[scifinoir2] "Catch and Release" -- My Review

[KeithBJohnson]

The short review:

I like good romantic comedies, but not badly written and cliched ones. Utterly 
forgettable and unengaging, this movie was torture. Not one genuine moment of 
emotion in the whole picture. Well, maybe one, but it comes from the one 
character who didn't get enough screen time. Boring as heck, and you care not a 
whit about anyone. I'll put it this way: Forty-five minutes in, my wife--who 
really digs romantic comedies--turned to me and whispered, "This movie is 
awful. I think it's actually *worse* than 'The English Patient'".  You must 
understand that she hated "The English Patient" so much she wanted everyone in 
the film to get killed just so it could be over, and so it could add some 
excitement.  Save the ducats and go pull out your copy of "Love Jones", "Two 
Can Play That Game", or "Sleepless in Seattle" instead.

Oh yeah: Kevin Smith should stick to directing, not acting. And wear some 
clothes.  And get a tan...

The long review:

Unlike a lot of guys, I don’t have a problem seeing romantic comedies. 
“Sleepless in Seattle”, “Love Jones”, “Brown Sugar”—seen ‘em all, and would see 
them all again. Sure they can be predictable, but they can also be fun, and, 
dare I say, romantic.  But on the flipside, they can also be done so badly that 
watching them feels like slow torture. Such is the case with “Catch and 
Release”.
 
The film starts with a devastated Gray Wheeler (Jennifer Garner), reeling from 
the death of her fiancé in an accident. So sudden was it that wedding flowers 
are still being delivered to the house where the mourners are gathered.  In a 
voiceover, Gray relates how lost and confused she is.  The only thing that’s 
helping her get through it is her husband’s lifelong buddies.  Well, two of his 
buddies, at least. The third is a long-absent would-be movie mogul who’s moved 
to California to seek his fortune. He’s just come back to Colorado for the 
funeral, but unfortunately Gray encounters him in one of those movie quickies 
with a stranger he’s just met at the memorial. Disgusted, she tells him later 
“I never understood what he saw in you!”
 
In other words, “I hate you, so of course we’ll be lovers later”.
 
And of course, they do become lovers. And of course, they struggle with their 
feelings for each other. And of course, we have long boring voiceovers as Gray 
works through her feelings.  And of course, Gray discovers that her fiancé had 
a Big Secret: he was rich, and secretly supporting a lover and child. This puts 
in doubt everything they were, and everything she thinks she is. And of course, 
her friends are there to help by being wacky and comical and complicated, and 
we’re expected to laugh and cry and cheer as the whole gang tries to put its 
life back together.
 
Oh yeah—and the fishing rod business Gray's fiance and his buddy had figure 
into this whole journey. Something about fishing being a metaphor for life, or 
searching or something like that. Hence the title, “Catch and Release”.  Yawn.
 
This is a tired and boring movie. There’s nothing engaging, interesting, or 
insightful about the film. There’s no wit, no sparkle, no fun. No romance.  The 
characters are all forgettable, clichéd, and two dimensional, particularly 
Kevin Smith, who plays the screwy-but-caring good guy.  Smith spends all his 
time looking unkempt, eating twenty-four seven, and dropping pithy sayings he 
writes for his herbal tea company. He’s like a low-rent John Belushi doing the 
Funny Fat Guy role.  Juliette Lewis is possibly even worse as the quirky, 
scattered New Age Fruitcake, arguably the most overused movie cliché outside 
the Hooker-with-a-Heart-of-Gold.  You know the one: the lady who serves 
horrible vegetarian meals to meat eaters, yammers on about spiritual cleansing 
and auras, is studying to be a massage therapist, seems incapable of caring for 
her Cute Kid, but who is really a good mom and a good person at heart? Double 
yawn.  
 
And then there’s Jennifer Garner, she of the cute smiles and dimples, who seems 
condemned to play nice girl roles where she can pout and cry and make the 
audience love her.  It’s not that Garner’s a bad actress. Actually I’m not sure 
what kind she is, because the role she has is so bland. Gray never really feels 
convincing in her sorrow. She seems to cry on cue, as if we can hear the 
director yelling “Sad moment!”, but the next she’s making out with the Bad Boy 
friend. She gives us voiceovers about the pain she’s feeling, but we never 
really see her—or any of her friends, for that matter—come together and really 
*mourn* her fiancé.  Instead we get a disjointed flick of Movie Moments: the 
Scandalous Sex, the Improper Kiss, the Fat Guy Pratfall, the I Hate and Love 
You Reveal, the Secret Uncovered, the He Acts Bad but is Actually a Cute Kid, 
the Act Crazy in a Bar to Dull the Pain—and on and on. Triple yawn.
 
“Catch and Release” feels like it was written by committee. It’s one long 
collection of predictable and uno

Re: [scifinoir2] Re: "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" Stunt Results in Terrorist Scare

[KeithBJohnson]

George,

Do you mind if I copy this response and e-mail it to some other folks? In 
another chain about this I started, one guy said it was just "stupid white 
folks over-reacting". I'd like to present your point of view as something for 
him to consider.

Keith

-- Original message -- 
From: "g123curious" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
I live and work in Boston. This has been all over the news here. Our 
government incurred a large expense with the bomb disposal squads, 
police overtime to stop traffic; and for a time the subways were 
shut down.

IMHO, the marketers definitely had an obligation to do 2 things: a) 
notify local law enforcement about their intent to put these 
devices, and b) ask the permission of the private property owners 
upon whose property they placed the devices. They didn't do either. 
I don't know what you've read, but devices were hung on both private 
and public property here in Boston.

