Arts-and-Entertainment

A movie revolution will take place at the end of the year - potentially offering as big a leap in our viewing experience as the change from black-and-white television to colour.

James Cameron, the film director who pushed technical effects to the limit with the blockbuster Titanic in 1997, and ushered in the dawn of action films with '80s classics such as Terminator and Aliens, has unleashed the film he has been hoping to make for nearly 20 years.

Avatar, when it is released in December, will be the most ambitious 3D film ever released, and the first trailer, unveiled on the Internet yesterday, gives us a glimpse of the future.

Scroll down to see the trailer



Avatar: The film is set on a distant planet, allowing luscious scenery in full 3D. In this scene, a spaceship prepares to land in a verdant forest on the world of Pandora


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1208038/Avatar-How-James-Camerons-3D-film-change-face-cinema-forever.html#ixzz0iHUtk0J8

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a popular cartoon show displayed regularly on the Nickelodeon channel. Created in 2005, the series is just as successful as it was back then, as is apparent in the large demand of fans requesting movies, video games, action figures, music, magazines, and other venues.

The story takes place in an Asian city, and Asian fighters use sparring styles (e.g., Tai Chi, Ba Gua, etc.) that are, of course, influenced by Asian cultures. Fascinatingly, the show has been nominated for prestigious awards (e.g., Emmy Awards, etc.), too. Thus, when Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko produced the show back in 2005 they probably had no idea that their creation would become one of the greatest animated cartoons (and fad) of the last decade.

There are three books in the Avatar series, and the central theme of the story is this: a young boy, Aang, is chosen as a the "avatar", a position he hesitantly accepts. Aang and his pet bison, Appa, run away and get trapped in an iceberg, but are eventually freed (one-hundred years into the future) by individuals whom he and Appa befriend. He and his comrades go on a quest to stop the evil Fire Lord and Fire Nation (i.e., the antagonists of the series) from polluting the world in many ways, such as ensuring that the pirates do not seize the North Pole.

Aang becomes a professional water bender and accomplishes other tasks along the way, but eventually he is seriously injured by an evil nemesis: Azula. Thus, book two ends with Aang in critical danger, and this is where the author(s) leads up to the exciting climax of Avatar Book 3.

In Avatar Book 3, readers learn that Ba Sing Se, the capitol of the Earth, has been taken over, and that Aang has awakened alive on a Fire Nation's ship. One of his friends, Sokka, decides that it is time to defeat the current Fire Lord. Thus, they carry on towards the palace of the Fire Lord, but find that the Fire Lord is not there. Eventually, Sokka comes up with a scheme to kill Azula and the Fire Lord; however, Aang, as he is harmonius and peaceful, swears not to take the life of any living being.

Aang, although peaceful, reluctantly takes on the Fire Lord, while his comrades (i.e., Sokka et al.) battle Azula. The protagonists, of course, are victorious, and Aang nearly kills the Fire Lord in his rage; however, he gets a grip on reality and stops before ending his life. With peace and order restored, Aang appoints his trusting friend, Zuko, as the new Fire Lord so that the world will not have to worry about any more destruction at the hands of a corrupt being.

Learn more about avatar the last airbender at AvatarTheLastAirbenderOnline.com.

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Avatar: The Last Airbender (a.k.a Avatar the Legend of Aang) is a digitally animated cartoon that aired for almost three years (i.e., 2005 to 2008) on the Nickelodeon channel. The show itself was originally written and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Brian Konietzko. The show takes place in an Asian setting, with a character named "Aang" serving as the hero. Aang and all of the friends whom he meets on his journey must find the "firelord", defeat him, and bring the battle against the Fire Nation to a halt.

Astoundingly, on average, more than five million people tuned in to watch the show each time it aired- it was not only popular with young viewers, but aged critics, parents, young adults, and older teenagers, too. Having been nominated for a variety of awards, Nickelodeon has recently opted to have the creators produce more seasons, and because the show has garnished so much popularity, they are asking for movies to be made based on the show, also. Toys, such as video games, magazines, collectible figures and models, cards, and blocks have emerged from the story's huge success. Thus, the incredible power of this epic tale is influencing the lives of many individuals worldwide, not just young teenagers, and it is paramount to recognize that the Avatar series has been going strongly for over four years.

