 | Results for 2009 Ian Walsh’s Menehune Mayhem Presented by O’Neill and Red Bull |
March 31, 2009 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Ian Walsh’s 6th Annual Menehune Mayhem presented by O’Neill and Red Bull went off this past weekend in 2-3 foot surf at Maui’s H’ookipa Beach Park. For the sixth consecutive year, Ian with the help of his family gave back to the community that molded him. With the support of his sponsors, O’Neill and Red Bull, Walsh provided a total grom focused affair that included an all day BBQ, tons of promo, a dance off, and even a mascot goat. With more the 80 groms competing in the event, the real prize was for the bragging rights of becoming a Mayhem champion.
The grom contingent in Maui is as strong as ever, and the talent showed with dominant performances of several up and coming stars. Imai Duvault dismantled the Boys 11 and Under Division, with a relentless attack which included vertical top turns and swooping cutbacks. Imai didn’t stop with the 11 and under crown; he also surfed his way into the Boys 12-13 final taking the four spot. Ian Gentil was the second multi final competitor, taking second in the Boys 12-13 Division and third in the Boys 14-15 Division. Gentil had an amazing run in both divisions but couldn’t come up with the second solid scoring ride that he needed in either final. Regardless of his final placing, Gentil was by far one of the best talents in the event. Powerful round house cutbacks, fin free front side blasts, and quick spinning reverses showed a mature style of surfing well beyond his years.
In a highly contested final, Keoni Perkins edged out DK Walsh to take the Boys 16-17 title. Perkins picked off the best scoring right of the final linking two vertical back side blasts that put him out in front of the field within the first five minutes of the heat. He then sealed the deal with a huge floating tail slide on one of the only scoring lefts of the day. But the “Grom of the Day” award went to Joao Marco Muffini. Muffini surfed flawless the entire event, leaving a dominate mark on this years Mayhem. With a smooth, aggressive style, Muffini demolished every wave that came to him on his way to both the Boys 12 -13 and Boys 14-15 Division titles. He was in rhythm from his first heat, using a complete repertoire of maneuvers and knowledge of the Pavilions line up to take the top honor of the event.
2009 Ian Walsh’s Menehune Mayhem presented by O’Neill & Red Bull Results:
Girls 11 and Under:
Kawai Duvault
Amber Prados
Ginger Prados
Girls 12-14:
Alexis Aguera
Hauoli Kahaleuahi
Kati Kai Mihami
Shelby Schweitzer
Girls 12-14:
Emma Koomoa
Kulia Doherty
Kelci Ellis
Zoe Elder
Boys 11 and Under:
Imai Duvault
Monte Grante
Justin Ringsby
Kala Willard
Boys 12-13:
Joao Marco Muffini
Ian Gentil
Chaz Kinoshita
Imai Duvault
Boys 14-15:
Joao Marco Muffini
Tosh Peila
Ian Gentil
Dylan Walsh
Boys 16-17:
Keoni Perkins
DK Walsh
Theo Narchios
Nick Falbo
Special Awards:
Girls GPA- Tasha Jahmarkt (4.0)
Boys GPA- Makana Johnson (3.8)
Kazuma Surfboard- Shawn Frerking
Steve Cooney Award- Kody Kerbox
Eric Diaz Award- Miles Serifica
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| The City’s Whitney Port and Jay Lyon walking in Greenwich Village |
March 31, 2009 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Whitney Port and Jay Lyon are back on, they were spotted out and about taking a stroll through Greenwich Village in NYC. Pictured: Whitney Port and Jay Lyon Picture by: Ahmad Elatab-SaleemElatab / Splash News
Content © 2009 Splash News . All rights reserved.
 | WINGED MIGRATION (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review) |
March 30, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“Breathtaking visuals, beautiful music…just magnificent to watch! If you thought the visual and audio experience from ‘Winged Migration’ was magnificent on DVD, definitely watch this movie in high definition! You will be in awe!”
TITLE: Winged Migration (aka Le Peuple Migrateur)
DURATION: 89 Minutes
BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: Language(s): English 5.1, Spanish (Latin Am) 5.1, Portuguese (Brazil) 5.1, Subtitles(s): Danish, English (UK), English (US), Finnish, Hindi, Norwegian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Latin Am), Swedish, Aspect Ratio: 1.85
RATED: G
COMPANY: Sony Pictures Classics/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2009
Directed by Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud (co-director) and Michel Debats (co-director)
Written by Jean Dorst, Stephane Durand, Guy Jarry, Jacques Perrin, Valentine Perrin, Francis Roux
Produced by Christophe Barratier
Original Music by Bruno Coulais
Cinematography by Olli Barbe, Michel Benjamin, Sylvie Caredo-Dreujou, Laurent Charbonnier, Luc Drion, Laurent Fleutot, Philippe Garguil, Dominique Gentil, Bernard Lutic,Thierry Machado, Stéphane Martin, Fabrice Moindrot, Ernst Sasse, Michel Terrasse, Thierry Thomas
Film Editing by Marie-Josephe Yoyotte
Production Design by Regis Nicolino
Narrated by:
Breathtaking! Beautiful! There are so many positive things that one can say about “Winged Migration”, the popular 2001 documentary film/natural tale that captured the attention of audiences around the world with its ambitious plan to showcase a birds migration during the Winter and its return back. Ambitious because it would involve a large crew and a global filmmaking effort plus cinematography never before seen at that time.
With a crew of 450 people, 17 pilots and 14 cinematographers, an ambitious documentary directed by three individuals Jacques Cluzaud, Michel Debas and Jacques Perrin with their goal to show people about birds who migrate and travel the globe.
