Western Movies: Expansive Tales Of Ethnic Conflicts

The genre of western movies depicts stories and themes which are laid in the second half of the 19th century. The conflicts in the western movies are between natives and the settlers, or between the farmers and the ranchers. The theme holds the viewers intently until the end of the movie.

The plot of all best western movies is based on the archetypal conflict between the good and bad, new arrivals (settlers) vs. Native Americans (usually portrayed as savages), virtue vs. evil etc.

In a sense western movies celebrate the nostalgia of the untamed.  Or the expansive clash between civilization and wilderness. Nevertheless, western movies are the oldest; enduring and characteristically American with mythical origins.

Western movies are populated with the heroes who are law enforcement officers, army officers, ranchers or skilled gun fighters.

The typical ingredients of Western movies are guns and gun fights, horses, human massacres, train and bank robberies, kidnappings etc.’

Memorable actors and heroes in western films need a mention. All western movies have heroes enacting gunfights, town marshals, or bounty hunters. The best western movie heroes ride horses, chase bad guys, hunt and kill if needed.

Here are the great heroes of western Movies. John Wayne is undoubtedly the best western movie actor. He was noticed in “The Big Trail; “Riders of Destiny”: “The High and The Mighty”.

Clint Eastwood was famous for his role as Rowdy Yates in the movie “Rawhide.” His biggest roles included “A Fistful of Dollars” in 1963.

James Stewart is a veteran. His films “The Murder Man”: “Destry Rides Again” received critical acclaim. Robert Redford was a great actor in films “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid” and “Jeremiah Johnson” and “War Hunt.”

A Quick List of Top 10 Western Movies

•    Johnny Guitar
•    Ride in the Whirlwind
•    The Shooting
•    Great Silence
•    Little Big Man
•    High Plains Drifter
•    Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
•    Keoma
•    Ravenous
•    The Proposition

Oscar Touch: Ticket to Big Glory

All Oscar movies seem to get a double life as soon as they are nominated or declared winner of the Oscar award. Such is the power and glamour or appeal of the coveted Oscar award in film making.

Some examples are. In 2011 many of the Oscar nominations were shared by 'The King's Speech,' 'Black Swan,' 'The Social Network,' 'True Grit,' 'Toy Story 3' and 'Inception'.

In that crowd of seemingly Goliaths there stood a small film called 'Winter's Bone,' that made a scant $6 million since its release.  Thanks to OSCAR nominations, the fortunes changed and jumped from obscurity to instant glory and attention.

Similarly, in 2004, the Brazilian film 'City of God' was hardly famous. As soon as four nominations, including Best Director award went to Fernando Meirelles  the movie had a new destiny and has since been called as one of the greatest movies of all time.

Same was the case with 'Il Postino' that received little attention until it got Oscar. When the Academy bestowed five nominations for the Italian movie, the movie fans got a great film.

The movie also had a heartbreaking story when Best Actor nominee Massimo Troisi who head off heart surgery to complete the film and died just a few hours after shooting the final scene.

The Oscar movie 'Slumdog Millionaire' scripted a rags to riches story. Its rise from unknown indie to eight-time Oscar winner in 2008 paid off. Thanks to the Academy Awards; 'Slumdog Millionaire' jumped to number-one slot worldwide.

The Oscar touch of 'Crash' is different, Brokeback Mountain topped critic's list and became the talk of the town. But 'Crash' toppled all expectations and won the Best Picture award despite not carrying a nomination at the Golden Globes. The victory made it to a front page headliner overnight.

Watch Oscar winning movies here: http://moviesinsanity.com/genre/oscar-movies

Crime Movies: There is an Eerie Appeal!

Crime films portray heroic tales from the world of crime. The lives of underworld dons or ruthless hoodlums who defy the rule of law and run their mafia business, indulging in violence, murder and kidnapping come alive in vivid colors. 

Crime films vow the audience with their heroism and eerie ambience provided by large cities where starry nightclubs and streets dotting neon lights, fast cars, sleazy bars, drug peddlers, dingy living quarters together create a world smelling crime, revenge and ill-gotten money.

