How Accurate Was the Movie The Social Network?

Altering the Facts Makes for Great Drama but Poor History:
A Review of Aaron Sorkin's movie "The Social Network"

Aaron Sorkin earned a stellar reputation as the producer of "West Wing," an idealistic TV show about a smart and sophisticated American president with good ethics and equally good policies. Having high expectations for a Sorkin production, I was disappointed in his current release, "The Social Network."

"The Social Network" is the story of Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook, which has 800 million users worldwide and is currently estimated to be worth $25 billion. That's no small feat for a 26-year-old entrepreneur. How did he do it?

Zuckerberg, played beautifully by Jesse Eisenberg, is a 19-year-old student at Harvard as the movie opens. He is having drinks with his girlfriend, and manages to insult her and offend the audience within less than five minutes of crisp, sardonic dialogue. Sorkin establishes immediately that Zuckerberg is arrogant, insufferable and Mensa material, and we cheer when his girlfriend, Erica, breaks up with him. A frustrated and intoxicated Zuckerberg returns to his dorm, thinking that he will create a social media site where Harvard men can rate female students in terms of their attractiveness. He calls the site "FaceMash."

It's a powerful scene, arguing that the birth of Facebook was motivated by teen angst and revenge. The only problem is that it never occurred. Zuckerberg didn't even know a woman named Erica, although he did drunkenly blog about a Harvard coed named Jessica Alona, but he denies that he ever went out with her or that she was the driving force behind Facebook. In fact, Mark had the same girlfriend for the last eight years and she is now his wife.

After the so-called romantic breakup, Mark conferred with his friend Eduardo Saverin (well played by Andrew Garfield), seeking a logarithm that would enable him to hack into various "face books" that were already in existence in individual Harvard dorms. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg was approached by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, twins who asked if Mark would program a dating website for students that would be based on exclusivity; only Harvard students need apply. The site would be called the HarvardConnection (later renamed ConnectU). Zuckerberg was given the private server location and password for the unfinished HarvardConnection site and the code, with the understanding that he would finish the necessary programming.

He agreed verbally to this arrangement, exchanged 52 e-mails with the brothers and had several in-person meetings, but never delivered the work that he'd promised. Instead, he provided a long list of excuses as to why he couldn't meet with the twins. Then one day, to their shock and dismay, they discovered that Mark had been secretly working with Eduardo and Mark's roommate, Dustin Moskovitz, to launch what was then called "The Facebook."

The twins sued Zuckerberg for stealing their idea and alleged that he used part of their programming code. They were awarded $65 million in damages; however, since then, the Winklevoss brothers claimed that Facebook stock was undervalued at the time and they're really entitled to $466 million. The litigation continues.

Zuckerberg led the twins to believe that he was actively working with them when in fact he was working behind their back to establish something similar, but not identical, to their site. The twins wanted to devise a dating site for Harvard students and to expand this across the country. Zuckerberg's site had little to do with dating. It was a place where people could make friends, network, find a date, or simply chat with their nephews, colleagues or children away at school. Moreover, Zuckerberg's original hot-or-not, drunken FaceMash included both men and women. Sorkin omitted this important detail because he wants us to believe that Mark Z. was angry enough at the imaginary Erica that he would have created a website just for men to humiliate and insult women, and have fun doing so. But the site was never that way. Women could also rate men. And there was no Erica. Ergo, Sorkin's hypothesis for Mark Zuckerberg's basis for forming Facebook was false.

As "The Facebook" was catching on like wildfire, another young genius became involved. Sean Parker was one of the instigators of the now defunct Napster, an application that allowed people to download music for free. This infuriated and worried many musicians; ironically, Justin Timberlake played Sean Parker in the film - I hope he took some pleasure in that role since he must've lost a lot of money to Napster! Unlike Zuckerberg who was basically a studious guy with an obsession for programming, Parker was already leading the glamorous life in Los Angeles. He was a party boy who thought big and made Eduardo look small in Mark's eyes. Mark had to decide between the two of them. Would he pursue Parker's vision of Facebook, funded through venture capitalists, or would he stick with his best friend and company CFO Eduardo and their smalltime advertisers, even though Eduardo had refused to move out to California when Mark wanted to advance the business there?

Ethically-challenged Zuckerberg opted for the latter and left his best friend in the dust by writing Saverin out of future Facebook contracts once they reached the 1 million user mark; his share went from 34% of the company to.03%. Saverin was enraged; he sued in April of 2005 and won back a 5% share of Facebook, worth 1.3 billion, as well as an undisclosed amount of money. Parker had a 7% share in Facebook which was revoked when he was busted for cocaine use. Zuckerberg maintains a 24% share although Sorkin leads us to believe he still owns 51%.

Sorkin relied entirely on interviews with Eduardo Saverin to make this production, which was based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. Not surprisingly, Mark Zuckerberg refused to be interviewed. Consequently, the movie can't help but be biased in Saverin's favor.

Since the courts had already established that Zuckerberg was guilty of intellectual property theft, there was no need for Sorkin to embellish. "The Social Network" would have benefited by sticking more closely to the facts, which were dramatic enough.

The movie poses hard ethical questions. It makes us ask ourselves if we are complicit. Do you have a Facebook account? Are you helping to keep the accidental billionaires rich? If you wouldn't wear a T-shirt that says, "Free Bernie Madoff," why would you support Zuckerberg?