Many people know that birds migrate once the Winter comes but where do they go? What do they do? This natural tale, which the directors prefer to use than calling it a “documentary” is all about watching dozens upon dozens of different birds from all seven continents and what they do. Quite literally, the cycle of life amongst the birds and captured on film.
What is most amazing about “Winged Migration” is that you are right there. It’s like having a front row seat as you are very close to the actual birds flying nearby. From India to New York, to Africa and then to the rain forests of South America Peru, to Japan, Vietnam, Australia, the arctic North and South Pole, over 40 countries and filming in all seven countries during the Summer and the immense cold, this was among the most ambitious films that I have ever seen.
What is most striking about the film is its beautiful cinematography. As mentioned, birds are close by, so close that you feel you can touch them. And then seeing the camera focusing on the flock of birds as it flies right by the rainforests, the desert, the arctic, the ocean with castles and old architecture right below them. There are also awesome shots overhead. Showing the scope of the landscape or how many birds have flocked to an area. It’s just amazing cinematography.
The film uses nearly 590 miles of film to create an 89 minute documentary. For example, in the scene in the arctic, one reel of film is 4-minutes long. With film being so expensive, the filmmakers had challenges of wondering when to make good use of the film while sitting in the frigid arctic for hours filming. When do you shoot? Do they wait for something to happen? Definitely a risky and difficult filming task but they pulled it off.
“Winged Migration” is a film that does its best to showcase the life of these birds as they migrate thousands of miles and then return back to where they come from. Some going from Africa to Europe, others from the North Pole all the way to the South Pole. The fact that the filmmakers covered so many birds and followed them so far around the planet. A feat so ambitious, so difficult, so challenging and so risky but something not done before in the sake of filmmaking, what we are able to get is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking films ever created.
The goal of the filmmaker was to create a film that would be a symphony of nature. So, while you watch the film which is occasionally narrated and features occasional subtitles when introducing a bird or region and how far it has traveled, it’s all about what you see on video, the beauty of them flying and traveling thousands of miles around the planet. And then in conjunction with the beautiful visuals comes the beautiful music of Bruno Coulais and the Bulgarian choir. Again, everything comes together perfectly!
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“Winged Migration” is featured for the first time in High-Definition ala 1080p with an aspect ration of 1:85:1. All shots are outdoors, different types of weather depending on the continent. Near the desert, near the snow, near lush green backdrops of grass and trees and the ocean. The different types of birds and their own different colors. “Winged Migration” is all about its vibrant colors. And the beautiful cinematography showcases that vibrancy and sure, it was beautiful on DVD but on high definition, a film like “Winged Migration” is just breathtaking and knowing that this film is not utilizing CG in the filming of the birds, that the beauty we see on screen.
As for the audio, audio is presented in English, Portuguese and Spanish in Dolby True HD 5.1. There is occasional narrative but the film is all about its music. And the symphony-based music by Bruno Coulais and the vocal groups from Bulgaria and the music overall was just fantastic to listen to. There are scenes where you will hear the birds singing and chirping and that what you hear all around your entire home theater surround. Music and ambient sound of the birds play a big part in this film.
As for subtitles, “Winged Migration”is subtitled in Danish, English (UK), English (US), Finnish, Hindi, Norwegian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Latin Am) and Swedish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The special features of “Winged Migration” is probably one of the most important to watch because you get to learn if the crew saved any of the birds that were in harms way or just shot as nature intended it to be:
- Full Length Director’s Commentary - Despite the thick French accent, the commentary track is very important to listen to because you get good insight of the filmmaking process. Of what was actually shot live and what was created to make a point. For example, there is a scene with the birds flying through industries and showcase a storyline about pollution. The scene shows birds walking through, what looks like oil and one getting trapped in it. All birds escape but one. One is stuck. It makes you wonder, did the bird die in the oil or did the crew save it? You realize through the commentary that the oil is not oil but black milk, so the bird was not harmed. The scene was shot as it is to make a point about pollution. So, there are many commentary segments that are just informative. You also learn more through the various featurettes on disc.
- “Making of Winged Migration”- A 52-minute featurette on the making of the film. You realize that a good number of the birds have been imprinted. Meaning, when they were born, the first thing they saw was a human and thus, they were attached to the humans and taught how to migrate. Similar to the 1996 film “Fly away Home”, “Winged Migration” showcases various birds that were imprinted and thus, how various filming through the ground, oceans and sky were done. You learn of the challenges of filming in New York and Paris but also all over the world and the risky challenges faced by the crew. The film was shot in 48 countries, all seven continents and the challenges include shipping cranes to Senegal to film a scene but weather wasn’t cooperating and the birds got sick. So, the film crew had to face certain situations such as making sure the birds were taken care of. With so many film crews, it was very important that filming was done right. You learn how difficult, risky and challenging it was to do this film but so many people around the world took part in working on “Winged Migration” to make the film possible and to make it happen.
- “Creating the Music” Featurette – With the film focusing so much on the music, a 17-minute featurette was made to showcase the music of Bruno Coulais and the use of a Bulgarian orchestra that Jacques Perrin recommended and then having Nick Cave sing the ending theme.
- About the Film - This nine minute featurette is about “imprinting”. How many of these birds are raised and trained to obey their imprinter, the sounds of a vehicle, human or horn and for their migration.
- Further comments – This 14 minute featurette is possibly the most informative piece for those who were wondering about certain segments. In one scene in Africa, a bird with a broken wing is shown walking. While all these crabs pursue it. You are then left with a shot with the crabs all on top of what appears to possibly be the bird that was injured. But it is revealed that the crew stepped in and actually saved the bird. One of the few scenes where the film crew decided to save a bird instead of filming the actual and natural killing of the birds. Another scene was of the cuckoo and how the bird was eliminating all eggs from a nest and wanting to be the sole bird to be raised by another bird (part of its instinct). The bird would then grow older, migrate to a country like France, find a mate and then the eggs would then be brought to a nest of the bird that raised it. Also, explanation of the filming of the Rockhopper penguins and how a certain bird would go and kill and eat the sick penguin babies or the babies that lost its parents. Very informative segment.
