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thefranklinoutdoor · 2 years

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Need a friend?

Curated by Dennissa Young and The Franklin

Opening reception: Saturday, April 30th

From 7pm to 9pm

From April 30th to July 2nd, 2022

‘Need a Friend?’ is surrounded by connection, friendship, and togetherness. Showcasing the wear and tear of relationships, the promise of returning for what was left behind, and the hope of new friendships to be formed. ‘Need a friend?’ captures humans and the bodies that hold memory, time and space for deep vulnerability, conversation and connectedness.

Each artist invited rallies around the theme of old and new relationships, considering their communal ties. These ties resulted in creating space for the audience to text in, reflect, and see themselves in the works by Rainn, MK Joss, Hugo Ivan Juarez, Whitney LaMora, Dennissa Young, Galina Shevchenko and Frank Vega.

Whitney LaMora (she/her) is a queer creative based in Chicago. She is the Founder & Curator of The Martin, an artist-first community space located in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago. Her curatorial work has been featured with Woman Made Gallery, Stay Home Gallery & Dear Artists With Anxiety. Outside of her curatorial work, she specializes in building intimate, immersive & relational performances and experiences. You can find her work on Instagram @whitneycurates and her website whitneylamora.com. She lives in Ukranian Village with her partner and their nice & naughty pets.

Rainn (She/They) is a Black, queer writer and artist living in Chicago. Her writing explores the intersections of Black pop culture and religion, as well as Black sexuality. Her work has been published in various publications online. Rainn is also host of a queer, monthly open mic called, “Fruit Salad”. Rainn’s artistic work focuses on found-object sculpture, installation, and photography.

Hugo Ivan Juarez (he/him) was born and raised in Dallas, TX. He could be identified as Mexican-American but embraces the philosophy of no nation. H.I.J. dropped out of college in 2012 to pursue dreams in streetwear fashion. He put to rest a clothing line after it began to compromise his ethics but then quickly discovered the world of printmaking. Print has since become a gateway back into education but in the last decade, he labored as a yardero, farmer, catholic worker, and ESL teacher. During the pandemic he gave himself two years of limitless creativity while milking the institution for all it's got. In Chicago, he is performing the social and repurposing left behind art materials. In Dallas, he co-runs Familia printshop in which he attempts to activate as a rallying point. H.I.J. believes that energy can be shaped and that making friends is an art form.

Dennissa Young (she/her) is a Native New Mexican with Spanish and Indigenous roots, currently residing in Chicago. She works primarily in performance and relational aesthetics. Her art focuses on activating, organizing and collaborating. Dennissa has exhibited in almost all the places she has lived, both nationally and internationally. Her work strives to foster friendship, radical softness, and to question the spiritual journey we are all on. Dennissa’s artistic practice creates time, space and honesty, where audience members can engage and participate however they see fit.

MK Joss (She/They) is a photographer and visual creator from the San Francisco Bay Area. Forced by her youth pastor to join the drama team in Junior High, she fell in love with the stage and performance. This love and passion for performance transformed over the years into a deep love for film and photography. She moved to Los Angeles to study film production and telecommunications. After growing to loath Hollywood and their racist, homophobic and misogynistic ways, she lost her passion for creation; until a global pandemic no one was prepared to deal with forced everyone into their homes. She spent this free time getting reintroduced to film photography. Following work to NY, she spent most of the last 2 years living between Long Island, Bushwick, BK, and Los Angeles, eventually landing in Chicago with her partner and two cats. Her work focuses on the beauty in the everyday through intimate portraits of family and friends and architectural landscapes.

Galina Shevchenko is a Moscow-born, Chicago based multimedia artist and educator working across multiple modes of expression and image processing. Fluid, elusive and illusory entity of her video-scapes and permeable transparency of her constructed objects manifest her ongoing exploration of post-feminist identity through mediation. Galina’s work has been featured at Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow; CADAF Paris; Aqua Miami International Art Fair; Berlin’s Director’s lounge video festival; Chicago Motion Graphics Festival; Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago and numerous Chicago Art Galleries. Galina holds an MFA in studio art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she is currently a resident artist at Chicago Art Department and an Assistant Professor of Art and Digital Multimedia Design at Harold Washington College.

Frank Vega is an Ecuadorian-born interdisciplinary artist living and working in Chicago. This May he will receive his Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Vega’s work includes a combination of sculpture, painting, and hybrid objects. Using found objects as a starting point, he collages them into larger structures that resemble bodies, altars, and amulets for their healing abilities. Some exhibitions include Ambiente Humano, Galeria 54, Curated by Anna Garner, Mexico City, Mexico, Visceral, two-person exhibition, Extra Projects, Chicago, IL. Some awards include the Helen Frankenthaler Scholarship from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Florence M. House Scholarship, and the Helen E. Platt Blake Scholarship from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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weekendwarriorblog · 6 years

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND 8/10/18 – The Meg, Slender Man, BlacKkKlansman, Dog Days

If you didn’t read last week’s column about August at the box office, then go ahead and do so now, but this week, we have a similar slate of potential hits and bombs that will mainly rely on whether people want to go to movie theaters to get away from the oppressive heat wave, or instead, go to the beach. Of course, if it rains this weekend, it will definitely help the movies.

THE MEG (Warner Bros.)

First up, is the first shark movie we’ve had in theaters in quite some time, and a PG-13 one to boot. The Meg, based on Steve Alten’s book Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror about a prehistoric shark that rears its ugly head in the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately for this shark, it’s going to have to go up against Jason Statham in his first prominent role since appearing in last year’sFate of the Furious, and before he and Dwayne Johnson get their own Hobbs & Shaw spin-off next year.

The Meg is directed by Jon Turtletaub, best known for the National Treasuremovies, but he went on to direct The Sorcerer’s Apprentice for Disney (which didn’t do nearly as well) and directed CBS Films’ Last Vegas, which was a decent breakout comedy among older audiences. Maybe Turtletaub wouldn’t seem like the most likely suspect to direct a giant shark movie, but hey, more power to him.

The movie also stars Rainn Wilson (who I didn’t even recognize in the trailer), New Zealand’s Cliff Curtis (from Fear the Walking Dead) and Chinese superstar Bingbing Li, and by superstar, I mean that she seems to be put into every movie from Transformers: Age of Extinction to Resident Evil: Retribution in order to get Chinese audiences to see her movies. She’s not to be confused with Tian Jing who Legendary who puts in all of THEIR movies (three, so far) in order to help get Chinese audiences. I shouldn’t be cynical (especially with Crazy Rich Asians coming out next week), but at least it also stars Winston Chao, who starred in Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet, as well as starring the ever-present Orange is the New Black star Ruby Rose, who has appeared in four sequels in the last two years and has just been cast as Batwoman in a new CW television series.

I’m not sure if the actors on this matter much outside Statham, because shark enthusiasts even rushed out to see a Mandy Moore movie when 47 Meters Down opened last summer to $11.2 million in just 2,207 theaters, even though that wasn’t really a shark movie. When you talk about shark movies, you have to go back to the grand-daddy of them all, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, which was the talk of the summer of 1975, becoming one of the first bonafide summer blockbuster, grossing $260 million, which is a LOT by ‘70s standards. Warner’s last attempt at a shark movie was 1999’s Deep Blue Sea, directed by Renny Harlin and starring Samuel L. Jackson and L.L. Cool J. That shark movie opened with $19.1 million and grossed $73.6 million but became a cult classic in the bargain. Surely, the interest in sharks and shark movies has only been exacerbated by Animal Planet’s annual Shark Week, which is mentioned in one of the trailer’s jokes, not to mention the super-bad Sharknado movies.

As the studio’s second to last movie of the summer, Warner Bros. has been giving this movie a huge marketing push, both on television and in theaters, where it was almost impossible to miss the trailer in front of other summer blockbusters, and the studio is putting it into close to 4,000 theaters (including IMAX), a number usually reserved for higher-profile blockbusters.

