Monday, November 12, 2007
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, both released in 1977 , were box-office hits that brought about a huge increase in science fiction films. As well, Star Wars helped to blur the distinction between the science fiction, fantasy, and superhero genres. In 1979, Star Trek: The Motion Picture brought the television series to the big screen for the first time. Ridley Scott's films, such as Alien and Blade Runner, presented the future as dark, dirty and chaotic, and depicted non-humans such as aliens and cyborgs as hostile and dangerous. In contrast, Steven Spielberg's E.T. The Extraterrestrial, one of the most successful films of the 1980s, presented aliens as benign and friendly.
The big budget adaptations of Frank Herbert's Dune and Arthur C. Clarke's sequel to 2001, 2010: The Year We Make Contact, were box office duds that dissuaded producers from investing in science fiction literary properties. The strongest contributors to the genre during the second half of the 1980s were James Cameron and Paul Verhoeven with The Terminator and RoboCop entries. In the 1980s, animation began being used for science fiction films, such as the Japanese anime film Akira (1988) and the French animated science fiction film Light Years (1988).
1960s-1980s
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There were relatively few science fiction films in the 1960s, but some of the films transformed science fiction cinema. Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) brought new realism to the genre, with its groundbreaking visual effects and realistic portrayal of space travel and influenced the genre with its epic story and transcendent philosophical scope. Other 1960s films included Planet of the Apes (1968) and Fahrenheit 451 (1966), which provided social commentary, and the campy Barbarella (1968), which explored the sillier side of earlier science fiction.
The era of manned trips to the moon in the 1970s saw a resurgence of interest in the science fiction film. Andrei Tarkovsky’s slow-paced Solaris (1972) had visuals and a philosophic scope reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Science fiction films from the early 1970s explored the theme of paranoia, in which humanity is depicted as under threat from ecological or technological adversaries of its own creation, such as Silent Running (ecology), Westworld (man vs. robot), THX 1138 (man vs. the state), and Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (threat of brainwashing). Conspiracy thriller films of the 1970s included Soylent Green and Futureworld. The science fiction comedies of the 1970s included Woody Allen's Sleeper and Dan O'Bannon's Dark Star.
1930s-1950s
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In the 1930s, there were several big budget science fiction films, notably Just Imagine (the first feature length science fiction film by a
During the 1950s, public interest in space travel and new technologies revived. While many 1950s science-fiction movies were still low-budget B movies, there were several successful films with larger budgets and impressive special effects, notably Destination Moon, The Day the Earth Stood Still, This Island Earth, and Forbidden Planet. Some of the many B mvoies are also still of interest today, especially Howard Hawks's The Thing from Another World, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and It Came From Outer Space.
There was a close connection between the science fiction genre and the monster movie, in, for example, Them, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, and The Blob
Ray Harryhausen began to use stop-motion animation to create special effects for films such as Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956).
1900-1920s
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Science fiction films appeared early in the silent film era, typically as short films shot in black and white, sometimes with colour tinting. They usually had a technological theme and were often intended to be humorous. In 1902, Georges Méliès released Le Voyage dans la Lune, a film that used early trick photography effects to depict a spacecraft’s journey to the moon. Several films merged the science-fiction and horror genres, such as Frankenstein (1910), a film adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912). A longer science fiction film, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916), was based on Jules Verne’s novel. In the 1920s, European filmmakers tended to use science fiction films for prediction and social commentary, as can be seen in German films such as Metropolis (1926) and Frau im Mond (1929).
Definition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Defining precisely which movies belong to the science fiction genre is often difficult, as there is no universally accepted definition of the genre, or in fact its underlying genre in literature. According to one definition:
Science fiction film is a film genre which emphasizes actual, extrapolative, or speculative science and the empirical method, interacting in a social context with the lesser emphasized, but still present, transcendentalism of magic and religion, in an attempt to reconcile man with the unknown (Sobchack 63).
This definition assumes that a continuum exists between (real-world) empiricism and (supernatural) transcendentalism, with science fiction film on the side of empiricism, and horror film and fantasy film on the side of transcendentalism. However, there are numerous well-known examples of science fiction horror films, epitomized by such pictures as Frankenstein and Alien. And the Star Wars films blend elements typical of science fiction film (such as spaceships, androids and ray guns) with the mystical "Force", a magical power that would seem to fit the fantasy genre better than science fiction. Movie critics therefore sometimes use terms like "Sci Fi/Horror" or "Science Fantasy" to indicate such films' hybrid status.
