Very sad to hear of Barry’s passing; the age is too young, but the numbers are certainly appropriate for the man who helped give James Bond his classic aural signature. The BBC reports:
Composer John Barry, famous for his work on Born Free, Midnight Cowboy and the James Bond films, has died aged 77 of a heart attack.
Born John Barry Prendergast in 1933, the York-born musician first found fame as leader of the John Barry Seven.
His arrangement of Monty Norman’s James Bond theme led to him composing scores for 11 films in the series, among them Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice.
His work saw him win five Oscars, while he received a Bafta fellowship in 2005.
Barry’s arrangement and subsequent embellishments of Norman’s original tune over the years become a perfect example of a piece of music instantly defining a cinematic character.
This absolutely correct. Just watch this video of Bond over the years married to a piece of Barry's bond music and you will see how he defined the character of James Bond.
I have two favorite John Barry scores from the James Bond series and here is excerpts from each of them.
You Only Live Twice.
A View To A Kill (Be sure to listen to the whole track.)
Who can forget the score to The Black Hole!
Thanks for all the great scores John! Rest In Peace!
Yesterday afternoon a powerful snowstorm began dumping 2 inch an hour heavy wet snow of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area right before the evening rush hour. Knowing the D.C. metro area difficulty in handing snowstorms and having experienced what this type of weather can do to a rush hour even in places that get lots of snow, I knew it was going to be a disaster.
I followed the "progress" of the storm and the deterioration of the roads and mass transit during the afternoon and was worried for some of my friends who live in the D.C. area. Having read through the local media this morning I see those fears were well founded.
From NBC-DC
Twelve hours. That's how long it took some people to get home using the George Washington Parkway Wednesday night.
Danielle Heard finally made it to her destination at 5:30 a.m. Thursday after leaving her Crystal City office at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday.
She said traffic came to a halt on the road at about 5:15 p.m., and moved very little after that. She did a phone interview with NBC Washington at the 10-hour mark of her drive home.
"People have begun to abandon their vehicles," she said. "When you finally do get some movement, you're driving around them, or around people who ran out of gas."
She said some people began walking out of frustration, while others decided to sleep in their vehicles.
"It's surreal," she said.
Heard said she believes Park Police were trying to do their best, but there was very little communication.
"Even the first five or six hours, the news outlets haven't been reporting on the G-W Parkway. That only added to the frustration," she said. "We feel like the folks of Whoville -- we're here, we're here. And we weren't really getting any feedback."
At the 10-hour mark of her journey, she made it to the scenic overlook. Her long journey finally ended at 5:30 a.m. That's when she texted NBC Washington to let us know she finally got home.
"People have to realize that Washington is no longer a sleepy little Southern town," Heard said. "I think four-wheel drive is a must for many, because most of the vehicles stranded are not four-wheel drive vehicles."
The westbound lanes of the G-W Parkway were still closed at 7 a.m. between Spout Run and Route 123 because of the snow and a number of abandoned vehicles still on the roadway. That meant if you were trying to get to Virginia from Washington, you were re-routed from the Parkway to Spout Run.
There were still quite a few abandoned vehicles on the Parkway Thursday morning due to the storm, which crippled the road from 4:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Park Police said nearly 100 vehicles were abandoned on the Parkway overnight. The vehicles will be towed to the parking areas of the scenic overlooks on the Parkway. Owners can go to the scenic overlooks after 11 a.m. Thursday to retrieve their cars.
More than 100 cars were abandoned along the Dulles Toll Road and its ramps. Owners have recovered some but Airports Authority police are now starting to tow others, beginning with the outbound lanes, then inbound. Anyone who goes to get their car and finds it gone should call 703-572-2950 to see where police have taken it.
Abandoned vehicles are scattered across the region, including on Interstate 270 in Montgomery County. Those were blocking the far right lane of the roadway in some areas.
One of my CPAC team members was stuck in this and she said it was very scary being out there as there was no control, security or even help due to the gridlock. Having experienced this type of situation while back in CT a few years ago I know the feeling. It is scary, it does shake your faith in other people and its one of those reasons why you need to be prepared. (keep your gas tank filled up, have an emergency kit etc...) You can be 5 miles from your home but for some it might of well been in Los Angeles.What makes it worse is that DC is not a high snow area so when a storm like this hits during a evening rush hour many people simply do not know what to do.
WASHINGTON — By the end of April, terror threats to the U.S. will no longer be described in shades of green, blue, yellow, orange and red, The Associated Press has learned.
