Showing posts with label Trailers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trailers. Show all posts

15 January 2021

US: Fathom Events Celebrates #BlackHistoryMonth With First Film Series This February [Trailers Included]

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This February, Fathom Events will launch the company's first Black History Month film series, Fathom Events Celebrates Black History Month, in cinemas across the U.S. 
Movie-goers will have the opportunity to delve into the diverse lives, historic accomplishments and award-winning filmmaking of some of the most influential African American entertainers in modern history. The five-film series includes acclaimed feature films that highlight the lives, experiences and impact of American musical icons, a documentary that explores an entertainer's groundbreaking work with NASA, and a faith-based drama about the importance of family and lifelong faith.

The lineup for the 2021 Fathom Events Celebrates Black History Month film series is:

  • Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA
  • Ray
  • Get on Up
  • God's Compass
  • TCM Big Screen Classics: Boyz n the Hood 30th Anniversary
"Fathom specializes in curating and distributing a wide variety of content for all movie-goers. We are privileged to utilize our platform to honor Black History Month with films that bring important stories to the big screen," said Ray Nutt, Chief Executive Officer, Fathom Events. "We hope this film series will reach new audiences who will learn about the amazing contributions of these entertainers and experience some great movies."
US: Fathom Events Celebrates #BlackHistoryMonth With First Film Series This February
'Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA'

Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA (2020)

  • DATE: Tues., Feb 2
  • CAST: Nichelle Nichols, Ashley Eckstein, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Dorn, George Takei and Pharrel Williams.
  • DIRECTED BY: Todd Thompson

Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA - Trailer:

In 1977, with just four months left, NASA was struggling to recruit scientists, engineers and astronauts for their new Space Shuttle Program. That is when Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek's Lt. Uhura, challenged them by asking the question, "Where are my people?" With NASA's backing, she embarked on a national PR blitz, recruiting 8,000 of the nation's best and brightest, including the trailblazing astronauts who became the first African American, Asian and Latino men and women to fly in space. This is her—and their—story.
ADDED VALUE: Following the feature presentation, fans will be treated to an exclusive behind the scenes documentary about the making of Woman in Motion, which includes additional interviews with Nichols and other notable guests from the documentary, deleted scenes and additional footage from the making of the film.

US: Fathom Events Celebrates #BlackHistoryMonth With First Film Series This February
Ray

Ray (2004)

  • DATE: Tues., Feb 9 & Sat., Feb 13
  • CAST: Jamie Foxx, Regina King and Kerry Washington
  • DIRECTED BY: Taylor Hackford
  • SCREENPLAY: James L. White

Ray (2004) - Trailer:

Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx (Dreamgirls) stars as the one-of-a-kind innovator of soul who overcame impossible odds to become a music legend. Ray is the triumphant and remarkable story of one of America's true musical geniuses, Ray Charles. From his humble beginnings in the South through his meteoric rise to the top of American music charts, Ray's inspirational journey is a tale of hope, redemption and the power of the human spirit. "Ray is Electrifying" hails Peter Travers of Rolling Stone. Witness the incredible true story of a musician who fought harder and went further than anyone could imagine.
US: Fathom Events Celebrates #BlackHistoryMonth With First Film Series This February
Get on Up

Get on Up (2014)

  • DATE: Tues., Feb 23 & Sat., Feb 27
  • CAST: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, and Viola Davis
  • DIRECTED BY: Tate Taylor
  • SCREENPLAY: Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth

Get on Up (2014) - Trailer:

Based on the incredible life story of the Godfather of Soul, Get On Up gives a fearless look inside the music, moves, and moods of James Brown, taking audiences on the journey from his impoverished childhood to his evolution into one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. Chadwick Boseman (42) stars as Brown, and is joined by Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis, Jill Scott, Craig Robinson, and Dan Aykroyd in the Tate Taylor directed drama.
US: Fathom Events Celebrates #BlackHistoryMonth With First Film Series This February
God's Compass

God's Compass (2016)

  • DATE: Thurs., Feb 25 & Fri., Feb 26
  • CAST: Karen Abercrombie, T.C. Stallings, Jazelle Foster and Joey Ibanez.
  • DIRECTED BY: Stephan Schultze

God's Compass - Trailer:

On the night Suzanne Waters celebrates her retirement, she is faced with a series of decisions that change her life forever. Trusting God's direction, her truth becomes clear as she takes in a troubled teenager, Eli, and her family embarks on the journey of adoption, healing, and renewed faith.
  • 2016 "Best Screenplay" winner - International Christian Film Festival.
ADDED VALUE: An exclusive introduction from beloved lead actress, Karen Abercrombie, as she revisits God's Compass for its special return to the big screen.

