Showing posts with label George Lucas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label George Lucas. Show all posts
Saturday, November 17, 2012
15 Potential Directors for the New 'Star Wars' Films
Could it be J.J. Abrams? Matthew Vaughn? "Harry Potter" helmer David Yates? With all of Hollywood likely to want the job, here are some real choice options.
10/31/2012 by Jordan Zakarin
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/new-star-wars-movies-director-384731
Now that the shock that Disney is buying Lucasfilm and producing three new Star Wars films -- news that froze some megafans like Han Solo in carbonite -- has worn off, it's time to look at the future of the franchise with clear eyes. The fact that creator George Lucas will not direct the films and that Kathleen Kennedy will produce them opens up a wide world of possibilities.
Those possibilities, of course, all depend on who takes the helm for the films. Will they be family-friendly? Gritty? Extra nerdy? Hard to say, but here are some potential leading contenders (in our fanboy imaginations, anyway) to take over the legendary sci-fi canon.
J.J. Abrams
He's already revived one iconic space-based franchise, in Star Trek, and is wrapping work on its sequel. Would he do another? Well, he always was more of a Star Wars fan growing up. Abrams is the current king of TV sci-fi, having launched such shows as Alias and Lost, and has had other big-screen successes as director of Mission: Impossible III and producer of Cloverfield and Mission: Impossible IV -- Ghost Protocol. He also has worked with Kennedy's longtime partner, Steven Spielberg, on their '80s-style monster film, Super 8, which came out in summer 2011.
Jon Favreau
A lifelong fan of the force who had a voice role in the Clone Wars animated series, Favreau has major cred with Disney and geeks for his work in launching the critically beloved Iron Man franchise. Mixing grit with humor and gadgets, the series helped launch the current Marvel cinematic universe; there would be no Avengers without Iron Man. Oh, and he produced Avengers, too. Although Cowboys & Aliens didn't really hit, it did provide him with the chance to work with a Star Wars legend in Harrison Ford. He's set to direct an adaptation of Jersey Boys, though, presumably, a chance to direct Star Wars films would be too good to pass up.
Joe Johnston
Another Marvel vet, Johnston directed its Captain America to strong critical and commercial success. He has worked with Kennedy on Jurassic Park III, which he directed, and has had a career-long relationship Lucas, as he provided character designs and special effects to the original Star Wars films. He did the same for Raiders of the Lost Ark, winning an Oscar. He's also written a Star Wars book.
Christopher Nolan
The man that's redefining the modern comic book franchise, Nolan might be wary to get involved in another geeky venture with a classic predetermined story. But he will be out of his DC duties soon -- he's producing Man of Steel but not Justice League -- and aside from exec producing cinematographer Wally Pfister's directorial debut, he doesn't seem to have much on his docket.
Matthew Vaughn
His X-Men prequel First Class was adored by fans of the series (and did relatively well financially), and his genre-busting Kick-Ass was a fan favorite with a sequel on the way. He's shown he can do grit, with Layer Cake and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. He was at one point in talks to direct Thor for Disney, so he at least knows its executives.
David Yates
The man who took over and finished the Harry Potter series, Yates has proved that he can handle a beloved franchise, elevate its content and make big money in the process. His Potter films were at the same time dark and family-friendly enough, a difficult line to balance. Yates also has had considerable success in TV work, both in the U.K. and U.S.
Alfonso Cuaron
Another Harry Potter director (Prisoner of Azkaban), Cuaron has his own space drama, Gravity, coming out next year. Sure, that's a bit different than Star Wars -- this film will have Sandra Bullock and George Clooney drifting through space -- but it's sci-fi nonetheless. He also produced Pan's Labyrinth, which had monsters galore, and his Children of Men and Y Tu Mama Tambien proved he can add plenty of edginess to his scripts.
Zack Snyder
A bit of a polarizing figure in the fan community, Snyder made the hits 300 and remake of Dawn of the Dead but also the maligned Sucker Punch and the divisive Watchmen. He's behind the new Superman film, which will either send him to the next level or sink his bonafides. Like most directors of his generation, he's also a huge Star Wars fan.
Josh Trank
An up-and-coming director, Trank had a surprise hit with last year's Chronicle, a fresh take on the sci-fi genre with a small budget and dark subject matter. Practical special effects in the film, about high school students who gain special powers from toxic waste, were strong, and the project won him the new Fantastic Four job. That might get in the way of the Star Wars project, however.
Duncan Jones
His breakout indie hit was, fittingly, titled Moon, so you know he's got a thing for space (also, having David Bowie -- Ziggy Stardust himself -- for a father probably helped nurture that). His second film, Source Code, showed a more Hollywood aesthetic though still dealt with high concepts and special effects. He obviously never has worked with a budget like the one Star Wars commanded, but he's young and talented and has been considered for genre work, including Man of Steel and Dredd.
Brad Bird
A two-time Oscar winner for his work with Pixar, Bird made the transition to live action with aplomb as director of the megahit Mission: Impossible IV -- Ghost Protocol. His Pixar work means he's a trusted Disney hand, and his M:I creds means he can handle someone else's franchise. He's got preproduction on the period film 1906 under way, but hey, this is Star Wars.
Drew Goddard
Another lifetime Star Wars fan, Goddard co-wrote and directed the long-delayed hit Cabin in the Woods, showing he can helm a genre film with humor and serious monsters. His co-writer on that film just happens to be Joss Whedon, who is now the go-to guy at Disney/Marvel; he's long been a Whedon apprentice, having written on Buffy and other TV shows. He's also working with Spielberg, as writer of Robopocalypse, so he's got connections with some very influential people in the Disney-Kennedy spheres.
Seth MacFarlane
Yes, really. The Family Guy animation king is a lifelong Star Wars nut -- he has made several special Star Wars episodes of Family Guy -- and busted out into live-action film with the megahit Ted. Sure, he's raunchy, but one has to assume he'd respect the material. And being Oscar host can't hurt his recognition factor, right?
Guillermo del Toro
A man with his iron in many, many fires, del Toro is a master at monster films and sci-fi. But is he too offbeat for this mainstream franchise? He nearly directed The Hobbit, but that fell through because of scheduling. He produces a ton of films and has Pacific Rim on the way, but if he could strike a balance between his own interests and the franchise's requirements, he'd be a big hit with fans.
George Miller
The oldest guy on this list but a real option. He's rebooting his own Mad Max film, was an option on Justice League for DC and directed both Happy Feet movies and the sequel to Babe, the film about the talking pig.
Trail to Episodes VII, VIII & IX
The Long, Winding, and Shapeshifting Trail to Episodes VII, VIII & IX
J.W. Rinzler | October 30, 2012
http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/index.php/2012/10/30/the-long-winding-and-shapeshifting-trail-to-episodes-vii-viii-ix/
The long conjectured third Star Wars trilogy has kept fans guessing for decades, and may even have a few numerologists working on their mysteries. George Lucas’ shifting feelings about future Star Wars trilogies have consistently clouded the picture. Given the difficulties associated with the birth of Star Wars in 1977, it’s no wonder that Lucas’s ideas kaleidoscoped. When trying to get such a big undertaking up and running and out the door, visions of the future are understandably hazy. But, as of October 30, 2012, Episodes VII, VIII and IX have been announced as real and soon to be tangible — but they’ve existed as gossamer spirits for nearly 40 years.
On December 29, 1975, in conversation with Alan Dean Foster per the novelization of Star Wars, Lucas mentioned the prequel trilogy along with what would become Episodes V and VI: “I want to have Luke kiss the Princess in the second book. In the third book, I want the story just about the soap opera of the Skywalker family, which ends with the destruction of the Empire. Then someday I want to do the back story of Kenobi as a young man – a story of the Jedi and how the Emperor eventually takes over and turns the whole thing from a Republic into an Empire, and tricks all the Jedi and kills them. The whole battle where Luke’s father gets killed. That would be impossible to do, but it’s great to dream about.”
As Lucas came to terms with Twentieth Century-Fox during the making of Star Wars, he secured the legal rights to his sequels, though they remained undefined at the time. On location for the first phase of principal photography in Tunisia in March 1976, Lucas began a long tradition of talking with close collaborators, voicing his ideas for these other episodes and trilogies, much as Walt Disney would do of his projects.
“You know, when I first did this, it was four trilogies,” Mark Hamill recalled in 2004, speaking of their conversation in 1976. “Twelve movies! Out on the desert, any time between setups… lots of free time. And George was talking about this whole thing… ‘Um, how’d you like to be in Episode IX?’ ‘When is that going to be?’ ‘2011.’ […] I said, ‘Well, what do you want me to do?’ He said, ‘You’ll just be like a cameo. You’ll be like Obi-Wan handing the lightsaber down to the next new hope.’”
In 1978, a Time magazine article reported that the Star Wars Corporation (a subsidiary Lucas had formed for Star Wars) would be producing “Star Wars II [Empire], and then, count them, 10 other planned sequels.” At that time Lucas consistently mentioned 12 films and even created a barebones outline to that effect.
In it, the original trilogy occupied Episodes VI, VII, and VIII; a Clone Wars trilogy took up Episodes II, III, and IV, while Episode I was a “prelude,” Episodes IX through XI were simply left blank – and Episode XII was the “conclusion.”
In 1979, however, Lucas said in an interview on the set of Empire, “The first script was one of six original stories I had written in the form of two trilogies. After the success of Star Wars, I added another trilogy. So now there are nine stories. The original two trilogies were conceived of as six films of which the first film was number four.”
While in postproduction in early 1980, Lucas used to kick back from time to time with ILM manager Jim Bloom and muse about the bigger story. “The first trilogy is about the young Ben Kenobi and the early life of Luke’s father when Luke is a little boy,” Lucas said. “This trilogy takes place some 20 years before the second trilogy, which includes Star Wars and Empire. About a year or two passes between each story of the trilogy and about 20 years between the trilogies. The entire saga spans about 55 years. I’m still left with three trilogies of nine films. At two hours each, that’s about eighteen hours of film!”
While Empire was originally part of a 12-film plan, by the time it was released, the number had clearly been reduced to nine. “The prequel stories exist — where Darth Vader came from, the whole story about Darth and Ben Kenobi — and it all takes place before Luke was born,” Lucas explained at the time. “The other one — what happens to Luke afterward — is much more ethereal. I have a tiny notebook full of notes on that. If I’m really ambitious, I could proceed to figure out what would have happened to Luke.”
Lucas mentioned these notebooks — or one big book — to me, a few years ago. I asked if I could see it, but he declined. My feeling is that this big book or these notebooks are private, though Lucas has occasionally sent me via an assistant miscellaneous handwritten notes from the period 1976-1983 to help in the writing of the making-of books.
But two years later while filming Jedi, for many reasons, Lucas was burning out, tired of the whole enterprise: “I’m only doing this because I started it and now I have to finish it,” he adds. “The next trilogy will be all someone else’s vision.”
As of today, Lucas has given his new co-chairman Kathleen Kennedy several ideas and is really going into semi-retirement. Now, in a relatively short time, compared to the decades of speculation, fans will learn the secrets of Episodes VII, VIII and IX. Star Wars has risen again!
Lucasfilm executive editor J. W. Rinzler is the author of The Making of Star Wars and The Complete Making of Indiana Jones. He is now writing The Making of Return of the Jedi (and really looking forward to finishing it) for a fall 2013 release. You can visit jwrinzler.com for more info.
Disney's 'Star Wars' Could Last 100 Years
George Lucas Says Disney's 'Star Wars' Could Last 100 Years
Lucas says talks are already underway with writers for the upcoming 2015 seventh film, with two more planned after that.
Gil Kaufman
Oct 31 2012
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1696485/disney-george-lucas-star-wars-film.jhtml
At this point, we don't know much about what the seventh "Star Wars" film will be about, but we certainly have some ideas about what we do and don't? want to see.
Along with fans, we were thrown into a frenzy on Tuesday when it was announced that Disney had purchased George Lucas' Lucasfilm for more than $4 billion. The deal will not only bring Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, Han and the gang into the Mouse house, but it will also serve to re-boot one of the most popular and highest-grossing film franchises of all time.
After five-decade career in filmmaking, in a YouTube video explaining the deal, Lucas said he's been contemplating retirement for a while and now seemed like the right time to hand over the keys to the Jedi kingdom.
"Obviously I've been talking about retiring for several years now," he said. "I wanted to get into sort of another stage of life where I'm not in the film business anymore, where I don't have to run a corporation. It occurred to me one day that the perfect person to run the company was [Lucasfilm co-chair] Kathy [Kennedy]. It's just such a perfect fit, and I felt that I really wanted to put the company somewhere in a larger entity that would protect it. Disney is a huge corporation; they have all kinds of capabilities and facilities. There's a lot of strength to be gained by this."
