#midway hawaii premiere

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Elvis Presley Events In History Today The 21st November in 1964 Is Sixteenth Movie Was Premiered In Hollywood. Roustabout By Paramount.

Elvis Presley’s sixteenth movie was the 1964 Paramount film 'Roustabout'.

Playing opposite Barbara Stanwyck this time out in Roustabout, Elvis Presley was in awe of his costar and worked hard to live up to her professional standards. Unfortunately, the scriptwriters were less demanding of themselves, and the film suffers from banal dialogue and predictable plotting. Elvis Presley starred as Charlie Rogers, a drifter with a chip on his shoulder who lands a job as a roustabout, or handyman, with a down-and-out carnival operated by strong-willed Maggie Morgan, played by Stanwyck. When Charlie breaks into song on the midway one day, throngs of young people flock to hear him sing. As news of his talent spreads, Maggie's carnival begins to turn a tidy profit. Charlie's good fortune continues as Cathy, a beautiful young carnival worker played by Joan Freeman, takes a romantic interest in him. However, after a misunderstanding involving a customer's missing wallet, Maggie and Cathy chide Charlie for his selfish attitudes. The embittered young man quits Maggie's outfit to work for a rival carnival. When Maggie's carnival starts to go under, Charlie returns with enough money to ward off the creditors. His unselfish act wins Maggie's respect as well as Cathy's heart. Having at one time been a carnival worker, the idea for a picture with a carnival background had been that of Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley’s manager. However, Colonel was adamant that the movie 'not cheapen carnival life....that this was a wholesome way of life in which the participants had a legitimate pride'.

The movie was first announced in May of 1961, but production was delayed until March of 1964. In the time between there were changes. Among them were: that the working title went from 'Right This Way Folks' to 'Roustabout'; that Elvis Presley’s character name changed from Charlie Main to Charlie Rogers; and that the character of carnival owner Maggie Moore changed to Maggie Morgan; and that the actress chosen to play Morgan changed from Mae West to Barbara Stanwyck. The writers were Anthony Lawrence and Allan Weiss.

Anthony Lawrence later worked on the scripts for the Elvis movies 'Paradise Hawaiian Style' and 'Easy Come, Easy Go' and the 1979 TV biopic 'Elvis', starring Kurt Russell in the title role. Among his other credits are a number of TV series including 'The Fugitive', 'Hawaii Five-O', 'Cannon', 'Quincy' and 'The Blue Knight'.

Allan Weiss was the screenwriter for the Elvis Presley’s flims 'Blue Hawaii', 'Girls! Girls! Girls!', 'Fun In Acapulco', 'Paradise Hawaiian Style' and 'Easy Come, Easy Go'. He once remarked that the scripts were written to producer Hal Wallis's specifications: 'Wallis kept the screenplays shallow'.

'I was asked to create a believable framework for twelve songs and lots of girls'. However true this was, both Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Weiss received a nomination from the Writers Guild of America in 1965 for their work on 'Roustabout' as the Best Written American Musical of 1964.

The director was John Rich and this was his first time to work with Elvis Presley He came from a strong background in TV, having directed such series as 'Our Miss Brooks', 'I Married Joan', 'Gunsmoke', 'The Rifleman', 'The Andy Griffith Show', 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' and 'Gilligan's Island'. He was anxious to break into film directing with Hal Wallis. He wasn't impressed with Elvis Presley’s Memphis Mafia entourage and their constant hanging around and playing practical jokes on one another. Elvis Presley told Mr. Rich, '...when these damn movies cease to be fun, I'll stop doing them. And if my guys go, (expletive), so do I'. Elvis Presley and Mr. Rich had gotten off to a shaky start when Elvis Presley cajoled the director into allowing him to do his own stunt fight, which was very uncommon then due to the possibility of the star's being hurt and shutting down production. When Elvis Presley indeed was hurt in the stunt and required several stitches above his eye, Mr. Rich was afraid to tell Hal Wallis that he'd allowed their star to become injured. Then he came up with a plan to write into the script the bandage that covered the stitches and thus production wasn't halted and Wallis was appeased. John Rich later directed Elvis in 'Easy Come, Easy Go'. By that time he was disillusioned with Hal Wallis and his methods and had developed a respect for Elvis Presley And No Big Star Had Ever Put Him Straight Like He Did When He Told If These Damn Movies Cease To Be Fun I’ll Stop Doing Them. He Really Admired And Respected Elvis Presley For Standing Up And Speaking Is Mind Although Parker Wasn’t Happy As He Pulled Elvis Presley Up Rich returned to directing TV series including such programs as 'All In The Family', 'Sanford and Son', 'Maude', 'The Jeffersons', 'Barney Miller', 'Newhart', 'Dear John' and 'Murphy Brown' among others. He has received many accolades including seven Emmy nominations with three Emmy wins.

