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For the longest time it seemed that Pixar could do no wrong. Over the last 16 years they have consistently made some of the finest family films this side of Studio Ghibli. While certainly some films were better than others all of them have been highly enjoyable and walked that line where both kids and adults can find something to enjoy. When they announced a sequel to their 2006 film Cars I was at first a little disappointed. While filled with some amazing animation and some fun moments I find that film to my least favorite Pixar film to date,
October 2011 Archives
Cars Collector's Edition is the Pick of the Week
A less than stellar sequel gets the full treatment.
William Castle is Back! And Deader Than Ever
Skeletons are not the only things to emerge from a Halloween weekend screening of House on Haunted Hill.
Good news: William Castle, the master of cinematic suspense and inventor of the greatest audience-pleasing gimmicks in movie history, has come back from the dead. "I can confirm that," the director's grandson Kyle Castle Newall said Friday night at the Loew's Jersey Theater in Jersey City. "Indeed he has." Newall, an NYU student who was born after his grandfather died - or rather, after he died the first time - was in attendance for a screening of Castle's 1959 classic House on Haunted Hill, wherein a flying skeleton torments attendees at a party thrown by Vincent Price. And, in a
Le Havre Movie Review: Another Low-Key Delight from Aki Kaurismäki
Impeccable composition, glorious art direction and a charming, fantasy-tinged tale make Aki Kaurismäki's latest a must-see.
Aki Kaurismäki's films often require the viewer to get on a specific wavelength in order to appreciate the wry tone he cultivates. His latest, Le Havre, is an excellent place to begin to get accustomed, as Kaurismäki weaves a warm, fantasy-tinged tale that's easy to appreciate and immensely charming. Applying a light touch to the knotty issue of European immigration, Le Havre is hardly a substantial take on its subject matter, but it's not trying to be. Instead, we get a lovely, melancholy story that's more about mood and characterization than big issues. André Wilms stars as Marcel Marx, a
The Saturday Public Domain Movie: The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
"If I am the Phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so...If I shall be saved, it will be because your love redeems me." - Erik
Spend Halloween weekend enjoying a landmark in cinema history. Based on the novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom (Lon Chaney) haunts the Paris Opera House and issues threats if his beloved Christine (Mary Philbin), understudy to the lead, isn't allowed to sing the role of Marguerite in the current production of Gounod's Faust. Knowing that Christine is involved with the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny (Norman Kerry), the Phantom kidnaps her to live with him in his underground liar, leading Chagny and others to come to her rescue. Lon Chaney shocked audiences with his inventive, iconic
The Captains DVD Review: William Shatner Logs Interviews with Peers
A Must-Have for Any Trek Fan.
William Shatner has written and directed this compilation of interviews and brief glimpses into the lives of the six actors, of which he is one, who have served as captains in their own franchise of Star Trek. The list includes Shatner from the original series, Patrick Stewart from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Avery Brooks from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Kate Mulgrew from Star Trek: Voyager, Scott Bakula from Star Trek: Enterprise, and Chris Pine from the most recent motion picture. As the documentary ends, one can't help but realize that the line between an incomplete piece and simply
The Howling: Reborn Blu-ray Review: Direct-to-Video meets Direct-to-Bargain-Bin
They should have included a free pooper-scooper, so that it could be disposed of properly.
From the very first frame, it's clear to even a single-celled organism with a solitary intelligence quota point that The Howling: Reborn is an ode to incompetence. The Direct-to-Video wonder -- helmed by an unknown, untalented writer/director named Joe Nimziki -- is nothing more than a bunglingly bad and all-too-obvious attempt to meld the worlds of Harry Potter and Twilight along with just about any other semi-popular motion picture fad they could think of. All one has to do is note the presence of Harry and Bella look-alikes as the lead "teenagers" here and listen to any of the movie's
Act of Vengeance (1974) DVD Review: Watch Out, Men, 'Cuz the Rape Squad is Here!
Guaranteed to have you waltzing in to take a hot shower once it's over.