The nation’s color-coded terror warning system will be phased out beginning this week, according to government officials familiar with the plan. The officials requested anonymity to speak ahead of an announcement scheduled Thursday by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
The Homeland Security Department and other government agencies have been reviewing the Homeland Security Advisory System’s usefulness for more than a year. One of the most notable changes to come: The public will no longer hear automated recordings at U.S. airports stating that the threat level is orange.
The Obama administration will take the next three months to roll out a replacement, which will be called the National Terrorism Advisory System. The new plan calls for notifying specific audiences about specific threats. In some cases, it might be a one-page threat description sent to law enforcement officials describing the threat, what law enforcement needs to do about it and what the federal government is doing, one of the officials said.
Personally I'm going to miss the Sesame Street color coded alerts. But then again it does make Elmo a tempting target.
A few weeks ago when I learned there would be no new contract for me I was told I’d return on-air at WTNH following my vacation this Wednesday. That will not happen. Mark Higgins, WTNH general manager, told me he has changed his mind because all of this has become a distraction. Though not what I expected, this is his call to make.
Don’t think your voices weren’t heard. They were. They have had a most profound effect on me and my family.
People are let go from jobs every day, but few are blessed with the kind of warm and loving outpouring you have given me. You have made this awful situation bearable. In many ways your response has made it all worthwhile!
Some of you told me how I’ve touched or even became part of your family. The more I read the more I understood the depth of your emotion. It’s a two-way street. I care just as deeply for and about you.
I had 26 years at 8 Elm Street. That’s a helluva run. Nothing can take that away.
As anyone with that kind of tenure can tell you it wasn’t always perfect, but it was very good. Up until my last day on-the-air I was treated with respect. I will have nothing bad to say about WTNH and LIN.
Many of you will be upset by this turn of events. It is proper for you to consider this episode as you go forward. However, it would be wrong for you to take this out on my colleagues who still work there or even the person who ultimately takes my job. These people were not involved in any of this.
Geoff is a class act and here is some video to prove it.
Geoff informs us that he is looking at other job offers both inside and outside CT. Lets hope he finds a station that will appreciate him as much as the viewers in the CT market did.
Albert here. Just got an e-mail from Jerry Milani at Wizard World PR, confirming that ToyFare is also ending publication:
Wizard Entertainment is ceasing publication of the print magazines Wizard and ToyFare. Wizard World, Inc. will begin production of the online publication “Wizard World” beginning in February. We feel this will allow us to reach an even wider audience in a format that is increasingly popular and more readily accessible.
If you need any more proof of the changes going through our industry.
I will be on the Stage Right Show tonight sometime after 9:30 p.m.. I will be discussing my latest lans for world domination and you can listen live on the link below.
UPDATE: I fixed the link and you should be able to hear/watch the show now. I come on at the 30 min. mark.
Broad swaths of the entertainment business declined in 2010. DVD sales were off 13%. Music CD purchases plummeted 19%. Video game sales as well as concert and theater attendance also fell. Even the turnout for America’s favorite pastimes — baseball and NASCAR — was down. And swift changes in technology will make it difficult for Hollywood to capture pre-recession levels of revenue. …
Cable and satellite subscriptions, DVD sales and video rentals long have been the profit pillars that supported Hollywood. Although media executives continue to boast “content is king,” recently released year-end data suggest entertainment companies are vulnerable to the same disruptive forces that imperiled the music and newspaper industries. …
But perhaps most ominously, last summer the pay-television industry suffered an unprecedented net loss — for the first time — of customers, a yellow warning light that consumers may no longer regard cable TV as a must-have utility on par with electricity and phone service.
Big Hollywood's John Nolte:
New content is no longer king because there’s so much of it already out there and available at a much cheaper price and in a more convenient way. Should we pay $10 a piece to drive to a theatre, get raped at the concession stand, and live with the frustration of all the rude talkers during a movie that kinda sucks? Or… Should we hunker down in the comfort of our own home and for the absurdly low Netflix price of $8 a month, stream a favorite movie we haven’t watched in a while or get lost in Season One of some television show we’ve been meaning to try?
[snip]
And whether Hollywood likes it or not, streaming is the future. Personally, I’m sick of paying my cable company for a hundred lousy channels I don’t watch just to get Fox News, Turner Classic Movies, and Investigative Discovery; and everyday I get closer and closer to the realization that the money I would save canceling my cable is worth going to the Internet for my news. It also personally disgusts me that dishonest organizations such as NBC, CNN, and MSNBC profit from my cable payment. You sports fans can save money buying only the packages.