On February 26, 1964, Elvis Presley reported to Paramount for pre-production. He started with soundtrack recording sessions at Radio Recorders of Hollywood. On March 3, Elvis Presley recorded the version of the title song 'Roustabout' that was written by Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott. It was not used in the film. Instead they used a different song with the same title written by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye.

Elvis Presley recorded his vocals for that second song on April 29, 1964 after the principal photography was shot. An acetate of Elvis Presley’s long-thought-lost Blackwell/Scott song was found in Winfield Scott's basement and RCA first released it as a bonus track on the 2003 Elvis 2nd To None album. To differentiate it from the one used in the movie, the title was changed to 'I'm a Roustabout'.

Elvis Presley became frustrated during these sessions when he wanted The Jordanaires to back him up on a song that he would be seen singing alone in the film while riding a motorcycle down the road.

One of the producers questioned him as to where the backup singers would be in the shot.

Elvis Presley snapped back, 'The same damn place as the band!'

One of the songs in the film, 'It's A Wonderful World', written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett, was for a time in contention for an Academy Award nomination as Best Song.

For authenticity in Elvis Presley’s sixteenth film, 'Roustabout', a real carnival was employed and set up on land near Thousand Oaks, California. This was one of the locations used for exterior shots in the movie. The interior shots used three connecting sound stages (Nos. 12, 14 and 15) on the Paramount lot. The doors between them were opened up to make them into one huge stage, which was needed to accommodate the set for the big tent scenes. This was the first time in the history of the studio that they had done this.

[d-criss-news]

Via Ashley Weston's Instagram Story (October 21st, 2019)

[darrencrissarmy]

Midway Movie Red Carpet Event | 939 The Beat

(Darren at 14:03)

[dorothy16]

Matthew Hoffman @darrencriss x Hawaii = 💯 Full interviews with the cast of @MidwayMovie coming soon to @RegalMovies !

[bistatelodge-blog]

The Historic National Park Lodge - America's Least Known and Almost Forgotten National Treasure

Take a tour of Americas historic national park lodges.

These crown jewels of the National Park Service are uniquely located in some of the nation's most remote scenic back country. Most of these remarkable landmarks were hand-crafted at or before the turn of the last century. Small armies of old world artisans and craftsmen came together to showcase their remarkable skills in Americas newly formed national parks.

All of these remarkable century old structures are recognized as historic national landmarks for their unique craftsmanship that is unequaled and irreplaceable to this day. Each of them should be preserved, visited and enjoyed by all generations. Lean more Bistate Lodge

No better locations can be found anywhere in North America to experience the vast scenic outdoors. If you enjoy nature or watching endangered wildlife roaming wild and free that are virtually unavailable and inaccessible in their natural setting anywhere else in the country. America's national park lodges and the national parks they reside in are the only place to start your adventure of a lifetime from.

Below you will find a short description of fifteen of Americas premiere historic national park lodges, along with the beautiful national parks they can be found in. If you would like more information, or to read a complete article by Sandra Stacey on any of the listed National Park Lodges herein, please see the resource box following this article.

The Ahwahnee Hotel

Opened in 1927, this magnificent national park lodge is located in what might be America's most beautiful valley. Yosemite Valley is in the heart of Yosemite National Park, California. This renowned park is known the world over for its beauty and striking geologic formations along with its many waterfalls. The luxurious Ahwahnee Hotel sets shaded under towering cliffs and offers guests luxurious accommodations rarely found in a national park setting. Perhaps that's one reason Presidents, world leaders, movie stars, and even Queen Elizabeth II, have graced its halls.

Bryce Canyon Lodge

Opened in 1925,this rustic lodge sets atop a forested Mesa next to the rim of Bryce Canyon in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. This is the smallest national park in Utah, but offers visitors the worlds greatest collection of unique geologic formations called Hoodoos. These strange formations, along with many other sight were created by erosion in this small beautiful canyon along the eastern edge of Utah's Paunsaugunt Plateau.

Crater Lake Lodge

Opened in 1915 and rebuilt in 1995, this beautiful national park lodge is scenically perched on the edge of cliffs overlooking Crater Lake. This spectacular deep blue lake is considered by many the most beautiful lake in America. No other lodge anywhere else on earth offers visitors the unique combination of scenic surroundings provided by the collapsed caldera crater in Crater Lake National Park.

The EL Tovar Hotel

Opened in 1905, this architectural wonder seems to spring up out of the very rock it is perched on overlooking the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Once called "The most expensively constructed and appointed Log House in America". The El Tovar still holds most of its rustic charm that has attracted many noted guests over the years such as Presidents Roosevelt and Taft, along with Bernard Shaw, Gugliemo Marconi, Author Zane Gray and Albert Einstein.

