James Bond Characters: The Supporting People in 007's World

A variety of James Bond characters have featured in the 007 movies. Some have provided vital support to Bond in the field whilst others work at MI6 in the British Secret Service.

The main recurring characters in 007's world are M, Miss Moneypenny, Q and Felix Leiter. Here is a quick summary of the main James Bond characters:

M

The stern and imposing boss of James Bond and head of MI6 is M. He is known for sending Agent 007 on missions from his opulent London office. As much as M admires Bond's work on assignment, he loathes his uncivilised deeds. M has been played by Bernard Lee, Robert Brown, and Judi Dench in the official Bond movie series.

Miss Moneypenny

The extremely dependable secretary for M is Miss Moneypenny. She is known for her can-do attitude and has a high regard for Agent 007, MI6's top agent. Before Bond departs on his missions, he often enjoys a bit of casual banter with the delightful Miss Moneypenny. The character of Miss Moneypenny has been portrayed by three different actresses: Lois Maxwell, Caroline Bliss and Samantha Bond.

Q

The person responsible for providing field equipment for James Bond is Q. He is the head of MI6's Q Branch and is renowned for producing uncanny gadgets that often save 007's life. Q is in charge of a laboratory that creates state-of-the-art devices for Agent 007. Q has been played by Desmond Llewelyn and John Cleese.

Felix Leiter

Bond's loyal ally in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is Felix Leiter. He has often befriended 007 on various missions and featured in nine official Bond movies. Leiter has been portrayed by various actors in the 007 film series. David Hedison and Jeffrey Wright are the only actors to have played Felix Leiter on two occasions.

General Anatol Gogol

General Gogol is head of the KGB and appeared in six Bond movies. He is portrayed by Walter Gotell and known for his interactions with MI6 and Agent 007 on a variety of missions.

Sir Frederick Gray

The Minister of Defence for the British government, Sir Frederick Gray, is known for providing James Bond with vital information during mission briefings. He appears in six 007 films and is portrayed by Geoffrey Keen.

Bill Tanner

Appearing four times in the 007 movie series, Bill Tanner, is MI6's Chief of Staff. Tanner is known for giving crucial support to James Bond on assignment. Michael Kitchen is the only actor to play Bill Tanner twice.

Charles Robinson

The Chief of Staff for M, Charles Robinson, provides important support to James Bond. He works alongside M and is responsible for the safety of Agent 007. He is played by Colin Salmon and appears in three Bond movies.

Sheriff J W Pepper

One of the notable James Bond characters is the colourful Louisiana policeman Sheriff Pepper. He is portrayed by Clifton James and appears in two 007 movies.

Jack Wade

Working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Jack Wade assists Agent 007 on two missions. He is portrayed by Joe Don Baker and known for his casual attire and contempt of the British methods.

Valentin Zukovsky

Ex-KGB agent Valentin Zukovsky provides indirect support to James Bond on two missions. He is portrayed by Robbie Coltrane and uses his criminal connections to give inside information to 007.

René Mathis

One of the most recent James Bond characters is René Mathis. He is a reliable ally to Agent 007 in two Bond movies and is portrayed by Giancarlo Giannini. Mathis is known for giving Bond vital support in Montenegro and Bolivia.

For more information on the James Bond characters visit The Bond Journey.

Grant is an avid fan of the James Bond movie series and founder of The Bond Journey, an educational website featuring information on the actors, characters, films, girls, villains and music.

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James Bond Characters: The Supporting People in 007's World

Captain America and His Famous Shield

Every superhero has a distinctive outfit and frequently an interesting accessory. Batman has his bat belt. Wonder Woman has her bracelets. Captain America has his shield.

The shield is indestructible after having been produced in a lab accident. Due to the nature of the accident the actual method used to make its powers has never been duplicated.

But it is more than just a defensive shield. It is also an offensive weapon Captain America can wield like a boomerang to take down multiple opponents.

More recently, the shield has gained exposure as a concealed and unanticipated star in the Iron Man films.

Captain America's shield fleetingly appeared in the movie Iron Man. It briefly appears in the background of a shot of Tony Stark getting out of his armor. According to director Jon Favreau one of the visual effects artists included it as a joke. But is was a joke based in fact and not a random event. In the Avengers comic book series Tony Stark does take the shield to his lab to make improvements to it. Since it made sense the background prop was left in the Iron Man movie.

