This is turning out to be a scary year to hang around movie sets: After accidents on the sets of "Quantum of Solace" and the "Hannah Montana" movie, a stunt man was killed today in a planned fire on a boat on the set of the John Woo movie "Red Cliff."
The special-effects staging had a smaller boat, ablaze, crashing into a larger boat when things turned tragic for a 23-year-old working on the historical epic, Woo's first movie in Chinese in 15 years.
Not apparently injured in the fire was the film's star Tony Leung ("Lust, Caution" and "The Departed" inspiration "Infernal Affairs"). In fact, in none of the above cases was the movie's star injured--or even on the set at the time of the incident.
Serbia really started getting in the Jaunted radar when they began to build statues in honor of Rocky Balboa and Samantha Fox (her monument was later abandoned when a Serbian audience started chanting to see her breasts during her concert). Now Serbia's obsession with statues is going even further, according to a recent NY Times report.
Apparently Tarzan--or more correctly, the actor who played Tarzan most famously, Johnny Weissmuller--was born in Medja in Serbia. And so the town of Medja is busily raising money to build a big bronze Tarzan. (Please don't tell them that Johnny Weissmuller's Wikipedia entry disputes his Serbian origin, saying it's more likely he was born in Romania).
Interestingly, it turns out there could be a serious sociological side to all Serbian statue madness. Experts say that Serbs are turning to Hollywood icons because they don't know who to honor from their own complicated history. Since they're not likely to work that out anytime soon, the crazy statues should keep coming, giving us more and more reasons to head to Serbia.
We've been wondering for a while what the European Union is really doing to help people like us globe-wanderers and now, thanks to their own promotional efforts, we know. The EU is not around for political stability, its cultural wonders, or to provide fast inter-country transport. It's there for sex.
Okay, not exactly sex: but films featuring sex. The European Commission itself has released a YouTube video featuring clips of soft-core porn, er, cinematic depictions of lovemaking from European movies. The EU is happily promoting both its financial support of these films and the idea of one Europe: "let's come together," they say. If this doesn't cause a rise in travel to The Continent, nothing will.
Another day, another new press release announcing an obscure winner of an obscure award, voted on by an obscure audience. We're kind of over travel awards, but int he case of great aviation movies, why not trust some true aviation nuts? It only makes sense.
Visitors to a website maintained by the Experimental Aircraft Association voted Top Gun into the top spot, crowning it the best aviation movie evah:
“Top Gun” was one of 10 finalists in the online poll at www.airventure.org. It collected more than 20.5 percent of the more than 10,000 votes cast, ahead of the classic 1949 film “Twelve O’Clock High” (17.7 percent) and more recent World War II epic “Memphis Belle” from 1990 (12.2 percent).
The finalists were the 10 most-nominated films by EAA members earlier this year, who submitted more than 140 aviation movies. Others in the final poll included “Battle of Britain” (1969) with 11.8 percent; “Spirit of St. Louis” (1957) and “The Great Waldo Pepper” (1975), each with 8.6 percent; “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” (1965) 7.1 percent; “The Flight of the Phoenix” (1965) 5.2 percent; and “The High and the Mighty” (1954) with 4.0 percent.
OK, OK, we admit it: we've seen this week's pick about 500 times. A valiant man/woman finds it in their heart to take on a group of troubled teens in a classroom or on some sort of organized sports team, to rehabilitate them and make them better people, helping the hero/heroine to realize "what's really important in life." Probably the fact they had some high-paying job before this crazy attempt at transforming delinquents...but anyways, this week's pick is Pride.
Terrence Howard plays Jim Ellis, a determined man who wants to start a swim team for troubled youth at the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. Of course this was "inspired by true events." Bernie Mac's also involved so they'll be some joking around and hijinks.
Strangely this movie was filmed entirely in Shreveport, LA, but in the vein of the City of Brotherly Love, we offer some cool things to check out in Philly.
Where To Stay: Rittenhouse Hotel Live it up and treat yourself at this swank Philadelphia award-laden hotel. Guest rooms feature 310-count sheets, bathrooms with TVs and timed heat lamps, and some suites offer private washers and dryers. This is for your pre-do-gooder life of course. Book their "King Tut" package (for $402 a night) and get tickets to the exhibit at the Franklin Institute.
Where To Eat: James Restaurant Head to Philly's Bella Vista neighborhood and check out this hot American eatery. Chef James Burke highlights locally grown, seasonal produce and wild fish. Think Carmelized Scallop Carpaccio and Hand Cut Pappardelle with Duck Ragu. Just the place to splurge before your life of meaningful sacrifice.
Where Not to Eat: The Mütter Museum Leave at least 15 minute between your last meal and a visit here. The Mütter Museum could otherwise make you queasy, if not outright ready to part with your lunch. The $12 admission fee is a bit steep, but the collection of medical information and oddities within is truly cool.
The authorities see them as a threat, and others just see them as mischievous thrill-seekers. In reality, urban explorers are simply a loosely knit group of ordinary people wishing to document and understand our deteriorating and forgotten urban history. Documentary filmmaker Melody Gilbert (A Life without Pain, Whole) first heard about this subculture through a story about six urban explorers in St. Paul who were arrested as suspected terrorists. Traveling from Minneapolis to Miami to Glasgow to Paris, Gilbert reveals an extraordinary underground world of individuals bonded by their innate sense of curiosity and adventure. "Urban Explorers is not a typical social justice documentary that sets out to change the world. In the end, I hope this film helps people see the world in which they live a little differently than they did before" (Melody Gilbert). 2006, U.S., video, 85 minutes.
Melody Gilbert's film Urban Explorers, which...explores the...exploration activities...of city spelunkers, premieres in Minneapolis next week as part of the Women with Vision Film Festival. If you've ever traveled somewhere and wondered what sits beneath the beaten path--in abandoned buildings, subway tracks, and elsewhere--you'll want to catch Gilbert's documentary about those who not only wonder about, but seek out, the hidden spooky treasures of the city.
@ the Walker Art Center Cinema, March 16 at 9:30 p.m. / March 17 at 4 p.m., $8.
The time has come to celebrate the Kazakhstan tourism boom. Tonight in NYC, head to Cake Shop for a free screening of the newly-released Borat DVD. We love Cake Shop's free parties, and tonight's $0 screening co-hosted by the Village Voice should be no exception. Should you get bored waiting for the film to start, you can grab a drink at the full bar downstairs, or head upstairs to shop for records.
Say you're going alone and looking to chat up a Kazakhstan-loving partygoer. What could be your pick-up line? We wouldn't be surprised if "jagshemash" works on the superfans. But we hear travel buffs melt when you ask them if they think Kazkahstan is the next Macau. And when they can already name the two cities which Kazakhstan is hoping to turn into gambling tourism meccas, you'll know it's true love.
We gave up on the Grammys long ago but have yet to officially call it quits with the Academy Awards. Extract yourself from the couch on Sunday night and choose a destination from Jaunted's party round-up.
Where to, like, really watch the Oscars: Actual Academy buffs will want to settle down at Central Cinema in Seattle, where dinner tickets are still available for $60 all-in. The food might be alright, but the real draw here is the combination of a cozy setting with big screen viewing.
Where to hate the Oscars: You know the deal: every year, you say the Oscars have gotten worse, but you're going to watch anyway. Tickets are still available for the Roxie theater's "Up the Oscars!" party, where you can revel in the company of movie fans as jaded as yourself. A heckler's paradise in San Francisco.
Where to blog the Oscars: Perhaps you live in Jersey City, but if not, it's still a quick trip on the PATH from New York to the Mojo Lounge's low-key Oscars event. Starting at 7 p.m., you can get in on results betting, drinks, and free WiFi. Yes, while you were getting reamed for ethernet at a hotel last week, some bar in Jersey was offering wireless for free.
Other Oscars parties: · Chicago: The 10 Pin Bowling Lounge will be showing the Oscars on HD screens, while the Kit Kat Lounge will present Dreamgirls numbers in drag and half-price martinis. · Austin: Alama Drafthouse theaters in three locations will be holding parties, complete with proper awards viewing in real cinema settings. We prefer the Downtown party ($12). · Elsewhere in Seattle: Chop Suey's party is free and co-hosted by the Peoples Republic of Komedy.
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by egw
