Thursday, July 31, 2008

Stonerthon

(This delightful painting came up when I searched "pothead" images. Interesting stuff.)



Surprise Stonerthon competition Friday 8/1 through Sunday 8/3! Same rules as Horrorthon except all movies must be marijuana related! Reviews next week! Winner take all! Begins in one hour and 20 minutes! Who's with me? Let's bring it in... Whoooooooaaahhh - STONERTHON!

Anyone?

Tom Cruise is in trouble


From wwtdd, The New York Daily News says today that Tom Cruise has been named in a $250 million federal lawsuit against the Church of Scientology. Hahahaha, you suck Tom Cruise. Goofy bastard. THE NYDN says…

Ex-Scientologist Peter Letterese, a longtime critic of the church, filed suit in Southern District Court in Florida on July 15 alleging, among other things, that members of the church harassed him after he left.
In court papers provided to The News by investigator Paul Barresi, Letterese claims a member of the church phoned his lawyer at home, and when the lawyer's wife answered, said he was her husband's homosexual lover.
Letterese calls the church a "crime syndicate" and wants it broken up under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization law, just as the feds have broken up Mafia families.

He singles out Cruise, who's made no secret of his religion, saying that Scientology head David Miscavage is "aided and abetted by the actions of Tom Cruise, his right-hand man for foreign and domestic promotion, as well as for foreign and domestic lobbying. He has assisted the syndicate in acquiring funds and [made] his own donations of money believed to be in the multiple tens of millions of dollars."

This guy is crazy. Scientology is legit. I took their personality test one time and it turns out I like to have fun. And I thought about it and they were right. Just a week earlier I had hit my thumb with a hammer and I didn’t care for that at all. How did Scientology know?!?!?! Here’s some money, tell me more!!!

Shaky Watchmen footage from Comic Con is fantastic


From Topless Robot, here's the Comic Convention footage of that movie everyone wants to see from the comic everyone likes to read. It's highly illegal, so don't wake mom up.

See it here

TV Guide features Star Wars


From sirsteves,TV Guide's Special Double Issue Includes Four Collectible Covers and Bonus Multi-Media CD-ROM Presented Exclusively by Toys "R" Us

On August 15, Star Wars returns to theaters as it's never been seen before, in the first-ever animated adventure set in a galaxy far, far away: Star Wars: The Clone Wars from Lucasfilm Animation. TV Guide magazine is celebrating the excitement with four collectible covers and a multi-media CD-ROM which is presented exclusively by Toys "R" Us.
The disc will be affixed to four collectible covers of the August 11 special double issue on newsstands Thursday, August 7. The covers will feature favorite Star Wars characters as well as new additions to the galaxy: Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan learner Ashoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Asajj Ventress, Yoda and Count Dooku, and R2-D2 and C-3PO.

Cool.

NASA says Phoenix Mars Lander finds proof of water on the planet


The Phoenix Mars Lander has found conclusive proof of the presence of water on Mars, the Tucson Citizen reports.

It quotes Peter Smith, principal investigator for the University-of-Arizona-led missions, as saying his scientific team "is fully convinced this is H2O."

The frozen water was found in a soil sample collected and analyzed this week, the newspaper says.

Update 4:31 p.m. ET: NASA says the Lander mission was originally scheduled to end in August, but has proven so successful that it will be extended by five weeks.

About friggin' time



I find this oddly comforting after the recent deaths of Estelle Getty and my mom's dog Abby:

(AP) Now that their feud is up in smoke, Cheech and Chong are high on plans to reunite for their first comedy tour in more than 25 years.

Details of the "Hey, What's That Smell?" tour are still being finalized, according to concert promoter Live Nation.

Separated at birth?



After meeting the very cool Miko the other night I was left with a feeling that I had seen him before, but I couldn't place it. Today it hit me, Miko is Dante from Clerks!

The Mummy stinks


From ew, Brendan Fraser, with his boyish face and trademark hair flop, hasn't exactly entered the Harrison Ford grumpy-old-man zone, so it's discombobulating to learn that in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Fraser's eager daredevil archaeologist has been given an eager daredevil archaeologist son, played by Luke Ford (no relation). Fraser, who at 39 looks perhaps five years older than this kid, needed a wholesome offspring-sidekick like a third arm. Then again, it's not clear that the world needed a third Mummy movie. Director Rob Cohen spends deadening stretches on the backstory, as if under the delusion it's just as important as the mad creepy-crawlies rising out of the sand. Wrong! In a Mummy movie, I want my eyes tickled out of their sockets by frenzied digital overkill and couldn't give less of a hoot about the mummy's ''motivation.''

In this one, he's an evil Chinese emperor who rises up, in the person of Jet Li, as a crumbling oxidized metal ghost whose face keeps chipping off. Fairly cool! After an hour of inert exposition, a race through Shanghai gooses the movie alive. Then it plunges back into torpor, and then, at last, it offers a desert battle of skeletons and rusty soldiers worthy of the sound and fury and utter meaninglessness we want from an orgy of pixels. C

New Watchmen images released



See them here

Angelina Jolie Might Own Catwoman Part (Says Irrelevant Drag Queen Idol)


From iwatchstuff, Angelina Jolie is reportedly looking to somehow replace Halle Berry's indelible depiction of Catwoman, and has made calls to film executives about playing the Batman villain. A respectable periodical like the Telegraph wouldn't run a sensational story like this without checking some facts, so they went straight the source to clear things up. No, not Angelina Jolie or Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan. Julie Newmar--one of three women who played Catwoman in the '60s:

Ms Newmar, 74, said: "Angelina would own the part. My industry friends tell me she has already made enquiries about the role. I can understand how it would pique her interest. Catwoman is Batman's one true love."
She added: "She's tremendously popular with women because she's both a heroine and a villainess."


So there you have it. Angelina Jolie will be playing Catwoman, who is popular with women for two reasons.

Mr T.'s awesome Snickers ad pulled for some gay reason


From thesuperficial, A recent Snickers commercial starring Mr. T that aired in the UK was pulled after complaints from the United States that the ad was offensive to homosexuals. It hadn't even aired here in the States, but it featured Mr. T firing a Gatling gun full of Snickers at a speedwalker. The Human Rights Campaign surprisingly interpreted this as "homophobic" instead of "totally fucking awesome." Mars, the maker of Snickers, caved, but not before basically insulting America's lack of a sense of a humor. The Daily Mail reports:

A spokesman for Mars said: ‘This ad is the second in a series of UK Snickers ads featuring Mr T, which are meant to be fun and have been positively received in the UK.

‘However, we understand that humour is highly subjective, and it is never our intention to cause offence. Accordingly, we have pulled the Mr T speedwalker ad globally.’

I'm pretty liberal, and even I think this is some bull to the shit. First off, Mr. T mounting a machine gun on a pickup is as American as apple pie made with bald eagle crust. Second, the ad's not homophobic. It simply warns people of all walks of life about the lameness of speedwalking while simultaneously promoting the firearm capabilities of chocolate-covered peanuts and nougat. In fact, I'm sure gay men will love it because, at the end, Mr. T professes his love of nuts.

UPDATE: Here's a statement from T himself:
"Mr. T thinks everyone should put their penis wherever they want without discriminatory jibba-jibba and pities the fool who says otherwise. [Due to a hectic schedule forging confectionery-themed attack vehicles, Mr. T kindly requests you punch yourself in your own face then flex for emphasis.]"

See ad here

Cool poster alert

Harry Potter fans rejoyce!


The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition
In December 2007, J.K. Rowling unveiled The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a very special book of five fairy tales illustrated by the bard herself, embellished with silver ornaments and mounted moonstones. Amazon was fortunate to come into possession of one of the original copies, and it was our privilege to share images and reviews of this incredible artifact. Now J.K. Rowling is giving millions of Harry Potter fans worldwide cause for celebration with a new edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, available December 4, 2008.

Offering the trademark wit and imagination familiar to Rowling's legions of readers--as well as Aesop's wisdom and the occasional darkness of the Brothers Grimm--each of these five tales reveals a lesson befitting children and parents alike: the strength gained with a trusted friendship, the redemptive power of love, and the true magic that exists in the hearts of all of us. Rowling's new introduction also comments on the personal lessons she has taken from the Tales, noting that the characters in Beedle's collection "take their fates into their own hands, rather than taking a prolonged nap or waiting for someone to return a lost shoe," and "that magic causes as much trouble as it cures."

But the true jewel of this new edition is the enlightening and comprehensive commentary (including extensive footnotes!) by Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard's-eye perspective to the collection. Discovered "among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives," the venerable wizard's ruminations on the Tales allow today's readers to place them in the context of 16th century Muggle society, even allowing that "Beedle was somewhat out of step with his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles" during the era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters.

Professor Dumbledore also includes fascinating historical backstory, including tidbits such as the history and pursuit of magic wands, a brief comment on the Dark Arts and its practitioners, and the struggles with censorship that eventually led "a certain Beatrix Bloxam" to cleanse the Tales of "much of the darker themes that she found distasteful," forever altering the meaning of the stories for their Muggle audience. Dumbledore also allows us a glimpse of his personal relationship to the Tales, remarking that it was through "Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump" that "many of us [wizards] first discovered that magic could not bring back the dead."

Both a wise and delightful addition to the Harry Potter canon, this new translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard is all that fans could hope for and more--and an essential volume for the libraries of Muggles, wizards, and witches, both young and old.

AC must move fugly monster off top of website KTHX

Whirlygirl, this is from that website I mentioned Tuesday: http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Good for killing time and every few posts getting a good LOL. Enjoy.

Fugly Monster Washes Ashore In Montauk


From geekology, Allegedly this is a picture of some unknown monster that washed ashore in Montauk, on the eastern tip of Long Island. Obviously it's fake, because 1. like a girlfriend that doesn't make me want to blow my eardrums out, monsters don't exist, and 2. whoever made it modeled the damn thing after Tokka from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 (minus the shell). Anybody know what movie this is a viral for? After a little interweb spelunking my guess is a film adaptation of The Montauk Project. Apparently it centers around governmental time-travel experiments, but does feature some sort of alien monster coming to Earth. So, yeah, that's my guess -- which, I might add, is 120% correct. Because if it's not, I'll just edit the post and change it to be right. In case you haven't noticed folks, all your interweb are belong to me.

I'll update the story and let you know what's up when the truth is discovered.

Sony may bite on Spidey spinoff


FromHolluwoodreporter,With Heath Ledger's villainous Joker drawing attention and boxoffice dollars, Sony is moving forward with "Venom," a potential "Spider-Man" spinoff based on a bad guy.

The studio is developing the project, based on the gooey nemesis who appeared in "Spider-Man 3" and is hoping the character could serve as an antidote to the aging "Spider-Man" franchise in the way that Fox has used Wolverine to add longevity to its "X-Men" franchise.

But getting any spinoff off the ground, let alone one centered on a villain, can be tricky.

The studio had commissioned a draft of the script from Jacob Estes, a writer of the specialty film "Mean Creek," released several years ago by Paramount Classics. He's also attached to the Plan B drama "The Gifted."

But the studio is considering going in a different direction from Estes' script and is seeking writers for a new draft.

Casting also is no simple matter. Topher Grace played the character in the film, but agents have been eyeing the role for their clients, as Sony is not yet convinced the actor can carry a tentpole picture.

Neither Sony nor Marvel would comment for this story.

In "Spider-Man 3," Venom is essentially a parasite that attaches itself to a host via a sticky substance that then gives the host special powers. The fact that it is a substance rather than a character could give Sony leeway to cast a new actor.

"Venom" came about as part of the licensing deal between Marvel and Sony for the Spider-Man movies, which contained provisions allowing for the use of spinoffs based on other Spider-Man characters.

The project is part of a larger feeding frenzy for superhero projects, scores of which have been signed up in the last few months while movies such as "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight" light up the boxoffice.

Sony is developing a fourth "Spider-Man" film for 2011, but that picture would come out nine years after the original movie debuted, adding to the studio's desire to see new Marvel characters.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

The Eagles Rock the Garden

So I'm not much of an Eagles fan (I routinely pass over their songs on the FM radio, except for Boys of Summer), but I have a mild compulsion to go to classic rock concerts. So when I read that the Eagles would be touring this year, I snapped up a ticket but was ambivalent from minute one about whether I would attend. Moreover, I was sleep-deprived last night (see below) and had a fairly stressful work day, so right up until I was walking down to the concert at around 8:20pm I hadn't committed to going. I promised myself I'd leave after the first set (and I did, so sue me). Boy am glad I went. From the first few songs, which I didn't even know, the Eagles had me entranced. Then they kicked into greatest hits territory: Hotel California, Peaceful Easy Feeling, I Can't Tell You Why, Witchy Woman, Lyin' Eyes, Boys of Summer, In the City, and the first set closer, the Long Run. I found myself screaming along with the crowd. The Eagles looked sharp, played sharper. This is what a classic rock concert should be: talented musicians who've played together on and off for almost 40 years, great songs brought to life with passion and intensity, incredible musicianship all around the damn stage. Every member of the band was note-perfect from start to finish. Seriously. So I missed the second set, but I left the show happy, and I'm pretty damn contented to be home with the prospect of hopping into bed before midnight. That fantastic first set is the show of the summer for me (so far). I'll still pass over the Eagles on the FM radio, but I'll buy a ticket if they tour again.

Shootin' and The Ivy

Mrs. Smith here, wanting to show off our handiwork on those poor paper people. Mr. Smith's is on the left, mine on the right. (I admit my favorite part of this is pretending to be Angelina Jolie. Since I am on the pro-Angelina side.) It was a total blast, and thanks miko for the introduction! And I fully blame you if my husband goes out and buys a gun! (kidding, kidding)
Look at all the pretty bullet-holes!

Please excuse the look of the rest of these pictures (other than the first one of AC and Whirly which I managed to get before my camera died.) The rest were taking with R's phone, so they won't be so pretty, but it's proof that we all were there! It was great to see and meet everyone. I look forward to the time when we can have a full board Horrorthon get-together!
AC and Whirly


R and JPX


miko promised me money if I made this go away


But I decided to torture him instead


The Hotties of Horrorthon

PS - the one shot she took of all of us was so blurry it was pointless to even put it up. Thanks everyone for a great time!

Landshark's Vas deferens had a tough day


That is all.

HAPPY 40TH OCTO!!!

In his younger years, lookin' fly.

Marvin the Martian: The Movie


From slashfilm,Warner Bros has announced that they are developing a big screen hybrid live-action/computer animated feature film based on the classic Chuck Jones’ Tooney Tunes cartoon Marvin the Martian. No writer or director has yet been signed, but the pitch is aimed at the family demographic and will be packaged as a Christmas movie. Marvin comes to Earth to destroy Christmas but becomes trapped in a gift box. Yeah, the proposed plot for the feature seems to stray far from the original short toons which I fell in love with as a kid. It seems to me that Warner Bros took noticed the box office gross of Alvin and the Chipmunks, and searched for a property that they could use in a similar capacity. I still think they should make a Pinky and the Brain half-live-action/half-computer-animated feature.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince full trailer




See creepy trailer here

This was my favorite bit of carnage from the earthquake.


In real life, everybody's okay. You can read Julie's account here.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Meeting blogmates in person can be fun


As far as I'm concerned, the inaugural Horrorthon New England get-together was a complete success. I had a great time; it was awesome to see JPX again and meet Whirlygirl, Miko, DCD, & R (once we finally found each other). Johnny Sweatpants' Summer O'Sufferin' mix kept me awake on the ride home, which I made in record time. Kudos to our very own Miko who whipped up this idea and how cool is it that we all made it! Looking forward to next time.

The Joker Arrested For Stealing Dark Knight Posters


From moviesonline, This was just too funny for me to pass up. On Sunday a little town in Michigan was about to get ravaged by The Joker.. or well, at least they would be minus one Dark Knight poster in their theater anyway. The Police Deputy of the city said that 20 year old Spencer Taylor was arrested and booked for investigation of larceny and malicious destruction of property.

The Detective on the case said officers who were dispatched early Sunday to the theater arrived to find employees restraining a man wearing a purple suit, a green wig and face paint in the style of Batman's nemesis in The Dark Knight according to Yahoo.

The best part of this whole incident is the mug shot. They even let him keep the make up on for the first one which I just find a little degrading but it at least will make a great story for Taylor when he gets older. I know I would love to have the exposure of being the first "real" Joker.

NSFW Rob Zombies T-Rex Poster


FRom moviesonline,This new poster is awesome and also not safe for work. Unless your aloud to say the F word in the office and look at half naked bloody women. Both I am allowed to do. Its for an Rob Zombie film which very little is known about at this time. Its pretty darn cool grindhouse poster. Check it out below.

New 'Spirit' Poster from Some Art School Punks


From iwatchstuff,Lionsgate had a pretty good idea. Instead of continuing to overlay text on cheeks and add accompanying audio, how about letting some art school kids have at it? So they did, and here's the first from the Art Institute of California-San Diego. I wonder how many attempts it took to get a design that didn't have "sort of an anti-war thing, man, because I'm totally getting into political shit."

Want the TIE Fighter from A New Hope? More than you can afford


From geekology, Want the T.I.E. Fighter model that was used in Star Wars: A New Hope? The one that hit Vader's ship? Well now you can, it's on eBay.

903. Original T.I.E. Fighter filming miniature and original camera reports from Star Wars: A New Hope. (TCF, 1977) During the nail-biting assault on the Death Star in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, this is the actual filming miniature of the T.I.E. Fighter that bumps into Darth Vader's fighter knocking him out of the trench, allowing Luke to destroy the Death Star. This historic piece is from the collection of Academy Award-winning Visual Effects wizard, Richard Edlund. The design concepts for the T.I.E. (Twin Ion Engine) Fighters of the Galactic Empire originally came from Colin Cantwell and Ralph McQuarrie. Joe Johnston, who was the visual effects art director and overall storyboard artist for the entire trilogy was very involved in the final finessing of the ships and Death Star designs. Only four T.I.E. Fighters were built for the first Star Wars film. Grant McCune, head of the model shop, used a fairly heavy but stable resin for the body of the ship and other resins for the tinier parts. It has a central hollow aluminum knuckle with six-way threadings for top, bottom, front, back, left and right side mounting options with 11/16 in. hollow threaded rods as wiring conduits which attached to the various self-lit neon blue pylons. The hexagonal wings are created of fine expanded metal sheeting. Much of the intricate design detail was robbed from plastic model kits, then modified and affixed.

Unfortunately, the little thing is only 18" H x 14" W, so there goes using it as a treehouse. So, what can one expect to pay for such a diminutive T.I.E. Fighter? How about $170,000? Yeah. There's never been a better time to kidnap, extort, blackmail, and/or auction your hitman services. I'll start by knocking off The Superficial Writer. Do I hear $10? $5? $1? 2-for-1 Whopper card? Fine cheapskates, but this is your only freebee.

Dumbledore kicking ass in the new Potter flick

Charles need to take charge!

From TMZ, Yeah, it's sad that Willie Aames -- aka Buddy from "Charles in Charge" -- has filed for bankruptcy. But what's even sadder is how little coin he had to begin with.




(2nd photo generously added by Johnny Sweatpants for comparison purposes)
We've gotten a copy of Willie's bankruptcy filing in Kansas (where he lives) and it seems that Aames was lowballed on his low-level fame. The actor received only $14K for being on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" and 15 grand for his book "Grace is Enough" about his struggles with drugs and money. He's about $350,000 in the hole, total.

The last time we caught up with Willie, he and his son had just gotten jacked at gunpoint in January but it looks like the real robbery happened well before that. Get this guy a new manager!

Clearer version of new Friday the 13th poster

Los Angeles Area Geeks! INGLORIOUS BASTARDS Is Screening On Wednesday Night! With The Director!


SEVERIN FILMS PRESENTS

SCREENING OF BRAND NEW PRINT OF 'INGLORIOUS BASTARDS'

PLUS 'BATTLE SQUADRAN'

Q & A WITH LEGENDARY DIRECTOR ENZO G. CASTELLARI BETWEEN FILMS

AND, SCHEDULES PERMITTING, STARS BO SVENSON AND FRED WILLIAMSON

ON THE OCCASION OF ENZO'S 70th BIRTHDAY & TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF SEVERIN'S 3 DISC EXPLOSIVE EDITION OF 'INGLORIOUS BASTARDS'

At The New Beverly Cinema, 7.30 p.m on Wednesday July 30th

and an encore of both films on Thursday July 31st.

7165 West Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
one block west of La Brea
(323) 938-4038

Keira Knightley defends small breasts; men quietly laugh at her


Keira Knightley has reportedly banned studio bosses from digitally enhancing her cleavage.

The 23-year-old actress - who plays Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, in period drama 'The Duchess' - is "proud" of her modest assets and didn't want them changed in any publicity shots.

A source said: "She has insisted that her figure stay in its natural state. She is proud of her body and doesn't want it altered. "But she looks flat-chested throughout the whole movie."

Keira's decision comes after her breasts were enlarged for posters and in publicity stills for her 2004 movie 'King Arthur'. She said at the time: "Those things certainly weren't mine! I was like, 'OK, fine. I honestly don't give a s**t!' "

Keira - who is dating her 'Pride and Prejudice' co-star Rupert Friend - previously revealed she would like to have larger breasts, adding: "I would love to have boobs! I'm never going to get them. I'm naturally who I am."

Another nook turned into ad space

Check this out! The subway tunnel running under the Hollywood hills has a buttload of video screens in it now, in order to play commercials at high-speed commuters.

Speed Racer and WALL-E were the only things I saw plugged this way; the screens have been dark for a couple of weeks now. (If you look closely, you might catch the one screen that still had the Speed Racer logo on it.) Maybe it's too expensive.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Stephen Hawking In LEGO Form


From geekology,This is Stephen Hawking in LEGO form. I have no idea of the maker's intentions, but it was posted with this comment:

Professor Stephen Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics - Cambridge University. BEST WISHES ON YOUR TRIP TO THE STARS
So I'm thinking the person was being genuine. Regardless, I think we can all agree that Hawking is one of the most brilliant minds of our time and I'm dumb as hell. Love you, Stephen. Some of my favorite Hawkingisms:

I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.

Space, here I come!

The downside of my celebrity is that I cannot go anywhere in the world without being recognized. It is not enough for me to wear dark sunglasses and a wig. The wheelchair gives me away.

I have no idea. People who boast about their IQ are losers. (response given to question about his IQ)

Life would be tragic if it weren't funny.

We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.

'Potter' trailer unveils a young Voldemort


By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

The sixth Harry Potter movie is continuing to creep toward its Nov. 21 opening.
The trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince arrives today online and makes its debut in theaters Friday before The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Film editing is complete, says director David Yates, and studio officials will soon see the finished product.


Then next month, test audiences will get a sneak peek — something that doesn't seem to faze Yates in the least. "That's an incredibly useful process," he says.

The big reveal in the trailer (and in this exclusive photo from it): a glimpse of the young Tom Riddle, who grows up to become the wizarding world's most malevolent force, Lord Voldemort.


Voldemort is played by Ralph Fiennes, and his 11-year-old incarnation is played by 10-year-old Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, the actor's nephew. Not only does he bear a resemblance to the grown-up Voldemort, but he also has the requisite intensity, Yates says.

"His mother (Martha Fiennes) is a film director, and Hero was very focused and disciplined," Yates says. "The fact that he's related to Ralph wasn't the primary reason for choosing him. It was an advantage that he looked very similar to Ralph. Of course that was useful. But primarily I went for Hero because of this wonderful haunted quality that seemed to bring Tom Riddle alive on-screen for us."

Yates stressed how hard it can be for very young actors to find the necessary dark place to play such a creepy character.

"But even though he's the nicest child you'd ever want to meet, sweet-natured and pleasant, he got the corners and dark moods and odd spirit of the character."

Audiences also will meet a teenage Voldemort, still known as Tom Riddle. He's played by Frank Dillane. The character made an appearance in the second Potter film, Chamber of Secrets, played by a different actor.

"Even at a very young age, Tom Riddle shows tendencies toward cruelty and maliciousness," Yates says. "And it's a very unsettling thing to see."

Winehouse hospitalized...again


Breaking in England: The Daily Mail is reporting that Amy Winehouse has been rushed to the emergency ward of University College Hospital. The singer was seen being wheeled out of her north London home just after 8:40 p.m. (local time) by paramedics, with her father Mitch Winehouse on the scene. She was then rushed to the accident and emergency department of UCH, her spokesperson confirmed to Sky News.

George Lucas: Mr Emperor strikes back

Star Wars made George Lucas a fortune and transformed an industry. Now he brings us The Clone Wars, an animated film with a host of familiar faces

Just because I’m not Britney Spears, it doesn’t mean that I’m a recluse.” Sitting in his headquarters at Skywalker Ranch, George Lucas is engaged in a bout of myth-busting. Given the rarefied nature of a Lucas interview, the creator of Star Wars is often cast as something of a loner, a professional Han Solo, dismissing the outside world while sitting astride his empire, Lucasfilm, which is buried in the heart of Lucas Valley, in northern California. (The locale, inciden-tally, boasted the name long before the film-maker arrived.) “Honestly, everyone feels you have to talk about yourself all the time,” he says. “They say I’m introverted because I don’t give many interviews. But I don’t give many interviews because I don’t make many films.”

Lucas concedes that he can find interviews uncomfortable. “They’re hard work,” he says, “but this is part of the film-making process. It’s hard for you, I realise that, but it’s hard for us, too.” Truth be told, much of the mystery that surrounds him stems from the fact that journalists often treat him with extreme deference. While his film-making peers, from Spielberg to Scorsese, have all attained iconic status, Lucas is set apart in the pantheon: he created Star Wars and, for many, that elevates him to a different plane. In consequence, interviewers rarely inquire into his private life, his 1983 divorce from Marcia (his wife of 14 years and a close professional collaborator) and the fact that he went on to raise three children as a single parent. Yet surely these events must have had a profound effect on his work?

“Probably,” he concedes. “If I’ve directed fewer movies than I might have, it was a combination of things. But I think the most outstanding thing was that, back then, I was financially devastated and I had to get myself back on my feet. And, at the same time, I had a daughter to raise. These two things together changed my focus. I decided to spend time building up the company and doing things I could do a few hours a day.


Read the rest here

More Creepy Pics of JPX

I printed more of the JPX pics like the one I posted the other day. I was thinking of matting the below strip. It would look slightly different then it does here. They would be placed in a white mat horizontally. As you can see below, my intention is, no JPX, and then he appears, moves closer, a little closer, and then vanishes. It seemed like a good idea and then I printed and laid them out and now I’m not sold on it anymore. One of my concerns is that the images are to similar. What are your thoughts?
So now I’m thinking maybe a triptych would work better like below. Again, the pics would be laid out horizontally in a white mat.

And here’s another image not related to the creepy JPX ones, but still creepy. I took this at a reservation in New Mexico.


Malevolent

 2018  ***1/2 It's 1986 for some reason, and a team of paranormal investigators are making a big name for themselves all over Scotland. ...