Here are some interesting films that are currently filming (from IMDB Pro):

A-Team - With Bradley Cooper as Peck, Jessica Biel, Liam Neeson as Smith, Sharlto Copley as Murdock, and Quinto ”Rampage” Jackson as Baracus. To tell you the truth I know very little about the A-Team and most of these actors. I miss Mr. T.

Resident Evil: Afterlife with Milla Jovovich, of course. She’s good at this sort of thing.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II: Part I is finished. They will be released 6 months or so apart. I can’t wait for this one!

Toy Story 3 in 3D: Love it! Of course Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are Woody and Buzz, with Joan Cusack as Jessie the Cowgirl, but Michael Keaton is also on board as Ken and Jodi Benson (The voice of the Little Mermaid) is Barbie. Bonnie Hunt and Whoopie Goldberg also have parts, but no word on what those are.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Little Christian boys and girls who aren’t allowed to watch vampire movies rejoice! Something for you! I never got past the first book in the series, personally.

Knight and Day – With Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. “An action-comedy centered on a fugitive couple on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one – even themselves – are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust.” Sounds dumb. Cameron should not be doing drama. She’s best when she’s in comedy and in her underwear.

The Green Hornet - Seth Rogan wrote the screenplay and beefed up to play the lead role. Cameron Diaz is in this film too. Michel Gondry is directing, which is interesting. He made Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind which is one of my favorite films. Is he a good choice for Hornet? He and Rogen seem an odd combination.

Little Fockers - A baby Focker is born! (That sentence sounds awful!) Dustin Hoffman will not be in it due to scheduling conflicts. That sucks. De Niro is in, and so is Jessica Alba. I hope Streisand signs up. She’s great in the films.

The Other Guys - An action/comedy with Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell as detectives. Also in the film are Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Eva Mendes, Sam Jackson, Anne Heche, Michael Keaton, and Paris Hilton. I don’t know what this film is, but it looks promising.

Predators - Written, but not directed by, Robert Rodriguez. “A group of elite warriors are hunted by members of a merciless alien race known as Predators.” I hear it’s a re-imagining, which is good because the last film was awful. It stars Topher Grace and Adrien Brody. Danny Trejo is in it too. I bet he can kick some Predator ass.

The Karate Kid - Remake, not a sequel. I’m rolling my eyes at this one. Jackie Chan is the new version of Mr. Miyagi which isn’t so bad, but Jaden Smith (Will’s son) is the new Karate Kid. Gag me.

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (Soundtrack)

Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman

2007

Walden Media / Varese Sarabande Records

If you haven’t figured out by now that I’m some kind of dork (definite music dork, definite English dork, among others), this review will greatly tip you off.  Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is one of my favorite movies – I saw it in theaters, I own the DVD, and I have bought the soundtrack to the movie.  You could say that I like kids’ movies, and you’d probably be right.  But I have reasons why I watch kids’ movies (and these reasons which I’m telling you for my own credibility can also be used to strengthen your argument against me, I’m fully aware).  First of all, I’m a full-blown optimist (for the most part).  So instead of watching horror / slasher films, I’d prefer to watch a children’s movie that may tug on one’s heartstrings (whatever the hell those are), but still have an optimistic message to get across.  Secondly, a lot of great actors and directors make kid’s movies – that most can be enjoyed by adults – Ben Stiller.  Jim Carrey. And in this case: Dustin Hoffman, Jason Bateman (who, after I became obsessed with Arrested Development, I will watch anything with him in it, no matter how horrible it is – Extract - because Bateman is an amazing actor / comedian.  And no, I do not have a man-crush on him, though it may seem so), and Natalie Portman (who, I completely have a crush on, and I believe can do no wrong – except for the Star Wars movies and dating Devendra Banhart).  And then directors!  For instance, I just saw Fantastic Mr. Fox this weekend solely because it was a Wes Anderson movie.

And yes, I’m using Fantastic Mr. Fox as a transition into my next point.  Thirdly, the music.  Childrens’ movies have some awesome music (You can’t tell me that Danny Elfman’s soundtrack to Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure was not the best orchestrated soundtrack of the ’90’s).  Fantastic Mr. Fox, being a Wes Anderson film, had great music.  Which is thanks to Alexandre Desplat.  Who, if you’ve read the title of this review, composed the music to Mr. Magorium.  See how awesome I am at creating transitions?

Anyway, the music of Mr. Magorium was one of the best orchestrations in soundtracks I’ve ever heard.  This fact is partially due to the idea of the music being included in the plot of the film.  Not only did the music serve as an emotional backdrop to the scenes, but acted as a catalyst for much of the storyline.  Portman’s character is a pianist, and aspiring composer.  During most scenes, she’s seen tapping her fingers like she’s playing a piano to the music that’s supposedly in the background (this was a really cool aspect of the movie – and even lampshaded when an old friend runs into her).  The music makes the toy shop dance in some scenes.  And the finale brings everything together, as the shop completely finished out Portman’s unfinished composition (which is “Mahoney’s Debut” on the album). 

I could go track by track through the album like the normal format on this website.  But I won’t.  Because it’s hard to treat the album like an actual album.  The tracks were composed to be in the movie.  Outside of that context, it’s not much help.  This is also considering that many of the songs are extremely similar using themes found during other songs – which makes the whole soundtrack feel kind of like a classical score.  But also, it’s because I’m kind of lazy and there’s thirty-seven songs on here.  I don’t feel like sifting through each one just to say, “Track 25, ‘A Substantial Offer,’ offers profound insight into blah blah blah blah blah.”  Especially not when most of the songs are repetitive, and there’s no way I’d listen to each song on the album every time I played the album.

But that’s not to say that there aren’t amazing songs on here.  Particularly, the first quarter of the soundtrack is really fun to listen to.  “Night Time,” “Kermit,” “Dodge Ball,” “Toy Store Jam,” and the “Temper Tantrum” songs are really cool.  A lot of the songs on the CD will get stuck in your head, the melodies being repeated necessarily will ensure this.

But, there are three songs on the album that definitely need to be pointed out.  The first is “Good Morning.”  It is an amazing composition, extremely upbeat.  The melody is amazing.  The whole orchestra is amazing.  It’s catchy, arranged very well, and short which warrants numerous listens.  Also, it’s one of the few songs on the CD that, just by hearing the song, one can immediately think about the scene in the movie.  This particular scene is early on, letting the toy store to “wake up” to the music.  And the song accomplishes that mood perfectly (though, I’m pretty sure that the theatrical release used Elfman’s “Breakfast Machine” from the aforementioned Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.  This is a claim that I can’t prove.  I only saw the movie once in the theaters, and the DVD releases have “Good Morning” playing.  I don’t know if I just imagined “Breakfast Machine” playing, or if it really did.  I wish I had a way to find out, but alas, I don’t).

The second song, one that also accomplishes the remembering of the scene from the movie idea, is “Mahoney’s Debut.”  This track features a great orchestra.  The music swells during the entire song; the arrangement starts off quietly, gets louder with the repeated themes, and ends majestically.  It’s a completely hummable melody.  Listening to “Mahoney’s Debut,” I’m reminded of Beethoven.  Now, I’m not saying that Desplat and Zigman are anywhere close to being as great as Beethoven.  I’m simply saying that Beethoven’s music towards the end had a definite heroic theme aspect to his works.  And this is relevant in “Mahoney’s Debut.”  It’s an emotional composition that sounds heroic in a sort-of-way.  It’s even better if you’ve watched the movie.