Pointing to the success Disney has had with Marvel and Pixar, Kennedy said the family-friendly company with its legendary theme parks and merchandising power was the logical choice for Lucasfilm.
The good news for fans is that they will not only get an episode seven, but, in fact, an entire new trilogy. "I always said I wasn't going to do any more, and that's true, I'm not going to do any more," said Lucas, who will not write or direct the upcoming films, but whose iconic imprint will be all over them. "But that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to turn it over to Kathy [Kennedy] to do more. I have story treatments of 7, 8 and 9 and a bunch of other movies, and obviously, we have hundreds of books and comics and everything you could possibly imagine. So I sort of moved that treasure trove of stories and various things to Kathy, and I have complete confidence that she's gonna take them and make great movies."
Kennedy revealed that meetings have already begun with prospective writers for the new movies. "I'm doing this so that the films will have a longer life," Lucas said. "So more fans and people can enjoy them in the future. It's a very big universe I've created and there's a lot of stories sitting in there."
In a separate video announcing the deal, Disney CEO Bob Iger had nothing but praise for Lucas' vision for the "Star Wars" universe, which he noted now includes 17,000 characters inhabiting several thousand planets spanning 20,000 years. "George Lucas is a true visionary and an innovative, epic storyteller who has defined modern filmmaking with unforgettable characters and amazing stories," said Iger.
The pact will also spin off new TV shows, games and theme park attractions and Iger said the company fully understands the responsibility that comes with stewardship of such iconic, beloved characters. In the same video, Lucas said he's been a fan of Disney all his life and that the deal will allow him to move into more philanthropic efforts as well as work on more experimental films that don't fit into the Lucasfilm universe.
"It was a perfect match of two companies that are constructed similarly," Lucas said. "It will give me a chance to go off and explore my own interests [and] at the same time feel completely confident that Disney will take good care of the franchise that I've built."
The best news of all? "We have a large group of ideas and characters and books and all kinds of things," Lucas said. "We could go on making 'Star Wars' for the next 100 years."
Lucas says talks are already underway with writers for the upcoming 2015 seventh film, with two more planned after that.
Gil Kaufman
Oct 31 2012
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1696485/disney-george-lucas-star-wars-film.jhtml
At this point, we don't know much about what the seventh "Star Wars" film will be about, but we certainly have some ideas about what we do and don't? want to see.
Along with fans, we were thrown into a frenzy on Tuesday when it was announced that Disney had purchased George Lucas' Lucasfilm for more than $4 billion. The deal will not only bring Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, Han and the gang into the Mouse house, but it will also serve to re-boot one of the most popular and highest-grossing film franchises of all time.
After five-decade career in filmmaking, in a YouTube video explaining the deal, Lucas said he's been contemplating retirement for a while and now seemed like the right time to hand over the keys to the Jedi kingdom.
"Obviously I've been talking about retiring for several years now," he said. "I wanted to get into sort of another stage of life where I'm not in the film business anymore, where I don't have to run a corporation. It occurred to me one day that the perfect person to run the company was [Lucasfilm co-chair] Kathy [Kennedy]. It's just such a perfect fit, and I felt that I really wanted to put the company somewhere in a larger entity that would protect it. Disney is a huge corporation; they have all kinds of capabilities and facilities. There's a lot of strength to be gained by this."
Pointing to the success Disney has had with Marvel and Pixar, Kennedy said the family-friendly company with its legendary theme parks and merchandising power was the logical choice for Lucasfilm.
The good news for fans is that they will not only get an episode seven, but, in fact, an entire new trilogy. "I always said I wasn't going to do any more, and that's true, I'm not going to do any more," said Lucas, who will not write or direct the upcoming films, but whose iconic imprint will be all over them. "But that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to turn it over to Kathy [Kennedy] to do more. I have story treatments of 7, 8 and 9 and a bunch of other movies, and obviously, we have hundreds of books and comics and everything you could possibly imagine. So I sort of moved that treasure trove of stories and various things to Kathy, and I have complete confidence that she's gonna take them and make great movies."
Kennedy revealed that meetings have already begun with prospective writers for the new movies. "I'm doing this so that the films will have a longer life," Lucas said. "So more fans and people can enjoy them in the future. It's a very big universe I've created and there's a lot of stories sitting in there."
In a separate video announcing the deal, Disney CEO Bob Iger had nothing but praise for Lucas' vision for the "Star Wars" universe, which he noted now includes 17,000 characters inhabiting several thousand planets spanning 20,000 years. "George Lucas is a true visionary and an innovative, epic storyteller who has defined modern filmmaking with unforgettable characters and amazing stories," said Iger.
The pact will also spin off new TV shows, games and theme park attractions and Iger said the company fully understands the responsibility that comes with stewardship of such iconic, beloved characters. In the same video, Lucas said he's been a fan of Disney all his life and that the deal will allow him to move into more philanthropic efforts as well as work on more experimental films that don't fit into the Lucasfilm universe.
"It was a perfect match of two companies that are constructed similarly," Lucas said. "It will give me a chance to go off and explore my own interests [and] at the same time feel completely confident that Disney will take good care of the franchise that I've built."
The best news of all? "We have a large group of ideas and characters and books and all kinds of things," Lucas said. "We could go on making 'Star Wars' for the next 100 years."
Disney buying 'Star Wars' maker Lucasfilm
Disney buying 'Star Wars' maker Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion
Brandon Bailey
bbailey@mercurynews.com
10/30/2012
http://www.mercurynews.com/movies-dvd/ci_21891588/disney-lucasfilm-buying-star-wars-maker-george-lucas
Vowing to breathe new life into filmmaker George Lucas's beloved "Star Wars" franchise, The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday that it will pay $4.05 billion to buy San Francisco-based Lucasfilm and the rights to produce future installments in one of the world's most lucrative film sagas.
Disney CEO Robert Iger, who called the series "one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time," said his company plans to release the first of at least three more "Star Wars" films in 2015, with an additional sequel coming every two to three years after that.
Lucas had previously said he would make no more "Star Wars" films, and he recently announced plans to ease into retirement after naming a successor to run his production company. Disney said he will serve as "creative consultant" on the upcoming films.
"I've always believed that 'Star Wars' could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime," the 68-year-old film pioneer said in a statement released by both companies.
The deal will add to Burbank-based Disney's already significant presence in the Bay Area, where the media conglomerate also owns Emeryville-based Pixar Studios -- itself an early spinoff from Lucas' company. Disney said it has no plans to move employees of Lucasfilm or its subsidiaries, including the celebrated special-effects division known as Industrial Light & Magic, from their current locations.
Lucasfilm has been headquartered at San Francisco's Letterman Digital Arts Center since 2005, but the company also has operations in Singapore and at two campuses in Marin County, where Lucas moved from Hollywood to the property he renamed Skywalker Ranch in 1978.
The privately held Lucasfilm employed about 1,700 people as of last year, according to an analysis by the research firm PrivCo, which estimates it had $1.5 billion in revenue in 2011.
In addition to new films, Disney plans to create new toys, consumer products, TV spinoffs and theme park tie-ins from the "Star Wars" series, which the company will add to a growing stable of iconic characters that already includes Disney's Snow White and the Little Mermaid, Pixar's Buzz Lightyear and Nemo, and Marvel's Iron Man and the Mighty Thor.
"If you look at the films that work these days, it's these big-branded characters that do really well," said Michael Corty, who follows Disney for Morningstar. "So this is in their wheelhouse."
Lucas also produced such hits as the Indiana Jones films starring Harrison Ford, but Iger told analysts Tuesday that Paramount has certain rights to that series that make it unlikely Disney would seek to revive it.
"We're going to concentrate on the 'Star Wars' franchise," said Iger, who added that as part of the deal, Disney is acquiring an "extensive and detailed treatment" or story outline for the next three films in the series.
While the later "Star Wars" installments were panned by some critics and fans, the last sequel in the series ranked as the top-grossing film of 2005. "We believe there is substantial pent-up demand" for more installments, Iger told analysts.
The six "Star Wars" feature films produced by Lucas have earned a combined $4.4 billion in box office revenue. Disney Chief Financial Officer Jay Rasulo said he estimated each of the last three films could have averaged $1.5 billion after adjusting for inflation and the increase in potential for revenue from overseas and other sources.
Toys and other products tied to the "Star Wars" brand will bring Lucasfilm about $215 million in revenue this year, Rasulo added, but he said Disney believes it can make even more money in foreign markets and through additional tie-ins at theme parks and elsewhere.
"We like Star Wars' potential on television, as well," Iger told analysts, adding that Disney may create a related series for its new cable channel aimed at boys.
Though best known for its films, Disney is a diverse conglomerate that also owns television networks ESPN and ABC, vacation resorts and retail stores. It reported $1.8 billion in profit for its most recent quarter, up 30 percent from a year earlier.
Some analysts trace the current strength of Disney's film division to its $7.4 billion purchase of Pixar, which was an early spinout from Lucasfilm before it was taken over by Apple (AAPL) co-founder Steve Jobs.
"Their movie business before Pixar was kind of struggling," said Morningstar's Corty. "Disney needed an injection of creativity and Pixar helped with that."
Disney's latest deal will mean additional wealth for Lucas, whose personal fortune was estimated at $3.3 billion by Forbes earlier this year.
As sole owner of Lucasfilm, he will receive slightly more than $2 billion in cash and about $2 billion worth of stock in Disney -- making him the second-largest individual shareholder in the company.
The filmmaker had announced plans to retire earlier this year, when he named veteran producer Kathleen Kennedy as co-chair and his eventual successor as head of Lucasfilm. Disney said Kennedy will now run the operation as a division of Walt Disney Studios.
Lucas had recently abandoned plans to build a new studio on a third Marin property known as Grady Ranch, after neighbors opposed the project. A spokeswoman for Lucas said he will retain ownership of the current Lucasfilm campuses, including the sites in San Francisco and Marin, with the understanding that Lucasfilm will continue operating on the sites.
Contact Brandon Bailey at 408-920-5022; follow him at Twitter.com/BrandonBailey.
1971: George Lucas founds company as he releases "THX 1138," his first feature film.
1975: Special-effects studio Industrial Light & Magic and sound-effects company Sprocket Systems, which later becomes Skywalker Sound, founded.
1977: "Star Wars," the first film in a blockbuster trilogy, released.
1978: Lucas purchases 2,500-acre ranch in Marin County that later becomes Skywalker Ranch, home of some of Lucasfilm's production studios.
1979: Lucas hires Ed Catmull to head Lucasfilm's new computer division, which later creates the Pixar Image Computer.
1982: New video game division, Lucasfilm Games, later renamed LucasArts, launched.
1983: THX division, focusing on in-theater sound, founded.
1984: Computer division, using new Pixar Image Computer, releases first short film, which featured contributions from John Lasseter.
1985: Lucasfilm moves to Skywalker Ranch.
1986: Lucas sells Pixar to Steve Jobs.
1997: Original "Star Wars" trilogy re-released.
1999: Release of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace," kicking off new trilogy.
2003: Lucasfilm Animation established.
2005: Lucasfilm moves into new offices in the former Presidio military base in San Francisco.
2006: Disney buys Pixar from Jobs.
2008: "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," first full-length animated film, released. TV series of the same name debuts.
2012: Disney buys Lucasfilm.
Source: Lucasfilm, Pixar, staff research
Friday, December 23, 2011
Significa 12-23-11
Pat Robertson: You know you're out of touch when you think of Mac & Cheese as exotic ethnic food...
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YouTube Movie of Week: Labyrinth (1986)
Part 1 of 8:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcq5Ac1-YC0
(All eight parts can be found on this page)
From the Retropedia via Archive.org:
Masterminded by Muppeteer Jim Henson and Star Wars creator George Lucas, Labyrinth combined live actors, puppetry and special effects in an elaborate fantasy. While not officially a sequel to Henson's The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth had the same look and feel, and it stirred up the same kind of religious fan fervor.
The film begins as a teenage girl named Sarah babysits her younger brother Toby. A naïve girl who indulges herself in fantasies and daydreams, Sarah dislikes always having to be responsible for her kid brother. In a moment of annoyance, she wishes the Goblin King would steal him away forever. She is horrified when her terrible wish actually comes true, and she plunges into the labyrinth in order to save poor Toby.
Jareth, the Goblin King, watches Sarah with great interest as she navigates her way through the treacherous, complicated maze. She is assisted in her quest by many strange characters, including the gruff dwarf Hoggle, the miniature but brave Sir Didymus and the gentle giant Ludo. Sarah's adventures in the labyrinth cause her to become a wiser and more compassionate person, as she matures from a self-indulgent child to a young, intelligent woman.
