Eddie Murphy: Funny Guy of a Million Faces

If you have been to any movie since the year 1982, you have seen Eddie Murphy at least once. At the very least, you have heard of the man who can list himself as a comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer and director on any resume that he writes. His career started before he made his first movie appearance, creating some of his most popular and heartwarming characters on Saturday Night Live from the 1980 season and continuing until 1984. His first major movie role came in 1982 when he costarred with Nick Nolte in 48 Hours. He would become the first SNL cast member to ever host the show while still part of the cast when he filled in for Nolte.

Eddie Murphy is not only funny but incredibly gifted at adapting the persona of other people. In one skit for SNL, he endured hours of makeup to take on the role of a white man to see how many places he could walk into and be accepted as such. He is so adept at taking on other characters that people are often shocked by how many roles he has taken on in a single film. For his role in the Nutty Professor, for instance, Eddie played the title character, his alter ego Buddy Love and the professor's entire family.

In addition to memorable roles on screen, this talented actor has provided voice work for animated classics, including the voice of Donkey in the Shrek series. Prior to that series, Murphy provided the voice for a dragon in Mulan, a Disney animated film. He is one of the highest grossing actors to date and although he has been nominated for several awards through the years, he did not manage a win until 2007, when he won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in the movie Dream Girls. He received an Oscar nomination for that role as well.

The movies and other projects that Eddie Murphy has worked on have either been commercial and critical successes or total failures. There have been some that have straddled the line, either making money but being loudly panned, but for the most part, his roles have been love them or hate them. Some of his roles have been loosely based on people he knew or people that he admired.

In addition to movies and stand up specials, Murphy is also a singer and has released albums. He had one song that became a hit and was often played on popular radio stations during the height of his popularity. Indeed, Eddie Murphy is a truly a gifted artist.

"Now I would like to invite you to garner more valuable information on Eddie Murphy Movies at http://eddiemurphymovies.com

From Craig Thornburrow - A writer, small business owner and big fan of Eddie Murphy"

Coming To America (DVD) Review

In the 1980s, Eddie Murphy manufactured a string of Hollywood blockbusters culminated in his 1988 comedy Coming To America. As far comedies go, this one's as good as it gets. Clever and witty, its hilarity only grows with time. Unlike most modern day comedies, it doesn't rely on outlandish physical humor, fart jokes, or other toilet bowl humor for laughs. Instead, it creates a somewhat realistic plotline ripe with one-liners, eccentric characters, and perfect comedic delivery on the part of its cast. Headlined by Murphy, audiences will enjoy an all-star cast that includes such faces as Arsenio Hall, Louie Anderson, Samuel L. Jackson, and many others. Inevitably, any objective viewer would have to rate Coming To America as one of the top five comedies of the decade...

The film follows the life of Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy), heir to the royal throne of Zumunda, who, upon reaching the preordained age of marriage, is introduced to a woman bred from birth to be his wife. But, much to the chagrin of his father, King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones), Akeem raises an objection. After discussing the matter, the king agrees to delay the marriage while Akeem takes a trip abroad to "sow his wild oats".

Desperate to avoid his arranged marriage and hoping to marry a woman he loves, Prince Akeem reveals his intentions to his servant, Semmi (Arsenio Hall). Semmi agrees to travel abroad and assist Akeem in finding a wife who can be respected for her intelligence as well as her beauty. Spinning a globe, Akeem's finger lands on the world's perfect destination for finding a queen - Queens, New York.

In Queens, Akeem and Semmi settle into a rundown ghetto apartment complex and set out to find as many women as possible. When their search is fruitless, an older man suggests they go to church and meet some "good girls". It's here that Akeem's eye falls on Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley), daughter of Cleo McDowell (John Amos), founder of Queens' most popular fast food establishment McDowell's (which bares an uncanny resemblance to McDonald's). Unfortunately, Lisa is dating Darryl Jenks, heir to his father's hair supply business and the most eligible bachelor in town according to Cleo and Lisa's sister Patrice (Allison Dean).