Then in Iron Man 2 the shield again makes an appearance. Tony Stark is trying to create a new element necessary to save his life. While building a machine in his lab he is interrupted by an agent from the super secretive and ironically named S.H.I.E.L.D. agency. The agent notices the shield and asks Stark how he got it. In a funny moment Tony demands the shield as being perfect to conclude completion of his machine. He then uses it as a simple prop, like a book under a short table leg, to level out some of the machine's tubes.

Since Marvel is building up to an Avengers movie where Captain America, Iron Man, and other superhero characters will appear, this all just happens to tie in magnificently for fans of the red, white and blue superhero and other Marvel characters.

See Captain America's original, triangular shield at the Captain America Shield page, and other merchandise and products at the Captain America gifts site.

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Captain America and His Famous Shield

Some Unforgettable Top Movies To Watch And Enjoy

Hollywood has made and seen many amazing movies that stay on top of the charts forever. Movies made in English are usually great but they have a downside too. There are a few movies that can be remembered forever. The classics include "Titanic", a love story that ends tragically. One of the best plots ever is of the movie called "The Shawshank Redemption", which offers a lot of hope to the audience. Under comedies, the best ever is "Dr. Strangelove" which was released way back in 1964.

Horror movies are pretty well acclaimed and the film "Psycho" from the 60s stands out. A fantasy thriller, "Inception", which released recently in 2010, is said to be the most revolutionary film as it involves a very innovative way of thinking. "Star Wars", "Pulp Fiction" and "The God Father" are history makers because of the brilliant response from the public. These movies are famous all over the world, even in countries where the English language is not formally spoken. "The Lord of the Rings" provides excruciating talents onscreen and is a top movie.

Among other top movies to watch there are films like "Memento", "Forest Gump", "The Matrix", "It's A Wonderful Life", "Vertigo", "Fight Club", "Citizen Kane", etc. The top movies are nominated for the world's best awards, The Oscar and The Grammy. It is really a privilege for a film to just be nominated for an Oscar award, winning it is a totally different honor. Movies made by famous filmmakers are not the best ones always, low budget and lesser known people make great movies too. The secret is to check out the ratings before watching a movie because that gives us the surety that the movie will be a pleasurable experience. Thus, the above mentioned movies are some of the all time best films ever made in the history of English cinema.

Chris is writing to share articles on topics like top movies to watch and comedy movies 2010. Visit to read more detail.

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Some Unforgettable Top Movies To Watch And Enjoy

Helena Bonham Carter Movies and Autographs

Helena Bonham Carter began her acting career in 1979 when, at age 13, she entered a national poetry writing competition and used her second place winnings to place her photo in the casting directory "Spotlight." She soon had her first agent and her first acting job, a commercial, at age 16. Soon after she landed a role in the movie A Pattern of Roses (1983). The role lead to her being cast in A Room with a View (1985) and Lady Jane (1986), which was her first leading role.

Since that time Helena Bonham Carter's autographs have steadily gained in value as she continues to star in hit movies. Especially since she usually signs her full name which thrills collectors and fans alike. Unfortunately, the popularity of her autographs also means that there are more fakes and forgeries being sold and collectors should be careful to buy only from a trusted dealer.

Other notable credits include her appearance with Steve Martin in Novocaine, her memorable performance as Marla Singer in David Fincher's Fight Club opposite Brad Pitt. In Tim Burton's remake of Planet of the Apes, she played an ape, Ari. She followed up her success with Thaddeus O'Sullivan's The Heart of Me, and Big Fish, her second effort with Tim Burton in which she appeared as a witch.

Helena Bonham Carter was nominated for a Golden Globe for the fifth time for her role in partner Tim Burton's film adaptation of the Steven Sondheim musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Since their meeting while filming Planet of the Apes (2001), Helena Bonham Carter and Burton have made four movies together and live in adjoining residences in London, sharing a connecting hallway, and have two children: Billy Ray Burton, 4, and Nell Burton.

Other recent work includes Conversations with Other Women opposite Aaron Eckhart, as Mrs Bucket in Tim Burton's massive hit Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the dead heroine in Tim Burton's spooky Corpse Bride.

However, perhaps her most memorable role may be as Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter movies; The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and The Deathly Hallows.

Click Here for more information about Helena Bonham Carter Movies and Autographs

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Helena Bonham Carter Movies and Autographs

Oscar Predictions 2011: Which Movie Will Win the Best Picture Award?

The question of the year in the movie industry: Who will win the Best Picture award? Who will take another Academy Award home as winner and who will just spend the night applauding others? As no one knows for sure yet, let's take a look at the list of the Best Picture Nominees and try to come up with some system to make predictions.

