Portrait of Woman Revealed Beneath Van Gogh Painting

LiveScience Staff
LiveScience.com
Wed Jul 30, 10:35 AM ET

A previously unknown portrait of a woman by Vincent van Gogh has been revealed in a high-tech look beneath another of his paintings, it was announced today.

Scientists used a new technique to peer beneath the paint of van Gogh's "Patch of Grass." Already it was known there was something there, likely a portrait of some sort. Van Gogh was known to paint over his work, perhaps as much as a third of the time.

Behind the painting, done mostly in greens and blues, is a portrait of a woman rendered in browns and reds.

Click title link for full article

Chop Shop

Now on DVD.

Jacket: "In a bustling wasteland of stolen cars, mechanics and street hustlers, Alejandro, a tough and ambitious street orphan, and his older sister, Isamar, must rely on each other to survive. Living and working in the Iron Triangle, a sprawling junkyard in Queens, New York, the two find their dreams threatened by the harsh truths of life, only to find hope and salvation in one another."

New York Times Review: Chop Shop

"Chop Shop" places you right in the middle of the gritty, scrap world of Alejandro and Isamar. I'm pretty sure I knew kids like this growing up and Alejandro Polanco gives an amazing performance.

A must-see!

Brit actor Purefoy circles NBC drama series

(Reuters)By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - NBC is closing in on its "Philanthropist," with British actor James Purefoy in negotiations to play the lead in the midseason drama series.

"Philanthropist" centers on a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections and power to help people in need no matter the risks or costs.

... Earlier this year, Purefoy was attached to "The Saint," an independently produced two-hour pilot based on the fictional detective; the project didn't go forward.

Click link for full article.

The Bank Job

Wikipedia: "The Bank Job is a British 2008 crime film directed by Roger Donaldson and starring Jason Statham, based on a 1971 true-life robbery of a bank in Baker Street, London, from which the money and valuables stolen were never recovered. The story was prevented from being told because of a D-Notice (now known as a DA-Notice) government gagging request, allegedly to protect a prominent member of the British Royal Family.^[3][4] According to the producers, this movie is intended to reveal the truth for the first time,^[5] although it includes significant elements of fiction and the extent to which it represents historical fact is difficult to determine.

It also may be based upon the scandal causing Lord Lambton's resignation, with Lew Vogel representing the Soho porn baron Bernie Silver."

This is one of the better heist films I've seen in a long time.

For the Statham fans, you'll only see Jason in the buff in the deleted scenes.

Penelope

This is an enchanting modern fable.

Yahoo! Movies: "A modern day romantic tale about a young girl's inspiring journey, a mysterious family secret and the power of love. With all odds against her, in order for Penelope to break the family curse, she must find true love with "one of her own kind." The warm and funny adventure leads her to realize the most important life lesson, "I like myself the way I am."

New York Times Review of "Penelope"

College Road Trip

This was surprisingly very funny. There were a few times I laughed out loud!

IMDb: "When an overachieving high school student decides to travel around the country to choose the perfect college, her overprotective cop father also decides to accompany her in order to keep her on the straight and narrow."

Highlander: The Search for Vengeance

Wikipedia: "Highlander: The Search for Vengeance is an animated spin-off of the cult franchise Highlander. It was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust) and was written by David Abramowitz, also the writer for Highlander: The Series, Highlander: The Raven and Highlander: The Source. The film was a joint venture between Imagi Animation Studios and Madhouse Studio, with Imagi providing the script and the soundtrack, while Madhouse produced the animation."

Synopsis: "Colin MacLeod became Immortal after his first death in 125 AD in Roman Britain, when his village was attacked by the conquering Romans. Immortal Marcus Octavius was leading the Roman Empire's military forces in hopes of creating his long-dreamt-of utopian society. Octavius killed Colin's wife, but was not able to kill Colin himself, as his body had landed within Stonehenge on holy ground.

Waking days later within Stonehenge, Colin is left confused about who and what he is, and how he is not dead. It is at this moment that the spirit of a former druid of this holy site, Amergan, begins communicating with MacLeod, and explains to him what he is. Colin learns of The Game from Amergan, and the druid becomes his life-long teacher and conscience.

The movie interlaces flashback scenes of this and Colin's following plight for vengeance throughout time, as Marcus attempts to re-enact his utopian society through force and fear. Colin finds Octavius in a post-apocalyptic future New York City, where he is busy making plans to release a deadly virus. After a final duel, Colin defeats Octavius, and his Quickening destroys the virus in question."

The Seeker

Wikipedia: "The Seeker ... is a 2007 film adaptation of the second book in the five-book children's fantasy series The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper. STORY: On his 14th birthday Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig) finds out that he is the last of a group of warriors – The Light – who have spent their lives fighting against evil – The Dark. Will travels through time to track down the signs that will enable him to confront the evil forces. The Dark is personified by The Rider (Christopher Eccleston)."

Writing: "The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising is based on the second book in Susan Cooper's series The Dark Is Rising Sequence, titled The Dark Is Rising.^[5] Walden Media hired screenwriter John Hodge in October 2005 to adapt the story for the big screen.^[6] The mythology of Cooper's book was considered to be the plot, and Hodge was tasked to interpret the book into events that could be portrayed in a film.^[7] The story, which took place in the 1960s and 1970s in the book, was rewritten to be contemporary. Vikings were included in the film, based on a reference in the book to an old Viking boat which the protagonist discovers.^[8]

Hodge rewrote the protagonist Will Stanton, portrayed by Alexander Ludwig, to be 13 instead of 11. The screenwriter chose this age, considering 11 to be more of a child's age, and 13 to be an age of transition.^[8] Stanton was also written to be American so he would be established as more of an outsider, culturally alien to the story's English setting.^[7] Hodge also wrote new subplots for Ludwig's character in the film, including sibling conflicts, a crush on a young woman (Amelia Warner), and alienation at school.^[9] The script also features the inclusion of many action sequences while seeking to preserve Cooper's narrative.^[7] The character of The Walker, portrayed by Jonathan Jackson, was also rewritten as a younger person with a new story arc about the loss of his soul.^[7] However, Jackson's character was ultimately removed from the film's theatrical cut.^[10] Susan Cooper was reportedly not happy with the adaptation of her book.^[11]"

Stop-Loss

Jacket: "Ryan Phillippe leads an all-star cast in Stop-Loss, the inspirational film about family, friends, loyalty and camaraderie. After completing his tour of duty, Brandon King (Phillippe) faces an unexpected new challenge that will put him at odds with former soldiers and test the bonds with old friends."

Wikipedia: "SSG Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) is a decorated Iraq War veteran who once served his country with pride. After his tour of duty comes to an end, King returns to his Texas hometown and attempts to pick up where he once left off with a little help from his family, as well as long-time best friend and war buddy Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum). But just as Brandon, Steve, and the rest of their war buddies begin to settle back into civilian life, King is suddenly ordered back into active duty to return to Iraq, based on the military's controversial stop-loss policy. He refuses and goes AWOL."

This is rental-worthy. Since the beginning of the Iraq War, 650,000 soldiers have been deployed. Of those, 81,000 soldiers have been stop-lossed.

Fool's Gold

Wikipedia: "Fool's Gold is an 2008 adventure/romance film from Warner Bros. Pictures about a married couple who rekindle their romantic life while searching for a lost treasure."

Rating: C+ Wait for it to hit cable.

nip/tuck: Season 3

This show is taking its characters to bold and somewhat strange extremes.

On to Season 4.

Robert Downey Jr. to Play Sherlock Holmes

Compiled by JACQUES STEINBERG
Published: July 11, 2008

"In the first role he has signed up for since “Iron Man,” Robert Downey Jr., left, will forsake his high-tech suit for a woolen cloak and cap. Mr. Downey has agreed to play the lead role in the film “Sherlock Holmes,” which will be directed by Guy Ritchie for Warner Brothers, Variety reported. The film is scheduled to begin shooting in October, with a screenplay by Anthony Peckham based on the detective stories of Arthur Conan Doyle and on a comic book, also called “Sherlock Holmes.” Most of the movie will be filmed in London. In the role, which Variety said would plumb Holmes’s brawn as well as his brains, Mr. Downey will have some competition. Columbia Pictures is also preparing a movie based on Holmes, this one a comedy with Sacha Baron Cohen as the title character and Will Ferrell as his sidekick, Dr. Watson."

At the Uneasy Intersection of Bloggers and the Law

By JONATHAN D. GLATER
Published: July 15, 2008

There is no better way to get a blogger talking than by telling him what he cannot publish — although you might forgive a government prosecutor for thinking otherwise.

A grand jury subpoena sent by prosecutors in the Bronx earlier this year sought information to help identify people blogging anonymously on a Web site about New York politics called Room 8.

Interesting article. Click link above to check it out.

John Woo goes into battle with epic "Red Cliff"

By Maggie Lee

HONG KONG (Hollywood Reporter) - As the first film to re-create the Battle of Chibi in 208 A.D., the most famous military feat in Chinese history, John Woo's "Red Cliff" is a Pan-Asian project with the word "monumental" written all over it.

The 140-minute first half that opened across major Asian territories provides the beams and columns for the narrative framework, but with a few decisive and spot-on action spectacles, it sufficiently kindles expectations for the climactic clash in Part 2. The Western version will be a shorter, condensed one.

Costing $80 million and years in the making, "Red Cliff" is the most expensive Chinese-language picture ever mounted. Its investors are likely to recoup most of it from the Asian market, where the story has infiltrated school curriculum, computer games and manga.

Click link for full article.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Saving the world is a hell of a job

This was a great complement to the first film. Yeah, it had a couple of corny and sappy moments, but overall, a good popcorn-munching time.

IMDb: "The mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth, so Hellboy and his team must save the world from the rebellious creatures."

Wikipedia: "Michael Rechtshaffen writing in The Hollywood Reporter said Hellboy II was an uncompromised vision of Guillermo del Toro's imagination. He said that with the director given free rein, the film came across as an amalgam of the best moments from his previous films, only with better visual effects.^[31] John Anderson of Variety wrote of a rococo precision to the visuals that exceeded that of the first film. He cited del Toro's "clockmaker's preoccupation with detail" and ability to blend state-of-the-art technology with more classical visuals as the reasons for the film's success.^[32] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly said that the plot didn't often deviate from its comic-book traditions, but that del Toro staged the action "brilliantly". He said that while the visual effects deserved recognition, what made the film so exciting was the personality they were imbued with.^[33] Chuck Wilson of The Village Voice said that del Toro was on autopilot, but that he and his Pan's Labyrinth crew, cinematographer Guillermo Navarro in particular, staged the steady stream of action set-pieces expertly.^[34]"

Hellboy: Blood & Iron

Jacket: "When Hellboy, Liz Sherman and Abe Sapien are assigned to investigate the ghost-infested mansion of a publicity-hound billionaire, they uncover a plot to resurrect a beautiful yet monstrous vampire from Professor Bruttenholm's past. But before they can stop her bloodbath, Hellboy will have to battle harpies, hellhounds, a giant werewolf and even the ferocious goddess Hecate herself. How much crap does a guy have to take from a Hungarian Blood Countess before he and his surrogate father can avenge the souls of the damned? It's going to take more than just a horde of very pissed-off demons for our heroes to see the light."

Wikipedia: "Hellboy: Blood and Iron is the second in the Hellboy Animated series (the first being Hellboy: Sword of Storms), written by Tad Stones and Mike Mignola.

In 1939, young Professor Bruttenholm (aka Professor Broom) destroyed Erzsebet Ondrushko, a vampiress who bathed in the blood of innocents to stay young after selling her soul to the Queen of Witches, the goddess Hecate. Years later, a haunting in the Hamptons, on Long Island, is brought to the BPRD's attention. The elderly Professor Bruttenholm decides to investigate it himself, taking top BPRD agents, Hellboy, Liz Sherman, Abe Sapien, and a new BPRD member named Sydney Leach who is more worried about his welfare than a haunting.

Much to Bruttenholm's horror, it turns out that the ghosts are the victims of Erzsebet Ondrushko, who is soon going to be resurrected by her two harpy/hag servants. While the others deal with her hag minions, phantom wolf packs, and a werewolf transformed from one of Bruttenholm's old friends, Bruttenholm settles his affairs with Erzsebet once and for all. Hellboy ends up battling Hecate herself, who has been watching him for some time and desires him to embrace his true destiny: one that includes the destruction of mankind.

Also included is the short film "Iron Shoes", which is based on the Hellboy story of the same name. The Iron Shoes demon is voiced by Dan Castellaneta."

This prequel gives you a bit more back story to the professor (which is also referenced in Hellboy: The Golden Army).

In Bruges

Shoot First. Sightsee Later.

Jacket: "Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes star in this edgy, action-packed comedy, filled with thrilling chases, spectacular shootouts and an explosive ending you won't want to miss!

Hit men Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) have been ordered to cool their heels in the storybook city of Bruges (it's in Belgium) after finishing a big job. But since hit men make the worst tourists, they soon find themselves in a life-and-death struggle of comic proportions against one very angry boss (Fiennes)!"

Chicago Sun Times film critic Roger Ebert gave the film high praise and a 4 out of 4 star rating, saying, "This film debut by the theater writer and director Martin McDonagh is an endlessly surprising, very dark, human comedy, with a plot that cannot be foreseen but only relished."

This is pretty funny. Definitely rental-worthy.

The Spiderwick Chronicles (DVD)

Wikipedia: "The Spiderwick Chronicles is a 2008 fantasy film adaptation of Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's bestselling series of the same name. Set in the Spiderwick Estate in New England, it follows the adventures of Jared Grace and his family as they discover a field guide to faeries and battle goblins and other magical creatures. It was directed by Mark Waters and stars Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Martin Short, Nick Nolte, and Seth Rogen.

Though the film follows the basic storyline of the book series, it omits the majority of the plot of the fourth book, and there are several other differences. Simon and Jared, who are nine in the books, appeared older in the film, as actor Freddie Highmore was 14 at the time of filming. In the movie the Spiderwick house is surrounded by a protective circle not mentioned in the book series at all. Several locations were also changed: the final battle against Mulgarath took place in the Spiderwick estate, rather than Mulgarath's castle, and the tunnel under the estate was added. The Sylphs were originally Elves, and Lucinda leaving with them to live with Arthur was originally Arthur remaining on earth to turn to dust. In the series, when Simon was kidnapped, Mallory and Jared found and rescued him, but instead in the film, Jared saved Simon himself. In the series, Jared never cusses, but in the flim when Jared sees Simon getting dragged away by goblins, he says "What the hell?". Also the books take place of a course several weeks while the film takes place of a course of one day."

This film for the grade school audience was okay. I haven't read the books yet for comparison.

The Boondocks: Season 2

I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! The second season rocked. Again not for the feint of heart ... or political correctness.

Boondocks Fansite

Free Song Download on Converse Site

Check out John Casablancas, Santogold and Pharrell on "My Drive Thru." This one will get your head and booty boppin in your cubicle! (Click post title for link)

New York Times, 7/7/08: "Two weeks ago, Converse released a single by a combination of artists that The Times of London called “a three-headed Frankenstein’s monster of coolness”: the Strokes singer Julian Casablancas, the producer Pharrell Williams and the R&B performer Santogold. Offered as a free download on Converse’s Web site, the song received mostly favorable reviews from both blogs and newspapers.

“Our instructions to them were to have fun, as though they were doing any song,” said Jon Cohen, co-founder of Cornerstone, a music marketing company that has set up music deals for Converse, Nike, Caress and Smirnoff. “It doesn’t matter where the music comes from as long as it’s great.”

New York Times: It's American Brandstand, Marketers Underwrite Performers

Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk

Official Website: "Six hundred dudes. One porn queen. A world record for the ages. A must-have movie for every discerning collector of things erotic."

"Cassie Wright, porn priestess, intends to cap her legendary career by breaking the world record for serial fornication. On camera. With six hundred men. SNUFF unfolds from the perspectives of Mr. 72, Mr. 137, and Mr. 600, who await their turn on camera in a very crowded green room. This wild, lethally funny, and thoroughly researched novel brings the huge yet underacknowledged presence of pornography in contemporary life into the realm of literary fiction at last. Who else but Chuck Palahniuk would dare do such a thing? Who else could do it so well, so unflinchingly, and with such an incendiary (you might say) climax?"

Purchase 'Snuff Today!

Bean: "This book is whack! In a good way. Chuck is so descriptive. When you finally put the book down you'll feel like you need a cigarette or a shower ... or both."

Zoda: "Snuff is crazy even for Chuck!"

I'm Not There

Wikipedia: "biographical film directed by Todd Haynes and inspired by the life of iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It depicts six distinct stages of Dylan's life and public persona portrayed by an ensemble cast of actors: Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, and Cate Blanchett, who play characters based on Dylan but with different names.[1]

The film tells its story using non-traditional techniques, similar to the poetic narrative style of Dylan's songwriting. It takes its name from the Dylan outtake "I'm Not There", a song never officially released until its appearance on the film's official soundtrack album. Critically acclaimed, I'm Not There made many top ten film lists for 2007, topping the lists for The Village Voice, Entertainment Weekly, Salon and The Boston Globe.

Writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education, critic Anthony DeCurtis said that casting six different actors, including a woman and an African-American child, to play Dylan was "a preposterous idea, the sort of self-consciously 'audacious'—or reassuringly multi-culti—gambit that, for instance, doomed the Broadway musical based on the life and music of John Lennon. Yet in I'm Not There, the strategy works brilliantly." He especially praised Blanchett:

"[H]er performance is a wonder, and not simply because, as Jude Quinn, she inhabits the twitchy, amphetamine-fired Dylan of 1965-66 with unnerving accuracy. Casting a woman in this role reveals a dimension to the acerbic Dylan of this era that has rarely been noted. Even as she perfectly mimics every jitter, sneer, and caustic put-down, Blanchett's translucent skin, delicate fingers, slight build, and pleading eyes all suggest the previously invisible vulnerability and fear that fueled Dylan's lacerating anger. It's hard to imagine that any male actor, or any less-gifted female actor for that matter, could have lent such rich texture to the role."^[5]

Numerous other reviewers have raved about Blanchett's performance: Newsweek magazine called the performance "so convincing and intense that you shrink back in your seat when she fixes you with her gaze."^[6] The Charlotte Observer called Blanchett "miraculously close to the 1966 Dylan."^[7] The film won the Grand Jury Prize and Best Actress honors for Blanchett at the 64th Venice Film Festival.^[8] Blanchett also won the Golden Globe Award for her performance, in addition to several critics awards. She was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award."

This is a must-see.

definitely, maybe

Jacket: "When Will (Ryan Richards) decides to tell his daughter the story of how he met your mother, he discovers that a second look at the past might also give him a second chance at the future ... it's teh heartwarming story that makes you realize it's definitely never too late to go back ... an maybe find a happy ending."

A cute chick-flick to watch on a Sunday afternoon.

Get $5 off DVD purchase on website

Youth without Youth

Wikipedia: "Youth Without Youth is a 2007 film by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novella of the same name by Romanian author Mircea Eliade.

Youth Without Youth (Romanian: Tinereţe fără tinereţe) is a 1976 novella by Romanian author Mircea Eliade. It follows the life of Dominic Matei, an elderly Romanian intellectual who experiences a cataclysmic event that allows him to live a new life with startling intellectual capacity."

This is not your typical Hollywood film nor your typical Coppola film. Watch it with an open mind.

Charlie Bartlett

when he listens, everyone talks

Jacket: "The kids at Western Summit High have "issues," and newcomer Charlie Bartlett is coming to their rescue. With a briefcase full of prescription pills and a head full of pop psychology, this rebel with a cause brings hilarious help to the student body and unending grief to its neurotic principal, Mr. Gardner (Robert Downey Jr.). Suddenly, Charlie is the hottest man on campus and he's even caught the eye of Gardner's sultry daughter. An outrageous comic spin on today's Prozac generation, Charlie Bartlett has your prescription for laugh-out-loud insanity!"

This was hilarious! It's definitely a modern nod to the old Hughes films.

Del Toro's "Hellboy" sequel a devilish delight

By Michael Rechtshaffen

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - When is a big studio picture not a big studio picture? When we're talking Universal's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" and the filmmaker happens to be Guillermo del Toro.

Armed with a slightly bigger budget than his 2004 original and with more clout after the Oscar-nominated success of "Pan's Labyrinth," del Toro's latest take on the Mike Mignola comic book is uncompromisingly the product of his wildly fantastical imagination.

... With the origin story out of the way, del Toro wastes little time in getting down to business. When a longstanding truce between the underground-dwelling original sons of the earth and humankind is broken by Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), the rebellious son of King Balor (Ron Perlman's old "Beauty and the Beast" co-star Roy Dotrice), something must be done to prevent him from reawakening the killing machines known as the Golden Army.

Click title for full article. Don't worry, there are no spoilers.

IN THEATERS JULY 11TH!

Vantage Point

On DVD July 1st.

Jacket: "On a historic counter-terrorism summit in Spain, the President of the United States is struck down by an assassin's bullet. Eight strangers have a perfect view of the kill, but what did they really see? As the minutes leading up to the fatal shot are replayed through the eyes of each witness, the reality of the assassination takes shape. But just when you think you know the answer, the shattering final truth is revealed."

This was just okay. It definitely received more hype than it's worth.