In an effort to get closer to Lisa, Akeem accepts a job at McDowell's where fellow employee Maurice (Louie Anderson) fills him in on the bright future beheld by a McDowell's employee. Forcing Semmi to work alongside him, Akeem and Semmi help foil a gunman (Samuel L. Jackson) who attempts to hold up the store. As Lisa and Akeem develop a relationship, her father voices his disapproval, viewing Akeem as nothing but a poor immigrant with no future.

When Semmi telegraphs King Joffer for more money, it prompts the King and his entourage to personally visit New York City in search of Akeem. Cleo does a complete one-eighty when he's informed of Akeem's identity, but King Joffer is insistent on his son's arranged marriage...

An ingenious and utterly entertaining comedy, Coming To America ranks highly as one of Eddie Murphy's best films, if not his best ever. Only Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hours come close to dethroning Prince Akeem and his search for a worthy bride, but neither is quite on the same level with this film and its never-ending parade of hilarity. If you love to laugh, you can't go wrong with Coming To America, one of the best comedies of the 1980s decade...

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com] where you can find more reviews like this one of the Coming To America (DVD) Review [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/coming-to-america-dvd.html].

The Top 10 Most Famous Men With the First Name of Ed Or Eddie Or Edward

The most famous men (based on online chatter) with the first name Ed, Eddie, or Edward are:

10. Ed McBain - Author (87th Precinct mystery series, Matthew Hope mystery series)

9. Ed Harris - Actor (Apollo 13, Pollock, The Hours)

8. Ed Wood - Director and Screenwriter (Glen or Glenda, Plan 9 from Outer Space, Bride of the Monster)

7. Edward Scissorhands - Title character from the movie Edward Scissorhands

6. Ed Westwick - Actor (Gossip Girl)

5. Eddie Izzard - Actor and Comedian (The Riches, Valkyrie, Live at the Ambassadors)

4. Edward Norton - Actor (Fight Club, American History X, The Incredible Hulk)

3. Ed Sullivan - Talk Show Host (The Ed Sullivan Show)

2. Eddie Murphy - Actor and Comedian (Beverly Hills Cop, Shrek, Dreamgirls)

...and the most famous man named Ed, Eddie, or Edward is...

1. Edward Cullen - Character in the Twilight Saga series of books and movies

Not making the top 10 were Ed Anger - Weekly World News columnist, Ed Bradley - Television Journalist (60 Minutes, CBS Sunday Night with Ed Bradley), Ed McMahon - Television Announcer and Personality (The Tonight Show), Ed Norton - Character on the TV series The Honeymooners, Ed O'Neill - Actor (Married... with Children, Modern Family, John from Cincinnati), Eddie Munster - Character on the TV series the Munsters, Eddie Van Halen - Musician most natably in the band Van Halen (Jump, Panama, Dance the Night Away), Edward Albee - Playwright (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Seascape, The Zoo Story), Edward Asner - Actor (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant, Roots), Edward Ferrars - character in Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility, Edward Furlong - Actor (American History X, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Before and After), Edward Hopper - American Painter (Nighthawks, Automat, Chop Suey), Edward Hyde - Character in the novel Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Edward Murdstone - Character in Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield, Edward Rochester - Character in Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre, and Edward Teach - Pirate in the early 1700s better known as Blackbeard.

A pretty good mix of occupations for the top ten Ed, Eddies, and Edwards with one talk show host (Ed Sullivan), one director (Ed Wood), one author (Ed McBain), two fictional characters (Edward Cullen and Edward Scissorhands), and five actors (Eddie Murphy, Edward Norton, Eddie Izzard, Ed Westwick, and Ed Harris).

This was an unusual top ten list in that there were no musicians in the top 10, with Eddie Van Halen just barely missing out. No surprise that Twilight fan favorite Edward Cullen topped the list. It is nearly impossible to beat the online popularity of Twilight these days, and within Twilight it is nearly impossible to beat the popularity of Edward.

I compiled this list by searching for each of the Ed, Eddie, and Edwards on a number of search engines and ranking them by the number of web pages, discussion forums, photos, videos, etc that are available online.

Larry Truett is a freelance computer programmer living in San Diego, California with his wife and their three cats. He enjoys hking, reading, gardening, watching too much television, and other nerdy activities.

