Deplorable Trash or Staggering Genius? The Movie Irreversible

Tipper Gore, get out the big guns. 'Irreversible' is here, and its just thrown one helluva first punch. No amount of boycotting, picketing, prohibition or name-calling could stop this blistering piece or moral certitude from landing, smoking, on the doorsteps of video stores all across the country. Ive watched it myself. Walked on down to the store and picked it up, right off the shelf. That was three nights ago, and since then, my mind keeps coming back to it, wheeling around and locking down on this aspect of it or that, unable to stop relating to something I wish Id never watched in the first place.

Yeah, I thought Id seen it all. Im one of those people who quotes lines from 'Reservoir Dogs' at parties and re-enacts the infamous crucifix in crotch scene from 'The Exorcist', laughing a ll the while. I do not believe in censorship. To put it very basically, I think there is an inherent right that exists for all of us as humans to create whatever art we may please, without restriction, as long as no one is physically hurt against their own will in the process. It is that belief that has made a movie like 'Irreversible' possible, and I find myself trying very hard not to choke on my own foot in the aftermath.

French Argentinean director Gasper Noe, who created a mild stir with his grating 1997 movie, Seul Contre Tous (I stand alone), and has elicited similar responses with his two other, smaller movies Sodomites (1998) and Carne (1991) has managed to craft something that is either a staggering work of monumental genius, or one of the most deplorable pieces of trash ever t o imprint celluloid depending on who's watching of course.

Believe me when I tell you its the next step in desensitization. The film caused massive waves with its world premiere at Cannes in 2002, causing people to walk out merely twenty minutes into the movie, with many more following less than halfway through. It experienced similar reactions with its North American release at the Telluride and Toronto film festivals, and just three nights ago, it was all I could do to hang on as I sat there on the couch, feeling every excruciating second pass by as I watched the infamous nine-minute rape scene roll out in front of me for the first time.

Yes kids, Irreversible has arrived, complete with deleted scenes, teasers, trailers and all the other fluff that comes with the typical DVD packa ge these days. The movie itself, however, is far from typical. Picked up by Lions Gate Films the company thats grown from producer of teeny art house films to major Hollywood player in the last seven years due to taking risks just like this one (American Psycho, Dogma and House of 1000 Corpses are merely three among a long list of movies that stank of far too much controversy for any of the non-independents to touch) the movies official video release date in North America was August 5, but it reached my neck of the woods a little late.

To be completely honest, I had no idea what I was getting into. I hadnt heard of it, but my viewing partner for the evening said he had been thoroughly warned of its graphic nature. Whatever. Id seen 'Faces of Death', for gods sake. Nothing could phase me.

Think again.

During the first moments of the only murder scene in the movie, which takes place about twenty minutes in, I felt my lungs seize up and tears well to the sur face of my eyes. I immediately paused it and demanded to know if what we were watching was snuff, because if it was, I was not watching anymore. My friend assured me it wasnt, and after a few minutes of regrouping we continued on, with me clinging to the knowledge that this was indeed make-believe as my only protection. What unfolded was a work of art that managed to shake my moral and ethical codes right down to the core, its equivalent non-existent in film and found only in Bret Easton Ellis hyper-controversial novel 'American Psycho'.

The movie, unrated, travels backward in time a la Harold Pinters Betrayal and Christopher Nolans Memento beginning with the ending sequence in which the camera swoops about among the buildings of France uncontrollably, denying the viewer any real chance to get a foot-hold on what is up or down and managing to create the actual physical feeling of vertigo. Along with this, Noe also employed the use of extremely low-frequency sound dur ing this opening sequence to add to the effect. The entire movie is filmed in such a way as to give the appearance of having no edits, creating a frighteningly realistic and personal effect similar to that of stream-of-consciousness writing another strange similarity to Ellis novel.

