GUEST COLUMN: Top 10 Movies Based on TV Shows

Image: sporcle.com

Top 10 Movies Based on TV Shows

by David Hoang

Adapting TV shows to movies hasn't always been popular. Hollywood initially looked at TV as competition fearing it would keep people at home and away from the theater, so studios weren't eager to suggest that there were small screen shows worthy of big screen attention. But TV didn't bring the demise of movies and studios eventually came to realize that TV audiences were worth tapping into. So here are the best of the films based on TV shows. (Series such as Batman, Superman and Spider-Man have been excluded since they are more closely linked to their comic book origins than the TV shows.)

1. The Muppet Movie (1979)

Jim Henson's Muppets first found fame with kids courtesy of Sesame Street. But his clever puppetry quickly won over older fans and spawned a TV series called The Muppet Show, which in turn inspired a series of feature films. Celebrities lined up to appear in the series and films, and to banter with Kermit and Miss Piggy. This first feature boasts Orson Welles, Bob Hope, Richard Pryor, Mel Brooks, Milton Berle and many more.

2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

The TV series Star Trek may have spawned more spin-offs of the most diversity of any TV show. There have been multiple spin-off TV series, films, video games, comics, and books. The 2009 Star Trek film by J.J. Abrams served up an origin tale that reboots the series for a whole new generation of fans. But the film that best captured the spirit of the series was Wrath of Khan with Ricardo Montalban reprising his role from the 1967 episode "Space Seed."

3. To Trap a Spy (1964)

This marks the beginning of movie studios' awareness of the financial gain to be had from successful TV series. To Trap a Spy was a re-edited version of the pilot episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. MGM was already thinking of a theatrical release when it shot the pilot in color (the pilot aired in black and white on NBC). MGM also shot footage deemed too sexy for TV but just right for a feature film. Both the film and series starred Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as spies and cashed in on the espionage fever of the 1960s.

4. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

This may be the only film based on a failed TV show. Naked Gun is based on the 1982 series Police Squad! that lasted a mere six episodes. The film carried over the silly sight gags, non-sequiturs, and bad puns that made the series such a delight. Leslie Nielsen and George Kennedy return as the inept cops. Plus O.J. Simpson was trying hard to kill Detective Nordberg.

5. Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knocking on Heaven's Door (2001)

Cowboy Bebop debuted on Japanese TV in 1998 and delivered 26 revved-up episodes of one of the best anime series ever. The feature film is supposed to take place a few episodes before the series' end. Both the series and film revel in a delirious collision of styles and influences, East and West. It's like an anime take on Blade Runner with a Sam Spade anti-hero time-warped into the future—it's the familiar made fresh.

6. Serenity (2005)

Okay, Serenity could also be described as inspired by a failed TV series but at least Firefly got 11 of its 14 episodes to air before being cancelled. The show's devoted fan base is probably responsible for Universal's willingness to allow a feature film spin off. The film marks creator Joss Whedon's feature directorial debut.

7.  Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007)

Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean is a character well-suited to international fame. The nearly mute Bean relies on physical comedy that translates into any language. Bean, the first movie based on the Britcom Mr. Bean didn't quite capture the series' comic style, but this second outing got the tone and silliness right. 

8. And Now for Something Completely Different (1971)

This film was conceived as the means of introducing American audiences to Monty Python. The film was shot between the first and second seasons of Monty Python's Flying Circus and includes skits already seen in the first season and others planned for the second. The film gathers some of Python's best TV work together in one place.

9. Head (1968)

Head was inspired by the 1966 TV series The Monkees yet it was unable to tap into that fan base because the film's intent seems to be to deconstruct what The Monkees were. The talent involved is impressive: Jack Nicholson wrote the film, Oscar-nominated Bob Rafelson directs, and Oscar-winner Bert Schneider produces. The film serves up a psychedelic acid trip that makes fun of practically every movie genre. This is one of the stranger movie spin-offs of a series because it seems to want to destroy the very thing that inspired it.

10. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)

Of all the animated shows that have inspired features (Beavis and Butthead, Rugrats, Spongebob, The Simpsons), only South Park produced a film up to the level of its TV show. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut takes full advantage of the greater latitude allowed in a film and pushes the envelope to the point that the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records cited it for the most profanity in an animated film. And it was hilariously subversive. Dude!

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Hoang works as a copywriter for the custom writing service. He used to be a web designer, but he decided to change his career. In this case, David has an opportunity to tell others how to create a perfect website design.

