basically I don’t know where to begin. I’m sure that many

of you have encountered this kind of situation before.

But Now I want to share with you several techniques that

could help us to find ideas, so we can start writing good

articles for our audience.

1. Participate in chat rooms.

You can look for chat rooms that related to your targeted

audience, see what kind of questions people are asking and

you can also ask people what kind of information they’re

interested in. People do talk about their problems, so this

is a good place for you to start looking for ideas. You can

use chat services such as Yahoo Messenger Chat Rooms, Mirc,

ICQ, etc.

2. Watch your local broadcasting media.

Wake up and take notice of what happening around the world

from Tv, news, talkshows. You usually can find hot topics to

discuss with your audience or write down an article about it.

You could also relate your article with holiday, season,

past events, future events. Etc

3. Ask your audience what they want to read.

Ask them what kind of topics they want to see published on your

web site. Perhaps this is the easiest way to find idea, because

when you know what your audience want to read, surely they will

be more enthusiastic to read you article because you give them

what they want to read, what they want to know.

4. Check you guest book comments.

If you have a guest book or shoutbox on your website,

please don’t get bored in reading your visitors’ comments

because sometimes they leave questions or comments that

would help you generate high readership articles.

5. Check online bookstore’s best sellers list.

Where else can you find a good resources for a winning

hot topic? Just see that best sellers list, I’m sure

that you will find a lot of ideas to write article. Or you

can even write down ebook’s review for your audience.
]]> http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/5-smart-ways-to-generate-highly-read-article-ideas/feed/ 3 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/writing-article-text/ http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/writing-article-text/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:27:31 +0000 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/writing-article-text/ ]]> Writing Article Text by: Gary Keehner   So what is writing article text really all about? The following article includes some basic information.Let’s assume that you have your topics and you’ve done your research, now it’s time to start actually writing the article text. You don’t need the title first; in fact, sometimes you can come up with a better title for your articles after you’ve written the article text.

Your article needs a beginning (introduction), middle (body), and end (conclusion). Without an introduction, readers can get confused and may stop reading if they’re not sure what you’re talking about. Conclusions are important because they sum up the main points of your article.

Writing article text for the Internet is different than writing for anything else. Online markets are highly competitive, and it’s easy for visitors to click away from your website if you don’t hold their attention.

Here’s how to do it:

” Use short sentences and short paragraphs. Big blocks of text on a screen are difficult to read, and the typical Internet surfer’s eyes will glaze over when confronted with a page of solid text. Don’t indent, and skip a line between each paragraph. Include the occasional one-sentence paragraph to attract more attention.

” Keep the language conversational. Internet users aren’t impressed with ten-cent words; if they have to stop and look for a dictionary, they’ll probably just try another website. You are trying to make it easier for people to digest the information you’re offering them.

” Create a sense of interaction by using the word “you” in your articles, as though you’re talking directly to the reader. Use bulleted lists (like this one) to further break up the text on the page and provide fact-filled summaries that draw the attention.

” Images can spice up an article as well, but go easy on them. Slow-loading pages (graphics-heavy sites) are still one of the biggest reasons Internet users look for cleaner pastures.

Finally, keep in mind that grammar and spelling does count when writing articles for the web. Running a spell check on your article text before you post it is a great idea, but spell checks don’t catch every mistake. Reading the article aloud can help you spot inconsistencies or flaws. You could also ask a friend or associate to read it over for you-a fresh pair of eyes can find mistakes yours can’t.

How long should your articles be? The answer is: “As long as they need to be-and no longer.”

Internet articles generally range from about 200 words (three or four short paragraphs) to about 1,500 words (about six pages). Much longer than that, and you’re entering e-book territory. The length of the article usually depends on the topic being discussed.

400 to 800 words is a good general target for most articles. For those you want to post in places other than your personal website, you’ll want to keep them on the shorter end of the scale. It is much easier for another webmaster to post a 400-word article that can be put on one page than one that must be broken up and given two or three pages of its own.

Whatever length you choose, it will be sufficient as long as you include all the information you want to convey, and no more.

When you’re writing article text, your primary concern is what readers will think. When it comes to titles and keywords your main objective is search engines.