Finally, the movie acts as a Rorschach test - in exit polls, people under 40 viewed Zuckerberg as a visionary genius with drive, purpose and ambition: a young man who saw a golden opportunity and took advantage of it. Those over 40 saw him as cold, morally bankrupt and cutthroat. In that respect, "The Social Network" succeeds as a provocative film and it is excellent entertainment. But I fear that many people will mistake this fascinating half-truth for a documentary, and that it most definitely is not. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Where To Sell Those VHS Titles

The last thing I want to do is to put you off any of your own ideas about where to sell those VHS Titles that you have accumulated over the years. Or maybe you are an enthusiastic collector who wants to free up some space in what was once a 3 bedroom house and is now a 2 bedroom house with a large shed upstairs.

But seriously, there are many places you could try to sell your VHS Tapes. There are plenty of online outlets including eBay, Craigslist.com and Amazon, etc. You can sell domestically from garage sales, car boots and the classified ads in your local newspaper.

The thing to remember is this; you want to get as targeted a buying audience as possible and that being the case - you also want that audience to be as big as possible.

Selling VHS Titles is very much a niche enterprise and that niche is split into smaller niches. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to try to get your VHS Titles in front of all the people who might be interested.

Some buyers may only be interested in documentaries, others in trains or travel. Still others may collect comedy or live band performances etc.

But if all these people are looking in the same place, then there is a good chance that they will see some of your video titles - if they are there to be seen.

The largest marketplaces are of course eBay and Amazon.

I am only going to recommend Amazon - WHY?

For one very good reason. Amazon has a real advantage over eBay because it actually has a category called "VHS" and eBay does not.

Instead, eBay has a category called, "DVD's, Films & TV".

Yes, it's true that if you type 'VHS tapes' into the eBay search bar, then look under the categories heading, you will see, "Videos: VHS" mentioned.

But here is the real difference.....

The last time I looked, eBay was showing 2,337 listings under that heading, but at the same time, Amazon had over 83,000.

Amazon is by far the most popular place for selling and is the obvious marketplace for a niche selling enterprise.

Whether you are a collector or simply selling redundant VHS Tapes which are lying around the house - something you should definitely consider obtaining is an up-to-date and proper;y researched list of VHS Titles. A list that shows you which tapes have a value. There are many, many VHS Tapes being advertised on Amazon.co.uk for 1 penny. This is ridiculous and it will be a total waste of your time to try selling some of your VHS Titles when clearly there may be a saturated market for certain titles.

So you either need a researched list or else you will have to research each one of your titles individually. This isn't such a big deal if you only have a few, but if you have a shed-load or you are actually sourcing VHS Titles as a means of providing a second income, then having a list which tells you which VHS Titles have value, is something which will save you enormous amounts of time and also prevent you wasting money buying tapes that have little or no value.

Anyway, I hope I have given you some ideas. It only remains for me to wish you good luck in selling your tapes. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Watch Movies Online, How to Protect Yourself

Movies are the excellent stress busters that never let you fall prey to boredom. You can enjoy them wherever you want, in a cinema hall, at home on DVD player or online. Whereas these ways accompany varied benefits, they also have certain associated pitfalls. For example, visiting a theater and making all those expenditures on tickets, popcorn and soft drinks could take a heavy toll on your pocket. Likewise, the quality of DVD you play at home may or may not be up to the mark. Interestingly, the freedom to watch movies online without paying single penny sets you free from adopting the first two options. But whether this method is safe or not, let us find out.

Security concerns while watching flicks online:

Like all the other activities you perform online, enjoying online movies as well demands sedate security measures. Unfortunately if you lag behind at any step, you are likely to get trapped in the network of hackers and consequently your computer data could be at grave risk of being stolen. In addition, copyright owners could file lawsuits against you on the offense of copyright infringement. You would definitely not like the idea to get caught amid such hassles, would you?

Suitable protective measures:

With so many demerits of accessing movie websites, and downloading one to enjoy in your free time, you can easily decide to avoid this activity. But if you can bear a little bit patience and follow certain essential tips, protecting yourself from online hassles during your stint with online movies won't be that hard affair. Below are some important tips in this context:

• Keep distance from unsolicited links that ask you to download your preferred movie, they can trick you to open doors for the malware to enter into your system

• Utilizing a Virtual private network could let you add an additional security layer towards your endeavor of relishing a movie over the internet. It will hide your real IP address with a different IP and hence will keep you anonymous online.

• Browse through websites that allow you to watch or download movies legally. Prominently two types of films fall under this category, viz a viz, public domain flicks and movies that are licensed for online viewing.

Insight into safe film categories:

Public Domain Films: These types of motion pictures are copyrighted but have their links over the web for a very short span of time. You are free to enjoy them through live streaming or by downloading them, to watch later on. These films mostly belong to classic genre and hence could be of interest for a selected category of movie buffs. You may be asked to register with the concerned websites before moving ahead.

Licensed Films: This second category of legal films is duly licensed to be watched online. Compared to the first type, movies falling under this class are latest, laced with superseding sound feature and own high quality graphics. These flicks are often accompanied by short duration commercial ads, which could be termed as one the downsides to this film type. You would not be asked to register while accessing any such site, offering licensed films. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

HBO's Game of Thrones, As Good As The Book?

