http://tinyurl.com/TheWild - Directed by Spike Jonze this is an adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler. Set to be released October 16th, 2009
The often haunting photographs in this collection were all taken by immensely talented Jacob Cockle who lives "for art, music and good tea". An entrant in this year's Nike 6 Apprentice competition, I don't know how he didn't win.
A Chinese bride has made a bid for the record books when she turned up for her wedding wearing a 1.4 mile-long gown.
Zhao Peng, the groom, and his family spent over two months stitching together the trail of the dress to break the former Guinness World Record for the longest wedding dress which is 1,579 meters long displayed in Bucharest, Romania earlier this yearPhoto: BARCROFT
Aerial view of length of the train of a wedding dress Photo: REUTERS
More than 200 guests took over three hours to unroll Lin Rong's wedding train and pin on 9,999 red silk roses for her wedding, Xinhua news agency said.
Groom Zhao Peng said he wanted to challenge the current world record of 1,579 metres.
"Both the length of the dress and the number of silk roses pinned on the wedding dress can make history. But it doesn't matter whether I can successfully register it on Guinness," the 28-year-old railway worker from northeast Jilin province was quoted as saying.
Zhao said he had sent an application to Guinness World Records and would also send a video of his wedding with his 25-year-old school teacher.
Zhao Peng, the groom, and his family spent over two months stitching together the trail of the dress to break the former Guinness World Record for the longest wedding dress which is 1,579 meters long displayed in Bucharest, Romania earlier this yearPhoto: BARCROFT
Aerial view of length of the train of a wedding dress Photo: REUTERS
"I do not want a cliche wedding parade or banquet," the groom said, "nor can I afford the extravagance of a hot balloon wedding."
But even so, his family was initially not too impressed at the far from frugal 40,000-yuan (nearly $6,000) price tag.
"It is a waste of money in my opinion," his mother said. "Though I understand that he wants to show his love on the big day."
Lin Rong, the bride, laughed and cried at the romantic gesture.
Zhao said he was actually inspired by the world's record of the longest wedding dress made in Romania in April when he planned his wedding.
He bought the materials and asked his relatives for help in making the wedding dress by hand, which has taken three months to finish.
Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, and Michelle Rodriguez are just a few names signed on for the movie
A few weeks back we reported on a number of tantalizing casting rumours for Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez's upcoming Machete feature film (based on the Grindhouse trailer starring Danny Trejo). To be honest, I didn't really believe many of them, especially since they seemed to come from a number of different sources all at once. But hey, every now and then, something you read on the internet turns out to be true!In this case, Variety has indirectly confirmed the line-up for the film, which sounds pretty spectacular to me (in a no-holds-barred action b-movie kind of way). In the midst of a piece on Overnight Productions, they casually drop word that Machete has started shooting this week, and that "Robert De Niro ,Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson and Jeff Fahey play supporting roles".Okay, so no mention of Jonah Hill, but DeNiro, Rodriguez and Seagal are all in, plus La Lohan, Cheech, and... Don Johnson?!! I think Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables might have some competition when it comes to bad ass/old school/weirdo casting. I have no idea what to expect from this movie, and while it probably will be another quick-and-dirty Rodriguez production, I think there's plenty of reason to be excited. What do you think, is Machete going to rule, or is it going to come off nothing more than a gimmick?
Nathan's Famous at Surf and Stillwell Aves. in Coney Island has been an unofficial landmark for decades, and its supporters want it granted official status so it isn't replaced by high-rise.
It's already a landmark for hot-dog lovers around the world - and now they want to make it official.
Advocates are pushing the city to landmark the building at Surf and Stillwell Aves., where Nathan's Famous has been dishing out dogs since 1916, to prevent it from being demolished as Coney Island undergoes sweeping redevelopment.
Under a zoning plan passed by the City Council last week, a hotel tower of up to 20 stories could be built at the corner currently occupied by Nathan's. It's one of four sites along Surf Ave. where hotels will be allowed.
Coney Island USA founder Dick Zigun said landmark status is necessary to stop Nathan's from going the way of such mainstays as Astroland, which closed last year.
"To not have Nathan's would be insane," he said. "Even when you build new rides and businesses and hotels ... the appeal [Coney Island] is going to have is the history.
"You don't want the new Coney Island to be indistinguishable from a suburbanized, homogenized, standardized amusement park off the New Jersey Turnpike," Zigun said. "You want it to be special."
