Game of Thrones

Not since "Rome" and "The Tudors" wrapped have I felt so strongly about a dramatic series set in a time long gone. Unlike the two series mentioned, the new drama on HBO, "Game of Thrones," is not a real world or historical period drama, but an adapted drama based on the construct of an imagination that was born to tell a grand, great yarn.

I came to this as a George R.R. Martin virgin, never reading his written word.

This series will just grab you and not let go. Creator and author George R.R. Martin is a son of Bayonne, New Jersey, a working class kid who penned a genre of fiction that never hooked me as a young reader. His prose - and the fantastical fantasy fiction world in general - was never on my reading list. As someone who lives for "Justified," "Sons of Anarchy" and "Dexter," my kind of televised fare is bathed in gritty realism, noir humor, dense story with superb casts.

Yet after watching six episodes of this HBO masterpiece, I shall now go and find everything he has ever written to savor.

"Epic" and "enthralling" are overused words in reviews, yet feel dead-on accurate to describe the emotions and feel of this lush yet stark (how can a cinematographer achieve this feat?) cool filtered layered study in power and honor, human kindness and cruelty, and all the foibles and flaws of humanity wrapped up in the "Houses" of the mythical Westeros realm.

There are good, bad and ugly characters in Martin's bestselling fantasy book series "A Song of Ice and Fire," that "Thrones" is based upon, and the producers carefully filled these larger than life roles for the HBO effort.  In a phone interview this last week, I asked George R.R. Martin about this feat in casting, and about some of the standout players: Kit Harrington as Jon Snow, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister and Sean Bean as Lord "Ned" Stark.
"The casting of those two characters in particular were very different. When I had that initial meeting five years ago with (David) and (Dan), we kicked around some casting ideas. You know, some of the usual dream casting and some of the people that we’d had in mind. And there were two characters that we were all in perfect accord there, even five years ago and that was Sean Bean as Ned Stark and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister."

"These were our first choices. Really, our only choices far and away for those roles. So we never even auditioned for the part of Tyrion Lannister. When we got the (green series) they just went out and got Peter Dinklage. And he was the only one we ever wanted. We knew he would be great for the role and, thankfully, we landed him. And he’s magnificent. He’s a fabulous addition to the show and he’s a joy to work with."

Martin continued. "The part of John Snow was much different. We kicked around a few names for it, but we really didn’t have anyone strongly in mind. And it’s younger role so you need an actor who’s relatively new. And we looked at a lot of young British actors for that part. Some of the actors who are playing other roles in the show - you know, smaller roles - initially came to our attention because they read for the part of John Snow."

"So we looked at many people and Kit Harrington really, really stood out. He was one of the strong contenders right from the first. He had a great look for the character. His performance was wonderful. And, of course, most of his prior work - his biggest thing was the British stage play, a thing called War Horse which I believe has just come to Broadway as well. And he was very acclaimed in that and we knew about that. And he was another fabulous find for us."

"So there were many people involved in the casting process. But I was certainly one of them right from the beginning on pretty much every role. I had a voice," concluded Martin.

Unlike other fantastical tales where ladies in lakes rise arms up bearing swords and Hobbits abound with hairy feet, chased by one-eyed monsters, this fantasy is very human and real, and the character development and execution is so amazingly well done, many showrunners and writers need to watch and take notes.

Everything in Thrones excels: Costuming, makeup, production design, storytelling, astoundingly good acting and great visual effects. No missteps or wasted frames.

Writers and executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss did exceptional work in collaboration with Martin. Director Tim Van Patten gives us a visual feast of extremely beautiful exteriors (Ireland and Malta).The story of "Thrones" at the outset seems daunting but is easily shaped and presented so you have a clear understanding of how they interrelate, and their histories.
House Stark dominates the North, where the great wall is their charge, to protect the rest of the kingdom. "Winter is coming" is their salvo, and means much more than just bone breaking cold. Stark has married into House Tully through Ned's (Sean Bean) wife Lady Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), Catelyn's insane sister Lady Lysa (Kate Dickie) now heads House Tully of the Riverlands.