Game of Thrones is the title of the first book in a yet to be finished fantasy series by George R.R. Martin, entitled A Song Of Fire And Ice. Game Of Thrones is also a recently released game on 360 and PS3, a board game, a card game, a tabletop role playing game, a graphic novel, the subject of several iOS and Google Play apps, and an upcoming Facebook game. It's also one of the hottest IP's around right now, thanks largely in part to the wildly popular HBO program currently airing its second season, as well as the DVD/Blu-ray release of the Emmy and Golden Globe winning first season, available now.

I'll be honest. I'm a proponent of the tenet that the book is always better than the movie. Only in the cases where the book was written first, that is. If it says "The novelization based on the film" on the cover, then it's kindling. I'm snooty that way. Even when I know that the book is better, because it's always better, I'm still occasionally drawn to see a film adaptation. Maybe it's because a friend, or naive critic, says something like, "every bit as good as the book." Sometimes it's because I'm such a fan of the source material that I have to see how they butcher it with my own eyes.

Either way, whenever I see a film based on a book I've read, I always have one of three reactions: 1) Pleasantly surprised (i.e. Fight Club, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile). 2) Decidedly indifferent (Trainspotting, Stephen King's It,). 3) Desporrified, a made-up word combining despair and horrified (Breakfast of Champions, everything else Stephen King's let become a movie that's not already listed here). In every case, whether surprised, indifferent or desporrified, I still come away thinking the book is superior to the film in every way. Until Game of Thrones that is. Now my worldview has been shattered.

To HBO's credit, the show remains very true to the source material, differing on only the very slightest of details. Much of the dialogue is straight from the novel, and in retrospect the pacing of the book is almost ideal for screenwriting. This may be due to Martin's previous work as a television writer, most notably for the mid-80's revival of The Twilight Zone. From the outset, the show seems to focus on Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.

Early on in the series, he's tapped by his old friend Robert Baratheon, who has become King of the Seven Kingdoms, to help him rule as the king's top advisor, the Hand. Over the course of 10 episodes we're introduced to a myriad of nobles, charlatans, rogues and scoundrels, but at the close of season one it is apparent that the only real stars of the show are intrigue, the machinations of the court, and the things people will do while chasing power. Of course while people play their game, the shadow of a larger threat looms. Winter is coming.

It's hard to deny that the show is outstanding, as evidenced by the aforementioned Emmy and Golden Globe wins in Outstanding Drama Series and Best Television Series-Drama respectively. The casting is superb, and includes Peter Dinklage, who also won an Emmy for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, and Sean Bean as Eddard 'Ned' Stark. Bean is probably best known for his portrayal of Boromir in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy (Pleasantly surprised on that one, if you're keeping track).

The cinematography is excellent as well, and adds a visual element somewhat lacking in the books. Martin's writing is focused primarily on the characters, and flowery descriptions of the environments are few and far between. Largely shot in Northern Ireland and Malta, the sets and supporting shots are beautiful, and bring to life the keeps and castles in a way that Martin himself doesn't.

Although jokingly described as "The Sopranos in Middle-earth" by series co-creator David Benioff, the description is quite apt. Like Tolkien's trilogy, Game of Thrones would have to be considered "high fantasy" due to the presence of creatures of myth and mystical/magical elements. However these things play more in the background of Martin's books, as well as the show, with Game of Thrones leaning more towards the Middle Ages than Middle-earth. The Sopranos comparison is a little more apt. Like it, and many other HBO shows, Game of Thrones is decidedly adult. Nudity and gratuitous violence abound throughout the series, and are the only real source of complaint voiced by critics of the show.

However, if you're looking for a show that has all the backstabbing and violence of The Sopranos, all of the sex of Californication, and as many people covered in dirt as Deadwood, you should probably come down to Slackers and order the first season of Game of Thrones on Blu-ray or DVD today. Even if you're not looking for a new show to watch, you still need to check this one out. I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but it really is as good as the book. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

The Avengers Movie's Success

The Avengers is a film produced by the Marvel Studios and released in 2012. It is a superhero film based on the superhero team from the Marvel Comics. The screenplay was written by Joss Whedon and is distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The cast of the Avengers film has famous actors such as Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and additional cast members: Cobie Smulders, Chris Hemsworth, Clark Gregg, Chris Evans, Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Renner among others.

The Disney Company decided to change the title of the film in the United Kingdom. Instead of Marvel's Avengers it was released as Marvel's Avengers Assemble. This is because the company did not want the public to confuse the film with a TV series in the UK that has the same name. The film had its world premiere on April 11th 2012, at the El Capitan Theatre in California. The film broke many box office records immediately after its release on that day. The Avengers film made a record $207,438,708 during its first weekend at the theaters. This is a noteworthy record because Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 managed to acquire $169.2 million in its first weekend after the premiere. In its first week, the film broke the Dark Knight's 2008 record of $238.6 million by bringing in $270.019 million in ticket sales.

The Avenger's film received positive reviews by many notable critics. For example, the film got a 93% rating from the Rotten Tomatoes, which is a review aggregator website. It also obtained an average 8.1 points on 10 from the overall 267 reviews. CinemaScore gave the film an A+ grade based on the audience reviews. Another review from Metacritic showed the film received a score of 69 out of 100, due to the aggregation of 43 reviews.

The factors that contribute to the success of the movie are the stars, careful planning, as well as the original content. The stars of the film were all main characters in their various films and Marvel Comic books. When they came together, the fans wanted to know what would happen in the film, making the film a box office hit. The directors and producers of the film took the time to plan the film and released several teasers and one commercial spot in the Super Bowl. These actions increased the hype of the film, and many people looked forward to the premiere of the film.

