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Movie News
Seriously... What Is Going On With Gary Ross And THE HUNGER GAMES?!
The Kidd here...
I've been hearing rumblings for a few days that things may not be as simple as Gary Ross leaving THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy over something as simple as a lowball offer on directing CATCHING FIRE. I've also been hearing that it's not a given that he's out on the second chapter either. There is definitely some smoke to the fire of Gary Ross' future involvement in the franchise being in serious jeopardy, but it is not the given that's been going around that he's out.
Lionsgate has a lot riding on THE HUNGER GAMES. With THE TWILIGHT SAGA wrapping up in November, there's nothing else in the pipeline for this merger between Lionsgate and Summit that can really generate big box office dollars except for THE HUNGER GAMES. The first film just crossed the $300 million mark domestically over Easter weekend, and now that the studio is aware of the die-hard nature of its fan base, they can expect huge numbers to come rolling in when they count the receipts for CATCHING FIRE and MOCKINGJAY.
Therefore, it doesn't make much sense that they'd try to force Ross' hand over money (pennies in the overall scheme of things now that they've seen how much THE HUNGER GAMES are truly worth) when they've got a release date already announced and a very tight window in which to get the film into production before Jennifer Lawrence is off in January to shoot the X-MEN: FIRST CLASS follow-up. Simon Beaufoy has already been working on the script to CATCHING FIRE for months with Ross overseeing the material. It'd make for a very easy transition into the next film to change as little as possible and not rock the boat.
However, it may be that shooting schedule that's becoming the problem for Ross. There may have been a lot of work done on that script thus far, but that doesn't mean it's done and ready to go. Also, factor in Jennifer Lawrence's training schedule, casting, location scouting and everything that's going into the pre-production, and you're looking at a period of only about four months to squeeze it all in before the cameras start rolling in August/September.
That doesn't mean it's impossible, just incredibly difficult, and, to Ross, it might not be worth it. That may be where your money dispute comes in. This is just speculation, but it's entirely possible Ross is asking for a significant raise to handle such a hassle knowing full well that Lionsgate isn't going to meet his price. That gives him an easy way to walk away with the old "It's not me, it's them" excuse. Or, on the other hand, it could be a case of Lionsgate tightening up the purse strings and not making it worth his while to head into such a rushed process, maybe against his better judgment.
The simple fact is that Lionsgate is better off with Ross in tow rather than heading out with little time to spare to find another director to handle CATCHING FIRE. This could be another Matthew Vaughn situation with X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, where the schedule to make the release date was just too demanding to turn out a quality film, and what we were left with was a disaster of mutant proportions that really shouldn't be blamed on Brett Ratner. That's what happens when the release date comes before everything else.
I wasn't impressed with THE HUNGER GAMES at all, and that's being a fan of the book. I don't think that's necessarily Ross' fault, although I could have done without the shaky cams, which were used poorly to mask the violence in order to get the film in as a PG-13. I think the script failed him as an adaptation from the book. However, having really loved PLEASANTVILLE and SEABISCUIT, I think Ross has a great HUNGER GAMES in him, if some of the mistakes of the first film can be improved upon.
It's easy to say that Ross can be replaced by someone else. It's not as if his name is putting asses in the seats for these films. At this point, all you need is something with the titles, and the fans will turn out. On the other hand, Ross can do other things. He's made quality films before, so it's not as if he's going to have a hard time finding work if he moves on from THE HUNGER GAMES. But, as this point, I think both parties need each other a little more than they're letting on. Ross' name has never meant as much as it does now, and Lionsgate has a monumental success on their hands, partially due to Ross. They know he can handle the series, and isn't it better to deal with the devil you know than the one you don't...
There's still a lot to be hammered out between Lionsgate and Ross, but I think word of their split is a bit premature... and, if I had to bet some money on this, I've got the feeling things are going to get patched up rather quickly, and their partnership with continue for CATCHING FIRE.
-Billy Donnelly
"The Infamous Billy The Kidd"
Follow me on Twitter.
Readers Talkbackcomments powered by Disqus
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April 9, 2012, 1:56 a.m. CST
by Queefer Sutherland
April 9, 2012, 1:57 a.m. CST
by vini77
I don't care about this bullshit, GoT had a great episode today!
April 9, 2012, 1:58 a.m. CST
jew yourself out
by catparade
...really now...
April 9, 2012, 1:59 a.m. CST
Interesting stuff..
by paul burnett
April 9, 2012, 2:05 a.m. CST
@amadeo: Not cool...
by ChakaMudd
Definitely not cool...
April 9, 2012, 2:06 a.m. CST
Jonathan Frakes, that's your guy.
by DrPain
He'd do it for free and you'll be getting about the same talent level (if not a bit better) than Ross.
April 9, 2012, 2:15 a.m. CST
Tired of shakey cam excuses
by lordgrimplemort
I'm sick of hearing the excuse that the shaky cam was used to hide the violence and keep it PG13. First of all, it was used quite a bit in non-action scenes--close ups of mouths with shaky cam. Secondly, we've scene plenty of violence in PG 13 movies before. I think this guy just sucks at action and needs to be replaced.
April 9, 2012, 2:15 a.m. CST
Jew yourself? Seriously?
by Shub-Wankalot
Grab a damn thesaurus and dictionary if your feeble brain cells can't come up with a suitable inoffensive word or phrase. Typical fuckin' neanderthal.
April 9, 2012, 2:18 a.m. CST
by gregg benac
thats racist man. is it that hard to substitute 'cheat' as your verb?
April 9, 2012, 2:21 a.m. CST
Get David Lynch and I'll be there opening night...
by ThulsaBoom
...otherwise, I already have The Running Man, and Battle Royale on DVD.
April 9, 2012, 2:21 a.m. CST
This could be another Matthew Vaughn situation with X-MEN: THE LAST STAND
by tomdolan04
April 9, 2012, 2:21 a.m. CST
Big fan of the books here, but....
by Clio
I don't agree with The Kidd that the movie was a poor adaptation of the book. In fact, I think it's one of the better adaptations I've ever seen. Sure, a lot of detail was left out--that's always the case when putting a book on screen, but there was nothing essential left out that would have made a better movie. The only exception would be the closeness of Katniss and Gale preceding the "reaping" for the Hunger Games. Speaking of good adaptations of a book, I just watched To Kill A Mockingbird again last night for the umpteenth time. I like it as much each time I see it....and it's one of my favorite books.
April 9, 2012, 2:22 a.m. CST
shub-wankalot, hey, just callin' a turd a "TURD". Get over it...Sides, it's only anti-semitic if it's untrue.
by Amadeo Zeller
April 9, 2012, 2:24 a.m. CST
And seriously
by tomdolan04
Just pay the man whatever he wants. They want to start shooting in under four months? Lionsgate seem to think the fans will put up with any old shitty directorship
 Goes and rewatches the Twilight Saga
 My bad, as you were Lionsgate
April 9, 2012, 2:26 a.m. CST
The Hunger Games is a hit, yes.. but not as much as you might think.
by tailhook
Its been doing absolutely horrendous overseas. To give you a quick comparison, John Carter has made more. Now, a lot of that is due to the fact its a series starter, and non-3D, and as such any future films will have far more visibility when they get released, but it also means that they need to keep costs down. I would say they probably need to go with a $125 mil budget with about $75 mil marketing for CF. That then gives the movie room to make its money without being criticized for being a money pit. IF it gains traction due to visibility in foreign territories, then film the final 2(whether you like it or not they're going to try butchering up the final book in order to get two movies out of it) back-to-back and throw out the big paydays with a large budget to finish it out. But trying to go highball on a 2nd movie would be a huge mistake.
April 9, 2012, 2:27 a.m. CST
amadeo I actually found your anti-semitism so primitive it was funny...
by ThulsaBoom
....then I immediately felt guilty, and flogged myself. Passion style.
April 9, 2012, 2:29 a.m. CST
Now I'm going to Honky myself 'till I fall asleep.
by ThulsaBoom
April 9, 2012, 2:29 a.m. CST
queefer sutherland has the best name I've ever seen, btw.
by ThulsaBoom
April 9, 2012, 2:29 a.m. CST
thulsaboom, no more primitive than all the foul comments on any given Will/Jaden Smith thread.
by Amadeo Zeller
April 9, 2012, 2:33 a.m. CST
I'll direct it. I'll take $2 million in cash please. Thanks.
by Chris
April 9, 2012, 2:34 a.m. CST
BTW I haven't seen the movie. Did they finally get to eat?
by Chris
April 9, 2012, 2:41 a.m. CST
It's NOT doing terrible overseas
by Winston Smith
WTF? Just because it's not breaking records doesn't mean it isn't doing well. It's already made 157 mil. And sure, it hasn't made as much as John Carter overseas only, but then The Dark Knight didn't come CLOSE to what 2012 made overseas. It's a massive, massive hit that's already made nearly half a bil. No way to pretend otherwise. It helps that it only cost 78 mil, too, compared to John Carter's 250+ mil. (John Carter has only made 30 mil more overseas, but is negative about 250 mil domestically and costs 180 mil more).
April 9, 2012, 2:44 a.m. CST
Seriously, anyone could make these movies. Hell, just get one of the Harry Potter directors.
by Mel
April 9, 2012, 2:44 a.m. CST
the_real_christopher_nolan yes, they had quite the feast!
by Mel
what's weird is that they didn't seem to have a competition over it.
April 9, 2012, 2:53 a.m. CST
speaking of the Matthew Vaughn/XMen 3 fiasco, I put forth this query...
by TheSeeker7
So, I took in a fresh viewing of XMen 3: The Last Stand this weekend for the first time in a number of years. And let me be abundantly clear from the top, I hate Brett Ratner just as much as the next average fanboy on this site, believe he's a hack that's a genital wart on the cock of Hollywood, etc etc, and I can't imagine EVER being in a scenario where it sounds like I'm trying to defend him. And that's not what I'm trying to do here and now, I'm merely trying to present an objective argument. Obviously Ratner took a shit ton of, well, shit over his entry in the XM series. And here's the thing, while I certainly never loved XM3, I also frankly never had the extreme hatred for it that many others have over the years. Sure it's by far the most inferior in the original trilogy, but that's also speaking to how very good Bryan Singer's first 2 films were.

 Anyway, the main thing I had coming away from my viewing this weekend was, ultimately, is Ratner REALLY that much to blame? I mean okay obviously the main gripe is the killing off of not just one, but THREE main characters. But Simon Kinberg & Zak Penn co-wrote the script for The Last Stand, they take a great deal of the culpability here, right? I mean it ain't like Ratner made this picture from scratch.

 Or.... (and this is I guess where I show my true fanboy mettle... or rather, lack thereof), is it the general assumption -- if not outright known fact -- that the characters of Professor X, Cyclops and Jean Gray didn't actually die in Kinberg & Penn's original script, that in actuality none of them died (at most perhaps their fate was left unresolved... ?) but that Ratner made that 'artistic' choice and changed the draft along the way as he saw fit?

 Although having said all that, either way, whether it was the writers' or Ratner's idea to kill them off to begin with, the little coda scene during the credits, suggesting that Professor X was still alive (hearing him off camera approach his doctor friend with a hello) was just beyond ludicrous. HIS ENTIRE FUCKING BODY EXPLODED INTO A MILLION PIECES. lol oh well and also, shit how could I forget, the tiny scene even after that one suggesting that Magneto was already getting his telekenesis back. I mean that's another thing, this implication that apparently the "cure" is only just temporary, was that the writers' original idea, or did Ratner invent that.
April 9, 2012, 2:59 a.m. CST
Hire THG's Second Unit Director!
by Ward Porrill
...Steven Soderbergh. Truth!
April 9, 2012, 3:04 a.m. CST
theseeker7, it was my understanding that Ratner threw out most of the script and used...
by Amadeo Zeller
Joss Whedon's first six issues of Astonishing Xmen run...Either way, according to an old interview with the producers, X3 and Wolverine: Origins will not be considered canon fodder for any subsequent Xmen sequels. They've acknowledged their fuck-up, hence the re-boot ala Xmen: First Class.
April 9, 2012, 3:10 a.m. CST
tward77, do you think Lion's Gate will get Soderberg for a cheaper price than Ross? - Not likely. Soderberg took that job as a favor.
by Amadeo Zeller
April 9, 2012, 3:19 a.m. CST
I don't hate X3
by 3D-Man
I'd choose it over X1, which has some serious pacing problems. X3 wasn't great, but I liked the way they scaled down the Phoenix story. To make her a planet-devouring super-mutant wouldn't have fit the tone that the first two films established.
April 9, 2012, 3:34 a.m. CST
Sorry this movie sucked. Who cares who the director is..
by spicy-mag.com
Horribly filmed action. Weak ass plot. Weak ass main character. Dutch from Predator laughs at her. Hire the director of Mac and Me for the shit sequels.
April 9, 2012, 3:47 a.m. CST
In the great annals of film writing...
by Anklavepak
... this is a very important article that will be remembered for decades. Why oh why, did I read this now, having no interest whatsoever in the Hunger Games? Why did I not wait till I was retired with nothing better to do? Why did I not wait till I was dead and let my stray atoms read it if any of them be interested? Why did I waste time writing this?
April 9, 2012, 3:47 a.m. CST
They're still offering him a pittance I bet when it's made 300mil
by performingmonkey
Though he should not have walked into this unless the contract said any sequels following a big-selling first movie would guarantee an x amount salary raise. Cause studios can, and will fuck over the 'talent'.
April 9, 2012, 3:49 a.m. CST
amadeo, I agree, but still...you know the one about two wrongs and all...
by ThulsaBoom
...and Will Smith rocks! I saw I Am Legend, on mushrooms, with my best friend at the IMAX. Fucking life changing. Plus, I loved the CGI because it was the only thing that pulled me out of the saddest, lonliest, movie I ever watched (thanks mushrooms)!
April 9, 2012, 3:52 a.m. CST
3d -man you hurt me...
by ThulsaBoom
...X1 isn't perfect, it's extremely flawed...but X3 makes it look like X2.
April 9, 2012, 4:49 a.m. CST
Common practice in Hollywood these days...
by godoffireinhell
"Leaking" info like "Ross leaves Hunger Games franchise over money!!!" to the press is common practice while negotiating actor/director salaries. If there's a big negative reaction to somebody leaving a franchise, he or she will have more leverage in the next round of negotiations. If the internet shrugs it off, the studio has more leverage. It's quite boring, really. In summary, it's indeed just about the paycheck and in engaging in this discussion we're all doing exactly what is expected of us.
April 9, 2012, 5:02 a.m. CST
Again... I smell a Ratner!
by mdk
April 9, 2012, 5:12 a.m. CST
Every time I see an post "written" by The Kidd....I wonder
by Bandit 37
Who the fuck is Billy Donnelly? And how did AICN find someone worse than Nording?
April 9, 2012, 6:22 a.m. CST
Some crappy 3rd rate website posted this "exclusive" days ago...
by Executor
...and other people just picked it up and ran with it. What were the sources this website (whose name I forgot because I never heard of it before) had? None cited. None needed. It's the internet. Make up something or run with an unverified rumor as fact just to get the hits and claim credit if it happens to be true down the line with a snarky TOLDYASO. And if tons of your stories end up to be wrong...who cares, no one remembers anyway.
April 9, 2012, 6:26 a.m. CST
Im glad
by saintsaucey
Im not the only one who caught the mistake. Vaughn wasn't supposed to direct X3 Singer was. Ratner stepped in to take his place. And to the guy who said Xavier's body exploded so why was he talking to Moira at the end. He put his mind into the body of her comotose paitient and thays how he survived.
April 9, 2012, 6:26 a.m. CST
Kidd that was a very long post for a rumor.
by adeceasedfan
Got the same info on Deadline last night in just paragraphs.
April 9, 2012, 6:27 a.m. CST
*a few paragraphs
by adeceasedfan
April 9, 2012, 6:47 a.m. CST
Who cares.
by Super Rabbi
April 9, 2012, 6:57 a.m. CST
Paul Verhoven for me
by the_shitweasel_with_a_quizzical_brow
April 9, 2012, 6:58 a.m. CST
The true is that this crap "FLOPPED OVERSEAS"!
by marcus
April 9, 2012, 7:15 a.m. CST
You could've done withOUT shaky cam...
by Wes_Reviews_
...jeez, hire an editor, AICN. For Pete's sake. Show a little professionalism. The old "we're just being real" excuse gets old.
April 9, 2012, 7:16 a.m. CST
That actually IS a pretty long article for a rumor. Kidd must be a HUGE fan of this movie.
by Chris
It'll find a nice spot in his DVD collection right next to John Carter.
April 9, 2012, 7:22 a.m. CST
Methinks Kidd's Days Are Numbered
by KingDingaLing
As bad as he was, bring back Moriarty, unless he's dead or something. I remember YEARS ago when he called the Howard Stern show when Anthony Hopkins was a guest and both he and Howard thought Moriarty was a dick. lol
April 9, 2012, 7:23 a.m. CST
The Kidd's diarrhea of the mouth gives me IBS.
by adeceasedfan
Truth is we're both full of shit. :p
April 9, 2012, 7:29 a.m. CST
The Godfather, Jaws, Apocalypse Now, Star Wars: Legendary stories of a man making a great film despite all odds....
by lox4444
yet people keep giving Gary Ross a free pass, regarding the lack of depth and intensity in THG, by saying "Well....maybe the studio wouldn't let him make it the way he wanted it." The lack of on-screen violence has nothing to do with the fact that there was zero character development, and there was not a single moment where it felt like Katniss was in any danger. Even in James Bond films, where you know he's always going to survive the film, there are moments of high tension. I just have trouble finding a single compliment for this film.
April 9, 2012, 7:50 a.m. CST
I'll still blame Brett Ratner for X-Men: The Last Stand
by D.Vader
Sorry, but if he wants to take all the credit for that movie's success, then he can take all the credit for that movie's failures.
April 9, 2012, 7:58 a.m. CST
by The Infamous Billy The Kidd
Singer was originally supposed to do X3, but chose to do SUPERMAN RETURNS instead. In his place, Matthew Vaughn stepped in before eventually bowing out for "family reasons." However, it is well understood that he wasn't going to be able to make the movie he originally wanted due to the rushed schedule Fox had in mind to hit their release date. That's when Ratner took the gig, already pretty far along in the creative process, which is why I don't hold him responsible for the clusterfuck X3 turned out to be. All those deaths were already in the script due to talent wanting out of the franchise, and the studio was really adamant about getting a large amount of mutants in.
April 9, 2012, 8:15 a.m. CST
Too Cool For HG
by SHADOWPRIME
Yeah, yeah, we know, we know... HG blah blah blah shakey cam blah blah blah Battle Royal blah blah blah PG13 blah blah overseas box office blah blah I am so cool and jaded blah blah blah. No offense guys, if HG isnt your thing, more power to ya. Thats why we have chocolate and vanilla, right? Obviously, lots of folks differ. Count me among them. Nice job of adapting a book with lots and lots of 'background detail' and dark themes, keeping it accessible to its fan base (if you believe that is 'selling out', to each his own), while refusing to make the action seem 'cool'only (no offense, but I think HG is one of the rare action movies where the principal characters DO seem in genuine danger). And no, this isn't aimed at Kidd. I leave that to you members of the spelling/typo police.
April 9, 2012, 8:25 a.m. CST
Whoever ends up directing Catching Fire neews to DROP THE SHIT OUT OF THE SHAKY CAMERA!
by Judge Briggs
Fucking awful. I went into that movie with a headache and walked out with a fucking migraine!
April 9, 2012, 8:27 a.m. CST
Fuck Game of Thrones
by Dharma4
April 9, 2012, 8:28 a.m. CST
Should get someone new
by Rex Carsalot
THG wasn't bad, but it felt really small and confined, and needs someone to make it big in the next installment.
April 9, 2012, 8:31 a.m. CST
I find the Kidd presence disturbing, but he´s right about X3
by Ditko
Rattner is not to blame. Besides, he was able to shoot a pretty decent movie keeping in mind all the circunstances. X3 is a fun watch, and better than expected. All this Rattner hate is soooo 20 minutes ago. Give it a rest.
April 9, 2012, 8:42 a.m. CST
Bleh, Jennifer Lawrence is far too good for X-MEN. I wish she wouldn't waste her time.
by FlickaPoo
April 9, 2012, 9:06 a.m. CST
by Johnny Wrong
...about "shaky cam". Fucking dry up, already, you morons.
April 9, 2012, 9:33 a.m. CST
Whether it's Hollywood or professional sports, people always have to fuck with success.
by AzulTool
April 9, 2012, 9:40 a.m. CST
Finally saw the film. My review...
by RogueWarrior65
Jennifer is my newest crush. You're welcome. Call me. In an interview she said she wants to buy a house, a dog, and a shotgun. Seriously, call me. Shaky cam? Really? If that's all Gary Ross has in his bag of tricks, good riddance. The fight sequences were not nearly as cool as they could have been. Some reviewers whined about the film being too long. IMHO, it was too short. Too many intriguing elements that were only lightly touched on. And what's up with the entire male tribute cast with nothing but pretty boys? Feh. And on another note (not that I'd want to see this) but after how many days in the woods and none of them had to take a sh*t or a leak? All in all though, I'd buy this DVD which is saying something given that years ago I generally stopped buying DVDs for all but the most entertaining films.
April 9, 2012, 9:48 a.m. CST
Could this have something to do with 3D?
by Jeff
Didn't Ross emphatically state that he would never do any of the Hunger Games movies in 3D? Maybe the studio has other ideas.
April 9, 2012, 10:08 a.m. CST
Alfonso Cuaron or Neil Blomkamp would be my choices
by seasider
as replacements. Both filmmakers have proven they can shoot a movie in documentary style without cheapening the movie.
April 9, 2012, 10:09 a.m. CST
Brett Ratner
by jemagee
is a giant douche with no comprehension of making a good film...Roger Corman would have made a bet x3 than that feckless putz made
April 9, 2012, 10:13 a.m. CST
There is definitely some smoke to the fire of Gary Ross' future involvement in the franchise being in serious jeopardy
by Cletus Van Damme
I think you mean "there is fire to the smoke." Y'know, as in "there is legitimacy to the rumor."
April 9, 2012, 10:48 a.m. CST
Billy The Kidd = Devin Faraci/Armond White of AICN FACT
by TheMovieLover
Seriously, even in his casual articles, he can't help but bag on the movie or any other movie.
April 9, 2012, 10:48 a.m. CST
You Americans DO know a thing called Battle Royale, right?
by Ricardo
Ohhh you don't...? Because there are no white people in it, right? Okay...
April 9, 2012, 10:53 a.m. CST
by emteem
While all the rumors at the time had Vaughn dropping out due to the insane 11 month production schedule didn't he actually make First Class on an even more insane 10 month production schedule?
April 9, 2012, 11:27 a.m. CST
ricarleite4 - fuck you, you generalizing, arrogant retard
by F This
ricarleite4: *Ooh, let's play the stupid, racist American card! That'll make me sound more intelligent and badass than all these stupid Americans on AICN talkbacks.* Not cool, you stupid, worthless fucking cockhole.
April 9, 2012, 11:36 a.m. CST
Jonathan Frakes = Excellant choice!
by Jake Pantlin
I agree with Dr. Pain. Jonathan Frakes would be a greta choise for a director for this sequel. He works well with ensembles, it it isn't a fluke that Star Trek First Contact was the best TNG film.
April 9, 2012, 11:47 a.m. CST
REricarleite4, I like how foreigners play the ignorant American card so freely
by kidicarus
Can't have the world's greatest economy being THAT stupid, can we? Fuck off, peasant.
April 9, 2012, 11:48 a.m. CST
@Amadeo re: Soderbergh
by Ward Porrill
Good point. Soderbergh would probably rather make 15 GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCEs for the price of one HG sequel anyway.
April 9, 2012, 11:49 a.m. CST
re: theseeker7 - The death of Professor X in X-Men 3
by Jake Pantlin
At the end of X-Men 3, it isn't Professor X lying in the bed. It is the body of a comatose man, who Professor X's spirit inhabits. The scene was actually forshadowed at the start of the film, where the Professor talks about transferring one's conciousness to another body (to his students.) I didn't really like that idea either, but that is what it was suppose to be happening at the end of the film (a younger man trapped in a vegetative state, with Pro X's soul now living in him). If they ever make an X4, they really need to bring all of these characters back (who 'died') in a proper way. I don't want to see them simply ignore the events of X3 (like Singer did with Superman 3 and 4) because that is just really disrespectful to the previous filmmakers. Cyclops and Professor X could simply be in a state of limbo, and be brought back to the real world by a powerful mutant.
April 9, 2012, 11:55 a.m. CST
I enjoyed The Hunger Games movie, but I liked John Carter more...
by bubcus
Sad that it didn't do better in theaters compared to the massive success of The Hunger Games. I have the same attitude with Captain America and Thor last year. I enjoyed Captain America but Thor was my favorite of those two.
April 9, 2012, 11:57 a.m. CST
I humbly disagree
by Joe
I think Ross wasn't really the success of "Hunger Games" i think the title alone was success enough. I remember people frothing at the mouth when they heard this movie was coming out. I never heard a comment like "OOO ROSS IS DIRECTING!?!!?" So yes he can be easily replaced. I personally couldn't care for the first film, it was good, but had the potential to be GREAT! Thanks, -Rex
April 9, 2012, noon CST
Ross NEEDS to go. Just get rid of him and find a new director ASAP. Simple, it is what should happen.
by happybunni
April 9, 2012, 12:03 p.m. CST
Who cares - it's all downhill from here. Book 2 is a rehash of Book 1 and Book 3
by atlatl
is lame ass sci-fi
April 9, 2012, 12:36 p.m. CST
bubcus, careful mentioning John Carter on a Hunger Games TB
by Mattman
You might anger the Asimov.
April 9, 2012, 12:36 p.m. CST
Just this morning I was hearing on the news that Hunger Games is making Gary Ross ritch
by Dreamwriter
He apparently managed a contract that paid him a "pittance" (for a big director) up front, but he gets 5% of box office gross. So he's got like $26 million from the movie so far.
April 9, 2012, 12:37 p.m. CST
(but I agree, JC is the best movie I've seen so far this year)
by Mattman
April 9, 2012, 12:47 p.m. CST
ricarleite4, we Americans are also always overdressing for the wrong occasions
by Mattman
April 9, 2012, 12:52 p.m. CST
[quote]With THE TWILIGHT SAGA wrapping up in November, there's nothing else in the pipeline for this merger between Lionsgate and Summit that can really generate big box office dollars except for THE HUNGER GAMES[/quote]
by BurnHollywood
I can't imagine a line less likely to cause me concern, except maybe, "Prince William discovered he had an ingrown toenail this morning!"
April 9, 2012, 1:23 p.m. CST
Overseas Market
by Andrew
Not to sound like a dick here, but The Hunger Games has already made 300 million while John Carter is still at 67 million (according to Box Office Mojo). I think it's easy to see which one is a hit and which one is a flop. I don't think saying "JC is doing better in the foreign markets" really means anything. Also, wasn't JC called the biggest box office flop ever? Come on, now.
April 9, 2012, 1:25 p.m. CST
Seriously.....Who gives a fuck?
by Jaster Mareel
I didn't see The Hunger Games, but it looks like Twilighty generic trash.
April 9, 2012, 1:29 p.m. CST
I'm not saying The Hunger Games is better...
by Andrew
It just made more money. Gary Ross is retarded if he doesn't jump on board for the sequel. I'd do that shit in half a second if I could get a percentage of the ticket sales.
April 9, 2012, 1:31 p.m. CST
Don't you mean Bryan Singer? I don't recall Matthew Vaughn up for directing X3
by Kamaji
Personally, I do hate these studios that feel they need to strike while the iron's hot, and then try to push alot of this stuff out the door before anything is finalized.
April 9, 2012, 1:39 p.m. CST
Funny thing is about Shaky-Cam
by Joe Plumber
ss that narrative film directors use handheld camera's and shake the camera to make the movie look like Reality TV, but people who shoot Reality TV are actually trying to keep the cameras as still as they can, but they are following the largely unscripted actions of unprofessional actors around in real time and the result is unpolished wobbly footage. So, this whole fad is based on filmmakers aping the unintentional negative side effects of a inferior medium for "artistic" stylistic purposes.
April 9, 2012, 1:41 p.m. CST
Imagine explaining 'shaky cam' to Hitchcock...
by Darth Macchio
I was watching some of "United 93" and yet again I never EVER think "wow, is this really happening? was it recorded? a documentary?" but instead tiredly think (again) "this is distracting. this is distracting. this is distracting. this is fucking distracting. oh look, somebody's shoulder. ohh, the back of someone's head. two people are having a conversation and the camera is filming some other guy's coat pocket. this is distracting. this is distracting." the entire time, over and over, like a horrible pop song stuck in your head. In the Bourne movies, it's just beyond dumb and ruins not only the story but even what looks to be some fantastic fight choreography (the 2nd film apartment fight scene in particular)..one second I'm looking at Damon's chin and the next I'm looking at someone's back or shoulder or maybe a "Wayne's World" style extreme closeup of some girl's eyebrow and the corner of an eye. not sure who. Instead, this "technique" does the unforgivable in film: it destroys the suspension of disbelief. I always wondered what would happen if you could take some of the greatest directors and DoPs of the greatest classic movies/films (any of them) and had them sit down and watch movies from today with all of their bullshit techniques to replace what used to be done by story and editing...what they would say about these "new" film techniques. Sad to see HG using this same tired and stupid technique.
April 9, 2012, 1:43 p.m. CST
Like Twilight, Hunger Games is both critic proof and hack director proof
by Joe Plumber
As others have mentioned, anyone, even a freshman film student, could direct these movies and it will still make huge B.O. In other words, Gary Ross is an idiot. He's gonna lose a job.
April 9, 2012, 2:12 p.m. CST
darth_meh... um, have you SEEN a Twilight movie?
by Mattman
Steven Spielberg couldn't make that plot and those characters interesting. Hunger Games is much easier to work with, I'd say.
April 9, 2012, 2:15 p.m. CST
Reading Hunger Games now before going to see the film. It's very solid work for the young adult market, more brutal, mature and nuanced than I expected. Fett and others, it's worth checking out.
by reflecto
Jennifer Lawrence is also perfectly cast, as is the rest of the ensemble. That being said, Ross is being foolish if he's trying to play chicken. Sure, he apparently shot the film very well, but these giant franchise moneymakers chew through wonderful directors like warm bread. The profit is a done deal, all the studio cares about is making a date - Matthew Vaughn was the first director to make a really good X-Men movie, but even he had to eventually bow to time pressure and minimal studio support for a franchise they'd damaged (if they'd given him more, I seriously doubt he would have crippled Xavier and split him and Magneto in the first new X-film - but he had a vote of no confidence at the time). Catherine Hardwicke also did an actually lovely job with the first Twilight, even though the script, story and characters are utterly awful. She shot it like an intoxicating teenage dream, which is all the material is at best - but Summit dumped her even after she made their first big bombshell. And Marvel dumped Kenneth fucking Branagh from Thor 2, and then Patty Jenkins, an equally renowned filmmaker. It's about the date. And Gary Ross is no Branagh or Jenkins, or Vaughn. He needs to either stay on the train or they'll find any of several dozen A or B-list, talented directors.
April 9, 2012, 2:25 p.m. CST
Hey! Just get Terrence Howard to direct it!
by Snake Foreskin
Does Gary Ross have the same agent as Terrence Howard?
April 9, 2012, 3:18 p.m. CST
making excuses for Brett Rat Ratner's terribly handling of X-MEN 3?? Seven hells!!!!
by AsimovLives
Kidd, not cool!
April 9, 2012, 3:59 p.m. CST
mattman, not comparing the quality of the source material
by Joe Plumber
Just saying that like Twilight, the quality or lack there of, of the next Hunger Games movie is not going to keep fans away.
April 9, 2012, 4:02 p.m. CST
Gary Ross, here's a tip: you may want to check out the Warp Stabilizer feature in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5
by Joe Plumber
It will work wonders on that poor quality shaky camera footage you're getting.
April 9, 2012, 4:31 p.m. CST
asimovlives, 3 words:
by Joe Plumber
I'm Juggernaut, bitch!
April 9, 2012, 4:33 p.m. CST
by xsikal
If you liked the book, I think you'll be disappointed in the movie. You'll also regret having written phrases like "he apparently shot the film very well", when you find yourself nauseated by shaky cam being used (bizarrely) for long lingering looks around the coal mining town, in addition to the terrible terrible action scenes.
April 9, 2012, 4:35 p.m. CST
Obviously a loquacious spider monkey could direct these films
by Mugato5150
Get over youself, you dumb fuck.
April 9, 2012, 5:34 p.m. CST
You know, every time I watch X2....
by Nik
...I just can't get through the whole thing. Honestly, I find it boring and kind of slow in some spots. I feel that way about most of Bryan Singer's movies. They all seem about a half hour longer than they should be. Sorry, gotta put it out there.
April 9, 2012, 5:37 p.m. CST
All of Bryan Singer's films are bland and drab. Particularly his superhero ones, all airless, flat with technique. He can't direct action and was ashamed of the fantastical comic book property.
by reflecto
April 9, 2012, 5:37 p.m. CST
Same thing with Spiderman 2 and every Judd Apatow movie...
by Nik
...just too damn long! (that's what she said)
April 9, 2012, 5:43 p.m. CST
For you crits who have problems with adaptations...
by Rigo Martinez II
STOP GOING TO THE MOVIES YOU WHINERS!!! lol Seriously even you kidd, books will always be better than their film adaptations for the most obvious reason you people are too stupid to realize. In your imagination the acting is perfect, the fx look amazing, and you're seeing it thru your interpretations that you prefer. Really I get soo tired of hearing this lame excuse, if you read books before watching the flix you will usually always get disappointed. I watch the movie as a totally separate entity and never read the book till after, I read Jurassic Park: Lost World way before there were even talks about making it into a movie, I loved the book and was disappointed a director like Spielberg changed the story pretty much entirely. Get of your jackass kiddo, I never read any of the books and thought Hunger Games was a fresh time at the cinema and obviously so did a lot of other people that go to the movies.
April 9, 2012, 6 p.m. CST
I hope Ross does it. If not...
by Krinkle
... Soderbergh would be terrific, and not only because he and Ross have a long association (Soderbergh produced Pleasantville and does commentary on Seabiscuit)
April 9, 2012, 6:18 p.m. CST
Shaky cam was used to mask violence?
by Shoehanger
It was shaky for the first hour of the film, before any violence. Did you watch the film?
April 9, 2012, 6:21 p.m. CST
lol it's not doing that great?
by WINONA_RYDERS_PUSSY_JUICE
It had one of the most amazing opening weekends ever in the USA. Some American films just aren't as popular internationally. People overseas are weirdos. John Carter is a huge hit in Russia. Russians are fucking freaks. Plus they're smart, they know this Hunger Games is just a massive fad, it's teenage Americans going ape-shit over a movie that isn't anything special.
April 9, 2012, 6:28 p.m. CST
by WINONA_RYDERS_PUSSY_JUICE
I watched it again on TV and it's not that bad when you know what to expect. It's kinda cheesy but not really all that horrible imo. I never read the comics though and can simpathise if they totally raped the story.
April 9, 2012, 7:36 p.m. CST
I thought the direction on the film was mediocre at best. The shaky-cam was appropriate in spots, but horrendously off in others.
by kevred
And unfortunately, it started off on the wrong foot by forcing shaky-cam nonsense on complete non-action scenes. When an essentially still shot is filmed shakily, it's just annoying. Bad, amateurish. Which is a shame, because when it was used a few other times, to sort of camouflage the visuals of children killing other children, it was useful. The movement was unsettling, off-putting, and underscored the "this is inherently wrong" feeling of what was happening in that moment. They could have easily been more direct and brutal with the killing scenes, but I don't want to see that. I don't think any self-respecting person does. It reminded me just a bit of the (far better) 'The Road' in that once sense - creating some additional horror through suggestion rather than showing it all. Though I still say the whole story is far less good than the popularity indicates. Take away the shock value of kids killing kids, and you've got a heaping pile of well-worn cliches and societal commentary done enormously better elsewhere. This whole thing is pretty much an author cashing in on other people's ideas with an exploitative gimmick. And it seems more like a ripoff than, say, Harry Potter's love letter to its influences.
April 9, 2012, 8:35 p.m. CST
The best part about this adaptation...
by Namssorg
...Was that while the books were written in first person narrative (you're locked in Katniss's head- and only have her point of view, thoughts, and experiences to go on) the movie opens the story up quite a bit. You see what other people are doing. You see behind the scenes. You see the announcers and what viewers at home are watching. Really a nice addition to the book- they kind of go hand in hand quite well. Then again, I just like watching movies. A little bit of shaky cam (GO WATCH BATMAN BEGINS.. It's like they filmed that on a unicycle on a dirty road) didn't 'ruin' the whole movie for me.
April 9, 2012, 9:57 p.m. CST
WTF Professor?
by rbottoms
Let me get this straight????? Ratner plays fair with the audience by setting up quite early in the movie that there's a physically healthy, but mentally empty body under the care of Professor X's closest female friend just laying there. Then knowing he's about to do battle with a God, the idea the most powerful telepath on the planet is went in to tat house unpreparred to move his conciseness to that body if need be. God forbid Xavier kept, what was in all likelihood his mentally empty twin brother around as an emergency escape hatch and that was the conundrum he posed to his students. Guess you've never seen Scanners. And I liked X3 just fine thank you. However much his other movies may suck, Last Stand is pretty great popcorn movie.
April 9, 2012, 9:59 p.m. CST
It's Four Words
by rbottoms
I'm the Juggernaut, Bitch!
April 9, 2012, 11:03 p.m. CST
by The Infamous Billy The Kidd
Most of X3 was already set before Ratner even took the gig, so yeah, I give him a pass on that one, unless you want to complain about how the film looked visually.
April 10, 2012, 12:19 a.m. CST
Since when has box office numbers correlate to the quality of movies?
by DanielnocharismaCraig
And comparing Twilight to Hunger Games? You've got to be joking. It may be due to my preference for dystopian science fiction, but Twilight isn't even in the same ballpark as Hunger Games. And yes, I am including both literary and film adaptation on this one! Of course, that still does not exclude Suzanne Collins for the almost blatant rip off of plot ideas of the same type of genre. But as I've stated in past talkbacks, as long as this novel gets the young kids out there to think and better yet act on the economic and political landscape of today's America, then I can never really dislike Collins work. There I've said my piece.
April 10, 2012, 4:49 a.m. CST
by gotilk
Bravo, sir. Indeed.
April 10, 2012, 10:46 a.m. CST
The director of these films is totally irrelevant
by MacReady452
The popularity and draw of this story has NOTHING to do with who is at the helm. THAT SAID...SPOILERS Place the blame where you will but there were major thematic missteps throughout the film. Gales involvement in the love triangle is sidelined. The theme of celebrity and it's influence on the masses is mishandled . Katniss and Peeta become reality TV stars gaining huge popularity and support within the Capitol in the books. In the movie we are made to believe it is Haymitch working behind the scenes. That nullifies the overall gravitas of the rebellion and their role in it. People are starving to death. It is called THE HUNGER GAMES but the suppression and starvation of the masses is a non issue in the film. These are three huge points that, anyone involved, should be ashamed of fucking up. Shit just could have been done better. The film walks a fine line of talking down to its audience and their is no need for that. Bye Bye Gary. Don't need ya.
April 10, 2012, 1:46 p.m. CST
shaky-cam is for retarded squids. I refuse all movies that use it.
by ZodNotGod
If you take all the action scenes from the movies of the last decade that have used it, Bourne, bits of Quantum of Solace, Friday Night Lights, others... and edit a montage of said movies together; it would be an incomprehensible mess of BS. Then again, those that love it do not know what the words "montage" or "incomprehensible" mean anyway so...
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Local government financial formula is notoriously complex and (as a colleague recently put it), a bit like the Schleswig-Holstein question: there are only three people who ever understood it; one has gone mad, the other is dead and the third has forgotten. This difficulty notwithstanding, the Local Growth White Paper moots the possible retention of business rates by local authorities, a massive step toward returning local sovereignty and self determination, something long advocated by many authorities including Core Cities.
So why has there so far been a positive but somewhat muted response to the raising of this issue in advance of the Local Government Resource Review? Perhaps because this is one area where the devil really is in the detail. There are important questions. The White Paper uses the term 'retention', not relocalisation – are these seen as the same thing? Would authorities be able to set...
The first wave of 24 LEPs have been announced (with more soon to follow) and will go live on April 1st 2011. There's a lot of talk about what they should deliver, but less so about what they might need in order to meet high expectations, and how they can achieve critical mass.
To keep business confidence and give LEPs traction on the levers of economic growth, Government will need to rapidly deliver the forerunners and this means working across Whitehall to devolve funding and powers to them. This is particularly important in areas that deliver big economic output, in other words, return on (scarce) public investment. The Regional Growth Fund, whilst welcomed, is a relatively small investment vehicle. This means LEPs will have to make best use of all the funds they might have, to leverage private sector investment for private sector growth.
Pooling capital funds (including those for...
Core Cities have a history of almost 15 years of collaborating on 'localist' approaches to creating wider economic competitiveness. We're a cross party group and our ideas tend to get listened to. But in a very real sense the work of the group represents a roadmap to localism and to greater national economic growth.
The growing raft of Government policy aimed at achieving these things has made mention of cities - and specifically of Core Cities – and engagement with the Coalition Government has thus far been very positive. This is of course in the context of an extremely difficult CSR for local government, and for our cities in particular, given their dual role of driving growth and managing-down high levels of deprivation.
However, it does seem that the relative position of the Core Cities has increased in importance during these tough times. If you want...
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Fri. 24 May 2013
8 pm
Pre-Concert Talk 7:40 pm
Doheny Mansion
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Hunt & Eisen (1899)
Horszowski Piano Trio
Jesse Mills, violin; Raman Ramakrishnan, cello; Rieko Aizawa, piano
L.A.s grandest salon welcomes the Horszowski Piano Trio in their L.A. debut. Based in New York, these dynamic young players are destined for great things
(The New Yorker)
. Their performance of the elegant, refined Piano Trio No. 1 in F by Saint-Saëns has been praised as a lithe, persuasive account
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. In addition to Saint-Saëns masterpiece, the program includes a cheeky early work by Shostakovich (Trio No. 1 in C, Op. 8) as well as Dvořáks soulful Piano Trio No. 3 in f, Op. 65.
Los Angeles Debut!
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Today's Speed Bumps to Evangelism
- Friday, October 18, 2013
"Now that we no longer have a Judeo-Christian basis for our country," explained evangelical theologian Norman Geisler in a recent interview, "we are realizing that we are losing all our freedoms along with it." According to the Christian Post, Geisler went on to say, "Our job is to speak to the culture and help re-establish our Judeo-Christian basis or our freedom is going to be swept away."
There is no question that Geisler is correct about our freedom. As I wrote several weeks ago, our liberty is being compromised beginning with our religious freedom — the freedom on which all other freedoms depend.
And there's no question that Geisler is correct that our freedoms are founded on a Judeo-Christian worldview. History makes it clear that once you take that worldview away, freedoms beginning with religious freedom evaporate. Every regime that rejects a Judeo-Christian worldview beginning with the French Revolution shows us that secularism is the great enemy of freedom. And the secular worldview is ascendant in our country.
The question then is: How do we "speak to the culture" in such a way that we reestablish freedom by reestablishing a Judeo-Christian worldview?
Part of the answer is evangelism and that's where the trouble begins. Evangelism has always been a challenge, but today it faces three enormous speed bumps. They're in the culture, in the Church, and in our individual psyches.
Speed Bump 1: Relativism. While not everyone believes "your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth and that's the way the world is" (not a particularly relativistic position when you think about it), we all have problems with absolutes.
A friend who teaches high school English tells me that until about ten years ago if the concept of evil came up, he could always say, "Hitler and the Nazis were evil," and his students would readily agree. But that's no longer the case. Hitler, they tell him, was probably just doing the best he could. Yes, he made some mistakes, but who are we to judge him or his culture?
Two questions come to mind. First, how do we evangelize people who are so marinated in relativism that one of the foulest genocidal leaders in history gets a free pass? Second, how much have we been impacted by the steady drumbeat telling us that being unaffirming and judgmental are the two great unforgivable sins?
Evangelism and worldview change demand that we believe and say that there is absolute truth. Some things are just plain wrong; some things are just plain evil.
Speed Bump 2: Universalism. Walking hand-in-hand with relativism is the sense that everyone goes to Heaven. Okay, if you're old school, Hitler and his ilk go to Hell, but certainly not the good people: the people who work hard, help others, and try to do the right thing even as they reject Jesus and the Christian faith.
By contrast, a pastor friend used to pray for those "who are without God in this world and without hope in the next." While I affirm that on paper, I confess that I too have lost the visceral sense that it's true. Even writing it makes me squirm. But if there is no threat of Hell, why bother people with Jesus? If everyone goes to Heaven, there's no reason to disturb their relativistic, all-affirming, non-judgmental Sunday mornings. Evangelism becomes pointless.
Speed Bump 3: No one talks about religion. In his research into the spiritual and moral lives of twenty-somethings, Notre Dame sociologist Christian Smith found that most people aren't anti-religion; they're indifferent. They don't object to talking about faith; they just never do it.
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Bomb Threat
Pitt's attitude could be summarized as enough is enough.
Bomb Threats Continue On Pitt's Campus
Pitt's Cathedral of Learning was reopened after the building was searched by police and a bomb-sniffing dog from the McKeesport Police Department.
Threats At Cathedral Of Learning Disrupting Life On Pitt Campus
The Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh's campus in Oakland has reopened after students and staff evacuated the building this morning over a reported bomb threat.
Teen Charged For Making Bomb Threats Against Local School
A 16-year-old boy is faces charges for allegedly making a bomb threat against Greensburg Salem High School.
Police Investigate Bomb Threat At Ross Park Mall
The Ross Park Mall re-opened at 11 a.m. Wednesday after a bomb scare. According to Ross Township Police, around 5:50 a.m. a mall employee found a note in a public bathroom indicating there was a bomb in the building.
Police Search Pitt's Chevron Science Center, Nothing Found
KDKA's Kym Gable reports police with bomb-sniffing dogs went through each floor of the building, but they didn't find anything.
Monessen High School Evacuates After Bomb Threat
Monessen High School was evacuated Thursday afternoon after school officials received a phone call by a student threatening to bomb the building.
Bomb Threat Prompts Evacuation At Franklin Regional
The Franklin Regional Middle School and High School were evacuated Monday morning due to a bomb threat.
Penn Hills Parents Air Frustrations At School Board Meeting
PENN HILLS (KDKA) — A bomb threat to Penn Hills High School led to a chaotic evacuation leading to several fights and some students were arrested. The school district blamed students, but parents are pointing […]
Teen Charged In Fake Bomb Threat To Stand Trial
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The teenager accused of phoning in last week's fake bomb threat to Penn Hills High School appeared in court today. According to our news partners at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, District Judge Leonard […]
Teen Charged With Making Threat To Penn Hills School District
PENN HILLS (KDKA) — Penn Hills police have filed charges after someone called in a bomb threat to the school district. Andre Milligaen, 18, of Pittsburgh, was arraigned Thursday afternoon on charges of terroristic threats, […]
Student Captures Chaotic Scene On Cell Phone
PENN HILLS (KDKA) — There was complete chaos Wednesday morning at Penn Hills High School as word spread of a bomb threat. The school was evacuated, several students were arrested and parents were angry at […]
Parents Upset After Penn Hills Bomb Threat
PENN HILLS (KDKA) – Moments after a bomb threat at the Penn Hills High School, word spread to students and parents in the school district. Initially, no one knew what was going on, which led […]
Bomb Threat Causes Chaos At Penn Hills High School
PENN HILLS (KDKA) –Students were sent home from the Penn Hills High School Wednesday morning after a bomb threat. According to police, the initial call came in around 6:30 a.m. saying there were six pipe […]
Students' Bags Checked After Bomb Threat
MURRYSVILLE (KDKA) – Franklin Regional Middle School maintained heightened security Tuesday after a bomb threat was found on a bathroom wall Monday afternoon. All after-school activities for Monday were canceled and early Tuesday activities were […]


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Browsing all posts tagged with that should be me.
The music video for Justin Bieber and Rascal Flatt's "That Should Be Me"
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
Justin Bieber has been collaborating with a variety of artists, including Rascal Flatts! This video was filmed the night he cut his hair *GASP* I'm absolutely OBSESSED with the Rascal Flatts, and it's no secret I have the Fever, so this gave me goosebumps the entire time. Not joking. Stop judging. It's a cute song […]


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DOH Service Telephone Directory
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DMH Solicitation RFP: RM-12-IFB-070-BY-THS
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
To provide painting and related services
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2 sessions per day. For kids ages 5-12. A Tyvek kite and a wide assortment of materials for decorating it are provided. All kites will hang on display in the Gallery at the Ackland Museum Store from 8 April through 19 April 2013 Saturday, 6 April First session: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Second session: 1:00 – 3:00 PM Sunday, 7 April First session:12:00 – 2:00 PM Second session: 2:30 – 4:30 PM Pre-registration is required; call 919.962.0216.Cost: $5 per workshop per child. Payment may be made on the day of the workshop.
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Chapel Hill, NC 27514
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This part of Franklin Street—just before Chapel Hill turns into Carrboro—has a high concentration of fabulous Dining...
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Spend the day sampling the below ideas if you have kids or enjoy taking in local attractions.
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Park downtown Chapel Hill at the Wallace Deck public parking lot.
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A visit to Chapel Hill means world-class performances, indie music and top-notch opportunities to view visual art. [Image Source, UNC
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Hillsborough is a small town with a big history.
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Berit, Nov 2005
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Climbers: LD


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Daimler celebrates 125 years since Carl Benz's Patent-MotorWagen – Click above for high-res image galleryBack on January 29th of 1886, Karl Benz filed the patent for his "vehicle with gas-engine drive." It's an important date in the history of the automobile, and Daimler is looking back ...
We recently made a visit to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Center in Irvine, California, to check out this restoration and retail facility. Located adjacent to a cluster of auto showrooms, it looks like just another modern dealership. But the cars inside are anything but modern. For starters, ...


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Whidbey Audubon goes looking for owls
Whidbey Audubon will take an owling field trip Saturday, Feb. 25.
Whidbey is home to six species of owls and occasionally visited by others. Members should bring flashlights, binoculars, scopes and keen hearing, and also dress warm.
The group will meet in the Coupeville High School parking lot at 4:30 p.m.; the tour leader is Gary Piazzon (360-678-5131) and the public is welcome.
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Small Space Outdoor Storage:
Chests That Double as Benches
Whether you have an entire back yard or just a small balcony, an outdoor storage chest is great for both storage and extra seating. Use the chest to store gardening tools, seat cushions or pool toys and then, when the party's hopping, invite guests to plop down on top of it.
- Manhattan Cushion Box from AllModern Dura-Weave resin wicker with integrated handles and latch. $937.50
- Outdoor Patio Storage Chest from Frontgate Made from a petroleum-based composite that is finished with UV gelcoat. $999
- Lexington Wicker Storage Chest from Wicker Central All-weather resin wicker with aluminum frame and powder-coated finish. $489.99
- Resin Wicker Deck Box from Target Made with a resin material that is weather, mildew and fade resistant. $79.09
- Storage Buffet Box from Brookbend Outdoor Furniture This bench can also double as an ice chest! $999
- Patio Chic Storage Bench from Rubbermaid Weather-resistant basket weave design with a locking option. $129
- Chatham Storage Bench from Pottery Barn - Crafted of solid mahogany and sealed for moisture resistance. $599
- Garden Storage Chest from Thos. Baker Made from premium teak wood, which will naturally age with the elements. $1,595
(Images: As credited above.)
4 Comments
Wow...many of these are shockingly pricey. Seriously? $1000 for a storage bench???
I have to agree with rexrayfan... wow, pricey. I'm a big fan of the wooden ones, but I'd never pay that much for an outdoor bench!
The Thos. Baker is almost shockingly expensive, until you realize that it will last for years and years, beyond most of the benches pictures. Teak takes the weather without a shrug and weathers beautifully. Could I afford it? No way! But for those with the money for an investment, that's the one to get.
Me, I like the Rubbermaid. The Pottery Barn bench is nice, but since it's made with mahogany (probably not Honduran mahogany, most likely African mahogany or Sapele, given the care instructions from PB), it's care intensive.
Yeah whoa on the prices of some of these but a coupe are affordable. I don't know why I haven't thought of this. We need more seating and storage would be great for the outside toys that get thrown all over the patio.


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Categories > TV > Star Trek: The Next Generation > One Lifetime's Not Enough
Chapter One0 Reviews
When Wesley rescues a girl from a frightening creature, the consequences take everyone by surprise.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek. Wish I owned Wesley, though.
One Lifetime's Not Enough
Chapter 1
Oracle's Cavern, Chara III
She sat quietly, patiently waiting. She was always waiting. She had waited for centuries, and would wait centuries more if need be.
The oracle sat before her, brow wrinkled in heavy concentration. The oracle was the one thing that gave her hope, slim though that hope was. After all, she was bound her with it, for what was starting to look like eternity. It rarely spoke. Not very good company, come to think of it. She sighed. The last time it had spoken, it told her the riddle of her freedom:
In this cavern shall you remain
Until the a man you've never seen
Rescues you from peril
That's never been.
Then to him you shall be bound
Until his dying hour.
At his side, learn strength and skill,
And wise use of your power.
That was it. The only way she could ever get out was to have someone she'd never met save her life. Well, the "man she'd never seen" part shouldn't be too hard. After all, she'd been trapped in this cavern for three hundred years. Everyone she'd known before was long dead by now. Maybe not the elves. But even if she was freed, she'd never see them again. She's have to stick with the stranger.
The oracle extended its hand. Slowly, it held up five fingers. Five? Hmm. No, she didn't see any...
"Go fish."
Captain's log, star date 44299.6
We have been sent to Chara III, an M-class planet orbiting the star Chara, to retrieve a probe that fell into that world's atmosphere. It poses no threat to the local life forms, but would be a breach of the Prime Directive as the civilizations on Chara III pre-industrial. The world is unique in that there are at least five races of sentient beings. The most wide-spread population is physiologically identical to the humans of Earth. This will make it easy for a small away team to blend in and recover our lost probe.
The probe itself fell on the largest of the three continents, in a city near the middle of the continent. Luckily, the city appears to have been deserted long before the probe fell. Commander Riker will lead the away team. We should arrive in three days.
NCC-1701-D, Enterprise, bridge
Captain Picard strode briskly out of his ready room. "Number One, have you decided what the make-up of your away team will be?"
"Yes, sir," Riker said. "I'd like to bring Data, Mr. Barclay, and Mr. Crusher. It will be his last chance for an away mission before he heads off to the academy."
"Very good. Make it so," said the captain. He looked over at Wesley, where he sat at Ops. The ensign would be leaving them in less than a week. Picard still remembered his own time at the academy with chagrin. He'd changed a lot since then; becoming less reckless, though no less brave and daring. In part, it was due to age and experience. In short, I grew up, he thought wryly. Wesley was not nearly as reckless as Picard had been at that age. Wesley would never have gotten involved with the Nausicaans as Picard had. Or maybe he would. He hasn't had a lot of experience with companions of his own age, after all.
Wesley wasn't sure whether to be excited or not. Going on the away mission was an honor, but they'd have to blend in with the population. That meant medieval costumes, and those could be uncomfortable. From what he recalled, there was a piece on the male costume called a fishpiece? No, codpiece. Just looks silly.
"Data, Wesley, you're with me." Commander Riker's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Aye, sir." Wesley followed Commander Riker to the turbolift. Data would use the replicator to create costumes for each of them. Wonder what I'll be wearing? Hope it's not too embarrassing. But, not many people get to visit Chara III, so it doesn't matter. He wasn't sure whether to hope to meet someone or not. And which race?
There were the humans. That race was familiar to point of being dull. Then, there was a race that looked a little like Vulcans. At least, their ears were pointed. They were taller, though. And all of them were beautiful. The file on Chara III called them /nostale/, and went on to say that the race was broken into two main groupings: the ones who liked the humans /(nilmenostale)/, and the ones who killed any human they came across /(mornanostale)/. Actually, a lot like Vulcans and Romulans, except that the two groups were of the same race. Then there were the shorter ones. They were strong, though -- a lot stronger than the humans. The tallest of them was still under five feet tall. They stayed mostly in the high mountains, living in caves. Another group that stayed in the mountains were also short, but had grey skin an dfang-like teeth. They were sentient, but not very intelligent. Very hostile. They often formed alliances with the mornanostale. The last sentient race that the file listed was a reptilian race native to another continent. There wasn't much chance of running into one of them.
"Commander Riker, what do we do if we run into someone?"
"Well, if it's one of the friendly people, they shouldn't see anything wrong with us. Even Data can be explained as a traveler from far away. That's rare, but not unheard of. If it's something hostile, we try to get out of sight, so we can transport to safety. And we'll have phasers; it's a last resort, but some of the beings on Chara III seem to have abilities that mimic phaser blasts. Don't worry about it too much, Wes. The city we're going to has been deserted for almost three hundred years."
Wesley thought about that. "Sir, why was the town deserted? The file didn't say anything."
"We don't know. It was probably disease, or maybe the water source dried up. Might even have been his by those grey guys. Whatever it was, it was three hundred years ago. It won't have any effect on our mission."
Oracle's Cavern, Chara III
Was the cavern whispering? Or was she finally going insane, trapped with that lifeless oracle?
Maybe lifeless was unfair. It couldn't help the fact that its tongue was gone. Whenever it had a prophecy to deliver, something else took hold of it. Besides, its story was as tragic as her own.
Centuries earlier, before even she had been born, the oracle had been a normal human girl. At the age of twelve, the guardian priests had sought her out, taking her from her family and the only life she'd ever known. She was brought to this cavern, left with the old oracle, and starved. Starved until her soul was barely connected to her body, and the spirit of the oracle could leave its old host and take her over. Her soul had been sent on to the next world, and the empty shell of the old oracle taken away. But her body remained, delivering the prophecies that the guardian priests recorded, and protected. She had been the oracle for almost a thousand years, and would likely remain the oracle for a thousand more.
Yes, she definitely felt sorry for the oracle, but... "No fair using your powers during game time, got it?"
The oracle nodded slowly, then pointed to the far wall of the cavern. She looked.
The cavern wasn't whispering, but there were faint scraping sounds coming from the wall the oracle had indicated. This was exciting! Three centuries of bland, boring repetetive days, days where she couldn't even see the sun, and now two new things in the past month! She might be able to handle her captivity, after all.
First, almost a whole month ago, a strange machine came crashing through the roof of the cavern. It had blinking lights, and antennae. It had provided two weeks of fun as she reduced it to its base components. Then, she took another week to learn how to reduce those to the basic elements. Of course, she had no idea what the machine was for, but it was nice when new toys dropped from the sky.
Now, the scraping at the cavern wall. It sounded like someone was trying to break in. She knew that no one from her side of the old war would come near this cavern, so it must be the enemy.
"You know what, oracle? I think he's going to try and kill me."
The oracle nodded again.
A small hole opened in the wall. Now she could see the tools that the digger was using. Rusted pick. How cliché. Soon he'd break through. "I wonder if they still remember me? After all, it's been a while since I saw them. Damn lizards."
The oracle made a strange grimace. A smile? I guess it's forgotten how to smile...
"Well, oracle, he'll find me a little different from last time."
The oracle gave her a look. A look that said no shit, genius. You weren't immortal when his ancestors knew you. Great. It had learned sarcasm from her.
The wall crumbled, and a tall, reptilian man lept into the cavern. His skin was an opalescent black, and his eyes glowed green. He advanced, slowly, brandishing his pick threateningly. He hissed at her in a strange language.
That's when the cavern's ceiling fell in.


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