In the movies, the criminals evoke empathy with their materialistic, street-smart and self-destructive ways. Even in the era of silent movies, the crime genre got a head start with D. W. Griffith's The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) glorifying organized crime.

In the modern era, 'The Godfather' tops the charts as the legendary crime film, adapted from Mario Puzo’s celebrated novel of that title. 'The Godfather'  tells the story of a decade long event in the (1945 to 1955) mafia syndicate of the Corleone crime family. Its sequels 'The Godfather Part II' in 1974 and 'The Godfather Part III' in 1990 also received rave reviews.

Hailed as the second greatest film in American cinematic history, Godfather has few parallels. It bagged so many Oscar awards. As a complete film Godfather mixes action, drama, intrigue, conspiracy, and tension in the right proportion. In the 1980s 'Scarface' reigned as a sensational gangster film. The 1990s lapped up Quentin Tarantini’s 'Pulp Fiction' starring John Travolta and Uma Thurman with its high degree of violence and dark humor.

Some other memorable crime movies include Mean Streets, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Goodfellas and The Untouchables.  Crime movies will flourish. There is a captive market and commercial success is unlikely to bother the film makers.

Action Movies Celebrate Expression Of Oppressed Voice

Action Movies generate adrenaline rush about exciting events and protagonists. No wonder action films are all time beloved for the movie goers. People watch action movies to identify themselves with the aggressive hero, who, despite many flaws battles many dark and evil forces. Whether it is the dark and brutal Batman of the recent action flicks or the flawed John McClane of "Die Hard," an action film’s hero is someone the audience can identify with.

Top 10 Action Movies

The following Top 10 list will illustrate the popularity of Hollywood action movies

1.    Die Hard (1988) directed by John McKiernan
2. The Dark Knight (2008) directed by Christopher Nolan
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) directed by Steven Spielberg
4. Troy (2004) directed by Wolfgang Petersen
5. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) directed by James Cameron
6. Jurassic Park (1993) directed by Steven Spielberg
7. Gladiator (2000) directed by Ridley Scott
8. Bourne Identity (2002) directed by Doug Liman
9. Star Wars (1999) directed by George Lucas
10. Batman Begins (2005) directed by Christopher Nolan

In the modern action movies we can still see the hangover of James Bond series.  The set patterns of larger-than-life characters; a powerful hero demolishing adversaries as a "one-man army" is still a working formula. The fast narration is made enjoyable with quick cutting, fist fights, car chases, amazing gadgets and elaborate action sequences. In the 1970s, new action movies had fused detective stories and urban crime dramas. Films such as Bullitt (1968), The French Connection (1971) and Dirty Harry (1971) were turning points in this genre. 

For a real adrenaline rush, there are war-action hybrids (First Blood and Missing in Action), science fiction (The Terminator, and Robocop), horror-action (Aliens and Predator), and musical-action-comedy (The Blues Brothers).

Comedy Movies: Medicine to Ease Mental Tension

Watching Comedy movies online helps to liberate depressing thoughts and worries. Comedy movies soothe frayed nerves unlike action flicks.

Watching comedy brings own advantages. It is as refreshing as you laugh aloud. It also aids in improving intelligence and problem solving. Watching Comedy Movies never burden the viewers with  heavy plots. They are lighter and are great fun. Fragile logic and loose plot make comedies taxing. Comic movies are free from complicated storylines, sophisticated weaponry, probing sleuths or benumbing mysteries.

Making Life Lighter

Watching comedy does not demand any loud thinking. In fact people watch comedy films to escape the rigors of thinking. Humor, laughter and mirth give the escape route from hard realities by making things lighter and flashing moments of happiness.

Origin and Evolution

Comedy films made the debut in 1895 with the arrival of sound cinema. Watching comedy reveals how slapstick humor and funny physical situations make the audience laugh and make mirth.

An example is Chaplin’s goofy style that can evoke instant laughs. Chaplin is comedy incarnate. The talking cinema or talkies in the 1920s brought lots of experiments into  the comedy genre and many sub genres took birth. This left the field open for filmmakers to explore the verbal humor and genres like romantic comedy, dark humor, satire and situational comedy.

