Holly wood director Danny Boyle Moive "slumdog Millionarie" wins eight Oscars at the 81st Academy Awards.
Oscars for Best
Picture
Director
Music(Song)
Music(Score)
FilmEditing
Sound Mixing
Cinematography
Writing
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Egypt jewels on display
Egypt official said on wednesday that its their plan to put on public display crown jewel that are the belongings of dynasty who ruled the country for 150 years.
The jewels are locked & their keys are in custedyof Central Bank & they will sohw in a musemum of Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
As per egypt culture ministerthat these jewels will be display first time after the 1952 revolution, jewels will show at the royal family museum of jewellery.
Moreover a former royal palace that is transformed into a museum in 1986.muhammad ali that ruled from 19 century till 1952 untill the fall of the monarchy.
The jewels are locked & their keys are in custedyof Central Bank & they will sohw in a musemum of Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
As per egypt culture ministerthat these jewels will be display first time after the 1952 revolution, jewels will show at the royal family museum of jewellery.
Moreover a former royal palace that is transformed into a museum in 1986.muhammad ali that ruled from 19 century till 1952 untill the fall of the monarchy.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Aussies good enough to beat any team, says Ponting
HYDERABAD (India), Sept 30: Australian captain Ricky Ponting vowed on Tuesday to make amends for his own past failures in India during the upcoming Test series.Ponting, one of the seven batsmen to have completed 10,000 Tests runs, has averaged a dismal 12.28 in eight matches in India since his maiden visit with Mark Taylor’s side in 1996.“I’ll work really hard for the next week to make sure I am as good as I can be.
Hopefully, I can turn things around there. It’s all in my hands and I know what I have to do to have success here,” he said.Ponting has managed just 172 in 14 innings in India, with his worst performance in 2001 when he scored 17 in three Tests, falling five times to off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.“There is a bit of a void in my international career here in India. There’s no doubt about that,” the Australian skipper said at his first press conference since arriving in India on Sept 22.
“Even on the last tour (in 2004) when we managed to win the Test series, I missed the first three Tests with a broken thumb and came back for the last one and we managed to lose that Test match.“So hopefully there are a lot of runs ahead for me here,” added Ponting, who has made 10,099 runs in 119 Tests with 35 hundreds during his career.Ponting made 11 and 12 in his only Test in India four years ago when his side lost by 13 runs on a turning Mumbai track.
The Australian captain is one of the four players in the current squad to have played a Test in India, the others being batsmen Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke and Simon Katich.But Ponting said his side were capable of putting in a winning performance if they played to their potential.“We are confident the younger faces are going to be good enough and their skills good enough to stand up in Test cricket in India,” stressed Ponting.“I think even over the last 12 months when we have been missing some of our more experienced players we have still managed to show our best cricket is good enough to beat everybody.
“We go into every game confident to play at a certain level, and we’re good enough to beat anybody we play against,” Ponting said.Ponting noted that a weeklong training camp in Jaipur helped the team get acclimatised to Indian conditions, especially the pitches. The camp included a two-day game against the Rajasthan Cricket Academy XI in which Australia’s batsmen had difficulty against young spinners.
“We did struggle against spin, but we are confident for the first Test,” he asserted.Ponting also urged the teams to play in the right spirit to avoid a repeat of the ill-tempered series between the two teams in Australia early this year.“The important thing is that the captains are responsible for what happens on the field. We are responsible for our teams and the way we play our cricket,” expressed Ponting.Australia clinched the four-Test series earlier this year 2-1 amid deteriorating relations between the two sides.
The Indians, unhappy with umpiring decisions in the second Test in Sydney, almost abandoned the tour when off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was accused of making racist comments against Andrew Symonds.“We have addressed it a number of times, particularly after the Sydney Test. We all understand what is acceptable and what is not,” said Ponting. “Both teams have a responsibility in this series to make sure everybody is playing the game in the right way.”Australia, who trained for a week in Jaipur, open the tour with a four-day fixture starting in Hyderabad on Thursday.The opening Test begins in Bangalore on Oct 9, followed by back-to-back matches in Mohali, New Delhi and Nagpur.Australia clinched the four-Test series on their previous tour in 2004, their first success in India in 35 years.—Agencies.
West Bank settler violence a challenge for Israel
ASIRA AL-KIBLIYA, West Bank: Armed with guns, slingshots, knives and stun grenades, Jewish settlers pelted the house of Palestinian Nahla Makhlouf with stones, uprooted young trees and painted the Star of David on her walls.In Makhlouf’s West Bank village of Asira al-Kibilya, Palestinians brace for possible attack by their Jewish settler neighbours from nearby Titzhar almost every weekend. But the latest attack exceeded their expectations.
“They sprayed some sort of tear gas through the window. It smelled strong and made our eyes run and made it hard to breath, especially for my baby,” said the 33-year-old mother of four.Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reacted strongly to the Sept 13 attack, saying he would not tolerate “pogroms” by Jewish extremists who are determined on religious grounds to stop Israel swapping occupied land for peace.
Last week, an outspoken Israeli critic of the settlements was wounded by a pipe bomb outside his Jerusalem home, in what Olmert said was evidence of “an evil wind of extremism, of hatred, of violence” threatening Israeli democracy.Settlers and the Israeli army said the Asira assault was triggered by the wounding of a nine-year-old settler boy by a Palestinian whom he had disturbed in the act of setting fire to a house in the Yitzhar settlement while the family was away.But settler vigilante violence is growing, according to a recent UN report, which recorded 222 incidents in the first half of 2008, versus 291 in all of 2007.
Some half a million Jewish settlers live in the West Bank, including Arab East Jerusalem. Their presence, viewed by major powers as illegal under international law, is partly shielded by a 790-km barrier Israel has been building since 2002.In a newspaper interview on Monday, Olmert broke new ground by urging Israel’s withdrawal “from almost all the territories” captured in the 1967 Middle East war in return for peace.
But Olmert says Israel plans to keep major settlements in the West Bank in any peace deal, and would have to compensate the Palestinians for land lost.The Palestinians say they cannot have a viable country of their own if it is chopped into pieces by Israeli settlement islands and the snaking walls and fences of the new barrier.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called the settlements “an obstacle to peace” which must go.Some settlers justified the attack on Asira, saying the army failed to protect them against a violent infiltration.“If the Israeli army had done what it should, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.
They should either have prevented that infiltration or carried out a raid after,” Renana Cohen said.Dani Dayan of Israel’s mainstream settlers’ organisation says the Arabs do not want peace. A Palestinian state would be a “launching pad” from which they would conduct “ethnic cleansing” against the Israelis, he argues. Many Israelis feel the same.Most settlers oppose vigilante violence. But most agree that withdrawal would be “a sure recipe for war”, as Dayan puts is, because there will no “peace-loving Palestinians taking over”.A younger, more aggressive breed of religious ideologues vows a violent response to any eviction threat, warning a heavy price would be exacted for any bid to close settlements down.Residents of Asira say the settlers need no provocation or pretext.
Attacks on Asira date back three years, Makhlouf said.Palestinians complain of unremitting harassment, such as the burning of their olive trees and stoning attacks on farmers in the fields, as a prelude to land-creep and confiscation.The garden and rooftop of Makhlouf’s neighbour, Ahmed Dawood, were littered by stones rained onto his house in the settler rampage. The water tank was holed by four bullets.Dawood’s son and a labourer in his field were shot and wounded. The army, he said, made no effort to stop the attack.“I complained to the soldiers and they shouted back ‘Get inside’ and started shooting,” he said.“We have nothing to protect ourselves with. We just take precautions such as putting metal grids on the windows. But the solution is to have them uprooted from here.”—Reuters.
“They sprayed some sort of tear gas through the window. It smelled strong and made our eyes run and made it hard to breath, especially for my baby,” said the 33-year-old mother of four.Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reacted strongly to the Sept 13 attack, saying he would not tolerate “pogroms” by Jewish extremists who are determined on religious grounds to stop Israel swapping occupied land for peace.
Last week, an outspoken Israeli critic of the settlements was wounded by a pipe bomb outside his Jerusalem home, in what Olmert said was evidence of “an evil wind of extremism, of hatred, of violence” threatening Israeli democracy.Settlers and the Israeli army said the Asira assault was triggered by the wounding of a nine-year-old settler boy by a Palestinian whom he had disturbed in the act of setting fire to a house in the Yitzhar settlement while the family was away.But settler vigilante violence is growing, according to a recent UN report, which recorded 222 incidents in the first half of 2008, versus 291 in all of 2007.
Some half a million Jewish settlers live in the West Bank, including Arab East Jerusalem. Their presence, viewed by major powers as illegal under international law, is partly shielded by a 790-km barrier Israel has been building since 2002.In a newspaper interview on Monday, Olmert broke new ground by urging Israel’s withdrawal “from almost all the territories” captured in the 1967 Middle East war in return for peace.
But Olmert says Israel plans to keep major settlements in the West Bank in any peace deal, and would have to compensate the Palestinians for land lost.The Palestinians say they cannot have a viable country of their own if it is chopped into pieces by Israeli settlement islands and the snaking walls and fences of the new barrier.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called the settlements “an obstacle to peace” which must go.Some settlers justified the attack on Asira, saying the army failed to protect them against a violent infiltration.“If the Israeli army had done what it should, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.
They should either have prevented that infiltration or carried out a raid after,” Renana Cohen said.Dani Dayan of Israel’s mainstream settlers’ organisation says the Arabs do not want peace. A Palestinian state would be a “launching pad” from which they would conduct “ethnic cleansing” against the Israelis, he argues. Many Israelis feel the same.Most settlers oppose vigilante violence. But most agree that withdrawal would be “a sure recipe for war”, as Dayan puts is, because there will no “peace-loving Palestinians taking over”.A younger, more aggressive breed of religious ideologues vows a violent response to any eviction threat, warning a heavy price would be exacted for any bid to close settlements down.Residents of Asira say the settlers need no provocation or pretext.
Attacks on Asira date back three years, Makhlouf said.Palestinians complain of unremitting harassment, such as the burning of their olive trees and stoning attacks on farmers in the fields, as a prelude to land-creep and confiscation.The garden and rooftop of Makhlouf’s neighbour, Ahmed Dawood, were littered by stones rained onto his house in the settler rampage. The water tank was holed by four bullets.Dawood’s son and a labourer in his field were shot and wounded. The army, he said, made no effort to stop the attack.“I complained to the soldiers and they shouted back ‘Get inside’ and started shooting,” he said.“We have nothing to protect ourselves with. We just take precautions such as putting metal grids on the windows. But the solution is to have them uprooted from here.”—Reuters.
Communal clashes erupt in Orissa: Christians’ houses set on fire
BHUBANESWAR, Sept 30: One woman was killed and more than a dozen people injured, some critically, after religious clashes in eastern India between Hindus and Christians, officials said.Violence broke out at a village in Orissa's Kandhamal district after Hindus attacked Christians, setting fire to their houses and burning a church, according to the chief administrator of the district Krishan Kumar.
One woman was seriously injured in the clashes and died on her way to the hospital, police said. “She was stabbed to death and there were several injury marks,” S. Praveen Kumar, a senior police officer said.The violence followed a string of attacks on Christians in three states which has left at least 33 people dead and dozens of churches damaged in the last month. Christians have responded with some violence in Orissa state.
The clashes were sparked by the issue of religious conversion in Orissa's poor tribal region, home to many Christian missionary groups. Hindus have opposed the Christian missionaries' conversion of lower-caste Hindus.Religious clashes have also been reported in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka states which are both headed by a Hindu-nationalist governments.Clashes first erupted in Orissa last month after the killing of a Hindu leader linked to the main opposition Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Police suspected Maoist rebels but many Hindus in the region blamed Christians.The attacks on Christians in India have been condemned by Pope Benedict, and Roman Catholic bishops have urged the European Union to treat persecution of Christians as a humanitarian emergency.—Reuters
One woman was seriously injured in the clashes and died on her way to the hospital, police said. “She was stabbed to death and there were several injury marks,” S. Praveen Kumar, a senior police officer said.The violence followed a string of attacks on Christians in three states which has left at least 33 people dead and dozens of churches damaged in the last month. Christians have responded with some violence in Orissa state.
The clashes were sparked by the issue of religious conversion in Orissa's poor tribal region, home to many Christian missionary groups. Hindus have opposed the Christian missionaries' conversion of lower-caste Hindus.Religious clashes have also been reported in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka states which are both headed by a Hindu-nationalist governments.Clashes first erupted in Orissa last month after the killing of a Hindu leader linked to the main opposition Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Police suspected Maoist rebels but many Hindus in the region blamed Christians.The attacks on Christians in India have been condemned by Pope Benedict, and Roman Catholic bishops have urged the European Union to treat persecution of Christians as a humanitarian emergency.—Reuters
SRK to name his dog Aamir?
The cold vibes between Aamir and SRK have been witnessed by many since many years and both of them keep on cracking comments and jokes at each other whenever they get a chance.
Aamir received wrath of many when he called his dog Shahrukh on his blog, however SRK kept mum during the whole episode, but now he is back with revenge as he is joked that he wants to name his dog Aamir.
Aamir received wrath of many when he called his dog Shahrukh on his blog, however SRK kept mum during the whole episode, but now he is back with revenge as he is joked that he wants to name his dog Aamir.
SRK said, “Gauri gets upset when I crack jokes about naming my dog Aamir. She thinks why should I bring myself down by doing or saying such things? I understand that she doesn’t want me to lose my dignity, but sometimes I think it is absolutely necessary as people ask for it.”
He goes on to explain, “Aamir had said it was a joke that his dog was named after me… and I said if it was a matter of [a] sense of humor, then my joke would have been that I also wanted to name my pets after Aamir, but my pets vehemently refused. My wife said people don’t understand your jokes, so please refrain from doing so… though I felt it was quite funny but I didn’t say it at that time. Nobody said anything about stooping low, etc. Stooping low would be a height joke.”
SRK also expressed his views on Aamir being against of SRK being number one, “I will confront Aamir and ask him why he said such a thing. I accept a lot of things, but I think this is not funny. When I say I am number one, I definitely don’t mean it in arrogance. I say it with a sense of humor and a sense of humility. But I guess it will take a lot for Aamir to understand that.”
Well that’s SRK at his wittiest best against Aamir, and now lets wait for Aamir’s witty comments.
Priyanka wooing a Scottish actor?
move over Hurman Baweja and more recent Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka’s latest rumor man is from Scotland - actor Gerard Butler( seen in the movie 300).
Priyanka got to know Gerard during the launch of Atlantis resort in Dubai.
A friend of Priyanka tells, “Since November, Priyanka and Gerard have kept in touch via phone calls and SMSes.”
Priyanka got to know Gerard during the launch of Atlantis resort in Dubai.
A friend of Priyanka tells, “Since November, Priyanka and Gerard have kept in touch via phone calls and SMSes.”
Even Priyanka’s representative was quizzed about this issue and she said, “Priyanka and Gerard hit it off really well in Dubai and have maintained their friendship ever since.”
The duo was recently spotted enjoying a lunch together in Chicago, where our Piggy Chops is shooting for Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s your Rashee.
Well I’m confused with Priyanka’s various Dostana’s.
shahrukh shoulder surgery successful
Bollywood baadshah SRK was operated for a shoulder injury today at Breach Candy Hospital and his surgery was successful. The King Khan will be discharged in another 48 hours, however he will not be able to work for almost 4-6 weeks.
SRK while filming the movie ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ last year suffered froma muscle tear in his left shoulder.
The one and a half hours long operation was carried out by shoulder specialist Dr Sanjay Desai by utilizing arthroscopic method.
SRK while filming the movie ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ last year suffered froma muscle tear in his left shoulder.
The one and a half hours long operation was carried out by shoulder specialist Dr Sanjay Desai by utilizing arthroscopic method.
Dr Desai said, “All went well. He is out of anesthesia. The situation is under control and he is doing fine.”
Before going inside the operation theater SRK said, “Surgeries are not new to me.I work a lot and get injured every now and then so I’m not bogged down. In fact, I’m pretty fine.
SRK underwent previous surgeries for his back and his knee.
We wish SRK a very very speedy recovery, before the IPL kickstarts.
Aishwarya Rai’s amazed attendees at “Pink Panther 2″ Berlin Premiere
It had been a very hectic day for Aishwarya Rai during her schedule on Berlin Premiere of “The Pink Panther 2” on February 13, Friday. After the routine media conference in the morning, Aishwarya really got herself prepared for the afternoon premier of the launch of the movie in pink gown and arrived on the dais along with co-actors like Steve Martin and Jean Reno at the Berlinale Palast.
The storyline of the movie rotates around Inspector Jacques Clouseau that makes a group with International detectives to check an International Thief from stealing artifacts of historical importance
Tanushree Dutta in her hottest avataar
Our space had informed you that Lara Dutta has done a hot photoshoot for the February 2009 issue of ‘Maxim’ but call it a visual treat from the magazine or their policy of creating a hype among the reader, the magazine has replaced A hotter and more sizzling Tanushree Dutta for the month of February 2009. In this shoot, the Bong sexy kitten shares some of her Love Moments With Maxim and Share some views about her Valentine.
The magazine has used the photoshoot of Lara Dutta at the end of last month. So, the readers are nowhere at a loss. Check out the hot hot pics of Tanushree Dutta for Maxim.
Divya Dutta in a new image for ‘Delhi 6′
Lot is being said about ‘Masakalli’ Sonam Kapoor in ‘Delhi 6’ but little do cinegoers know that versatile actress Divya Dutta is all set to surprise the audiences by flaunting an absolutely new look in the film. She plays a pivotal role in the film and has gone for a complete makeover for her role.
She has donned a daring new gypsy look with tattoos all over her neck and arms and has gone four shades darker than her normal fair and glam self. Her look has been changed so much so that she used to get the first ‘call time’ since it used to take 4 hours to complete her make-up!!
“Yes it took us one and a half hours to get to location and 4 hrs for my make-up; it was exhausting but I loved the end result. All the effort was worth it. It is very different and nothing looked like this before” laughs the actress.
Not only her new transformed look but her performance has also impressed all her co-stars, team and Rakyesh the director of ‘Delhi 6′. But then, the lady has always given impressive performances so far and so forth!
Max Stardust Awards 2009 Glittered With Stars
In the period of cinema awards around the Globe, whether it is Golden globe or Oscar awards, Bollywood no way is behind in this frenzy and the latest event occurred on the line is Max Stardust Award that occurred on last Saturday dated 14th February 2009 in Mumbai.
Nearly, every big star was seen at this function performing, receiving award or sitting among guests.
Nearly, every big star was seen at this function performing, receiving award or sitting among guests.
The best movie awards was given to the “Singh is Kinng” to Akshay Kumar. And his wife twinkle was also present at the event. Amitabh received best actor award and Priyanka Chopra bagged the trophy for Female Star of the Year. There were all, the list is countless including Kangana Ranaut with beau Adhyayan Suman, Kareena Kapoor and boyfriend Saif Ali Khan, Ameesha Patel, Fardeen Khan, Salman Khan, Neha Dhupia, Celina Jaitley, Amrita Rao and more.
A chilling action sequence for the climax of ‘Kites’
Sources say the climax of Hrithik Roshan’s romantic thriller ‘Kites’ has a nail-biting action sequence inspired from ‘Bad Boys 2’ and ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’. Director Anurag Basu recently shot a difficult action sequence in Santa Fe in New Mexico. The scene required around a month of preparation and was shot over three days.
The scene was initially directed by Dick Ziker, but the Roshans weren’t quite pleased with his work and reshot the scene with action director Spiro Razatos and they were happy with the final result.
It is a scene similar to Bad Boys 2 where the villain pushes cars off an automobile mover (the vehicle that transports cars from the factory to the dealer) during a car chase. The rented a garage for a month where he kept second-hand cars that he purchased. These cars were modified to make them look new.
No, wonder, the film’s marketing and distribution rights have reportedly been sold for a whopping amount of Rs. 110 crores to Anil Ambani’s Big Pictures.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Heated attempts by hackers to penetrate FIA network
The Federal Investigation Agency has foiled multiple attempts to hack its computer networks which occurred within minutes of the Interior Ministry's disclosure regarding its findings on the Mumbai attacks.
The hacking attempts occurred last Thursday, the day Prime Minister's advisor on Interior Rehman Malik held a press conference and laid bare Islamabad's findings into Mumbai terror links.
Since then, the FIA's cybercrime wing has recorded several more attempts by hackers to infiltrate the Agency's networks which hosts sensitive information.
Agency officials are said to have be taken aback by the swiftness of the attacks.
Sources claim that the investigators have managed to locate the origin of the cyber attack, adding that the attempted operation was launched beyond Pakistan's borders.
It is also believed that a number of such attempts are motivated by the curiosity to find the list of questions forwarded by Islamabad to Indian authorities for further information to the Mumbai saga.
The investigations meanwhile are trying to ascertain if the attempt was an isolated event or something more complex, following various bids to hack into its databases.
They are not willing to disclose any further details about the hackers or point of origin citing the sensitivity of the matter.
The FIA's computers are host to a variety of sensitive information regarding banned outfits, militants arrested in connection with various terror attacks, counter-insurgency operations, etc.
The hacking attempts occurred last Thursday, the day Prime Minister's advisor on Interior Rehman Malik held a press conference and laid bare Islamabad's findings into Mumbai terror links.
Since then, the FIA's cybercrime wing has recorded several more attempts by hackers to infiltrate the Agency's networks which hosts sensitive information.
Agency officials are said to have be taken aback by the swiftness of the attacks.
Sources claim that the investigators have managed to locate the origin of the cyber attack, adding that the attempted operation was launched beyond Pakistan's borders.
It is also believed that a number of such attempts are motivated by the curiosity to find the list of questions forwarded by Islamabad to Indian authorities for further information to the Mumbai saga.
The investigations meanwhile are trying to ascertain if the attempt was an isolated event or something more complex, following various bids to hack into its databases.
They are not willing to disclose any further details about the hackers or point of origin citing the sensitivity of the matter.
The FIA's computers are host to a variety of sensitive information regarding banned outfits, militants arrested in connection with various terror attacks, counter-insurgency operations, etc.
Peru’s ‘Milk of Sorrow’ wins top Berlin film prize
BERLIN: The Berlin Film Festival wrapped up Sunday after handing its Golden Bear top prize to a Peruvian director for 'The Milk of Sorrow' about the scars left by two decades of civil strife in her country.
The moving drama by Claudia Llosa, 32, was the first competition entry from Peru in the 59-year history of the Berlinale.
'This is for Peru, this is for our country,' she said, hoisting the statue in the air and joined on stage by her lead actress Magaly Solier.
The moving drama by Claudia Llosa, 32, was the first competition entry from Peru in the 59-year history of the Berlinale.
'This is for Peru, this is for our country,' she said, hoisting the statue in the air and joined on stage by her lead actress Magaly Solier.
The Spanish-Peruvian production is Llosa's second feature. She later told reporters that she hoped the prize would ensure its distribution in cinemas around the world.
'We need this prize,' Llosa said. 'It is important for us that people get to know our film.'
The picture tells the story of Fausta, who drinks 'the milk of sorrow' as an infant after her mother's brutal rape during the 1980 to 2000 war between the Peruvian army and Shining Path guerrillas.
As a grown woman, Fausta must face the fears that bloody period left behind, symbolised by her struggle to give her mother a proper burial after she dies early in the film.
'I have to thank my mother to no end, all the women, and all of you — I dedicate this prize to my mother and all of Peru,' Solier said, before singing a song from the movie in her native Quechua language.
A truth and reconciliation commission established in 2001 in Peru recorded nearly 70,000 murders and countless rapes and abductions during the government's battle with the Maoist militants.
Oscar-winning Scottish actress Tilda Swinton said the jury's decision had been unanimous. The German press hailed the choice.
'They not only honoured explorations of the human soul that were as sensual as they were painful, but also their unostentatious social relevance,' the daily Tagesspiegel said Sunday.
'The Milk of Sorrow' beat out favourites including 'The Messenger' starring Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster as GIs tasked with notifying loved ones of soldiers who have fallen in battle in Iraq.
The film picked up a screenwriting prize for its Israeli-born director Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon.
The Silver Bear prize for best actor went to Sotigui Kouyate of Mali for his role in 'London River' as a Muslim father searching for his son in the wake of the July 2005 public transport bombings in the British capital.
The 72-year-old thanked the festival, saying that 'every organisation like the Berlinale that allows people to meet and encounter each other's cultures does a good deed for the world today.'
Austria's Birgit Minichmayr captured the prize for best actress as a woman in a doomed relationship in the German drama 'Everyone Else,' which also shared a runner-up prize for best picture with 'Gigante' by Argentina's Adrian Biniez.
Iran's Asghar Farhadi won the Silver Bear for best director for his drama 'About Elly' about a woman who vanishes on a beach getaway with friends.
In an incisive look at relations between the sexes in the Islamic republic, the disappearance leaves a group of chic urbanites weaving an intricate web of lies to keep up the appearance of maintaining traditional social mores.
Eighteen pictures were in competition for the Golden and Silver Bear prizes in what critics said was a lacklustre year at the festival.
Swedish arthouse hero Lukas Moodysson garnered boos with his flat, incoherent 'Mammoth' starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Michelle Williams, and critics savaged British director Sally Potter's 'Rage,' a send-up of the fashion industry featuring Jude Law in drag as a supermodel called Minx.
Festival director Dieter Kosslick, who has just extended his contract until 2013, defended his choices against the howling critics.
'One of the duties of a film festival is to follow a director on his or her career,' Kosslick told the Hollywood Reporter this week. 'They don't only make masterpieces.'
The 11-day festival ranks second only to Cannes in size and prestige.
The Golden Bear last year also went to a Latin American film: 'Elite Squad,' a Brazilian drama about police brutality.
Communal clashes erupt in Orissa: Christians’ houses set on fire
BHUBANESWAR, Sept 30: one woman was killed and more than a dozen people injured, some critically, after religious clashes in eastern India between Hindus and Christians, officials said.Violence broke out at a village in Orissa's Kandhamal district after Hindus attacked Christians, setting fire to their houses and burning a church, according to the chief administrator of the district Krishan Kumar.One woman was seriously injured in the clashes and died on her way to the hospital, police said. “She was stabbed to death and there were several injury marks,” S. Praveen Kumar, a senior police officer said.The violence followed a string of attacks on Christians in three states which has left at least 33 people dead and dozens of churches damaged in the last month.
Christians have responded with some violence in Orissa state.The clashes were sparked by the issue of religious conversion in Orissa's poor tribal region, home to many Christian missionary groups. Hindus have opposed the Christian missionaries' conversion of lower-caste Hindus.Religious clashes have also been reported in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka states which are both headed by a Hindu-nationalist governments.Clashes first erupted in Orissa last month after the killing of a Hindu leader linked to the main opposition Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Police suspected Maoist rebels but many Hindus in the region blamed Christians.The attacks on Christians in India have been condemned by Pope Benedict, and Roman Catholic bishops have urged the European Union to treat persecution of Christians as a humanitarian emergency.—Reuters
Christians have responded with some violence in Orissa state.The clashes were sparked by the issue of religious conversion in Orissa's poor tribal region, home to many Christian missionary groups. Hindus have opposed the Christian missionaries' conversion of lower-caste Hindus.Religious clashes have also been reported in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka states which are both headed by a Hindu-nationalist governments.Clashes first erupted in Orissa last month after the killing of a Hindu leader linked to the main opposition Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Police suspected Maoist rebels but many Hindus in the region blamed Christians.The attacks on Christians in India have been condemned by Pope Benedict, and Roman Catholic bishops have urged the European Union to treat persecution of Christians as a humanitarian emergency.—Reuters
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Microsoft offers reward to catch worm maker
SAN FRANCISCO: microsoft on Thursday announced it has formed a technology industry posse and put a bounty of 250,000 dollars on the heads of those responsible for a vexing computer worm.
The nasty computer code known as ‘Conficker’ or ‘Downadup’ has been spreading quickly, wriggling into millions of computers worldwide and threatening to commandeer or crash systems.
Microsoft is working with computer security specialists and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to track down whoever unleashed Conficker.
‘The best way to defeat potential botnets like Conficker/Downadup is by the security and domain name system communities working together,’ said ICANN chief Internet security advisor Greg Rattray.
The nasty computer code known as ‘Conficker’ or ‘Downadup’ has been spreading quickly, wriggling into millions of computers worldwide and threatening to commandeer or crash systems.
Microsoft is working with computer security specialists and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to track down whoever unleashed Conficker.
‘The best way to defeat potential botnets like Conficker/Downadup is by the security and domain name system communities working together,’ said ICANN chief Internet security advisor Greg Rattray.
Microsoft promised to pay 250,000 dollars for information that leads to the capture and conviction of the people that launched the malicious code on the Internet.
‘We hope these efforts help to contain the threat posed by Conficker, as well as hold those who illegally launch malware accountable,’ said George Stathakopoulos, general manager of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group.
‘Microsoft’s approach combines technology innovation and effective cross-sector partnerships to help protect people from cybercriminals.’Cyber threats are evolving rapidly, compelling technology firms and academic researchers worldwide to increasingly collaborate to coordinate defenses.
The posse bent on corralling Conficker includes Symantec, F-Secure, VeriSign, Afilias, Internet Systems Consortium, and the Shadowserver Foundation.
‘I am heartened to see this group of companies and researchers working together night and day, cooperating in some cases with their direct competitors, to cap the damage from this worm,’ said ISC president Paul Vixie.
‘We’ve aligned a huge pool of talents and resources. We’ve got a lot to do yet, about this attack and likely future attacks, but if we keep on working together like this, we’re going to make real progress in Internet security.’
Microsoft said it is offering a cash reward because the Conficker worm is a criminal attack. Anyone that knows about Conficker’s origins is urged to contact police dealing with international law enforcement in their country.
Advice about defending against Conficker is available online at microsoft.com/conficker.
The worm, a self-replicating program, takes advantage of networks or computers that haven’t kept up to date with Windows security patches.
It can infect machines from the Internet or by hiding on USB memory sticks carrying data from one computer to another. Once in a computer it digs deep, setting up defenses that make it hard to extract.
Microsoft says it is aware of the Conficker ‘worm family’ and has modified its free Malicious Software Removal Tool to detect and get rid of infections.
Malware could be triggered to steal data or turn control of infected computers over to hackers amassing ‘zombie’ machines into ‘botnet’ armies.
A troubling aspect of Conficker is that it harnesses computing power of botnets to crack passwords. Security specialists recommend hardening passwords by mixing in numbers, punctuation marks, and upper case letters.
Repeated ‘guesses’ at passwords by a botnet have caused some computer users to be locked out of files or machines that automatically disable access after certain numbers of failed tries.
‘When botnets start being controlled through global, randomized domain names, you know things are heating up in cybercrime,’ said Afilias chief technology officer Ram Mohan.
‘Attackers are evolving and deploying ever more sophisticated techniques.We need to stay together to provide a unified front against future attacks.
Passive smoking linked to dementia: study
PARIS: exposure to second-hand smoke boosts the risk of dementia and other cognitive problems, even among people who have never smoked, the largest study of its kind reported on Friday.
Ill effects on non-smokers of constant exposure to tobacco smoke include an increased risk of lung cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and death, earlier research has shown.
As for the impact on brain function, active smoking has been found to impair the mind but the evidence for passive smoking has until now been sketchy.
Using new methods in the largest clinical trial to date, a team led by Cambridge University professor David Llewellyn found that even people who had never smoked but kept constant company with smokers performed less well in cognitive tests.
The investigation focussed on nearly 5,000 adults over the age of 50 who were former smokers or who had never smoked.
The volunteers were divided into four groups according to their exposure to passive smoking.
This was determined by saliva samples, which were tested for a by-product of nicotine called cotinine.
Ill effects on non-smokers of constant exposure to tobacco smoke include an increased risk of lung cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and death, earlier research has shown.
As for the impact on brain function, active smoking has been found to impair the mind but the evidence for passive smoking has until now been sketchy.
Using new methods in the largest clinical trial to date, a team led by Cambridge University professor David Llewellyn found that even people who had never smoked but kept constant company with smokers performed less well in cognitive tests.
The investigation focussed on nearly 5,000 adults over the age of 50 who were former smokers or who had never smoked.
The volunteers were divided into four groups according to their exposure to passive smoking.
This was determined by saliva samples, which were tested for a by-product of nicotine called cotinine.
Cotinine lingers in the saliva for about 25 days. The higher the levels of cotinine, the higher the exposure to recent second-hand smoke.
The volunteers then took neuro-psychological tests that assessed brain function and cognitive abilities, focusing on memory and the ability to work with numbers and words.
Using the lowest cotinine group as a benchmark, the researchers found a clear and progressively stronger link between impairment in brain function and exposure to second-hand smoke.
In the most-exposed group, the risk of cognitive impairment was 44 per cent higher than the benchmark group.
Factors such as age and medical condition, including a history of heart disease, that could have skewed the outcome were all taken into account.
‘A similar pattern of associations was observed for never smokers and former smokers,’ said the study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
‘Given the ongoing international policy debate on exposure to second-hand smoke, this is a topic of major public health significance.’
Governments in North America, Australia and Europe have progressively enacted ‘smoke-free’ legislation for the workplaces, bars, restaurants and other public places over the last 15 years.
Reeves shakes up suburbia in star-studded film
BERLIN: keanu Reeves plays a young, tattooed shop assistant who turns the suburban world of his quiet neighbour upside down in Rebecca Miller’s new film ‘The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.’
Pippa Lee, played by Robin Wright Penn, has just moved to a retirement community with her successful publisher husband Herb, a man 30 years her senior where her life revolves around serving perfectly cooked lamb and decorating her home.But as she befriends ageing neighbours and enrols in a pottery class with women old enough to be her mother, she starts to question her role as respectable mother, wife and hostess.
Pippa Lee, played by Robin Wright Penn, has just moved to a retirement community with her successful publisher husband Herb, a man 30 years her senior where her life revolves around serving perfectly cooked lamb and decorating her home.But as she befriends ageing neighbours and enrols in a pottery class with women old enough to be her mother, she starts to question her role as respectable mother, wife and hostess.
The arrival of Reeves’ character Chris, an unkempt 35-year-old who drives a beaten-up van and sports a giant Jesus tattoo on his chest, brings her angst into focus.‘Chris is part of her dream,’ Reeves told reporters at the Berlin film festival, where the film — which also features Monica Bellucci, Winona Ryder, Julianne Moore and Alan Arkin as Lee’s husband Herb — screened this week.
‘In this film, freedom means the possibility to experience yourself to go find yourself,’ said Reeves, who appeared on the red carpet in Berlin with a full beard.Asked whether he preferred the beard to the Jesus tattoo of the film, he told Reuters, ‘Probably the beard is going to win.’
Reeves said he had not been able to refuse when Miller, the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller, had asked him to be in the film, based on her novel of the same name.Supporting actress Zoe Kazan, whose grandfather, director Elia Kazan, used to work with Arthur Miller, told Reuters, ‘It does have a special significance as my grandfather and her father were real comrades for a while and collaborators. So it meant a lot to me to be able to work with her on that note.’
Wright Penn called the strong female cast ‘a blessing’, saying, ‘We waited a year to do this movie because we didn’t have the actors. We just didn’t have anybody that was absolutely right for it, no one would sign on. So patience is the virtue.’
In her film, Miller takes viewers from Lee’s life as a wife to her childhood and adolescence, letting them witness Lee’s own disbelief at the traumas she has hidden inside.
The film is Miller’s follow-up to ‘The Ballad of Jack and Rose’, which showed in Berlin in 2005 and starred her husband Daniel Day-Lewis. Asked about the similarities between Lewis and Reeves, Miller chuckled and said, ‘They are both very committed and talented actors. And very different.
New York plane crash kills 49
NEW YORK: commuter plane crashed into a house in New York state unleashing a fireball and killing all 48 passengers and crew and one person on the ground, officials said Friday.
Flames higher than nearby houses lit up the night sky for hours.
Firefighters from a nearby fire station were quickly at the scene, but despite what one local official called 'heroic' efforts, were unable to get to the passengers and crew trapped in the inferno.
The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 plane, operated for Continental Airlines, came down about five minutes before it was due to land in Buffalo after a flight from Newark, New Jersey.
New York state governor David Paterson said '44 passengers were killed along with four crew members and at least one person on the ground.'
An Erie County official said Continental Airlines flight 3407 crashed at 10:20 p.m. in Clarence Center, New York as it neared the runway.
Air traffic controllers desperately tried to make contact with the pilot as the plane, run by Colgan Air for Continental, approached Buffalo.
One controller asks another plane to look for it, according to a conversation aired by local television station WGRZ. He then asks someone to contact police on the ground.
'This aircraft was five miles out and now all of the sudden we have no response from this aircraft,' he said.
The Buffalo News newspaper reported 12 homes were evacuated due to the risk from the burning jet fuel.
County Emergency Coordinator David Bissonette told reporters the plane have landed right on the house.
'The fueslage of the plane lies directly on the footprint of the house,' Bissonette said. 'It basically dove right into the top of the house ... clearly a direct hit.'
'It's remarkable that it only took one house, as devastating as that was. It could have easily wiped out that entire neighborhood in a streaking run type of thing,' he said. Nearby homes suffered only minimal damage.
Erie County Executive Chris Collins told CNN television the plane was carrying 5,800 pounds of jet fuel and turned into a fireball on impact.
Bissonette said the only recognizable part of the plane remaining is the tail.
The smoldering wreckage was too hot for investigators to approach and FBI agent Laurie Bennett said the collection of evidence would not begin until the scene was deemed safe.
She said there was no way of knowing what caused the crash.
One witness, who gave his name only as Tony, told a local television station that the plane flew right over his car, 'nose down.'
'Left wing was slightly down, pitched sideways, if you will,' he said. 'It was on a direct line down.'
David Luce, who lives near the crash scene, told the Buffalo News he heard a huge explosion and saw flames up to 50 feet in the air.
'It sounded quite loud, and then the sound stopped,' Luce said. 'Then one or two seconds later, there was a thunderous explosion. I thought something hit our house. It shook our whole house.'
'There was the initial boom, and then these cannon shots ... these loud secondary explosions, and they went on for about 10 minutes.'
After a few minutes, Luce said he walked out to take a look at the wreckage and saw the house was destroyed.
'The house was already flattened. There was no house, just a pile of rubble and still burning,' he said.
There was snow and sleet in the area at the time of the crash, which is not unusual for the area this time of year.
Continental Airlines pledged its full support to Colgan Air, 'so that together we can provide as much support as possible for all concerned.'
'Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the family members and loved ones of those involved in the flight 3407 tragedy,' the airline's chief executive, Larry Kellner, said in a statement.
Hollywood is short-changing its heroines
LONDON: hollywood heroines are being increasingly portrayed as neurotic, idiotic and obsessed by men, weight and weddings, a professor at Oxford University has claimed.Dr Diane Purkiss argued that over the past five decades the film industry has made its female characters “dumber and dumber”.
The latest slew of chick-flicks, including He’s Just Not That Into You and Confessions of a Shopaholic, fall prey to the “worst kind of regressive, pre-feminist stereotype of misogynistic cliché,” she added.“It’s a sad day when you look back at Bridget Jones with some affection,” said Purkiss. “But although Bridget Jones was far less emancipated and intelligent than, say, Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, she was a great deal better than the inane women we are getting nowadays. We really have reached a nadir in the way women are portrayed on screen.
That is, I hope it is a nadir and doesn’t sink further.”Purkiss points to the shortlist for leading actress at the Bafta (British equivalent of the Oscars) awards to support her argument. Angelina Jolie has been nominated for her leading role in Changeling, Kristin Scott Thomas for I’ve Loved You So Long, Meryl Streep for Doubt and Kate Winslet for both The Reader and Revolutionary Road.
(On the night it was Winslet in The Reader).“During Hollywood’s golden age, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn and Bette Davis could play fully formed characters at the same time as being funny and entertaining,” she said. “Now, the only way for a woman to have a complex character on screen is to be depressing, tormented and self-sacrificing.”Today’s “vapid” depiction of women is, said Purkiss, markedly different from that during the industry’s golden age. “Hollywood films used to delight in featuring strong, interesting women,” she said, pointing to Rosalind Russell’s role as a feisty journalist in Howard Hawks’s 1940 hit His Girl Friday.
Hollywood had to respect women in those days, because for cinema’s first five decades women made up the majority of the movie-going audience,” said Purkiss. “In 1939 four of the top 10 highest-grossing films were about women, including Gone with the Wind.”Relationships between men and women on the silver screen also used to be portrayed as far more equable, said Purkiss. “Hollywood used to enjoy pitting their romantic leads against each other in equally matched power struggles,” she said.
“Most of the films that Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy made together, for example, revel in the fun that can be had when two equally intelligent and powerful people try to gain the upper hand.”Nowadays, however, said Purkiss, for every Juno, Little Miss Sunshine or The Devil Wears Prada there is a glut of films that “reduce women to explicitly anti-feminist stereotypes”, such as 27 Dresses, Made of Honour and What Happens in Vegas.But Hollywood is not entirely to blame, according to Purkiss, who claims studios are tapping into the real-life problems facing contemporary women.
“When feminists had hope that they might achieve an equal playing field between the sexes, female protagonists on screen were grittier, gutsier and courageous. Now women are gloomier about feminism’s ambitions, so it’s a relief to temporarily visit a world where the biggest problem is what dress to wear.”But according to Melissa Silverstein, founder of Women & Hollywood, a marketing company specialising in films featuring women, the dumbing down of women on screen has a more earthy motivation. “One-dimensional female characters are created because the men making and directing the films are only interested in one thing: that these women titillate male audiences on the least challenging, most obvious of levels,” she said. “That’s how scripts are generated in Hollywood now, and how a myopic view of women has been formed,” said Silverstein.
“Fewer than 10 per cent of Hollywood films are written by women and fewer than six per cent are directed by women,” she went on. “The fact is that these men don’t want to find strong women sexy. They don’t want women in films who are fully formed and who deal with interesting issues.“I cringe when I watch the sorts of films being made about women nowadays. It bothers me that this is the stereotype being screened across the world. Films have a great deal of power to affect how society thinks.”Silverstein believes women need to take some responsibility for the way they are portrayed on screen. “We’re complicit in going to see these films.
There are films being made about women that don’t focus on shopping, boyfriends and weight loss,” she said, highlighting Kelly Reichardt’s award-winning film Wendy and Lucy. “Women need to support those films showing women in a more complex way.”But box-office analyst Jeff Bock is more optimistic about the selling power of strong female characters. He said the successes of the film version of Sex and the City and Mamma Mia! had been “a game-changer”.“These are industry-changing performances,” he said. “We’ve awoken a sleeping giant.”Bruce Snyder, the president of US distribution at Fox, agreed. He said the success of these films was turning women-led films “into event titles, making a picture’s opening look more like [that of] a male action movie than a genteel female movie”.—Dawn/Guardian News Service.
87,000 weapons unaccounted for in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON, Feb 12: thousands of US weapons, including assault rifles and grenade launchers, may be in Taliban or Al Qaeda hands in Afghanistan because of lax controls, congressional auditors warned on Thursday.The Pentagon has failed to track an estimated 87,000 weapons given to Afghan security forces, one-third of the 242,000 shipped by the US government between December 2004 and June 2008, the Government Accountability Office said.A 46-page report by the GAO, the non-partisan investigative arm of Congress, said there had been no monitoring of a further 135,000 weapons donated by Nato allies to the poorly paid and corruption-rife Afghan army and police.
Defence Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said the Pentagon had already taken action on the report’s recommendations for tracking of serial numbers and physical inventories of weapons given by both the United States and allies.“We take our responsibility with regard to accountability of weapons seriously,” he told reporters. “I think the record will show that our performance on this has improved over time for any number of reasons.” Under-staffed US military officials neglected to record serial numbers or conduct on-site inventories once the weapons were delivered, the report said.“Given the unstable security conditions in Afghanistan, the risk of loss and theft of these weapons is significant,” said the evaluation, which was submitted to a House of Representatives hearing on Thursday.
Asked if US weapons could already be under Taliban or Al Qaeda control, GAO international affairs director Charles Johnson cited military reports about “the theft of weapons and weapons potentially being sold to enemies.” The chairman of the House subcommittee on national security and foreign affairs, John Tierney, said he would not want to explain to a grieving parent “why their son and daughter died at the hands of an Afghan insurgent using weaponry we provided.” “That’s what we risk if we were to have tens of thousands of weapons we provided washing around Afghanistan, off the books,” the Democrat said at the hearing.
The report mirrored GAO findings in August 2007 that the Pentagon had lost track of nearly 200,000 weapons given to security forces in Iraq.Having toured Afghanistan last August, GAO inspectors wrote: “Lapses in accountability occurred throughout the supply chain.“This was primarily due to a lack of clear direction from Defence and staffing shortages.” Lack of manpower has long worried US commanders in Afghanistan. President Barack Obama is expected shortly to decide on a request from General David McKiernan for up to 30,000 extra troops to combat the resurgent Taliban.
Aside from M-16 rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers and mortars, the GAO report found inadequate oversight of 2,410 night-vision goggles issued to the Afghan National Army.The Pentagon waited 15 months, until October 2008, before it started monitoring the end use of the high-tech devices, which give a crucial edge on the nocturnal battlefield, and 10 remained unaccounted for.The GAO said that at the Afghan end, corruption and illiteracy were major impediments to keeping track of the weapons.Security was often risible, with just a wooden door and a miniature padlock guarding an arms room in one northern Afghan police station visited by the GAO inspectors.
At the Afghan army’s central weapons depot in Kabul, the team found “guards sleeping on duty and missing from their posts.” A subsequent audit by the US military found 47 pistols had been stolen from the depot.—AFP
Defence Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said the Pentagon had already taken action on the report’s recommendations for tracking of serial numbers and physical inventories of weapons given by both the United States and allies.“We take our responsibility with regard to accountability of weapons seriously,” he told reporters. “I think the record will show that our performance on this has improved over time for any number of reasons.” Under-staffed US military officials neglected to record serial numbers or conduct on-site inventories once the weapons were delivered, the report said.“Given the unstable security conditions in Afghanistan, the risk of loss and theft of these weapons is significant,” said the evaluation, which was submitted to a House of Representatives hearing on Thursday.
Asked if US weapons could already be under Taliban or Al Qaeda control, GAO international affairs director Charles Johnson cited military reports about “the theft of weapons and weapons potentially being sold to enemies.” The chairman of the House subcommittee on national security and foreign affairs, John Tierney, said he would not want to explain to a grieving parent “why their son and daughter died at the hands of an Afghan insurgent using weaponry we provided.” “That’s what we risk if we were to have tens of thousands of weapons we provided washing around Afghanistan, off the books,” the Democrat said at the hearing.
The report mirrored GAO findings in August 2007 that the Pentagon had lost track of nearly 200,000 weapons given to security forces in Iraq.Having toured Afghanistan last August, GAO inspectors wrote: “Lapses in accountability occurred throughout the supply chain.“This was primarily due to a lack of clear direction from Defence and staffing shortages.” Lack of manpower has long worried US commanders in Afghanistan. President Barack Obama is expected shortly to decide on a request from General David McKiernan for up to 30,000 extra troops to combat the resurgent Taliban.
Aside from M-16 rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers and mortars, the GAO report found inadequate oversight of 2,410 night-vision goggles issued to the Afghan National Army.The Pentagon waited 15 months, until October 2008, before it started monitoring the end use of the high-tech devices, which give a crucial edge on the nocturnal battlefield, and 10 remained unaccounted for.The GAO said that at the Afghan end, corruption and illiteracy were major impediments to keeping track of the weapons.Security was often risible, with just a wooden door and a miniature padlock guarding an arms room in one northern Afghan police station visited by the GAO inspectors.
At the Afghan army’s central weapons depot in Kabul, the team found “guards sleeping on duty and missing from their posts.” A subsequent audit by the US military found 47 pistols had been stolen from the depot.—AFP
Shahrukh Khan said i am not the hero of Billu Barber:
Shahrukh Khan: who is geared up for the release of his home production Billu, said in an interview that he is not the main lead of the film. Billu is a remake of a Tamil film Kuselan that had Rajnikanth playing Shahrukh’s role. In the promos of the film Rajni was projected as the hero of the film and when the audiences watched it they were plainly disappointed to see their hero as a mere sidekick of the actor in the barber’s role.
“At the outset, let me clarify that I am not playing the title role of the barber in my film. It is Irrfan Khan who is playing the protagonist,” said Shahrukh.
“It’s for the first time that I’ve had an opportunity to work with a director of his calibre (Priyadarshan). He’s one of the fastest directors around and has a great vision about every film that he sets out to direct,” he adds,his three dance numbers with Deepika, Kareena and Priyanka have been used as good marketing tool for the film which has gained fast publicity. Was it meant purely for publicity purpose or what?
“We needed to have the medley of songs in Billu Barber because I play a superstar who is working with all the top actresses. Luckily for me, all the actresses agreed to be part of the song and adjusted their dates accordingly. In fact Kareena shot for the song just a day after I had asked her to oblige. I am indebted to all the actresses,” clarifies SRK.
Red Hot Freida Pinto
she is clad in a simple salwar kameez as Latika in Slumdog Millionaire or she walks her way down the red carpet in stunning designer-wear, our very own desi beauty is sure making news, alking about ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ star Freida Pinto, the girl is on a high. She is now the girl of the high fashion magazine “Vanity Fair – The Vanities Girls Section” and will be seen on the cover page of March 2009 issue. Every month, in The Vanities Girls, VF chooses a ‘promising’ young actress and gives her a full-page portrait. Freida chosen one for the March 2009 issue.
England Government banned Producer of Fitna
The contoversial film Fitna's " film against Islam" producer Geert Wilder has been banned by the british government.
In this film the feelings of Muslims community was badly hurt.British Muslim Minister Shahid Malik, Lord Nazir Ahmed & other muslim community appreciates the government for not allowing Dutch Producer.
Minister shahid malik said that government of britian against the extremism & Muslim community is satisfied about the decision which has been taken by all three major political parties of the britian.
Lord Nazir commenton this decision that "we are welcome the government decision & the BNP & other fascist groups have bombarded my office with threating emailsand telephone calls to my staff & myself. I have made my views clear to Black Rod& the leader of House that this film created hatred & dissatisfaction among muslims"
In this film the feelings of Muslims community was badly hurt.British Muslim Minister Shahid Malik, Lord Nazir Ahmed & other muslim community appreciates the government for not allowing Dutch Producer.
Minister shahid malik said that government of britian against the extremism & Muslim community is satisfied about the decision which has been taken by all three major political parties of the britian.
Lord Nazir commenton this decision that "we are welcome the government decision & the BNP & other fascist groups have bombarded my office with threating emailsand telephone calls to my staff & myself. I have made my views clear to Black Rod& the leader of House that this film created hatred & dissatisfaction among muslims"
Thursday, February 12, 2009
American First lady on Vogue's Cover
"Michelle Obama"american first lady is the cover girl of a fashion magazine"Vogue" in its march edition.it is the second time that an american first lady had taken place of a model on a vogue cover. In 1998 , hillary Clinton was the first.
As per Mrs Obama , she is very well aware about her wardrobe."iam not prentend that idon't care about it.iam very practical in this matter.
Mrs Obama wearing a magenta silk dress designedby JasonWu for the cover.In her interview with vogue ,she talked about her role as a social hostess
Al Qaeda involved in attacks:Indian Official
Al Qaeda involved in attacks;that statement is given by the head of india's elite National Security Gurad(NSC)
NSC director General J. K. Dutt told in international seminar organised by the "National Bomb Data Cente that Mumbai terror attack was a daring attempt by the Taliban, Al Qaeda & we want to shape our policies of three sovereign nations that include the oldest and the largest democracy.
mr Dutt said," there is growing concerns over the covergence of the objectives of terrorist organisations such as Al Qaeda and LeT.The mumbai terror attack of november 26 last year represents this covergence of interests.
Mr Dutt comments came a day after a video recording a top Al Qaeda commander warning india of more mumbai-style terror attacks if it tried to attack Pakistan.
NSC director General J. K. Dutt told in international seminar organised by the "National Bomb Data Cente that Mumbai terror attack was a daring attempt by the Taliban, Al Qaeda & we want to shape our policies of three sovereign nations that include the oldest and the largest democracy.
mr Dutt said," there is growing concerns over the covergence of the objectives of terrorist organisations such as Al Qaeda and LeT.The mumbai terror attack of november 26 last year represents this covergence of interests.
Mr Dutt comments came a day after a video recording a top Al Qaeda commander warning india of more mumbai-style terror attacks if it tried to attack Pakistan.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire wins 14th Annual Critics Awards
slumdog millionaire win awardof Best Composer at Santa Monica
ARR hailed as Super Star of Indian Music on the inlay cards of Slumdog Millionaire, won many critically acclaimed awards for the best original score for Slumdog Millionaire, a broadway film directed by British director Danny Boyle.
Composer A.R. Rahman accepts the best composer award at the 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards on Thursday Jan. 8, 2009 in Santa Monica, Calif.
composer A R Rahman accepts his award for Best Composer for Slumdog Millionaire during VH1's 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards. Rahman stated, "This is for India!" as he accepted his award. The movie also generated a nomination for best song, but that prize went to an absent Bruce Springsteen for his title song for The Wrestler.
slumdog millionaire was the final answer at VH1's 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards on Thursday, as the sweeping drama about an improbable winner of India's version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire took the top prizes at the closely watched Oscar barometer.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(Fight Club, Seven, Zodiac). The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a sprawling epic painted in broad strokes by the gifted visionary David Fincher.
Brad Pitt plays Benjamin Button, an individual born with a most unique condition,In this offbeat lyrical tale. It seems that Button is aging in reverse which presents a strange set of challenges for him, particularly when it comes to romance. He meets his soul mate in the form of dancer Daisy (played by Cate Blanchett), but the catch is, he's never really in physical sync with the love of his life until they're both in their 40's. Beyond that, Button‘s life is rather ordinary, but in a way, that‘s the whole point.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Forrest Gump scribe Eric Roth has turned it in to a long story (the movie pushes three hours), but I was always intrigued by it. Thematically, this film does have a bit in common with Forrest Gump, but whereas that picture pulled at the heartstrings and had simpleton Forrest meeting famed historical icons, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is more interested in depicting it's main character as a man with a seemingly normal life, only under abnormal conditions.Roth's screenplay doesn't always engage on a human level.
It is a bit cold and dreary, but somehow, I remained transfixed by the movie. There's just something magical about it, and I attribute that to David Fincher, a brilliant director and a master of tone. As was the case in Darren Aronofsky's The Wrester, Fincher avoids the overly sentimental traps you might be expecting. It's low key, restrained, and almost morose in nature, but it isn't without it's charms and poignant moments. The final act of the film in particular, really moved me.
The special effects in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button are positively astonishing. The various technical processes used to age Brad Pitt are mind boggling and I can say without hesitation that I've never seen anything quite like it. It's been reported that Pitt was involved in every facet of this performance. Through make-up, motion capture, and other visual wizardry, you will believe that his Benjamin Button is aging in reverse.
The special effects in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button are positively astonishing. The various technical processes used to age Brad Pitt are mind boggling and I can say without hesitation that I've never seen anything quite like it. It's been reported that Pitt was involved in every facet of this performance. Through make-up, motion capture, and other visual wizardry, you will believe that his Benjamin Button is aging in reverse.
As terrific as Pitt is in the picture, it is Cate Blanchett and Taraji P. Henson I was thinking about after the film ended. As free spirit Daisy, Blanchett is simply luminous. She has so many memorable moments here that it would be near impossible to point them all out, but it's her act of love and kindness towards an elderly Button that broke my heart. Another great performance from one of our very best actresses. Henson is feisty and sweet as Queenie, the gentle soul who takes care of Button from birth. As Button's mother figure, Henson brings a lot of warmth to the film. Filling out a stellar supporting cast are Julia Ormond, Jason Flemying, Elias Koteas, and Jared Harris.
The title of this film says it all. This is a curious (and haunting) movie about life, death, and love as told through the eyes of a man with a most unusual condition. It's a flawed film to be sure, but there's no denying that it's a technical marvel filled with passion, poignancy, and outstanding performances.
Review: Bedtime Stories
Adam Sandler's latest movie finds the funny man collaborating with the fine folks at Disney – if you can believe that! The end result is the gentle but tepid family film Bedtime Stories.
In Bedtime Stories, Sandler plays Skeeter Bronson, a hotel handy man who entertains his niece and nephew by telling them fantastical stories that feature elements inspired by his own underappreciated existence. As the children become more and more enamored by his tales of fancy, they begin adding their own little twists to the stories.
To Skeeter's great amazement, many of these odd twists – including a massive gum-ball storm - become a reality. Is there a higher power at work, or are these strange happenings merely bizarre coincidences?Bedtime Stories is harmless enough. In fact, it is by far the least crude of Sandler's infantile catalog, and this is coming from a fan. Infantile and Sandler go together like chocolate and peanut butter. If you're like me and worship his earlier roles in dopey but laugh-out-loud slacker efforts like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, than you know exactly what I'm talking about. Then there's the other Sandler. The one who appeared in Punch Drunk Love, Spanglish, and Reign Over Me. The one with a true thespian waiting to be exposed. Bedtime Stories leans more towards the former, although Sandler does dial it down a notch in a noble effort to appease the kiddies in the audience.
Bedtime Stories actually benefits from some surprisingly noteworthy supporting players including health nut Courtney Cox, sweet Keri Russell (Felicity), goofy Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), and a smarmy Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential).
Bedtime Stories was directed by Adam Shankman and while this is a far cry from his single best film (the infectiously entertaining Hairspray), it is far more tolerable than The Pacifier and Bringing Down the House.
I wish Shankman would have been more creative in his showcasing of the Bedtime Stories themselves. Sadly, they are rather short-lived. As for Sandler, he has a few cute moments, but more often than not, he's upstaged by his more engaging co-stars. This isn't a bad movie, but it is a fairly forgettable one.
Review: The Unborn
The Unborn is the worst kind of a horror movie. The kind that starts off fairly promising then quickly degenerates into a steaming pile of dog crap.
In The Unborn, the lovely Odette Yustman plays Casey Beldon, a woman haunted by horrific visions. Many of these visions revolve around a creepy young boy. (At last a BOY not a girl - this much originality you have to grant it). Could there be a connection between a terrified Casey and this strange child? Take a wild guess.
The Unborn was directed by David S. Goyer. The same David S. Goyer who co-developed screenplays for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight with Christopher and Jonathan Nolan. If Goyer's awful directorial efforts (Blade: Trinity, The Invisible) prove anything it's that he's much better suited writing screenplays with really talented co-writers. I know that sounds harsh, and the truth is, I take no pleasure in making such a comment. I actually met Mr. Goyer at Comic-Con a couple of years back, and it was an absolute delight. Not only is he a gracious individual, but it's perfectly clear that he has a true passion for film (and comic books). Unfortunately, The Unborn further suggests that directing is probably not his calling.
The Unborn certainly features a few moments worth mentioning. There's a dog with an upside down face, a freaky sequence in which an immobile senior citizen arches his back and does a strange spider walk through the corridors of a sinister looking hospital, and a creepy scene in which Casey has an out of body experience, literally. But unfortunately, these moments don't add up to anything, because the glue holding the rest of the picture together doesn't stick. The Unborn shows no patience whatsoever and as it makes it's way to a ridiculous climax, I found myself giggling more than anything else. I generally don't like my supernatural thrillers this funny.
With obvious winks at the Asian horror craze and a demonic tinge that screams The Exorcist, The Unborn goes for unbridled terror and misses the mark badly. Even classy veteran stars like Gary Oldman and Jane Alexander are unable to stop this baby from going belly up.
In The Unborn, the lovely Odette Yustman plays Casey Beldon, a woman haunted by horrific visions. Many of these visions revolve around a creepy young boy. (At last a BOY not a girl - this much originality you have to grant it). Could there be a connection between a terrified Casey and this strange child? Take a wild guess.
The Unborn was directed by David S. Goyer. The same David S. Goyer who co-developed screenplays for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight with Christopher and Jonathan Nolan. If Goyer's awful directorial efforts (Blade: Trinity, The Invisible) prove anything it's that he's much better suited writing screenplays with really talented co-writers. I know that sounds harsh, and the truth is, I take no pleasure in making such a comment. I actually met Mr. Goyer at Comic-Con a couple of years back, and it was an absolute delight. Not only is he a gracious individual, but it's perfectly clear that he has a true passion for film (and comic books). Unfortunately, The Unborn further suggests that directing is probably not his calling.
The Unborn certainly features a few moments worth mentioning. There's a dog with an upside down face, a freaky sequence in which an immobile senior citizen arches his back and does a strange spider walk through the corridors of a sinister looking hospital, and a creepy scene in which Casey has an out of body experience, literally. But unfortunately, these moments don't add up to anything, because the glue holding the rest of the picture together doesn't stick. The Unborn shows no patience whatsoever and as it makes it's way to a ridiculous climax, I found myself giggling more than anything else. I generally don't like my supernatural thrillers this funny.
With obvious winks at the Asian horror craze and a demonic tinge that screams The Exorcist, The Unborn goes for unbridled terror and misses the mark badly. Even classy veteran stars like Gary Oldman and Jane Alexander are unable to stop this baby from going belly up.
Universal Hollywood to re-open backlot
Universal Studios in Hollywood are set to re-open their backlot this coming summer, nearly a year after fire destroyed it in 2008.Variety reports that the Los Angeles based studio has also added sets while redesigning the lot, such as a gas station, a firehouse, a London Street, as well as a modern urban cityscape, complete with glass and steel facade structures. That cityscape will be the largest modern urban backlot shooting location in Los Angeles, the studio said. Additional sets will apparently remain in construction and are planned to open in 2010.
Sex and the City 2 film confirmed
It's official folks. Variety have confirmed that there will be a SEX AND THE CITY movie sequel coming. Therer is no word on when it will come, but it's coming and New Line president Toby Emmerich has been aiming to fast-track the project in hopes of a summer 2010 release.All of the cast will return: that's Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall and Carrie Bradshaw herself Sarah Jessica Parker.Writer/ director Michael Patrick King will also return
Bare-chested Bloom pictured on set of new film
The Sun have some pics of Orlando Bloom on the set of his new movie in Los Angeles. The Troy star was pictured filming SYMPATHY FOR DELICIOUS sporting some awesome tattoos on his bare chest, and donning long locks as he plays a rock band's front man.
Jessica Simpson Wears Short Shorts, Brushes Off Haters
Jessica had an off night," her rep said of the Grand Rapids meltdown, but she bounced back strong. "She's a perfectionist and wanted to start some songs over."
"She always wants to give the best performance for her fans."
Call her curvy or fat, in the photos below, our Caption Contest subject looks pretty darn good. Looks, not sounds. Click to enlarge pics of her performing in Wisconsin:
"She always wants to give the best performance for her fans."
Call her curvy or fat, in the photos below, our Caption Contest subject looks pretty darn good. Looks, not sounds. Click to enlarge pics of her performing in Wisconsin:
New Details Emerge in Chris Brown Arrest
After an incident that saw Chris Brown arrested on what should have been a celebration the biggest night in music, new details have come into play.
The singer is under investigation for domestic violence, allegedly against his girlfriend Rihanna, and cops say additional charges may still be filed.
Brown rented a silver Lamborghini - the car in which he allegedly fought with Rihanna - from Platinum Motorsport in L.A. for $2,000 a day. That vehicle has since been impounded as evidence, with Chris footing the bill of course.
The singer is under investigation for domestic violence, allegedly against his girlfriend Rihanna, and cops say additional charges may still be filed.
Brown rented a silver Lamborghini - the car in which he allegedly fought with Rihanna - from Platinum Motorsport in L.A. for $2,000 a day. That vehicle has since been impounded as evidence, with Chris footing the bill of course.
Meanwhile, TMZ has confirmed Rihanna is alleged victim in the Chris Brown case and the allegation is that she was assaulted with a deadly weapon. The crime report gives the victim's name as Robyn Fenty - her real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
Chris Brown and Rihanna and a pre-Grammy Awards party just a few hours before the incident in which he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend in a silver Lamborghini.
Law enforcement sources say the crime report calls the incident assault with a deadly weapon - though the exact nature of the weapon is still a mystery.
Sources also say the typically book a suspect for the most serious crime he or she can be charged with - it's then up to the D.A. to file any additional charges.
Law enforcement sources say the crime report calls the incident assault with a deadly weapon - though the exact nature of the weapon is still a mystery.
Sources also say the typically book a suspect for the most serious crime he or she can be charged with - it's then up to the D.A. to file any additional charges.
Given there were allegedly visible injuries to Rihanna, the crime of making criminal threats may be viable - and is punishable by up to nine years in prison.
Domestic abuse, by contrast, only carries a maximum of four years.
On a lighter note (if there can be amid such a sad story), the completely unsubstantiated rumor going around the Internet regarding the cause of Chris Brown's alleged (and completely despicable) act of violence is this:
The fight started because Rihanna gave him herpes. Wow.
SRK invites 400 barbers for Billu Barber premiere
SRK is going the Aamir way in promoting his latest flick Billu Barber. Latest buzz is that SRK has invited over 400 barbers to attend the premiere of the flick. This comes amidst the rumors that Hairdressers Association are pestering SRK and gang to change the barber word from the flick’s title.
Priyadarshan, director of the flick says, “Instead of having celebs over for the premiere of Billu Barber, Shah Rukh has planned to invite 400 barbers and their families to the premiere. His idea is to welcome barbers for the premiere on February 12, as the film revolves around Irrfan Khan, who plays a barber. Things are just getting organized for the premiere and the office is also in talks with the barbers’ association to get everything sorted for the big day.”
Priyadarshan, director of the flick says, “Instead of having celebs over for the premiere of Billu Barber, Shah Rukh has planned to invite 400 barbers and their families to the premiere. His idea is to welcome barbers for the premiere on February 12, as the film revolves around Irrfan Khan, who plays a barber. Things are just getting organized for the premiere and the office is also in talks with the barbers’ association to get everything sorted for the big day.”
However Uday Takke, president of Hair Dresser association says, We want Billu Barber to be called Billu Hairdresser as barber is a derogatory and insulting term. We choose hairdressing as a profession because it is an art. Also there are many women hairstylists if Billu Barber becomes a hit, women hairdressers will be called barbers too!”
However SRK on the issue says, “Oh wow! So much for freedom of expression. We have not made this film to disrespect anyone. As a matter of fact, when a title of the film is kept after the protagonist, it is only to honor that character.”
Aamir off for an year
After a hectic last year with Ghajini, Aamir has decided to take an year long break from acting once Raj Kumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots is finished.
A source says, , “It is true that Aamir is finally taking a year off after Raj Kumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots is complete. He is currently in Bangalore shooting for the film. Actually, he was planning to take a sabbatical last year after Taare Zameen Par, where the double responsibility of directing and acting sapped him.
A source says, , “It is true that Aamir is finally taking a year off after Raj Kumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots is complete. He is currently in Bangalore shooting for the film. Actually, he was planning to take a sabbatical last year after Taare Zameen Par, where the double responsibility of directing and acting sapped him.
But then he was coaxed into doing Ghajini and then began his physical reorientation, the muscle-building and body-toning that really exhausted the method actor. But Aamir is now ready to take the long-pending break. He won’t be doing any films for the next one year.”
However Aamir’s production house, Aamir Khan Productions will not be on a break and will keep on working.
Will miss you Aamir.
However Aamir’s production house, Aamir Khan Productions will not be on a break and will keep on working.
Will miss you Aamir.
Amisha Patel Forgives Kareena Kapoor!
Amisha Patel and Kareena Kapoor met recently at Tusshar Kapoor’s bash. They shared cold vibes as boyfriends Saif Ali Khan and Kanav Puri met each other liked long lost friends.
An eyewitness says, “Kareena and Saif had already arrived and were seen chatting with people when Ameesha and Kanav arrived with a gang of friends after Kanav’s birthday party.
Kanav and Saif know each other well so when they met each other, they started chatting like long-lost friends. But though Bebo and Ameesha exchanged cordial greetings they didn’t speak at all after that. Their vibes were freezing.”
An eyewitness says, “Kareena and Saif had already arrived and were seen chatting with people when Ameesha and Kanav arrived with a gang of friends after Kanav’s birthday party.
Kanav and Saif know each other well so when they met each other, they started chatting like long-lost friends. But though Bebo and Ameesha exchanged cordial greetings they didn’t speak at all after that. Their vibes were freezing.”
Ameesha says, “I have no problems with Kareena and will always be polite to her though it’s true we didn’t chat but just exchanged hellos.
I am very fond of Saif who is extremely well-mannered, a thorough gentleman and a gem of a person. He’s also a friend of Kanav’s as Kanav and Soha used to study at the same school in Delhi.
So when Kanav and Saif met up again at Tusshar’s party, both got along like a house on fire. Last year, when Saif and I were shooting for Lazy Lamhe and Saif and Kareena were dating, Saif had wanted to do something special for her so I went out of my way to accommodate him and wind up early. I even attended the music launch of Refugee.
I don’t belong to camps nor am I part of industry battles. I know Kareena earlier said that she hadn’t given as big flops as I had but I don’t hold anything against her for saying those things about me.”
Ameesha adds that she would love to do a film with Bebo if offered.
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