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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/5932 | Subscribe Now 2012 Summer Movie Guide 2012 Summer Movie Guide TFK Goes 3-D Stopping Zombies
Avengers Assemble!
Eyes on the Pirate Prize
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Visual Wizards
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Spinning His Spider Web
Part of Her World
Journey at Sea
Summer’s Dog Days
Meet CJ Adams
Diva to the Oogieloves
Win a Signed Basketball
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Entertainment Under the Big Top
The stars of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted chat about the Zoosters’ latest 3-D tale
By Vickie An
Print Courtesy of DreamWorks AnimationGloria (Jada Pinkett Smith), Alex (Ben Stiller), Melman (David Schwimmer) and Marty (Chris Rock) take their show on the road, in "Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted."The Zoosters are back with a new plan to get home. When we last saw the wild bunch, they were trying to find a way out of Africa. In Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (in theaters now), they leave the African savanna all right, but they’re still far from New York City. The gang is now stuck in Europe after following the penguins to Monte Carlo, Monaco. They run into even more trouble when a meanie animal control officer, Captain Chantel Dubois, catches onto their scent.
With Dubois hot on their tails, the pals find a hiding place aboard a train, in a car occupied by circus animals. The Zoosters are excited to learn that the show might be traveling to the States. So, they convince the circus animals to let them get in on the act. Could this their ticket back home to the Big Apple?
Returning to their wild voice roles are Ben Stiller as Alex the lion, Chris Rock as Marty the zebra, Jada Pinkett Smith as Gloria the hippo and David Schwimmer as Melman the giraffe. The actors spoke to reporters about their characters’ trek across Europe. Read the Q&A, then watch TFK's video interview with Rock, below.
What makes you keep coming back to the Madagascar movies?
BEN STILLER:
I never thought when we did the first movie that it would go on this long. But when you have a really great working experience and everybody’s having fun and it’s a movie that people want to see, why wouldn’t you want to keep doing it? It’s also nice to have that continuity. I’ve never been involved with something that’s lasted this many years.
CHRIS ROCK:
I think this is the longest relationship I’ve ever been in.
The Zoosters have been following Alex around the world, trying to get back to New York City. But if Marty were in charge, what would his plan be for getting everyone home?
If I were Marty, I guess I’d put down treats in a trail and have all the zoo animals follow it. And I would make sure the treats had sugar on them, so they would follow the sugary treats until they got back to the zoo.
How do you relate to your characters personally?
JADA PINKETT SMITH:
Gloria is kind of the mama of the group. That’s how I’ve always been in any group. I’ve been the mama and the glue. That’s what I relate to most.
DAVID SCHWIMMER:
Relating to Melman is actually more of a stretch for me. In real life, I’m not much of hypochondriac (a person who is abnormally anxious about his or her health). I never go to the doctor. I’m hard-pressed to get my annual physical. I probably get that every three years. But I do try to connect to the comedy of it. Melman lives in fear and is kind of paralyzed by it. I think there are great comedic moments in that, and I’ve certainly had fears in my life.
Under my clothes, I do have stripes. They put dark makeup on me everyday to cover up my stripes.
STILLER:
I’m a New Yorker, too, and I guess Alex is technically an actor, so I’m like him on that level. I think he thought he was actually a lion out in the wild when he was at the zoo. But when he got out into the wild, he realized he was just an actor playing a lion. I sometimes feel like I’m an actor playing a lion myself.
Gloria and Melman finally became a couple in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. If they ever get back to New York City, what would be Melman’s idea of a dream date with Gloria?
SCHWIMMER:
That’s a good one. It would be something very romantic. He’d probably start the night off at the Chrysler Building, and give her a little tour of that. Maybe they’d go to the Rainbow Room next, and then take a walk along the Brooklyn Bridge, and end in [the Dumbo neighborhood] with a great meal.
Courtesy DreamWorks Animation
The Zoosters join Vitaly the tiger (Bryan Cranston), Gia the jaguar (Jessica Chastain) and Stefano the sea lion (Martin Short) in their traveling circus.
How have Alex and Marty grown since the first film?
Their friendship has been tested. I always say in my standup routine that you’re not even in a relationship until you’ve had to forgive somebody. These characters have had to forgive each other and their friendship is stronger because of that.
I think Alex has gone on a real journey. At first he thought the zoo was his whole world. Then he got to go outside of the zoo, into the world, and his mind opened up because of that experience. He met his parents and realized where he came from. He’s matured.
Do you have any favorite circus memories from when you were growing up?
I remember going to the Ringling Bros. circus at Madison Square Garden when I was a kid. It was very exciting because they would give out these penlights and turn out the lights. Everyone would swing them around before the show began. I also remember seeing the tightrope walkers and being afraid that they would fall to their deaths and getting very stressed out about it.
I remember the guy that rode a motorcycle inside of a ball. I was like, “Wow.” I’m a grown man, and I’m still amazed by that.
PINKETT SMITH:
I never really was big on the circus or zoos as a child, but I do love animals. I have gone to reserves in Africa where they have animals that are in huge protected areas. They still get to live in their habitat and live in a natural way. My favorite animal that I saw there was the panther. I’ve never seen an animal so beautiful.
Of all of the new characters, which is your favorite?
I like Frances McDormand’s character, Captain Chantel Dubois. She is hysterical, has lots of energy and keeps it moving.
I really enjoy Martin Short’s character, Stefano the sea lion. I’m a big Martin Short fan. Actually, I love the whole new environment, the circus environment, which is visually so much fun. They did a really great job on the animation.
What is it about the Madagascar movies that make them so appealing?
Ben Stiller.
Chris Rock. Isn’t it nice how we both complimented each other?
The movies are fun for the whole family. They look great, the stories are really good, and the characters are played by actors you like.
There is an innocence about all of the characters at the zoo. When they first go out in the world, they don’t know anything about it. There’s something really accessible about the characters that makes you enjoy being with them. It’s kind of refreshing, I think.
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted is rated PG. The adventure begins in theaters and IMAX 3-D on June 8. Also starring Frances McDormand as Captain Chantel Dubois, Martin Short as Stefano the sea lion and Bryan Cranston as Vitaly the Siberian tiger. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/5999 | Wentworth Miller Cast in The Flash as Captain Cold Leonard Snart
July 18, 2014 @ 6:35 PM By Madeline Boardman
Wentworth Miller has been cast in The Flash.
Credit: Tony Barson/WireImage.com Big gig! Wentworth Miller just landed a role in the upcoming CW show The Flash. The Prison Break alum, 42, will appear in the television show as Leonard Snart, a villain better known as Captain Cold. The news of Miller's casting was announced at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Beverly Hills on Friday, July 18. PHOTOS: Stars as superheroes
The icy character appeared in the original comics and will serve as a rival to the hero of Barry Allen, better known as The Flash. Glee alum Grant Gustin has booked the title role, after first holding the part in Arrow in 2013. Premiering on Oct. 7, The Flash is a spinoff from the successful Arrow series. The upcoming program has already cast Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, and Tom Cavanagh, and will continue to add to the lineup in the coming months. PHOTOS: Arrow stars
Miller wrapped his starring turn in Prison Break in 2009, booking smaller roles in the years since. He made an appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, had a part in Resident Evil: Afterlife, and made a cameo in House M.D. While recent years have not been as busy in his career, Miller made headlines with his personal life when he came out as gay in August 2013. In an interview with Details, which appears in the August issue on newsstands now, Miller spoke on his decision to come out. PHOTOS: Hot shows to watch
"I feel more fully expressed," he told the publication. "After Prison Break, I came to grips with the fact that my public persona was in misalignment with how I actually felt. I was out to a handful of people in my twenties, and once I hit 30, I was out to family and friends. But professionally, I was feeding a fantasy. I created this air of 'We don't address that thing.'" | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/6181 | Paul Schneider leaving NBC's Parks and Recreation; Rob Lowe, Adam Scott to appear in series
Monday, March 15, 2010 Television
10 May 2016: Political columnist apologises after mocking disabled broadcaster Andrew Marr
22 May 2015: David Letterman signs off after 33 year career on the Late Show
3 April 2015: Zayn Malik leaves pop band One Direction after five years
25 March 2015: British singer Lil' Chris found dead aged 24
13 March 2015: South African TV journalist mugged while preparing for live broadcast
The NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation will experience a shake-up in its cast as Paul Schneider, a regular cast member with the critically acclaimed series, will depart at the end of this season.
Officials with the show have also announced this month that Rob Lowe will make an extended guest appearance on the series, and Adam Scott will join as a regular cast member.
Michael Schur, who co-created Parks and Recreation along with The Office creator Greg Daniels, said Schneider is expected to make guest appearances in the third season.
Schneider plays Mark Brendanawicz, a jaded city planner who started in the first season as a love interest for the show's protagonist Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), the deputy director of a small town Indiana town. Currently, Schneider's character is dating Rashida Jones's character, Ann Perkins.
Schneider is leaving the show to focus on his movie career, following the success of such independent films as Bright Star. Schur added when the character was originally conceived, it was anticipated he would appear infrequently in Parks and Recreation, switching between his city planner job and work in the private sector.
"It's not something you usually do on TV shows but we thought it was a good way to illustrate both the positive and negative aspects of working for a government," Schur told the Los Angeles Times. "It was one of the first things we talked about with him."
Schur added, "He's going to remain in the world of the show in a way that not only allows but hopefully demands that he'll reenter it. He's not going to be killed in some weird accident."
Actor Rob Lowe is to make a string of guest appearances in Parks and Recreation, starting in May with the final two episodes of the current season.
Lowe and Scott are expected to join the show in May, during the final two episodes of the season. Schur has indicated they will both play characters coming in from outside Pawnee to help the town deal with budget problems.
Lowe, fresh off his departure from the ABC drama series Brothers & Sisters, will continue a string of guest appearances into the third season.
Adam Scott would leave his regular role on the Starz comedy series Party Down to join the permanent cast of Parks and Recreation.
"Adam is one of the funniest and most versatile performers around," Schur told Variety magazine. "When we designed the character he is going to play, we used him as the dream scenario of who we could get."
Parks and Recreation received mixed to negative reviews during its first season, with detractors claiming it was too similar to The Office, and that Leslie Knope too closely resembled that show's protagonist Michael Scott), played by Steve Carell.
But The second season, despite lagging in the Nielsen ratings, has been a critical success, with several commentators declaring it a major improvement over the first season and one of the best comedies currently on television.
Natalie Abrams. "Producer: Paul Schneider Leaving Parks for Movie Career" — TV Guide, March 14, 2010
Jon Weisman. "Schneider to leave regular 'Parks' role" — Variety, March 14, 2010
Denise Martin. "'Parks and Recreation': Mike Schur tells us why Paul Schneider is leaving the show, plus more details on Adam Scott and Rob Lowe" — Los Angeles Times, March 12, 2010
Kate Stanhope. "Party Down's Adam Scott Joins Parks and Recreation Cast" — TV Guide, March 4, 2010
Kristin Dos Santos. "Rob Lowe Is Coming to Parks and Recreation, the Big Boss Confirms" — E! Online, March 3, 2010
Denise Martin. "Making bureaucracy work: How NBC's 'Parks and Recreation' overcame bad buzz" — Los Angeles Times, November 18, 2009
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/6288 | Theatrical Review
[Paramount Pictures; 2011]
Director: Stephen Daldry
Written by Mike Anton on January 21, 2012 While watching War Horse, the Steven Spielberg picture whose trench warfare sequences evoked the great Stanley Kubrick film Paths of Glory, I was reminded of a quote from Martin Scorsese that fits War Horse and rings incredibly true with Stephen Daldry‘s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Scorsese discusses the ending of the Kubrick film in a documentary about the man, A Life In Pictures, and described how deftly he brought home the emotional ending.
“There’s a tendency when you get to that level of emotion, or that level of sentiment. Not sentimental, not sentimentality, but sentiment. Just portray this aspect of humanity. Very often, you know, you fall into sentimentality. You really do. And it’s very very hard, very hard to pull off.”
I’m sure Mr. Daldry would agree.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close tells a story that its director believes is both unique and general. It is in this mix that critical problems arise. Newcomer Thomas Horn capably plays Oskar Schell, a brilliant, precocious boy who hovers somewhere around Asperger’s Syndrome (tests are inconclusive). His father, Thomas, (Tom Hanks, as charming and lovable as humanly possible) perishes, leaving the boy behind with his mother (Sandra Bullock) to cope with the loss. But he also leaves the boy with an unfinished mission. Dad would concoct these very intricate games in order to get his son to explore the world in the physical the way he devoured information so thoroughly in the theoretical.
Thomas passes away in the middle of Oskar’s search for the sixth borough of New York City. To complicate things further, a year after Thomas’ passing, Oskar rummages through his father’s untouched closet and smashes a blue vase. Contained inside is an old key which, presumably, opens a lock. The only clue is listed on the small vanilla envelope that conceals it, the word “Black.” A color, sure, but maybe a name? The resemblance to one of the his father’s ingenious puzzles sets Oskar off on a search to find every listed Black in the phone book to try and find something–anything–that could connect him to the man has lost. This experience forces Oskar to overcome his fears and genuinely connect with others in a way that was not possible when Thomas himself was there as a safety net.
And if that was it, this could be a fine film. Indeed, there are very sweet moments contained within, such as his compaionship with a mute older man (a brilliant Max von Sydow) who tries to nurture the boy along his feckless journey and show him that maybe it is more important than the destination. Or when his mother Linda’s excessively lax parenting is actually paid off in a plot contrivance that ends up being as emotionally gratifying as it is practically infuriating. Regardless, I teared up as they recounted their favorite moments with the man they lost.
But in the end, all of this is rendered meaningless because it is “the 9/11 movie,” a title that is well-earned.
Don’t believe the disingenuous advertising which expresses this is not as a film about 9/11, but about “every day after.” That’s akin to Schindler’s List not being about the Holocaust, but “how Jewish people dealt with it.” Extremely Loud is packed to the brim with 9/11 imagery, taking its time to even stop its subjective view from Oskar’s eyes (bleary-eyed focuses on items that scare him, loud and kicked up sound design to show how everything affects his senses more, and a relentless voice over) to give a five-minute aside where Sandra Bullock can cry in pain as she talks to her husband on the 105th floor, watching from the most gorgeous panoramic view of the Twin Towers as they burn towards their inevitable collapse. Notice how the smoke billowing fills the frame just so.
This is where sentiment and sentimentality are forever crossed, dooming this film to justifiably correct calls of co-opting a national tragedy to move an audience. You will once again be shown the news footage that is already burned into most of its viewers memory. You will hear the boy say on numerous occasions “my dad died on 9/11” as a stranger can only muster up an “I’m sorry” in response. You will see close-up images, in pristine prints, of bodies falling from the towers. And, most gallingly, you will track Tom Hanks digitally falling from the towers, from the opening credits until about the second act break. Then we see his face, body akimbo behind him, just before he meets the concrete and, thusly, his maker.
And I sit, thinking about my uncle who managed to get out from the high perch of the 65th floor, who has never recounted his experience with anyone. I think about the unfortunate people who actually lost family and friends in a similar way to the fictional Thomas, the very people who might be smudges on those photographs used as a prop. And I think about why this is at all necessary. Near the end of the film, Linda mentions how all the people that Oskar met (shown mostly shown through montage, as if that wasn’t the driving force of the film or anything) have lost someone in their lives, a powerful truth that makes all the 9/11 imagery even more galling.
I’m not sure who it is to blame for shoehorning all of this needless pain and anguish on the audience. I have not read Jonathan Safran Foer‘s novel of the same name, and I find it hard to believe that Eric Roth, a man whose deft hand crafted so many small, personal moments in the criminally underrated The Curious Case of Benjamin Button could have gone this far off the reservation. This doesn’t need to be a story about 9/11, or any day after. This is a story about a boy, disconnected with the world accept for the special bond he shares with his father, his confidant, his hero. It’s the story of how a mother has to deal with a distant, grieving child while struggling to also be a widow whenever she can make the time.
The title is extremely apt. It is incredibly close to a gripping, emotional story that we can all connect with. Instead, we are screamed at, bombarded with SADNESS that will AFFECT US in a way that would not be possible without evoking SEPTEMBER 11TH. On second thought, maybe “sentimental” is too kind. “Needlessly exploitive” seems right on the money.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is now in wide release.
See More: Eric Roth, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Max von Sydow, Sandra Bullock, Stephen Daldry, Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/6327 | Bond Game Revealed? [Jul 15, 2010, 9:51 pm ET] - Share - Viewing Comments
Though the next James Bond movie is in jeopardy of being axed, it's possible a new James Bond game called Blood Stone is in development, according to GamePron, who discovered clues to that effect in a now-deleted post on a Eurythmics fan site, of all places (apparently the game will feature a song co-written by Eurythmic Dave Stewart). According to their story, the game is in development for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 at Bizarre Creations, who were known to be working on a Bond game not tied to a specific movie as far back as December 2008. Word is Blood Stone will feature a story by screenwriter Bruce Feirstein (GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough), and the likenesses of singer/songwriter and actress Joss Stone as a Bond girl with Daniel Craig and Judi Dench reprising their roles from the films. They report the game will feature 16-player multiplayer support, and lending the unconfirmed report credibility is a quote purportedly from David Pokress, Head of Marketing for Licensed Properties, Activision Publishing: "James Bond 007: Blood Stone captures the cinematic intensity of a Bond film by immersing players in an intriguing conspiracy that will require them to think and act like James Bond. In addition, the game will feature a diverse array of multi-player modes and debut strategic objective-based gameplay that will allow Xbox 360, PS3 and PC players to battle as teams of spies and mercenaries through authentic Bond locales."
Re: Bond Game Revealed?
I enjoyed the hell out of goldeneye. It was a ton of fun, especially in multi. Rather disappointed it never got ported, as the upcoming Goldeneye game seems to having nothing in common, other than the name. https://dancewiththedead.bandcamp.com/ Date
Lit_Reflex001
fujiJuice
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/6479 | MTV movie awards 2012: Twilight and Hunger Games fight for supremacy
Stars let their guard down for the annual night of celebrating movies, and Russell Brand brings his personal brand of humour
Actors Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth were among the stars onstage. Photograph: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
The fan votes – not just the odds – were in The Hunger Games favor at the MTV movie awards.
The dystopian survival saga escaped from Sunday's 21st annual extravaganza with the most golden popcorn-shaped trophies, including best fight for the film's final three-way battle and best on-screen transformation for Elizabeth Banks' over-the-top futuristic makeover.
Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson were also honored for best female and male performances.
"I've wanted to hold a golden popcorn since I was four years old," beamed Hutcherson.
With four wins out of eight nominations, Hunger Games didn't totally decimate the competition.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 won prizes for best cast and best hero, while The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 won for movie of the year, and Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson locked the best kiss trophy for the fourth straight year.
"God, Rob's not here, you guys. I don't really know what to do," said Stewart, who pretended to make out with herself.
Bridesmaids walked away with two awards, though their wins weren't televised. The cast of the naughty comedy won best gut-wrenching performance for the scene in which the ladies battled food poisoning, and Melissa McCarthy won the best comedic performance award.
The live, fan-favorite ceremony was hosted by bawdy actor-comedian Russell Brand.
He opened the show by poking fun of Michael Fassbender's full-frontal endowment in Shame and Kim Kardashian's short-lived marriage, which he acknowledged was hypocritical. (Brand filed for divorce last year from pop superstar Katy Perry, who performed at the Brand-hosted MTV Video Music Awards in 2009, after 14 months of marriage.)
"Tonight, I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled for my next wife," joked Brand. "Fasssssbender!"
In lieu of a wordy acceptance speech for his MTV Generation Award, the show's version of a lifetime achievement trophy, Johnny Depp performed with The Black Keys.
Steven Tyler and Joe Perry presented the award to the 48-year-old "Pirates of the Caribbean" star, who accompanied The Black Keys on guitar for Gold on the Ceiling and Lonely Boy.
"It's like the get-out-of-the-business award," said Depp.
Other winners Sunday included Shailene Woodley for breakthrough performance for The Descendants, Jennifer Aniston as best on-screen dirtbag for Horrible Bosses and LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem from 21 Jump Street for best music.
For the full list of winners go here. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/6482 | SectionsSearch the print archivesSectionsEntertainmentStageGordon Pinsent: a Canadian legend looks back at his lifeGordon Pinsent, star of The Rowdyman, A Gift to Last and Away From Her, looks back.Actor Gordon Pinsent photographed in his studio. (The yellow in his hair is paint.) (KEITH BEATY / TORONTO STAR) | Order this photo By Richard OuzounianTheatre CriticSat., Dec. 22, 2012 These days, Gordon Pinsent is sporting golden threads among the silver.
The 82-year-old star of stage, screen and television isn’t trying some flashy highlights for the holiday season. The simple fact is that he’s been spending the morning painting, one of the things he loves to do best. The top floor of his penthouse duplex in downtown Toronto is flooded with light and crowded with his latest works.
A lot of them feature bright sunny skies and some of the solar pigment has remained unnoticed on Pinsent’s head.
So the star of A Gift to Last, The Rowdyman, Quentin Durgens, M.P. and Away From Her will remain with sun-dappled locks as we talk about his life, which he’s recently explored in his memoir, Next, written with George Anthony and published by McClelland & Stewart.
It’s a book full of surprises, especially from a man I’ve known for four decades. Who knew, for example, that he was crippled by rickets until he was 5 years old and that it changed the way he looked at himself and the world?
“I remember hearing kindergarten had started and I wouldn’t be a part of it. But I just had to be a part of it. I fought to be a part of it. And then once inside it, I don’t think I ever understood what it was all about.”
He roars with laughter. “Talk about your metaphor, laddie.”
The boy from Grand Falls, N.L., remains true to the island that gave him birth. Pinsent found early solace in the movies. “Every week I’d see someone and come home determined to be them. Turhan Bey, Gene Autry, it never mattered. But the one who struck a chord with me was Spencer Tracy in Captains Courageous.
“Oh I didn’t model myself on him, I never could. But I was happy when I discovered his secret. That both of us could just rely on whatever natural beans that the world had given us.”
Pinsent smiles with a wounded grace, which usually means he’s thinking of his beloved wife Charmion King, a great actress who married him in 1962 and stayed by his side till her death from emphysema in 2007.
“At one point in my career, Charm said, ‘Now you’ve found yourself and you’ve got to be brave enough to see that and show it to all of us.’”
It was around that time that Pinsent began creating the great triptych of Canadian characters he’s remembered as today: Quentin Durgens, Will Cole and Edgar Sturgess.
Durgens came first in 1965 on the CBC TV series Quentin Durgens, M.P, as an idealistic hayseed member of parliament.
“I wanted to show honesty with him. I wanted to go at him from the standpoint of truth and show that to an audience. That was the first time I tapped into what I call the root cellar, what’s underneath the ledge, deep inside me.
“You see, I came to Canada from Newfoundland before Confederation. I came in with a lot of 20-cent pieces trying to fool Canada that they were quarters. Outside I looked like I was prepared to take on the world. Inside, I was looking for the nearest exit.”
But another newcomer to the country, a Hungarian immigrant named John Hirsch, then running the Manitoba Theatre Centre, sensed a kinship with Pinsent.
“He saw the push I had to make things happen and he shared it. John always had this look of moving forward towards something grand or just coming from something important. And I wanted to go wherever he went.”
Pinsent ran in circles for a while, trying to decide between a career in America or Canada, but when he came back, he came to stay and created one his most lasting figures, Will Cole in The Rowdyman, first as a book, then a movie, then a musical at the Charlottetown Festival.
“Yes, the Rowdyman was me. He had so many questions inside he hadn’t even admitted to himself. You could touch him, you could hurt him. He could hurt you as well, but he couldn’t stop himself.
“Where did he come from? I asked myself, ‘Well, Gordon, what would you have done if you had stayed on that island, that rock? Would you have ballooned up into a larger character than the island could have afforded? Where would you be?’”
Pinsent looks silently out the window. “Somewhere inside there is a kindred spirit that, if I played my cards right, I could have been. He taught me one lesson: ‘There’s nothing on the face of the Earth worth a punch in the face.’”
The hat-trick of Pinsent’s Canadian icons is one still beloved today, Edgar Sturgess on A Gift to Last.
“By this point, John (Hirsch) was running CBC TV and he said, ‘Right, Gordon, let’s do something with a southern Ontario family at Christmas.’
“I agreed, but I couldn’t find a title, so I told Hirsch I wanted to call it The Lasting Gift. He shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘Oy, call it A Gift to Last!’ And so I did.”
Pinsent sums up the power of that show in its opening moments. “It’s Christmas and the favourite uncle is coming through the door with snow on him to say hello to the family.” He pauses: “To say hello, instead of being a part. No responsibilities, just be happy and open, and then get lost. Oh yes, there was a lot of me inside that somewhere.”
Death largely kept away from Pinsent, except for the beginning and end of his life, so far. At 18, on his first day on a military base, a series of mortars exploded and killed everyone working on them except him.
And then, more than five years ago, his beloved Charm passed away. Just before that event, he had played the husband losing his wife to Alzheimer’s in Sarah Polley’s moving film directorial debut, Away FromHer.
“I kept wondering how to play it and I finally thought, ‘I’ll behave as if this was all happening to Charm.’ And then, soon after the film was over, I had to play it for real.” He smacks his fists against his forehead. “Don’t think too deeply, Gordon, or you’ll experience it all again.”
He looks up. “You know what I wanted all along? I wanted to last long enough to be a grown-up. You see, an actor needs a solid place to stand. We spend all our life in dreamland, but in the end, we need a solid place to land, to be, to stay.
“But do I land now? I can’t.”
FIVE FAVE ICONS SPENCER TRACY “He seemed so solid, so sure, so in control. I learned later that he never really was and maybe that’s why I liked him so much.”
ZANE GREY “My brother Harry, who I love so dearly, used to read me Zane Grey stories until he went away to war. Then they stopped. But when he came back, they started again.”
JOHN HIRSCH
“He was the maker of dreams, the spinner of webs, the man who told us all that we could be much better, much grander than we were.”
CHARMION KING “She was my rock, but that sounds heavy. She was light and graceful when she needed to, but as strong as the northern star when you needed someone steadfast.”
LEAH PINSENT “My beloved daughter. I owe her an apology. I was on Strombo a few weeks ago and he asked me what my Kryptonite was. I thought he meant what gave me strength and I said Leah. I found out I got it wrong. She’s not my Kryptonite, but she is my strength.” | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/6511 | Carly Rae Jepsen To Play 'Cinderella' On Broadway
Carly Rae Jepsen to play 'Cinderella' on Broadway Tweet
Posted December 30th, 2013 @ 10:41am Listen to Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen is headed to Broadway. The "Call Me Maybe" singer is set to play the title role in "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella" early next year. She says Broadway has been a dream of hers since she was young, telling "The New York Times" that her favorite part of the school year was the trip to New York City where they toured the theaters and met Broadway performers. The Canadian pop star performed in high school productions of "Annie," "Grease," and "The Wiz," and she says she decided to do "Cinderella" now because the story is "so hopeful and inspiring." Jepsen's turn in the production - which also features Fran Drescher as her cruel stepmother - is scheduled to start February 4th and will last 12 weeks. Photo Credit Getty Images | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/6631 | http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/08/25/breaking-bad-is-laura-fraser-going-to-belize/
‘Breaking Bad’: Is Laura Fraser Going to Belize?
Mariam Brillantes
Laura Fraser, who portrays uptight business executive and methylamine supplier Lydia Rodarte-Quayle in the final season of the hit series “Breaking Bad,” erupts in laughter when asked if her character is going to be sent to Belize. “Who knows? Maybe.”
When pressed for details on whether her character will end up dead — in last Sunday’s episode, lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) uses Belize as a euphemism for murder in a conversation with chemistry teacher turned meth king Walter White (Bryan Cranston) — the 37-year-old Scottish actress demurs and says, “No comment.”
She does say that she was surprised by how the series ends (there are six episodes left, including tonight’s show). “I didn’t see it coming, I really didn’t. I wasn’t able to guess 20 pages before…so yeah it’s surprising, devastating and wonderful,” Fraser says during a phone interview from Glasgow, where she’s on holiday with her 7-year-old daughter, Lila, spending time with family and friends while her actor husband, Karl Geary, is filming a movie in Ireland.
But assuming that Lydia lives, what does she think her character would be doing down the road? Fraser replies, gamely: “Instead of winding down, I think she’s gonna spin and spin and wind herself up to such a high-pitched frequency that she’s actually just gonna combust. And they would have to restrain her. She’s a danger to herself and others… Put her in a psych ward or maybe she should start taking downers,” she says, laughing, her native accent a far cry from the American-sounding Lydia.
So does that mean Lydia lives after all? Not necessarily: “This is just all in my mind,” Fraser says.
She describes Lydia as morally bankrupt and deranged, but says the character “makes me laugh, just because she’s so absurd… She’s so self-righteous and sanctimonious and there’s something just so irritating about her that if she were a balloon you’d just want to pop her…. I feel like she’s going to implode and I kind of want to just give her a cuddle to kind of calm herself down.”
In playing the part, Fraser says, “I’m not trying to make anyone sympathize with her… that’s how she was written. To me, I felt like she’s supposed to be somebody who gets on your nerves. She’s supposed to be somebody who drives you mad if you knew her in real life.”
She adds, “I don’t think Lydia would want me to do the favor of making her sympathetic.”
But Fraser says her character can’t be all bad and totally annoying, “otherwise she’d just be unwatchable.”
So it helps that the show’s writers highlight incongruous details like Lydia looking baffled when she discovers she wore mismatched shoes to work or refusing to look at the corpses of a meth-manufacturing crew whose massacre she had just orchestrated as she navigates her way back to her car. “I was quite taken aback when I read it. That was a new low,” Fraser says of that scene from the Aug. 18 episode.
Fraser says wrapping up work on the series wasn’t as emotional for her as it was for the rest of the cast, since she joined the show just last summer. “I kind of feel like an observer. I’m not a long-term member of the ‘Breaking Bad’ family. It was kind of an end-of-term, end-of-era feeling, incredibly sad. They absolutely loved working with each other.”
She wasn’t familiar with the series before she sent a videotaped audition for the role of Lydia, and she met the cast for the first time only after she was hired. She then binged-watched the previous episodes. Fraser said she learned she got the part by email because her agent and her manager in the U.S. couldn’t reach her by phone. She and her husband had taken their daughter after school to their favorite pizza haunt in Brooklyn, where they lived at the time, and they were in a dead zone area where calls couldn’t come through. She celebrated by ordering more pizza and another diet soda (she doesn’t drink alcohol).
Fraser says she’s enjoying “totally slacking” in Scotland and doesn’t know what’s coming next. She has a couple of films coming out, including “Wish You Well” with Ellen Burstyn. “I’m not worried, for once. I normally am but I feel very happy not to be working right now.” Getting another job in a couple of months “would be perfect, when the money runs out,” says Fraser, who is scheduled to return to the U.S. in October and calls upstate New York home.
It was there that she practiced her American accent to portray Lydia. “I practiced and listened to Americans and asked people if I was slipping to correct me and recorded myself and talked to myself like a maniac walking around outside in the woods.” Lydia’s nervous, brittle manner “just came with the writing and the situations that they put Lydia in. It just kind of flowed. That’s just what came out when I did Lydia. I went with it.”
[This article has been updated.]
Lydia Rodarte-Quayle
Julie Harris Dies at 87
'The Butler' Serves Up Another Box Office Win | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/6899 | Find FilmsSeriesFundingEducatorsWatch VideoInteractiveEngagementAboutGOAncestors in the Americas: Chinese in the Frontier WestOverviewThe FilmmakerCommentsLoni Ding, ProducerLoni Ding's career has been as a pioneering filmmaker, media policy advocate, and university teacher. With almost 30 years as an independent filmmaker and producer, her work has been broadcast on PBS in 14 national programs, and played to audiences on four continents. Her works include: 600 Millennia: China’s History Unearthed, a prime-time special on the 1975 international tour of an archaeological collection from the People's Republic of China; Bean Sprouts, a five-part children's series on multicultural identity; Willie Lobo: Manchild, a musical drama on the ghetto homecoming of a black Vietnam veteran much changed by the war; and two films — Nisei Soldier and The Color of Honor — on the political and moral dilemmas faced by Japanese American soldiers serving in World War II. Nisei Soldier and The Color of Honor were shown to the U.S. Congress as part of their legislative hearings in 1987 and 1988 on Japanese American Redress and Reparations.
Ding’s awards include several Emmy Awards, a Rockefeller Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship, a Director's Fellowship from the American Film Institute, and the Steven Tatsukawa Memorial Fund, honoring her works devoted to Asian Pacific Americans.
Ding currently teaches in the Asian American and ethnic studies department of the University of California, Berkeley and has been a distinguished visiting professor at other universities. Ding was most recently appointed to serve on a Distinguished Blue Ribbon Commission to advise the Smithsonian Institution on its review and overhauling of themes and methods of presentation in the 21st century, focused on "What Is An American?"Independent Television Service is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.Contact UsBlogPressroomJobsTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyCopyright © 2016 Independent Television Service, Inc. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/6949 | Company TownThe business behind the show
Company Town Home
'Twilight': What does Catherine Hardwicke's exit bode for 'New Moon'?
December 8, 2008 | 2:09
By now, Sunday's sudden and stunning news that "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke would not return to helm "New Moon" has had time to sink in. Consider what her departure means for the franchise.
Hardwicke was key in casting Kristen Stewart and breakthrough star Robert Pattinson as the young lovers in Stephenie Meyer's romantic vampire saga, and she's got a proven track record in dealing with themes and issues concerning young people ("Thirteen" and "Lords of Dogtown.") Perhaps more important, Hardwicke, who in fact is still on the promotional tour for the film, which has grossed almost $140 million in the U.S. alone, is something of a "Twilight" fangirl herself. The night before the Los Angeles premiere, she visited fans in line -- many of whom had been there for a couple of days -- posing for pictures and signing autographs. She was also at least partially responsible for getting the film's initial script, which she compared to "Charlie's Angels," nixed in favor of a more faithful telling.
Now she's gone and fans what to know what happens next. There are few schools of thought:
Not to fret, different directors can keep a series fresh. Just look at the "Harry Potter" movies, which began with the straight-forward adaptations of Christopher Columbus, went through a darker if more emotionally powerful period with Alfonso Cuaron ("Prisoner of Azkaban"), got an adrenaline boost from Mike Newell ("Goblet of Fire"), and have matured under David Yates ("Order of the Phoenix" and the upcoming "Half-Blood Prince.") Ditto other successful franchises such as "James Bond," the "Bourne" movies. Movie watchers have already begun discussing who should take over. RopeOfSilicon.com has five female suggestions, among them Kimberly Pierce, who directed "Boys Don't Cry," and Mira Nair from "The Namesake." Earlier this month, Film.com weighed in with its top choices, including young upstart Sarah Polley and long-shot Sofia Coppola. It doesn't matter who's behind the lens, as long as screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg sticks around. Rosenberg is credited with condensing 500+ pages of story into a two-hour film, helping to eliminate some of Meyer's clunkier passages of prose and injecting more humor into Meyer's story (i.e. the exchanges between Charlie and Billy, the dialog among Bella's human pals, details such as the wall of graduation caps.) Critics who had positive things to say about the film were grateful.
On the flip side, taking such liberties infuriated some Meyer devotees, and could do so to an even larger extent in "New Moon." Rosenberg reportedly achieved a way to squeeze in more screen time for Edward, even when he's supposed to go MIA for the majority of the second book. The cast will be back -- what could go wrong? Pattinson and Stewart aren't going anywhere. Does anything else matter?
We have a problem, Forks. Whether or not you fell in love with Hardwicke's vision, the director's finger was on the pulse of "Twilight" fans. She relentlessly scoured Oregon for Bella's and Edward's perfect meadow, the pivotal scene for most readers. She made sure Stewart and Pattinson would steam up the screen -- on her own bed, no less. She made sure the book's many characters were all accounted for, even arguably expendable folk such as Eric.) She even went so far as to film a scene from "Midnight Sun," Meyer's as-yet-unfinished retelling of "Twilight" from Edward's perspective, which will be included as a bonus for fans on the film's forthcoming DVD. Will Summit Entertainment be able to find another director so in touch with teens and just as passionate about the source material? What do you all think? Is Hardwicke's exit a good or bad thing for "New Moon"? Does it make a difference? Who do you want to see take over? -- Denise Martin
Related:"Twilight" sequel "New Moon" gets the green light from SummitComplete "Twilight" Countdown coverage
Photo: Catherine Hardwicke. Credit: Getty Images | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7180 | # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Here Three Dramas from Sony
Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle (November 14/10) Based on a novel by, of course, Debbie Macomber, Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle follows widower Seth Webster (James Van Der Beek) as he attempts to find a babysitter willing to put up with his twin boys' rambunctious behavior - with his problems apparently solved by the sudden appearance of a kind nanny named Mrs. Merkle (Doris Roberts). Mrs. Merkle, nicknamed Mrs. Miracle by the kids, quickly proves to possess more than just child-rearing skills, however, and it's not long before she's attempting to set Seth up with an emotionally-damaged travel agent (Erin Karpluk's Reba Maxwell). Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle generally feels low rent and simplistic even by the less-than-impressive standards of its made-for-television brethren, as the movie boasts a pervasively bland sensibility that's reflected in its various attributes (including David Golden's predictable and consistently underwhelming screenplay). The relentlessly banal atmosphere inevitably grows oppressive, with the stale vibe perpetuated by an ongoing emphasis on almost eye-rollingly hackneyed conventions and cliches (ie the dreaded fake break-up). And although both Van Der Beek and Karpluk are quite charming (and possess genuine chemistry with one another), Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle is ultimately a bottom-of-the-barrel bit of filmmaking that seems unlikely to win over even Macomber herself.
out of Georgia O'Keeffe (November 6/10)
Georgia O'Keeffe casts Joan Allen as the title character, an American painter whose relationship with a philandering fellow artist (Jeremy Irons' Alfred Stieglitz) ultimately comes to define both her life and her art. Despite its true-life origins, George O'Keeffe is, for the most part, a pervasively superficial piece of work that boasts few attributes designed to capture (and sustain) the viewer's interest - as director Bob Balaban, working from Michael Cristofer's script, has infused the proceedings with an almost wildly inauthentic feel that's reflected in everything from its cheap-looking sets to its uncomfortably over-the-top performances to its hopelessly affected dialogue. There's subsequently little doubt that Georgia O'Keeffe remains utterly uninvolving for virtually the duration of its overlong running time, with the less-than-enthralling vibe compounded by Cristofer's head-scratching decision to leave O'Keeffe's artistic endeavors largely unexplored - as the screenwriter instead emphasizes her on-again-off-again coupling with Irons' character (but given that neither figure is especially well developed, it becomes impossible to work up any interest in the fate of their relationship). The inclusion of several unusually pointless sequences - ie O'Keeffe learns how to drive - cements Georgia O'Keeffe's place as a rather insignificant piece of work, which is a shame, undoubtedly, given the importance of the film's subject to the art world.
out of The Karate Kid (November 16/10)
A worthless, utterly disposable remake, The Karate Kid follows scrappy 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) as he and his single mother (Taraji P. Henson's Sherry) move to China after she's transferred there for work - with Dre's ongoing encounters with a group of surly bullies inevitably forcing him to learn kung fu from his apartment building's grizzled maintenance man (Jackie Chan's Mr. Han). It's clear right from the get-go that The Karate Kid's biggest deficiency is its star, as Jaden Smith delivers a wooden, hopelessly uncharismatic performance that effectively prevents the viewer from working up any sympathy or interest in his ongoing exploits. (That he's been surrounded by a whole host of aggressively bland periphery figures only exacerbates this feeling.) There's consequently little doubt that the film's astonishing running time of 140 minutes (!) often feels much, much longer, with the increasingly interminable atmosphere compounded by the presence of several padded-out and entirely needless sequences (ie Dre and Mr. Han visit an ancient Chinese sanctuary). It's also worth noting that even the movie's fight scenes, presumably meant to come off as a highlight, manage to disappoint, as Harald Zwart's incompetent direction transforms such moments into an incoherent blur of action and movement (ie enough with the shaky camerawork and tight close-ups already). And although Jackie Chan delivers an impressively complex performance and manages to put his own spin on Pat Morita's iconic Mr. Miyagi, The Karate Kid is ultimately a tiresome and wholly irrelevant piece of work that forces one to view the comparatively masterful original in a whole new light. out of © David Nusair | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7212 | Second City Chicago MainStage Home
The Second City's 101st Revue, Let Them Eat Chaos Purchase Tickets
The Second City's 101st Revue, Let Them Eat Chaos
8:00 PM Second City Chicago MainStage, Chicago, IL
Cancel The Second City Finds 101 Ways to Let Them Eat Chaos
For better or worse, we're someone to everyone. Sometimes the title is friend and sometimes the title is enemy - unfortunately, we can't always dictate our role nor can we control our path through the world. The cast of The Second City Mainstage invites you to grab the people that mean the most to you and take a journey with them from the high seas of the Atlantic to the bohemian home of Panamanian poets. Let's leave the rest and let them eat chaos.