From there it soon takes us into The Rectum, a gay S&M club, where it finds Marcus (Vincent Cassel) and his reluctant friend Pierre (Albert Dupontel) in a heated and continuously confrontational search for the pimp known as La Tenia (The Tapeworm). The soundtrack throbs relentlessly as the camera continues to swoop about, exposing us to any number of homosexual acts in progress, revealed only in the blood red light of the clubs interior. As the scene unfolds, you can literally feel the violence coming. Once it transpires if you can actually sit through it you may find yourself wondering if you will be okay.

The film continues from there to reveal the vicious rape and beating of Mar cus girlfriend Alex (Monica Bellucci) by La Tenia in an underground tunnel also blood red. This is the pinnacle moment of the movie, fueling most of the controversy that surrounded it. If you can make it through this scene, the rest of the film is a breeze. For the first time since I watched 'The Shining' at seven years of age, I had to look away. I had to close my eyes and try not to listen. No longer is Noe's camera swooning about in its prior stupor it has locked on to the scene in front of it, seemingly bolted to the floor as it unflinchingly records what is without a doubt one of the most disturbing things you may ever witness on screen.

And what is the point of all this? That's a question you can't help but have. This is a movie that doesn't allow you to walk away without an opinion, and maybe that's the point. You get the feeling, as the movie continues its backwards flow from the nauseating aftermath of the beginning into earlier scenes of a friendlier and fi nally tender nature, that Noe had a very succinct knowledge of what he was doing when he constructed it this way. To have it move forward in chronological order as a simple rape and revenge drama would be exploitation, hands down. By having the murder take place in the first half-hour of the movie, with the motive as yet unknown, it makes the violence all the more horrifying. It is only later that we are shown the reason for it after we've already witnessed the vicious fate that befalls the supposed perpetrator so there is no lust for revenge, only a gnawing question about the nature of morality and justice.

So, does that make all of this okay? Does that validate a nine-minute long rape scene that might and most likely will be seen by children too young to understand the nature of art and censorship?

Before I bought the novel 'American Psycho' I read a few passages from it in the bookstore. I found it on a low shelf in Chapters, along with a number of other c opies right next to it, waiting to be picked up and read by whoever might wander on by. Once I had finished it easily one of the most exploitative, graphic, misogynistic and gratuitous works of popular literature ever written the most disturbing thought that remained with me was the ease with which I was able to attain it. In Australia, the book comes wrapped in cellophane and you have to purchase it over the counter, showing ID before it's yours. Justified? I'd like to say yes, but once again, I don't believe in censorship in any form. If you've read '1984' you'll catch my drift.

So here I am, shaken again for the first time in years by a piece of art that's already found its place in the world and, now that I've seen it, in my own head. Last night I sat down to watch 'Resevoir Dogs' again with a couple of friends who to my astonishment had never seen it before. During the first bloody scene one of my friends lost a little colour in his face and had to move furth er away from the television. I sat there meanwhile, feeling a strange sense of anesthesia as if a new layer of repaired tissue had bulked up around all of my emotional sensors and wondered just how numb these beliefs of mine might be able to make me.

http://www.writingup.com/blog/slipshoeswilliam

Author:: Kyle W. McMillan
Keywords:: Irreversible,Gasper Noe,Monica Bellucci,controversial films,Reservoir Dogs,Tipper Gore,Lions Gate
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Independence Day (DVD) Review

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Independence Day is a true summer blockbuster in the traditional sense. Released on July 4, 1996, the film enjoyed a long run in theaters across America, and the larger than life plotline made this sci-fi thriller one of the biggest commercial draws of its time. From an entertainment standpoint, Independence Day deserved every bit of the attention it received. Most notably, because Independence Day is an epic that a wide-ranging and diverse audience of Movie-goers will find fun and enjoyable

When Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) looks forward to his acceptance by NASA in the astronaut training program, he experiences a rude awakening when strange movements of clouds hover into the area and reveal themselves to be alien spaceships. As the worlds le ading governments and militaries go on high alert, the world holds its collective breath waiting to see what will happen next. Against the backdrop of this worldwide event, David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) notices a peculiar pattern in the spaceship deployment. Along with his father Julius (Judd Hirsch), he urgently travels from New York to Washington DC in order to warn the president of impending danger. (He can do this because his ex-wife is an aide to the president, thus providing him with a means of access).

