text:
India not to participate in SAARC Summit in Islamabad: MEA
September 27, 2016 by Sameer
New Delhi [India]: Uncertainty over Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Islamabad in November ended on Tuesday with India conveying the current SAARC Chair Nepal that in the prevailing circumstances, the Government of India is unable to participate in the proposed Summit.
"India has conveyed to the current SAARC Chair Nepal that increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of member states by 'one country' have created an environment that is not conducive to the successful holding of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November," said Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Vikas Swarup in response to a question.
"Though India remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts, it believes that these can only go forward in an atmosphere free of terror. In the prevailing circumstances, the Government of India is unable to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad," Swarup added.
"We also understand that some other SAARC Member States have also conveyed their reservation about attending the Islamabad Summit in November," Swarup added.
Other countries skipping SAARC summit in Pakistan are Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan. (ANI)
Categories India, Top Stories Tags Islamabad, Ministry of External Affairs, SAARC Chair Nepal, spokesperson Vikas Swarup
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Pulichintala oustees neglected: Uttam


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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"First, we enjoyed the trip very much. April and Alan did a wonderful job taking care of us. Jess transported us safely everywhere and has a great sense of humor that we enjoyed." I commend you all on the good work and your commitment to providing excellent tours!
We liked having 2 guides (though Alan had to leave early for another trip). We liked very much that we had a local guide in each place in addition to our main guides who knew the area well. Having more than one guide was important, as we found out, when Alessandra had a fall and needed to go back while I was enjoying the technical trail on the last day of riding in Legazpi. April was able to take her back and they could enjoy the time before lunch leisurely together, allowing this incident not to ruin her day. I was able to go on with Chippy, the local guide, along with another guide he brought, so that I could have a fun time on the trail. If there had only been one guide, this could have been a very disappointing day. So, we highly encourage you to continue this trend. With mountain biking tour, the van/car cannot follow behind, so it does seem very important to have extra people/guides for the guests.
The food was excellent and all guides were great at ordering and allowing us to try different foods. This was also a highlight of the trip.
The bikes were VERY good bikes. This is MUCH appreciated. Full suspension on some of the trails was very helpful since some were pretty rocky. Without good equipment, a trip can also be ruined. We have always had good equipment on these tours. Thank you for that and continue the good work!
Most of the hotels were great. The last night at the Venezia was wonderful. The Hidden Valley Springs Resort was also great. Customer service was amazing at these hotels! The place at the Belle View in Tagaytay was truly amazing with an incredible view and an entire apartment.
Another highlight for us was the Intramuros walking tour on the first day. Keep this! This was great information and entertaining.


text:
Defending Cato from Paul Krugman's Inaccurate Assertions
By Daniel J. Mitchell
Writing for the New York Times, Paul Krugman has a new column promoting more government spending and additional government regulation. That's a dog-bites-man revelation and hardly noteworthy, of course, but in this case he takes a swipe at the Cato Institute.
The financial crisis of 2008 and its painful aftermath...were a huge slap in the face for free-market fundamentalists. ...analysts at right-wing think tanks like...the Cato Institute...insisted that deregulated financial markets were doing just fine, and dismissed warnings about a housing bubble as liberal whining. Then the nonexistent bubble burst, and the financial system proved dangerously fragile; only huge government bailouts prevented a total collapse.
Upon reading this, my first reaction was a perverse form of admiration. After all, Krugman explicitly advocated for a housing bubble back in 2002, so it takes a lot of chutzpah to attack other people for the consequences of that bubble.
But let's set that aside and examine the accusation that folks at Cato had a Pollyanna view of monetary and regulatory policy. In other words, did Cato think that "deregulated markets were doing just fine"?
Hardly. If Krugman had bothered to spend even five minutes perusing the Cato website, he would have found hundreds of items by scholars such as Steve Hanke, Gerald O'Driscoll, Bert Ely, and others about misguided government regulatory and monetary policy. He could have perused the remarks of speakers at Cato's annual monetary conferences. He could have looked at issues of the Cato Journal. Or our biennial Handbooks on Policy.
The tiniest bit of due diligence would have revealed that Cato was not a fan of Federal Reserve policy and we did not think that financial markets were deregulated. Indeed, Cato scholars last decade were relentlessly critical of monetary policy, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Community Reinvestment Act, and other forms of government intervention.
Heck, I imagine that Krugman would have accused Cato of relentless and foolish pessimism had he reviewed our work in 2006 or 2007.
I will confess that Cato people didn't predict when the bubble would peak and when it would burst. If we had that type of knowledge, we'd all be billionaires. But since Krugman is still generating income by writing columns and doing appearances, I think it's safe to assume that he didn't have any special ability to time the market either.
Krugman also implies that Cato is guilty of historical revisionism.
...many on the right have chosen to rewrite history. Back then, they thought things were great, and their only complaint was that the government was getting in the way of even more mortgage lending; now they claim that government policies, somehow dictated by liberals even though the G.O.P. controlled both Congress and the White House, were promoting excessive borrowing and causing all the problems.
I've already pointed out that Cato was critical of government intervention before and during the bubble, so we obviously did not want government tilting the playing field in favor of home mortgages.
It's also worth nothing that Cato has been dogmatically in favor of tax reform that would eliminate preferences for owner-occupied housing. That was our position 20 years ago. That was our position 10 years ago. And it's our position today.
I also can't help but comment on Krugman's assertion that GOP control of government last decade somehow was inconsistent with statist government policy. One obvious example would be the 2004 Bush Administration regulations that dramatically boosted the affordable lending requirements for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which surely played a role in driving the orgy of subprime lending.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The burden of government spending almost doubled during the Bush years, the federal government accumulated more power, and the regulatory state expanded. No wonder economic freedom contracted under Bush after expanding under Clinton.
But I'm digressing. Let's return to Krugman's screed. He doesn't single out Cato, but presumably he has us in mind when he criticizes those who reject Keynesian stimulus theory.
...right-wing economic analysts insisted that deficit spending would destroy jobs, because government borrowing would divert funds that would otherwise have gone into business investment, and also insisted that this borrowing would send interest rates soaring. The right thing, they claimed, was to balance the budget, even in a depressed economy.
Actually, I hope he's not thinking about us. We argue for a smaller burden of government spending, not a balanced budget. And we haven't made any assertions about higher interest rates. We instead point out that excessive government spending undermines growth by undermining incentives for productive behavior and misallocating labor and capital.
But we are critics of Keynesianism for reasons I explain in this video. And if you look at current economic performance, it's certainly difficult to make the argument that Obama's so-called stimulus was a success.
But Krugman will argue that the government should have squandered even more money. Heck, he even asserted that the 9-11 attacks were a form of stimulus and has argued that it would be pro-growth if we faced the threat of an alien invasion.
In closing, I will agree with Krugman that there's too much "zombie" economics in Washington. But I'll let readers decide who's guilty of mindlessly staggering in the wrong direction.
Finance, Banking & Monetary Policy, General, Government and Politics, Tax and Budget Policy

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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A man convicted in the shooting death of a federal Border Patrol agent during a firefight that revealed the government's botched gun-smuggling investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious was sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison.
Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, who is from El Fuerte in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, is the only person to be convicted in the Dec. 14, 2010, shooting death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry near the Arizona-Mexico border.
U.S. District Court judge David C. Bury handed down the sentence, 360 months with credit for time served.


