This week i will be talking about some books that have been publish over recent years digging in to the scandals behind sports such as drugs, steroids, and personal lives of athletes. Many of these books have torn apart legacies of nearly for sure fire hall of famers such as Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Olympic ex-medalist Marion Jones and many other Olympians.
One of the first major books to come on to the scene and break open our steroid scandal was written by Lance Williams and Mark Fainru-Wada and the book was called Game of Shadows. The book dug deep into the BALCO mystery with such athletes like Barry Bonds, Marion Jones, and Jose Canseco. It followed the investigation and the eventual bust of BALCO and all its clients such as the athletes listed above. It brought upon a very serious matter in our sports mainly baseball when superstar Barry Bonds was indicted and could be sentenced to jail time, but also wrecked his chances as a hall of fame player.
The newest book to come out and has been in the news recently was written by Selena Roberts. The book simply titled A-Rod follows the life of Alex Rodriguez involving this use of steriods which could have dated back to when he was in high school. It tells in-depth about his divorce of his wife and his relationship with singer Madonna.
These two books and many others just like theres have gone deep in to the lives of our superstar athletes, revealing their mistakes and making them human. I believe that is good to have our sports played clean, but also athletes are judged a much higher level when they make mistakes and it is very hard for them to keep things from our media. This can be good but also bad, although our lives would be very boring with out the inside scoop from the media!
Jake Olsen
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
One of the newer sensations of communications on the web is the site called Twitter. Twitter interconnects family and friends through short messages by answering the simple question what are you doing. It has become one of the new hot spots following in the steps of MySpace and Facebook.
Part owner of Twitter and creater of Amazaon Jeff Bezos combined with five other companies to create the 57 million dollar online information exchange. While using twitter your messages contain only 140 characters, and Twitter as around 4-5 million users around the world.
Some of the famous Twitter users contain politicians Al Gore and Hillary Clinton, athletes Lance Armstrong and Michael Phelps, actors Will Ferrell and Ashton Kutcher, and singers Taylor Swift and Dave Matthews. One of the most famous incidents i have heard of involving Twitter would be when NBA player Charlie Villanueva used Twitter to say what he was doing while in the locker room during halftime of one of his own games he was playing in. Other incidents of Tweeting have happened in the TV and movie world would be actor from the TV show Heroes Greg Grunberg tweeted about Heroes ending season three by tweeting, "tough to say goodbye to the crew not knowing if any or all of us will return next year".
I would say Twitter is quickly sweeping the internet for the new way to communicate with those around you. It will catch on very quickly with the help from the stars.
Jake Olsen
Part owner of Twitter and creater of Amazaon Jeff Bezos combined with five other companies to create the 57 million dollar online information exchange. While using twitter your messages contain only 140 characters, and Twitter as around 4-5 million users around the world.
Some of the famous Twitter users contain politicians Al Gore and Hillary Clinton, athletes Lance Armstrong and Michael Phelps, actors Will Ferrell and Ashton Kutcher, and singers Taylor Swift and Dave Matthews. One of the most famous incidents i have heard of involving Twitter would be when NBA player Charlie Villanueva used Twitter to say what he was doing while in the locker room during halftime of one of his own games he was playing in. Other incidents of Tweeting have happened in the TV and movie world would be actor from the TV show Heroes Greg Grunberg tweeted about Heroes ending season three by tweeting, "tough to say goodbye to the crew not knowing if any or all of us will return next year".
I would say Twitter is quickly sweeping the internet for the new way to communicate with those around you. It will catch on very quickly with the help from the stars.
Jake Olsen
Sunday, April 12, 2009
2009 movies
My pick this week for blogging will be to look at the top grossing movies so far in the year 2009. There have been some big names such as the new Fast and Furious, the third Underworld, and surprisingly the new Hannah Montana is supposed to be one of the top sellers to come out this year.
It's an been only a few months in to the new year, but coming in at number three is He's Just Not That Into You. Starring actresses Jennifer Aniston and Scarlett Johansson, it is a story of girls trying to find love from guys that are not interested in them. I have not seen this movie yet but i have heard it was pretty good.