Despite their past differences, David manages to convince President Whitmore (Bill Pullman) that the true intent of the alien spacecraft is invasion, and no olive branch of peace will appease them. When Davids assertion proves to be right, most of the worlds major cities are completely destroyed by a super laser emanating from the undersides of the monstrous, city-sized alien structures. As all-out war ensues, earthlings quickly discover that the alien craft are protected by an impenetrable force field, thus rendering the desperate human counterattacks useless.

As refugees crowd into the rural areas of America, Capt. Hiller is brought to Area 51 and introduced to the president. This once mysterious location is revealed to house an alien spacecraft identical to the ones which now threaten earth, and plans are put in place to make this craft operational once again. But, still, the problem remains of how to go about defeating the alien invaders. In a plot twist reminiscent of Star Wars, the answer comes to David when his father warns him not to catch cold

Overall, I didnt expect to like this film, yet I did. Surprisingly unoriginal in its deployment of the same plot device used by George Lucas in the blockbuster film The Return Of The Jedi, Independence Day is nevertheless a fun and enjoyable film. The storyline of a battle between humans and aliens tends to evoke a subconscious adrenaline surge in even the most casual of v iewers, leading to an emotionally involved audience anxious to discover the outcome of this modern day war of the worlds. Although by no means should this be considered one of the greatest films of all time, it is thoroughly entertaining. Take a chance and go see it if you havent done so already

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Independence Day (DVD).

Author:: Britt Gillette
Keywords:: independence day dvd review
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Twelve Simple Rules for Sucking Less Than 'Eight Simple Rules'

America is a country of sitcom watchers. We all like a nice chuckle now and again, but unfortunately the good shows are outnumbered, outgunned, overwhelmed, and often obliterated by the bad.

In an effort to stem the tide of inane, sugary pap gushing down our satellite feeds, here are a dozen ways to improve the average -- and significantly below-average; I'm looking at you, 'Yes, Dear' -- situational Comedy:

1) Do not include a laugh track. If I can't figure out where the Funny parts are on my own, then you're not doing your job. If I want yuks in a can, then I'll buy a tin of cocktail weenies. I hear they're a hoot.

2) Do not air an episode, ever, concerning a mixup of identical twins, and the shenanigans that ensue. As a matter of fact, forget twins altogether. Creepy little buggers, w hat with the 'we know something you don't know' nonsense. Save it for the Doublemint ads, Junior.

3) Do not use your show as a vehicle to tug on our heart strings, or to teach us a 'life lesson'. If I want drama, I'll watch Masterpiece Theater. If I want to learn, I'll tune into Nova. Or, I would, if I could understand any of it. But you get the point.

4) Do not set your sitcom in the '70s, or the '80s, or any other time besides the present. No one wants to see 'That 1770s Show', 'Battlestar Hilaria', or 'How I Met Your Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandmother'. If a guy walks onto your set wearing bellbottom pants, I will personally fly to the studio and kick him in the crotch. Seriously.

5) Do not include a crusty-but-sympathetic 'tough' character on the show, whose gruff exterior belies a tender, fluffy heart of gold. That's nonsense. I've been around long enough to know: a gruff exterior is simply evidence of a gruff interior. A gruff, shriveled, impot ent, crusty interior. Put it away.

6) Do not give the show a title with more than three words. After that, it's too hard for anyone to remember -- or bother to watch. Observe: 'Seinfeld' -- fine. 'Friends' -- very popular show. 'Life According to That Other Belushi, Who's Really Let Himself Go But Inexplicably Has a Smoking Hot Wife in This Show'? Not so much.

7) Do not include a random elderly character, like a grandparent or senile old neighbor, just to pique the interest of the aging general population. Honestly, if the old folks can't relate to a 'regular' show, let them go back to their 'Matlock' and 'Walker, Texas Ranger'. I hear 'Murder, She Wrote' is nice and inoffensive this time of year, grandma. Move it along.