The film did not make any changes to the characters, and they appeared just as they did in their previous films and comic books. The only character who underwent some changes was the Hulk. He was greener in the first Hulk film released in 2003, and the 2008 Hulk was too masculine. The film director decided to reduce the Hulk's green color and minimize his muscled appearance in the Avengers Film. The actors also showed their professionalism and dedication, by bringing out all the emotions required, despite the fact that it is an action film.

In the film, there was no main character because all the characters worked as a team and each of them had their own moment to shine. The film's special effects, as well as the action, proved worth watching and increased the film's appreciation by the audience. Another important factor in the success of the Avengers is the dedication of the director/ producer Joss Whedon. He developed the story from the comic characters and did not try to create a completely new story that deviated from the comic characters.

The character of Bruce Banner enhanced the success of the film. Mark Ruffalo played the roles of the brilliant, yet cynical Dr. Banner and the Hulk in the film. He brought out the characters in such a marvellous way, enhancing the film's reception. He brought out the Hulk's character well by refreshing the character. He also brought out the geeky and irritated character of Dr. Banner in a spectacular way. Many critics appreciated the film's plot in addition to the character's dialogues. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Movie Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

From the concept of a former president's double life as a monster slayer to the outrageously unhinged action sequences, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter will test your suspension of disbelief. Films of this nature are often hard to digest in the first place, but a more careful attention to creating a coherent narrative and a greater focus on explanation over theatrics would have better prepared the mind for the outlandish situations presented. Few rules are set for the abilities of our hero, even fewer for the foes, motives are blurry at best, and gravity (of any kind) rarely makes an appearance. There's a reason you've never seen two people fighting atop a stampede of wild horses - it's just not believable no matter how substantial the special effects.

When ruthless businessman Jack Barts (Marton Csokas) murders his mother (with a conspicuous bite that causes a sickness for which there is no febrifuge), Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) becomes obsessed with revenge. But on the night he finally musters the courage to kill Barts, he discovers his nemesis is actually an immortal vampire. With the aid of the mysterious vampire hunter Henry Sturgess (Dominic Cooper), Lincoln learns how to destroy the undead and becomes a skilled killer. Hiding his demonic exploits from his love, Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Lincoln begins a career in law and politics. His successes in both his public and private endeavors brings the unwelcome attention of the deadly vampire leader Adam (Rufus Sewell), causing a war to ignite that will determine the very fate of mankind.

The extent of the ridiculousness in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter cannot easily be compared or understood. It's not dissimilar to director Bekmambetov's other wildly eccentric projects, although it is drastically less polished. He makes interesting choices with adaptations, but is starting to reveal himself to be limited to the creativeness of the source material and the level of over-stylized special effects he can fuse into the blueprint. As his selections become further and further disconnected from believability, the errors and ludicrousness are much more apparent. It's bad enough that history is being grossly (not cleverly) distorted; with the exaggerated fight sequences, physics-defying stunts (an occasional few of which aren't entirely disappointing), unconvincing CG medley, and superhuman abilities of a character defined as ordinary, this hopelessly silly premise repeatedly approaches insulting.

"Vampires are real, Mr. Lincoln," matter-of-factly states Henry. This line occurs early on, with an abruptness and a bluntness that establishes the general degree of hasty introductions for every character and setting. There's never time to absorb the elements of the supernatural, the twist on the historical legend, or the shocking physical strength and ninja-like agility of Lincoln (which never subsides, especially noticeable when he turns 50). Even the unique aspects of the bloodsuckers, including invisibility, acclimation to sunlight, and the invulnerability of vampires to other vampires, present themselves out of thin air and without explanation. Abraham is taken as a pupil instantly, a training montage materializes swiftly, and genuine danger seems remote. If it isn't peculiar enough hearing factual names, famous battle locations, and civil rights milestones mentioned in context with slaying monsters, or the use of recognizable comedy character actors (Alan Tudyk, Jimmi Simpson), or hilariously violent and intentionally gratuitous death scenes, the 20+ year gap in vengeance (the villains just ignore the hero for decades) and acrobatic duel atop charging stallions might do the trick.

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com) Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Jackie Chan's Last Major Action Film: Chinese Zodiac

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times: "Oh, I'm too old to do that". Every time I've heard that statement, I've politely disagreed. I believe that as we grow older we just become less active. So, to that previously mentioned statement, bah humbug!

Now, on to the main topic of this article, Jackie Chan! At 58 years old, Jackie is still doing his special brand of stunts and is going to release the biggest film of his career: Chinese Zodiac. If Jackie can still kick butt, then you have no excuses!

This is what Jackie had to say about his final action flick:

"I've been fighting and doing action films all my life, you've got to find a point to stop. With this movie I'm the director, I'm the writer, I'm the producer. So okay, I think it's a good time to announce that it's my last big action movie. I would still do action movies but not a big one like this.""For the last ten years I've been choosing the director to direct me. This one I direct myself," he explained. "I hope this movie, 20 years later, people still remember it. For me, for the audience, for my future, for my history - it's very important."

Chinese Zodiac is the third installment in the "Armour of God" series which was titled "Operation Condor" in the U.S. It's funny how Jackie says that he hopes people still remember this film 20 years from now. It has actually already been 21 years since the release of "Armour of God II: Operation Condor" and I remember that movie... it is one of my favorites.

Chinese Zodiac is about a treasure hunter/ thief that is on a mission to find a rare set of Chinese sculptures that represent the zodiac animals. Jackie has spent 7 years preparing and 1 year shooting in over 10 cities in 5 countries. The film is also being produced with a Hong Kong production company instead of one in Hollywood. Yes! Now we can count on it being somewhat decent instead of a run of the mill piece of Hollywood garbage.

I can't wait until Chinese Zodiac is released. When Jackie says he's going to do something, he means business. I've seen countless behind the scenes footage of him doing stunts over and over and over again until they are perfect. He doesn't want any of his action sequences to look bad. This film is no exception to the rule... it is going to represent his life's work.

As far as continuing his career, I'll admit it, I don't think Jackie is going to have a very easy time transitioning into being a "serious" actor. Even if Jackie does have an incredible acting talent, he has branded himself as an action star and most will scoff at the idea.

I applaud Jackie. He just wants to keep doing what he loves. He has had an incredible career. He has acted in over 100 films and has even shared the screen with the great Bruce Lee in "Enter the Dragon".

Even if he remains in excellent shape, at some point, you've got to relax a little bit. I haven't seen too many people in their sixties jump from building tops to the roofs of buses or fly down zip lines at 40mph. I'm hoping he will continue to do as many stunts as he can in his future films. Jackie truly is a living legend. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Where To Sell Those VHS Titles

The last thing I want to do is to put you off any of your own ideas about where to sell those VHS Titles that you have accumulated over the years. Or maybe you are an enthusiastic collector who wants to free up some space in what was once a 3 bedroom house and is now a 2 bedroom house with a large shed upstairs.

But seriously, there are many places you could try to sell your VHS Tapes. There are plenty of online outlets including eBay, Craigslist.com and Amazon, etc. You can sell domestically from garage sales, car boots and the classified ads in your local newspaper.

The thing to remember is this; you want to get as targeted a buying audience as possible and that being the case - you also want that audience to be as big as possible.

Selling VHS Titles is very much a niche enterprise and that niche is split into smaller niches. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to try to get your VHS Titles in front of all the people who might be interested.

Some buyers may only be interested in documentaries, others in trains or travel. Still others may collect comedy or live band performances etc.

But if all these people are looking in the same place, then there is a good chance that they will see some of your video titles - if they are there to be seen.

The largest marketplaces are of course eBay and Amazon.

I am only going to recommend Amazon - WHY?

For one very good reason. Amazon has a real advantage over eBay because it actually has a category called "VHS" and eBay does not.

Instead, eBay has a category called, "DVD's, Films & TV".

Yes, it's true that if you type 'VHS tapes' into the eBay search bar, then look under the categories heading, you will see, "Videos: VHS" mentioned.

But here is the real difference.....

The last time I looked, eBay was showing 2,337 listings under that heading, but at the same time, Amazon had over 83,000.

Amazon is by far the most popular place for selling and is the obvious marketplace for a niche selling enterprise.

Whether you are a collector or simply selling redundant VHS Tapes which are lying around the house - something you should definitely consider obtaining is an up-to-date and proper;y researched list of VHS Titles. A list that shows you which tapes have a value. There are many, many VHS Tapes being advertised on Amazon.co.uk for 1 penny. This is ridiculous and it will be a total waste of your time to try selling some of your VHS Titles when clearly there may be a saturated market for certain titles.

So you either need a researched list or else you will have to research each one of your titles individually. This isn't such a big deal if you only have a few, but if you have a shed-load or you are actually sourcing VHS Titles as a means of providing a second income, then having a list which tells you which VHS Titles have value, is something which will save you enormous amounts of time and also prevent you wasting money buying tapes that have little or no value.

Anyway, I hope I have given you some ideas. It only remains for me to wish you good luck in selling your tapes. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

HBO's Game of Thrones, As Good As The Book?

Game of Thrones is the title of the first book in a yet to be finished fantasy series by George R.R. Martin, entitled A Song Of Fire And Ice. Game Of Thrones is also a recently released game on 360 and PS3, a board game, a card game, a tabletop role playing game, a graphic novel, the subject of several iOS and Google Play apps, and an upcoming Facebook game. It's also one of the hottest IP's around right now, thanks largely in part to the wildly popular HBO program currently airing its second season, as well as the DVD/Blu-ray release of the Emmy and Golden Globe winning first season, available now.

I'll be honest. I'm a proponent of the tenet that the book is always better than the movie. Only in the cases where the book was written first, that is. If it says "The novelization based on the film" on the cover, then it's kindling. I'm snooty that way. Even when I know that the book is better, because it's always better, I'm still occasionally drawn to see a film adaptation. Maybe it's because a friend, or naive critic, says something like, "every bit as good as the book." Sometimes it's because I'm such a fan of the source material that I have to see how they butcher it with my own eyes.

Either way, whenever I see a film based on a book I've read, I always have one of three reactions: 1) Pleasantly surprised (i.e. Fight Club, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile). 2) Decidedly indifferent (Trainspotting, Stephen King's It,). 3) Desporrified, a made-up word combining despair and horrified (Breakfast of Champions, everything else Stephen King's let become a movie that's not already listed here). In every case, whether surprised, indifferent or desporrified, I still come away thinking the book is superior to the film in every way. Until Game of Thrones that is. Now my worldview has been shattered.

To HBO's credit, the show remains very true to the source material, differing on only the very slightest of details. Much of the dialogue is straight from the novel, and in retrospect the pacing of the book is almost ideal for screenwriting. This may be due to Martin's previous work as a television writer, most notably for the mid-80's revival of The Twilight Zone. From the outset, the show seems to focus on Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.

Early on in the series, he's tapped by his old friend Robert Baratheon, who has become King of the Seven Kingdoms, to help him rule as the king's top advisor, the Hand. Over the course of 10 episodes we're introduced to a myriad of nobles, charlatans, rogues and scoundrels, but at the close of season one it is apparent that the only real stars of the show are intrigue, the machinations of the court, and the things people will do while chasing power. Of course while people play their game, the shadow of a larger threat looms. Winter is coming.

It's hard to deny that the show is outstanding, as evidenced by the aforementioned Emmy and Golden Globe wins in Outstanding Drama Series and Best Television Series-Drama respectively. The casting is superb, and includes Peter Dinklage, who also won an Emmy for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, and Sean Bean as Eddard 'Ned' Stark. Bean is probably best known for his portrayal of Boromir in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy (Pleasantly surprised on that one, if you're keeping track).

The cinematography is excellent as well, and adds a visual element somewhat lacking in the books. Martin's writing is focused primarily on the characters, and flowery descriptions of the environments are few and far between. Largely shot in Northern Ireland and Malta, the sets and supporting shots are beautiful, and bring to life the keeps and castles in a way that Martin himself doesn't.

Although jokingly described as "The Sopranos in Middle-earth" by series co-creator David Benioff, the description is quite apt. Like Tolkien's trilogy, Game of Thrones would have to be considered "high fantasy" due to the presence of creatures of myth and mystical/magical elements. However these things play more in the background of Martin's books, as well as the show, with Game of Thrones leaning more towards the Middle Ages than Middle-earth. The Sopranos comparison is a little more apt. Like it, and many other HBO shows, Game of Thrones is decidedly adult. Nudity and gratuitous violence abound throughout the series, and are the only real source of complaint voiced by critics of the show.

However, if you're looking for a show that has all the backstabbing and violence of The Sopranos, all of the sex of Californication, and as many people covered in dirt as Deadwood, you should probably come down to Slackers and order the first season of Game of Thrones on Blu-ray or DVD today. Even if you're not looking for a new show to watch, you still need to check this one out. I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but it really is as good as the book. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Watch Movies Online, How to Protect Yourself

Movies are the excellent stress busters that never let you fall prey to boredom. You can enjoy them wherever you want, in a cinema hall, at home on DVD player or online. Whereas these ways accompany varied benefits, they also have certain associated pitfalls. For example, visiting a theater and making all those expenditures on tickets, popcorn and soft drinks could take a heavy toll on your pocket. Likewise, the quality of DVD you play at home may or may not be up to the mark. Interestingly, the freedom to watch movies online without paying single penny sets you free from adopting the first two options. But whether this method is safe or not, let us find out.

Security concerns while watching flicks online:

Like all the other activities you perform online, enjoying online movies as well demands sedate security measures. Unfortunately if you lag behind at any step, you are likely to get trapped in the network of hackers and consequently your computer data could be at grave risk of being stolen. In addition, copyright owners could file lawsuits against you on the offense of copyright infringement. You would definitely not like the idea to get caught amid such hassles, would you?

Suitable protective measures:

With so many demerits of accessing movie websites, and downloading one to enjoy in your free time, you can easily decide to avoid this activity. But if you can bear a little bit patience and follow certain essential tips, protecting yourself from online hassles during your stint with online movies won't be that hard affair. Below are some important tips in this context:

• Keep distance from unsolicited links that ask you to download your preferred movie, they can trick you to open doors for the malware to enter into your system

• Utilizing a Virtual private network could let you add an additional security layer towards your endeavor of relishing a movie over the internet. It will hide your real IP address with a different IP and hence will keep you anonymous online.

• Browse through websites that allow you to watch or download movies legally. Prominently two types of films fall under this category, viz a viz, public domain flicks and movies that are licensed for online viewing.

Insight into safe film categories:

Public Domain Films: These types of motion pictures are copyrighted but have their links over the web for a very short span of time. You are free to enjoy them through live streaming or by downloading them, to watch later on. These films mostly belong to classic genre and hence could be of interest for a selected category of movie buffs. You may be asked to register with the concerned websites before moving ahead.

Licensed Films: This second category of legal films is duly licensed to be watched online. Compared to the first type, movies falling under this class are latest, laced with superseding sound feature and own high quality graphics. These flicks are often accompanied by short duration commercial ads, which could be termed as one the downsides to this film type. You would not be asked to register while accessing any such site, offering licensed films. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

How Accurate Was the Movie The Social Network?

Altering the Facts Makes for Great Drama but Poor History:
A Review of Aaron Sorkin's movie "The Social Network"

Aaron Sorkin earned a stellar reputation as the producer of "West Wing," an idealistic TV show about a smart and sophisticated American president with good ethics and equally good policies. Having high expectations for a Sorkin production, I was disappointed in his current release, "The Social Network."

"The Social Network" is the story of Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook, which has 800 million users worldwide and is currently estimated to be worth $25 billion. That's no small feat for a 26-year-old entrepreneur. How did he do it?