The majority of Internet users still find most of the websites they visit through search engines. Keywords help to boost your search engine rank, and the titles of your articles will be the first thing people see in the results.

Which of these articles would you want to read?

Using Vinegar in the Garden

Or…

The Cheap, Safe Way to Rid Your Garden of Weeds (Without Digging!)

Both of these articles would discuss the same thing-how to use vinegar as a natural weed killer. However, the second one sounds more exciting and useful. Chances are you would choose to read the second article over the first if they both popped up in a search engine.

The titles of your articles should attract the readers attention, if not outright demand it. Coming up with an interesting, compelling title takes time, but it is well worth the effort. Think of your title as a newspaper headline. If your title appeared on the front page, would you buy a copy?

There are several ways to generate article titles that stand out from the crowd and get read. Here are a few examples:

” Use numbers, such as “Five Steps to Home Business Success” or “Three Good Reasons to Choose Fixed Insurance over Variable.” You don’t have to limit number titles to list-style articles. Nearly any article can be broken up into a number of steps or reasons.

” Create a play on words using a popular phrase. For example, an article about how to wash the outside of your second-floor windows might be titled “Don’t Let Window Washing be a Pane in Your Neck.” ” Make your title a question: “Can You Really Make Money Online?”

” Compare something to something else: “Why Apples are Just like Oranges.”

” Fill in the blank: “How To (Blank),” “From (Blank) to (Blank),” or “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About (Blank).”

Another good way to get ideas for titles is to pay attention to newspapers, magazines, and popular websites. You can keep a “swipe” file of headlines that catch your attention and use them as a basis for your article titles. The more you practice coming up with attention-grabbing titles, the easier it will be.

Now let’s move on to keywords in your article text…the bane of every Internet marketer’s existence. Use too few and the search engines will ignore you; use too many, and your website could be banned from search engines altogether. Then there is the matter of choosing the right keywords for your website.

The use of keywords can be a confusing subject with no exact answers. It can be difficult to understand why some keywords generate massive results, while others yield next to nothing.

Keywords are single or multi-word phrases relating to your topic that help Internet users find your website when they enter them in a search engine. The placement of keywords throughout your articles text can help to raise your page rankings and online visibility.

Your first step should be to generate a list of relevant keywords for the article you’re working on. There are tools that can you help you to discover good relevant keywords. Such as www.nichebot.com. Choose several words or phrases relating to your topic that Internet users would be likely to use in a search for the information you’re offering.

After you’ve written your article text, go through and count the number of times each of your keywords or phrases appears. Three to five times each is a good range to aim for, and you may want to repeat your main keyword (in this case, “small business”) even more-eight to ten times.

The trick is to make the keywords sound natural within the text. You’ve probably seen websites stuffed with keywords to the point of generating downright irritating sentences: “When your small business is ready for a small business startup, your small business should get the best small business resources for small business startups.” This makes for clunky, uninteresting reading; something you want to avoid.

It’s also a good idea to include your main keyword or key phrase into the title of your article. Search engines give more weight to page titles than text, and when you post your articles on your website, you will name the page with the title of the article.

Once you have built up a good number of archived articles on your website, you can start including on-site links within the text of your articles to refer visitors to similar information. On-site links help keep visitors on your website longer and increase your chances of converting them to customers.

At the end of every article, you should include a short biography, a disclaimer, and a signature file. These components establish you as an expert on your topic and direct readers who find your articles on other websites to yours.

An author bio is a short one- or two-paragraph description of you and your experience concerning the subject of the article. Bios are written in the third person (Shelly Smith is a word processing expert who owns and operates WordWare, Incorporated…). Your bio establishes your credentials and convinces Internet users that your information can be trusted.

What if you don’t have any professional experience? No problem. You can include anything in your bio that relates to your topic: life experiences, hobbies, high school or college credits, even personal interest. If you’re just starting out in your field, use the reasons you decided to enter this particular business to formulate your bio.

Once you have some practice in generating bios, you can start tailoring your bio to match the contents of each of your articles. Customized bios can be humorous and fun, or helpful and to-the-point. You’ll also find it easier to refer to yourself in the third person with more practice.