The last song is the extremely misplaced “Love the World You Find” by The Flaming Lips.  I say “extremely” for a few reasons.  This is the only song on the released soundtrack that isn’t an orchestrated song by Desplat and Zigman.  Out of thirty-seven tracks, this is the only one.  Which is one of my complaints with the album.  Where is “Don’t Be Shy” by Cat Stevens, the song that was played during a pivotal scene?  Where is Mahoney’s rendition of Donovan’s “Jennifer Juniper”?  Why are they not on the released soundtrack?  Also, the song doesn’t even sound like a Flaming Lips song (which, for me, is a positive thing).  It wouldn’t even fit in with their discography at all.  Yes, I’m not a Flaming  Lips fan – and by all accounts, I should be.  But, I genuinely like this song.  Maybe because it does have a positive, optimistic message – which is the sole reason that the song half-fits on the album.

I don’t have many complaints with the soundtrack.  The lack of the two other songs bothers me, for one.  But, an even bigger problem is the track listing.  The songs aren’t in order with the movie.  “Mahoney’s Debut” should be in the thirty-sixth slot, not number two.  Why is “The Funeral” so early on the CD, even before “Triscadecaphobia,” “Dancing,” and “The Euphonium”?  This greatly bothers me.

But that’s all.  The soundtrack is a very hopeful one, in addition to the movie.  But, it’s a nice soundtrack, but outside of the context of the movie, is hard to get into.  For most of it.  Like I said, there are a lot of great compositions, but really, I can’t picture many people buying the CD, especially if they haven’t seen the movie.  Now, I’m not trying to write a movie review, but I feel like I should at least mention that the movie wasn’t really received well by critics.  Which is understandable.  Because nothing about this movie is vague.  It’s an upfront, honest film with itself.  It doesn’t try to be anything less than optimistic.  And the soundtrack is positive right along with it.  It accomplishes its job.  And even goes beyond what most movie compositions do; the music fills in as an almost fifth (or sixth if you include the toy store as another) character.  Desplat and Zigman did a wonderful job.  And most of this could be coming out because I am a complete music dork, but it’s also my emotional attachment side that thinks the movie is great.  Or it could be because I’ll love anything with Natalie Portman. 

Buy This Album

Official Site

Last.fm Page

Great movie! The soundtrack, the cinematography, the screenplay, the car- everything is perfect. Classic American cinema, and a must-see.

Enjoy!

(Jump to the 6:25 mark for the glorious driving scenes set to Simon & Garfunkel’s Mrs. Robinson.)

- Gyro

Misery is a 1990 American horror-thriller film from Columbia Pictures and Castle Rock Entertainment, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates’ performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes. Bates won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe. The film was ranked #12 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

Trivia:

• Cameo: [J.T. Walsh] State of Colorado Police Chief.
• Director Cameo: [Rob Reiner] the helicopter pilot.
• After seeing The Shining (1980). Rob Reiner was immediately inspired to direct a movie based on a Stephen King novel.
• The main character Paul Sheldon’s novels are published by Viking, the same publishing company that published Stephen King’s books at that time.

Buy this title on Blu-ray Disc

• A video of When Harry Met Sally… (1989) (also directed by Rob Reiner) is visible in the general store.
• The “guy who went mad in a hotel nearby” is a reference to The Shining (1980), also based on a novel written by Stephen King.
• Jack Nicholson was offered the role of Paul Sheldon but passed because he wasn’t sure he wanted to do another movie based on one of Stephen King’s novels after what he had experienced with Stanley Kubrick on The Shining (1980).
• When Annie demands that Paul burn his manuscript, she lights the paper and we see a close-up of the words on the paper, an article about Cameron Crowe and how he is an amazing scriptwriter. It talks about his movies, but mostly offers praise for Say Anything… (1989).
• According to William Goldman’s book “Four Screenplays”, the main character role, Paul Sheldon, was offered to William Hurt, ‘Kevin Kline (I)’, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Richard Dreyfuss, Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, and Warren Beatty, all of whom declined.
• Anjelica Huston was offered the leading role, and was interested, but was unable to accept it due to her commitment to The Grifters (1990). Bette Midler also turned the role down before it went to Kathy Bates.
• One of Stephen King’s first typewriters had a malfunctioning “N” key, just like the one used by James Caan in the movie.
• The new manuscript that Paul burns at Annie’s urging was called “Fast Cars.”
• In a recent interview with Melvyn Bragg, William Goldman revealed that few actors wanted the role of Paul Sheldon because Annie Wilks overshadowed him so much as a character. Warren Beatty commented before declining that the hobbling scene made Paul Sheldon “a loser for the rest of the film”. Goldman was determined to keep that scene in the film as it was his favorite from the Stephen King novel.
• Stephen King had originally planned to release the novel under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. While writing it, however, it was discovered that King was Bachman. King subsequently published the novel under his real name, and announced that Bachman had died from “cancer of the pseudonym.”

Un uomo da marciapiede ci racconta le disavventure di un giovane gigolò texano e di un piccolo truffatore italo-americano, ma è soprattutto la storia di un amicizia tra due poveri disgraziati.
Film del 1969, basato sul romanzo omonimo di James Leo Herlihy, pubblicato qualche anno prima, Un uomo da marciapiede vinse ben tre premi Oscar come miglior film, miglior regia (a John Schlesinger) e migliore sceneggiatura non originale. Protagonisti del film Dustin Hoffman e l’allora esordiente Jon Voight, che ricevettero due candidature per il prestigioso riconoscimento.
Alla prossima locandina!

Listened to some best of today, I gotta say that I hate re-runs.  But with Howard, they are okay.  I cant ever watch a movie 2 times.  No matter how good it is, or how funny it is.. Howard is different though, and I guess if I really think about it, Its good to listen to because…well, you know.. I dont know what it is.

Its just good entertainment.  The Rosie Interview, Dustin Hoffman, JD canceling the Car show, ect.  Its not all strippers and sibian rides, its not all lesbians and finding out what is in Sals pouch.  Us fans know that.  Although that stuff is super entertaining and funny.  Some of the great interviews howard gets are just enough funny and enough seriousness to get through.  Nobody cares about hearing about characters on movies, we want to know what these celebs do when they are not on camera.

Howard knows how to do it.. that is why he is the best and that is why these re-runs are not so bad to get through.  I dont know if i could listen to re-runs for ever though, there is nothing like hearing a live show on a monday morning.  When and if Howard goes, its really gonna suck.

Narrated by Dustin Hoffman, VISUAL ACOUSTICS celebrates the life and career of Julius Shulman, the worlds greatest architectural photographer, whose images brought modern architecture to the American mainstream. Shulman, who passed away this year, captured the work of nearly every major modern and progressive architect since the 1930s including Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, John Lautner, and Frank Gehry. His images epitomized the singular beauty of Southern Californias modernist movement and brought its iconic structures to the attention of the general public. This unique film is both a testament to the evolution of modern architecture and a joyful portrait of the magnetic, whip-smart gentleman who chronicled it with his unforgettable images.

