Sunday, March 29, 2009
KATEY SAGAL TERRIFIED
EXCLUSIVE: KATEY SAGAL TERRIFIED
Photo by: Fox
Katey Sagal's producer hubby gets death threats --and now both fear they're on the hit list of killer motorcycle gangs!
With her life on the line, Katey, who stars as hardboiled wife and mother of two motorcycle gang members in the FX series Sons of Anarchy has amped up her personal security, according to insiders.
"The show is so realistic that actual motorcycle gang members have been making threats against Katey and her husband. The mail and phone threats have got them frightened out of their wits!" revealed a source close to the couple.
Sons of Anarchy was created by Katey's husband, writer-producer Kurt Sutter, who also developed the Emmy-winning FX crime drama The Shield.
"Security has been beefed up on the set, and Katey and Kurt have added additional security at their L.A. home as well," said the source.
Katey's hubby Kurt Sutter told a reporter in a recent interview, "I've gotten my share of death threats. Some people are not happy…The outlaw culture by nature is about not being put into a box."
Katey who's best known for Married With Children and the voice of one-eyed animated hottie Leela on Futurama is scared out of her wits.
"She's never experienced anything like this and it's completely unnerved her. She not only has her own welfare to think about, but also her husband and kids."
"Because the series is so realistic, the real-life bad guys are feeling threatened by it," the sourcer divulged.
For the full story pick up the latest ENQUIRER.
YOU'RE PROBABLY A TERRORIST IF....
By Vicki Crawford
Posted March 22, 2009
You're probably a terrorist if you supported former presidential candidates like Ron Paul, Bob Barr, or Chuck Baldwin. The guy with the flip-charts doesn't count. Yet.
You're probably a terrorist if you're against the New World Order, the North American Union, and those united numbskulls, the UN. Reading Tom Clancy novels doesn't help your case.
You're probably a terrorist if you're against abortion, against illegal immigration, and against gun control. If you're just against paying taxes you could be a terrorist unless you're a member of the presidential cabinet or a congressional representative, then you're excused.
You're probably a terrorist if you're against RFIDs (Radio Frequency Identification) and universal service programs. You're probably a terrorist if you're for the US Constitution, for property rights, for national sovereignty, and for Christian ideologies.
You're probably a terrorist if you've seen Aaron Russo's "America: Freedom to Fascism". Same goes if you've watched "Zeitgeist". Got to wonder if "V for Vengeance" is on the list.
You're probably a terrorist if you stock up on things like water, baby formula, ammo, cigarettes, alcohol, denim jeans, and medicines. And for all you folks rushing out to buy guns and ammo out of fear that the current administration will enact severe gun restrictions, hey, you may have made the list as well.
Full Story
Posted March 22, 2009
You're probably a terrorist if you supported former presidential candidates like Ron Paul, Bob Barr, or Chuck Baldwin. The guy with the flip-charts doesn't count. Yet.
You're probably a terrorist if you're against the New World Order, the North American Union, and those united numbskulls, the UN. Reading Tom Clancy novels doesn't help your case.
You're probably a terrorist if you're against abortion, against illegal immigration, and against gun control. If you're just against paying taxes you could be a terrorist unless you're a member of the presidential cabinet or a congressional representative, then you're excused.
You're probably a terrorist if you're against RFIDs (Radio Frequency Identification) and universal service programs. You're probably a terrorist if you're for the US Constitution, for property rights, for national sovereignty, and for Christian ideologies.
You're probably a terrorist if you've seen Aaron Russo's "America: Freedom to Fascism". Same goes if you've watched "Zeitgeist". Got to wonder if "V for Vengeance" is on the list.
You're probably a terrorist if you stock up on things like water, baby formula, ammo, cigarettes, alcohol, denim jeans, and medicines. And for all you folks rushing out to buy guns and ammo out of fear that the current administration will enact severe gun restrictions, hey, you may have made the list as well.
Full Story
The Visitor (2007)
writer: Thomas McCarthy
starring: Richard Jenkins,Haaz Sleiman,Danai Jekesai Gurira,Hiam Abass
genre: Drama
Γενικά πιστεύω ότι υπάρχουν τριών ειδών ταινίες που μπορεί κάποιος να δει. Οι ταινίες που έχουν καλό marketing, αυτές που μας προτείνουν φίλοι και αυτές τις οποίες τις ανακαλύπτεις ψάχνοντας όταν τυχαίνει να δεις ή να ακούσεις έναν τίτλο. Στην τρίτη κατηγορία άνηκε για μένα και το the Visitor. Νομίζω ότι αυτές οι ταινίες είναι που σε αγγίζουν, περισσότερο γιατί ξέρεις ότι δεν στις επέβαλε κάποιος manager αλλά απλά κέρδισαν τον σεβασμό σου.
Η πρώτη φορά που είδα τον Τ. McCarthy ήταν στον ρόλο ενός δημοσιογράφου στη σειρά the Wire. Άρα ο σεβασμός ήταν δεδομένος. Ύστερα είδα και το Station Agent, το οποίο ήταν και το πρώτο του σκηνοθετικό δημιούργημα, μια πολύ καλή και ενδιαφέρουσα ταινία. Και τώρα, μόλις στο δεύτερό του έργο ο άνθρωπος αυτός έγραψε, σκηνοθέτησε και δημιούργησε ένα φιλμ το οποίο μπορεί να μην έχει τα μεγάλα ονόματα αλλά έχει αληθινή κινηματογραφική τέχνη και μαγεία.
Μιλάμε για την ιστορία του καθηγητή ενός κολεγίου(που θα μπορούσε και εύκολα να θυμίσει και καθηγητή ελληνικού πανεπιστημίου, μίζερο, κακό προς τους φοιτητές κτλ.) ο οποίος όταν καλείται να επισκεφτεί τη Νέα Υόρκη για ένα συνέδριο βρίσκει στο διαμέρισμά του ένα ζευγάρι παράνομων μεταναστών, το οποίο έχει εξαπατηθεί νομίζοντας ότι νοικιάζει αυτό το διαμέρισμα νόμιμα. Έτσι λοιπόν ο Walter (Richard Jenkins) συναντάει τον Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) και τη Zainab (Danai Jekesai Gurira). Ο Walter θα τους αφήσει να ζήσουν μαζί του μιας και αυτός θα μείνει μόνο για λίγες μέρες. Η αγάπη του Walter για τη κλασσική μουσική και του Tarek για αφρικάνικη μουσική θα τους φέρει κοντά ώσπου ο Tarek συλλαμβάνεται και απειλείται με απέλαση.
Σκηνοθετικά η ταινία υποστηρίζει τους χαρακτήρες. Αργή δυναμική κάμερα δίνει την ελευθερία στους ηθοποιούς να ξεδιπλωθούν εκφραστικά μέσα από διαστήματα σιωπής, τα οποία είναι κάθε άλλο παρά κουραστικά. Πολλές φορές ακουμπάει τα όρια του σινεφίλ χωρίς όμως να τα περνάει. Το μεστό και γλυκόπικρο φινάλε συμπληρώνει άψογα το παζλ μιας εξαιρετικής ταινίας.
Η ηθοποιία είναι κατά τη γνώμη μου το πιο δυνατό κομμάτι της ταινίας. Οι τέσσερις ηθοποιοί στους οποίους στηρίζεται η ταινία έδεσαν ιδανικά με μια χημεία που τους επέτρεψε να αναδείξουν ο καθένας τον χαρακτήρα του αλλά και όλοι μαζί την ταινία και το σενάριο. Μπροστάρης βέβαια είναι ο Jenkins ο οποίος κέρδισε δικαίως και μια υποψηφιότητα και για τα Όσκαρ. Ο Jenkins δίνει μια μοναδική παράσταση που βασίζεται κυρίως στην εκφραστικότητα και στη σιωπή, μιας και ο χαρακτήρας του δεν αναλύεται σε συζητήσεις και σε ξεσπάσματα συναισθημάτων. Αλλά και οι δύο νέοι ηθοποιοί κρατάνε το επίπεδο ψηλά καθώς ο καθένας καταφέρνει να δώσει μια διαφορετική οπτική στη ταινία ενσαρκώνοντας τον χαρακτήρα του άψογα. Τέλος τι μπορώ να πω για την Hiam Abass… μια παρουσία που συμπληρώνει άψογα τον Jenkins στο ρόλο της μητέρας του Tarek που βλέπει το παιδί της να αντιμετωπίζει το φάσμα της απέλασης χωρίς να μπορεί καν να το επισκεφτεί στο κρατητήριο γιατί και η ίδια βρίσκεται παράνομα στη χώρα. Ο ρόλος είναι γραμμένος για αυτή και είμαι σίγουρος ότι ήταν η καλύτερη επιλογή.
Όσον αφορά τον ήχο και τη μουσική έχουν αναδειχθεί σε έναν από τους κεντρικούς άξονες της ταινίας, καθώς αποτελεί και κύριο στοιχείο της πλοκής. Η εναλλαγή των κλασσικών και των αφρικανικούς ήχων των τύμπανων και της απόλυτης ησυχίας δίνουν στη ταινία και σε κάθε μεμονωμένη σκηνή μια άγρια δυναμική.
Αυτή η ταινία χωρίς να γίνει κουραστική σε κάνει να σκεφτείς ακουμπώντας πολλά θέματα της αμερικάνικης κοινωνίας αλλά και του ανθρώπινου ψυχισμού. Η κατάσταση της μετά-τρομοκρατίας Αμερικής με την αντιμετώπιση των μεταναστών ως ανθρώπων δεύτερης κατηγορίας αλλά κυρίως οι έννοιες της φιλίας, της ανθρωπιάς και της αγάπης παρουσιάζονται ιδανικά. Χωρίς μελοδραματισμούς και υπερβολές αυτή η ταινία σε προβληματίζει και σε γεμίζει συναισθήματα. Αισιοδοξία, αγάπη για τη ζωή και πάνω απ’ όλα αγάπη για τον άνθρωπο. Οι χαρακτήρες είναι αληθινοί, άνθρωποι που μπορεί να βλέπεις κάθε μέρα στον δρόμο και που όμως έχουν να πουν μια ιστορία, η οποία δε ξεχειλίζει από μυθιστορηματικές υπερβολές και παραμυθένια φινάλε, αλλά μπορεί να σου δώσει περισσότερα από αυτά. Σκέψη.
Προσωπικά είναι το είδος των ταινιών που με συναρπάζει, αλλά ούτως ή άλλως, πιστεύω ότι είναι μια από τις καλύτερες ταινίες της χρονιάς που ο καθένας αξίζει να δει. Μπορεί να μη κέρδισε κανένα αγαλματάκι αλλά άξιζε, γι’ αυτό σας διαβεβαιώνω. Πραγματικά περιμένω με αγωνία να δω την επόμενη δουλειά δουλειά του Thomas McCarthy. Μέχρι τότε…
Καλή προβολή!
Προσωπική βαθμολογία :
Review by Gamapi
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Milk (2008)
director: Gus Van Sant
writer: Dustin Lance Black
starring: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna, James Franco
genre: Biopic, Drama
Ομοφυλοφιλία και ακτιβισμός. Δύο κατακριτέες έννοιες ακόμα και στην σημερινή εποχή, από μεγάλη μερίδα ατόμων με παρωπίδες και απο “βολεμένους” μικροαστούς, πνιγμένους στα κλισέ του σύγχρονου τρόπου ζωής.
Στο Milk λοιπόν, ανοιχτόμυαλοι μας αναγνώστες έχουμε και τις δύο αυτές έννοιες και μάλιστα στον υπερσυντέλικο.
Η Ιστορία: (spoiler alert): (συγχωρέστε με για το μέγεθος μα πιστέψτε με αξίζει)
Σαραντάχρονος ομοφυλόφιλος (Harvey Milk) το 1970 στην Νέα Υόρκη, με (όπως ο ίδιος υποστηρίζει) κανένα σπουδαίο επίτευγμα στην ζωή του , ερωτεύεται με μικρότερο ομοϊδεάτη του (James Franco) και αποφασίζουν, για να “βγούν απο την ντουλάπα” της καταπίεσης, να μετακομίσουν στον Σαν Φρανσίσκο, μια πιο ανοιχτόμυαλη πόλη για να ξεκινήσουν μια νέα ζωή .
'Ετσι λοιπόν, ανοίγουν ένα μικρό μαγαζί με είδη φωτογραφίας και αντιμετωπίζουν από το ξεκίνημα του, τον ρατσισμό απέναντι τους, λόγω των σεξουαλικών τους προτιμήσεων . Εδώ είναι και το σημείο, όπου ο Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), αποφασίζει να βάλει ένα τέλος σε όλο αυτό. Όντας ιδεολογικά ακτιβιστής, δημιουργεί ένα κίνημα στο Σαν Φρανσίσκο, το οποίο μποϊκοτάρει τον ρατσισμό(αντιδρώντας σε όσα μαγαζιά ήταν ενάντια σε αυτούς). Και καταφέρνει μέσα σε λίγο χρονικό διάστημα να μαζέψει στο Κάστρο (περιοχή του Σαν Φρανσίσκο), μια τεράστια μερίδα ομοφυλόφιλων ακτιβιστών και ακτιβιστριών, όπως επίσης και να πάρει με το μέρος του πολλούς από τους ντόπιους.
Παρ' όλα αυτά, η αστυνομία (υποκινούμενη από το εν γένει ρατσιστικό και πιστό στον θεσμό της οικογένειας με την βιβλική έννοια -τρομάρα μας- , κράτος των Η.Π.Α), είναι αντιμέτωπη με το κίνμα του Milk. Έτσι, ακολουθούν επιθέσεις προς ζευγάρια ομοφυλόφιλων, με αποκορύφωμα να πέσει νεκρός, θύμα της αστυνομικής βίας, ένας υποστηρικτής της όλης κίνησης.
Αυτό, δίνει μια νέα τροπή στο όλο ήδη φορτισμένο σκηνικό, με αποτέλεσμα την συσπείρωση του κινήματος (και όχι την διάλυση του, όπως επιθυμούσαν οι αρχές ) και την επυθμία του Milk να κατέβει ώς υποψήφιος δημοτικός σύμβουλος στο Κάστρο (και μάλιστα ως ο πρώτος ανοιχτά ομοφυλόφιλος).
Έπειτα από δύο αποτυχημένες προσπάθειες (λόγω της κλειστής και καθ' όλα οπισθοδρομικής κοινωνίας, όπως επίσης και από την πολέμιο / θρησκόληπτη κατά των ομοφυλοφίων Αννίτα Μπράιαν) , μα με τον κόσμο να κλίνει προς το μέρος του κάθε φορά όλο και περισσότερο, ο Harvey καταφέρνει να εκλεγεί, δίνοντας ελπίδα σε όλο τον καταπιεσμένο σεξουαλικά πληθυσμό των ηνωμένων πολιτειών.Σε αυτή του την προσπάθεια βοήθησε το επιτελείο του που κατ' εμέ δίνει μια πολύ ευχάριστη νότα στο σκηνικό της ταινίας.
Όμως, αυτό είχε και το τίμημά του, καθώς έπειτα από την δεύτερη ήττα του ο Milk χάνει τον σύντροφό του και την θέση του παίρνει ο Jack (Diego Luna), μα το αποτέλεσμα δεν είναι παρά ένα υποκατάστατο για τον Milk. Από την άλλη, μαζί του στο συμβούλιο εκλέγεται ο Dan White (Josh Brolin), στο πρόσωπο του οποίου βλέπουμε μια καταπιεσμένη φιγούρα της πολιτικής, έναν τυχοδιώκτη θα λέγαμε,που από την πρώτη στιγμή εναντιώνεται με τον Milk φορτίζοντας το υπόβαθρο της ταινίας.
Σημαντικότερο σημείο της ταινίας είναι κατά την γνώμη μου το ψήφισμα της πρότασης έξι (proposition 6) . Εν ολίγοις, η πρόταση αυτή απαγόρευε στου ομοφυλόφιλους καθηγητές -και όχι μόνο- το δικαίωμά τους στην εργασία και τιμωρούσε επίσης τους υποστηριχτές τους.Εδώ παρουσιάζεται ένας αγχωμένος Milk, γεμάτος από πίστη μα και με τον φόβο συνάμα της πιθανής αποτυχίας να καταφέρει το ακατόρθωτο.
Απέναντι του βρίσκονται η εκκλησία που για άλλη μια φορά βρίσκεται αντιμέτωπη με κάθε τι φιλελεύθερο, η Αννίτα Μπράιαν, όπως επίσης και ο γερουσιαστής John Briggs (Dennis O ' Hare). Mε τον γερουσιαστή αντιμέτωπό του ο Milk φοβάται την ήττα, μιας και είναι ένας πολύ ικανός αντίπαλος.
Εν τέλει όμως καταφέρνει να μην περάσει το ψήφισμα με μια σειρά απο πολιτικές αναμετρήσεις και ανοιχτούς διαλόγους. Αυτό τον μετέτρεψε σε σύμβολο της gay, όπως και της πολιτικής κοινότητας, κάτι που τον έφερε αντιμέτωπο με την άμετρη φιλοδοξία του Dan White, ο οποίος έπειτα από την αποπομπή του από το δημοτικό συμβούλιο και μέσα σε ένα κλίμα σχιζοφρένειας,απογοήτευσης και εγωισμού δίνει τέλος στον Harvey Milk, όπως επίσης και στον συνοδοιπόρο και υποστηριχτή του, δήμαρχο George Moscone.
Η κριτική:
Το “Milk” είναι ίσως μία απο τις σημαντικότερες ταινίες που έχουν πάρει τον δρόμο τους στην μεγάλη οθόνη και κατά την γνώμη μου η καλύτερη ταινία του 2008.
Βασικά, το θέμα είναι από που να αρχίσει κάποιος να αναλύει και από που να τελειώσει.Έχουμε να κάνουμε με ένα αρτιότατο σενάριο ή καλύτερα αυτοβιογραφία, που ο ιδιόρυθμος Gus Van Sant καταφέρνει να αποδώσει με τρόπο ρεαλιστικό και συνάμα συγκινητικό.
Πρώτο πράγμα που προσέχεις είναι το cast της ταινίας. Βλέπουμε ονόματα όπως ο Josh Brolin που τον θυμόμαστε από την καταπληκτική του ερμηνεία στο No Country For Old Men, τον Emile Hirsch από το Into The Wild και τον James Franco γνωστό από Spider-man και από Pineapple Express.
Τα πλάνα του Gus Van Sant καθηλώνουν, δίνοντας στο ρετρό συναίσθημα άλλη διάσταση. Ο
φωτισμός και η φωτογραφία δένουν πανέμορφα με τις ερμηνείες και η μουσική είναι ακριβώς όπως θά 'πρεπε.Απλή και εκεί που πρέπει.Μεγάλη εντύπωση μου έκαναν τα αυθεντικά βίντεο της περιόδου που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν στην ταινία όπως και το ανατριχιαστικό ξεκίνημα της, με τον Sean Penn να αφηγείται τα όσα έχει περάσει σε μελοδραματικό τόνο.
Ας πάρουμε τώρα μια βαθειά ανάσα για να αναφερθούμε στον μεγάλο Sean Penn. Δεν θέλω να γίνω κουραστικός, για αυτό θα πω δυο λόγια μόνο.Εδώ έχουμε να κάνουμε με μία από τις μεγαλύτερες ερμηνείες που έχουν παιχτεί στην μεγάλη οθόνη με την προσωπική μου άποψη να είναι ότι αυτή η ερμηνεία συγκρίνεται μόνο με αυτήν του Al Pacino στο”άρωμα γυναίκας”.Ο Penn καθηλώνει, προβάλλοντας το μεγαλείο της έβδομης τέχνης σε έναν ρόλο που αν το σκεφτούμε δεν μπορούν να παίξουν πολλοί εκεί έξω.
Η άποψη μου είναι ότι η ταινία αδικήθηκε από τα ανήψια του θείου Oscar και άξιζε το αγαλματάκι για την καλύτερη ταινία.Δεν βλέπεις τόσο δεμένο σύνολο κάθε μέρα, μα υπάρχει η τάση σε τέτοιου είδους ταινίες (βιογραφικές), το αγαλματάκι να πηγαίνει στον πρωταγωνιστή (ας θυμηθούμε το άρωμα γυναίκας, το monster όπως και το περσινό There Will Be Blood ).
Κλείνοντας, το “Milk” είναι μια ταινία που θα πρέπει να δει κάποιος ,όχι μόνο για τις ερμηνείες ή για να περάσει καλά η ώρα του, αλλά για να γίνει καλύτερος άνθρωπος.
Την συστήνω ανεπιφύλακτα σε άτομα κάθε ηλικίας ή φύλλου μιας και η ομοφοβία δεν έχει εκλείψει, παρ' όλο που έχουμε φορέσει όλοι μας το προσωπείο του φιλελευθερισμού και του καθωσπρεπισμού.
Το “Milk” θα σας κάνει να δείτε τα πράγματα απο μια άλλη οπτική γωνία και θα σας κρατήσει πολύ ευχάριστη παρέα τις δύο και κάτι ώρες που διαρκεί.
(Mandatory Voluntary) National Service Training
Other signs to look for:
* Deviant musical tastes.
Marilyn Manson and "industrial" electronic music are the current chief suspects, but Judas Priest, Deep Purple, AC/DC, The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry have not yet been exonerated. Anything sung in German to a heavy beat sounds like a Hitler Youth recruiting song, which means it probably is.
* Drug use.
Excludes alcohol and tobacco, unless the suspect is over the age of 18 (or 21 in some jurisdictions). In some communities, use of alcohol, tobacco or caffeine is always evil. Check your local regulations.
* Internet use.
Internet access permits disturbed individuals to find recipes for bombs and poisons. Restricting Net access only to persons over the age of 90 and kept under constant armed guard will drive other persons seeking this subversive information to actually visit public libraries, in which they can be trapped and burned.
* Pornography.
Erotic books, videos and computer files are obviously associated with murderous rampages. Name one mass murderer that didn't masturbate.
* Quietness.
For safety's sake, whenever you see anybody of whom it could be said "he was a quiet man", perform a Citizen's Arrest at once.
* Strong interest in war and/or firearms.
90% of teenage boys should, for this reason, be incarcerated immediately.
* Mood swings and depression.
We'd better make that 100% of all teenagers, regardless of gender.
* Sympathy for offenders.
Any student who admits to understanding how people who have been bullied might rather like to shoot the bullies is probably about to run amok.
* Possession of weapons.
Any weapons. Remember, pocketknives don't kill people - people who own pocketknives kill people.
* Belief in evolution.
It is well known that evolution requires atheism, and that all atheists are amoral creatures, many of whom eat human flesh.
* "Goth" tendencies.
A teenager with an interest in fastidious dressing is clearly deeply aberrant. Note, however, that some particularly flamboyant apparent Goths may in fact be science fiction geeks dressed up as Centauri noblemen. Since no science fiction geek has yet killed a load of people, the plastic battery-powered phaser is not yet considered to be dangerous.
* Disrespect for authority.
Today's youth should be as morally upright as are the leaders of the free world, and should never consider violence as a way of settling disputes, regardless of provocation, any more than the USA or NATO do.
The GIVE Act:
The passage of such shocking legislation with barely a whimper from political activist groups goes to show how well the corporate media has performed in camouflaging the legislation with flowery characterizations of helpful volunteerism, when in reality the bill creates the pretext for mandatory national service and the creation of a multi-million man domestic civil defense unit who will be tasked with spying on their fellow Americans under the justification of protecting the country from terrorism
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Watchmen (2009)
director: Zack Snyder
writer: David Hayter and Alex Tse
starring: Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earl Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Amy Ackerman, Billy Crudp
writer: David Hayter and Alex Tse
starring: Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earl Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Amy Ackerman, Billy Crudp
genre: Crime, Comics
Who watches the watchmen? Well I did. After years of plagued attempts to get this to the big screen it’s finally here. But now that film is out on the big screen does it do the graphic novel any justice? Can the public actually like a film so dept into politics? The truth is yes. Most fans will be pleased that the work of Alan Moore was treated with much respect and this the best we could have wished for from all the terrible comic book films that are put out. And yes for the common man or woman who doesn't know of the comic, will enjoy this flick. If you enjoyed The Dark Knight then you're in for a treat.
The story is placed in an alternate history 1985 where vigilantes are now outlawed and the cold war rages on as the doomsday clock goes close to midnight. In the midst of this there is a plot to kill masks. The Comedian/Edward Blake (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is killed in his home. Not known to the public that he is the Comedian. Old team member Rorschach (Jackie Earl Haley) believes it’s a plot to kill masks. In an effort to uncover the plot he investigates and warns his former Watchmen teammates of the incoming danger. Not everyone is still in vigilante form. The Comedian now dead had become an goverment agent, Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) scientist for the government with his wife Silk Specter II accompanying., Night Owl/Daniel Dreiberg (Patrick Wilson) left to mundane beer nights with original Night Owl and Ozymandias/Andrian Veidt (Matthew Goode) the smartest man in the world running a corporation. Rorschach investigation starts getting warmer when dire events occur. As things get hairy the Watchmen reunite to find themselves in the middle of the end of the world.
To talk about this film we should realize how difficult it was in the first place to be made. The material in the novel is not easy to put on the big screen. A comic within a comic is one example. Things were taken out and things were put in. One thing that the production did right was casting. All very good actors and primarily not A-listers was a wise choice. Special effects were incredible to say the least. A lot of the political material of the novel is still present and a lot whats going on in the film can be connected to what’s happening today in the world. Fear, riots all this we can correspond with. Also the meaning of what a hero is. All this make Watchmen a unique film where other films don't usually step into.
But like I said before that we have to realize the difficulties of making this film that still don’t mean we can forgive mistakes so easily. Director Zack Snyder had a difficult job and made some weird choices. The music in the film is quite awkward. All songs are too known and clichéd for example Sound of Silence or All Along the Watchtower. A sex scene that never needed to see the light of day and a very clunky subplot that a 2 ½ hour film didn’t help me believe it. Also an action scene that looked cool but didn’t help the film story wise. Most of the mistakes are silly and derail the film in making the experience a better one.
Let me now talk about about the comic. This was by far one of the most difficult comics to adapt for various reasons. Creator Alan Moore not willing to help out, studios messing up right and left. Zack Synder was the guy though that changed that. The comic was a satire of the superhero genre and a deep research into what is a superhero. All this did not help to bring it to film form sooner. The problem with this film compared to the comic is that it resembles sometimes too much the comic. You don’t see that many artistic liberties and those taken in the film are not great to say the least except the opening credits sequence which one of the best ideas I’ve seen in years. There is another thing we have to understand the comic was over 12 months which you could read each chapter at ease and get really into the plot, the characters and so on. Here 2 ½ hour film is not enough for us to believe this subplot. The whole mystery to whose was behind the plot felt lackluster. There was no mystery to the plot and there were too many clues to who did it .Few changes have been made to the comics story and there not bad but not needed.
There’s not much more too say but that Watchmen is an very intelligent pop corn film that proves films can be smart and fun at the same time. The work of Alan Moore was ahead of its time so we should be a little grateful that the adaption was so faithful at times and then others times not faithful enough. It loses it self in silly moments were exploration of more creative avenues would have been necessary to make this a better film. Let’s just hope that this is not the end of serious comic book films coming out that The Dark Knight started and that Watchmen here continues.
Personal Rating:
Review by Paul
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
writer: Simon Beaufoy, Vicas Swarup (novel)
starring: Dev Patel, Freidal Pinto
genre: Crime/Drama/Romance
Διθυραμβικές κριτικές, πολλά Όσκαρ και ακόμα περισσότερες εισπράξεις είναι το αποτέλεσμα της νέας δουλειάς του Danny Boyle. Είναι η κινηματογραφική μεταφορά της ιδιαίτερα πετυχημένης νουβέλας του Vicas Swarup “Q&A”. Λεφτά, δράμα, πόνος και αγάπες που περνάνε από σαράντα κύματα είναι οι γνωστές φόρμες επιτυχίας πάνω στις οποίες το Hollywood βασίζει τα έσοδα του εδώ και πάρα πολύ καιρό. Και σε αυτήν την ταινία τα έχουμε όλα! Δεν είναι λοιπόν παράξενο η τεράστια επιτυχία και η must-see νοοτροπία που την συνοδεύει. Αλλά όταν οι κάμερες των Όσκαρ σβήνουν και οι ατέλειωτες σειρές των video clubs δίνουν τη θέση τους στο επόμενο hit αυτό που μένει είναι μια απλά καλή ταινία. Αλλά ας δούμε και πιο συγκεκριμένα…
Ένας νέος σερβιτόρος από το Mumbai της Ινδίας βρίσκεται μια ερώτηση μακριά από το να κερδίσει 20 δισεκατομμύρια ρούπιες (ήτοι 22 εκατομμύρια δολάρια) στο ινδικό ¨Ποιος θέλει να γίνει Εκατομμυριούχος¨. Ύστερα όμως από μια καταγγελία βρίσκετε υπόλογος στις αρχές για κλεψιά αφού κανείς δεν μπορεί να εξηγήσει πως ο αμόρφωτος ¨αλήτης¨ έχει απαντήσει σε όλες τις ερωτήσεις αλάνθαστα.
Σε αυτό το σημείο ξεκινάει και η εξιστόρηση της ζωής του, μέσα από την οποία φαίνεται πως η απάντηση σε κάθε ερώτημα οφειλόταν σε επώδυνες εμπειρίες μιας ζωής γεμάτη από δυστυχία και φτώχεια στις φτωχογειτονιές της πόλης του.
Με ένα συναρπαστικό και γεμάτο ένταση φινάλε και μια μικρή αλλά ιδιαίτερα διασκεδαστική πινελιά από Bollywood η ταινία σε αποχαιρετά με έναν σαφές πιο χαρούμενο τόνο από αυτόν με τον οποίο σε έχει κατακλείσει μέχρι τότε.
Ο Άγγλος σκηνοθέτης, που στο μυαλό των περισσοτέρων είναι συνώνυμο του άκρως επιτυχημένου Trainspotting, έχει πετύχει αυτό ακριβώς που τον χαρακτηρίζει, μια ποιότητα σε όλες τις ταινίες που καλείται να δημιουργήσει ανεξαρτήτως είδους και υποβάθρου. Από σκηνοθετική άποψη είναι μια ταινία άρτια, γεμάτη και με συναίσθημα.
Σε αυτό βέβαια έχουν βοηθήσει πολύ και οι ερμηνείες των μικρών παιδιών που ενσαρκώνουν από καλά έως συγκλονιστικά τα διάφορα στάδια της ζωής των κεντρικών χαρακτήρων από την παιδική ηλικία μέχρι την εφηβεία. Όμως οι ενήλικοι ηθοποιοί, από τους οποίους λογικό είναι να περιμένεις και τα περισσότερα, προσωπικά με απογοήτευσαν. Ο πρωταγωνιστής Dev Patel αν και ιδανική φιγούρα για τον χαρακτήρα του κύριου ήρωα δε φάνηκε αντάξιος των προσδοκιών σε στιγμές μεγάλης συναισθηματικής έντασης. Στα ίδια πλαίσια κυμαίνεται και η πρωταγωνίστρια Freidal Pinto, η οποία μάλλον επιλέχθηκε με κριτήριο την εμφάνιση παρά το ταλέντο. Σίγουρα το νεαρό της ηλικίας και η απειρία μπορούν να δικαιολογήσουν αυτό το αποτέλεσμα, αλλά όταν κάποιος μου λέει πήγαινε να δεις την τάδε ταινία η οποία κέρδισε στα Όσκαρ άλλες ταινιάρες τότε περιμένω να δω κάτι περισσότερο σε όλους τους τομείς. Κατά τα άλλα οι δευτερεύοντες χαρακτήρες είναι πολύ ενδιαφέροντες και ικανοποιητικότατα παιγμένοι.
Η μουσική και γενικότερα ο ήχος της ταινίας είναι πάρα πολύ καλός και δεμένος με τα συναισθήματα με τα οποία σου βγάζει κάθε σκηνή. Καθώς και το κομμάτι των τίτλων τέλους είναι σίγουρο ότι θα μονοπωλήσει το ενδιαφέρων των clubs και των beach bars το καλοκαιράκι που έρχεται.. Δεν είναι καθόλου τυχαίο εξάλλου το Όσκαρ μουσικής που κέρδισε.
Τέλος τα άλλα στοιχεία που πιστεύω δώσανε και το Όσκαρ στον Boyle όπως το μοντάζ, ο φωτισμός και η κάμερα είναι τέλεια δουλεμένα με ελάχιστα λάθη. Κατά τη γνώμη μου υπάρχουν λίγες σκηνές που θα έπρεπε να κρατήσουν παραπάνω και άλλες λιγότερο.
Εν κατακλείδι πιστεύω ότι αυτή η ταινία είναι μια καλή ταινία η οποία όμως δε θα μείνει για αρκετό καιρό ακόμα στις συζητήσεις μας. Νομίζω ότι τα 8 Όσκαρ είναι πάρα πολλά και περισσότερο οφείλονται στην επιτυχία παρά στην ουσία, όπως γίνεται πολλές φορές στις επιλογές του θείου Όσκαρ( μη ξεχνάμε την ήττα του Goodfellas από το Dancing with the wolves). Η κατάσταση εξαχρείωσης του αναπτυσσόμενου κόσμου, όπου στην περίπτωση μας είναι η Ινδία, (πιστεύω αθέλητα) χρησιμοποιήθηκε με μόνο σκοπό το κέρδος. Αν ο στόχος ήταν να προβάλει αυτή τη πλευρά του κόσμου που σχεδόν όλοι μας έχουμε ρίξει κάτω από το χαλί τότε θα προτιμούσα άλλη προσέγγιση(συγχωρέστε με για το spoiler)------- γιατί ο κόσμος δε ταράζεται από ένα happy end. ----------Πραγματικά αναρωτιέμαι αν κάποιο ποσοστό από τα υπέρογκα κέρδη πήγε για την ανέγερση κάποιου νοσοκομείου ή σχολείου στις παραγκουπόλεις της Ινδίας. Μάλλον όχι…
Σίγουρα πάντως η ταινία θα σας αφήσει κάτι παραπάνω από ευχαριστημένους για τα λεφτά του σινεμά και για τις 2 ώρες που θα περάσατε στην αίθουσα. Ότι πρέπει για ένα ευχάριστο σαββατόβραδο στην κατά τα άλλα πηγμένη από το λαό Αθήνα.
Προσωπική βαθμολογία:
Review by Gamapi
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Don't Confuse Me With Facts
Fact Sheet: Guns Save Lives
A. Guns save more lives than they take; prevent more injuries than they inflict
* Guns used 2.5 million times a year in self-defense. Law-abiding citizens use guns to defend themselves against criminals as many as 2.5 million times every year -- or about 6,850 times a day.1 This means that each year, firearms are used more than 80 times more often to protect the lives of honest citizens than to take lives.2
* Of the 2.5 million times citizens use their guns to defend themselves every year, the overwhelming majority merely brandish their gun or fire a warning shot to scare off their attackers. Less than 8% of the time, a citizen will kill or wound his/her attacker.3
* As many as 200,000 women use a gun every year to defend themselves against sexual abuse.4
* Even anti-gun Clinton researchers concede that guns are used 1.5 million times annually for self-defense. According to the Clinton Justice Department, there are as many as 1.5 million cases of self-defense every year. The National Institute of Justice published this figure in 1997 as part of "Guns in America" -- a study which was authored by noted anti-gun criminologists Philip Cook and Jens Ludwig.5
* Armed citizens kill more crooks than do the police. Citizens shoot and kill at least twice as many criminals as police do every year (1,527 to 606).6 And readers of Newsweek learned that "only 2 percent of civilian shootings involved an innocent person mistakenly identified as a criminal. The 'error rate' for the police, however, was 11 percent, more than five times as high."7
* Handguns are the weapon of choice for self-defense. Citizens use handguns to protect themselves over 1.9 million times a year.8 Many of these self-defense handguns could be labeled as "Saturday Night Specials."
B. Concealed carry laws help reduce crime
* Nationwide: one-half million self-defense uses. Every year, as many as one-half million citizens defend themselves with a firearm away from home.9
* Concealed carry laws are dropping crime rates across the country. A comprehensive national study determined in 1996 that violent crime fell after states made it legal to carry concealed firearms. The results of the study showed:
* States which passed concealed carry laws reduced their murder rate by 8.5%, rapes by 5%, aggravated assaults by 7% and robbery by 3%;10 and
* If those states not having concealed carry laws had adopted such laws in 1992, then approximately 1,570 murders, 4,177 rapes, 60,000 aggravated assaults and over 11,000 robberies would have been avoided yearly.11
* Vermont: one of the safest five states in the country. In Vermont, citizens can carry a firearm without getting permission... without paying a fee... or without going through any kind of government-imposed waiting period. And yet for ten years in a row, Vermont has remained one of the top-five, safest states in the union -- having three times received the "Safest State Award."12
* Florida: concealed carry helps slash the murder rates in the state. In the fifteen years following the passage of Florida's concealed carry law in 1987, over 800,000 permits to carry firearms were issued to people in the state.13 FBI reports show that the homicide rate in Florida, which in 1987 was much higher than the national average, fell 52% during that 15-year period -- thus putting the Florida rate below the national average. 14
* Do firearms carry laws result in chaos? No. Consider the case of Florida. A citizen in the Sunshine State is far more likely to be attacked by an alligator than to be assaulted by a concealed carry holder.
1. During the first fifteen years that the Florida law was in effect, alligator attacks outpaced the number of crimes committed by carry holders by a 229 to 155 margin.
2. And even the 155 "crimes" committed by concealed carry permit holders are somewhat misleading as most of these infractions resulted from Floridians who accidentally carried their firearms into restricted areas, such as an airport.15
C. Criminals avoid armed citizens
* Kennesaw, GA. In 1982, this suburb of Atlanta passed a law requiring heads of households to keep at least one firearm in the house. The residential burglary rate subsequently dropped 89% in Kennesaw, compared to the modest 10.4% drop in Georgia as a whole.16
* Ten years later (1991), the residential burglary rate in Kennesaw was still 72% lower than it had been in 1981, before the law was passed.17
* Nationwide. Statistical comparisons with other countries show that burglars in the United States are far less apt to enter an occupied home than their foreign counterparts who live in countries where fewer civilians own firearms. Consider the following rates showing how often a homeowner is present when a burglar strikes:
* Homeowner occupancy rate in the gun control countries of Great Britain, Canada and Netherlands: 45% (average of the three countries); and,
* Homeowner occupancy rate in the United States: 12.7%.18
Rapes averted when women carry or use firearms for protection
* Orlando, FL. In 1966-67, the media highly publicized a safety course which taught Orlando women how to use guns. The result: Orlando's rape rate dropped 88% in 1967, whereas the rape rate remained constant in the rest of Florida and the nation.19
* Nationwide. In 1979, the Carter Justice Department found that of more than 32,000 attempted rapes, 32% were actually committed. But when a woman was armed with a gun or knife, only 3% of the attempted rapes were actually successful.20
Justice Department study:
* 3/5 of felons polled agreed that "a criminal is not going to mess around with a victim he knows is armed with a gun."21
* 74% of felons polled agreed that "one reason burglars avoid houses when people are at home is that they fear being shot during the crime."22
* 57% of felons polled agreed that "criminals are more worried about meeting an armed victim than they are about running into the police."23
1 Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz, "Armed Resistance to Crime: The Prevalence and Nature of Self-Defense With a Gun," 86 The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Northwestern University School of Law, 1 (Fall 1995):164.
Dr. Kleck is a professor in the school of criminology and criminal justice at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He has researched extensively and published several essays on the gun control issue. His book, Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America, has become a widely cited source in the gun control debate. In fact, this book earned Dr. Kleck the prestigious American Society of Criminology Michael J. Hindelang award for 1993. This award is given for the book published in the past two to three years that makes the most outstanding contribution to criminology.
Even those who don't like the conclusions Dr. Kleck reaches, cannot argue with his impeccable research and methodology. In "A Tribute to a View I Have Opposed," Marvin E. Wolfgang writes that, "What troubles me is the article by Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz. The reason I am troubled is that they have provided an almost clear-cut case of methodologically sound research in support of something I have theoretically opposed for years, namely, the use of a gun in defense against a criminal perpetrator.... I have to admit my admiration for the care and caution expressed in this article and this research. Can it be true that about two million instances occur each year in which a gun was used as a defensive measure against crime? It is hard to believe. Yet, it is hard to challenge the data collected. We do not have contrary evidence." Wolfgang, "A Tribute to a View I Have Opposed," The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, at 188.
Wolfgang says there is no "contrary evidence." Indeed, there are more than a dozen national polls -- one of which was conducted by The Los Angeles Times -- that have found figures comparable to the Kleck-Gertz study. Even the Clinton Justice Department (through the National Institute of Justice) found there were as many as 1.5 million defensive users of firearms every year. See National Institute of Justice, "Guns in America: National Survey on Private Ownership and Use of Firearms," Research in Brief (May 1997).
As for Dr. Kleck, readers of his materials may be interested to know that he is a member of the ACLU, Amnesty International USA, and Common Cause. He is not and has never been a member of or contributor to any advocacy group on either side of the gun control debate.
2 According to the National Safety Council, the total number of gun deaths (by accidents, suicides and homicides) account for less than 30,000 deaths per year. See Injury Facts, published yearly by the National Safety Council, Itasca, Illinois.
3Kleck and Gertz, "Armed Resistance to Crime," at 173, 185.
4Kleck and Gertz, "Armed Resistance to Crime," at 185.
5 Philip J. Cook and Jens Ludwig, "Guns in America: National Survey on Private Ownership and Use of Firearms," NIJ Research in Brief (May 1997); available at http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/165476.txt on the internet. The finding of 1.5 million yearly self-defense cases did not sit well with the anti-gun bias of the study's authors, who attempted to explain why there could not possibly be one and a half million cases of self-defense every year. Nevertheless, the 1.5 million figure is consistent with a mountain of independent surveys showing similar figures. The sponsors of these studies -- nearly a dozen -- are quite varied, and include anti-gun organizations, news media organizations, governments and commercial polling firms. See also Kleck and Gertz, supra note 1, pp. 182-183.
6Kleck, Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America, (1991):111-116, 148.
7George F. Will, "Are We 'a Nation of Cowards'?," Newsweek (15 November 1993):93.
8Id. at 164, 185.
9Dr. Gary Kleck, interview with J. Neil Schulman, "Q and A: Guns, crime and self-defense," The Orange County Register (19 September 1993). In the interview with Schulman, Dr. Kleck reports on findings from a national survey which he and Dr. Marc Gertz conducted in Spring, 1993 -- a survey which findings were reported in Kleck and Gertz, "Armed Resistance to Crime." br>10 One of the authors of the University of Chicago study reported on the study's findings in John R. Lott, Jr., "More Guns, Less Violent Crime," The Wall Street Journal (28 August 1996). See also John R. Lott, Jr. and David B. Mustard, "Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns," University of Chicago (15 August 1996); and Lott, More Guns, Less Crime (1998, 2000).
11Lott and Mustard, "Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns."
12Kathleen O'Leary Morgan, Scott Morgan and Neal Quitno, "Rankings of States in Most Dangerous/Safest State Awards 1994 to 2003," Morgan Quitno Press (2004) at http://www.statestats.com/dang9403.htm. Morgan Quitno Press is an independent private research and publishing company which was founded in 1989. The company specializes in reference books and monthly reports that compare states and cities in several different subject areas. In the first 10 years in which they published their Safest State Award, Vermont has consistently remained one of the top five safest states.
13Memo by Jim Smith, Secretary of State, Florida Department of State, Division of Licensing, Concealed Weapons/Firearms License Statistical Report (October 1, 2002).
14Florida's murder rate was 11.4 per 100,000 in 1987, but only 5.5 in 2002. Compare Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Crime in the United States," Uniform Crime Reports, (1988): 7, 53; and FBI, (2003):19, 79.
15 John R. Lott, Jr., "Right to carry would disprove horror stories," Kansas City Star, (July 12, 2003).
16Gary Kleck, "Crime Control Through the Private Use of Armed Force," Social Problems 35 (February 1988):15.
17Compare Kleck, "Crime Control," at 15, and Chief Dwaine L. Wilson, City of Kennesaw Police Department, "Month to Month Statistics: 1991." (Residential burglary rates from 1981-1991 are based on statistics for the months of March - October.)
18Kleck, Point Blank, at 140.
19Kleck, "Crime Control," at 13.
20U.S. Department of Justice, Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, Rape Victimization in 26 American Cities (1979), p. 31.
21U.S., Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, "The Armed Criminal in America: A Survey of Incarcerated Felons," Research Report (July 1985): 27.
22Id.
23Id.
A. Guns save more lives than they take; prevent more injuries than they inflict
* Guns used 2.5 million times a year in self-defense. Law-abiding citizens use guns to defend themselves against criminals as many as 2.5 million times every year -- or about 6,850 times a day.1 This means that each year, firearms are used more than 80 times more often to protect the lives of honest citizens than to take lives.2
* Of the 2.5 million times citizens use their guns to defend themselves every year, the overwhelming majority merely brandish their gun or fire a warning shot to scare off their attackers. Less than 8% of the time, a citizen will kill or wound his/her attacker.3
* As many as 200,000 women use a gun every year to defend themselves against sexual abuse.4
* Even anti-gun Clinton researchers concede that guns are used 1.5 million times annually for self-defense. According to the Clinton Justice Department, there are as many as 1.5 million cases of self-defense every year. The National Institute of Justice published this figure in 1997 as part of "Guns in America" -- a study which was authored by noted anti-gun criminologists Philip Cook and Jens Ludwig.5
* Armed citizens kill more crooks than do the police. Citizens shoot and kill at least twice as many criminals as police do every year (1,527 to 606).6 And readers of Newsweek learned that "only 2 percent of civilian shootings involved an innocent person mistakenly identified as a criminal. The 'error rate' for the police, however, was 11 percent, more than five times as high."7
* Handguns are the weapon of choice for self-defense. Citizens use handguns to protect themselves over 1.9 million times a year.8 Many of these self-defense handguns could be labeled as "Saturday Night Specials."
B. Concealed carry laws help reduce crime
* Nationwide: one-half million self-defense uses. Every year, as many as one-half million citizens defend themselves with a firearm away from home.9
* Concealed carry laws are dropping crime rates across the country. A comprehensive national study determined in 1996 that violent crime fell after states made it legal to carry concealed firearms. The results of the study showed:
* States which passed concealed carry laws reduced their murder rate by 8.5%, rapes by 5%, aggravated assaults by 7% and robbery by 3%;10 and
* If those states not having concealed carry laws had adopted such laws in 1992, then approximately 1,570 murders, 4,177 rapes, 60,000 aggravated assaults and over 11,000 robberies would have been avoided yearly.11
* Vermont: one of the safest five states in the country. In Vermont, citizens can carry a firearm without getting permission... without paying a fee... or without going through any kind of government-imposed waiting period. And yet for ten years in a row, Vermont has remained one of the top-five, safest states in the union -- having three times received the "Safest State Award."12
* Florida: concealed carry helps slash the murder rates in the state. In the fifteen years following the passage of Florida's concealed carry law in 1987, over 800,000 permits to carry firearms were issued to people in the state.13 FBI reports show that the homicide rate in Florida, which in 1987 was much higher than the national average, fell 52% during that 15-year period -- thus putting the Florida rate below the national average. 14
* Do firearms carry laws result in chaos? No. Consider the case of Florida. A citizen in the Sunshine State is far more likely to be attacked by an alligator than to be assaulted by a concealed carry holder.
1. During the first fifteen years that the Florida law was in effect, alligator attacks outpaced the number of crimes committed by carry holders by a 229 to 155 margin.
2. And even the 155 "crimes" committed by concealed carry permit holders are somewhat misleading as most of these infractions resulted from Floridians who accidentally carried their firearms into restricted areas, such as an airport.15
C. Criminals avoid armed citizens
* Kennesaw, GA. In 1982, this suburb of Atlanta passed a law requiring heads of households to keep at least one firearm in the house. The residential burglary rate subsequently dropped 89% in Kennesaw, compared to the modest 10.4% drop in Georgia as a whole.16
* Ten years later (1991), the residential burglary rate in Kennesaw was still 72% lower than it had been in 1981, before the law was passed.17
* Nationwide. Statistical comparisons with other countries show that burglars in the United States are far less apt to enter an occupied home than their foreign counterparts who live in countries where fewer civilians own firearms. Consider the following rates showing how often a homeowner is present when a burglar strikes:
* Homeowner occupancy rate in the gun control countries of Great Britain, Canada and Netherlands: 45% (average of the three countries); and,
* Homeowner occupancy rate in the United States: 12.7%.18
Rapes averted when women carry or use firearms for protection
* Orlando, FL. In 1966-67, the media highly publicized a safety course which taught Orlando women how to use guns. The result: Orlando's rape rate dropped 88% in 1967, whereas the rape rate remained constant in the rest of Florida and the nation.19
* Nationwide. In 1979, the Carter Justice Department found that of more than 32,000 attempted rapes, 32% were actually committed. But when a woman was armed with a gun or knife, only 3% of the attempted rapes were actually successful.20
Justice Department study:
* 3/5 of felons polled agreed that "a criminal is not going to mess around with a victim he knows is armed with a gun."21
* 74% of felons polled agreed that "one reason burglars avoid houses when people are at home is that they fear being shot during the crime."22
* 57% of felons polled agreed that "criminals are more worried about meeting an armed victim than they are about running into the police."23
1 Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz, "Armed Resistance to Crime: The Prevalence and Nature of Self-Defense With a Gun," 86 The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Northwestern University School of Law, 1 (Fall 1995):164.
Dr. Kleck is a professor in the school of criminology and criminal justice at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He has researched extensively and published several essays on the gun control issue. His book, Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America, has become a widely cited source in the gun control debate. In fact, this book earned Dr. Kleck the prestigious American Society of Criminology Michael J. Hindelang award for 1993. This award is given for the book published in the past two to three years that makes the most outstanding contribution to criminology.
Even those who don't like the conclusions Dr. Kleck reaches, cannot argue with his impeccable research and methodology. In "A Tribute to a View I Have Opposed," Marvin E. Wolfgang writes that, "What troubles me is the article by Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz. The reason I am troubled is that they have provided an almost clear-cut case of methodologically sound research in support of something I have theoretically opposed for years, namely, the use of a gun in defense against a criminal perpetrator.... I have to admit my admiration for the care and caution expressed in this article and this research. Can it be true that about two million instances occur each year in which a gun was used as a defensive measure against crime? It is hard to believe. Yet, it is hard to challenge the data collected. We do not have contrary evidence." Wolfgang, "A Tribute to a View I Have Opposed," The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, at 188.
Wolfgang says there is no "contrary evidence." Indeed, there are more than a dozen national polls -- one of which was conducted by The Los Angeles Times -- that have found figures comparable to the Kleck-Gertz study. Even the Clinton Justice Department (through the National Institute of Justice) found there were as many as 1.5 million defensive users of firearms every year. See National Institute of Justice, "Guns in America: National Survey on Private Ownership and Use of Firearms," Research in Brief (May 1997).
As for Dr. Kleck, readers of his materials may be interested to know that he is a member of the ACLU, Amnesty International USA, and Common Cause. He is not and has never been a member of or contributor to any advocacy group on either side of the gun control debate.
2 According to the National Safety Council, the total number of gun deaths (by accidents, suicides and homicides) account for less than 30,000 deaths per year. See Injury Facts, published yearly by the National Safety Council, Itasca, Illinois.
3Kleck and Gertz, "Armed Resistance to Crime," at 173, 185.
4Kleck and Gertz, "Armed Resistance to Crime," at 185.
5 Philip J. Cook and Jens Ludwig, "Guns in America: National Survey on Private Ownership and Use of Firearms," NIJ Research in Brief (May 1997); available at http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/165476.txt on the internet. The finding of 1.5 million yearly self-defense cases did not sit well with the anti-gun bias of the study's authors, who attempted to explain why there could not possibly be one and a half million cases of self-defense every year. Nevertheless, the 1.5 million figure is consistent with a mountain of independent surveys showing similar figures. The sponsors of these studies -- nearly a dozen -- are quite varied, and include anti-gun organizations, news media organizations, governments and commercial polling firms. See also Kleck and Gertz, supra note 1, pp. 182-183.
6Kleck, Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America, (1991):111-116, 148.
7George F. Will, "Are We 'a Nation of Cowards'?," Newsweek (15 November 1993):93.
8Id. at 164, 185.
9Dr. Gary Kleck, interview with J. Neil Schulman, "Q and A: Guns, crime and self-defense," The Orange County Register (19 September 1993). In the interview with Schulman, Dr. Kleck reports on findings from a national survey which he and Dr. Marc Gertz conducted in Spring, 1993 -- a survey which findings were reported in Kleck and Gertz, "Armed Resistance to Crime." br>10 One of the authors of the University of Chicago study reported on the study's findings in John R. Lott, Jr., "More Guns, Less Violent Crime," The Wall Street Journal (28 August 1996). See also John R. Lott, Jr. and David B. Mustard, "Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns," University of Chicago (15 August 1996); and Lott, More Guns, Less Crime (1998, 2000).
11Lott and Mustard, "Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns."
12Kathleen O'Leary Morgan, Scott Morgan and Neal Quitno, "Rankings of States in Most Dangerous/Safest State Awards 1994 to 2003," Morgan Quitno Press (2004) at http://www.statestats.com/dang9403.htm. Morgan Quitno Press is an independent private research and publishing company which was founded in 1989. The company specializes in reference books and monthly reports that compare states and cities in several different subject areas. In the first 10 years in which they published their Safest State Award, Vermont has consistently remained one of the top five safest states.
13Memo by Jim Smith, Secretary of State, Florida Department of State, Division of Licensing, Concealed Weapons/Firearms License Statistical Report (October 1, 2002).
14Florida's murder rate was 11.4 per 100,000 in 1987, but only 5.5 in 2002. Compare Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Crime in the United States," Uniform Crime Reports, (1988): 7, 53; and FBI, (2003):19, 79.
15 John R. Lott, Jr., "Right to carry would disprove horror stories," Kansas City Star, (July 12, 2003).
16Gary Kleck, "Crime Control Through the Private Use of Armed Force," Social Problems 35 (February 1988):15.
17Compare Kleck, "Crime Control," at 15, and Chief Dwaine L. Wilson, City of Kennesaw Police Department, "Month to Month Statistics: 1991." (Residential burglary rates from 1981-1991 are based on statistics for the months of March - October.)
18Kleck, Point Blank, at 140.
19Kleck, "Crime Control," at 13.
20U.S. Department of Justice, Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, Rape Victimization in 26 American Cities (1979), p. 31.
21U.S., Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, "The Armed Criminal in America: A Survey of Incarcerated Felons," Research Report (July 1985): 27.
22Id.
23Id.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Gozu Profile
Name : Gozu
Debut (Anime) : Shippuden episode 91
Appears in : Anime only
Classification : Missing-nin
Gender : Male
Affiliation : Otogakure
Team : Team Guren
Nature Type : Earth (Presumed)
Jutsu
* Body Mass Altering Jutsu
* Mud Blast Jutsu
* Mud Body Jutsu
Debut (Anime) : Shippuden episode 91
Appears in : Anime only
Classification : Missing-nin
Gender : Male
Affiliation : Otogakure
Team : Team Guren
Nature Type : Earth (Presumed)
Jutsu
* Body Mass Altering Jutsu
* Mud Blast Jutsu
* Mud Body Jutsu
Gozu Profile Review
Gozu is a shinobi who appears in the second Naruto Shippuden filler arc. He is a subordinate of Guren. He's unsociable and quiet, making people unable to figure out what he's thinking, but his battle skills are without a doubt very good. He's the power type and prefers fighting alone. He seems to hold a special sentiment towards Guren. After the selection battle Kabuto Yakushi and Guren held in the hideout, Gozu becomes Guren's subordinate. When Guren returns, she orders him and the rest of his team to dispose of Team 8.
As the arguably strongest member, he was sent in first to face off against Kakashi and draw him away. There, he quickly showed off his tremendous might that kept Kakashi on his toes. When Kakashi's cunning and skill proved too much for him, he pulled out his trump card to alter his body even further, giving him even greater speed and strength. In the end, he barely survived his fight against Kakashi, having sustained a broken arm and forced to retreat.
As the arguably strongest member, he was sent in first to face off against Kakashi and draw him away. There, he quickly showed off his tremendous might that kept Kakashi on his toes. When Kakashi's cunning and skill proved too much for him, he pulled out his trump card to alter his body even further, giving him even greater speed and strength. In the end, he barely survived his fight against Kakashi, having sustained a broken arm and forced to retreat.
Abilities
He seems to be quite strong since while his comrades were fighting in groups in the battle royal, he held his own by himself. The greatest example of his raw strength was shown from his ability to hold back the giant Three-Tailed Beast. His body was altered by Orochimaru, giving him great physical strength and the ability to turn his body into mud. He is also able to expand his body in a manner similar to the Akimichi clan's expansion techniques to enhance the strength of his arms or legs for more powerful strikes and accelerated movement.
Kigiri Profile
Name : Kigiri
Debut (Anime) : Shippuden episode 91
Appears in : Anime only
Classification : Missing-nin
Gender : Male
Affiliation : Otogakure
Team : Team Guren
Nature Type : Wind
Jutsu
* Smokescreen Technique
(Source : http://naruto.wikia.com/)
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Debut (Anime) : Shippuden episode 91
Appears in : Anime only
Classification : Missing-nin
Gender : Male
Affiliation : Otogakure
Team : Team Guren
Nature Type : Wind
Jutsu
* Smokescreen Technique
Kigiri Profile Review
Kigiri is a shinobi who appears in the second Naruto Shippuden filler arc. After the selection battle Guren and Kabuto Yakushi held in Orochimaru's hideout, Kigiri becomes Guren's subordinate together with Nurari, Kiho, Gozu and Rinji. Later, he along with the rest of the team is ordered by Guren to take down Team Kurenai. He aids his team by building up a smokescreen to blind their opponents.
When Guren leaves with Kabuto and Yukimaru, he is instructed to stay behind to deal with Team Kurenai and Team Yamato.
When Guren leaves with Kabuto and Yukimaru, he is instructed to stay behind to deal with Team Kurenai and Team Yamato.
Abilities
He is able to emit smokescreens that leave foes without sight and sense of smell, as seen in the battle with Kiba and Hinata. It is unknown how he and his comrades are able to move freely in them.
(Source : http://naruto.wikia.com/)
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Nurari Profile
Name : Nurari
Debut (Anime) : Shippuden episode 91
Appears in : Anime only
Classification : Missing-nin
Gender : Male
Affiliation : Otogakure
Team : Team Guren
Nature Type : Water
Jutsu
* Soft Physique Modification
(Source : http://naruto.wikia.com/)
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Debut (Anime) : Shippuden episode 91
Appears in : Anime only
Classification : Missing-nin
Gender : Male
Affiliation : Otogakure
Team : Team Guren
Nature Type : Water
Jutsu
* Soft Physique Modification
Nurari Profile Review
Nurari is a shinobi who appears in the second Naruto Shippuden filler arc. Despite his slender and somewhat female appearance, he is male. After the selection battle Guren and Kabuto held in Orochimaru's hideout, Nurari becomes Guren's subordinate together with Kiho, Kigiri, Gozu and Rinji. The five of them then rest in a strange kind of ruined, old house while Guren leaves. Later when Guren detects the presence of Team 8, Nurari is sent with his team to dispose of them. He ends up fighting Hinata, but thanks to his unique ability to shift his body, he is able to render Hinata's Gentle Fist virtually useless. In the end, he retreats with his team after they detect Shino's insects.
Later, he and the rest of his team are ordered to destroy Team 8 and Team Yamato while Guren goes on ahead with Yukimaru and Kabuto.
Later, he and the rest of his team are ordered to destroy Team 8 and Team Yamato while Guren goes on ahead with Yukimaru and Kabuto.
Abilities
Like Orochimaru, Nurari seems to have gone through physical modifications that allows his body to bend and stretch in exeedingly unusual manners. With this ability, he can fight at any range or shift his body's structure to avoid having internal organs or chakra points damaged. His stretching power also allows him to flatten his entire body, protecting him from being crushed.
(Source : http://naruto.wikia.com/)
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Kiho Profile
Name : Kiho
Debut (Anime) : Shippuden episode 91
Appears in : Anime only
Classification : Missing-nin
Gender : Male
Affiliation : Otogakure
Team : Team Guren
Nature Type : Wind
Jutsu
* Smokescreen Technique
(Source : http://naruto.wikia.com/)
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Debut (Anime) : Shippuden episode 91
Appears in : Anime only
Classification : Missing-nin
Gender : Male
Affiliation : Otogakure
Team : Team Guren
Nature Type : Wind
Jutsu
* Smokescreen Technique
Kiho Profile Review
Kiho is a shinobi who appears in the second Naruto Shippuden filler arc. After the selection battle Guren and Kabuto held in Orochimaru's hideout, Kiho becomes Guren's subordinate together with Kigiri, Nurari, Gozu and Rinji. He along with Kigiri later aids his team in fighting Team 8 with smokescreens and various gases.
Later, he is left with the rest of his team with the orders to intercept and destroy Team 8 and Team Yamato.
Later, he is left with the rest of his team with the orders to intercept and destroy Team 8 and Team Yamato.
Abilities
His abilities is similar with Kigiri but different style, Kiho has weapon on his hand which is able to shot a smoke bullet, more fast on spreading the smoke but not in large area.
(Source : http://naruto.wikia.com/)
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Rinji Profile
Name : Rinji
Debut (Anime) : Shippuden episode 91
Appears in : Anime only
Classification : Missing-nin
Gender : Male
Affiliation : Otogakure
Team : Team Guren
Jutsu
* Bat Controlling
* Bat Controlling : Ultrasonic Mind Waves
Sound Detection
(Source : http://naruto.wikia.com/)
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Debut (Anime) : Shippuden episode 91
Appears in : Anime only
Classification : Missing-nin
Gender : Male
Affiliation : Otogakure
Team : Team Guren
Jutsu
* Bat Controlling
* Bat Controlling : Ultrasonic Mind Waves
Rinji Profile Review
Rinji is a shinobi, under Orochimaru, who appears in the second Naruto Shippuden filler arc. Rinji has sharp intellect and is a planning type. With this he is able to support Guren's mission. He's sincerely loyal to Guren, but he also seems to have a close relationship with Kabuto. Rinji became Guren's subordinate after the selection battle she and Kabuto held in Orochimaru's hideout. During his time in the hideout, he became comrades with his fellow subordinates Nurari, Kigiri and Kiho, often cooperating with them to win battles. Later, he and his team are ordered by Guren to take down Team 8. Between his comrade Rinji has good leadership personality so during the battle with Team 8 he took on the role of leader. Rinji manage his comrade to fight in Kigiri's smokescreen by used his sonar powers. And before take finished step to his opponent, Rinji always analyzed his opponent's skills.
Abilities
Bat ControllingHe has the ability to use ultrasonic waves using the Bat Controlling: Ultrasonic Waves so that he can communicate with bats as he can control them, allowing him to survey the surroundings and give battle instructions to his subordinates.
Sound Detection
He also appears to have a sonar-like power of his own that allows him to detect sound from a large radius. It is also hinted that he may have a curse mark.
(Source : http://naruto.wikia.com/)
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