Coming in at number two in 2009 is Watchmen. Watchmen describes the journey of the old costumed vigilantes and their gathering together again to investigate the murderer of one of thier fallen mates. They discover a long conspiracy of the balance of power in our world. It grossed nearly 13 million more than the 3rd ranked movie. I also have not seen this movie but have heard many great things about it!
Finally coming in as the top grossing movie so far in 2009 is Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Starring Kevin James as the head of mall security he is faced with a situation of someone attemping to rob his mall. It is his job to protect the place he works. I have seen this one and i thought it was very hilarious and deserving as the top movie so far.
Others that have only been out for a few weeks are climbing up the list and could rank very high include Fast and the Furious and Friday the 13th. I have seen Fast and the Furious and i would rank it as the number one movie i have seen in 2009.
It's an been only a few months in to the new year, but coming in at number three is He's Just Not That Into You. Starring actresses Jennifer Aniston and Scarlett Johansson, it is a story of girls trying to find love from guys that are not interested in them. I have not seen this movie yet but i have heard it was pretty good.
Coming in at number two in 2009 is Watchmen. Watchmen describes the journey of the old costumed vigilantes and their gathering together again to investigate the murderer of one of thier fallen mates. They discover a long conspiracy of the balance of power in our world. It grossed nearly 13 million more than the 3rd ranked movie. I also have not seen this movie but have heard many great things about it!
Finally coming in as the top grossing movie so far in 2009 is Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Starring Kevin James as the head of mall security he is faced with a situation of someone attemping to rob his mall. It is his job to protect the place he works. I have seen this one and i thought it was very hilarious and deserving as the top movie so far.
Others that have only been out for a few weeks are climbing up the list and could rank very high include Fast and the Furious and Friday the 13th. I have seen Fast and the Furious and i would rank it as the number one movie i have seen in 2009.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Types of Comedy
Most of the comedy movies that are made fall under the category of one of the three types of comedies. Slapstick, Dark, and Screwball comedies are the three main genres of the comedy movie and i'll give you some definitions, and some of the more successful of each of these comedic categories.
The first type of comedy and one of the earliest styles of comedies used when making movies is called Slapstick Comedy. Slapstick is a comedy used by more physical and visual actions rather then the words or dialogue. The name Slapstick Comedy comes from the use of a "wooden stick which was used for audience applause". The violent actions are very popular and an example of this type of comedy is the cat and mouse hunt called Tom and Jerry.
The next type of comedy is Dark or Black Comedy, which is more of a verbal type of humor. Dark Comedy is shows the "absurdity, insensibility, and cruelty of the world's society". It uses the more controversial and serious topics going on in the world and pokes fun at them. It makes fun of movies around them and are sometimes parodies of serious movies. A good example of this would be the Scary Movie series that is famous for making fun of many movies and actors in the industry.
The final type of comedy is called Screwball Comedy. Screwball Comedy can be shortly described as a stupid or crazy comedy. It uses a mix of the first two types of comedy and uses a lot of "visage jokes, stupid characters, and sex conflict between characters". A lot of the new century comedies could be described as this and an actor of the screwball comedy would be Will Ferrell.
The three types of comedies have a wide variety and all of the types have had success but i would have to be a big fan of the screwball type of comedies.
Jake Olsen
The first type of comedy and one of the earliest styles of comedies used when making movies is called Slapstick Comedy. Slapstick is a comedy used by more physical and visual actions rather then the words or dialogue. The name Slapstick Comedy comes from the use of a "wooden stick which was used for audience applause". The violent actions are very popular and an example of this type of comedy is the cat and mouse hunt called Tom and Jerry.
The next type of comedy is Dark or Black Comedy, which is more of a verbal type of humor. Dark Comedy is shows the "absurdity, insensibility, and cruelty of the world's society". It uses the more controversial and serious topics going on in the world and pokes fun at them. It makes fun of movies around them and are sometimes parodies of serious movies. A good example of this would be the Scary Movie series that is famous for making fun of many movies and actors in the industry.
The final type of comedy is called Screwball Comedy. Screwball Comedy can be shortly described as a stupid or crazy comedy. It uses a mix of the first two types of comedy and uses a lot of "visage jokes, stupid characters, and sex conflict between characters". A lot of the new century comedies could be described as this and an actor of the screwball comedy would be Will Ferrell.
