“Hunger Games,” “John Carter” among anticipated films in early 2012
Winter/Spring movie preview
From late-opening Oscar hopefuls and long-shelved comedies to 3-D blockbuster rereleases to fledgling action franchises, the crowded cinematic calendar for early 2012 offers a wide array of choices. Films scheduled for release include “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace 3-D,” “The Woman in Black,” “Safe House,” “The Vow,” “John Carter” and “The Hunger Games.”
BY BRANDY MCDONNELL and MATTHEW PRICE
For film fans, the long winter and spring months can be the most confusing of the year.
Late-opening Oscar hopefuls and long-shelved comedies, 3-D blockbuster rereleases and fledgling action franchises getting a jump on the summer tent-pole season all share the crowded slate. Plus, Hollywood makes room for plenty of romance for Valentine’s Day, family-friendly fare for spring break and environmentally conscious documentaries for Earth Day.
From Daniel Radcliffe’s first post-Harry Potter role in “The Woman in Black” to Pixar Animation whiz Andrew Stanton’s live-action adaptation of Edward Rice Burrough’s “John Carter,” the cinematic calendar for the first few months of 2012 has its potential bright spots. But none is burning quite so fiercely as “The Hunger Games,” the feverishly anticipated first big-screen treatment for the popular post-apocalyptic young-adult book series.
Remember, moviegoers, Hollywood often shuffles release dates for their films, so check your local movie listings before heading out to the theater.
The former “Boy Who Lived” stars in “The Woman in Black.” Daniel Radcliffe plays a young lawyer who travels to an isolated village to settle the affairs of a recently deceased client. While working in the abandoned house, the attorney begins seeing an apparition dressed all in black. The film is based on Susan Hill’s book, which also inspired a stage play and a 1989 film.
In “Big Miracle,” John Krasinski (“Leatherheads”) and Drew Barrymore (“The Wedding Singer”) attempt to save three stranded whales in this fact-based drama co-starring Dermot Mulroney, Ted Danson and Tulsa native Tim Blake Nelson. Director Ken Kwapis (“He’s Just Not That Into You”) previously worked with Krasinski on about a dozen episodes of the U.S. version of “The Office,” including the pilot, and they also teamed on the romantic comedy “License to Wed.
Motorcycle Jump Death - News
Oct. 19, 2010 | A vigil to remember Somer Renee Thompson on the first anniversary of her death is organized by First Coast Neighborhood Watch. April 8, 2010 | Jarred Harrell pleads not guilty to Somer Thompson's murder. April 1, 2010 | State Attorney
Late-opening Oscar hopefuls and long-shelved comedies, 3-D blockbuster rereleases and fledgling action franchises getting a jump on the summer tent-pole season all share the crowded slate. Plus, Hollywood makes room for plenty of romance for
By Reporter Stuntman Evel Knievel was famous for jumping his motorbike over a line of cars and buses in the Seventies but one motorcycle daredevil has taken things to a new level. Petr Pilat, an aerobatic motorbike rider from the Czech
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19 Amazing Acts of Death Defiance | Truth Mafia
The human tendency to act in a way that is detrimental to health has always been a part of society. Whether wearing a cape jumping off the roof to test your flight abilities when you’re six, or dancing on a wire dozens of stories off the ground when you’re thirty, we manage to put ourselves in harms way for the sake of fame, fortune, self-discovery, or exploration. Regardless of motivation, people have and will continue to act in this way, and we can only hope the incidents are observed and recorded. Here are 19 of the most daring and extreme human feats ever completed.
The Skydive from Hell (or The Heavens)
Joseph Kittinger is a man’s man. He served 3 tours in Vietnam, flew 483 missions, and spent 11 months in a North Vietnamese prison camp. He is most notably remembered for his incredible series of high altitude balloon jumps, the last of which still holds the world record today for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, and fastest speed by a human being through the atmosphere (614 mph). He is the only human to have ever broken the sound barrier without use of any mechanical equipment. Later attempts to break his record for highest ascent in a balloon led to the death of the occupants. Oh, and he did all this before enduring rope torture in the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam war.
The World Trade Center Tightrope Dance
Philipe Petit didn’t realize that going to the dentist in 1968 would change his life. But, after seeing an article about the construction of the new World Trade Center towers in New York City, Petit became obsessed. After spending six years planning and researching, Petit decided the time was right to string a 140 foot steel cable between the “Twin Towers” (1,368 feet of the ground mind you) and step off the ledge. He spent 45 minutes on the wire, crossing between the towers 8 times. The police were dispatched to arrest him as soon as they realized what was going on, but Petit continued to enjoy himself on his wire until the threat of a helicopter plucking him off the wire (and rain) helped him end his tightrope dance. He was taken into custody and the incident is still referred to as the “artistic crime of the century”.