|
Reviews Casino
Reviews Movies Online
Casino Reviews Websites
Portals Links Media
Man Website Network
Australian
Sports Entertainment
Cafe
News Media
Game
Reviews
5
Dragons Pokie Machine Review
Where's
the Gold Pokies Review
Streaming
Entertainment
Can
movie theatres and online streaming live side by side?
Free
streaming service 'Tubi TV' launches in Australia
- August 29, 2019
Streaming
Media wars heat up: Netflix, Stan, HeyU; Sports Streamers
- WWE Network, FITE TV, New Japan World, UFC Fight
Pass, ESPN +, Paramount Network, Global Wrestling
Network et al. Opportunities, threats and unknowns
Movies
and Television, Documentaries, Streaming Series showcased
via Media Man websites and social media channels
Hottest
On TV
Movie
Box Office (North America)
August
18, 2024
1.
Alien: Romulus - $41.5m
2.
Deadpool & Wolverine - $29m
3.
It Ends with Us - $24m
4.
Twisters - $9.8m
5.
Coraline - $8.4m
6.
Despicable Me 4 - $6m
7.
Trap - $3.4m
8.
Inside Out 2 - $3.2m
9.
Stree 2 - $2.6m
10.
Borderlands - $2.4m
others...
Harold
and the Purple Crayon
Cuckoo
Longlegs
The
Firing Squad
A
Quiet Place: Day One
Bad
Boys: Ride or Die
The
Fabulous Four
Fly
Me to the Moon
Raayan
Bad
Newz
MaXXXine
The
Bikeriders
Sound
of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot
Horizon:
An American Saga
The
Lion King
Kalki
2898 AD
Kinds
of Kindness
The
Garfield Movie
Kingdom
of the Planet of the Apes
Jatt
& Juliet 3
Blue
Lock Thee Movie - Episode Nagi
Daddio
Janet
Planet
The
Watchers
IF
The
Exorcism
Thelma
GHOST
Rite Here Rite Now
Furiosa:
A Mad Max Story
The
Fall Guy
The
Strangers: Chapter 1
The
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings
Haikyuu!!
The Dumpster Battle
In
a Violent Nature
Ezra
Sight
*
Correct at time of publication
Movie
Box Office (North America)
August
4, 2024
1.
Deadpool & Wolverine - $97m
2.
Twisters - $22.7m
3.
Trap - $15.6m
4.
Despicable Me 4 - $11.3
5.
Inside Out 2 - $6.7m
6.
Harold and the Purple Crayon - $6m
7.
Longlegs - $4.1m
8.
The Firing Squad - $1.6m
9.
A Quiet Place: Day One - $1.4m
10.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die - $601,000
others...
The
Fabulous Four
Fly
Me to the Moon
Raayan
Bad
Newz
MaXXXine
The
Bikeriders
Sound
of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot
Horizon:
An American Saga
The
Lion King
Kalki
2898 AD
Kinds
of Kindness
The
Garfield Movie
Kingdom
of the Planet of the Apes
Jatt
& Juliet 3
Blue
Lock Thee Movie - Episode Nagi
Daddio
Janet
Planet
The
Watchers
IF
The
Exorcism
Thelma
GHOST
Rite Here Rite Now
Furiosa:
A Mad Max Story
The
Fall Guy
The
Strangers: Chapter 1
The
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings
Haikyuu!!
The Dumpster Battle
In
a Violent Nature
Ezra
Sight
*
Correct at time of publication
News
Box
office numbers down approx 70 percent from last year
(References:
Wikipedia, Box Office Mojo, IMDb, Deadline and The
Hollywood Reporter)
Box
Office News
March
18, 2024
1.
Kung Fu Panda 4 - $30 million
2.
Dune: Part Two - $29.1 million
3.
Arthur the King - $7.5 million
4.
Imaginary - $5.6 million
5.
Cabrini - $2.8 million
6.
Love Lies Bleeding - $2.5 million
7,
Bob Marley: One Love - $2.3 million
8.
One Life - $1.7 million
9.
The American Society of Magical Negroes - $1.3 million
10.
Ordinary Angels - $1 million
All
Elite Wrestling: Multimedia
Movies
Local
pop culture and arts agency excited about Randwick Ritz cinema having reopened
its doors
Chris
Hemsworth says he's 'fascinated' by wrestling as he
prepares to play Hulk Hogan
News Stan
Lee Media sues Disney for billions over Marvel copyright et al - 10th October
2012 
Pop
culture and comic icon Stan Lee fighting Disney re Marvel; Not a Marvel video
game!; Stan Lee takes gamble on legal fight with Disney... Stan
Lee Media (SLM) has launched info a multi-billion dollar legal lawsuit VS entertainment
and media giant Disney claiming the entertainment king does not own the rights
to the Marvel Comics characters depicted in its films. Huge claim, we know. The
company, which Stan Lee himself is no longer associated with, claims that the
comic book icon signed over the rights to the superheroes and villains he created
to its corporate predecessor in a deal inked back to 1998. SLM
claims that an amended version of that agreement was filed with the US Securities
and Exchange Commission in March 2000 - that's almost a decade before Disney acquired
Marvel Entertainment, online publisher Deadline reports. The
company is seeking $5.5 billion in damages, an amount calculated based on the
profits from movies such as The Avengers, X-Men: First Class and Thor, as well
as the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. These are some of the most
popular movies of the current Hollywood era. "Defendant
The Walt Disney Company has represented to the public that it, in fact, owns the
copyright to these characters as well as to hundreds of other characters created
by Stan Lee," read SLM's complaint. "Those
representations made to the public by The Walt Disney Company are false." Disney,
which acquired Marvel in a massive financial deal in 2009, is yet to respond to
the allegations. Stay
tuned to the Media Man agency for more news as it comes to hand true believers.
News Media
Man Entertainment News: WWE, Wrestling, Movies, Hollywood, Casino and more - 4th
September 2012 Entertainment
news, WWE, Hollywood, Australia, Sin City, Las Vegas, gaming and more... What
an exciting time for entertainment, movies, gaming and wrestling fans. WWE just
completed its Australian RAW live world tour, Aussie Russell Crowe just got rescued
in New York while boating (publicity stunt)?, Bwin.Party
has just released a new game, and you must check out the new Marvel Heroes online
game. We've also got Hollywood box office reports, pro wrestling scoops, celebrity
news and lots more. The Media Man agency with the latest...
WWE Studios 'The Day' positive movie reviews...
"The
Day" hit theaters this week and the positive reviews are in on WWE Studios
and Anchor Bay Films' chilling horror film about a day in the lives of a group
of people living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Variety
by Marc Graser "
'The Day' is one of the most effective horror movies made in years, successfully
delivering a feeling of dread that so many films in the genre lack these days,
along with a unique story and captivating characters. Douglas Aarniokoski doesn’t
take the easy out in his direction and never relies on camp or amps up the gore
quotient to thrill audiences. He’s an impressive filmmaker who is worth keeping
an eye on." HollywoodLife.com
by Russ Weakland "WWE
Studios and Anchor Bay Films have always delivered films all over the spectrum
and with 'The Day' they continue to entertain us with a story of humanity torn
by war, destroying civilizations and most of all life on earth, which makes those
that are the survivors realize they must do whatever it takes to stay alive."
... "So if
you want to go out and see a film that will make you think and give you some jumps
and chills 'The Day' is your movie. You will not be disappointed!" The
Los Angeles Times by Mark Olsen "Luke
Passmore's screenplay is stingy with his explanations about who these people are
or how the world came to be in this state, and that turns out to be one of the
film's greatest strengths." ... "As
Mary, the most recent enlistee to the tribe, [Ashley] Bell has a secretive reserve
and steely resolve."
The Rock 'foils would-be burglars in London'...
The
Rock has apparently foiled an attempted burglary in London. The
actor - also known as Dwayne Johnson - was working on his new movie Fast and Furious
6 in Hackney when he spotted the group of would-be thieves as they attempted to
break into vans. Johnson,
who was dressed as an FBI agent for filming, was said to have abandoned a fight
scene mid-take in order to confront the group. "It
was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because he had his flak jacket
on and an FBI badge in his hand," an insider recalled to The Sun. "All
of a sudden, there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was
about to mow them down. The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the
canal path and left the crew in peace. "It
was like the Only Fools [and Horses] 'Batman' sequence - they must have thought
they were in the middle of a real-life action movie." The
source also quipped that the crew have suggested that actor - wrestler Johnson
should be single-handedly responsible for security on the Fast and Furious 6 set. The
source said: “It was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because
he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand. All of a sudden there
was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was about to mow them
down. The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and
left the crew in peace. “It
was like the Only Fools Batman sequence — they must have thought they were
in the middle of a real-life action movie. “Now
the crew are joking that they should drop security and just have The Rock do it.”
Dwayne Johnson wards off burglars...
London
- Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson scared off a gang of would-be thieves on the set of
his latest film. The
40-year-old actor spotted a group of youths breaking into a warehouse in Hackney,
East London while filming The Fast and the Furious 6 and stormed off the set mid-scene
- dressed in full FBI agent costume - to chase the burglars away. A
source told The Sun newspaper: "It was so funny. The Rock looked like an
action hero because he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand. Quick
thinking "All
of a sudden there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was
about to mow them down. "The
lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and left the crew
in peace. They must have thought they were in the middle of a real-life action
movie. "Now
the crew are joking that they should drop security and just have The Rock do it." The
former wrestler managed to prevent the theft of expensive equipment thanks to
his quick thinking and his impressive 6'5" frame. The
Fast and the Furious 6 also stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and singer Rihanna,
who is set to play a villain in the popular film franchise.
Box Office results for new WWE movie...
WWE
Studios's latest movie, "The Day," drew an estimated $10,100 in its
first full weekend in theaters. The movie, which was shown in 12 theaters, ranked
52 out of 54 movies tracked over the weekend, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.
(Pro Wrestling Torch) - U.S news report
No Holds Barred star facing prison time...
Tommy
"Tiny" Lister, who was back in the spotlight this summer when WWE re-released
"No Holds Barred" on DVD, faces up to five years of prison time for
alleged mortgage fraud. Lister, who played Zeus in the WWE movie, pled guilty
to "conspiring to commit mortgage fraud" in federal court on Friday,
according to a TMZ report. According
to the plea agreement, Lister and other individuals conspired to obtain mortgages
worth $5.7 million, costing lenders $2.6 million. Lister was also accused of defrauding
lenders of another $1.1 million. Lister is due back in court in September for
sentencing, which could be up to five years in federal prison.
David Otunga talks WWE and movies...
WWE
wrestler David Otunga said in a recent interview that he hopes to eventually advance
to the top of the card in WWE. "I am very goal oriented and want to see my
character go to the top. I am hoping to have the creative freedom to do that and
let it pan out the way I would like. It’s exciting for sure and hopefully
in the next few weeks my character continues to grow," Otunga told ChicagoNow.com
promoting Monday's Raw. Otunga
also discussed his recent movie role for WWE Studios's "The Hive." Otunga
said, "The film was unbelievably fun because it came to me second nature.
With the WWE, the acting classes, and the improv I do it was very easy to blend
in. The only major difference was me having to shave. I haven’t shaved in
many, many years but it had to be done and it helped me get into character."
WWE Interested In Lingerie Football Star...
The
WWE NXT website has added a profile for Summer Rae and in that profile they acknowledge
her past career with the Lingerie Football League. On a related note, WWE apparently
has interest in another LFL star - Zipporah Chase. Read
more: http://www.WrestlingInc.com/wi/news/2012/0903/555884/#ixzz25SUAFE7B
NWA documentary news...
Charleston
Post & Courier columnist Mike Mooneyham's Sunday column features a review
of a new NWA documentary, "History and Tradition: The Story of the National
Wrestling Alliance," which focuses heavily on the history and prestige of
the NWA World Title. The story also reviews the current state of the NWA, which
is being re-organized by R. Bruce Tharpe after buying the rights to the organization.
Included are quotes from PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell on the history
of and state of the NWA and his view on whether the organization has a place in
today's wrestling era.
Batista big media tour next week...
PROVIDENCE,
R.I. (Aug. 31, 2012) – Former six-time World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
champion Dave Bautista is coming to Providence on Friday, Sept. 7, 2012 to kick
off his press tour in anticipation of his professional mixed martial arts debut,
presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc.,
in association with June Entertainment and 4zero1 Entertainment Group on Saturday,
Oct. 6, 2012 at The Dunkin’ Donuts Center on Direct TV Pay Per View. Friday’s
tour will culminate with a live meet-and-greet and autograph signing in downtown
Providence (time and venue to be determined) followed by a second public appearance
at Vanity Restaurant & Lounge, located at 566 South Main St., Providence,
at 11 p.m. (EST) Bautista’s opponent, Rashid Evans of Newburgh, N.Y., will
also be attendance. Specifics
on Bautista’s appearance will be released Tuesday. Both appearances are open
to the public and both fighters will be available for media interviews. Tickets
for “Real Pain,” starring Bautista, are available through www.ticketmaster.com
or at The Dunkin’ Donuts Center Box Office and are priced at $20.00, $35.00,
$55.00, $75.00, $125.00 and $250.00. The show features 14 bouts, including the
return of John “Doomsday” Howard (17-7, 6 KOs), a Boston native and
veteran of seven UFC bouts; nine-time UFC veteran David Loiseau (20-10, 13 KOs)
of Montreal; Providence lightweight Mike “The Beast” Campbell (11-4,
7 KOs), a former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) contender; Woonsocket, R.I.,
bantamweight Andre Soukhamthath (2-1, 1 KO); and Pawtucket, R.I., middleweight
Todd “The Hulk” Chattelle (10-7, 8 KOs). “Real Pain” will
also be available on Direct TV Pay Per View for $29.95. (U.S report)
WWE News: Jericho details WWE's lack of long-term planning & day-of-TV-changes
in interview on his 2012 WWE run...
In
an interview with the Busted Open satellite radio show, Chris Jericho highlighted
WWE's lack of long-term planning and changes on the day of TV tapings, which has
been exacerbated by Raw shifting to three hours, in a review of his 2012 WWE run. Notably,
Jericho said he did not find out about his "Contract vs. Contract" send-off
match against Dolph Ziggler on the August 20 Raw the night after Summerslam until
ten minutes before Raw started. "I
didn’t know until the day I showed up, actually ten minutes before Raw started
in Fresno that we were doing this contract vs. contract thing. So, I didn’t
even know this was going to happen. I just figured I would have a match with Dolph
and that would be the end of it," Jericho said. "So,
people who think that there is some long, drawn-out, plan, it really wasn’t.
It was about ten minutes before the show started and I was like 'Oh, we are doing
a contract vs contract thing? Oh okay.' So there you go, a little special behind
the scenes look." Jericho
also said WWE did not have a plan for his feud with Dolph Ziggler when it started
after the Money in the Bank PPV in July. Jericho said he pressed for a back-story
to their feud before their strong opening promo. "I
couldn’t wait to work with Dolph but I needed a story. What’s the story?
They said, 'we will think of one later.' I said, 'I don’t like that.' I need
to think of one now since I have a promo tonight with Dolph. We can't think about
this next week," Jericho said. Jericho
added, "That’s when I came up with the concept of everyone was bitching
that Jericho never won a match on PPV... I thought it would be real interesting
to go with the 'you can’t win the big one' scenario. But sometimes the writers
will write 'this old broken down guy who is on the last legs of his career.' I’m
like, 'Wait a second, broken down? I’m in the best shape of my life, never
been hurt, I’ve never missed a match...' I wanted to focus on the storyline
of 'he can’t win the big one.' It gave us a great place to go." Jericho
has said in recent interviews that he wasn't supposed to feud with Ziggler in
his send-off program culminating at Summerslam. Jericho expanded on his reaction
to being told he wouldn't be feuding with the other candidates, Sheamus and Daniel
Bryan. "Originally
I was supposed to feud with Sheamus, and then it was Daniel Bryan. Then the day
of Raw, they said I was doing something with Dolph. I was like, 'What happened
to Daniel Bryan and Sheamus?' They said it changed and I was fine with it. I’ve
been doing this long enough that I roll with the punches," Jericho said. Regarding
future stars on the roster replacing the old guard, Jericho talked about the uphill
battle that wrestlers like Ziggler and Miz have in front of them not being having
well-rounded wrestling experience outside of WWE. Jericho said, "When that
light bulb comes on and they already have ninety percent, but that last ten percent
is what makes you a great performer; some guys never figure out that last ten
percent and when the guys do, that’s when they become guys you can base companies
around and put in main events." Specifically
on whether Ziggler can be a future main-eventer, Jericho said, "Dolph is
one of the best guys on the roster, but he is still learning as are a lot of the
other guys. People say, 'Oh, Damien Sandow is the next guy or Kofi.' These guys
are still learning. In time, I think these guys will be amazing, amazing performers.
But, right now they are still on their way up the learning tree. So, yes, I think
Dolph is going to be an amazing performer. Yes, I think the Miz is going to be
a great performer. Lots of guys are getting into that zone, but they are still
learning... It’s a different world out there right now than the way it used
to be. There is a lot of great, great performers or potential great performers
that are on the way to getting there." [
FYI: Busted Open with Dave Lagreca and Doug Mortman can be heard from 2:00 to
4:00 EST on Sirius 94, XM 208, and Sportszone 860 on the Internet ] (Pro
Wrestling Torch)
Ric Flair Comments On 'Hangover 3' Campaign And His Daughter Working For WWE NXT...
We
noted before that fans online are trying to get WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair a
cameo appearance in The Hangover 3 movie. Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald spoke
with Flair this weekend about the campaign and The Nature Boy is perfectly fine
with it. "Oh
man, I love my fans. So cool they started this whole campaign. I could play anything,
as long as I'm not the guy getting married." Flair
also says he's proud of his daughter Ashley, who is currently working as Charlotte
in WWE NXT. Flair said: "It's
my hope that people see that her accomplishments aren't a result of me. She's
worked extremely hard for this. It's a very physically and mentally demanding
business, and I really just couldn't be more proud." You
can check out the full article by clicking here.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/01/2980014/hangover-suits-wwe-hall-of-famer.html
Ric Flair going through fourth divorce, waiting for WWE call up...
Details
are scarce at the moment, but Dave Meltzer, in this week's Wrestling Observer
Newsletter, reported that Ric Flair is currently going through a divorce, his
fourth one, with his current wife, Jacqueline Beems. Apparently, Flair is the
one who filed for divorce and cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for
their break up. The
news is unsurprising as less than two months ago Flair was assaulted by Beems
at his home, according to a local police report. This wasn't the first such incident
during their marriage together, as Beems was arrested for simple assault on February
21st, 2010 after getting into a fight with Flair upon their return to their residence
after a night out. They managed to patch things up after that highly publicised
and embarrassing affair, but obviously the second fight that required police intervention
was the straw that broke the camel's back. The
cause of their second fight together never came out publicly. But Ric Flair still
living The Nature Boy lifestyle and their money problems worsening, what with
Flair losing his job with TNA, were all likely at least partly to blame. Ric's
adultery was at the heart of his divorce with second wife, Beth; while third wife,
Tiffany VanDemark, quickly "had enough" of his inability to retire gracefully
and lead a more normal lifestyle with her. Expect
a fifth marriage in the not too distant future for Flair, as he obviously has
a psychological need to be in a serious relationship at all times, even though
he clearly finds it difficult to fully commit to a partner and amend his behaviour
to ensure that a marriage lasts the test of time. Meltzer
also had the latest on his status with WWE: There
was talk surfacing of Flair replacing [Vickie] Guerrero with [Dolph] Ziggler but
I don't know how serious that is. Plus, even though Flair can legally start with
WWE on 9/10, WWE has yet to sign anyone from TNA since the lawsuit was filed. This
may explain why Ziggler is currently in a holding pattern of putting over the
likes of Randy Orton and Sheamus on a seemingly weekly basis. WWE may not want
to pull the trigger on him cashing in the Money In The Bank briefcase and winning
the World Heavyweight Championship until TNA's lawsuit against them for contract
tampering has been dealt with and Flair can return to WWE as his manager. I
have mixed feelings on Flair becoming Ziggler's new manager. Though it should
help Ziggler to be taken more seriously, there is the risk that he will be overshadowed
by Flair and make it more difficult for him to get heel heat. At least being managed
by Vickie ensures plenty of boos. Personally, I think Flair would be much better
utilised in an onscreen figurehead role - what do you think Cagesiders? (Cageside
Seats)
'The Wolverine' movie wraps up in Australia; Now shooting in Japan; Jackman swaps
hair for suit...
After
wrapping the filming in Australia, "The Wolverine" has officially kicked
off its production in Japan. Unveiling a first look at lead actor Hugh Jackman
on the Tokyo set of the Marvel film, a set of photos featuring the Australian
hunk as he filmed a scene at the Zojoji Temple have made their round onto the
web. Instead
of sporting unkempt long hair and scruffy look just like when he was filming in
Australia, Jackman was spotted rocking Wolverine's trademark haircut and beard.
Looking dapper, he donned an all-black ensemble while filming a scene with a number
of Japanese men at the said Buddhist temple. Per
Comic Book Movie, the scene Jackman was filming happened to be a "grand funeral."
There were no further details about whose funeral the actor's character attended.
It was said that the filming at the temple was wrapped on Sunday, September 2
and Jackman was expected to continue filming in Hiroshima next. Taking
its cue from the early 1980s Chris Claremont/Frank Miller miniseries, "The
Wolverine" finds Logan (Jackman), the eternal warrior and outsider, in Japan.
There, samurai steel will clash with adamantium claw as Logan confronts a mysterious
figure from his past in an epic battle that will leave him forever changed. Serving
behind the lens is James Mangold. Jackman
has stressed that the upcoming film will be a standalone one and won't be related
to 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". He told Total Film, "We've
deliberately not called it Wolverine 2 because we want it to be placed and feel
like a standalone picture. With an all-new cast and setting in Japan, it's going
to give us a whole new visual aesthetic." "The
approach to character means we won't be overloaded with mutants and teams and
the like, so it'll be more character-based," he claimed, before adding, "I
think in my ways it will feel like a completely different X-Men film." The
anticipated movie is scheduled to open wide in the U.S. on July 26, 2013.
Joss
Whedon: 'The Avengers isn't a perfect movie'... Joss
Whedon has claimed that The Avengers isn't "a great movie". The
film has met with critical acclaim and outstanding commercial success, becoming
the third highest-grossing film of all time in just a few months, but Whedon,
the superhero blockbuster's writer and director, is determined to keep his feet
on the ground. In
an interview with Vulture, the 48-year-old claimed that the box office numbers
became, ultimately, "meaningless". He
said: "They're large, and you can't really count that high." Describing
what his goals were with The Avengers, he claimed: "I felt like I had a particular
mission in making what I felt was a slightly old-fashioned movie, because I grew
up wanting to make summer movies and wanting to make superhero movies, and I got
to do both at once. "I
felt like summer movies haven't been what I remember them to be, so I felt like
I would love to evoke something that's less hip and ironic and more heartfelt
and character-driven, and apparently, other people cared about that in a large
way." The
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator then conceded: "I don't think
it's a perfect movie. I don't even think it's a great movie. I think it's a great
time, and I'm proud of it, but for me, what was exciting is that people don't
go to see a movie that many times unless it's pulling on something from within,
unless there's a need there. That's very gratifying." The
film is set to increase its box office even further this weekend, after being
re-released in the US to take advantage of the Labour Day holiday. Whedon
will oversee a Marvel-produced SHIELD television show for ABC, before starting
work on the Avengers sequel, due for a summer 2015 release.
The Avengers Crosses $1.5 Billion At Worldwide Box Office...
While
the re-release of The Avengers at the U.S. box office might have failed to break
into the top ten Labor Day weekend movies, it did help The Avengers reach another
major milestone. The Avengers has become the third movie in history to cross the
$1.5 billion mark at the worldwide box office. While
retaining its number three position on the worldwide box office list, The Avengers
took in another estimated $1.7 million over Labor Day weekend, which brought The
Avengers U.S. box office total to $619.5 million and The Avengers worldwide box
office total to $1.501 billion. Interestingly
enough, The Dark Knight Rises also reached a milestone today, surpassing $1 billion
at the worldwide box office, which means that combined The Avengers and The Dark
Knight Rises have accounted for $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office this
year. If you add in The Amazing Spider-Man, which currently sits at number four
on the 2012 worldwide box office list with $734.9 million, then the total rises
to $3.2 billion. It’s definitely a good time to be in the superhero movie
making business.
Expendables blitzes box office...
Explosions,
guns and hand-to-hand fighting seem to be the flavour of the month on Australian
cinema screens, with The Expendables 2 debuting at the top of the box office. The
film, packed with 1990s action stars (and Liam Hemsworth) took $2.962 million
at the weekend, according to figures released by the Motion Picture Distributors
Association of Australia. The
Bourne Legacy held on to its No.2 position on the box office charts while last
week's top place-getter, Total Recall, fell to third place. Feel-good
Aussie movie The Sapphires fell one spot to fourth but still managed to pull in
$1.146 million, while ageing rom-com Hope Springs also dropped a spot to finish
fifth. The Dark
Knight Rises is still in the Top Ten after seven weeks and more than $41 million,
at sixth place, while Finding Nemo 3D debuted in seventh. Wes
Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom dropped one place to eighth, Will Ferrell's latest
comedy The Campaign finished ninth and Step Up 4: Miami Heat rounded out the Top
Ten. Top 10 at
the Australian Box Office this weekend: 1.
The Expendables 2 - $2.962 million (Roadshow) 2.
The Bourne Legacy - $1.273 million (Universal) 3.
Total Recall - $1.166 million (Sony) 4.
The Sapphires - $1.146 million (Eone/Hopscotch) 5.
Hope Springs - $868,207 million (Roadshow) 6.
The Dark Knight Rises - $570,846 (Warner Bros) 7.
Finding Nemo 3D - $403,700 (Walt Disney) 8.
Moonrise Kingdom - $393,824 (Universal) 9.
The Campaign - $283,950 (Warner Bros) 10.
Step Up 4: Miami Heat - $139,801 (Universal)
2012 Box Office News (U.S Report)...
The
summer movie season started out with a bang, and then it… Say,
did we mention it started out with a bang? It
wasn't exactly all downhill after The Avengers kicked things off in record fashion,
but it was close. Overall domestic ticket revenue this summer will top out at
$4.3 billion, down 2.2 percent from last summer, according to the box-office tracking
firm Exhibitor Relations. The
Avengers' big return to theaters: a Titanic surprise? Here
are more findings from the season, which concludes this holiday weekend: The
Avengers Wasn't the Most Powerful Movie: Well, all right, it was, but it didn't
make 16 times its production budget. That honor goes to Channing Tatum's Magic
Mike, which cost $7 million and made $113 million domestically, per BoxOfficeMojo.com
stats. Other bottom-line wonders: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which made 13
times its $10 million budget for a worldwide total of $131 million; and, hey—whaddya
know?—The Avengers, which did its $220 million budget about seven times better
with a worldwide gross of $1.5 billion. Men
in Black 3 Was the Most-Valuable Movie: Per a rundown of the studios' latest fiscal
reports, Sony was about the only major player that saw a significant uptick in
ticket revenue, and that was due to the not-especially beloved MiB sequel, which
grossed $624 million worldwide.
The Dark Knight Rises Outgrossed The
Dark Knight…Briefly: We've noted it before, but it's worth noting again.
In the pre-Aurora world, The Dark Knight Rises scored $30.6 million from opening-day
midnight screenings, and towered above its predecessor, which debuted to $18.5
million in 2008. In the post-Aurora world, the movie ran behind The Dark Knight
in each and every successive major box-office period. Avengers
alternate opening revealed Total
Recall Outgrossed Total Recall…Once: The pricey Colin Farrell reboot opened
to a soft $26 million, but averaged more per screen ($7,103) than a one-theater-only
rerelease of the 1990 original ($5,788). And thus concludes the positive things
to take away from the pricey Colin Farrell reboot. Spider-Man
Isn't British for Nothing: With Andrew Garfield behind the mask, nearly two-thirds
of The Amazing Spider-Man's $705 million worldwide take came from overseas audiences,
the largest percentage yet for a big-screen Spider-Man. The
Hunger Games Competed: This was a nifty trick, as The Hunger Games was not a summer
movie, having opened back in March. But the blockbuster played and played and
played, and from the start of the movie summer, on May 4, through Wednesday, it
grossed another $33 million domestically, a total that on its own was roughly
as big as Adam Sandler's That's My Boy, which, no, was not big at all. Adam
Sandler's That's My Boy Was Not an "Unfortunate, Large Miss": That precise
distinction belongs to Battleship, which was branded as such by the chairman of
Comcast, which runs Universal Pictures. (E! and Universal are both part of the
NBCUniversal family, which is owned by Comcast.) The $200 million Battleship did
make back its reported budget, grossing about $300 million worldwide. The same
can't be said of Sandler's That's My Boy ($70 million budget; $50 million worldwide
gross). Or Tom Cruise's Rock of Ages ($75 million budget, $50 million worldwide
gross). Or Ben Stiller's The Watch ($68 million budget; $37 million worldwide).
Sequels for Prometheus, Snow White, Magic Mike, more? What
to Expect When You're Expecting Was No Prometheus: Prometheus, like a number of
summer movies, including Snow White and the Huntsman, Johnny Depp's Dark Shadows
and the aforementioned Battleship and Total Recall, failed to match or surpass
their budgets from domestic ticket sales alone. The unheralded Jennifer Lopez-led
ensemble comedy, however, grossed $41 million domestically, and $80 million worldwide,
from a $40 million budget. Ray
Romano Is King of the World, Practically: Among the summer's animated films, the
latest Ice Age sequel, Continental Drift, ran behind Brave and Madagascar 3: Europe's
Most Wanted—domestically. Internationally, the Romano-voiced wooly mammoth
stood alone, grossing a whopping $660 million-plus for a worldwide total of about
$815 million. That made Continental Drift the third-biggest overall hit of the
season after The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. This is par for the course
for the Ice Age movies that probably have their own postage stamps in countries
such as Germany, Finland and Brazil. Here's
a rundown of the summer's Top 10-grossing films heading into Labor Day weekend,
per domestic stats from BoxOfficeMojo and The Numbers: The
Avengers, $617.8 million
The Dark Knight Rises, $425 million
The Amazing
Spider-Man, $258.6 million
Brave, $230 million
Ted, $215.2 million
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, $213.9 million
Men in Black 3, $178.5
million
Snow White and the Huntsman, $155 million
Ice Age: Contiental
Drift, $154.3 million
Prometheus, $126.3 million (E! Online)
‘Global James Bond Day’ - 3rd September 2012...
LOS
ANGELES, Calif. – In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the James Bond
film franchise on the anniversary of “Dr. No,” which enjoyed its world
film premiere in London on October 5, 1962, and in anticipation of the worldwide
release of the 23rd James Bond adventure “Skyfall,” Albert R. Broccoli’s
EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment and
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced today that October 5, 2012
will be “Global James Bond Day,” a day-long series of events for Bond
fans around the world. A
new feature documentary from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Columbia Pictures,
Passion Pictures and Red Box Films, “Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story
of 007,” will be also be unveiled, country-specific details to follow. Directed
by Stevan Riley (“Fire In Babylon”), “Everything or Nothing”
focuses on three men with a shared dream – Bond producers Albert R. Broccoli,
Harry Saltzman and author Ian Fleming. It’s the thrilling and inspiring narrative
behind the longest running film franchise in cinema history which began in 1962. Further
worldwide events celebrating Bond’s golden anniversary include a global online
and live auction charity event of 50 lots to benefit twelve charitable institutions
organized by Christie´s in London (full details at www.christies.com/bond),
a global survey to discover the favorite Bond film by country, a film retrospective
at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, a “Music of Bond” night in
Los Angeles hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and an
exhibition, “Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style,” at TIFF in Toronto. Leading
up to “Global James Bond Day,” for the first time ever fans can own
all 22 films in the franchise on Blu-ray Disc in one comprehensive collection
with “BOND 50,” releasing worldwide beginning September 24. Further
updates by country will be announced in due course on 007.com and facebook/JamesBond007. Daniel
Craig is back as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in “Skyfall,” the
23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time.
Jim Carrey joins Kick-Ass 2 cast...
Jim
Carrey has been offered the role of Colonel Stars in Jeff Wadlow's superhero comedy,
director Jeff Wadlow has strongly hinted. Director
Jeff Wadlow and creator Mark Millar have hinted that the 50-year-old funnyman
has landed the coveted role of Colonel Stars in the sequel to 2010's wacky superhero
comedy. Jeff tweeted:
"6 days till we start shooting... and we officially have our Colonel. Alrighty
f'n then! @ChloeGMoretz @MintzPlasse @donald_faison #kickass2. (sic)" After
Christopher Mintz-Plasse replied asking who his new co-star was going to be, the
original comic book's author Mark replied: "Clue - he lives with 200 raccoons
and parrots, owns the mask of Loki and named by spielberg as a genius. (sic)" During
Jim's 1994 film 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective', which sees him play the titular
character, his alter-ego is a private investigator who specialises in the retrieval
of captive animals. 'The
Mask' star Jim is reportedly a big fan of the original 'Kick-Ass' film by Matthew
Vaughn and was being courted to play the born again Christian superhero, who assembles
a motley crew of superheroes to help fight evil. The
sequel will see several new additions to the cast, including 'Scrubs' actor Donald
Faison as Doctor Gravity and John Leguizamo as Red Mist's bodyguard, Javier. The
comedy will begin shooting this Friday (07.08.12) and sees Aaron Johnson returning
as the lead Kick-Ass, while co-stars Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz and
Nicolas Cage are also reprising their roles from the first film. 'Kick-Ass
2' is set for release in June 2013.
US actor Michael Clarke Duncan dies - 4th September 2012...
Michael
Clarke Duncan's fiancee says the Oscar nominee for The Green Mile has died while
being hospitalised following a July heart attack. Publicist
Joy Fehily released a statement from Clarke's fiance, the Reverend Omarosa Manigault,
saying the 54-year-old actor died on Monday morning in a Los Angeles hospital
after nearly two months of treatment following the July 13 heart attack. The
196-centimetre tall, 136 kilogram Duncan appeared in dozens of films, including
such box office hits as Armageddon, Planet of the Apes and Kung Fu Panda. Duncan
had a handful of minor roles before The Green Mile brought him an Academy Award
nomination for best supporting actor. The
1999 film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starred Tom Hanks
as a corrections officer at a penitentiary in the 1930s. Duncan
played John Coffey, a convicted murderer.
Russell Crowe bailed out by Coast Guard...
Russell
Crowe needed some help from the U.S. Coast Guard late Saturday night during a
kayaking trip that went awry off New York's Long Island. The
actor was enjoying some water recreation in Long Island, where he's filming --
irony alert! -- the Darren Aronofsky epic "Noah" (as in Ark). He took
off in a kayak from Cold Spring Harbor Saturday afternoon, U.S. Coast Guard Petty
Officer Robert Swieciki told the Associated Press. When it got dark, he and a
friend apparently got lost but managed to make their way to shore, beaching their
kayaks in Huntington Bay -- nearly 10 miles from where they had set out. The
coast guard was patrolling the area and heard the 48-year-old actor calling out
from the shore around 10 p.m. According to Swiecki, the officer did not recognize
the actor but paddled over and brought them to Huntington Harbor. "It
wasn't really a rescue," Swieciki told the AP. "Really, more of just
giving someone a lift."
The two men were wearing life vests and sustained
no injuries. For
his part, Crowe was grateful for the assistance, tweeting at 1:30 a.m. Sunday
morning, "Thanks to Seth and the boys from the US Coast Guard for guiding
the way ... 4 hrs 30 mins, 7m(11.2km)." And
he later expounded, writing, "We knew where exactly where we were, paddling
around from csh into wind, we ran out of day. Grand adventure eh."
Aussie actors Crowe and Jackman at war...
Russell
Crowe and Hugh Jackman are at war! According
to various news reports, the actors having been fighting like catty tween girls
while shooting the new Les Miserables movie. “They
refuse to be in the same room – trying to get them to promote a film together
is a nightmare,” a source tells Star magazine. “They’ve
known each other for a decade, but during this shoot, any shred of civility was
thrown aside. They can’t stand each other, each calling the other an embarrassment
to the profession. “Russell
sneers at Hugh’s musical-theater background. But Hugh says Russell embarrassed
his country with his bad reputation in Hollywood.” Costar
Anne Hathaway has tried to mend fences, but the actors won’t budge. “Producers
hope she can convince them to come to a truce, but it’s not looking very
promising,” said the source. Idea
of the moment: Crowe VS Jackman at WWE WrestleMania (Jackman is a known massive
WWE fan and has participated in a physical WWE angle in the past, so here's hoping).
Howzat: Kerry Packer's war on cricket may be missing Dennis Lillee...
Many
in media and sports circles are now buzzing that the true founding father of one-day
cricket was not Kerry Packer but Dennis Lillee - yet the TV smash Howzat! whitewashes
him from history, one of the original World Series directors has revealed. In
an rocket on Channel 9's ratings blockbuster, World Series Cricket director Austin
Robertson - who also featured as a character in the mini-series - said Australians
should thank Lillee for creating the one-day game. In
response, the show's producers launched a broadside of their own, claiming they
asked Lillee to contribute but the bowling superstar refused to because he wouldn't
get any money. Mr
Robertson, who worked closely with the former Nine king and the rebel team, also
defended "the Big Fella" and said he was not the bully he was portrayed
to be. Nor was the late batting star David Hookes the simpering and indecisive
vacillator depicted in the show. Mr
Robertson said Howzat! was great entertainment and brilliantly produced but riddled
with inaccuracies. "The
producers made a nonsense of the way they treated the man really responsible for
the whole thing - Dennis Lillee," he said. "Dennis
was visible enough but he is not given the acknowledgement for having the idea
in the first place, and his contribution in putting the entire thing together.
Other people have put their hands up for having the brainchild of WSC but I am
here to say that, without Lillee, it would never have happened at the time. "Though
Packer was determined to get the precious television rights, they would never
have been delivered at that time without having the best fast bowler in the world
in his corner. "Curiously,
the producers of the show, in the curtain-call of the program, in the segment
'Where are the main players today,' DKL was again overlooked. "I
had to ask myself, why did they do that? It was Lillee who delivered the players
and, while it was great to be playing on the Packer team, without Lillee it would
have never got off the ground." Southern
Star producer John Edwards, who made the show, hit back at Mr Robertson. He said
Lillee boycotted the show and "shut down" Mr Robertson after learning
no money was on offer.: "He (Robertson) was invited. There's nothing more
to say really. He was mad keen on being involved and Dennis got to him and he
was shut down. Dennis wanted money. "We
tried to speak to everybody and not everybody wanted to speak. Some people had
grievances and grudges. "(Writer)
Chris Lee tried to involve them as much as as possible in the story and they chose
not to be involved." Mr
Robertson confirmed he and Lillee had been approached but declined to take part.
He declined to comment further or say whether money was an issue. Lillee
could not be reached but he has consistently refused to comment on Howzat!. Mr
Robertson praised Mr Packer and revealed the media tycoon was not as aggressive
as the show portrayed: "The portrayal of Kerry as a constant bully and user
of foul language is far from the truth. He could bully. I saw him on many occasions
rise up like an out-of-control bull elephant and reduce a grown man to tears.
I heard him swear like a storm trooper when out of control. But I never saw him
chuck a plate of food. "I
thought Kerry was in the main a humble man, often revealing great compassion,
a gentle giant who would talk issues out for hours before making a decision, and
then following it through. "The
mini-series gave everybody the impression he was a loud, foul- mouthed bully and
we saw precious little of his other side." Channel
9 declined to comment however sources at the network said they felt the show was
spot on in capturing Mr Packer. Mr
Robertson also rejected Howzat!'s portrayal of friend David Hookes, who died after
an altercation with a bouncer in Melbourne in 2004. "David
was not a weak, indecisive and nervous character who 'spilled the beans' to The
Age's Peter McFarline." And
as for his own portrayal Mr Robertson said: "From birth, and throughout the
many years I have enjoyed on the earth I have never had a moustache."
Prince Harry; casino tycoon Steve Wynn and fun and games in Las Vegas and beyond...
As
the UK's Daily Mail states it's a rare man who walks away from Las Vegas with
nothing to regret. Prince
Harry counts the cost of his escapades in Sin City, he may just be coming to regret
the day he ever made the acquaintance of casino tycoon Steve Wynn. Wynn,
the self-proclaimed King of Las Vegas, is the billionaire owner of the five-star
Encore Wynn resort, the opulent hotel-casino in whose eight-room, £5,100-a-night
suite the prince was photographed playing strip billiards. Unsubstantiated
reports this week have suggested that cocaine was snorted in the suite, and that
a known prostitute was among the guests. There are even rumours of a video tape
capturing the night's events. So how did the third-in-line to the throne come
to meet – even befriend – a septuagenarian gambling mogul? Steve
Wynn, a flamboyant showman with a surgically-enhanced, wrinkle-free face, carefully
coiffed hair, a volcanic temper and a trophy wife, is famous for befriending celebrities
whose patronage would be good for business. Last
November, 70-year-old Wynn was spotted having dinner with the prince in one of
his Vegas steakhouses while the Prince was enjoying a weekend break from an advanced
helicopter training course in Arizona. Waiving
the bills of celebrities is common practice in Vegas, and it remains unclear who
paid the estimated £30,000 bill for Harry's recent stay. According to Wynn's
spokesman, the tab was not picked up by either the tycoon or his hotel. Is
the prince welcome to return? I can't see why not,' the spokesman said. Wynn
is unlikely to be perturbed by Harry's naked shenanigans, but if drugs do turn
out to have been involved, he may swiftly seek to distance himself from the events.
He may be Las Vegas's most revered casino owner, but he still has his gambling
licence and his reputation to think about. It is a reputation that Wynn is eager
to protect. He has worked hard to erase the stains of the past. Today,
he is widely credited as the man who single-handedly cleaned up' Vegas and made
it into a place in which Wall Street could invest and young families could holiday
(if parents don't mind their children collecting the prostitutes' calling cards
which litter the pavement). Yet
for all his denials, Wynn, who is worth $2.5 billion, has never shaken off accusations
that he was linked for many years to the mobsters who once ruled Las Vegas. He
has weathered successive U.S. investigations over everything from drug-dealing
to money-laundering, and has never been found to have committed any wrong-doing. In
Britain, the authorities have proved harder to convince. When he tried to open
a casino in London to exploit the influx of rich Arabs in the early Eighties,
Scotland Yard denied him a licence. But in the desert city of Las Vegas, he remains
a swaggering icon. He has a reputation for being sophisticated' but that's by
Vegas standards. This
is a man who bought Impressionist masterpieces only to hang them on the walls
of his casinos; who reputedly blew his finger off while playing with a gun given
to him by a former Mob hitman, and who boasts that his wife Andrea has the greatest
butt in the world'. Money
is no object. In 2005, Wynn sank $2.7 billion into building just one hotel the
curved glass and steel Wynn Las Vegas. He then did the same again a few years
later with the Encore. So
enamoured is he with the idea of himself as Sin City royalty that he arranged
his wedding last year to coincide with that of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Hollywood
star Clint Eastwood was best man and lingerie model Caprice a bridesmaid. The
reception, held in the ballroom of Wynn's Encore resort, boasted a 500-strong
guest list which included Sylvester Stallone, Steven Spielberg, Lionel Richie,
Sir Philip Green and Celine Dion. Each
guest left with a five-inch high replica of the tiered wedding cake, but it's
unlikely Wynn or his rake-thin new wife enjoyed much of the banquet. Both are
vegans, and the youth-obsessed Wynn, who exists on a diet of vitamin pills, liquidised
walnuts and the occasional indulgent dribble of olive oil, boasts that he still
has a 32in waistline. After
years of hard graft and wheeler-dealing, he has earned the right to behave as
he wishes. The son of an East Coast bingo parlour operator and hardened gambler,
the brash and handsome Wynn Jnr expanded the family business to Las Vegas with
a string of clever investments and ambitious hustling. In
the Seventies and Eighties, when Wynn was building his empire, Las Vegas was full
of the mobsters who had originally built its gambling industry. Some
say it was impossible to work in the city and not come into contact with mafiosi,
even unwittingly. Others have suggested that, even so, Wynn had an unusually large
number of brushes with the Mob. Wynn
himself has vigorously denied any involvement with the Mob, and none of the numerous
law enforcement investigations for gambling licences have ever concluded that
he worked for or with organised crime. In
1967, he was with some business associates of noted mobsters on a private yacht
cruise on a lake in Nevada when a naked young woman somehow fell over the back
of the boat and was chopped almost in half by the propeller blades. Her death
prompted an investigation, but everyone on board denied having seen the incident. And
he had trouble with officials in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1986 after investigators
discovered mobster Tony Castelbuono, a friend of Wynn, was laundering the profits
of heroin trafficking at his gambling tables. Wynn almost lost his gambling licence. Today,
such tales of the Mob are just water under the bridge. Wynn has re-invented himself
as the business genius who demolished seedy gambling joints along the Vegas Strip
and replaced them with slick hotel-casinos such as the Mirage (the city's first
3,000-bed hotel), the Treasure Island and the Bellagio. Part
of his success has been his ability to turn on the charm with important people.
But Wynn is notorious, too, for his temper. In 1991, he reached an out-of-court
settlement for an undisclosed sum with the former president of Wynn's Golden Nugget
casino, who described Wynn as a womanising, brutal boss. In
allegations made in documents lodged at court, it was said that he would get so
angry that his eyes bulged and he started screaming at the top of his lungs and
banging his head on the table'. There was no admission of liability by Wynn, who
denied the allegations. His
mother Zelma claims his tyrannical behaviour is the result of frustration over
his failing eyesight. The tycoon suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive
genetic disease which effectively gives him tunnel vision by destroying his ability
to see peripheral images. In a dark room, he is completely blind. His
vision may be failing, but for years he was infamous for his roving eye, keeping
keys to empty rooms at his various hotels for trysts. He was known to favour his
female blackjack croupiers. All
that came to a stop when he met the beautiful Mrs Wynn. Usually described as a
British socialite, 48-year-old Andrea was, in fact, born in New York but, as her
proud husband likes to stress, was raised in England and France. Tres sophistique. It
all sounds rather less chic when you learn that the family moved to France because
her father, a wheeler-dealer named Victor Danenza, fled there in 1976 to escape
an FBI fraud investigation. Before
becoming the second Mrs Wynn, Andrea had lived in London with her first husband,
Texan banker Robert Hissom, a former polo-playing friend of Prince Charles. She
met Wynn in 2008 in St Tropez, where he keeps a yacht, and the couple began a
very public romance. Wynn divorced his long-suffering first wife Elaine, after
46 years of marriage, and wed Andrea last year. Elaine
made around $740 million from the settlement one of the biggest payouts in U.S.
divorce history. The costly divorce appears not to have troubled Mr Wynn, who
is delighted with his new wife. It's
like God made a woman for me,' he once said, before pointing out the part of his
wife he most admired the greatest butt in the world'. It
all goes to show that money can buy you neither taste nor manners. Even Wynn's
attempts to acquire a collection of old masterpieces have invited accusastions
that he was vulgar and greedily acquisitive. He
has, since the late Nineties, spent hundreds of millions of dollars on paintings
by Picasso and Degas, Caravaggio and Titian. He has several times scooped the
world's great galleries at auction, only to horrify the art world by hanging his
purchases in his casinos. At
70, he shows no sign of slowing down though controversy continues to dog him.
He is embroiled in a three-year court battle with Joe Francis, founder of the
soft porn video empire Girls Gone Wild. In
documents lodged at court, Francis claims Wynn threatened in an email that he
would kill him over a $2 million gambling debt. Wynn is alleged to have written
that he would hit Francis in the back of the head with a shovel'. Wynn
denies the allegations and claims no such email exists. In
Asia, where Wynn now earns 70 per cent of his profits from the gambling mecca
of Macau, a resort on the South China Sea, he is embroiled in a battle with a
former business partner, Kazuo Okada. This
week, Okada sued Wynn for $140 millino for libel after each accused the other
of paying bribes within the Asian gambling industry. No amount of black marble
and old masters can hide the sleaziness at the heart of Las Vegas. It
is hard to believe Wynn when he claims he could just as easily have gone into
family theme parks if Walt Disney hadn't done it first. Indeed, it seems about
as likely as Prince Harry settling for free entry to Sleeping Beauty's Castle
rather than a weekend with his colourful acquaintances in Sin City. One
ponders if the prince may be planning to visit in any casino - hotels in the near
future, and little doubt that Australia's The Star or Crown Melbourne would love
to have him. The smart money say's Prince Harry will no be stepping into any casino
in Australia or anywhere else in the near future, perhaps more positive PR appearances
will be on the cards however.
Soprano
tops bill for Ten Days festival... Internationally-renowned
soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa will perform at next year's Ten Days on the Island
Festival in Tasmania. The
New Zealand singer is one of two top international acts secured by the organisers. Dame
Kiri will perform in Launceston, Hobart and Burnie during the festival next March. Festival
director Jo Duffy says the Tasmanian performances will give the acclaimed performer
a very intimate experience. "She's
performed at the Royal Albert Hall, she's won Grammy awards, she's performed at
La Scala, she's performed for the Queen and various members of the Royal Family,"
she said. "But
really a lot of performers, when they reach a certain stage in their career, they
want to almost get back to were they began, to be able to look their audiences
in the eye and really relate to them very closely." Award-winning
New York theatre company Elevator Repair Service will open the festival with a
performance based on an Ernest Hemingway novel. Ms
Duffy says interest is already huge. "We
have already had people interested in coming to Tasmania specifically to see this
show." "It's
only doing six performances and it's travelled around the world to many of the
very large international arts festivals and it's not been to anywhere else in
Australia."
Zionist casino mogul Sheldon Adelson rocks Israeli media...
The
loss-making 60-year old Israeli daily Maariv plans to stop appearing as a weekday
newspaper and convert to a digital-only edition unless a major new injection of
investment can be found to sustain it in printed form. But
its plight also likely to cast a fresh spotlight on the runaway success—at
least in circulation terms—of its newest competitor, the right-wing free
paper Israel Hayom, which is financially backed by US casino magnate, Sheldon
Adelson. While
the paper is likely to continue printing a weekend edition for the foreseeable
future, the planned move comes amid fears by journalists at the paper of significant
possible layoffs. Nir
Hefetz, Maariv’s editor-in chief told Army Radio yesterday: "We've been
looking at the digital direction for a number of months and it's all just a matter
of timing. If we won't have any oxygen, we will be forced to make the move quickly." Discount
Investments, which has a 62 per cent holding in the paper and is part of the financially
troubled IDB conglomerate has agreed to back a £2.3m bank loan, but one
which is apparently conditional on a halt to weekday printing and other cost cutting
measures. Israel
Hayom, which strongly supports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is owned
and funded by Mr Adelson, the American casino billionaire who is a major Republican
Party benefactor, and opponent of a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. After supporting the unsuccessful GOP primary candidate Newt Gingrich,
he indicated he could spend up to $100m on Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. While
Israel Hayom also has paid delivery to homes it is handed out for free by seemingly
ubiquitous newsboys across the country. It says that "reaching every citizen
and every venue in Israel is one of the key tenets of the paper’s mission.2 The
paper survived an unsuccessful attempt in 2009 by Knesset members to block majority
newspaper ownership by foreigners. An unnamed Yedhiot Ahronot executive was recently
quoted in the business daily Globes saying: "Adelson has simply brought ruin
to the Israeli newspaper market, and the Israeli politicians who benefit from
its flattering coverage have allowed this unprecedented phenomenon to occur." While
the paper has a range of established columnists and is highly professionally produced,
it was criticised over its deletion of an insulting reference to Mr Netanyahu
in its report of the letter left by Moshe Silman, who set fire to himself during
a social protest in Tel Aviv in July. Like
other media, Israel Hayom provided readers with an illustration of the letter
written by Mr Silman, who later died of his injuries. And it said that Mr Netanyahu
and his finance minister Yuval Steinitz were among those Mr Silman blamed for
his financial plight. But unlike other media it displayed an image which failed
to include the letter’s two lines describing the two politicians as “scumbags”—or
literally “stinking dead bodies.” According
to the latest authoritative survey by the market research organisation TGI Israel
Hayom, which boasts a weekday distribution of 275,000 copies, has a 38.1 per cent
share of that market, compared to its closest rival, Yedhiot Ahronot, with 36.1
per cent and Maariv with 11.1 per cent. The left-leaning daily Haaretz has a market
share of 7.2 per cent. (Belfast Telegraph)
Sam Razavi Wins 2012 APPT Melbourne Main Event - 03 Sep 2012
The
second Main Event of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) wrapped up this weekend
at the famed Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia as the final nine players competed
for the AUD $326,125 first prize. In the end, it was England’s Samad “Sam”
Razavi who emerged triumphant for his first ever APPT title. Razavi
entered the nine-handed final table second in chips with 1.318 million, one of
four players over the million chip mark. He had a bit of a gap to make up, though,
as Tom Grigg led the remaining field with 2.271 million chips. It
took Razavi about three hours to make his big move, but as they say, good things
come to those who wait, right? Throughout much of the final table, he was basically
just one of the crowd, not really doing much to distinguish himself aside from
eliminating Brendon Rubie in 9th place, but Rubie was down to just 30,000 chips
at that point, anyway. In the meantime, other players had made runs at the top,
including Wayne Bentley and Keith Walker. But finally, with just four players
remaining, Razavi made his move. Bentley
raised pre-flop to 60,000 and Razavi called. Razavi then check-called a 150,000
bet after the flop landed Q diamonds-6 diamonds-4 diamonds. The check-bet-call
pattern was the same on the turn A hearts and river 8 clubs (but for 250,000 and
400,000 chips, respectively). Apparently, Razavi wasn’t too worried about
losing the hand, quickly revealing Q spades-T clubs for just second pair (or maybe
he wanted to end the pain quickly, like tearing off a bandage). If that was confidence,
it was spot on, as Bentley mucked, handing the sizable pot to Razavi. That hand
sent Razavi’s stack up to 2.5 million, while Bentley’s fell to 1.1 million. Twenty
minutes later, Razavi grabbed another 200,000 chips, this time from Grigg, who
was seeing his fortunes decline. Just a few minutes later, though, Grigg took
a large sum of chips while eliminating Wayne Bentley in 4th place. Bentley had
gotten all of his chips in on the turn with a flush draw and Grigg had made the
call with top pair. The flush, obviously, never came to fruition. Going
into three-handed play, it was a very close race with Razavi holding 2.74 million
chips, Grigg claiming ownership to 2.6 million, and Walker clutching 2.2 million.
After more than an hour, it looked like Grigg was going to run away with the tournament,
as his stack was up to 5 million, while Razavi had 1.5 million and Walker had
just 1.2 million. But
Razavi doubled-up with 9-9 versus Grigg’s A-K, followed by Walker winning
an 800,000 chip pot from Grigg. And then, just like that, it was Sam Razavi’s
tournament. In what may have been the turning point of the tournament, Grigg opened
pre-flop to 105,000 and Razavi called. Grigg again bet 105,000 on the K-T-T flop
and Razavi again called. They both checked the 4 on the turn and Grigg checked
the 3 on the river, but Razavi bet 500,000. Grigg went deep into the tank and
finally made the call, though his cards were never revealed as Razavi flipped
over 3-3 for a rivered full house. That was nearly a one million chip pot for
Razavi, sending him up to 2.65 million chips. And
then, after having led for much of the final table, Tom Grigg was gone. Grigg
raised a hand pre-flop to 100,000 and was once again called by Razavi. Just like
before, Grigg bet 105,000 on the 7-7-5 flop and Razavi called. When a Queen landed
on the turn, Grigg threw down 215,000 chips and Razavi made the call. The river
was a 3 and Grigg checked, only to be shocked when Razavi moved all-in. Obviously
a huge decision, Grigg pondered it so long that Razavi had to call clock on him.
Grigg eventually made the (crying) call and Razavi instantly showed that he had
5-5 and flopped a boat. Grigg was eliminated and Razavi took a 5.9 million to
1.8 million chip lead into heads-up play against Keith Walker. Heads-up
play was short and sweet. On one of the opening hands, Walker three-bet all-in
pre-flop with pocket Jacks and Razavi called with K-T of spades. The flop presented
two spades, giving Razavi a flush draw, and the turn brought third, clinching
the hand and the tournament title for Sam Razavi. The
AUD $326,125 first prize is the largest cash of Razavi’s career. He has had
success in the past, placing sixth in the 2011 Aussie Millions Main Event for
$222,530 and winning the 2011 UK & Ireland Poker Tour – Cork Main Event
for $100,628. He has now earned over $800,000 on the live tournament circuit. 2012
Asia Pacific Poker Tour Melbourne – Final Table Results (AUD$) 1.
Sam Razavi – $326,125
2. Keith Walker – $205,345
3. Tom Grigg
– $114,750
4. Wayne Bentley – $87,575
5. Gary Benson –
$72,475
6. James Bills – $57,375
7. Kristian Lunardi – $45,300
8. Nigel Andrews – $36,240
9. Brendon Rubie – $27,175 (Poker News
Daily)
Bwin.party losing its poker face...
LONDON
(SHARECAST) - Online gaming titan bwin.party says revenues in the first half of
2012 grew at its casino and gaming offerings but poker has been hit by strong
competitors and difficulties in southern Europe. The
group was formed last year by the merger between German outfit bwin Interactive
Entertainment and British firm PartyGaming and still has co-Chief Executives Norbert
Teufelberger and Jim Ryan. On
a pro forma basis (comparing the results of both companies before the merger),
total revenue increased by 3% to €410.0m (2011: €398.0m). This was achieved
despite an 11% increase in gaming taxes so that the pro forma “clean”
earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation increased 13% to
€92.3m (2011: €81.9m). This is better than the forecast of €89m
made by analysts at Peel Hunt. Bwin.party
has also had to take a nasty one-off charge of €31.5m after the Spanish authorities
contacted all of the major online gaming operators making clear any online operator
that had ever accepted customers from Spain had an obligation to pay Spanish taxes.
The group offers
four online “experiences”: sports betting produced revenues of €128.1m
in the first half, versus €125.7m in 2011; casino
and games delivered €139.7m, against €124.3m in the prior year; bingo
was down from €33m to €31.5m; while the weakest performance was from
poker, which fell
from €104.9m to €96.4m. In
a joint statement, Ryan and Teufelberger said they were "determined to return
[poker] to growth through execution of a detailed plan that includes pooling our
poker liquidity as well as repositioning our flagship PartyPoker
brand.” The
interim dividend has been increased by 10% to 1.72p per share although the company
warned that net gaming revenue since June has fallen 8% as the end of the Euro
2012 Championships and a late start to the Bundesliga hit takings.
Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment: PartyCasino gets new 'Under the Sea' slot game
Check
out PartyCasino
via the Media Man network for more on this exciting new slot game which can be
played for free or played for money. Bwin.Party is one of the most financially
stable gaming companies on the planet and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
They also high security and high excitment online poker, sports betting and more.
New Trailer For Marvel Heroes...
Gazillion
Entertainment is proud to show off a new trailer for Marvel Heroes. The new trailer
announces 3 new playable heroes in the game – Daredevil, Punisher, and Squirrel
Girl. The trailer made its debut at the Marvel Heroes panel at PAX 2012. The panel
featured Gazillion President David Brevik (one of the creators of Diablo!), legendary
Marvel writer Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man! Avengers vs. X-Men! And)
and Marvel’s mighty VP of Games Production TQ Jefferson. If you look closely,
you’ll also see a bunch of villains were also revealed in the trailer, including
Mr. Fisk the notorious crime lord. Website:
http://www.youtube.com/marvelheroesonline About
Marvel Heroes... Marvel
Heroes is a FREE-TO-PLAY action-packed massively multiplayer online game created
by David Brevik, the visionary behind Diablo and Diablo 2. Set in the iconic Marvel
Universe, Marvel Heroes combines the core game-play style of Diablo and MMOs with
the expansive library of heroes from the Marvel Universe. In the game, players
can collect and play as their favorite Marvel Superheroes (including Iron Man,
Thor, Wolverine, Hulk, Spider Man, Captain America and many others). Team up with
friends and try to stop Doctor Doom from devastating the world with the power
of the Cosmic Cube in a story crafted by comic-book super-scribe Brian Michael
Bendis.
The Main Event's top 10 best MMA fights of the rest of 2012...
This
weekend has been more about the fight that didn’t happen than any that did. UFC
151 was canceled Aug. 23 and the the finger of blame has been pointed in every
which direction. The basics are that Dan Henderson partially tore his MCL and
was unable to compete in the main event against Jon Jones. Jones was given a fill-in
opponent in Chael Sonnen, but turned it down, causing the UFC to cancel the show
altogether and inciting president Dana White to go all medievel on Jones in a
media conference call. White
blames Jones and his coach Greg Jackson. Jones has blamed the UFC, himself and
Henderson (or “that old man,” according to a tweet Saturday). There’s
more finger pointing here than in the Republic National Convention. Just not as
many empty chairs or old, senile actors.
But what’s done is done. Jones
will face Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 on Sept. 22. UFC 151 will forever be known
as the event that wasn’t and it’s time to move on. There
are plenty of exciting fights to look forward to before 2013. Here’s a look
at our top 10 (barring injuries): 10.
Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le (UFC on Fuel TV 6, Nov. 10 in Macau)
This one isn’t
as much about the fight as it is about the significance of the event – the
UFC’s first in China. Neither of these guys is currently in their prime,
but they always give crowd-pleasing performances. Le, a native of Vietnam, should
have a massive Asian following. 9.
