It usually takes many years for a movie to take the long transition from idea to finished product. The process is brutal and careers are usually put on high risk for each movie project. Not to mention the fact that millions are usually invested in a picture due to the high production expenses (hiring many professionals, actors, building sets, composing music, building sets and marketing the movie).

But because of the almost instantaneous reporting of box office results once a movie is shown in theaters, studios and production outfits will immediately know (usually within a few hours) if the movie that took so long in making and cost so much is a box office bomb or a huge blockbuster.

This is in huge contrast to about thirty years or so ago when movie executives would actually drive to theaters and look at the opening day lines to the theaters ? a much more hands on approach compared to today?s very strategic juggling of advance polling techniques, demographic minded scheduling and usage of historical models.

With the level of accuracy of the agencies that report box office takes for the movies getting more and more accurate, studio executives are relying on them on an ever increasing basis to gauge if they are actually going to make money or not.

The bad thing though with an industry that has become more obsesses with math and the bottomline is that quality and artistic expression has fallen by the wayside. Movies are nothing more than products now that is marketed no differently from a hamburger.

Hopefully the movie studios will also realize that money is not the be all and end all in a place that fuels the imagination like no other.

He was a good bad boy – if you know what I mean. Another Hollywood icon has said farewell to this world, and we will all remember him with fond memories. Dennis Hopper passed away yesterday at the age of 74 in his home in Venice, Los Angeles. Last year, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He valiantly battled the disease, which eventually took his life.

Dennis Hopper’s career was full of ups and downs – much like many other personalities out there. One big difference is how this man handled the stuff that life threw at him. Despite all the discouragement he had met in his career, he was able to achieve a lot of things, including two Oscar nominations, his own Hollywood star (which he got this year, by the way), and a reputation for being one of the best bad boys in Hollywood.

He is probably best known for Easy Rider, which changed a lot of things for him and movies in general. Indeed, his co-star Peter Fonda says that they “rode the highways of America and changed the way movies were made in Hollywood.” In tribute to Hopper, he continues to say that he “was blessed by his passion and friendship.”

More than being an actor, Dennis Hopper was also an accomplished director. In fact, the last several years of his life could be described as nothing but frenetic. This is a guy who was filled with passion for his life and work, and for that, we cannot do anything but admire him.

So long, Dennis Hopper!

If you’re spending some time enjoying Southern California’s beaches this week, you ought to know that there are some dangers involved. It is true that you could have some of the most exciting times in the beaches of LA and the surrounding areas; however, the Los Angeles Times warns surfers and beach lovers that rip currents are presenting higher risks than usual, especially this weekend.

According to the report, the high surf has combined with runoff from storm drains (this goes straight into the ocean waters) to result in substantial changes in the formation of the sea floor. As such, the currents have also changed, posing more danger with regard to rip currents. Even those who are quite familiar with the usual currents in the beaches may have a surprise or two waiting for them.

Tourists may not have the beach as the main reason for visiting this part of the world, but anyone visiting Los Angeles would end up at the beach at one point or another. Whether you are an expert swimmer or not, you have to be aware of the dangers these rip currents present. Expert swimmers and surfers would know what to do, but panic can easily override common sense. The sensible thing to do is to swim parallel to shore instead of against the current. In the midst of danger, however, the instinct is to swim straight to shore – which will almost always end up in tragedy.

So, if you’re hitting the beach in Southern California anytime soon, consider yourself warned and prepare yourself!

Does the name Mark Zuckerberg ring a bell? If it doesn’t, you either live under a rock or you just don’t care. This guy is 26 years old, and he’s already worth billions. What kind of business is he in to make this kind of money at such as early age? One word: Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg is a Harvard dropout who co-founded the most popular social networking site today. He has also been in the limelight because of the recent changes made to Facebook privacy settings. Naturally, he has been the target of so many angry tirades.