The following comedies still give that breezy feeling …..

•    Groundhog Day
•    Death at a Funeral
•    Office Space
•    The Seven Year Itch
•    Dumb and Dumber
•    The Nutty Professor
•    Wedding Crashers
•    Big
•    The Hangover
•    Home Alone
•    Meet the Parents
•    Some Like it Hot
•    The 40-Year-Old Virgin
•    Liar, Liar
•    Father of the Bride
•    Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
•    Bruce Almighty
•    Clerks II
•    The Simpsons Movie
•    Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Comedy can easily connect with the audience. Comedy differs from other movie genres because it is more of realism. Since comedy movies are inspired from real life, a viewer can easily relate to it.

Thrillers are Great Stress Busters

Thriller movies give an edge of the seat experience. Their nail biting climax is a great pull for a movie buff to watch the movie again and again. For committed thriller lovers watching thrillers online is an opportunity of a lifetime.

Thriller genre is vast and draws heavily from other genres also. Many find a thriller movie enjoyable, and appreciate the fast paced complex plots associated with this genre. Ever changing plot twists and red herrings and unpredictability make thrillers a great affliction for the cine goers.

The teething suspense of an action-packed thrill playing out resourceful heroes and exotic settings is a sure shot box office hit.

Thrillers come in varied hues--from supernaturals centering on mystical antagonists to mysteries of intriguing antagonists.

Modern themes probe into the workings of the legal system, environmental challenges, technology, or natural disasters.

Spy thriller is an established genre featuring a hero and a clever spy. All brave people or people who perceive themselves as brave love thriller movies. Over all, a thriller movie gives a cathartic experience. At the end, the fast-paced movie leaves the viewer in an intensely overjoyed state or exhilaration. Online movies offer supreme options to watch thriller movies online.

On the positive side, there is a finding that thriller movies serve as good stress busters and provide relief from monotonous mood swings. Famous thrillers such as The Silence of the Lambs: Se7en; Rear Window: The Usual Suspects: The Sixth Sense: Vertigo: Jaws: The Shining, North by Northwest are vigorously watched online by thriller enthusiasts.

Timeless Wonders Asserting Human Values

Online movies are soaring in popularity and user delight.  Now there is more demand to watch movies in more genre-specific areas. Classic movies are perhaps the best beneficiaries in this online demand.

In the online world a film lover gets the privilege to locate any movie produced at any point of time. Further flexibility lies in watching them at a person’s own pace.

Classic Movies refer to the movies produced in mid-20th century (late 1940s to 1960s) known as the Golden Age of Hollywood. The period gave so many lovely films, which became turning points in cinematic history. Stars such as, Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn and directors like Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock thrived in this era.

Classics strike a chord with viewers of any age bracket. Now people are finding more reasons to connect with these movies when they are being watched in high quality, high definition streaming.

Discovering classic cinema is like a quest to understand the  basis and the values thereof that opened the doors for film making and vying for our imagination and attention.

Classic movies take us back to a time that may not have been familiar to us but that does not mean it is strange at all. The lessons learnt at the end of a movie, the morals are great take aways. They are all based on the idea that film as a popular medium probes life, humanity and its vicissitudes.

Themes such as love, hate, diversity, enmity, destiny and the downfalls of humanity are repeatedly explored in all movies. The only difference is that the technology is more developed now than the time classic movies were made.

Watching classic movies online is more enjoyable than watching them on TV. All we need is a computer and an internet connection.

Why Horror Movies Still Grip the Viewers?

The roots of horror genre dates back to the days of film making itself. In 1896, Georges Melies with his Le Manoir du diable (The House of the Devil) became the first filmmaker to have made a horror film. Horror films typically incorporate elements of fantasy, science fiction, black comedy and thrillers. 

Watching horror movies evoke dark feelings of thrill, shock and suspense.  In its early phase horror films were inspired by popular characters in classic literature such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, and The Phantom of the Opera. Changes in technology made its impact on the texture of horror films. They bid adieu to Gothic element and embraced science fiction in a big way. 