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The new 2015 Ford Raptor as per the latest gossipy tidbits enters final interval of testing. Informally, will probably be exhibited later within the not so distant future, almost certainly on the LA Auto Show. Probably, the Raptor is among the many most obliged and to an incredible diploma prepared for sorts of the Ford C-a hundred and fifty line-up, nevertheless there have been gossipy tidbits that this mannequin will likely be assembled for the 2015 mannequin yr. We actually belief this isn't real and that we are going to quickly see the 2015 Ford Raptor on the streets of America.
To affirm the bits of gossip a few explicit mannequin, we predominantly rely on the spy images. While the at all times confirmed up spy images of the brand new 2015 diversifications of the Ford C-one hundred fifty, we have been NOT match to acknowledge the Raptor rendition. All issues thought-about, that is minimal frightened us, but we're going progressively making inquiries till (but informally) we've determine that quickly we'll see the 2015 Ford Raptor. Extraordinary information for all beaus of this mannequin together with me :).
Well in 2013, a stage referred to as Atlas was launched and it's to an incredible diploma conceivable that the model-new 2015 Ford Raptor will probably be constructed on that thought. These tires have been particularly accommodated this way and these ought to make driving more easy bringing energy and significantly better affiliation with floor. The 2015 Ford Raptor is really much like the F150, so suspect varied actually the identical alterations on these P off- roaders.
The base H.F-liter S-H motor was thrown out by Ford in 2011. Essentially a number of little modifications has actually been carried out within the 2012, 2013 and 2014 define years. The motor which can give a power to the 2015 mannequin will in all probability be actually the identical as in previous – a S-H motor, nonetheless with the 450 hp. Both, the bottom E-a hundred and fifty adaptation and the SVT Raptor define will likely be made lighter by use of aluminum gadgets.
In spite of the truth that we tried to determine as a lot information, it's nonetheless not identified exactly once we could have the capability to buy this rendition of the Ford E-a hundred and fifty. I genuinely wouldn't be astonished on the off probability that it might defer its presentation in 2015. The new 2015 Ford Raptor price will likely be considerably increased than the present, but not basically, and we settle for it will not be extra outstanding than $ 47000.
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Science fiction, mystery, technology and drama add up to an intriguing, thoughtful and contemplative mix ruminating on Alzheimer's disease, memories, aging, fractured family dynamics, disappointment and some closure in the finely acted Majorie Prime.
Jon Hamm and Lois Smith in Marjorie Prime.
This unique movie is adapted from Jordan Harrison's well-received 2015 off-Broadway play of the same name by director Michael Almereyda. The film is considered a chamber piece but it has cinematic flourishes throughout.
The chatty, dialogue heavy nature of the film can be tedious at times but it's a necessary and important device to flesh out the character's lives and background providing an invaluable insight and background. The payoff is rich and rewarding as the film's storyline grows and becomes more complex.
The movie centers around actress Lois Smith, who subtly and movingly portrays, the ailing 86-year-old octogenarian Majorie. Majorie's Tess, her only adult, middle-aged daughter is played by Geena Davis and her husband Jon is Tim Robbins. Majorie spends her final, ailing days with a prime, a holographic companion, a computerized version of her deceased husband who appears as a younger version of her late husband played by Jon Hamm. Hamm is the executive producer of Majorie Prime. Jon purchased the companion. Walter is fed information and learns to respond to Majorie's questions, and because of the questions she asks him, Walter appears younger and more handsome as in "his prime." Walter is like a therapist to Majorie helping her recollect her memories. Though Majorie struggles with dementia, she has moments of lucidity and clarity sometime doubting some of the information is fed and shared with her. Lois Smith's Majorie is multi-faceted not a complacent, empty mental vessel.
While Hamm's portrayal is essential comes of as a bit of blank slate and robotic with some clever, droll and coy moments of dialogue, it serves a purpose as dramatic device, after all he is a hologram. Davis' portray of Tess, is drawn more with a sharp, emotional edge as Majorie's bitter daughter. Tim Robbins' Jon reveals solid and dependable exterior of cheer to bouts of deep inward melancholy.
Walter is not the only "Prime" in this unfolding story that is a gripping psychological journey revealing the divided and conflicting interactions among the family members which deepens as the film progresses. Their individual heartbreaking pasts is revealed as characters try to resolve their lingering, haunting issues that plague them.


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Sustainable Necklace
Sustainable Rings
What is the Carbon Footprint of Jewellery?
What is the carbon footprint?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines climate change as a rise in temperature which is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases.
The Carbon Footprint is the amount of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emitted by a particular activity or entity.
By trapping heat in the atmosphere, these gases contribute to global warming.
Major producers of greenhouse gases include:
1. Burning fossil fuels
2. Transports
3. Manufacturing companies
4. Animal agriculture
5. Deforestation
It is estimated that deforestation itself is responsible for
almost 20% of the total greenhouse gas emissions.
Why does the carbon footprint matter in fashion?
"Good design is a sustainable design."
Imran Amed - Founder and editor-in-chief of The Business of Fashion
The fashion industry was previously responsible for around 5% of all man-made greenhouse gases with the majority of gases coming from raw materials.
In a recent study, this number has already increased to 8% in 2018, and it continues to rise.
2020 is thus a critical year when it comes to addressing climate change and global warming in fashion as 2019 was declared the hottest year on record.
Global warming is not something that fashion companies operating on a large scale can continue to ignore.
Carbon footprint of jewellery and mining
The carbon footprint of your jewellery can be very important as mining requires a large amount of energy.
This can be seen in traditional pit mining through the extensive use of machinery, transport and fuel usage.
The damage caused through mining materials is so extensive in certain locations that it can be seen from space.
For instance, in 2012, the heat-trapping CO2 emissions from diamond mining were equivalent to about 1.5 million cars on the road.
Equivalent to the electricity used by the diamond mining industry per year.
36,793 tonnes
of carbon dioxide
To mine 1 ton of gold. Gold production has by far the largest footprint in the entire mining sector.
250,000 cars
The carbon dioxide emitted by mining 23,613 hectares of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest, an area twice the size of the city of Paris!
Gold Mining in such locations has long-lasting consequences for the environment; making it almost impossible for a full recovery of the once healthy rainforest.
Carbon footprint in other areas of the jewellery industry
Although mining the earth is an important generator of greenhouse gases, other areas of a jewellery company's direct operations can be highlighted. For instance, the contribution to global warming from the transportation sector is immense.
According to a recent analysis by True Cost,
"Air, land and water pollution emissions due to energy use and other processes on the mine site also represent a significant impact".
If we take into account the entire supply chain, from the sourcing of raw materials to the delivery of the final product to consumers, we can imagine that the carbon footprint of a jewellery piece can be huge.
What can be done to reduce the carbon footprint of jewellery?
To reduce the carbon footprint of jewellery, there is a need to lower emissions in every area of the mining sector. In many cases, green-energy is both cost-effective and provides stable operating costs.
Switching to the available technology through the use of drones to monitor sites, energy-efficient lighting and using advanced management strategies will allow companies to reduce their reliance on backup diesel generators.
The best way we can support the reduction of the industry's emissions is to shift consumer demand towards sustainable brands and shop ethical designs.
The jewellery sector is not immune to the continuous pressure of the market as buyers seek out environmentally friendly products.
Vehicles using clean power
Low-Carbon vehicles are trendy and reports estimate that by using electric vehicles the reduction in emissions in the gold sector alone could be by as much as 95%
Switching to more eco-friendly light bulbs such as LED.
Advanced management tools
Tools that would help managing energy consumption more efficiently and thus reduce the mine site reliance on backup diesel generators, for instance.
Another way we can support the reduction of the industry's emissions is to shift consumer demand towards sustainable brands and shop ethical designs.
Scéona's answers
At Scéona, a sustainable fine jewellery brand based in Singapore, we would not be truly sustainable if we did not take into account the carbon footprint generated by our operations.
Discover our creations
We avoid mining
By choosing lab-grown diamonds over mined ones as well as recycled gold, we help to reduce the carbon footprint of our creations.
Indeed, on average, 1 carat of mined diamond generates 65kg of CO2 compared to 12 kg for 1 carat of lab-grown diamond (i.e. 5.5 times less).
Offsetting our carbon footprint
When you purchase any item of jewellery from Scéona, in Singapore or worldwide online, we calculate the carbon footprint generated by the craft of your piece of jewellery as well as the shipment to deliver it to you from Singapore.
To offset this footprint, we partnered with EcoMatcher, an organization that supports local communities in various parts of the world to improve their livelihood by planting trees.
"Carbon offset is a way to compensate for your emissions by funding an equivalent carbon dioxide saving elsewhere".
"Offsetting provides a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the most cost-effective and economically-efficient manner".
Global warming is at a critical stage and we all have a responsibility to do more to reduce our impact on the planet.
Follow us @sceona_
Shop Fine Jewellery
Be part of the change:
We created Scéona with sustainability at heart. Sustainable fine jewellery based in France, carefully thought through and crafted in order to do no harm to the planet and its people.
sceona@sceona.com
© 2023 Scéona
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Q: String output to text file Working on a Java program that will determine whether or not a word is a palindrome.  Got that working well enough, so now I have to add a detail where it prints to an output file.
Problem is, after an hour of looking, I can't seem to find what I'm looking for.  I'm looking for a method of output where it will print the following:
testString" is/is not a palindrome."

where testString is the original string input, so if the string were "Race car" it would print:
Race car is a palindrome.