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED

Permalink

from REVIEW BLOG - Every Movie Has a Lesson https://ift.tt/3o6rUdL

Share:

Read More

The Water Man ★★★

Director: David Oyelowo Cast: David Oyelowo, Rosario Dawson, Lonnie Chavis, Amiah Miller, Alfred Molina, Maria Bello Released: Toronto International Film Festival The Water Man is the charmingly impressive feature directorial debut of the multi-talented actor David Oyelowo of Selma, A United Kingdom and the tv show Spooks fame. To add to the film’s credentials, The […]

The post The Water Man ★★★ appeared first on Movie Marker.

from Movie Marker https://ift.tt/37ShsAN

Share:

Read More

Pieces of a Woman ★★★★

Director: Kornél Mundruczó Cast: Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Ellen Burstyn, Benny Safdie Released: Toronto International Film Festival A heart-stopping, single-take 30-minute introductory birthing scene in Pieces of a Woman is too exhilarating to convey in words. It is visceral, dynamic and riveting with Vanessa Kirby delivering a tour de force performance within such scene. Still, […]

The post Pieces of a Woman ★★★★ appeared first on Movie Marker.

from Movie Marker https://ift.tt/3rEY6qP

Share:

Read More

GUEST COLUMN: 7 Iconic Early Movie Monsters

Image: cbr.com

7 Iconic Early Movie Monsters

by Gloria A. Adams

The action may move slowly, the special effects may be crude - yet there's reason to watch the early classic movie monsters. They established enduring legends with great black-and-white camera work. Instead of sophisticated special effects, many had terrific performances by actors under layers of makeup. Some can still cause a chill, and some can make you laugh out loud. Either way, these are the big, bad boys who provided the DNA for all the great movie monsters who followed.

1.  Frankenstein - 1931

Not the first Frankenstein film, but the first full-on Hollywood treatment of Mary Shelley's classic book. Brilliantly directed by James Whale, Frankenstein is in fact the name of the mad scientist and monster-maker. Then unknown, Boris Karloff plays the nameless monster, who manages to evoke sympathy from the audience despite his grotesque form, hideous face and shocking violence. Watch the original and its fabulous sequel, and then watch the inspired Mel Brooks spoof, Young Frankenstein.

2.  The Bride of Frankenstein - 1935

This amazing sequel is campy as they come, and actually a little better than the first film. James Whale directs Karloff again, anticipating all the spoofs that were to come with this bizarre, weirdly comic film. Elsa Lanchester plays Mary Shelley in the prologue, and also the nameless Bride of the Monster. Here again, the title is meant to refer to the bride of the scientist, but Lanchester's electric bouffant from hell made her The Bride of Frankenstein forevermore. Her shriek when she sees her intended is one of the great movie screams of all time. 

3.  Dracula - 1931

Okay, this was a hit back in the day, but it really drags compared to many of the terrific Dracula films that were to come. Nevertheless, it launched Bela Lugosi as the first American movie version of the hypnotic, undead count and his blood-drinking ways, and established the character in movie mythology. Lugosi is fun in the role, and the film has some lovely cinematography, but he's just not as sexy as many of the screen Draculas who came later. Let's face it, vampires are supposed to be hot. Lugosi, not so much anymore. 

4.  King Kong - 1933

Still good fun, this rip-roaring, low-budget old film swings from the forests of Skull Island to the canyons of Manhattan. King Kong was the first of the great big beasties to grace the big screen, fighting with pterodactyls and giant snakes on his home turf. He is eventually undone by the modern world and his erotic fascination with the "Queen of Screams," Fay Wray. A monster hit, its stop-action silliness was revolutionary at the time, and King Kong has been remade again and again. Make sure you get the restored version, where Kong picks off Fay's diaphanous clothing with his enormous fingers, the big ape.

5.  The Mummy - 1932

Moody, atmospheric and restrained, this is more of a dark love story than a real chiller. Boris Karloff is The Mummy, dry as dust, searching over the centuries for his long-lost love. German expressionist director Karl Freund keeps the monster under wraps (sorry) for most of the movie, and the scene where the mummy first awakens and opens his eye under a linen strap is unforgettable. Karloff was the king of the early movie monsters, and he rules here, allowing the essential humanity of his supernatural character to somehow seep out from under the costume and the makeup. 