Best Picture Nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards:

Black Swan -- director: Darren Aronofsky; writers: Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz; stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel;

The Fighter -- director: David O. Russell; writers: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale and Amy Adams

Inception -- Director: Christopher Nolan; Writer: Christopher Nolan; Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page

The Kids Are All Right -- director: Lisa Cholodenko; writers: Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg; stars: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore vand Mark Ruffalo

The King's Speech -- director: Tom Hooper; writer: David Seidler; stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter

127 Hours -- director: Danny Boyle; writers: Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, stars: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara

The Social Network -- director: David Fincher; writers: Aaron Sorkin, Ben Mezrich; stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake

Toy Story 3 -- director: Lee Unkrich; writers: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack

True Grit -- directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen; writers: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen; stars: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Hailee Steinfeld

Winter's Bone -- director: Debra Granik; writers: Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini, stars: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes and Garret Dillahunt

Hm, now that's a list of some pretty good movies, how are these guys in Academy Awards supposed to decide, who is better? Whom they should give the Oscar statue? Oh the tension... Maybe we can help out by comparing them -- how they were created, how they did in theaters and awards? Maybe we can develop some kind of system for determining the most likely winners...

You can see that most of them have really big names in cast and crew. Thought celebrity pressure can come from any of these movies; it's not clear how to evaluate one or another star's influence for popularity of the movie. Also, one should not forget that we all have our favorites, which is not good for making objective predictions. So we have to take some other, measurable and comparable things into account when deciding.

First thing we could look at is a) how much was invested in creating these movies b) how much they earned from them. In short -- were they successful and the effort worth the money?

List no. 1: 'Budget size vs. success'

1. Black Swan -- budget: 13,000,000; earnings: 83,250,375; ROI: 5.4
2. The Kids Are All Right -- budget: 4,000,000; earnings: 20,803,237; ROI: 4.2
3. The King's Speech -- budget: 15,000,000; earnings: 57,313,881; ROI: 2.8
4. True Grit -- budget: 38,000,000; earnings: 137,963,519; ROI: 2.6
5. Winter's Bone -- budget: 2,000,000; earnings: 6,271,086; ROI: 2.1
6. The Fighter -- budget: 25,000,000; earnings: 72,680,740; ROI: 1.9
7. The Social Network -- budget: 40,000,000; earnings: 95,408,473; ROI: 1.4
8. Toy Story 3 -- budget: 200,000,000; earnings: 415,004,880; ROI: 1.1
9. Inception -- budget: 160,000,000; earnings: 292,568,851; ROI: 0.8
10. 127 Hours -- budget: 18,000,000; earnings: 11,296,805; ROI: -0.4

What we get here is a very simple list of the Best Picture nominees according to return on investment [ROI] made in making them. The biggest return taking the first place, when going down to the smallest in the bottom. Basically, it shows how much money oscar nominees made in US from premier till January, divided by their estimated budget ($ numbers from IMDB and boxofficemojo.com). Conclusion - big budget is not everything you need for a blockbuster - "Black Swan" and "The Kids Are All Right" budgets were more than 10 times smaller compared to Inception, but they managed to make around 4 - 5 times more from one dollar invested. The biggest loser so far "127 Hours", which haven't managed to earn enough to cover costs yet. I didn't rank them according to gross earnings, as popular opinion and sales can easily be manipulated by increasing spending on advertising, ROI shows a lot more in this case.

Secondly, we could consider how have these movies done in professional competitions?

List no. 2: 'What do the pros think?"

1. The Social Network -- nominations: 55; Wins: 49; Oscar nom.:8; Total: 112
2. The King's Speech -- nominations: 73; Wins: 16; Oscar nom.: 12; Total: 101
3. Black Swan -- nominations: 71; Wins: 21; Oscar nom.: 5; Total: 97
4. Inception -- nominations: 57; Wins: 27; Oscar nom.: 8; Total: 92
5. True Grit -- nominations: 55; Wins: 12; Oscar nom.: 10; Total: 77
6. 127 Hours -- nominations: 55; Wins: 4; Oscar nom.: 6; Total: 65
7. Winter's Bone -- nominations: 42; Wins: 19; Oscar nom.: 4; Total: 65
8. The Fighter -- nominations: 32; Wins: 23; Oscar nom.: 7; Total: 62
9. The Kids Are All Right -- nominations: 51; Wins: 3; Oscar nom.: 4; Total: 58
10. Toy Story 3 -- nominations: 18; Wins: 18; Oscar nom.: 5; Total: 41

Here I added up all nominations with wins to see which movies were noticed the most in different awards. Here "The Social Network" takes lead, with "The King's Speech" and "Black Swan" still in top three before the big spenders "Inception" and others. Hmm do we see a trend here already?

Thirdly, it's very important to compare how viewers and critics evaluate these movies:

List no. 3: 'A, B, C... or F?'

1. Toy Story 3 -- IMDB: 8.7; metacritics.com: 92; average: 9.0
2. The Social Network -- IMDB: 8.2; metacritics.com: 95; average: 8.9
3. The King's Speech -- IMDB: 8.5; metacritics.com: 88; average: 8.7
4. Winter's Bone -- IMDB: 7.5; metacritics.com: 90; average: 8.3
5. Black Swan -- IMDB: 8.6; metacritics.com: 79; average: 8.3
6. 127 Hours -- IMDB: 8.2; metacritics.com: 82; average: 8.2
7. Inception -- IMDB: 9.0; metacritics.com: 74; average: 8.2
8. True Grit -- IMDB: 8.2; metacritics.com: 80; average: 8.1
9. The Fighter -- IMDB: 8.2; metacritics.com: 79; average: 8.1
10. The Kids Are All Right -- IMDB: 7.4; metacritics.com: 86; average: 8.0

I ranked these movies according to IMDB and metacritic.com rankings average. "Toy story 3" does very well here, by both viewers in IMDB and critics in metacritic.com. Some of the previous leaders spatter across the list giving an interesting perspective for possible Oscar evening winners.

And finally, to get the result we need to sum up all previous scores - from 1 to 10, the smallest score being the best:

List no. 4: 'The Grande Finale'

1. The King's Speech 8
2. Black Swan 9
3. The Social Network 10
4. Winter's Bone 16
5. True Grit 17
6. Toy Story 3 19
7. Inception 20
8. The Kids Are All Right 21
9. 127 Hours 22
10. The Fighter 23

So here you go! Top 3 most possible Oscar winners according to our little calculation are: leader "The King's Speech", followed by "Black Swan" and "The Social Network". I guess this not a big surprise as "The King's Speech" already boast 16 wins in such awards as Golden Globes, British Independent Films and others. Let's not forget 12 Oscar nominations, which is a great accomplishment by itself.

Edmundas invites you to visit 'Top Best Movies' website for latest list of the best movies of 2010: http://movies-2010.info/ For more information, reviews and comments check out The Best Movies blog: http://the-best-movies-2010.blogspot.com/

Edmundas Balcikonis

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Oscar Predictions 2011: Which Movie Will Win the Best Picture Award?

A Handful of Britain's Best Up and Coming Actors

The BAFTA awards always provide an occasion to celebrate all things British, including England's best up and coming actors. While the awards are a great excuse to take note of those who are excelling now, they also give a reason to look towards the next couple of years and guess on who is soon to be seen on the red carpet. Below are a handful of British actors and actresses who may not be rewarded this year but will soon be all over the film news.

Tom Felton

Most notable for his performance in the Harry Potter series as Draco Malfoy, Felton hopes to use it as a stepping stone to further his career. Poised to shed the supporting actor role, Felton will star in Rise of the Apes as Dodge in 2011, which is to be set as a present day prequel to the film classic Planet of the Apes.

In The Apparition, Felton will be playing opposite Ashley Greene from the Twilight series as an expert in the supernatural who tries to help a family being haunted by a presence accidentally conjured during a University experiment some years earlier.

Felton also happens to be a budding musician in his band Feltbeats, so also be sure to check out this young heartthrob on Youtube.

Andrea Riseborough

Riseborough already has a TV BAFTA nomination under her belt for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Long Walk to Finchly, but bigger things are on her horizon as she recently appeared in Never Let Me Go. Riseborough also has a larger role as Rose in the upcoming film Brighton Rock.

Brighton Rock is an adaptation of the 1930s novel by Graham Greene about a troubled sociopath attempting to cover the tracks of a murder. The film is set in 1960s England and received great film reviews after its showing in the surprise film spot during the 54thLondon Film Festival. Riseborough is sure to impress the critics in her role opposite Sam Riley in this suspenseful thrill ride.

Will Poulter

Though young and relatively inexperienced, Poulter is sure to be a hit after his exquisite performance in Son of Rambow where he captured the imagination of the audience.

His most recent role, however, is certainly the best stepping stone of his young career as he played Eustace Scrubb in the wildly popular The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Scrubb is at first an annoying cousin on his visit to Narnia, but later becomes very generous after he is cursed with the plight of being a dragon. Although a children's tale, Poulter pulls off the role with brilliant effectiveness, which shines all the more bright when surrounded by the rest of his mediocre-at-best Narnia cast.

Emily Blunt

Sure Blunt has already had a pretty illustrious career with her award nominated roles in The Devil Wears Prada and The Young Victoria, but she is yet to break through with a big time win. This is all to change rather quickly as she is set to star in four films debuting in the next two years.

The first of which, The Adjustment Bureau, also stars Matt Damon who plays a charismatic United States Congressman. Damon meets the ballet star, Elise Sellas, played by Blunt, and the two try to uncover the forces preventing them from becoming the ever-so-cheesy couple the audience yearns for.

Blunt has also completed work on the animated film Gnomeo and Juliet as the voice of the lead female. A take on the classic Shakespeare play, Blunt's character falls into a forbidden romance with Gnomeo, voiced by James McAvoy. The film features music by both Lady Gaga and Elton John. Be sure to keep an eye out for the film trailer for this one.

Future film reviews are sure to include many headlines that include these British stars in the making. Be sure to keep an eye out for them in the coming years as they will no doubt haul in all of the necessary hardware to be considered a proper A-list celebrity.

Andrew Joyce is an avid movie viewer, who writes reviews and his opinions of what's happening on and off the silver screen.

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A Handful of Britain's Best Up and Coming Actors

The BAFTA 2011: Preview Vs My View

An awful lot of political considerations come into play over awards of any kind. From the Oscars to the Nobel Prize, many of us deemed "the ordinary public" would like to believe that such accolades relate to excellence, and hang onto a romantic view in which merit and justice bear some relation to each other.

But such views are getting harder and harder to hold.

A quick look at the BAFTA 2010 nominations for Outstanding British Film shows two films I actually wanted to watch, one I thought I should watch because I'd seen a clip on Jonathan Ross, and two I thought best to avoid at all cost, if for utterly different reasons.

For my money, Tamara Drewe was one of the best British films to come out in 2010. Lively performances, evocative camera-work and a great screenplay make it a charming picture, faithful - in clever and surprising ways - to the Posy Simmons graphic novel from which it came.

However, the great and good of BAFTA know more than I. Tamara Drewe might have been a very good movie, but the category is Outstanding British Film, which implies that the picture must have a little something more about it to gain such a heavyweight award.

All these nominated films do have "something about them" - it's true: most took healthy returns at the box-office when they opened, at least compared to their less-nominated peers, and most especially when they opened in the US. (Sources: IMDB and The Numbers.)

I'm no cynic.

It's important to keep the film industry going in Britain, so The Academy has to reward success. But it does highlight how those films which have achieved better box-office may get pushed to the top of the awards list.

In the end, unless a picture is truly newsworthy - like this year's Monsters, supposedly made for less than a million dollars, and on a single laptop - those films with the best marketing can't help getting the most attention from the judges. The current system works best for those films with the right mix of quality, marketing and box-office.

There's always an exception, of course. Some nominations are given to films that seem worthy, often for political (small 'p') or Political (big 'P') reasons, whatever the relative merit of the nominees. In the BAFTA world-view this appears to happen because the film concerns a subject so abnormally dull that the rest of the world, outside its native land, could not possibly have the slightest interest in it; or because it addresses a theme of political correctness that's important pro-tem.

Of course, sci-fi pix with romping special effects and huge marketing budgets still - inexplicably perhaps - make it into the Best Film category, if only because they employ everyone in the industry. But this year, the sci-fi boys have their work cut out, because they're up against interesting films of real quality.

Everyone complains, rightly, about the state of the film industry, and bemoans its fate and future.Yet good-quality films still will out. The dark, beautiful Biutiful, featuring a haunting and elegiac performance from 2008 Oscar-winner Javier Bardem as a man struggling to put in order his complex personal, psychic and business affairs before he dies, has already gained enormous prestige - not only as a film Not in the English Language, but for Bardem as a candidate for Best Actor.... and it hasn't even been released in the UK or the US yet.

And films like Tamara Drewe, which pulled in an abysmal $18,604 during its first US weekend and hasn't gained a single BAFTA nomination,* will sometimes have the last laugh. My prediction is that this picture has a great future as a family favorite and will make everyone involved with it - from its perennially excellent director, Stephen Frears, to all of its adorable cast, to its screenwriter Moira Buffini - very proud, and, hopefully ever more successful. Over time, since its autumn release, it's done very nicely, thank you, and there's every reason to suspect that we may be celebrating its excellence for many years to come.

* Gemma Arterton has been nominated for the Orange Rising Star Award, but this is voted on by the public, and is not awarded by the academy.

Alex Brunel is an American writer/researcher based in Stratford upon Avon, England. As well as living an exceptionally interesting life, she writes and reviews for anyone who will pay her quite a few who don't.

She's currently working on an adaptation-for-TV of Christine Richard's novel, "Whitewalls," set in the Scottish Borders.

You can see a collection of Alex's short stories under her pen name Riveralex - online - at Storywrite

http://storywrite.com/riveralex

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The BAFTA 2011: Preview Vs My View

The Real Von Trapp Family History - Part 1

Perhaps more than any other family in the world, the von Trapps' history has been immortalized on stage and screen and has captivated the hearts of millions of fans all over the world. No other name conjures up such vivid memories or ardent admiration as does the name "von Trapp". The legendary story of this musical family's escape from Nazi Austria is one of the best-loved tales in recent history. But have you ever wondered how much of story told In "The Sound of Music" is exactly as it happened in real life?

In her book, "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers", Maria von Trapp describes the turn of events which take her from Salzburg's Nonnberg Abbey to the von Trapp villa as a teacher, and ultimately into her new role as mother to seven growing children. As the movie depicts, Maria Augusta Kutschera was a postulate at the Abbey who caused a few problems for the nuns, and also taught fifth grade to the Abbey's schoolgirls. Her former life had been one of mountain hikes and constant activity, and she soon developed severe headaches as she transitioned into a cloistered life. Maria's physician advised that she seek a different lifestyle, and it just so happened that the Reverend Mother had received a request from a certain naval officer for an in-home tutor for his sickly daughter. And thus Maria embarked on her journey into the von Trapp household.

Unlike the famous film's story, Maria was not intended to be governess to all seven children; but before long Maria's vivacity and music had brought all the children together in song and activities, and the obligatory separation of the age groups, which was typical for the upper class at that time, ceased to exist. As Maria's original pupil recovered, she became governess to all seven Trapp children and encouraged them in sports, handiwork, and, of course, music.

Contrary to general thought, the von Trapp children knew much of music, and the Captain is reported to have said that his children often did nothing but sing all day long. But Maria did introduce the family to many Austrian folk songs and taught them to harmonize the parts.

As Maria's stay with the family continued, the children and the Captain became attached to her and did not relish the thought of the day when she would return to the Abbey. A few things stood in the way of her permanency there, however. Firstly, the Captain felt obligated to continue his courtship with Princess Yvonne, the real life "Baroness Schrader" who was a distant cousin of his deceased wife. Secondly, Maria herself was not in love with the Captain and anticipated her return to her former life. But as matters moved along between the Princess and Captain von Trapp, he realized that he loved Maria and not the Viennese countess. So the day he had planned on proposing to Yvonne, he instead broke off their relationship with intentions of marrying Maria.

Katrina Casey is the owner of Edelweiss Patterns, a company that specializes in patterns for Sound of Music costumes. She has studied the Trapp family's history for years and has heard Rosmarie von Trapp in concert describe what is was like to flee from Austria and settle in the United States. Besides her research of the real von Trapp story, Katrina is also fascinated with the "Sound of Music" film history. An avid seamstress, she has studied historical costume in England and has had her work featured by PBS host Martha Pullen. She resides in Oregon where she sews, designs costumes, and spends time with her family. Visit her website at http://www.edelweisspatterns.com.

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The Real Von Trapp Family History - Part 1

Glee Season 2

Glee is a famous American musical which has attracted millions of viewers to seasons one and two up to now. This article outlines the Glee TV show plus gives detail on the episode storylines in season two as well as the new characters who have been added to the show. There is also some information on season one which was responsible for starting the momentum which has led to the series becoming one of the most popular current programmes on American TV. As a result of this success the DVD sales of season one and two have also been extremely impressive.

The second season took the existing club onto regional and national competitions as the pressure builds on the different relationships between the main characters. This season features the main characters as before with Will Schuester, Sue Sylvester, Emma Pillsbury, Terri Schuester and Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley and Mark Salling being most prominent. New characters added include Sunshine Corazon, Carl Howell and Shannon Beiste. Some of the actors responsible for bringing the main characters to life have now become well known in their own rights and seem likely to go on to have major Hollywood careers once their time in the show comes to an end.

The show throughout the second season has attracted viewing figures of around 11-12 million having built up to this total by the end of the first season and remained their consistently since. It appears that good press and public word of mouth helped the show to rise from initial figures of around 7 million US viewers for the first few episodes up to where it finished by the end of that season, at episode 22.

