In the first of this series of articles, I defined cinema as the art of presenting motion pictures. The term digital cinema simply means we are applying digital technology to the art. Cinematographers and studios demand a high quality level of their art when released to the cinema. However, the cinema is gradually becoming a place where more than motion pictures are shown. New forms of content termed alternative content, or specialized content, or electronic advertising are finding their way into the cinema. These new forms of cinema content are not always as demanding of quality as motion pictures. The...

Every so often, and certainly more often than is reported in the press, one hears that a new group or entity is planning to roll out digital cinema. Sometimes these announcements are timed for trade shows, where the proponents can make a big splash. Sometimes these announcements are timed for the release of a movie. The release of Star Wars: Episode II in April of 2002 got a lot of attention in the US press in the producer's quest to show the movie on digital cinema screens. Those who have seen a movie digitally, or heard of cinemas buying digital...

Technology has clearly advanced to the point to where electronically projected images can replace the venerable 35mm film projector. However, 'can' is not necessarily an indication that it 'will' replace film anytime soon. As has been pointed out in this series of articles, the number of obstacles that stand in the way of a world-wide rollout of digital cinema are not few. Certainly, the high cost of the projector is among these, providing a pillar of encouragement for those with potentially low cost projection technology. The projector of choice today for digital cinema trial systems is based on the Texas...

We've heard about Napster and the growing need to protect music copyrights in the Internet age. Of course, no one interested in preserving the primacy of theatrical release wants to see a movie pop up on the Internet while that movie is still playing in cinemas. Obviously, there is a very real need to secure movie content, particularly in digital form. Digital movies, in a twist that is both ironic and fortunate, are easier to secure than their celluloid counterparts. However, if not checked, the same systems that provide security could also negatively impact the operation of the exhibition business....

For nearly a century, the cheerleader has represented a distinct and eye-catching slice of Americana. Stereotypically portrayed as equal parts sensuality and youthful innocence, the image of the high school cheerleader has long-exemplified America's ambivalence toward sex and sexuality -- living examples of both Puritan morality ("the innocent girl next door") and uninhibited sexual prowess ("cleavage, buns and poms"). But it wasn't until the 1970s that film directors realized they could cash in on audiences' fascination with America's sideline sweethearts....

Once upon a time . . . a miller died leaving the mill to his eldest son, his donkey to his second son and . . . a cat to his youngest son. "Now that's some difference!" you might say; but there you are, that's how the miller was! The eldest son kept the mill, the second son took the donkey and set off in search of his fortune . . . while the third sat down on a stone...

A poor widow once lived in a little cottage with a garden in front of it, in which grew two rose trees, one bearing white roses and the other red. She had two children, who were just like the two rose trees; one was called Snow-white and the other Rose-red, and they were the sweetest and best children in the world, always diligent and always cheerful; but Snow-white was quieter and more gentle than Rose-red. Rose-red loved to run about...

Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl called Cinderella and she had two ugly step sisters who were very unkind who made her do all the hard work. She had to sweep the floors, do all the dishes, while they dressed up in fine clothes and went to lots of parties. One day a special invitation arrived at Cinderella's house. It was from the royal palace. The king's only son was a truly handsome prince was going to...

Once upon a time there was a prince who wanted to marry a princess; but she would have to be a real princess. He traveled all over the world to find one, but nowhere could he get what he wanted. There were princesses enough, but it was difficult to find out whether they were real ones. There was always something about them that was not as it should be. So he came home again and was sad, for he would...

In olden times when wishing still helped one, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sun itself, which has seen so much, was astonished whenever it shone in her face. Close by the king's castle lay a great dark forest, and under an old lime-tree in the forest was a well, and when the day was very warm, the king's child went out into the forest and sat down by...