Introducing GoodMovies4u.com

Looking for movie recommendations? GoodMovies4u is a website where you can find listings giving information and viewer ratings for thousands of great movies from various categories.

Since one of the best ways to find good movies to watch is to browse through a category of films you like (or the type of film you feel in the mood to watch on a particular night!), the makers of GoodMovies4u have also created a variety of popular categories that you can surf, such as comedy. There is even a category for good YouTube videos!

As you scroll through the listings for different films, you can also view movie trailers and read plot descriptions on the site. Plus, as you browse or search, you can filter your list by release year and IMDb ratings. The listings also contain links to Amazon if you want to quickly click over and buy your favorite movie.

This is a clear, useful, and easily navigable site. I can see myself spending time here when I want to find something new to watch!

Meet Marilyn Cortez, Actress

A New York actress who hails from Panama, Marilyn Cortez recently made a an appearance for several minutes as the nanny Marina in a new HBO series called Clear History, alongside Larry David and John Hamm. Marilyn also works as a stunt woman and has also done some work as a film producer. A graduate of Rhode Island College with a Bachelors in Marketing, Marilyn is currently learning Chinese. She is a martial artist, a yogi, a salsa dancer, and a globetrotter. Learn more about Marilyn by visiting her page on the Internet Movie Database.

1. How did you get started in acting?

I got started in acting when I was learning to speak English. I had already learned to read and write on my own, and I was comfortable speaking English to people I was used to, but when it came to new people I met I was very shy.

In actuality I was looking for public speaking classes, but where I lived at the time, in a small town between Boston and NYC, the choices for classes like that were none. I would either have to travel to Boston or NYC. The one thing I found abundantly were acting classes. So I signed up and took my first theater class and from there on, kept taking the next level theater class and so on. I met wonderful aspiring actors who would tell me about working on set here and there and how exciting it sounded, and this aroused my interested even more. So I started training more, and I had the privilege to do some theater work before moving on to film and television.

2. How did you get into doing work as a stunt woman, in addition to acting?

I got into stunt work by happenstance. I was on set working as a stand-in and I was offered to do stunt work for a film. From there I kept researching on how to get more stunt work. But word of mouth is great. Because one stunt coordinator would refer me to another stunt coordinator and the word spread. So, I still get calls for stunt work for films which is great because I love doing stunts as well.

3. What are some examples of stunts you've done for movies?

I've done stunts in the movies Underdog, R.I.P.D, and Hard Luck.

4. Would you tell us about your role in Larry David's new project, Clear History?

I was hired as the nanny, Marina. Everything was improvised; it truly was. The auditions were all improvisation. I went up against women who had way more experience than me at improv, and who were known in the community to belong to improv troupes. People tell me I am naturally funny, but I always thought it was because of my accent so I never quite gave it a second thought. But when I did the auditions for Clear History, I went in with an open mind and did not try to force myself to be funny. Basically I reacted to whatever Larry David threw at me.

Larry David at the end of one of the last callbacks, focused on my breasts a lot because of their size, and my reaction was just to go with the flow, and I made a comment that made him laugh. All was done respectfully, and when I left the room that day, I forgot about the audition, and heard from the casting director like five months later telling me I had the role.

Working on set with Larry David and John Hamm was exciting. I was working with the king of comedy and a truly professional actor such as John Hamm. They were both pleasant, down to earth, and normal people--and both helped me a lot that day as well. I met many other actors on set, too, some from SNL who were just down to earth people and easy going, and they also gave me career advice.

5. What are some other movies or TV appearances you have coming up?

Well, after Clear History I am being called in a lot more frequently for auditions. My latest one was Law and Order SVU and also in Los Angeles where I fly frequently I have been called in for Big Bang Theory. And in NYC I have a few auditions coming for independent films, and I am excited about these indie films because a few of those are bilingual films, Spanish and English. I have always wanted to work in a Spanish indie film. And there is a film on the works where I will be in, but I signed a confidentiality agreement and I can't mention anything about it.

Thanks, Marilyn!

Meet Jason E. Hill, Actor

Jason E. Hill is an actor, a dad, a military veteran, and a search and rescue volunteer. Learn more about his work on his website, No Joke! Survival, as well as his IMDB page.

1. As an actor, how did you get started in film and TV work?

I started like a lot of actors, doing background work. My first job as an extra was for a History Channel movie named Taming the Wild West based on the story of Jedediah Smith. From there I did more movies as background until one day I was offered some lines in a Stephen Spielberg television series. After that, I got an agent and away I went.

2. What is your role in the summer 2013 movie release, The Lone Ranger?

My character in The Lone Ranger is named Seamus. I wish I could say more, but unfortunately I must keep quiet until the movie is released. I can say that it is going to be awesome!

3. How does your project, No Joke! Survival, combine your interests in acting with your knowledge of outdoor survival and your experience in the military as well as volunteering for search and rescue in your community?

That's a great question. I started a local group where I would teach basic survival skills. I grew up with a love of the outdoors and continue to this day. My military experience taught me responsibility and confidence. I taught first aid among other classes while I was in the military. When I started making videos, the goal was to teach survival skills but make them humorous as well. Learning can be fun. The acting has let me become used to the process of being in front of a camera and understand how things are filmed. I don't claim to be real good at it, but I do have fun with it. Search & Rescue is a way for me to give back to the community. I already had tons of outdoor and survival gear, so it just made sense. Many of my skills come into play while I am out in the mountains with a heavy pack searching for someone. If I could do a Survival movie about Search & Rescue, it would combine the things I love!

4. What are some of the topics you cover in your videos on No Joke! Survivial?

Most of my topics are on basic survival skills. Skills such as starting a fire, filtering water, finding water from different sources, trapping, map reading, making a spear, proper clothing, and proper hydration.

5. I noticed on your blog that you keep busy with a lot of projects! What are you currently working on, and what are some of your goals for the next few years?

You read my blog? Awesome... you're the first one! I may not actually be funny, but I like to try. Our last project was a funny parody of the show Finding Bigfoot. We are preparing to film another parody of a different show which we hope turns out well. It might be based on a popular survival show where two people go out together to survive. A job hosting a real television show on Prepping is looking like a possibility as well. My goal is to be able to make a living doing something associated with outdoors and survival. Everyone says you should love your work.

Thanks, Jason!

Meet Celeste Thorson, Actress, Model, Writer, and Director

The beautiful, young actress Celeste Thorson has been seen on TV shows like How I Met Your Mother, The Exes, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. With creative talent behind the scenes, she has also written 24 episodes of television, seven new media episodes, and three short films. Aside from winning her a cameo in a Rolling Stones music video, her model looks have earned her campaigns for Paul Mitchell, Yoplait, Sprint, and many other top clients along with magazines and billboards worldwide.

Learn more about Celeste on her official Facebook page, as well as her page at the Internet Movie Database.

1. How did you get your start in the entertainment industry?

I was inspired to work in the entertainment industry after collaborating with artists, photographers, and directors from around the world. I just became so motivated to create something new every day and express my artistic aspirations through art in many mediums. Now I perform on camera as well as developing ideas as a screenwriter and director.

2. What do you enjoy most about writing for film and TV, and what do you find most challenging about it?

I enjoy taking a creative idea or story and bringing it to life. It's so fulfilling and exciting to see how it will grow. It's awesome to collaborate with many different artists in production and see them do what they love and put their stamp on it. It can be challenging to satisfy the expectations and timelines of production, but it's even more gratifying when you accomplish that goal.

3. What are a couple of behind-the-scenes aspects of modeling that people who see you in ad campaigns probably would never imagine?

I actually share a little bit of my personal behind the scenes stories on fashion diary at celestethorson.blogspot.com. I think most people don't realize it takes an army to put photoshoots and films or TV shows together. It also isn't always as glamorous as it often appears in the photo. Sometimes you see a gorgeous room, but in reality it's just a pretty set in a drafty warehouse. There are a lot of cheats in Hollywood, like if a dress doesn't fit in a photoshoot you may not zip it up in the back and just shoot from the front. Lots of Hollywood secrets involve duct tape.

4. Could you tell us about some of the projects you're currently working on?

I had a ridiculously good time filming Yogaphiles, an independent comedy series I wrote/produced/directed about a quirky class of L.A. yoga students that take life too seriously. We created some fun short episodes available at www.Yogaphiles.com, and more are rolling out Spring 2013.

