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CASE STUDY CONCEPT: Balancing Responsiveness and Efficiency — The Central Supply Chain Challenge.
Imagine a company called "Cincinnati Seasonings" located in Cincinnati, Ohio USA. The company's founder learned about food seasonings and spices by working in the family business while growing up. They operate a chain of restaurants in Cincinnati whose specialty is Cincinnati-style chili, the city's contribution to world cuisine. It uses a certain fine mix of seasonings to give it the flavor it is famous for (Wikipedia article – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_chili).
The company and its founder reflect the heritage and style of this historic river city. Cincinnati Seasonings has done well. And you have been hired to head up the company's supply chain operations. They have a seasonings factory downtown in an industrial area by the river, and a distribution center at a transportation hub on the outskirts of town. They deliver products to stores in Ohio and surrounding states. The company wants you to improve their existing supply chain, and then expand it to support the company's growth.
[This is the best case study to start with, do this case first before working with more advanced cases in the online library. For instructors there is a step-by-step study guide that goes with this case (email email@example.com). The structure and level of detail can be modified to fit anything from a half day exercise, to a full semester. Instructors, students and professionals can request a free evaluation account .]
Cincinnati Seasonings has a relatively simple supply chain composed of one factory, one warehouse distribution center (DC), and three stores. This supply chain enables the company to sell its products in stores around the Midwestern United States. As the case study progresses, you will be challenged to keep expanding the supply chain to serve more stores farther and farther away from the original company factory and DC.
[ We offer a version of this case as a multiplayer game. People playing this game will develop skills that are directly applicable to the real world of supply chain management. See "A Multiplayer Supply Chain Game" for more details.]
In working with this case study you will get experience dealing with the central challenge of supply chain management — always meet customer demand (be responsive), and also keep operating costs and inventory levels as low as possible (be efficient). This calls for you to find the right balance between responsiveness and efficiency in order to keep your supply chain running while also reducing expenses so the business can earn a profit.
You will get an introduction to the five supply chain drivers as shown in the diagram here (see more about these drivers in our blog article Five Supply Chain Drivers). Working with this case you will see how decisions you make about these five drivers affect your overall supply chain performance (its responsiveness and its efficiency). You cannot think only of efficiency, or only of responsiveness. You have to find a good balance between the two. And that balance keeps changing as business situations change.
In working with Cincinnati Seasonings you will become familiar with the basics of setting up a supply chain and managing its daily operations. You will create and modify the facilities, vehicles and routes as needed to respond to different challenges. Then you'll run simulations that show how well your supply chain works. Based on what the simulations show, keep improving your design to get the best performance you can. In this process, you will gain an appreciation for some of the key issues involved in operating any supply chain.
The Cincinnati Seasonings Supply Chain
Go to the online library of case studies and import a copy of the Cincinnati Seasonings supply chain model into your account. Then open the model in your edit screen (shown below). You see the seasonings factory and the company distribution center, and you also see the routes connecting these facilities and the three stores that sell the company's product. (click on screenshot for larger image)
Zoom in on the map and look at the facilities and routes more closely. Switch from the map view to the satellite view (button in upper left corner of screen) to get an even better picture of what this supply chain looks like and see where individual facilities are located.
(click on screenshot for larger image)
Click on the "Products" tab in the sidebar menu on the right side of the screen. You see a product called "Spicy Cube" in the products menu. Click on this product and a dialog box opens up with information about the product. It is a mix of different seasonings and spices the company makes and has a price of $1,000. It is shipped in a standard container that is one cubic meter in volume and 40 kilograms in weight.
Then click on the "Facilities" tab and click on some of the facilities. A dialog box opens up to display information about those facilities. In this supply chain most of the vehicles are stationed at the distribution center to support a "hub and spoke" distribution model (the DC is the central hub and the delivery routes are the spokes). So click on the Seasonings DC, and then click on the "Vehicles" menu tab to see the vehicles assigned to that facility. As you click on each vehicle, the route traveled by that vehicle is shown on the map. When you select a vehicle, click on the "Routes" menu tab and select a route. This opens a dialog box to show you information about that route.
As you respond to the challenges you encounter in this case you will type in new numbers for some of this information. And you will draw in new delivery routes and locate new facilities to redesign and reconfigure your supply chain. Simulations will show you how well your ideas work and where the problems are.
(click on screenshot for larger image)
Now you know something about how the company's supply chain is designed, so let's see how well it works. Click on the "Simulation" button in the upper right corner of the edit screen, and a new browser tab opens to show the simulation screen. Wait for the supply chain to draw on the map, then click the "Play" button to start the simulation. The simulation begins. You see vehicles moving on their routes, and on the right side of the screen you see graphic and numeric displays of data generated by the simulation. Then at the end of day two a problem occurs… Your first challenge has appeared.
[ Save time and avoid confusion by taking 15 – 30 minutes to scan through Getting Started and the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – please do this now if you haven't done so already. When editing or simulating supply chains in SCM Globe you can always access this Online Guide — just click the blue "Help" button in the upper right corner of any SCM Globe application screen.]
FIRST CHALLENGE: Get the Supply Chain to Run for 30 Days
As the new supply chain manager for Cincinnati Seasonings you have inherited a mess. You need to make improvements to the supply chain to get it to run for 30 days. You are going to encounter a few problems early on that will cause the supply chain to crash. Either you run out of product at one facility, or build up too much product at another facility and run out of storage space to handle it.
To fix these problems you have many options. You can take actions such as: increase storage capacity at facilities; increase or decrease product drop qty on delivery routes; change delivery vehicles; and change delivery routes and schedules. Do whatever you feel you need to do to get the supply chain to run for 30 days. There are many combinations of actions you can take. Some combinations work better than others.
(click on screenshot for larger image)
Keep trying things and running simulations to see what happens. After some experimentation you will find a way to get the supply chain to run for 30 days or longer. If a simulation runs past 30 days, you can click the "Stop" button in the upper right corner of the simulation screen to stop the simulation.
At Cincinnati Seasonings they use a 30-day S&OP cycle (sales and operations planning cycle). That is why you focus on 30 day simulations. Every 30 days the company updates its demand forecasts at the stores and changes its production rates at the factory, and that in turn leads to changes in the vehicles and routes and delivery quantities. So there isn't much point in running simulations beyond 30 days. Your job is to manage supply chain operations from one 30-day S&OP cycle to the next and meet product demand (be responsive) while also reducing inventory and operating costs (be efficient).
NOTE: Remember to click the "Update" button in the dialog boxes for products, facilities, vehicles and routes after making changes to those entities or changes will not be saved.
SAVE BACKUP COPIES of your supply chain model from time to time as you make changes. There is no "undo", but if a change doesn't work out, you can restore from a saved copy. And sometimes supply chain model files (json files) become damaged and no longer work, so you want backup copies of your supply chain to restore from when that happens.
SECOND CHALLENGE: Add more stores and keep the supply chain running for 30 days
As soon as you stabilize the company supply chain and get it to run for 30 days, they want you to add more stores and delivery routes to support expansion of the business. The business needs to open new stores and increase sales in order to cover monthly rent and operating costs and show a profit. (Note: Default values for rent at facilities are set higher than current market rates.)
Click on "Facilities" and then click on the "New" button to create new facilities in cities where Cincinnati Seasonings is opening new stores. Create stores in the following cities using the numbers shown below:
- Chicago Store: daily demand 100; quantity on-hand 300; storage capacity 500
- Columbus Store: daily demand 30; quantity on-hand 60; storage capacity 300
The VP Sales tells you the address for the new Chicago Store is: 1840 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago IL. As shown in the screenshot below, you type that address into the location finder in the upper left corner of the edit screen (1). The map zooms in on the location specified. You pull back a bit to get a sense of the surrounding area and switch to the satellite view by clicking on the Map/Satellite button in upper left corner of the screen (2).
(click on screenshot to see larger image)
In the satellite view you zoom in again to take a closer look at the building where the new store will be located (red circle). You assess the loading facilities at the building and make some decisions about the size of trucks the facility can handle. Then you open the Facilities menu tab and click the "New" button to add this new store (3). And you click on "Product" in the facility dialog box to add products to the store (4).
Regarding the Columbus store, it will be in the northwest side of the Columbus, Ohio metro area near the intersection of the I-270 expressway and Rt 33 (as shown in screenshot below), but no specific address is known yet. So just place the store in that general area. Zoom in on that area of the map and switch to the satellite view. Look for a shopping mall in that area or some other likely spot for the store and place it there. You can always come back later and edit the facility to change its location by dragging and dropping it to a different location if needed.
(click on screenshot to see larger image)
NOTE: In the Edit screen you change location of a facility by selecting the facility in the facilities menu tab; then clicking on the facility; and dragging it to a new location (vehicles and routes related to the facility will also be moved). Click the "Update" button to save this change. If you do not want to save the change, just close the facility dialog box without clicking the Update button. If vehicles and routes are assigned to a facility the facility icon can be overlaid with a vehicle icon making it hard to drag and drop – just zoom in on the facility and the facility icon will emerge (see FAQs, Known Issues & Bugs, Bug 3).
After you create the Chicago and Columbus stores, select the Seasonings DC facility and create Vehicles and Routes to deliver the Spicy Cube to these new stores. Things to think about as you do this are: frequency of deliveries; size of trucks to use; and delivery routes for the trucks.
Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, just accept the default specifications for the trucks you create. The default speed is 90 kilometers per hour (about 55 mph) and the carry volumes and weights vary according to the size of truck (small, medium, or large). You can also try using other vehicles such as trains and airplanes (or even ships on the Ohio River) if you want. Simulations show how well different kinds of vehicles and routes will work.
You can control the frequency of deliveries a vehicle makes by setting the number in the "Delay between departures" field. If you set the number to 24 then the vehicle will depart again 24 hours after it returns from its last delivery run; if you set the number to 8 then the vehicle will depart 8 hours after returning from its last delivery run, etc.
When you create a delivery vehicle, then create one or more delivery routes for it. You can create routes that take a vehicle back and forth between the DC and a particular store where it drops off all the products it carries. Or you can create routes that take a vehicle from the DC to two or more stores where it drops off at each store some portion of the total products it is carrying. When you are finished creating new vehicles and routes, delete any vehicles that do not have routes assigned to them.
HINT: Try whatever vehicle and route combinations look best — then run simulations and see what happens. Experiment with different ideas. There are no right answers, only better answers. And better answers are those that keep the supply chain running for 30 days while also lowering operating costs and inventory levels. Remember that as you make changes and additions to your supply chain model, the Butterfly Effect will cause your simulation results to differ somewhat from others who are working on the same case study.
As the company continues to grow, you can add even more stores after you get Chicago and Columbus up and running. Your instructor may suggest adding new stores in cities such as:
- Kansas City Store: demand 75; on-hand 300; storage 500
- St. Louis Store: demand 50; on-hand 250; storage 400
- Put stores in Buenos Aires, London, Montreal, Paris, or Singapore…
- Create the new stores and define vehicles and delivery routes to keep them supplied with products
THIRD CHALLENGE: Lower Transportation and Operating Costs and Reduce On-hand Inventory… while still keeping the supply chain running for 30 days.
Now that you have created a responsive supply chain to support company growth, you need to improve its efficiency to support company profitability. You need to keep your supply chain running for 30 days while also finding ways to lower transportation costs, facility operating costs, and the amounts of on-hand inventory across the supply chain. This is the central challenge of supply chain management!
You will find you cannot just focus on lowering one cost without considering its impact on other costs. And you will find the overall performance of the supply chain is dependent on an ever shifting mix of interactions between the four supply chain entities (products, facilities, vehicles, and routes). You can learn more about how to analyze simulation data in the online guide section "Analyzing Simulation Data".
(click on screenshot to see larger image)
The screenshots above show a sample of the data displays you get when you run simulations. Use these onscreen data displays and keep modifying your supply chain model so as to improve overall performance and get your simulation to run for 30 days. Then when you have 30+ days of simulation data you can download your simulation data to a spreadsheet to further analyze the numbers and fine tune your supply chain performance. You will see how supply chain operations impact company profitability.
There is a spreadsheet template you can use to import your simulation data and produce monthly Profit & Loss (P&L) Reports plus key performance indicators (KPIs). This report shows both the financial and operational sides of supply chain management. P&L reports help you analyze your supply chain performance and find areas for improvement that will increase overall supply chain efficiency and profitability. To learn more go to Analyzing Simulation Data and scroll down to "Download Simulation Data to Spreadsheet Reporting Templates".
While working with this case there are a few things you should not do because they either don't make business sense, or they don't make logistics sense (see further explanation of these points in an email a logistics professor sent to his students — Case Study Caveats and Taboos):
- Don't reduce product demand or prices – that makes no business sense (business is about increasing demand and profits).
- Don't increase or decrease initial on-hand inventory amounts at the start of a case study – that makes no logistics sense (inventory doesn't simply appear or disappear).
- Don't change default values for daily rent and operating costs at facilities, or default values for vehicle operating costs. Unless your instructor says otherwise, you can assume they are out of your control in this case study.
- NOTE: Default rent costs at facilities are higher than current market rates. If your instructor does allow you to change rent costs, use a commercial real-estate website such as CityFeet (www.cityfeet.com) to research current rental rates in different cities and type in those rental rates in place of the default rates.
Apart from these few things, you can do anything else to address challenges and solve problems that arise in the simulations:
- You can change types of delivery vehicles, delivery routes, delivery frequencies (delay between departures), and delivery amounts (drop qty)
- Expand or reduce storage capacity at facilities
- Experiment with different locations for new facilities added during the case study
- Change production rates at the factory so as to balance supply with demand
- You can do anything that is not specifically prohibited!
This case study is not a multiple choice test. There is no single right answer — only better answers. And better answers are those that keep the supply chain running for 30 days at lower operating costs and lower inventory levels — answers that make the supply chain both responsive and efficient.
[ THERE IS A CASE STUDY SIMILAR TO CINCINNATI SEASONINGS SET IN INDIA: Hyderabadi Biryani – Paramount Restaurant ]
YOU MAY FIND SOLUTIONS NOBODY ELSE HAS THOUGHT OF: Simulations show where your ideas can lead. The world is yours… See where you can go!
Apply supply chain concepts and best practices from your readings and lectures to solve the problems you encounter in this case study. The problem-solving skills you develop here are directly applicable to the real world. Techniques that work well in these simulations will also work well to improve actual supply chain operations. This is a powerful way to build your understanding and skills in supply chain management (see our blog article Four Reasons to Use Simulations in Supply Chain Learning).
It can feel a bit awkward at first as you start working with the simulations. But after a little practice it will start to click, and you will get the hang of it (…might even be fun 🙂 ). You'll start to see the patterns and move to the rhythms of supply chain management. Here's how one professor describes it, "What You Learn from Case Studies and Simulations".
[ Instructors interested in this case can request a free evaluation account and a copy of the study guide.]
You will acquire an intuitive or "street-smart" sense (a mental model) for how supply chains operate. And you will develop analytical skills for exploring different ideas to improve supply chain performance. In discussing simulation results with your instructor and classmates, you'll find yourself using supply chain terminology and concepts you learned in readings and lectures to describe the problems you encounter and the actions you take to fix them. You will start talking and thinking like a real supply chain professional.
[ We offer a version of this case as a multiplayer game. People playing this game will develop skills that are directly applicable to the real world of supply chain management. See "A Multiplayer Supply Chain Game" for more details.]
REMEMBER — There is spreadsheet template you can download and import your simulation data to produce monthly Profit & Loss Reports plus key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure your supply chain performance (go to Analyzing Simulation Data and scroll down to "Download Simulation Data to Spreadsheet Reporting Templates").
SHARE YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN MODEL — See "Download and Share Supply Chain Models" to download a copy of your supply chain (json file) to your PC and send it to other SCM Globe users
TIP: After you finish Cincinnati Seasonings and start working with more advanced case studies, or start modeling real supply chains, read "Tips for Building Supply Chain Models" to learn more advanced modeling and simulation techniques.
Register on SCM Globe to gain access to this and all other case studies. Click the blue "Register" button on the Log In page (app.scmglobe.com) and buy a subscription (if you haven't already) using a credit card or PayPal account. Then go to the SCM Globe library and click the "Import" button next to this case study. Scan the "Getting Started" section (if you haven't already), and you are ready to go.