I've attempted to use the code below as a print code, but it turns up an error when I put (testString " is a palindrome.") after it.  Can anyone offer a solution?
The code:
PrintWriter out = new PrintWriter("filename.txt"); // Initializer
out.println(text); //Printer to output file

A: Don't forget the + to concatenate the two strings. Also, you should probably call PrintWriter using a file instead of just the filename, so if you get a File Not Found Exception or something, it will be more clear.
File file = new File("C:/Users/Me/Desktop/directory/file.txt");
PrintWriter printWriter = new PrintWriter(file);
printWriter.println(testString + " is a palindrome.");

A: You should use   out.close(); after those two lines.
    PrintWriter out = new PrintWriter("D:\\test.txt"); // Initializer
    out.println(str+" is palindrome");
    out.close();

This is working fine.
Or you can use following way too
    BufferedWriter bw=new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter("D:\\test.txt"));
    bw.append(str+" is palindrome");
    bw.newLine();
    bw.close();

A: Have the function that is a palindrome return a boolean and then check it with an if statement.
String s = "Test String";

if(isPalindrome(s))
  out.println(s + " is a palindrome.");
else
  out.println(s + " is not a palindrome.");

out.close();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
template<typename RESULT_TYPE>
class IController{
public:
	IController(
		IControllable& controllable,
		IOption<RESULT_TYPE>& option,
		unique_map<Action,RESULT_TYPE>& controls
		);

	IController(const IController<RESULT_TYPE>& rhs);
	virtual ~IController();
	IController& operator=(const IController<RESULT_TYPE>& rhs);
	RESULT_TYPE get_last_input();

	virtual void execute() =0;

protected:
	IControllable& mControllable;
	IOption<RESULT_TYPE>& mOption;
	unique_map<Action,RESULT_TYPE>& mControls;
	RESULT_TYPE mLastInput;
};

template<typename RESULT_TYPE>
IController<RESULT_TYPE>::IController(
	IControllable& controllable,
	IOption<RESULT_TYPE>& option,
	unique_map<Action,RESULT_TYPE>& controls
	) :
	mControllable(controllable),
	mOption(option),
	mControls(controls)
{

}

template<typename RESULT_TYPE>
IController<RESULT_TYPE>::IController(
	const IController<RESULT_TYPE>& rhs
	) :
	mControllable(rhs.mControllable),
	mOption(rhs.mOption),
	mControls(rhs.mControls)
{

}

template<typename RESULT_TYPE>
IController<RESULT_TYPE>::~IController(){

}

template<typename RESULT_TYPE>
IController<RESULT_TYPE>& IController<RESULT_TYPE>::operator=(const IController<RESULT_TYPE>& rhs)
{
	mControllable = rhs.mControllable;
	mOption = rhs.mOption;
	mControls = rhs.mControls;
	return *this;
}

template<typename RESULT_TYPE>
RESULT_TYPE IController<RESULT_TYPE>::get_last_input(){
	return mLastInput;
}
#endif


text:
<!-- Describe your changes here. -->

### Issues Resolved ###
<!-- Please use the format "fixes #xxxx" for each issue this PR addresses -->

- fixes #

### API Changes ###
<!-- List all API changes here (or just put None) -->

 None

### Platforms Affected ###
<!-- Please list all platforms affected by these changes -->

- All
- iOS
- Android
- UWP

### Behavioral Changes ###
<!-- Describe any changes that may change how a user's app behaves or appears when upgrading to this version of the codebase. -->

None

### Testing Procedure ###
<!-- Please list the steps that should be taken to properly test these changes on each relevant platform. If you were unable to test these changes yourself on any or all platforms, please let us know. Also, if you are able to attach a video of your test run, you will be our personal hero. -->

### PR Checklist ###

- [ ] Rebased on top of the target branch at time of PR
- [ ] Changes adhere to coding standard


text:
Q: How can I condense my code down to fewer lines? I am creating a chemistry simulator type program that uses 42 different reacting species to generate an output when 2 species are combined. Each species has a value e.g. lithium is 1, sodium is 2 and potassium is 3. I have a def() statement set up to set each of these values when called, shown below.
def choselithium():
   global firstchoice
   global secondchoice
   global ChoosingAgain

   if ChoosingAgain == 0:
       firstchoice = 1
       vp_start_gui_whatnow()

   if ChoosingAgain == 1:
       secondchoice = 1
       vp_start_gui_areyousure()

This obviously becomes very inefficient after using these 12 lines 42 times, to the point where these simple statements are taking up over 400 lines of code. Is there any way I could condense these down into fewer lines, either by using a class or some such similar object? In this case, vp_start_gui_whatnow() and vp_start_gui_areyousure() start up menus that display the choice that was just made, the text value of which is picked from a database using the sql statement below:
def getfirstchoice():
    global output
    sqlcommand2 = "SELECT ChoiceDesc FROM Choices WHERE Choice_ID = ?"
    result2 = c.execute(sqlcommand2, (firstchoice,))
    result2 = [x for y in result2 for x in y]
    output = result2[0]
    return output

def getsecondchoice():
    global output2
    sqlcommand3 = "SELECT ChoiceDesc FROM Choices WHERE Choice_ID = ?"
    result3 = c.execute(sqlcommand3, (secondchoice,))
    result3 = [x for y in result3 for x in y]
    output2 = result3[0]
    return output2


Recently I had the real pleasure of visiting one of Scotland's most interesting and beautiful military museums. The Black Watch Castle and Museum is located in central Perth, Perthshire and really is a must-do visit for all tourists on their way north to the Highlands.
I am sure all the family, especially boys (both small and grown up) will love this great, but lesser-known visitor attraction. Beyond the obvious boyish interests of a military museum, there are so many powerful messages and lasting impressions to take from visiting a museum such as this. This is a special place, dedicated to the brave men and women of one of Scotland's finest military regiments and with a formidable and beautiful collection of personally donated items.
The Black Watch Experience is a unique collection that charts the rich and captivating story of one of the most famous Scottish regiments. The castle and museum are located in the centre of Perth, at the historic and beautiful Balhousie Castle.
Visitors are able to marvel at over 300-years worth of regimental history in the form of beautiful and fascinating artifacts, many of which have been kindly donated by servicemen or their families. One particular item on display in the museum which struck a real chord was an officer's kilt, from the battle fields of WW1. The kilt is that of an officer who sadly lost his life and it still has the mud splats on it from the day he fell in those foreign fields. The family of the officer donated the kilt to the museum and I felt this was one of the most moving and beautiful items on display at Balhousie Castle.
Whilst visiting the castle and museum I though it was fitting to wear my long Black Watch tartan kilt. The Black Watch tartan, along with Royal Stewart and only a handful of others, is one tartan that has no family connection and is 'wearable' around the world by all. I love this tartan as to me it is a powerful symbol of Scotland and the nations great history and qualities. Black Watch tartan now has an extra-special meaning to me having learned more of the history of both the cloth, and the men and women who have served wearing it.
Entering the Black Watch Castle gates dressed in Black Watch!
The museum is laid out well charting the story of the regiment through the ages in chronological order from room to room. Outside in the grounds, to help serve as an educational tool to current and future generations there is now a newly built WW1 trench. This reconstruction is aimed at showing how the serving soldiers lived their daily life whilst on the front line. I was immediately taken on an insightful visit to the world of trench warfare, where my kilted, ex-servicemen guide told me of the daily life the brave soldiers from The Black Watch endured.
The Black Watch has always been known for its courage, discipline, endurance, integrity, loyalty, respect for others, selfless commitment and team spirit. The museum hopes to promote these qualities in all, but in particular, to inspire younger people visiting the museum.
On-site, the castle boasts not only the stunning museum, but a great cafe and interesting gift shop selling regimental memorabilia as well as local arts and crafts.
Entering the Black Watch Castle & Museum by the original main door.
Scottish military camouflage taken to a new level! Blending in with the beautiful wall panel at the Black Watch Castle & Museum, it was fun to get a photo here with my antique child's "Piper's" sporran made in the traditional style using horse hair. This sporran features a cantle with Scottish thistle badge.
For those visitors with an interest or fascination with military weapons, there are some great items on display, from old rifles to officer's basket-hilted broadswords. This particular sword captivated me, showcased in a special cabinet shortly after entering the museum.
Uniforms across the British Army have changed a lot through the ages, it was amazing to see the old heavy, restrictive yet utterly beautiful uniforms. To think that the soldiers often went off to war dressed so impeccably astounded me. Beyond uniforms, the rooms here are adored with fine paintings, hard won medals, photographs, diary extracts and entries, weapons and equipment. The collection is not all about the past either, containing a significant amount of items gathered by the Regiment from more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Whilst at the museum I was able to try on a real 'Drummer's Tunic' which although was huge still somehow matched my outfit! I was struck by the weight of this garment - tailored to the highest standards the tunic must have weighed about 1-kg alone. Sadly it was missing it's once ornate buttons.
Dressing up with a drummer jacket available for children to dress up!
Time to go! I have really enjoyed this travel in time, what a great Museum. Thank you very much to the very welcoming team at The Black Watch.
Parking is Free for those visiting the Castle and Museum Visitors.


