Lauren 10PIB2 Fieldtrip (Assignment)

After weeks of speculation, Nicki Minaj has at last been confirmed as the replacement for Enrique Iglesias on Britney Spears' upcoming Femme Fatale tour.

The ladies will also be joined by Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nervo on the all-female lineup. "This is the Femme Fatale tour, and I'm thrilled to have the hot Nicki Minaj join me and Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nervo will get everyone on the dance floor," Spears said on her website. "Can't wait to take the Femme Fatales on the road."

Minaj will join Spears after she wraps up touring with Lil Wayne on his I Am Still Music tour, which finishes up May 1 in New Jersey. Last week, Minaj told to MTV News that she was in talks to join the tour, after rumors began swirling that the sassy Queens MC would be hitting the road with the veteran pop superstar.

The tour kicks off on June 16 in Sacramento and will run for 26 dates through North America, winding up on August 13 in Toronto. Select tickets go on sale on April 30.

Spears manager Larry Rudolph, told MTV News that Britney's tour will have the post-apocalyptic vibe that's been present in her recent live sets and the video for "Till the World Ends."

"The way we come up with a concept for a show like this is we sit with Britney, she talks to us about what she's interested in and what excites her," Rudolph explained. "We start with the songs on the album; we start with coming up with general, broad concepts. She tells us what interests her and excites her, and from there, we have [the input of music tour director] Jamie King and [choreographer] Brian Friedman."

By Jocelyn Vena

source : mtv.com

Former wild child Russell Brand has revealed that he is looking forward to welcoming children with wife Katy Perry.

The comedian turned actor, who married Perry in a lavish Indian ceremony in October 2010, told OK! Magazine that he goes "nuts" when he is around kids and hopes to become a father in the near future.

Brand said: "I love children. I think when I am among children is when I feel most liberated. I go nuts with children.

"When I'm around my mates' children, I jazz them kids up ... I am very much looking forward to being a dad. Who knows when? Soon I hope."

In the same interview, Perry admitted that her husband of six months continues to be as flirtatious as ever, before describing Brand as her "perfect match".

The 35-year-old actor is currently appearing as E.B., the Easter Bunny's teenage son, in Hop, which is currently number one at the UK Box Office.

Later this month, Brand will be seen in the titular role of Arthur – a playboy character made famous by fellow-Brit Dudley Moore in 1981.

By Naomi Rainey

source : inthenews.co.uk

The annual monsoon transforms Bali. Rain sweeps across slumbering volcanoes. Moss thickens on temple walls. Rivers swell and flush their trash and frothing human waste into the sea off Kuta Beach, the island's most famous tourist attraction, where bacteria bloom and the water turns muddy with dead plankton. "It happens every year," shrugs Wayan Sumerta, a lifeguard, who sits with his Japanese girlfriend amid the surf-tossed garbage. So why, in early March, did the Bali authorities warn tourists that swimming here for over 30 minutes could cause skin infections? The lifeguard tenderly strokes his girlfriend's naked leg. "I guess some people just have sensitive skin," he says.

Itchy ocean? Just add it to Bali's list of problems: water shortages, blackouts, uncollected trash, overflowing sewage and appalling traffic. And don't forget crime. In January, amid a spate of violent robberies against foreigners, police chief Hadiatmoko reportedly ordered his officers to shoot criminals on sight. You've heard of the Julia Roberts movie Eat Pray Love, which was partly filmed here? Get ready for its grim sequel: Eat Pray Duck.

Most of Bali's woes stem from a problem that rival resorts would love to have: too many tourists. In 2001, the island welcomed about 1.3 million foreign visitors. Ten years later — and despite bombings by Islamic extremists in 2002 and 2005 that killed 222 people, mostly Australian tourists — the island expects almost twice that number. There are millions of Indonesian visitors too.

Hotels and malls are springing up everywhere to accommodate them. The cranes looming over Kuta are building at least three malls and a five-star hotel. But the less glamorous stuff — roads, power lines, sewers — often remains an afterthought. The island's lack of reservoirs is a case in point, says Ron Nomura, marketing director at the Bali Hotels Association. "Can you believe there is this much rain and we don't have enough water?"

In January, Bali's Governor I Made Mangku Pastika issued a moratorium on new construction in certain built-up areas, but few believe that it will be effective. Bali's spiritualism might be a bewildering blend of Hinduism, Buddhism and animism, but the island's planning code is simple: if you build it, they will come.

And on the way, they'll get stuck in traffic. Complaining about the congestion around the airport or in Kuta is a new local pastime. Vehicle ownership is rising at an annual rate (12.42%) that far outstrips the growth in new roads (2.28%), according to government statistics. "Traffic will get worse and worse," traffic chief I Made Santha predicts.

Equally damaging to Bali's prestige is the perception among some expatriates that the island is increasingly unsafe. Lusiana Burgess, the 46-year-old Indonesian wife of a retired British pilot, was robbed and killed in her North Kuta home earlier this year and her murderer remains at large. An Australian woman awoke in her villa to be gagged and assaulted by four thieves. Then an American man was stabbed during a robbery attempt in Kuta. The statistics actually show a slight decrease in serious crime from 2009 to '10. But Chris Wilkin, a former oil executive from the U.K. who retired in Bali six years ago, remains uneasy. "It was very quiet when I moved here," he says. "Now, with the boom, word has got around that there are easy pickings to be had."

Expat anxiety hasn't dented Bali's popularity among its core visitors, the Australians. And why should it? Officially, the Australian government still warns of a "very high threat of terrorist attack," yet more than a hundred flights arrive from Australia every week. The dangers to new arrivals are those faced by tourists everywhere: dodgy food, motorbike accidents, and — as a sign at my Kuta hotel suggests (NO JUMPING FROM ANY BALCONY INTO POOL IS PERMITTED) — beer-fueled misadventure.

A new terminal at Bali's airport is due for completion in 2013. But unless other infrastructure is improved, this will serve only to channel more tourists onto a critically overburdened island. For now, however, such doubts are largely forgotten in the rush to cash in on the Bali boom. "Goodness shouts, evil whispers," runs an overused local proverb. But money talks.

By Andrew Marshall

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2063731,00.html#ixzz1JK1eZPgosource : time.com

Following the holocaust that took place after the partition of Punjab in 1947, millions of displaced Punjabis scattered throughout India and the world. Many established restaurants that showcased their favourite dishes and the exotic tandoor lured many Indians from their homes. Thus Punjabi food – with Mughlai touches – came to represent Indian cuisine the world over.

Restaurants – or ‘hotels’ – and their signage will identify them as either ‘veg’, ‘pure veg’ or ‘non-veg’. Pure veg indicates that no eggs are used and that there is no risk of the food being contaminated with meat. Most mid-range restaurants serve one of two basic genres; South Indian (which means the vegetarian food of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) and North Indian (which comprises Punjabi/Mughlai food). You’ll also find the cuisines of neighbouring regions and states.

Beside restaurants, there are lots of other places that you can duck into for a tasty, healthy snack. Look out for bakeries, sweet shops and juice stores in affluent city districts and the ubiquitous milk shop, which sells a wide range of dairy goodies.

Dhabas


Literally ‘wayside eateries’, dhabas are actually more a way of life. These hospitable shacks are an oasis to the millions of truck drivers, bus passengers and sundry travellers going anywhere by road. A beaming chef-cum-restaurant-owner stands behind a simple counter with a row of shining brass dekchis (large vessels) to welcome dusty travellers. After being given a jug of cold water to drink and splash over your face, flop down on any of the charpoys (rope beds) that line the front of the restaurant. A plank across the charpoy serves as a table and you eat your hot food in a semi-reclining position, table manners being the last thing on your mind. This rough-and-ready but extremely tasty food has become a genre on its own known as ‘dhaba food’. The original dhabas dot the North Indian landscape but you’ll find versions of them throughout the country.

Udupi Restaurants

These restaurants have been set up by a particular community from Udupi in Karnataka. Udupi Restaurants bustle with life and young boys busily clear away shining stainless steel utensils before you can even finish your meal. The menu consists of the classic South Indian tiffin (snack) items like idlis and dosas, and the set thali meal. This food is also available in the regular restaurants or Lunch Homes all over the south.

Coffee House


Each town and city has its own most famous and venerable coffee house, where students and intellectuals are said to hang out although, in truth, the clientele is just a mish-mash of people who drink coffee. Coffee houses are usually big dim halls where you can languish over filtered South India coffee, juices of varying quality, or a snack or two while you mull over your plans. Strangely enough, even though the South Indians drink much more coffee than their northern brethren, coffee houses are more a feature of the north.

Military Hotels

You will find these cheap, no-frills restaurants all over the state of Tamil Nadu, and they specialise in spicy non-vegetarian food.

Fast Food

Not to be confused with burger joints and pizzerias, restaurants in the south advertising fast food are some of India’s best. They serve the whole gamut of tiffin items and often have separate sweet counters. In the north these are usually sweets and snacks shops. The normal procedure is to pay for your meal first and take your receipt to the serving area. Limited seating is usually available but it’s called fast food because you get served quickly, eat in a hurry and skedaddle.


source : lonelyplanet.com

Traveling is really fun and this is the main reason for which people look for methods to break their hectic schedules. In this world, you can get many traveling destinations those can offer you joy. But choosing the right traveling spot is really important. If you are thinking to spend nice time with your family in a budget-friendly way, then pack your trip to Tuscany Italy. Tuscany is a wonderful place and lots of people from different parts of the world come here to have a nice time.

Also, checking beforehand that among many Tuscan villas in Lucca you want to stay in, and you may arrange for the private transport to & from airport; and arrange transport to & from the tourist spots you want to visit; and check with the bank account in case this package is for you and you will prefer something economical. What is very special about spending the holidays in the Tuscany villas? There are a lot of reasons that we may tell you. Tuscany is region of the outstanding beauty, in its natural & manmade structures. It is enchanting place with Tuscan people very welcoming. Ambience alone of region is sufficient to lure you to stay—for longer than a weekend. It is the treasure chest of the historical finds as well as cultural resources.

Well, before booking your trip, you need to look for some of the best places of accommodation. During your trip to this traveling destination, you can get good numbers of hotels and restaurants. But the thing is that it won’t offer you good results. This type of accommodation can be pricey and will never offer you home life environment. Villa in Tuscany is the right places, where you can book your stay. It’s true that Tuscany villa rental is one of the best affordable accommodations. Definitely, it will save lots of your money and time. If you are on a budget-travel, villa holidays Tuscany is the best one. To book a villa, take the help of local travel agencies. So, spending the vacation in Tuscany villa is enhanced by fact that this area is well known for the excellent local cuisine & equally exceptional wines. What better method to take in all Tuscany wants to offer than spending the comfortable time in many villas in region. Villas in Tuscany generally go from grand to the fantastic. Few of them will house large parties for the events such as weddings or business congresses. Your holiday in Tuscany will afford you all luxury & convenience that you may possibly dream of.


source : travelling-11.com

While enjoying your travel, it is also interesting to visit some educational places like the museums. Generally, when we speak of museums, many of the travelers would think that it is a boring kind of experience. However, why settle to those less interesting museums? Listed below are the few of the most unusual and interesting museums in the world that I am sure every traveler would enjoy visiting.

Museum of the medieval tortures in Prague – this museum is perfect to those who love to know the historic way of punishing people who have did something wrong to the government. Visitors in this museum will get the 45 minutes chance to be introduced with the 60 instruments use in torturing with the full details of how the said instrument work during the torturing and the next event happened to the person tortured by the said instrument. At the cost of $12, you will learn a lot from this amusing and unusual museum from Prague.

Museum of Bad Art in Boston – this is the home of those terrible painting artwork. Well at least if you knows nothing about art, you will now see the difference between a good and a bad work of art. For sure, those who are not knowledgeable with painting will definitely find it still beautiful and artistic. You might think why there is a museum for bad art. Founder Scott Wilson has apparently got a good taste for everything that stink that is why the moment the horrible “Lucy in the Field with Flowers” painting by an unknown author appeared he have thought of creating a museum wherein the said painting was the masterpiece. If you love paintings, visiting the Museum of Bad Art will let you enjoy about 400 works with no entrance fee.

The Three Museum Of Sex in Amsterdam, Paris, and Iceland – In the red lights district of Paris you will see The Parisian Musee de l’Erotisme that is located in a seven storey building in Quartier Pigalle. This sex museum is famous of its numerous sex shops, and the cabaret Moulin Rouge can also be seen in this place. You will also see various erotic items in this place including those coming from South Africa and Asia. Seeing all these erotic items will only cost you $12 for entrance. In Amsterdam on the other hand, you can visit the Museum in Amsterdam or the Venus Temple wherein various paintings, sculptures, manuscript and unusual erotic toys are presented. You will definitely find them ticking and exciting. See these items at $5.

In Iceland, get the chance to visit The Museum of Phallology, which is located in a small town called Husavik. In this museum you will see about 250 kinds of phalluses, all natural, dried, and hung on the walls or been preserved in alcohol. People say that these are phalluses of every mammal in Iceland. Founder Hjartarson started his collection in 1974 that also includes salted horse penises. If you will visit the museum, you will see one empty glass, this is intended to host for a human’s example and has been already granted to the founder of the museum. At $7.50, you will see all of these phalluses.

source : articlenext.com

The conquistadors explored it in the 16th century. English pirates sailed up it in the 17th century. Epic battlestook place on its shores. Soldiers killed by tropical diseases were fed to the flesh-eating sharks of its dark waters. In the 19th century, gold-diggers rushed up it towards California. In the early 20th it nearly became an international inter-ocean canal in place of Panama. Really, the heavy currents of history flow in Nicaragua's Rio San Juan.

This powerful river carries the waters of Lake Nicaragua, Central America's largest body of freshwater, 192km eastward to the Caribbean. The only "road" through this remote rural area, it runs between vast reserves of thick tropical rainforest on its left bank and isolated farming communities on its right bank, which is in fact Costa Rican. The full journey downriver takes twelve hours. Always one for an off-the-beaten-path expedition, I puttered down the river over the course of several days, soaking up the tranquil atmosphere.

I caught my first glimpse of the Rio San Juan at daybreak, as my ferry reached the fishing town of San Carlos after a fourteen-hour lake crossing. In the ethereal dawn light, the water and the sky would have merged their twin expanses of blue-grey, had they not been divided by the dark, mist-covered shoreline. "The threshold of an adventure!" I exclaimed, excited.

The next day, I embarked on a lancha, a long and impossibly narrow wooden motorboat that ferries passengers, sacks of rice and even sometimes a shipment of cows from one settlement to the next. We glided in the wake of Benalcazar, who reconnoitered the river for Cortés in 1525 during the Spanish conquest.