The platinum blond family of House Targaryen is a kingdom without a home, the last of the ancients who were the dragon masters. Princess Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is given up by her pervy sadistic brother (Harry Lloyd) in a strategic marriage to warlord Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) as the battle to rule the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and reclaim the Iron Throne is afoot.

House Baratheon and House Stark are joined together, with Ned (Bean) serving King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy). House Lannister is married to House Baratheon by Queen Cersei Baratheon's (Lena Headey) marriage to King Robert. Cersei is the evil, duplicitous wife of Robert, and she absolutely hates the Starks. The standout Lannister is of course Tyrion Lannister, played so beautifully by Peter Dinklage, it will be always considered one of the best roles of his lifetime. Tyrion's lack of height is dwarfed by his enormous sex appeal, and capacity to think on his feet and strategize, but not in such a wholly evil and conniving way his incestuous brother and sister do.

Tyrion's got a soft spot for things broken and less loved. Dinklage owns every shot he is captured in. Bravo.

With expert writing, pace and precision you are introduced to these unforgettable characters. It will not confuse, but pull you headfirst into a wonderful drama that makes you wish HBO aired this series in three hour blocks.

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THOR Movie

    Next May, Thor will touch down in Midgard only to battle all forces of otherworldy evil and encounter the allure of true in the unlikely form of a mortal woman. Possibly the most ambitious of comic book movies, the unusual combination of fantasy and superheroics will make the Thor film stand out against what moviegoers have seen up until now. Directed correctly by thespian Kenneth Branagh, this could be a real knock-out or it could be a glorified He-Man movie. I’m hoping for the former to be true.
  
    Marvel Studios has finally released an official plot synopsis for director Kenneth Branagh’s Thor, the live-action adaptation of the classic Marvel Comic book. Though previous reports seemed to indicate that the majority of the movie would take place on the extra-dimensional realm of Asgard, which Thor and the other Norse gods call home, from the synopsis it appears that most of the action will actually be taking place on earth.

    Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, Thor, which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It’s while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.The look of Thor has worried many fans, but apparently the film    
    will take inspiration from the current monthly series. Surprisingly, the costume looks amazing. We could tell early on from the production sketches of costumes and sets that this was going to be something good. It’s just beautiful and the designers really took it to heart. If you look at some of the more recent Thor comics that are out now, the tone and the costuming is that. It’s basically, the way you read the comics now, they’re updated the way they are now and that’s how the costumes are. I think everyone is going to be very, very happy. Nothing looks cheesy or cheap. Everything looks like it’s real. Everything looks like it came from that period. And everything looks right on all the actors. Nothing looks stupid. I guess that’s the best word. It’s just jaw-dropping even to the Marvel executives.
The Thor film has also been confirmed as taking place before the formation of the Avengers, but after the battle between the Hulk and the Abomination in New York City.In terms of time-line, Thor is set after The Incredible Hulk. In the script we make mention of gamma radiation and one of the scientist characters, I think Stellan Skarsgard’s Professor Ford recalls, “There was brilliant scientist (Bruce Banner). He was a genius with gamma radiation and somehow S.H.I.E.L.D. made him disappear.” So Thor’s story would take place after The Incredible Hulk.

Of course no Thor movie could be complete without the evil Loki…
    This movie is as much an origin story for Loki as it is for Thor and he’s not only the hero’s nemesis but his brother. How do you deal with a situation like that where the very person who is trying to destroy you is your adopted brother? In the script, Thor is basically banished to Earth because he’s arrogant and proud and must learn what it is to live among mortals. And while the cat’s away, the mouse will play. While he’s gone, Loki starts discovering things about himself, including his desire to be all powerful. He wants to be as well loved as Thor and that jealousy starts creating these complications. “Why can’t I be the ruler? Why am I always in his shadow?” So he starts developing those feelings while Thor’s gone. It’s a very good script with pretty much half of the movie in Asgard and the other half on Earth. I think people will be pleased with the way it unfolds.

So what happens next? The internet is all a buzz with the recent releaser of the new Iron Man 2 trailer, but nothing has been seen of the Asgardian hammer-slinging deity. It seems that this summer fans will finally get to see the goods and after that it will be a roller-coaster ride to 2012′s Avengers!
[a trailer will be seen...] Probably at Comic Con. The scheduled release is date is May 6, 2011. I think that’s the actual release date, handed down from Marvel. They could put it in front of the new Iron Man 2 movie, but that’s this May and a little too soon. Marvel wants to release the film exactly a year after Iron Man 2. The release is almost 365 days later. And then Captain America in July 2011 and The Avengers will be the following year, 2012. That’s what they’re trying to do, line them up like that. May of every year, there will be a new Marvel movie out.

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FAST FIVE "Fast & Furious 5"

Fast Five is a 2011 action film written by Chris Morgan and directed by Justin Lin. The film stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster and Dwayne Johnson and was first released in Australia on April 20, 2011 followed by a domestic release on April 29, 2011 as the fifth film in the The Fast and the Furious franchise. Fast Five follows Brian O'Conner (Walker), Dom Toretto (Diesel) and Mia Toretto (Brewster) as they plan a heist to steal $100 million from corrupt businessman Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida) while being pursued for arrest by DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson). Though it is the fifth entry in the series, the events of the film take place between those of Fast & Furious (2009) and The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006).

For development of Fast Five, a conscious effort was made by Universal Studios to shift away from the street racing theme prevalent in previous films in the series. Emphasis was instead placed on transforming the franchise into an action series in an attempt to attract wider audiences that may otherwise be turned off by the series' focus on cars and car culture. Fast Five is considered the transitional film in the series, featuring only one car race with more attention given to action set-pieces such as gun fights, brawls and the heist of $100 million.

Following its release, Fast Five garnered critical praise, becoming the highest rated entry in the franchise, and financial gain, breaking box office records to become the highest grossing opening weekend in an April and the second highest opening weekend in Spring, earning $168 million. As of May 8, 2011, Fast Five has grossed over $320 million.When Dominic "Dom" Toretto (Vin Diesel) is being transported to a US prison by bus, his sister Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) and friend Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) lead an assault on the bus, causing it to crash; freeing Dom. While authorities search for them, the trio escape to Rio de Janeiro. Awaiting Dom's arrival, Mia and Brian join their friend Vince (Matt Schulze) and other participants on a job to steal three cars from a train. The job goes awry when Brian and Mia discover the train is carrying DEA agents and that the cars are seized property. When Dom arrives with the rest of the participants, he realizes that one of them, Zizi (Michael Irby), is only interested in stealing one car; the Ford GT40. Dom has Mia steal the car herself while Dom and Brian fight Zizi and his henchmen, with Zizi killing the DEA agents assigned to the vehicles. Dom and Brian are captured and brought to crime lord - and owner of the cars - Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), Zizi's boss where he orders the pair be interrogated to discover the location of the car. However they manage to escape and retreat to their safehouse.

While Brian, Dom and Mia examine the car to discover its importance, Vince arrives and is revealed to be working for Reyes when he removes a computer chip from the car. Dom forces Vince to leave and after investigating the chip, Brian discovers it contains details of Reyes' criminal empire including the locations of $100 million in cash. Following the murder of the DEA agents aboard the train, blamed on Dom and his team, U.S. DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and his team arrive in Rio to capture Dom and Brian. They travel to Dom's safehouse with assistance from local officer Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky), but find it under assault by Reyes' men. Brian, Dom and Mia escape with Dom suggesting they split up and leave Rio, but after Mia announces she is pregnant with Brian's child, Dom instead suggests they steal Reyes' money to start a new life. The trio organize a team to perform the heist, recruiting Han Seoul-Oh (Sung Kang), Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), Tej Parker (Ludacris), Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot), Tego Leo (Tego Calderón) and Rico Santos (Don Omar). Vince later joins the team after saving Mia from being captured by Reyes' men, earning Dom's trust once more.