A couple of months ago, I was at a party somewhere, and a boy came up to me who was, like, 8 or 10 years old, and he said, "Oh, I really liked Airplane! I thought it was really funny!" And I said, "How was it that you came to see it?" And he said, "Well, my grandfather made me watch it." [Laughs.] If you'd told us in 1980 that the grandkids of the audience would be the ones who'd keep the movie going, it would've been very gratifying. But I don't think we ever anticipated it. And it's one of the great thrills, I think, of all of our lives that it still remains well known.
It's an oral history of the making of "Airplane!" from many people who were involved in the making of one of the funniest movies to ever come out of Hollywood. And stop calling me Shirley.


text:
We're finalists in the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards 2021
The Bevy has reached the finals of the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards 2021.
PubAid is an organisation dedicated to promoting pubs as a force for good in their local communities and the aim of these awards is to recognise the licensees and their teams who have gone above and beyond to support their local communities over the lockdowns of the last year.
They received 115 entries and nominations from pubs across the country, and The Bevy has made it to the final 10! We all feel very proud.
PubAid co-founder Des O'Flanagan said: "Our heartfelt congratulations go to these pubs, who have all earned their place in the finals by going the extra mile and beyond during the lockdowns. Choosing the 10 finalists was a real challenge for the judges, as every pub who entered had a strong story to tell. Those who have reached the shortlist should be very proud of their achievement."
And we are!
The Bevy nomination was in recognition of all that our team has been doing for the past year to support some of the most vulnerable people in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean throughout the lockdowns.
The judges were impressed by Bevy Meals on Wheels – our commitment to delivering hot meals three times a week to ensure that none of the elderly attendees of our regular lunch clubs went hungry. As you know, delivering the Bevy Meals on Wheels provided not just dinner, but a friendly face and socially distanced chat, as most of these people were self-isolating. We teamed up with local schools, churches, charities and community groups to make sure no one was forgotten, and worked with FareShare, to use ingredients that would otherwise have gone to landfill.
We have now served more than 8,000 meals and during the lockdown we staged a number of online pub quizzes to keep the community connected, including our online Deaf-friendly quizzes. On the August Bank Holiday, we hosted a free family fun day offering socially-distanced arts crafts and fun for local children, and during school holidays, we've been providing hot lunches to families who receive free school meals. And in November, to mark Meals on Wheels Week 2020, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall joined us by zoom to chat with some of our elderly lunch clubbers!
Our Secretary Chris Llewellyn says of the PubAid nominated, "We are so excited about being nominated for this award. We are really proud of the difference we've been able to make over this challenging year. It's also really inspirational to hear about what the other nominees have been able to achieve, gives us lots of ideas as to what we can do next!"
Later this Spring, a virtual awards ceremony will take place online to reveal the overall winner of the PubAid Community Pub Hero Award. We'll keep you posted when we find out more details and in the meantime please keep your fingers crossed for us.
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text:
To unfurl my best impression of a sports commentator, Lion is, broadly speaking, a film of two halves. But unlike the insinuation invoked by said metaphor, these are two halves of consistent quality. There is no playing badly and then coming on to a game, or any downward spiral in fortune as the final minutes approach: It's good and bad, and then it's good and bad. Rather, the deviating halves come via a drastic change of scenery, of personnel and, in some ways, of mood. The first introduces us to young Saroo (Sunny Pawar) and his brother Guddu (Abhishek Bharate), their days spent scavenging adroitly in an effort to return home with milk and, presumably, other rations. They live in small, poor Indian village with their mother and sister, the former feeding her family by carrying rocks.
This might paint a picture of struggle, and there is struggle, but for around 20 minutes the screen is awash with sibling camaraderie, Saroo's adorable willingness to put a shift in for the cause only matched in merit by Guddu's unassailable duty of care. Plucked from obscurity — in Pawar's case, an audition at school — the pair of young actors beam with authenticity in both their relationship on-screen and their presence in a sustenance-centric world. Like Room's Jacob Tremblay, Sunny Pawar defies his inexperience and excels, possibly because said inexperience hasn't yet afforded him the capacity to knowingly perform, and thus perform poorly. Instead we see the real kid, a bundle of energy and charisma, arms pumping like Usain Bolt on an Olympic track whenever he sprints to the next scavenging destination.
This sweetness sours when Guddu fails to return from a work shift, leaving Saroo stranded on a train bound for some faraway metropolis. Garth Davis' film loses a bit of momentum as Saroo stumbles from locale to locale — the narrative gets stuck on a repetitive loop, compounding Saroo's lost predicament beyond necessity. There is refuge in a tunnel with other lost children, a sleepover with a seemingly conscientious woman, and more, each encounter conveying the same message of volatility. You actually get enough of a sense of just how much trouble Saroo is in via Greig Fraser's cinematography, which captures the vastness of an unknown landscape: car lights, train lights, street lights enmeshed in tightly packed, busy urban spheres and swamped externally by a sea of barren nature.
The film refocuses upon reaching Australia, Saroo's new home, the youngster having been adopted by locals Sue and John Brierley (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). We only spend a moment more in little Pawar's company before Dev Patel takes over, playing an older Saroo on the cusp of hotel management study. This is also the point at which we meet Lucy (Rooney Mara), a fellow student and Saroo's impending girlfriend. The actors have a chemistry that helps them work around their rapid-fire romance, and Mara in particular does well with insufficient screen time. She projects tender authority, determined to support Saroo but not defined by his quest to locate his family via Google Earth.
The Australia half, though for the most part engaging, stumbles with well-meaning intent. It tries to pitch itself as a multicultural reprieve, but somewhat loses sight of that in its postcolonial attempt to redress the prevailing Hollywood imbalance. Rather than spending time with birth mother Kamla (Priyanka Bose), Luke Davies' screenplay privileges Sue's emotional journey. She has a hard time dealing with Mantosh (Divian Ladwa), whom she and John adopted shortly after Saroo and who has failed to adapt to life following a turbulent childhood. Her appearances are bitty, not all-encompassing, but the notion that the Australian mother should command most of our sympathy doesn't sit right with the film's otherwise progressive platform. Indeed, the issue is captured in a scene where an emotionally wrought Sue laments the state of her family, speaking about a vision she had in her younger years that convinced her to adopt.
After its opening act the piece affords Kamla little screen time, and us little time to develop sufficient compassion for her following Saroo's disappearance. This also speaks to a larger issue about the level of attention minority actors are afforded in Western cinema, and the consequences a lack of satisfactory attention can incur: Kidman has been nominated for an Oscar, whereas the likely equally talented Bose has not. I should note though that, to both Davis and Davies' credit, life in Australia is far from glorified. Family tensions are at the fore, tensions in part generated by Saroo's unwillingness to confide in Sue and John about his mission to find his birth mother. Patel particularly excels during these sequences of inner turmoil and we feel the weight of his character's struggle.
Matching the fervour of a late winning goal (this sports metaphor should never have made it past the opening line; I can only apologise) Lion evokes a plume of bittersweet emotion as it reaches its conclusion. The moment makes the journey worthwhile, even if we, like Saroo, have had to navigate rugged terrain in order to get there.
Director: Garth Davis
Runtime: 1h 58mins
Starring: Sunny Pawar, Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman
Images ©: The Weinstein Company
Author Adam (Consumed by Film)Posted on February 18, 2017 Categories 2010-19, ReviewsTags David Wenham, Dev Patel, Drama, Film, Jacob Tremblay, Lion, Movie, Nicole Kidman, Oscars, Priyanka Bose, Room, Rooney Mara, Sunny Pawar7 Comments on Lion (2017)
The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)
Director: Colm McCarthy
Release Date: September 23rd, 2016 (UK)
Genre: Drama; Horror; Thriller
Starring: Sennia Nanua, Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Glenn Close
Kids are taking over the world. Well, the worlds of pop culture and weighty entertainment. If it's not a bunch of Spielbergian curiousos charming viewers eight times over in Stranger Things, it's Jacob Tremblay comfortably matching his demonstrably more experienced counterparts with a powerhouse performance in Room. Today Sennia Nanua joins the not-so-Mickey-Mouse-Club, her turn as a next generation zombie-human in The Girl with All the Gifts at once endearing and domineering. And even a little amusing. That's quite the trifecta.