US: Fathom Events Celebrates #BlackHistoryMonth With First Film Series This February
Boyz n the Hood

TCM Big Screen Classics: Boyz n the Hood 30th Anniversary

  • DATE: Sun., Feb 28 & Wed., Mar 3
  • CAST: Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Morris Chestnut, and Larry Fishburne
  • WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY: John Singleton

Boyz n the Hood - Trailer:

Writer/director John Singleton's acclaimed debut is a graphic and powerful look at life in South-Central Los Angeles as a trio of young men attempt through different means to escape the violence-filled life of the streets.
  • Singleton was nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the 64th Academy Awards, making him the youngest person and the first African-American to be nominated for Best Director.
ADDED VALUE
: This special 30th anniversary event includes exclusive insights from Turner Classic Movies.
Tickets for Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASARay and TCM Big Screen Classics: Boyz n the Hood 30th Anniversary are available now at FathomEvents.com/blackhistorymonth or at participating theater box offices. Visit the Fathom Events website to purchase tickets for all titles in the series which will become available closer to the event date. 
  • Please continue to check the Fathom Events website and sign up for alerts. (theaters and participants are subject to change)
SOURCE: Fathom Events

31 December 2020

[Book Blast] She Sees Ghosts - The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls (Part of the Adirondack Spirit Series) By David Fitz-Gerald #HistoricalFiction

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She Sees Ghosts - The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls (Part of the Adirondack Spirit Series) By David Fitz-Gerald
She Sees Ghosts - The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls (Part of the Adirondack Spirit Series) By David Fitz-Gerald
Book Title:: She Sees Ghosts―The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls
(Part of the Adirondack Spirit Series
Author:: David Fitz-Gerald
Publication Date:: October 25, 2020
Publisher:: Outskirts Press
Page Length:: 270 pages
Genre: Historical/Supernatural
 
She Sees Ghosts - The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls (Part of the Adirondack Spirit Series) By David Fitz-Gerald
She Sees Ghosts - The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls (book cover)

The Blurb:

A blazing fire killed her family and devoured her home. A vengeful demon haunted her. Ghosts of the Revolutionary War needed help that only she could provide. A young woman languished, desperate to survive, and teetered on the edge of sanity.

Mehitable grew up in a freshly tamed town, carved from the primeval forest. Family, friends, and working at the mercantile filled her days and warmed her heart. For Mehitable, life was simple and safe, until tragedy struck. When her family perished in their burning home, she retreated into a world of her own making.

As a young girl, she had seen glimmers, glimpses, and flickers of the spirit world. She closed her eyes. She turned her back. She ignored the apparitions that she never spoke of, desperately hoping they would leave her in peace. She was mistaken.

Grief-stricken, Mehitable withdrew from the human world. Ghosts were everywhere. They became bolder. She could no longer turn her back on the spirit world. Her friends feared for her survival. Nobody understood her. She would have to find her own way.

Fans of TV’s Ghost Whisperer and Long Island Medium will especially love She Sees Ghosts. This historical novel features memorable characters and delivers bone-tingling, spine chilling goosebumps. It stands on its own and it is the next installment in the Adirondack Spirit Series by the award-winning author of Wanders Far―An Unlikely Hero’s Journey. David Fitz-Gerald delivers a historical novel with a bittersweet ending that you won’t see coming.

Would she save the spirits’ souls, or would they save her? Only time would tell.

The Trailer:


Buy Links: 

Amazon 
  • She Sees Ghosts is FREE on #Kindle for a Limited Time
David Fitz-Gerald

Author Bio:

David Fitz-Gerald writes fiction that is grounded in history and soars with the spirits. Dave enjoys getting lost in the settings he imagines and spending time with the characters he creates. Writing historical fiction is like making paintings of the past. He loves to weave fact and fiction together, stirring in action, adventure, romance, and a heavy dose of the supernatural with the hope of transporting the reader to another time and place. He is an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked all of the highest peaks in New York State, so it should not be surprising when Dave attempts to glorify hikers as swashbuckling superheroes in his writing. She Sees Ghosts―A Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls is the next instalment in the Adirondack Spirit Series.

She Sees Ghosts - The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls (Part of the Adirondack Spirit Series) By David Fitz-Gerald
She Sees Ghosts - The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls (Part of the Adirondack Spirit Series) By David Fitz-Gerald

Social Media Links:

WebsiteTwitterFacebookInstagram

Book Tour Schedule:

She Sees Ghosts - The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls (Part of the Adirondack Spirit Series) By David Fitz-Gerald
She Sees Ghosts - The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls (Tour Schedule)

15 December 2020

MasterClass Announces Salman Rushdie to Teach Storytelling and Writing [Trailer Included]

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MasterClass Announces Salman Rushdie to Teach Storytelling and Writing
Salman Rushdie (Courtesy of MasterClass)
MasterClass announced today that Booker Prize–winning author Salman Rushdie will teach a class on storytelling and writing. Drawing from his celebrated career as a novelist and essayist, Rushdie will help members explore their innate storytelling ability to write and tell the stories they are meant to tell.
"Salman's prose is magical; his storytelling, worldly," said David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass. "In his MasterClass, Salman discusses the seminal works that have influenced him, providing all writers—even those just starting to put pen to paper—lessons in how to harness the power of words."
In his MasterClass, Rushdie will share his storytelling framework, which is equal parts discipline and freedom, from how to build rich and complex story structures to crafting characters, researching and editing, providing a wealth of examples and insights from the global literature that has influenced his work. 

In addition to offering big-picture advice and his seven useful tips to becoming a better reader and writer, Rushdie will offer valuable insights on the psychological aspects of writing, including navigating writer's block, negotiating feedback with editors and more. 

Through intimate stories of the struggle and learnings from Rushdie's early career, members will get an insider's look into his journey, leaving the class inspired by his wisdom and eager to write their own unique stories.

MasterClass Announces Salman Rushdie to Teach Storytelling and Writing
Salman Rushdie (Courtesy of MasterClass)
"I've always been fascinated with the universality of storytelling and how shared human experiences unite us all, no matter where we are in the world," Rushdie said. "In my MasterClass, I hope I can help members transition to the other side of the page and reach new heights creatively with their writing."
Rushdie is an award-winning novelist, essayist, fiction and nonfiction writer known for his humorous and often-surrealist style. Rushdie's work examines themes of movement across cultures, modernity and the influence of world events on individuals' lives. 

His second novel, Midnight's Children, was a commercial and critical success, earning the esteemed Booker Prize in 1981, as well as the "Best of the Booker" prize twice in the years following. In 1983, his third novel, Shame, won the French literary prize Prix du Meilleur Livre Ɖtranger and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, cementing Rushdie's place among the literary elite.

Over the course of his career, Rushdie has published 14 novels that have been translated into more than 40 languages. He has been internationally recognized with many of literature's highest honors, and in 2007, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to the literary world. Some of his top accolades include the European Union's Aristeion Prize for Literature, the Premio Grinzane Cavour (Italy), the Writer of the Year Award in Germany, PEN Pinter Prize (U.K.), Golden PEN Award, Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award, and Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Cultural Humanism.

The Trailer:

  • Rushdie's class is now available exclusively on MasterClass, where subscribers get unlimited access to all 100+ instructors with an annual membership.

Follow MasterClass:

Follow Salman Rushdie:


SOURCE: MasterClass

7 December 2020

Director & Filmmaker Antonio Arecibo Explores Horrific Possibilities of False Awakenings in Short Film Project - 'Somnambular Tremors' [Trailer Included]

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Director & Filmmaker Antonio Arecibo Explores Horrific Possibilities of False Awakenings in Short Film Project - 'Somnambular Tremors'
"Somnambular Tremors" Movie Poster
Award-winning, independent filmmaker, Antonio Arecibo recently announced he was deep into the production of a horror feature anthology entitled "Somnambular Tremors." An exploration of the profoundly frightening phenomenon known as false-awakenings, "Somnambular Tremors" will explore multiple characters in an interwoven narrative style similar to the "Creepshow" and "Tales From the Crypt" anthologies. 
  • While thus far financing the project out-of-pocket, Antonio brings his signature one-man-production style to a genuine indie-film experience that has already generated early critical buzz.

False Awakenings: An Eternal Nightmare:

False awakenings happen when someone believes they have woken up from sleep, only to realize at some later point that they are still dreaming. Often a part of a larger, over-arching lucid-dreaming phenomenon, false awakenings are categorized as hybrid states, and can represent a significant psychological strain on an individual, who must often struggle through the delusions of wakefulness to reach conscious awareness. These struggles are all the more profound when sleepers are fighting to wake up not from a normal dream, but a nightmare. False awakenings are usually part of composite experience that can include lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis, and feelings of despair or foreboding.
"Dreams have fascinated mankind for thousands of years," said Antonio Arecibo. "They are normally a source of magic, joy, mystery, and can be a welcome escape from a life that is dull or painful. We're taught as children to follow our dreams as a source of inspiration, because the dream state comes with an inherent sense of positivity. And we also know that dreams aren't real – they eventually end and are always escapable, even when they turn bad. But what happens when that's no longer true? What happens when the dreamer and the dream merge as one? What happens if we can't wake up, and our nightmares follow us out into the real world? That's what I wanted to explore."

