Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Sandra Bullock talks about her role in the movie ‘Our Brand Is Crisis’


Sandra Bullock is a Hollywood actor and an Oscar winner but, with a difference – in her latest movie ‘Our Brand Is Crisis’, she convinced George Clooney to change a part written for a man to one for a woman so that she could play it instead. The story is about elections and she stars as an election consultant in a heated feud with a rival.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 27 October 2015.
While speaking on the red carpet at the premiere in Los Angeles, Sandra Bullock revealed that she had approached producers Clooney and Grant Heslov about recasting the character as a female. As the debate over inequality in Hollywood continues, she hopes there would be more roles written for men that will be given to women.
The movie ‘Our Brand Is Crisis’ will open in UK cinemas on 22 January.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

‘Main Aur Charles’ movie is about a bikini killer but is not sleazy


‘Main Aur Charles’ is a biopic on notorious bikini killer Charles Sobhraj and it has managed to grab enough eyeballs and generate a lot of expectation prior to its release because of the sleekly cut trailer – it has enough dose of sex and drama to keep the audience glued.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 27 October 2015.
Director Prawaal Raman’s fictional take on international criminal Charles Sobhraj – he has clarified that the character has not been romanticised. The story of the movie is about the perception of seven people whose lives changed after their meeting with Charles. They were his cell mates and who used to say he is a magician who disappears.
Charles Sobhraj has ultimately become a legend in a negative way and that has been depicted.
Randeep Hooda portrays Charles on screen. It seems there were rumors that the role would be done by Sanjay Dutt and later that Saif Ali Khan would play the role but, finally, it was Randeep Hooda.
Yes, there are bold scenes because it is about a bikini killer - Charles seduced the women but, the subject has not been treated in a sleazy way.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


Some more interesting links -

The global broom campaign (satire)

Moody searching for a place where no leader has gone (Satire)

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Viewers complain about excessive violence in ITV’s new series Jekyll and Hyde


Over 280 viewers have lodged complaints with Ofcam about excessive violence in ITVs latest series Jekyll and Hyde and feel that it is ‘too violent and scary’ to be shown at 6.30pm. The show follows the story of Jekyll's grandson, Dr Robert Jekyll. In the first episode, he is shown struggling to suppress a monster within himself.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 26 October 2015.
ITV said that 280 people have complained to ITV Viewer Services so far about scenes in it depicting murder and violence. The stars of the show are Richard E Grant, Tom Bateman and Natalie Gumede and it is scheduled to run for 10 episodes.
The first episode featured a half-human half-dog creature called a Harbinger. It is the physical transformation of saintly Jekyll into evil Hyde, and the brutal murder of Robert's foster parents in Ceylon. There is also scene of a violent fight in a bar and a punch-up in an alleyway.
A spokesman for the broadcast regulator has indicated that based on the complaints received, the matter would be investigated and suitable action would be taken. It seems ITV had issued a warning before the transmission of Jekyll and Hyde in which it had advised parents that it included some violence and scenes that younger children may find scary.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


Some more interesting links -

The global broom campaign (satire)

Moody searching for a place where no leader has gone (Satire)

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Neha Dhupia has high regards for modeling – says it is not a brainless profession


Neha Dhupia had represented India at the Miss Universe pageant in 2002 and, in her opinion, modeling is not a brainless profession. She has high regard for the profession and says it is a job that needs lot of “hard work”.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 27 October 2015.
She has acted in ‘Singh Is Kinng’ and is currently engaged in anchoring the “Kingfisher Supermodels 3” show. She has to mentor 10 supermodels who have to battle it out through 20 episodes of tasks and challenges on a TV show. As she explained - modelling is a “hardworking” job with models some of who are from other professions like practicing dentists, lawyers and even hold corporate jobs or work in tech companies.
Modeling is plenty of hard work, long hours and every day there is a new boss. Modeling is all about working on your positive traits and concealing the negatives.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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The global broom campaign (satire)

Moody searching for a place where no leader has gone (Satire)

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Horror Museum in Colorado could be a money spinner