Get complete numerology for the names Ed, Eddie, and Edward at http://www.NameNum.com.

"I'm Rick James" (For Halloween)

Most people are familiar with Rick James as a recording artist of the 70's with such hits as "SuperFreak". However, in Dave Chappelle's "Chappelle's Show", a segment titles Charlie Murphy's Hollywood stories put him back on the public radar again. Even though the sketch was a story about Rick James, those of us who have seen it remember Dave Chappelle's portrayal more than we do the short cutaways to James himself.

This Halloween, a great recognizable and fun costume is Rick James from then Chappelle's Show skit. The premise of the skit was that Charlie Murphy, brother of the famous Eddie Murphy, was retelling stories of events when Eddie began to rise to fame. Eddie's brother, Charlie was a part of his entourage and spent a lot of time going out to clubs and partying with many other celebrities. It was during this volatile time in the 1980's that most of Charlie's stories take place. One of the most popular involves an interaction with Rick James in which a younger Charlie Murphy is pushed around by Rick James, and even punched in the forehead so hard that the imprint of James' "unity" ring is left there for a week. During the sketch Rick James, played by Dave Chappelle struts around the club declaring, " I'm Rick James!" which has now become a popular catchphrase among fans of the show.

To put together a Rick James costume you'll need to start with a good wig. James wore his hair in many long braids with beads on the end of each. The hairstyle is vaguely reminiscent of Cleopatra, in that it is dark hair that falls to about the shoulder, and includes braided bangs across the forehead. When you're choosing a wig, make sure that the shorter braids in front have beads on the end of them as well. This will help the effect of when you swing your hair to one side or the other, proclaiming your Rick James identity on Halloween night. There are good online sources for Rick James Wigs. Now that you have the hair all set, you'll need to take a look at what clothing would be best. The first time we see Rick James in that skit he is wearing a classic suit from the 80's. The cut is wide through the shoulders with angular shoulder pads, and narrow through the waist. The button is placed low and contributes to the triangular shape of the suit jacket. The pants worn at that time were styled very loosely and had pleats in the front by each hip. They were also slightly tapered and showed a lot of movement. To complete the look, you'll need a pair of well shined men's dress shoes and perhaps a gold chain or other jewelry as an accessory.

The only thing missing now, is the self-important, potentially-enebreated persona that Dave Chappelle perfected. If you don't feel like buying the recorded Chappelle's Show, you can find clips of the popular sketch at many different websites online.

To really Complete your Rick James costume, you may need a costume wig. The best way to find quality Cheap Costume Wig is to do a Google Search. You can also find fantastic Discount Afro Wigs the same way.

A Small Murphy's - Maybe

I have nothing but admiration for the reunited Spice Girls. Their music may have been atrocious, and you'd struggle to find a greater collection of dogs outside of Battersea, but their trailblazing work in the field of ginger acceptance remains unsurpassed.

The minging quintet penetrated the public consciousness to such an unprecedented degree that the entire English language evolved as a result. The bints were slightly embarrassed when the meaningless soundbite 'Girl Power' made it into the dictionary, but the moth-eaten, passé, semi-fossilised has-beens are rightfully proud of their place in the official betting glossary.

The 'Baby' bet is the absolute certainty: it only goes down on rare occasions. The 'Sporty' is the one that looked good in the beginning, but on closer reflection; it could really go either way. The 'Ginger' is the loose punt you only consider after a few pints. The 'Posh' is the all-in mug's bet, where you end up living on bread and water for a week, and the 'Scary' is a complete guess, like when Mel B reached the 'father's section' on her daughter's birth certificate.

I like to think that my ante-post football bets are straight out of the 'Baby' drawer. Manchester United won the league last season with Darren Fletcher, Park Ji Sung and John O'Shea all playing a prominent role. The deadwood will now be replaced by Hargreaves, Anderson and Wayne Rooney's personal favourite, Nani. The 13/8 for the champions retaining their title is an exquisite piece of business.