Filmmaker Bob Kelljan started off with a promising enough career at AIP Studios in 1970 writing and directing the cult classic Count Yorga, Vampire -- a highlight of '70s horror cinema that Kelljan followed up the following year with a sequel, The Return of Count Yorga (which he also wrote and directed). Two years after that, Bob found himself directing yet another sequel, though this time, it was to a funky AIP bloodsucker that wasn't of his own devise; that of the hip Blacula in Scream Blacula Scream. And then, just as swiftly as his vocation manufacturing big-screen horrors began,
Smiles of a Summer Night Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: All's Well That Ends Well
Ingmar Bergman's film will deliver a smile any night.
Though legendary director Ingmar Bergman is well known for creating films that deal with serious subjects about life and death, faith and doubt, marriage and divorce, he became an international sensation with this light romantic comedy, which Criterion released on Blu-ray this year. Smiles of a Summer Night is a charming tale about of group of upper-class, mismatched lovers who sort things out one summer night in the country. Lawyer Fredrik (Gunnar Björnstrand) is married to the much younger Anne (Ulla Jacobsson), who is near the same age as Fredrik's son Henrik (Björn Bjelfvenstam) from his previous marriage to his
Book Review: The Vampire Film: From Nosferatu to True Blood - A Highly Recommended Reference Book
Alain Silver and James Ursini have revised their already wonderful book to include several recent entries of vampire lore.
Recently in the history of our humble little planet, we've witnessed a ruthless dictator's toppling demise, the occupation of Wall Street by protestors, the threat of a complete shut-down of the government, and two -- two -- incredibly bizarre (not to mention highly inaccurate) promises of the end of the world by the same Christian nutjob (which many people actually fell for the first time 'round). It's madness, to say the very least. And yet, despite all the daily dangers to economies and budgets around the world, there's something comforting and buoyant over reference books about vampires in the motion
Island of Lost Souls (1932) Criterion Collection DVD Review: Are We Not Men?
One of the most unsettling films ever.
"Do you know what it means to feel like God?" asks the fiendish Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton) at one point in Island of Lost Souls (1932). It is the question of an ultimate egomaniac, and goes to the root of this incredibly creepy tale. The movie is based on the novel The Island of Dr. Moreau, published in 1896 by H.G. Wells. Although it is not as celebrated today as films such as Frankenstein (1931) or Dracula (1931), Island of Lost Souls is an early horror classic. In many ways it is one of the most unsettling films ever. Our
The Four Feathers (1939) Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Offers Quite a Bit of Excitement
Harry Faversham's journey from coward to hero.
The A.E.W. Mason classic adventure book The Four Feathers (1902) has been adapted into at least seven films directly. The latest was a semi-well received version in 2002 with Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley, and Kate Hudson. When the 1939 version was released, there had already been three previous version, including a version with King Kong star Fay Wray. Now out on beautiful Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection is the Zoltan Korda 1939 version of The Four Feathers. For a story adapted so many times, I knew this film is considered the definitive version and I was anxious to see what
Cream: Live at Royal Albert Hall London 2005 Blu-ray Review: I'm So Glad This Was Recorded
A great concert disc showcasing their triumphant return.
Cream is a legendary rock trio from the late '60s featuring bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker. Though only active for a brief time, from their official debut at the Sixth Annual Windsor Jazz & Blues Festival on July 29 1966 to two final farewell concerts at the Royal Albert Hall on November 26, 1968, they made a major impact on the music world with their hard rockin' blend of blues and psychedelia that many have imitated and, to this day still, very few have duplicated. In 1993, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll
Grayeagle DVD Review: Charles B. Pierce's Faux Native American, er, "Epic"
Is that red face paint you're wearing, or are you really that embarrassed to be in this movie?
During the last portion of the 20th Century, filmmakers became slightly attracted to the notion of making moving pictures about Native Americans -- or, as Mel Brooks would delicately describe them in his spoof of the cowboy picture genre, Blazing Saddles: "those little red devils." Indeed, American Indians had long been present on film since the earliest B-Western first appeared on matinee screens more towards the beginning of the 1900s, though they were almost always portrayed in a negative light; barbaric, scalping fiends brought to life by the most non-native-looking white men possessing the largest noses that Hollywood schmucks could
Movie Recon: Angels Crest, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Woman in Black
Another recon full of posters, trailers and still of upcoming films.