Colm McCarthy brings M.R. Carey's (credited as Mike Carey) mid-apocalyptic world to the silver screen, a world severely stunted by some sort of biological doomsday. Carey's novel of the same name garnered much praise, which, when coupled alongside his extensive comic book writing portfolio, suggests he is doing something right. The penman may yet want to consider a screenwriting career if this is his default standard. He presents Melanie (Sennia Nanua), a child with fleshy cravings and the ability to interact as normal. When we first meet her she is hidden away in some sort of military base with many of her kind — her 'classmates' — and a selection of adult soldiers, scientists, and teachers. It's not initially clear what the purpose of the locale is: a zone of Freudian experimentation usurping social and ethical norms, or a shelter from the horrors outside?
We quickly learn it is a bit of both, though the striking image of children wearing orange jumpsuits and strapped to wheelchairs feeds the former narrative (these sequences are probably not unintentionally dissimilar in a visual sense to familiar scenes in A Clockwork Orange). That it soon becomes clear said treatment is decidedly less harsh than what is going on elsewhere ought to give you an indication of the type of material we are dealing with. I hesitate to reveal more of the initial plot; not because doing so would spoil the film but because piecing together the early moral dilemmas as they play out on-screen is both a challenging and rewarding experience. Needless to say the setting soon changes and The Girl with All the Gifts transforms into a Monsters-esque road trip.
But back to Melanie, the film's central presence. She is essentially a blank slate, or a dry sponge for lack of a better description, in that she desires knowledge as well as body parts and absorbs information with incredible endurance. Her favourite teacher is Helen Justineau (Gemma Arterton), a sort of Miss Honey figure who brightens up their bleak bunker home inhabited otherwise by those who refer to the children as "abortions" and treat them with contempt bred, perhaps understandably, from wariness. This attitude prevails throughout the film to varying degrees, some characters afraid but sympathetic, others driven solely by the scientific possibilities the zom-kids present. Dr. Caroline Caldwell (Glenn Close) is one of the latter, a medical professional who sees Melanie not as a human being but as a resource and a pathway to a potential cure. "They present as children, you know my opinion on that," she insists. Emphasis on "present".
Close excels as a pseudo-antagonist, stirring intentions born out of necessity rather than anything particularly sinister. Caldwell only dons the antagonist role because Carey's writing characterises Melanie not as a resource but as an innocent child, his characterisation authenticated by Nanua's poise. We feel compelled to side with Melanie because we can relate to her kindness and her appearance. Caldwell feels compelled to do her duty as a scientist in an endangered world running out of scientific solutions, which isn't evil per se. Whenever zombies are involved comparisons with The Walking Dead are inevitable, but whereas that show has adopted a broadly romanticised us-versus-them approach, this feels more arduous, moral implications blurrier. It's interesting precisely because there is no clear answer.
This world has seen the worst and now exists in a state of post-shock where terror no longer marinates. Now is the time for practicality, a mindset embodied by Caldwell: without hesitation she investigates the contents of a pram being pushed by a 'hungry' — an actual zombie, brainless — not put off by danger but rather spurred on by "gathering data, which is part of [her] mission statement". Justineau, meanwhile, is clearly more concerned about the welfare of Melanie than her own, apparently consigned to whatever fate lies ahead. Arterton has the emotional burden to carry, her frequently exhausted expression not a consequence of physical exertion (she is more than capable in the field) but of her problematic attachment to Melanie.
The piece hits some of the usual genre beats but does so with enough quality to sustain a level of intrigue. We've witnessed the basic premise play out in films such as 28 Days Later and World War Z and, just like in those films, military personnel have a hand in proceedings here. What separates The Girl with All the Gifts from the pack, though, is its almost subliminal tone of humour. It's an understated lightheartedness that feels genuine in a broken society already acclimatised to its brokenness. At one point Melanie, having just fed on some animals, blood tattooed onto her face, jovially reveals she is no longer hungry and the others can only look on in a collective state of horrified discombobulation. Paddy Considine's Sgt. Eddie Parks benefits most from the humorous touch, able to escape an incoming hard-man caricature and develop into a rounded figure.
For those seeking the usual zombie fare, The Girl with All the Gifts has you covered. It's as bloody and gory and gnarly as it is thought-provoking. Cristobal Tapia de Veer's score spans the mood spectrum, incurring a feeling of discomfort with invasive brass entries. I was reminded of Shutter Island's brooding soundtrack. With air raid sirens fulfilling the threat-based requirements, the sounds of trees swishing harmoniously and birds gently humming reflect the film's thoughtful mantra. Nature, too, is character, sparse streets having been attacked by overgrown greenery, turning South East England into Pripyat, Ukraine. McCarthy's film makes brilliant use of its £4 million production budget, and is well worth the price of admission.
Images credit: IMP Awards, The Guardian
Images copyright (©): Warner Bros.
Author Adam (Consumed by Film)Posted on September 30, 2016 Categories 2010-19, ReviewsTags 28 Days Later, Colm McCarthy, Drama, Film, Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close, Horror, Jacob Tremblay, Monsters, Movie, Paddy Considine, Room, Sennia Nanua, Stranger Things, The Girl with All the Gifts, The Walking Dead, Thriller, World War Z, Zombie6 Comments on The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)
Release Date: April 1st, 2016 (US); April 15th, 2016 (UK)
Genre: Drama; Thriller; War
Starring: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi, Alan Rickman
I often find that the most engaging films are those which, in one way or another, encourage viewers to invest more than just the alertness of their eyeballs. Films that oil the brain, that challenge you to weigh up testy themes or unfurl complicated arguments both in the cinema and later at home. Some of the best movies reflect the prevailing zeitgeist (Boyhood), while others re-evaluate histories (Bridge of Spies). There are also those which, having aged over time, can be examined under the guise of new perspectives (2001: A Space Odyssey). Eye in the Sky is one of the former, its content exclusively in tune with the woes of modern drone warfare and, unsurprisingly, it's a heart-thumper.
A low key opening sequence outlines the active operation, the personnel involved, and the everyday atmosphere at play. There's Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren), a senior intelligence official who has tracked down a group of terrorists residing in Nairobi, Kenya. She wishes to eliminate the group, one of whom is a former British national, and has the support of Lieutenant General Frank Benson (Alan Rickman). Evidently, the duo are used to navigating tough situations from afar — they are working from separate UK bases — though the situation Powell and Benson are about to encounter is probably as tough as it gets. That is, juggling the life of young girl selling bread in the vicinity of their prospective drone strike.
Gavin Hood's film is formatted almost to match that of a 24 episode, which is to say it ticks along more or less in real time as people in suits number-crunch death percentages and debris projections. Foreshadowing is a factor too: Rickman, superbly authoritative yet typically human, drolly sweats over dolls and toys as the Lieutenant General, unaware his job will shortly have him deciding the fate of a child. Screenwriter Guy Hibbert colours his characters with titbits of everyday information in an attempt to humanise them, quite successfully given the amount on-screen. We learn, for instance, that American drone pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) is only monitoring the controls of such a weapon in a bid to counter his college debt.
These people are secure, detached from a teetering war zone in Nairobi, their most immediate danger apparently food poisoning — Iain Glen's queasy British Foreign Secretary struggles with an upset stomach, a first world problem if there ever was one. You wonder if they actually care about the civilians caught in their crosshairs or whether it is all just a political game of Pass the Buck (there was a laugh of incredulity in my screening following one such buck-passing incident). Some do care, primarily those ordered to get their hands dirty: Watts and new recruit Carrie Gershon (Phoebe Fox) wear the emotional baggage of their piloting well, while Barkhad Abdi's undercover ground agent evokes conscientiousness despite having to navigate the tumultuous streets.
Others struggle with the dilemma too — as time goes on, it increasingly looks as though the terrorists are about to commandeer an enormous suicide attack, however their assassination in present circumstances would almost certainly kill the aforementioned young girl. We see timid bureaucracy in action; the chain of command gains branches by the second as nobody seems willing to make the final call, apart from Powell. This is militancy versus diplomacy and she is firmly aligned with the former, calculated and desperate, unwavering in her kill-or-be-killed motto. Mirren compels throughout and rules those around her with a cracked iron fist. At times you feel her judgement has been clouded by her innate desire to end what must be a years-long operation.
