Have a new product, service or attraction, or want to make your existing product 'POP' even more?
I'll give it a name that will drill into public consciousness and stay there like an earworm
send me details of your product/service/company to liveplug@yahoo.com or liveplug22@gmail.com and we'll set up a consultation
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
THE JAZZMOBILE THAT JACQUES BUILT
Fete De Musique/Kingston on the Edge
Jazz is a medium best enjoyed live, and for a jazz band performance to be enjoyable, the band has to function similar to the engine of a high-end sports car: not only do the components have to function well individually with repeated high demands, but the individuals must function perfectly in tune to the other parts, ready to roll with the split-second shift of gears and the subtlest changes in tone and direction.
With the intimate lawn of Grosvenor Galleries in Manor Park as his “course” saxophonist Jacques Schwarz-Bart took the audience for a welcome spin through contemporary jazz spiced with Caribbean rhythms and inflections. Arguably unknown to most prior to his performance, the artists, who has performed with the likes of modern soulster D’Angelo and trumpeter Roy Hargrove, made a powerful statement for celebrating music and life on Saturday night.
The five-man combo was something of a mini-United Nations, with two Serbians (the excellent drummer, Marko Djordevic and the amazing keyboardist Milan Milanovic) a Brazilian, a Puerto Rican and the leader himself, born in Guadeloupe, raised mostly in Europe and now based in New York City (as are all the musicians). They demonstrated that combination of individual virtuosity and collective simpatico that is critical to making the music come alive.
And come alive it did. After a brief spoken word intro, in which eh urged the audience to spare a thought for the people of Iran (fighting to establish a ‘real’ democracy) he led the band into selections from his last two CDs, Sone Ka La and Abyss. Dominated by the infectious poly-rhythms of gwo-ka (an indigenous Guadeloupean form played largely with hand drums), the tunes had hips swaying, fingers snapping and hands clapping, as the celebratory mix and the obvious joy of the players seeped into the crowd.
By night’s end, with the band having played two sets, the party was well and truly on at the final number with patrons willingly abandoning their chairs and dancing in the soft lush grass.
Earlier in the evening, the focus (at least on the leader part anyway) shifted to strings. Maurice Gordon functioned as a kind of “special guest” along with a young trio that gave good support on numbers like “Oleo” “Irie Moods” and the opener, “All Blues”. Before Gordon, Benjy Myaz (whose new album drops very soon) led the audience on a journey through contemporary r&b, pop and reggae.
The entertainment began in the afternoon, with 16 acts who had pre-booked for the Open Mic segment showcasing their talents for the audience. The Fete De Musique is a global celebration co-ordinated by the offices of the Alliance-Francaise in each country. The event is also included in the roster of the Kingston on the Edge arts festival - steadily growing in both quality and quantity in its third year. Many more music and arts events remain over the next several days
But for now, Jamaicans can celebrate the building of some new bridges through music and the visual arts , which is what those things were intended to do in the first place.
www.myspace.com/brotherjacques
www.myspace.com/svetimarko
www.myspace.com/milanmilanovic
Jazz is a medium best enjoyed live, and for a jazz band performance to be enjoyable, the band has to function similar to the engine of a high-end sports car: not only do the components have to function well individually with repeated high demands, but the individuals must function perfectly in tune to the other parts, ready to roll with the split-second shift of gears and the subtlest changes in tone and direction.
With the intimate lawn of Grosvenor Galleries in Manor Park as his “course” saxophonist Jacques Schwarz-Bart took the audience for a welcome spin through contemporary jazz spiced with Caribbean rhythms and inflections. Arguably unknown to most prior to his performance, the artists, who has performed with the likes of modern soulster D’Angelo and trumpeter Roy Hargrove, made a powerful statement for celebrating music and life on Saturday night.
The five-man combo was something of a mini-United Nations, with two Serbians (the excellent drummer, Marko Djordevic and the amazing keyboardist Milan Milanovic) a Brazilian, a Puerto Rican and the leader himself, born in Guadeloupe, raised mostly in Europe and now based in New York City (as are all the musicians). They demonstrated that combination of individual virtuosity and collective simpatico that is critical to making the music come alive.