6.  The Invisible Man - 1933

Another entry in the mad scientist run amok genre, the special effects in The Invisible Man hold up pretty well - a tribute to James Whale's expert direction. A very young Claude Rains stars as the hero who is in fact unseen for most of the film, causing mayhem among the villagers, laughing insanely and plotting world domination. It's got Whale's touches of dark humor throughout, but a cackling performance by Una O'Connor as a terrorized innkeeper gets awfully old. Still, one of the best of the old black and whites.

7.  The Wolf Man - 1941

One of Hollywood's original classic monsters, The Wolf Man was not a literary character like Frankenstein or Dracula, but a myth made for the silver screen. Lon Chaney, Jr., whose famous father had played in the early, silent versions of The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, gives his best performance here (the many sequels in which he appeared are pretty lame.) The film is chiefly notable for the stop-motion scenes of the wolf's transformation, achieved with a rubbery snoot and yak hair. Not too scary, I'm afraid, but it established another enduring legend for remakes, parodies and retellings.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gloria A. Adams works as a content writer for the essay writing help online. Besides, she is highly interested in business coaching. In this case, she takes part in different conferences and webinars in order to get new knowledge and skills. Gloria dreams of writing and publishing her own book on career succession.

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED

Permalink

from REVIEW BLOG - Every Movie Has a Lesson https://ift.tt/3nSy6Wl

Share:

Read More

GUEST COLUMN: Top Films About eSport

Image: https://ift.tt/37UlPvf

Top Films About E-sport

by Joshua Sherman

With multi-million dollar grand prizes on the line, eSports is a huge industry where the stakes have never been higher. Here are the best eSports films that put you in the action and show the highs and lows for the players.

Sport has always made for compelling filmmaking, and eSports films are no different. The mixture of nerve-shredding tension and conflict keeps us on the edge of our seats until the final whistle has blown. While traditionally audiences and directors have gravitated to athletic sports, we’re seeing a golden age for eSports films emerging as the value of the competitive video game market continues to blossom. Here are some of the very best eSports films that help show the blood, sweat, tears, and, frequently, dangerous levels of obsession that drive these players to compete for multi-million dollar prize pots.

How to Watch eSports Film on Gaming Websites?

As eSports films have become more popular, gaming websites have picked up on this trend and run with it. Nowadays gaming websites are moving more towards video content. This is due to the rise of Twitch streamers as much as to the development of eSports films. Twitch has millions of followers tuning in to watch the biggest matches in eSports live on https://mr.bet/at, while many game streamers are millionaires themselves. 

1. The King of Kong (2007)

For one of the earliest eSports films to reach mainstream notoriety, it makes sense that the subject matter relates to one of the godfathers of modern video games. The King of Kong follows American restaurateur Steve Webb as he tries to record the world high score for the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, the gaming debut of a certain mustached Italian plumber you might be familiar with. As with the best eSports films, his mission is far from straightforward, as an increasingly bizarre plot emerges with rivals in the classic arcade gaming scene using increasingly underhanded methods to foil their opponents. Today The King of Kong is still one of the greatest movies about the obsession video games bring out in fans and sets the standard for all other eSports films.

2. True Sight: The International 2018 Grand Finals (2018)

The International 2018 eSports film YouTube hosts is to eSports what the Rumble in the Jungle was to boxing: a nail-biting display between two equally skilled opponents where no one could predict the outcome. The International is Valve’s premier eSports tournament for the ludicrously popular Dota 2 game that started life as a Warcraft community mod. With eight figure prize money on the line, China’s PSG. LGD engaged in a bloody tug of war with Europe’s OG in one of the most dramatic eSport matches ever recorded. This Netflix sport film takes you along for the ride with the players, providing a close-up experience of the highs and lows of life at the very top of eSports.

3. FGC: Rise of the Fighting Game Community (2016)

The fighting game community has always been a little different to the rest of the eSports films. Where the fan base for first-person shooters and real-time strategy games tended to coalesce online, since the 80s beat 'em up fans have always had to lug sticks to the nearest arcade to test their skill against opponents face to face. Rise of the Fighting Game Community is a well-produced overview of the FGC’s past, present, and future. Like other notable eSport films, the action leads to the Evo tournament in Las Vegas that hosts the Olympics of fighting games. It’s a great look at the passion that the community generates, in all its trash talking, quarter draining glory.

4. The King of Chinatown (2010)

Another eSports film drama centered on fighting games, The King of Chinatown follows American Justin Wong as he sets out to make his name as the world number one Street Fighter player. Wong is a God in the FGC scene, and responsible for what is probably the most famous eSport moment of all time. Of all these eSports films, this feels like the most personal. Much like boxing and tennis, beat em ups are a solo sport: there're no teammates to take the pressure off your back or buy you some time to catch your breath, which accounts for the intensity of the scene’s fans and players. The film shows that Wong might not be lacking for friends, although some of them may not be all that they appear. It’s an intense depiction of one man working his way up the eSports ladder.

Image: https://ift.tt/2kNnbxR

5. The Celebrity Millionaires of Competitive Gaming (2015)

As the value of eSports has soared, so has the pressure on performers to deliver in matches with millions of dollars on the line. The eSports short film, The Celebrity Millionaires of Competitive Gaming, takes an unflinching look at the darker side of the business and how those at the top of the sport handle the non-stop stress to succeed. It looks at eSports the world over but pays particular attention to South Korea, where many eSports are as popular as any physical competition. It’s an eye-opening look at the lives of youngsters who have found themselves millionaires almost overnight just for playing the games they enjoy.

6. Team Liquid - Breaking Point (2016)

Anyone with more than a passing interest in eSports films have heard of Team Liquid: probably the largest and most accomplished single roster of eSports players in the Western world. They field teams in all the major games like Dota 2, League of Legends, Hearthstone, and CS:GO. Although Breaking Point eSports films are produced by Team Liquid itself, it’s a remarkably unflinching look at the damaged egos and insecurities boiling just behind the eyeballs of some of the best players in eSports. Like any good nordisk eSport film, it’s a reminder that behind the astonishing talent, these players are just as human as the rest of us.

Conclusion: Step in the Game with eSports Films

Together, these films show why eSports is such a growing business. It’s an arena where only the greatest talents make it to the top, but sometimes even that isn’t enough to steer them through the stress of success. Fortunately, we’re certain to have more of these excellent eSports films to look forward to as eSports continues to grow with every new smash-hit multiplayer title released. Who knows? Did you have a favorite Tentang eSports film that we missed? Maybe there’s a game with an eSports scene you think would be great for a movie? Let us know in the comments section below.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joshua Sherman is one of the most widely known writers that specialize in technology. He has written many other informative articles, he mostly writes about technology. Apart from being an excellent writer, he loves traveling, playing games, watching TV and meeting new people from anywhere in the world.

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED

Permalink

from REVIEW BLOG - Every Movie Has a Lesson https://ift.tt/3nXeII2

Share:

Read More

COLUMN: The Best TV Shows about Students and University Life

The best TV shows about students and university life

As first-year students are about to join the universities and colleges in their enormous numbers, it is highly the time to step back and look at some of the television shows that channel their focus on students. Some of these shows can be used for both entertainment and as a material to do my thesis in the future. Here are some of the shows that detail the life of a student in university. 

Fresh Meat (2011-2016)

Jack Whitehall debuted his acting on this very show. The title referred to six new students who are freshers. Howard is an exception. The comedy-drama focuses on these students' lives as they meet in a house outside of campus. Many issues related to students get placed on the table, including financial issues, exam stress, and job seeking. The series was top notch and funny and got praises. The series ended with a gap leaving us to wonder what happened next after having numerous debts and zero job prospects. 

The Young Ones (1982-1984)

The series followed four students who shared a house. It was created by Ben Elton, Lise Mayer, and Rik Mayall. The series featured a medical student, a wannabe sociology student, an oppressed hippie student, and an underground suave and charming mob boss, with various characters in the series. The Young Ones used violence, blood, death, sex, and physical foulness as part of the backbone. 

Bad Education (2012-2014)

Jack Whitehall comes into play as a young teacher named Wickers Alfie. He is not the best teacher you could imagine. He has a real mixture of students, from Joe, the teacher's pet, to Rem Dog and Chantelle. The series found itself on the big screen. 

Big Bad World (2013)

Blake Harrison is a literature graduate who has come back home to Great Yarmouth. The series highlights what happens to graduates as they make their way into the world. The series only had eight episodes but went ahead and got some very nice reviews. It got filmed in Ramsgate that got doubled up as Norwich and Yarmouth. 

Community (2009-2015)

The series was based on the experiences of Dan Harmon when he attended community college. The series kicks off with the suspension of Jeff Winger from his law firm after word got out that he lied about having a Columbia University bachelor's degree, which later forced him to join Greendale Community College to pursue a proper degree. Jeff forms a study group in the opening season, and many things follow after. 