It's possible too that she has been desensitised by process: surveillance technologies used by the conglomerate of global forces (borders are irrelevant in this inter-connected world) include spy cameras disguised as airborne birds and bugs (brick walls are irrelevant too). These trinkets embody the disconnect between tangible ground activities and those making the crucial decisions from afar, and such technologies likely lighten the load for senior decision-makers such as Powell. Interactions between UK and US agencies hint at the statistical and mechanical nature of modern warfare, a notion embodied by the varying systems of collateral damage interpretation between the two nations. It's not a matter of saving every life, but rather reducing the total number of deaths.
Hibbert's screenplay ties in real-world strands by referencing the ongoing migrant crisis ("Well let's hope she's not coming back," bemoans Powell regarding the homegrown British terrorist) but really Eye in the Sky is all about the immorality of war in 2016. The best result the military's facial recognition software can hope for is a "highly probable" match, which would be great in a university science lab but not ideal when lives are at stake. Any margin of error is amplified in battle and the debates between officials take on that extra weight, a weight that we also incur as we sympathise with various characters. Megan Gill edits Haris Zambarloukos' cinematography to full effect, highlighting the stark anomalies in Nairobi: Gill cuts from the young girl setting up her bread stall to the extremists preparing their suicide vests, mere metres separating the two.
The film avoids problematic whirlpools and discriminatory icebergs by riding a wave maturity — it would be very easy to take a side, but as the piece nears conclusion it shines a blatantly more rounded light on a number of brutes earlier seen authoritatively commanding vehicle checkpoints. Unlike London Has Fallen, which clumsily waded its way into the drone debate, Eye in the Sky sets out to discuss and not to distract. Clearly they are different films in a tonal sense, aimed arguably at different audiences, but both speak the same thematic language and only the latter does so with any credibility.
There is one issue that the film only manages to partially iron out. You'll almost certainly enter this having already formulated an opinion one way or the other, especially given the relevance and significance of drone warfare in today's political climate. And although it is possible you'll be made to reconsider that opinion — it helps that Hood's gripping direction increasingly positions you alongside the toiling decision-makers — chances are the events depicted will not shift anyone's viewpoint. This isn't necessarily a reflection on the movie itself, but rather the divisiveness of its real-world content.
People band around the phrase "spoils of war" in relation to any profits gained through military victory. But it is war that spoils, and here we see that spoiling in action: it spoils ethical frameworks established by the civilised strand of humanity; it spoils urban locales that have hosted and continue to host generations of livelihoods; and, crucially, it spoils the daily existence of normal people living their normal lives. Eye in the Sky suggests war spoils some people more than others, and while that mightn't be a new conclusion, the method of warfare on display is as morally challenging as it gets.
Images copyright (©): Entertainment One, Bleecker Street
Author Adam (Consumed by Film)Posted on April 19, 2016 May 30, 2016 Categories 2010-19, ReviewsTags 2001: A Space Odyssey, 24, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdi, Boyhood, Bridge of Spies, Drama, Eye in the Sky, Film, Gavin Hood, Helen Mirren, Iain Glen, London Has Fallen, Movie, Phoebe Fox, Thriller, War12 Comments on Eye in the Sky (2016)
Director: Jeff Nichols
Release Date: March 18th, 2016 (US); April 8th, 2016 (UK)
Genre: Adventure; Drama; Science fiction
Starring: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Jaeden Lieberher, Kirsten Dunst
The opening shot of Midnight Special shows a motel door peephole. The peephole offers those inside the motel room the ability to spy on any external goings-on, and is in fact the only means to such an end: each of the room's windows have been dressed in cardboard by occupants wary, perhaps, of the instability of conventional curtains. One of the room's occupants, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), has even donned enormous orange headphones and a pair of goggles, ears and eyes shielded from something, or maybe someone. It is a brilliant introduction to this patient, mysterious world created by Jeff Nichols, without doubt one of the most exciting up-and-coming filmmakers working today.
A number of forces are after Alton for a number of reasons: the FBI, for fear of his invasive abilities, that the child can undercut complicated governmental systems albeit without malice, and a Texas cult corrupted by the promise of an upcoming day of reckoning. Adam Driver represents the former as Paul Sevier, a compassionate analyst of sorts, and ranch leader Calvin Meyer (Sam Shepard) the latter. See, Alton possesses a variety of characteristics not written into the laws of physics. His eyes shoot blinding beams of light and his mind works prophetically, both of which make him valuable. But nobody values him more than his father Roy (Michael Shannon) who, with the assistance of friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton), sets out to shield Alton from harm.
Moral complexities are at large early on. Roy and Lucas' motives aren't initially clear therefore Shannon and Edgerton must convey a sense of righteousness or otherwise. As they leave their motel room with Alton, we cut to a suspicious receptionist. Shortly thereafter, the pair endure a nasty collision on the road and have a run-in with a state trooper which ends when the latter is shot. It's not exactly a heroic introduction, but subtle nuances get us onside: Shannon's paternal vibe towards his son and Alton's reciprocal nature; Edgerton's considered demeanour and his character's need to protect any innocent bystanders (shooting not to kill the trooper, for instance).
The film is also Spielbergian in many ways, from its science fiction touch to how it places youth on a pedestal. You first notice the similarities in a dusk horizon shot, where the various silhouettes of imposing military trucks can be seen advancing along a shadowy road, the background an orange-tinted sky. A general nighttime vibe exists throughout the piece, partially because the screenplay requires it, but also because darkness funds an overarching sense of uncertainty and mystique. Visual flair is mostly restrained, though the film does let loose on two occasions with incredible results — especially incredible given the comparatively meagre $18 million budget.
Its celebration of youthful imagination is another trope from Spielberg's wheelhouse, enacted generally across the piece but also more intimately when we see Alton reading a Human Torch comic. "Reading's reading," Lucas claims, to which Roy glumly replies, "He needs to know what's real". Lucas has been won over not just by Alton's abilities but also his humanness. Roy, while evidently full of love for his son, is more strict when it comes to completing the task; that is, getting Alton to where he needs to be. Perhaps this early in proceedings Roy is unwilling to fully accept the consequences of doing so, which only adds further heft to his journey.
But he does have faith. Religion, the inevitability of one's beliefs, the cultish haranguing instigated by an isolated community — these are all explored in Midnight Special. Calvin's ranch carries significant pull, even to those who have left. "Do you miss it?" Roy asks former member Elden (David Jensen), and you can bet he does. We don't really know anything about those on the ranch, nor those who have escaped, which includes Roy and his wife Sarah (Kirsten Dunst). Their backstories might have benefited from some filling in, though you have to commend Nichols for his consistency in letting the audience make up their own minds. And there certainly isn't a total information blackout. Rather, this feels like a well-crafted piece, where each event and scene and conversation carries meaning.
It is always easy to compare a filmmaker's current work to his/her previous efforts, though such a comparison makes sense here. In many ways, Nichols has taken the most appetising ingredients from both Take Shelter and Mud and moulded them into a sci-fi base: the former's apocalyptic vision and air of encroaching trouble tags with the latter's unflashy, youngster-imbued agenda. Alton is the physical manifestation of both elements, a dangerous otherworldly presence to some, yet to others simply a child searching for answers. Television news reels spew out stories on crippling addiction while honchos in suits decry the possibility of nuclear decimation, paranoid and afraid of change even if it is for the better.
Despite being set in contemporary times, the film has an undeniable retro quality similar to that purveyed in Super 8 (though clearly J.J. Abrams' movie is set in a period that matches its retro-scape). David Wingo's oscillating, spacey score somewhat soothes our ears as it recalls Alton's futuristic attributes. It tends to play over scenes involving Alton and never jars, instead shining a positive light on what the boy could represent — that aforementioned change for the better — as well as his family's motives. At times the music also reminded me of Kristin Øhrn Dyrud's work in Coherence, a small sci-fi thriller bred from a similar pool of cagey mystery.
For those of you who thought Tomorrowland: A World Beyond lacked concrete storytelling or a consistent strain of intrigue, there's every chance Midnight Special is film you have been looking for. While Nichols' outing doesn't flourish through splendour, it does keep the viewer engrossed for the duration. You have to be; various ideas are floated around — including concepts I haven't touched upon here, such as undemocratic government surveillance — and it is often up to us to make our own moral judgement. Midnight Special is as much an on-the-road drama as it is any other genre, but it's also very effective sci-fi. The special stuff, almost.