The visual style of science fiction film can be characterized by a clash between alien and familiar images. This clash is implemented when alien images become familiar, as in A Clockwork Orange, when the repetitions of the Korova Milkbar make the alien decor seem more familiar. As well, familiar images become alien; for example, in Dr. Strangelove, the distortion of the humans make the familiar images seem more alien. Finally, alien and familiar images are juxtaposed, as in The Deadly Mantis, when a giant praying mantis is shown climbing the
Science fiction film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses speculative, science-based depictions of imaginary phenomena such as extra-terrestrial life forms, alien worlds, and time travel, often along with technological elements such as futuristic spacecraft, robots, or other technologies. Science fiction films have often been used to provide social commentary on political or social issues, and to explore philosophical issues, such as "what makes us human." In many cases, tropes derived from written science fiction may be used by filmmakers ignorant of or at best indifferent to the standards of scientific plausibility and plot logic to which written science fiction is traditionally held.
The genre has existed since the early years of silent cinema, when Georges Melies' A Trip to the Moon (1902) amazed audiences with its trick photography effects. From the 1930s to the 1950s, the genre consisted mainly of low-budget B-movies. After Stanley Kubrick's 1968 landmark 2001: A Space Odyssey, the science fiction film genre was taken more seriously. In the late 1970s, big-budget science fiction films filled with special effects became popular with audiences. The hugely influential Star Wars trilogy and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, appeared, paving the way for the blockbuster hits of subsequent decades, such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Men in Black (1997).
Etymology of
The name of
History of
In 513 BC, south of the
The medieval city of
In either 271 or 275 the Roman army and administration left
In the Middle Ages, Romanians lived in two distinct independent Romanian principalities:
In 1475, Stephen the Great of Moldavia scored a temporary victory over the
Politics of
The Palace of the Parliament, the seat of the
The legislative branch of the government, collectively known as the Parliament (Parlamentul României), consists of two chambers – the Senate (Senat), which has 137 members, and the Chamber of Deputies (Camera Deputaţilor), which has 332 members. The members of both chambers are elected every four years under a system of party-list proportional representation.
The justice system is independent of the other branches of government, and is made up of a hierarchical system of courts culminating in the High Court of Cassation and Justice, which is the supreme court of
The country's entry into the European Union in 2007 has been a significant influence on its domestic policy. As part of the process,
Culture of
The culture of
Literature of
The older classics of Romanian literature remain very little known outside
In the period between the two world wars, authors like Tudor Arghezi, Lucian Blaga or Ion Barbu made efforts to synchronize Romanian literature with the European literature of the time. Gellu Naum was the leader of the surrealist movement in
Romanian literature has recently gained some renown outside the borders of
Sport in
In the 1976 Summer Olympics, the gymnast Nadia Comăneci became the first gymnast ever to score a perfect "ten". She also won three gold medals, one silver and one bronze, all at the age of fifteen. Her success continued in the 1980 Summer Olympics, where she was awarded two gold medals and two silver medals. Ilie Năstase, the tennis player, is another internationally known Romanian sports star. He won several Grand Slam titles and dozens of other tournaments; he also was a successful doubles player.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarország; IPA: [mɒɟɒrorsaːɡ]; listen (help·info)), officially in English the Republic of Hungary (Magyar Köztársaság listen (help·info), literally Magyar (Hungarian) Republic), is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Al Baqarah
94. Katakanlah: "Jika kamu (menganggap bahwa) kampung akhirat (surga) itu khusus untukmu di sisi Allah, bukan untuk orang lain, Maka inginilah[75] kematian(mu), jika kamu memang benar.
95. Dan sekali-kali mereka tidak akan mengingini kematian itu selama-lamanya, Karena kesalahan-kesalahan yang Telah diperbuat oleh tangan mereka (sendiri), dan Allah Maha mengetahui siapa orang-orang yang aniaya.
96. Dan sungguh kamu akan mendapati mereka, manusia yang paling loba kepada kehidupan (di dunia), bahkan (lebih loba lagi) dari orang-orang musyrik. masing-masing mereka ingin agar diberi umur seribu tahun, padahal umur panjang itu sekali-kali tidak akan menjauhkannya daripada siksa. Allah Maha mengetahui apa yang mereka kerjakan.
97. Katakanlah: "Barang siapa yang menjadi musuh Jibril, Maka Jibril itu Telah menurunkannya (Al Quran) ke dalam hatimu dengan seizin Allah; membenarkan apa (kitab-kitab) yang sebelumnya dan menjadi petunjuk serta berita gembira bagi orang-orang yang beriman.
Al Baqarah
90. Alangkah buruknya (hasil perbuatan) mereka yang menjual dirinya sendiri dengan kekafiran kepada apa yang Telah diturunkan Allah, Karena dengki bahwa Allah menurunkan karunia-Nya[71] kepada siapa yang dikehendaki-Nya diantara hamba-hamba-Nya. Karena itu mereka mendapat murka sesudah (mendapat) kemurkaan[72]. dan untuk orang-orang kafir siksaan yang menghinakan.
91. Dan apabila dikatakan kepada mereka: "Berimanlah kepada Al Quran yang diturunkan Allah," mereka berkata: "Kami Hanya beriman kepada apa yang diturunkan kepada kami". dan mereka kafir kepada Al Quran yang diturunkan sesudahnya, sedang Al Quran itu adalah (Kitab) yang hak; yang membenarkan apa yang ada pada mereka. Katakanlah: "Mengapa kamu dahulu membunuh nabi-nabi Allah jika benar kamu orang-orang yang beriman?"
92. Sesungguhnya Musa Telah datang kepadamu membawa bukti-bukti kebenaran (mukjizat), Kemudian kamu jadikan anak sapi (sebagai sembahan) sesudah (kepergian)nya[73], dan Sebenarnya kamu adalah orang-orang yang zalim.
93. Dan (ingatlah), ketika kami mengambil janji dari kamu dan kami angkat bukit (Thursina) di atasmu (seraya kami berfirman): "Peganglah teguh-teguh apa yang kami berikan kepadamu dan dengarkanlah!" mereka menjawab: "Kami mendengar tetapi tidak mentaati". dan Telah diresapkan ke dalam hati mereka itu (kecintaan menyembah) anak sapi Karena kekafirannya. Katakanlah: "Amat jahat[74] perbuatan yang Telah diperintahkan imanmu kepadamu jika betul kamu beriman (kepada Taurat).
Al Baqarah
80. Dan mereka berkata: "Kami sekali-kali tidak akan disentuh oleh api neraka, kecuali selama beberapa hari saja." Katakanlah: "Sudahkah kamu menerima janji dari Allah sehingga Allah tidak akan memungkiri janji-Nya, ataukah kamu Hanya mengatakan terhadap Allah apa yang tidak kamu ketahui?"
81. (bukan demikian), yang benar: barangsiapa berbuat dosa dan ia Telah diliputi oleh dosanya, mereka Itulah penghuni neraka, mereka kekal di dalamnya.
82. Dan orang-orang yang beriman serta beramal saleh, mereka itu penghuni surga; mereka kekal di dalamnya.
83. Dan (ingatlah), ketika kami mengambil janji dari Bani Israil (yaitu): janganlah kamu menyembah selain Allah, dan berbuat kebaikanlah kepada ibu bapa, kaum kerabat, anak-anak yatim, dan orang-orang miskin, serta ucapkanlah kata-kata yang baik kepada manusia, Dirikanlah shalat dan tunaikanlah zakat. Kemudian kamu tidak memenuhi janji itu, kecuali sebahagian kecil daripada kamu, dan kamu selalu berpaling.
84. Dan (ingatlah), ketika kami mengambil janji dari kamu (yaitu): kamu tidak akan menumpahkan darahmu (membunuh orang), dan kamu tidak akan mengusir dirimu (saudaramu sebangsa) dari kampung halamanmu, Kemudian kamu berikrar (akan memenuhinya) sedang kamu mempersaksikannya.
85. Kemudian kamu (Bani Israil) membunuh dirimu (saudaramu sebangsa) dan mengusir segolongan daripada kamu dari kampung halamannya, kamu bantu membantu terhadap mereka dengan membuat dosa dan permusuhan; tetapi jika mereka datang kepadamu sebagai tawanan, kamu tebus mereka, padahal mengusir mereka itu (juga) terlarang bagimu. apakah kamu beriman kepada sebahagian Al Kitab (Taurat) dan ingkar terhadap sebahagian yang lain? tiadalah balasan bagi orang yang berbuat demikian daripadamu, melainkan kenistaan dalam kehidupan dunia, dan pada hari kiamat mereka dikembalikan kepada siksa yang sangat berat. Allah tidak lengah dari apa yang kamu perbuat[68].
Friday, September 14, 2007
History of Manchester United F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Early years (1878-1945) V
The following season began with United picking up another piece of silverware, the first ever Charity Shield, and ended with another, the club's first FA Cup title, sowing the seeds for what has become a record number of FA Cup titles. Just as they were in the club's first title-winning campaign, Turnbull and Meredith were instrumental in this season, Turnbull scoring the winner in the FA Cup Final. The club had to wait another two years before winning any more silverware, winning the First Division for the second time in the 1910-11 season. In the meantime, United moved to their new ground at Old Trafford. They played their first game there on 19 February 1910 against Liverpool, but lost 4-3 having thrown away a 3-0 lead. They then went trophyless again in the 1911-12 season, which not only proved to be the last with Mangnall in charge (he moved to Manchester City after ten years with United), but also the last time the club won the First Division for 41 years, the longest time they have gone without winning the league in their history.
History of Manchester United F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Early years (1878-1945) IV
It was not long, however, before the club was at last promoted to the First Division for the first time under their new name, finishing in second place in the 1905-06 Second Division. A season of consolidation followed, with the club finishing in 8th, before they finally won their first league title in 1908. Manchester City had recently been under investigation for paying some of their players a salary over the amount allowed by FA regulations. They were fined £250 and eighteen of their players were banned from playing for them ever again. United were quick to pounce on the situation, picking up Billy Meredith (the Welsh Wizard) and Sandy Turnbull, amongst others. The new boys from across town were ineligible to play until New Year's Day 1907, due to their suspension, so it was left until the 1907-08 season for them to make a proper impact on United's bid for the title. And that they did, getting the campaign off to a storming start, with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United, beginning a run of ten consecutive victories. Despite a shaky end to the season, United managed to hang on and finished the season nine points ahead of their closest rivals, Aston Villa.
History of Manchester United F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Early years (1878-1945) III
Ernest Mangnall was appointed as club secretary after James West had resigned as manager on 28 September 1902. Mangnall was charged with trying to get the club into the First Division, and fell just short of that target at the first attempt, finishing in 5th in Division Two. Mangnall decided that it was necessary to bring in some fresh faces to the club, and signed players such as Harry Moger in goal, Dick Duckworth at half-back and John Picken up front, but it was another new half-back by the name of Charlie Roberts who made the biggest impact. He cost the club a then-record £750 from Grimsby Town in April 1904, and helped them to a third place finish in the 1903-04 season, just a point short of the second promotion place.
History of Manchester United F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Early years (1878-1945) II
Just before having to be shut down for good, the club received a sizeable investment from J. H. Davies, the managing director of Manchester Breweries. Legend goes that Harry Stafford, the club captain, was showing off his prized St. Bernard dog at a club fund-raiser, when Davies approached him to buy the dog. Stafford declined, but was able to persuade Davies to invest in the club and become club chairman. It was decided at one of the early board meetings that the club required a change of name to reflect the fresh start they had been afforded. Manchester Central and Manchester Celtic were among the names suggested, before Louis Rocca, a young immigrant from Italy, said "Gentlemen, why don't we call ourselves Manchester United?" The name stuck, and Manchester United officially came into existence on 26 April 1902. Davies also decided it would be appropriate to change the club's colours, abandoning the green and gold halves of Newton Heath, and picking red and white to be the colours of Manchester United.
History of Manchester United F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Early years (1878-1945) I
The Manchester United team at the start of the 1905-06 season in which they were runners up in Division 2 and promoted
The club was formed as Newton Heath L&YR F.C. in 1878 as the works team of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath. The club's shirts were green and gold halves. They played on a small, dilapidated field on North Road, near the future site of the Manchester Piccadilly railway station for fifteen years, before moving to Bank Street in the nearby town of Clayton in 1893. The club had entered the Football League the previous year and began to sever its links with the rail depot, becoming an independent company, appointing a club secretary and dropping the "L&YR" from their name to become simply Newton Heath F.C.. Not long afterwards, in 1902, the club neared bankruptcy, with debts of over £2500. At one point, their Bank Street ground was even closed by the bailiffs.
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, based at the Old Trafford stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and is arguably the most popular football club in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide; average attendances at the club have been higher than any other team in English football for all but six seasons since 1964-65. The club is also one of the most successful in English football; for over twenty years, since the 1986-87 season, they have won 18 major honours, which is more than any other Premier League club. They are the Premier League's reigning champions, and have won the Premier League/Football League 16 times. In 1968, they became the first English club to win the European Cup, beating S.L. Benfica 4–1, and they won a second European Cup in 1999. They also hold the record for the most FA Cup titles with 11.
Since the late 1990s, the club has been one of the richest in the world, and until recently had the highest revenue of any football club for several years running. As of 2007, the club has the fourth largest turnover in club football, but remains the most profitable club based on operating income. Manchester United also remains the most valuable club in the world. The club is a founding member of the G-14 group of Europe's leading football clubs.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been manager of the club since 6 November 1986. The captain is Gary Neville, who succeeded Roy Keane in November 2005.