Indeed, the conquistador had figured out the strategic importance of a waterway almost linking the two oceans (the western edge of the lake is just a few hours from the Pacific). But so had English filibusters, among which the infamous Henry Morgan. In the 17th century, he and other pirates repeatedly sailed from the West Indies right up to Granada, sacking what was one of the Spanish empire's richest cities.

In response, the Spanish fortified the Rio San Juan. Only one fort still stands intact, the 1675 Fortaleza de la Inmaculada Concepcion, whose dark mass looms above the town of El Castillo. I spent a happy morning at the museum of the fort trying to picture myself as Rafaela Herrera, who fired cannons from that very spot in 1762.

Since her father, the commander of the fort, had died just as English buccaneers were about to attack, she promptly proclaimed herself head of the garrison and successfully led the defense of the fort – she was 19! Later, an English fleet under the orders of Horatio Nelson did take the fort in 1780, in one of the last battles between England and Spain, but the conquerers were quickly decimated by a cohort of tropical diseases.

Scratching my own mosquito bites, I cursed the surrounding jungle and set off for the mouth of the river, another eight hours away. Once the boat had navigated the frothing rapids just beneath El Castillo, the ride was smooth. En route, we stopped in several tiny communities, really just a handful of thatched wooden farmhouses sheltered by banana trees. Half-naked kids and their dogs watched the farmers in rubber boots and cowboy hats clamber off. It was probably the most dramatic event of their week.

The end of the ride is San Juan de Nicaragua, a small collection of clapboard houses connected by footpaths near the mouth of the river. Its glory days (as Greytown) started during the gold rush of 1848, when an enterprising American set up the Ruta del Transito, a route which ferried thousands of gold-seekers from New Orleans to San Francisco by way of Nicaragua's Rio San Juan, avoiding the direct but dangerous overland journey – until the continental railway was inaugurated.

The river's last hopes to become an international shipping lane were destroyed when Panama was chosen over Nicaragua for an inter-ocean canal in 1903, and the town turned into a backwater. In the 1980's it was razed by the Contras and flattened by a hurricane, then rebuilt a few miles away.

To visit the remains of Greytown, I crossed a lovely laguna from which emerged the rusty carcass of a steamer, and strolled through the jungle. In a butterfly-filled clearing, I found all that was left of a once booming town: moss-covered tombstones, testimonies to the long-buried dreams of conquest of so many adventurers.

By Andrea Davoust

source : travelsinparadise.com

The Ice Caves
Grants, New Mexico
What Lies Beneath: In the New Mexico Badlands, a path carved by lava leads visitors from the Bandera Volcano to a cave where temperatures never reach above 31 degrees Fahrenheit. The ice floor is 20 feet thick and gives off an eerie green glow from the algae beneath.

How Did It Get There: No one knows how the formation began, but ice started accumulating in the spot some 3,400 years ago. Early settlers flocked to the “Desert Ice Box” with wagons filled with sawdust, so they could bring the ice home.

Cool Bonus: The local saloon, which at one time literally served iced cold beer, is now the Ice Caves Trading Company, with displays of 1,200-year-old stone tools used by the Anasazi Indians.

Dambulla Cave Temple
Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
What Lies Beneath: Hundreds of gilded Buddhist statues, some 50 feet long, sit, stand, and lie beneath 21,000 square feet of tapestry-like cave paintings depicting Buddha and his life. Statues of Ganesh and Vishnu are also garnished daily with fresh garlands from the pilgrims who come to worship.

How Did It Get There: Carved out of the side of a rock by the hands of Buddhist monks 22 centuries ago, this five-chambered cave temple has been in continuous use as a monastery ever since. As thanks to his saviors, an exiled king, who hid among the monks for 14 years before returning to power in the 1st century B.C., is credited with turning the caves into the temple that it is today.

Cool Bonus: Later kings followed suit, adding statues and paying for the temple’s preservation, but when the royalty stopped helping, an unknown donor stepped in and had the deteriorating paintings and sculptures refurbished in 1915.

The Greenbrier Bunker
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
What Lies Beneath: A top-secret, government-maintained underground bunker built as a fallout shelter for the House of Representatives and the Senate during the Cold War, hidden below the high-end Greenbrier Hotel for more than 30 years. Two football-field-size levels held 1,100 bunk beds, a fully stocked cafeteria and medical clinic, and a TV studio.

How Did It Get There: In 1956, a letter stamped “Secret” was sent to the owner of The Greenbrier by members of the government introducing their personal architect, and informing him of their plans to build. In 1992, the “Government Relocation Facility” was exposed on the cover of The Washington Post magazine, and three years later, when the lease expired, it opened to the public.

Cool Bonus: Government-sponsored construction also began on the Greenbrier Valley Airport and Interstate 64 shortly after the bunker was built. Today they benefit locals and visitors.

Basilica Cistern
Istanbul, Turkey
What Lies Beneath: Eighty-two feet below Istanbul is a 450-foot-long, 213-foot-wide former royal reservoir. This Byzantine engineering feat has 336 mismatched columns taken from the ruins of the buildings conquered by Constantine the Great, who built the cistern in the 4th century A.D.

How Did It Get There: After Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453, the cistern was all but forgotten, except by the residents whose houses sat on top. Rediscovered in 1545 by a Frenchman searching for Byzantine antiques, it briefly was reintroduced to everyday life, but fell into disrepair once more, not to be used again till 1987 when it was reopened as a tourist attraction.

Cool Bonus: Two stone Medusa heads, pilfered from an ancient pagan site and used in construction, are placed in a disrespectful fashion—one upside down and one on its right side—to mark the builders’ belief in Christianity.

Cu Chi Tunnels
Near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
What Lies Beneath: Seventy-five miles of Vietnam War–era tunnels, once inhabited by the Viet Cong. In 1988, the Vietnamese government turned a section of the tunnels into a tourist attraction, and more than a million people, local and foreign, visit every year.

How Did It Get There: During the war, the Viet Cong dug an elaborate 250-mile-long network of tunnels to hide guerilla fighters. Located outside Ho Chi Minh City, the tunnels served as a hidden base, complete with living quarters, hospitals, kitchens, and the meeting rooms where the Tet Offensive was planned. The tunnels were heavily booby-trapped, and special teams of American soldiers known as “Tunnel Rats” had the unenviable job of exploring and demolishing them.

Cool Bonus: Once you emerge from the tunnels, you can sample boiled taro root, the staple of the Viet Cong diet, before heading to a nearby shooting range to fire an AK-47 or an M16 for a dollar a bullet.

Wieliczka Salt Mine
Wieliczka, Poland
What Lies Beneath: Salt has sustained this 13th-century salt mine turned museum, concert hall, and spa. Grandiose salt chandeliers with 300 burning candles cast shadows on a life-size rock-salt sculpture of Pope John Paul II and a wall carving of da Vinci’s The Last Supper.

How Did It Get There: Beginning in the Middle Ages, residents of Wieliczka, Poland, realized that a local natural resource, salt, could be a profitable commodity. During its working years, many lives were spent 1,072 feet below the surface in the mine’s 186-mile-long tunnels.

Cool Bonus: Tours of the mine began in the 14th century. A guest book, which is still used today, includes the signatures of Copernicus, Goethe, and President George H. W. Bush.

Mammoth Cave
Cave City, Kentucky
What Lies Beneath: The world’s longest cave. Over the years, “mummies” of prehistoric cave explorers have been discovered. The first recorded find was in 1935: a six-ton boulder with a body pinned underneath. In the mid-1800s, a doctor who (incorrectly) believed the humid conditions might be a remedy for tuberculosis, turned the cave into a sanitarium.

