I absolutely love funny websites and I run two of them myself, Funny Commercials and Everything Funny Videos. Whoever thought of the Awkward Family Photos website is a creative genius because it's a great concept. People send in their funny awkward family photos which are posted on the site. The photos are hilarious and the site has become so popular that today it is one of Google's hottest searches. People from all over the world are searching for the Awkward Family Photos website to check out the funny pictures.
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Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts
Amy Adams: Lois Lane In 'Superman'
Amy Adams: Lois Lane In 'Superman' - The Daily Planet has its ace reporter, and Clark Kent has his love interest. Amy Adams has been cast as Lois Lane in Zack Snyder's upcoming 'Superman' reboot.
The director confirmed that Adams had the role to the Los Angeles Times, saying that he reached out to her by phone while in Paris on Sunday.
Amy Adams: Lois Lane In 'Superman' - "There was a big, giant search for Lois," Snyder told the paper. "For us it was a big thing and obviously a really important role. We did a lot of auditioning but we had this meeting with Amy Adams and after that I just felt she was perfect for it."
Amy Adams: Lois Lane In 'Superman' - Adams is certainly in demand in Hollywood; she's coming off her third Oscar nomination, for her role in "The Fighter," opposite Mark Wahlberg, and is headlining "The Muppets" movie later in 2011. She's also in talks to join the star-studded film adaptation of the musical "Rock of Ages," which already features Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin, among others.
Adams joins a cast that includes Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, Diane Lane as Martha KentCostner as Pa Kent. and Kevin
Amy Adams: Lois Lane In 'Superman' -While he wouldn't comment on the plot, Snyder did imply that Lane would be important in the story:
"What’s important to us is making [Superman] relevant and real and making him empathetic to today’s audience so that we understand the decisions he makes. That applies to Lois as well. She has to be in the same universe as him [in tone and substance]," Snyder said.
Monk Mobb convictions: Canny strategy or character assassination?
They "didn't know how to turn it off," one former gang member testified, couldn't go anywhere or do anything without letting everybody know they were the Monk Mobb.
Even when they went camping, the mentality of the street prevailed. "Mobbin' in the wild," they called their nature trips.
So when a bunch of straight-world squares tried to kick them out of a suburban Sacramento party on Halloween night in 2008, the mindset of the Mobb took over and one of their members shot up the place, killing the host and wounding four guests.
Prosecutors focused hard on the power of the street-gang mentality to help win first-degree murder convictions for two Monk Mobb members in a Sacramento Superior Court trial that ended earlier this month – a tactic they say is crucial to helping juries understand the full story behind such cases, but one defense attorneys often condemn as "character assassination."
"The average citizen doesn't carry a gun in their waistband, thinking about who they're going to pop," Deputy District Attorney Andrew Soloman said in an interview a week after the verdict. "When they live that lifestyle and that's their focus, they're halfway there. It's kind of like a fill-in-the-blank with the victim's name. It's not so much that the gang mentality is on trial, but it gives a lot of insight into someone's intent when they commit an act."
Jurors deliberated less than two days before reaching guilty verdicts on charges against the gunman, Elijah Rasean Fields, and co-defendant Corey Andre Carmicle in the shooting death of party host Patrick Razaghzadeh.
Eight Monk Mobb members and associates were initially arrested and charged with murder or accessory to it. Only Fields and Carmicle were convicted of murder. One pleaded to manslaughter, and five others agreed to cooperate with the investigation in exchange for their charges being dropped.
Leaning heavily on the state's street gang statutes, prosecutors in California for more than 20 years have been able to zero in on the gang mentality to provide juries with a psychological context for the crime. While district attorneys love it, the practice has rankled some members of the defense bar. They think the evidence of a street gang's collective thought process – built largely on police expert testimony – convicts people for who they are rather than what they did.
"It's character assassination," said Barry Melton, the former public defender of Yolo County who is now in private practice in Davis. "Historically, if I had you on trial for a crime, I was pretty much limited to whatever the facts of the crime were and we couldn't bring in much more than that. There's always been a general holding in court that you can't go after somebody's character, but this is even worse. You can bring up the gang's past. And it's not just the gang's past generally, but what the police view of what the gang mentality is.
"I don't know if it's healthy," Melton said.
In the Monk Mobb case, prosecutors presented a former member of the gang and one-time associate, as well as a police expert, to give the jury an inside look into the gang's mental dynamic.
Clean-cut and polite, Charles Ferrell, now 23, explained the Monk Mobb. He described the gang as a loose collection of 20 to 25 teenagers and early 20-somethings who would gather occasionally to talk about how they made their money – dealing dope, running hookers, holding up people on the street.
Ferrell said the gang mostly was like "a close-knit family" that formed for the purpose of self-protection against "anybody who's not us." Whenever they ventured into the outside world from their North Highlands neighborhood, Ferrell said, somebody had a gun.
As soon as the Monk Mobb arrived at the Halloween party on Rogue River Drive in the Larchmont Park-La Riviera area, Ferrell said some members, especially Carmicle, sprang into a full-on public gang profile – "banging," the witness called it.
"He is banging 100 percent of the time," Ferrell said of Carmicle. "He doesn't know how to turn it off."
Trouble started at the Halloween party when a guest offered the Mobb a swig off his cognac bottle. Carmicle, 24, rudely rejected it, Ferrell said, with the comment, "Mobb brought its own bottle."
When tension ratcheted up and the party host told the gang members to get out, it was Carmicle, according to Ferrell, who responded, "We ain't going nowhere."