In the relegation market, I will be going in hard on Wigan. The appointment of Chris Hutchings is probably reason enough, but the signing of Titus Bramble is an absolute clincher. Get on now at 11/8, or face a level of disappointment unseen since Eddie Murphy last opened his mail.

I used to really enjoy playing cricket at school, but my dreams of becoming a fast bowler were shattered by a particularly cruel PE teacher. I still remember the day he pulled me to one side and told me I had a disappointing length.

The whole set up of the sport is fundamentally flawed though; if I wanted a game to last five days I'd challenge the wife to noughts and crosses.

The one-day international is a far more entertaining spectacle. England have been priced up at 4/7 to see off the ineffectual Windies in Sunday's opener; I'd be considering getting on if KP was playing on his own.

Big Brother's Tracey remains a surprisingly popular figure outside of the house. Celebrities to have spoken up on her behalf include Eddie Izzard, Dana International and Hayley from Coronation Street. Nice guy Liam can still be backed at 9/2 for outright glory: that's an old fashioned shoo-in.

I find playing darts quite frustrating; there's nothing more embarrassing than suffering a bounce-out when you're on top. Paul McCartney refuses to watch an entire match; he's just happy to see a couple of legs. Phil Taylor is a clear favourite for the Las Vegas Desert Classic that kicks off on Monday, probably because of his years of experience at trying to get three in a bed. Barney is the new power; get on at 5/2.

Gerry McDonnell dabbles in football odds compilation, journalism and orphan rescue.

http://www.gmfootball.com

Shrek (Movie Review)

A modern-day fairy tale rife with cutting edge humor, Shrek is a computer-animated film for the ages. In the tradition of Disney (the recipient of a number of clever jibes throughout the movie), Dreamworks manages to create a film that adults (and not just parents) will enjoy as much as children. The comedy is clean, witty, and refreshing. The animation is mind-blowing, and the characters are as likeable as any ever created.

The story follows the life of Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers), a green ogre with a friendly disposition who lives in a swamp during medieval times. When ever-so-short, midget nobleman Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) banishes all local fairy-tale creatures from his land, they are forced to resettle in Shrek's swamp. Shrek, who prefers to live in solitude, sets off, accompanied by a wisecracking mule named Donkey (Eddie Murphy), to find Lord Farquaad and convince him to leave the fairy-tale characters where they belong, and leave his leave his swampland alone. Lord Farquaad agrees to honor Shrek and Donkey's request under one condition. The odd couple must locate the beautiful Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and bring her back to Duloc so that he can marry her (he chooses her as his bride over Snow White and Sleeping Beauty because he wants to become king). Although Princess Fiona is held in a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon, the task is one Shrek and Donkey are more than capable of taking on...

Shrek is quite simply of one of the best films of its time. The computer-generated image animation creates a fantastic setting filled with unique, groundbreaking characters. The storyline (basically Beauty and the Beast) is timeless, and the comedy manages to stand on its own in a movie that pushes the outer-boundaries of excellence. Eddie Murphy is at his best playing the Donkey, and Mike Myers may also have put in his best cinematic performance to date. Shrek is one of the few animated films ever made that should be seen by adults who don't have children (in other words, those who otherwise wouldn't bother to see an animated film). So if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and give Shrek a try...

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com] where you can find more articles like this one of the Shrek (DVD) Review [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/shrek-dvd.html].

Men Love Pretty Feet

Ladies, there are men who are totally obsessed with a womans feet. Unbelievably, there are women out there who do not have pretty feet. Some people forget that their feet need care just as much and sometimes even more than other parts of the body. There are those who suffer with issues such as bunions, corns, discolorations, their feet are dry and ashy, dead skin, and their feet are just plain not taken care of.

In the Eddie Murphy movie 'Boomerang', Eddie Murphy is looking for a woman who in addition to having the desired facial appeal, knows how to dress, has sex appeal and is attractive. He wants someone who has pretty feet. While in bed with his conquest, he pulls down the sheet from around her feet. He then checks to see what her feet look like. If there are problems, his interest in a relationship completely disappears.

Feet fetishes are not uncommon. There are men who watch a woman from the head to toe. If the woman's feet are not polished and 'sexy', they move on to someone else. This type of Foot Fetish is more common than you would think.