If things go as per plan, very soon there could emerge a horror themed museum in the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, that was the inspiration of Stephen King to write The Shining. The hotel hopes to raise $24m for the attraction, along with an exhibition space, 500-seat auditorium, production facilities and editing suites.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 23 October 2015.
The developers want to begin an educational program with the Colorado Film School and are seeking $11.5m in state tourism funds for the non-profit, public-private partnership project. Names like Elijah Wood, Simon Pegg and George A Romero are among the founding board members of the proposal.
As John Cullen, the owner of the hotel has remarked, the Stanley Film Center is a chance to give back something to the millions of horror fans around the world who have supported Estes Park and the hotel for so many years.
The hotel already offers "Ghost Adventure" packages and hosts an annual horror film festival and wants to improve on that.
Stephen King's best-selling 1977 was adapted into a film by Stanley Kubrick in 1980 and it starred Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. It is even now recognized as a horror classic.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses

Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja and cultural programs


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor perform garba dances in Ahmedabad


The last time Salman Khan did a garba dance was nearly a decade back in the movie ‘Dholi Taro’ – but, he has neither forgotten the steps nor the style. He, therefore, kickstarted the promotions of his Diwali release ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’, with a raas Garba event in Ahmedabad recently.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 23 October 2015.
He was accompanied by his co-star Sonam Kapoor and appeared to be in high spirits as he started dancing. Salman Khan has not danced the garba for years and he only suggested that they join the festivities before Navratri wound to a close.
The crowd loved every moment of Salman doing the garba and had a great time watching the star do the garba in his very own style.
The movie ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ is a family film for all age-groups and also a reunion of Salman Khan and Sooraj Barjatya after a gap of 15 years. The cast includes Anupam Kher, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Swara Bhaskar, and Deepak Dobriyal. It is slated to release on November 12, 2015.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses

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Durga Puja and cultural programs


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

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Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

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Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Friday, October 23, 2015

Trailer of Natalie Portman’s ‘Jane Got A Gun’ finally released


Natalie Portman’s much awaited movie ‘Jane Got A Gun’ has finally got a trailer as Mars Films released the international teaser for the film. In the film, Portman portrays the role of a frontier woman who teams with her ex-lover (Joel Edgerton) to save her outlaw husband (Noah Emmerich) from a gang that is out to kill him.
This has been reported in foxnews.com dated 22 October 2015.
The Weinstein Co. is expected to release the film in February.
It may be recalled that Relativity Media had lost the movie just before the company filed for bankruptcy on July 30. The movie was originally slated for release on Aug. 29, 2014 but has been delayed several times in the last two years. Gavin O’Connor directed the pic, which also stars Ewan McGregor. He replaced original helmer Lynne Ramsay who walked out a day before filming was to begin. Jude Law, Michael Fassbender and Bradley Cooper all passed on the project.
Brian Duffield wrote the screenplay, with Anthony Tambakis carried out a rewrite.
‘Jane Got A Gun’ is set to be released in Europe in November.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters


Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja and cultural programs

The pandal hoppers of Kolkata

Australian government invites the Thor and Alien franchises to film in Australia


The Australian government has literally wooed the makers of the Thor and Alien franchises with millions of dollars to come to Australia for filming. It is understood that Twentieth Century Fox, Disney and Marvel Studios have been given AU$47.25m (£22m) towards their latest pictures.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 23 October 2015.
Ridley Scott is expected to direct the Prometheus follow-up ‘Alien: Paradise Lost’ and Australian actor Chris Hemsworth will reprise his role as the superhero in the third instalment of the Thor series for Disney and Marvel ‘Thor: Ragnarok’. Thor: Ragnarok is scheduled for release in July 2017.
Locations where the films would be shot have been kept under wraps but Disney has recently finished shooting Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales at Gold Coast studios in Queensland State and Fox already has its studios in Sydney.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters


Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja and cultural programs

The pandal hoppers of Kolkata

Thursday, October 22, 2015

London theme park on the Thames to get £100m funding from China


London could soon boast of a theme park on the banks of the Thanes by 2021 - plans for this £3.2bn resort built by Paramount near London have moved a step closer to reality following the pledge by a Chinese company to invest £100m.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 20 October 2015.
The project would be on the Thames in north Kent and will consist of a theme park, restaurants, event space and hotels. The investment would be done by SinoFortone, a real estate company – the investment of an initial amount of £100m would be in the London Paramount Entertainment Resort (London Paramount).
It is understood that London Paramount will have rides and attractions for families and will also showcase Paramount films and productions by its partners the BBC and Aardman which makes Shaun The Sheep.
The project is likely to create 27,000 jobs and attract over 15 million visitors a year.
Interestingly, it is the first major leisure scheme to be designated a "Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project" by the Government.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting links -

Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters


Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja and cultural programs

The pandal hoppers of Kolkata

Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor and ‘Jagga Jasoos’


There were rumors doing the rounds that Katrina Kaif is worried about the sizzling chemistry between Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone that is on show in their forthcoming film “Tamasha”. But, that is not true. Her spokesperson has revealed that Katrina has not requested film maker Anurag Basu to fire up her chemistry with rumored boyfriend Ranbir in their upcoming comedy-drama film “Jagga Jasoos” slated to release in June next year.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 21 October 2015.
Katrina;s spokesperson has clarified that the rumors about Ranbir and Deepika’s sizzling chemistry are someone’s imagination gone wild and, while it is good fodder for gossip, it is far from true. Such stories are fabricated to mislead the audience and fans. These are idle gossip which is childish and avoidable.
Deepika and Ranbir are returning on the silver screen together after a gap of two years with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s romantic drama film “Tamasha”, which is slated to release on November 27.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting links -

Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters


Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja and cultural programs

The pandal hoppers of Kolkata

Monday, October 19, 2015

Comedian Eddie Murphy given the Mark Twain Prize and hailed as an American Icon


The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presented comedian Eddie Murphy with the Mark Twain Prize – this is the nation’s top prize for humor. And, a star-studded lineup of comedians honored him as an “American icon.” The others included Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, George Lopez, Kathy Griffin and Arsenio Hall.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 19 October 2015.
The most emotional tribute came from “Saturday Night Live” alum Tracy Morgan. He had survived a serious car crash last year that left him in a coma. And, Murphy was the first person to call him on the phone and make him laugh after the tragic accident that killed a passenger in the limo and seriously injured two others.
Tracy Morgan called Murphy his “comedic hero.”
Others of the “Saturday Night Live” alumni who paid tribute to Murphy were Jay Pharoah, Kevin Nealon and Joe Piscopo. Incidentally, the humor prize is to honor those who influence society in the tradition of Samuel Clemens, the writer and satirist known as Mark Twain. It has been given earlier to Jay Leno, Carol Burnett, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Ellen DeGeneres, Will Ferrell and Richard Pryor.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting links -

Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters


Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja and cultural programs

The pandal hoppers of Kolkata

Saturday, October 17, 2015

‘Quantico’ star Priyanka Chopra bags MTV EMAs Best India Act


‘Quantico’ star Priyanka Chopra is making waves in the West – she is an Indian actress-singer and has emerged victorious in the 2015 MTV Europe Music Awards' Best India Act category. Scores of music fans voted for her and, as a result, she received enough votes to beat her competitors who included the likes of Indus Creed, Monica Dogra, Your Chin and The Ska Vengers.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 17 October 2015.
Priyanka will now be pitched against the winning act from Africa to be named Worldwide Act: Africa/India and prove her mettle.
The awards night will be hosted by singer Ed Sheeran and model Ruby Rose at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan on October 26 – it will be aired on VH1 India.
Pharrell Williams, Ed Sheeran and Rudimental, Ellie Goulding, Jason Derulo, Martin Garrix, Afrojack, Tori Kelly, James Bay, among other stars, are expected to perform at the event.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Shah Rukh Khan keeps his audience spellbound at the University of Edinburgh


Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is a unique personality in his own special way and, while accepting the special honor of degree of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University Chancellor HRH The Princess Royal in Edinburgh, he narrated his real life experiences to the audience.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 16 October 2015.
His speech was a perfect mix of wisdom and humor and it was more endearing to the audience because he kept punctuating it with references from the super hit movies he has done – movies like ‘Deewana’, ‘Dil Se’, ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ and ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ etcetera.
He ended his speech by grooving to the chartbuster ‘Lungi Dance’ with gay abandon. He had for company the traditional dance group that had earlier performed at the venue.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Double suicide bombing in Turkish peace rally leaves 97 dead, more than 400 injured


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Friday, October 16, 2015

Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard in his latest movie ‘Pan’


On his latest movie ‘Pan’ which is about Peter Pan and where Jackman portrays the role of Blackbeard, the actor has admitted that one needs to keep a sense of "child-like wonder" in life to stay young. On his role in the movie, he has said that he has "pretty much stalled around the age of eight or nine maturity-wise - which is part of my job - and I kind of love that".
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 15 October 2015.
The film has not done as well as expected - it took just $15.5m on its opening weekend in spite of it costing $150m to make. It is slated to be one of the biggest flops of 2015.
The film is directed by Joe Wright, has been described as "entirely pointless" and "dour" by the media and Wright and Jackman both have explained that the film has been designed and aimed at children - rather than film critics.
Pan is a prequel of the JM Barrie classic – it reveals how Peter Pan met Captain Hook and the pirate Blackbeard on his journey to Neverland.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Ramdev graduates from yoga-guru to marketing guru to capture Maggi’s market

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Shabana Azmi, Cate Blanchett, Freida Pinto to share their thoughts at Women in the World India Summit in Delhi

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Selena Gomez says her absence was not due to drugs but chemotherapy for lupus


Life imprisonment for 15-year-old British boy who plotted Anzac Day massacre in Melbourne

France joins the fight against the ISIS – bombs targets in Raqqa

Double suicide bombing in Turkish peace rally leaves 97 dead, more than 400 injured


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20th Century Fox to make sixth Die Hard movie - ‘Die Hard 6: Live Free – Die Hard’


The ‘Die Hard’ series of movies have grossed nearly USD 1.5 billion worldwide. Therefore, 20th Century Fox has decided to go in for a sixth one. It would be titled ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ and Len Wiseman would return to the director’s chair.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 16 October 2015.
It seems one is used to sequels but the sixth ‘Die Hard’ would be a prequel of sorts. It would go back in time to the period when John McClane was an ordinary cop in New York City. It would show how he came to be known as a ‘die-hard’ cop.
The action would be set in pre 1979 period and the young John would be portrayed by a young actor – but Bruce Willis would be seen in certain portions.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura is involved as producer. Along with Wiseman, he is now looking for a scribe to write a story of a reinvention of the venerable action series.
Rumor has it that Fox was trying to bring Samuel L Jackson back to the “Die Hard” franchise. The Academy Award nominee was expected to reprise his “Die Hard with a Vengeance” role as Zeus Carver. (Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Thursday, October 15, 2015

Dance bars can operate again in Mumbai, bar girls happy


In 2005, dance performances in bars of the state of Maharashtra were banned, but three-star and five-star hotels were kept out of the purview of the Act. As a result, hundreds of girls who worked in the bars and earned a living by dancing lost their jobs.
The Supreme Court has, now, stayed the ban on dance bars across the state and this order will restore the livelihood of bar dancers and reopen dance bars. This would come as a major relief for bar girls and owners of dance bar owners in Maharashtra.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 15 October 2015.
The state government has defended the amended law on dance bars and has said that the government still has the right to regulate to ensure there is no obscenity. This is as per directives of the apex court who has given power to licensing authorities to regulate indecent dance performances.
Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has welcomed the move and feels it is wrong to put a blanket ban on all dance bars. There will be rules and regulations to check on indecency. Shakti Kapoor, an actor of yesteryear feels dance bars are a means of livelihood for many girls and the cops need to have an eye on all the dance bars.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Selena Gomez says her absence was not due to drugs but chemotherapy for lupus


