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Our Top Pick ! - Awesome Site!
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How Can You Download Movies to your PSP?
Downloading Movies and playing them on your PSP Is Simple & Easy and Can be Done by Anyone...
Within Minutes from now, You will be able To Start Using Your PSP Like Never Before!
What we are talking about is very easy, every one can start downloading PSP movies within a few minutes after reading these lines...
All you need are four things:
1. Files you want to transfer to your PSP - You can get all the files you ever wanted from any one of the
above sites.
2. PSP USB cable or compatible memory stick reader - You should receive a PSP USB cable when you purchase
your PSP. (or just buy 1 at any electronics/computers store).
3. A 256MB (at least) memory card (memory stick) - The basic 256MB memory card is usually supplied with the PSP unit.
4. PC to PSP transferring software. - You will get all the necessary software from any of the above sites.
Transfer your own movies from your computer, copy your DVD collection or download new movies from online PSP movies databases (like the databases in the sites mentioned above), the choice is yours... The databases above contain thousands upon thousands of PSP movies.
Lets assume you decided to use the online PSP movies database option:
Downloading and transferring files to your PSP is a very simple process. First off, you need to get access to the desired database and once there select the movies you want to download to your PC. The downloading process may vary from site to site but each has a very simple downloading system and step-by-step instructions. Most important is the fact that you will be able to download files in a format identical to the UMD* version, with no quality loss whatsoever! After you have successfully downloaded your desired movies, all you have to do your do is choose which movies to transfer and use the transferring software and cables to do so. Again, the sites provide full instructions as to how to transfer your PSP movies from your PC to your PSP making the process easy and simple. Once the files have been transferred to your PSP, they will be loaded and played directly from your PSP’s memory card (memory stick).
* UMD (Universal Media Disc) is a new, proprietary, high-capacity optical medium enabling game software, full-motion video and other forms of digital entertainment content such as movies and music, to be stored. The newly developed UMD is the next-generation compact storage media and at only 60mm in diameter, can store up to 1.8GB of digital data, making it perfect for a portable entertainment player like the PSP™ system. UMD stores a broad range of digital entertainment content including games, music, movies, and more.
We can say from my own experience that all the above sites have frequently updated PSP movies databases with a wide and diverse selection and some even offer to add a movie (of your liking) for you if you cannot find it.
What video format is used on the PSP? You can play almost any type of video on your PSP, this includes the following video formats: AVI, MPEG, RM, WMV, MOV, MP4, MPEG4, XVID, DIVX, AC3, OGG, 3G.
You can start downloading your favorite PSP movies right now... All you need to do is get into one of the websites mentioned above, register and you will receive access to their movies databases and all necessary software and instructions, then simply start searching for your desired movies.
How fast can you download? Well it depends on the speed of your connection (obviously) - you cannot download faster than your maximum capacity... Be sure though, that all of the sites mentioned above take maximum advantage of your full downloading capacity.
How can you stay LEGAL while downloading PSP movies? Now that is the one of the most interesting questions... You might be surprised, but there are many ways for you to stay LEGAL while downloading PSP movies, I will not be sharing this information here because it is explained in great detail in all of the sites I’ve recommended you to join...
Well, We hope you will benefit from this and start downloading your favorite PSP Movies!
Have a Great PSP Movies Download Experience!
www.TopPSPMoviesDownloads.com Team
Definitions of The Various PSP Movies Categories
Action Film / Movie Definition:
Action films, or movies, are a film genre, where action sequences, such as fighting, stunts, car chases or explosions, take precedence over elements like characterisation or complex plotting. The action typically involves individual efforts on the part of the hero, as contrasted with most war films. The genre is closely linked with the thriller and adventure film genres.
Rise of the Action Film / Movie:
The phenomenal success of the James Bond series in the 1960s and 1970s, helped to popularise the concept of the action film in recent years. The early Bond films were characterised by quick cutting, car chases, fist fights and ever more elaborate action sequences. The series also established the concept of the resourceful hero, who is able to dispatch the villains with a ready one-liner.
Early American action film usually focused on maverick police officers, as in Bullitt (1968), The French Connection (1971) and Dirty Harry (1971). However, the action film did not become a dominant form in Hollywood until the 1980s and 1990s, when it was popularized by actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone. The 1988 film Die Hard was particularly influential on the development of the genre in the following decade. In the movie, Bruce Willis plays a New York police detective who inadvertently becomes embroiled in a terrorist take-over of a Los Angeles office block. The film set a pattern for a host of imitators, like Under Siege (1992) or Air Force One (1997), which used the same formula in a different setting.
Action films tend to be expensive requiring big budget special effects and stunt work. Action films have mainly become a mostly-American genre, although there have been a significant number of action films from Hong Kong which are primarily modern variations of the martial arts film. Because of these roots, Hong Kong action films typically center on acrobatics by the protagonist while American action films typically feature big explosions and modern technology.
Sub-genres
Action drama - Combines action set-pieces with serious themes, character insight and/or emotional power. This sub-genre can be traced back to the origins of the action film. Graham Greene's The Third Man was an award-winning example of this sub-genre.
Action comedy - Mixture of action and comedy usually based on mismatched partners (the standard "buddy film" formula) or unlikely setting. The action comedy sub-genre was re-vitalized with the popularity of the Lethal Weapon series of movies in the 1980s and 1990s.
Action thriller - Elements of action/adventure (car chases, shootouts, explosions) and thriller (plot twists, suspense, hero in jeopardy). Many of the films of Alfred Hitchcock and the James Bond series of films are icons of this popular sub-genre.
Caper/Heist - Protagonists are carrying out robbery, either for altruistic purposes or as anti-heroes. The film You Only Live Once, based on the exploits of Bonnie and Clyde, was one of the first examples of this sub-genre.
Die Hard - Story takes place in limited location - single building or vehicle - seized or under threat by enemy agents. This sub-genre began with the film, Die Hard, but has become popular in Hollywood movie making both because of its crowd appeal and the relative simplicity of building sets for such a constrained piece.
Science Fiction Action - Any of the other sub-genres of action film can be set in a science fiction setting. The Star Wars films began the modern exploration of this combination of high action content with futuristic settings in the 1970s, based in part on the serials of the 1930s and 1940s such as Flash Gordon. An explosion of science fiction action films followed in the 1980s and 1990s.
Action Horror - As with science fiction action films, any sub-genre of action film can be combined with the elements of horror films to produce what has increasingly become a popular action sub-genre in its own right. Monsters, robots and many other staples of horror have been used in action films. These were particularly popular in the 1950s. In the 1980s, Aliens introduced movie goers to the potential of a hybrid of science fiction, action and horror which would continue to be popular to the present day.
Buddy Cop - Two mismatched cops (or some variation such as a cop and a criminal) team-up as the main protagonists. Major examples are 48 Hrs., Lethal Weapon, and Tango and Cash.
Adventure Film / Movie Definition:
Although the genre is not clearly defined, adventure films are usually set in the past or sometimes in a fantasy world, and often involve swordfighting or swashbuckling. Unlike the modern action film, which often takes place in a city, with the hero battling drug cartels or terrorists, there is an element of romanticism attached to the adventure genre. Popular subjects have included Robin Hood, Zorro, pirates or the novels of Alexandre Dumas.
The genre probably reached the peak of its popularity in Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s, when films like Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Mark of Zorro were regularly being made and a number of the biggest stars, notably Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power, become closely associated with it. At the same time, lower down the scale, Saturday morning serials were often using many of the same thematic elements as adventure films.
