Find Your Favorites and Download Your Movies

In the world of entertainment, downloading your movie and TV shows gives you much more versatility because you can set your own schedule to watch whatever you have been dying to see. With computers and flat screen televisions coming down in price over the years, many people now have the ability to spend their leisure screen watching time on their own schedule and don't even have to leave the comfort of their home.

Take a look at the advantages.

1) You will spend less money by downloading your movies or TV shows that you want to keep than if you rent them or buy them from a store. This is why Blockbuster and Netflix are offering online rental packages. A new movie DVD is usually $30-$40 to purchase and you can download to own new releases from $10-$20.

2) You don't need to store your movie anywhere unless you decide to burn it to DVD for a hard copy. Storing 200 Movie DVDs takes some space, while, a movie saved to your hard drive takes up around 600-700MB.

3) You save time. You don't have to go to a store to look for something they don't have or wait in a line while you could be home leisurely picking what you want and then download it. You don'have to go out to watch a new movie and spend $30-$50 for two. It will take time to download your movie but you can be somewhere else while its working. Note: you will want to have a fast Internet connection and make sure your movie supplier has a fast transfer rate.

4) You have versatility and choices galore. You can choose your movies, TV shows, and videos from a selection of thousands from many of these sites and, at the same time, you can choose if you want to own, rent, or watch "streaming" video instanteously. Depending on your needs, you can set the movies up for other devices of your choice, such as an IPOD player.

This can all be done at YOUR convenience and on YOUR schedule. With todays television quality, computer inputs and other devices, you can watch new and old movie and television shows in your own home theater. Soon the days of renting DVDs at the video stores will be over because it doesn't compare to being curled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn watching the latest Harry Potter movie.

There are many televisions out there with different sizes and capabilities. Samsung, Sharp, and Panasonic make some of the best.

A Samsung 22" LCD HDTV and a Panasonic 50" Plasma television from WalMart.

Great Movies

The phrase "great movies" is used often and has probably lost its punch. In reality, a "great movie" is in the eye of the movie beholder. One person is blown away by Sir Laurence Olivier in Hamlet while another person thinks that "Dumb and Dumber" is the greatest movie ever made. We all have our favorites for this category. I have chosen seven that I think will appeal to most people, and, for the most part, are not well known to the general public.

1) The Owl and the Pussycat (1970)

This 1970 romantic comedy is an absolute howl. This is early Barbra Streisand and George Segal playing the leads, Doris and Felix, with Robert Klein in a supporting role. She is an actress/model/prostitute living with an aspiring writer in New York City. He is trying to write the "Great American Novel" while she is trying to add to her movie career beyond the film "Cycle Sluts" that she has on her resume. They have living in different worlds and when they are thrown together by circumstances they start to become curious about each other. The more they discover and understand, the closer they get. The conversations Felix has about Doris's pay for play past are absolutely hilarious. "My God Doris, you're a sexual Disneyland." Buck Henry was one of the writers and Herbert Ross directs.

2) The Cockleshell Heroes (1955)

This 1955 war story actually recounts an actual raid by British Royal Marines on German ships in the port of Bordeaux in Occupied France during World War II. This action film stars Jose Ferrer, who also directs, and Trevor Howard. Also look for Anthony Newley in a supporting role. This movie is an excellent example of a great low budget film. It begins with a group of Marines being trained for a virtual "suicide mission" which entails being transported by submarine in the vicinity of Bordeaux harbor where they continue their mission in kayaks. Upon entering the harbor, they are tasked with trying to put all their limpet mines on enemy ships and then, somehow, make their escape. The first part of the film which has Trevor Howard trying to train this interesting group is actually quite humorous. Of course, later it becomes more suspenseful as the kayakers set off on the actual mission.

3) The Mummy (1932)

This horror classic is well known to some but I think it is overlooked by many because of its age. This is probably the first film I can remember that scared the living "you know what" out of me right at the beginning. If you haven't seen this film, I double dog dare you to watch it at night with the lights off. Boris Karloff, of course, plays the lead, Im-ho-tep, and Zita Johann co-stars as his 3700 year old love interest, Princess Anck-es-en-Amon. In this Karl Freund film, a British expedition discovers the tomb of Im-ho-tep and now the screaming begins. I won't go into anymore detail so that those folks who have not experienced this film can have the full monty.

4) The Warriors (1979)

One of my favorites, this is basically the Warriors against the rest of the gang world in New York City. The major gangs in the New York area send representatives to a meeting in the Bronx, where, Cyrus, the leader of the biggest gang speaks to them about joining together so they can virtually rule the city. The representatives from the Warriors leave their home territory, Coney Island, and make the trip to the Bronx to hear Cyrus make his pitch. Cyrus is assassinated at the event and the Warriors are accused by members of a rival gang of the murder. It is now a matter of survival for these 9 Warriors, led by Swan (Michael Beck), and a race to cross enemy territory as all the other gangs are looking for them. James Remar (Ajax) plays an uncomfortable second fiddle to Swan and tries to contend for leading this small band to safety. Along the way, Swan picks up Mercy (Deborah Van Valkenburgh) who helps when he is separated for a while from the others. Walter Hill directs this campy cult classic. Ya gotta love the gang names and their unique dress. From the Gramercy Riffs to the Lizzies (a Lesbian outfit), the Warriors are in deep doo-doo.