The film provided many memorable moments of stunning images, including a dark tunnel crowded with thousands of white Helping Hands, the odious Bog of Eternal Stench, Jareth's staircase kingdom (based on the drawings of M.C. Escher) and of course, the mysterious labyrinth itself.
David Bowie's performance as Jareth also made a striking impression. His Goblin King had a truly magnetic presence that made one understand why Sarah would find herself unwillingly attracted to him. The former Ziggy Stardust also wrote and performed five original songs for the film's soundtrack.
It's very easy to fall under the spell of a movie like Labyrinth, because it taps into our ideas about dreams and illusions. The film also boasted innovative puppetry creations for the numerous creatures that populated its fantasy world, making it an even more mesmerizing and unique moviegoing experience.
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Lame Album of the Year: Lou Reed & Metallica's Lulu
There are a lot of people who think the alleged musical collaboration of Reed & Metallica is the worst album of the year. That's saying a lot in the time of Justin Bieber & Big Time Rush. In any case, count The Konformist in on this bandwagon. For more Lulu haterade, check out DangerousMinds.net:
http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/lou_reed_and_metallicas_lulu_truth_in_advertising
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Awesome Quotes
"I think there's a lot to be said for keeping your own counsel. It's not about being afraid to be public with your emotions or about who you are and what you stand for. But if you sell it off it's gone. You can't buy it back — you can't buy your privacy back. Ooh I want to be alone. Fuck you. We've been in your living room. We were at your birth. You filmed it for us and showed us the placenta and now you want some privacy?
Look at the Kardashians, they're worth millions. I don't think they were that badly off to begin with but now look at them. You see that and you think 'what, you mean all I have to do is behave like a fucking idiot on television and then you'll pay me millions.' I'm not judging it — well, I am obviously."
Daniel Craig, via Gawker.com
"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”
Thomas Jefferson
“That Cain’s candidacy was taken seriously for longer than a nano-second in a time of genuine crisis for the country raises fundamental questions about the health of the political process and the Republican party.”
Steve Schmidt, campaign manager for Arizona Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid
(Credit to DangerousMinds.net for this one...)
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Killer Eyes
Full Article:
http://news.discovery.com/animals/superpredator-eyes-111207.html
The world's first superpredator was a giant crustacean with enormous eyes and a razor sharp mouth, according to a new study in the journal Nature.
The over 3-foot-long marine predator sat at the top of Earth's first food chain, say scientists from the South Australian Museum and the University of Adelaide. They found fossils for the crustacean, named Anomalocaris, at Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
The exceptionally well-preserved fossil eyes for this Cambrian Period crusher reveal the predator had acute vision that would rival or even exceed that of most living insects and crustaceans.
The University of New England's John Paterson, who led the study, and his colleagues explain that Anomalocaris held the #1 spot in the earliest food chain due to its large body size, formidable grasping claws at the front of its head, and a circular mouth with razor-sharp serrations...
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Kool Websites
Kerouac.com
The Beat Museum
540 Broadway (at Columbus)
San Francisco, CA 94133
is the ultimate source for all your Beat Generation needs:
Email us at info@kerouac.com
or call us at 1-800-Ker-ouac (1-800-537-6822) or 1-831-372-4911.
http://www.salamanderandsons.com/
Salamander and Sons publishes the finest esoteric, occult and arcane books, with an emphasis on alchemical, Hermetic, and alchemystical works, along with texts qabalistic, philosophical, magic(k)al, mystical, and mythological in nature, written by adepts, sages and scholars both ancient and modern.
Salamander and Sons titles are available from our secure online shop and at all good bookstores.
Salamander and Sons titles are distributed in the USA, UK and Europe by Weiser Antiquarian Books (Maine, USA)...
http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/
Learn a Language in 10 Days with Pimsleur
The World Leader in Audio-Based Language Learning
Use the Pimsleur Approach to speak a new language in only 10 days! Pimsleur courses took over 40 years to develop and perfect. Just sit back and listen while the audio does the work for you. Each CD has been scientifically sequenced to rapidly lock language material into your brain after just one listen. You'll absorb your new language effortlessly without any reading, writing or computer use.
All of our courses come with a 30 Day, 100% Money Back Guarantee. If you're not absolutely thrilled with your new ability to learn a language and speak comfortably, simply return your course within 30 days for a full refund.
http://www.xylitolusa.com/
Xylitol is an all natural sweetener that looks and tastes like sugar. Xylitol is naturally occurring in many fruits and vegetables.
Once extracted and processed it yields a white, crystalline granule that can be used in any recipe that calls for sugar. It’s good for your teeth, stabilizes insulin levels, promotes good health and has no negative side effects.
*
Stoner Cooking
Hot & Spicy Party Mix
http://www.tabasco.com/taste_tent/recipes/recipe.cfm?id=300&name=Hot_Spicy_Party_Mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 teaspoons Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons seasoned salt
8 cups of your favorite Chex® brand cereals (corn, rice and/or wheat)
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup pretzels
1 cup bite-size cheese crackers
Combine butter, Worcestershire sauce, TABASCO® Sauce, and seasoned salt in a small bowl and mix well. Pour cereals, nuts, pretzels and cheese crackers into a large plastic zip-top bag. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture inside Zipper Bag. Seal top of bag securely. Shake bag until all pieces are evenly coated.
To prepare in microwave oven:
Pour contents of bag into a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 5 to 6 minutes, stirring thoroughly every 2 minutes and scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Spread on absorbent paper to cool. Store in airtight container.
To prepare in conventional oven:
Pour contents of bag into an open roasting pan. Bake in a 250°F oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool and store as directed above.
Makes 11 cups.
Note: Due to differences in microwave ovens, cooking time may need adjustment. These directions were developed using 625- to 700-watt ovens.
Nutritional information per serving: 242 calories, 5g protein, 29g carbohydrate, 12g fat, 1mg cholesterol, 655mg sodium
Homemade Ketchup
Christy Pooschke
Friday, December 02, 2011
http://www.naturalnews.com/034294_ketchup_recipes.html
HEALTHFUL INGREDIENTS:
Apple Cider Vinegar (Raw & Unfiltered)
Typical commercial ketchup contains white vinegar that is distilled from corn. This type of vinegar is inflammatory and offers no real health benefit. Apple cider vinegar that is raw, organic and unfiltered is a much better choice because it actually contributes to health in many ways - eases heartburn, joint pain and joint stiffness; improves skin complexion and bowel function; breaks down fat to aid in weight loss; etc. You may need to shop at a natural food store to find this type of vinegar because it is usually not sold in the regular vinegar aisle at most grocers. Be sure to carefully scrutinize the ingredients label before making your purchase because many products on the market are labeled as "apple cider flavored vinegar," and this is not the same thing! Such varieties are actually made from white vinegar (which is made from corn, not apples), and artificial flavors and colors are added to make them look and taste similar to apple cider vinegar!
Raw Honey
Unlike the refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup in most store-bought ketchup, raw honey is a sweetener that actually contributes to your health. Raw honey is full of vitamins and minerals, and it contains high levels of antioxidants. Refined sweeteners are inflammatory and should be strictly avoided (especially when you are ill). Raw honey actually reduces the inflammation associated with many conditions (e.g., allergies, infections). Raw honey is also antibacterial, so it's great to have around the house for dressing wounds, as well. Make sure you purchase honey that is truly raw because heating (i.e., pasteurizing) honey destroys its natural health benefits! Raw honey is most likely found at your local farmers market, natural food store or health section of your regular grocer. Most honey you find in the baking aisle of your regular grocer is heated (i.e., pasteurized) and pourable. In contrast, raw honey has not been heated and is generally thicker, less clear; it must be scooped out of the container rather than squeezed or poured.
Allspice
Allspice is a dried spice that helps control appetite, offers mild pain relief, aids digestion, regulates blood sugar and increases relaxation. It is also loaded with antioxidants, and it has antimicrobial properties that may protect foods from harmful bacteria.
Cloves
Cloves are another healthful spice. They can reduce heartburn, relieve nausea, aid in digestion and ease joint and toothache pain. Cloves are anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, and they also contain high levels of antioxidants to neutralize free radicals!
HOMEMADE KETCHUP RECIPE:
6 ounces tomato paste (choose a brand that contains only "tomatoes")
3/4 cup water
2 TBSP raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP raw honey
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp onion granules (or 1/8 tsp onion powder)
2 pinches ground allspice
2 pinches ground cloves
In a medium saucepan, stir all ingredients together with a whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir. Cover the pan, and then simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let the ketchup cool, and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator. This recipe also freezes well if you prefer to make larger batches and store it for later convenience.
At GroceryGeek.com, Christy Pooschke shows consumers how to reduce their reliance on processed food. Check out her blog to learn how to shop for and prepare additive-free, natural foods. You'll love the free recipes, shopping tips and videos! Christy is also the author of an "Additive-Free" Cookbook & Grocery Shopping Guide, and she offers personalized consultations, as well!
Christy's passion for eating REAL food was sparked in 2007 when she eliminated her Fibromyalgia symptoms through diet and lifestyle changes. Until this time, she had been ingesting a Standard American Diet of boxed dinners, soda pop, candy and fast food; and she was very ill.
Since regaining her health with an additive-free diet, Christy has been on a mission to educate others about the dangers lurking in their cabinets and to help them achieve maximum health by reducing their reliance on processed foods.
In her free time, Christy operates Completely Nourished, Inc., a non-profit organization she founded to educate folks about natural foods, natural health and natural living. Check out the resources, recipes and online community available at http://www.completelynourished.org/. It's free!
*
Konformist Book Club: Armand Ptolemy and the Golden Aleph
Mark Jeffrey
Kindle Price: $0.99 includes free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
ARMAND PTOLEMY is a thriller: think Indiana Jones meets Dan Brown -- with synchronicity machines, the iChing melded with difference engines and 'pseudo time travel' thrown in for good measure.
Geomancy: the art of making stone float with sound. The hacker collective 'Anonymous'. Secret societies …
This is the world of ARMAND PTOLEMY, a new action-adventure hero. Facing an enemy armed with the Golden Aleph -- a mystical device that allows its wielder to see holographically into every point in time and space, Ptolemy must use every trick of his Oxford-educated mind and circus-trained body to succeed.
But how do you fight an enemy that knows your every move … even before you do?
When Armand Ptolemy is called to investigate strange tremors plaguing an old wing of the New York public library, he finds himself enmeshed in a series of events that began in 1912. Yet Ptolemy himself is rumored to be from the past himself -- and the world's Elite lust after the secret of how he seemingly jumped forward over one hundred years in time. Most keenly interested in this secret is Octavio Veerspike, head of the Veerspike banking dynasty.
When the Commission -- a secret society of the world's most powerful people -- suddenly call a conclave in the tropics, Ptolemy has to figure out what they're up to, and fast.
But the Elites have other ideas. Putting into a motion the capstone of a hundred-years old plan, the Commission wants Ptolemy out of the way. And with the Golden Aleph giving them very potent powers of prediction, they just may succeed ...
Author Mark Jeffrey (@markjeffrey on Twitter) is perhaps best known for his best-selling young adult novel MAX QUICK: THE POCKET AND THE PENDANT (HarperCollins, 2011). First podcast as an online audiobook, the book received over 2.6 million downloads. Later, it was picked up by HarperCollins and re-published in hardcover in May, 2011. More information can be found at maxquickseries.com
MAX QUICK: THE TWO TRAVELERS is currently available as a podcast audiobook. Mark Jeffrey is currently working on MAX QUICK: THE BANE OF THE BONDSMAN as well as ARMAND PTOLEMY AND THE GEOMANCER. More information on Armand Ptolemy can be found at armandptolemy.com
Praise for MAX QUICK:
“A wildly imaginative romp through the vagaries of time, Max Quick leads the reader on a high–speed tour of ancient myths, alien kingdoms and some books you can really throw yourself into. Terrific adventure at breakneck speed.” (Richard Newsome, author of The Billionaire’s Curse )
“An imaginative addition to the middle-grade speculative adventure canon.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books )
“Max Quick has the answers to life’s biggest questions. The world stands still the moment you enter this book. It’s a fabulous, fleet-footed adventure story that goes by in a whoosh.” (Kristin Miller, New York Times bestselling author of The Eternal Ones and the Kiki Strike series )
“A fresh, fun and fascinating idea deftly brought to life. With all its deeply–felt adventure, Max Quick should quickly captivate young readers.” (James Jennewein and Tom S. Parker, authors of the RuneWarriors Trilogy )
“This fast-paced adventure…will keep readers turning the pages. The incorporation of figures from Sumerian mythology adds an interesting element that may appeal to fans of Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” series.” (School Library Journal )
“Riveting. The Pocket and the Pendant is not what you expect, no matter what you expect.” (Scott Sigler, New York Times bestselling author )
“Jeffrey’s descriptions of how time has stopped will stop readers in their own tracks. Plenty of action-adventure appeal.” (Booklist )
Mark has been named on of ‘50 to Watch’ by Variety Magazine, selected as one of the “Digital Coast 50' by the Silicon Alley Reporter, and one of the “Heroes of Multimedia” by Entertainment Weekly.