And come alive it did. After a brief spoken word intro, in which eh urged the audience to spare a thought for the people of Iran (fighting to establish a ‘real’ democracy) he led the band into selections from his last two CDs, Sone Ka La and Abyss. Dominated by the infectious poly-rhythms of gwo-ka (an indigenous Guadeloupean form played largely with hand drums), the tunes had hips swaying, fingers snapping and hands clapping, as the celebratory mix and the obvious joy of the players seeped into the crowd.
By night’s end, with the band having played two sets, the party was well and truly on at the final number with patrons willingly abandoning their chairs and dancing in the soft lush grass.
Earlier in the evening, the focus (at least on the leader part anyway) shifted to strings. Maurice Gordon functioned as a kind of “special guest” along with a young trio that gave good support on numbers like “Oleo” “Irie Moods” and the opener, “All Blues”. Before Gordon, Benjy Myaz (whose new album drops very soon) led the audience on a journey through contemporary r&b, pop and reggae.
The entertainment began in the afternoon, with 16 acts who had pre-booked for the Open Mic segment showcasing their talents for the audience. The Fete De Musique is a global celebration co-ordinated by the offices of the Alliance-Francaise in each country. The event is also included in the roster of the Kingston on the Edge arts festival - steadily growing in both quality and quantity in its third year. Many more music and arts events remain over the next several days
But for now, Jamaicans can celebrate the building of some new bridges through music and the visual arts , which is what those things were intended to do in the first place.
www.myspace.com/brotherjacques
www.myspace.com/svetimarko
www.myspace.com/milanmilanovic
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
“COOL RUNNINGS – ONE MORE TIME”
Cool Runnings Audio book launch
With a soundtrack encompassing the Fugees as well as the obligatory Bob Marley (who in fact, did use the refrain “cool runnings” in his song “Black Man Redemption”), Chris Stokes launched the audio-book of his bobsleigh memoir, Cool Runnings and Beyond: The story of the Jamaican Bobsleigh Team at Bookophilia in Kingston two Saturdays past.
Stokes drew on the varied skills and enthusiasm of family members and friends (including mom, Blossom O’ Meally Nelson), many of whom crammed into the cozy Liguanea bookstore-cum-hangout. The audio excerpts, read by the author, told the familiar story of courage, physical and mental endurance and unwavering self-belief that has made Jamaica Bobsleigh an indigenous sporting icon surpassed only recently by one-man sprint phenomenon Usain Bolt (imagine the start times the bobsleigh team could get with him pushing).
To hear Stokes and family friend/collaborator Don McDowell tell it, the 13-month recording and editing process of transferring the book (originally published in 2002) to audio was almost as grueling as going downhill on ice (minus, of course, the separated ribs and other physical injuries), with recording sessions frequently running 16 hours or more.
The excerpts played at the launch began – expectedly – with the famous disaster-turned –delight of Calgary 1998, where the team crashed spectacularly out of contention, but into the hearts of the spectators and the world (dramatized, and embellished, in the hit movie). Then ether was the triumph, six years later, in Lillehammer Norway, where the team again overcame injury and lack of equipment (their race sled was a “rental” a ‘display model’ graciously provided by the hotel in which they were staying ) to shock the world by finishing 14th, ahead of the French, Italians, Russians and –most satisfyingly – the Americans.
In her remarks, Mom Blossom O’ Meally Nelson spoke not only to the courage of her sons (brother Tal Stokes was captain of the 4-man teams at Calgary and Lillehammer), but also the perseverance and resourcefulness of their wives, who often had to send money to help keep their spouses “on the ice” and out of hot water, so to speak, this in addition to raising the children.
Na-Talia Stokes rendered the famous Kipling poem, “If” and then Chris took the microphone and delivered a thoroughly inspiring address, beginning with a reference to Sir Phillip Sherlock and Dr Hazel Bennett’s The Story of the Jamaican People and ending with a challenge to members of the audience to commit their own stories to audio books and to books in general.
With even more great stories to tell - the formation, for example of a Jamaican women’s bobsleigh team, and the upcoming expedition to Antarctica (which includes Jamaican Kim-Marie Spence) – another of the Gong’s refrains comes to mind: “spread out, spread out”
With a soundtrack encompassing the Fugees as well as the obligatory Bob Marley (who in fact, did use the refrain “cool runnings” in his song “Black Man Redemption”), Chris Stokes launched the audio-book of his bobsleigh memoir, Cool Runnings and Beyond: The story of the Jamaican Bobsleigh Team at Bookophilia in Kingston two Saturdays past.
Stokes drew on the varied skills and enthusiasm of family members and friends (including mom, Blossom O’ Meally Nelson), many of whom crammed into the cozy Liguanea bookstore-cum-hangout. The audio excerpts, read by the author, told the familiar story of courage, physical and mental endurance and unwavering self-belief that has made Jamaica Bobsleigh an indigenous sporting icon surpassed only recently by one-man sprint phenomenon Usain Bolt (imagine the start times the bobsleigh team could get with him pushing).
To hear Stokes and family friend/collaborator Don McDowell tell it, the 13-month recording and editing process of transferring the book (originally published in 2002) to audio was almost as grueling as going downhill on ice (minus, of course, the separated ribs and other physical injuries), with recording sessions frequently running 16 hours or more.
The excerpts played at the launch began – expectedly – with the famous disaster-turned –delight of Calgary 1998, where the team crashed spectacularly out of contention, but into the hearts of the spectators and the world (dramatized, and embellished, in the hit movie). Then ether was the triumph, six years later, in Lillehammer Norway, where the team again overcame injury and lack of equipment (their race sled was a “rental” a ‘display model’ graciously provided by the hotel in which they were staying ) to shock the world by finishing 14th, ahead of the French, Italians, Russians and –most satisfyingly – the Americans.
In her remarks, Mom Blossom O’ Meally Nelson spoke not only to the courage of her sons (brother Tal Stokes was captain of the 4-man teams at Calgary and Lillehammer), but also the perseverance and resourcefulness of their wives, who often had to send money to help keep their spouses “on the ice” and out of hot water, so to speak, this in addition to raising the children.
Na-Talia Stokes rendered the famous Kipling poem, “If” and then Chris took the microphone and delivered a thoroughly inspiring address, beginning with a reference to Sir Phillip Sherlock and Dr Hazel Bennett’s The Story of the Jamaican People and ending with a challenge to members of the audience to commit their own stories to audio books and to books in general.
With even more great stories to tell - the formation, for example of a Jamaican women’s bobsleigh team, and the upcoming expedition to Antarctica (which includes Jamaican Kim-Marie Spence) – another of the Gong’s refrains comes to mind: “spread out, spread out”
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Calabash '09 programme
Just a quick note to say....
The 2009 Calabash programme is up at
www.calabashfestival.org
See you in Treasure Beach in 3 weeks!
check back with us - as well as www.yardedge.net for more updates
The 2009 Calabash programme is up at
www.calabashfestival.org
See you in Treasure Beach in 3 weeks!
check back with us - as well as www.yardedge.net for more updates
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Winning Actor Boys & Girls
Congratulations to all the 2008 Actor Boy Awards Winners
An entertaining presentation at the Courtleigh Auditorium last night saw the following, emerge victorious:
Special Effects - Robin Baston, Yes!
Lighting Design - Robin Baston, Yes!
Set Design - Michael Lorde, Runner Boy
Costume Design - Brian Heap, A Tempest
Musical - Yes! Fr. Holung & Friends
Revue - Jamaica 2 Rhatid Pupalick
Comedy - Caughtin in the net, Pablo Hoilett Productions
Original Score - Jamaica 2 Rhatid Pupalick, Lyrics by Aston Cooke, Music by Grub Cooper
Original Song - 'Gangsta's Mercy' Jamaica 2 Rhatid Pupalick, Lyrics by Christopher Gordon, Music by Grub Cooper
Choreography - Tony Wilson, CATS
Childrens Theatre - CATS, Jamaica Junior Theatre
New Jamaican Play - Basil Dawkins, Which Way Is Out?
Actor in a Supporting Role - Munair Zacca, Art
Actress in a Supporting Role - Zandriann Maye
Actor in a Lead Role - Christopher McFarlane, A Tempest
Actress in a Lead Role - Hilary Nicholson, Fallen Angel & Di Devil's Concubine
Director - Brian Heap, A Tempest
Production - YES! Fr. Holung & Friends
An entertaining presentation at the Courtleigh Auditorium last night saw the following, emerge victorious:
Special Effects - Robin Baston, Yes!
