Kdramas In 2011 That We Would Love To Recommend

There are many many awesome kdramas in 2011 that we would love to recommend, but if you absolutely don’t have the time to catch up on all, we definitely recommend the below five as your must-see dramas this winter break.
49 days
“49 Days” was a compelling melodrama that allowed viewers to reflect back to their lives. If you had the chance to look at your life after you died, would you be satisfied with the way you lived it? Are your friends truly someone you can trust and depend on or superficial acquaintances? “49 Days” started with death. Everyone at one point in their lives has probably wondered who will mourn for them after their dead. Well, this drama is a story about how a young woman, Shin Ji Hyun, looks through her life from someone else’s eyes and realizes the betrayal of her friends and fiancé.
The drama focuses on the fact that, instead of a switheroo between lovers, two compete strangers change souls. The plot that a person is possessed by another person’s soul and that three drops of tears can reincarnate the soul’s corpse is truly a fantasy. However, the central theme is still deeply rooted in reality – it’s a story about interpersonal relationships and life and death.
City Hunter
Based on a Japanese manga by Hojo Tsukasa, “City Hunter” was so much more than a simple vengeance drama. It had a complex web of stories – that were dark, thrilling, heart-wrenching, and romantic – that built Lee Yoon Sung into the City Hunter he is today. It also alluded to some of the society’s current issues like half-tuition for college students and industrial accidents all the while emphasizing the significance of our basic principles – faith and justice – and the importance of upholding them.
The show had it all – great actors, great plot, great cinematography, great score, the works. Not once was there ever a “boring” moment or scene where you wanted to press the fast-forward button. All the relationships between Yoon Sung and the characters, and not just the one between him and Nana (btw Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young liked the love line between their characters so much, they decided to become a real life couple ^^), were enthralling. Yoon Sung and daddy dearest Jin Pyo shared and realized that their bond was thicker than blood – once they were able to get pass the fact that Jin Pyo kidnapped, lied, and manipulated Yoon Sung.
Shik Joong ajusshi was more of a confidant/motherly/wife(?) figure to Yoon Sung. While they constantly, and quite amusingly, “fought” over all the home shopping like a married couple, Yoon Sung could always count on Shik Joong to be there when he needed him. Yoon Sung and Prosecutor Kim Young Joo had so much in common – both were victims of the previous generation’s actions, both tried to break free from their father’s shadows and control, and both had a strong sense of justice – albeit difference ideas as to achieve justice. Despite being “enemies,” the two genuinely respected each other, and had they met in any other circumstances, they could have shared a great bromance. Yoon Sung and Nana? What more is there to say.

Cha-Cha-Cha Is Usually Danced Informally To Cuban Music

The lively beat of the cha-cha-cha, sometimes shortened to cha-cha, is characteristic of Latin American ballroom dance styles. The dance was, in fact, named after the sound made by the dancer's shoes scraping the floor in rhythm to the beat. The cha-cha-cha is another of the Latin dances with origins in Cuba. The development of the dance into an international ballroom dancing event was achieved with the help of a European man known as Monsieur Pierre.
Latin dance costumes do much to add to the upbeat rhythm of the cha-cha-cha, especially when they feature fabric cuts such as fringe that can fly freely with movement and create a blur of bold color to catch the eye.
Cha-cha-cha is usually danced informally to Cuban music, or Latin pop and rock. Professional ballroom dancing of the cha-cha-cha usually features music that is more lively and maintains a steadier beat than Cuban-style cha-cha-cha, which has fun changing rhythms.
Cha-cha-cha dancers learn specific hip and leg movements that are easily recognized characteristics of Latin-style dances. Many ballroom dance costumes for Latin dances have hip-accentuating features that draw attention to this key part of the body, such as slits, ornate beading, or extra fabric.
A Latin dance costume worn while performing the cha-cha-cha is more likely to be short, as well, to allow for free leg movement and to add to the sensual appeal of the dance.
Traditional Spanish-styled cha-cha-cha Latin dance costumes feature multi-layered ruffles and often a bare midriff. The spiciness of Latin dancing does not escape the cha-cha-cha, even at the professional ballroom dancing level.
Men's ballroom dance costumes for the Latin dances such as a the cha-cha-cha are also more attention-grabbing than their more subdued counterparts, often featuring deep v-necks, interesting accents and pops of color to accentuate the female's Latin dance costume.
The cha-cha-cha is a beautiful dance form that is one of the most lively and energetic of the Latin ballroom dances. The music, the dance moves, and the style of its costumes work together to create an unforgettably appealing impression that radiates energy and enjoyment of life.

Meredith LeVande’s Face Could Become A Familiar One To Fans

Meredith LeVande’s face could become a familiar one to fans of Sesame Street, Curious George and other children’s shows as WXXI-TV starts showing the University of Rochester grad’s Monkey Monkey Music videos in between shows or during breaks next year.
“I’m very excited about (the videos airing in Rochester),” LeVande says, “clearly because of my connection to Rochester, my history and pride and getting my degree at (University of) Rochester.”
LeVande has taken a winding road to her career as a well-known children’s singer.
Yet the music has been healing for her. LeVande grew up in an abusive household with a mother who suffered from mental illness who was permanently institutionalized when LeVande was 15. Her grandmother raised her.
She found that music helped her communicate with her mother at difficult times. That musical skill was honed at UR, not through formal classes but through learning to play the guitar.
“When I was graduating from (University of) Rochester, I applied to law school,” says LeVande, who graduated in 1995 with a degree in English and women’s studies. “In order apply to law school you have to get a letter of recommendation, and I asked my professor for a recommendation, but (he said), ‘I really don’t think you’re the type of person to go to law school. I’m still going to write you the recommendation, but you’re just so much more artistic and I don’t know if it’s the right career path for you.’”
LeVande got that law degree from Brooklyn Law School but also took the professor’s advice and started performing.
She is based in New York City, but early in her career she toured heavily locally, performing at Genesee Community College, Nazareth College and Rochester Institute of Technology.
“I was very happy when I would go back (to Rochester),” LeVande says. “It’s always a good feeling to go back to a place where you have roots.”
In 2000, LeVande found her musical niche when there were a lot of kids in the crowd at one of her concerts. Instead of playing her usual folk/pop genre, LeVande adjusted to the audience and opted to play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Wheels on the Bus,” which garnered positive feedback from the audience
As she continued her musical career, she focused more on children’s music.
“I started playing more traditional children’s songs,” LeVande says. “As I was working with children and seeing how they responded (to the music), I began writing my own children’s music.”
Her CD Monkey Monkey Music with Meredith LeVande debuted in 2004, and by word-of-mouth became a hit nationwide. LeVande’s songs include “Jump High,” “Hello” and “Opposites” and encourage children to get up and move to the music and sing along.

Jennifer Aniston Hairstyles Trends

Every year, celebrities set the trends of fashions and hairstyles. Everywhere you looked, you could see celebrities with many different and fashionable hairstyles from short and sweet to long and elegant, from curly or wavy to up-styles. No matter what the style these celebrities were wearing, they made a fashion statement that everyone else followed after. If a next-door girl won’t wear celebrity hairstyle to work or to school, the weddings is a perfect time for her to try celebrity hairstyles, and feel like a true celebrity.

Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez were two of the most popular celebrities that people were talking about when it comes to hair styles. Each of these celebrities had a hairstyle that no one else could touch and until recently, many of us only dreamed we could have a Jennifer Aniston Sedu hairstyle or a Jennifer Lopez Sedu hairstyle.
Creating beautiful wedding hairstyles is easy after browsing through the numerous bridal printed magazines or available on the Internet. Searching “hairstyles 2006″ in popular search engines, you’ll have a plenty of ideas.
Long hairstyles are still the favorites of most brides, because they add sophistication and elegance to a wedding ceremony and reception accordingly. Go for casual, romantic long hairstyles or practical, modern short styles if you feel that any of them match your own style. If you are wearing short hair but you want a fashionable long hairstyle or up-do, you can let you hair grow in plenty of time or opt using hair extensions.
If you decide to wear a Jennifer Aniston sedu hairstyle or a Jennifer Lopez sedu hairstyle for your wedding or your friends’ wedding, I‘ll reveal the secrets here. The secret behind their gorgeous hairstyle is of course partly due to the sedu flat iron, not to mention what they do prior to using this wonderful sedu flat iron. They both must use a conditioning shampoo and then dry well and again add more conditioning to assist in straightening their hair and making it very soft and flexible. The next step in the Jennifer Aniston sedu hairstyle is to add equal parts of shaping gel and calming serum massaged into the hair. Using a big round hairbrush and your blow dryer, you will be simulating how Jennifer Lopez sedu hairstyle is created. The next thing these two Celebrities have done is the flattening with the sedu flat iron.

Mr. Vegas Has Released His Latest Single, “You Make Me Happy"

News Americas, KINGSTON, Jamaica, Weds. Dec. 14, 2011: Internationally celebrated dancehall star, Mr. Vegas, has released his latest single, “You Make Me Happy.” The song is a remake of reggae pioneer Alton Ellis’ 1967 cover of Motown singer Brenda Holloway’s Top 100 hit, “You Make Me Happy.” It is one of the featured singles on Mr. Vegas’ first full reggae album, ‘Sweet Jamaica,’ due to be released on February 7th.
Vegas is honoring Ellis, and many of reggae’s foundation artists who crafted Jamaica’s signature sound, on Sweet Jamaica.“Alton Ellis is the ‘Godfather of Rocksteady’ and an important figure in Reggae music,” says Clifford ‘Mr. Vegas’ Smith. “I was watching a YouTube video of his last concert, he gave the audience his all, and called for a helper backstage to help him finish his show because he was unable to – I am answering his call and making ‘You Make Me Happy’ the first official release from this new album.”
Vegas, a MOBO award winner known for Billboard charting smash singles like “Heads High,” “Pull Up,” and urban radio bangers “Tek Weh Yuhself,” “Hot Wuk,” “I Am Blessed” and “Gallis,” has a dancehall single, “Bruk it Down,” in the Top 10 on local charts. “Certain Law” is #1 on the MTV Base Dancehall video charts.
Last week, Vegas, in collaboration with Shelliann McBayne, initiated the Save Foundation Reggae campaign with a petition appealing to radio disc jocks to include music of Reggae pioneers like Ellis, Bob Marley, Gregory Issacs, and Cynthia Schloss into their daily playlists. The petition also appeals to the island’s producers who have traded Jamaica’s bass-heavy rhythms for Hip Hop, R&B, and Techno sounding beats. To date, over 450 people from as far away as Kenya, Australia, and Qatar have signed the petition.Vegas is appealing to all radio disc jocks, and sound systems to honor the pioneers of Jamaican music by adding ‘foundation’ reggae music into their daily playlists.

Jackson's Final Home Reach Auction

Some 500 lots of mostly paintings, furniture and ornaments are for sale from the Bel Air home Jackson rented while preparing for a series of comeback concerts in London. But only a handful of the items bear a poignant but personal connection to the singer, his three children and famous family."Even though these weren't items that belonged to him, they were items that surrounded him in the final months of his life. Anything associated with Michael Jackson is highly collectible," said auctioneer Darren Julien.The ornate headboard on the bed where Jackson's body was found on June 25, 2009 was removed from the December 17 sale last month at the request of Jackson's family.
But the "Thriller" singer did leave his mark on an ornate mirror in the bedroom, scrawling a message in felt pen that reads "Train, perfection March April Full out May" -- presumably a reference to rehearsals for London's "This Is It" concerts set to start that July. The mirror is part of an armoire and carries an estimated sales price of $6-8,000."The pieces that are really going to sell for a lot are the items that can be identified as having an association with Michael Jackson, like the armoire in his private bedroom where he handwrote on the mirror," Julien said.
A pottery rooster holding a chalkboard from the kitchen bears a poignant reminder of Jackson's children Prince, Paris and Blanket. A note from the children in chalk reads "I (heart) Daddy SMILE it's for free". The item is priced at $400-600 but is expected to fetch much more.Some rooms at the mansion in the wealthy Los Angeles community where Jackson spent his final days played a role in Murray's trial that ended in November, including the bedroom -- littered with medical paraphernalia -- where Jackson was found not breathing and Murray tried to revive him.Jackson was officially pronounced dead in a nearby hospital and ruled to have died of an overdose of the powerful surgical anesthetic propofol and sedatives.
Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, or gross negligence, and sentenced to four years behind bars after admitting he had given Jackson propofol at home to help the singer sleep.At Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills on Sunday, where the company has re-created several of the mansion's rooms ahead of the sale, a handful of emotional fans left flowers, photos and messages on a plain white platform meant to symbolize the death bed, surrounded by other furniture.Fighting back tears, some decorated a Christmas tree with heart-shaped ornaments bearing the message "peace," the letters "M" and "J," and festive baubles with photos and lyrics from Jackson's best known songs.
"Christmas was one of Michael Jackson's favorite holidays so this was a way for fans to come together and honor him and memorialize him," said Julien, whose auction house also oversaw the sale of Jackson's Neverland Ranch in central California.

Celtic Thunder Will Bring A Show Of Original And Cassic Christmas Songs To The First Arena In Elmira

On Sunday, the singing ensemble Celtic Thunder will bring a show of original and classic Christmas songs to the First Arena in Elmira.The group, a collection of established folk, traditional and popular music singers who have performed and toured together since 2007, is well known from its PBS television specials and DVDs.
They've performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and at the White House for President Barrack Obama, and were named Top World Music Artists by Billboard in 2009.The current touring ensemble is made up of Irishmen Neil Byrne, Keith Harkin, Emmet Cahill and Ryan Kelly and Scotsman George Donaldson.Byrne started as lead guitar player for Celtic Thunder's live shows, and stepped forward as a lead vocalist.
Harkin is a singer/ songwriter who has recorded songs for the BBC and performed at numerous festivals.Cahill, at 20, already has had a long performing career and won several prestigious prizes for his tenor voice in 2010.Kelly has performed as a solo singer and in musical theater.Donaldson is a self-taught musician and a fixture in the Scottish folk scene. The group was organized by its musical director, Paul Coulter, an award-winning songwriter and composer.
The Christmas show includes classic seasonal fare such as "Silent Night," "Let It Snow" and "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," along with original songs composed for the group's 2010 CD "Christmas." The concert also will feature some of Celtic Thunder's non-holiday hits, including music from its upcoming eighth album, "Voyage."

The Legendary Career Of Barbra Streisand Is Well Known Aound The Globe

The legendary career of Barbra Streisand is well known around the globe. Paved with impressive achievements and memorable moments, Streisand became the first female actress to ever direct and star in a motion picture that was recognized with a Best Director nomination from the DGA (Director’s Guild of America). The film, The Prince of Tides, was also honored with seven Academy Award nominations.
In 1963, Barbara Streisand released her first album, which was fittingly titled ‘The Barbra Streisand Album,’ for which she received two Grammy Awards. At that time, she was the youngest artist to have ever received the Album of the Year award. As Barbra made her motion picture debut in 1968, her attempt paid off with an Academy Award for Best Actress, which would be the first of two Oscars for this outstanding performer.
The self-proclaimed “actress who sings,” Barbra Streisand has repeatedly found herself at the top of the record charts and the box office. Her music success is marked with albums that have been certified as both gold and platinum. Her film roles have earned her undeniable success at the Academy Awards but, through it all, Barbra Streisand has remained dedicated to the causes that mean so much to her.
The Streisand Foundation, which is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, contributes to an array of causes every year. Among them, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, the Institute for America’s Future, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the Center for Public Integrity and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Since it’s inception in 1986, The Streisand Foundation has provided grants totaling nearly 15 million dollars to national organizations dedicated to bettering a number of important issues. In 1993, The Streisand Foundation noted that it would prioritize projects that were geared toward the economically disadvantaged youth in Los Angeles, California.

O'Keeffe Art At Fisk University

Fisk University's decade-long quest to generate cash from a 101-piece art collection donated by the late painter Georgia O'Keeffe is one step closer to fruition.But it is unclear how quickly the historically black university in Nashville will be able to complete a $30 million deal to sell a 50 percent stake in the collection to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Ark.Under the agreement, the artworks including O'Keefe's own 1927 oil painting "Radiator Building — Night, New York — would move between Fisk and the Arkansas museum every two years.
A state appeals court ruling Tuesday threw out a judge's requirement for Fisk to reserve two-thirds of the proceeds to ensure future upkeep of the collection amid the university's shaky financial circumstances.Fisk officials argued at last year's trial that the school had mortgaged all of its buildings, was running a $2 million annual deficit and had no unrestricted endowment available. The opinion notes that when President Hazel O'Leary was asked whether Fisk was "viable" given the scope of its financial challenges, she responded, "No, not at all."
The 2-1 decision found the lower court didn't have the authority to require the creation of the $20 million endowment to guard against creditors should Fisk declare bankruptcy."The record clearly reveals that that Ms. O'Keeffe never intended for the Collection to be sold or otherwise monetized in order for Fisk University to pay its general operating expenses," Clement wrote in his dissent.Even with the endowment in place, Fisk would be able to use $10 million to "rise above its current financial predicament," while staying closer to O'Keeffe's original charitable intent, Clement said.
The Crystal Bridges Museum features artwork amassed by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton, including Asher Durand's landscape painting "Kindred Spirits" and Norman Rockwell's "Rosie the Riveter."While the majority opinion rules out the judge establishing an endowment requirement, it does not preclude the court from approving one or another "dedicated source of support" for the collection. It also calls on Fisk to lay out how it will use a $1 million pledge from Walton to upgrade the display space and outline how it plans to spend the $30 million from the deal.
The state attorney general's office, which has fought to keep the collection from leaving Nashville, has not yet decided whether to seek an appeal to the state Supreme Court. A Fisk spokesman did not return a message seeking comment.In 1949, O'Keefe donated 97 pieces to Fisk from the estate of her late husband, the photographer Alfred Stieglitz. They include works by Picasso, Renoir, Cezanne, Marsden Hartley, Alfred Maurer and Charles Demuth, among   others.O'Keeffe, who died in 1986, also gave the school four of her own paintings as part of the gift, which was made to Fisk because the school educated blacks at a time when the South was segregated.
　　

Ryan Reynolds

Entertainment Weekly decided to try something different with their latest issue of the magazine. They hired Ryan Reynolds to write his own article. Now, we all know that it could be disastrous in itself but hearing an actor talking in third person about himself could actually be entertaining. Case in point (his funniest comments):
“He spent a great deal of time with his older brothers and, in turn, his brothers were very close to him. Usually within striking distance.”“Lady Luck gave him a wink and he broke into the business by scoring a lead role in a sitcom titled Two Guys, A Girl And A Pizza Place. Although the series was canceled 10 years ago, Reynolds still holds out hope they’ll change the title to something less stupid.”“Clawing his way out of a typecasting hole, he managed to secure a wider variety of parts, including several independent films that were later enjoyed by an audience of hundreds.”
“His pal and costar from The Proposal, Sandra Bullock, often refers to Reynolds as a possible contender to be ‘the Ryan Reynolds of his generation.”“But Reynolds is also careful not to get too self-righteous, and is not one of those finger-wagging celebrities telling you how to live your life. He prefers to put the word out quietly, through the exciting mediums of interpretive dance and Japanese hand fans.”“He’s always been a debilitatingly non-descript celebrity, much like Bradley Cooper before it turned out he speaks French. If Reynolds is pulling a Cooper right now and growing a personality, more power to him.”
Do you remember back in the old days, when there was a show called, Fifteen (or Hillside), on Nickelodeon? I remember watching it every week. It’s so funny that Ryan Reynolds was the cutest on that show. Watching it now it looks so corny. It’s funny how things work out like that. It’s ironic that when that show was out…I was fifteen.

Watch Tv

20th century is considered to be the age of science and technology for the invention of a multitude of electronic devices and computers stands at the top of all. Then astronomers launched their hallmark piece of digital technology, internet, which changed the course of Life on planet earth within a decade. Life amazingly started shifting from the traditional physical space to modern virtual space with such a fast speed as if the whole humanity was awaiting it or the launch of internet was prescribed in their holy literature. The world became the successful victim of the digital revolution and computers etc. became the essential part of life not less than the basic needs of living.Realizing this general addiction of technology, scientists paved the way towards shifting modes of entertainment and information through internet and computers. Now humanity can enjoy entertainment via internet. An exhaustive list of online movies and channels is available for the entertainment seekers for free. Now TV enthusiasts can enjoy their favorite TV channels with live streaming on their computers. Earlier these guys had to rely on TVs to have fun of broadcasted programs which had a specific timeslot.
 This might have troubled if there are multiple viewers who could have a fight over difference of preferences. their lives easy and you may watch TV without any such confrontation.All you need to have a good internet connection, a computer and an online tv player for the whole fun.  You just go to your favorite channel, click the favorite program and your entertainment adventure is playing through the live streaming. There are frequent cases when you are encountered with some time issue in life that causes you to miss the program with a particular airtime. It breaks the momentum and interest of the whole series of your favorite program. But online tv channels offer you to watch the missed episodes and get on the track quite easily. Also you can remove the geographical hurdles of watching home town tv channels through online access anywhere in the world because the world of virtual space knows no boundaries. Hence a Persian channel can be viewed living or working in America easily which eventually reduces the level of homesickness considerably.
It is the online tv channels that has added value in entertainment life of humans in this time of dire economic crisis which demands us to work like machines and be treated like animals as we can watch online on PCs while working simultaneously. Even if we are travelling we can access these entertainment pills on our laptops etc. through the ever availability of internet in public places. The wording boring seems very strange in this age of information technology when you can entertain yourself with favorite programs in long waits and journeys due to online TVs.Internet gives you connectivity and you can access even those tv channels for entertainment which are not broadcasted on TVs. As is the case of Iran where most of English channels are not legal to watch on tv but are of greater interest that Iranians cannot simply resist to miss. On the other hand Iranians are conservative in matters of learning English language so they are always looking for their Persian channels which is possible through
Conclusively online tv channels are improving our entertainment quotient in life and the humanity is efficiently going through the transition of global awareness through cultural depiction of online tv programs. Now World seems more meaningful and colorful than ever before just because of free online tv channels.

searching for formats of entertainment

If you are searching for new or old formats of entertainment, then board games can help you to enjoy hours of time with family and friends. There is a diversity of alternatives that are available, all which provide you with different options for the entertainment you are interested in. Finding the right options to fit with the company you have while adding into games for every occasion can help you to enjoy even more of your time with others.
The board games that you find are divided by newer and older versions of games. If you want to find classic sets, then you can look at the older games that come from ancient cultures to strategic options from hundreds of years ago. Chess, Chinese Checkers, checkers or other alternatives are some of the hundreds of options available. You can also find newer strategy or educational games as well as options for new entertainment that you can add into your time with others. Each of these are divided by the type of entertainment you are interested in for the occasion.
The older and classic games that are available combine not only with the known options that have passed down through generations. There are also others that are continuously moving back into popularity. For instance, backgammon sets are one of the alternatives available for hours of entertainment. While these come as an older strategy, newer sets allow you to enjoy the most of the game while adding in more entertainment to a classic that every individual knows how to play.
The Backgammon Sets and classic games available are only a few of thousands of options available. You can also move into contemporary times for newer games that allow you to enjoy more of today’s culture. Pop culture games, new strategy games and continuous innovations are being added into the market. These are all designed to help you add into entertainment in a different manner while providing you with different options for keeping your company connected while enjoying your time together.
If you are interested in adding into your collection for games, then considering the board game alternatives can help you. There are a variety of classic and modern games that assist you with strategy, competition and entertainment for family and friends. Finding the right games and adding into your library of fun allows you to get even more enjoyment during your free time.

Yellow Picked Up by Seven Arts Entertainment

　　Seven Arts Entertainment Inc. and GFM Films LLC announced today that their joint venture for film distribution, which was formally launched at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, has made its first acquisition. Peter Hoffman of Seven Arts and Michael Ryan of GFM negotiated the terms with Manu Kumaran of Medient for acquisition of worldwide rights to Nick Cassavetes' new feature Yellow. The film has completed shooting and will be ready for release in the spring of 2012.
　　In the tradition of Cassavetes' previous festival favourites, Alpha Dog and She's So Lovely, Yellow is a dark comedy about a young woman who comes to terms with her family's shadowed past. The ensemble cast features Sienna Miller, Melanie Griffith, Gena Rowlands, Ray Liotta and a breakout performance by Heather Wahlquist. Seven Arts and GFM expect the film to premiere at a major film festival next year.
　　Peter Hoffman, CEO of Seven Arts, commented, "We are thrilled to be in business with a proven exceptional talent such as Nick Cassavetes. We hope this will be the first of several projects with Manu and his team."
　　Michael Ryan, Partner of GFM, added, "I'm delighted to be collaborating with the Cassavetes family again, having worked on so many of John's movies in the past. Nick has assembled a wonderful cast and continues to work his magic in this remarkable production."
　　Manu Kumaran of Medient commented, "Nick Cassavetes is not only a brilliant story teller but is also a filmmaker who is very aware of the society around him. Yellow is classic Nick -- funny, warm, poignant and a social comment all at once. Medient could not have found better partners than Seven Arts and GFM Films to distribute the film."
　　About Seven Arts:
　　Seven Arts Entertainment Inc. is the successor to Seven Arts Pictures Plc, which was founded in 2002 as an independent motion picture production and distribution company engaged in the development, acquisition, financing, production, and licensing of theatrical motion pictures for exhibition in domestic ( the United States and Canada) and foreign theatrical markets, and for subsequent worldwide release in other forms of media, including home video and pay and free television.
　　Yellow comes to theaters in 2012 and stars Lucy Punch, Ray Liotta, Elizabeth Daily, Sienna Miller, Melanie Griffith, Daveigh Chase, David Morse, Max Thieriot. The film is directed by Nick Cassavetes.

Yellow Entertainment And Film Star

　　Back in the early 90s, when I got my first job on a magazine, I sat opposite a very nice, well-spoken woman who I felt a bit sorry for, despite her apparent wealth and privilege. When she was born, presumably in the early 60s or late 50s, her name was no doubt the last word in counterculture chic or beat generation wackiness, like Starfire or Sunshine. But being called Kylie after 1987 was no joke.
　　The recently published list of popular baby names is testament to the effect media figures have on naming fads. TV stars are – on the whole – valued for their ordinariness, so their names aren't especially weird. Musicians are often at the opposite extreme – names such as Madonna, Dre and Siouxsie are just a bit too distinctive to be widely adopted. But film stars occupy a perfect middle ground: as popular aspirational figures, they loom large in the popular imagination and often adopt names that manage to differentiate them from the wider mass – but not too much.
　　When I was a kid in the early 70s there was a sprinkling of Clints and Lees (after Six Million Dollar Man Lee Majors, I always assumed) – though very few Dustins. Physically impressive types seem to make an impression, not nerdy little runts. On the current list, Keira (no 63 among the girls) is more clear-cut evidence; there's surely no other reference or inspiration than the high-cheekboned Ms Knightley. The way the name Keira has moved up and down the charts is also telling. In 1999 Keira was number 286. Last year it was at 45. The high point was no 33 in 2006, shortly after Pride & Prejudice had made Knightley a major star the autumn before. In 2004, with only Bend It Like Beckham and Pirates of the Caribbean behind Knightley, Keira was making only a small dent on the top 100, sliding in at 92.
　　Other unquestionably movie-related names in the girls' list are Scarlett (no 26), Sienna (no 56) and – a character rather than an actor – Amelie at no 58. (Shamefully, Brits can't seem to be bothered to remember Audrey Tautou's name.) You have to conclude it's a kind of parental voodoo invocation, performed in the hope serious beauty will pass on to the newborn sprog. You also suspect the same is true, in a retro style, of Ava (no 12).
　　It's a little less obvious in the boys' list. Leo is at no 40, having maintained a mid-40s to mid-50s place throughout the decade. At 77, Hayden is – maybe – related to Hayden Christensen's role as Anakin Skywalker in the second Star Wars trilogy. (Much as I loathe Phantom, Clones and Sith, I'd love for Anakin itself to get on the list.) Ashton, at 69, is presumably nosing up the charts as Kutcher becomes an icon for the Twitter generation. Again, a certain kind of modish appearance seems important.

‘Spider-Man’ the Musical?

Not merely content to have their web crawler swinging from buildings on the big screen, Marvel has decided to offer Spidey his own Broadway show (we can only hope it doesn't go to his head), directed by Julie Taymor ("The Lion King," "Across The Universe"), with music from Bono and The Edge.
Here are the details, straight from Marvel:
Webheads, get ready to experience the exploits of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in an entirely new, exciting way when "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" opens on Broadway!
Mark your calendars now, thwippers, "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" opens on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Broadway's Hilton Theatre, 213 West 42nd Street. And some lucky Broadway goers will get to see the show when preview performances begin Saturday, January 16, 2010.
Stay tuned to Marvel.com to find out about your chance to purchase tickets to "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" before they go on sale to the general public!
Of course a show starring Spider-Man deserves all-star talent and "Turn Off the Dark" has it in spades! Tony® Award-winner Julie Taymor ("The Lion King," "Across The Universe") is not only directing the musical, but she shares writing credits with Glen Berger. Oh, but there's more! Bono and The Edge, 22-time Grammy® Award-winning members of the legendary band U2 are creating new music and lyrics for the show!
The principal creative and design team for "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" includes Daniel Ezralow, Choreographer ("Across the Universe," "The Green Bird"); George Tsypin, Sets ("The Magic Flute," "The Little Mermaid"); Eiko Ishioka, Costumes (Academy Award® for "Bram Stoker's Dracula," Tony Award®nomination for "M. Butterfly," the opening ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics); Donald Holder, Lighting (Tony® Awards for "The Lion King," "South Pacific"); Jonathan Deans, Sound ("Fosse," The Beatles "LOVE" by Cirque du Soleil, "Young Frankenstein," "Ragtime"); and Teese Gohl, Musical Supervisor ("Across the Universe," "Frida"). Additional members of the "Spider-Man" creative team will be announced at a later date.
Strangely enough, given Spider-Man's overall dynamic, we can actually see something like this working.
Let us know what you think about this idea.

DVDs Go Interactive with Social Media

Fox plans to unveil their FoxPop interactive DVDs when they release Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian on December 1. According to The Hollywood Reporter, FoxPop is Fox’s answer to the problem of falling DVD sales, aided by $1 rentals like RedBox at grocery stores, and cheap DVDs at discount stores such as Wal-Mart.
Taking a cue from the rise and flourishing success of social networks, Fox has developed FoxPop to create an interactive DVD watching experience unlike anything we’ve seen before.
FoxPop will link to your Facebook and Twitter so that you can chat and comment about the film in real-time with other friends watching the same film elsewhere.
Instead of having to pause a film or go Google-searching after the credits roll, with a simple click or text message, you can learn facts about the film as the scene in question presents itself. This is in answer to the 21st-century need to get information now, in a moment, at our fingertips. With FoxPop, you will (literally) be able to get real-time intel on the film you’re watching, and even play games related to the film as you watch.
For films with melodious soundtracks, FoxPop will also offer an iTunes option where, with a click, you can buy any song as you’re listening to it during the film. Look out for this in (500) Days of Summer, coming out December 22.
Fox has partnered with Spot411 to develop this incredible and potentially overwhelming technology. Spot411 has gone on to create a similar interactive experience with films from other studios, and intend to use the same technology for live TV.
While it all sounds fascinating — and it's interesting to see a studio trying to leverage social media constructively — we're not quite sure about the interacting during movies bit—our society is fast moving from multi-tasking to full on A.D.D. Texting, messaging and chatting with others during a movie sort of negates the point of the movie experience.
For now, look out for the world’s first truly interactive, social-networking DVD on December 1 with Night at the Museum 2. To visit the official FoxPop site, click here.

Paul Newman: Hollywood Mourns the Passing of a Legend

Tributes are pouring in from around the world today after Hollywood screen legend and philanthropist Paul Newman died following a long battle with lung cancer, at age 83. Family and friends of the iconic actor, who passed away on Friday, mourned the loss of a loving family man and passionate humanitarian who in the words of many, had lived an "exemplary life."
Robert Redford, 72, who starred alongside Newman in beloved Hollywood classics Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting, told Entertainment Tonight: "There is a point where feelings go beyond words."
"I have lost a real friend," he added. "My life — and this country — is better for his being in it."
Newman's daughters cited the "selfless humility and generosity" that characterized their father's life.
"Paul Newman played many unforgettable roles," the statement read. "But the ones for which he was proudest never had top billing on the marquee. Devoted husband. Loving father. Adoring grandfather. Dedicated philanthropist."
Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney said simply: "He set the bar too high for the rest of us. Not just actors, but all of us."
Actress Julia Roberts, who was involved in working Newman's camps for sick children told People Magazine: "He was my hero."
In Los Angeles flowers were placed on Newman's star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame as the Motion Picture Association of America hailed his career.
The MPAA said Newman's charitable deeds — his foundation has donated more than $100 million to worthy causes — would rival his acting legacy.
"The art of film-making and a world in great need of big hearts with bold ambitions is mourning the loss of a legend today," MPAA chairman Dan Glickman said. "He will be remembered as an artist, gentleman and humanitarian whose extraordinary career was rivaled in every respect by an exemplary life.
"Incredibly, the effect of his charitable work will rival and perhaps even exceed the legacy he leaves us all on the silver screen."
Former US president Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton also praised Newman's generosity.
"Paul was an American icon, philanthropist and champion for children," the Clintons said in a statement.
"Our prayers and thoughts are with Joanne [Newman's widow, actress Joanne Woodward] and the Newman family and the many people who Paul impacted through his endless kindness and generosity."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy described Newman as a "Hollywood legend" and open-hearted philanthropist, leading tributes in a country where the deceased star was wildly popular.
"World cinema has been bereaved by the death of Paul Newman, whose celebrated blue eyes will only light up screens now," Sarkozy said.
In Britain, Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, who worked with Newman on the 2002 film Road to Perdition, paid tribute to a "truly great man." Directing Newman was "the highlight of my professional life," Mendes said.
"To say he was an extraordinary man would be an understatement," he added.
"He saw himself as a working actor, not a movie star, and insisted that everyone else did the same. There was no ego, no entourage, no hangers on. Only Paul, his script and his incredible spirit.
"One can say this about very few people, but he was a truly great man," Mendes said.
Daniel Craig, who played Newman's son in the same film, described Newman as "one of the greatest screen actors of all time and a beautiful man."
"I think an era just ended," he said.
Veteran Italian screen goddess Gina Lollobrigida echoed the tribute. "He was a marvelous actor and human being, serious, with an exemplary life who has contributed enormously to world cinema," the ANSA news agency quoted her as saying. "He is a man to respect and appreciate."
Newman's partners from the Newman/Haas/Lanigan IndyCar Series Racing Team — reflecting the actor's passion for motorsport — mourned the loss of "great human being."
"Paul and I have been partners for 26 years and I have come to know his passion, humor and above all, his generosity," said co-owner Carl A. Haas.
"His pure joy at winning a pole position or winning a race exemplified the spirit he brought to his life and to all those that knew him. We will truly miss him."
Although Newman had been nominated for an Academy Award ten times in his lengthy career, he only won once for 1987's Color of Money, just a year after being bestowed with an Honorary Award. Newman's last live action film appearance was Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition for which Newman would receive his final Oscar nomination.
The actor's last film appearance was providing the voice of Doc Hudson in Disney/Pixar's 2006 hit Cars, which ironically just had its sequel announced for a summer 2011 release.
Newman leaves behind his wife of fifty years, actress Joanne Woodward, with whom he had three children, his Newman's Own food empire, which was also based in Westport, as well as hundreds of great movie classics that will never be forgotten.

DreamWorks and Universal Sign Seven Year Distribution Deal

Stacey Snider and Steven Spielberg announced Monday a seven-year worldwide distribution deal between their new motion picture company and Universal Studios, which is expected to begin in 2009 and include approximately six films per year.Snider and Spielberg recently departed Paramount Pictures to partner with Reliance Big Entertainment on a new motion picture company. Reliance Big will distribute the new company's projects in India.
"We are delighted to be back in business with Steven and Stacey and the rest of their superb team," said Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC Universal. "They are longtime friends of ours and terrific moviemakers. We are honored to be part of the next chapter of their success."
"We couldn't be more pleased to welcome the DreamWorks team back to Universal and our long history of success together will continue. As always, it is an honor to do business with Steven Spielberg, one of the most prolific directors of our generation and our long-time friend and colleague Stacey Snider, who is one of the finest film executives in our business," said Ron Meyer, President & COO, Universal Studios.
"Steven and I have both enjoyed successful, long-time relationships with Ron Meyer and everyone at Universal," said Stacey Snider. "Having spent a decade in the Universal family, I'm very familiar with their talented distribution and marketing teams, under the dynamic leadership of Marc Shmuger and David Linde. Steven and I are looking forward to this new association with our old friends."
"Universal has always been my home base so this agreement starts a new chapter in what has been a long and successful association," said Steven Spielberg. "While it feels great to come home again, it feels like I never left, and Stacey and I look forward to working once again with our friends and colleagues, old and new. It's an exciting time for us and we want it to be equally as productive and rewarding for Universal."
"We are looking forward to a long, productive relationship bringing DreamWorks films to audiences around the globe," said Chairman of Universal Pictures Marc Shmuger of the DreamWorks Universal partnership. Co-Chairman, Universal Pictures David Linde added: "We are glad to be adding DreamWorks films to Universal's slate. Steven and Stacey are some of the best in the business and we look forward to being in business with them again."
David Geffen negotiated the deal on behalf of the new motion picture company. As previously announced, Geffen will not be joining Snider and Spielberg in the new company."David Geffen has been my partner for 14 years, my advisor for 30 and will be my friend for life," said Spielberg. "DreamWorks will have a second chapter because of David's vision and indomitable spirit."Snider added, "Steven and I could not be embarking upon this new adventure were it not for the brilliance, dedication and loyalty of David Geffen. I am forever grateful."

Did Megan Fox Diss Scarlett Johansson?

Any male on the planet will acknowledge that Megan Fox is one of the hottest looking women on the big screen these days. The 22 year-old actress' star is rising fast, and she seems to be quickening the pulse of both male audience members (excuse the pun) and Hollywood execs respectively.
She's also known for speaking her mind.
Fox is apparently in couple's therapy after having recently split with her boyfriend, Brian Austin Green (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles). Discussing her male counterparts in the industry during a recent interview in the June issue of Esquire magazine, the young actress didn't hold back: "Actors aren't necessarily the most intelligent guys you're ever gonna come across," she said. "They're so easily manipulated that if you have any sort of control over your own sexuality, they're just f****d."
Ouch.
In the magazine, Fox talks about her sexual confidence, "I'm just really confident sexually, and I think that sort of oozes out of my pores. It's just there. It's something I don't have to turn on" … but perhaps even more interestingly, discusses how she has no desire to be like Scarlett Johansson—who she quite clearly sees as a rival of some sort, despite an assertion to the contrary.
"I don't want to have to be like a Scarlett Johansson—who I have nothing against," Fox said. "But I don't want to have to go on talk shows and pull out every single SAT word I've every learned to prove, like, 'Take me seriously, I am intelligent, I can speak.'"
"I don't want to have to do that," she adds. "I resent having to prove that I'm not a retard—but I do. And part of it is my own fault."
We'd love to hear the guys — and gals — take on this one. While we don't focus on celebrity gossip here, Fox's participation in one of the summer's biggest tentpole franchises makes her an obvious target of both male lechery and ridicule. What do you think? Is she justified in openly flaunting her sexuality while at the same time lamenting that's she's viewed as "a retard?" Chime in below…

David Fincher’s New iPhone 3GS Ad

As many of you are doubtless aware, today Apple rolled out its new iPhone, the iPhone 3GS. As part of its marketing campaign for the new phone, Apple turned to David Fincher (Fight Club, Benjamin Button), who directed a commercial for the product.
You can watch the commercial by clicking on the Video tab at the top of this article page.
Fincher enlisted the aid of Fight Club cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth to craft this new spot.
The ad is called "Break In" and shows a man breaking into Apple's headquarters to take a look at the new iPhone. Unfortunately for the perp, the iPhone's new video tool captures the entire thing.
The new phone sports a 3 megapixel autofocus camera with macro capability and video-recording support at 30fps with audio, of course. In addition, there is a built-in video editor application that enables quick edits before sending it via MMS or uploading it to YouTube or MobileMe. Whilst the video-recorder represents technology that's been present in most phones for a while now, the video editor app is the real kicker here.

Is Jennifer Connelly Quitting Hollywood?

Every so often a Hollywood celebrity will talk about quitting the business, taking time off to spend with family…or will go on late night talk shows looking disheveled and mumbling about how they're heading off on an adventure to start a musical career.
Now comes word that Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Connelly is about to quit the biz. In an interview with the UK's Daily Mirror, Connelly revealed that after What's Wrong with Virginia? finishes shooting, she will likely not sign on for any more projects.
"The biggest thing for me is wanting my kids to grow up safely and have happy lives," said Connelly. "To me that's enough. The family is the most important thing to me. I'm very blessed. I have gorgeous, healthy, funny kids and a good husband."
Connelly's father passed away recently, prompting a very sorrowful time for the 38 year-old actress. "…I went through a really hard time at the end of last year."
Connelly is married to actor Paul Bettany (The Da Vinci Code), who has several films soon to be released, including Priest and Legion.
What's Wrong with Virginia tells the story of a sheriff whose state senate bid is placed in jeopardy when his daughter begins to date the son of a charming but psychologically disturbed woman with whom the sheriff has engaged in a two-decades-old affair.

What

It’s got all the suspense and drama of a James Cameron film: The story of Cameron’s real-life quest to go into outer space.
Apparently, the Avatar and Terminator director has been interested in visiting space for a while, and got about halfway there back in the late '90s/early '00s. Speaking to MTV, Cameron said he had been working with NASA on a joint mission to the International Space Station; unfortunately, that got sidetracked by a number of delays, including a certain terrorist attack.
"I was going to go up and work on the International Space Station with our 3-D cameras," Cameron said. "I was pushing for something in the 30 day range and they were pushing for something in the 10 to 15 day range. We got partway down the road on that and, it was interesting, we were testing our 3-D cameras at the Titanic wreck site and September 11 happened. I wasn't prepared at that exact moment in my life, with a family, to go live in Russia for 12 months, which is what it was going to take to do all the training. so I held off."
He added that as the project was starting to ramp up again, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated on February 1, 2003, killing all seven crew members.
"I was on the NASA Advisory Council at that time. My first meeting of the NASA Advisory Council was right after the Columbia accident. My first official duty was to go to the memorial service in Washington,"Cameron said.
After that tragedy, Cameron said interest in the mission flagged once more. But now, nearly seven years later, with funding for the International Space Station possibly running out in another half-decade, shooting in space could be extremely vital for the future of space exploration.
"It's not the craziest thing in history," Cameron said about filming a narrative set in outer space, "because the International Space Station is not currently planned to be funded beyond 2015. They've barely gotten the thing built, and now they have to have commercial people come in and figure out how to use [it]. So yeah, I absolutely think there's the possibility of something like that."
"The other thing is that NASA is looking now more toward the commercial sector to provide resupply to the space station and human transport," he added. "Their next human transport system isn't going to be online until 2016 or 2017. They were supposed to be online in 2012, but they're not going to make it."
Would a movie studio do for the private sector? Maybe if Avatar turns out to be as big a hit as its early reviews would suggest, Cameron can convince an exec to strap some booster rockets to craft services. Until then, we can always re-watch Aliens.

Jerry Bruckheimer Sees The Future in 3D

The return of 3D to movies still feels like a gimmick to some of us here at CinemaSpy. What makes this 3D revival different from those in the past, though, is that some big names in Hollywood are embracing it.
Recently we reported on Martin Scorsese's passion for the format. But he's not alone. Prolific producer Jerry Bruckheimer is also upbeat about the potential of 3D. Even though he didn't use it for the recent fantasy epic Prince of Persia, he suggested in a recent Q&A session that it would continue to tighten its grip on Hollywood.
"[For Prince of Persia] I think we talked about it briefly, but Avatar hadn't come out, so we couldn’t see the impact 3D would have," Bruckheimer said. "Plus Avatar was done all on a soundstage, pretty much, in a hangar and this picture was done in Morocco, the majority of it. So it was much more difficult, with the two cameras and the sand and the heat. But 3D is here to stay, it’s taking over cinema."
Another recent fantasy epic, Clash of the Titans, was also filmed in 2D but it was converted to 3D to capitalize on the popularity of the format. Bruckheimer didn't use that approach for Prince of Persia and in hindsight that was probably wise. But Bruckheimer has nothing against 3D as his upcoming output demonstrates.
"I saw Clash of the Titans in 2D because I heard it wasn't so good [in 3D]," Bruckheimer told Empire magazine in a recent interview. "Our goal is to give audiences something exciting both visually and storywise, and if you blow it on the visual side, that's not good. But we're doing Pirates 4 in 3D. We wanted to do Prince of Persia and Sorcerer's Apprentice in 3D, but the technology just wasn't there."
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is being released on Blu-ray and DVD by Walt Disney Home Entertainment on September 14.

Marvel ‘Captain America’ Plotline Angers Tea Party Members

When comic book heroes collide with real world hot button politics—is there any more incendiary combination (aside from sex and politics, that is)? If you're Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada, today you're probably thinking "no".
For you see, today Marvel find themselves squarely in the crosshairs of the Tea Party movement in the United States, the conservative and libertarian protest movement that emerged in early 2009 partially in response to the federal government's stimulus package.
Much to Marvel's chagrin, their patriotic superhero, Captain America, — wrapped as he is in Stars & Stripes — apparently doesn't like the Tea Party movement. In a recent Marvel comic edition, Captain America and his sidekick, the Falcon, try to infiltrate the Watchdogs, a group that bears more than a passing resemblance to the Tea Party movement. In one frame, a protester holds up a sign that reads "Tea bag the liberals before they tea bag you"; a sign inspired by a real-life Tea Party protest.
In the comic book, the Watchdogs are portrayed as an anti-government, racist group.
With Marvel Entertainment gearing up to start production on The First Avenger: Captain America feature, the timing is probably less than ideal. Tea Party leaders are less than impressed with Marvel's inky intimation, and the publisher's eleventh hour promise to alter the protest signs depicted in that scene when it reprints the comic seem to be falling on deaf ears. Yesterday, Fox News reported the following about the story:
But the change may come too late to placate a chorus of critics who noticed the apparent jab at the Tea Party movement and who accused Marvel of making supervillains out of patriotic Americans.
Michael Johns, a board member of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, said he felt the "juvenile" dig will ultimately do more damage to Marvel's brand than to the Tea Party movement. He also disputed the insinuation that the growing movement lacks diversity.
"The Tea Party movement has been very reflective of broad concerns of all Americans," Johns said. "Membership is across ethnic, religious and even political lines."
Quick to soft pedal the PR blunder, Marvel said the comic storyline meant no offense and that 'dig' at the Tea Party was accidentally added late in the production process. Hoping to quell the damage, Quesada released the following statement:
The book was getting ready to go to the printer, it was on fire already from a deadline standpoint, but the editor on the book noticed that there was a small art correct that needed to get done. On the first page featuring the protestors, the artist on the book drew slogans into the protest signs to give them a sense of reality and to set up the scene. On the following page featuring the protestors again, there were signs, but nothing written in them. From a continuity standpoint, this omission stood out like a sore thumb, but was easily fixable. So, just before the book went to the printer, the editor asked the letterer on the book to just fudge in some quick signs. The letterer in his rush to get the book out of the door but wanting to keep the signs believable, looked on the net and started pulling slogans from actual signs…
Oh for the good old days when Marvel's titular character only had to worry about simple things, like taking on Nazis.
And speaking of takes, what's your take on all of this? PR blunder aside, did Marvel make an honest mistake; did the writers try to slip a little bit of "political agenda" into the mix…or does any of it really matter? After all, Captain America has got to be a registered voter, right? Which means he pretty much has to end up picking sides in the ballot box.
Perhaps we're just never supposed to know what side he picks. And perhaps that is the overriding point here. After all, superheroes and domestic politics have always made strange bedfellows.

Dark Knight Envy? Buy Your Very Own 1966 Batmobile

Back on January 7 we reported a story about CarInsurance.org's marketing campaign that compiled a list of [nearly] every single version of the Batmobile ever created. We didn't editorialize about our personal favorites, but for the purposes of this story it would have to be either the Tumbler — as featured inBatman Begins, The Dark Knight…and we presume the forthcoming third film in the trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises — or the original 1966 Batmobile featured in the Batman television series, based on a 1955 Lincoln Futura show car.
Coincidentally, if you missed it, around the same time Gizmodo published a story about a company called Fiberglass Freaks who are making build-to-order Batmobiles that are identical replicas to that same 1966 Batmobile.
We're not talking about 1/18" replicas. We're talking about actual, life-sized, functioning, driving cars. The car comes with some pretty significant extras including rocket exhaust flamethrower, a detect-a-scope…and for that contemporary touch, a DVD player and high-end stereo. This particular Batmobile is built from a 1970's Lincoln Town Car that they provide (so that gives you some idea of what sort of size and ride to expect).
It’s more than just a “kit car.” The wheel wells are enclosed with steel tubs. The doors are finished inside and out, and the doors even sound solid when they latch. The rocker panels are attached to the floor pan with steel and fiberglass. When you sit in the car, your head doesn’t hover over the front windshield, and you have plenty of leg room, too. We wet sand the car by hand to remove any surface imperfections in the paint, then we buff and polish the car to an incredible shine.
For some fascinating behind-the-scenes photos of custom car builder George Barris constructing the original 1966 Batmobile, go here…and scroll down the page almost half way.
While this strikes us as the ultimate fanboy indulgence, it's also pretty damn cool (we'll admit, we want one). And if you have a spare $150,000 burning a hole in your Batsuit, they'll build one for you, too.

‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ Star Jane Russell Dies at 89

Actress Jane Russell, best known for her films during the 1940s and 1950s, passed away in her Santa Maria home Monday at the age of 89. Russell’s daughter-in-law Etta Waterfield says the actress died of a respiratory-related illness.
Russell was discovered by eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes who cast her in his sexy and controversial 1941 western The Outlaw. The 1943 release was famously the subject of a legal battle over exactly how much of the actress’ cleavage could be displayed and not violate production code. Nevertheless, the film turned Russell into a star.
She went on to appear opposite such leading men as Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope, but perhaps her most famous role was opposite Marilyn Monroe in 1953′sGentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Other notable roles included Double Dynamite (with Groucho Marx and Frank Sinatra), His Kind of Woman and Macao (both opposite Robert Mitchum).
Russell was also the number one pin-up girl of US troops stationed overseas during World War II, and her curvy figure earned her the role of an early spokesmodel for Playtex bras.
A vocal advocate of adoption, she also founded the Women’s Adoption International Fund.
Until her health began to decline a few weeks ago, Waterfield said Russell remained active singing and working for various causes.
A service will be held to honour Russell at Pacific Christian Church in Santa Maria on March 23.

Tracy Morgan Gets Support from 30 Rock Co-star, Wins Comedy Award After Gay Gibe

Tina Fey, creator and star of NBC’s sitcom30 Rock, has publicly expressed support for her co-star on the show, Tracy Morgan, amid a storm of controversy over a joke the actor/comedian is alleged to have made in a recent stage show. During the stand-up performance in Nashville, Morgan reportedly went on an ‘anti-gay tirade’ and is said to have joked that he’d “pull out a knife and stab” his own son if he were gay.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the allegations against Morgan were made by Kevin Rogers, who attended the show and said that before the show he was a fan of the Saturday Night Live alumnus. Rogers subsequently posted a piece on Facebook titled “Why I No Longer ‘Like’ Tracy Morgan – A Must Read.” The story was later picked up by the website of Truth Wins Out, a non-profit organization that campaigns against anti-gay extremism.
Morgan himself has since said sorry for any offense that he caused. In a statement to the trade paper he apologized to his fans and the gay & lesbian community for his “choice of words.”
“I’m not a hateful person and don’t condone any kind of violence against others,” Morgan said. “While I am an equal opportunity jokester, and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context.”
Fey, also a former SNL star, has now offered her support to Morgan. Although she admitted that “the violent imagery of Tracy’s rant,” disturbed her, she indicated that homophobia was not something she associated with her co-star.
“It also doesn’t line up with the Tracy Morgan I know, who is not a hateful man and is generally much too sleepy and self-centered to ever hurt another person,” The Reporter quotes her as saying.
“I hope for his sake that Tracy’s apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian coworkers on30 Rock, without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket,” she added.
Meanwhile, NBC exec Robert Greenblatt had said he was pleased that Morgan has apologized. At the same time, however, he gave a thinly veiled warning to the actor and other stars of the network’s shows that NBC won’t take kindly to being embarrassed in this way again.
“We will always recognize an artist’s freedom to express him or herself, but not when reckless things are said no matter what the context,” said Greenblatt. “Unfortunately, Tracy’s comments reflect negatively on both 30 Rock and NBC – two very all-inclusive and diverse organizations – and we have made it clear to him that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.”
The controversy may have exploded too late to make the judges at the 51st Monte Carlo Television Festival’s Golden Nymph Awards think twice about rewarding Morgan for his role in 30 Rock. The star was named Outstanding actor in a Comedy Series at the event on Friday night.

Goodluck Jonathan Tells Entertainers

In what looked like a show of shame, the entire arts community including the best of Nollywood stars threw caution to the wind on Monday, 21 March 2011 at Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential dinner with entertainment practitioners held in Lagos at the Eko hotel and Suites as they, shockingly, jostled to receive at least one carton of Jonathan’s branded biscuit and T-shirts.
Sculptors, movie producers, actors, authors, TV personalities, sports men, musicians among other creative artists all converged in high volumes as their representatives took turns on the podium to state their demands to the President whose table was surrounded by Senator Ita Giwa, Silverbird TV boss Ben Murray Bruce, Onyeka Onwenu and a few others.
With just two minutes accorded to each speaker TV presenter Mo’ Abudu challenged Goodluck, who’s seeking election to return to office under the umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party, on the sorry state of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), which she said is supposed to be a national pride and the one other TV stations should look up to as against what it is now.
‘What do we do about NTA? Mr. President can we make it work? All the station does is sell airtime; no programmes, nothing’, Abudu, an independent producer pointed.
Others like producer Amaka Igwe and comedian Ali Baba stressed that piracy is the major problem that is milking entertainers’ sweat, suggesting that a special anti-pirate squad should be formed within the Nigerian Police Force and equipped with necessary tools to enhance their effective delivery.
However, amid the cheer and merriment, it did not come as a surprise when Mr. Jonathan reiterated his basket of promises to Nigerian entertainers in his address, adding that he should have been closer to the industry before this time.
It’s not news that politicians come closer and get reasonable with the peoples’ demands only when election time is in sight. But Mr. President told them; ‘I’m not interacting with you because I need your votes’.
‘Entertainment is an area we don’t take serious, but it’s a key sector the Nigerian Government should look into. I need to be closer to you’.
Big Brother Africa host, IK Osakioduwa did a good job as the MC of the event as he pleaded decorum from the actors who almost strangled ushers sharing the ‘Goodluck Biscuits’ and souvenirs.
Disdain was apparent in the eyes of top-shot celebrities present (the likes of Genevieve Nnaji, Stephaine Okereke, D’banj, Ramsey Naoh, Olu Jacobs, Kanu Nwankwo, Jay Jay Okocha and a very few others) on seeing their colleagues guard cartons of biscuit and Jonathan’s branded T shirt under their arms with their last breathe as they exited the hall.
‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this. Do this people know its biscuit inside that carton? This is a shame’, an A-list comedian tells us

Crazy in love

Lovers of African movies gathered in Maryland, USA, late last year for the premiere of the movie that stars the Nigerian star actor, Jim Iyke. It also stars Daneline Moore, Altorro Black, and Crsytal Millan among many others.
The movie, produced by J & J Solid media and Mekdoss Productions, is a combination of romance, thriller and comedy. Crazy in Love tells a story of a lady who falls in love, not knowing that love can be a blurry mess of confusion, illusion, and loss. The lead character, Lillian, is blissfully in love but something goes wrong, and she has to learn her lesson the hard way. She suffers mental disorder and she is committed to a mental institution in order to rediscover herself. As she takes her journey back to sanity, she finds strength within herself and begins to appreciate and love the person she is.

Jessica Tata Turns Herself In

Jessica Tata, the woman accused of fleeing the states after a fire at her Houston day care center killed four children, has allegedly turned herself in to authorities in Nigeria.
Jessica’s brother, Ron Tata, said that relatives in Nigeria claims Jessica went to the U.S. consulate early Saturday. U.S. officials say they still don’t have her in custody.
“She just felt really, really, really bad about the whole situation, especially for the families. It would be the right thing to do,” Ron said.
Her mother, Josephine Tata, said Jessica would not fight extradition and may return to Houston as early as this weekend.
U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Jeff Carter said the 22-year-old woman wasn’t in the agency’s custody, and Harris County district attorney spokeswoman Donna Hawkins said she had received no information that Jessica Tata was being held.
It is believed that Tata fled to Nigeria two days after the fire erupted in her home day care center on Feb. 24. Three children were injured in addition to the four casualties.
Tata has been charged with manslaughter, injury to a child and child abandonment. She is accused of leaving the children alone while she shopped at a nearby store. Authorities believe the fire was ignited by a stove top burner that had been left on.
Family members of the child victims said that they were relieved to hear Tata had turned herself in.
“I cried, but they tears were of joy,” said Keisha Brown, whose 16-month old son Elias died in the fire. “All I wanted was justice and closure.”
Elias’ grandmother Jodie Brown said she was excited that Tata had “taken the responsibility she needed to take.”
The U.S. Marshals Service placed Tata on its list of the 15 most wanted fugitives and offered a reward of up to $25,000. Interpol, the international police agency, alerted its member countries, including Nigeria, that she was being sought by the U.S.

Alasari Yoruba Actor Dies After Fatal Accident

Accident spot that claimed the life of Alasari (Ishola Durojaiye) early this morning
It is Another sad day for nollywood as popular Producer cum Actor Ahmed Alasari died this morning following injuries sustained in a fatal car Accident.
Investigations reveal that Alasari left home in the company of four of his Aides to participate in a live program to promote his new movie Omo night club which he co produced with Gemini films and marketing.

We Gathered the accident occured in his pathfinder which he brought in dec 29 last year and Actress Dayo Amusa who was on her way to Abeokuta to work actually rushed him to FMC Abeokuta where he eventually gave up the ghost, We will give you more details as it unfolds.

New Network TV Season Has Fewer Gay Characters

The number of gay and bisexual characters on scripted broadcast network TV has dipped slightly this season to 19 out of nearly 650 roles, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
The 16th annual "Where We Are on TV" report released Wednesday by GLAAD found that 2.9 percent of actors appearing regularly on prime-time network drama and comedy series in the 2011-12 season will portray gay, lesbian or bisexual characters.
That's down from 3 percent in the 2009-10 season and 3.9 percent last season, when there were 23 out of a total of nearly 600 roles.
The 2008-09 season saw an increased representation of 2.6 percent.
Only five of the 19 gay and lesbian characters this season are nonwhite, GLAAD found.
Using information provided by ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and CW, the group reviewed 91 scripted series announced to air this season.
Among broadcast series with gay and bisexual characters, GLAAD cited CBS' "The Good Wife," the CW's "Ringer" and NBC's "The Playboy Club." Comedies include ABC's "Modern Family" and Fox's "Glee."
Fox leads the networks in gay representation, with eight regular characters out of a total of 117.
The number of gay and bisexual characters on cable networks has also fallen slightly, from 35 last season to 29 in the upcoming season.
As it did last year, HBO has the greatest number of gay and bisexual characters, with 11 regular and recurring characters. Showtime is close behind with 10.
The HBO drama "True Blood" remains among the most inclusive series on television, featuring six characters, tied with the Showtime series "Shameless," the group found.
Some of TV's most popular shows "weave story lines about gay and lesbian characters into the fabric of the show," said GLAAD acting President Mike Thompson. "Americans expect to see the diversity of our country represented in their favorite programs, and that includes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people."

I’ve never met my father–Ramsey Nouah

Ramsey Nouah is one of the leading actors in Nollywood and has been in the industry for more than two decades. He shares with ADA ONYEMA how he started his career, marriage and sundry issues
You have been in the industry for the past two decades; does it not call for celebration?
Well, I didn’t do a major celebration because basically I didn’t want the attraction in the sense that I didn’t want to create any buzz around it.
How was it when you started?
It wasn’t a feasible industry in Nigeria then; we were only shooting soap operas on national television. The end of 1993 came with home videos when Kenneth Nnebue shot Living in Bondage and it was successful. By 1994, everybody was thinking of going into home video and being one of the popular faces already on TV then, it was easy for me.
Did your parents really approve your going into the movie industry?
My mum is a very liberal woman. I became very independent even at a tender age and she gave me a free hand. She was not really concerned about TV or anything. Parents were not comfortable with certain characters you play in a movie and parents are more concerned when it’s a female than when it’s a male. For me, she didn’t really mind, though in the beginning she was saying something like, ‘What do you think you are doing?’ But as time went by, she just knew that she couldn’t stop me and she just let it go. Today, she is very happy.
And your dad?
My dad has never been around; I didn’t even get to know him.
I don’t understand.
I mean my father was never around during my growing up days and I didn’t get to know him.
Up till now?
Yes, even up till now.
Is he dead or..?
I wouldn’t know.
But they said that a when a male child grows up, he will surely look for his dad. How come at this your age you still don’t know your dad?
I’m a father too; so why would I be scouting for a man that wasn’t there throughout my growing up days as a boy; why would I want to? I’m there for my children and if a father was not there for me why should I go looking for him.
How was growing up like without a father?
My mum was tough and is still tough; I can boast and hit my chest that she groomed me. I tasted both sides of the coin while I was growing up. I tasted bitter life and sweet life and it helped me in my career as an actor; the ability to be versatile and play different roles because I have seen the gutter and I have seen the grace.
What is your worth as one the pioneers of Nollywood?
I can’t possibly give you a figure into what my worth is but one thing is sure, you can’t place a figure on the work of art. It could cost nothing and it could cost a trillion naira.
Many people jump into entertainment because it is one of the fastest ways to be famous. What is it for you?
Indeed, but you to have to have the inward ability to be an artiste. The fact that you know that acting or singing is a quick way to fame does not mean that you can be an artiste without knowing how to draw a picture. In the beginning, I came into the industry not for the fame but for the money. I needed money for my GCE exams and other things. Back then, you know there was no job for secondary school leavers, so I thought If I did one acting, I could just get the money to pay for my WASCE and GCE. But long before then I knew I have a very strong passion for being an actor. Right now, it is not about the money again, it is about leaving a legacy behind because I have been in the industry for long; I have been appreciated and loved by the people. When I’m gone I still want my name to resound in the ears of those that are yet to come so that they will know that one of those who actually made the industry what it is today is Ramsey Nouah.
How did you develop the skills of interpreting roles?
God has a purpose for everybody in this world and once you deal with it purposefully you will definitely achieve. If you are a shoemaker, or a pepper seller, as long as you have a passion for it, it becomes big in the process. I think it is more of being inborn than being an ability.
You recently acted a pastor in a movie; how did you come around it?
It has never been out of the ordinary but this one was different in the sense that people look at pastors as idols. The fact that everybody thinks that every pastor that stands on the pulpit and preaches the word of God usually frolics and messes around with women in the church, but this was different. Everyone thought because he is a fine pastor, who preaches the word perfectly well will be a woman kind of guy, but the twist came when he was not into women, he was into guys, a homosexual. I keep telling people that movie making is a reflection of what happens in the society. That portrays how the society frowns at such things. Inasmuch as the role gave me some goose pimples while I was doing it, I thank God I got through it somehow.
Why do you always play the role of a lover boy?
Like it or not it is not only in Nollywood, it happens all around the movie industry all over the world. Once you are known to perform a particular role properly, automatically you are knocked down and stereotyped to that character. But however when you look at Hollywood too, you realise that most of the actors are stereotyped. It is just the way the industry is, you have to look for a way to break free of that bond. Again, in all the movies around the world, there must be an affection between a man and a woman, even in a horror film. I don’t know if I can actually remove myself from being a lover boy.
And in real life too?
To be honest with you, it really affects me in real life. If I do any other thing than what they expect me to be, they are like I’m acting it but there is nothing I can do about it.
You separated from your wife sometime ago; have you made up?
That is one of the bad press I have had in this industry. There was nothing like that and it was so bad because it was targeted at your family, trying to destroy your family. I have grown a thick skin but my wife was really hurt; she didn’t like it.
How does she feel seeing you acting those romantic scenes?
Honestly she is human; she doesn’t like it. No woman would probably enjoy that kind of stuff. But she understands that is the way it is, moreover this is the jet age. She knows that whether we like it or not the profession brings food to the table; besides that, she has known me with the profession for so long, so she comes to understand how it works and sometimes she jokes about the romantic scenes.
How did you meet her?
We were together in primary school. She is intelligent and always used as a point of reference back then. After that we went our different ways and met when she was graduating and we started it off. She is a very homely woman, what you may refer to as wife material.
So, men can easily identify a wife material?
Yes, you can tell. The woman is the owner of the house. If the house is destroyed, it is her fault because God has given her the power to endure and tolerate. Men can be very annoying in so many of our moves, but automatically a woman is created with emotions, love that should contain the children, husband and everybody in the home. A mother’s place can never be misplaced in the house.
Don’t you think your romantic roles can affect your children?
My kids haven’t started watching my movies that much yet. They are getting used to the fact that their father is a popular figure; they haven’t seen the potential of their father.
How do you reconcile the Ramsey on screen and real life?
It is simple: I just make sure I give my best. On the set, I’m a very professional person. I just make sure I do my thing to the letter. When I’m home, I’m a father, a mother, a family man. It is all about discipline.
Any embarrassing moment?
I have been embarrassed a few times. Someone has actually stoned me with pure water because of my role in a movie. Another person threw the orange she was sucking at me because I was a mean guy in a movie. As a matter of fact, someone has actually spat on me and I was real hurt to my bones.
You seem to attract lots of attention everywhere; how does that feel?
You don’t want to walk a mile in my shoes; it is not easy. Some people love the razzmatazz and accolades that come along with this industry but honestly I don’t enjoy it. I have had my fair share of being a popular face, people shouting and barking at me. I don’t have any privacy and I can’t possibly have a good life with my family anymore. Sometimes I want to go out with my kids after not being with them for so long; I go to a public place where I want to share with my children and the moment I want to spend with them people are saying, ‘Oh Ramsey, my children want to take a photograph with you’ and that but I have my kids there, the time I want to spend with them I can’t spend it with them just for being a popular face. I wear a face cap and all that to conceal my identity but it doesn’t work for me. It makes me very unhappy sometimes.
What’s your comparison of Nollywood then and now?
Nollywood in the beginning was going towards being a good industry, but somewhere along the line, we lost it because of sycophants. In the beginning we used to actually do rehearsals before we got on set, follow the ethics of movie making, but right now, it is all about money making, it is no longer about the professional ethics of production. As a result, the industry collapsed by virtue of that, today there is a boomerang effect. Today, they are not making their money back, no good production effect anymore. My problem is, it is not only known faces that can sell your movie; if you get fantastic actors who are new, good publicity and you do the production well, you will still sell your movie. This is my argument; you don’t need Ramsey Nouah all the time on the front page of your poster so that you can sell when you have done a shoddy production. It has affected the industry drastically and many of them are coming to terms that we really need to follow the ethics of movie making properly.

When you are not acting, what do you do?
I try to be a family man by being there for the kids that don’t get to see me very often. If I have the opportunity for a little relaxation, I would rather swim or play squash for health purposes.
What is your definition of style?
As far as I’m concerned, style is simplicity in sophistication.
What is the most prized fashion item in your wardrobe?
My watch; I’m a watch collector; I love wrist watches.
Which schools did you attend?
I went to Atara Primary School. It was one of the schools which at that time enjoyed free education established by (the late Obafemi) Awolowo. I went to another free secondary school, Community Grammar School and ended up doing a diploma in the University of Lagos and now I’m running a course in business administration in the US.