Zuckerberg, played beautifully by Jesse Eisenberg, is a 19-year-old student at Harvard as the movie opens. He is having drinks with his girlfriend, and manages to insult her and offend the audience within less than five minutes of crisp, sardonic dialogue. Sorkin establishes immediately that Zuckerberg is arrogant, insufferable and Mensa material, and we cheer when his girlfriend, Erica, breaks up with him. A frustrated and intoxicated Zuckerberg returns to his dorm, thinking that he will create a social media site where Harvard men can rate female students in terms of their attractiveness. He calls the site "FaceMash."

It's a powerful scene, arguing that the birth of Facebook was motivated by teen angst and revenge. The only problem is that it never occurred. Zuckerberg didn't even know a woman named Erica, although he did drunkenly blog about a Harvard coed named Jessica Alona, but he denies that he ever went out with her or that she was the driving force behind Facebook. In fact, Mark had the same girlfriend for the last eight years and she is now his wife.

After the so-called romantic breakup, Mark conferred with his friend Eduardo Saverin (well played by Andrew Garfield), seeking a logarithm that would enable him to hack into various "face books" that were already in existence in individual Harvard dorms. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg was approached by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, twins who asked if Mark would program a dating website for students that would be based on exclusivity; only Harvard students need apply. The site would be called the HarvardConnection (later renamed ConnectU). Zuckerberg was given the private server location and password for the unfinished HarvardConnection site and the code, with the understanding that he would finish the necessary programming.

He agreed verbally to this arrangement, exchanged 52 e-mails with the brothers and had several in-person meetings, but never delivered the work that he'd promised. Instead, he provided a long list of excuses as to why he couldn't meet with the twins. Then one day, to their shock and dismay, they discovered that Mark had been secretly working with Eduardo and Mark's roommate, Dustin Moskovitz, to launch what was then called "The Facebook."

The twins sued Zuckerberg for stealing their idea and alleged that he used part of their programming code. They were awarded $65 million in damages; however, since then, the Winklevoss brothers claimed that Facebook stock was undervalued at the time and they're really entitled to $466 million. The litigation continues.

Zuckerberg led the twins to believe that he was actively working with them when in fact he was working behind their back to establish something similar, but not identical, to their site. The twins wanted to devise a dating site for Harvard students and to expand this across the country. Zuckerberg's site had little to do with dating. It was a place where people could make friends, network, find a date, or simply chat with their nephews, colleagues or children away at school. Moreover, Zuckerberg's original hot-or-not, drunken FaceMash included both men and women. Sorkin omitted this important detail because he wants us to believe that Mark Z. was angry enough at the imaginary Erica that he would have created a website just for men to humiliate and insult women, and have fun doing so. But the site was never that way. Women could also rate men. And there was no Erica. Ergo, Sorkin's hypothesis for Mark Zuckerberg's basis for forming Facebook was false.

As "The Facebook" was catching on like wildfire, another young genius became involved. Sean Parker was one of the instigators of the now defunct Napster, an application that allowed people to download music for free. This infuriated and worried many musicians; ironically, Justin Timberlake played Sean Parker in the film - I hope he took some pleasure in that role since he must've lost a lot of money to Napster! Unlike Zuckerberg who was basically a studious guy with an obsession for programming, Parker was already leading the glamorous life in Los Angeles. He was a party boy who thought big and made Eduardo look small in Mark's eyes. Mark had to decide between the two of them. Would he pursue Parker's vision of Facebook, funded through venture capitalists, or would he stick with his best friend and company CFO Eduardo and their smalltime advertisers, even though Eduardo had refused to move out to California when Mark wanted to advance the business there?

Ethically-challenged Zuckerberg opted for the latter and left his best friend in the dust by writing Saverin out of future Facebook contracts once they reached the 1 million user mark; his share went from 34% of the company to.03%. Saverin was enraged; he sued in April of 2005 and won back a 5% share of Facebook, worth 1.3 billion, as well as an undisclosed amount of money. Parker had a 7% share in Facebook which was revoked when he was busted for cocaine use. Zuckerberg maintains a 24% share although Sorkin leads us to believe he still owns 51%.

Sorkin relied entirely on interviews with Eduardo Saverin to make this production, which was based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. Not surprisingly, Mark Zuckerberg refused to be interviewed. Consequently, the movie can't help but be biased in Saverin's favor.

Since the courts had already established that Zuckerberg was guilty of intellectual property theft, there was no need for Sorkin to embellish. "The Social Network" would have benefited by sticking more closely to the facts, which were dramatic enough.

The movie poses hard ethical questions. It makes us ask ourselves if we are complicit. Do you have a Facebook account? Are you helping to keep the accidental billionaires rich? If you wouldn't wear a T-shirt that says, "Free Bernie Madoff," why would you support Zuckerberg?

Finally, the movie acts as a Rorschach test - in exit polls, people under 40 viewed Zuckerberg as a visionary genius with drive, purpose and ambition: a young man who saw a golden opportunity and took advantage of it. Those over 40 saw him as cold, morally bankrupt and cutthroat. In that respect, "The Social Network" succeeds as a provocative film and it is excellent entertainment. But I fear that many people will mistake this fascinating half-truth for a documentary, and that it most definitely is not. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

The Avengers Movie's Success

The Avengers is a film produced by the Marvel Studios and released in 2012. It is a superhero film based on the superhero team from the Marvel Comics. The screenplay was written by Joss Whedon and is distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The cast of the Avengers film has famous actors such as Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and additional cast members: Cobie Smulders, Chris Hemsworth, Clark Gregg, Chris Evans, Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Renner among others.

