Re: [scifinoir2] Comic Con is killing Hollywood
Actually...that's not ENTIRELY accurate. Remember that most of these studios are owned by corporations that have little to do with entertainment. As I write this, At The Movies just showed a clip of a Roger Ebert review from 1987 where he goes OFF on Leonard Part 6 because at the time, Columbia was owned by Coca Cola, so Bill Cosby is holding a can up to his face randomly in the picture. THIS is where it all went left. Corporations getting into the movie business. Disney's one of the only pure-play entertainment companies making movies right now. This is one of the factors that went into selling off Miramax. As for the audience not going anywhere...that's not entirely accurate either. They're slowly leaving, as evidenced by the rise in ticket prices. Check the match. You're paying an additional 2 dollars in some markets. 5 extra dollars for IMAX. That's somebody's seat. The audience isn't JUST leaving for the internet. People are starting to watch smaller movies, even movies that LOOK smaller. The French new wave of the 21st Century is made up of movies from Asia. Bollywood, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese films take risks that American pictures don't. And they pack houses they way a movie during a recession is supposed to - 300 at a time. But on to the point of the article. Comic book movies are SUPPOSED to kill Hollywood. Comics are supposed to be counter culture. The movie business cycle is at a point now just like is was in the early 60s. The pictures are too big. The stars are too boring. The money's just not there in some (MGM) cases. There's a collapse coming of Cleopatra proportions. When that happens, it's not gonna be about Superman or Green Lantern movies to save the business. It'll be pictures like Scott Pilgrim. Popular comics with stories you can tell a number of ways, but more importantly, cost effective pictures that relate to the audience. Comic Book movies are killing contemporary Hollywood. Long Live the next Hollywood. On Aug 1, 2010, at 6:29 AM, Martin Baxter wrote: No one puts a gun to H'Wood's head and forces them to churn out such crap. If they want to do movies based on comics, they can take their time and do it right. The audience isn't going anywhere. On Sat, Jul 31, 2010 at 9:38 PM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://news.premiere.com/blog/2010/07/comic-con-is-killing- hollywood-.html Super hero movies might save the box office, but they fail fans of good movies. That's because movies based on comic book super heroes are the worst of Hollywood's modern genres. These flashy passion plays that celebrate the redeeming powers of violence are more loathsome than torture porn, fratboy fart operas, or mopey boomer spawn tearjerkers. The brooding, misunderstood heroes are boring. The erotic, computer generated fisticuffs between demigods is boring. The secret identities, costume fetishes, and the super powers – the grappling-hook bazookas, and lightening sneezes and berserker gorilla rages – are boring. The genre is exhausted. And this is coming from a dude who is currently plowing through three comic book series (Ex Machina, The Walking Dead, and Top Ten.) http://news.premiere.com/blog/2010/07/comic-con-is-killing- hollywood-.html -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Star Trek: The Next Generation of Fandom
Okay, the Tattoos are taking it too far. Clearly if you're gonna have a Star Trek tat on your back you have to have some TOS represented! :) I have a lot of this stuff (the waffles were lame but they were also on sale, which was cool.) and it's part of the fun, at least for me. My wife thought about the TNG inspired top shown here, of course, without the badge. As a fan, I have one Trek merchandise regret. I was in Las Vegas, held the captain's suede jacket in my hand, in my size, and put it down. A year later the Star Trek Experience closed down. I would totally rock that jacket this fall. EVery time I see the jacket on eBay it's in a size (or two) too small. On Jul 25, 2010, at 9:30 AM, Mr. Worf wrote: Star Trek: The Next Generation of Fandom By Marc in Architecture Design, Furniture Interiors, Gadgets Geek Art Star Trek has been an ongoing phenomenon since its debut in 1966. Star Trek consists of 2 series on the USS Enterprise, 3 spin offs, an animated series, and 11 feature films. A franchise this long lasting and successful creates a loyal following that is interested in anything related to the series. Whether it’s Star Trek clothing, home decor, or tattoos, there are a plethora of awesome examples of the fierceness of Star Trek fans. From the fantastic to the ridiculous, here are 10 of the most interesting expressions of Star Trek fanaticism: (Images via voyageronline, norulesnoshame, mez love, tattoo22) Star Trek fans explore every means of showing off their passion for the Star Trek universe, and this includes tattoos. A lot of fans pay homage to their favorite characters (or the entire cast) by having portraits placed prominently on themselves, though the more subtle Star Trek fan may simply have a communicator tattooed to their chest. (Images via trekmovie, walyou) Even with the advanced technology in Star Trek, exploring the boundaries of space is a dangerous business, and there have been a lot of deaths throughout the series. The funeral rites in the Federation are beautiful and explored in detail. As with all things Star Trek, industrious companies have even learned to capitalize on funeral gear. Futuristic looking urns are available, as well as coffins that look identical to those in the series and films. (Images via product-reviews, techeblog, gearsandwidgets, reighn) Everything about the USS Enterprise is graceful and epic, as it is the flagship of the Federation’s fleet, and the pinnacle of human technological achievement. The Star Trek films deserve a fitting viewing space, preferably Star Trek themed. The most common Star Trek home theater design is the bridghe, with its signature sweeping railing and the Captain’s chair. (Images via neatorama, craziestgadgets, gearlive, geekalerts, geek- tastic, geeky-gadgets) Life is about the little things, and for the avid Trekkie, this involves USS Enterprise bottle openers, iPhone cases, cakes, pillow cases, car decorations… the list goes on and on. There are a million ways to subtly reveal your loyalty to the Federation. (Images via clothesmonaut, majorspoilers, ioffer, highsnobiety) If you’re truly proud to be a Trekkie, you’re not afraid to wear clothing that reflects it. Star Trek ties are a great way to bring your interests to work, while a pair of Spock inspired gloves will keep you showing your loyalties throughout the winter. If you’re on your way to a convention, you can always toss on your Star Trek uniform corset to really catch some nerdy attention. (Images via boingboing, geek24, makezine, walyou) Car enthusiasts like to customize their rides, and Star Trek enthusiasts are no different. When you can’t find a Star Trek themed accessory to meet your needs, you might as well make it. Some fans have created iPhone cases that look like the original Star Trek comm units, but the ultimate modification involves changing your main mode of transportation to blare your preferences to the world and brighten up the road. (Images via feelingstylish, geekologie, geeky-gadgets, movieties) Formal wear isn’t exempt from Star Trek fervor, with a booming cufflink industry keeping geek-centric companies in business. Several colognes and perfumes have been made, as well as luxurious watches and time pieces. Star Trek inspired jewelry is quite common, and people are willing to pay a high price for the more unique goods. (Images via product-reviews, funkybachelor, manolo) Your house is the ultimate expression of your taste and style, where you go to relax, or invite friends over for social activities. You have to be truly fanatical to drastically alter your home decor to reflect the atmosphere of your favorite television show. From illuminated wall displays to the smooth walls and low lighting of the interior of the USS Enterprise, these fans proudly display their Star Trek inspired
Re: [scifinoir2] Tron Legacy trailer
Uh, it should really be said...SPOLERS. I kinda wish I hadn't seen this trailer and the footage Disney showed. Tron: Legacy is one of the few movies I'm looking forward to this year. This trailer answers a lot of questions about the story, but gives away a couple of reveals that I could have waited for. Daryle On Jul 25, 2010, at 1:30 AM, Mr. Worf wrote: For the Scifi people out there who have been waiting for this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Zq5rRtMu4 -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Love your i-Phone? Somebody died to get it to you
You can fill in ANY popular product in the place of iPhone in this piece. The iPhone 3G, Apple's most popular unit, is $99. It no doubt costs around $20 to make. The $300 prices are for people who are not ATT customers, Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters are in Arkansas. Bentonville. I've been there. They have a NEW office in China, which makes sense, as it's their number one market. Their profits are something, but nothing compared to the oil companies. Not to say one form of exploitation is better than another. Every time you fill your tank with oil refined in the United States, you lower your standard of living. On Jul 25, 2010, at 10:20 AM, Kelwyn wrote: Foxcomm (Hon Hai) generates more revenue in a year than Apple, Dell or Microsoft. Foxcomm won Apple's order to make the iPhone after Foxcomm directed the business units to sell parts at zero profit. Can you imagine 420,000 workers paid subsistence wages and jammed 8 to 10 to a dorm room? What I want to know is why do these phones still cost $300? Lastly, business practices oversees are eventually imported here. We purchase our future subjugation. Walmart moved their corporate headquarters to China. Walmart is the number one company in America and this has led to the Walmarting of America: collecting overtime after 40 hours instead of after 8 hours is courtesy of Walmart. Every time you shop at Walmart you are lowering your standard of living. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@... wrote: Vanguard. They did a series of shows on Asia and China. One covered Malaysia and how so many companies have left their for China because China was even cheaper. (they tried to squeeze a few tax dollars out of the billions that was there and the manufactures left!) Then he covered Hong Kong, and mainland China. I think it was all together 4 or 5 shows. The reporter's name is Adam Yamaguchi. He's covering India right now. There's a ton of other videos on the site as well. Just doing a search on China pulled up 403 pages of videos! You can also check it out on their website at: http://current.com/shows/vanguard/episodes/ One of the things that I like about them is that they cover stuff that doesn't get covered in the regular news channel and may NEVER get covered by them. One reporter covered Somali pirates a year before they attacked the US boat. On Sun, Jul 25, 2010 at 2:55 AM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@...wrote: Missed that one, Mr Worf. What's the name of the show it was on? I'll keep an eye out for it. On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 11:49 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@...wrote: Did anyone see the story about factory closures in China on Current tv? On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 4:47 PM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@...wrote: Why does this NOT surprise me? On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 5:28 PM, Kelwyn ravena...@... wrote: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/28/foxconn-plant- china-deaths-suicides Construction workers began erecting anti-suicide nets today at an industrial plant in southern China that makes millions of the world's mobile phones and computers. Five-metre long steel poles were bolted into the walls below the roofs to support webbing that will eventually cover 1.5m square metres. To stem an epidemic of workers leaping to their deaths, the Taiwanese electronics company Foxconn †which works with Apple, Dell and Sony †has also pledged to raise salaries by 20% and offered counselling to its 420,000 employees here. -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] 10 Extremely Weird Religions
Yeah this is a pretty bad list. Any aren't these religions wacky? list that starts with Scientology is, to me, a hater's list. The reasons they give for saying CAW is weird are some of the EXACT same arguments I've heard raised against Christianity. Let a non believer read the Bible and it reads like epic science fiction. On Jul 22, 2010, at 5:56 PM, Keith Johnson wrote: I agree. CAW isn't really weird at all. You have animists in Africa, people who respect spirits of the land, air ,and sea in the UK, Natives here in the Americas who honor the ancestors. And as a black man, I add to your WTF with the fact that they think CAW is weirder than the racist Creativity movement?? - Original Message - From: Adrianne Brennan adrianne.bren...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 4:55:27 PM Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] 10 Extremely Weird Religions I'm still WTFing that they think CAW is weirder than Scientology. I bet this article was written by a monotheist. -- not a monotheist. ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html On Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 3:38 AM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: http://listverse.com/2009/09/10/10-extremely-weird-religions/ Originally, I wasn't going to post this, but I noticed that 2 of the groups were African American. 10 Extremely Weird Religions Share This- Published September 10, 2009 by JFrater - 318 Comments We have previously published a variety of lists on strange religious practices, religions you never knew existed, and weird cults, but not a list of bizarre religions. This list is designed to fill the gap by discussing ten religions that most of us have not heard of (for good reason as you will see). Be sure to use the comments to tell us about any other bizarre religions and, especially, your own experiences of them. 10 Scientology Scientology has featured on a previous list, but if I didn’t include it here the comments would be inundated with “where’s scientology?” questions. The Church of Scientology is a cult created by L Ron Hubbard (Elron) in 1952 as an outgrowth of his earlier self-help system called Dianetics. The Church of Scientology holds that at the higher levels of initiation (OT levels) mystical teachings are imparted that may be harmful to unprepared readers. These teachings are kept secret from members who have not reached these levels. In the OT levels, Hubbard explains how to reverse the effects of past-life trauma patterns that supposedly extend millions of years into the past. Among these advanced teachings is the story of Xenu (sometimes Xemu), introduced as an alien ruler of the “Galactic Confederacy.” According to this story, 75 million years ago Xenu brought billions of people to Earth in spacecraft resembling Douglas DC-8 airliners, stacked them around volcanoes and detonated hydrogen bombs in the volcanoes. The thetans then clustered together, stuck to the bodies of the living, and continue to do this today. Scientologists at advanced levels place considerable emphasis on isolating body thetans and neutralizing their ill effects. 9 Creativity Movement The Creativity Movement (formerly known as World Church Of The Creator), is a white separatist organization that advocates the whites-only religion, Creativity. It was also a descriptive phrase used by Ben Klassen, that included all adherents of the religion. The use of the term creator does not refer to a deity, but rather to themselves (white people). Despite the former use of the word Church in its name, the movement is atheistic. Creativity is a White Separatist religion that was founded by Ben Klassen in early 1973 under the name Church of the Creator. After Klassen’s death in 1993, Creativity almost died out as a religion until the New Church of the Creator was established three years later by Matthew F. Hale as its Pontifex Maximus (high priest), until his incarceration in January 2003 for plotting with the movement’s head of security, Anthony Evola (an FBI informant), to murder a federal judge. 8 Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth Obviously spelling is not a fundamental part of this religion! Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth (TOPY) was founded in 1981 by members of Psychic TV, Coil, Current 93, and a number of other individuals. The ever-evolving network is a loosely federated group of people operating as a unique blend of artistic collective, and practitioners of magic. TOPY is dedicated to the manifestation of magical concepts lacking mysticism or the worship of gods. The
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: LeBron James The Decision top-ranked show on Thursday night
There's a HUGE difference between Paris Hilton showing up at a movie premiere and making the event about her, or her losing a Sidekick and having the addresses be made public -- and LeBron donating 2.5 million dollars in ad revenue to the Boys Girls Clubs of Cleveland. HUGE. LeBron's free agency is historic - for SPORTS. Sports on TV is not new. They interview coaches and players after games all the time. It takes sometimes 30 minutes. Or, if it's Brett Farve's last game, it can take 48 minutes on NFL Network. It's part of the process. Nobody MAKES anybody watch sports coverage on ESPN. ESPN is barely even in anybody's basic cable package. This is a situation where the team's majority owner thought he had LeBron where he wanted him. He put a stack of money on the table. LeBron chose happiness instead. Dan GIlbert turned this into a bigger debacle with his letter...that he STILL hasn't taken down. I want to address something said earlier. LeBron was a small forward playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is now a member of the new Celtics. He's playing for a Pat Riley team. For every fan he lost, he gained 2. Starting with me. I'm a lifelong Lakers fan, but I respect LeBron's decision more than anything else I've seen. He and Maverick Carter, his business partner, singlehandedly brought excitement back into the NBA for THOUSANDS of people. Addiionally, for every fan LeBron lost, Cleveland lost 2 thanks to Dan's letter. Think about what that letter means to someone who is a freshman star player at some college somewhere. Now you don't wanna go to Cleveland because the owner is a jerk. Let's not get to far adrift of the truth here. The Cavs weren't some high winning legacy team that rescued some kid from the streets and taught him to read. They were the worst team in the NBA in 2003 and THAT's how they were able to get LeBron out of high school. there was no recruiting experience for LeBron then. They man put 7 years into a worthless team, sold more tickets and jerseys for them than they'd seen since the 60s, and now has the audacity to want to go play for a winning team. the owner's letter challenged LeBron's desire to LEAVE TOWN. WTF? Has anyone here been to Ohio in the winter? Then tried winter in Miami? Hell, Drew CAREY left Cleveland! Furthermore, young people now have an example of what they can do to take control of their career. You don't have to be a Terrell Owens and find out on Sports Center that you're cut from the team. YOU can hold the press conference, make a difference in the world, and go where YOU wanna go. LeBron James didn't waste anybody's hour of time, it was on ESPN. It was as big a waste of time as any other sports event ever televised. If you have no interest in it, it doesn't make sense to watch. I think his event was, for Africans in America for whom sports is a part of life, the single most important thing to see since the inauguration. Yes. To se a young Black man taking control of his life and not defending some criminal accusation is important. I can't think of anything MORE important, but hey...I love sports. So I watch. On Jul 10, 2010, at 6:46 PM, Keith Johnson wrote: Sorry, I have to disagree in relation to this particular case. I think this is less about white outrage at him being black, and simply people who need to get lives upset because a sports hero deserted him. If it were just about a uppity negro, blacks like me--who thinks he overhyped this, as did the media--wouldn't be irritated. Nor would all the blacks in Cleveland who idolized him (don't know how many there are) be as upset. The racial/racist angle is there as always: when blacks disappoint whites, you can be sure there are healthy doses of nig--r thrown around. But I can't blame all this on whites being pissed because a black man asserted himself. I see this in the same vein as the Paris Hilons, reality show stars, and increasing number of celebrities hot and cold who do anything they can to keep their names and faces in the media. Note that the least part of this whole thing being discussed in any circles other than sports nuts is the actual impact on the game of basketball. Rather, more discussion is on his Larry King interview, this, why he wasted an hour on what could have been a five-minute press statement, etc. Black or not, this is to me another step up the ladder of media- focus and celebrity that makes people care more about famous people's lives sometimes than their own... - Original Message - From: Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2010 11:55:58 AM Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: LeBron James The Decision top-ranked show on Thursday night And I still think the scariest thing in America is a free black man. ~rave! --- In
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: LeBron James The Decision top-ranked show on Thursday night
A free Black man who KNOWS it. VERY scary. On Jul 10, 2010, at 11:55 AM, Kelwyn wrote: And I still think the scariest thing in America is a free black man. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: And like i said, i hate it when done by corporations or individuals. There is too much of this self-promoting, self- aggrandizing, famous because you're famous culture going on nowadays. This was bloated and unnecessary. You hear people talking about it who could care less about the NBA and realize they're only talking about it because *others* are talking about it. They're focused on James because he made himself a focus, along with ESPN's help. Even in terms of basketball, this isn't really that big of a deal. By that, I mean that the Heat possibly winning a championship isn't as huge as, say, even if Michael Jordan had moved back in the day. Truth, this should have been of interest to Cleveland, Miami, true NBA fans, and that's it. It doesn't truly redefine the game or anything. And despite our talk of its economic impact on Cleveland, that's not really the focus of the news stories. It really is hey! Everyone said this is a big deal, so let's cover it. I find that troubling, and just because big business already does it, it doesn't mean the individuals need to do it do. Maybe everyone needs to back off a bit on this stuff... - Original Message - From: Kelwyn ravena...@... To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2010 7:20:04 AM Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: LeBron James The Decision top-ranked show on Thursday night As I've stated previously, I find it both interesting and disheartening that people are okay when corporations (the NBA, the New York Athletic Club, the Kentucky Derby) put on one of these bloated hour-long programs with two minutes of content but are aghast when an individual does it. Like the police officer in Malcolm X most folks seem to think, That is too much power for one black man to have! I am not displeased that Mr. James' asserted his manhood right to apply his trade where ever he wants to. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Martin Baxter martinbaxter7@ wrote: The across-the-board reaction I'm hearing in this is that, in the public eye, LeBron had lost a lots of fans over this. And not because he left Cleveland. I've heard that event described, most charitably, as an infomercial. Doesn't bother me only because I watch so few NBA games (a grand total of six this past season, counting the playoffs). On Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 4:45 PM, Kelwyn ravenadal@ wrote: http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/09/lebron-james-the- decision-is-top-rated-tv-show-on-thursday/56595 Thursday night's LeBron James The Decision on ESPN drew a 7.3 household rating in the preliminary overnight ratings. Compare that to the top rated show on broadcast last night, a repeat of The Mentalist on CBS, which drew a 6.0 household rating in the preliminary overnights. Update: Here is ESPN's official press release. A 7.3 is twice what an average NBA game ranks. -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: LeBron James The Decision top-ranked show on Thursday night
Of course I understand and respect your opinion. I share it, where reality programming is concerned. I just refuse to allow this decision to remembered as being selfish while the Cavs owner's letter is out there. On Jul 11, 2010, at 12:23 PM, Keith Johnson wrote: I'm going to forego my usual rant and say you make good points. But i still say at the end, this was similar to Paris Hilton in that this was self-promotion for James. There were lots of ways he could have raised money for charity. Let's not be naive and think this was some let's feed the poor orphans moment. As for teaching kids, I think you and others keep missing the point. At no point have I said he shouldn't have left Cleveland, that he owed Cleveland anything. I'm saying that this is an example of people who are about self-promotion past the point it's necessary. James is already a phenomenal player, he was already being courted. I ask again, why was this one-hour program *necessary*? It wasn't. As for charity, he could have raised just as much with a local event in Cleveland, or in Miami, for that matter. The next day, he was up on stage in a Heat jersey, speaking in front of a huge crowd of adoring fans. he could have done something like that that wasn't such a national thing and donated those proceeds to charity. Let me be clear. I'm not jealous, hating, or being holier than thou. I celebrate black men taking care of their own. I am a huge fan of athletes and entertainers being able to make profit. But there are still in my opinion situations where it goes a bit too far into the look at me arena, and in this case I feel he's there, same as T.O., Ochocinco, and the other innumerable athletes and entertainers who are so focused on themselves. The lesson to kids about taking care of business was learned when he started doing commericals and business ventures, and in making this tough decision. The lesson of this one-hour self love fest is that there can never be too much exposure, and therein lies the dangers of a society that's increasingly about reality shows, Twitter followings, and anything else to promote one's self. And in that way, the comparison to the *methods* of Hilton aren't too far off. - Original Message - From: Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockhart.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2010 9:42:57 AM Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: LeBron James The Decision top- ranked show on Thursday night There's a HUGE difference between Paris Hilton showing up at a movie premiere and making the event about her, or her losing a Sidekick and having the addresses be made public -- and LeBron donating 2.5 million dollars in ad revenue to the Boys Girls Clubs of Cleveland. HUGE. LeBron's free agency is historic - for SPORTS. Sports on TV is not new. They interview coaches and players after games all the time. It takes sometimes 30 minutes. Or, if it's Brett Farve's last game, it can take 48 minutes on NFL Network. It's part of the process. Nobody MAKES anybody watch sports coverage on ESPN. ESPN is barely even in anybody's basic cable package. This is a situation where the team's majority owner thought he had LeBron where he wanted him. He put a stack of money on the table. LeBron chose happiness instead. Dan GIlbert turned this into a bigger debacle with his letter...that he STILL hasn't taken down. I want to address something said earlier. LeBron was a small forward playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is now a member of the new Celtics. He's playing for a Pat Riley team. For every fan he lost, he gained 2. Starting with me. I'm a lifelong Lakers fan, but I respect LeBron's decision more than anything else I've seen. He and Maverick Carter, his business partner, singlehandedly brought excitement back into the NBA for THOUSANDS of people. Addiionally, for every fan LeBron lost, Cleveland lost 2 thanks to Dan's letter. Think about what that letter means to someone who is a freshman star player at some college somewhere. Now you don't wanna go to Cleveland because the owner is a jerk. Let's not get to far adrift of the truth here. The Cavs weren't some high winning legacy team that rescued some kid from the streets and taught him to read. They were the worst team in the NBA in 2003 and THAT's how they were able to get LeBron out of high school. there was no recruiting experience for LeBron then. They man put 7 years into a worthless team, sold more tickets and jerseys for them than they'd seen since the 60s, and now has the audacity to want to go play for a winning team. the owner's letter challenged LeBron's desire to LEAVE TOWN. WTF? Has anyone here been to Ohio in the winter? Then tried winter in Miami? Hell, Drew CAREY left Cleveland! Furthermore, young people now have an example of what they can do
Re: [scifinoir2] Hoopla Around James Stranger than Fiction
I'm in Charlotte. We just sent the Browns a QB named Jake Delhomme. If you think you all are mad NOW... On Jul 9, 2010, at 9:27 AM, Tracy Curtis wrote: I'm in Cleveland right now. It's my hometown. I can assure that black people are (over)reacting to this news. The city, after all, is more than half black. So local coverage shows a lot of black people. They ripped up posters and tore up a few things too. And because this is Cleveland, there are the veiled threats to his safety if he comes back. I think that at least one person on each local newscast uttered the FCC-friendly equivalent of f...@$ LeBron. There are guards now protecting the mural as people gather to destroy their gear. It's bizarre and really said. There's a lot of difficulty and poverty here. There have always been rabid sports fans and they have so little. I'm not sure what the national coverage has been. But there was a serious push to get him to stay that included playing back his own words about his home town on TV and radio outlets. There were rallies. And a lot of people put their kids up to it. He spent the last few days at his basketball camp and at some boys and girls clubs as he typically did during summers with kids begging him. Just watching the desperation is sad. In some ways, the comedians were right about the city. The population is maybe 40% of what it was when I was a kid. Houses are boarded up and those left sometimes can be had for the price of a mediocre used car or even for trade in some neighborhoods. Detroit gets more coverage, but it's bad here too. What most fans are saying about the press conference is that it's embarrassing to be dumped publicly. I think something without the fanfare would have stung them less. On Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 7:47 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Thanks. I'm listening to comedians Gary Owens and Kevin Hart on the Tom Joyner Morning Show . Gary Owens--he's the white comedian married to a black woman who often jokes about that-says only the white guys in Cleveland are tripping on this level. You don't see no Brothers burning their jerseys, he joked, only the out-of- shape white guys with one beer in their hands. Hart suggested now's a good time to start a business in Cleveland 'cause you can do it on the cheap, prices are now going to be so low.He said they're going to shoot Soul Plane 2 in Cleveland for only 50K! He's decided to start a trucking company up there. He can't drive a truck, but since Hart figures there'll be no traffic on the streets of Cleveland, he'll be just fine. I'm still not sure which is funnier/sadder to me: the dude literally crying like a baby while his (drunk) friend consoles him, or Mr. LeBron is *dead* to me! - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, July 9, 2010 6:20:31 AM Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Hoopla Around James Stranger than Fiction Keith, the First Laugh of the Morn Award, long unrewarded, finds a worthy mantle in yours. So sad a little mess all around. On Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 1:12 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Who'd have thunk that King James would be able to out self- promote the likes of Madonna, Paris Hilton, or Spike Lee? Talk about overblown, overhyped, and overlong. It was just a freakin' decision for where a rich b-baller will go to try and win a championship. Did it really demand an hour long special on ESPN? And, growing up as I did in Fort Worth, you can't beat me for being a fan of stuff like all things Dallas Cowboys, but come on: there were dudes in Miami jumping up and down with joy (what, are they getting paid for this?), folks in Cleveland were burning his jersey, one dude was crying and saying it was the worst day of his life, and another disgusted fan said I hope the Heat never win anything. James is dead to me! Man, I find myself wondering again what aliens would think of us, watching from on high: They have multiple armed conflicts raging...they are systematically destroying their own biosphere, with no way to reach or terraform other planets...they still fight conflicts based on skin coloring and belief systems--yet millions of them are watching in concert the decision of one of their own concerning a spheroid object involved in one of their ritualized sports? No wonder we haven't been invited to join the Federation yet... Still, given how the hometown crowd was acting, it would have been fun if James had made the announcement *in Cleveland*! -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Hoopla Around James Stranger than Fiction
It was real. It was on the Cavs website. As of right now, I'm not only glad LeBron left, but I wouldn't encourage any young player in college to go there. I've had similar things said to my face from previous employers. They feel like they own you. This press conference was weird, but Gilbert's letter made it worse. Promising a championship? Man, listen. You own the CAVS. Siddown somewhere with that promise. You had Shaq and LeBron on your squad. No rings. Now because of the letter, everybody is gonna think the owner is gonna try and bribe a ref. If I were 25 with a son and had the natural ability to go wherever I wanted...AND bring my moms? Miami all day. On Jul 9, 2010, at 8:49 AM, Keith Johnson wrote: Someone published a scathing letter on another e-mail list I'm on supposedly from Gilbert. Was that real? It was pretty nasty... - Original Message - From: George Arterberry brotherfromhow...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, July 9, 2010 8:37:51 AM Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Hoopla Around James Stranger than Fiction Dan Gilbert the owner of the Cavs threw LBJ totally under the bus. The Federation Council vetoed down an emergency measure to admit us in. From: Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Fri, July 9, 2010 8:12:35 AM Subject: [scifinoir2] Hoopla Around James Stranger than Fiction Who'd have thunk that King James would be able to out self- promote the likes of Madonna, Paris Hilton, or Spike Lee? Talk about overblown, overhyped, and overlong. It was just a freakin' decision for where a rich b-baller will go to try and win a championship. Did it really demand an hour long special on ESPN? And, growing up as I did in Fort Worth, you can't beat me for being a fan of stuff like all things Dallas Cowboys, but come on: there were dudes in Miami jumping up and down with joy (what, are they getting paid for this?), folks in Cleveland were burning his jersey, one dude was crying and saying it was the worst day of his life, and another disgusted fan said I hope the Heat never win anything. James is dead to me! Man, I find myself wondering again what aliens would think of us, watching from on high: They have multiple armed conflicts raging...they are systematically destroying their own biosphere, with no way to reach or terraform other planets...they still fight conflicts based on skin coloring and belief systems--yet millions of them are watching in concert the decision of one of their own concerning a spheroid object involved in one of their ritualized sports? No wonder we haven't been invited to join the Federation yet... Still, given how the hometown crowd was acting, it would have been fun if James had made the announcement *in Cleveland*!
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: James Bond Movie Canceled Owing to Production Issues
It's not canceled. Sam Mendes (Bond 23's director) and Daniel Craig aren't going anywhere. BUT...I actually wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't take 2 years to sort out. Craig's what, 42? We could be dealing with another Roger Moore situation by the time this movie gets going. We may have seen the last of James Bond beating people to death. At least for a while. One good thing as a result of all this is that it's a good time to catch up and read the books. I bought the latest and never read past the beginning. This summer's a good time to change that. On Jul 8, 2010, at 2:12 PM, B Smith wrote: Insane. I wonder if they can hold onto Daniel Craig long enough to get a third film done. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@... wrote: A dark day, indeed... == James Bond Movie Cancelled Owing To Production Issues Wednesday, July 07, 2010 8:39:42 AM by GD ( 102 commentshttp://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/james- bond-movie-cancelled-owing-to-production- issues_100392142.html#comments) By Meena Kar [image: bond1]July 7, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The next James Bond movie has been canceled as a result of the financial woes of MGM. The fans of agent ‘007′ will find the news extremely disappointing as the Daniel Craig starrer has been canceled and the next project could take years to finalize. Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said in a joint statement that due to the uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio the development of BOND 23 had to be canceled indefinitely. More at: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/33sjlS/www.thaindian.com/newsportal/ entertainment/james-bond-movie-cancelled-owing-to-production- issues_100392142.html -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Japanese Eating Champion Crashes NYC Contest
AP is having a little fun with this story. Major League Eating is a scam. Kobi is right not to sign, but he definitely shouldn't have rushed the stage. He's in much better shape than the cops on the scene, so when it looked liek he wasn't gonna go politely, the cops probably figured better safe than sorry, and cuffed him. I'm waiting to read the first draft of the script before Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller get it. This is a movie that BOTH of them need. On Jul 4, 2010, at 9:51 PM, Keith Johnson wrote: Okay, you can't write fiction any stranger than that. The whole concept of gorging food like this makes me ill for physical and social consciousness reasons. We all have too much food in the main in this country compared to much of the world, and many of us overindulge, but come on. And there's an eating league that's the counterpart of the NFL??? ** [AP News] NEW YORK — A Japanese eating champion who sat out this year's Coney Island Fourth of July hot dog contest apparently couldn't resist the temptation to hotdog afterward — and got arrested. Six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi was sitting in a jail cell Sunday after the annual Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Earlier in the day, Joey Jaws Chestnut gobbled his way to a fourth consecutive championship. But he was suddenly upstaged by the surprise appearance of his biggest rival, Kobayashi, who crashed the eating platform after Chestnut's win and wrestled with police. Let him eat! Let him eat! the crowd chanted as officers handcuffed the world's No. 3 professional eater, dubbed The Tsunami. The 32-year-old Kobayashi did not compete this year because he refused to sign a contract with Major League Eating — the fast food equivalent of the NFL. On his Japanese-language blog, he said he wanted to be free to enter contests sanctioned by other groups. But a few days ago, he told Japan's Kyodo News: I really want to compete in the (Coney Island) event. Wearing a black T-shirt that said Free Kobi, Kobayashi mingled with the crowd, standing inside a police-barricaded pen just under the stage. When the eating ended, he slipped up the stage stairs. Then, several security officers appeared and tried to usher him off. He grabbed a metal police barricade with both hands, clutching it tightly as the officers pulled at him. Finally, they dragged him down the stairs, with Kobayashi resisting vehemently. He was expected to spend the night in jail awaiting an appearance in Brooklyn Criminal Court on charges of resisting arrest, trespassing and obstructing governmental administration. There's a contract dispute, so they weren't giving him his freedom, said Kobayashi's interpreter and publicist, Maggie James. She said he had hoped the Coney Island crowd would recognize him and he could offer them an eating demonstration for free. But nobody knew he'd jump onstage. Minutes earlier, Chestnut downed 54 hot dogs in 10 minutes to win the contest televised live on ESPN. The runner-up was Tim Eater X Janus, with a total of 45. Patrick Deep Dish Bertoletti came in third with 37 dogs. Chestnut was disappointed with his performance, despite claiming the bejeweled, mustard-yellow belt plus a $20,000 purse. The 26- year-old from San Jose, Calif., was aiming for a record 70 dogs in 10 minutes. I was dehydrated going in, he told The Associated Press, explaining that he did not drink enough liquids the day before because he was striving for an emptier stomach. After witnessing the drama involving Kobayashi, Chestnut said, I feel bad for him. Still, the Fourth on Coney Island paid tribute to two of America's biggest loves: hot dogs and competition. The two pastimes merged by the Brooklyn boardwalk, with a crowd of thousands squeezed elbow-to-elbow on a sweltering afternoon, with temperatures around 90 degrees. Eight-year-old Stephen Pearce found his own way of keeping cool: with ice cubes melting atop his head. It feels good. He said something else was cool as he watched Chestnut: I could never eat that many hot dogs! It's gross, said the boy from Chappaqua, N.Y. Americans enjoy 150 million hot dogs each July 4 — enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. more than five times, said Janet Queen of Wien Riley, president of the National Hot Dog Sausage Council. Last year, Chestnut ate 68 dogs against Kobayashi's 64. That's about as many as the average American eats in a year — 60, according to the council. Coney Island is said to be the birthplace of fast food. The first hot dog was sold here around 1870 by German butcher Charles Feltman. His competitive, Polish-born employee, Nathan Handwerker, opened his own business in 1916 — Nathan's Famous, still the backdrop to the contest started here that year. According to local lore, immigrants arguing about who was most
Re: [scifinoir2] New Film website
This site was previously called theauteurs.com. I've been a member for 7 months. It is ESSENTIAL. It's like film school for a lot less. The best social community for film enthusiasts ever. On Jul 3, 2010, at 8:02 AM, Mr. Worf wrote: I discovered a new film website that focuses on Indie and foreign films. There are also some short films that you can watch on the site. You can also discuss the films on the site. http://mubi.com/home -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Last Airbender Widely Panned
So I've been trying to write a review for this film for 3 days now. It's THAT BAD. But one thing I wanna say straight away: It's not the race of the actors that ruins this film. It's a horribly written, horribly directed picture. And it didn't need to be. I can see this working with the cast he chose, honestly, but the actors are horribly directed. The MAIN problem seems to be the dialogue. I'm AMAZED that the same person who did Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs did this film. It's like M.Night is really two people. If you get the good one, you get a great film with great attention to detail and solid dialogue...even some humor. But if you get the OTHER guy...sheesh. The Last Airbender's poster should say from the director of The Happening and The Lady In The Water. Not the good films. Let me be clear. This film makes the live-action Dragonball look like a classic. It makes Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-Li look like THAT should have been in 3-D. The Last Airbender should be the best action movie of the decade, and instead it's an over-the- top mess. On Jul 3, 2010, at 7:39 AM, Martin Baxter wrote: From a couple of the trailers I've managed to sit through, it looks close to the source material, but the dialogue felt rushed, as thought they knew they were packing a three-year storyline into 90 minutes. And, if he or his bosses thought that, then that hidde racism that J Anthony Brown speaks of so often may not be as hidden as he thinks. Just stupid. Typical H'Wood. On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 7:31 AM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: Maybe he or his bosses thought that it would have more appeal if it were a white cast? I dunno. I wonder how close it was to the storyline or even the anime? Sometimes it is kind of hard to take a story like that and boil it down to 90 minutes. On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 4:12 AM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.com wrote: I'm really doubting that he looked. Seeing the source material the first time through would drive me to cast other than Caucasian actors. Common sense. On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 7:05 AM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: In one of his interviews about the movie he talked about mixed racial casting that he did. He seem proud of the fact that he did that, but I doubt he actually looked at the big picture. Nor did he look at race relations and Hollywood's history of portrayal race on screen. On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 3:52 AM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.com wrote: Keith, I wish I could even guess what M Night had on his mind. On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 2:10 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Well, this saves me from a difficult choice. Really irritated at how Asian and Inuit characters were being played by white actors (with the odd exception of the Japanese Prince Zuko being played by an Indian?!) I was seriously debating whether to support The Last Airbender. I wanted to blow off my anger and just see a good movie, but when I saw trailers, and how Ang and his friends are in Asian/Inuit garb, but are oh-so-painfully Caucasian, I started the hand wringing all over again. I was way along the way to not going to see it, but partially worried I'd be missing something special in terms of a good fantasy flick. Not to worry, it seems. Almost without exception, from old and young, white and Asian and black, fans of the series and newbies alike, I'm hearing this thing is terrible. Dull, plodding, grim, boring---looks like the hoped-for trilogy of films will never become a reality. Some have even compared it to Battlefield Earth! I guess that's too bad? I think a lot of Asians and Inuits are not-so-secretly looking at this with grim satisfaction, and can't say I blame them. And despite my anger at M. Knight for whitewashing so many leads in the movie, I almost feel sorry for the guy: what in the hell is wrong with him after the handful of gems he created to burst onto the movie scene?! I dropped a spattering of movie reviews I found below. The last is the closest thing to a good review I could find... *** [Rotten Tomatoes] http://beta.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_airbender/ Consensus: Despite flashy special effects, The Last Airbender squanders the potential of its popular source material on an incomprehensible plot, laughable dialogue, and a joyless sense of detachment. *** [slashfilm] Read more: The Last Airbender Review: The Last Straw for This Shyamalan Fan | /Film http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/07/02/the-last- airbender-review-the-last-straw-for-this-shyamalan-fan/#ixzz0sZmBJgQu With the release of The Last Airbender, M. Night Shyamalan’s gradual metamorphosis into George Lucas is
Re: [scifinoir2] Last Airbender Widely Panned
The 3-D is another thing. I have to say that of all the summer popcorn movies, the one I most enjoyed was Iron Man 2 - mainly because it wasn't in 3-D. Hollywood has it's next Harry Potter - they're just getting 3 movies instead of 6 (or, is it 7?) Twilight is a perfectly fine franchise that sells tickets AND merchandise. If a studio wants to outdo Harry Potter, that studio should buy Scholastic BOoks. Because the next big thing will probably come from around there. On Jul 3, 2010, at 3:22 PM, Mike Street wrote: The movie wasn't that bad. It makes me never want to see another 3D movie with no 3D in it ever again however. I think Hollywood is really searching for the next big franchise to take the place of Harry Potter and they can't find it.
Re: [scifinoir2] Last Airbender Widely Panned
The Curious George feature with the voices of Will Ferrell and Drew Barrymore was better than The Last Airbender. On Jul 3, 2010, at 3:40 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: I can see that happening now. Curious George in 3d. Clifford the dog! On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 12:31 PM, Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockhart.com wrote: The 3-D is another thing. I have to say that of all the summer popcorn movies, the one I most enjoyed was Iron Man 2 - mainly because it wasn't in 3-D. Hollywood has it's next Harry Potter - they're just getting 3 movies instead of 6 (or, is it 7?) Twilight is a perfectly fine franchise that sells tickets AND merchandise. If a studio wants to outdo Harry Potter, that studio should buy Scholastic BOoks. Because the next big thing will probably come from around there. On Jul 3, 2010, at 3:22 PM, Mike Street wrote: The movie wasn't that bad. It makes me never want to see another 3D movie with no 3D in it ever again however. I think Hollywood is really searching for the next big franchise to take the place of Harry Potter and they can't find it. -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Last Airbender Widely Panned
HAH! Good point. They could, of course, turn this whole ship around by giving the next movie to another director. On Jul 3, 2010, at 3:47 PM, Mike Street wrote: As an fYI this is movie only deals with season 1 of Airbender. They are hoping to make it a franchise. But just asked The Golden Compass cast how that turned out.
Re: [scifinoir2] Okay, Who's Gonna Play the Russian Spy in the Movie?
Now that it looks like Bond's done, this could be a bigger movie than we realize. I'd actually roll with Scarlett Johannsen. If she can pull off the accent...I'm good. Make this movie about all 11 of the spies and it could be fun! On Jul 3, 2010, at 6:40 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: Didn't know that Chapman was petite, having only seen her from the waist up a couple of times. And I saw Hendricks over Staite because Chapman comes across to me as more forward in projecting her sexuality. Staite's really crept up on me. I really didn't notice her charms until late in her run on Stargate: Atlantis. On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 1:19 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Hendricks is a bit more--ah--substantial than Chapman, who seems to be fairly petite. Besides, with Staite you have more of a chance to build a spy character who, like Chapman, is probably disarming and charming at first, sexy but subtle--a smoldering temptress. With Hendricks, it's more like a bonfire coming at you! - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, July 3, 2010 7:02:26 AM Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Okay, Who's Gonna Play the Russian Spy in the Movie? Keith, my first thought at casting CHapman went to another Firefly alum, Christina Hendricks. Extra cred in this, because she just topped one of those innumerable Beautiful People Lists. On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 2:38 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Despite the large number of people being charged, the focus of the whole affair in the media is undoubtedly mostly on this lady. I've seen her described as the Sexy spy, the sultry spy, etc. They're all but leering over some kind of Mahta Hari aspect to this thing, as evidenced by the NY Daily News article below. And the fact that her dad was KGB, her ex-husband says he was scary? Well, this has book and movie written all over it. I guarantee you H'wood is already tossing around ideas as to who'll play a sexy young red haired ingenue who is in reality a cold, manipulative Russian agent. In terms of looks, I could see Firefly and Stargate Atlantis star Jewel Staite: Chapman: http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/06/30/ alg_anna_chapman_closeup.jpg Staite: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/43/79175487_e683e972db.jpg * http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/ 2010/07/02/2010-07-02_spy_babe_raised_by_kgb_daddy.html The red apple didn't fall far from the tree. Anna Chapman - the sexy star of this summer's spy saga - is the daughter of a former KGB agent, reports from Moscow and London say. As nine of the 11 accused spies appeared in court Thursday - and prosecutors revealed that at least one has confessed his loyalty to Russia - more details emerged about the slinky Manhattan spook who has caught the world's fancy. Anna Chapman is really Anya Kushchenko, the daughter of Vasily Kushchenko, a diplomat who worked in Russian embassies in Africa. Her British ex-husband, Alex Chapman, told the Daily Telegraph in London she said her father - still a top official in Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry - had been high up in the ranks of the KGB. He was scary, Chapman said of his former father-in-law, whom he met on his honeymoon in Zimbabwe. He always seemed to have a lot more security than the other diplomats. He had a Land Rover with blacked-out windows and there was always one car in front of it and one car behind. Father and daughter were close, he said. I felt she would have done anything for her dad, Chapman told the newspaper. When I saw that she had been arrested on suspicion of spying, it didn't come as much of a surprise to be honest. The couple married in 2002, five months after they met in a London nightclub. She moved from Moscow to London and worked for Barclay's Bank, said Chapman, who is training to be a shrink. Toward the end of our marriage she became very secretive, going for meetings on her own with 'Russian friends.'... She was transformed into someone with access to a lot of money, boasting about all the influential people she was meeting. They were divorced in 2006. He said that though she had always disliked Americans, complaining about their accents, she suddenly decided in 2007 she wanted to exploit business opportunities in the U.S. She moved to New York that year. They kept in touch. Chapman said his ex-wife sounded distant when they last spoke four weeks ago. One of New York's other accused spies, Yonkers college Prof. Juan Lazaro, declared his total loyalty to Moscow after his arrest, the government said. In his lengthy postarrest statement, Lazaro also admitted that his wife, Peruvian El Diario columnist Vicky Pelaez, traveled to Peru to deliver Lazaro's invisible ink letters to the Service - the Russian SVR, which used to be
Re: [scifinoir2] Firefox issues
Firefox crashed on me once a day for 10 days. I gave up last week. I only use it now to check graphics and images after I upload them, but until they sort out whatever they're doing, I'm on Safari all day. On Jun 28, 2010, at 4:33 AM, Mr. Worf wrote: Looks like Mozilla is having some issues with Firefox. Just this week they have pumped out 3 software updates. I don't think all of the issues have been resolved yet. (They went from 3.62 to 3.66) Anyone out there having issues? -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Is Tyler Perry Firing His Entire Staff Over The Boondocks Episode?
I agree. The Is Tyler Perry gay thing is just a HUGE distraction and a waste of time. If a bunch of people are fired at TPS, it sounds like TPS is finally becoming a real studio. While regimes get fired all the time, and depending on where you are on the food chain, it would appear for some really trivial reasons. Gossip should be something you do when you're all done with the regular work you have in front of you. Black film, as a community and as a fledgeling industry, has a LONG way to go before we have time for nonsense like this. On Jun 28, 2010, at 10:34 AM, B Smith wrote: I call bs on this one. This story hasn't been reported anywhere else. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. The episode was funny but mean spirited. Tyler Perry insn't making movies for me and I've learned not to rain on the parade of the folks that do enjoy them. Not a fan but I can't knock his hustle. As far as his sexuality, I couldn't care less. So unless he's making untoward advances, harming someone else or sexually harrassing his staff that's his business. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@... wrote: He needs to just come out of the closet and get over with. While he's coming out he also needs to tell Queen Latifah, whoever else is still in there to come out too. Is Tyler Perry Firing His Entire Staff Over The Boondocks Episode? By Bill Johnson http://theurbandaily.com/author/billjohnson/ June 25, 2010 12:09 pm [image: Tyler Perry] Did last Sunday’s episode of “The Boondocks†hit too close to home for Tyler Perry? According to gossip blogger Carlton Jordanhttp://carltonjordan.com/2010/06/24/scorned-tyler-perry- fires-entire-staff-over-boondocks-slaying/, the episode was so true to life, that Tyler Perry is convinced that someone on his staff leaked information to the writing staff of “The Boondocks.†So he fired them all. Whoa. *Click here to watch the episode in question!*http://theurbandaily.com/tv/jbarrow/the-boondocks- rides-on-tyler-perry%E2%80%94pause/ -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Hard Day for Knight
It wasn't Oprah's couch that started the decline, it was his appearance on BET's 106 and Park. Tom Cruise has been diluting his brand for years now. He buys into a studio -- that studio then fails. He becomes the most recognizable face of Scientology -- then scientology comes under attack. He marries Katie -- his ex wife's career takes off. Tom's just in the wrong place at the wrong time -- most of the time these days. It's a shame because Knight And Day is one of the best Tom Cruise movies in years. but because he exposed himself to stuff that was beneath him, he's gotta fight his way out. Here's what's crazy, and you guys tell me what you think about this: I think his brand needs Will Smith's help. Isn't that crazy? But I believe a Will Smith/Tom Cruise movie would put Tom RIGHT back up top. That is, so long as he doesn't start doing guest spots on Judge Joe Brown. Tom has to become a movie star again. Daryle On Jun 25, 2010, at 10:39 AM, Kelwyn wrote: http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/buzz-log-a-rough-start-for-knight- and-day.html A Rough Start for 'Knight and Day' by Mike Krumboltz · June 23, 2010 Not so long ago, Tom Cruise was the biggest movie star on the planet. During the '80s and '90s, the guy could not miss. But then, one fateful day, the excitable star decided to jump on Oprah's couch. It's been a rough go ever since. Many feel that the infamous moment, combined with a bizarre interview with Matt Lauer, caused his star power to tumble. His movies, which used to be sure money-makers, began to look a little risky. Does Cruise's newest film, Knight and Day, put him back at the top of the box office? To quote our Magic 8 Ball, outlook not so good. According to the Los Angeles Times, the film, which opened on Wednesday, earned $3.8 million on its opening day. That may not sound too shabby for a Wednesday, but keep in mind that Toy Story 3 took in $13 million during the same time period. Box Office Mojo lists the top Wednesday grosses of all time, and Knight and Day doesn't even come close to cracking the top 50, despite rising ticket prices. Ruh-roh.
Re: [scifinoir2] Drew Barrymore in One-Liners
Sci-Fi Noir has changed the world. I tell you, as well as I know my name, I knew that I disliked Drew Barrymore. But now I'm sitting here reading these quotes, many of these things are things I have said myself in other contexts. I did not give her room to change and grow. Shame on me for that. I'm still not going to run out and rent films she's been in, but I now respect her a LOT more than I did before. On Jun 22, 2010, at 2:55 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: Have I ever said how much I 327.gif this woman? She went through fire, and came out wearing a shell even more glorious than the one she had before. On Tue, Jun 22, 2010 at 2:52 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Here are some quotes from Barrymore, from the esteemed source of IMDB, that give insight into her character. One correction: I said she likes to make good movies, but I must amend it per her quote where she does like to make movies for the audience to enjoy, not just artistic projects for her as an actress. I guess that makes sense, given that she seems to have actually been very sad and unhappy in your younger days... Gotta love the Night of the Living Dead quote! * http://www.imdb.com/name/nm106/bio Personal Quotes I know certain actors are totally screwed up on drugs, yet it gets covered up. Why wasn't I excused for 'exhaustion' or 'the flu'? There's something liberating about not pretending. Dare to embarrass yourself. Risk. If I ever start talking to you about my 'craft', my 'instrument', you have permission to shoot me. I believe in fate. I believe that everything happens for a reason, but I think it's important to seek out that reason - that's how you learn. I believe you can be the person that you dream of being. [On her favorite movies to make]: I try to make movies that I would want to go see rather than ones I would just want to do as an actor. I want people to have movies full of romance and hope and empowerment, something they can escape into and feel good about. I love happy endings. [On her morning routine]: Every morning I stay in bed for ten minutes to ponder my place in the universe. Then I wash my face and check my karma. Life is very interesting. In the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths. I love levity. As crazy as I am, I just love to laugh! I'm getting older so those dark circles are really starting to show. Now, I'm starting to look like Night of the Living Dead. When I lay my head on the pillow at night, I can say I was a decent person today. That's when I feel beautiful. There's nothing like the power of a smile. [As quoted in Woman's World (5-24-05 issue]: I'd rather be a few pounds heavier and enjoy life than be worried all the time. I don't want to sit around and hope good things happen. I want to make them happen. [Quoted in Woman's Day, 11-1-05]: My whole life, I've wanted to feel comfortable in my skin. It's the most liberating thing in the world. My parents are not bad people. It was just a case of them not wanting a child. You have to fight unhappiness like a dragon with fire and breathe. As much light as I have inside me, there's just as much darkness, I'm afraid. There's a polarity, and I still have demons to work out. I love women who have fought to the change the world and made a difference. I want to be one of them myself. I did karaoke once - a Pat Benatar song - and my friends looked at me with disgust. (In Style/Sept/2006) I just think happiness is what makes you pretty. Period. Happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness. If somebody walks in the room and they're drop-dead gorgeous and sexy, it's really fun to look at. But if someone is giving of their spirit and they make you laugh and feel good, that's a whole other level of beauty. [on her attraction to Christian Bale] He's so cute! And I knew him when he was a kid. He was in Empire of the Sun (1987). If he walked into the room now, I would totally clam up. Or I might go overboard and embarrass myself. On California's Proposition 8 (the ballot banning same-sex marriage): We can't take a step backwards when we've already made so many strides forward. I was raised by gay men and women...it's who I am, you cannot define a family. There are children out there who need these loving homes. These are rights that are fundamental and must be had. And I will fight for however long it takes; I don't want to live in a world where prop 8 exists! [On gay marriage]: You can't define love and you can't define a family. It comes in so many radical colors. And children need loving homes and people want to adopt who are gay! Why would we ever try to stand in their way? It's unfathomable. -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Jaden Smith's Karate Kid Defies Hollywood wisdom
...just ask the Eastwoods. Another thing to factor in is that Will's son's LAST picture was a remake, and was horrible. This film succeeded, as much as nobody wants to admit it, BECAUSE of Jaden Smith. And I love me some Jackie Chan. But Jaden made this character work! On Jun 21, 2010, at 11:36 AM, Kelwyn wrote: Nothing in Hollywood is a slam dunk. Before hand everybody was picking The A-team, another remake, as the slam dunk. Further, conventional wisdom is that a major movie must be helmed by a white person. Lastly, what does Will Smith's track record have to do with his son? Hollywood dominance is not hereditary. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Omari Confer clockwork...@... wrote: Its also a remake...with Will Smith's kidand the most prolific action star on the planetslam dunk. On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 9:43 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@... wrote: Jaden Smith's The Karate Kid wasn't supposed to score a huge $55.7 million opening (and $112 million in two weeks). It is done so by defying conventional Hollywood wisdom. Amazingly, it has an almost entirely nonwhite cast. This something The Prince of Persia and The Last Airbender were too timid to try. ~rave! -- READ MY BLOG http://centralheatingblog.blogspot.com STRING THEORY http://stringtheory.podbean.com
Re: [scifinoir2] Why the hatred for Jaden Smith?
It's not Jaden. It's his parents. The world hates his parents but worship money too much to say it to their faces. Generation X and early Y are under-achievers. We coin phrases like underwhelm. Will and Jada do what they say they're gonna do. Collectively, we don't like that. And so yeah, they're gonna be hatred towards BOTH kids. Wait till Willow's album drops. What has amazed me is the amount of BLACK hatred towards Jaden. We keep hating on young people who are doing good work, and we wonder why the majority of young people wanna stay under-achievers. On Jun 21, 2010, at 10:26 AM, ravenadal wrote: http://movie-critics.ew.com/2010/06/18/why-the-hatred-for-jaden-smith/ What is Jaden Smith's crime? Last weekend, the up-and-coming young actor, who will turn 12 this July 8, starred in a remake of The Karate Kid that audiences flocked to beyond expectation and, from all available evidence, loved. Given that Smith is front and center in more or less every frame of the 2 hour and 20 minute movie (and given that his performance, as a kid who hides his sadness behind a mask of surliness, is — to this critic, at least — a magnetic and affecting piece of acting), I hope we can all agree that Jaden Smith's presence on screen had a little something to do with the movie's success. Yet Smith's rise has been greeted, in far too many quarters (including a number of comment boards on ew.com, like the one on my review), with bitter, gnashing resentment. This 11-year- old really has the haters foaming.
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Why the hatred for Jaden Smith?
Additionally, the reason they switched back to Karate Kid title in the US was because of the story. He originally knew Karate and had no hope of winning with that style. Jackie's character trains him in Kung Fu. On Jun 21, 2010, at 4:11 PM, Kelwyn wrote: In this instance the filmmakers have crossed their ts and dotted their is. The film is known as The Kung Fu Kid internationally and Best Kid in Japan. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Amy Harlib ahar...@... wrote: ahar...@... I'm really looking forward to seeing this film. I liked the trailers and I love Jackie Chan. I hate the title. The story has nothing to do with Karate which is a Japanese thing. It is about kung-fu and China! This film's title insults billions of Chinese people all over the world that Hollywood is so greedy to sell tickets by exploiting the Karate Kid franchise that they think folks are too stupid to tell the difference between Karate and Kung- fu? All those slanty-eyed Asians are all alike, eh? Typical Hollywood willful ignorance. They could have correctly and accurately called this film Kung-Fu Kid and with Jackie Chan's name on it, sold just as many tickets I bet! I'll still go for Jackie Chan, if nothing else. Amy It's not Jaden. It's his parents. The world hates his parents but worship money too much to say it to their faces. Generation X and early Y are under-achievers. We coin phrases like underwhelm. Will and Jada do what they say they're gonna do. Collectively, we don't like that. And so yeah, they're gonna be hatred towards BOTH kids. Wait till Willow's album drops. What has amazed me is the amount of BLACK hatred towards Jaden. We keep hating on young people who are doing good work, and we wonder why the majority of young people wanna stay under-achievers. On Jun 21, 2010, at 10:26 AM, ravenadal wrote: http://movie-critics.ew.com/2010/06/18/why-the-hatred-for-jaden- smith/ What is Jaden Smith's crime? Last weekend, the up-and-coming young actor, who will turn 12 this July 8, starred in a remake of The Karate Kid that audiences flocked to beyond expectation and, from all available evidence, loved. Given that Smith is front and center in more or less every frame of the 2 hour and 20 minute movie (and given that his performance, as a kid who hides his sadness behind a mask of surliness, is — to this critic, at least — a magnetic and affecting piece of acting), I hope we can all agree that Jaden Smith's presence on screen had a little something to do with the movie's success. Yet Smith's rise has been greeted, in far too many quarters (including a number of comment boards on ew.com, like the one on my review), with bitter, gnashing resentment. This 11-year-old really has the haters foaming.
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Jaden Smith's Karate Kid Defies Hollywood wisdom
The SON of Clint is in Invictus and is a pretty weak actor...so far. So far the most successful Coppola besides Francis doesn't use the name (he uses Nick Cage). Robert Downey Jr is WAY more successful than his dad ever was, pre-and post rehab. As has been mentioned already, Michael Douglas is really one of the best actor's kid example. On Jun 21, 2010, at 1:20 PM, Omari Confer wrote: The daughter of Clint went out of her way to not use her dads repand has gotten her nowhere. The foundation of hollywood is in the genes man. Ask the Baldwins...the Barrymores, The Arquettes, the Copalas...etc On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 11:44 AM, Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockhart.com wrote: ...just ask the Eastwoods. Another thing to factor in is that Will's son's LAST picture was a remake, and was horrible. This film succeeded, as much as nobody wants to admit it, BECAUSE of Jaden Smith. And I love me some Jackie Chan. But Jaden made this character work! On Jun 21, 2010, at 11:36 AM, Kelwyn wrote: Nothing in Hollywood is a slam dunk. Before hand everybody was picking The A-team, another remake, as the slam dunk. Further, conventional wisdom is that a major movie must be helmed by a white person. Lastly, what does Will Smith's track record have to do with his son? Hollywood dominance is not hereditary. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Omari Confer clockwork...@... wrote: Its also a remake...with Will Smith's kidand the most prolific action star on the planetslam dunk. On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 9:43 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@... wrote: Jaden Smith's The Karate Kid wasn't supposed to score a huge $55.7 million opening (and $112 million in two weeks). It is done so by defying conventional Hollywood wisdom. Amazingly, it has an almost entirely nonwhite cast. This something The Prince of Persia and The Last Airbender were too timid to try. ~rave! -- READ MY BLOG http://centralheatingblog.blogspot.com STRING THEORY http://stringtheory.podbean.com -- READ MY BLOG http://centralheatingblog.blogspot.com STRING THEORY http://stringtheory.podbean.com
Re: [scifinoir2] In California, license plates might go electronic
KID? This is hackable at the concept level. Display ads on an LED screen? Great fun. Finding color combinations that traffic cameras can't read...pulling people over because their fuse blew out...oh this is just a MESS waiting to happen. On Jun 21, 2010, at 6:42 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: You know it. They could do one big hack and cause everyone on the freeway to stop and then a choreographed dance song will flash on the license plates and inside the cars. On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 10:22 AM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.com wrote: And, Mr Worf, I can alreadys ee to downside to this. Within a year, some smart kid will have figured out how to hack e- plates. And, for a small fee (certainly less than the cost of an actual e-plate), it'll be for sale on darkboards everywhere, just like the new ATM e-hack kit I heard about on the news this weekend.. On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 1:31 AM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: This has the makings of a bad scifi movie backdrop. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15338527 -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Asking for Movie Suggestions
I've been really immersed in Bollywood and Asian films on DVD/online lately. Raaavan was the best Indian film I've seen in a couple of years. Kites was the most accessible, as it's in English. It's playing near you as Kites: The Remix, which was re-edited by Brett Ratner. I'm down for Last Airbender and Inception, but I gotta say...I'm really not personally looking forward to any big budget films except Tron Legacy. I'm way more excited to see Scott Pilgrim than anything else this summer. Daryle On Jun 21, 2010, at 9:54 PM, angelababycat wrote: Saw your original post and felt sad I had nothing interesting to offer. But the new Predators movie opens July 9th and I will be there for the 11:00 am Friday showing of course. Also on my see at the theater for the special effects vs waiting for PPV list: June 30th - Twilight Saga: Eclipse July 2nd - The Last Airbender July 16th - Inception August 27th - Resident Evil: Afterlife Other than Predators maybe, not a very exciting summer movie list for me I'm affraid. Angela --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: Not a suggestion? Anyone watching any movies at the theatre? Recently I've seen Kings of the Evening, which was nice, and plan to see a little-known-but-well-praised foreign flick, The Secret in Their Eyes. It's way off the summer-blockbuster path... - Original Message - From: Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 6:35:19 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Asking for Movie Suggestions Any recommendations on which of the big summer movies are worth seeing? Have any of you seen Prince of Persia, Robin Hood, A-Team, Karate Kid, Splice, Killers, Shrek, Get Him to the Greek With the summer blockbuster season here, we're inundated with all the next-big-things at the box office: all the CGI- and action- heavy movies. Typically I start to burn out after a while, as so many of them nowadays seem to be mediocre films based mostly on explosions, fights, and FX. Iron Man 2 was okay, but a bit of a disappointment. I need to watch the money I spend at the cinema, so don't want to plop down my six bucks for something that I can wait for on DVD. And there are some indie films like Mother and Child and Kings of the Evening that I'd rather see, since they actually rely on plots and good acting.
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Jaden Smith's Karate Kid Defies Hollywood wisdom
Wow, I'm gonna search for that interview, because until you typed this, I had Drew written off as very Madonna ish, in that if 'being smart' is what's up, then she's all in. Until being dumb is what's up. Then she's at that party. You may have singlehandedly changed my view of her. Daryle On Jun 21, 2010, at 9:24 PM, Keith Johnson wrote: One of the most successful acting families in history is the Barrymore family, with actors going back to the early 20th century. Drew has been very successful in her own right since her days as the cute kid actor. While one may argue about the types of movies she does, or debate her acting ability, she's undeniably able to get and create work, having been a producer as well as an actress. Besides, she really is a student of film history, and after i heard her on NPR's Fresh Air saying how honored she was to speak to host Terry Gross, I upped her assessment in my book. Any actress who regularly listens to NPR and counts being on it an honor is okay in my book. - Original Message - From: Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockhart.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, June 21, 2010 8:41:14 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Jaden Smith's Karate Kid Defies Hollywood wisdom The SON of Clint is in Invictus and is a pretty weak actor...so far. So far the most successful Coppola besides Francis doesn't use the name (he uses Nick Cage). Robert Downey Jr is WAY more successful than his dad ever was, pre-and post rehab. As has been mentioned already, Michael Douglas is really one of the best actor's kid example. On Jun 21, 2010, at 1:20 PM, Omari Confer wrote: The daughter of Clint went out of her way to not use her dads repand has gotten her nowhere. The foundation of hollywood is in the genes man. Ask the Baldwins...the Barrymores, The Arquettes, the Copalas...etc On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 11:44 AM, Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockhart.com wrote: ...just ask the Eastwoods. Another thing to factor in is that Will's son's LAST picture was a remake, and was horrible. This film succeeded, as much as nobody wants to admit it, BECAUSE of Jaden Smith. And I love me some Jackie Chan. But Jaden made this character work! On Jun 21, 2010, at 11:36 AM, Kelwyn wrote: Nothing in Hollywood is a slam dunk. Before hand everybody was picking The A-team, another remake, as the slam dunk. Further, conventional wisdom is that a major movie must be helmed by a white person. Lastly, what does Will Smith's track record have to do with his son? Hollywood dominance is not hereditary. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Omari Confer clockwork...@... wrote: Its also a remake...with Will Smith's kidand the most prolific action star on the planetslam dunk. On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 9:43 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@... wrote: Jaden Smith's The Karate Kid wasn't supposed to score a huge $55.7 million opening (and $112 million in two weeks). It is done so by defying conventional Hollywood wisdom. Amazingly, it has an almost entirely nonwhite cast. This something The Prince of Persia and The Last Airbender were too timid to try. ~rave! -- READ MY BLOG http://centralheatingblog.blogspot.com STRING THEORY http://stringtheory.podbean.com -- READ MY BLOG http://centralheatingblog.blogspot.com STRING THEORY http://stringtheory.podbean.com
Re: [scifinoir2] Torchwood Marathon Today
If it weren't for World Cup and E3, they'd totally have me! This reminds me: As it turns out, STARZ network is getting the new season. I have the channel, but I don't know two other people who do. Anybody here? Would the fact that Torchwood is on make you get the channel, or would you just wait for the DVD/iTunes download availability? On Jun 14, 2010, at 1:06 PM, Sammie A wrote: BBCAmerica! Fate.
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Mortal Kombat Returns
You know, I've seen all of these films, and I have to say...I want Michael back in action movies. I understand the financial and marketing reasons behind doing these dramatic a comedic roles, but I would appreciate him using his martial arts skills on screen a little more. On Jun 10, 2010, at 7:45 PM, Keith Johnson wrote: You must not have seen Why Did I Get Married Too? or Black Dynamite, both of which starred White, in the last year. The former was typical Tyler Perry fare, with a lot of time devoted to White's comedic role as a husband with a (justifiably) suspicious wife. The later was pitch-perfect in the first half, a great spoof of Blaxploitation films, though it unfortunately got sillier and even less believable in the second half. Still, it coud be the template for a great run of movies if done right, kinda like a black, '70's version of the Police Squad flicks. - Original Message - From: Michelle Lauren miche...@michellelaurenbooks.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 8:53:02 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Mortal Kombat Returns One word: AWESOME. I would definitely pay to watch this in the theater. I haven't seen Michael Jai White in a while. Great to see him again; he is perfect in action movies. Michelle http://twitter.com/MichelleL_Books STARSTRUCK HUNTER (SF/F, IR), Available on Amazon Kindle for PC TEMPTATION EVE (Paranormal, IR), Available at Cobblestone Press Like my books? Review them let others know! Yo
Re: [scifinoir2] I don't normally post this sort of thing to this list, but...
I LOVE hearing news like this. Congratulations, Adrianne! We need more feisty and sexy women of color being written about! The Romulan Ale is on Adrianne in Spring 2011, guys! Daryle On Jun 10, 2010, at 9:35 AM, Adrianne Brennan wrote: ...it's very topical. Honest. I am very pleased to announce at last that I have accepted the offer of a contract for my short story, Love Under Will, a paranormal/interracial erotic romance, for the Mammoth Book of Hot Romance anthology. It will be released in Spring '11 and yes, it's a print work. Google Amazon.com for Mammoth Book of and you'll find a lot of them. This will be the latest one to come out. Needless to say, I am extremely honored, delighted, and excited and any new news and information I can pass along about it as time goes on, I most certainly will. I am especially sharing with this list because the main character is an angel in addition to being a very feisty and sexy woman of color. I sincerely hope that when it comes out, people on this list will enjoy the tale. I thought of you all when I wrote it. :) Love Magic, Adrianne ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html
Re: [scifinoir2] Fwd: Introducing iPhone 4.
The rich play with Android. iPhone's success on the surface LOOKS like a lot of money is being spent on hardware, but there are more 3G units out there (which run around $99) than 3GS units. ATT is making their money in the data plans. Acer just announced their Ferrari endorsed and themed smartphones last week. Android OS. iPhone 4 is a divorce lawyer's dream come true. Video calls have to go through a hub somewhere. And gee, I wonder if said hub will be able to keep a record of video phone sex between two ATT subscribers? This is cool and all, but part of my love for the Apple brand is the idea that as users, we're a small band of rebels. that's not the case with the iPhones. Everybody's gonna have one of these, and not use most of the improvements. Also, I don't like what Apple's doing in relationship to the iPad. If you can do all this for the phone, why not just wait until you can scale it for the iPad and have a fully functioning tablet computer? It's like the old Toyota scam, where they make their best improvements in the Avalon, put it out on the low, then charge $20,000 more for the same car with a Lexus logo on it. And finally, I'm tired of not being able to personalize my hardware the way I want. I don't want better iPhone skins, I want to be able to design ad install steampunk-inspired boxes with brass and glass without voiding my AppleCare. I want m-flo or D'Banj ringtones without buying entire songs through the iTunes store. What I really want from Apple is a better iPad. I want all of this functionality and attention to detail put into something I'm really going to use. I don't want a mini-Tricorder...I want a bloody Tricorder. Give me a lightmeter and two cameras on a touchscreen computer. I'll install Skype and everything will be fine. On Jun 8, 2010, at 6:57 AM, Martin Baxter wrote: Frankly, Mr Worf, color me UNDERwhelmed. Another toy for the rich to play with. On Tue, Jun 8, 2010 at 1:18 AM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: iPhone 4. This changes everything. Again. Arriving June 24. Learn More | Shop Online | Find a Store TM and copyright © 2010 Apple Inc. 1 Infinite Loop, MS 83-DM, Cupertino, CA 95014. All Rights Reserved / Keep Informed / Privacy Policy / My Info If you prefer not to receive commercial email from Apple, or if you've changed your email address, please click here. -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: [milliways-L] New series of Torchwood!
Yes, that's exactly what this deal means. It's a really smart deal, actually. It will probably generate quite a few subscriptions for Starz, and BBC gets the licensing money anyway, so it's all good. Daryle On Jun 7, 2010, at 5:15 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: Starz... PLEASE let that mean that Starz will get first US airing rights. 360.gif360.gif360.gif360.gif On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 2:41 PM, Thomas N. Beck tomf...@mac.com wrote: Woo-hoo! BBC Press Release: BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Worldwide and US premium entertainment network Starz Entertainment have today announced a three-way co-production partnership that will develop a new series of the hit BBC sci-fi drama Torchwood. BBC Worldwide will also distribute the series to broadcasters globally. The 10-episode instalment will be written by a team led by Torchwood creator Russell T Davies and produced by BBC Worldwide productions. Davies and BBC Worldwide Productions' SVP Scripted, Julie Gardner, return as executive producers with BBC Worldwide Productions EVP Jane Tranter. The series has been commissioned by Controller BBC One, Jay Hunt, Controller BBC Drama, Ben Stephenson and Starz President and CEO, Chris Albrecht. While previous series were based on location in Cardiff, Wales, this new instalment will see storylines widen to include locations in the US and around the world. John Barrowman and Eve Myles will return in their roles as Captain Jack and Gwen respectively, along with new faces. Announcing the commission, Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, said: We have a long history of working with many US networks, but it is incredibly exciting to be working with Starz for the first time, as well as to be reunited with the best of British in Russell, Jane and Julie. Torchwood will burst back onto the screen with a shocking and moving story with global stakes and locations that will make it feel bigger and bolder than ever. Jane Tranter, EVP, BBC Worldwide Productions, added: Torchwood has attracted remarkable attention and loyalty in both the UK and US, and in this new partnership with Starz, the next chapter will not only reward our current fans, but also introduce new viewers to the most impressive instalment yet. We're committed to programming exceptional television that is entertaining, imaginative and provides a premium TV experience, and by any measure the new concept for Torchwood fits that mandate. Starz, LLC, President and CEO Chris Albrecht, said: I've been part of successful partnerships with Jane Tranter and the BBC previously, and I'm very much looking forward to working with them again. Torchwood is a drama that puts extraterrestrial threats into a very real world, and asks how humanity deals with the danger – while fighting mankind's darkest instincts. The series was originally commissioned and produced in 2006 by BBC Cymru Wales, with the latest high octane series capturing UK audiences of more than 6million. BBC Worldwide has distributed previous Torchwood series around the world to territories such as Korea, Japan, Italy, Spain, Israel, Russia and across Latin America. About BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the BBC's assets for the benefit of the licence fee payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights. The company has six core businesses: Channels, Content Production, Sales Distribution, Magazines, Home Entertainment and Global Brands. In 2008/09, BBC Worldwide generated profits of £102.6 million (before exceptionals) on sales of over £1 billion. About Starz Entertainment Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service provider operating in the United States. The company offers 16 premium channels including the flagship Starz® and Encore® brands with approximately 17.1 million and 31.1 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs in total more than 1,000 movies and original series every month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Encore HD, Starz On Demand, Encore On Demand, MoviePlex On Demand, Starz HD On Demand, Encore HD On Demand, MoviePlex HD On Demand, and Starz Play. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, and is attributed to Liberty Starz (NASDAQ: LSTZA), a tracking stock group of Liberty Media Corporation. = Tom Beck Dudley Moore: Do you feel you've learnt by your mistakes here? Peter Cook: I think I have, yes, and I think I can probably repeat them almost perfectly. Yahoo! Groups Links -- If all the world's
Re: [scifinoir2] Strange Discovery on Titan Leads to Speculation of Alien Life
Hmmm...strange discovery on Titan one day, iPhone4 design revealed a few days later. I'm not SAYING there's a relationship... On Jun 7, 2010, at 8:27 PM, brent wodehouse wrote: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/titan-life-methane- speculation-100607.html Strange Discovery on Titan Leads to Speculation of Alien Life By Charles Q. Choi SPACE.com Contributor posted: 07 June 2010 New findings have roused a great deal of hoopla over the possibility of life on Saturn's moon Titan, which some news reports have further hyped up as hints of extraterrestrials. However, scientists also caution that aliens might have nothing to do with these findings. All this excitement is rooted in analyses of chemical data returned by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. One study suggested that hydrogen was flowing down through Titan's atmosphere and disappearing at the surface. Astrobiologist Chris McKay at NASA Ames Research Center speculated this could be a tantalizing hint that hydrogen is getting consumed by life. It's the obvious gas for life to consume on Titan [http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/asphalt-lake-life-on- titan-100505.html], similar to the way we consume oxygen on Earth, McKay said. Another study investigating hydrocarbons on Titan's surface found a lack of acetylene, a compound that could be consumed as food by life that relies on liquid methane instead of liquid water to live. If these signs do turn out to be a sign of life [http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/ 070806_GM_life_universe.html], it would be doubly exciting because it would represent a second form of life independent from water-based life on Earth, McKay said. However, NASA scientists caution that aliens might not be involved at all. Scientific conservatism suggests that a biological explanation should be the last choice after all non-biological explanations are addressed, said Mark Allen, principal investigator with the NASA Astrobiology Institute Titan team. We have a lot of work to do to rule out possible non-biological explanations. It is more likely that a chemical process, without biology, can explain these results. Both results are still preliminary, McKay told SPACE.com. To date, methane-based life forms [http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/090625-am-titan- chemistry.html] are only speculative, with McKay proposing a set of conditions necessary for these kinds of organisms on Titan in 2005. Scientists have not yet detected this form of life anywhere, although there are liquid- water-based microbes on Earth that thrive on methane or produce it as a waste product. On Titan, where temperatures are around minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 179 degrees Celsius), any organisms would have to use a substance that is liquid as its medium for living processes. Water itself cannot do, because it is frozen solid on Titan's surface. The list of liquid candidates is very short -- liquid methane and related molecules such as ethane. Previous studies have found Titan to have lakes of liquid methane [http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/091221-titan-flash-lake.html]. Missing hydrogen? The dearth of hydrogen Cassini detected is consistent with conditions that could produce methane-based life, but do not conclusively prove its existence, cautioned researcher Darrell Strobel, a Cassini interdisciplinary scientist based at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., who authored the paper on hydrogen appearing online in the journal Icarus. Strobel looked at densities of hydrogen in different parts of the atmosphere and the surface. Previous models from scientists had predicted that hydrogen molecules, a byproduct of ultraviolet sunlight breaking apart acetylene and methane molecules in the upper atmosphere, should be distributed fairly evenly throughout the atmospheric layers. Strobel's computer simulations suggest a hydrogen flow down to the surface at a rate of about 10,000 trillion trillion molecules per second. It's as if you have a hose and you're squirting hydrogen onto the ground, but it's disappearing, Strobel said. I didn't expect this result, because molecular hydrogen is extremely chemically inert in the atmosphere, very light and buoyant. It should 'float' to the top of the atmosphere and escape. Strobel said it is not likely that hydrogen is being stored in a cave or underground space on Titan. An unknown mineral could be acting as a catalyst on Titan's surface to help convert hydrogen molecules and acetylene back to methane. Although Allen commended Strobel, he noted a more sophisticated model might be needed to look into what the flow of hydrogen is. Consumed acetylene? Scientists had expected the sun's interactions with chemicals in the atmosphere to produce acetylene that falls down to coat the Titan surface. But Cassini mapped hydrocarbons on Titan's surface, it detected no acetylene on the surface, findings appearing online
Re: [scifinoir2] Donald Glover for Spider-Man: The evolution of a meme
I'm actually with this. I wonder if there's an Indian or East Asian actress that would be right to audition for Mary Jane. The story takes place in Queens, and that would really reflect the contemporary look of the borough. If you play the chess match all the way through...this is a nice setup for Donald at Marvel. Daryle On Jun 1, 2010, at 6:29 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: I would go see it if they cast him in it. One of the replies brought up an interesting thing. Uncle Ben. Just the name alone would bring up a bunch of unusual topics. ;) Would Mary Jane still be white? On Tue, Jun 1, 2010 at 1:51 PM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.com wrote: This ought to wake up anyone who's been asleep at the keyboard... == === Late last week, we wrote about the idea of Sony casting a non-white Peter Parker for their Spider-Man reboot. Then...a thing happened. And suddenly, Community actor Donald Glover has rallied the internet to his cause: getting him an audition. More at: http://io9.com/5552684/donald-glover-for-spider+man-why- the-hell-not -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Problem with Joss Whedon
Without Joss or a comic writer with a similar following, the Marvel movies are going to fall off really quickly. There aren't a lot of directors that can pull off a Warren Ellis (or the like) script), so it's either Joss or Kevin Smith. Which would you prefer? Having Joss rewrite Captain America is a really good idea. The folks at Warner Bros would wanna remember Dwayne McDuffie's number and put him on one of the DC movies. Daryle On May 29, 2010, at 4:54 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: rave, my love of Joss comes from the characters he brings to vivid life, something that, IMO, only Joe Strazcynski has managed previously. On his shows, there are fan clubs for almost all of the characters he cooks p. Must be doing something right. On Sat, May 29, 2010 at 3:31 PM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2010/05/17/my-problem-with-joss-whedon/ Joss Whedon is apparently all but cofirmed as the director of the upcoming Avengers movie and is also going to do a rewrite of the Captain America and The Avengers scripts. I recognize the importance of having a unified cohesive story, but Joss Whedon? So he's a great script doctor: Speed, Twister, X-Men, Alien: Resurrection. Those were some great movies……Did you sense my sarcasm? http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2010/05/17/my-problem-with-joss-whedon/ -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: The End Of Lost
*touches nose* WINNER! It's not that it's intentional, its a result of the last strike. I have a few real life friends and so-show media friends who write for a living. One left writing on a soap to work camera on porn and made more in 6 weeks than he had in the past year. Writers feel like this(at least, the ones who talk to me): They gave their best work and got screwed. No equity. No respect. No money. You can't even get women with the I'm a writer on so-and-so show line anymore. So eff this. We're going to make web series and try to raise our own money for our own projects. And they are. It;s a slow process, but it's closer to the dream that many writers went to Hollywood FOR. On many TV shows, you have the line-crossers. Those who will play ball. Not calling them scabs, because some ARE really talented, but they don't trust the networks. Good work is being jacked and the wrong people are getting paid REALLY well. On May 24, 2010, at 5:42 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: Has anyone noticed that shows have gotten worse since the last writers strike? Do you think that it is intentional? On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 1:57 PM, Omari Confer clockwork...@gmail.com wrote: Tis bad my fine fellows but it is hardly battlestar bad. Lost only partly betrayed what it was. I had an xfiles aftertaste when it was done. Witness the death of serial sci fi. C w m Sent on the go from my Peek - Mr. Worfhellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: Wow I'm glad that I didn't watch it. On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 1:18 PM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.comwrote: Just found this synopsis, courtesy of Yahu. Spoiler-ific, and supportive of any available argument for NOT watching. EVER. http://tv.yahoo.com/lost/show/36617/news/tv-news.en.ap.org/tv- news.en.ap.org-20100524-us_tv_lost_finale On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 4:03 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: I didn't watch for the same reasons Rave wrote. On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 12:41 PM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.comwrote: rave, if even ONE of those characters had bitten it, the Teabaggers would be marching on H'Wood. Call that another H'Wood failure, then. On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 2:50 PM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: Didn't watch. I don't hate this show, but I dislike it a lot. Why? Because there was wholesale carnage on the characters of color. I was pissed off enough when they killed off great characters like Mr. Eko and Ana Lucia but then I read that they finally killed Sayid, Jin and Sun while lilly-white Jack, Sawyer and Kate make it to the end. F-them! F-them! F-them! That said. I would LOVE to hear ya'll discuss how it ended. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com scifinoir2% 40yahoogroups.com, Bosco Bosco ironpi...@... wrote: Did anyone watch? Did anyone care? I'm still gathering my thoughts. I'm holding off on discussion of specifics for fear of spoilage. I'm torn, really torn. There are somethings I liked and somethings I didnt. I think they may be the same as the things I've liked and disliked about the show the whole time. I rewatched the pilot episode and while I am not thoroghly convinced that they had the whole thing planned out, I think there was some definitive planning from the beginning. I think Locke teaching Walt to play backgammon was indicative of such. I'm walking away from six seasons not feeling Galactica'd but not necessarily satisfied either. Anyone else? Bosco -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add? fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Series That Ended Badly
Voyager. What a complete waste of time. If you'll remember, I recently decided towatch the show from the beginning at the suggestion of Garrett Wang. I have now watched every episode of Voyager. Year Of Hell and Unimatrix Zero are worth the price of admission (episodes that remind me remarkably of where the Lost finale went left, but I digress) . But Endgame was the worst ending of any Star Trek show in history -- INCLUDING Enterprise. On May 24, 2010, at 2:06 PM, Keith Johnson wrote: The talk of Lost and the less-than-spectacular ending (no Spoilers!) made me think of The Sopranos, whose ending angered many fans. And that made me think of BSG, whose ending angered many fans. BSG made me think of Enterprise, whose ending angered many-- get the drift? So I was thinking of shows that we loved or at least were attached to, which ended in less than satisfactory methods. Enterprise ticked me off by using another time-travel type device, by killing Trip, and by inserting Riker and Troi unnecessarily. What other series can you think of whose endings you anticipated, but which disappointed you? I'm talking about shows that actually got an ending, not those that were canceled and simply stopped airing new eps. This can be scifi, animation, or any real life drama.
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: The End Of Lost
I need to get a headcount of all who haven't seen and don't want spoilers, because The Lost finale was, in my opinion, a copout, and we are one of the ONLY groups that can decode this. A good hypothesis is not a good paper until you can prove the math. Lost has had the potential to rock the world and become the greatest science fiction show of all time. It's failed. Three times. I watched the Final Transmissions show and noticed JJ Abrams wasn't on it. On May 24, 2010, at 2:50 PM, Kelwyn wrote: Didn't watch. I don't hate this show, but I dislike it a lot. Why? Because there was wholesale carnage on the characters of color. I was pissed off enough when they killed off great characters like Mr. Eko and Ana Lucia but then I read that they finally killed Sayid, Jin and Sun while lilly-white Jack, Sawyer and Kate make it to the end. F-them! F-them! F-them! That said. I would LOVE to hear ya'll discuss how it ended. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Bosco Bosco ironpi...@... wrote: Did anyone watch? Did anyone care? I'm still gathering my thoughts. I'm holding off on discussion of specifics for fear of spoilage. I'm torn, really torn. There are somethings I liked and somethings I didnt. I think they may be the same as the things I've liked and disliked about the show the whole time. I rewatched the pilot episode and while I am not thoroghly convinced that they had the whole thing planned out, I think there was some definitive planning from the beginning. I think Locke teaching Walt to play backgammon was indicative of such. I'm walking away from six seasons not feeling Galactica'd but not necessarily satisfied either. Anyone else? Bosco
Re: [scifinoir2] Science-Fictional Music
I've been a fan since the EP 2 years ago. Check out this short film she did to promote it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHgbzNHVg0c As you can see, she knows full well what she's doing. I would say that this is the best album of the year, but I just heard part of Sandra St. Victor's latest. Talk about Science Fiction. She's got a progressive record with some keyboard-heavy producers and songwriters behind her. But ArchAndroid is already onm my top 10 list. About the James Brown thing. She says the spirit of James Brown visits her performances. So she lets him out a little. There is one mystery to this whole thing. How did DIDDY, of all people, find her? She's officially a Bad Boy artist. On May 22, 2010, at 7:29 AM, Mr. Worf wrote: I think I remember seeing some of her older stuff on VH1 Soul (may it rest in peace!) We really don't get to hear anything new in this country without filtering through the monopoly filter. There's a ton of American and UK RB artists that are making good original stuff. :( I don't want to nitpick but the dance moves are James Brown. She's ok. On Sat, May 22, 2010 at 3:46 AM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.com wrote: I'm convinced. Thanks, Brent! On Fri, May 21, 2010 at 11:05 PM, brent wodehouse brent_wodeho...@thefence.us wrote: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/125708-janelle-monae-the- archandroid Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid By Quentin B. Huff 21 May 2010 Lady Stardust There’s a perfectly good reason why I never thought of Michael Jackson as the “King of Pop”. It’s not because I’m a hater. It’s not that I thought he was undeserving of the title. It’s that I always thought of Michael Jackson as an entire category unto himself. How, I wondered, could he be “of” anything? He was his own genre. Same thing with the Beatles. James Brown. Ella Fitzgerald. Aretha. I’m not saying Janelle Monáe Robinson has reached the status of Michael Jackson. Nor am I suggesting that she can lay claim to an entire genre - at least not yet. If, however, you’re looking for the “total package”, this little lady from the state of Kansas comes awfully close. Perhaps more importantly, she’s got all the makings of a genuine ‘70s and ‘80s rock star, and they sure don’t make a lot of those anymore. These days, it’s about the everyman and everywoman singing relatable tunes, not some rock god or goddess belting out larger-than-life stadium anthems. This is the age of the familiar, not the foreign. Janelle Monáe’s rock star bona fides are all intact. She’s got vocals for days, wielding a voice that can be as gentle as a ballad in a Disney movie or so big and thunderous her five foot (1.524 meter) frame hardly seems fit to contain it. A rock star needs an iconic look, and her outfit of choice is timeless and appropriate: a tuxedo, black and perfectly pressed. Her hairstyle includes a gravity-defying pompadour. She makes songs like “Neon Gumbo”, composed with backwards lyrics and a reversed sample of her older tune “Many Moons”, like the stuff Prince added to the end of Darling Nikki. Like any self-respecting rock star, she’s fabulous and glam and entertainingly weird, traits you could easily pick up from her interviews. When it comes to music, though, she’s focused, message-oriented, and dedicated to uplifting her listeners. Better still, she absolutely brings the hotness to her live show. Hyperactive, to the point of appearing possessed, Janelle Monáe is a firecracker, a combination of James Brown and David Bowie, among others. She’s undulating, twisting, gyrating, the embodiment of constant motion. There’s no lip synching here, folks, and did I mention that she moonwalks like nobody’s business? The sista can dance. Musically, she’s a live wire, a genre-hopper who touches RB and prog rock with as much verve as she handles jazz, cabaret, rap, doo-wop, and disco. She’s chic with a rockabilly lean, smart yet fun, and a gleeful student of Pink Floyd, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, and Grace Jones. She ought to be a member of OutKast, but instead of shaking it “like a Polaroid picture”, she shakes it “like a schizo”. She’s the daughter of George Clinton and Parliament’s “Star Child” who occasionally borrows the “mothership” and takes it out for a spin. She’s Cinderella, but she wears James Brown’s dress shoes (without socks!) in lieu of slippers. She’s Lady Stardust. She is, quite honestly, the best signee to Sean “Diddy” Combs’s Bad Boy label since the Notorious B.I.G., and signing her was certainly Diddy’s most interesting choice since he made those kids on Making the Band walk all the way from Manhattan to Brooklyn, New York to secure him some cheesecake. Still not convinced? Nothing gives you rock star cred like having the necessary self-indulgence to craft a concept album or rock opera. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Willie
Re: [scifinoir2] Robo-Geisha
That kind of wackiness keeps me sane. You should review it, Amy. I'd love to get your take on it! Daryle On May 17, 2010, at 7:24 AM, Amy Harlib wrote: ahar...@earthlink.net There is a screening here in NYC Tues. May 18th at Japan Society and it's sold out. I already have my ticket and can't wait! I just love this kind of wackiness! Cheers! Amy Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Robo-Geisha I'd attend just to see that. On Mon, May 17, 2010 at 2:48 AM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: They are showing the movie RoboGeisha at the Seattle International film festival! Here is some info on the film fest and the trailer: http://www.siff.net/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=38514FID=166 -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] LaBeouf Says Third Transformers Movie Will Be Better
Yes, sorry about that. Dreamworks is actually the studio behind this franchise. Spielberg is Exec producer. Though, I've reviewed my notes, and it looks like Spielberg may have lost Transformers in the divorce from Paramount. Not totally sure. I DO know the new Dreamworks is going to be a very tightly run ship. Disney is FAMOUS for micromanaging a project, and this is Reliance's big foray into American movie making. So this is going to be an interesting ride. If Paramount keeps Transformers...I dunno. Seems like they're gonna just let the wheels come off, take the writeoff (and tax credits) and then pull the plug after 3 movies. As an aside...we haven't had our poll here in a while, but I, for one, am tired of Megan Fox, and after seeing Jennifer's Body...I vote no confidence in Megan's looks to carry a movie. Or even a scene. It is time to give Olivia Munn of G4 more to do. As eye candy goes...it's time for more diversity for real. On May 14, 2010, at 7:42 PM, Keith Johnson wrote: I just can't raise the excitement to watch the second one. Like I said, the over-the-top camera work--and you *know* how much I rail against hyperactive cameras in movies--turned me off. I watched a good twenty minutes in the Sony store at Lenox Mall here in Atlanta, and I developed a headache, as if I'd eaten too much sugar and fat-laden food in a hurry. it was noise, explosions, and quick- cut scenes. Meagan Fox is gorgeous, truly one of the prettiest actresses around. I always applaud H'Wood when it remembers that raven-haired beauties deserve as much of a chance as the blondes who too often dominate. But i've never sat through a scifi movie only because an actress in it was pretty. Can you explain the studio reference you mentioned? Is Dreamworks behind Transformers? - Original Message - From: Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockhart.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 8:19:32 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] LaBeouf Says Third Transformers Movie Will Be Better Let's just say...he's in Oliver Stone's Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps. Transformers 2 was sloppy. they were editing that movie up until 1 month before it hit screens. It was trying to do too much. That, and everybody was drinking the Megan Fox Kool-Aid. I believe T3 will be better if the studio tightens its grip on Michael Bay. Dreamworks isn't at Paramount anymore. This is Disney and Reliance. They WILL get this right or we'll be reading about a ROM movie coming out in 2012. On May 14, 2010, at 6:50 AM, Martin Baxter wrote: Keith, I haven't seen the first one. This isn't much in the way of inspiration to invest. LaBoeuf is a good actor. He's gotta be getting better offers than this. I HOPE. On Fri, May 14, 2010 at 1:04 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Interesting. I still haven't seen the second one. The bloated action trailers, the long snippets I've seen on TVs at electronic stores, those stereotyped ghetto robots--all kept me away from the sequel. Didn't help I wasn't too impressed with the first flick past the FX. The way the Transformers were minimized in favor of the stupid humans didn't appeal to me, nor did the change to lore (the Lifespark? Megatron the source for most of our tech? Blah!) If LeBeouf himself is saying the second one was worse? I may never see it... * LaBeouf promises better 'Transformers' next time By DAVID GERMAIN The Associated Press CANNES, France — Shia LaBeouf says the second Transformers movie got too big for its own good — but the third one brings the heart back to the franchise. LaBeouf, who starts work on the next Transformers sequel Tuesday, said the third installment will be the best one yet. The new script restores a human element that got lost in the second movie, LaBeouf said. When I saw the second movie, I wasn't impressed with what we did, LaBeouf said in an interview Thursday at the Cannes Film Festival, where his finance drama Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is premiering. There were some really wild stunts in it, but the heart was gone. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was a runaway commercial success but was drubbed by critics. Michael Bay returns for the third time as director of the science- fiction franchise, which centers on dueling races of giant robots that bring their war to Earth. The next movie will have what the last one lacked — a sense of human consequences, LaBeouf said. On the second movie, we got lost. We tried to get bigger. It's what happens to sequels. It's like, how do you top the first one? You've got to go bigger, LaBeouf said. Mike went so big that it became too big, and I think you lost the anchor of the movie. ... You lost a bit of the relationships. Unless you have those relationships
Re: [scifinoir2] LaBeouf Says Third Transformers Movie Will Be Better
Let's just say...he's in Oliver Stone's Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps. Transformers 2 was sloppy. they were editing that movie up until 1 month before it hit screens. It was trying to do too much. That, and everybody was drinking the Megan Fox Kool-Aid. I believe T3 will be better if the studio tightens its grip on Michael Bay. Dreamworks isn't at Paramount anymore. This is Disney and Reliance. They WILL get this right or we'll be reading about a ROM movie coming out in 2012. On May 14, 2010, at 6:50 AM, Martin Baxter wrote: Keith, I haven't seen the first one. This isn't much in the way of inspiration to invest. LaBoeuf is a good actor. He's gotta be getting better offers than this. I HOPE. On Fri, May 14, 2010 at 1:04 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Interesting. I still haven't seen the second one. The bloated action trailers, the long snippets I've seen on TVs at electronic stores, those stereotyped ghetto robots--all kept me away from the sequel. Didn't help I wasn't too impressed with the first flick past the FX. The way the Transformers were minimized in favor of the stupid humans didn't appeal to me, nor did the change to lore (the Lifespark? Megatron the source for most of our tech? Blah!) If LeBeouf himself is saying the second one was worse? I may never see it... * LaBeouf promises better 'Transformers' next time By DAVID GERMAIN The Associated Press CANNES, France — Shia LaBeouf says the second Transformers movie got too big for its own good — but the third one brings the heart back to the franchise. LaBeouf, who starts work on the next Transformers sequel Tuesday, said the third installment will be the best one yet. The new script restores a human element that got lost in the second movie, LaBeouf said. When I saw the second movie, I wasn't impressed with what we did, LaBeouf said in an interview Thursday at the Cannes Film Festival, where his finance drama Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is premiering. There were some really wild stunts in it, but the heart was gone. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was a runaway commercial success but was drubbed by critics. Michael Bay returns for the third time as director of the science- fiction franchise, which centers on dueling races of giant robots that bring their war to Earth. The next movie will have what the last one lacked — a sense of human consequences, LaBeouf said. On the second movie, we got lost. We tried to get bigger. It's what happens to sequels. It's like, how do you top the first one? You've got to go bigger, LaBeouf said. Mike went so big that it became too big, and I think you lost the anchor of the movie. ... You lost a bit of the relationships. Unless you have those relationships, then the movie doesn't matter. Then it's just a bunch of robots fighting each other. With Transformers 3, the toll of the robot war will be grave for our planet, LaBeouf said. There's going to be a lot of death, human death. This time, they're targeting humans, LaBeouf said. It's going to be the craziest action movie ever made, or we failed. -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Iron Man 2 - short review (no spoilers)
Yeah count me in the loved it column too. I thought Mickey Roarke was absolutely amazing, and considering how Whiplash is in the comics...WOW what an improvement. Terence Howard in the War Machine suit would have bored me to tears. Cheadle rocked it. I never believed that Tony and Rhodey were best friends in the first film. This time, I did. Also, I think the fact that Cheadle and RDJ are close in height really helped one particular scene out. Sam Rockwell is a genius. How do you steal a scene where you're playing a sucker? Scarlett as Black Widow. I gotta say...I bought it. I would have bought a whole CASE with Nona Gaye in the role, but otherwise...not bad. I loved that the suits get damaged. I loved the silly science. I loved the massive Avengers setup all throughout the movie. They have uncrowned Spider-Man as the center of the Marvel Movie universe. And, Ladies Gentlemen...this is the first movie I have liked Gwyneth Paltrow in since Shakespeare in Love!! She really is a warm blooded human (who apparently does not walk in heels much)! I think there are two major problems with Iron Man 2, and one is Jon Favreau...the actor. He needed to pull back a bit. Happy had too much screen time and lines. Also...I'm over Sam Jackson as Nick Fury. I think I'm over Sam Jackson, actually. He's become the same guy in every role. This is the same guy from XXX, and Shaft, and at this point, he could say get these m-f'in snakes off my m-f'in carrier and I wouldn' t blink. I'm just over it. As the Nick Fury scenes dragged on, I found myself wishing Avery Brooks or Dennis Haybert or, for that matter, Bruce Willis were in Jackson's place. That's how done I am. On a personal note: my son and I had a moment during the message to Tony scene that was awesome. Iron Man 2 does not stand alone. You must see #1 to get how good this is. For that reason, it stays out of my top 5 comic adaptation movies list. Otherwise, unless Scott Pilgrim is better than Kick-Ass, Iron Man 2 is the best comic adaptation of the year. Sony has a BIG problem. If they don't make Spider Man 4 work...they 're gonna have to give the property to Disney. On May 10, 2010, at 10:52 AM, Kelwyn wrote: I have been reading a lot of Iron Man 2 reviews. I gave it a rave! (http://blackplush.blogspot.com/2010/05/iron-marvel.html) primarily because I am comparing it to other Part 2s. I think it is infinitely more entertaining than both Batman Returns and Spider- Man 2. In fact, the only superhero sequel that may be better is Superman 2. It can be argued that The Dark Knight is the greatest sequel since The Godfather 2 but The Dark Knight is actually Batman VI. I also grade on a curve because of the speed with which this film was brought to the screen. As I state in my review, it could have easily been a train wreck of Batman and Robin proportions. And, against all odds, it isn't. By the by, I concur, big screen IMAX is the way to see this movie. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Said Kakese Dibinga s...@... wrote: I kept it as vague as possible for those that haven't seen the movie as yet. I give the movie a grade of 'C+'. The movie doesn't know what kind of movie it wants to be, a sure sign of too many studio notes on the script. It wasted a good villain in Whiplash and the sub- storyline involving Whiplash and Stark. I feel that if Christopehr Nolan post Dark-Knight had directed it he would have taken this movie to the conclusion/staring everyone in the face in regards to one of the main characters. 'Black Widow', nothing special about her or her fight scenes. The directors fears of the movie being rushed to production to soon in my opinion were justified and clearly evident. 'Justin Hammer' was more like 'Justin Timberlake', is he a bad guy or comic-relief? The classic storyline of how War Machine is introduced int he book is made a mockery in the film, and barley acknowledge. Another wasted opportunity. Guest appearance by another superhero in the movie, and I don't mean War Machine (Terrence Howard is missed) nor Nick Fury. Barely worthy of bootleg. Said Said Yenga Kakese Dibinga Director General, Bayindo Group SA POB 1782 Los Angeles, CA 90078-1782 em: s...@... skype: saiddibinga
Re: [scifinoir2] British Boy Legally Changes Name to Captain Fantastic Faster...
Isn't the Jedi religion officially recognized in England? I think they may be onto something. Or, is it ON something? On May 10, 2010, at 3:12 PM, Kelwyn wrote: http://www.geekologie.com/2008/11/british_boy_legally_changes_na.php British Boy Legally Changes Name To 'Captain Fantastic Faster Than Superman Spiderman Batman Wolverine The Hulk And The Flash Combined' but you can call him CFFTSSBWTHATFC for short. ~rave!
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Iron Man 2 - short review (no spoilers)
...as Nick Fury? On May 10, 2010, at 3:26 PM, Adrianne Brennan wrote: Ding! Thank you. ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 3:10 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: You mean Lawrence Fishburne? - Original Message - From: Adrianne Brennan adrianne.bren...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:50:58 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Iron Man 2 - short review (no spoilers) Blanking on who played Morpheus in The Matrix but he would've been a better casting IMHO. ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 2:42 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Great review. I'm indifferent about Sam Jackson as Nick Fury, but it's obvious the Ultimate Universe guys wanted him from the start, as the character's facial features were modeled on Sam's face from the get-go. I'd love to see Avery Brooks as Fury. Now, if they went back to the Caucasian fury of the mainstream Marvel world, I'd love to see Fury played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, recently of The Losers, also The Comedian from Watchmen. By the way, as an odd aside dealing with characters modeled on real life people, have you read any of Marvel's recent series, Secret Invasion/Dark Reign/Seige? Wonder why Norman Osborn is so obviously modeled on Tommy Lee Jones? - Original Message - From: Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockhart.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:18:28 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Iron Man 2 - short review (no spoilers) Yeah count me in the loved it column too. I thought Mickey Roarke was absolutely amazing, and considering how Whiplash is in the comics...WOW what an improvement. Terence Howard in the War Machine suit would have bored me to tears. Cheadle rocked it. I never believed that Tony and Rhodey were best friends in the first film. This time, I did. Also, I think the fact that Cheadle and RDJ are close in height really helped one particular scene out. Sam Rockwell is a genius. How do you steal a scene where you're playing a sucker? Scarlett as Black Widow. I gotta say...I bought it. I would have bought a whole CASE with Nona Gaye in the role, but otherwise...not bad. I loved that the suits get damaged. I loved the silly science. I loved the massive Avengers setup all throughout the movie. They have uncrowned Spider-Man as the center of the Marvel Movie universe. And, Ladies Gentlemen...this is the first movie I have liked Gwyneth Paltrow in since Shakespeare in Love!! She really is a warm blooded human (who apparently does not walk in heels much)! I think there are two major problems with Iron Man 2, and one is Jon Favreau...the actor. He needed to pull back a bit. Happy had too much screen time and lines. Also...I'm over Sam Jackson as Nick Fury. I think I'm over Sam Jackson, actually. He's become the same guy in every role. This is the same guy from XXX, and Shaft, and at this point, he could say get these m-f'in snakes off my m-f'in carrier and I wouldn' t blink. I'm just over it. As the Nick Fury scenes dragged on, I found myself wishing Avery Brooks or Dennis Haybert or, for that matter, Bruce Willis were in Jackson's place. That's how done I am. On a personal note: my son and I had a moment during the message to Tony scene that was awesome. Iron Man 2 does not stand alone. You must see #1 to get how good this is. For that reason, it stays out of my top 5 comic adaptation movies list. Otherwise, unless Scott Pilgrim is better than Kick-Ass, Iron Man 2 is the best comic adaptation of the year. Sony has a BIG problem. If they don't make Spider Man 4 work...they 're gonna have to give the property to Disney. On May 10, 2010, at 10:52 AM, Kelwyn wrote: I have been reading a lot of Iron Man 2 reviews. I gave it a rave! (http://blackplush.blogspot.com/2010/05/iron-marvel.html) primarily because I am comparing it to other Part 2s. I think it is infinitely more entertaining than both Batman Returns and Spider- Man 2. In fact, the only superhero sequel that may be better is Superman 2. It can be argued
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Iron Man 2 - short review (no spoilers)
Jeffrey Morgan would be great with the eyepatch, I give you that! But Avery Brooks would be the cool that Marvel is looking for. And his age would really give the scenes with Tony the dimension they want. I have Siege issues and have not read yet. I am so behind on graphic novels and indies I had to put all major pubs down after Brightest Day #1. On May 10, 2010, at 2:42 PM, Keith Johnson wrote: Great review. I'm indifferent about Sam Jackson as Nick Fury, but it's obvious the Ultimate Universe guys wanted him from the start, as the character's facial features were modeled on Sam's face from the get-go. I'd love to see Avery Brooks as Fury. Now, if they went back to the Caucasian fury of the mainstream Marvel world, I'd love to see Fury played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, recently of The Losers, also The Comedian from Watchmen. By the way, as an odd aside dealing with characters modeled on real life people, have you read any of Marvel's recent series, Secret Invasion/Dark Reign/Seige? Wonder why Norman Osborn is so obviously modeled on Tommy Lee Jones? - Original Message - From: Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockhart.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:18:28 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Iron Man 2 - short review (no spoilers) Yeah count me in the loved it column too. I thought Mickey Roarke was absolutely amazing, and considering how Whiplash is in the comics...WOW what an improvement. Terence Howard in the War Machine suit would have bored me to tears. Cheadle rocked it. I never believed that Tony and Rhodey were best friends in the first film. This time, I did. Also, I think the fact that Cheadle and RDJ are close in height really helped one particular scene out. Sam Rockwell is a genius. How do you steal a scene where you're playing a sucker? Scarlett as Black Widow. I gotta say...I bought it. I would have bought a whole CASE with Nona Gaye in the role, but otherwise...not bad. I loved that the suits get damaged. I loved the silly science. I loved the massive Avengers setup all throughout the movie. They have uncrowned Spider-Man as the center of the Marvel Movie universe. And, Ladies Gentlemen...this is the first movie I have liked Gwyneth Paltrow in since Shakespeare in Love!! She really is a warm blooded human (who apparently does not walk in heels much)! I think there are two major problems with Iron Man 2, and one is Jon Favreau...the actor. He needed to pull back a bit. Happy had too much screen time and lines. Also...I'm over Sam Jackson as Nick Fury. I think I'm over Sam Jackson, actually. He's become the same guy in every role. This is the same guy from XXX, and Shaft, and at this point, he could say get these m-f'in snakes off my m-f'in carrier and I wouldn' t blink. I'm just over it. As the Nick Fury scenes dragged on, I found myself wishing Avery Brooks or Dennis Haybert or, for that matter, Bruce Willis were in Jackson's place. That's how done I am. On a personal note: my son and I had a moment during the message to Tony scene that was awesome. Iron Man 2 does not stand alone. You must see #1 to get how good this is. For that reason, it stays out of my top 5 comic adaptation movies list. Otherwise, unless Scott Pilgrim is better than Kick-Ass, Iron Man 2 is the best comic adaptation of the year. Sony has a BIG problem. If they don't make Spider Man 4 work...they 're gonna have to give the property to Disney. On May 10, 2010, at 10:52 AM, Kelwyn wrote: I have been reading a lot of Iron Man 2 reviews. I gave it a rave! (http://blackplush.blogspot.com/2010/05/iron-marvel.html) primarily because I am comparing it to other Part 2s. I think it is infinitely more entertaining than both Batman Returns and Spider- Man 2. In fact, the only superhero sequel that may be better is Superman 2. It can be argued that The Dark Knight is the greatest sequel since The Godfather 2 but The Dark Knight is actually Batman VI. I also grade on a curve because of the speed with which this film was brought to the screen. As I state in my review, it could have easily been a train wreck of Batman and Robin proportions. And, against all odds, it isn't. By the by, I concur, big screen IMAX is the way to see this movie. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Said Kakese Dibinga s...@... wrote: I kept it as vague as possible for those that haven't seen the movie as yet. I give the movie a grade of 'C+'. The movie doesn't know what kind of movie it wants to be, a sure sign of too many studio notes on the script. It wasted a good villain in Whiplash and the sub- storyline involving Whiplash and Stark. I feel that if Christopehr Nolan post Dark-Knight had directed it he would have taken this movie to the conclusion/staring everyone in the face in regards
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Iron Marvel
Wow. I never heard an ABBA song until I was 19. that was 1989, I worked in a record store and one of those ABBA Gold/Bronze/Silver/ Platinum collections came out. It didn't go well. I think Mira Sorvino's right. there should be a Romy Michelle sequel. The most romantic nostalgic movie I've ever seen is Grosse Pointe Blank. How sad is it that my only complaint about the film is that there are no people of color in their graduating class? a musical for Generation X is a hard thing to do. Our music is so random. That, and I will never get kill da wabbit out of my head, is probably why I can't do musicals. What's weird is that I LOVE Bollywood. LOVE it. Can watch it all day. And I do. But put on Grease? and I'm out. On May 7, 2010, at 12:11 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: That much about the phenomenon I can understand, B. The Winner Takes It All is, for me, an intensely personal song, and was so even before I lost someone I loved dearly in HS, who also loved the song (it's how we met). On Fri, May 7, 2010 at 10:11 AM, B Smith daikaij...@yahoo.com wrote: One of the main reasons Mamma Mia(play and movie) did so well is the love for ABBA. It's the same reason concert promoters put together a billion dollars to try and lure them out of retirement for a handful of reunion concerts. It boggles the mind but ABBA was huge and their breakup at the height of their worldwide popularity only made them bigger. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan for the ladies... Amanda Seifreid (sp?) for the teen girls...corny music that's nonetheless fun and nostalgic, for the older (over 40 crowd)...over-the-top dancing and singing to that corny music for some of the gay men (no joke and no offense meant)...something harmless in tough times for those who just want to laugh for two hours. Even critics who weren't crazy about the movie said it was a harmless bit of fluff. As summer approaches, some women, older couples, and others who aren't in line for the superhero or animated blockbusters want something fun. Usually that's a breezy rom-com, and this fit the bill. it's why smart H'wood studios often make sure to place a movie like this in theatres at the same time all the summer blockbusters start making their appearances: they always find the audience that feels left out. The same formula appealed to the same audiences when Sex in the City was released. It did pretty decent bank, and i remember seeing all the demographics listed above in the theatre (yes, I went to see it with my wife) - Original Message - From: Kelwyn ravena...@... To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, May 6, 2010 1:50:29 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Iron Marvel Okay, Professor Johnson. Now, explain Mama Mia to me. ~rave? --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ wrote: That's not surprising at all. it's still a comic-based movie, and outside of comic lovers and those who follow Downey, it didn't initially have huge wide appeal. There was skepticism that yet another comic movie--based on a character not widely known/loved by the masses--would be mediocre, light Daredevil. The fact that was an obvious effects-type movie (due to the need for armor that flies) made some laugh or roll their eyes. There was the feeling in some circles that Downey--a widely acknowledged great actor--was basically slumming and taking a role for a paycheck. Such beliefs felt that it'd be more of a sad embarrassment, a silly thing were a failed actor is just trying to get paid. I know lots of people like my brother, who is a comics/scifi fan, who just stayed home because it wasn't Spider-Man, X-Men, or Trek. Parents who'd take their kids to Spider-Man or X-men weren't too sure it'd be either good or suitable for their kids, so elected for stuff like Kung Fu Panda, which was awesome, by the way. Once word-of-mouth got around, it did very well, but given how H'Wood is so focused on opening weekend numbers, it didn't do the high blockbuster numbers of the other movies you mentioned. It now has the benefit of all the word-of-mouth, the critics' raves, the people who saw it on DVD, more marketing this time around, some high-profile actors to generate buzz, and thus the second film will do much more bank. The same thing happened to Batman Begins, which did very well, but not shattering numbers. By the time Dark Knight came around, the first movie was so loved that the second flick did crazy numbers. - Original Message - From: Kelwyn ravenadal@ To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, May 6, 2010 11:54:07 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Iron Marvel What I found interesting about Iron Man 1 is that it was
Re: [scifinoir2] Can America get any dumber?
Well, that show should be shot in South Carolina, where they have properly spelled (and pronounced) TARNADAH warnings. To answer the question in the title...no. The fact that there is a debate over ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION means that the US should be barred from all intellectual conversations forever. On May 7, 2010, at 12:16 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: LMNAATWO So much stupidity in the species, so little time to account for it all (owing to too many sources to identify). On Fri, May 7, 2010 at 11:09 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://www.cbs8.com/global/story.asp?s=12430880 When I first heard about the misspelling of Julia Louis-Dreyfus' name on her Hollywood walk of fame star, I just assumed they had misspelled Dreyfus but they misspelled Louis as Luis. This reminds me of a recent episode of The United States of Tara where Tara's son became incensed because a local television station kept warning viewers of an impending tornado by repeatedly flashing a misspelled TONARDO warning. ~(no)rave! -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Iron Marvel
If I may, professor? James Bond + Meryl Streep + Musical = none of US may care, but this pretty much means most of the country is gonna go see it. I didn't see it until 2 months ago (and kept thinking of Goldeneye to stay awake) but my wife saw it opening week! She loves musicals and the cast was MADE for her to see it. People love musicals. People love Meryl Streep. People love a smooth dark haired man (Alec Baldwin, Pierce Brosnan, whatever) and people love weddings. Mamma Mia is movie magic made in a lab. Tested on Broadway! On May 6, 2010, at 1:50 PM, Kelwyn wrote: Okay, Professor Johnson. Now, explain Mama Mia to me. ~rave? --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: That's not surprising at all. it's still a comic-based movie, and outside of comic lovers and those who follow Downey, it didn't initially have huge wide appeal. There was skepticism that yet another comic movie--based on a character not widely known/loved by the masses--would be mediocre, light Daredevil. The fact that was an obvious effects-type movie (due to the need for armor that flies) made some laugh or roll their eyes. There was the feeling in some circles that Downey--a widely acknowledged great actor--was basically slumming and taking a role for a paycheck. Such beliefs felt that it'd be more of a sad embarrassment, a silly thing were a failed actor is just trying to get paid. I know lots of people like my brother, who is a comics/scifi fan, who just stayed home because it wasn't Spider-Man, X-Men, or Trek. Parents who'd take their kids to Spider-Man or X-men weren't too sure it'd be either good or suitable for their kids, so elected for stuff like Kung Fu Panda, which was awesome, by the way. Once word-of-mouth got around, it did very well, but given how H'Wood is so focused on opening weekend numbers, it didn't do the high blockbuster numbers of the other movies you mentioned. It now has the benefit of all the word-of-mouth, the critics' raves, the people who saw it on DVD, more marketing this time around, some high-profile actors to generate buzz, and thus the second film will do much more bank. The same thing happened to Batman Begins, which did very well, but not shattering numbers. By the time Dark Knight came around, the first movie was so loved that the second flick did crazy numbers. - Original Message - From: Kelwyn ravena...@... To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, May 6, 2010 11:54:07 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Iron Marvel What I found interesting about Iron Man 1 is that it was only the EIGHTH highest grossing movie of 2008 (worldwide). It wasn't even the second best SUPERHERO movie. That honor goes to Hancock (number 4 on the list). Iron Man 1 was beat out by Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda, James Bond Momma Mia and Marty the Zebra. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Martin Baxter martinbaxter7@ wrote: I'm gauging my money right now, because IM2 is on for a midnight showing at a theater just up the road from me. I don't doubt for a minute that it'll set the center-ring pole easily, but I'm still worried about what has to follow. I'm not from Missouri, but they're gonna have to show me. On Wed, May 5, 2010 at 12:23 PM, Kelwyn ravenadal@ wrote: http://blackplush.blogspot.com/2010/05/iron-marvel.html If Iron Man 2 is the first tent pole of the summer of 2010, Hollywood should sigh a huge sigh of relief. Iron Man 2 may be the best movie sequel since James Cameron's Aliens. I would invoke The Godfather 2 - possibly the greatest movie sequel ever - but, like Aliens, Iron Man 2 is still fun, retaining all the chills, spills and thrills of the original while spiffing up the whole enterprise with some honest-to-goodness grown-up angst, and taking it up a notch. http://blackplush.blogspot.com/2010/05/iron-marvel.html -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] National Anthem? Give 'em the Soul Finger!
The motion to adopt Soul Finger as national anthem is seconded. (Full disclosure: I grew up with the record playing at cookouts and such, but never actually owned it until it was included on Jarmusch's Mystery Train soundtrack.) that being said, nationalism at sporting events DOES have a place. It's just that Americans have messed it all up. Very soon, World Cup will begin. Witness a collection of the greatest athletes in the world on one stage. They play for different teams around the world, but come together to play for their flags. It is with a sense of pride that folks in the US, UK, and Asia applaud Mickael Essien and the rest of the Ghana Black Stars. We start talking smack about The Ivory Coast team, Japan's team, Korea, Germany...there will be flag waving. There will be songs sung. Because this is an international game, and World Cup is all about who the best in the World is. Unlike American sports. Where the World Series of Baseball is between the East coast and West coast of the United States. Unlike American sports, where you throw a ball with your hands and call it football. You put the New Orleans Saints against the New Zealand All Blacks and you have a massacre. Football, Cricket, Rugby, and Chess are games worthy of national pride and all of the nonsense (yes, that includes the violence sometimes) that comes with it. You wear a Chelsea shirt to a Manchester United match, or even a pub PLAYING the match in Manchester, and you may have to fight your way to the door. You wear a Mets shirt to a Yankees game and you get greeted with smiles. WTF? This is a country that teaches its children it's not whether you win or lose. YES, it IS. It's a COMPETITION. But I guess when you're also teaching same kids to cheat, it's all good. The US has sports backwards, in many many ways. The way nationalism is incorporated is just one. On Apr 27, 2010, at 10:23 AM, Kelwyn wrote: I listen to a local sports radio station religiously. This morning one of the co-hosts of the morning show were outraged that six young men in their rooting section did not remove their hats during the national anthem. The National Exaggeration was first played during the 1918 World Series - and it was played by mistake. To put this in perspective, the National League was founded in 1876 - forty-two years before the Star Spangled Banner was ever played at a sporting event. The Star Spangled Banner wasn't even officially declared the official national anthem until 1931 - fifty-five years after the first National League game was played. By 1941, the practice of playing the anthem before sporting events had achieved nearly universal status - sixty-five years after the first National League game was played. It related news, it may surprise you that the words In God We Trust didn't appear on American paper money until 1957. Religion has no place on our currency and mindless displays of patriotism have no place at sporting events. And, Wicket, I have the same disdain for you as I have for people who are supposed to have their heads bowed and their eyes closed during prayer: if their heads were down and their eyes were closed, they wouldn't be able to see my head wasn't bowed and my eyes were open. Ditto for you...if your hat was off and you were fully engaged in your shared expression of National pride, you would not have been able to see who was or was not wearing a hat. By the by, my national anthem is Soul Finger by the Bar-Kays.
Re: [scifinoir2] Soccer Player Flubs Goal From Inches Away
This was hilarious. Folks will be talking about this for YEARS! Gets my vote for miss of the decade. The century is too early to call. On Apr 27, 2010, at 12:11 AM, Keith Johnson wrote: Funny, looks like a young kid trying to learn to kick a ball. Even world class athletes make silly mistakes... http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/sow_experts/post/The-latest- worst-miss-ever?urn=sow,236778 Shocking misses can happen to anyone at any time, but the latest footballer to suffer international embarrassment by not scoring a goal he really, really should have is Kansas City Wizards striker Kei Kamara. In Saturday's MLS match against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Kamara found himself right in front of an open net with the ball mere inches from the goal. He was a little too eager to tap it in, though, and ended up falling on his rear end as he stretched to kick the ball in for the easy goal before knocking it in with his hand. He was quickly called for a handball and the game went on to end in a 0-0 draw. After the match, Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter still couldn't believe it: It was one of the most unbelievable things I've seen in soccer. It was unfortunate for Kamara but it was a handball and credit the linesman for seeing it. Video of the miss has already spread far and wide. The Sun is calling it a contender for miss of the century, but there are quite a few in the mix for that crown. Back in January, we featured another open net shocker from a bit farther out, then there was the now famous Rocky Baptiste's from December, but I think this miss from Dinamo Zagreb's Ilija Sivonjic last October might be even worse than Kamara's...
Re: [scifinoir2] Interesting blog post
Your friend needs a late pass. He is. Brave man, he is. On Apr 26, 2010, at 3:32 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: A friend of mine says that Tim Wise should be an honorary black man. On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 9:58 AM, Adrianne Brennan adrianne.bren...@gmail.com wrote: No idea if it's been posted here or not, but thought people may be interested in reading it: http://ephphatha-poetry.blogspot.com/2010/04/imagine-if-tea-party- was-black-tim-wise.html?spref=fb ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Facebook Sci-Fi Groups
I'm in 12 groups across social media and this is the best sci-fi discussion group I've ever been a part of. We could create social media presences for this group. That would grow the membership, and I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing. I like the energy Tracey started with, and with very few exceptions, it's remained that way all these years. Which is fantastic. What do you all think? Is it time for Sci-Fi Noir to take over the world? On Apr 22, 2010, at 6:50 AM, Martin Baxter wrote: Angela, I'm technically in a couple, but I haven't been in either for... I don't know *how* long. I have issues with that site. On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 10:21 PM, angelababycat asrobin...@mindspring.com wrote: I decided to enter the 21st century and finally set up a facebook page. Well, that's a week worth of work Anyway, I was searching sci-fi groups to see if any interested me and there's one called Fans of crappy sci-fi channel original movies. LMAO! But, seriously, anyone a fan of any sci-fi groups on facebook? Angela -- If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script? -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Leonard Nimoy set to retire
Well, Nimoy is one of the few who needs to announce his retirement. Otherwise, as he himself implies, nobody will ever let Zachary fill the role. That being said, I believe him as much as I did Michael Jordan or Jay Z. Leonard Nimoy will die during the production of some Star Trek or sci-fi related project. He will not stop working. ESPECIALLY if Abrams calls. For all the back and forth...Nimoy is Spock. And Spock goes away for years to think or paint (or take pictures, in this case), then comes back when the Federation needs him. On Apr 22, 2010, at 8:15 AM, Kelwyn wrote: I am always surprised when actors, writers or artists retire. Retire from what? In any of these professions, you always have the option not to work. In fact, for me, the most attractive thing about being a writer is not having to write. I recently saw The Back-Up Plan featuring 83 year-old Tom Bosley and 73 year-old Linda Lavin (not to mention 63 year-old Robert Klein). None of these people, who haven't been on film in - forever - have announced their retirements. Because there is no reason to. IMHO people retire either when they hate what they are doing for a living or when they are forced to (or when they are 90 year-old Supreme Court Justices who can't handle the workload any more). ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, brent wodehouse brent_wodeho...@... wrote: http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/tv/2010/04/19/13639516.html Entertainment TV Leonard Nimoy set to retire By KEVIN WILLIAMSON, QMI Agency Last Updated: April 19, 2010 Just when he thinks he's out, they beam him back in. How else to describe Leonard Nimoy's enduring, at times conflicted relationship with Star Trek, the franchise that's defined his career for more than four decades - regardless of how many times he swore it off or believed it was finished? Countless times, I thought it was done, he admits on the phone from Los Angeles. But this time, says the 79-year-old actor-director-photographer, there are no more possibilities. Spock, his pointy-eared alter-ego, will live long and prosper. But it will be without Nimoy. I want to get off the stage. Also, I don't think it would be fair to Zachary Quinto, he says, referring to the actor who portrayed a youthful Spock in last summer's smash Star Trek relaunch. He's a terrific actor, he looks the part, and it's time to give him some space. And I'm very flattered the character will continue. In other words, don't expect to see Nimoy in the next Trek sequel, scheduled for 2012. And don't expect to see him anywhere else, either. Having just shot what will be his final appearance as enigmatic genius Dr. William Bell in TV's Fringe, he says he's retiring from acting altogether. I've been doing this professionally for 60 years, he says with a laugh. I love the idea of going out on a positive note. I've had a great, great time. After all, his involvement with Fringe was never intended to be permanent. Rather, he'd only agreed to appear in a few episodes as a favour to J.J. Abrams, who produces Fringe and, of course, directed Star Trek. I was away from acting for 12 years, so I guess I was seducable, Nimoy says. But since J.J. Abrams revived the Star Trek franchise, I felt I owed him something. And I'm glad I did it because he promised me a good story, and it was. Also in question? How many more science-fiction conventions he has in his future. He'll be at this weekend's Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo which could be the last go-round for that too, he says, noting he only has a few more public appearances planned. Not that he doesn't enjoy them. He describes each one as a love fest. I'm so grateful to the fans. I call these kind of experiences a victory lap ... It's like having a family meeting - a family reunion. That goodwill mirrors how his own emotions about Trek have mellowed. Famously, his 1975 autobiography was entitled I Am Not Spock. By 1995, when he published his second autobiography, the title had been modified to I Am Spock. He explains he made peace with the iconic series during the 1980s and particularly with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, which he directed. I felt like Star Trek IV was my personal statement on Star Trek. Now, typecasting be damned, he feels no regrets about donning the ears that made him famous. Since Star Trek began in 1966, I've never had to worry about where the next job was. Rather, with his acting and filmmaking career behind him, he wants to concentrate on photography, citing an exhibition he has coming up in Massachusetts. He acknowledges he was met with skepticism initially about this latest creative venture, but I've built credibility now in the art world. And among the general population, too. He recalls an incident in which he and Tom Hanks were approached
Re: [scifinoir2] She shoots! She swears! She's 11!
Any parent who allows their kid to go see this film deserves what they get. There have been NO ads on any of the kids networks. The name of the movie is Kick Ass. And it's not like American parents are, oh I dunno, watching what their kids are READING , so this could have been dealt with over a YEAR ago. I have first prints of each issue of this book. #2 is even signed by Mark. Hit Girl is awesome. If I gotta sit through Transformers, then kids can stay home while I watch Kick Ass. By the way, Kick Ass now replaces Spider Man on my list of comic book movie adaptations. Because of this film, I will be checking for Scott Pilgrim. Daryle On Apr 16, 2010, at 11:05 AM, Keith Johnson wrote: If this were Japan, or S. Korea or France or Germany, no one would bat an eye at this violent, vulgar little girl. Still, I understand why some parents wouldn't want their kids to see the film. And that doesn't make one some kind of nutty ultra- conservative for not wanting, say, a ten year old to see this flick. But, gee, if only there were a way to shield children from R rated movies with problematic themes. If only there were some kind of way to protect children from TV programs and movies that are too adult for them. If only parents had the ability to--I don't know-- simply prevent their kids from seeing these movies by saying no... - Original Message - From: Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, April 16, 2010 10:10:30 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] She shoots! She swears! She's 11! Profanity-slinging kid does damage in Kick-Ass' By MARK CARO A pistols-wielding girl massacres a suite's worth of thugs, exchanges brutal blows with the kingpin and uses language that might make David Mamet blush - if only because it's coming out of the mouth of an 11-year-old girl. The movie may be called Kick-Ass, a title that already has some parents shielding their young'uns from the marketing campaign, but the pre-release publicity has focused less on the high school-age male title character than the diminutive Hit Girl, played by now-13- year-old Chloe Grace Moretz. One of the film's explicit trailers plays like Hit Girl's greatest hits, complete with her dropping f and c bombs and shooting a doorman through the cheek while dressed in a schoolgirl outfit. This is all played for kicks, of course. Director Matthew Vaughn's R-rated Kick-Ass, which opens Friday, is a comic book movie based on the work of Mark Millar and John S. Romita Jr., so everything is delivered inside giant, nothing-reallycounts quotation marks. Still, you can't forget that you are watching an 11-year-old girl causing violent mayhem and taking punches in the face from an adult, all while out-cussing Tony Soprano. Sure, you can't take your eyes off Hit Girl, but is this a good thing? I don't know that it means anything other than the destruction of civilization as we know it, joked film critic-historian Leonard Maltin. There's always that question of whether movies lead social change or reflect it. I always think the answer is somewhere in the middle, but there's no question that movies and TV shows have broken down or dissolved a lot of barriers of what is considered acceptable for men and women and boys and girls. Hit Girl certainly marks the extreme end of a progression that can be traced back a few decades. Audiences were shocked when Linda Blair spewed profanities and vomit as the12-year-old possessed girl of The Exorcist (1973), though they could console themselves that it was the devil's doing. Also in1973, Tatum O'Neal played the sassy-mouthed (PG-rated), cigarettesmoking, 9-year-old con artist of Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon; she became the youngest Oscar winner, for best supporting actress, the next year. Jodie Foster became another troubledgirl icon with her Oscar- nominated performance as the 12-year-old prostitute of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976). No cheap thrills were meant to be derived from her mean-streets situation; here was a girl who needed protection - and got it from Robert De Niro's unhinged title character. Yet the director's seriousminded intentions couldn't keep John Hinckley Jr. from being so smitten with Foster that he tried to impress her by shooting President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Thematically, the closest movie precedent to Hit Girl may be Natalie Portman's 12-year-old Mathilda, who learns hit man Jean Reno's tricks so she can avenge her murdered family in Luc Besson's The Professional (aka Leon, 1994). But Besson is ultimately a sentimentalist who spares Portman's character from doing the lethal work, whereas Vaughn isn't exactly concerned about Hit Girl getting blood on her hands. Or, as the Kick-Ass press notes state: Hit Girl is a sparky, spunky force of nature, likely to be an instant
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: She shoots! She swears! She's 11!
Yeah, so it's funny, my daughter's a five foot one inch girlie girl who I have seen snatch somebody up when they were trying to get in the way of her money. (She didn't know I was watching. She was about to punch a 250 pound dude in the throat). We go to the movies together like twice every year, and it HAS to be an action movie. This is a tradition we started when we went to see Kill Bill together opening day. She saw 300 before me. Now, this is a woman who has the complete Sex and the City series on DVD, and has a fancy shoe collection. This ain't Peppermint Patty. She's in touch with her complete self, and walks in that balance. She's seen more Bond movies than her boyfriend. Watching the Bond girls did something different for her. She takes the fashion cues from the women and drives like 007. (My insurance premiums are evidence of this) She's also a DJ and in law school. I think girls need (and like) to see empowering images just like we dudes do. It helps balance their personalities. On Apr 16, 2010, at 11:41 AM, Kelwyn wrote: I was more intrigued by the feminist aspect of the article: Yet don't assume that the reactions to Hit Girl will be anything close to universal. Melissa Silverstein, who writes the feminist blog Women and Hollywood(womenandhollywood.com), saw an advance screening of Kick-Ass and said she was surprised by how torn she felt. It was disturbing, but I was also empowered in the same moment, and that doesn't happen very often, Silverstein said. It just kind of flew into the face of all expectations of how girls act on screen, and that's what was so exciting and breathtaking. I couldn't help but feel some semblance of excitement as a person who's watched male comic book characters save the day time and time again. At the same time, though, she was ambivalent about someone who just kills people for the sake of killing, and the casual use of a certain very vulgar anti-female epithet bothered her. I saw all the boys sitting around me loving that, and they loved it a little too much. Reminds me of one of the most enjoyable movie experiences I have shared with my daughter (who was then 13 or 14). We watched Karyn Kusama's Girlfight starring my personal fave, Michelle Rodrigues (don't get me started on how pissed-off I was when I got the Fast and Furious DVD and found out that even though she was fourth billed, she was out of the movie almost before the opening credits!) and afterwards watching my five foot ten-inch tall daughter stand up straight and strong and form her hands into fists, then turning them and jabbing the air in replication of Rodriques' heavy bag technique. ~rave!
Re: [scifinoir2] Fwd: TN Man Enraged By Obama Sticker Slams SUV Into Car With 10 Year Old Child Inside
It's only been a few years since you wouldn't get this kind of treatment for supporting the wrong football team in the UK. There's no real escape from idiots. Every nation has them. The tea party is an interesting experiment. When it was Black and brown people defending themselves in Los Angeles, they were called terrorists and put on very serious government watch lists. Interesting. Here's what makes this discussion NOT OT: Isn't this kind of action the beginnings of what makes a storyline like Equilibrium a reality? What this segment of so-called conservatives are saying is that either we do things their way or they throw tantrums the likes of which destroy property and endanger life. Their latest tantrum is over a law signed by the President of the United States. Some are threatening to sue. The Federal Government. Here's a 10 year old girl who was in danger. Everyone is saying it's getting out of hand and someone's going to get hurt or killed. Maybe I read too many comic books, but something like this happened in a comic book recently. A law was passed. A segment of society went overboard trying to uphold the law. Everyone warned that something crazy was going to happen if it didn't calm down. Something blew up and kids were killed. These events started something called...Civil War. It ends with Captain America being killed. Maybe I read too many comic books, but uhm...this all feels familiar. On Mar 28, 2010, at 12:34 PM, Adrianne Brennan wrote: I'm starting to think a move to the UK wouldn't be so bad... ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html On Sat, Mar 27, 2010 at 6:08 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: Did anyone here read or see the story about the republican congressman that started getting death threats because of the health bill? They shot up his office and have been calling his phone. Here it is: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=2727763 On Sat, Mar 27, 2010 at 2:24 PM, Adrianne Brennan adrianne.bren...@gmail.com wrote: One word: batshit. ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html -- Forwarded message -- From: Loretta Kemsley lkems...@verizon.net Date: Sat, Mar 27, 2010 at 1:45 PM http://crooksandliars.com/logan-murphy/tn-man-enraged-obama-sticker- slams-su He said Harry Weisiger gave him the bird and rammed into his vehicle, after noticing an Obama-Biden sticker on his car bumper. Duren had just picked up his 10-year-old daughter from school and had her in the car with him. He pointed at the back of my car, Duren said, the bumper, flipped me off, one finger salute. Once he started driving again, down Blair Boulevard, towards his home, he said, I looked in the rear view mirror again, and this same SUV was speeding, flying up behind me, bumped me. Duren said he applied his brake and the SUV smashed into the back of his car. He then put his car in park to take care of the accident, but Weisiger started pushing the car using his SUV. Duren said, He pushed my car up towards the sidewalk, almost onto the sidewalk. -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Fwd: TN Man Enraged By Obama Sticker Slams SUV Into Car With 10 Year Old Child Inside
Had you said this a week ago, I'd agree. But it's only going to take one kid being killed for this to not be the media anymore. There weren't that many Klan members in the beginning, either. But economic conditions were bad, people needed jobs, and the y were able to convince unemployed, undereducated people that the reason they didn't have any money was because colored people were taking the jobs. Reading all 2 thousand some odd pages of the law, there's a LOT to be disturbed about, but running somebody down on the street? That's programmed behaviour. Someone thinks they're going to get on TV. And it worked. Now, they also believe that they're going to get MONEY by being on TV. Look at Joe The Plumber. This is a problem that is DIRECTLY centered around Palin and Limbaugh and those aspiring to be with/around around them. This is fanning flames because the President is Black. Make no mistake. If this were President Kerry doing this, there'd be no violence. Just a bunch of money raised and 2012 posters up. The stories of VP Edwards' love child would have destroyed the party enough. This is A Face In The Crowd, a film starring Andy Griffith. The media is overblowing it because there is a direct line to the media FROM these people and their supporters. Now how did THAT happen? There is a very clear way to defuse these people. Unplugging their mics. For some reason ( and that reason is, by the way, advertising revenue and ratings) nobody is choosing to ignore these people. Now what kind of ignore do I mean. You can do wonderful front page stories in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal about how irrelevant these people are, show their pictures, and within 60 days, they go away. Think not? When's the last time you saw the Klan on a TV talk show? The media did their campaign in the 80s and that was it. On Mar 28, 2010, at 1:29 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: I think that the antics by the tea baggers have been overblown by the media. There aren't that many of them, and when they do something stupid, which is almost daily, the republicans distance themselves. Very similar to the brown shirts in nazi germany. On Sun, Mar 28, 2010 at 10:15 AM, Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockhart.com wrote: It's only been a few years since you wouldn't get this kind of treatment for supporting the wrong football team in the UK. There's no real escape from idiots. Every nation has them. The tea party is an interesting experiment. When it was Black and brown people defending themselves in Los Angeles, they were called terrorists and put on very serious government watch lists. Interesting. Here's what makes this discussion NOT OT: Isn't this kind of action the beginnings of what makes a storyline like Equilibrium a reality? What this segment of so-called conservatives are saying is that either we do things their way or they throw tantrums the likes of which destroy property and endanger life. Their latest tantrum is over a law signed by the President of the United States. Some are threatening to sue. The Federal Government. Here's a 10 year old girl who was in danger. Everyone is saying it's getting out of hand and someone's going to get hurt or killed. Maybe I read too many comic books, but something like this happened in a comic book recently. A law was passed. A segment of society went overboard trying to uphold the law. Everyone warned that something crazy was going to happen if it didn't calm down. Something blew up and kids were killed. These events started something called...Civil War. It ends with Captain America being killed. Maybe I read too many comic books, but uhm...this all feels familiar. On Mar 28, 2010, at 12:34 PM, Adrianne Brennan wrote: I'm starting to think a move to the UK wouldn't be so bad... ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html On Sat, Mar 27, 2010 at 6:08 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: Did anyone here read or see the story about the republican congressman that started getting death threats because of the health bill? They shot up his office and have been calling his phone. Here it is: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=2727763 On Sat, Mar 27, 2010 at 2:24 PM, Adrianne Brennan adrianne.bren...@gmail.com wrote: One word: batshit. ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http:// www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon Dare to take The Oath in this erotic
Re: [scifinoir2] This is not a Test
Good call, rave. This, and Premium, where he co-stars with Zoe Saldana, are his best roles to date, in my opinion. I had to watch this movie twice to really get it, but the second time I totally got what Hill was doing. On Mar 18, 2010, at 10:49 AM, Kelwyn wrote: I caught This is not a Test starring Hill Harper and Robinne Lee on the Movie Channel last night. It is a tight, taut little psychological thriller about 9/11 conspiracy theorists that gives new meaning to the old adage that even paranoiacs have enemies. Hill Harper, who is given absolutely NOTHING to do on CSI:NY gives a riveting performance as a good man brought low by his rapid descent into apparent dementia. ~rave!
Re: [scifinoir2] Warner wants Wizard of Oz to be next Harry Potter
That horse is dead and dust. There's nothing to beat. Remaking the Wizard of Oz is a waste of time. It's only been done successfully once, so if you're gonna remake anything...remix The Wiz. On Mar 12, 2010, at 11:55 AM, Kelwyn wrote: With the Harry Potter franchise winding down, Warner Brothers has set their sights on building another franchise geared toward young adults based on one of the most popular films of all time, The Wizard of Oz. http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-oz-next-franchise.html?nc
Re: [scifinoir2] '80s Movie Gadgets You Know You Wanted
This list lacks. No Tron discs? No speech synthesizer from War Games? Best 80s gadgets were on TV anyway. - Flying motorcycles (with cloaking field) from Galactica 1980. - Teleport bracelets from Blake's 7 - PADD from TNG - Automan. Just...the whole show. I needed everything from that show. anybody else? On Mar 11, 2010, at 5:14 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: How could they not mention the James Bond car? Underwater driving. On Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 1:00 PM, brent wodehouse brent_wodeho...@thefence.us wrote: http://www.wesh.com/entertainment/22750028/detail.html Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add? fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Archie in love with black Pussycat
indeed. this will be a pretty good seller, methinks. Gotta share this story. On Feb 26, 2010, at 3:11 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: Is that Stevie's Jungle Fever I'm hearing in the background? Time to pick up a few Archie comics... If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: ravena...@yahoo.com Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:13:29 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Archie in love with black Pussycat http://africomics.com/comicbook_blog/2010/01/09/archie%E2%80%A6-and- valerie/ Fresh from jilting two wives, Archie Playa Andrews is moving on to the Pussycats, according to this morning's press release. We're not experts in Archie continuity — whether it be comic or strip — so we're not certain if these two have, er, fraternized before. Will Archie move on to Melody and Josie in a universe spanning x- ver? It's a Brand New Day for Archie for sure! Two of the greatest bands in comic book history hook up like never before when Josie and the Pussycats come to town to tour with The Archies. However, more than music is made on one starry night outside Archie's home, when there's a kiss that could change Riverdale forever. Is it possible that the pure-hearted, red-haired lead of The Archies is really falling in love with Valerie, the beautiful bassist/songwriter of Josie and the Pussycats? What will happen to Betty and Veronica? It Starts with a Kiss is the beginning of a tale to be continued. Don't miss out while the world watches to see if Archie and Valerie have what it takes to make their love survive. Look for part one in Archie #608, hitting stores this April! http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2010/01/06/archie- Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign up now.
Re: [scifinoir2] Archie in love with black Pussycat
She was using ARCHIE to get her kid to read more? Wow. How old's the kid? On Feb 26, 2010, at 3:26 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: Just another cheap attempt to revive a comic that no one reads. I only know one person that still reads Archie and she was buying it to get her daughter to read more. On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 7:13 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://africomics.com/comicbook_blog/2010/01/09/archie%E2%80%A6-and- valerie/ Fresh from jilting two wives, Archie Playa Andrews is moving on to the Pussycats, according to this morning's press release. We're not experts in Archie continuity — whether it be comic or strip — so we're not certain if these two have, er, fraternized before. Will Archie move on to Melody and Josie in a universe spanning x- ver? It's a Brand New Day for Archie for sure! Two of the greatest bands in comic book history hook up like never before when Josie and the Pussycats come to town to tour with The Archies. However, more than music is made on one starry night outside Archie's home, when there's a kiss that could change Riverdale forever. Is it possible that the pure-hearted, red-haired lead of The Archies is really falling in love with Valerie, the beautiful bassist/songwriter of Josie and the Pussycats? What will happen to Betty and Veronica? It Starts with a Kiss is the beginning of a tale to be continued. Don't miss out while the world watches to see if Archie and Valerie have what it takes to make their love survive. Look for part one in Archie #608, hitting stores this April! http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2010/01/06/archie- Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add? fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] The Complete List Of Sources Avatar's Accused Of Ripping Off -
It's the old hip-hop isn't original because the sound sources are sampled argument. Paint and photography ain't original either. Avatar was well done. At least Cameron sampled from an original crate. Hollywood's other ideas are so dry -- they remade The A-Team. On Feb 12, 2010, at 2:10 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: That's an impressive list. I am wondering at what point is it ok to have stories that are very similar? Floating cities, or islands in the sky have been around for a long time. There was one in Starblazers back in the 80s. On Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 9:19 AM, Tracey de Morsella tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com wrote: The Complete List Of Sources Avatar's Accused Of Ripping Off – http://io9.com/5460954/the-complete-list-of-sources-avatars-accused- of-ripping-off Avatar finally ended its stretch as America's #1 movie, but people are continuing to point out sources that James Cameron borrowed from. It's become a national pastime, our version of Banshee- catching. We've rounded up 16 sources that Cameron allegedly nabbed. image001.jpgDances With Wolves The similarities: A military man goes native and takes the side of the natives against his own army. Is there a case? James Cameron came out and admitted it, last summer. Other similar stories he looked at: At Play In The Fields Of The Lord and The Emerald Forest. Said Cameron, I just gathered all this stuff in and then you look at it through the lens of science fiction and it comes out looking very different but is still recognizable in a universal story way. image002.jpg Pocahontas The similarities: Fail Blog has a rundown of the overlaps — mostly they have to do with a guy going native and falling for a native woman, while his comrades want to run the natives out. Oh, and the native woman is betrothed to a native warrior guy, but she's not into him. Is there a case? At a very general thematic level, sure. image003.jpgCall Me Joe The similarities: As we wrote back in October, this 1957 novella by Poul Anderson has a lot of common ground with Cameron's movie: Like Avatar, Call Me Joe centers on a paraplegic - Ed Anglesey - who telepathically connects with an artificially created life form in order to explore a harsh planet (in this case, Jupiter). Anglesey, like Avatar's Jake Sully, revels in the freedom and strength of his artificial created body, battles predators on the surface of Jupiter, and gradually goes native as he spends more time connected to his artificial body. Is there a case? The website Litigation And Trial considered the merits of Anderson's claim, and noted that you can't copyright an idea — only your expression of the idea. (As the publishers of the source material for Rear Window found when they tried to sue Steven Spielberg over Disturbia.) Anderson's heirs would have to prove that Anderson originated the idea of someone controlling a hybrid alien body with his/her mind. image004.jpgRoger Dean's paintings The similarities: We ran a gallery of Dean paintings that look awfully similar to Cameron's vision a while back, and it is definitely striking how much correspondence there is — the floating mountains, the dragons, the weird fauna, the arch-shaped rock formations, etc. Dean posted a wry comment about it on his site, but has since deleted that blog post. (It was literally just a link to a google search for Roger Dean avatar.) Is there a case? A lot of people seem to think so. Entertainment Weekly asked Cameron about it, and he laughed it off, saying he might have been influenced by Dean back in my pot-smoking days. image005.jpg Delgo The similarities: This was a big meme before Avatar came out, and then people seemed to realize the two animated films didn't have that much in common. Mostly, they share a certain visual style, and they both have an emotional but strong female lead. Is there a case? No, not really. image006.jpg Battle For Terra The similarities: This one's a bit stronger than Delgo, actually. In both Avatar and Terra, humans arrive to exploit an alien planet full of cute natives. One human decides to take the side of the natives, and help them fight against the evil humans. Both movies have a tree of life and similiar structure, although there's no human-piloting-an-alien-body thing in Terra. Is there a case? Maybe a bit of one. But as one person points out here, Cameron was working on Avatar long before Terra was even in the pipeline. image007.jpgThe Winds Of Altair by Ben Bova The similarities: Bova's novel involves a planet that is uninhabitable to humans, due to its hostile environment. The humans adapt some of the local animals to do work for them, controlling them remotely via electronic brain implants, so the humans can stay safely on their orbiting ship. Eventually, they realize that making the planet habitable to humans will require wiping out all the native life
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Hollywood Extinction: Old Dinosaurs die at Box Office
Well, it's based on a BBC series that's about as old as China Syndrome. Which made it sort of hard for me to watch. There are so many great old BBC shows to remake, why that one? Just seemed like a bad idea that will probably explain itself in somebody's book one day. Unless Universal is gonna remake EastEnders, I say just leave it all alone. BBC stories seem to be doing okay without any help or translation. On Feb 17, 2010, at 9:48 AM, Kelwyn wrote: I saw Extraordinary Measures (big sneak preview crowd) but Mel looks old and small and the brutal story just pummels you. Add to that a disturbing strain of misogyny - two young women (including the one playing Mel's daughter) are taken out with extreme prejudice. Further, Measures feels dated (like it should be on a twin bill with The China Syndrome). ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Daryle Lockhart dar...@... wrote: This is a good point I think, especially where From Paris is concerned. Put that same movie out between some summer pictures and it plays just fine. February was a horrible time for it, plus, let's be honest, until Travolta is totally OK, NONE of these pictures are going to do well. He's not promoting them, and folks want to hear from John. You could add The Spy Next Door to this list, but then you have The Shinjuku Incident, Jackie Chan's first dramatic role, a movie that just came out, which was in hella limited release. It's clear to me that Jackie is doing the family movies because he keeps getting hired. his passion seems to be elsewhere. Maybe it's the same with these other actors. Extraordinary Measures could star Will Smith, it would still be a movie made for TV, and as such, would not have done as well. Edge Of Darkness was a bad idea, and I'm afraid it's going to be the first of many bad ideas to come out in 2010 that will fail. NO argument that it died - it should have. Also, it's not that these actors are old, because remember Jennifer's Body? That was supposed to be a slam dunk. Who was more popular than Megan Fox? But the movie was horrible and was mismarketed. A good poster does not a marketing campaign make! Give the old guys a break. On Feb 16, 2010, at 8:56 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: I think the timing was wrong for all three films. In the case of Ford's film they should have waited for the interviews about the movie to happen before the movie was released. Better still timed it with another medical movie. It doesn't help if the movie is mediocre as well. On Tue, Feb 16, 2010 at 12:54 PM, Kelwyn ravena...@... wrote: Harrison Ford's Extraordinary Measures grosses $12 million (budget:$31 million) John Travolta's From Paris with Love grosses $17.9 million (budget:$52 million) Mel Gibson's Edge of Darkness grosses $37 million (budget: $80 million) Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add? fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Hollywood Extinction: Old Dinosaurs die at Box Office
I disagree. We're talking Lionsgate here - they hit a homerun with Tyler Perry ( who is his own marketing engine) but they keep stumbling around with stuff like Crank and Spy Next Door. I don't think they've found their stride in action movies yet. But WOW are you ever right about Eli coming out at Christmas. It never would have survived. On Feb 17, 2010, at 9:51 AM, Kelwyn wrote: I disagree with Paris being a summer movie. If it was a summer movie, it would have played in the summer. It was dumped in February for a reason - a good reason as it turns out. Case in point, The Book of Eli with its religious theme, should have been a Christmas movie. But it would have gotten crushed on Christmas Day. It's studio strategically placed it in the perfect window to be successful. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@... wrote: I agree about From Paris being a summer time movie. The Jackie Chan movie too. Ford's movie is just a loose rip off of Lorenzo's oil which from what I'm hearing is a better film. It does however bring to light the serious issue of research not being done of rare diseases because it isn't good business. Edge of darkness seems more like a rip off of Taken (Liam Neeson). On Tue, Feb 16, 2010 at 6:13 PM, Daryle Lockhart dar...@...wrote: This is a good point I think, especially where From Paris is concerned. Put that same movie out between some summer pictures and it plays just fine. February was a horrible time for it, plus, let's be honest, until Travolta is totally OK, NONE of these pictures are going to do well. He's not promoting them, and folks want to hear from John. You could add The Spy Next Door to this list, but then you have The Shinjuku Incident, Jackie Chan's first dramatic role, a movie that just came out, which was in hella limited release. It's clear to me that Jackie is doing the family movies because he keeps getting hired. his passion seems to be elsewhere. Maybe it's the same with these other actors. Extraordinary Measures could star Will Smith, it would still be a movie made for TV, and as such, would not have done as well. Edge Of Darkness was a bad idea, and I'm afraid it's going to be the first of many bad ideas to come out in 2010 that will fail. NO argument that it died - it should have. Also, it's not that these actors are old, because remember Jennifer's Body? That was supposed to be a slam dunk. Who was more popular than Megan Fox? But the movie was horrible and was mismarketed. A good poster does not a marketing campaign make! Give the old guys a break. On Feb 16, 2010, at 8:56 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: I think the timing was wrong for all three films. In the case of Ford's film they should have waited for the interviews about the movie to happen before the movie was released. Better still timed it with another medical movie. It doesn't help if the movie is mediocre as well. On Tue, Feb 16, 2010 at 12:54 PM, Kelwyn ravena...@... wrote: Harrison Ford's Extraordinary Measures grosses $12 million (budget:$31 million) John Travolta's From Paris with Love grosses $17.9 million (budget:$52 million) Mel Gibson's Edge of Darkness grosses $37 million (budget: $80 million) Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/ add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Hollywood Extinction: Old Dinosaurs die at Box Office
This is a good point I think, especially where From Paris is concerned. Put that same movie out between some summer pictures and it plays just fine. February was a horrible time for it, plus, let's be honest, until Travolta is totally OK, NONE of these pictures are going to do well. He's not promoting them, and folks want to hear from John. You could add The Spy Next Door to this list, but then you have The Shinjuku Incident, Jackie Chan's first dramatic role, a movie that just came out, which was in hella limited release. It's clear to me that Jackie is doing the family movies because he keeps getting hired. his passion seems to be elsewhere. Maybe it's the same with these other actors. Extraordinary Measures could star Will Smith, it would still be a movie made for TV, and as such, would not have done as well. Edge Of Darkness was a bad idea, and I'm afraid it's going to be the first of many bad ideas to come out in 2010 that will fail. NO argument that it died - it should have. Also, it's not that these actors are old, because remember Jennifer's Body? That was supposed to be a slam dunk. Who was more popular than Megan Fox? But the movie was horrible and was mismarketed. A good poster does not a marketing campaign make! Give the old guys a break. On Feb 16, 2010, at 8:56 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: I think the timing was wrong for all three films. In the case of Ford's film they should have waited for the interviews about the movie to happen before the movie was released. Better still timed it with another medical movie. It doesn't help if the movie is mediocre as well. On Tue, Feb 16, 2010 at 12:54 PM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: Harrison Ford's Extraordinary Measures grosses $12 million (budget:$31 million) John Travolta's From Paris with Love grosses $17.9 million (budget:$52 million) Mel Gibson's Edge of Darkness grosses $37 million (budget: $80 million) Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add? fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Riddick 3 Is On Its Way
I like the Riddick story and all, but if Thandie ain't in #3 (and she pretty much shouldn't) I'll catch it at the redbox. On Feb 13, 2010, at 6:23 AM, Aubrey Leatherwood wrote: Just sayin' Tracey, no resemblance in that area :) I am really excited that the movie is greenlit, although I'm conflicted about the return to Pitch Black atmosphere. I love that movie and it's small quarters grit, but I love Chronicles for its bigness and hubris. Hmmm, whatever it turns out to be, I'm sure I will see it. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace Dime Can Nicole resist the call of the stage or the call of her heart? Imperfection A tale of perfect commitment, perfect love... and perfect sex. The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 CAPA and PSYCHE AWARD NOMINEE FOR 2009 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 03:17:45 -0800 Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Riddick 3 Is On Its Way Oh my…… From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Aubrey Leatherwood Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 3:00 AM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Riddick 3 Is On Its Way I get the similarity. The nose, the mouth, but I've never naturally made that connection. Maybe I'm distracted by the regions below the neck. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace Dime Can Nicole resist the call of the stage or the call of her heart? Imperfection A tale of perfect commitment, perfect love... and perfect sex. The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 CAPA and PSYCHE AWARD NOMINEE FOR 2009 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: astromancer2...@yahoo.com Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:56:17 -0800 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Riddick 3 Is On Its Way This is a question that I've been dying to ask...Does Vin Diesel remind any of you of Jose Ferrer? Such music flows on the Fringe, and no one can resist singing to Scarlet From THE SIDE STREET CHRONICLES by C.W. Badie --- On Sat, 2/13/10, Tracey de Morsella tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com wrote: From: Tracey de Morsella tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com Subject: [scifinoir2] Riddick 3 Is On Its Way To: scifino...@yahoogroups..com, ggs...@yahoo.com, CINQUE cinque3...@verizon.net Date: Saturday, February 13, 2010, 1:22 AM Riddick 3 Is On Its Way - http://io9.com/ 5470466/riddick- 3-is-on-its- way Fans of gravelly-voiced bald scifi heroes rejoice: Universal has announced that it will be releasing a third Chronicles of Riddick movie in the US, with international rights being auctioned off at the Berlin Film Festival. The third movie, to be titled Riddick, will be written and directed by the man behind the first two movies in the series, David Twohy, and co-produced by Twohy and star Vin Diesel. Although plot details are unreleased, Variety suggests that the movie will be closer in tone to Pitch Black than Chronicles. http://io9.com/ 5470466/riddick- 3-is-on-its- way E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514) Database version: 6.14350 http://www.pctools. com/spyware- doctor-antivirus / Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now. E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514) Database version: 6.14350 http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor-antivirus/ E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514) Database version: 6.14350 http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor-antivirus/ Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign up now.
Re: [scifinoir2] Riddick 3 Is On Its Way
Oh I'm all for alternate nubile beauties. I just prefere them to be Gen X. Who'd you have in mind? On Feb 13, 2010, at 7:52 AM, Aubrey Leatherwood wrote: What if it's not Thandie but some other nubile beauty? Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace Dime Can Nicole resist the call of the stage or the call of her heart? Imperfection A tale of perfect commitment, perfect love... and perfect sex. The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 CAPA and PSYCHE AWARD NOMINEE FOR 2009 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: dar...@darylelockhart.com Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 07:48:46 -0500 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Riddick 3 Is On Its Way I like the Riddick story and all, but if Thandie ain't in #3 (and she pretty much shouldn't) I'll catch it at the redbox. On Feb 13, 2010, at 6:23 AM, Aubrey Leatherwood wrote: Just sayin' Tracey, no resemblance in that area :) I am really excited that the movie is greenlit, although I'm conflicted about the return to Pitch Black atmosphere. I love that movie and it's small quarters grit, but I love Chronicles for its bigness and hubris. Hmmm, whatever it turns out to be, I'm sure I will see it. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace Dime Can Nicole resist the call of the stage or the call of her heart? Imperfection A tale of perfect commitment, perfect love... and perfect sex. The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 CAPA and PSYCHE AWARD NOMINEE FOR 2009 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 03:17:45 -0800 Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Riddick 3 Is On Its Way Oh my…… From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Aubrey Leatherwood Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 3:00 AM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Riddick 3 Is On Its Way I get the similarity. The nose, the mouth, but I've never naturally made that connection. Maybe I'm distracted by the regions below the neck. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace Dime Can Nicole resist the call of the stage or the call of her heart? Imperfection A tale of perfect commitment, perfect love... and perfect sex. The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 CAPA and PSYCHE AWARD NOMINEE FOR 2009 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: astromancer2...@yahoo.com Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:56:17 -0800 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Riddick 3 Is On Its Way This is a question that I've been dying to ask...Does Vin Diesel remind any of you of Jose Ferrer? Such music flows on the Fringe, and no one can resist singing to Scarlet From THE SIDE STREET CHRONICLES by C.W. Badie --- On Sat, 2/13/10, Tracey de Morsella tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com wrote: From: Tracey de Morsella tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com Subject: [scifinoir2] Riddick 3 Is On Its Way To: scifino...@yahoogroups..com, ggs...@yahoo.com, CINQUE cinque3...@verizon.net Date: Saturday, February 13, 2010, 1:22 AM Riddick 3 Is On Its Way - http://io9.com/ 5470466/riddick- 3-is-on-its- way Fans of gravelly-voiced bald scifi heroes rejoice: Universal has announced that it will be releasing a third Chronicles of Riddick movie in the US, with international rights being auctioned off at the Berlin Film Festival. The third movie, to be titled Riddick, will be written and directed by the man behind the first two movies in the series, David Twohy, and co-produced by Twohy and star Vin Diesel. Although plot details are unreleased, Variety suggests that the movie will be closer in tone to Pitch Black than Chronicles. http://io9.com/ 5470466/riddick- 3-is-on-its- way E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514) Database version: 6.14350 http://www.pctools. com/spyware- doctor-antivirus / Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now. E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514) Database version: 6.14350 http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor-antivirus/ E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514) Database version: 6.14350 http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor-antivirus/ Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign up now. Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. Get it now.
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: movie review: A bittersweet life
Bollywood Sundays were a limited run, a series that was originally started to support the Bollywood Hero mini-series they made. All of the movies actually ran twice ( Jab We Met is one of my all time favorites) -- IFC is aware that people want them to come back, but somebody has to pay for the licensing. Esurance was the original sponsor for Sunday Bollywood. No official word on when the films will return, but if anybody knows any sponsors who should be interested, hit 'em up! I've noticed that since the Sunday Bollywood showings caught on, every major Bollywood release has been in theaters in the US. I'm in Charlotte (a market that doesn't get ANYTHING) and have seen everything opening weekend since last year this time. Daryle On Feb 10, 2010, at 5:42 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: They really love their viewers... :P If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:50:10 -0800 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: movie review: A bittersweet life I checked IFC and there's no reply to the comments on the website. A lot of people are disappointed. On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 12:41 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com wrote: I wonder why they've been pulling them, and stopped showing those Sundays on IFC. I used to set my clock by them. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:28:44 -0800 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: movie review: A bittersweet life I saw Snoop Dogg in one movie recently. Unfortunately, IFC stopped showing the Bollywood movies on Sunday mornings. :( I have yet to see one that was at least a 4 out of 5 so far. Netflix has been removing some of the movies that I picked from my list due to various reasons. On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 12:18 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com wrote: Yes, Mr Worf, they do make watching a hit-or-miss proposition. I saw The Don on IFC once. I think. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:30:36 -0800 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: movie review: A bittersweet life Yea. The same for Bollywood as well. They use the older method and it is effective. There is a guy in some of the Bollywood movies that borrows from Jackie Chan (jumps, shimming down pipes etc.) but they rarely go overboard or do the quake cam. His name is Shah Rukh Khan. (Check out the Don) The problem with Bollywood is that they use too many of the bad styles that make their movies look like they were shot by Hype Williams. On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 11:15 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Compare the fight scenes of this and other Asian films you watch with American fight scenes. As discussed ad nauseum, I'm really despairing of so much American action fare, which is horribly choreographed. If you list Transformers, Crank, G.I. Joe, and other stuff, it's beyond ridiculous. I honestly couldn't see or register one clear punch or kick in Joe, the camera moved so much. It's been my experience that Asian cinema is much better at fast action that one can still follow, due to better usage of the camera, more long shots that let you see the total scene and the fighters whole bodies, and less frenetic scene shifts. Is that the case in the stuff you're watching? - Original Message - From: Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 7:02:00 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: movie review: A bittersweet life Added to my list. I am on somewhat of a South Korean cinema binge. Watched A Dirty Carnaval (Biyeolhan geor) last night. Overall, I didn't care much for it but the fight scenes were brutal and realistically choreographed. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@... wrote: Movie Review: Dalkomhan Insaeng aka A Bittersweet Life, directed by Kim Jee-Woon Made in South Korea, this is a mob story about a very sharp mob enforcer named Kim. Kim’s boss runs a large hotel downtown. One evening he is asked to take care of a situation in one of the private rooms in the restaurant that is being held by three members of a rival gang. Kim goes into the room and counts to three for them to leave. On the count of three he leaps on top of the table kicking one thug in the face, while punching another. The
Re: [scifinoir2] Precious Among Big Oscar Nominees
I think District 9 and Avatar have no business on this list. For the criteria they're using for Avatar, Star Trek may as well have been nominated, and I also think that if there was no Avatar this year, there's a good chance Star Trek WOULD have been on that list. Until Avatar came out, we were clearly talking about Precious and the Hurt Locker for Best Picture. The ten nominee list is for ratings, but then again, the whole reason the show is on TV is to sell ads. The Academy could care less what regular people think. That being said, I completely agree that Up should be nominated for Best Picture. It was one of the best MADE pictures all year. To Keith's point, having ten nominees lets everything in, and thus, The Blind Side. This is the best marketed B-movie of the year. It's not that I hated this film, I just think it belonged on television. It's not excellent in any way, whereas with Precious, you can find moments (scattered, yes) of absolute brilliance. Mo'Nique deserves this award and I think everyone else nominated for Best Supporting Actress knows it. The Princess And The Frog nominated for Best Animated Feature is a great, great call, I think, because the animation work on it was really good. It's good to see a classic animated feature get recognized. All in all, this award show will probably be as boring as last year's, with the exception of some upsets and Mo'Nique's speech. On Feb 2, 2010, at 6:23 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: None of those movies should have been nominated for picture of the year. On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 8:19 AM, Mike Street streetfor...@gmail.com wrote: I agree..they just giving out awards so they can get ratings. The Oscars super BORING like watching paint dry. I think Precious would be winning all the awards if Avatar wasn't in the mix. I'd be shocked if Avatar lost at this point. Grossing some 2bn worldwise does that make Avatar to big to fail? On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 11:15 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Props to Lee Daniels, Monique, and Gabourey Sadibe for their Oscar nominations for Precious. But, ten movies nominated for Best Picture? Wow, that just let everything in. I mean, I know Avatar is a great *looking* film, but is it a great film in toto: acting, writing, plotting? I guess this dovetails with the conversation about crowd-fav Taylor Swift getting all those awards. The Academy is desperate to get more viewers for its show, so they've opened up the Best Picture category in hopes that it will generate more buzz. Hell, if they're going to let this many in, maybe I need to grab a vid cam and slap something together for next year. http://www.imdb.com/features/rto/2010/oscars -- Get Social and Follow Me: Join me on Facebook http://facebook.com/mikestreet Follow me on Twitter Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/streetforce1 Join the Harlem NY Community http://www.facebook.com/harlemny and at http://HarlemSocial.com -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Alba Making Effort to Embrace Latina Heritage
It's not hard to find anymore. It's on Amazon and on demand. I met the filmmaker at Sundance and helped get him more aggressively online. He owns online distribution to his film but IMage Entertainment owns the DVD. Daryle Lockhart On Feb 1, 2010, at 10:23 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: Its hard to find but pretty good. It doesn't get played much because it is a little harsh towards white folks. On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 7:01 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: No, never seen it. Was it any good? - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, February 1, 2010 8:48:36 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Alba Making Effort to Embrace Latina Heritage Ever see the movie Chameleon Street? It was about a black man that impersonated different people to make more money. I think that it was mostly out of a misguided sense of black rage. Very interesting movie. here is more info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101561/ On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 4:32 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: yeah, it's a complicated thing, alright. I sometimes thank God that I can in no way, no how, pass as anything but black, and have therefore never faced the fear/temptation of doing so. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, February 1, 2010 5:30:17 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Alba Making Effort to Embrace Latina Heritage In California it is quite common to meet people of Mexican and or Central and South American heritage that do not know how to speak Spanish. It always bothered me that they would deny that part of themselves in order to pass as white. They see all of the benefits that passing brings and quickly push down that part of themselves if they have anglo features. One friend of mine calls it the banana effect. Brown on the outside, white on the inside. Its one of those topics that doesn't get discussed very often especially on a large scale. On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 10:03 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: I guess that's the blessing and curse of living in a heterogeneous society: it's easy, perhaps even expected, to succeed without having to hold on to all aspects of one's cultural heritage. I went to school with a lot of Mexicans back in Texas, and many of them couldn't speak Spanish. (Typically at that time it was those who tried very hard to assimilate, only dating white people, mispronouncing their Spanish names with Anglicized pronounciations). Some even denied they were Mexican when asked. I can recall friends of both genders dealing with parents who insisted they not speak Spanish, and who pushed them toward marrying whites-- or at the least, light-skinned Mexicans who also had left that part of their heritage behind. There was a clear schism between those Mexicans who embraced their heritage, and those who didn't, whom their fellows derided as trying to be white. Whether they were or not, it's always made me a little sad at people who can no longer speak the language of their ancestors, or who know little about their non-white, non-American heritage when those things are there for the taking. I guess as a black man whose link to much of my history is severed, I've always had a feeling of How could you *not* embrace your heritage? I can recall many times in high school and college when whites would have long discussions about their ancestry, tracing their family lines back to England, Scotland, Ireland, etc. I used to hate when they'd turn to me for my genealogy. Far as I could get was Louisiana, and mutter some vagueness about the general part of West Africa that was my likely origin. How, i've always wondered, can people who have such wealth of knowledge right in front of them *not* pursue it? I guess some cynics will say Alba's only doing this for monetary gain: so she can access a new stream of movies and stuff, the same way some feel Jennifer Lopez started embracing her Latina heritage fully once Latin music became popular and lucrative in the States. (Some said the same about Racque Welch exploring her Latin roots in recent years). Hopefully she just genuinely wants to explore a part of her makeup that's heretofore been neglected. Maybe she can give Tiger Woods a call. :) * http://blog.taragana.com/e/2010/01/30/alba-gets-serious-about-spanish-85683/ JESSICA ALBA is taking Spanish lessons, so she can sign up for Latin movies and feel more confident when talking about her Mexican heritage. The actress admits she confused a lot of journalists when she first became a star - because she looked Latino but couldn’t speak the lan guage. Her lack of Spanish led to criticism
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Sexy Blue Women
Nah, I'm gonna go with Zhaan. The idea of Farscape was okay to me before the premiere, but it's the image of Virginia in the blue makeup that sold me on the first episode. So if I had to choose, I'd go with Zhaan as my #1 and Lyssa ( gotta represent for the Corps) as #2. While we're on the subject of the Na'Vi, though, I'd have to go with Grace(Sigourney Weaver)'s Avatar over Neytiri. Neytiri was pretty much a brat for the whole first half of the story, and it looked (to me) like Grace got her Avatar engineered to be a little more, shall we say, top heavy than the rest of the Na'Vi women. On Dec 22, 2009, at 11:21 AM, Kelwyn wrote: This is funny. This thread should be titled Not only is Zoe Saldana's Neytiri NOT the sexiest woman we have ever seen, she is not even the sexiest BLUE woman we've ever seen! First of all, if you are creating the sexiest woman, you don't start with a Zoe Saldana template (see Rebecca Romijn). For my money, the sexiest blue woman was the pregnant Sue Storm as essayed by the Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #70. http://www.comics.org/issue/21593/cover/4/?style=default http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=570019gsub=82417 In 1968, Mr. Kirby couldn't realistically portray Sue Storm's pregnancy (they never showed a baby bump) he blew up Sue's breasts and gave her a stupid hip to waist ratio. Zing! went the strings of my 12 year-old heart! Alas, the powers that be had Kirby tone down Sue's bodaciousness in the next issue and for the rest of his reign. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Tracey de Morsella tdli...@... wrote: Sexy Blue Women http://io9.com/5431487/sexy-blue-women James Cameron has talked a great deal about how he designed Neytiri, Avatar's main female character, to be incredibly sexy. But is she really the sexiest blue woman you've ever seen? We take a look at the competition. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/io9/2009/12/zoe-saldana-as- neytiri.jpg Neytiri (Avatar): She's tough as carbon-reinforced nails, a crack hunter, and could crush you with her bare hands. Plus, she's been specifically engineered by James Cameron to make you want to sleep with her. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/8/2009/12/mystique.jpg http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/ 8/2009/12/500x_mystique.jpgMystique (X-Men): She's a shapeshifting spy and powerful leader against the world's anti-mutant forces, though her ethics are questionable. And let's not forget her statuesque appearance, one that demanded Rebecca Romijn play her in the movies. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/io9/2009/12/ nocturne_taliawagner__head .jpgNocturne (Marvel): Mystique's granddaughter by an alternate reality Nightcrawler and Scarlet Witch, Nocturne has inherited her father's strange physiology (right down to the tail). On top of that, she shares Nightcrawler's acrobatic abilities and is a master contortionist. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/io9/2009/12/ smurfs_tv_show_surprised_s murfette_01.jpgSmurfette (The Smurfs): She's cute, and despite being created as an evil creature by Gargamel, manages to overcome her nature and become a happy Smurfing Smurf. Plus, the entire Smurf village is in love with her - although that may have more to do with her status as the sole female Smurf than her inherent appeal. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/8/2009/12/talas-official- wallpaper-st ar-trek-enterprise-7090911-800-600_01.jpg http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/8/2009/12/500x_talas- official-wallpape r-star-trek-enterprise-7090911-800-600_01.jpgTalas (Enterprise): If you prefer a woman who's handy with a phaser, Talas might be your blue gal. The Andorian lieutenant isn't above using her feminine wiles to get the job done, but failing that, she's more than ready to fight. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/8/2009/12/ saberwiki_swcreators_aayla_ secura_aayla.jpg http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/ 8/2009/12/500x_saberwiki_swcreators_aa yla_secura_aayla.jpgAayla Secura (Star Wars): Twi'lek's are considered especially beautiful by the various peoples of the galaxy far, far away - something that has left them both tragically vulnerable to slavery and powerful in the art of seduction. Aayla Secura pairs her appearance with great strength in the Force, rising to Jedi Master and fighting in the Clone Wars. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/io9/2009/12/zhaan01.jpgZhaan (Farscape): Yes, she belongs to a species of sentient plants, but Zhaan is as hot-blooded as any being on the far side of the universe. She's a priestess and a revolutionary, as skilled with meditation as she is with making bombs. Just don't get on her bad side; Zhaan murdered the man she saw as a traitor to her people, even though he was her own lover. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Sexy Blue Women
Yeah I feel you. I had Nichelle Nichols and Persis Khambatta in Star Trek TMP = I was never the same again. On Dec 22, 2009, at 11:50 AM, Kelwyn wrote: Now, imagine if you had seen Zhaan when you were twelve! ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Daryle Lockhart dar...@... wrote: Nah, I'm gonna go with Zhaan. The idea of Farscape was okay to me before the premiere, but it's the image of Virginia in the blue makeup that sold me on the first episode. So if I had to choose, I'd go with Zhaan as my #1 and Lyssa ( gotta represent for the Corps) as #2. While we're on the subject of the Na'Vi, though, I'd have to go with Grace(Sigourney Weaver)'s Avatar over Neytiri. Neytiri was pretty much a brat for the whole first half of the story, and it looked (to me) like Grace got her Avatar engineered to be a little more, shall we say, top heavy than the rest of the Na'Vi women. On Dec 22, 2009, at 11:21 AM, Kelwyn wrote: This is funny. This thread should be titled Not only is Zoe Saldana's Neytiri NOT the sexiest woman we have ever seen, she is not even the sexiest BLUE woman we've ever seen! First of all, if you are creating the sexiest woman, you don't start with a Zoe Saldana template (see Rebecca Romijn). For my money, the sexiest blue woman was the pregnant Sue Storm as essayed by the Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #70. http://www.comics.org/issue/21593/cover/4/?style=default http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp? piece=570019gsub=82417 In 1968, Mr. Kirby couldn't realistically portray Sue Storm's pregnancy (they never showed a baby bump) he blew up Sue's breasts and gave her a stupid hip to waist ratio. Zing! went the strings of my 12 year-old heart! Alas, the powers that be had Kirby tone down Sue's bodaciousness in the next issue and for the rest of his reign. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Tracey de Morsella tdlists@ wrote: Sexy Blue Women http://io9.com/5431487/sexy-blue-women James Cameron has talked a great deal about how he designed Neytiri, Avatar's main female character, to be incredibly sexy. But is she really the sexiest blue woman you've ever seen? We take a look at the competition. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/io9/2009/12/zoe-saldana- as- neytiri.jpg Neytiri (Avatar): She's tough as carbon-reinforced nails, a crack hunter, and could crush you with her bare hands. Plus, she's been specifically engineered by James Cameron to make you want to sleep with her. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/8/2009/12/mystique.jpg http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/ 8/2009/12/500x_mystique.jpgMystique (X-Men): She's a shapeshifting spy and powerful leader against the world's anti-mutant forces, though her ethics are questionable. And let's not forget her statuesque appearance, one that demanded Rebecca Romijn play her in the movies. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/io9/2009/12/ nocturne_taliawagner__head .jpgNocturne (Marvel): Mystique's granddaughter by an alternate reality Nightcrawler and Scarlet Witch, Nocturne has inherited her father's strange physiology (right down to the tail). On top of that, she shares Nightcrawler's acrobatic abilities and is a master contortionist. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/io9/2009/12/ smurfs_tv_show_surprised_s murfette_01.jpgSmurfette (The Smurfs): She's cute, and despite being created as an evil creature by Gargamel, manages to overcome her nature and become a happy Smurfing Smurf. Plus, the entire Smurf village is in love with her - although that may have more to do with her status as the sole female Smurf than her inherent appeal. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/8/2009/12/talas-official- wallpaper-st ar-trek-enterprise-7090911-800-600_01.jpg http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/8/2009/12/500x_talas- official-wallpape r-star-trek-enterprise-7090911-800-600_01.jpgTalas (Enterprise): If you prefer a woman who's handy with a phaser, Talas might be your blue gal. The Andorian lieutenant isn't above using her feminine wiles to get the job done, but failing that, she's more than ready to fight. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/8/2009/12/ saberwiki_swcreators_aayla_ secura_aayla.jpg http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/ 8/2009/12/500x_saberwiki_swcreators_aa yla_secura_aayla.jpgAayla Secura (Star Wars): Twi'lek's are considered especially beautiful by the various peoples of the galaxy far, far away - something that has left them both tragically vulnerable to slavery and powerful in the art of seduction. Aayla Secura pairs her appearance with great strength in the Force, rising to Jedi Master and fighting in the Clone Wars. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/io9/2009/12/ zhaan01.jpgZhaan
Re: [scifinoir2] District 9 on DvD
Yeah I just watched it. This was the worst editing job of the year. This would have been a 900% greater movie had they let someone else cut it. There are scenes left out that are REALLY important, at least I thought. That being said, if you hated this movie when it was out...keep it moving. this won't help. I loved it in the theater but now I'm mad at the cut I had to watch. Daryle On Dec 22, 2009, at 8:08 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: I just saw a review on G4. They said that there were a lot of deleted scenes and extras on the dvd. It was a different movie before it got cut down for the theater. On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 3:48 PM, Tracey de Morsella tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com wrote: On the top of my Netflix Que From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of George Arterberry Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 2:01 PM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: [scifinoir2] District 9 on DvD Is it in your Netflix or Best Buy list? -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Sin City's Brittany Murphy Dead at 32
Working in a high stress environment where your livelihood depends on your look (which you maintain by working out 5 times a week) and ability to memorize lines. Not everybody is built for it. I met her a while ago. She was really funny. Really nice girl. Always seemed surprised all this success was happening to her. I'm gonna go with natural causes. On Dec 21, 2009, at 7:17 PM, Mr. Worf wrote: What is your definition of natural causes? On Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 4:16 PM, Omari Confer clockwork...@gmail.com wrote: Me work at emergency roomyes...at 32.. even at 20... On Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 6:07 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: Not at 32. Its not natural causes at 32. Maybe 2000 years ago, but not now. On Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 4:03 PM, Omari Confer clockwork...@gmail.com wrote: Sometimes people just die..no conspiracy... On Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 4:44 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com wrote: Sad indeed, Mr Worf. Every time I saw her, I was drawn to her thinness and dark-circled eyes, and thought back to a late friend of mine who had a bad heart. He looked that way every day of his life. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:42:29 -0800 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Sin City's Brittany Murphy Dead at 32 That is sad. I think it was probably prescription drugs. On Sun, Dec 20, 2009 at 3:01 PM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://boasie.notlong.com LOS ANGELES — Brittany Murphy, the actress who got her start in the sleeper hit Clueless and rose to stardom in 8 Mile, has died in Los Angeles. She was 32. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Spokeswoman Sally Stewart said Murphy died at 10:04 a.m. Sunday. She would not provide a cause of death, or any other information. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call at 8 a.m. Sunday from a home that is listed as belonging to British screenwriter Simon Monjack, who is married to Murphy, spokesman Devon Gale said. Gale said one person was transported to a hospital. Los Angeles police have opened an investigation into Murphy's death, Officer Norma Eisenman said Sunday afternoon. Investigators have been dispatched to Murphy's home in the hills of West Hollywood. Messages left for Murphy's manager, agent and publicist by The Associated Press weren't immediately returned. Born Nov. 10, 1977 in Atlanta, Murphy grew up in New Jersey and later moved with her mother to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Her career started in the early 1990s with small roles in television series, commercials and movies. She is best known for parts in Girl, Interrupted, Clueless and 8 Mile. Her on-screen roles declined in recent years, but Murphy's voice gave life to numerous animated characters, including Luanne Platter on more than 200 episodes of Fox's King of the Hill and Gloria the penguin in the 2006 feature Happy Feet. She is due to appear in Sylvester Stallone's upcoming film, The Expendables, set for release next year. Her role in 8 Mile led to more recognition, Murphy said told AP in 2003. That changed a lot, she said. That was the difference between people knowing my first and last name as opposed to not. Murphy credited her mother, Sharon, with being a key to her success. When I asked my mom to move to California, she sold everything and moved out here for me, Murphy said. I was really grateful to have grown up in an environment that was conducive to creating and didn't stifle any of that. She always believed in me. She dated Ashton Kutcher, who costarred with Murphy in 2003's romantic comedy Just Married. Kutcher sent a message on Twitter Sunday morning about Murphy's death: 2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine, Kutcher wrote. My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany's family, her husband, her amazing mother Sharon. ——— AP Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report. Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add? fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links (Yahoo! ID required) -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now. -- READ MY BLOG http://centralheatingblog.blogspot.com STRING THEORY http://stringtheory.podbean.com -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- READ MY BLOG http://centralheatingblog.blogspot.com STRING THEORY http://stringtheory.podbean.com -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years!
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Doctor Who
I missed that Inside the TARDIS special, as my daughter graduated yesterday. How was that? Also, was the Graham Norton special a rerun? Daryle On Dec 19, 2009, at 6:44 PM, Kelwyn wrote: Thanks for the heads-up! I will be watching football (you gotta have priorities!) but I will be DVRing this episode and Inside the TARDIS. ~rave! Who's your friend? Who's your buddy? (Stripes) --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@... wrote: There's a new episode tonight called Waters of Mars.
Re: [scifinoir2] Inglourious Basterds
I have read and heard many a negative review of QT's films, and each time I have to ask you DO know where this guy is coming from, right? To which the answer is invariably no, and it doesn't matter because blah blah blah -- but it DOES matter. Tarantino makes derivative films based on things that inspired him. We all know the story of him in the video store. There are an awful lot of movie goers with the same experience. Watching Shaw Brothers martial arts films to the point of becoming experts. Watching grindhouse films and actually studying the detail. Tarantino is a cult filmmaker with swagger. He's Corman 3.0. Troma 2.0. Inglorious Basterds is a remake. You can find the original in a random dollar VHS bin. It's called GI Bro (tagline: If you're kraut, he'll take you out) So this was a bad film to BEGIN with. Tarantino actually made it watchable. On Dec 17, 2009, at 9:42 PM, Justin Mohareb wrote: Oh, Rave. It's you. Justin On Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 8:44 PM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: I have just seen Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and I am powerfully underwhelmed. The movie it most reminds me of is Spike Lee's The Miracle at St. Anna. Both movies are bloated and too long and show a remarkable lack of narrative restraint. But where Anna has made $9 million, Basterds has made $312 million worldwide. Thinking maybe it's me, I googled other reviews: I don't know if I've ever seen a revenge fantasy so willfully messed up, sometimes offensively so. - Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune Clocking in at 2 hours and 32 minutes, it is unforgivably leisurely. - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times. Tonally schizoid and rife with anachronisms (a David Bowie song on the sound track, out-of-era vernacular), Tarantino's Third Reich folly is utterly exasperating. - Stephen Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer All of these things are true and all of them can be said of Anna (with the exception of the Bowie song). Both movies are visually impressive (some of the images in Basterds are stunning), almost painterly but, in both cases, the heightened cinematography distracts from the narrative. Both directors have made better movies with lesser palattes. ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add? fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links
Re: [scifinoir2] Teen Racks Up $21K Cell Phone Bill
This is why data plans should be a part of mobile bills on certain phones. Folks should know the costs upfront. On Dec 12, 2009, at 4:56 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: If you watch youtube on your phone that could start to add up really fast. The amount that they are talking about is about 2 movies worth of downloading. On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 12:58 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com wrote: Sound slike this kid did the same kind of hack that my niece did on her cell when my sister put her on her account. My sister's bill, normally $68 a month, ballooned to almost $700 in one month. (My niece loves to download and text. LVS to download and text.) If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:13:43 -0800 Subject: [scifinoir2] Teen Racks Up $21K Cell Phone Bill http://www.ktvu.com/news/21927813/detail.html -- Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. Get it now. -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Level 26
Saw this on AOTS and decided to give it a shot. Dunno about any facebook registration. there's a Google connect option for the site, but I'm not sure what registration gets me so unless I need to sign up to unlock the cyber-bridges, I probably won't register. I hope this works, as it could really help some books be better. Picture a Warren Ellis Digi-novel. On Dec 4, 2009, at 8:20 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: I was hooked until the Facebook registration bit. Not anymore. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 15:37:39 -0800 Subject: [scifinoir2] Level 26 Anthony Zuicker has created a graphic novel / mutlimedia online novel called Level 26. Check it here: http://www.level26.com/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ Windows Live Hotmail gives you a free,exclusive gift. Click here to download.
Re: [scifinoir2] GE makes it final
The even larger issue is that no one can explain what the value is on this deal. All i see is that there's no more Fancast vs. Hulu.com battle. On Dec 3, 2009, at 8:59 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: it'll take a year for all the final hurdles to be cleared, but this is horrible, horrible news. I'm in the midst of a battle with Comcast now, over a cable box they gave me three years ago. It was given as a two-for-one deal, in which i'd never pay for that box. But, even though the box was hand delivered and turned on, they never recorded it.So, every single time it has a problem, they deny its existence, then give me some answer that's either start paying for it and you can keep it, or, just give it up to us and we won't charge you. The incompetence, dishonesty, and disregard of Comcast makes me sick all the time. These are the people who were blocking bit torrent traffic, the ones who were threatening to cut off users' Internet access for downloading too much data, but not telling them what the download limit was. Them gaining this much power is a bad thing. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, December 3, 2009 7:33:07 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] GE makes it final Comcast now owns NBC. You may commence to screaming aloud... -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] topic: movie reboots
And that's my Internet learned me something moment for the week! Today's mission is to fond that film. Thank you! Daryle Lockhart On Nov 26, 2009, at 7:31 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: The Island was an unofficial remake of another movie called the Clonus Horror (1979) that was a low budget film. I rented it about a year or two ago. They are very similar. So similar that the director of the film sued and won. Dreamworks settled out of court. A good remake idea that is similar to this plot would be the movie Coma. It is a movie about a hospital that turns their patients into a body part harvesting venture. On Thu, Nov 26, 2009 at 4:04 PM, Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockhart.com wrote: Logan's Run has already been remade. It's called The Island. I'm actually all for a remake of Forbidden Planet. It could be a really good movie with current technology. On Nov 26, 2009, at 6:15 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: Hollywood is busy digging through the movie pile and blowing dust off of movies. On the burner: The Crow Forbidden Planet The Shadow Evil dead Deathwish Logan's Run The Warriors Akira Fantastic voyage Highlander Basically every good movie between 1956 and 1990 -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
[scifinoir2] Karen Gillan’s cousin lands Doctor Who role @ Unreality Primetime
http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/karen-gillans-cousin-lands-doctor-who-role/?utm_source=feedburnerutm_medium=feedutm_campaign=Feed%3A+Unreality%2FPrimetime+%28Unreality+Primetime%29 Nepotism is alive and well at the BBC! Hope the girl can act
Re: [scifinoir2] topic: movie reboots
Logan's Run has already been remade. It's called The Island. I'm actually all for a remake of Forbidden Planet. It could be a really good movie with current technology. On Nov 26, 2009, at 6:15 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: Hollywood is busy digging through the movie pile and blowing dust off of movies. On the burner: The Crow Forbidden Planet The Shadow Evil dead Deathwish Logan's Run The Warriors Akira Fantastic voyage Highlander Basically every good movie between 1956 and 1990 -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Skin Color Prejudice in Precious Casting?
Sadly, his casting of lighter actors works because of the time the film is set in. I remember New York in the 80s very well. We don't like to discuss this, but we were a pretty color struck society then. The popular actors and singers at the time were light. It's one of the reasons Spike Lee's School Daze worked. I have problems with the film but they are technical. I didn't like the way it was edited, for example. Also, some of the symbolism was a little heavy handed. But overall this movie's success is what indie film needed. Daryle Lockhart On Nov 23, 2009, at 2:41 AM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: I'm bothered that the director didn't change his or her perception of fat people until he made the film. He's no spring chicken. I think that the light skinned vs dark skinned thing is still going on but it is a lot more subtle. Hollywood still prefers the light skinned blacks as the good guy character. On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 5:02 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: I'm prejudiced against people who are darker than me...When I was young, I went to a church where the lighter-skinned you were, the closer you sat to the altar. --Lee Daniels, director of Precious. *** I will drop a review of Precious in the next couple of days. Short answer: I loved the film, though it's difficult to watch at times ( i will say, due to all the hype, it's not as bad as I'd expected, since I was prepared for a lot more graphic abuse depicted). One thing that does bother me about the film, now that I've heard it mentioned, is that the good people in it are all light-skinned. Indeed, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz, and Mariah Carey are all biracial. The bad people are all dark skinned. It's interesting that director Lee Daniels admits he's had some issues on the color line, as noted in the article below. Interesting discussion on skin colour, that's unfortunately still relevant today, and interesting that in a film meant to explore the issues we all have, some of the creative work behind it reveals some of the same problems. * http://racerelations.about.com/b/2009/11/08/what-precious-means-for-race-relations.htm What Precious Means for Race Relations Sunday November 8, 2009 The film Precious premiered in select cities Nov. 6, and reviews are pouring in about the movie with a Harlem teen whose life transforms through education. To say that the circumstances of Precious Jones' life are bleak would be an understatement. Precious is illiterate, living with HIV and has been victimized by her parents in numerous ways, including sexually. Her father has twice impregnated her, and one child she's borne by him suffers from Down syndrome. Precious tackles an array of issues. Because the protagonist is black, however, both the media and the public have raised questions about its effect on race relations. I've summed up two major questions about the film below: Why do white audiences eat up black films and novels that depict dysfunction, poverty and abuse? Why are the villains in Precious dark-skinned and the heroes light- skinned? Precious is based on the novel Push by Sapphire. Both the film and the book have been compared to Alice Walker's The Color Purple and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye in that they, too, garnered praise from white critics and featured emotional and sexual abuse of black youth by family members. The fact that these works feature abuse isn't in and of itself a problem. The problem is how the mainstream receives these works. I have no problem if viewers and critics regard Precious et al. as representations of particular black families. On the other hand, I do object to viewers and critics who regard a film like Precious as the only authentic black experience and a television program such as The Cosby Show as inauthentic. The fact is both of these slices of black life are authentic. I do understand, though, why some members of the black community have criticized Precious. Positive images of blacks in the media remain few and far between. In comedies, blacks are portrayed as buffoonish, cartoonish and uncouth. Films such as Norbit, Doctor Dolittle and Big Momma's House, not to mention any Tyler Perry flick, mock black womanhood. And on the dramatic end, we've had stories of gang warfare, virulent racism and abusive or absentee parents. There's no doubt in my mind that media portrayals of people of color can lead to racial stereotyping. I'm reminded of a former classmate from a Mexican-American family from East L.A. Her roommate freshman year was a Midwesterner who, upon seeing the gang film Mi Vida Loca, said that she didn't realize my classmate had lived such a hard life. My friend laughed and told her
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Skin Color Prejudice in Precious Casting?
That, my friend, is a book. Illustrate these hooker inventions in a setting that's in the not too distant future and it's a GREAT book. On Nov 23, 2009, at 8:24 AM, Kelwyn wrote: Lipstick is a subject that amuses me mightily since lipstick was first worn by prostitutes to advertise both their expertise and their willingness to perform oral sex. Add lipstick to the long line of hooker accouterments adopted by women at large. ~rave? --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@... wrote: I think that some areas were a little more skin sensitive than others but I do remember some of the controversy back then. Especially when Prince, the Debarges were big. On a side topic, there was a post that I read a few months ago that asked the question should black women wear lipstick. The author of the post believed that dark skinned black women should never wear lipstick. There were some other weirdness mixed into it that sounded a lot like pseudo-religious mess, but I thought that it was interesting. On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 3:12 AM, Daryle Lockhart dar...@...wrote: Sadly, his casting of lighter actors works because of the time the film is set in. I remember New York in the 80s very well. We don't like to discuss this, but we were a pretty color struck society then. The popular actors and singers at the time were light. It's one of the reasons Spike Lee's School Daze worked. I have problems with the film but they are technical. I didn't like the way it was edited, for example. Also, some of the symbolism was a little heavy handed. But overall this movie's success is what indie film needed. Daryle Lockhart On Nov 23, 2009, at 2:41 AM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@... wrote: I'm bothered that the director didn't change his or her perception of fat people until he made the film. He's no spring chicken. I think that the light skinned vs dark skinned thing is still going on but it is a lot more subtle. Hollywood still prefers the light skinned blacks as the good guy character. On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 5:02 PM, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@keithbjohn...@... comcast.net wrote: *I'm prejudiced against people who are darker than me...When I was young, I went to a church where the lighter-skinned you were, the closer you sat to the altar. --Lee Daniels, director of Precious.* *** I will drop a review of Precious in the next couple of days. Short answer: I loved the film, though it's difficult to watch at times ( i will say, due to all the hype, it's not as bad as I'd expected, since I was prepared for a lot more graphic abuse depicted). One thing that does bother me about the film, now that I've heard it mentioned, is that the good people in it are all light-skinned. Indeed, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz, and Mariah Carey are all biracial. The bad people are all dark skinned. It's interesting that director Lee Daniels admits he's had some issues on the color line, as noted in the article below. Interesting discussion on skin colour, that's unfortunately still relevant today, and interesting that in a film meant to explore the issues we all have, some of the creative work behind it reveals some of the same problems. * http://racerelations.about.com/b/2009/11/08/what-precious- means-for-race-relations.htm http://racerelation s.about.com/b/2009/11/08/what-precious-means-for-race- relations.htm What Precious Means for Race Relations Sunday November 8, 2009 The film Precious http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0929632/ premiered in select cities Nov. 6, and reviews are pouring in about the movie with a Harlem teen whose life transforms through education. To say that the circumstances of Precious Jones' life are bleak would be an understatement. Precious is illiterate, living with HIV and has been victimized by her parents in numerous ways, including sexually. Her father has twice impregnated her, and one child she's borne by him suffers from Down syndromehttp://downsyndrome.about.com/od/downsyndromebasics/a/ downsynessen.htm. Precious tackles an array of issues. Because the protagonist is black, however, both the media and the public have raised questions about its effect on race relations. I've summed up two major questions about the film below: Why do white audiences eat up black films and novels that depict dysfunction, poverty and abuse? Why are the villains in Precious dark-skinned and the heroes light-skinned? Precious is based on the novel *Push*http://www.amazon.com/ Push-Novel-Sapphire/dp/0679766758/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_topby Sapphire. Both the film and the book have been compared
Re: [scifinoir2] The Cleavland show
That show is like the MILF island skit from 30 Rock. Sounds hilarious - for two episodes. Then you're back to the original show for ideas/ audience. Daryle Lockhart On Nov 23, 2009, at 5:15 AM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: Since no one has written about this show yet. This show isn't as funny as the Family guy but it is the first adult animated show with a mostly black cast. It has a feeling of being a bit forced, but some of the jokes are edgy. Has anyone watched this show yet? What are your thoughts on it? -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Batman and Secret Saturdays on Cartoon Network Now
I like the work being done on Ben 10. Looking forward to the live action special this week. This season of Clone Wars is really not for kids. I'm enjoying it, but my son and I have had to find other stuff to watch together. Daryle Lockhart On Nov 22, 2009, at 12:30 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Give Ben 10 a try. It's not on the level of Avatar at its best, but very enjoyable. Also, turn over to NickToons and check out Danny Phantom. That is a very fun toon, about a kid who has ghostlike powers and must send bad spirits back to their realm, all the while keeping his secret from his clueless ghost-hunter-wannabe dad, whose like a comedic Reed Richards. There's also a very funny 'toon on Cartoon Network that's a spoof of shows like Survivor. I forget the name, but it's a hilarious parody of those shows. As for the first Star Wars animated, if you mean the animated Clone Wars shorts produced by Gendy Tartokovsky (the man behind Samurai Jack) I agree. Those were kick a$$!!! I *loved* one that featured Mace Windu taking on an army of droids by himself. My biggest complaint about all the Star Wars flicks is that they talk about how all-powerful the Force is, but they actually never really showed it being all that awesome in usage. Oh sure: Yoda lifted a spaceship and some random metal. Luke used it to jump good (a Samurai Jack reference). But it actually seemed weaker than what I expected. But Windu in that cartoon! Oh my gosh he was amazing. He literally moved faster than humanly possible, and was punching the metallic robots with his bare (Force-enhanced) fists. When surrounded, he put forth a Force Wave that literally swept the battlefield of opponents. And then, he leapt what looked like dozen of yards in a single bound, to take a swig of water from a young boy's flask, only to take another prodigious leap back into the fray. Now *that* is Force power! That's what I wanted to see more of from good and bad alike in the movies. It's also why I felt Windu was punked with that wimpy demise in the movie. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, November 21, 2009 9:55:53 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Batman and Secret Saturdays on Cartoon Network Now I watch Batman, Star wars, Chowder, and Flapjack. Also Secret Saturdays when they are on. I liked the first animated Star Wars. It was a lot edgier and darker. There was a lot more action in it. The newer series has its moments though. On Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 5:39 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: There's a new block of 'toons on Cartoon Network on right now. First up is a new ep of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. In it, Mongul is forcing several heroes and villains race for ultimate rule of Earth. That's followed by a new ep of Secret Saturdays. Speaking of Cartoon Network, anyone else watch Ben 10: Alien Force and The Clone Wars? Those are both very good shows. I was already a Ben 10 fan, but the Clone Wars series is better than i expected. Some eps are way better than Eps 1 and 2 in the movie franchise. -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Precious moment
Short answer is this: Opening week, in 18 theaters, the film made 1.9 million dollars. That means if you owned a theater? You made 100 thousand dollars. In one weekend. The film cost 10 million to make. It's made close to 9 million already and it's not even in 200 theaters. Daryle Lockhart On Nov 17, 2009, at 3:26 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: What I don't understand is why they spent so much money on the advertising but only have it at a limited number of theaters. On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 7:34 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: Saw sneak peak of Precious last night. I have never seen anything so soul crushing and life affirming. An amazing achievement. ~rave! Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Copyright Time Bomb Set to Disrupt Music, Publishing Industries
This is actually more of a challenge to social media than it is a problem for the music industry. This isn't the death of record labels, it's the death of distributors. but really, distribution's been dead for 10 years now. It's also probably the death of mega conglomerates. So expect Universal, for example, to break out and re-brand its individual labels, like they do in the UK. Expect to hear about this great new band on Mercury. This has been the best year for new music in a long time. I bought 12 great records that came out this year. The difference is that most of the great records that came out this year were independents. And so social media played a big role in promoting new bands and singers, while Radio is still pushing priorities. We have to remember that Warner Brothers didn't invent Prince. They signed him while he was young and on the rise. It will probably be EASIER to discover the next Prince without major labels getting in the way. Right now, who's going to artist websites? I consider OkayPlayer.com, for example, to be one of my favorite labels. I like all the associated artists, and so if an artist comes out that's OkayPlayer approved, I'll buy. Same with Sonar Kollektiv, Foreign Exchange, or Ninja Tune. I trust these sites/ brands and am happy to use them as a starting point for discovering new music. I NEVER go to Sony's website looking for new artists. Giving artists (and let's be real - managers and agents as well) control of their copyrights turns it all around, and gives people a reason to go to websites again. This is good because the artists/ indie labels can make their money in two ways - from the downloads and, once they've gained sufficient audience, concert tickets and advertising! In addition, artists can capitalize on this by building destination web radio stations or branded environments on iTunes. There are also mobile applications that can be developed that a music industry of the 21st Century SHOULD have. Most importantly, it stops artists from getting 10 cents out of a 99 cent download! The challenge, then, is this - how does Facebook maintain its ridiculously high traffic when people rediscover that they can do other things on the web?! On Nov 15, 2009, at 8:47 AM, Bosco Bosco wrote: I would disagree. I think great albums continue to be made on a regular basis. We could take a trip down to Waterloo Records in Austin and I could pull literally thousands of full albums made in the last few years that were awesome. The quality issue is less about single vs album and more about the tidal wave of people recording music who simply shouldn't be doing it. We've got about the same number of great albums and singles coming every year but we've got an exponentially higher number of hacks watering down the pool with their drivel. That's been the issue since the start of digital revolution. Assuming, however that you are correct and the major players all bail to self released and self financed business models. What does that leave for the new guys? With the enormous pool of artists recording and releasing the songs, how do they get noticed without a well honed marketing machine to help create awareness? With the ease and virtual non cost of home recording and digital distribution the pool of people making music is going to continue to increase. The quality releases by unknowns and lesser knowns will simply disappear into the miasma of plain and pointless that's already drowning the industry. The music industry is a bloated demon but without it, lots of things are going to be lost. I'm not sure missing the next Prince or Dylan or whoever is the intended goal but it seems a likely one to occur. Bosco --- On Sun, 11/15/09, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Copyright Time Bomb Set to Disrupt Music, Publishing Industries To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Sunday, November 15, 2009, 4:31 AM If every major act out there starts doing like what the Eagles are planning, and what Prince, Nine inch nails, George Michael, Radiohead and others have done the business will be pretty much dead in a couple of years. Unless they learn how to adapt and work with a different business model. Back in the 1940s though early 1960s they worked on singles (45s) model but that went out the window when they started focusing on album sales. I think they need to go back to that. It is very rare that an artist will produce something that is so good for an entire album. On Sat, Nov 14, 2009 at 5:28 PM, Bosco Bosco ironpi...@yahoo. com wrote: This will be an interesting time for the music business. Other copyright issues have already begun with acts like the Beatles and the Stones. The interesting part will be if artists, as in the aforementioned Nicholas Cage bankruptcy
Re: [scifinoir2] Copyright Time Bomb Set to Disrupt Music, Publishing Industries
I would ask if your niece and nephew are listening to bands and DJ's or radio programming. This has been a HORRIBLE year for radio music, which is one reason people went so crazy when Jay-Z's album hit. It was actually sequenced with some thought. But 2009 a GREAT year for independent music, in multiple genres. On Nov 15, 2009, at 4:29 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: This has been the best year for new music in a long time. I bought 12 great records that came out this year. On that, Daryle, let us disagree. I do hear a lot of the new music (fifteen-year-old niece and an almost-nine-year-old nephew), and it all sounds the same to me. And I am a guitarist, so my ear's not exactly tin. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: dar...@darylelockhart.com Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:11:13 -0500 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Copyright Time Bomb Set to Disrupt Music, Publishing Industries This is actually more of a challenge to social media than it is a problem for the music industry. This isn't the death of record labels, it's the death of distributors. but really, distribution's been dead for 10 years now. It's also probably the death of mega conglomerates. So expect Universal, for example, to break out and re-brand its individual labels, like they do in the UK. Expect to hear about this great new band on Mercury. This has been the best year for new music in a long time. I bought 12 great records that came out this year. The difference is that most of the great records that came out this year were independents. And so social media played a big role in promoting new bands and singers, while Radio is still pushing priorities. We have to remember that Warner Brothers didn't invent Prince. They signed him while he was young and on the rise. It will probably be EASIER to discover the next Prince without major labels getting in the way. Right now, who's going to artist websites? I consider OkayPlayer.com, for example, to be one of my favorite labels. I like all the associated artists, and so if an artist comes out that's OkayPlayer approved, I'll buy. Same with Sonar Kollektiv, Foreign Exchange, or Ninja Tune. I trust these sites/ brands and am happy to use them as a starting point for discovering new music. I NEVER go to Sony's website looking for new artists. Giving artists (and let's be real - managers and agents as well) control of their copyrights turns it all around, and gives people a reason to go to websites again. This is good because the artists/ indie labels can make their money in two ways - from the downloads and, once they've gained sufficient audience, concert tickets and advertising! In addition, artists can capitalize on this by building destination web radio stations or branded environments on iTunes. There are also mobile applications that can be developed that a music industry of the 21st Century SHOULD have. Most importantly, it stops artists from getting 10 cents out of a 99 cent download! The challenge, then, is this - how does Facebook maintain its ridiculously high traffic when people rediscover that they can do other things on the web?! On Nov 15, 2009, at 8:47 AM, Bosco Bosco wrote: I would disagree. I think great albums continue to be made on a regular basis. We could take a trip down to Waterloo Records in Austin and I could pull literally thousands of full albums made in the last few years that were awesome. The quality issue is less about single vs album and more about the tidal wave of people recording music who simply shouldn't be doing it. We've got about the same number of great albums and singles coming every year but we've got an exponentially higher number of hacks watering down the pool with their drivel. That's been the issue since the start of digital revolution. Assuming, however that you are correct and the major players all bail to self released and self financed business models. What does that leave for the new guys? With the enormous pool of artists recording and releasing the songs, how do they get noticed without a well honed marketing machine to help create awareness? With the ease and virtual non cost of home recording and digital distribution the pool of people making music is going to continue to increase. The quality releases by unknowns and lesser knowns will simply disappear into the miasma of plain and pointless that's already drowning the industry. The music industry is a bloated demon but without it, lots of things are going to be lost. I'm not sure missing the next Prince or Dylan or whoever is the intended goal but it seems a likely one to occur. Bosco --- On Sun, 11/15/09, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: From: Mr. Worf
Re: [scifinoir2] Roland Emmerich confirms plans for a 2012 TV show
This show may as well be called Epic Fail unless Roland makes one phone call: To Manny Coto. On Nov 9, 2009, at 4:12 AM, Tracey de Morsella wrote: - http://scifiwire.com/2009/11/roland-emmerich-confirms.php Roland Emmerich's already controversial world-destroying movie 2012 isn't even in theaters yet, but there are reports he's mulling a follow-up TV show called 2013. How can there be a follow-up show to a movie about the end of the world, you ask? (Spoilers ahead!) Well, according to CinemaBlend, there are some survivors, and the show would pick up their story: As speculated, the new series will be called 2013 and will focus on the aftermath of the cataclysmic events of the film. With the world in disarray, it's time to rebuild. Emmerich says it's not the bright happy future everyone was imagining when the film ends. Instead, things look bleak. But this is humanity, so of course we can rise up from this. Emmerich will reportedly model the proposed show on Lost and the sci-fi action movie District 9: big casts, complex storytelling and a gritty, realistic style. Keep in mind this is all pie in the sky, since the movie's not out yet and could tank. Also, name a TV show based on a sci-fi movie that managed to be a big hit, besides the Stargates. Anyone? 2012 opens Nov. 13.
Re: [scifinoir2] Finnaly Switching from Comcast - Please advise
When I joined this list I was with Comcast. Hated it, but they were the Empire where I lived and there was nothing I could do. When I moved 5 years ago, I had Time Warner Cable for around 4. Constant problems. Poor customer service. Cost too much for the channels I cared about. Then there wqas that whole we may/may not have Viacom Channels thing. I took off. For the past year or so, I've had DirectTV, and my only problem is a tree in my neighbor's yard that grows leaves in Spring and summer that DIRECTLY blocks HD signal at times. They gave me a credit for the months that the leaves grow. You read right. I pay LESS for service in Spring and Summer because of a TREE. the packages are expensive, but depending on your interest, they are worth it. plus, they are ALWAYS running some kind of promotion where you get free channels. On Nov 9, 2009, at 1:15 PM, Tracey de Morsella wrote: About a year ago, I was planning on switching from Comcast and some of you gave some great advice regarding Direct TV and ATT, etc. Comcast lowered my price, so I put it off, but the price is about to go back up so I want out. Can you guys make any recommendations. Also if I do not take a package, won’t it cost more? Thanks
Re: [scifinoir2] Finnaly Switching from Comcast - Please advise
I have actually found that Time Warner is a better cable internet provider than a cable TV provider! They're still too high, but I need high speed for my work. I use TW for internet and Vonage for phone. The Vonage is wonderful and really inexpensive! On Nov 9, 2009, at 2:47 PM, Tracey de Morsella wrote: Sorry about the spelling errors. I’m always rushing. Sorry about that. Thanks Daryle. What are you doing about Internet and phone. I have a bundle, but I have been told to avoid them. Doesn’t that cost even more? From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Daryle Lockhart Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 11:42 AM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Finnaly Switching from Comcast - Please advise When I joined this list I was with Comcast. Hated it, but they were the Empire where I lived and there was nothing I could do. When I moved 5 years ago, I had Time Warner Cable for around 4. Constant problems. Poor customer service. Cost too much for the channels I cared about. Then there wqas that whole we may/may not have Viacom Channels thing. I took off. For the past year or so, I've had DirectTV, and my only problem is a tree in my neighbor's yard that grows leaves in Spring and summer that DIRECTLY blocks HD signal at times. They gave me a credit for the months that the leaves grow. You read right. I pay LESS for service in Spring and Summer because of a TREE. the packages are expensive, but depending on your interest, they are worth it. plus, they are ALWAYS running some kind of promotion where you get free channels. On Nov 9, 2009, at 1:15 PM, Tracey de Morsella wrote: About a year ago, I was planning on switching from Comcast and some of you gave some great advice regarding Direct TV and ATT, etc. Comcast lowered my price, so I put it off, but the price is about to go back up so I want out. Can you guys make any recommendations. Also if I do not take a package, won’t it cost more? Thanks
Re: [scifinoir2] O/T From Burger King in Japan, the Windows 7 Whopper
LOL...THAT is why you weren't invited. On Oct 28, 2009, at 3:57 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: Why was I not told of this in advance? Yes, despite my loathing of all things M$, I would've showed up, eaten as much as I could of the burger... ... then sank back in my chair, unbuttoning my jacket to reveal a Firefox t-shirt. :-) If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:50:10 -0700 Subject: [scifinoir2] O/T From Burger King in Japan, the Windows 7 Whopper From Burger King in Japan, the Windows 7 Whopper To promote Windows 7 and reach a non-techie audience, Microsoft and Burger King teamed up to sell a burger as big as a dinner plate By Kenji Hall Asia Asia's Best Young Entrepreneur 2009: The Winner Video Pirates' New Adversary: Chinese Web Sites Postponing the Pain at Nissan Auchan: Wal-Mart's Tough New Global Rival India's Tea Export Prices Set to Soar Story Tools post a comment e-mail this story print this story order a reprint suggest a story digg this save to del.icio.us linkedin connections McDonald's (MCD) took plenty of flak years ago for its super-size meals. But Microsoft's (MSFT) strategy for building buzz in Japan gives new meaning to the term. Beginning on Oct. 22, to mark the launch of its Windows 7 in Japan, Microsoft has teamed up with Burger King (BKC) on a limited-offer burger: the Windows 7 Whopper. The seven-patty burger weighs more than 791 grams (1.4 lb.) and stands about 12.7 centimeters (5 inches) tall. At 2,120 calories, it's more than just a quick snack, easily exceeding the 2,000- calorie daily diet recommended by the U.S. Food Drug Administration. The promotion was originally supposed to last seven days, but it's been such a hit that the fast-food chain has extended it for nine more days. We were surprised that it's been so popular, says Burger King's spokeswoman Nozomi Nagumo. Microsoft, based in Redmond, Wash., approached Burger King's Japan unit to explore a tie-in that would coincide with the Windows 7 release. The idea was to reach out to a non-techie audience that might not be aware that Microsoft had revamped its operating software, Microsoft spokesman Masaki Iida says. For Burger King, which reopened in Japan in mid-2007 after a temporary pullout, this was a chance to piggyback on Microsoft's brand. The fast-food chain says the special Whopper is the biggest burger it has ever marketed. Neither company would reveal the cost of the campaign. Selling Like Hot Cakes? Sales have been strong. Burger King sells the first 30 burgers at every store in Japan for 777 yen ($8.45); after that, the price jumps to 1,450 yen ($15.75). In just the first two days of the promotion, the company's stores sold 1,700 burgers. Two days later, the count reached 6,000. (The majority of customers were paying the higher price.) For several days at a Tokyo shop, the Windows 7 Whopper accounted for one in every three orders. The success of the campaign is evident in the blogosphere and on YouTube, where videos show people grabbing the burger with both hands and trying to bite through all seven patties. In one video, a man repeatedly draws attention to a pool of grease forming on the wrapper he eats over. Burger King's Nagumo says staff members were told to ask customers if they needed a fork. The crush of publicity is a welcome change for Miami-based Burger King, which has struggled for visibility since reentering the Japanese market in June 2007. The company withdrew in 2001 after losing a price war with McDonald's. Its return was part of a global expansion to new markets such as Egypt, Hong Kong, and Poland. By next March, Burger King plans to add five new stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area, raising its store count to 20, says spokeswoman Nagumo. That's nowhere near the 3,754 stores in Japan of rival McDonald's. Larger Than Life Meals in Japan are usually pint-size, which explains why big burgers tend to attract a lot of attention. McDonald's introduced its limited-offer MegaMac, featuring four beef patties, in 2007. Last November, McDonald's launched a stealth-marketing campaign for the Quarter Pounder, which has been on the menu in U.S. stores for decades but had never been offered in Japan. That campaign centered around two restaurants in Tokyo's hip Shibuya and Omotesando shopping areas that were marked only by a Quarter Pounder sign outside. During the pre-launch, customers could only order a single or double Quarter Pounder meal; now it's a staple on all McDonald's menus. Burger King's collaboration with Microsoft wasn't the biggest burger the chain had ever sold in Japan. One group ordered a 20- patty Whopper for a friend's 20th birthday, says
Re: [scifinoir2] Go See Astro Boy
Co-signed. I DO have a problem with the Americanized script, but overall, what a great re-working of the story! My son and I really enjoyed it! On Oct 25, 2009, at 6:36 AM, Tracey de Morsella wrote: Took Kira my daughter to see Astroboy this afternoon. When I was five, my two favorite cartoons were Astroboy and Prince Planet, so I guess I was predisposed to like the movie.Despite that, before all the great buzz, I was not expecting much. But it really delivered. I was checking out user reviews on IMDB, and some of the users do not seem to be loving it and only half of the critics on Rotten Tomatoes loved it, but I’m adding this to my list of top non- Japanese animated movies, along with Wall-E, The Incredibles and Monsters Inc. I think adult fans of anime will love this. Those critics that loved it, really loved it. Expect those that have social commentary in their movies or scifi will hate it.I think they stayed true to Osamu Tezuka's( the creator) vision As anyone else seen it? Anyone planning on going?
Re: [scifinoir2] Pee-wee Herman's Excellent Ensemble
It's a shame there's no show like that on now for actors to work on. On Oct 25, 2009, at 3:15 PM, Kelwyn wrote: The Benicio Del Toro interview in this month's issue of PLAYBOY magazine has once again reminded me of the excellent cast of actors who earned their daily bread working for Pee-wee: The late great William (Blacula) Marshall as the Cartoon King Lawrence Fishburne as Cowboy Curtis S. Epatha Merkerson as Reba the Mail Lady Benicio Del Toro as Duke, the dog-faced boy The late great Phil Hartman as Captain Carl Kris Kristofferson as Ring Leader Mace Montana (Big Top Pee-wee) and Benicio Del Toro as Duke, the dog-faced boy (Big Top Pee-wee) Of course, there was also Gregory (did not play second fiddle on Trapper John, M.D) Harrison, whose only IMDB credit is as Conky the Robot. ~rave!
Re: [scifinoir2] Who Saw What this Weekend?
I saw Law Abiding Citizen and loved it. Saw Black Dynamite and loved it. I really wanted to see Janky Promoters starring Ice Cube, Mike Epps and Taraji Henson, but The Weinstein Company is now out of the Black movie business. Daryle On Oct 19, 2009, at 9:08 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: It was okay. I thought it lacked some needed character development. Foxx almost appeared to be a bad actor, his character was so stiff. His family was there, but not used effectively enough to add a more human touch, although that was obviously the intent. Although Butler's motivation was obviously there, I still felt his behavior wasnt' quite justified--at least, on that level. It felt more like a comic book villain's genesis. When his character was really sad and crying, I felt more of a connection, but when he went all arch villain, I felt a distance. Ad the last twenty minutes of so stretched credulity so much I was really jarred out of the movie. I give it a C, and think with a bit more rounding out of the characters and some tighter plotting it could have been an excellent thriller. - Original Message - From: Augustus Augustus jazzynupe_...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 9:03:06 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Who Saw What this Weekend? Keith, I saw Fox and Butler - i thought it was pretty kool. true, the premise was way out there, but it was good 2 me despite that. the scene that made everyone in the theatre jump was the judge answering the phone (u know the scene)! 2 me, it was kool how he planned his moves for 10 years. shows patience, and a commitment! have 2 love the attention 2 detail that he put into his plan. a fun, good 2 hours of popcorn and coke. Fate. --- On Sun, 10/18/09, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: From: Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net Subject: [scifinoir2] Who Saw What this Weekend? To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Sunday, October 18, 2009, 11:53 PM Comments, thoughts, critiques from any of y'all who saw movies this weekend. Who saw the following: Black Dynamite - was it good? Law Abiding Citizenn - saw it, it was okay, I had problems with scripting, acting, plot, ending Where the Wild Things Are - did it live up to the hopes? The Stepfather - is what to me an unnecessary remake worth the price of a ticket?
