with the game taking place within a network of giant pipes.
The player controls either Mario or Luigi, as they investigate the sewers of New York after strange creatures have been appearing down there. The objective of the game is to defeat all of the enemies in each phase. The mechanics of Mario Bros. involve only running and jumping. The player must jump on top of an enemy to flip it, and then finish off the adversary by running into it and performing an automatic kick.

4

Space Invaders

Space Invaders was manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, in 1978. The game is considered a forerunner in modern video gaming, and it helped to define the popular space shooter theme of arcade games. Following its release, the game caused a temporary shortage of 100-yen coins in Japan and grossed over $500million for Taito in its first three years. The pixelated enemy alien is commonly used as a symbol of video gaming as a whole.
The player controls a turret by moving it horizontally across the bottom of the screen and firing at descending aliens. The aim is to defeat five rows of eleven aliens that move horizontally back and forth across the screen as they advance towards the bottom of the screen. The player defeats an alien, and earns points by shooting it with the turret. As more aliens are defeated, the aliens’ movement and the game’s music both speed up. Defeating the aliens brings another wave that is more difficult, a loop which can continue indefinitely. [Play Here]

3

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong was released by Nintendo, in 1981. After being initially unsuccessful in Japan, the game took North America by storm and became one of the most influential video games ever. Donkey Kong was allegedly the first game ever to utilize “cut-scenes” to advance a game’s narrative. Ultimately, the success of Donkey Kong helped position Nintendo to dominate the video game market in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The player controls the character; “jump-man”, and attempts to rescue a young woman from the clutches of a barbaric ape. Jump-man must battle through multiple stages consisting of girders and ladders, whilst avoiding barrels and other hazards. When the player reaches the top of the screen and makes contact with the captured female, the game advances to the next stage. After three stages the player must defeat Donkey Kong to rescue the woman. [Play Here]

2

Pac-Man

Pac-man was originally created by Namco and first released in Japan, in 1980. It has remained extremely popular from it’s release to the present day, and has become virtually synonymous with video games in general. Pac Man is also an icon in 1980’s popular culture; the likeness of the main character is often shown on lunch boxes and in animated television. At a time when most arcade games where space shooters, Pac-man created a whole new genre of video game. Pac-man is also the highest grossing video game of all time.
The object of the game is to consume every single “pac-dot” visible in a maze. When every dot has been consumed by the protagonist, the game proceeds to the next stage. The player is constantly being chased by four enemies resembling ghosts. If the player makes contact with a ghost, a life is lost. When the player consumes a larger pac-dot, the ghosts turn blue and slow down their movements for a short while. During this period it is possible for Pac-man to eat the ghosts for bonus points. [Play Here]

1

Pong

Pong is a tennis sports game and one of the earliest examples of an arcade video game. It is certainly the first ever arcade game to achieve mainstream popularity. It was manufactured by Atari, who released it in 1972. After noticing Pong’s commercial success, several companies began to produce their own games, which mimicked the style and gameplay of Pong. The competition to create a more enjoyable game led to the birth of the video game industry. If it wasn’t for Pong, great games like Space Invaders and Pac-man wouldn’t exist at all.
The game itself is remarkably simple. The player controls an in-game paddle by moving it vertically across the left side of the screen, and can compete against either a computer controlled opponent or another player controlling a second paddle on the opposing side. Players use the paddles to hit a ball back and forth. The aim is for a player to earn more points than the opponent; points are earned when one fails to return the ball to the other side of the court. [Play Here]

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Free Download links 2011

Lot of people likes to watch latest part of Harry Potter series.
 "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2," is the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series. The much-anticipated motion picture event is the second of two full-length parts.

Release Date: 15 July 2011
Genre: Action , Adventure , Fantasy
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Helena Bonham Carter, Gary Oldman, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, John Hurt, Ralph Fiennes
Directors: David Yates
Writer: Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling
Studio: Warner Bros.

Summary:
In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.
 Do you want to download   freely?
 