Razaghzadeh at one point tried to apologize to the Mobb for accusing them of stealing a camera at the party. But it was too late, according to Ferrell. He said the mere accusation, the simple order to leave, represented "hostility" toward the gang.
"They disrespected us in the first place," Ferrell testified, "so the apology doesn't mean anything."
Fields, the shooter, testifying under Soloman's cross-examination, also provided a glimpse into the gang psyche.
On his MySpace page, whenever he spelled a word such as "locked," it came out "l-o-c-c-e-d." To spell it right would have meant putting a "c" next to a "k," which in street gang land means "Crip killer." Soloman suggested in his questioning that Fields couldn't put those letters together because the Monk Mobb is a subset of the North Highlands Gangster Crips.
Also on the same MySpace page, Fields captioned a picture of himself and his friends on a camping trip, flashing gang hand signs, as "Mobbin' in the wild." It was strong evidence, the prosecutor said, that the gang mentality accompanied the Monk Mobbsters even on vacation.
If word seeped out that they got run out of a party by a bunch of squares, they'd get laughed off the streets by their rivals, Sydow said. He called it "an affront to them that must be dealt with."
In the end, it was easy enough for the jury to convict Fields, whom witnesses identified as the shooter. Jurors also were convinced that Carmicle amped up the tension knowing his buddy had a gun in his pocket. They convicted him of first-degree murder, too.
On the sidelines, Melton, the former public defender from Davis, decried the ability of prosecutors to "get in all this extraneous stuff" in cases like the Monk Mobb's.
"I don't know if relaxing evidentiary standards and allowing in evidence that doesn't have anything to do with the person on trial is really helpful to our system of justice," Melton said.
Ramos, the San Bernardino prosecutor, thinks it is.
"It's part of the criminal mindset, the criminal element, criminal thinking," Ramos said. "This is what these people do. If we didn't have these laws to support us, then all these underground conspiracies and confidential gang conversations, intentions, we could never get out."
Read More...
Even when they went camping, the mentality of the street prevailed. "Mobbin' in the wild," they called their nature trips.
So when a bunch of straight-world squares tried to kick them out of a suburban Sacramento party on Halloween night in 2008, the mindset of the Mobb took over and one of their members shot up the place, killing the host and wounding four guests.
Prosecutors focused hard on the power of the street-gang mentality to help win first-degree murder convictions for two Monk Mobb members in a Sacramento Superior Court trial that ended earlier this month – a tactic they say is crucial to helping juries understand the full story behind such cases, but one defense attorneys often condemn as "character assassination."
"The average citizen doesn't carry a gun in their waistband, thinking about who they're going to pop," Deputy District Attorney Andrew Soloman said in an interview a week after the verdict. "When they live that lifestyle and that's their focus, they're halfway there. It's kind of like a fill-in-the-blank with the victim's name. It's not so much that the gang mentality is on trial, but it gives a lot of insight into someone's intent when they commit an act."
Jurors deliberated less than two days before reaching guilty verdicts on charges against the gunman, Elijah Rasean Fields, and co-defendant Corey Andre Carmicle in the shooting death of party host Patrick Razaghzadeh.
Eight Monk Mobb members and associates were initially arrested and charged with murder or accessory to it. Only Fields and Carmicle were convicted of murder. One pleaded to manslaughter, and five others agreed to cooperate with the investigation in exchange for their charges being dropped.
Leaning heavily on the state's street gang statutes, prosecutors in California for more than 20 years have been able to zero in on the gang mentality to provide juries with a psychological context for the crime. While district attorneys love it, the practice has rankled some members of the defense bar. They think the evidence of a street gang's collective thought process – built largely on police expert testimony – convicts people for who they are rather than what they did.
"It's character assassination," said Barry Melton, the former public defender of Yolo County who is now in private practice in Davis. "Historically, if I had you on trial for a crime, I was pretty much limited to whatever the facts of the crime were and we couldn't bring in much more than that. There's always been a general holding in court that you can't go after somebody's character, but this is even worse. You can bring up the gang's past. And it's not just the gang's past generally, but what the police view of what the gang mentality is.
"I don't know if it's healthy," Melton said.
Flashes of gang mindset
Michael A. Ramos, the district attorney of San Bernardino County and president of the California District Attorneys Association, said the prosecutors' power to probe the collective gang mindset is critical to providing a true understanding of gang cases. "You're trying to explain the intent, the way these people think," said Ramos, co-chairman of the gang subcommittee of the state prosecutors' association. "When I was a real trial lawyer, I used to start out my argument, 'This is a whole different world than you or I live in.' You explain the dynamics of that world, and when you paint that picture, it's just an easier way to present the information to the jury."In the Monk Mobb case, prosecutors presented a former member of the gang and one-time associate, as well as a police expert, to give the jury an inside look into the gang's mental dynamic.
Clean-cut and polite, Charles Ferrell, now 23, explained the Monk Mobb. He described the gang as a loose collection of 20 to 25 teenagers and early 20-somethings who would gather occasionally to talk about how they made their money – dealing dope, running hookers, holding up people on the street.
Ferrell said the gang mostly was like "a close-knit family" that formed for the purpose of self-protection against "anybody who's not us." Whenever they ventured into the outside world from their North Highlands neighborhood, Ferrell said, somebody had a gun.
As soon as the Monk Mobb arrived at the Halloween party on Rogue River Drive in the Larchmont Park-La Riviera area, Ferrell said some members, especially Carmicle, sprang into a full-on public gang profile – "banging," the witness called it.
"He is banging 100 percent of the time," Ferrell said of Carmicle. "He doesn't know how to turn it off."
Trouble started at the Halloween party when a guest offered the Mobb a swig off his cognac bottle. Carmicle, 24, rudely rejected it, Ferrell said, with the comment, "Mobb brought its own bottle."
When tension ratcheted up and the party host told the gang members to get out, it was Carmicle, according to Ferrell, who responded, "We ain't going nowhere."
Razaghzadeh at one point tried to apologize to the Mobb for accusing them of stealing a camera at the party. But it was too late, according to Ferrell. He said the mere accusation, the simple order to leave, represented "hostility" toward the gang.
"They disrespected us in the first place," Ferrell testified, "so the apology doesn't mean anything."
Fields, the shooter, testifying under Soloman's cross-examination, also provided a glimpse into the gang psyche.
On his MySpace page, whenever he spelled a word such as "locked," it came out "l-o-c-c-e-d." To spell it right would have meant putting a "c" next to a "k," which in street gang land means "Crip killer." Soloman suggested in his questioning that Fields couldn't put those letters together because the Monk Mobb is a subset of the North Highlands Gangster Crips.
Also on the same MySpace page, Fields captioned a picture of himself and his friends on a camping trip, flashing gang hand signs, as "Mobbin' in the wild." It was strong evidence, the prosecutor said, that the gang mentality accompanied the Monk Mobbsters even on vacation.
Prior shootings detailed
Sacramento sheriff's Detective John Sydow served as the cleanup hitter to drive home the prosecution's point that when it comes to street gangs, mindset matters. He then told the jury about the group's involvement in two prior shootings, one fatal, around the time of the Halloween killing. Sydow testified that when the regular-world people at the party ordered the gang to leave, it was "almost unfathomable" for the interlopers to comprehend.If word seeped out that they got run out of a party by a bunch of squares, they'd get laughed off the streets by their rivals, Sydow said. He called it "an affront to them that must be dealt with."
In the end, it was easy enough for the jury to convict Fields, whom witnesses identified as the shooter. Jurors also were convinced that Carmicle amped up the tension knowing his buddy had a gun in his pocket. They convicted him of first-degree murder, too.
On the sidelines, Melton, the former public defender from Davis, decried the ability of prosecutors to "get in all this extraneous stuff" in cases like the Monk Mobb's.
"I don't know if relaxing evidentiary standards and allowing in evidence that doesn't have anything to do with the person on trial is really helpful to our system of justice," Melton said.
Ramos, the San Bernardino prosecutor, thinks it is.
"It's part of the criminal mindset, the criminal element, criminal thinking," Ramos said. "This is what these people do. If we didn't have these laws to support us, then all these underground conspiracies and confidential gang conversations, intentions, we could never get out."
Kearny native helped start career of Grammy Award winner Esperanza Spalding
Many were shocked when jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding beat out the likes of Justin Bieber, Florence and the Machine, and Drake for the Best New Artist award at the 53rd Grammy Awards. But not music producer and Kearny native Dave Love.
Love, the founder and former president of Heads Up International, the singer-bassist’s label, was one of the people who discovered Spalding.
“I was first introduced to (Spalding) while she was a member of a young group of jazz musicians,” said Love. “I was very impressed with her bass playing, but had not known at the time that she was a composer and vocalist.”
Love was later approached by International Music Network’s Scott Southard and Spalding’s manager Daniel Florestano of Montuno Producciones who asked him to help them jumpstart Spalding’s career.
“I was thrilled to be asked by Scott and took on the challenge,” said the Kearny High School graduate. “(Spalding is) a highly intelligent person who certainly (has) an amazing gift.”
The music executives created a plan “for her music to speak for itself” and created a press video to show the world Spalding’s abilities.
“Esperanza was so eloquent and natural in the video and her stunning performances caught the media’s eye right away,” he said.
Love continued working with Florestano and Spalding even after he was no longer working with Heads Up.
The current Ohio resident is now working on an e-commerce platform that allows artists to have more control over their online sales through personal websites and social media sites as well as a new label, Listen 2 Entertainment.
Love attributes his success and strong work ethic to his Jersey roots.
“Growing up in Kearny (gave) me a strong foundation for what I do today,” he said, noting that Frank Digesere, Kearny’s Superintendent of Schools, was once his high school band director and gave him lots of encouragement.
“I am very proud of growing up in Hudson County and in Kearny,” said Love. “I do miss the Taylor ham, great pizza and those Jersey Subs, and will remain a life-long fan of the Giants.”
Esperanza Spalding has performed at the White House for the Obamas.
Dave Matthews Band to play 3 June AC concerts
The Dave Matthews Band will headline three large outdoor concerts to be held in Atlantic City this summer.
The shows will mark the gambling resort's first major use of the former Bader Field airport property since the airfield shut down in 2006.
City Attorney G. Bruce Ward tells The Press of Atlantic City the contracts were signed Monday. Virginia-based Starr Hill Presents will promote and pay for the show, with the city gaining some revenue from it.
Ward says the real boost will be to the resort's reputation as a big-name entertainment capital.
The concerts will be held June 24, 25 and 26, and will feature several other acts to be announced later in addition to the Grammy Award-winning Dave Matthews Band.
Read More...
The shows will mark the gambling resort's first major use of the former Bader Field airport property since the airfield shut down in 2006.
City Attorney G. Bruce Ward tells The Press of Atlantic City the contracts were signed Monday. Virginia-based Starr Hill Presents will promote and pay for the show, with the city gaining some revenue from it.
Ward says the real boost will be to the resort's reputation as a big-name entertainment capital.
The concerts will be held June 24, 25 and 26, and will feature several other acts to be announced later in addition to the Grammy Award-winning Dave Matthews Band.
Randolph, NJ: Gary Rizzo wins sound-mixing Oscar for work on 'Inception'
Randolph native Gary Rizzo claimed his first Academy Award Sunday, winning the Oscar for sound mixing along with two partners for their work on "Inception."
His third trip to the Oscars proved to be the charm after being nominated in the same category for "The Dark Knight"and in 2005 for "The Incredibles."
Rizzo's partners, Lora Hirschberg and Ed Novick, also shared the "Dark Knight" announcement and shared the stage with him last night as actors Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson announced their names during the 83rd Academy Awards, which was broadcast worldwide from the Kodak Theatre.
A 1991 graduate of Randolph High School, Rizzo, 38, lives in Marin County and works at Skywalker Sound with 1986 Randolph High School graduate, Stephen Morris, the company's director of engineering.
"I sent him an e-mail congratulating him but haven't heard back yet," Morris said. "I've worked with him since he started his career and have seen him grow."
Morris added that he and Rizzo "recently spent a lot of time working together on 'Tron' (referring to the 2010 "Tron" sequel, "Tron: Legacy"). Gary was the dialogue and music mixer."
His previous film credits include "Black Hawk Down," and "Fahrenheit 9/11."
Rizzo, who did not respond to e-mail inquiries on Monday, caused a slight stir Sunday during his acceptance speech when he thanked "all the hard-working boom operators and utility sound people that worked on the production crew. Union, of course." Another "Inception" winner, Wally Pfister, who claimed the Oscar for cinematography, used the occasion to take thinly veiled shots at the Republican governor of Wisconsin, who has made headlines for trying to strip unionized civil servants of their collective bargaining rights.
"I think what's going on in Wisconsin is kind of madness right now," Pfister said during a press briefing backstage. Earlier, he thanked his "fantastic union crew."
The film, TV and entertainment industries, which count among California's largest employers, are heavily unionized.
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His third trip to the Oscars proved to be the charm after being nominated in the same category for "The Dark Knight"and in 2005 for "The Incredibles."
Rizzo's partners, Lora Hirschberg and Ed Novick, also shared the "Dark Knight" announcement and shared the stage with him last night as actors Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson announced their names during the 83rd Academy Awards, which was broadcast worldwide from the Kodak Theatre.
A 1991 graduate of Randolph High School, Rizzo, 38, lives in Marin County and works at Skywalker Sound with 1986 Randolph High School graduate, Stephen Morris, the company's director of engineering.
"I sent him an e-mail congratulating him but haven't heard back yet," Morris said. "I've worked with him since he started his career and have seen him grow."
Morris added that he and Rizzo "recently spent a lot of time working together on 'Tron' (referring to the 2010 "Tron" sequel, "Tron: Legacy"). Gary was the dialogue and music mixer."
His previous film credits include "Black Hawk Down," and "Fahrenheit 9/11."
Rizzo, who did not respond to e-mail inquiries on Monday, caused a slight stir Sunday during his acceptance speech when he thanked "all the hard-working boom operators and utility sound people that worked on the production crew. Union, of course." Another "Inception" winner, Wally Pfister, who claimed the Oscar for cinematography, used the occasion to take thinly veiled shots at the Republican governor of Wisconsin, who has made headlines for trying to strip unionized civil servants of their collective bargaining rights.
"I think what's going on in Wisconsin is kind of madness right now," Pfister said during a press briefing backstage. Earlier, he thanked his "fantastic union crew."
The film, TV and entertainment industries, which count among California's largest employers, are heavily unionized.
Tribeca and Sundance Festivals Plan Big Growth
For years, the business function of festivals was straightforward: create excitement for independent films, and hope that distributors acquire them for release.
But the rise of Web streaming and video-on-demand services freed festivals from their geographic limitations. Suddenly, the likes of Sundance, Tribeca and South by Southwest were experimenting with simultaneous film premieres at their festivals and on Web sites like YouTube or cable on-demand systems.
Now comes a new development — the end of experimentation and the start of full-fledged digital distribution efforts by festival operators.
Tribeca plans on Monday to announce a significant expansion of its fledgling movie releasing arm, Tribeca Film, which was founded last year as a test in releasing movies both digitally and in theaters. Tribeca Film plans to increase its annual output to 26 pictures, up from 11.
Among this year’s batch — set for distribution in theaters, on on-demand services in 40 million homes and on Web services like iTunes — are films starring indie favorites like Zach Braff and Vincent Gallo.
“We learned very quickly that our brand can resonate beyond New York,” said Jane Rosenthal, Tribeca’s co-founder. “There are hundreds of wonderful films that never have the chance to reach a wider audience, and we want to seize any possible opportunity to change that.”
Sundance, which has tinkered with distribution partnerships for years, is expected to announce a formal year-round strategy for helping indie filmmakers gain access to digital distribution in the coming weeks. People with knowledge of the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid conflicts with the powerful organization, said plans called for Sundance-branded channels on iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube and others.
Sundance executives declined to comment, saying efforts were incomplete. A spokeswoman emphasized, however, that the Sundance model would substantially differ from the Tribeca Films effort by allowing filmmakers to retain full ownership of their work. Sundance, unlike most other festival operators, is a nonprofit that also runs workshops for budding filmmakers and playwrights.
“There is big opportunity in this marketplace, particularly for a pocket of films that may not always have huge theatrical appeal but can take advantage of video on demand and other digital platforms,” said Rena Ronson, co-head of the Independent Film Group at United Talent Agency.
Tribeca and Sundance are reaching beyond their traditional functions for reasons of economics and technology. Hammered in recent years by the recession and soaring marketing costs, art house distributors like Paramount Vantage and Picturehouse went out of business, leaving a void in the market.
“It was kind of genius for Tribeca to jump in because almost nobody was left to buy anything,” said Julien Nitzberg, the director of “The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia,” a documentary about an eccentric Appalachian family that Tribeca Films successfully distributed last year.
At the same time, Web streaming and growth of video-on-demand systems in living rooms lowered the bar for distribution. Suddenly all kinds of indie films — not just the ones that showed strong theatrical promise — could be served up to wide audiences. The problem is that as digital offerings grow, these films, which come with little or no marketing budgets, have increasing difficulty breaking through the clutter.
The likes of Tribeca and Sundance, organizations with built-in curatorial mechanisms and brands that mean something to cinephiles, see opportunity to help serve as guideposts, thus helping this corner of the industry evolve into a more vibrant business. Mr. Nitzberg credits the Tribeca banner with helping his movie attract enough attention on Amazon’s streaming service to bump “The Hurt Locker,” last year’s best picture Oscar winner, from the top slot.
Some festival executives are not on board with the distribution push. “People approach us all the time because we have a great brand, but distribution is a very different business,” said Janet Pierson, the programmer of the film portion of the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Tex., which this year runs March 11 to 19.
Ms. Pierson has experience to back up her assertion. South by Southwest teamed with IFC Films in 2009 to make five movies available simultaneously to festival audiences in Austin and to pay-per-view television customers across the United States. She has since abandoned such efforts. “It gets very complicated very quickly,” she said. “We want to focus on being a great live event.”
But Ms. Pierson is in the minority. Other festival operators, like Film Independent, the force behind the Los Angeles Film Festival, are working to follow the path charted by Tribeca and Sundance. A group of African-American-oriented festivals — the BronzeLens Film Festival in Atlanta, the ReelBlack Film Series in Philadelphia — recently announced an alliance to back the release of their movies in commercial theaters.
Tribeca’s distribution effort is unique in part because it has a major corporation, American Express, as a promotional sponsor. It has also made arrangements for its films to be shown on LodgeNet, a video-on-demand service that reaches about 1.8 million hotel rooms.
Ms. Ronson of United Talent said Tribeca was being taken seriously as a distributor in part because of the executives it has hired. Within the last year, Nick Savva, formerly of Revolver Entertainment, has joined Tribeca as director of acquisitions; Randy Manis, a co-founder of ThinkFilm, a production and distribution company known for releases like “Half Nelson,” is a consultant.
Tribeca, which will hold its festival from April 20 to May 1 in Manhattan, is expanding its distribution business as the art house market shows signs of a rebound. Acquisitions were brisk in January at the Sundance Film Festival and a few Oscar-nominated movies like “Black Swan” have turned into unlikely box office hits. But Ms. Rosenthal is not taking anything for granted.
“With the rapidly evolving landscape,” she said, “we all have to be extremely fast on our feet.”
Read More...
But the rise of Web streaming and video-on-demand services freed festivals from their geographic limitations. Suddenly, the likes of Sundance, Tribeca and South by Southwest were experimenting with simultaneous film premieres at their festivals and on Web sites like YouTube or cable on-demand systems.
Now comes a new development — the end of experimentation and the start of full-fledged digital distribution efforts by festival operators.
Tribeca plans on Monday to announce a significant expansion of its fledgling movie releasing arm, Tribeca Film, which was founded last year as a test in releasing movies both digitally and in theaters. Tribeca Film plans to increase its annual output to 26 pictures, up from 11.
Among this year’s batch — set for distribution in theaters, on on-demand services in 40 million homes and on Web services like iTunes — are films starring indie favorites like Zach Braff and Vincent Gallo.
“We learned very quickly that our brand can resonate beyond New York,” said Jane Rosenthal, Tribeca’s co-founder. “There are hundreds of wonderful films that never have the chance to reach a wider audience, and we want to seize any possible opportunity to change that.”
Sundance, which has tinkered with distribution partnerships for years, is expected to announce a formal year-round strategy for helping indie filmmakers gain access to digital distribution in the coming weeks. People with knowledge of the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid conflicts with the powerful organization, said plans called for Sundance-branded channels on iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube and others.
Sundance executives declined to comment, saying efforts were incomplete. A spokeswoman emphasized, however, that the Sundance model would substantially differ from the Tribeca Films effort by allowing filmmakers to retain full ownership of their work. Sundance, unlike most other festival operators, is a nonprofit that also runs workshops for budding filmmakers and playwrights.
“There is big opportunity in this marketplace, particularly for a pocket of films that may not always have huge theatrical appeal but can take advantage of video on demand and other digital platforms,” said Rena Ronson, co-head of the Independent Film Group at United Talent Agency.
Tribeca and Sundance are reaching beyond their traditional functions for reasons of economics and technology. Hammered in recent years by the recession and soaring marketing costs, art house distributors like Paramount Vantage and Picturehouse went out of business, leaving a void in the market.
“It was kind of genius for Tribeca to jump in because almost nobody was left to buy anything,” said Julien Nitzberg, the director of “The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia,” a documentary about an eccentric Appalachian family that Tribeca Films successfully distributed last year.
At the same time, Web streaming and growth of video-on-demand systems in living rooms lowered the bar for distribution. Suddenly all kinds of indie films — not just the ones that showed strong theatrical promise — could be served up to wide audiences. The problem is that as digital offerings grow, these films, which come with little or no marketing budgets, have increasing difficulty breaking through the clutter.
The likes of Tribeca and Sundance, organizations with built-in curatorial mechanisms and brands that mean something to cinephiles, see opportunity to help serve as guideposts, thus helping this corner of the industry evolve into a more vibrant business. Mr. Nitzberg credits the Tribeca banner with helping his movie attract enough attention on Amazon’s streaming service to bump “The Hurt Locker,” last year’s best picture Oscar winner, from the top slot.
Some festival executives are not on board with the distribution push. “People approach us all the time because we have a great brand, but distribution is a very different business,” said Janet Pierson, the programmer of the film portion of the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Tex., which this year runs March 11 to 19.
Ms. Pierson has experience to back up her assertion. South by Southwest teamed with IFC Films in 2009 to make five movies available simultaneously to festival audiences in Austin and to pay-per-view television customers across the United States. She has since abandoned such efforts. “It gets very complicated very quickly,” she said. “We want to focus on being a great live event.”
But Ms. Pierson is in the minority. Other festival operators, like Film Independent, the force behind the Los Angeles Film Festival, are working to follow the path charted by Tribeca and Sundance. A group of African-American-oriented festivals — the BronzeLens Film Festival in Atlanta, the ReelBlack Film Series in Philadelphia — recently announced an alliance to back the release of their movies in commercial theaters.
Tribeca’s distribution effort is unique in part because it has a major corporation, American Express, as a promotional sponsor. It has also made arrangements for its films to be shown on LodgeNet, a video-on-demand service that reaches about 1.8 million hotel rooms.
Ms. Ronson of United Talent said Tribeca was being taken seriously as a distributor in part because of the executives it has hired. Within the last year, Nick Savva, formerly of Revolver Entertainment, has joined Tribeca as director of acquisitions; Randy Manis, a co-founder of ThinkFilm, a production and distribution company known for releases like “Half Nelson,” is a consultant.
Tribeca, which will hold its festival from April 20 to May 1 in Manhattan, is expanding its distribution business as the art house market shows signs of a rebound. Acquisitions were brisk in January at the Sundance Film Festival and a few Oscar-nominated movies like “Black Swan” have turned into unlikely box office hits. But Ms. Rosenthal is not taking anything for granted.
“With the rapidly evolving landscape,” she said, “we all have to be extremely fast on our feet.”
Paper Mill Playhouse will premiere musical
Paper Mill Playhouse, which hosted the New York Metropolitan area premiere of "Disney High School Musical" in 2008, once again is teaming up with the mighty mouse for its next season.The big theater in Millburn announced that it will open its 2011-12 season with the world premiere of the musical "Newsies," based on the 1992 cult film hit.
Previews, and Paper Mill's new season, begin Sept. 15, with the official opening set for Sept. 25. Performances will continue through Oct. 16.
"We are thrilled that Disney Theatrical has chosen Paper Mill Playhouse to premiere this new musical," said Paper Mill Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee. "This is an important project for Paper Mill Playhouse as we help to bring this brand new Disney musical to our stage and beyond."
"Newsies" launches a five-show season that continues Nov. 16 to Dec. 18 with the New Jersey premiere of "White Christmas," based on the popular 1954 Bing Crosby-Danny Kaye film (not to be confused with "Holiday Inn," the 1942 Crosby-Fred Astaire film that debuted Irving Berlin's classic song).
Crossing into 2012, Paper Mill hopes to warm its patrons with the comedy "Boeing-Boeing," based on the 1965 film comedy (which was based on a 1960 French stage farce) and running Jan. 18 to Feb. 12.
Musical comedy returns just in time for baseball season with "Damn Yankees" (March 7 to April 1) before the season concludes May 30 to June 24 with "Once on This Island."
Based on the historic 1899 "Newsboy" strike of newspaper carriers in New York (boy, have times changed) "Newsies" was one of Disney's most expensive cinematic flops of all-time. But with original Alan Menken songs and lively production numbers, it gained a cult following in the video rental market and the Disney Channel.
This stage adaptation not only includes more new songs from Menken, but a book by Harvey Fierstein.
"It's been thrilling to return to my beloved 'Newsies' and to revisit, revamp and expand upon the score (lyricist) Jack Feldman and I wrote, especially with the exciting addition of a new book by the brilliant Harvey Fierstein," Menken said in a news release announcing the premiere.
"This collaboration has been a total joy. And I can't wait to see our new baby come to life."
MiKandi Overhauls App Store
Ah MiKandi. It’s very existence is a testament to Android as a platform and an abberation to one Mr. Steven Jobs. If you aren’t up to speed, MiKandi is the adults-only app store that bucks the Android Market and delivers porn-filled applications for all comers.Unrevoked Working on Fix for Droid Incredible Root
Unrevoked is a great tool for rooting many a handset, but if any of those handsets should receive an OTA update like the HTC Droid Incredible recently did, the rooting method is liable to break. But the Unrevoked team doesn’t give up in the face of adversity,Why iPhone on Multiple Carriers in the US Might Not Hurt Android
We’ve seen a lot of charts throughout the past couple of years since Android’s formal introduction. Mostly good charts. In fact, I can’t think of a chart relating to Android that I didn’t like except for the periodic “State of Fragmentation” report we receive from Google themselves.Irina Shayk Scandal
Elite’s Statement:
Supermodel Irina Shayk is the victim of “photoshop” in GQ SPAIN Model Irina Shayk is a victim of photoshop and GQ’s Spain negligence in her recent cover, editorial and feature in the magazines December issue. The intimissimi ambassador dawns the cover in an Intimissimi lingerie body suit but unfortunately was photoshopped to appear naked in 3 images of the 14 page spread.
In every image photographed Ms Shayk was dressed in lingerie in the artistic and tasteful shots done by famed photographer Vincent Peters but due to negligence on GQ’s part it seems as if Ms. Shayk “poised” for pictures entirely nude, which is false. A contract was signed on behalf of Ms. Shayk by Elite Model Management where she was to have approval of the interview, cover and images and was refused that right by the publication. Ms. Shayk was not nude and did not approve these images.
Futhermore, in an effort to sell more magazines the SPAIN GQ printed “Want to see Irina Shayk nude?” these kind of statements are not only not true but also defamatory towards Ms Shayk’s persona and image this lack of professionalism and neglect towards the future of Ms Shayk’s modeling career in an effort to sell magazines is not only shocking but unacceptable from such an established and prestige publication as GQ.
Gael Marie -Managing Director
GQ’s Statement (Translated via Google Translator so it’s not exact):
Given the lies, slander and suspicion falling on GQ, I am compelled to clarify some points on the photos of the model Irina ShaykTo safeguard the honor, professionalism and good faith to act for the magazine at all times.Behind the Scenes:
According to prior contract signed with modeling agency and in our possession, commitment to the agency was that the interview be approved before publication by Gael Marie Elite agency. And it was.
We have the contract, more than 15 witnesses who saw Irina agreed to undress for the session, We have Irina original nude… What more evidence is needed? The facts, witnesses, original documents, photos … Why lie for lying?
Hence our surprise and indignation to see how not telling the truth knowingly. We ignore the reasons that push to create this controversy. But the photographer, stylist, assistant, hairdresser, makeup artist, myself and the team who attended this meeting, which was professional and relaxed, do not understand the reason so many lies and the liars know lying.
Irina does not need photoshop and accuse us know. She is no novice and knows how to pose and when to accept a nude and when not. A photographer who covers of GQ does not need to go deleting underwear photos. A body is so attractive that all he needed were the shucked photoshop Wall Chinchón house. The result is magnificent, the photos are beautiful and the model is a great person who has a lot to tell, as we read in GQ.
You can read their full statement on their website.
So what do you think? A storm in a teacup … who’s lying? It’s a tasteful editorial and no different to any of the other editorials before her, Miranda Kerr for example!!
Apple iPad a Must Have Item for Young Kids this Christmas
It’s almost Christmas time, and the Apple iPad has become one of the must-have items for kids. According to a survey by research firm Nielson, the iPad outranks traditional most-wanted items like the Nintendo DS, iPod Touch, and Sony Playstation among six to twelve year olds.
While the iPad has experienced unprecedented success in 2010, I bet even Steve Jobs is a little surprised by its popularity with primary school kids. Unlike gaming consoles, the iPad is not marketed towards school aged children in particular, which makes this data even more surprising. What this means for parents is simple however – big expectations and stretched wallets coming to your home this holiday season.
In the survey, some 31 percent of all kids aged between 6 and 12 showed interest in owning an iPad sometime in the next six months, followed by 29 percent interested in an iPod Touch and 25 percent in a Nintendo DS. Among older children aged 13 and over, the iPad was almost as popular, although it was beaten to first place by the desire to own a smartphone.
Other desirable electronic items for kids this holiday season include the new Microsoft Kinect hands-free controller, Blu-Ray devices, e-readers, the Nintendo Wii, and the PlayStation 3 gaming console. While some of these devices have been popular with the young ones for a while now, it is the rapid rise of the iPad that has caught people most by surprise.
In an amazing statistic, the Apple iPad still holds 95.5 percent of the worldwide tablet market according to recent data by Strategy Analytics. The iPad has become a huge line of business for Apple, and Bernstein Research analyst Colin McGranahan has estimated this success will continue in 2011 .
While most technology commentators are expecting the Apple iPad market share to reduce in relation to the number of competitive devices entering the market, it seems that someone forgot to tell all the kids.
While the iPad has experienced unprecedented success in 2010, I bet even Steve Jobs is a little surprised by its popularity with primary school kids. Unlike gaming consoles, the iPad is not marketed towards school aged children in particular, which makes this data even more surprising. What this means for parents is simple however – big expectations and stretched wallets coming to your home this holiday season.
In the survey, some 31 percent of all kids aged between 6 and 12 showed interest in owning an iPad sometime in the next six months, followed by 29 percent interested in an iPod Touch and 25 percent in a Nintendo DS. Among older children aged 13 and over, the iPad was almost as popular, although it was beaten to first place by the desire to own a smartphone.
Other desirable electronic items for kids this holiday season include the new Microsoft Kinect hands-free controller, Blu-Ray devices, e-readers, the Nintendo Wii, and the PlayStation 3 gaming console. While some of these devices have been popular with the young ones for a while now, it is the rapid rise of the iPad that has caught people most by surprise.
In an amazing statistic, the Apple iPad still holds 95.5 percent of the worldwide tablet market according to recent data by Strategy Analytics. The iPad has become a huge line of business for Apple, and Bernstein Research analyst Colin McGranahan has estimated this success will continue in 2011 .
While most technology commentators are expecting the Apple iPad market share to reduce in relation to the number of competitive devices entering the market, it seems that someone forgot to tell all the kids.
Top 10 Romantic Christmas Gifts
Despite what you may think, a woman’s idea of romance isn’t a kitchen appliance (too 1950s) a bottle of perfume (too cliche) or roses (too generic). And despite popular opinion, it’s not the price tag that counts, it’s the thought. The more time, effort and thought you put into her gift -- and the more you personalize it -- the gushier she’ll get. With those often-overlooked facts in mind, this year, make sure she’s bursting with cheer (and gratitude) by putting one of these top 10 romantic gifts under the tree.
Number 10
Membership to an "... of the month" club
If she’s a chocoholic, go with a chocolate of the month club. If she’s a wine snob, go with wine of the month. And it doesn’t stop there, ”of the month” clubs also center around cheese, coffee, candles, flowers, fruit, and movies; just log onto AmazingClubs.com and browse until you find the perfect match.
Number 9
A cashmere sweater
This isn’t just any sweater, it’s a cashmere sweater: A luxuriously soft and pricey piece of clothing that’s a true classic. Yes, it’s functional, but since it can be worn for life, it’s also a keepsake. Not all women love all sweater styles, so avoid trendy cuts in loud colors, and stick to classic cardigans or V-necks in black, brown, cream or navy.
Number 8
Lingerie
Not all lingerie is romantic; something like, say, crotchless panties, garter belts or anything that could be seen as more of a gift for you sucks the romance right out of it. When it comes to this gift, think sensuous, not slutty.
Stick with silk, satin and lace robes, camis, baby dolls, slip dresses, bras, and panties. And remember that part of feeling sexy is feeling comfortable -- if something is too snug or falling off, it defeats the purpose. So if you don’t know her size, include the gift receipt so that she can exchange it.
Stick with silk, satin and lace robes, camis, baby dolls, slip dresses, bras, and panties. And remember that part of feeling sexy is feeling comfortable -- if something is too snug or falling off, it defeats the purpose. So if you don’t know her size, include the gift receipt so that she can exchange it.
Number 7
Something inscribed
Books can be thoughtful and personal, but inscriptions take them to a whole new level of romance. Buy her a new novel that she’s been dying to read, a first addition of her all-time favorite classic or even a journal, the subject matter doesn’t have to be romantic, but your inscription does. This is the time to tap into your sentimental side. Of course, if all else fails, you could always quote a love sonnet.
Number 6
Something engraved
Although an iPod on its own isn't romantic, there is an easy way to elevate even the simplest gift into the ultimate romantic token: engrave it! By forever branding a bracelet, cell phone or even a key chain with your love seal, with your initials, anniversary date or a sappy sentiment, you’re sending her the message that you’re in it for the long haul -- and nothing is more romantic than commitment
Number 5
Show tickets
This gift is not about tickets for you (that means no Rage Against the Machine or Larry the Cable Guy), it’s about tickets for her. Yes, that means sitting through three hours of men in tights if she loves the ballet. Often better than a wrapped present, a shared experience like a concert, opera, play or holiday show brings you closer together. And don’t forget to save the ticket stub for No. 3.
Number 4
Something vintage
Antique stores are full of romantic artifacts, from decorative mirrors to classic vases. Most women love old-fashioned finds, but to personalize it, give her a photo of the two of you in an old-fashioned frame. The fact that it’s antique automatically imbues it with amore. And best of all, you can search for this gift from your living room, just surf eBay’s “Antiques” section.
Number 3
A scrapbook
Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting that you cut and paste pictures into a scrapbook a la Martha Stewart, but there are, ahem, less feminine ways of preserving memories thanks to technology. Internet sites like Scrapo.com, Picaboo.com and Shutterfly.com let you create scrapbooks with the click of a mouse; just drag and drop photos, then add your own poetic sentiments and you’re done.
Granted, it’s a tad cheesy, but it’s about as close to a homemade gift as you can get -- and what’s more romantic than telling the story of your romance? For bonus points, throw in a ticket stub from your first movie or concert.
Granted, it’s a tad cheesy, but it’s about as close to a homemade gift as you can get -- and what’s more romantic than telling the story of your romance? For bonus points, throw in a ticket stub from your first movie or concert.
Number 2
A weekend getaway
Women love surprises and women love weekend getaways. This year, pair ’em up and you have a recipe for romance. Once you reach your lover’s locale -- whether it’s Napa Valley wine country, the Big Apple or even a nearby bed and breakfast -- keep the romantic theme going by taking her on a carriage ride, ordering room service for two and watching the sunset together.
Number 1
Jewelry
All women love jewelry, but not all women love all jewelry. If she doesn’t have her ears pierced, steer clear of earrings. If her style is simple and understated, bling isn’t your best bet. If she doesn’t wear a watch, don’t waste your money on one. The best thing you can do is look and listen to what she likes.
That said, buying jewelry doesn’t have to be intimidating; there are a few tried, tested and true trinkets, like Zales' Journey Diamond Squiggle Pendant in 10K white gold, that are sure to make her swoon.
That said, buying jewelry doesn’t have to be intimidating; there are a few tried, tested and true trinkets, like Zales' Journey Diamond Squiggle Pendant in 10K white gold, that are sure to make her swoon.
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Jennifer Grey dancing with the stars winner
Who won Dancing With The Stars 2010? That’s the question a lot of people will be asking Wednesday morning, as the Dancing With The Stars season 11 finaleproved to be so drawn out that countless viewers likely went to bed before theDancing With The Stars winner was revealed. After two exhaustive hours featuring ex-contestants and a lot of Christina Aguilera, the question of who won Dancing With The Stars 2010 was answered, when fan-favorite Jennifer Grey was crowned theDancing With The Stars winner for season 11.
Jennifer Grey beat out Kyle Massey and Bristol Palin to win the competition. Grey was named winner through a combination of judge’s scores (she was perfect in the final week) and fan voting.
Grey persevered through injuries and age (which is a factor on a demanding show such as DWTS), and the audience recognized her achievements. Grey is an actress known for a number of films, including Dirty Dancing
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