With such a wide reverence of this series, a small synopsis of the story is important. As briefly discussed above, Aang, a twelve-year old, learns that he is the new "avatar", which he cannot readily accept. Upon hearing that he is the new avatar, Aang runs away on his pet bison (i.e., Appa), and, unfortunately, he gets trapped inside of an iceberg. While he is detained inside of the iceberg, the Fire Lord (i.e., the leader of the Fire Nations) causes havoc on the rest of the world, and he wants to make sure that the newest Avatar (i.e., Aang) does not ruin his chances of ruling the world. Eventually, though, Aang and Appa are broken out of the iceberg about one-hundred years later, and the two bond with other people. They begin a journey and stop all attempts of the Fire Nation trying to contaminate the planet (e.g., ships trying to take over the North Pole). Aang then becomes a master "waterboarder", is injured badly by a Fire Nation commander (i.e., Azula), and is thought to be dead. Aang, however, does not die, and he and his comrades manage to destroy the Fire Lord and get a new Fire Lord established that promises to bring peace and harmony to the world. Avatar The Legend of Aang is a great show for people of all ages.

Learn more about avatar the legend of aang at AvatarTheLastAirbenderOnline.com

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Mapping out the whole concept of your animation can be done easily with Storyboards. Once you've finished your initial script, storyboarding your idea is the next phase in the process. By means of planning your cartoon in organized steps, you can previsualize each and every shot, each line of dialogue, and factor in other important elements, such as background and special effects.

Traditional storyboarding for animation is really a long winded process that needs customized artwork for each frame. However, technological innovation is turning it into simpler for modern day animators to obtain their ideas onto finished storyboards. Digital software for storyboarding provides built in, quick artwork that creates professional, polished storyboards simple and pleasant.

Previously, animators would need to cut out photos or sketches and paste them onto paper, incorporating in written dialogue along with other information about each part of the production. With new storyboard programs, all this tedious job can be done on a computer, without the traditional problems and hassles...

With digital software, you can focus your attention on different parts of your script, dealing with whatever elements you like. The software is made to work with the creative mind, providing ways to prompt and direct your efforts for a cohesive outcome. Storyboard Artist is an in-depth, layered programs, that features everything you need for a rich, dimensional effect! Adding in new characters and tweaking background, voiceovers, and music, are now simpler as clicking a mouse. If you're tired of storyboarding "by hand", and want to focus your creative energy on the production itself, storyboarding software can take a lot of weight off your shoulders.

If you're worried about the expense of computer software for storyboarding, rest assured it will pay for itself. Paying for artist services will become unnecessary, which will save you time and money, right from the start. Plus,you will be able to convert your storyboards for easy viewing on the Internet. The best programs offers easy conversion to Flash Media, and the also adjust your storyboards for optimum viewing on an iPhone.

If you're interested in getting clients interested in your animation, creating digital storyboards can send a message of competence and professionalism to animation studios, video game companies, and so many other sources of work and income.

Custom graphics can be done easier with the use of software that integrates with handy tools, and awesome vector drawing tools that allow your personal style to shine through.

Create professional storyboards with ease using Cartoon Animation Software like Storyboard Artist and Storyboard Quick by PowerProduction. View Free Demo here: Storyboard Artist and see it for yourself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joy_Davenport

Cartoons and animations are all around us. We grew up with them, we laughed at them, we may have even cried with them. We enjoyed them as children and even still as adults. But where exactly did they start? Someone had to take the time to create them, and that someone is the animator.

The world of animation is a fascinating one and it covers more than just cartoons. There are also video game animations, animated logos, and web site animations just to name a few.

Animations are actually composed of many different "frames" of drawings of the same kind, but each drawing has been altered just slightly. When these frames are then added together in sequential order, an animation has then been created.

To be an animator, one has to be extremely passionate about art and drawing. All animations start out the same way, as either a hand drawn or sometimes a computer drawn prototype of the future animation. Once the basic drawing has been created, they must then fill in the finer details such as color, texture, and background, if any. The image is then transferred to film or scanned into a computer. Each subsequent drawing of the same object or objects is then processed in this same fashion.

Aside from having a natural affinity and talent for drawing and art, an animator's natural talents can and should be honed by attending college or a professional school, and majoring in, of course, Art. The average time it takes to graduate is two to three years.

There are a few required courses of study in which an animator must take. These include:

-Graphic Design
-Art Appreciation
-Computer graphics
-Video and multimedia effects
-Animation

The student animator may also learn or choose to take courses in:

-3D digital animation
-Modeling and sculpting
-Creative writing
-Game design

The job industry for experienced animators is extremely broad and diverse and offers many different opportunities for aspiring and experienced animators. Virtually, every industry has a need for them. Television, animated motion pictures, the gaming industry, graphics design companies, among others are some of the industries in which an animator can find employment.

The most common job for an animator is as a cartoonist. However, animators do so much more than just create cartoons, and they can also find employment as:

-Web designers
-Illustrators
-Painters
-Sketch Artists
-Graphic Designers
-Logo Designers
-Visual Artists
-Computer Game Programmers
-Multimedia and Photoshop designers

Because of the ever growing demand for animators and new types of animation projects cropping up daily, interactive cell phones for instance, these demands have opened up lots of career opportunities for them. Plus, with the increasing popularity of computer and console games, graphic designers with animation and web site design skills are becoming one of the most sought after professionals by employers.

The annual salary of an animator varies greatly by the type of animation work that they do. This can range anywhere between $44,500 per year and $66,700 per year.

Do you know what salaries in animation are? Find out here: http://www.animatorsalarydata.com

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Mickey Mouse is the most famous mouse in the planet today. No other mouse or animal comes close. He has appeared in movies with countless famous personalities, from Roger Rabbit to his creator Walt Disney himself. Some say that Mickey might as well be the most famous symbol of the USA, next to the USA flag, of course.

His first movie was "Plane Crazy." This short movie didn't really catch on. Walt Disney had a hard time finding distributors. His first hit movie was "Steamboat Willie." This movie got proper distribution, and moviegoers appreciated the antics of Walt Disney's mouse. This may have been the reason why Walt Disney declared November 18, 1928 as the birth date of Mickey Mouse, the day the movie "Steamboat Willie" was shown. From then on, Mickey's popularity rose steadily. Disney even received a special Oscar award in 1935 for his contribution to the world of animation, specifically for creating Mickey Mouse, an enduring American icon. A club was created for him: the Mickey Mouse Club. And by 1935, this club would have 1 million members.

Disney owned the rights to Mickey Mouse, and it was him who first voiced the famous mouse, but the man who drew Mickey was a man named Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney's good friend and chief animator of his company.

Everybody knows that this mouse has a girlfriend, Minnie Mouse. He also has two nephews: Mortie and Ferdy. Mickey's most distinguishing feature is his ears. His ears are always seen the same way even when he's facing forward or sideways: two small black circles on top of his head. This shape of Mickey's head is a very recognized symbol all around the world.

Pollux Parker is an adventurer who loves discovering secret island getaways in each country he visits. Pollux also likes to collect USA Flag and buy inexpensive USA Flag.

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Advancement in technologies and animation has revolutionized the world of architectural industry. Manually drawn designs and hand rendering is outdated as all clients demand for 3D architectural rendering and 3D exterior rendering of the finished projects.

Let us have a look at the numerous benefits offered by 3D exterior rendering -

1. You built a house only once in your lifetime and want it to be exactly the way you have dream of. However, it is very difficult to visualize sophisticated tools such as a building, in a 2D view. One can have a look at it from different angles. Thus, if you find any design flaw it can be easily corrected, which would have been overlooked otherwise. This will help you in reducing the extra cost faced in reconstruction.

2. Designers often find it difficult to make convey clear message about their visualization to clients. There is always a gap between what a client explains and what an architect understands. This helps in reducing these gaps and acts as a mediator between designers and clients. When 3D exterior or interior vies is presented to client, he gets to easily understand the architectural features of the building and judge the overall aesthetics of the design.