Reviews will probably be rather mixed, because The Meg is the type of summer popcorn movie that rarely is admired by the snobbier film critics, but it also seems fairly review-proof, because it seems like one of those fun popcorn movies we expect in the summer, which should allow it to do decently opening weekend, in the $20 to 25 million range opening weekend and maybe $65 million or slightly more with the summer winding down. Maybe it won’t be seen as big a bomb as Statham’s FF co-star Dwayne Johnson’s Skyscraper earlier this summer, but with a budget over $150 million, this one better hope that Chinese audiences like shark movies as much as Americans, because it’s not making that back domestically.

Mini-Review: What can be said about this giant, prehistoric shark movie other than if you’ve already watched the trailer a bunch of times, you’ll already know whether you’re in or out? After watching Jason Statham’s Jonas Taylor losing a couple of his friends in a submarine rescue mission gone pear-shaped, we cut forward five years to China where… wait, isn’t this the beginning of Skyscraper? It won’t take long to realize that The Meg is cut from the same cloth as the recent popcorn movie starring Statham’s Fast and Furious buddy, although in this case, Statham is constantly being overshadowed (quite literally) by the giant CG shark of the title.

It takes a little time to get there as we first have to visit the high-tech deepsea exploratory vessel in the Pacific Ocean, and we meet the team, as they’re about to make a dive into an area below the icy bottom of the Marianas Trench. The mission is going as planned until a large creature hits the deep-sea vessel leaving three members of the team trapped at the bottom of the ocean. Sure enough, they have to call upon Jonas Taylor, who happens to be the ex-husband of the lead scientist, sowe spend another 45 minutes on this rescue mission before we discover (big surprise) that the Megalodon they discovered has gotten out from under the icy depths where it was trapped. From there, we follow the course of events as the team try to put a stop to the Megalodon, and that’s all you really need to know.

The problem is that there are so many characters in the movie, each fighting for their little bit of screen-time against Statham. The writing is so driven by corny and obvious clichés, it’s almost painfully obvious the role each of these characters will play, including Page Kennedy’s funny black guy but especially Rainn Wilson’s corrupt billionaire who is going to make all the wrong calls for the sake of making money. Ruby Rose’s character gets very little to do as so much focus is put on Bingbing Lee’s character and her family. The thing is that you never feel much for either the characters that live or the ones that die, and an 8-year-old girl steals many scenes from the rest of the cast, including Statham.

By the time we get to the Megalodon arriving in the crowded Chinese bay – a scene right out of the original Jaws– we’ve pretty much given up on trying to take any of it seriously, even if most of the cast continues to utter every line in utter po-faced earnest. Otherwise, the movie tries way too hard to throw in funny moments, but rarely really delivers much in that sense, so you watch things unfold as might be expected.

In other words, The Meg is the corniest of popcorn movies that’s mostly ridiculous and predicable. Just don’t go in expecting Jaws, but maybe something closer to Jaws 2.

Rating: 6.5/10

SLENDER MAN (Screen Gems)

The movie offering the most direct competition for The Meg is this horror film that’s been moved around the schedule so much one wonders if this could possibly have the same quality as some of Screen Gems’ previous releases like 2016’s Don’t Breathe from Fede Alvarez. That one opened even later in August 2016 with an impressive $26.4 million opening on its way to $89.2 million (based on a $10 million budget), helping to solidify Alvarez as a master of horror after his Evil Dead remake a few years earlier.

Directed by Sylvain White (The Losers, Stomp the Yard), you may know Slender Man as the viral internet sensation and urban myth that ended up with one girl almost being murdered by a couple of her classmates “because Slender Man told them to do it.” There’s a lot more to this meme, which is mostly known by younger people who use the internet, but this is a fairly typical movie about teens being haunted by something menacing. (If you want to learn know more about the near-murder, check out the HBO doc Beware the Slenderman.)s

Screen Gems was originally going to release this later in August, but they took a big chance by switching it with the Sundance sensation Searching (one of my faves from the festival) to give this a bigger push earlier in the month. Unfortunately, it’s also going up against a much stronger (or equally strong) draw for young people in The Meg, so genre fans will certainly be torn with this one drawing the teen girls and that one getting older males.

This stars Joey King, who also appeared in last year’s high concept horror flick Wish Upon, which opened with just $5.5 million and grossed $14.3 million, one of the last ditch efforts by Broad Green to have a hit.

In any other weekend, this would probably be good for a $20 million opening, but opening in just 2,000 theaters with less of a push and no big name stars to sell it (sorry, Joey!), this one will be lucky to make $15 million this weekend and might end up somewhere below that. This will definitely be more of a one-weekend wonder than some of the summer’s other films so expect large drops in the coming weeks.

Mini-Review: If ever there was a movie that would make you miss Wes Craven, this attempt at furthering an urban legend might be it, as you wonder what he might have done with the premise of a boogeyman that has kids performing rituals to find out if he’s real or not.

In this case, it’s four high school friends who hear of boys trying to call forth the Slender Man, so they follow suit, knowing of his infamy for kidnapping kids and/or killing them and/or driving them crazy. Sure enough, the next day, one of them disappears, so they have to figure out a way to get her back.

Obviously, Slender Man uses a similar model as Ouija or the awful Truth or Dare from earlier in the year where a bunch of dumb teenagers decide to do the one thing they’re not supposed to do, killing them off one by one. The only thing that makes Slender Man even slightly novel is that the character has already become a viral meme on the internet from teens who have created artwork and fake videos of the character (many of which are used for the movie).

The movie is almost as predictable as The Meg in that it’s fairly obvious where things are going at least until the end, and at least none of the young female actors get annoying, as often can be the case. There are also not many grown-up actors to muck up the story that’s clearly geared towards teen girls, but the lack of real tension or scares does hurt the movie overall.

To Sylvain White’s credit, this isn’t a horrible movie, a lot of that to do with the film’s strong genre visuals and an ambient score that keeps one on edge, and the actual Slender Man, while not particularly scary, also isn’t as bad as some of the twisted CG creatures from other horror films.

I guess the best that can be said about Slender Man is that it could have been a lot, lot worse.

Rating: 6/10

BLACKKKLANSMAN (Focus Features)

Spike Lee is back with another racially-charged and potentially controversial political film, but also his first real-life story in ten years since Miracle at St. Anna but also his best reviewed theatrically-released narrative film in 20 years. (How’s THAT for a variance factor?) Based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, a black Colorado Springs policeman who managed to infiltrated the KKK in order to stop their radical plans.

BlacKkKlansman premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May to rave reviews (and a prestigious award being mentioned in the ads) and the raves have continued with more recent reviews that are still at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, and this is a rare case where reviews will matter and make a difference at getting people into theaters.

This is the highest profile role for Denzel Washington’s son John David Washington, who also appeared in the Sundance film Monsters and Men and in RZA’s Love Beats Rhymes last year, but the biggest name is likely to be Adam Driver, best known as Kylo Ren from the recent Star Wars movies. It also stars Laura Harrier from last year’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and Topher Grace in the unenviable role of KKK grandmaster David Duke.

Lee’s last few movies haven’t done great with his controversial Old Boy remake starring Samuel L. Jackson making even less than his independently-produced musical Chi-Raq, both making less than $3 million domestically. What makes this somewhat different is that white critics are getting behind it as much as black critics, which should bring in a nice mix of the arthouse crowd and the African Americans who have been waiting for Spike Lee to return to the greatness of earlier films Do the Right Thing and Jungle Fever.

BlacKkKlansman seems likely to be the breakout movie of the weekend, although opening in just 1,630 theaters might limit its potential opening to closer to $7 or 8 million rather than giving the two movies above a run for the Top 3. Even so, expect word-of-mouth to continue to drive this to a domestic gross of somewhere in the high-$20 mil, low-$30 mil range, which would make it Spike Lee’s biggest hit since Inside Manwith Denzel Washington.

Mini-Review: Spike Lee has finally found a vehicle that plays up to his strengths, while also returning him to the realm of both Malcolm X and earlier films like Do the Right Thing. It’s a film that allows him to explore race relations in this country through the eyes of the real-life Ron Stallworth, the first black cop in the suburban Colorado Springs who decides to go undercover infiltrating the local KKK branch in the early ‘70s.

Ron Stallworth’s story is a solid one, and it’s told in a way that for the most part is lighter than one might expect, because it is hard to believe what Stall worth gets away with. More than anything, BlacKkKlansman is just a great vehicle for the younger John David Washington, who delivers a similarly-rounded performance as Lakeith Stanfield does in the recent Sorry to Bother You, and Adam Driver is great as always as his white partner who does the dirty work

One of the nicer surprises is Laura Spurrier as a local college activist who Ron befriends but has to keep out of the loop about him being an undercover cop. (Cops are very much the enemy to her and her African-American college friends.)

The KKK members are deliberately played so over-the-top as the villains of the piece to make sure there’s no grey area about that matter, but Topher Grace does a decent job playing the unenviable role of David Duke.

By the last act, the movie starts feeling like it’s going on for too long with the last act dragged out by cutting between the KKK watching Birth of a Nationand the great Harry Belafonte giving an impassioned speech about the treatment of blacks in the past. It’s a really shocking and effective juxtaposition that works but also takes away from the movie’s previous tone up until that point.

As effective as this scene might be, it’s also unnecessary as we already understand the seriousness of what Stallworth has achieved, and the extended epilogue showing footage from the Charlottesville protest last year hammers things home in a way that just seems like Spike Lee being Spike Lee. We get it, Spike. There are still race problems in this country. That said, BlacKkKlansman is Spike Lee’s best film in a very long time, one that should continue the narrative that began with producer Jordan Peele’s film Get Out last year, even if it does so in not nearly as clever a way.

Rating: 7.5/10

DOG DAYS (LD Entertainment)

The odd dog out this weekend is this independent family film being distributed by LD Entertainment, Mickey Liddell’s production company that has turned into a full-blown film studio and distributor in recent years, though it hasn’t exactly made many waves in that realm. Its last theatrical release was April’s The Miracle Season with Helen Hunt, which only grossed $10.2 million domestic after an opening below $4 million, but maybe that’s good for a low-budget inspirational sports drama. LD has produced other movies that have fared better when released by other studios like Bleecker Street (Megan Leavey), Roadside Attractions (Forever My Girl) and others.

This anthology film about people’s relationship with their dogs is hoping to bring in families with younger kids that like dogs but also women, and a definite plus is that it’s directed by Ken Marino, former member of The State and David Wain collaborator whose last movie How to be a Latin Lover, a Pantelion release starring Eugenio Derbez, grossed $32.7 million last year. The ensemble cast includes Nina Dobrev and Vanessa Hudgens, who have built a fanbase from their television roles on The Vampire Diaries and High School Musical respectively, as well as Finn Wolfhard from Stranger Things. They’re joined by Eva Longoria, Rob Corddry and Thomas Lennon, which is a decent cast but not one that offers much of a draw over the cute dogs.

Last year’s Megan Leavey might be the best comparison for Dog Days, as that also involved a dog (and no, I’m not talking about Kate Mara…rimshot) and that opened with around $3.8 million in just under 2000 theaters.

I wasn’t invited to see an advanced screening of this before writing this column, so I’ll just have to assume that reviews will be pretty good – NOPE!-- though it’s hard to think there’s much awareness for this movie. (In fact, I didn’t even realize the movie opened on Wednesday since that seemed like a last-minute decision. Expect an opening in the $4 to 5 million range at best, which should be enough to break into the bottom of the top 10, but it could end up being shut out and forgotten with stronger family releases already in theaters including last week’s Christopher Robin.

This week’s top 10 should look something like this…

1. The Meg (Warner Bros.) - $22.5 million N/A 2. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Paramount) - $20 million -43% 3. Christopher Robin (Disney) - $15.5 million -38% 4. Slender Man (Screen Gems) - $13.5 million N/A 5. BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features) - $10 million N/A 6. The Spy Who Dumped Me (Lionsgate) - $6.3 million -48% 7. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (Sony Pictures Animation) - $5.6 million -30% 8. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again (Universal) - $5 million -45% 9. Dog Days (LD Entertainment) - $4.8 million N/A 10. The Equalizer 2 (Sony) - $4.5 million -48%

LIMITED RELEASES

This weekend has a ridiculous amount of specialty releases, but the summer of high-profile Sundance premieres continues with the New York release of Josephine Decker’s amazing indie film Madeline’s Madeline (Oscilloscope), introducing break-out star Helena Howard as the title character, who got the leading role in a theater piece being staged by a director (Molly Parker) who seems to want to revolve the piece around Madeline’s life including her dysfunctional relationship with her mother (Miranda July). This is a fascinating film that definitely veers into the art film world of July’s own films like You and Me and Everyone We Know, but it has a quirky charm that keeps you invested throughout.

Opening in select theaters after a month-long run on DirecTV is Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s A Prayer Before Dawn (A24) starring Peaky Blinders’ Joe Cole as an American kickboxer who ends up in a Thai prison after being busted for drugs. Once there, he needs to take on the savage environment while dealing with his own drug addiction, eventually getting back into kickboxing as a way to clean himself up and change his situation. I ended up enjoying this movie more than I thought I would

Another Sundance premiere that got a lot of buzz was Skate Kitchen (Magnolia), the new film from The Wolfpack director Crystal Moselle, this one a narrative film featuring the young women of Skate Kitchen, a Lower East Side skater crew who are joined by Camille (Rachelle Vinberg), a girl from Long Island whose mother (Elizabeth Rodriguez) doesn’t approve of her pastime. Also starring Jaden Smith, Moselle’s film is an interesting mix of established actors and non-actors, although I wasn’t really into the seemingly non-scripted format, very similar to another Sundance movie coming out next week. I guess I wish there was more of a narrative rather than the young women talking about personal issues, but maybe that’s just me. It opens at the IFC Center in New York Friday (with Moselle and the Skate Kitchen in person) then expands to other cities next week.

Fresh off its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival’s Midnight section is RKSS’s Summer of 84 (Gunpowder and Sky) involving a group of 15-year-olds who think that a police officer in their neighborhood might actually be a serial killer, so they start their own investigation.

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Fresh from its debut at the New York Asian Film Festival and the Phillippines is Erik Matti’s BuyBust (Well GO USA), a police thriller starring Anne Curtis as anti-narcotics special operative Nina Manigan, who is trying to take down the drug cartels of Manila, while also facing dirty cops and bloodthirsty citizens. It opens in select cities this weekend.

Well GO is also opening Huang Bo’s Chinese dramedy The Island about a meteorite bound for earth that doesn’t have much effect on the life of Ma Jin (played by Huang himself) who daydreams of winning the lottery and having a romance with his colleague Shanshan (Qi Shu), but when the event happens, he ends up shipwrecked on an island with some of the coworkers and the winning lottery ticket.

(Continuing where I left off….)

Mia Rose Frampton stars in Jack C. Newell’s teen drama Hope Springs Eternal (Samuel Goldwyn) as Hope, a girl dying of cancer whose condition has increased her popularity, but when she discovers she’s cured, how will all her new friends react? I haven’t seen the movie, but boy, am I able to relate to this as a cancer survivor myself. This will be on VOD and in select theaters.

Gravitas Ventures offers two new genre films this weekend, the apocalyptic thriller What Still Remains (with Strike the Sun Entertainment) from first-time director Josh Mendoza, which will hit VOD on August 14, and Along Came the Devil (Gravitas Ventures), a supernatural thriller directed by Jason DeVan (Mindless) and starring Jessica Barth from Happy Death Day and more. The latter about a teen girl who tries to contact the spirit world will be available On Demand at the same time as its theatrical release.

You can check out the trailers for each below:

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Also opening at the IFC Center is Elizabeth Harvest (IFC Films), the new film from Sebastian Gutierez (aka Carla Gugino’s partner), this one starring Australian supermodel Abbey Lee as the title character who arrives at the estate of her scientist husband Henry (Ciaran Hinds), but is treated poorly by the staff (Gugino and Matthew Beard) and told that’s she’s forbidden from a locked room, which of course, she investigates as soon as Henry goes away.

I haven’t seen it, but I imagine the best thing going for Nick Fituri Scown’s directorial debut Pretty Bad Actress (MVD Entertainment Group) is that it stars the comedic great Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street, Rough Night), but it’s loosely based on the story of Theresa Saldana who was almost killed by a stalker but who starred in the TV-movie about her own ordeal. This one stars Heather McComb as former child star Gloria Green who has a similar experience. It will open at L.A.’s Arena Cinemalounge and be on Digital Friday.

From Bollywood comes Vishwaroop 2(Reliance Entertainment), directed and starring Kamal Haasan, and also out in New York at the Village East is the Icelandic film The Swan (Synergetic) from Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir, which will open in L.A. at the Laemmle Royal on August 17. The latter is a drama based on Guðbergur Bergsson’s coming-of-age novel about a 9-year-old girl who goes to visit her relatives in the country where she befriends a farmhand.

Let’s get to some repertory programming in NYC, which is specifically for those who live in New York… or don’t mind travelling.

We’ll start off with the Metrograph who are presenting the first North American retrospective for Anime filmmaker Makoto Shinkai, whose film Your Name. was a blockbuster hit in Japan and breakout hit over here – it even made my Top 3 last year, so I know I’ll try to catch some of his other films. The Metrograph also offers a Rialto Pictures’ restoration of former army cameraman Pierre Schoendoerffer’s 1965 war film The 317thPlatoon, starring Jacques Perrin and others, the story of the occupying French army caught in the difficult politics of the Indochina War. The IFC Center will debut a new 25thanniversary restoration of Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence, starring Daniel Day Lewis, while the Quadpresents a 40thAnniversary restoration of Diane Kurys’ French coming-of-age film Peppermint Soda.

Lastly, Netflix presents the original comedy film The Package about a group of teens who need to put a friend back together after an unfortunate spring break accident… you can probably guess from the title or the image on the Netflix site what body part the friend loses.

#Movies Reviews TheMeg SlenderMan Blackkklansman DogDays BoxOffice TheWeekendWarrior WhatToWatchThisWeekend

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orhelponefaintingrobin · 7 years

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Star Trek: Discovery - “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad”: Review

I know I said the same thing about “Lethe”, but “Magic to Make the Sanest Man go Mad” is the most traditional Star Trek episode of Star Trek: Discovery yet. An episode that is almost completely stand-alone, as far as the main plot is concerned, revolving around a crazy sci-fi concept, while using it to push the personalities of the characters involved. It has a relatively neat and tidy ending, which is actually quite light and fun. I’ve enjoyed Star Trek: Discovery consistently since it started, but at the point we’re at now, it’s clear that the show has only just found its footing in a very strong way.

“Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad” saw Harcourt Fenton Mudd, last seen on a Klingon prison ship in “Choose Your Pain”, placing the USS Discovery in a time loop in order to take control and sell it to the Klingons. Regardless of what you think of the previous episodes of the show, you can’t say this isn’t an idea that you’d easily see in older Trek.

The episode didn’t bring any huge twists to the characters, but it did reinforce a lot of the development we’ve already seen. After their interactions last week, we do see Michael and Lieutenant Tyler at least considering the idea of a relationship. I’ve seen a lot of people who think that it feels forced, and while it probably could have done with a little more set-up, possibly leaving some of the development until the second half of the season, I’ve seen far worse culprits in the past (As far as Star Trek is concerned, Seven and Chakotay springs to mind). That said, I don’t have too much reason yet to get invested in the relationship either. I’ll see where it goes. Still, it’s playing into the continued plotline of Michael accepting her emotions, so I’ll at least appreciate from that point of view, if it is a little uninspired right now.

We also got some proper reinforcement of Stamets’ personality shift, which I’m still hesitant about. I mean, I’m enjoying the way he’s acting right now, but such a big shift does make me nervous about where it’s going to go next… Either way, he did have some excellent scenes in this episode, especially with the story of how he met Dr Culber. Although Stamets is easily one of my favourite characters in the show, he hasn’t got much background, past us knowing he’s a scientist, so, now he’s gotten a little gentler, it was nice to see him open up about his past, especially with a nice story like that. And, again, I’m just praying that they don’t screw with Stamets’ relationship, both because of the obvious issues and simply because I just love seeing the two of them interact on-screen.

I don’t think anyone was expecting Mudd to be back so soon, but I think he was actually much more interesting to watch then he was in “Choose Your Pain.” Rainn Wilson did great in both episodes, but being put in the foreground of the episode did well for his character. As a classic TOS character, it’s clear that Mudd is more suited to a standalone episode like this, where he can cause trouble and where he has that extra bit of independence. I’m not sure whether or not we’ll see him again, given his eventual fate should lead itself quite safely into TOS, but I do like the idea of Mudd as a recurring villain, almost like Q in TNG. Although, I would like to see Q in the future as well…

Honestly, this episode is a weird one to review, especially in the way I’ve been trying to structure these reviews, and especially without spoiling it. It managed to be fun, while keeping the plot exciting, the tone refreshing, and the characters enjoyable to watch. It was SO Star Trek, moreso than any other episode of Discovery so far. I think it helps that we’ve got all our main characters established now, but the show has really found itself the last couple of weeks.

“Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad” was proof that Star Trek: Discovery has really worked out what it wants to be. It hasn’t been too dark, or gritty. It’s definitely less cheesy than The Next Generation, but it definitely isn’t a dark, Michael Bay-style reimagining. It’s its own show, in so many ways. And, with only two weeks left before the first half of the season is over, I can only see it getting better from here.

Spoilers under the cut, as usual.

“tonight, I will face one of my greatest challenges so far. Tonight we are having... a party."

Michael Burnham is me.

Apparently this is the first episode since Encounter at Farpoint to not have a cold open, just jumping into the credits after the ‘previously’ bit. It’s a weird choice, but I guess it’s not important.

I was going to do this as a separate post, but I do want to talk about Lieutenant Ash Tyler. Or, as is becoming increasingly likely, Voq. Now, there is a lot of evidence. Whatever you think, you can’t say that Voq’s seemingly non-existent actor isn’t suspicious, and it was even more suspicious the way that Shazad Latif pushed away questions about it. Secondly, the timing is a little convenient. The last time we see Voq he’s being sent to the house of Mo’Kai, who we are told are spies, with L’Rell. Then, in the next episode, L’Rell turns up again, with Lt. Tyler as a prisoner. It all just matches up weirdly, and Tyler’s combat ability does also bring some suspicion. As Burnham said, taking out six Klingons in hand-to-hand combat is unlikely…

The issue I’ve been having is that there are some annoying holes in the theory, mainly that, although Lorca is pretty open to anyone on his ship, he does his research, and if Tyler was Voq, surely that would mean that Lieutenant Ash Tyler doesn’t exist, and therefore wouldn’t be on any Starfleet databases. But I realized that the solution to this hole is simple, and not only makes it possible as a twist, but that also doesn’t force the writers to remove Tyler from the show. Lieutenant Ash Tyler exists. But he isn’t on the Discovery. He’s still captured by the Klingons. And Voq, needing a way to get revenge on, well, just about everyone, agreed to have his appearance modified in order to get on board the Discovery, so he was made to look exactly like the real Ash Tyler.

That’s where I can see it going. Eventually, Tyler will be revealed as Voq, and, by the end of the season, they’ll have rescued the real Lieutenant Tyler, who will replace his imposter on the Discovery. Hell, we could use that to fill in some other issues. Why does it feel like they’ve rushed into Tyler’s relationship with Michael? Because he’s trying to get close to her so that he can plan his revenge for T’Kuvma’s death. How did Tyler endure seven months of Klingon torture? He didn’t (And still is enduring Klingon torture, of course).

I mean, I could be totally wrong, but I think that it would actually be possible to get the twist right, without robbing the show of the character that we’ve been shown so far. We should still have a loyal, skilled officer who is dealing with trauma. We just might not have actually met him yet.

#Star Trek Discovery Spoilers #Star trek Discovery #Star Trek

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vinylbay777 · 4 years

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Week In Review: New Songs / Music Videos You Need to Check Out (January 12-18, 2020)

A lot of new music gets released over the course of any given week. This was no exception as we saw a plethora of new songs and music videos hit the internet in the last seven days, especially when it came to the rock and pop genres. Green Day, Missy Elliott, James Blunt and Grey Daze were among those who released tracks this week.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, loves new music. That’s why we’ve once again scoured the internet for the week’s hottest new songs and music videos. Here are seven(and a few more) that we think are worth taking another look at this weekend.

1. Green Day, “Oh Yeah”: Green Day came back with a third single from their upcoming ‘Mother Of All Motherf*****s’ album this week. “Oh Yeah” puts a rough, grimy spin on the garage-rock genre. It’s so catchy that I, personally, can’t stop listening to it once I start. The unfortunate downside to the track is it’s sampling of a Joan Jett cover originally by convicted pedophile Gary Glitter, which the band hopes to remedy by giving their royalties from the single to International Justice Mission and RAINN. (video)

2. Missy Elliott, “Why I Still Love You”: In all the years that Missy Elliott was on top of the world with her raps, I don’t remember any time that she let her singing vocals take the lead. Such is why “Why I Still Love You” is such an unexpected, delightful curveball of a song. Elliott shows off her soulful pipes on this retro, R&B-inspired track. The simple beat and classic vocal style make this song an easy listen. The video is classic Missy Elliott, jumping between different the visual styles of various musical genres, in particular 50s, 60s and 70s girl groups (and punk). (video)

3. James Blunt, “Monsters”: “Monsters” is a tear-jerker of a song, written about his ailing father and coming to terms with his possible mortality. The song finds Blunt trying to comfort his dad and tell him that he’s going to step up and make him proud. The simple video the single comes with also speaks volumes, focusing on Blunt’s face as he sings and emotes, giving you a real glimpse of his pain and what he’s feeling. (video)

4. Trophy Eyes, “Figure Eight”: “Figure Eight” is an upbeat pop-punk track with a driving beat, pounding guitars and soaring vocals. The song’s already catchy melody is given extra texture by the little details, especially it’s echoed vocals on the chorus and saxophone breakdown. (video)

5. Hayley Kiyoko, “She”: “She” is a bright and uplifting pop song that takes you by surprise. The 90s-inspired beat gets you pumped for the upbeat “popified” late-era Weezer melody and message-filled lyrics about loving yourself. (video)

6. Emarosa, “Ready To Love”: “Ready To Love” mixes 80s power-pop with melodic rock for a song that evokes the essence of 80s metal balladry while staying completely current. The song’s melody and power immediately drew me in and made me want to sing along at the top of my lungs every time. (video)

7. Grey Daze, “What’s In The Eye”: Late Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington’s first band, Grey Daze, were planning to release a new album before the singer’s untimely passing in 2017. Now the band has released the first single from that album. “What’s In The Eye” is a hard rock jam with swirling guitars and haunting vocals that beg to be heard. It’s a different, more melodic vibe than the near-nu-metal of Linkin Park, but the emotion is classic Bennington. (video)

Further Listening:

· Four Year Strong, “Talking Myself in Circles”: (video)

· Best Coast, “Everything Has Changed”: (video)

· Brian Fallon, “21 Days”: (video)

· Jonas Brothers, “What A Man Gotta Do”: (video)

· The Grievance Club, “Marathon”: (video)

· A Girl Called Eddy, “Someone’s Gona Break Your Heart”: (video)

· Kodaline, “Wherever You Are”: (video)

Whether you enjoy rock, pop or R&B, there were a lot of great new songs and music videos released this week. With the weekend here, now is the perfect time to take a look back at some of the best. Check out some of our favorites in the list above and let us know what new songs you’ve been digging this week in the comments below.

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Discover music new and old at Vinyl Bay 777. As one of Long Island’s top independent record shops, we have thousands of titles to choose from in an array of genres to suit the tastes of most music fans. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. Whether you’re looking for something new to you or to rediscover the classics, we have you covered. And with more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

#new music #songs #music video #weekend #Week In Review #rock #pop

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sammydem0n64 · 11 months

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To be siblings or not to be, hmm

#regardless Garnet is Amber’s biggest opp. like even if they aren’t related he hates her ass #And them being related would make it make more sense but hmmmmm #my art #demon’s ocs #art #artists on tumblr #anarchy doodles #gijinka #over rainne bay #amber (amber)#garnet (garnet)

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roterclaus-blog · 7 years

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selena gomez porn video

High Trending Actors And Actresses It used to be that A-listers saved well being problems hush-hush, but in the present day it seems extra have realized their potential for shedding gentle on sicknesses and diseases often ignored of the spotlight. Transgender actor and activist Alexis Arquette died over the weekend at age forty seven. Arquette paved the best way for transgender actors in Hollywood, and her work as an activist is being remembered by the leisure and LGBT communities. Smith-Watson runs this system with her husband, Bill Watson, and actor Jim Tasse, who both work within the theater division on the College of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His most recent projects included the Netflix collection Bloodline , during which he played the patriarch of the Rayburn family He was nominated for each a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award for his portrayal of writer Dashiell Hammett in the 1999 tv film Sprint and Lilly, and was nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award for the screenplay he penned for 1984's Paris, Texas. If an autopsy confirms that Myles Hill perished from being left in the scorching automobile, his would be the 32nd such dying for U.S. kids in 2017 and the fifth in Florida, Orlando Police Chief John Mina mentioned at a news convention. They've come to Texas in the spring picturing migratory birds thick as Christmas garlands on the branches, however the reality after they arrive may be very different — dissapointing, capricious. Gibson's bit of almost-occurred casting got us remembering the ten greatest examples of distinguished superhero roles that had been VIRTUALLY performed by another actor. Making a successful career as a personality actor till being cast in his Golden Globe profitable role as Adrian Monk on the series Monk, Tony Shalhoub is a Inexperienced Bay native. But for better or worse, Puss in Boots is one more example of a film's well-known lead voice actor defining its character. The actor and Pulitzer Prize-successful playwright died at his Kentucky dwelling on Thursday (20 July). With this piece, gain insight into what every actor brought to the character and discover how they formed the world's most timeless undercover agent. He is a dedicated bodybuilder and is famous selena gomez porn video for taking off his shirt in films and stage exhibits. Simply BY NO MEANS quit and in the future you may be looking back to the time you where actually desirous to be famous and be like my dream came true! Tessie 'Shea was another well-known ukulele participant who additionally most well-liked the ukulele-banjo. Also at Warner Brothers we walked the stages of Two and a Half Males and the Big Bang Concept, each extraordinarily common shows today. He continued that thought by saying, I wish to be an actor and that is it.” He has absolutely no real interest in being well-known. Samuel L. Jackson — An award-winning actor known for his motion pictures Goodfellas, Jungle Fever, Patriot Video games, Jurassic Park, and Pulp Fiction. Foster Brooks (Could 11, 1912-2001) - Actor and comedian most famous for his portrayal of a lovable drunken man. Emraan Hashmi has also obtained two nominations in The Filmfare Awards, one within the Best Villain class and the other in the Finest Supporting Actor class. Is known for his eccentric roles and commenced his career within the 1980s when he turned a teen idol. Using subliminal messages might help you enhance your acting skills and make it easier to reach further as an actor. First and foremost, if you want to know how to become famous overnight as an actor, it is crucial that you should sharpen your ability within the performing area. He is the actor recognized for his roles in Macbeth, A lot Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, Richard II, Macbeth and The Winters Story. Pitt is among the few actors in Hollywood who calls for the $20 million paycheque per film, a sure signal that he's one of the perfect in the case of the acting facet to movies. The thesis that a film role needs to be a projection of the character of the actor is very relevant on James Cagney. Italian-born actress, died of anaphylactic shock after being given a tranquilizer by her doctor. Rainn Wilson - Actor from The Office and founder of the SoulPancake channel, the place Wilson and his pals (Kid President!) invite you to open your heart with out feeling like an fool.

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ethanalter · 7 years

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11 Surprising Actors Who Have Appeared in the 'Transformers' Movies

The Transformers are the stars of the Transformers franchise, but that hasn’t stopped director Michael Bay from being able to tempt some very familiar — and very surprising — human faces into appearing in each of his five films. From the original 2007 blockbuster to this summer’s Transformers: The Last Knight, which is in theaters now, the director has thought outside the box when it comes to casting supporting players and cameo parts. Here are some of the unexpected actors and personalities who have appeared alongside these robots in disguise over the past decade.

John Turturro (‘Transformers,’ ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,’ ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon,’ ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

The celebrated character actor is a prime example of a guy you’d never, ever think would appear in a Transformers movie. Amazingly enough, he’s appeared in all but one of them as Seymour Simmons, a conspiracy-minded former government agent whose volcanic personality is a reliable source of over the top humor. In The Last Knight, it’s revealed that Simmons is currently living large in Cuba, enjoying beachside basketball games with a crew of Autobots. (Photo: Everett)

Source: Yahoo Movies

Bernie Mac (‘Transformers’)

The late comedian appears as the used-car salesman who accidentally facilitates Sam Witwicky’s introduction to Bumblebee. Mac also kick-started a trend that continues to this day of Bay setting aside certain roles for stand-up comics. T.J. Miller later appeared in Transformers: Age of Extinction, while Jerrod Carmichael has a small part in The Last Knight. (Photo: Everett)

Rainn Wilson (‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’)

At the height of his Office fame, Rainn Wilson appeared as a rock star-like Astronomy 101 professor who openly flirts with the comely co-eds in his class and loftily compares himself to Albert Einstein. This is the guy Dwight Schrute wishes he could be. (Photo: Paramount)

John Malkovich (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

In Bay’s typically “understated” attempt at humor, Malkovich appears in the third movie as Sam’s boss, technology tycoon Bruce Brazos, proprietor of Accuretta Systems. Any resemblance to Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, is, we assume, absolutely intentional. (Photo: Paramount)

Frances McDormand (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Marge Gunderson in a Transformers movie? You betcha. McDormand popped up in Dark of the Moon as the U.S. national intelligence director, and managed to retain a no-nonsense expression with all of the nonsense going on around her. (Photo: Everett)

Buzz Aldrin (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

In one small step for man, and a giant leap for Transformer-kind, the real-life moonwalker comes face-to-face Optimus Prime. “From a fellow space traveller, it’s a true honor,” Aldrin remarks in the film. As impressive a robot specimen as Optimus is, he’s got nothing on Buzz in terms of cool factor. (Photo: Everett)

Bill O’Reilly (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

The then-current, now-former Fox News host gave Simmons a whirlwind ride through his “no spin zone,” ultimately relegating his guest to “pinhead” status for arguing in favor of an Autobot alliance. We can only imagine how non-Francophile O’Reilly would react to Hot Rod, the French Transformer we meet in The Last Knight. (Photo: Everett)

Kelsey Grammer (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’)

Believe it or not, whoever is president in the Transformers universe saw fit to nominate Frasier Crane as a CIA director. Who’s next: Joey Tribbiani as the head of the FBI? (Photo: Everett)

Stanley Tucci (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ and ‘Transformer: The Last Knight’)

According to his co-stars, Tucci proved himself a real card on the set of Age of Extinction as inventor Joshua Joyce. Maybe that’s why Bay invited him back to play Merlin in the opening scenes of The Last Knight. And Tucci rises to the occasion, playing the mythological wizard with Monty Python-esque brio. (Photo: Everett)

Tony Hale (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

The Veep and Arrested Development funnyman is uncharacteristically serious — and even macho — as a physicist who plays a key role in one of The Last Knight‘s many climaxes. He’s like Buster’s cooler, smarter twin brother. (Photo: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Mitch Pileggi (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Everyone’s favorite FBI spook has a near-wordless cameo as one of the leaders of the anti-Transformer mercenary army, the TRF. Here’s a real X-File for him: what will it take to get David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson to appear in the next Transformers? (Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images)

Source: Yahoo Movies

Rainn Wilson (‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’)

John Malkovich (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Frances McDormand (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Buzz Aldrin (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Bill O’Reilly (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Kelsey Grammer (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’)

Believe it or not, whoever is president in the Transformers universe saw fit to nominate Frasier Crane as a CIA director. Who’s next: Joey Tribbiani as the head of the FBI? (Photo: Everett)

Stanley Tucci (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ and ‘Transformer: The Last Knight’)

Tony Hale (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Mitch Pileggi (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Source: Yahoo Movies

John Malkovich (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Frances McDormand (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Buzz Aldrin (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Bill O’Reilly (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Kelsey Grammer (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’)

Believe it or not, whoever is president in the Transformers universe saw fit to nominate Frasier Crane as a CIA director. Who’s next: Joey Tribbiani as the head of the FBI? (Photo: Everett)

Stanley Tucci (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ and ‘Transformer: The Last Knight’)

Tony Hale (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Mitch Pileggi (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Source: Yahoo Movies

Frances McDormand (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Buzz Aldrin (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Bill O’Reilly (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Kelsey Grammer (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’)

Believe it or not, whoever is president in the Transformers universe saw fit to nominate Frasier Crane as a CIA director. Who’s next: Joey Tribbiani as the head of the FBI? (Photo: Everett)

Stanley Tucci (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ and ‘Transformer: The Last Knight’)

Tony Hale (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Mitch Pileggi (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Source: Yahoo Movies

Buzz Aldrin (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Bill O’Reilly (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Kelsey Grammer (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’)

Believe it or not, whoever is president in the Transformers universe saw fit to nominate Frasier Crane as a CIA director. Who’s next: Joey Tribbiani as the head of the FBI? (Photo: Everett)

Stanley Tucci (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ and ‘Transformer: The Last Knight’)

Tony Hale (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Mitch Pileggi (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Source: Yahoo Movies

Bill O’Reilly (‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’)

Kelsey Grammer (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’)

Believe it or not, whoever is president in the Transformers universe saw fit to nominate Frasier Crane as a CIA director. Who’s next: Joey Tribbiani as the head of the FBI? (Photo: Everett)

Stanley Tucci (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ and ‘Transformer: The Last Knight’)

Tony Hale (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Mitch Pileggi (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Source: Yahoo Movies

Kelsey Grammer (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’)

Believe it or not, whoever is president in the Transformers universe saw fit to nominate Frasier Crane as a CIA director. Who’s next: Joey Tribbiani as the head of the FBI? (Photo: Everett)

Stanley Tucci (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ and ‘Transformer: The Last Knight’)

Tony Hale (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Mitch Pileggi (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Source: Yahoo Movies

Stanley Tucci (‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ and ‘Transformer: The Last Knight’)

Tony Hale (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Mitch Pileggi (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Source: Yahoo Movies

Tony Hale (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Mitch Pileggi (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Source: Yahoo Movies

Mitch Pileggi (‘Transformers: The Last Knight’)

Source: Yahoo Movies

#transformers #movie:transformers #movie:transformers-the-last-knight #_uuid:59c634c0-29e9-39e1-9528-91fb996f7820 #_revsp:wp.yahoo.movies.us #slideshow #photos #_lmsid:a0Vd000000AE7lXEAT

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mredwinsmith · 6 years

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Dear Beau: Building an Industry

Trigger Warning: Suicide, Sexual Assault

Dear Beau,

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the articles you wrote earlier this year on gender equity and your commitment to join a team that supports this work. You chose well going to New York, where you get to work with Eileen Murray, one of the best coaches ultimate has ever seen, and New York Bent, a team that has put out some of the limited information we have on the herstory of women in ultimate in addition to their incredible highlight reels. I also really appreciate you sharing your story. Finding your voice can be challenging, especially when your ideas feel delicate and unfinished due to the simple fact that the topic of equity is so complex. Or, at least, I feel this way.

You see Beau, we’re not all that different. I too spent my childhood staring at that same Michael Jordan poster above my bed believing that flying was possible and all I had to do was keep practicing. I too am extremely competitive and have spent my life with sports as a top-priority, and I too recently moved across the country from the Bay Area to work in the equity movement in ultimate. I am nervous about sharing this story, in fear of how people will respond, and I’m frequently paralyzed by confusion of what is the right thing to do right now. To be honest, I really have no clue what will work when it comes to equity. It is not an easy task, which is part of why it hasn’t been achieved.

Our bodies have similar privileges too. Our white skin means in America, we have a police system designed to protect us rather than profit off our bodies (link an article on the prison industrial complex). Our college educations means we have access to significantly higher-paying jobs, and our cisgendered bodies mean we don’t have to worry about how we fit into the sports landscape.

And we’re also pretty different. Our bodies are political, whether we want to talk about it or not. My short hair makes people regularly question my identity, turning every day into a coming out experience. My gender means watching sports is acknowledging that less than 10% of sports media will reflect people whom with I identify, and when it does, it focuses on our private lives and not our athletic accomplishments. My body is too short and too muscular to be considered feminine, and my body, as much as she is strong, she has also survived a sexual assault from the man that was her first ultimate mentor, her training partner, and her best friend who would commit suicide eight months later.

That was four years ago. Although I’m in therapy, I still struggle to get through days, having attempted suicide multiple times, feeling the weight of this truth is too big of a burden to bear. I still struggle to connect with friends, family, and teammates, not knowing how to share with them the extent of the experience. I still think about him frequently in ultimate settings: trainings, watching films, and warming up before the first pull of tournaments, as recent as New York Warm Up a few weeks ago.

Times are changing. I am getting better, although I will never be able to go back in my life and take these experiences back. I can’t say this hasn’t impacted me and the work I do and the questions I ask: how can, my company, Upwind Ultimate LLC., create a positive sports experience for folks who have been sexually assaulted, marginalized, and abused by society, at both the local and structural level? How can a company be successful in capitalism while also acknowledging that capitalism is both patriarchal and racist by nature? How can professional sports be a place of healing and growth for players, rather than using them for their bodies until they are too beat up to contribute?

Recent stories from Sophie Taylor, Helen Thompson, and Danielle Byers, tell me I’m not alone in this journey. In fact, RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, found that 1 in 5 college women are sexually assaulted, and 1 in 3 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. In some initial studies for Upwind’s #HUCKYES campaign, results confirmed these 1 in 5 numbers for college, and also found that 84 percent of the folks who responded knew someone who has been sexually assaulted. A survey from Fools Fest found that again 1 in 5 folks have been sexually assaulted, and that 88 percent of folks know someone who has been sexually assaulted. How can we have a professional league that hires women out of strong college programs that we know are statistically dangerous to women, and then not expect them to have lifelong issues with the repercussions? It’s one of the reasons we can’t copy-paste a men’s pro league format onto a women’s or mixed pro league; they’re different products with different ingredients that need different business models. (I’m not going to argue semantics here on what “different” means. The way you and I were born with more differences than just height.) It’s also one of the reasons our budgets for professional men’s leagues should include training on sharing emotions and supporting those who have sexually assaulted other folks. We only address part of the issue if we work solely with survivors and not perpetrators.

When we ask for gender equity in professional ultimate, we need to ask not for equity of opportunity, and instead for equity of industry. Furthermore, when we ask for gender equity, we need to ask it for all women, and not just for some women (as Samiya Ismail of Western Washington University reminded us at the Intersectionality and Race in College Ultimate discussion at College Nationals a few weeks ago), which means when we create support systems for our players, we have to create them with the most marginalized groups at the forefront, for that is true equity. At Upwind, we use equity instead of equality because equity acknowledges the historic and current conditions that have marginalized folks, and attempts to amend these past and current injustices and biases, whereas equality, however, assumes that everyone comes from the same playing field and deserves equal treatment. You can find out more on our website.

Some steps have been taken recently to improve the experiences of women in ultimate, particularly at the level of showcasing top talent. One-off games and “professional” seasons have been created for six teams in the US this year, with some other mixed teams on the West Coast, and a European Women’s All Star Tour, sponsored by the AUDL. These teams, although a step, are not equity, and barely close to equality for that matter. In fact, for the most part, they are inconsequential due to the lack of a long-term or structure to collect on the investment of these teams. They have the potential to fall down the same trap as the All Star Tour did from a couple years ago in 2015 and 2016, it happened, we came, we saw, we loved it, the organizers got tired, and the tour hasn’t happened again. Another possibility is that the AUDL has the opportunity to capitalize on the footage of well-branded teams that participate in the Americus Cup. If it’s not too late, those club teams should sign deals that give them percentages of cash for every clip the AUDL wants to use of them.

Building an actual gender equitable industry in ultimate means securing legitimate long-term funding and consistency in promotion and support for ALL players, especially including women, Trans, and gender-nonconforming folks. It means writing new policy to allow more folks to play, hiring trainers who understand all types of bodies and can respectfully treat all of our players, offering a multifaceted healthcare approach to deal with both the physical and emotional trauma they might bring to the table, and it means paying the folks out there on the front-line of the gender equity discussions. These conversations are emotionally exhausting and if we want continuity in progress, especially in a capitalist system, we need to put our money where our mouth is and pay to learn as we might when we see a physical trainer or a therapist.

Building a gender equitable industry also means not starting from scratch and ignoring the work that so many women, Trans, and gender non-conforming folks have done over the years for their women’s and mixed teams. This has happened time and time again in social justice movements, when we pretend that now, all of sudden, we have these great new ideas instead of building on the foundations of people who have already been working on these issues. It also means believing people, women in particular, when they come forward with stories of sexual assault, and being willing to address all of the issues they deal with in the healing process.

The sports industry is not just about what happens on the field, it’s how we consume it. The cost of a well-branded piece of clothing can be raised when the team does really well, whereas ticket prices might decrease if the team does poorly. The profit is in how we value the brands of those teams, and as a result, the individual athletes who play. Beau, I think you understand how expensive ultimate is at the club level and how much we need something like professional ultimate to increase access for those who can’t afford it. In your first article, you wrote briefly about the relationship between the Flamethrowers and Revolver, explaining, “My large paycheck didn’t feel right when so many struggle to pay their club dues, so when I went to the San Francisco FlameThrowers in 2017, I wanted to get everyone paid. I went back to negotiate for my favorite club team, Revolver. Revolver was still opposed to Pro, but eventually enough got on board thanks to some money and practice fields gained in exchange for signing with the FlameThrowers.” Did San Francisco Fury ever see any of those funds or even have the chance to access them?

It’s issues like this that highlight the difference in financial experience between women and men in sports. Abby Wambach brought this up in her recent baccalaureate speech discussing her experience receiving the ESPY Icon Award in 2016, an award she shared with Kobe Bryant, and Peyton Manning. She explains:

“Each of us, Kobe, Peyton and I—we made the same sacrifices, we shed the same amount of blood sweat and tears, we’d left it all on the field for decades with the same ferocity, talent and commitment—but our retirements wouldn’t be the same at all. Because Kobe and Peyton walked away from their careers with something I didn’t have: enormous bank accounts. Because of that they had something else I didn’t have: freedom. Their hustling days were over; mine were just beginning.”

Getting to play on the biggest stage is one thing; reaping the economic benefits is another. Feeling emotionally supported and valued is a new game altogether.

So where do I and Upwind go from here? Before working on Upwind, I had limited experience in business. I was a camp counselor for 12 years, a high school debate coach, and held a variety of educational project-based jobs, on top of spending the majority of my free time playing, training, and watching sports. When I started Upwind, I took on the roles of 10 different full-time positions, all the while pursuing a full-time MBA and writing a chapter for the updated History of Ultimate. I’m the worst customer service representative, I have multiple outstanding projects, so many unopened emails, an “About” page that is overdue for an update, and hundreds of photos that I have yet to edit and publish.

The funny thing is, Beau, failure is to entrepreneurs what throwing practice is to ultimate players: necessary. Every day I have to ask if I have the courage to go out of my comfort zone to reach new levels of success in both my personal and professional life. And you’re right, Beau, we have to change “I need to help” to “I am going to help.” We have to take this same mentality of growth we have in the gym and apply it to the work we do in the equity movement. Just because I’ve lifted once in my life doesn’t make me jacked. Just because I’ve read one article today doesn’t make me woke. It’s a process of unlearning and growing and reawakening consistently. Trust the process, right? Can you ever say you’ve done enough training?

Over this past year, Upwind has essentially been playdoh. A lot of people ask me, “what is Upwind? What does it do?” And it’s true that I haven’t been entirely clear. I’ve been honored to work with a large group of part-time folks. So far, projects have included Upwind Academy, online courses on the intersection of sports and society; The Current, our weekly (now bi-weekly) newsletter; The Upline Cut, our podcast centered on stories by and about womxn of the world; The Crosswind Tour, a 47-city, 106 day trip to play, discuss, and celebrate the current equity movement in ultimate; multiple coverage angles of games, players, and teams at both the elite and local level; unique merchandise to spread the brand; and a partnership with Colorado Kali focused on their promotion and accessibility, and also getting to enjoy their historic postseason run, finishing second at D-I college nationals.

As the only consistent and singular staff member at Upwind (still), I tried to plan events and activities that both promoted new storylines, shown light to those that existed, and experimented with various ways to engage the community in both fun social events and difficult conversations. There were a lot of wins and a lot of losses, both metaphorically and literally. It’s time now to pull all of those lessons together and make something out of it.

That is why, with this article, I am announcing the development of Upwind’s Policy Institute for Equity in Sports focused on creating policy change at the local, state, and international level, both in government and in our respective sports governing bodies. This Institute will begin with exploring policies on opening up sports to more genders while also providing ways to connect the politics of our bodies to the politics of the environments we live in. I’m hoping to open its doors in the next 2 to 3 years. If you want to get involved, you can sign up here.

I’m also announcing the official kickoff to seeking investors for a professional league focused on providing a platform for the women’s and mixed teams that already exist, with the option to expand into the men’s division. I have a pitch, I have a budget, I have a 10-year plan. At this point, I need help from folks who are interested in working in the league, current teams that want to be involved, and investors who are interested in building the sports league of the future: a league that is up-to-date with social norms and identity politics, and leads the way in innovation and player development and support, both on and off the field.

Teams who want to participate can sign up here.

Folks who want to be a part of the team moving forward can sign up here.

Investors who want to invest anything from $100 to $100,000,000 can sign up here.

Thanks for reading, Beau. None of this was meant to attack, more to start a conversation between us, and attempt to be as honest as you were while sharing my own story. Plus, I can’t ignore that by writing to you, this article gets significantly more attention than if I just wrote it and signed it alone.

And for now, it’s back to the drawing board. Let me know if you want to join!

Sincerely,

Laurel Oldershaw She/Her/Hers CEO, Upwind Ultimate LLC.

The post Dear Beau: Building an Industry appeared first on Skyd Magazine.

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nntodayblog · 6 years

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Men Are Impersonating Police To Sexually Exploit Women, And We’re Not Paying Enough Attention

Wuka via Getty Images

Men who impersonate police officers use guns, false badges and uniforms, and flashing red or blue lights to do so.

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In every state, cops have enormous power.

It’s still legal for police officers to have sexual contact with people in their custody in 35 states. Given that there no laws against sexual contact with suspects throughout the U.S., it’s even legal for police officers to engage in this behavior with sex workers and arrest them afterward. A group of sex workers and sex worker advocates in Alaska are working to change this, but it continues to be a pervasive practice among law enforcement.

Criminals benefit from this abuse of power: In the past six months, several men have been accused of impersonating police officers in order to rape or harass women.

On Jan. 25, 54-year-old Stanley Troy Friesen from Tracy, California, was arrested after he allegedly raped a woman in nearby Milpitas. He had arranged to meet with a sex worker he met online and, pretending to a police officer by brandishing a gun and a fake badge, proceeded to rape her. A few months earlier, 41-year-old Salt Lake City resident Christopher Scott was arrested for impersonating a police officer to rape a sex worker he’d arranged to meet with on Backpage. Salt Lake City police have reportedly been in touch with other victims, and encouraged others to come forward. Friesen faces charges of rape, sodomy, oral copulation and impersonating a police officer; Scott was charged with first-degree felony rape. Similar arrests have recently been reported in Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland.

The prevalence of men impersonating police is underreported, says Callie Marie Rennison, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver who published a 2012 study on the subject.

“Law enforcement agencies rarely collect the exact number of police impersonation cases reported and investigated,” Rennison and co-author Mary Dodge wrote in the study, in which they examined 56 incident files from three metropolitan cities over eight years. “Only some police departments take the issue seriously,” she added.

There are several issues complicating the tracking of these crimes. According to RAINN, 2 out of 3 of all sexual assault victims do not report it to police. Victims may not even be aware a perpetrator is not actually an officer. If they believe the perpetrator is indeed a member of law enforcement, they could feel unsafe going to the police. As the Friesen and Scott cases show, it is not unique for impersonators to target women who have a reasonable fear of turning to police to report violent crimes, like sex workers.

“Some police departments don’t think it’s an issue at all,” Rennison told HuffPost. “I wish police would get behind it more.”

Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, said that the issue of police impersonation is taken “extremely seriously” among law enforcement.

Jack Kitaeff, a lawyer and clinical psychologist who’s currently writing a book on the topic, says impersonation is “rampant” and a “precursor” to more violent crime.

“I think that these are dangerous people,” he told HuffPost. “If you get someone who’s impersonating a police officer, you can make the hypothesis that this person is going to do something worse later on.”

Take the case of Paul Winklebleck: In 2011, he impersonated a cop to kidnap and attempt to sexually assault two teenage girls in Portland, Oregon. They escaped, and he disappeared until his remains were found in 2015. Winklebleck was a pedophile who had been previously arrested for rape and sexual assault.

Far-right terrorist Anders Breivik was dressed as a police officer before he detonated a bomb in Oslo and opened fire on the Norwegian island of Utoya in Norway in 2011, killing 77 people. Matthew Scheidt, infamous for impersonating a physician assistant as a teenager in central Florida, was later found guilty of police impersonation as well.

Handout . / Reuters

Paul Winklebleck pretended to be a member of law enforcement to kidnap two young women after a concert in 2011.

In his research, Kitaeff has interviewed victims and perpetrators of police impersonation.

He has found, he said, that motivations are twofold: to gain access to vulnerable victims, and the power trip and “pure thrill” of having people respond to them as authority figures. From his perspective as a clinical psychologist, he told HuffPost that many of these men (“It’s almost always guys,” he said) would likely be diagnosed with borderline personality or antisocial disorders.

Kitaeff, like Rennison and Dodge, believes that the crime should be taken more seriously — not necessarily with harsher punishments like jail time or heavy fines, but with more vigorous intervention in the form of probation, therapy and counseling, or the removal of licenses.

Police departments are more inclined to prioritize the “violent” aspect of impersonation crimes without focusing on the issue of impersonation, according to Rennison. The result, she said, is that the issue isn’t taken seriously nor seriously punished, and therefore harder to prevent from happening in the future.

Friesen, for example, had allegedly impersonated a cop and sexually assaulted a woman before, said Dave Morris, a sergeant in the Milpitas Police Department. Police impersonation is only a misdemeanor in Milpitas, where Friesen was arrested in January; the maximum penalty is a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine.

Another example of this is Christian Leon, who was first arrested for impersonating a member of law enforcement in March 2016 after pulling over a stripper in West Palm Beach, Florida, and posing as an officer. He was let go on bond despite Florida’s slightly more serious punishment for police impersonation (a felony in the third degree, with punishment up to five years in prison, five years probation, and a $5,000 fine). But a month later, he impersonated a police officer again — and escalated to the more serious attempt of sexual assault.

The punishment in most states for impersonation is either a high-class misdemeanor or low-class felony. In some states, like Arizona or New York, charges are elevated if the perpetrator uses the impersonation to commit further crimes.

“We know that laws alone don’t always stop criminals from being criminal. But longer or harsher sentences — that may include probation or house arrest —may require these offenders to be monitored in such a way that they have fewer opportunities to predate,” Rennison said.

Pasco, of the Fraternal Order of Police, doesn’t believe that impersonating a cop should universally come with a harsher punishment.

“I think it depends on what crimes ensued [from the impersonation],” he said. “If someone pretends to be a cop to get a free cup of coffee, that’s one thing. If someone pretends to be a cop and rapes someone, that’s something else entirely.”

Sex worker advocates say that ultimately the crime of impersonation ― and the oft ensuing crime of sexually exploiting vulnerable women ― can be attributed to the long-accepted culture of law enforcement not taking violence against sex workers seriously. Maggie Mayhem, Bay Area-based former Sex Workers Outreach Project-USA Board member, pointed to the case of William Suff, a California man who impersonated a California Highway Patrol officer and murdered more than a dozen sex workers over a span of six years, from 1986 to 1992.

“The standards for how law enforcement officers engage with sex workers have to be fundamentally restructured,” Mayhem told HuffPost. ″And society must acknowledge that sex workers are targeted for violence because of their context and not their morality.”

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