The Trailer:

About Filmmaker Antonio Arecibo:

A native of Puerto Rico, Antonio is a New York City based independent filmmaker who writes, directs and edits his own work, while also serving as a visual effects creator, cinematographer and producer. A one-man production crew, Antonio is skilled at working brilliantly and efficiently on a shoe-string budget, producing results that have high production values and critical acclaim potential. Arecibo has collaborated with Director/Producer Josh Taub on several projects, and is currently working on a short-film anthology that explores the mercurial nature of nightmares and false awakenings. 

Director & Filmmaker Antonio Arecibo Explores Horrific Possibilities of False Awakenings in Short Film Project - 'Somnambular Tremors'
IndieX Festival
SOURCE: Antonio Arecibo

16 November 2020

Assassin's Creed TV Series: Why It's So Hard To Adapt Video Games For The Screen

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Assassin's Creed TV Series: Why It's So Hard To Adapt Video Games For The Screen
Michael Fassbender in the Assassin’s Creed film. (20th Century Fox/Youtube)
The Assassin’s Creed franchise is leaping forward (off the top of a building, presumably) with the release of the 12th game in the series – Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – and the recent announcement of an upcoming Netflix show.
While the games are hugely popular, we will have to hope this new show is an improvement on the 2016 film. It had great actors playing bland characters, and perfectly adequate action scenes but no discernible narrative content. Indeed, Assassin’s Creed provides a classic lesson on the difficulties of turning even an expansive, multi-dimensional gaming world into a story that’s suitable for other formats.

The Assassin’s Creed games use the framing device of a present-day conflict and the dramatically recreated memories of the characters’ ancestors in historical periods. These memories form the main action of the game and its main appeal. If anything, the present-day plot elements seem rather odd and superfluous by comparison.

For instance, in the first game (2007), the player controls a 12th-century Levantine assassin named AltaĆÆr Ibn-La'Ahad during the Third Crusade. His 21st-century descendant, Desmond Miles, is forced to experience AltaĆÆr’s life so that the present-day Templars can find prehuman artefacts known as Pieces of Eden. If that doesn’t sound like it makes much sense, well, it doesn’t.

This is no Shakespearean play-within-a-play device with two separate narratives that merely reflect and comment on each other. Rather, the stories directly affect one another – you must go into the past to uncover the secret locations of present-day artefacts.

Incoherent narrative

Assassin’s Creed never really attempts the moral depth and world-shaking decisions of, say, the critically-acclaimed Deus Ex videogame franchise. Deus Ex’s background of warring conspiracies is nuanced enough that the player feels that real choices are being made.

The 2016 Assassin’s Creed movie was bad partly because the entire franchise – despite its many genuinely brilliant qualities of gameplay, atmosphere, and graphics – is narratively incoherent. This might be forgivable in a game built around atmosphere, cool weaponry and stylish moves, but it’s not enough for a viable film.

There are great examples of transmedia storytelling across multiple formats, such as the Marvel cinematic universe, Tolkein’s Middle-Earth or, indeed, Deus Ex. In these cases, each new book, film or game builds on the narrative of the previous ones while maintaining a sense of wonder and the unknown. But the Assassin’s Creed franchise doesn’t bother making the effort, as though its creators Ubisoft believe the occasional media studies experts who suggest that videogames should stay in their lane and not even try to tell stories.

It seems snobbish to assume that video games are just no good at narrative, but it’s almost as reductive to believe they should emulate filmic storytelling instead of embracing videogames’ unique strengths. Interactivity, agency, emotional engagement and immersion combine to provide players with experiences that would be impossible to achieve in purely linear stories.
The structure of games is inherently different from that of films, and this is most apparent when it comes to endings. Writing a narratively satisfying ending for a novel or film is notoriously tough – and even tougher if you also have to give your audience the choice of how to finish the story.

Every time you let the player make a significant yes or no decision in gameplay, you double the number of possible endings. No storyteller wants to have to come up with hundreds of satisfactory endings.

Game designers have a variety of tricks available to reduce that number, giving the illusion of choice while gradually steering the player back onto the main plot. Still, most players will be happier if the series of interesting decisions include more than just selecting tactical options to overcome challenges. They need ethically weighty choices that empower them to playfully explore their value systems.

From winging it to fixing it?

The Assassin’s Creed franchise seems to have been winging it with its worldbuilding since the start, each story building haphazardly on the previous ones. I see three ways forward.

They could continue to ignore concerns about coherence, concentrate on cool stunts and environments, and hope that fans will accept new instalments as merely each new creative team’s take. But the narrative threads sprawl so much that it’s going to be a tough sell.

Assassin's Creed TV Series: Why It's So Hard To Adapt Video Games For The Screen
A still from the very first Assassin’s Creed (2007). (Ubisoft/IGDB)
If the new series is going to be any good, it would be better to bring in a good universe runner. Someone who can work out how most of the universe hangs together and cut out the bits that don’t.

Alternatively, they could start again, with a worldbuilding process not just a story idea. Videogames can tell amazing stories, despite what their detractors may think, but they do need a consistent background in which to set those stories. Creating a believable world first, would only make the next franchise stronger.

About Today's Contributor:

Ian Sturrock, Senior Lecturer in Game Design and Games Studies, Teesside University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

12 November 2020

Nov 17: Next-Generation Honda Civic Prototype To Be Revealed On Twitch! [Teaser Included]

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Nov 17: Next-Generation Honda Civic Prototype To Be Revealed On Twitch!
Honda is giving gaming and automotive enthusiasts a first glimpse of what's in store for America’s best-selling car with the world debut of the all-new 11th-generation Civic, in prototype form, Tuesday, Nov. 17 live on Honda’s Head2Head Twitch channel.
Honda is giving gaming and automotive enthusiasts a first glimpse of what's in store for America's best-selling car with the world debut of the all-new 11th-generation Civic, in prototype form, Tuesday, Nov. 17 live on Honda's Head2Head Twitch channel
  • This special edition episode of Honda Head2Head on Twitch will begin live at 5 p.m. PST, with the Civic reveal set to start at 6:45 p.m. PST
  • The reveal also will feature an exclusive live performance by Grammy-nominated ART@WAR/Atlantic Records recording artist, Cordae.
Honda's iconic Civic, the No. 1 vehicle for young, first-time and multicultural consumers, will undergo a full redesign that once again raises the bar for style, performance, safety and advanced technology in the compact car market. 

Nov 17: Next-Generation Honda Civic Prototype To Be Revealed On Twitch!
Nov 17: Next-Generation Honda Civic Prototype To Be Revealed On Twitch! (screengrab)
A teaser image and video released today give viewers a glimpse of the all-new Honda Civic through a geometric looking glass, which will all take shape to fully reveal the new Civic on Nov. 17.

Since it was first introduced in America in 1973, Civic has brought nearly 12 million U.S. customers into the Honda family. The all-new Civic Sedan will launch in late Spring 2021 as a 2022 model-year vehicle.

Honda and Esports:

Honda has a significant presence in gaming and esports, as the exclusive automotive partner of Team Liquid and the Riot Games League of Legends Championship Series. In addition, Honda's gaming strategy includes a partnership with Twitch, where the Honda Head2Head gaming channel, now in its third season, is the exclusive auto-branded channel on the platform.

With Twitch's average daily visitors reaching 17.5 million, Honda aims to grab the attention of the audience behind the explosive growth of esports. These deeply enthusiastic fans share a similar passion for Civic, making the nameplate America's most popular among all vehicles with Millennial, Gen Z and multicultural consumers. Honda's integration of the all-new Civic on its Head2Head Twitch channel one-ups the brand's commitment in the gaming space.

The Civic reveal on Honda's Head2Head Twitch channel will be hosted by Rachel Seltzer and MonsterDface. The hosts will be joined by eight participants: Four top Fortnite players and four top Twitch streamers, including Benjyfishy, SypherPK, Jordan Fisher, Dakotaz, and more. The two teams will battle it out in Fortnite, the world's most popular battle royale game, ranking second on Twitch's most streamed games. Honda also will have presence on endemic gaming communities, including Twitter and Reddit, to support the reveal of the new Civic.

The Teaser:

More Information:

Consumers can get details about the Civic reveal and sign up for additional information about the all-new Civic at honda.com/civicreveal. More information, plus photos and video will be added after the reveal..

31 October 2020

Sean Connery: 'Bond, James Bond', But So Much More

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Sean Connery: 'Bond, James Bond', But So Much More
Sean Connery: the first Bond, and for many people, the best. (PA/PA Archive/PA Images)
Coverage of the passing of Sir Sean Connery has inevitably been dominated by his legacy as the screen’s first – and best – James Bond. Connery’s “Bond, James Bond” moment near the beginning of Dr. No (1962) is one of the iconic moments of cinema history and has spawned countless imitations and parodies.
Perhaps the most persistent myth about Connery, who was 90, is that he was an “unknown” actor who was plucked from obscurity by Bond producers Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, who reportedly cast him against the wishes of author Ian Fleming and distributor United Artists. But this is to ignore the fact that Connery had already established himself as a television actor, drawing critical plaudits for lead roles in a 1957 BBC production of Requiem for a Heavyweight and in the 1961 TV production of Anna Karenina, but also appearing in a number of meaty co-starring roles in Hollywood films, including opposite Lana Turner in Another Time, Another Place (1958).

It was reportedly his appearance in Disney’s fantasy Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959) that drew Connery to the notice of Broccoli’s wife, Dana, while the British crime drama The Frightened City (1961), in which Connery as an underworld enforcer steals the picture from its nominal star John Gregson, was also evidence of a star in the making.

Nevertheless Connery was inspired casting as James Bond. Connery made the role his own to such an extent that it is now impossible to imagine any of the other actors said to have been considered – including Cary Grant, David Niven, Patrick McGoohan and even Roger Moore – stepping into the shoes of “the gentleman agent with the licence to kill” in 1962.
In this context an important point to remember about Bond is that Fleming’s character was not an Old Etonian establishment figure: he is even described in Moonraker as being “alien and unEnglish”. Connery’s working-class Scottish roots – he was born and grew up in Edinburgh, where his early jobs had included milkman, bricklayer and coffin-polisher – imbued his Bond with that sense of “otherness”. 

To this extent Connery’s Bond has as much in common with the outsider protagonists of the British new wave – Laurence Harvey, Albert Finney, Richard Harris – as the tradition of British screen heroism incarnated by stars of the 1950s such as Richard Todd and Kenneth More.

Sean Connery and co-star Honor Blackman in a publicity shot for the film Goldfinger (1964). (PA/PA Archive/PA Images)
Connery’s performance in Dr No is edgy and brusque: he really settled into the part in From Russia With Love (1963) and Goldfinger (1964) where he commands the screen with that indefinable quality of star “presence” that means all he has to do to dominate a scene is to be in it.

Beyond Bond

Bond brought Connery fame and fortune. He was paid a mere £6,000 for Dr No, four times that amount for From Russia With Love and a then-record US$1.25 million for his first Bond “comeback” in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever (George Lazenby had taken the role for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969).

The lucrative remuneration meant that Connery was able to pick and choose his roles outside the Bond pictures. Indeed his non-Bond roles demonstrate just how versatile an actor Connery was. Alfred Hitchcock cast him against type as Tippi Hedren’s conflicted husband in Marnie (1964), and he excelled in two films for Sidney Lumet, as the rebel-with-a-cause in the hard-hitting military prison drama The Hill (1965) and as a vengeful policeman in the much underrated The Offence (1973).
Connery was particularly good at playing characters older than himself, including the potentate standing up to Teddy Roosevelt in The Wind and the Lion (1975) and an ageing Robin Hood reflecting on his own myth in the beautifully elegiac Robin and Marian (1976). He paired with Michael Caine as soldiers of fortune in 19th-century Afghanistan in The Man Who Would Be King (1975) and was one of the all-star cast of suspects in Sidney Lumet’s lavish adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

Sean Connery: 'Bond, James Bond', But So Much More
Screen gods: Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975). (PA/PA Archive/PA Images)
There was, inevitably, the occasional left-field choice, but even the science-fiction oddity Zardoz (1973) now has something of a cult status. Connery famously said that he would “never” play Bond again after Diamonds Are Forever: hence the ironic title of his second Bond “comeback” Never Say Never Again (1983), a rival production outside the Eon Production series mounted by independent producer Kevin McClory.

Connery won his only Academy Award, a popular choice as Best Supporting Actor for his “Irish” street-cop in The Untouchables (1987), after which his career enjoyed a second wind as the world’s most bankable sexagenarian film star in a sequence of superior adventure and caper movies including The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Rock (1996) and Entrapment (1999).

By this time Connery’s refusal to disguise his accent had become something of a trademark, whatever the part. When Steven Spielberg cast him as Harrison Ford’s father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), it captured the idea that Connery’s Bond was the symbolic “father” of a later generation screen hero.

Feet of clay

Most stars turn out to have feet of clay: Connery was no exception. He attracted controversy for a remark made in an interview with Playboy in 1965 that legitimised hitting a woman (“An open-handed slap is justified if all other alternatives fail”). His Bond did this on screen in From Russia With Love and Diamonds Are Forever.

He also had a public falling-out with Broccoli, suing the producer and MGM for alleged non-payment of profit shares in the Bond films. Against this should be set Connery’s charitable work: he used his fee for Diamonds Are Forever to found the Scottish International Education Trust to provide financial assistance for Scots from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend university and college.

Proud ‘Scottish peasant

Connery, who since the 1970s lived in Spain and the Bahamas as a tax exile, was proud of his Scottish roots. Ian Fleming warmed to Connery to the extent that he introduced a Scottish heritage for Bond into the later stories. Bond’s “I am a Scottish peasant and I will always feel at home being a Scottish peasant” – from The Man With the Golden Gun – might have been written with Connery in mind, although Bond was actually played by his successor, Roger Moore, in that film.

Unlike Bond, Connery did accept a knighthood, for services to film drama, in 2000. It is widely believed that his public support for the Scottish National Party had delayed his knighthood.

Connery’s last screen appearance was as Allan Quatermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), in which he leads a Victorian superhero team to save the British Empire. He confirmed his retirement when he was presented with the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.
He died in his sleep at his home in Nassau, and is survived by his second wife Micheline and son (by first wife Diane Cilento) Jason Connery.The Conversation

About Today's Contributor:

James Chapman, Professor of Film Studies, University of Leicester

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

30 October 2020

This Halloween Season, Nina West is 'Nina The Vampire Slayer'! [Video Included]

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This Halloween Season, Nina West is 'Nina The Vampire Slayer'!
Nina West in 'Nina The Vampire Slayer'
Drag Superstar Nina West has come to SLAY this Halloween season, literally! 
Her new Spooktacular Variety Special HEELS OF HORROR began streaming on VIMEO on October 28th 2020. As part of the special Nina created an ode to one of her favorite TV shows of all time, Buffy The Vampire Slayer

  • Written by Nina West and Mark Byer, with a video Directed by Brad Hammer and animations by Kevin Posnanski and Shawn Adell, NINA THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, features the voice of SNL's Taran Killam as well as an appearance by original Buffy The Vampire Slayer cast member Anthony Stewart Head
This Halloween Season, Nina West is 'Nina The Vampire Slayer'!
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Animated cast in Nina The Vampire Slayer by Nina West
It tells the story of a group of friends gathered around a campfire to listen to spooky stories about vampires on Halloween. However, Buffy The Vampire slayer superfan Nina keeps interrupting the storyteller (the voice of SNL's Taran Killam) with "OMG, IT'S JUST LIKE THIS ONE TIME ON BUFFY!.." and her excitedly singing how each ode likens to her favorite episodes of Buffy through recaps using animated versions of the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer Cast.

The Video:

About Nina West's Heels of Horror:

In 2020, due to the pandemic and the need for social distancing protocols, Nina and her producing partner Patricia Taylor, searched for ways to bring Heels of Horror to the stage safely and with the highest quality possible. Ultimately, it was deemed that a Live show would not allow for a large number of people to attend the show and for the safety of performers and fans it would be best to move the show to a digital space. 

  • However, this opens the show for a whole new worldwide audience to see what Nina and her spooky friends have been up to! The entirely new show is split into 3 episodes each featuring a different Halloween theme. 
They are streamed exclusively via a ticketed event on VIMEO and feature some of Columbus's finest performers as well as special guests Sydney James Harcourt (Original Cast Member Hamilton on Broadway), Jennica Tastrophe, Gretta Goodbottom and The Skeleton crew, Jamz Dean and surprise cameos from the world of stage and screen

  • The show is sponsored by the generous support of the presenting sponsor Equitas Health. Equitas is a regional non-profit health system serving the healthcare needs of the LGBTQ+ in 13 cities in the Midwest. Throughout the run, Nina will be asking for donations to Equitas Health to continue its mission. The production is also supported by the Columbus-based, national companies White Castle and Big Lots.
"I'm so excited to continue the tradition of Heels of Horror with an all new Digital show." Said Nina West. "I went back and forth on how to provide a safe and fun in person event that would be both memorable and safe as I have with the past 12 years. Ultimately the safety of my performers and fans won out. There are tons of surprises in store, even some Tricks and Treats! Tune in Beginning October 28th ! You won't want to miss it!"

Nina West's Heels of Horror - The Trailer:


  • Tickets for Nina West's Heels of Horror Halloween Spooktacular are on sale now at vimeo.com/ondemand/heelsofhorror with support from charity partner and presenting Sponsor Equitas Health.
This Halloween Season, Nina West is 'Nina The Vampire Slayer'!
Nina West Feat Taran Killam - Nina The Vampire Slayer Single art

About Nina West:

Nina West is an American drag queen, actor and singer based in Columbus, Ohio played by Andrew Levitt. She rose to national prominence with her appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11, where she placed sixth and won Miss Congeniality.
  • She made history at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in Sept 2019 when she became the first ever person to walk the carpet in Full Drag, while her season won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards including best Reality Competition Show. 
  • In June 2019, New York magazine named West one of the top 100 Most Powerful Drag Queens in America. 
  • On November 8th, she released her first Christmas EP, "The West Christmas Ever" featuring Disney Legend Jim Cummings which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Comedy Charts. 
  • Her animated short "Coaster", was shortlisted for a 2020 Oscar, 
  • Her Podcast "Dragcast with Nina West" relaunched in 2020 with guests including Glenn Close, Patricia Clarkson, Daisy Ridley, Jared Harris, Tituss Burgess, Kristin Chenoweth, Orfeh, Caissie Levy, Pentatonix and more.
West has been performing in central Ohio and around the United States for the last 18 years, doing regional theater and of course, drag. As Nina West, she has produced over 35 main stage production shows. West hosts the annual "Heels of Horror" show at Axis Nightclub and has also hosted the competition "So You Think You Can Drag?'. In 2008, she won the Entertainer of the Year award, and was included in Columbus Business First's "40 Under 40" list in 2018 and 2019. 

Nina is a LGBTQ advocate and has raised over $3million for charitable causes in the last decade alone through her charitable foundation The Nina West Foundation

  • On June 17th 2020, Nina released a charity partnership with Country Music Legend, Dolly Parton - The "Dolly X Nina Kindness is Queen" Collection - with all proceeds going to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and The Nina West Foundation to benefit LGBTQ+ youth and Illiteracy. 
For more information about Nina West, please visit here.
SOURCE: Nina West

23 October 2020

The "American Horror Story" Murder House Is Opening To The Public For The First Time Ever For Paranormal Halloween Weekend Live Stream [Trailer Included]

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The "American Horror Story" Murder House Is Opening To The Public For The First Time Ever For Paranormal Halloween Weekend Live Stream
The "American Horror Story" Murder House Is Opening To The Public For The First Time Ever For Paranormal Halloween Weekend Live Stream (screengrab)
With this week's announcement that The Infamous American Horror Story Murder House will open to the public for the first time ever, homeowners Dr Ernst von Schwarz and his wife Angela Oakenfold have now revealed the list of participants for the three-day, 24-hour first-ever live stream event from the notorious historical Los Angeles monument. 

Murder House - Trailer:

Kicking off at dusk Thursday, October 29 and closing out at sunset Sunday, November 1, The Murder House livestream event will feature 15 cameras set up throughout the 10,000-square foot home streaming live throughout the entire weekend.

Beyond The Murder House live stream, viewers will see daily programming (details below). While the live stream is open to all via the ticketed event, The Murder House will open its doors to a few lucky ticket holders. Six fortunate (or unfortunate)--two per each of the three nights--Murder House fans in the terrifying basement all while being live streamed to the world (while a doctor monitors their vital signs and psychological condition).

The "American Horror Story" Murder House Is Opening To The Public For The First Time Ever For Paranormal Halloween Weekend Live Stream
The "American Horror Story" Murder House Is Opening To The Public For The First Time Ever For Paranormal Halloween Weekend Live Stream (screengrab)

An initial outline of the weekend's events is as follows:

  • The first-ever paranormal investigation will be carried out by Exorcist Bishop James Long, who has appeared on "Ghost Adventures," "The Possessed," "Gates Of Hell," "Exorcism Live!" and "Portals To Hell"
  • Famous psychic and white witch Patti Negri from "Ghost Adventures" will lead the houses first-ever seance
  • Michelle Belanger, vampire expert and acclaimed author who has been seen on "Paranormal State," "Portals To Hell " and "The Real Vampire Files" will delve into the haunting world of the occult
  • Prolific historian and Halloween expert Lisa Morton will take us on an exploration of the history & traditions of Halloween
  • Tarot expert Sasha Graham will explain the world of tarot and one lucky ticket holder will get a virtual reading live on air
  • Energy healer Satish Dholakia will give advice on how to protect yourself from negative energies and unwanted evil entities
  • Psychiatrist Dr Waguih Ishak will discuss the addictive nature of horror and the pathology of fear
  • Homeowner and cardiologist and Professor Dr Ernst von Schwarz will delve into the history of medieval torture techniques
The "American Horror Story" Murder House Is Opening To The Public For The First Time Ever For Paranormal Halloween Weekend Live Stream
The "American Horror Story" Murder House Is Opening To The Public For The First Time Ever For Paranormal Halloween Weekend Live Stream (screengrab)
  • Tickets are on sale now at www.themurderhouse.com. In addition, a commemorative t-shirt for the event will be on sale on the website. 
  • A portion of proceeds from the event will be donated to the Baby2Baby charity.
SOURCE: The Murder House

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