- Photo Gallery with Filmmaker Commentary - A 13-minute featurette showcasing photos of birds in flight and the various types of birds featured on the film.
The Blu-ray is also BD-Live enabled.
“Winged Migration” was a rare film to come out in 2001. The enormity of following birds as it traveled the globe and having film crews document them migrating in all continents and 48 countries is just amazing. And watching it on film and seeing the behind-the-scenes makes you appreciate the film much more because what was an ambitious idea became reality.
Of course, since “Winged Migration”, there has been films such as “Planet Earth” documenting animals on all seven continents but “Winged Migration” is the documentary to watch about the migration of birds and the awesome cinematography and music are both breathtaking and literally, you will be in awe of how far they went to shoot these birds in a variety of climate.
I was amazed of how close these birds were to the camera while they shot using ultralights, paragliders, hot air balloons, trucks, motorcycles, motorboats, warships and even a robot created by scratch to film the way they wanted the film to be.
The director doesn’t call this film a documentary but a natural tale. Some critics refuse to call this a documentary because of the imprinting of the birds (and the birds are trained to migrate) and that some birds were even flown by plane from one country to another. And as mentioned, the scene about pollution was staged with black milk but come on, what did one expect to see the film crew do, make a manmade oil spill for the sake of filming and see how a bird will suffer? The point of the film was to show birds migrating, which it did but also to point out the certain dangers to the birds in today’s modern society. From hunting, poaching and pollution. Granted, the hunting scene was real and it’s surprising to see these birds migrate and for the film to show each bird getting shot and going down. But that is part of nature to survive and the scenes that the film crew had to make a point with, such as the oil slick using black milk, the point was made loud and clear.
Personally, I found “Winged Migration” just one beautiful film and to hear the music plus the natural sounds of the birds chirping in unison and seeing how beautiful the film looks and sounds in HD was fantastic. But was it “Planet Earth” magnificent in picture and audio quality? Bare in mind, these two were shot several years apart using different technology and with “Planet Earth” being more recent, it definitely has the edge in picture quality.
But by no means is “Winged Migration” a slouch when it comes to picture quality. It still looks beautiful now as it was in 2001 and because it has been given the high definition treatment, picture and audio quality is much, much better than the previous DVD release.
So, you ask yourself the question. Would you enjoy a film like “Winged Migration”? There is no major plot, it’s a straightforward nature film about the many birds who migrate. So, it depends on how you feel about nature and if you can watch a film about birds traveling around the world. Many have been in awe of beautiful cinematography and the accompanying music. It’s definitely a special and unique film and if you want to watch beauty in action, beauty from all continents captured on film, you really can’t go wrong with “Winged Migration”. Highly recommended!
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| 2nd Annual New York Surf Film Festival Announces the Official 2009 Screening Panel |
March 30, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
The New York Surf Film Festival is proud to announce the official 2009 Screening Panel. Comprised of international and local surfers with a wide range of credentials, the panel of editors, filmmakers, artists, shapers and shop owners will judge the NYSFF 2009 Official Selections in the categories of Best Feature Length Film and Best Short Length Film. The “Viewer’s Choice Award” will be voted by the audience during the weekend of the festival.
Alex Karinsky is the creator of “NYC Wipeout” – the first NY surfing TV show, and founder of Gotham Surf Club.
Mike Becker is the founder of Nature Shapes Surfboards, the second largest surfboard company in NY.
Todd DiCiurcio is an artist and surfer living in Brooklyn, NY. Acclaimed for his portrait work, he has created a dialogue between art and music with his live drawings.
Alex Dick-Read is the Founding Editor of “The Surfer’s Path” magazine, which he started 12 years ago in the UK.
Lewis Samuels is the author of “Power Rankings” and has recently gone rogue with PostSurf.com. In the course of analyzing the greatest surfers on earth, Lewis has become perhaps the most hated man in surfing.
Thad Ziolkowski is the author of “On a Wave” (Grove/Atlantic 2002), a memoir about growing up surfing in Melbourne Beach, Florida during the 1970′s.
Jeremy Dean is a FL/NY Surfer who spent six years making the independent feature length documentary “Dare Not Walk Alone” about civil rights and social justice, appearing in theaters across the country in 2008.
Richard Phillips is an artist living and working in New York City. His paintings have been the subject of recent solo exhibitions at the Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles and White Cube Gallery in London.
John M. Schultz was born and raised in New York. He is an archivist who maintains a sizable quiver of vintage and contemporary surfboards and is the recipient of two Emmy Awards for his documentary work.
Charlie Bunger, Jr. manages Bunger Surf Shop in Babylon, NY. Bunger Surf Shop is one of the oldest family-owned and operated surf shops in the USA. Charlie lives and surfs on Long Island.
Andrew Kessler has been living and skateboarding in New York City longer than you.
Dave Denis is the main man/stuff maker; a product of the Long Beach, New York surf scene circa 1986.
Tom Parrish is a 70′s North Shore shaping God who continues to make magic boards on Maui, where he also practices law when not surfing.
The New York Surf Film Competition is open to independently produced feature-length and short films in the surf genre. In order to be considered for the Festival’s Film Competition for U.S and International films, submitted films must have been completed after January 1, 2004. The running time for features must be greater than 30 minutes. Films under 30 minutes in length are eligible for participation in the Short Film Program. Submissions are open from January 5 to May 31st, 2009.
The submission form and complete information regarding eligibility and entry rules for the 2009 New York Surf Film Festival are available on the New York Surf Film Festival website at www.NYSurfFilm.com . Information is also available through Don’t Drop In, LLC at 917.658.2927, info@nysurffilm.com, or by regular mail to Don’t Drop In, LLC P.O. Box 310361 Brooklyn, NY 11231.
Show your support and get up-to-date festival news by becoming a Fan of NYSFF on our Facebook Page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/NY-SURF-FILM-FESTIVAL/59196139548?ref=ts
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| Billabong Girls Selects Top New Model for 2009 |
March 30, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
Billabong welcomes Tori Praver as one of our new global brand ambassadors, providing both image and design contributions in her new role.
“With her effortless sense of style and natural beauty Tori is the perfect blend of high fashion and beach culture that Billabong personifies. As a surfer, model and designer Tori embodies a dynamic creative energy and is a great role model for young women,” stated Candy Harris, Billabong Women’s Brand Director.
Hailing from Maui, Hawaii, Tori is known for her casual, beach-culture lifestyle and passion for surfing. But she is also a very successful international model – Tori has graced the cover of numerous magazines including Glamour and Cosmopolitan as well as being featured in the last three issues of Sports Illustrated.
“I’m so proud to be working with Billabong, a brand that’s so synonymous with the surf culture, in an industry that I truly love,” says Praver. “It’s a company that I respect enormously, from their commitment to global charitable efforts, to their relaxed sense of style. I’m so excited about our collaboration, I’m sure it will be great on all levels.”
As a surfer, model and designer Tori is constantly traveling to photo shoots and runway shows around the world, dividing her time between Hawaii, Los Angeles, and New York. The Summer 2009 Billabong Women’s advertising campaign featuring Tori will be launched in fashion magazines such as Nylon, Foam and Teen Vogue.
In her role as a Global Brand Ambassador, Tori will also be putting her design skills to use as she collaborates with Billabong on upcoming product. Her first signature swim piece will release in May 2009 as part of Billabong’s Design For Humanity initiative, with additional pieces to launch for Spring 2010.
“We are so excited to have Tori on board,” said Candy Harris. “She is a phenomenal face for the Brand and we are looking forward to the launch of her collaborations on the runway at this year’s Design For Humanity event June 17th”.
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| Fly Away Home (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review) |
March 30, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“A moving and enjoyable family film showcasing the talents of young Anna Paquin and a film based on the experience of Operation Migration in their early fight to migrate birds through the use of aircraft. The film also sports breathtaking cinematography!”
TITLE: Fly Away Home
DURATION: 107 Minutes
BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: Screen Format(s): Anamorphic, Language(s): English 5.1, French (Parisian) 5.1, Spanish (Latin Am) 5.1, Subtitles(s): English (US), French (Parisian), Spanish (Latin Am)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85
RATED: PG
COMPANY: Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2009
Directed by Carroll Ballard
Based on an autobiography by Bill Lishman
Produced by John Veitch and Carol Baum
Screenplay by Robert Rodat and Vince McKewin
Executive Producer: Sandy Gallin
Music by: Mark Isham
Director of Photography: Caleb Deschanel
Cast:
Jeff Daniels as Thomas “Tom” Alden
Anna Paquin as Amy Alden
Dana Delany as Susan Barnes
Terry Kinney as David Alden
Holter Graham as Stickland
Jeremy Ratchford as DNR Officer
Debora Verginella as Amy’s Mother
Michael J. Reynolds as the General
David Hemblen as Dr. Killian
Before “Winged Migration”, there was “Fly Away Home”. A 1996 film which was loosely based on the 1995 autobiography “Father Goose” by Bill Lishman.
The film received positive reviews from many critics and audiences as the film would showcase a heartwarming tale primarily about family but something different was that this became the first Hollywood film to show the latest efforts in migration for birds and also introducing audiences to the concept of “imprinting”. In other words, humans forming a bond with birds, geese when they are born and then raising them somewhat as a parent and then teaching them how to migrate and eventually increase their population away from harm.
Taking on the directorial role for “Fly Away Home” is Carroll Ballard, known for his work with films such as “The Black Stallion” and “Never Cry Wolf” joins writing team Robert Rodat (“Saving Private Ryan” and “The Patriot”) along with Vince McKewin (television writer for many series such as “The A-Team”, “Knight Rider”, “Dallas”). Carroll Ballard known for his previous films that involve animals was back to directing a touching film about family, overcoming challenges and sticking together.
The film starts off with 13-year-old Amy Alden (Anna Paquin) and her mother driving in their car but with a big rig coming at them, the mother swerves to avoid being hit but ends up rolling the car and dying from the accident.
As for Amy, we see her in the hospital battered and bruised from the accident but right next to her is her father Thomas (Jeff Daniels), who is watching over her and letting her know that her mother didn’t survive the accident and that she will be living with him in Canada.
A month later, Amy moves from New Zealand to Canada to live with her father. Of course, over a decade has passed and the two have not really communicated, so the estranged father and daughter need some catching up to do. And for Amy, living in a rural country area and living in a room where her father has kept nothing but his art supplies, it’s not exactly the best of conditions.
But the problem is that Amy trying to get used to her new life without her mother and living in new town with a father she doesn’t even know.
As for her father, Thomas is an inventor and an artist. He loves nature and building things but also has a hobby of piloting an ultralight aircraft. He lives with his girlfriend Susan (Dana Delany), a woman that Amy immediately doesn’t care too much for. In fact, it starts to even widen the gap between father and daughter and Thomas is not sure if he can be a father. But Susan assures him that he can and stands by him.