This edition of Movie Recon looks at three very different films, including a one blockbuster sequel that's been on the horizon for quite a while. Angels Crest Story: In the small, working class community of Angels Crest, nestled in a valley deep in the Rocky Mountains, Ethan, a young father of a three-year-old boy faces an unexpected tragedy and is then pursued by a prosecutor facing his own demons. Filmmakers: Directed by Gaby Dellal, written by newcomer Catherine Trieschmann (based on the novel by Leslie Schwartz), and starring Thomas Decker, Elizabeth McGovern, Jeremy Piven, and Mina Sorvino. Status: On
Contest: Win a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack of Winnie the Pooh
One lucky readers can win the new installment of the silly old bear's adventures
Cinema Sentries and Walt Disney Studios have teamed up to give one lucky readers the opportunity to win a Blu-ray+DVD combo of Winnie the Pooh, starring the gang from the Hundred Acre Wood. Learn how to enter contest at the bottom of this article. In this latest adventure, which Senora Bicho reviewed, Winnie the Pooh gets sidetracked on his hunt for honey, when he comes across Eeyore, who has lost his tail. Pooh elicits the help of Owl, Rabbit, Tigger, Piglet, Kanga, and little Roo. Later on, the gang comes to believe that Christopher Robin has been captured by a
Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection is the Pick of the Week
The classic comedy duo get the big box treatment.
I'm not entirely sure I've ever seen a Laurel and Hardy film. In fact the only Laurel and Hardy anything I'm quite certain I've seen is that Scooby Doo episode that featured the comedy duo and that was actually voiced by other actors. It's possible I've seen a short film here or there, but I cannot actually recall them. Why then am I so anxious to see the new boxed set, Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection, that I am making it my Pick of the Week? Reputation, my dear friends, reputation. Laurel & Hardy have one of the best-respected,
The Killing Criterion Collection DVD Review: A Day at the Races
The pairing of these two early flicks from legendary director Stanley Kubrick makes for great viewing pleasure.
Written by Fantasma The Criterion Collection has scored big again with the DVD release of The Killing, Stanley Kubrick's 1956 film noir classic. The disc is jam packed with all the bells and whistles that come with a Criterion release, including filmed interviews with film critics, actors, and producers and as always a great booklet. The two-disc set also comes with a second Kubrick classic from the year before, another noir thriller Killer's Kiss. The pairing of these two early flicks from legendary director Stanley Kubrick makes for great viewing pleasure. With a talented cast, The Killing is the story
A Big Box Of Cowboys, Aliens, Robots and Death Rays: 75 Percent Accurate is Still Pretty Good
A good set for anyone interested in B westerns, sci-fi, and classic spooky fun from the 1930s.
Written by Fantasma A Big Box Of Cowboys, Aliens, Robots and Death Rays is a neat four-DVD set that includes eight B Westerns movies from the 1930s and '40s. With an array of stars of the day that include singing cowboy hero Gene Autry, "Colonel" Tim McCoy, Ken Maynard, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, and Robert Livingston. Some of these movies even include the outfits that these cowboys rode across the silver screen with, such as The Range Busters and 3 Mesquiteers, whose ranks at one time included cowboy legend John Wayne. These classic oaters are collected to highlight the mixing and
Winnie the Pooh Combo Pack: A Wonderful Return to the Classic Characters
Geared more towards younger viewers but there are some clever moments for adults.
Winnie the Pooh is the fifth animated theatrical release featuring Christopher Robin and the adorable creatures from the Hundred Acre Wood. The creators of the film used five stories from the original A.A. Milne works as their inspiration for this new tale. Winnie the Pooh is one of my all-time favorite Disney characters and I was hesitantly excited to see the new film. My hopes were that they would be able to recapture the charm and personalities from the early cartoons rather than the disappointment I had experienced from some of the most recent feature films with characters that didn't
The Saturday Public Domain Movie: The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
"Shut up and bring on the food!" - Audrey Jr.
The SPDM returns with the second, and most famous, film by producer/director Roger Corman and screenwriter Charles B. Griffith. The Little Shop of Horrors finds nebbish Seymour Krelboyne (Jonathan Haze) working in the flower shop of Gravis Mushnick (Mel Welles). Seymour creates a new plant by crossbreeding a butterwort and a Venus Flytrap, which he names "Audrey Jr." after co-worker Audrey Fulquard (Jackie Joseph), who he has a crush on. One night, Seymour discovers Audrey Jr. likes human blood and it helps the plant grow. The larger Audrey Jr. gets the more popular it becomes, which benefits the store,
The Four Feathers (1939) Criterion Collection DVD Review: One Man's Journey of Redemption
Zoltan Korda's adaptation is a nice piece of viewing history.
Harry Faversham (John Clements) comes from a long line of heroic officers in the British army. But ever since he was a young boy listening to his father's horrific tales of war, he began to agonize over the fact that someday he would find himself in the middle of a battle. But after his father passes away, Harry feels that his family obligation is over, and when his regiment receives notice that they are about to deploy to Egypt he decides to resign his commission. While his father may be dead, his fellow officers and friends take exception with his
Batman: Year One 2-Disc DVD Review: Rise of the Bat
So similar to the original comic book it might as well be a motion comic.
Twenty-five years ago, DC Comics opted to reboot the Batman mythos in an attempt to expand his origin story and base the character in a gritty realism rather than the cartoony foolishness it had drifted into through the years. They picked Frank Miller for the writing task, fresh off his success with The Dark Knight Returns, and he teamed up with artist David Mazzucchelli to craft four pivotal issues in the regular Batman comic book series under the banner Batman: Year One. Flash forward to this week's release of Warner Bros. Animation's newest feature of the same title, an extremely
Criterion Collection Eclipse Series #29 DVD Review: Aki Kaurismaki's Leningrad Cowboys
Two films and a concert from the ultra-hip Leningrad Cowboys.
Not since the likes of Sigue Sigue Sputnik have a band with so little to offer gained such mass attention. One might argue that Milli Vanilli and Spinal Tap achieved even more in the field of fakery, but that is not a fair comparison. Spinal Tap always knew they were a joke, while Milli Vanilli were actually serious about the whole thing, and never did understand why their Grammy was rescinded. Leningrad Cowboys were invented first, then toured as an actual band. Theirs was a beautiful career arc - and it is little wonder that they became ultra-hip for a
Book Review: Alien Vault: The Definitive Story of the Making of the Film by Ian Nathan
In space, they would hear you scream with delight.
With Alien Vault, Ian Nathan has created the book of the year for film fans, one they will revisit in their library many times over, as I know I will, because of the outstanding job he has done compiling the history of Ridley Scott's Alien. Starting from its origins as Dan O'Bannon's incomplete story called Memory, Nathan is extremely thorough detailing the film's creation, its enduring legacy, and the franchise that was spawned. The book opens on the set as the cast and crew filmed the film's most iconic moment when the title character literally burst onto the scene. Interviews
The Artist at the New York Film Festival: Evoking Memories of Buster Keaton
A brand new silent film pays tribute to the visual masters and cinematic language of the past
Sunday afternoon, on the final day of the New York Film Festival, I saw Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist. Sunday night on Turner Classic Movies, I watched Buster Keaton in Free and Easy. Although these two very different films were made more than 80 years apart, they actually have a lot in common. As you may have heard, The Artist is a silent movie scheduled for release on November 23 by the Weinstein Company. There are many current films I wish were silent, like Transformers, the Sex & the City movies or anything with Adam Sandler, but The Artist may be
LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace Combo Pack Review: NNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Sombrero Grande has a bad feeling about this.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I used to give a crap about Star Wars. That was before George Lucas started whoring out his beloved franchise to let seemingly anyone create new content and belittle the cherished creations he apparently just doesn't care for any more. Oh sure, it was cute the first time I saw a Santa-hatted Darth Vader bobblehead at Target, and playing the LEGO Star Wars video games was a blast. I even chuckled at the Darth Vader Volkswagon commercial. But now it's clear that Star Wars has been allowed to cross over
Kuroneko Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Things That Go Bump In The Night
Creates some spooky atmosphere but fails to drive a compelling narrative.
Although classified as a horror film, Kuroneko isn't very scary. Instead, it delivers atmosphere and oddities, making it more akin to David Lynch than John Carpenter. It also makes a couple of very abrupt and unexpected scene changes that may challenge viewers to follow the through line of the plot. With middling acting throughout and suspect cinematography in the opening stages, the film is far from essential viewing but offers something outside the norm. As the film opens, a large group of disheveled samurai-era Japanese men emerge from a forest and enter a quaint hut, where they find two women
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Blu-ray Review: Few Pirates, No Caribbean, But Still Fun
Jack Sparrow's fourth outing isn't his best, but it is leagues better than the previous one
After Captain Jack Sparrow's confusing and overblown third outing nearly sank the entire Pirates franchise, there was a palpable sense of "one too many" in the air upon the release of On Stranger Tides. It didn't help that Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer had the audacity to saddle the project with director Rob Marshall, most famous for helming musicals. Musicals + pirates = stranger tides indeed. Pirates of Penzance, anyone? Thankfully, Marshall's touch is barely noticeable, and the plot is linear and logical enough to actually make sense for its entire length, helping this voyage turn out rather pleasant for
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 40th Anniversary Edition is the Pick of the Week
Willy Wonka gets a big box set for its anniversary.
Roald Dahl wrote children's books that are full of dark, sardonic humor, mean and nasty villains, and a complete lack of over emotional sentiment which makes them absoluely marvelous for children and adults alike. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was no exception as it is filled with bratty children, the treacherously eccentric Willy Wonka and the utterly bizarre Oompa-Loompas. The 1971 film version of the book took some notable excursions from the source material but is still considered a brilliant classic. Gene Wilder is fantastic as Wonka and the brightly colored Oompa-Loompas with their imaginative songs will leave you in
Martha Marcy May Marlene at the New York Film Festival: A Chilling Parable of Millennial Pessimism
Writer/Director Sean Durkin's indie thriller may be this generation's Rosemary's Baby.
"Do you ever have that feeling where you can't tell if something is a memory or something you dreamed?" twentysomething Martha asks her clueless older sister Lucy midway through Martha Marcy May Marlene. It's just one of many good lines of dialogue in writer/director Sean Durkin's new thriller, but it's the creative crux of what makes his debut feature such an inventive treat. Arguably there was no hotter, more buzz-worthy ticket at the just-completed New York Film Festival, where Martha Marcy May Marlene played twice to enthusiastic, capacity crowds. When first we meet beautiful, sad-eyed Martha (Elizabeth Olsen), she is
Take Shelter Movie Review: Preparing for the Storm
A compelling family drama anchored by Michael Shannon's captivating performance.
Jeff Nichols' Take Shelter is a compelling family drama anchored by Michael Shannon's captivating performance as Curtis, a man whose judgment regarding the safety and welfare of his family grows increasingly at odds with those around him. Curtis dreams about an impending storm of great magnitude. Birds fly off in large numbers, and the rain is thick and viscous like motor oil. He's concerned the dreams may be prophetic so he starts building an underground shelter in his backyard to protect his family, which includes wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain) and their daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart) who is deaf but an
Leap Year (2011) DVD Review: A Painful Portrait Of Isolation
An unflinching story of loneliness, set almost entirely in a small Mexico City apartment.
There's not much respite for Laura (Monica del Carmen), the plain freelance journalist who's onscreen nearly every second in Michael Rowe's measured, thoroughly disheartening Leap Year. Save for the film's opening scene where Laura eyes an attractive man oblivious to her longing in the grocery store, the entire film takes place inside her drab Mexico City apartment. There's some significant cognitive dissonance going on here, as Laura's descriptions of her life to people on the phone (steak dinners, relocation to Switzerland) are fantastic substitutes for reality (beans straight from the can, masturbating while watching her happily domestic neighbors). All the
The Saturday Public Domain Movie: A Bucket of Blood (1959)
"Life is an obscure hobo, bumming a ride on the omnibus of art." - Maxwell H. Brock
After American International Pictures gave him a $50,000 budget and a five-day shooting schedule to create a horror movie, producer/director Roger Corman teamed up with screenwriter Charles B Griffith for their first of three films to create A Bucket of Blood, which was inspired by House of Wax (1953) starring Vincent Price. Dick Miller stars as Walter, a shy bumbling busboy working at a beatnik coffee house. He wants to be a sculptor although he has no skills. One evening he accidentally kills his landlord's cat, and to hide what happened, he covers the cat in clay and turns
Harakiri Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The Samurai Condition
A masterful indictment of the morally bankrupt samurai system.
When a bedraggled masterless samurai, or ronin, approaches the estate of a large warrior clan and asks for permission to kill himself in their courtyard, he triggers a surprising face-off that reveals the depravity of the highly regimented samurai code. His initial request is met not with outright refusal or approval but instead with a story about another previous ronin who had made the exact same request. The clan suspected that ronin of graft, as many other clans around the nation typically extended employment or at least handouts to ronin appearing at their gates. The film dissolves to flashback to
Terri DVD Review: The Outsiders
Has its charming moments, but fails to develop into a meaningful whole
High school alienation isn't new subject matter for films, but Terri takes alienation to the extreme with its focus on an obese, socially awkward teen (Jacob Wysocki) so far out on the fringe that he wears pajamas to school every day with impunity. Not just pajama pants, but head to toe old man pajamas. Recognizing someone in need of a lifeline, caring principal Mr. Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly) begins scheduling weekly meeting with Terri to get to know him better and hopefully bring him out of his shell. Unfortunately, Mr. Fitzgerald also does this with a handful of other oddball
The Tree Of Life Combo Pack Review: A Film About Life and Just as Confusing
I came looking for a story and only got parts of one.
I had heard great things about, The Tree Of Life from people. The trailer was beautiful and engaging. So when I sat down with a group of friends to watch it, I expected a film that everyone at the end would refer to as, "The best film of the year!" Instead we were all left scratching our heads. I will now tell you what I think this film is about. I say, I think, because this film has no clear narrative. The plot revolves around Jack as a boy (portrayed by Hunter McCracken) and as an adult (played by Sean
Contest: Win a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Two lucky readers can win the fourth installment of the Disney movie franchise.
Cinema Sentries and Walt Disney Studios have teamed up to give two lucky readers the opportunity to win a Blu-ray+DVD combo of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, starring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Learn how to enter contest at the bottom of this article. In this latest adventure, Jack searches for the fabled Fountain of Youth. Forced aboard the ship of the most feared pirate ever, he doesn't know who to fear more — Blackbeard (Ian McShane) or a woman from his past (Penelope Cruz). Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will be available on October
Contest: Win a Copy of Terri Starring John C. Reilly
Three lucky readers have the opportunity to win this coming-of-age tale on DVD.
Cinema Sentries and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment have teamed up to give three lucky readers the opportunity to win a DVD of Terri, starring John C. Reilly and Jacob Wysocki. Learn how to enter below after this fun feature FHE has provided. It seems like a cliché, but in any film about a loveable loser, everyone wants the underdog to succeed and have a happy ending. In celebration of the October 11 release of Terri on Blu-ray and DVD, we have compiled a list of five of the greatest unlikely heroes in film. These five characters range from extraordinarily
Martin Scorsese's Hugo at the New York Film Festival: A Valentine to Cinema
Scorsese's new film is a pleasant surprise for the NYFF audience.
"This is really a special evening for us," said New York Film Festival selection committee chairman Richard Pena, as he took the stage at Avery Fisher Hall on Monday night. "The only other time we've shown a work in progress was back in 1991." Two decades ago, the work in progress the NYFF audience saw was Disney's Beauty and the Beast, a charming family film that will be returning to theaters with a 3-D release on January 13, 2012. Tonight it was Martin Scorsese's Hugo, a charming family film that also happens to be in 3-D -- from the man
Contest: Win a Blu-ray Combo of Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life
Two lucky readers have the opportunity to win the 2011 Palme D'Or winner, The Tree of Life.
Cinema Sentries and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment have teamed up to give two lucky readers the opportunity to win a Blu-ray combo of The Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. Learn how to enter below after this fun feature FHE has provided. In this feature we'll journey across space, fly over volcanoes and dive deep into the ocean, showcasing some of the great scientific imagery from the film. Places like Death Valley, Texas, Villa Lante in Italy and even the Sun, take us to the space between spaces and remind us of how precious our world
The Tree of Life is the Pick of the Week
Terrence Malick's new flick comes out this week and I'm ready to buy.
Terrence Malick has only directed five feature films in his nearly 40-year career. I'd say he lacked ambition except that all of those films were hugely ambitious in scope and meaning. I've only actually seen two of those five (Badlands and The Thin Red Line), but both of those were beautiful, artistic measure, and his other films are very much on my list of things to see. For me Malick is a bit like Kurosawa and Bergman in that I've loved everything I've seen by them, but their films are often so dense, so full of meaning that I know
Shame at the New York Film Festival: Incest in the City
Controversy is coming in director Steve McQueen's sexy, disturbing new film.