The Disney Company decided to change the title of the film in the United Kingdom. Instead of Marvel's Avengers it was released as Marvel's Avengers Assemble. This is because the company did not want the public to confuse the film with a TV series in the UK that has the same name. The film had its world premiere on April 11th 2012, at the El Capitan Theatre in California. The film broke many box office records immediately after its release on that day. The Avengers film made a record $207,438,708 during its first weekend at the theaters. This is a noteworthy record because Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 managed to acquire $169.2 million in its first weekend after the premiere. In its first week, the film broke the Dark Knight's 2008 record of $238.6 million by bringing in $270.019 million in ticket sales.

The Avenger's film received positive reviews by many notable critics. For example, the film got a 93% rating from the Rotten Tomatoes, which is a review aggregator website. It also obtained an average 8.1 points on 10 from the overall 267 reviews. CinemaScore gave the film an A+ grade based on the audience reviews. Another review from Metacritic showed the film received a score of 69 out of 100, due to the aggregation of 43 reviews.

The factors that contribute to the success of the movie are the stars, careful planning, as well as the original content. The stars of the film were all main characters in their various films and Marvel Comic books. When they came together, the fans wanted to know what would happen in the film, making the film a box office hit. The directors and producers of the film took the time to plan the film and released several teasers and one commercial spot in the Super Bowl. These actions increased the hype of the film, and many people looked forward to the premiere of the film.

The film did not make any changes to the characters, and they appeared just as they did in their previous films and comic books. The only character who underwent some changes was the Hulk. He was greener in the first Hulk film released in 2003, and the 2008 Hulk was too masculine. The film director decided to reduce the Hulk's green color and minimize his muscled appearance in the Avengers Film. The actors also showed their professionalism and dedication, by bringing out all the emotions required, despite the fact that it is an action film.

In the film, there was no main character because all the characters worked as a team and each of them had their own moment to shine. The film's special effects, as well as the action, proved worth watching and increased the film's appreciation by the audience. Another important factor in the success of the Avengers is the dedication of the director/ producer Joss Whedon. He developed the story from the comic characters and did not try to create a completely new story that deviated from the comic characters.

The character of Bruce Banner enhanced the success of the film. Mark Ruffalo played the roles of the brilliant, yet cynical Dr. Banner and the Hulk in the film. He brought out the characters in such a marvellous way, enhancing the film's reception. He brought out the Hulk's character well by refreshing the character. He also brought out the geeky and irritated character of Dr. Banner in a spectacular way. Many critics appreciated the film's plot in addition to the character's dialogues. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Jackie Chan's Last Major Action Film: Chinese Zodiac

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times: "Oh, I'm too old to do that". Every time I've heard that statement, I've politely disagreed. I believe that as we grow older we just become less active. So, to that previously mentioned statement, bah humbug!

Now, on to the main topic of this article, Jackie Chan! At 58 years old, Jackie is still doing his special brand of stunts and is going to release the biggest film of his career: Chinese Zodiac. If Jackie can still kick butt, then you have no excuses!

This is what Jackie had to say about his final action flick:

"I've been fighting and doing action films all my life, you've got to find a point to stop. With this movie I'm the director, I'm the writer, I'm the producer. So okay, I think it's a good time to announce that it's my last big action movie. I would still do action movies but not a big one like this.""For the last ten years I've been choosing the director to direct me. This one I direct myself," he explained. "I hope this movie, 20 years later, people still remember it. For me, for the audience, for my future, for my history - it's very important."

Chinese Zodiac is the third installment in the "Armour of God" series which was titled "Operation Condor" in the U.S. It's funny how Jackie says that he hopes people still remember this film 20 years from now. It has actually already been 21 years since the release of "Armour of God II: Operation Condor" and I remember that movie... it is one of my favorites.

Chinese Zodiac is about a treasure hunter/ thief that is on a mission to find a rare set of Chinese sculptures that represent the zodiac animals. Jackie has spent 7 years preparing and 1 year shooting in over 10 cities in 5 countries. The film is also being produced with a Hong Kong production company instead of one in Hollywood. Yes! Now we can count on it being somewhat decent instead of a run of the mill piece of Hollywood garbage.

I can't wait until Chinese Zodiac is released. When Jackie says he's going to do something, he means business. I've seen countless behind the scenes footage of him doing stunts over and over and over again until they are perfect. He doesn't want any of his action sequences to look bad. This film is no exception to the rule... it is going to represent his life's work.

As far as continuing his career, I'll admit it, I don't think Jackie is going to have a very easy time transitioning into being a "serious" actor. Even if Jackie does have an incredible acting talent, he has branded himself as an action star and most will scoff at the idea.

I applaud Jackie. He just wants to keep doing what he loves. He has had an incredible career. He has acted in over 100 films and has even shared the screen with the great Bruce Lee in "Enter the Dragon".

Even if he remains in excellent shape, at some point, you've got to relax a little bit. I haven't seen too many people in their sixties jump from building tops to the roofs of buses or fly down zip lines at 40mph. I'm hoping he will continue to do as many stunts as he can in his future films. Jackie truly is a living legend. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.