Lighting Design - Robin Baston, Yes!
Set Design - Michael Lorde, Runner Boy
Costume Design - Brian Heap, A Tempest
Musical - Yes! Fr. Holung & Friends
Revue - Jamaica 2 Rhatid Pupalick
Comedy - Caughtin in the net, Pablo Hoilett Productions
Original Score - Jamaica 2 Rhatid Pupalick, Lyrics by Aston Cooke, Music by Grub Cooper
Original Song - 'Gangsta's Mercy' Jamaica 2 Rhatid Pupalick, Lyrics by Christopher Gordon, Music by Grub Cooper
Choreography - Tony Wilson, CATS
Childrens Theatre - CATS, Jamaica Junior Theatre
New Jamaican Play - Basil Dawkins, Which Way Is Out?
Actor in a Supporting Role - Munair Zacca, Art
Actress in a Supporting Role - Zandriann Maye
Actor in a Lead Role - Christopher McFarlane, A Tempest
Actress in a Lead Role - Hilary Nicholson, Fallen Angel & Di Devil's Concubine
Director - Brian Heap, A Tempest
Production - YES! Fr. Holung & Friends
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Four Literary Trails converge at Terra Nova
The absence of the two featured female writers could not dampen the spirit of the mutli-ttle book launch hosted by Trailblazer Ink atthe Terra Nova on tuesday (March 24).
The two gentlemen, Dudley Earlington (author of The Fallacy of the Democratic System of the United States) and poet Victor Robertson, whose collection, This Bridge, was being launched, ably received a small but eager crowd of literati, alongside publisher-entrepreneur Joanne Simpson. Zoe Asher (I Woman: The Sacred Trust) and Melda Evans (Sweet & Sour Love) round out the four authors presented.
Simpson pointed out that while the publishing business in Jmaaica was not for the faint-hearted, books were still relevant to the Jamaican situation, and there was some evcidence that Jamaicans at home and in the Disapora would gladly accept books that spoke to our own indigenous experiences and values.
This was echoed by guest speaker (and Director of Culture in the Ministry of Information Youth,Culture and Sports)Sydney Barltey, deputizing for Minister Olivia 'Babsy' Grange. I na typically wide ranging address, he said that if more Jamaicans hada sense of our own heroes, the way that persons in Western civilization do, then this would be a very different (the clear implication is "improved") society.
He pledged the Ministry's support for Simpson's proposed jamaica Writers' Club, a writng-publishing co-operative, for which funding is presently being sought, and also urged the audience to support Jamaican and regional writers as frequently as they could.
A robust discussion session ensued, halted temporarily as emcee Rosemarie Chung brought the proceedings back to formal order, and resumed - in pockets - as soon as the formalities had ended.
end
The two gentlemen, Dudley Earlington (author of The Fallacy of the Democratic System of the United States) and poet Victor Robertson, whose collection, This Bridge, was being launched, ably received a small but eager crowd of literati, alongside publisher-entrepreneur Joanne Simpson. Zoe Asher (I Woman: The Sacred Trust) and Melda Evans (Sweet & Sour Love) round out the four authors presented.
Simpson pointed out that while the publishing business in Jmaaica was not for the faint-hearted, books were still relevant to the Jamaican situation, and there was some evcidence that Jamaicans at home and in the Disapora would gladly accept books that spoke to our own indigenous experiences and values.
This was echoed by guest speaker (and Director of Culture in the Ministry of Information Youth,Culture and Sports)Sydney Barltey, deputizing for Minister Olivia 'Babsy' Grange. I na typically wide ranging address, he said that if more Jamaicans hada sense of our own heroes, the way that persons in Western civilization do, then this would be a very different (the clear implication is "improved") society.
He pledged the Ministry's support for Simpson's proposed jamaica Writers' Club, a writng-publishing co-operative, for which funding is presently being sought, and also urged the audience to support Jamaican and regional writers as frequently as they could.
A robust discussion session ensued, halted temporarily as emcee Rosemarie Chung brought the proceedings back to formal order, and resumed - in pockets - as soon as the formalities had ended.
end
Monday, March 16, 2009
4 New J'can books
Joanne simpson's Trailblazer Ink will launch 4 new titles by J'can writers Tues March 24 at the Venetian @ Terra Nova, starting 7:00 pm
The four cover a wide stylistic range, from Sweet & Sour Love, Melda Graham’s short story collection depicting the vagaries of life in rural St Elizabeth, to Dudley Earlington’s unsparing examination of America’s role as the world’s lone superpower, entitled – controversially enough – The Fallacy of the Democratic System of the United States. The other two titles are motivational expert Derrick Evans’ recollections, The Warm-Up, and Zoe Asher’s “neo-feminist” tract, I, Woman: The Sacred Trust.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A Tempest, Yes & Pupalick lead Actor Boy noms
The drama, A Tempest, the Father Ho Lung production, Yes, and Aston Cooke's comedy revue Jamaica 2 Rhatid: Pupalick, lead the nominations for the 2008 International Theatr Institute (ITI) Jamaica Centre's Actor Boy Awards.
In the nominations, announced on Tuesday evening at the headquarters of Jmaaica Trade & Invest(JTI), A Tempest and Pupalick each scored 11 nods(including double nominations in several categories), while Yes earned 9 nominations. All three are also up for Best Production, a field which also includes Basil Dawkins' Which Way IS Out? and the University Players' Art.
The Best New Jamaican Play award will be contested by Pupa Lick, Yes, Secrets (by Karl Hart) and Which Way Is Out. Hilary Nicholson, Dorothy Cunningham, Sakina Dear and nadean Rawlins (with 2 nominations) are up for Best Lead Actress, while the Leaqd Actor honour will be between Rooney Chambers, Jena paul Menou, Christopher McFarlane, Paul Skeen and Orville Hall.
The awards will be presented on March 31 at the Courtleigh Auditorium (former Island life Cinema). Keri Ki- Ki' Lewis - who emceed the nomination announcement and Chris' Johnny' Daley will preside.
next post: Guest speaker Peter Couch bats for dedicated entertainment venues.
Some 22 productions qaulified for review with a new judging system requring that each play be be marked in a number of categories with the top five scorers going on to get the nomination.
In the nominations, announced on Tuesday evening at the headquarters of Jmaaica Trade & Invest(JTI), A Tempest and Pupalick each scored 11 nods(including double nominations in several categories), while Yes earned 9 nominations. All three are also up for Best Production, a field which also includes Basil Dawkins' Which Way IS Out? and the University Players' Art.
The Best New Jamaican Play award will be contested by Pupa Lick, Yes, Secrets (by Karl Hart) and Which Way Is Out. Hilary Nicholson, Dorothy Cunningham, Sakina Dear and nadean Rawlins (with 2 nominations) are up for Best Lead Actress, while the Leaqd Actor honour will be between Rooney Chambers, Jena paul Menou, Christopher McFarlane, Paul Skeen and Orville Hall.
The awards will be presented on March 31 at the Courtleigh Auditorium (former Island life Cinema). Keri Ki- Ki' Lewis - who emceed the nomination announcement and Chris' Johnny' Daley will preside.
next post: Guest speaker Peter Couch bats for dedicated entertainment venues.
Some 22 productions qaulified for review with a new judging system requring that each play be be marked in a number of categories with the top five scorers going on to get the nomination.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Salman Hates 'Slumdog'
I'm being very selective here (dangerously so, perhaps) but I couldn't resist taking out this piece from an essay by author Salman Rushdie ( he of The Satanic Verses) in the UK Guardian. The piece is about film adaptations of novels, and Mr Rushdie is none too pleased about Oscar-winning 'Slumdog' nor the novel from which its taken (originally published as Q & A)
What can one say about Slumdog Millionaire, adapted from the novel Q&A by the Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup and directed by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan, which won eight Oscars, including best picture? A feelgood movie about the dreadful Bombay slums, an opulently photographed movie about extreme poverty, a romantic, Bollywoodised look at the harsh, unromantic underbelly of India - well - it feels good, right? And, just to clinch it, there's a nifty Bollywood dance sequence at the end. (Actually, it's an amazingly second-rate dance sequence even by Bollywood's standards, but never mind.) It's probably pointless to go up against such a popular film, but let me try.
