It’s debatable whether or not J. Edgar Hoover’s life is deserving of an epic biopic, or even if his private life secrecy and historical adventures leading to his legacy are worthy movie making material. What is not in question is Clint Eastwood’s directing capabilities and Leonardo DiCaprio’s acting chops. Both are nearly flawless. Writer Dustin Lance Black (Milk) also delivers a sharp script, which magically keeps a two-hour film from dulling or dragging and cinematographer Tom Stern utilizes techniques that demonstrate an attractive, nearly black-and-white style. And while the subdued nature of Edgar’s sexuality, bigotry, highly sought public eminence and corruption/extortion occasionally clashes with what many audiences might hope to see examined, it’s still an exquisitely made piece.

In 1919, Attorney General Mitchell Palmer (Geoff Pierson) conducted his raiding of Bolshevik communists and anarchists, aided by a young John Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio), who experienced a quick rise through the ranks to become head of the anti-radical division of the primitive Bureau of Investigation. By 1924, Hoover became the acting director, slowly building the unit’s power, authority, jurisdiction, scientific aptitude and overall crime-fighting effectiveness. Federal laws, counter-intelligence, fingerprinting, and centralized information gathering allowed the FBI (officially formed in 1935) more respect and veneration. His involvement with the gangster wars and bank robbers of the 1930s, the public’s eventual admiration and recognition of the FBI as heroes, the Lindbergh kidnapping, the Great Depression, and Kennedy assassination are all touched upon – but just as many details are excluded as included.

In his unequaled dedication to the bureau, J. Edgar’s personal life suffers – in this film, his homosexuality, friendlessness, illegal surveillance collections, and blackmail attempts are confirmed, as his controversial private dealings are dissected. Each of these contentions is handled with delicacy, preventing any single aspect from overwhelming the whole of his career. Eastwood clearly isn’t seeking out shocks. The masterful performances are what stand out the most, with strong supporting roles by Armie Hammer as forbidden love interest Clyde Tolson, Naomi Watts as faithful secretary Helen Gandy, and Judi Dench as his proud yet restrictive mother Annie.

One of the more interesting angles to Hoover’s life is that his impact on history isn’t so notorious that it’s common knowledge (despite at one time being revered as the most powerful man in the world). This film sheds light on the formation, progression and evolvement of the FBI, its battles with governmental opposition, and Hoover’s suspected accumulation of secrets and confidential files concerning prominent political leaders. It serves as educational more often than electrifying, although the truths and revelations are cursory at best. Ironically, this tasteful approach to a tumultuous existence may be the film’s greatest criticism. And since the movie spans several decades, extensive makeup effects are used to age each of the primary characters (seamlessly edited time shifts are frequent and unnecessary); while this element will probably garner Academy Award attention, the extremeness is hard to take seriously. Seeing DiCaprio as a hunched, wrinkled, fatter elder is far more distracting than convincing (this goes twofold for Hammer in his later years, who resembles Pruneface from Dick Tracy).

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com)

In 1993, Jurassic Park was considered as one of the most successful movies of that era; it was even followed up by two sequels that complete the trilogy. The Blu-Ray set of Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy were made available to the public on October 25, 2011 – a perfect timing for the upcoming Christmas season. If you want to secure a copy for either yourself or as a present to your friends, this is the perfect chance to secure a copy so that you could watch the movies in your holiday break.

The DVD set comprises of 3 Jurassic Park movies that make up the trilogy. The 1st movie was shown to the public in 1993 and got $50 million on its opening date. The 2nd movie which as shown to the public in 1997 entitled The Lost World got $90 million. However, even though the 2nd movie was not as good as the 1st, fans still loved it. On the other hand, the final film entitled Jurassic Park III got $50 million which was released to the public in 2011.

Qualities of Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy

Every movie featured in this DVD set is digitally remastered to render high quality sound and crisp images. You can also get plenty of special bonus scenes that were not featured in previous renditions. Both Blu-Ray and DVD contains the following:

* Digitally remastered copies of each films
* New interviews with Steven Spielberg together with the cast and crew plus 6-part documentary video
* Behind the camera footages with storyboards, pre-production meetings and location scouting
* Archival features
* Removed scenes
* Theatrical release trailers
* Jurassic Park: Creating the Video Game
* Jurassic Park III visual effects team commentaries

However, you can get features on the Blu-Ray J.P Ultimate Trilogy that is not included on the DVD set. These features are the bookmark feature to digitally remember the scenes that you are watching, the 7.1 audio and finally, the Pocket Blu Application.