Author Adam (Consumed by Film)Posted on April 12, 2016 May 30, 2016 Categories 2010-19, ReviewsTags Adventure, Coherence, Drama, Film, Jaeden Lieberher, Jeff Nichols, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Michael Shannon, Midnight Special, Movie, Mud, Sam Shepard, Science fiction, Steven Spielberg, Super 8, Take Shelter, Tomorrowland: A World Beyond17 Comments on Midnight Special (2016)
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Release Date: March 11th, 2016 (US); March 18th, 2016 (UK)
Genre: Drama; Horror; Mystery
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr.
There's a great deal to admire about a film that chooses a path and sticks to it in spite of executive-level switcherooing. 10 Cloverfield Lane only discovered its Cloverfield bloodline midway through development, a potentially hazardous move that would have rendered many other outings spineless, but sweeping conviction shines through here. The path Dan Trachtenberg confidently guides his movie down is laden with rich slabs of character identity. So rich, in fact, that it's probable you'll forget about the Cloverfield connection after 15 minutes (I did) and instead enjoy a simple thriller with tantalising — and, crucially, natural — twists and turns, its three pro-cum-antagonists each carrying the weight of intrigue.
We have Howard (John Goodman), the overseer, aka the one who owns the bunker within which the film takes place and who calls the shots accordingly. Then there is the convert, Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), already booked into Howard's hotel by the time we arrive. And finally, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). She's the sceptic. You can tell because her red nail polish wears away with stress. Michelle doesn't call ahead as much as awaken in Howard's bunker having felt the brunt of a pummelling car accident, one that catches both her and us off guard, a proper assault on the solar plexus.
Escape hangs over proceedings. The film opens with Michelle, who has the appearance of someone desperately trying to escape something — a relationship, perhaps, and probably life in general (odd titbit: Bradley Cooper voices her pleading boyfriend, relegated to a phone call). Bear McCreary's ominous score plays as Michelle frantically scrambles around her flat looking for road booze and as she departs, keys shunned on the table, that drone grows in intensity. It aids a tone that suggests trouble; via car radio, we hear of widespread power outages. Shortly thereafter, Trachtenberg unveils imagery that reflects an air of claustrophobia: the rusty chain clamping Michelle to the wall in Howard's bunker, for instance, or the large iron door reinforcing her isolation.
Winstead plays the terrified, suspicious type so well, her eyes often wide and bulging. She is vulnerable, clearly, and yet full of defiant craft — there's more than a touch of stellar horror heroine going on here. Goodman, meanwhile, juggles sanity and insanity with incredible credibility. He breathes heavily, panting almost, as if he's about to explode in a fit of rage or is recuperating from a previous outburst. The less said about his character's motives the better, though Goodman's soon-to-be iconic introduction ought to be noted: the camera tentatively navigates around Howard's hulking figure before unveiling his menacing face from a low angle, further feeding our anxieties.
Who is this man and what does he want? Those questions fuel the film's allure as it cagily probes away at answers. Early on, Howard bemoans humanity's lack of preparation, that we talk a good game from afar and then panic when true disaster hits. "Crazy is building your ark after the flood has already come." The flood on this occasion is a nuclear attack, according to Howard (frequent power surges bolster his end-of-days argument). Turns out this is a man who has proactively prepared for disaster by building a sturdy bunker. Maybe he's not the freak, but we are. His musings start to make sense.
On the flip side, "Surviving Doomsday" books line the shelves of his shelter and you begin to wonder if the whole scenario is a deluded madman's ruse. There is a false home-sweet-home aesthetic, plants that are surely fake, and a fictional kitchen window. Trachtenberg and cinematographer Jeff Cutter concoct a terrifically creepy malaise through framing — more than once, Howard appears to creep up on Michelle and Emmett while the pair are mid-conversation. There is nowhere to hide. Feelings of paranoia and mistrust battle with hints of Stockholm syndrome. These themes recall an episode of Lost starring Henry Ian Cusick and Clancy Brown where the former struggles to unravel the latter's bunker-based theories.
But deep-seated worry does not have a stranglehold on the piece. Penned by a trio of writers — Whiplash director Damien Chazelle apparently revamped much of Josh Campbell and Matthew Stuecken's initial plot and character work — the screenplay includes moments of wry comedy that don't try to detract from the disconcerting situation, but instead lighten the mood just enough to afford the film a more digestible front. Often it's Gallagher Jr. who is tasked with making quips and he obliges with assured charm, as opposed to the purposefully awkward charm the actor evoked in The Newsroom. Even McCreary's brooding score takes a break: "I Think We're Alone Now" plays over a montage of momentary serenity. It's splendid song-weaving.
The title "10 Cloverfield Lane" may suggest otherwise but this is a character drama first and foremost, tinged with high-concept thrills that complement splashings of sci-fi and horror. The people on-screen share a complex dynamic, an alluring one built around secrecy and regret and revelation. You think you know where it's all going and then Howard whips out a Pretty in Pink VHS (he seems like a VHS kinda guy). You get so drawn in by the chess game that any Cloverfield associations become somewhat irrelevant, which, I suppose, is a real credit to both the idea and its execution. For the first time in a long time, I left the screening wanting more. Wanting a sequel. Imagine that!
Images copyright (©): Paramount Pictures
Author Adam (Consumed by Film)Posted on March 25, 2016 May 30, 2016 Categories 2010-19, ReviewsTags 10 Cloverfield Lane, Cloverfield, Drama, Film, Horror, John Gallagher Jr, John Goodman, Lost, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Movie, Mystery, Pretty in Pink, The Newsroom8 Comments on 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Bone Tomahawk (2016)
Director: S. Craig Zahler
Release Date: October 23rd, 2015 (US); February 19th, 2016 (UK)
Genre: Adventure; Drama; Horror
Starring: Kurt Russell, Matthew Fox, Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins
Bone Tomahawk is an audible treat. Not since Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio has a movie sounded so raw and striking (Sicario might warrant a shout, in fairness). During the opening segment here, in which a pair of drifters execute a travelling party before stumbling upon an eerie burial ground, we learn about the 16 major veins that exist inside the human neck. "And you have to cut through 'em all," claims scavenger Buddy (Sid Haig). David Arquette's Purvis obliges and we hear every squeak, twist, and snap as he does so. It is cringe-inducing for all the right reasons and the perfect introduction to S. Craig Zahler's unforgiving picture, a western thoroughly bludgeoned by despair and horror.
Sometime thereafter, Purvis turns up looking a bit worse for wear in Bright Hope, a small town with a population of 268 according to its welcome signpost. He runs into sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell) and earns a bullet in the leg, the first of many indications that Hunt favours blunt practicality over weak-mindedness. And so begins the sequence of events which send the sheriff, his well-meaning deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins), the egotistical John Brooder (Matthew Fox), and local foreman Arthur O'Dwyer (Patrick Wilson) on a mission to rescue the latter's kidnapped wife, Samantha (Lili Simmons).
Foreshadowing and foreboding are wilfully employed by Zahler — replacing what could have been a more natural music-driven score, the howls of wolves (or worse) ominously serenade events early on and then manifest in threatening form later. It's the ambiance of the west, or at least this incarnation of the west. "Oh boy, that smells good now that I know it's not supposed to be tea," Chicory muses, referring to corn chowder but also reflecting the film's underbelly. See, though there are plenty of traditional western strands at play — the gruff sheriff who commands authority, the isolated community tormented by threat, plenty of horses — Bone Tomahawk sets its stall out with a difference.
Slowly paced scenes reflect the slower time period, when face-to-face interactions dominated and long distance journeys relied on animal willpower. Russell taps into this considered approach, employing words with authority; patience really is a virtue and in Hunt's presence you get the sense patience will be rewarded. Comparisons with The Hateful Eight's John Ruth are inevitable, though the pair have less in common than you might think. Composure, for one: Hunt's detective-esque apprehension of Purvis is the product of gradual interrogation, whereas Ruth's treatment of Daisy Domergue is often abrasive and erratic. It is a testament to the actor that he has managed to create such varied yet equally compelling characters from two very similar seeds.
The version of the 1890s we see on-screen is one characterised by manual labour. O'Dwyer is a worker, though his involvement in the job has been tempered by a nasty leg injury that continues to plague him during the group's arduous trek. Wilson does his utmost to sell his character's ongoing pain in a performance that values physicality over emotional depth, though that is not to say O'Dwyer is a bland protagonist. Quite the opposite, in fact: the persistence of his injury only serves to bolster his heroic tendencies, to the point that we believe in him as a viable saviour and not just a tag-along husband.