His time in the limelight is not about to end any time soon. Hollywood has its eyes set on Mark Zuckerberg, and they are making a movie out of his life.

This kind of news will normally make people jump up and down for joy. Who has not dreamt – at least once in his life – about a movie being made to celebrate his life? Then again, celebrate is the key word here.

Recently, the screenplay of the movie was leaked, and from the looks of it, Mark Zuckerberg will not be very happy about his story. Title The Social Network, the movie will be depicting the Facebook founder as a sex maniac. It will also detail how Facebook was conceptualized and created.

Disclaimers already abound – the movie is a highly fantasized version of reality, some details might not be accurate, and so on. Still, I am pretty sure that this movie will draw a bit of a crowd.

If there is one place on Earth that could be hailed as the trendsetter of trendsetters, Hollywood will probably win hands down. After all, the exposure that Hollywood gets is comparable to none. And, if trends are what you are after, then here’s one trend that seems to be the favorite of Hollywood couples these days: renewing wedding vows.

Just to give you a background, let’s mention some of the Hollywood couples that have recently renewed their vows.

There’s Mimi and Nick. They renewed their vows for the third time late in April.

Seal and Heidi Klum – already known for loving wedding ceremonies – renewed their vows for the sixth time!

Then there’s Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling, who dispelled rumors that they were getting divorced. Last week, they renewed their vows as well.

There are more Hollywood couples who have been going through the same thing – saying “I do” for the nth time. So I was thinking, if you’re looking for a short break and you’re married, why not follow the trend? Why not go to Hollywood for the weekend or for the week (you can have your nth honeymoon there while you’re at it) and say your wedding vows again?

These stars may not be the perfect examples of how marriages should be, but hey, renewing your vows is something good, isn’t it? And, doesn’t saying “I do” (yet again) in Hollywood give you a perfect fairy tale ending?

Can you guess? I guess the names do change every now and then. After all, the trends do change over time. At this point in time, among those at the top are Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Swift.

Can you guess how much they earned in the year 2009? According to the reports, these stars earned tens of millions of dollars last year! That kind of money is something that normal people like you and me dream of. And, take note, these people are quite young!

Here’s the breakdown. Taylor Swift earned $17.5 million. Robert Pattinson earned $18.5 million. Kristen Stewart brought in a whopping $23 million.

Isn’t that just amazing? These people are so young, and yet they are bringing in millions and millions of dollars. Then again, it is not that surprising. Since the launching of the Twilight movies, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have become household names. Five years ago, the average person probably wouldn’t have recognized these names. Today, however, people from all over the world – from the United States to Africa to Asia – speak their names like they were bosom buddies. They both have become part of the list of most searched for people on the Internet as well.

As for Taylor Swift, this young country singer has reached the top of the charts. Her being rudely interrupted by Kanye West also helped endear her more to the hearts of fans.

We’re not even halfway through 2010, but these three kids are still set to make more with their various projects. Who’s willing to bet that they just might make the list again next year?

It seems to me we’re hearing of people getting a Hollywood Star more often these days. Perhaps it’s because of the fact that the Hollywood greats are reaching the point that they have to immortalized – there’s no question about that. Whatever the reason, I was quite thrilled to hear that Dennis Hopper has been given his very own star. This makes him the 2,403rd person to receive one.

For those who may not have heard about it, Dennis Hopper is waging a war against prostate cancer. He announced this piece of news several months ago. While he is certainly not the first Hollywood star to experience such a struggle, it is always sad when we hear about such things. To have a Star awarded to the 73-year-old actor means so much more under these circumstances.

Dennis Hopper received a lot of support during the awarding ceremony. The Celebrity Café reports:

Jack Nicholson and David Lynch, Johnny Mathis and hundreds of photo snapping fans all came out to support the honor presented by Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive Leron Gubler. Viggo Mortensen and film producer Mark Canton spoke some praise to Hopper as well.

“He is someone who has seemed to regularly rise out of the ashes of self-inflicted chaos, surprising us with his originality and wit as an artist and defying the odds by somehow staying alive physically and professionally,” spoke Mortensen.

Oh yes, Mr. Mortensen, I couldn’t have phrased that in a better way! This farm boy from Dodge City, Kansas has indeed gone a long way; and he deserves this Star so much more than some people out there.

Earlier this month the iconic Hollywood Sign was covered up for five days with red letters spelling out the phrase “SAVE the PEAK”. The sign was covered by the “Save Cahuenga Peak” campaign, whose aim is to keep the 138-acre tract of land located behind on the left of the Hollywood sign the way it is right now. The land is currently privately owned and is set to be developed so that the view will eventually be marred by mansions. In order to protect the land, the campaign has to raise a total of $12.5 million by April 14, 2010. The money will be used to purchase the land and so hopefully preserve the view.

Right now though it seems that the campaign is not taking off as well as they would want it too despite the support of celebs like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tippi Hedren, Aisha Tyler, and John Slattery. The Save Cahuenga Peak campaign site shows the online campaign progress at just $40,355, a mere 8 percent of their target $500,000. We can only hope for them that the celebs will be more receptive to the cause and start turning out their pockets in a hurry. With all the natural disasters happening all over the world today though and so much charity that needs attention most might feel that trying to save a sign, however iconic it is, should come second to giving to the more worthy causes. And with the economy you can expect that only those who have a really special connection with the Hollywood sign will be willing to spend money to save the sign.

You would think that Hollywood has no problems when it comes to attracting visitors. Immortalized in movies, songs, and TV shows, Hollywood is a place that people around the world dream of visiting. Why should they have any problems when it comes to lack of tourists? Indeed, their problem just might be the opposite – too many visitors to handle.

Apparently, Hollywood is no different from any other city in that it needs advertising campaigns to push the tourism industry. In fact, this year, they are launching Visit Hollywood 2010, a campaign to showcase what Hollywood has to offer. I don’t really understand why they have to do that, but that goes to show how much I know! The L.A. Times reports:

The effort comes as the travel and tourism industries begin to show signs of rebounding from the worst economic recession in a generation.

For example, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Hollywood Walk of Fame; the 70th anniversary of the Hollywood Palladium theater; and the 25th anniversary of the Rock Walk, a rock music tribute along Sunset Boulevard.

I suppose that this year does merit highlighting many things in Hollywood. After all, you can’t have too many visitors bringing money into the coffers. With these milestones happening in 2010, I cannot think of a better time to pay Hollywood a visit. If you’re planning a major trip this year, then why not Hollywood?

Hollywood now comes with a big W. I don’t mean HollyWood but the new W Hotel and Residences that opened last Friday on the corner of Hollywood and Vine.

The W Hotel is a mixed-use development with hotel suites and apartment for a total of 143 residences, restaurants, clubs, shops, and a subway station right underneath it. The W Hotel also has energy efficient rooms and is expected to draw more tourists to Hollywood.

The W Hotel presents $350 million in investment, which is expected by the city government to be pumped right back to the economy. In terms of employment this will be true since it will bring about 500 jobs, good news with the still struggling economy. Aside from the jobs they are hoping that the development will end up revitalizing the whole area surrounding the hotel. According to Gatehouse Capital CEO Marty Collins, “It creates and really anchors a vision that allows the whole area to expand and really in some ways become back to what it once was before, that whole renaissance of Hollywood.”

However, some are already calling the hotel “ungainly”. As Christopher Hawthorne, architecture critic of LA Times, said, “The rather ungainly result… is not what you’d call an elegant addition to the rapidly expanding Hollywood skyline,” but even he has to agree that how this “urban-experiment” will end is still a puzzle that will only be solved by time. For now we can be sure that this curiosity will be the talk of Hollywood; as to what people will be saying, we can only wait and see.