Can the Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy Provide Value for your Money?

This movie collection is definitely for you if you are fond of dinosaurs or if you are one of the millions of Steven Spielberg admirers. You can get more of the features that are not present in DVD set in Blu-Ray version – it gives you more information about the movie but this version comes with a big price.

On October 25, 2011, movie fanatics can obtain this movie collection on Amazon.com. For only $32 for DVD collection and $49.99 for Blu-Ray collection, you would surely find the movie a perfect gift for your friends or for yourself this holiday season.

Contrary to popular belief, Walt Disney spent more time as a struggler than a success. Described at a various times as a visionary and a genius there were actually many occasions he could not foresee the results of his ideas, and they nearly brought him to financial ruin. Yet the lessons he learned through the years are useful and timeless.

Ownership is key: Early in his career, Walt created a character on behalf of Universal Studios named Oswald the Rabbit. When he tried to negotiate better payments for himself, Walt was informed that Universal had the copyright on the character and he was entitled to no compensation. From then on Walt owned everything he created.

Have passion for your product: Walt worked three long years on Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937) which was originally budgeted at a $500,000 an extraordinary amount considering the average cartoon in the 1930s cost $10,000. His competitors, his wife and his brother all predicted Disney would be ruined. During the filming, Walt was plagued with both health and financial problems as Snow White ran way over budget. Needing an additional half million to complete the picture, he acted out the story in front of a tough-minded banker and got the loan he needed. The result was a classic that made $8,000,000 at a time when movie tickets cost 25 cents for adults and a dime for kids

Make timeless products: Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Bambi (1942) all failed in their first releases. World War II cut off international distribution. The national mood turned away from public sentiment. Disney plunged four million into debt and it looked like Bank Of America would cut off his line of credit. In a dramatic meeting, the founder of the bank, A.P. Giannini stood up and told the board members that Disney made great movies and that the war would not last forever. They voted unanimously to keep Disney afloat after the old man’s speech. He was proven right years later when all three films became profitable classics.

Test market: Walt could not get distribution on his first nature film Seal Island (1949). After several frustrating months watching it sit on the shelf, he found one movie theater in Pasadena willing to show it. Seal Island, achieved full distribution, won the academy award for best short subject and led to a series of highly popular nature films.

Sometimes you need to pull the plug: Walt was determined to have a circus at Disneyland despite his staff’s advice not to. The idea failed. A pretty trapeze artist lost her top while performing in front of the kiddies, helpless to prevent it. The camels kept spitting into the crowd. The llamas got loose and ran down Main Street scattering customers every which way. More than one performance of this poorly attended venture ended with Walt burying his face in his hands. He decided to kill it.

By learning lessons from each of his entrepreneurial attempts, Walt always moved forward, which is a timeless business model.

Robert De Niro is considered, by both critics and fans alike, as one of the finest actors of his generation as well as one of the greatest actors of all time. His frequent collaborations with Martin Scorsese has also earned tremendous acclaim. His performances are consistently praised and he has won numerous awards, which includes two Academy Awards, as well as been nominated for several more and has been nominated for six BAFTA awards but has yet to win one.

He was born in New York in 1943, the son of two artists. He enjoyed acting from an early age and went on to train at the acclaimed acting school in New York; the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, as well as the American Workshop.

The major breakthrough for De Niro came with his role in Bang the Drum Slowly, his first major role, where he played a dying Major League Baseball player in 1973. The role pushed him into mainstream popularity for the first time and he would not leave this stardom, only further it. In the same year he began his long term, highly acclaimed, collaboration with Martin Scorsese with the film Mean Streets that also starred Harvey Keitel. In Mean Streets he took on the role of a small time crook named Johnny Boy.

The following year would prove to be a fine year for De Niro as he starred in The Godfather: Part II as a young Vito Corleone, a role for which he won his first Academy Award. With this role he became the first actor to win an Oscar for speaking mainly in a foreign langauge, in this case Sicilian.

De Niro continued his successful collaboration with Scorsese in 1976 with the highly acclaimed film Taxi Driver, in which De Niro played Travis Bickle, a former marine who becomes a Taxi Driver. The role earned De Niro another Oscar nomination and shot him to stardom. It was also this role that led to the iconic “You talkin’ to me?” scene forever being an iconic moment in film history and one of the most memorable scenes of all time.

It was 1980 and the film Raging Bull that earned De Niro his Oscar for Best Actor in a lead role. The film was another Scorsese collaboration and was widely praised as was the performance of De Niro as Jake LaMotta.

During the 1980s he featured in many more films but to avoid being typecast he ensured roles in various different type of films, including comedies such as The King of Comedy (1983) and Brazil (1985).

During the 1990s he appeared in some highly acclaimed films including Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991), Casino (1995), Heat (1995) and Jackie Brown (1997), with great acclaim for each role. In the year 2000 he starred opposite Ben Stiller for the comedy movie Meet the Parents and followed up in sequels to the film. Sine 1993 and A Bronx Tale he has taken to the directors’ chair and has taken this role for numerous movies including The Good Shepherd that starred Leonardo di Caprio.

De Niro has won numerous awards and has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award from AFI.

One of his most acclaimed attributes is his committment to his roles. For the film Taxi Driver he took up driving a taxi in between filming of another movie to prepare. For Raging Bull he bulked up and had boxing training and learned to play saxophone for his role in New York, New York.

Kimberly Noel Kardashian is an American businesswoman, socialite, television personality, model, and actress born October 21, 1980 in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of late attorney Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner. Her father was a third generation Armenian American and her mother is Dutch and Scottish. Her paternal great-grandparents immigrated to Los Angeles from historic Armenia. Her last name is Armenian and means “son of a stonemason.”

Kim has two sisters, Kourtney and Khloé and one brother named Robert. She also has three stepbrothers Burton Jenner, Brandon Jenner and Brody Jenner, a step-sister Casey Jenner, and half-sisters Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner.

Kim Kardashian first rose to fame in October of 2007 when her family starred in the E! TV series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. She got her first acting break in Beyond the Break, and then starred in Disaster Movie. She also participated in the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars. Kim co-owns a boutique called D-A-S-H with her sisters Kourtney and Khloé. In 2007, she posed nude for Playboy. Kim models for Travis Barker’s Famous Stars and Straps, Quick Trim weight loss, Balenciaga shoes, Carl’s Jr. fast food, Sugar Factory lollipops, and Perfect Skin skincare products, to name a few. Kim released her own, self-titled perfume in February 2010. She is also the co-founder and chief fashion stylist for ShoeDazzle. Kim has also released a workout DVD series, Fit In Your Jeans By Friday.

Kim married producer Damon Thomas in 2000 and their marriage ended in divorce in 2004. She dated singer Ray J and Reggie Bush in 2007 (not simultaneously!). She began dating NBA player Kris Humphries of the New Jersey Nets in 2010 and they announced their engagement on May 18, 2011.

In July of 2010, Madame Tussauds unveiled a wax figure of Kim Kardashian at their New York branch.

Kim Kardashian is also the producer of The Spin Crowd, a reality television show about Command PR, a New York City public relations firm, run by Jonathan Cheban and Simon Huck.

Kim Kardashian married Kris Humphries on August 30, 2011 in Montecito, California. It has been reported that the couple made around $17 million for the nuptials and that they paid nothing for the $20 million wedding bash. Three $20,000 Vera Wang gowns, $400,000 worth of Perrier Jouet champagne and invitations from Lehr & Black, estimated at $10,000, were given to the couple for free. The $750,000 for catering for the 500 guests at the reception was also free. On October 31, 2011 Kim filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences.

The Sony cx150 Handy Cam Video camera is a very compact and small camera, and has many great features that the owner will enjoy. The body of the camera is made out of a very sturdy, heavy-duty plastic which will be able to withstand a lot of use. In addition, its compact frame allows you to easily hold and manipulate it. The body of it has an overall size of just 50 x 56 x 114 mm.

Additionally, the Sony cx150′s video and picture controls are strategically placed for the most comfortable reach possible, and the battery at the back of the camera also doubles as a thumb rest. This is a great improvement with respect to how you are able to grip the camcorder while you are using it. It is 260g in weight and has an optical zoom of 25x.

So as not to deprive the Sony cx150 user of recording space, albeit it only carries a SD card slot, it is however also fitted with a built-in flash memory of 16 GB. This camcorder also records in High Definition and can record in all of 4 different modes; the HD HQ (3.8 hrs), the HD FH (1.9 hrs), the HD LP (6.5 hrs) as well as the HD FX (1.4 hrs). All these modes can record in the AVCHD format and can be played on any PlayStation 3 or Blu-ray player that is compatible with the Sony cx150.

Even with the high-definition feature, the Sony cx150 still comes with a standard record format. This standard record format allows for the playing of video on any playback device, no matter how ordinary. It also comprises of eight different scene modes, which include Snow, Fireworks, twilight, Landscape, Portrait, Sunrise and Sunset, Spotlight and Beach.

The Sony cx150, like all camcorders, has a swivel and tilt screen that comes with a functioning touch panel. Its 2.7 inch LCD has very good clarity; being both bright as it is clear. It also comes with the much-needed intelligent Auto function. What the Auto function does, is to decide the mode that is most appropriate for video-taking; whether in the middle of the day or in the night-time.

It also comes with a screen that is resistant to scratches, a feature for burning discs that affords you the opportunity to record DVDS as well as videos straight from the cam. You will need to install the bundled software for this feature however.

Let’s start with the cold, hard facts. Not all cameras are created equal. In this modern world where everything is already technology driven, you must have the best video camera to capture moments and memories. You must now be aware that in order for you to capture those moments with perfection, you must also look for the “close-to-perfect” camera. Here is a list of some things you need to make sure of when buying video cameras.

1. Storage- I put this one first because most video cameras nowadays store data in memory cards or hard drives. In case you have different needs, there are still cameras that store data on tapes or discs.

2. Resolution- Digital video recording is all about pixels. Simply put, the more pixels there are, the more detailed your recordings will be. But make sure you check the “true resolution” because there are some companies that put other types of resolution values that have nothing to do with the quality of the videos.

3. Low Light performance- If you plan on using your video cam indoors, it’s best if you look for a video camera with good low light performance. This is to ensure that your recordings will be good enough even in poorly lighted conditions like inside the house where most stuff happen.

4. Zoom- Take note that in camera lingo, there are two types of zoom – optical and digital. Make sure you focus on optical zoom because it retains clarity.

5. Image Stability- Aside from image quality, one of the most common problems with video recording are shaky pictures. Make sure you are very comfortable with the camera. While in the store, try holding the camera up and imagine operating it. Check if the weight distribution is fine and also check if you can easily reach for the controls while operating the device.

6. Interconnectivity- Simply, make sure you can connect your camera to devices you want to connect them to. USB ports and HDMI ports are pretty common and may be all you need in your video camera.

7. Sound quality- Sometimes, people forget that half of a video recording is the sound. Unfortunately, built-in microphones on most digital camcorders fail to filter out noise. Try to check if your camera has a port for an external microphone if ever you need to boost the sound reception.

8. Research- Use all available resources so you can have a better idea of what camera is best for you. You can also check personal reviews from people who actually own certain cameras. This way, you can get first hand information about the device, its capabilities and its faults.

Recording careers don’t only involve working with temperamental divas and disorganized rock bands. The skills and knowledge required in the recording industry can lead to numerous career opportunities in Sound Design and Production.

Sound Designers are most usually employed in the film and television industry, where they provide sounds to accompany screen action. The work they produce is essential to the filmmaking process, as sound elements give film a sense of location or period, or a particular mood. These elements can be any sort of recorded sound, from field recordings to music and special effects. There is, as you can imagine, quite a bit of versatility required, as designers can work alone to produce entire soundtracks and effects, or in a team involving a production mixer, sound supervisor, editor and director. People in this line of work, therefore, must be good communicators, and willing to accept direction and work with others. They must also have a thorough understanding of acoustics and both analog and digital recording and editing equipment and techniques.

In film and TV production, sound effects are added during the editing process. This means that most sound designers have to be experienced sound editors, comfortable with the editing process, software and equipment.

Sound design, however, is not limited to just television and film productions. With numerous media platforms now competing with movie and TV screens, including the Internet, advertising and computer games, the demand for quality, high-trained sound designers is at an all-time high.

Sound designers may be employed by a host of production and media companies, however, many work on a freelance basis, with their own audio workstations and recording equipment. This flexibility gives the opportunity to work on a number of different projects, across a variety of different platforms and formats.

As you can see, now is a great time to start a sound design career training program. The best training programs offer a mix of classroom theoretical instruction and hands-on practical training. Graduates from these programs are highly sought after in the industry, as this varied training approach has numerous benefits: it introduces students to the essentials of the profession, providing an overview of the skills and techniques needed to create recorded sounds, music and special effects; while also providing a golden opportunity to gain experience and confidence with the necessary tools and software needed in the trade.

Get started with a sound design training program today.

Centuries ago, Egyptians used to adorn themselves with different forms of body piercings. As for navel piercing, only members of the royal family were allowed to do that. Anyone else who attempted to pierce one’s navel could be sentenced to death. Modern times have been more tolerant, that is why the interest in navel piercing broke out with a new force during the 80′s and 90′s of the previous century.

These days, increasingly more people are having a navel piercing done. And of course, the reasons for having this kind of piercing differ from those of ancient times. Someone gets it for the look. Someone else wants to have a secret spot to show only to special people. If you already have your own reasons for it, it’s time to think about the type to choose.

There are some different modes of navel piercing to select from. Some of them depend on how big in size your belly is and whether your navel is placed inward or outward. According to navel location, the piercing is called “innie” or “outie.” Navel piercings are also performed on the top, bottom, or sides of the navel.

• The most largely accepted type of navel piercing is the “innie”. It’s located just above the navel plug. When correctly performed, it looks great, especially on a well-shaped abdomen. If you’re not endowed with the proper anatomy, your piercing may also be torn through the skin in case it’s too low-settled.

• The “outie” piercing is located leftward from your belly-button. It’s a rather complicated kind of navel piercing since a lot of blood vessels are concentrated inside and around this plug. On account of this, blood loss may be more abundant. As well risks of getting infected are higher.

• Upper rim is the standard kind of piercing, which is performed at the top of the navel ring.

• Lower rim is done at the bottom side of the belly button ring.

• Sides are generally called the piercings which are located on belly-button sides. These can be either left or right side, anywhere among the top and bottom sides of the navel ring.

It’s possible to have up to four piercings done to your navel. However, it doesn’t mean you can do them all at once. In such cases you get exposed to greater risks as well as more profuse bleeding. The best idea is having one navel piercing done at a time, wait for it to heal, and then think about another one.

Who else is curious about tarot card readings? Have you ever wondered exactly HOW tarot cards work? Do you wonder how it’s even possible for tarot cards, or a psychic who uses them to be able to predict the future, OR “see” your past as a result?

The truth is, a genuine tarot card readings is among the most magical, mysterious and magnificent experiences you can have. Discovering that your life has purpose, or that there is some sort of karma, or destiny at play in all of our lives in truly an eye opening experience that is hard to forget.

I’ve had more than 100 tarot card readings over the last 5 years… and as a professional publisher, writer and researcher of psychic phenomena, I can honestly say that it’s the best and favorite part of my job!

That said, and as controversial as this is going to sound, the real truth is, MOST tarot card readings are NOT accurate at all.

Most tarot card readers are AMATEURS, and not professional psychics.

One of the best ways to test this theory is actually very simple. If you talk to 3 or 4 tarot psychics over the course of 24 hours or so, you’ll learn that you are often going to get 3 or 4 completely different readings.

In other words – while ONE may be astoundingly accurate, more likely than not, you are going to find the information that comes through in the other 3 readings is completely DIFFERENT than the good one.

Said differently, it’s NOT anywhere close to what’s really going on in your life.

I’ll share with you a quick “test” I did that proved this for myself, a few years ago… when I was reviewing a few different OFFLINE psychics, in the local marketplace I was then living.

One tarot reader (the one who was most well known in the town) gave me a reading SO incredibly accurate, I actually thought someone “tipped” her off before I arrived. (even though only one person knew I had the appointment, and that was a friend 1000 miles away!)

The other readers were all over the place… and nowhere close to being impressive, or insightful, into what was going on in my life.

What I learned along the way was something most people who understand how tarot card work, have said all along:

A GOOD tarot card reading is NOT about the cards.

It’s about the person actually reading them.

The cards themselves are simply symbolic. Often times 2 people can read the same cards, totally differently.

Understanding this is the key to finding psychics you can trust, and learning that it’s NOT the cards that tell the story.

It’s the insight, and the intuition, and the gifts of the reader that matters!