I mentioned this before at anime conventions. The amount of people watching content has grown with these new platforms, however, the amount revenue that are being drawn from these platforms are in many instances pennies on the dollar compared to the old platforms. The industry infrastructure has been built on $15 USD per unit high yield revenue stream, while the new platforms might get you $1 USD per unit revenue stream. An infrastructure built on the $15 USD yield revenue cant sustain itself on a $1 USD per unit yield revenue stream.
I think you will see what I mean when I say go read the whole thing.
Dickinson’s wife Nancy wrote about the incident at her blog:
The pilot held the plane that was supposed to take off at 11:50 until 12:02 when my husband got there.
As my husband walked down the Jetway with the pilot, he said, “I can’t thank you enough for this.”
The pilot responded with, “They can’t go anywhere without me and I wasn’t going anywhere without you. Now relax. We’ll get you there. And again, I’m so sorry.”
My husband was able to take his first deep breath of the day.
Airline winter-weather cancellations are soaring again today, with at least 3,000 cancellations confirmed at airports in just three cities alone: New York City, Boston and Atlanta.
That figure -- almost certain to grow once other cities are lumped in -- pushes the three-day tally of weather-related cancellations to roughly 9,000, as reported by individual airports as of noon ET on Wednesday.
Initial estimates show that individual airports reported roughly 2,000 flights canceled Monday followed by another 4,000 on Tuesday. And, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to imagine the cumulative three-day total topping 10,000 by the end of today, once more numbers come in.
Perhaps not surprisingly, New York City's airports are bearing some of the worst of today's cancellations.
The Associated Press writes "the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reported 675 canceled flights Wednesday morning at LaGuardia Airport. Kennedy Airport had 300 cancellations and Newark Liberty 440." The Wall Street Journal puts the count even higher, quoting the Port Authority as 1,718 flights had been canceled at the three airports.
WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. (AP) — Bradley International Airport remained open during the winter storm, but no passenger planes were coming in or going out.
Airport spokesman John Wallace said several cargo flights were arriving Wednesday, but passenger airlines were not expecting to begin flying until much later in the day.
He said the airport normally has between 40 and 45 aircraft at the airport to start the day, but just a handful were there Wednesday morning.
Wallace said the airport planned intermittent closings during the morning, allowing plow crews to clear the main runway for cargo planes and any emergency flights.
One thing about Bradley International Airport is that no mater what mother nature throws at it the airport always remains open.
As many of you know there is a serve winter storm battering the Northeast today and has for all purposes shut everything down for 24 hours. Gov. Dan Malloy asked people to stay off the roads but not everyone heeded that request.
Despite advice from the governor, the president of the Connecticut motor transport association and state police, some truckers still hit the highways this morning.
One truck was getting a little too close to a group of plow trucks on I-95 in Old Lyme. News 8 Reporter Kent Pierce summed it up as "driving while stupid."
Cars, trucks, SUVs were all getting into trouble if they dared to go out onto the highways. State police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said this morning police had responded to more than 500 requests for assistance, meaning vehicles that became stuck, disabled or which had spun-out.
State Police held over the midnight shift and called the morning shift in early to deal with the storm.
TheWrap.com has an amazing article on the status of the indie film world. Here are some excerpts.
Prior to 1990, they could get over 50 percent of their movie financed based on the value of the domestic market. Even though the value fell as distributors’ cut their commitments in the 1990s, the domestic market could provide a producer with 20-30 percent of his budget as late as 2007. And with that keystone in place, a producer could get the balance from foreign pre-sales and government subsidies.
This formula was not perfect, but it allowed indie producers to make such award winning films as "The English Patient," "Traffic" or "Babel." In 2008, however, the value of the American market virtually disappeared for the purpose of financing a movie. As one top producer told me in late 2010, ”It is now zero.”
What caused this sudden decline was the closing of most of the studio-backed specialty distributors. Within the space of a few months, New Line Cinema, Miramax, Fine Line Features, Picturehouse, Warner Independent Films, Fox Atomic and Paramount Vantage shut down. Most of the remaining ones sharply cutback on making advance commitments. The causes of this cratering ranged from faltering DVD sales in large retail chains to the ending of output deals by HBO and other Pay-TV channels.
Imagine if you signed an agreement for your film with one of this distributors that shut down? Where would that leave your film? Just sayin...
To get back this money, and make a profit, he must gamble that the unsold American rights will be sold after the movie is completed. But not all indie films ever get distributed in theaters of America. Every year tens of thousands of movies are submitted to film festivals, only a few dozen get meaningful distribution in theaters. And without such distribution, a movie has little chance of being licensed for TV or getting shelf space in major retailers for its DVDs.
Breitbart.tv Editor and Bank of Kev Blogger, Larry O’Connor hosts the nightly late night conservative talk show every Monday through Friday at Midnight ET.
Tonight we’ll discuss the Tucson shooting and the media’s reaction to it. We’ll be joined by Big Government contributor “Liberty Chick”.If you are looking for the best in late night talk on all the break news of the day this is the place to be.
I have conformation from numerous sources that Manny Camacho is alive, quite well and even kicking. Manny is informing us that his Facebook account has been hacked and someone posted the message of his passing.
I'm happy to hear my friend is alive and angry at the fucker who did this.
Manny Camacho (head of table of left) Carl Macek (head of table center) and Tommy Yune (head of table right) during a convention in Florida in 2007.
UPDATE: This story has been proven to be a hoax. See the post above.
I am heartbroken hearing the news today that GPX Games Founder and Convention Organizer Manny Camahcho has passed away from cancer this morning. Manny, was one of the people who helped me get the Robotech Convention Tour off the ground in 2005 at Kunicon St. Louis. He then went on to help us at a numerous shows over the next 5+ years. IT was always a joy to work wit him as he had the fans and our best interests always at the forefront of his mind.
It only seemed like yesterday we were on the phone working on putting together Robotech events at Kunicon St. Louis for the 20th Anniversary.
First a good Friend to Robotech has died and now this. From Geoff Fox personal website.
o, how was your day at work? Probably better than mine. After 26 years at 8 Elm Street I’m not being invited back at the end of my current contract. I got the word at 4:00 PM Wednesday. I’m done at the end of February.
Good God the media works fast. It wasn’t more than an hour later that Joe Amarante of the New Haven Register called tracking down the rumor!
I plan on working through to the end of my contract and the general manager has assured me I’ll be allowed to do so. That’s unusual in TV and so I’m grateful.
I will not talk about this on-the-air. That was left unsaid at today’s meeting, but it’s my interpretation of what’s right. It will be business as usual.
I spoke with Brittany Lyte at the Connecticut Post this evening. Here’s a little of her story.
“I’ve had a really, really good run here,” he said. “The people of Connecticut have been unbelievably nice to me and unbelievably gracious. I will be forever grateful to them — really. My paycheck may be paid by the television station, but I work for the viewers.”
“I’ve been in some people’s lives, in their homes, every day for their whole lives,” Fox said. “How many people get the privilege to do that?”
Now begins another chapter. Geez… that sounds so trite!
I’m not sure what I’ll do. I’d like to stay on-air in Connecticut, but all the good jobs are occupied by my friends.
I have prepared an audition website for a day like this and have sent that link to a few stations already. Ditching winter permanently is appealing!
I could see getting back into radio. Anybody need an angry liberal voice? I’ve hosted shows like Inside Space on SciFi and PM Magazine/Buffalo. I could host again. It’s possible I’ll even do commercials and corporate vdeos which my current position has kept me from doing.
I’m open to anything. I just don’t know. I’m still mostly in shock. I’m open to suggestions or recommendations.
The response on Facebook has been crazy. Hundreds of people have commented and expressed their support. Thank you all. It means a great deal to me and my family.
A class act will soon be off the air in CT. Early on in my blogging life (back in 2004) Geoff gave me some nice words of encouragement and was very cool. I'm just shocked
The unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 9.4 percent in December, and nonfarm payroll employment increased by 103,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment rose in leisure and hospitality and in health care but was little changed in other major industries.
The number of unemployed persons decreased by 556,000 to 14.5 million in December, and the unemployment rate dropped to 9.4 percent. Over the year, these measures were down from 15.2 million and 9.9 percent, respectively.
The one explanation for the difference would be an increase in discouraged workers. That number rose from last December by 389,000; November’s figures are not available (the historical data set was down). Also, the civilian labor force participation rate did drop to 64.3%, which indicates that people are still leaving the work force rather than rejoining it.
All in all, this is a disappointing report, even with the drop in the top-line number. For the year, job growth has averaged 94,000 per month, below the level needed to keep up with population growth. For workers and employers, 2010 was a lost year.
Since the unemployment rate has gone down that meas you all get a Gregalouge.