Clique (2017-present)

Clique is a slick thriller that is impressive in all forms. The series focuses on Holly and Georgia, who are childhood friends meeting at a university. They head down to separate paths as Georgia gets drowned in a clique of alpha ladies, and Holly gets left in the cold. When the former starts to act erratically, the latter seeks to follow her. In the following process, she gets immersed in a world full of parties and lavish lifestyles, danger, and corruption. The story got written by Jess Britain and put the friendships amongst the youth and the darkness that looms in those bonds. It is an excellent piece to watch.

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED

Permalink

from REVIEW BLOG - Every Movie Has a Lesson https://ift.tt/3nVn0jr

Share:

Read More

GUEST COLUMN: Lessons We Can Learn from Disaster Movies

Image: https://ift.tt/3nO8Qk6

Lessons We Can Learn from Disaster Movies

by Adrian Johansen

Movies are more than mere entertainment. They’re a release. An escape. A two-hour reprieve from the worries of your ordinary life. But movies do more than entertain. They also instruct. They can show audiences what to do in times of crisis — as well as what not to do. And there’s maybe no better genre for this than the disaster movie. Aside from the cheap thrills, emotional melodrama, and spectacular special effects, you may well just take away some valuable lessons that you’ll find yourself using in your own life!

Twister (1996)

When Twister first hit the theaters more than 20 years ago, it generated a lot of buzz — not to mention massive box office bank — for its strong plot and incredible special effects. The story of a duo of storm chasers, the film was acclaimed for its realistic depiction of the awesome, sometimes devastating, power of nature.

But one of the great takeaways of this film is the necessity of emergency preparation. The film truly speaks to the idea that, in nature as in life, there is no such thing as certainty or security. In the film, tornadoes are shown to defy prediction or prevention. Storms strong enough to level entire towns can whip up in just minutes. You can never know quite when or where it will happen. And if you’re not prepared when it does, then it’s already too late.

One of the most basic things you can do to prepare for an emergency is have a “go bag” that combines not only a first aid kit but other life essentials. This should include at least three days’ worth of food, water, and medication for each member of the family. And it should also include your family’s important documents, from identification cards and drivers’ licenses to deeds, wills, and medical records.  

2012 (2009) and The Road (2009)

Global apocalypse seemed to be the prevailing theme for 2009, but two Hollywood disaster movies, 2012 and The Road struck starkly different tones when probing this seemingly universal human fear. While 2012 has all the pyrotechnics of the traditional blockbuster, The Road, based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy, is quieter, more deliberative, and somehow more disturbing.  

However, both films feature fathers trying to save their children as humanity faces global extinction. And though the plotlines vary widely, each in its way presents a valuable lesson on the need for self-sufficiency, which includes getting back to basics and learning new skills. 

These films suggest our modern world has taught us to perceive creature comforts as necessities. But what happens when these are suddenly gone, when there is no electricity, fuel, food, or medicine, and you have only yourself to rely on? These are the questions the films pose, and the pursuit of self-sufficiency may be the answer.

Contagion (2011)

Of course, in the age of COVID-19, we would be remiss if we didn’t include Contagion on this list. The story of a lethal infectious disease that emerges mysteriously out of Asia and spreads like wildfire across the globe, the film was well-received and highly popular at the time.

But today, in these pandemic times, the film isn’t just a good flick. It feels almost like a prophecy, a disturbingly prescient foreshadowing of our world today. Contagion underscores the importance of hygiene, showing how something as simple as failing to wash your hands properly can literally have lethal consequences. In the film, the chain of human transmission began when a restaurant chef failed to wash his hands, and a virus from an infected animal entered the food supply.

The film also introduces audiences to organizations that are now on everyone’s lips, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). In the face of a pandemic, as we have learned all too well in the past months, there are thousands of researchers, epidemiologists, and infectious disease and public health experts out there fighting to keep us safe. 

And no matter what you might think of such organizations’ recommendations or practices, the indisputable truth, as this film shows, is that we’re all connected. When it comes to infectious illnesses, we rise and fall together.

The Takeaway

Let’s face it: disaster movies are just plain fun. They’re the perfect way to spend a lazy Saturday night, losing yourself in a world of fantasy, where heroes struggle and ultimately prevail against seemingly impossible odds. They’re a time to be dazzled by incredible special effects and breathtaking twists and turns. But they’re also much more than that. Disaster movies, as fun as they might be, are also informative. They teach us about how to survive in the face of natural disasters; they admonish us to be self-sufficient, and they remind us that our health and the health of the people we love is literally in our own hands.

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED

Permalink

from REVIEW BLOG - Every Movie Has a Lesson https://ift.tt/3ppZtaL

Share:

Read More