The Furnace Creek Inn

Opened in 1927, in what is one of the most remote and desolate locations on the North American Continent. Death Valley National Park, California is not the place anyone would normally associate with a lush green oasis of towering Palm trees, or spring-fed gardens. The luxurious Furnace Creek Inn breaks the mold and is certainly one of the most unique lodge destinations you will ever visit. If the beautiful adobe walls could speak, it's not hard to imagine what tales they could tell of the bygone business moguls and Hollywood types that have lounged around the hot spring-fed pools shaded by lush palm trees over the years.

Glacier Park Lodge

Opened in 1913, the guardian to the gates of Glacier National Park, Montana's eastern boundary. This truly grand national park lodge needed a railroad spur laid to the building site just to transport in the enormous timbers that frame its colossal central atrium. When the local Blackfeet Indians first saw the giant timbers unloaded they were so awed by their size that they dubbed the new building "Oom-Coo-Mush-Taw" or "Big Trees Lodge" a fitting name that has stuck ever since.

Grand Canyon Lodge

Opened in 1928, this stunning historic park lodge is posted on a promontory overlooking the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. If you want to enjoy the Grand Canyon without all the traffic and crowds that gather on the South Rim, make reservations to stay at this stunning remote location on the North Rim.

The Lake McDonald Lodge

Opened in 1914, on the eastern shore of beautiful Lake McDonald deep in the heart of Glacier National Park, Montana, this historic lodge is a prime example and one of the only remaining Swiss Chalet style mountain lodges that early park pioneers strove to create a century earlier. You will be hard pressed to find a more picturesque alpine setting anywhere in North America to enjoy views from the lakeside veranda.

The Many Glacier Hotel

Opened in 1915, this is the largest national park lodge in Glacier National Park, and for many years the largest hotel in Montana. The scenery here is world famous with sweeping panoramic views of Swiftcurrent Lake whose shores this majestic lodge is built along. If you are looking for a vacation destination that offers striking views of the northern Rocky Mountains along with a beautiful pristine alpine lake. You can enjoy it all right from your rooms lake side balcony.

The Old Faithful Inn

Opened in 1904, next to the historic Old Faithful Geyser in the heart of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. this is unquestionably the "Queen" of all national park lodges. This massive log structure hardly needs an introduction. It has reigned for well over a century as the largest log building in the world, and has influenced and inspired the construction of all the national park lodges that followed. This was the first national park lodge built anywhere in the world, and Yellowstone National Park was the first designated national park anywhere in the world.

The Oregon Caves Chateau

Opened in 1934, this charming lodge was built to span a wooded granite gorge in the beautiful Siskiyou Mountains next to the entrance to the Oregon Caves in Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon. You won't want to miss this one if you plan a trip anywhere in the region. A live mountain stream flows through the dining room providing an unforgettable ambiance you won't soon forget.

The Paradise Inn

Opened in 1917, high on the slopes of Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, this historic lodge recently went through a massive 35-million dollar restoration. Each stone was numbered and cataloged then completely rebuilt. The term "no stone was left unturned" literally fits in regard to the Paradise Inn. Many notable guests and dignitaries have graced this lodge over the years including President Truman, the crown prince of Norway, Sonja Henie, Tyrone Power, Cecil B. DeMille, and Shirley Temple just to name a few.

Timberline Lodge

Opened in 1937, and has a truly historic past. This national park lodge was built during Americas "Great Depression" as a WPA works project. A small army of out of work master craftsmen and artisans eager for work camped out midway up the slopes of beautiful Mount Hood in the Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon to create this masterpiece. Few lodges anywhere in the world can compete with Timberline Lodge for historic importance, craftsmanship, or overall artistic detail.

The Volcano House

Opened in 1941, on the edge of Kilauea Crater one of the most active volcanoes in the world in Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii. This historic location has been host to some form of structure as far back as the early 1800's. Easily one of the most unique national park lodges you will find anywhere in the world. Not only is Volcano House the only hotel in Volcanoes National Park, it is the oldest continuously operated hotel in Hawaii.

Zion Park Lodge

Opened in 1905, this lodge was uniquely build on the canyon floor in beautiful Zion National Park, Utah. This is an outdoor enthuses dream, set amid a magnificent panoramic surrounding shaded by striking 2000 ft. sandstone cliffs. If you like to hike, backpack, bike ride, or horseback ride you will find this national park lodge an ideal year-round destination.