Eddie Alvarez vs. Patricky Freire (Bellator 76, Oct. 12 in Windsor, Ontario)
Alvarez might have dropped the Bellator title last year to Michael Chandler, but
he’s still one of the top 15 lightweights in the world. This also could be
his last Bellator fight with his contract expiring – don’t be surprised
if he’s in the UFC in 2013. Explosive knockout artist Freire will be a game
opponent. 8. Joseph
Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson, UFC flyweight title (UFC 152, Sept. 22 in Toronto)
Don’t blink. These are two of the fastest guys in MMA and both challenged
for the bantamweight title before the UFC created its flyweight division. This
bout will determine the company’s first-ever flyweight champion and these
are legitimately the top two guys in the world at 125. 7.
Shane Carwin vs. Roy Nelson (TUF 16 finale, Dec. 15 in Las Vegas)
There’s
very little chance this one leaves the first round. Carwin and Nelson love to
slug it out and after coaching against one another on “The Ultimate Fighter”
they probably won’t be too friendly. It’ll be nice to see Carwin, a
former heavyweight top contender, back in the cage. 6.
Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir (Strikeforce: Mir vs. Cormier, Oct. 27 in TBA)
This might be a Strikeforce fight, but it has UFC implications. Mir, the former
UFC heavyweight champion, takes on Strikeforce champ Cormier in somewhat of a
crossover matchup. But Cormier will be in the UFC right after this fight courtesy
of Strikeforce's heavyweight division being disbanded and a win here puts him
on path for a title shot in 2013. 5.
BJ Penn vs. Rory MacDonald (UFC on Fox 5, Dec. 8 in Seattle)
The trash talk
has already been fun between the two, but things will really heat up when they
enter the Octagon. Think of this as something of a passing of the torch fight.
Penn, in the twilight of his career, will put up a strong challenge against the
young lion, but the multi-faceted MacDonald is nearing superstardom in the welterweight
division. 4. Benson
Henderson (c) vs. Nate Diaz, UFC lightweight title (UFC on Fox 5, Dec. 8 in Seattle)
This could easily be a Fight of the Year candidate if it goes how it’s supposed
to. Neither of these guys gives an inch – both Henderson and Diaz are perpetually
moving forward. A win here, against a superior standup fighter in Diaz, would
put Henderson’s name among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. 3.
Jose Aldo (c) vs. Frankie Edgar, UFC featherweight title (UFC 153, Oct. 13 in
Rio)
Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Aldo was supposed to defend his title
against Erik Koch, but Koch had to pull out with an injury and his loss is the
fans’ gain. Edgar was the UFC lightweight champion for more than a year and
his last two losses were by the slimmest of margins. Aldo, meanwhile, is a buzzsaw
– one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. This is, indeed,
a superfight. 2.
Georges St. Pierre (c) vs. Carlos Condit, UFC welterweight unification (UFC 154,
Nov. 17 in Montreal)
It seems like it’s been forever since St. Pierre
has fought. One of the best MMA fighters of all time has not competed in more
than a year and a half due to injuries, including a torn ACL. He returns to face
red-hot Carlos Condit, who is coming off a win over Nick Diaz in January. St.
Pierre, a dominant champ, has never faced anyone with the combination of speed,
athleticism and technique that Condit has. 1.
Junior dos Santos (c) vs. Cain Velasquez, UFC heavyweight title (UFC 155, Dec.
29 in Las Vegas)
This time, we’ll get the incredible battle of wills
that we were promised last year. Velasquez lost his title to dos Santos last November
in just over a minute via stunning knockout. To make matters worse, it was the
UFC’s first show on Fox and the company took undeserved criticism for the
quick, flash KO. Who
knew that dos Santos-Velasquez wouldn’t be a war? This one will make up for
it, closing the year on a huge high note – the two best heavyweights in the
world trading in the center of the cage. Only one will be standing at the end.
(New
York Post)
Captains agree it's Manly or Dogs to win - 3rd September 2012...
The
NRL competition is a two-horse race between last year's premiers and this year's
minor premiers, according to the eight captains taking part. The
pair, going head to head at ANZ Stadium in a qualifying final, were the overwhelming
favourites in a poll of the team leaders at Monday's captains' call. Premiership
favourites the Sea Eagles were favoured by Canterbury's Michael Ennis and Cronulla's
Paul Gallen as the team to beat, while North Queensland's Johnathan Thurston and
Canberra's Terry Campese like the chances of this year's minor premiers. 'I
can't go past Manly obviously with the side that they've got,' Gallen said. 'It's
a pretty good side and they've been there and done it before.' South
Sydney's Michael Crocker summed up this year's premiership race perfectly when
he admitted he couldn't pick a favourite between the two. The
Raiders only just squeezed into the finals on the back of a five-game winning
streak, but they've been dubbed the dark horse of the competition, alongside the
Rabbitohs, who emerged from a slump with two wins to finish the regular season. 'Souths
have got a really good style of play and I reckon they're the smokies,' Thurston
said. 'They've
flown under the radar. 'Every
team goes through a period like that (where they lose a few) but they've bounced
back.' After witnessing
the Raiders pile on 36 unanswered points against last year's grand finalists the
Warriors, Crocker admits he will be keeping one eye on the Green Machine. 'The
way the Raiders have been playing, they're a scary prospect,' he said. 'If
you look at their performance in the second half yesterday, when they were 22-6
down at halftime, to come out and score 36 points, they've got that ability and
so many class players across the park.' Ben
Barba was unanimously anointed this year's Dally M Medal winner for his scintillating
season with the Bulldogs, and was tied with Thurston on two votes a piece as the
player most oppositions will fear these finals. Manly's
Jason King declined the opportunity to participate in the poll.
News Entertainment
news, WWE current and future legends, NWO, Hollywood, Australia, Sin City, Las
Vegas, Olympics, gaming and more... - 30th July 2012 Kevin
Nash teases NWO - New World Order return... Kevin
Nash, who was likely joking, teased an nWo reunion on his Twitter account recently,
writing, "A lot of you wanted an NWO reunion,there will be one.As you know
we only come in take over mode.Stay tuned!!!" The message was then re-tweeted
by TNA Executive Eric Bischoff.
Nash later wrote, "Rock will never walk
out of the Rumble with the belt we got Phils back... Sorry @CMPunk we got your
back!!!!" Nash
also stated that Punk would be the leader and that the nWo army would be there
"to protect the gold."
Wrestling legend Rey wants Pacquiao-Floyd in WWE ring...
During
Rey Mysterio's tour stop in Manila, Philippines, Mysterio teased a mixed tag match
with top boxing stars Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who "competed"
at WrestleMania 24 four years ago. “I love Manny. In fact, Manny, if you’re
watching right now, I’m inviting you to join forces with Rey Mysterio in
the WWE to take on “Money” (Floyd) Mayweather," Rey said on Manila
TV, playing off Mayweather and Pacquiao unable to come together on a dream boxing
fight. "I know you don’t need me to take him on but this is just a teaser:
me and you versus him and Alberto Del Rio."
'Stone Cold' Steve Austin and 'Iron' Mike Tyson at WWE Summerslam weekend function...
WWE
Hall of Famers "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Mike Tyson are scheduled
to attend a Summerslam Weekend function in Los Angeles, according to WWE announcer
Jim Ross. Ross wrote in his latest blog on jrsbarbq.com: "If you see me wandering
around L.A. Summerslam weekend, I'm there for a major, THQ function at the Grammy
Museum the night before the PPV. Among those scheduled to attend the private affair
are @steveaustinBSR and @miketyson, among many others."
WWE Announcer Legend Jim Ross Blog Update...
WWE
Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with his latest blog about Monday's 1,000th episode
of RAW, here are just a few highlights: RAW
1000: "Memorable week especially kicking it off with RAW1000 in St Louis.
No guarantees that any of us will be around for RAW2000 so I particularly enjoyed
my experiences Monday night. "The
reality of the matter is this...it is highly unlikely, thanks Gorilla, that exact
collection of performers will EVER be under the same roof again. I look back upon
my attendance at RAW1000 as a privilege and am grateful to have had the opportunity
to see so many old friends that have meant a great deal to me over my long career." Inducting
Mick Foley in the WWE Hall of Fame: "@RealMickFoley when asked who would
induct him if/when Mick goes into the WWE HOF mentioned Terry Funk and yours truly.
While I would love to honor Mick on that special occasion, there is no way that
I would ever put myself in the same category with Terry Funk. Terry mentored Mick
and treated Mick like a son. While I'd love to induct Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy into
the WWE HOF, I think that Terry Funk is the best choice. However, I stand ready
if called upon." If
CM Punk would reform the nWo: "A follower on @JRsBBQ on Twitter asked if
I thought @CMPunk would reform the nWo. I have no idea if this topic is any thing
more than speculation based on my friend Kevin Nash having some fun with the subject
on Twitter. Bottom line is that I don't know but I would be surprised if Punk
headed up a faction at this time because he seems to be such a solitary man. The
only way that I see that ever happening at this stage of Punk's career is if he
had complete control on who comprised the group."
Pro Wrestling giant Great Khali has tumor removed...
WWE
wrestler Great Khali (Dalip Singh) had a tumor removed on Wednesday, which will
put him out of action for 2-3 months. The tumor was on Khali's pituitary gland,
which caused him to increase in height to over seven-feet-tall. However, if left
untreated, the tumor could have been fatal, according to WWE's chief medical director,
Dr. Joseph Maroon. It's the same issue that affected Andre the Giant. Surgery
was performed at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh, Pa.
TNA Video: Funny or Die Olympic training featuring Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam...
TNA
stars Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam are featured in Funny or Die video. The theme
is Angle returning to the Olympics with RVD as his trainer. You can check out
the video at Funnyordie.com/videos/636c3d08e1/olympic-trials-with-kurt-angle?playlist=featured_videos
‘Squirrelly’ move puts U.S. wrestler on map...
LONDON
— It began as a goof — two brothers horsing around, dreaming up exotic
wrestling moves straight out of the Vince McMahon WWE handbook and trying them
out on each other. The
move has since gone viral as a YouTube sensation, become a nickname and, before
the 2012 London Games are over, it might become part of U.S. Olympic lore —
a highlight burned into our minds forever. Ellis
Coleman and his older brother, Lillashawn, used to wrestle with each other at
their high school outside of Chicago when they would dial up crazy moves to use
on each other. The
best of them was called the “Flying Squirrel.’’ Ellis never forgot
it, and now has turned it into a cottage industry for himself. Coleman,
at age 21 the youngest member of the six-man U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling
team, has used the move about a dozen times in competition. Perhaps
the highest profile time he used it was in last year’s Junior World Championships
to come back and beat his opponent in the semifinals. ESPN ranked the move third
on its “Best of the Best Highlights’’ for 2011. “It’s
been crazy,’’ Coleman said yesterday. “Every time someone sees
it, kids are reaching out to me on Facebook and Twitter asking me to show them
the move.’’ In
the words of Coleman, one of a host of athletes at these Olympic Games representing
the New York Athletic Club, here’s how the move is executed: “You snap
the opponent’s head down, leap over him and, as you land on your feet, you
grab his waist, pull him over, pick him up and throw him down.’’ In
Greco-Roman wrestling, the competitors get points for their various moves. Five
points is the most you can get for one move. Coleman said he has used the move
about a dozen times and usually gets at least three points for it. He
first unveiled it out of desperation in a match he was losing, stunned his opponent
with it and went on to win it. Coleman
said he likes to use the move as an element of surprise and isn’t sure if
he will use it in the Olympics. “If
I’m losing, though, you’ll definitely see it,’’ he said. “It’s
a risky move. It’s a spur-of-the-moment thing. It’s so sudden you can’t
stop it. I always pictured myself, even in the Olympic setting and losing in the
finals match, third period with 15 seconds left, hitting the ‘Flying Squirrel’
and everyone going crazy. I still picture it.” Though
Coleman’s teammates chide him for the move, they also embrace his guts for
using it. “They
should probably put him on medication for even trying that,” teammate Justin
Lester said jokingly. “He’s crazy for doing it, but that’s what’s
going to make him good in the long run. You’ve got guys like him who are
innovative and aren’t afraid to wrestle.’’ “It’s
definitely a move of desperation,’’ said Dremiel Byers, the elder statesman
and heavyweight of the Greco-Roman team at age 37. “It’s
his wild card. It lets the opponent know he’ll do anything to win.’’ U.S.
Wrestling Greco-Roman coach Steve Fraser said Coleman’s flash has “brought
a lot of attention to wrestling and Greco. He’s talented, hungry and young
… and a pleasure to work with. He’s a very coachable kid. We love him.” The
“Flying Squirrel’’ craze reached such a pitch that Coleman recently
bought himself a live flying squirrel pet and named him Rocky, who is about 45
days old and eats lot of apples and seeds. “They
bond with their owners,’’ Coleman said. “He sleeps during the day
and is very nocturnal, so I’ll take him out of his cage and he’ll crawl
on me and fly to the curtains. Eventually, when he bonds with me, I’ll be
able to take him out in my pocket and he’ll stay there without flying away.’’ Coleman
dreams of flying away from these Olympics with some hardware. Something gold,
perhaps. (The New York Post)
NSW govt investigates 'floating casino'...
The
NSW government is investigating whether cruise company P&O operated an illegal
floating casino off the NSW coast. Hospitality
Minister George Souris on Wednesday said a government authority was investigating
an allegation that passengers could play blackjack, pontoon, poker and roulette
on a cruise that left Sydney on Friday night. The
cruise ship also had 40 poker machines onboard and let passengers charge $5000
on their credit cards for gambling, News Ltd reported. "I've
asked the Office of Liquor and Gaming to investigate whether a casino operation
was under way in NSW territorial waters or whether gambling operations were under
way in commonwealth waters," he told reporters in Sydney. "It
may be that NSW jurisdiction was breached, it may be that the commonwealth jurisdiction
was breached. It may be even that both were breached." He
said NSW had no jurisdiction beyond 12 nautical miles from shore. "Those
are international waters," he said. "In
international shipping after the 12-nautical-mile limit it opens boats to gambling
but also to duty-free liquor sales."
James Packer to speak at tourism conference in Canberra...
Billionare
James Packer will be the drawcard for hoteliers, resort operators and owners attending
a tourism conference in Canberra in late October. Mr Packer will open the Tourism
& Transport Forum's annual "Leadership 2012" conference. The
gaming tycoon is a major tourism player given his Crown resorts in Perth and Melbourne
attract 25 million visitors a year...
Jackman to Begin Filming ‘Wolverine’ in Australia...
Hollywood
star Hugh Jackman will begin filming the next installment of his “X-Men”
spin-off movies in Sydney next week, even though the female lead is yet to be
confirmed. Jackman,
who admitted struggling to get into shape after packing on the pounds to play
Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables,” said his role as Wolverine, which
he first played 12 years ago, was “the backbone of my career.” “I
love the character. I still love the character,” he said. “I had no
choice at the time, I was going to take anything that came along, but I happened
to have walked into probably the most interesting and complex of the superhero
characters.” “I’ve
always loved playing it and when I stop loving it I’ll stop doing it,”
he added.
Melco Crown Project Gets Red Light on Casino...
Macau
casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. MPEL +2.32% still doesn't have
permission to build a casino at its latest project, according to a revised government
contract published Wednesday. The
Macao Studio City project, in which Melco Crown has a 60% equity interest, is
designated for a five-star hotel and film facilities, indicates the latest government
contract detailing various revisions to the agreement. But the document doesn't
mention any casino facilities despite the company's earlier statements they hope
to open up to 400 gambling tables at the property. It's possible the government
could give the green-light on a casino later, but the uncertainty could complicate
the company's efforts to finance the project. Melco
Crown, backed by Lawrence Ho and James Packer—the sons of Macau gambling
tycoon Stanley Ho and the late Australian casino-and-media magnate Kerry Packer—is
one of six casino license holders in Macau, where it already runs two casino-resort
properties in the world's largest gambling hub. A
representative for Melco Crown didn't respond to requests for comment. In
June 2011, Melco Crown signed a $360 million deal to gain control over the Macao
Studio City project, resolving a bitter dispute between the project's earlier
partners that had escalated to the Hong Kong courts, stalling development for
years. New Cotai Holdings LLC, an arm of U.S. investment firms Oaktree Capital
Management L.P. and Silver Point Capital L.P., retained its 40% stake in the project. Earlier
this month Melco Crown announced plans to enter the burgeoning Philippines market
by teaming up with local property developer Belle Corp. BEL.PH -0.20% to partner
on a casino resort that will cost at least $1 billion in an area the Philippines
hopes will become Manila's version of the Las Vegas Strip. (The Wall Street Journal)
First Second unveils André the Giant comic...
First
Second has confirmed its André the Giant biography. Cartoonist
Box Brown is working on the book charting the life of the professional wrestler
and actor, reports ICv2. André
Roussimoff was a star and one-time champion of the World Wrestling Federation
(now WWE). He
is also known for his role in cult classic movie The Princess Bride. Roussimoff
has the condition acromegaly, which saw him grow to 7'4" in height. He died
of heart failure in 1993 at the age of 46. Box
is the author of Xeric grant-funded graphic novel Love Is a Peculiar Type of Thing. The
untitled André the Giant biography is scheduled for release in 2014. (Digital
Spy)
The Expendables 2 slapped with R rating for extreme violence...
Action
star-laden sequel The Expendables 2 has been given an R rating for its violent
and sexual content in the US. Bruce
Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and co will even be throwing
some bad language into the mix as they bat off hostile attackers in this follow-up
to the 2010 action-packed extravaganza. Lionsgate
was rumoured to have been considering a PG-13 rating for the film, which is due
for release in the States on August 17th. Once
again, Stallone assembles his hardened team of old-school mercenaries for a special
mission - taking revenge after one of their squad is murdered on the job. Director
Simon West was never in any doubt that the film would receive such a high rating,
given the 'very hard' violence and language perpetrated by the all-star cast throughout
the film. 'I'm
sure there were some financial people who wanted it to be PG-13 because they thought
it would somehow make more money or have a broader audience, but there was no
way,' he told wegotthiscovered.com. 'When
you get these guys on the set, they can't say a line without putting the F-bomb
in it, and they can't pick up a gun without blowing several limbs off.' (Metro) Website
Reviews Media Website
Review: Radio 2UE - www.2ue.com Website
Review: Sydney Morning Herald - www.smh.com.au Website
Comparison: Sydney Morning Herald VS Radio 2UE Website
Review: 2GB - www.2gb.com.au Website
Review: Radio Info - www.radioinfo.com.au Website
Review: ABC Online - www.abc.net.au Website
Review: Universal Online Australia B2B extranet - www.universalonline.com.au Website
Review - Airview Aerial Photography - www.airviewonline.com.au Website
Review: MediaMan - www.mediaman.com.au Website
Rankings & Intelligence Hitwise
Australia profile Hitwise
official website CyberJournalist.net:
Top news websites RedSheriff Nielsen
Media Research Australia Jupiter
Research: Entertainment & Media Google-Dance.com Link
Popularity Checker Australian
Net Guide Alexa URLwire.com
Articles Give
him a Tingle - The Age Sports
and entertainment website reviews What
constitutes a great website (Australia.Internet.com) Online
behavior is becoming habitual (Australia.Internet.com) Selling
the political message online (Australia.Internet.com) Old
media's take on new media (Australia.Internet.com) Seven
measures up (Australia.Internet.com) TV
losing the ratings game (Australia.Internet.com) SMEs
say website has increased effectiveness - Sydney Morning Herald - 29th July 2003
60
ways to improve your news site - CyberJournalist.net Scandal
puts Internet in the spotlight - CNN - 30th January 1998 The
battle for Australia's eyeballs: An overview - Online Journalism Review - 9th
July 2003 Online
journalism down under: A primmer - Online Journalism Review - 10th July 2002 The
Players: Oz's media barons rush to stake claims on the web - OJR - 9th July 2002 NineMSN:
Leader in Australian TV websites, by Greg Tingle - OJR - 19th June 2003 One-man
news media websites: a place in cyberspace, by Greg Tingle - Poynter - 24th March
2003
Interviews RedSheriff,
CEO, Richard Webb - 16th May 2003 Electronic
Frontier Foundation, Senior Attorney, Lee Tien - 25th July 2003 more
interviews Profiles Statistics
and Rankings News Technology
News Game
Reviews Games Gaming
Would
you like your website reviewed? Contact
us. Mediaman Mediaman
StumbleUpon.com Mediaman
YouTube.com Mediaman
Ning.com Casino
News Media Ning.com Featured
on Google
Directory - Best Of The Web The
Age Marketing
Magazine website Hitwise
Australia top ten finalist - 2005 - current | 
