What Made Ben-Hur An Amazing Achievement

The academy award winning 1959 movie Ben Hur is a stunning cinematic look at the life of Judah Ben-Hur during the last days of Jesus Christ's life. The greatness of this movie was due to a combination of story, direction, and acting abilities.

With a legendary director like William Wyler, a 15 million dollar budget, full production support from MGM and an acting sensation such as Charleton Heston, its easy to see why 1959s Ben-Hur galloped out of the Academy Awards with 11 Oscars. Over the course of the nine month production, 300 man-made sets, thousands of costumed extras and one epic chariot race meshed together under the direction of Wyler to create a stunning, historically accurate portrayal of the life of the Jewish merchant prince, Judah Ben-Hur during the last moments of Christs life.

Wheres the emperor? is the first question that a history buff may ask themselves while watching this film. Many Hollywood Roman epics feature the emperor as a main character in the film. They exploit stories that historian and gossip hound, Suetonius, crafted about the lavish, hedonistic and often ridiculous tendencies of power hungry, sex-crazed violent emperors. The emperor is not shown in this movie and I think it is because he would take away from the story, after all, Ben-Hur is supposed to be about the life of Christ and the absurd antics of a cocky demigod emperor would only distract from the story and not allow it to focus on central characters such as Judah Ben-Hur and his faceless friend, Jesus Christ.

Jesus face is never shown in this film and after theorizing why this could be, I read that his face was deliberately shielded at the request of the author of the novel from which the movie was based. By only showing the back of Jesus head, Wyler managed to capture the power and influence of Christ by documenting the visceral reactions that wash over Hestons face when he interacts with Christ. It makes Jesus more of a respected every-man type character that still has the power to cleanse the lingering hate that Hur kept in his heart. It was a bold but effective stylistic choice.

The sets in Ben-Hur allow the audience to image a rich, hulking Rome paved with dirt and speckled with varying cultural venues from busy market places to private royal bed-quarters. All of the costumes were manicured and detailed to appropriate time-period accuracy but they still flossed a Golden Age of Hollywood-esque varnish that made them appear cleaner and shinier than they would actually be if worn by Romans in the filthy city.

They production crew used many props that seemed like they took a long time to acquire or create for very short sequences-a true sign of a large budget. An example of the aforementioned props are the golden nose diving dolphins lap counters during the chariot race, the golden serpentine horns blown at Ben-Hurs parade to power and the large, ostentatious finger rings worn by the Christ-committed merchant, Balthasar. Such accessories are true testimonies to attention to historical detail found in this film.

The exciting and quite climatic chariot race in Ben-Hur was filmed in basically a full sized Circus Maximus that was split open to allow the crew to move freely while filming the sequence. The entire scene took three weeks to film and everything about it from the glistening leather armor to the cracking of Messalas whip to the ornately decorated chariots leap alive off the screen and command the viewer to come enjoy the entertainment in Rome. Historically accurate as it may be, it is easy to imagine what an event like that could have actually looked like back then and it is evident that the production designers and researches used factual text to conjure this recreation with splendor.

The most impressive and historically accurate scene in the film is the infamous naval battle. The ships were constructed perfectly to match the period of Rome in which they were sailed. When the ships ram each other and the soldiers board the opposing deck, thats when the productions credibility skyrockets because they knew how actual naval battles played out during that time. The fire pits used to light the ballistas massive arrows and the metal pointed front of the battle ship tempered to ram at full speed all came together to portray a very historically accurate sea battle that would be fought in ancient Rome.

The tremendous budget, appropriate acting and dead-on historical details really raised Ben-Hur from a typical sword and sandal picture to a movie held to legendary status even by current standards. Colorful costumes and monolithic sets allowed director, William Wyler to shape the movie into a Roman epic that held such a sense of place and time due to its historical accuracy.

Why The Dark Knight Sucks - Not Another Movie Review

You're probably thinking "Oh no! Not another The Dark Knight review!" Trust me, this isn't one. This movie has already been reviewed ad nauseum and for the purpose of this article it is entirely irrelevant whether I personally liked it or not. Besides, anyone and their grandma calls themselves a critic nowadays so Im not joining the ranks on this sole principle.

Even if you should have just returned from 40 days of fasting in the middle of desert you would have heard of the most commercially successful movie ever filmed.The Dark Knight broke box office records and set new highs in the world of commercial filmography. Everyone seems to have gone to see The Dark Knight, everyone seems to have written their "review" over at IMDB and everyone seems to have given it 10 out of 10 stars rating. It almost seemed as though the crowds were hypnotized and any rating other than 10 was not even an option.

I've been trying hard to think of anything more irritating than seemingly blindfolded fanboys who religiously repeat their "the best movie of the year" or "the best of all time" chants every time they get a chance and I couldn't. This ludicrous overhyping and overrating of a single picture created a force that resulted in a counterforce. Whether you call it the cause and effect phenomenon, or Newton's third law of motion, the outcome is clear. For many people The Dark Knight Sucks. The movie is good - it's not great, but it's not a complete failure either.

If you enter "The Dark Knight Sucks" into Google search engine, you will get over 3 million results. Why would so many people react with utter underrating of a movie thats actually pretty decent? Your answer is above. One extreme calls for another. If one extremist labels it "the best movie ever", the other one responds with "The Dark Knight Sucks".

I can imagine some of those people who gave The Dark Knight 1 or 2 star out of 10 on IMDB, would have otherwise given it 6 or 7 stars, because even if they particularly didn't like it, they didn't really think it was that bad. But to balance out the madness started by the overhyping crowd, the opposing party let themselves heard by blatant underrating. Oh the irony Why make it such a big deal? It's just the movie!

Learn Types of Swords for Collection

There are various movie sword designs being reproduced as replicas for movie fans and sword enthusiasts to collect. However many fans and new collectors are not aware of the sword type they purchased or planning to add to their collection. Without this knowledge they may purchase the wrong sword, use it in the wrong manner and risk damaging the collection or even injuring themselves. This article is written for the audience to learn the types of swords available in the market and with this information make the right purchase for their collection.

Having a movie sword replica collection can be the most satisfying hobby for many. If you are planning to start one or just considering whether it is the right hobby for you, this article is written to help you take that first step - acquiring information specifically what types of swords you should collect. If you search the net, you will find countless sword designs with detailed product specification. With all these options, it can be daunting at first to just figuring out which sword is suitable for you. So to make things simple, you need to know what is the purpose of the sword that you desire. The 3 categories of sword types available in the market are grouped based on that purpose.

Let's start with the first sword type - the decorative sword which is also frequently referred to as display sword. The name decorative sword clearly states its purpose making your fireplace, study or games room look fabulous. Decorative swords are generally made from but not limited to stainless steel making them more corrosive-resistant than common carbon steel. Even though meant for display purposes, they do come in both sharpened and unsharpened blades.

Bear in mind that decorative swords are not to be used in sword duels or weekend cutting parties. If you still insist, have a paramedic team on standby. Most decorative swords (99.99%) will break under abusive forces. Expect chipped edges and perhaps flying blade pieces, the latter possibly land you an involuntary manslaughter charge.

The second type of sword is the practice sword used for beginner and intermediate sword training exercises. The practice sword helps students to learn basic sword techniques (offence and defence), sword handling and balanced footwork. Practice swords can be made from a variety of materials mainly wood, plastic, latex, foam, aluminium and even steel. They do not have sharp edges for safety reasons which is perfect for sword duel exercises where students apply the skills they learned to the test.

You probably heard of sword cutting exercise in advanced training where actual swords with razor-sharp edges are used to cut bamboo, plastic containers and roll-bundled newspaper. Skilled and experienced professionals use functional sword for this purpose which is described in the next section.

The final type is the functional sword, the real thing - designed and forged to withstand the brute forces exerted from cutting, stabbing and metal-to-metal clobbering. A fully-functional sword is one magnificent piece of engineering and sometimes termed battle-ready cause it really is. The blade and tang is made as a single piece from high carbon steel which have gone through a proper heat treatment. In case you are wondering, the tang is the part of the blade that extends into the hilt. A full-tang extends all the way to the hilt end typical of many European swords. A partial-tang is more favoured in Japanese Katana.

The cross-guard, grip and pommel of a functional sword are carefully designed and made from durable materials. If you plan to have a weekend cutting party, a fully functional sword is the best piece to use. Well actually its a must. You are less likely to worry about damaging the sword, just keep your eye on where the sword is going and make sure youre gripping it firmly. If you dont have any previous training on handling a functional sword, go get one. Remember involuntary manslaughter?

Well there you have it, a quick walkthrough on the types of swords available. Before we end this article, a few practical examples should help clear any doubts and strengthen your understanding. Let's say you intend to use a movie sword replica for an upcoming cosplay event. For this a decorative sword made from wood, plastic or foam is best. Decorative sword can be manufactured identical to the design as shown in the movies.

However If you are looking for a movie sword to cut objects and work out a sweat, a functional sword is mandatory. Take note that a functional sword may not resemble exactly the design in the movies because most of the stunning designs you see on the silver screens are just that - designs. If a functional sword is forged exactly as seen, it may not behave like a true sword. The weight could be too much to wield, theres heavy resistance to swinging or the whole sword vibrates violently upon contact. Not so functional or practical anymore. There are some manufacturers who apply design enhancements to make the movie replicas as original and functional as possible.


If you are looking for more information on movie sword replicas or just browsing for available selections to add to your collection, come visit my blog at:

http://awesome-movie-sword-replica.blogspot.com/

Blonde webcam girls

Different men have different tastes as far as sexual entertainment is concerned and a popular dilemma is about webcam girls and porn movies. What do you find more arousing to watch a porn movie or blonde webcam girls in action?

The approach on this subject is subjective and this is one of the reasons why there is a difference of opinions, but we should take a look at the pros and cons of each option. Each person will still make a choice according to their own criteria, but if they analyze this they can be sure whether they should turn to live webcam girls or porn movies.

One of the first aspects of any sexual entertainment video is the level of details. A porn movie will always have a very detailed description of the sexual act, with cameras rolling in different positions so they can get a better picture. With a web cam girl you can also get a very clear picture, but the action is limited to only one camera that shoots.

As far as the action is concerned, porn movies will always have a much more detailed action available. You can have more men having sex with one or more women at the same time, changing partners and positions often. With webcam girls, the action is limited to one or just a few hot webcam girls that perform every action you consider.

The script of the action is also very important and porn movies follow mostly the same script. The only thing that changes is the performers and they might not do a very good job either. On the other hand, blonde webcam girls offer you everything you need and they do everything you ask them to, putting you in control of what goes on there.

When you watch a porn movie, you dont have the possibility to change the cast. You might go for another porn movie instead, but if you want to put two actors in the same scenery, you cannot. When it comes to brunette or blonde webcam girls, the option for the lead performer is always yours, and you have a lot of choices available.

As it was pointed out afore, the choice between porn movies and blonde webcam girls is subjective and it usually depends on what arouses a man more. But if you like being in control and you would like to tell webcam girls what to do and when to do it, then you should take the time to visit the website socalglamourgirls.com for more details.

No matter what you may be looking for in blonde webcam girls and how you might want them to perform, you will always have this option available with this website. All you have to do is browse through all of their blonde bikini models and determine which one fits your criteria best and then start your entertainment with just one click.

Great Horror Movies in High Definition from DirecTV

If you arent old enough to remember the days when you had to go to the theater to see a great horror flick, then you really did miss out on a great thing. One thing about horror flicks, is that they ...

If you arent old enough to remember the days when you had to go to the theater to see a great horror flick, then you really did miss out on a great thing. One thing about horror flicks, is that they really arent subtle and the bigger the better rule, really does apply to them.

Drive in theaters, have gone the way of the dinosaur and it is too bad, because they were a great place to see a horror flick. One thing that high definition programming from DirecTV has done, is to rescue the horror flick and bring it back to the glory that it deserves.

Horror movies are best viewed on a big screen TV, while sitting as close to it as possible. The high definition big screened TV is perfect for this, because you can sit right up next to it and the picture is perfectly clear. In the past a big screened TV, with standard definition programming on it, needed a big room to play in, because the picture was fuzzy and undefined if you sat too close to it.

A TV screen has only so many vertical lines of resolution and pixels in it and the bigger the screen is, the more spread out and far apart they are. The result on a standard definition big screened TV is not good. The high resolution TV has over twice the amount of vertical lines of resolution and pixels in it, so the picture is just fine, even from just a few feet away.

Digitized surround sound, with Dolby noise reduction feature, is another big difference that you get with DirecTV high definition programming. Great sound effects only enhance the total character of a great horror flick and the difference between standard TV audio and high definition audio effects is immense.

One thing that theaters have always had in their arsenal is a great surround sound system that reproduced sound effects that you could actually feel when you watched a movie. With high definition programming from DirecTV, you can have the same effect right in your own home.

You can listen to it right out of your TV set, or you can run it through your stereo system for maximum effect if you choose. Either way you will soon grow to appreciate the importance of top quality sound effects in a great horror flick.

Have you been down to an electronics retailer to check out the prices on high definition TV sets lately? You might be surprised to see how much they have fallen in recent years. Remember how you chocked when you saw the price tags on big plasma screened TVs when they first came out?

Well, those days are long gone and you can now get a great name brand high definition plasma screened TV for hundreds, instead of thousands of dollars. High definition TV programming isnt for everyone and you may be one of those people that are perfectly content to watch TV in standard definition and thats OK. If you are one of those people who want more out of their TV viewing time, then high definition TV programming from DirecTV might be just what you are looking for.

Combat Mission Touch, Organized and Simply Declare - Three Top Apps for iOS Devices

iPhoneand iPad apps are certainly helping people. They let grown-ups manage work,home life, or simplywatch a movie over the web. For kids, they offerdiverse experiences in learning and entertainment. With the rise of App Store,they have started enticing people of all ages. These three apps can make yourexperience with iPhones and iPads more seamless.

Combat Mission Touch: This app is an iPadversion of the popular PC game Combat Mission.It lets players lead AmericanandGermantroopsduring and after the invasion of Normandy,June 1944. Combat Mission Touch can be played solo or by inviting friendsthrough the Game Center. WEGO is the highlight feature ofthis app. It lets players sit and watch the battle after planning out theirmoves. However, it is really huge (377 MB), so it takes time to download. CombatMission Touchis compatible with iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad(3rd generation), and iPad Wi-Fi + 4G and requires iOS 5.0 or later. It costsUSD 4.99.Download it from here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/combat-mission-touch/id496265964?mt=8

Organized: It is an easy-to-use hierarchy style note takingapp. This app allows users to organize their notes in folders, so that they cansort them by date, priority, long notes and audio notes. These notes can bemoved from a particular project to another easily via drag and drop. As notescan also be classified under 20 different types, it helps in betteridentification. Let us hope that the developer would add the search feature inthe future updates.Organized is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPadand requires iOS 5.1 or later. It costs USD 0.99. Download it from here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/organized/id508247414?mt=8

Simply Declare: With this app, users can save all thedetails about their purchases during the travel. If they set a spending limit, itwould deduct the amount of their new purchases from it. It updates currenciesin real time and converts the purchase currency price into home currency price.Users can also take picture of their invoices for the future reference. Thisapp can be used as a simple budget app as well as for declaring duty. However, withit, users can keep track of only one trip at a time. Simply Declare is compatiblewith iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch(4th generation) and iPad and requires iOS 4.2 or later. It costs USD 1.99. Downloadit from here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/simply-declare/id508711263?mt=8

As Apple has been doing a great job in getting developers tostart writing apps for the platform, App Store already has a hundreds ofthousands of apps. And this number has been growing at an amazing pace everyday. If you need help in choosing the right app to put on your mobile, makesure you check out these apps. As they have made several best apps lists, theycan be a starting point. These apps are cool and very interesting, and Im surethere will be more to come.

Organic Spas in Australia - from Dreaming to Luxury Travel

Organic spas are an integral part of modernluxury travel. The phrase conjures images of ultimate indulgence where allthat's required of you is to lie back and surrender to a level of pamperingthat was not so long ago reserved for royalty or movie stars. But the factremains that genuine organic spas are not found everywhere. While packing for aluxury travel destination, it might be worth pondering the merits of anauthentic organic spa experience.

When compiling a list of things to do on aluxury travel itinerary, a visit to an organic spa would come somewhere closeto the top and generously interspersed throughout, depending on the length ofyour travel. Well, the choices are many at most luxury travel destinations.Here's why a trip down under to Australiais worth serious consideration.

Ask anyone who has travelled to Australiaand they'll have tales to tell of the tough immigration policies that won'teven let you bring along a wad of gum from abroad. While immigration officialsare not the friendliest of folks, they most certainly do not derive anyperverse pleasure from denying you the right to bring along a pretty orchidfrom Singapore or your pet tarantula from Africa just to see the gloom flood your face. They are merely doing theirjob. And it is their job to protect the fragile ecosystem of this uniquelandmass, down under, from foreign organic matter that may disrupt or evendestroy the delicate balance.

For 50,000 years or more, the aboriginalshave inhabited this part of the world and lived in harmony with the land, thewater, the vegetation, the seasons, the wildlife, the rain, and the rock. Theyleft no footprint on any of these elements unless it was a playful hop, skip,or jump that benefited both ways. They lived off the land, on the land, and bythe land, as one with the land. They didn't have hypertension, strokes ordiabetes. What they had was clear skin and eyes that shone. They were Dreaming;the eternal truth that links the past, present, and future, and the people totheir land.

Now what would this have to do with luxurytravel, you might well ask. Having come to the sad conclusion that the fasterthe rat race the wearier the soul, people embark on luxury travel as a means ofsolace away from it all. They eagerly look around for new outlets, freshpastures, and healthier alternatives to achieve that nirvana. The good news forall is that the Dreaming has been re-discovered here in Australia.More and more people are turning to the ancient earthy wisdom of theaboriginals to figure out modern ills. What was once considered good at bestfor some novelty value has now come to be recognized for its intrinsic truth.Now isn't that the final destination of all travel?

The wisdom of the aboriginal way of life isnow increasingly adapted to main stream life, but nowhere as much as in theworld of luxury spas. The word organic that was bandied about as casually asbananas by monkeys, has now assumed its true significance. It has taken on itsauthentic avatar in the organic spas that are now standing apart from the crowdwith their understanding and adaptation of the Dreaming. Luxury travel has nowfound its newest pastureone that has fresh, natural, and least processedproducts that your skin and soul will be grateful for.

The other side of luxury travel is nowundoubtedly sustainable travel. It's time to show the door to petrol guzzlers,and institutions with monstrously big carbon shoe prints. In the world of personalcare, now is the time to bid adieu to parabens, petrochemical bi products,dimethicones, and a variety of chemicals also used by morgue technicians topreserve dead bodies. You have an alternative that is pure, natural, and nottried on some poor guinea pig in a cage. Organic spas guarantee the use of suchclean products.

Organic spas are all the rage in majorAustralian cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane which are also bigtime luxury travel destinations. A commitment to the well being of the planetand the welfare of the customers makes these ventures a strong link in thechain of sustainability. Some of these spas have extended businesses where theygrow their own raw materials. Great care is taken to preserve intact thegoodness of all materials used. Fair Trade practices are followed whereverpossible when goods are sourced from abroad. Active collaboration or advicefrom the aboriginal people is a great way of enhancing lives in more ways thanone. Organic farming of source vegetation required to create creams andemollients becomes a source of employment for aboriginal communities. In returnwe get the invaluable in terms of ancient wisdom.

Luxury travel in search of authenticrelaxation and spa treatments, where all side effects are of the benevolentkind, are made for each other concepts. 'Have money will spend' will havebetter outcomes when that money is spent responsibly. Giving back to naturemight not be on everyone's good deed for the day list. Mainly because mostpeople don't think that far, or if they do, they can't think of many ways to doit other than refusing the odd plastic shopping bag. Organic spas are where youcan give as good as you get. And down under is where it's at right now. Let'ssustain this blue marble we call home and replenish the natural glory as bestas we can.