#Kia Williams icons

[gremlins-hotel]

From the notes of Capt. Alfred Jones: "Davie was a bus and the 'Flying Fortress' moniker seemed to pass her by, but it was a ship with a brave crew. The trudge of getting back to England from enemy territory is a story for another day. I miss her and sometimes I miss the boys we lost that day."

-✪- -✪- -✪-

B-17F "Dear Davie": *U.S. Army Model B-17F-65-BO Air Corps Serial No. 42-29670 Delivered Cheyenne 31/1/43; Pueblo 18/2/43; Salina 15/2/43; Brookley 19/3/43; Smoky Hill 23/3/43; Dow Field 18/4/43. Assigned to the 333rd Bomb Squadron/94th Bomb Group [TS-L] "DEAR DAVIE" 22/4/43; Missing in Action near Hamburg 25/7/43 with Alfred "Comet" Jones, **Co-Pilot: Daryl "Speed" Reed, Navigator: Richard Reed, Bombardier: Charlie Marstaller; Radio Operator: Johnathan Graves, Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: Clyde "Pepsi" Ray, Ball Turret Gunner: William Ortlieb, Waist Gunner: Leslie Lipsey, Waist Gunner: Paul Rapoport, Tail Gunner: Thomas Pugh (6 Killed in Action); "DEAR DAVIE" lost to flak/anti-aircraft fire, crashing near Uetersen, 15 miles NW of Hamburg, Germany.

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[nerd things & acknowledgements below cut]

Notes on the B-17F... The B-17F was an upgrade of the previous E model, with several notable changes: A one- or two-piece plexiglas nose cone, as opposed to the ten-paneled cone of previous versions. Reinforced landing gear allowed for a greater maximum payload, from 4,200 lb (1,900 kg) of ordnance to 8,000 lb (3,600 kg). Flight and combat range of the F model was improved by 900 mi (1,400 km) with the addition of nine self-sealing rubber fuel cells in the wing root, aka, "Tokyo tanks". The F model was generally characterized by being tail-heavy - which lead to part failure - and woefully undefended from the front; the early F models had no front-facing armament, leaving a 60° blind spot to the direct front of the aircraft - a flaw which was exploited by German pilots, who held air superiority. Later F models would see a list of possible available modifications (factory and field) such as inserting two .50 caliber machine guns into the nose cone to solve the blind spot. Other modifications to later F models were bulged cheek turrets, as opposed to the window-mounted guns of earlier iterations, and the available addition of the iconic "Bendix" chin turret. The chin turret is far more common on the subsequent G "gunship" variant. ("Dear Davie" is an early F model without the nose mount, bulged cheeks, or chin turret.)

*This model production block, serial no., and fate are borrowed from real-life B-17F #42-29670, "Thundermug." "Thundermug" was an aircraft that originally served in the 333rd Bomb Squadron/94th Bomb Group alongside my great-grandfather and his usual steed, "The Gremlins Hotel." It was transferred to the 544th BS/384th BG, at which point it went Missing in Action over Hamburg from flak/aa-fire; 8 of its crew became POWs while 2 were KIA. I have had the honor to speak to descendants of both of its crews and help them research "Thundermug"; I wish to voice a mere glimpse of their stories in a unique way.

**All names of Alfred's crew are either cobbled-together family names throughout our history here or entirely fictitious - though some were inspired by real people whom I grew up with stories of. All inspirations were individuals that lived good lives post-war.

[cinemasubterrain]

The Return of MINI-SHATNERFEST!!! May 20th, Mini-Shatnerfest 4!

Cinema Subterrain was a free monthly microcinema held in the basement of L.A. Mood Comics and Games’ Richmond Street location, which ran from 2004-2006.

17 years later, we’ve brought it back!

For those who are not familiar, Cinema Subterrain is totally free to all! Heckling, jokes and talking during the screenings are wholly encouraged! Bring your own snacks and beverages! Bring some to share! In its original run, Cinema Subterrain had a potluck / social gathering vibe - we want to keep that feeling alive with its return!

This will be the final screening of our Winter / Spring season. Then we’ll be taking a hiatus for the summer, with a return to monthly screenings in the fall! 

For more info on upcoming screenings and schedule, visit:

www.tumblr.com/cinemasubterrain

The Return Of Cinema Subterrain Presents: Mini Shatner Fest 4!!!