5. How do you integrate your interests in activism with your busy career?

I love petitions and the idea of strength in numbers. One of my favorite hobbies is circulating petitions online to raise awareness and change policies. I like to tweet with fans to share causes and charities we're passionate about from @celestethorson. Activism will always be big part of my life and something I hope to share with others for as long as I'm able.

Thanks, Celeste!

Meet Anna Elizabeth McGrath, Actor

Anna Elizabeth McGrath graduated from university in 2010 and began acting professionally in Dublin, Ireland immediately after this. She started out in theatre but has moved into television and film. She loves working in TV and film, even more so than the theatre because every day you are doing something different, and it is always fun and exciting.

1. As a known theatre actress in Ireland, what has the process been like for you to transition into TV and movie work?

When it comes to the transition itself, it has been very easy and enjoyable. I love the theatre and always saw myself as a theatre actress, but there is so much film and TV work out there these days that I eventually fell into working in front of the camera, almost by accident. It turns out I absolutely love film and television; I love being in front of the camera; I love doing something different all the time. I now consider myself a film and television actress rather than a theatre actress. What is strange about being known as a theatre actress is that I still get people coming up to me on the street in Dublin trying to work out where they know me from. I have a million films running through my head where they might have seen me, and then they exclaim, "Oh! You were in Hamlet!" or "Oh, you’re the girl from Savage In Limbo!". It is funny because I would have always assumed that it would be the exact opposite, that people would always be recognized for their film work and never for their stage work.

2. What are the benefits of making short films for actors, writers, and directors?

There are many benefits to making short films. They are a great training ground for making features, especially for writers and directors. You have exactly the same scenario including all the problems and complications that go with it on a micro-scale. From an actor's point of view, doing shorts has its pros and cons. A major pro is that you are doing something different all the time. If you do a succession of shorts, you are always working on a different character, in a different scenario. The downside is that you don't get nearly as much time to work on your character as you would with a feature as the turnaround is usually pretty quick with short films.

3. Would you tell us about the three short films you've recently completed?

I wrapped on three short films recently. The first was called Revenge, which is a film about someone who suffers at the hands of their noisy neighbor in an apartment block. It is all about the revenge that she wreaks upon the noisy neighbor. It was screamingly hilarious to shoot, and I think it will be fabulous when it finally comes out. The second one I did was Capturing Beauty, which is a mobile phone short, shot entirely on Android and iPhone devices. It was about how we capture absolutely everything that goes on around us in the world with our mobile/cellular devices, perhaps at the expense of living our lives. The last one was called Lucky Strike although the name may change. This one is about two female friends. One is down and out and has just lost her job. The other one (me) buys her a scratch card--a winning scratch card. The film is about how the dynamic in the relationship changes and what the etiquette is when someone buys you a winning ticket. I loved doing all three; the comedies in particular are always a lot of fun to shoot.

4. What's your character like in the new full-length film, The Smoker and the Dame Who Wore Red Shoes?

I play the lead villain in The Smoker and the Dame Who Wore Red Shoes. She was described by my director as a "replicant-like, humanoid creature." She is beautiful to the point of perfection, beautiful in a very plastic way. She is not a human being; she doesn’t experience emotion in the same way you would expect a human being to experience emotion. It's there, but emotion is something to be controlled and used. She is intent on destroying the protagonist of the film, but the further along the protagonist gets to his goal, the more her ability to control her emotional center starts to fail. It was a very different part to play. I often get cast as a villain, but I've never filmed anything like this before. I've always had a very human core to my character despite all the flaws. My director told me to take her up to 110%, and if it was over the top, he would scale me back. I just let it all out: I was worried it would be over the top, but he didn't need to scale me back. I loved it; it was such a different experience playing her.

5. What are you currently working on, and what are your goals as an actor for 2013 and beyond?

At the moment I am working on a script called The Burning of Bridget Cleary about a woman from County Tipperary in Ireland who was burnt alive by her husband in 1895 as he suspected that she was a faerie changeling. That is, he suspected that the faeries had stolen his wife and left a faerie in her place. It is a true story and absolutely blood-curdling. I can't wait to shoot it. I've also just been sent a script about an oppressed woman from the 60s in Ireland, also based on a true story. It's amazing how much society can screw people up. I can't really say anything more about it yet until it gets greenlighted, but I would die to play the role. So fingers crossed!

Thanks, Anna!