The explosion killed 47 people, destroyed 44 buildings, and left 169 people homeless. Two years later survivors report that they are 4 times more likely to engage in excessive drinking and public health officials found that 50%of town residents are still suffering from depression and PTSD.
Between 2008 and 2013, the number of trains carrying crude oil in the US increased over 4,000%. The crude oil extracted from Bakken shale has a higher percentage of volatile organic compounds such as benzene, xylene, and toluene; a lower flash point, and a vapor pressure more than double that of non-shale crude.
Nearly 70% of the train tank cars carrying Bakken crude are recognized by the federal government to be inadequate and vulnerable to rupture, but new safety standards released this year allow unsafe tankers to remain in service for another decade.
The unprecedented increase in oil transport has led to a six fold increase in the number of oil spills from trains and the DOT predicts an average of 10 derailments per year between 2015 and 2030.
Our rail system was designed to serve urban centers and travels through densely populated areas. 25 million Americans live within the potential blast zone of an exploding oil train. A disproportionate number are Black and Latino. According to the DOT, a derailment near a population center could kill 200 people and cause $6 billion in damage.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting in Congress to lift the ban on US oil exports, which would increase this dangerous practice and undermine the US contribution to global greenhouse gas reductions.
1) Check here to see if you, your patients, or your facility are in an oil train blast zone and to sign the petition to President Obama asking for stricter safety standards.
2) July 6-13 is annual STOP OIL TRAIN ACTION WEEK, in commemoration of the Lac Megantic disaster. Look here for local events to attend.


In recent years in Florida, the trend in many areas of law, including condominium and homeowners' association disputes, has been away from civil trials and toward arbitration, primarily of the non-binding variety. This can be a bit of a shock for those who are uninitiated in the nature of such disputes. It is helpful, before initiating any proceedings, to have a good understanding of how the process actually occurs.
Alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, and other actions implying dishonesty.
The law states explicitly that these interactions are not subject to the nonbinding arbitration clause; in many instances, if you have a complaint, you may simply file a civil action.
The main types of actions that do require nonbinding arbitration are twofold: first, issues involving the authority of the association to order an owner to modify their unit, and second, calling the governing body onto the proverbial carpet for failing to adequately provide notice, hold meetings or make the records of meetings public.
Where many condo and homeowners' association proceedings fail is that the method for pressing one's claim is sometimes not fully understood; people believe that the proceedings are identical to a civil trial, when in reality there are both similarities and differences.
For example, ex parte communications, or communications where only one party interacts with the judge or arbitrator, are not permissible in either a trial or at arbitration. Any information imparted in ex parte communications may not be used by the arbitrator in determining the outcome of the matter. Another common similarity seen is that arbitration's power comes from the arbitrator itself, not unlike that of a judge's ruling. Mediation, by comparison, gains its power from the mediator assisting both parties in fair and productive negotiations; here, the mediator facilitates a process in which the parties can come to their own decisions collectively.
The differences are where arbitrations can be lost or won. For example, the parties in an arbitration do not have to be represented by attorneys; if need be, they can be represented by a qualified advocate, as long as the arbitrator accepts the appointment. Generally, having an attorney is a better path, simply due to experience, but it is still important to be aware of other options. Those who do not know may think they cannot proceed with their claim, or may accept subpar representation, which adversely affects their chance of success.
Arbitration of any kind can be quite complex, and many people wind up having questions or concerns about the process. It is best, in most cases, to contact an experienced condominium dispute attorney and get the answers you need. The Fort Lauderdale law firm of Steven A. Mason, P.A. can help guide you through the process and ensure that you have the best possible chance to get the outcome you prefer. Contact the Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood Law Offices of Steven A. Mason, P.A. for legal advice at 954-963-5900 or leave a message online.


text:
The North Face: Question Madness
Music for Commercials
Stacy Peralta
Nonfiction Unlimited
Exploring tests us to the best of our abilities. And there isn't a brand quite like outdoor clothing company The North Face that encourages adventurers like they do.
So when they tasked us with the responsibility of sourcing the right song for their 'Question Madness' campaign, we knew it had to be sonically inspiring.
The campaign focused on the adversity that explorers have to overcome in order to push through and succeed in their missions. And this spot sought new ways to entice intrepid explorers to buy from the brand while also offering them inspiration and a safe haven to retreat to through tough times.
The challenge lay in finding a suitable piece of music that could be both reassuring and nourishing, ambitious and motivational.
To fit the impressive The North Face campaign from SID LEE, we looked at the tough challenges people face during extreme outdoor activities – receiving scratches, grazes, tugs and tumbles in gale force winds, snowstorms and more. We wanted to incorporate all of these sounds and elements into the overarching piece.
We decided that a soft comforting track would fit the bill – one that could instil a sense of strength, determination and patience, reflecting the necessary mindset for completing an adventure.
Our New York team found Cat Stevens' track 'Miles From Nowhere' which perfectly suited what we were looking for and we oversaw the music supervision and licensing aspects of the process.
Overlaid on top of the song, we weaved in sound effects that hinted at the physical stresses and strains involved in undertaking an epic exploration, indicating the endurance and resilience required.
Combining tears, screams and heavy sighs between snow shuffles, wind breaks, tent shakes and sledge hammers hitting on ice, the composition masterfully blends an immersive soundscape spanning freedom and strength to represent the madness it takes to progress athletically.
Explorers are pioneers – they feel the fear and do it anyway, inspired by what sets them free. The track – together with the visuals – offers a new perspective to the world of adventuring.
The music, much like the campaign's visuals, reflects the happy-go-lucky nature of explorers while highlighting the madness required to commit to such a trip.
The brand's tagline: '#QuestionMadness – never stop exploring' suggests the necessary stealth and grit to continue especially when the going gets tough.
Our efforts were also recognised with this campaign scooping up a Bronze at the Clio Music Awards 2017 in the 'Use of Music / Licensed' category – making us feel grateful to being a part of bringing this epic campaign to the forefront.
Let's elevate your story through the power of music and sound.
Shez Mehra
shez@massivemusic.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How to change layout when rotate? I have an xml in layout-normal, layout-large and layout-land. What I'm trying to do is to use the provided xml in specific orientation.
I already search for it here and this are what I've already tried.
1) I used different layout name but same ids in it and override onConfigurationChanged and set the layout there. Here's my code
@Override
public void onConfigurationChanged(Configuration newConfig) {
    super.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);

    if (newConfig.orientation == Configuration.ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT)
    {
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_login2);
    }
    if (newConfig.orientation == Configuration.ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE)
    {
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_login );
    }
}

It does changed but when the screen rotates the inputed data in the EditText is gone. I tried to use onSaveInstanceState to save the instance but still the same. It looks like it destroys the activity and create a new one where all my widget that is initialized in onCreate is gone.
2) Then I found layout-land and just put the landscape layout there with same layout name like in layout-normal and layout-large example is
res/layout-land -> activity_login.xml
res/layout-normal-> activity_login.xml
res/layout-large-> activity_login.xml
and removes the onConfigurationChanged on the code but still doesn't work.
In my AndroidManifest in LoginActivity I put
     <activity
        android:name=".LoginActivity"
        android:configChanges="keyboardHidden|orientation|screenSize"
        android:theme="@style/DefaultTheme"
        android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize">
        <intent-filter>
          <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
          <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER"/>
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>

Is there anyway to change the layout when screen is rotated? Thank you in advance.

A: The "screen size" qualifier has higher precedence than the "orientation" qualifier. https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/resources/providing-resources.html#AlternativeResources

Android supports several configuration qualifiers and you can add multiple qualifiers to one directory name, by separating each qualifier with a dash. Table 2 lists the valid configuration qualifiers, in order of precedence

Suppose you have these files:
res/
    layout-normal/
        layout.xml
    layout-land/
        layout.xml

If you have a normal screen size device, it won't matter whether you use portrait or landscape. layout-normal will always be chosen over layout-land.
You can solve this two different ways.
First, you could put your "default" layout in the plain layout directory (instead of layout-normal). So your files would be
res/
    layout/
        layout.xml
    layout-land/
        layout.xml

Second, you could combine qualifiers in order to make it obvious that you're differentiating between portrait and landscape. So your files would be
res/
    layout-normal/
        layout.xml
    layout-normal-land/
        layout.xml

A: I think you might be missing the point of the layout-land folder.  It should be the case that whatever layout you specify there, say some_activity.xml, will be automatically used when the device rotates to landscape.  You can name the layout file the same exact name which is already being used by your potrait version.  And the layout file itself can also use the same IDs to name the various widgets which appear.
With regard to you losing some UI state when the device is rotated, you might have to override onSaveInstanceState(Bundle savedInstanceState) and save some state from your UI when a rotation happens.  This doesn't really have anything to do with which layout file gets shown though.

A: First of all you don't require to create another .xml like activity_login2, you can use same activity_login.xml.
Android have default folder /res/layout which includes all your layout. So whenever you rotate device it will use same activity_login.xml file.
you can add a new folder /res/layout-land, copy activity_login.xml into it and make the needed adjustments.
@Override
public void onConfigurationChanged(Configuration newConfig) {
    super.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);

    if (newConfig.orientation == Configuration.ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT)
    {
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_login2); // it will use .xml from /res/layout
    }
    if (newConfig.orientation == Configuration.ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE)
    {
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_login); // it will use xml from /res/layout-land
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Find out all about this here.
Separating and divorcing couples in the UK appear to be increasingly interested in the idea of shared custody arrangements (now known as bird's nest custody), with new research revealing that 11 per cent of such parents have chosen not to follow more traditional child custody arrangements.
Bird's nest custody involves allowing the children to remain in the family home with the parents moving in and out of the house instead, in the hope that this will prove less disruption to the children's lives.
Research figures show that 64 per cent of those asked said they expected this type of custody agreement to become increasingly common, with 16 per cent of those already divorced or separated saying that if they could do it again, they'd put such an agreement in place. And 52 per cent said they felt keeping their kids in the family home, rotating living arrangements around them, would have caused them less upset and upheaval.
This kind of arrangement was found to be appealing because the children could stay close to their school, while parents could stay close to their own friends and family. Not having to sell the house when the market was weak and having less of a commute to school were also given as reasons why bird's nest custody would have been of interest.
Using divorce solicitors in Stockport when going through a relationship dissolution is always advisable. We here at QualitySolicitors Belshaws are experts in dealing with a wide range of disputes that can affect children, including who they should live with, where they should live, who they should see, who will make important decisions about their lives, who pays for maintenance and welfare issues such as changing their name and school. Call us today for free intial advice and find out how we can help.


text:
Easing Health Care Costs
Grant to aid uninsured and underinsured.
Less than 90 days after Inova Health System (IHS) filed for dismissal of a federal class action law suit against it for charging higher rates to uninsured patients for the same medical procedures administered to insured patients, Inova Alexandria Hospital was named a recipient of a 2004 Healthy Communities Access Program grant. It was one of only 35 organizations nationwide selected.
Provided by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the grants "help local safety-net health care providers develop coordinated health care networks to serve uninsured and underinsured residents." IAH will receive $939,913 for fiscal year 2004, according to an IHS announcement. IHS received a similar grant in 2000 to undertake a similar program in Fairfax County.
"The program has been a real success, currently serving more than 45,000 uninsured and underinsured residents. As the largest safety net provider in Northern Virginia, Inova has focused a great many resources on caring for the uninsured and underinsured," said Elita Christiansen, vice president, Community Health and Cultural Competence, IHS.
Ironically, it was fees totaling more than $29,000 charged to an uninsured patient for a 21-hour stay at Inova Fairfax Hospital to perform a heart catheterization procedure that triggered the law suit. Attorneys for patient Paul Shipman of Herndon maintained that the procedure should have cost far less and that the reason the bill was so high was because Shipman was uninsured.
IHS and the IHS Foundation, along with the American Hospital Association, all defendants in the case, filed for dismissal on Sept. 24 in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, on the grounds "Each count of the complaint must be dismissed for failure to state a claim." Before judge Gerald B. Lee, could render a ruling, Shipman's attorneys withdrew the suit.
Had Lee ruled against the dismissal, the IHS suit would have become part of a national class action suit, on the same subject, filed against 50 healthcare providers in 23 states. However, an attempt by plaintiff attorneys to have all suits combined into a single class action was denied in Philadelphia federal court this past fall. Cases must now be argued in each individual jurisdiction if they go forward.
HRSA'S GRANT will enable the City of Alexandria to develop a partnership similar to that in Fairfax County. It will be called the Alexandria Coalition for Coordinated Health Care (ACCHC).
ACCHC will coordinate the services of IAH, Alexandria Health
Department, Arlandria Health Center, Alexandria City Departments of Human Services, Mental Health, and Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse, Access to Health Care for Children Partnership, private providers and the three shelters located with the city, according to the grant announcement.
ACCHC will develop an integrated and comprehensive health care delivery system that will improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and coordination of services for uninsured and underinsured residents, resulting in higher quality care at less cost, according to Beth Visioli, spokesperson, IAH.
Specific goals of the ACCHC include:
* Increasing enrollment in Medicaid/FAMIS by 10 percent
* Reducing the use of the hospital emergency department for primary care visits
* Increasing the number of specialists serving the indigent care population by 10 percent
* Increasing patient satisfaction by 15 percent
* Developing a chronic care initiative by creating a registry to track patients
ALEXANDRIA HAS an estimated 23,700 uninsured residents and Medicaid recipients, according to IHS statistics. In a study completed by Alexandria United Way in 2001, 41 percent of the city's working poor indicated they had no health insurance.
"We've seen the success in reaching out to residents in Fairfax County and we know we can achieve the same results here," said Kenneth Kozloff, administrator IAH, and IHS vice president who is serving as co-chair of ACCHC.
"Our community groups have a good working relationship and this coalition will make the processes even more efficient so that we can better serve the residents of our community." Serving with Kozloff as the other ACCHC co-chair is Dr. Charles Konigsberg, director, Alexandria Health Department.
Inova Lawsuit Dismissed — For Now
Suit Against IHS Now in Limbo
Inova Sued Over Charging Practices


War of the Rebellion: Serial 021 Page 0246 W.FLA.,S.ALA.,S.MISS.,LA., TEX.,N.MEX. Chapter XXVII.
of transporting troops through Bayou Sorrel and Lake Chicot. About 12 miles below Indian Village, in Bayou Sorrel, I found a raft of driftwood one-fourth of a mile in length. A short distance below this I found another raft of drift-wood 1 1/2 miles in length, and learned through well-disposed citizens of several miles of other drift-wood, and that the portion of Lake Chicot called the bay is filled up with the accumulated drift of two seasons. I therefore report to you that it is not, in my opinion, practicable to transport troops through Lakke Chicot and Bayou Sorrel. I would also most respectfully state that in my opinion the transportation of troops through the Upper Grand River is for similar reasons impracticable. In my opinion the only way of rendering this bayou navigable for transports is by removing the drift-wood, which work should commence in that part of Lake Chicot called the bay.
Lieutenant, U. S. Navy, Comdg. Naval part of the Expedition.
PLAQUEMINE, LA., February 17, 1863.
SIR: From what I saw of the drift-wood in Bayou Sorrel, as well as from what I learned of the same from sailors, soldiers, and citizens of our reconnoitering party, I am of the opinion that said bayou is not navigable for more than 12 miles below Indian Village. In my judgment the only way in which said bayou can be rendered navigable is by removing the drift-wood, which work should be and can be done by commencing in that part of Lake Chicot called the bay. The Upper Grand River is also not navigable, owing to drift-wood.
By telegraph from Berwick Bay, La., to Major-General Augur.
Captain Goodwin, of the Diana, requests me to telegraph that all the routes from Lake Chicot to Indian Village are blocked by drift for 5 miles, which the pilots and inhabitants say will cut off all communication between those places.
By telegraph from La Fourche, La., to Major-General Augur.
BRASHEAR CITY, LA., February 14, 1863.


Taking antibiotics when you don't need them encourages dangerous bacteria that live inside you to become resistant. That means that antibiotics may not work when you next need them most. This puts you and your family at serious risk.
It's essential to finish taking a prescribed course of antibiotics, even if you feel better, unless a healthcare professional tells you otherwise. If you stop taking an antibiotic part way through a course, the bacteria can become resistant to the antibiotic.
Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent some types of bacterial infections. They aren't effective against viral infections, such as the common cold or flu.
Read more about antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotics are sometimes given as a precaution to prevent, rather than treat, an infection. This is known as antibiotic prophylaxis.
Antibiotic prophylaxis is normally recommended if you're having surgery on a certain part of the body which carries a high risk of infection or where infection could lead to devastating effects.
Your surgical team will be able to tell you if you require antibiotic prophylaxis.
Antibiotic prophylaxis may be recommended for a wound that has a high chance of becoming infected – this could be an animal or human bite, for example, or a wound that has come into contact with soil or faeces.
There are several medical conditions that make people particularly vulnerable to infection, making antibiotic prophylaxis necessary.
For example, the spleen plays an important role in filtering out harmful bacteria from the blood. People who have had their spleen removed, people having chemotherapy for cancer, or those with the blood disorder sickle cell anaemia, where their spleen doesn't work properly, should take antibiotics to prevent infection.
There are some important things to consider before taking antibiotics.
Don't take one of the penicillin-based antibiotics if you've had an allergic reaction to them in the past. People who are allergic to one type of penicillin will be allergic to all of them.
People with a history of allergies, such as asthma, eczema or hay fever, are at higher risk of developing a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to penicillins, although cases are rare.
Most penicillins can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding in the usual doses.
Tell your healthcare professional if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, so they can prescribe the most suitable antibiotic for you.
If you previously had an allergic reaction to penicillin, there's a chance that you may also be allergic to cephalosporins.
Cephalosporins may not be suitable if you have kidney disease, but if you need one you will probably be given a lower than usual dose.
If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, or have acute porphyria, check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before taking cephalosporins.
Aminoglycosides are normally only used in hospital to treat life-threatening conditions such as septicaemia, as they can cause kidney damage in people with pre-existing kidney disease.
They're only used during pregnancy if your doctor believes they're essential.
You shouldn't take macrolides if you have porphyria – a rare inherited blood disorder.
If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, the only type of macrolide you can take is erythromycin (Erymax, Erythrocin, Erythroped or Erythroped A) unless a different antibiotic is recommended by your doctor.
Erythromycin can be used at the usual doses throughout your pregnancy and while you're breastfeeding.
Other macrolides shouldn't be used during pregnancy, unless advised by a specialist.
Fluoroquinolones aren't normally suitable for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
These side effects are usually mild and should pass once you finish your course of treatment.
If you experience any additional side effects other than those listed above, you should contact your GP or the doctor in charge of your care for advice.
These mild to moderate allergic reactions can usually be successfully treated by taking antihistamines.
But if you're concerned, or your symptoms don't respond to treatment, you should call your GP for advice. If you can't contact your GP, call NHS 111.
In rare cases, an antibiotic can cause a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency and can be life-threatening if prompt treatment isn't given. Dial 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance if you think you or someone around you is experiencing anaphylaxis.
Tetracyclines can make your skin sensitive to sunlight and artificial sources of light, such as sun lamps and sunbeds.
You should avoid prolonged exposure to bright light while taking these drugs.


text:
We Took a Roadtrip to Maine With Todd Snyder to Preview His L.L. Bean Collaboration
We got a first look at the new collection in the wild.
By Emilie Hawtin
Emilie Hawtin
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It's a picturesque autumn day, illuminated by red leaves falling and the smell of a campfire not too far away. Strolling around an elegant cabin tucked in the Maine woods with Todd Snyder, it's clear that the countryside suits him. Snyder might be a New York-based menswear designer whose utilitarian aesthetic appeals to understated fashion guys, but up here, he's connected with his natural side. The cabin is one that Snyder outfitted at Hidden Pond––a genteel hotel of 'treetop lodges' in Kennebunkport with its own organic farm––as an architectural interpretation of the L.L. Bean collaboration, launching October 30th, that he's spent the past five years working on.
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It's not every day that L.L. Bean works with designers—in fact, for the 108 years it's been in business, the company has never done such a collaboration. The union came with great persistence; it took years for the designer to even reach the correct contact at Bean. But Snyder, with his Midwestern charm, has a knack for winning over American heritage brands. When he was the head of menswear at J.Crew, Snyder masterminded partnerships that became a cornerstone of the preppy stalwart. This formula proved so successful that it's since become an integral part of his namesake brand.
L.L. Bean x Todd Snyder turtleneck ($229), chamois shirt ($149) and cord trousers ($268). Right, 'Bean' boot ($279). Todd Snyder
"I took a Japanese lead," Snyder says. "I'd look at Comme des Garçons, Junya Watanabe, how they would always collaborate with other brands and have an interesting take on things. I thought 'Why don't I become the American version of that?'"
While he's partnered with the likes of Moscot and Sebago in the past, Snyder's collaboration with L.L. Bean may be his most expansive yet. It's also one of his most personal. "I used to be very into the outdoors but, since I moved to New York, I became very focused on my work, my kids, life. So, this was really a coming home for me." He describes the partnership as "a bit emotional", noting that current events made it all the more appealing to "connect with something more simple."
True to form, his collection respectfully imbues L.L. Bean with the air of a downtown aesthete. Think of what a Nolita guy might wear to shoot clay pigeons in Maine.
L.L. Bean x Todd Snyder wool blend shirt jacket ($129). Right, puffer vest ($189). Todd Snyder
"Originally I just wanted to do a Bean boot," Snyder says as he opens a few cabin closets at Hidden Pond, unveiling a mix of Norwegian sweaters, Sherpa jackets, cord and camouflage. While traditional, these pieces offer a refreshed vision: bolder colors, throwback details, a smarter fit. Snyder says the design process began when he came across a vintage duck camouflage in the L.L. Bean archives. The fabric features in a puffer vest that coordinates with the cabin's foyer wallpaper and reverses to high-vis orange (which Snyder refers to as his "exclamation point").
He did take on the classic Bean boot, rendering it in evergreen bison leather with a dash of orange on the sole––something both hypebeasts and classicists can appreciate. The chamois shirt, a flannel L.L. Bean hunting essential since the 1930s, rings true in a magnified archival buffalo plaid, which also upholsters mid-century modern chairs in the cabin's living room. Snyder's olive-hued edition of the chamois shirt could live easily in anyone's wardrobe—man, woman or otherwise—as would the pleat-front corduroy suit he styled under a bright yellow down vest.
The collection is so unisex that when it debuted in Snyder's fall fashion show, back in February, he had women on the runway for the first time. "I assumed a lot of women would wear this because L.L. Bean is such a unisex brand," he says. "Everybody borrows these pieces from husbands or boyfriends."
L.L. Bean x Todd Snyder puffer jacket ($249). Right, fleece shirt jacket ($149), camo chinos ($198) and corduroy baseball cap ($40). Todd Snyder
Snyder's evolved take on L.L. Bean is the result of nearly two-dozen trips to Maine and several deep dives into the brand's mind-bending archive. It's an honor won by few. Here, he sifted through everything from 1910s Bean boots to the 1960s Norwegian sweater that's recognized by The Met, The Official Preppy Handbook and fishermen alike.
The archive is housed in Leon Leonwood (L.L.) Bean's former residence, which Snyder describes as "humble and simple and quaint––it's not at all big." He says the brand's namesake was ever-present in the design process: "I tried to think 'If I were him, would I approve this?' and keep that in mind, pushing the envelope ever so slightly. I wanted it to be authentic to Maine but also appeal to a lot of people without overdoing it."
L.L. Bean x Todd Snyder embroidered bass hoodie ($159) and wool trousers ($268); right, Norwegian wool-cashmere sweater ($199). Todd Snyder
Diving into the L.L. Bean archive myself, it's impressive how little the brand's product has changed in over 100 years. It was a Saturday morning and, unannounced, the company's CEO, Stephen Smith, showed up in his vintage Land Rover to chat about customer letters from the early 1900s over bagels. Despite the ups and downs brands experience over time, L.L. Bean has managed to maintain an easy-going integrity that goes beyond the product.
"A classic is a classic for a reason," says Smith. And while Bean has dabbled in New York Fashion Week before (for those who remember the launch of L.L. Bean Signature, led by Rogues Gallery alumni Alex Carleton) perhaps this collaboration marks a new era for the brand, or simply reflects the outdoor life we're now all yearning for––even the downtown set and even Todd Snyder.
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Chestnuthill Township, located in the western portion of Monroe County, was named for its once-abundant chestnut trees, which lined many roadsides and dotted the rolling countryside of the area. Many long-time residents of the township know that the large hill one summits when driving into McIlhaney along Route 115 is known as Chestnut Hill. Unfortunately, the chestnut trees were killed off during the Chestnut Blight in the early 1900s.
Although European settlers had been calling the area that is now Chestnuthill Township home for many years prior to the French and Indian War, the date given as the creation of Chestnuthill Township is September 20, 1763.
At the time of the township's formation, the name Prospect Hill was also considered. This 1763 date is the first time that written documentation appears regarding the township. The Quarter Session Docket of Northampton County shows that Abraham Smith was appointed constable of Chestnuthill Township on that date. When the township was originally formed, it was much larger that it is today. In 1763, Chestnuthill Township included an area that consisted of present-day Eldred, Polk, and Ross townships.
George Hood (Hoeth) is believed to be one of the earliest European colonial settlers of Chestnuthill Township. He purchased land west of the village of Brodheadsville from the Moravians of Bethlehem. In fact, the first township elections were held in his home. Other early Monroe County family surnames include (but are not limited to) Altemose, Kresge, Huffsmith, Hoeth, Serfass, Brong, Gearhart, Brodhead, Brown, Everitt, and Weiss. Many of the early settlers of Chestnuthill Township travelled to the Christ Church in Hamilton Township for worship.
One of the most essential roads in Chestnuthill Township was the Wilkes-Barre and Easton Turnpike. The turnpike, originally known as the Sullivan Trail, was built in 1808 and was a main thoroughfare through the township, linking Monroe County with the Wyoming Valley. Today, the Wilkes-Barre and Easton Turnpike is known as State Route 115.
The first school in the township was a double house that stood where the Gilbert Cemetery is located today. The teacher, Mr. Kotz, lived in one side of the house; the school was located in the other side. In 1881, a post-secondary school, called Fairview Academy, opened its doors. This institution was for students interested in pursuing their studies beyond a general high school education. The school was established to prepare both men and women for the teaching profession, but courses were also offered to those interested in pursuing careers in business. Fairview Academy closed its doors in 1938.
The largest village in the township, Brodheadsville, was once known as Shafer's. The village was renamed on June 28, 1852 in honor of Charles D. Brodhead, a Stroudsburg resident who moved to Chestnuthill Township and established a post office.
According to the 1900 census report, Chestnuthill Township boasted 1,398 individuals. In 2000, the number increased to 14,418.
Middle Smithfield Township was parceled out of the northern area of Smithfield Township and was part of Pike County until 1814. The township was created by the Northampton County Courts on August 12, 1794 and was officially named on November 11 of that year.
Many early settlers of Middle Smithfield Township has surnames that are still well-known in Monroe County today; these families included (but were not limited to): Jayne, DeWitt, Shoemaker, Coolbaugh, Overfield, Michaels, Place, Turn, Hanna, and many more.
One of the first families to settle in Middle Smithfield Township was that of Manuel Gunsaules. Gunsaules was of Spanish descent, and he, along with his wife and nine children, lived along the Bushkill Creek.
Rudolphus Schoonover built the first gristmill whose operation preceded the American Revolution. Schoonover's son, Benjamin Schoonover was the area's first blacksmith and built the first foundry in the township in 1824. John Heller was responsible for establishing the first tavern, while Adam Overpeck built the first tannery, and John Turn worked as a cabinet-maker and the area's undertaker.
There are numerous churches and cemeteries in Middle Smithfield Township. The oldest place of worship in the township dates to 1814 and was a small barn located on John Coolbaugh's property. A minister from neighboring Shawnee-on-Delaware traveled north to deliver the sermons.
Many of the early roads in Monroe County were an extension and improvement of Indian paths. One of the earliest roads in Colonial America was an Indian path which closely followed present-day State Route 209 through Middle Smithfield Township. This early path, called the Minsi Path, connected southeastern Pennsylvania to Kingston, New York. Early European colonial settlers Nicholas DePui and Daniel Brodhead used this rough road to transport goods to northern markets in the Hudson Valley. State Route 209 remains a major thoroughfare through the township today.
The Delaware River serves as the northeastern boundary of the township. Because bridges were costly to build, several ferries crossed this major eastern Pennsylvania waterway in the 1800s, linking Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The ferries were wooden barges that had to be large enough to hold not only individual passengers, but also large stagecoaches and wagons with teams of horses. Daniel Decker ran Decker's Ferry as early as 1744. Dimmick's Ferry operated from the 1880s until 1932.
In the 1880s, Middle Smithfield Township boasted the largest barn in Monroe County. Cuban-born Juan F. Portunda, a gentleman farmer and cigar-maker from Philadelphia, owned 165 acres of farmland, and his barn was situated in the center of his property. This barn, known as the "Central Barn," was a three-story structure that housed not only animals, their feed and the living quarters for the farm help, but also an array of the most modern shredding machines as well.
The census report for Middle Smithfield Township in 1840 listed 1,144 citizens. By the year 2000, 11,495 persons called the township home.
This is only a brief history of these two important Monroe County townships. To learn more about these townships or Monroe County's history, please contact the Monroe County Historical Association at (570) 421-7703.


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Incipient Fascism
By Chase Kahn
Without question the most anticipated movie of this holiday/awards-season rush, for me, is Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon". Stuart Klawans' New York Times 10.30 piece on the film addresses already raised questions about whether Haneke's latest film, a black-and-white period film set in a 1914 village in Northen German just before the onset of World War I, is a precursor to Nazism.
According to the piece, an early voice-over offers the advice that his story might "clarify some things that happened later in our country." Of course, Haneke, like any great filmmaker, offers vague, halfway answers to the questions, but from the majority of reviewers, historians and the like, the film is certainly an attempt to portray this 1914 German Protestant community as an insight into the rise of fascism.
"The White Ribbon" won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and opens on 12.30 in NY and LA, 01.29 in my neck of the woods.
Posted by Chase Kahn at 10:31 PM No comments:
Review: 'An Education' [A-]
After playing at Sundance at the beginning of the year and every film festival henceforth, gushing about Lone Scherfig's An Education seems irrelevant and faint. But this is a tremendous film and in such a strong year for women filmmakers around the world, the Danish dame Scherfig has made a calculated and sophisticated work set in the burgeoning era when women were beginning to question their cultural boundaries.
It's such a quaint and classy film, jazzy and fashionable, funny and truthful. Carey Mulligan plays the 16-year old Jenny, caught between a life of studies and monotony or romance and maturity when she meets a cheeky and personable rich middle-age adventurer and globe-trotter named David (Peter Sarsgaard).
Unsatisfied with the norm and expectation of attending a university, Jenny sees the staleness and lack of opportunities for women in 1960's suburban London and falls impulsively head-over-heels for David's charm and sophistication.
As a lover of French cinema and music, and compassionately fed up with the stereotypical lifestyle of the 60's well-educated woman, Jenny becomes attracted to not only David, but the escapism and against-the-system appeal of marrying a rich, attractive playboy. She sees herself in her English teacher, an equally smart and book-savvy Miss Stubbs (Olivia Williams), and describes her life after graduation from Cambridge as a walking death.
"Action builds character", says Jenny to David in his swooning dark red sportscar, and she's completely right -- in another sense.
The entire cast could be described with whatever remarkable superlative you want to throw at it. Mulligan is a revelation, a breakthrough role and a surefire Best Actress nomination will be the result, that much is certain. Alfred Molina as the unsuspecting, well-intending father is brilliant, as well as Emma Thompson as the school headmaster, but her few scenes shouldn't be enough to warrant or gain any serious awards traction. I'm stunned that Peter Sarsgaard, as the gaudy yet sweetly puppy-eyed David, hasn't been more seriously considered for his work.
I also can't go without mentioning the luscious, cafe cozy photography of John de Borman -- giving An Education a pleasurable, but identifiable personality.
An Education is as thorough a coming-of-age drama as you're likely to find, and with its 1962 setting (not unlike AMC's similarly themed "Mad Men") it portrays an era in the midst of a cultural revolution, whether the characters know it or not. Come to think of it, Jenny is not unlike Peggy Olsen, played by Elisabeth Moss on "Mad Men". At the end of the day, both women are modern counter-culture thinkers stuck in an unprogressive age. This film could represent the last story of that era, and it's beautifully conceived.
Posted by Chase Kahn at 2:04 PM No comments:
Review: 'The Bad Lieutenant: Port Call of New Orleans' [B+]
Nicolas Cage is officially off of my shitlist because Werner Herzog's The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is a wildly outrageous and schizo-funny black comedy featuring the 45-year old actor, who has wallowed around in a mess of bad films for the better part of this decade, gives his best performance since Spike Jonze's Adaptation ('02).
As the bad cop with a serious drug and gambling addiction, Cage is pure energy as he slips into this raging psychopath and channels all of this bad boy charisma and lets loose as if to atone for all of his straight-laced, ho-hum, paycheck action roles. As his character, Terrence McDonagh, spirals into this hole of debts, drug-smuggling and unsolved homicides, it's not Herzog's intention to bring on anxiety or fear -- in fact, it tends to bring out the best in McDonagh and the film, resulting in a ironic, comedic and surreal tone.
Val Kilmer shows up from time-to-time as a bad-mouthed partner, but he's limited both in screen-time and relevancy, although strangely I wanted more of him. Eva Mendes, reuniting with Cage after Ghost Rider, plays the "girlfriend" prostitute with a drug-itch problem herself.
The whole package, set in post-Katrina New Orleans (think fall of '05) is a wink-wink, drug-induced coma of bad deeds and intentions with an ugly direct-to-video sheen. There are imaginary iguanas, dancing souls, oxygen-gasping grandmas with revolvers pressed to their foreheads -- this thing should become a big 2 am, pass-the-joint cult classic.
Herzog, a renowned filmmaker and documentarian, most known for his 70's/80's masterpieces Aguirre: The Wrath of God ('72), Nosferatu ('79) and Fitzcarraldo ('82) is operating on a level of psychological hell and hysteria unseen even in the crazed presence of Klaus Kinski.
The Bad Lieutenant isn't one of his best works, but it's certainly more lively and inspired than Rescue Dawn ('07) in a ugly, provoking, auteuristic kind of way. It's a ballsy, gutsy, cuckoo niche film that seems to have brought Nicolas Cage back from the realm of the dead. Not unlike Alex Proyas' Knowing, here is a crazy Cage film that works.
Posted by Chase Kahn at 9:17 AM 2 comments:
Bourne Zone
I can't listen to this trailer for Paul Greengrass' Green Zone because I don't have any speakers hooked up in my new location, but it looks and feels exactly like a continuation of the Bourne franchise migrated to Iraq, for what its worth.
I've never been a giant fan of the Bourne series, if only because by the time Ultimatum rolled along, I felt like the series was just spinning its wheels and regurgitating the same plot beats, crescendos and formulas to death.
Of course, with Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass, with his notoriously identifiable filming techniques, and Matt Damon in the lead role, it's not hard to imagine why. Green Zone was delayed until 2010 by Universal and is now slated to release on 03.12.10 in what is quickly becoming the most exciting first three months of any movie year I can recall due to lack of studio funding for p&a, the writers' strike, etc. -- thank you, dwindling movie economy!
Posted by Chase Kahn at 10:42 AM No comments:
The Fat Kid at Kickball
Alejandro Amenabar's Agora, a lavish Roman-Egypt period piece and star role for Rachel Weisz, still doesn't have a U.S. distributor and its window for a release late this year has pretty much completely been taken off the table. So what's the deal? No one wants to take this on for a measly $3-4 million or so -- likely less?
If it were given a platform release in late November into early December, I bet it would pick up some steam, especially if Rachel Weisz's performance is as good as some have said coming out of Cannes or Toronto. Now, if a deal goes through, it would likely be release Q1 or Q2 of next year, but let's be realistic, this thing looks like it's going straight to DVD. Sad.
Posted by Chase Kahn at 9:50 AM No comments:
"He Probably Went to Hell"
The only redeeming scene in an otherwise silly and underwhelming film is this early encounter between Paul Newman's Roy Bean and Anthony Perkins' Rev. LaSalle from John Huston's The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean ('72).
It's such a strange, dark and surreal 10 minutes, certainly more in-tune than the 100 minutes or so that come afterwards. At this point, I thought Huston was in Beat the Devil territory with a half-serious, half-satirical western, but mostly this thing just flat out doesn't work.
Review: 'The Baader Meinhof Complex' [B]
Uli Edel's The Baader Meinhof Complex, quite fittingly described as the birth of modern terrorism, is the story of the Red Army Faction (RAF), who began terrorizing West Germany in the early 1970's to combat a climate of both global and local imperialism.
A 2008 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, (released in the U.S. this year) it charts the formation of the RAF through its three key members, Ulrich Meinhof (Martina Gedeck), Andreas Baader (Moritz Bliebtreu) and Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek) and, in the end, their influence on future generations of juvenile drop-outs and the like.
It has been congratulated and rewarded for its refusal to condemn or champion the acts of the RAF in its depictions. The first half is a seductively rebellious political-brusier, with our revolutionaries and their wigs, aviator glasses and hip-hugging jeans committing acts of pre-meditated, yet seemingly random bouts of terrorism.
Then in the second half, it takes on a more reflective tone as our heroes begin to question and witness the outcome or results of their now-condemnable actions (as they share a confined prison cell). It is in these scenes where The Baader Meinhof Complex both stirs and underwhelms in its arms-length approach. It's an extremely well-acted and well-crafted film, compulsively watchable the way a great documentary or historical account would be, but I didn't feel the desired impact by the time it was over. It's a silenced handgun -- it gets the job done, but it doesn't resonate very loudly.
Posted by Chase Kahn at 10:35 AM 1 comment:
"Invictus" Poster
Clint Eastwood's Invictus (Warner Brothers, 12.11.09), the Nelson Mandela biopic starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, has a poster and it pretty much sucks. It screams of faux-inspirational hooplah with Morgan Freeman's profile, engulfed in a blinding light as if to represent a biblical figure of some sort, looks phony. After Gran Torino was the surprise hit of January last year, why not slap his name all over it? Instead, he's relegated to a Tom Hooper or a Brad Anderson.
Great?
I saw Duncan Jones' Moon at the Dallas AFI Film Festival in April and thought it was pretty okay. To me, it's just a visually compelling film with a very interesting Sam Rockwell performance to say the least (plus Clint Mansell's score is really good in places), but I found it slight and too duct-taped together. Despite some spectacular lunar ingenuity, it doesn't have an original bone in it's body.
So I was more than a little surprised to see such enthusiastic remarks for the film throughout the summer as it saw an extended, popular art-house run. The Blu-ray comes out 12.29.
Bio-Mush
Mira Nair's Amelia (Fox Searchlight, 10.24) hasn't appealed to me in the slightest every since the trailer debuted sometime this summer. I hate the dramatization and tall-tale telling ("Why do you want to fly?"..."To break free", etc.) of these kinds of big-budget biopics. Plus Hilary Swank has been pegged for a Best Actress nomination since Febraury, which means that she'll be nominated regardless of the performance.
We have our first reviews from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. The former, raving about Hilary Swank's performance, comparing it to Jamie Foxx in Ray and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Capote, blah, blah.
Justing Chang at Variety, however, was pummeled by it:
"To say that "Amelia" never gets off the ground would be an understatement; it barely makes it out of the hangar. Hansomely mounted, yet dismayingly superficial, Mira Nair's film offers snazzy aerial photography and inspirational platitudes in lieu of insight into Amelia Earhart's storied life and high-flying career."
There is also a general assumption that the film doesn't totally work due to late screenings and notice from Fox Searchlight, perhaps in an attempt to guard it somewhat. Think of it what you will.
Welcome to January
I swear to you, this trailer for The Spy Next Door about a special agent (Jackie Chan) in charge of babysitting a house of annoying kids is one of the worst I've ever seen. I'd rather watch G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 400 times than sit through this thing once.
Sprouting up from the genes of Kindergarten Cop and The Pacifier, this looks to achieve a whole new level of parental cruelty. Just look at the supporting cast of spares they've rounded up for this thing (Billy Ray freakin' Cyrus!).
Posted by Chase Kahn at 1:27 PM 1 comment:
"Wild Things" Redux
Reading around the internet this morning after Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are pulled in $32.5 million over the weekend, I found this highly entertaining review/dissection of the film by David Poland at The Hot Blog, which brings up a fascinating (and mostly accurate) interpretation of this multi-layered film.
"Simply put, it is a great film about divorce and its effect on children of this generation...The psychological positioning of each of the "wild things" on the island is distinct (and distinctly blurred when appropriate), starting with Max's father, Carol (James Gandolfini), who is no longer a central figure in Max's life, but who once promised -- by an inscription on a globe -- that Max could rule the world. Dad Lied."
"Mom, embodied by KW (Lauren Ambrose) here, is the realist in this family and is trying to give her truth to her boy while still loving him so much that she has to fight off her instinct to indulge a more simplistic kind of protection of his innocence."
In my 10.16 review, I saw the fantasy sections of the film to be a more general embodiment of Max's world and the spectrum of emotion and confusion that he experiences on a daily basis, but this is certainly a legitimate and fascinating reading of the film.
Why the thought that Carol represented Max's now absent father never crossed my mind during the first viewing is mind-boggling to me as it's so obvious now that I think about it. Of course, the gist of the film still remains the same -- that Max's trip to the fantasy land of the wild things is a re-imagining of his own psyche and the world around him in a way that's more relatable and identifiable to him.
I love Poland's description of Where the Wild Things Are as a psychological Wizard of Oz. You have the opening "reality" segment of Max playing in the snow, arguing with his Mother, etc. before he takes the trip to "Oz", only to return a more educated and renowned person.
Poland feels that the whole idea of the film, what it's leading to, is to Max's forgiveness to himself and to his mother for the divorce. Whatever the case, it's about learning and understanding how to grow up and how the frequently confounding and head-spinning emotions of adults and kids alike are constantly up in the air and unintelligible to the uninitiated.
There is just so much to chew on that I'm stunned at how many people are simply turned off by the "glumness" of it all. Saying that is lacks "narrative drive" is a concession that this viewer simply didn't get or didn't want to. Think of how rare it is to have a film that's based on a sentence-a-page kids book turned into a work of art, misunderstood by so many people already. One of the two or three very best films of the year.
I ate breakfast the other day and while waiting for a table, noticed the amount of children and their mothers who were bickering and arguing amongst eachother. "They need to go see Where the Wild Things Are", I said to myself.
'Che' on 01.19.10
Review: 'Law Abiding Citizen' [C+]
Director F. Gary Gray, with all of his mustered machismo brutality and combustible set pieces, is back and he has the judicial system in his sights with Law Abiding Citizen. Swooping flyover shots of the William Penn bronze statue sitting atop Philadelphia's City Hall are filmed with a seemingly discerning eye while judges and prosecutors alike are depicted as flamboyantly assertive and dishonest.
This is an oppressive film, with its industrial color palette, clanging shackles and flood of legal terminology. If you could smell a film, Law Abiding Citizen would smell like a musty rod-iron fence. But wait until the slimy politicians and self-preserving district attorneys start roaming the halls of steel-caged thugs who aren't any more animalistic and unlawful than the prosecutors who put them there. As they speak, you can even see their corruptness and indecency through the cold, wintry air – that is until they receive a new inmate, Clyde Shelton.
Clyde (Gerard Butler) is a father and a husband who is the victim of a random break-in, which brings about the death of his wife and daughter at the hands of two brutes. The prosecutor in this case, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), in an effort to guarantee a conviction, makes a deal with one of the two murderers who is now a cooperating witness and will testify in court against the other. So we have two murderers – one gets the death penalty, one gets off in three years.
Outside the courthouse, in front of a sea of photographers, Nick shakes the witness' hand in the view of a sheepish and bewildered Clyde, who has just witnessed the injustice of the legal system first-hand. The fact that Nick was unwilling to go to court and get a conviction for both men because of insubstantial evidence, despite it being the absolute truth, makes it all the harder for Clyde to swallow. Fast-forwarding ten years, the film quickly becomes an amoral revenge-kick before switching gears completely (to its credit) into a somewhat rational undressing of the American judicial system through the mind games of the now imprisoned, yet still mystifyingly dangerous Clyde Shelton. "I'll bring the whole system down on your head", he says to the wide-eyed and frustrated Nick, "it's gonna be biblical".
The fundamental problem with Law Abiding Citizen is that it's a film that wants to toe the morality line and do it under the guise of a slick package, but it simply doesn't have what it takes under the hood. Our two protagonists are given bland, lifeless dialogue to just throw back-and-forth while the filmmaking is far too routine to overcome the lack of viable substance and certainty. Compounding matters are the surprisingly flat and underwhelming performances of not only the supporting cast but also the two main stars.
Gerard Butler (300, The Ugly Truth) is just plainly miscast here as an unbelievable portrait of a grieving father/husband-turned-vigilante. He's too rough and prickly with his lisp and toned-physique – the fact that I never bought him as this "wounded soul" could not be compensated for by button-down shirts and raincoats, much to the filmmakers' surprise. Jamie Foxx, on the other hand, looks like he needed a warm cup of coffee to the face. Supporting players and familiar faces like Colm Meaney and Bruce McGill are almost too ideal for their roles while female counterparts like Leslie Bibb (Iron Man) as an understudy lawyer to the district attorney and Viola Davis (Doubt) as the no-nonsense Mayor are hopelessly derivative.
I do appreciate what the film is trying to do here, but it's often too non-committal, meandering and preposterous. When Clyde's secret, or rather how he does what he does, is revealed, it's both a letdown and a shot to the film's already crumbling credibility. When it's over, we get the feeling that Clyde's goal could have been obtained through simpler means and spared us the lecture.
Review: 'Where the Wild Things Are' [A]
Masquerading as a family-friendly fluff piece of children's adventure and escapism, Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are will likely surprise a few misinformed people - or kids. Of course, it appeared from the earliest stills to the trailer, set to Arcade Fire's "Wake Up", that this wasn't your average 'kids' movie.
The director, Jonze (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich), who notably went through some well-chronicled troubles throughout the production, has made a film that feels completely and utterly his own - that is, indistincly reminiscent of his previous works. (The most recent being over 7 years ago).
Credit must also be given to novelist Dave Eggers, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jonze himself, as the adapted screenplay of Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book is inflated into a feature film that more closely resembles a work of art than a glorified flip-book. If Dr. Seuss could only have been so lucky.
Beginning with a handheld shot, which looks strikingly like a home video, we see Max (Max Records) wrestling with the family dog, from the top of the zig-zag stairs down to the hardwood floors. His enthusiasm and pre-pubescent aggressiveness almost appears to be almost hurting the dog - yet the grip on Max's half-nelson appears to be tightening up, his awareness seemingly untapped.
And such is the story with young Max, an adventurous, playful, creative and combative boy who, like anyone else his age, is hopelessly selfish and unreasonable in his youthful endeavors. We see him build a snow fort by himself and talk to a fence, which seems to be the only thing that will obey his unruly commands. Although even it must recieve a kick or two before submitting.
It is in these early scenes that help establish the character of Max in the real world - what he's like, what his relationship with his mother (Catherine Keener), his sister and even his dog is all about. One night, when a particularly trivial disagreement, or apparent bout of jealousy ensues between Max and his mother, he flees to the land of the "Wild Things".
There, the creatures (who are artfully and ingeniously rendered using mostly giant costumes with CG expressions) run the gamut of human emotion as their behavior, touchiness and feelings come through during the numerous tasks that they perform or partake in under the rule of their "king", Max. Almost immediately, we are drawn to the similarities between Max's world back home and here on this island where wild things roam free. The difference is that here, Max gets to witness the frightening hostility and fragile psyches of the beasts from a more observant perspective and in a place that's more readily relatable to him.
It's a beautiful parable about childhood and growing up, but it succeeds and surpasses all others before it because it faces the truth and it speaks honestly with minimal candy-coating. It says that children, especially young boys, are unconsciously cruel and ill-equipped to handle or understand the motives and feelings of themselves or those around them. Where the Wild Things Are isn't about solving these problems (we get the feeling that Max isn't done with his disagreements with his mother), but it's about coming to grips with them and, in the end, understanding. The film does not celebrate the wonders of childhood, it exposes the troubles of it.
Busy Friday
I'm off to see Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are at 10:00 am this morning followed (hopefully) by F. Gary Gray's Law Abiding Citizen at 12:25, which I'm covering for The Film Nest. Then I have high school football duty at 5:00 and have to find time to write two reviews (one for the site, one for the blog). It's half-exciting, half-overwhelming.
Posted by Chase Kahn at 8:13 AM 1 comment:
"Tree of Life" Delayed
Terence Malick's Tree of Life was tentatively scheduled to come out this Christmas, but the decades-spanning epic from the director of Days of Heaven ('73) and The New World ('05) will be pushed back until next year, according to Anne Thompson at indieWIRE, echoing the sediments of Appartion studio head Bob Berney.
Tree of Life stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn and appears to have that same kind of Days of Heaven-depression era wheat-field-and-overalls vibe to it. It's also reportedly supposed to have some scenes shot in the IMAX format tracing back to the evolution of dinosaurs (?). Whatever the hell it is, we'll have to wait for it until next year, it seems. Thompson speculates that the film will play at Cannes '10, which would make sense if it's ready.
Trailer: 'The Edge of Darkness'
Martin Campbell's The Edge of Darkness (Warner Brothers, 01.29.10) marks the return of Mel Gibson to the big screen, or rather, on the big screen - his first appearance in seven years. I can't say that it looks like any big deal, or that it looks any better than those French-directed vigilante stinkers like Taken or the upcoming From Paris With Love, but with the cast and Bill Monahan (The Departed) writing the script, it should be pretty decent.
I like how it has this Baltimore outdoors-y pine tree feel to it instead of Parisian euro cars and luxury yachts. As long as the ridiculous factor is toned down a bit, January-revenge thrillers can be handled with care and come out alright.
Classic Rewind: 'In This Our Life' (1942)
John Huston made this juicy melodrama, In This Our Life ('42) for Warner Brothers after the success of his acclaimed debut The Maltest Falcon ('41). It's a blatantly different film for the director in that it bears all the marks of a William Wyler or Edmund Goulding potboiler with its female-dominant cast and Max Steiner musical cues.
Bette Davis plays her usual Jezebel anti-lady, this time with excessive and gratuitous flamboyancy and greed - as such is required for the character of Stanley Kingsmill, a befuddling and selfish daughter of a dwindling former factory owner and sister to the graceful and moralistic Roy (Olivia de Havilland).
The film is basically about this simple fact that Stanley is a wreckless, wretched and confused soul who seems bent on destroying those around her, whether she means it or not, until she can attain happiness or a suitor for her unquenchable lust for money and possessions.
For me, Davis has never been better than in William Wyler's Jezebel ('38), or at least in the opening 40 minutes or so before it turns slightly off course and becomes a bit too saintly and reverent of a film. She's never been captured as so cruely attractive in that red dress, tight-lipped way than in those opening scenes.
In This Our Life ('42) sees her in more of a crazed, maniacal and one-note performance, which is not an indictment at all, just a simple statement of fact and one of the reasons why the film doesn't completely work.
Holding it together is Olivia de Havilland, easily my favorite actress of the early studio system along with her sister, Joan Fontaine, Ingrid Bergman, Bette Davis and Vivien Leigh. Throughout the 40's, after the famous de Havilland decision, in which the strong-willed actress fought on behalf of the Screen Actors Guild to gain rights over the studios when casting for productions, de Havilland seemed to be determined to erase her stereotype as a damsel-in-distress opposite Errol Flynn in the late 30's.
With roles in In This Our Life ('42), The Snake Pit ('48) and The Heiress ('49), see did just that - winning two Academy Awards in a four-year stretch.
"Public Enemies" on Blu 12/8
Michael Mann's Public Enemies will be out on Blu-ray on 12.08 in this 2-disc set, but I'm having a hard time digesting this cover art with its pink/red titles. I'm curious to see what's under the slip cover since this picture very clearly appears to be just that.
You can read my review here. If it weren't for the Coen Brothers' A Serious Man, we're looking at my favorite film of the year.
Blu-Ray Catch-up
I've been watching a lot of bad movies of Blu-ray lately, because, well, that's what Blu-ray is for - giving you an excuse to watch movies you otherwise wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Plus, it's actually a lot of fun watching bad movies that you expect to be bad. I get off on it like I'm sure Simon Cowell gets off on 300 lb. cows trying to sing Kelly Clarkson.
David S. Goyer's The Unborn (2009) D
This January horror drop-off is ludicrously awful. It's so bad that, like other reviewers have mentioned, it's almost unclear if we're supposed to laugh or squirm, so the majority of the running-time falls into this unclear haze of indifference. It's not even the best movie of 2009 that features the presence of a dybbuk.
Sean McGinley's The Great Buck Howard (2009) C
This is such a minor and innocuous film, which is a shame, because it has a nice little cast (Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt, John Malkovich), but it ultimately goes absolutely nowhere, kind of like this review.
Iain Softley's Inkheart (2009) C+
You know what? Not terrible. It's a rather odd British-y family fantasy movie, once again based on a children's book, but it doesn't even touch terrible with the exception of its very odd set design which has all kinds of continuity issues. Nevertheless, with the exception of Brendan Frasier, the cast is pretty good and it ends up being a decent sit because it doesn't try very hard. It's like the anti-Golden Compass.
Andy Fickman's Race to Witch Mountain (2009) C-
I don't know why I watched this. It continues to trend of The Rock playing the tough machismo badass stuck in a kids movie. It's essentially a road/chase film with surprisingly little humor. It does have decent production values, with real car chases, and Carlo Gugino is in it, but it still blows. The biggest problem I had with it was that The Rock's character, an ex-con, was really obsessed with Bullitt.
Renny Harlin's 12 Rounds D+
The New Orleans/post-Katrina setting actually gives the film an edge, but from the acting all the way to the swiss-cheese script, this is a mess. John Cena and his Tom Cruise in "Tropic Thunder" bear-claw meathooks are so distracting, I almost missed the glaring plot holes. We also get inadequate, power-hungry federal agents in this film, too, because there aren't enough of those in this world. The final scene in the helicopter is the stupidest thing I've ever seen and the film is way too long considering it's a rip-off of every Bruce Willis, Keanu Reeves 90's action movie. It would be a good drinking game to take a shot to every reference to "Speed" and "Die Hard With a Vengeance".
Even though it's a significantly shorter and abridged version of John Woo's Red Cliff, I'm still excited for the Magnolia U.S. release (which is part of the studios 6-shooter film series) which will finally reach larger markets around 11.20.
The Chinese-language 280-minute epic was originally released in its native land in two parts (Part I in 2008 and Part II in 2009) as the most expensive Asian-financed film to date ($80m US). It has since gone on to become the highest grossing film in Mainland China's history ($124m US), although clearly benefitting from two seperate revenue streams.
Generally described by a handful of U.S. critics as an elaborate and expansive eye-popping dreamscape with little substance elsewhere, it's hard to believe that the problems don't stem from this significantly dwarfed version - 150 minutes from 280 minutes.
'Serious' Saturday
My Saturday was full of football, driving and a back-to-back Friday-to-Saturday double-viewing of The Coen Brother's A Serious Man, easily the most fully realized and expertly crafted film of the last two years, really. I doubt Jason Reitman's Up in the Air, Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon or Lone Scherfig's An Education could top it, but I'd be willing to find out.
On the surface, it's a sly, dry black comedy about a guy who can't catch a break, with the Coen's usual affinity for full-on wayward geographical immersion and cultural typecasting. But underneath, this is a scathing, black-hearted takedown of the passive, noncombatant followers to the philosophical fundamentals of faith, destiny and truth.
It's a fable, or illustrative tool, used to heighten, dramatize and question the metaphysical motives for hardship, tragedy and everyday fatigue. It's subject, Larry (Michael Stuhlburg), a harmless everyman father and husband, endures a cavalcade of godly interventions and seemingly insurmountable roadblocks, sending him scrambling for just cause, heavenly refuge, and more importantly, for answers. The Coens (and Hashem) are hardly forthcoming in their revelations.
A Serious Man just operates on such a level of thorough assuredness that's uncanny even for a Coen Brothers film. It frequently resonates louder and more honestly than the eerily similar philosophical yarn in No Country For Old Men - a superb film in its own right.
Any film that's able to pick out a faith-loving, "rest easy" punching bag and give it about ten good bloody-knuckle uppercuts, followed by a roundhouse kick, and does it in a generally humorous and surgical way, deserves my utmost respect.
It's about what happens when the cards are stacked against you with no outlet in sight and what it all means - how to interpret it. "Why me?", the film asks, just before it slaps you on the wrist for even asking.
Review: 'A Serious Man' [A]
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen's A Serious Man is as resonant, thought-provoking and self-assured as any film that the hard-working duo have embarked upon. It's a perfectly calculated kind of marriage from everybody involved that doesn't miss a step.
I found it shockingly honest, up-front and truthful in its philosophical and existential overtones, which give each and every scene more insight, depth and ingenuity than the one before it until the film, in the end, just throws up its hands.
After a crazy opening prologue, the film immerses the viewer in this freshly-mowed, brown and beige 60's Jewish Minnesota suburb. Anyone who has seen Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Miller's Crossing or O, Brother Where Art Thou? knows that no one captures the look, feel and aura of cultural and hidden geographical environment like the Coen Brothers.
A Serious Man has this tangible hairy-chested, gold chain, big-eared, short-sleeve-and-tie acuteness to it that only they could so naturally bring to screen. Their perceptiveness to different accents and vocal intonations and mannerisms is also unchecked and easily identifiable here in the many standout and key supporting performances. Especially those by Simon Helberg and Fred Melamed in a largely inconspicuous cast.
The whole bloodline, rhythm and beat to A Serious Man is the idea that when bad things start happening and you can't catch a break and your life is being beaten down into two or three things that need mending over here and two or three more over there to the point where you just can't catch up -- what do you do then? How do you interpret the things that happen to you? What does it all mean? After watching the film, you'll have the same questions, but not all of the answers.
Extreme Makeover: Criterion Edition
I'm not sure what happened, but I just checked the Criterion website to find that the cover-art for Arnaud Desplechin's A Christmas Tale has been changed. The old cover was middling, uncolorful and dispiriting, but I totally dig this new re-design for the Blu-ray/DVD release due out on 12/1.
The only eye-sore on here is that the title covers up the Criterion "C" logo in the top left, why not move it down to 3/4 up the tree? Oh well, the point is that Criterion, after several very mediocre cover designs, have restored my faith a little bit - my life is practically riding on what they come up with for Steven Soderbergh's Che ('08), due out in January of next year.
G.I. Blow
I actually can't wait to pick up the Blu-ray (11/3) on Wednesday or Thursday from Netflix and just revel in its campiness and the Stephen Sommers zest of leather-bound vixens and square-jawed, beret-wearing military figures. However, something struck me about the cover art for the Blu-ray - why not throw Channing Tatum and Sienna Miller up there holding big guns in their most revealing and tight-fitting outfits? Whose going to see Rachel Nichols or Marlon Wayans and throw down $25 bucks?
So, Where Are They?
Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are opens in 8 days (Warner Bros., 10.16.09), yet I haven't heard a thing about it. Usually with big-time, highly anticipated studio films, you'll hear rumors and read blogs about test screenings, guild screenings, so forth - but nada, nothing. That is with the exception of this Emanuel Levy review from his website:
"Facing the greatest artistic challenge of his career to date, one that has taken half a decade and a budget north of $80 million to execute, Jonze has set out to make an adult movie about childhood for both young and mature viewers, rather than a children's movie per se; the movie, like the book, does not talk down to young people.
Since the nominal text is rather simple, the poignancy of the film resides in its rich subtext, and what is shown and implied but not stated. By necessity, Jonze takes the slim adventure further than the printed volume, delving deeper into Max's world, the unknown terrain of the island and the impetus that brings him there. In the process, he examines more fully the Wild Things, those volatile and endlessly expressive creatures, which represent the wild emotions within Max.
Ultimately, though, as a movie, "Where Wild Things Are" records Max's steps toward growing up, and acquiring self-awareness, as he gains knowledge and becomes conscious of the complex relationships the individual Wild Things have with each other and with him. Told with honesty from a child's point of view, "Where the Wild Things Are" reveals Max's increasing understanding of his own feelings and the feelings of others."
Levy has a pretty safe, broad appeal and he isn't a great writer, but he normally falls in line with the crowd and frequently is the first to review big studio films.
What Where the Wild Things Are needs to be is not just a chilhood 'learning to love what you have' story by virtue of an escapist experience to an imaginary land. It needs to delve into what it's like to grow up and wrap that in a drop-dead, fanciful and good-looking package. It needs to face the universal truth that children are emotionally unqualified and unconscionably cruel.
I have high hopes for this and a sugary, family-friendly sap-fest from Spike Jonze will not cut it.
Swedish La Mara
This Swedish poster from Cary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre reminded me how that debut from the 32-year old director is still one of the better films of the year.
'Venom'ous
This story about Gary Ross signing on to re-write and direct a "Venom" spin-off film for Columbia Pictures sounds about as ridiculous as the Ryan Reynolds "Deadpool" solo feature. The last time we saw Venom on screen, it was an unmitigated disaster played by Topher Grace in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3.
Of course, any Marvel property unaffected by Disney's recent acquisition of the company on 8/31 is being fast-tracked into production in an attempt to keep control of these properties. In 2006, New Line Cinema lost the film rights to "Iron Man" when Marvel reacquired the rights and then immediately began production on the self-financed project. Clearly, this is what studios like 20th Century Fox and Sony/Columbia are trying to avoid by green-lighting "Ghost Rider 2", a "Fantastic Four" reboot and a "Venon" spin-off.
Gary Ross was also brought in to re-write James Vanderbilt's Spider-Man 4 script, which is due to hit theaters in the summer of 2011.
Classic Rewind: 'The Spirit of St. Louis' (1957)
Billy Wilder's The Spirit of St. Louis ('57) is a terrific, well-polished, albeit safe CinemaScope account of Charles A. Lindbergh's non-stop flight from New York to Paris in 1927. I dug it because of Franz Waxman's score and Robert Burks' photography and Jimmy Stewart's performance, but Wilder's screenplay certainly has an air of respectability running through it even when it misteps at some crucial moments.
The movie sticks out to me because of the excellent stream-of-consciousness voiceover by Stewart as Lindbergh - which surely was something that was added into the script so that engine sputtering wasn't the only noise you heard during the historic flight taking up the second-half of the film as Lindbergh battles sleep deprivation, boredom, and unrest.
The fact that Wilder and Mayes chose to portray the early days of Lindbergh's life as an aspiring pilot during several flashback vignettes throughout the flight is an inspired choice but the scenes prove ultimately worthless. Instead of serving as insightful and prying, they're innocuous and obviously exist as mere time-lapses to speed along the epic, 32+ hour journey across the Atlantic. Honestly, we learn more from our time inside the cockpit than in the memories of our flying hero.
But The Spirit of St. Louis ultimately proves triumphant for the overall grand-sweep admiration is provides for the task. Billy Wilder certainly made better films, and I certainly wished the film had more scenes like the one between Jimmy Stewart and Patricia Smith in the hangar or the takeoff from Roosevelt Field scene, but I still stand behind it about 90%.
This decade has seen a rapid influx of these white-boy rap world crime dramas. Takers is the next in line - Chris Brown, T.I., Idris Elba, Paul Walker, etc, etc. If the photoshopped poster is bad enough, check out the trailer. Anything keeping Hayden Christensen employed has to be a bottom-of-the-barrel gutter rat, doesn't it? This is like Fast & Furious without cars.
Posted by Chase Kahn at 10:29 AM 2 comments:
Classic Rewind: 'Manhattan Melodrama' (1934)
W.S. Van Dyke's Manhattan Melodrama ('34) is a clean-cut MGM gangster picture made at a time when James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson and Warner Bros. owned the genre in the early 30's. It closely resembles two later films: Michael Curtiz's Angels With Dirty Faces ('38) and a later Clark Gable vehicle for the director, W.S. Van Dyke's San Francisco ('37).
Clark Gable and William Powell play childhood friends who grow up on opposite sides of the law, Gable as a ruthless gambler/gangster and Powell as a public-approved district attorney.
This is no different than the way a no-good thug (James Cagney) and an old friend (Pat O'Brien), now a priest, battled ideologies and morals in Angels With Dirty Faces. Nor is it much different than in San Francisco, where a greedy, money-scheming club owner (Clark Gable) goes head-to-head against an old friend who is now a local priest, as well (Spencer Tracy).
Those two films are good early works, but where they are optimistic, god-loving and reverently sympathetic, Manhattan Melodrama is hands-off and favorably indecisive. I'm strictly speaking of endings here, because in my opinion, Angels With Dirty Faces is a more lived-in and gritty film through 80 minutes before it takes a turn for the worst in the final few scenes.
I just prefer that whole Clark Gable sacrificial, unyielding move at the end of the film ("die the way you live") which so beautifully resembles the last hours of the life of John Dillinger - a point made clear by Michael Mann at the end of Public Enemies ('09). This is opposed to the jolly and flowery final moments to San Francisco and Angels With Dirty Faces which closely resemble the holy and pure mentalities prevalent in the films of the early Hollywood studio system.
Manhattan Melodrama may be a bit more rough around the edges and feel way to boxed-in and claustrophobic with its dark interiors, but it gets my vote over those two films because it doesn't completely succumb to the expected outcome. Both Clark Gable's Blackie Gallagher and William Powell's Jim Wade stand their ground and that kind of blurry line between right and wrong, in the end, makes the film work.
Review: 'Whip It' [B-]
Spiked with girl power spunk and hair-colored rebellion, Drew Barrymore's Whip It is just a punk variation on the teenage-liberation, coming-of-age dramedy. It's funny, likeable, good-spirited and too syrupy by a half.
I did enjoy just taking in the excellent ensemble cast (Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis) and the breezy, fishnet stocking and nose pierced brutish femininity of it all - in fact, for 90 minutes, I was cool and mostly down with it. Then the third act finale of over-extended bow-tying and maple syrup spillage reminiscent of Richard Linklater's School of Rock turned me off a bit and after that, I just couldn't fully embrace it the way I wanted to.
I really like Ellen Page and she's very good here - almost too perfect for the role. In fact, the biggest problem with Whip It is that its coming on the heels of the Oscar-nominated Juno. Page has played this kind of alternative, imprisoned and eccentric maturation adaptor before and this fact doesn't help distinguish the two works from one another, magnifying the telegraphed connect-the-dots script. There just isn't a lot of suspense in Whip It, which hits its narrative beats all too precisely - it's like a fixed roller derby match that's nevertheless fun to partake in.
Review: 'Paranormal Activity' [B]
Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity is a micro-budgeted cult classic in the making, that is unless Paramount decides to give this a 1,000+ release, then it has all the makings of a cultural epidemic a la The Blair Witch Project in 1999.
To be straight, it's a mockumentary demonic-haunting film about a young, terrorized San Diego couple that is effective to say the least. Being a film that focuses on what happens when you go to sleep, Paranormal Activity preys on the vulnerability of its subjects. It's full of blue-tinted night vision freak-outs and still hallways with footsteps and swinging doors -- it puts new meaning to the term, "creaky house".
The problems that I had with it (which I saw at midnight in the recent expansion here in Dallas) start with a few convoluted backstories and end with the final scene. Director Oren Peli, working on a $15,000 budget, knows how to stage scares but he forces too much story and understanding on us and the ending is too easy and too much.
However, Paranormal Activity is definitely a great horror film in the scares department -- refreshingly void of an aggressive sound mix -- but it's not a great "film". Most of the 600 in the packed house at theater #9 in Northpark didn't seem to care. The bang-to-hype ratio is on-point and justified.
Box Office: Friday Numbers (10.02.09)
Lots of stuff opening this weekend, plus a few interesting holdovers, but Ruben Fleischer's excellent familial bonding comedy by way of a zombie apocalypse, Zombieland is easily the champ, grossing $9.4m, which I'm seeing is good enough for a solid $23.5m estimate through Sunday.
Coming in 2nd was the 3D animated foodie Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs ($3.7m), which I refused to check out after the last second-tier, big budget animated extravaganza, Monsters vs. Aliens was an utter wreck. 3rd was a re-release of the first two Toy Story films in 3D, packaged as a double feature ($3.2m)
The Ricky Gervais comedy The Invention of Lying ($2.4m) came in 4th ahead of Jonathan Mostow's Surrogates ($2.2m) and Drew Barrymore's Whip It ($1.5m), which I saw today and is actually a decent little child liberation dramedy with a ton of spunk and hair-colored energy -- I'll talk about it a bit later in the day.
Poor MGM, the once grand and luxurious lion of the studio system is now a fledgling duck. Fame, it's first release since Bryan Singer's Valkyrie, really tanked this week after a terrible opening last week. They can't even cash in on the High School Musical crowd.
Top 10: (Friday)
1. Zombieland (Sony/Columbia) - $9.4
2. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (Sony/Columbia) - $3.7
3. Toy Story/Toy Story 2 in 3D (Buena Vista) - $3.2
4. The Invention of Lying (Warner Bros.) - $2.4
5. Surrogates (Buena Vista) - $2.2
6. Whip It (Fox Searchlight) - $1.5
7. Capitalism: A Love Story (Overture) - $1.5
8. Fame (MGM) - $1.4
9. The Informant! (Warner Bros.) - $1.1
10. Love Happens (Universal) - $.9
Review: 'Zombieland' [B+]
I was more than pleasantly surprised to find out that not only is Ruben Fleischer's Zombieland a raucously funny, heavy-metal, guitar-riffing, zombie-kill mix tape coked-up on Red Bull, but it's a smart, genuine and occasionally wholesome (seriously) kind of stick-together-and-prevail post-apocalyptic action comedy.
With Jesse Eisenberg's romantic longings and nerd-guy vibes of antihero geekiness and that mini afro, I was reminded on more than one occasion of Greg Mottola's Adventureland. It's the same kind of guy-meets-girl, coming-of-age, smart-guy college stuff, but migrated into the middle of a ravenous horde of flesh-eaters meeting pick axes and hedge clippers.
When it comes right down to it, Zombieland is a splatter-fest action comedy extravaganza for most of the running time. It's flamboyantly bloodthirsty, twisted and macho-aggressive, but I never thought that it crossed the edge and turned into nihilism or tastelessness.
Zombieland is too cuddly and fun and good-natured for accusations of sadism and exploitation because it's really a hilarious, romantic and warm-spirited kind of thing. In short, it uses a zombie apocalypse (and conveniently written characters) to exhibit valuable life lessons of family bonding, love, adolescence, parenting, etc. -- so who says zombie are a bad thing?
Posted by Chase Kahn at 1:43 PM 2 comments:
Classic Rewind: 'Beat the Devil' (1953)
Shot on location in Italy, John Huston's Beat the Devil is a dark, twisted and playfully ironic crime comedy -- a perfect marriage, not only between the classic film-noir formula and the Western European landscape of street-side cafes and coast-lined hotels, but of two screenwriters working on otherworldly levels of creativity and ingenuity, Truman Capote and John Huston.
The script was literally being written concurrently with the actual shooting of the film and the dialogue has this perfect air of spontaneity and pre-meditation that the actors pull off brilliantly. Beat the Devil is very slyly funny and farcical with the easily distinguishable veneer of Huston's early straight-laced noir classics like The Maltese Falcon (1941) and The Asphalt Jungle (1950).
And rightfully so, seeing as how Beat the Devil was intended as a campy spoof by Huston of his early fedora-and-bare-knuckled Elisha Cook Jr. works. It's like The Maltese Falcon meets The Treasure of the Sierra Madre by way of Michaelangelo Antonioni -- all with a comedic air of tongue-in-cheek inanity.
Humphrey Bogart has no trouble sliding into roles like this, a crook joining ranks with a barbaric foursome of ill-fitting criminals to gain passage to Africa and score a big Uranium deal. But the star of the movie really is Jennifer Jones as the scheming, greedy and lying wife of a mysterious English gentleman who may or may not be a wealthy African landowner. The always welcome Peter Lorre also joins the cast with Gina Lollobrigida, Robert Morley and Edward Underdown.
Beat the Devil is currently in the public domain. Someone like Criterion needs to give this thing the big-time 2-disc restoration makeover treatment. It's a largely misunderstood and undervalued film -- one of Huston's best.
It's also known as having one of the most misleading and inaccurate one-sheets of all-time.
"All to the Good"
Jeff Wells wrote a paragraph on Ruben Fleischer's Zombieland this morning, calling it, "an engaging zombie comedy with dabs of marginal Wes Anderson attitude-personality...and then came the (Jeff uses a big spoiler here) and I was blown away".
It opens tomorrow and has garnered pretty good reviews to this point (87% RT and 72 MC), but we should see 50+ reviews come in between now and Friday morning. I'll be seeing Zombieland tomorrow around noon with a quick write-up/review later on.
Review: 'The Bad Lieutenant: Port Call of New Orle...


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£31m unpaid Sheffield council tax 'scandal'
Unpaid council tax has soared to almost £31 million – after rising by 16 per cent in the past year, new figures reveal. Arrears in Sheffield have hit £30.9 million – some dating back to 1999 – up from £26.5 million a year ago.
Sheffield Council's ruling Labour group says it collects '99 per cent of council tax' but is pursuing non-payers and issued court summonses against 7,600 people in the summer.
Councillors say people affected by Government cuts and the rising cost of living are struggling to pay because they have to choose between paying council tax or buying food and heating their homes.
But one resident who was wrongly sent a summons accused the authority of going after the wrong people.
Vincent Shoreman, aged 44, of High Green, said: "Although I am on income support I always pay my council tax, but my payment for September was four days late due to the payment being made over a weekend.
"They admitted the summons had been sent in error – but then I was told I had a £78 fine put on my benefits by the court when my case was supposed to have been cancelled."
Mr Shoreman is eligible to pay part of his council tax, normally £15 per month.
Coun Andrew Sangar, Lib Dem finance spokesman, said: "This is a scandal. Once again we've been presented with figures that show Labour politicians cannot be trusted to look after the city's finances.
"Instead of closing treasured local libraries, the council should be looking towards the £31 million in unpaid council tax, which appears to growing day by day.
"The vast majority of local residents who pay their council tax on time deserve to know why frontline services are being slashed to protect tax dodgers across the city."
Deputy Prime Minister and Hallam MP Nick Clegg added: "We are making tough decisions with public finances because of the mess Labour left us in. It is typical of them to blame someone else for the situation but they need to take responsibility for the challenge of collecting council tax."
Sheffield Council's cabinet member for finance Coun Ben Curran said: "The coalition Government, which local Lib Dem councillors continue to support, is making the lowest paid Sheffielders pay council tax for the first time due to cuts in council tax benefit.
"These government cuts have directly contributed to the cost of living crisis which is hitting Sheffielders hard. Many are having to chose between buying food, heating their homes or paying essential bills – like council tax.
"This is not a problem unique to Sheffield. We are seeing increased council tax arrears across the country as a direct result of coalition policy.
"It is worth reminding the Lib Dems that they ran the council for many of the years these arrears built up. This latest political stunt by the Lib Dems is nothing but shameless hypocrisy and opportunism and offers no support to the hard working people that the Government are attacking in the name of austerity.
"We collect 99 per cent of council tax and are determined to improve this further by taking action to collect outstanding arrears.
"It is important to strike a balance between being firm with those who 'won't pay' and supporting those who 'can't pay'."
by Richard Marsden
richard.marsden@thestar.co.uk @RMarsden_Star
« Jul Jan »


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Years of Living Dangerously Educational Resources: The Biggest Story of Our Time…
Years of Living Dangerously
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Why They Care
Chasing Methane
Christie and the Storm
Climate Corps
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Fire Line
Interview with President Obama
Preacher's Daughter
Under the Ice
Kim Cobb, Ph.D.
Dr. Cobb is an associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
B.A in Biology and Geology – Yale University
M.S. in Oceanography – Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego
Ph.D. in Oceanography – Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego
Why Kim Cobb, Ph.D. Is Involved
I felt absolutely compelled to do this shoot, as a climate scientist who is deeply invested in science communication, and even more so as a woman in science (and a mother of 4 small children). While every fieldtrip yields scores of new samples to feed the mass specs, the friendships I made on this one were truly unique. And in a way, that's what the YEARS Project is all about: climate change as a story told by people, from one human to another. It's always great to share that passion with my students on-site, but this time, in front of the cameras, I felt both the burden and the privilege of being the face of the corals that have reveled so much about climate change in this region, and the island that has offered up these precious time capsules. I certainly gave it my all. For science, for women, for Christmas Island, for the planet.
Kim Cobb's research uses corals and cave stalagmites to reconstruct tropical Pacific temperature and rainfall patterns over the last decades to millennia. She received her B.A. from Yale University in 1996, and her Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in 2002. She spent two years at Caltech in the Department of Geological and Planetary Sciences before joining the faculty at Georgia Tech in 2004. Kim has sailed on six oceanographic cruises and led five caving expeditions to the rainforests of Borneo in support of her research.
Climate Careers
Climatologist or Atmospheric Scientist
Atmospheric scientists study the weather and climate and how it affects human activity and the earth in general. They may develop forecasts, collect and compile data from the field, assist in the development of new data collection instruments, or advise clients on risks or opportunities caused by weather events and climate change.
Environmental Journalist
Reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts inform the public about news and events happening internationally, nationally, and locally. They report the news for newspapers, magazines, websites, television, and radio.
The future of oceanography will require that our nation's brightest minds apply themselves to issues of global concern, the environment, climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable resources.
Stories: The Scientist
Episode(s): Episode 3: The Surge
« Michael Mann, Ph.D.
Heidi Cullen, Ph.D. »
Strike with Us! #FridaysForFuture
On Friday, September 20th, millions of people from around the world will walk out of their schools, workplaces and homes to join the youth-led Global Climate Strike and demand action on climate change and justice for everyone. After multiple reports highlighting the dire situation facing our planet and wildlife, one thing has become abundantly clear:[Read More…]
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