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Bourne Again: "Jason Bourne" a capably made slog of redundancy
Jason Bourne (2016)
Universal Pictures probably should have left well enough alone after Paul Greengrass turned down his first chance to direct a follow-up to the "Bourne" trilogy. Many might have thought "The Bourne Legacy"—the superfluous but surprisingly engaging 2012 spin-off with Jeremy Renner as a different super soldier—was the way to kill a franchise, it actually poses the question, "Where is Aaron Cross when you want him?" Reuniting director Greengrass (2013's "Captain Phillips") and star Matt Damon after 2004's "The Bourne Supremacy" and 2007's "The Bourne Ultimatum," the definitively titled "Jason Bourne" cannibalizes its own franchise for a duller rehash set in the post-Edward Snowden zeitgeist. The spare parts are certainly there, but this rebirth is only periodically thrilling and more often stale. Can Jason Bourne just call it a day and turn himself in already?
Jason Bourne/David Webb (Matt Damon) has been living off the grid and fighting in an underground ring in Greece, or something. Of course, he is still wanted, this time by CIA director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones), whose team is creating yet another black-ops program. When he reconnects with old CIA contact-turned-hacker Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), he discovers new information about his late father (Gregg Henry) and how he died. Concurrently, Dewey is in cahoots with young social media CEO Aaron Kalloor (Riz Ahmed) and his launch of a new phone app to invade every citizen's privacy, while determined CIA analyst Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander) wants the chance to bring in Bourne. Being pursued by assassin Asset (Vincent Cassel), the revenge-minded Bourne isn't about to go in quietly.
Strictly for those who want to see essentially the same movie audiences were treated to three times already, the cynically conceived "Jason Bourne" feels like it was created by way of "Mad Libs." There are new globe-trotting locations. There are new authoritative antagonists yelling at computer screens. And, instead of Operation Treadstone, there is Operation Iron Hand. Really, what is the difference? Whereas Paul Greengrass knew how to create momentum and found a way to push things at a propulsive clip then, this fifth entry is more like a cold slog to nowhere special, albeit with a few spurts of interest. It certainly isn't anything in Greengrass and editor Christopher Rouse's screenplay, which tries tapping into the relevance of cyberterrorism but barely does anything interesting with that idea. As an action film, it is proficiently made, at least when the skill of the choreography can actually be made out. Greengrass' old shooting-style habits die hard, going beyond kinetic and right into erratic, incoherent pummeling. There's an edgily executed motorcycle chase in the streets of Athens during a riot. Then, when Greengrass gets done trashing the Vegas strip with a Dodge Charger and a SWAT vehicle in an interminable chase that would be more at home in "Furious 7," there is also a brawl of blows and choking between Bourne and his assassin that is intense and full of nose-cracking realism but handled so frenetically. Throughout most of the action set-pieces, the choreography still gets lost in all the chaos of Barry Ackroyd's jerky, sometimes too-tight cinematography and co-writer Rouse's choppy editing.
Matt Damon is back in the saddle, nine years later as Jason Bourne. The actor is still persuasive in the stoic role, but almost all emotional connection to Bourne is gone here. He has been off the grid, sure, and he has most of his memory back, okay, but what exactly has he been doing in the interim? Don't ask such silly questions because that one is never answered. No one else has a life beyond the standard-issue plot of Bourne being tracked and then the CIA losing him; whether they are undynamic ciphers, pawns and/or cogs in the machine, this is Bourne's world and they're all just living in it. Even those who apparently share a past with Bourne hold little weight. As new CIA director Heather Lee, Alicia Vikander (2015's "The Danish Girl") brings a fierce intelligence to this nothing role whose motivations are constantly called into question. Julia Stiles makes a stone-faced return as Nicky Parsons and, once again, she is out of the picture before you know it as if the writers didn't know what to do with her anymore. Finally, Tommy Lee Jones is, well, Tommy Lee Jones.
Talk about a return engagement, minus the engagement. "The Bourne Ultimatum" made a muscular, satisfying capper to the supposed trilogy and "The Bourne Legacy" showed potential for a reboot with an entirely different character. "Jason Bourne," however, doesn't revitalize or bring anything freshly intriguing to the series, nor does it accomplish that much on its own terms. It might even make fans of the trilogy forget what made the previous films so engrossing in the first place. Before the series calling card of Moby's "Extreme Ways" gets cued up, there is the suggestion that there will be a next time, but perhaps Greengrass should just stop while he's ahead.
Labels: Alicia Vikander, Jason Bourne, Julia Stiles, Matt Damon, Paul Greengrass, The Bourne Ultimatum, Tommy Lee Jones
Moms Gone Wild: "Bad Moms" hilariously naughty but also insightful
"Bad Moms" has the courage of its convictions by being exactly the wild crowd-pleaser it thinks it is. It's uninhibited and naughty, but it's also ticklishly hilarious with the mouth of a sweet sailor and more insightful than its promo would suggest. Nobody needed a newsflash that there could be a gender turning of the tables in raunchy comedies—yes, women can be just as free and crazy as men—although it is still liberating when the women get to be defiant and call the shots. Known forever as "the writers of 'The Hangover,'" Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (2013's "21 & Over") wrote and directed this frisky and fun party romp in which the number of laughs can successfully be counted on more than both hands. This female-driven mix of bawdy humor and maternal empowerment may be predictable from a narrative standpoint, but it's been made with a heartfelt foundation and such comedic relish that the rollicking misbehaving feels well-earned.
32-year-old Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis) is an overworked, over-scheduled, perpetually late working mom of two (Oona Laurence, Emjay Anthony). While her husband, Mike (David Walton), is a layabout, she is underpaid working for a millennial-run coffee company in Chicago, picking their kids up from school and taking them to their respective after-school activities, having dinner ready and served, attending PTA meetings, and doing it all over again the next day and the next. After an especially long day, Amy is encouraged by tight-assed alpha-mom president Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate) to attend the PTA meeting at her kids' school, but she ends up firmly quitting the organization. Amy soon finds kindred spirits in two moms, the brash, inappropriate Carla (Kathryn Hahn) and needy, put-upon Kiki (Kristen Bell). All three of them are sick and tired of trying to be the perfect parent, and once Gwendolyn wages a war against her, Amy plans to bite back by running for PTA president and free every other mom from all the worthless meetings and bake sales. She has no fucks to give.
Even for a raucous R-rated comedy played for laughs, "Bad Moms" is smart and fundamentally truthful when it shows an understanding of how moms give their all each day, sometimes with little appreciation from anyone who isn't a mom. Striving for perfection and being on a busy schedule every hour of the day can be exhausting, so maybe caring a smidge less and cutting loose for a bit isn't so "bad." Writer-directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore clearly understand this notion from a male perspective, both being husbands and fathers, and thread the needle well by making sure the three women come off likable from the onset so their behavior doesn't strike as too infantile and irresponsible. Upon Amy quitting the PTA, she does undergo a swift change. She is too hungover from her obscene acts in the grocery store with her new friends to make breakfast for her kids. She plays hooky from work, talking back to her younger boss (Clark Duke), and instead enjoys a quiet breakfast to herself, goes shopping, takes in a matinee movie with the girls and goes to a fancy brunch afterwards. Basically, Amy is on a vacation from her life, and she deserves it.
Amy, Kiki and Carla—and Gwendolyn, for that matter—are all recognizable motherly types, but each one of the comedic performers brings a surprise that makes their characters more than two-dimensional. Mila Kunis is the glue, ensuring that Amy feels relatable, sympathetic and flawed, yet never acts below her intelligence. She is too much of a tough cookie to just be a doormat for her cheating dolt of a husband and Gwendolyn. Kristen Bell is always an inviting presence but also gets to be a sneakily daffy delight; it's especially fun to see her Kiki let her hair down and stand up to her controlling husband. Playing a rebellious mom with the most sexual agency, Kathryn Hahn is the gut-bustingly inspired standout, a wild-card dynamo slaying every tastily dirty one-liner without anything resembling a filter. Like Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids," this role could have been cartoonish, but Hahn finds a decency, loyalty and warmth in the otherwise entertainingly uncouth Carla. As Amy's counterpoint, Christina Applegate is an acerbic ace, even in an initially one-note role as the catty and calculating but insecure Gwendolyn. Her overly prepared PTA meeting, full of over-the-top PowerPoint presentations, is priceless, as is the final scene between her and Amy that cuts Gwendolyn down to size. In the two roles of Gwendolyn's mean-girl minions, Jada Pinkett Smith mainly has to follow Applegate but gives good side eye as Stacy, while Annie Mumolo gets to sneak in some sharp asides as the perpetually snubbed Vicky. As the sole male eye-candy who isn't a cheater or a complete idiot but gets to be objectified, Jay Hernandez is innately charismatic with the little bit he's given to do as hunky, idealistic widower and father Jessie.