Your signature file can be part of your bio, or it can appear separately following the bio. It contains a link or links to your website and a brief one or two sentence description of what is available there.

The active link contained in your signature file is what allows search engines to catalogue your website and track the inbound links. This is an important part of article marketing that some people overlook. You should make it a habit to include a signature file with every piece of information you post on the web.

Every article you write should include a disclaimer giving readers permission to repost and redistribute the article on their own websites. However, you must state that your bio and signature file have to be included, or you won’t be able to take advantage of inbound links and additional traffic.

So now you know a little bit about writing article text. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve expanded your knowledge.
]]> http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/writing-article-text/feed/ 0 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/ben-hur-dvd-review/ http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/ben-hur-dvd-review/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:25:36 +0000 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/ben-hur-dvd-review/ ]]> Ben-Hur (DVD) Review by: Britt Gillette   Winner of eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Ben-Hur is widely considered one of the greatest films of all-time. Combining powerful acting performances, unique set design, colorful costumes, and unrivaled visual effects for its day, Ben-Hur is a pleasure to watch. Like Lawrence Of Arabia, it’s one of those rare films from yesteryear which remains a top-tier film to this day (i.e. the film itself doesn’t seem old, nor do the special effects look amateurish). If you enjoy classic films like Spartacus, Cleopatra, or Casablanca, then Ben-Hur is a definite must-see for your list. Like Gladiator (2000), Ben-Hur manages to bring the Roman Empire into vivid display on the big screen.Charlton Heston plays the title role of Judah Ben-Hur, an Israelite prince during the reign of Tiberius. Young and wealthy, Ben-Hur enjoys the finer aspects of life in the era of Pax Romana. When his old friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) arrives in Jerusalem to serve as the Roman Governor, the two are reunited and enjoy each other’s company. However, the two quickly find that their political views have created divisions between them, and when a brick falls from the house of Ben-Hur during a parade (almost killing Messala), Ben-Hur and his family face the wrath of the Roman governor.

Intent on sending a message to the Jews that he will have zero tolerance for rebellious behavior, Messala jails Ben-Hur’s mother and sister and sells Ben-Hur into slavery. As Ben-Hur is taken away from his native land, he plots his escape and eventual return to exact vengeance on his sworn enemy… Ben-Hur’s arrival in Jerusalem coincides with the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth.

Charlton Heston makes quite an impression in his title role of Ben-Hur, following up well on the heals of his mesmerizing performance as Moses in the equally successful film, The Ten Commandments. Heston’s resounding voice bodes well for hero characters pulled from the myths of ancient times. His larger-than-life persona conjures images of Arnold Schwarzenegger, but without the accent. Heston’s performance is complimented by a series of action sequences which set the tone for its designation as an epic film. One such series involves a battle between the slave ship on which Ben-Hur resides and another ship which attacks it. The other, and most memorable, scene from the film is when Ben-Hur engages Messala in a chariot race (which even if you haven’t seen the movie, you’ve probably seen this part).

Overall, Ben-Hur lives up to its hype as an Oscar Award-winning blockbuster (it still holds the record for most Academy Awards, although the record has since been tied). However, the film itself is beginning to show its age in that modern epics such as Gladiator are far better in terms of entertainment value. The length of Ben-Hur is probably an hour to an hour-and-a-half longer than it should be. The plot can be slow and droning at times. Nevertheless, Ben-Hur remains a Hollywood classic and a definite must-see movie.
]]> http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/ben-hur-dvd-review/feed/ 0 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/american-beauty-dvd-review/ http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/american-beauty-dvd-review/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:24:24 +0000 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/american-beauty-dvd-review/ ]]> American Beauty (DVD) Review by: Britt Gillette   Nominated for eight Academy Awards, and winner of five including Best Picture, American Beauty is one of the best films of all time. Exploring the depths of the American Dream – a good job, a nice house, the perfect marriage, etc. – the film is dripping with symbolism and satire. A cinematic study of societal dysfunction, American Beauty will affect a broad range of emotions within its viewing audience, and it’ll make you laugh as well. This is a great movie, and although some people will shy away from it, everyone should see American Beauty at least once so they can form their own opinion.Kevin Spacey plays the role of Lester Burnham, a middle-aged suburban resident who seemingly lives the American Dream. He and his wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) have a nice house, a beautiful daughter Jane (Thora Birch), and successful careers. But things aren’t always as they seem. In reality, the Burnham’s are the definition of dysfunctional. They fight over everything, screaming at the dinner table about ridiculous things such as vegetables. Carolyn is engaged in an affair with rival real estate broker Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher), and Lester is suffering from a creeping depression/mid-life crisis.

