text:
'''
Implements the cuda module as called from within an executing kernel
(@cuda.jit-decorated function).
'''

from contextlib import contextmanager
import sys
import threading
import traceback

import numpy as np

from numba.np import numpy_support

class Dim3(object):
    '''
    Used to implement thread/block indices/dimensions
    '''
    def __init__(self, x, y, z):
        self.x = x
        self.y = y
        self.z = z

    def __str__(self):
        return '(%s, %s, %s)' % (self.x, self.y, self.z)

    def __repr__(self):
        return 'Dim3(%s, %s, %s)' % (self.x, self.y, self.z)

    def __iter__(self):
        yield self.x
        yield self.y
        yield self.z

class FakeCUDALocal(object):
    '''
    CUDA Local arrays
    '''
    def array(self, shape, dtype):
        dtype = numpy_support.as_dtype(dtype)
        return np.empty(shape, dtype)

class FakeCUDAConst(object):
    '''
    CUDA Const arrays
    '''
    def array_like(self, ary):
        return ary

class FakeCUDAShared(object):
    '''
    CUDA Shared arrays.

    Limitations: assumes that only one call to cuda.shared.array is on a line,
    and that that line is only executed once per thread. i.e.::

        a = cuda.shared.array(...); b = cuda.shared.array(...)

    will erroneously alias a and b, and::

        for i in range(10):
            sharedarrs[i] = cuda.shared.array(...)

    will alias all arrays created at that point (though it is not certain that
    this would be supported by Numba anyway).
    '''

    def __init__(self, dynshared_size):
        self._allocations = {}
        self._dynshared_size = dynshared_size
        self._dynshared = np.zeros(dynshared_size, dtype=np.byte)

    def array(self, shape, dtype):
        dtype = numpy_support.as_dtype(dtype)
        # Dynamic shared memory is requested with size 0 - this all shares the
        # same underlying memory
        if shape == 0:
            # Count must be the maximum number of whole elements that fit in the
            # buffer (Numpy complains if the buffer is not a multiple of the
            # element size)
            count = self._dynshared_size // dtype.itemsize
            return np.frombuffer(self._dynshared.data, dtype=dtype, count=count)

        # Otherwise, identify allocations by source file and line number
        # We pass the reference frame explicitly to work around
        # http://bugs.python.org/issue25108
        stack = traceback.extract_stack(sys._getframe())
        caller = stack[-2][0:2]
        res = self._allocations.get(caller)
        if res is None:
            res = np.empty(shape, dtype)
            self._allocations[caller] = res
        return res

addlock = threading.Lock()
maxlock = threading.Lock()
minlock = threading.Lock()
caslock = threading.Lock()

class FakeCUDAAtomic(object):
    def add(self, array, index, val):
        with addlock:
            old = array[index]
            array[index] += val
        return old

    def max(self, array, index, val):
        with maxlock:
            old = array[index]
            array[index] = max(old, val)
        return old

    def min(self, array, index, val):
        with minlock:
            old = array[index]
            array[index] = min(old, val)
        return old

    def nanmax(self, array, index, val):
        with maxlock:
            old = array[index]
            array[index] = np.nanmax([array[index], val])
        return old

    def nanmin(self, array, index, val):
        with minlock:
            old = array[index]
            array[index] = np.nanmin([array[index], val])
        return old

    def compare_and_swap(self, array, old, val):
        with caslock:
            index = (0,) * array.ndim
            loaded = array[index]
            if loaded == old:
                array[index] = val
            return loaded

class FakeCUDAModule(object):
    '''
    An instance of this class will be injected into the __globals__ for an
    executing function in order to implement calls to cuda.*. This will fail to
    work correctly if the user code does::

        from numba import cuda as something_else

    In other words, the CUDA module must be called cuda.
    '''

    def __init__(self, grid_dim, block_dim, dynshared_size):
        self.gridDim = Dim3(*grid_dim)
        self.blockDim = Dim3(*block_dim)
        self._local = FakeCUDALocal()
        self._shared = FakeCUDAShared(dynshared_size)
        self._const = FakeCUDAConst()
        self._atomic = FakeCUDAAtomic()

    @property
    def local(self):
        return self._local

    @property
    def shared(self):
        return self._shared

    @property
    def const(self):
        return self._const

    @property
    def atomic(self):
        return self._atomic

    @property
    def threadIdx(self):
        return threading.current_thread().threadIdx

    @property
    def blockIdx(self):
        return threading.current_thread().blockIdx

    @property
    def warpsize(self):
        return 32

    @property
    def laneid(self):
        return threading.current_thread().thread_id % 32

    def syncthreads(self):
        threading.current_thread().syncthreads()

    def threadfence(self):
        # No-op
        pass

    def threadfence_block(self):
        # No-op
        pass

    def threadfence_system(self):
        # No-op
        pass

    def syncthreads_count(self, val):
        return threading.current_thread().syncthreads_count(val)

    def syncthreads_and(self, val):
        return threading.current_thread().syncthreads_and(val)

    def syncthreads_or(self, val):
        return threading.current_thread().syncthreads_or(val)

    def popc(self, val):
        return bin(val).count("1")

    def fma(self, a, b, c):
        return a * b + c

    def brev(self, val):
        return int('{:032b}'.format(val)[::-1], 2)

    def clz(self, val):
        s = '{:032b}'.format(val)
        return len(s) - len(s.lstrip('0'))

    def ffs(self, val):
        s = '{:032b}'.format(val)
        return len(s) - len(s.rstrip('0'))

    def selp(self, a, b, c):
        return b if a else c

    def grid(self, n):
        bdim = self.blockDim
        bid = self.blockIdx
        tid = self.threadIdx
        x = bid.x * bdim.x + tid.x
        if n == 1:
            return x
        y = bid.y * bdim.y + tid.y
        if n == 2:
            return (x, y)
        z = bid.z * bdim.z + tid.z
        if n == 3:
            return (x, y, z)

        raise RuntimeError("Global ID has 1-3 dimensions. %d requested" % n)

    def gridsize(self, n):
        bdim = self.blockDim
        gdim = self.gridDim
        x = bdim.x * gdim.x
        if n == 1:
            return x
        y = bdim.y * gdim.y
        if n == 2:
            return (x, y)
        z = bdim.z * gdim.z
        if n == 3:
            return (x, y, z)

        raise RuntimeError("Global grid has 1-3 dimensions. %d requested" % n)

@contextmanager
def swapped_cuda_module(fn, fake_cuda_module):
    from numba import cuda

    fn_globs = fn.__globals__
    # get all globals that is the "cuda" module
    orig = dict((k, v) for k, v in fn_globs.items() if v is cuda)
    # build replacement dict
    repl = dict((k, fake_cuda_module) for k, v in orig.items())
    # replace
    fn_globs.update(repl)
    try:
        yield
    finally:
        # revert
        fn_globs.update(orig)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The much anticipated seeds are decided for the inaugural Asia-Pacific Tennis League (ATL) Finals to be played from Tuesday 22nd to Thursday 24th of January. The ATL finals will be hotly contested at Melbourne Park with the finals held during the second week of the Australian Open.
The ATL seeding commission released the ATL seedings today for the men and women's team tennis league finals.
The Asia-Pacific Tennis League finals will be played at Melbourne Park during the second week of the Australian Open.
Some of our top players from the region will participate in the ATL finals including; John Millman, Jess Moore, Sam Groth, Luke Saville, Bojana Bobusic, Greg Jones and Daniel King-Turner.


text:
Live Review: Jake Bugg – Olympia Theatre, Dublin – 14/10/14
By Adam Ellison
Tags: Jake Bugg, live, Olympia, review
With two albums under his belt and a third on its way, the rising British star Jake Bugg brings his tour to Ireland for two dates in the Olympia Theatre.
At just 20 years of age, Jake Bugg has already gained a massive following across the UK and his two sold out shows in the Olympia Theatre is a testament of his popularity in Ireland. Southern, a brother and sister duo from Belfast, opened the concert to warm up the audience. Though their set was short, they certainly won over everybody in attendance, especially with their final track – a bluesy tune by the name of 'World Don't Shine'. They stepped off stage leaving the crowd hot and ready to go.
Oasis' 'Champagne Supernova' played over the PA system as the lights began to dim in sections of the venue, while the Dublin audience belted out every single lyric in anticipation for Bugg's arrival on stage. Suddenly, there were roars and screams of joy as he took to the stage, picked up his guitar and began to play a song from his 'Shangri La' album, 'Messed Up Kids'. Straight away the crowd was on fire, jumping and shouting the lyrics back at Bugg with excitement.
Sadly, the same can't be said for the singer-songwriter. It didn't matter if the song he was singing was an upbeat tune or a slow-paced ballad, Jake has a rather lifeless stage presence. Rarely using the space given to him with the fairly large Olympia stage, he seemed to remain fixed and made very few movements other than the strumming of his guitar.
However, that's not to say the show wasn't entertaining. Bugg and his band of very talented musicians played every song on the setlist to near-perfection, and that's what these fans wanted to hear. Songs including 'There's a Beast and We All Feed It' and 'Storm Passes Away' were very well executed and the stage lighting for the entire set was something to die for. There were a couple of instances where the band departed, leaving Jake on his own with an acoustic guitar, and this was where his odd stage presence shines in a positive light.
Towards the end of the set, Jake sat by the microphone equipped with just his acoustic guitar and no musicians to back him up. He performed a rendition 'Broken', a gorgeous ballad which was also the seventh single from the album. The crowd acted as his personal choir, singing the lyrics back to him as he looked on from under the stage's spotlights.
To finish the show, Bugg's band joined him once more for his most popular song, 'Lighting Bolt'. It's definitely popular for good reason – it's an incredibly fun and upbeat track. The crowd continued to sing in adoration – this time the loudest they had been all night.
Following his departure, everyone had a smile on their face as they headed for the exit doors, some already talking about "definitely buying tickets for his next show". Although it is a huge shame that his mannerisms don't echo the tunes themselves, specifically the more upbeat ones, Jake Bugg has all the necessary talent to be an amazing live act. Time is on his side.
Premiere: Mick Dimitri 'End of The Ride'
by Fortitude's Brain
Today we are extremely excited to be exclusively streaming rising pop artist Mick Dimitri's new single 'End of The Ride'
EP Review: Jelena Ćirić – Shelters One
by Eleanor Pettipher
Iceland-based singer-songwriter Jelena Ćirić has just released her debut EP Shelters One. Shelters One opens with debut single Lines, a touching piano-based ode which introduces us
Single Review: Swim Fan – Tell Me What U Want
Psych-pop three-piece Swim Fan have just released their third single Tell Me What U Want. The track follows on from previous synthwave tracks Lipstick and Come
Author: Adam Ellison
Deputy Music Editor | Photographer | Squared Circle Enthusiast
Costs You Need To Consider When Buying A Horse
Cheltenham Festival 2021 promises different mood compared to last year
4 Things Nobody Tells You About Becoming a Personal Trainer
How to Cope with Suicidal Thoughts
#Music - Premiere: Mick Dimitri 'End of The Ride': https://t.co/bWdDnr1x52
#Music - EP Review: Jelena Ćirić - Shelters One: https://t.co/r813cfmArH
#Music - Single Review: Swim Fan - Tell Me What U Want: https://t.co/Q9afXpFH6f