"Bad Moms" is far from being the most attractive-looking film, seemingly shot through gauze and overlit like a sitcom set on the sun, and its story conflict may become strained. However, in the grand scheme of things, those are but small blips when generated laughter is a comedy's top priority. The game cast's ready-to-party vibe is so infectious that a montage of the trio's drunken rampage through the supermarket, cued to Icona Pop danceable "I Love It," after they first meet proves to be an uproariously funny and expertly edited centerpiece in spite of—or perhaps because of—its broadness. An uncircumcised penis bit goes on long, but the ladies don't beat it into the ground without producing a giggle. The end credits pack a nice touch, too. Instead of the dreaded blooper reel, there is a rather poignant and very amusing sit-down with six of the actresses and their mothers, remembering old times; Applegate's memory of being taken to 1980's "Cruising" is a major highlight. "Bad Moms" cannot attest to being wholly subversive, but it has enough of an appealing edge and the genuine belly laughs consistently arrive on schedule. This is what happens when you put a whole lot of funny women in a room and let the cameras roll, and it's saying something when those in charge of the dailies are two men.
Labels: Annie Mumolo, Bad Moms, Christina Applegate, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jon Lucas, Kathryn Hahn, kristen bell, mila kunis, Scott Moore
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid: "Lights Out" a crafty, creepy screamer
The fear walking into "Lights Out" was that it might feel like a short film with 78 more minutes of padding. Life for this horror film did, in fact, begin as a nightmare-fueled short of the same name in 2013. Director David F. Sandberg, who marks his feature debut here, had a simple but effectively creepy idea with a socko freakout: before a woman goes to sleep, she shuts off her hallway lightswitch but notices a female figure standing at the end of her hall; when she turns the light back on, the figure is gone. This pattern happens for a few more flips of the switch, and on the last time in the dark, the figure appears too close for comfort. With a modest budget and more than enough visual sense, Sandberg runs with his original gimmick with a screenplay by Eric Heisserer (he of the 2010 "A Nightmare on Elm Street" remake and the 2011 prequel of "The Thing") that establishes rules and sticks to them fairly well. As studio horror offerings go, "Lights Out" is as concerned with telling a story about mental illness tearing a family apart as much as it is with getting scares involving a supernatural threat.
Headstrong twentysomething Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) gets a call from her 10-year-old half-brother Martin's (Gabriel Bateman) school. He has been falling asleep in class due to his home life with their severely depressed mother, Sophie (Maria Bello), who keeps talking to someone named "Diana" in the darkness. Having left the family nest long ago after her father mysteriously left, Rebecca has been down this road before with her estranged mother, so she decides to let Martin stay with her so he can get some sleep. When Rebecca hears the name "Diana" and encounters the entity in the dark, it brings her back to the time she herself first encountered Mom's "friend" as a child. As long as Rebecca and Martin stay in the light long enough, they are safe, but the darkness will catch up to them.
"Lights Out" might share commonalities with "Darkness Falls," "Mama" and "The Babadook," but it has its own story to tell. Director David F. Sandberg gets great mileage out of his lights-off, lights-on trick, starting with the freaky cold open that replicates the 3-minute short. It's closing time at a textile factory managed by Sophie's husband and Martin's father, Paul (Billy Burke), who gets a taste of Diana's wrath. But first, one of his staff members (Lotta Losten, the director's wife from the short) gets spooked when flipping a light switch on and off. Luckily, Sandberg concocts more than a one-note round of jump scares, which are certainly there but executed with enough variance. He and screenwriter Eric Heisserer also treat their characters with respect, which is sometimes an anomaly in horror films. A possible pitfall of expanding a short idea is over-mythologizing, and director Sandberg and screenwriter Heisserer mostly dodge it by getting their exposition dump out of the way real quick. The logic that psychiatric records and cassette recordings would be left out in the open as evidence for Rebecca to find and peruse through is a bit of a stretch, so a slightly more forgiving suspension of disbelief is certainly necessary. A natural conclusion stares the filmmakers directly in the face and they end up choosing the right one. The resolution will certainly divide audiences, but no matter if it's deemed too off-putting, it is courageous.
Rebecca is written and acted by Teresa Palmer with an inner strength. It wouldn't have hurt to learn more about Rebecca, like what she does for a living. Is she a tattoo artist, or does she just live above a tattoo shop where the neon "Tattoo" sign outside her window blinks all night? Palmer still finds plenty of truthful notes, and the character takes risks staying in the light but never behaves like a typical horror-movie numbskull. Likewise, Gabriel Bateman (Cinemax's "Outcast") is a solid child actor, looking terrified on cue and acting as a real kid would. Maria Bello is quietly unstable and heartbreaking as Sophie, drawing more humanity than melodrama out of a maternal character who struggles to be maternal with her own children and has no idea how to free herself from the grip of her so-called friend. The role of Rebecca's refreshingly patient and supportive boyfriend Bret also never feels like a stock sitting duck from the way it's fulfilled by the engaging Alexander DiPersia. He's introduced early on in trying to stay the night with the emotionally unavailable Rebecca and even leaves at least one sock in her dresser drawer, and then once Bret still remains in one piece, he even has a crowd-cheering moment where he brings the light on Diana. As for Diana herself, the spindly figure is well performed by stuntwoman Alicia Vela-Bailey, who's as memorable as Samara in "The Ring," the woman in black in "The Woman in Black," and Mama in "Mama." Diana is creepiest when kept as a silhouette; when we get a shot or two of her up close and personal at the very end, it's plenty.
With a svelte 81-minute running time that never makes the story feel padded or rushed, "Lights Out" gets in, has one in the palm of its hand and then gets out. The kind of horror film where the viewer can scream and then laugh in relief, it's also one with enough nerve to be about something more thematically bold than most studio-bred horror fare. Director Sandberg makes sure the film has a stylish, clean look with expert cinematography and lighting, utilizing the latter especially when black lights, wind-up flashlights and cell phone lights smartly figure into the nerve-rattling climax all set in Sophie's home. When there are downright fun, veritably scary PG-13 horror surprises like "Lights Out," the R-rating and resorting to brutal violence actually are not missed. This is a crafty summer screamer.
Labels: Alexander DiPersia, David F. Sandberg, Gabriel Bateman, Horror Film, Lights Out, Maria Bello, Teresa Palmer
Ain't Afraid of No Sexists: "Ghostbusters" reboot could be sharper but still a good time
Already-angry fans of the beloved 1984 supernatural comedy "Ghostbusters" can calm down and swallow their preconceived notions; no one's childhood has been ruined. Sure, reworking an actual classic is a nervy, precarious proposition, but watching the execution is paramount. Responsible for three consistently strong comedies in the last five years, writer-director Paul Feig (2015's "Spy") teams back up with screenwriter Katie Dippold (2013's "The Heat") to throw a fresh coat of slime on a revered property. Instead of inviting fans of the original to compare, the new, gender-flipped "Ghostbusters" stands on its own and deserves a fair shake, even as one roots for it to get funnier than it really does. It may be more energetic and likable than hilarious, but the makers and cast of this reboot never forget to show their audience a good time.
On the verge of academic tenure at Columbia University, buttoned-up physics professor Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) is mortified when a book about the paranormal she co-authored surfaces for sale online. In hopes of getting it taken down, she reunites with former partner and estranged friend, Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), who published the book and continues to study her paranormal research at a college with oddball engineer Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon). Once Erin gets a call about an apparition sighting in a New York tourist mansion, the three witness it for themselves and Erin becomes a believer again. They're soon joined by MTA worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones), who encounters a ghost in the subway tunnel and believes her knowledge of the city would be valuable. Unable to afford an old firehouse, these smart, brave ladies decide to open up their services above a Chinese restaurant. When a fed-up nerd named Rowan North (Neil Casey) wants to get back at the world for wronging him, he devises an apocalyptic plan that will force the newly named Ghostbusters into action and bust their city's invasion of ghosts.
"Ghostbusters" finds a way of holding respect and affection for the Ivan Reitman original but forging its own path as a brand-new entry. As a tour guide (Zach Woods) spins his yarn about what makes the Adridge Mansion an old haunt, literally, before becoming subjected to the specter in the basement, the right tone of spooky fun is set. As writer-director Paul Feig and co-writer Katie Dippold make their way to acquainting the viewer with our new Ghostbusters, there is an actual history drawn between Erin and Abby and a reason why these friends have come to believe in the supernatural. It might not have hurt if these women had been written with lives that existed outside of their profession, but then again, their profession is their life and they don't have time to waste when proving to the world that ghosts do exist. Credit is due, though, for not thanklessly saddling any of the Ghostbusters with an actual love interest, even if Erin can barely function when around the girls' hot new receptionist Kevin (Chris Hemsworth).
Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones aren't merely female counterparts to Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. No, they have their own parts to play, and watching this group of brilliantly funny women work together in matching jumpsuits and proton packs is an infectious treat. Wiig and McCarthy aren't cutting loose here in the "straight (wo)man" roles—some will probably be pleased to learn that the latter's Abby is the least ribald of any character the actress has ever played in a lead role—but even though their characters are grounded the most in reality, they still provide quick-witted moments with their can't-miss comic timing. Playing gizmo technician Jillian Holtzmann on a wackier, more absurd plane with a lovably weird grin, McKinnon is exuberantly funny and a colorful live-wire if there ever was one. Even when McKinnon doesn't get a joke in a four shot, it's telling who the MVP is when one still can't take his or her eyes off of her. Her delivery is so distinct and enthusiastic that her third-act line about the year being 2040 is spit-out-your-soda funny. Jones lets it rip, too, with her fierce, brassy personality as Patty never coming off strictly as the token black Ghostbuster. The film also has a secret (or maybe not-so-secret) weapon in Chris Hemsworth. As an extension of his surprising comedy chops in 2015's "Vacation" reboot, the actor finds hilarious and endearing inspiration in playing dumb and hunky as the Ghostbusters' receptionist Kevin, who's decidedly hired more for his looks than his nonexistent smarts or skills.