Meanwhile, Jane is developing an infatuation with the strange boy who recently moved in next door, Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley) – a drug dealer/homespun director with a homophobic Marine Corps father, Frank. When the source of Frank’s homophobia bubbles to the surface, we learn that – just like the Burnham’s – most of the neighborhood is living a different life from that which shows on the outside…

Kevin Spacey follows up his amazing performances in The Usual Suspects and L.A. Confidential with his Academy Award for Best Actor in this film. Some of the funniest scenes in American Beauty involve the depressed Lester Burnham and his mid-life crisis meltdown. The way in which Spacey walks out of his job is utterly hilarious, and his weed-smoking, weight-lifting regimen in an effort to get pumped up and impress his daughter’s friend is classic. But Spacey’s performance is not alone. His brilliant role is complimented by Annette Bening’s Oscar-caliber transformation into Lester’s bitchy, cut-throat real-estate broker wife, Carolyn Burnham. Together, the two can stage an onscreen fight like no other fake married couple in cinema history, and it’s a true pleasure to watch.

American Beauty is further strengthened by Chris Cooper’s role as the Burnham’s homophobic neighbor (October Sky, The Patriot, Seabiscuit) and Mena Suvari’s role as the big-talking school girl Angela Hayes, object of Lester’s desires (Kiss The Girls, American Pie). American Beauty is a film bursting with stage talent, one that benefits from solid direction, a well-designed screenplay, and superb dialogue. Odds are, you’ll either love it or hate it. But irrespective of your final take, American Beauty will invoke passion one way or the other. That’s why this film ranks as a definite must-see.
]]> http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/american-beauty-dvd-review/feed/ 0 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/finding-nemo-dvd-review/ http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/finding-nemo-dvd-review/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:22:48 +0000 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/finding-nemo-dvd-review/ ]]> Finding Nemo (DVD) Review by: Britt Gillette   Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Finding Nemo continues the Disney tradition of producing high-quality, blockbuster films that entertain audiences of all ages. Featuring the wonders of the Pixar animation technology, the film is a breathtaking window into the future of animated pictures, with borderline 3-D visual effects and the introduction of original animated film techniques certain to influence future masterpieces. Boasting a slew of talented voiceovers such as Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, and John Ratzenberger, Finding Nemo is certain to maintain a place in the hearts of children of all ages for generations to come.The epic story begins somewhere in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Australia. A clown fish named Marlin (Albert Brooks) lives a wonderful life in a peaceful underwater colony of fish and other fascinating sea life with his wife. However, that serene setting is demolished when a vicious predator attacks their home, killing his wife. Distraught, Marlin takes comfort in the egg left behind which grows into his son, Nemo (Alexander Gould).

Because of this early trauma, Marlin is extremely overprotective when it comes to Nemo. He follows a step behind everywhere his son goes, makes Nemo stay in the house whenever possible, and remains quite apprehensive about his son going to school. Marlin’s fears are realized when Nemo is captured on his first day of school and taken away to live in a fish tank on land. Intent on freeing his son, Marlin sets out on a bold and daring quest to retrace the path of the abductor’s boat.

Wandering through the ocean depths, he meets up with Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) – an absent-minded, yet friendly – fish who remains determined to help her new friend recover his lost son. Together, they encounter a pack of sharks and a countless array of diverse and fascinating underwater creatures.

Meanwhile, Nemo is plunged into a dentist office fish tank overlooking Sidney Harbor where he meets a number of new and exciting friends. The other aquatic life, long confined to the tank themselves, initiate Nemo into their fraternity, revealing the history of their attempts to escape. Enlisting Nemo as their point man (or fish), they concoct a number of schemes such as clogging the tank’s filter so they can make a break for it when they’re taken out for the tank cleaning. With the threat of the dentist presenting Nemo as a present to his nerdy niece, the stakes are raised for our young hero and time is of the essence.