As Thomas tries to get used to his new life as father, he has his brother David (Terry Kinney) help with the work duties and help watch Amy.
As for Amy, living in the middle of nowhere, she spends her time alone and just exploring the area around her father’s home. She discovers an area where construction is taking place and while looking around, Amy discovers eggs (Canadian wild geese). Knowing that these eggs can be destroyed due to the construction in the area, she quickly comes up with an idea to bring the eggs home and to help them hatch.
As the eggs begin to hatch, Amy is the first living thing the geese see, so they think she is the mother. This process is called “imprinting”. s She takes care of the baby geese and tries to raise them by feeding them, giving them baths, walking them and then eventually gets her father involved. But for Thomas, having these geese is a bit worrisome and he visits the local game warden and lets him know about them.
At first, the relationship with Thomas and the game warden is fine. The game warden explains to Thomas about why the geese are following Amy and about “imprinting” but in Canada, the geese are supposed to be pinioned, so they can not fly. This is done to prevent any dangers or hazards for the birds.
But as the game warden is about to pinion the wings, Amy is upset by this and hits him over the head. Thomas eventually tells the game warden to leave his property but the game warden lets him know that by law, these geese are not supposed to fly.
Overtime, these geese quickly grow up to become adults and its in their nature to migrate before the winter. But because they were imprinted with a human mother, Thomas does not know what to do.
Fortunately, his brother David tells him about a bird sanctuary in North Carolina where the birds can migrate to. But the thing is, there are not many birds migrating there just yet and if there are no birds in the area by November 1st, the area will be taken over by developers.
So, Thomas comes up with an idea. Why not help migrate the geese to that sanctuary? Immediately, Thomas develops an ultralight aircraft that would look like a large geese and hopefully the geese will follow. Thomas tries to get the geese to follow him but to no avail.
But Amy, being the precocious teenager and wanting to help her geese, she takes her father’s ultralight aircraft and starts to fly it. The next thing you know, the geese fly and follow her. Amy’s first time flying is not going quite as well, so it upsets her father that she took his vehicle but at the same time, he knows that because she is imprinted with those geese, it is the best chance they have to help migrate them. So, in order to help them, he will have to teach her how to operate the ultralight aircraft and even ride along with her.
So, father and daughter start to bond because of the geese and share their passion for ultralight aircraft flying and becoming close to each other. The plan to migrate these geese from Canada to North Carolina by ultralight aircraft is now on. But unknown to the family, the game warden intends to do what he can to stop the birds from flying, even if it means stealing the birds from the Ander’s home. Also, the developers are ready to tear apart the bird sanctuary. Will Thomas and Amy succeed in migrating the birds?
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“Fly Away Home” is presented in 1080p High Definition and with an aspect ratio of 1:85:1. As with most film created in the early-t0-mid-90′s for Blu-ray releases, there is this softening effect that many tend to suffer from. With “Fly Away Home”, one of the positive aspects of the picture quality is that the film is shot outdoors and thus, you get a sense of the beauty of nature with the lush green and red trees during the fall, the green scenery while the aircraft is in flight. Also, being in the air while the geese are flying. Very good outdoor shots and vibrant colors.
There is little softening effect during the indoor scenes but overall, picture quality is beautiful during the outdoors and many of the shots of the film are outdoors.
As for audio, audio is presented in English and French via Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Spanish 5.1 (Dolby Digital). The film is primarily dialogue-based as the film is about conversations between father and daughter and daughter with family members. But one of the biggest showcase for “Fly Away Home” is the music from Mark Isham. Definitely creating a mood and the feeling of flight and beauty. Definitely well-incorporated to the Blu-ray and sounds great.
There is also good use of surround audio with the noise of the geese but overall the film is primarily a dialogue-driven film and the sound is quite clear coming from the front and center channels.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
For the special features included on the Blu-ray for “Fly Away Home”, the features are in standard definition with English (stereo) audio with optional Spanish subtitles. Features included on the Blu-ray disc are:
- Director & Cinematographer Commentary - Commentary track by Carroll Ballard and Caleb Deschanel as they talked about the filming of the geese in flight. Definitely a complicated film to shoot and finding the various locations to shoot the film and the ultra gliders was a challenge. A very good commentary for those interested in learning how everything came together for the film.
- Operation Migration: Birds of a Feather Featurette - An 18-minute about Operation Migration. A company founded by Bill Lishman and Joe Duff in 1994, a non-profit charity organization and how they are migrating rare and endangered species in order to grow the population. The featurette introduces the various staff members and also, unlike the film and other countries which the birds are introduced to humans, the organization now wears costumes, so the birds will not think they are human. Very informative.
- The Ultra Geese Documentary – A 49-minute documentary which the film “Fly Away Home” is based on. The documentary features Bill Lishman and Joe Duff testing to see if they can treat geese new migration routes through the use of their ultralight aircraft. Their goal is to restore the population of birds through new migration routes and showing us what actually really happened in their experience vs. what actually happened on the film. The experiences that Lishman and Duff faced such as imprinting, the use of the ultralight aircraft, having 18 birds with its leader Igor and losing Igor, having to contend with the Wildlife Bureaucratic Service and more. Very entertaining as Lishman and crew actually had a lot of footage of training the geese to flying with the geese and more.
- HBO Making of: Leading the Flock Featurette - This 13-minute featurette showcases interviews with the director and the many talent involved in the film. Especially how everyone were quite impressed with Anna Paquin’s performance in the film.
The Blu-ray is also BD-Live enabled.
“Fly Away Home” was definitely an enjoyable, heartfelt family film that touches upon the real life activity of Operation Migration and what they are doing to help restore endangered species of birds and helping them migrate. But what was even more remarkable was watching the cinematography of showing birds in flight and being so close to them. Granted, bird cinematography has since evolved since this 1996 film with the 2003 release of “Winged Migration” and also “Planet Earth” but considering the challenge of filming this scene, Director of Photography Caleb Deschanel successfully pulled it off. If anything, the nomination for “Best Cinematography” was definitely warranted.
As for Carroll Ballard, his name is known for hits such as the 1979 film “The Black Stallion” and 1983 film “Never Cry Wolf”, films that deal with animals (which he followed up with his 2005 film “Duma” about an orphaned cheetah) and sure enough, a good director to take on the challenge for “Fly Away Home” and trying to create this bond between a young character with an animal, in this case, geese.
For younger talent, “Fly Away Home” definitely was a film that showcased Anna Paquin’s talent as an actress. Having won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the age of 11 (for the 1994 film “The Piano”), Paquin definitely brought a character with a lot of layers. A character having to deal with this new life, this father who she has never seen for years and then ultimately finding common ground thanks to her geese.
Jeff Daniels does a great job portraying Thomas, this inventor/naturalist with his shaggy beard and long hair but doing a great job of portraying a father who is not too sure if he can take care of his daughter. Credit to the writers who portrayed this family who really had nothing in common at first but eventually finding the common ground and eventually bonding through Thomas’ love for flying and Amy’s love for her geese and eventually, her becoming a pilot and sharing her father’s enthusiasm.
The film also stars Dana Delany. Over a decade before her role currently in the TV series “Desperate Housewives”, Delany was definitely known for her Emmy award winning work in the critically acclaimed Vietnam War television show “China Beach” during the late 80′s and early 90′s and a lot of her voice work for the Batman and Superman animated series.
Some may feel that Delany was under utilized in “Far Away Home” but nevertheless, despite a short role, an important role of portraying the girlfriend of Thomas and for her character as Susan trying to get close to his daughter Amy (Paquin).
If anything, the supporting actor who did shine in this film and definitely caught my attention was Terry Kinney as Thomas’s brother David who brings a certain humor into the film as the uncle who is laid back but eventually comes up with major ideas to help the Thomas and Amy but most importantly, the geese.
“Fly Away Home” is a film that manages to hold up nearly 13 years later as a family film. On Blu-ray, for those interested in migration of birds will love that the Blu-ray does features two featurettes and one lengthy documentary on the actual story that the film is based on.
Especially knowing that certain things that happened in the film, happened in real life. For Bill Lishman who co-founded Operation Migration (and in real life was the man piloting the ultralight aircraft with the geese), the leader of the pack for his geese was Oscar and similar to the film, Oscar was separated from the pack and was lost but eventually found. But unlike the film where Oscar has a prominent part of being there with Amy during the flight, in real life, Oscar’s return back to the pack of Geese was not an exactly enthusiastic return as the geese that he once lead turned against him. So, it was an interesting segment in the special feature showing the relationships of the geese.
So, my highlight was the documentary and also the informative special features included in this Blu-ray disc release and for those who enjoyed the 2003 film “Winged Migration”, “Fly Away Home” was a film that definitely introduced many people to imprinting and new migration techniques. In fact, “Winged Migration” on Blu-ray is being releaased on the same day as “Fly Away Home” and Bill Lishman had some involvement with that film as well.
If I had any problems with the special features on the Blu-ray disc is that it doesn’t include the i
Overall, “Fly Away Home” is a touching, moving and enjoyable film about family and overcoming challenges. And the film manages to accomplish portraying the family bond between estranged father and daughter but also showcasing beautiful cinematography that really makes this family film worth watching.
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| The One about the the state of the media and retailers |
March 30, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
When the Rocky Mountain Newspaper announced that it was closing down, it was definitely a shock that one of the major American newspapers, especially among the first to really strike hard with an online edition of their newspaper to close down.
When I say “shock”, I mean not necessarily in the sense that many expect newspapers to slowly close but shock that the Rocky Mountain was one of the bigger names to close down and then news of San Francisco Chronicle and other big city papers are also facing closures in this tough economy.
But surprisingly, I am seeing also more magazine closures. Last week, “Blender” announced its closure. Alpha Media Group who owns Maxim is now down to their final magazine, Maxim. The following information was reported on Advertising Age:
The remaining CEO, Stephen Duggan, said in a company memo that the company was closing Blender with great sadness. “Since 2001, Blender has provided unmatched music coverage and entertainment news in its unique voice to a profoundly dedicated audience of music enthusiasts,” Mr. Duggan wrote. “We are particularly grateful to the sales team and to the tremendously talented editorial staff for their hard work and commitment to Blender.”
Advertising Age also reported:
Alpha tried to build Blender’s circulation, pushing its paid-circulation guarantee to 1 million from 800,000 at purchase. But copies distributed to public places such as waiting rooms grew the fastest, from 13,000 copies in the second half of 2007 to 100,000 a year later, according to company reports with the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Paid subscriptions fell 8% to 768,000, while newsstand sales declined 18% to 44,233.
Ad pages at Blender also plunged 31% last year and another 57% from January through April, according to the Publishers Information Bureau and Media Industry Newsletter.
On March 27th, LA CityBeat announced its closure according to an article from Steven Mikulan of LA Weekly:
“I had a great morning today,” says Los Angeles CityBeat publisher Will Swaim. “I came to work and hurled in the ‘executive bathroom,’ brushed my teeth and made the announcement.”
The announcement that Swaim made to his small staff was that the issue they had just put out would be the alternative weekly’s last. After about half a year of swimming in red ink, owner Southland Publishing Inc. and its president, Bruce Bolkin, had decided to pull the plug. Although there had been no official omens about the paper’s closing, Swaim had had a gut feeling about the future and called Bolkin Thursday night to have his suspicions confirmed or allayed. That’s when he learned about the paper’s fate.
“Of course I’m going to second guess them,” Swaim says. “But they simply have lost a lot of money and felt uncertain about the future.”
Senior editor Matt Fleischer agrees that there had been no official talk about a possible closing, but noted that CityBeat’s four editors had been working on a weekly budget of $1,300 — starvation rations that had to cover fees for freelance writers, art work and the paper’s freelanced copy editing service.
“We heard that there were plans to cut that to $600,” Fleischer says, “but they decided to close the paper down instead.”
And today, one of corporations that I had the opportunity to intern in the marketing and media department back in college, Gottschalks, a 104-year-old retail business which has many stores in malls across the state of California is awaiting their fate on March 30th at an auction and hoping there are bids. According to Yahoo! News:
If the liquidators win the company at auction, they will begin conducting going-out-of business sales at the company’s 58 retail stores and distribution center on or around April 3 and ending by July 15.
In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said it is guaranteed to receive 85 percent of the aggregate cost value of the merchandise to be sold, in addition to an amount that would cover some company expenses, under the stalking horse bid.
I’ve posted about the Rocky Mountain Newspaper and how it was instrumental when I was developing the websites in the West Coast for Pulitzer Newspapers but to see Blender, Los Angeles CityBeat and even a retailer (possibly) closing down, it really is a scary time. It’s one thing for print publications to close down and believe me, it’s nerve racking when it starts to hit home for my business (which it is but I’m still hanging in there) and then the retailers, many that I used to frequent: Comp USA, Circuit City, Mervyns, etc. closing down.
But like media, are we surprised about retailers closing when Wal-Mart and Amazon.com continue to thrive?
And what about the USPS, are we surprised that the United States Postal Service is offering 150,000 postal workers early retirement, having 1,400 managerial jobs cut and closing six district offices?
I recently talked to the women I frequently talk over the counter with at the USPS and asked them if they have been offered early retirement and they looked at me and said “yes, but with no incentive to retire…hell no!” It’s going to be interesting to see how the USPS is going to fix their problem.
While Wal-Mart and Amazon thrive because their low pricing, the USPS needs an overhaul and change as well. For one, if increasing the price of stamps is their way of enticing people to send mail, then paying bills online is a much more cost effective way to say “no thanks”.
These are tough times and when we hear the daily news about the bailouts, how the Obama administration is trying to deal with the AIG mess, the situation with the carmakers and all that’s going on with today’s economy, it’s pretty sad that for many people, the only shining light with all that’s happening now is waiting for their federal or state income tax checks.
But when I ask many people if they are planning to buy anything with that nice income tax check, many say, “usually, I would…but not this year. It’s all going to bills”.
Tough times indeed.
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| Full Crowds and Great Waves for Day One at Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship |
March 30, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
The world’s best junior surfers hit the water today for the first round of competition at the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships. Unveiling the future of surfing to a full crowd on the beach, some of the most talented Under 18 and Under 16 Boys unleashed their full repertoire of maneuvers on the surf at Playa de las FAE in Salinas, Ecuador.
“We are pleased with the surf today, said ISA President Fernando Aguerre “The point was going off today, with some surfers getting at least 300 meters of open face on their waves. Even I got a few waves with a sunset session after the event.”
Running on double banks (two contest areas) event organizers were able to hold 24 heats of Under 18 Boys and 24 heats of Under 16 Boys. Past ISA Junior event champions Australia, Brazil and Hawaii were in stellar form, posting some of the highest scores of the day. Quiksilver Young Gun of Australia Garrett Parkes threw down a solid combined heat score of 16.50 points (out of 20) followed closely behind by Brazil’s Ian Gouveia, son of former WCT Fabio Gouveia, who secured a 15.50.
But as the horn blew on the last heat of the day, it was clearly the French, often an underestimated threat, who showed that they are a force to be reckoned with. Starting off in the morning in less than an hour into the competition, Dimitri Ouvre came out of the gates firing with a 9.0 and an 8.73 for the highest combined score of the day. The rest of the French team fared well in the Under 18 division with all three of today’s competing team members taking the top spot in their heats.
“The heat was fun, I love surfing good waves like this,” said Dimitri Ouvre. “I just focused on getting the best waves and tried to surf conservative. I think it is good to start a contest this way, I just want to focus on my own surfing and get to a final; who knows maybe even win the Worlds.”
With fresh energy, new uniforms, tremendous talent and a really close team, USA dominated today, taking first place in all of their heats for both Under 18 and Under 16. USA team member Nat Young will take to the water tomorrow morning to close out Round One of Under 18 Boys.
All of the competitors showed tremendous heart and passion today giving it their all to avoid the repercharge rounds. There were some really close heats – most notably heat five’s match-up between Brazilian, Ecuadorian and Chilean surfers. Brazil’s Felipe Braz took an early lead with a 5.0 with Ecuador’s David Villaroel answering back with a 4.77. At the end of the heat, Braz and Villaroel were tied at 8.87 with the win being given to Braz for having a higher single-wave score. Chile’s Diego Maria finished third with an 8.40.
Another close race ensued between Canada and Costa Rica in heat 14, with both surfers fighting tooth and nail to avoid the repercharge rounds. In the end, Canada’s Janek Peladeau took second to Medi Veminardi of France, while Costa Rican Maikol Torres finished third.
In the Under 16 Boys, Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam finished second to advance to round two, coming behind USA’s Evan Geiselman. Miguel Tudela of Peru and Lyn Petersen of Argentina came in third and fourth respectively. Moroccan teammate Othmane Choufani took third in his heat and will move to the first round of repercharges.
