Are These The Best Movie Sets Of All Time?

It takes a whole army of production designers, location seekers, construction workers, and creative minds to make the impossible possible in the world of movies, especially when it comes to film sets. Here are some of what could arguably be the best movie sets in cinema history.

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Cleopatra: This Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton starrer was supposed to be filmed in England, but the set was ruined by a winter storm, which led to its rebuilding in Rome. The results aren’t less grand at all: the country reportedly nearly ran out of building materials due to the grandeur of the movie set.

Titanic: Filmed in Rosarito, Mexico, the story of the ill-fated ship captures the world’s audience not just because of Jack and Rose, but because of the spectacular backdrop for their love story. The re-creation, for instance, was built on a gargantuan hinge allowing it to become fully perpendicular during filming while sucking in ocean water into an 800-foot-wide water tank where it sat.

Intolerance: When talking about the best and the biggest cost-wise, not a lot can beat “Intolerance” in 1916, whose film set cost $2.5 million back then and $47 million when adjusted for inflation. DW Griffith’s movie is an epic tale that spanned 2,500 years and took place in ancient Babylon, 16th century France, and 20th century America.

Ben-Hur: It’s called the “entertainment experience of a lifetime,” which the film lived up to with its 2,000-foot-long arena. For a time, the chariot arena serves as the largest film set in history, while the rest of the set pieces – all 300 of them – occupied over 340 acres.

Image source: Architectural Digest 

The Lord of the Rings: The Waikato region of New Zealand gave life to this 2001-2003 masterpiece, specifically a 1,200-acre property that was once privately owned by a single family. Apart from facades for 27 hobbit holes, a mill, and a double-arch bridge, production designer Grant Major also insisted on the planting of real flowers and vegetables on the set.

Chicago sports fan Richard Ohlhaber also loved movies and counts 'The Godfather,' 'Gladiator,' and 'The Natural' among his favorite films. For similar reads, click here.

Chicago Bears Players Who Have a Lot To Prove In 2017

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As it’s deep in the middle of a franchise overhaul, the Chicago Bears has a critical 2017 season. For Bleacher Report, these guys face the most pressure from its roster of young and veteran players.

Mike Glennon

Perhaps joining the Bears was a chance for Glennon to turn things around at age 27, but then he saw the front office move up in the draft and select Mitchell Trubisky. It’s yet to be seen if the Bears will start Trubisky over him, but as quoted by Jeff Dickerson of ESPN, the quarterback said it was made clear to him that 2017 will be his year. And he’s determined to take the team along the same glorious path as his career.

Charles Leno Jr.

It’s time for the 25-year-old guy and 53rd tackle in football at Pro Football Focus to step up, with a huge contract extension in the horizon if he can perform strong this year.

Jonathan Bullard

This 2016 third-round pick, unable to beat stopgap veteran Mich Unrein for many snaps in the previous year due to being ill-prepared “for the every-down responsibilities,” has the opportunity this year to beat out the veterans and shore up one of the largest weak spots of the roster.

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Kyle Fuller

No. 14 pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Fuller has 2017 as his last year to fulfill his staggering potential, either bagging a long-term deal with the Bears or showing other teams that he’s worth investing in. It’s a make-or-break year for the 25-year-old who missed the entirety of last year.

Kevin White

One year earlier, White missed his entire rookie year along with 12 games, and he’s considered to be back at square one in the area of development due to his injury. He needs to stay on the field and develop along with new players to give back to the organization this year.

While he now resides in Texas,Richard Ohlhaber grew up in Chicago and remains a loyal supporter of the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Bears. Learn more on this page.

One-Time Offer: Leadership Lessons From 'The Godfather'

If someone says that “The Godfather” is one of the greatest American films ever made, maybe a throng of people would react and tell him that this is a gross understatement. For starters, it is the best and certainly a highly influential film in its genre. A gangster movie won’t ever be the same again. It was difficult to escape the looming shadow of Vito Corleone even on a good day. And the whole movie screams “iconic” from beginning till end. If a person is fortunate enough, Nino Rota’s “Speak Softly Love” won’t be stuck in his head for ages.

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However hard it is for anyone to imagine that people can learn a thing or two about leadership from this critically acclaimed classic, the Corleones’ approach to issues and the situations encountered by the leading characters here in this film offer valuable insights. One cannot overemphasize the fact that this is not to condone or support criminal and immoral acts. There are general lessons, though, which do not involve those acts, that can help leaders achieve goals.

One of the clearest takeaways from the movie is the fact that building a network is as important as keeping an organization’s own core resources strong and independent. A group must acknowledge the necessity of forging ties and interconnected mutual relationships with other institutions that might help them survive in the most trying of times. Relationships outside of the immediate workplace can also surprisingly provide a perspective on issues and problems that beset the organization. The Corleones fiercely endorse familial closeness and friendships.

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Resilience when faced with the most troublesome circumstances and the need for backup plans and other preparations for the future are necessary considerations that an effective leader must take into account. Executions work primarily because of careful and strategic planning. Business eventualities are dynamic, not static. One must plot possible solutions to future problems.

Richard Ohlhaber lists 'The Godfather' as one of his favorite movies. To learn more about his interests, follow this blog.

The Best Players After MJ Left the Bulls

Before we begin let’s get one thing straight – the discussion involving superlatives like best or greatest is more often than not, of a subjective nature. The reason why Michael Jordan is considered the GOAT is mostly backed up by the sheer number of people considering him to be. But now, let’s look at the best players who came after him.

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Kobe Bryant
A lot of players have been compared to MJ. A lot of players were touted as being the “next Michael Jordan”. The one player who comes closest to this is Kobe Bryant. Winning five NBA championships in the post-Jordan era, Kobe played, shot, and thought like MJ. It was uncanny. They were both winners.

Tim Duncan
Probably the most decorated player post-Jordan, Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward of all-time. Like Kobe, Duncan won five championships after MJ retired. The Big Fundamental became the Spurs’ leader for two decades, and would average a double-double for record periods of time.

Lebron James
Much has been said about Lebron James. Whether you love him or hate him, he is a player of immense talent, and one of the greatest in NBA history. To date, he has made the NBA finals eight straight years, and has won three championships. He continues to break a lot of records during his incredible career.

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Richard Ohlhaber lives in Texas but grew up in Chicago. He is still a huge fan of Chicago sports teams. For more on sports, visit this page.

Mike Ditka: A Chicago Bears icon

The Chicago Bears last won a Super Bowl back in 1986. Before that, their last national championship was in 1963. Instrumental in these two titles was Mike Ditka. 

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In 1963, the “Iron Mike” helped the Bears reach the pantheon of the National Football League playing tight end. He was drafted just two years prior, but his presence was already felt by the league early on as he was revolutionizing how the position was played. 

Previously, tight ends had been used primarily as blockers, and rarely as receivers. But Ditka, who had superb blocking skills, was also incredibly adept at catching and rushing, which enabled the team’s coaching staff to also run plays for him. 

After 11 seasons as a player (five with the Bears), Ditka ranks first among all tight ends in rushing (4,503 yards), fifth in reception (316), and fifth in touchdown catches (34). 

As soon as Ditka retired from playing in 1972, he was hired as an assistant head coach by the Dallas Cowboys, the last team he suited up for as tight end. He helped Dallas win the 1977 Super Bowl.

Come 1982, the Bears had a head coaching vacancy and reached out to Ditka, who willingly accepted the job. As soon as he got on board, he promised a Super Bowl appearance within three seasons – a promise he got to keep. In 1985, Chicago did reach the championship game but ultimately lost to the San Francisco 49ers. 

A year later, they again competed for the league title. The Bears defeated the New England Patriots, giving Ditka the distinction of being one of the only two players to win an NFL championship as a player, an assistant coach, and a head coach. 

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Some Of The Top Reasons To Go To Italy

Italy is arguably one of the most memorable places to visit, and curiously, most visitors who come home very satisfied from a very memorable trip to Italy have different stories to tell.Here are some of the top reasons to go to Italy.

Image source: youramazingplaces.com

1. Italy is a haven for food lovers.  All of the pizza and the pasta that one has ever tried in the past essentially trace their roots back to Italy, and such foods are a staple in Italian cuisine.  However, they have always said that nothing beats food served in its original place, and this is quite true.Italian food is popular because of the variety of fresh ingredients that grow on fertile Italian soil.


2. Outside of America, Italy is probably the place that appears the most in Hollywood movies.  This is because Italy is the home to some of the most authentic destinations in the world.Rome is a favorite bucket list item for the history buff.  Venice is a place quite unlike any other, with its eccentric waterways.