How Did It Get There: Parts of the 365 miles of the underground caverns started forming from tributaries more than 10 million years ago, and caves continue to form even today. The tunnels’ constant atmospheric conditions, combined with the salty soil and absence of sunlight, preserved the bodies of people who met their deaths below the surface.

Cool Bonus: Stephen Bishop, the cave’s most famous explorer, was brought to the caves in 1838 as a slave. He was the first person to descend all five levels of the cave, 360 feet below the surface, and made the scientific discovery of the eyeless Kentucky cave fish that still swim in the waters today.

Underground City
Montreal, Canada
What Lies Beneath: At first glance Montreal does not appear to be overcrowded, but maybe that’s because everyone is underground. More than four and a half square miles make up this second city—the world’s largest underground complex, with 4,350 hotel rooms, 2,727 apartments, 930 retailers, 68 metro stops, nine fitness centers, three skating rinks, two libraries, and a chapel.

How Did It Get There: Montreal’s known for its brutal winters, so in 1962, while breaking ground for the city’s first metro, the idea for an underground shopping mall was born.

Cool Bonus: “If you live in one of the underground apartments you can take the metro to work, come back, do your shopping,” says Bertin Jacques, manager of Tourism Montreal. “You can spend a week down there without sticking your nose out.”

Coober Pedy
Australia
What Lies Beneath: Well, just about all of the 3,500-person population of Coober Pedy, an opal-mining town in South Australia. The town’s name comes from a mispronunciation of an Aboriginal phrase thought to mean “white man in a hole.” Because of outdoor temperatures that climb above 120 degrees, most residents live in underground homes carved into the rock. Shops, churches, hotels, and even a swimming pool make coming up for air unnecessary.

How Did It Get There: The first opal was discovered in the rose-colored sandstone in 1915; the town soon became the world’s opal capital. Discharged World War I soldiers came looking for their big break and would sleep in a dugout. Underground living was born.

Cool Bonus: Coober Pedy can be seen in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome; and Wim Wenders’s Until the End of the World.

Catacombs of Kom el-Shuqafa
Alexandria, Egypt

What Lies Beneath: Three levels of burial chambers dating back to the 2nd century A.D. An impressive architectural achievement, its three levels of tombs reach a depth of 100 feet. The décor is an unusual combination of ancient Egyptian iconography with Greco-Roman motifs: one relief wall carving shows the jackal-headed Egyptian god Anubis wearing the uniform of Roman soldiers.

How Did It Get There: Alexandria’s catacombs were modeled after those in Rome and were first built for a single wealthy family.

Cool Bonus: Picnics among the dead were a tradition (and it’s still common for families to lunch while visiting dead relatives). And “carry in, carry out” did not apply—it was thought to be bad luck to bring the plates and cups used back into the life of the living. A chamber on the second level of the catacombs was found full of broken shards of pottery used in these morbid meals.

source : travelandleisure.com

THE THIRTEENTH TALE is a magnificent, beautifully written and involving story, a modern version of a Victorian novel. Vida Winter is the most respected and widely read living writer, now coming to the end of her life. Throughout her career, she's been interviewed many times but has always given different and fantastical stories about her life, so that she's preserved an aura of mystery.

Margaret Lea is a young, repressed woman who lives in a bare room above her father's antiquarian bookshop. All her life she has loved reading, but has never attempted a contemporary novel. She's written a few articles on her non-fiction research, one of them having been published in an academic journal. Out of the blue, Margaret receives a letter in terrible handwriting, which she deciphers as being an invitation from Vida Winter, who wants Margaret to write her biography. Curious as to how she has been selected for this honour, and unable to sleep because of her sadness about her life, Margaret begins to read an early book of stories by Vida, entitled "The Thirteenth Tale". After a paragraph, she is hooked, quickly devours the rest of the author’s output, and accepts the commission.

"The Thirteenth Tale" in itself is a mystery, as there are only twelve tales in the book - haunting and original takes on old fairy stories. Margaret has been reading a rare first edition from her father’s special locked case, but all subsequent editions of the book were given a different title; the fate of the missing tale has remained an enduring puzzle.

Margaret travels to Vida's large house in Yorkshire, and in an atmospheric setting reminiscent of Dickens or Charlotte Bronte, the old woman begins to tell her life story to the younger woman. Although all that has gone before is readable and involving, the book truly comes into its own in this section. The story of Vida's family history is utterly compelling.

THE THIRTEENTH TALE continues as a series of passages of Vida's story as dictated to and interpreted by Margaret, interspersed with Margaret's thoughts and discoveries about herself, and her own researches about Vida's past. Margaret becomes increasingly obsessed with the parallels between her life and Vida's, and although the older woman is determined to tell her story in chronological order, Margaret undergoes her own investigation, uncovering a crime and various dramatic family secrets which have a strong effect on her own life. The twist in the tale is relatively easy to guess if you are a seasoned reader of mystery novels, and there are some parts of the present-day story about the inhabitants of the village where Vida lived as a child that are not very realistic. But these are minor issues that do not detract from the overall excellence of this beautifully written, multi-layered book.

By Maxine Clark

source : eurocrime.co.uk

Believe all the hype. It is no accident that The Da Vinci Code is the best selling novel of all time. This is a brilliantly conceived book, as well written as any thriller out there, only better. Why? Because it's not a mystery about spies, corrupt corporations, or hi-tech weapons. It's about Divine mysteries that have been kept from us by the permutations of time and by corrupt individuals in high spiritual places. These are core issues of spirituality and gnosis that resonate with our pysche and subconscious views, built up over lifetimes. It is this that makes the book so compelling. Fortunately, the fact that the author is an very good at his craft, adds to the enjoyment.

The action starts in the Louvre with the murder of a man who is desperate to pass on secret information but has to do it through codes and ciphers so the information does not fall into the wrong hands.


the pyramid outside the lourve

He leaves clues utilizing the works of Leonardo da Vinci inside the Louvre. Why da Vinci? Because he was privy to many of the secrets that have been an anathema to the Vatican, Protestants and the Inquisition for the last two thousand years. Da Vinci cleverly painted clues to some of the true mysteries of Christ into many of his paintings. They are artfully utilized in this book. All three of Da Vinci's paintings pictured here are instrumental in unfolding the mystery.



Da Vinci broke with the traditional view of the Last Supper. The clues explained in the book are not readily apparent although well known to those versed in Templar and Priori of Sion legend. Here sits Jesus in the middle, with his twelve disciples on both sides. Right? Not necessarily. One of the traditional twelve is not pictured here. In his place is painted someone who is considered in Gnostic tradition, his best disciple. I won't go further. It is a thriller and mystery after all. The story reaches it's climax at Rosslyn Chapel below and finally back in Paris where one final clue is waiting at the Louvre.


This is a book that begged to be written. I wish I had written it. If I had, I would have added two not so insignificant details. The fact that many important concepts have been changed or left out of the Bible and Church Doctrine by various councils (e.g. the Nicean) is well delineated. However one crucial understanding is left out, that of reincarnation. (For more on reincarnation go to this link on this site: Karma and Reincarnation). It is an important element in the age old strife of hiding and destroying the esoteric teachings of all major religions. There are fallen angels and Watchers reincarnating among us. Jesus came to judge and expose them. He used the Book of Enoch, which is vitally concerned with fallen angels, as his guide. They are the ones who sew dissension among religions and always corrupt the original teachings.

The other thing I would change is the author's mistaken conclusion as to the meaning of the Holy Grail. He can be forgiven, for it is a common mistake among this type of research. I won't ruin the story for you by revealing his contention. His conclusion is partially correct but ultimately the true meaning is so mystical, so elegant in it's simplicity that is overlooked because it is buried beyond the ken of mortal eyes. The mystical Chalice is not just buried deep within some well nor moved around from place to place. It is centered in the heart that can only be reached by ardent striving, pursuing the Path of Christ and the Buddha. No one can give us the Chalice although those who have become it, are a tremendous aid on the trek upward. The mysteries of God have been kept from us. But there are ciphers enough left in the world to help us find the key.

This book is one of those keys for the uninitiated.

source : reversespins.com

This story is set in the time of Hitler's rise to prominence in Germany so, not surprisingly, there is a generous helping of political activity. There is no doubt this novel is slick and very stylish. The arresting book jacket promises a lot - and it delivers.

The two central characters are (and we've come across it many times before) a psychiatrist (in this case Kirsch) and his patient (known as the Einstein Girl) and hence the novel's title. The case of this girl is intriguing, not least because both doctor and patient had accidentally met prior to her admission to hospital. Kirsch appears immediately smitten - which may be a problem. He's already spoken for. In a nutshell, the Einstein Girl has lost her memory. Kirsch finds more and more of his professional time given over to her recovery, back to mental well-being. It becomes a long and complicated journey, for both of them.

Almost straight away the reader is introduced to the rather cold but well-ordered German institution where Kirsch seems to work round the clock. Treatment methods which will probably make you flinch are described matter-of-factly.

The aloofness and thinly-disguised superiority of the German people at this crucial point in their history are ever present in this novel.

Sington gives us many pages describing, in sometimes meticulous medical detail, madness; insanity in humans. He finishes off a particularly distressing paragraph by saying insanity generally: a kind of leaving. I thought that last phrase particularly poignant, allowing virtually no hope for the family of the 'mad' individual. But we come to see that Dr Kirsch is a rather sensitive man who tries to do his level best for all of his patients. It cannot be easy. He also has his own personal problems to bear. His daily routine is relentless. His work is not universally appreciated by his peers. Psychiatry is not seen as a 'true' science. In fact, even more worryingly, many diagnoses differ, depending on which psychiatrist is in attendance.

Whereas, the eminent Albert Einstein grapples successfully with a proper science.

The progress (or otherwise) of these parallel situations is extremely interesting, both for the reader and for many of the novel's characters. There is a powerful statement from Kirsch's brother when he's talking about the great, the one and only, the revered Einstein. Two thousand years of religion and two hundred years of science ... demolished in a single equation. What a sentence to mull over.

Everything surrounding the enigmatic Einstein Girl is complicated and complex. Kirsch seems determined to get to the bottom of things, but his personal feelings for her only get in the way, muddy the waters. He doesn't need further complications in his already complicated life. But he is the ultimate professional ...

Sington's plot is excellent and clever. At times I was reminded that it was similar to, for example, a bit of Hitchcock for the suspense element and a bit of Agatha Christie for the intrigue and possibly foul play element. I loved it. It is most certainly a page turner par excellence.

I think what struck me overall, as a reader, was the sheer time, effort and physical hours of dedicated work and research into the workings of the human brain. Equally, you get a sense of the dogged single-mindedness of Einstein himself, working towards his own goal. The true elements in Sington's novel give that little edge of gravitas (not that it needs it) to the story. This novel has undisputed style.

source : thebookbag.co.uk

Like the majority of readers, I read Angels & Demons by Dan Brown after reading The Da Vinci Code. I would venture that most people reading this review are asking the question, "How does Angels & Demons compare to The Da Vinci Code?" The short answer is that they're very similar. If you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, you should enjoy Angels & Demons.

Angels & Demons introduces the character of Robert Langdon, professor of religious iconology and art history at Harvard University. As the novel begins, he's awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call from Maximilian Kohler, the director of CERN, the world's largest scientific research facility in Geneva, Switzerland. One of their top physicists had been murdered, with his chest branded with the word "Illuminati." Since Langdon is an expert on the ancient secret society known as the Illuminati, he's asked to help solve the murder. A high tech X-33 plane transports Langdon from Massachusetts to Switzerland in a little more than an hour.

The murder victim is Leonardo Vetra. Not only is he one of the world's leading physicists, he's a Catholic priest. He's a priest who has adopted a daughter, Vittoria, who is also a scientist at CERN. This was the largest suspension of disbelief for me, a man who is a priest, a father, and a top physicist, but accepting it sets the rest of the story in motion. Vetra and his daughter were using the world's largest particle accelerator to create antimatter, and then suspend the antimatter properly in canisters so that it doesn't interact with matter. If a canister is removed from the electrical system which keeps the matter and antimatter separated, then backup batteries will serve the same purpose for 24 hours. When those 24 hours expire, the two will collide in an instantaneous explosion of unprecedented power.

Lenoardo Vetra created the antimatter to simulate the Big Bang. In his mind, this would show proof that God exists, being able to create new matter and antimatter in the same way God created the universe. Vetra's murder, though, allows one of the canisters to be stolen. The question of who stole the canister and what they planned to do with it is soon answered. The canister is quickly found on a security camera in Vatican City, with its LEDs counting down the time until the batteries run out. The security camera, however, is nowhere to be found, leaving the canister's whereabouts a mystery too. Langdon and Vittoria Petra are quickly sent off to Rome and Vatican City, to help find the canister and return it to CERN before it explodes at midnight.

Not only does the canister threaten to destroy Vatican City, but with the recent death of the Pope, the cardinals of the Catholic Church are all within the city for the conclave to choose the new pope. They are all about to be locked within the Sistine Chapel where, according to church law, they must remain until a new pope is chosen. They are awaiting the preferiti, the four cardinals from four different European countries who are the preferred candidates to become the new pope. While Langdon and Vittoria are trying to convince the captain of the Swiss Guard and the camerlengo, the Pope's chamberlain who leads the church until the new pope is named, that the antimatter bomb is real, a phone call is received from a man who claims to be from the Illuminati. He has the four cardinals, which he will murder one by one, and then allow the bomb to destroy Vatican City, which houses not only the church hierarchy, but also its possessions and wealth. He has no demands; his only wish is the destruction of the Catholic Church in retribution for the church's treatment of scientists and the Illuminati over the centuries.

Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are in a race against time. They dig through archives and ancient mysteries to find clues, which also requires an extensive background in art history and religious symbology. This makes Robert Langdon the expert tour guide through all this arcane knowledge with his congenial and scholarly fashion, doing his best to educate without seeming superior with his own intelligence. Much like The Da Vinci Code, Langdon understands enough about each mystery to go in search of the missing pieces necessary to solve each puzzle, which leads him to the next one. Vittoria is beautiful, tough, intelligent, and determined to avenge her father's murder and keep the canister from exploding. The two of them are constantly one step behind the Illuminati, and once it's clear that the Swiss Guard and Vatican City have been penetrated by the ancient society, they don't know whom to trust. This leads them through churches, fountains, crypts, forgotten passages, secret passages, and catacombs. Death stalks them at every turn, in one form or another.

So it's time for the comparisons of Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code. In some ways, Angels & Demons has a more suspenseful storyline with the antimatter bomb and the race to prevent the destruction of Vatican City. Both share a hired assassin, a tough and beautiful woman as Langdon's sidekick who's mourning the murder of a loved one, and mysteries that require extensive knowledge of art history, religious symbology, and secret societies. Robert Langdon is a protagonist that you can't dislike in any way, with just enough vulnerability to go along with his intelligence and right amount of charm. Angels & Demons is a looser story. It takes longer to get going, each new puzzle takes longer to solve, and too much character background is given for too many characters. While Dan Brown's writing style will never be called literary, he's obviously matured as a writer between the two books. The chapters in The Da Vinci Code are shorter, tighter, and the suspense is never allowed to wane.

While some judicious editing might have made it a tighter and more focused novel, Angels & Demons is still a highly enjoyable read. For those who love plot-driven novels, and for those who love thrillers and mysteries full of strange bits of information that tie everything together, grab a copy of Angels & Demons and find a comfortable chair. It's time well spent

By W. R. Greer

source : reviewsofbooks.com

Dan Brown traffics in arcana. His novels speculate about the suppressed details of Christ's sex life and the location of the Holy Grail, the hermetic experiments of alchemy and the etymological riddles of biblical scholarship – oh, and I shouldn't forget the most highly prized secret of all: the formula for whatever mixture of syrups, caffeine and sodium benzoate makes up Coca-Cola.


At the beginning of The Lost Symbol, Brown's "symbologist" Robert Langdon, about to start a frantic quest for the priestly lore hidden beneath the monuments of Washington DC, likens "the recipe for classic Coke" to the occult rites of the Freemasons. Forget about Brown's hints of a closely guarded wisdom that can lead us hierarchically from earth to heaven, like base metals transmuted into gold. His new novel might scavenge for remnants of what he calls "the Ancient Mysteries", but the mystery that really excites him is a modern one, a trade secret known to only two members of a corporate brotherhood at the Coca-Cola headquarters: the magic spell that turns water not into wine, which is all Christ could manage, but into bubbles and money.

Brown, like Coke, is a global brand. What he promises consumers is more of the same, and in The Lost Symbol he has stirred up again his formulaic blend of motorised chase and mystical mumbo-jumbo. Langdon, having saved the Vatican from a nuclear blast in Angels & Demons, now comes home to give another dreary academic lecture, after which he sprints off to preserve the US government from a revelation that could destabilise the world.

New names are assigned to players familiar from The Da Vinci Code. Saunière, the murdered Louvre curator, becomes Peter Solomon, the kidnapped and mutilated CEO of the Smithsonian Institution; Saunière's granddaughter is matched by Solomon's sister, recruited as Langdon's sidekick. The avenging angel who tracks them is not Silas, the self-flagellating albino monk, but a self-gelding bodybuilder who nicknames himself Moloch, after one of the devils in Paradise Lost.

The Last Supper is replaced as a repository of forbidden knowledge by Dürer's Melencolia I, and the cryptex designed by Leonardo recurs as an impenetrable granite cube which only spells out the secret it contains when boiled in a pasta pan. Westminster Abbey cedes its role as a sacred site of illumination to Washington National Cathedral, whose sublimity inspires Brown to take inventory of the bells in its carillon and the pipes in its organ (53 and 10,647 respectively). IM Pei's pyramid in the Louvre courtyard, beneath which Langdon surmises that Mary Magdalen lies buried, is here up-ended as the pyramidal Washington Monument, whose tip contains the paltry solution to the panic that convulses the city.

The writing is as bad as Brown's admirers have come to expect: imagine Coke gone flat. Characters – "systems security specialist Mark Zoubianis" and "sys-sec Rick Parrish", for instance – come with occupational tags, since they're only memorable as the plot's functionaries. They converse with a lack of idiomatic verve that would embarrass an automaton. "Are you familiar with the private air terminal at Boston's Logan Airport?" someone asks Langdon. (He replies: "I am", though I was hoping he'd say: '"Affirmative".)

In descriptive mode, Brown composes real estate listings. The villain inhabits a "sprawling mansion", which in an elegant variation 300 pages later is called a "spectacular mansion". Neighbourhoods are "upscale", an office building is "prestigious". No opportunity for product placement is missed. The heroine drives a '"white Volvo", while Langdon more snazzily cruises in a "Falcon 2000EX corporate jet" with "dual Pratt & Whitney engines". Minor characters brandish a BlackBerry, an iPhone and a Browning Citori shotgun.

Every few pages, the plot arrives at a precipice, with a vertiginous drop of a few feet in prospect. '"We've got a serious problem," says someone. "What's in that case?!" asks someone else, with a flurry of superfluous punctuation to denote alarm. When Brown gets excited, he emits telegrams. A woman being stalked by the maniacal Moloch feels fear of a new kind: it is "Visceral. Primal". She needn't have worried, because he only wants her Pin number. At moments of supreme intensity, Brown relies on italics to carbonate his limp language. Langdon, drowning (not fatally, I'm sorry to say), sees the face of God, and gasps: "Light!" The fallen archangel, returning to Hell in a weird supernatural sally, reports: "I am screaming in infinite terror." I cocked my ear but despite the italics I couldn't hear a thing.

Though Brown is repeating himself, there is perhaps an added urgency to the enterprise this time because Langdon, after his excursions to Paris and Rome in previous novels, is on home ground, careening through what he informatively calls "our nation's capital city". Rather than researching esoterica in European museums, Brown now confronts his own country, with its neoclassical angels and rabid, fire-breathing demons. To the first class belongs the sainted figure of George Washington, who undergoes apotheosis in the rotunda of the US Capitol: he represents the enlightened origins of the republic, a product of the secular 18th-century's belief that man was potentially a god. The second class includes the televangelist who broadcasts in the background during a scene late in the book, haranguing his "hypnotised viewers" and alerting them to the imminence of the Apocalypse, when only the reborn will be saved from the flames.

Brown, a New England liberal, is allegorically deploring America's fall into pious paranoia and religious hysteria. In his view, it's religion that is responsible for the fall of man and the corruption of the body politic. He muddles things up, however, by his own flirtation with mystagoguery. A high-tech subplot deals with noetic science, which sets out to calibrate brainwaves and tap cosmic consciousness. This new age endeavour made its "quantum leap forward" after 9/11, when the world's empathy for wounded America allegedly caused "the outputs of 37 Random Event Generators around the globe to suddenly become significantly less random". The Arabs who burnt the Stars and Stripes that day weren't attuned to this warming oneness, so Brown may be fuzzily deluding himself.

He is certainly interested in "the coalescing of millions of minds", but his loftiest aim is to make them coalesce at the cash register as they line up to buy copies of his new book.

There are 81m copies of The Da Vinci Code occupying space in our crowded world, joined now by 6.5m copies of his new book. In the realm of printed matter, Brown defers to only one piece of paper, which happens to be emblazoned with the pyramid that is the enciphered enigma at the centre of The Lost Symbol. This, he concedes through the mouth of one of his characters, is "the most widely published" concatenation of words and images on earth, with "over 20 billion" copies circulating. As you will have guessed, he is referring to the one-dollar bill. The exponential numbers humble even Brown, but they give him something to aim for.

He may not be able to write, but he knows how to print money: he is a one-man Mint.

By Peter Conrad

source : guardian.co.uk

After rejecting a plea deal that could have settled her grand theft case and given her a short stint behind bars, Lindsay Lohan is rolling the legal dice.

The first step? A preliminary hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to order Lohan to stand trial. That is scheduled for Friday, April 22.

It sounds to us like fireworks will fly in the courtroom that day. Team Lindsay is confident they're gonna win, but the D.A. is not backing down ...

Los Angeles Deputy D.A. Danette Meyers is warning witnesses to expect "grueling cross examination by defense attorney Shawn Holley" at the hearing.

Meyers originally planned on calling only the investigating officers to testify, but is now prepping to go all out April 22 because of a legal technicality.

Lindsay, as we know, stands a good chance of being found in violation of her DUI probation regardless of what happens in the felony grand theft case.

If the judge finds there is enough evidence to send Lohan to trial, that in itself will result in a probation violation, even if a jury were to later acquit her.

Source: thehollywoodgossip.com

Phoenix civil rights groups Chicanos Unidos Arizona, Take Back Aztlán and Nuestros Reconquistos are once again condemning Lady Gaga, otherwise known as “Lady Rerun” to Jorge Serrano of Take Back Aztlán.

“So, Lady Gaga is playing Mary Magdelene in her new video to ‘Judas.’ In the video, she witnesses a crime, falls in love with a Black Jesus figure and ends up saving the person wrongly accused of the crime. Wait—didn’t Madonna do that before? At least Madonna made people question religion and race. Lady Gaga is just exploiting the Catholic religion, which many Latinos follow,” Mr. Serrano angrily says.

“Why can’t Lady Gaga pretend to be Muhammad? Now, that would be very brave! It’s so easy to knock Catholicism and Christianity these days, especially if you have absolutely no musical talent whatsoever. Lady Gaga is Lady Caca,” says Cecilia Maldonado of Chicanos Unidos Arizona.

“Her song ‘Express Yourself’ already referred to Latina woman as ‘Cholas.’ She has already shown what a bigot she is. Now, she is going after Catholics? This woman is certainly repulsive, but her fans are not too bright for following allowing her message of racism and intolerance to travel," says Manual Longoria of Nuestros Reconquistos.

By Miguel Perez

source : examiner.com

Last week we told you Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis were "flirting," drawing lots of speculation over the weekend that she was, in fact, the cause for J.T. breaking up with Jessica Biel.

So what's the latest? Since Justin's a free man are he and Mila ready to take their flirtship to the next level?

READ: Jessica in good spirits post breakup!

Sources very close to the Black Swan beauty insist not yet.

"They aren't dating," dishes a close chum of Mila's.

Still, pals close to Justin 'fess he's very much interested, while some other J.T. campers are taking pains to let everybody know nothing's technically going on between Mila and Justin.

Jeez, why all the fuss over this potential hotness duo, huh? People break up. They move on. It's natural!

And the fact that these two have been batting eyelashes at one another really shouldn't come as a surprise.

As we told you back in January the Friends With Benefits costars hung tight all through the SAG Awards and late into the night at the after-party at The Sunset Tower hotel.

No Biel in sight.

It will certainly be interesting to see if Mila decides to go for the hunky actor/singer.

Remember, back when Jake Gyllenhaal was doing his best to court the brunette hottie, friends of hers told us she wasn't interested because he was "too Hollywood."

Certainly makes sense, since her long relationship was out of the limelight with Macaulay Culkin.

Regardless, the speculation with Kunis and Timberlake certainly isn't hurting promotion for their upcoming flick.

They have a big press tour coming up so we have a feeling that will tip their "friendship" one way or the other.

Are you rooting for Mila and Justin to hookup? We say, hell yeah

Read more: eonline.com

Computer-animated sequels Cars 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2 will both hit theaters this summer, and it’s one of the rare occasions where the DreamWorks’ title is arguably more highly-anticipated than Pixar’s flick. That’s not to say the automobiles won’t have the last laugh at the box office, but Po the Panda at least looks to give them a run for their money with his new adventure.

The Kung Fu Panda followup also features a colorful collection of new characters -- and, according to producer Melissa Cobb, will be more serious and dramatic than some might expect.

Kung Fu Panda 2 seemingly abandoned its overbearing subtitle, The Kaboom of Doom, a while ago, but that cartoonish-sounding device still plays an important role in the film’s plot. While the mechanics of how this tool works is anyone’s guess at the moment, it’s known that the villainous Lord Shen (voice of Gary Oldman) plans to use it to take over China and destroy the art of Kung Fu.

In order to stop this terrible turn of events, Po (Jack Black) must “look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins.” As Cobb told THR, that will apparently be no small feat for the lovable martial arts master:

“['Kung Fu Panda 2'] deals with pretty tough, emotional issues that [Po] goes through, as well as a huge adventure. This movie is on a much bigger scale then the first movie. It’s been much more ambitious and hard to make from a filmmaking standpoint… It really builds on what was set up in the first movie, and has Po struggling with bigger issues than he did the first time.”

Oscar-winner Charlie Kaufman worked on the Kung Fu Panda 2 script last year and it’s possible he was in part recruited to help up the stakes and emotional depth of the sequel. That’s not to say that parents have to worry about taking their kids to this one -- it’s still Kung Fu Panda, so there will plenty of cartoon humor to keep things light. Besides, it’s good to hear that the film will have a bit more substance and (hopefully) not just be a rehash of its entertaining predecessor.

Cobb also briefly touched on the topic of 3D in Kung Fu Panda 2, mentioning that “We looked for places where the 3D could really enhance the storytelling. Some are emotional places where we used it to connect more to the character.” That idea harkens to James Cameron’s previous comments about the intimacy of 3D cinema (back when he was promoting Sanctum), and it’s an interesting point which is not often brought up in discussions about the pros and cons of the technology.

Kung Fu Panda 2 will definitely use 3D to accentuate its martial arts and action sequences as well, and those promise to be pretty exciting. If the sequel has anything like the “Tai Lung prison escape” scene from the first film (which Cobb says was actually created in 3D), then it could be worth paying the extra ticket price to see it in the third dimension.

by : Sandy Schaefer

source : screenrant.com

"Sucker Punch," Zack Snyder's violent mash-up of Dickensian dark morality with Moulin Rouge couture is stun-gun gorgeous, psychosexually unnerving, fantasy action-riffic and most definitely not for the faint of heart. Starring the pretty pout of Emily Browning's Babydoll — sporting machine guns, Mary Janes, black stockings and little else — the film is, existentially speaking, a Freudian nightmare gunning for debate as much as entertainment.

Some will see the worst sort of objectification in its Victoria's Secret-esque femme front line that also includes the scantily clad corps of Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens and Jamie Chung. Others will argue that "Sucker Punch's" sexy guerrillas represent female empowerment, to say nothing of the benefits of diet and exercise. I'd suggest the film is a wonderfully wild provocation — an imperfect, overlong, intemperate and utterly absorbing romp through the id that I wouldn't have missed for the world.

Though "Sucker Punch" has the fresh feel of something new, the warrior princess leitmotif tracks back to Greek legend and has turned up in fiction and film ever since. The stories are sometimes cheeky in the way of Angelina Jolie's sharp-shooting siren in "Lara Croft." Sometimes, the twisted tales go darker as did Quentin Tarantino's cut in "Kill Bill" Vols. 1 and 2, with a brutalized and sexualized Uma Thurman.

Snyder goes darker still, opening "Sucker Punch" with a look through a rain-soaked window at why Babydoll's such a mess. Her mother's death has triggered a sinister free-fall that includes a narrow escape from her lecherous stepfather's evil intentions, the accidental shooting of her little sister and her immediate incarceration in a Vermont mental institution that prefers its crazies be virginal beauties. Technically the film is set in the '60s, but it feels more like the '40s when lobotomies were all the rage.

The blurring of reality and fantasy is there in every frame and echoes the grim storybook quality found in the graphic novel world and the fantasy look favored by gothic video games — a sort of "Guernica" of comic-book chaos. The vision is so precise and so specifically rendered that it's not surprising that the relationship between the filmmaker and cinematographer Larry Fong started before their collaboration on "300" and "Watchmen" would establish Snyder as a filmmaking fanboy phenom (next up, "Superman").

source : articles.latimes.com

Gnomeo, Gnomeo where for art thou, Gnomeo? He’s drag racing a lawnmower in your backyard! Emily Blunt, James McAvoy and Michael Cane star in this hoot of an Shakespeare adaptation, Gnomeo & Juliet. The Kelly Asbury directed 3-D picture hits theaters nationwide Friday, January 21st. Check out the review below…


The Players:
Director: Kelly Asbury
Writers: Kelly Asbury, Mark Burton
Cast: Emily Blunt, James McAvoy, Michael Cane, Jason Statham

The Plot:
We’re working with an adorably embellished/child-proof rendition of Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet. Gnomeo (McAvoy) of the “blues” and Juliet of the “reds” exist in competing backyards among fellow garden gnomes, mushrooms, bunnies, what have you. Battles between lawnmowers, weed-whackers, and miracle grow keep these pint sized statues at odds, until Gnomeo and Juliet meet and sparks fly. You know the rest.

The Good:
Adaptation: We’ve seen our fair share of both impressive and abominable Shakespeare adaptations, but we’ve yet to see one geared towards kids. Asbury re-writes several pivotal story points to better suit her target audience – most notably, no deaths occur. And, let’s be real, unless you’re incredibly stoned or over the age of 13, 3-D gnome duels and suicide sessions don’t make for .

Humor:
Again, the film is aimed to please a younger demographic but I’m happy to report that Asbury works in some subtle adult humor – some of it being blatantly sexual, actually. Cheers!
Animation: It’s a visually pleasing picture from the character illustrations to the exotic color palettes to the hysterical “fight” choreography. (Also note the FABULOUS dance number before the closing credits).

The Bad:
Music: It pains me to make any remotely negative comment towards anythin Sir. Elton John has touched, but there’s no way to cushion the truth here: The Music Was Bad. John threw in a measure or two from some of his classic jams (which were obviously awesome) but the original tunes couldn’t have been less catchy. Fail.

Overall:
It’s not easy to hate on a kids movie, but it’s not any easier to shower it with praise. You get what the genre typically delivers.

Rating: 7/10
Check out the film in theaters starting February 11th!

source : screencrave.com

A Very Long Engagement lets its characters discover what we already have, yet withholds key points so that their surprise reflects our own. This wondrous film, based on the novel by Sebastien Japrisot, is far from a complete mystery, as it gives the viewer an opportunity to enjoy plot revelations while still being able to guess where it is going.

Every supporting character plays an intricate role in the story and the development of the main character. The story’s central figure, a young French woman named Mathilde (Audrey Tatou), receives word that her fiancé, Manech (Gaspard Ulliel), a young soldier fighting at the end of World War I, has been court-martialed for self-inflicted wounds (what he believed to be his ticket home) and sentenced to death. En route to his execution, he and five other soldiers sentenced for the same crime get lost between the French and German armies. Rather than accept the loss, she embarks on an investigation to discover his fate.

She questions everyone—the friends and relatives of the four other men, soldiers who encountered them, and higher-ranking military officials associated with the court-martial. In the process, she learns several versions of Manech’s supposed last days. Convinced her lover is alive, she pushes ahead. Each supporting character, forming an ensemble, contributes an important revelation; these lessons give her journey meaning.

This is rich, candid storytelling. The opening minutes offer flashbacks of the five men before the war, yet avoid any standard wartime clichés (such as the long goodbye at a smoky train station) and show them in a realistic, humorous light. Sure, most of them had questionable professions before the war (one is a pimp), but they are still good, honest men. A Very Long Engagement gives us a chance to get to know these soldiers and maybe even like them before they enter the war.

Other than the opening minutes, the film’s focus is on how the war affects friends and family. The case is made that there are tortures worse than the horrors on a battlefield, specifically the aftereffects—physical and mental separation soldiers later experience with themselves and loved ones. Mathilde’s discovery of Manech’s fate is unified by these vignette-like stories told by interviewees, each adding a different perspective on the years following the war, while still giving our heroine what she needs to move forward.

Mathilde’s odyssey is reminiscent of this year’s Wicker Park. In it, Josh Harnett’s character goes through hell (Chicago, actually) to uncover why his former love disappeared without a trace, showing the desperate measures people will go through to be reunited. The connection here between Mathilde and Manech is the heart of the film. Their relationship is perfectly realized and touching, defined by a sense of destiny throughout. The film takes its time to show their romance blossoming at a younger age, with a pesky Manech following Mathilde around in their small village, questioning her about her limp (which she developed when she was a child) and following them in the years leading up to the war. We believe they are meant to be together; Mathilde often reminds herself that if Manech were dead, she would know, hence she never gives up.

A Very Long Engagement is easily one of the best films ever made to focus on the effects of war over the battles themselves. If you learn anything from this film, it’s that even though war can keep people apart, it can also bring them together.

by : Michael Brody

source : cinemablend.com

12A - 116mins - Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller - 11th March 2011

I must admit that since I first became aware of this movie my initial thoughts were that it's not going to be quite the hit I think it is expecting to be and as a worst case scenario it might turn into the next Skyline. Big word of warning, do not watch that movie, you can't get the time back no matter how hard you try. It is truly diabolical. I would rather be relaxing on the beach at the start of Battle: Los Angeles if the trailer is anything to go by than see that again! Fingers crossed lets see what we've got...

Right then. First impressions are that this film is a bit of a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), if you wanted a battle that's located in Los Angeles then guess what, this is not going to disappoint so long as you don't mind other areas of the film lacking. We arrive pre-invasion to set up the characters and get to grips with who we are going to be sharing the next two hours with, unfortunately they are rather one dimensional and stereotypical. Without giving too much away, yes we have the man with the pregnant fiancée, the young new rookie with a taste for power, an appearance for the hardened female soldier and the main character, SSgt. Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) who is past his prime and on his way out to name but a few. I'm sure I've seen this lot somewhere else before?

Another bone I have to pick with this movie is with the music (Brian Tyler) that seems to be a continuous background noise of semi-patriotic soon to be bursting into a glorious celebratory ensemble number which continues regardless of what scenario is unfolding in front of us, good or bad. The most engaging parts are actually when everything goes silent and only then can the suspense grow.

One thing I did appreciate from this movie was the cinematography which is filmed in a similar style to that of Cloverfield putting you right in the thick of the action and making you feel a lot more involved with the group of marines around which the plot revolves. Hopefully you'll appreciate this as I can imagine that a cameraman with Parkinsons will be getting on some viewers nerves by the end. The way information is relayed to the viewer about what is happening elsewhere on the battlefield is through background radio and TV sources which is rather clever as you only ever know what the marines know which keeps the intrigue.

Quick mention to the visuals which during the helicopter flyover scenes at the start and aerial views over the city are very impressive. The aliens also look real enough as do their ships and as a whole it's very realistic. However if you replaced every alien in this film with a human I honestly don't think I would have noticed much of a difference.

Source: ezinearticles.com