Strong performances and a vivid evocation of its wartime milieu highlight this stirring British dramaThe massive success of both the stage and screen versions of War Horse has no doubt spurred the belated U. S. theatrical release of a screen adaptation of another World War I-themed, young-adult novel by Michael Morpurgo. Although lacking the sweeping emotionalism and expensive production values of its cinematic predecessor, Private Peaceful emerges as a powerful anti-war drama that particularly spotlights the unfair treatment afforded British soldiers, 306 of whom were executed for various offenses. Previously adapted by screenwriter Simon Reade into a BBC radio drama and an acclaimed one-person stage play, the story concerns teenage Tommo Peaceful (George Mackay) and his older brother Charlie (Jack O’Connell, soon to be seen in the highly anticipated Unbroken), growing up in rural Devon, England. Their father having died in an unfortunate accident, they’re being raised by their mother Hazel (Maxine Peake), who’s forced to contend with the whims of her insensitive landowner employer (Richard Griffiths of Harry Potter and The History Boys fame in his final screen role). The brothers’ loving relationship is sorely tested by the romantic triangle that develops between them and local girl Molly (Alexandra Roach). Although Tommo is deeply in love with her, she’s more drawn to his older brother and marries him after she becomes pregnant. Read More ‘War Horse’: Film Review When war breaks outs Tommo lies about his age and eagerly enlists, while Charlie remains behind with his new bride. But his loyalty to his sibling eventually causes him to join the army’s ranks and desperately search for him through the killing fields of Flanders. The most dramatic element of the storyline related in flashbacks deals with one of them, not identified until shortly before the film’s conclusion, facing military justice in the form of a firing squad. While dealing with familiar wartime story tropes-including the tragic death of a beautiful young woman who takes a shine to Tommo and the harsh treatment afforded the young soldiers by their brutal sergeant (John Lynch)-the film delivers an evocative portrait of its early twentieth century, rural England milieu. Among the other interesting characters on display are the Peaceful boys’ mentally-challenged older brother, Big Joe (Kyle Summercorn) and a local busybody, the aptly named Grandma Wolf (Frances de la Tour). Working with an obviously limited budget (and shooting on 16mm no less), director Pat O’Connor (Dancing at Lughnasa) achieves a lot with a little, although the results inevitably have the feel of the sort of television production which could wind up being shown on Masterpiece Theater. Read More ‘Unbroken’ Star Jack O’Connell on Empathizing With Prisoners, Becoming Louis ZamperiniAdding greatly to the overall impact are the strong performances by the three leads, with O’Connell displaying the charisma that seems destined to propel him to screen stardom, Mackay delivering a sensitive turn as the young man determined to go to war, and Roach radiant as the love interest for both brothers. Production: Fluidity FilmsCast: Jack O’Connell, George Mackay, Alexandra Roach, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, John Lynch, Maxine PeakeDirector: Pat O’ConnorScreenwriter: Simon ReadeProducers: Simon Reade, Guy de BeaujeuExecutive producers: Michael Morpurgo, Jack Bowyer, Joanne Podmore, Rhys David Thomas, Rhian WilliamsDirector of photography: Jerzy ZielisnksiProduction designer: Adrian SmithEditor: Humphrey DixonCostume designer: Anushia NieradzikComposer: Rachel PortmanCasting: Gemma Hancock, Sam StevensonNo rating, 103 min. Source link
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Waistline Like Kim Kardashian with Sans Corset
The waist training trend (aka wearing a corset to help shrink your middle) seems to be all the rage in Hollywood, as recently demonstrated by Kim Kardashian (above). But instead of squeezing your ribs into an apparatus that surely can’t be good for you, we turned to trainer-to-the-stars AKT InMotion‘s Anna Kaiser (who’s responsible for whipping Kelly Ripa, Sarah Jessica Parker, and other famous faces into shape), for the most effective waist whittling moves around, the good-old fashioned way. “It’s the most ridiculous thing,”says Kaiser of the corset trend. “First of all, it doesn’t look very good. And second of all, they stopped wearing corsets hundreds of years ago because of the damage they do to your body, rib cages and hips and all of that!”Instead, Kaiser says you can achieve that fab physique with a few super effective moves to strengthen your core, therefore you’re not relying on a piece of fabric or elastic to do that for you. Based on Kaiser’s flawless figure and her clients’ fab physiques, we’re sold!Try out these moves (complete 10 reps of each exercise), courtesy of Kaiser, and you’ll be feeling trim and toned in no time (your ribs will thank you later!):1. SKI PLYOSIn plank, jump both legs toward your left hand, then jump toward your right hand. That’s one rep. Repeat jumping side to side, trying to lift your hips into the air in between landings. 