Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Jaime Escalante, Teacher, inspiration for the movie "Stand and Deliver". 1930-2010


LOS ANGELES — Jaime Escalante transformed a tough East Los Angeles high school by motivating struggling inner-city students to master advanced math, became one of America's most famous teachers and inspired the movie "Stand and Deliver."

He died Tuesday at age 79 after battling cancer for several years, family friend Keith Miller said.

Escalante used his outsized personality to goad his working-class, Mexican-American students to succeed, said Elsa Bolado, 45, one of his former pupils.

Bolado, now an elementary school teacher and trainer, remembers Escalante's charisma, the way he built her confidence with long hours of solving problems and how he inspired her career choice with his unorthodox approach to learning.

"Teaching is an art form. There's a lot of practicioners and very few artists. He was a master artist," she said.

An immigrant from Bolivia, he overhauled Garfield High School's math curriculum and pushed his students to do their best until the school had more advanced placement calculus students than all but four other public high schools in the country.

Edward James Olmos played Escalante in the 1988 film based on his story.

"Jaime exposed one of the most dangerous myths of our time — that inner city students can't be expected to perform at the highest levels," Olmos said. "Because of him, that destructive idea has been shattered forever."

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said Escalante "shared in my belief that anything is possible in California."

"He put everything he had into becoming an inspirational teacher whose passion, commitment and belief that all students can achieve excellence set an example for us all," Schwarzenegger said. "His talent, hard work and dedication in the classroom changed the lives of countless students."

Escalante was a teacher in La Paz before he emigrated to the U.S. He had to study English at night for years to get his California teaching credentials and return to the classroom.

At first he was discouraged by Garfield's "culture of low expectations, gang activity and administrative apathy," Miller said. Gradually his long hours in the classroom paid off and dozens of his students passed the test year after year.

Bolado took the Aadvanced Placement calculus test in 1982, the year that testing officials made some Garfield students retake it because they were suspicious that so many of Escalante's students had passed. She said 14 students were asked to take the test again months later and all 12 who did passed.

"To this day, I still think of the example he set — the study skills, how not to give up," said Bolado, 45. "I revert back to that every time things get rough."

Escalante left Garfield in 1991, taught at schools in Sacramento and retired to Bolivia in 2001.

The cast of "Stand and Deliver" recently appealed for donations to help Escalante pay for his alternative cancer treatments.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, and six grandchildren.


One of the good ones has passed away. ¡Adios Sr. Escalante!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Confirmed what we already knew- Ricky Martin comes out as a Gay man!


Why this doesn't surprise me!

NEW YORK – Ricky Martin is no longer denying the rumors: He's gay.

In a statement posted via Twitter in both Spanish and English, and later confirmed with his representative, Martin said: "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am."

For many, Monday's announcement will come as no surprise; the "Livin' La Vida Loca" singer's sexuality has been speculated about for years. But the Puerto Rican star, who got his start as a child in the teen group Menudo, never directly addressed it and was usually seen at events with beautiful women on his arm.

Martin, 38, said he decided to reveal the truth after working on his memoirs helped him realize that he had to be free with himself, and not keep any more secrets.

"From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time. Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside," he said. "Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And this is something worth celebrating."

Martin said one of the reasons why he kept his homosexuality hidden was because he was told by some that it would hurt his career. While his U.S. career peaked after the release of his 1999 self-titled English album, a multiplatinum success that included the hits "Livin' La Vida Loca" and "Shake Your Bon-Bon," he is still a hugely successful Latin artist.

"Because all this advice came from people who I love dearly, I decided to move on with my life not sharing with the world my entire truth," he said in his statement. "Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage. Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions."

Martin, who is the father of two boys born via surrogate in 2008, said he couldn't continue to hide his sexuality now that he is a father: "Enough is enough. This has to change."

Martin's book is still a work in progress.


"Livin' La Vida Loca" Indeed!

And the Box Office champion this week is...


3D's rising star got another boost at the North American boxoffice this weekend as Paramount's release of DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon" flew to the top spot, and Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" held on to enough screens to emerge a solid number two.

Co-existing on the available 3D screens, "Dragon" bowed to an estimated $43.3 million, while "Alice," in its fourth weekend, lost 49% of its audience as it took in another $17.3 million, bringing its domestic total to a whopping $293 million.

MGM's "Hot Tub Time Machine," which relied on R-rated comedy instead of flashy effects, debuted more modestly as it collected $13.7 million.

Close behind was the second weekend of Sony's battling rom-com "The Bounty Hunter." The Jennifer Aniston-Gerard Butler teaming fell by just 40% as it brought in $12.4 million, bringing its domestic total to $38.8 million.

In fifth place, Fox's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," also in its second weekend, declining by 55%, brought home $10 million as its cume rose to $35.8 million.

While the weekend's top ten amassed $111.9 million, about on par with the $110.7 million that the top ten collected last weekend, this frame's top ten gross was down 18% from the top ten in the comparable weekend last year when DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens" debuted to $59.3 million.

The "Dragon" launch did provide further evidence of the appeal of 3D. The movie bowed in 4,055 locations, but ticket sales from its 2,178 3D theaters, a number that raised prices this weekend, accounted for 68% of the movie's weekend gross. Imax alone -- "Dragon" is playing in 185 Imax theaters -- contributed 11.5% of the total, up from the 10.5% of gross that Imax theaters contributed to "Alice's" opening weekend. "That shows we're accumulating more fans, as we go along, who chose Imax as a venue," said Greg Foster, president of filmed entertainment at Imax, which will be hosting "Dragon" for six weeks until "Iron Man 2" comes along.

"Dragon" didn't explode out of the gate like "Monsters" last March. But with a Cinemascore of A, and 97% positive reviews on the RottenTomatoes Web site, it should play well over the spring holidays.

"It's a different competitive environment," said Anne Globe, DreamWorks head of worldwide marketing. "The demos were very evenly split, so the movie is playing broadly. The reviews have been tremendous. And we're anticipating very strong playability over the next few weeks. Exhibition is really committed to 'Dragon' and to DreamWorks Animation."

The movie's opening weekend audience bridged the age gap: 49% of moviegoers were under 25, and 51% older. And it skewed slightly more female by 55%.

"Hot Tub," meanwhile, played more to older (62% were over 25) males (58%). Its $13.7 million opening from 2,754 locations was on the lower end of expectations for the time-travel comedy, produced for about $35 million and starring John Cusack and Rob Corddry.

While Cinemascore's polling awarded it a B, MGM reported the movie received a definitive recommend of 85% from young males, so the embattled studio, which hasn't had a movie in the marketplace since last fall's "Fame," is hoping they spread the world.

Filling out the top ten, Paramount's teen comedy "She's Out of My League" ranked sixth with $3.5 million; Universal's Iraq-set "Green Zone" was seventh as it eked out $3.4 million; Paramount's "Shutter Island," with a cumulative domestic haul of $121 million, was eighth with $3.2 million; Universal's futuristic thriller "Repo Man" was ninth with $3 million; and Fox Searchlight's ethnic comedy "Our Family Wedding" was tenth with $2.2 million.

For the first time in its 15-week run, Fox's "Avatar" fell out of the top ten. Ranked eleventh, it rang up $2 million as its North American total amounted to more than $740 million.

On the specialty front, Focus' "Greenberg," Noah Baumbach's L.A.-set relationship study starring Ben Stiller, expanded into 181 theaters, where it grossed $1.1 million for a per-theater average of $5,850, bringing its cume to $1.2 million.

Sony Picture Classics first weekend of Atom Egoyan's R-rated marital thriller "Chloe," starring Liam Neeson with Amanda Seyfried in the title role, collected $1 million on 350 screens for a per-theater average of $2,863.

Apparition's "The Runaways," in its second weekend, had to settle for $446,000 in 237 theaters and a cume of $1.6 million.

Music Box's Scandanavian detective tale "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," also in its second weekend, showed more life as it took in $352,000 in 44 theaters for a cume of $840,000.

"Waking Sleeping Beauty," Disney's documentary about the studio's animation renaissance in the '80s, scored $33,100 in its opening engagements in five locations.
'Dragon' makes weekend debut at No. 1
'Alice' slips to second place with $17.3 million

By Gregg Kilday

March 28, 2010, 11:41 AM ET
3D's rising star got another boost at the North American boxoffice this weekend as Paramount's release of DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon" flew to the top spot, and Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" held on to enough screens to emerge a solid number two.

Co-existing on the available 3D screens, "Dragon" bowed to an estimated $43.3 million, while "Alice," in its fourth weekend, lost 49% of its audience as it took in another $17.3 million, bringing its domestic total to a whopping $293 million.

MGM's "Hot Tub Time Machine," which relied on R-rated comedy instead of flashy effects, debuted more modestly as it collected $13.7 million.

Close behind was the second weekend of Sony's battling rom-com "The Bounty Hunter." The Jennifer Aniston-Gerard Butler teaming fell by just 40% as it brought in $12.4 million, bringing its domestic total to $38.8 million.

In fifth place, Fox's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," also in its second weekend, declining by 55%, brought home $10 million as its cume rose to $35.8 million.

While the weekend's top ten amassed $111.9 million, about on par with the $110.7 million that the top ten collected last weekend, this frame's top ten gross was down 18% from the top ten in the comparable weekend last year when DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens" debuted to $59.3 million.

The "Dragon" launch did provide further evidence of the appeal of 3D. The movie bowed in 4,055 locations, but ticket sales from its 2,178 3D theaters, a number that raised prices this weekend, accounted for 68% of the movie's weekend gross. Imax alone -- "Dragon" is playing in 185 Imax theaters -- contributed 11.5% of the total, up from the 10.5% of gross that Imax theaters contributed to "Alice's" opening weekend. "That shows we're accumulating more fans, as we go along, who chose Imax as a venue," said Greg Foster, president of filmed entertainment at Imax, which will be hosting "Dragon" for six weeks until "Iron Man 2" comes along.

"Dragon" didn't explode out of the gate like "Monsters" last March. But with a Cinemascore of A, and 97% positive reviews on the RottenTomatoes Web site, it should play well over the spring holidays.

"It's a different competitive environment," said Anne Globe, DreamWorks head of worldwide marketing. "The demos were very evenly split, so the movie is playing broadly. The reviews have been tremendous. And we're anticipating very strong playability over the next few weeks. Exhibition is really committed to 'Dragon' and to DreamWorks Animation."

The movie's opening weekend audience bridged the age gap: 49% of moviegoers were under 25, and 51% older. And it skewed slightly more female by 55%.

"Hot Tub," meanwhile, played more to older (62% were over 25) males (58%). Its $13.7 million opening from 2,754 locations was on the lower end of expectations for the time-travel comedy, produced for about $35 million and starring John Cusack and Rob Corddry.

While Cinemascore's polling awarded it a B, MGM reported the movie received a definitive recommend of 85% from young males, so the embattled studio, which hasn't had a movie in the marketplace since last fall's "Fame," is hoping they spread the world.

Filling out the top ten, Paramount's teen comedy "She's Out of My League" ranked sixth with $3.5 million; Universal's Iraq-set "Green Zone" was seventh as it eked out $3.4 million; Paramount's "Shutter Island," with a cumulative domestic haul of $121 million, was eighth with $3.2 million; Universal's futuristic thriller "Repo Man" was ninth with $3 million; and Fox Searchlight's ethnic comedy "Our Family Wedding" was tenth with $2.2 million.

For the first time in its 15-week run, Fox's "Avatar" fell out of the top ten. Ranked eleventh, it rang up $2 million as its North American total amounted to more than $740 million.

On the specialty front, Focus' "Greenberg," Noah Baumbach's L.A.-set relationship study starring Ben Stiller, expanded into 181 theaters, where it grossed $1.1 million for a per-theater average of $5,850, bringing its cume to $1.2 million.

Sony Picture Classics first weekend of Atom Egoyan's R-rated marital thriller "Chloe," starring Liam Neeson with Amanda Seyfried in the title role, collected $1 million on 350 screens for a per-theater average of $2,863.

Apparition's "The Runaways," in its second weekend, had to settle for $446,000 in 237 theaters and a cume of $1.6 million.

Music Box's Scandanavian detective tale "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," also in its second weekend, showed more life as it took in $352,000 in 44 theaters for a cume of $840,000.

"Waking Sleeping Beauty," Disney's documentary about the studio's animation renaissance in the '80s, scored $33,100 in its opening engagements in five locations.


Via The Hollywood Reporter
Image - Dreamworks Animation

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Jim Marshall, Legendary Rock & Roll photographer. 1936-2010




The celebrity reaper is on overdrive!

SAN FRANCISCO – Music photographer Jim Marshall, who spent more than a half-century capturing rock-and-roll legends including the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin at work and in repose, has died. He was 74.

Marshall's death in New York City was confirmed Wednesday by Aaron Zych, a manager at the Morrison Hotel Galleries, which hosted one of the photographer's last exhibits.

Marshall had been scheduled to appear at a reception Wednesday night to promote his new book with celebrity photographer Timothy White. He apparently died in his sleep sometime overnight while alone in his New York hotel room, Zych said.

"Jim's work is legendary," he said. "As far as music photographers, he is the godfather."

The cause of death was not immediately known.

According to his professional Web site, Marshall had more than 500 album covers to his credit. The San Francisco resident was best-known for his iconic images from the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, where he photographed Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar ablaze, and 1969's Woodstock, where as an official photographer he captured The Who tearing up the stage at sunrise.

Marshall also was the only photographer granted backstage access at what turned out to be the final Beatles concert, at San Francisco's Candlestick Park in 1966. Good timing and his rapport with musicians also helped him catch Johnny Cash memorably "flipping the bird" at a 1969 performance at San Quentin Prison.

Other famous subjects included Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and The Rolling Stones.

"This 'career' has never been just a job — it's been my life," Marshall remarked on his Web site.

Born in Chicago on Feb. 3, 1936, Marshall moved with his parents at age 2 to San Francisco's Fillmore District, then the heart of the city's jazz scene. He bought the first of his beloved Leica cameras in 1959, and a year later, during what he would describe as a "life-changing meeting" with saxophonist John Coltrane, he found his professional calling.

Before his lens discovered rock-and-roll, Marshall continued to find inspiration in jazz musicians, including Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. He also depicted poverty in rural Appalachia and the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi during the early 1960s.

Marshall spent two years living in New York, but returned to San Francisco in time to witness the birth of the 1960s counterculture and to meet young talent like Hendrix, Joplin and Jefferson Airplane during the city's Summer of Love.

His more recent subjects included Ben Harper and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Marshall's work has appeared in numerous books, including four featuring only his own photographs. "Match Point," his most recent, a collaboration with Timothy White, was published this month.


Another one of my photographic idols is dead! Long live Jim Marshall!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Robert Culp, Actor "I Spy", "Bob, Carol, Ted & Alice", "The Greatest American Hero". 1930-2010



LOS ANGELES – Robert Culp, the actor who teamed with Bill Cosby in the racially groundbreaking TV series "I Spy" and was Bob in the critically acclaimed sex comedy "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice," died Wednesday after collapsing outside his Hollywood home, his manager said. Culp was 79.

Manager Hillard Elkins said the actor was on a walk when he fell. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead just before noon. The actor's son was told he died of a heart attack, Elkins said, though police were unsure if the fall was medically related.

Los Angeles police Lt. Robert Binder said no foul play was suspected. Binder said a jogger found Culp, who apparently fell and struck his head.

"I Spy" greatly advanced the careers of Culp and Cosby and forged a lifelong friendship. Cosby said Wednesday Culp was like an older brother to him.

"The first born in every family is always dreaming of the older brother or sister he or she doesn't have, to protect, to be the buffer, provide the wisdom, shoulder the blows and make things right," he said. "Bob was the answer to my dreams.

"No matter how many mistakes I made on 'I Spy,' he was always there to teach and protect me," Cosby said.

Candace Culp, the actor's ex-wife, said she was devastated.

"He was a wonderful, creative man who contributed so much to his business, as an actor, as a writer, as a director," she said.

Robert Culp lately had been working on writing screenplays, Elkins said.

"I Spy," which aired from 1965 to 1968, was a television milestone in more ways than one. Its combination of humor and adventure broke new ground, and it was the first integrated television show to feature a black actor in a starring role.

Culp played Kelly Robinson, a spy whose cover was that of an ace tennis player. (In real life, Culp actually was a top-notch tennis player who showed his skills in numerous celebrity tournaments.). Cosby was fellow spy Alexander Scott, whose cover was that of Culp's trainer. The pair traveled the world in the service of the U.S. government.

Culp followed "I Spy" with his most prestigious film role, in "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice." The work of first-time director Paul Mazursky, who also co-wrote the screenplay, lampooned the lifestyles of the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Bob and Carol (Culp and Natalie Wood) were the innocent ones who were introduced to wife-swapping by their best friends, Ted and Alice (Elliott Gould and Dyan Cannon).

Culp also had starring roles in such films as "The Castaway Cowboy," "Golden Girl," "Turk 182!" and "Big Bad Mama II."

His teaming with Cosby, however, was likely his best remembered role.

Cosby won Emmys for actor in a leading role all three years that "I Spy" aired, and Culp, who was nominated for the same award each year, said he was never jealous.

"I was the proudest man around," he said in a 1977 interview.

Both he and Cosby were involved in civil rights causes, and when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 the pair traveled to Memphis, Tenn., to join the striking garbage workers King had been organizing.

Culp and Cosby also costarred in the 1972 movie "Hickey and Boggs," which Culp also directed. This time they were hard-luck private detectives who encountered multiple deaths. Audiences who had enjoyed the lightheartedness of "I Spy" were disappointed, and the movie flopped at the box office.

"His proudest moments were when he was writing and directing 'I Spy' and 'Hickey and Boggs,'" Cosby said. "Bob was meticulous and committed."

After years of talking up the idea, they finally re-teamed in 1994 for a two-hour CBS movie, "I Spy Returns."

In his first movie role Culp played one of John Kennedy's crew in "PT 109."

His first starring TV series, "Trackdown" (1957-1959) was a Western based partly on files of the Texas Rangers. In the 1980s, he starred as an FBI agent in the fantasy "The Greatest American Hero."

He remained active in movies and TV. Among his notable later performances was as a U.S. president in 1993's "The Pelican Brief." More recently, he had a recurring role as Patricia Heaton's father in the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" and appeared in such shows as "Robot Chicken," "Chicago Hope" and an episode of "Cosby."

Robert Martin Culp, born in 1930 in Oakland, led a peripatetic existence as a college student, attending College of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., Washington University in St. Louis and San Francisco State College before landing at the University of Washington drama school.

Then at age 21, a semester removed from his degree, he moved to New York, where he began landing roles in off-Broadway plays. One of them was in "He Who Gets Slapped."

"I saw it in college in Seattle, and I said, `My God, that's my part, that's my part,'" he once told an interviewer. After he won the role in a Greenwich Village production "the floodgates opened," he said.

Good reviews and an Obie award led to offers from Hollywood.

Culp was married five times, to Nancy Ashe, Elayne Wilner, France Nuyen, Sheila Sullivan and Candace Culp. He had four children with Ashe and one with Candace Culp.

"Believe it or not, he's walking on air!"
Goodbye Mr. Culp! Thanks for the memories.

Now you can own Schindler's list...for real!!!!


A private collector is putting up a very rare WWII artifact up for sale today:

An original copy of Oskar Schindler's list!

It is the only privately owned, genuine draft of Schindler's list of Jewish people he helped save from the Nazis and it can be yours for the price of $2.2 million.

The anonymous owner is having Gary Zimet sell the 13-page list of 801 names, who told the press that the list is "arguably the most important World War II document" available for purchase. Gary is selling the list through his Web site, MomentsInTime.com, on a "first come, first served" basis.

History buffs will sure want to get their hands on this one! Just hope they can afford it!

Image via Daily Mail / UK

Random stuff for today...


Words fail me...
I'm laughing too hard!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Margaret Moth, warzone photojournalist for CNN. 1951-2010




ATLANTA – CNN photojournalist Margaret Moth, who survived a near-fatal gunshot wound to the face while filming in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the wars there in the early 1990s, died Sunday. She was 59.

CNN spokesman Nigel Pritchard confirmed that Moth died in Rochester, Minn., where she was in hospice care. A CNN obituary says she had suffered from colon cancer for three years.

Moth, a camerawoman, was seriously wounded by sniper fire that hit a CNN van in July 1992 in Sarajevo. After several reconstructive surgeries, she returned to the war-torn country two years later, according to a documentary on her life. She was among scores of journalists hurt or killed covering the conflict in Bosnia and Croatia during the violent breakup of Yugoslavia.

Born Margaret Wilson in Gisborne, New Zealand, she later changed her name to Margaret Gipsy Moth. She said in the September 2009 CNN documentary, "Fearless: the Margaret Moth Story," that she wanted to have her own name, not the one people are given because of their fathers. Moth also was a skydiver and would jump from a Tiger Moth airplane, she said.

She said she got her first camera when she was 8. She came to the U.S. and worked for KHOU in Houston, Texas, for about seven years before starting with CNN in 1990.

Her colleagues said she inspired them with her toughness, humor and quirky style that included always wearing black clothes that went with her jet-black hair, thick black eyeliner and combat boots that she often wore while she slept in war zones.

"I don't think Margaret could ever look back and say, 'What if?'" said Christiane Amanpour, CNN's chief international correspondent. "She did it to the max, and she did it brilliantly. And she did it on her terms."

Moth also covered the Israeli invasion of the West Bank in 2002, the rioting that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984 and other conflicts around the world, including several in the Middle East, according to CNN. When militiamen opened fire on protesters in Tbilisi, Georgia, CNN said she stood her ground and kept her camera running.

She said she was angered by those who said she had a death wish because she chose to work in combat zones.

"I was always very careful. I never saw myself as a daredevil or someone who would be stupid about things," she said in the documentary.

In Sarajevo, the van in which Moth was riding was on the route between the city and the airport, known as "sniper alley." The bullet shattered her jaw, blew out her teeth and destroyed part of her tongue. She said the wound left her forever sounding like she was drunk. CNN then-Rome bureau chief Mark Dulmage also was wounded.

Moth, who knew her cancer was terminal, said in the documentary that she felt she could die with dignity.

"The important thing is to know that you've lived your life to the fullest ... You could be a billionaire, and you couldn't pay to do the things we've done."


As an admirer of her work on CNN, all I can say is her work will be missed.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

And the box office champion this week is...


LOS ANGELES – Alice remains the queen of the box office.

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" took in $34.5 million to remain the No. 1 movie for a third-straight weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Disney release raised its domestic haul to $265.8 million and its worldwide total to $565.8 million after just three weekends in theaters, a huge result for a film playing in the typically slow month of March.

"You rarely see this kind of domination by one movie at this time of year," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "Normally at this time of year, films don't make this kind of money, and they don't hold in this long."

"Alice in Wonderland" easily beat a rush of new movies led by 20th Century Fox's family film "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," which opened at No. 2 with $21.8 million. The movie is adapted from Jeff Kinney's cartoon novel about a sixth grader maneuvering through the intricate social structure at his middle school, which includes its own "cooties" game known as the "cheese touch."

"I think cheese touch equals magic touch at the box office," said Chris Aronson, head of distribution at 20th Century Fox.

Debuting at No. 3 was Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler's action comedy "The Bounty Hunter" with $21 million. Released by Sony, the movie follows a bounty hunter chasing his ex-wife, a reporter with an arrest warrant over her head after she misses a court date while pursuing a story.

"We had figured an estimate in the high teens, so 20-plus million is a good number for us," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony.

Jude Law and Forest Whitaker's action thriller "Repo Men" flopped with a No. 4 opening of $6.2 million. The Universal release features Law as a repo man on the run in a future where organs are bloodily repossessed if patients miss their payments.

In narrower release, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning's Joan Jett music drama "The Runaways" opened weakly with $803,629 in 244 theaters, averaging $3,294 a cinema.

That compared to an average of $9,229 in 3,739 theaters for "Alice in Wonderland," $7,085 in 3,077 theaters for "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," $6,831 in 3,074 cinemas for "The Bounty Hunter" and $2,440 in 2,521 locations for "Repo Men."

Released by Apparition, "The Runaways" stars Stewart as Jett and Fanning as singer Cherie Currie as they opened doors for women rockers in the 1970s with an all-girl band.

Ben Stiller's comic drama "Greenberg" premiered strongly in limited release, pulling in $120,432 in three theaters for a huge average of $40,144 a cinema.

Released by Focus Features, "Greenberg" stars Stiller as a neurotic whose mean tongue jeopardizes a budding romance with his brother's personal assistant (Greta Gerwig).

James Cameron's science-fiction blockbuster "Avatar" remained in the top 10 three months into its run. The 20th Century Fox release pulled in $4 million to raise its domestic total to $736.9 million. Worldwide, "Avatar" has taken in $2.67 billion.

"Alice in Wonderland" continued to lift overall Hollywood revenues, which came in at $130 million for the weekend, up 23 percent from the same weekend last year, when the thriller "Knowing" debuted at No. 1 with $24.6 million.

So far this year, domestic revenues are at $2.43 billion, up 10.3 percent over 2009's, according to Hollywood.com. Factoring in higher ticket prices, movie attendance is 8.2 percent ahead of last year's.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Alice in Wonderland," $34.5 million.

2. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," $21.8 million.

3. "The Bounty Hunter," $21 million.

4. "Repo Men," $6.2 million.

5. "She's Out of My League," $6 million.

6. "Green Zone," $5.96 million.

7. "Shutter Island," $4.8 million.

8. "Avatar," $4 million.

9. "Our Family Wedding," $3.8 million.

10. "Remember Me," $3.3 million.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Wannabe Dracula bites taxi driver in NYC!


Welcome to Fail Friday! Enjoy the telling of the case of the would-be Dracula of NYC!

NEW YORK (CBS) -

The NYPD is looking for the public's help in finding a man wanted for the attempted robbery of a city livery cab.

Police say the suspect pulled a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded the driver's money, but when a struggle ensued, the suspect proceeded to bite the cabbie repeatedly on the neck, arm and back.

The suspect entered the cab at East 130 Street and Lexington Avenue around 3 a.m. on March 13. He then asked to be taken to a location near Bronx Community College.

Police said when they arrived to the destination, the suspect pulled the gun and demanded the cabbie's money.

The suspect is described as a 6-foot Hispanic male in his 30s, wearing a black leather jacket.


We have to stop this man, before he bites again! Get your garlic, crosses and Holy Water together!!!!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Jun "Nujabes" Seba - Music composer for anime "Samurai Champloo" 1974-2010



Before we start, let me be clear that I'm an anime fan. Ever since "Astroboy" and "Gigantor" all the way to "Planetes" and "Cowboy Bebop". "Samurai Champloo" is one of my favorites, especially, the music by Nujabes, an eclectic mixture of Hip-Hop and traditional Japanese music. His loss will be missed by all anime fans.

Via Anime News Network

The official website of hydeout productions has announced on Thursday that Jun Seba, the hip-hop producer better known as Nujabes, passed away due to an automobile accident in Tokyo late in the evening of February 26. He was 36 years old. An ambulance had rushed Nujabes to a hospital in Tokyo's Shibuya ward, but the live-saving efforts of the medical staff were ultimately unsuccessful.

Nujabes made his professional debut in 2003 on the label compilation album first collection and his first solo album, Metaphorical Music. He composed the music in Manglobe's Samurai Champloo television anime series, including its "Battlecry" opening theme song. He had left behind some unreleased tracks in the studio, and his label plans to release those tracks on some format in the future.


Here's the Samurai Champloo theme by Nujabes Ft. Force of Nature.




R.I.P.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Man used his penis to attack a female police officer!


Because it's St. Patrick's Day, we featured a story about stupid drunk people. Feast your eyes on this!

Via BBC News

A man who assaulted a female police officer with his penis has been fined.

Marium Varinauskas, 28, tried to strike the officer on the head with his penis when she was called out to his flat, but she got out of the way.

Lithuanian Varinauskas admitted a charge of assault at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and was fined £600. (About US $1,200)

The court heard he had been drinking heavily and could not remember committing the offence at his home in Aberdeen.

Police were called to his home by his girlfriend, who had complained about him being drunk last November.

They arrived to find the self-employed engineer sitting on the sofa wearing a pair of underpants.

Fiscal depute Elaine Lynch said: "The accused got to his feet and was standing over the police officer exposing his penis and thrusting it in her face, forcing her to take evasive action to avoid getting struck."

Defence solicitor John Hardie said: "He was sitting on the couch drunk with his pants on.

"He can't remember anything but accepts that if that's what the police say then that's what happened.

"He has never been so drunk before that day and accepts he has to take full responsibility. He apologises profusely and is extremely embarrassed."

His not guilty plea to committing a breach of the peace by uttering offensive and sexual remarks was accepted by the Crown.

Sheriff Annella Cowan was told that the Lithuanian had now quit binge drinking because of the incident.


I'm still ROTFLMAO on this one! Especially about the officer taking "Evasive Action..." Hilarious!!!!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Glitch leads to adult video on kids channel.


Every year there's a problem with that on cable and TV channels everywhere.

Via Yahoo! News

RALEIGH, N.C. – A cable TV spokeswoman says preview clips for adult programming appeared on two channels dedicated for kids in North Carolina because of an "equipment failure."

Time Warner Cable Inc. spokeswoman Melissa Buscher said the problem lasted about two hours Tuesday morning in areas around Raleigh, and several parents called to report it.

Buscher said it happened on two "Kids on Demand" channels that were showing viewers a list of children's programming such as Dora the Explorer. The titles listed didn't match up with the preview videos in the right-hand corner of the screen, which showed a preview of adult programming instead of kids programming.

Buscher said the company regrets the glitch and has fixed the problem so it won't happen again.



Well, if you check closely, "Dora The Explorer" and "Go Diego Go" sound very adult indeed!

He Pingping, World's shortest man 1988-2010


Via AP

ROME – The world's shortest man has died in Italy, where he was to take part in a TV show, the program's production company said Tuesday.

He Pingping, of China, who was 2 feet, 5.37 inches (74.6 centimeters) tall, had become a recognized figure across the world, often taking part in shows, photo shoots and other events, Guinness World Records said.

Craig Glenday, the Guinness World Records editor-in-chief, said He was "an inspiration to anyone considered different or unusual" and "showed us that, despite the challenges we face, we can still make the most out of life."

He died Saturday in Rome, according to the TV production company Europroduzione.

Guinness World Records said in a press release He was born in 1988 with a form of primordial dwarfism. He was officially measured in March 2008.

He was taken to a hospital March 3 after he fell ill while rehearsing the Italian program "The Record Show," Marco Fernandez de Araoz of Europroduzione said.

After two days, He was transferred to intensive care, where he was found to have a heart condition and high cholesterol, said Fernandez de Araoz. He said the hospital, where he died, has so far given as his cause of death the heart condition.

The man's body will be flown to China soon once the paperwork is ready, Fernandez de Araoz said.


There's so many jokes I can crack right now about this. I leave it up to you.

Image- AFP/Getty Images

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Peter Graves, Actor, Mission Impossible, Airplane 1926-2010




Actor Peter Graves, the square-jawed star of the 1967-73 TV spy series Mission Impossible and host of cable’s Biography series, died of a heart attack Sunday at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., according to the New York Times. He was 83.

He appeared in golden-age Hollywood classics like 1953’s Stalag 17 and 1955’s Night of the Hunter as well as a host of genre fare, lending an air of seriousness to even the most trivial roles. In later years, that dedication made him a perfect choice for satire, including his famed turn as a seemingly straitlaced pilot in 1980’s Airplane! (“Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?”)

Born Peter Aurness in Minneapolis, he served in the U.S. Air Force in 1944-45, studied drama at the University of Minnesota, and then followed his older brother, Gunsmoke star James Arness, to Hollywood. (He took the surname of his maternal grandfather to avoid confusion with his brother.) Like his brother, Graves found his most recognizable roles on TV: In Mission Impossible, he played Jim Phelps, the cool-as-a-cucumber leader of a super-secret spy organization that conducted elaborate undercover operations, earning a Golden Globe in 1966 and an Emmy nomination in 1969. More recently, he served as the original host for A&E’s Biography series (for which he won his only Emmy, in 1997, for Judy Garland: Beyond the Rainbow).

Ouver and out!

And the box office champion this week is...


LOS ANGELES – Alice is still ruling the movie palace.

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" easily remained the No. 1 weekend draw with $62 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Disney fantasy has climbed to a $208.6 million total domestically, becoming the first $200 million hit released this year.

In its second weekend in theaters, "Alice in Wonderland" pulled ahead of the $206.5 million domestic haul of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to become the top-grossing of Depp and Burton's seven films together, which include "Edward Scissorhands," "Sweeney Todd" and "Corpse Bride."

"I believe it's literally the magical, if you would, pairing of Tim and Johnny," said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney. "When you take those two, they always seem to make something really out of the ordinary."

"Alice in Wonderland" added $76 million overseas to bring its international total to $221 million and its worldwide gross to $430 million.

A rush of new movies had so-so openings, led by Matt Damon's Iraq War thriller "Green Zone," which debuted at No. 2 with $14.5 million domestically. Released by Universal, "Green Zone" stars Damon as the leader of a U.S. Army team who stumbles onto a conspiracy over the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Paramount's romantic comedy "She's Out of My League" debuted at No. 3 with $9.6 million. The movie stars Jay Baruchel as a geek in an unlikely romance with a babe.

"Twilight" star Robert Pattinson's romantic drama "Remember Me" opened at No. 4 with $8.3 million. The Summit Entertainment release stars Pattinson and "Lost" co-star Emilie de Ravin in a dark story of young lovers with tragedy in their past.

In its fourth weekend, Paramount's "Shutter Island," the latest collaboration between Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese, was No. 5 with $8.1 million, raising its domestic total to $108 million.

Debuting at No. 6 with $7.6 million was Fox Searchlight's comedy "Our Family Wedding," starring America Ferrera as a Hispanic bride marrying a black man.

"Alice in Wonderland" took in nearly as much as the rest of the top-10 movies combined.

"It's like this great divide between the No. 1 and 2 films, which says that without `Alice in Wonderland' in the marketplace, we'd be hurting right now," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "By itself, it's really propelling huge box office."

Hollywood's business soared, with overall revenues at $144 million, up 43 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Race to Witch Mountain" led with a $24.4 million debut.

For the year, revenues are at $2.24 billion, up 9 percent compared to receipts last year, when Hollywood took in a record $10.6 billion.

Factoring in higher admission prices, movie attendance this year is running 6.7 percent ahead of 2009's, according to Hollywood.com. Before "Alice in Wonderland" opened, attendance was lagging slightly behind last year's.

"In just a couple of weeks, `Alice' has turned the entire marketplace around almost single-handedly," Dergarabedian said.

James Cameron's science-fiction sensation remained a strong draw after nearly three months in theaters, taking in $6.6 million to raise its domestic total to $730.3 million. The 20th Century Fox release has topped $2.6 billion worldwide.

Summit Entertainment's "The Hurt Locker," which beat "Avatar" for best picture at the Academy Awards, got a slight box-office bump from its Oscar triumph. The Iraq War drama, which is out on DVD but came back to theaters for Oscar season, pulled in $828,000, raising its box-office total to $15.7 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Alice in Wonderland," $62 million.

2. "Green Zone," $14.5 million.

3. "She's Out of My League," $9.6 million.

4. "Remember Me," $8.3 million.

5. "Shutter Island," $8.1 million.

6. "Our Family Wedding," $7.6 million.

7. "Avatar," $6.6 million.

8. "Brooklyn's Finest," $4.3 million.

9. "Cop Out," $4.2 million.

10. "The Crazies," $3.7 million.


Word to the wise. Skip Alice. It's crap!!!!

Via Yahoo! Movies

Saturday, March 13, 2010

New trailer for "The Extraordinary adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec"

I'm a fan of Steam punk and European comics. So to my surprise, I saw the trailer for the movie adaptation of Adele Blanc-Sec, directed by none other than Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, La Femme Nikita, The Professional, et al).

Who is Adele Blanc-Sec? She is the female Belgian equivalent of Indiana Jones, Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew, all rolled into one! Her comic started in the 1950's in France and continues to sell.

The movies stars Mathieu Almaric (Quantum of Solace), Louise Bourgoin as Adele and Gilles Lellouche as Inspector Caponi.

The Movie opens April 14 in Europe. US release date is pending.

Here's the trailer. Enjoy!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Changes in the blog.

Due to a recent event, all commentaries in this blog will now be moderated.

Thank You!

Max

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Corey Haim, Actor, "The Lost Boys" "License To Drive" 1971-2010


Actor Corey Haim -- best known for 80s films including License to Drive and the Lost Boys -- has died at the age of 38.

Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the actor's death to TV station KTLA.

According to police, Haim, who had past substance-abuse problems, died at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday of an accidental overdose.

He reportedly was found unresponsive at his apartment. He was with his mother at the time of his death.

He was later pronounced dead at Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank.

More as it comes in.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

TRON Legacy Movie Trailer!

Here's the brand new trailer for the sequel to Disney's TRON. Starring Bruce Boxleitner, Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde, it takes place in today, where Kevin (Jeff Bridges)son (Garrett Hedlund), must look for his lost father.
The movie in regular version and 3D will open December 17, 2010.



Enjoy!

Monday, March 8, 2010

And the box office champion this week is...


LOS ANGELES – Johnny Depp and Tim Burton found a pile of money on the other side of the looking glass.

"Alice in Wonderland," their update on Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass," had a mammoth opening weekend of $116.1 million.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "Alice in Wonderland," Disney, $116,101,023, 3,728 locations, $31,143 average, $116,101,023, one week.

2. "Brooklyn's Finest," Overture, $13,350,299, 1,936 locations, $6,896 average, $13,350,299, one week.

3. "Shutter Island," Paramount, $13,225,411, 3,178 locations, $4,162 average, $95,750,005, three weeks.

4. "Cop Out," Warner Bros., $9,289,311, 3,150 locations, $2,949 average, $32,504,610, two weeks.

5. "Avatar," Fox, $8,118,102, 2,163 locations, $3,753 average, $720,607,444, 12 weeks.

6. "The Crazies," Overture, $7,078,851, 2,479 locations, $2,856 average, $27,472,164, two weeks.

7. "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," Fox, $5,124,623, 2,994 locations, $1,712 average, $78,057,749, four weeks.

8. "Valentine's Day," Warner Bros., $4,154,110, 3,040 locations, $1,366 average, $106,303,870, four weeks.

9. "Crazy Heart," Fox Searchlight, $3,312,591, 1,274 locations, $2,600 average, $29,532,002, 12 weeks.

10. "Dear John," Sony Screen Gems, $2,782,079, 2,496 locations, $1,115 average, $76,626,086, five weeks.

The complete list of the "Winners" of the 30th. Razzie Awards


Here's is the complete list of the "winners" of the worst of 2009, The Razzies!

WORST PICTURE— “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

WORST DIRECTOR— Michael Bay, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

WORST ACTOR— All Three Jonas Brothers, “Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience”

WORST ACTRESS— Sandra Bullock, “All About Steve”

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR— Billy Ray Cyrus, “Hannah Montana: The Movie”

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS— Sienna Miller, ” G.I. Joe”

WORST SCREEN COUPLE— Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper, “All About Steve”

WORST REMAKE RIP-OFF SEQUEL— “Land of the Lost”

WORST PICTURE OF THE DECADE— “Battlefield Earth”

WORST ACTOR OF THE DECADE— Eddie Murphy, “Adventures of Pluto Nash,” “I Spy,” “Imagine That,” ” Meet Dave,” “Norbit,” and “Showtime”

WORST ACTRESS OF THE DECADE— Paris Hilton “The Hottie & the Nottie,” “House of Wax,” and “Repo: The Genetic Opera”


Sandra Bullock made history as she was named "Worst Actress of 2009" in the Razzies and less than 12 hours later named "Best Actress" in the Oscars! Way to go Sandy!

Here's her Razzie acceptance speech



And her Oscar acceptance speech.

Complete list of Academy Award winners.


Here's the complete list of nominees and winners of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

BEST PICTURE
WINNER: The Hurt Locker
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air


BEST DIRECTOR
WINNER: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds


BEST ACTRESS
WINNER: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia


BEST ACTOR
WINNER: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
WINNER: Mo’Nique, Precious
Penélope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
WINNER: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
WINNER: Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman, The Messenger
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Pete Docter, Bob Peterson & Tom McCarthy, Up
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
WINNER: Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche, In the Loop
Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell, District 9
Nick Hornby, An Education
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

Best Foreign Language Film
WINNER: El Secreto De Sus Ojos (Argentina)
Un Prophete (France)
The White Ribbon (Germany)
Ajami (Israel)
The Milk of Sorrow (Peru)

Best Animated Film
WINNER: Up
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells

Best Documentary
WINNER: The Cove
Burma VJ
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

Best Editing
WINNER: The Hurt Locker
Avatar
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
Precious

Best Visual Effects
WINNER: Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

Best Song
WINNER: “The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart, T-Bone Burnett & Ryan Bingham
“Almost There,” The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman
“Down in New Orleans,” The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman
“Loin de Paname,” Paris 36, Reinhardt Wagner & Frank Thomas
“Take It All,” Nine, Maury Yeston

Best Score
WINNER: Up
Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes

Best Cinematography
WINNER: Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

Best Sound Mixing
WINNER: The Hurt Locker
Avatar
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Best Sound Editing
WINNER: The Hurt Locker
Avatar
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

Best Costume Design
WINNER: The Young Victoria
Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine

Best Art Direction
WINNER: Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

Best Makeup
WINNER: Star Trek
Il Divo
The Young Victoria

Best Live-Action Short
WINNER: The New Tenants
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish

Best Documentary Short
WINNER: Music by Prudence
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Rabbit à la Berlin

Best Animated Short
WINNER: Logorama
French Roast
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
A Matter of Loaf and Death

Saturday, March 6, 2010

OK go's new video, "This too shall pass", the Rube Goldberg machine version!

The band OK go have, in my honest opinion, the strangest and most original videos around (remember "Here We Go" in 2006?). Take a look at this one made with the help of a Rube Goldberg machine!

Enjoy!

Friday, March 5, 2010

The original 1903 version of "Alice in Wonderland"

The British Film Institute has relased a 1903 version of the Lewis Carroll classic "Alice in Wonderland". Most of the original footage is damaged, but it's ok. as the new Tim Burton version will open next week, it's good to se how movies have evolved.

Enjoy!


Thursday, March 4, 2010

'Fake pilot' arrested moments before take-off.



First, kids on control towers, now fake pilots, who are ferrying passengers for years!


A Swedish pilot without a valid license to fly has been arrested at Amsterdam as he was about to fly a jet with 101 passengers to Turkey, Dutch police say.

The 41-year-old man said he had been flying for European airlines for 13 years and had logged 10,000 hours.

Police said he once had a license to fly small planes but it had expired and it did not allow him to fly large jets.

Reports say the man was relieved his long deception was uncovered and tore off his pilot's stripes in the cockpit.

Turkey's Corendon Airlines said he had been flying for the airline for two years and had "expertly misled the company with his false papers".

The airline said it had been alerted by police and had a pilot standing by to fly the Boeing 737 from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport to Ankara.

Dutch police were acting on a tip-off from Swedish authorities.

The man is in custody awaiting trial for forging documents and flying without a license.


Okay!!! Pray that next time you fly, no kid is giving instructions to no fake pilot. the whole affair could be disastrous!

Haitian family survives earthquake and flee to Chile...


This family is either very, very lucky or very,very cursed!

By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer – Thu Mar 4, 5:55 am ET

SAN BERNARDO, Chile – The Desarmes family left their native Haiti two weeks after the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake, joining the eldest son in Chile for what seemed a refuge from the fear and chaos of Port-au-Prince.

Their sense of security lasted barely a month. It was shattered at 3:43 a.m. Saturday when one of the most powerful quakes on record shook a swath of Chile.

All the Desarmes' immediate family survived both quakes. But twice cursed, the family now sleeps in the garden of a home that the eldest son, Pierre Desarmes, found for them just south of the Chilean capital of Santiago. They fear yet another temblor will strike.

"I left my country and came here because of an earthquake," Seraphin Philomene, a 21-year-old student and cousin of Desarmes, said Wednesday. "And here, the same thing!"

"My God, I left my country and I didn't die, but I'm going to die here!"

Pierre Desarmes, 34, managed to get his family out of Haiti thanks to personal contacts at the Chilean Embassy in Port-au-Prince and the Chilean armed forces. Nine members of his family — his parents, two brothers and their families, and three cousins — arrived in Santiago on a Chilean air force plane Jan. 23.

Desarmes, the lead singer of a popular Haitian reggaeton band in Chile, still gets choked up when he recalls seeing his family for the first time stepping off the plane.

"I saw them but I didn't believe it. I said, 'My God, they're here.' It was a very difficult moment," he said, speaking in French in the garden of the house the family now calls home.

"Each time I think about it, I get sad, because I realize I was able to do this because I was here. But there are so many people who are there and I don't know what's going to happen to them."

His relatives had to leave Haiti with only hours' notice, receiving instructions on where to go via cell phone text messages from a relative in the United States who was in contact with Desarmes in Santiago. Philomene didn't even have time to pack, dashing to the Chilean Embassy when she received word the family had been cleared to fly out.

Saturday's earthquake has made a difficult transition even more traumatic.

"When the aftershocks come, they refuse to stay in the house," Desarmes said, sipping a Coke at a table in the garden, his relatives sitting nearby.

"I have to talk to them all day long telling them: `There are no problems, it's a country that's prepared for earthquakes, it'll pass, it's not so bad.' But they don't hear me. Psychologically for them, they're still really affected by it."

Desarmes' brother, Stanley Desarmes, 32, is deeply unsettled. The father of a 2-year-old girl, Nelia, who plays in the yard, he worries for his family's safety and is thinking about uprooting them again to move somewhere with less danger of earthquakes.

"I don't know what I can do, but staying isn't possible," he said. "I could die and I could lose my family. I have to leave. I don't know where, I don't know how. But I don't want to die with my family here."

Philomene, his cousin, plans to stay, hoping to bring the rest of her family to Chile. She was the only member of her immediate family to get out because she was living with the Desarmes in the Haitian capital to finish her studies. Her mother, father, two sisters and a brother are still in Cap-Haitien, a town in northern Haiti about 90 miles from the capital.

"I've had no news from them," she said, choking up.

Reached late Wednesday by The Associated Press in Cap-Haitien, Philomene's father, Luigene Philomene, was elated at the news that his daughter was safe. He said he hadn't heard from her since before Chile's earthquake and had been trying to reach relatives in Port-au-Prince for an update.

The elder Philomene said when he heard that his daughter had been in the Chile earthquake he thought of a Haitian saying that loosely translates as "we saved her from the river and she ended up in the sea." Now he feels she has divine protection and the 43-year-old said he would eagerly join his daughter in South America if he could.

"God is looking for out for us," he said. "Our family didn't die in Haiti so they aren't going to die in Chile either."

Francius Pierre, a cousin of Seraphin's in Port-au-Prince, had already learned from a brother that his relatives in Chile survived. Pierre, a university student who injured his knee in the Haitian quake, said Seraphin and his other relatives moved from Haiti for safety.

"If they knew something like this could happen again they never would have gone," he said.

Associated Press Writer Ben Fox in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, contributed to this report.


Next they'll be moving to Puerto Rico...

NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Images - AP

Kids direct air traffic control at JFK airport in NY!


Must have been "Take Your Kid To Work" day or something, but the Federal Aviation Administration is pissed!

A child's voice was recorded directing the air traffic at JFK airport in New York City, but he obviously has his father or guardian assisting him as heard on the tape.

Regardless of the pilots finding it funny, the FAA doesn't think it's a laughing matter releasing the following statement:

“Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic. This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees.”


Here's the video!

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/video.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Producer barred from Oscar ceremony.


The lengths some people will go to promote a movie over another!

LOS ANGELES – A producer of the war story "The Hurt Locker" will not be allowed to attend Sunday's Academy Awards because of e-mails he sent urging academy members to vote for his movie, Oscar overseers said Tuesday.

But Nicolas Chartier will receive an Oscar at a later date if "The Hurt Locker" wins best picture.

The executive committee of the producers branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences imposed the penalty on Chartier, who violated Oscar rules that prohibit mailings promoting a film and disparaging another.

Chartier sent an e-mail Feb. 19 to some academy members asking for their support for "The Hurt Locker," "not a "$500 million film" — an obvious reference to blockbuster best-picture contender "Avatar."

Subsequent e-mails, posted by the Los Angeles Times, showed Chartier asking Oscar voters to rank "The Hurt Locker" at No. 1 and "Avatar" at No. 10 among this year's expanded best-picture lineup of 10 films.

Chartier apologized in a subsequent e-mail. "My naivete, ignorance of the rules and plain stupidity as a first-time nominee is not an excuse for this behavior and I strongly regret it," Chartier wrote.

He did not immediately return a call Tuesday from The Associated Press seeking comment on the academy's penalty. Officials at Summit Entertainment, which released "The Hurt Locker," declined to comment.

"Avatar" producer Jon Landau did not immediately return a call for comment.

"The Hurt Locker" and "Avatar" have been at the head of the pack throughout awards season, and they lead the Oscar field with nine nominations each.

"Avatar" won the Golden Globe for best drama, but "The Hurt Locker" has dominated honors from critics and key Hollywood trade groups, including guilds representing directors, writers and producers.

At last month's British Academy Film Awards, "The Hurt Locker" also won out over "Avatar," taking six prizes, including best picture.

Chartier is one of four producers listed on the film's best-picture nomination, along with "Hurt Locker" director Kathryn Bigelow, screenwriter Mark Boal and Greg Shapiro. Bigelow and "Avatar" director James Cameron were married from 1989 to 1991.

The penalty against Chartier does not affect the other three producers, who are free to attend the Oscars.

The academy announced its sanction against Chartier as Oscar balloting closed Tuesday. The producers branch stopped short of the harsher penalty of rescinding Chartier's nomination, which would have kept him from receiving an Oscar statuette if his film won.

Oscar rivalry is fierce, with filmmakers and distributors coveting awards wins both for bragging rights and for the bounce in box-office or DVD revenues an Oscar triumph brings.

The academy keeps a tight rein on awards campaigning, its rules prohibiting "casting a negative or derogatory light on a competing film."

"You would hope it wouldn't have happened," said Tom Sherak, academy president. "It will not cloud what the night is. This was an individual thing that happened. It's been dealt with, and now we're going on to the show."


Well enjoy watching the telecast from home, Jerk-o!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Man finds rare Nintendo game worth $40,000!!!


A 1980's Nintendo that's worth $40,000!!! Yup, read on!

From Y! Games

Impressed by the story of the North Carolina eBay seller who stumbled upon an ultra-rare, $13,000 Nintendo game? So were we -- and so was Kansas reader Dave, who headed for his basement to see if there was video game gold lurking down there.

"We had quite a collection (185+ games) that has sat in our basement for over 20 years," Dave told Y! Games. "The games were on a list to be brought to Goodwill – in fact, within a month, Goodwill was going to have them."

To his astonishment, not only did he find a copy of the same game that just fetched over $13,000 on eBay -- highly sought-after collector's item Stadium Events -- it was in perfect condition, right down to the original shrinkwrapping and Richard Gordman pricetag. (A mere $29.99, if you're wondering.)

"Now I’m not much of a collector, but I know that having a factory seal is good," he said.

But he's only just now finding out quite how good.

As it turns out, the game's unopened condition makes Dave's copy of Stadium Events three times more valuable: he sold it on auction site eBay for a breathtaking $41,300. It's thought to be one of only two shrinkwrapped copies of the game still in existence.

Why had he never unwrapped it? He couldn’t see the point. Stadium Events needed a special floor mat controller to play, and Dave couldn't find one.

"The pads weren't available when we went to purchase it," he said. "We never got around to returning the game...lucky us!"

"Lucky us" indeed. Nintendo bought the rights to the floor mat controller in 1988, and recalled the few copies of Stadium Events that reached retailers. Fewer than 200 games are thought to have escaped destruction, and fewer than 20 are thought to still exist. Dave's procrastination earned him a $41,270 profit, which he and his wife plan to invest.

"After taxes and tithing, the rest of our part will be going to a retirement account that has been decimated by the dot-com bomb, 9/11, and the recent market problems. Not very sexy, but needed." He's also going to auction off the rest of his Nintendo paraphernalia.


Even non-game Nintendo items are big sellers; this box of Nintendo Cereal sold for $200 on e-bay!

If you think you have an expensive Nintendo game, check it here! And dont be disappointed! You might be as lucky as that guy!

Images E-Bay

And the box office champion this week is...


From Deadline.com

It's a dull pre-Oscar weekend at the North American box office with only two major releases are genres fighting each other for No. 2. shutter island posterThere were better than expected grosses considering the East Coast was slapped with another harsh snowstorm. Otherwise, there's not much to say. Holdover Shutter Island, the Marty Scorsese/Leo DiCaprio psychological thriller from Paramount, will easily stay No. 1 again with just a 41% drop from a week ago. It made $6.7M Friday and $10.4M Saturday for a $22.2M weekend and estimated cume of $75M. Warner Bros' Bruce Willis/Tracy Morgan buddy comedy Cop Out (formerly entitled A Couple Of Dicks) opened Friday with $6.2M Friday and $7.8M Saturday for a $18.5M weekend which shows audiences are starved for laughs. Gee, you don't think director Kevin Smith's nationally blown-out-of-proportion fight with Southwest Airlines was a PR grab by this publicity hog, do you? It's the first film he helmed that he also didn't write. Overture's doomsday horror pic The Crazies co-financed by Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi debuted with $5.7M Friday and $6.4M Saturday for a $16M weekend due to heavy TV ad rotation. Fox's Avatar crossed $700M domestic. And Sony Pictures Classics platformedg the French language prisoner drama A Prophet in 9 NY and LA locations after it's won several awards and is Oscar nominated. Industry types all weekend emailed me from the theaters gushing how good this pic is.

Overall year-to-date revenues for the first 2 months of 2010 are $1,805,600,000, as compared to $1,778,467,029. Revenue is up 1.53%, but attendance is down .48%.

1. Shutter Island (Paramount) Week 2 [3,003 Theaters]
Friday $6.7M, Saturday $10.4M, Weekend $22.2M, Cume $75M

2. Cop Out (Warner Bros) NEW [3,150 Theaters]
Friday $5.9M, Saturday $7.8M, Weekend $18.5M

3. The Crazies (Overture) NEW [2,476 Theaters]
Friday $5.9M, Saturday $6.4M, Weekend $16M

4. Avatar (Fox) Week 11 [2,456 Theaters]
Friday $3.1M, Saturday $6.6M, Weekend $14M, Cume $706.9M

5. Percy Jackson (Fox) Week 3 [3,302 Theaters]
Friday $2.4M, Saturday $4.6M, Weekend $9.8M, Cume $71.2M

6. Valentine's Day (Warner Bros) Week 3 [3,578 Theaters]
Friday $2.9M, Saturday $4.2M, Weekend $9.5M, Cume $100.3M

7. Dear John (Sony) Week 4 [3,006 Theaters]
Friday $1.5M, Saturday $2.1M, Weekend $5M, Cume $72.6M

8. The Wolfman (Universal) Week 3 [3,043 Theaters]
Friday $1.1M, Saturday $1.9M, Weekend $4.1M, Cume $57.2M

9. Tooth Fairy (Fox) Week 6 [2,249 Theater]
Friday $730K, Saturday $1.7M, Weekend $3.4M, Cume $53.8M

10. Crazy Heart (Fox Searchlight) Week 11 [1,158 Theaters]
Friday $610K, Saturday $1.2M, Weekend $2.5M, Cume $25M