This popularity is also matched with an extensive list of awards that the show has already received with many expected for future episodes and series. Awards have been laden on the show, it's writers and also the actors who have brought the show to life with youthful vigour which has helped Glee to offer a charming feel throughout.

There is no doubt that Glee has very quickly become one of the most talked about and enjoyed TV shows across all American TV networks, with success now spreading abroad since the show has been broadcast in many other countries. With such early success it is difficult to know how long Glee can keep up these early achievements but the future certainly looks exciting for this inspiring musical comedy.

You can buy Glee season 2 from Gleeseason2.org.

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Glee Season 2

The Biggest Bollywood Stars

In the category of best Bollywood star Amir Khan and Sharukh Khan are on the Top:

Lets have a look on Top Bollywood actor list

1. Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan is an Indian Actor, director and producer born in the year 1965. He is considered as the Perfectionist of Bollywood film industry. He loves being a hero who each time performs a different roles and always has something new and in all that new roles he performs well that's why he's India's No.1 Actor.

2. Shahrukh Khan is an Indian Film Actor, producer and television host born in the year 1965. He is the Badshah of Bollywood film industry. He is basically a romantic hero and quite famous among the youngsters and favourite of girls.His charismatic look and energy makes him a true Bollywood superstar.

3. Salman Khan

Salman Khan (Sallu Bhai) is an Indian film actor, producer and television host born in the year 1965. He is the Brat of Bollywood film industry. One Indian superstar who always is in news for films as well as controversies. He's the favourite of youngsters and the most Dabang hero of Indian Cinema.His films today is biggest opener of Bollywoods.

4. Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan is one of the superstar who is consistent with his hits. He is one of the superstar who became an icon after his 1st movie only. He is being considered as Super Savvy. One of the talented superstar of the decade. Deserves to be in this list.

5. Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan at the age of 68 is winning the National Award. He is definitely a big superstar ruled Bollywood industry for more than 30 years. He is the Shahenshan of Bollywood film industry. He has been to movies, he has done television shows and he has done many commercials.

6. Ajay Devgan

Ajay Devgan is considered as the Brooding talent of Bollywood film industry. He is not the superstar who has looks but he has the talent that makes producer crave to him. He definitely deserve to be in top ten list.

7. Akshay Kumar

Akahay Kumar the true Khiladi of Bollywood film industry. Starting of his career made him famous for the action movies but now he is mostly remembered for his comic characters. He is the only superstar in the industry who has struggled a lot to reach at number 1. and now he's not to far to reach.

8. Ranbir Kapoor

Ranbir Kapoor son of Rishi Kapoor has made his mark on this list by his own. Voted as number 8 this actor is full of talent and looks. He is considered as one of the busiest star in the Bollywood film industry and producers have a lot to offer him. Ranbir has become favourite

9. Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan is the chameleon of the Bollywood film industry. He has done it all. From being a terrorist to lover boy, from being an Urban dude to a cold blooded killer, he has played every role on his shoulder and has been a mark of talent.

10. Abhishek Bachchan

Abhishek Bachchan son of the great Amitabh Bachchan is becoming day by day like his father. He has proved himself that he has the talent. He deserve to be in this list after playing the roles of a Gay, the policemen and smouldering angry men. He is the Protege.

Faizyab Rizvi - The Rizvi Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Faizyab_Rizvi

The Biggest Bollywood Stars

The Reason Behind Celebrity Obsessions

The United States of America has an obvious out of control obsession with famous celebrities within our culture. There is a fine line between being a fan, and wanting to stalk someone's every move and action. But what's the reasoning behind our obsessions?

There are multiple ways of thinking about this. One is not as well thought of, this being that fact that just by liking someone, they become famous. This seems obvious, however here are some examples to explain. Remember back to high-school, or even junior high, there were the "popular" students, and then everyone else. What the figurative "everyone else" group of people for whatever reason didn't realize, is those who they likely disliked (the popular kids), were popular because of them. What I mean is, anyone can become a celebrity simply because of their surroundings.

In today's pop-culture, more and more average people are becoming famous celebrities. This is due to the explosion of reality television, that was initially invented by MTV back in the mid 1990's. In the early 2000's, reality television game shows exploded, making the winners instant millionaire's and thus a celebrity icon. Now reality television has been focused on what is perceived by reality as abnormal such as young teen pregnancy, extremely overweight people, those with drug addictions etc. These people are becoming well known celebrities, not because they were initially perceived as cool but because of their abnormal actions made them remember-able.