The three types of comedies have a wide variety and all of the types have had success but i would have to be a big fan of the screwball type of comedies.
Jake Olsen
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Comedy Film Directors
This week we'll take a look behind the scenes at the brains of the comedy movie operation. The directors are very important in keeping together the comedy film process. We'll look at some of the top comedy directors of all time.
Coming in at number one is Woody Allen. Woody Allen has been making movies for over forty years. Starting in the 1960's and still making movies in the 2000's, Woody has made over 35 comedy movies. Some of his more famous movies include Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Match Point.
The number two comedic director is Terry Gilliam. Just like Woody Allen, Gilliam has been making movies for more than forty years and most of his success occurred in the 1970's and 1980's when he directed the movies Time Bandits, Monty Python and the Holy grail, and Brazil. He had a successful movie in 2005 that starred Matt Damon and Heath Ledger named The Brother's Grimm.
The next director wasn't third on the list but it was a name that caught my name and i did not know he was an actor and a director. You may not recognize the name but Kevin Smith has become one of the more successful comedic directors in the last decade. Many people know him as Silent Bob from Jay and Silent Bob, but he has directed many comedic movies such as Clerks one and two, Dogma, Mallrats, and both Jay and Silent Bob's. A surprise that came to me was that he wrote and directed one of the most successful movies to come out in 2008. He directed the box office money maker Zach and Miri Make a Porno. It was pretty cool to see how successful he was as a director and an actor.
Jake Olsen
Coming in at number one is Woody Allen. Woody Allen has been making movies for over forty years. Starting in the 1960's and still making movies in the 2000's, Woody has made over 35 comedy movies. Some of his more famous movies include Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Match Point.
The number two comedic director is Terry Gilliam. Just like Woody Allen, Gilliam has been making movies for more than forty years and most of his success occurred in the 1970's and 1980's when he directed the movies Time Bandits, Monty Python and the Holy grail, and Brazil. He had a successful movie in 2005 that starred Matt Damon and Heath Ledger named The Brother's Grimm.
The next director wasn't third on the list but it was a name that caught my name and i did not know he was an actor and a director. You may not recognize the name but Kevin Smith has become one of the more successful comedic directors in the last decade. Many people know him as Silent Bob from Jay and Silent Bob, but he has directed many comedic movies such as Clerks one and two, Dogma, Mallrats, and both Jay and Silent Bob's. A surprise that came to me was that he wrote and directed one of the most successful movies to come out in 2008. He directed the box office money maker Zach and Miri Make a Porno. It was pretty cool to see how successful he was as a director and an actor.
Jake Olsen
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Top grossing comedy movies
Some of the top grossing comedy movies that have came through in the last thirty years has some familiar names but also has some surprises that you may not have thought of. I only could find a list that includes from 1974 to 2004. It could be very different including the recent five years, but it is still nice to see what movies have been the most successful. The list incorporates the fact that ticket prices have changed in time and it takes the 2004 average price of $6.21.
Number one on the list is Eddie Murphy's Beverly Hills cop. The Detroit cop Eddie Murphy tracks down his friends killer that leads him to L.A. where he solves the mystery. The number one movie grossed nearly 434 million dollars. Coming in at number two is Home Alone. Macauly Caulkin stars as a young boy alone protecting his house against two bonehead thieves. The number two movie groused a little more than 413 million dollars. Rounding off the top three is the 80's comedy Tootsie. Dustin Hoffman plays a struggling actor who poses as a woman to earn a role in a soap opera. The number three movie grossed a cool 410 million dollars. Other notables on the list was Austin Powers 2 coming in at number eight and Big Daddy earning 243 million and ranking number 18.
Compared to the top ten grossing horror movies the comedy movies struggle to compete with the top 2. Jaws recorded nearly 800 million, in second the exorcist brought in 686 million, but after the top two it eases back down to only 357 million. So in comparsion the top two horror movies blowout the top two comedy but overall the comedies have a wider more successful range and comedies reign supreme!