The genre has undergone periodic revivals since the 1950s, with figures like Robin Hood often being re-cast for a new generation. Some of these revivals have been successful, as with Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), and some less so, as with Swashbuckler (1976). In the 1980s the success of Steven Spielberg's Saturday Morning serial-style adventure Raiders of the Lost Ark spawned a host of imitators, most of which were unsuccessful.
There is often a degree of overlap between the adventure film and other genres. For example, Star Wars (1977) contains many adventure film as well as science fiction elements, while The Mummy (1999) combines the adventure and horror genres.
Popular adventure film concepts include:
An outlaw figure fighting for justice or battling a tyrant (as in Robin Hood or Zorro).
Pirates (as in Captain Blood or Pirates of the Caribbean).
A search for a lost city or for hidden treasure (as in King Solomon's Mines or Indiana Jones).
Popular Adventure Films / Movies:
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).
The African Queen (1951).
The Black Swan (1942).
Captain Blood (1935).
The Crimson Pirate (1952).
The Goonies (1985).
Hero (2003).
The Incredibles (2004).
The Indiana Jones films (1981-89).
King Solomon's Mines (1937), (1950), (1985).
The Lord of the Rings films (2001-2003).
The Mummy (1999).
The Pirates of the Caribbean films (2003-2007).
The Princess Bride (1987).
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) and (1952).
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991).
The Rocketeer (1991).
Romancing the Stone (1984).
Sahara (2005).
Scaramouche (1952).
The Sea Hawk (1940).
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004).
The Star Wars films (1977-2005).
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).
The Zorro films.
Animated Film / Movie Definition:
Animation is the filming a sequence of drawings or positions of models to create an illusion of movement. It is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision.
Animation techniques:
Animation techniques are incredibly varied and difficult to categorize. Techniques are often related or combined. The following is a brief on common types of animation. Again, this list is by no means comprehensive.
Traditional animation:
Also called cel animation, the frames of a traditionally animated movie are hand-drawn. The drawings are traced or copied onto transparent plastic sheets called cels, which are then placed over a painted background and photographed one by one on a rostrum camera. Nowadays, the use of cels (and cameras) is mostly obsolete, since the drawings are scanned into computers, and digitally transferred directly to 35 mm film. The "look" of traditional cel animation is still preserved, and the character animator's work has remained essentially the same over the past 70 years. Because of the digital influence over modern cel animation, it is also known as tradigital animation.
Examples: The Lion King, Spirited Away, Les Triplettes de Belleville
Limited animation
A cheaper process of making animated cartoons that does not follow a "realistic" approach.
Rotoscoping
A technique where animators trace live action movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films.
Examples: Gulliver's Travels, A Scanner Darkly
Stop motion:
This is any type of animation which requires the animator to alter the scene, shoot frame, alter the scene and shoot a frame and so on, to create the animation.
Cutout animation
This is a type of stop motion animation. Here the figures are comprised of several 2-dimensional pieces which are moved individually, frame by frame, to create movement.
Examples: the animated sequences of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Tale of Tales
Silhouette animation
A type of cutout animation where the viewer only sees black silhouettes. The world's first animated feature film (The Adventures of Prince Achmed, 1926) used this method.
Graphic animation
Puppet animation
Again a type of stop motion animation. Here figures are puppets, generally with an armature inside of them to keep them still and steady as well as allow them to move at particular joints. The puppets are moved frame by frame, much like in cutout animation.
Often abbreviated to claymation, this is also a type of stop-motion animation. The difference of course being that the figures are made of clay or a similar malleable material. The figures often have an armature inside of them, effectively making it a type of puppet animation. However, this is not always the case, notably in the films of Bruce Bickford where clay creatures continuosly morph into a variety of different shapes.
Computer animation:
Like stop motion, this encompasses a variety of techniques. The unifying idea being that the animation is created digitally on a computer.
3D animation
A completely synthetic, computer-generated scene.Figures are created in the computer using polygons. To allow these meshes to move they are given a digital armature. This process is called rigging. Various other techniques can be applied, such a simulated fur or hair, effects such as fire and water and the use of motion capture to name but a few.
Comedy film definition:
A comedy film is a film laced with humor or that may seek to provoke laughter from the audience. Along with drama, horror and science fiction, comedy is one of the most common film genres.
A comedy of manners film satirizes the manners and affectations of a social class, often represented by stock characters. The plot of the comedy is often concerned with an illicit love affair or some other scandal, but is generally less important than its witty dialogue. This form of comedy has a long ancestry, dating back at least as far as Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare.
In a fish out of water comedy film the main character, or characters, finds himself in an alien environment and this drives most of the humor in the film. Situations can be swapping gender roles, as in Tootsie (1982); an adult changing role with a child, as in Big (1988); a freedom-loving individual fitting into a structured environment, as in Police Academy (1984); a rural backwoodsman in the big city, as in Crocodile Dundee, and so forth.
A parody or spoof film is a comedy that satirizes other film genres or classic films. Such films employ sarcasm, stereotyping, mockery of scenes from other films, and the obviousness of meaning in a character's actions. Examples of this form include Blazing Saddles (1974), Airplane! (1980), and Young Frankenstein (1974).
The anarchic comedy film uses nonsensical, stream-of-consciousness humor which often lampoons some form of authority. Films of this nature stem from a theatrical history of anarchic comedy on the stage. Well-known films of this sub-genre include National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975).
The black comedy is based around normally taboo subjects, including, death, murder, suicide and war. Examples include Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Ladykillers (1955), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), The Loved One (1965), Monty Python's the Meaning of Life (1983) and The War of the Roses (1989).
Gross-out films are a relatively recent development, and rely heavily on sexual or "toilet" humour. Example include American Pie (1999), There's Something About Mary (1998), and Dumb and Dumber (1994).
The romantic comedy sub-genre typically involves the development of a relationship between a man and a woman. The stereotyped plot line follows the "boy-gets-girl", "boy-loses-girl", "boy gets girl back again" sequence. Naturally there are innumerable variants to this plot, and much of the generally light-hearted comedy lies in the social interactions and sexual tensions between the pair. Examples of this style of film include Pretty Woman (1990), It's a Wonderful World (1939), The Shop Around the Corner (1940), When Harry Met Sally... (1989), and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994).
It was not uncommon for the early romantic comedy film to also be a screwball comedy film. This form of comedy film was particularly popular during the 1930s and 1940s. There is no consensus definition of this film style, and it is often loosely applied to slapstick or romantic comedy films. Typically it can include a romantic element, an interplay between people of different economic strata, quick and witty repartee, some form of role reversal, and a happy ending. Some examples of the screwball comedy are: It Happened One Night (1934), Bringing Up Baby (1938), His Girl Friday (1940), and more recently What's Up, Doc? (1972).
In mid 2000s the trend of "gross-out" movies is continuing, with adult-oriented comedies picking up the box office. In 2005 several gross-out movies have performed surprisingly well catering to such an adult market, these include Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. But serious black comedies (also known as dramatic comedies or dramedies) were performing also well, such as The Weather Man, Broken Flowers and Shopgirl.
Crime Film:
Crime films have been generally adapted from other forms of literature rather than written directly for the screen. What's seen as the bleak nature of some of these source materials often led some in the film industry to attempt to "lighten" the story when it was translated into film.
Gangster films typically focus on the power struggles within gangs rather than on the policemen who try to stop them (although there are exceptions, such as The Untouchables). The most common storyline depicts an individual's rise to power within the organization, followed by his betrayal and murder by the gang or being killed by police. This story offers a moral message against crime, while also permitting the audience to vicariously enjoy the gangster's exploits.