Jeff Award-winning director Matt Hovde (Studs Terkel's Not Working, Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)) returns to The Second City's legendary Mainstage Theater to lead a veteran cast including Edgar Blackmon (Jeff Award-winner - Best Actor - Revue), Holly Laurent, Tawny Newsome, Katie Rich, Steve Waltien and new cast member Ross Bryant. Julie N. Nichols returns to the keys (and mandolin, gong and Wurlitzer) forLet Them Eat Chaos and Craig Taylor returns as Stage Manager. The producing team for Let Them Eat Chaos includes Chief Executive Officer & Executive Producer for The Second City, Andrew Alexander; Executive Vice President, Kelly Leonard; Producer, Alison Riley; and Associate Producer, Jeremy Smith.
Tickets for Let Them Eat Chaos are available by phone at 312-337-3992 or online atwww.SecondCity.com. The show schedule and ticket prices are as follows:
Tuesday 8 p.m. $23.00 Wednesday 8 p.m. $23.00 Thursday 8 p.m. $23.00 Friday and Saturday 8 p.m. & 11 p.m. $28.00 Sunday 7 p.m. $23.00
Got kids? The Second City has a nightclub atmosphere and alcohol is served.
Our shows contain adult content and language. Most of our shows are the equivalent of an R-rated movie. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian when coming to the 11pm shows due to Chicago curfew laws. Please note we're not able to admit anyone under the age of 10. The Second City is best for savvy teen and adult audiences. If you require special seating or accommodations (Wheelchair-bound, Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired) please contact our box office at (312) 337-3992 to ensure the best service.
Want to join a larger party but pay separately? Give us a call 312.337.3992 and we'll sure you're seated with your party.
EDGAR BLACKMON(Ensemble) is from Richton Park, IL. This is his third revue for The Second City Mainstage. He was a member of The Second City's Outreach & Diversity Ensemble and later toured with The Second City Touring Company. He is also a part of the comedy duo "Mad Highentists." Follow Edgar on twitter at @edgarblackmon.
ROSS BRYANT(Ensemble) travelled the world with The Second City Touring Company, co-wrote and performed the revue One Nation Under 1% in UP Comedy Club, and appeared in The Second City's Guide to the Opera at Lyric Opera. He is an ensemble member of Baby Wants Candy and The Improvised Shakespeare Company, with whom he has performed all over the USA and Canada.
HOLLY LAURENT(Ensemble) is a member of the longstanding improv group The Reckoning and is a consulting writer for The Onion News Network. She trained at iO Chicago, the Annoyance Theater, 500 Clown, and toured with The Second City Touring Company. Holly holds an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Arts from Columbia College. She was a member of the Jeff–nominated Mainstage revues South Side of Heaven and Who Do We Think We Are. This is her third Mainstage revue. Follow Holly on Twitter @laurentholly.
TAWNY NEWSOME(Ensemble) was most recently in The Second City e.t.c.'s 36th revueWe're All in This Room Together. A DePaul Theatre School graduate, Tawny has performed with several Chicago theatre companies including Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writer's Theatre, and Porchlight Music Theater. Tawny can also be seen with her band Jon Langford and Skull Orchard, and she's just finished her first solo album and would love to talk to you for way too long about it. You can learn more about Tawny attawnynewsome.com.
KATIE RICH (Ensemble) studied at Northwestern University before traveling with The Second City Touring Company and performing in the 99th Mainstage revue, South Side of Heaven. Katie improvises at iO Chicago, and her solo work has been seen at iO West, TBS' Just for Laughs Festival, and the Paper Machete. Commercial credits include: Walmart, Sonic Drive-in, Lexus, Radio Shack and more. Movie credits include: Martin Short's Let Freedom Hum and with Abigail Breslin in Janie Jones. Follow her @katiemaryrich. Go Bears!
STEVE WALTIEN(Ensemble) is thrilled to be part of his second revue on The Second City Mainstage. Steve has performed regularly at the iO Theatre for years and toured the world with numerous improv shows including The Improvised Shakespeare Company and Whirled News Tonight. Favorite scripted shows include Jordan and Steve are Steve and Jordan, Respectively; The Late Night Late Show; and his solo show Scenes With Ghosts.
MATT HOVDE (Director) Directing credits includeSky's The Limit (Weather Permitting), Studs Terkel's Not Working (Jeff Award Winner – Best Director); Chicago Live!;America: All Better!; Rod Blagojevich Superstar!;Campaign Supernova;Between Barack and a Hard Place; How I Lost My Denverginity; and The Best of The Second City. He is the Artistic Director of The Second City Training Center, and is a founder of the Galileo Players sketch group. Matt was born in Chicago, grew up in Omaha, and graduated from TCU.
JULIE B. NICHOLS(Music Direction, Original Incidental Music, Sound Design) is thrilled to be part of the Second City Mainstage. This is her third Mainstage revue. Previous credits includeSpoiler Alert: Everybody Dies and the Jeff-nominated South Side of Heaven. Prior to life on the Mainstage, Julie was the associate musical director for Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. Prior to that, Julie toured with The Second City Touring Company and was lucky enough to perform and compose for The Annoyance Theater. Julie serves as the musical director for The New Colony and her pet project is the hit NPR parody podcast, The Fraudkast(fraudkast.org), for which she serves as producer, composer, and editor.
CRAIG TAYLOR (Stage Manager) has stage managed more than 35 revues for The Second City and has been asked to provide the impossible for numerous Second City directors. Home
Second City Chicago MainStage. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7306 | HomeLegitNews Road shows suffer spinout
Auds leave midsize shows stranded
CHICAGO — Broadway may be buoyant, but this season’s figures show once again that strong legit biz in New York is failing to translate to the road. With grosses either flatlining or trending downward, frustrated presenters are casting about for solutions.
Book fewer shows? Get into the premium ticket biz? Fight for longer engagements of “Wicked?” Pray for fewer snowstorms? Or presenters could quit “four-walling” the popular shows people actually want to see. Those flat-fee rental deals yield profits for producers but, without much gross participation, are less lucrative for presenting theaters.
Those are all ideas being bandied about in presenter-land after another tough year on the road.
Full season totals are still a week away, but according to Variety’s tallies of reported road grosses for major shows, box office for the past 51 weeks hit $487.5 million, cementing the steady decline of the past few years. For the 2005-06 season, the 51-week total was $521 million. For 2004-05, it was $628 million. And for 2003-04, $711 million, a figure that now looks like a sugar-coated song-and-dance dream to road presenters.”It was hard to get people’s attention,” says Denver Center Attractions chief Randy Weeks of the past year, during which he suffered his way through a couple of debilitating snowstorms. “The mix of shows didn’t always inspire,” echoes Meredith Blair, prexy of the Booking Group.
Ironically, presenters’ usual complaint about lack of product wasn’t a factor this year. There were a slew of shows on offer.
“It seems there are more booking agencies offering more shows than ever,” says Stephen Lindsay of the Road Company. And lack of blockbusters wasn’t the problem either. Shows like “Wicked,” “Mamma Mia!” and “Monty Python’s Spamalot” — members of the million-a-week club — exhibit few signs of slowing down.
“With ‘Mamma Mia!’ we often do better on the third engagement than we did the first two times around,” says Blair. And based on its solid early weeks in a six-month Chicago stand, “The Color Purple” looks as if it can expect a mil or so per week in many urban markets for the next two to three years. The 2006-07 season’s problem, simply put, was the number of midsized shows that underperformed, often to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars per week. Among the titles widely mentioned as not bringing in the pasta is “The Light in the Piazza.”
“That one was tough going in Cleveland,” says Gina Vernaci of Playhouse Square Center, even though she greatly admired the show, as did most presenters and reviewers.
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” also failed to clean up. “Sweet Charity” often made presenters feel as if they were running a charity themselves. And the acrimonious Joan Collins-Linda Evans catfight vehicle, “Legends,” was a colossal disaster, garnering some of the worst reviews in recent road history and causing initial talk of its eventual arrival on Broadway to quickly evaporate.
For presenters, this was bad news because on paper, these were the shows with potential for hearty biz. And the big hits, mostly, were four-wall deals with the bulk of the revenue flowing back to the producers.
In some markets, it looks as if presenters simply overbought this year, presenting eight or nine shows and “special attractions” when they would have been better off sticking to their usual bill of five or six.
There were some exceptions. Roundabout Theater’s virgin road attraction, “Twelve Angry Men,” was the sleeper hit of the year.
“Touring is a logical extension of the Roundabout’s mission,” says Roundabout artistic director Todd Haimes. And based on weekly grosses, it’s also a profitable extension of that mission. The hung jurors of the trial drama are going into their second year, which, as Blair points out, is most unusual for a play.
John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt,” which just hung up its habits in Philly, also performed very well, especially in major markets, mostly on the back of stellar notices for star Cherry Jones’ Tony-winning turn. Thanks to the marquee value of original cast members Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” did very nicely in major cities, although Turner missed several heavily sold Chi performances. All of that makes Peter Morgan’s “Frost/Nixon,” which plans to tour, an attractive booking.
A variety of new methods are coming on line to maximize potential revenue. Premium tix — the phenom largely responsible for the Broadway uptick of recent seasons — is coming to the road. In Chi, where the theaters are so full of long-running shows that presenting banner Broadway in Chicago is struggling to keep its subscribers happy, premium tix are a big part of the plan for the upcoming stand of “Jersey Boys” this fall.
At weekend perfs, a good chunk of top seats in Chicago are going for at least $150 per. Broadway in Chicago vice president Eileen LaCario says she doesn’t want to see the premiums go as high as Gotham, but, clearly, variable pricing is on the rise.
“We’re putting together a plan,” says Weeks of Denver. “It really doesn’t make sense to have 1,700 main floor tickets all priced the same. There is a group of people who want the best seats and don’t care what they pay. So let them subsidize somebody else.”
For sure, road presenters are figuring out that their subscription-averse patrons are demanding the ability to get a terrific pair five or even two days from the desired performance. And since they are willing to open their wallets, that flexibility could be a win-win.
In general, the road appears bullish on the new season. “Legally Blonde” is regarded as a potential road blockbuster and the most exciting touring title of the season.
“It’s the crown jewel,” says Lindsay. However, there’s some resentment in road-land about the show’s failure to net a Tony nomination for best musical (it scored eight others), with roadsters suspecting fear in the New York community that the collective road vote would give “Legally Blonde” the top prize — not, it appears, an unreasonable fear.
Exciting but tricky in content, “Spring Awakening” appears more likely to sit down in major markets in the short term, but it’s still regarded as a decent prospect. Also promising to be a high-end entry with greater impact on the coasts than in the hinterland, “Grey Gardens” has announced intentions for a U.S. tour following its London engagement next season, again starring Christine Ebersole. And there’s considerable anticipation for the revivals of “A Chorus Line” and (given the new TV exposure from NBC’s reality casting series) “Grease.”
Some newly touring tougher sells from last season, such as “Sweeney Todd” and “The Drowsy Chaperone,” are perceived as viable because they’re not demanding barbarous amounts of money for a booking. And although you might think the controversial road delay would have hurt “Avenue Q” (which reneged on its original tour promise for a commercially unsuccessful Vegas run instead), that’s not thought to be the case in most quarters — especially since the Tony winner has now had a lot more time to build its brand.
Revivals of hoary chestnuts are regarded as officially dead — unless you count the still-solid “Rent” in that category. But the days of trotting out a 1940s-’60s classic adult title and hitting paydirt clearly are over. “That audience seems to have gone away,” says Blair. The revival of “Camelot” with Michael York was by no means a disaster (and continues to tour), but it performed below expectations in many markets.
And while presenters had been drawn into early discussions about a fast tour of “The Pirate Queen,” interest in bookings dwindled after the historical tuner took a critical bath in Gotham. But if deep-pocketed producers Moya Doherty and John McColgan have their way, swashbuckler Grace O’Malley may yet be back.
David Stone, the producer of “Wicked,” says he thinks that a small number of blockbuster shows will form a bigger and bigger percentage of the total road gross in future seasons.
“The big shows did unbelievably well th
is year,” he says.
And, indeed, the figures support his argument. “Wicked” did $58.3 million this season in Chi and $72.2 million on tour. When you add another $25.9 million from the relatively new L.A. staging, that’s pushing a third of this year’s total road take.
All in all, this season’s much-predicted road recovery never happened. But as a Chicago Cubs fan would say, there’s always next year. Especially if “The Color Purple” keeps smelling the roses and “Legally Blonde” turns out to be the next “Wicked.” And by then, the Live Nation road operation should have a new owner, who might have even more ideas. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7307 | HomeFilmAwards Tomei joins Aronofsky’s ‘Wrestler’
Actress to star as stripper in drama
Marisa Tomei has signed on to play the female lead opposite Mickey Rourke in Darren Aronofsky’s indie drama “The Wrestler.”
Story centers on an over-the-hill 1980s-era pro grappler (Rourke) who quits the business after a heart attack and moves in with a stripper (Tomei) to build a relationship with her son. Aronofsky and Robert Siegel wrote the screenplay.
Shooting is under way in New York and New Jersey.
Tomei, who most recently co-starred in Sidney Lumet’s “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” will segue to the stage after filming “The Wrestler” with a starring role in “Top Girls” on Broadway. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7535 | Update! Paul McCartney Hints at Ringo Starr Joining Him On Stage Tuesday, May 13, 2014
If you’re one of the thousands of people who snapped up tickets to see Paul McCartney at Dodger Stadium on August 10, you may be in for a bit of history. McCartney may have hinted that he might be joined by Ringo Starr.
Speaking to KROQ’s Kevin and the Bean show, McCartney was asked if any of his many L.A.-based musician friends — singling out Dave Grohl by name — would be sitting in with him on that night. But McCartney chose a different name to drop. “It’s always a possibility, you know,” he said. “It depends who’s in town, who fancies showing up. But you’re right, that’s one of the great things about L.A. is that nowadays I have millions of people I know out there, not least of all Ringo. So, who knows, we might find a couple of them creeping up on stage unbeknownst to me.” If that was indeed a hint, it was so subtle that the show’s hosts didn’t even pick up on it. Instead, they followed their intended line of questions about working with Grohl and the other surviving members of Nirvana on the Grammy-winning song ‘Cut Me Some Slack.’ It really wouldn’t be too much of a shock to see McCartney and Starr back together. Earlier this year, they stole the show when they performed at a made-for-TV special, ‘The Beatles: The Night that Changed America,’ that aired on the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ first appearance on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show.’
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7587 | Home › Archives › Shooting in Kashmir was most peaceful: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Shooting in Kashmir was most peaceful: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra By Ruchika Kher
Mumbai, Feb 6 (IANS) Four months of unrest in the summer saw over 100 dead but filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra shot his comedy in Jammu and Kashmir during the biting winter in what he termed "the most peaceful shoot". He said people came out in hordes in the beautiful Gulmarg to help the crew.
"We shot in Gulmarg for 45 days. It was completely snowed out and looked a million dollars. It's the best place to shoot and people are so great there," Mehra, whose production "Teen Thay Bhai" was shot there, told IANS in an interview.
"It was the most peaceful shoot of our lives ever. We received unconditional support from the government. The people of Kashmir came out in hordes to help us and without them it couldn't have happened. In fact, we face problems when we shoot in Mumbai...," he added.
Mehra's film, a comedy, is being directed by debutant Mrigdeep Singh Lamba and stars Om Puri, Deepak Dobrial, Shreyas Talpade and TV actress Ragini Khanna, who is Govinda's niece.
However, it wasn't all hunky dory as the weather played truant. They got caught in a snow blizzard and had to stop shoot for five days.
"The first four-five days of shooting had to be called off because there was a snow blizzard. People went inside the hotel from the lobby and when they woke up in the morning, they had to come out of the window of the second floor because the snow had come up till there," said Mehra, who has directed films like "Aks" and "Rang De Basanti".
"Then snow cutters were called for and army help was sought and for six days nothing was done. All our equipments were under snow. Everything got buried. But thankfully everyone was safe and when the snow kind of eased out after six days, we cut a road to the location and then started shooting," said Mehra.
"It's essentially a story of three brothers who love to hate each other. They can't see eye to eye but then destiny brings them together and they have to discover brotherhood. That's the basic story. It's a comedy," said Mehra.
After his last directorial venture in 2009 film "Delhi-6", the 47-year-old decided to give the mantle of direction to a new filmmaker this time.
Asked for the reason behind it, Mehra said: "When Mrigdeep came with this film, we were looking at expanding the company. He came at the right time and the right moment. When he narrated the script, we immediately decided to make it."
"We were completely moved by the script, his passion and his homework was so strong, his treatment was very good and I could relate to him and how badly he wanted to make the film! So we were very happy to become a part of his vision and produce it," he added.
The promos of the film will be out by Feb 20 and the makers plan to release it April 1, All Fools' Day.
"We are planning to release the film on April 1. That's a huge synergy. It's a completely wacked out script. So we thought that April 1 would be good for it," Mehra explained.
(Ruchika Kher can be contacted at [email protected]) | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7588 | Home › Archives › Preity Zinta takes on the challenge Preity Zinta takes on the challenge By HT
Looks like Preity Zinta is really confident about her upcoming film, Ishkq In Paris (IIP), which has been delayed for months now. The actor recently went on to say that if Aamir Khan’s Talaash (2012) could be successful releasing a year after it was originally scheduled to, she doesn’t see why
IIP won’t do well despite a six-month delay.
“Talaash got delayed but it still did well. Our film has been postponed by only six months. It won’t change anything,” says Preity.
IIP’s release date was postponed after director Prem Raj was diagnosed with cancer. The film will now hit theatres on May 24, and Preity believes that the ongoing T20 tournament will not affect the film’s turnover.
“The final match is on May 26 — and it’s going to last for only three hours. Even in the past, films that released during the T20 tournament have done well,” she says.
Even as she juggles work, her T20 team and her own production house — Preity claims that she is currently concentrating on her acting career.
“I had taken some time off because of the T20 tournament. I am now focussing on acting. Yes, I am producing IIP, but I am also acting in it. I am multitasking more nowadays,” she says.
Recently, Preity was seen promoting IIP on the sets of a kids’ reality show, India’s Best Dramebaaz.
Preity to promote film in cricket stadiums
Preity Zinta, who is the co-owner of Kings XI Punjab team, will make the most of the remaining matches in the ongoing tournament. She, along with her co-star in Ishkq In Paris, Rhehan Malliek, will promote the film inside the stadiums.
“Preity and I will be seen together in the last few matches of her team. It is a big cricket tournament and we plan to reach out to a large section of audience through the matches. The film is releasing on May 24 while the tournament finals are on May 26, so we have three days to get all the attention we need through the matches,” says Rhehan, who is making his Bollywood debut with this film. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7624 | Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark - Broadway
America's favorite superhero swings onto the Broadway stage.
Robert Cuccioli Flies Into Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark as the Green Goblin
Robert Cuccioli
Robert Cuccioli joins the cast of 'Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark.'
Tony Award nominee Robert Cuccioli will assume the role of Green Goblin/Norman Osborn in Broadway’s Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark on August 7 at the Foxwoods Theatre. Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark follows the story of Peter Parker (Reeve Carney), whose ordinary teenage life takes a turn for the extraordinary when he’s bitten by a genetically altered spider and suddenly finds himself endowed with superpowers. Parker quickly learns that with great power comes great responsibility as he tries to juggle the demands of high school and home life, while battling the Green Goblin and his band of super villains. Peter must fight to save everything he holds dear, including the beautiful girl-next-door, Mary Jane Watson (Rebecca Faulkenberry).
Cuccioli has appeared on Broadway in Jekyll & Hyde and Les Miserables, and off-Broadway in Temporary Help, Enter the Guardsman, Dietrich & Chevalier, And the World Goes ‘Round, The Rothschilds and Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark features music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy Award-winners Bono and The Edge, direction by Philip William McKinley, original direction by Tony Award winner Julie Taymor, and a book co-written by Taymor, Glen Berger and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7627 | Cinedigm to Release GKIDS' TALES OF THE NIGHT on DVD 1/29
TALES OF THE NIGHT, a stunning new feature film by French filmmaker Michel Ocelot ("Kiriko and the Sorceress;" "Azur & Asmar"), will now be available to audiences of all ages at home. Through an agreement with the film's theatrical distributor, GKIDS, Cinedigm Entertainment Group (CEG) will release the English-language version of TALES OF THE NIGHT on January 29 on DVD/Blu-ray, preceded by an early cable VOD and digital release on January 8.TALES OF THE NIGHT extends the shadow puppet style of Ocelot's earliest works, with black silhouetted characters set off against exquisitely detailed Day-Glo backgrounds bursting with color and kaleidoscopic patterns. The film weaves together six exotic fables each unfolding in a unique locale, from Tibet, to medieval Europe, to the Land of the Dead:The Werewolf - Two sisters are in love with the same dashing young man. The older girl wins the young man's heart through deceit, leaving her younger sister in despair. But this perfect man has a terrible secret.Ti Jean and the Belle-Sans-Connaître - In the Antilles, a carefree boy breezes along whistling. He enters a cave and goes down, down, down, deeper than he could ever imagine. Will nothing strike fear into his heart or break his stride?The Chosen One And The City Of Gold - Amidst grand ceremony, a girl is given in sacrifice to a strange beast, and in exchange her people will receive much gold. The girl has a sweetheart who opposes the arrangement - but the creature is invincible!Boy Tam-Tam - A boy taps away all day long, on anything he can find, driving everyone crazy. He'd love to own a real drum, or better still, the magic tam-tam, which can make anyone dance.The Boy Who Never Lied - A horse that can speak is a rarity, but not so rare as a boy who never lies. The King of Tibet makes a bet that no one can make his stable boy tell a lie. His cousin accepts the bet - but he has a formidable secret weapon.The Doe-Girl And The Architect's Son - A young man sees his beloved transformed into a doe before his own eyes by a jealous sorcerer. The elusive Caress Fairy is the only one able to help him, but she's so very hard to find.
"Storytelling is my language. When I do it, I'm in my element," says Ocelot, who has won several major awards for his animated films. "I've always made little things in relief, cut-outs, collages, and so on. Technological advancements enabled me to return to a certain enchantment in my early work." TALES OF THE NIGHT was nominated for a Golden Berlin Bear at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival before opening theatrically in 3D in the U.S. in September 2012. The release of TALES OF THE NIGHT on home entertainment platforms marks the continuation of a longstanding partnership between GKIDS and New Video (now Cinedigm Entertainment Group), which has previously distributed GKID's Oscar-nominated films "The Secret of Kells," "A Cat in Paris," and "Chico & Rita."DVD and Blu-ray bonus features include: an interview with Michel Ocelot; a featurette with Ocelot titled "The Festival of Color: Storytelling through Animation;" the original French audio track with English subtitles; and a U.S. theatrical trailer. Written and directed by Michel Ocelot; Christophe Rossignon and Philip Boëffard, producers; Eve Machuel, associate producer; music by Christian Maire.GKIDS is a distributor of award-winning filmed entertainment specializing in animation for both adult and family audiences. The company has scored three Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations in the past three years, with "The Secret of Kells" in 2010 and both "A Cat in Paris" and "Chico & Rita" in 2012 - marking the first time an independent distributor has had two simultaneous nominations in the category. GKIDS also handles North American theatrical distribution for Oscar winner Hayao Miyazaki's famed Studio Ghibli library of films, one of the world's most coveted animation collections with titles "Spirited Away," My Neighbor Totoro," "Princess Mononoke" and others. GKIDS is longtime producer of the New York Int'l Children's Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying event and North America's largest festival of film for children and teens. NYICFF jury members include Uma Thurman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Modine, Jeffrey Wright, Gus Van Sant, Christine Vachon, John Canemaker, Evan Shapiro and James Schamus.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7705 | [X]The Bourne Legacy
The Bourne Legacy Video
Rated PG-13 · 135 min. · 2012 The Bourne Legacy (PG-13) Despite a few missteps, The Bourne Legacy — which attempts to reinvigorate the series sans star Matt Damon — fits nicely into the existing cinematic universe of its predecessors. While director Paul Greengrass, who directed the last two movies, is no longer around, we're in no less capable hands with Tony Gilroy, who had a hand in the screenplays of each previous film. What's curious about Legacy is that we're not left with a reboot or a reimagining. Instead, this fourth entry starts around the beginning of The Bourne Ultimatum (or towards the end of The Bourne Supremacy if you want to get really pedantic and complicated), branching off into its own story and, conceivably, its own set of sequels. The idea is that the government has a whole cadre of genetically enhanced superspies, much like Jason Bourne, stashed away around the world. With Bourne out running amok, they've decided to get rid of them and anyone with knowledge of their existence. That's fine, except they let one of these guys — Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) — get away, and he of course decides to get to the bottom of why his bosses are trying to kill him. This leads to the usual: a lot of narrow escapes, fist fights, and even a motorcycle chase. But there's something missing. The scope of this installment is narrowed. We're no longer traipsing around as many exotic locales (we get Alaska, the Midwest, and the Phillipines), and action is pruned down, for better or worse, in favor of more story. The plot, which is specifically focused on Cross and his need for medication that's supplied by his higher-ups, seems smaller and less urgent. But the point of Legacy — and really each of the films that came before it — is to expand its own mythos, and within these modest aims, the movie works. There's a genuine attempt at making something new while keeping in the spirit of what came before it. —Justin Souther
Official Site: www.thebournelegacy.comDirector: Tony GilroyWriter: Tony GilroyProducer: Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley, Jeffrey M. Weiner and Ben SmithCast: Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz, Joan Allen, Oscar Isaac, Donna Murphy, Albert Finney, Scott Glenn, David Strathairn and Stacy Keach
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7733 | On TV"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" stars the voices of Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle and Fred Astaire as narrator. This stop-motion Christmas classic tells the story of how a young Kris Kringle became Santa Claus. ABC 8 p.m. EST.Hot Video: Ten-year-old dances with Tampa Bay cheerleadersTrending TopicThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the 2013 inductees. Heart, Randy Newman, Public Enemy, Rush and Donna Summer will be inducted as performers. Quincy Jones and Lou Adler will be inducted as non-performers.The news was a long time coming for the band Rush, which has been eligible for induction for 14 years. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame eligibility standards require that the group or artist must have released work at least 25 years earlier to be eligible for induction.GateHouse News Service | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7742 | Would Breaking Bad's Better Call Saul Spinoff Be Better Off At Netflix?
On the success of its original programming, it's been hit or miss for AMC, which is about standard for every cable network. But it seems like the gap between hit or miss is much greater for this particular cable channel, with Mad Men and Breaking Bad scoring critical acclaim and better than average (for cable) ratings, and The Walking Dead raking in the kind of numbers to rival a network TV drama, while shows like Hell on Wheels and newest addition Low Winter Sun haven't performed nearly as well on either front.
In absence of the next big hit for the network, it looks like they're aiming to expand and extend what is working. For The Walking Dead, it's another "companion series." For Mad Men, it's splitting the final season in half to extend its shelf-life at the network, much in the way that they did with Breaking Bad's last season. And that brings us to the topic at hand, the Better Call Saul spinoff/prequel series, which will focus on the origins and evolution of Bob Odenkirk's shady attorney character Saul Goodman. AMC may have another winner in their hands with that one, and if they do, they'll surely be celebrating their decision to move forward with it, especially considering there were other distributors waiting in the wings in the hopes of snatching it up if the deal didn't go through at AMC, Netflix among them.
THR shared some interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits about the negotiations for the Better Call Saul planned prequel series, noting that an official series order for the project is contingent on Odenkirk and creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould signing deals with studio Sony Pictures TV. The site later points out that Sony could not secure talent deals until they had the licensing deal finalized. AMC had an exclusive negotiation window for the rights to the Breaking Bad spinoff, and according to the site's sources, there was "discord over the timeline of that window" as well as the licensing fee. This was all being dealt with over the summer, and the deal was finally done at the last minute, ensuring that -- assuming the talent deals go through as planned -- Better Call Saul will air on AMC and not somewhere else.
But Netflix and FX were both said to be standing by with their wallets out had things not worked out for the AMC deal. THR posted an interview with FX's Eric Schrier in which he refers to Breaking Bad as "the show that got away." Snatching up Better Call Saul would certainly be a way for FX to make up for that loss, at least a little bit. But if anyone knows the full value of a show like Breaking Bad aside from AMC, it has to be Netflix. For years now, the streaming video service has offered past seasons of Breaking Bad to its subscribers, which should give the service plenty of opportunity to track the watchability and interest in the series and use that data to determine just how successful a spinoff prequel might be. Of course, one would assume that the spinoff would start off with an established fan base, but given the data Netflix is known to collect (Who's watching, how often do they watch, what other programs do they watch, are they rewatching episodes, etc…) they'd probably have a better idea than anyone just how valuable a Breaking Bad-related series would be.
As a viewer, my first reaction to THR's report was that it would've made little difference to me whether Better Call Saul ended up at AMC or FX, as both are cable channels and are known for a bit of grittiness for their dramas. On tone and content, at the very least, I don't think the series would have been drastically affected if it ended up at FX. Then again, there may be other behind-the-scenes factors to consider in terms of how AMC handles their series versus how FX treats theirs. After all, there was that publicized clash between Mad Men's Matthew Weiner and AMC, not to mention the musical-chairs game that is The Walking Dead showrunner situation.
So it's probably not be fair to assume the fate of Better Call Saul would be the same on FX or any other network as it would at AMC. But from a more obvious standpoint, if Netflix had gotten Better Call Saul, there would have been at least one major difference. Not only would it have had even more flexibility on content, but we'd probably be getting the entire first season all at once, as that's been Netflix's method of delivering their original programming to their subscribers. The full first season goes up and the viewer is left to decide how they want to watch. That kind of flexibility is a game-changer for TV. And the binge viewing option is an even bigger deal when we consider AMC's recent interest in extending their seasons by splitting them up and making viewers wait a whole year for the last half-season, which is pretty much the opposite of binge-viewing. Put simply, in a Netflix universe, we would've already seen the end of Breaking Bad.
With all of that in mind, it leaves me to wonder if Better Call Saul would have been better off with Netflix.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7826 | The Magnificent Seven Ride!
Lee Van Cleef, Stefanie Powers, Michael Callan, Pedro Armendariz Jr. & others. George McCowan, director.
DVD Widescreen/Closed Captioned
Lee Van Cleef takes on the role of the legendary Chris Adams (originally created by Yul Brynner) in this fourth and final chapter of the Magnificent Seven saga, from 1972. After his wife (Mariette Hartley) is killed, Adams, now a marshall in the Arizona Territory, tracks down the gunmen responsible and delivers swift justice. On his way home, he encounters a nearby border town whose male citizens have been killed by a ruthless gang of marauders who will soon be back for the town's surviving women. Adams rides to the territorial prison, where he recruits a new band of seven for one last battle against insurmountable odds. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/7935 | The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004)
New Line // PG // $24.98 // October 11, 2005
Review by Preston Jones | posted October 10, 2005
One glance at the cast assembled for The Bridge of San Luis Rey, this being the third filmed adaptation of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (the other two were in 1944 and 1929), and you think, "Wow, it'd take a lot to screw up with actors this distinguished." Robert De Niro, Kathy Bates, Harvey Keitel, Gabriel Byrne, F. Murray Abraham, Geraldine Chaplin, Dominique Pinon, Samuel Le Bihan and the Polish brothers (who've helmed Northfork and Twin Falls Idaho, among others)?
Writer/director Mary McGluckin, an Irish playwright making her feature film debut, doesn't so much waste the cast as saddle them with starchy period dialogue and mounds of era-appropriate duds. De Niro looks particularly uncomfortable in his archbishop get-up; it's hard to take the film seriously because you keep flashing back to Mel Brooks and Monty Python.
Set in Peru during the 18th century, five strangers on separate journeys meet at the titular bridge, crossing by chance at the exact same moment on July 20, 1714. The bridge tragically collapses, plummeting the five strangers to their deaths in the perilously deep gorge below. After they're buried, Brother Jupiter (Byrne) sets out to determine the connections between the five who died in the catastrophe. Presided over by the Archbishop of Lima (De Niro), Jupiter works to establish a theory as to how these five arrived on the bridge at the same time, as well as unravel the mystery of why the bridge collapsed.
Fate, free will, mystery and romance � The Bridge of San Luis Rey is certainly thematically loaded with more than enough to sustain a feature film; McGluckin, however, seems more preoccupied with nailing period detail and crafting beautiful (but torpid) images than juicing the story with any sense of urgency. There's a dull inevitability to Jupiter's search, which leaves much of the cast seeming either listless or wildly over-the-top (I'm looking at you, Kathy Bates). The Bridge of San Luis Rey might appeal to costume drama enthusiasts, but don't be suckered in with the promise of that cast.
The Video:
The Bridge of San Luis Rey is presented in a superb 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that does luminous justice to Javier Aguirresarobe's sumptuous cinematography. The period costumes and lavish locations suggest that every penny of the film's budget is up onscreen; there's scant evidence of defect. A great image.
DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 stereo are the aural flavors available � the DTS track is slightly more spacious and realistic than the Dolby Digital, but either selection is robust and clear, with no distortion or drop-out. For a goosebump-inducing example of DTS' clarity, check out the funeral scene around the two-minute mark, when the organs kick in.
There's very little in the way of supplemental material: the theatrical trailer for The Bridge of San Luis Rey as well as trailers for The Sea Inside, The Story of the Weeping Camel, The Assassination of Richard Nixon and The Agronomist, all offered in anamorphic widescreen.
Admirable in its aims, The Bridge of San Luis Rey marks the third adaptation of Thornton Wilder's prize-winning novel. It's a costume drama that's lavishly produced but dramatically inert � those with powdered wig fetishes might find something of value here. Rent it. | 影视 |
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(Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
Posted April 8 2013 — 3:43 PM EDT
Today, the internet is abuzz over a provocative new track from Brad Paisley and LL Cool J (yes, like Nelly and Tim McGraw before them, they recorded a duet) called “Accidental Racist,” which appears on Paisley’s ninth studio album Wheelhouse, available tomorrow.
The song covers Paisley’s struggle to deal with race issues as a white man in the South, who feels like people are “walking on eggshells” whenever the subject comes up. The lyrics describe him (or at least the character he’s playing) walking into a coffee shop wearing a shirt that has a confederate flag on it. Paisley sings, “[I’m] just a proud rebel son with an ‘ol can of worms/Lookin’ like I got a lot to learn.” LL Cool J eventually answers Paisley’s verse with a rap of his own. “If you don’t judge my do-rag… I won’t judge your red flag,” the recent Grammy host says. “If you don’t judge my gold chains… I’ll forget the iron chains,” he continues.
When the earnestly delivered song floated through the EW office a few weeks ago, we knew it was destined to cause a ruckus. So we asked Paisley to share his motivation for recording “Accidental Racist” as part of print-edition feature on the stories behind some of his biggest career hits. An online version of that article was supposed to run tomorrow, but since everyone is talking about “Accidental Racist” now, the song merited its own post.
Here’s Paisley (with very light edits, just for clarity) on why he made “Accidental Racist”:
“At this point, after all these albums and all these hits, I have no interest in phoning it in, and I think that [the song] comes from an honest place in both cases, and that’s why it’s on there and why I’m so proud of it. This isn’t a stunt. This isn’t something that I just came up with just to be sort of shocking or anything like that. I knew it would be, but I’m sort of doing it in spite of that, really. “I’m doing it because it just feels more relevant than it even did a few years ago. I think that we’re going through an adolescence in America when it comes to race. You know, it’s like we’re almost grown up. You have these little moments as a country where it’s like, ‘Wow things are getting better.’ And then you have one where it’s like, ‘Wow, no they’re not.’
“It really came to a boil last year with Lincoln and Django, and there’s just a lot of talk about it. It was really obvious to me that we still have issues as a nation with this. There are two little channels in each chorus that really steal the pie. One of them is, ‘We’re still picking up the pieces, walking on eggshells, fighting over yesterday,’ and the other is, ‘Paying for the mistakes that a lot of folks made long before we came.’ We’re all left holding the bag here, left with the burden of these generations. And I think the younger generations are really kind of looking for ways out of this. “I just think art has a responsibility to lead the way, and I don’t know the answers, but I feel like asking the question is the first step, and we’re asking the question in a big way. How do I show my Southern pride? What is offensive to you? And he kind of replies, and his summation is really that whole let’s bygones be bygones and ‘If you don’t judge my do rag, I won’t judge your red flag.’ We don’t solve anything, but it’s two guys that believe in who they are and where they’re from very honestly having a conversation and trying to reconcile. “I’m with my audience 100 percent in the Southern pride thing, in the same way that a Yankees fan is very proud of where he’s from – that’s LL. We’ve got pictures of him in a New York Yankees cap doing his vocal, which is so appropriate. “But, you know, it’s such a complicated issue – I’m reading up on it now, [since] I felt I needed to be well-armed for any discussion – and here he is in a Yankees cap, and you think to yourself, ‘Well here is the antithesis of what was the problem.’ But it’s not. New York City was all for slavery. They actually voted 60 percent against – or maybe 70 against – Abraham Lincoln because they didn’t like the idea of slavery going away because there goes cotton and there goes tobacco trade, you know what I mean? It’s very hypocritical to feel like it’s just the South’s fault. “But, at the same time, symbols mean things, and I know one thing: It just doesn’t do any good to blatantly do things and be like, ‘Just get over it.’ That’s not what we’re saying. This is a very sensitive subject, and we’re trying to have the discussion in a way that it can help.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSurzeGvPrQ
What do you think of the song?
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8136 | NCIS: Los Angelesclosed out Season 4 with the cruelest of cliff-hangers, leaving fans to wonder all summer whether Michelle (Aunjanue Ellis), who was last seen dangling out of a window, would survive; and whether Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) would crack ...