BURBANK, CA, January 4, 2011 – The Warner Bros. Pictures Group broke the all-time industry worldwide box office record with a 2010 gross of $4.814 billion, which surpasses the prior record of $4.010 billion (set by Warner Bros. in 2009). The announcement was made today by Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
Setting new benchmarks for both the international and global box office grosses in 2010 and retaining the domestic box office number one ranking (after achieving a record gross in 2009), the Studio now holds the industry record in all three categories. Additionally, Warner Bros. surpassed its own worldwide gross from the previous year by $800 million to earn the number one position in worldwide market share for the second consecutive year and for the sixth time in the past 10 years, also an industry record.
“We are so proud of these incredible accomplishments, which were made possible through the global efforts of an exceptional group of people who collaborated to create, produce, market, and distribute more than two dozen films this past year,” said Robinov. “We have a terrific leadership team behind these efforts, including Sue Kroll, Dan Fellman and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, and, along with Barry Meyer and Alan Horn, I applaud everyone who contributed to this year’s record-breaking success.”
Warner Bros. Pictures’ domestic gross is estimated at $1.884 billion, making it number one in domestic market share for 2010. This is the third year in a row the Studio has held that crown and is the only studio to exceed the $1 billion threshold domestically for 10 consecutive years. Warner Bros. has been ranked either one or two domestically for seven of the last 10 years. The Studio had five films gross over $100 million domestically in 2010 – “Inception,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1,” “Clash of the Titans,” “Valentine’s Day,” and “Due Date.”
“Our tentpole strategy combined with a remarkably diverse overall slate has once again proved enormously profitable at the box office,” said Dan Fellman, President, Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. “We could not be more proud of the Studio’s achievements this year.”
Warner Bros. Pictures International set a new industry record in overseas box office with an estimated $2.930 billion year-end gross, breaking the previous industry record of $2.450 billion in 2009. This is the tenth consecutive year the Studio has exceeded $1 billion and third time it has surpassed $2 billion in international box office receipts. The Studio has had seven films gross more than $100 million internationally in 2010 – “Sherlock Holmes” ($264 million, for a total of $315 million, including 2009’s take); “Valentine’s Day” ($106 million); “Clash of the Titans” ($330 million); “Sex and the City 2” ($193 million); “Inception” ($531 million); “Due Date” ($100 million); and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” ($611 million, and still in release).
“We’re elated to reach these incredible numbers internationally,” said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President, Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures International. “This achievement is a testament to the company’s strategy to make event films with global appeal, and it would not have been possible without the hard work and innovative thinking from our outstanding marketing and distribution teams around the world.”
Among the Studio’s 2011 releases are “Red Riding Hood,” directed by Catherine Hardwicke; the Zack Snyder-directed action fantasy “Sucker Punch”; “The Hangover Part II,” the sequel to the 2009 breakout hit; “Green Lantern,” the highly anticipated adaptation of the popular DC Comics title, starring Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively; the conclusion of the most successful film franchise of all time, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2”; “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” starring Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling; Steven Soderbergh’s thriller “Contagion,” with an ensemble cast led by Matt Damon; “Happy Feet 2,” the sequel to the 2006 Academy Award®-winning animated musical hit; New Line Cinema’s “New Year’s Eve,” an all-star ensemble romantic comedy from director Garry Marshall; and “Sherlock Holmes II,” Guy Ritchie’s follow up to the 2009 hit, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.
The main highway between Southern and Central California was shut Sunday in both directions as blowing snow and ice from another winter storm made driving conditions treacherous.
The Grapevine area of Interstate 5 was closed indefinitely around 1 p.m. after cars began sliding in lanes, said California Highway Patrol Officer Ed Jacobs. No major crashes were reported.
Vehicles were being detoured onto routes 14 and 58 through Lancaster and Mojave, though snow was also falling there, Jacobs said.
Winds were gusting to 90 miles in mountain areas and snow was accumulating at elevations as low as 1,500 feet. Between four and eight inches was expected in some areas. Forecasters said six inches was likely in Lancaster and at other spots on the Antelope Valley floor, which is about 2,300 feet above sea level.
By midafternoon, heavy snow made driving difficult in the Santa Clarita area, and steady rain had moved across the coastal plains and valleys.
More than an inch of rain was expected in the Los Angeles area through Monday, with temperatures dipping into the 40s.
It's the latest in a series of winter storms that saturated Southern California for much of December.
It is currently 40 degrees with heavy rain and wind here at the Bank of Kev compound. It has yet to snow here in the 10 years I have lived at the compound. As before, this storm with its wind and rain has an energy to it and so much so its snowing at the Eaton Ranch in Castaic.