2. SUPINE SWISS TWISTStart by placing a swiss ball (stability ball) between your legs and lay on your back (legs extended towards ceiling). With your hands out in a T position and keeping your legs straight, lower your legs toward the floor (about halfway), rotate the ball to the right, rotate back to center, and lift the legs back to the starting position. Repeat on the left. RELATED: How to Raise the “Barre”on Your Regular Workout 3. JACKNIFE WITH A TWISTStart by stabilizing in a plank position, with your shins on the swiss ball. Press down into the ball with your shins as you lift your hips toward the ceiling and bend your knees toward your chest. Aim your knees toward your left shoulder (twisting in your mid section) as you finish bringing your knees toward you (feeling your obliques kick in!). Then return to plank. Repeat on the right. That’s one rep. 4. DOUBLE TAP OUTSStart in a plank position on the floor. Tap your right toe out to the side at a 45deg angle (keeping your right hip parallel to the floor). Then bend your knee and tap your right toe as close to your right shoulder as possible. Return to plank. Repeat on the left. RELATED: Sweat It Out! These New Fitness Apps and Sites Will Change Your Workout5. TWISTING SIT UPLay on your back, arms extended straight overhead on the floor by you. As you come all the way up to sit on your booty, lift your right knee toward your chest and twist toward the leg as you come into the seated position (arms come out to the side, spine straight). Lower back down. Repeat on the left. 6. SIDE PASSE DIPPosition yourself in a side plank, supporting your body with your left arm. Anchor your right foot on the floor, bend your left leg, and hold your left foot to your right knee (in passe!). Maintaining that position, try to dip your left hip to tap the floor and raise back up again. Source link
LeBron Effect brings Morgan Brennan to Cleveland
LeBron James will play his first game in Cleveland tonight since heading back to the Cavaliers after taking his talents to South Beach in 2010.
James’ return means big business for the city and CNBC’s Morgan Brennan is live in Cleveland throughout the day to cover it. The “LeBron effect” increases ticket sales, hotel reservation and web traffic, so CNBC is on the ground to cover the business angle of the biggest homecoming in sports.
From increased jersey sales to local restaurants thriving, the “LeBron effect” has a significant impact on the economy. According to Brennan’s report, Cuyahoga County projects a $50 million boost to the local economy. More jobs will be created to meet visitor demand and more taxes collected due to increased consumer spending on tickets and in local businesses. Source link
Suge Knight and Katt Williams Arrested for Stealing Camera
Former Death Row Records CEO Marion “Suge” Knight and comedian Katt Williams were arrested and charged Wednesday for allegedly stealing a camera from a photographer last month in Beverly Hills, authorities said. Knight and Williams, whose birth name is Micah Sierra Williams, were each charged with one count of robbery, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said.
Prosecutors plan to ask for $1 million bail for Knight and $75,000 for Williams, according to the DA’s office. Read more Suge Knight Injured in Shooting at Pre-VMA PartyThe two men are suspected of stealing the camera of an “independent celebrity photographer” on Sept. 5 in Beverly Hills. The Beverly Hills Police Department is still investigating the case.
Knight was arrested in Las Vegas. Williams was arrested in an Inglewood, Calif., courthouse, where he was scheduled for arraignment in a separate assault case. If convicted, Knight, who previously was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, faces up to 30 years to life in prison. Williams faces up to seven years in prison.
ABC Adapting French PI Drama Risk
ABC is ready to take a big Risk. The network is teaming with Warehouse 13’s Jack Kenny and producing duo Ian Sander and Kim Moses to adapt French drama Risk, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. See moreFaces of Fall 2014Risk explores what happens when the unruly Roche Agency – a family-run private investigation firm with looming financial problems – is forced to team up with Nikki Castaneda, a former national security agent who now owns a successful corporate investigation firm. The drama is described as a mix of complex mystery, sharp banter and sexual tension to rival Taming of the Shrew and follows what ensues as the newly merged company’s lead investigators resist their physical attraction to each other while working through their very different approaches to their business and personal lives. Kenny will pen the script and exec produce for 20th Century Fox Television, with studio-based Sander and Moses on board to exec produce. For Sander/Moses, Risk marks the duo’s latest project. The duo also has Fox’s Runner, based on the Turkish format, which just received a cast-contingent pilot order at the network. They also have Amazon’s Kingdoms in the works. Their credits include CBS’ Ghost Whisperer and recently had CBS’ one-and-done summer drama Reckless. They’re repped by UTA. Kenny, whose credits include Reba, Titus and Roommates, is also with UTA. Email: Lesley. Goldberg@THR.comTwitter: @SnooditSource link
Eve Hewson loves Eco-Friendly Fashion
Actress Eve Hewson knows a thing or two about eco-friendly fashion. After all, her mother, Ali Hewson and father, U2 frontman Bono, are the founders of ethically sourced line ready-to-wear Edun. So it was a match made in fashion heaven when the New York-based starlet co-hosted cocktails at Barney’s New York at The Grove in Los Angeles to celebrate denim line Troa. Alongside fellow hosts Aimee Carpenter, Leslee Feldman and Cynthia Pett, Hewson joined a crowd of PYTs (Abigail Spencer and Garcelle Beauvais, included) to peruse the line, which draws upon the Korean art of papermaking and relies on the bark of paper mulberry trees to create non-cotton, non-toxic (and super soft) denim. “My mom always taught me to be very conscious of what I buy and where it comes from,” says Hewson, who’s currently gearing up for the next season of Steven Soderbergh’s The Knick on Cinemax. “Thankfully Troa and Edun are doing things that are really fashionable, so it’s easy to stay true to that. “ Hewson, who can regularly be found sporting her parent’s line, jokes that she “regularly bullies” her mom into sending her as many pieces from Edun as possible. And what will the 23-year-old – who considers jeans, boots and a leather jacket her standard uniform – wear this Halloween? “I have a neon blue wig that I want to wear, but I have no idea how I am going to incorporate that into my costume,” she laughs. “I was thinking about wearing whatever I wanted to, and if someone asks me, I’m Scarlett Johansson in Her, because nobody knows what she looks like!”Source link
Chris Rock SNL Promos include Prince
Chris Rock may be hosting Saturday Night Live this week but the star SNL alum makes it clear in his promos that Saturday’s show is all about musical guest Prince. As one might expect with the shy Purple One, Prince himself doesn’t make an appearance in the SNL spots, but Rock talks him up. Watch more Chris Rock’s ‘Top Five’: See What All the Buzz Is About With First Trailer In the first spot, Rock teases, “That’s right: Prince. He’s nearby. Can you find him?” The camera then scrolls over to a purple-clad Bobby Moynihan, who puts his finger to his lips, as a caption reads, “SNL acknowledges this is clearly not Prince. ” In another ad, Rock and Moynihan walk through a crowd of people, with women screaming every time they say “Prince,” something Rock says just happens. See more ‘Saturday Night Live’: 10 Most Controversial Moments “Anytime you say the words Prince a woman will scream somewhere in the world,” he says. In the final ad, Rock says he and Moynihan will be singing Prince’s songs. While the SNL castmember says he’ll do “When Doves Cry,” Rock says he’ll opt for “the nasty stuff. ” Rock’s latest film, Top Five, hits theaters Dec. 5. Paramount won a bidding war for the hot title at the Toronto Film Festival. See more ‘Saturday Night Live’: 10 Stars You Forgot Were Castmembers He recently praised Prince’s Purple Rain in Billboard, saying of the 30-year-old album, “There’s not a bad record on Purple Rain. Thriller is allegedly the best album of all time, and that has at least two bad songs on it. There’s no ‘Baby Be Mine’ on Purple Rain. ” As for the artist, Rock says, “Prince was funny. He was really cool – he’s one of the last guys with a real mystique… . He’s the best there is. Thirty years later, there’s nothing remotely close. “[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViY_FxcvyYg&w=550&h=309]Source link
Titanic film extra files Lawsuit over Back Pay
The actor who says he was bumped up from an extra to a principal performer on James Cameron’s Titanic is traveling a little lighter in his lawsuit over whether he is entitled to back pay from the 1997 blockbuster. Vijay, professionally known as Abrax Lorini, sued 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures and Lightstorm Entertainment this past February, and since then, the case has been bouncing back and forth between state and federal court. On Monday, U. S. District Court Judge Ronald Lew finally began to address the merits of his claims in ruling on a motion to dismiss. The plaintiff says that two decades ago, he went to a casting call and was hired for $60 to be an extra. Then, Cameron cast him as “Spindly Porter,” which meant spending an additional 90 days on set for among other things, that scene where Vijay carries luggage and recites some dialogue. Vijay wasn’t a member of the Screen Actors Guild at the time, though he’s arguably still under union jurisdiction anyway. Apparently, when the actor’s role was bumped up, he wasn’t asked to sign a work-for-hire agreement, an industry norm. Among Vijay’s claims was that Titanic and a companion film entitled Ghosts of the Abyss violated his likeness rights, but the judge isn’t impressed, writing that his “appearance is but a minuscule portion of each of these films, heavily edited and synthesized with significant artistic expression… His scenes appeared for seconds at most in nearly five hours of film, and even his filmed scenes were transformed with special effects and music in the final product. “As such, his appearance in the film doesn’t rise to meet the publicity rights test of being “the very sum and substance” of the work. The judge dismisses the claim. The studios also attempted to block the plaintiff’s remaining claims of being entitled to royalties as being preempted under Section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act. They argued also that the claims are subject to the binding arbitration clause of the SAG collective bargaining agreement. Judge Lew finds it premature to rule on this aspect of the case, though it appears as though a motion for arbitration or summary judgment could come soon. If Vijay manages to navigate past any defenses like statute of limitations and laches and show he’s entitled to residuals as a principal performer, he could get back pay. Residuals are calculated as a percentage of gross, though, meaning that the studios didn’t necessarily underpay royalties as a whole. Merely, the other actors might have been overpaid slightly. Email: Eriq. Gardner@THR.comTwitter: @eriqgardnerSource link
A Band T-Shirt Strategy You Need to Know
By Chris Robly
How to get the most bang for your buck when you print band t-shirts because seeing a fan wearing your t-shirt is one of the highlights of your musical life.
A striking band logo, a sweet design, quality fabric. Of course you want to print up quality t-shirts to sell to fans at your gigs and on your website. And you want to see your fans wearing those shirts out there in the world, helping to spread the word about your music. When it comes to ordering t-shirts, most musicians hope to get two-sided silk screen printing with lots of colors on dark color tees,’ and in small quantities. But here’s the problem: all of those elements are expensive! Set up costs for the order (and screens for each color) are pricey if only amortized over a small quantity of t-shirts.
So we asked our friends at Merch.ly if they had any advice for musicians that want to order great looking t-shirts but don’t have tons of cash to drop. Here’s what they said: Two-sided printing has double the screen costs of one-sided printing. Dark colored shirts are more expensive to print on than light or white shirts, as an extra base coat needs to be applied on dark fabric to ensure the inks sit and display properly (a cost not required for white and very light color fabric).
So, what can a musician do to help keep their costs in line and still have a great product that fans want to buy?According to Merch.ly, you should:
1. Consider larger designs. No need to go small with the artwork, as it’s the same price whether the artwork is 3″x5″in size or 12″x15.”
2. Consider printing on just one side. Maximize the imagery and impact of that one side with bold color choices and large design, perhaps coupled with an interesting fabric color. We offer dozens of fabric color options.
3. Use fewer ink colors. Screen set-up costs are expensive, so each color adds a lot of money per unit if the run size is short. Consider fewer, bolder colors in your design. Creative design need not mean lots of colors; indeed, sometimes simpler can be better. And build the design for the t-shirt rather than just trying to apply artwork which was intended for another medium. For example, a photograph used for an album cover would be too complex and not a great choice, economically speaking, for a silk screened t-shirt.
4. Order higher quantities. If you really need multi-color design, help spread the per-unit cost over 100 rather than 50 units, or 200 units rather than 100. That will bring the average cost of the shirts down considerably, as the 2nd 50 units (if going from 50 to 100) are much less expensive than the first 50.
5. Consider upgrading the shirt choice to a fashion brand. This will give the fan something of higher quality, usually softer and/or more stylized and fitted than mass brands. Plus, if you’re going with a high end product, it may allow you to go with just one sided printing or fewer colors-as the quality of the product will help sell-and thus reduce your artwork costs. Indeed, sometimes the increased cost of a better shirt style will be less than the reduction in printing costs of a simpler design - yet the fan may be more interested in that fashion shirt (and pay a premium) due to its better style. Note: one other option is to use an alternative printing method to silk screening, namely “direct to garment printing” which is effectively garments decorated with a specialized inkjet printer. There are limitations to this method and it does not have the same pop and quality as silk screening. But it’s less expensive for short runs, particularly on whites and light fabrics. If your t-shirt printer doesn’t offer this print method online (our pricing assumes silk screening), call or write to them and ask about alternate methods. We discuss this option with customers who want small quantities and “need” lots of colors.
Do you need quality band t-shirts quickly? Check out Merch.ly today.Source link
Flash/Arrow Felicity Smoak Is the Most Perfect Human
It’s The Flash/Arrow crossover day! Felicity Smoak stopped over in Central City to hang out with Barry Allen and the STAR labs crew, and it was beyond wonderful. In fact, most things were beyond wonderful tonight. We’ve got very little to rant about, in fact, so join us for another installment of Rants and (Mostly) Raves!RANT: The Flash: Darn it, you guys, we had just started to forget about Olicity as we switched to the Baricity/Felarry/Smoaken Ship only to have it go down in mutually-decided-upon flames when Barry and Felicity realized they were just two people in love with other people. Oh well. Back to Olicity!RAVE: The Flash: If we weren’t invested in this show already, we absolutely are now. Not only did we finally get a recurring big bad in Wentworth Miller’s Captain Cold, we also got a ton of Felicity just bein’ Felicity, and Felicity’s natural humor matches the tone of this show perfectly. RAVE: The Flash: “I want to see it, and by it, I mean your speed, in case you thought I was talking about something else, which I wasn’t.” “And I’m talking to air now. Which is odd. And I’m still doing it.” See what we meant about Felicity bein’ Felicity? Never change, Ms. Smoak. RANT: The Flash: We can’t help but feel like Felicity’s little slip-up in mentioning Oliver and the Arrow in the same sentence might have some serious ramifications later on, especially since we don’t trust Harrison Wells one bit. RANT: Sons of Anarchy: Poor Bobby! Jax tried to negotiate so poor Mr. Munson lost a finger. The Sons hadn’t actually opened the box by the end of the episode, but we hope the finger was also delivered in a Tupperware container. RAVE: Sons of Anarchy: We felt like Abel was so. close. to revealing Gemma’s big murderous secret tonight, as she questioned him about having hit another kid. He claimed it was an accident, and she asked him if he knew what “accident” meant. He responded: “Do you?” Was it really a realistic kid’s response? No, but it was a damn good moment of TV. RAVE: Sons of Anarchy: And if Abel doesn’t do it, maybe Juice will, since he seems to be making a deal with the feds. He also smushed a cockroach in his fingers in tonight’s episode. It was gross. RAVE: The Voice: Last night we were all about Taylor Swift being everybody’s adviser all the time for everything, but now we’re not so sure, after advice like: “You should feel like you’re carrying around a duffel bag with a heat-seeking missile in it, like you’re going to hit the target.” Maybe she really is a nightmare dressed like a daydream. RAVE: Agents of SHIELD: Can we keep Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse forever and always please? She’s beyond perfect. RAVE: Agents of SHIELD: We continue to be impressed by Skye’s transformation into a badass agent. We are mildly worried now, however, since Ward has now escaped and is no longer confined to that nifty little jail cell. RAVE: Supernatural: The boys really are back! That was a good old fashioned Supernatural episode, save for all the dealing-with-the-demon-thing Sam and Dead did in between hanging out with werewolves. RAVE: Benched: Eliza Coupe is back! Now we’ve got Jane, Penny (Marry Me), Max (The Mindy Project), and Brad (New Girl) all on our Tuesday night TV screens (when sports aren’t happening). Now if Zachary Knighton’s and Elisha Cuthbert’s new shows (Weird Loners & One Big Happy) can also air on Tuesdays, it will ALMOST be just like Happy Endings got un-canceled. Almost. Kind of. Source link