Appeal

According to psychologists, horror movies address the crass instincts with their gore, frightening monsters, dollops of insanity and the supernatural. Enjoying an avid fan following, horror films make good money at the box office.

In the view of Jeffrey Goldstein, a professor in social psychology, “People watch horror movies because they like to be frightened”.  He argues that the audience enjoys the adrenaline rush, the distraction it provides from mundane life and the voyeuristic opportunity to watch the horrific from a safe distance.

Classic Horror Films

In the 1950, the new trends were signified by The Thing from Another World and Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. They conveyed the paranoia without resorting to direct exploitation of the events of the day.

Today the the horror genre has come of age. The imprints of masters such as George Romero, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Sam Raimi, John Landis and Frank Darabont have contributed to its growth and innovation.

The last few decades also saw many average, mediocre and good horror films making  their calibrated presence. Horror movies such as Drag Me to Hell, Zombieland, The House of the Devil, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, Twilight series, 30 Days of Night, Daybreakers, Thirst and Let the Right One continue really enriched the genre in many ways.

In the new millennium, the year 2005 was a watershed; it showed an overdose of creativity with the likes of The Blair Witch Project and The Sixth Sense enjoying super acclaim and success. The Silence of the Lambs, Seven, Interview with the Vampire, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Vampire in Brooklyn succeeded in showcasing newer facets of horror.

The piece cannot be concluded without a tribute to the stupendous success of horror flick Paranormal Activity which brought many laurels to its unknown filmmaker who made a record with its lowest  ever production cost ($15,000) and an exciting box office collection of more than $85 million.  The arrival of horror movies online is giving an extra boost to the genre. It is true that horror movies have many strange ways!

Thrillers Give a Therapeutic Effect to the Viewer

Action movies provide tension, thrills, energy, and high-impact action aided by special effects and fast-paced storylines. The episodes can involve action such as explosions, car chases, aerial chases, fist fights and gun fights. In advanced thrillers, the storyline may carry elements of espionage and heroism.

Targeting teens, youngsters who are adventurous and love to get their adrenaline going thriller genre comes in many sub segments such as Superhero Film: Action Thrillers: Action-Adventure: Crime Action: Espionage Action: Futuristic/Sci-Fi Action.

Alfred Hitchcock is the father of suspense and thriller movies. His movies portrayed fear and fantasy in the protagonists who are mostly innocent people. Caught in tight circumstances on which they have no control or understanding, these protagonists are forced into a journey of mystery and the struggle to wriggle out of their dark destiny.

Mentioning a few thrillers that caught our fancy in the not so remote past will be worthwhile. They are The Final Storm: The Business of Strangers: Captive Women: The Cool Surface: The Wilby Conspiracy and Don’t Bother to Knock.

Now the experience of watching a thriller can be intellectually summarized like this. Thrillers can set our heart pounding. They provide booster doses of thrill and leave us aghast at the fact that we can fall prey to the circumstances. The appeal of thriller movies will never wane at a time watching thriller movies online has emerged as a great opportunity.

In short, a thriller satisfies our inner urges to explore the hitherto untouched aspects of lives. Watching a  thriller movie amounts to putting a bright torchlight into the unexplored, inexplicable avenues of our mind to ignite wonder and curiosity perpetually.

Romance Movies: Immortalizing Love

“Romance, who loves to nod and sing,
With drowsy head and folded wing,
Among the green leaves as they shake
Far down within a shadowy lake…”

This is how Edgar Allan Poe described his perception of Romance in the quoted poem.   

Yes, romance is always in the air. It was and will stay as the main component in movies. Who can forget Brokeback Mountain and Pride and Prejudice that sent people weeping and made its way to many Oscar awards for cinematic excellence? 

The all time romantic hits admired by all romantics are a handful. Movies like The Notebook, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, You've Got Mail, A Walk to Remember, Casablanca, Titanic, City of Angels Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,  Lake House, Moulin Rouge will definitely find a place in the elite list of romantic movies.

Despite charges of weaving the movies around a set formula like boy meets girl, girl likes the boy, and after a few silly events and jokes wedding bells ring and love conquers all hostilities. Sometimes the idea may look simple yet archaic, romantic movies do present an amiable cocktail of emotions and carry the audience. They bring joy, smiles, laughter and unravel the beauty of love in life.