Landmarks Preservation Commission spokeswoman Lisi de Bourbon said officials are still weighing the historical and architectural significance of the building.
Two other historic Coney buildings, the Shore Theater and the Coney Island USA building - home to the original Childs Restaurant - have been deemed eligible for landmarking, de Bourbon said.
Landmark status has already saved other Coney icons like the Cyclone and the WonderWheel from the wrecking ball.
Nathan's Famous CEO Eric Gatoff said the company has no position on the landmark proposal, but insisted the hot-dog emporium isn't going anywhere. He noted Nathan's - which doesn't own the building - has 18 years left on its lease.
"We expect to be in that building forever," Gatoff said. "Our expectation is there will always be a Nathan's on the corner of Surf and Stillwell."
The Handwerker family, which founded the original Nathan's and still owns the building, could not be reached for comment.
More than 125 people have signed an online petition launched three days ago to push for the landmarking - and most frankfurter fans were all for it.
"It should be a landmark already," said Bill Funk, 69, an upper West Side accountant who has visited the stand once a week all summer for the past 50 years. "There deserves to be change here. There should be better development, but this should stay."
Just what Angelina Jolie has likely always wanted--a nude sculpture of herself breastfeeding two babies displayed in public.
Artist Daniel Edwards--whose previous works include statues of Britney Spears giving birth on a bearskin rug, Oprah Winfrey and her late dogs, and a hot pink rubber bust of Octomom Nadya Suleman--has created a statue called Landmark for Breastfeeding of Jolie nursing hers and Pitt's twin babies.
Edwards, who says the sculpture is a "celebration of family and home" will display his work in an Oklahoma City exhibit space next month before the statue makes its way to London for another show.
Every Oklahoma City teenage boy currently begs their cool art teacher for an educational field trip.
Total Pro Sports - They say a picture can tell a thousand words, but when it is a giant image of Michael Jordan constructed from 14,641 Gatorade bottles, it seems to say so much more. Just don't ask Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zombrano what he thinks about Gatorade.
Gatorade teamed up with American advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day to create a tribute to "His Airness" in honor of his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The design was constructed by taking a classic image of Jordan soaring through the air and recreating it using Gatorade Limited Edition Jordan Series bottles and 200 light boxes (just don't expect these bottles to sell on eBay for $25,000).
After planning the original design and staging a practice run, the crew took to the streets for the real deal. It began at 6:17 am on the South Side of Chicago and sixteen hours later it was complete. A giant mosaic lay across a an outdoor basketball court, with fans of the former Bulls' star waiting to see it light up. Unfortunately there was no inflatable penis in the background. I guess you can't have it all.
Michael Jordan Mosaic Made Of Gatorade Bottles In Chicago
This video is just insane: A horse somehow galloped into traffic in Israel yesterday -- and successfully hurdled a car that was driving directly towards it, crushing the front windshield in the process.
But fear not animal lovers -- according to local news, the horse only suffered minor injuries ... the car, not so much.
Okay, it was only a 0.6-second exposure, I adjusted the settings on shore and then ran in, put the tripod between some rocks, got the shot, and ran. It took many attempts to get it right. This is not the sprouting horn nor Queen's bath. And yes, one slip and I would have been sucked into the hole, with the entrance being 20 feet above sea level. I doubt I would have survived!
Italy is planning to build a 200ft high, solar energy-producing statue of one of its most cherished saints.
By Nick Squires in Rome
The statue will be coated in a special photovoltaic paint which will enable it to trap the sun's heat and produce solar energyPhoto: AP
The statue of Padre Pio, who was canonised in 2002 by Pope John Paul II and has a huge worldwide following, will be built on a hill in southern Italy, close to the town where he is commemorated.
It will cost several million pounds, with the money to be raised from his followers around the world.
The statue will be coated in a special photovoltaic paint which will enable it to trap the sun's heat and produce solar energy, making it an "ecological" religious icon, according to the Ansa news agency.
The planning and construction of the project, near the town of San Giovanni Rotondo in the southern province of Puglia, will be put out to international tender in the next few weeks.
Padre Pio, whose real name was Francesco Forgione, was born into a poverty-stricken family in 1887 and died in 1968. He entered the Church as a teenager and became a Capuchin monk.
His followers believe that he performed many miracles during his lifetime and that his body bore stigmata – marks corresponding to Christ's Crucifixion wounds.
A survey by a Catholic magazine once found that more Italians pray to Padre Pio than to Jesus or the Virgin Mary.
200 years later, sixth president's diary excerpts posted as tweets
By Sharon Gaudin
Computerworld - First the White House got a Twitter account and then, earlier this year, an astronaut became the first person to Twitter from space.
Now, someone's actually Twittering...from the grave?
Well, kind of.
Starting today, the Massachusetts Historical Society will be offering up excerpts from John Quincy Adams' line-a-day diary as tweets. The diary entries track Adams' voyage to Russia, which kicked off on Aug. 5, 1809. Two hundred years after Adams' journey began, accounts of his trip and his ensuing work as the first American ambassador to Russia will be chronicled daily on Twitter.
"We'll be posting [Adams'] exact words (his entries really do work perfectly as 140-character tweets), and, where possible, we will augment the posts with maps showing his location (thank him for providing regular latitude and longitude readings), links to longer diary entries, and other information," Jeremy Dibbell, a librarian with the Massachusetts Historical Society, wrote in a blog post. "His short entries are surprisingly rich, full of wonderful details about his reading, meals, weather, and shipboard activities."
Adams, the nation's sixth president, was the son of the second president, John Adams. Serving as a U.S. senator, the second presidential Adams also was a successful secretary of state, working out a deal to acquire Florida from Spain and helping to create the Monroe Doctrine.
And it seems that Adams was ahead of his time, writing his journal entries in nearly perfect 140-character quips - perfect for the microblogging site Twitter.
"This is an exciting opportunity for us to test out some new technological tools and to create a transcription of the line-a-day diaries, which will be useful for future projects, as well," said Dibbell. "We certainly hope others will find [Adams'] journey as fascinating as we do, so please follow him on Twitter."
Last month, a first-time novelist struggling to find a publisher for his book began releasing it 140 characters at a time on Twitter. Author Matt Stewart is in the process of publishing his novel, The French Revolution on Twitter. It appears to be the first full-length novel to be released one tweet at a time.
The hyperbole around the iPhone platform has become hyperbolic itself, so I'll spare you the deconstruction of what is now an obvious conclusion: the iPhone has musical chops. The dizzying array of apps on the store has led to quite a few musical apps as well. It makes sense, as the multi-touch screen is a divine interface for manipulating sound.
Along with the dump truck of musical apps has come an even larger group of iPhone performers. I have yet to see impromptu drum circles made of iPhones, but you never know what the future will bring.
We begin our afternoon concert with Jordan Rudess demoing one of my favorite musical apps, Bebot. Take it away, Jordan!
I remember hearing music from the Hearts of Space on public radio as a kid, and this one reminds me of that show. In the video below the ethereal sounds are courtesy Bloom and ambient water noise by Koi Pond. I could see this music playing at a spa, although it's less musical than the first video. There are tons of ways to combine various audio apps, of course. How about a fart piano and Bebot? Or a vocoder app (there are several) and RjDj?
Speaking of RjDj, the video below features beatboxing and RjDj. There are three flavors of the app, each with a particular function, but the cool thing about RjDj is how it samples ambient noise and turns it into rhythmic music (of a sort). Beatboxing seems easier using this app...
What do you get when an iPhone and an iPod touch team up with Organist and the Band? Amazing Grace, apparently. The composition is a little CasioChord-ish, but fun to watch as one person coordinates separate parts. Both apps are by Moo Cow Music, who really have a thing for music on the iPhone.
You know what you need to really make an iPhone a piano? 3 iPhones! Here's iAno times three, showing off.
How about a little Metallica, courtesy Pocket Guitar:
I like the presentation of Fur Elise in the next video. The old film look adds to the ambiance, which is basically "my kitchen table." I'm not sure what app this is, unfortunately.
Using an app called Beatmaker with a pretty snazzy synth called a NeKo TSE by Open Labs. In this demo, you're able to upload from the iPhone to the NeKo TSE. Yep, noodle something on your iPhone, and dump it into a real machine when you get home. The future is now.
I would be remiss in excluding Smule. And here's one of my favorites from a contest they ran. It's the Jurassic Park theme song played using Ocarina... through the nose. Ew.
Here we have Jordan Rudess showing the app Ellatron (iTunes link), a fantastic trip down memory lane for anyone who remembers the Mellotron. I've been playing Ellatron for a while, and progressive updates have added a crazy amount of features. Filters, pitch, chords and extra banks of sounds generate an authentic sound make Ellatron a sweet-sounding app.
I haven't shunned some of the other amazing music apps on the iPhone, like Cosmovox, Aura, Doppler Pad and Noise.io, but I'm interested in what gems you readers have found on the App Store or what performances on YouTube have blown you away. Leave 'em in the comments.
Jay Leno's new comedy show will be a fast-paced hour featuring celebrity car races and comedian correspondents, among other format twists.
An energized Leno took the stage at the critics press tour in Pasadena along with network late-night head Rick Ludwin and dropped several revelations about the new program.
"The Jay Leno Show" will have a fast opening sequence, about 10 seconds, before launching into the host's monologue. There will be one celebrity guest, perhaps two at most. Musical segments will sometimes feature multiple acts performing together -- like on the Grammys when famous artists are teamed together. Leno's signature comedy bits like Jay Walking and newspaper headlines will be saved for the end of the show, where Leno will tell viewers to stay tuned for the local news (this is the only part of the show where Leno might have a desk). NBC will not air any commercials between after Leno's show and is urging local affiliates to do the same.
"When the comedy segment is over, it will literally end the show," Ludwin said. "We're giving [affiliates] the hottest hot hand off you can have."
Leno also previewed some segments, such as the advertiser-friendly "Green Car Challenge," where celebrities race against each other in alternative fuel vehicles. NBC has built a race track next to the studio where guests can compete against each other.
"You can see who is faster, Shaquille O'Neal or Cameron Diaz," Leno said.
Other segments will feature comedian correspondents doing taped segments, a bit like on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" (though Leno rejected that comparison). D.L Hughley will report on politics from Washington, for instance, and "Hangover" actress Rachel Harris has been tapped as well.
NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams will also have a regular bit on the show -- "Stories Not Good Enough For Nightly News."
Leno says he's lost about 10-12 pounds running four miles every morning in training for his new show and says he had grown "complacent" while hosting "Tonight Show."
He said that contrary to some media reports, he wasn't tempted to go to ABC when his contract was up, though acknowledged having mixed feeling about NBC.
"When you change networks, [people think] you're greedy, that you wanted more money," he said. "There are things I like about the network and there are things I don't. But much like a marriage you work it out ... there's only so much pie you can eat. There was no desire to go to ABC and go against Conan [O'Brien]... because that's bitterness ... bitterness kills creativity, it kills everything. You put your head down and move forward."
Asked about the pressure of having to "save NBC" with his new program, Leno shrugged.
"Screw the network," he said.
Regarding O'Brien, however, Leno said the two have firmly remained friends, though he expects they will have a healthy rivalry this fall.
"There was never any tension between Conan and I," he said. "Will we fight like cats and dogs to get the guest? Yes ... but that doesn't mean you don't like each other. It's a game. You tease and trash talk, that's the fun part."
Ludwin also admitted that it was "premature" to declare O'Brien "The New King of Late Night" after his first week on the air.
"I think it was premature," Ludwin said. "We were very proud of the show...there were those who thought that Conan would not be broad-based enough ... he far exceeded our expectations."
"Do I expect to beat 'CSI: Miami'?" he asked. "No. Do I expect to beat them in repeats? Yeah. I don't expect to get them on the straights but catch them in the corners."
Leno passionately protested the idea that his new 10 p.m. show is taking opportunities away from scripted programming talents.
"I think you have more [dramas] than ever now -- USA Network, cable, all these shows," he said "There are places to go now to get that. So I don't see that as the problem. NBC tried scripted programming at 10 p.m. The other thing that annoys me -- we use writers. Our writers are in the top 5% of the highest-paid writers in the Guild."
"What a big musical guest gets you is a great studio audience, you wouldn't necessarily have a great television audience." Leno said. "If I want to see U2, I can go to VH1, or go to YouTube."
A critic, impressed by Leno's fielding of the questions, noted he seems much more confident now than his previous TCA appearances.
He's not about the quick in and out of doing his bathroom business. He likes to hunker down with the newspaper, magazine and/or (heaven help us) a good book. For him, it's the relaxing toilet ride that makes the perfect spot to enjoy the written word. And yes, these are same periodicals that make their way back to the lunch room.
8. THE GRUNTER
Oh, you know him. He's in the stall next to you bellowing like he's about to give birth to a calf. Each grunt is preceded by short gasps for air, and a quick fart. And you know the exact second he's done because the big finale is punctuated with a sigh of relief.
7. THE WORKER
Mr. Multitasker wouldn't dream of not answering his phone, even if he's draining the lizard, or worse, dropping the kids off at the pool. He often tries to disguise his location by mentioning "I'm away from my desk right now," but the stall echoes and sounds of background flushing are unmistakable.
6. THE FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR
He figures what better time to make friends and be chatty than when you're in the restroom. He often intros with "Some weather were having," "How are you doing?" or "Wheeew, sorry about that, I had Mexican last night." No matter how short your response, he keeps—with his dick in his hand—talking to you.
5. THE RIM SHAKER
He's the guy in the stall next to you going one on one with a dingleberry. His ass is rocking back and forth/hopping up and down on the seat in a vain attempt to drop that last hanger-on. The Friendly Neighbor will often root him on. "Stick with it. It'll go!"
4. THE PHOBIAST
He's spraying Lysol, slathering in hand sanitizer and laying down railroad track-sized strips of toilet paper to make sure his ass does not come in contact with any previous asses. After washing up, he must use paper towels to open the door.
3, THE SHOWERER
With his bathroom kit spread out at the sink, he looks like his girlfriend has booted him from the apartment. He's brushing his teeth, splashing water on his face, combing his hair, and frequently changes clothes.
2. THE GAWKER
It's subtle, but he's checking out your package at the urinal.
1. THE FIRE HOSE
He's not using the urinal. Instead he marches into the stall and whips it out without so much of a thought of lifting the lid. With the accuracy of a 4-year-old, he sprays the seat, hoses the backstop, and finishes by shaking it on the floor.
Thanko's new EMP-708LITE Vonia earbuds work by actually vibrating the bones of your skull, which is then picked up by your brain and processed as recognizable music. They are, quite literally, skull-rattling 'buds.
What's remarkable (and remarkably Thanko-like) about these is the price: Similarly designed headphones, often not waterproof at all, run for well over $100, while these are only 4280 Yen (about $45). They're waterproof down to 5 meters, which makes them great for workout swimmers (or snorkelers, I guess). Unfortunately, they're Japan-only for now, so we'll have to keep making due with significantly less cool waterproof 'buds. [Thanko via New Launches]
East Germany's Stasi secret police had Michael Jackson under surveillance when he visited West Berlin in 1988, snapping this photo of a man they thought was the pop star (front row, second from left) but has since been revealed as a look-alike.
Franka Bruns / AP
By William Boston / Berlin
UPDATED: Aug. 5, 2009, 12:45 P.M.
Since this story was published, it has emerged that the photo in Michael Jackson's Stasi file showing him at the Berlin Wall is actually a shot of a look-alike, hired by a German TV station and good enough to fool East Germany's secret police.
Since the death of Michael Jackson on June 25, the pop star's life and history have become the subject of intense scrutiny. Now we can add a new item to the pile of Jackson resources: his Stasi file.
According to a report from the Stasi, the East German secret police, that has recently come to light, on June 18, 1988, at precisely 2:52 p.m., several cars arrived at Checkpoint Charlie on the West Berlin side of the Berlin Wall, and a handful of passengers emerged. One of them was Jackson. (See the last pictures of Michael Jackson.)
The King of Pop was accompanied by two West German TV crews and an unidentified woman described in the report as "approximately 25 years old, 165 cm tall, slim figure." The TV crews filmed Jackson at Checkpoint Charlie, and three minutes later he and his entourage climbed the stairs to the viewing platform and peered into the East. A photograph taken from the East Berlin side and pasted into the two-page report in the Stasi file shows Jackson in a tight-fitting dark jacket, his hands clasped, and wearing sunglasses and a hat. Next to him is the mystery woman in dark sunglasses and a sleeveless dress. A TV microphone dangles on the right-hand side of the photo.
As it turns out, the man at the Berlin Wall was not the King of Pop, but a look-alike hired by the German television channel SAT 1 for a broadcast that day. Since the reclusive Jackson refused to go out in public in West Berlin, Sat1 reporters decided to hire their own double and see how Berliners reacted. They hired limousines and body guards, fooling the public, local media, and, as we now know, the notorious Stasi secret police. The coup was so successful that it worked again 20 years later when Jackson's Stasi file, and the infamous pictures, emerged. This time SAT 1 nearly fell for its own prank. "We certainly would have fallen for the Stasi pictures but by chance a colleague was on duty who happened to be at the shooting of the Jackson double back in 1988," said Diana Schardt, spokeswoman for SAT 1 television. "We almost went with it, but then cleared it up." (See TIME's Top Ten fake bands.)
Jackson gave a concert that day in West Berlin as part of a three-day festival on the West Berlin side of the Wall. He was touring to promote his album Bad and was joined on the bill that day by Pink Floyd. And judging by the meticulous notes the agent kept, the Stasi considered it one of the most threatening moments for the security of the now defunct East German state. (See the top Michael Jackson items for sale.)
For weeks, the East Germans had been trying to figure out a way to prevent Jackson's moonwalk through West Berlin from becoming political dynamite for East German youth. These were the days of Perestroika, when the Soviet Union's iron grip on Eastern Europe was slipping and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was becoming a source of hope for reformers in the East and the West. The Stasi was determined not to repeat the events of the year before, when East Germans amassed at the Wall to listen to a concert by Genesis, David Bowie and Eurythmics in West Berlin. As the bands played, the East Berlin crowds chanted "Gorby, Gorby" and "Down with the Wall," until they were silenced by East German security forces who beat them with batons and made scores of arrests. A short time later, U.S. President Ronald Reagan gave his now famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate, calling on Gorbachev to "tear down this wall." (See the top 10 Michael Jackson moments.)
Details in the Stasi's report on Jackson suggest that the Western promoter, the concert's sponsor and Jackson's management were more than willing to accommodate the East Germans' concerns. In the minutes of a preparatory meeting of Stasi officials, dated May 4, 1988, the Stasi notes discussions that it was having with the head of the West German company that was organizing the concert. The names are blacked out in the report. According to the report, the organizer "together with Jackson's management is willing to build the stage at such a height that it is not visible from Unter den Linden" — the boulevard on the eastern side of the Brandenburg Gate — "and to position the speakers appropriately." The plan also involved broadcasting the Jackson concert in a stadium in East Berlin with a two-minute delay, so the East Germans could replace the live performance with a videotape of a previous performance should Jackson make any undesirable political comments.
Why would the West Berlin promoter be so willing to cooperate with the East Germans? Possibly because the concert was sponsored by Coca-Cola, which had a stake in keeping East-West relations smooth. "The Coca-Cola company has economic interests in a relationship with the G.D.R.," the report says. "A meeting between the company's management and the General Secretary [Erich Honecker, head of the Socialist Unity Party and G.D.R. leader] is planned."
A crowd of about 5,000 people did gather on the eastern side of the Wall, according to a June 20, 1988, wire report by West Germany's Deutsche Presse Agentur news service, which is included in the Stasi file. It says that hundreds of East German security forces rushed the crowd in the early morning hours after the concert, and estimates that about 30 people were arrested. (See pictures of the young Michael Jackson in his own backyard.)
But though it's difficult to verify the accuracy of the Stasi report, it appears that the East Germans who ventured to the Wall that night in the hope of hearing Jackson were disappointed. Alfred and Scarlett Kleint, who today write scripts for German television, were not Jackson fans but were curious to see the spectacle. They marched down Unter den Linden, past the Soviet embassy, the streets full of people. Alfred describes seeing a lot of police but says the atmosphere was peaceful. He climbed partway up one of the trees on the median on Unter den Linden. A policeman tugged at his leg and ordered him down from the tree, but Kleint says he shook him off and kept peering over the heads of the crowd.
"He was a young guy who apparently didn't want any trouble on his beat," Alfred says. "He let me go. And off in the distance you could faintly hear music, not very enjoyable. And then we went home." (See TIME's full Michael Jackson coverage.)
Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk, a historian at the government agency that maintains the Stasi files today, was a teenager in 1988 and worked as a doorman in East Berlin. He was also a die-hard Pink Floyd fan and determined to get close enough to the Wall to hear the concert. He wound his way through backstreets to a building near the Wall and climbed onto the roof from a window in the building's attic. Yet despite his efforts, he could hardly hear a thing. (See pictures of people around the world mourning Michael Jackson.)
"The wind must have been coming from the wrong direction," he says. "I was really close to the Wall and could see the Reichstag. But I couldn't hear the concert."
It's impossible to say whether the Stasi's fears of Michael Jackson were justified. But two decades later, Checkpoint Charlie is a museum, the Wall all but gone, and Berlin Mitte, the city center, has been returned to shopkeepers, restaurants and offices. Maybe the power of pop had something to do with it.
Posted by Rob Hunter (rob@filmschoolrejects.com) on August 3, 2009
The summer’s almost over, and so far it’s been an incredibly mixed bag movie-wise. Star Trek, The Hangover, and Harry Potter are some of the few deserving wins on the box-office side while most of the supposed summer blockbusters including X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Terminator: Salvation, Bruno, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen all failed to make a financial mark (yeah, that last one was just wishful thinking because the movie sucked so much ass). Quality-wise, many of the summer’s best films have actually been of the decidedly smaller variety including 500 Days of Summer, The Hurt Locker, Moon, and Away We Go.
Which brings us to the final month of summer 2009…
What is it? Hasbro’s most popular toy line for boys comes to life with an advance military team of real American heroes fighting against an evil organization with cool gadgets, deadly weapons, and kung-fu grips.
What about it? Has there ever been a film that received more negative pre-release buzz than GI Joe? The past few months have seen random bits of criticism about the movie get amplified across the web by just about every movie site (including this one). The reports were based on anonymous sources, advance screening reviews, and pure speculation, and were legitimate news items for the most part… but if a select group of web journalists are to be believed all that negativity was pure bullshit. Director Stephen Sommers has never made a great movie, but the new advance buzz says that may be about to change. At least for ten year old boys.
What is it? Writer/director Nora Ephron turns two books into a single movie. One is an autobiography from Julia Child and the other is by a blogger who cooked her way through Child’s most popular French cookbook over the course of a year.
What about it? Ephron’s name on the director chair doesn’t exactly instill confidence. Her last worthwhile movie was 1993’s Sleepless In Seattle (shut it haters, it was a good movie), and having seen Julie & Julia I can say that while it’s her best work since 1993 it’s still a pretty average film. Amy Adams is at her most delightful though and Meryl Streep has an absolute blast mimicking Child’s vocal stylings.
What is it? Newlyweds honeymooning in Hawaii cross paths with two other couples… and at least one of them is a killer. Although I’m betting that by film’s end they’ll all turn out to be killers.
What about it? Writer/director David Twohy is fairly reliable in his genre work… he’s written and/or directed Pitch Black, Below, The Fugitive, Waterworld, and more. The trailer looks cool (even if it does appear to give away a bit too much), and the cast including Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn, Chris Hemsworth, and Milla Jovovich is pretty solid.
Watch the Trailer:
In Limited Release:
Cold Souls- Paul Giamatti channels John Malkovich and plays himself in this meta comedy. He pays a company to remove his soul temporarily only to see it get stolen and trafficked abroad. The question is will he want to wait for the soul mule to poop out the balloon? [More: Watch the Trailer; Read Neil Miller's Review]
Paper Heart- The oddly adorable Charlyne Yi wrote and stars in this documentary/romantic comedy that finds her on a quest to understand love. Who knew that journey would lead her to Michael Cera? [More: Watch the Trailer; Read Neil Miller's Review]
What is it? A group of teen outcasts with music in their hearts and crotches form a band. The scrappy group enters the biggest music competition in town… can they pull it together enough to pull it off and win?
What about it? Didn’t star Vanessa Hudgens already cover this ground in High School Musical?
What is it? Alien ships appear above South Africa and the visitors are forced to live in refugee-like slums behind fences and armed guards. They just want to go home but the humans won’t let them leave… a decision they’ll regret when a federal agent is accidentally exposed to an alien gas and all hell breaks loose.
What about it? Regardless of Neil’s claim that Iron Man 2 was the big winner out of Comic Con this year, District 9 is the one that wowed me the most. (And no, I wasn’t there.) The movie’s first half reportedly lays down a not-so-subtle message about racism and apartheid before kicking things into high gear with giant robots, fierce action sequences, and gobs of blood. This may just be the sci-fi blockbuster that puts all the others to shame this year.
What is it? A remake of Used Cars apparently… Jeremy Piven and a bunch of other funny guys race to sell out a used car lot in a short amount of time.
What about it?The Goods is from the writers behind Balls Out and I’m hoping they’ve stepped up their comedic skills since then (so I don’t get another passive aggressive email from one half of the writing team). The trailer looks kind of flat, but I find it hard to believe having a cast this talented hasn’t resulted in a funny movie.
What is it? A woman falls in love with a man who travels uncontrollably through time. He appears to her in her childhood (but after he’s already met and loved her adult self in the future) and plants the seed reserves a space for his future love in her heart. Sounds more perverted and unethical than romantic doesn’t it?
What about it? Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams star as the couple and both of them are solid actors, but the love story at play here has a huge hurdle to overcome with the whole time travel without purpose shtick.
Watch the Trailer:
In Limited Release
It Might Get Loud- Jimmy Page. The Edge. Jack White. One of these things is not like the others… but that doesn’t stop the three axemen from getting together for a rocking documentary about the electric guitar. [More: Watch the Trailer]
Ponyo- Hayao Miyazaki’s first animated feature since his last one follows the adventures of a sea slug that becomes a boy on a quest to save the planet. Or something. [More: Watch the Trailer]
Spread- Ashton Kutcher has lots of casual sex and learns valuable lessons along the way. I can only assume one of them involves teaching old dogs new tricks. [More: Watch the Trailer]
What is it? Quentin Tarantino’s World War II opus about a squad of soldiers romping around Europe scalping Nazis. The question is would they still do it if Ticketmaster didn’t charge those damn extra fees?
What about it? Advance word is exactly what we should expect from Tarantino… lots of talking, very little action.Is that a bad thing? Probably not since Tarantino’s strength is definitely with dialogue. And Brad Pitt’s accent aside, early footage has looked fairly promising as well.
What about it? It’s release is three weeks away, but the movie has had little to no advance publicity. So according to IMDB, Alexis Bledel stars as a young woman trying to get her life together. Sounds pretty generic but the supporting cast looks interesting… Michael Keaton, Jane Lynch, Carol Burnett, Craig Robinson, Fred Armisen…
What is it? A little nerd finds a stone that makes technicolor wishes come true. Sadly, all of his wishes involve CGI (and none of them involve hot, naked women).
What about it? This looks like a slight step up from Robert Rodriguez’ previous movies for rugrats with ADD, but that’s not saying much. The premise and the constant projectile CGI should keep the target audience happy.
World’s Greatest Dad – Bobcat Goldthwait wrote and directed this dark comedy that stars Robin Williams as father to the worst son ever. The ads are doing a fantastic job of concealing a major plot point so I’m going to go masturbate in the closet with a necktie instead of ruining it for you here. [More: Watch the Trailer; Read Neil Miller's Review]
What is it? Death comes calling for a fourth time as the franchise embraces the third dimension with gusto.
What about it? The Final Destination series has followed the law of diminishing returns, but the intricate deaths have continued to entertain. The gory and precise set-pieces are extremely well-suited to 3-D and almost guarantee the movie will be a blast to watch in theaters.
What about it? I’m no fan of Of Rob Zombie’s films, but the Halloween remake is the best of his three. And that’s even with that annoying as hell little girl playing a young Michael Myers. The sequel apparently still includes some flashbacks to the pre-teen serial killer, but most of the film should focus on the towering adult cutting a swathe through town.
What is it?Ang Lee takes a comedic look at the true story behind the original Woodstock music festival.
What about it? Demitri Martin takes the lead role and is joined by a muddy Emile Hirsch and a dress-wearing Liev Schreiber. Lee makes consistently good and occasionally great movies, and he knows no bounds when it comes to genres. This is his first comedy since Eat Drink Man Woman so there’s that.
Watch the Trailer:
In Limited Release
The September Issue – A documentary about fashion and magazine publishing that focuses on Anna Wintour and the Fall 2008 issue of Vogue. Will it be as powerful and emotionally devastating as Dear Zachary? It is Vogue’s most important issue of the year after all. [More: Watch the Trailer]
Which movies are you excited about in August? Which ones will you avoid?
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All you art collectors out there. Here is a chance to get a Giclee copy of some of Ian M Sherwin work. Ian is planning on doing a whole series of Marblehead, Massachusetts paintings. His work is amazing.
Just what Angelina Jolie has likely always wanted--a nude sculpture of herself breastfeeding two babies displayed in public.
The hyperbole around the 
Julie & Julia
A Perfect Getaway
Bandslam
District 9
The Goods: Live Hard Sell Hard
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Inglourious Basterds
Post Grad
Shorts
The Final Destination 3D
Halloween 2
Taking Woodstock
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