Hobbs and his team eventually find and arrest Dom, Mia, Brian and Vince. While transporting them to an airport for extradition to the United States, the convoy is attacked by Reyes' men, killing Hobbs' team and Vince. Hobbs is saved by Dom, Brian and Mia as they fight back against Reyes' men and escape. Wanting revenge for his murdered team, Hobbs and Elena agree to help with the heist. The gang breaks into the police station where Reyes' money is kept and tear the vault from the building using their cars, dragging it through the city with police in pursuit. Believing they cannot outrun the police, Dom makes Brian continue on without him while he attacks the police and the pursuing Reyes; using the vault attached to his car to smash their vehicles. Brian returns to kill Zizi, while Reyes is badly injured by Dom's assault. Hobbs arrives on the scene and executes Reyes. Hobbs refuses to let the pair go free, but unwilling to arrest him, agrees to give them a 24-hour head start to escape. The gang split Reyes' money, with Dom leaving Vince's share to his family, and they go their separate ways.

In the South Pacific, Brian and now visibly pregnant Mia relax on a beach, where they are met by Dom and Elena. Brian challenges Dom to a final, no-stakes race to prove who is the better driver.

In a post-credits scene, Hobbs is given a special file by U.S. Customs agent Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes) concerning the hijack of a military convoy in Berlin. In the file, Hobbs discovers a recent photo of Leticia Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), Dom's presumed-deceased girlfriend, revealing she survived the events of Fast & Furious.

Trailer: http://www.fastfivemovie.com/

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Amanda Knox appealed: Perugia court gives forensics experts another 40 days to complete tests

Court appointed forensic experts re-examining evidence in Amanda Knox's murder appeal have been granted a 40-day extension to their independent investigation.

The team was due to deposit its findings on the case next week, as part of a review granted earlier this year by an appeal court judge, following defence claims that evidence had been poorly handled and collated.

But Professor Carla Vecchiotti and her colleague Stefano Conti wanted additional time to examine other documents which were drawn up by the original investigators as part of their fresh probe, and this was agreed.

In March leaked details of their initial findings appeared to give fresh hope to Knox - jailed for the murder of student Meredith Kercher in Italy - after the new experts said the evidence was "insufficient to convict her".

Knox, 23, is serving 26 years for the brutal sex killing of Miss Kercher, 21, who was found with her throat in her bedroom in the house they shared. Key to her conviction was a 30cm kitchen knife which contained her DNA on the handle and genetic material - but not blood - from Miss Kercher was found on the blade.

Earlier this year an appeal court judge in Perugia, where the murder took place, authorised an independent review by the two forensic experts from La Sapienza University in Rome. They were also asked to re-examine a bloodied bra clasp belonging to Miss Kercher on which DNA from Knox's co-accused Raffaele Sollecito, 25, was also found - but after it had been "lost" for six weeks.

Computer studies graduate Sollecito, 25, was given 25 years jail and both he and Knox deny any involvement in the murder and are appealing against their conviction.

In the leaked initial findings both said the knife, which was found in Sollecito's kitchen, revealed that the DNA material on it was so slight that it was insufficient to conclusively convict Knox. The amount of DNA was so small that the two professors also concluded it was not enough to carry out a second test on the knife.

While the bra clasp was described as "so deteriorated" that it was impossible to re-examine it for any traces of DNA - it was originally found at the scene but then lost for six weeks before being discovered elsewhere in Miss Kercher's bedroom.

According to the report the clasp - which had been cut from the bra - had been poorly kept in a "liquid jar" and not properly dried which meant that it had "rotted and rusted".

Knox's lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova said: "We expected them to ask for more time - it's a prerogative of theirs and these experts always do because they want to be sure of their findings.

"The leaked details from earlier this year simply confirmed what we already knew and what we have already said in court - the evidence was insufficient.

"We heard how the clasp had rusted away because it had been kept in a bag of water and the DNA on the knife was too low. We know have to wait for the final report."

The next hearing is due to take place on May 21 when the court will hear from the murder squad chief, Monica Napoleoni, before adjourning until the end of June - meaning a verdict may not come until the autumn.

Miss Kercher, of Coulsdon, Surrey, was in Italy as part of her European Studies degree at Leeds University and had only been in Perugia for two months when she was murdered in November 2007.

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Osama Bin Laden Is Dead

 Osama bin Laden, the face of global terrorism and architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was killed in a firefight with elite American forces Monday, then quickly buried at sea in a stunning finale to a furtive decade on the run.

Long believed to be hiding in caves, bin Laden was tracked down in a costly, custom-built hideout not far from a Pakistani military academy.

"Justice has been done," President Barack Obama said in a dramatic announcement at the White House while a crowd cheered outside and hundreds more gathered at ground zero in Manhattan to celebrate the news.

Photos: America Reacts to death of Osama bin Laden
Bin Laden hid in plain site in Pakistan
Intel hunt led to shootout at bin Laden fortress
Special report: The death of Osama bin Laden

The military operation took mere minutes.

U.S. helicopters ferrying elite counter-terrorism troops into the compound identified by the CIA as bin Laden's hideout -- and back out again in less than 40 minutes. Bin Laden was shot in the head, officials said, after he and his bodyguards resisted the assault.Three adult males were also killed in the raid, including one of bin Laden's sons, whom officials did not name. One of bin Laden's sons, Hamza, is a senior member of al Qaeda. U.S. officials also said one woman was killed when she was used as a shield by a male combatant, and two other women were injured.

Video: Lara Logan on bin Laden's death

Mr. Obama chaired no fewer than five National Security Council meetings meeting on the pursuit of bin Laden, CBS News has learned, and gave the order to plan an attack on his suspected compound on the morning of April 29. He gave final order for the attack Sunday morning.

U.S. officials said the helicopter raid in Pakistan was carried out by CIA paramilitaries together with the elite Navy SEAL Team Six.

U.S. warns of possible bin Laden backlash

The U.S. official who disclosed the burial at sea said it would have been difficult to find a country willing to accept the remains. Mr. Obama said the remains had been handled in accordance with Islamic custom, which requires speedy burial.

"I heard a thundering sound, followed by heavy firing. Then firing suddenly stopped. Then more thundering, then a big blast," said Mohammad Haroon Rasheed, a resident of Abbottobad, Pakistan, after the choppers had swooped in and then out again.

Pictures: Osama bin Laden

Bin Laden's death marks a psychological triumph in a long struggle that began with the Sept. 11 attacks, and seems certain to give Mr. Obama a political lift. But its ultimate impact on al Qaeda is less clear.

The greatest terrorist threat to the U.S. is now considered to be the al Qaeda franchise in Yemen, far from al Qaeda's core in Pakistan. The Yemen branch almost took down a U.S.-bound airliner on Christmas 2009 and nearly detonated explosives aboard two U.S. cargo planes last fall. Those operations were carried out without any direct involvement from bin Laden.

The raid on Osama bin Laden's compound

Moments after Mr. Obama spoke, the State Department put U.S. embassies on alert and warned of the heightened possibility for anti-American violence. In a worldwide travel alert, the department said there was an "enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counterterrorism activity in Pakistan."

Security at "strategic places in Pakistan has been beefed up as a precaution against any retaliation to news of Osama bin Laden's death", a senior Pakistani security official told CBS News early on Monday. "If he (bin Laden) is really dead, there will be attempts to seek revenge," said the official who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity.

The few fiery minutes in Abbottobad followed years in which U.S. officials struggled to piece together clues that ultimately led to bin Laden, according to an account provided by senior administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the operation.

What's next for al Qaeda?

One U.S. official said inside information was key to the successful operation. Detainees and cooperation from foreign authorities were crucial in providing information that led to his capture.

Based on statements given by U.S. detainees since the 9/11 attacks, officials said, intelligence officials have long known that bin Laden trusted one al Qaeda courier in particular, and they believed he might be living with him in hiding.

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