5) The King of Hearts (Le Roi de Coeur) (1966)

Another cult classic, this hilarious comedy stars Alan Bates as Scottish Private Charles Plumpick who is sent into a small French town to defuse a booby trap left by the retreating Germans near the end of WW I. He gets chased by some remaining Germans and inadvertantly takes refuge in the local insane asylum. These folks, who have been waiting for the "King of Hearts", now have their King. After the Germans leave, Private Plumpick leaves the asylum to find the bomb and he accidentally leaves the door to the asylum open (I hate when that happens). His new followers take over the town and start creating a comical celebration for the King's coronation while he is desperately trying to find the bomb and defuse it before it goes off. As this farce goes on, the question being begged is "Who is really insane?". With mainly a French cast, Genevieve Bujold is the most recognizable member of the supporting cast in this true gem which is directed by Philippe de Broca.

6) Bullitt (1968)

This is a well known movie to some but I want to make sure everybody has seen it at least once. This movie is vintage Steve McQueen as San Francisco Detective Frank Bullitt and he is supported by a tremendous cast, including Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, Norman Fell, and Georg Stanford Brown. A Mafia informant, in seclusion and protected by Bullitt's men, is found and assassinated. Bullitt goes on a rampage to locate the internal leak and find the perpetrators. The one thing everyone remembers about this movie is the chase scene between Bullitt's souped up 1968 Mustang GT Fastback and a 1968 Charger. This chase still probably ranks at #1 when compared to other car chases. You can't beat a chase between two machines like this going up and down the streets of San Francisco (I'm sure it's a guy thing). You literally feel like you need to check and see if your seat belt is tight. Directed by Peter Yates, this movie is a great, tight, fast paced, production.

7) Dressed to Kill (1980)

This suspense thriller has Michael Caine as Dr. Robert Elliott in a much different role than most of his career. Angie Dickinson co-stars and supporting cast members are Nancy Allen and Dennis Franz. This dark, edgy, sexy, psychological murder mystery, directed by Brian de Palma, was ahead of its time, as it touches on the subject of transgender people. This is one of those movies where the suspense builds and you are on the edge of your seat as your mind races to try to put the pieces together for this clever puzzle. Good Luck!

TV SHOWS OF THE FUTURE

These are my predictions of Television shows that may air in the not too distant future. Alway looking to break new ground, I think these shows may be exactly what TV execs will promote.



1) LONG DISTANCE

Every week our moderator talks "live" to real dead people to solve past mysteries, crimes, and incidents involving these people. On this weeks program we will try to reach "Jack the Ripper" to find his true identity. Be sure to tune in, along with the British Royal Family, as we try to finally end the controversy over his identity. We are sponsored this week by Benihana.

2) AXE MY EX

Each week a different man, woman, or anything in between targets their former marriage partner for assassination. They get to choose their preferred method of execution. This week Elsa, Gwen, and Annie decide their bigamist ex-husband should be buried alive under a dump truck load of bull manure. They state that this is for all the "BS" they had to endure during their marriages to this man. This weeks program is sponsored by the city of Pamplona, Spain.

3) GOVERNMENT CHEATERS

We receive letters and emails from across the country nominating a local, state, or U.S. officeholder for surveillance, confrontation, and impeachment. We pick one out and dispatch a film crew to catch this person in the act. This week we air an episode where we go after a Western U.S. Senator and impeach him for an earmark to a jobs bill which allowed his hometown to build a sexual fantasyland called "Rawhide" in this Senator's hometown. The sponsor for this weeks show is Dream Leather.

4) The 100 Gazillion Dollar Bailout

This weekly gameshow involves Fortune 500 companies competing for the grand prize of a 100 gazillion dollar bailout. Folks at home can also enter the Rocketing Inflation Homegame. As these bailouts are paid out, gigantic inflation increases are registered on the Inflationmeter. A home contestant sends in a number and if it matches the final Inflationmeter reading after the last bailout, the home contestant wins $10 million dollars (worth about fifty cents before taxes in today's money). Our sponsors this week are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

5. MEET THE ALIENS

Every week 2 people are chosen to visit an alien planet to be studied by the inhabitants. Emma Peabody and Stu Mitchell were selected by the ambassador from Alpha Centauri 6, and, after arriving at Area 51, they were transported to that planet. After an enjoyable week with the Centaurions, Emma's only complaint was the moving of something big in her abdomen. Stu, on the other hand, was fine except for a sharp pain when he sat down. He did mention something about a probe that was misplaced by an Alpha Centaurion college students. This show is sponsored by Orbitz.