[ramajmedia]

Titans Season 2 Cast & Character Guide | Screen Rant

Get to know all of the heroes and villains that'll be appearing in Titans season 2. It's perhaps fair to say that Titans' debut season garnered a divisive reaction among fans. Opting for a no holds barred approach, Titans was a grittier take on the teenage DC superhero team that many will be used to and charted the initial coming together of Robin, Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy as they attempted to unravel the mystery behind the shadowy organization hunting them down.

Titans season 1 ended on a huge cliffhanger, as the team were overpowered by Rachel's father, Trigon, but some viewers were left underwhelmed at the distinct lack of action between the four titular Titans throughout the first season. Several trailers have now emerged for Titans season 2, and the show appears to be taking a very different approach, embracing its comic book origins and bringing the Titans team firmly into focus.

Related: Titans Season 2 Review: Heroes Step Out Of The Darkness & Into A New Home

Interestingly, the Titans season 2 trailer has glossed over Trigon completely, instead showing the characters long after season 1's finale, as Robin remembers the old Titans days, builds a brand new team and comes up against Esai Morales' Deathstroke. With characters old and new to explore in the coming episodes, here's a full guide to all the cast of Titans season 2.

The focal point of season 1, Brenton Thwaites will continue to lead the Titans in season 2. Seemingly splitting into two distinct timelines, Titans will explore Robin's past as the leader of his original teenage superhero team, and Dick's present as he attempts to construct a brand new version of the Titans. In the present, Dick burned his Robin costume, which could potentially lead to a transformation into Nightwing.

Thwaites portrayed the son of Orlando Bloom's Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and the Australian actor had several long-running TV roles in his homeland, most notably as Stu in Home and Away.

Rachel acted as the central plot device of Titans season 1, as baddies rushed to capture her and the protagonists strove to protect her. Season 2 looks set to retire that game of cat-and-mouse, and will see Rachel learn to control her powers and become one of Dick Grayson's new generation of Titans. Rachel has her comic book-accurate appearance in Titans season 2, complete with a red gem in the middle of her forehead.

Also Australian, Raven is Croft's first major television role, but the actress has previously appeared in 2016 science fiction effort The Osiris Child, and, much like her co-star, enjoyed a recurring role in Home and Away.

Now that Kory is aware of her extra-terrestrial heritage, new sides to the character will surely emerge in Titans season 2, with the latest trailer suggesting some trouble after members of her own race arrive on Earth. How will Kory's past impact her blossoming relationship with Dick Grayson? And will she be able to juggle her new responsibilities as a member of the Titans with whatever mission her own people thrust upon her?

Anna Diop has enjoyed a varied career thus far, appearing on TV in the likes of 24: Legacy and Greenleaf, while more recently scoring a part in the new Jordan Peele horror, Us.

Ryan Potter's Beast Boy was arguably underused in the first season of Titans, but he still enjoyed a compelling personal arc, as viewers learned his Doom Patrol origins and watched on as he hopelessly fell in love with Rachel. Unfortunately, Gar has barely featured in the Titans season 2 footage released thus far, suggesting that the character will remain more a source of comic relief than a central member of the Titans.

Cast in his Titans role after an audition for Tim Drake's Robin in forthcoming DC movie, The Batman, Potter will perhaps be best known as the voice of Hiro Hamada in Big Hero 6, a role he subsequently continued on the TV spinoff series. On the big screen, Potter also starred in the 2018 romance film, Running For Grace.

Related: Titans Season 2 Could Be Great (If It Properly Introduces Nightwing)

The exuberant and immature Jason Todd is returning in Titans season 2, this time bumped up to the status of a series regular, rather than recurring character. Todd's enthusiasm for crime-fighting sees him declare the return of the Titans live on TV, but the season 2 trailer also shows him coming to blows with Dick Grayson - an inevitable clash given their vastly different attitudes to both vigilantism and Bruce Wayne.

Curran Walters has previously appeared in several smaller TV roles, with parts in New Girl, Too Close To Home and Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever. However, Walters is also set to feature in Do Not Reply, a high school-based horror venture from Daniel and Walt Woltosz.

Although only introduced at the midway point of Titans season 1, Donna Troy quickly became an integral member of the cast, helping to link Dick's past and present while acting as his moral compass - not dissimilar to her own Justice League mentor, Wonder Woman. Donna looks set for an even more prominent role in Titans season 2, featuring in both flashbacks and the modern timeline, where she can be seen fighting alongside Starfire in the new Titans setup.

Prior to Titans, Leslie had recurring roles in The Man In The High Castle, Shots Fired and Graves, and has made single-episode appearances in the likes of Hawaii Five-0, 90210 and Elementary.

Batman briefly appeared in Titans season 1, but this was mainly during a dream sequence created by Trigon in Dick Grayson's mind. The real Caped Crusader will instead be played by Iain Glen. Grayson appeared to despise his former mentor in Titans season 1, but the famous duo look to be on better terms now, with Wayne encouraging the formation of a brand new team of budding superheroes under Dick's leadership.

Iain Glen will, of course, be most familiar to viewers as Jorah Mormont in Game of Thrones, the brave and loyal knight forever consigned to the friendzone by Daenerys Targaryen. Outside of Westeros, Glen boasts an impressive resume that includes the Resident Evil movies, Tomb Raider, Downtown Abbey and Spooks.

Taking over main villain duty from Trigon in Titans season 2 is Deathstroke. This DC villain was memorably played by Manu Bennett in the Arrowverse and was originally slated to feature in the DCEU, before plans were drastically changed. Cinema's loss in TV's gain, however, as Deathstroke will be on the hunt in Titans, seemingly as part of both the past and present timelines.

Viewers may remember Morales from his starring roles in NYPD: Blue, Caprica and, ironically, Jericho. The actor also recently turned up in the Netflix series Ozark, which has been renewed for a third season.

Related: Predicting How Titans Will Do Jason Todd's Red Hood Arc

Minka Kelly as Dawn/Dove - A key part of season 1, Robin's ex-flame, Dawn Granger, will return in Titans' second season and find herself in disagreement with current partner, Hank, about whether to continue their crime-fighting lifestyle. Kelly has previously starred in Charlie's Angels, Parenthood and Almost Human.

Alan Ritchson as Hank/Hawk - Clearly still jealous of Dick Grayson's tryst with Dawn, Hank Hall is battered, bruised and ready to give up crime-fighting for good...if his girlfriend will let him. Ritchson is no stranger to major franchises, having previously appeared in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies as Raphael and as Aquaman in Smallville.

Joshua Orpin as Conner Kent/Superboy - An exciting new addition to Titans season 2, Superboy (and his dog) were seen at the very end of the first season, escaping captivity. This clone of Superman looks set to come to the Titans' rescue in their fight against Trigon. Another Australian addition to the Titans cast, Orpin is a relative newcomer to the world of film and TV.

Chelsea Zhang as Ravager - Ravager is the daughter of Deathstroke, and can be seen in the Titans season 2 trailer training alongside Dick Grayson. However, Ravager's exact loyalties are sure to come into question, despite her father being largely absent during childhood. Zhang's most prominent previous acting gig was as Brittany in Andi Mack, but she can also be seen in The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Related: Titans Season 1: Ranking The Episodes

Chella Man as Jericho - Not winning any father of the year awards, Jericho is another of Deathstroke's children - one that is rendered mute in the DC comic universe by an enemy of his father's. Jericho has the ability to physically possess others via eye contact. Chella Man is best known as a YouTube personality, and has been a prominent, inspiring voice for representation of disability, sexuality and gender in the media.

Drew Van Acker as Aqualad - Aqualad is apparently part of the original Titans lineup, but no one has seen or mentioned him in the present timeline, leading some to suspect that the superhero's death may be behind the split of the first Titans' grouping. Van Acker will be familiar to fans of Pretty Little Liars as Jason, and he also starred in Training Day as Tommy Campbell.

Natalie Gumede as Mercy Graves - The presence of Lex Luther's sidekick in Titans season 2 is surely connected to the introduction of Conner Kent, and may even set up the supervillain himself for an appearance in later seasons. Aside from a single-episode stint in Doctor Who, Gumede's biggest role came in the British soap Coronation Street, playing the abusive Kirsty. She also competed on Strictly Come Dancing, the UK version of Dancing With The Stars.

More: Titans Is Better On Netflix Than DC Universe

Titans season 2 premieres September 6th on DC Universe.

source https://screenrant.com/titans-season-2-cast-character-guide/

[donheisenberg]

Mad Men  10 Years On, 10 Scenes; “Midway Through Our Life Cycle...”

“I had an experience. I don’t know how to put it into words.” Says Don about his Hawaiian journey and the first 10 minutes of the season 6 premiere The Doorway and he’s right. The opening scene of the season with Don and Megan in Hawaii are some of Mad Men’s strangest, most challenging minutes. They remind me of the Kevin Finnerty alternate reality episodes of The Sopranos in their feel and deviation from standard proceedings.

They exist in a space that television is rarely willing to. They are in many ways the cinematic actualization of Don’s ennui, just silently drifting but with this unmistakable undercurrent of death, that runs through the rest of the episode and season.

The previous season ended with The Phantom and You Only Live Twice, this one starts with The Doorway and Dante’s Inferno. “Mid-way through our life’s journey I went astray from the straight road and woke to find myself alone, in a dark wood.” Reads Don, the words reflecting the path he has taken. The Hawaiian setting is described as “paradise”,but the title may point to purgatory while Dante’s Inferno alludes to both as well as hell. Its ambiguous but the cut from POV of the heart attack sufferer to Don on the beach would signify that it is some kind of experiential representation of the afterlife.

Don’s silence would seemingly emphasis this. While we hear him read Dante he does not actually speak to anyone for several minutes. His lack of words and verbal interaction with others creates this sense of him being a passive almost ghost-like presence, looking back on a life that he has left behind. Again bringing it back to the last season, Roger and acid dropping socialites discussed the Tibetan book of the dead, which describes how in the post-death intermediate state we are not aware that we have died and Don journey’s through Hawaii evokes similar ideas. Significant to Dante’s depiction of the afterlife, specifically hell, is that it is segmented, broken down into nine circles and that these nine circles are located on earth, reaffirming the experience Don is having while still technically alive. 

A signature shot of the show is the camera looking in at a character through a doorway and the title of this episode and its heavy death imagery gives that another layer of meaning. The doorway can be seen as symbolic of the intermediate state between life and the afterlife, but then again look at Roger’s talk with his therapist about how life is really just a serious of doors that you go through only to find more doorways. The doorway as a metaphor becomes the framework for Mad Men discussion on the extent to which humans can change, the characters are always making these transitions but that they never go anywhere. It is all false dawns and lost horizons.

You could argue that Don has never really been on the “straight road” but if he ever was it was last season when he was in a monogamous relationship with Megan. She represented his second chance but when he walked away from her set and from that life their marriage on some level ended. If you do indeed “only live twice” then Don botched his second chance at the end of the last season and begins this one a phantom in the afterlife.

Don’s does not speak for several minutes but even once he does it is not to Megan and he says nothing to her the entire duration of the show’s time in 50th state. It demonstrates just how much of an absent party he has become in their marriage, even when he is with her.

In his talk with PFC Dinkins the solider to be says to Don that he’s getting married as “married guys live long because they have something to live for.” It seems a quite ominous sentiment in light of Don’s growing distance from Megan. He might not be going to war but Don is being confronted with death in ways that ad-men would not be expected to.

Later on we see Don standing by the window of his office looking out to New York and we can here the same sound of the sea that we heard in the opening scene of the episode when he was in Hawaii. Is this Don’s progression into the next circle? What was Hawaii “the jumping off point” to? These questions linger over that scene and the rest of the two hours in what is one of Mad Men’s most esoteric and provocative episodes.

[chicagoindiecritics]

New from Al and Linda Lerner on Movies and Shakers: Midway

There’s no question that Director Roland Emmerich knows how to create massive action and blow things up. Yes, but this film is an inspiring epic recreating exciting aerial battles by the dive bomber pilots who changed the course of World War II. Emmerich (White House Down, Independence Day, Stargate) has amassed an ensemble of good actors to play the dedicated heroes who enacted the important Battle of Midway. 

Emmerich shot the film in Hawaii, building massive carrier ship mock-ups and vintage planes like the ones flown in the war. He was able to shoot scenes in an Air Force Base using housing where families lived that still exists. It simply looks better on location than on a soundstage. The director tried to make the film in the 1990’s but couldn’t scare up the big budget.  The film cost $100 million to make because of the all of the CGI special effects needed to make the bomber sequences and explosions of battle.

Writer Wes Tooke (Colony), does a pretty good job in his first feature film, flushing out the personalities of the pilots interacting with each other and their officers, but it’s a little clinical at times. There isn’t enough emotion.

The huge cast includes Ed Skrein, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Darren Criss, Alexander Ludwig, and Luke Kleintank who play the men who took off from a carrier in the Pacific in one of the most monumentally heroic battles in American History. Emmerich had a carrier built in Hawaii, not far from where the USS Arizona was sunk in the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor. He recreated the vintage planes with minimal controls that achieved incredible aerobatics.

The wives of the men are pretty much only represented by the wife of Lt. Richard “Dick” Best (Skrein –Game of Thrones, Deadpool), the reckless, dive bomber pilot who took big risks going so low to make sure he decimated the Japanese ships he targeted. He was almost suicidal going for broke. British actor/rapper Skrein is the most convincing as the cocky American (good accent) who doesn’t seem to care what happens as long as he gets the job done, even though he always has a photo of his wife and daughter in the cockpit. Best as a passionate hero is really at the heart of this film, but the relationship between he and wife, Anne, (Mandy Moore) is not convincing. They’re more like best friends, even though the dialogue is supposed to indicate more. Moore looks great in the clothes and makeup of the 40’s but is a little stiff and underplays the concerned spouse. 

Nick Jonas gets to act instead of sing in this epic. He has a good scene being gutsy and heroic as Bruno Guido who suddenly sees a plane about to attack the ship and runs across the carrier to get to a gun to shoot it down. It is an act cheered by his compatriots that shows comeraderie instead of competition between the flyers. It’s a good rah-rah scene. 

Getting to know so many of the men involved in the Battle Of Midway is confusing but interesting. The film gets disjointed trying to cover all of them and their personalities. Woody Harrelson plays way against character as Admiral Chester Nimitz with white hair and a rather calm demeanor on the heels of his being in the Zombieland sequel. Dennis Quaid is somewhat amusing with his brusk attitude and gruff voice as Vice Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, constantly scratching because he has Shingles. Aaron Eckhart, as Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, is another key player but he doesn’t get enough space in the film. He invented IFR, Instrument Flight Rules, able to fly at night, through clouds and different weather conditions using instruments rather than VFR, Visual Flight Rules, only flying in clear skies.

But one of the most interesting parts of the film is the strategy the Navy used to identify their hunch that the Japanese ships would be heading to Midway. Patrick Wilson plays cool, calm officer, Lieutenant Commander Edwin T. Layton, who delivers intel being intercepted. The film shows a room full of decoders he explains are Naval Band members whose role changed with the war. Their numerical skills came in handy and were effective decoding intercepted messages of movement in the Pacific by the Japanese. 

Intercutting the Japanese ship commanders, Etsushi Toyokawa as Isoroku Yamamoto and Tadanobu as Tamon Yamaguchi, with subtitles in between the commanders on the American ships during battle adds perspective to what both sides were up against. It was a fight for their lives that changed the outcome of the war. Interesting that the wreckage of the Akagi and Kaga ships were discovered just one month before the ships premiere. 

The music by Harald Kloser  and Thomas Wanker (Independence Day: Resurgence, White House Down) builds excitement, especially during the battle scenes. And Cinematographer Robby Baumgartner, and Editor Adam Wolfe (Seal Team, Independence Day: Resurgence, White House Down ) certainly had their hands full and did a great job creating heart pounding flying scenes. 

Stay for what happened post war with each of the principles who had roles in the Battle of Midway. That may be the most emotional part of this movie. The storytelling isn’t that great, but Emmerich reenacts the battles that put you right in the middle of explosive action with the flyers who changed history. Buckle up.

Lionsgate           2 hours 18 minutes       PG-13

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First Peek at the New Giant Robots of Pacific Rim: Uprising

There’s new hope for a Dredd sequel, and possibly more Firefly. Rampage may have found its Lizzie and Ralph. Plus, Matt Nix’s X-Men TV series casts its first mutant, new viral footage from Logan, and the future of River Song on Doctor Who. Spoilers now!

Pacific Rim: Uprising

New scans from a licensing magazine released ahead of next week’s New York Toy Fair purportedly show three of the new Jaegers that will appear in the film—including a new one that looks a hell of a lot like a successor to the primary Jaeger of the first movie, Gypsy Danger. She kind of looks like Gypsy Danger and Reinhardt from Overwatch had a big, mechanized baby, and I love it.

Rampage

Joe Mangianello and Marley Shelton are in talks to star alongside Dwayne Johnson and Naomie Harris in a film adaptation of the Midway arcade game. All we know about their characters so far is that Manganiello plays the “leader of a private military group” while Harris plays an “astronaut/scientist.” [THR]

Dredd 2

Producer Adi Shankar told Collider that he’s going to make the sequel happen, even if it has to be animated.

If anyone is still wondering, there’s no update on a Dredd sequel, but I’m gonna make it happen at some point. It may not be live-action, but it’s going to happen at some point. There will be more Judge Dredd at some point.

Kong: Skull Island

Another new poster reminds us of the movie’s Vietnam War setting.

Two new TV spots have been released, that would also love to remind you that this a Vietnam-era tale. They’re really going all-in with the aesthetic, aren’t they?

Logan

Here’s a new viral video covering Logan’s incredibly glum backstory in the run up to the film—as well as explaining how he got that black car that’s been in all the trailers.

Mary Poppins Returns

Production on the film has commenced at Shepperton Studios in England.[Coming Soon]

Justice League

Wondering what Atlantis looks like? Mark Hughes of Forbes—the man behind those recent, disconcerting rumors about the state of The Batman—has the answer.

X-Men

According to Entertainment Weekly, Blair Redford is the first mutant to be cast in Bryan Singer’s family-oriented X-Men TV series. He will be playing “Sam,” the “strong headed Native American leader of the underground network.”

The name “Sam” will have New Mutants fans thinking of its Southern team leader, Sam Guthrie, a.k.a. Cannonball—although the character description emphasizes Redford will be playing a Native American, which Cannonball has never before been depicted as being. There have been a few Native American X-Men, but the most likely choice for a series lead would definitely be Forge, a mutant with the ability to build whatever he puts his mind to. Forge’s real name has never been revealed in the comics, so the character being named Sam doesn’t necessarily bar Redford’s character from potentially being Forge. Speculate away!

Firefly

Fox’s Broadcasting President of Entertainment told Rotten Tomatoes last month that he’s “open” to producing more episodes of Firefly if Joss Whedon is ready to revisit it, a state of affairs that has not really changed recently, despite the resurgence of this month-old news this week would lead you to believe.

Channel Zero

The series has been renewed for a third and fourth season at Syfy. No word yet on which popular “Creepypastas” will be adapted in the forthcoming seasons, but here’s hoping for a six-episode interpretation of Rap Rat.

(He’s the boss.)

[Spoiler TV]

Trollhunters

The Netflix series has also been renewed for a second season, and will feature some of the last recorded voice work of the late Anton Yelchin. According to Guillermo del Toro, “a really large part” of the season will still feature Yelchin in the lead role of Jim. [EW]

The Inhumans

According to Pacific Business News, the series will film sequences in Hawaii, primarily at a former Navy Air Station.

Doctor Who

Steven Moffat says not to expect River Song back while he’s still showrunner:

Well, yes, that does seem like the end to me. Except, of course, it isn’t, and can’t be. There’s always the chance that River will show up again, at some other point in her timeline, with a stolen camel, seven more husbands, and a nuclear submarine.

Big Finish isn’t done with her, I believe, and any reason to get Alex Kingston back in action is a good one.

But for me, I think, I’m done. Back when I thought I might be leaving at the end of 2015, I specifically planned the Darillium scene as my goodbye – bringing everything full circle, to the moment (in Forest of the Dead) just before I took over.

[Den of Geek]

The Walking Dead

Rick and friends find their path blocked in a new clip from the midseason premiere.

Stranger Things

Entertainment Weekly has some new stills from the second season—you can find more at the link.

Supergirl

The Luthor ladies scheme away in new images from the next episode, suitably titled, “The Luthors.” [Coming Soon]

Arrow

Likewise, new images from Wild Dog’s origin episode, “Spectre of the Gun,” have been released. [Buddy TV]

The Magicians

A new synopsis for episode five of the season, “Cheat Day,” has been released.

Quentin adjusts to his new life; Penny seeks help from an unexpected source; Eliot and Margo contend with the dangers of ruling; Julia and Kady discover another consequence of Reynard’s attack.

[Spoiler TV]

The 100

Things get biblical in the official synopsis for season four’s third episode, “The Four Horsemen.”

Jaha (Isaiah Washington) leads Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and Bellamy (Bob Morley) down a road to possible salvation while tensions rise in Arkadia and Polis.

[Spoiler TV]

Legion

Finally, here’s a new trailer for what’s in store for the rest of the first season.

Additional reporting by Gordon Jackson. Banner design by Jim Cooke.

[jistnews2016]

Photo Shows President Barack Obama Snorkeling Off The Coast Of His Native Hawaii 

A dramatic image has been released showing President Obama snorkeling among coral in the Pacific Ocean . Wearing just a pair of swimming shorts, the president glides through the water off the coast of Midway Atoll . President says growing up in Hawaii helped him to understand and appreciate the importance of the ocean. Photographer Brian Skerry, who snapped the image, said President Obama was a 'strong and athletic swimmer'  . The photo of President Obama  is from the February issue of National Geographic magazine and appears in Sea of Hope: America's Underwater Treasures, premiering Sunday, January 15 at 7/6c on National Geographic.  . Check out this story and more click link

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ashleypweston: #DarrenCriss x @GivenchyOfficial HAUTE COUTURE x MIDWAY premiere 🌺🖤 #AWerk

*Top image via her ig story

[d-criss-news]

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Via hollymoff & charlotte.mcmanus's Instagram Story (October 20th, 2019)

[d-criss-news]

Midway: Sit Down with the Stars feat. Matthew Hoffman

We flew out to historic Pearl Harbor to meet the cast of Midway and get a first look at this powerful retelling of one of WWII's most pivotal battles. Midway comes to Regal on November 8th!

[d-criss-news]

Darren Criss, who portrays LCMDR Eugene Lindsey, is interviewed at the premiere and red carpet event for the movie "Midway" on Sunday. | Source

[d-criss-news]

[HQ] Darren Criss arrives at the "Midway" Special Screening at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on October 20, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Marco Garcia/Getty Images for Lionsgate Entertainment)

[d-criss-news]

Darren Criss on the film and honor of being involved in the production at the "Midway" Special Screening - Joint Navy Base Pearl Harbor - Hickam on October 20, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii.