text:
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've surely heard what may be the biggest movie geek news of a generation: Star Wars is headed back to theaters for a new trilogy of films - starting with Star Wars Episode VII, which is being directed by J.J. Abrams.
In addition to a new trilogy, we now know that Star Wars standalone spinoff films are also on the way, which is why we are here to pitch "10 Star Wars Spin-off Movies We'd Like to See" - presented in no particular order of awesomeness.
NOTE: We'll be sticking to storylines that are either already established through the expanded universe or have already been rumored for production. Epic EU storylines like The Thrawn Trilogy, New Jedi Order or Legacy of the Force are big enough to have their own movie trilogies, so you won't find them on this list of standalone film ideas.
11 Shadows of the Empire
An "interquel" launched in the 1990s, Shadows of the Empire fills in a lot of the gaps between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. This includes Leia's search for a captured Han Solo, the construction of Luke's second Lightsaber (the green one), and a power struggle between Darth Vader and Prince Xizor, leader of a galactic criminal syndicate, for the favor of Emperor Palpatine.
Released as a multi-media project, the Shadows of the Empire novel followed a lot of the Original Trilogy characters - but the popular video game for the Nintendo 64 introduced fans to Dash Rendar, a smuggler buddy of Han Solo who aids the Rebel Alliance during Han's carbonite siesta.
WHY IT WOULD WORK: Shadows of the Empire offers a nice balance of the familiar and the new - and considering the considerable changes that occur between Episodes V and VI, this bridge piece would be a smart addition. Sure, you may want to skip segments requiring an aged Mark Hamill or Carrie Fisher to appear onscreen - but Vader, Dash, Boba Fett and Xizor are all great dramatic personae to explore.
10 Knights of the Old Republic
Based on the popular video game series, Knights of the Old Republic takes Star Wars fans back some 4,000 years before the rise of the Galatic Empire. A former Sith - mentally "reprogrammed" by the Jedi Council - attempts to solve the mystery of his own identity in time to stop his traitorous former apprentice, Darth Malak, from leading a Sith army against the Republic. That quest involves locating a map and uncovering the "Star Forge," the source of Malak's military power.
WHY IT WOULD WORK: KotOR would be akin to exploring Medieval times of the Star Wars universe. We've only seen Jedi and Sith working in measured numbers; all-out battles between armies of them would be geek-EPIC. The games had enough depth of narrative and character to attract millions of fans; a movie would therefore have plenty of ripe material to draw from, including a great story of redemption not seen since Vader tossed the Emperor into the pits of the Death Star.
BONUS: This wouldn't have to just be a great standalone film. Given the expansive nature of KotOR (in sequel games, comic books, etc.), a successful first film could be the gateway to a whole new Star Wars spinoff saga. However, even as a one-time experience, KotOR would be thrilling.
9 Dark Forces (Jedi Knight)
Dark Forces was a two-part Star Wars spinoff game released on Windows PCs in the late '90s. Like Shadows of the Empire, it started as an "interquel" that filled in story gaps from the original trilogy; the sequel game picked up after Return of the Jedi and would therefore fill in gaps between the original trilogy and the upcoming sequel trilogy.
The games follow Kyle Katarn, a former Imperial soldier who becomes a mercenary when he learns the Empire killed his parents. Katarn is hired by the Rebel Alliance for jobs that include stealing the Death Star blueprint schematics and thwarting an attempt to produce a new, more powerful, Imperial Trooper. In the sequel game, Katarn learns of his own latent Force powers and embarks on a quest to stop seven "Dark Jedi" from corrupting the "Valley of the Jedi," a burial ground with powerful ties to the Force.
WHY IT WOULD WORK: Dark Forces is a tale that could offer stylistic opportunities to do something different. Katarn's journey from evil soldier to noble mercenary to Jedi warrior is a rich arc, and would be the perfect vehicle for an up-and-coming action star. Envision: a Batman Begins-style film that uses editing and anachronistic narrative to carry us through the entire ballad of Kyle Katarn over both video games. "What takes a man from the guns of the Empire to the sword of the Jedi?" Let's find out!
8 The Force Unleashed
The Force Unleashed was another popular Star Wars video game, released in the late 2000s. The story is set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope and follows "Starkiller," the son of two Jedi who is taken under the wing of Darth Vader when he is discovered as an infant during one of Vader's raids on the few surviving Jedi.
Vader trains Starkiller to overthrow the Emperor, but when Palpatine learns of the new apprentice, he forces Vader to betray Starkiller and leave him for dead. Instead, Vader spares his apprentice and secretly tasks him with stirring up the rebel forces opposing the Empire. Thanks to Jedi Master Rahm Kota, Starkiller learns the lighter side of the force but ultimately falls in battle against the Emperor. In the end, his family crest becomes the sigil of the new Rebel Alliance, and he is transformed into a martyr for the cause.
WHY IT WOULD WORK: Force Unleashed adds some new depth to established characters like Vader, Princess Leia and her adoptive father, Bail Organa - all of whom Starkiller meets on his journey. In terms of "interquels," it is one of the most interesting and epic - though some may fairly argue that the story leans a bit too close to Luke Skywalker's arc in the original trilogy. (The sequel game - involving Starkiller clones - may also be a bit too much for a movie.) However, with the right young actor...
7 Republic Commandos
Derived from a mid-2000s video game and a series of spinoff novels, Republic Commando delves into the Clone Wars from a unique angle: the viewpoint of elite squads of clone soldiers (most often Delta and Omega Squads).
Picking up from Attack of the Clones and running through the time period after Revenge of the Sith, the RC saga examines the more militaristic side of the Star Wars universe. Eventually, the commandos are forced to examine themselves and their role in the war as the Republic they fought for transforms into a Galatic Empire, in which clone soldiers must either become Imperial Soldiers or renegade mercenaries fighting alongside Rebel and Jedi forces.
WHY IT WOULD WORK: Republic Commando is a Star Wars story unlike most others, in that it examines not only a soldier's life in the galatic war - but a clone's existence, as well. Watching the shifting moral outlook of the soldiers would be a nice rumination on the effects of war and politics, while divided allegiances in the wake of the Empire's rise would be gripping wartime drama for these brothers-in-arms.
BONUS: Since they're clones, you could save a bundle on casting, since your lead actor (Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett) could play all of the main roles (when the soldiers are not in helmet, of course).
6 The Adventures of Obi Wan Kenobi
He stands as one of the most iconic figures in the saga (disappearing body trick, FTW!) - and while his story has been further explored in prequel films and spinoff projects like The Clone Wars animated series, there is still enough room for Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi to get his own movie.
Whether delving into Obi-Wan's younger years (as explored in Expanded Universe fiction like Jedi Apprentice and Jedi Quest); filling in the gaps in his life during Episodes 1 - 6 (The Clone Wars, his exile years before A New Hope) - or maybe just a portrait of the man that covers all that aforementioned material - Kenobi (man, general, Jedi master) is a complex, pivotal character who can surely support a standalone film.
WHY IT WOULD WORK: People love Obi-Wan; actor Ewan McGregor is still around to play adult and elderly versions of the character; and there's the added benefit of possibly leaving room for Liam Neeson to return to the franchise (as Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan's mentor) in a much better fashion than Phantom Menace afforded him. Plus, Star Wars could use a good Medieval Knight-style film, and Obi-Wan's adventures could certainly be spun in that way.
5 Boba Fett: Twin Engines of Destruction
Boba Fett is one character already rumored to be getting a spinoff film, and while there are many great stories about the Mandalorian bounty hunter/clone that could be told, Twin Engines of Destruction is one we definitely want to see onscreen.
As part of the Star Wars: Bounty Hunters comic series (which is ripe for adaptation in its entirety, really), Twin Engines chronicles the story of Jodo Kast, a young bounty hunter who gets himself a suit of Mandalorian Armor that looks like Boba Fett's. When Jodo goes around collecting bounties on the premise that he is superior to Fett, Boba decides it's time to defend his reputation. With a bit of subterfuge, Boba lures Jodo to the Hutt homeworld of Nal Hutta for a final showdown.
WHY IT WOULD WORK: Twin Engines has a pretty straightforward story, but it's one that could open the door to an exciting part of the Star Wars universe not yet explored onscreen (the bounty hunter underworld). It would also feature one of most iconic characters in the franchise (Boba Fett), while literally serving as proof of why he's such a beloved (and feared) badass. What's not to like?
4 Rogue Squadron
Clone/Imperial troops aren't the only soldiers on the Star Wars battlefield that need their story told onscreen; the X-Wing squadrons of the Rebel Alliance played a big role in the defeat of the Galatic Empire.
In a story that has spanned novels, comic books and video games, Rogue Squadron chronicles famous X-Wing dogfights from the original Star Wars trilogy and beyond, tracing the continuing adventures of heroic Rebel pilot Wedge Antilles and his new squad of recruits, in the era following the Empire's collapse.
WHY IT WOULD WORK: George Lucas might not have had success with Red Tails - but the WWII dogfight segments were impressive evidence of what CGI can bring to aerial action. While even casual Star Wars fans have an affinity for trusty ol' Wedge Antilles, it's not impossible to re-cast the character with a headlining name. Otherwise, original Wedge actor Denis Lawson is still available for (and welcome to) the part. Surround Wedge with a crop of fresh-faced young stars and we would have something akin to Top Gun - only with Star Wars spaceships. Pretty awesome, right?
3 When Han Met Chewie
You can fold it into the already-rumored Han Solo origin film, or make it the focus of a movie all its own - either way, we need to see a story about the meeting and bonding of smuggler buddies Han Solo and Chewbacca.
"He's a Corellian roughneck with a heart of gold, and he's a noble Wookiee warrior. Together, they're the unstoppable, parsec-hopping duo that will one day help bring peace to the galaxy. But today, they're on the run and just trying to complete their latest job. It's hard out there for a smuggler..."
WHY IT WOULD WORK: This is the 48 Hrs./Rush Hour/21 Jump Street-style buddy action/comedy the Star Wars universe needs. Cast a wise-cracking actor as young Han Solo, throw in a bunch of semi-racist Wookiee jokes, a love interest, a semi-noble quest and a dash of Indiana Jones-style adventure, and you have the sort of hit film the whole family buys tickets for. (And big merchandising opportunities thereafter - Wookiee doll$, baby!)
BONUS: The opportunity to give Chewbacca his own starring role. 'Nuff said.
2 Yoda's Seven Samurai
It was recently rumored that Man of Steel director Zack Snyder was interested in doing a Star Wars film based on Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (and its remake, Magnificent Seven). Around the same time, it was also rumored that a Yoda standalone film could be on the horizon. Our thought: Why separate those two ideas when they clearly go together like PB&J?
Do we need to know the origins of baby Yoda (a story that has remained mysterious throughout Star Wars lore)? No. What we NEED to see is how that most unlikely of little green men earned his status as a galatic hero and legend. Zack Snyder's "Jedi Seven Samurai" could do just that, by showing us an instance where Yoda's wisdom and strength bested insurmountable odds, distinguishing him as a true Jedi master and hero.
WHY IT WOULD WORK: It features one of the most beloved (and marketable) Star Wars characters, in a story whose themes and ideas are so relatable to everything that makes Jedi cool (discipline, honor, courage, willpower, sword skill). Jedi have always been intergalactic samurai - so why not give us a samurai epic with a sci-fi twist? It practically sells itself.
BONUS: You could also include characters like Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and other Jedi Council members in their (slightly) younger years, adding some nice familiar faces to the tale.
1 What do YOU want to see?
With so much Star Wars lore having been established via the expanded universe - and all those stories that passionate fans have been either writing down or kicking around their own heads for years - there are plenty of great ideas for Star Wars spin-off films that we haven't touched upon here.
Be sure to share some of YOUR ideas with us in the comments.
Star Wars Episode VII is aiming to be in theaters sometime in 2015.
Artwork Sources: Fanpop, Comic Vine, Paul Youll, Mauricio Herrera (El-Grimlock), LucasFilm, Wookieepedia, Dark Horse Comics


text:
I haven't said anything yet on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, and one reason has been that I did not know much about her outside of the Greenwald-Rosen clash a few weeks ago. I'm not sure that I know that much more about her now, but I can say something about the responses to her nomination. It seems somewhat telling that even Rosen, who wrote what Greenwald reasonably regarded as a shabby smear job, presently supports her confirmation. As Noah Millman has observed, the main thing that is regularly included in the charges against her is her position on the Ricci case. Also looming large in the arguments against her are the remarks she made in a speech eight years ago, including this quote:
I would hope [bold mine-DL] that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion [as a judge] than a white male who hasn't lived that life.
Apparently, in the same speech, according to National Journal's Stuart Taylor, "she suggested that "inherent physiological or cultural differences" may help explain why "our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging." "
There is a great deal of teeth-gnashing about double standards going on right now. Taylor sums up this complaint:
Any prominent white male would be instantly and properly banished from polite society as a racist and a sexist for making an analogous claim of ethnic and gender superiority or inferiority.
What goes unsaid here is that this would be the wrong thing to do, which makes it unclear why Sotomayor should be punished for saying something that does not seem in itself all that objectionable. I agree that a double standard exists, which tells me that we should not apply an unreasonable standard equally, but instead should try to police and stigmatize expression less obsessively. Note also that the supposed "claim of ethnic and gender superiority," as Taylor puts it, is exceedingly weak, if it is there at all. The first quote can just barely be read this way if you really want to read it that way, and the second does not refer to superiority, but only to difference. Since when have people on the right denied or complained about recognition of the importance of real physiological and cultural differences?
Of course, the first quote expresses at most an aspiration or desire that her kind of experience would make her a better judge. Suppose for a moment that a conservative Catholic man in a similar position said that he hoped that the richness of his religious tradition would inform and shape his judgments that would more often than not help him to make better judgments than someone without that background. Such a person might reasonably and legitimately claim this. No doubt there would be a comparable freak-out in certain circles on the left that theocracy was on the march, while conservatives would declare it outrageous (indeed, the imposition of a religious test!) that anyone would object to a statement about the importance of the man's faith to his formation and thinking. She is not asserting that Latinas are naturally superior judges, nor is she even saying that they are necessarily better on account of their experiences, but that she hopes that they would be. One might almost think that her recognition that impartiality is something to be pursued, but that it is never fully achievable, would be considered a refreshingly honest admission that judges have biases and are shaped by their past experiences. For a moment, imagine a pious Christian who expressed a similar hope that his faith would make him a better judge than an unbeliever. No doubt this would raise the hackles of all kinds of people, but it would no more make him a religious fanatic than Sotomayor's rather mild comments make her a "racialist."
On her vote in the Ricci case, it is fair to conclude that she and her colleagues came to the wrong conclusion as far as doing right by the plaintiff was concerned, but it also seems fair to say that federal law pushed them in the direction of reaching the wrong conclusion. An important point about the case that has been left out in many accounts is this:
In part, the city's reaction was defensive. Because of the magnitude of the racial disparity on the exams, which would have ensured that white firefighters received the great majority of the promotions, an attorney for the city concluded that there was a strong likelihood of a lawsuit by African American and Latino firefighters if the promotion list generated by the test were used. Since Title VII was signed into law in 1964, it has been illegal for employers to use tests that have an unjustified racially "discriminatory effect."
What this means is that the appeals court ruled against Ricci because it recognized that New Haven had tried to avoid a lawsuit that would have been possible and likely successful because of current law. In other words, the city tried to avoid falling afoul of the law, and the court did not penalize it for doing so. What is to blame in all of this is the law, rather than the judges who seem to have done what they were supposed to do. Indeed, what some people seem to have wanted to see Sotomayor do is to punish New Haven for trying to stay within the limits of the law, and for failing to do so she is declared to be an enemy of the rule of law. I submit that this doesn't make a lot of sense.
Perhaps I have missed something, but the injustice done to Ricci seems in no small part to be a product of the law as it exists. However, under current law, even granting that the city of New Haven seems to have bungled the handling of the promotion test for its firefighters, it does not necessarily follow that throwing out the test results from the apparently flawed test was a violation of anyone's legal rights. Presumably had Sotomayor found for the plaintiff, we would now be hearing about how all that infamous "empathy" caused her to side with the dyslexic man against a municipality–oh, the judicial activism!–and to open the latter up to long and costly litigation (which would, of course, demonstrate her abiding love of greedy trial lawyers, her desire to enrich fellow minorities and her hatred of patriotic firefighters, as so many people would be only too happy to tell us).
P.S. Also note that cheering "when justices fulfill their oaths and give everyone a fair hearing" is basically incompatible with complaining about what Sotomayor and the court did in the Ricci case. We keep hearing about how she thinks judges make policy–but instead, the court she sat on refused to make policy in this instance. Arguably, Ricci is one of those hard cases in which empathy is supposed to be crucial, but instead the result ended up looking a lot more like giving both sides a fair hearing and coming down on the politically incorrect (in the conservative view) side. We keep hearing about the dangers of empathy, but what was the denial of Ricci's suit except an example of siding with the relatively more powerful (the city government) against the relatively weak (a dyslexic employee)? It seems to me that you can object to her position on Ricci's suit, but if you do you can't then say that she is guided by bleeding-heart sentimentality.

subset: commoncrawl


text: CAUCE 2019 Conference - Forging Ahead to a Brighter Future Diversity and Partnerships in Continuing Education McMaster University Continuing Education will host the 66th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education in Hamilton, Ontario from May 29 - 31. Join the conversation now with #CAUCE2019 Learn more Science of Cannabis New program launching Spring 2019 In partnership with the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, McMaster is excited to announce ?one of the first evidence-based, post-secondary programs focused on the science behind the substance. Learn More NEW! Advanced Strategic Marketing Techniques Elevate your marketing. Enhance your strategy. Build the skills to translate complex marketing challenges into comprehensive market-ready strategies. Enhance your ability to plan, scope, execute and measure with this exciting new program! Learn more


text:
A friend bought a K75C some time ago and I coached her on what parts to buy to bring it back to life. She sold the bike before we could do much of the work and I inherited the parts (including a breather hose and clamps...) So this afternoon I was going through my parts bin and decided that even though it was supposedly just changed 12k miles ago, it is such an easy job I might as well knock it out. I grabbed my tools, aka a long shank flat head screwdriver, and headed out to the bike.
It looked great, maybe a little dry rotted around the neck but nothing to worry about, here is a pic of it removed, as it looked on the bike:
I loosed up the hose clamps and popped off the old one, and was pretty surprised at this:
Yup - that harmless and very minor dry rot was actually a tear going about 2/3 around the entire neck. I popped the new one on (making sure to orient it correctly and load the hose clamps first) and screwed it in. Planning on a ride tomorrow morning, hoping it will ride even nicer
So, moral of the story, spend the $20 and replace yours next time you are working on the bike - takes all of three minutes!


text:
GOP to Romney: You're so vague
Leading conservatives are offering blunt advice to Mitt Romney: Quit ducking details, start engaging in a real and specific war of ideas with President Barack Obama — or lose.
Here's just a sampling of the past 24 hours:
Story Continued Below
• Rupert Murdoch, the most powerful voice in conservative media with The Wall Street Journal and Fox News under his control, said on Twitter that "Romney must draw clear line: offer specific path to restore American dream…To win, Romney must open big tent to sympathetic families. Stop fearing far right, which has nowhere else to go."
( Also on POLITICO: The Kerry-ization of Mitt Romney)
• The Wall Street Journal editorial page, playing off Romney's confusing answer about what if any parts of "Obamacare" he would retain as president: "Mr. Romney's pre-existing political calculation seems to be that he can win the election without having to explain the economic moment or even his own policies. As this flap shows, such vagueness carries its own political risks."
• In an open letter to Romney posted on the Weekly Standard, a publication hard-wired into the Paul Ryan operation, Peter Hansen wrote: "The assertion that you are more competent than President Obama strikes many people as merely that — an assertion. It would be supported by your speaking in more detail about a range of financial issues.
"It is still possible to convince voters that you will do a better job with the economy than President Obama has, but telling people you're better qualified isn't enough. To some extent, as writers are often told, you need to show it, not tell it."
• Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), told The New York Times: "It is always difficult to run against a sitting president, but he does need to be clearer about what his vision is and what he would do. People are ready to vote against Obama, but Romney has not yet sold the deal. Now is the time to do that."
( PHOTOS: Mitt Romney through the years)
• Conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham: "Mitt Romney cannot at this point be convincing himself that he's winning. I hope they're not. I hope the Romney campaign actually knows what's going on with these numbers. And I hope that the strategy that has been in place, which is basically raise a lot of money in the summer, but not hit back, but not offer a clear, substantive, three-point solution to this mess that we're in — five-point solution — lay it out for the public. I don't care if he has to go back to the PowerPoints that he used in the road shows when he was at Bain. That's what he's really good at."
• Two prominent GOP strategists who have worked for Romney in the past, Alex Castellanos and Mike Murphy, have thrown up their hands on Twitter with apparent frustration at the trajectory of the Republican's campaign. When Romney's team put out a memo Monday urging reporters not to make too much of Obama's post-convention poling numbers, Castellanos judged it "a bit weak. "romney can still win but few at bats left," Castellanos tweeted, "still think an Obama 2nd term = disaster. just haven't heard why Romney would be better. i remain hopeful."
• Weekly Standard editor William Kristol knocked Romney for running a "pre-Ryan sort of campaign," comparing the strategy to Michael Dukakis's competence-not-ideology 1988 theme. "Mike Dukakis lost," Kristol reminded Romney. "As the examples of Ronald Reagan in 1980 and Bill Clinton in 1992 suggest, successful challengers don't just jab lightly, parry punches, and circle the ring. They go for at least a few knockdowns. It's not enough to float like a butterfly. You have to sting like a bee. No sting, no victory."
• In addition to the broadside from the Journal editorial page, former George W. Bush speechwriter William McGurn penned a separate column lamenting "the silence of the Republican lamb" – that would be Romney – on the war in Afghanistan. Democrats have pilloried Romney for not mentioning Afghanistan in his GOP convention speech, and McGurn shakes his head at the absence of in-depth war policy from Romney's comments and campaign website. "Maybe that makes political sense, with unemployment stuck above 8% and the economy sputtering," McGurn writes, calling that a "disservice" to the country on several levels. "It is, first, a disservice to the stronger foreign policy Mr. Romney is alleged to represent. Does he really believe, for example, that the Israelis will be encouraged and the Iranians deterred by expressions of resolve from a political leader so reluctant to bring up a war Americans are actually fighting? Silence is also a disservice to those whom we ask to do our fighting."


text:
So you're planning on checking out Clint Eastwood's adaptation of Jersey Boys. And why wouldn't you? The smash-hit musical has been a Broadway staple since 2005, touring theaters from London to Las Vegas and claiming four Tony Awards – including Best Musical – in 2006. Interest in Jersey Boys, particularly from the theater crowd, should be high. Do this instead. Stay home. Light a candle -- preferably a beige or dishwater-grey candle – and watch it slowly melt for several hours. Play Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons records in the background to set the mood. This experience will be far more exciting than actually suffering through Eastwood's disappointingly flavorless and lackluster on-screen Jersey Boys pass.
Not that Eastwood has made a bad film. Rarely, over the course of his 50-plus years in the director's chair, has Eastwood delivered an unquestionable bomb. But he has made a dull film, and that betrays the doo-wop energies and disgruntled behind-the-scenes dramas that helped make Jersey Boys such a beloved story for countless theater audiences.
The Jersey Boys, in question, are the members of The Four Seasons, whom Eastwood recreates using cinematic newcomers: lead singer Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young); troubled guitarist Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza); dependable vocalist and bass player Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda); and gifted songwriter and pianist Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen), whose late addition proved to be the final piece to the group's successful puzzle. The Four Seasons topped the charts in the 1960s and '70s with ear-catching tunes like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Walk Like a Man." Jersey Boys charts their formative years, their meteoric rise, and the factors that brought most of the members back down to Earth.
Having seen both the Broadway show and this silver-screen adaptation, I have no clue who thought Eastwood was the right director to tell this story. Born and raised in Northern California, Eastwood has no natural connection to the thick-as-thieves Garden State neighborhoods that birthed Frankie Valli. As such, his requisite New Jersey flourishes fall under the category of broad, regional stereotypes that went out of fashion when The Sopranos ended. (What I wouldn't give to see Marty Scorsese's Jersey Boys.) As Eastwood also points out in a blink-and-you-missed-it visual gag, the star already was busy with his own acting career when The Four Seasons were making their mark – and while he might have been a fan of the Four Seasons' songs, he doesn't spend much time celebrating the impact of their music.
Casting John Lloyd Young makes complete sense on paper, as he took home the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for playing Valli on stage in 2006. The brilliant singer hits all of Valli's impossible notes, but falters in smaller, dramatic scenes when he has to sell emotional moments with Valli's wife, his daughter, or the feuding members of his band. As he does in the stage show, Tommy DeVito (and his various demons) becomes the focal point of Jersey Boys, and Piazza has enough of an edge to slice through Eastwood's patented melodrama.
Do you know how musicals usually sizzle and pop, though? Jersey Boys never does. Never even attempts to. Eastwood's color palette – conceived with longtime cinematographer Tom Stern (Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven) – displays that usual, washed out look the director favors. As is usually the case in an Eastwood movie, scenes linger on longer than necessary. The direction is competent, but has so little creativity that when Eastwood finally tries something out of the ordinary – a camera shot that scales the side of a skyscraper and gives us a peek inside various audition rooms – the irregularity briefly shook me out of the mundane coma Jersey Boys had lulled me into.
Eastwood, more than anything, isn't interested in remaking Jersey Boys, the musical. His film plays the story of the Four Seasons on a far more straight and literal line than the stage show, and doesn't build to theatrical transitions or show-stopping musical numbers. The only time Jersey Boys resembles a show that started in stage is in the end credits, when the cast reunites on a sound-stagey neighborhood "street" for an up-tempo montage of he musical's hits. Yet even at the very end, Eastwood freezes his cast in awkward poses before fading to black, leaving them looking like curious wax figures waiting to melt. And we've come full circle.


text:
"Look, lad! You see the streak of glowing green off the larboard bow? Them's the bright waters!"
While the lad peered intently at the eerie glow, the old salt continued. "Entire ships have been lost to the Bright, lad, for once you let it surround you, you'll never touch land again!"


text:
Juan Nino and Rebekah Page
Tickets for the 2013 Liberty men's and women's Soccer seasons are now on sale.
This year, both season and single games tickets will be available. The men's season ticket package includes seven home games, while the women's season ticket package will contain eight home games. Each season set will be sold separately. A package must be bought for each sport. Adult season tickets will cost $25.00, while season packages for faculty, staff, youth and seniors will cost $15.00.
Tickets can be purchased online for men's soccer at ticketreturn-women's.com and for women's soccer at ticketreturn-men's.com. They can also be purchased for both sports in person at the Vines Center ticket office. For more information, the Flames Ticket Office can be contacted at (434) 582-SEAT (7328) or firstname.lastname@example.com
Heading into the 2013 season, the Liberty Lady Flames return 16 players from year's squad, including junior forward Helena Pereira and Big South All-Freshman team members Jaime Bouffard and Brittany Aanderud. After beginning last season with its best start in program history, Liberty ended 2012 tying its third-highest win total with an 11-7-3 record. The women's soccer team will host eight games in 2013. Head Coach Jess Hain's squad will welcome non-conference opponents American, Marshall and Old Dominion to Osborne Stadium, while entertaining Campbell, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, High Point and VMI in Big South Conference action.
The men's soccer team returns 15 players from last season's roster. All-Conference forward Kyle Breitmeyer, the Flames' leading scorer in 2012, two-time captain and defender Sam Duininck and goalkeeper Scott Sutarik are among the returnees for head coach Jeff Alder's team. Last year, the Flames closed its regular season with a nine-game unbeaten streak (6-0-3), the team's longest since an 11-game streak (8-0-3) which spanned the 2008 and 2009 seasons. After a slow start to the season, Liberty posted an 8-7-3 overall record and a 6-1-3 Big South mark.
The Flames will entertain seven opponents this season at Osborne Stadium. Liberty is slated to face IUPUI and Howard in non-conference contests, while Big South conference opponents Longwood, Presbyterian College, VMI and Winthrop round out the men's home schedule.
Men's and Women's Soccer Ticket Prices
Season Tickets (Package for Admission to one team's games)
Adult - $25.00 Faculty/Staff/Youth/Senior – $15.00 Single-Game Tickets Adult - $5.00 Faculty/Staff/Youth/Senior - $3.00
Like Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter
Follow Us on Instagram


text:
Sale on short end of duel with Scherzer
CHICAGO -- The intentional walk issued to Miguel Cabrera in the fifth inning of Detroit's 7-3 victory Monday night at U.S. Cellular Field was far from the most significant moment of the night for Chris Sale and the White Sox.
It certainly was the most talked about following the club's 11th loss in its last 15 games against the American League Central leaders, dating back to May 15, 2012.View Full Game Coverage
CHICAGO -- The intentional walk issued to Miguel Cabrera in the fifth inning of Detroit's 7-3 victory Monday night at U.S. Cellular Field was far from the most significant moment of the night for Chris Sale and the White Sox.
It certainly was the most talked about following the club's 11th loss in its last 15 games against the American League Central leaders, dating back to May 15, 2012.View Full Game Coverage
Hernan Perez was on third base with two outs in a one-run game when the free pass was called. Prince Fielder, the following hitter, is no day at the beach either, but left-handers entered the game hitting .133 with one extra-base hit against Sale (6-9) this season, so the matchup seemed more favorable.
Sale didn't quite see it that way. He walked Fielder on four pitches to load the bases, followed by Victor Martinez's two-run single to center on a 1-2 slider that caught too much of the plate.
In between those two at-bats, White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper paid a mound visit to the still noticeably irritated young hurler and the two exchanged their respective thoughts. After Sale's seventh loss in his last eight decisions, despite a 3.13 ERA over that stretch, he admitted to being disappointed in the intentional walk to Cabrera.
"A little bit. I don't like giving people stuff. I like people to earn getting on base," Sale said. "But at the end of the day, that's [manager Robin Ventura's] call."
That disappointment over the Cabrera at-bat had nothing to do with the Fielder walk, according to Sale. As for Ventura's take on Sale's reaction, it was qualified understanding.
"He probably wants to pitch to [Cabrera], but that's my decision," Ventura said. "It's one of those that with a lefty on deck, really any lefty, I know Prince is a great hitter, Chris against a lefty, you're going to take that any time just to stay in the game.
"Chris does [have passion], but I'm the one making that call. He needs to have a little more composure and get that guy and not worry about what happened before."
Aside from this moment, it was business as usual for Sale, the 2013 White Sox offense behind Sale, the 2013 White Sox defense as a whole and Detroit starter Max Scherzer (14-1). Sale's 15th quality start of the season and 11 strikeouts over eight innings, pushing him to single-game double-digits in that category for the 11th time in his career, emerges as the only positive from the above list.
Entering his Monday night start, Sale had received an average of just 1.64 runs of support over his past seven outings. The White Sox (39-57) surpassed that total behind solo homers from Dayan Viciedo and Conor Gillaspie.
Scherzer didn't give up much more, having a perfect game broken up by Adam Dunn's leadoff single in the fifth. He struck out five and yielded just four hits over eight innings in a battle of the first two pitchers used by the American League during last week's All-Star Game victory.
"He's the same guy we've watched before only better. He's always had good stuff, but he's not missing now over the heart of the plate and not walking people," said Dunn of Scherzer. "When you're not missing and not walking people, that means you're doing well."
"When you face a great pitcher like Sale, the one common denominator is you've got to pitch really well against him or you're probably going to get beat," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "And that's what Scherzer did for us."
An assist to Scherzer came from miserable White Sox defense, which matched a season high with three errors, leading to five of the seven runs scored by the Tigers (54-44) being unearned.
"You just give them opportunities," Ventura said. "If you play better defense, you're probably in that game a little bit more."
Alexei Ramirez committed two errors, pushing him to 16 for the season. It was Ramirez's error on Perez's grounder leading off the fifth that started the two-run frame, which was the inning of Sale's discontent. Dunn, like his White Sox teammates, has nothing but respect for a good-natured, hard-working individual such as Sale, who basically has become the face of the franchise.
Then again, it's hard to argue walking Cabrera, who left in the bottom of the fifth with a sore left hip flexor, at any point of a contest.
"Again, I love Chris to death, but that's not really a call [to make]," Dunn said. "He can probably have an opinion on what he wants to do, but you have arguably one of the best players in the league for sure, but maybe all time right-handed. I know you have a tough matchup with Prince there, but I think I would take Chris against a lefty any day of the week.
"With that stuff [Sale has], I think I could get everybody out, too. I think that shows the kind of competitor he is. He gets to play once every five days. I'd take him against any righty, too. It didn't work out, but it's probably going to work out a lot more often than not work out, for sure."
Despite the arguments to the contrary, Sale wasn't moving from his competitive stance.
"Like I said, I like to make them earn their way on there," Sale said. "And that's about it."
"I think he's upset every time he gives up runs, so it's one of those," Ventura said. "I don't think it was any different than any other time."
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, and follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin.


text:
- Heavyweight
Tyson Fury vows to do 'serious harm' to David Price
Tyson Fury reacted angrily to being called out by David Price's promoter Frank Maloney on Saturday, and he later posted a video issuing an astonishing slur against Price's sexuality .
Liverpudlian heavyweight Price wasted little time knocking out Audley Harrison on Saturday, needing 82 seconds to finish the bout. His unbeaten record now stands at 14-0.
Next up for Price is Matt Skelton on December 8, a bout that is again expected to be one-sided in favour of the Olympic bronze medallist. Fury, meanwhile, is scheduled to fight a week earlier in Belfast.
However, Maloney called out Fury in the aftermath of the Harrison victory, offering him £500,000 to take the bout.
Fury responded on Channel 5: "To be honest, Harrison is the biggest bum in boxing. I'll fight David Price any day of the week.
"See you, you plumber from Liverpool, it's personal between you and me and I'm going to do you some serious harm you big, stiff idiot.
"It's going to need 10 plumbers to do you when I've got finished with you. You are getting it - for sure. Call me out, call me any names and you are getting it."
Fury followed it up with a further astonishing outburst in a video posted on Twitter, saying: "Frank Maloney and David Price. I'm contacting your office in the morning you little midget. If you haven't got half a million that you've been bragging about, which I know you haven't, you're in deep trouble.
"David Price, I'm going to put you in intensive care, that's for sure mate. And you know your gay lover Tony Bellew? He's got to fight me in between the rounds as well. I want the two of you, you pair of t******."
Price and Fury had already scheduled a fight earlier this year, only for Fury to vacate his British and Commonwealth titles. His promoter Mick Hennessy intends to pair the two pugilists in the future, but says Fury is currently targeting world titles.
"Tyson is ranked No. 4 with the WBC at the moment, he's had a lot more fights [than Price] so he's in firing range for a world title,' Hennessy said.
"I think Tyson could be a world champion by next summer. The Price fight, when it happens, Tyson will take him out. It would be better if it was for a world title but we've got to see Price get hit on the whiskers and see how he reacts.
"Tyson put David Price on his backside when he was a 17-year-old novice with a handful of fights. David Price was much older and a Commonwealth Games gold medallist whereas Tyson was, by his own admission, a fat, out-of-condition fighter."