Life imprisonment for 15-year-old British boy who plotted Anzac Day massacre in Melbourne

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Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"


24-year-old actress Emma Roberts has finally discovered a tight-knit group of friends on the sets of hit horror-comedy series "Scream Queens". She has for company the likes of Ariana Grande, Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin, Keke Palmer and Billie Lourd. They play her onscreen sorority sisters.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 14 October 2015.
Emma Roberts has confirmed that they do not indulge in any fights on the sets. In fact, they are always texting each other. They also pick each other up for work, go for pizza or coffee together and it does not feel as if it is all about going to work every morning.
Emma, the actress of “We’re the Millers”, admitted that she had always wanted a close group of friends and believes that she has got it now. That, she feels, makes her feel confident.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'


The makers of ‘Enthiran 2’ are believed to be in talks with Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger to play the antagonist in the film The team behind superstar Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2' is also planning to use motion capture technology to shoot certain important portions of the Tamil film. The film will also be shot in 3D.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 13 October 2015.
The decision to shoot in 3D was a recent one. Some key scenes will be filmed using motion capture technology and the team has already started prepping. These scenes featuring the technology will be shot at a studio in Hollywood.
It may be recalled that motion capture technology had earlier been used in Rajinikanth's animated film 'Kochadaiiyaan' – that film had been directed by his daughter Soundarya.
‘Enthiran 2’ will be directed by Shankar and produced by Lyca International and will also feature Amy Jackson. It is expected to go on the floors early next year.
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Leonardo DiCaprio coming to Delhi for a documentary on climate change


Leonardo DiCaprio has already launched conservation projects in 40-odd countries through his foundation. He is not only a billionaire star but also UN messenger of peace on climate change. He will be arriving in Delhi for a documentary on climate change and working with Sunita Narain of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
DiCaprio’s question to the world at large is - how much time do we have to find solutions and put them in place before this whole ecosystem collapses.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 14 October 2015.
DiCaprio’s pre-Industrial Revolution period drama The Revenant set in the wilderness of northern Canada is ready for release in December and he with his crew would arrive in Delhi on October 29 for four days. The Ministry of External Affairs has already cleared the application for filming.
Incidentally, Narain is right now away in Johannesburg and has confirmed that they will be in Delhi on 29 and 30th and will come over to CSE for a sit down interview.
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation was started in 1998 and its mission was to protect the world’s last wild places. His projects include saving key species like sharks, tigers and elephants and to protect indigenous tribes and communities.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Playboy to stop printing nude images because of easy access to porn on the internet


Playboy has had to redo its marketing strategy because photos of nudes in between its pages is no longer paying dividends. Much more pornographic material is now available over the internet – hence, Playboy is losing out. Its print circulation that had once been in millions is now down to about 800,000. When he had created Playboy way back in 1953, Hugh Hefner had described it as the magazine whose contents would appeal to men aged 18 to 80. But – times have changed.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 13 October 2015.
Hugh Hefner is now 89-year-old and he has agreed to the changes proposed by Playboy's chief content officer Cory Jones. Mr Jones had indicated that the time was right to shift focus from nudity. Of course, women in provocative poses will continue to feature.
Other editorial changes on the anvil to rebrand Playboy include a "sex-positive female" writing a sex column, art and more coverage of alcoholic drinks.
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Naomie Harris dreamt of becoming an actress when she was three years old


Naomie Harris is the Bond girl in ‘Spectre’ – she is now 37-years-old and had always wanted to be an actress by the time she was three. She had been appearing on TV shows even before she had reached her teenage years. She is credited with strong work ethic and determination which are the keys to her career success.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 13 October 2015.
From being a child actor she made her way to stardom. She credits it to her strong work ethic and it got even stronger because she had to work in a very adult environment and it was expected that she behave like an adult.
She admitted that she was bullied at school and there was jealousy all around her since she was on TV – but, such bullying made her mentally strong. She had the goal before her of what she wanted to become and the bullying helped fuel her dream.
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Monday, October 12, 2015

Disney has lined up a film on Cruella, the antagonist of 101 Dalmatians


After the success of 'Maleficent' and 'Cinderella', Disney is now accelerating the progress of live-action project 'Cruella' which is scheduled for release in the United States sometime between 2017 and 2019.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 11 October 2015.
Disney Studios is now going full steam ahead for ‘'Cruella' which is an animated film. It centers on Cruella de Vil, a character from ‘101 Dalmatians’. The script would be made by Kelly Marvel, the screen writer of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’. He will be assisted by ‘Togetherness’ co-creator Steve Zissis.
Aline Brosh McKenna had written the previous script of 'Cruella' and, Andrew Gunn ("Sky High", "Bedtime Stories") is believed to be on board to produce.
It may be recalled that Cruella had first appeared in Dodie Smith's 1956 novel ‘The Hundred and One Dalmatians’. It was later adapted into an animated movie in 1961. Glenn Close had played the role of Cruella in the live-action movie, "101 Dalmatians" (1996), and its "102 Dalmatians" (2000).
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Sunday, October 11, 2015

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


India is one of 81 countries that will vie for the Oscar in the best foreign-language feature category at the 88th Academy Awards with its movie ‘Court’. The movie is a Marathi courtroom drama written and directed by Chaitanya Tamhane.
This has been announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and reported in indianexpress.com dated 9 October 2015.
The total number of films in the best foreign language film category is two less than that of last year and Paraguay is the first-time entrant in this category.
Apart from India, other south Asian countries vying for a Oscar nomination are “Jalal’s Story” directed by Abu Shahed Emon (Bangladesh), Nepal’s “Talakjung vs Tulke” helmed by Basnet Nischal and Jami’s Pakistani film “Moor”.
The 81 foreign-language submissions will be whittled down to a shortlist of nine, then would further be narrowed to five finalists. The venue of the Awards ceremony would be Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and it would be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories all over the world.
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Saturday, October 10, 2015

Shabana Azmi, Cate Blanchett, Freida Pinto to share their thoughts at Women in the World India Summit in Delhi


Women who have made a name for themselves like Cate Blanchett, Freida Pinto, Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das or Laleh Seddigh will share their thoughts when they meet in the Women in the World India Summit to be held in Delhi on November 20.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 10 October 2015.
Cate Blanchett is an Oscar-winning actress, others like Freida Pinto, Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das are acclaimed stars while Laleh Seddigh is an Iranian female race car driver. They will present their inspiring stories at the three-day summit.
The summit began in 2009. Its purpose is to bring together women leaders, activists and political change-makers from around the world to share their stories, and offer solutions to building a better life for women and girls.
The event will be co-hosted by Anand Mahindra, Barkha Dutt , Freida, Nita Ambani and Shabana.
Participants would be women, who have brought in wave of change with their talent. For example Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit Nene, former World Bank Vice President for Africa Obiageli Ezekwesili, an Israeli and a Palestinian mother working together to find peace, Robi Damelin and Bushra Awad, William Dalrymple, and HSBC’s Naina Lal Kidwai.
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Salman Khan falls prey to female fans in posh night club of Mumbai


Salman Khan is one of the most popular stars of Indian cinema as also of Indian television. He has a huge fan following in the social media as also literal fan following – those who follow him where ever he may go. This is especially applicable to his female fans.
One of them recently clicked a selfie with Salman Khan and posted it on social network sites claiming to be his girlfriend. His latest tryst with female fans is when he was apparently robbed by two female fans at a posh night club in Mumbai.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 10 October 2015.
As revealed by a close friend of the star – he had been to a club with some friends. There, a couple of female fans approached him and he started chatting with them in his informal friendly way. Then he excused himself to go relieve himself. He had left his wallet and expensive sunglasses on the table.
But, on return to his table, he discovered his loss – his valuables had vanished as had the two fans!!
In view of these experiences with his female fans, Salman Khan has decided never to click pictures with strangers and, he might also not interact much with his fans.
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