Brightened by the effortless chemistry and dynamic between all four of its central performers, "Ghostbusters" is as cheerfully entertaining as it is disappointingly safe. Given the pedigree, one can't help but feel that the script could have stood a joke sharpener. The pacing is at least zippy and the finished cut tightly scripted, concentrating more on Erin, Abby, Jillian and Patty and not droning on with the human villain's master plan or the disbelieving mayor (Andy Garcia), but when a joke falls flat, it has the whiff of the "is-that-the-best-you-got?" variety. On the side of what actually lands, the repartee is generally solid; a self-aware nudge at Internet trolls is pointed without being cruel; there are cleverly integrated nods to "Jaws" and "The Wizard of Oz"; and a running joke with Abby's delivery food driver (Karan Soni) skimping on her wonton soup gets better each time. As far as director Feig's handling of the horror elements and action goes, the use of a ghostly mannequin is ingenious and the Times Square climax is a big, lively crowd-pleaser with fun use of the Macy's Day Parade balloons. With the VFX of the spirits slick and nifty as one could hope, this is decidedly Feig's brightest and most visually eye-popping film.
Even if the 2016 "Ghostbusters" may not be a frequently laugh-out-loud gas, it is impossible not to smile throughout and have one's spirits raised. Callbacks are welcome, such as the ambulance Ecto-1, Slimer (who gets a girlfriend) and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, but only a few of the obligatory cameos by the original "Ghostbusters" cast actually work without coming across as distracting fan service (for instance, a subtle salute to Harold Ramis is lovely). Musical orchestrations of Ray Parker Jr.'s original theme are appeased and updated with a funky spin by Fall Out Boy and Missy Elliott. There isn't an ounce of cynicism here, just joy. Calling these ladies back wouldn't be such a bad thing.
Labels: Chris Hemsworth, Ghostbusters, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Paul Feig, reboot
No Signal: Startling opener and no pulse thereafter makes "Cell" a dull yarn
Cell (2016)
The trend in adapting works by Stephen King has hitherto declined in recent years, and perhaps that's because some of his stories read better on the page than they do on film. An adaptation of King's 2006 novel, "Cell" is the latest misguided treatment and, were it any good, it might have seen a wide theatrical release back in the day with former marquee names like John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. Unfortunately, as written by Adam Alloca (2009's "The Last House on the Left") and King, himself, and directed by Tod Williams (2010's "Paranormal Activity 2"), this dull and unimaginatively realized technophobic horror-cautionary tale belongs down in the pits with "Maximum Overdrive," where Emilio Estevez was up against homicidal semi-trucks. It is a quarter "Dawn of the Dead," "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "The Happening" and "The Crazies," albeit without much of a comment to make—be a Luddite or become a zombie?—and the startling moments few and far between. Even a nightmarish concept derived from other movies can be effective if done well. In this case, though, it is impossible to believe that what has shown up on the screen was actually anyone's vision.
Maine graphic novelist Clay Riddell (John Cusack) has just landed in Boston's Logan Airport after landing a book deal. When an electromagnetic signal taps into everyone's cell phone, users are turned into wildly murderous, mouth-foaming zombies. With his cell battery dead, Clay manages to escape with subway train driver Tom (Samuel L. Jackson), and once they find temporary refuge in Clay's apartment building, they are joined by teenage upstairs neighbor Alice (Isabelle Fuhrman), who's still in shock from having to kill her infected mother. And then there were three, but as this trio of disparate survivors make their way through New England—Clay wants to find his estranged wife and son—the zombies ("phoners") are everywhere and the signal ("The Pulse") is far from over.
After the laughable stream of—not kidding—five production company logos and the most amateurishly designed credit sequence in some time, "Cell" at least ropes one in with its opening scene in the Logan Airport. Director Tod Williams doesn't let more than five minutes go by to ratchet up the anarchic intensity and deliver the gruesome goods: a police officer starts biting into his K-9 best friend; a teenage girl smashes her teeth into the wall until they fall out; a restaurant cook goes on a stabbing spree. It's as scary and unsettling as things get, and then after that, the film listlessly goes downhill and never gets back up. In a reunion of sorts after both appearing together in 2007's superior Stephen King adaptation "1408," John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are obviously more than capable but make a minimal impression. Cusack does his best to hold this familiar material together, but aside from his Clay Riddell, no other character is explored satisfactorily well. Isabelle Fuhrman, so astonishingly frightening at only 12 years old in 2009's "Orphan," conveys the most empathy as Alice, but she's as underserved by the script as anyone. Also, as an enigmatic school headmaster full of exposition, Stacy Keach has a handful of scenes but taken out of the picture too early.
If "Cell" begins with a jolt of urgency, the proceedings are as ineffectual as a cell phone dropping into a toilet bowl. At best, it's occasionally daft and erratically shot, and at worst, it's terribly unexciting. The two other times the film almost comes close to the buzz and pulse of its first scene is an attack in a tavern and the sight of a soccer field of zombies sleeping snug as a bug in a rug before being set ablaze. Then, there's the so-called "phoners," who emit the sound of a blenderized rock from their open mouths, but beyond the doozy opener, they are more annoying than threatening. By the time the viewer hopes the film will at least reach one of King's chillingly grim conclusions instead of his unsatisfying ones, this one self-destructs into idiotic incoherence. The inherent problem is that, despite an interesting take on the dangers of cell phones, "Cell" has already been beaten to the punch by many other zombie movies (and TV's "The Walking Dead"). With its aspirations and the outcome so vastly apart, there was a smarter, more frightening and thematic treatment within the filmmakers' reach. As is, this is just a B-movie in C-movie clothing, feeding debate on whether this is actually worse than the confused but ambitious and one-third-good mess that was 2003's "Dreamcatcher." One is better off just holding out for "It" and "The Dark Tower."
Labels: Cell, horror, Isabelle Fuhrman, John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Stephen King
Equals Attract: Plaza and Kendrick run off with sporadically funny "Mike and Dave"
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)
Raunchy R-rated comedy "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" is both better than most will be expecting and not nearly the outrageous laugh riot it probably should be. Purely by the willingness of the cast, some of the comedic bits hit, and there are rough patches as well. Based on a true story—sort of—the film likely plays fast and loose with the facts but swings for the fences to be a new generation's "Wedding Crashers" (which gets name-checked) mixed with a little "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" from the Hawaiian-set shenanigans. First-time feature director Jake Szymanski (HBO tennis mockumentary "7 Days in Hell") and screenwriters Andrew Jay Cohen and Brendan O'Brien (2016's "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising") don't really test the mainstream limits of an R-rating and, like Mike and Dave, the film hasn't too many brain cells in its pretty little head, but it is made sporadically funny by the appealing cast's comedy chops. Tempered expectations are surpassed, but still don't expect to convulse with laughter.
Tequila-selling business partners and brothers Mike (Adam Devine) and Dave Stangle (Zac Efron) have always been the life of the party, but they have always ended up chasing girls and ruining family gatherings. Their parents (Stephen Root, Stephanie Faracy) sit them down for an intervention and propose an ultimatum: Mike and Dave need to find respectable wedding dates to keep them in check for their baby sister Jeanie's (Sugar Lyn Beard) wedding in Hawaii. When recently unemployed train wrecks Tatiana (Aubrey Plaza) and Alice (Anna Kendrick) see the brothers making an appearance on The Wendy Williams Show to publicize their viral ad on Craigslist, the girls make it their mission to get a free vacation to Hawaii. The only catch is that they will have to clean up and play the parts of "nice girls," a charade that cannot continue that long before Tatiana and Alice will show their trashy true colors. Or maybe Mike and Dave found their matches?
The irony-dipped premise behind "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" probably should have been built with more tension and momentum than it actually has, but the viewer will decide to either go with it or not. Full of spontaneity, the cast has a wild time, and one can sense that a lot of ad-libbing was probably funnier on set than in the writing. Comic highlights include Tatiana pretending to be a goody-two-shoes schoolteacher, pulling out her glasses and No. 2 pencil, and Alice explaining the alleged hedge fund she manages. Jeanie's orgasmic session with her overly accommodating masseur (a physically limber Kumail Nanjiani), though, strains so much that it falls flat, but a "Jurassic Park" ATV tour is amusing. Then, aside from the odd one-liner to a musical performance of Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It" before the credits roll, the last third annoyingly tames itself down with apologies and loses energy too soon, shining a bright light on the areas in the script that could have used more punching up. At the expense of Mike and Dave's IQs, one of those unknowingly audible backstage arguments is contrived to force the characters to finally reveal their big hearts, slightly slamming on the brakes to what clearly just wants to be a diverting, snappy romp. For Alice and Dave, who might be the sweetest of the four, this softer side seems to come more naturally to them both since she's still wounded from being left at the altar and he wants to break away from his codependent brother to draw professionally. It is a plus that none of the morally dubious doofuses here become changed people overnight, but no one not resembling a human being has any business exposing sincere, tender feelings in a broad comedy that should be more interested in getting laughs.