Via & more: juliusshulmanfilm.com

Ao ficar sozinho, sem destino, expectativas, sonhos, ares e qualquer outro tipo de esperança, algumas pessoas resolvem aparecer em nossas vidas. Diversas vezes, essas pessoas já estão ao nosso lado um tanto tempo, mas não vemos.

Recentemente, tenho buscado ficar na minha. Digo buscado, pois não é fácil dizer não aos amigos e familiares. Estou bem seletivo em relação as minhas vontades. Em relação a minha vida. Pergunto - Se hoje eu lhe sorrir, por que não sorrir de volta? Você já olhou em sua volta? Recebes muitos sorrisos?

Pois bem, não sou o único perdido aqui.

Tinha que ser Você

Assistindo “Tinha que ser Você” ou “Last Chance Harvey”, com Dustin Hoffman e Emma Thompson – perfeitos, diga-se de passagem – vi o que sempre tentei negar. As pessoas são solitárias! Em pouco mais de vinte minutos de filme, pude contar no dedo vários conhecidos, inclusive eu, que se encaixariam bem nos papéis principais.

Alerto que, as pessoas não são solitárias porque querem, pelo contrário. Muitas vezes, por razões e emoções não correspondidas, elas se tornam assim. Talvez ao ver que um tempo que não deveria ter passado tão de pressa, passou. Talvez um amor desejado, mas nunca correspondido.

Tento responder aos enigmas de por qual motivo, tantos porquês precisam morrer ao final do dia, complicando nossas escolhas.

No meu ponto de vista, de tanto pensarmos em algo que queremos fazer, por mais certo que seja o ato, de alguma maneira, se torna errado, fazendo-nos recuar.

Hoje, vejo que não conheço nada, pois sempre recuei. Essa rotina sem graça, acabou sendo confortável. Contudo, estou aprendendo que viver a vida, dependendo de pessoas ou momentos, não vai acrescentar muito em meu potencial e nas chances de realizar meus desejos.

Todos possuem chances. Chances de acertos e de erros – não apenas uma ou duas chances, mas enquanto houver vida, haverá chance. A quem cabe nos julgar, a não sermos nós mesmos, primeiramente?

Viver o agora, sem medo de ser ou fazer. Meu plano de ação para 2010, que já está raiando, brilhando como o sol. Brilhando como meus olhos cheios de força e coragem. Nada do que foi deixado de lado no passado, será outra vez negado.

Viver o agora e agora!

Júlio Frutuoso

Le foglie, a Padova, non sono mai state così gialle: lo notavo oggi, andando a fare benzina. Non so da cosa possa dipendere; forse, tiro ad indovinare, dal modo con il quale si è arrivati a questo 21 novembre 2009, cioè dalla particolare sequenza di piogge, siccità, sole, nebbia (tanta nebbia) che ha caratterizzato gli ultimi mesi. Di sicuro ha piovuto poco; o così, almeno, mi pare di ricordare. Di sicuro, nei 21 novembre degli altri anni, le foglie erano già cadute, e stavano marcendo sui bordi dei marciapiedi; oppure, ancora appese ai rami, presentavano una gamma molto più convenzionale, e autunnale, di marroni.

Non ho mai visto quadri in cui le foglie siano state rappresentate con l’esatta tonalità del giallo squillante che ho ammirato oggi, lungo la strada verso il distributore. Neppure nelle opere degli impressionisti, così attenti a cogliere i colori cangianti della natura. E se qualche pittore decidesse di mettersi con il suo cavalletto lungo i marciapiedi della mia città, non oserebbe riprodurre la realtà per quello che è: il risultato non sarebbe verosimile.

Eh sì, bel paradosso: ci sono casi in cui la realtà non è verosimile; succede con certe storie di cronaca nera, con i tramonti, con le nuvole, con gli amori. Con le foglie. A raccontarli per quello che sono, a disegnarli, a suonarli usando solo dettagli veri, si otterrebbe qualcosa di incredibile. Perché, per definizione l’arte inganna: con artifici (ah, quante cose svela l’etimologia…) di varia natura – le parole, i colori, le forme, le note – essa induce il suo fruitore ad espandere i limiti della propria credulità. E’ per questo che Platone riteneva che l’arte, a differenza della filosofia, fosse estremamente pericolosa per una società civile: perché induceva le persone al pianto o al riso per fatti che non erano mai accaduti, trasformando così gli ascoltatori in bambini ingenui, potenzialmente disposti a credere anche a ciò che non è buono e giusto.

L’inganno dell’arte arriva a livelli sublimi. Dalle persone di fede protestante, Bach è stato considerato, per almeno due secoli, il quinto apostolo: la sua famosissima “Passione secondo Matteo” (che ogni adulto occidentale dovrebbe ascoltare almeno una volta, come prerequisito per poter votare alle Elezioni Europee) veniva considerata come un vangelo; e tra i vangeli, come quello più suggestivo. Tutti erano convinti che Bach avesse tradotto in musica la sua personale, profondissima esperienza religiosa, e che l’elevatezza irraggiungibile (lo è anche per un ateo come me: il sentimento religioso non presuppone l’esistenza di Dio) del risultato ottenuto dipendesse, in modo diretto, dalla grandezza e dalla purezza di quell’ispirazione divina. E’ invece ormai condiviso il fatto che Bach scrisse la musica della Passione prima di decidere la destinazione che intendeva dargli (Bach era un musicista professionista, che componeva esclusivamente su commissione); i sentimenti, insomma, si suscitano con la tecnica: e non con il sentimento, come credono tutti gli ingenui del mondo.

In ambiti molto meno nobili, è risaputo che quando i comici si divertono, difficilmente gli spettatori ridono. E che non serve morire sul palco – morire davvero – per convincere il pubblico a versare qualche lacrima sincera. Mentre si girava il film “Il maratoneta”, Laurence Olivier, vedendo il suo collega Dustin Hoffman che correva per due chilometri per girare una scena in cui aveva il fiatone, gli chiese: “Ma non sarebbe sufficiente recitare?”. Gli attori impiegano anni per arrivare a gestire ogni aspetto del proprio corpo, del proprio viso, della propria voce, con un solo obiettivo: cioè recitare talmente bene, da sembrare veri. Ad Hollywood gira anche la battuta che Dustin Hoffman, prima di girare “Kramer contro Kramer”, storia dolorosa di una separazione, divorziò da sua moglie per applicare il famoso metodo dell’Actor’s Studio, che prevedeva una totale identificazione dell’attore con il personaggio: in realtà, Dustin Hoffman divorziò da sua moglie durante le riprese.

Il maratoneta

Scendendo ancora un po’ più giù, ci sono voci di cantanti che ci fanno emozionare fino al punto da indurci la famosa orripilazione, aka pelle d’oca (fenomeno trasmesso dai nostri pensieri ai muscoli dei peli attraverso il sistema simpatico: il che apre scenari incredibilmente stimolanti sul rapporto tra mente e corpo), e ci pare che questo effetto sia dovuto al gran cuore del cantante, capace di provare sentimenti con un’intensità tale da farli tracimare, e attraverso la proverbiale ugola, farli arrivare a noi intatti. Il caso di quella specie di idiot savant che è Amy Winehouse dimostra che le cose, probabilmente, non vanno affatto in questo modo: con i produttori si lavora per giorni sulla particolare raucedine da usare in un passaggio, fino a che questo diventa sinceramente toccante.

L’arte inganna; se non lo fa, allora perde tutta la sua potenza. Una fotografia diventa arte quando, rappresentando il giardino sotto casa, o il viso di una persona, il risultato sembra tutt’altro. Nei cartoni animati della Pixar, il realismo si ottiene anche riproducendo la rifrazione della lente della cinepresa – lente che non esiste da nessuna parte, se non nella nostra testa.

Per essere credibile, insomma, l’arte deve assomigliare all’arte. E il giallo inverosimile di questa mattina, credetemi, non si era mai visto in nessun quadro.

Dustin Hoffman will NOT appear in “Little Fockers”, the third installment to the “Meet the Parents” series. The reason? He wants to be in the movie longer, but the studio only scripted him as a small cameo at the end of the movie, Dustin wasn’t happy about that. He also wasn’t happy with the scheduling and wanted to be payed more.

Barbara Streisand is still appearing and she’s still on for her role.

Entertainment Weekly reports:

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/11/19/dustin-hoffman-little-fockers/

Come on, Dustin, stop being a whiner!!! Where’s your professionalism? Of course, legendary actors like Dustin Hoffman’s ego will get in the way, that they think they are worth millions for films. He probably think he is bigger than Barbara Streisand.

At least, she’s still being a professional and accepting her cameo without whining. Dustin is just being a whiner, that is all. Gotta love greedy rich people!

Kev

Entertainment Weekly nos cuenta tristemente de que Dustin Hoffman no vaya a regresar a su papel del abuelo de los Fockers para la cinta “Little Fockers”.

E sta página da los detalles de que anteriormente se había dicho de que Bernie Focker nada más iba a tener un cameo en la película y pues eso no le agradó mucho a Dustin Hoffman, así que los problemas de que aparezca comenzaron a salir.

También nos dice esta página en inglés de que Barbara Streisand regresará como la abuela Roz, con un papel de mayor duración en la pantalla.

Miles de voces se acaban de escuchar al unísono.

Brave Despereaux prepares to leap into the unknown.

(Universal) Starring the voices of Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Robbie Coltrane, Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline, Emma Watson, Tracey Ullman, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Ciaran Hinds. Directed by Sam Fell and Rob Stevenhagen

It is far easier to judge someone on the way they look than on the way they act. It is also not uncommon for people of smaller stature to be overlooked. Still, it’s not the size of the mouse in the fight but the size of the fight in the mouse.

The kingdom of Dor is a wonderful, magical place ruled by a king and queen who are kind and generous. The best thing about Dor, however, is its soup. Chef Andre (Kline) is a genius, concocting new and wondrous creations that are famous far and wide. At the annual spring festival, Andre debuts a new creation that is shared by every citizen. Roscuro (Hoffman) is a shipboard rat with a taste for the good life. Curious about this wonderful soup, he hangs out at the ceremony in which the soup is tasted for the first time by the King and Queen. Unfortunately, Roscuro sets into motion events that cause tragedy for the kingdom and will cause an animosity between humans and rats that is so severe that the very sunshine is taken from Dor, leaving it drab and grey.

Into this world is born Despereaux Tilling (Broderick), a mouse half the size of his peers but with gigantic ears that more than make up for his lack of height. His parents and teachers do their best to teach Despereaux to be timid and fearful, survival instincts for every mouse. He reads stories of brave and noble knights and longs to be like them.

His refusal to adhere to mouse behavior and to actually contact a human – and not just any human, the sad and deluded Princess Pea (Watson) herself – leads to his exile. Once away from the mouse city he makes his way to the rat city where he befriends Roscuro. Despereaux’s quest to save the Princess inspires Roscuro, but her rejection of him leads him on a road of destruction and rage that may ultimately cause further catastrophe.

What is most intriguing about this movie is not so much the story which is pedestrian (although based on four Newberry Award-winning books by Kate DiCamillo) but the animation which is very different than what we are getting. It looks like an illustration come to life but with a life-like quality, particularly to the mice and rats. There is a rich detail in the animation that stacks up nicely to some of the better work of Pixar; indeed, this is some of the most complex, detailed animation ever seen.

There is some very good vocal work. Hoffman channels Ratso Rizzo in his performance and you get the impression that he was having a great time. Ullman also has some great moments as a scullery maid who dreams of being a princess and plays an important role in Roscuro’s revenge. There is also solid work from Broderick, Kline, Hinds as a scheming rat, Tucci as a magical being who assists Chef Andre and Weaver as the film’s narrator.

There is definitely a sense that this is meant for smaller children than larger ones, but there is so much heart in the movie that it’s easy to overlook that focus. There are moments of humor that are offbeat and surprising enough adults may wind up appreciating more than their tykes. However, one of the things I found most enchanting was the worlds of the rats and mice that are created – each with a distinctive look that thoughtfully echoes the philosophy of each race.

Once upon a time, magic and charm was enough for a movie to get by. These days we seem to look for a lot more. Granted, something like Up or Wall-E deserve more critical acclaim because they take chances with their stories that The Tale of Despereaux simply doesn’t take, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a good movie. This is a movie that does the heart good and leaves you with a warm feeling not unlike a batch of cookies fresh from the oven baked by someone who loves you.

WHY RENT THIS: This is a movie that is breezy and full of heart with an offbeat sense of humor that adults may like as well. Some superb vocal acting, particularly from Hoffman, Ullman and Coltrane.

WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: The animation is more like a painting than what animated features are doing right now; this might be off-putting to some less adventurous kids. The movie is a bit heavy on the fluff and light on the substance.

FAMILY VALUES: Some scenes of jeopardy but nothing any child can’t handle.

TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Despereaux was originally to be voiced by Justin Long until the producers settled on Matthew Broderick.

NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: There is an interactive map of the Kingdom of Dor that allows for descriptions of characters and places, an amusing featurette called Ten Uses for Oversized Ears and a pair of interactive games on the DVD. There is also a card creator on the Blu-Ray edition.

FINAL RATING: 7/10

TOMORROW: The Death of Mr. Lazarescu

2012 has soared to the top of the US box office in its opening weekend.

The action drama, starring John Cusack, accumulated $65 million in three days, earning more than the rest of the top ten combined.

Last weekend's top film A Christmas Carol slipped to number two with $22 million.

George Clooney's comedy The Men Who Stare At Goats remains at number three with $6.2 million, while the critically-acclaimed Harlem drama Precious has jumped eight spots to claim the number four position with $6 million.

In its eighth week in release, Paranormal Activitity surpasses the $100 million dollar mark to land at number eight with $4.2 million. The psychological mind-bender has been reported to be the highest grossing R-rated film of the last decade.

Finally, Richard Kelly's The Box, starring Cameron Diaz, drops to number ten on the chart with $3.1 million.

The US box office top ten in full:

1. (-) 2012 – $65,000,000

2. (1) A Christmas Carol – $22,325,000

3. (3) The Men Who Stare At Goats – $6,200,000

4. (12) Precious – $6,090,000

5. (2) This Is It – $5,100,000

6. (4) The Fourth Kind – $4,744,000

7. (7) Couples Retreat – $4,253,000

8. (5) Paranormal Activity – $4,200,000

9. (8) Law Abiding Citizen – $3,932,000

10. (6) The Box – $3,185,000

via Movies – News – ‘2012′ soars to top US box office – Digital Spy.

Still from Stranger Than Fiction, 2006

How easily do the comic actors get dismissed as good for nothing else performers who can be part of commercially viable comic projects only. Frankly, I used to believe so too. And it wasn’t till very recently that this belief of mine stood strong in my head. And the person, or rather the actor, who literally crushed my belief system and changed it all for me was someone I could never have expected in a million years. I’ve seen him do corny and trashy and really, really terrible stuff in the not so distant past. I would, however, like to clear that the actor I’m referring to here is a mainstream, commercial performer and the movies in consideration were made with mainstream audiences in mind.

The man I’m referring to is Will Ferrell. I’d seen him in movies that not only made no sense to human intellect but were rather repulsive at time as well. ‘Things’ (not movies) like Zoolander, Talladega Nights – The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Anchorman – The Legend of Ron Burgundy (which was a good satire on news anchors and news channels as such), A Night At The Roxbury, Dick, Superstar and Bewitched to name a few. And just to clear things up, I saw these movies on TV for lack of anything better to do at the time. There was no reason for me to even consider Will Ferrell as an actor at any level. But two weeks ago, when I was watching the TV yet again for lack of anything else to do, I chanced upon another Will Ferrell movie, Stranger Than Fiction, co starring the very talented Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The story revolves around Harold Crick (Ferrell), an IRS agent, a loner, a man with a compulsive habit of counting everything. One day Harold wakes up with a feeling of a strange voice in his head narrating his life. The voice goes on and on as he counts the strokes of his tooth brush, counts his steps to the bus stop and the stairs to his office floor. At first he ignores the voice, but when the voice says that Harold will die in a few days, he suddenly snaps up to the reality that the voice in his head is actually that of a writer, authoring a book and he is the ‘hero’ of that book. Sometimes, he finds the voice describing his actions and sometimes, guiding his thoughts and actions. The situation gets interesting with addition of a beautiful young woman, Anna Pascal, into the story of Harold’s life, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is being audited by the IRS. Gyllenhaal herself is in her own time-space continuum in the movie, giving a nearly stellar performance (after watching this one, I actually expect far better things from her) as Anna Pascal, a feisty baker who catches the fancy of the IRS agent, partly being led on by the voice in his head and partly by the free spirited young woman’s subtle beauty. Things start to change in Harold’s life, he starts living for the first time. He stops counting the strokes of his tooth brush, his steps to the bus stop or even the stairs to his office floor or his apartment. He even buys a guitar, a stratocaster and learns how to play. Just when he starts to let go of himself and enjoy whatever little life the writer has decided to leave him, Harold finally manages to find out the woman whose voice he’s been hearing, describing him, guiding him and sometimes even mocking him.

Emma Thompson is a veteran actor, been around for a while now and really good at what she does. The biggest surprise element of Stranger Than Fiction was, undoubtedly, Will Ferrell with Maggie Gyllenhaal doing her part to perfection in no small way and looking gorgeous while doing so. She catches the essence of Anna Pascal perfectly, the slightly fluid tempered, easy living, free spirited, large tattoo sporting baker being audited by the IRS for refusing to pay her taxes as a mark of protest. Will Ferrell as Harold Crick just plonks a mirror in front of your face, telling you how mundane and superfluous your life is if you tune out the voice of your heart. What was really Stranger Than Fiction was watching this man make a u-turn from his usually unimaginative and rather slapstick performances and give the performance of a lifetime.

I liked to believe in Freud’s saying that people who go into the performing arts suffer from an external locus of identity and are seeking other people’s approval in whatever they do with their life. Well, if that is true indeed, then Mr. Ferrell is definitely Stranger Than Fiction and has my approval for sure.

"When it's cooking it's cooking......they have the nuclear suit case bomb..."

When the President of the United States is caught with his pants down and charged with sexual misconduct, it’s up to his spin doctors to change public perception. Sound familiar? “Wag the Dog,” loosely structured from Larry Beinhart’s novel “American Hero,” is a darkly comic film that had the good fortune of being released when real life events in the Oval Office seemed to mirror events on the screen.

When “Wag The Dog” came out America was in the grip of the President Clinton Impeachment. Do you all remember it? What you may not remember is that why America was glued to C-SPAN, what was really going on was NAFTA.

The North American Free Trade Agreement. Ross Perot was the champion who shouted from every hill in America via Television….not to sign it. It lead to NAFTA and now you have the Security and Prosperity Partnership Of North America. Basically merging Canada, America and Mexico.

So what better way to keep the American people pre-occupied was simple. What was it? Keep real footage of the over 1 Million plus Iraq’s who were murdered for no reason because there were no weapons of mass destruction.

"Please support me by going to the mall shopping!"

Not only did Americans not see what was really happening in the middle east on television the way Americans did in the vietnam war, 2003 was the same year that the banker’s sub prime lending scam started allowing any American with a home to get a refinance and to be able to pull thousand of dollars of equity out. Of our all of these loans had a variable interest rate. So yeah, your payment might start out at like 1,250.00 dollars a month but within three years you would be paying something like 3,700 dollars. I was one of the unlucky ones who took out one of these loans. There is only one thing that saved our family. What was it? We sold our home in April of 2006. In fact, it was the last home to sell in our neighborhood. Thank God for intuition.

The truth of war 2009, wake up!!

On January 20, a changing of the guard occurred in the United States White House with two-term president George W. Bush being replaced by former freshman senator Barack Obama.

Bush had continued the policies of his predecessor Bill Clinton in relation to the Balkans, Iraq and Latin America – with troops and a massive military base in Kosovo, regular bombings of Iraq and a monumental expansion of military aid to Colombia – and in addition launched two wars of his own, those against Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq two years later.

Reports from the first twelve days of November indicate the global scope of the first attempt in history by one nation to achieve uncontested worldwide military power.

A survey of that period will trace recent trends across the globe with the alphabet as a compass.

Afghanistan

Any day now Washington may announce plans to add 40,000 or more troops to the 68,000 already there. [2] Plans are underway to accommodate that influx.

The American military compound at and fanning out from the Bagram Air Field has been expanded from 3,993 to 5,198 acres since 2001 and is in the process of further enlargement. It already hosts some 25,000 U.S. troops and contractors and “a new parking ramp supporting the world’s largest aircraft is to be completed this spring….[I]t is continuing to grow to keep up with the requirements of an escalating war and troop increases.” [3]

Regarding non-military personnel at Bagram and elsewhere in the nation, “Contractors in Afghanistan outnumber U.S. troops there” [4] as they do in Iraq.

The Army Times recently reported on the main purpose of the airbase at Bagram. Last month the number of U.S. and NATO air strikes in Afghanistan was the highest since July of 2008, with 647 bombs dropped in October compared to 752 a year ago July. “The airstrike numbers don’t include strafing runs, attacks by special operations AC-130 gunships, launches of small missiles or helicopter attacks.” [5]

Africa

A U.S. Defense Department news source reported on November 5 that Air Forces Africa commanders visited Mali and Senegal in West Africa. Vice commander Michael Callan “visited Mali’s 33d Parachute Regiment, a unit that carries out operations using tactical vehicles and communication equipment provided by the U.S. Defense and State Departments.” The Malian military is involved in a counterinsurgency war in the nation’s north aided by Washington.

A commander of Mali’s armed forces said, “Ninety-five percent of our soldiers were trained by the U.S, and we’ve engaged with you in exercises like Flintlock, Joint Planning and Assessment Teams and special bilateral training.” [6] Flintlock military exercises have been held in different locations on the African continent for years, this year’s being conducted by the new Africa Command (AFRICOM) for the first time. The U.S. also recently led multinational military exercises in Gabon and Uganda on both ends of the continent. [7]

The USS San Juan, “a fast-attack submarine,” arrived in South Africa on November 4, “setting the stage for a series of first-ever, at-sea engagements with the South African Navy submarine force.” [8]

Armenia

Robert Simmons [9], NATO’s special representative to the South Caucasus and Central Asia – former Senior Adviser to the United States Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs on NATO – was in this South Caucasus nation earlier this month and announced that he had recruited an initial contingent of Armenian troops for the war in Afghanistan. This marks the first deployment to that nation of soldiers from the Russian-led seven-nation Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a potential counterbalance to NATO in post-Soviet space.

“Simmons expressed NATO’s ‘appreciation to Armenia for its strong contributions’ to alliance missions, which he said began in Kosovo and will now be repeated in Afghanistan.” [10]

In reference to his mission of pulling yet another Russian ally into the U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization orbit, Simmons said, “We are continuing cooperation with the Armenian Defense Ministry. NATO assists the implementation of reforms and the development of strategically important documents.” [11]

Baltic Sea

After participating in NATO war games off the coast of Scotland, the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole paid visits to the capitals of Finland and Estonia in the Baltic Sea. “Cole hosted a reception in Helsinki, which was joined by Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, U.S. Naval Forces Africa and Allied Joint Forces Command Naples.

“Immediately following the departure from Helsinki, Cole arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, a few hours later.” [12]

The beginning of this month the guided-missile frigate USS John L. Hall with sailors of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 48 “completed a theater security cooperation (TSC) port visit to Klaipeda, Lithuania.”

A U.S. Navy official stated: “We are here as part of the United States Navy’s continuing presence in the Baltic Sea….We are also here to work with the Lithuanian Navy, who has been a valuable partner and our visit here is part of the ongoing relationship between our two countries and our two navies.” [13] [14]

On November 3 Estonian Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo was at the Pentagon to meet with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Associated Press reported on the occasion that he was “discussing with the United States why NATO needs plans in case his region is attacked.” [15]

Bangladesh

In early November three high-ranking American military officials arrived in the country. The three – U.S. Army Lieutenant General Benjamin R. Mixon, Commanding General of U.S. Army, Pacific, Vice-Admiral John M. Bird, Commander of U.S. Navy 7th Fleet, and U.S. Marine Corps Major General Randolph D. Alles, Director for Strategic Planning and Policy at the U.S. Pacific Command – engaged in discussions focusing “on interoperability, readiness in the region, security-force assistance, and bilateral approaches to maintaining regional stability.” [16]

On November 12 the U.S.-led Tiger Shark military exercises to train Bangladeshi naval commandos ended. A press release on the operation stated: “The training demonstrates the United States government’s commitment to Bangladesh and to regional security by promoting military-to-military relationships throughout Asia and the Pacific.” [17]

Black Sea

The Pentagon’s European Command (EUCOM) reported on November 2 that its Joint Task Force-East had completed an almost three-month series of trainings in Bulgaria and Romania which began on August 7 and included Stryker and Airborne units destined for the war in Afghanistan. [18] “Nearly 600 members of the Romanian Land Forces, 500 Bulgarian Land Forces, and more than 1,500 U.S. service members participated in this year’s combined training.” [19]

After U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden’s visit to the country on October 22, a news source in Romania wrote of Washington’s new interceptor missile plans: “A strong and modern surveillance system located in Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey could monitor three hot areas at once: the Black Sea, the Caucasus and the Caspian and relevant zones in the Middle East.” [20]

Colombia

The Obama administration signed a ten-year military treaty with the Alvaro Uribe government on September 30 which “gives American military forces access to seven Colombian army, navy and air force bases, but also to major international civilian airports in the country. In addition, U.S. personnel and defense contractors will enjoy diplomatic immunity under the agreement.” [21]

A copy of the pact surfaced on November 4 and detailed that it “allows Washington access to civilian airports as well as military bases” and as a result “the US will have access to all international airports across the Andean nation including airports in the cities of Barranquilla, San Andres, Cartagena, Bogota, Cali, Medellin and Bucaramanga.” [22]

In the initial phase an estimated 1,400 U.S. personnel will be assigned to the seven bases with the likelihood that the number will be increased as Washington sees fit. [23]

Eva Golinger observed that one of the newly acquired bases, that at Palanquero, was identified by a American Air Force document as providing the Pentagon “an opportunity for conducting full spectrum operations throughout South America….” [24]

Two South American nations bordering or near Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia, were not slow to respond.

Earlier this month Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stated in his weekly radio and television address that “We cannot waste one day to fulfill our mission: to prepare for war and help the people to get ready for war,” [25] warning that an armed conflict with the U.S. client regime in Bogota “could extend throughout the whole continent.” [26]

Days earlier two Venezuelan National Guard troops were killed at a checkpoint near Colombia and Caracas deployed 15,000 troops to the border.

In his November 13 address Chavez added. “Don’t make a mistake, Mr. Obama, by ordering an attack against Venezuela by way of Colombia.” [27]

On the same day his Bolivian counterpart, President Evo Morales, warned “I am convinced that where there are military bases, the social peace, the democracy and the development of the nations as well as their integration are not guaranteed. These facilities are an open provocation against the peace.”

Morales also said that he failed to comprehend how the American head of state could have been awarded the Peace Nobel Price “when his country does everything to promote wars and conflicts.

“Obama must justify that award by withdrawing all the troops of his country from around the world….” [28]

Czech Republic

Following up on his visit to Prague in late October, on November 5 U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden hosted Czech President Vaclav Klaus at the White House and “they mostly discussed the U.S. plan for a new missile defence architecture.”

The two “also talked about the situation in Afghanistan and Iran” and “Klaus said the United States knows that it is necessary to continue with the anti-missile project in Europe.” [29]

The next day U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Alexander Vershbow met with Czech defense officials in their nation to discuss new American missile plans for Eastern Europe, ones intended to be “stronger, smarter, and swifter” than the previous Bush administration version and to incorporate all of Europe under a NATO umbrella.

Vershbow characterized the content of the talks as having presented “some concrete ideas to begin that process of developing the Czech role in the new approach” and said that the Czech contribution could include “potential facilities here on the territory of the Czech Republic.” [30]

On November 4 the local press announced that “A few U.S. delegations will visit the Czech Republic in November, following up on the recent visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, including an expert military team that arrives in Prague this Friday.”

One of those delegations will include Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Ellen Tauscher, who “recently said the command for the managing and control of elements of the new version of anti-missile defence could be stationed in the Czech Republic.”

“The USA wants to build the system in cooperation with NATO.” [31]

Georgia

Earlier this week U.S. Marines completed the two-week Immediate Response 2009 military training exercises in the South Caucasus nation of Georgia. The preceding maneuvers of the same name, those of 2008 in which over 1,000 American troops participated, ended one day before Georgia started shelling neighboring South Ossetia and killed several people including a Russian peacekeeper. [32]

Days after that the U.S. client regime launched an all-out invasion of South Ossetia, triggering a five-day war with Russia.

The official purpose of this year’s exercises was to train Georgian troops to serve under NATO command in Afghanistan, but a Russian news source saw matters differently:

“Immediate Response was clearly designed not to fight against the Taliban or al-Qaeda…..Commander of US Army in Europe General Carter Ham visited Georgia to inspect the exercises but no one came from Afghanistan.

“Perhaps, the exercises were aimed at issuing a warning to Russia.” [33]

As the drills were ending Alexander Shliakhturov, chief of Russia’s military intelligence, said “that he did not rule out that Georgia might again use force against breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia.” [34]

A lengthier account of Shliakhturov’s concerns appeared in the Georgian media and included these quotes:

“According to our information, Georgia is still getting military aid from Ukraine, Israel and NATO. NATO countries, especially Eastern European countries, provide Georgia with arms and equipment, Israel provides Georgia with air equipment, the USA trains Georgian troops and Ukraine provides Georgia with heavy equipment, namely, tanks.”

“The Russian Intelligence Service is addressing other dangers too, namely, the efforts being made by the USA and NATO to bring Georgia and Ukraine into the alliance and the new US plan to locate anti-missile systems in Europe.” [35]

Four days later other Russian sources revealed “that the United States plans to supply weapons, including a Patriot-3 air defense system and shoulder-launched Stinger missiles, worth a total of $100 million, to Georgia.” [36]

The next day Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “recalled the situation in the summer of 2008 when many countries ignored Russian warnings that modern arms in Saakashvili’s hands might prompt this man to unleash military aggression.” [37]

The chief of the Russian General Staff, General Nikolai Makarov, said “Georgia is getting large amounts of weapons supplied from abroad” and “Georgian military potential is currently higher than last August [2008].” [38]

India

Shortly after the Pentagon wrapped up the largest joint U.S.-Indian military exercises ever, Yudh Abhyas [Preparation for War] – which featured the first deployment of new American Stryker armored combat vehicles outside of Iraq and Afghanistan – at the end of October [39], it was announced that “India is negotiating with the United States to acquire state of the art Javelin anti-tank missiles worth several million dollars for large-scale induction.” [40]

Days earlier former president George W. Bush was in India and called on his host nation to join in the war in Afghanistan, urging the U.S. and India to “work together to win the war in Afghanistan.” [41]

Iraq

In early November Arabic language news sources revealed that “The US military has finished erecting an advanced radar system in Iraq to monitor the border with Iran, Syria and Turkey” and that “the radar is a preparatory measure aimed at providing the United States and its allies advanced control capabilities in event of a US military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.” [42]

Korean Peninsula

The South Korean Yonhap News Agency reported on November 1 that “The US and South Korea have completed joint action plans for responding to a regime collapse and other internal emergency situations in North Korea….” [46]

Citing an unidentified South Korean official, the report contains these details:

“South Korea and the US had long worked on Concept Plan 5029, to prepare for a regime collapse and other internal emergencies in North Korea.

“Since its inauguration last year, the [South Korean President] Lee Myung-bak government has pushed to convert the concept plan into an operational plan and it was recently completed.

“If the South Korea-US combined forces intervene in North Korea’s internal instabilities, the South Korean military will assume the leading role in consideration of neighboring countries, while the US military will be responsible for the removal of the North’s nuclear facilities and weapons.” [47]

On the final day of last month Washington expressed its satisfaction at South Korea redeploying troops to Afghanistan shortly after Pentagon chief Robert Gates’ visit to Seoul and the South Korean defense ministry on October 22.

“Washington supports and welcomes South Korea’s plans to deploy troops to Afghanistan…the U.S. Department of State said.” [48]

Kosovo

This month began with former U.S. president Bill Clinton arriving in the capital of Kosovo for the unveiling of a gaudy 11-foot gold-sprayed bronze statue of himself on November 1. [49]

He was being hailed by the breakaway entity’s nominal prime minister, former Kosovo Liberation Army chieftain Hashim Thaci, for his role in launching the 78-day NATO air war against Yugoslavia in March of 1999. That sustained bombing campaign, Operation Allied Force, inaugurated the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as an active war-making machine and issued in the ten-year war cycle that continues to this day with no indication of it ever abating.

A Russian commentary of the following day put the ceremony in perspective:

“Over the course of the 10-week conflict, NATO aircraft flew over 38,000 combat missions; even the German Luftwaffe had its first taste of combat over the skies of Yugoslavia since having its wings clipped in World War II.

“The ensuing 78-day aerial bombardment campaign, which grew continuously more aggressive and reckless, spared little infrastructure: factories, bridges, roads and power stations were all bombed with deadly accuracy. As a result, thousands of innocent civilians suffered great deprivation on both sides of the battle.

“In perhaps the worst public relations disaster for NATO during the conflict, five US ’smart’ bombs severely damaged the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, killing three Chinese journalists. NATO officials, in an effort to cool Chinese outrage, blamed the error on outdated maps. Chinese officials rejected both the apologies and explanations.” [50]

Pakistan

Over the past year the nine-year-long U.S. and NATO war in Afghanistan has been extended into Pakistan, the so-called AfPak theater of operations.

On November 4 the U.S. launched its latest drone missile attack into North Waziristan, killing two Pakistanis.

“According to independent reports, since August 2008 alone, around 70 cross-border predator strikes carried out by American drones have resulted in the death of 687 Pakistani civilians.” [51]

The Nation, a Pakistani daily newspaper, reported on November 12 that the massive increase in NATO convoys crossing the country en route to Afghanistan are overwhelming the country’s highways and that “Pakistani authorities are simply helpless in checking truckloads of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces badly damaging the Indus Highway, the repair of which would cost billions of rupees to the national exchequer….NATO trucks and trailers have not been [held accountable] even once for the repair and maintenance work, while cracks are developing on the Indus Highway after every three to four months due to overloading….” [52]

Persian Gulf

A local news sources wrote on November 9 that “The US has deployed a new expeditionary force in the Persian Gulf – the first time a permanent self-sustaining US naval force has been set up in the region.

“The newly established Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 5 will serve in the area of responsibility of the US Navy 5th Fleet Combined Task Force (CTF) 51 in Manama, Bahrain,” where the entire U.S. Fifth Fleet is based. [53]

The Philippines

Two American servicemen were killed in a mine attack in Mindanao in late September, the first official deaths in the U.S.-assisted counterinsurgency war against not only the Abu Sayyaf Group but also the Moro National Liberation Front and the New People’s Army.

Filipino senators “called for the abrogation of the [Visiting Forces Agreement], saying the US Seabees killed in the explosion weren’t supposed to be there, as…the presence of the alleged land mine constitutes the area as a war zone.” [54]

Pentagon chief Robert Gates insisted earlier in the month “that some 600 US counter-terrorism troops will remain in the southern Philippines….” [55]

An opponent of the active American military involvement in the country said that “the US military has established its permanent presence in the Philippines through the auspices of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). Many of the US soldiers are currently deployed in Mindanao under the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines headquartered in Zamboanga City.” [56]

On November 12 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Manila after the Philippine Senate recently passed a nonbinding resolution calling on the government to renegotiate the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement, “which enables U.S. forces to train and assist Philippine troops” and “vowed…to continue American military support.” [57]

Poland

Before departing for the Philippines Clinton hosted Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in Washington “to discuss the new anti-missile shield plan.” [58]

On the same day, November 2, U.S. Air Force personnel transferred five C-130 Hercules military cargo planes from the Ramstein Air Base in Germany to the Powidz Air Base in Poland.

A U.S. Air Force website offered these details: “Prepping Polish aircrews and maintainers for the transition to the larger Lockheed-Martin built Hercules has been accomplished with a blend of English language and specialty knowledge training at bases in Texas and Arkansas and through a type of work mentorship exchange between U.S. and Polish air force personnel….”

A Polish air force officer revealed the purpose of the U.S. transfer in stating “The main task for the C-130s is to support our contingency operations in Afghanistan, Chad, Africa and everywhere Polish troops and supplies are needed.” [59]

After NATO defense chiefs, including the U.S.’s Gates, met in Slovakia late last month and U.S. Vice President Biden visited Poland at about the same time, Warsaw announced that it was deploying 600 more troops to Afghanistan, bringing the nation’s total toward the 3,000 mark.

Sweden

Sweden’s Chief of Defense Staff General Sverker Goranson was in Washington, D.C. in early November and was interviewed by Defense News.

His nation, which has for decades presented itself as neutral, has 500 troops serving under NATO command in Afghanistan – Sweden and Finland are in charge of four northern provinces for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force – and five Swedish soldiers were injured in a roadside bomb explosion on November 11, two them seriously.

Goranson’s comments demonstrate how far from anything resembling neutrality Sweden has recently strayed:

“The transformation we are conducting is a huge turnaround, and as I told Adm. [Michael] Mullen [U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman], we know where we are going….The major shift is globalization and the fact that most of the things we are dealing with aren’t necessarily about national boundaries.

“What turned Sweden around is not focusing on national defense, but being a part of this globalized world and solving issues together, because wherever conflicts are, whether in the Balkans or Afghanistan….”

When asked about the potential for a showdown in the Arctic Circle with Russia, he spoke about starting “discussions between the United States, Norway, Denmark and Canada [all NATO members] about what are the borders….As part of the Nordic Battle Group, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark are already sharing the operational picture in the air and on the sea, and that can be extended to the High North.”

Lastly, the Swedish visitor, whose meetings included one with the U.S.’s top military commander, acknowledged: “We had a defense resolution in 1996 that said the Swedish armed forces should be completely NATO-interoperable, which is the standard we have worked to accordingly, to make sure that wherever we go, as we did to Afghanistan.” [60]

Yemen

The government of Yemen is waging military operations against Shiite rebels in the north of the country and neighboring Saudi Arabia started launching air strikes against them earlier this month.

On November 10 Yemen’s official news agency, Saba, announced that the U.S. has signed a military cooperation agreement with the nation.

The news agency also quoted Brigadier General Jeffrey Smith, the commander of the U.S. 5th Signal Command, “as renewing Washington’s support for Yemen’s unity, security and stability.” [61]

One account of the agreement was provided under the headline “Yemen, US sign military deal to fight rebels.” [62]

As the rebels are Shiite Muslims, Washington is exploiting the conflict to recruit Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations against Iran.

Yemen, on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, lies directly across from Djibouti where the Pentagon maintains its only permanent base in Africa, Camp Lemonier, and from Somalia, which U.S. warships periodically shell from the Indian Ocean.

Link: http://bit.ly/war_war_3

Yeah, so what, I just got to see this for the first time last night.  My girlfriend bought it on DVD, a three pack at Wal-Mart with “Dead Man Walking,” because her mom was an extra in that film, and “Raging Bull,” some boxing film starring the De Niro, nonetheless.

Anyway, I think Dustin Hoffman and co, nailed the autism-adult character for this film.  Valeria Golino plays the Italian girlfriend.  Tom Cruise was perhaps at his finest as a typecast, as well, and it did win Best Picture for 1988, so I guess I’m not going to trash it any.  It was pretty good.  It did though seem like every other scene was Tom Cruise hanging out in one room and Dustin Hoffman in another, then something would happen and they’d meet up.  The whole movie was like this.  And there was some weird jungle sounding music going on in it.

What has director, Barry Levinson, been up to since then?  Don’t worry, all kinds of stuff.  Try the whole HBO series “OZ” for starters.  He’s one of those regular Mr. Hollywoods.  As for the writers, Barry Morrow has had a much quieter career since “Rain Man,” than Ronald Bass, whose career soared throughout the 90’s.

These famous legs don't actually belong to Anne Bancroft, but to actress Linda Gray. Uploaded by projectorhead.wordpress.com.

Beyond a memorable script, a terrific cast, a visionary director, and perfect music, some movies just happen to fully embody the Zeitgeist of its era. So it was with The Graduate, a masterful movie that perfectly captured the freedom and angst of the late 60s.

The script came courtesy of Calder Willingham and Buck Henry. Dustin Hoffman made his major movie debut, and was perfect as Benjamin Braddock, while Anne Bancroft portrayed Mrs. Robinson with the perfect blend of sultriness and ennui. It was director Mike Nichols’ second film, following the startling Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. That’s a pretty auspicious beginning. And the music of Simon and Garfunkel was expertly woven through the film, a soundtrack not just for the movie, but for the times.

Uploaded by dateacougartips.com.

I love behind-the-scenes movie trivia, so here are a couple of things about The Graduate I found interesting. Dustin Hoffman was 30 and Anne Bancroft was 36 when the movie was made, but Hoffman looked so young and Bancroft so mature that they carried off cross-generational lovers. And the legs in the famous movie poster, beyond which we see Hoffman, didn’t belong to Bancroft, but to a young model – Linda Gray, who went on to play Sue Ellen Ewing in Dallas.

The Graduate was selected as the number seven movie in the American Film Institute’s “100 Years…100 Movies” program. Two lines from the movie also are among the most famous in film history: “Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me, aren’t you?” was selected as number 63 by the AFI and number 17 by Premiere magazine. And “Plastics” was the AFI’s number 42 quote.