The problems begin with the work being adapted. Swarup's novel is a corny potboiler, with a plot that defies belief: a boy from the slums somehow manages to get on to the hit Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and answers all his questions correctly because the random accidents of his life have, in a series of outrageous coincidences, given him the information he needs, and are conveniently asked in the order that allows his flashbacks to occur in chronological sequence. This is a patently ridiculous conceit, the kind of fantasy writing that gives fantasy writing a bad name. It is a plot device faithfully preserved by the film-makers, and lies at the heart of the weirdly renamed Slumdog Millionaire. As a result the film, too, beggars belief
What can one say about Slumdog Millionaire, adapted from the novel Q&A by the Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup and directed by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan, which won eight Oscars, including best picture? A feelgood movie about the dreadful Bombay slums, an opulently photographed movie about extreme poverty, a romantic, Bollywoodised look at the harsh, unromantic underbelly of India - well - it feels good, right? And, just to clinch it, there's a nifty Bollywood dance sequence at the end. (Actually, it's an amazingly second-rate dance sequence even by Bollywood's standards, but never mind.) It's probably pointless to go up against such a popular film, but let me try.
The problems begin with the work being adapted. Swarup's novel is a corny potboiler, with a plot that defies belief: a boy from the slums somehow manages to get on to the hit Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and answers all his questions correctly because the random accidents of his life have, in a series of outrageous coincidences, given him the information he needs, and are conveniently asked in the order that allows his flashbacks to occur in chronological sequence. This is a patently ridiculous conceit, the kind of fantasy writing that gives fantasy writing a bad name. It is a plot device faithfully preserved by the film-makers, and lies at the heart of the weirdly renamed Slumdog Millionaire. As a result the film, too, beggars belief
"Watchmen" put a US$55M lock on box office
LOS ANGELES – "Watchmen" clocked in with $55.7 million in ticket sales to claim the top spot at the box office, making director Zack Snyder's comic book adaptation about a team of twisted superheros the biggest opening of 2009 so far.
Still, it was not quite as big as the $70 million take of Snyder's "300" in 2007.
Dan Fellman, head of distribution for "Watchmen" studio Warner Bros., said it was unfair to compare the two films.
"They're two different movies," Fellman said Sunday. "This is a movie that runs two hours and 45 minutes. That really only leaves the exhibitor with one showing a night. If you have an 8 o'clock show, the next show is at midnight. So with essentially one show a night, I think this is outstanding."
Fans of the subversive comic book series by writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons waited years for Snyder's big-screen version. The anticipation was complicated last year when Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox fought over who owned rights to the $125 million film. The studios eventually settled in January, keeping the March 6 opening intact.
Many "Watchmen" enthusiasts raced to IMAX theaters to see the exploits of Dr. Manhattan and company on the bigger screens. Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, said the movie sold out on all 124 IMAX screens it was playing on during the weekend and was the second largest opening in company history behind another superhero film, 2008's "The Dark Knight."
With no other new releases to compete against, "Watchmen" easily bumped off "Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail," which had held the top spot the two previous weekends. The Lionsgate comedy took in $8.8 million, good for second place, according to studio estimates Sunday. 20th Century Fox's "Taken," starring Liam Neeson, took the No. 3 position with $7.5 million.
For the year, movie attendance continues to soar, with revenue at $1.9 billion, up 16 percent through the same point in 2008. Even factoring in 2009's higher ticket prices, movie attendance is running 14 percent higher than last year.
-AP
www.watchmenmovie.com
Still, it was not quite as big as the $70 million take of Snyder's "300" in 2007.
Dan Fellman, head of distribution for "Watchmen" studio Warner Bros., said it was unfair to compare the two films.
"They're two different movies," Fellman said Sunday. "This is a movie that runs two hours and 45 minutes. That really only leaves the exhibitor with one showing a night. If you have an 8 o'clock show, the next show is at midnight. So with essentially one show a night, I think this is outstanding."
Fans of the subversive comic book series by writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons waited years for Snyder's big-screen version. The anticipation was complicated last year when Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox fought over who owned rights to the $125 million film. The studios eventually settled in January, keeping the March 6 opening intact.