8) Do not employ any sort of ridiculous gimmick like dream sequences, flashbacks, or other fantasy bizarro world shenanigans. If I see wavy shimmer lines on my screen at any time, I will personally fly to the studio and kick your effects gu y in the crotch. Twice. I'm not kidding.

9) Do not cast a bubbly hot young actress who can't act on the show. If she's got nice boobs and huge tracts of comedic talent, that's just peachy. Otherwise, leave the eye candy to the girlie mags, please. Brainless bimbo dialogue does not a fine Comedy make.

10) Do not include the same tired, obvious stereotypes that have been used on every show since 'All in the Caveman Family'. If you have a gay male character, let him do more than wear all pink all the time and chitter about show tunes. If there's a girl from the South, don't have her twang it up, drive a pickup, and line dance her way to NASCAR races. Yes, I know that parts of the South are really like that -- but I don't need to see it in my living room. I eat in there sometimes, for goodness sakes .

11) Do not include product endorsements during the show. I see you, sneaking in a can of Sprite, or an iPod, or a box of jumbo-wing Tampax pads 'accidentally' left in the camera shot, labels perfectly angled toward us. Shameless. Save the shilling for between the plot lines. Otherwise, how will I know when to slip out to use the can?

12) Finally, do not let the series linger on any longer than it has to. This isn't soap opera -- you're not obligated to pair up every possible couple combos, shoot 'onsite' episodes in every major city in the world, or have the characters face every financial and personal crisis known to mankind. Just let it go. If you're writing in a new baby, a retirement fund fiasco, or a Tim Conway cameo, then it's too late. You've jumped the shark, backed up, and run over it again. Game over.

I hope you sitcom writers and producers out there can use these suggestions to create a few new shows that don't make me want to give my Televisio n thirty lashes with a rabbit-ear antenna. Because if you don't, I will personally fly to your studio. And I think you know what's coming next.

Charlie Hatton is an overzealous blogger and aspiring standup comedian offering smart, sophisticated Humor about life, language, and the size of his naughty bits. He writes semi-daily and mostly randomly at Where the Hell Was I?

Author:: Charlie Hatton
Keywords:: Humor, Funny, Satire, Television, Sitcoms, Comedy
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange is a Movie Directed By Stanley Kubrick. Its an adoption of Anthony Burgess satiric grotesque novel of the same name. The book was published in 1962 and the Movie was made in 1971. Written By Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange is one of the most experimental, original, and controversial novels of the twentieth century. The basic questions of the freedom of will and choice are hidden in the dark satire of the violent tale. The main themes spotlighted in the film are violence in a police state, teen delinquency, technological control, and dehumanization. The film was prohibited in the beginning because of the violence scenes and Kubrick had to replace several scenes to get it R-rating mark. The question of the free will got the central place and passes as a red line through all the plot of the Movie. Even take place in the near future. The story is told By the main character Alex who is a leader of a small group of teenagers who entertain themselves stealing, fighting, breaking into houses, killing and raping. Alex is described not only like a young gangster but also like a big music judge. Hes fond of classical music and Ludwig von Beethoven with his 9th Symphony is among his preferences. Violence and classical music make a very frightening mixture and make remember about the evil geniuses who preferred to torture and kill people listening to the music. The robe and beat not for money as they have enough of them. Like Alex says himself:

The Korova Milk Bar sold milkplus, milk plus vellocet or synthemesc or drencrom which is what we were drinking. This would sharpen you up and ma ke you ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence. Our pockets were full of money so there was no need on that score, but, as they say, money isnt everything.

But Alex is not cruel to others only but to his own droogs also. One day tired of his bad attitude friends decided to betray Alex and leave his without conscious in the house of one of their victims. Alex is caught By the police and becomes the participant of the experiment meant to get read of the social vices and evil in the society. By watching the violence scenes combined with the drug which causes death-like nausea as a part of the behavioral theory of conditioned-reflex therapy Alex is inoculated the firm hostility to violence. The scenes of violence were demonstrated accompanied By the Beethovens music and now Alex is not able to listen to his favorite composer. But the positive habits have negative side. Alex is totally deprived of his free will and can not choose his behavior and reactions to the situati ons any more. Very soon hes let out of prison and becomes a free man. But left defenseless, Alex gets at once into trouble. Now he becomes a victim of violence himself, totally unprepared to cope with the real world when he is returned to society which is not cured of all social vices as he is. Hes beaten By his friends and left in the forest alone and when he manages to get to the house to save himself he finds himself in the house of one of his victims. Hes locked in the upper room of the houses and drops himself out not being able to stand the Beethovens music playing. Finally he gets to the hospital. The failure of the governmental experiment with the Alexs treatment makes his a strategic weapon in the hands of their opponents. MINISTER:

I can tell you that I... and the Government of which I am a member are deeply sorry about this, my boy. Deeply sorry. We tried to help you. We followed recommendations had been made to us that turned out to be wrong.

Finally the minister proposes Alex the way back By canceling the results of treatment. But Alex doesnt want that. The last scene of the Movie shows the hypocrisy of the society driven to absurd as we see Alex making love to a woman on the piles of snow while two rows of ladies and gentlemen applauding them. I was cured all right his last words sound triumphantly and sardonically. But the watchers get another opinion and a feeling that Alex still is a programmed mechanism without free will but with another kind of program this time.

The Movie is very symbolic. The names of the heroes, the name of the Movie and a lot of artistic details help us to receive the authors message. Everything serves to make us think about the moral questions and our role in solving them. How can evil be deleted in the modern society? How far can go the influence of the society on the individual, his free will and choice? If the state can deprive an individual of his free will using higher objectiv es and principles of good for everyone? These are the question the authors of the book and Movie would wish to provoke in our minds By the violent and provoking images. These are the words told By the author of the book put in the basement of the Movie Anthony Burgess concerning the title of the book ...I do not think so because, By definition, a human being is endowed with free will. He can use this to choose between good and evil. If he can only perform good or only perform evil, then he is a Clockwork Orange--meaning that he has the appearance of an organism lovely with colour and juice but is in fact only a Clockwork toy to be wound By God or the Devil or (since this is increasingly replacing both) the Almighty State. It is as inhuman to be totally good as it is to be totally evil. The opinion of the authors of the Movie and the book is clear and I fully agree with it. God and Evil always existed in the society but their existence given the opportunities to realize the f ree choice and free will of an individual. If the free choice between good and evil is one of the main characteristics of the human, the effort to deprive the individual of this choice can be regarded as an effort to deprive an individual of humanity. The ability to think, to make conscious decision and free will are among main characteristics which differentiate the people from the animals. Human model of reactions and behavior is consisted of something more than just natural and behavioral instincts and this something makes us humans.

Conscious and motivated bad deeds can be turned into good ones till the time the person has will and can perceive the arguments. Both book and Movie express the idea that man can not be completely good or completely bad. We can judge our good deeds only in comparison to bad ones and each moment of life we make the moral choice for good and bad decisions. Era is human nature said the philosopher. And the correction of these mistakes is another moral choice makes people more and more human. The importance of good and evil realizations of human nature is a main idea of the Movie. The authors try to prove us that causing a lot of evil the main character Alex stayed more human than after the treatment which has demolished all the evil sides of his personality and left him not moral choice. Choosing good or evil pattern of behavior we can become good or bad for the society or surrounding but still stay human creatures. Deprived of this choice and following blind instincts even if they bring only good to the society we lose our human nature, our free will and freedom of choice. The mixture of good and bad sides of the personality is very typical for Kubricks Movies. He doesnt want to separate them as they are both closely connected in our min ds, behavior and actions. Dark side is present in every personality and in the Movie we could see two variants the way it can influence. In the beginning we can see the result of the total control of the behavior By the black side on the example of Alex and his friends and we can see the life of the main character totally deprived of his evil side. Both extremes are dangerous for both the person and the society. The truth is as always somewhere in between. We can not demolish all the evil in the world and in our minds but its in our power to control it and to work on turning all the impulses and thoughts to good. The problems arise when the freedom of moral choice of individual is opposed to the social good for everyone. The question put on the center of the Movie is if the freedom of choice is a justified sacrifice for the comfort of all the citizens. In the Movie the state tried to take the control on the behavior, thoughts and even natural instincts of the main character Alex in the name of creating the ideal society where no violence and evil exists. But the result was lamentable and even the government had to confess the absurdness of the idea of the artificial control on the free choice. Te thesis of the Movie is that deprivation of the freedom of choice is equal to moral death of the individual and we also could see that it has almost led the physical death also. The idea of the authors is that there is no such a social good that could justify the limitations of the moral freedom and will. Evil, chosen consciously is better than the forced good. And even more. Good can not be regarded as good unless its a deep persons conviction.

college essay Custom Essays Buy custom essays

Aaron is a professional freelance writer at custom essays writing service: custom-essay.net Now he is a technical writer, advertising copywriter, & website copywriter for Custom Essay Writing Service.

Author:: Aaron Schwartz
Keywords:: Clockw ork,Orange,Movie,Directed,By,Stanley,Kubrick
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Dawson's Creek (Season 6) DVD Review

Nominated for 12 Teen Choice Awards in its five-year (six season) run, including Best Drama Series, Dawson's Creek quickly built an extensive cult following. A surprise smash hit for the enterprising WB network, the show initiated a successful string of numerous original series for WB such as Angel (1999), Gilmore Girls (2000), and Smallville (2001). Set in the fictional township of Capeside, Massachusetts, the series was nonetheless filmed almost entirely on location in Wilmington, North Carolina (although the opening theme song, I Don't Want To Wait, is written and performed by Massachusetts native Paula Cole). Creator Kevin Williamson (writer for the blockbuster Movie Scream) is said to have modeled the characters on Dawson's Creek after various aspects of his own self from his adolescent years

Daw son's Creek follows the lives of several teenagers, some of whom grew up together, as they struggle through the tempestuous and volatile years of pre-adulthood. The title character is Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek), an introspective and intelligent dreamer who lives nearby lifelong best friend Josephine Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), a tomboy unaware of how truly beautiful she is. Mutual friend Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson) is part of their clique, as are newcomers Jennifer Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams), Andrea Andie McPhee (Meredith Monroe), and Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith). Together, the friends form the basis of a teen soap opera, complete with high drama, curiosity, and bits of comic relief. Know for its intelligent subject matter, clever dialogue, and no-holds-barred tackling of issues, Dawson's Creek made most of its cast overnight celebrities

The Dawson's Creek (Season 6) DVD features a number of dramatic episodes including the season premiere The Kids Are All Rig ht in which the summer is wrapping up and each member of the gang reflects on the summer gone by as they prepare to return to college. Pacey interviews for a job as a stockbroker and ends up with a ruthless and stern boss, while Joey finds that Dawson is the only one who remembered her birthday. As he presents her with his gift, the two of them embrace in the closing scenes of the show Other notable episodes from Season 6 include Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell in which Eddie and Joey agree to go on a date while Pacey is surprised to learn that the woman he picked up is a call girl, and Lovelines in which the whole gang sees their relationship problems exposed to a large audience when they become the test subjects of a psychiatrist at counseling center charity benefit

Below is a list of episodes included on the Dawson's Creek (Season 6) DVD:

Episode 105 (The Kids Are All Right) Air Date: 10-02-2002
Episode 106 (The Song Remains the Same) Air Date: 10-02-200 2
Episode 107 (The Importance of Not Being Too Earnest) Air Date: 10-09-2002
Episode 108 (Instant Karma!) Air Date: 10-16-2002
Episode 109 (The Imposters) Air Date: 10-23-2002
Episode 110 (Living Dead Girl) Air Date: 10-30-2002
Episode 111 (Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell) Air Date: 11-06-2002
Episode 112 (Spiderwebs) Air Date: 11-13-2002
Episode 113 (Everything Put Together Falls Apart) Air Date: 11-20-2002
Episode 114 (Merry Mayhem) Air Date: 12-11-2002
Episode 115 (Day Out of Days) Air Date: 01-15-2003
Episode 116 (All the Right Moves) Air Date: 01-22-2003
Episode 117 (Rock Bottom) Air Date: 01-29-2003
Episode 118 (Clean and Sober) Air Date: 02-05-2003
Episode 119 (Castaways) Air Date: 02-12-2003
Episode 120 (That Was Then) Air Date: 03-26-2003
Episode 121 (Sex and Violence) Air Date: 04-02-2003
Episode 122 (Love Bites) Air Date: 04-09-2003
Episode 123 (Lovelines) Air Date: 04-16-2003
Episode 124 (C atch-22) Air Date: 04-23-2003
Episode 125 (Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road) Air Date: 04-30-2003
Episode 126 (Joey Potter and the Capeside Redemption) Air Date: 05-07-2003
Episode 127 (All Good Things) Air Date: 05-14-2003
Episode 128 (Must Come to an End) Air Date: 05-14-2003

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Dawson's Creek (Season 6) DVD.

Author:: Britt Gillette
Keywords:: dawsons creek season 6 dvd review
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Wheel of Fortune in New Orleans

For the 20 zillion who watch Wheel of Fortune with Pat Sajak and Vanna White, Wheel of Fortune will match your donation to the American Red Cross up to $100,000.00! This is for the victims of Katrina which blew through the city of New Orleans just after the New Orleans show was made.

You wouldnt think that Wheel would bring bad luck, would you?

Any way, lets all cough up a hundred grand (or even less) and make a contribution at: http://wvw.sonypictures.com/spacer.gif?event=286~MiniSite~287~RedCrossDonation~28~wheel Wheel will match it! Are you listening Bill Gates?

While Im watching the show this week (we never miss it) I wonder what happened to the New Orleans contestants after the show. When a contestant wins a trip, I say, I hope she was in Paris when Katrina hit.

Have you ever been in a hurricane or a tornado? I thought so. They are scary!

The crisis is still on in New Orleans. When I called down there the other day to talk to the hospital, the lines were very busy. While waiting for someone to take my call, instructions came over the line on how to protect you from possible diseases in the area. The disaster is still on and it is real. So take the advantage of Wheel matching your donation to the Red Cross.

You can read about the contestants at the WOF site. Thats where I learned WOF. Did you know it takes 150 people to make the show a success?

I read about Amy.

Amy has a show diary at the WOF site. (http://www.wheeloffortune.com/contestantdiary.php)

She said, For as long as I can remember, I have watched Wheel of Fortune and dreamed of being a c ontestant. My mom would always say to me, Amy, you are so good at this show; we should fly you out to California so you can be on it. Little did I know that one day my dream would come true!

We all have that dream, dont we? We all know we could make a zillion bucks if we could just get on WOF.

Amy lives in Lafayette, about two hours from New Orleans. She said, My experience began when I went to the website and saw that WOF was coming to New Orleans. I became ecstatic and immediately filled out a form to become a future contestant. Since New Orleans is only 2 hours away from where I live, I figured there would be no problem for me to go and try out there, and it would be so much easier than flying to Los Angeles.

Nobody can say that Amy is not a thinker.

Amy said that she never thought she would be able to try out for the show, let alone be a contestant. But she got notified that she could try out.

She said, We filled out a questionnaire about ou rselves and they took a Polaroid of us. After that, we played a few rounds of a simulated WOF game where we got to pick letters and show them how well we could play. They kept stressing for us to have a big, loud voice and to call the letters quickly. Then, we took a 5 minute written test where we had to fill in puzzles that had missing letters.

I recommend that to prepare yourself for WOF you go out to the fields and yell to the cows: C! B! L!

When you get that down, yell: R! N! S!

If you dont have a convenient field with cows, you can come out to Idaho. We have lots of them as does Wisconsin, etc. Make do with your town park if necessary. Dont get discouraged in all this!

Amy decided that she didnt make it. She waited and waited and waited.

Then one day, she got a call. That was the day she went BANANAS!

Im sorry for that irrational exuberance. Did you know that it was 1997 when Alan Greenspan said that? Time flies!