Sporting one of the best written animated screenplays of all-time and a breathtaking original score by Thomas Newman, Finding Nemo is a pleasurable affair for both parents and children. The writers pull off an admirable job of combining adult and kid humor throughout the script in such a way that it doesn’t detract from the experience for either age group. With a number of likeable characters, the audience will find itself rooting for Marlin, Nemo, and all their friends to accomplish the task before them. Overall, this is a must-see film for all age groups, not only because of the great story and artful performances, but if anything, simply because the animation is a wonder in-and-of itself.
]]> http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/finding-nemo-dvd-review/feed/ 0 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/free-bingo-game-cards/ http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/free-bingo-game-cards/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:21:17 +0000 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/free-bingo-game-cards/ ]]> Free Bingo Game Cards by: Lee Pickrell   Bingo is meaningless without Bingo game cards. Now www.bingobase.com brings to you an amazing offer to enjoy Online Bingo to your heart’s content.  www.bingobase.com gives you free bingo game cards. Bingo can not be played without bingo cards and a player needs to purchase these cards before she can begin playing. It is in these cards where the numbers are present, which would make your luck shine and earn you riches. BingoBase.com has made the game more attractive and fun by introducing free bingo game online. In free bingo game online, you would get free bingo game cards with which you can play, have fun and also keep earning bonus and shout BINGO with glee.A bingo game card can be of 2 types. One is meant for the 90 ball Bingo game and the other is for 75 ball Bingo game. In a 90 ball bingo game, the cards would have a table of 3 rows and 9 columns. This card would have 5 numbers and 4 blank spaces per row. These numbers would range from 1-90, as suggested by the name of the game.

On the other hand, in a 75 ball game, the card would have a table of 5X5 and there would be 24 random numbers with the center space blank or marked. As the name suggests, these 24 numbers can be randomly selected from among 1-75.

Before a new game starts, one must keep in mind the pattern that is required to win the game. A player at the beginning of each game would have his or her own bingo game cards and therefore the numbers of those cards would be visible to you.

When you playbingo free online, you must keep an account of every number being flashed as you never know when a new number may arrive. With every number declared, you strike off the number if it is present in your card. Some of the softwares in online Bingo do this for you. Just when you complete the pattern that is required to win the game, you shout Bingo or House. Some of the patterns popular in bingo are tree, ladder, pyramid etc.

Bingo is a very easy and fun filled game, where winning is easy and your luck plays an important part in your winning. When played with the right spirit, you can thoroughly enjoy your game and also win treasures.
]]> http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/free-bingo-game-cards/feed/ 0 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/the-beauty-of-playstation-2-games/ http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/the-beauty-of-playstation-2-games/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:19:57 +0000 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/the-beauty-of-playstation-2-games/ ]]> The Beauty of Playstation 2 Games by: Morgan Hamilton   Can you remember the first videogames that introduced the world to the joys of videogames?  I’m talking about the ones that were introduced in the 80s. We had the ever-popular Pac-Man, Asteroids, and Centipeed. Those outstanding innovations were the bomb!  I remember how I used to play pitfall on my Atari and it was great fun.It is really cool that it has gotten even better now.  It amazingly just keeps getting better and better. Those amazing electronics and graphics always improve.  It really is an endless source for fun and relaxation. For example, check out some of the more recent playstation 2 games. Wow, what a difference from the old-school Atari. I mean, the game depths alone are amazing.  It is startling to think that there are people all over the world that love playing PlayStation 2 games. Do you have it too?

Are you a big PS2 fan?  When the council first came out I was blown away. The big pitch didn’t only concern the playstation 2 games, but also the DVD option.  PS two was actually a flexible enough to use as a DVD player. Folks loved this convenient option. Suddenly they didn’t need to purchase a DVD player. You could actually watch movies with the period It was an all-in-one deal.  How cool is that?

I recall the first time I headed over to my brother’s house to take a look at his new PS2 and his new playstation 2 games. Being out of the video game loop since the first Nintendo, I was utterly flabbergasted at the realistic graphics and sound effects. These new playstation 2 games are just so real.  It is such a quantum improvement over the classic Atari games that it isn’t even funny. No more stick men. There was anything from martial arts games to sports games to spy adventures. It looked incredibly lifelike.  Who wouldn’t love playstation 2 games?

Now people all over the world take great pleasure in playstation 2 games. They compete against friends and strangers alike, and battle the bad guys for as long as Mom and Dad allows it. One of the great benefits of the PS2 is the versatility. Regardless if you had a PS1, you could still play the games on your PS2 as well.  How many other products can you do that with? If you’re on the lookout for new playstation 2 games, you can always find a huge selection at your local Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores, or simply go online where you’ll find the best deals.  Buying used PlayStation 2 games really add up to considerable savings. With the world at your fingertips, you will surely find that playstation 2 game you’re searching for.
]]> http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/the-beauty-of-playstation-2-games/feed/ 0 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/how-to-watch-movies-on-your-psp/ http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/how-to-watch-movies-on-your-psp/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:18:35 +0000 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/how-to-watch-movies-on-your-psp/ ]]> How to Watch Movies on Your PSP by: Neil Wallace   If you’re like most people who own one of Sony’s beautiful PlayStation Portables, you’re probably in love with it. But you also want to be sure you get the most out of your investment and enjoy every one of its incredible features. And that includes the ability to watch all your favorite movies.Sony’s PlayStation Portable or PSP, built primarily for gaming, comes fully equipped with superb multimedia features. So if you thought it was just for playing games, think again. Not only can you play multiplayer games over the Internet, you can also watch movies, listen to music, browse the Internet, and more. It uses a small, yet powerful, Memory Stick PRO Duo, and the performance is superb due to advanced technology using Mp4 encoding.

Mp4, also known as MPEG-4, is the global multimedia standard defined by the Moving Picture Experts Group that delivers professional-quality audio and video streams over a wide range of bandwidths. Mp4 enables DVD-quality video to be delivered at lower data rates and smaller file sizes, and that’s very important on smaller devices with limited storage capacity.

Your PSP comes ready to play music and movies in Mp4 format. Transferring music and movie files to your PSP is easy. First, download the files you want from the Internet to your PC. Second, ensure any movies are in mp4 format. Third, transfer the files to your Memory Stick PRO Duo. Your PSP instruction manual offers several ways to do that.  Finally, insert the Memory Stick PRO Duo in your PSP and select either video or music from the home menu.

This is a beautiful device and it would be a shame to use it only for one purpose and to miss out on all its other uses. So I guess now you’ll be watching movies, listening to music and playing games, all day long. Who’s going to get any work done?
]]> http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/how-to-watch-movies-on-your-psp/feed/ 0 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/the-lion-king-dvd-review/ http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/the-lion-king-dvd-review/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:16:15 +0000 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/the-lion-king-dvd-review/ ]]>