Men will even compliment women on their feet. Think of it this way; thousands of women shoes are sold daily. A vast majority of those shoes are toeless styles. Sandals and footwear with the toe out are extremely popular during the summer, winter, especially spring and on into the fall.

Women purchase toe rings, toe jewelry, toe enhancers; they keep looking for other feet enhancers. Anything and everything is desired to improve the look feel and sexiness of the feet. The reason for this is not only for a woman's own personal pleasure, she is also very aware of the attraction and temptation her feet are to the opposite sex.

There are men and women with foot fetishes that look at feet first. If the intended conquests feet do not look as they desire, they move on to anther individual. Feet can make or break a potential relationship.

Make sure, when you are dating and after marriage, keep your feet well manicured. Today, pedicures are a multi million-dollar business. Ladies in particular enjoy having their feet massaged, rubbed, oiled and even having their toes polished.

If you are someone that has a foot fetish you are not alone, there are thousands of people if not hundreds of thousands who have the same fetish. Visit my Feet Sniffing [http://www.feetsniffing.net] website more information on Feet Fetishes.

Movie Review: A Thousand Words (2012)

A Thousand Words starts off like a typical Eddie Murphy film, utilizing his expected blend of physical slapstick, mile-a-minute chatter, and wild-eyed contortionist facial expressions. The humor is derived almost entirely from awkward communications between Murphy and his acquaintances. But when the plot is well under way and the predicament becomes serious, the film takes a turn toward a sentimental, emotional drama, where the hero must right his wrongs and make amends with his past. It's as if the script was already in place, Murphy signed on, then rewrites shaped the movie into a vehicle for his unmistakable style (it probably doesn't help that filmmaker Brian Robbins also directed Meet Dave and Norbit). While the result is certainly not unwatchable, the mood is rather muddied and the laughs are never big.

Jack McCall (Eddie Murphy) is a literary agent for the Apogee company, using his signature rapid-fire articulation to negotiate moneymaking deals. His sights are set on the "New Age crap" of Dr. Sinja (Cliff Curtis), whose philosophies and teachings are attracting crowds greater than those of Miley Cyrus concerts. It's a spiritual movement and McCall wants to be the one to sign the guru to a highly profitable new book deal. Shortly after his encounter with Sinja, Jack discovers that a Bodhi tree has sprouted in his back yard and that it sheds leaves quite rapidly - one for every word he utters. Mysteriously, the trunk has a magical connection to the agent's body, preventing Jack from chopping it down. The calm, watchful, pie-eating sage hypothesizes that when the woody perennial drops its last leaf, McCall will die.

There's a glaring error early on that is so blatant it's hard to ignore it. The major plot gimmick relies on McCall desperately not wanting to talk. When he writes a note to his sleeping wife, each written word also causes a leaf to fall. Infuriated, he flips off the tree, which results in an identical reaction. As soon as it's defined that a crude gesture affects the tree in the same manner as talking, the whole idea falls apart. Every subsequent effort taken by Jack to communicate is through some sort of expressive movement, whether it be a frantic form of Charades, furious countenance spasms, or tempestuous howling. Yet the tree doesn't lose foliage to these commotions. If the movie played by its own rules, he would be dead by the end of the day.

Even if the inherent silliness of the story can be brushed aside, the uncertainty with which the fantasy unfolds is disheartening. Strong messages of spirituality, examining the importance of words, miscommunication, forgiveness, being true to oneself, taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of life, and accepting inner peace are temporarily poignant, but interfere with the initial onslaught of jokes. While it's a fun premise with clement humor (and a few smartly indelicate gags by Clark Duke as McCall's dimwitted assistant, who proves a favorably contrasting comedic counterpart for Murphy), it can only end one way - with overly formulaic contrivances sorting out the dilemmas of a man trapped in the structure of conventional relationships and success.

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com)

The Massie Twins are identical twin film critics who have been professionally reviewing movies full time for over 5 years, appearing on TV, radio, online and in print. They are members of the Phoenix Film Critics Society and the Internet Film Critic Society and their work can be seen at GoneWithTheTwins.com