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
National Fisheries Institute Statement on Seafood Expo North America
April 6, 2021 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
Diversified Communications continues its long run of connecting the seafood community through innovative events across various platforms. Today, Diversified announced that the next in-person Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America will be held in March, 2022. This comes in response to current COVID venue capacity limits, which prevent the ability to plan and execute the event in July 2021. Diversified looks forward to bringing the seafood community back together March 13-15, 2022 in Boston, MA.
NFI is excited for the return of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America in 2022. We encourage all NFI members and partners to plan now to meet their peers then.
The pandemic has reminded us that in-person contact is vital to the human spirit in both our personal and business relationships. Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America is an example of what we have missed – and all we are looking forward to in the future. We look forward to seeing you all safely in Boston.
2021 Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America canceled
April 6, 2021 — This year's version of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, scheduled for 11 to 13 July, 2021, has been canceled by organizer Diversified Communications.
The next edition of the expo will take place 13 to 15 March, 2022, according to Diversified.
Seafood Expo North America rescheduled for 11 to 13 July, 2021
December 3, 2020 — The 2021 edition of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America will take place Sunday, 11 July, to Tuesday, 13 July, organizer Diversified Communications announced on 3 December.
The trade show, which brings together seafood suppliers and buyers and which also features an educational conference, will take place at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Seafood Expo North America, Seafood Expo Global postponed to later in 2021
November 2, 2020 — The 2021 editions of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America and Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, have been postponed to later in the year.
Seafood Expo North America, which had been scheduled for 14 to 16 March, 2021, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., will now take place in the summer of 2021. The event's organizer, Diversified Communications, is working closely with the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to find new dates for the event in mid-July. [Editor's note: Diversified Communications also owns and operates SeafoodSource].
Seafood Expo North America September 2020 edition canceled
June 25, 2020 — Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, which was originally scheduled to take place in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., in March and was postponed to 22 to 24 September, 2020, has been canceled.
The event's organizer, Diversified Communications, said the COVID-19 crisis has made holding the event this year untenable.
Special events featured throughout Seafood Expo North America 2019
March 12, 2019 — Thousands of seafood buyers, importers, distributors, and processors are expected to arrive in Boston, Massachusetts this weekend for the kick-off of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America 2019, taking place from 17 to 19 March.
Considered to be the largest seafood industry event in North America, the expo features thousands of exhibitor booths stocked with products, solutions, and samples, as well as a wide array of live chef demonstrations, sponsored presentations, and other special events open to all attendees.
Topical presentations will begin on Sunday, 17 March, when keynote speaker Dr. Lindsey Piegza, the chief economist at Stifel Fixed Income, will offer an economic update to attendees covering the current pace of recovery in the United States and what it means for future growth, interest rates, and monetary policy. Piegza will also touch on macro-economic consumer behavior trends and the potential economic effects of new Federal Reserve policy initiatives.
A series of free sponsored presentations will take place on Monday (18 March) and Tuesday (19 March) in the morning. According to expo and conference organizer Diversified Communications, on Monday beginning at 9:15 a.m., attendees will be able to choose from two presentations: one on traceability standards, sponsored by the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability, and a second on utilizing ROVs for sustainable aquaculture, sponsored by Deep Trekker. The sponsored series will conclude on Tuesday with another sustainability-focused session, "Ocean Plastic Pollution: From the Garbage Patch to your Plate," sponsored by Thai Union and running from 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
2016 Seafood Expo North America Excellence Awards Finalists Announced
March 7, 2016 — The following was released by the Seafood Expo North America:
The 12 finalists for the 2016 Seafood Excellence Awards, the prestigious best new products competition at Seafood Expo North America, have been announced. Winners of the competition will be presented during the Seafood Excellence Awards ceremony, which will take place on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 3:30pm in the Demonstration Theater during Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America in Boston, USA.
The Seafood Excellence Awards annually recognize the product leaders in the North American seafood market. Each year, exhibitors have the opportunity to submit their new products for consideration. Products are evaluated by three seafood industry experts based on their uniqueness and appropriateness to the market, taste profile, packaging, market potential, convenience, nutritional value and originality.
The 2016 finalists were selected from nearly 60 entries in the exposition's New Product Showcase and compete for two awards: Best New Foodservice and Best New Retail Product.
The finalists for the 2016 Seafood Excellence Awards are:
Absolutely Lobster®, Booth #3014
Absolutely Lobster® Homemade Tomato Sauces
Alaskan Jack's Seafood Corporation, Booth #2305
Frontier Harvest Alaskan Jack's Gold Premium Pineapple-Teriyaki Sockeye
Aqua Star, Booth #2005
Crab & Shrimp Seafood Feast
Azuma Foods International Inc., USA, Booth #321
Tobikko Umami
Bantry Bay America Inc., Booth #2957
Mussels in a Creamy Stout Sauce
French Creek Seafoods, Booth #2833
Kickin' Seafood Chili
High Liner Foods, Booth #1005
Simply Sauce Seafood Bites
Phillips Foods, Booth #959
Shrimp Toast
Premier Marine Canada, Booth #2981
Waterview Market Shrimp with Sauce
Santa Barbara Smokehouse, Booth #2310
Honey Glazed Oak Roasted Salmon
Trident Seafoods, Booth #805
SeaFusions™ Pacific Cod Bites
Vinh Hoan Corporation, Booth #2742
Char Marked Barramundi
Each finalist's product will be showcased during the three-day event in Boston.
The Seafood Excellence Awards serves as the North American extension of the Seafood Excellence Global Awards competition, held at Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Belgium. Both Seafood Excellence Awards and Seafood Excellence Global are organized by Diversified Communications, producers of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global and Seafood Expo Asia.
View all of the entries of the Seafood Excellence Awards.
SeafoodSource.com, a publication of Diversified Communications is the official media for Seafood Expo North America & Seafood Processing North America. As the global leader in seafood industry news and information, SeafoodSource.com will extensively cover the event.
Seafood-industry buyers and processors can learn more about Seafood Expo North America & Seafood Processing North America and register to attend by visiting the exposition's website, seafoodexpo.com/north-america.
About Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America
Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America, formerly called the International Boston Seafood Show and Seafood Processing America, is North America's largest seafood exposition. Thousands of buyers and suppliers from around the world attend the annual, three-day exposition to meet, network and do business. Attending buyers represent importers, exporters, wholesalers, restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and other retail and foodservice companies. Exhibiting suppliers offer the newest seafood products, processing and packaging equipment, and services available in the seafood market. The exposition is sponsored by the National Fisheries Institute. SeafoodSource.com is the official media. The exposition is produced by Diversified Communications, the international leader in seafood-industry expositions and media. For more information, visit: www.seafoodexpo.com/north-america
About Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications is a leading international media company providing market access, education and information through global, national and regional face-to-face events, digital products, publications and television stations. Diversified serves a number of industries including: seafood, food service, natural and organic, healthcare, commercial marine and business management. The company's global seafood portfolio of expositions and media includes Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, Seafood Expo Asia and SeafoodSource.com. Diversified Communications, in partnership with SeaWeb, also produces SeaWeb Seafood Summit, the world's premier seafood conference on sustainability. Based in Portland, Maine, USA, Diversified has divisions in the Eastern United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Thailand and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit: www.divcom.com
View a PDF of the release


text:
For F*** Magazine
Director : James Wan
Cast : Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Elsa Pataky, Lucas Black, Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey, Kurt Russell
Genre : Action/Thriller
Run Time : 137 mins
Opens : 2 April 2015
Big wheels keep on turning, the rubber keeps on burning and Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and his crew are rolling, rolling, rolling down the road in the seventh instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise. Dom and his "family", comprising Brian (Walker), Letty (Rodriguez), Tej (Ludacris) and Roman (Gibson) have been pardoned for their crimes in the previous films. Now, they're sent hurtling back into their dangerous, high-speed existence when the lethal Deckard Shaw (Statham), looking to make the crew pay for almost killing his brother Owen, comes calling. With the assistance of spymaster "Mr. Nobody" (Russell) and Special Agent Hobbs (Johnson) of the Diplomatic Security Service, Dom and co. ride for their lives, this adventure taking them from L.A. to Azerbaijan to Abu Dhabi and back.
We'll get straight to the point – the untimely passing of star Paul Walker has cast a dark pall over a franchise built on pure escapism. What should have been yet another fist-pumping, all-out action spectacular is now a bittersweet affair. Director James Wan, taking the baton from Justin Lin, has managed to create a flick where the audience is reassured up front that it's okay to have fun, it's okay to just go along for the ride - and yet Brian O'Conner's exit from the series is handled with as much grace and sincerity as the series can muster. The film displays a level of self-awareness – early on, Brian tells his young son Jack that "cars don't fly". Later in the film, they absolutely do fly. Screenwriter Chris Morgan supplies dialogue that is as overripe and clichéd as ever and yet, there is an undeniable charm to it all. Surprisingly, the 137 minute run time passes at a decent clip.
There's something that makes this franchise very different from the Transformers movies, even though they are aimed at exactly the same demographic and contain cool automobiles, explosions and leery shots of scantily-clad women. There's an earnestness here as opposed to the cynicism that pervades the Transformers films. This is movie #7 and yet there's the sense that all involved are still invested and are determined not to phone it in, embracing the over-the-top stunts with all they've got.
Wan must've broken out in hives trying to devise vehicular set-pieces that would top those of Fast & Furious 6, which involved a tank and a massive cargo plane. Here, we have cars inserted into a treacherous mountain pass via air drop, a Lykan Hypersport sailing out a skyscraper window and crashing into the adjacent building, and a finale in which our heroes are pursued by a stealth attack helicopter and a souped-up Predator drone. Props go to second unit director and stunt coordinator Jack Gill for putting it all together – those cars were dropped out of a plane for real. Unfortunately, as adrenaline-pumping as these signature sequences still are, there is a conspicuous increase in the reliance on computer-generated imagery, especially for the Etihad Towers jump and the helicopter attack. The scenes in which Paul Walker is digitally doubled also stick out. It's not enough to pull one out of it completely, but it does lack polish.
For all of screenwriter Morgan's unsubtlety, he's done a fine job of distributing the spotlight among the ensemble cast. The moments of pathos are cheesy – Michelle Rodriguez's Letty is still coping with her amnesia – but all parties involved know that's not why the audience is present. Even then, the loss experienced by the crew following the deaths of Gisele and Han in #6 is palpable and does lend the proceedings an emotional backbone, however slight. The film serves a great swansong for Walker; he gets to go mano a mano with Tony Jaa in two blistering martial arts showdowns. Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson continue to have amiable chemistry as the constantly bickering Tej and Roman, but Tyrese's comic asides border on the excessive here.
Jason Statham is a fittingly intimidating villain, essentially Frank Martin from the Transporter series if he had no moral compunction whatsoever. There's a nice appearance by Djimon Hounsou as a secondary baddie even though the character doesn't do much. Dwayne Johnson revels in the exaggerated action hero persona the material presents him with, trucking out one-liners like "you've earned yourself a dance with the devil, boy" and "I'm gonna put a hurt on him so hard, he'll wish his mother kept her legs closed." Ronda Rousey shows up as a bodyguard to furnish the requisite catfight with Michelle Rodriguez, a role fulfilled by fellow MMA fighter Gina Carano in the previous film. The show is well and truly stolen by Kurt Russell. The 80s action icon has still got it and looks like he's having a ball. When he slips on the night-vision shades and draws twin pistols to get in on the fun himself, prepare to cheer.
As film critics, we hear the "it's not meant to be Oscar-worthy high art" defence a whole lot. Well, for the Fast and Furious films, especially #5 onwards, it applies. We're not about to give the cheesy dialogue and sometimes-intrusive visual effects work a free pass, but Wan makes sure it all comes together nicely and delivers what was promised – a really good time for action junkies. In addition, the director shoulders the responsibility of fashioning this loud, brash extravaganza into an emotional send-off for its recently-deceased star. Vin Diesel has been open about how truly distraught Walker's death left him and we do see some of that laid bare on the screen. We're not ashamed to say we were left misty-eyed and in that respect, Wan has succeeded. There are no stinger scenes during or after the end credits and while this does seem like a great place to call it a day, Universal is intent on doing at least three more. Better to ride off into the sunset while you're ahead, but that's not how studios work, we suppose.
Summary: The spectacle is as bombastic as ever and the laws of physics are as irrelevant as ever; the series continuing to entertain. Fast & Furious 7 also manages to provide some genuine heart amidst all that cheese, bidding a fond farewell to Paul Walker.
We are fast. We are furious. We are Groot.
Posted by Jedd the Jedi at 10:44 PM 1 comments
Labels: action, Djimon Hounsou, Dwayne Johnson, Fast & Furious 7, James Wan, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, Ludacris, Michelle Rodriguez, Paul Walker, Ronda Rousey, Tony Jaa, Tyrese Gibson, Vin Diesel
Director : Joe Lynch
Cast : Salma Hayek, Edith Cepeda, Togo Igawa, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Masashi Fujimoto, Akie Kotabe, Aisha Ayamah
Run Time : 93 mins
Opens : 26 March 2015
Rating : R21 (Violence)
Despite being touted as "the most wonderful time of the year", we all know the holiday season can be unpleasant. Mad rushes at malls, planning parties, spending time with relatives you're not that fond of and so on. Everly's (Hayek) Christmas is going a lot worse than normal. She is holed up in an apartment where she has been enslaved as the favourite prostitute of evil Yakuza kingpin Taiko (Watanabe). Everly is attacked by Taiko's men when he finds out she has been secretly working with the police to bring him down. Over the course of the night, Everly has to endure all manner of assaults while trying to save her mother Edith (Cepeda) and five-year-old daughter Maisey (Ayamah) from the bloodthirsty criminals.
With its lone heroine battling an onslaught of thugs in an apartment complex, Everly could be billed as The Raid meets Panic Room, but that would be giving it way too much credit. Director Joe Lynch, who has a background in music videos and low-budget horror flicks, has put together an especially nasty movie that audiences are somehow supposed to find entertaining. It's brutal and grisly, and there definitely is an audience for that, but it's also gratuitously exploitative and artless at every turn. For something that's meant to be a bloody, fast-paced thriller, it's difficult to sit through and feels much longer than it actually is. There are also numerous plot holes and everyone in this does dumb things – our heroine does dumb things, the villains do dumb things and it's just a miserable experience on the whole. Sure Everly, invite your mother and young daughter into the Yakuza stronghold. They'll be safe there! Sure Sadist (Togo Igawa), drip acid on Everly's bonds! That won't help her escape at all!
Salma Hayek is an Oscar nominee, but she also has a taste for down and dirty action flicks – after all, she is an oft-collaborator of Robert Rodríguez. Salma Hayek as a badass woman fending off hordes of gun-wielding mobsters, as well as her fellow prostitutes who are after her because of the price on her head, sounds like a reasonably cool place to start. It's too bad that Everly flits between being confident and able to handle herself and ducking and screaming. The intent is for her to break free from her status as a helpless victim, but that progression is messy at best. There are plenty of histrionics in the scenes between Everly and her mother, seeming very soap opera-esque in spite of Everly's insistence to her mother that "this is not a telenovela!" It also seems cheap and wrongheaded to put a young child in jeopardy, placing her in the midst of a wanton bloodbath.
The villains are all Japanese and portrayed as stereotypically vicious. It's just another example of that action movie trope – fall back on a foreign organised crime group as the baddies. It seems screenwriter Yale Hannon tries to compensate for this with a mild-mannered character nicknamed "Dead Man" (Kotabe) who is only doing the vile things he does out of fear of his boss and who spouts truisms like "a sanctuary sometimes exists in the eye of the storm." It just feels so blatantly like a band-aid and is actually just another stereotype. An extended torture scene featuring the afore-mentioned Sadist is just nasty and silly rather than being genuinely frightening. Hiroyuki Watanabe does make for a chilling kingpin, but he only shows up at the tail end of the film and is saddled with contrived one-liners such as "you have only gotten so far because I have allowed you to" and "frankly, death by my sword is an honour you do not deserve."
It's gruesome, dumb and almost nauseating, but we're sure there'll be connoisseurs of shlock out there who'll just love Everly. It's actually insulting to think how engineered this is to cater to the slobbering genre fanboy, and that the result is just as repulsive as it is. At the very least, Salma Hayek is better suited to the material than Kate Hudson, who was originally attached to the part, is.
Summary: Everly is overly gory, overly dumb, overly trashy and overly tasteless.
Posted by Jedd the Jedi at 7:55 AM 0 comments
Labels: action thriller, Aisha Ayamah, Akie Kotabe, Edith Cepeda, Everly, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Joe Lynch, Masashi Fujimoto, Salma Hayek, Togo Igawa
Kidnapping Freddy Heineken (a.k.a. Kidnapping Mr. Heineken)
Director : Daniel Alfredson