Regarding the youth that support this "guerilla marketing", their 
approach to any physical space is the same as their approach to 
content on the Internet... anything and any space is fair game for 
their purposes. They don't seem to understand (or don't care) that 
placing the devices on people's private property without their 
permission is the same as defacing walls with graffitti... not that 
graffitti is acceptable anywhere.

People, especially the youth, need to remember that this is the town 
where 2 planes took off from our airport that crashed into buildings 
on 9-11. So the heightened state of vigilance here is understandable 
and appropriate. IMHO, the people that yell today about our local 
government's supposed "over reaction" would likely be the same 
people yelling if the government didn't respond and it was a true 
terrorist attack.

It is unclear if the devices were up for 3 weeks here. They were up 
longer in other cities, but most people here say they weren't up 
long here.

People need to remember that there is already some unease in Boston. 
There are 2 nuclear reactors within a 1.5 hour drive of the city; 
plus several biochemical facilities within city limits, and one of 
the 4 larges LNG terminals is across Boston harbor in Chelsea. With 
all of those high-value targets nearby, a heightened state of 
vigilence is very appropriate, IMHO.

I definitely believe that the Turner Network and the Cartoon Network 
should reimburse my city for their expenses. I don't want to pay 
those expenses thru higher taxes, to fund their self-interested 
marketing stunt. If they don't pay, you can bet I'll work hard for a 
boycott of their cable channels.

George
Captain
USS Ronald E. McNair (Boston)

--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> I'm not sure what to say about this publicity stunt. Seeing as 
how the devices aren't small, and they are lighted advertisements, 
didn't the marketers have some kind of obligation to get permission 
to put them out? This was a little more than nailing a sign to a 
telephone pole, after all. If nothing else, I'd have obtained some 
type of permission from the city before dumping several dozen 
electronic devices on bridges and stuff. They might have been simply 
destroyed at best. And, I have to say, this marketing campaign 
wasn't all that effective if the things sat unnoticed for three 
weeks. I live in Atlanta, spend all my time in the city where this 
campaign should be most noticeable. Most of all, I drive by the 
Cartoon Network headquarters at least ten times a week, and I 
*never* saw a one-foot cartoon character giving me the finger!
> 
> Did any of you in Austin, San Fran, Chi-Town, or NYC notice these 
things?
> 
> **
> 
> 2 Men Held on Bond in Boston Hoax Case
> By JAY LINDSAY, Associated Press Writer
> 3 hours ago
> BOSTON - Two men who authorities say placed electronic advertising 
devices around the city were released from jail Thursday, apparently 
amused with the publicity stunt that stirred fears of terrorism and 
shut down parts of the city.




 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[scifinoir2] File - Map_of_SciFiNoir_Member_Locations

[scifinoir2]

Hi SciFiNoir Family.  This is a reminder to add your name to our group map that 
lets members know in what cities other scifinoir members live.  Most of you 
probably live really close to other memers and do not even know it.  This map 
will hopefully correct that.  Please click through to add your point on the 
map. Takes less than a minute.
http://www.frappr.com/scifinoir/map  

Thanks

Tracey de Morsella, your moderator
SciFiNoir/SciFiNoir-Lit
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SciFiNoir-lit/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SciFiNoir2/
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

[scifinoir2] Re: "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" Stunt Results in Terrorist Scare

[g123curious]

I live and work in Boston. This has been all over the news here. Our 
government incurred a large expense with the bomb disposal squads, 
police overtime to stop traffic; and for a time the subways were 
shut down.

IMHO, the marketers definitely had an obligation to do 2 things: a) 
notify local law enforcement about their intent to put these 
devices, and b) ask the permission of the private property owners 
upon whose property they placed the devices. They didn't do either. 
I don't know what you've read, but devices were hung on both private 
and public property here in Boston.

Regarding the youth that support this "guerilla marketing", their 
approach to any physical space is the same as their approach to 
content on the Internet... anything and any space is fair game for 
their purposes. They don't seem to understand (or don't care) that 
placing the devices on people's private property without their 
permission is the same as defacing walls with graffitti... not that 
graffitti is acceptable anywhere.

People, especially the youth, need to remember that this is the town 
where 2 planes took off from our airport that crashed into buildings 
on 9-11. So the heightened state of vigilance here is understandable 
and appropriate. IMHO, the people that yell today about our local 
government's supposed "over reaction" would likely be the same 
people yelling if the government didn't respond and it was a true 
terrorist attack.

It is unclear if the devices were up for 3 weeks here. They were up 
longer in other cities, but most people here say they weren't up 
long here.

People need to remember that there is already some unease in Boston. 
There are 2 nuclear reactors within a 1.5 hour drive of the city; 
plus several biochemical facilities within city limits, and one of 
the 4 larges LNG terminals is across Boston harbor in Chelsea. With 
all of those high-value targets nearby, a heightened state of 
vigilence is very appropriate, IMHO.

I definitely believe that the Turner Network and the Cartoon Network 
should reimburse my city for their expenses. I don't want to pay 
those expenses thru higher taxes, to fund their self-interested 
marketing stunt. If they don't pay, you can bet I'll work hard for a 
boycott of their cable channels.