Early in Shame, the hypersexual new film from British director Steve McQueen, the protagonist wordlessly flirts with a pretty passenger on a crowded New York City subway train. It's the hottest sequence in the film -- ironic, considering that it's one of the only scenes of romantic pursuit that doesn't end in sweaty, graphic, MPAA-rating-be-damned sex. Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is a handsome, thirty-something, urban professional (do we still call them Yuppies?) with a taste for the ladies and an aversion to commitment. He spends most of his waking hours in the relentless pursuit of all the intimacy-free sex the Big
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Buy the Disc, Take the Ride
Highly recommend for Thompson fans and mildly recommend for Gilliam fans.
First appearing in the pages of Rolling Stone, Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas details the drug-fuelled adventures of journalist Raoul Duke and attorney Dr. Gonzo as they search in the unlikeliest of cities for the American Dream, which the '60s counterculture failed to deliver. Thompson's captivating manner of writing, considered gonzo journalism by many though Thompson thought the book was a failed experiment in that style, is what makes Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas a seminal piece of literature. The book floundered in Hollywood over the years with different people trying to adapt it to
Book Review: Music on Film: A Hard Day's Night by Ray Morton
Morton succinctly tells the fascinating story of a classic movie musical that still enchants audiences.
Back in 2000, Miramax Films reissued the classic A Hard Day's Night in movie theaters. Since I was unable to see the 1964 film when it first appeared in theaters (due to the fact that I hadn't been born), I excitedly gathered a group of friends to see The Beatles musical as it was meant to be seen: on the big screen. Sitting in the cinema with a sold-out crowd, many of whom hadn't yet been born in 1964, I was wondering if the film's irreverent humor and buoyant music would still resonate. Indeed, over 35 years later, the audience
The Saturday Public Domain Movie: The Penalty (1920)
"At twelve noon on that day I shall loot the City of San Francisco." - Blizzard
The Saturday Public Domain Movie returns with The Penalty starring Lon Chaney before his landmark performances in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). Based on the pulp novel by Gouverneur Morris, Chaney stars as Blizzard, a San Francisco crime boss who vows revenge on the doctor who mistakenly amputated both his legs after a traffic accident when he was a young boy. Ethel Grey Terry stars as Rose, a secret service agent who goes undercover to bust up Blizzard's gang but soon finds her alliances shifting. The Penalty has some odd things
Movie Recon: War Horse, The Help
Steven's Spielberg's new flick and a DVD/Blu-ray release of The Help.
Today's Recon brings information about two films from the history pages. On Christmas day Steven Spielberg's movie about a horse making its mark on WWI comes out, and earlier in December The Help comes to DVD/Blu-ray. We've got images, trailers, and bonus material waiting for you below. War Horse Story: A horse is taken from his master in rural England to help with the war effort during WWI. The horse finds himself experiencing all angles of the war from the British calvary to German soldiers, from the idylic countryside to No Man's Land. Along the way he touches the
Angel of Evil DVD Review: The Italian Mesrine
So similar to Mesrine in content and execution that there's little to distinguish it
Angel of Evil is a gripping study of a career criminal as he robs banks, escapes prisons, and breaks hearts throughout the 1970s, becoming something of a folk hero to his nation. If that sounds familiar, it's because the film's subject matter and execution is nearly identical to the two-part French film Mesrine. Both are based on true crime stories, both feature commanding lead performances requiring their actors to portray the charming criminals aging over a couple of decades, leaving language as the biggest difference between the two. If you've already seen Mesrine, you'll surely suffer some serious déjà vu
The Kid with a Bike at the New York Film Festival: A Harrowing Tale of Troubled Tweenhood
Don't kid yourself! The new film by the Dardenne brothers is a must-see.
In the theatrical release poster for Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne's The Kid with a Bike, which had its New York Film Festival premiere on Thursday night, a young boy and a smiling woman ride their bicycles along a picturesque, European-looking riverfront. From the pastoral nature of the image, one might assume that this is a well-adjusted child and his doting mom, perhaps on their way to buy something delightful and cinematic, like a red balloon. In fact, the titular kid in The Kid with a Bike is an uncontrollably violent orphan - more feral beast than human child. And
Straw Dogs (1971) Blu-ray Review: Don't Mess With Dustin Hoffman, Dammit!