Adam Devine and Zac Efron are actually convincing as brothers and hedonistic boobs, so in-sync with one another's charisma and zany exuberance. Resembling Jack Black a lot here, Devine still has his own manic, rubbery-faced presence, and Efron tries keeping up but isn't afforded as many laughs here as the buff straight man of the two. By the skin of its teeth, the film avoids becoming chauvinistic itself by having Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick swoop in and go wild as equal-opportunity offenders who can be just as horny, drunk and crazy as their male screen partners ("Women can do shit now!" one of them exclaims). Tatiana and Alice refuse to be taken advantage of, even though they themselves are playing Mike and Dave. While Efron and Devine are both game to win the title for "Most Obnoxious" and really seem to be trying to be funny, the hilariously off-kilter Plaza and the ever-lovely Kendrick are more likably naughty messes. There aren't many things the confidently potty-mouthed Plaza won't do—she did star alongside Efron in January's lazy, rotten-to-the-core "Dirty Grandpa," and we will forgive her for that lapse in judgment—and it's refreshing to see Kendrick playing more against-type. These two are the film's secret sauce and their gleefully uninhibited turns are the most fun to watch.
Rude, crude and puerile comedy can be done when it's cleverly scripted and performed with comically brazen gusto. "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" is not as savage or tight or consistent enough to give much more thought to after the summer, but in its defense, it has gusto in spades. Also stealing scenes in supporting roles, the tiny-voiced Sugar Lyn Beard (2012's "For a Good Time, Call…") remains a lovably perky sweetheart throughout as Mike and Dave's sister Jeanie; Sam Richardson is likable with a sneaky backbone as Jeanie's fiancée Eric; and Alice Wetterlund (HBO's "Silicon Valley") goes for it as bisexual cousin Terry who keeps making a pass at Tatiana. There are several laugh-out-loud funny moments, many of them courtesy of the free-wheeling Plaza and Kendrick, that the unworkable gags and disingenuous attempts to bring heart can't completely bring it all down. Mike and Dave just needed to get out of the way and let their hell-raising wedding dates do their thing.
Labels: Adam DeVine, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Comedy, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Zac Eron
Pet Story: "Secret Life of Pets" minor yet charming, lively and clever enough
Pixar's "Finding Dory" and Disney Animation's "Zootopia" have already won bragging rights as this year's two best animated efforts, but Illumination Entertainment's "The Secret Life of Pets" isn't too far behind. It isn't working on those films' level, and that's okay. Like 1995's "Toy Story," "The Secret Life of Pets" is very clever in its conception, asking the question: What do toys pets do when their owners are not home? Do they watch TV? Do they open the fridge and stare with their mouth watering at tonight's dinner? Most likely, they're just sleeping for those 8 hours we are gone, but just go with it. Though the story proper is slighter than one would like it to be, the anthropomorphic-animal hijinks are lively and entertaining, the sight gags and verbal jokes are highly amusing, and the whole thing moves at a clip rate and just charms the viewer into submission.
Ever since he was found on the streets of Manhattan and adopted, small terrier Max (voiced by Louis C.K.) loves his owner Katie (Ellie Kemper). The two build such a bond over the years that Max can't imagine anything ever changing that. When Katie goes to work, he socializes with his friends on all different in Katie's apartment building, including soap opera-watching Pomeranian Gidget (Jenny Slate) who has feelings for Max. The happy life changes for Max when Katie brings home Duke (Eric Stonestreet), a big, shaggy rescue mutt who starts to take over. As Max feels threatened and has had enough, he tries to sabotage Duke but after some other circumstances, the two dogs get separated from the local dog-walker and must make the incredible journey back home. They're not only tailed by Animal Control but eventually become pursued by a gang of now-undomesticated animals abandoned by their owners and living in the sewers to take orders from revolution leader Snowball (Kevin Hart), a buck-toothed, cotton-tailed bunny. Meanwhile, Gidget leads all of the pets from the building to find Max and Duke.
Directors Chris Renaud (2013's "Despicable Me 2") and Yarrow Cheney, along with screenwriters Ken Daurio, Brian Lynch and Cinco Paul, concocted such a simple yet inventive concept for "The Secret Life of Pets" that it's a surprise no one thought of it sooner. Of course, a premise cannot carry an entire feature film, so when that idea does have to spring into a story, the adventure plot is maybe less special once Max and Duke hit the streets but still full of quick-witted, rather inspired details that deserve credit. The opening montage that checks in on every animal in the apartment building is most certainly a high point. There are jokes with retractable leashes and a dog's penchant for chasing after bouncy balls and barking outside at squirrels. The filmmakers don't forget about cats, either, and their obsession with boxes, mouse toys and laser pointers. Though heavily featured in the advertisements, there's a fleeting, yet very funny, bit with a hoity-toity owner leaving his well-behaved poodle Leonard who quickly morphs into a head-banging metal fan. Everything with Pops (Dana Carvey), an old-timer Basset Hound on wheels, is also worth a chuckle every time.
In a large roll call of comedic voice talent, Louis C.K.'s vocal work as lap dog Max is likable and warm, and Eric Stonestreet has that innate puppy-dog charm in his voice as Duke. There are numerous standouts, including the vocally distinct Jenny Slate adorably exuberant as Gidget; Lake Bell, very funny as irritable, care-free cat Chloe; and Albert Brooks, not playing another clownfish but a predatory eagle named Tiberius who agrees not to eat Gidget and help her find her true love. On the villainous side, Kevin Hart is hilarious as scheming bunny Snowball, particularly when he loudly bursts into tears at the shrine of another "flushed pet," a duck named Ricky. Despite the premise being about what the pets do when their owners aren't around, Ellie Kemper's comic talents are underused as human owner Katie (whose body is animated as almost freakishly slender), but her perpetually cheerful voice is always nice to hear.
"The Secret Life of Pets" might become a bit overly convoluted in its plotting, with a few too many antics, captures and escapes, and the predictable revelation of Duke's former owner does not have the resonance it could have had. Whatever flaws the picture has are eclipsed by the bigger picture and its many delights. The opening moments, cued to Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York," are energetic and swiftly animated, making for a nice introduction to Max and Katie. At its worst, the film is just really pleasant, and even then, there are little strange undercurrents around the edges. When Max and Duke make their way into a sausage factory, they engage in a memorably offbeat musical number of a certain "Grease" hit with the frolicsome meat casings; it's a digression so giddily infectious and yet so out of the ordinary. Also, continuing with the mindset of the "Cats & Dogs" films, cats are back to being slinky menaces to society, this time a skeleton-thin alley cat leader voiced by Steve Coogan. It then all ends on an upbeat note, starting with the foot-tapping aural pleasure of Bill Withers' 1977 R&B song "Lovely Day." Even if it may not endure—much like the rest of Illumination's output (they are the home of the Minions)—"The Secret Life of Pets" is reasonably enjoyable as it plays out.
Labels: Albert Brooks, Animation, Comedy, Dana Carvey, Ellie Kemper, Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate, Kevin Hart, Lake Bell, Louis C.K., The Secret Life of Pets
Pulp Non-Fiction: "Carnage Park" knows its grindhouse trappings but serves little point
Carnage Park (2016)
A pulpy, guns-blasting '70s-style grindhouse exercise, "Carnage Park" has all the trappings of a drive-in nasty. It's pitch as black but so stripped-down and stylistically influenced that it never entirely feels like a complete film or its own. It's almost all bones and little meat. Earlier in the year already, writer-director Mickey Keating made a stylishly creepy Polanski-esque horror film out of "Darling," but the mood was sustainable. This time, straightforwardness just isn't enough, and that's a shame considering there are things to admire. According to the opening text, the film purports to be based on "perhaps the most bizarre episode in the annals of American crime" where the names of the actual people involved had to be changed out of respect, "Fargo"-style. Regardless of that claim, "Carnage Park" never ventures below the surface of a cool-looking genre exercise that has no greater point.
California, 1978. After a botched bank robbery, outlaw "Scorpion Joe" (James Landry Hebert) and his partner in crime, Lenny (Michael Villar), kidnap young woman Vivian Fontaine (Ashley Bell), who was just at the right place trying to have a loan approved and save her family's farm at the wrong time. Once she is taken out of the criminals' trunk, things only get worse for Vivian, as her captors unwittingly drive into the desert terrain (read: killing ground) of deranged ex-Vietnam War sniper Wyatt Moss (Pat Healy). The psycho's brother (Alan Ruck), also the local sheriff, tries to bring Wyatt in, but it's too late. And that's about it, really.