3. For real estate developers, 3D exterior rendering is a boon, which can easily convince the client about the work he is going to deliver and attract the prospective stake holders to invest in his/her project. It acts as brilliant tools while marketing for apartments, hotels and villas.

Developing a 3D exterior design is not an easy task and need expertise. It is always a good idea to depend upon the service of firm which offer professional 3d services to design the best possible realistic view of you dream project and help you design what you deserve.

Get your own 3d exterior rendering or 3d interior rendering designed by a professional team! Cad Resolution is specialized in high quality architectural rendering & animation. Get help for a better life or work environment with 3D architecture.

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First of all, I can not emphasize adequately the benefit of becoming proficient in how to draw cartoon characters step by step under the guidance of a pro. Investing in your schooling need not be costly and unattainable. Nonetheless, to promptly stand out from the crowd requires learning from the best.

It's so vital in the early stages of learning, to concentrate on exact technique rather than gradually developing a bogus work habit. Therefore, learn how to draw cartoon characters step by step from a credible source and fast-track your leaning in curve in order to make the most from your investment sooner.

Don't get me wrong... you can spend many a happy hour drawing for the enjoyment of it. However, it can become somewhat old if you're only making a gradual improvement or little at all! Just about anybody can draw cartoon characters and caricatures, but only those that have invested the time and right training will rise beyond the masses and indeed impress.

So anyway, let's get started with the following steps:

Step 1: Observation
Careful investigation of your topic is a crucial discipline. Your early sketches ought to be lose - cartoon characters can be developed with primitive shapes, where the progression of a caricature needs to be representative of your subject. The best caricature is one that is fully representational of your subject and indeed the most difficult to perfect. As you can imagine, you'll need to have a thorough understanding of your subjects every feature. Common features are clearly a necessary study such as eyes, ears, noses, mouths and what have you. Do they have big hair or any at all? What shape is their head... round, pair shaped, pointy etc. Search out certain features and qualities that will create interest in the rendering of your theme.

Step 2: Exaggeration (yet simplicity)
Amplify the noticeable with boldness, which is most notably the case when drawing caricature. A caricature is characteristically funny and most memorable when depicted in an exaggerated form. The variation with cartoon characters is only in their simplicity. South Park characters are the ideal example of large as life, while being extremely basic in composition.

Step 3: Stroke Heaviness
Stroke mass is absolutely more focused toward illustrating caricatures, whereas still appropriate to cartoon characters in the sense that you will use a heavier weighted line to magnify certain points and features. Shading using an assortment of approaches such as cross-hatch and similar techniques, will give your illustration a sense of depth and will in the end 'make or break' your labors.

Final Step: Celebrate your successes and continue in your learning
Take my advice and get pleasure from all your development - no matter how small. Most of all, your creativity will wither when you stop enjoying what you are doing. If this turns into your experience, then stop what you are doing and get some fresh air, exercise or what ever you do to revive yourself.

As much fun as it is learning how to draw cartoon characters - it's also a serious art form that is highly regarded and profitable. In fact, for the small cost of a few drawing pens, pencils and pads, you can learn how to become a pro, stun your friends and family and make a good living to boot. For more information check out my blog: http://www.learntodrawthings.com.

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If you are into cinematic-enhanced movies, you might be wondering if you will need a 3D DVD player to enjoy a 3D movie. Since most of the movies now are turning 3D, movie-goers are encouraged to watch them in the theaters! But, you might not need a DVD player just to watch 3D movies. How is this possible? You just needed the right gadgets to help you enjoy the movie at home.

How does 3D work?

Traditionally it works by emitting light from the screen. This is best appreciated using red and blue glasses to maximize the effects. Conventional 3D movies work by using SD or Standard Definition methods.

Fast forward to the present, 3D movies now uses stereoscopic filming. Movies like Avatar and My Bloody Valentine use Digital 3D that is more detailed than conventional three dimensional movies.

You will appreciate a Digital 3D movie through High Definition TV due to its clarity.

