Andreocci Apartment Suite offers a large air-conditioned bedroom with canopy style bed along with larger en-suite bathroom. There is also a separate sitting room (with sofa-bed) and full kitchen - although breakfast and other meals are available. There is a small terrace overlooking the courtyard, lavender and rose beds along with access to gardens and the large pool.
Castelli room offers, Large bedroom with King-size bed (or arranged as twin beds if required). Castelli room has an en-suite bathroom, access to the gardens and pool. All rooms at Casa Portagioia include air conditioning, WiFi and scrumptious breakfast.
Nocci offers a Large bedroom with King-size bed (or arranged as twin beds if required). Nocci room benefits form double aspect views of the gardens, vineyards and surrounding countryside. It has an en-suite bathroom, access to the gardens and pool. All guest bedrooms at Casa Portagioia include air conditioning, WiFi and scrumptious breakfast.
Venanzi offers a large bedroom with King-size bed (or arranged as twin beds if required) with an en-suite bathroom. There is a terrace with table and chairs overlooking the lower gardens and vineyard - along with access to the main gardens and pool. All rooms at Casa Portagioia include air conditioning, WiFi and scrumptious breakfast.
Veterini, with double aspect views of the main garden and surrounding Tuscan countryside, The bedroom with King-size bed (or arranged as twin beds if required) has an en-suite bathroom, access to the gardens and pool. All rooms at Casa Portagioia include air conditioning, WiFi and scrumptious breakfast.
Springtime in Tuscany, a perfect Easter vacation. Take advantage of the low tourist season. Have more time to visit the museums of Florence, The antiques market of Arezzo, The splendour of Cortona and the tranquillity of Assisi. And, more time for Italian fashion and shopping!.
To help us celebrate a 10th year of the Travellers Choice Award - We are offering some of our rooms - the same rate as 2008!
Castiglion Fiorentino lies at the centre of a triangle formed by important cities such as Florence, Siena and Perugia. Originally an Etruscan settlement and later a medieval village, lies close to the famous Valdichiana and Cortona.
Castiglion Fiorentino also has many festivals throughout the year including the famous Palio dei Rioni (a horse race around the town – similar to the festival in Siena) which includes a colourful and energetic display of the ancient custom of flag-waving - dating back to the 13th century. Both of which are extraordinary shows not to be missed.
There are also many artisans in the town who offer unique works - from sculpture to clothing and so on. One favourite of ours from the town is the work of Edi Magi. Edi is responsible for the murals above our beds, the breakfast ware and other works here. But, she is not the only one and a trip to Castiglion Fiorentino - is worth the effort and will allow you to discover much more than the Tuscan sun..
Pienza is a small town close to Montepulciano and Siena. It is a rare example of Renaissance town building. Defined, from time to time as the "ideal city", or the "utopian city", it represents one of the best-planned Renaissance towns. It was here that Renaissance town-planning concepts were first put into practice after Pope Pius II decided, in 1459, to transform the look of his birthplace and gave it its name Pienza ("Pio's Town").
The Duomo is now suffering from serious subsidence at its eastern end. It is flooded with light from the vast stained glass windows stipulated by Pius II as he wanted to create a domus vitrea ("a house of glass"). The palazzo Piccolomini is next to the Duomo. It was home to Pius II's descendants until 1968. The apartments, which are open to the public, include Pius II's bedroom and library. At the rear of the palazzo there is an ornate arcaded courtyard with hanging baskets and a triple-tiered loggia. From here there are stunning views across to the wooded slopes of the Monte Amiata.
Anghiari is well worth visiting all year round thanks to its active cultural life. There are exhibitions, fairs, local festivals, a busy theatre program and an active interest in the conservation and re-enactment of historical and folklore traditions all contributing to the cultural life of the town. Visitors enjoy the enchanting atmosphere enhanced with fairs, markets and open-air shows and the excellent local cooking and warmth of the Anghiarese add their special taste to this superb landscape.
Anghiari is a lovely medieval town lying between two rivers, the Tiber and the Arno. The powerful thirteenth century walls made the town an invincible fortress which constituted an important reference point and kept the Tuscan flag flying during the many historical events that occurred in this delicately balanced border area. On the 29th June 1440 the famous Battle of Anghiari, which was subsequently painted by Leonardo da Vinci in Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, reaffirmed Florentine rule in Tuscany. Anghiari and its surrounding area has seen the lives and works of the greatest men of the Renaissance who brought the seeds of the modern age from the land intra Tevere et Arno to the whole of Europe.
Surrounded by castles and country churches Anghiari looks out over the beautiful High Tiber Valley landscape, a natural amphitheater filled with the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi. The countryside around Anghiari has an untouched atmosphere with ancient woods dotted with monasteries and archaeological sites. Artisan shops and the workrooms of furniture and antiques restorers enrich the small squares of the town; its towers and churches are embellished with masterpieces of painting and sculpture and there are breathtaking views and vistas to be found from every corner of the ancient town.
Cortona is now famous for "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Francis Mayes – and later , Cortona was transformed and given the Hollywood once over during the making of the film version – which included a huge set of fountains with Roman lions etc – however, don't go searching for this as it was merely something installed to make the town "more authentic"!
Cortona with its Etruscan origins is rich in art and history. The prevailing character of Cortona's architecture is medieval with steep narrow streets situated on a hillside (altitude 600 metres) providing magnificent panoramas to every point of the compass, embracing the whole of the Valdichiana.
The Museo Diocesano is home to a superb collection of paintings, including "Annunciation" and "Madonna and Saints" by Fra Angelico, and also a group of work by Giuseppe Maria Crespi known as Lo Spagnuolo called "Ecstasy of St. Margaret".
Inside the Palazzo Pretorio is the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca that displays items from Etruscan, Roman, and Egyptian civilizations and also art and artefacts from the Medieval and Renaissance eras.
Cortona has a range of restaurants catering for all tastes. We shall be pleased to offer you some advice and help you book a table.
As with most Tuscan towns the churches are magnificent and well worth a visit.
There are many galleries and museums in Florence; the most famous is Galleria dell'Accademia as it contains one of the most famous statues in the world, Michelangelo's David. Michelangelo's David originally stood in front of the Palazzo Vecchio at the beginning of the sixteenth century but in 1873 it was moved to the Galleria and was replaced by the copy, which now stands in its original location.
The De Medici family founded the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in 1581. It is one of the oldest museums in the world. Many important works of Italian and other schools, dating from between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries are on view here, including the largest collection of Tuscan Renaissance paintings. The gallery features works by Botticelli, Canaletto Michelangelo, Raffaello, and da Vinci - to name but a few.
The Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) is unique because it is the oldest surviving bridge in Florence. Originally, It was used by blacksmiths, butchers, tanners and others who used the river as sewer. Towards the end of the Renaissance period, goldsmith's and other artisans established themselves there. Ponte Vecchio is the only bridge in Florence that survived W.W.II.
There are many shops and markets in Florence some more famous than others. One worth a visit is Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella. The pharmacy dates back to the 17th century and is open to the public in its original form. When you go into the shop the aroma of the preparations, and the sight of this monumental environment immediately overwhelm you.
The famous Le Celle monastery in its beautiful surroundings behind Cortona is visited year round as the place St. Francis of Assisi lived in the 12th Century, before returning to Assisi where he died. This is thought to be the oldest monastery in the world.
Le Celle is a stunning example of a Franciscan convent set on the slopes of Monte S. Egidio, about 3 1/2 km from Cortona. Saint Francis had it built in the early 1200's. Today one can still see the cell where Saint Francis stayed.
It is the object of many tourist visits. A lot of people come to pay tribute to St Francis' cell: a narrow quadrangular room, 1.80 x 2.50 m. and only 1.90 m. high. The Saint's bed is still preserved inside, as well as an old sandglass and a copy of a painting of the Madonna and Child in front of which St. Francis used to pray. Through a small window in the wall facing the Torrent one can see the place where the cell of Beato Guido was built, which was destroyed by a serious flood.
In April, 1226, during an interval of improvement, Francis was moved to Cortona, and it is believed to have been while resting at the hermitage of the Celle there, that the saint dictated his testament, which he describes as a "reminder, a warning, and an exhortation"
Pieve S. Stefano: Town centre - general market. 08:00-12:30.
Radda in Chianti: Food market. Open in the afternoon of the fourth Monday of every month.
Anghiari: Town centre - general market. 08:00-12:30.
Sansepolcro: In the streets around the centre - food market. 08:00-13:00.
Civitella di Val di Chiana: Food market (not huge). 08:00-12:30.
Monte S.Savino: Town centre - general market. 08:00-12:30.
Lucignano: Locally produced items. 08:00-13:00.
Trequanda: Food market. Open on the first Thursday of every month.
Castiglion Fiorentino: Mixed / Locally produced items. 08:00-13:00.
Pergine Valdarno: Town centre - general market. 08:00-12:30.
Arezzo: General street market with over 100 stalls. Open in the morning.
Cortona: Locally grown fruits and vegetables. Open in the morning.
Arezzo: Every first Saturday of the month from 10.00 to 20.00 in Piazza Sant'Agostino, the organic market "Open Countryside" takes place.
Capital city of the Tuscan province, Arezzo perches on a hill, south and east of Florence, overlooking the Arno and Tiber River valleys. This geographical position has favored the development of artisans (especially gold craft) and industrial activities. The city has given birth to famous people like Petrarch, Aretino and Vasari, and has maintained an extremely interesting historical and artistic tradition since the Middle Ages. The historic center contains stupendous works of art and testimonies from every era.
Arezzo has a monthly antique market held on the first weekend of each month when hundreds of stallholders come from all over Italy and visitors crowd the streets of the ancient city center.
The Prada outlet, as it is frequently called is actually called SPACE and it is home to not only Prada. Other names such as Helmut Lang, Miu Miu and Jill Sander.
By car: take the A1 autostrada - Exit 'Valdarno', Out of the toll turn right and follow signs for 'Montevarchi' or 'Centro'. At the big round about that has an IPER - COOP supermarket exit left. Then continue towards Arezzo. Pass through Montevarchi and 'Località levanella' after the village pass a gas station and then follow signs for Space. The sign for the outlet is at a traffic light. On your left is a huge grey/white factory that is all Prada and the outlet is in the back of the main factory complex.
It is best to arrive at Prada before it opens at 9.30. At the door you take a ticket from the slim stainless steel dispenser and then retire to the very chic bar/café next door, which has an electronic number counter to let you know when it's your turn. The choicest items are always there first thing and go quickly, later in the day there can be a long wait before getting in to the out let.
Keep your ticket. Any thing you think you might want to buy you can give to a sales assistant who will store it for you whilst you rampage on to the next discovery, at the end you have a second chance to re look at every thing calmly and make your final selection.
The store is very busy during weekends, public holidays and sale periods (when the best old stock is sent to the stores) As with all outlets, it can be hit or miss, some times you will be lucky and other times you will not find any thing worth buying.
At Prada 9 times out of 10 you will be stuck for choice the 1 time you won't find a thing to buy, it depends on luck.
Opening hours: from 10 to 19 non-stop Monday to Saturday and 15-19 on Sunday.
passing the center of Leccio, The Mall will be on the left.
FENDI OUTLET - :Via Pian Dell'Isola 66/33 - Rignano sull'Arno (FI) Also houses CELINE and LOEWE.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9.00 to 19.00. Sunday 10.00 to 19.00.
To get to Fendi, D&G and Gucci, exit the A1 at Incisa and turn right. Follow the SS69. Look for a brown and yellow sign for Fendi and/or D&G on the Left. Dolce and Gabbana and Fendi are almost neighbours, on the same street despite the different ways of describing the location. To get to Gucci, continue past the turn for Fendi and D&G on the SS69 until you see signs for THE MALL.
Assisi is known as the city of Peace. Its main characteristic is its medieval structure that has remained intact over the centuries. The town sits on the slopes of Mount Subasio along overlapping natural terraces. Outstanding architecture, convenient geographical position as well as its mild and dry climate make it an ideal tourist spot all year long.
But of course, Assisi is famous all over the world, thanks to its favorite son, St. Francis. The Basilica of St. Francis houses the tomb of St. Francis and has been a popular pilgrimage destination and tourist attraction. Following the devastating earthquakes of September 1998, the basilica has been fully restored. One of the artistic highlights of the basilica are the frescoes by Giotto and other leading artists of the day. The church has three parts: Upper basilica, lower basilica and the saint's tomb.
However, Assisi is more than just the home of St Francis. A stroll through the main square, Piazza del Comune, gives an idea of this central Italian town's rich history. You will find the Roman temple of Minerva, the Roman Forum and a Romanesque tower.
Set in the green foothills of Mount Ingino, with spectacular views of the Umbrian Valley, is the ancient town of Gubbio. It is one of the most picturesque and characteristic towns, not only in Umbria but also in Italy, thanks to its nearly intact medieval features. Gubbio has a simple street plan of five parallel streets running at different levels on the slopes of the hill with interconnecting alleyways.
The buildings are mainly Romanesque in shape. An unusual aspect of the town is the so-called "Door of the Dead", a narrow pointed arch door above street level, which, according to tradition, was reserved for the passage of coffins. However, a more likely scenario is that they were used as a means of entry to their homes by way of a retractable wooden ladder thus protecting themselves during the middle ages.
The main building is the Palazzo dei Consoli, which dominates the town. There is also a Roman theatre - one of the largest surviving of its kind dating from the 1st. century A.D Besides the famous Basilica of St Ubald, there are numerous churches and museums which are well worth a visit along with various shops specialising in local art and craft. A market is held every Tuesday.
This age-old traditional event, which may well date to the pagan era, is normally held the day before the feast day of St. Ubald (16th May), patron saint of Gubbio. The Ceri are three enormous wooden statues of St. Ubald, St. George and St. Anthony. The townspeople carry statues on their shoulders as they race through the historic city centre, up to the Basilica of St. Ubald on the top of Mount Ingino. The high point of the event is the race: as the Ceraioli dash through the city streets and up the steep slope, they are accompanied by the thrilled crowd of shouting onlookers. This one-day event is one of Italy's most traditional and well-known popular/religious events.
Wine, Architecture, Festivals and More Wine!
The biggest and highest of southern Tuscany's hill towns Montepulciano has been called the "Pearl of the 1500s" thanks to the numerous works created by famous Renaissance artists.
The main square "Piazza Grande" is surrounded by magnificent buildings such as the Palazzo Pubblico, the Cathedral and several residences by Vignola, Sangallo and Peruzzi. Artistic treasures abound in the many churches. The most beautiful is the tempie of San Biagio.
Montepulciano celebrates several traditional events. Between July and August, Piazza Grande becomes a stage for concerts and for the Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte (International Arts Workshop). At the end of August the people of Montepulciano perform - the 'Bravio delle Botti', a competition between the 'contrade', the different districts of the town, where empty wine barrels are rolled up through the town in a race to Piazza Grande.
And wine is, in fact, the most famous product of the land around Montepulciano. Most of the wine cellars dug into the ground under the town are of historical interest; here visitors may take a break between one museum and another. In the 17th century, when Francesco Redi wrote his poem, Bacchus in Tuscany, he described the Noble Wine of Montepulciano as "The King of all wines." Around the area are numerous vineyards where you can taste and buy wine.
The church of San Francesco has numerous beautiful frescoes and there is a museum close by the church.
The Gothic-style municipal palace, begun in 1288 and finished in 1309, now houses the city archives, including certificates and documents designed and executed by famous Sienese artists.
The famous Piazza del Campo, where the famous Palio horse racing takes place, with its stunningly beautiful Town Hall, is a spectacular example of Renaissance art and architecture.
Siena's intimate medieval streets are lined with both local handicraft shops and some international chains.
San Gimignano - The original Manhattan!
From every angle San Gimignano's appearance is medieval. Perched on a hill with its towers and green mountains behind it offers one of the best views of the Tuscan countryside.
In addition to the churches and other buildings, another attraction of San Gimignano worth a visit is the Museum of Torture - featuring such ancient relics as a fingernail clamp and a metal pig's head which, some say, medieval women were temporarily forced to wear for nagging their husbands too much!
The medieval village of Trequanda is crowned by the remnants of the ancient Cacciaconti castle. There is also the parish church of the Saints Peter and Andrea, dating back to the 13th century. It is a beautiful Romanesque-gothic construction with a particular facade covered with white and ochre colour stones forming a geometrical chessboard pattern.
San Giovanni d'asso has a castle, which in November hosts the famous White Truffle Market.
The ancient Romanesque church of San Giovanni Battista is close to the castle, while in the lower part of the village lies the most important church in the area San Pietro in Villore.
Within the locality is the picturesque village of Montisi, with its Chiesa dell'Annunziata and its historical grain tower. Here, every year, on the Sunday nearest to the 5th of August (the Festival of the Madonna delle Nevi and a jousting contest - the "Giostra di Simone" - takes place.
The Abbey of Sant'Antimo, which is about ten minutes from Montalcino is also well worth a visit. You may be lucky and hear the monks chanting.
This festival marks the beginning of hunting season. The festival starts with trumpeters and drummers. In the afternoon, a costumed procession proceeds to the fortress where archers from the four neighbourhoods (Borghetto, Pianello, Ruga, and Travaglio) compete in an archery tournament.
The festival kicks off with a town crier who walks through the streets announcing the start of the festival to the accompaniment of drums. A dance called the Trescone is performed in the streets. Later a procession to the fortress takes pace with residents in 14th century costumes, rolling flags, trumpets and drums. This marks the beginning of the food fair, which includes typical local dishes such as polenta, pinci, bruschetta etc, as well as Brunello and Roso di Montalcino. At the fortress, the four neighbourhoods (Borghetto, Pianello, Ruga, and Travaglio) compete in an archery tournament and a torchlight procession marks the end of the festivities.
Tuscany, also famous for its wines!
Fattorie Le Capezzine, 53045 Valiano di Montepulciano.
This well-run vineyard, a 19th century farm estate owned by the Falvo brothers and their partners, offers a full range of quality whites and reds, as well as a superbly rich Vin Santo. Visits to the vineyard are free, although the proprietors stress that they prefer to receive genuine wine-enthusiasts.
The tour meanders through spacious cellars for vinification (the process of making wine), aging and storing. Don't miss the Vin Santo, unique to Tuscany, where mature white and red grapes are laid out until April on straw and cane raft shelving to air, dry and sweeten before being pressed and vinified to produce fabulous sweet wines. Also of interest is the "round vineyard," an experimental vineyard and segmental land management system.
Vineyard tours, scheduled by appointment only, are available Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wine can be bought on the estate.
A few miles northeast of Montepulciano, near the small village of Gracciano, is the modern estate of Poliziano, founded in 1961 from an original nucleus of 54 acres of vineyard. Today, the property consists of 200 acres and is among the best producers of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Owned by the Bianchi family since 1961, the elegant Monsanto estate, situated on the western side of the Chianti Classico area, offers an interesting visit to its cathedral like vaulted cellars.
The initial impact is breathtaking. Picture a 150-foot-long gallery, which has been specially designed for making sparkling wines, situated 120 feet under a hill. Continuing, one meanders through an even longer gallery with impressive rows of barrels, punctuated by niches specially built for aging bottled vintages. The atmosphere is quite medieval.
Vineyard tours should be booked in advance. They start every half hour, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m.
Just a short distance north of Siena, Dievole, owned by Mario Schwenn, a young producer with artistic flair, extends a warm welcome.
A tour of Dievole is an immersing experience into its roots, with a small museum exhibiting original land deeds, traditional farm tools and black and white prints of Dievole and the Tuscan countryside a century ago. The vineyard tour includes the fermentation room as well as the aging cellar with its vaulted ceiling, narrow passageways and rows of barrels. On the tour, you are offered wine tasting accompanied by local delicacies.
Vineyard tours are available daily from February to November, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and are (currently) free of charge.
Altesino, one of the best producers of Brunello, is off the beaten track, south of Siena on the road from Buonconvento to Montalcino. Perched on a hill opening onto a view of the gentle, rolling landscape, this small farm estate is a real jewel for the elegance of its wines and its breeding of prestigious Arabian horses. Altesino makes a variety of wines, from Brunello to a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend. The cellars are beneath the 14th century Palazzo Altesi, with the exception of the barriques, which reside in a separate temperature-controlled room.
Visitors are welcomed and shown around the estate Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m. If there's time, a taste and a chat over a glass of Brunello or Rosso di Montalcino is a fine way of mellowing into the peaceful atmosphere of Altesino.
Castello Banfi is owned by the American Mariani family. Everything here is on a vast scale, from the hundreds of acres of vineyards to the dozens of fermentation vats. Endless rows of oak barrels and casks in the aging cellar leave you speechless. Bookings for vineyard tours, held Monday to Friday from 4 to 5 p.m., are advised due to the many visitors who make the pilgrimage to this imposing estate. Make sure you visit the castello itself, especially the glass museum and the wine bar, where you can buy a bottle from the Banfi roster of wines or order a glass from a selection of 12 wines (between €3 and €6 per glass). The museum and enoteca are open weekends, although the wine cellar is closed.
Fattoria dei Barbi is one of Montalcino's oldest estates. In fact, its oldest vintage, for show only, goes back to 1892. Today, the vineyard is a well-run commercial operation, which has managed to preserve its charm.
The tour of the old cellars is well worth the visit, and your guide will regale you with fascinating anecdotes. A selection of three wines is usually available for an informal tasting after the tour at a cost of about €8 per person. The wines include a Brunello and two super Tuscan reds, Brigante dei Barbi and Brusco dei Barbi..
Basically, Tuscan wines are grouped into three categorie: IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica); DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata); DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita).
The IGT designation covers the broadest range of wines from light Sangiovese for everyday drinking to powerful, long-aging Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots. IGT is also the most flexible of the appellations in Tuscany, with very little regulation. Many of the "super Tuscans" are IGT, as it gives winemakers more freedom. The fact that many of Tuscany's greatest wines carry this lesser appellation remains an anomaly in the classification system.
DOC and DOCG wines are held to much more stringent standards. They meet government-approved specifications for a wide range of aspects, everything from the yields and alcohol levels of grapes harvested to the amount of time a wine is required to age before bottling. There is even a mandatory tasting for wines given DOC or DOCG approval.
Tuscany includes more than two dozen DOCs today. There are only five DOCGs: Brunello di Montalcino, Carmignano, Chianti, Vernaccia di San Gimignano and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Bike rental Tuscany, How to unwind - on the windy roads of Tuscany!
For many years, our guests have enjoyed exploring the Tuscan scenery and the local area. Castiglion Fiorentino and, especially our vale di Chio have many places to explore on foot, or by bike. We can arrange the rental of a high quality bike for you - either before you arrive or, whilst stayng with us. The bike rental Steels in Castiglion Fiorentino will bring the bike and safety helmets along with maps and other helpful guides to Casa Portagioia - the easy road !
An enjoyable pastime, to walk or, to ride slowly around the valley to explore its many off-road paths and treks, villages and the occasional local winery for respite.


World Data Protection and Recovery Solutions Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
April 15, 2019 Carmen JohnsonLeave a Comment on World Data Protection and Recovery Solutions Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
World Data Protection Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
April 15, 2019 Carmen JohnsonLeave a Comment on World Data Protection Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
World Data Monetization Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
April 15, 2019 Carmen JohnsonLeave a Comment on World Data Monetization Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
World Data Loss Prevention Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
April 15, 2019 Carmen JohnsonLeave a Comment on World Data Loss Prevention Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
World Data Integration Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
April 15, 2019 Carmen JohnsonLeave a Comment on World Data Integration Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
World Data Centre Fabric Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
April 15, 2019 Carmen JohnsonLeave a Comment on World Data Centre Fabric Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
World Data Center Power Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
April 15, 2019 Carmen JohnsonLeave a Comment on World Data Center Power Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
World Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit (PDU) Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
April 15, 2019 Carmen JohnsonLeave a Comment on World Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit (PDU) Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
World Data Center Cooling Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
April 15, 2019 Carmen JohnsonLeave a Comment on World Data Center Cooling Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
World Data Center Infrastructure Management Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.
April 15, 2019 Carmen JohnsonLeave a Comment on World Data Center Infrastructure Management Market New Trends, Market Segmentation, Footprint With Their Financial Condition By 2028.


text:
The Equalizer's Queen Latifah Breaks Silence On Chris Noth's Firing After Sexual Assault Allegations
Fans of The Equalizer star Chris Noth were very surprised in mid-December, when the actor was accused of sexual assault by several women, after his Sex and the City character, Mr. Big, was killed off in the premiere of the continuation series, And Just Like That… Noth was quickly removed from a future episode of that show, as well as being fired from the CBS hit, where he played the lead's trusted ally. Now, Queen Latifah has broken her silence on Noth's firing after those allegations, and admits it's a "delicate situation."
What Did Queen Latifah Say About Chris Noth's The Equalizer Firing?
Just a few days after Chris Noth was removed from a future episode of And Just That Like…, his co-stars, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon, released a joint statement saying they were "saddened" by the sexual assault claims and "commended" the women for coming forward. But, Queen Latifah, who stars on The Equalizer as Robyn McCall and worked very closely with Noth for two seasons (he portrayed Robyn's long-time friend, William Bishop) remained quiet after his late December firing from the drama.
Now, though, Queen Latifah has opened up about the situation to People, and had this to say:
It's still surreal. It is such a dicey, delicate situation that requires a great deal of respect. That's a personal thing that he's going to have to deal with.
I can only imagine that "surreal" might be the least of what Queen Latifah has been feeling since the allegations about Noth came out. While he has clearly stated that "I did not assault these women" and said that the claims were "categorically false," he has been accused of sexually assualting several women (with Law & Order guest star Zoe Lister-Jones alleging that she knew him to be "consistently sexually inappropriate"), along with a domestic abuse claim from 1995 resurfacing in the wake of the new allegations.
If reports such as the ones against Noth come out, it has to be very odd and troubling to hear those stories, especially if your interactions with that person don't line up with the claims you're now hearing. On top of that, Queen Latifah needs to be aware of how sensitive the situation is, particularly for those who've finally shared their stories. And, she does seem to be clear on that and how careful she has to be when talking about what's happened.
What Did Queen Latifah Say Will Happen To Chris Noth's Equalizer Character?
At the same time, losing Noth's character was, indeed, a blow to her series. William Bishop was an ex-CIA director who'd worked with Robyn while she was an operative for the agency, and after she became a vigilante fighting for those who can't fight for themselves, he lent her his considerable skills and connections to assist in her new missions.
It was just earlier this month that The Equalizer viewers saw what is the last of Noth's appearances on the drama, and it remains to be seen how he'll be written off permanently. Queen Latifah added:
We are figuring out what we want to do creatively on the show and how we're going to deal with that character. Chris's character's obviously a big part of the show and it was amazing chemistry, amazing chemistry. And my feeling is justice has to prevail regardless. I just want the right things to be done, you know?
There are some relatively easy avenues The Equalizer can take to keep Chris Noth out of the picture long term, but while those behind the show haven't fully decided how to handle that just yet, we do all hope, like Queen Latifah, that the right things are done in this difficult situation.
You can see how they handle Bishop's absence as The Equalizer continues, Sundays at 8 p.m. EST, with the rest of the returning TV shows.
Why the Game of Thrones Finale Is Still Inexcusably Bad, Explained
Sony's Jennifer Turner Tapped to Lead TriStar TV
They say it's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary, and that's likely particularly true if you've been denied access to those things for an extended period of time. After Britney Spears was released from the conservatorship she'd been under, the singer has been reintroducing herself to some of life's simple pleasures. Last summer Spears was super pumped about regaining the freedom to drive, and in January the "Toxic" singer documented drinking her first glass of wine in over a decade. The newlywed continued to celebrate the post-conservatorship life by sharing her first trip to a bar.
Fans of the former pop singer are accustomed to seeing Britney Spears dancing and twirling and modeling different outfits at her and Sam Asghari's new home. However, the "Toxic" singer took her followers on an exciting field trip, in which she and her assistant patronized a local drinking establishment. She shared her trip — and a sarcastic remark — on Instagram:
(Image credit: Instagram)
As she and her assistant Victoria Asher apparently enjoyed a drink and an app, Britney Spears couldn't help but throw a little shade at her family, remarking that she was "so so grateful" for not being allowed to have a cocktail for the 13 years after her father Jamie Spears took control of her life. In fact, the 40-year-old said in her post this is her first time to partake in such an adventure. In the video, she shared:
This is my first time at a bar. First time. I feel so fancy, and I feel so sophisticated.
Britney Spears definitely deserves to enjoy all of the fancy and sophisticated things in life. It was a lot more than the keys to the car and a glass of wine that were denied Britney for those 13 years. She's compared her Jamie's Spears' treatment of her to sex trafficking, saying she was forced to work against her will seven days a week with no days off. She testified that she was not allowed to get married or remove her IUD to try to have another baby.
She also said she was not allowed to perform new music or remix her old songs, and it seems like that's another freedom she's taking back. It's been reported that the "Baby One More Time" singer met with Elton John to do a duet of "Tiny Dancer in a "super secret" recording session. Her new husband Sam Asghari also has hinted that his wife hopes to return to performing at some point.
Speaking of Sam Asghari, the end of the conservatorship meant that Britney Spears was finally allowed to marry her longtime boyfriend, who proposed in September 2021. Spears and Asghari tied the knot in a fairytale wedding June 9, in front of friends including Paris Hilton, Drew Barrymore and Madonna, before embarking on a two-week yacht honeymoon. The free life certainly looks good on the former pop star, and even as the court battles related to Spears' conservatorship continue, we love to see her taking full advantage of her freedom.
Sure, they may have eaten a person back in the day. But there are some things the grown women of Yellowjackets just wouldn't do. On this, the actresses who play them — Tawny Cypress, Juliette Lewis, Melanie Lynskey and Christina Ricci — agree, as they gather in a backyard in L.A.'s Topanga Canyon in late July, just a few weeks before they start filming the second season of their breakout show.
The Showtime survival thriller, created and executive produced by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, earned seven Emmy nominations, including outstanding drama series and acting nominations for Lynskey and Ricci. The Yellowjackets storyline alternates between 1996 and the present day as it follows members of a high school girls soccer team whose plane crashes and strands them for 19 months in the wilderness, where they resort to cannibalism to survive.
Part of the show's nostalgic appeal relies on its casting of these actresses, three of whom audiences knew as young women for their slyly offbeat roles in films like The Addams Family (Ricci), Cape Fear (Lewis) and Heavenly Creatures (Lynskey), to play the crash survivors as adults. In this conversation with THR, Cypress, Lewis, Lynskey and Ricci disclose their '90s regrets, share what it means when you call an actress "quirky" and reveal how survival bonds women — including in the trenches of Hollywood.
Who here knew each other before the show?
MELANIE LYNSKEY (Points to Christina Ricci.) We knew each other a little bit. I went to a Nick Cave concert by myself, and Christina came up and —
CHRISTINA RICCI I was very excited to see you.
LYNSKEY So excited. We were having a lovely chat, and then she's like, "Are you here by yourself?" She's the coolest person of all time, and I was intimidated. I just felt embarrassed to say, "I've come to a concert by myself." I was like 24 or something.
RICCI I was impressed because I couldn't go anywhere by myself.
LYNSKEY I also went to see Clay Aiken by myself because nobody would come with me.
It's surprising that none of you had worked together over the years.
JULIETTE LEWIS It's wild when you've been around so long, and you sort of have a kindred connection to people. There's certain actors you're like, "Mmm, we're not of the same tree," and then there's other actors you're like, "Oh, yeah. We have some roots."
Juliette, Melanie and Christina, all three of your Wikipedia entries say some version of, "Often plays quirky or offbeat characters." What do those words mean to you?
LEWIS Real people, specific and unpredictable.
LYNSKEY I remember I got cast in a movie when I was like 21, and the description of the character before I auditioned was "Blah, blah, blah, the beautiful girl who sits next to him in school." Then, at the table read, it had been changed to "Blah, blah, blah, cute and quirky." I was like, "You don't need to change it. Just keep it …" They're like, "We better change this description or people will be like, wrong actress." So, sometimes it feels … I don't know. I never liked that word, "quirky."
RICCI When you say that all of us had this description, that to me speaks to a past time, when, if you weren't the leading-lady ingenue then you were quirky and offbeat. All right, so there's two groups for actresses? In a way, I'm fine with being in the category I'm in because what it means to me is that I have made an effort in my career to do things that I feel like I haven't seen before. So, in some ways, I like it. In other ways, I'm like, "Ugh." It's a little dismissive. A little cute and dismissive.
LEWIS We come from the '90s where, when I had blond hair, I was the pretty airhead, and then I dyed my hair dark, and I was the wisecracking, sarcastic girl. But yeah, I think it's really neat that we've all carved this path of range and specificity.
Isn't another term for that "character actor"?
RICCI But "character actress" used to be something they used to describe an ugly woman.
TAWNY CYPRESS Or Abe Vigoda.
RICCI Back in the late '90s, my agents were always like, "We have to be so careful you don't become a character actress. If we're not careful, you're going to end up just like Jennifer Jason Leigh." I was like, "I like her." They were so afraid of me not being a leading lady, of me not being sexually attractive to people. It was really the last thing I ever wanted, was for anyone to be attracted to me.
LEWIS My dad was a character actor. So to me, it was something that was super noble. It was a world of adventure and not limiting. I rebelled against the system, the PR system of being in some bizarre idea of beauty. I really revolted against that, for better or for worse. Crying in a bathroom at a photo shoot, like, "I won't come out." They want these doe-eyed looks. That's for sure what I didn't do in pictures, so I always looked slightly insane, which I prefer over, like, "Do you want to fuck me?"
Tawny, what was your sense of what the expectations were for you when you were starting out?
CYPRESS I've had a different row to hoe. I've spent my whole career doing shitty roles of the sassy one on the side. Honestly, growing up as an actor, I wanted to be an ingenue.
LEWIS Isn't that funny? And I wanted to be sassy and opinionated.
CYPRESS I couldn't be an ingenue. I just couldn't. It's just not in me, you know? I was never presented with those roles, ever, and I was like, "Oh, OK. That's not who I am." I sort of, growing older, have embraced my Jersey side, and I am who I am, and this is what you get.
LYNSKEY I started calling myself a character actor in interviews when I was really young because I think it was reclaiming the term or something. I think I just was like, "That's what I am." My agents had all that kind of intensity around it, too. I remember when I did Coyote Ugly —
RICCI Oh my God, you got a piece in that? I went up for that, and I didn't get it.
CYPRESS I did too.
LYNSKEY I played the best friend from Jersey. But the scrutiny that was on Piper [Perabo], who's one of the coolest, smartest women, just the way people were talking about her body, talking about her appearance, focusing on what she was eating. All the girls had this regimen they had to go on. It was ridiculous. I was already starving myself and as thin as I could possibly be for this body, and I was still a [size] four. That was already people putting a lot of Spanx on me in wardrobe fittings and being very disappointed when they saw me, the costume designer being like, "Nobody told me there would be girls like you." Really intense feedback about my physicality, my body, people doing my makeup and being like, "I'm just going to help you out by giving you a bit more of a jawline and stuff." Just the feedback was constantly like, "You're not beautiful. You're not beautiful." In your early 20s, so much of it is about beauty, and how people respond to you, and do people want to fuck you? Do people think you're their best friend? Even the best friend thing, I started to be like, "I don't want to do that too many times."
Did you have to unlearn anything that people tried to teach you when you were starting out?
LEWIS I had developed such a survival mechanism to protect my autonomy, sort of, "You don't own me. You don't tell me my value. Only I do." I was extremely self-critical — it still happens — of my work. It's almost like a defense mechanism that no one could talk shit about me more than I can. There's all these things that are wrapped up in how to survive a system. That's what I'm unlearning today — to be softer. This is a really remarkable industry to be a part of. I feel honored to be a part of it and what it gave me, but I do still hold on to what it took from me in my youth.
Given what you all experienced coming into the industry, do you feel at all protective of the younger actresses who play the younger versions of your characters?
LYNSKEY (Begins to cry.) So much. I feel very protective. At the beginning of production, I sent them all an email, and I just was like, "Whatever you need, if you need a voice, if you need someone to go to the producers for you, whatever you need," and they were kind of like, "Cool. Thanks." They're fine.
CYPRESS Totally fine. Jas [Jasmin Savoy Brown] was a boss on set. She's like, "This is how we're doing my hair. This is what we're doing."
RICCI They're very much of a different generation.
CYPRESS I am protective of Jas in the fact that she is so sexually positive, which I love. She has taught me so much, just knowing her as a person. But I'm like a mama bear to her, or a big sister. I'm like, "What are you putting online right now?" She's like, "Whatever. Whatever. This is life, man. I love myself." I'm protective, but I'm also in awe of her, you know?
LEWIS But there is a thing I always want to say to young people: Cultivate other interests deeply so that you're not getting all your life's blood from this industry, or your self-worth.
Is there anything you miss about the '90s?
LYNSKEY I have a lot of love letters from the '90s.
RICCI Someone used to fax me love letters when he was on tour. I did not save them. I throw everything out. I had a specific thing when I was a child, that we would be punished by the things that we loved being destroyed. My husband, who is a much healthier individual, has gone back and found all my old magazine covers on Etsy because he thinks it's horrible that I never saved them. As a child, I learned that this is going to be taken from me, so why save it anyway?
LYNSKEY That's heartbreaking. Well, I saved everything because I'm basically an emotional hoarder. I have this literal suitcase, an old-fashioned suitcase.
RICCI This is very dark, but I would just like to go back to that age and do it over again and not make so many fucking mistakes. Honestly, I regret so much.
CYPRESS Me too. One thousand percent.
LEWIS Me too.
RICCI I'd like to go back to 1996 and be like, "All right … we had a practice run. It went OK, but it wasn't really as great as we wanted it to be. We're going to do this again." People who are like, "I have no regrets." What fucking magic life did you live?
LEWIS Where they go, "I don't regret anything because that led up to this moment." Really? The thing that could've put my dad in an early grave, I fucking regret it. Yes. I was very scary as a young teenage person.
CYPRESS Yeah. I hurt a lot of people growing up, and I wish that I didn't. I was going through my memory box. It was my great-great-grandmother's she brought over from Hungary. It's huge, and it's filled to the brim with everything from my life. I came across a note from high school. It was my first gay friend, and it broke my heart because he was like, "I want to thank you for not talking to me anymore and just cutting me off the way that you did. It made it hurt less." I literally was crying, and I had to call him and be like, "I just came across this note, and I'm so sorry that I was that person to you." When I think back, I think how wonderful our relationship was, but I was a shit, you know? I would definitely do so many things differently.
LEWIS I've had those moments where I turned into … Because I've been bullied, but when I was 11 and got in a fight with a girl, I was mean [the same way] how a girl was mean to me. I was really vicious.
LYNSKEY I think people without regrets are narcissists. I think they're lying to themselves.
RICCI Denial is the only way to get up that river.
What did you all feel when you learned that Roe v. Wade was overturned?
RICCI It's really horrible to be told so plainly what your value is.
LEWIS I wish the two factions can talk, like, "Hey, what do you do with a bad situation, poverty and drug addiction, and rape?" You have to have an option that is salvageable or is sustainable for the survival of a person, a woman who's living.
CYPRESS I don't really give a shit what your reason to have an abortion is. It's your fucking body. I don't really fucking care. You don't want to be a mom, right? That's your fucking decision. Look, we can put morals on it and say, "Well, only when you're raped, or only if it's …" It's like no, dude. It's either in or out. We're either telling women what to do with their bodies or we let them have their own choice. I am of the mind, choice. I'm not going to judge you for making that decision.
LYNSKEY And there seems to be this general lack of compassion and empathy that's just growing and growing. There's so much hatred, and people are unable to look at another person's life and go, "Oh, you know, that's an untenable situation," or even, "That's a difficult situation." There's no grace given to anybody else. There's no empathy. You don't get to make decisions for somebody else. You don't know what's right for them.
Is there a place for TV and film in that conversation?
CYPRESS I mean, that's what TV and film do. That's what art is. On Yellowjackets, let's talk about Shauna's baby in the woods, you know? Yeah. I think we have a lot of room to speak on this subject, and I hope we do.
Did anybody have their kids on set for season one?
LYNSKEY (Points to Ricci.) We did.
RICCI And I was pregnant. I didn't tell anyone but these ladies that I was pregnant for six months. When we started, I was six weeks pregnant. It was difficult. There were so many times where I was like, "Ooh, when they find out I'm pregnant, and they made me sit in this smoky room all day. When they realize that they made me stand for eight hours, and I'm pregnant, and I have this horrible sciatica, and it's 100 degrees, oh, they're going to feel so bad." They didn't feel bad at all. But anyway, it was fine. In fact, it would've been helpful if I was playing a more emotional character because I can give a real good performance when I'm pregnant, real emo.
How would you finish the sentence, "Yellowjackets is really about …"?
CYPRESS Women. PTSD.
LYNSKEY Trauma.
CYPRESS Friendship.
RICCI Haunting, the way trauma haunts you. The way you can never escape. The way it twists people in different ways.
LEWIS Aberrant survival tactics.
We know that these characters have done a bunch of aberrant things, as you say, including cannibalism. But do you have in your mind an idea that, "OK, she may have eaten another human being, but she would never do this"?
RICCI I know when they confront me because I'm like, "OK, she wouldn't do that." Misty wouldn't drink that drink. Originally, in the script, she was drinking a Brandy Alexander, and I said, "No, Misty would drink a chocolate martini." I have rules and stuff for her in my head, and they do conflict with the writers sometimes. I don't think she actually is interested in men, at all. I think she does it because she's bored, or because she thinks that's what she's supposed to do. Then, she's also realized that she can have a lot of fun trying to trick them into having sex with her when they don't want to. It's like men will kind of know that you don't want to have sex with them, but if they can get you to have sex with them, they won.
LEWIS It's a power thing.
RICCI Misty's way of doing it is through this really horrible manipulation, making him feel guilty and having sex with her while feeling guilty, which would be a terrible experience.
When you have a different perspective on your character than the writers, what do you do?
RICCI That's part of the thing with TV that I've learned now, being involved in a production but not being one of the EPs, so you aren't a part of creating what people do. "OK, they wrote this scene. I have to play this scene. If she was in this situation, how the fuck would she be in this situation, and why would she be?" Then, you don't have to tell other people what you come up with. They can find out about it later when you do press.
Does anybody else have a line in their mind that their character wouldn't cross?
LYNSKEY I had one. There was something written into a script where I was going on a date with my lover, and they had me going into my daughter's bedroom and taking her underwear, which was just not practical because I wouldn't fit it. She's little. But also, ew. I think there was something, apparently, somewhere, people liked the thing in the pilot where I'm masturbating in my daughter's bedroom. I was like, "Can that just be an isolated incident? I don't want it to be a theme." So I just was like, "I don't want to do that." They were great about it.
LEWIS It comes, I think, with experience and respect, that they appreciate if you have a point of view. I have an "anything goes" stamp on me, which they all know. But I have strong ideas, especially about my trajectory in midlife. I've looked at Natural Born Killers recently, and I'm like, "Jesus." Thank goodness I had a partner like Woody Harrelson, but it is so sexual. No one forced me into that. I was a young nihilist who didn't give a fuck, and I felt comfortable with Woody, and I liked the material. But nowadays, I'm very particular. So, they had written a sex scene, and I was like, "I don't know. I don't know that she even gets off. I don't know that she even can have orgasms." That's how deep I went. So it was more like, is she doing something to get something? At the end of the day, I just didn't even think she fucks, sorry to be so graphic, at this juncture that you saw in season one. I think she might've had relationships with all of them in the wilderness. I don't know if they're going to write it, but that's what I'd like to think of Natalie.
LYNSKEY That's what I think too.
RICCI What? I never thought of that. Who would they be making out with? I guess each other.
The finale hints that there may be additional Yellowjackets who survived into adulthood. Have actors been cast for those roles?
LEWIS Wait, Melanie, didn't you say that on our chain, that someone we like is cast to be … (At this point there is meaningful eye contact among the four women.)
RICCI We don't know for sure. That's what we've heard was close to happening.
LYNSKEY We don't know anything.
On season one, you were making this show under the radar. Now there's so much fan speculation. Does that change the way you approach the work?
RICCI There's more pressure going into season two.
CYPRESS Have you guys also had that feeling of like, "Can I do this? Is it going to be good, the second season? Am I going to fuck this character up?"
LYNSKEY I have those fears.
RICCI Me too, but because TV is so fast, and you have so little time with the information, the process of talking about the show afterward helps you to evolve your take on your character. To understand things that were intended with the character that maybe weren't clear originally because you get to hear the EPs talk about it. I'm going to make changes in the next season based on what I have come to realize through all this talking.
Like what?
RICCI Well, that's a secret.
How much do you want to know about the path that your character is on?
CYPRESS Fuck, I want to know everything. I sit there, and when I think about the show, I think, "What the fuck are they going to do with this character?" There's so many different parts to her right now. The dog thing. She's now a senator. There may be an old love coming back, you know? I'm like, "How are they going to do this?" I just want to know.
LYNSKEY Now you're a full-time dog killer.
RICCI I didn't even know that you were supposed to be the one that killed the dog.
CYPRESS What?
RICCI I thought, "Oh, well maybe somebody broke in."
LYNSKEY That could still be, right?
CYPRESS Wait, give me more to think about.
So you don't go to the writers and say, "To be clear, did I kill the dog?"
CYPRESS Oh, we do. They just say, "Mmm."
RICCI "We don't know."
CYPRESS But they do know.
RICCI I don't think they're trying to control us with no information or anything. Sometimes, they don't want to commit to something that hasn't been necessarily set in stone. I do find it frustrating to not know, and we're never able to know fully. I have decided to learn how to function with knowing nothing.
Interview edited for length and clarity.
This story first appeared in the Aug. 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Shockwaves from Warner Bros.'s cancelation of Batgirl have had many fans questioning the possibility of other DC-connected projects following suit. Amid outcries from fans of Batgirl, Michael Keaton, Brendan Fraser, and even Snyderverse fans who are always eager to picket Warner Bros., Peacemaker fans started asking James Gunn whether there was any possibility that his DC work was going to suffer amid the company's cost-cutting exercise. Ironically, considering the history that led James Gunn to work with DCEU characters, it seems that the director and his shows are the only ones who are "safe."
What seems like a lifetime ago, James Gunn was all set to start work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for Disney and Marvel Studios when some old Twitter posts led to him being unceremoniously sacked. By the time Disney backtracked on their firing, Gunn was already committed to directing The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros., which is why Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has taken so long to arrive. Now, during all the chaos at Warner Bros., it appears that Gunn is not worried at all about the second season of Peacemaker getting the ax. When asked if the show was safe, Gunn simply replied:
"Yes, guys, calm down."
That is a relief for fans of the small sub-universe Gunn is building inside the DCEU, which along with The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, is set to include at least another unannounced project and be linked to the Amanda Waller series that is in development. At least that side of the franchise doesn't appear to be going anywhere.
Related: Peacemaker: Will More Suicide Squad Members Appear in Season 2?
Is Warner Bros. Still Planning on Rebooting The DCEU?
There have been rumors of a "soft-reboot" coming to the DCEU for a long time, and while it seems at times like Warner Bros. is heading in that direction, they have constantly denied any such intention. During San Diego Comic-Con, the entire focus of the Warner Bros. live-action DC panel was on Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Both of these movies have their small links to the wider DCEU, and once again, Warner Bros. seemed to be causing confusion by including a Justice League montage within the Shazam sequel while at the same time professing that they are not revisiting that particular DCEU set up in any way.
One thing clear from Dwayne Johnson's appearance at SDCC is that he believes that Black Adam is setting the tone for a new DCEU, and based on everything else that is happening, he could be right. While there is no way of telling exactly where the franchise will be heading beyond The Flash in 2023, with new additional entries like Wonder Woman 3 constantly being stuck in limbo, it has been made clear that some big changes are being made in regards to the DCEU and fans will be hoping that those changes bring some kind of consistency to the franchise before it ends up crashing down around itself.
Streaming News9 months ago

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Okay, maybe I'm just getting older, but two things struck me as I watched the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Sunday evening.
One, I had totally forgotten (i.e., never even occurred to me) that this was not, in fact, the first event of the 2019 PGA Tour "season". Not that I care in the slightest. And two, watching the golf – despite a final-hole finish and a remarkable final-round score by the winner, Xander Schauffele – was really, REALLY boring.
All my life, I've defended golf as a TV and spectator sport, against the infidels who've derided the game as the equivalent of watching a turtle cross a country road.
"Appreciate the artistry of the golf swing, you cretins," I've said. "The drama is more subtle, yes, but equally as visceral," I've protested, pretending to know what "visceral" means. "Behold the beauty of the landscape, the tactical imposition of the forestation, the challenge of the angles, the mounds, and contours of the greens," I've suggested. "Empathize with the pressure on the players as they examine and calculate not only the physicality of the playing ground, but the intensity of the competition, and the very real possibility of sabotage at the hand of their own nervous systems," I've insisted.
All of which was, and remains, valid. But it still doesn't overcome the fact that, with today's game, it all adds up to: boooorrrrring!
First, as mentioned at the outset, I'm getting old and cranky ("getting??!" says my wife, on the sofa), which really means, I guess, that I've watched hundreds of golf tournaments, on TV and in person, and they've begun to generate a feeling of "bindare, dundat", for me at least.
Secondly, and I've made this point before, but all the golf networks persist in plunking old white men into the booth and onto the course to provide the commentary and colour. And like me, these guys have lost the shuffle in their step, as it were. The hoist in their petard. Is there no one in the land under age 40, and with perhaps a dash of non-Caucasian perspective, who can walk a golf course, or who can say something interesting and even controversial, while seated? I could swear I heard a snort from Frank Nobilo in the anchor booth, while his partner Rich Lerner was foaming at the mouth about something or other; a snort identical to the ones I make when I nod off at my desk in the afternoon, generating a violent head-snap.
The highlight of the broadcast for me was at the very end, when old white "Bones" Mackay (Phil's retired caddie) stated emphatically in his now-familiar whisper-talk, that Gary Woodland's crucial tie-inducing final 8-footer would break just a bit to the left at the end. I don't know if Bones had quietly mentioned this to Woodland just before the guy made the stroke, but the putt veered perceptibly two inches to the right as it neared its target. Game, set, match to Mr. Schauffele!
Third, I think the spectator aspect of the game is really suffering because the professional golfers today are all just too damn good. And that's good for them, but bad for us. For those like me who used to enjoy seeing the occasional duck, banana, shank, squib, skull and chunk during a broadcast, there's nothing we can sink our teeth into any more. Yes, I'm happy to witness the occasional 280-yard four-iron nestle up near the pin but watching lawn darts hit the bulls-eye for three or four hours is surprisingly wearing on the alert-button. And the game these guys play now is so foreign to the game I play, and frankly estranged from the game that even Jack and Arnie and Gary and Lee played 50 years ago, that it has very little relevance or resonance to the real world. And THAT was what made golf so enjoyable and watchable all those years.
Besides, no one hitches up their pants like Arnie did, and makes a charge (Schauffele's round yesterday notwithstanding). They don't need to. They know that par's a dead-cert, and birdie is almost a given. No one scowls like Jack did, especially after a chunked wedge. Chunk? What's that, say today's robo-chippers. No one stares through your soul like Ray Floyd, boring through your sub-conscious like Darth Vader standing in front of your car at a stoplight. No one hurls a rubber snake at you, before slicing and dicing you in a playoff, like Trevino did.
As good as Tiger was, and certainly good for the TV ratings, the sad part is that Tiger spawned a generation of physical and verbal automatons. I watch today and I'm reminded of the lyrics to the oh-so-memorable theme song of the Patty Duke Show in the 1960s, in which Patty played herself twice over as twins: "they laugh alike, they walk alike, at times they even talk alike… you can lose your mind, when two cousins are two of a kind." That pretty much sums up today's players and their games.


text:
Jul 29, 2009 9:19 AMPublication: The Southampton Press
Water Mill residents oppose 77-foot-tall cell tower
> More residents oppose the Water Mill cell phone tower Sep 2, 2009 1:26 PM
Jul 29, 2009 9:19 AM
By Jessica DiNapoli
Water Mill residents showed up en masse at last week's Southampton Town Planning Board meeting to voice opposition to a proposed 77-foot-tall cell phone tower on Montauk Highway, arguing that the structure would ruin the landscape and lower property values.
Omnipoint Communication, which owns cell phone carrier T-Mobile, wants to construct the tower on a property of approximately 1 acre on Montauk Highway that is currently zoned for residential use. The company needs to secure a special exception permit from the Planning Board to move forward with the proposed tower, according to town planner Claire Vail, who is handling the application.
Ver Der Ber Landscape Nursery, which has offices in Aquebogue, owns the property in question and is currently using it as farmland, Ms. Vail said. Under the proposed agreement, Omnipoint Communication would lease the property.
During the Planning Board meeting held last Thursday, July 23, nearly two dozen people, including neighbors of the parcel that is owned by the nursery, said the addition of a cell phone tower would create a visual obstruction affecting the entire hamlet of Water Mill.
"My view is farmlands and vineyards," said Frank Keenan, a Water Mill resident. "I see deer feasting on leaves, and I don't want to see a 77-foot tower.
"I hope that the Planning Board will continue to preserve farmland," he added.
At the close of the nearly two-hour-long discussion on the tower last week, the Planning Board decided to hold open the public hearing on the application. It is now scheduled to be discussed again during the board's August 27 meeting. Concerned residents can submit written comments to the town prior to that meeting.
Representatives of Ver Der Ber Landscape Nursery did not return calls this week.
If constructed, the cell phone tower would be visible from the intersection of County Road 39 and Montauk Highway, and from Fairbanks Court and Mill Farm Lane in Water Mill, said Donna Stipo, a consultant with DMS Consulting Services of New Jersey, which specializes in examining the visual impact of cell phone towers.
Ms. Stipo said that camouflaging the tower would be difficult because Water Mill is very flat. Also, there are few tall buildings in the area suitable for affixing antennas to, she said.
Omnipoint Communication hired Ms. Stipo to complete a study on how the tower would look. In order to make that determination, Ms. Stipo's firm placed a 77-foot-tall crane on the property in December and took pictures of it from different nearby streets. Ms. Stipo explained that she conducted the study in December because that is when the proposed tower would be most visible because nearby trees would be bare.
Bill Marlow, a resident of Water Mill, said the tower would spoil one of Long Island's most scenic areas.
"I think of the intersection of County Road 39 and Montauk Highway as the beginning of the East End of the South Fork," Mr. Marlow said. "Visitors to the East End of the South Fork do not need to see this monument."
Rachel Verno, chairwoman of the Water Mill Citizens Advisory Committee, also expressed displeasure with the proposed tower and said it does not adhere to the town code. She said the code requires that new structures have a height within 10 feet of surrounding buildings' heights.
"This will be a visible nightmare and will have a negative impact on the neighborhood," Ms. Verno said. "This is not consistent with the neighborhood."
David Bradley, a real estate specialist hired by Omnipoint Communication, said the structure would not harm property values in Water Mill. He noted that there is a taller, more visually obstructive cell phone tower in Bridgehampton that did not lower property values in that hamlet.
Rhoan Gordon, an engineer working on the Water Mill project, explained that the proposed cell phone tower would help improve T-Mobile's coverage on the East End.
"Right now, there is a significant gap, or service drop, at 75 Montauk Highway," said Mr. Gordon, referring to the address where the company wants to construct the tower. "We determined the gap by using software and having users go through the area."
But several people attending last week's meeting said they use other cell phone providers and would not benefit from the structure.
"No one on the South Fork will buy a T-Mobile phone if the tower goes up," said Mr. Marlow.
Planning Board member Jacqui Lofaro asked Mr. Gordon if he had considered reducing the size of the tower. He responded that if the tower is lower than 77 feet, a second tower would have to be installed somewhere else in Water Mill to close coverage gaps.
Others at the meeting said they were concerned about how the tower could affect their health. Linda McLane-Euell, whose home is located across the street from the proposed location of the tower and also owns 4 acres in Water Mill, stated that some education officials in Los Angeles have forbidden cell phone towers from being affixed to their schools because they could potentially harm students. "They don't allow poles because of health hazards," said Ms. McLane-Euell, noting that 13 generations of her family have lived on the East End. "I hope that the town does the right thing for the residents."
I for one am opposed to this tower! Unless it's gonna boost my AT&T signal, in which case I'm all for it! ;-)
By Agawam Yacht Club (69), Southampton on Jul 24, 09 2:38 PM
When did the word 'stealth' become a verb? Why of course - when it was needed to say something untrue! 'Stealthing' a cellphone tower is a euphemism for 'utterly failing to disguise a vast and unmissable eyesore'.
By nutbeem (27), Westhampton on Jul 24, 09 5:01 PM
NIMBY's at it again. If you don't want the cell phone tower in your backyard, are you willing to give up your cell phone? I thought not, nothing but a bunch of whining hypocrits.
By Walt (292), Southampton on Jul 25, 09 1:47 PM
Maybe these homeowners could use stealth to make there houses look like farm fields. Then we could enjoy the view we had before their homes were built.
By Bandguy (23), Sag Harbor on Jul 26, 09 8:43 PM
bb, AndersEn, linative
I agree with Bandguy, no body complained when they built thier houses which by the way provided no public benefit to the community. Remeber this the next time you are trying to talk your husband, wife, son or daughter thru an emergency and get a dropped call. There are towers in all of our communities not just Water Mill.
By Born in EQ Local (8), East Quogue on Jul 27, 09 9:43 PM
The planning board strikes again. They ignore the citizens of Southampton Town. If you are unhappy with them, use your VOTE in November for change.
By Bob Whyte (48), Hampton Bays on Jul 28, 09 9:17 AM
Parisienes were aghast when the Eiffel Tower was first erected. But, in time, it became the beloved symbol of their city internationally. I suggest that the people of Water Mill and Omnipotent Communications collaborate to erect a tower that will be a cynosure for the entire East End. One pictures an enormous seventy-seven foot tall sunflower with verdant green foliage and a twelve foot diameter yellow flower that follows the sun from dawn to dusk. But this is only one idea. I am sure that ...more creative Water Mill residents can think of others equally captivating.
By highhatsize (4217), East Quogue on Jul 30, 09 10:09 PM


Do you speak Cantonese? Are you looking for a exciting new career, Frank Recruitment Group have exactly what you need.
We are currently looking for multiple Cantonese Speaking Recruitment Consultants to work with our Singapore team.
We are hiring for Cantonese Speaking Entry Level positions to work with our lucrative and rapidly growing recruitment team in Singapore. If you're a Cantonese speaker looking for a exciting new career, Frank Recruitment Group the opportunity you need.
If you're a Cantonese speaker looking for a new challenge in your career, Frank Recruitment Group have exactly what you want.
If you're a Danish speaker looking for a new challenge in your career, Frank Recruitment Group have exactly what you need. We are recruiting multiple Danish Speaking Recruitment Consultants to work with our lucrative London team.
We are now hiring recruitment consultants for our Singapore office. Our growing recruitment group is seeking out financially driven candidates with a desire to succeed. Find out more and apply now.
Frank Recruitment Group is looking for a German speaking Team Leader to join the Berlin office. Apply today to join our global recruitment business.
We are currently looking for Full Desk Recruitment Consultant to join our recruitment teams in our office in Philadelphia!
If you are a seeking a new challenge in your career, Frank Recruitment Group has exactly what you're looking for. We are currently seeking multiple Trainee Recruitment Consultants to join the highly lucrative team based in our Singapore office.


text:
Attackers call Jewish men 'dirty Jews,' punch victim for wearing IDF sweatshirt in Brooklyn
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday called the attack "abhorrent and unacceptable," adding that "anti-Semitism and all hate has no home in New York."
Still shots from video footage of the assailant in an anti-Semitic attack in New York City in December 2021. Source: NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force.
(December 29, 2021 / JNS) The Anti-Defamation League is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man who the New York City Police Department says punched a Jewish man in the face multiple times on Sunday morning.
Blake Zavadsky, 21, was wearing a sweatshirt with the Israel Defense Forces emblem on it at the time of the attack.
"We are outraged by this brazen attack and urge anyone with information to come forward. We hope this reward helps send a clear and unequivocal message that crimes like these are unacceptable and have consequences," the New York/New Jersey ADL said in a release.
On Sunday morning, Zavadsky and Ilan Kaganovich, also 21, were at a Foot Locker store in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn when they were approached by two assailants, they told the New York Post.
"They asked us what we were doing in their neighborhood. They called us 'dirty Jews,' " Zavadsky recalled.
Zavadsky, who was wearing the IDF sweatshirt, said, "The one who punched me said if I don't take my sweatshirt off, he's going to rock me." The same man also allegedly told them, "How can you support these dirty Jews?"
Zavadsky was allegedly punched in the face twice by one of the men, who also spilled iced coffee on him when he didn't take off the sweatshirt. The attackers threatened to harm Kaganovich if he intervened and bystanders did not try to help the victims, according to the Jewish men.
"I can't believe this happened," said Kaganovich. "We should be able to wear whatever we want to wear. Blake and I are Jewish — we should support Israel without it being a problem."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday called the attack "abhorrent and unacceptable," adding that "anti-Semitism and all hate has no home in New York," while the city's mayor Bill De Blasio tweeted "anti-Semitism anywhere is an attack on our city."
The NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the crime, and has released photos and video footage of Zavadsky's attacker.
Zavadsky told the New York Post he will continue wearing his IDF hoodie in public because "you can't be scared to walk outside and say you're Jewish. You have to be proud of who you are and stand up for what you believe — and not be intimidated."
In the wake of the anti-Semitic attack, people are being encouraged to show their support by posting photos of themselves online in their IDF shirts as part of the "#IDFshirtchallenge" social media campaign.


According to the recent report published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), UK, the price of farmland near Slough continues to rise as demand outstrips supply.
In the North-East alone farmland sales prices have risen on the first quarter of the year at an average of �2,650 an acre to �2,125 an acre.
Demand for commercial farmland has increased in the first quarter of the current at a swift rate since the RICS began the land price survey back in 1999.
The farm land sale in North East of UK, particularly near Slough is reaching an upward growth. An important fact to note is that the buyers are not particularly farmers but individual investors and developers.
Land as a whole is very difficult to own in the UK. In such a scenario one can find more available farm land for sale than any other type of land. This has resulted in people opting for more farmlands even if they do not intend to farm. One can find farmland in North East and particularly in Slough being traded at an enormous quantity be it in small plots or large plots.
A recent research report shows that in 2001 UK population grew by 236,800, in 2002 by a further 215,000, and growth from mid-2002 to mid-2003 was 232,100. The UK as a whole would need over seven million more houses over the next six decades � an increase of 28 per cent in the housing stock compared with 2006. This is equivalent to more than twice the number of houses in London in 2003 and 163 times the number in Slough.
With the ever increasing head count, the demand for space to dwell is increasing. Farm lands can provide a definitive answer to meet the growing requirements.


Another car comes up the snow-covered road in one direction. A big truck appears in the other. The second car skids, and the truck swerves to avoid it–and crashes into the station wagon, propelling it into the sign.
The husband in the phone booth can only look on, horrified and helpless as the people most dear to him are killed.
Just over a year later, the man, whose name is John Russell, packs up everything in the apartment where he and his family used to live, and moves to Seattle. There, he tells his welcoming friends how long it took before he could believe that his wife and child were gone, and then he couldn't stop saying "They're gone" for several months more. It's a heartbreaking but entirely convincing portrayal of overwhelming grief after a tragedy. The conversation also establishes that Russell is a well-known composer and an alumnus of the Seattle university where he's accepted a position to teach advanced music theory.
His friends invite him to stay with them for as long as he likes, but Russell looks at their daughters, the elder of whom resembles his own recently deceased little girl, and gracefully declines. He says that he'd like to rent or buy a house for himself where he can work on his music. They suggest that he contact a friend of theirs at the local historical society.
Russell does so, and a woman from the historical society named Claire Norman (Trish van der Vere, who was married to Scott in real life) shows him a beautiful but neglected late-Victorian home called the Chessman House. No one has lived there in 12 years, but Claire thinks that it's just the place for John Russell; there's a music room with a piano.
The terms must've been be agreeable, since we cut from this question to a cleaning lady polishing the dining-room table, a handyman putting books on the study shelves, and John Russell playing his new piano.
Well, old piano. One of the keys sticks. But when he's called away for a few minutes to deal with some business involving the house's restoration to a habitable condition, the key depresses by itself, and an ominous, vibrating tone emanates from the piano.
This is the first indication that the house is haunted. The next is equally subtle. While John is at his piano again, the door behind him swings open and he thinks he hears a muted voice in the next room. No one's there. When the handyman comes in shortly afterward, he says that no one else is at the house; it's the cleaning lady's day off. John resumes work on the piece he's composing and records it on a reel-to-reel tape recorder.
Claire drops by while he's working, bringing some photos and other items related to Chessman House. Since she's dressed in riding togs, she invites him to go horseback riding with her. It's not exactly a date–it's still too soon for John to think of romance. He's reminded of how Kathy, his daughter, loved horses and he weeps the following night.
The next ghostly manifestation isn't so easy to ignore. At 6 a.m. two mornings in a row, a loud metallic, rhythmic banging echoes through the whole house. It goes on for about half a minute, then stops.
This being an old house, most reasonable people might at first attribute the noise to an antique furnace or plumbing. John does have the handyman look at the pipes, but he isn't entirely convinced by the rational explanation.
Then, one rainy night after John sees off a string quartet of his students who have come to practice at his house, he hears the sound of running water and what sounds like a child laughing or gurgling. He traces the sound to the kitchen sink; the tap is on and he turns it off. Then he hears running water somewhere upstairs–it shuts itself off, then starts again. This time, he follows the sound up to the third floor, a part of the house he hasn't used. It appears to be old servants' quarters and storage. But at one end of the long, spookily lit hallway is a bathroom with old-fashioned plumbing fixtures. The bathtub faucet is on and the tub half-full of water.
As he turns this off, he sees a sudden flash of a child's face floating just below the water's surface.
John doesn't run out of the room, but backs away, slowly and somewhat shakily, out into the hall.
He doesn't leave the house, but he is now very curious about its history.
When he goes to the historical society to ask if there have been similar incidents in Chessman House before, an older lady who's worked there for years says that the house doesn't want people in it. It wants to be left alone. She also tells John that there are problems with his lease, that Claire pushed it through without going through the proper channels. It's obvious she doesn't think he should be living there, even if the place weren't haunted.
The next morning, as he's leaving the house, a window bursts and scatters several small pieces of red glass on the walkway around him. He looks up to see where the glass came from, but all the windows in the three stories of the facade are made of clear glass. There is a tower at either end of the building, however, and by stepping back a little John can observe that the single window in each has wedge-shaped panes of colored glass. One pane is broken.
John heads back into the house and up to the third floor. Next to the old-fashioned bathroom at the end of the hall is another door. At first glance, it appears to be only a closet–then John notices that there's a boarded-up door behind the shelves at the back. Both the shelves and the boards are old and flimsy, and it takes only a couple minutes of work for him to remove them with his bare hands.
Behind it are cobweb-blocked stairs leading up to the tower room, where there is a sadly small wheelchair, a desk and a child's workbook with the initials CSB and the date of January 1909 on the cover, tiny tin soldiers on the dust-covered mantelpiece, and a music box. The music box plays exactly the same melody that John thought he had composed a few days earlier.
When he plays both the music box and his tape for Claire, she says it's a coincidence. The tune must have once been popular–as music-box songs usually are–and he probably heard it and forgot it a long time ago. Again, John isn't convinced. He shows Claire the tower room and the child's notebook, and they both wonder about the little wheelchair and who could have occupied it and this room.
John disagrees with the idea that the house wants to be left alone. He thinks that everything that's happened to him indicates that, whatever is there, it's trying desperately to communicate.
They go to the historical society to dig through the records and find out who lived in Chessman House at the time that notebook was written. The records Claire can find only go back to 1920. The older lady informs them that it was owned in 1909 by a Dr. Bernard, who sold the house suddenly after a family tragedy.
Claire and John next visit a library and go through the microfilm of Seattle newspapers for the early months of 1909. A couple of brief articles give them the information they want: Cora Bernard was struck by a coal-cart in front of her Chessman Park home when she ran out into the street, and died a few days later of her injuries.
This leads to a visit to the Bernard family graves in the cemetery. John believes that his grief for his own daughter has put him in touch with the ghost of this other little girl who died in a similar way, but he can't go through that kind of emotional turmoil again.
He's looking through a family album that evening, when a red-and-white striped rubber ball that belonged to Kathy comes bouncing down the front staircase. It's John's desire to rejects this attempt at contact that leads him to over-react: he drives out to a bridge over (I think) Lake Washington and throws the ball in.
By the time he gets back to the house, the ball is back too, bouncing down the stairs again, dripping wet.
What can one do after that but hold a seance to find out what the ghost-child wants?
I love a seance scene, and this one is nicely atmospheric. The medium uses automatic writing, scribbling on big sheets of paper while tonelessly asking questions and occasionally forming words in answer. Her husband / assistant reads the answers aloud and provides fresh sheets of paper as needed.
John records the whole session on his reel-to-reel recorder. Also in attendance are Claire and her mother, who works at the historical society too and seemed aware that the house had a reputation before John knew anything about it.
"Are you Cora? Are you the child who was killed by the coal-cart?" asks the medium.
In answer to subsequent questions, the medium writes John, then Help, Help, Help, Help in increasingly sprawling and frantic letters until she tears and scatters the last sheets of paper.
While this is going on in the dining room, the door to the tower room upstairs creaks opens.
As the seance resumes, a camera point of view creeps slowly down the front staircase and moves across the entry hall to the open dining-room door as if someone were approaching.
Instead of paper, the medium is now using a technique I've never seen before, using a tall metallic cone like a dunce cap. This sits at the center of the table and rattles in response to the medium's questions, until eventually a glass flies from the table and shatters.
After his guests have gone and he's cleaned the broken glass up, John listens to his tape recording of the seance. The seance itself was good, but this is for me the eeriest moment in the movie. On the tape, John hears a child's voice whispering the answers to the medium's questions–No, and Joseph–before the assistant reads out the written words. The child's voice answers other questions that were not written down.
In short, Joseph describes exactly how he died.
We see the scene as Joseph's voice tells us about it. John sees it too in a trance vision. Joseph's father drowned him in a tin bathtub up in that tower room. The music box was playing, and that loud thumping sound is the little boy's fist banging against the side of the tub until he stops struggling.
When the vision ends, John finds that he's done some automatic writing of his own in a more clear and stylized fashion than the medium's scribbles. He's written the words, medal, ranch, well, Sacred Heart, and the little boy's full name, Joseph Carmichael.
Joseph Carmichael is a name already known to John Russell. It's the name of an elderly senator (played by Melvyn Douglas), whom we've seen giving a speech at a symphony fundraiser event John and his friends and Claire and her mom attended early on. He's been mentioned a few times in the background as the head of the Spencer-Carmichael Foundation, which is based on his family fortune and donates and/or manages a lot of charitable works in and around Seattle… including the historical society.
Is the senator really Joseph Carmichael after all?
John looks as if he's going to be sick after his vision, but he manages to pull himself together long enough to go across the front hall to the study, phone Claire, and get out a few barely coherent words asking her to please come over, before he faints on the floor.
A little later, John is sitting in the study while Claire listens to the tape in the dining room. She doesn't have the same vision, but the ghost-boy's voice has moved her to sobs. When she joins John in the study, they discuss what they've heard. Claire says that Sacred Heart was the name of an orphanage in the city that closed down years ago. John guesses that the senator was adopted from there as a small child after the father murdered his own son.
This is too horrible for Claire to think about. She's half-hysterical as she heads out into the hall–then stops abruptly as if she were slapped. She stares up at the stairs. When John goes out to her, he sees what she sees: that little cobweb-covered wheelchair is sitting on the second-floor landing above them.
More research is needed to find the motive behind this murder and the need for a replacement–or changeling–child. Claire and John find the answers in the history of Chessman House, Senator Carmichael's biography, and his grandfather Spencer's will.
The Carmichael family lived at Chessman House until 1906; Joseph Carmichael was born there in 1900 and his mother died at his birth. Her father, who died in 1905, was a multimillionaire who didn't much like his son-in-law, so his will left everything to the little boy. The father would only be a guardian and trustee until Joseph turned 21. If Joseph died before his 21st birthday, then the Spencer fortune would go to charity and Dad would get nothing. But poor little Joseph was a sickly child suffering from arthritis and, John speculates, rather than take a chance on the boy's health, the father drowned him and arranged this substitution. Father and adopted son then went immediately to Switzerland where the boy was supposedly receiving treatment. They didn't return to the United States until after the end of World War I, when the second Joseph was a strapping lad of 18. Who would be able to say that he wasn't the same boy?
As for the murdered child, his body was hidden down a well. John's next piece of research is to go through old city surveys and property maps to find where that well was. The word ranch is his single clue.
At the turn of the century, there was a Spencer Ranch along the Puget Sound, part of Joseph's inheritance. A well is marked on the oldest maps. Pieces of the land were sold off by the 1920s and houses built on them; the well disappeared, but John makes note of the house that was built over it and, after learning that it now belongs to a woman named Mrs. Grey, pays a call on her with Claire.
Mrs. Grey says that she wouldn't have listened to their ghost story, except that three nights ago–the night of the seance–her little girl had a nightmare about a small and gnome-like boy trying to climb up through the floor of her bedroom. The child hasn't gone into the room since then and is sleeping in her mother's bedroom. Mrs. Grey understands that these people want to tear up the floor of her daughter's room and start digging, but she wants some time to think about it.
Later that night, the little Grey girl gets out of bed and walks down the hall to her former room. She stares at the floor, while we hears the sounds of creaking wood and lapping water. A glowing blue light plays over her face. Then we see what she sees–a drowned boy floating under water–and she screams.
Cut to a chainsaw cutting through the floorboards the next morning. John and Mrs. Grey's teenaged son Tony dig underneath until they find the well–which doesn't seem to have been covered over or filled in at all; the basementless house is built right over it.
When John uncovers the skeletal bones of a small hand, Mrs. Grey goes to call the police.
The police carry off all the bones of the child's body discovered in a plastic bag, but they find John less than helpful in explaining why he was digging up the well or who he thinks the child might be. He hasn't found Joseph's christening medal, which the boy was wearing when he died, and which have his full name and date of birth on it. Without that, there's no proof that any part of this story is true.
Later that night after the police and the Grey family have gone, John returns to the house and resumes digging. He doesn't have to do much, since Joseph lends a ghostly hand. A golden chain with a medallion on it snakes up out of the dirt when John isn't looking, but he sees it the moment he turns his head.
What does John do with this proof? He declares that he's going to talk to Senator Carmichael, and then tries to do so in an idiotic way. Even in 1980, it was a bad idea to burst through security staff at the airport while a government official is boarding his private plane and start shouting "I have to talk to you!" John waves the medal and yells something about the house, but this does nothing to convince the people around the senator that he's not a nut. I'm astonished he isn't arrested.
But Senator Carmichael understands better than anybody else what John's yelling about; he's been kept apprised of what's going on at Chessman House from that lady at the historical society.
His response is to call on a pet police captain (John Colicos, who's played a Klingon more than once, so you know he can be nasty) to go over to Chessman House to try and bully John into silence by questioning his mental state and accuses him of blackmail.
This doesn't turn out as either the senator or police captain planned, and we see the range of Joseph's power.
After the police captain's bizarre automobile accident, the senator does agree to see John at his home, which it turns out to be quite close to Chessman House–and this is where the film stops being good and spooky for me.
It's not the confrontation between George C. Scott and Melvyn Douglas that fails. The former wants to know how much the senator knows about that other Joseph Carmichael, and wants him to acknowledge that he gained his vast fortune under false pretenses. The latter tearfully insists that it's all lies–his father was a great man.
To be fair, I don't believe the senator did know about the murder; he was only 6 years old at the time and his new daddy would probably have told him that the other boy had died and all he had to do to be very, very rich was keep his mouth shut. The conspiracy is to keep the substitution secret, and who knows how much the historical society lady and the police captain actually know?
Senator Carmichael falls back on the blackmail accusation, and in response John hands over all his evidence, including the seance tape and the baptism medal.
The medal ends up dangling over a portrait of the elder, child-murdering Mr. Carmichael that sits on the senator's desk… and when all three start rattling violently after John departs, the senator finally sees the horrible truth for himself.
No, what's disappointing is that the filmmakers must have thought that Joseph wasn't menacing enough and close out the story by having him do things that don't make any sense.
While John is talking to the senator, Claire goes over to Chessman House, and we get that wheelchair chase scene that I found so ridiculous even as a teenager and don't think any better of now. Why should Joseph chase Claire? She's been trying to help him from the moment she was aware he existed.
But that's nothing to the way the ungrateful little ghost-boy repays John while he gets revenge on the changeling-child who took his place in life.
Well, it's a good movie until it isn't anymore, and I give it full points for what it does accomplish as far as spooky atmosphere and subtle scares and the clues John and Claire use to put the mystery together. George C. Scott gives us a poignant performance. Everything we see about John Russell's life, his grief, his music, even the tiny bit about his teaching is interesting. I would watch a movie about this man even if he hadn't moved into a haunted house.
I like that the romance between John and Claire is never fully developed. After building such a careful portrait of a man who's just beginning to feel again after a terrible tragedy and is taking the first steps to put his life together, it would be an emotionally false note to send him straight into a love story on top of the ghost story. You can see they like each other and, after the bond they've built during this macabre experience, will probably get together when they're ready for it.
Let's leave it at that, and leave them sitting outside the senator's house as the ambulance drives away… past the entrance to Chessman House as it goes up in flames. That's Joseph saying Thanks, John, for all your help!
*This is the last time we hear about the little girl Cora. Since she isn't the ghost, but she did have a connection with that tower room, I have to fill in an explanation for what happened to her that the movie omits. She lived in the house a few years after Joseph died and made it her own playroom/workroom, which is why her notebook was up there on the desk. Did Joseph do something to frighten her so badly that she ran out into the street without looking? Her family must have felt there was something wrong in that room, and boarded up and padlocked the door before they moved out; Carmichael didn't seal the room off, otherwise Cora would never have been able to go up there.