The Lion King (DVD) Review

by: Britt Gillette

Winner of two Academy Awards for Best Music, both Original Score and Original Song, The Lion King would have won Best Picture had it not been an animated film. Arguably the greatest full-length animated Disney feature of all time, The Lion King is a drama of epic proportions, and a film that forever extended the boundaries of the animation genre. Hans Zimmer creates an original score that is second to none in cinematic history, and Elton John’s hit single “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” swept the nation upon the film’s release. With powerful and often mesmerizing visual sequences, the use of a timeless plot device, and brilliant direction, the film will stand the test of time as one of the best movies ever produced.The Lion King takes place in Pride Rock, a serene jungle paradise on the African plain. In Pride Rock, every animal lives as part of a harmonious ecosystem, ruled by the greatest animal of all, the strongest and wisest lion, King Mufasa. When Mufasa’s wife gives birth to the lion cub Simba, the young heir’s Uncle Scar hatches a plot to overthrow his brother and take the kingdom by force. Forming a conspiracy with a pack of wild hyenas, Scar’s evil plan is to lure Simba and Mufasa into a valley where the hyenas stir up a herd of wildebeests which end up trampling Mufasa and leaving him clinging for his life on the edge of a cliff. With Mufasa’s life hanging in the balance, Scar seizes the opportunity to send his brother hurling to a bloody death. With the king gone, and Simba too young to defend the kingdom, Scar and the hyenas ascend to power. Pride Rock is soon reduced to a desolate wasteland as its newest rulers ravage the landscape, while Simba is forced into exile. Fleeing to a faraway land free of predators, Simba befriends Pumbaa and Timon, a warthog and meerkat who live carefree lives feasting on grubs and insects. But as time passes, a chance encounter reunites Simba with his childhood destiny. Can Simba return to Pride Rock and reclaim his rightful position as king, or will he succumb to the temptations of an easy life, free from conflict and responsibility? Widely regarded as the greatest animated film in Disney’s arsenal, and certainly the best of the computer-generated era, The Lion King is a cinematic masterpiece in any medium. If you tend to shy away from animated films as childlike or simply just not your cup of tea, you would be well advised to make an exception for The Lion King. It’s quite simply an extraordinary epic, replete with dazzling choreography, well-blended musical scores, and characters the audience loves to root for. In one particular scene, the Disney animators’ use of Leni Riefenstahl’s patented camera angles to capture the hyenas marching in lock-step under the singular review of Scar creates an abundance of subconscious images reminiscent of Hitler and the Third Reich. This illusion plants a manifestation of evil in the mind of the viewer that is instantly connected to Scar and his evil intentions… That’s the type of symbolic and all-engrossing power Disney utilizes in this wonderful masterpiece – loved  by children, yet replete with deeply probing themes and breathtaking visual images for the adult audience. A perfect 10 of a movie.

]]> http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/the-lion-king-dvd-review/feed/ 0 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/bambi-dvd-review/ http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/bambi-dvd-review/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:12:38 +0000 one009 http://one009.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/bambi-dvd-review/ ]]> Bambi (DVD) Review by: Britt Gillette   Nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Music – Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Bambi is a true animated classic of the silver screen. Long before the public’s introduction to Aladdin, The Lion King, or Finding Nemo, Walt Disney single-handedly conjured the full-length animated feature film out of nothing and into an enduring, well-respected genre – creating one family classic after another, starting with Snow White (1937) then Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), and Dumbo (1941) before creating this gem in 1942. Directed by David Hand, a longtime Disney animator and supervising director of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Bambi is a masterpiece of color, motion, and the beauty of life. Its relative simplicity harkens to a time long past when such movies focused on symbolism, emotional breadth, and challenging the boundaries of artistic creativity, instead of catering to a perceived audience demographic. The result is a truly remarkable and memorable family experience.Bambi begins with the forest birth of a young fawn (Bambi) who comes into the world surrounded by an anxious crowd of admirers. Hailed as the “great prince of the forest,” Bambi is thrust into an exotic world of animal and plant life, complete with all the highs and lows experienced in the world of reality. One of the film’s most powerful scenes (and the one most often referenced in regard to Bambi) is when the dreaded “man” (i.e. a band of hunters) enters the forest and kills Bambi’s mother. Although the scene takes place off camera, Disney manages to convey all the emotional trauma of the event in the brevity of a few bold and powerful brushstrokes.

As Bambi seeks to recover from his mother’s death, he must learn to grow from a fumbling fawn into a fearless buck. The charming scenes of Bambi bumbling across a frozen pond are soon overshadowed by the power of his maturation into a formidable leader. Assisting him on his journey is a parade of unique personalities, the most notable of whom is a rabbit named Thumper. Thumper’s vocal velocity and eagerness to befriend Bambi threaten steal the show, but the growing deer never loses his deserved spotlight. Throw in a skunk named Flower and a beautiful doe named Faline (Bambi’s love interest), and the film comes together in its own right, creating a combination of tragedy and triumph all ages can enjoy.

In stark contrast to its contemporary peers, Bambi is a refreshing exit from today’s highly commercial animated features. Although Thumper provides the necessary comic relief, the film is more than just a deluge of juvenile one-liners – and boasts absolutely zero fart jokes. Instead, Bambi wraps a timeless story of a life’s journey to adulthood in the majesty that is mother nature. Its ingenious illustration of a forest teeming with wildlife and the dangers encountered by its inhabitants is truly awe-inspiring. In short, Bambi has all the makings of a tinsel-town classic – one that should make today’s Disney creations utterly green with envy.
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