Barbados surfer Jordan Heaselgrave prevailed over favored-Hawaiian Tanner Hendrickson in heat eight for the upset of the day. In what was another close heat, Heaselgrave won by a mere 0.40. Both surfers advanced to round two.
The weather was ideal, with sunny skies and warm breezes all day. The beach was packed with cheering spectators and teams waving their national flags. Webcast commentator, 1989 ASP World Champion Martin Potter said it was the largest and most enthusiastic crowd he’d ever seen on the first day of an ISA junior event.
Competition will resume tomorrow at 8:00am at Playa de las FAE beach in Salinas, Ecuador with the start of Under 18 Girls, the remainder of Under 18 Boys round one and Under 16 Boys round two.
In addition to the prestige of winning the World Junior Championship title, the first place finishers in Under 18 Boys and Under 18 Girls will also receive an entry spot into the 2010 Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast Trials, an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour event.
For more information on the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, LIVE webcast, free photos and on-demand video highlights, visit www.quiksilver.com/isa.
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| McCarthy Claims Victory at Soldiers Beach Pro presented by Solid Bodyboarding |
March 30, 2009 by Dennis Amith · 1 Comment
South African bodyboarder Mark McCarthy has taken out the Soldiers Beach Pro presented by Solid Bodyboarding in perfect one- metre waves on the Central Coast of NSW.
McCarthy, who surfed flawlessly in the final – with a series of highflying back flips and ARS (Air, Roll, Spin) manoeuvres, defeated Queenslander Jake Stone, Port Macquarie’s Sam Bennett and Western Australia’s Mitch Rawlins in the 30 minute final.
This was the second event on the Rebel Sport Pro Tour for 2009 and McCarthy will now head to Brazil to contest the IBA world tour events in April.
“I’m really stoked to get the win,” an elated McCarthy said.
“This has been an awesome event and I’m really looking forward to coming back here.”
Runner-up Jake Stone has now taken the lead on the 2009 Rebel Sport Pro Tour and is looking forward to the next event in Victoria in May.
“A win would have been better, but ill still take two second’s,” laughed Stone.
“Mark is an incredible talent and always hard to beat,” Stone added graciously.
Former world champion Damien King showed his versatility and reinstated his competitive nature with a win in the Pro Drop Knee division.
The Soldiers Beach Pro saw around 220 competitors battle across 13 divisions, over 4 days, with round 1 of the NSW state titles combining with the Pro event.
Local hero Shaun Petersen won the blue ribbon Open Men’s division and was the man to beat from the get go, posting several 10-point rides on his way to the title.
The Rebel Sport Pro Tour now moves south to Victoria for round three in May, once again combining with the Victorian State Bodyboarding Championships.
Soldiers Beach Pro was made possible by the Wyong Shire council, Toukley Greater Vision, The Beachcomber Hotel, Solid Body Board Specialists and Dunes International.
More information at www.ibaaustralasia.com
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| WII-KLY UPDATE: “THE FAREWELL EDITION” |
March 30, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
March 30, 2009
In this farewell edition of the Wii-kly Update (more on that below*), we’re pleased to announce a pair of excellent games based around completely opposite vocations. Newly available on the Virtual Console™ is Super Punch Out!! ™, the classic boxing title that pits players against tough pugilist rivals such as Bald Bull. Speaking of baldness, the unique new WiiWare™ game Bonsai Barber™ invites players to take off the gloves and work their clippers instead, giving new hairstyles to a colorful cast of fruits and vegetables. Both are yours for the downloading via the Wii™ Shop Channel.
Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:
WiiWare
Bonsai Barber (Nintendo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, 1,000 Wii Points): The village residents are hungry for the latest in foliage fashion, and it’s up to you, the new barber, to fix them up. Use the tools of your trade: scissors, clippers, spray can, and more in this humorous, first-of-its-kind “first-person-groomer” game. Bonsai Barber features a colorful cast of 12 intriguing customers, including a temperamental shallot starlet (don’t call her an onion), an oddball strawberry boffin, a cactus cowboy, a daredevil carrot, and a suave banana with top-secret clearance. Each day, five customers arrive to test your stylistic skill. If the customer requests a specific style, you’ll plow that furrow, or you can rely on your expertise to pick from more than 30 popular fashions. Or, why not turn over a new leaf? Be creative and see how they react. They’re a demanding bunch, so if you miss an appointment, you’ll hear about it-on your Wii Message Board. If you do a good job, you may receive a gift or even a postcard from an exotic destination as your happy customers travel to distant lands and show off their exquisite coifs.
Virtual Console
Super Punch Out. Image courtesy of Nintendo.
Super Punch-Out!! (Super NES™, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Featuring the tight game play and humor the series is known for, this sequel to the NES™ classic sees Little Mac return to the ring with the World Video Boxing Association belt once again at stake. Slug your way through the grueling, sweat-pounding matches of the Minor, Major and World Circuits as you face off against some of Little Mac’s greatest rivals, such as Bear Hugger, Bald Bull and Super Macho Man. With a cast of new challengers waiting, do you have what it takes to identify their unique patterns and exploit their weaknesses? Go to your corner and come out fighting, but remember what Doc Louis would say: “It’s not about brawling-it’s about finesse!”
Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.
* – About that “farewell edition” stuff: Starting next week, the name of this newsletter will be changed from Wii-kly Update to Nintendo Download. Why? With the April 5 launch of the new Nintendo DSi™ portable game system comes the opening of the Nintendo DSi Shop. Like the Wii Shop Channel, the Nintendo DSi Shop will offer a growing library of downloadable games, with new titles added every week. Accordingly, we’ll be using this space to tell you not only about new games for Wii but also for Nintendo DSi. Watch for the first edition of Nintendo Download on April 6.