Is it required to watch 3D movies using a 3D DVD player?

The answer is no. You can still watch 3D movies using your standard TV at home. Just get a pair of red and blue glasses and you are all set!

If you own a HDTV or a 3D DVD player, you get to enjoy a movie in 3D better. Instead of wearing colored glasses, 3D movies in HDTV is best watched using clear glasses to make the scenes 'pop-out'. It gives better results and the satisfaction might be closer to that in a cinema!

Here are some tricks to maximize your viewing pleasure:

* Heighten the brightness in your TV. If you are using standard television to watch a 3D animation, wearing those colored glasses might make the images dim. To avoid this, increase the brightness to compensate the dark shades from your glasses. This might improve the quality a bit.

* Switch off the lights: You get to experience the full cinematic effects by dimming the room. This enhances the images and projects other bright-colored scenery from the screen. It also lessens the double-vision, halo effects and improves the brightness of the effects.

* Sit closer to the television: You will get a better view and focus if you sit in front -- not on the sides. If you must, you can sit a little closer to appreciate the visuals.

So grab a good pair of red and blue glasses, pop-corn, some soda and company and enjoy a three dimensional movie today!

Find out more about 3D DVD and what 3D DVD movies are available on the market.

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The high-definition format war pitting the Blu-ray Disc against the HD DVD standard ended in February of 2008 when Toshiba announced that it would stop promoting HD DVD players and produce Blu-ray players instead. Blu-ray was obviously the gold standard.

Blu-ray was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association-a consortium of consumer electronics makers, computer hardware manufacturers, and motion picture studios which included Sony, among others firms. Some studios like Paramount Pictures hedged their bets and supported both Blu-ray and HD DVD during the height of the format war. But now all bets are off as Toshiba and its supporters conceded defeat in 2008.

The good news is Blu-ray players are able to read standard DVDs. And by June of 2009, some 2,500 movie titles were available for sale in the U.S. as Blu-ray discs.

All the while, Blu-ray titles still gather dust on store shelves, leaving studios wondering whether the time has come for multi-platform interoperability-allowing consumers to watch their favorite movies on up to as many as five electronic devices or more. Perhaps an overview of the standard will help clarify why consumers should purchase Blu-ray discs when they shop for movies they wish to own.

Blu-ray discs are used for storing high definition video, Sony Playstation 3 video games, and other data. While the Blu-ray disc shares the same physical dimensions of standard DVDs and CDs, you can store up to 25 GB per single layered disc, and 50 GB per dual layered disc. Meanwhile, 200 GB discs are available, and 100 GB discs are readable without extra equipment or modified hardware. The Blu-ray disc is read using a blue-violet laser (hence the name Blu-ray) that permits users to store more than ten times more data than can be stored on a standard DVD. You should know that Sony and Panasonic plan to increase the storage capacity on their Blu-Ray discs from 25GB to 35.4GB through a technology called i-MLSE, which stands for Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation. The higher-capacity discs will be readable on current Blu-ray disc players with minimal upgrade.

To be sure, the technology now exists to give consumers streaming video of their favorite films, but does cloud-computing-access constitute true ownership? Can you really pop in your favorite film whenever and wherever you want without compromising graphics resolution?

For more information about Blu-ray, please see my firm's weblink at:
http://www.chromavision.net/dvd_authoring.html

Yossi Rosenberg, Digital Media Specialist, Chromavision: (212) 686-7366

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Avatar was a movie which has virtually changed the face of the movie world. The film used cutting edge animation technology which gave the characters a more lifelike feel and most of all used a very advanced form of 3d animation. This animation is different from the days of 3D animation back in the eighties that everyone is probably familiar with.

During this era of 3D people were given a pair of paper glasses with a red and green lens in each eye. As you looked through it the 3d was flat and unimpressive. To further the problems 3d animators were obsessed with trying to show off what they technology could do and they would frequently animate objects flying at the audience for the shock appeal. The problem with this is that it distracted from the rest of the movie. Rather than people coming away thinking about how incredible the movie was they would simply speak about how cool the objects being thrown at them were.