Amy had a cel l phone which allowed her to take the WOF call in her car.

I once made an oath to never buy a cell phone. Wait a minute while I go out and buy one!

Amy was in a thigmagin until the day finally came to be on the show.

She said, I went home and downloaded the internet version of WOF and played it religiously. I also made sure to watch every episode I could possibly watch to prepare for my big day. It felt like a lifetime, but the weekend of the taping finally came. I could not eat or sleep the night before because I was so nervous about being on TV. I just prayed that I would not make a fool of myself in front of millions of people.

Amy caught me! I said zillions of people. Who is right?

You must admire Amy for her preparation. Amy said that the wheel was very hard to turn. (Thats why they bring in those NBA stars to help turn it.) Her main problem was her anxiety. She said that the show staff and the other contestants were there to help!

He re are Amys last words, We decided together that we would tape the best show of the day! It was a blast and I will never forget that day for the rest of my life. If you want to see how I did, watch me on November 10th!

Well be watching, Amy!

CopyrightJohn T. Jones, Ph.D. 2005

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com)is a retired R&D engineer and VP of a Fortune 500 company. He is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering), poetry, etc. Former editor of international trade magazine. Jones is Executive Representative of International Wealth Success.

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.bookfindhelp.com (IWS wealth-success materials / TopFlight flagpoles)

Author:: John T Jones, Ph.D.
Keywords:: Wheel of Fortune, Vanna White, Pat Sajak, Greenspan, WOF, American Red Cross, Katrina, Taylor Jones
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Dish Network Chinese Programming

This is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World that is the Great Wall of China and is also considered to be the most ancient Chinese reinforcement. And this wall is extended by 6,700km from east to west. Dish Network now has made things possible and has brought the original features and complete entertainment from the home land to the Chinese people residing in the United States. Dish Network has tried and made things which were not possible and always satisfied the needs of the customer by providing them the basic. Every one does have love towards its own country and also respects their own home land. In the same manner Chinese package that is being introduced by Dish Network where people who are a part of U.S love watching Chinese channels. So this package is named after the Great Wall which is quite famous in China.

Lets take a look towards the packages that are introduced by Dish Network which has much more and great channels which are quite deman ding.

1. CHINESE VARIETY PACK:
This package includes various Mandarin Chinese channel such as CTS, CTV, PTV, TTV, and last but not the least the VIDEO LAND. This package is considered to be famous because it has the latest news with present events, amusement, and childrens programming, all this is 100% digital quality and 27 hours a day and it comes to you for just $27.99 per month.

2. CHINESE PLUS PACK:
This package includes the most valuable top quality with 100% digital which includes most of the channels which are consider to be a part and parcel of the living channels such as PHOENIX NORTH AMERICA CHINESE CHANNEL, ATV HOME CHANNEL and these channels receive extended coverage from HONG KONG, CHINA, TAIWAN and also from some countries in the ASIAN PACIFIC Region. It includes such as latest Movi es, TV serial, Sports, and most important News and music.

3. CHINESE SUPER PACK:
This package has 6 diverse Mandarin language channels to offer variety of entertainment presented in 100% digital quality, this package includes channels such as ET CHINA, ET DRAMA, ET GLOBAL and also ET NEWS and most important is that these calls are broadcasted from China.

4. CHINESE SELECT PACK:
This package includes the top 3 fascinating Mandarin language channels from Taiwan which has channels such as CTS, TTV and CTV this includes latest update and much more.

GREAT WALL TV PACKAGES

This package is consider being the most and very important and counted to be the most valuable package with Dish Network, it includes the top 17 channels and all are presented in 100 % digital quality and the top 6 interesting channels from CCTV, 7 provincial channels from the Mainland of China and the other 4 channels are provided by other partners beyond China, and this package just cost you $29.99 per month.

This article is for consumers looking for information on Satellite TV. It provides a resource for finding Dish Network Promotions, and any great Dish Network offers that are currently available.

Author:: Julia Hall
Keywords:: Dish Network, Dish Network Offers, Dish Network Promotion, Dish Network Deals, Dish Network Satellit
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips