‘Jobs’ gets pulped in laborious film

‘Jobs’ gets pulped in laborious film

With few exceptions, nice guys don’t change the world. Especially in the digital universe. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, according to “The Social Network,” appears to be quite a handful. And Apple founder Steve Jobs, who died in 2011 of pancreatic cancer, was such a piece of work that he requires two biopics to do him justice. This one, directed by Joshua Michael Stern (“Swing Vote”), suggests that Jobs will fare better with the upcoming version from Aaron Sorkin, Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Network.” If one were to compare this film to one of Jobs’s own products, it would be more like the Cube than the iPod. Nonetheless, “Jobs” does offer some redeeming features — Ashton Kutcher in the title role, for one. In preparing for it, Kutcher practiced Jobs’s austere “fruitarian” diet and ended up in the hospital with a wonky pancreas for his troubles. He also adopts Jobs’s lopey, vaguely Cro-Magnon walk; the piercing stare; the explosive, abusive tirades. He nearly captures the soul of the man, except when he sounds like Keanu Reeves. At first, it seems like the filmmakers are up to the task, too. Though a bit corny, an early montage set in 1974, in which the latter-day hippie Jobs trips on acid with friends in a cornfield, packages many of the themes of the man’s life in a few minutes. Gazing into the heavens, Jobs weeps about being an abandoned, adopted child; but then, like Kevin Costner in “Field of Dreams,” he hears a voice calling out to him, “There’s no time to waste!” He spins in ecstasy, and the film doesn’t waste time either, as it intercuts images from the next few years of his life: his pilgrimage to India in which a guru tells him “Life is but a journey,” a calligraphy class where he learns the beauty of fonts, and then an IBM ad that lauds the future of man and computers, all set to a Bach Brandenburg concerto. Yes, this is a man who will transform the world, even though he kicks out his girlfriend when she gets pregnant, and betrays many of his friends along the way. JOBS 2 out of 4 stars MPAA rating: PG-13 MPAA rating reasons: some drug content and brief strong language Running time: 127 minutes Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad, Lukas Haas, Matthew Modine, J.K. Simmons, Lesley Ann Warren Director: Joshua Michael Stern Writers: Matt Whiteley Playing at: Boston Common Well, maybe the sequence seems inspired compared with what follows, a chronicle of high and low points in Jobs’s career put together like a PowerPoint demonstration. In 1976, the first Apple computer is born in Jobs’s garage; though designed by his geek pal Steve Wozniak (Josh Gad), Jobs does the visionary work of selling it — in this case at a local computer store. Next, Apple launches the groundbreaking Apple II, which, as Jobs intones, “puts the power and beauty of technology in everyone’s possession.” In 1984 he unveils the Macintosh, and the award-winning commercial that posits this machine as the only hope of avoiding Orwellian totalitarianism. Then his own company betrays him, only to beg him later to return, which he does, triumphantly, with another world-changing product, the iMac, and another world-convincing promotional campaign featuring the legendary “Think Different” commercial. Meanwhile, Kutcher goes through a routine of staring into space as he gets another brainstorm, flying into a savage tirade at those too dumb to comprehend his vision, and giving yet another inspirational pep talk. They are not persuasive; the Apple commercials that Stern unwisely shows are more cinematic than the film.




news sours  www.bostonglobe.com

Politics and casting cameos undermine otherwise solid 'Butler'

Politics and casting cameos undermine otherwise solid 'Butler'

"The Butler" is alternately touching, sobering, depressing and even unnerving. Half of this movie will make you feel like a better person for having watched it; the other half will leave you wanting to pick fights on Internet comment boards. "The Butler" is alternately touching, sobering, depressing and even unnerving. It is a beautiful example of how time allows us to set aside politics, but current events will still get under our skin. Half of this movie will make you feel like a better person for having watched it; the other half will leave you wanting to pick fights on Internet comment boards. "Lee Daniels' The Butler" (named for its director) offers its audience a near-comprehensive take on the civil rights movement of the 20th century, told through the perspective of an African-American butler named Cecil Gaines. Gaines, played by Forest Whittaker, is a real-life character, hence the "inspired by" at the beginning of the film. The story begins in the Georgia cotton fields of the 1920s, where Gaines worked with his parents in near slave-like conditions. Emancipation feels like mere lip service as his mother is assaulted and his father murdered in quick succession, without a whiff of accountability. This experience shifts Gaines from a field worker to a "House Negro," starting a journey that will eventually lead him to the White House as a butler, where his childhood frames his observation of the decades to come. As a high-profile servant in the White House, Gaines effectively becomes a fly on the wall for all the great moments of the second half of the 20th century. His "inside man" perspective is mirrored by his son, Louis (David Oyelowo), who dives headfirst into political activism while his father takes the more reserved approach. This polarity between Gaines and his son drives the film's central question: What is the best way to affect real change? Gaines chooses to be the quiet example, biting his tongue when those around him (frequently the current president) talk about his plight as though he isn't standing at attention in the back of the room. Louis chooses a more proactive path that initially brings him into the fold with Martin Luther King Jr., but veers into uncertain waters when the Black Panthers choose to fight fire with fire following King's assassination. To its credit, the film seems to have a good grasp of the pros and cons of each approach, and for the most part manages to keep any party from feeling too picked on. The all-star cast that peppers the screen in everything from lead roles to glorified cameos is one of "The Butler's" most interesting elements, but also its most distracting. Whitaker is perfectly balanced and sympathetic as Gaines, Oyelowo shows great depth as Louis, and Oprah Winfrey plays Gaines' wife Gloria with grace and reserve. But as interesting as it is to see John Cusack's take on Richard Nixon and Alan Rickman's interpretation of Ronald Reagan, a more anonymous cast for the laundry list of historical icons might have allowed for better audience immersion than "The Butler's" game of "spot the celebrity." Some of the casting choices, such as Jane Fonda's role as Nancy Reagan, will no doubt fire the flames of political controversy. And here is where "The Butler" stumbles. (Mild spoiler alert.) After spending the bulk of the film chronicling the critical mass of the civil rights movement through the ’50s and ’60s, Daniels moves at high speed to use the 2008 election of Barack Obama as the celebratory capstone of Gaines' journey. It's a pretty obvious move that is hard to debate, but the move to feature a sitting president whose own legacy is still being written leaves the film feeling a lot more political than it needed to be. It's easy to set aside politics when you have a 50-year buffer between you and someone's interpretation of history; it's something else when that same someone is telling you how to feel about current events. "The Butler" has some wonderful moments that are powerful and moving, but its scope will ultimately (and unfortunately) polarize its audience. "Lee Daniels' The Butler" is rated PG-13 for scattered language (including racial ephitets and one use of the F-word), some brutal but largely bloodless violence, and some mild sexual content. Joshua Terry is a freelance writer and photojournalist who appears weekly on the "KJZZ Movie Show" and also teaches English composition at Salt Lake Community College. You can see more of his work at www.woundedmosquito.com.




news sours   www.deseretnews.com

Michael Jacksons Ex beschuldigt "idiotische" Ärzte

Michael Jacksons Ex beschuldigt "idiotische" Ärzte

Ihre Aussage war mit Spannung erwartet worden, US-Klatschseiten wie etwa "TMZ.com" wollten gar schon vorher wissen, was Debbie Rowe in dem Zivilprozess um den Tod von Michael Jackson aussagen würde. Am Mittwoch dann erschien die 54-Jährige vor dem Gericht in Los Angeles, und brachte mit ihren Schilderungen tatsächlich Bewegung in das Verfahren. Rowe, die von Michael Jacksons Mutter als Zeugin benannt worden war, um dem Konzertveranstalter AEG Fahrlässigkeit nachzuweisen, schilderte ausführlich, dass der im Jahr 2009 verstorbene Sänger schon seit Jahren Schmerzmittel nahm. Ausgangspunkt all seiner Beschwerden war ihr zufolge jene Kopfhautverbrennung, die sich Jackson 1984 bei Werbeaufnahmen für die Getränkefirma Pepsi zugezogen hatte. Bis zum Ende seines Lebens habe "Jacko" unter den Spätfolgen des Unfalls gelitten, zahlreiche Ärzte hätten versucht, die Schmerzen mit immer neuen Medikamenten zu lindern. Ankunft vor Gericht: Debbie Rowe, 54, sagte als Zeugin für Michael Jacksons Mutter Katherine aus Foto: AP Ankunft vor Gericht: Debbie Rowe, 54, sagte als Zeugin für Michael Jacksons Mutter Katherine aus "Michael war sehr schmerzempfindlich, und seine Furcht vor Schmerzen war außergewöhnlich", sagte Rowe unter Tränen. "Ich denke, die Ärzte haben ihn in der Hinsicht ausgenutzt", so ihre klaren Worte. Bizarrer Wettbewerb auf Kosten des Patienten Die Mediziner hätten sich in den 90er-Jahren einen bizarren Wettbewerb geliefert, und sich gegenseitig mit immer neuen, noch härteren Schmerzmitteln zu übertrumpfen gesucht, so ihr bitteres Fazit. Rowe, die von 1996 bis 1999 mit Jackson verheiratet war, porträtierte sich vor Gericht als die beste Freundin und Beschützerin ihres Mannes. Jackson sei "bedauerlicherweise" ein viel zu gutgläubiger Mensch gewesen, sagte Rowe weiter, die sich vor Gericht übrigens nicht als Krankenschwester, sondern als "medizinisch-technische Assistentin" vorstellte. In dieser Funktion hatte sie Jackson denn auch in den Achtzigern kennengelernt, als sie in der Praxis von Dr. Arnold Klein arbeitete, Jacksons langjährigen Hautarzt. Klein und den plastischen Chirurgen Dr. Steven Hoefflin nannte sie im Verlauf ihre Aussage dann mehrfach namentlich. "Diese beiden Idioten" Beide, so ihre These, hätten Jackson mit gefährlichen Betäubungsmitteln in Kontakt gebracht. Die Mutter von Jacksons beiden Kindern Paris und Prince sagte laut "New York Daily News" dann weiter: "Diese beiden Idioten machten mal dies, mal das, ohne sich wirklich um ihn zu kümmern." Sie selbst habe gesehen, wie Jackson das Mittel Propofol in der Praxis von Hoefflin verabreicht wurde. Zweimal sei der Sänger infolge des Beruhigungsmittels sogar ohnmächtig geworden. Ein anderes Mal, in den 90er-Jahren am Rande eines Konzertes in München, seien zwei Ärzte sogar direkt in das Hotelzimmer des Künstlers gekommen, um Jackson den lang ersehnten Schlaf zu verschaffen. Jackson nannte das Mittel später "meine Milch". Die beiden Ärzte, wird Rowe in der "Los Angeles Times" zitiert, hätten genug Behandlungsmittel mitgebracht, um das Zimmer wie einen "Operationssaal" wirken zu lassen. Jackson sei infolge ihrer Behandlung dann, wie offenbar gewünscht, in eine achtstündige Bewusstlosigkeit gefallen. Drei Tage später habe er sich der Behandlung erneut unterzogen. Dies sei jedoch das einzige Mal gewesen, wo sie mit eigenen Augen gesehen habe, dass Jackson anästhetische Mittel bewusst genutzt habe, um zu schlafen. "Was, wenn Du daran stirbst?" Sie selbst habe damals Bedenken geäußert. "Was, wenn Du daran stirbst?", hätte sie damals zu dem Sänger gesagt. "Aber er hatte schon so viele Behandlungen mit Hoeffelin hinter sich, dass er sich keine Sorgen mehr machte. Seine größte Sorge war, nicht schlafen zu können." Jackson starb wenige Wochen vor dem Beginn seiner Comeback-Konzerte an einer Überdosis Propofol, die ihm sein damaliger Leibarzt Dr. Conrad Murray verabreicht hatte. Murray wurde bereits zu einer Haftstrafe wegen fahrlässiger Tötung verurteilt, die er derzeit noch absitzt. In dem aktuellen Prozess nun wirft die Mutter des "King of Pop", Katherine Jackson, dem Konzertveranstalter AEG Live vor, die Gesundheit ihres Sohnes aus Profitsucht aufs Spiel gesetzt zu haben. AEG Live hatte die für den Sommer 2009 geplante Comeback-Konzerte organisiert, weist den Vorwurf der Fahrlässigkeit aber entschieden zurück. Der Konzertveranstalter argumentiert, dass Jacksons bereits vorhandene Abhängigkeit von Schmerz- und Schlafmitteln ihm am Ende das Leben gekostet habe. Nach Experteneinschätzung könnten Debbie Rowes Aussagen dies unfreiwillig untermauert haben. Rowe wird auch am heutigen Donnerstag noch einmal als Zeugin aussagen.



news sours   www.welt.de

Why 'Duck Dynasty' rules reality TV

Why 'Duck Dynasty' rules reality TV

A proposal for a TV show about a Louisiana family that makes duck calls didn't have to go far to find doubters. They were seated at the dinner table. "I said, 'This will never work. Nobody's going to watch that,'" remembers Jase Robertson, who works for the family business. "My dad (Phil) echoed that. I think he said something along the lines of 'A redneck family, they're not going to run that.' " Well, they did run it, and people watched. Lots of people. A&E's Duck Dynasty, which opens its fourth season Wednesday (10 p.m. ET/PT), has become a ratings phenomenon, ranking behind only AMC's zombie hit The Walking Dead last season among cable series. The reality series that follows the bearded Robertson clan and their Monroe, La., outdoor sporting-goods business grew 95% in viewers last season, averaging 8.4 million viewers. Dynasty is designed as a modern-day sitcom with a rich cast of characters including patriarch and duck-call creator Phil; his wife Kay and sons Willie, the CEO; Jase, who makes the duck calls but would rather be hunting or fishing; and Jep; and Phil's offbeat brother, Si. The couple's oldest son, Alan -- uniquely clean-shaven -- joins the show in the fourth-season premiere, which features a surprise wedding-vow renewal ceremony for Phil and Kay on their 49th anniversary. "He's kind of the troubled one in my family. He's good looking, he's clean shaven, he bathes regularly and he wears nice clothes. We've always tried to figure out what exactly is wrong with him," Jase says. The show's success has much to do with how engaging the Robertsons are, says Andy Dehnart, editor of realityblurred.com, a blog about unscripted TV shows. "The No. 1 thing is just that the cast members are really appealing, nice, funny, warm, awesome people to spend some time with on TV. I think that's what makes all the difference," he says. Fans tweeted their feelings about the show to USA TODAY. Sherie Hinton of Fairfax, Va., says, "Watching (the) show takes u back to what's important. Church, Family, Fun," while Laura Hill of New Castle, Ind., relates to the tight-knit family you can love "even when you want to wring their necks like a duck." That's a typical response: "We get that a lot on social media, 'How I wish this was my family,' which is the best compliment we can get," says A&E's reality-programming chief Lily Neumeyer, also an executive producer on the series. Jase says he believes sincerity is the key. "I think the smartest thing we did was stay true to ourselves." Producers get episode ideas from the family members, but the episodes resemble sitcom plots: Willie wants to lose weight before a reunion. Jase thinks Willie is going through a midlife crisis. "We all sat down around a table and had them tell stories and we just listen. They always have the most amazing, funny stories and moments," she says. Producers often re-create situations for the show, so like most such series it isn't entirely unscripted. Once the cameras are rolling, the Robertsons take it from there, Neumeyer says. Still, when producers try to film or re-create events from their lives, family members don't necessarily go along with their plans. Jase says he's not told what to say and that he has balked at requests, refusing to wear knickers in an episode where he and Willie go golfing. "A lot of the ideas that they have, they always take a turn somewhere because that's just not what we would do," he says. "I think it's difficult for them to trust us enough to know that they're going to get something they can use, and that's been the biggest battle. They want to control it, but we're uncontrollable. So, finding that balance is the genius part of the show." Dynasty's success already is leading to imitators, Dehnart says, but it will be hard to reproduce the on-camera genuineness of the Robertsons. Discovery Channel on Tuesday unveiled Porter Ridge, a comedic series from Dynasty's producers that centers on an auto salvage yard business in the hills of Indiana. "I fear for the day when a bunch of Duck Dynasty clones come on the air, in part, because it's lightning in a bottle," says Dehnart. The family just got a big raise, Deadline.com reported Tuesday, enabling A&E to promise "several" more seasons of the show, but Jase dismisses reports of acrimony."We were having normal negotiations and people blew it out of proportion just for a story," he says. "A&E has been good to us. It says a lot of them to allow us to do what we do on the show, which is not normal television. They took a risk on us and we've been happy with them, and I think they've been happy with us." The high profile has helped the family business, too, with many people who aren't hunters buying the duck calls and other items. A&E says an extensive line of merchandise is a big seller at WalMart and other big retailers. The family members are in demand at various events, and Willie and Si will appear, as other characters, on the season premiere of ABC's Last Man Standing (Sept. 20, 8 p.m. ET/PT). "It's changed our lives, because I can't go to the grocery store without people gathering (around), but I think the difference in us and most people on TV is this was not something we set out as a goal," he says. "So, it didn't really taint the important things, our faith and our family and our perspective on life."




news sours   www.usatoday.com

The Civil Wars Debut at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

The Civil Wars Debut at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

Though the duo may be on a touring hiatus, the Civil Wars are celebrating their first No. 1 album this week. The act's new self-titled set debuts atop the Billboard 200 chart, selling 116,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. LATEST FROM CIVIL WARS It's easily the best sales week for the pair (Joy Williams and John Paul White) who previously saw a one-week high after the Grammy Awards in 2012, when their full-length debut, "Barton Hollow," shifted 36,000. Its sales that week were buoyed by the duo's performance on the Awards, which shot the album from No. 41 to its peak of No. 10 on the chart. The Civil Wars has been on hiatus since last November, citing "internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition." While the act is not performing shows to promote the new album, Williams has been giving interviews to the press. White, however, has been keeping a low profile and has not spoke to the media. A sturdy 69% of "The Civil Wars'" first week sales came from digital retailers. Its download sales of 81,000 easily place it at No. 1 on the Digital Albums chart as well. Last week's No. 1, Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," falls to No. 3 with 65,000 (down 63%). The runner-up title last week, Five Finger Death Punch's "The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1," falls to No. 8 with 35,000 (down 69%). The new "Now 47" compilation arrives at No. 2 this week with 82,000 -- a figure slightly lower than the 91,000 that the "Now 46" set started with in May. All 47 of the regular, numbered, "Now" albums have reached the top 10, and all but the first debuted in the top 10. The Civil Wars: Track-By-Track Review Jay Z's "Magna Carta… Holy Grail" slides 3-4 with 48,000 (down 22%) and the "Teen Beach Movie" soundtrack holds at No. 6 with 38,000 (down 19%). Rock band Asking Alexandria nets its highest-charting album and best sales week yet, as "From Death to Destiny" debuts at No. 5 with 41,000. It surpasses the No. 9 debut and peak of its last release, 2011's "Reckless & Relentless," which moved 31,000 in its first week. Imagine Dragons' "Night Visions" profits from a $7.99 sale price in the iTunes Store, as the album vaults from No. 11 to No. 7 with 37,000 (up 46%). In terms of download sales, it rose by 87% for the week (climbing 10-3 on the Digital Albums chart). Gospel artist Tye Tribbett claims his first top 10 album, as his new "Greater Than" bows at No. 9 with a career-best sales frame of 30,000. He had previously gone as high as No. 16 with "Stand Out" (with his group G.A.). "Greater Than" also enter at No. 1 on the Gospel Albums chart -- Tribbett's fourth leader on that tally. Rounding out the top 10 on the Billboard 200 this week is Florida Georgia Line's "Here's to the Good Times," which is a non-mover at No. 10 with 26,000 (down 8%). THICKE HOLDS, JAY Z RISES ON DIGITAL SONGS CHART Over on the Digital Songs chart, Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" (featuring Pharrell and T.I.) holds at No. 1 for a tenth non-consecutive week, selling another 346,000 downloads (down 14%). Jay Z's "Holy Grail" (featuring Justin Timberlake) rises 3-2 with 166,000 (up 2%), Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" falls 2-3 with 158,000 (down 10%) and Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" is steady at No. 4 with 132,000 (down 15%). Anna Kendrick's "Cups" is a non-mover at No. 5 (114,000; up 4%), Avicii's "Wake Me Up!" jets 9-6 (113,000; up 13%) and Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" (featuring Pharrell Williams) is stationary at No. 7 (just under 113,000; up 10%). Drake's "Hold On, We're Going Home" is the chart's highest debut, as it starts at No. 8 with 109,000. The track features Canadian duo Majid Jordan and the latest preview single from Drake's upcoming studio album, "Nothing Was the Same." Lana Del Rey's breakout single "Summertime Sadness" (with Cedric Gervais), zips into the top 10, rising 13-9 with 101,000 (up 24%). 64% of the song's overall sales this week come from the uptempo dance remix produced by Gervais. The song was originally recorded as a dreamy ballad for Del Rey's "Born to Die" album. The track concurrently rises 22-17 on the Pop Songs airplay chart (known as Mainstream Top 40 on Billboard.biz) with a 47% gain in audience on top 40 radio. Drake's OVO Fest Surprises With Kanye West, Lil Wayne Capital Cities' "Safe and Sound" closes the top 10, as it falls 8-10 with 99,000 (down 3%). Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending Aug. 11) totaled 4.71 million units, down 7% compared with the sum last week (5.08 million) and down 5% compared with the comparable sales week of 2012 (4.96 million). Year to date album sales stand at 171.01 million, down 6% compared to the same total at this point last year (182.24 million). Digital track sales this past week totaled 22.10 million downloads, down 3% compared with last week (22.76 million) and down 8% stacked next to the comparable week of 2012 (24.03 million). Year to date track sales are at 820.24 million, down 3% compared to the same total at this point last year (845.43 million). Next week's Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2012 when: 2 Chainz's "Based on a T.R.U. Story" debuted at No. 1 with 147,000. The previous week's No. 1, the "Now 43" compilation, fell to No. 2 with 75,000 (down 32%).



news sours  www.billboard.com

Badar Azim: Does the Queen's ex-footman live in a slum?

Badar Azim: Does the Queen's ex-footman live in a slum?

Recently, like many other journalists in Calcutta, I was trying to find the Queen's former footman, Badar Azim, who returned to India when his UK visa expired. British papers had written about his journey to Buckingham Palace from the "slums of Calcutta"... but this did not go down well with his family. When I and a few other journalists knocked on the door of the house where Badar lived, his uncle opened it. Among the throng were a few of us who worked for British-based media organisations. He stared at us while he asked why foreign newspapers wrote lies about his nephew. And he finished by saying: "They think that all of we Indians live in slums." Some of the local journalists nodded their heads in agreement. Continue reading the main story From Our Own Correspondent Insight and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers from around the world Broadcast on Radio 4 and BBC World Service Listen to the programme Download the programme Outside Badar's house I met a friend of mine who works for a local news agency. She had a big smile on her face as she said, "You slumming it today?" Before I could reply, she added: "How do you define what a slum is... I mean how do you guys know which area is a slum and which area isn't?" It was a good question. Answering with more confidence than I really felt I said: "You don't seem to know yourself - so to avoid any arguments about this why don't we Google it." Badar Azim with the Royal press secretary in front of Buckingham Palace Badar Azim played a public role, helping to announce the recent Royal birth Before she could respond, I was typing away on my phone. Within seconds I had a definition from that most trusted of sources - the Oxford English Dictionary. I read it aloud: "A squalid and overcrowded urban area inhabited by very poor people." Continue reading the main story What is a slum? UN-HABITAT defines a slum household as a group of people living under the same roof in an urban area who lack one or more of the following: Durable, weatherproofed housing Sufficient living space, no more than three people sharing a room Safe, sufficient and affordable drinking-water Adequate sanitation Security of tenure in living accommodation UN Habitat We all then looked up at the building that Badar lived in. He and his two brothers, his mum and dad, and maybe a few more relatives, lived on the top floor. From the outside the structure looked shabby and the building which must once have been white was now a dirty grey colour. There were open sewers outside it and the area was full of people - many of them children, who probably should have been at school. There was silence for what seemed like a minute or more. Then one of Badar's neighbours, Ghulam Mohammed, who had been listening to the conversation announced: "This cannot be a slum - because decent people live here." He then told me he had a proper job in an office - so how could he live in a slum? "I have a television and a motorbike, sir. Do slum-dwellers have these sorts of things?" he asked. A man cuts hair near the residential complex where Badar Azim lives Local residents do not always see their surroundings as slums This is not the first time that people in India have been upset with the use of the "S" word. Danny Boyle's film Slumdog Millionaire may have won a host of Oscars but there were protests about its title across the world's largest democracy. Children protest, holding a poster saying: I am not a slumdog, I am the future of India I remember walking around one of Mumbai's largest so-called slums and seeing posters that said "I am not a slumdog but the future of India." In a way, this anger has grown as India's economy has grown. India's new middle class wants the world to look at their success, not the poverty that still exists in many parts of this country - something which, at times, they seem to ignore. A friend of mine recently told me, "The problem with you foreigners is that you still think we are a land of snake-charmers and beggars." When I pointed out that it was the United Nations, not journalists, who said that 50% of Mumbai's population live in slums, he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "They are foreigners as well." Recently I had to visit one of the poorest parts of Calcutta when an 11-year-old girl was burned to death after resisting attempts to rape her. Locals took me to the field where she had died. Continue reading the main story More from BBC News Slum tourism: Patronising or social enlightenment? (2012) Vertical gyms solve Caracas slum space shortage (2012) Dark side of the Dubai dream (2009) We walked through large puddles of sewage water and past lots of small houses that looked like they were about to collapse and were crowded with families. There were no toilets - people had to get their water from a dirty-looking well, and what little electricity there was would come and go. At one stage I asked one of the locals who had tried to save the girl whether it bothered him that people call this area a baasti, a slum. "Only the rich have time for such debates," he replied. "Nobody would want want to live here but we have no choice - whether you call it a slum or not makes no difference to us as it is not going to change our lives." You can listen to Rahul Tandon's report on From Our Own Correspondent on BBC World Service, Thursday 15 August at 18:50 GMT and 01:50GMT on Friday. See the World Service programme schedule for more information. You can also listen online and download the podcast. You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on Facebook




news sours  www.bbc.co.uk

Michael Kohlhaas. "J’ai souhaité parvenir à l’épure"

Michael Kohlhaas. "J’ai souhaité parvenir à l’épure"

Michael Kohlhaas, 2h02, réalisé par Arnaud des Pallières. Présenté à Cannes cette année, ce film époustouflant
 est l’adaptation d’une nouvelle d’Heinrich von Kleist. Entretien avec Arnaud des Pallières, son réalisateur. D’où le désir vous est-il venu de travailler à partir de cette nouvelle d’Heinrich 
von Kleist, écrivain allemand 
du XIXe siècle ? Arnaud des Pallières. C’est un texte que j’ai découvert il y a très longtemps. Sa lecture fut un choc. Je me suis dit alors que j’en ferai quelque chose. J’ai gardé ce texte en moi, avec moi. Je n’ai pu le travailler ciné-matographiquement qu’à partir du moment où j’ai eu une raison intime, personnelle, de le faire. C’est en passant par l’expérimentation d’un grand sentiment d’injustice, habité de cette envie d’aller « jusqu’au bout » que je suis parvenu à me décider. Michael Kohlhaas, marchand de chevaux, vit au XVIe siècle. Un puissant baron va lui arracher tous ses biens, tout ce qu’il aime. Il va se battre à mort. Transporter le récit au cinéma ne s’est pas produit par le biais littéraire. La germanité du texte me posait problème. Tout est devenu limpide dès lors que j’ai admis que les problématiques de Kleist n’étaient pas les miennes. La Réforme protestante s’est produite en Allemagne. J’ai cherché dans l’histoire de France, la géographie, la langue, les moyens d’une transposition. Dans les Cévennes, entre 1510 et 1530, catholiques et protestants coexistaient. J’introduis donc un personnage quasi religieux, qui est à la fois Luther et Calvin mais ne sera jamais nommé. 
Je fais du prince de Kleist la princesse d’Angoulême, sœur de François Ier, assez proche 
des protestants. J’invente à 
Kohlhaas une petite fille, j’appuie son amour pour sa femme. Tout cela donne corps au personnage mais également à une possibilité critique. Il rencontre des obstacles, se confronte aux désaccords de ceux qu’il aime ou estime. Je voulais créer un cadre respectueux mais plausible. Le personnage de Kleist est un héros romantique. Vous l’incarnez dans ses contradictions, son humanité… Cela vous semble plus proche de notre époque ? Arnaud des Pallières. Ce qui m’intéresse dans ce personnage, c’est sa force de conviction mais aussi ses doutes, ses failles. Je le montre moins halluciné, moins dans la folie. Dans le film, il est plus têtu et plus rationnel. Plus proche de moi. Le cinéma que j’aime le mieux est un cinéma matériel. Il ne consiste pas à raconter une histoire au spectateur mais à lui faire vivre une expérience physique. C’est frappant dès les premiers plans. On est comme sidéré par le souffle du paysage, la ligne de crête que parcourent chevaux et cavaliers, au son assourdi des tambours. Comment avez-vous travaillé cette « physicalité » 
du film ? Arnaud des Pallières. Je voulais un film en pierres sèches comme ces maisons des Cévennes. Elles tiennent parce qu’elles sont minutieusement choisies et posées, avec beaucoup d’aspérités. La musique a sa rudesse, notamment celle des percussions mais sa retenue laisse le spectateur libre de ce qu’il ressent. À partir du contexte politique, historique et religieux de Kleist, j’ai conservé le protestantisme de Michael Kohlhaas. Le film en porte l’austérité, une certaine rigueur. Écriture, décors, couleurs, costumes, son, toutes les décisions de mise en scène sont sous le coup de cette rigueur. Les paysages, aussi, la météorologie, car quatre-vingt-dix pour cent du film se déroulent en extérieurs. C’est surtout vrai durant le tournage et plus 
encore au montage, qui a pris un an et demi. Nous étions deux à temps plein. J’ai passé au 
total cinq ans de ma vie à opérer des choix, en tentant toujours de les orienter vers le plus juste, le plus vrai, le plus vivant. Mon travail oscille sans cesse entre documentaire et fiction. Là, je devais réaliser un documentaire au XVIe siècle. Je me suis placé sous influence, me laissant porter par le souffle et l’esprit de la nouvelle de Kleist puisque je ne souhaitais pas m’en tenir à la lettre. Comment donner chair à cette représentation, aux croisements de consciences qui se jouent à l’époque et imprègnent si fortement la nôtre ? Arnaud des Pallières. Il fallait inventer un monde. Rien n’allait de soi, ce qui est un jeu passionnant pour un cinéaste. Héritiers du cartésianisme, nous ne savons pas comment se construisaient les dialogues. Les corps devaient être montrés, car ils étaient alors tellement exposés, aux intempéries, à la maladie… Il n’y avait aucune bravoure dans la violence, seulement massacres et souffrances. Je n’en montre jamais les conséquences charnelles pour ne pas que l’on en jouisse. Question de point de vue. Les intérieurs étaient obscurs. Mais c’est l’extraordinaire talent de Madds Mikkelsen, la relation entre son expression et ce qui l’entoure, qui incarne le mieux ces carrefours d’humanité. Tendresse et terrible exigence, sa victoire sera une défaite, sa défaite une victoire. J’ai dû augmenter la réalité par la traduction sonore de ce que nous vivions sur le tournage et qui ne passe pas forcément à l’écran. L’odeur des chevaux, la dureté du soleil… Sinon tout a été soustraction pour parvenir à l’épure. force politique et révolte. Les paysages des Cévennes et les chevaux ne font pas une chevauchée cévenole ou un western du XVIe siècle. Arnaud des Pallières, depuis son premier long métrage, Drancy avenir en 1996, sur les traces et la mémoire de la déportation des juifs en passant par Adieu, Parc et Poussières d’Amérique, produit un cinéma exigeant où la fiction se veut au service du vrai. Il le redit ici et le combat à mort de Michael Kohlaas pour la justice, sa révolte contre l’oppression, ancrés dans les temps de la Réforme et de la guerre des paysans en Allemagne, quand bien même ils sont ici transposés en France, allient la force politique à la puissance esthétique. Il s’agit bien d’un film majeur, servi 
par des acteurs remarquables de justesse et de tension.



news sours   www.humanite.fr

Big Brother evictee says age is an issue on the show Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/big-brother-evictee-says-age-is-an-issue-on-the-show-20130813-2rtzz.html#ixzz2bwt7JltD

Melbourne mother Sharon Smith says being the first evictee from Big Brother has been a "bitter-sweet" moment but believes it is due to her age. Smith was the oldest contestant on the Nine Network series, until Monday night when she was the first to be told to go after viewers failed to save her from eviction. Viewers choose to save housemates nominated for eviction and 41-year-old Smith received just four per cent of the vote. Jasmin, 24, received the second worst vote with five per cent while eye-candy male Drew, 24, polled 38 per cent, the highest of those nominated. Advertisement Smith said she wishes she was still in the house but at least she is now reunited with her husband, Ryan, and their three children. "I still wanted to be in the house, but I get to see my kids," Smith said. "I'm obviously upset... but it's bitter-sweet for me." Smith said being the eldest of the 17 housemates - and a mother - had its advantages from a social point of view but was a disadvantage with viewers. Smith said she would also not be drawn into the over-the-top talk of the younger housemates who spoke of "being friends forever" and said she was naturally cautious of making friends too quickly. "There was a lot of fakeness at the beginning - and the bloody compliments, 'what a great dinner', 'you look gorgeous...' it was just over the top," she said. Smith says she has been an avid follower of the series for many years and was short-listed for Big Brother in 2005 but missed out on being chosen. However once she entered the house two weeks ago, Smith had an inclination she would be one of the first contestants to be put up for eviction and that she would lose the public vote. She is eight years older than the next eldest Caleb, 33, and 20 years older than the youngest housemate Katie. "There was a lot of strong personalities in the house, so you have to do things to get noticed and there was a lot more characters and commotion going on that I wasn't involved in," she said. "It doesn't surprise me at all (being evicted), I thought I would be the first and I thought it's kind of typical because the age thing does come into play. "As much as you don't want it to (be about your age), it does and that's just reality." Tears streamed down Smith's face when she was reunited with her three children and husband during the live post-eviction interview on the Nine Network. Smith told Big Brother host Sonia Kruger she was emotional during her two-week stay inside the compound at Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast, because she missed her children. "When I was nominated, the reason I cried was because I thought my son would say 'why doesn't anyone like Mummy'," Smith said. The 41-year-old personal trainer was the clear favourite with bookmakers Sportsbet.com.au to be evicted ahead of Jasmin, Heidi and Jade. Bookmakers had predicted Tim would be the most popular with viewers during the eviction voting.



news sours    www.theage.com.au

The who's who of the almost Doctor Whos

The who's who of the almost Doctor Whos

So, who's Who? That depends on your perspective, but as fans celebrate the appointment of actor Peter Capaldi to the role of the 12th incarnation of Doctor Who, comes news that another actor, Bill Nighy, turned the role down. Recent reports also suggest that Idris Elba, the star of British drama series Luther and sci-fi blockbuster Pacific Rim, also turned down the role. When Nighy was asked about the role, he replied by saying: "I won't tell you when because the rule is that you are not allowed to say you turned that job down because it's disrespectful to whoever did it. Peter Capaldi as Malcolm and Chris Addison as Toby in a scene from In The Loop. Click for more photos Peter Capaldi revealed as Doctor Who's new Time Lord Peter Capaldi as Malcolm and Chris Addison as Toby in a scene from In The Loop. Peter Capaldi as Malcolm and Chris Addison as Toby in a scene from In The Loop. The cast of The Thick Of It. From left: Peter Capaldi, Chris Addison, Rebecca Gethings, Rebecca Front. The Hour with Peter Capaldi as Randall Brown. Capaldi, far left, in series two of The Hour. Capaldi as Malcolm and James Gandolfini as General Miller in In The Loop. Jim Capaldi as Malcolm Tucker and James Gandolfini as Lt General George Miller in In the Loop Peter Capaldi in The Thick Of It. "I will say that I was approached. But I didn't want to be the Doctor. No disrespect to Doctor Who or anything, I just think that it comes with too much baggage." Nighy had only positive words for Capaldi, who won the role. Advertisement "He's a marvellous actor," Nighy said. "He'll be very good as the Doctor. He'll bring a lot of wit and dry humour. He's elegant and he looks great." But the two stories open a can of worms, a world of potential Doctors and an honour roll of actors who might have inhabited the role of the iconic time traveller, or did, but in very unusual circumstances. According to the history books, there are now 12 Doctor Whos, beginning with William Hartnell in 1963. Hartnell won the role only after a number of actors were considered, including Geoffrey Bayldon, Alan Webb and Leslie French. Rupert Davies, Valentine Dyall and Michael Hordern turned down the role of the second Doctor, which eventually went to Patrick Troughton. And Ron Moody said no to playing the third, a role which went to Jon Pertwee. Graham Crowden and Bernard Cribbins are said to have been considered for the fourth Doctor, a role which went to Tom Baker, an actor many fans consider to be the "definitive" Doctor Who. Paul McGann, who won the role of the eighth Doctor - the star of the US telemovie pilot and the doctor whose on-screen tenure was the briefest - beat out his own brother Mark McGann and other actors including Anthony Head, Rowan Aktinson and Tim McInnerny for the role. Which brings us to the pressing question: who might have been Doctor Who? Here are a dozen Doctor Whos who were seen on screen, but weren't necessarily considered "official" Doctors. Peter Cushing: Best known as the star of many Hammer horror films and for the role of Grand Moff Tarkin in the iconic Star Wars franchise, Cushing played an Earth-born Doctor Who in two movies released in 1965 and 1966, Dr Who and the Daleks and Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150AD. Edmund Warwick: Warwick played the first Doctor in the serial The Chase, when an android replica of the Doctor was sent by the Daleks to capture and kill his companions. Warwick provided the body for the robot double, but Hartnell, the first Doctor, provided the voice. Trevor Martin: Martin played the Doctor in a 1974 British stage production, The Seven Keys to Doomsday, which featured an opening sequence in which Petwee's Doctor "regenerated" into Martin's. For that reason he is considered an "alternative" fourth Doctor. Adrian Gibbs: In the final days of the fourth Doctor's life, a mysterious figure – The Watcher – was shadowing him. Played by Gibbs, The Watcher was a manifestation of the Doctor's future self, nudging events along towards the fourth Doctor's regeneration into the fifth. Michael Jayston: Jayston appeared in the 1986 serial The Trial of a Time Lord, playing the Valeyard, the prosecutor of the Doctor on trial. Valeyard was later unmasked as an evil future Doctor from between his "12th and final incarnations", who was behind a plot to kill the sixth Doctor and claim his remaining regenerations. Rowan Atkinson: Best known as TV's Mr Bean, Atkinson played the Doctor in charity fund-raising special The Curse of the Fatal Death, organised for the British Red Nose Day charity. His companion, Emma, was played by Absolutely Fabulous star Julia Sawalha. Richard E. Grant: As The Curse of the Fatal Death reached its denouement, the Doctor was killed by the Daleks and regenerated into a handsome, sexually confident new incarnation, played by Grant. Grant later reprised this Doctor in a one-off animated special, The Scream of the Shalka. Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant and Joanna Lumley: After Grant's Doctor is electrocuted in The Curse of the Fatal Death, he regenerates in quick succession three times into Broadbent, Grant and finally Lumley. Lumley's appearance marks the first time on TV the Doctor had been played by a woman. Richard Hurndall: The 20th anniversary TV special, The Five Doctors, was produced in 1983 and was to feature all (then) five Doctor Whos. As the first Doctor, Hartnell, had died, his role was played in the special by Richard Hurndall, who was paired with Susan (Carole Ann Ford), the Doctor's granddaughter. David Morrissey: In the 2008 Christmas special, The Next Doctor, a human man, Jackson Lake, inadvertently absorbs an "infostamp" containing a biography of the Doctor and, for a time, believes he is the real deal: complete with analog screwdriver and hot-air balloon TARDIS.



news sours   www.smh.com.au

Australia's Next Top Model recap: Stranglegate

 Australia's Next Top Model recap: Stranglegate

From the scathing critiques by judges Alex Perry and Charlotte Dawson to the bitchy comments of girls desperately trying to make it to the top, Australia's Next Top Model is certainly no stranger to the proverbial verbal claws coming out in the heat of the moment. But things took a dramatic turn this week when contestant Taylah Roberts was disqualified from the competition after physically attacking her competitor Ashley Pogmore. The incident has been promoted over the last week as the most controversial moment in Top Model history – this is how it went down: Country girls: The contestants in Broken Hill. Country girls: The contestants in Broken Hill. Photo: Australia's Next Top Model "I'm gonna f---ing strangle you," screams Taylah, after Ashley starts a paint fight and ruins Taylah's clothes, which are inexplicably being worn by Dajana. Advertisement Dajana freaked out when she got covered in paint, but that was nothing compared to Taylah, who completely lost it when she found out what had happened. "I'm going to strangle her ... where is she? ... I'm literally going to strangle her," says Taylah in a half-psychotic, half-jovial kind of way. Dajana, blessed with hindsight, tells us in the voiceover that this isn't going to end well at all (just in case you missed the endless promos and media coverage). Taylah finds Ashley and indeed proceeds to strangle her. At first it just looks like she's joking and doesn't really mean it – none of the other girls intervene, nor do any of the show's producers. But everybody realises it's a bit more serious when Taylah appears to push Ashley down into the bushes and continue fighting. But it's over almost as quickly as it began, and nobody seems quite sure exactly what just happened. Photo of the week: Madeline and Jade. Photo of the week: Madeline and Jade. Photo: Australia's Next Top Model/Jordan Graham Ashley is on her own, crying – understandably – and is comforted by Shannon, who tells us that "Taylah just took it a bit too far ... I don't think there's ever really a need to sort of do that to someone." Right you are, Shannon. Ashley is still crying and says she just wants to go home. Meanwhile, Taylah is feeling less than remorseful. "She's crying and I don't give a f---". Taylah, calm down, there's plenty more Miss Shop where that shirt came from. Charlotte and Didier, curiously absent during the whole debacle, arrive on the scene to quiz the girls about what has just occurred. Taylah breaks down in tears as she relays the events. "I don't want them to think I'm like a really violent and unprofessional person," she tells us in the voice over. She certainly has a strange way of avoiding that perception. Didier reminds the girls that their reputations will quickly spread throughout the industry.



news sours   www.smh.com.au

Parliament passes resolution condemning attacks by Pak Army at the LoC

Parliament passes resolution condemning attacks by Pak Army at the LoC

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning attacks by Pakistan Army at the Line of Control (LoC) and reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. "Jammu and Kashmir, including parts forcibly and illegally occupied by Pakistan, is an integral part of India," the resolution read. While condemning the ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said, "We hope Pakistan will abide by the ceasefire commitment on the LoC and international border in letter and spirit." "India holds the sanctity of the border and calls upon Pakistan to respect the border. India is not a threat to Pakistan, it is the terrorists who are a threat. There there should not be any doubt that it was Pakistan army involved in killing of jawans in Poonch at the LoC. Parliament passes resolution condemning attacks by Pak Army at the LoC Pakistan's National Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution accusing Indian troops of 'unprovoked aggression' on the LoC. Last week, five Indian soldiers were killed in a Pakistani attack on an Indian Army post along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir. The five soldiers belonging to the 21st Battalion of the Bihar Regiment included a subedar and four jawans. The resolution comes a day after Pakistan's National Assembly passed a resolution accusing Indian troops of "unprovoked aggression" on the LoC and extending support to the "struggle" of the Kashmiri people on Tuesday. The resolution, moved by Science and Technology Minister Zahid Hamid, a senior leader of ruling PML-N, condemned the "unprovoked aggression by Indian military forces across the LoC in recent days" and reiterated that Pakistan "shall continue to extend diplomatic, political and moral support for the just and legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people" Meanwhile, BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said, "Pakistan's resolution in the National Assembly is anti-India. He said the resolution shows that Pakistan's "whole politics depends on anti-India rhetoric". Here is the full text of the resolution adopted by the Lok Sabha: This House rejects and deplores the resolution passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on August 13, 2013 and the provincial Assembly of Punjab, which make absolutely baseless and unfounded allegations against Indian Army and the people of India. There should be absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind including members of the Pakistan National Assembly that it was the Pakistan Army that was involved in the unprovoked attack on an Indian Army patrol on our side of the LoC, on August 6, 2013. It is unfortunate that Pakistan chose to indulge in such unprovoked attacks at a time when efforts were being made to establish a long-lasting framework of peaceful, friendly and co-operative ties so that both countries may hence forward devote their resources and energies to the pressing task of advancing the welfare of their people. India is not a threat to Pakistan or the people of Pakistan. It is the terrorist groups that have been nurtured by Pakistan to target India and have become the biggest threat in the region. This House also strongly condemns the action of the Pakistan Army and reiterate once again that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir including the territory forcibly and illegally occupied by Pakistan is an integral part of India and will always remain so. India upholds the sanctity of the Line of Control and calls upon the government of Pakistan to abide by the ceasefire commitment of 2003 along the International Border and Line of Control both in letter and spirit. This House pays tribute to the courage and valour of the Indian armed force personnel who laid down their lives while upholding the sanctity of the Line of Control. Our restraint should not be taken for granted nor should the capacity of our armed forces to ensure the territorial integrity of our nation.




news sours   ibnlive.in.com

Ai Weiwei retrospective comes to Toronto

Ai Weiwei retrospective comes to Toronto

TORONTO – He’s been named the most powerful artist in the world by ArtReview magazine — but when a retrospective of his work opens at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario on Saturday, Ai Weiwei will not be allowed to attend. Ai, the multimedia artist who has become a cause celebre for his dissidence against the Chinese government through both his art and social media, is a political prisoner, stripped of his passport after being jailed in 2011 for tax evasion, despite his supporters’ claims that it was punishment for his activism. But for the 55-year-old pariah, the government’s restrictions do little to limit what he sees as his true power. “Power to an artist is an encouragement and an acceptance for art to address areas and concerns that are usually considered different according to mainstream aesthetics or social norms. It gives people or a collective consciousness the strength to respond to calls for concerns that relate to our social-political conditions,” wrote Ai in an e-mail exchange with The Canadian Press. “Rather than thinking of my political situation as a drag, I see it as an opportunity for me to think about these constraints, to act in response, and relate these actions to profound meanings. The most important of which is the message of freedom, and I hope it benefits everyone.” Still, Ai’s work has always been about collaboration — he plays the role of the brains, of the project overseer, rather than the hands — and the touring exhibit, named “According to What?”, has forged on without him. It owes its name to a painting by Jasper Johns, which was itself inspired by Marcel Duchamp, both of whom Ai says had “quite an influence” on him, living in New York City in his early 20s. The exhibit is a showcase of Ai’s sheer range and demonstrates the complex dichotomy of his wry sensibilities and activist passions. In one room, a massive spare white wall is lined with the names and birth dates of the 5,212 children killed in the 2008 earthquake that struck Sichuan province; it looms solemnly next to a ruptured sculpture wrought from steel gathered from the disaster zone. Just steps from that sit pop-inflected remixes of Han-dynasty urns. “(A modern-day Andy Warhol), that’s one way to think of him — or you might think he’s a modern-day Picasso,” says Kitty Scott, AGO curator of modern and contemporary art. “It depends how you think.” His country’s role in the Sichuan earthquake (many have lambasted the Chinese government for the shoddily built schools that collapsed to kill so many children) is just one of the issues he has highlighted. In 2008, he designed the Beijing Olympics’ iconic “Bird’s Nest stadium, only to disavow it, saying it had become a symbol of autocracy. In 2009, he underwent surgery to relieve bleeding in the brain, which allegedly occurred at the hands of police. “I live in one of the most extreme political societies of the world, and it sees the freedom of expression as an enemy of state, threatening the society’s stability. Proposing unfamiliar ideas or expressing a different stance can be seen as subversion of state power,” says Ai. “Using art, or any other means, to create a possibility means to provide a new space and new voice for those who are exploited or oppressed by the authoritarian state. The act re-establishes the existence of human dignity in such conditions, reminds us not to give up hope for the young generation, and encourages people to seek solutions for society with curiosity, passion and courage.” The AGO is the first Canadian gallery to host the survey of Ai’s work, which has so far appeared in Tokyo, Washington, D.C. and Indianapolis. “I think Ai Weiwei is very well-known, but he’s always been making things, and now those things now have the opportunity to travel through the wider world,” says Scott. “But I think it’s also very compelling to think about this: his work can move throughout the world, but the artist himself cannot.” Ai’s detention has created some unique difficulties for Scott and the other curators of the installation, which will review more than 20 years of Ai’s photography and sculpture. “If I were working with a contemporary artist today, most artists would be here in the space with me as I install the work,” she said. “I’m installing the show with a curator from Japan, but there’s no artist here. So that’s a very unusual thing, and that shows right away that he is facing a limitation on his practice. “It’s challenging, because you rely very much on the artist’s eye, the artist’s way of seeing to place every object … and if you can’t physically experience the space, I think there’s a huge loss.” But for the AGO, “According to What?” represents a major coup, and is one of the most significant exhibitions it has devoted to a contemporary artist in years. “It’s a magnificent thing, it’s an incredible thing,” says Scott. “These artists live in our time, they experience the world we all experience, they’re the artists that in a sense we know the most about,” said Scott. “More than anything, I wish that Ai Weiwei could see this exhibition, I wish that he could be here in Toronto, I wish he could experience this with us, because every time we make an exhibit with a contemporary artist, it’s a time to celebrate that artist.” But despite the acclaim and the ardour from his artistic and political supporters, the fame that has followed him continues to puzzle Ai. “I’m surprised that the world is still operating in an archaic structure, in which ordinary people like me would rarely ask essential questions about creativity and human rights,” says Ai. “I’m surprised that somebody like me would even become famous, just for demanding very basic truths and seeking ways to survive with some dignity.” The exhibit runs from Saturday until Oct. 27.



news sours   globalnews.ca

Amazing Race Canada recap: Fifth time’s a charm

Amazing Race Canada recap: Fifth time’s a charm

Despite its impressive ratings, the first four episodes of The Amazing Race Canada have been filled with dull challenges that failed to capture the addicting competitive nature that fuels the success of its American counterpart. However, where those episodes fell short, the fifth leg of the race more than made up for it as this portion proved to be the series’ much needed breakout episode. The first indication that we were in for an interesting episode came when first-place team Jet and Dave called a cab to the airport for second-place Holly and Brett. While this first appeared to be another display of Canadian kindness, the way that the buff bros from London rationalized helping an opposing team changed my entire perspective on them. More Video Singer Adele Immortalized at London's Madame Tussauds MuseumSinger Adele Immortalized at London's Madame Tussauds Museum Body Break duo fighting fit for Amazing Race CanadaBody Break duo fighting fit for Amazing Race Canada As soon as their cab left for the airport, Jet and Dave acknowledged that while they are physically the race’s strongest team, they may get stuck in a situation where they need help from a smarter team like Brett and Holly. That humble self-awareness not only made Jet and Dave that much more likeable, but also proved to be crucial as the doctors promptly repaid the favour at the airport by telling them about a connection in Edmonton that will get them to Regina 40 minutes before everyone else. As usual, Hal and Joanne manage to outsmart the rest of the teams and somehow find a way onto the earlier flight to Regina despite the fact that it was “completely booked.” However, that 40-minute lead proved to be a waste as the teams were immediately directed to a challenge that saw them dig through two tractor trailers full of lentils in search of two tiny stuffed animals that contained clues to their next destination. Jet and Dave manage to find their clues quickly and begin making their way to a Royal Canadian Mounted Police training academy, but it’s only after Tim Sr. and Tim Jr. and hapless sisters Vanessa and Celina follow suit that panic amongst Hal and Joanne and Holly and Brett begins to set in. After searching through the lentils for a couple of hours, both teams decided that they would rather skip the challenge and suffer a two-hour penalty than lose any more ground. As someone who watches more reality TV than I would care to admit, I was dumbfounded by this nearsighted decision as it all but confirmed that one of them would be eliminated. To say that I was shocked to see two savvy teams willingly forfeit a challenge would be an understatement. It wouldn’t be The Amazing Race Canada if the RCMP didn’t get involved, and this week’s “Roadblock,” while a direct contrast to last week’s cakewalk, saw the teams replicate a cadet dorm room to RCMP standards. Not only did this “Roadblock” prove to be challenging, but the harsh, no-nonsense tone of the commanding RCMP officer provided some of the series’ funniest moments. From the get-go you could notice that most of the teams were trembling in fear once it came time for their rooms to be inspected, but Celina took it a step further and broke down crying after she was told that her room was not up to scratch. As tears poured down her face, the commanding officer told her what everyone watching the show was thinking. “In the Royal Canadian Mounted Police we don’t cry,” he said sternly before walking away. Where the “Roadblock” was the most satisfying challenge yet, the “Detour” proved to be the most physically demanding as it pushed each of the teams to their limits. Taking place at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field, better known as the home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the “Detour” had teams choose between two football-related tasks. In “Brawn,” teams had to complete a number of football drills that if they failed to complete properly resulted in running a lap around the field, while “Beauty” had the teams learn and perform a cheerleading routine. To nobody’s surprise, Jet and Dave elected to go with “Brawn” and completed the football drills with ease, all the while securing their second consecutive first-place finish. Meanwhile, both Hal and Joanne (Brawn) and Holly and Brett (Beauty) are having major trouble with their challenges, which lead the Tims to emerge from the middle of the pack. And that’s when things got really interesting. Once they completed the challenge, teams could decide whether or not they wanted to use the dreaded U-Turn, which forces up to two teams to complete the second “Detour” challenge in addition to the one they had completed. Noticing that all of their finishes to date had been in the Top 3, the Tims seized the opportunity to get rid of Hal and Joanne and were the first team to use the U-Turn on them. Shortly after the Tims left the stadium, a footrace to the U-Turn erupted between the doctors and Team BodyBreak. A narrow victory saved Hal and Joanne as they singled out Brett and Holly as the U-Turn’s second victim. But, despite the dramatic setup, Holly and Brett make quick work of their additional “Brawn” challenge as they cruised to the finish line ensuring the elimination of the beloved Canadian fitness icons. Despite all of the surprising twists and turns that came about in the fifth leg of The Amazing Race Canada, I think I speak on behalf of all Canadians when I say that there was no moment more entertaining than when Joanne tells Brett to eff off as he jogged past her on his way out of the stadium. The very un-Canadian act showed just how competitive the all-Canadian couple truly are.




news sours   www.thestar.com

Rare Undersea Discovery Could Extend Your Life by 10, 20 or 30 Years

Rare Undersea Discovery Could Extend Your Life by 10, 20 or 30 Years

Humans have made incredible health strides and are living longer lives than ever. Many of the maladies that struck down our ancestors have for the most part been completely eliminated – everything from tuberculosis, to polio to malaria. Today, the biggest killers stem as much from our lifestyles as from microscopic bacteria and viruses. One of the worst of these is heart disease, and specifically high blood pressure. It’s a slow, but efficient killer that robs many people of what should be the last 10, 20 or 30 years of their lives. Part of the reason that heart disease is so prevalent and intractable is that it often requires massive changes to one’s lifestyle— changes that are not easy to make. Everything from radically altering ones diet to implementing serious exercise routines. And while it’s never too late to start, people often realize the true danger only when it’s too late to make the changes and the damage is done. Now, however, there may be a scientific breakthrough that could have an impact on high blood pressure comparable to penicillin’s ability treat infections or quinine’s effect on malaria. Scientists are claiming that they have now isolated unusual ingredients in a rare seaweed discovered by fishermen off the coast of Korea that offer incredible health benefits—including the ability to restore blood pressure to normal levels. Dr. Haengwoo Lee, a renowned biochemist living near Seattle, Washington conducted a massive 15 year, multimillion dollar clinical study on these two ingredients. The first is Seanol, an extremely rare seaweed extract from Ecklonia Cava that's proven to be 100 times more powerful than any land-based antioxidant. That's because it stays working in your body for 12 hours, compared to land-based antioxidants that work for 30 minutes. "Its secret is its make-up of special polyphenol antioxidants that are a whopping 40% lipid (fat) soluble," Dr. Lee explains. "Unlike nearly all land-based antioxidants that are water soluble, Seanol's protective compounds can get into things like the fatty tissues of your brain and penetrate all three layers of your cells, including the outside, the oil-based cell membranes, and your DNA." Indeed, Seanol is so powerful, it's the only FDA-approved Ecklonia Cava marine-algae extract in existence. The second ingredient is Calamarine, a deep-sea omega-3 discovery that delivers 85% more DHA omega-3s to your heart, brain, joints, and eyes. It's known to combat everything from fatigue and poor memory, to vision problems, joint pain, mood swings and depression. With that research in mind, Dr. Lee combined Seanol and Calamarine with a high dose of vitamin D to form Marine-D3, the newest supplement in the fight against age-related illnesses and high blood pressure. According to the CDC, about 1 in 3 U.S. adults has high blood pressure, which increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, the two leading causes of death in the United States. Increasing your omega-3 intake can reduce high blood pressure, and because it's difficult to get enough omega-3s in foods like fish and nuts, many people turn to supplements. Dr. Lee found that Calamarine delivers some of the greatest concentration of omega-3s known to science, and has been able to formulate it without any fishy burps or aftertaste. Combined with Seanol's ability to reduce body inflammation, as well as help cells get the nutrients they need to thrive, stay healthy and protected, Marine-D3 is able to boost a body's entire well being. The makers of Marine-D3 are so confident that you'll see fast dramatic results from this product, that if you aren't happy after two full months, simply return the unused portion and they'll buy it back. They'll even give you ten dollars extra just for giving it an honest try! That kind of faith, combined with Dr. Lee's exhaustive research, shows that Marine-D3 really is a one-of-a-kind product.




news sours   www.howlifeworks.com

NBC10's Jacqueline London's hubby has a gridiron background

NBC10's Jacqueline London's hubby has a gridiron background

THE 2013 EAGLES preseason officially gets underway tomorrow but one recent Philly transplant has more of an insider's view than most. And it ain't Chip Kelly. NBC10's Jacqueline London, who joined the station in March, happens to be married to former NFL player Tony McGee, a tight end who played 11 seasons in the NFL, split among the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. The couple were married in 2010. London wore a gorgeous Monique Lhuillier silk gown, complete with intricately beaded bodice and "I do" appliqued on the heels of her Jimmy Choo shoes. MORE COVERAGE Queen Village-raised Jake Tapper gets soapy CBS3's Carol Erickson makes her Broadway debut Philly-born actor engaged to Australian beauty McGee had 21 career touchdown catches, including two against the Eagles, notable because only three of the 150 games he started were against the Eagles. Ace sports columnist Rich Hofmann even shared this fun fact with me: On Dec. 24, 1994, the last game of the year, the Eagles blew a 17-point lead in the third quarter against the Bengals. McGee had a touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, leading to the Eagles' eventual 33-30 loss. It was the Eagles' seventh consecutive loss, and the final nail in then-coach Rich Kotite's Philly career. He was fired two days later. * Andy Reid look-alike and former City Council candidate Steve Odabashian has a new biz. Odabashian and his wife are the proprietors of Main Line Test Prep & Tutoring . Not only does Odabashian teach the SATs and ACTs, he takes them regularly. Think of the minds blown every time kids walk into the testing room and see Andy Reid sitting down to take exams with them. * In other Eagles news, former CBS3 sports reporter/producer Steve Gary has started a campaign to have local ShopRites change the name of redskin potato salad to Eagles potato salad before the Iggles opener against the Washington Redskins Sept. 9. Adam Levin's good deed I hear Maroon 5's Adam Levine stopped by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Seacrest Studios, named after man-about-television Ryan Seacrest. The studios, which are in pediatric hospitals around the country, give patients and their families access to multimedia activities and attract in-town celebs to cheer the kids up. Taylor Swift was a recent visitor, and Seacrest's ex, Julianne Hough, makes it a point to visit every time she's in town. Lunch with Cosmo C'mon. It's summer's dog days. All your buddies are headed downashore and you are stuck in the office. Take a long lunch tomorrow while DJ Cosmo Baker and Flavorpill throw you a lunchtime dance party. Head to Whisper Nightclub (1712 Walnut St.) tomorrow at 1 p.m. for jams from the DJ handpicked by the Roots' Questlove. You'll leave with a bagged lunch in hand. Flavorpill and sponsor Absolut ask you to donate your unused lunch money, which will go to benefit Philabundance. Go to bit.ly/cosmowhisper to RSVP. Now, get dancin'. Sprout star Ethan Ruddell, an 11-year-old student at Overbrook School for the Blind, will appear on "The Chica Show" on the Sprout Network at 11:30 a.m. today. Ruddell will play the character of Jimmy, a visually impaired student, on the episode titled "Sense-Sational Day."



news sours   www.philly.com

Farhan Akhtar: I've latched on to Milkha Singh's philosophy of life

Farhan Akhtar: I've latched on to Milkha Singh's philosophy of life

As an actor, director or producer, Farhan Akhtar has broken new ground with every project - and his winning streak continues with Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. He says the film's "biggest" knock-on effect, however, is that filmmakers now won't see him just as the "cool urban guy". "Off course Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has earned great success in terms of its box office, but I'd like to believe that it has broken, in a lot of people's heads, this perception about me...that I can only play the cool urban guy. That's been the biggest fallout and achievement for me from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag," Farhan said. His past films as an actor - debut project Rock On!! in 2008, followed by Luck By Chance, Karthik Calling Karthik and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara - have seen him in a young, chilled out and debonair role. In Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's high-on-passion-and-emotion biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag on ace athlete Milkha Singh, Farhan's raring-to-go portrayal of the Flying Sikh made the audience and industry members sit up and take notice of the multi-talented star's evolving acting acumen. "It (the film) has proved that 'he (Farhan) can apply his talent and do a character of this nature and that he can go out of his comfort zone'," said the 39-year-old, son of veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar and writer Honey Irani. But, if harping on past laurels was his way, "it would be the beginning of my end", says Farhan, who is readying to surprise the audience once again with his next romantic comedy Shaadi Ke Side Effects. "You can't be sitting and thinking about past successes. I can just hope to again meet someone like Rakeysh, or Abhishek Kapoor, who has a story which can inspire me enough to take it up, and say, 'Yes, this is one thing I must do.'," he added. Farhan says the variety in his work is not a conscious, but an obvious thought. "More often than not, an actor is bound to want to do two different kinds of projects back-to-back so that one can explore other avenues. But really, that's not what an actor goes out looking for...like I said, it's about meeting people, hoping something wonderful will emerge out of it," he said. His own personal interactions with the legendary Milkha Singh milked his life's learnings for Farhan. "In all honesty, I've latched on to his life's philosophy. He is so simple in his approach, and just believes that if you work as hard as you can, you will be noticed and people will recognise you for that," he said. For Farhan, that's worked precisely - be it in his visible six-packs, Punjabi accent or the way he has immersed himself so deep into the character's skin. But plain hard work with simplicity - is that a possible combination in a celebrity life? "Well, your life is your life. It is, after all, what you make out of it. Simplicity is an attitude... it's just about committing yourself to everything - be it your work or relationships," said the actor, who has two children with wife, celebrity hairstylist Adhuna Akhtar.




news sours  movies.ndtv.com 

Firstpost Bollywood SRK says no to Hollywood stereotypes: But ‘Madrasis’ are A-OK

Firstpost Bollywood SRK says no to Hollywood stereotypes: But ‘Madrasis’ are A-OK

Hollywood calls and Bollywood rolls over. The siren call of Los Angeles is so seductive that perfectly respectable Indian actors happily show up on screen chowing down on monkey brains. Or puff up with pride as they boast about blink-and-you-missed-it roles. No more. At least if you believe Priyanka Chopra. She’s the voice behind Ishani, the Indian plane in Disney’s latest animation adventure, Planes. She takes the hero, Dusty Cropper on a little layover around that most un-clichéd of Indian sights – the Taj Mahal. Hollywood.com’s Michael Arbeiter notes that the film has a lot of excess baggage when it comes to ethnic stereotypes: The trailer showcases a Southern yokel leading the cast, backed up by a passionate and poetic Latin lover, a mystical Indian temptress, an uptight and rigid British character, and a quip-snapping African-American forklift. But our Priyanka, she who has lately released a music video called Exotic, tells Aseem Chhabra at New York Daily News that she held her ground. “You know that stereotypical accent that most people see Indians speak with in movies? I was clear that I didn’t want that. That’s really not how we speak. I want to keep it real.” And where Piggy Chops goes, can Shah Rukh Khan be far behind? In an interview with IANS, our resident Badshah says he does not want to do just any old role in Hollywood. He says, “I think the kind of role I would want to do in a Hollywood film is one that makes India proud.” Yes, and reverse the plummeting downward slide of the rupee against the dollar while he’s at it. King Khan, in his desh-bhakti, seems determined to out-patriot Manoj (Mr India) Kumar himself. Except it’s not clear that anyone has offered him anything but hey, such petty details should not stop anyone from making a virtue out of the hypothetical. A still from Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film, Chennai Express. Courtesy: FacebookA still from Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming film, Chennai Express. Courtesy: Facebook SRK then gets more specific about what Hollywood is NOT offering. “To get a role that is not specific to my colour, or the way I speak, look or act my age, it’s very difficult. I mean you can’t go to a big filmmaking world and say write a role for a 47-year-old actor who is brown, has hair like this, acts this way, dances a bit.” But he could go to a Bollywood director and make that demand instead of insisting that he gets to wear tights and play a superhero. Like perhaps co-starring with women closer to his age. He has allowed himself to be 40 in his latest, Chennai Express, but his leading lady is the 27-year old Deepika Padukone. Bollywood meanwhile proves you don’t need monkey brains to stereotype. You can just eat noodles with curd. Surely Shah Rukh Khan hasn’t forgotten his Ayyo software geek in Ra-One? And it doesn’t look like Chennai Express’ Lungi Dance with Yo Yo Honey Singh putting on a Tamil accent and singing about lassi in your coconut is going to make up for that travesty despite being peddled as an homage to Rajnikanth. There are already complaints about Deepika Padukone’s Tamil accent. “Remember that atrocious Tamil accent SRK had on in Ra-One? He sold it on eBay and Deepika Padukone bought it for Chennai Express,” mocks @mojorojo on Twitter. Others have claimed it sounds Malayali. Padukone has defended it, vaguely, by saying, “it’s definitely a South Indian accent.” Surely someone who grew up in Bangalore should know there is no such thing as a “South Indian” accent. As a colleague quipped “Good lord, how far we haven’t come.” Shah Rukh is clearly not the worst offender in this regard. As Baradwaj Rangan points out in The Hindu Bollywood thrives on stereotypes: (D)oes every Punjabi male start to shake his shoulders to the sound of an off-screen dhol as a chorus bursts into balle-balle? Is every Christian father a cheerful lush who trundles off to a portrait of the Virgin Mary after proclaiming “Hum God se baat karega, man”? Isn’t there another way to evoke a blue-collar locale of Mumbai than to depict the Dionysian revelries around a giant statue of Ganesha? Tamil cinema, Rangan notes, is hardly blameless either with its North Indian seths and Malayali women in tight-fitting blouses. And the way Bollywood caricatures westerners in its movies is beyond the pale. At least the old Bob Christos were meant to be over-the-top but Shah Rukh’s My Name Is Khan is deadly serious as it unwittingly reinforces stereotypes about African American while trying to challenge Muslim ones. As Su’ad Abdul Khabeer writes on AltMuslim “My Name is Khan mimics a cinematic standard that flattens black humanity: black people need saviors.” They are helpless and huddled in a church after a Katrina-like storm, unable to do anything other than sing We Shall Overcome until Shah Rukh the Saviour sails into town. Shah Rukh no doubt thought it was endearing that he named the two black characters he met there as “Funny Haired Joel” and “Mama Jenny” as if they had just stepped out of some 1920s vaudeville act. Planes aside, Hollywood actually has gotten a little more sensitive about how it portrays different cultures. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel had its annoying tics, including Dev Patel’s on-and-off Indian accent but it’s a far cry from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Amitabh Bachchan’s cameo in The Great Gatsby was not specific to his skin colour or ethnicity. It’s pointless to get too worked up about stereotypes. They are stock-in-trade for movies, whether it’s Bollywood or Hollywood. Sometimes they are even funny. But it’s a little rich for our superstars to get holier-than-thou about Hollywood and stereotypes and for Shah Rukh Khan to wring his hands about the kind of roles Hollywood can offer a 47-year-old brown man without looking in the rear view mirror at his own career. Keeping it real, like charity, should begin at home.



news sours  www.firstpost.com

Hipódromo o no Hipódromo, esa sigue siendo la cuestión

Hipódromo o no Hipódromo, esa sigue siendo la cuestión

La polémica por el esperado recital del Indio Solari, en lugar de disminuir, sigue creciendo al mismo ritmo que la sensación de incertidumbre. Mientras el gobernador Francisco Pérez asegura que el show se realizará en el Hipódromo Provincial, el intendente de Godoy Cruz, Adolfo Cornejo, sostiene que la Municipalidad todavía (a poco más de un mes del 14 de setiembre) no autorizó la realización del recital. La negativa se debe a que el Gobierno y la productora Vivo Group, no firmaron el acuerdo que garantiza los requisitos indispensables para realizar un evento de estas características (se estima que más de 100.000 personas acudirán al Hipódromo). La comuna elevó el convenio el viernes pasado, en la reunión que mantuvo con el Gobierno, la productora y el Instituto de Juegos y Casinos; fue un día después de que la productora presentara su plan de acción. “Es condición sine qua non -recalcó el intendente- que el Estado provincial garantice todo lo relacionado en materia de seguridad pues, junto una productora privada, es la entidad que promueve el show. Nosotros sólo nos ocupamos de la autorización”. El acta supone el cumplimiento de una serie de obligaciones por parte de los responsables. Entre otras, adecuar el Hipódromo y sus inmediaciones para garantizar la seguridad de los asistentes y de los vecinos de la zona (ver Las cláusulas a cumplir). Los encargados de certificar el acuerdo son el gobernador Francisco Pérez; el ministro de Seguridad, Carlos Aranda; el presidente del Directorio de Juegos y Casinos, Carlos Bianchinelli; el ministro de Salud, Carlos Díaz Russo, y Marcos Peuscovich por Vivo Group SA. Aunque el acta aún estaba siendo sometida al análisis del secretario Legal y Técnico de la provincia Francisco García, Pérez ratificó el lunes, que el recinto de carreras de caballos es el lugar elegido para el 14 de setiembre; tal y como fue anunciado el 25 de julio pasado, cuando la producción decidió mudar el recital a un espacio que superara la capacidad del Estadio Malvinas Argentinas (50 mil personas). Esto permitía vender 60 mil tickets más; stock que, todavía, no se sabe cuándo, cómo, ni dónde será expendido. Pero la tranquilidad infundida por el Gobernador duró apenas unas horas, puesto que ayer al mediodía Cornejo volvió a agitar las aguas de la polémica: “Lamento tener que contradecirlo”, dijo en relación a las declaraciones de Pérez, y subrayó que hasta que no se firme el convenio, el municipio no autorizará la realización del recital. “Una vez que el Ejecutivo, el Ministerio de Seguridad y el Instituto de Juegos y Casinos prevean -y cumplan- todas las normativas requeridas, y se hagan absolutamente responsables, analizaremos la situación”, señaló el jefe comunal. Asimismo recalcó que Vivo Group tampoco presentó el seguro de caución (para 100.000 personas) solicitado por el municipio. Desde el Gobierno, en tanto, aseguraron que están “analizando el acta presentada por el municipio de Godoy Cruz” y que estiman “resolver el trámite a la brevedad”. Extraoficialmente aseguraron que la fecha tope es este fin de semana. Así, en los pasillos de la Casa de Gobierno nadie pone en duda las coordenadas espaciales del recital (el 14, en el Hipódromo). Sin embargo, atendiendo a las diferentes voces que encienden esta polémica, al cierre de esta edición, la mención al Hipódromo debería escribirse aún en potencial simple.



news sours  www.losandes.com.ar

Con dos grandes ausencias y algunas polémicas, Mirtha Legrand volvió con sus almuerzos

Con dos grandes ausencias y algunas polémicas, Mirtha Legrand volvió con sus almuerzos

Con un promedio de 8 puntos de rating, algunos cortes de luz y una clásica muletilla ("yo creí que no volvía"), Mirtha Legrand dio por iniciada una nueva temporada de sus almuerzos, por la pantalla de América. Con un sobrio y elegante traje diseñado por Jorge Ibañez, la conductora aseguró que "se siente raro hacer televisión una vez por semana" y le envió saludos a toda su familia, especialmente a su nieto, Nacho Viale, a quien definió como el responsable de su vuelta a la televisión. Por otro lado, la diva no hizo referencia en ningún momento a las dos grandes ausencias del programa: los candidatos a diputado Martín Insaurralde y Sergio Massa, a quienes Legrand quería en su mesa, pero que no asistieron. Los saludos del Papa Francisco. Posteriormente, Legrand se sentó en su escritorio para agradecer la cantidad de flores recibidas en su regreso, no sin antes mostrarse conmovida por una carta que le envió el Papa Francisco, quien declinó la invitación de la producción de asistir a los almuerzos con mucho respeto: "Le agradezco su correo, que el Señor le retribuya su delicadeza. Le ruego que no tome a mal el no poder ir, pero no es mi modo de proceder habitual" escribió el Papa, también haciendo hincapié en lo mucho que disfrutó de Claro de Luna, una de sus películas favoritas, justamente protagonizada por Mirtha y su hermana Silvia bajo la dirección de Luis César Amadori. Por último, el Papa concluyó su carta pidiéndole a Mirtha que rece por él. Mirtha Legrand leyendo la carta que le envió el Papa Francisco. Foto: Archivo Un emotivo recuerdo. La relación entre Mirtha Legrand y la televisión cumplió nada menos que 45 años. Por lo tanto, la producción editó un compilado en el que se repasaron inolvidables momentos de sus almuerzos, como las entrevistas realizadas a Sandro y a Diego Maradona, entre muchísimas otras personalidades. El reencuentro con Florencia Peña Luego de un período de enfrentamiento, Legrand recibió en su mesa a Florencia Peña, bellísima con su flamante cabello rubio y un traje blanco. La actriz se mostró agradecida por la asistencia de Legrand a Vale todo, la obra que protagoniza en el teatro El nacional. El segundo invitado presentado fue el director Juan José Campanella , ganador del Oscar por El secreto de sus ojos, quien actualmente tiene en cartelera a su nuevo largometraje, Metegol. Por otro lado, el conductor Santiago del Moro – con quien Mirtha también ha tenido sus roces – hizo su ingreso, dando la primicia del nombre de su segunda hija próxima a nacer, quien se llamará Amanda. Por último, Enrique Pinti acompañó a Mirtha en el cierre del primer bloque del programa, aludiendo también al éxito del musical Vale todo , que co-protagoniza con Peña. Santiago del Moro: "Soy la persona más antifamosa del mundo" COMPARTILO El conductor de Infama e Intratables limó sus asperezas con Mirtha Legrand al sentarse nuevamente en su mesa. "La única fuerza es el trabajo" aseguró Del Moro al hacer un repaso de su meteórica carrera que, según sus palabas, requirió de muchísimo esfuerzo y que todavía le demanda mucho tiempo: "en mi vida no hay lugar para los excesos, soy la persona más antifamosa del mundo" se autodefinió el conductor. Florencia Peña a Mirtha: "¿Por qué decidiste invitarme a tu programa?" Ante la directa pregunta de Florencia Peña de cuál fue la razón por la cual Mirtha la invitó al programa, la conductora le respondió: "porque me parecía una injusticia que no vinieras, además, vos no hablaste mal de mí como otros". Por su parte, Peña hizo su descargo: "yo siempre te respeté, jamás dije nada malo (…) por entonces nuestras posturas, los extremos que nunca son buenos nos iban a llevar a pasar un mal momento. Ahora podemos pensar distinto pero podemos convivir, y ésa es la Argentina que uno quiere. El tiempo ayuda a que esas cosas se acomoden". Asimismo, y ante el interrogante de si asiste a todos los actos políticos kirchneristas, Peña fue tajante: "yo no me siento en un acto por sentarme, siempre es por una causa en la que yo estuve" aclaró. Mirtha: "No estoy de acuerdo con el año sabático de Marcelo Tinelli" COMPARTILO Como casi siempre suele suceder, Marcelo Tinelli es un tema ineludible en la televisión argentina. Por lo tanto, en Almorzando con Mirtha Legrand también se abordó el tópico y su conductora fue sentenciosa: "no estoy para nada de acuerdo con el año sabático de Marcelo, pienso que tendría que volver", pero reconoció que no hay que subestimarlo dado que "siempre tiene un as en la manga". "¡Qué raro va a ser no volver mañana!". Con esa frase y sus citas habituales ("lo que no es puede llegar a ser" y "como te ven te tratan: si te ven mal, te maltratan"), Mirtha Legrand se despidió hasta el próximo domingo y les deseó suerte a quienes, como ella misma, están nominados al Martín Fierro – entre ellos, su invitado Santiago del Moro -, premios que se entregarán mañana en un marco diferente: el Teatro Colón..



news sours   personajes.lanacion.com.ar