Such ponderous momentum affords these characters natural breathing space, and Fox's Brooder benefits too. Brooder is perhaps the most intriguing of the main quartet, certainly the most mysterious — the camera often shows him isolated from his fellow pack. One moment he inspires anti-heroic Han Solo connotations, the next plain ignorance, and then there's his penchant for wry humour: "I'll probably beat you to the draw," Brooder boasts before amusingly justifying said boast. This is the best Matthew Fox has been in years. It is also one of Richard Jenkins' most endearing showings, a real triumph given the overarching strand of impersonal cruelty.
Zahler's film takes up a somewhat conventional western face for much of its running time, though said face is masked by an uneasy mist. It would be best to avoid specific details, but I will note that proceedings take a turn for the sickeningly gory and genuinely unsettling. This genre mishmash works because terror and anxiety have always been woven into the genre. The mishmash refrains from stopping at abject fear too. This is also a film about how men are impacted by separation (O'Dwyer's wife is missing, Hunt's is worried at home, and Chicory's deceased). As the group traverse further from civilisation and closer to potential doom, the score unveils a pained melancholy, manifesting almost as a sort of death soliloquy.
On a technical front, Bone Tomahawk is infallible. I've already lauded the sound quality and the production team maintain a similar level of excellence in their set creation and landscape scouting. It feels like the end of the 19th century; that retro gunslinging allure in full effect. We ride across mossy vistas and tiptoe through ghost valleys that bear some resemblance to those in The Return of the King. Presumably working with a low budget, those behind the lens have smartly utilised nature's virtues and rustled up quite the canvass for exploration, fusing the harsh brutalities of No Country For Old Men with the pilgrimage proclivities of Slow West.
All of the elements are furnished to oaky perfection but you could remove the lot — the charcoal landscapes, the wooden interiors, the deceptive humour — to leave just the four central characters, and you would still have something well worth two hours of your time. These marauders are wacky and layered. Zahler sticks to his guns even after the craziness takes off, winningly heralding the richness of his protagonists over shock value. A late, brief exchange between sheriff and deputy recalls the film's intimate, considered mantra. In one moment, Bone Tomahawk cements its status as a future classic.
Images copyright (©): RLJ Entertainment
Author Adam (Consumed by Film)Posted on March 6, 2016 May 30, 2016 Categories 2010-19, ReviewsTags Adventure, Berberian Sound Studio, Bone Tomahawk, David Arquette, Drama, Film, Horror, Kurt Russell, Lili Simmons, Matthew Fox, Movie, No Country For Old Men, Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins, Sicario, Slow West, Western11 Comments on Bone Tomahawk (2016)
Release Date: August 14th, 2015 (US); August 28th, 2015 (UK)
Genre: Biography; Drama; History
Starring: O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell
Full disclosure: I'm not a big late-80s/early-90s hip hop fan. Before F. Gary Gray's Straight Outta Compton, I likely would have associated the letters "N.W.A." with a professional wrestling promotion as opposed to anything of the rap variety. But cinema is a great enlightenment tool and here I am, enlightened, and all the better for it. The film takes us all the way back to 1986, to Compton, California and to the inception of one of the most influential groups in music history. Not that I know anything, but to me Straight Outta Compton plays like a film worthy of the N.W.A.'s hefty legacy.
It is primarily centred around the three most pivotal members: Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), Ice Cube (Jackson O'Shea Jr.), and Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins). We meet the former surrounded by guns and drugs, and the latter hopes and dreams. Despite its obvious pitfalls — impending violence and police sirens — the Compton hip hop culture proudly wears an aspirational quality that bellows from the screen; this is especially true during musical interludes, though these aren't interludes as much as natural story progressions. And it is this underbelly of aspiration that resonates universally, beyond hip hop. What we have is a piece that serves its real life protagonists honourably by dismissing glorification and highlighting the relatable traits they foster.
This feels like the rise of the N.W.A., not an imitation. Every performance is authentic, from Jackson O'Shea Jr. who is more than just his father's uncanny lookalike, authoritative and assured, to Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, the rebel of rebels turned sympathetic figure. Mitchell sieves through the aggravating side of his character in order to trap something really genuine. It helps that the focus is not always on Eazy-E; we spend significant time with Dr. Dre, played with a terrific sense of roundedness by Corey Hawkins, and with Paul Giamatti's Jerry Heller, a businessman with dollar signs in his eyes. This is a cast rich in talent, both raw and honed, backed up by strong supporting players (R. Marcos Taylor as Suge Knight; Aldis Hodge and Neil Brown Jr. as MC Renn and DJ Yella, respectively).
As is always the case when a biopic hits the stands, much has been said about historical fudgings. Most notably, the non-reference to Dr. Dre's violent outbursts against women. That's a fair quarrel, though I can only judge what I see. The guys on-screen are absolutely not angels, nor do they hold themselves to such a moral standard. They partake in overblown confrontations — the camera makes a point to zoom in on a tightly-grasped glass bottle during one conflict. Women are not treated well, often as little more than instruments to use (this does change upon the arrival of maturity). And bouts of in-fighting gain frequency as the group gains success. You believe in the bond between the members, but you also recognise the potential for bloated egos to overrule harmony. So when bloated egos overrule harmony, it's not a shock.
The most charged relationship Gray's outing explores, though, is not one between individual artists, but a collective one between all artists and the police. Our real world news media has been awash with the pitiful treatment, and worse, of black men in particular by US police officers, and this exceptionally tense relationship is reflected from the word go. For instance, we see Dr. Dre on the receiving end of a brutish arrest for no apparent reason: "I was literally just standing there… that's it." Police brutality is obviously an issue with complex ties to the rise of the N.W.A., therefore the extent to which it is featured here does seem justified and in many ways inevitable, but that inevitability does not diminish its impact at all.
Cop cars stalk the group constantly; they appear from nowhere almost to the point of parody, their lights flashing and alarms blaring. Conversations between officer and victim cement the shoddy use of power structures — one side inflicting orders with no real basis, the other side angrily demanding an explanation. This amounts to a handful of on-the-nose interactions ("You can't come down here and harass my clients because they're black") but then these interactions are probably wrapped up in absolute truth, which makes the whole saga all the more infuriating for us folks on the side of those being unlawfully discriminated against.
On a lighter note, at two and a half hours long the film advances with unrivalled exuberance. This is all Gray's direction; you can feel it. Be it in establishing compelling dialogues or encouraging us to head-bop along, the director never lets up: we zip through recording sessions and into electric live performances, and the spotlight evolves from a lone studio glow into an array of kinetic beams. The best example of this vitality is in an unrelenting diss sequence during which the picture cuts between the disser dissing and the dissees listening. It is a track that stems from a dispute based on artistic and financial integrity, another industry strand the piece explores in some detail.
It's not as earnest as something like Crazy Heart or as indebted to soul-searching as a Walk the Line, but Straight Outta Compton thrives on the strength of its key figures and the scintillating, abrasive music they make. For someone like me, a representative of those uninitiated in the musical culture on display, this character-centric approach affords the film a grounding from which to flourish. Good characterisation, good storytelling — these are two of the tenets of good cinema, and Straight Outta Compton revels in both. That makes it good cinema.
Images copyright (©): Universal Pictures
Author Adam (Consumed by Film)Posted on February 27, 2016 May 30, 2016 Categories 2010-19, ReviewsTags Aldis Hodge, Biography, Corey Hawkins, Crazy Heart, Dr Dre, Drama, Eazy E, F Gary Gray, Film, History, Ice Cube, Jason Mitchell, Movie, Neil Brown Jr, NWA, O'Shea Jackson Jr, Paul Giamatti, Straight Outta Compton, Walk the Line1 Comment on Straight Outta Compton (2015)


John L. Shahdanian II, chair of the firm's Employment Law Department, together with Raymond J. Seigler, obtained dismissal of a $50 million civil rights lawsuit brought against City of Hackensack Construction Official Joseph Mellone. The plaintiff, a commercial property owner, accused Mellone of improperly refusing to issue construction permits as part of a conspiracy with other City of Hackensack officials to discriminate against him on the basis of his Arabic heritage and his failure to raise certain political funds. In dismissing the complaint, United States District Court Judge Esther Salas agreed with the defense that the plaintiff failed to exhaust administrative remedies with regard to the non-issuance of the construction permit, and that the plaintiff failed to sufficiently plead his claims of discrimination and retaliation.