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Henry Cavill Lifting Weights and Fight Training for "Superman" Reboot

In an interview with ScreenRant, director Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300) revealed that Henry Cavill is putting on muscle and learning to fight for the upcoming "Superman" reboot.

"Henry is gonna be hitting the iron pretty hard," he said. Producer Deborah Snyder added: "They've put him on a plan. He has started in England and as of April 1st we have him full time with us for all that training."

Cavill is getting in shape with the help of Mark Twight, who trained all the actors in "300." Meanwhile, Damon Caro ("300" fight choreographer) will be teaching the actor how to fight.

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Zack Snyder Explains Choosing Henry Cavill For Superman Role

'I think Henry just has this innocence,' filmmaker said of his choice for 'Man of Steel.'

 ne drawback in making comic book movies, particularly those that involve one of the most recognizable characters of all time, is that no matter how excited fans are about the project, the people involved with the film aren't allowed to talk about it.

Case in point, Zack Snyder's super (pun intended) highly-anticipated "Superman" reboot, tentatively titled "Man of Steel." When MTV News caught up with the director during the press day for his epic action fantasy "Sucker Punch" on Friday (March 18), we did our best to squeeze some information out of him about the direction in which he plans to take the film. But try as we might, Snyder's lips were mostly sealed.

"It's a super-secret thing!" he said after a few failed attempts at getting some scoop. "It's like building a stealth bomber."
That said, despite our seemingly stealthy line of questioning, we were only able to eke out a few thoughts from Snyder regarding his choice for the film's lead actor, Henry Cavill, versus his second choice, "True Blood" actor Joe Manganiello.
"Henry's just ... I love Joe too, by the way," Snyder said. "Really he was the only other guy I was thinking of, to be honest, other than Henry. But in the end, I think Henry just has this innocence too [in addition to the look and physicality required for the role], he has both, which is tricky," he explained. "Superman needs the teeniest bit of that. Not to be overt, but you like it to be there ever so slightly. I mean, he grew up in Kansas, that's just true, so you need a little of that [innocence]."
Regarding Snyder's rumored plans to make his new Superman more physical, the "300" director once again laughed at our detail-oriented line of questioning.
"I can't answer that!" he exclaimed, and then complimented our detail-digging efforts. "Because if I say, that is what will be the thing [that everyone will run with]."

 

 

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They almost played superheroes

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Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen were eyeing the part of Superman.

HOLLYWOOD -- Look! Up in the Sky! It's Christopher Reeve! It's Brandon Routh! It's ... who the heck is that guy, anyway?
Welcome to the ever-changing world of superhero movie casting, where one minute you're flying high and the next, you've been given the reboot.
By now you might have heard that one Henry Cavill will be donning the blue tights when Superman: Man of Steel begins shooting in Vancouver this summer.
Unless you're an avid viewer of The Tudors, in which Cavill plays the part of Charles Brandon, first duke of Suffolk, you may not yet be familiar with the handsome 27 year old, which is just how the movie's producers prefer it.
They're following in the Superman tradition of casting non-marquee names to sport the mighty S shield, but that doesn't mean a slew of A-listers weren't clamouring for the part.
Such as?
Such as Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood and Bruce Jenner.
Back in the mid-'70s they were all considered as the guy most likely to leap tall buildings before a 24-year-old TV soap opera actor called Christopher Reeve ultimately flew off with the coveted role.
Also in the running -- we kid you not -- were Charles Bronson and Sylvester Stallone, hot off the smash success of Rocky.
When it came time for the 2006 Bryan Singer relaunch, Superman Returns, Routh, whose previous experience including being an extra in Christina Aguilera's What A Girl Wants video, was chosen over a bunch of bigger names that had been making the rounds.
They included Nicolas Cage, Josh Hartnett, Keanu Reeves, Paul Walker, Ashton Kutcher, Brendan Fraser, Jim Caviezel and Will Smith.
Prior to the announcement of Cavill (the first non-American to be cast in the role) for the Zack Snyder-directed, re-reboot, other names being floated included Jon Hamm, John Cena, True Blood's Joe Manganiello and Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder.
From the Man of Steel to the Caped Crusader, when they were casting the lead of 1989's Batman, there was a little tug of war going on.
The studio wanted an action star while director Tim Burton preferred to go with an unknown.
They settled on the inspired choice of Michael Keaton, whom Burton previously directed in Beetlejuice, but along the lengthy road to development, those names being bandied about included Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Tom Selleck, Pierce Brosnan and even Charlie Sheen and Bill Murray.
Cut to the 2005 Christopher Nolan reinvention, Batman Begins.
Before they landed on Christian Bale to play The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. was eyeing the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Joshua Jackson, Cillian Murphy and Billy Crudup to go the cape-and-cowl route.
So there you go -- despite the many muck-ups that have taken place in the painstakingly protracted comic book-to-big screen process, Hollywood has occasionally managed to actually get it right, with Keaton and Bale being among the smarter choices.
And while it remains to be seen whether or not the incoming Cavill has the right stuff, and the jury's still out on the late Christopher Reeve, just remember, at one point in time it could've been Stallone going up, up and away.
"Yo, Lois!"
Michael Rechtshaffen, a Canadian entertainment writer based in Los Angeles, appears Wednesdays and Sundays

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Top 10 Hollywood Creative Kills

by David Hopkins

Many couples worldwide are wanting to increase the probability of bearing a baby of a particular gender they want. Some couples have even had four or five sons or daughters, when all they wanted was a child of the opposite gender. There are a few methods out there to help give them the son or daughter of their dreams. Lets discuss some of the techniques parents have tried, to help give them the boy or girl they so wanted to complete their family. Nonetheless, parents, of course, need to love whatever they get, all the same.

10

Chinese Gender Chart

I have put this at the top of the list because most people, in the public or scientific community, just don’t believe this method works. Nonetheless, companies claim that this is an amazing method with 99% accuracy and was found in an ancient tomb. Earth, air, fire and water within the spirits of the parents to be are believed to influence their luck and, therefore, give them a baby of the gender they want. However, surveys have shown the success rate to be a mere 50%, therefore showing this “method” really doesn’t work at all.

9

Dr. Landrum Shettles method

This method has some scientific merit, but not a lot. Shettles claims an 80% for couples wanting a boy and a 75% success rate for those wanting a girl. However, surveys by inGender.com have shown 60% for a boy and 65% for a girl. Shettles theory is based on timing intercourse with ovulation. If the parents want a boy, they are to try for a baby as close to the female’s ovulation as possible. If they want a girl, the are to try 3 or 4 days before ovulation. Shettles theorizes his method works because the father’s gamete bearing an x chromosome (girl) is larger and slower, but lives longer, whereas the father’s gamete bearing a y chromosome (boy) is smaller and faster, but has a shorter life.

8

Diet Method

The diet method has received some fairly positive reviews. Scientists believe that the woman’s diet influences the PH of her reproductive tract. Y chromosome gametes thrive in an alkaline environment, whereas x chromosome gametes prefer an acidic environment. If the couple wants a girl they should eat fish, lettuce and drink lots of milk, generally foods rich in calcium. For a boy, they should eat lots of meat, sodium and eggs, a protein-based diet. Surveys have shown success rates of up to 80% and the diet method seems to actually have produced quite a lot of happy parents, but couples are strongly recommended to talk to their doctor before starting such a strict diet, and many believe it’s not very healthy, especially when trying for a baby.

7

O+12 Method

Kynzi, an Australian mother, discovered this method as a result of many years of wanting a daughter. She had 6 sons, with 5 of whom she had used the Shettles method in hopes of getting a girl. Finally, she figured that maybe his method just didn’t work and decided to try for a baby AFTER her ovulation. She tried 12 hours after all signs of ovulation had passed and got her girl. Many of her friends tried her method as well and many of them got a daughter. Over 12 years, a 70% success rate has been documented for this method. (Note that this method is only for couples who wish to try for a daughter).

6

The Ericsson Method

Founded by Dr. Ronald Ericsson, this doctor believes that Dr. Shettles had some good points. Ericsson experimented by putting semen in a test tube with water in it and allowing the faster y to swim away from the slower x, thus, effectively creating two samples in the tube. A cell would then be artificially inseminated into the female from the desired sample at either end of the test tube in hopes of giving her her awaited son or daughter. It’s about 70 to 80% effective.

5

Microsort

Semen is put in a rotator which is allowed to spin. The larger x gametes will spin to the outside keeping the y gametes further inward, thus giving the doctor, (yes this a clinical procedure just like #6), the opportunity to choose from the appropriate part of the rotator desired by the couple; about 70 to 80 percent effectiveness is claimed within the medical community for this method, but it is expensive and costs thousands of dollars per trial.

4

Pre-Implementation Genetic Diagnosis

Commonly referred to as PGD, this method is extremely controversial and actually illegal in most countries. This is also, by far, THE most expensive gender technique on the market. It costs tens of thousands of dollars per trial and was initially developed as a means of avoiding birth defects. Zygotes are fertilized in a petri dish and allowed to develop for a few days. Then, the doctor removes a single cell from each of them and tests it for an xx pair of chromosomes or an xy pair of chromosomes and inseminates a desired embryo into the mother, allowing the others to die (tantamount to murder many would call it). The embryo is likely to die in the mother, anyway, and it’s possible there won’t even BE any embryos in the dish of the desired gender. The medical community estimates this procedure to have well over a 99% chance of giving the couple the gender baby they want, if an embryo gets implanted and develops full term, but most consider it highly immoral and unnatural. It’s extremely expensive and it’s unlikely for the female to even get pregnant.

3

Smartstork

An American based company, they claim their product to be highly effective, mostly because they combine many factors and methods, helping the couple conceive their desired gender baby. They believe that the female’s tract and egg follicles alternate their PH and therefore attract different gender gametes at different times. Twins of opposite gender might occur if the PH is neutral or changes or the eggs are released at different times. They also take into account diet, herbal supplements, douching and many other factors to help increase gender probability. They claim that they have had over 5000 customers but only 20 failures reported to them. Personally, I do not believe they are THAT great. I suspect most who “failed” were just nonetheless pleased with what they got and didn’t dare to complain anyway, as any loving parent should.

2

Selnas

Dr. Patrick Schoun, in 1985, discovered that x-bearing gametes are slightly negatively charged and y-bearing gametes are slightly positively charged. The egg alternates its electric charge and therefore sometimes attracts female cells and repels male cells and sometimes attracts male cells and repels female cells. Schoun, from many observations in humans and cattle, created a formula based on the female’s chemistry, to determine how her egg would be charged and when. He created a chart of dates for all applying customers for $400 a year. They would then use the chart to try for a son or daughter. Selnas claims an 87% success rate for their method.

1

Jonas

I thought I would save this for last, probably because it is, by far, the most original method out there. Dr. Eugen Jonas used to be a psychologist, but he was repulsed when Hungary legalized abortion, in 1956. He looked into the female’s reproductive cycle and found the rhythm method did not truly work to avoid pregnancy. He remembered a passage from the Bible stating that a woman is fertile by the moon. He went on to use astrology to determine women’s fertility, child’s health and child’s gender. He claims 98% success for desired gender, healthy child, helping the seemingly infertile conceive and when it’s unlikely for a woman to fall pregnant. Jonas further claims that his method is also the most scientifically tested of all methods and many tens of thousands of couples have been carefully and scientifically monitored to make sure they were following the method with full rigor (including abstinence on his own contraception dates for couples using any of the other 3 categories) and the results (contraception, infertility, healthy child and gender selection) were fully documented. However, many have dismissed his method as too good to be true and still others think Jonas is crazy. However, he and his wife (who share a generally unfavorable blood type) have 11 healthy children, all of which Jonas claims to have planned using his theories.

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