Jake Olsen
Number one on the list is Eddie Murphy's Beverly Hills cop. The Detroit cop Eddie Murphy tracks down his friends killer that leads him to L.A. where he solves the mystery. The number one movie grossed nearly 434 million dollars. Coming in at number two is Home Alone. Macauly Caulkin stars as a young boy alone protecting his house against two bonehead thieves. The number two movie groused a little more than 413 million dollars. Rounding off the top three is the 80's comedy Tootsie. Dustin Hoffman plays a struggling actor who poses as a woman to earn a role in a soap opera. The number three movie grossed a cool 410 million dollars. Other notables on the list was Austin Powers 2 coming in at number eight and Big Daddy earning 243 million and ranking number 18.
Compared to the top ten grossing horror movies the comedy movies struggle to compete with the top 2. Jaws recorded nearly 800 million, in second the exorcist brought in 686 million, but after the top two it eases back down to only 357 million. So in comparsion the top two horror movies blowout the top two comedy but overall the comedies have a wider more successful range and comedies reign supreme!
Jake Olsen
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Animated Comedies
The new age animated comedy movies that are hitting the big screen have made a big splash for our youth and, really, can be enjoyed by people of all ages. I'm going to go through some of the more successful animated comedies that have appeared in the last decade.
In the 90's some of the most successful animated movies were made and the bests included Lion King, Toy Story, and A Bug's Life. The 2000's have came out with more of a realistic style and maybe a little more comedy than the movies of old.
A movie that has become one of the most popular is Shrek. Shrek leads you through the tale of an ogre and a donkey in the ogre's quest to regain his land for Lord Farquaad. During his journey he falls in love with Princess Fiona who also turns out to be an ogre. Shrek's actors or really the voices behinds the characters includes Mike Meyer as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as the donkey, and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona.
Another of the top animated movies of the decade is Monster's Inc.. Monster's Inc. shows the life in the all-monster city of Monstropolis. Inside the scare factory works two monsters, one gigantic blue and a one eyed green monster, Sully and Mike. While Sully is trying to scare as many kids as possible a young girl named Boo escapes into the factory, and the monsters go crazy. Sully must go on a wild adventure as he takes her in as his own and has to protect her from the monster world.
In 2003 one of the best animated comedies came out in the movie Finding Nemo. Finding Nemo tells you the journey of a young fish named Nemo. On Nemo's first day of school he does not listen to his father Marlin and swims off to check on a boat. He is then captured by a diver and taken into a tank in a dentists office. Marlin and his friend Dory set out to fine him and Nemo tries to plan his escape from his office and reunite with his father.
These three animated movies have made nearly as much money as some of the normal comedy movies to come out in the last decade. They great family movies and people of all ages seem to enjoy the childish comedy.
Jake Olsen
In the 90's some of the most successful animated movies were made and the bests included Lion King, Toy Story, and A Bug's Life. The 2000's have came out with more of a realistic style and maybe a little more comedy than the movies of old.
A movie that has become one of the most popular is Shrek. Shrek leads you through the tale of an ogre and a donkey in the ogre's quest to regain his land for Lord Farquaad. During his journey he falls in love with Princess Fiona who also turns out to be an ogre. Shrek's actors or really the voices behinds the characters includes Mike Meyer as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as the donkey, and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona.
Another of the top animated movies of the decade is Monster's Inc.. Monster's Inc. shows the life in the all-monster city of Monstropolis. Inside the scare factory works two monsters, one gigantic blue and a one eyed green monster, Sully and Mike. While Sully is trying to scare as many kids as possible a young girl named Boo escapes into the factory, and the monsters go crazy. Sully must go on a wild adventure as he takes her in as his own and has to protect her from the monster world.
In 2003 one of the best animated comedies came out in the movie Finding Nemo. Finding Nemo tells you the journey of a young fish named Nemo. On Nemo's first day of school he does not listen to his father Marlin and swims off to check on a boat. He is then captured by a diver and taken into a tank in a dentists office. Marlin and his friend Dory set out to fine him and Nemo tries to plan his escape from his office and reunite with his father.
These three animated movies have made nearly as much money as some of the normal comedy movies to come out in the last decade. They great family movies and people of all ages seem to enjoy the childish comedy.
Jake Olsen
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