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I Am in Danger of Perishing in the Lagunes--Illness--Letters from C. C. and M. M.--The Quarrel is Made Up--Meeting at the Casino of Muran I Learn the Name of M. M.'s Friend, and Consent to Give Him A Supper at My Casino in the Company of Our Common Mistress
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I was thus painfully situated when I thought I could see a light through the crevices of a small house. I knocked modestly against the shutter. A voice called out:
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And at the same moment the shutter was pushed open.
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08 May 2018
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ARTIST GARETH McCONNELL
As a photographer and artist Gareth McConnell dips into modern culture with a very beautiful and particular vision. In 2013 he started Sorika, to become an exciting publisher and curator of books, art works and editions. Sorika was originally conceived as a way to initiate collaboration with other artists and the company has since accepted commissions in regard to art direction, design and film-making.
Artists working together making beautiful things.


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Oscars 2017 Best Picture Review: Darkest Hour
Usually around the latter part of the year, historical dramas are common for release. Darkest Hour is one, focusing on Winston Churchill and World War II. The question is does it fare well as a film? And does it have relevance to the present?
The film is set in May 1940. World War II had just begun eight months ago with the fall of Poland. France is next. The film hits hard in the UK as they fear war is looming. It hits so hard, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain is pressured by the opposing Labour Party to resign for not doing enough. Neville needs to find a successor, but his first choice, Lord Halifax, declines. He goes for his second choice: Winston Churchill.
Now Winston Churchill was seen as a bad choice as the successor to Chamberlain. He has a bad record with his roles in the Admiralty, the Gallipolli Campaign During The First World War, his views on India, and his support for Edward VIII during the Abdication Crisis. Even his own personal manner is of question as he is oafish and has a reputation for infidelity and a quick temper. He's even temperamental to his new secretary when she mishears him, but his wife Clementine gets him to come to his senses.
King George VI encourages Churchill to form a coalition government along with Halifax and Chamberlain. Churchill's first response to Hitler's invasion of France is fast and immediate: no surrender to Hitler and fight if we have to. He made it clear on May 13 1940 in his 'blood, toil, tears, and sweat' speech.
The speech is not well-received by the Parliament. They think he's delusional. The Nazi army is too powerful. It even gets flack from King George VI. The French Prime Minister thinks he's delusional for not admitting the Allies lost in the Battle Of France. People in his party offer Churchill to accept Hitler's offer to negotiate for a peaceful end to the War, but Churchill declines. He does not trust Hitler.
The situation gets frustrating to the point both Halifax and Chamberlain are looking to use the Italian Ambassador as a route to negotiate peace with Hitler. Both plan to resign from the Government if Churchill doesn't comply, hoping to cause a 'vote of non-confidence' to allow Halifax to become Prime Minister. Meanwhile Churchill is trying to seek support from the US with President Franklin Roosevelt, but he declines as the US signed an international agreement preventing military action in Europe years ago.
However war is pressing. The UK find themselves in battles in Dunkirk and Calais. Churchill, against the wishes of the War Brigade, orders a 30th Infantry Brigade in Calais to organize a suicide attack to distract the Nazis allowing the soldiers in Dunkirk to evacuate.
The defeat at Calais causes the War Cabinet to want to negotiate with Germany. However as Churchill is about to make his way to Parliament, he receives support from his wife, support from King George VI fearing exile if Germany wins, and support from a group of citizens in the London Underground he takes to parliament. Even members of the Outer Cabinet and other members of Parliament give him their support. News comes that the evacuation in Dunkirk 'Operation Dynamo' is successful. At parliament in front of cabinet members and members of the War Cabinet, Churchill delivers his speech of 'we shall fight on the beaches' to the support and applause of all, even Halifax and Chamberlain.
Lately there have been a lot of biographical films that don't thoroughly focus on the person's life, but instead focuses on the one moment that defined them as a person. We saw in Lincoln how getting the Emancipation Proclamation made constitutional and the political fight to get it done is what defined Abraham Lincoln the most. We saw in Capote that it was the making of In Cold Blood that would become Truman Capote's biggest legacy of a writer, and would eventually lead to his downfall. Here we see the period of one month how Churchill couldn't just simply say that Hitler needed to be fought, but had to convince the people and especially the parliament that fighting him is the right thing.
Such a situation in our world history is not uncommon. If you remember Lincoln, you will remember that Abraham Lincoln had to do political campaigning in order to get the Emancipation Proclamation made constitutional. The Proclamation itself was up for vote in the House. Just a reminder that even the most righteous political laws still have to go through the same political processes. Even for powerful speeches, it's about saying it at the right time and the results to follow. We may remember how back in 1987, Ronald Reagan stood at the Berlin Wall and said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" This is something JFK could have told Nikita Khruschev to do, or Nixon telling Brezhnev to do, or even Reagan himself telling Brezhnev or Andropov to do, but it would not result. The Soviet leaders were just that stubborn and dead-set on their rigid ways and dismiss what the POTUSes said at hot air. But Reagan said that just during a time when it appeared the Cold War appeared to be thawing and Gorbachev was the first Soviet leader to appear cooperative with the US, but not without its friction. That sentence is memorable because the Wall did come down in a matter of two years.
Here in Darkest Hour, we see another example of how words that are true in conviction and the right thing to say still faced political opposition. When Churchill was placed as Prime Minister, he didn't waste time in speaking his opposition to Hitler and that the UK should not surrender. However those in the office all thought his words were deluded. They knew of the Nazi army and the invasions it's caused already in less than a year. Hitler and the Nazi army were just that menacing. They also saw the efforts, or lack thereof, from the previous Prime Minister fail. On top of that, France had just fallen to the Nazis. They were simply afraid.
It was easy for people to think of Churchill's words as deluded. He already had a reputation in the British parliament of being quite the buffoon. In fact the opening scene of the film shows his buffoonish nature. Churchill knew in his heart that the UK had to fight the Nazis, but he had to convince the British parliament. And he had to do it fast. Over time, more tyranny from the Nazis occurred and the UK was feeling the heat. Churchill was denied support from US president Franklin Roosevelt because of an agreement signed the year before. That negotiation for peace from the Germans would seem like something one would cave into and it was easy to see why the British politicians thought it right, even though we all know it to be wrong.
The last fifteen minutes of the film just as Churchill is about to deliver the 'fight on the beaches' is a very powerful scene as it shows how Churchill is able to win support in his stance from his wife, the King of England and even people on the subway as he makes his way to parliament. I don't know if that really happened to Churchill in real life, but that subway scene is a powerful scene. Sometimes I think that scene is telling me that all too often, the common person has a better sense of what's right than the people in power.
For the most part, the film is as much of a biographical drama as it is an historic drama. The film is very much about the speeches of Churchill and the start of the mission of British forces to fight Nazi Germany. The film not only focuses on Churchill's quest to fight in the war, but his quest to convince the people in political power to believe him. It focuses on Churchill as a man of great conviction, but also a man of noticeable flaws. That had a lot to do with why people first thought he was a madman or deluded. It reminds you that a head of state can sometimes be reduced to a pawn in their political building. The film does remind people of the common saying that: 'What's right isn't always what's popular and what's popular isn't always what's right." Churchill knew in his heart he was right, but he had to fight to make it believed by all. It was necessary as the Battle of Dunkirk would soon happen
It's interesting how Darkest Hour is release in the same year Dunkirk is. I find it very appropriate because it was actually just right after the Battle Of Dunkirk and the subsequent evacuation that Churchill delivered his speech of "We shall fight on the beaches." The fight on the beaches of Dunkirk and the evacuation and rescue mission was the first significant sign of what the UK needed to do to win against the Nazis. Churchill was there to pay all respect to those heroes, the survivors and fatalities, who were a part of it.
Director Joe Wright and writer Anthony McCarten deliver a very good historical story. However there are times when it does feel like it's completely restricted to being about Winston Churchill. I understand what the story is all about, but they could have explored some additional angles to go with it. Without a doubt, the film is owned by Gary Oldman. He does an excellent job of delivering a performance of Winston Churchill. His depiction of Churchill first appears cartoonish at the beginning, but the depth and dimension develops over the film and he really comes out shining.
Although the film is dominated by the portrayal of Winston Churchill, there are supporting performances from Kristin Scott Thomas as Clementine Churchill and Lily James as Elizabeth Layton that are able to steal the moment. Also capturing the moment are Ben Mendelsohn as King George who slowly supports Churchill and Ronald Pickup as Neville Chamberlain who supports Churchill despite his own political downfall. The film also does an excellent job in the technical aspects such as the Production Design to reconstruct parliament, costuming from Jacqueline Durran and the makeup and hairstylists to fit the era, the cinematography from Bruno Delbonnel and the musical score from Dario Marianelli which capture the intensity and triumphs of the moments.
Darkest Hour is more than just an historical drama or biographical drama. It's an excellent film about standing by your convictions without crossing the line of being preachy.
PyeongChang 2018: Seven Canadians To Watch
Two days ago, I did a blog focusing on the foreign athletes to watch for at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Now it's time for me to focus on the Canadians to watch out for. We may not have the superteam we had back at the Vancouver 2010 Games, but we're still a winter sports superpower and feature some top contenders throughout the sports. Sports Illustrated predicts Canadian athletes to win a total of 30 medals including nine gold. That's third only to Norway and Germany. Without further ado, here are some Canadians to look out for:
Mark McMorris – Snowboarding: Now Saskatchewan doesn't come to mind to most in terms of producing top-notch skiers. However the hills and mountains are high enough to breed some good snowboarders. Mark McMorris is one of the best ever. He already has 16 X-Games medals, including seven gold, won in both the Slopestyle and Big Air events. He's also famous for being the first ever to perform a 'cork 1440' in slopestyle. His feats and charming personality have made him a huge celebrity for fans of snowboarding and extreme sports.
Major titles have eluded him in the past. His best result at a World Championships is a silver in 2013. As for the Sochi Olympics, McMorris had broken a rib two weeks before. His bronze in Slopestyle is actually seen by him as a miracle. Here in PyeongChang, he wants to win gold. He has two chances: in Big Air and Slopestyle. In both events, he will face rivalry from Norway's Marcus Kleveland, who is the first ever to do a 'cork 1800.' In Slopestyle, he will be challenged most by the US' Red Gerard and Japan's Hiroaki Kunitake. In Big Air, he will face rivalry from American Chris Corning and his Canadian teammate Maxence Parrot. The hills in Korea will determine his fate.
Kaillie Humphries – Bobsledding: Women's bobsledding has only been contested four times in the past, but Canadians Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse are already the only female double-gold medalists. However Kaillie appears poised to achieve a feat none of the male bobsledders have ever achieved: winning the same event three times.
It's not to say it hasn't been without its difficulties. After Sochi, she traded partners with Melissa Lothholz. She has won two World Championship silvers since. Here in PyeongChang, she will have former hurdler Phylicia George as her partner. As her former partners of Heather Moyse and Melissa Lothholz, they will both compete in PyeongChang with different drivers. Humphries' attempt to return to the top will be challenged by the German sled driven by Stephanie Schneider and the American sled driven by Elana Meyers, which actually won at last year's Worlds. PyeongChang could be the final chapter for Kaillie's legacy in the sport.
Alex Harvey – Cross Country Skiing: Cross country skiing is in Alex Harvey's blood. His father Pierre competed in cross country skiing in 1984 and 1988 and gave Canada its best ever results at the time, and they weren't even Top 10 finishes! That just shows how much progress Canadians have made in nordic skiing. In fact Alex himself delivered two Top 10 finishes at the Vancouver Games, including a fourth in the Sprint.
Harvey has won a medal at every World Nordic Championships ever since the Vancouver Olympics including two golds: the most recent being in the 50km last year. He's hoping to win the Olympic medals that have eluded him throughout his career. However he has only made the podium in three World Cup events this season. His biggest challenges come from Switzerland's Dario Cologna and two Norwegians: Martin Johnsrud Sundby and rising 21 year-old Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. PyeongChang could finally give him the break he's always been pursuing.
Mikaël Kingsbury – Freestyle Skiing: Canada has won three of the seven golds in men's moguls skiing. There's Jean-Luc Brassard in 1994 and Alexandre Bilodeau in 2010 and 2014. Mikaël Kingsbury is seeing to make it four for eight. Kingsbury has developed a top reputation in the event. He first finished third in the 2010-2011 World Cup season but has come out on top every World Cup season since including this year.
Major events have been his weakness. He's been on the podium for moguls at every World Championship since 2011 but has only won gold once: in 2013. Also it was in Sochi in which he, not Bilodeau, was the Canadian most expected to win gold, but won silver instead. He will be challenged here in PyeongChang by Japan's Ikuma Horishima, who handed him is only World Cup defeat this year, and Kazakhstan's Dmitriy Reikherd. This could be Kingsbury's year.
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir – Figure Skating: Ah yes. Figure skating. Ever since 1984, Canada has bagged at least one figure skating medal in every Olympic Games since. Many expect 2018 to be Canada's strongest team ever. Leading the pack is star ice dancing pair Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. The pair have been inseparable on the ice since 1997 when Tessa was eight and Scott was ten. Their skating magic has resulted in Olympic gold and silver as well as seven World Championship medals, including three gold.
After they won silver at the Sochi Games of 2014 behind their American training partners Meryl Davis and Charlie White, it appeared they won everything they needed to and retired after Sochi. However they returned to amateur competition starting in 2016 and acquired former Canadian ice dance pair Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon as their coaches. The plan worked to success as they returned to the top of their sport. Of course they want to end their careers with a final gold medal, but they will face challenges from all three American pairs, most notably Maia and Alex Shibutani, and the French pair of Gabrielle Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. This is their chance to end their Olympic careers as they started.
The Canadian Hockey Teams: The news broke months ago. The NHL won't allow any of their players to play at the Olympics. This is not permanent for the Olympic Games, but it is a drag for many who enjoyed. Heck, opening the Olympics to NHL pros allowed Canada to win gold in three of the five occasions. It does not however mean Canada doesn't have a chance for the gold. Canada's men's team consists of pros, but mostly from the American Hockey League, the predominantly Russian Kontinental Hockey League, the Swedish Hockey League and Switzerland's National League. Canada's team is predicted by Sports Illustrated to win bronze with Sweden to win and Russia to take silver. Chances are the Canadians could surprise.
As for the women, Team Canada has always made it to the gold-medal final of every Olympic tournament since women's hockey made its Olympic debut back at the Nagano Games of 1998. The inaugural competition is their only loss of the gold. The team in PyeongChang is coached by Lauren Schuler from that team in Nagano consists of thirteen from Sochi 2014 and ten newcomers. All but one play for Canadian teams. However Team Canada has finished second to the US at ever Worlds since the Sochi Games and the Americans promise to be the Canadians' toughest rival. They're coached by Cammi Granato who was part of the US' gold-medal winning team in 1998: the US' only victory in women's hockey. Can Team Canada make it five in a row? Only time will tell.
Canada's Curling Teams: If hockey is our national past-time, curling would rank second. Many people wonder how? It's a gift from Scottish immigrants to us. Canada has a habit of blending things from the 'old country' into our national fabric. Our love for curling has paid off on the Olympic level. Ever since curling was officially added to the Olympic program at the Nagano Games in 1998, all ten Canadian teams have won medals and have even won gold five of the ten times. Sochi was especially a treat as it was the first Olympics where both the men's and women's team won gold.
As for the lineup in PyeongChang, the men's team is headed by Kevin Koe who headed the Canadian team that won at the 2016 Worlds and the women's team is headed by Rachel Homan whose team won the World Championships last year. New for Pyeongchang is mixed doubles curling. Canada's team is headed by Winnipeggers Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris. Both have gold medals from past teams: Kaitlyn in 2014 and John in 2010. However they're not the favorites as Swiss pair of Jenny Perret and Martin Rios beat the Canadian pair 6-5 to win. As of yet, Canada has never won gold at the Mixed Doubles Worlds. Could this be their year to finally shine?
And there you have it. Seven Canadians to watch out for in PyeongChang. There's many more to talk about but I'll let the action at the Olympics do more telling. It all starts Friday the 9th at 3am PST. Can I wake up that early to see the opening ceremonies live? We'll see.
VIFF 2017 Review: The Party
Can you imagine a party where everything that could go wrong does? The British comedy The Party is a film that shows exactly that!
The film begins with Janet waiting for her party to begin. She just won a seat in parliament. The party is expected to be a private one with her husband Bill, best friend April and her husband Gottfried, close couple Martha and Jinny and her son Tom. Bill is frail and not in the most pleasant of moods. April has a very blunt mouth and isn't afraid to say what she believes to be true, no matter how spiteful. Gottfried appears not to be with his wits. Tom is trying to keep his cocaine habit a secret. The couple of Martha and Jinny appear to be the only guests who have it together. Of course, they're happy as they're expecting triplets.
The party is supposed to go smooth, but April appears to be saying something to start a spat anytime soon. Gottfried is always embarrassing April. Tom's frustrations about his marriage are becoming obvious. Nevertheless Janet is toasted by all.
Then the chaos begins. Janet first receives a text from a man wanting her back in her life, to which she declines. Bill announces he's dying to all. Janet is broken, but he's vague on what his condition is. Only Gottfried appears to believe him and is willing to help him. Then unfaithfulness has been revealed about both Martha and Jinny and it threatens not just their relationship, but the birth of their children. Then Bill admits to Janet, he's been seeing another woman. Janet is infuriated. Only Gottfried stands by his side. Tom does more coke and contemplates hosting himself, but later throws the gun in the garbage. Janet is upset by the whole thing with no one but April to give her words of comfort. However Janet soon finds Tom's gun in the garbage. Then Bill reveals to Tom the 'other woman' is his wife. Tom responds by punching Bill. Bill appears dead on the floor and is being resuscitated. Martha and Jinny try to look like the happy couple they were. Then Janet goes to the door after hearing the doorbell. It's the other man. To which, she points the gun at him: "You said you loved me. You liar!"
At first, I thought The Party would be a political film. I was tempted to think that at first glance. Instead it became the perfect location for a single-location film. It does a very good job in packing in just about anything and everything that can destroy all seven involved in the story. One thing does lead to another and the results are crazy. However a story like this about a party where everything goes wrong for everybody has to have situations that don't come across as ridiculous. You have enough slapstick movies doing that.
To make a party where everything goes wrong, but still look intelligent takes a lot of effort in writing. It succeeds in doing that. The characters in which the actors adapt had to make the comedic situations work. The situations looked quite believable, despite the banality of all of them happening at once. Even the most bizarre situations didn't come across as looking stupid. This is one of the best over-the-top comedies I've seen in a long time. The over-the-top elements aren't even physical or slapstick; it's all about the story and characters. Even filming this comedy in black and white added to the film.
The biggest accolades in making this bizarre story work goes to writer/director Sally Potter. This story packs in a lot of comedic punch that appears to work every time and does not cross over the line into stupidity and ridiculous. It takes a lot of effort to create something like that and make it work, and Potter made it work. Everyone who saw it the same time I saw it was laughing a lot. It's hard to pick who the biggest performer was. Kristin Scott Thomas was definitely the protagonist, but Patricia Clarkson was able to steal the show with whatever she said each time. Bruno Ganz and Timothy Spall owned their moments by playing their characters well. Cherry Jones and Emily Mortimer also grabbed their moments, and Cillian Murphy knew how to come out of nowhere to get his moments too. Basically it's not on the strength of a single actor, but of all seven in the ensemble. They all made this comedy work with whatever they did or said.
The Party is 71 minutes of tragicomedy energy of the best kind. It's a reminder of how writing rather than cheap one-liners is what works best in comedy. I guarantee you will be laughing.
Movie Review: Doctor Strange
I'll admit I had my review of Doctor Strange started back when I saw it in November: Election Day to be exact. The reason for its late publish has a lot to do with my lack of ambition. Paying attention to my hit statistics and seeing how 2016 gave me my lowest annual hit stats since 2011 kept me from publishing. However the recent upswing of hits in January rejuvenated my blogging energy and I can finally publish my review!
Dr. Strange is not a new Marvel superhero. He first appeared in a 1963 addition of Strange Tales created to bring a different type of character and themes of mysticism to comics. It wasn't completely welcome during its early years as some people thought those at Marvel comics must be on some kind of drugs. Dr. Strange would continue to have his own comic series for decades until the early 2000's. Then he was placed as a supporting character in comic books of The Amazing Spider-Man and The Avengers. Dr. Strange has been able to reclaim his own at the start of this decade.
Marvel faced a huge task in bringing a superhero most people are unfamiliar with and making them a household name. They've done it before, with The Guardians Of The Galaxy being the most recent example. However it's still a case of hit-and-miss as last year Ant-Man didn't get the success most were hoping for. 2016 has been a good but complex year for the Marvel studios. Their latest X-Men movie didn't go off so well. Captain America: Civil War was a hit but it didn't have the same muscle as past Captain America movies. Deadpool was a big hit, especially as an R-rated movie about an anti-hero, but Marvel still wants to excel in creating superheroes, especially in a family-friendly format.
Now in order to make Doctor Strange come alive on the big screen, Marvel had to create the right story. This is the first Doctor Strange movie so the origin is a definite must. Also a must is Stephen Strange's personality as the surgeon who lives for the fame but is given a reality check after the car accident and subsequent adoption of a superhero persona. In addition, morals are necessary for superhero movies. It's like my brother-in-law said today's people are tired out with life. People want entertainment that gives us heroes to look up. I agree. Despite the onslaught of Deadpool, Suicide Squad and Sausage Party, people welcome heroes and are comfortable with seeing morals redeemed. It's not like the 90's where we all has an insatiable appetite for entertainment that was ruthless, obnoxious and appeared to be an artistic middle-finger.
However there were two major things needed to make Doctor Strange take off. The first was Benedict Cumberbatch had to make the character of Doctor Strange work. Cumberbatch had to be able to portray Doctor Strange's pre-accident arrogance well and to make his change in personality transfer successfully. Cumberbatch was very good in portraying the character. The other major thing needed most for this movie is top-of-the-line visual effects. Already Doctor Strange's unique superpowers mostly involve the use of pyrotechnics. They had to look like the magic they are. The shifts from one world to the next would also require top-of-the-line visual effects. If you saw the movie yourself, I'm sure you would also be dazzled by the effects of the film from the pyrotechnics to the various worlds to the freezing of time.
Although Cumberbatch's acting and the visual effects were the highlights of the movie, it had a lot of other ingredients responsible for its success. Scott Derrickson did a very good job of directing. Derrickson has developed a reputation with directing and writing sci-fi movies in the past and he was the right man for the job here. The script he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts and C. Robert Cargill also had to be very good because this was one superhero movie that was not too heavy on the action and placed more emphasis on the story, putting the thriller emphasis more on the slow intensity of the moment. It even included some humor which Marvel likes to include in the first movie of one of their superheroes. They succeeded in accomplishing that. The supporting acting performances like Chiwetel Ejiofor as the mentoring Karl Mordo, Benedict Wong as a non-stereotypical Asian martial arts master, Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One also mentoring Strange, and Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, the woman who gives Stephen Strange his reality check, also added to the strength to the story. The music from Michael Giacchino also fit the film and its various moments well.
Doctor Strange was released at the right time. It was released in November when movie crowds are starting to grow again right after the end of the summer season. Usually November is the biggest movie month outside the summer. People are used to settling back to their routines and they can now go out for enjoyment. Dr. Strange won its opening weekend with a draw of $88 million and remained on top for another week despite challenges from Trolls and Arrival. Even after facing rivalry from the following weeks with new releases like Fantastic Beasts and Moana, Doctor Strange did strong spending seven weeks in the box office Top 10 and grossing $231.6 million in North America and almost $665 million worldwide. As the Oscar nominations have approached, its visual effects were nominated. If you remember the effects, you too would think they were some of the best of the year.
As for a possible Doctor Strange sequel, Derrickson talked of a sequel even a month before its release. He mentioned he had fun with the character. The success of it is the perfect green light for a future sequel.
Doctor Strange is the biggest debut movie for a superhero since the Guardians Of The Galaxy. In a year that was a bit of a struggle for Marvel, it delivered in entertainment and thrills.
Movie Review: The Martian
Hard to believe I saw The Martian just two months after it hit theatres. What took me so long? What took me so long to write this review? Anyways I'm glad I finally had the chance.
I'm sure by now most of you have seen the story of how Mark Watney got left behind on Mars. The sandstorm on Mars and the debris that hit him left everyone escaping mistaking him for dead. Mark would then have to survive by growing his own food and creating his own habitat. It would work to his advantage but NASA would eventually get the message he needed to be brought back home. It would take a connection with a mission, sheer determination and camaraderie with his fellow astronauts to bring him back to earth successfully.
The movie is based off the book by Andy Weir. I can't judge for myself on how the film compares to the book. However I will say this is a very good adaptation of a story of a man and his fight to survive on a strange planet. One thing I will have to say is that even though this is a sci-fi fantasy, the film would still have to be true to fact in a lot of areas. It would have to know Mars' oxygen levels or lack thereof, temperature levels, climates and terrain and even know how long transportation and even communication between Mars and Earth would take. Today's audiences aren't as welcoming towards cheap hypotheses of space like they used to be decades ago. Not only would they need those facts but they would have to be incorporated into the script and made to work into a story that was suspenseful but also entertaining. The Martian succeeds in doing just that and doesn't lose its comedic edge in the process.
The Martian is a reminder of why films about space travel still fascinate us today. They remind us of why we like to imagine trips to outer space including domains humans have never set foot on. They even capture our intrigue when a mission fails and the astronaut's lives are at threat. They get us wondering "Do they make it or don't they?" You may remember how Gravity caught our imaginations just a couple of years ago. Now it's The Martian with its story of an astronaut trying to stay alive yet eventually return back to earth.
Some may question the mix of humor into the story if it was a smart choice, especially with the inclusion of disco songs Mark hates but keeps him alive. No doubt it was an entertaining choice as it entertained crowds. Comedy is all hit and miss and I feel it made the right choices in terms of adding in the comedic elements. In terms of drama, it didn't make the more tense moments of life-or-death too tense for the audience. It kept us wondering and brought our hopes up with each positive moment but the intensity was not all that thick and that's what made it win with the crowds.
No doubt it took the direction of Ridley Scott and the writing of Drew Goddard to make this film work. Ridley knows how to bring out the best in unique stories and make them win with movie crowds. The story however rested on the shoulders of Matt Damon. His performance where he mixes humor with the will to survive helped the film achieve the charm it needed. Despite Damon owning the movie, it's not to say supporting performances from Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels Michael Pena and Kate Mara didn't have their importance. They helped too. Other top elements of the film included the music from Harry Gregson-Williams and the special effects team who were able to re-create life on Mars to a tee.
The Martian is a sci-fi comedy of the best caliber and has the best elements of a 'popcorn movie.' This is something only a director like Ridley Scott can pull off well. Very entertaining.
Movie Review: Black Mass
DISCLAIMER: Okay, I know I'm late in reviewing a lot of movies, including this one. I'm hoping to do some catching up in this time. So please bear with me.
James 'Whitey' Bulger is a man of infamy. Black Mass is a movie that attempts to reveal what type of person Bulger was and how he was able to get away with what he did all this time.
It's 1975. The streets of South Boston are ruled by James 'Whitey' Bulger and his Irish-American Winter Hill Gang with Stephen Flemmi as his right-hand man, Kevin Weeks as his rising rookie and Johnny Martorano as his merciless hitman. However it's rivaled by the Angiullo brothers who have ties to the New England Mafia family.
In the middle of this, former FBI Agent John Connolly returns to Boston in hopes of stopping the Angiullo brothers and does the tricky task of trying to get Whitey's help to do so. Besides Whitey and brother Billy Bulger, who's the president of the Massachusetts State Senate, are childhood friends. At first, Whitey is reluctant to be an informant but agrees after one of his Winter Hill Gang members is gunned down.
No kidding having Whitey as an informant for an FBI agent is touchy stuff and it even causes suspicion from Connolly's boss. However it becomes a case where Bulger is the one pulling Connolly's strings as he uses Connolly's 'protection' for covering his crimes. Whitey becomes more violent after his six year-old son dies of an allergic reaction to aspirin. He even gains more success in achieving FBI control in terms of trying to down the Angiullos. Connolly however becomes more attached to Whitey which interferes with his marriage.
However the bond between Bulger and Connolly reach a turning point as Whitey orders one of his men to kill two men associated with a scheme Whitey was to profit over. One man in whitey's ring, Brian Halloran, comes across as untrustworthy and senses him to be a possible rat. Fearing for his life, Halloran goes to the FBI for help but to no avail. Connolly informs Whitey of Halloran's sayings and Halloran is killed.
Bulger's lust for blood and his own menacing behavior only grow over time and it leads to a downfall in his relationship with Connolly. Over time a new district attorney, Fred Wyshak, is hired in Boston. Despite Connolly's attempt to befriend the 'bulldog' attorney, Wyshak refuses and attempts to have Bulger arrested. Eventually the secrets are unraveled thanks to the help of the Boston Globe which leads to the arrests of Connolly and Bulger's three other men. Bulger however is successful in avoiding arrest of his own however he would be arrested in 2011 after 16 years 'on the run.'
I'm sure what most people would be interested in seeing when they watch this film is yet another character played by Johnny Depp. The weird thing is about how unrecognizable he comes across with his balding hair and blue eyes. However I'm sure he was chosen because of how he could embody the character of Whitey with his criminal mentality and his personal demons both on the street and within himself. Mind you Whitey was quite the character in real life to give himself his own exile before ultimately being brought to justice only as he was in his 80's. Some may find Johnny's hair and make-up rather distracting but it doesn't take away from the story.
This is a story of intrigue. Those who know the story of Whitey Bulger, or even those who only know the name but not the whole story, will take an interest in why Whitey carried this all out and why an FBI agent was willing to assist. No doubt the story is mainly about Whitey. However the story is about Connolly too. It makes one wonder why a childhood friend would be so loyal to the point he'd be willing to go against his job in order to help him out despite the fact he's carrying out such hideous crimes. No doubt the theme of loyalty is very present in the film as it is a common fact that loyalty to family and friends is something valued greatly in Boston. The theme of loyalty comes to the point where we see a scene of Bulger on the run but not before thanking Billy just before he and the other men are sentenced.
The make-up of Depp as Bulger may get a lot of attention but the highlight of the film was his performance of a man who is smart but troubled and very easy to infuriate. Depp also did a good job of conveying Bulger's growing anger and personal motives in his carrying out in the crime activities but he also did a good job in showcasing Whitey's mind in why Bulger felt it was right in doing all these hideous crimes and why he needed his men to carry it out and an FBI to be ahead of the game. Even showing how the accidental death of his son would be the turning point in Bulger and his lust for control and vengeance adds to the story and the character. The film rested predominantly on the story of James 'Whitey' Bulger but it was Depp's ability to show Whitey the person that made the story work at its best.
Sure, Johnny Depp carried the film but the film did feature other good supporting performances as well like that of Joel Edgerton as Connolly whose loyalty is questioned, Benedict Cumberbatch as Billy. The performances of the wives caught in the middle–Erica McDermott as Mary Bulger and Julianne Nicholson as Marianne Connolly– added to the human element of the story and kept it from being your typical hard-story crime drama.
This actually Scott Cooper's third film as a director. The former actor's best film making feat up to now has been Crazy Heart about a faded country star on a comeback. I don't know if it's as good as Crazy Heart but this is a very good film done by Cooper and is definitely his commercial breakthrough. Writers Jez Butterworth and Mark Mallouk did a good job of keeping it from being your typical mob-leader story.
Black Mass isn't simply about an infamous crime leader. It's also about the codes of loyalty some people would do for their friends, even if it meant violating their duties as an FBI. Very insightful and full of intense moments.
Movie Review: Ender's Game
Very rarely do I go to see a live-action family film nowadays. There isn't usually one that makes me want to go out and see it. However Ender's Game was one that caught my eye. It's based on the novel written by Orson Scott Card.
It's the future and the Earth is under threat from alien Formics. They've already attacked in the year 2086 but their advances were halted by a small reserve force which involved an attack which had commander Mazer Rackham sacrifice himself in the battle to win. The International Fleet or IF was created shortly after to protect the Earth from the Formics.
Years later, IF commanders Colonel Hyrum Graff and Major Gwen Anderson are screening out teenage cadets as part of their next battle. They're impressed with the intelligence and strategic thinking of cadet Andrew Ender Wiggin both with his playing of virtual games and his ability to deal with rejection in a fake dismissal. Ender is a complex boy. He's smart as he can deliver what it takes to win virtual games but has a sensitivity as he feels like a misfit because he's the 'third born' and frequently confides with his older sister Valentine. However it's when Graff and Anderson visit the Wiggin household that things change. They offer him a place in their battle school. It's after an intimate talk with Graff that Ender accepts because: "it was what he was born for."
On the trip to the school via the shuttle, Ender and the other recruits or launchies are given lessons of the school by Sargent Dap. Ender further impresses Major Anderson when she asks him to create a mind game for the sake of analyzing recruit's emotional states. He creates a mouse and giant game where he causes a surprise win to Anderson's amazement.
The intrigue on Ender continues to grow. Ender is then promoted to the Salamander Army headed by Commander Bonzo Madrid. Bonzo is a fierce trainer with an unlikeable personality. One of his top students, Petra Arkanian, takes a liking to Ender and teaches him how to shoot free time. Bonzo starts a feeling of dislike to Ender especially after he cheats with Petra during a training game and they win with a surprise attack. Ender continues with his mouse mind game where he also has a Formic, an image of his sister, a snake he kills off and his brother in the game. The military are further amazed with Ender and switch him to the Dragon Army. To everyone's surprise, he defeats the other two army's including the Salamander Army headed by Bonzo in a weightless battle contest.
Despite Ender amazing the heads of the military, things start to take a turn for the worse. Bonzo is infuriated with Ender after his army loses and challenges him to a fight. Ender seriously injures Bonzo in self-defence leaving Bonzo badly injured enough to return to Earth. The emotional toll weighs in on Ender and demands to be flown back to Earth and leave the army. It's right after Valentine convinces him to stay and fight that he continues on.
Ender learns of his mission through a travel to a Formic outpost of the IT. It's there through the image of the deceased Mazer Rackham that he learns of his mission and of his most deadly devise on their ship. Ender then becomes a commander and assembles the best launchies and trainies he's been working with. They continue training up for a 'Graduation Day' exercise. Gaduation Day turns out to be a game but it turns out to be a lot more. After the outcome, everybody is happy with Ender and themselves for what they have done, except Ender. He's remorseful and it's only after meeting with one of the Formics in his mind that he makes clear what his next mission is.
The movie is intended to be both a sci-fi action film for the family and the first book of a potential series. The film shows Ender Wiggin as a fighter who triumphs via brain more than brawn. It was once said in a US Marines commercial years ago: "To compete, you have to be strong. To win, you have to be smart." Ender's that smart competitor who's able to make his mind do incredible things even to the point of the supernatural in the virtual world. That was the type of hero Orson Scott Card intended with Ender Wiggin. However Ender is unique in terms of his sensitivity and feeling for others, including his enemies. In fact a unique quote from Ender appears at the beginning of the film: "In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him." It's there where we understand Ender Wiggin and how he's able to do what he does. He's a very unique protagonist in both how he thinks and how he feels and how someone so young can do all this.
You may remember how back in the summer I talked about big-budget action thrillers losing at the box office. I figured that the fall season would provide a better picture for them. It has been better but the outcome has been better for the more established movie franchises like Riddick, Insidious and Thor. Ender's Game is a sci-fi thriller that is the first of the trilogy of Ender Wiggin novels. Any hope of future films rode on the success of Ender's Game. The film debuted at #1 but with a weekend intake of only $27 million, it was questionable whether it would hit its $110 million budget. The latter weeks have shown it wouldn't as it gained less and less. It now stands at just $55 million. It's unfortunate that the success didn't pan out, especially since this is 28 years in the making. However all is not lost. If there are no additional films, it may be turned into a television series.
Harrison Ford did a good job as Colonel Graff, even though I've seen him play better and stronger action roles. He shows that even after three decades he can still make the thriller. Viola Davis was probably the best scene stealer as Major Gwen. She showed that she's able to upstage Harrison at times. Asa Butterfield was also very good as the protagonist Ender Wiggin. Actually he's a major reason why I saw this. He impressed me in Hugo and I was looking forward to seeing how he would do in Ender's Game. He did a very good job of playing a child soldier that was both an outside soldier and an inside soldier. Also he was able to give Ender more dimension with his sense of emotions and feelings. Asa helped make Ender a unique character. Ben Kingsley was also good in his role of Mazer but lacked scene-stealing qualities. The young supporting characters were also very well done. Haille Steinfeld made Petra likeable, Abigail Breslin was very convincing as making Valentine the source of Ender's mental strength and Moises Arias was very successful in making Bonzo dislikeable.
Gavin Hood did a very good job in terms of directing. The screenplay was also done well but I feel the ending could have been done better. His best effort is the South African film Tsotsi which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film but he already has experience in directing sci-fi with directing X-Men: Wolverine. The movie's qualities that most stand out are its visual effects and the score by Steve Jablonsky. The film did have some controversy as Orson Scott Card's opposition to the same-sex lifestyle and gay marriage has caused outspoken critics and pundits. Card has defended his views each time. As for my feeling, I feel Card's opinions should not matter in terms of this film because his opinions are not made present in the film anyways.
Ender's Game is an impressively smart sci-fi film for families and young adults. It's a very smart story that's very well-done. However it does fall prey to the box office because of its lack of buzz and tight competition of other sci-fi releases this November.
Movie Review: Prometheus
Prometheus is a movie many would compare to 1979 Alien, and tightly so. It's intended to be a prequel to the Alien series despite being released 33 years after and directed by Alien director Ridley Scott. But does it succeed both on its own and as a prequel?
The movie begins with an alien disintegrating after drinking a liquid. A biogenetic reaction occurs as his remains fall into a waterfall. In the meantime a trip to a distant moon is planned after an archeological discovery in Scotland of a star map connecting several unconnected ancient cultures. The archeologists, Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway, interpret it as humanity's 'forerunners' or 'engineers'. The trip to that moon is a four-year trip via a spacecraft called 'The Prometheus' though Weyland Corporations monitored by a human-like android named David and instructed to find and study 'the Engineers'.
Upon arriving on the moon they find many key artifacts as well as alien bodies and assume the alien Engineers are extinct. One of the artifacts, cylinders, leaks a dark liquid which David and Holloway later drink. Meanwhile a storm causes many to return to the stranded ship and Millburn and Fifield stranded in the structure the ship is resting by. Meanwhile in the structure, snake-like creatures start acting up, killing Millburn and melting Fifield's helmet. After the others discover Fifield and Millburn's body, David finds a control room with evidence of a surviving Engineer and a star map highlighting Earth. The black liquid Holloway drank now starts to attack his body badly enough for mission director Vickers to refuse him back on the ship and has his body burned. Shaw discovers she's pregnant with an alien baby and attempts to abort it herself.
As the elder Weyland prepares to depart the planet on his craft, a mutated Fifield attacks and kills several crew members before he himself is killed. We learn the structure was part of a base that lost control because of the dark liquid. After learning the structure is part of a spacecraft, the crew run to an Engineer for help only for the Engineer to kill crew members, decapitate David and take control of the spaceship only to crash it. The crash prevents the Engineer from releasing any of the liquid on Earth. Even as Shaw gets away in a lifeboat, she learns that the Engineer survived the crash and her aborted alien baby is alive and grew to full-size. The departure of Shaw and David, whose head is still active after decapitation, won't come without a fight and it leaves an ending that either sets up for a prequel or sets up for the actual Alien.
What should be noted is that Scott had planned as far back as 2002 in creating a prequel to Alien. However it was sidelined as Alien vs. Predator came up and would be released in 2004. Interest in this wouldn't resume until 2009. One of the risks of prequels is that those who are familiar with the movie series will have expectations of it. Also there are those moviegoers who are unfamiliar with the series and just see the movie for what it is. Prometheus won't answer all the big questions Alien fans will give but it will give some satisfaction to fans of Alien as well as thrill the unfamiliar moviegoers. Ridley Scott had a big task on his hand when he was to make a prequel to his famous Alien movie. He may not have succeeded completely but he did a respectable job of his own in this project.
Although the acting was mostly unspectacular as is to be expected in a SciFi movie, it was Michael Fassbender's performance of android David that stood out as the best effort. Noomi Rapace may have given a good acting performance, if not great, but gave a good job at delivering a strong and determined, albeit vulnerable, heroine. The script was good but it still had a lot of predictable and unresolved plot elements and as I said before, it still leaves a lot of questions unanswered to fans of Alien. As expected in a SciFi movie, its best qualities were the visual effects and the set designs. It did an excellent job of recreating a fictional planet with excellent special effects, especially the alien effects. The score by Marc Streitenfeld also added to the drama of the movie.
Prometheus did have a lot of expectations put on it. Although it didn't succeed at achieving them all, it still made for a good thriller of a movie. Whether there will be another prequel or not still remains in question.


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President Buhari has responded to Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan's intention to join the race for the Taraba State governorship in 2019.
Mama Taraba, who had notified Buhari of her intention in a letter dated July 27, said she would run for the governorship under the platform of the APC.
Responding to the notification, the President said he is committed to free and fair election.
In the letter titled 'Re- Request for permission to contest for the governorship of Taraba State in the 2019 general elections under our great party, the APC,' President Buhari said:
"Let me thank you on behalf of the Federal Executive Council and Nigerians for your services as minister under this administration.
"I note with passion your past contributions to our great party APC during and after the 2015 general elections.
"As you are aware, I am totally committed to free and fair elections. Our policy is to support all APC candidates. I wish you well in your ambition to be governor of your state. Rest assured that all the security agencies as well as INEC will have my support to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in 2019."
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Marriott Bonvoy Home
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About Marriott Bonvoy
Our extended-stay hotel in Rocky Mount, North Carolina is the midway point between New York and Florida. We are just minutes away from North Carolina Wesleyan College, Gateway Convention Center and the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex.
Relax in our comfortable and stylish lobby. The lobby also features our guest computers and printers which provides a convenient way to prepare for your meeting or your departure day.
Whether you need a fresh set of towels, an extra pillow or directions to nearby restaurants and attractions, our front desk is your one-stop shop for any questions you might have during your stay in Rocky Mount.
Enjoy a relaxing setting with friends and family at our Residence Inn's outdoor patio area, which features covered patio furniture and a fire pit.
Our spacious suites feature a separate living area with a kitchen and dining table that seats two.
Enjoy casual conversation with friends, a home-cooked meal with family members or a drink with colleague's right in your suite. All of our accommodations feature comfortable living areas so that you never feel cramped or confined during your stay.
Whether you're in the mood for a simple snack or a gourmet meal, in-room kitchenettes make it easy for you to satisfy your cravings whenever they strike. No time to grocery shop? Leave a list with the front desk and we'll stock your refrigerator and pantry for you.
Feel at home in one of our spacious Studio Suites, featuring everything you need for a successful stay in the heart of the Carolina's. Sleep soundly with thick mattresses and plush bedding, stay satisfied with convenient kitchenettes and use free Wi-Fi to stay connected to what matters most.
Our spacious One-Bedroom Suites feature a private bedroom with a king-size bed, fully equipped kitchen, living room with sofa bed and well-lit work desk and high-speed Internet access.
Enjoy the privacy of a bedroom with a queen-size bed and flat-screen TV.
Experience the comfort of our suites featuring luxurious bedding including crisp linens, thicker mattresses, custom comforters and fluffier pillows.
Our spacious Two-Bedroom Suites feature two private bedrooms with queen-size beds, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, living room with sofa bed and well-lit work desk and high-speed Internet access.
Experience the comfort of our Two- Bedroom Suites which feature luxurious bedding including crisp linens, thicker mattresses, custom comforters and fluffier pillows.
Our luxurious bathrooms feature a bath tub and separate vanity area with thoughtful amenities.
Stay connected or print boarding passes at our in lobby business center.
Get snacks or personal items without even having to leave the hotel at The Market.
For your convenience we offer a coin-operated guest laundry facility.
Start your day with a healthy and delicious complimentary buffet breakfast served in our lobby breakfast area. All types of fruit, baked goods and assorted breakfast standards are ready to help you get going every day.
Relax poolside or take a refreshing dip in our pool and whirlpool, open year-round.
Enjoy a bright and sunny day in Rocky Mount, NC by taking a dip in our outdoor pool or whirlpool.
Don't forget to bring your headphones! Our 24-hour fitness center features a treadmill, elliptical machine and one stationary bicycle, all with personal televisions attached. But that's not all! We also have free weights, exercise balls, yoga mats to help you maintain your fitness routine.
Enjoy a game of basketball or other activities with family, friends, or other residents on the Sport Court®.


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The Female Professional of the Year 2016 category was the most hotly contested race in this year's award program. The category received 34 nominations … [Read more...]
Most Influential Woman of the Year 2016
The Most Influential Woman of the Year 2016 category received 28 nominations and 85 votes for the Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards. These are … [Read more...]
Wide Open with Courtney Lambert
Whether you find her traveling the roads avoiding mayhem with Allstate, behind the counter at Kory Souza Originals, or over the airwaves on her very own radio show, Courtney Lambert knows only one … [Read more...]
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It's FAST WOMEN FRIDAY #2! Thanks for a great first week for #FastWomenFriday! We had a great turnout for the inaugural link-up party! A few highlights if you missed it: Rachel from … [Read more...]


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Welcome to St Augustine's CE High School
I am delighted to welcome you to St. Augustine's Church of England High school website. We are a multi-cultural, multi-faith school with a distinctive Christian ethos. I hope you find the content useful in providing you with up to date information on our school.St. Augustine's is a vibrant and successful 11-19, fully comprehensive school in Kilburn/Maida vale where we encourage everyone, to "be the best that they can be". Our students enjoy their school lives and we try to ensure that decisions are made in the best interests of the students or to improve their learning.It is our aim that all students leave us with the skills and abilities required to be lifelong learners and positive role models in the community. We are aiming to prepare them to be citizens of the world by teaching shared values and an understanding of the world around them. We believe in the importance of forming partnerships with people from all aspects of life to enhance the learning opportunities for our students.Every student at St. Augustine's is treated as an individual . As a result, each student benefits from an individualised learning programme and pastoral care that suits them best. We are really keen to receive the views of students, parents/carers and members of the local community and want to act on ideas to improve our school. We are also committed to our place in the wider community and welcome ideas about how we develop relationships in our locality and beyond.For more information on our day to day activities read my blog.Eugene MoriartyHeadteacher
About us
Welcome to St Augustine's C of E High School. We are a kind, nurturing and multicultural Sixth Form committed to ensuring that students are able to be the best that they can be. We believe firmly in developing the dedication, leadership and independence of our students, with a relentless focus on progress and provision of high quality pastoral care. We are very proud of the achievements of students at St Augustine's and look forward to continuing our track record of success.
We have a wide range of enrichment opportunities on offer. These options include a rigorous leadership development programme, the Duke of Edinburgh award, community outreach programmes, sports and mentoring opportunities. We collaborate with a number of high profile partners including Network Rail, The Brokerage City Link Ltd, Reading University, PP Finance, L'Occitane, SOAS University, Teach First, UCL and Kings College London.
How to apply
If you want to apply for courses, you will need to contact St Augustine's CE High School directly.
Last updated date: 27 March 2017


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Billingshurst captain Tom Haynes has reflected on a 'difficult year' and says they have seen areas to improve in their quest to return to the Premier Division.
'Hurst ended the season with a 32-run win away to Ansty in Division 2 and ended up finishing fourth.
They trailed the top-two and promotion places by 33 points with Mayfield and Three Bridges going up, the latter as champions.
Haynes said: "Overall, I think everyone will be slightly gutted to finish fourth. Our aim at the start of the season was to achieve promotion, however unfortunately we fell short of that goal.
"We have had a difficult year with availability which has impacted how consistent we are as a team. We were in a similar situation last year, losing a few games in a row at crucial times in the season.
"I think looking back and reflecting on the year there are a lot of positives to take, but also a lot of areas where we need to improve as a whole club.
"Personally, I have enjoyed captaining such a great bunch of lads. Hopefully, this time next year Billingshurst will be back in the Premier League."
On Saturday, Tim Weston (44), Stuart Barber (46) and Haynes (59) all contributed in Billingshurst's total of 188-9. They then bowled Ansty out for 156 as Haynes claimed 5-40 in 7.1 overs.


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Iowa Pet Food & Supplies
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