Cast : Anthony Hopkins, Jim Sturgess, Sam Worthington, Ryan Kwanten, Jemima West
Genre : Crime/Thriller
Rating : NC16 - Coarse Language
It's human nature to be drawn to the glittery promise of get-rich-quick schemes. Even though we know deep down that all those sidebar ads on any given website have nary a grain of truth to them, we can't help but entertain the thought that it just might be possible to make all that money so easily. In the 80s, those ads on the internet didn't exist yet, so a group of Dutch friends, having fallen on hard times, devise a novel way to make a quick buck – kidnapping. Their target is none other than Freddy Heineken (Hopkins), chairman and CEO of Heineken International breweries. Willem Holleeder (Worthington), Cor van Hout (Sturgess), Jan Boellard (Kwanten), Frans Meijer (Mark van Eeuwen) and Martin Erkamps (Thomas Cocquerel) demand a staggering ransom of 35 million Dutch guilders for the safe return of Heineken. The case captures Europe's attention, the public at large unaware that these "master criminals" are really just a few regular guys.
Kidnapping Freddy Heineken is based on investigative journalist Peter R. de Vries' account of true events. There was a 2011 Dutch film called De Heineken Ontvoering, but it was made without de Vries' involvement and is considered to be a largely fictionalised version of the incident. With its closely-knit band of friends pulling off an ambitious caper, the theme of "honour among thieves" and an old-school filmmaking approach behind it all, Kidnapping Freddy Heineken reminded this reviewer of Ben Affleck's crime drama The Town. Just like in that film, our gang of protagonists needs to hit that sweet spot of being "just likeable enough", such that we can root for them even as they engage in morally reprehensible activities, having understood their motivation. Director Daniel Alfredson only partially achieves that here. While there are several moments of nail-biting intensity, the film never really takes hold. What should be a fast-paced caper instead feels plodding and by-the-numbers, the film coming off as much longer than it actually is.
Sam Worthington, Jim Sturgess, Ryan Kwanten, Mark van Eeuwen and Thomas Cocquerel all project a degree of working class appeal, crucial to making the audience shout "down with the rich dudes, power to the plucky little guys!" However, they never seem like a cohesive team, and this is due in no small part to the fact that their accents are all over the place. They're playing real people – real Dutch people. Worthington, Kwanten and Cocquerel are Australian, Sturgess is English and only van Eeuwen is actually Dutch. It really pulls one out of it, especially since it's clear that director Alfredson is striving for a believable street-level grittiness. There's also the old plot device of the pregnant wife back home, played by Jemima West, worrying about what her husband is up to. Even if this did really happen, the film's treatment of it is a mostly unsuccessful attempt at generating pathos.
The ace up Kidnapping Freddy Heineken's sleeve is Sir Anthony Hopkins, who is a still as towering a presence as ever and completely commands the screen whenever he's on it. Throughout his ordeal, Hopkins' take on the beer baron seems more amused than anything else, displaying an unfazed façade to his kidnappers and refusing to be intimidated by them. The scene in which he calmly requests a bathrobe, slippers, a shaving kit, other amenities and even a change in the music being played is Hopkins at his coolest. This is by no means a big movie and Hopkins could've easily phoned it in, but he relishes the chance to play the wily Heineken, toying with his captors instead of cowering in fear from them.
As a lo-fi true crime thriller, Kidnapping Freddy Heineken is halfway decent, but it suffers from a flagging pace and crucial lack of urgency as well as feeling somewhat miscast. One thing the film definitely gets right is Anthony Hopkins, and it is he who keeps the film watchable.
Summary: Swap out your "nice Chianti" for a bottle of Heineken – Anthony Hopkins enlivens this mostly sturdy but dull true crime thriller.
Labels: Anthony Hopkins, based on a true story, Jemima West, Jim Sturgess, Kidnapping Freddy Heineken, Kidnapping Mr. Heineken, Ryan Kwanten, Sam Worthington
Director : Jaume Collet-Serra
Cast : Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Ed Harris, Vincent D'Onofrio, Boyd Holbrook, Genesis Rodriguez, Common, Bruce McGill, Holt McCallany
Genre : Action/Crime
Rating : NC16 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Liam Neeson goes from training the Dark Knight to running all night in this crime thriller. Neeson plays Jimmy Conlon, an aging hitman who used to work for crime boss Shawn Maguire (Harris). Shawn has supposedly reformed, and refuses to do business with drug dealers who are brought to him by his son Danny (Holbrook). It just so happens that Jimmy's son Mike (Kinnaman), a limousine driver, is hired by Danny and witnesses a deal go horribly awry. Jimmy ends up killing Danny to save Mike, which leads to Shawn ordering that both father and son be killed in retaliation. Mike resents his father for the strain that being a hitman put on their relationship, but the duo have to stick together if they want to survive this long, brutal night.
Run All Night marks the third collaboration between Liam Neeson and director Jaume Collet-Serra, who also helmed Unknown and Non-Stop. Neeson claims that this will be his last action-centric leading role in a while. As cool as the actor always is, he is very much in danger of being a caricature of himself, if the Taken memes still all over the internet are anything to go by. Unfortunately, even though it's meant to be more dramatic and character-driven than the Taken movies, Run All Night is still a let-down. Collet-Serra intends for it to be a gritty 70s-style crime flick, set in a grimy, misty New York City during the Christmas season over 16 hours. However, the scene transitions are Google Maps-style CGI camera moves, swooping out of one street, up over the city, and right into another. This comes off as nothing more than a jarring stylistic flourish, supposedly to disguise how surprisingly boring the film ends up being.
The story is a predictable one – an ex-hitman must wade back into the muddy waters of his former life when things get personal. That logline can also be used to describe last year's John Wick. Where that movie was surprisingly inventive, original and stylish, Run All Night is, well, a more run of the mill affair. The two relationships at its core are the personal connection between an enforcer and his old boss/long-time friend and between said enforcer and his estranged son. Brad Ingelsby's screenplay strains to make this more than your typical father-son action movie team-up – the relationship isn't amusingly dysfunctional, it's downright toxic. And yet, it's just not sufficiently compelling, some moments unintentionally funny rather than dark and dramatic. During the first half of the film, when Jimmy and Shawn wistfully reminisce about their youth, it's meant to set up this deep bond that will inevitably be shattered over the course of the film, but it feels more like filler than anything else.
Liam Neeson grimaces, wields a gun and talks tough through gritted teeth - daring, uncharted territory for the actor. We all love Liam Neeson but especially coming on the heels of the dismal Taken 3, it's very easy to see why audiences are getting tired of this character type. Joel Kinnaman is good here as a clean-cut family man who wants nothing to do with the dangerous, seedy world which his father was a part of. He's certainly less annoying than Jai Courtney's Jack McClane in A Good Day to Die Hard. Alas, the clash of titans that is Liam Neeson vs. Ed Harris is something of a let-down. When all is said and done, it feels like Harris hasn't really done all that much throughout the film, even though he has a substantial role. Harris is an unsung old-school cinematic badass, so seeing him go toe to toe with the old-school cinematic badass du jour should be more of an event. The macho friends-turned-enemies plot is undercut by what can be interpreted as homoerotic undertones between the two characters. Common shows up as an ice-cold bespectacled assassin; his night-vision eyepiece and high-powered pistol equipped with a laser sight likely referencing the first Terminator movie. He provides the best thrills of the film.
Run All Night is too predictable and contrived to work as an engrossing crime drama but also lacks the over-the-top action spectacle required to make it successful as a piece of escapist entertainment, falling into an uncomfortable no man's land. It's sturdily-constructed, shot well and solidly acted all around, but it has nothing to distinguish it from every other New York-set crime thriller out there.
Summary: Nowhere near as exciting as its title makes it sound, Run All Night never goes off the beaten crime thriller path. Its central trio do turn in strong performances, but even then the film can't outrun the realm of the generic.
Labels: action, Boyd Holbrook, Common, crime thriller, Ed Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Holt McCallany. Run All Night, Joel Kinnaman, Liam Neeson, Vincent D'Onofrio
Director : Simon West
Cast : Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Dominik García-Lorido, Milo Ventimiglia, Hope Davis, Stanley Tucci
Rating : M18 (Some Nudity & Violence)
If we were rich and famous and had our pick of any contemporary action star to be our bodyguard, we'd probably go for Jason Statham (if Dwayne Johnson were unavailable). In Wild Card, the Stath plays Nick Wild, a Las Vegas "security consultant" for hire. Young self-made millionaire Cyrus Kinnick (Angarano) procures Wild's protection while he has a night on the town gambling. In the meantime, Wild's ex-girlfriend Holly (García-Lorido) is dumped outside a hospital, having been beaten and raped and left barely alive. Wild somewhat reluctantly goes after the man responsible, gangster Danny DeMarco (Ventimiglia). Wild loathes Vegas, feeling trapped within the seedy confines of the city, and hopes to win big at the tables so he can cash in and move away to Corsica, leaving sin city behind.
Wild Card is based on the book Heat, by nigh-legendary novelist and screenwriter William Goldman, whose credits include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All The President's Men. The book was the basis for a 1986 film starring Burt Reynolds. Goldman's involvement seems to suggest that this just might be more than your run-of-the-mill Statham action vehicle. It's different enough from typical Statham action fare, but not in a good way. Here's the Catch-22 – most audiences are tired of the Brit playing the same character over and over again and yet, there's also the comfort of knowing what you're getting when you go to see a Jason Statham picture. Even if it's mediocre – which they often are – at least there'll be some cool stunts. Despite being marketed as an action movie, the fights in Wild Card are few and far between, with no big set-pieces whatsoever. Zero explosions, nobody hanging off the side of a hotel balcony, not even a car chase.
Wild Card purports itself to be "character-driven", which is becoming something of a buzz-phrase for action movies. There just isn't enough to the Nick Wild character to help him stand out from the "cool heroes with impossibly awesome names" pack. The film stays purposely ambiguous on his backstory – he was probably in the military in some capacity, not that it really matters. There are glimmers of character development in that he's the man about town and knows everybody in every corner. There just isn't anything really distinctive to Nick and at the end of the day, audiences want to see Jason Statham wrestle bad guys, not wrestle with a gambling compulsion.
There have been several disposable action flicks where the saving grace is a memorable, scenery-chomping villain. No such luck here. Instead, we get Milo Ventimiglia trying his best to be some shade of intimidating, which he doesn't succeed at. As the tagalong kid, Michael Angarano is the dweeby semi-comic-relief, a sheltered rich kid who looks up to Nick for his toughness and swagger. There is an attempt to develop the relationship between the two characters but it fails to truly become anything interesting. There are several recognisable actors who pop up, but they do so for one scene each. Hi Sofia Vergara; bye Sofia Vergara. Hi Jason Alexander; bye Jason Alexander. Hi Stanley Tucci; bye Stanley Tucci. Of course, it is Tucci who makes the most impact, playing big-time Vegas crime boss "Baby" with his usual charisma. The female characters don't amount to very much either: Anne Heche plays a waitress and Hope Davis plays a croupier. Dominik García-Lorido is the victim-turned-Black-Widow, adding a dash of noir to the proceedings. There is one scene that will make all the men in the audience subconsciously cross their legs.
Wild Card reunites Statham with Simon West, who directed him in The Mechanic and The Expendables 2. West is known for his bombastic action films and his forays into dramatic thriller territory such as The General's Daughter are not well-regarded. There are many moments in Wild Card that made this reviewer think "this could make for a really cool TV show". West consciously shies away from depicting Vegas as shiny and glamorous, instead embracing the seedy underbelly - and yet, he is obviously not the first director to give the town this treatment. There is one moment of striking symbolic imagery, with close-ups of a sewing needle piercing a cross-stitch Holly is working on as she recounts her sexual assault at Danny's hands. Still, West can't salvage this Jason Statham action movie that wants to be a Jason Statham drama but half-heartedly throws in a few punches and kicks just because it has to.
Summary: Wild Card is an episodic crime drama focusing on an uninteresting character instead of the action flick it's advertised as. By the time Jason Statham takes on a bunch of thugs armed only with a butter knife and a spoon, it's too little too late.
Labels: action thriller, Dominik García-Lorido, Hope Davis, Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Milo Ventimiglia, Simon West, Stanley Tucci, Wild Card
Face/Value: Interview with special effects makeup artist David Willis
As published in F*** Magazine Issue #62
FACE/VALUE
Special effects makeup artist David Willis chats exclusively with F***
By Jedd Jong
Special effects makeup artists: they're responsible for transforming handsome leading men into hideous beasts, making it look as if someone's been scalped without hurting a hair on their head and aging up 20-somethings so they look indistinguishable from actual octogenarians. Often as unsung as they are integral to the production, these artists make movie magic happen.
F*** spoke exclusively to David Willis, a special effects makeup artist with nearly 20 years of experience under his belt. David's handiwork can be seen in films and television shows such as the Matrix trilogy, Star Wars Episodes I and II, Superman Returns, Farscape and the upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road.
In addition to working in film and TV, David has done work for advertising campaigns, museums and theme parks and has lectured and given masterclasses around the world. His work has taken him from his native Australia to New Zealand, the United States, Sweden, France, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and China. Those who visited the first two Halloween Horror Nights events at Universal Studios Singapore would have witnessed David's frightening creations first-hand.
Over coffee, David discussed his childhood turning his sisters into goblins and ghouls, the movie that was "so wrong" it convinced him that this was what he wanted to do for a living and the evolution of special effects makeup techniques and how they can co-exist alongside computer-generated effects work. David also weighed in on the Best Makeup nominees for the 87th Academy Awards, explained the frustrating politics of movie credits, shared what it was like working with A-list celebrities and explained how a certain cephalopod became the bane of his existence for a period.
As a kid, did you have Dick Smith's Do-It-Yourself Monster Makeup Handbook on your bedside table?
I didn't, but I had like 50 Fangoria magazines, which also had Dick Smith's stuff in it. When I started, there was no internet, so it was just the library and the book shop, spending lots of money buying and ordering books in from the U.S. This was way before Amazon, if you wanted to do research on makeup effects, anything to do with creatures or even sculpting, the books are like $110. Fangoria magazine was $24 Australian. Every month, I would be at a place called Comics Kingdom in Sydney, which still exists, and I used to buy all the Cinefex and Fangoria magazines and there was Gorezone, which was really cool. And it just had disgusting blood and guts, that was cool. It had stuff from The Thing, back to the old days it had Dick Smith in it, it had Rick Baker in it, Steve Johnson, it had all the legends of makeup. I did have The Art of Makeup for Film, Television and Theatre and that was the only book I had. It was only 72 pages. This was in the early '80s.
Was there a film that you watched growing up that make you decide "I want to become a makeup artist"?
Hellraiser. That was the movie. I watched that when I was 12 years old. Remember, this was the most disgusting movie. It's scary, it's a guy with pins in his head. The other movie was A Nightmare on Elm Street. I grew up in the 80s so that's the slasher time. The other one was The Thing and Alien. I couldn't watch that until…I watched it when it came on video. I was so spooked. It was so scary. Now I watch it and go [scoffs]. It was so good. I'd say Hellraiser was the #1 film that made me go "I want to do that. It's so wrong, I want to do that."
In school, did everyone go to you for help with their Halloween makeup?
Remember in Australia, Halloween is not that popular, but I used to do tricks with my friends, like "Mum, Mum I've cut myself!" We didn't have Halloween, it wasn't popular, but we still had fun with it. My sisters, I used to turn them into ghouls and goblins with tissue and latex. I used to experiment with very expensive products so every Christmas or birthday, I used to get some sort of makeup effect blood stuff. My mother and father thought I was nuts.
Not the kind of makeup you'd usually associate with sisters!
No. But I would get lipstick and try and do bruises, bit of purple and red. I loved to make model aircraft, planes and trains. I used to be a big train buff; I had this huge train set, it was amazing. I was a nerd. I was a makeup, models and props nerd.
So this is your dream job, what you're doing right now?
Yeah, I'm doing what I used to do as a hobby.
How did you get your first professional gig?
It's all about who you know, isn't it? I was learning makeup. I did work experience, that was like on Babe and also working with some local effects houses and it wasn't necessarily going in and being paid full-time, it was doing an internship and I was also being a musician, I was cleaning toilets, I was being a waiter, I used to help with an electrician, I had just finished school and didn't know what I wanted to do. I mean, I knew what I wanted to do, I needed to save money. Makeup is not cheap. Full stop. Opportunity came when some of the effects houses were working on commercials, I actually really started in commercials. That's through the effects houses where I was first doing internships. Eventually for films, it didn't come in until I started doing a makeup course in Sydney. It was through that that I got to know the teachers and the teachers were on jobs and you become friends, they like your work and the rest is history. I'd say the first big, known work that I was doing was Farscape. That was with Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
Did you have to communicate a lot with the other departments?
Yes, we were doing stuff where the mould department had to talk to the animatronic department because the animatronic had to fit in the mould before you could cast it. From there, you'll be talking to the costume tech department because the makeup effects for the big prosthetics has to fit into the costume. The makeup, hair, costume and makeup effects department are all very close. Now, those areas are talking to CG, depending on what the director wants. We don't really talk to sound and lights and all that stuff, [but] the cinematographer, we do. We want to know the colours he uses.
What have been the major advances in makeup technology from when you first started until now?
I'd say silicone. The different products for making prosthetics, the evolution from a standard prosthetic to a silicone prosthetic to a 3D transfer. A 3D transfer is basically like a makeup tattoo. That was introduced during The Passion of the Christ, which [Christien] Tinsley and Brian Sipe created for the back, when Christ is being whipped. It was just so cool. The enhancements with Photoshop for pre-viz, design, 3D programs such as ZBrush, it's like sculpting for makeup artists in 3D and I think the makeup effects industry has had to evolve and reinvent itself because we're competing with CG.
That leads into the next question. What are your attitudes with regards to the use of computer-generated imagery to supplement or altogether replace makeup effects? We've seen that used to create aging effects in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
With stuff like Benjamin Button, it was all done [first] in physical makeup. Greg Cannom had done all the makeup effects for the pre-viz designs, he literally laid it all out for the 3D guys and girls. My attitude towards it is that it is a tool that can be used effectively but, like makeup, if it is done in a rush, it can look crappy. Another thing is that when it first came out, everyone was like "wow, this is so amazing." The novelty of it, it's already worn off. The general public who have no idea about the technical skills or advancements or whatever about CG and makeup, they know what is good and what is not.
So audiences have becoming more discerning?
Yes, exactly. Just because of the internet, YouTube, they know what they like. At the end of the day, it comes down to the story. Why do you need to put so much CG into something? You sit down to be entertained. As soon as you're entertained, you start to zone out. It loses its "wow" [factor]. Bad CG automatically makes you go "now I've lost it." The same with makeup. I'll give you an example: I was watching the first Hobbit. Within 30-40 minutes, I was bored. Not because of the story, but you could tell. You could see all the lace wigs!
Again, with the advancement of technology, it has made our job harder; you've got all these high-res cameras. Even with 3D renderings and animation, they have to be in line with the camera work and it's just so advanced. The cameras which they're using now, the resolution is so big that your eyes can't even see it, it's like a lens you put into space. So when they transfer it back to what we see, you can tell the difference – "okay, they've put a lot of money and thought into that" and there's another production "no, that's crap", and there's another one, they used hardly any makeup effects or any major special effects in terms of visual or spectacle, you go "ah, that's fantastic!"
At the end of the day, it's about the story. It's what our jobs are. It's to enhance the director's vision of the story that's being portrayed. CG forgets that, it always forgets it. But I believe in both, if it's in service of what the director wants to tell the story. We will not have a makeup effect if we do not believe that it will enhance the story. That's our job, telling the director or producers "yes" or "no". CG now is more expensive than practical. Practical is usually better because it's in-camera, it's physically there. If you ask me, I like both.
What is the experience like working on big movies, and what are celebrities like in the makeup chair?
Actors in the chair…I'm going to refer to The Matrix on this one. We were doing the life cast of Hugo Weaving, we did all the Agent Smiths. We did 120 Agent Smiths then we did all the masks, so we had an extra 80 people wearing the mask of Agent Smith. Tom Hardy, we did the body cast, when he's on the truck in the movie [Mad Max: Fury Road], that's not him, it's a prop. He's extremely nice, Hugo Weaving is extremely nice, Laurence Fishburne is awesome; we worked with him. We were walking in the Fox studio and he even came out to acknowledge the talent who works on the film, not just with our department but the other departments. On Star Wars, Natalie Portman, we got to do a couple of things with her which was really nice, she's lovely.
Paris Hilton's a bit funny, wouldn't want to be working with her again [laughs], I don't think she'll ever do a movie ever again. That was just a slasher, "kill the celebrity" [movie, House of Wax]. It was awesome. On Wolverine, I worked on the first one, we did [work] with Hugh Jackman – he's awesome. On Moulin Rouge, we did some stuff with Nicole Kidman, she's lovely – everybody's lovely! I've actually been very blessed to have very nice talents who respected all the crews, everybody's just very nice. The only time I've heard anyone have a complaint was with Tom Cruise, but I've never worked on any of his movies.
I'd say that from Star Wars, Matrix, House of Wax, Superman [Returns], even the Farscape crew, everyone's been awesome. In terms of how it feels to be on set and what the experience of being on set is, it's like "go go go go" and then all of a sudden you're standing around for 5 hours not doing anything. There's a lot of waiting; it gets very boring. But it does get exciting especially if you're in the makeup department because that's where everybody goes. Everybody wants to know what's happening in the makeup department. That's where everybody hangs out. It's really funny, like on the makeup truck, there's always the ones that are very well-received by the majority of the crew, but are not respected by the directors and producers. We are the first ones on set with the grips and the lighting and we are the last people to go. We're always there and we're always around. It's funny when I'm on there doing makeup because the majority of the makeup people are female and they'll go "where are the makeup girls?" and I'll go "ah, I'm not the girl," because they're so used to it being all girls.
You just worked on Mad Max: Fury Road. How were you affected by the production delays on that film?
The whole movie shut down for a year. It rained and the whole of the outback of Australia, for the first time in over 150 years, it flowered. They relocated to Namibia, just above South Africa. I didn't do it because I had a contract with Universal, so I couldn't go.
I'm originally from Australia and I moved to Los Angeles. From there, I was doing stuff with KNB, just inside the shop, working around inside the workshops and then I came back here, went around the planet, depends on where the job is. At the time, Australia went through a full renaissance with filmmaking because of the dollar. For nearly 12 years, all the movies came to Australia, all the big ones. And then, I was fortunate that I was able to part of that, because I was there. If I wasn't there, I wouldn't be where I am [today].
Around the time of Dark City, The Matrix…
Dark City, that was my very first movie. I was 15 years old, being an assistant coffee runner. I was part of the effects atmospherics department. I was still in school, I used to ditch school to go and work on production, calling it work experience. Just being there and seeing how it all works. I mean, it's completely boring, sitting around waiting between each take, all the set-ups, but it was just fascinating. Then the next movie was The Matrix. I was working for a company called MEG, the Makeup Effects Group, I was still learning. They did the baby in the first Matrix, they did the torso of Keanu Reeves, when that little robot goes in, in the taxi. That was the only thing I did on the first Matrix.
For Matrix 2 and 3, that was a 2 and a half year project, back to back. That was when the Australian dollar was 50 cents to the US dollar, so they doubled the money. I ended up going in there as part of mould shop, part of the art department. Then I got moved to models and props, and then from models and props I moved to the makeup effects department. So it was 2 and a half years in 3 departments which you never, ever, ever get anymore, those days are over. There were some people in there that would be credited for something that they never were in. It would be like "why am I 'scenic painter' when I was never even scenic?" I was a "plasterer". That's how it works. You're in the makeup department but you're in the hair design department, and I was like "what?" Because they didn't have any more space. Or they run out of money, because every credit costs money. If there's not enough money for that, then they go "I don't need that person, I don't need that person". Or they shift you to the bottom. It's like "what am I going to be this time?" It's always a surprise. Every time we walk out of the theatre, it's like "huh? Why are you there man?"
That's a shame, because I think a lot of times, people behind the scenes in special effects or makeup don't get their due credit.
We get credited within the industry ourselves, because everybody knows, the circle of people, everybody knows who did what, it's not just one person that did it, there was a team inside that. If we're not credited on something we were working on, whether it was for 2 weeks or 6 months or a year, [shrugs]. The only time it becomes a real problem is if we really put blood and sweat and tears into the movie, then you just get rejected, not even being acknowledged in the credits, and that's when we get pissed off, because that's a real slap in the face.
How many times has that happened to you?
All the time, all the time. On House of Wax, it ended up that ¾ of the makeup department and the wax department weren't even credited. Only the wax technician, which is my good friend Keith, and some of the KNB boys, which were like 4 [were credited], and then there's 30 of us. What sucks is that some of the people who were credited were only on there for 2-3 weeks and for us, we were on there for 8 months, working 12 hour days, 7 days a week, the studio burnt down, it was so much fun but at the same time it's like "hey! Here's our photo, here we are with everybody on the team, where's our credit?" So that's why we don't care about it. The circle of people in the industry, they know about it.
The general public, they don't even look at the credits. As soon as it finishes, if you're not in the intro, no one, I don't know anybody that sits [through] after the lights go on. It's very rare. I'll give you an example: my dad was watching Star Wars II, and then my younger sister went "oh, there's David's name" while the credits were still rolling. My Dad went "what?" My Dad didn't even know. He rang me up, at 3 o'clock in the morning because I'm on Los Angeles time, and goes "I just saw your name in the credits, my God, my son's in the credits of Star Wars!" and I went "yeah? That was 7 years ago!" But he doesn't watch those kinds of movies.
What's the most fun you've had on a job?
After-parties! Not so much now, but before, they used to be really, really good. That's when everybody gets together to say thank you, the directors and the producers all come and hang out and everybody gets drunk and we celebrate the fact that we've finished. Long, crazy hours dealing with people's egos and good friends become enemies, enemies become friends, all within the span of 2-3 months, and then you move on to the next job. It's not easy, to work in the movie or television industry, the entertainment industry overall, it is a roller-coaster ride. You have to expect the unexpected. If you're not that inclined or not ready for that, you won't last 5 minutes. That's a wild ride.
How do you find that sweet spot for horror makeup to be scary but not over-the-top and make someone say "pfft, that's just makeup"?
Less is more. That's an easy question [chuckles]. What happens is people overdo it. A good makeup effect is something that is subtle. You think it's real, and you go "that's so real" then you go back and go "oh my god, that's a prop, that's a prosthetic". They're the ones that win Oscars. It's not the big, over-the-top makeup effects, aliens, whatever – they don't win Oscars. It's the old age or the character makeups. Character makeups are one of the hardest makeups to do. That's why old age makeups are always seen as the pinnacle of a good makeup artist, because they're difficult. It's got to be real.
Everyone knows what an elderly person looks like, nobody knows what an alien looks like.
Exactly. And also diseases, deformities, if there's some sort of makeup effect that's been executed well, respect. It's not just starting from the application of the makeup, it goes all the way back to the beginning, from the life cast, to the sculpting, to the moulding, to the casting, to the painting, and then there's application. There could be 6 people involved in that whole process right up until that application. That's why the people who do get the awards, it's usually the head of makeup who's there to receive the award. But it is the team. And majority of the time, they thank their team, they say the names and stuff. If they don't, then they're a bit arrogant, because they didn't do it all by themselves.
Speaking of awards, what are your thoughts on the Oscar nominations? They are Foxcatcher, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Guardians of the Galaxy. (Since this interview, The Grand Budapest Hotel has won the Oscar)
You know what? Budapest Hotel. It is so good. I watched that recently and it is such a character-driven film. In terms of the Galaxy one, I didn't even bother going and watching it, I said "this looks like crap". And the makeups look like stuff from Farscape. My head of makeup department even mentioned "you know what's funny? Half the characters all look like they're being copied from Farscape". The bright colours, there's the red-green striped…
Drax.
The Drax. Is he meant to be a paddle pop? It doesn't work for me and it hasn't worked for a few makeup artists who have actually gone "you know what? Good movie for kids" but in terms of the makeup, I think "nah".
Some people have been saying that Maleficent was snubbed this year, what do you think about that film?
Good movie, I liked it. The makeup was great, they're just transfers. In terms of makeup, there's nothing fancy about it. In terms of the story and Angelina Jolie, I mean Angelina Jolie's the one that pulled it off, she's just got the look for the character. Overall, it's designed for children. It did have that dark side to it but I'd say overall, the movie did quite well, I enjoyed it. But the makeup? Eh.
Looking through your Facebook page, you've done a lot of work in many different media, including stuff for museums. What's the weirdest assignment you've had to accomplish?
[Laughs] Things that are not shown! Yeah, I've done some weird stuff. I love doing museum work because you get asked to do an exhibition and it's land, sea or air creatures, it's really interesting because it used to exist or it still exists and you can't put the real thing in the exhibit because it would shrivel up and die. This was just mind-boggling - they wanted a Blue-Ringed Octopus to be put in a glass bottle. I said "how am I going to do that? How am I going to get the damn thing through that hole?" They said "oh, just cut the bottom off and we'll just stick it back on". I said "I'll see what I can do" and it didn't work. You still see the ring. So I made it out of silicone, but made it really, really like "sproing" [makes stretching gesture]. Then I just poked it in and "bloop!" it worked. But it took me 3 months to figure it out [laughs]. A lot of trial and error and it was always on my bench. It was the first task I was asked to do and it was the last one I finished. Eventually it was just trial and error. The museum lets me experiment a lot more than the films, because you have the time to do it.
How about theme parks?
[Chuckles] I first did makeup for Halloween Horror Nights in Los Angeles, for Universal [Studios theme park]. That was a one-month-of-a-year job and I did it for like 5 years. Then I stopped doing it because I came back to Australia and was doing other projects. It doesn't necessarily pay a lot of money, but it's fun, blood and guts!
When I was teaching around the planet, I ended up in Southeast Asia and my ex-girlfriend introduced me to Universal Studios Singapore. I was more or less going "where is that?" because where do you put it?! I thought it was going underground! She told me it was on Sentosa, I'd never heard of it. It had not even officially opened yet. I went in there and saw the makeups that were being done and said "why on earth are they doing this in 40° heat!?" I rang Resorts World and asked for the entertainment clerk and the next day I had an interview and 2 days later, I had a job. It was all just because I was in town.
First, I ended up being the consultant for Universal Studios Singapore, then I ended up being the head of makeup and then getting ready for the first Halloween, so I was the main guy giving them information on what to do, how to do it. There was a designer who's now living in Norway, he used to work for Universal Studios Orlando. He didn't end up winning the bid, but he helped with some of the designs. It was the first one, Singapore had never seen a Halloween Horror Nights ever and it was huge.
Working with Universal, it was interesting, definitely a struggle because it's so difficult to get product. Sometimes it's like "why are we using this product? We shouldn't be using a commercial brand, we should be using professional brands." But that's a deal that gets done with suppliers. So I was in Singapore for 2 and a half years, I did the opening, then I did Halloween Horror Nights…my role was to help the locals to do the job at Universal, all the foreigners leave, that's how they start up. Train the locals, "now it's your turn to take care of it". I did 2 Halloween Horror Nights. Possibly again for Halloween this year, I don't know. Then I opened up my own horror park in Manila, Scream Park, which will be reopened again at the end of this year. Theme parks are fun but they're not a full time [job]. You just go in, have fun, and pull out. I'd rather do productions in TV and film.
What are some of the considerations with regards to doing makeup in Southeast Asia because of the heat and humidity?
Wherever you go, no matter where you are in the world, first thing you need to do is determine what the weather is doing. Then you understand "okay, we're going to be using a particular product or method to balance out what's going on with the weather." Now – humidity hates everything. It's extremely difficult because you sweat, everybody's different. When it comes to makeup, especially if it needs to last longer, you need to use less, not more.
Now the industry here and the culture here, it's very thick where it should be going the other way around. It's funny because in the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere, it's quite light. But then the more northern you get, the thicker it gets, maybe it's due to the cold weather. But when you get to the equator areas around the planet, it's very thick. I don't know why! But it's cultural as well. If you go to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Cambodia, the history of makeup is more theatrical. It's an indigenous culture. Even going into China, Japan, it's more of a theatrical style of makeup, not the typical style of what we see as makeup. That sort of thing transcended over time into normal everyday makeup. Weddings are seen as something that is very theatrical, whereas to western eyes, it's meant to be very natural. That's a cultural thing.
The makeup industry has grown so much over the many, many years it's been around. For me, when I'm here, I'm always asking the makeup artists "what's the biggest problem?" they say "it's the heat. The makeup always runs." I say "why don't you use…not necessarily a better product, but understand your product. It might not be something that's superior, it might be something that's cheaper but lasts longer." Less is more, but less should have enough pigment such that it stands out, and that's the point. Does that make sense?
Yes, it does. The last question I'd like to ask is, is there anything you'd like to do personally or professionally that you haven't done yet?
What I'd like to do are my own productions. I want to do more film, but either if it's independent or if I'm producing it or co-producing it. I wish I could do more personal projects, but I don't get time, because personal projects don't pay the bills. It's evolved, if you ask me this question next year, it keeps changing. That's what makeup effects is, it's constantly evolving. An elderly artist might see their early work and go "oh, that's crap!" It's a journey, it's a personal one. I guess you could say that I want to do everything that I possibly can that I haven't done, then I want to go back to what I've done before and do it again, and revamp it.
Posted by Jedd the Jedi at 5:18 PM 0 comments
Labels: David Willis, feature article, horror, House of Wax, interview, makeup, special effects, Superman Returns, The Matrix
Kidnapping Freddy Heineken (a.k.a. Kidnapping Mr. ...
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I've had numerous requests for advice recently about winter skin and what to do/not to do.
The change from warm to cold to central heating to cold to office to travel to central heating etc can really make your skin feel like it's 'burning'.
Here are just a few tips that may may help.
Treat the skin like you do your clothing, if you're layering clothing, layer your skincare. You need a skincare 'wardrobe' at this time of year more than any other.
Cleanse, Tone, Serum, Oil, Cream, Protectant and/or balm. How much and when you use all of these depends on your skin but a general rule of thumb is if it's still absorbing, keep going (the only thing to be aware of is layering silicone as it will inevitably 'peel' or 'roll').
Don't over-cleanse. Your skin needs all the moisture it can get at this time of year. If you're dry/sensitive and you are using harsh cleansers suitable for the summer months AND overusing something like a Clarisonic – your skin may be very unforgiving.
Avoid alcohol-heavy products. It's one thing to have a toner showing alcohol denat at the very end of the inci list – its another to have alcohol as the main ingredient.
If you love a face wash (foaming) – try and change to a cleansing milk while the weather is so cold. You can buy a milk for oily skin if you need it.
Oils and balms can feel very comforting on the skin. Natural ones. No mineral oil. If you are particularly dry, a heavy balm may actually be stripping, so go easy. An oily skin can use an oil designed for its specific type.
You should NEVER aim for 'squeaky clean' anything, be it hair or skin. If you have this feeling after washing/cleansing, you really need to stop/rethink what you are using..
Exfoliate regularly. Face and body. Topical exfoliants in liquid form are far more effective than scrubs. Use toners or pads with AHA acids twice a day and follow with a spray of a hydrating toner containing glycerin and/or hyaluronic acid before you apply your serum and you'll feel a difference after one day.
However, not everyone can use/wants to use liquid acids. For those of you that actually prefer a physical exfoliant, aim for gentle, naturally-sourced granular scrubs that don't use beads. The ones that dissolve as you are rubbing them in are generally safest.
Ensure you are taking omega oils to help your skin internally. Fish are the best – flax are a good second for vegetarians.
Do continue to use face masks – but go for more hydrating ones as opposed to clay ones. If you have a combination skin use your clay mask and go straight in afterwards with a hydrating one for a good boost.
If you are a shower person – don't be tempted to stand under a hot shower to warm up. Your skin will not thank you for it. Keep it warm-hot, not boiling!
If you suffer from psoriasis or eczema it it likely that you will experience a worsening of symptoms in the colder months. Make sure your shower/bath products are as irritant free as possible, avoid tumble dryer sheets and moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!!!
And finally – don't forget your Vitamin D. I've posted about Vitamin D previously here – top up, keep happy.


Once again, we were very pleased that many parents and their children visited the school to get a taste of life at Notley High School. Year 6 students enjoyed taking part in the wide range of activities on offer including science experiments, Harry Potter themed games in English and sampling food from the canteen.
Many thanks to all students who volunteered to act as student guides, helped run activities in departments or gave speeches on the evening; you were great ambassadors for the school.
Thanks also to all staff who helped to make the evening such a success.
Click here to see a gallery of photos from the evening.


text:
Blogs Literacy and Digital Writing
LLAWEN
Responding to Children's Writing
Adventure Story (Year 6)
Writing with suspense (Year 6)
Report Writing (Year 6)
Two Samples: Year 6 and Year 7
Secondary Writing – Year 7 various
Character writing – Year 6
Response Writing – letters and reports (Year 6)
Events and Updates
The Digital Writing project
Copy Task
Task: The class had been discussing non-chronological reports and were given a writing frame for support. The task was a provide a 'balanced report' on a brand of trainers they would create.
CHILD A (Primary)(Year 6)
Salomon running trainers have [both] their ups and downs, I will write a short report on them.
They have a lot of padding, this is very good for running on any terrain. It is very helpful to have lots of grip, especially when running on slipy, wet surfaces, this shoe provides a lot of traction giving you a more relaxed run.
Furthermore at the back of the shoe there is a very hard section this provides your heel with a stirdy strong [section] feel that holds it in place.
However the shoe is made from a weak mesh, this means that water can get in very easily, this means that if you are on a wet long run, your feet may get very wet and cold.
In addition to that, there are no laces on this trainer, there is a tightening mechanism that is not quite as good as laces. They ofen let the front end of your foot roll forward. As well as that these don't come cheaply at one hundred pounds, they are very pricey.
In conclusion, the trainers have strong and weak points, many people really like these shoes, however, it is all down to the runner.
JW Let's look at the same child's (Child A) trainers one. And this was writing a balanced non-chronological report.
UC For what purpose?
LF That's weird. I'm struggling to follow the chronology of the running shoes.
JW Presumably they were given the chance to invent some running shoes. There was no drawing alongside.
These are Claire's comments (sent by email).
CA Purpose: the task specification is misleading, a balanced report. It seems appropriate but is not well developed.
Staging: the writer has not really identified an issue, just that the trainers have positive and negative attributes and there is no pre-view of arguments. There are for and against stages but the resolution does not make a recommendation. It's up to the reader to decide.
Phases: there are three different points for and against but no discussion phases such as evidence, etc. but this is probably adequate for Yr6.
Field: some key issues in the field are discussed such as: padding, grip, traction, strength, water resistance, fit, support and price, along with justifications for and against each issue raised.
Tenor: while the text evaluates it lacks the authority of a report and the objectivity of a discussion.
Mode: quite 'spoken like' you, your, the writer speaks directly to the reader, rather than more objectively about an issue.
Lexis: there is some relevant (nominalised) technical lexis to build the field.
Appraisal; everyday appraisals: ups and downs, helpful, a lot of, very, quite as good as, cheaply, pricey, many, really like, it's all down to.
Conjunction: clear internal reasoning and logical relations: furthermore, however, in addition, as well as, in conclusion. Adequate for Y6.
Reference: the writer keeps track of everything in the text: they, this shoe, the shoe, they.
Grammar: no particular grammar problems with this kind of 'spoken-like' language.
Spelling: a couple of errors but not such ambitious vocabulary for Y6.
Punctuation: some commas lacking.
Presentation: paragraphing is adequate.
MB There's obviously a class-based classification of genres. There are chronological ones and non-chronological ones. And Child B who's done the same exercise – in this discussion text – which is obviously referring to a classroom genre which is different from the genre in which they are meant to be writing in.
LF This one thinks they're writing a report. There is evidence of classification of text types but not any sense that either the teacher or the students have understood them in the same way or that they'll be connected to the actual way that they'll be assessed or that they're connected to the actual task in hand. My issue with this one was more that, if you asked me to create a brand of trainers and to report on them, I can do that but why? And there are whys. I can see why I might do that. There're lots of great opportunities for more integrated learning, opportunities that aren't being exploited. So, you could do that, but I don't get where the chronology fits in and I might just be missing something. So, if I would report this chronologically, I would say, I first did this, then I did this. I designed the soles, I tested them out. I then did this and now I'm going to do the same thing in a non-chronological way.
MB I don't think that's what's implied, no. I think the teacher has got a classification system of chronological and non-chronological genres and is trying to make sure that the children have examples of one and examples of the other. The story one was a chronological genre. So teacher says, right let's now do something that isn't chronological But it's not suggesting that the trainers thing can be done chronologically.
LF Well, my point there is probably that chronology has nothing to do with the description or evaluation of a trainer that has been designed, whereas the story isn't necessarily chronological it could have been done in a retrospective way, have an unusual chronology. Yes, but it's not linearly chronological
UC I would like to know what writing frame they were given for support. The class had been discussing non-chronological reports and were given a writing frame for support.
MG You can see it in those discourse markers there, can't you. It's the furthermore, however, in addition, in conclusion
LF We now can predict the feedback that the writers will get. It will be a tick box exercise whether the paragraphs are structured, whether the right connectors were used
MG Each paragraph has one at the beginning. I mean, this is a review isn't it. That's my feeling. It's not a report.
JM If I created some trainers they'd be awesome. The only thing that you would have something rubbish about them is that you've got something to balance it off against
UC What do you want to write a balanced report for?
MG It's a problem with the term, report. It's not a report, is it? I thought that this is the sort of thing you get in running magazines or something.
LF But you could at least have them review something that they did in fact make. Or they would be reviewing their process of what they would do differently if they had done it again. But why this elaborate scenario for getting them to do a piece of writing? It's a struggle and I think it's setting students up to fail.
SJ It reminds me very vaguely of when I was doing biology. You had to have sections like what you did wrong and what you would do differently next time. You would end up with these crazy contrived scenarios, like doing something wrong so that you could write something in that section. I mean I get the rationale of why you want to see two sides of an argument. which strikes me what it's actually trying to get at, appreciating multiple viewpoints
MG But it distorts the balance metaphor because you wouldn't… Presumably this idea of this new technology of trainers not having laces is a really positive thing and the way he writes about it is there are no laces, there is a tying mechanism that is not quite as good as laces they often let the end of your foot roll forward. So, the whole point of this new technology that makes these trainers very different is couched in terms which shows it as being negative.
UC And then the balance is in sitting on the fence. In conclusion, the trainers have strong and weak points, many people really like these shoes however it is all down to the runner.
LF That's a very common ending. It's up to you to decide. I imagine that the teacher would have had reasons for wanting to get them to do a piece of writing and grab something that they could manage somehow. It's just that what's missing is the connection between really having thought about the purpose of the writing and what is it actually we're trying to create. So, we sort of haven't seen the frame but we've got evidence of it.
MG What's missing is the understanding that, just because you use however, furthermore and in conclusion, it doesn't mean that the arguments you're putting after that actually cohere.
UG But Child B isn't using the same frame
JW But there's although and overall.
LF Actually, just to come back to the previous one, there's something in this last sentence just before the conclusion that strikes me that actually belongs somewhere else. This is list mode right. So, there's this, there's this, these don't come cheaply. Now that's quite ambiguous, as that these could either be the laces or the trainers. I think they're actually the trainers because I don't believe that the laces alone cost £100. The way it's written, there're two potential previous references being referred to. But in the paragraph talking about laces versus a tightening mechanism, that last sentence is out of place, but it's got a conjunction of sorts at the beginning and probably scored a point for that, even though the paragraph itself is not coherent.
JW How do you feel about Child A and Child B's handling of the text? Particularly in the light of what you've seen about Child A with the story.
LF Child A didn't cope very well with this task. It wouldn't have made any sense to this person and they would have had no personal experience on which to draw, whereas they did totally get into the story. They got that, they didn't get this one. Child B has got, at least at the beginning: Tip Top Trainers are designed for long distance running. That could be copied from some trainers' advert somewhere. That sentence is quite … And then there's this bizarre thing, they both do that: I will write a short report.
UC That's something teachers must teach them. The number of times I've struck out in students' essays: in this essay I am going to discuss. It's show and tell, show us, don't tell us. It seems to be something that's really unsophisticated in undergraduate essays I just cross out the whole paragraph.
LF This student isn't using the conjunctions but you get a nice flow: the leather upper half of the shoe; the sole of the trainers. This means that the actual logical connections are nicely expressed at the beginning. Even though it's done through subject reference; and then, ok, some interesting variation in the sentences following. And then a good use of Although signalling a contrast.
MB Yes it's a nice transition point.
LF And there are positives and negatives. But it must have been so difficult to do this, given that you were asked to design this shoe. So, they've imagined this perfect shoe and then they had to find fault with it. Anyway you've got no evidence of paragraph structure here but it's there in the language. You've got some evidence that they're managing this kind of talk, this kind of writing rather, a bit better than Child B. So I'm the Child B kind of student, I would struggle with the fiction writing. That would be the worst thing you could ask me to do: give me a blank page and ask me to write a story. At least with Child A, you said he loved the author, I think that shows through, he knows how this works. I don't think either of these two students knows how this kind of writing works. Child A was able to do the pros and cons better.
JM I think they've been told what order to talk about the different features of the shoes in, because it's comfort first, there's stuff to do with the heel, and then there's some sort of innovation: tightening mechanism; solar powered lights. And then the thing about the price.
UC And then they both end identically. This is a plus point; this is a negative point.
JW So this is something you would get in, say, a computer magazine, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of something and giving it a star rating. Is that the reality?
MG Well they're reviews, aren't they?
JM It reminds me of something you would see in Which magazine.
UC They are reviews, designed to inform a potential purchaser. Now these don't help me make up my mind.
JW They don't push you in any direction, do they? If it was one star out of five, you'd know.
MB It seems to me that both teacher and students are confusing classroom genres with real world genres.
UC Absolutely, Margaret.
MB Discussion text gives it away. A discussion text is a classroom genre; it's not a real-world genre at all.
UC That is exactly it. English teachers have these classroom genres, which don't exist anywhere else beyond the English classroom.
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Press Releases > Technology > Electronics > Future Electronics President Robert Miller Recognizes Budapest Office for 20th Anniversary..
Future Electronics President Robert Miller Recognizes Budapest Office for 20th Anniversary
Robert Miller, President of Future Electronics, recently recognized the company's Budapest, Hungary office, in celebration of its 20th anniversary since opening.
Pointe Claire, Quebec (freepr101) November 22, 2017 - Future Electronics, a global leading distributor of electronic components, recently observed the 20th anniversary of the opening of the company's branch in Budapest, Hungary.
Future Electronics, founded in Montreal in November of 1968 by Robert Miller, President, expanded into the United States in 1972, opening its first American office in Boston, Massachusetts. The Budapest, Hungary office opened in 1997, and is located in a quiet area of the city, with easy access both from downtown and from the main highway.
Growth experienced by the Budapest team has resulted in the investment and addition of new resources to ensure that they continue providing the excellent service for which Future Electronics is known.
"One of the key pillars of our sales strategy is demand creation activity with OEM customers," explained Zsolt Szabo, Country Manager for Hungary. "Over the last 20 years we have proven the many unique benefits and value Future Electronics can bring to its customers and suppliers, and we look forward to the next 20 years to come!"
Company president Robert Miller congratulated the Hungary team on the occasion of the branch's 20 year milestone, and thanked everyone for their dedication.
For more information about Future Electronics and its 169 office locations in 44 countries around the world, visit: www.FutureElectronics.com
About Future Electronics
Future Electronics is a global leader in electronics distribution, ranking 3rd in component sales worldwide, with an impressive reputation for developing efficient, comprehensive global supply chain solutions. Founded in 1968 by Robert Miller, the company has established itself as one of the most innovative organizations in the industry today, with 5,000 employees in 169 offices in 44 countries around the world. Future Electronics is globally integrated, with one worldwide IT infrastructure providing real-time inventory availability and access, while enabling full integration of its operations, sales and marketing worldwide. Offering the highest level of service, the most advanced engineering capabilities and technical solutions through all stages of the design-production cycle, and the largest available-to-sell inventory in the world, Future's mission is always to Delight the Customer®. For more information, visit www.FutureElectronics.com.
Martin H. Gordon
www.FutureElectronics.com
514-694-7710 (ext. 2236)
martin.gordon@FutureElectronics.com
Company Name: Future Electronics
Issued By: Martin H. Gordon
Address: 237 Hymus Boulevard
City: Pointe Claire
State: Quebec
Zip: H9R 5C7
Keywords : Future Electronics, Robert Miller, Budapest, Hungary, anniversary,
by Martin H. Gordon (few years ago!)