Many "Watchmen" enthusiasts raced to IMAX theaters to see the exploits of Dr. Manhattan and company on the bigger screens. Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, said the movie sold out on all 124 IMAX screens it was playing on during the weekend and was the second largest opening in company history behind another superhero film, 2008's "The Dark Knight."
With no other new releases to compete against, "Watchmen" easily bumped off "Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail," which had held the top spot the two previous weekends. The Lionsgate comedy took in $8.8 million, good for second place, according to studio estimates Sunday. 20th Century Fox's "Taken," starring Liam Neeson, took the No. 3 position with $7.5 million.
For the year, movie attendance continues to soar, with revenue at $1.9 billion, up 16 percent through the same point in 2008. Even factoring in 2009's higher ticket prices, movie attendance is running 14 percent higher than last year.
-AP
www.watchmenmovie.com
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Icarus Lands at Phillip Sherlock Centre
With the bust of the eponymous founder watching, The Sir Phillip Sherlock Centre presented an installation by artist Robert 'Toby' Grant this evening. The installation, depicting the fallen winged creature of myth (he flew too close to the sun), is made of creeping vines, or 'wist' and thus will grow and transform over the five to six weeks that it will remain suspended from the Centre's ceiling.
1876 Wines refreshed a solid turno ut of well-wishers and artphiles.
More on this , as well as photos, next post.
1876 Wines refreshed a solid turno ut of well-wishers and artphiles.
More on this , as well as photos, next post.
“We Can’t Pay, We Won’t Pay!” @ EMC Drama Auditorium
a political farce written by Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo, directed by Pierre Lemaire and featuring 2nd and 3rd year students from the Drama School will open on Thursday 5 March at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. This play shows how people can change when put under extreme financial pressure. We have dedicated this production to the people of Guadeloupe and Martinique who are entering their second month of general strike, fighting against abnormally high prices facing the population of these islands. Come and multi task: Laugh and think!
The M n' M show:FABRICated Journals
An Exhibition by Margaret Stanley and Miriam Hinds
Opening: Sunday, March 8th, 2009, 11am
Revolution Gallery, 44 Lady Musgrave Road, Kgn 10
Exhibition continues until March 31st, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
What does Darwin Have to do with fiction writing?
Plenty , as it turns out. The Darwinian effect on character development was but one of the more interesting points raised during the panel discussion (followed by a workshop) on Speculative fiction, which was held Saturday last (Feb 21) at the UWI Library Multi-function room.
The panel featured Prof. John Leonard, writer and elcturer Jean Small, and novelists Erna Brodber and Nalo Hopkinson.
I'll have more on the conference, Inlcuding comments from Nalo Hopkinson and Prof Leonard, tomorrow.
Thanks again to Michael Holgate and Brian Heap, whose persistence helped see this important event through to fruition - time well spent.
The panel featured Prof. John Leonard, writer and elcturer Jean Small, and novelists Erna Brodber and Nalo Hopkinson.
I'll have more on the conference, Inlcuding comments from Nalo Hopkinson and Prof Leonard, tomorrow.
Thanks again to Michael Holgate and Brian Heap, whose persistence helped see this important event through to fruition - time well spent.
Watchmen greet the world form London
Watchmen, the film adaptation of the legendary graphic novel, premieres in London tomorrow (Feb 23) before crossing the Atlantic for a March 6 scheduled open in the U.S. no word yet on when, or even if the controversial film will open on local Jamaican screens.
In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the watchmen?
In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the watchmen?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
James in NYC
John Crow's Devil author and sometime critic Marlon James will be giving readings in New York Feb 23 and 24. Will come back with details on venue and time (yeh, I know I've said that already).
James' new novel, The Book of Night Women, officially hits stores (U.S. I believe, check amazon.com or publisher Riverhead to secure a copy online) and see the Sunday edition of the Jamaica Observer (Feb 15) for an interview with marlon
James' new novel, The Book of Night Women, officially hits stores (U.S. I believe, check amazon.com or publisher Riverhead to secure a copy online) and see the Sunday edition of the Jamaica Observer (Feb 15) for an interview with marlon
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
'Salt Roads' author @ UWI Sat
Renowned sci-fi/fantasy writer Nalo Hopkinson (who is of Jamaican-Guyanese parentage) will participate in a workshop at the UWI- the Multi-function Room atthe Main Library - Saturday, Feb 21, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Hopkinson's books include Midnight Robber, Brown Girl in the Ring and The Salt Roads
Hopkinson's books include Midnight Robber, Brown Girl in the Ring and The Salt Roads
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Spanish View: XAYMACA - Life in Spanish Jamaica 1494-1655
The Institute of Jamaica
February 17, 2009 – August 17, 2009
Limestone frieze, New Seville,c. 1524.
Photo Tony Wong
OPENING: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2009, 11 A.M.
The competition between European nations for wealth, power and religious dominance in the New World began in the 15th Century. Advances in cartography, navigation and shipbuilding fuelled the desire to find new trade routes, gold and spices. Ultimately, this led to the discovery and conquest of lands previously undreamt of.
The Spanish monarchs, King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella, joined in the pursuit of supremacy via the seas in 1492 by supporting the expeditions of Italian-born seaman Christopher Columbus. Their goal was to find trade routes to the east that were unknown to their European rivals and to acquire the much desired gold and precious stones to be found in Asia. However, what their expeditions discovered was far removed from their original intentions.
Featuring the magnificent stone sculpture from New Seville, original Taino and Spanish objects plus reproductions of navigational tools and documents from the period of the Spanish control of Jamaica, XAYMACA: Life in Spanish Jamaica 1494-1655 tells the story of the Spanish experience in Jamaica from the time of Columbus' arrival in 1494 until the time of the island's complete conquest by the English in 1660.
The full-colour catalogue features articles by Professor Patrick Bryan of the University of the West Indies, Dr. Robyn Woodward of Simon Fraser University and Dr. James Robertson of the University of the West Indies. The exhibition has been curated by Dr. Rebecca Tortello and Dr. Jonathan Greenland.
XAYMACA: Life in Spanish Jamaica 1494-1655 has been made possible through the support of The Embassy of Spain in Jamaica, The Jamaica National Heritage Trust, The Ministry of Culture of Spain, The Archive of the Indies, Seville, The Museum of America, Madrid, The Jamaica Archives, The National Library of Jamaica, The Museo Naval, Madrid, and The Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The Night Women are Coming
New from Jamaican writer Marlon James, whose debut John Crow's Devil almost singlehandedly brought J'can letters into the 21st Century, comes The Book of Night Women.
The Amazon blurb describes it as "a sweeping, startling novel, a true tour de force of both voice and storytelling."
It tells the story of Lilith, born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation at the end of the eighteenth century. Even at her birth, the slave women around her recognize a dark power that they—and she—will come to both revere and fear.
The Night Women, as they call themselves, have long been plotting a slave revolt, and as Lilith comes of age and reveals the extent of her power, they see her as the key to their plans. But when she begins to understand her own feelings and desires and identity, Lilith starts to push at the edges of what is imaginable for the life of a slave woman in Jamaica, and risks becoming the conspiracy’s weak link.
Lilith’s story overflows with high drama and heartbreak, and life on the plantation is rife with dangerous secrets, unspoken jealousies, inhuman violence, and very human emotion—between slave and master, between slave and overseer, and among the slaves themselves.
Night Women is avaialble as of Feb 19
The Amazon blurb describes it as "a sweeping, startling novel, a true tour de force of both voice and storytelling."
It tells the story of Lilith, born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation at the end of the eighteenth century. Even at her birth, the slave women around her recognize a dark power that they—and she—will come to both revere and fear.
The Night Women, as they call themselves, have long been plotting a slave revolt, and as Lilith comes of age and reveals the extent of her power, they see her as the key to their plans. But when she begins to understand her own feelings and desires and identity, Lilith starts to push at the edges of what is imaginable for the life of a slave woman in Jamaica, and risks becoming the conspiracy’s weak link.
Lilith’s story overflows with high drama and heartbreak, and life on the plantation is rife with dangerous secrets, unspoken jealousies, inhuman violence, and very human emotion—between slave and master, between slave and overseer, and among the slaves themselves.
Night Women is avaialble as of Feb 19
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