NCIS: Los Angeles closed out Season 4 with the cruelest of cliff-hangers, leaving fans to wonder all summer whether Michelle (Aunjanue Ellis), who was last seen dangling out of a window, would survive; and whether Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) would crack under the pressure of being gruesomely tortured. Oh, and then there are the tiny matters of Deeks and Kensi (Daniela Ruah) locking lips before everything went to hell, and of Callen (Chris O'Donnell) being betrayed by The Chameleon (Christopher Lambert), which set off the aforementioned chain of events.
"The [Season 4] finale and the premiere episode for Season 5, the impact of that particular story will have the greatest consequence of any story we've told," executive producer Shane Brennan tells TVGuide.com. "For a number of characters involved in that, there's nowhere to hide. If you think about the trauma that nearly all of them went through in the process of the finale, these things are not easily swept under the rug. We're not going to pay lip service to them and then move on. ... Particularly Kensi and Deeks, their relationship has been altered by the kiss, and then it's been altered by the trauma that Deeks is going through when we left him."
TVGuide.com turned to Brennan, as well as Olsen and Ruah, to get scoop on the Season 5 premiere (Tuesday, 9/8c, CBS). Here are six teasers from the season opener:
1. There won't be any break in the action. "It's a continuous season premiere from the finale," Brennan says. "We play the story out in that first episode. ... Everything that we set up in the finale is addressed. I won't say everything is resolved, but everything is addressed." For Kensi, it raises the stakes of needing to rescue Deeks and Sam (LL Cool J) before it's too late. "Now it's not just her partner she's saving," Ruah notes. "It's this guy that she might have a future with."
2. Deeks' troubles may have only just begun. As if the stomach-churning scene of Deeks getting his teeth drilled wasn't enough - "I'm sure everyone who had a dental appointment over the summer decided to cancel the appointment," Brennan jokes - don't look for the show to ease up as the season progresses. "If you think that that was the big moment in this story arc, it wasn't. There's something bigger to come," Brennan says. "The opening episode is very, very traumatic for both Sam and for Deeks. ... Post-traumatic stress is something that happens after the event, sometimes a long time after the event. Deeks is going to have issues well into this season, and he's going to turn to the people he loves and cares about for help."
The biggest cast shakeups: NCIS and more
3. Don't expect a happy ending for Deeks and Kensi. At least not right away. "It's going to take a little while for Deeks and Kensi to talk this whole thing out. ... This season will focus a lot on the Deeks/Kensi relationship," Brennan notes. Viewers who are hoping for a quick resolution to the pair's trajectory aren't alone, however. "I think the audience deserves something. I don't think it would work if you just bury it, let it go and never talk about it," Ruah says. "They're humans. At some point, something has to be said." But it's not just Deeks who's holding back this time. "More than any of them, Kensi is probably in the most emotionally difficult position," Brennan says. "If this had been a normal day and she'd gone back home and gone to bed, she probably would have lay awake and thought about it all, but she hasn't got that luxury. The mission comes first, so she's focused on that. But... as we get to the conclusion of the opening episode, she will need to refocus on ... 'What just happened between Deeks and I, and what does that mean for the future? Does that jeopardize our partnership? Do I ignore this? Do I embrace this? What am I going to do?'"
4. Will Sam have a newfound respect for Deeks going forward? It's no secret that Sam and Deeks aren't exactly a buddy-cop pair. But will Deeks' risking his own life to save Sam and his wife finally earn him Sam's respect? "They're the two most contrasting characters on the page," Olsen says. "There's a really f---ing great scene in the season premiere between the two of them about that very thing." But viewers shouldn't assume anything about their relationship until it plays out, Brennan cautions. "Was Deeks strong enough to resist the torture? Did Deeks give something away? Is Michelle going to pull through this?" he teases. "The audience will have to sit through that and then make their assessment of what Sam thinks of Deeks. The story is only half-told."
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5. Brace for a showdown between Callen and The Chameleon. Callen feels a level of responsibility for Deeks' and Sam's predicament, since it was his decision to work with the Chameleon that compromised Sam and Michelle in the first place. "He needs to right this," Brennan says. "He needs to make sure that the Chameleon does not get away with what he did." But their story line won't be wrapped up neatly. "At some point, these two men will find themselves in a room and only one will come out alive," Brennan promises. "I'm not saying that it happens in the opening episode, but it will happen."
6. Is the team damaged beyond repair? As previously reported, Brennan has said that someone will be leaving the team by the end of the season. Whether the departure is a direct result of the events in the Season 4 finale remains to be seen, but it will take a significant toll on Hetty (Linda Hunt). "This will be the toughest season for Hetty," Brennan says. "She sends people out into danger, running towards the bullets in effect, and she's done that all of her career. ... The way this impacts her people, these events, and the personal effect it has on them, puts her in a very difficult position as the leader of the team. In fact, she is going to have some very difficult decisions to make this season - including a decision about the future of one of her agents."
NCIS: LA kicks off Season 5 Tuesday at 9/8c on CBS. Do you think Deeks and Sam will survive their ordeal? And which team member do you think will be leaving?
Additional reporting by Adam Bryant
View original 6 Teases from the NCIS: LA Season 5 Premiere at TVGuide.com
Aunjanue EllisChris O'DonnellChristopher LambertEric Christian OlsenLinda HuntShane BrennanNCIS: Los AngelesDaniela Ruah | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8193 | Inside Movies & DVD with Drew McWeeny
Elizabeth Olsen is the star of the daring new horror film 'Silent House' that is set to premiere at the Sundance 2011 Festival
Credit: Tokio Films
Sundance adds horror film 'Silent House' from the directors of 'Open Water'
Ambitious visual plan makes this a must-see at Park City
Drew McWeeny | Tuesday, Dec 28, 2010 7:00 PM
Now that I'm actually spending time digging into the Sundance website to read all the entries on all the films, I'm starting to get excited about the line-up. That's the way it almost always is with a festival. There are titles that jump out at first, titles that get interesting as you read about them, and titles that you'll never see coming that will blindside you. I just accept that and do my legwork ahead of time and roll the dice. Sometimes you see the films that really are worth seeing, sometimes you miss something special, and it's all part of the game you play when you're covering these events.
It helps when a film has a number of things about it that are immediately compelling, and that's the case with the latest addition to the line-up, just announced this morning in an e-mail to the press.
I quite like the film "Open Water" by Chris Kentis and Laura Lau. It's a simple premise, but the execution is what made it particularly effective. Their new film sounds like an experiment, and if they pull it off, it could be remarkable. "Silent House" stars Elizabeth Olsen as a woman "trapped in an unnerving nightmare." And here's the kicker… the film is one long continuous camera shot. One.
The official synopsis is as follows: "A hauntingly choreographed descent into madness based on the Uruguayan film 'La Casa Muda'". Laura Lau adapted the script, and Lau and Kentis co-directed a cast that includes Olsen, Eric Sheffer Stevens, Julia Taylor Ross, Adam Trese, Haley Murphy, and Adam Barnett. The press release promises that the film is "a truly unique horror experience with immediate intimacy and unsettling terror."
Sounds good. They've certainly got me intrigued now. I'd love for 2011 to be a big year for horror films. Sony's releasing "Insidious" at some point this coming year, and that one knocked me out at Toronto this year. Sundance has this and "Red State" both aiming high in the horror genre, and expectations are high walking into the fest. We'll have all the buzz on these films and many more when the entire Team HitFix descends on Park City the week of January 20th.
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Silent House, Sundance Film Festival, Open Water, Chris Kentis, Laura Lau, Elizabeth Olsen, Eric Sheffer Stevens, Julia Taylor Ross, Adam Trese, Haley Murphy, Adam Barnett, horror
Bob (guest)
Any word on Cabin in the Woods, now that MGM is starting to get back on its feet?
December 28, 2010 at 9:21PM EST
(guest)
Have many films done this? Russian Ark is the only one I can think of.
A quick web search finds a movie called Cut claiming to be "The World's first single continuous shot Horror/Thriller Feature Film." Silent House claims to be the first horror movie to do that, different because it doesn't have a '/thriller' I guess. Both of them were beat by PVC-1 which came out a couple years ago, but they must consider that a straight thriller with no horror. They were also beat by at least a few thrillers done in multiple shots but designed to look like one shot, like Hitchcock's Rope and the Bruce Campbell heist movie Running Time.
December 28, 2010 at 10:40PM EST
Roachboy (guest)
"Their new film sounds like an experiment, and if they pull it off, it could be remarkable."Isn't this a kind of ridiculous sentence considering they're basing it on the existing film that already pulled the one shot thing off? And what's so experimental about a remake?
December 29, 2010 at 7:39AM EST | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8245 | AP: Allen voted SAG’s executive director
AP: Allen voted SAG's executive director Indiewire
The Screen Actors Guild board of directors voted unanimously Saturday to hire former NFL players union executive Doug Allen as the organization’s national executive director and chief negotiator. The 54-year-old Allen served as assistant executive director of the NFL Players Association in Washington, D.C., for nearly 20 years. He also is credited for establishing Players Inc., the marketing and licensing subsidiary of the NFLPA. AP reports.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8292 | Actor in Boyhood’ film grew up in Summerville
Brad Hawkins When Brad Hawkins thinks of Summerville he loves recalling the times spent playing football and baseball at Doty Field.
He thinks about the times he attended Alston Middle School, and how he could walk to school from his house on Palmetto Street.He remembers playing junior varsity football at Summerville High School, with John McKissick as his coach. At the time Hawkins went by the name Dana Wroblski � but his last name was hard to pronounce so his nickname was �Hotrod.�He also remembers close bonds he formed with his football buddies and grabbing early-morning breakfasts in town before going to school.Growing up Hawkins split his time between Summerville, where his mom lived, and Dallas, Texas, where his dad lived. Hawkins would alternate his living situations up until about 1991, when he was a rising junior in high school and decided to move to Dallas after his mother passed away.�I remember seeing Summerville in my rearview mirror,� he said. �It was hard. Summerville is my heart.�Hawkins would go on to attend Plano Senior High in Dallas and started an acting career in 1994 with the lead role in the children�s television series �V.R. Troopers.� He adopted �Brad Hawkins� as his stage name.As of today Hawkins has appeared in more than 30 television shows and has toured the nation as a country recording artist. His most recent venture is appearing alongside Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette in this year�s film �Boyhood,� due in South Carolina theaters sometime this fall.His recent film casts Hawkins as Arquette�s character�s second husband Jim, who has returned from the war in Iraq and is battling some inner demons, tackling depression and drinking.�Ethan Hawke was very cool,� he said. �We only had one scene together but he is a very fun, relaxed, easy-going actor.I look up to these guys,� Hawkins said about the actors he has filmed with. �I have the ability to not get starstuck � I respect them. Whenever the camera rolls, it�s business. When they�re off I�m like, �Hey, can I get a picture with you?��Hawkins said what makes �Boyhood� unique is it took 12 years to shoot. Director Richard Linklater wanted to record the then-6-year-old Ellar Coltrane as he grew up. Hawkins joined production five years ago.The movie was released in only 34 theaters when it first came out. One hundred theaters are being added per week, and it should appear in most markets this month. Hawkins said the movie has already received positive reviews from media such as �Rolling Stone� and �The Los Angeles Times,� and there has been talk of the movie getting Oscar recognition.��Boyhood� was very special,� Hawkins said. �This is going to be a special project for a long time.�Hawkins is also known for starring as Tyler Hart in the CBS miniseries �Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story.� He has made guest appearances on �Step by Step� and �Walker, Texas Ranger.�In 1996 he started a three-year hiatus from acting to pursue music, signing a recording contract with Curb/Universal Records in Nashville. He has opened for artists including Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith and The Dixie Chicks.�I�d really like to get out and play a little more,� Hawkins said. �I�ve really grown to love being on camera and acting. I love the process, I love the commitment it takes. But it is a major difference from being on stage. It�s that immediate gratification you get from playing in front of a crowd � that can�t be recreated on a sound stage. There�s nothing like standing up at the end of a song and everybody is clapping.�Right now Hawkins is running a steakhouse restaurant called Table & Tavern near Dallas. He is constructing another restaurant called Chop Shop, a mechanic-themed sports restaurant.Hawkins said he likes �to be in motion,� and enjoys the hospitality industry in between acting seasons.�I love creating menus and food,� he said. �That�s more my retirement plan � to have some restaurants at the end of it all.�You got to bet on something that will hopefully be there at the end of the day if acting and music is not as prevalent,� he said. �I love restaurants and I think I can do really well with that.�Hawkins said he is due for a trip to Summerville to visit his grandfather sometimes soon.�I don�t have memories like I do Summerville memories,� he said. Friends2Follow | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8321 | POV's summer season begins June 22
Posted on June 11, 2010 by april POV’s regular season of Tuesday broadcasts begins June 22, 2010 with Emily and Sarah Kunstler’s William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, which examines the life of this radical attorney from a surprising angle. Kunstler’s two daughters from his second marriage grew up lionizing a man already famous for his historic civil rights and anti-war cases. Then, in their teens, they began to be disillusioned by a stubborn man who continued representing some of the most reviled defendants in America — this time accused rapists and terrorists. In this intimate biography, the filmmakers seek to recover the real story of what made their late father one of the most beloved, and hated, lawyers in America.
This season POV will partner with StoryCorps to present a selection of animated documentary shorts based on StoryCorps’ groundbreaking oral-history project. StoryCorps was founded by MacArthur Fellow Dave Isay in 2003 and their broadcasts on National Public Radio have become the gold standard in public radio broadcasting. Six documentary animations will air this summer with selected feature-length POV films.
POV’s summer schedule includes The Beaches of Agnès, airing on June 29. In this delightful memoir, pioneering French filmmaker Agnès Varda (“Vagabond,” “Cléo From 5 to 7”) employs all the magic of cinema to juxtapose the real and the imagined, the past and the present, pain and joy. For the 81-year-old artist, memories live through her films. In The Beaches of Agnès, she uses film clips, old photos and gorgeous reenactments to revisit her Belgian youth, association with the French New Wave, marriage to director Jacques Demy (“The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”) and the making of her movies. You don’t need to know anything about Varda to enjoy this enchanting glimpse into the treasure chest of her memories.
POV presents two films looking at different aspects of life, politics and economics in Africa. Though apartheid ended in South Africa in 1994, economic injustices between blacks and whites remain unresolved. As revealed in Yoruba Richen’s incisive Promised Land, on July 6, the most potentially explosive issue is land. The film follows two black communities as they struggle to reclaim land from white owners, some of whom who have lived there for generations. Amid rising tensions and wavering government policies, the land issue remains South Africa’s “ticking time bomb,” with far-reaching consequences for all sides. Promised Land captures multiple perspectives of citizens struggling to create just solutions. A co-production of the National Black Programming Consortium, American Documentary/POV and the Diverse Voices Project, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Landon Van Soest’s Good Fortune in July is a provocative exploration of how massive international efforts to alleviate poverty may be undermining the very communities they aim to benefit. In Kenya’s rural countryside, Jackson’s farm is being flooded by an American investor who hopes to alleviate poverty by creating a multimillion-dollar rice farm. Across the country in Nairobi, Silva’s home and business in Africa’s largest shantytown are being demolished as part of a U.N. slum-upgrading project. The gripping stories of two Kenyans battling to save their homes from large-scale development present a unique opportunity see foreign aid through eyes of the people it is intended to help.
Also in July, POV turns to Latin America with El General. Past and present collide as award-winning filmmaker Natalia Almada (Al Otro Lado, POV 2006) brings to life audio recordings she inherited from her grandmother, daughter of Plutarco Elias Calles, a revolutionary general who became Mexico’s president in 1924. In his time, Calles was called El Jefe Maximo (Foremost Chief). Today he is remembered as El Quema-Curas (Priest Burner) and as a dictator who ruled through puppet presidents until his exile in 1936. Airing during the centennial of the Mexican Revolution, El General moves between a daughter’s memories as she grapples with history’s portrayal of her father and the weight of his legacy on Mexico today.
Presumed Guilty, a film by Roberto Hernández and Layda Negrete, tells a harrowing tale of a justice system turned on its head. Imagine being picked up off the street, told you have committed a murder you know nothing about and then finding yourself sentenced to 20 years in jail. In December 2005 this happened to Toño Zúñiga in Mexico City and, like thousands of other innocent people, he was wrongfully imprisoned. The award-winning Presumed Guilty is the story of two young lawyers and their struggle to free Zúñiga. With no background in film, Hernández and Negrete set about recording the injustices they were witnessing, enlisting acclaimed director Geoffrey Smith (The English Surgeon, POV 2009) to tell this dramatic story.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8342 | Nate Parker's candid apology in exclusive in-depth interview with Ebony Marion & Michael Fassbender
It’s an adaptation of MacBeth with Michael Fassbender as the title character. Sarah previously wrote about it here. Word is, it will be Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth. According to Deadline filming starts in January.
I love this casting choice. SO much. You already know that Marion is talented. And you’ve already seen her flirt with this kind of role before. Wasn’t her performance in Inception kinda Lady Macbethy? Right down to her demise? The context, obviously, is different. But she was the voice in Leonardo DiCaprio’s head. She was the push. The same way Lady Macbeth was the push for the decision that changed everything and resulted in her own regret.
I’m also intrigued by the language. If they stay to text, it’ll be a much more complicated English delivery than Marion’s ever been challenged by. Not to say that she can’t, but Shakespeare can be difficult, even for those who speak English as their first language.
In other Marion news, TIFF confirmed yesterday that she will be attending the festival with Guillaume Canet. Michael Fassbender was also on the list. So maybe we’ll get a little Macbeth preview in Toronto.
Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard are inhumanly beautiful in Allied teaser trailer
Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet at the Longines Athina Onassis Horse Show in St Tropez with their son
Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard hold hands for a scene on set of Allied as STAR Magazine tries to make Brad Marion Angelina love triangle happen
Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard in first trailer for Assassin’s Creed Previous Article | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8461 | Print Email Font ResizeJude Law brings psychiatrist role to Berlin festThe Associated PressPosted:
02/12/2013 06:53:56 AM PSTClick photo to enlargeActors Jude Law and Rooney Mara pose for photographers at the photo call for the film Side Effects at the 63rd edition of the Berlinale, International Film Festival in Berlin, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. «123»BERLIN—Jude Law says his biggest challenge in preparing for Steven Soderbergh's new thriller "Side Effects" was psychological: convincing himself that he could play a psychiatrist properly. The movie has its international premiere Tuesday at the Berlin film festival, where it's one of 19 contenders for the top Golden Bear award. British actor Law plays a psychiatrist who prescribes a new drug he's testing out as part of a lucrative deal with a pharmaceutical giant. Law told reporters he was faced with "overcoming the reality that I wasn't going to be able to go to medical school in the time it took to prepare for the part." He added: "I didn't have a huge relationship with pharmaceuticals or an understanding of them."Advertisement | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8514 | Several questions remain unanswered on “True Blood.” Here’s hoping the season finale answers the following: Will Sookie choose Warlow and become his vampire bride? Will Jessica and her new beau have a rocky relationship once Jason finds out? And will Willa retaliate against Bill once she finds out what he did to her father? … 9 p.m. EDT Sunday, HBO.
Robin Thicke is going to court over his hit “Blurred Lines.” The lawsuit he, T.I. and Pharrell Williams have filed is intended to protect them from claims the song samples Marvin Gaye’s 1977 classic “Got to Give it Up.”
Hot video: Macklemore, Rihanna predicted as MTV VMA big winners
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis had everyone "poppin' tags" with their hit song “Thrift Shop,” and it could win them the 2013 MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8529 | First Look: Henry Cavill As Clark Kent on the Set of 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'
We've seen the Batmobile and we've seen Batman himself (Ben Affleck), but now it's time for the Man of Steel to make an appearance. After all, there are two heroes in the title Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and while this first look at Henry Cavill on the set of 2016's most anticipated superhero movie does not reveal Superman, it does give us a tease of Cavill in costume as his alter ego, Clark Kent.
The image comes courtesy of The Royal Marine Charitable Trust Fund, a U.K. organization that assists serving retired marines and their families. In it, Cavill is sporting what appears to be his "work clothes," complete with slacks, a tie and... no glasses. We assume glasses will accompany Clark Kent's full getup in the film because how else are the citizens of Metropolis supposed to not recognize Superman? Expect more from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to arrive as part of this year's San Diego Comic-Con next month, including images and the first teaser trailer.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8667 | Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.
World renowned animated feature-film director Hayao Miyazaki can do it all. Weve seen him pull off giant fuzzy cats named Totoro and adorable 13-year-old witches-in-training named Kikibut a majority of Miyazakis filmography includes much emphasis on themes like environmentalism, anti-war, the importance of childhood, and even feminism. In Princess Mononoke, were introduced to a prince infected with a terminal disease who is in search of a cure. He finds himself caught between the creatures of the forest (led by the films title character) and the priorities of a nearby town. Its a tale of the struggle between humanity, nature and the threat of technology. Take caution though; dont mix this up with Disney or even My Neighbor Totoro theres realistic violence, blood and death throughout this PG-13 film. Either way, lets just hope this screening will be shown in its original Japanese and not the dubbed English version featuring the voice talents of Billy Bob Thornton (and Claire Danes and Minnie Driver). Disney was forbidden from editing even a single cell of animationso the dubbed version ended up looking a bit like an early episode of Iron Chef. Sat., May 9, 1:30 p.m., 2009
Sign up for our weekly guide to events in Orange County, and never be bored again. With suggestions for every day of the week, our recommendations will keep you busy on any budget.
The New Strutters' Swing Dance | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8673 | A little early yet, and I may do some other posting before then. But in case I don't get back before the ball drops, here's something from U2 to mark the occasion ...
"Amazing Race" Tonight
Some notes (and spoilers) after the jump ... To read more or comment...
Weekend This 'N That
Kirk Douglas in "Ace in the Hole," discussed after the jumpBeen on the road and on the couch. ...
Letterman Gets His Writers
Here's the official word from the Writers Guild as posted on the WGAW Web site:The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have issued the following statement regarding Contract 2007 negotiations: “The Writers Guild has reached a binding independent agreement today with Worldwide Pants that will allow Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to return to the air with their full writing staffs. This is a comprehensive agreement that addresses the issues important to writers, particularly New Media. Worldwide Pants has accepted the very same proposals that the Guild was prepared to present to the media conglomerates when they walked out of negotiations on December 7. To read more or comment...
"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"
Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor: One Tough WomanSee the picture above? THAT's Sarah Connor. Tough and more than a little scary. Small, maybe, but look at the arms. (Remember her working out in "T2"?) You can see the relentlessness, the fury that could help turn a boy into a brilliant leader of men and women, a protector of humanity.
More Time at the Movies: "Enchanted"
(Photo from EW.com)So how freakin' adorable is that Amy Adams?
"Charlie Wilson's War" And Other Movie Adventures
Some thoughts about "Wilson's," "Live Free or Die Hard" and "Superbad," after the jump ...
Merry Christmas To All
I hope you all will have a grand and glorious day.
"No Country For Old Men": No Movie For Animal Lovers
Not long ago, a reader called me to ask about "I Am Legend." She was worried about what happened to the dog in the movie. The question did not surprise me, because the bride -- who cannot stand to see animals harmed -- had had the same worry about the movie, and decided not to see it after watching a trailer in which the dog seemed to be in trouble. And I warned the reader accordingly.This brings me to "No Country For Old Men," the latest movie from the Coen brothers, and one that has been on my catch-up list. ...
The New "Law & Order"
I'm more or less on holiday for the next few days, but the blog rolls on. I'm hoping to catch up on some new and returning shows as they become available, and I started with "Law & Order." It returns Jan. 2 but fans have been troubled by its long absence, and my mail has included several questions about it. Well, it's coming, and I have seen five episodes and I have a few things to say after the jump. (No plot spoilers, but a lot about the characters) ...
Letterman Talks Stall?
The anticipated return of David Letterman to the airwaves with his writers appears to be running into some kind of trouble. Here's the statement from the Writers Guild Web site:Representatives from Worldwide Pants [Letterman's production company] and the Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East met today. A lively exchange of information took place. The WGAW and WGAE will not comment further.
Now Stewart, Colbert
The late-night dominoes continue to fall, with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert going back to work on Jan. 7.If Conan' O'Brien's statement sounded like a guy with his arm twisted behind his back all the way up to his neck. Stewart and Colbert sound like two kids being pulled back to class by the ear. But it's becoming ever more evident that the production companies are amping up the pressure on people to go back to work. The concerns about immediate revenues are clearly outweighing the damage that could be done by putting on subpar shows. And no one is pretending these shows will be as good as what's done with full writing staffs.
Tequila Spin-Off
From MTV today:After becoming the highest rated series telecast on MTV for 2007, “A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila” spins off a new comedic, romantic elimination series, “That's Amore!” starring Domenico Nesci, one of the fan-favorite contestants from the first season of the breakout hit series. Six episodes are scheduled to air Q1, 2008. Casting is underway. ..
SAG Awards Nominations
Complete list of the Screen Actors Guild nominees after the jump... To read more or comment...
Doing the Schedule Shuffle
The networks can't seem to make up their minds. Earlier today I got this e-mail re "Celebrity Apprentice":NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice," which was previously scheduled to premiere on Thursday, January 3 (9-10 p.m. ET), will now debut one week later on Thursday, January 10 (9-10 p.m. ET). For its seventh season, the series returns to New York City as Donald Trump welcomes an all-star celebrity lineup of candidates who will work to raise over $1 million for various charities.
Aaron McGruder News
Since people are still lamenting McGruder's departing the print version of "Boondocks," here's one of the things he has been up to, from TBS this morning:Super Deluxe, the comedy broadband network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), has signed a deal with writer/producer Aaron McGruder for an original series of 20 Webisodes entitled The Super Rumble Mixshow. McGruder is the creator and executive producer of the highly successful Peabody Award winning series, The Boondocks, which airs on Adult Swim.
Zoey 101 Plus One
As you already know, Britney Spears's 16-year-old sister Jamie Lynn is pregnant.Something about the holiday season, I guess. This time a year ago, Keisha Castle-Hughes was on the big screen as Mary in "The Nativity Story." Off-screen, she was 16 and pregnant.
Denise Martin Apologizes, Passes on the $50,000
"Survivor: China" fans know that fourth-place finisher Denise Martin got in trouble after she claimed she lost her job and ended up taking a demotion when she went on the show. (See one story here, and a statement from her employers here.)
Kimmel's Back, Too
With an announcement that sounds basically like, "Yeah, what those other guys said," Jimmy Kimmel makes plans to go back against Leno and Conan. Here's the brief word: New episodes of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” return to air WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2 (12:05-1:05 a.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. To read more or comment...
Another Sign of a Long Strike: "Monk," "Psych" to NBC in March
Full announcement after the jump. But this is one more indication that the nets are not anticipating fresh scripted programming from their broadcast suppliers any time soon. ... To read more or comment...
"Wildfire" Sets Return Jan. 21
Missed this one in my e-mail last week. Full announcement after the jump ... To read more or comment...
Conan, Jay Set Returns Jan. 2 (Updated)
Conan,, Jay statements added below, and an item from Deadline Hollywood Daily. Here's the NBC announcement:After two months of repeats, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" will resume broadcasting all-new episodes beginning Wednesday, January 2, 2008 (11:35 p.m., 12:35 a.m., respectively). The late night shows suspended production due to the strike by the Writers Guild of America on November 5 and have aired repeats since. "During the 1988 writers strike, Johnny Carson reluctantly returned to 'The Tonight Show' without his writers after two months. Both Jay and Conan have supported their writers during the first two months of this WGA strike and will continue to support them. However, there are hundreds of people who will be able to return to work as a result of Jay's and Conan's decision," said Rick Ludwin, Executive Vice President, Late Night & Primetime Series.
Monday Morning Notepad (Modified)
-- So Todd won "Survivor: China" Sunday night. Ugh. Wasn't happy with any of the final three (or even the final four). In fact, aside from the maneuvers involving the immunity idols, and James's way of playing them (and not playing them), it was a pretty blah season. Hoping for better the next time around.-- -- Brian Windhorst. Remember the name. Brian Windhorst. He works for the Beacon Journal and co-wrote with Terry Pluto the new LeBron book. The Plain Dealer, now Terry's workplace, on Sunday repeatedly referred in headlines to "Pluto's new book." You had to read the fine print to find Windhorst's name. Tacky tactic. The Beacon Journal played much more fairly on the authorship issue.
Any More Thoughts on Holiday Songs?
You can find the reader comments from today's Beacon Journal here. Feel free to add more thoughts by commenting on this post.
Greetings from Alex Trebek
This came in the e-mail today from the folks at "Jeopardy!" ... Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek is recuperating at his Studio City home after his release from Cedars-Sinai Hospital on Saturday Dec. 15 following his recent minor heart attack.
"Lost" Sets a Date, More ABC Mid-Season Plans
For "Lost," it's Jan. 31, a Thursday night. More stuff after the jump. I'm trying to see some optimism in this move -- that ABC is hoping that the strike will be over in time for it to make more "Lost" episodes, instead of just stopping with the eight it reportedly has finished. That maybe there will be a deal by the end of January?On the other hand, moving "Lost" into the "Grey's Anatomy" slot suggests pessimism -- that they're not going to get that show up and running again any time soon, so they might as well fill the time slot with fresh product.Either way, the winter keeps looking rocky. To read more or comment...
I Really Should Be ... Something
There's a book title that nags me, by pianist Gary Graffman: "I Really Should Be Practicing." I'll explain why after the jump ... To read more or comment...
Any Room for Common Sense Here?
The Parents Television Council is screaming about a moment it considers indecent in the Nov. 30 episode of "Las Vegas." According to PTC, the episode "included a side camera shot of a stripper exposing her breasts." I haven't seen the episode, "The High Price of Gas, but it is available at NBC.com. See for yourself, and I'll try to give it a look later.)I have posted PTC's complete announcement after the jump. But I had to snort at the way PTC is making a big deal about this because the episode was "viewed by hundreds of thousands of children."
A Bit of Holiday Cheer
It's a night for giggles. I'm even watching the "Saturday Night Live" Christmas special, even though I have seen it and every sketch in it before. Hooray for the Chanukah Song! Bring on Pete Schwety!And in the giggle mode, I found this the other day while looking up information about "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle," a Burt Bacharach tune.
Golden (Yawn) Globes
You can find all the nominees here. My friend Alan Sepinwall makes an interesting point about the Globes' TV nominees on his blog (as well as giving me props for the Chamber of Commerce theory of awards). But I'm going to focus on the movie noms here.
Rock Hall: Glad All Over For Clark, Cohen
Dave Clark FiveFrom the Rock Hall:
"Smurfs" on DVD Feb. 26
Yes, it's happening. The word from Warner Home Video, after the jump ... To read more or comment...
"Idol" Gives Back Again
Annie Lennox at the 2007 "Idol Gives Back"Here's today's announcement:After raising an astounding $75 million last season, AMERICAN IDOL will once again host IDOL GIVES BACK, a music celebration raising awareness and benefiting various U.S. and international charities.
Briefly Noted Tuesday
Ringing in my head: Delaney & Bonnie singing "Been out of the blog, about six months too long ... " I know that it hasn't been that long since I posted but it feels that way. Dealt mostly with family business yesterday. Today was a four-fer: HFiles, Channels cover, mailbag, pop quiiz, plus catching up on phone calls and e-mails.And tonight I am heading to Cleveland for "I Am Legend," the Will Smith pic from the Richard Matheson novel. Novel's great. Hope the movie's good.A few notes: To read more or comment...
Perils of the Gossip Game
Since I draw on news and gossip sites a good bit for the HeldenFiles, I'm glad I didn't grab the story about a $10,000 tip supposedly left by Donald Trump. Trump himself denied the story, and now the Los Angeles Times has this story about the way the fakery was accomplished. But it's a scary moment for the gossip biz. There's already enough to be skeptical about thanks to checkbook journalism, unnamed sources, confrontational reporters/photogs and the side-taking by various gossip orgs. (I always try to attribute things to the entities I find them in.) All the more to beware when someone can concoct a fake story that is both this outlandish and yet vaguely plausible.
Saturday This 'N That
The snow from yesterday was beaten back enough by the sun today that I could no longer put off the stringing off the Christmas lights. More than usual: string along a sidewalk, lit garland over the porch and around the posts. Took a little time (and a trip to the store because we had underestimated how many lights we needed). Learning experience, too. But when the sun went down tonight, it didn't look too bad. Tonight we rested for the most part. Continued my exploration of HD DVD. Admit to being suitably dazzled so far, but I've been testing it on action movies ("Top Gun," "Patriot Games") where you get the sweep of landscape and the fire and fury of big action sequences. Love the clarity and detail for the most part. But, as is sometimes the case with HDTV, I can sometimes be distracted by the detail -- the odd blemish obscured but not hidden by makeup, the missed shaving spot on a leading man's neck, the threads in the rip of a jacket -- and so be taken out of the movie itself for a moment.
"Friday Night Lights": Between Jail and Hell
Between Meat and Pizza
Because I had a gigantic memory lapse last night, I neglected to record most of my Thursday faves, and only saw "Grey's Anatomy" in its entirety because we got home in time.But, as title of this post indicates, I am catching up thanks to online viewing. Haven't gotten through all of "30 Rock" or "Earl" because, well, I am at the office and can't spend every second watching shows and laughing too loudly. But what I've seen of "30 Rock" has been plenty hilarious, even in the throwaway lines (Jenna's having to get out of bed at 4 a.m. and go home). Good start to "Earl," too, thanks to the Joy-Catalina dozens. As Tracy would say, "BANTER!"
Oh, Just Give Him the Oscar
Today's road trip to Cleveland involved "There Will Be Blood," the new movie from writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson. After the jump, why it made me think of "Training Day" ...
Dewey Cox Begins Tour
John C. Reilly performed songs from "Walk Hard" tonight, staying in character as Dewey Cox both during a brief appearance on a red carpet and in an hour-long, 14-song set. Song list and other notes after the jump ... To read more or comment...
Wednesday on the Road (Slightly Updated)
This morning I scrambled to the office to write a movie review ("The Golden Compass," which I did not like much) then hit the road for Cleveland. Stop one was the Cedar Lee to see "Sweeney Todd" (which I liked a great deal). Then it was on through the snowflakes to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to talk to John C. Reilly and director Jake Kasdan about "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," the comedy that hits theaters on Dec. 21. Reilly's doing a music tour to promote the movie, starting with tonight's show. Besides talking about the movie, we talked about the music tour and the rock hall, so I could have a story for tomorrow's Beacon Journal as well as movie material for use closer to the opening date. Then, once someone helped me figure out the wireless network at the hall, I wrote the story. Now I'm going to pass the time until a little later this evening, when I'll be at the red carpet for Reilly's performance, and then at the performance itself. This all makes for a long day, but a useful one. I hope to post later tonight or early tomorrow after Reilly's show.Well, it's about an hour and a half later than the last time I posted here, and I am deeply into the just-hanging-out portion of the evening. It's another couple of hours before Reilly plays, but media are supposed to be here now, so there was no sense in my driving back to Akron only to turn around and head back to Cleveland.
As the "Heroes" Turn
If I only had a brain ...It wasn't far into the episode before I began thinking that it looked like a bad daytime soap opera -- lots of expository and revelatory dialogue, often delivered in closeup as if being addressed directly to the camera. This was not good.
"Law & Order" Returns, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" Comes Back to Broadcast
Here's the topper from NBC:NBC will lawyer-up on Wednesday nights as the Emmy Award-winning "Law & Order" resumes with a two-hour season premiere event on Wednesday, January 2 (9-11 p.m. ET), and will continue on Wednesdays starting January 9 (10-11 p.m. ET) preceded by this season's network broadcast premiere of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (9-10 p.m. ET) in its return to NBC that night.
CBS January-February: "Jericho," "Old Christine" Return
No question that this is a strike-driven schedule, drawing on a fair amount of unscripted fare, including a winter edition of "Big Brother," and the return of shows already in the can. ("Jericho" fans: Mark Feb. 12.)Complete announcement after the jump ...
More Saltman-Knievel
In a previous post I noted Sheldon Saltman's ties to Ghoulardi in light of Saltman's role in the now-concluded life of Evel Knievel. Now word comes that Saltman hopes to get an old judgment against Knievel paid out of the daredevil's estate. Story is here.
"The Closer" Tonight
(Photo from TV Guide.com)Technical difficulties have kept me offline most of the day, but I promised to post about "The Closer" so here I am at last. ...
Local "Funniest Videos" Winner
Dave Smith of Akron won $10,000 on the "America's Funniest Home Videos" that ABC aired on Sunday night, and is now in the running for a $100,000 prize on the show airing Dec. 9. Here, while it lasts, is a clip of the big moment:
"Amazing Race" and Other Notes
Result after the jump ... To read more or comment... | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8865 | Glee star gives birth to baby boy
Updated / Sept. 29, 2013 09:59
Glee star Heather Morris has welcomed her first child after giving birth to a baby boy, Elijah.
The 26-year-old TV star revealed the news that she was starting a family with her long-term boyfriend Taylor Hubbell in April of this year.
US Weekly has received confirmation that she gave birth to a baby boy over the weekend and the couple have decided to call him Elijah.
The pair are yet to tie the knot but are expected to get married soon. Morris said in an interview in 2011: "I want to marry him so bad. That's what I really care about.
"I want to marry Taylor and have kids with him. I love acting, but if it affects my relationship, then I won't continue doing it."Over the summer, Heather celebrated a star-studded baby shower with her Glee friends Naya Rivera, Lea Michele and Amber Riley.
Taking time out to enjoy her new role as a mother, Heather won't be returning as Brittany S. Pierce in the new season of the show.
She and her original castmates Amber, Mark Salling and Harry Shum Jr. have changed from starring status to guest starring roles for the fifth season.
Mary J Blige to feature in How to Get Away ... | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8880 | San Anselmo Inn
Your California Destination Hotel
339 SAN ANSELMO AVE, SAN ANSELMO, CA 94960 | 415-455-5366 ~OR~ 800-598-9771
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--------San Anselmo, September 2nd, 2014. San Anselmo Inn will sponsor the movie " Marie's Story" at the 37th Edition of the Mill Valley Film Festival (October 2-12, 2014). "Marie Story" will be screened at 5:30 pm, Friday October 3rd, at the Lark Cinema in Larkspur, and at 8:30 pm, Saturday October 11th, at the Rafael 1 in San Rafael.
Marie’s Story
Inspired by the life of Marie Heurtin, her Story is a playful, inspirational, and tremendously moving emotional journey between teacher and student, set in the rapturous beauty of fin-de-siècle French countryside. Fourteen-year-old Marie arrives at a school for deaf girls run by Catholic sisters. Born deaf and blind and trapped ever since in a world of darkness and silence, she is, at first, near-feral: wild, disheveled, unreachable. But the idealistic Sister Marguerite feels a deep and instant need to free her from her sensory prison. Newcomer Ariana Rivoire is fierce and luminous as Marie, first battling with will and body, then delighting in her breakthroughs. Isabelle Carre is divinely indomitable, yet not without a sense of humor, as Sister Marguerite, who was sanctified for her selfless dedication to this Enfant Sauvage. With echoes of Truffaut’s classic film and The Miracle Worker, but a heft and tenderness all its own, this true-life tale will awaken both the heart and the senses.