Several famous examples of changing with the plot exist. One of them is Alfred Hitchcock's (1899 - 1980) film Suspicion (U.S., 1941), which is based on Francis Iles's novel Before the Fact (1932). Alterations of the plot are often due to external factors such as a particular actor's previous roles. While director Howard Hawks was filming The Big Sleep (1946), a classic example of film noir, Humphrey Bogart and his leading lady, Lauren Bacall, got married, which resulted in the studio exploiting -- and cashing in on -- their off-screen relationship by adding several scenes featuring the couple which are not based on Chandler's novel.
When the best-selling novel The Godfather was adapted for film, much of the dark elements were kept intact, while lighter subplots (about an alcoholic singer and a Las Vegas doctor who performs a vaginal reconstruction) are left out.
There are also straightforward adaptations of crime and mystery novels. Sir Peter Ustinov is seen by many as the definitive Hercule Poirot in several films based on Agatha Christie's novels such as Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, and Dead Man's Folly.
Crime fiction in television:
The ever-increasing popularity of TV brought about the emergence of lots and lots of TV series featuring all sorts of detectives, investigators, special agents, lawyers, and, of course, the police. In Britain, The Avengers (1960s) about the adventures of gentleman agent John Steed and his partner, Emma Peel, achieved cult status. U.S. TV stations produced series such as 77 Sunset Strip (1958-1963); The Streets of San Francisco (1972-1977), starring Karl Malden and a young Michael Douglas; Kojak (1973-1978), with Telly Savalas playing the lolly-addicted police lieutenant; Charlie's Angels (1976-1981); Murder, She Wrote (starting in 1984), about the adventures of Cabot Cove-based mystery writer Jessica Fletcher, played by Angela Lansbury. In Germany, Derrick became a household word.
Crime Plays & Films:
Generally, lots of films dealing with crime and its detection are based on plays rather than novels. Agatha Christie's stage play Witness For the Prosecution (1953; based on her own short story, published in 1933) was adapted for the big screen by director Billy Wilder in 1957. The film starred Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton and is a classic example of a "courtroom drama". In a courtroom drama, a charge is brought against one of the main characters, who says that they are innocent. Another major part is played by the lawyer (in Britain a barrister) representing the defendant in court and battling with the public prosecutor. He or she may enlist the services of a private investigator to find out what really happened and who the real perpetrator is. But in most cases it is not clear at all whether the accused is guilty of the crime or not -- this is how suspense is created. Very often, the private investigator storms into the courtroom at the very last minute in order to bring a new and crucial piece of information to the attention of the court. For obvious reasons, this type of literature lends itself to the literary genre of drama: There is a lot of dialogue (the opening and closing statements, the witnesses' testimonies, etc.) and little or no necessity for a shift in scenery: The auditorium of the theatre becomes an extension of the courtroom. When a courtroom drama is filmed, the traditional device employed by screenwriters and directors is the frequent use of flashbacks, in which the crime and everything that led up to it is narrated and reconstructed from different angles.
In Witness for the Prosecution, Leonard Vole, a young American living in England, is accused of murdering a middle-aged lady he met in the street while shopping. His wife (played by Marlene Dietrich) hires the best lawyer available (Charles Laughton) because she is convinced, or rather she knows, that her husband is innocent. Another classic courtroom drama is U.S. playwright Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men (1955), which is set in the jury deliberation room of a New York Court of Law. Eleven members of the jury, aiming at a unanimous verdict of "guilty", try to get it over with as quickly as possible. And they would really succeed in achieving their common aim if it were not for the twelfth juror (played by Henry Fonda in the 1957 movie adaptation), who, on second thoughts, considers it his duty to convince his colleagues that the defendant may be innocent after all, and who, by doing so, triggers a lot of discussion, confusion, and anger.
Drama Film:
A drama film is a film that depends mostly on in-depth character development, interaction, and highly emotional themes. In a good drama film, the audience are able to experience what other characters are feeling and identify with someone.
This genre could be especially useful by challenging the ignorance from stereotypes or any other overly simplistic generalisations by bringing it down to a more personal and complex level. As well, such movies could also be therapeutic by showing how characters cope with their problems, challenges, or issues, and to the extent the viewer can identify with the characters with his or her own world.
This film genre can be contrasted with an action film which relies on fast-paced action and develops characters sparsely.
Family film definition:
A family film is a film genre that, like a children's film, is suitable for young children, but with the difference that a family film has been carefully written, directed, cast and acted so that it will appeal to all members of a typical family (or if not typical, at least representing the cultural ideal):
Father
Mother
Teens
Small children
To meet these contradictory requirements, producers sometimes look for scripts whose plots depict problems that all these types of people might identify with.
Family films generally do not contain content that would be deemed unsuitable for children. In the United States, such films are usually conceived so as to guarantee nothing greater than a G or PG rating. Note that this rating does not distinguish between children's films and family films.
Fantasy Movie / Film definition:
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap.
The boundaries of the fantasy literary genre are not well-defined, and the same is therefore true for the film genre as well. Categorizing a movie as fantasy may thus require an examination of the themes, narrative approach and other structural elements of the film.
For example, much about the Star Wars saga suggests fantasy, yet it has the feel of science fiction, whereas much about Time Bandits (1981) suggests science fiction, yet it has the feel of fantasy. Some film critics borrow the literary term Science Fantasy to describe such hybrids of the two genres.
Animated films featuring talking non-human animals and other fantastic elements are not always classified as fantasy, particularly when they are intended for children. Bambi, for example, is not fantasy, nor is 1995's Toy Story, though the latter is probably closer to fantasy than the former. The Secret of NIMH from 1982, however, may be considered to be a fantasy film because there is actual magic involved.
Other children's movies, such as Walt Disney's 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are also difficult to categorize. Snow White features a medieval setting, dwarven characters, the use of sorcery, and other tropes common to fantasy. Yet many fans of the genre do not believe such movies qualify as fantasy, placing them in instead in a separate fairy tale genre.
Superhero films also fulfill the requirements of the fantasy or science fiction genres but are often considered to be a separate genre. Some critics, however, classify superhero literature and film as a subgenre of fantasy (Superhero Fantasy) rather than as an entirely separate category.
Films that rely on magic primarily as a gimmick, such the 1976 film Freaky Friday and its 2003 re-make in which a mother and daughter magically switch bodies, may technically qualify as fantasy but are nevertheless not generally considered part of the genre.
Surrealist film also describes the fantastic, but it dispenses with genre narrative conventions and is usually thought of as a separate category. Finally, many Martial arts films feature medieval settings and incorporate elements of the fantastic (see for example Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), but fans of such films do not agree if they should also be considered examples of the fantasy genre.
Subgenres:
Several sub-categories of fantasy films can be identified, although the delineations between these subgenres, much as in fantasy literature, are somewhat fluid.
The most common fantasy subgenres depicted in movies are High Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery. Both categories typically employ quasi-medieval settings, wizards, magical creatures and other elements commonly associated with fantasy stories.
High Fantasy films tend to feature a more richly developed fantasy world, and may also be more character-oriented or thematically complex. Often, they feature a hero of humble origins and a clear distinction between good and evil set against each other in an epic struggle. Many scholars cite J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy as the prototypical modern example of High Fantasy in literature, and the recent Peter Jackson film adaptation of the books is a good example of the High Fantasy subgenre on the silver screen.
Sword and Sorcery movies tend to be more plot-driven than high fantasy and focus heavily on action sequences, often pitting a physically powerful but unsophisticated warrior against an evil wizard or other supernaturally-endowed enemy. Although Sword and Sorcery films sometimes describe an epic battle between good and evil similar to those found in many High Fantasy movies, they may alternately present the hero as having more immediate motivations, such as the need to protect a vulnerable maiden or village, or even being driven by the desire for vengeance.