George
Captain
USS Ronald E. McNair (Boston)

--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> I'm not sure what to say about this publicity stunt.  Seeing as 
how the devices aren't small, and they are lighted advertisements, 
didn't the marketers have some kind of obligation to get permission 
to put them out? This was a little more than nailing a sign to a 
telephone pole, after all. If nothing else, I'd have obtained some 
type of permission from the city before dumping several dozen 
electronic devices on bridges and stuff. They might have been simply 
destroyed at best. And, I have to say, this marketing campaign 
wasn't all that effective if the things sat unnoticed for three 
weeks. I live in Atlanta, spend all my time in the city where this 
campaign should be most noticeable. Most of all, I drive by the 
Cartoon Network headquarters at least ten times a week, and I 
*never* saw a one-foot cartoon character giving me the finger!
> 
> Did any of you in Austin, San Fran, Chi-Town, or NYC notice these 
things?
> 
> **
> 
> 2 Men Held on Bond in Boston Hoax Case
> By JAY LINDSAY, Associated Press Writer
> 3 hours ago
> BOSTON - Two men who authorities say placed electronic advertising 
devices around the city were released from jail Thursday, apparently 
amused with the publicity stunt that stirred fears of terrorism and 
shut down parts of the city.

[scifinoir2] "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" Stunt Results in Terrorist Scare

[KeithBJohnson]

I'm not sure what to say about this publicity stunt.  Seeing as how the devices 
aren't small, and they are lighted advertisements, didn't the marketers have 
some kind of obligation to get permission to put them out? This was a little 
more than nailing a sign to a telephone pole, after all. If nothing else, I'd 
have obtained some type of permission from the city before dumping several 
dozen electronic devices on bridges and stuff. They might have been simply 
destroyed at best. And, I have to say, this marketing campaign wasn't all that 
effective if the things sat unnoticed for three weeks. I live in Atlanta, spend 
all my time in the city where this campaign should be most noticeable. Most of 
all, I drive by the Cartoon Network headquarters at least ten times a week, and 
I *never* saw a one-foot cartoon character giving me the finger!

Did any of you in Austin, San Fran, Chi-Town, or NYC notice these things?

**

2 Men Held on Bond in Boston Hoax Case
By JAY LINDSAY, Associated Press Writer
3 hours ago
BOSTON - Two men who authorities say placed electronic advertising devices 
around the city were released from jail Thursday, apparently amused with the 
publicity stunt that stirred fears of terrorism and shut down parts of the city.
Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, were released on $2,500 cash bond 
after each pleaded not guilty to placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct 
for a device found Wednesday at a subway station. They waved and smiled as they 
greeted people in court.
Outside, they met reporters and television cameras and launched into a 
nonsensical discussion of hair styles of the 1970s. "What we really want to 
talk about today _ it's kind of important to some people _ it's haircuts of the 
1970s," Berdovsky said.
But as he walked off, Berdovsky gave a more serious comment.
"We need some time to really sort things out and, you know, figure out our 
response to this situation in other ways than talking about hair," Berdovsky 
said. "So if you could just give us some privacy for a little bit. ... I will 
be trying to make sense of all it real soon."
Officials found 38 blinking electronic signs promoting the Cartoon Network TV 
show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" on bridges and other high-profile spots across 
the city Wednesday, prompting the closing of a highway and the deployment of 
bomb squads. The surreal series is about a talking milkshake, a box of fries 
and a meatball. The network is a division of Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc.
"It's clear the intent was to get attention by causing fear and unrest that 
there was a bomb in that location," Assistant Attorney General John Grossman 
said at their arraignment.
The 1-foot tall signs, which were lit up at night, resembled a circuit board, 
with protruding wires and batteries. Most depicted a boxy, cartoon character 
giving passersby the finger _ a more obvious sight when darkness fell.
The men did not speak or enter their own pleas, but they appeared amused and 
smiled as the prosecutor talked about the device found at Sullivan Station 
underneath Interstate 93, looking like it had C-4 explosive.
"The appearance of this device and its location are crucial," Grossman said. 
"This device looks like a bomb."
Some in the gallery snickered.
Outside the courthouse, Michael Rich, a lawyer for both of the men, said the 
description of a bomb-like device could be used for any electronic device.
"If somebody had left a VCR on the ground it would have been a device with 
wires, electronic components and a power source," he said.
Boston officials were livid when the devices were discovered.
"It is outrageous, in a post 9/11 world, that a company would use this type of 
marketing scheme," Mayor Thomas Menino said Wednesday. "I am prepared to take 
any and all legal action against Turner Broadcasting and its affiliates for any 
and all expenses incurred during the response to today's incidents."
Berdovsky, an artist, told The Boston Globe he was hired by a marketing company 
and said he was "kind of freaked out" by the furor.
"I find it kind of ridiculous that they're making these statements on TV that 
we must not be safe from terrorism, because they were up there for three weeks 
and no one noticed. It's pretty commonsensical to look at them and say this is 
a piece of art and installation," he said.
Fans of the show mocked authorities for what they called an overreaction.
About a dozen fans gathered outside Charlestown District Court on Thursday 
morning with signs saying "1-31-07 Never Forget" and "Free Peter."
"We're the laughing stock," said Tracy O'Connor, 34.
"It's almost too easy to be a terrorist these days," said Jennifer Mason, 26. 
"You stick a box on a corner and you can shut down a city."
Authorities vowed to hold Turner accountable for what Menino said was 
"corporate greed," that led to at least $750,000 in police costs.
As soon as Turner realized the Boston problem around 5 p.m.

[scifinoir2] Shatnervision

[The Yokozuna Of Soul]

for some reason Bill Shatner and his daughter  have gone overboard  
and are  recording  every third thing  Bill  does and posting it on  
the web. They  call this collection of conversations -  
Shatnervision.  Yeah.  I know.  And I watch it every afternoon during  
lunch.

Anyway, here's today's Shatnervision, where he talks about Star Trek  
11. Enjoy.

http://www.livevideo.com/video/embedLink/ 
7BE9FA686CBF4174BF845937AB78BB99/51576/shatner-talks-star-trek-xi.aspx

Re: [scifinoir2] OT: HDTV Makes Adult-Movie Stars Nervous

[Astromancer]

(Smiling sheepishy) Sorry, everyone was getting so serious, I couldn't resist...

Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:  Pimples...uh, excuse me...

Astromancer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I do...pimples are sexy...

The Yokozuna Of Soul <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: But for that matter, who needs 
"Back-Door Brides 17" in HD?

On Jan 31, 2007, at 8:13 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

> True, true!
>
> -- Original message --
> From: Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> LMNAO, Keith! Show of hands- *who* is busy checking for pimples 
> while watching "Back-Door Brides 17"? (An actual title, 
> BTB...scary, ain't it?)
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This is interesting. Of course, 
> quiet as it's kept in some circles, the adult industry has long 
> been a major force in the adoption and innovation of new 
> technology. The old 8 mm cameras, VCRs, DVDs, DVD players on PCs, 
> video-on-demand, high-powered Web servers to store images and 
> movies for downloads, streaming media Internet technology, secure 
> sites for Internet financial transactions, age verification 
> methods, and now the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray war--all owe a huge debt to the 
> purveyors and partakers of adult content.
>
> Still, it's funny to think of porn stars being nervous at HDTV 
> showing *too much* of their bodies!!
>
> ***
>
> http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128632-page,1/article.html
> HDTV Makes Adult-Movie Stars Nervous
> Picture quality shows too much detail for some performers, but 
> industry is still going high-def.
> Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service
> Families with new high-definition camcorders and news anchors being 
> broadcast in HD have already discovered just how revealing the 
> picture quality is. But few professionals bare as much in front of 
> the camera as adult-film stars, and many are nervous abut the new 
> technology.
> "We're all terrified," said Stefani Morgan, a star at Vivid 
> Entertainment Group, one of the largest adult movie makers. "I want 
> to be a fantasy. I don't want to show flaws."
> High-definition picture quality is so good that watching sports on 
> HDTV is like being on the field. Adult industry directors compare 
> it to being in the room.
> "I think high-definition is good from a fan's perspective because 
> it puts everything so beautifully," said Jenna Jameson, founder and 
> the star of Club Jenna. "But from a woman's perspective, we hate it 
> because you can see every little piece of our body," she added.
> Adult Entertainment Drives Media Sales
> But television broadcasting and home video are moving forward with 
> high definition, and the adult industry is playing a role by 
> releasing its first films on the HD disc format, HD DVD, which is 
> battling rival Blu-ray Disc to become the successor to DVDs. The 
> adult market is important market for the discs, with DVD sales 
> reaching $3.6 billion last year, according to AVN Publications.
> The trouble for the industry is that users are not taking to HD 
> media players of either format as quickly as hoped. The Consumer 
> Electronics Association slashed its sales estimate for stand-alone 
> HD media players, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc combined, to just 250,000 
> last year, from a previous forecast of 750,000. The figures do not 
> include Blu-ray Disc players on PlayStation 3 game consoles, nor HD 
> DVD players on Xbox 360 game machines.
> Jake Richter, an analyst at Jon Peddie Research, said he doesn't 
> care which format wins, as long as HD media playback takes hold, 
> and fast.
> "I am a true believer," he says. "I have issued an edict in my 
> household that we should no longer purchase any standard DVDs 
> unless we really want the movies or shows right then and there AND 
> they are not yet available in either HD DVD or Blu-ray formats. I 
> will happily pay the $5 to $15 premium for the phenomenal increase 
> in image clarity."
> Even HD Can Be Tricked
> Adult directors also love HD technology for the sharp improvement 
> in picture quality over standard TVs.
> "In the end, who doesn't want to see the most beautiful man or 
> beautiful woman with the best image quality possible? It really 
> brings it to life, it's fantastic," said Robby D, a director at 
> adult-film maker Digital Playground.
> And while actors and actresses may be nervous over the revealing 
> clarity of high definition, directors said they shouldn't spend too 
> much time fretting. Filters and other techniques can always help 
> clean up blemishes, make-up malfunctions, and other problems that 
> might crop up on screen.
> "I do a lot of post-manipulation of the product," said Jay Grdina, 
> president of Club Jenna. " When I look at HD I think the last thing 
> I ever want to do is make video look more like video. I want video 
> to look more like film."
> His biggest star agreed, and offered up additional advice to 
> colleagues.
> "There's obviously a lot of things you can do to soften things, 
> filter, 

Re: [scifinoir2] "Harry Potter" Star Stirs Controversy with Play

[The Yokozuna Of Soul]

Hard to read all this and not recall this episode of "Extras":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PhSe1JZD1g

I love this show. If you don't watch it, you've missed this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGf9Hc-KpAA


On Feb 1, 2007, at 1:52 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

> This is interesting. Every few years I hear about someone doing  
> "Equus" and it generates mild controversy. I've never seen the  
> plays or the movie or read whatever the source material is, so I  
> have no real opinion--other than the words "horse" and "erotic"  
> should *not* be used in the same sentence!
>
> Here in Atlanta, a mom in one of the more conservative suburbs (not  
> the one I live in, thank God!) has been trying to get the Harry  
> Potter books pulled from her daughter's school for a couple of  
> years now. Actually, she wants them and other books like them  
> banned from all schools in her county, as they "promote the worship  
> of the Devil" in her mind. Before you ask, she's not a looney  
> fanatic, just an extremely conservative Christian who takes the  
> Biblical verse "Flee the presence of evil" very seriously.
>
> Can't imagine what she'll do when she hears about Radcliffe doing  
> this play!
>
> 'Harry Potter' Stage Strip Stirs Storm
> By Associated Press
> Wed Jan 31, 6:34 PM
> NEW YORK - "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe, who strips for his  
> new role in London's West End revival of the play "Equus," has  
> ignited a bit of a media firestorm by posing for racy promotional  
> photos for the production.
> The Tony-Award-winning drama tells the story of a stable-hand who  
> has an erotic fixation with horses. In one photo, Radcliffe, 17,  
> dares to bare it all alongside a white horse; in another, he is  
> pictured with a naked Joanna Christie, the actress who portrays his  
> girlfriend.
> "Equus," directed by Thea Sharrock, opens at London's Gielgud  
> Theater on Feb. 27. Tony Award-winning actor Richard Griffiths  
> plays a pyschiatrist who treats Radcliffe's character.
> "Part of me wants to shake up people's perception of me, just shove  
> me in a blender," Radcliffe said in a recent interview with  
> Newsweek magazine.
> "It's a really challenging play, and if I can pull it off _ we  
> don't know if I can yet _ I hope people will stop and think, 'Maybe  
> he can do something other than Harry,'" he said.
> Radcliffe, who was discovered seven years ago in the audience of a  
> London theater, reprises his role as the bespectacled boy wizard in  
> "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," slated for release  
> July 13.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
> 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[scifinoir2] "Harry Potter" Star Stirs Controversy with Play

[KeithBJohnson]

This is interesting. Every few years I hear about someone doing "Equus" and it 
generates mild controversy. I've never seen the plays or the movie or read 
whatever the source material is, so I have no real opinion--other than the 
words "horse" and "erotic" should *not* be used in the same sentence!

Here in Atlanta, a mom in one of the more conservative suburbs (not the one I 
live in, thank God!)  has been trying to get the Harry Potter books pulled from 
her daughter's school for a couple of years now. Actually, she wants them and 
other books like them banned from all schools in her county, as they "promote 
the worship of the Devil" in her mind. Before you ask, she's not a looney 
fanatic, just an extremely conservative Christian who takes the Biblical verse 
"Flee the presence of evil" very seriously.

Can't imagine what she'll do when she hears about Radcliffe doing this play!

'Harry Potter' Stage Strip Stirs Storm
By Associated Press
Wed Jan 31, 6:34 PM
NEW YORK - "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe, who strips for his new role in 
London's West End revival of the play "Equus," has ignited a bit of a media 
firestorm by posing for racy promotional photos for the production.
The Tony-Award-winning drama tells the story of a stable-hand who has an erotic 
fixation with horses. In one photo, Radcliffe, 17, dares to bare it all 
alongside a white horse; in another, he is pictured with a naked Joanna 
Christie, the actress who portrays his girlfriend.
"Equus," directed by Thea Sharrock, opens at London's Gielgud Theater on Feb. 
27. Tony Award-winning actor Richard Griffiths plays a pyschiatrist who treats 
Radcliffe's character.
"Part of me wants to shake up people's perception of me, just shove me in a 
blender," Radcliffe said in a recent interview with Newsweek magazine.
"It's a really challenging play, and if I can pull it off _ we don't know if I 
can yet _ I hope people will stop and think, 'Maybe he can do something other 
than Harry,'" he said.
Radcliffe, who was discovered seven years ago in the audience of a London 
theater, reprises his role as the bespectacled boy wizard in "Harry Potter and 
the Order of the Phoenix," slated for release July 13.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [scifinoir2] M. Night Shyamalan is back

[Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)]

Don't know if it is true

Tracey

Martin wrote:
>
> That I hadn't heard, Tracey.
>
> "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> aladvantage. com > wrote: 
> I just read yesterday, that he is not doing it. Something happened, but
> I did not get a change to read the rest of the story
>
> Tracey
>
> Sorry Keith
>
> Omavi Ndoto wrote:
> > Now that would be great to see 
> >
> > On 1/31/07, Martin  > wrote:
> >
> >> I also heard that he was going to doa live action version f 
> "Avatar: The
> >> Last Airbender".
> >>
> >> Keith! BREATHE! ! !!!
> >>
> >> "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" <
> >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] aladvantage. com 
>   turaladvantage. com>>
> >> wrote:
> >> Variety reported that M. Night Shyamalan is reworking the script 
> for The
> >> Green Effect—a proposed film about a large-scale, cataclysmic
> >> environmental crisis that turns into a struggle by mankind to overcome
> >> nature—after failing to land a deal during an initial round of
> >> negotiations with various studios.
> >>
> >> If any one of our restaurants were better than the rest, then customers
> >> would flocck to that location, creating a mass imbalance that could 
> create a
> >> black hole, which would swallow the Earth. That's why we make every
> >> McDonald's from Pomona to Poughkeepsie the same good place to eat, 
> thereby
> >> saving the Universe.-from McDonald's commercial ,28 January 1990
> >>
> >> "Is anybody hungry?" - W Zeddemore, "The Real Ghostbusters" , 'The 
> Cabinet
> >> of Calamari'
> >>
> >>  - - ---
> >> Cheap Talk? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates.
> >>
> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> If any one of our restaurants were better than the rest, then 
> customers would flocck to that location, creating a mass imbalance 
> that could create a black hole, which would swallow the Earth. That's 
> why we make every McDonald's from Pomona to Poughkeepsie the same good 
> place to eat, thereby saving the Universe.-from McDonald's commercial 
> ,28 January 1990
>
> "Is anybody hungry?" - W Zeddemore, "The Real Ghostbusters" , 'The 
> Cabinet of Calamari'
>
>  - - ---
> Bored stiff? Loosen up...
> Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>  

Re: [scifinoir2] M. Night Shyamalan is back

[Martin]

Nope. Just heard it on Monday. Can't remember where, though.

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:  You are joking, right?!!!

-- Original message -- 
From: Martin 
I also heard that he was going to doa live action version f "Avatar: The Last 
Airbender". 

Keith! BREATHE!

"Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" wrote:
Variety reported that M. Night Shyamalan is reworking the script for The 
Green Effect—a proposed film about a large-scale, cataclysmic 
environmental crisis that turns into a struggle by mankind to overcome 
nature—after failing to land a deal during an initial round of 
negotiations with various studios.

If any one of our restaurants were better than the rest, then customers would 
flocck to that location, creating a mass imbalance that could create a black 
hole, which would swallow the Earth. That's why we make every McDonald's from 
Pomona to Poughkeepsie the same good place to eat, thereby saving the 
Universe.-from McDonald's commercial ,28 January 1990

"Is anybody hungry?" - W Zeddemore, "The Real Ghostbusters", 'The Cabinet of 
Calamari'

-
Be a PS3 game guru.
Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




Yahoo! Groups Links






If any one of our restaurants were better than the rest, then customers would 
flocck to that location, creating a mass imbalance that could create a black 
hole, which would swallow the Earth. That's why we make every McDonald's from 
Pomona to Poughkeepsie the same good place to eat, thereby saving the 
Universe.-from McDonald's commercial ,28 January 1990

"Is anybody hungry?" - W Zeddemore, "The Real Ghostbusters", 'The Cabinet of 
Calamari'
 
-
Be a PS3 game guru.
Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [scifinoir2] M. Night Shyamalan is back

[Martin]

That I hadn't heard, Tracey.

"Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:  
I just read yesterday, that he is not doing it. Something happened, but 
I did not get a change to read the rest of the story

Tracey

Sorry Keith

Omavi Ndoto wrote:
> Now that would be great to see 
>
> On 1/31/07, Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
>> I also heard that he was going to doa live action version f "Avatar: The
>> Last Airbender".
>>
>> Keith! BREATHE!
>>
>> "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" <
>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >
>> wrote:
>> Variety reported that M. Night Shyamalan is reworking the script for The
>> Green Effect—a proposed film about a large-scale, cataclysmic
>> environmental crisis that turns into a struggle by mankind to overcome
>> nature—after failing to land a deal during an initial round of
>> negotiations with various studios.
>>
>> If any one of our restaurants were better than the rest, then customers
>> would flocck to that location, creating a mass imbalance that could create a
>> black hole, which would swallow the Earth. That's why we make every
>> McDonald's from Pomona to Poughkeepsie the same good place to eat, thereby
>> saving the Universe.-from McDonald's commercial ,28 January 1990
>>
>> "Is anybody hungry?" - W Zeddemore, "The Real Ghostbusters", 'The Cabinet
>> of Calamari'
>>
>> -
>> Cheap Talk? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates.
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>> 
>>
>> 
>
>
>
> 



 


If any one of our restaurants were better than the rest, then customers would 
flocck to that location, creating a mass imbalance that could create a black 
hole, which would swallow the Earth. That's why we make every McDonald's from 
Pomona to Poughkeepsie the same good place to eat, thereby saving the 
Universe.-from McDonald's commercial ,28 January 1990

"Is anybody hungry?" - W Zeddemore, "The Real Ghostbusters", 'The Cabinet of 
Calamari'
 
-
Bored stiff? Loosen up...
Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Andre Braugher Joins Mist

[Martin]

"More plastic people than the former South Beach setting." Is such a thing 
*possible?

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:  Correction. Now it might as well be called 
"Nip Tuck in LA". The show's moving the location of the series in order to find 
a place with even more plastic people than the former South Beach setting. I 
watched two or three eps a couple of years ago, but it didn't interest me 
enough to keep watching.

-- Original message -- 
From: Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
But we're treated to more "Nip/Tuck". Wonderful. (sarcasm on, in the words of a 
dear friend)

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: To quote Florida Evans, "Damn! Damn! Damn!!" This was 
an excellent show. I really wish they'd give it more time to find an audience. 
But then, other shows good and bad are getting cancelled just as swiftly these 
days. Remember "Witchblade", "Kojak", "Wanted"?

-- Original message -- 
From: "B. Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
Unfortunately it joins the pile. FX didn't order a second season 
because of poor ratings.

--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Do you know whether "Thief" is coming back, or does it join the 
pile of Good Stuff Gone Forever?
> 
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: And that's not a bad thing. It's 
like associating Shatner with Star Trek, Lee Majors with "Steve 
Austin. Braugher owned "Homicide". He stalked around like a predatory 
animal, at once invincible and flawed. From the very first scene--
when he pulled a hapless rookie (Kyle Secor) along as he scanned rows 
of identical cars for the *right* one--he was unforgettable. You're 
right that he's done lots of other good work, including the 
movie "Get on The Bus" and the recent "Thief", but being forever 
associated with "Homicide"--one of the best series of all time, cop-
related or not--is a good thing in my book. 
> 
> -- Original message -- 
> From: The Yokozuna Of Soul <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
> It's funny to me how we still associate Andre with "Homicide" after 
> all the work he's done since.
> 
> On Jan 29, 2007, at 2:42 PM, B. Smith wrote:
> 
> > I'm really looking forward to this movie. I loved the novella and
> > I've read some of Frank Darabont's thoughts on how it should be 
done.
> > If he pulls it off this will be awesome.
> >
> > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "Tracey de Morsella (formerly
> > Tracey L. Minor)"  wrote:
> > >
> > > Braugher, Holden Join Mist
> > >
> > > Andre Braugher and Laurie Holden are joining Thomas Jane in The
> > Mist,
> > > Dimension Films' adaptation of the Stephen King supernatural 
story,
> > > which is being helmed by Frank Darabont, who also produces,
> > according to
> > > The Hollywood Reporter.
> > >
> > > The script, written by Darabont, is set after a strange storm 
blows
> > > through a Maine town and its citizens are attacked by deadly
> > creatures.
> > > A group of townfolk barricade themselves in a supermarket and
> > struggle
> > > for survival.
> > >
> > > Holden (The Majestic, The X-Files), is the female lead as one of
> > the
> > > people trapped by the phenomenon. Braugher (Homicide: Life on 
the
> > > Street) plays Jane's neighbor, a high-powered attorney who has a
> > weekend
> > > house in Maine. Shooting is slated to begin in mid- to late
> > February in
> > > Shreveport, La.
> > >
> > > http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=39775
> > >
> >
> >
> > 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If any one of our restaurants were better than the rest, then 
customers would flocck to that location, creating a mass imbalance 
that could create a black hole, which would swallow the Earth. That's 
why we make every McDonald's from Pomona to Poughkeepsie the same 
good place to eat, thereby saving the Universe.-from McDonald's 
commercial ,28 January 1990
> 
> "Is anybody hungry?" - W Zeddemore, "The Real Ghostbusters", 'The 
Cabinet of Calamari'
> 
> -
> Don't be flakey. Get Yahoo! Mail for Mobile and 
> always stay connected to friends.
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

If any one of our restaurants were better than the rest, then customers would 
flocck to that location, creating a mass imbalance that could create a black 
hole, which would swallow the Earth. That's why we make every McDonald's from 
Pomona to Poughkeepsie the same good place to eat, thereby saving the 
Universe.-from McDonald's commercial ,28 January 1990

"Is anybody hungry?" - W Zeddemore, "The Real Ghostbusters", 'The Cabinet of 
Calamari'

-
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



 


If any one of our restaurants were better t

Re: [scifinoir2] OT: HDTV Makes Adult-Movie Stars Nervous

[Martin]

(waiting for the stampede of yea-sayers)

The Yokozuna Of Soul <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:  But for that matter, 
who needs "Back-Door Brides 17" in HD?

On Jan 31, 2007, at 8:13 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

> True, true!
>
> -- Original message --
> From: Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> LMNAO, Keith! Show of hands- *who* is busy checking for pimples 
> while watching "Back-Door Brides 17"? (An actual title, 
> BTB...scary, ain't it?)
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This is interesting. Of course, 
> quiet as it's kept in some circles, the adult industry has long 
> been a major force in the adoption and innovation of new 
> technology. The old 8 mm cameras, VCRs, DVDs, DVD players on PCs, 
> video-on-demand, high-powered Web servers to store images and 
> movies for downloads, streaming media Internet technology, secure 
> sites for Internet financial transactions, age verification 
> methods, and now the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray war--all owe a huge debt to the 
> purveyors and partakers of adult content.
>
> Still, it's funny to think of porn stars being nervous at HDTV 
> showing *too much* of their bodies!!
>
> ***
>
> http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128632-page,1/article.html
> HDTV Makes Adult-Movie Stars Nervous
> Picture quality shows too much detail for some performers, but 
> industry is still going high-def.
> Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service
> Families with new high-definition camcorders and news anchors being 
> broadcast in HD have already discovered just how revealing the 
> picture quality is. But few professionals bare as much in front of 
> the camera as adult-film stars, and many are nervous abut the new 
> technology.
> "We're all terrified," said Stefani Morgan, a star at Vivid 
> Entertainment Group, one of the largest adult movie makers. "I want 
> to be a fantasy. I don't want to show flaws."
> High-definition picture quality is so good that watching sports on 
> HDTV is like being on the field. Adult industry directors compare 
> it to being in the room.
> "I think high-definition is good from a fan's perspective because 
> it puts everything so beautifully," said Jenna Jameson, founder and 
> the star of Club Jenna. "But from a woman's perspective, we hate it 
> because you can see every little piece of our body," she added.
> Adult Entertainment Drives Media Sales
> But television broadcasting and home video are moving forward with 
> high definition, and the adult industry is playing a role by 
> releasing its first films on the HD disc format, HD DVD, which is 
> battling rival Blu-ray Disc to become the successor to DVDs. The 
> adult market is important market for the discs, with DVD sales 
> reaching $3.6 billion last year, according to AVN Publications.
> The trouble for the industry is that users are not taking to HD 
> media players of either format as quickly as hoped. The Consumer 
> Electronics Association slashed its sales estimate for stand-alone 
> HD media players, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc combined, to just 250,000 
> last year, from a previous forecast of 750,000. The figures do not 
> include Blu-ray Disc players on PlayStation 3 game consoles, nor HD 
> DVD players on Xbox 360 game machines.
> Jake Richter, an analyst at Jon Peddie Research, said he doesn't 
> care which format wins, as long as HD media playback takes hold, 
> and fast.
> "I am a true believer," he says. "I have issued an edict in my 
> household that we should no longer purchase any standard DVDs 
> unless we really want the movies or shows right then and there AND 
> they are not yet available in either HD DVD or Blu-ray formats. I 
> will happily pay the $5 to $15 premium for the phenomenal increase 
> in image clarity."
> Even HD Can Be Tricked
> Adult directors also love HD technology for the sharp improvement 
> in picture quality over standard TVs.
> "In the end, who doesn't want to see the most beautiful man or 
> beautiful woman with the best image quality possible? It really 
> brings it to life, it's fantastic," said Robby D, a director at 
> adult-film maker Digital Playground.
> And while actors and actresses may be nervous over the revealing 
> clarity of high definition, directors said they shouldn't spend too 
> much time fretting. Filters and other techniques can always help 
> clean up blemishes, make-up malfunctions, and other problems that 
> might crop up on screen.
> "I do a lot of post-manipulation of the product," said Jay Grdina, 
> president of Club Jenna. " When I look at HD I think the last thing 
> I ever want to do is make video look more like video. I want video 
> to look more like film."
> His biggest star agreed, and offered up additional advice to 
> colleagues.
> "There's obviously a lot of things you can do to soften things, 
> filter, post-process," said Jameson. "But you either feel 
> comfortable enough to be naked in high-definition or you don't, and 
> that's why the gym comes in handy."
>
> [Non-

Re: [scifinoir2] OT: HDTV Makes Adult-Movie Stars Nervous

[Martin]

Pimples...uh, excuse me...

Astromancer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:  I do...pimples are sexy...

The Yokozuna Of Soul <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: But for that matter, who needs 
"Back-Door Brides 17" in HD?

On Jan 31, 2007, at 8:13 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

> True, true!
>
> -- Original message --
> From: Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> LMNAO, Keith! Show of hands- *who* is busy checking for pimples 
> while watching "Back-Door Brides 17"? (An actual title, 
> BTB...scary, ain't it?)
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This is interesting. Of course, 
> quiet as it's kept in some circles, the adult industry has long 
> been a major force in the adoption and innovation of new 
> technology. The old 8 mm cameras, VCRs, DVDs, DVD players on PCs, 
> video-on-demand, high-powered Web servers to store images and 
> movies for downloads, streaming media Internet technology, secure 
> sites for Internet financial transactions, age verification 
> methods, and now the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray war--all owe a huge debt to the 
> purveyors and partakers of adult content.
>
> Still, it's funny to think of porn stars being nervous at HDTV 
> showing *too much* of their bodies!!
>
> ***
>
> http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128632-page,1/article.html
> HDTV Makes Adult-Movie Stars Nervous
> Picture quality shows too much detail for some performers, but 
> industry is still going high-def.
> Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service
> Families with new high-definition camcorders and news anchors being 
> broadcast in HD have already discovered just how revealing the 
> picture quality is. But few professionals bare as much in front of 
> the camera as adult-film stars, and many are nervous abut the new 
> technology.
> "We're all terrified," said Stefani Morgan, a star at Vivid 
> Entertainment Group, one of the largest adult movie makers. "I want 
> to be a fantasy. I don't want to show flaws."
> High-definition picture quality is so good that watching sports on 
> HDTV is like being on the field. Adult industry directors compare 
> it to being in the room.
> "I think high-definition is good from a fan's perspective because 
> it puts everything so beautifully," said Jenna Jameson, founder and 
> the star of Club Jenna. "But from a woman's perspective, we hate it 
> because you can see every little piece of our body," she added.
> Adult Entertainment Drives Media Sales
> But television broadcasting and home video are moving forward with 
> high definition, and the adult industry is playing a role by 
> releasing its first films on the HD disc format, HD DVD, which is 
> battling rival Blu-ray Disc to become the successor to DVDs. The 
> adult market is important market for the discs, with DVD sales 
> reaching $3.6 billion last year, according to AVN Publications.
> The trouble for the industry is that users are not taking to HD 
> media players of either format as quickly as hoped. The Consumer 
> Electronics Association slashed its sales estimate for stand-alone 
> HD media players, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc combined, to just 250,000 
> last year, from a previous forecast of 750,000. The figures do not 
> include Blu-ray Disc players on PlayStation 3 game consoles, nor HD 
> DVD players on Xbox 360 game machines.
> Jake Richter, an analyst at Jon Peddie Research, said he doesn't 
> care which format wins, as long as HD media playback takes hold, 
> and fast.
> "I am a true believer," he says. "I have issued an edict in my 
> household that we should no longer purchase any standard DVDs 
> unless we really want the movies or shows right then and there AND 
> they are not yet available in either HD DVD or Blu-ray formats. I 
> will happily pay the $5 to $15 premium for the phenomenal increase 
> in image clarity."
> Even HD Can Be Tricked
> Adult directors also love HD technology for the sharp improvement 
> in picture quality over standard TVs.
> "In the end, who doesn't want to see the most beautiful man or 
> beautiful woman with the best image quality possible? It really 
> brings it to life, it's fantastic," said Robby D, a director at 
> adult-film maker Digital Playground.
> And while actors and actresses may be nervous over the revealing 
> clarity of high definition, directors said they shouldn't spend too 
> much time fretting. Filters and other techniques can always help 
> clean up blemishes, make-up malfunctions, and other problems that 
> might crop up on screen.
> "I do a lot of post-manipulation of the product," said Jay Grdina, 
> president of Club Jenna. " When I look at HD I think the last thing 
> I ever want to do is make video look more like video. I want video 
> to look more like film."
> His biggest star agreed, and offered up additional advice to 
> colleagues.
> "There's obviously a lot of things you can do to soften things, 
> filter, post-process," said Jameson. "But you either feel 
> comfortable enough to be naked in high-definition or you don't,