From the opening credit sequence, "Carnage Park" has the sun-scorched Western look and feel of a Sergio Leone homage. Then, after a robbery gone wrong, there's a narrative rewind à la Quentin Tarantino and then it becomes a slasher chase picture. There's nothing wrong with a bait and switch, but once writer-director Keating wants to take a different direction, he doesn't seem to take it anywhere of note. Keating is not one to shirk away from the raw violence—a scene only about one-third of the way through where Vivian wakes up handcuffed to a corpse and must free herself is nicely brutal—and the dry desert landscape is always a scarily vast place for bloodshed. A shoot-out that progresses into a chase in a dark, corpse-filled mine shaft comes the closest to really jangling the nerves. Even then, this set-piece is shot in such an unruly manner and too darkly lit to decipher what is going on, rendering the conclusion sorely anticlimactic. The mine shaft setting could not only be taken from the under-celebrated "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" but the last scene, too, where terror grows into hysterical relief.
Before her life is placed in graver danger than losing her house, Vivian sure is tough, giving the condescending bank manager hell. Devoting the right level of hysterics without overplaying it, the doe-eyed Ashley Bell (2013's "The Last Exorcism Part II") puts her everything into Vivian, an efficiently drawn part that asks her to go through the emotional and physical wringer but ultimately doesn't give her much else in return. She is a pretty capable heroine, though. When he's showing his face or hiding behind a gas mask not unlike the pick-axe killer from "My Bloody Valentine," Pat Healy is menacing and forbidding, but beyond waxing Biblical, this guy is just cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. And, yes, at some point, Larry Fessenden does make an appearance.
Even at a scant 81 minutes, "Carnage Park" feels all too repetitive and ultimately inconsequential, striking one note ad infinitum. Director Keating's attention-getting deftness behind the camera is never in doubt, but his screenplay seems to lack the context needed for any of the savage violence to feel satisfactorily earned. Still, from a production standpoint, the film is as close to top-notch as a low-budget cinematic affair can get, with Mac Fisken's razor-sharp cinematography at the top of the list and Giona Ostinelli's disconcerting score not far behind. Keating does have talent, but his films could eventually take the risk of feeling like mere imitations rather than the genuine article, no matter how gnarly the carnage.
Labels: Alan Ruck, Ashley Bell, Carnage Park, Darling, Larry Fessenden, Mickey Keating, Pat Healy
Thug Life: "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" an offbeat, endearing Kiwi-grown charmer
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Put the Kiwi twist on any genre and the result can end up disarmingly wonky and fresh. Following up 2015's clever, often hilarious vampire mockumentary "What We Do in the Shadows," writer-director Taika Waititi adapts Barry Crump's young-adult book "Wild Pork and Watercress" with "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," a thoroughly likable coming-of-age comedy sauteed with the danger of an on-the-lam adventure story in the great outdoors. All in all, it's a happy surprise that conquers convention with its own unique, homegrown spirit and manages an undeniable sweetness without coming across cloying or unearned. If only all stories about a teenage gangster wannabe and his crusty, illiterate hunter uncle going on the run could be this charming.
Rap-loving, not-so-pleasantly plump 13-year-old Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) is a hooligan foster kid whom no one wants. Out of juvie, the boy is dropped off by case worker Paula (Rachel House) at the countryside home of eccentric couple Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and Hec (Sam Neill). She is more welcoming and cares for Ricky as if he were her own, while her husband is just plain cranky. After Hec is left alone to take care of Ricky all by himself, they receive a letter from Paula, who will have to bring Ricky back into state custody before other parental arrangements are made. Not about to let that happen, Ricky (with his dog Tupac in tow) stages his own death and sets off into the New Zealand bush. Hec goes looking for his would-be nephew and then the chase from Paula and her team is on.
Written and directed by Taika Waititi, "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" is unlike any comedy where a cantankerous adult and a precocious child put aside their differences and gradually learn how similar they are to one another. In its own quirky indie-movie kind of way, the film even avoids being too preciously cute, unlike Waititi's self-consciously oddball "Eagle vs Shark." When Ricky and Hec live off the land, they encounter other colorful characters, including Kahu (Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne), a sarcastic girl who makes Ricky swoon when she rescues him on horseback; Kahu's ne'er-do-well father TK (Troy Kingi), who wants to take "selfies" with media sensation Ricky; and Psycho Sam (Rhys Darby), a paranoid hermit. All of them add to the whole fairy-tale vibe of it all.
Relative newcomer Julian Dennison (2014's "Paper Planes") is fantastic, a real find and a pure natural with deadpan comic timing and the ability to make Ricky Baker's troublemaker-with-a-heart-of-gold endearing and even adorable. He holds his own against acting veteran Sam Neill, who's effectively prickly and unexpectedly funny as Hec; Neill's flabbergasted reaction shots are priceless and their love-hate chemistry is wonderful. Rima Te Wiata (2014's "Housebound") has such a delightfully daffy presence as the cheerful Bella, who grows to genuinely care about the troublesome Ricky, even if her screen time ends as briefly as her foster mum character's life. Rachel House, as over-eager child welfare worker Paula, is also a broad hoot as she takes a delusional turn into a ruthless police officer with a one track mind to find Ricky.
"Hunt for the Wilderpeople" is definitely a crowd-pleaser, but it's the smart, offbeat kind, rooted in emotional truth rather than artifice. There are laughs both big and small, as well as an affecting payoff after an encounter with a wild boar. Hec being mistaken for being a pervert from Ricky's double entendre-filled story to a group of hunters at a shelter actually lands a lot better than it sounds. There's also a very funny Terminator/Sarah Connor running joke. It all culminates in a helicopter police chase, not unlike "Thelma and Louise" but without that same unsparing conclusion. Even though "majestical" isn't a word as Hec tells Ricky, these characters make their film just that.
Labels: Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Julian Dennison, New Zealand, Rachel House, Rima Te Wiata, Sam Neill, Taika Waititi, What We Do in the Shadows
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Counseling Care
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Puentes de Esperanza Continues to Make a Difference
Jared Talks About How Hoyleton Helped Him And His Family
Chris Cox, President & CEO of Hoyleton selected as one of 36 members for Gov.-Elect Pritzker Healthy Children and Families Committee
Most RecentClient StoriesFeatured Community PartnersStories in EspañolTeam Member Stories
Chicago, IL — Recently, Governor-elect JB Pritzker announced the formation and members of the Healthy Children and Families Committee of the transition team at Children's Home and Aid, the first social service agency JB visited while considering his run for governor. Chris Cox, President and CEO of Hoyleton Youth and Family Services was named to the Governor's committee.
The Healthy Children and Families Committee will be chaired by state Sen. Heather Steans, Howard Brown Health President and CEO David Munar, and Children's Home and Aid President and CEO Nancy Ronquillo.
"Our transition's Healthy Children and Families Committee will focus on how we should rebuild social services, identify ways we can help children and families build better lives, and expand health care in this state," said Governor-elect JB Pritzker. "Over the last few years, state funding for community organizations was cut and families were no longer receiving the services they needed to thrive, but we're going to reverse course. As governor, I'll be their partner, and together, we'll confront challenges head on so families and children can thrive."
"It's time for Illinois to be a leader in this area and do something that's big and bold," said Cox. "The Governor-elect's focus on the well-being of youth and families in our state and rebuilding social services is critical to Hoyleton's work in 55 counties in Southern Illinois.
Since 1895, Hoyleton Youth and Family Services has grown to be one of Southern Illinois' leaders in a wide array of services including residential, foster and adoptive services, community education, counseling, and services for emerging adults. Hoyleton is just one of 50 agencies nationally and the only agency in the Midwest implementing Cornell University's Residential Child Care Project (CARE), a new research-based best practices model.
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Home › what is › The Downside Risk of Batman Vs Flash That No One Is Talking About
The Downside Risk of Batman Vs Flash That No One Is Talking About
There's no extensive brooding. Tony Stark is among the most well-known Marvel characters thus far. He has created various powerful suits that he can even defeat the Phoenix Force. So, the food for flashes have to be inside a container of some sort, in the chamber.
Rampaging Hulk isn't an issue either. Needless to say, resurrecting Superman has side consequences. Batman is quite a bit more f*cking awesome. Batman gets a decent nights sleep. Batman vs Iron Man has ever been a debate for several years. Since it's the exact old Batman.
With this kind of a feat, Batman fans feel he can easily produce plan to defeat Tony Stark. DC fans don't enjoy that truth, obviously. There are a great deal of strategies to sound cool. Take away the wrestling matches, and everything you've got is a lot of racist caricatures interacting with one another. Despite what you may have heard, Suicide Squad isn't a lousy movie. There is really no superior play for Warner here. Individuals aren't likely to stomp from the theater in disgust and confusion.
Batman Vs Flash - the Story
When there's 1 thing Bendis knows the way to do, it's to compose quippy C-list villains. Vril Drox, AKA Brainiac, is going to be the villain for the very first season. Netflix is another process to expose individuals to certain shows. When you have yet to consider the superhero getup, then begin considering names that likewise provide you ideas for your wardrobe.
The Basics of Batman Vs Flash
The scene proved to be a significant talking point as soon as the movie came out two years back and it left many DC fans confused. Agent CarterPASSWith a female protagonist, there are various scenes where Peggy encounters another woman who's ready to speak about something centered around the plot instead of around a guy. Your movies might be great. Needless to say, it doesn't help that the caliber of the films is subpar, and that needs to be the priority regardless. The exact same fans that are likely to observe the film no matter what. Because the huge actors portraying the principal characters so far have contracts that expire, and we are going to want to have new characters come in the fold. Also, as a result of time travel, characters from a number of timelines could potentially join in also.
Inside my case, 1 night is the duration of time needed. The shows will have the ability to regain their leading position and by that which we know, there's indeed no reason to feel that it wasn't possible. BLACK LIGHTNING Episode 1 is about its themes, first of all, and luckily, it manages to be successful at each step.
Taking a look at the very first dozen MCU films reveals some intriguing facts. Then check whether it's been uploaded or not. Instead, it's just plain dull. Take what you would like from that. To take an unknown portion of the DC universe and generate a seven-year plan for it's risky enough.
Any of his creator-owned works can normally be summed up in a sentence, and frequently the sentence is much better than the fully-realized outcome. Obviously, it's still tricky to say who will win given time to understand each other. Everybody knows that the start of the year is when the entire world turns the page and begins their journey toward a much healthier life.
You are going to have to pick up the book to discover why! Heist stories ought to be suspenseful. For more background info you may take a look at my Young Justice article. If you have the ability to spot some others then please don't hesitate to mention them in the comments and I will attempt to include them. As a consequence the question arises of whether the two can truly attain their perfect life when they're mourning an ideal illusion in real life.
Speed is the thing that defines the Flash, after all, therefore it is reasonable. Meaning Flash nor Superman were the individuals who really altered the outcome. The media does everything in their opinion. The media have become the most important tool, since they have the ability to advertise and promote anything.
Anything before the introduction of the internet receives a pass, but just barely. The character of the show attracted a wide range of people to the sequence. The important thing is to capture the coming-of-age, higher school characteristics of the comicsthe part which makes Spider-Man so relatable.
Sure, it may work if it's achieved in a similar style to the prior Thor movies but a whole lot of the humorous characters of the preceding movies won't be returning, so now is the ideal time for the Odinson to have the dark epic he deserves. The very best choice wouldn't be a difficult reboot, starting from scratch. Therefore, some believe an option might be to replace the DCEU. The second choice may be to reboot.
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Études Féministes et Études Genre en Illinois
Women's Studies Program, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington
Gender and Women's Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign
Women's Studies Program, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston
Women's and Gender Studies minor, Columbia College, Chicago
Women's and Gender Studies Program, DePaul University, Chicago
Women's Studies and Gender Studies Program, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago
Women's Studies Program, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago
Women's and Gender Studies program, Roosevelt University, Chicago
Center for Gender Studies, University of Chicago, Chicago
Department of Gender and Women's Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago
Gender Studies minor, Millikin University, Decatur
Women's Studies Program, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb
Women's Studies Interdisciplinary Minor Program, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville
Gender and Women's Studies Department, Knox College, Galesburg
Gender and Women's Studies Program, Illinois College, Jacksonville
Program in Women's and Gender Studies, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest
Department of Women's Studies, Western Illinois University, Macomb
Women's Studies Program, Monmouth College, Monmouth
Women's and Gender Studies Program, Illinois State University, Normal
Women's Studies Program, Bradley University, Peoria
Women's and Gender Studies Minor, Quincy University, Quincy
Women's and Gender Studies, Augustana College, Rock Island
Women's Studies Program, Lewis University, Romeoville
Women and Gender Studies Department, University of Illinois at Springfield, Springfield


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QE Synthesis
Mapping the antecedents, mediating variables and organisational change outcomes of a non-profit organisation
This project involved analysis and synthesis of in-depth interviews with the various stakeholders of a nonprofit organisation that received a grant for organisational development towards the goal of becoming financially sustainable at scale. The objective was to evaluate the non-profit's success in implementing strategies and organisational changes towards achieving financial sustainability.
I used Atlas.ti, a qualitative coding software to code and analyse the 28 interview transcripts of the non-profit's leaders, employees, program facilitators and beneficiaries. I developed a coding system that centred around three concepts:
Coherence – structure, orientation, cultural norms and context
Elaboration – description, sense of self, emotions
Evaluation – causality, insight, integration
Outcomes: A framework that categorised the key actors, events and core processes of the organisation into antecedent conditions, mediating variables and outcomes. This framework presented the multiple and interacting influences that are inherent in an organisation's evolution while highlighting the outcome pathways that resulted from the various processes that were implemented.
Values, attitudes and beliefs of marginalised groups for a skill development programme
My role in this research project for Development Solutions, a research organisation focused on the social sector, involved doing a qualitative content analysis of 90 interview transcripts of marginalised people (women, youth and persons with disabilities) across 3 cities who were adversely impacted by Covid-19.
The aim was to cull out important themes that would inform the design and implementation of a skill development programme.
I used emotion coding, values coding, evaluation coding, causation coding and categorisation methods to discern motives, belief systems, world-views, processes, recent histories, interrelationships, and the complexity of influences and affects on human actions in the context of Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdowns. Codes were then thematically categorised.
Outcomes: Final report that included the synthesis, literature review and design propositions for the skill development initiative. Diagrams and network displays were used to underscore the causes, conditions and context that became the grist for the design propositions.
Cultural influences around buying jewellery
This research was conducted for a modern jewellery brand in Punjab, a challenging market for the company. I was interested in using a qualitative lens to understand how culture, presentation of self, social roles and expectations, relationships and social emotions like trust impact decisions around buying jewellery.
Two rounds of interviews and diary studies were conducted with 21 participants. Transcripts were coded. The analysis and final report incorporated visual data representations of the coded elements.
I applied the social theories of embodiment, habitus, constraint and agency to the analysis and also attended to the role these constructs play in cultivating a sense of identity.
Outcomes: While attending to the key themes of trust, social ties, prestige and gifting that came up in the analysis, my synthesis provided specific recommendations for the client's digital marketing strategy around ideas of instilling agency and building communities.
Baseline and endline surveys for Government school children participating in skill building programmes
I designed surveys for Going to School, the innovative education NGO, to assess the impact of their flagship programmes in nurturing design thinking skills for Government school children in Bihar and Mumbai. As the survey respondents were young children, in simple language the surveys had to test the child's learning outcomes, assess creativity, and changes in attitudes, aspirations, beliefs and levels of confidence.
I engaged in conversations with children and parents virtually where I paid attention to:
social cues, rituals, changes in responsibilities, emotions
access to vital resources like food, health care, information and also other shared resources like technology and space
Outcomes: The questionnaires created in simple language incorporated a mix of multiple choice and free answer questions to allow for as clear answers as possible while assessing a range of STEM learning outcomes and the programme's impact on aspirations and mindsets. These questionnaires were used in reports for donors, policy recommendations to the Government, and in designing future iterations of the programmes.
Qualitative analysis of vaccine hesitancy in Japan
In addition to expert interviews with public health professionals in Japan, I used qualitative data analysis methods to analyze historical narratives around vaccines in Japan. This included tracing patterns around the formation of attitudes and mindsets. Comparative analysis with successful vaccination campaigns in India and a few other countries provided perspective on the role of institutions, the government, and community mobilization in different cultural contexts.
While my language proficiency allowed me to read academic papers in Japanese, my lived experience in Japan provided me with a deep contextual understanding of the nuances around social dynamics, expectations and risk.
Outcomes: I presented my analysis in a round table discussion with doctors, public health experts and anthropologists organised by the International Longevity Centre. The purpose of the discussion was to inform further research on vaccine hesitancy in Japan.
Unpacking the meaning of sweet (meetha) for the Indian consumer
I was a consultant with Quantum Consumer Solutions for this qualitative study for a large FMCG brand that was conducted virtually across 4 regions of the country. I observed interviews, managed data collection and was part of the team that analysed the data and prepared the final decks. Through this project I got to experience first hand and reflect on the methods used by a large research firm such as Quantum.
Outcomes: Frameworks for brand positioning and identification of new opportunity spaces for the client.
Reflections: This project reinforced my belief in the importance of research design and asking meaningful questions. Having a large team to run the logistics is not sufficient and does not make up for an uninspired research plan. If I had the opportunity to design this research these are some of the things I would have done.
Explore individual choice versus constraints, resources, rituals, social practices and influences, how did these sweet foods get into the local cuisine and the bigger systems around food supply.
Use semiotic theory to interpret the evolution, meaning and significance of food and its implications as a lived experience, in advertising, on social media.
Look for people within the community who can introduce friends and relatives from their network that represent a range of ages, lifestyles, geographies and interests.
Run interactive diary studies via Whatsapp chat to ensure meaningful data is collected.
Ethnographies on recently rehabilitated people in Bhuj
Hunnarshala, a sustainable housing NGO in Bhuj specialises in rehabilitating people and livelihoods that are victims of natural and humanitarian disasters. Typically architecture practices produce a technical post occupancy analysis for completed projects. Hunnarshala was interested in an ethnographically rich analysis that looked at how people's lives and aspirations had changed with their new living conditions.
I designed this research study to incorporate ethnographic methods such as in depth interviews, observation, household surveys, and studying movement through space and architecture. The idea was to use these ethnographies for film, research papers and exhibits for Hunnarshala.
I started doing the first round of interviews in March 2020 when the sudden lockdown was announced . Field research had to stop abruptly. Moving online was not feasible at the time. The project has been on hold.
Emotional motivators that trigger consumption of lifestyle brands
I conducted exploratory research in Bengaluru and Indore for a Japanese lifestyle brand to understand how millennial consumers choose brands and products for their home. This involved fundamental questions around the meaning of the home and material objects in it, the movement of material objects, colour and fragrance, spiritual and religious practices, sentimental value of objects, their lifestyle and aspirations and more, all in the context of their culture and domestic environment.
In addition to 10 ethnographic interviews conducted in each location, I accompanied a few research participants on their shopping trips to observe processes. Ad hoc interviews in shopping malls were also conducted.
Outcomes: Frameworks for decoding rituals and behaviour around material objects in the house, how people use things and the relationships they have with these objects, how things acquire meaning and value for people and by extension how status is perceived and portrayed through material objects and decisions around what brands to buy. Pathways for developing an emotional connection between the brand and consumers.


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Q: Compare and print HTML DOM diffs I am pretty struggling with this task. I want to run a program that compares 2 HTMLs and prints the diffs in its DOMS.
Using JAVA
the diffs that interest me are - which elements were deleted, which were added, and which changed location?
I came across Jsoup and thought of combining it with selenium but couldn't really understand how and I struggle with it. I dont mind to use any other lib
My goal is to track the URL layout, so I need to know
1. How do initially save the URL layout?
2. How do I compare the "original" saved layout, with the new "production up to date" layout and print the relevant diffs?
Thanks!!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The West Australian has launched its new website with a cleaner design and increased user efficiency.
The masthead's owner, Seven West Media, said it was important to create a high impact and brand safe digital environment for advertisers. The new design has the added benefit of providing improved advertising opportunities, with new ad products and improved viewability.
"We deliver quality, compelling journalism in print and online every day. The experience our readers have when they consume our journalism online is important to us and this update significantly improves that experience," said The West Australian editor Brett McCarthy.
The website is designed to better align with the look and feel of the print product. It also allows for further integration of video, following the amalgamation of The West Australian, The Sunday Times, PerthNow and 7 News Perth newsrooms.
Dan Stinton will be moving on to the Guardian Australia, taking up the role of MD.
The update is the first major change in design since the site relaunched in December 2016, when The West Australian took control of its direct to consumer digital products from Yahoo7. The site's mobile app launched in April 2017.
The new website coincides with the departure of Seven West Media's head of digital Dan Stinton, who will be joining the Guardian Australia as managing director.


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John L. (Lin) McCraw, III
Charlie Ginn
Jason Klotz
Gloria Campos
Fiduciary and Business Fraud
Free Consultation Call 24/7
Frisco Hospice Executive Admits to Overdosing Patients 'to hasten their deaths' and Make More Money
I read this story in a news feed in the Dallas Morning News by justice system reporter Jennifer Emily last week and I just had to comment about the story. This story was first reported in February of 2017 as individuals were indicted in the case. Criminal indictments had been returned against the owners of the one of the largest hospice providers in North Texas, Novus Health Services and Optim Health Services Inc*., doctors associated with the companies, and executives at the companies for what amounts to Medicare fraud. More shocking is the length to which the defendants allegedly went to commit the $60 million dollar Medicare fraud scheme which may have included hastening the deaths of residents according to a company executive that just plead guilty in the case.
A company executive, Melanie Murphy, plead guilty to Medicare fraud. Court records allege that the owner of Novus actually hastened or contributed to the deaths of patients being treated by Novus when those patient's Medicare eligibility for enhanced palliative care was exhausted. If true, it is a bombshell. In criminal law they call it murder or potentially multiple murders for cold hard cash. The fact that this type of alleged wrongdoing was uncovered at all is likely a testament to the civil justice system and a little know anti-corruption federal law that empowers federal prosecutors.
Reading between the lines of the stories, it looks like a classic qui tam case to uncover the initial billing wrongdoing and tip off federal law enforcement that potential criminal action was afoot. Federal law allows a person with knowledge of a fraud on the federal government, any governmental contractor including medical contractor, to blow the whistle on the wrongdoing and actually receive a percentage of the recovery back to the federal government. To qualify the person with knowledge of the fraud hires a lawyer and files a federal lawsuit under seal, together with evidence supporting the claim. The first person to file the qui tam action is eligible for the fee as long as all of the stringent legal requirements are met. Thereafter, the appropriate federal law enforcement agency, investigates the case and the United States Attorney decides whether to intervene in the case and when to intervene. Frequently, when wrongdoing is verified, criminal cases follow even before the qui tam action is allowed to go forward to a civil trial. The person bringing the qui tam case has federal protection from retaliation for bringing the case as well.
At my firm we can and have handled qui tam actions that have returned a lot of taxpayer's money from the hands of corporate criminals back to the federal government. I suspect, but do not know for sure, that a similar qui tam action is the genesis of the investigation. I mention this because it shows the value of the civil justice system in exposing wrongs to the light of day in situations that prosecutors and law enforcement may not ever discover without private lawyers acting as a private attorney general and exposing the criminal conduct. While many corporate interests like to demonize private lawyers for bringing lawsuits against businesses, this case shows exactly why it is needed to enhance the safety of the most vulnerable among us. Whoever filed this case likely thought that they were only prosecuting a financial fraud. In the end it may have exposed murder, it may have prevented future injury or death to the elderly, and certainly provides an object lesson for those in the palliative care industry not to defraud the government and to treat those at the end of their lives with care and dignity.
There have been attempts over several legislative sessions to adopt a similar law in our state when the state is defrauded. Thus far, the attempts have gone no where due to business opposition. We can hope that stories like this one will show the leaders of our great state the benefits to our citizens and to the state of adopting a similar qui tam law.
* I inadvertently misspelled the name of the company in the original blog post and wanted to clarify that the company criminally indicted was Optim Health Services, Inc. and not Optum Health Services, Inc. which has not been accused of any wrongdoing in this case.
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George Smith is a name to respect.Considered to be one of the pioneers of the furniture industry, this 18th century craftsmen became one of the most celebrated of the Regency era. Known as the "upholsterer extraordinaire" George Smith was adored by high society and aristocracy everywhere. However, George Smith's skills weren't limited to a bygone era; his talent and teachings live on and still inform furniture design today. The quality of George Smith designs mean that vintage pieces are highly sought after, and here at Vinterior we're proud to offer a selection of items. Take a look at our George Smith furniture now and you'll quickly appreciate why within furniture circles, George Smith is a name to know.
The work that goes into every George Smith sofa is nothing short of sublime, with only the highest quality materials used. Even after his death, the name of George Smith continued with his business, with each and every product produced to the same high standards he would have demanded.
The Regency era offered up many talented furniture makers, such as Thomas Hope the cabinet maker, but where George Smith really excelled was sofas and upholstery. If you're thinking of investing in a vintage George Smith piece, you won't be disappointed.
George Smith was firmly of the view that a sofa should be beautiful as well as comfortable, but his designs veered away from being garish or overtly bold. All of the items in his collection to this day offer a statement that's hard to ignore but utilising classic and timeless styling. Plain colours such as blues, browns, burnt oranges and pinks are just some of the tones you'll find. Patterns were largely kept to accessories such as footstools rather than being on the primary focus.
The fabric or leather on the exterior of the sofa only tells half the story; what's inside and out of sight is just as important, too. While it's easy to spot a high-quality finish, it's not so simple to see what's below the surface.
George Smith furniture has always been made based on the concept that what you can't see is just as important as what you can. Sofas are stuffed with feather or down to provide a sumptuous and deep finish. Extremely durable and long-lasting, these fillers won't degrade or squash down permanently; a quick plump up occasionally during their lifetime is all that's needed to restore their full softness.
Below the filling, the quality of the wood matters, too. You might not feel it but knowing it's strong and not prone to splintering will give you the reassurance that this sofa will last for many generations to come.
George Smith furniture has never compromised on quality and even the most contemporary styles have been made using time-honoured techniques. All of the furniture-makers in George Smith pieces use traditional, hand-stitching methods despite the length of time this takes. The brand's stance has always been that the quality afforded by this immaculate attention to detail is one of the things that makes the furniture quite so special.
At Vinterior, we've got a fascinating selecting of high-quality George Smith furniture to check out. One of the most prestigious upholstery names of all time, our vintage pieces are there to be admired . . . and even purchased.


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Epilepsy Research UK > Our research strategy > Our Research Portfolio > Improving memory in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy
Improving memory in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy
Grant round winners 2013
Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) is the most common form of epilepsy in adults, and seizures normally originate in the hippocampi (singular=hippocampus – important memory centres within the temporal lobes) and other related structures. Imaging of affected individuals frequently shows scarring of the hippocampus, and this is known as hippocampal sclerosis. Unsurprisingly, learning and memory dysfunction are very commonly seen in people with mTLE; however because the mechanisms behind these deficits are poorly understood, there are currently no effective treatments for them.
New neurons are continually formed in the hippocampus throughout adulthood, in a process known as neurogenesis, and this is crucial to memory function. In mTLE, neurogenesis is permanently reduced, and this may explain, at least in part, the learning and memory problems that result. In a previous Epilepsy Research UK grant, Professor Liam Gray and colleagues, at the University of Southampton, showed that treatment with the antidepressant fluoxetine (the active ingredient of Prozac) restored neurogenesis in a rodent model of TLE; and that a complex type of spatial/navigational learning (known as allocentric learning) returned to normal.
