A Day Off Topic - Ridley Scott Films

I wrote about the Apple Car and the famous 1984 television ad directed by Ridley Scott. I watched one of my favorite Scott films, "Gladiator" last night. I started thinking about how many truly great films this man has directed and how I feel he is not given enough credit for his fantastic vision and work. So, I thought I'd write about some of his great films and ask you which one is your favorite. Let's talk about them chronologically from earliest to most recent...

In 1979 a Sci-Fi film set a new standard for effects and scared the hell out of movie goers! "ALIEN" introduced us to Sigourney Weaver and a female character who kicked some butt! This has always been one of my favorite films and I watch it constantly. The look, the story and that damn Alien never let's you get bored when watching this superb classic!





Then in 1982 Harrison Ford stars in Scott's next big hit..."Blade Runner!" A futuristic look at Replicants so alive, that even the experts hired to hunt them down can barely tell if they are human or not. We see the beautiful and sexy Sean Young in a role that defined her career. Another triumph of futuristic vision and story told by the amazing Ridley Scott!





In 1991 "Thelma and Louise" came calling. Ridley wasn't supposed to direct the film and decided to do it as a last resort. Another groundbreaking Scott film dealing with two women, Susan Sarandon (Louise) and Geen Davis (Thelma) who turn to crime after Thelma is raped. This movie introduced the public to another eventual star...Brad Pitt! Incrediblely beautiful shooting took place in Monument Valley along with a wild adventure that ends with the tragic demise of the two leads.





At the turn of the Century we went back a number of centuries to witness Ridley Scott's epic..."GLADIATOR!" This film amazed me with its incredible visual effects and the Oscar Winning performance that made Russell Crowe a Super Star! Another rising star Djimon Hounsou gave an incredible performance while Hans Zimmer wrote a haunting and beautiful soundtrack! One of my most favorite films of all time!





In 2001 Ridley decided to direct "Black Hawk Down." Based on the true story about American Rangers going into Somalia to rescue their fellow Rangers after their helicopters were shot down in Mogadishu. Another Scott film which introduces us to another future star in Orlando Bloom. The action scenes are fantastic, and as always, Scott's team casts greats such as Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett and Sam Shepard!





Finally, in 2007 Scott takes on another film based on a true story..."American Gangster!" Two of the finest modern actors, Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington head up a cast that tells the story about Frank Lucas, a Manhattan drug king peddling millions of dollars of heroin in the 1970's. The film is gritty, realistic and does not glorify crime.





There you have Six great films by Ridley Scott! Take a look at the trailers, then vote for your favorite in our poll at the top of the page.

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Will Apple Release a Laptop with Blu-Ray?

I went to my local Apple Store a couple days ago and talked to a lovely girl about the 17 inch Mac Book Pro. I had to know if they had a Blu-Ray player yet. "Not yet," she told me. If the Apple cycle of new releases follows as usual, we may hear about new hardware in July. I'm personally dying for them to release new laptops with Blu-Ray players. They will certainly be smart to do so. As a reader points out, others have already released laptops with Blu-Ray players such as Sony, Dell and HP.

Why is this pertinent to Cars? Because I, as many, bought the Cars Blu-Ray disk due to the Blu-Ray McQueen promotion from November of last year. I have yet to be able to watch it, as I don't have a player. I'm not going to buy a Play Station 3 because I'm not into video games. Blu-Ray players don't have the features I want at a good price yet. So, I am waiting for Apple to end my waiting by taking the lead and coming out with a laptop with a superb Blu-Ray player.

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Disney/Pixar Cars Motor Speedway of the South Set

Finally, Hotwheelscollectors.com put up a "Sneak Peak" of the Cars Motor Speedway of the South Set for their Red Line Club members. You have to be a Red Line Club member to be eligible to purchase this set. It is expected to be released next month, May 2008. I've cropped and sharpened the pictures so you can see the most detail. I've discussed the Red Line Club in the past, and you can find out more about joining at this link HotWheelsCollectors.com

The Disney/Pixar Cars Motor Speedway of the South set

The Thirty-Six (36) Piston Cup Racers Ready to Start the Race!


Each Piston Cup Racer's Number and Sponsor's Colors

The long awaited set contains many of the recognizable characters you've likely purchased long ago...Lightning McQueen, The King, Chick Hicks, Leakless, Nitroade, RPM 64 and Dale Earnhardt Junior. It features a few that have been in limited release such as Octaine Gain and Vinyl Toupee in a Target Set, and the Movie Moments pair Tow Cap and Gasprin. Five of the unreleased Cars have been put up with the Sneak Peak! The long awaited Apple Car, along with Faux Wheel Drive, Transberry Juice, Sputter Stop and the limited release Vinyl Toupee. As always, they look incredible!

Do you realize the Apple Car's number 84 was the year the famous Apple TV ad referencing George Orwell's novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four," came out? It was directed by one of my all time favorite directors...Ridley Scott! You may know some of his films...Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise and Gladiator! The famed ad heralded the launch of Apple's Macintosh. Funny how I've been a life-long fan of Apple, Ridley Scott and Pixar. They all stand for quality! Take a look at the famed ad below.

Faux Wheel Drive doesn't look too happy does he?

Transberry Juice sounds good enough for breakfast!

Sputter Stop looks like a relative of Chick Hicks!


Vinyl Toupee is one of the most unique Cars!

Writing this article has been fun. I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll certainly let you know when more information about the Motor Speedway of the South set is out. Hopefully, HotWheelCollectors.com will have a release date and cost soon. I'm certainly looking forward to adding this set to my collection.

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