Image source: youramazingplaces.com

3. There is nothing as culturally enriching as the Italian coast.  A lot of coastal communities in the Italian peninsula have evolved cultures of their own.  These people have their own renditions of interesting foods and crystal clear waters.  Also, the best experience of merriment happens along the coastline,where one is sure to experience Italian hospitality at its finest.


Richard Ohlhaber is a huge fan of golf and boating.  His dream place of residence is Italy.Learn more about his other interests in this blog.

Why Is Jordan Still Chicago’s Idol?

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When a great praises a fellow great, you have to listen. Think of it: Kobe Bryant looks back on his career and says what a great influence Michael Jordan was to him.

Didn’t they play for opposing teams? Of course, they did, but that didn’t prevent Jordan from being the class act he always was. Kobe idolized Michael and, fortunately for him, the guy was more than willing to have, as Kobe himself described, a mentor relationship.

Scottie Pippen also described something similar especially when Jordan was still giving him a hard time during his rookie year. This toughened him up enough to eventually be Jordan’s undeniable partner in Chicago Bull’s success.

But those are players. What about the Chicago crowd?

Well, there’s the shoes. Seriously. How can you forget a guy when his image dunking a basketball is on a lot of people’s shoes?

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Seriously though, there are these stories about him that made him human enough to identify with even if he was being touted as the greatest to play the game. There’s how he left basketball to play baseball to honor his father. Though many disagreed, they nonetheless respected the person behind such a decision.

Richard Ohlhaber is a true Chicago sports fan, cheering for the Bulls and the Bears. For more on the famed teams of the Windy City, click here.

The Chicago Bears' Options With The Third Overall Pick In The 2017 NFL Draft

After a free agency period many analysts consider underwhelming because of the team’s failure to fill the holes in the roster, the Chicago Bears can still salvage the offseason by doing it right in the 2017 NFL draft. The team owns seven picks in a draft that is widely viewed as potentially one of the best in recent years. The highest of these picks is the third overall, where the Bears have a lot of options on what to do with it.

Draft Deshaun Watson

The Clemson Tigers has just won the NCAA Football Championship by upsetting the highly touted Alabama Crimson Tide – and quarterback Deshaun Watson helped make it happen. His performance raised his draft stock, with many pundits suggesting that the Bears take a flyer on him.

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Obviously, Chicago would want to nab consensus number one pick Myles Garrett, but there is zero chance that they could. As consolation, the Bears could select Watson as their quarterback of the future, but ease him in slowly by having him back up free agent signee Mike Glennon.

Draft for another position

Unfortunately, quarterback is not the only roster need the Bears have to address. They currently have a lot of weaknesses in other positions, such as tight end, wide receiver, offensive tackle (both positions), and defensive end. The team can instead draft a prospect who can readily help the team at these positions.

Trade down

Historically, the third overall pick has brought so much value to many teams in the past, as illustrated by the NFL Draft Value Chart. The Bears could capitalize on it by offering the pick for a lower one plus other trade pieces, such as a veteran who can help right away or another draft pick.

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How the triangle offense made the Bulls unstoppable

The Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s was due largely in part to the overwhelming lineup of players led by the greatest of all-time, Michael Jordan, one of the most efficient front men to ever play the game, Scottie Pippen, and hardworking role players. But basketball is a team sport, and like any team sport, the team with the best system trumps any team with immense talent. Unfortunately for the competition, the greatest basketball lineup of the 1990s also had the most devastating system in Tex Winter’s triangle offense. It was an offensive system that ruined opponents’ defenses. 

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It was Phil Jackson, however, who took the system and found a way to implement it within team offense. It came as no surprise that a team with the talent and will to win such as the Bulls would catch on with a very little hiccup. 

The triangle offense was anchored on ball movement. The Bulls were disciplined enough to communicate with each other on the floor, and the result was simply exhilarating. Passing lanes were often used in conjunction with off-the-ball movement. Before the opponent knew it, a player was free with an open look at the basket for the high percentage attempt. It was a system that could be done to much success by anyone with the determination to make it successful. 

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Richard Ohlhaber lives in Texas but grew up in Chicago. He has followed, with much enthusiasm throughout the years, his favorite basketball team – the Chicago Bulls. For more discussion on basketball, follow this Facebook page.