This is where avatar innovated the movie industry. The film did not try and capture the audience's attention by showing off the power of the three dimensional capability but rather worked the element into the move subtly to enhance things like flying fight scenes. This made it so that the audience essentially forgot about the 3d dimension and was simply better immersed into the film.

This type of technology has been so popular that most of the major television manufacturers are scrambling to make televisions which can support the new media format.

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With the launching of digitally organized 3D films, like the "Avatar", we cannot help but want for more. 3D films take us to the next level of viewing experience that is really exciting. But we can also watch these 3D films at home, with the use of a 3D DVD player, a 3D applicable television and 3D movie glasses.

3D movie glasses are not only being handed out in theaters for your movie viewing; they are also available in many stores that sell 3D-capable television sets and 3D DVD players. Some are even included in television sets when you buy three dimensional DVD players or TV converters. Some of the 3D movie glasses included in these sets operates via infrared.

But how do these movie glasses work? Actually, they are not something new. They have been around for a century since 3D filming started. Several decades ago when 3D films were first released, 3D glasses were already being used. The 3D films then are not as popular as today as the technology was not as good.

Twenty years ago, we were able to view 3D pictures of Disney characters through the View Master™. The View Master™ makes use of a depth illusion to trick us into seeing 3D images. There are actually two pictures of the same image, each of them angled slightly. Even though there are two images, we will not be confused since each eye is seeing a different image, which will then be correlated in the brain - creating a 3D image.

Although 3D movies are not shown in two screens or two pictures, it employs the same concept. They make use of anaglyphic images made up of two separate images superimposed on each other. Each of the images is angled slightly for the benefit of one of our eyes. We cannot see the difference in if we look at them with bare eyes; hence 3D movie glasses are important. These glasses allow filtration of images, making only one image enter one side of the pair of glasses.

There are two types of 3D movie glasses available today - the polarized 3D glasses and the red and blue lens filter. Each lens of the polarized 3D movie glasses is polarized in a different way than the other, and accepts only one image out of the two that comes from the 3D polarized video being shown. The red and blue lens filter works in a similar way, except that it makes use of red and blue lens and an anaglyphic video.

Indeed, 3D movie glasses will definitely boost our movie viewing pleasure.

Find out more about 3d DVD and what 3d DVD movies are available on the market.

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Are 3D DVD movies better than other DVD movies? Of course, they are. That is if you make use of a 3D compatible television and DVD player. If not, it would be as if you are playing a typical DVD movie in your player.

What is the difference between a two dimensional movie and a three dimensional one? With a 2D movie, it would seem as if you are only watching through a glass, viewing a world through a transparent window.

However, with 3D, you would feel as if something is pulling you towards the scene, making you a part of it and not just a viewer. These movies make use of our depth perception to give us the maximum viewing pleasure. Depending on the depth, we may view something as flat and planar, or it can also look full and with volume.

3D DVD movies allow a person to be more engrossed in the movie because of the details the person sees in his peripheral vision. This enters into the subconscious. This we cannot interpret but it is something that enhances our experience, much as ordinary things that passes us by in our everyday lives. This makes the experience more real to us than other ordinary films.

If you are the type of person who collects home movies as a hobby and for pleasure, 3D DVD movies are great additions to your collection. Although we can still count with our fingers the number of movies released in 3D DVD format, we are sure that more will come in the near future. If you want to maximize your 3D watching experience, you ought to purchase other equipment that will enhance your 3D viewing. This includes a 3D DVD player, a 3D compatible television and 3D glasses as well.

New programs and equipment that support 3D viewing are being released in the market. If you have a 2D movie that you want to watch in 3D, you no longer have to wait too long for some movie outfit to release it in 3D. Instead, you can use a 3D TV converter, a software that translates the conventional two dimensional movie into a three dimensional one.

When purchasing 3D DVD movies and players, it is important that you read the specifications. Some come with 3D viewing glasses while some are not. Some brands require that you sit squarely in front of the television to clearly see the three dimensional effect. A slight leaning on one side may result a viewing experience similar to that of a two dimensional film.

Learn more about 3d DVD and what 3d movies on DVD you can buy today!

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