Universal Studios Hollywood Coupons

What is most alluring about this platform of entertainment is its boundlessness. Nothing can better fit the definition of ‘knowing no bounds’ than the world of online movies. There’s practically every single movie that’s ever been made up for grabs out there. That means never again having to face the disappointment of not getting what you’re craving for.

So what is it that manages to lure millions of movie buffs across the globe to the land of online movies? Well, it definitely has to be the no-hitch ride to entertainment that it offers. The best part is the feeling of being in a store full of a million goodies to opt from. You may at some point need to worry about it all being too much, but never will you be faced with a scarcity of options to choose from.

There’s plenty from every imaginable genre on the online platter of movies, to quench the thirst of every single of its enthusiasts. ‘Unavailability’ is an unknown word in the territories of online entertainment, as far as movies are concerned.

Watching movies online gives us perfect value for our most prized possession – time. It surpasses the drudgery of having to wait, before we can get what we want. It works at the speed of lightning and that is all that we need for a booster dose of entertainment! It’s always gratifying to feel that everything’s under our control – the steering wheel resides in the hands of the viewer himself. Start it when you please, stop it when you please. What more can one ask for!!

If one ends up at the right entertainment portal to savor online movies, then he’s also freed from the age old glitches of dawdling speed and the lack of clarity. So all you need to do is make the right choices, not only of what you desire to watch, but also of where you’re opting to watch the same. continue reading »

In 1906, a streetcar line was constructed in the Hollywood district down the middle of “Sandy Road”. This lane was known as the “Rose City Line”. The establishment of the streetcar route facilitated the growth of the suburb of Hollywood.

In 1923, Harry Chandler, a real estate agent and investor built the famous Hollywood Sign to advertise the area “Hollywoodland”. The total expense for this advertisement was $21,000. Initially, it was built to last only for eighteen months. However, as of today, the Hollywood Sign has lasted for eighty years.

In 1939, four thousand twenty-watt bulbs were put to illuminate the signboard and a caretaker was appointed to maintain the same. The part of land, which included the “Hollywood” sign, was sold to the city of LA.

In 1949, the alphabets “L, A, N & D” were removed. The board has read “HOLLYWOOD” ever since 1949.

The alphabets of the signboard began to fall down. To restore the same, in 1978 an auction of the alphabets was held by Hugh Hefner, founder of the magazine “Playboy”. This auction was held for a period of three months. Alice Cooper, American rock singer, sponsored the alphabet “O”. Gene Autry and Paul Williams sponsored the alphabets “L” and “W” respectively.

In 1995, a trust known as “Hollywood Sign Trust” was setup to maintain the Hollywood sign.

Theaters of Hollywood

Hollywood is known as the Cinema district of the United States. The reason is it houses many famous theaters and it is the home of many famous and popular film stars.

On May 1927, a Chinese theater known as “Grauman’s Chinese Theatre” was opened in Hollywood. It is one of the most popular and legendary theaters in the world. This Chinese theater is one of the major tourist attractions of the entertainment district. An attractive feature of this theater is its jade-green bronze roof, which is 90 feet high. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre houses many artifacts from China and is truly a Chinese landmark in Hollywood. One of the courts of the theater has the foot and hand prints of various Hollywood legends such as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, John Wayne, Jack Nicholson and so on.

“El Capitan Theatre” hosts many live stage shows and world premieres of the movies. The Walt Disney Company and Pacific Theaters of Warner Brothers renovated it in 1989.

In November 2001, “Kodak Theatre” with the seating capacity of over 3000 was opened in the heart of Hollywood. This theater has become the first permanent location of the Academy Awards.

The other famous theatres include the “Egyptian Theatre” and “Pantages Theatre”. These theaters run behind-the-scenes of movies and features dance performances and musical concerts.

Interesting Landmarks of Hollywood continue reading »

Jennifer Aniston:
Jennifer Aniston (11th February, 1969) is one of the hottest and most popular Hollywood actresses popularly known as Rachel Green – the character in the US television sitcom ‘Friends’. This talented Hollywood actress began her career with television. She is known for her performances in movies such as ‘Bruce Almighty’, ‘Rumor Has It’, ‘Along Came Polly’, ‘Office Space’, ‘Derailed’ etc. She was also in the news for her divorce with Brad Pitt.

Jessica Alba:
Jessica Alba (28th April 1981) is rated as one of the hottest and sexiest film and television actresses in the recent times. Known for her performances in films like ‘Honey’, ‘Fantastic Four’, ‘Sin City’, ‘Good Luck Chuck’ and also a television series, ‘Dark Angel’, this lovely lady has bagged many awards not only for her acting prowess, but also for her stunning looks! It’s not a wonder men have rated her as the number one on the list of Most Desirable Women.

Halle Berry:
This dusky American actress is not only an award winning performer but also a former fashion model and beauty queen. Halle Berry (14th August, 1966) is renowned as the first Afro-American lady to have bagged the award for the Best Actress. She starred in movies such as ‘Monster’s Ball’, ‘Jungle Fever’, ‘The Flintstones’, ‘Die Another Day’ etc. One of the highest paid actresses of Hollywood, this lovely lady continues to woo audiences with her talent and sex appeal.

Angelina Jolie:
Angelina Jolie (4th June, 1975) is one of the top female Hollywood Movie Stars who is also known world over as the most beautiful woman in the world. With many awards to her credit, such as the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Academy Awards, she was more in the news due to her relationship with Brad Pitt. With Brad Pitt by her side, Angelina has adopted three children apart from her three biological children. She is known for her performance in THmovies such as, ‘George Wallace’, ‘Gia’, ‘Girl Interrupted’, ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’ and ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’.