Romance movies are timeless; sometimes escapist stuff too. The appeal of romance is kept alive. No matter how happy or tragic the ending is, romantic movies are loved for keeping the dream alive.

There are many factors that make a romance movie click.

Quite often the leads in the movie become very 'likable' to the target audience who believe they are lovers or can be lovers in real life. Meg Ryan, the romantic queen in late 80s gave amazing performances in 'When Harry Meet Sally' and 'Sleepless in Seattle' with Billy Crystal and Tom Hanks. Her chemistry with the actors in both clicked and gave the movies critical and commercial success.

The movie adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (2005) was a nice romance of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Darcy. It effectively portrayed the 'games' that both played with each other until they eventually fell in love.

A killer element in a Romantic movie can be the song or soundtrack of the movie that enhances the romantic experience. It can be a pop song sung by the popular artist and a chart buster. The song "My Heart Will Go On" sung by Celine Dion in the movie Titanic was a killer hook in the success of the movie as a commercial hit. Throughout the movie, the song appears either in the form of a short music clip or instrumental background.

Classic Films In High Demand

Thanks to the explosion of online movies there is a new revival to watch classic movies. A classic means a great film. Questions like how well-known or how long that movie has been around are immaterial in deciding the worth of a film as a true classic. Generally classic movies are the best in the history of cinema. The general perspective is that the longer the movie is around, longer will be its status as a classic. Great films, essentially classics provide new insights and fresh analyses. Black and white films, films without sound and films in other languages are examples of it.

Those movies are bigger than real life. The recent launch of Warner Brothers Archive for classic movies testifies to this new demand. Online movie sites including ‘Moviesinsanity’ play a catalytic role in feeding the demand to watch classic movies online.

There is a new market for TV reruns of the old classic movies. The real classics, of yesteryear had human themes and memorable characters adapted from classic literature and popular novels. The great classics were made in 1939, generally called the Golden Year of Movies.

Warner Brothers launched the Warner Brothers Archive for classic movies covering everything that customers needed from an online shop. They can be accessed on the basis of the genre or decade, and the on-demand DVD’s are “burned”.  Good movies entertain, enthrall and move us emotionally. Once they have conquered our hearts and brains the nostalgic pull to see them again and again will pulsate in our minds. That is the magic of classic movies.

Comedy Movies Rule the Roost in Online Movies Market

It is universal that laughter is the best medicine that can cure all worries. World-over comedy movies and videos are having a dream run as people favor them over the sob stories of 24-hour news channels. For people battling so many tensions and anxieties watching comedy movies is a matter of great relief.  It is also a trend that in times of distress like economic crisis or natural calamities people watch comedies more as an escape valve from harsh conditions.  



The recent box office success of several laugh riots reinforces this. Movies like I Love You Man, The Hangover, The Invention of Lying, Extract, Year One, Land of The Lost, Funny People, Bruno The Informant and Bad Teacher were all lapped up by people for their ‘therapeutic effect”. The comic relief takes away the mental tension, anxieties and worries.   In the end it leaves a smile on your face!.  



Humor filled movies are also loved for their ingenuity. Making the audience cry is not a big deal; but making them laugh is a tough job. That is why comedy movies hold big sway over all age groups irrespective of nationality or language. As you know laughter is infectious.



There is nothing like a good laugh. It instantly lifts the mood and energy of a person. In fact, a good belly laugh is a kind of tonic to the stomach muscles and heart.



Movie lovers do vouch for the rejuvenation coming from a hilarious comedy film. People forget themselves when they see comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby, Ellen DeGeneres, and Ricky Gervais in action.



The high demand is very visible in the online movie sector also. Online movie websites are vying to woo viewers with bunches of comedies that capture all cinematic guffaw.



May be the economic recession has added a new spin to the demand for Hollywood comedies. People see them as an antidote to the economic woes! So do not dither. Go for your favorite comedies this weekend and experience the change!  Release all your stress and tension that haunted you in the entire week.