Another common reason for celebrity obsession is physical features. Many people frequently visit their favorite celebrity gossip blog for the latest photos and news about their beloved celebrity. Famous actresses and actors alike are fully aware their looks play a huge part in marketing themselves and exploit it to the full extent.

What most American's just don't understand is that the famous are made because of them. Recent reality television shows have proved this to be true, that those who they can't relate to in a certain way become a celebrity to them.

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The Reason Behind Celebrity Obsessions

Captain America Is the One

Single women always have their eye out for the "one." You know the one that will sweep them off their feet, walk them down the aisle, curl their toes and make all their dreams come true. Every woman already knows what qualities she wants the one to have; a pure heart, sensitive feelings, witty humor, athletic abilities, protective stance, charming smile and chiseled abs - much like a superhero.

What woman, single or taken, wouldn't want a superhero husband?! (And wives don't say you're already married to a superhero - please.) Superheroes possess special powers, are adored by the public, put their lives in danger to save others and are immortalized by comic books and movies. Yup, superheroes are the cream of the crop when it comes to husband material.

There are a slew of superheroes, making it difficult to find the perfect husband. There's the ever so popular Son of Krypton, Superman, but one look at Kryptonite and he goes down like a sack of potatoes. Plus there's that whole thing with Lois Lane. Just like Superman and Lois, there's no doubt Catwoman has had her claws in Batman, if not, Robin definitely has. Then there's the multi-billionaire Iron Man, player, the Incredible Hulk, bad temper or Spiderman, ewe spider webs. That leaves us with one truly perfect superhero husband, Captain America.

The dreamy superhero, alter ego of Steven Rogers, stands 6'2" with blonde hair and hypnotizing blue eyes that are complemented by his signature blue suit with a United States flag motif. He first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 in 1941 where he was injected with the "super soldier serum" making him the peak of human perfection - his best asset. Being the peak of human perfection entails a sculpted body and even more impressive intelligence.

Captain America rose to fame by aiding the U.S. in its fight against the Axis powers of World War II and continues to be an ally of the armed forces and a hero today. Since its debut, the comic book series, published by Marvel, has sold an estimated 210 million copies in 75 countries according to the 2007 article "Death to 'America': Comic book hero killed off" on MSNBC's Web site.

The very patriotic Mr. Captain America, which would make you Mrs. America if married, is also a member of the superhero team the Avengers. He joined the Avengers during the Silver Age of comics proving his teamwork abilities and leadership skills, only enhancing his peak of human perfection status. Armed with his trusty shield and superhero friends, Captain America continually saves the day.

Captain America is still a popular superhero among comic book fans and will be showcased in a full-feature film set to be released July of this year. The movie focuses on Captain America's origin and stars Chris Evens along with Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones.

With his handsome looks, incredible body, protective nature, patriotic attitude and upcoming movie there's no question why Captain America makes the perfect superhero husband.

Want a piece of Captain America for yourself? Check out these superhero t-shirts from Tshirts.com or bring the fantasy to life with a Captain America costume from BuySuperheroCostumes.com! Captain America not your type? Both sites offer a variety of superheroes so you're sure to find the one you want to be rescued by!

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Captain America Is the One

Young Talented Actress - Celeste Thorson

Celeste Thorson was born in Orange County, California on July 23, 1984. She began her acting career by starring as the athletic team leader in two seasons of Destination X Hawaii and California. Soon after that, she took a lead role in film the Room Nine where she played a girl on the run who sets off an explosion to hide her past. She then starred in the television series How I Met your Mother where her comedic chops landed her a role as the love interest opposite Neil Patrick Harris. Thorson was also in the film Satin with Melissa Joan Hart and Michael Cudlitz.

"I've always had a big mouth and I've always spoken my mind," says Celeste Thorson, and thankfully what comes out of it is worth listening to. Noah Laracy commented to BackStage West.

Her international appeal led to her nominated in the Asia Model Festival Awars. Not only did she get nominated, but also won the Star award.

Her acting and modeling has received positive reviews from critics and audiences. Jay Hainsworth, an IGN Journalist swooned. "Celeste Thorson is as diverse as she is exotic and beautiful. She's a fearless traveler and adventurer, but I'm afraid I'd get lost just staring into her big brown eyes. Its like gazing at the star-filled night sky, calming and dwarfing at the same time."

Celeste has extended her career into writing and production. She has written for television shows like Destination X and The Industry. Her successful in the film and television industry is where she claimed her fame, but before becoming a professional actress she was a model. To know more information on Celeste Thorson and her latest projects go to IMDB

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Young Talented Actress - Celeste Thorson