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 273 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0067Y3K9Q
Amazon URL:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0067Y3K9Q/thekonformist
*
GODS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
a new TV series starting this week on THE ENIGMA CHANNEL - filmed entirely on location inside the Great Pyramid, at LUXOR and the house of HOWARD CARTER... GODS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD presents never before seen images of chambers carved with images of Reptilian-Amphibian-Humanoids - known in the Egyptian Creation Myths as the OGDOAD...
MESSAGE FROM BRITISH AUTHOR CHRIS EVERARD:
"Hello, I would like to thank everyone for the concern about my safety during my recent expedition to Egypt. For part of the trip we had a machine-gun armed escort - and whilst the BBC are currently portraying a violent and dangerous atmosphere, our recent expedition to Egypt was safe, full of fun - and we also discovered and filmed never-before-seen carvings, artefacts and statues which prove beyond all doubt that the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt were ingesting HASHISH, TOBACCO, COCAINE and OPIUM. Our most recent expedition also uncovered archaeological evidence that the Pharaohs were involved in HUMAN SACRIFICE and we also interviewed Egyptologists on camer who stated that MAGICAL SPELLS had been employed to assist the moving of huge stone blocks, obelisks and statues.
I would like to thank everyone for ordering my new book STONE AGE PSYCHEDELIA - I've invested 17 years of research and many thousands of pounds into the research for my book - revealing the secret hallucinogenic magic of the ancient people of Egypt and south America. I thank all of you for postig great reviews of my new book - and look forward to broadcasting a new TV Series on THE ENIGMA CHANNEL called GODS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD. If you are stumped for a Christmas gift, then my advice is that the best gift is the gift of KNOWLEDGE."
STONE AGE PSYCHEDELIA contains 300+ Pages of previously unpublished research. This book is NOT a compilation of previously published articles - STONE AGE PSYCHEDELIA is 100% fresh research.
You can order direct via the Enigma Channel Cyberstore:
http://www.enigmatv.net/shop
*
Try the best natural sweeteners
Dr. David Jockers
Sunday, December 04, 2011
http://www.naturalnews.com/034317_natural_sweeteners_raw_honey.html
(NaturalNews) Sweet foods were a rare delicacy for our ancient ancestors. Today, we have an unlimited supply of sugary foods and beverages at our disposal. Natural sweeteners can be used effectively in moderation to provide the sweetness that most people crave. Here are the best natural sweeteners ranked in order based on low glycemic index and additional health benefits.
Every living creature is designed to run off of a simple sugar called glucose. It is the primary unit in the study of metabolism. However, there are certainly dangers involved with consuming too much glucose. Those dangers mostly involve elevated blood sugar and insulin, which trigger fat accumulation, cellular inflammation and insulin resistance.
Fructose is another simple sugar that is found in nature within fruits, honey, and plant/tree nectar. This is metabolized differently than glucose and can cause even more hazardous effects when consumed in excess.
Safe Natural Sweeteners in Order
Stevia: Stevia is processed from the leaf of the stevia plant, which is native to South America. This herb derivative has no effect on blood sugar, insulin signaling and triglyceride formation. It develops most of its sweetness from glycosides called stevioside and rebaudioside. These compounds are 250-300 times sweeter than sucrose, which makes them have the ability to withstand heat and have longer shelf life.
Studies have even shown the stevia leaf to have beneficial effects at improving cellular insulin sensitivity and at reducing the risk of type II diabetes and high blood pressure.
Lo Han Extract: A fruit plant that grows native in Southern China/Northern Thailand. Lo Han has a very low glycemic index and low sugar content. It gets the majority of its sweetness from a glycoside nutrient called mogrosides. These mogrosides are 300 times sweeter than sugar and act as anti-oxidants that have shown abilities to inhibit cancer cell formation. This is a wonderful sweetener but can be hard to find and expensive.
Coconut Nectar: This is a very low glycemic liquid sweetener derived from the liquid sap of the coconut blossoms. The glycemic index is 35 making it one of the lowest of natural sweeteners. Also, the fructose levels are very low at 10%, and it contains a wide variety of anti-oxidants, minerals and other nutrients that enhance blood sugar stability. It is challenging to get and quite expensive.
Organic, Raw Honey: This superfood does have an effect on blood sugar and contains approximately 53% fructose, so one should only consume this in moderation. Honey contains a wide array of trace minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, chromium, manganese and selenium. These nutrients are critical for healthy cellular insulin sensitivity and blood sugar balance.
Raw honey is also extremely rich in anti-oxidants and natural enzymes. Honey contains flavonoid anti-oxidants such as pinocembrin and pinostrobin that help reduce oxidative stress in the body and promote better enzyme activity.
Organic Blackstrap Molasses: Molasses is a byproduct of the processing of sugar. It does have an effect on glycemic index and must only be consumed in moderation. Blackstrap molasses is a very rich source of iron, copper, manganese, potassium, magnesium and selenium.
Sugar Alcohols: These include xylitol, glycerol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, and erythritol. Sugar alcohol is supposed to just pass through the body unrecognized. This causes no blood sugar imbalances and is considered a safe sweetener. However, many individuals have reported significant gastrointestinal distress that includes cramping, bloating, gas & diarrhea.
About the author:
Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care.
For more information go to:
http://www.exodushc.com/
To find a Maximized Living doctor near you go to:
http://www.maximizedliving.com/
Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance phone consultations to help you beat disease and reach your health goals.
*
YouTube Movie of Week: Labyrinth (1986)
Part 1 of 8:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcq5Ac1-YC0
(All eight parts can be found on this page)
From the Retropedia via Archive.org:
Masterminded by Muppeteer Jim Henson and Star Wars creator George Lucas, Labyrinth combined live actors, puppetry and special effects in an elaborate fantasy. While not officially a sequel to Henson's The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth had the same look and feel, and it stirred up the same kind of religious fan fervor.
The film begins as a teenage girl named Sarah babysits her younger brother Toby. A naïve girl who indulges herself in fantasies and daydreams, Sarah dislikes always having to be responsible for her kid brother. In a moment of annoyance, she wishes the Goblin King would steal him away forever. She is horrified when her terrible wish actually comes true, and she plunges into the labyrinth in order to save poor Toby.
Jareth, the Goblin King, watches Sarah with great interest as she navigates her way through the treacherous, complicated maze. She is assisted in her quest by many strange characters, including the gruff dwarf Hoggle, the miniature but brave Sir Didymus and the gentle giant Ludo. Sarah's adventures in the labyrinth cause her to become a wiser and more compassionate person, as she matures from a self-indulgent child to a young, intelligent woman.
The film provided many memorable moments of stunning images, including a dark tunnel crowded with thousands of white Helping Hands, the odious Bog of Eternal Stench, Jareth's staircase kingdom (based on the drawings of M.C. Escher) and of course, the mysterious labyrinth itself.
David Bowie's performance as Jareth also made a striking impression. His Goblin King had a truly magnetic presence that made one understand why Sarah would find herself unwillingly attracted to him. The former Ziggy Stardust also wrote and performed five original songs for the film's soundtrack.
It's very easy to fall under the spell of a movie like Labyrinth, because it taps into our ideas about dreams and illusions. The film also boasted innovative puppetry creations for the numerous creatures that populated its fantasy world, making it an even more mesmerizing and unique moviegoing experience.
*
Lame Album of the Year: Lou Reed & Metallica's Lulu
There are a lot of people who think the alleged musical collaboration of Reed & Metallica is the worst album of the year. That's saying a lot in the time of Justin Bieber & Big Time Rush. In any case, count The Konformist in on this bandwagon. For more Lulu haterade, check out DangerousMinds.net:
http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/lou_reed_and_metallicas_lulu_truth_in_advertising
*
Awesome Quotes
"I think there's a lot to be said for keeping your own counsel. It's not about being afraid to be public with your emotions or about who you are and what you stand for. But if you sell it off it's gone. You can't buy it back — you can't buy your privacy back. Ooh I want to be alone. Fuck you. We've been in your living room. We were at your birth. You filmed it for us and showed us the placenta and now you want some privacy?
Look at the Kardashians, they're worth millions. I don't think they were that badly off to begin with but now look at them. You see that and you think 'what, you mean all I have to do is behave like a fucking idiot on television and then you'll pay me millions.' I'm not judging it — well, I am obviously."
Daniel Craig, via Gawker.com
"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”
Thomas Jefferson
“That Cain’s candidacy was taken seriously for longer than a nano-second in a time of genuine crisis for the country raises fundamental questions about the health of the political process and the Republican party.”
Steve Schmidt, campaign manager for Arizona Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid
(Credit to DangerousMinds.net for this one...)
*
Killer Eyes
Full Article:
http://news.discovery.com/animals/superpredator-eyes-111207.html
The world's first superpredator was a giant crustacean with enormous eyes and a razor sharp mouth, according to a new study in the journal Nature.
The over 3-foot-long marine predator sat at the top of Earth's first food chain, say scientists from the South Australian Museum and the University of Adelaide. They found fossils for the crustacean, named Anomalocaris, at Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
The exceptionally well-preserved fossil eyes for this Cambrian Period crusher reveal the predator had acute vision that would rival or even exceed that of most living insects and crustaceans.
The University of New England's John Paterson, who led the study, and his colleagues explain that Anomalocaris held the #1 spot in the earliest food chain due to its large body size, formidable grasping claws at the front of its head, and a circular mouth with razor-sharp serrations...
*
Kool Websites
Kerouac.com
The Beat Museum
540 Broadway (at Columbus)
San Francisco, CA 94133
is the ultimate source for all your Beat Generation needs:
Email us at info@kerouac.com
or call us at 1-800-Ker-ouac (1-800-537-6822) or 1-831-372-4911.
http://www.salamanderandsons.com/
Salamander and Sons publishes the finest esoteric, occult and arcane books, with an emphasis on alchemical, Hermetic, and alchemystical works, along with texts qabalistic, philosophical, magic(k)al, mystical, and mythological in nature, written by adepts, sages and scholars both ancient and modern.
Salamander and Sons titles are available from our secure online shop and at all good bookstores.
Salamander and Sons titles are distributed in the USA, UK and Europe by Weiser Antiquarian Books (Maine, USA)...
http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/
Learn a Language in 10 Days with Pimsleur
The World Leader in Audio-Based Language Learning
Use the Pimsleur Approach to speak a new language in only 10 days! Pimsleur courses took over 40 years to develop and perfect. Just sit back and listen while the audio does the work for you. Each CD has been scientifically sequenced to rapidly lock language material into your brain after just one listen. You'll absorb your new language effortlessly without any reading, writing or computer use.
All of our courses come with a 30 Day, 100% Money Back Guarantee. If you're not absolutely thrilled with your new ability to learn a language and speak comfortably, simply return your course within 30 days for a full refund.
http://www.xylitolusa.com/
Xylitol is an all natural sweetener that looks and tastes like sugar. Xylitol is naturally occurring in many fruits and vegetables.
Once extracted and processed it yields a white, crystalline granule that can be used in any recipe that calls for sugar. It’s good for your teeth, stabilizes insulin levels, promotes good health and has no negative side effects.
*
Stoner Cooking
Hot & Spicy Party Mix
http://www.tabasco.com/taste_tent/recipes/recipe.cfm?id=300&name=Hot_Spicy_Party_Mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 teaspoons Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons seasoned salt
8 cups of your favorite Chex® brand cereals (corn, rice and/or wheat)
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup pretzels
1 cup bite-size cheese crackers
Combine butter, Worcestershire sauce, TABASCO® Sauce, and seasoned salt in a small bowl and mix well. Pour cereals, nuts, pretzels and cheese crackers into a large plastic zip-top bag. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture inside Zipper Bag. Seal top of bag securely. Shake bag until all pieces are evenly coated.
To prepare in microwave oven:
Pour contents of bag into a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 5 to 6 minutes, stirring thoroughly every 2 minutes and scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Spread on absorbent paper to cool. Store in airtight container.
To prepare in conventional oven:
Pour contents of bag into an open roasting pan. Bake in a 250°F oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool and store as directed above.
Makes 11 cups.
Note: Due to differences in microwave ovens, cooking time may need adjustment. These directions were developed using 625- to 700-watt ovens.
Nutritional information per serving: 242 calories, 5g protein, 29g carbohydrate, 12g fat, 1mg cholesterol, 655mg sodium
Homemade Ketchup
Christy Pooschke
Friday, December 02, 2011
http://www.naturalnews.com/034294_ketchup_recipes.html
HEALTHFUL INGREDIENTS:
Apple Cider Vinegar (Raw & Unfiltered)
Typical commercial ketchup contains white vinegar that is distilled from corn. This type of vinegar is inflammatory and offers no real health benefit. Apple cider vinegar that is raw, organic and unfiltered is a much better choice because it actually contributes to health in many ways - eases heartburn, joint pain and joint stiffness; improves skin complexion and bowel function; breaks down fat to aid in weight loss; etc. You may need to shop at a natural food store to find this type of vinegar because it is usually not sold in the regular vinegar aisle at most grocers. Be sure to carefully scrutinize the ingredients label before making your purchase because many products on the market are labeled as "apple cider flavored vinegar," and this is not the same thing! Such varieties are actually made from white vinegar (which is made from corn, not apples), and artificial flavors and colors are added to make them look and taste similar to apple cider vinegar!
Raw Honey
Unlike the refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup in most store-bought ketchup, raw honey is a sweetener that actually contributes to your health. Raw honey is full of vitamins and minerals, and it contains high levels of antioxidants. Refined sweeteners are inflammatory and should be strictly avoided (especially when you are ill). Raw honey actually reduces the inflammation associated with many conditions (e.g., allergies, infections). Raw honey is also antibacterial, so it's great to have around the house for dressing wounds, as well. Make sure you purchase honey that is truly raw because heating (i.e., pasteurizing) honey destroys its natural health benefits! Raw honey is most likely found at your local farmers market, natural food store or health section of your regular grocer. Most honey you find in the baking aisle of your regular grocer is heated (i.e., pasteurized) and pourable. In contrast, raw honey has not been heated and is generally thicker, less clear; it must be scooped out of the container rather than squeezed or poured.
Allspice
Allspice is a dried spice that helps control appetite, offers mild pain relief, aids digestion, regulates blood sugar and increases relaxation. It is also loaded with antioxidants, and it has antimicrobial properties that may protect foods from harmful bacteria.
Cloves
Cloves are another healthful spice. They can reduce heartburn, relieve nausea, aid in digestion and ease joint and toothache pain. Cloves are anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, and they also contain high levels of antioxidants to neutralize free radicals!
HOMEMADE KETCHUP RECIPE:
6 ounces tomato paste (choose a brand that contains only "tomatoes")
3/4 cup water
2 TBSP raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP raw honey
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp onion granules (or 1/8 tsp onion powder)
2 pinches ground allspice
2 pinches ground cloves
In a medium saucepan, stir all ingredients together with a whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir. Cover the pan, and then simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let the ketchup cool, and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator. This recipe also freezes well if you prefer to make larger batches and store it for later convenience.
At GroceryGeek.com, Christy Pooschke shows consumers how to reduce their reliance on processed food. Check out her blog to learn how to shop for and prepare additive-free, natural foods. You'll love the free recipes, shopping tips and videos! Christy is also the author of an "Additive-Free" Cookbook & Grocery Shopping Guide, and she offers personalized consultations, as well!
Christy's passion for eating REAL food was sparked in 2007 when she eliminated her Fibromyalgia symptoms through diet and lifestyle changes. Until this time, she had been ingesting a Standard American Diet of boxed dinners, soda pop, candy and fast food; and she was very ill.
Since regaining her health with an additive-free diet, Christy has been on a mission to educate others about the dangers lurking in their cabinets and to help them achieve maximum health by reducing their reliance on processed foods.
In her free time, Christy operates Completely Nourished, Inc., a non-profit organization she founded to educate folks about natural foods, natural health and natural living. Check out the resources, recipes and online community available at http://www.completelynourished.org/. It's free!
*
Konformist Book Club: Armand Ptolemy and the Golden Aleph
Mark Jeffrey
Kindle Price: $0.99 includes free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
ARMAND PTOLEMY is a thriller: think Indiana Jones meets Dan Brown -- with synchronicity machines, the iChing melded with difference engines and 'pseudo time travel' thrown in for good measure.
Geomancy: the art of making stone float with sound. The hacker collective 'Anonymous'. Secret societies …
This is the world of ARMAND PTOLEMY, a new action-adventure hero. Facing an enemy armed with the Golden Aleph -- a mystical device that allows its wielder to see holographically into every point in time and space, Ptolemy must use every trick of his Oxford-educated mind and circus-trained body to succeed.
But how do you fight an enemy that knows your every move … even before you do?
When Armand Ptolemy is called to investigate strange tremors plaguing an old wing of the New York public library, he finds himself enmeshed in a series of events that began in 1912. Yet Ptolemy himself is rumored to be from the past himself -- and the world's Elite lust after the secret of how he seemingly jumped forward over one hundred years in time. Most keenly interested in this secret is Octavio Veerspike, head of the Veerspike banking dynasty.
When the Commission -- a secret society of the world's most powerful people -- suddenly call a conclave in the tropics, Ptolemy has to figure out what they're up to, and fast.
But the Elites have other ideas. Putting into a motion the capstone of a hundred-years old plan, the Commission wants Ptolemy out of the way. And with the Golden Aleph giving them very potent powers of prediction, they just may succeed ...
Author Mark Jeffrey (@markjeffrey on Twitter) is perhaps best known for his best-selling young adult novel MAX QUICK: THE POCKET AND THE PENDANT (HarperCollins, 2011). First podcast as an online audiobook, the book received over 2.6 million downloads. Later, it was picked up by HarperCollins and re-published in hardcover in May, 2011. More information can be found at maxquickseries.com
MAX QUICK: THE TWO TRAVELERS is currently available as a podcast audiobook. Mark Jeffrey is currently working on MAX QUICK: THE BANE OF THE BONDSMAN as well as ARMAND PTOLEMY AND THE GEOMANCER. More information on Armand Ptolemy can be found at armandptolemy.com
Praise for MAX QUICK:
“A wildly imaginative romp through the vagaries of time, Max Quick leads the reader on a high–speed tour of ancient myths, alien kingdoms and some books you can really throw yourself into. Terrific adventure at breakneck speed.” (Richard Newsome, author of The Billionaire’s Curse )
“An imaginative addition to the middle-grade speculative adventure canon.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books )
“Max Quick has the answers to life’s biggest questions. The world stands still the moment you enter this book. It’s a fabulous, fleet-footed adventure story that goes by in a whoosh.” (Kristin Miller, New York Times bestselling author of The Eternal Ones and the Kiki Strike series )
“A fresh, fun and fascinating idea deftly brought to life. With all its deeply–felt adventure, Max Quick should quickly captivate young readers.” (James Jennewein and Tom S. Parker, authors of the RuneWarriors Trilogy )
“This fast-paced adventure…will keep readers turning the pages. The incorporation of figures from Sumerian mythology adds an interesting element that may appeal to fans of Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” series.” (School Library Journal )
“Riveting. The Pocket and the Pendant is not what you expect, no matter what you expect.” (Scott Sigler, New York Times bestselling author )
“Jeffrey’s descriptions of how time has stopped will stop readers in their own tracks. Plenty of action-adventure appeal.” (Booklist )
Mark has been named on of ‘50 to Watch’ by Variety Magazine, selected as one of the “Digital Coast 50' by the Silicon Alley Reporter, and one of the “Heroes of Multimedia” by Entertainment Weekly.
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 273 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0067Y3K9Q
Amazon URL:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0067Y3K9Q/thekonformist
*
GODS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
a new TV series starting this week on THE ENIGMA CHANNEL - filmed entirely on location inside the Great Pyramid, at LUXOR and the house of HOWARD CARTER... GODS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD presents never before seen images of chambers carved with images of Reptilian-Amphibian-Humanoids - known in the Egyptian Creation Myths as the OGDOAD...
MESSAGE FROM BRITISH AUTHOR CHRIS EVERARD:
"Hello, I would like to thank everyone for the concern about my safety during my recent expedition to Egypt. For part of the trip we had a machine-gun armed escort - and whilst the BBC are currently portraying a violent and dangerous atmosphere, our recent expedition to Egypt was safe, full of fun - and we also discovered and filmed never-before-seen carvings, artefacts and statues which prove beyond all doubt that the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt were ingesting HASHISH, TOBACCO, COCAINE and OPIUM. Our most recent expedition also uncovered archaeological evidence that the Pharaohs were involved in HUMAN SACRIFICE and we also interviewed Egyptologists on camer who stated that MAGICAL SPELLS had been employed to assist the moving of huge stone blocks, obelisks and statues.
I would like to thank everyone for ordering my new book STONE AGE PSYCHEDELIA - I've invested 17 years of research and many thousands of pounds into the research for my book - revealing the secret hallucinogenic magic of the ancient people of Egypt and south America. I thank all of you for postig great reviews of my new book - and look forward to broadcasting a new TV Series on THE ENIGMA CHANNEL called GODS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD. If you are stumped for a Christmas gift, then my advice is that the best gift is the gift of KNOWLEDGE."
STONE AGE PSYCHEDELIA contains 300+ Pages of previously unpublished research. This book is NOT a compilation of previously published articles - STONE AGE PSYCHEDELIA is 100% fresh research.
You can order direct via the Enigma Channel Cyberstore:
http://www.enigmatv.net/shop
*
Try the best natural sweeteners
Dr. David Jockers
Sunday, December 04, 2011
http://www.naturalnews.com/034317_natural_sweeteners_raw_honey.html
(NaturalNews) Sweet foods were a rare delicacy for our ancient ancestors. Today, we have an unlimited supply of sugary foods and beverages at our disposal. Natural sweeteners can be used effectively in moderation to provide the sweetness that most people crave. Here are the best natural sweeteners ranked in order based on low glycemic index and additional health benefits.
Every living creature is designed to run off of a simple sugar called glucose. It is the primary unit in the study of metabolism. However, there are certainly dangers involved with consuming too much glucose. Those dangers mostly involve elevated blood sugar and insulin, which trigger fat accumulation, cellular inflammation and insulin resistance.
Fructose is another simple sugar that is found in nature within fruits, honey, and plant/tree nectar. This is metabolized differently than glucose and can cause even more hazardous effects when consumed in excess.
Safe Natural Sweeteners in Order
Stevia: Stevia is processed from the leaf of the stevia plant, which is native to South America. This herb derivative has no effect on blood sugar, insulin signaling and triglyceride formation. It develops most of its sweetness from glycosides called stevioside and rebaudioside. These compounds are 250-300 times sweeter than sucrose, which makes them have the ability to withstand heat and have longer shelf life.
Studies have even shown the stevia leaf to have beneficial effects at improving cellular insulin sensitivity and at reducing the risk of type II diabetes and high blood pressure.
Lo Han Extract: A fruit plant that grows native in Southern China/Northern Thailand. Lo Han has a very low glycemic index and low sugar content. It gets the majority of its sweetness from a glycoside nutrient called mogrosides. These mogrosides are 300 times sweeter than sugar and act as anti-oxidants that have shown abilities to inhibit cancer cell formation. This is a wonderful sweetener but can be hard to find and expensive.
Coconut Nectar: This is a very low glycemic liquid sweetener derived from the liquid sap of the coconut blossoms. The glycemic index is 35 making it one of the lowest of natural sweeteners. Also, the fructose levels are very low at 10%, and it contains a wide variety of anti-oxidants, minerals and other nutrients that enhance blood sugar stability. It is challenging to get and quite expensive.
Organic, Raw Honey: This superfood does have an effect on blood sugar and contains approximately 53% fructose, so one should only consume this in moderation. Honey contains a wide array of trace minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, chromium, manganese and selenium. These nutrients are critical for healthy cellular insulin sensitivity and blood sugar balance.
Raw honey is also extremely rich in anti-oxidants and natural enzymes. Honey contains flavonoid anti-oxidants such as pinocembrin and pinostrobin that help reduce oxidative stress in the body and promote better enzyme activity.
Organic Blackstrap Molasses: Molasses is a byproduct of the processing of sugar. It does have an effect on glycemic index and must only be consumed in moderation. Blackstrap molasses is a very rich source of iron, copper, manganese, potassium, magnesium and selenium.
Sugar Alcohols: These include xylitol, glycerol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, and erythritol. Sugar alcohol is supposed to just pass through the body unrecognized. This causes no blood sugar imbalances and is considered a safe sweetener. However, many individuals have reported significant gastrointestinal distress that includes cramping, bloating, gas & diarrhea.
About the author:
Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care.
For more information go to:
http://www.exodushc.com/
To find a Maximized Living doctor near you go to:
http://www.maximizedliving.com/
Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance phone consultations to help you beat disease and reach your health goals.
Friday, November 26, 2010
'Harry Potter' poised to pass 'Star Wars' as biggest franchise
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2010-11-17-potterboxoffice17_ST_N.htm
'Harry Potter' poised to pass 'Star Wars' as biggest franchise
11-17-10
Scott Bowles, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — Harry Potter is near the end of his cinematic journey, but not before he casts more magic on the box office.
With the two-part Potter farewell —Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 opens Friday, with Part 2 following July 15 — almost here, analysts expect the boy wizard to anchor the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
And Part 2 doesn't even open until next summer.
"This is one of the greatest box office franchises in movie history," says Brandon Gray, president of Box Office Mojo. "It's phenomenal they could maintain this level of business six movies in. That's nearly unheard of."
Analysts expect that Part 1 not only will enjoy the biggest debut in the series' history, but also propel the planned eight-film odyssey past Star Wars to become the highest-grossing franchise ever.
The George Lucas saga is king of the series heap, having raked in $1.9 billion domestically over six movies. But most observers say that by the end of Hallows' first-half run, the franchise — already at $1.7 billion — will force Star Wars down a peg.
"What's amazing to see is how consistent each film has been," says Jeff Bock of industry tracker Exhibitor Relations. "That's not just in quality, but also in terms of ticket sales."
Indeed, each series installment has averaged $285 million — steadiness matched only by Star Wars. According to Box Office Mojo, even James Bond is no match: Over 23 movies, 007 has earned $1.6 billion. Star Trek's 11 multiplex installments have beamed up $1 billion.
Analysts also expect Hallows to shatter the franchise's opening weekend record, which belongs to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which bowed to $103 million in 2005. Projections this weekend range from a $115 million to $125 million debut.
And that should come with less marketing muscle than other franchises require, Bock says.
"The books were so huge, you really don't have to tell people another Potter movie is coming," he says.
"Typically, when is book is off-the-charts successful — I think Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will be huge — you get a big series along with it, because the fan base is going to turn out for both."
Gray says distributor Warner Bros. and filmmakers have relied on more than just the bespectacled wizard's name to lure fans.
"You have to credit them for not just riding the wave of the books," Gray says. "If people didn't like the movies, people wouldn't be standing in line overnight to get in."
'Harry Potter' poised to pass 'Star Wars' as biggest franchise
11-17-10
Scott Bowles, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — Harry Potter is near the end of his cinematic journey, but not before he casts more magic on the box office.
With the two-part Potter farewell —Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 opens Friday, with Part 2 following July 15 — almost here, analysts expect the boy wizard to anchor the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
And Part 2 doesn't even open until next summer.
"This is one of the greatest box office franchises in movie history," says Brandon Gray, president of Box Office Mojo. "It's phenomenal they could maintain this level of business six movies in. That's nearly unheard of."
Analysts expect that Part 1 not only will enjoy the biggest debut in the series' history, but also propel the planned eight-film odyssey past Star Wars to become the highest-grossing franchise ever.
The George Lucas saga is king of the series heap, having raked in $1.9 billion domestically over six movies. But most observers say that by the end of Hallows' first-half run, the franchise — already at $1.7 billion — will force Star Wars down a peg.
"What's amazing to see is how consistent each film has been," says Jeff Bock of industry tracker Exhibitor Relations. "That's not just in quality, but also in terms of ticket sales."
Indeed, each series installment has averaged $285 million — steadiness matched only by Star Wars. According to Box Office Mojo, even James Bond is no match: Over 23 movies, 007 has earned $1.6 billion. Star Trek's 11 multiplex installments have beamed up $1 billion.
Analysts also expect Hallows to shatter the franchise's opening weekend record, which belongs to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which bowed to $103 million in 2005. Projections this weekend range from a $115 million to $125 million debut.
And that should come with less marketing muscle than other franchises require, Bock says.
"The books were so huge, you really don't have to tell people another Potter movie is coming," he says.
"Typically, when is book is off-the-charts successful — I think Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will be huge — you get a big series along with it, because the fan base is going to turn out for both."
Gray says distributor Warner Bros. and filmmakers have relied on more than just the bespectacled wizard's name to lure fans.
"You have to credit them for not just riding the wave of the books," Gray says. "If people didn't like the movies, people wouldn't be standing in line overnight to get in."
Saturday, November 13, 2010
S'pore role for Lucas' new movie
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_589656.html
Oct 12, 2010
S'pore role for Lucas' new movie
Irene Tham
Artist's impression of Lucasfilm Singapore's eight-story building in Fusionopolis. The 38,000 sq m 'campus' will be ready by 2012.
THE father of the highly successful Star Wars movie franchise will set the Singapore arm of his film production company to work on his new animation movie.
The film by George Lucas, possibly in 3-D, is slated for global release in 2013.
For this and other undertakings in visual effects and games creation, Lucasfilm Singapore is looking to hire at least 50 artists here by March. Together with the artists among the company's 400 employees here, they will see to aspects of the film like texturing, compositing, lighting and modelling for the characters and its sequences.
Before this, the only experience the artists here have had in producing something by Lucas was for the animated television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, for which they did only 40 per cent of the production work.
Details of the full-length animation film are still under wraps. It is understood that the key creative work in scripting and design will still be done at Lucasfilm's San Francisco headquarters.
Ms Micheline Chau, the president and chief operating officer of Lucasfilm, told The Straits Times that a feature animation unit will be set up within Lucasfilm Singapore.
itham@sph.com.sg
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Empire Strikes Back
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/10/10-things-empire-strikes-back
10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Empire Strikes Back
October 12, 2010
Charlie Jane Anders, io9
Categories: Books and Comics, movies, sci-fi
Here’s a slightly different version of the battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader at the end of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. It’s just one of many revelations in a new making-of book.
The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back by J.W. Rinzler comes out today, and it’s not just essential for fans of the classic film. It’s also a must-read for anybody who’s interested in the creative process, because it goes into excruciating detail, on a day-to-day basis, on the troubled genesis of an amazing film.
You get inside the heads of everybody involved with it, and you see how much pain went into every frame of this movie. In particular, there’s a 17-page section in which you get a transcript of director Irvin Kershner and the actors — especially Harrison Ford — agonize over every second of the crucial carbonite freezing chamber scene, trying to get as much emotional truth and reality out of it as possible. This was on set, after the screenplay had already been revised several times, and every moment of that sequence gets rehashed and debated until it’s (arguably) perfect. There’s tons and tons of eye-popping concept art, including tons of versions of the Luke/Vader fight.
What Rinzler’s book drives home is that Empire Strikes Back was as groundbreaking and daring, in its own way, as the original Star Wars. The film went way over schedule and massively over budget, and almost ran out of money a bunch of times. Everybody became sick on set, Mark Hamill broke his thumb doing one stunt, and there was an accident with the bacta tank that could have killed Hamill if he’d been inside. Also, the movie’s second unit director and its first screenwriter both died during the process.
You see how George Lucas put together ESB at the same time that he was building his business empire, including Lucasfilm and the more mature version of Industrial Light & Magic. Lucas was creating his team and fighting for creative freedom, even as he was stepping back from writing and directing — and a big part of this movie’s brilliance stems from Lucas’ drive to finance the film himself, keeping 20th Century Fox out of the loop creatively. (And if Empire had failed, Lucas would have been broke, despite the first film’s huge profits.)
What comes through, in every interview and behind-the-scenes detail, is the determination of everyone involved to make The Empire Strikes Back bigger and better than the original Star Wars. In spite of huge, almost insurmountable difficulties, the determination to create something better comes through clearly.
In addition to the concept art, there are also a ton of set photos, including things like a cast being made of Harrison Ford for the “frozen in carbonite” Han Solo, and Darth Vader and Boba Fett out for a stroll. And there are tons and tons of pieces of script pages and scribbled notes. You get a real sense of what it would have been like to be inside this madhouse of creativity and seat-of-the-pants improvisation. More concept art shows the evolution of the tauntaun, which started out as a kind of weird lizard.
10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
1. Yoda was originally named Buffy. No, really. In Lucas’ earliest outlines for the sequel, Luke meets a supernatural entity named Buffy, or Bunden Debannen. Here’s how Lucas described it:
Buffy very old — three or four thousand years. Kiber crystal in sword? Buffy shows Luke? Buffy the guardian. “Feel not think.”
And Lucas concludes by saying Luke will become the chosen one, “the human Buffy.” In later drafts, he thought of Yoda as a kind of small frog, and Yoda had a full name: Minch Yoda.
In the earliest script draft, Minch has the immortal line: “Skywalker. Skywalker. And why do you come to walk my sky, with the sword of a Jedi knight?… I remember another Skywalker.”
2. Lucas considered having a scene where Luke’s face gets injured. Mark Hamill was injured in a car accident in 1977, and his face had to be reconstructed — so for a while, Lucas planned on including a sequence where Luke’s face is damaged, and we see it getting patched up by a droid. This got as far as filming — there’s a set picture showing the droid bandaging Luke’s face — but was cut out of the movie.
3. Luke’s journey to becoming a Jedi Knight would have had a lot more bumps. One idea that got tossed around a lot in the early stages of planning ESB was the notion that Luke’s lightsaber had a crystal hidden in the hilt, with secret encrypted information on it — including the coordinates of Minch Yoda’s planet. And Luke would have been “humiliated” when he couldn’t use the Force to stop an attack by a bunch of ice monsters on the rebel’s Hoth base. (With Han telling Luke, “You’re not a Jedi knight, and you never will be.”) Meanwhile, Darth Vader senses that Luke used the force to destroy the Death Star and there’s a new wannabe Jedi in town — so Vader uses telepathy to choke Luke in his spacecraft, nearly killing him — except that R2-D2 jumps the ship into hyperspace and takes it to Yoda’s planet.
4. We could have visited other planets. Possibly including a “water planet,” with an underwater city, and a “city planet,” with the whole planet built over. And at one point, Lucas considered having a visit to the Wookiee home world (some of which ended up in the Christmas special), and Ralph McQuarrie did some concept art of a young Chewbacca. (Also, Lando Calrissian’s home would have been the planet Hoth — not the ice world, but another planet named Hoth — and there might have been a whole alien race living there. And in one early draft, Lando was a clone warrior, one of the many clans of clone fighters left over from the wars.)
5. Darth Vader would have had a castle. And it would have been an evil fortress — in some versions, it’s surrounded by lava, and full of gargoyles who are Vader’s pets.
6. Vader wasn’t Luke’s father at first. In Leigh Brackett’s first script draft, Luke meets his real dad, who says he sent away Luke and his secret sister for their own safety. (Luke’s sister has been training to be a Jedi knight in secret, just as Luke has.) And Papa Skywalker administers the oath of a Jedi Knight to Luke, in which Ben, Minch, Anakin and Luke cross lightsabers, and Luke swears to “dedicate my life to the cause of freedom and justice.”
7. The Luke-Leia-Han love triangle is a much bigger deal in earlier drafts of the script. It’s at the root of Luke’s struggles for self-respect and his humiliations. When Darth Vader is trying to win Luke over to the Dark Side in the second draft, written by Lucas himself, Vader says, “You’re in love with Leia. You don’t want to lose her to Han Solo…. But you will, if you lack the courage to use the strength that’s in you. A strength as great as mine, Luke.” And then at the end, Leia flat-out tells Luke that he’s not the one she loves, because she’s into Han. Also in this version, Han doesn’t get frozen in carbonite — instead, he just flies off to take care of business, leaving Luke and Leia watching the Millennium Falcon disappear.
8. The film posed unique challenges for special effects and model work. Darth Vader had a new Star Destroyer, which was supposed to be 16 miles long! And they built a full-size Millennium Falcon, which was 65 feet wide and 80 feet long. Also, ILM had to start a new stop-motion animation department just to make the Imperial Walkers and tauntauns work. (They tried a man-in-a-suit tauntaun, with “hilarious if not film-worthy results.”) And then there’s the challenge of Yoda — as we reported the other day, they considered everything from a monkey in a mask to a small child or little person to play the Jedi sage, before deciding to go with Frank Oz’s puppetry.
9. Stanley Kubrick nearly killed the movie. Empire was sharing studio space with The Shining, and there was a huge fire that burned down Stage 3 at Elstree Studios, destroying The Shining’s sets. That meant that Empire had to give up some of its own studio space, and The Shining went way over schedule, especially as Kubrick used the delay as an excuse to rethink his own movie. “Timewise, it is doubtful the picture will recover,” one crewmember wrote at the time.
10. Miss Piggy had a cameo in one of Yoda’s first scenes in rehearsal. When Mark Hamill first met Frank Oz, he asked him to do a brief Miss Piggy cameo during rehearsals on set, as a practical joke — but when the time came much later, it caught even Hamill off-guard. During one scene, Yoda tells Luke to follow his feelings. Luke protests that he has followed his feelings — and suddenly, Frank Oz whips out a Miss Piggy puppet, saying, “Feelings? You want feelings? Get behind the couch and I’ll show you feelings, punk. What is this hole? I’ve been booked into dumps before, but never like this. Get me my agent on the phone!”
Send an email to Charlie Jane Anders, the author of this post, at charliejane@io9.com.
Tags: George Lucas, io9, Mark Hamill, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back
Monday, May 31, 2010
The Empire Strikes Back Turns 30, As Do Fans’ Psychic Scars
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2010/05/the-empire-strikes-back-turns-30-as-do-fans-psychic-scars.html
Movies
The Empire Strikes Back Turns 30, As Do Fans’ Psychic Scars
Mike Ryan
May 21, 2010
There is an episode of Lost titled “Some Like it Hoth,” in which Hurley, the portly Floridian played by Jorge Garcia, travels back in time to 1977 with the express goal of writing the script for The Empire Strikes Back before George Lucas gets around to it. He figures he can make “a couple of improvements.” I’m not sure what he could be thinking, because, as far as I’m concerned, The Empire Strikes Back is not only the perfect science-fiction movie. It might just be the perfect movie.
Today is the 30th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back, a film most Star Wars fans consider the best of the franchise’s six films. Just three years after Star Wars revolutionized the blockbuster, Empire redefined it again, proving that a film that took place in outer space and featured light sabers and blasters could also be smart and, yes, depressing. If watching Star Wars was kind of like being on an amusement-park ride—smiles for everyone!—watching The Empire Strikes Back might be more comparable to getting a root-canal. Han Solo would have gladly traded what happened to him in Empire for full set of root-canals. The Empire, seemingly defeated at the end of the first movie when Luke Skywalker blew up the Death Star, struck back in a big way, and it was ugly.
In truth, The Empire Strikes Back had a lot going against it. Being the sequel to the most successful film of all time, Star Wars, raised expectations to an unprecedented level. Sure, there was no Internet to fuel speculation, but there were magazines such as Starlog that sent fans into a frenzy by printing every unsubstantiated rumor about the upcoming sequel’s plot. (Luke, Han, and Leia travel through time to present day Earth? Really, Starlog? Are you sure you’re not thinking of Star TREK?) Meanwhile, the accurate facts were anxiety-inducing enough: the shoot was way over budget, and George Lucas had decided not to direct this installment, handing over the duties to Irvin Kershner.
George Lucas likes to defend his comparatively lame prequels (Episode I, II, and III) by saying that they are kids’ movies. That, he suggests, is why all those thirty-something Star Wars nerds don’t appreciate the new movies. I’m calling bullshit on this. Has Lucas actually seen Empire? Empire is a lot of things, but it’s certainly not a kids’ movie. How do I know? Because I saw that movie when I was five-years-old and it pretty much fucked me up for life.
The Empire Strikes Back was the first film that I ever saw in a movie theater. (The second was Ordinary People, which also fucked me up, but I will not be writing a 30th anniversary story about it.) All I knew about the story of Star Wars was what I had been told by upperclassmen (i.e. second graders) and what I had deduced from playing with my already vast collection of Kenner action figures. Having not seen the film, I wound up forging some pretty strange alliances. In my world, it wasn’t Han, Luke, Chewbacca, and Leia; it was Han and his trusty sidekicks Greedo and Bossk. How ironic is that?
On May 21, 1980, my parents agreed to take me to see The Empire Strikes Back. That day, my innocence died a little. From what I had been told about Star Wars, I expected a fun-filled ride. Yeah, that didn’t happen. What I saw was C-3PO get blown into a million pieces; Luke Skywalker cut off the head of Darth Vader only to see his own face (you think that scene is trippy now, try it as a five-year-old), then, later, get his hand severed by his own father; and Han Solo get frozen in Carbonite and, for all I knew, killed. Actually, my parents got me to the film a little late, so the first piece of action I ever saw on a proper movie screen was Luke Skywalker getting slashed in the face by a Wampa—a Wampa that later got his arm cut off. Again, with all due respect to George Lucas, this is not a fucking kids movie!
All this was especially upsetting because, thanks to Irvin Kershner, I felt genuine concern for these characters. Kershner got absolutely terrific acting performances out of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and, yes, even Harrison Ford (who, let’s admit it, completely phoned in his performance in Return of the Jedi). This is the same reason Lost resonates where other shows fail. It’s not about how crazy or weird the setting is; it’s always about the characters. Anyone can do “weird”; not everyone can do “compelling.” Kershner understood this, whereas Lucas either doesn’t understand it or doesn’t care. This is why the Star Wars prequels failed. Empire doesn’t even have that complex of a plot: Heroes get attacked, heroes try to escape and get their asses kicked in the process. The end.
Empire’s plot taught a generation of children that when life gets you down ... it’s probably only going to get worse. The most positive people I know all love Return of the Jedi; the cynics love Empire. When my parents would ask me why I never got too excited about, well, anything, I just wanted to scream back, “Because, when I had an impressionable mind of mush, you took me to see The Empire Strikes Back!” It taught me that, yeah, no matter how hard of a fight you put up, the bad guys will still win. In 1981, I finally saw a re-release of Star Wars. My parents acted as if they had replaced a dead pet goldfish with a new alive version. “See,” they said, “ they’re all O.K.!,” as if Star Wars came chronologically after Empire and as if I had the brainpower of a Taun-Taun. It made it worse; I knew their fate. “Hey, great, you blew up the Death Star. Laugh it up now, guys. You’re about to get your asses kicked.” But that’s what made Empire great. I cared that much.
I recently asked Jorge Garcia what he actually could improve about Empire, and even he admitted he didn’t agree with his character, “I don’t know if I’d want to touch The Empire Strikes Back. It’s definitely risen to the top of the trilogy. I loved how it ended with so much dissonance. It was the tragedy of them all.” The real tragedy are people—Lucas among them—who write off the original Star Wars films as movies for children. Thirty years ago today, a generation of cynical Star Wars fans were born. It’s hard to imagine a “kids’ movie” released today having that much of an impact—about as hard as imagining anyone, in 2032, caring about the 30th anniversary of Attack of the Clones.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Homes of the Billionaires
http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/109053/homes-of-the-billionaires
Homes of the Billionaires
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Warren Buffett epitomizes living modestly in today's tough economic climate. Despite a $47 billion fortune, the legendary investor -- and the world's third-richest man -- lives in the same five-bedroom, gray stucco house he bought in Omaha, Neb.'s Happy Hollow suburb in 1958 for $31,500.
This folksiness is in line with his famous investing philosophy. "If you don't feel comfortable owning something for 10 years," he once told a reporter, "then don't own it for 10 minutes."
But Buffet, who also professes a love for pub fare like burgers and Cherry Coke, is the exception. Few billionaires are as frugal. Even in these tough times, modesty is a relative term among the superrich.
Computer mogul Michael Dell is a prime example. Dell claims to live simply, yet his Austin, Texas, residence built in 1997 is a 33,000-square-foot manse -- a home that locals call "the castle" because of its high walls and tight security that guard the 20-acre estate.
Megamansions
With an estimated billion-dollar cost, Mukesh Ambani's under-construction 27-story Mumbai skyscraper eclipses previous records for the world's most expensive homes.
No two floor plans for the inside of the lavish tower -- known as Antilla--are alike and each space uses different materials, such as one bathroom's Gingko-leaf sinks with stems guiding the running water into their leaf basins.
In the U.K., Russian-Israeli diamond magnate Lev Leviev owns the Palladio, an extravagant 17,000-square-foot manor outside London, which he bought for $65 million in January 2008. (That works out to $3,824 per square foot.) The home has a bulletproof front door, a gold-plated pool, an indoor cinema and a hair salon for good measure.
Nifty amenities like these drive up a home's price, something steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal knows all about. In 2004 he shelled out $124 million to buy his 12-bedroom spread in London's posh Kensington neighborhood, replete with extravagant Turkish baths and garage space for 20 cars.
American Estates
On this side of the Atlantic, Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison built a 23-acre, 10-building, Japanese-inspired imperial villa in Woodside, Calif.
But he didn't stop there. In recent years Ellison has spent an estimated $200 million more snapping up a dozen commercial and residential properties to create his own compound in the ritzy beachside enclave of Malibu, Calif.
The West Cost is also home to Bill Gates' 66,000-square-foot compound in Medina, Wash. Visitors to this estate have the option of climbing 84 stairs to get to the ground floor or simply riding the personal elevator.
Some billionaires, such as Star Wars director George Lucas, put their mansions to good use by both living in and working from them. Lucas' 5,156-acre Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, Calif. houses his personal residence as well as Skywalker Sound, a postproduction outfit that even has its own fire brigade.
Star sightings are the norm here. In 2000 Tom Hanks taped sound effects for Cast Away and Sean Penn paid a visit before releasing Into the Wild in 2007. Hollywood memorabilia, such as Charlie Chaplin's cane, a prop whip used by Rudolph Valentino and Indiana Jones' Holy Grail, can also be found in the main house.
Of course, no list of billionaire homes would be complete without mention of real estate magnate Donald Trump. His penthouse apartment in Manhattan's Trump Tower is a monument to marble and gold and has an entire floor designated to Trump's fifth child, Barron. This floor's decor is inspired by -- who else? -- Louis XIV.
Despite the costly details, Trump might say his apartment's best feature is its location, which allows him to ride the elevator to his offices in the same skyscraper. That's the true luxury of being a billionaire: an extravagant home and a short commute.
Warren Buffett
Omaha, Neb.
Net Worth: $47 billion
Rank: 3
The world's third-richest man still resides in the 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom gray stucco home he bought in 1958 for $31,500. The home has everything the 79-year-old needs, including his very own handball court that he uses to keep fit. An intruder armed with a fake gun tried to break into the modest, ungated property in 2007 but was ultimately thwarted by security.
Bill Gates
Medina, Wash.
Net Worth: $53 billion
Rank: 2
Gates' 66,000-square-foot compound is built into a hillside on the edge of Lake Washington, near Seattle. Its enviable amenities include: a 60-foot swimming pool with an underwater music system, a 2,500-square-foot gym and a 1,000-square-foot dining room, which seats 24. For a personal touch, out-of-shape visitors can skip the 84-step hike to the ground floor and opt for an elevator ride instead.
Lakshmi Mittal
London, England
Net Worth: $28.7 billion
Rank: 5
In 2004 Mittal paid $128 million for his 12-bedroom townhouse in London's luxe Kensington district. Mittal's mansion, tucked between Kensington Palace and the Sultan of Brunei's spread, has an indoor pool, Turkish baths and garage space for 20 cars. The super-home is also embellished with marble taken from the same quarry that supplied the Taj Mahal.
Larry Ellison
Woodside, Calif.
Net Worth: $28 billion
Rank: 6
Over the last few years the Oracle co-founder has dropped $200 million by some estimates on near a dozen properties in Malibu to create a custom compound. His 23-acre estate in Woodside, pictured here, is inspired by the Japanese city of Kyoto and is reminiscent of a 16th-century imperial Japanese palace. It reportedly cost upward of $200 million to build.
Michael Dell
Austin, Texas
Net Worth: $13.5 billion
Rank: 37
Built in 1997, Dell's 33,000-square-foot hilltop manse sits on a 20-acre spread close to where he founded his eponymous computer company. The eight-bedroom house equipped with a conference room and both indoor and outdoor pools is known locally as "the castle" thanks to its high walls and tight security.
Homes of the Billionaires
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Warren Buffett epitomizes living modestly in today's tough economic climate. Despite a $47 billion fortune, the legendary investor -- and the world's third-richest man -- lives in the same five-bedroom, gray stucco house he bought in Omaha, Neb.'s Happy Hollow suburb in 1958 for $31,500.
This folksiness is in line with his famous investing philosophy. "If you don't feel comfortable owning something for 10 years," he once told a reporter, "then don't own it for 10 minutes."
But Buffet, who also professes a love for pub fare like burgers and Cherry Coke, is the exception. Few billionaires are as frugal. Even in these tough times, modesty is a relative term among the superrich.
Computer mogul Michael Dell is a prime example. Dell claims to live simply, yet his Austin, Texas, residence built in 1997 is a 33,000-square-foot manse -- a home that locals call "the castle" because of its high walls and tight security that guard the 20-acre estate.
Megamansions
With an estimated billion-dollar cost, Mukesh Ambani's under-construction 27-story Mumbai skyscraper eclipses previous records for the world's most expensive homes.
No two floor plans for the inside of the lavish tower -- known as Antilla--are alike and each space uses different materials, such as one bathroom's Gingko-leaf sinks with stems guiding the running water into their leaf basins.
In the U.K., Russian-Israeli diamond magnate Lev Leviev owns the Palladio, an extravagant 17,000-square-foot manor outside London, which he bought for $65 million in January 2008. (That works out to $3,824 per square foot.) The home has a bulletproof front door, a gold-plated pool, an indoor cinema and a hair salon for good measure.
Nifty amenities like these drive up a home's price, something steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal knows all about. In 2004 he shelled out $124 million to buy his 12-bedroom spread in London's posh Kensington neighborhood, replete with extravagant Turkish baths and garage space for 20 cars.
American Estates
On this side of the Atlantic, Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison built a 23-acre, 10-building, Japanese-inspired imperial villa in Woodside, Calif.
But he didn't stop there. In recent years Ellison has spent an estimated $200 million more snapping up a dozen commercial and residential properties to create his own compound in the ritzy beachside enclave of Malibu, Calif.
The West Cost is also home to Bill Gates' 66,000-square-foot compound in Medina, Wash. Visitors to this estate have the option of climbing 84 stairs to get to the ground floor or simply riding the personal elevator.
Some billionaires, such as Star Wars director George Lucas, put their mansions to good use by both living in and working from them. Lucas' 5,156-acre Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, Calif. houses his personal residence as well as Skywalker Sound, a postproduction outfit that even has its own fire brigade.
Star sightings are the norm here. In 2000 Tom Hanks taped sound effects for Cast Away and Sean Penn paid a visit before releasing Into the Wild in 2007. Hollywood memorabilia, such as Charlie Chaplin's cane, a prop whip used by Rudolph Valentino and Indiana Jones' Holy Grail, can also be found in the main house.
Of course, no list of billionaire homes would be complete without mention of real estate magnate Donald Trump. His penthouse apartment in Manhattan's Trump Tower is a monument to marble and gold and has an entire floor designated to Trump's fifth child, Barron. This floor's decor is inspired by -- who else? -- Louis XIV.
Despite the costly details, Trump might say his apartment's best feature is its location, which allows him to ride the elevator to his offices in the same skyscraper. That's the true luxury of being a billionaire: an extravagant home and a short commute.
Warren Buffett
Omaha, Neb.
Net Worth: $47 billion
Rank: 3
The world's third-richest man still resides in the 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom gray stucco home he bought in 1958 for $31,500. The home has everything the 79-year-old needs, including his very own handball court that he uses to keep fit. An intruder armed with a fake gun tried to break into the modest, ungated property in 2007 but was ultimately thwarted by security.
Bill Gates
Medina, Wash.
Net Worth: $53 billion
Rank: 2
Gates' 66,000-square-foot compound is built into a hillside on the edge of Lake Washington, near Seattle. Its enviable amenities include: a 60-foot swimming pool with an underwater music system, a 2,500-square-foot gym and a 1,000-square-foot dining room, which seats 24. For a personal touch, out-of-shape visitors can skip the 84-step hike to the ground floor and opt for an elevator ride instead.
Lakshmi Mittal
London, England
Net Worth: $28.7 billion
Rank: 5
In 2004 Mittal paid $128 million for his 12-bedroom townhouse in London's luxe Kensington district. Mittal's mansion, tucked between Kensington Palace and the Sultan of Brunei's spread, has an indoor pool, Turkish baths and garage space for 20 cars. The super-home is also embellished with marble taken from the same quarry that supplied the Taj Mahal.
Larry Ellison
Woodside, Calif.
Net Worth: $28 billion
Rank: 6
Over the last few years the Oracle co-founder has dropped $200 million by some estimates on near a dozen properties in Malibu to create a custom compound. His 23-acre estate in Woodside, pictured here, is inspired by the Japanese city of Kyoto and is reminiscent of a 16th-century imperial Japanese palace. It reportedly cost upward of $200 million to build.
Michael Dell
Austin, Texas
Net Worth: $13.5 billion
Rank: 37
Built in 1997, Dell's 33,000-square-foot hilltop manse sits on a 20-acre spread close to where he founded his eponymous computer company. The eight-bedroom house equipped with a conference room and both indoor and outdoor pools is known locally as "the castle" thanks to its high walls and tight security.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Zappa Meets Kirby
http://royalflushmagazine.com/2009/10/13/zappa_meets_kirby/World’s Finest – Royal Flush 6 Exclusive!
Step inside the Fourth World as we relive that one magical day when…
FRANK ZAPPA met JACK KIRBY !
by Jeff Newelt • Illustration by Rick Veitch • Photos by Michael James Zuccaro
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
I’ve always been a sucker for the big teamup: Superman / Shazam. Hulk / Thing. chocolate & peanut butter. So when I came across a photo of Jack Kirby and Frank Zappa embracing finally, my synapses started firing like FBI at Waco.
Were they friends? Did they hang? Play action figures together? WTF! I had to know.
For those not so in-the-know as us ubergeekanoids, Jack Kirby was the visionary artist who created The Fantastic Four, X-Men, Hulk, Thor, Silver Surfer, Captain America…the Marvel universe sprang forth from his (and writer Stan Lee’s) head. In the ’70s, Jack went solo, rocking out idiosyncratic cosmic characters – the New Gods, Omac, Forever People, Eternals, Devil Dinosaur, Kamandi, Demon, all nutty, jazzy, psychedelically mythic stuff.
Frank Zappa was a musical iconoclast and genius composer/producer/guitar player. He wove together humor, avant-garde classical guitar-rock, doo-wop, dada, jazz-fusion, and political satire, hired the badass-est musicians, and rolled with world leaders like Czech playwright/philosopher Vaclav Havel. His songs are like audio comic books, hypervisual with colorful characters and scenarios like “Camarillo Brillo,” which includes the lines “She had a snake for a pet / and an amulet / and she was breeding a dwarf / But she wasn’t done yet / She had gray-green skin / A doll with a pin / I told her she was awright / But I couldn’t come in.” Sounds just like a character out of Kirby’s Demon.
Jack and Frank, both universe builders, one music, the other, comics. But what was the connection?
Fast-forward to present day. I’m at a conference in New Mexico teaching social media to female entrepreneurs, and one lady says, “Yer not one of those comics people, are you? My husband’s one, Steve Sherman.” D’OH! Steve Sherman was one of Kirby’s fabled assistants! I reached out to Steve and turns out Jack and Frank Zappa were not only pals, but also essentially neighbors. How was this friendship kept secret so long?
A mere week later, I wind up having drinks with fellow Flusher Paul Pope and none other than Frank’s youngest son, Ahmet Zappa! We learned all about Kingdom Comics, the new graphic novel line Ahmet is helming for Disney.
Contextual rewind: Not just a comics impresario, Ahmet’s been rocking in different media since he was a wee young lad. He was lead singer/songwriter in Z, a band he formed with his brother Dweezil in the early ’90s, an actor on Roseanne and Growing Pains and in films such as Pump up the Volume and Jack Frost, and most recently hosted VH1’s But Can They Sing?
So I had to show Ahmet my Blackberry screensaver, the image I had found of his dad and Jack together, and Ahmet goes, “Whoa, I never saw that! That’s in my living room… Jack would come over and smoke cigars and Frank would smoke cigarettes, and they’d talk and talk.”
One of the things Frank and Jack had in common: the prodigious amount of cosmic goodness that extruded from their respective noggins was not the result of drugs; they both enjoyed tobaccy but only the unwacky. We had other stuff to discuss that evening, so I made Ahmet promise to reconnect ASAP to spill the magic beans on this egregiously undocumented duo. And he kept his promise.
Ahmet, one of four Zappa kids, the other three being Moon Unit (the oldest), Dweezil (second oldest), and Diva (youngest), was always into superheroes his entire life.
“I loved Spider-man; it’s the jam,” gushed Ahmet. “My dad loved comics and was the first to advertise rock n’ roll in comics, for We’re Only In It For The Money [in Fantastic Four #72, 1968, Natch!]. My mother made Dweezil and I costumes of Spider-Man and The Mighty Thor.”
The son of a gregarious rock star, Ahmet grew up meeting every celebrity musician under the sun. But it wasn’t a rocker who gave Ahmet that first feeling of being around greatness. “I was not starstruck at all by rock stars because music is its own language and my father spoke it, so we spoke it,” Ahmet explains matter-of-factly. “This totally demystified the fame or the celebrity. There was no currency for ‘oooh, that guy sold a million records, we just cared about good music. One of the most significant moments in my life is when my dad said, ‘meet Jack, he’s the guy who created all those superheroes you love.’ That blew my little mind. I thought it was awesome and weird that my dad had this friendship with this guy. It was like meeting like a real magician!”And Jack brought some presents for the kids, but oddly, they weren’t comics. “Actually, he first came over with these Mr. Men books, you know Mr. Tickle, Mr. Impossible… I thought they were fantastic, and was like ‘did you do these too?’ Weird. Dunno why he brought those instead of his own books, but later, of course, he wound up giving us comics too. Jack gave me this Silver Surfer book. I didn’t know what to make of this silver dude on a surfboard; it didn’t make any sense but, he was super cool. This was around the time Empire came out and was HUGE [1981 –ed.], and I remember Jack confided in Frank that he felt like the stories he created helped shape the Star Wars saga, that he saw direct parallels between his characters and the movie’s story arcs.”
Of all rock stars in the world, Zappa, famously an outspoken champion of free speech and artist’s rights, was the ultimate sympathetic ear.
“He told my dad stuff like, ‘Darth Vader was Doctor Doom and the Force is the Source’ and that George Lucas ripped him off. Now this you may not know, and I was only a kid, but I remember learning at the dinner table that my dad was asked to write the music for Star Wars; he turned it down, he said he wasn’t interested. That would’ve been really strange, the lives of us Star Wars fans woulda taken a different turn and that whole score woulda sounded like Tatooine Cantina music.”
Two powerful worlds that happened to collide one special night in 1981. A friendship began and a mutual bond was formed. These two titans are now sadly no longer with us, but their spirit lives on now through their family keeping tradition alive.
The only regret, Royal Flush readers, is that we’ll never get to visit the parallel universe where Frank Zappa actually got to score Star Wars. The place called the Fourth World. ?
Friday, September 18, 2009
Harrison Ford ready for fifth ‘Indiana Jones’
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32841449/ns/entertainment-celebrities/Harrison Ford ready for fifth ‘Indiana Jones’
Actor says story is already taking form and he’d be happy to take part again
Mon., Sept . 14, 2009
Dust off the fedora and clear out the snakes — Indiana Jones is ready to ride again.
Harrison Ford, 67, says he's already ready for the globe-trotting archaeologist's next adventure, only a year after one of history's most successful film franchises was revived — and that the next chapter is already well on its way.
"The story for the new 'Indiana Jones' is in the process of taking form," Ford told France's Le Figaro. "Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and myself are agreed on what the fifth adventure will concern, and George is actively at work. If the script is good, I'll be very happy to put the costume on again."
The screen legend was on hand to accept a career honor at the Deauville Film Festival, with partner Calista Flockhart on his arm.
In June, while promoting "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," Shia LaBouef — who plays Indiana Jones' son, Mutt — told the BBC, "Steven's just said that he's cracked the story."
Domestic duties
But until it's again time to fight Nazis and Stalinists and overcome the supernatural, Ford says he's happy to be a simple househusband.
"I do the dishes. And I make dinner," he said. "In the mornings, I get my 8-year-old son Liam ready for school, and then I pass my time flying around in my planes. You see, I'm just like anybody else. My children are between 8 and 42, and I'm also a grandfather."
Though he's got "Indy" in the works and two films ("Morning Glory" and "The Crowley Project") set for release next year, Ford says there's one stereotypical actor's ambition he's happy to leave alone.
"[Directing]'s too hard, too long, and it doesn't pay enough!" he joked. "To be a good filmmaker is the hardest job in the world. I'm not patient enough. And I don't want to be the boss."
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