Not to put too fine a point on it, but the poster for TURNING GREEN lies. It showcases Tim Hutton, Colm Meaney, and Allesandro Nivola, but while they’re prominent figures in the film, it ain’t about them. Off in the lower right, with his back turned towards the camera, there’s your protagonist: A teenage boy, played quite engagingly by newcomer Donal Gallery. I can understand the motivation for pitching the name players in your marketing, but really, can’t you at least show the kid’s face?
Granted, beyond that poster, Michael Aimette and John G. Hofmann’s TURNING GREEN has had as convoluted a history as can be imagined: The story of James, a teen who, with his brother, has been shipped by their father to Ireland and who decides to rally up the cash for an escape by peddling contraband pornography to his classmates — much to the displeasure of his bookie boss Nivola and the bookie’s enforcer Hutton — the script was a finalist on the first season of PROJECT GREENLIGHT (the one that ended up producing STOLEN SUMMER — dodged a bullet there, eh, guys?), was actually shot in 2004, has been in release since 2005, and is only now making its U.S. debut. It’s a small film, but a cleverly conceived, beautifully photographed, and well-performed one — as neat a directorial debut as I’ve seen this year. Ben Affleck and Chris Moore should be kicking themselves.
Aimette and Hofmann gave me some insight into the film’s extended genesis and the olfactory-challenging lengths to which Tim Hutton would go to develop a character. Click on the link to hear the interview:
A Irish shopkeeper has electrified the area in front of his store to deter drunks from urinating all over it.
John O'Connor, who runs Custy's Traditional Music Shop, is sick of his shop being a popular spot for people to relieve themselves so has set up a rudimentary electrified area marked out by wires coming from an electric box.
"The wires are on the ground where I'm greeted every Monday morning with pools of their urine, mounds of their faeces," he said.
For those wondering about just how hilarious footage of this might be to see, there's presently none available from that particular shop but there is this clip. It's safe to say this guy will be keeping a closer look out for electric fence signs in future. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_s74M-TXwcA Irish shopkeeper has electrified the area in front of his store to deter drunks from... more
“Loneliness” is a very touching 3-minute animated short film from the BBC/Northern Ireland series called “Days like This,” produced by Evelyn McGrath and animated by Fran Power. In the film, the proprietor of a bookshop sits all alone in his little shop most of each day. His patience is severely strained by the few people who do come in, because almost all of the time they just want to look and look, not buy. However, at the surprising end of the film, the shopkeeper finds redemption in the most unlikely of places.
This piece includes a number of colorful illustrations from the film, as well as the emotionally touching animated short, “Loneliness.”“Loneliness” is a very touching 3-minute animated short film from the BBC/Northern... more
Tuesday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch or listen to the show on Tues, Thurs & Sats here at WWW.UNITEDKINGDOMTALK.CO.UK
In today's show :
Bad back.
Very helpful man in ASDA - Brighton.
The cough is hanging aound.
Banoffe pie.
The shopping buggy.
Sleeping on the sofa.
Very good value dinner.
Will the wall collapse ?
Panorama.
Carvery.
Happy Birthday Jade.
Blueberries too expensive.
Never been to Ireland.
"The Saltdean Tavern".
The knees must not be higher than the hips.
Jason's tidy flat.
I's love to chat with Michael O'Leary from Ryan Air.
I go round twice.
Suko loves "Snow Patrol".
Take the family out to dinner.
TEXT the show : UK - 078... Int - +44... chris@unitedkingdomtalk.co.uk www.chrisreardon.co.ukTuesday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch or listen to the show on... more
Synchronicities are those moments of “meaningful coincidence” when the boundary dissolves between the inner and the outer. At the synchronistic moment, just like a dream, our internal, subjective state appears, as if materialized in, as and through the outside world. Touching the heart of our being, synchronicities are moments in time in which there is a fissure in the fabric of what we have taken for reality and there is a bleed through from a higher dimension outside of time. Synchronicities are expressions of the dreamlike nature of reality, as they are moments in time when the timeless, dreamlike nature of the universe shines forth its radiance and openly reveals itself to us, offering us an open doorway to lucidity.
Synchronicity was one of Jung’s most profound yet least understood discoveries, in part because it cannot be appreciated until we personally step into and experience the synchronistic realm for ourselves. Jung’s discovery of synchronicity was in a sense the parallel in the realm of psychology to Einstein’s discovery of the law of relativity in physics. Because it is so radically discontinuous with our conventional notions of the nature of reality, the experience of synchronicity is so literally mind-blowing that Jung contemplated this phenomenon for over twenty years before he published his thinking about it. Jung’s synchronistic universe was a new world view which embraced linear causality while simultaneously transcending it. A synchronistic universe balances and complements the mechanistic world of linear causality with a realm that is outside of space, time and causality. In a synchronicity, two heterogeneous world-systems, the causal and acausal, interlock and interpenetrate each other for a moment in time, which is both an expression of while creating in the field an aspect of our wholeness to manifest. The synchronistic universe is beginning-less in that we are participating in its creation right now, which is why Jung calls it “an act of creation in time.”Synchronicities are those moments of “meaningful coincidence” when the boundary... more
The long making of the European Union should receive a fresh impetus after the approval of the Lisbon Treaty, drawn up to replace the European Constitution that was rejected in referendums in France and Holland. The Treaty provides for increased powers for the EU especially in foreign policy and a system of double majority decision which will come into force in 2014.The long making of the European Union should receive a fresh impetus after the... more
This is great news from the Emerald Isle! This is a victory for sustainable agriculture and the environment. This is also the policy that should be adopted by the U.S.A! Let's just hope their yes vote on the Lisbon Treaty does not negate this decision.
Thank you Ireland.
'The Irish Government will ban the cultivation of all GM crops and introduce a voluntary GM-free label for food - including meat, poultry, eggs, fish, crustaceans, and dairy produce made without the use of GM animal feed.
The policy was adopted as part of the Renewed Programme for Government agreed between the two coalition partners, the centre-right Fianna Faíl and the Green Party, after the latter voted to support it on Saturday.
The agreement specifies that the Government will "Declare the Republic of Ireland a GM-Free Zone, free from the cultivation of all GM plants". The official text also states "To optimise Ireland's competitive advantage as a GM-Free country, we will introduce a voluntary GM-Free logo for use in all relevant product labelling and advertising, similar to a scheme recently introduced in Germany." [1]
The President of the Irish Cattle and Sheepfarmers Association, Malcolm Thompson, said he was delighted by the announcement, adding, "The Government's new GM-free policy is the fulfillment of what we at ICSA have held for the last five years. I very much look forward to its full implementation." [2]
Michael O'Callaghan of GM-free Ireland said the policy signals a new dawn for Irish farmers and food producers:
"The WTO's economic globalisation agenda has forced most Irish farmers to enter an unwinnable race to the bottom for low quality GM-fed meat and dairy produce, in competition with countries like the USA, Argentina and Brazil which can easily out-compete us with their highly subsidised GM crop monocultures, cheap fossil fuel, extensive use of toxic agrochemicals that are not up to EU standards, and underpaid migrant farm labour.
"Meanwhile, hundreds of European food brands, retailers and Regions now offer GM-free beef, pork, lamb, poultry, eggs, fish and dairy produce as part of their Food Safety, Quality Agriculture, Biodiversity, Fair Trade, Sustainable Development and Climate Change strategies. Thousands of brands in the USA are doing likewise. Without a GM-free label to distinguish our produce, Irish food is being excluded from this global market."
"The Irish Government plan to ban GM crops and to provide a voluntary GM-fee label for qualifying animal produce makes obvious business sense for our agri-food and eco-tourism sectors [3]. Everyone knows that US and EU consumers, food brands and retailers want safe GM-free food, and Ireland is ideally positioned to deliver the safest, most credible GM-free food brand in Europe, if not the world."
The international market for GM-free animal produce is growing rapidly.'This is great news from the Emerald Isle! This is a victory for sustainable... more
DUBLIN (AP) â Irish National Liberation Army says it's renouncing violence in Northern Ireland, will disarm.DUBLIN (AP) â Irish National Liberation Army says it's renouncing violence in... more
Boyzone singer Stephen Gately has been found dead at the age of 33, it was reported today.
Gately was believed to have been holidaying in Majorca when he died yesterday, according to a newspaper.
Boyzone manager Louis Walsh told the News of the World: "We're all absolutely devastated. I'm in complete shock. I was only with him on Monday at an awards ceremony. We don't know much about what's happened yet.
"I only heard after The X Factor and we will rally around each other this week. He was a great man."
All four remaining members of Boyzone - Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Mikey Graham - will be flying to Palma, Majorca tomorrow.
Boyzone star Shane Lynch told the News of the World: "Me and the boys are flying out in the morning. We just need to get over to where he's passed and work out what we need to do."
Ronan Keating, who is in Chicago, has been left devastated by the death of his close friend. A pal revealed to the newspaper: "Ronan is completely distraught. No-one saw this coming.
"He loved Stephen like a brother, they were so close, it's absolutely floored him.
"It's a massive shock to everyone and no one can take it in yet.
"He was a man in the prime of his life, and this is a huge tragedy."
Gay singer Gately's coming out ten years ago caused a sensation in the pop music world. He leaves a husband Andrew Cowles, who he married in a civil union in March, 2006.
Gately also became a star of theatre, TV and radio, appearing in the West End as Joseph in and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and in the ITV show Dancing on Ice.
Boyzone had 17 top five singles and four number one albums before splitting in 2000. They made a comeback tour in 2007.
A spokesman for Boyzone confirmed the death but details are yet to emerge.Boyzone singer Stephen Gately has been found dead at the age of 33, it was reported... more
Pupils at a St John's girls' national school, in Carrigaline, in the southern county of Cork, were asked to bring their own supplies in one of the starkest examples yet of the death of Ireland's "Celtic Tiger" economy.Pupils at a St John's girls' national school, in Carrigaline, in the southern county... more
Irish school pupils at a cash-strapped school have been asked to bring their own toilet paper to school to help offset cots.
Catherine O'Neill, the principal of St John's Girls National School in Country Cork, wrote to parents with the bizarre request:
"Dear parent," she wrote, "from time to time we will request your daughter to bring in a toilet roll to her class teacher.
"These rolls will be specifically for your daughter's class and will be dispensed by the class teacher."
She added: "We would also request that your daughter has tissues in her sack at all times."
Any kids who forget loo roll won't be forced to go without and rely on their school ties however. O'Neill has assured parents their children's teachers will have a spare supply to hand at all times.Irish school pupils at a cash-strapped school have been asked to bring their own... more
Irish Olympic medal winning boxer Darren Sutherland was found hanged at his London home on Monday, his manager and police said.
Manager Frank Maloney said he had discovered the champion boxer's body in Bromley in south London, and described the 27-year-old's death "as a tragedy for Ireland and the world of boxing".
"It is very sad and unexpected," Maloney said in a statement.
"At this sad time my thoughts are with Darren's family and I hope their privacy at this very difficult time will be respected by the media.
"It is a tragedy for Ireland and the world of boxing."
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said his death was not being treated as suspicious and his family have been informed.
Sutherland won bronze for Ireland in the middleweight division at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, losing to England's James DeGale in the semi-finals.
He announced after winning the medal that it would be his last ever amateur match. The fighter made his professional debut in Dublin last December, winning by a knockout.Irish Olympic medal winning boxer Darren Sutherland was found hanged at his London... more
Ireland saves mum from UK social workers (Devon Social Services)
The story is beyond belief.
Excellent interview with John Hemming MP and Anglela WilemanIreland saves mum from UK social workers (Devon Social Services)
The story is beyond... more
No where more outside of the US will the Senator be mourned than his ancestral homelands of Ireland. Kennedy did much to forward the peace process and some would argue his policies and diplomacy may have saved thousands of lives in Northern Ireland.
He will be missed.No where more outside of the US will the Senator be mourned than his ancestral... more
http://wwwtriponadeal.com This week we offer some hints for the half million people heading to Tampa Bay for the Superbowl. Plus, we answer the question: Will the Statue of Liberty's crown reopen to tourists? Also, how to live like a local. And more!http://wwwtriponadeal.com This week we offer some hints for the half million people... more
A critically ill teenager being treated for liver failure after binge drinking left his hospital bed and went to the pub for a drink, it has been confirmed.
The father of Gareth Anderson, 19, is fighting to overturn NHS rules which mean his son has to be alcohol free for six months before a liver transplant.A critically ill teenager being treated for liver failure after binge drinking left... more
Tragedy was narrowly avoided on Friday when a 20 metre section of track on the Dublin to Belfast train route collapsed into the sea.
The section, part of a viaduct spanning the Broadmeadow Estuary, gave way just before a train was due to pass over it.
Seabed erosion is believed to be the likely cause. The affected section will be closed for the next three months, causing significant delays to Irish commuters in the meantime.Tragedy was narrowly avoided on Friday when a 20 metre section of track on the Dublin... more
Thank you, Glenn McQuaid, for letting us laugh at the desecration of holy ground again.
Shot on a tight budget, with New York City — mostly Staten Island — standing in for the British Isles in the nineteenth century, I SELL THE DEAD has pretty much nothing going for it except a neat cast, plus the visual inventiveness and sheer, audacious wit of its director, Mr. McQuaid. Fortunately, that’s more than enough.
Essentially a depiction of what would happen if Laurel and Hardy had to stoop to a less-savory profession to make their living, the film tells the tale of Arthur Blake (LOST’S Dominic Monaghan) and Willie Grimes (Larry Fessenden, better known as the director of such films as WENDIGO), two legendary grave robbers who specialize in the acquisition and redistribution of, shall we say, product that is very dead yet also quite animated.
Yup, not satisfied merely with portraying the finer points of digging up cadavers, McQuaid rallies zombies, vampires, and a few other creatures brought in from way left field to his cause, and throws in Ron Perlman as an inquisitive priest and Angus Scrimm as, what else, a big, scary guy. Granted, there’s not much in the way of a strong, narrative through-line here — watching the film, you’ll well understand how, at one point in its voyage to the screen, the script became a comic book — but I SELL THE DEAD’S approach is so infectious that you can’t help but relish every last, silly, episodic minute of it.
Click on the link above to hear my interview with McQuaid.Thank you, Glenn McQuaid, for letting us laugh at the desecration of holy ground... more
Stephen Hawking alongside Desmond Tutu, Harvey Milk and Mary Robinson have received the US medal of freedom from Barack Obama.Stephen Hawking alongside Desmond Tutu, Harvey Milk and Mary Robinson have received... more