The 1982 film adaptation of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, for example, is a personal (non-epic) story concerning the hero's quest for revenge and his efforts to thwart a single megalomaniac -- while saving a beautiful princess in the process. Some critics refer to such films by the term Sword and Sandal rather than Sword and Sorcery, although others would maintain that the Sword and Sandal label should be reserved only for the subset of fantasy films set in ancient times on the planet Earth, and still others would broaden the term to encompass films that have no fantastic elements whatsoever. To some, the term Sword and Sandal has pejorative connotations, designating a film with a low-quality script, bad acting and poor production values.
Another important sub-genre of fantasy films that has become more popular in recent years is Contemporary Fantasy. Such films feature magical effects or supernatural occurrences happening in the "real" world of today. The most prominent example in the early 21st century is the Harry Potter series of films adapted from the novels of J. K. Rowling.
Fantasy films set in the afterlife, called Bangsian Fantasy, are less common, although films such as the 1991 Albert Brooks comedy Defending Your Life would likely qualify. Other uncommon subgenres include Historical Fantasy and Romantic Fantasy, although 2003's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl successfully incorporated elements of both.
As noted above, superhero movies and fairy tale films might each be considered subgenres of fantasy films, although most would classify them as altogether separate movie genres.
Fantasy movies and the film industry:
As a cinematic genre, fantasy has traditionally not been regarded as highly as the related genre of science fiction film. Undoubtedly, the fact that until recently fantasy films often suffered from the "Sword and Sandal" afflictions of inferior production values, over-the-top acting and decidedly poor special effects was a significant factor in fantasy film's low regard. Even 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, which did much to improve the genre's reputation in public as well critical circles, was still derided in some quarters because of its comic book-like action sequences and tongue in cheek comedy.
Since the late 1990s, however, the genre has gained new respectability, driven principally by the successful adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy is particularly notable due to its ambitious scope, serious tone and thematic complexity. These pictures achieved phenomenal commercial and critical success, and the third installment of the trilogy became the first fantasy film ever to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Following the success of these ventures, Hollywood studios have greenlighted additional big-budget productions in the genre. These have included a successful adaptation of the first book in C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia series as well as upcoming adaptations of Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising and the cult novel Eragon.
Fantasy movies in recent years, such as 2005's Narnia adaptation, have most often been released in November and December. This is in contrast to science fiction films, which are often released during the summer.
History:
Fantasy films have a history almost as old as the medium itself. However, fantasy films were relatively few and far between until the 1980s, when high-tech filmmaking techniques and increased audience interest caused the genre to flourish.
Early Years:
In the era of silent film the outstanding fantasy films were Douglas Fairbanks' The Thief of Bagdad (1924) and Fritz Lang's Die Nibelungen (1924). Following the advent of sound films, audiences of all ages embraced what is surely the best loved fantasy film of all time, 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Also notable of the era, the iconic 1933 film King Kong is not a pure example of the genre, but borrows heavily from the Lost World subgenre of fantasy fiction. And Frank Capra's 1937 picture Lost Horizon transported audiences to the Himalayan fantasy kingdom of Shangri-La, where the residents magically never age.
1940s:
The 1940s then saw several full color fantasy films produced by Alexander Korda, including The Thief of Bagdad (1940) and Jungle Book (1942). In 1946, Jean Cocteau's classic adaptation of Beauty and the Beast won praise for its surreal elements and for transcending the boundaries of the fairy tale genre. Sinbad the Sailor (1947), starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., has the feel of a fantasy film though it does not actually have any fantastic elements. Conversely, It's a Wonderful Life and A Matter of Life and Death, both from 1946, do not feel like fantasy films yet both feature supernatural elements and the latter movie could reasonably be cited as an example of Bangsian fantasy.
In addition, several other pictures featuring supernatural encounters and aspects of Bangsian fantasy were produced in the 1940s. These include The Devil and Daniel Webster and Here Comes Mr. Jordan from 1941, Heaven Can Wait and the musical Cabin in the Sky from 1943, and 1947's The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. But because these movies do not feature elements common to high fantasy or sword and sorcery pictures, some critics do not consider them to be examples of the fantasy genre.
1950s:
In the 1950's there were major fantasy films. Darby O'Gill and the Little People and The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T, the latter penned by Dr. Seuss. Jean Cocteau's Orphic Trilogy, begun in 1930 and completed in 1959, is based on Greek mythology and could be classified either as fantasy or surrealist film, depending on how the boundaries between these genres are drawn. Russian fantasy director Aleksandr Ptushko created three mythological epics from Russian fairytales, Sadko (1953), Ilya Muromets (1956), and Sampo (1959).
Three other notable pictures from the 1950s that feature fantastic elements and are sometimes classified as fantasy are: Harvey (1950), featuring a púca of Celtic mythology; Scrooge, the 1951 adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol; and Ingmar Bergman's 1957 masterpiece, The Seventh Seal.
There were also a number of low budget fantasies produced in the 1950s, typically based on Greek or Arabian legend. The most notable of these is probably 1958's The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, featuring special effects by Ray Harryhausen.
1960s and 1970s:
Harry hausen worked on a series of fantasy films in the 1960s, most importantly Jason and the Argonauts (1963). Many critics have identified this film as Harryhausen's masterwork for its stop-motion animated statues, skeletons, harpies, hydra, and other mythological creatures. Other Harryhausen fantasy and science fantasy collaborations from the decade include the 1961 adaptation of Jules Verne's Mysterious Island, the critically panned One Million Years B.C. starring Raquel Welch, and The Valley of Gwangi (1969).
Otherwise, the 1960's were almost entirely devoid of fantasy films. The fantasy picture 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, in which Tony Randall portrayed several characters from Greek mythology, was released in 1964. But the 1967 adaptation of the Broadway musical Camelot removed most of the fantasy elements from T. H. White's classic The Once and Future King, on which the musical had been based.
Fantasy elements of Arthurian legend were again featured, albeit absurdly, in 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Harryhousen also returned to the silver screen in the 1970s with two additional Sinbad fantasies, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977). The animated movie Wizards (1977) had limited success at the box office but achieved status as a cult film. Some would consider 1977's Oh God!, starring George Burns to be a fantasy film, and Heaven Can Wait (1978) was a successful Bangsian fantasy remake of 1941's Here Comes Mr. Jordan (not 1943's Heaven Can Wait).
A few low budget "Lost World" pictures were made in the 1970s, such as 1975's The Land That Time Forgot. Otherwise, the fantasy genre was largely absent from mainstream movies in this decade, although 1971's Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory were two fantasy pictures in the public eye.
1980s:
The supernatural fantasy Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 began a fantasy explosion which continues into the Twenty-first Century. The sword and sorcery boom started with 1982's Conan the Barbarian leading to many copies.
Horror film definition:
Films from the horror genre are designed to elicit fright, fear, terror, disgust or horror from viewers. In horror film plots, evil forces, events, or characters, sometimes of supernatural origin, intrude into the everyday world. Horror film characters include vampires, zombies , monsters, serial killers, and a range of other fear-inspiring characters. Early horror films often drew inspiration from characters and stories from classic literature, such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, The Phantom of the Opera and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Horror films have been criticized for their graphic violence and dismissed by film critics as low budget B-movies and exploitation films. Nonetheless, some major studios and respected directors have made forays into the genre, and more recent generations of critics have analyzed horror films. Some horror films draw on other genres, such as science fiction, fantasy, black comedy, and thrillers
Independent film definition:
An independent film (or indie film) is a film initially produced without financing or distribution from a major movie studio. Often, films that receive less than 50% of their budget from major studio are also considered "independent." According to MPAA data, January through March 2005 showed approximately 15% of US domestic box office revenue was from independent studios. Creative, business, and technological reasons have all contributed to the growth of the indie film scene in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Technology used in Independent movies / films:
Until the advent of digital alternatives, the cost of professional film equipment and stock was a major obstacle to being able to produce, direct, or star in a traditional studio-quality film. The cost of 35mm film is outpacing inflation: in 2002 alone, film negative costs were up 23%, according to Variety. Filming typically required expensive lighting and post-production facilities.
But the advent of consumer camcorders in 1985, and more importantly, the arrival of high-resolution digital video in the early 1990s, have since lowered the technology barrier to movie production considerably. Both production and post-production costs have been significantly lowered; today, the hardware and software for post-production can be installed in a commodity-based personal computer. Technologies such as DVD, FireWire connections and professional-level non-linear editing system software make movie-making relatively inexpensive.
Popular software (including commercial, consumer level and open source) includes:
Avid Xpress Pro
Cinelerra
Kino
Adobe Premiere Pro
Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express
iMovie
Sony Vegas
Popular digital camcorders, mostly semi-professional equipment with 3-CCD technology, include:
Canon
SD: XL 2, GL2
HD: XL H1, XH G1, XH A1
Panasonic
HD: AG-HVX200
Sony
Most of these camcorders cost between US$2,000 - $5,000 in 2003, with costs continuing to decline as features are added, and models depreciate. Additionally, open source software holds the potential for increasing high-level editing capabilities being available for also increasingly lower prices, both for free and paid software.
Musical film definition:
The musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. The songs are used to advance the plot or develop the film's characters. A subgenre of the musical film is the musical comedy, which includes a strong element of humour as well as the usual music, dancing and storyline.
The musical film was a natural development of the stage musical. Typically, the biggest difference between film and stage musicals is the use of lavish background scenery which would be impractical in a theater. Musical films characteristically contain elements reminiscent of theater; performers often treat their song and dance numbers as if there is a live audience watching. In a sense, the viewer becomes the deictic audience, as the performer looks directly into the camera and performs to it.
History of the musical film:
The musical film is the genre associated with the transition from silent film to sound film. The concept of "talking pictures" had been considered a risky investment by the major Hollywood studios until the Warner Bros. studio took the leap and produced The Jazz Singer (1927), starring Al Jolson. Jolson's singing in the picture forever changed the medium of film, and it jolted Hollywood into the era of sound. As Hollywood adapted to sound films, musical films were an important part of Hollywood's movie output, ranking alongside Westerns, dramas, and comedies.
The musical movie / film today:
The trend in modern filmmaking after the 1960s had been to avoid "musical films" as such, in favour of using music by popular rock or pop bands as 'background music' in the hope of selling a soundtrack album to fans. There are exceptions to this rule, however, and films about actors, dancers or singers have been made as successful modern-style musical films, with the music as an intrinsic part of the storyline. The other exception to the rule is the children's animated movie, which almost always include traditional musical numbers, some of which, such as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, have later become live stage productions. In the early 2000s however, the musical film has begun to rise in popularity once more, with new works such as Moulin Rouge!, or film remakes of stage shows, such as Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, and The Producers, with the last two featuring many of the original Broadway cast members.
Another exception to the decline of the musical film is Bollywood, the Indian film industry, where the vast majority of films have been and still are musicals. Thanks to the incumbent Bollywood formula of the often garish and unrealistic "song and dance" routine, and the lack of an independent Indian popular music scene until the late nineties, the Indian film and popular music industries have been intertwined since virtually the beginning of film production in the country. Some top playback singers are celebrities in India due to the demand for so-called filmi singles and albums. This trend continues even to date, although a few of the newer Bollywood films (usually in the English language or art genres) are breaking the mold by releasing films with no songs (such as Black, Matrubhoomi and 15, Park Avenue).
Mystery Movie / Film Definition:
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film. It focuses on the efforts of the Detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction. The successful mystery film often conceals the identity of the perpetrator until late in the story, then adds an element of suspense during the apprehension of the suspect.
Suspense is often maintained as an important plot element. This can be done through the use of the sound track, camera angles, heavy shadows, and surprising plot twists. Alfred Hitchcock used all of these techniques, but would sometimes allow the audience in on a pending threat then draw out the moment for dramatic effect.
Mystery novels have proven to be a good medium for translation into film. The sleuth often forms a strong leading character, and the plots can include elements of drama, suspense, character development, uncertainty and surprise twists. The locales of the mystery tale are often of a mundane variety, requiring little in the way of expensive special effects. Successful mystery writers can produce a series of books based on the same sleuth character, providing rich material for sequels.
Until at least the 1980s, women in mystery films have often served a dual role, providing a relationship with the detective and frequently playing the part of woman-in-peril. The women in these films are often resourceful individuals, being self-reliant, determined and as often duplicitous. They can provide the triggers for the events that follow, or serve as an element of suspense as helpless victims.
History:
Undoubtedly the most famous of the amateur detectives to reach the silver screen was Sherlock Holmes. He first appeared in 1903, and has been portrayed by a multitude of actors. Other famous sleuths include Charlie Chan and Hercule Poirot.
Following World War II, film noir came into style and proved a popular medium for the professional hired detective, or private eye. Humphrey Bogart was particularly notable for playing this role, including Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon.
The 1960s and 1970s saw a resurgence of the Police Detective film, which were styles after the earlier film noir era. Among the notable mystery detective films of this period were In the Heat of the Night (1967), Bullitt (1968), Klute (1971) and Chinatown (1974). The 1970s and 1980s also saw something of the return of the serial films, with the Dirty Harry and Lethal Weapon series. In 1971, The French Connection was an Academy Award-winning mystery film.
In addition to standard mystery films, some movies have intermixed with other genres. The comedic Blake Edwards' Pink Panther series starring Peter Sellars as Inspector Clouseau mixed comedy with mystery, while the medieval era Brother Cadfael series of television mysteries appeared as a form of historical fiction. The Dick Tracy films had elements of science fiction, while Blade Runner and Outland were primarily science fiction action films.
Science Fiction Movie / Film definition:
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses speculative, science-based depictions of imaginary phenomena such as extra-terrestrial lifeforms, alien worlds, and time travel, often along with technological elements such as futuristic spacecraft, robots, or other technologies. Science fiction films have often been used to provide social commentary on political or social issues, and to explore philosophical issues, such as "what makes us human."
The genre has existed since the early years of silent cinema, when Georges Melies' A Trip to the Moon (1902) amazed audiences with its trick photography effects. From the 1930's to the 1950's, the genre consisted mainly of low-budget B-movies. After Stanley Kubrick's 1968 landmark 2001: A Space Odyssey, the science fiction film genre was taken more seriously. In the late 1970s, big-budget, special effect-filled films science fiction films became popular with audiences, such as Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, paving the way for the blockbuster hits of subsequent decades, such as "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) and Men in Black (1997).
Defining precisely which movies belong to the science fiction genre is often difficult, as there is no universally accepted definition of the genre, or in fact its underlying genre in literature. According to one definition:
Science fiction film is a film genre which emphasizes actual, extrapolative, or speculative science and the empirical method, interacting in a social context with the lesser emphasized, but still present, transcendentalism of magic and religion, in an attempt to reconcile man with the unknown (Sobchack 63).
This definition assumes that a continuum exists between (real-world) empiricism and (supernatural) transcendentalism, with science fiction film on the side of empiricism, and horror film and fantasy film on the side of transcendentalism. However, there are numerous well-known examples of science fiction horror films, epitomized by such pictures as Frankenstein and Alien. And the Star Wars films blend elements typical of science fiction film (such as spaceships, androids and ray guns) with the mystical "Force", a magical power that would seem to fit the fantasy genre better than science fiction. Movie critics therefore sometimes use terms like "Sci Fi/Horror" or "Science Fantasy" to indicate such films' hybrid status.
The visual style of science fiction film can be characterized by a clash between alien and familiar images. This clash is implemented when alien images become familiar, as in A Clockwork Orange, when the repetitions of the Korova Milkbar make the alien decor seem more familiar. As well, familiar images become alien; for example, in Dr. Strangelove, the distortion of the humans make the familiar images seem more alien. Finally, alien and familiar images are juxtaposed, as in The Deadly Mantis, when a giant praying mantis is shown climbing the Washington Monument.
Cultural theorist Scott Bukatman has proposed that science fiction film allows contemporary culture to witness an expression of the sublime, be it through exaggerated scale (the Death Star in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope), apocalypse (Independence Day) or transcendence (2001: A Space Odyssey).[
Themes, imagery, and visual elements:
Science fiction films are often speculative in nature, and often include key supporting elements of science and technology. However, as often as not the "science" in a Hollywood sci-fi movie can be considered pseudo-science, relying primarily on atmosphere and quasi-scientific artistic fancy than facts and conventional scientific theory. The definition can also vary depending on the viewpoint of the observer. What may seem a science fiction film to one viewer can be considered fantasy to another.
Many science fiction films include elements of mysticism, occult, magic, or the supernatural, considered by some to be more properly elements of fantasy or the occult (or religious) film. This transforms the movie genre into a science fantasy with a religious or quasi-religious philosophy serving as the driving motivation. The movie Forbidden Planet employs many common science fiction elements, but the nemesis is a powerful creature with a resemblance to an occult demonic spirit (Some interpretations see it, however, as a manifestation of the Freudian Id, made material by alien superscience). The Star Wars series employed a magic-like philosophy and ability known as the "Force" (see entry on 'Midi-chlorians'). Chronicles of Riddick (2004) included quasi-magical elements resembling necromancy and elementalism.
Some films blur the line between the genres, such as movies where the protagonist gains the extraordinary powers of the superhero. These films usually employ a quasi-plausible reason for the hero gaining these powers. Yet in many respects the film more closely resembles fantasy than sci-fi.
Not all science fiction themes are equally suitable for movies. In addition to science fiction horror, space opera is most common. Often enough, these films could just as well pass as westerns or WWII movies if the science fiction props were removed. Common themes also include voyages and expeditions to other planets, and dystopias, while utopias are rare.
Milestones of science fiction film special effects include Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Star Wars films, Star Trek: The Motion Picture and, more recently, The Matrix.
Imagery:
Film theorist Vivian Sobchack argues that science fiction films differs from fantasy films in that while science fiction film seeks to achieve our belief in the images we are viewing, fantasy film instead attempts to suspend our disbelief. The science fiction film displays the unfamiliar and alien in the context of the familiar, thereby making the images appear ordinary.
Despite the alien nature of the scenes and science fictional elements of the setting, the imagery of the film is related back to mankind and how we relate to our surroundings. While the sf film strives to push the boundaries of the human experience, they remain bound to the conditions and understanding of the audience and thereby contain prosaic aspects, rather than being completely alien or abstract.
Genre films such as westerns or war movies are bound to a particular area or time period. This is not true of the science fiction film. However there are several common visual elements that are evocative of the genre. These include the spacecraft or space station, alien worlds or creatures, robots, and futuristic gadgets. More subtle visual clues can appear with changes the human form through modifications in appearance, size, or behavior, or by means a known environment turned eerily alien, such as an empty city.
Scientific elements:
While science is a major element of this genre, many movie studios take significant liberties with what is considered conventional scientific knowledge. Such liberties can be most readily observed in films that show spacecraft maneuvering in outer space. The vacuum should preclude the transmission of sound or maneuvers employing wings, yet the sound track is filled with inappropriate flying noises and changes in flight path resembling an aircraft banking. The film makers assume that the audience will be unfamiliar with the specifics of space travel, and focus is instead placed on providing acoustical atmosphere and the more familiar maneuvers of the aircraft.
Similar instances of ignoring science in favor of art can be seen when movies present environmental effects. Entire planets are destroyed in titanic explosions requiring mere seconds, whereas an actual event of this nature would likely take many hours. A star rises over the horizon of a comet or a Mercury-like world and the temperature suddenly soars many hundreds of degrees, causing the entire surface to turn into a furnace. In reality the energy is initially reaching the ground at a very oblique angle, and the temperature is likely to rise more gradually.
The role of the scientist has varied considerably in the science fiction film genre, depending on the public perception of science and advanced technology. Starting with Dr. Frankenstein, the mad scientist became a stock character who posed a dire threat to society and perhaps even civilization. Certain portrayals of the "mad scientist", such as Peter Sellers's performance in Dr. Strangelove, have become iconic to the genre. In the monster movies of the 1950s, the scientist often played a heroic role as the only person who could provide a technological fix for some impending doom. Reflecting the distrust of government that began in the 1960s in the U.S., the brilliant but rebellious scientist became a common theme, often serving a Cassandra-like role during an impending disaster.
Alien life forms:
he concept of life, particularly intelligent life, having an extra-terrestrial origin is a popular staple of science fiction films. Early films often used alien life forms as a threat or peril to the human race, where the invaders were frequently fictional representations of actual military or political threats on Earth. Later some aliens were represented as benign and even beneficial in nature in such films as E.T. The Extraterrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Aliens in contemporary films are still often depicted as hostile, however, such as those in the Alien series of films.
In order to provide subject matter to which audiences can relate, the large majority of intelligent alien races presented in films have an anthropomorphic nature, possessing human emotions and motivations. Often they will embody a particular human stereotype, such as the barbaric warriors, scientific intellectuals, or priests and clerics. They will frequently appear to be nearly human in physical appearance, and communicate in a common Earth tongue, with little trace of an accent. Very few films have tried to represent intelligent aliens as something utterly different from human kind (e.g. Solaris).
Disaster films:
A frequent theme among sci-fi films is that of impending or actual disaster on an epic scale. These often address a particular concern of the writer by serving as a vehicle of warning against a type of activity, including technological research. In the case of alien invasion films, the creatures can provide as a stand-in for a feared foreign power.
Disaster films typically fall into the following general categories:
Alien invasion — hostile extraterrestrials arrive and seek to supplant humanity. They are either overwhelmingly powerful or very insidious. Typical examples include The War of the Worlds (1953, 2005) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956, 1978, 1993).
Environmental disaster — such a major climate change, or an asteroid or comet strike. Typical examples include Soylent Green (1973), Armageddon (1998), and The Day After Tomorrow (2004).
Man supplanted by technology — typically in the form of an all-powerful computer, advanced robots or cyborgs, or else genetically-modified humans or animals. Typical examples include Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), The Matrix (1999), and I, Robot (2004).
Nuclear war — usually in the form of a dystopic, post-holocaust tale of grim survival. Typical examples include Dr. Strangelove (1964), The Terminator (1984), and Planet of the Apes (1968).
Pandemic — a highly lethal disease, often one created by man, wipes out most of humanity in a massive plague. Typical examples include The Andromeda Strain (1971), 12 Monkeys (1995), and Outbreak (also 1995).
Time travel movies can also exploit the potential for disaster as a motivation for the plot, or they can be the root cause of a disaster by wiping out recorded history and creating a new future. For example, The Terminator series of films employs time travel in this fashion (see also "Time travel" below).
Monster films:
While not usually depicting danger on a global or epic scale, science fiction film also has a long tradition of movies featuring monster attacks. These differ from similar films in the horror or fantasy genres because science fiction films typically rely on a scientific (or at least pseudo-scientific) rationale for the monster's existence, rather than a supernatural or magical reason. Often, the science fiction film monster is created, awakened, or "evolves" because of the machinations of a mad scientist, a nuclear accident, or a scientific experiment gone awry. Typical examples include The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), the Godzilla series of films, and Jurassic Park (1993).
Many such films could be classified as either science fiction or horror (or in fact, both). Examples include such iconic films as Alien, Creature from the Black Lagoon and Frankenstein, as well as diverse offerings like Deep Blue Sea, Resident Evil and The Thing.
Mind and identity:
The core mental aspects of what makes us human has been a staple of science fiction films, particularly since the 1980s. Blade Runner examined what made an organic-creation a human, while the RoboCop series saw an android mechanism fitted with the brain and reprogrammed mind of a human to create a cyborg. The idea of brain transfer was not entirely new to science fiction film, as the concept of the "mad scientist" transferring the human mind to another body is as old as Frankenstein.
Films such as Total Recall have popularized a thread of films that explore the concept of reprogramming the human mind. The theme of brainwashing in several films of the sixties and seventies including A Clockwork Orange and The Manchurian Candidate coincided with secret real-life government experimentation during Project MKULTRA. Similarly, movies such as Equilibrium deal with drug-induced mind control along with dystopian control of human culture. The cyberpunk film Johnny Mnemonic used the reprogramming concept for a commercial purpose as the human became a data transfer vessel. Voluntary erasure of memory is further explored as themes of the films Paycheck and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In Dark City, human memory and the fabric of reality itself is reprogrammed wholesale. Serial Experiments Lain also explores the idea of reprogrammable reality and memory.
The idea that a human could be entirely represented as a program in a computer was a core element of the film Tron. This would be further explored in the film version of The Lawnmower Man, and the idea reversed in Virtuosity, Demon Seed and others as computer programs sought to become real persons. In the Matrix series, the virtual reality world became a real world prison for humanity, managed by intelligent machines. In eXistenZ, the nature of reality and virtual reality become intermixed with no clear distinguishing boundary. Likewise The Cell intermixed dreams and virtual reality, creating a fantasy realm with no boundaries.
Robots:
Robots have been a part of science fiction since the Czech playwright Karel Čapek coined the word in 1881. In early films, robots were usually played by a human actor in a boxy metal suit, as in The Phantom Empire, althought the female robot in Metropolis is an exception. The first depiction of a sophisticated robot in a US film was in The Day the Earth Stood Still. Over the last several decades, robots in films, have been depicted as having increasingly advanced capabilities, including artificial intelligence, and in some cases, enhanced sensory skills (e.g., the robot assassin in The Terminator). In films, robots are often depicted as humanoid-looking machines that walk stiffly and speak with a flat affect.
Robots in films are often sentient and sometimes sentimental, and they have filled a range of roles in science fiction films. Robots have been supporting characters (e.g., Ash in the 1979 film Alien and Data from Star Trek), sidekicks (e.g., C-3PO and R2-D2 from Star Wars), and extras, visible in the background to create a futuristic setting. As well, robots have been formidable movie villains or monsters (e.g., the robot Box in the 1976 film Logan's Run, Maximillian in the 1979 film The Black Hole, and the T-800 robot assassin in the 1984 film The Terminator). In some cases, robots have even been the leading characters in sci-fi films; in the 1982 film Blade Runner, many of the characters are bioengineered, bio-robotic "replicants".
One popular theme in sci-fi film is whether robots will someday replace humans, a question raised in the film adaptation of Isaac Asimov's I, Robot, or whether intelligent robots could develop a conscience and a motivation to take over or destroy the human race (as depicted in The Terminator).
Time travel:
The concept of time travel-travelling backwards and forwards through time--has always been a popular staple of science fiction film and sci-fi television series. Time travel usually involves the use of some type of advanced technology, such as H. G. Wells' classic The Time Machine, or the commercially successful 1980s-eraBack to the Future trilogy. Other movies, such as the Planet of the Apes series, explained their depictions of time travel by drawing on physics concepts such as the Special relativity phenomenon of time dilation (which could occur if a spaceship was travelling near the speed of light). Some films show time travel not being attained from advanced technology, but rather from an inner source or personal power, such as the 2000s-era films Donnie Darko and The Butterfly Effect.
More conventional time travel movies use technology to bring the past to life in the present, or in a present that lies in our future. The movie Iceman (1984) told the story of the reanimation of a frozen Neanderthal (similar to the 1950 Christopher Lee film Horror Express), a concept later spoofed in the comedy Encino Man (1992). The Jurassic Park series portrayed cloned prehistoric life forms grown from DNA ingested by insects that were trapped in amber. The movie Freejack (1992) shows time travel used to pull victims of horrible deaths forward in time a split-second before their demise, and then use their bodies for spare parts; a similar theme is used in Millennium (1989).
A common theme in time travel movies is the paradoxical nature of travelling through time. In the French New Wave film La Jetée (1962), director Chris Marker depicts the self-fulfilling aspect of a person being able to see their future by showing a child who witnesses the death of his future self. La Jetée was the inspiration for 12 Monkeys, (1995) director Terry Gilliam's film about time travel, memory, and madness . In Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), the main character becomes unstuck in time, and jumps backwards and forwards across his life.
The Back to the Future series goes one step further and explores the result of altering the past, while in Star Trek: First Contact (1996) the crew must rescue the Earth from having its past altered by time-travelling aliens. The Terminator series uses self-aware robots which travel to the past in order to alter the future outcome of a future human-robot war by killing the future leaders of the human resistance.
Film versus literature:
In science fiction novels and short stories the narrative world typically differs from our own present or historical reality in least one significant way. This difference may be technological, physical, historical, sociological, philosophical, metaphysical, etc, but usually not magical (see Fantasy). Exploring the consequences of such differences (asking "What if...?") is the traditional purpose of science fiction. Science fiction literature often relies upon story development, reader knowledge, and the discussion of abstract concepts that may not be easy to transpose to film.
When compared to science fiction literature, science fiction films often rely less on the human imagination and more upon action scenes and special effect-created alien creatures and exotic backgrounds. Since the 1970s, film audiences have come to expect a high standard for special effects in science fiction films. In some cases, science fiction-themed films superimpose an exotic, futuristic setting onto what would not otherwise be a science-fiction tale. Nevertheless, some critically-acclaimed sci-fi movies have followed in the path of science fiction literature, using story development to explore abstract concepts.
Influence of sci-fi authors:
Jules Verne was the first major science fiction author to be adapted for the screen with Melies Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902) and 20,000 lieues sous les mers (1907), which used Verne's scenarios as a framework for fantastic visuals. By the time Verne's work fell out of copyright in 1950 the adaptations were treated as period pieces. His works have been adapted a number of times since then, including 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in 1954, From the Earth to the Moon in 1958, and Journey to the Center of the Earth in 1959.
H. G. Wells has had better success with The Invisible Man, Things to Come and The Island of Doctor Moreau all being adapted during his lifetime with good results while The War of the Worlds was updated in 1953 and again in 2005, adapted to film at least four times altogether. The Time Machine has had two film versions (1961 and 2002) while Sleeper in part is a pastiche of Wells' 1910 novel The Sleeper Awakes.
With the drop-off in interest in science fiction films during the 1940s, few of the 'golden age' sci-fi authors made it to the screen. A novella by John W. Campbell provided the basis for The Thing from Another World (1951). Robert A. Heinlein contributed to the screenplay for Destination Moon in 1950, but none of his major works were adapted for the screen until the 1990s: The Puppet Masters in 1994 and Starship Troopers in 1997. L. Ron Hubbard's fiction was not adapted until 2000, with the film Battlefield Earth. Isaac Asimov's fiction influenced the Star Wars and Star Trek films, but it was not until 1988 that a film version of one of his works (Nightfall) was produced.
The adaptation of sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke's novel as 2001: A Space Odyssey won the Academy Award for Visual Effects and offered thematic complexity not typically associated with the sci-fi genre at the time. Its sequel, 2010: The Year We Make Contact, was commercially successful but less highly regarded by critics. Reflecting the times, two earlier science fiction works by Ray Bradbury were adapted for cinema in the 1960s with Fahrenheit 451 and The Illustrated Man. Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughter-house Five was filmed in 1971 and Breakfast of Champions in 1998.
Phillip K. Dick's fiction has been used in a number of sci-fi films, in part because it evokes the paranoia that has been a central feature of the genre . Films based on Dick's works include Blade Runner (1982), Total Recall (1990), Minority Report (2002), Paycheck (2003), and A Scanner Darkly (2006). Often, these film adaptations are loose adaptations of the original story, with the exception of A Scanner Darkly, which is close to Dick's book.
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One of this site's advantages is its design, it is a very easy to use format & user friendly. This site suits the complete newbies at downloading PSP Files.
The main problem of this site is the Tech Support, it is just not good as the other two..
Other than that... this site is really good.
This site fits best for parents who wish to make sure what content is being downloaded.
Offers unlimited PSP downloads: DVD quality movies & TV Shows, Full UMD games, Music videos, Wallpapers and more.
Unlimited 24/7 downloads, with no time bandwidth or content limits.
This site will teach you how to download all your desired PSP movies fast and easy.
With the membership you receive a handy program for transferring video content (including DVD movies) from your PC to your PSP and a handful of easy-to-follow tutorials.
The technical support is first class - we got an answer to every question we thought of.
We were impressed by this site - being able to find what we were looking for whether it was a Movie a Game or a Music clip!
Offers instant unlimited access to over 20 million PSP files including Games, DVD quality movies, Music, Software, Browser and more..
Excellent tech support - You will find their support very useful and handy, they will answer all your questions and help you with anything you need.
After you finish your setup you receive access to the downloading software & all the tools you need to start.
Well, the tutorials could be a little better but other than that this site is one of the best out there...
Has an Easy to use - simple site design.
Once we downloaded their recommended software and read the tutorials, we were able to find just about anything we wanted.
4.5/5
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3.5/5
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Top Rated PSP Movies
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Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that AllPSPGames is the best source for PSP movies in the Action Movies category.
We recommend you to use AllPSPGames for your PSP Action Movies needs.
#3 for Action PSP Movies
#2 for Action PSP Movies
#1 for Action PSP Movies
Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that AllPSPGames is the best source for PSP movies in the Adventure Movies category.
We recommend you to use AllPSPGames for your PSP Adventure Movies needs.
#3 for Adventure PSP Movies
#2 for Adventure PSP Movies
#1 for Adventure PSP Movies
Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that PSPWizard is the best source for PSP Movies in the Comedy Movies category.
We recommend you to use PSPWizard for your PSP Comedy Movies needs.
#3 for Comedy PSP Movies
#2 for Comedy PSP Movies
#1 for Comedy PSP Movies
Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that AllPSPGames is the best source for PSP movies in the Crime Movies category.
We recommend you to use AllPSPGames for your PSP Crime Movies needs.
#3 for Crime PSP Movies
#2 for Crime PSP Movies
#1 for Crime PSP Movies
Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that AllPSPGames is the best source for PSP Movies in the Family Movies category.
We recommend you to use AllPSPGames for your PSP Family Movies needs.
Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that PSPWizard is the best source for PSP Movies in the Drama Movies category.
We recommend you to use PSPWizards for your PSP Drama Movies needs.
#3 for Drama PSP Movies
#2 for Drama PSP Movies
#1 for Drama PSP Movies
#3 for Family PSP Movies
#2 for Family PSP Movies
#1 for Family PSP Movies
Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that AllPSPGames is the best source for PSP Movies in the Fantasy Movies category.
We recommend you to use AllPSPGames for your PSP Fantasy Movies needs.
#3 for Fantasy PSP Movies
#2 for Fantasy PSP Movies
#1 for Fantasy PSP Movies
Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that AllPSPGames is the best source for PSP Movies in the Horror Movies category.
We recommend you to use AllPSPGames for your PSP Horror Movies needs.
#3 for Horror PSP Movies
#2 for Horror PSP Movies
#1 for Horror PSP Movies
Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that PSPWizard is the best source for PSP Movies in the Independent Movies category.
We recommend you to use PSPWizard for your PSP Independent Movies needs.
#3 for Independent PSP Movies
#2 for Independent PSP Movies
#1 for Independent PSP Movies
Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that PSPWizard is the best source for PSP Movies in the Musical Movies category.
We recommend you to use PSPWizard for your PSP Musical Movies needs.
#3 for Musical PSP Movies
#2 for Musical PSP Movies
#1 for Musical PSP Movies
Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that AllPSPGames is the best source for PSP Movies in the Mystery Movies category.
We recommend you to use AllPSPGames for your PSP Mystery Movies needs.
#3 for Mystery PSP Movies
#2 for Mystery PSP Movies
#1 for Mystery PSP Movies
Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that AllPSPGames is the best source for PSP Movies in the Science Fiction Movies category.
We recommend you to use AllPSPGames for your PSP Science Fiction Movies needs.
#3 for Sci-Fi PSP Movies
#2 for Sci-Fi PSP Movies
#1 for Sci-Fi PSP Movies
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Above information courtesy of wikipedia.org.
After testing and examining hundreds of PSP Movies Download sites we have concluded that AllPSPGames is the best source for PSP movies in the Animated Movies category.
We recommend you to use AllPSPGames for your PSP Animation Movies needs.
#3 for Animated PSP Movies
#2 for Animated PSP Movies
#1 for Animated PSP Movies
PSP Movies Categories
The Godfather
The Shawshank Redemption
The Godfather: Part II
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Casablanca
Schindler's List
Pulp Fiction
Seven Samurai
Star Wars: Episode IV - A
New Hope
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Rear Window
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
12 Angry Men
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Lawrence of Arabia
The Silence of the Lambs
Memento
North by Northwest
Once Upon a Time in the
West
Citizen Kane
Goodfellas
Psycho
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
City of God
The Usual Suspects
It's a Wonderful Life
Sunset Blvd.
Amélie
Fight Club
American Beauty
The Matrix
Vertigo
Apocalypse Now
Taxi Driver
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Se7en
Paths of Glory
Léon
To Kill a Mockingbird
American History X
The Downfall: Hitler and the End of the Third Reich
The Third Man
The Pianist
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Chinatown
Metropolis
Hotel Rwanda
Requiem for a Dream
A Clockwork Orange
The Maltese Falcon
Alien
L.A. Confidential
The Boat
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Spirited Away
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
M
For The Complete list click