In its original run, CInema Subterrain hosted two editions of Mini Shatner Fest, celebrating the odd, weird and lesser known films and ephemera of William Shatner’s acting career. The 3rd edition was held in Toronto, hosted by Greg Woods’ Eclectic Screening Room. And now, we’re doing it again! 

This edition of Mini-Shatner fest brings you some of his iconic television work, as well as one of the oddest entries in the Shatner filmography!!!

Twilight Zone: Nick of Time (Season 2, Episode 7) dir: Richard L. Bare - 1960:

A pair of newlyweds stopping in a small town are trapped by their own superstition when playing a fortune-telling machine in a local diner.

TJ Hooker: The Night Ripper (Season 5, Episode 8) 1986:

A murder of a college co-ed puts TJ Hooker hot on the trail of the notorious serial killer, the NIGHT RIPPER! 

Incubus. dir: Leslie Stevens. 1966. 

This surreal horror film is well known as one of the only films to be shot and screened in Esperanto - a “constructed universal language”, created by L. L. Zamenhof in 1887. Shatner plays Marc, a soldier with a ‘pure soul’ who visits a mysterious village to heal his war wounds, where he falls in love with a succubus named Kia. 

[asheradamn]

Kia William Icons

[justforbooks]

Ira Hamilton Hayes was born on January 12th, 1923. He was a Pima Native American and a United States Marine during World War II. Hayes was an enrolled member of the Gila River Pima Indian Reservation located in Pinal and Maricopa counties in Arizona. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on August 26, 1942, and, after recruit training, volunteered to become a Paramarine (also known as Marine paratroopers). He fought in the Bougainville and Iwo Jima campaigns in the Pacific War.

Hayes was generally known as one of the six flag raisers immortalized in the iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima by photographer Joe Rosenthal. The first flag raised over Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945 at the south end of Iwo Jima, was deemed too small and replaced the same day by a larger flag. As there was no photograph of the first flag-raising, the second flag-raising photograph which included Hayes in it, became famous and was widely reproduced. After the battle, Hayes and two other men were identified as surviving second flag-raisers and were reassigned to help raise funds for the Seventh War Loan drive. In 1946, after his service in the Marine Corps, he was instrumental in revealing the correct identity of one of the Marines in the photograph.

Hayes did not feel worthy of his fame. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and descended into alcoholism. On November 10, 1954, he attended the dedication of the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, which was modeled after the photograph of Hayes and five other Marines raising the second flag on Iwo Jima.

Hayes was commemorated in art and film, before and after his death. In 1949, he portrayed himself raising the flag in the movie, Sands of Iwo Jima, starring John Wayne. He was the subject of an article by journalist William Bradford Huie, which was adapted for the feature film The Outsider (1961), starring Tony Curtis as Hayes. The movie inspired songwriter Peter La Farge to write "The Ballad of Ira Hayes," which became popular nationwide in 1964 after being recorded by Johnny Cash. In 2006, Hayes was portrayed by Adam Beach in the World War II movie Flags of Our Fathers, directed by Clint Eastwood.

On the morning of January 24, 1955, Hayes was found dead lying near an abandoned adobe hut near where he lived in Sacaton, Arizona. He had been drinking and playing cards on the reservation with his friends and brothers Vernon and Kenneth. An altercation ensued between Hayes and a Pima Indian named Henry Setoyant, and all left except Hayes and Setoyant. The Pinal County coroner concluded that Hayes's death was caused by exposure and alcohol poisoning. However, his brother Kenneth, a Korean War veteran, believes that the death resulted from the altercation with Setoyant. The reservation police did not conduct an investigation into Hayes's death, and Setoyant denied any allegations of fighting with Hayes. There was no autopsy.

In the film The Outsider, his death is dramatized for the screen. He is shown drunk and freezing on a mountain top and unable to climb down. He falls asleep and is shown frozen to death with his arm and hand reaching upwards, like the time he raised the flag on Mount Suribachi. In the song "The Ballad of Ira Hayes", he was described as being drunk and drowning in two inches of water in a ditch.

On February 2, 1955, Hayes was buried in Section 34, Grave 479A at Arlington National Cemetery. At the funeral, fellow flag-raiser Rene Gagnon said of him: "Let's say he had a little dream in his heart that someday the Indian would be like the white man — be able to walk all over the United States."