Film review: http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-maries-story-1201283011/
Presented by the California Film Institute, the 37th Mill Valley Film Festival runs October 2– 12, 2014 throughout Marin. With a reputation for launching new films and creating awards season buzz, the relaxed and non-competitive atmosphere surrounding MVFF gives filmmakers and audiences alike the opportunity to share their work and experiences in a collaborative and convivial setting.
Tickets & information at www.mvff.com or call 415.383.5256 --------San Anselmo, September 1st 2014. Explore This ‘Hood: Secrets of San Anselmo. Our charming town offers a great mix of activities, from craft projects to hiking/biking to shopping to dining. CLICK here for the must-see spots. http://redtri.com/san-francisco/san-anselmo-neighborhood-tour/?utm_sourc... --------San Anselmo, October 15th, 2013. On Wednesday October 9th The San Anselmo Inn proudly hosted a special event honoring acclaimed Swedish film director Jan Troell, attending the premier of his film “The Last Sentence” at the Mill Valley Film Festival. The guests of the intimate gathering included Mark Fishkin, executive director of the California Film Institute, a representative of the Swedish Consulate in San Francisco, and a group of honored film makers. The San Anselmo Inns new dining room and patio were the perfect setting, with a warm and inviting atmosphere. At the end of the evening Mr. Troell signed a special poster now proudly displayed in the San Anselmo Inn’s lobby.
Mr. Troell and his family stayed at the Inn for several days during the festival and fell in love with our town and community.
Media Contact: events@sananselmoinn.com
San Anselmo Inn: Located in a historic, turn of the century building, in the quaint and charming town of San Anselmo, our Inn offers the very best in hospitality and personalized service. We provide the comfort and modern amenities that insure your stay in the San Francisco Bay Area will be memorable and satisfying and a generous breakfast buffet is included with your room. While our staff is at your service to plan side trips, tours to the wine country, or other exciting adventures, business travelers will also find the casual, quiet atmosphere and central location ideal for productive work days, and our proximity to great dining within walking distance, the perfect place to relax. Homemade chocolate chip cookies served fresh every afternoon!
Jan Gustaf Troell (born 23 July 1931) is a Swedish film director. Usually, Troell writes his own scripts and serves as his own director of photography. His realistic films, with a lyrical photography in which nature is prominent, have placed him in the first rank of modern Swedish film directors along with Ingmar Bergman and Bo Widerberg.
The Mill Valley Film Festival is an annual, non-competitive film festival presented by the California Film Institute. Known as a filmmakers’ festival, the annual festival, based in Mill Valley, California, offers a non-competitive environment for exhibiting independent and world cinema.
Founded in August 1978 by MVFF Director Mark Fishkin, the Festival has established an impressive track record for launching new films and the careers of new filmmakers and is well known for the quality of its programming. As the only prominent fall film festival in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Mill Valley Film Festival is also an important industry resource — both for its emphasis on films that have not yet secured US distribution and for fall launches and northern California Academy Awards campaigns.
--------August 1st, 2013. The San Anselmo Inn announced today that TripAdvisor has recognized the historic lodge in Northern California with its prestigious “Certificate of Excellence”. The certificate is based on outstanding traveler reviews; only the top 10 percent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor earn the prestigious award.
To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, hotels must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months.
“The certificate is the culmination of two years of our staff’s hard work and total commitment to customer service – said Benedetto Cico, Managing Partner – and we are very proud to be part of the great community of our beautiful town that is as important as the quality of our service to the positive experience enjoyed by our guests.”
The San Anselmo Inn is known for its charm, extremely helpful and welcoming staff, great breakfasts and is ideally located between San Francisco, Napa Valley and Point Reyes station, in downtown San Anselmo, in the heart of Marin County.
Originally built in the late 1800s as a pharmacy and bar for the railroad, the Inn first opened as a hotel in 1926 and it has continued to welcome travelers to San Anselmo since then with its 16 well-appointed rooms and suites, daily hearty homemade breakfast, and an onsite wine bar, meeting space and outdoor patio.
For more information about the San Anselmo Inn, call (415) 455-5366 or visit www.sananselmoinn.com
TripAdvisor Media Group generated $486 million in revenue in 2010. TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Group are operating companies of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE).
TripAdvisor and the TripAdvisor logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TripAdvisor LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.
----This is the interview with the owner in the Fairfax/San Anselmo Patch:
Click here for the full article: http://sananselmofairfax.patch.com/articles/biz-bio-san-anselmo-inn
San Anselmo Inn Owner Draws Europeans To Ross Valley
San Anselmo Inn Proprietor Benedetto Cico said more young travelers are coming to the small downtown hotel, that many locals don't realize is in one of the oldest buildings in town.
Benedetto Cico is proprietor of San Anselmo Inn and has been featured in many Italian publications which has help to put San Anselmo on the map as a destination point for European visitors. San Anselmo - Fairfax Patch: How long has the Inn been in business in San Anselmo?
Benedetto Cico: It has been under our ownership for two years now.
Patch: Where are you from originally and what brought you to San Anselmo?
BC: Italy, but we’ve been in the U.S. for over 30 years. We moved to San Anselmo from New York City 14 years ago. We have four children and really were attracted by the schools here, the outdoors and the great community.
P: What else have you done in your career prior to taking over this business?
BC: I have always been involved in travel and hospitality. We also own a 30-unit furnished apartment complex in NYC.
P: What has your experience at the inn been like up to this point?
BC: We have liked it a lot. This is actually one of the oldest buildings in town. It used to stand between two railroads that served the area. It was also a pharmacy at one point. It surprises us that allot of locals are not aware of the history of this building.
P: What has been your experience like with the community since opening?
BC: Very good. A lot of families stay with us, especially when people are having graduations, baptisms or family reunions. P: What is the demographic of your customer base?
BC: We are getting allot of younger travelers these days that are finding us on mobile apps. Right now we have a few parties from the U.K. and two from Australia. We’ve also been promoting our place locally as a great place for a couple to have a night on the town away from the kids.
P: What sets your business apart from other inns in the area?
BC: Small inns like ours are more alike than they are different and we actually help each other out when rooms are full and we make referrals to each other. We have a common clientele of folks looking to come to northern California destinations. They typically are here for the outdoors and foods. We see everything from mountain bikers to foodies looking to taste organic foods and local cheeses.
P: What are some of your favorite things to do around town when you are not working?
BC: I can’t answer that, I don’t understand your question (laughing.) I have four kids! I am always working! When we have time we like to surf and head out to Bolinas.
P: If you could change one thing about this town what would it be?
BC: That is a very hard question. This is always a topic of conversation at the chamber of commerce. I think the most important thing is that we keep a balance. As a merchant I want to attract customers for business, but as a resident I don’t want to attract so much growth that the town looses its character. Otherwise, we would not be San Anselmo any more. That said, available parking always seems to be a topic of conversation.
P: You’ve been profiled in many Italian magazines, what do they say about you?
BC: Because of my travel background I’m often mentioned in trade and travel magazines in France and Italy. But what I try to do is promote the destination first. My intention is to try and get visitors to cross the bridge rather than stay in the wharf. I let readers know that we are close to Napa and Sonoma and that we are just 25 minutes from the city.
P: There is a rumor that an America’s Cup team will be staying here, what can you say about that?
BC: Well no, we are getting some America’s Cup related business but these guys like to stay closer to their boats. P: What are you listening to on your iPod these days?
BC: No iPod, but I do have a Pandora account and I do like to listen to allot of different stuff. But no earphones! I don’t like to have those so close to my brain.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/8952 | Staten Island's Nina Coffaro presents 'Cup of Joe' Sunday at the Dusty Film & Animation Festival
View full sizeA scene from the animated film, "Cup of Joe," directed by Rossville resident Nina Coffaro. Courtesy the artist STATEN ISLAND, NY — "A lonely coffee lover drinks the hot beverage as a way to fill in the emptiness she feels inside. She hallucinates what she desires to have and discovers happiness along the way." That's the official plotline for local filmmaker Nina Coffaro's "Cup of Joe," a short animated film premiering May 5 at 7 p.m. in the School of Visual Art's 24th Annual Dusty Film & Animation Festival. "It's not my first film, but this is my first film that I'm really proud of; It’s a very personal film," says the 22-year-old SVA student and Rossville native, laughing. "I’m really bad at describing my own work, but it’s about going after what you really want in life. I'm not really sure how, but I am really hoping for a caereer in animation." View full sizeThe 22-year-old filmmaker and School of Visual Arts student. Coffaro — who eagle-eyed Advance readers might recognize from her days on the Tottenville High School girls bowling — said "Cup of Joe" is dedicated to her friends and family. The SVA presents the Dusty Film & Animation Festival May 4-7 in Manhattan. The four-day event will showcase more than 100 films and animations from thesis students graduating this spring. Check out Dusty.SVA.edu for a full schedule of venues and screening times. "We are thrilled the Dusty Film & Animation Festival is celebrating its 24th year," says Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department at the SVA. "We hope the public will enjoy another great year of work from SVA's filmmakers and animators, who we know will both entertain and educate a wide range of audiences, both near and far." MORE ABOUT THE DUSTY FESTIVAL The 2013 festival kicks off with three days of film and animation screenings, and concludes with an awards ceremony on May 7. Fifteen awards—including Outstanding Film and Achievement in Directing, Outstanding Documentary, Outstanding Traditional and Stop Motion Animation, and the New York Women in Film and Television Award—are given to students in recognition for outstanding thesis work. All festival screenings are free and open to the general public and take place at the state-of-the-art SVA Theatre, located at 333 West 23rd Street, NYC. The final list of presenters and special guests will be made public at a later date. Named after SVA founder Silas "Dusty" H. Rhode, the Dusty Film & Animation Festival was established with the mission of introducing films made by BFA Film, Video and Animation Department thesis students to a wider audience. "Our annual festival receives industry wide recognition and is considered one of the top student film festivals in the country," says Annie Flocco, indie producer/filmmaker and producer of the event. "And the festival launches many of the students in their professional careers." Founded in 1947, the SVA is widely regarded as one of the leading art schools in the country for its innovative curriculum, its unparalleled faculty of more than 1,100 creative professionals and its participation in the larger arts community of New York City. BFA Film, Video and Animation Department alumni have received accolades from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Sundance Film Festival; New Directors/New Films; International Animated Film Festival in Annecy, France; American Film Institute; Women in Film; and the National Board of Review, among many renowned institutions and organizations. Comments | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/9233 | Emily Owens, M.D. Set Visit: Justin Hartley Teases New Dramatic Comedy
Carla Day
October 16, 2012 12:52 pm.
Justin Hartley has traded in the green leather for much more comfortable scrubs in his new role as Will on Emily Owens, M.D, which premieres tonight on The CW.
TV Fanatic recently visited the Emily Owens, M.D set in Vancouver (trip provided by Warner Bros. TV) to interview the show's cast. We spoke with Hartley in the faux operating room, filled with real medical equipment.
The actor was drawn to the project due to the mixed nature of it. "You have the procedural element, and you also have, like, sort of quote unquote the soapy element," he says, adding:
"We have the best of both worlds. We have the comedy. We have the drama, intense drama. Heartbreak. Heartache. And then we have comedy, light-hearted comedy, which is great, because ... from Smallville, I loved doing the drama, but I was looking for some comedy to do. Something funny. But I didn't want to get away from the drama... this is perfect."
Here's a video clip from the interview where Hartley discusses Will's relationship with Emily and Will's unique bedside manner:
Will may not have have feelings for Emily, but that doesn't mean he won't develop them.
"I think sometimes when something is presented to you that you weren't aware of there's a knee jerk reaction... and then after that, you have time to sort of slow down and take a breath, you look at it a little bit differently, and I think that's sort of what Will is going through right now."
Going forward, Hartley teases, "... you start to learn why [Emily] likes him so much. Why she sort of is in love with him or whatever. You find out a lot about him."
In addition to the personal drama happening with the characters, the show focuses on the medical side and the patients.
"You know what I like about Will... I think he's got good bedside manner, but I also think there's a level, and there's a point to which he just sort of calls it like it is.
"He's like a man's man. He's like 'Listen. Here's what's going on, okay?' And sometimes that's really not what you should be doing as a doctor. So I've heard. But Will, ... maybe he's a little rough around the edges when it comes to that. Maybe he needs to work on that a little bit, but that's also sort of what is endearing about the character, I think, a little bit. That's one of his flaws."
Emily Owens, M.D. premieres at 9/8c on The CW. Visit TV Fanatic immediately following the premiere for a full review.
Edit Delete Carla Day is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and on Google+.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/9291 | Upcoming Ceremonies
Ask Star Girl
Friends of Walk of Fame
Home Walk of Fame Stars Shania Twain
Inducted to the Walk of Fame on June 2, 2011 with 1 star. Comments Quick Facts
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SHE’S STILL THE ONE!
SHANIA TWAIN HONORED WITH STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME
Shania Twain was honored with star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Leron Gubler, emcee and President/CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and Bo Derek helped unveils the 2,442nd Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Category of Recording at 6270 Hollywood Boulevard in front of W Hollywood Hotel on Thursday, June 2, 2011.
Singer Shania Twain was born on August 28, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She began performing at the age of 13, on CBC Television’s Tommy Hunter Show. While attending Timmins High and Vocational School in Timmins, she also sang for a local band called “Longshot.”
Shania Twain is a phenomenon. With more than 57 million albums sold in the U.S. and Canada; she is the top selling female country artist of all time; has multi-platinum album sales in 32 countries; has the eighth-biggest selling album of all time in the U.S. and 18 top ten songs, 8 of which reached #1. Most amazing of all, Shania has reached beyond all feasible music boundaries with just four studio albums – 3 of which have received Diamond certification by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales of 10 million copies in the U.S. She is the only artist to have three consecutive albums sell more than 10 million copies.
Though she released an album in the early 1990s with little fanfare, most people consider 1995’s The Woman In Me to be the first true Shania Twain album. That’s because, unlike her debut record, it contained songs that Twain herself wrote and delivered in her own distinctive way. Produced by former husband Mutt Lange, The Woman In Me stunned the country music world, brilliantly bringing a catchy pop sensibility to the genre. “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?," the first single from the album made an impression, but the brash and sassy “Any Man of Mine” really set the tone for Twain’s impact on country music. A runaway hit, complemented by a video that showed Twain’s star power off to dazzling perfection, the song became her first #1 followed by the equally attitude-filled “(If You're Not In It For Love) I’m Outta Here!,” "You Win My Love" and the more low-key “No One Needs To Know.” The Woman In Me went on to sell more than 12 million copies in the U.S., replacing Patsy Cline’s Greatest Hits as the best-selling album by a female country artist, and earning Twain a Grammy in 1996 for “Best Country Album.”
She followed that remarkable success with Come On Over in 1997, which saw one single after the next become chart hits. “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!,” "That Don't Impress Me Much," “Love Gets Me Every Time” and “You’re Still The One” solidified her musical persona as a strong, but playful woman who believed in and demanded true respect. With sales of 20 million in the U.S., the album became the biggest-seller by a woman in any genre of music. Not only did Twain reach beyond country music to reach pop fans, she crossed oceans, becoming a top selling artist worldwide. In May of 1998, with two wildly-successful albums, and enough hit songs for a solid show, Twain set out on her first headlining tour, Come On Over. Over the course of 19 months, she performed for more than 2.5 million screaming fans, silencing critics who wondered if she could re-create her music in a live setting. The tour was one of the highest grossing tours in both 1998 and 1999, along with, becoming one of the biggest tours by a female musician in any genre. Having done what she came to do, Twain finally took a break.
She retreated to her home in Switzerland, and had a baby boy in 2001, and generally lived her life for the next few years. Her distinctive voice was missed, and Country Music magazine ran an article that read like a letter to Twain, begging her to come back with more music. At the end of 2002 she did.
UP! didn’t disappoint. Released in the U.S. as a 2-CD set - one offering a country version of the songs, the other a pop mix of them, the album delighted fans, who snapped up nearly three million copies in the first 6 weeks of release. The first single, “I’m Gonna Getcha Good!,” showed that motherhood and time away had not altered Twain’s approach to her music. Time magazine called UP!, “Easily the best pop album of the year...with the kind of energy that reminds you how much fun the genre can be.”
Once again, the proof of Shania’s power as songwriter and performer was seen in the sales chart. UP!, certified at 10 million U.S. sales, making Twain the only artist in history to have three consecutive 10x Platinum RIAA-certified albums [the other two being The Woman In Me (12x platinum) and Come On Over (20x platinum)]. Her UP! tour was the top-grossing country tour of 2004, and often caused jaded music critics to talk in Shania-like exclamation points.
Twain’s most recent album is Shania Twain Greatest Hits and with her previous powerhouse albums to draw from, the record is the ultimate exclamation point to her career so far.
Twain’s highly anticipated memoir From This Moment On was recently released on May 3 and quickly climbed the New York Times best-sellers list. Twain’s docu-series “Why Not? With Shania Twain” premiered May 8, exclusively on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network to rave reviews and record breaking viewership for the network. Airing Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, the series takes an intimate look at the amazing journey of the music superstar who, by the age of 21, had survived a childhood of poverty, the loss of both parents in a devastating accident and how she went on to become the best-selling female artist in country music history.
Shania Twain works tirelessly with the following charities: Shania Kids Can, Second Harvest Food Banks, Swiss Red Cross and many others.
ALL PRESS MUST RSVP TO ANA MARTINEZ AT (323) 468-1376 OR Stargirl@hollywoodchamber.net
ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME – www.WalkOfFame.com
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an internationally-recognized Hollywood icon. With approximately 24 star ceremonies annually broadcast around the world, the constant reinforcement provided to the public has made the Walk of Fame a top visitor attraction. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce continues to administer the Walk of Fame as the representative of the City of Los Angeles. The Walk of Fame is a tribute to all of those who worked diligently to develop the concept and to maintain this world-class tourist attraction. The Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign are registered trademarks of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/9680 | Zac Efron is an actor and singer from California. He first appeared in the television series Summerland, and then skyrocketed to fame with his role as Troy in Disney's High School Musical. He has since appeared in the films Hairspray, 17 Again, The Lorax, The Lucky One, That Awkward Moment, and the comedy film Neighbors with Seth Rogen.
Neighbors 3: Zombies Rising Zac Efron Can't Stop Taking Selfies Zac Efron Pitches Robert De Niro On Movie Reboots Robert De Niro Tricks Zac Efron Into Making Him A Sandwich Robert De Niro's Happy Birthday Greeting To Zac Efron's Girlfriend Delta Psi Throws a Robert De Niro Party Fabrice Fabrice at the MTV Movie Awards The Making of: Zac Efron's Pool Party Zac Efron's Pool Party Advertisement
Tweets by @ZacEfron | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10013 | FilmR.I.P. Joseph Adelman Home
R.I.P. Joseph Adelman
1 Film R.I.P. Joseph Adelman had stints at Paramount and United Artists during a 55-year industry career and served as COO of the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. He died today of cancer in Burbank at 79. Adelman had spent the past 22 years as CEO of International Entertainment Enterprises – which reps film producers and owners in sales and biz matters — and had been a director and officer at Futura Pictures in 2004. The Canada native started in the UA legal department in New York in 1958 and moved to L.A. four years later to become VP West Coast Business Affairs at Paramount. He later became VP Business Affairs. An AMPAS and NATPE member, Adelman also worked at CST Entertainment and in 1983 founded KidPix, a distributor of animated kids fare for TV and video.
jimmygoodman • on Oct 9, 2013 12:27 pm
Actually, Joe headed up the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers; after a split in that organization in which Paramount and Universal formed the “Alliance”, with additional members of Tandem, Lorimar, MTM Enterprises. Joe’s group included Columbia, Warners, Fox, Disney, and MGM. Eventually, the two groups re-merged and retained J Nicholas Counter to handle industry-wide negotiations. Joe brought sanity to a chaotic period in the industry and was a true gentleman. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10183 | Home SCREENS Movies Rooftop Cinema takes a detour indoors at MMoCA
Rooftop Cinema takes a detour indoors at MMoCA
Third week of summer series focuses on the battlefield
by Kristian Knutsen June 25, 2007
Last Friday marked my only chance to attend a screening at Rooftop Cinema this summer. The avant-garde and experimental film series held in the rooftop gardens at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art runs four weeks over the course of June, providing one of the few opportunities in town to catch a movie under the stars. Or clouds, perhaps. This was not to be, though. The third week of this summer series was held indoors, the lecture hall on the main floor of the downtown art museum serving as the go-to location in the case of inclement weather. No, it didn't actually rain that night, but the threatening clouds of that afternoon and the need for MMoCA to make a choice as early as possible to utilize the alternate location combined to bring the films indoors. Though not as enchanting as the sculpture garden that sports a fine view of the State Street skyline, the downstairs auditorium served its purpose well. One of the few venues in which I did not get the chance to attend a screening during the 2007 Wisconsin Film Festival, the lecture hall boasts comfortable seats, ample leg room, and a large clear screen. It certainly worked well enough for the screening on Friday. The theme for the third week of the series was "Film as/on a Battlefield," showcasing a quintet of shorts that ran between seven and twelve minutes in length. The first film to screen was simply breathtaking -- in the literal sense of the word -- as twelve minutes of real-time suspense unfolded in a clinical vision of death and destruction. Anaconda Targets by Dominic Angerame simply features the night-vision footage and radio-communication soundtrack of an aerial attack as seen from the targeting camera of a U.S. gunship helicopter. Named for Operation Anaconda Viewers are eyewitness to the targeting and subsequent firing upon a sequence of buildings, vehicles -- and for the most part, individual persons -- with guided munitions that obliterate their targets in a plume of flames and concussion. Running, hiding, and visibly wounded persons come under the gunner's eye in this attack, the only visible survivor taking asylum in a mosque off-limits to the attack, a striking juxtaposition of this contemporary method of distant warfare and the religious concept of sanctuary in a medieval context. "It's fascinating," says Rooftop Cinema curator Tom Yoshikami of the battlefield footage. "You know it's happening every day, and you hear about it all the time, but you never actually see it." The second film was Cosmetic Emergency by Martha Colburn, an eight minute musing upon the concept of beauty in this era of cosmetic surgery and obsessive aspirations of perfection. The short released in 2005 featured mashed-up found images and footage with layers of animation, an engaging example of the audio-visual collage culture that's thriving as a method of social criticism. More familiar in format were the next two shorts of the evening. Though created more than 35 years apart, both Diploteratology: Bardo Follies by Owen Land (1967) and Friendly Fire by Thorston Fleish (2003) feature abstract imagery of melting and burning film stock set to, respectively, silence and looping industrial beats. They were easily the most challenging entries of the evening, both as exemplars of one common stereotype of experimental film. In the case of the former, visually disorienting due to persistent strobe lighting. Only a few minutes into the first short, the audience got restless, with a cycle of conversations, sniggering, and shushing continuing through the end of the second. "I do expect the restlessness a little bit," says Yoshikami about the reaction to these films. "I'm glad if someone says 'shh...' if it gets out of hand, but I think it is to be expected. This series draws a wide variety of people, some of whom aren't familiar with all the types of films that will be screening. Some of them will be more challenging, so I can imagine that it can get a little tedious for some people." The audience was fully engaged with the final film of the evening, though. Neighbours, the best known work by the Scottish-Canadaian filmmaker Norman McLaren, was the oldest selection. Originally released in 1952 and produced by the National Film Board of Canada, won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film in 1953. It's hardly a documentary, though, as it utilizes pixilation (stop-motion animation of live-action footage) to tell the story of two men engaged in a battle royale over possession of a single flower growing on the line between their own patches of lawn and cut-out houses. The fight grows increasingly violent, culminating in wanton murder and destruction, an explicit commentary by McLaren on the Korean War. The bleepy soundtrack, meanwhile, is clearly echoed in the sound of the Scottish electronic duo that takes its names from the Canadian filmmaking organization. The classic short was a fitting end for the screening off the rooftop, which was seen by a comparatively small crowd compared to the first half of the series. "We had a fantastic turnout our first two nights," notes Yoshikami, with about 250 people attending the Friday night films atop the museum. "Because there was a threat of rain and it was indoors, not as many people showed up for this one, but that's to be expected." Rooftop Cinema's second year ends this Friday, June 29, with the four shorts organized around the theme of "W.O.R.D. G.A.M.E.S." The centerpiece for the screening is the 1970 film Bleu Shut by Robert Nelson, which Yoshikami identifies as his favorite of the summer. Prepare to laugh, he warns, during this final chance to catch a film on top of MMoCA this summer. Current weather forecasts call for pleasant conditions. by Kristian Knutsen June 25, 2007 | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10189 | Published on Jewish Exponent (http://jewishexponent.com)
Home > Discovering the Complexities of Family Relationships in Debut Film
Discovering the Complexities of Family Relationships in Debut Film
For anyone who has ever thought that spending time in Bucks County feels like being in another world, Justin Schwarz agrees with you. So much so, in fact, that he used its bucolic environs as stand-ins for rural Idaho in his film, The Discoverers.
“I was looking for states that had the rich production incentives and geographic diversity we needed for the film,” Schwarz explained in a phone interview in advance of its June 27 engagement at the Ritz Five in Society Hill.
As an independent filmmaker, the financial and logistical support offered by the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, helmed by Sharon Pinkenson, proved as essential as the area’s sylvan surroundings. “A lot of the film takes place in the woods, and we needed a certain type of woods,” he added.
That’s because The Discoverers revolves around a historical re-enactment group that retraces part of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s historic Corps of Discovery 1804-1806 trek westward to map the newly acquired lands of the Louisiana Purchase. Protagonist Lewis Birch, a once rising star of American history on the faculty of the University of Chicago, now finds himself a divorced, middle-aged adjunct instructor with a tenuous position at a Chicagoland community college.
He and his two teenaged children are thrust into an unwelcome family reunion when his mother’s death leaves him no choice but to take care of his obstreperously authoritarian father, Stanley. Making this even more difficult is the fact that Stanley and Lewis have been estranged for so long that Lewis’ children have never even met their grandfather.
The situation becomes even more complicated when Stanley runs off to the re-enactment, where he has been portraying Clark every year for decades. Lewis decides that the best way to figure out his father’s needs is to play along with his father’s role-playing. He and his kids are stripped of all modern accoutrements, giving up phones and iPods in exchange for buckskin and rucksacks. Lewis, who was named after the explorer by his father, and has been trying for years to finish a 6,000-page tome (and counting) on the life of York, Clark’s slave, finds himself pitching tents and foraging all while trying to communicate with his authoritarian father, his dreamily aloof son and cynically outspoken daughter.
During all of this, he has to come to terms with the fact that a minor college imprint has just reneged on his book deal because another book about York has just come out and, as the publisher tells him, “the market can only support one of these types of books at a time.”
There is no shortage of painful moments onscreen, but Schwarz has his actors play the pathos in such an understated way that the film never devolves into melodrama or caricature. The script includes plenty of lighter moments as well. To Schwarz’s credit, he never goes for the easy laughs — there is no mocking of the historical re-enactors, and a life cycle milestone for his daughter is handled in a way never before seen in theaters. Schwarz says that is all by design.
“Comedy comes out of character and pain in this movie — I tried so hard for this movie not to be sentimental and melodramatic.”
Griffin Dunne, who commands center stage in his first starring role in decades, leads the cast. The kinetic, wittily endearing actor of After Hours and Who’s That Girl, who has continued acting in supporting roles while moving behind the camera to direct films, gives an engrossing portrayal of a man struggling to find the way forward in his life. And Stuart Margolin, who has also been acting and directing for decades, imbues Stanley with a barely contained storm of loss, frustration and hurt over the death of his partner and the introduction of his estranged son.
With two such accomplished directors on set, it would be understandable if Schwarz, a first-time director, got a case of the jitters, but he said that the opposite occurred. He recounts how Margolin, who was in Terrence Malick’s 1978 film, Days of Heaven, gave him a crucial bit of encouragement during filming. Margolin knew that the look of the Malick film was one of Schwarz’s visual motifs for The Discoverers.
“When I was fighting for some shots and people wanted me to move on, he would come whisper in my ear that ‘that’s what Terry would do.’ ”
Schwarz adds that Dunne was happy to just be acting: “He said this was the first time in a while he was carrying a movie — it was important for him to be able to settle in and find his character and not think about anything else.”
In addition to spending considerable time in Tyler State Park, Ridley Creek State Park and Fort Washington State Park, scenes were shot at landmarks like Farley’s Bookshop in New Hope and Molden Funeral Chapel in Bristol. Regardless of whether Pennsylvania makes a good substitute for Idaho, the area looks spectacular thanks to the cinematography of Chris Blauvelt, who followed Schwarz’s direction to take the pastoral color photography of William Eggleston as inspiration. Schwarz’s attention to detail included having his crew light nighttime scenes by candlelight and soaking the re-enactors’ tents in tea to give them an appropriately weathered look.
Composer Aaron Mirman created a score that was played exclusively on period-authentic instruments and even the birdcalls heard were from species discovered by Lewis and Clark on their trek.
It is obvious from talking with Schwarz and watching his film that he cares deeply about his cast, crew and characters. It makes sense, in a way, that he once made a career out of trying to better people’s lives. Before enrolling in Columbia University’s graduate film program, the 40-year-old California native spent a number of years in politics, including working on welfare reform for New York City, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and in the Clinton White House.
He said his decision to go into public service was a result of his upbringing. He says that he was attracted to working on welfare reform because of the “idea of collective responsibility and questioning things — it’s part of both my family and my understanding of faith as well. It’s important to have a sense of not necessarily social justice but to think of marginalized people because that is something that is so much a part of the Jewish people.”
Frustration with Newt Gingrich’s 1994 Republican takeover of Congress and the ensuing weakening and politicizing of welfare reform caused him to change direction. He wound up a filmmaker instead of a union organizer because Columbia wouldn’t give him a deferral to go to the union training program.
Despite his past, Schwarz says there is no political agenda to his film. “There are a variety of political points expressed” — especially by Lewis’ Chomsky-toting daughter — “but it’s not my political manifesto at all.”
Instead, his description of Lewis and his family’s expedition could just as easily be that of Lewis and Clark. “They all discovered a different America. They all had their own journey.”
Source URL: http://jewishexponent.com/culture/2014/06/discovering-the-complexities-of-family-relationships-in-debut-film | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10327 | Janice Lynde
in Houston
Janice Lynde is an American actress.
The Houston, Texas-born, Lake Charles, Louisiana-reared Lynde began her career at ten years old, playing piano and singing solos with the Dallas Symphony. She attended college at Indiana University, studying music, and then the University of Pennsylvania.
After she graduated from college, she moved to New York and began a career in acting. In 1973, she moved to Los Angeles, where she got her big acting break when she was chosen to be one the of the original cast members of the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, playing "Leslie Brooks". She left the series in early 1977. Two years later, she joined Another World as "Tracy DeWitt"; she left the role in 1981. In 1984, she starred as "Laurel Chapin Wolek" in One Life to Live, which she left in 1986.
She appeared in several film and television programs, including a notable role in the episode "A Hand For Sonny Blue" of Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10492 | Magazines Free Sample
Hollywood Spotlight
Geoff Tate – Kings, Thieves and Queensryche
Posted on October 30, 2012 by Robyn Weiss
The last six months have put tremendous strain on singer/songwriter Geoff Tate and what was once Queensrÿche. The band had been working on many projects over the years collectively and on solo ventures; which had never been a problem. In the last year, the other band members were working on their separate effort while Tate worked on his; Kings and Thieves, due out November 6, 2012, and then all hell broke loose.
Fans were left with their lower jaws swinging when the news broke that Queensrÿche had parted ways after spending nearly half their lives together making rock n’ roll history. As some say, good, bad or indifferent; press is press so damage control through the carnage is usually the first line of defense as everyone is so polarized in such a mess. Let us all remember that these are people’s lives and though lines have been drawn in the sand, it should have never gotten that far. Fans, friends, family and contemporaries have all read or heard about what took place this past April in São Paulo, Brazil. Though seven months have passed since the incident, both camps have recently been in court asking for what each believes is theirs; the name.
“Well, we’re in a court case now. They fired me, basically.” says Tate with a little chuckle. “They can’t, legally, because we have a corporation together — we have three corporations together, and they can’t legally do that. And so it’s what’s called a ‘corporate dispute’ now. We have a court date that’s set for November of next year. And in the meantime, we’re in litigation, basically, so anything can happen. So what originally happened was they started a side project — which is fine. We’ve all had the agreement we can all do side projects over the years. And Scott’s [Rockenfield] done a number of them and so has Michael [Wilton], and I’ve done a solo project, and that kind of thing. And so I was getting ready for this new album and doing a short acoustic tour. And they decided that they were going to put together a side project called Rising West, which is fine. But then they found out that they couldn’t book any shows because that name doesn’t have any value. And so they fired me and went after the name, Queensrÿche.”
“And of course, they can’t do that legally,” explains Tate. “So I had to file what’s called an injunction to try to get them to stop using the name. I spent a fortune taking them to court and filing this case. And at the end of the day the judge decided that, ‘Hey guess what? Both parties can use the name Queensrÿche for the rest of the year. And so we have our court date. And so my whole plan kinda backfired, in a sense, because I was just saying, ‘Hey let’s not use the name, either of us, until we decide what we’re going to do.’ But they wanted to keep doing it. And so as of right now the judge gave us permission for both parties to use the name Queensrÿche. So in the spring I’m launching a new Queensrÿche and now we’re booking dates for it. And both ‘Queensrÿches’ will be touring. Somebody is going to win the name next November, in 2013, and whoever wins the name has to pay the other party off the value of what the name is worth at that point. So either I’ll be getting a large sum of money or they will.” Tate lets out a heavy sigh and continues. “It’s a terrible, awful situation and it’s not what I chose to do. It’s definitely not the way that I envisioned my band and my life’s work ending on that note. I envisioned us all being elderly gentlemen sitting around the park playing checkers going, ‘Hey, you remember back in the day when we did this?’”
Once the decision came down from the judge, Tate gave a lot of thought to his new line-up. “When the judge said that we could both use the name Queensrÿche I thought long and hard about how to go about doing that,” Tate said as he settled into the conversation. “And so I’m kind of a list maker. I got out a piece of paper and a pencil and I just kind of started making lists of what I wanted to try to accomplish with it. First and foremost I wanted to have really great players. I wanted to be able to stand on that stage with people that would really throw everything they had into the music, because that’s what I do. And so I wanted to find people that were amazing players. Secondly, I wanted to find people that I had a relationship with already or I was friends with or I really respected their work. Rudy Sarzo and Bobby Blotzer; I’ve known for 30-plus years.”
“We’ve been friends all these years, and always talked about making music together, so when this thing came up, I called them and luckily they were able to move their schedules around and make it all work.” Tate continues. “We’re both very excited about the prospect. Glen Drover I’ve known for a while and I came at him more as a fan. I love his guitar playing. He’s just a really special guitar player and a very fluid player. And I thought that he and Kelly Gray, would be a really interesting guitar team because they’re complete opposites in their style. Glen is very fluid and Kelly, every time he picks up a guitar he picks a fight with it — it’s just this chunky, kind of forceful style, and I thought that would be an interesting juxtaposition of styles. So that’s kind of my game plan, was to do that and I put together a great live band that people would want to see and that I’d want to play with. Glenn and Rudy and Bobby are strictly for the upcoming Queensrÿche dates and I have a different group of people who are supporting me on my solo tour.”
Tate’s solo tour actually started in January of 2012. He decided to start writing and put his newest LP together rather quickly as there was no long drawn out process to write and record, which can depend on the people working with you; and that’s not a bad thing it’s just the way it is. “Well, it depends on the album, and it depends on the people around you,” says Tate, “if it was a Queensrÿche record, it would take a long time, because working with those guys was very difficult. They weren’t real prolific writers. So if I had to wait for a Queensrÿche record and depend on Michael, Scott and Eddie [Jackson] we’d probably put out a record every 10 years. But with this situation it’s completely different and that’s what I think I loved about it was that it was very immediate and I can work at my pace. I’m a workaholic. I write every day and I work long hours every day, and that’s what I do. So what was great about this is I could set my own pace and make it happen on my schedule so I didn’t have to compromise so much. So that was really fun. And it was fun being solely responsible for it all. I like that aspect of it. And I like the fact that I can shape it any way I want and not have to compromise so much in different areas.”
Tate’s live show will be reminiscent of both his solo career and that of his time with Queensrÿche. Creating a stage show that is interesting for others and Tate himself is key to his sanity at this stage of the game as he feels the challenge is not becoming bored or complacent. “It’s my solo presentation, so I’m going to be pulling from both my solo records and Queensrÿche material as well,” enthused Tate, “and it’s going have several movements to it — the show. So I’ll take people through different movements, different songs that have a similar vibe for a section and then change the vibe up and completely change it and go into a section that’s quite a bit different. It’s a cool show. I’ve been rehearsing it for a couple of weeks, and we actually start on the 17th in New Jersey. So I’ve been rehearsing the band every day and customizing it and changing songs in and out. And we have a huge amount of songs we’re playing. So that way we can change the set up weekly and substitute and interchange songs. One of the great things I love about this particular band is that we’re not playing with any kind of click track or computer support, so it’s all live playing. It’s all real vocals, real instruments, a drummer who’s keeping time, and we’re not tied to this arrangement that you have to do with a click track, which is real restrictive to play that way.”
“You can’t change the arrangement up and you can’t change the song structure at all.” Tate explains with excitement in his voice. “You have to kind of play it exactly how you have it. And so this way, it’s all live. So I can throw my hand up in the middle of a section and that signals the band that we’re going to change-up and go to a different section instead of a planned section. So we can really have and create really interesting dynamics with the tracks, and you can segue between different songs and then come back to the original. You can do a lot of cool things that we’ve never been able to do before. So I’m very excited about that.”
It will be another year before all parties involved meet again to plead their cases and wait for the final judgment on the coveted name, but in the meantime, Tate is confident in the fact that change is a good thing, inevitable and his future will never be stagnant.
Click here to read our review of Kings & Thieves
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Last reply was October 14, 2014 GEOFF TATE Says He Has Already 'Spent A Fortune' Taking QUEENSRŸCHE Bandmates To Court • Metal4ALL.com View
[…] Bandmates To CourtNovember 2, 2012 | Posted in InterviewsFrom blabbermouth.net Robyn Vagnozzi of Screamer Magazine recently conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate. A couple of excerpts from the […]
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[…] Geoff Tate says he’s already spent a fortune on chasing his former Queensryche bandmates through legal action – and he might have to spend more if he eventually wins the right to use the band name from them. A current temporary judgement allows both parties to work as Queensryche, and two bands will tour under the title next year. Tate says: “Whoever wins the name has to pay the other party off the value of what the name is worth at that point. So either I’ll be getting a large sum of money, or they will. It’s definitely not the way I envisioned my band and my life’s work ending – I envisioned us all being elderly gentlemen sitting round the park playing checkers, going, ‘Hey, you remember back in the day when we did this?’” [Screamer] […]
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[…] reports Robyn Vagnozzi of Screamer Magazine recently conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate. A couple of excerpts from […]
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10530 | DVDs & Blu-ray Sort By
The Iceman Interviews DVD
It�s Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise DVD
Inside HBO's Game of Thrones: Season 3 & 4 (Hardcover) Book
I Can't Do This But, I Can Do That: A Film For Families About...
In Pursuit of Honor DVD
Inside HBO's Game of Thrones Hardcover Book
Into the Storm DVD
In Treatment: The Complete First Season DVD
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge DVD
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (Paperback) Book
If These Walls Could Talk DVD
In Vogue: The Editor's Eye DVD
In Tahrir Square, 18 Days of Egypt's Unfinished Revolution DVD
In Treatment: The Complete Third Season DVD
If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise DVD
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In Treatment: The Complete Second Season DVD
Iron Jawed Angels DVD
Indictment: The McMartin Trial DVD
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I Am An Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and Peta DVD
Simply put, this is the one stop shop for fans of ANY of HBO's award-winning programming. From series like Game of Thrones and True Blood to HBO Movies and Mini-Series like Too Big to Fail and Mildred Pierce, you'll find them ALL here in either DVD or Blu-ray formats for purchase. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10591 | Crazy in love: Beyonce and Jay-Z, the intensely private power couple
December 10, 2010 by hellomagazine.com
The inside story on the perfect hip-hop love match More on:
celebrity love stories
…And Jay-Z, real name Shawn Corey Carter, was picking up awards for his work. On paper they were very different. Jay had a tough upbringing, raised by his mum in Brooklyn.
But he channelled his experiences into his music, going on to become a world class writer and producer, and a wealthy one at that. Beyonce by contrast had a privileged upbringing, going to private school, and living in a nice house, complete with housekeeper. "I wasn't doing (singing) because I didn't have a choice or to support the family or because I had to get out of a bad situation. I just was determined," she said But something just clicked. Rumours of their romance began to circulate after Beyonce sang on Jay-Z's hit 03 Bonnie & Clyde in 2002.
Their chemistry in the music video for the song spoke for itself. A collaboration on her solo hit Crazy in Love followed One of their earliest TV appearances together, on MTV in 2002.
There was still no confirmation of their romance, but there was no denying it was a match made in hip hop heaven.
He gave the R'n'B golden girl a bit of an edge while she brought his music to the mainstream - making it accessible to a new legion of fans.
"We exchanged audiences. Her records are huge Top 40 records, and she helped Bonnie and Clyde go to number one. What I gave her was a street credibility," says Jay After steadfastly refusing to even mentioning each other in interviews, the pair began to relax slightly, attending basketball games together. But this slow 'coming out' as a couple wasn't a calculated decision, says Beyonce.
"We never really consciously talk about anything. Even when we do records, I've never sat down and said, 'hey, let's try to do a song," she said. "It's just natural. We never said 'OK, now we're going to go to games.' We just live our lives" Jay Z's influence in his girlfriend's life was visible in her music. The Bootylicious diva, who before Jay was linked to the likes of Pharell Williams and Mos Def, went from putting out songs like Independent Woman and Survivor to Cater 2 U. In it she sings about bringing her man his slippers and running his bath. But it's OK, she wasn't selling out her feminist side. "I feel it's still very strong, because in order to be a strong woman, you have to have a strong man," she explained. "There's nothing wrong with women doing that for their man if their man deserves it and he does the same for you." In 2006 the rumour mill was abuzz with stories that the couple were going to tie the knot at a luxury resort in the Caribbean.
Beyonce shot the reports down, but hinted that when it came to geting hitched, it could just be a matter of time.
"You can't rush a man into anything – whether it's a relationship, marriage or having children," the singer said at the time. "When he's ready, he'll let you know" Two years later that time arrived. The couple wed at a top secret ceremony at Jay's newly renovated Manhattan penthouse, where a tent was erected in the basketball court-size living room. Those in attendance included Beyonce's mother Tina Knowles, her father and manager Mathew, her sister Solange, her Destiny's Child pals Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and the couple's friend Gwyneth Paltrow.
The date was hugely significant. They were both born on the 4th (Beyonce's birthday is September 4; Jay's is December 4), they got together in 2002, which adds up to four. And in 2009 they got matching IV tattoos on their ring fingers.
A whopping 70,000 white orchirds were reportedly flown in from Thailand for the white wedding. Neither the bride or groom performed during the ceremony or reception, though they did dance the night away to hip hop and golden oldies, including Whitney Houston and the Jackson 5 But though paperwork confirmed their union, there was still no comment about the marriage for months. In September Jay was asked during an interview if would confirm Beyonce was his wife. But he refused, calling it "a ridiculous question."
"I just think it's really a part of your life that you've got to keep to yourself," he explained. "You have to, or you'll go insane in this type of business. You have to have something that's sacred to you and the people around you" The same month Beyonce debuted her wedding ring at the Fashion Rocks concert. The 18 carat flawless diamond was designed by Lorraine Schwartz, and valued at $5 million Finally, in November that year, Beyonce opened up about married life during an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres show. "It feels great," said the singer. "Oh gosh, listen to me about to start yapping. We've been together a long time – it's been about seven years." In another interview she revealed that she had wanted her wedding to be really small and intimate because she's not not a "traditional woman," and didn't want the drama. "It's been my day so many days already," she said With the Single Ladies diva happily married, fans waited for news of a pregnancy. But – despite several false rumours - there were no happy announcements for the time being, after Beyonce revealed watching her sister Solange give birth had put her off. "I was there is the delivery room and it kind of traumatized me," she revealed. "I said 'please don't have me in the room'. And she said, 'You have to. I'm your sister. Stop being so silly'." But she didn't rule out kids altogether. And indeed she later said that since the birth, her feelings had changed. "It's a strange thing - once the baby's born, you go from never wanting a child to wanting one of your own. I've never felt that amount of emotion before," she revealed There was a rare public declaration from the chanteuse at the 2010 Grammy Awards. When she was called to the stage to collect the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance award she said: "I'd love to thank my family for all of their support, including my husband. I love you." And what was her husband's reaction to her acceptance speech? "He was shocked! He was just like, 'What did you say?' Beyonce, who eventually went home with six Grammys, said she was just lost in the moment. "I was so happy, I could've said anything. That's why I ran off the stage," she explained. "I just looked up, and he was the first face I saw. And I was like, 'What did I just do? No, I didn't just say that'" In June the following year Beyonce told Piers Morgan "I always said I would have a baby by the time I'm 30."
And she was true to her word. At the MTV Music Video Awards two months later the singer overshadowed all the other acts before the show had even started with a happy announcement. Cluthching her baby bump she told the assembled press: "I have a surprise." Theirs is one of the most solid unions in showbiz, and the most private. And though they come from very different backgrounds Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z are a perfect match, described by friends as "true soulmates".
Hellomagazine.com brings you the inside story on the ultimate hip hop romance, the 'Crazy in Love' tale of former Destiny's Child member Beyonce and rapper-turned-businessman Jay-Z
All photos: © Rex, Getty Images, The couple's reluctance to discuss their relationship means the exact date they started dating remains hazy.
They met each other through the music scene at the end of the Nineties, when Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter was on the road to commercial success with Destiny's Child… © 2000-2016, HELLO INC. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10617 | 'Ralph': An 8-Bit Hero With Plenty Of Heart By Scott Tobias
Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) grows tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix Jr., the "good guy" star of their game, and sets off on a quest to prove he's got what it takes to be a hero.
Wreck-It Ralph succeeds in part by building carefully conceived, elaborately detailed video game worlds.
Originally published on November 3, 2012 12:15 am After a very long engagement that began with the original Toy Story, Disney finally made an honest woman out of Pixar in 2006, when it paid the requisite billions to move the computer animation giant into the Magic Kingdom. But Disney's spirited 2010 hit Tangled made it abundantly clear that Pixar had a say in the creative marriage: The story of Rapunzel may be standard Disney princess fare, but the whip-crack pacing and fractured-fairy tale wit felt unmistakably Pixar. From now on, it would seem, Mickey Mouse and Luxo Jr. might remain separate icons, but they're marching under the same banner. With that in mind, see if the premise of Wreck-It Ralph sounds familiar: A collection of synthetic characters — some new, some recognizable and beloved by people of all ages — are playthings for children, but they come to life and interact when nobody else is around. Replace the toy box with the arcade machine, and Wreck-It Ralph is basically a repurposed Toy Story movie, suffused with the same mix of adventure and nostalgia and themes of friendship and the existential crises that come with age. A cynic might dismiss the film as reheated leftovers. But that cynic would be wrong, because those leftovers are delicious. Directed by Rich Moore, who had a hand in several all-time great Simpsons episodes ("Marge vs. The Monorail" and "Cape Feare" among them), Wreck-It Ralph is pop nirvana, a headlong rush through classic arcade games and Nintendo standards that's not too busy playing spot-the-reference to keep from paying off in laughs and heart. It may deploy the Pixar formula shamelessly, but the world of video games — particularly for those who feel affection for them — is uniquely immersive, and Moore and his team of animators have evoked it with equal parts sweetness and wit. Adding another character to his gallery of ingratiating lugs, John C. Reilly voices Wreck-It Ralph, the 8-bit villain of Fix-It Felix Jr., a 30-year-old arcade favorite that bears a striking resemblance to Donkey Kong. He doesn't mind hurling debris at Fix-It Felix (30 Rock's Jack McBrayer), the chipper young go-getter with the magic hammer, but the "bad guy" label stays with him after hours, when the kids have gone home and the characters inside the game are still shutting him out. After commiserating with various other video game villains — including one of the ghosts from Pac-Man, who hosts "Bad-Anon" meetings — Ralph vows to shed the label by infiltrating another video game and winning one of those "Hero" medals that so frequently adorn his rival. To that end, Ralph ventures into Hero's Duty, a modern first-person shooter game that couldn't be further removed from the quaint mechanics of his 8-bit home. (The differences in the way characters from separate gaming eras move are one of the film's most subtle, distinct pleasures.) But his adventures eventually land him in Sugar Rush, a Candyland cart-racing game, where he teams up with Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), a fluttering "glitch" who dreams of glory but lives in exile from the tyrannical Willy Wonka-type who lords over the circuitry. Wreck-It Ralph is overstuffed with narrative business — a major subplot sends Felix in pursuit of Ralph with the Lara Croft-like heroine of Hero's Duty, voiced by Jane Lynch — and the borders and safeguards that rule its world-within-a-world are similarly dense. But none of it gums up the film's relentless momentum: A lot of thought has been put into how Ralph might interact with the gibberish-spouting Q*bert or the beer-slinging bartender from Tapper, and the story moves fluidly between several richly imagined gaming environments, all connected by a power strip that serves as Grand Central Station. Though it's full of touches certain to tickle stand-up arcade game fanatics — the Pac-Man Fever team of Buckner & Garcia contribute the closing-credit song, and the many bleeps and music cues on the soundtrack have been ported over from decades-old classics — Wreck-It Ralph makes good on the core relationship between Ralph and Vanellope, a villain and a glitch who come together as outsiders in their own homes, exiled by their peers. Gaming nerds can certainly relate. (Recommended)Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. View the discussion thread. © 2016 WAMC | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10637 | Shakira Rocks The Stage At Her IHeartRadio Album Release Party...
Shakira rocks the stage at her iHeartRadio Album Release Party presented by Target
Posted March 24th, 2014 @ 11:22pm by Tracy Bratten
Shakira rocked the stage Monday night at her iHeartRadio Album Release Party presented by Target, live from the iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles. The international superstar performed music from her new album, Shakira -- out Tuesday -- and talked about the inspiration behind the songs.
[Buy Shakira exclusively at Target.com]
Shakira opened the show with the powerful ballad, "Empires," which she released online last month, before host Ryan Seacrest joined her on stage for a live Q&A.
"I’m so involved with every single aspect of the creation of my music, from the arrangements to the writing and the production," Shakira told Ryan. "I just feel like these are my children, each one of these songs. It took me two and a half years to put this body of work together... These were the most eventful two and a half years of my life."
Shakira also performed the album's first single, "Can't Remember To Forget You," in addition to two new songs, "You Don't Care About Me" and "23."
"This is one of the most personal songs I've ever written," Shakira said about "23," which chronicles the beginning of her love story with her boyfriend, professional soccer player Gerard Piqué. She sings, "I knew we had something from the moment I met you/I knew we had something, no one thought it could be true/Do you believe in destiny?/'Cause I do as I did then when you were only 23."
After her performance, Ryan asked Shakira if she was ever hesitant to date a younger man (Piqué is ten years her junior). She responded, "Yes... but I looked into those blue eyes and I was like, 'What the F?'"
Shakira ended the show with her 2006 smash, "Hips Don't Lie," much to the audience's delight. Eight years later, those hips are still telling nothing but the truth.
Check out photos from Shakira's iHeartRadio Album Release Party below! | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10638 | What's Hot?Books - Films - LifestyleFILM REVIEW: WHITE HOUSE DOWN 23rd August 2013
I’ll be honest, I didn’t have very high hopes for White House Down when I sat down to watch it; however, I found that I absolutely loved this film. White House Down mixes together action and comedy to create a really entertaining film that grips you from beginning to end.
That’s not to say that this film isn’t flawed, because it is in many ways. First and foremost are the special effects. Whilst at times they were excellent, at others, they really weren’t. The opening shots of the White House are evidently fake and there are a few other moments that are supposed to be visually spectacular that are clearly the work of what seems to be an amateur CGI artist. This was disappointing because had these effects been bettered, even by just a little, this film would’ve earned itself a few more brownie points.
The plot of this film, for the most part is well structured and exciting. This film is about catastrophic events that take place when the White House is infiltrated, but the reason for this is cleverly concealed until the very end. There are numerous plot twists throughout the film (even in the last five minutes!) that keep you on your toes. I most certainly would not have been able to predict the way this movie would pan out, something that I think should be commended given that this sort f film has been made and remade time and time again. This is a newer, certainly more thrilling, take on the ‘President-in-crisis’ story. That said, there were a few moments, more towards the end of the film, where slightly too unrealistic events were occurring. Sometimes this was a fault of the humour that embodies this film, at others, just an over-excited script writer.
I was surprised to find that White House Down is actually a really funny film. Actually scrap that – it’s downright hilarious at times. You’ll find the perfect blend of action and comedy in this film, but the comedy does not take away any of the impact of the action. There were a few moments when I did question whether or not humour was really appropriate but for the most part, it was seamlessly integrated into the plot and the characters’ personalities to make this an incredibly entertaining film. Tatum and Foxx were the perfect pair for this film as both men are talented actors when it comes to action and comedy and emotion – the three key elements to this film. Alongside the humour are some pretty badass action scenes. There’s everything from gun fights to fist fights to knife fights to missile launches to high speed car chases (around the Whote House, in the president’s limo I might add). I was really impressed y the action scenes as they had me gripping the edge of my seat, never certain who had the upper hand or what move would be pulled next.
As well as action and comedy’s there’s also a dash of emotion added in. There is also the story of a man fearlessly trying to protect the life of the President whilst his daughter is being held hostage. There are many emotional conflicts which bring you to a more personal level with the characters so it’s not all guns and grenades. I cried several times whilst watching this film (as I am slightly ashamed to admit), but you really do start rooting for the characters and their cause. In addition, this film managed to instil me with a deep sense of patriotism and admiration for the patriotism of Americans, despite the fact that I am not American.
All in all, I would highly recommend this film to fans of either action or comedy or both. This film had me second guessing the plot the entire way through and it’s not until the very end of the film that everything is revealed. I guarantee this film will have you on the edge of your seat.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10836 | Channel Logo
So long, Bite, and thanks for all the fish!
Dear loyal viewer,
If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering “Hey, what happened to Bite?” Well, we’re sad to announce that Bite TV is off the air.
While we’ve had a great time making people LOL and chuckle, we have decided to take things in a different direction. We really want to thank all the fans and viewers for their love and support over these past 10 years.
In case you’re curious about Bite on Mondo, we will continue to produce and distribute content in partnership with Mondo Media. Even more exciting is that Bite on Mondo is getting its own compilation show, Night Sweats, which is set to air on Adult Swim in Canada starting Friday September 4th at 10pm ET/PT ! The shorts will also be available via Mondo Media’s YouTube channel.
See? It’s not all bad news.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10886 | Tony Winner John Lloyd Young to Headline Jersey Boys in London
By Beth Stevens
John Lloyd Young in 'Jersey Boys'
The Tony winner will play Frankie Valli across the pond.
Tony winner John Lloyd Young will star as Frankie Valli in the West End’s Jersey Boys when it moves to the Piccadilly Theatre on March 15. Young, who originated the role on Broadway in 2005 and won a Tony Award for his performance, will headline the London production through April 27.
Young earned a Tony Award and a Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for his Broadway debut as Frankie Valli. He starred in the indie film Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay! and appeared on Glee. His off-Broadway credits include The Summer of Swans and Sarah, Plain and Tall. He revisited the role of Frankie Valli in Clint Eastwood's film adaptation of Jersey Boys, due out in June 2014.
The cast of the Tony and Olivier-winning musical, which follows the rise of Frankie Valli and his chart-topping group the Four Seasons, will also include Matt Nalton as Nick Massi, Edd Post as Bob Gaudio and Jon Boydon as Tommy De Vito. Michael Watson will play the role of Frankie Valli at certain performances.
The cast at the Piccadilly will also feature Nicola Brazil, Sophie Carmen-Jones, Thomas Goodridge, Lucinda Gill, Matthew Hunt, Mark Isherwood, Charlotte Jeffery, Ben Jennings, Stuart King, Sandy Moffat, Sean Mulligan, Tom Senior, Emma Stephens, Matt Thorpe, Graham Vick, Ben Wheeler and Rob Wilshaw.
Jersey Boys opened in London at the Prince Edward Theatre in 2008 and will play its last performance there on March 9. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10979 | CLINT EASTWOOD (Gus/Producer) has been honored for his work as a director, producer and actor, including four Oscars for his work as a director and producer on "Million Dollar Baby" and "Unforgiven." Eastwood recently directed and produced the biographical drama "J. Edgar," starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role. In 2010, He directed the drama "Hereafter," which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Achievement in Visual Effects, and received Italy's David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Film. The year before, Eastwood directed and produced the historical drama "Invictus," starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, who both received Oscar nominations for their performances. Eastwood also won a National Board of Review Award and earned Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Award nominations for Best Director. Also in 2009, he starred in directed and produced the widely acclaimed drama "Gran Torino." Eastwood won a Best Actor Award from the National Board of Review for his performance as Walt Kowalski, marking his first film role since "Million Dollar Baby." He previously directed and produced "Changeling," starring Angelina Jolie in the true-life drama about an infamous 1928 kidnapping case. The film was nominated for a Palme d'Or and won a Special Award when it premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. It also received three Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Jolie, and Eastwood garnered BAFTA Award and London Film Critics Award nominations for Best Director, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for the Best Original Score. Eastwood earned dual Academy Award nominations, in the categories of Best Director and Best Picture, for his acclaimed 2006 World War II drama "Letters from Iwo Jima." In addition, the film won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, and also received Best Picture awards from a number of film critics groups, including the Los Angeles Film Critics and the National Board of Review. "Letters from Iwo Jima" was the companion film to Eastwood's widely praised drama "Flags of Our Fathers," about the American men who raised the flag on Iwo Jima in the famed photograph. In 2005, Eastwood won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director for "Million Dollar Baby," also earning a Best Actor nomination for his performance in the film. In addition, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman won Oscars , for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively, and the film was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing. Eastwood also won his third Best Director Golden Globe, as well as a nomination for the film's score. Eastwood's critically acclaimed drama "Mystic River" debuted at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, earning him a Palme d'Or nomination and the Golden Coach Award. "Mystic River" went on to earn six Academy Award nominations, including two for Eastwood for Best Picture and Best Director. Sean Penn and Tim Robbins won Oscars in the categories of Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, while the film was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay. Eastwood also gained another Golden Globe nomination. A decade earlier, Eastwood won his first Oscars for his foreboding, revisionist Western "Unforgiven," which received a total of nine Academy Award nominations. Eastwood took home Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director and was nominated for Best Actor. The film also won in the categories of Best Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman) and Best Editor. Additionally, Eastwood won a Golden Globe for Best Director and the film won Best Picture honors from several critics groups. Eastwood's films have also been honored internationally by critics and at film festivals, including Cannes, where he served as the president of the jury in 1994. He has garnered Palme d'Or nominations for "White Hunter Black Heart" in 1990; "Bird," which also won the award for Best Actor and an award for its soundtrack at the 1988 festival; and "Pale Rider" in 1985. He also won his first Best Director Golden Globe Award for "Bird." In addition, Eastwood has directed and starred in such films as "Blood Work," "Space Cowboys," "True Crime," "Absolute Power," "The Bridges of Madison County," "The Rookie," "Heartbreak Ridge," "Sudden Impact," "Honkytonk Man," "Firefox," "Bronco Billy," "The Outlaw Josey Wales," "The Eiger Sanction," "High Plains Drifter," and "Play Misty for Me," which marked his directorial debut. Eastwood first came to fame as an actor, first on television and then in such legendary movie Westerns as "A Fistful of Dollars," "For a Few Dollars More," "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "Hang ‘Em High," and "Two Mules for Sister Sara." His film acting work also includes "Kelly's Heroes"; "Escape from Alcatraz"; the successful "Dirty Harry" actioners; the comedies "Every Which Way But Loose" and "Any Which Way You Can"; and the thriller "In the Line of Fire." Over the course of his career, Eastwood has received many lifetime achievement honors, including the Motion Picture Academy's Irving Thalberg Memorial Award and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Cecil B. DeMille Award. He has also garnered tributes from the Directors Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild, the American Film Institute, the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the French Film Society, the National Board of Review, the Henry Mancini Institute (Hank Award for distinguished service to American music), the Hamburg Film Festival (Douglas Sirk Award), and the Venice Film Festival (Career Golden Lion). He is also the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor; awards from the American Cinema Editors and the Publicists Guild; an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts from Wesleyan University; and five People's Choice Awards for Favorite Motion Picture Actor. In 1991, Eastwood was Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatrical Society's Man of the Year and, in 1992, he received the California Governor's Award for the Arts. He recently received two more significant honors for his contributions to film: the Prix Lumiere at the inaugural Grand Lyon Film Festival; and the Commandeur de la Legion d'honneur, presented by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/10980 | FEAST OF LOVE
About The CastingThe filmmakers now turned to the next crucial step: creating FEAST OF LOVE's ensemble cast of friends, lovers, family and neighbors. For Robert Benton, nothing could have been more key to the film's creation. "I'm not necessarily a very good director,” he says with characteristic modesty, "but I'm really great at casting, and I'm really great at trusting the actors I cast.” Gary Lucchesi adds: "I think for a director like Benton, casting is everything because once he gets to the set, he makes very subtle adjustments in performance. He doesn't try to put a very strong hand on the actor and alter their performance drastically; he would rather hire the right actor to begin with. That's much more who Benton is.” The casting began with the very core of the story: Harry Stevenson, the town philosopher who doles out advice to all of the lovelorn and newly in love, while his own heart is aching. As they considered the roster of venerable actors who could play the role, one stood out early on. Recalls Tom Rosenberg: "Once Harry was there on the page, it was Gary Lucchesi who said, ‘‘This is Morgan Freeman, this is who should play this role.' And he was exactly right. Morgan is such a great actor that he was able to keep in mind, as Harry must, not just his role but everybody's role in the film, and, along the way, he helped all the actors tremendously through his experience and generosity.” Benton says of Freeman, "He's astounding. He knows what can and cannot be acted, he knows how to be still and he knows how to listen, which are all the most invaluable parts of being an actor. You cannot act moral fiber, or a kind of stature – you either have it or you don't. I don't mean even as an actor, I mean as a human being, and he truly has that quality. That's what makes him a brilliant choice for this role.” When Morgan Freeman read the screenplay, he felt an immediate affinity with Harry and his role as the man who watches the constant ebb, flow and crash of love all around him. "I do often seem to be drawn to witness characters,” Freeman ponders. "I guess they sort of have the last say, as it were. But this is also quite different from any other film role I've done. The whole thing is about love, and as Harry, I'm right in the middle of it all, so it's a complete departure on that level.” Harry may be a pillar of the community, but his rock is his wife, Esther, with whom he is still deeply enamored. To play the role, Robert Benton saw an opportunity to work with one of his favorite actresses, Jane Alexander, whom he also directed in "Kramer Vs. Kramer.” She and Freeman had been seen together in two films previously, "Brubaker” and "Glory,” but never had scenes with one another until FEAST OF LOVE. "I've always looked for a chance to work with Jane again,” says Benton. "She's phenomenal. One of my favorite scenes in the film is between Morgan and Jane. It's a scene about tenderness and love, and she is so amazing in that scene. She was absolutely there in the best sense of the word.” For Alexander, the attraction lay in working with Benton again. "Anything he would ask me to do, I would jump at doing,” the actress says. "He was a wonderful writer on ‘Kramer Vs. Kramer,' but he also showed that he had great subtlety with regard to acting, and now that's only increased with these 28 years. He's just really extraordinary. He's very, very close to the actors when you're working on the set. It's just so great to have Benton right there, seeing and hearing every little nuance.” Morgan Freeman was equally excited to finally have a chance to interact with Alexander on screen, especially in such intimate moments revealing the inner workings of something not often depicted on screen: a long, loving marriage. "She gives such perfect performances, that I said, ‘Oh my god, I finally get a chance, here she is!'” says Freeman. The
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11024 | > Carrie Fisher
> Carrie Fisher Opens Up About Bipolar Episode
Carrie Fisher Opens Up About Bipolar EpisodeBy WENN on 14 March 2013
Follow Carrie Fisher
Picture: Carrie Fisher seen exiting a grocery store in Manhattan New York City, USA - 31.08.12Actress Carrie Fisher has little recollection of the bipolar episode she suffered aboard a cruise ship last month (Feb13), insisting she was "just trying to survive" the manic state she was experiencing.The Star Wars icon sparked fears for her health when she began slurring her words during a performance on the Holland America Eurodam in the Caribbean and she was subsequently hospitalised to adjust her medication. Fisher has now opened up about the drama, revealing to People magazine she has little recollection of the incident and was "delusional". She says, "I went completely off the rails. I don't really remember what I did. I haven't watched the videos that people took. "I was in a very severe manic state, which bordered on psychosis. Certainly delusional. I wasn't clear (sic) what was going on. I was just trying to survive. There are different versions of a manic state, and normally they're not as extreme as this became. I've only had this happen one other time, 15 years ago, so I didn't have a plan of action." The 56 year old has dismissed rumours she had been drinking prior to the episode, and reveals she had actually been attending Alcoholics Anonymous (Aa) meetings onboard the vessel. She adds, "I wasn't drunk. Anyone who knows me knows that's no (sic) possible. On the ship, I had gone to Aa meetings a couple of times, and those guys were very sweet and grounding for me. They actually came onstage and saved me." The actress reveals she began to show potential warning signs of a bipolar episode early on in the trip, adding, "I wasn't sleeping. I was writing on everything. I was writing in books; I would have written on walls. I literally would bend over and be writing on the ground and (my assistant) would try to talk to me, and I would be unable to respond." Fisher is now focused on managing her condition with new medication and explains, "The only lesson for me, or for anybody, is that you have to get help. It's not a neat illness. It doesn't go away."Contactmusic
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11072 | Pianos out of place
Elvis impersonators
John Lennon anniversary
Michael Jackson: King of Pop
iTunes top 25 most downloaded songs
Who's who on The Voice
Javier Colon won 'The Voice,' a television singing contest, on June 29, beating out 31 other contestants on the NBC show. Mr. Colon was on the team of singing coach Adam Levine and won a recording contract with Universal Republic, $100,000 in cash, and will star in 'The Voice' summer tour starting in July. Lewis Jacobs/NBC/AP
Carson Daly is the host of 'The Voice,' which is the American version of 'The Voice of Holland' and is produced by reality show maven Mark Burnett, of 'Survivor' fame, and Jon De Mol of 'Big Brother.' Mr. Daly rose to prominence as an MTV VJ on the show 'TRL,' and has hosted NBC's 'Last Call with Carson Daly' since 2002. Matt Sayles/AP
Winner of four Grammy Awards and named one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by 'Rolling Stone,' Christina Aguilera was one of the contestant coaches on 'The Voice.' The show starts with a blind audition, during which the coaches can only hear, not see, the contestants, and must choose according to the best voice. Matt Sayles/AP
A vocal powerhouse known for his work with Gnarls Barkley, Cee Lo Green was a coach on 'The Voice.' Mr. Green sings, raps, writes songs, and produces music. Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Adam Levine is a singer-songwriter and musician who serves as a coach on 'The Voice.' He's best known for his work with the band Maroon 5. Mr. Levine distinguished himself by coaching Javier Colon, who won the 2011 contest on 'The Voice.' Matt Sayles/AP
Blake Shelton, a country artist, was a coach on 'The Voice.' He has had nine No. 1 country hits, including 'All About Tonight' and 'Honey Bee.' Matt Sayles/AP
Beverly McClellan reached the finals of 'The Voice' and was mentored by coach Christina Aguilera. Ms. McClellan plays more than 10 instruments and has released five independent albums. Lewis Jacobs/NBC/AP
Frenchie Davis was a semifinalist on 'The Voice' and a member of Christina Aguilera's team. Ms. Davis performed on Broadway in the musical 'Rent' and was a contestant on the second season of 'American Idol,' but was disqualified because of a revealing photo that was taken of her earlier in her career. Jen Lowery/Splash News/Newscom
Vicci Martinez was a finalist on 'The Voice' as part of Cee Lo Green's team. Ms. Martinez has opened for or shared the stage with stars such as Sting, Annie Lennox, B.B. King, the Doobie Brothers, and Etta James, and has recorded several albums. Adam Sayles/AP
Nakia Reynoso, who goes by the name Nakia professionally, has a bluesy voice and was a semifinalist on 'The Voice,' with Cee Lo Green as his coach. Nakia became Cee Lo Green's protegee after singing Mr. Green's song, 'Forget You.' Jeff Christensen/AP
Casey Weston was coached by Adam Levine on 'The Voice' and became a semifinalist. During the audition, after failing to impress the coaches with her performance of ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus, Ms. Weston got a second chance. Her performance of Keith Urban's song ‘Stupid Boy’ won her a spot with Mr. Levine. Kathy Hutchins/Newscom
Dia Frampton, protegee of coach Blake Shelton, was the finalist who finished closest to eventual winner Javier Colon. She says she only auditioned for 'The Voice' because a friend convinced her to; she is not a fan of reality shows. She has been touring in a band with her sister for years. Matt Sayles/AP
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As she marks 100 days in office, President Tsai Ing-wen move toward less cozy ties with the mainland is being greeted with middling marks at home. But Beijing seems to be accepting it, for now.
Ralph Jennings, Correspondent
Tyrone Siu/Reuters
Taiwan’s tourism industry has a problem: the number of package-tour visitors from mainland China is down 30 percent after enjoying a record-breaking year in 2015. Nobody knows why, so the Transport Ministry decided to send a delegation to meet officials in Beijing and find out what is going on. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11084 | Home > DVDs > Classics > classics
Charlton Heston, Hildegard Neil, Eric Porter, John Castle & others. Charlton Heston, director.
cutout DVD Letterbox
In 1947 Charlton Heston made his Broadway debut as a minor character in Antony and Cleopatra. A quarter century later, he adapted the Bard's story about Rome's hero and Egypt's queen (Hildegard Neil) for the big screen as screenwriter and director, and cast himself in the title role of Marc Antony. Though working on a shoestring budget, he gives the movie the Ben-Hur treatment, opening up the story to its cinematic possibilities with royal pomp and spectacle among the pyramids, warfare at sea, and a clash of armies on land. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11175 | Ransom - Special Edition (US - DVD R1)
Since the world can't seem to get enough of Mel Gibson recently, Buena Vista Home Video has released his 1996 film Ransom in ...
In 1996, fresh off his film Apollo 13, Ron Howard next turned his attention to the thriller Ransom. With Mel Gibson and Rene Russo as the brought through the ringer parents, it was released on DVD during the infancy of the medium and now Buena Vista has re-released the film (possibly to also cash-in on Gibson’s recent notoriety) in a “Special Edition”.The MovieIt is a parent's worst nightmare. In a crowded place, as their attention is diverted, their child is kidnapped. They frantically search the area, hoping for any sign of the child...to no avail. For Tom Mullen and his wife, it became reality in the Ron Howard film Ransom. Starring Mel Gibson (long before he made a gazillion dollars with The Passion of the Christ), Rene Russo, and Gary Sinise, the film is the story of just that scenario and what parents will do, and will not do, to get their child back.Mullen is the founder and chairman of Endeavour Airlines, a multi-billion corporation that he built from the ground up. He is married to Kate, and they have a young son Sean. As the three are at a charity event that Kate is hosting, Sean wanders away from his father momentarily and is snatched by two individuals who had been following him. As it becomes apparent what has happened, Gibson and Russo move through feelings of shock, worry, panic and hysteria. They enlist the aid of the FBI to help find their son and get himback. One of the first questions is whether or not Tom has any enemies. He can think of only one. A few months prior, the machinist's union at Tom's airline had threatened a strike. At the last moment it was averted, but accusations of bribery were leveled against Mullen. Although Tom was acquitted, an associate of Tom's was found guilty and sent to jail. Tom feels he has the motive to kidnap his son.Eventually the kidnappers call and demand $2 million from Tom, which he agrees to pay. The caller instructs that Tom not involve the authorities nor trace the money, but, as anyone who has seen any of these types of movies know, that is exactly what happens. Mullen is put through a series of tests delivering the money, so as to throw off the authorities tracking his every move and destroy the wire that he is wearing. The first attempt to deliver the money to the kidnappers ends with one of the criminals dead and the mastermind behind the plot growing increasingly more agitated at the situation.Tom becomes convinced that no matter what he does, the kidnappers will kill his son, and so, in a moment of defiance, he goes on television displaying the ransom money telling the criminals that "This is as close as you will get to it". He then explains he intends to use the money as a bounty on the kidnappers' heads instead. This turn of events astonishes and surprises both his wife and the FBI. As the kidnappers now plan their next move, they continue to try and get Mullen to pay the ransom. They attack his wife telling her she had better get him to pay. Instead, this only makes Tom more determined and he doubles the bounty to $4 million. Tom's hope is that this will turn some of the kidnappers against each other, or lead to their eventual apprehension.Cracks begin to show in the group of criminals, and it is all the leader can do to keep his band together. Eventually all of the subplots of the movie are resolved in one fashion or another, with the exception of one. I won't ruin the ending or give away anything to you, but there is a rather large story point involving the contract negotiations at Endeavour Airlines that is left without resolution. The film ends on a rather bloody note on a New York city sidewalk.Each of the actors give good enough performances, and there is a particular scene after Gibson and Russo have heard a gunshot over the phone that is particularly emotional. They all play the feelings of desperation and (in the case of the Mullen's) helplessness very well.VideoAlthough there is a widescreen transfer present, I am a little perplexed as to why this "Special Edition" of Ransom doesn't include an anamorphic widescreen presentation. Certainly, the colours of the film are done well enough and flesh tones are good, but I couldn't help thinking as I was watching the film "I wonder what this would have looked like in anamorphic widescreen?". It seems unimaginable in todays day of DVD that a non-anamorphic disc would be released. Also, there is a fair amount of film grain and dust which can be observed during the presentation. A little more work on restoring the film seems in order.AudioA very good presentation here. Using Dolby Digital 5.1, the sound is a big asset to the overall set. Use of the different channels is found throughout, and you literally feel as though you are in the center of the action. In the scene in the park, you can hear the voices of the patrons coming at you from each side. The vocal and music levels all hit the right spots, and there is no distortion or loss of clarity in the soundtrack at any point. My only minor regret, that something which is billed as a "Special Edition" doesn't include a DTS track. Other than that, a good presentation.ExtrasCompared to the original release, this set does sport some good extras. The first being the feature length commentary by director Ron Howard. He's come a long way from Opie and Richie Cunningham, and developed into one of the most sought after, innovative and respected directors in Hollywood. On top of that, he seems to be such a nice person. His commentary definitely shows how comfortable he is behind the scenes, and how much he enjoys directing. He does not go on about how he “loves this shot or that shot" as some commentaries do, but rather tells in a very casual manner some tidbits about the film and the actors in general. He seems very relaxed during the running commentary and has an appropriate amount of respect for the actors and filmmaking in general. As commentaries go, a very good inclusion.Some of the other extras, while somewhat brief, do offer a glimpse into some of the behind the scenes items which went into the making of the film. A deleted scenes area (which runs for about 4 minutes) actually includes not only a few short edited shots, but also an extended version of a scene which was left in the film. I'm a sucker for deleted scenes and these real short snippets just left me wanting more. Another 4 minute segment is filmed in a kind of a "home video" fashion. Entitled "Between Takes", it offers an "uncensored" look at life on the set. It's ironic because at one point Gibson actually displays with an elastic what anamorphic ratio is (okay...okay....I'm beyond it now).Besides the trailer for the film, there is a new featurette entitled “What Would You Do” which stars Howard and his film editor. Recently shot, it also includes some comments that were taken at the time of filming from some of the main actors. Again, Howard holds the whole piece together with easy going and informative manner in which he conducts the piece. If only all directors could be like this when they were doing commentary on their films or being interviewed during a behind the scenes feature.OverallThe movie itself is certainly two hours of engrossing acting and story. All of the actors (particularly Gibson and Russo) rise admirably to the material and bring about a satisfying experience. However, with the lack of an anamorphic print (okay, I had to go there one more time), a rather small amount of extras, and a transfer which still needs to be cleaned up, this “special” edition of Ransom was actually kind of….well…ordinary.
Lethal Weapon Legacy Box Set (Director's Cut) (AU - DVD R4)
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Patriot, The - Superbit Collection (UK - DVD R2)
Review by Paul Cooke
[quote=dbeamish wrote]Simply ridiculous, and in America, probably worth suing someone over ;)
Especially is an anamorphic version comes out in a years time..[/quote] Additional Options
So what is it, Foolscreen?
kcivets not'sayin
no clue why ron howard wouldn't insist on an anamorphic transfer...no clue and a real shame.
non anamorphic
Simply ridiculous, and in America, probably worth suing someone over Especially is an anamorphic version comes out in a years time..
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, French
Deleted Scenes, "What Would You Do" making of featurette, feature length audio commentary with Director Ron Howard, Theatrical Trailer, "Between Takes" on set featurette.
Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise, Delroy Lindo, Brawley Nolte, Lily Tayor | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11176 | Walking With Beasts (AU - DVD R4)
Just like Walking With Dinosaurs, Beasts is a great account of life all those years ago. It is so interesting to see what was happ...
The BBC series Walking With Dinosaurs was an undeniable hit across the globe. When the ABC network screened the episodes in Australia a couple of years back the home video and DVD copies took off like a rocket. Admittedly I hadn’t even heard of the documentary at that time but once I realised how many people were raving about the realism and depth of the series there was no hesitation in picking it up on our favourite format. To continue this quality account of the world’s living history the BBC continued along the timeline and brought us Walking With Beasts which picks up where the dinosaurs left off. Once the big reptilian monsters were wiped out a new social order existed on planet earth. This six-part series shows us exactly how everything panned out. The SeriesAs the inside cover states, the producers of this series had to narrow down their focus a little to document the mammals with which they had the most detailed and accurate records. They finally settled on handful of beasts for each of the six episodes, attempting to create the slickest and most visually stunning record of life after the dinosaur era. I’m not even going to attempt to spell the names of some of these creatures so we’ll just have to settle for a short description. Episode One: New DawnThe first episode details exactly how the beasts became kings of the world once that famous asteroid wiped out basically every animal over ten kilograms. In true documentary fashion the voiceover adds the vital pieces of information to accompany the truly stunning visuals. The New Dawn obviously refers to the restructuring following the extinction of the dinosaurs, with smaller mammals trying to survive amongst their predators. The first of the hunters to be introduced are the giant birds that preyed upon the smaller mammals all those years ago. Like a lot of other animals we will witness over the series these guys do look quite peculiar but they are certainly adept at catching their food. There is also a water-based hunter that looks like a combination between a frog and a crocodile. The highlight, however, is one of the groups of small animals becoming a little drunk after eating some grapes off the ground. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. A great introduction to the new era.Episode Two: Whale KillerThis episode shows us a new monster of the deep blue sea and the beginning of what was known as “climate chaos”. And early in the peace we are treated to a beast that looks like a rhino comically scratching his bum on a tree. A predatory whale is the focus in this piece, measuring a massive eighteen metres in length. We see their mating ritual, which is a little difficult considering their size. Thanks to some tiny little legs they manage to stay together and do the deed. But the fact of these creature lies in the hands of the sea gradually freezing in the Antarctic. A brilliant look at the fall of early marine life. Episode Three: Land Of GiantsThe weather has become highly seasonal, which has not only shaped the land but also the mammals that live on it. This is the survival of the meanest beasts, as we witness the earliest ancestor of the common pig. And believe me, the pig we know now looks like a house pet compared to these menacing creatures. There is also an enormous animal related closely to the rhino who is protected from predators due to their size and also able to go without food and water for days. Drama unfolds as a mother chases away her own calf in order to have another child. Heartbreaking stuff.Episode Four: Next Of KinThis is our first look at the mammals closely resembling humans all those years ago. They were our ancestors. There are also many familiar species of beasts roaming the earth, namely the rhino and a sabre-toothed cat. But it’s the apes that are of interest in this episode, walking upright and proving that these animals carried the earliest traits of modern humans. There are signs of social order, with an all-conquering loud female and an orphaned young one who is feeling more than a little out of the loop. Very interesting indeed. Episode Five: Sabre ToothThe terror birds rule no longer, thanks to the evolution of an even fiercer predator; the sabre-toothed cat. The voiceover states that there is no such thing as a sabre-toothed tiger, with this name going down with the koala bear as one of societies incorrect names for an animal. Half-tooth is the leader of the pack in this episode, which documents the battle between rival cats who are fighting for a prized piece of land. A relative of the armadillo also makes an appearance, equivalent to the size of a car. The best bit is the tension as the cats stalk their prey. Will they succeed? Take a look and find out.Episode Six: Mammoth JourneyThe sixth and last episode in the series looks at possibly the greatest beast in history; the mammoth. We are taken to life only 30,000 years ago, where mammoths rule the frosty landscape. One poor old beast gets stuck in the ice, with its mates doubling back to help out their trapped friend. Unfortunately the scavengers circle and the inevitable is just around the corner. Humans are present finally, with their simple clothing and resourceful nature. Even the flies get in on the act, with the first form of Aeroguard being invented! The rhino fight is pretty humorous, considering neither of the combatants actually touch each other at all. The highlight is the mud slinging by the mammoths in order to get rid of the insects. Or is it just for fun? A top way to finish off a wonderful series. You really couldn’t get more comprehensive than this. There was scope for a little more detail on some of the other beasts during the period but as mentioned earlier the filmmakers were limited by the amount of detail they had on each animal. This is a great learning tool for anyone interested in this type of history. The narration is spot on and doesn’t intrude on the action, letting the brilliant visuals tell most of the story. If you thought Walking With Dinosaurs was good then Beasts is just as effective. VideoThe combination of live footage, animatronics and CG imagery could not be more stunning. The ability of the filmmakers to combine these methods into one realistic look at a world millions of years ago is brilliant. Presented in 1.85:1 and 16:9 enhanced, the transfer does the utmost justice to the visually stunning content. Every hair, every cut, every bump is visible on all of the beasts throughout the program, with attention to detail obviously the highest priority. The images are at times a little soft but this probably helps with blending the CG parts of the picture into the surroundings. The only major gripe is that the night scenes exhibit a large amount of grain. This may have been an aesthetic choice on behalf of the filmmakers but it is still a bit of a distraction considering the day scenes are incredibly sharp and vibrant. Trying to make sense of the action amongst the grain is a bit of a test, but thankfully there are only a few night scenes in the whole series that have this very minor problem.On the whole I don’t think you could have asked for a better looking documentary. Granted, most of the credit in terms of visual quality must go to the animators but the transfer certainly doesn’t disappoint. AudioThe disc comes with a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack that does the job quite well. No negative issues at all to report, with Kenneth Branagh’s narration very clear throughout. The music is composed by Ben Bartlett (who also worked on Dinosaurs) and the orchestral sounds really do fit the visuals quite well, particularly during the more dramatic scenes. Overall a good effort that never needed to be anything groundbreaking. ExtrasDisc Two is where the extras are held, with two 50-minute featurettes the main highlight. The first, entitled Triumph Of The Beasts, looks at the making of this awesome series. Initially the mini-documentary covers some of the information revealed in the main series but it soon shifts the focus towards exactly how the filmmakers went about recreating this ancient world. There are numerous shots detailing the techniques used to make the beasts look realistic, from human controlled puppets to computer models to a guy in really big shoes stomping along the snow to create mammoth footprints. There are also a number of interviews with various experts who give the audience an insight into exactly how they gathered the large amounts of information on the various mammals. They tell us how teeth played a big part in figuring out the behaviour and look of the animals, for example. All in all a very interesting featurette that goes even deeper into the world of the mammals and looks the making of the series extremely well.The second major featurette, The Beasts Within, fills in the one whole in the whole production; exactly how the humans evolved. The primates are predictably the main focus as the documentary takes us way back to the early stages and through to the extinction of the giant mammals. There is also a faint suggestion that there could be another series on the way. If it’s anything like the previous two installments we are in for another treat. Also included on the disc are production interviews with the key people behind the project which are quite interesting on the whole, beast fact files that give more details on each of the mammals detailed during the series, pretty average storyboards and a great looking photo gallery with shots from throughout the episodes. Not a bad package on the whole. OverallJust like Walking With Dinosaurs, Beasts is a great account of life all those years ago. It is so interesting to see what was happening on our planet back then and how things can change over time. One can only imagine the things that went on but with series’ such as these we are able to get a much more accurate and informed picture of the animals and landscapes of earth after the dinosaurs were wiped out. The visual quality is extremely good thanks to some talented animators and a high quality transfer, the audio is faultless and the extras package accompanies the main series to great effect. If you were a fan of the dinosaur version then this will be right up your alley. If not then I still strongly urge you to take a look at this highly entertaining account of some of earth’s biggest and brightest beasts. Brilliant.
Review by Pete Roberts
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Dolby Digital 2.0 English
Triumph Of The Beasts featurette, The Beasts Within featurette, beast fact files, photo gallery, production crew interviews, storyboard comparisons
Jasper James (Producer) | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11178 | The Saddest Music in the World
It must seem paradoxical to describe the recreation of antiquated cinema technology "original," yet Guy Maddin's attempts to recreate the visual aesthetics of the silent era (warts and all) can only be called innovative. A unique visionary, Maddin has long been questing to recreate the textures of cinema's earliest forays, with blurry black-and-white photography, often chaotic editing, and surreal montages. The Saddest Music in the World (2003) is his most commercial effort to date. Kids in the Hall alum Mark McKinney stars as Chester Kent, a would-be Broadway showman/hustler who's moved back to Canada at the dawn of the Great Depression. Keeping company with nymphomaniac Narcissa (Maria de Mederios), he returns home only to find a contest for him to enter to find "the saddest music in the world." It's the $25,000 in prize money he wants, but Chester stumbles when the host of the contest turns out to be Lady Helen Port-Huntley (Isabella Rossellini), a woman with whom he used to be intimate. Their torrid history is rife with familial drama as Chester's father, Dr. Fyodor Kent (David Fox), was in love with Helen, but she fell for Chester, which led Fyodor to drink. And when Chester and Helen suffered an auto accident, Fyodor drunkenly amputated both of Helen's legs in an attempt to save her life. To make the contest more interesting, both father and son enter it, while Chester's brother Roderick (Ross McMillian) also becomes a contestant, though he's been hiding out in Serbia under the handle "Gravillo the Great" he feels he can win because he's engulfed by the sadness of losing his child, which caused his wife to desert him. Working with Helen, Chester does well in the contest (his sad songs have lots of razzle-dazzle), but another cog is thrown in the mix when it's revealed Narcissa is Roderick's lost wife. Helen and Chester revive their old ways, if only because Chester wants to win. And Fyodor crafts glass legs for Helen to prove his love for her. Borrowing its flavor from silent melodramas, The Saddest Music in the World is a film best appreciated for its technical merits more than its mawkish plotting. In keeping with the period flavor, the story is obviously rife with coincidences; the best reason to watch the movie is to sample Maddin's lavishly recreated world of early cinema. The story is engaging enough, but the technical audacity is its greatest triumph. MGM presents the film in a good anamorphic transfer (1.85:1) and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio (though it probably should be in 1.0 mono). Extras include three short films, all running four minutes: "A Trip to the Orphanage" and "Sombra Dolorosa" seem made in tandem with the film, while "Sissy Boy Slap Party" is from 1995. There are two "making-of" spots, "Teardrops in the Snow" (26 min.) and "The Saddest Characters in the World" (22 min.), the former focusing on the making of the movie, the later focusing on the cast. Nine teasers, the theatrical trailer, and bonus trailers round out the set. Keep-case.
DSH | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11180 | First Run Features // Unrated // $29.95 // December 9, 2009
Review by Jason Bailey | posted January 8, 2010
THE SERIES:
The electrifying 2005 documentary Street Fight introduced filmgoers to Cory Booker, the young underdog mounting an uphill battle for the Newark mayor's post against 16-year officeholder Sharpe James (a corrupt member of the political "old boys' network," later convicted of five counts of fraud). In 2008, filmmakers Mark Benjamin and Marc Levin (Slam) went to Newark to embark on a multi-faceted documentary portrait of the city in flux, focusing not only on Booker's progressive administration, but the attempts to change the city's fates from within the police department, school system, and gangs. The resulting miniseries, Brick City, is a fast-paced, fascinating look at the complexities of city government and urban life; multiple critics dubbed it a nonfiction version of The Wire (and indeed, the three separate pull quotes on the DVD cover stating as much might be a bit of overkill), but it's an accurate (and deserved) comparison. The five one-hour installments span from Spring 2008 through the historic November election, as Booker watched another charismatic young African-American with an impressive academic history and a gift for oratory ascend to the highest office in the land. But Booker isn't the sole focus of the series, which finds interesting characters throughout the city: Garry McCarthy, the tough, dedicated Bronx native who serves as director of police; Ras Baraka and Todd Warren, the principal and vice-principal of Central High School; "Street Doctor," the face out front of the Street Warriors community outreach group; and Dashaun "Jiwe" Morris, gang member-turned-author/activist. But they find their primary human drama in the story of Jayda and Creep, both former gang members, now reformed; she was a Blood and he was a Crip, giving a nice Romeo & Juliet vibe to their subplot. One of the joys of a story like this is the unexpected connections between the people involved; it's surprising, for example, when tough Vice-Principal Warren turns out to be one of the peacemakers in Jayda and Creep's occasionally turbulent relationship. But all are enamored of Booker, who is clearly the series' star, a legitimately passionate and engaging leader--and also a bit of a smooth operator, seen speaking Spanish to Latino constituents in one scene and tossing out some Yiddish to a group of Jewish businessmen in the very next one. But he seems like the real deal, his hard work borne out of a sense of obligation to the community rather than political gamesmanship. He lives in one of the city's rougher neighborhoods, mentors a young man who once made an attempt on his life, and goes out on late night patrols with the police. In one extraordinary scene late in the series, he makes a quick stop at a grocery store and encounters the sister of a mother of three who was murdered in the streets that very day; the way he speaks to her, comforting and warm, bespeaks a genuineness that is disarming. He's a truly sympathetic figure--so much so that when a woman at a community meeting announces, "I feel like you have failed me," it stings us too. The show's six months in the life of the city are seen, probably accurately, as a series of crises and potential disasters: shootings, arrests, gang warfare, budget shortfalls, politics and in-fighting at the police department, and a looming, possibly unfeasible opening date for a new high school ten years (and $100 million) in the making. There are some concerns up front that the filmmakers are trying to take on too much, and doing it too fast, in too fragmented a style--we have to work a little to keep up. But once we have our bearings, the series draws the viewer in; it is gripping, riveting, intelligent television, and by the second episode, even something as seemingly mundane as a budget meeting makes for a compelling scene. The directors' only real misstep is in their use of occasional visual trickery (like slo-mo and faux-step printing); the filmmaking is so seamless otherwise, this unnecessary stylization calls attention to itself. The various disparate elements are pulled together in the show's knockout final hour, which juggles the city council race (in which the Booker-endorsed candidate faces off against the Sharp James-ish Charlie Bell), the Obama campaign, and the "Blood Initiation Day" (with the gang announcing a goal of 25 murders) with real urgency and power. Principal Baraka speaks plainly, openly, and heatedly to his students, telling them that the dangers and odds that they face on a daily basis "doesn't mean you're tough, it means you're oppressed." It's a stunning moment, the kind of speech that any actor worth his salt would sell his soul to deliver in a film. The fact that this is no actor, but a dedicated educator who faces these problems every day, makes it all the more powerful. THE DVD:
Brick City comes packaged on two discs, with episodes one through three on disc one and episodes four and five (along with the bulk of the special features) on disc two. Video:
The 1.78:1 anamorphic image is mostly satisfying, particularly by documentary standards. Benjamin and Levin's digital video cameras capture some lovely on-the-fly compositions, with minimal fuzziness and smearing. The grain gets a little heavy during some of the run-and-gun night scenes, but that's to be expected; for the most part, black levels are rich and inky, while detail is sharp and artifacts are scant. Audio:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 mix is pretty good as well--there is occasionally heavy room noise or hollowness, but usually only in quick, short scenes. For the most part, dialogue is entirely audible, while music is well-modulated and used sparsely but effectively. Extras:
Disc one offers up a "Series Introduction by Executive Producer Forest Whitaker" (1:21), but it's less of a full-on intro and more of a recycled promo piece. Each episode gives viewers the option to "Play with Intro by Executive Producer Forest Whitaker," but those brief intros are reused for each episode and don't add much either. The individual installments also each have a "Directors' Interview and Deleted Scene," running four to five minutes each; these are presumably the post-show pieces from the series' original airing on Sundance Channel, which Whitaker advises viewers to "stick around" for in his outros. Each of these features interview snippets with Benjamin and Levin, followed by a pertinent deleted scene; they're interesting, but somewhat slight. In the "bonus features" section of disc two, there's a bit more added content. First up are 25 Bonus Scenes (32:22 total); all are worth a look (particularly guest speaker Bill Cosby firing up Central High students at graduation), though all five of the post-show deleted scenes are trotted back out. Their exclusions are understandable (and none of the brief scenes are really indispensible), though it's nice to have them as footnotes. Next up is "Forest in the Bricks" (9:13 total), five clips of executive producer Whitaker meeting the documentary's subjects (Jayda and Cree, Jiwe, Booker, McCarthy, and the Street Warriors). It's interesting, but frankly kind of awkward--Whitaker seems a very shy dude, and only seems genuinely at ease looking over stats and spreadsheets with McCarthy. Rounding out the extras is a Trailer Gallery for additional docs from First Run Features. FINAL THOUGHTS:
If Street Fight was the story of Booker the campaigner, Brick City is the story of Booker the legislator; he learns, as President Obama has, that they are two very different beasts. "Everybody talks about reform, but nobody wants to change," notes Police Director McCarthy. "Change comes hard." The troubles in our cities, the attempts at change, and resistance to them are not unique to Newark, New Jersey; they're happening all across our country right now, and Brick City skillfully and intelligently captures this specific, difficult moment in 21st century America. Copyright 2016 Kleinman.com Inc. All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy DVDTalk.com is a Trademark of Kleinman.com Inc. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11181 | Crazy Heart
Fox // R // December 16, 2009
Review by Jason Bailey | posted December 16, 2009
In 1983, Robert Duvall starred in Tender Mercies as an alcoholic country singer whose tentative romance with a good woman and her young son turns his life around. Now, in 2009, Duvall co-produces and co-stars in Crazy Heart, the story of an alcoholic country singer whose tentative romance with a good woman and her young son turns his life around. Never mind the replication of the broad strokes; this story's been told before, and it will probably be told again, and here it is told very, very well. What is worth noting is that Tender Mercies won Duvall his first (and, inexplicably, only) Oscar, and many are predicting the same reward to Crazy Heart's star, the brilliant Jeff Bridges. And seriously, is there a more consistently undervalued actor than Bridges? He's created countless iconic characters (The Dude, Starman, Duane in The Last Picture Show, Jack Baker in The Fabulous Baker Boys) and always delivers, his body of work impressively eclectic and customarily high quality. Pauline Kael wrote of him, way back in 1971, "Jeff Bridges just moves into a role and lives in it--so deep in it that the little things seem to come straight from the character's soul." If that was true then (which it certainly was), it has only become more accurate through the passing decades; as washed-up country singer "Bad" Blake, Bridges has never been better or more believable. He becomes this guy, gets down to his whiskey-soaked essence without ever playing an easy note or pandering for unearned sympathy. It's a marvel of a performance, and the movie damn near matches it. Writer/director Scott Cooper (adapting Thomas Cobb's novel) sets the scene beautifully, with an extended sequence tracking with Blake through the day of a typical (and humiliating) gig, playing for a small but devoted crowd on the bandstand at a bowling alley. The next night, as a favor to his piano player, he grants an interview to the musician's niece, Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a local newspaper writer; their late night interview, in which he turns on his "famous charm," is delicate, tender, and wonderfully played ("Where'd all those songs come from?" she asks, and he replies, "Life, unfortunately"). They develop a kind of an understanding--they like each other, and perhaps they can lean on each other a little, as long as she doesn't push too hard and he doesn't drink in front of her young son (the wonderfully unaffected Jack Nation). As a musician, Blake is mainly famous as a peripheral character; one of his old band members, Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), has become a country music superstar, and he resents the younger man's success, all the while angling to get him into the studio for a duet. Tommy can't do that, but he throws Blake a one-off opening slot, and promises his old mentor a handsome payday for writing him some new songs. Early reviews have compared Crazy Heart to The Wrestler, and it shares not only that film's low-key approach and awards-friendly leading role, but a sure sense of its milieu; it feels authentic, whether dwelling in the world of back-roads honky-tonks and run-down motels or zipping around backstage at a big stadium show (the brief scene in which Blake bickers good-naturedly with the board op during his sound check is one I witnessed countless times while working at a performing arts center). The music, supervised by T-Bone Burnett (including input from Stephen Bruton, Gary Nicholson, and Ryan Bingham), is exactly as good as it should be--you can hear, within the songs, that Blake is genuinely talented (Bridges' singing and guitar playing are quite convincing) and could have been famous, but they're not so good that his fall from the spotlight isn't credible. Tommy Sweet's songs have a glossier, poppier sheen; Burnett and crew get that distinction right as well. As Sweet, Farrell is relaxed, natural, and just plain good, better than he's been in years. Gyllenhaal role is a bit thankless (she has to cry a lot), but she gives it some real life and energy, and her chemistry with Bridges is better than it probably should be, considering the massive age gap. And then there's Robert Duvall, who pops up after you've forgotten he's even in the movie; the quiet scene that finds him and Bridges out on a leisurely fishing trip is like a laid-back master class in acting. Bridges has several moments like that. There are two key scenes (a telephone chat with his estranged son, and a desperate talk late in the film with Gyllenhaal) in which he slowly realizes that the conversation isn't going to go the way he imagined, and the way that understanding flickers and passes across his face is the kind of great acting you just can't teach. There's only one major flaw, though it's a doozy. Cooper, with grace and quiet elegance, brings the film to an absolutely perfect ending, and cuts to black; I took in a sharp breath, unable to believe that it had closed on such a sublime note. And then they fumble it, with one more scene, one scene too much, a tacked-on epilogue of unnecessary information and afterthoughts. It's a huge mistake, though certainly not enough to negate what comes before it; for the rest of its running time, Crazy Heart is a picture that doesn't take a false step. Copyright 2016 Kleinman.com Inc. All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy DVDTalk.com is a Trademark of Kleinman.com Inc. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11249 | You Pick the Box Office Winner (10/28-10/30)
October 28th 2011, 2:51 pm
With Halloween arriving on Monday, prepare to see a whole bunch of strange-looking people dressed up in costumes over the weekend, though do not prepare to see too many scary movies at your local Cineplex. Yup, this October went light on the spooky content, with the exception of Paranormal Activity 3 which cleaned up last week at the box office by taking in a whopping $52.6 million. Nope, this week won’t see any other new horror movies enter the marketplace; only a sci-fi thriller, an animated comedic adventure and another odd one starring Johnny Depp. Let’s take a closer look …
What’s The Scoop: Your favorite smooth-talking cat from the Shrek movies returns to the big screen in his first starring role, which follows the events leading up to Puss’ first meeting with Shrek and the gang.
Why It Might Win The Weekend: Who doesn’t love a talking, animated cat who acts like Zorro? Plus, kids already love this guy from all the Shrek movies, and so it won’t be hard to convince them to join Puss and friends on another adventure.
What’s The Scoop: It’s sort of like an updated version of Logan’s Run (but not), except with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried. In this sci-fi version, folks are engineered to live to only 25, though you can buy your way to immortality. Timberlake plays a guy accused of murder, who takes a hostage (Seyfriend) with him on the run. Freaky futuristic action ensues.
Why It Might Win The Weekend: You don’t get much sexier than a Timberlake/Seyfried pairing, plus this comes from the guy who directed Gattaca, which is one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time (in my opinion at least).
What’s The Scoop: Based on the book by Hunter S. Thompson (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), Johnny Depp stars as an American journalist who takes a freelance assignment in Puerto Rico during the 1950s and winds up on a wild adventure as he becomes accustomed to the people and culture of his new home.
Why It Might Win The Weekend: Whenever Johnny Depp meets Hunter S. Thompson on screen the results are almost always worth seeing, if only to witness the awesome lunacy on display.
My Prediction: It’ll be hard to go up against Paranormal Activity 3 on Halloween weekend (especially after its monster opening), but I feel Puss in Boots is up for the challenge. Look for the cat to take out the ghosts come Monday morning.
My Pick of the Week: I fell madly in love with Like Crazy when I saw it back at Sundance, and it’d be a crime if I didn’t try to convince you to seek this sucker out where and when you can. This beautiful and heartbreaking love story tracks one young couple’s (Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones) long-distance relationship through its ups and downs via moments and montages and glances and … God, just writing this makes me want to hug someone. Anyone who’s ever been hopelessly in love will find something to relate to here, whether you like it or not. Definitely put this one on your to-do list right now. Go, we’ll wait. Done? Good. Let us know what you think.
Now it’s your turn to sound off below with your pick to win the weekend …
You Pick the Box Office Winner: (10/28-10/30)
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Erik is a leading movie commentator who has worked for outlets such as AOL Moviefone and Movies.com.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11305 | Berg Blanket Bingo
Surf’s Up directors Ash Brannon and Chris Buck take on a new form — the animated mockumentary — and a scratched-up, old look. 0 Posted June 6, 2007 by IAN CADDELL in Film
It takes a while to make an animated film. Long enough, in fact, that when directors Ash Brannon and Chris Buck and producer Chris Jenkins started talking about making a film about surfing penguins, there was no sign of the documentary March of the Penguins or the animated film about dancing penguins, Happy Feet.
In an interview in a Honolulu hotel room, Jenkins said he assumed at the time that his animated film, Surf’s Up, would be unique. “Four-and-a-half years ago, we did not know anything about these other movies,” he said. “If we had known, we might have done a movie about skateboarding squirrels. But what we have tried to do is create characters that are bigger than their species, and we are hoping people will look at that part of it and not think about whether we’re just following a trend.” The movie features Shia LaBeouf as the voice of a wannabe surfer who sets out to become world champion. The project is definitely unique among animated films. It is done in the mockumentary format popularized by movies like This Is Spinal Tap and the recent For Your Consideration. Jenkins says that when he went looking for surfing movies as precedents, he found documentaries. “We started off with the idea of doing a film about surfing penguins, but it just wasn’t working. I came back with the reality angle because it seemed to me that surfers had done a lot of documentaries on themselves, so it fit.” When it was time for Brannon and Buck to direct the animators, they decided the mockumentary approach would work best if the story they were telling looked real. Brannon says “archival” scenes of surfers had to look dated, but they had a hard time explaining to their animators that they wanted parts of their newly minted film to look old.
“Our technicians would do this great work and deliver these wonderful black-and-white scenes, and we would say, ‘No, this is supposed to be archival, so let’s put some scratches on it and make it look crappy.’ They were reluctant, but they knew it would work best for the movie.” The voice talents were also surprised by the filmmakers’ approach. Traditionally, actors work alone in sound booths that they can access from wherever they happen to be at the time. Surf’s Up’s documentary style required the actors to be more spontaneous and even at times to talk over each other’s lines. “We questioned every aspect of the status quo with this film,” Buck said. “No one has made an animated mockumentary. No one scratches up their work. And so we had to ask, ‘Is it best to record one actor at a time and get a sterile movie or should we get out of the box and do it differently?’ We decided to do it differently, and we think it works. “There is a spontaneity about it that would not have happened without bringing the actors together,” he continued. “It wasn’t that easy to do it, given their schedules, but it was worth it.” This story originally appeared in the Georgia Straight.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11417 | Hurley to play villain in Wonder Woman TV pilot GeneralNews Share
Mar 3, 2011 The British Austin Powers star made the announcement on her Twitter.com blog on Thursday (03Mar11) and is now shaping up to do battle with writer David E. Kelley’s new superheroine Adrianne Palicki.
But Hurley isn’t giving much away, stating, “Thrilled to be doing the NBC pilot Wonder Woman. I’ll be playing the evil villain. Can’t wait.”
It marks her first acting role since the release of Method in 2004. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11555 | 'House of Cards' stacks up more roles for rising star Brosnahan
Actress returns as Rachel in Season 2 of Emmy-nominated series
Author: Tim Lammers, DirectConversations.com
Published On: Feb 20 2014 07:18:01 PM PST
Updated On: Feb 20 2014 07:50:23 PM PST
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A highly successful career appears to be in the cards for actress Rachel Brosnahan.At age 23, Brosnahan's star isn't only rising -- it's soaring -- thanks to high-profile roles in Netflix's "House of Cards" and NBC's "The Black List." Better yet, she has much more on the way.I talked with Brosnahan mere hours before the debut of Season 2 of "House of Cards" last week, and the Wisconsin-born and Illinois-raised actress couldn't have been more pumped. After all, Brosnahan's role as call girl Rachel Posner was originally supposed to run a mere two episodes in "House of Cards" -- but creator Beau Willimon was so impressed with the actress that he fleshed out the character to appear in seven episodes in the first season and eight episodes in the second."House of Cards," which became available for streaming on Valentine's Day for Netflix subscribers, is a much different project, work wise, for Brosnahan, because it's nothing like she's ever done on film or television."Working on 'House of Cards' the first season felt like a 13-hour movie to me and it wasn't really run like television," Brosnahan explained.The sensibilities definitely changed, Brosnahan said, when she started work in network television. "When I started working on 'The Blacklist,' I thought, 'Oh, my God, this is insane,'" Brosnahan said. "The days aren't any different from any of the films I've worked on, especially the low-budget ones -- and there's been many of them -- but the turnaround is different. When I get the script the day before shooting and need to know eight scenes the next day by 5 a.m. It's taught me to be an amazing memorizer. I'm so fast now."On the flip side, Brosnahan said, "House of Cards" episodes are shot two at a time every three weeks to a month, and in her experience on "The Blacklist," where she stars as Jolene/Lucy Brooks in a recurring role, it takes about nine days to shoot an episode.For the uninitiated, "House of Cards" follows the dirty dealings of Sen. Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) who underhandedly plots out revenge after the president reneges on a promise to make him secretary of state. The show also stars Robin Wright as Underwood's steely wife and conspirator, Claire, and Michael Kelly as Underwood's chief of staff and confidant, Doug Stamper. While "House of Cards" is a fictional story, Brosnahan said she finds herself engaged in it because it unfortunately -- if not refreshingly -- exposes the all-too-real world of corruption in the political ranks and manipulation of the people on the outside. "We had a lobbyist on the set who watched Michael Kelly and I do a scene, and when we were done with a scene, he said, 'I know that guy. I've seen that guy,' and we were like, 'Oh, God, that's horrific,'" Brosnahan said.While viewers can obviously get their fill of political corruption on a nightly basis by turning on the network and cable news channels, Brosnahan feels the show has struck a nerve because it is "so blatant" in its portrayal of politics. "The show presents itself in a way that it never tries to hide how corrupt things are," Brosnahan observed. "The characters are trying to hide it, but as an audience, you have the insight and get to see everything laid out in front of you. Whereas, in our own political system, we have no idea to the extent to which the corruption exists. We have all sorts of theories, but a show like 'House of Cards' helps feed a sick fantasy in a way of what might be happening in our government."Due to the way fans can access "House of Cards" -- diehards can binge-watch all 13 shows at once, or casual fans can watch it whenever they find a free hour -- Brosnahan was reluctant to discuss aspects of her character in Season 2. One thing Brosnahan can say for sure is that her work in a dramatic, provocative role in the show has opened up a whole new world of opportunities. In addition to "The Black List," she has roles in the upcoming ABC drama "The Black Box," the WGN original series "Manhattan" and the HBO mini-series "Olive Kitteridge."All the opportunities have allowed her to flex her creative muscles, and she has Rachel Posner to thank for it. "Prior to 'House of Cards,' I was looked at in a different light. I was playing young ingénues who were bright-eyed, innocent and asexual young ladies," Brosnahan said. "The show took an incredible chance on me, putting me in a role like Rachel, having no proof that I could pull it off. As a result, people are starting to look at me like I have more of a range. I'm getting to play a lot meatier roles. They're darker roles. They're not just the simple characters anymore, which has been really exciting for me."
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11596 | Screaming Flea Productions, a television production company behind shows like "Hoarders, "Women of Homicide and "Sell This House," is preparing to release a new reality show centered on the issue of divorce among young couples.
The statistics, as casting associate/associate story producer Bif Brigman tells the Leavenworth Times in this Q5, are alarming.
Below, he discusses the challenges young married couples face.1. Bif, can you tell us about the new reality series, "20 and Divorced," that the producers of "Hoarders" are launching?"Screaming Flea Productions, the award-winning producers of 'Hoarders,' is working on an exciting new documentary series for a major cable network focusing on transformational personal growth as a byproduct of Y Generation — 20- to 30-year-olds — divorce. The show will not only document the challenges facing young couples as they navigate the complexities of modern relationships, but will also detail the inspiring stories of how these young people bounce back and begin new lives after marriage." 2. Will the show try to bring awareness to the problems Millennials are beginning to face as they wrestle with marriages ending at such a young age? Will it also focus on people in the LGBT community who live in states that grant the right to marry?"This show will raise awareness to the unique challenges and opportunities faced by young people by following and documenting this new Millennial generation as it comes forward to join the ranks of the married and divorcing couples in America. And, this demographic is certainly evolving and changing in distinct and new ways."The institution and ideas of marriage are expanding and evolving like never before. With the right to marry for so many now a reality, divorce in the LGBTQQIA — Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex and Ally — community is inevitable. Long excluded as traditionally recognized couples, LGBTQQIA voices are now part of the national narrative on marriage. Likewise, LGBTQQIA people will also have a newly visible presence in divorce."This new series will profile both gay and straight individuals as they end their relationships and embark on new lives." 3. What are the statistics on divorce for people who marry in their 20s, 30s, and 40s? How will the new show provide a much-needed resource for those facing the challenges of uncoupling?"The National Center for Health Statistics reports 60 percent of marriages for couples between the ages of 20 and 25 ends in divorce."In America, there is one divorce approximately every 36 seconds. That's nearly 2,400 divorces per day, 16,800 divorces per week, and 876,000 divorces a year."The average length of a marriage that ends in divorce is eight years. People wait an average of three years after a divorce to remarry, if they remarry at all."The average age for couples going through their first divorce is 30 years old."About 1 percent of the total number of currently married same-sex couples gets divorced each year, in comparison to about 2 percent of married straight couples. Note that the percent of couples that get divorced eventually is 50 percent, but only 1 or 2 percent get divorced in a particular year."Forty-one percent of first marriages end in divorce. Sixty percent of second marriages end in divorce, and 73 percent of third marriages end in divorce."4. Why do you think it's so much harder for 20-somethings to make marriages work out?"People marry for all sorts of reasons and they get divorced for just as many. And while divorce continues to carry many social stigmas in modern culture, divorce is inevitable based on modern history. The Millennial generation is no different — they are divorcing, too. However, compounding their situation is experiencing a hostile world with a struggling economy, troubling unemployment numbers and simultaneously experiencing a rapidly-changing structure of technology, communication and globalization. They are facing unique challenges to their generation as more and more young people uncouple and decide to leave broken marriages in this changing and challenging landscape."And while many in the Y Generation come from divorced parents and have personally seen the common effects of divorce, tense custody disputes and crumbling family infrastructure firsthand, their interpersonal relationships are impacted in ways never seen before. The introduction and dominance of social media, mass communication, ease of online dating and abundance of hook-up apps have altered the landscape of relationships in profound ways. "Cheating, lying and leading secret lives are easier than ever before. Disposable relationships in a disposable world. "Lack of maturity is the main cause of increasing divorce rates among the Net-Generation marriages. The number of young marriages is on the rise currently. Most young people get married without any knowledge about how to maintain a functional family. Divorce is not one of the challenges that strike Generation Y couples' minds before they get married. "Tara S. Pellegrino, a student lawyer, said, 'The large majority of young couples enter this (marriage) with a sense of perceived invincibility, an 'it can't happen to us' mentality that blinds them to the reality that divorce, not death, is the more probable end to the fairy tale.'"Many Generation Y teenagers are used to having their parents give them all they need, so they do not think that getting married comes with some responsibilities. At adolescence, many teenagers are usually rebellious and unwilling to listen to their parents' advice, so when they decide to get married no one has control over their decisions. In their marriages, young couples often face challenges like child rearing, financial insufficiencies, and inability to tolerate their partners' behaviors. These challenges are the realities about marriage, which most Generation Y couples only realize after getting married. "Mary Myrick, a National Health Marriage Resource Center project director, says, 'There is often a disconnect between attitudes about marriage and the reality of getting or being married.' Young couples accept the truth about marriage when they are finally married and experience the challenges in marriage. When many young married couples finally find out that marriage involves more than just happiness, they start thinking over the decisions they made, and decide to get divorced because they are too young to think of other problem-solving techniques."We have previously commented on the statistics which confirm that the divorce rate amongst the under 30s is rising. “With the advent of ‘Generation Y,’ also known as the ‘Net Generation,’ it's likely that such unrealistic expectations will continue. The culture of thinking differently about relationships, being motivated by different goals, does not always lead to a happy marriage. “Furthermore, advances in technology and methods of communication that do not rely upon face-to-face or even voice-to-voice contact can, in our experience, on occasions hinder, rather than improve, relations in a marriage." 5. How can our local residents who are interested in being on the show find out more and submit their information for casting consideration?"Interested people can respond with their name, age, recent photo, and a brief summary of their situation by going to the casting page at www.sfpseattle.com/casting/divorced." | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11680 | "Rose and the Rime" comes to Miami's Arsht Center
"Rose and the Rime" Michael Brosilow The Rime Witch from "Rose and the Rime" coming to Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami April 23 - May 18. The Rime Witch from "Rose and the Rime" coming to Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami April 23 - May 18. (Michael Brosilow) Rod Stafford HagwoodStaff Writer
As with so many things in show biz, the story of “Rose and the Rime” is all about timing.Recommended for ages 6 and up, the fantasy play about a girl who rescues her town from the Rime Witch will run through May 18 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade. The play is produced and staged by the House Theatre of Chicago.
After workshops at Michigan’s Hope College, where co-writer Nathan Allen teaches, the show went on to win Best Original Work at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in September 2008. Four months later, the House Theatre staged the show in Chicago, complete with music, magic and acrobatics.“Which means this show came out of our company at the time the world was coming apart,” says Allen, referring to the Great Recession. “[The company] had grown very, very quickly. We were in the right place at the right time in Chicago, and we just took off like bottle rockets. This project was the last gasp of our collective youthful optimism.”
Now, he thinks it’s time to revisit the story and make some changes. “It’s spring again for us as an organization, an ensemble. And we’re a more grounded, a more responsible group of people. We thought it would be fun … and come back to it as mature artists. I’m a dad now to two little girls, so I can’t help but bring a sense of responsibility,” Allen says. “I think it has some moral heft behind it, but I think it still plays like a fairy tale.”Set in the fictional town of Radio Falls, young Rose — played by Paige Collins — must rescue a magic coin from the icy clutches of the Rome Witch to save her friends and family from being frozen in a perpetual winter. But when the coin is returned, and Radio Falls is rescued, the coin’s power inspires greed among the townsfolk.“It always pleases me that young kids, and young girls specifically, come up to me and speak of the morals of the story,” Collins says. “They say, ‘This is what happened, and this sort of made me feel kind of sad.’“Then, we can show them the prop or whatever they were scared of and tell them that it is OK that they’re scared of it,” she continues. “The show is sort of a fairy tale, but it doesn’t end in the happiest of ways. I hope they take away a certain sense of uneasiness.”Collins says the relationship between the audience and the cast “sells” the story.“The thing I love about the House Theatre of Chicago is that they put a lot of responsibility to the audience to use their imagination and fill in the blanks,” she says. “In this story particularly, there is so much physical stuff and movement, whole sequences where the storytelling is done without me talking. And when I do talk, I look the audience in the eye so that can go on the journey with Rose.”Allen says the company likes to immerse the audience in the show.“We’re trying to be this epic, grand story, but with really humble theatrical tools,” he explains. “You walk in, and the feel and look is like a black box. But this is really about the audience embracing the theatrical and imagination of the audience in creating this world. It feels like it’s happening all around you. All this crazy stagecraft feels like you’re sitting in the middle of the circus.”“Rose and the Rime” is running through May 18 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., in Miami. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays (3 p.m. matinee Saturday, April 26). Tickets cost $45. Call 305-949-6722 or go to ArshtCenter.org. Copyright | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11710 | Film & Screens
» Cinema
There's something about Harry Shooting star Chris McDonald on rising from bit player status
Chris McDonald is Tommy Jefferson on Harry's Law.
Since the dawn of recorded TV time — that is, the days of I Love Lucy and The Steve Allen Show — quirky, kooky, distinctive characters have propelled successful prime-time series.
While Vivian Vance still is regarded as one of history's greatest second bananas and William Frawley cracked his share of wise as Fred Mertz, Lucille Ball was most often her own best foil, placing herself in outrageous costumes and entanglements. Allen, founding host of The Tonight Show whose monumental contributions to television sadly are fading into history, assembled a legendary band of lunatics to assist him when NBC ordered him to overtake The Ed Sullivan Show in the '50s, including a hyper-jittery, pre-Barney Fife Don Knotts, Louis Nye ("Hi-ho, Steverino!") and America's first famous "Hispanic" comedian, Bill Dana as Jose Jimenez.
Often the breakout character doesn't emerge until the show is on the air and the writers find their legs. Happy Days was a watery replica of American Graffiti until Henry Winkler became "The Fonz" and the show skyrocketed. Family Matters required Urkel to flourish, Cheers needed "NORRM!" Seinfeld would have been a solid but hardly historic sitcom without Kramer, and How I Met Your Mother might have been a one-season washout if producers hadn't encouraged Neil Patrick Harris' Barney to become ... well, Barney.
The interesting trend in recent years is that the oddball supporting character is providing a boost to TV dramas as well as comedies, spotlighting actors you can't wait to see enter the screen and miss the moment they depart. What would America's top-rated scripted series, NCIS, be without Pauley Perrette's Abby, or Criminal Minds without Kirsten Vangsness as Garcia? When it appeared White Collar had killed off the platitude-spouting Mozzie (Willie Garson) last year, fans of the show flooded chat rooms and USA Network message boards until producers were forced to admit his shooting wasn't intended to be as fatal as it looked.
If you've been watching court-TV wonderbrain David E. Kelley's latest creation, Harry's Law on NBC (10 p.m. Mondays, Channel 4 in Detroit) — and if not, why not? — you have experienced Idiot Boxing's choice for the most delightfully eccentric, oddly engaging bit player in this or many a previous TV season: Christopher McDonald as flamboyant defense attorney Tommy Jefferson.
Harry's Law would be worth watching if only for the magnificent Kathy Bates in her first starring TV role as ballsy, no-nonsense lawyer Harriet "Harry" Korn, and her surrounding cast (Nate Corddry, Brittany Snow, Aml Ameen) is more than serviceable. But the interactions are spiciest and the scenes most memorable when fast-talking, egocentric, comically insecure Tommy takes part.
McDonald, a familiar and welcome face in movies and television (and forever immortalized as the deliciously arrogant Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore), has managed to embody virtually every unctuous, teeth-whitened, snake-eyed lawyer with a daytime TV commercial. Does the bottle-blond Jefferson have an ego? Beyond calling Harry's eager associate Adam Branch (Corddry) a "bug" at every opportunity, blessed with the name of one of America's founding fathers to trade upon, he prefers to ennoble himself as "Tommy."
Wildly and grossly inappropriate, he balked at representing albinos because "I can't look at them; they turn my stomach." In one of his most hilarious moments, sitting in a hospital waiting room while a young black shooting victim is in surgery, he turns to Harry. "Like Elvis?" he asks, then launches into a spirited warbling of "In the Ghetto" as the patient's mother looks on in disbelief.
"David Kelley wrote this guy so full of himself," McDonald said by phone last week, "but you find out that it's a lot of braggadocio, and in later episodes you realize he's got a heart of gold, which is pretty cool. My mother saw the first episodes and said, 'Wow, there's nothing redeeming about that character at all!' I said, 'Mom, stay tuned!'"
McDonald said Tommy initially was intended to appear in only one or two episodes, but wound up in 11 out of 12 for the show's first season. "David loved the voice and he loved to write for it," he said, adding that the character of Tommy was created before producers had anyone in mind to play the part and McDonald lucked into the role. "They said, 'Who the hell is going to play this?' and someone mentioned my name. I'm extremely grateful, and love, love, love the character, so I'm hoping it goes on for another 10 seasons."
McDonald, who's also appearing in HBO's Boardwalk Empire and currently shooting the first movie from Sopranos creator David Chase, is on a career roll right now, and performing alongside Oscar winner Bates in a regular series is the cherry on his sundae. "Kathy Bates is so tough, so strong as an actor, she raises the bar just by her presence," he said. "She's a no-bullshit actor and I love that about her, and she's also very, very funny. She tolerates Tommy Jefferson, and I think in a lot of ways she tolerates Chris McDonald."
Networking: Chaos, premiering at 8 p.m. Friday on CBS (Channel 62), has the potential to become an enjoyable buddy-action comedy, with Eric Close (Without a Trace) leading a quartet of rogue CIA agents on their own clandestine missions. It's got a big-film look, the sardonic humor of M*A*S*H* and a bit of Office Space ladled in. But if CBS thinks the show has a chance, why exile it to Friday nights? On April Fool's, no less? ... You knew Turner Classic Movies would do it; now you know when. TCM honors the life and film career of Elizabeth Taylor, who died last Wednesday, with a 24-hour marathon Sunday, April 10. Taylor's two Oscar-winning performances, in Butterfield 8 and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, will be featured back-to-back beginning at 8 p.m. See tcm.com for the complete schedule.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11729 | Click inside to see what you should be watching on the Internet and on TV. Hot video
“Modern Family” comes to an end for the mockumentary comedy's Season 4, but that isn't the only goodbye the show is dealing with. In this episode, Phil's mother Gracie dies. The entire family gathers together in Florida to pay their condolences and keep Phil company as he mourns his loss. Watch a sneak peek below.
If you don’t get enough laughs already out of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” tune in tonight to see bloopers from the two shows. The fun begins at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
Microsoft unveiled a new Xbox today, Xbox One. The new system is designed to be much more than a video game player - it will be capable of surfing the Internet, playing movies, playing music and more. Microsoft’s Don Mattrick called it an "all-in-one home entertainment system." | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11770 | The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian [DVD Boxset] [3-Disc Collector's Set; Includes Digital Copy]
Based on the second novel in C.S. Lewis's beloved CHRONICLES OF NARNIA series, PRINCE CASPIAN finds the four Pevensie children--Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), and Lucy (Georgie Henley)--once again whisked away from WWII-era England into the realm of Narnia, where the siblings once ruled as royalty. However, the Pevensies soon discover that 1,300 years have passed since they left, and the world is now controlled by the Telmarines, humans who long ago banished the magical creatures of Narnia to the wilderness. When the heir to the Telmarine throne, Caspian (Ben Barnes), survives an assassination attempt plotted by his scheming uncle, Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), the noble youth stumbles across Narnia's exiled enchanted population, and decides to lead them in an uprising, aided by Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.
Considerably darker and more action-packed than THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE, this 2008 sequel, once again directed by Andrew Adamson, is driven by the struggle between the Telmarines and the banished Narnians, resulting in many fierce battle sequences. While the newcomer Barnes and the established quartet of Moseley, Popplewell, Keynes, and Henley are all in fine form, CASPIAN is largely enhanced by its supporting cast, which includes indie mainstay Peter Dinklage as the dour dwarf Trumpkin and revered British comedian Eddie Izzard as the voice of the swashbuckling mouse Reepicheep. Also briefly reprising their roles from the previous film are Liam Neeson, as the voice of Aslan, and Tilda Swinton, as the White Witch, actors who bring their familiar personas to this engaging and entertaining second chapter in the NARNIA saga.Read More...
Rating - for epic battle action and violence
Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 05815200
Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Peter Dinklage, Warwick Davis, Vincent Grass, Pierfrancesco Favino, Sergio Castellitto, Tilda Swinton
"[A] fierce and somber battle epic....As the soldiers pick up their broadswords and begin to slash and plunge, PRINCE CASPIAN seizes, and holds, your attention..."Entertainment Weekly 3 stars out of 4 -- "The production design is lavish, the cinematography lovely and the world of woodland creatures beautifully crafted."USA Today "Using a cast and crew of close to 2,000 and some of the best special effects houses in the world...PRINCE CASPIAN is very much the kind of adventure epic that believes you can never have too much galloping."Los Angeles Times "PRINCE CASPIAN is quite a bit darker than THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, both in look and mood. It is also in some ways more satisfying."New York Times "The well-staged battle scenes recall a multi-species BRAVEHEART and there's a sense of real lives at stake..."Empire
Starring: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes
Directors: Andrew Adamson | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11838 | The official soundtrack for ABC's Nashville was released this week, and in case you haven't been keeping up with the series, we've put together a playlist to help you catch up before it returns in January."The music is as much a part of the narrative as the dialogue," according to creator Callie Khouri, whose husband, renowned producer T-Bone Burnett, is the series' musical director. (Check out ABC's accompanying On the Record web series for additional insights into the music from the actors and producers.)And not to worry - though Nashville takes place in the titular country music capital of the world, its songs have mass appeal, even for viewers who aren't fans of twang. With the character of Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) in particular, the show has jumped on the Taylor Swift bandwagon and is riding it all over the blurry pop-country landscape. And though the actors perform all the songs on the soundtrack themselves, Burnett, Khouri and the behind-the-scenes team have tapped songwriters including Elvis Costello, Kate York, and local Nashville-ites to pen the music.Fall TV Scorecard: What's renewed/canceled?Here are our Top 5 tracks from the soundtrack:"Love Like Mine" - Written by Kelly Archer, Justin Weaver and Emily Shackelton, performed by Juliette (Panettiere)Juliette's hit single, which she performs in front of a screaming stadium audience in the pilot episode, made it clear from the start that Nashville's music was going to be as engaging as its story lines. Good luck getting this one out of your head."I Will Fall" - Written by Kate York and Tyler James, performed by Scarlett and Gunner (Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio)"The songs are always the subtext for what they're actually experiencing," says Khouri about the songwriting duo Scarlett and Gunner. "They're always singing songs about people falling in love with each other, or unrequited love." This tearjerker of a ballad is the track they're working on when Scarlett's boyfriend Avery (Jonathan Jackson) walks in on them. Awkward!Nashville: Good guys vs. bad guys"Buried Under" - Written by Natalie Hemby and Chris DeStefano, performed by Rayna (Connie Britton)When Rayna tells her husband Teddy (Eric Close) she's writing a song about herself "for once," the end result is "Buried Under," which we learn will be the first track recorded for her new album and the one that will mark the debut of her new, edgier sound. "It's about her dad and then all the stuff that kind of unfolds with Teddy," says Britton, "and it's sort of about this world that she's been intertwined in for her whole life.""Undermine" - Written by Trent Dabbs and Kacey Musgraves, performed by Juliette and Deacon (Panettiere and Charles Esten)The song that Juliette and Deacon write together is a real eye-opener for him. "It's the first time that you really see her talent and the heart behind her, being able to write it right off the top of her head," explains Panettiere. "It's a really great moment." No wonder they end up in bed together after the session!"Twist of Barbwire" - Written by Elvis Costello, performed by Avery (Jackson)Struggling musician Avery is resentful of his girlfriend Scarlett's musical success, so he writes songs like the sharply self-pitying "Twist of Barbwire" to deal with his frustration. (Fun fact: Jackson is an accomplished songwriter in his own right, and has been playing in the indie rock band Enation since 2002.)Nashville returns Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 10/9c on ABC.View original The Music of Nashville: An Essential Playlist at TVGuide.comRelated Articles on TVGuide.com Fall TV Scorecard: What's renewed/canceled?Nashville: Good guys vs. bad guysOther Links From TVGuide.com Connie BrittonHayden PanettiereJonathan JacksonCallie KhouriEric CloseElvis CostelloCharles EstenT-Bone BurnettNashvilleClare BowenSam Palladio | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11929 | Wiencek’s Dairy Bar turns 60
At 60, Wiencek’s Dairy Bar has extended menu beyond ice cream and hot dogs
Jim McNutt/Observer-Reporter
Stan Wiencek, owner of Wiencek’s Dairy Bar on Jefferson Avenue in Washington
Interior of Wiencek’s Dairy Bar
Half of the photos are retro, streetcar shots from the ’40s and ’50s, when steel and glass formed Washington’s backbone.
Otherwise, the place looks chic. It’s well-lit with 14 neatly arranged sets of tables and chairs, an unobtrusive and highly serviceable kitchen, an electronic menu affixed to the ceiling and a tree with stacks of snacks.
Wiencek’s Dairy Bar has kept up with – or surged ahead of – the times, offering a wide-ranging lunch and dinner menu, delectable desserts and a variety of other accouterments in a cozy, immaculate environment.
Yet, on the 60th anniversary of its birth, the Canton Township institution still embraces three links to its heritage: It’s still in the family, it’s still serving the soft ice cream for which it is renowned, and it still inspires a lot of smiles.
“I don’t know the right answer,” Stan Wiencek Jr. said last week when asked how his restaurant continues to thrive in a turbulent small business climate. “We try to offer a nice, clean atmosphere with good food at a good price. We try to make it a nice experience.”
Wiencek, 61, is a second-generation owner who took over from his parents, Stan Sr. and Helen Jean, in 1983. To satisfy changing and ever-expanding customer demands, he has expanded the business over time from its original reputation as an ice cream/hot dog shop.
“Restaurant-type food became a bigger part of our business,” said Stan Jr., now of East Washington. “We probably have too much on our menu, but some people like to come back and order something different. We try to offer a nice variety.”
A number of patrons keep coming back, as do younger members of their clans.
“We hear from a lot of people that they came here when they were growing up and enjoyed the experiences,” Stan Jr. said. “Now they’re bringing their kids here.”
Angeline and Domonick Patorial are among the multi-generational customers of Wiencek’s. They have been married for 66 years and go there along with their daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A granddaughter did work work there and a grandson does now.
The great-grandparents started to stop at Wiencek’s in 1958, after moving six doors down on Jefferson Avenue,
“We didn’t go as often as the rest of the family has,” Angeline said, referring to the Pastorials’ early years in Canton. “We went down for ice cream.”
She said the Wiencek family “has always made us feel welcome. The food is always good.”
Her favorites?
“The hamburgers are very good,” Angeline said. “And the ice cream. The banana splits are really good too.”
Today’s menu is formidable. It features 21 entrees – including three pasta dishes and stuffed peppers – 42 sandwich varieties, eight salads, pizza, soup and an extensive list of side items.
This is not his father’s dairy bar, to be sure.
Stan Sr. opened it in July 1953 in a small hut with a walk-up window, in the shadows of the home he built in 1949 – and where he and his spouse still live.
Selections there were limited to several sandwiches and soft ice cream varieties. There was no customer seating; two workers, food, a food-prep area, a sink and little else could shoehorn inside.
The building, so to speak, was expanded twice, the first time to accommodate indoor seating for winter customers. It was razed after 30 years to give way to the current structure, which had been erected behind it. That provided for the spacious parking lot that exists today at 1729 Jefferson Ave. (Route 844).
Stan Jr., a 1970 Trinity High School grad, became the owner when the new building opened in 1983. At that point, he was as much of a staple there as the soft serve. “My mom told me I waited on my first customer when I was 6.”
That was 1958, during the Eisenhower administration, when the catch-phrase for the popular 34th president was “I Like Ike.” Around Wiencek’s, it could have been “I Like Ike and Ice Cream.”
Stan Jr. has eight employees much of the year, more during the summer. His son, Stan III, and daughter-in-law, Jennifer, are managers – and possible heir apparents. His wife, Sara, is a speech pathologist, but she helps when she can.
Family ownership may extend to a third generation with Stan III, and eventually to a fourth. Stan and Jennifer have one son, 17-month-old Carter, and another who is due in a month.
Life isn’t always, well, a bowl of ice cream for a restaurant owner. Stan Jr., however, is mostly satisfied.
“There are days when I’m ready to retire and walk away.” he said, chortling. “But I like what I do, and if my son and daughter-in-law step up, I can help them.
“Customers tell me we have the best ice cream in town. It makes you feel good to hear that.” | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/11961 | This 'Carol' is as fun as it gets
Brian McGackin
This weekend, I went back to the scene of the crime, so to speak, of my last wonderful theatre experience, the Glendale Centre Theatre. I adored their production of "A Murder Is Announced," and so was quite excited to see their players in action once again. This time I was seeing a performance of "A Christmas Carol," Charles Dickens' classic holiday masterpiece. I may just have a new favorite theatre.
The Glendale Centre Theatre's production, which runs Thursday to Sunday evenings until Dec. 24, is a musical version of the show and was adapted by the theater's own Brenda Dietlein. The fun begins as soon as one walks in the door, though. The theater itself is a beautiful brick building, and the interior lobby has been transformed to resemble the streets of 19th century London. In addition to the usual theater snacks, they even have an old-timey cart set up to offer hot cider and other delicious holiday treats.
The performance was just as charming, if not more so. Glendale Centre Theatre's productions are in the round, and the actors in the chorus and ensemble begin the show by heading out into the audience to bestow warm wishes for the season. After this fun opening and a series of Christmas carols, the show begins in earnest. Similar to my experience with "A Murder Is Announced," the closeness and the fact that the performance is in the round allow the performers' actions and conversations in "A Christmas Carol" to seem much more natural.Much can be said about the high-quality acting and the overall charm of the performance. This is especially true in regards to Mario Di Gregorio, who plays Scrooge, and has been doing so for many years. The show has been a Christmas tradition at the Glendale Centre Theatre since 1964, in fact. Di Gregorio's Scrooge, convincing both as a hated miser and a beloved benefactor, is a joy to watch. Many of the other actors are exceptional as well, especially Kelly Flynn, who plays Scrooge's nephew, Fred.What truly floored me, however, were the performances of the many children involved in the production. Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's poverty-stricken clerk, and his wife Martha, have several children in the show, all of whom hit their marks with surprising ease and conviction. The children in the ensemble were adorable as well, and looked to be true veterans of the stage. It is often remarkable when a production has one exceptional young actor. For one show to have so many is nothing less than phenomenal.The Glendale Centre Theatre's production of "A Christmas Carol" is a lovely holiday tradition that should not be missed. It is an excellent way to kick off the Christmas season and end the year on a charming note.BRIAN MCGACKIN is an alumnus of USC's graduate creative writing program, where he focused on poetry and literary critical analysis.
Christmas Music (genre) | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12088 | “Better Off Undead” Podcast Hosts Prepare Listeners for Release of Birdemic 2
The recent podcast episode was originally intended to review host and listener picks for the scariest movie monster ever.
The Better Off Undead Show
They still show the same birds just hovering there,” says Truant,” but now they’ve enhanced the CGI so that when people shoot the birds, they split down the middle and spew blood.
Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB)
On August 1, 2012, Johnny B. Truant, Sean Platt, and David Wright launched their “Better Off Undead” podcast, devoting the first episode to an in-depth review of the cult horror film, “Birdemic: Shock and Terror.” Their discussion led many of their listeners to view the film and join its growing following. Over three months later, now on their sixteenth episode, the hosts announced their discovery that a sequel, “Birdemic 2: The Resurrection,” is slated for release sometime in 2013.
The recent podcast episode was originally intended to review host and listener picks for the scariest movie monster ever. Although many candidates were identified ranging from Freddy of “Nightmare on Elm Street” to the aliens from “Starship Troopers,” the discussion took an unexpected turn when it was announced that one listener had nominated “Birdemic.” As the hosts analyzed this selection, a quick Internet search provided two major revelations. Not only was a sequel on its way, but a trailer was already available for viewing on the online movie database, IMDB.
As they played segments of the trailer and provided commentary, they found that many elements from the first movie were still present, including the return of much of the lead and supporting cast, the early boy-meets-girl storyline, and the entertaining cinematic choices the filmmakers made within the constraints of a limited budget.
But the trailer also revealed some new dimensions.
In the first “Birdemic,” the antagonists were computer-generated birds that hovered in place and then dropped off the screen when bullets struck them. In the sequel, these winged menaces have received an upgrade.
But further commentary suggests that the birds will be joined by a new threat. Many humans seem to have been turned into zombies, including a fan favorite from the first film, an idealistic forest-dweller credited as “Tree Hugger.”
In their excitement, Truant, Platt, and Wright, who are geographically dispersed and collaborate through the Internet, agreed to get together in person for a “Birdemic 2” party upon the film’s release. But Wright has reservations about the idea.
“I’ll take a train,” says Wright. “I’m not flying and tempting birds to attack the plane.”
Prior to the sequel’s release, the hosts hope to seize the opportunity to form a more personal connection with the “Birdemic” franchise. With all of the attention and exposure “Better Off Undead” has provided to these films, plans are now underway to invite one the lead actors or writer-director James Nguyen to be a guest on the show. This is a move the hosts feel would be to everyone’s benefit.
“I bet ten percent of our audience would go see ‘Birdemic 2’ if it was in a theater near them,” says Sean Platt.
“Of course,” says Truant. “And if we had James Nguyen on and he was a good sport who believed in his movie but let us joke with him about it, we’d have a new buddy for life.”
Now, listeners not only have a sequel to look forward to, but a possible opportunity to hear insights from at least one of the key people who made it all possible.
Horror fans who enjoy new takes on their favorite genre can find the Better Off Undead Show on iTunes.
Sean Platt
Sterling & Stone 5133997479 | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12100 | Dancing with the Stars Season 10, Week 7 – The Pros (and Celebs) Blog!
First up, Evan Lysacek for People Magazine. I’m back to loving Evan again, now that he’s stopped spamming me for votes and more of his personality is coming through. 🙂 I’m still hung up on that “Omega Sheep” comment. Last week we tried to power through our training. We were never in sync and it showed with our samba performance and the judges’ comments. We were both disappointed, but most of all I was angry with myself. When I started this show I did it for the fun of it. But as the weeks went on, I became preoccupied with the scores, and lost sight of the fact that dancing is supposed to be fun. You get sevens one week and you want eights. Then you get eights and you want nines. Last week Anna and I got our butts kicked with sevens. I walked away feeling like I let my partner down, as well as my fans and the judges.
Like many things in life, it’s the attitude you take into a particular situation or apply to a certain goal that will help you either succeed or fail. So this week I came into it with the attitude of “Hey, if I mess up or forget a step, the most important thing is to focus on the character and flavor of the dance and have fun.” Last night, I had the clarity that I wasn’t going to preoccupy my head with numbers, but that I was going to dance full out and be that character in the tango. I was going to take the lead with Anna and really plunge into the performance. And wow, it worked! I felt GREAT. The icing on the cake was receiving a perfect score. Amazing.
Next – Maks at TV Guide. Dude, since you asked, I hated that purple feathery skirt thing with all the pantyhose material up top. 🙂 You don’t do half bad much of the time though. I do think you have the right attitude about the bottom 2 thing, though.
We were in the bottom two. Everyone’s asking if I’m shocked or upset since we got good scores. I’m not upset or disappointed. If we were to do a dance we were disappointed with, it’s one thing. But we did a great dance that we’re proud of. It was nothing to be ashamed of. If we were to be sent home, I wouldn’t be upset. I mean, I would be upset we’re not in the finale, but I would not be upset given what we did. I’m not going to sit and try to figure out why we ended up there. Maybe we had a smaller fan base. Or maybe, as some have suggested, people thought we would be fine with our scores so they didn’t vote. If that’s the case, then please, everybody out there vote for your favorite. Never assume your favorite is safe. That’s not a plea to vote for us, just a general plea to vote for whoever your favorite is. Honestly, I’m not nervous on Tuesdays because the results are out of my control. We’re just standing there waiting for the verdict.
Pam left, and no one wanted to see her leave. It was very sad. I’m not sure what her injury was, but she just showed up in the morning and couldn’t do the encore cha-cha. Some people are saying maybe it’s a good thing she was eliminated since she was injured, but I don’t think her injury was that serious. If she had stayed, the injury would’ve been a non-factor. Everybody has minor injuries of some sort and you just push forward. I think when you’re in a competition you brush off the pain. I know for a fact at the end of the season, I’m going get sick. Being on the show gets your adrenaline going; it’s very high-octane. But I know when the season’s over, my body is going to shut down and rest. And you have to let it.
It was a big birthday week here. Chery’s birthday was Monday and Erin’s was Tuesday, and both celebrations were really cool. We went out after the shows to celebrate. Cheryl’s party was such a close-knit gathering. It was really special to see people who were special to Cheryl and to be part of that very small group. Cheryl and I have been through a lot together and we have a very special friendship. On Tuesday, it was very similar. We went out for Erin’s birthday with Tony, Cheryl, Erin’s sister and our friend Howard. It was exactly what Erin needed to feel part of a family. This season has been very unifying. Three or four weeks ago, everybody’s helping each other out. But now we’re a group of people who are so friendly. I don’t want to imagine starting next week because the five couples left and we’re so close to the finale. No one wants to see anybody else leave. We all had tears in our eyes when Pam left. Louis and I looked at each other and were like, “If it’s not her, it’s us!” Someone has to go every week, and it’s definitely going to be tougher to say goodbye now.
And Finally, Derek at OK! magazine. I didn’t see the bobble until the replay the next night! Lucky camera work. 🙂 Yer scarin’ me with your Paso Doble talk, though.
Nicole and I tied with Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya in the total score for the two dances on Monday night and I couldn’t have been more proud of my partner. To be honest, though, when I first heard we were going to waltz to the song “You Light up My Life, “ I was like, oh, man, cheese city! But I found out Nicole was excited about it because it was her aunt’s favorite song. It gave Nicole an opportunity to fly her family out and for her aunt, who has Down’s Syndrome, to watch and enjoy. As with all the couples on the show, during breaks, we get to talk about ourselves and I learned how much she cherishes her aunt. It was a really special moment to share with Nicole when she realized how much her aunt loved the performance.
Footage aired on DWTS seemed to show us squabbling, but honestly, Nicole and I get along famously. If we ever get into an argument, it’s for a hot second. It’s over in a flash. But it is true, as it said in the TV package, that sometimes I forget to encourage her. She’s doing so well and I forget it’s new to her and she’s as scared as everybody else. Sometimes I’m like no, no, no and she’s like, am I doing anything right? But now I understand and we’re all good.
Monday after the show, I texted Cheryl a happy birthday, then caught my buddy Mark Ballas’ concert at The Mint. It was an awesome show, and then I went straight home to bed and was asleep by 11:30. Going out isn’t my thing anymore — I’m definitely a homebody.
On Tuesday night, I was so sorry to see Pamela Anderson get eliminated. I worked with her on the team cha cha dance and she was so much fun, so willing to give it her all.
I think America got to see a different side of Pam — she’s very witty, sweet, and sincere. That’s one of the strengths of DWTS, showing fans something new about all the celebrities’ personalities.
May 7, 2010 I Written By Princess Heidi
I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12313 | Keke Palmer To Be Broadway's First African-American Cinderella
Keke Palmer is making history on Broadway by becoming the first African-American star to play Cinderella. The singer/actress will make her debut as the Disney princess on Sept. 9.
Palmer will be taking over from Paige Faure, who is currently playing the lead role in the popular Rodgers & Hammerstein musical.
Other celebrities have also been featured in the theatrical production. Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen was part of the cast for a 12-week engagement earlier this year, and former "The Nanny" star Fran Drescher also stepped in to play the evil stepmother.
Palmer is known for her role on the Nickleodeon series "True Jackson, VP." She has also appeared in films such as "Akeelah and the Bee" and "Joyful Noise."
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Fashion Fails: Attack Of The Robot Keke Palmer, Victoria Hervey, And Charli Baltimore
The Hottest Female Celebrities Under 21
Gabrielle Union, Kelly Rowland & More Celebs Looked Fierce At Black Women In Hollywood Awards
WENN Photos
Keke Palmer To Portray Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas In TLC Movie | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12314 | Mischa Barton Turns Down TV Work To Focus On Rest
Actress Mischa Barton has no plans to return to TV work in the near future because she's "at a restful place" in her life. The star entered the public eye at 17 after landing a lead role in The O.C., but has tackled several personal problems in recent years - in 2009 she was placed on involuntary psychiatric hold, following the cancellation of her TV series The Beautiful Life. The meltdown, which Barton blamed on botched dental surgery, came two years after she was charged with driving under the influence, stemming from a December 2007 arrest in Los Angeles. Barton has remained largely out of the spotlight since the dramas, and she tells website Zap2It that she's not actively hunting for a new role. She says, "TV is not something I'm looking at right now for a second, just because I'm really at a restful place in my life. I'm really just taking my downtime. I've seen a lot of other girls who just kept going and kind of spazzed out and I'm just really grateful to be settled right now and not working and not doing anything but working on myself. I just feel really blessed with a convergence of really good things going on right now, so I'm not in a rush to do a project. "I think television is grueling and this year there's been such an uproar with like the Charlie Sheens of actors - well, I think he's amazing - but I just think it's not the time for me to be on television. I'll just wait a second on it, but I do like TV. It's a good forum."
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#mischa barton #charlie sheen #the o.c. #the beautiful life Show Comments ()
Is Mischa Barton Dating Former 'DWTS' Partner?
DVD Review: 'The Hoarder'
Charlie Sheen Says He Pays $55,000 A Month To His Two Exes
Charlie Sheen Blasts Doctor Who Treated His HIV | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12330 | Actor Mark Ruffalo said on Twitter that a standalone Hulk movie is not in the works. He later clarified and said, “Just to be totally clear. I did not say there was not going to ever be a stand alone Hulk film. I said there wasn’t one in the works now.” Ruffalo earned praise for his portrayal of the big green creature in “Avengers,” and many people have wondered when a Hulk movie franchise reboot with Ruffalo would take place. Ruffalo said the next time we’d see him as Hulk would be in “Avengers 2.”
Michael Jordan is getting married again, CNN reported. The basketball legend applied for a marriage license in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Thursday. Jordan will marry Yvette Prieto. He divorced Juanita in 2006; they were married in 1989.
Caught on film - skiier escapes avalanche. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12437 | PRIMETIMEAir Date: Thursday, April 14, 2005Time Slot: 10:00 PM-11:00 PM EST on ABCEpisode Title: "N/A"
VIEW ALL LISTINGS FOR PRIMETIME
"PRIMETIME LIVE" FOLLOWS THE TRIUMPHS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS OF FIVE WOULD-BE CHILD STARS IN THEIR QUEST TO MAKE IT BIG IN HOLLYWOOD, THURSDAY, APRIL 14 ON ABC
Also: Bernard Kerik Discusses His Dramatic Fall from 9/11 Hero And Presidential Cabinet Nominee to Tabloid Target
Cynthia McFadden visits the Oakwood Apartments, a Los Angeles residential complex where, for years, child actors - from Tom Cruise to Hilary Duff -- have come to be discovered. During a few hectic months each year -- the all-important pilot season when studios enter a casting frenzy -- a steady stream of would-be stars from all over the country flocks to this veritable acting boot camp. With their agents and managers in tow, these precocious kids hope to defy the odds and land the role that will launch their Hollywood career. "Primetime" follows five of these young hopefuls to see whether they get their big break or see their quest for fame end in disappointment. "Primetime Live" airs THURSDAY, APRIL 14 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
The pursuit of this dream means leaving everything behind, including most of their family and friends. But the kids and their parents say it's worth the sacrifice - as well as the tremendous expense and frequent rejection. "It's always hard to see your child go through something difficult," says Emily Green of Madison, WI, whose son, Zach, hopes to land a movie role. "But I think part of this experience is helping a child learn to deal with rejection. That's going to happen in their lives and their adult lives."
Also: When Bernard Kerik was nominated by President Bush to run the Department of Homeland Security, it seemed the culmination of the ultimate rags-to-riches story. Kerik, the son of a prostitute, became a decorated cop and eventually New York City's police commissioner. And along with former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, he became a national hero on September 11. But Kerik withdrew his name from consideration for the cabinet post after it was discovered that he hadn't paid all the required taxes for his family's nanny, who turned out to be an illegal alien. A flurry of tabloid stories ensued that put his personal and professional life under a microscope and tarnished his reputation. In an exclusive television interview with Chris Cuomo, Kerik shares the inside story of his humbling fall, and addresses some of the damaging charges that have been leveled against him. "You know everybody says they want to have that American Dream," he tells Cuomo. "I would say don't, don't have that American Dream. Live the life the best you can. When you get that American Dream, there's a thousand people at the top to despise you for it." Diane Sawyer, Chris Cuomo, Cynthia McFadden and John Quiqones are the anchors of "Primetime Live." David Sloan is the executive producer. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12440 | SHARK TANKAir Date: Friday, September 14, 2012Time Slot: 8:00 PM-9:01 PM EST on ABCEpisode Title: (#402) "Episode 402"
VIEW ALL LISTINGS FOR SHARK TANK
INVESTORS OFFER ENTREPRENEURS OVER $10 MILLION DURING SEASON FOUR, AS THE CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED "SHARK TANK" RETURNS TO ABC FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 "Queen of QVC" Lori Greiner Joins Panel as a Regular Shark This Season Several Celebrities Join the Entrepreneurs This Season, Including "Family Guy" Creator Seth McFarlane and Two-Time Super Bowl Champion Brandon Jacobs
"Shark Tank" is back for a fourth season, with the Sharks continuing the search to invest in the best businesses and products that America has to offer. In 2012 "Shark Tank" received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Program and was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Reality Series. The Season Premiere, "Episode 402," airs FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 (8:00-9:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
In the Season Premiere, "Shark Tank" history is made when all five Sharks join forces to make a deal. Also, a recent college graduate from Indianapolis, IN wants to turn inconvenience into opportunity with his ticketless coat check system; a man from Central City, CO wants the Sharks to invest in his belt buckle idea that doubles as a beverage holder; a licensed massage therapist from Phoenix, AZ takes a stand to reinvigorate the ancient art of body massage; and two women from Freehold, NJ believe they have a solution to the nationwide epidemic of bedbugs. Also, an update on Rick Hopper from Fullerton, CA and his Readerest eyeglass holder, which Lori Greiner invested in during Season 3.
Lori Greiner, a prolific inventor of retail products and often referred to as the "Queen of QVC," returns as a Shark and will appear in many of the 22 episodes. Returning "Sharks" joining Greiner are billionaire Mark Cuban, owner and chairman of AXS TV and outspoken owner of the 2011 NBA championship Dallas Mavericks; real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran; technology innovator Robert Herjavec; fashion and branding expert Daymond John; and venture capitalist Kevin O'Leary. The entrepreneurs who dare to enter the Tank must try to convince the Sharks to part with their own hard-earned cash and give them the funding they desperately need to turn their dreams into million dollar realities. But the Sharks have a goal too -- to get a return on their investment and own a piece of the next big business idea. When the Sharks hear an idea worth sinking their teeth into, they are more than ready to declare war and fight each other for a piece of it. In upcoming episodes, celebrities will join the entrepreneurs in their pitches. Appearances include "Family Guy" creator Seth McFarlane, two-time Super Bowl champion and San Francisco 49ers running back Brandon Jacobs, entertainment celebrity reporter and writer Robin Leach, eminent Emmy Award-winning comedy writer Bruce Vilanch, and the husband and wife professional dancing team Jonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya ("Dancing with the Stars").
The selection of entrepreneurs this season will range in age from 70-year-old grandmothers to the growing trend of "kidpreneurs" and include everyone in between. There will be pitches from high school and college students, stay-at-home moms, and even multi-million dollar venture capital-backed startups.
The Sharks in "Episode 402" are Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin O'Leary. Mark Burnett, Clay Newbill and Phil Gurin are the executive producers of "Shark Tank," which is based on the Japanese "Dragons' Den" format created by Nippon Television Network Corporation. The episode is directed by Ken Fuchs. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television.
"Shark Tank" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format with stereo sound. This program carries a TV-PG parental guideline. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12531 | Designed by design-me.co.uk
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Twilight film news
Find out all about Twilight films
Twilight film news - Twilightguys report his sudden change of tune
Twilight was directed by Catherine Hardwicke and written by Melissa Rosenberg. It centres on the development of a relationship between a human teenager, Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan, and Robert Pattinson’s vampire Edward Cullen, and the subsequent efforts of Edward and his family to keep Bella protected from another group of hostile vampires.
The film was released theatrically in November 2008.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon was directed by Chris Weitz. Like the first film, the screenplay was penned by Melissa Rosenberg. The film charts Bella Swan's deep depression until she forms a strong friendship with werewolf Jacob Black. Jacob and his tribe must save Bella from Victoria, a vampire hoping to avenge the death of her mate by murdering Bella. A misunderstanding occurs, and Edward believes Bella is dead. Edward seeks to commit suicide in Volterra, Italy. He is stopped by Bella who is accompanied by Edward's sister, Alice. They meet with the Volturi, a powerful coven of vampires, and are released on the grounds that Bella is turned into a vampire in the near future. Bella and Edward are reunited. She and the Cullens return to Forks, the home town of Bella.
The film was released theatrically in November 20, and set a vast number of records. It is currently the biggest advance-ticket seller on Fandango and it had the biggest midnight opening in domestic (United States and Canada) box office history, amassing an estimated $26.3 million. Its sequel, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, smashed that record in June 2010, grossing $72.7 million on its opening day domestically, $709 Million Worldwide. It became the biggest single-day opening in domestic history. It is the eighth highest opening weekend in domestic history with $1.4 million. More cool stuff
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn was directed by Bill Condon. Author Stephenie Meyer co-produced the film along, with Melissa Rosenberg penning the script. The book's plot was split into two films, the first of which was released on November 18, 2011.>
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2016 © Copyright Twilight film news - twilightnews.co.uk All rights reserved. Email: twilight@twilightnews.co.uk | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12632 | Thursday, March 3, 2005 at 4 a.m.
It's not exactly a mystery why Sony is pushing O. After all, Omarion Grandberry's got a kiddie-soul pedigree (he was in B2K), an acting background (he played Reggie in Fat Albert, a fact he might want to keep to himself) and the sort of look that appeals to teens raised on the mean streets of suburbia. In other words, he has all the attributes to make him the new Usher -- except for an album as strong as Confessions.The suits certainly pushed all the right buttons, bringing in trendy producers and guest stars such as OutKast's Big Boi. But while the Rodney Jerkins-helmed "Drop the Heater" is a certified finger-popper, "Touch," overseen by the Neptunes, feels slapdash; it's the sorta thing Chad and Pharrell probably knocked off while checking their phone messages. The title cut, meanwhile, is about as generic as a slow jam gets, which hasn't prevented it from becoming a hit but will make it difficult to remember a month from now. Like its name, O looks good, but its center is hollow. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12652 | The SpongeBob Movie Could Be the Breakout Superhero Flick of 2015 subscribe
Author: Graeme McMillan.
Graeme McMillan Culture Date of Publication: 07.31.14.
The SpongeBob Movie Could Be the Breakout Superhero Flick of 2015
Let’s be honest: After a banner year for superhero movies with Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men: Days of Future Past and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 2015 suddenly looks a bit, well, dull in comparison. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been pushed to 2016, Ant-Man seems to be off to a rocky start, and even Avengers: Age of Ultron feels a little familiar at this point. If only there was a superhero movie on its way that seemed fun, inventive, and entirely out of left field.
Oh, wait. There is one, and it’s extremely unlikely you saw this one coming. The trailer for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water has arrived online, and not only does it feature the chance to see SpongeBob, Patrick, Plankton et al in the “real world,” complete with Roger Rabbit-esque messing around with real people hijinks, but it also introduces you to SpongeBob and friends as superheroes with suitably strange powers.
The trailer is undeniably silly and—unsurprisingly for SpongeBob—downright corny in places, sure. But it’s also a breath of fresh air after the gloomy destruction and frowning, muted aesthetics of the fare we’ve seen in almost every superhero movie of the last few years. It’s almost as if the goofy off-kilter nature of Guardians of the Galaxy was taken to an extreme that even James Gunn wouldn’t dare attempt. It may not rock theaters in the way that (presumably) Star Wars: Episode VII will, but could it come out and be a pleasant surprise in the way The Lego Movie was? Absolutely. Watch the trailer above and then ask yourself if this doesn’t look a bit more exciting than watching Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man punch robots for two hours. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12676 | Opinion Asia
Illuminating Her Way
A director charts an unusual course from the world of finance to Hong Kong cinema.
Gerrie Lim
When Jennifer Thym put up $50,000 from her own savings to fund her first film project, her Chinese-American parents reacted with horror. It was bad enough that their daughter had given up a career in finance, now her new passion for directing was becoming a money pit. But she was not deterred: "I wanted to do it to prove some things to myself and to evolve." Ms. Thym's quest to become a filmmaker has been unconventional from start to finish. Arriving in Hong Kong in February 2007, she had no experience in the... | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12731 | Want to watch 'Ship of Theseus'? Vote onlineBy Indo Asian News Service | IANS India Private Limited – Tue 18 Jun, 2013 3:15 PM IST
Mumbai, June 18 (IANS) Filmmaker Kiran Rao will intially release "Ship of Theseus" in five cities and says viewers in other cities will have to vote online to view the film.
After travelling to various film festivals and getting acclaim, "Ship of Theseus" will hit the screens in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata July 19.
Rao is releasing director Anand Gandhi's critically acclaimed directorial venture in association with UTV Motion Pictures.
For screening in other cities, the "Ship of Theseus" team is launching an online voting system. Audiences in various cities will be able to vote online. The city that gets the maximum votes will witness a screening of the film.
"We feel there are a good number of people, who live outside of the big cities like Mumbai and Delhi, are also keen to watch 'Ship of Theseus'. With our online campaign 'Vote for the film in your city', our effort is to gauge the interest of that audience, and hopefully, based on that to take the film to them," Rao said in a statement.
The director also feels that such voting system is required to know people's reaction.
"It's an exciting new way to reach out to viewers, a democratization of cinema, where audiences decide what they want to see. It's great that we have been able to work together with UTV on this initiative," said Gandhi.
The team is currently putting together a portal to be launched this week, where all the movie buffs can go and vote.
A story about human values, "Ship of Theseus" features three characters - an experimental photographer, ailing intellectual monk and a stock broker. The movie premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and received critical acclaim. -- | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/12732 | ← Season Finale: The Office – “Whistleblower”
Season Finale: Fringe – “Over There: Part 2” →
May 21, 2010 · 3:00 am ↓ Jump to Comments
Season Finale: 30 Rock – “I Do Do”
“I Do Do”
I haven’t written about 30 Rock in a very long time, so you’d think I’d have a lot to say: after all, “I Do Do” actually had a “Previously on 30 Rock” sequence, which is rare on a show that is usually so off-the-wall that it doesn’t need to worry so much about continuity.
However, this was an aggressively plot-heavy conclusion for the series, so it makes sense that we might need a refresher on why Liz is going to three weddings, and why she would go anywhere with Wesley Snipes, and how smart the show was to have Jack dating two celebrity guest stars so that you really don’t know who he’s going to pick. This being said, however, “I Do Do” isn’t really plot-heavy at all – rather, it just sort of revels in the situation that has already been created, introducing new elements and providing conclusions that do a pretty good job of boiling it down to characters.
There are jokes, and there are plots, but even with some fairly ridiculous star power there is no point in time where all of it overwhelms the ways in which the episode plays out as a story about Jack, Liz and Kenneth, which makes it a successful conclusion to both these storylines and the season as a whole.
The battle between Avery and Nancy has never really provided a great deal of comedy, but it’s always felt really real to me. It makes sense that Jack would be torn between a woman who understands his past and a woman who inspires him to stay virile and active in the present, as someone of his age would be trapped between those two elements of his identity. That the story has rung true has gotten me through Julianne Moore’s accent, and the overly drawn out period where Jack is unable to make a decision, as in the end this feels like something that would happen to this character.
The resolution to the story ends up feeling earned, and surprisingly concrete. I could have predicted that Avery would be the winner, presuming that the show wasn’t planning to have it be “neither;” while Nancy fits into Jack’s life, Avery fits into the show both in terms of her position at CNBC and in the way Elizabeth Banks so seamlessly integrated into the cast. She’s a fantastic comic actress, and even if the material hasn’t been particularly hilarious I really think Avery is a character that could recur for a season and carry Jack’s baby without it feeling like gimmicky stuntcasting. Moore managed to fit in pretty well by the end, but that was more through persistence rather than any sort of real chemistry with the people involved: Banks just sort of works, and I am surprised that it all came together quite this well.
As for Liz, I think Matt Damon’s casting is perhaps a little bit more difficult to accept, but I quite like the way in which the character is meant to seem a bit romantic and too good to be true. It’s not that Damon is playing a hunky movie star, but rather that he’s playing someone who considers himself a doorman to the sky, who makes up something like “Sky Law,” and who loves TGS with Tracy Jordan, especially Fart Doctor. He’s Liz Lemon’s ideal man, so for him to look like Matt Damon is part of the story, and Damon is pretty great at playing these light comic roles with just enough self-deprecation to make it work. The character is never going to fit in as well as Michael Sheen’s Wesley, who has developed into a really wonderfully hilarious character over the course of his various appearances (“My boyhood passion for train accidents” was genius), but that’s sort of the point: he’s not supposed to fit in, because Liz is just a bit too crazy and prone to dramatic speeches.
Kenneth, meanwhile, doesn’t want to be promoted to Los Angeles (which makes no sense considering the Page program seems like it would be focused more on New York, but maybe it was supposed to be another Conan allegory?), but the way the story plays out is completely true to his character. Even when he gets fired for doing a horrible job, a bit which Jack McBrayer has a lot of fun with, he can’t help but love the TGS crew and everyone who has been so horrible to him. His drunken speech proclaiming his love for everyone and his hope that he’ll see them all in heaven was a great bit of acting, but it was also a quintessentially Kenneth thing to do. The show got its humour, what with his Best Friends in the World categorizations, but it also ended up saying something sort of sweet about the character despite his unemployment (which will surely be rectified early next season).
I wrote about duality earlier in the night with Parks and Recreation, and in some ways 30 Rock enjoys the same sense of stability and chaos co-existing: as crazy as Jenna’s relationship with Paul is, and as freaky as Will Forte made up half as Cher and half as Jenna really is, it’s a nice metaphor for the show as a whole. Liz is completely crazy, but Carol still returns to TGS to try things out because of his position in life; Jack and Avery’s situation is still plenty volatile (I particularly enjoyed Liz’s attempts to avoid looking surprised), but the baby and their connection still feels sort of right; Kenneth may have been fired, but he’s also come to truly grasp how he feels about his friends. In all cases, some weird things are happening that probably won’t last forever, and yet there’s also that romantic sense that there is something there worth investigating, or worth looking past the conflict to discover. The show can be as wacky as it wants, but it also has a heart, and I liked that in an episode about three weddings we got a whole lot of happy couples and less drama than we’d normally expect from this sort of setup.
None of it really counts as particularly inspired or laugh-out-loud funny, but for a show that can sometimes feel a little bit lifeless beyond its gags I really appreciated the resonance to the characters’ storylines: if you had told me a year ago that I would care infinitely more about characters on 30 Rock than on The Office on the night of their respective finales, I wouldn’t have believed you, but that is the situation we find ourselves in.
Cultural Observations
The Bald category is fun, but the Beatiful Hair (Strong) category just opens up so many great possibilities.
Nice pickup of last week’s episode with Liz’s attempts to stall at Floyd’s wedding: Tina Fey was entertaining enough that I completely forgot it was even at Floyd’s wedding until she started changing up lyrics.
Carol’s argument about Charles Schellenberg was the kind of thing you’d expect to hear from Dennis, while some of the character’s other tendencies (including his happenstance meeting with Liz over confused identity) nicely connects with Floyd. He’s sort of an amalgam of all of her past relationships, which is a neat touch.
Saw the reveal that the cheesy pop music during Jack and Avery’s moment was playing live, but loved that it was Moonvest (!) that was playing it.
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Filed under 30 Rock
Tagged as Alec Baldwin, Analysis, Avery Jessup, Carol, Cher, Comedy, Elizabeth Banks, Episode 22, Finale, Floyd, Jack McBrayer, Jenna Maroney, Julianne Moore, Kenneth, Matt Damon, Michael Sheen, MOO, Nancy Donovan, Paul, Pete, Pilot, Pregnancy, Review, Season 4, Season Finale, Sky Law, Television, TGS, Tina Fey, TV, Wedding, Wesley Snipes, Will Forte
One response to “Season Finale: 30 Rock – “I Do Do”” Jeremy L May 21, 2010 at 3:13 am For a season that’s been the show’s worst thus far, the finale actually gave me hope for its future. It had a lot of great beats, it took storylines interesting places, and I certainly look forward to seeing what they do in the fall.
Just remember 30 Rock, keep the over-the-top ridiculousness reigned in. These are characters, and we still care about them. Be good to them.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/13171 | 'Dancing On The Edge' Is Fun For Both The Eyes And The Ears By David Bianculli
Oct 17, 2013 ShareTwitter Facebook Google+ Email Set in London in the early 1930s, Dancing on the Edge is a five-part miniseries about a black jazz band trying to crack the dance halls and radio playlists. Made for BBC-2, the episodes will air starting Saturday night on the Starz cable network.
Originally published on October 17, 2013 2:52 pm One of my most enjoyable parts of being a critic is steering people toward something so good, but so relatively obscure, that they might never have checked it out unless they'd been nudged in that direction. My personal best example of that, ever, was the imported BBC miniseries The Singing Detective, by Dennis Potter, about 25 years ago. I'm not directly comparing this weekend's new British import, Dancing On the Edge, to that earlier masterpiece, but they have a lot in common. Both are period costume pieces. Both are centered on music and present very full, very unpredictable characters and some exceptionally intriguing performances. Both are about large themes as well as small moments. And one final link between the two — the writer and director of Dancing on the Edge, Stephen Poliakoff, has long been considered one of the modern artistic descendants of Potter. Not a lot of Poliakoff's work has made it over here — but what has made the trip has been singularly impressive. His 2003 telemovie, The Lost Prince, was a fact-based drama about a member of the royal family locked away because of his epilepsy. And another TV drama from that same era, Friends & Crocodiles, gave Damian Lewis of Homeland an early leading role as a brilliant but unstable businessman. Poliakoff's newest drama, a miniseries made for BBC-2, takes basic facts unearthed by him while researching The Lost Prince and reworks them, mixing historical figures with fictional ones. Dancing on the Edge is about a jazz band in the early '30s, made up of British citizens and American and Caribbean musicians on work visas, trying to crack the dance halls and radio playlists. One man in their corner is Stanley, a white reporter and columnist played by Matthew Goode. He writes for Music Express, a new music magazine similar to Britain's influential Melody Maker — and decides to help push the Louis Lester Jazz Band into the winner's circle. But they have to confront reluctant hotel ballroom bookers and, among some of the customers, obvious prejudice. The rise of the Louis Lester Jazz band, in the face of such odds, would be the central spine of most dramas of this type. But Poliakoff is up to something bigger and grander. For one thing, he's fascinated by the way some members of the royal family were drawn to jazz music, and to black performers, with equal enthusiasm. For another, he's interested in what's happening politically between the two world wars. There's also a murder mystery or two, thrown into the mix as a very important ingredient. The five episodes, beginning Saturday night on the Starz cable network, are brimming with twists, surprises, delightful set pieces — and some very unexpected performances. John Goodman plays a wealthy American who is very much a part of the British scene in the '30s — and Jacqueline Bisset, as a reclusive aristocrat, is absolutely wonderful. There are parts, too, for Anthony Head from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jenna-Louise Coleman from Doctor Who, and even Janet Montgomery, a British actress who was imported for, and wasted in, the recent CBS drama series Made in Jersey. Dancing on the Edge will please TV fans who are eagerly awaiting the next round of Downton Abbey — and music fans as well. This isn't period music they're playing and singing in this miniseries — it's just made to sound that way, written by Adrian Johnston. It's a beautiful job. The music has to be good enough to make you root for the Louis Lester Jazz Band to make it big — and as the core of this new TV import, it works. Dancing on the Edge is as much fun to hear as it is to watch.Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. Related Program: Fresh Air View the discussion thread. Connect with us! | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/13205 | Stop the Lies! Why Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox Will Be Friends Forever
Lifelong friendships like Jennifer and Courteney's don't end that easily, and here's why.
June 2, 2011Love+LifeFaye Brennan Stop the Lies! Why Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox Will Be Friends Forever
Lifelong friendships like Jennifer and Courteney’s don’t end that easily, and here’s why.
-Faye Brennan
There’s a big story making the rounds today claiming that Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston are no longer friends. A “source” says that the two had a falling out because Jennifer doesn’t like the way Courteney is handling her separation from her estranged husband, David Arquette, because it’s reminding her of the hurt Brad Pitt put her through. That’s apparently why they haven’t been photographed together in over a year.
Excuse my French, but bulls***!
Jennifer’s rep has already shot down this theory, saying, “It’s a complete fabrication. There was no fall[ing] out and Jennifer considers Courteney to be a dear and close friend.”
But I don’t need to hear from Jen’s rep to know that this story is a croc. Although I don’t know Courteney and Jen personally, I’ve read countless interviews in which both have talked about their bond, and it all sounds genuine and true. They’ve been friends for almost 20 years, weathering the ups and downs of Friends, fame, heartbreak, and Hollywood together. I like to think that what they have is the real deal.
Read Dating 911 With Matt: Send In Your Relationship Questions!
Their close friendship reminds me of relationships I have in my own life with the few people that I’ve become so close to, no matter what happens or how much time passes in between seeing each other, we never let go of that special connection. I call these people my lifelong friends, because I know they’ll have my back and I’ll have theirs for the long haul.
With these friends, I don’t need to be seen or “photographed” with them once a year to prove what we have. I also wouldn’t stop being their friend if I didn’t agree with the decisions they were making in their romantic life. I would tell them if I disagreed, but I wouldn’t hold that against them. That’s part of what makes a lifelong friendship so rewarding — there’s no judgement involved, just unconditional support.
So, do I believe that Jennifer would actually end her friendship with Courteney over what’s happening between Courteney and David? Absolutely not.
Do I think it’s crazy for people to assume they’re not friends simply because they haven’t been photographed together in a year? Absolutely.
AND, do I think it’s totally bonkers that people STILL bring up Brad Pitt and paint Jen as this weak, destroyed victim who can’t move on? Abso-friggin-lutely.
Lifelong friendships are extremely rare and hard to find. When you’re lucky enough to have one, you don’t want to throw it away easily. Something really terrible and unforgiveable would have to happen to make you want to end things, because losing a lifelong friend hurts just as much as a break-up. Sometimes, even worse. It feels like a piece of you is permanently gone forever and the person you would go to to help see you through it is now no longer an option.
As far as I’m concerned, Jennifer and Courteney are just fine and aren’t ending what they have anytime soon. Sadly, these fluffed up rumors won’t be ending anytime soon, either. But, as great friends, they’ll hopefully be able to laugh about it… together.
Faye Brennan is senior editor at BettyConfidential.
brad pitt, Courteney Cox, friends, lifelong friends, Faye Brennan, jennifer aniston
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/13282 | TV actor Sushant Singh Rajput making it big in Bollywood
Movies, News, Press Release | January 20, 2013
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter+ It’s raining plum projects for television actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who shot to fame by playing the character of Manav in Zee TV’s popular show ‘Pavitra Rishta’.
Sushant has just completed the feature film Kai Po Che, directed by Abhishek Kapoor of Rock On fame. Now, as per the latest trade reports, the actor has been signed on for Rajkumar Hirani’s much talked about Aamir Khan-Anushka Sharma starrer Peekay. A couple of other actors (from Ranbir Kapoor to Ranveer Singh) were being considered, however it was Sushant who made it to the film. And if this was not enough, now the talented actor has bagged Maneesh Sharma’s next under the YRF banner.
Furthermore, Sushant will be paired opposite the current heartthrob of nation, the Ishaqzaade girl, Parineeti Chopra, in this film. For now, it seems the stars are quite bright for Sushant Singh Rajput and with the way he’s signing film after film, there’s no stopping for him.
UTV Motion Pictures’ Kai Po Che releases in the UK and Worldwide on 22nd February 2013. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/13355 | July 4: Will Smith's Holiday By
Richard Corliss Tuesday, July 01, 2008
EverettWill Smith in Hancock
Hancock is the superhero nobody likes. Oh, he can fly; his chest does repel point-blank bullets. And he saves people, averts catastrophe, stops bad guys from doing bad things. But Hancock has a personality defect: he's a horrible human being/deity. He guzzles way too much Royal Crown, which puts him in a perpetually bad mood and interferes with his self-aviation skills the man is a drunk flyer. (And then he lands so hard on a street, he digs a ditch in the asphalt.) He wrecks everything he touches. When he's finished a mission, all of L.A. has become collateral damage. Once Hancock was summoned to the aid of a whale that had washed up on the beach. When he lifted the creature by its tail and tossed it back in the sea, it landed on a distant ship. "I don't remember that," he says to somebody, who replies, "Greenpeace does."
I just realized something. None of this matters. A critique of Hancock is an essay in irrelevance. It's Independence Day Week, and six times since 1996, that's meant a Will Smith movie a mega-giga-gigantic hit. Independence Day; Men in Black; Wild Wild West; Men in Black II; I, Robot: He shows up, people line up. Thomas Jefferson used to own this holiday, but now the former Fresh Prince does. So why should critics even bother to review a new Will Smith movie? You'll go see it anyway.
It's my theory and I have the stats to back me up that Hollywood is in its first ever post-movie-star era. Big celebrity names no longer guarantee box-office hits. Casting dramatic stars like Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie, etc., no longer guarantees a movie's commercial success; and the more reliable comedy stars, from Adam Sandler to Ben Stiller, lose much of their audiences when they try something a little different. To all this, Smith would say ha, and rightly so, since he's the big exception. He actually deserves that overused epithet "the last movie star." For more than a decade, he's been immune to moviegoers' fickle fashions. His films have earned $4.5 billion worldwide. And except for his pro bono work in Ali (for which he won an Academy Award nomination) and Robert Redford's The Legend of Bagger Vance, every Will Smith movie has been a hit or smash, earning at least $100 million in North America and another $100 million or more abroad. Sometimes lots more.
Start with Independence Day: $306m at home, $511m abroad, for a worldwide $817m (back in 1996, when that was real money). The following year he did Men in Black: $251m at home, $339m abroad, for a total of $598m. Last year's I Am Legend which earned $256m in the U.S. and Canada, $328m elsewhere, for $584m was Smith's fifth consecutive movie to earn more than $300m worldwide, after I, Robot; Shark Tale; Hitch; and The Pursuit of Happyness. No actor can come within geshrei-ing distance of those numbers. Certainly nobody who's lured crowds to different genres. He's made action films, romances, heart-tuggers, cartoons; but to audiences, what they mainly are, is Will Smith movies. And that's enough. A friendly fellow with what's thought to be a famously sound marriage (to Jada Pinkett Smith), Smith radiates a strong but unthreatening power. His manner suggests an actor at ease with himself and his screen stature, in a way not often seen since the days of Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart (though Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood have come close). He's utterly unconflicted about his job; he likes being watched but he doesn't preen, doesn't beg or mug for our attention. He knows he's got it. It's good to be the King of Hollywood of the entertainment world. Smith is above and apart, leaping national borders, transcending race. Eddie Murphy or Martin Lawrence might be considered black stars, but Smith is not so much defined by his color. He's also black the Tiger Woods, the Oprah, maybe the Barack Obama of movie actors. He's the superstar everybody likes.
The final evidence of his flop-proofness is the movies he makes. They're not that good. Tom Hanks had a great run in making challenging movies of Academy quality. Smith's pictures deliver familiar pleasures; they work with efficiency but not inspiration, honoring the time-honored movie platitudes that will neither shock nor stretch an audience. Hancock, directed by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom) and written by Vy Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan, is another of those. Its only distinction is its aim to vault from one genre to another and another while keeping viewers from straying to the popcorn stand. It's strenuous, smartly made and ordinary to an extraordinary degree.
These days, the big action fantasies mostly come in two flavors: superheroes who achieve their superiority (younger versions of Superman, Batman, etc.) and superheroes in a midlife crisis (The Incredibles, My Super Ex-Girlfriend). Hancock is the second. He's lost his purpose, his mojo and his fan base. That's where Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), a slick but somehow decent p.r. guy, hopes to help. He wants to repackage and, even more, remake Hancock into a good guy. After all, he figures he owes Hancock. When Ray's car was stuck on railroad tracks, Hancock stopped an onrushing train by essentially standing in the way and punching its lights out, meanwhile flipping Ray's car into the air till it landed upside down on another vehicle. So Ray takes Hancock home to meet his loving wife Mary (Charlize Theron), who's apprehensive to say the least at the prospect of this belching, snot-blowing slob doing his act in front of their young son Aaron (Jae Head). True to his word, Ray dresses Hancock up in a trendy black superhero suit, has him serve some time for laying waste to the city and writes him his own public apology: "You deserve better from me. I can be better. I will be better."
Turns out Hancock isn't quite the rehab vehicle it seems to be. It wants to be half a dozen different films all the kinds of movies Smith has been making. It's an action film that starts as cartoon, then detours into identity crisis, since Hancock, suffering from amnesia, doesn't know who he really is. Maybe the Embreys can help. In this uncomfortable trio of Hancock, Ray and Mary, two are alike, one is different. (The question is, which two?) As the movie changes tone, it wants you to concentrate on the sweetness in Ray's protective friendship with Hancock and in Mary's virtually celestial devotion to Ray. Perhaps she could feel that way about Hancock too. I'm trying not to give away Act 2, just to hint at a triangular romance, a potential mixed marriage.
If you're a Will Smith fan, you know that romance isn't the focus of his movies (except for Hitch). Just as he is bigger than any of his co-stars, his characters are bigger too; to connect intimately with someone else would be a step down. That's why his movies are often about him alone, slogging through homelessness in The Pursuit of Happyness, foraging as the last man in Manhattan in I Am Legend. The one true romance in a Will Smith film is between the star and his audience. And that's a match that, for a dozen years, has been made in box-office heaven.
Then again, if you're a Will Smith fan, you stopped reading this long ago. You're probably watching Hancock right now and enjoying it a little more than you would if anyone but Smith were in it. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/13377 | STRANGER THINGS Season 2Trailer for Rob Zombie’s 31BLAIR WITCH InterviewNew AVED Season 2 VideoNew WESTWORLD TrailerUpdate on TREMORS Series Roger Corman Triple Review: Dinoshark, Sharktopus, Dinocroc vs. Supergator
2012/01/03 17:39:10 UTC by Steph Howard
Why does anyone love to watch terrible movies? Maybe we’re drawn in by the bad acting or we wonder why someone like David Carradine was in Dinocroc vs. Supergator. It could be because we want to watch an preposterous concept like Sharktopus, and we hope that just this once, it will actually be a masterpiece. For me, I’m always waiting for the creature reveal. When it comes to recent Roger Corman releases, you can bet on a spectacle of the fantastic and absurd. With nearly 400 titles under his belt as a producer, Roger Corman is the king of B-movies. While Corman’s monster films might not be for everyone, you can’t deny that he has played a significant role in the horror genre. His work in horror spans decades, bringing us classics like Piranha, The Little Shop of Horrors (1965), and The Terror. Of Course, the movies included in this review won’t be on any classics list, but they showcase what makes an enjoyable B-movie: an outrageous concept, plenty of blood and intentional, or unintentional, comedy.
Dinoshark
Just when we thought our global warming situation couldn’t become more dire, a glacier melts, reanimating and releasing prehistoric shark pups. Three years later, one of these creatures has found itself in Puerto Vallarta. Without any natural enemies and an armor plated body, there’s nothing to stop this Dinoshark from wreaking havoc on the locals and tourists. When no one believes that this creature is real, it’s up to local boat operator, Trace McGraw (Eric Balfour), to take down this beast. Will he be able to succeed backed only by the power of vengeance, a speargun, and a hot blonde?
Dinoshark follows the basic premise of any super-species movie, but why fix what isn’t broken? As unrealistic as it seems, the plot of the film probably isn’t that far from what would happen in reality. Seriously, who’s going to believe that a frozen dinosaur is going to come back to life? So, when a man cries “dinoshark,” who would listen to him? Beyond that scenario, though, Dinoshark tries to stick too closely to the classic Jaws story-line, and that’s where it all goes wrong. When a monster movie, especially one dealing with a “dinoshark,” tries to take itself seriously, it’s a recipe for failure.
Fitting with the overall feeling of the film, the monster itself is a bit lackluster. The Dinoshark seems like an afterthought. Mashing the generic T-Rex head onto a shark body sticks to the movie’s title, but there were so many other directions that the creators could have taken.
I would not recommend this film for first time creature feature viewers, because in the sea of wonderfully awful monster movies, Dinoshark is less than average. For a die-hard Corman fan, or someone who considers themselves an aficionado of creature movies, this would be tolerable if there wasn’t anything else on. Why waste your time on an unimaginative feature, when there are so many other options?
The disc includes commentary from producers Roger and Julie Corman and director Kevin O’Neill, as well as a trailer.
Film score: 1/5 Disc Score: 2/5
Greed causes technological experiments to shift from agriculture to animal weaponry and no one on the island of Kauai is safe. Two top secret creatures grow within the walls of Biotech, but they become too big to stay enclosed, so they burst through the walls and go on a carnivorous rampage. When bullets and explosives can’t tame these beasts, it seems that the only thing that can stop the eating frenzy is a mortal battle between the Dinocroc and the Supergator. But, what happens after the fight is over, and there’s still one creature left standing?
Dinocroc vs Supergator represents what I think the quintessential creature-feature should be: two brutes are unleashed on the unsuspecting public, and the only way to stop them is to make them throw down. While this seems very Godzilla vs. Mothra, it’s the ride that the viewer goes on that makes all the difference. Between the stereotypically cheesy acting, the story-line, and moments of CGI buffoonery, I found myself laughing hard enough for tears to stream down my cheeks several times. Though the plot was too far-fetched to believe, even for a monster movie, I truly enjoyed this film. My favorite character from the film has to be Charlie Swanson (John Callahan); he is the perfect mix of a bumbling father and Horatio Caine from CSI: Miami.
My biggest complaint about the film is that the battle scene between the beasts is terribly weak. Without giving too much away, all I can say is that the scene didn’t last nearly long enough. For a movie titled Dinocroc vs. Supergator, I expected monumental warfare and I was left completely unsatisfied by its execution. Beyond the battle disappointment, I would recommend this film to fans of the genre, and maybe even to a few brave newcomers. To truly enjoy this film, you need to remember that it’s ok to laugh at it.
The disc extras include commentary with director Jim Wynorski and a trailer.
Film Score 1.5/5 Disc Score: 2/5
When a father/daughter scientist team mix a shark and an octopus, they had visions of a well controlled military weapon. Trained to respond to electrical impulses, “sharktopus” was a dream come true, that is, until it slipped its leash. When this creature is free to do as it pleases, all it wants to do is kill. Now it’s up to the monster’s creators to find a way to regain control before it’s too late.
Of the three films, Sharktopus was the most fun to watch. Even though there were one or two serious moments, the movie felt like it was made in a lighter manner than the previous two. With the over the top acting, absurd scenarios, and the purely ludicrous death scenes, it’s easier for a viewer to enjoy Sharktopus. Instead of heading down a botched serious path, like Dinoshark, Sharktopus adds an extra twinge of levity to the standard creature movie. Between trying to keep up with Nathan Sands’ (Eric Roberts) spiraling emotions and wrapping your brain around the creature, you’ll find yourself laughing in scenes that would make you cringe in other films, and ultimately, this is what makes Sharktopus my favorite of the three.
The one aspect of Sharktopus that I can’t rave about was the actual look of the creature. In Dinoshark and Dinocroc vs. Supergator the creatures looked plausible, if not too cautiously designed. However, with Sharktopus, even though the designers pushed the boundary of what this hybrid disaster would look like, the creature ended up being the worst of the three films. Instead of looking like a ferocious shark with menacing tentacles, the creature looked like a blue “Bullet Bill” with eight legs glued on. The ridiculous look to the creature does add to the comedic value of the film, though. Besides, I’m sure if I ever met Sharktopus in person, it’d be scary enough.
I would recommend Sharktopus to all viewers. Whether you’ve seen every Roger Corman monster movie, or you’ve never seen anything within the genre, you will have fun watching this movie so long as you keep an open mind. Obviously there will be viewers that will despise Sharktopus, but if you just take the movie for what it is, you’ll have at least a few laughs.
Special features for the disc include a trailer and audio commentary with producers Roger and Julie Corman.
These three films are made to be hilarious, mindless entertainment. For horror purists, this sect of cinema might seem sacrilegious for its satire and willingness to poke fun at itself. However, for anyone who likes a little comedy in their horror, or just wants to watch something that they don’t need to think about, these films will do the trick. If you find yourself adoring these films, keep in mind that there are hundreds more to watch. In fact, be on the lookout for Corman’s most recent endeavors, Piranhaconda and Camel Spiders, in the coming months.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/13743 | EDITORS' BLOG Last Updated: Tuesday, 31 October 2006, 22:51 GMT
Dr Who scores TV awards hat-trick
Billie Piper (second left) left the Doctor Who cast this year
Doctor Who has scooped three prizes at the National Television Awards in a repeat of its success last year. The BBC sci-fi drama won most popular drama, most popular actress for Billie Piper and most popular actor for David Tennant, who plays the Time Lord. Top Gear, whose presenter Richard Hammond is recovering from an accident while filming, won the factual award. Noel Edmonds' comeback Channel 4 show Deal Or No Deal was best daytime show, although the star could not attend.
The awards, voted for by the public, were presented at a ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London, hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald. The Duke of Edinburgh sent a video message of congratulations to the veteran presenter, Sir David Attenborough who was given a lifetime achievement award. Terri Irwin, the wife of the late conservationist Steve presented him with the award. Big Brother's Nikki was named most popular TV contender
Channel 4's Big Brother won the reality title for the third year running, beating Celebrity Big Brother, The Apprentice and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
Big Brother housemate Nikki Grahame won the new category of TV contender, beating the show's winner Pete Bennett. 'Huge success'
The hat-trick of awards for Doctor Who was a sign the show has lost none of its popularity with David Tennant taking over the lead role. Tennant's predecessor, Christopher Eccleston, took the best actor award in 2005. "I think if my eight-year-old self could see me at the Royal Albert Hall winning a prize for playing the doctor on telly, he would need a stiff shot of Irn-Bru," said Tennant after collecting his award from Dame Julie Andrews. Awards in quotes
Full list of winners "I'm really chuffed," he added. "It's been really daunting to come into something that was such a huge success." Jeremy Clarkson. who collected Top Gear's award, said it would cheer up his co-presenter Richard Hammond, who is recuperating after a high-speed crash in September. "It will also cheer up the Top Gear team, who've had a pretty torrid time of it," he added.
Soap battle
EastEnders beat Coronation Street for the second year running for most popular serial drama. Little Britain won the comedy category for the third year, beating the Catherine Tate Show, Will and Grace and My Family. The show's star, David Walliams, took a special recognition award for his charity swim across the Channel.
For the fifth year running, Ant and Dec were voted the most popular entertainment presenters. The pair could not be at the awards because they were filming the next series of I'm A Celebrity. They also won the quiz award for Ant and Dec's Game Show Marathon, beating Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? which has won for the past seven years.
The NTAs will be screened on ITV1 on 1 November.
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2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/13933 | TV’s Fave ’90s Kid... Fashion
TV’s Fave ’90s Kid Raven-Symoné Grows Up (Celebrate With A Look Back At Her Fashionable & Hilarious Moments As Olivia) December 10, 2012 by Krishana Davis PreviousNext
Photo:Adriana M. Barraza / WENN.com
Raven-Symoné was made for TV. When she was first introduced as the cute, loveable, but hilarious character as Olivia on The Cosby Show in 1989, she took the show by storm. Any scene she was in instantly became a comedy and viewers loved it. Nostalgic ’80s and ’90s babies have even bought the character back to life recently on Instagram, creating hundreds of memes from the animated faces of Raven-Symoné’s character.
Raven-Symoné went on to more success in acting, starring in movies like Dr. Dolittle, a role on the another sitcom Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper and eventually her own show on the Disney channel That’s So Raven. Raven has definitely become a lasting fixture on the comedic side of acting.
In celebration of her 27th birthday today, take a trip down memory lane with a look at some of her fashionable moments during her stint on The Cosby Show. Photo: Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
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She was such a cute kid. John Kenny
OMFG! Do we REALLY need 50 pics of “Raven Symone”?? For God’s sake. 2 entire minutes I can NEVER recover! | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/14098 | Dr. Sanjay Gupta Teaming With David E. Kelley For TNT Drama Series
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CNN | TV Biz
By Alex Weprin on Dec. 7, 2011 - 9:48 AMComment
CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta is getting into the world of TV drama, and with the legendary writer/producer David E. Kelley, no less. CNN sister network TNT has greenlit a pilot for “Chelsea General,” (working title) a medical drama series based on Gupta’s upcoming book.
Gupta’s book, Monday Mornings, follows five surgeons at a hospital, using the weekly morbidity and mortality conference as a backdrop for their stories. The novel will be released in early 2012.
The addition of Kelley is a coup for the series. While Kelley is best known for his legal shows like “Ally McBeal,” “Boston Legal” and “The Practice,” he also created the long-running medical program “Chicago Hope,” as well as “Doogie Howser, M.D.”
More information, after the jump.
TNT Greenlights Pilot for Chelsea General, New Medical Drama Series from Award-Winning Producer David E. Kelley and CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Project to be Based on Gupta’s Upcoming Novel Monday Mornings
TNT has ordered a pilot for Chelsea General (working title), a new medical drama series from award-winning producer David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, Chicago Hope) and practicing neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, M.D. Kelley and Dr. Gupta will executive-produce. Kelley wrote the pilot script for the series, which is based on Gupta’s upcoming novel Monday Mornings.
“Chelsea General promises to be a smart, witty and extremely powerful medical drama, the kind of series David E. Kelley is renowned for making,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “We look forward to working with David and Sanjay in bringing the doctors’ fascinating stories and characters to television.”
Set to be published in March 2012, Gupta’s Monday Mornings follows the lives of five surgeons as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings. The book uses as its backdrop their hospital’s weekly morbidity and mortality conference, when doctors gather with their peers for a confidential review of complications and errors in patient care. The book provides a unique look at how surgeons come to terms with mistakes and try to learn from them.
Chelsea General joins two other recent pilot orders from TNT. Gateway, from Warner Horizon Television, is a Western saga revolving around three brothers who step in to save their town when their father, the town sheriff, is murdered. The brothers are pitted against a corrupt cattle baron who is determined to make the town his own. The cast includes Cam Gigandet, Keir O’Donnell, David Denman, Karen Allen, Ana De La Reguera, Keith Carradine, Donal Logue, Shanno Lucio, Eric Lang, Anthony Lapaglia and Bill Sadler. TNT has also ordered a pilot for Scent of the Missing from CBS Television Studios. Based on Susannah Charleson’s book about an adrenaline junkie who leads a canine search-and-rescue team, the pilot stars Tricia Helfer, Gerald McRaney, Eric Winter and Summer Glau.
About TNT
TNT, one of cable’s top-rated networks, is television’s destination for drama. Seen in 99 million households, the network is home to such original series as The Closer, starring Emmy® winner Kyra Sedgwick; Rizzoli & Isles, starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander; Falling Skies, starring Noah Wyle; Franklin & Bash, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; and Southland, from Emmy-winning producer John Wells, as well as the upcoming series Major Crimes, Dallas and Perception. TNT also presents compelling original movies, including a slate of thrillers in the TNT Mystery Movie Night showcase. TNT is the cable home to powerful dramas like The Mentalist, Bones, Supernatural, Las Vegas, Law & Order, CSI: NY, Cold Case and, starting next year, Castle; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; blockbuster movies; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR, the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. TNT is available in high-definition.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/14102 | Desktop view Sarah’s Key
Gilles Paquet-Brenner
In July 1942, thousands of French Jews living in Paris were taken away – first to the cramped, stinking hell of the nearby Velodrome, then to the concentration camps.
One of those taken is Sarah, a 10-year-old girl who locks her brother in the cupboard of their small apartment to save him when she and her family are forced out. Years later, a journalist tries to unravel what happened to Sarah and her brother, and in turn becomes tangled in a mystery as beguiling as it is complex.
And Sarah’s Key is a very complex film – one that rewards as much as it frustrates, and intrigues as much as it revolts. Kristin Scott Thomas, as reporter Julia Jarmond, might be the main draw, but it is young actor Melusine Mayance as Sarah who is the beating heart of the film. Her desperate, haunted presence gives way to breathtaking sadness, and she endures even into the muddled second half, when Julia’s story takes over and the film goes on a little longer than it needs to.
A remarkable film; flawed, but deeply captivating.
Women Photographers
Women Photographers is a definitive collection, which details 60 biographies of the most influential female photographers of the 19th century to the present day.
Breaking New Ground
A look back at one of Britain’s most successful production companies, as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. Mark Herbert tells us more about what it takes to move ahead in the industry.
Mister John
In Mister John, Gillen straddles two worlds – the one he wishes to leave behind and an alternative existence occupied by someone he once knew, but no more.
Margaret Salmon
Margaret Salmon is an American-born photographer and filmmaker, who set trends in the UK with her exhibition at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, London in 2007.
W.E.
W.E. combines the story of Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII with Wally Winthrop, an American socialite in an abusive and loveless marriage.
Burning Shapes
These Things Happen offers such a perfect balance of guitar-rich up-tempo treats and laid-back melody that it's a surprise to discover it’s Burning Shapes' debut. | 影视 |
2016-36/1874/en_head.json.gz/14190 | DVDs In Brief: September 5, 2012 · DVD Review
More DVDs In Brief: September 5, 2012 Most Read
DVDs In Brief: September 5, 2012 By
and Adam Cayton-Holland
DVD round-up
The Five-Year Engagement (Universal) failed to replicate the critical and commercial success of previous Nicholas Stoller/Judd Apatow projects like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek, for understandable reasons. The Five-Year Engagement is shaggy and shapeless, but it’s also charming and warm, blessed with delightful leads (Jason Segel and Emily Blunt) and an ace supporting cast headlined by a scene-stealing Chris Pratt as Segel’s goofball best friend. Though far from perfect, the film is a winning exploration of the myriad detours that clutter the sometimes rocky and tumultuous path to lifelong commitment. In his latest vehicle Safe (Lionsgate), Jason Statham is called upon to add a note of pathos to his usual grim purposefulness, and the look falls outside of his range. Nonetheless, the film is an admirable attempt to give Statham’s ass-kicking some emotional stakes. He stars as a cage fighter who refuses to throw a fight, a decision that leads the Russian mob to murder his wife and send him into exile. When he meets an 11-year-old Chinese girl who’s also a mob target, Statham wakes from his existential despair and, well, does his thing… The most consistently funny show on network television, NBC’s Parks & Recreation (Universal) cruised through its fourth season with one pleasing episode after another, driven by a great main plot about Leslie Knope’s (Amy Poehler) campaign for city council. Pitted against an amiable dimwit (Paul Rudd) with unlimited Sweetums family resources and a take-no-prisoners campaign manager (Kathryn Hahn), Leslie and her parks department team scrap their way into contention. Showrunner Michael Schur slips some political satire into the proceedings, but the season is notable mainly for the hilarious amateurism of small-time campaigns and the touching idealism of Leslie’s ambitions…
Of the combined major- and minor-league baseball players in the U.S., young men from the Dominican Republic compose a startling 20 percent, which speaks to the country’s passion for the game and its ease of access for professional scouts. But the fine documentary Ballplayer: Pelotero (Strand) reveals a double-edged sword: There may be opportunities for talented Dominicans, but prospective players can be examined and discarded with minimal investment. For the less fortunate, it’s a tough lesson in baseball globalization… Share
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