Professor Gray, now at Cardiff University, and colleagues, have been awarded £148,522, over 24 months, to carry out a project entitled Does Fluoxetine restore spatial learning and memory deficits in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy?; in which they will explore the effectiveness of fluoxetine in restoring allocentric learning, and a specific type of memory, in humans with drug-resistant mTLE.
During the study, participants will be asked to complete a series of standardised learning and memory assessments. They will then be randomly assigned to either a fluoxetine group (to be given oral fluoxetine therapy) or a placebo group (to be given an inactive but identical looking tablet). Following a two-month course of the appropriate therapy, the learning and memory assessments will be repeated and the results will be analysed to see whether or not the subjects treated with fluoxetine show a significant improvement. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will also be used to try and identify any structural abnormalities that underlie learning and memory problems in mTLE, and find out which patients (if any) benefit most from fluoxetine treatment.
If fluoxetine is shown to significantly improve memory and learning in mTLE, it could have enormous implications in terms of improving people's quality of life. Moreover, as a drug that is already licensed, fluoxetine could potentially be approved as part of mTLE treatment in as little as 12 months.


I am a qualified translator, working from French or Russian into English, to a professional standard. I am a native English speaker, meticulous, proficient in Microsoft Office software and a thorough researcher. I have several years' experience of working in IT and business, so have chosen to concentrate on these fields. In addition to this, a keen interest in history has led me to specialise in tourism, with a particular focus on historical sites.
I studied French and Russian at university, but then chose a different direction and spent several years working in IT as an analyst/programmer. After a career break to raise a family, I decided to return to my first love, languages. Gaining an MA in Translation prepared me for an exciting new stage in my professional life, and I have loved building my experience as a translator.
If you would like my help translating your French or Russian document or website into English, please get in touch so that we can discuss your requirements.


Alcohol contributes to 60 percent of falls.
Because seniors often lose their dexterity and flexibility they may have balance problems that are made worse after a few drinks. The National Council on Aging states that one in four people over the age of 65 has a serious fall each year and it is the leading cause of fatal injuries among the elderly, so you can see why fall prevention is vital for older Americans.
Falls are the culprit in over 2.8 million emergency room visits each year, and although they may be non-fatal they can seriously compromise the mobility of seniors. Healing slows as we age, and an elderly person who faces an extended recovery from a fall injury is more prone to depression as they may be more isolated from social activities.
The elderly may not realize they have an increased sensitivity to alcohol. Typically as we age our tolerance for alcohol decreases as our metabolism slows down. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism this is primarily because as we age our body's water content is reduced, which means the same amount of alcohol consumption gives a higher blood alcohol level.
Because of the increased sensitivity an elderly drinker might think they're okay to drive because they consumed the same amount of alcohol as they did for years when in fact their tolerance is lower. A lower tolerance for alcohol can lead to a higher rate of car crashes, falls, and other injuries.
In addition, some common herbal remedies may react to alcohol. St. John's Wort, chamomile, and valerian are three examples.
Researchers define high-risk drinking in seniors as five or more drinks a day for men and four for women at least once a week during a year's time. This rate of drinking has skyrocketed 65 percent in the past decade and now stands at 3.8 percent of the elderly population, or about 2.5 million seniors.
High-risk drinking isn't confined to those who live alone, either. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence states almost half of nursing home residents have an alcohol related problem. In addition, high-risk drinking is responsible for 20 percent of elderly admissions to psychiatric hospitals and 14 percent of senior emergency room admissions.
That's right; when it comes to the elderly over indulging in alcohol is as dangerous as a heart attack. This last fact is somewhat a combination of the previous ones because falls, increased health problems, and reactions to mixing alcohol and medications can all lead to a hospitalization. By comparing alcohol abuse in the elderly population to the risks of heart attacks you get a clear picture of how serious the consequences can be.
**No more than three drinks on any given day and no more than seven drinks a week.
That being said, if you weigh 100 pounds soaking wet you should cut this scale back even more. Make sure you eat before and after drinking, and never drive after you imbibe.


The OS X server appears to be bound to AD with no problem.
However, the Mac OS X Workstation users who are logged onto their Macbooks as AD users get prompted for username+password when they try to browse the OS X Server file shares. They can only connect using an Open Directory username+password. They CAN NOT connct using the Active Directory credentials.
These same Mac workstation users can browse all the Windows domain file servers without needing to enter username+password.
Any idea why the OS X Server is not treating an OS X AD file-share client the same way as a Windows AD file-share client?
Ok, to answer my own question, it appears that if the Mac client uses AFP to connect to the MAC OS X Server, then it will not use AD.
If I instead browse the the Mac OS X server using SMB (eg, connect to: smb://servername ) - then it will connect as an AD user (with no prompting for username/password) and will list all the shares that AD users have access to.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged osx-server active-directory .


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« Narendra Modi's love of false Hindu gurus
Swami Nityananda, known sex abuser under more legal scrutiny »
'Unnatural sex' – Asaram Bapu
The following text is reposted from http://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/report-ahmedabad-not-only-rape-asaram-bapu-charged-with-unnatural-sex-too-1951895
Ahmedabad: Not only rape, Asaram Bapu charged with unnatural sex too
CLICK TO FIND SOURCE – Note that fervid defenders of this bogus guru have posted videos alleging that the above is a false claim… there is not length to which zealots and bigots will not go to cover up crimes by Hindu gurus.
It is not just the allegations of rape that self-styled godman Asaram faces. In the charge sheet filed against him before the chief judicial magistrate in Gandhinagar on January 9, he has been charged with having unnatural sex in the form of oral sex (under section 377 of Indian Penal Code) with the Surat-based victim (who lodged the case) and six other girls.
The charge sheet mentions that the victim was taken to Asaram in 2001 when the accused had engaged in oral sex with her. It also mentions a similar incident of 2005. "In 2005, Asaram had called the victim and six other girls to Modasa ashram where he performed oral sex with the victim and the other girls," the charge sheet mentions.
The summary of the charge sheet mentions the criminal act by the main accused with the help of Bharti (daughter of Asaram), Laxmi (his wife), Nirmala alias Dhel, Mira alias Baglo, Dhruvi and Jashuben alias Jassi in the case.
The investigating team has filed a 1,000-page charge sheet against Asaram and six others in the alleged rape case of a Surat-based girl. According to the police, they have statements of around 100 witnesses to support the case of rape and conspiracy to rape against the godman.
In the charge sheet, police also submitted that Asaram has changed the room of the first incident — at Shanit Vatika or farm house. "As per the estate records, approved plan and personal visit to the room of the farm house, it appears that the accused has changed it to destroy evidences.
Therefore, he is also charged under section 201 of IPC," states the charge sheet.
According to the charge sheet, between 2001 and 2007, Asaram repeatedly sexually abused the victim with the help of other accused in the case. Complainant also mentioned that because of influential personality and repeated threats to kill her, she was not able to narrate or complain about this earlier.
Meanwhile, the court on Wednesday fixed January 29 as further date of hearing the case to provide facility of a chartered flight to Asaram. The police, however, are opposing the application stating that the Gandhinagar court does not have the power and jurisdiction to extend such a facility as the accused is under the custody of Jodhpur police.
See also Asaram faces ANOTHER sex assault case as sisters from Surat claim they were raped by 'guru' and his son Narayan Sai http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2447304/Asaram-Bapu-faces-ANOTHER-sex-assault-case-sisters-Surat-claim-raped-guru-son-Narayan-Sai.html
On December 5, 2009, an erstwhile Asaram devotee Raju Chandok was shot at by two unidentified gunmen. Raju was in Asaram's bad books for exposing his alleged sexual activities and black magic rituals in front of the commission.
Raju, who survived three bullets, later lodged an FIR with the police, accusing Asaram and two of his unnamed accomplices of criminal conspiracy and attempt to murder.
If Raju exposed Asaram before the commission, the former personal assistant to Asaram's son Narayan Sai, Mahendra Chawla, alleged that he had seen Sai performing gory rituals over corpses on at least three occasions in Jhabua, Ranchi and Himmatnagar.
Chawla alleged that Sai, clad in a black outfit, used to perform these macabre rituals over corpses with human skulls kept over them. Unable to bear these, Chawla parted ways with Sai and settled in Thane as an insurance agent in 2005.
Sting operation exposes Asaram Bapu making sexual overtures
A sting operation carried out by a Headlines Today team in 2008 caught on tape Asaram Bapu making a sexual proposal to an undercover journalist. | September 3, 2013
Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/video/asaram-bapu-sting-operation-headlines-today-sexual-proposal/1/305182.html
Note that there is an imminent danger that the new PM, Narendra Modi, a (former?) devotee of Asaram Bapu, will use his power to quash the legal process against this horrific man. International journalists are being informed of this matter.
This entry was posted on July 17, 2014 at 12:16 pm	and is filed under Sathya Sai Baba. Tagged: India sex assault, Narendra Modi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
One Response to "'Unnatural sex' – Asaram Bapu"
eileenweed said
With all the details, witnesses, statements and documentation, I am hopeful this monster and his son also will receive their due punishment.