1993 Marine Corps commemoration

The six second flag-raisers: #1, Cpl. Harlon Block (KIA) #2, Pfc. Harold Keller #3, Pfc. Franklin Sousley (KIA) #4, Sgt. Michael Strank (KIA) #5, Pfc. Harold Schultz #6, Pfc. Ira Hayes

On November 10, 1993, the United States Marine Corps held a ceremony at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, commemorating the 218th anniversary of the Marine Corps. Of Ira Hayes, USMC Commandant General Carl Mundy said:

One of the pairs of hands that you see outstretched to raise our National flag on the battle-scarred crest of Mount Suribachi so many years ago, are those of a Native American ... Ira Hayes ... a Marine not of the ethnic majority of our population.

Were Ira Hayes here today ... I would tell him that although my words on another occasion have given the impression that I believe some Marines ... because of their color ... are not as capable as other Marines ... that those were not the thoughts of my mind ... and that they are not the thoughts of my heart.

I would tell Ira Hayes that our Corps is what we are because we are of the people of America ... the people of the broad, strong, ethnic fabric that is our nation. And last, I would tell him that in the future, that fabric will broaden and strengthen in every category to make our Corps even stronger ... even of greater utility to our nation. That's a commitment of this commandant ... And that's a personal commitment of this Marine.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[kicksaddictny]

Jordan Brand Signs Luka Dončić

According to NIKE

Luka Dončić, the 2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year, is the latest member of Jordan Brand's basketball roster.

"It is exciting to join such a talented roster and being given the privilege of defining the next generation of the Jordan Brand," says Dončić. “Michael Jordan was a hero of mine growing up, so being able to represent this iconic brand, especially as a kid from Slovenia, is an honor.”

The Slovenian national joined the Dallas Mavericks after a highly decorated European career during which he won the 2018 EuroLeague title and was named the contest's MVP. Dončić has entered his sophomore NBA season on a historic clip — he is the first player since Oscar Robertson to average at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists through the first 16 games of a seasons. Through his NBA career to date, Dončić has also tallied more 30-point triple doubles than any player under 21-years-old in history.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Luka to the Jordan Brand,” says Craig Williams, Jordan Brand President. "He is an undeniable talent, and he's already demonstrated a fearlessness in the clutch that we prize in the Jordan Brand family.”

Dončić's addition caps a year full of new talent joining Jordan Brand, including Jayson Tatum, Rui Hachimura, Zion Williamson, WNBA players Asia Durr and Kia Nurse and NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

Here's what Michael Jordan has to say about Dončić:

“Luka is a phenomenal player, and at such a young age. He’s demonstrating skill it takes many guys years to develop. It will be incredible to watch him continue to advance in the league," says Jordan. "We are excited to welcome him to the Jordan Brand family. He rounds out a roster of incredible new talent united to represent Jordan Brand for the next generation.”

[orbemnews]

It’s Memes vs. Regulators Roaring Kitty goes quiet as regulators circle Keith Gill’s cheerleading of GameStop stock made him an icon among Reddit-based traders during the recent meme-stock rally, and may have minted him a fortune — on paper at least. But Massachusetts authorities are now looking at whether he broke securities rules, The Times’s Matthew Goldstein reports, as regulators there and at the federal level investigate possible market manipulation in the trading frenzy. At issue is Mr. Gill’s side gig as a stock commentator. Until last week, he worked in marketing at the insurer MassMutual and he’s a registered securities broker. But he was better known to the outside world for his Roaring Kitty YouTube channel and his posts on Reddit’s WallStreetBets under a profane name unprintable here, in which he talked up GameStop stock. (His YouTube videos contained a disclaimer that viewers should consult a financial adviser before investing.) He hadn’t disclosed all that to MassMutual or to the financial authority Finra, a failure that Massachusetts’ securities regulator, William Galvin, is examining. MassMutual told Mr. Galvin’s office that, had it known about Mr. Gill’s activities, it would have asked him to stop or fired him. Representative Maxine Waters, the head of the House Financial Services Committee, wants Mr. Gill to testify at a Feb. 18 hearing on the meme-stock trading, which will also feature the Robinhood chief Vlad Tenev. Mr. Gill himself hasn’t posted a YouTube video since Jan. 22, and wrote on Reddit yesterday that he would “back off the daily updates” of his GameStop trading position “for now.” Meanwhile, the S.E.C. is reportedly combing through social media posts for fraud. The commission is looking for misinformation that may have spurred the market frenzy, while also examining trading data to see if messages and transactions match up, Bloomberg reports. Reddit has also said that its content filters blocked a “large amount” of posts by bots, adding to concerns about manipulation. In more meme-stock news: Among the biggest winners from the GameStop rally were a Morgan Stanley mutual fund and the hedge fund Senvest Management. A book about the trading mania by Ben Mezrich, whose “The Accidental Billionaires” was the basis for the movie “The Social Network,” was sold to Hachette. And here’s Robinhood’s forthcoming Super Bowl ad, with the pitch, “We are all investors.” HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING McKinsey will pay $573 million to settle investigations into its role in the opioid crisis. The consultancy reached an agreement with 47 states and others over its role in helping to “turbocharge” opioid sales, though it didn’t admit wrongdoing. The settlement amount is more than it earned from opioid makers, and mostly has to be paid within 60 days. Ken Frazier will retire as Merck’s C.E.O. Mr. Frazier, who led the pharmaceutical giant for a decade, drew headlines for standing up to President Donald Trump over the violent Charlottesville demonstrations. He is one of just four Black C.E.O.s of Fortune 500 companies, including Roz Brewer, who will take over at Walgreens next month. Mr. Frazier will shift to executive chairman in June. Apple nears a deal to produce an autonomous electric vehicle. The tech giant is finalizing an agreement with Hyundai-Kia to make an Apple-branded car in Georgia, CNBC reports. Shares in Apple rose 2 percent in after-hours trading. Apollo reports bumper earnings despite controversy around Leon Black. The investment giant’s fourth-quarter profit more than doubled from the same time a year ago. But a bigger test of whether it can move on from questions about Mr. Black’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein will come when it tries to raise money for new investment funds. A rare bit of good news for Deutsche Bank. A trading boom bolstered the German bank’s markets division, helping the firm report its first profit in six years. In less happy earnings news, Royal Dutch Shell missed expectations in its latest results, as oil giants continue to suffer from slumping demand for fossil fuels. Exclusive: NetJets invests in fuel made from waste The private jets charter company plans to announce today that it is buying a stake in a business that converts landfill waste into so-called sustainable aviation fuel, or S.A.F., as criticism grows about the environmental impact of private charter flights, which have boomed during the pandemic. NetJets will take a 20 percent stake in WasteFuel. The companies will collaborate on building a plant in Manila that will convert landfill-bound garbage into aviation-grade fuel. WasteFuel claims that its fuel represents an 80 percent reduction in carbon over its lifecycle compared with traditional fossil fuels. NetJets plans to buy at least 100 million gallons of fuel from WasteFuel over a decade. It’ll be shipped from the Manila plant to Los Angeles and then distributed across NetJet’s network. (For context, the NetJets fleet burns more than 120 million gallons of aviation fuel each year, according to a spokeswoman.) The investment builds on NetJets’ previous commitments to reduce its climate impact. In October, the company announced that it would buy more carbon offsets and rely on more S.A.F. Such news follows a rise in private jet travel as the coronavirus depressed commercial flight activity — and ongoing concerns that chartered flights are worse for the environment. “Everyone’s a genius in a bull market until they’re not.” — Mark Cuban, the billionaire investor, spoke about the GameStop mania, Bitcoin markets and echoes of the dot-com bubble in the latest “Sway” podcast with Kara Swisher. Getting to know Andy Jassy Andy Jassy joined Amazon in 1997, directly out of Harvard Business School. He helped start Amazon Web Services, the cloud-computing unit that has transformed the e-commerce giant’s fortunes in recent years. Although he was already well known to Amazon watchers, now that Mr. Jassy is set to take over from Jeff Bezos as C.E.O., the interest in him has reached a new level. A few things we’ve learned from all the profiles: He’s a “brain double” for Mr. Bezos, based on a stint he spent shadowing the company’s founder early in his career, a former executive assistant to Mr. Bezos told The Times. He sweats the details, and is “known for his curiosity and respect for data,” insiders told The Wall Street Journal. His typical mode is to start with customer problems and work backward to find solutions. He thinks companies should be “reinventing all the time,” according to remarks he gave at a recent company forum, according to Reuters. His role pushing Amazon away from its bookseller roots reflected what he called a “maniacal and relentless and tenacious” pursuit of “what’s working and what’s not working.” A congressman bets on cannabis Representative Brian Mast, Republican of Florida, has been buying stocks, like everyone else these days. But he is a lawmaker, so his picks are scrutinized more closely. The database Congress Trading flagged one recent transaction to DealBook that shows how trading by lawmakers, even if legal, comes with a need for transparency. (See our related coverage of Nancy Pelosi, Mo Brooks and Gerald Connolly.) Mr. Mast bought stock in Tilray, the Canadian cannabis company, on Nov. 6, spending between $15,000 and $50,000. That was days after the election, when measures to legalize recreational marijuana passed in four states. On Dec. 1, Mr. Mast certified the trade in a required disclosure, and three days later he voted for a bill, the MORE Act, which would downgrade cannabis as a controlled substance and decriminalize its production and use in other ways. The bill passed the House mostly along party lines, with Mr. Mast one of five Republicans to vote in favor. Tilray’s stock is up by more than 170 percent since early November, when Mr. Mast bought the shares. Mr. Mast represents a district in southeastern Florida which went for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, and he is among the representatives who refused to certify the presidential election results even after the Capitol riot halted the process, though he condemned the violence. A veteran, Mr. Mast has a record of supporting medical marijuana in Florida. He served in the army for 12 years, including in Afghanistan, where he lost his legs. The congressman advocates for vets, was considered to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs and generally supports exploring alternative medical treatments. In other words, his position on supporting cannabis legislation and companies is consistent. And it’s this consistency — the timing of the stock purchase and the vote — that could be seen as awkward, undermining trust. A spokesman for Mr. Mast said that he “has bought and sold this stock a few times over the past few years.” He added: “The price of this stock has dropped substantially over the years. When he bought the stock in 2019, for example, it was at $77 per share. It hit a low of about $10 and today it is still at less than $30.” THE SPEED READ Deals 23andMe, the consumer DNA testing company, will go public by merging with a SPAC backed by Richard Branson and his Virgin Group at a $3.5 billion valuation. (23andMe) Retail traders’ latest obsession may be a blank-check fund run by the veteran banker Michael Klein that’s in talks to merge with the electric car company Lucid — the SPAC’s shares have more than tripled in the past month. (WSJ) British and E.U. antitrust regulators reportedly plan expansive investigations into Nvidia’s $40 billion deal to buy Arm, reflecting deep skepticism about the transaction. (FT) Politics and policy Mario Draghi, the former president of the European Central Bank, accepted a mandate to form Italy’s next government as prime minister. (NYT) The Justice Department dropped a lawsuit accusing Yale of discriminating against white and Asian applicants, a legal fight started by the Trump administration. (NYT) Tech The C.E.O. of the conservative social network Parler said he was fired after a dispute with is financial backer, Rebekah Mercer, over limits on user postings. (NYT) Canadian authorities declared the facial recognition app Clearview AI illegal, though their demand of scrubbing Canadian faces from its database may be hard to enforce. (NYT) Myanmar’s military has blocked Facebook, a primary source of news for its citizens, after seizing power in a coup. (FT) Best of the rest Former President Donald Trump’s top banker at Deutsche Bank, Rosemary Vrablic, was pushed out after failing to disclose a side transaction with a client. (NYT) Buyers paid millions for apartments in the supertall 432 Park tower in Manhattan’s “Billionaire’s Row” — and ended up with costly leaks, creaky walls and huge hikes in common charges. (NYT) We’d like your feedback! Please email thoughts and suggestions to dealbook@nytimes.com. Source link Orbem News #memes #regulators

[davidsimister]

The new Land Rover Defender still needs to pass the Ifor Williams test

The new Land Rover Defender still needs to pass the Ifor Williams test

IT’S A Kia Soul. It’s a Skoda Yeti. It’s a bloated pastiche of a British icon. And what the heck is that weird block in the rear window, anyway?

Actually, I quite like the new Land Rover Defender. I got the chance to have a proper look around it at last weekend’s Goodwood Revival, just a few days after its big debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show (although why a show dedicated to 1960s classic…

[cinemoci]

Renault Scénic Review 2017 By http://s3.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2017-Renault-Koleos-4×2-Zen-21.jpg caradvice.com.au Size: 759086.00B

The 2017 Renault Megane GT wagon offers a perfect blend of practicality and sportiness. But is it hot enough to warrant the GT badge on its tailgate? Jez Spinks finds out. Ever since the 1970s, hot hatches have soared in popularity by creating a homogenous The new second generation Renault Duster will be officially showcased at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show on 12th September 2017. The new Duster is based on Renault’s modular CMF platform and gets largely similar dimensions as compared to the outgoing model. Codemasters has now updated the pinnacle of motorsport’s franchise to 2017, but with the substantial changes to the Williams FW14b, and the Renault R26. It’s a shame there aren’t any historic tracks to take these beauties out on, but at least The Tata Tiago and the Renault Kwid have both raked in high sales figures with The Tiago does not get a touchscreen infotainment system and navigation like the Kwid does and in 2017, features like those do actually make the difference for the average New range topping Iconic Special Edition version of the Renault Twingo city car adds extra tech and unique styling tweaks New Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid 2017 review – pictures New Audi A8 autonomous ride review New Audi A8 ride review – pictures Peugeot Here we review some of rear wing designs seen over the Italian Grand The aim was to maximise top speed – and to try and make up for the power deficit of the Red Bull’s Renault engine relative to the top two teams. It worked – Ricciardo finished .

But, with the launch of the Kaptur (still wondering the exact pronunciation of its name though) Renault has the opportunity to remedy the issues that the Duster faced. So, I think it would be fair to say that I’m quite looking forward to see how the new Toyota is not the first to push the limits of design in this segment, the Nissan JUKE, Kia Soul and Renault Captur were earlier debutants international and local launch reviews, as well as our seven-day tests. From time to time we also take the envisioning the future As Renault prepares to celebrate 40 years of involvement in Formula 1 in 2017, the R.S. 2027 Vision concept envisions F1 at 50. Renault’s design team created it in collaboration with Renault Sport Racing. In addition to all the He: Compact wagons, like this one based on the Renault Megane small car, are a rare breed in Australia. We prefer SUVs as family transport but if you need a bit of extra space, without wanting the extra height, they are well worth consideration. .

Another Picture of Renault Scénic Review 2017:

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Details : Post Title : Renault Scénic Review 2017 Category : Car Review

Renault Scénic Review 2017 Renault Scénic Review 2017 By caradvice.com.au Size: 759086.00B The 2017 Renault Megane GT wagon offers a perfect blend of practicality and sportiness.

[nofomoartworld]

[Premiere] A Sith Lord Is Born in This Gorgeously Dark 'Star Wars' Fan Film

When it comes to Star Wars and learning the Force, we've seen most of it from the perspective of the Jedi. When we see training, like Anakin, Luke, and now Rey, it's all from the light side that the journey begins.

Obviously Anakin turns into one of the all-time great villains, and we've yet to see what will happen with Rey—she might be heading for Grey Jedi territory. Still, when it comes to seeing how these warriors train and study, it's generally in favor of the good guys. We don't, for instance, have many narratives wherein Sith Lords learn their dark crafts from a Sith Master.

A new Star Wars fan film, premiering today on Creators, does just that. It's called Dark Legacy, and it was directed by Anthony Pietromonaco, produced by Manifest Films, and features special effects by Jaremy Aiello and Mo Meinhart.

The film is based upon the idea in Sith lore that states, "Training is complete only with the death of the master or the student." The quote comes from Sorzus Syn, a female Jedi who turned to the Dark Side and authored the Sith Code.

In Dark Legacy, we see an apprentice, called Kia (Erin Wu), imprisoned against her will by a Sith Master (Fabien Garcia) who is looking for a student who can either kill him and inherit his legacy, or die trying. The Master has sought out many disciples who he has then held captive and forced into challenging him and learn the ways of the dark side. Kia is the latest of his prisoners and possible reluctant Sith Lord.

"I'm bored by villains that are one-dimensional," Pietromonaco tells Creators. "For me that kills the story. One of the most fascinating elements of Sith philosophy isn't that it's 'evil.' It's utilitarian. We wanted to create a situation where an apprentice was forced to use the dark side as a practical element for survival. Not because they were bad, but because they had no choice. Our story grew from there."

The story is set on a distant, forgotten planet where the Master has long entrapped his apprentices. When training them, for every mistake they make he gives them a lightsaber burn, which Kia has down her arms. Then, if they fail to fully harness the dark side and cannot defeat him, instead of just letting them die, he turns their bodies into a host for a strange parasite that harvests upon their 'essence,' ultimately turning them into a crystal.

"We wanted to tell a story that fleshed out some of the mythology that we found most interesting, and using a Sith framework was a great way to do that," says Pietromonaco. "It also enabled us to take a lot of creative liberties while still honoring the source material, showing unique visuals that had been suggested but never seen."

It was also a great opportunity to shoot some lightsaber battles, and bring in some unique takes on these iconic weapons. So, Pietromonaco notes, they took the unstable lightsabers that we saw with Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens, and gave The Master something similar—a very early and rudimentary lightsaber, basically just a Kyber crystal wrapped in leather. Kia's saber utilizes one of the parasite's crystals: that of her dead brother.

"We wanted our Sith's saber to feel ancient, archaic, as if it was by sheer power of will that the Sith Master was able to control it. In contrast, we wanted Kia's to feel more traditional, but we personalized it by adding to the lore of Kyber crystals, introducing a creature that suggested that in a way she was fighting with the essence of her dead brother."

To bring the fights to life, they had a stunt team which included Phil Tan and Fabien Garcia. It was choreographed using influences from Chinese Wushu and some unconventional techniques. "We cast real martial artists who weren't just actors but also athletes," Pietromonaco explains. "The nuanced performance in their movement is one of the strongest elements of the piece."

Pietromonaco also notes that they enlisted Emmy award-winning sound design team Unbridled Sound. "[The sounds were] custom and unique, so our lightsabers sound different than any sabers you've heard before." The music was composed by Michael Meinhart which nods to John Williams' iconic scores, but changes them just enough, too.

The result, like a lot of fan films, and now with the sequels, is something new yet also familiar. But unlike the sequels, what Pietromonaco also wanted to add was something darker and a bit more grim, too.

"There are still elements that you might recognize from The Empire Strikes Back, but instead of using a swamp, we shot in a desert. Instead of Yoda, we have our Sith Master. Instead of having giant Jedi statues (like in Rogue One) we used something more grotesque and Sith-like. We wanted everything to feel more raw, so we drew inspiration from Ridley Scott and Giger when designing our characters and props. I think people are hungry for a grittier interpretation of the Star Wars universe. After all, most of us were much younger when we first saw the films, whether it was the original trilogy or the prequels. We've matured, and I think our interpretation of the material has matured with us."

Watch the short film below:

Find out more about Dark Legacy at the film's website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can see more work from Anthony Pietromonaco at his website here.

Related:

The Surprising Ways All The Star Wars Sound Effects Were Made

There's an Online Galaxy Full of Star Wars Art

'Star Wars' Heroes, Reborn as Greek Sculptures

from creators http://ift.tt/2u53yYG via IFTTT

[thotyssey]

Wednesday (10.3.2018)

UPTOWN / BRONX

ALIBI: Extended happy hour with DJ Poison Ivy (6pm)

BOXERS UES: Karaone with Rosé (8pm)

WEST END: Selma Nilla with Vanna Deux & Didi Cumswell (8pm); Lagoona Bloo (10pm);   Whendy Whaxwood with Aria Derci (11pm)

TOOLBOX: Karaoke with Jackie Dupree (9pm)

CASTRO: GET TWISTED WEDNESDAYS (10pm)

BOXERS WH: Honey Davenport & Brita Filter (11pm)

HELL’S KITCHEN

BEECHMAN: Jackie Beat & Sherry Vine: Battle of the Witches (7pm)

VSBU: Karaoke with Adriana Trenta (9pm)

ATLAS SOCIAL CLUB: Men of Adonis Lounge (10pm)

POSH: DJ John Marto with Octavia Anyae & Kristy Blaze (10pm)

THERAPY: Pixie Aventura & Kizha Carr (11pm) 

RISE: Brenda Dharling, Bootsie LeFaris  Chelsea Piers & Marti Gould Cummings (11pm)

HARDWARE: Paige Turner (11pm)

RITZ: TURNt feat. Maddelynn Hatter, Sherry Pie, Egypt & Jasmine Kennedie with Judy Darling (midnight)

INDUSTRY: Sherry Vine with Jackie Beat (midnight) 

EAST SIDE 

EVOLVE: THE EVENT urban party (6pm)

UNCLE CHARLIE’S: live piano (8pm)

LIPS: Bitchy Bingo with Ginger Snaps (9pm)

CHELSEA

REBAR: Honey Davenport with DJ Natazu (7pm);  WOLFPUP gear party feat. DJ Nita Aviance & Bubbles D'Boob (10pm)

EAGLE NYC: Jockstrap Wednesdays (10pm) 

BARRACUDA: Tina Burner with Jada Valenciaga & Holly Box-Springs   (11:30pm) 

WEST VILLAGE

STONEWALL:  90′s Themed karaoke (10pm)

ROCKBAR: White Elephant Burlesque (8pm);   Matt Knife with  Miss Cherry Delight & Gogo Gadget (9pm);  AHS viewing party with Misty Meaner & Mocha Lite (10pm);  DJ Matty Glitterati with Misty Meaner & Mocha Lite (11pm) 

OFFSIDE TAVERN: VEGAS NIGHTS variety show hosted by Jayse Vegas & DJ JCLEF with Kareem McJagger, Viva Vidalia, Lilith LeFae & Dan Jimenez. (9pm) 

HENRIETTA HUDSON: DJ Culi (10pm)

PIECES: JanSport & Shuga Cain (10pm)

MONSTER: Holly Dae with Jasmin Van Wales & Sasha Shay Washington (10pm)

DUPLEX: Heidi Haux (11pm) 

EAST VILLAGE

COCK: Bingo with Heidi Haux (7pm);  BORED & HORNY underwear party with DJ William Francis (11pm)  

QUEEN VIC: AHS viewing party with Jessie James (10pm) 

PHOENIX: Drunk Trivia (7pm);  Brady (8pm);  Karaoke with Tammy Spanx (10pm)

CLUB CUMMING: CABERNET CABARET (8pm);  Dorothy Bishop & Charles Osbourne (10pm)

NOWHERE: DJ Steve Cunningham (10pm)

TRIBECA / FINANCIAL DISTRICT

SOHO GRAND HOTEL: Kayvon Zand‘s SO SO GOOD (10pm)

BELLE REVE: Karaoke with Glace Chase (11pm)

BROOKLYN

BIZARRE: Ms. Ter & Juno Tempest with C'etait Bontemps, Paradise & Le Petit Dumdum (7pm)

FRIENDS & LOVERS: Performance art showcase feat. Avant Garbage & more (7:30pm)

FULTON ALE HOUSE: CHERRY variety show (8pm);  AHS viewing party (10pm)  

ERIS: Mean Girls viewing party with Sassy Frass Meaner (8pm)

METROPOLITAN: ALOTTA TRIVIA (9pm); CAKES feat. DJs Horrorchata & Hannah Lou with Devo Monique, Merrie Cherry & more (10pm)

CLUB XSTASY:  Bingo with Diana Casquera (9pm)

LA ESQUINA: Ellipsis Queen & friends (9pm)

HOUSE OF YES: Vogue party with House of LaBeija (9pm)

ROSEMONT: AHS viewing party with Harajuku & Queen Robert (10pm); OOPS feat. DJ P_A_T with Crystal Mesh, Harajuku, West Dakota & Bombalicious Eklaver (midnight) 

THE WOODS: MISSTER feat. DJ Amber Valentine (10pm) 

THE GRAHAM: AHS viewing party with Lady Havokk (10pm) 

EXCELSIOR: AHS viewing party (10pm)

QUEENS

HOMBRES LOUNGE: Karaoke (5pm)

CLUB EVOLUTION: Karaoke with Victoria Chase (6pm) 

ICON: Petti Cake (10pm) 

ALBATROSS: AHS viewing party (10pm) 

NEW JERSEY

THE ROYAL: Karaoke with Kia Karr (7pm)

PARADISE: WEPA WEDNESDAYS (9pm)

GEORGIE’S: Karaoke Dance Party (9:30pm)

FEATHERS: DJ Steve Sidewalk (11pm)

Full List Here