Sandra Bullock:
Known for her acting talent, this Hollywood movie star is an award-winning performer known for her hits ‘Speed’, ‘Miss Congeniality’, ‘While You Were Sleeping’ etc. Sandra (26th July, 1964) has shown her acting talent by opting for a variety of roles that displayed her skill in various departments. Her first movie appearance was seen in the sci-fi movie, ‘Demolition Man’. Her roles have always fetched her critical acclaim.

Reese Witherspoon: continue reading »

There are visitors and employees to Stage 28, who say that it is haunted. There have been sightings of a man in a black cape who appears to come and go without warning. Those who have gotten a closer look say that the cloaked man is Lon Chaney himself. The man has also been seen running on the catwalks overhead and lights have turned on and off by themselves as well as doors opening and closing on the empty stage at night. Thus, Stage 28 has become a place of legend on the Universal lot.

Culver Studios was started by pioneer film maker Thomas Ince, who is considered to be the “Father of the Western”. Ince however is remembered more for his scandalous death than for his contribution to the art of film making. Ince died in November of 1924 while celebrating his birthday aboard a yacht owned by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst.

Hearst was romantically involved with actress Marion Davies. He created Cosmopolitan Productions as a company specifically for Marion. Parties thrown at her beach house were the most extravagant in town. Another popular party spot was Hearst’s 280 ft. yacht called the Oneida. Hollywood’s top celebrities received invitations for the occasion of Thomas Ince’s 43rd birthday on November 15, 1924 which was to be held on the Oneida. Among the guests was the British author Elinor Glyn, Charlie Chaplin and gossip columnist Louella Parsons.

The guest of honor Ince missed the boat when it sailed from San Pedro because he had had to attend the premiere of The Miracle his latest film. He took a train to San Diego and there he met the Oneida. No one knows for sure what happened later but the version printed in Hearst newspapers was that after eating and drinking too much Ince died of acute indigestion. It stated that he was taken from the yacht and rushed home, where he died later. Unfortunately for Hearst, there were witnesses on board the yacht, like Charlie Chaplin’s secretary, who saw the bullet hole in Ince’s head as he was being carried off the Oneida. This then brings us to the real reason for the party. Hearst had reason to suspect that Chaplin and Marion were secretly seeing each other. Being a jealous man he invited the actor to his yacht so that he could observe him together with Marion. Further it is believed that Heart saw Marion and Chaplin slip off together during the party and discovered them together on the lower deck. In the ensuing confusion that followed Ince not Chaplin ended up with a bullet in his head.

Ince’s funeral was held on November 21. It was attended by his family, Marion Davis, Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Harold Lloyd. Hearst was noticeably absent. Afterwards the body was cremated and no official inquest was ever held. However persistent rumors linked Hearst to Ince’s death.

Finally these rumors prompted San Diego District Attorney Chester Kemply to call for an investigation. And once again things came to an abrupt stop when the ship’s doctor testified about Ince’s “poor health”. The probe was called off. It was interesting as well that Louella Parsons was awarded a lifetime contract with Hearst soon after the incident. In the years that followed Hearst provided a trust fund for Ince’s widow, Nell, which later was wiped out by the Depression and Nell became a taxi dancer (in those days there were taxi dance halls where women got paid for dancing with male patrons). As for Hearst the entire incident eventually became a sardonic joke in Hollywood and the Oneida became known as “William Randolph’s Hearse”.

There began sightings of Thomas Ince and rumors that Culver Studios was haunted. Ince built the studios in 1918 and it changed hands several times after his death. Cecil B. DeMille, Howard Hughes, David Selznick, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball made significant contributions to film and television history on this lot. Classics like Gone With the Wind, King Kong, The Untouchables, Lassie, Batman and Citizen Kane were among the many shot here. continue reading »

First of all, can you name the seven major theme parks? It’s like naming the Seven Dwarfs or Santa’s reindeer. There’s Disneyland (plus California Adventure, a worthy park in its own right), Knott’s Berry Farm (the oldest of the parks), Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Sea World and Legoland (for the little ones).

The first thought would be to hit Disneyland Resort; after all, who doesn’t want to visit the original Magic Kingdom? But there’s a good chance that you’ve already been to Disneyland and maybe you should broaden your horizons-try something new. So let us do a brief comparison between Disneyland and one of the most likely alternatives, say Universal Studios Hollywood (USH).

USH has a distinct personality and offers an experience you won’t find in Anaheim. The theme park was built around a working studio and one of the defining features is the Studio Tour. You can also purchase a VIP tour that really immerses you in the movie-making process. Disney offers nothing comparable to this.

In fact Disney is all about carefully creating and maintaining that fantasy façade-a wonderful pretend world where backstage activities are hidden from the “guests.” Universal Studios revels in showing you the magic behind the scenes. The Studio Tour, Waterworld Stunt Show and other smaller shows let you see back stage very clearly.

Both parks employ lovable characters in the public relations department. Disneyland has the Seven Dwarfs; USH has Ghostbusters. Anaheim has Goofy; Hollywood has Homer Simpson. Disneyland puts up Minnie Mouse and it’s answered by Betty Boop. Disney movies vs. Universal Pictures. There’s Indiana Jones vs. The Mummy’s Revenge. continue reading »