A fine-looking transfer that sadly, lacks any remarkable features.
"This is where I live. This is me. I will not allow violence against this house. Don't worry." --David Summer (Dustin Hoffman), shortly before turning into a passive-aggressive creature of merciless cruelty. The raw human emotion of hate. The violence. Those nipples. While all of those key ingredients may be noticeably absent in the lackluster Hollywood blockbuster remake of the same name, they are still present in Sam Peckinpah's original Straw Dogs. In fact, those very sale delimiting elements will most likely always be present -- no matter how old this memorable, gritty, controversial cult classic gets. Here we are,
Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 1 DVD Review: A Study in Animation
A great collections of shorts that shows the company developing its talent and techniques.
Pixar Animation Studios has been the most consistently creative and innovative production company over the past twenty years. The company was originally a division of Lucasfilm until 1986 when Steve Jobs bought it after he left Apple. Pixar's eight feature films, from 1995's Toy Story to 2007's Ratatouille, have a theatrical worldwide gross of over $4 trillion, and that doesn't taken into account the usually more lucrative DVD market. Pixar's success over the years resulted in The Walt Disney Company acquiring them in a stock transaction worth over $7 billion. This DVD collection presents 13 shorts by the Pixar team,
Blood Simple Blu-ray Review: The Coen Brothers' Impressive Debut Launches a Few Careers
A well-plotted, modern-day film noir.
After a brief introduction (HD, 1 min) from Mortimer Young of Forever Young Films, where he explains the film has been "digitally enhanced and tastefully restored" and even had the boring parts taken out (this Director's Cut of the film has three minutes cut from the theatrical release), Blood Simple gets right into familiar noir territory. Bartender Ray (John Gatz) has run off to spend the night in a local hotel with the wife (Frances McDormand in her feature debut) of his boss, Marty (Dan Hedaya). Marty knew she was up to something and had them tracked by a P.
Susan Orlean's "Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend" at the New York Film Festival
The greatest movie star of the 1920s was a dog. The new book about him is anything but.
On Tuesday night the New York Film Festival brought together three of my favorite things: silent movies, books about film history, and the delightful writing of Susan Orlean. Orlean, staff writer for The New Yorker and author of The Orchid Thief, took the stage at the Walter Reade Theater for a reading of excerpts from her new book Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, the story of (arguably) the second-most-famous canine in film history. "I'm often asked, 'Why didn't you write about Lassie?'" Orlean told the audience. "Lassie was a fictional character, played by real dogs. Rin Tin
My Life As A Dog Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Boy's Eccentric Journey to Manhood
Lasse Halstrom knows just how to balance the lightness of the eccentric characters against the main themes of the film.
When you further categorize the films that I love the most, you'll find that the majority of them speak to the transition from childhood to adulthood in one way or another. Maybe it takes the escape to another world to find your way like The Wizard Of Oz or Alice In Wonderland. Sometimes it's the reflection from an older point of view to the process of getting older like It's A Wonderful Life or Cinema Paradiso. In the Nineties, one of my favorite examples of this genre was The Cider House Rules. Homer's journey away from home to the "foreign
O Brother, Where Art Thou? Blu-ray Review: An Epic High-Def Upgrade
While not one of the Coen Brothers' best, O Brother looks incredible on Blu-ray.
The Film A bit of a trifle compared to more exactingly crafted Coen Brothers films, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is enjoyable, but lacks the odd specificities that make a Coen film really shine. What we get instead is possibly the broadest film the brothers have made (leaving aside easily bottom-tier Coen Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers), populated with a stable of hayseed caricatures. The film is still plenty fun thanks to the way leads George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson embrace their cartoonish characters, but there's a good reason the film's T-Bone Burnett-curated soundtrack easily outpaced the
Melancholia at the New York Film Festival: Cast Comments About Lars von Trier
The controversial Danish director is back with the feel-bad hit of the Fall.
If, like me, you think of getting married as something akin to the fiery destruction of Earth, you'll love Melancholia, director Lars von Trier's meanderingly beautiful paean to depression, astronomy, and Kirsten Dunst's cleavage. As with every Lars von Trier movie, haters gonna hate. And there's plenty to dislike in Melancholia, most particularly the characters. Every one of them, in fact. Never before has film seen a more unpleasant collection of self-centered depressives (other than at the press screening for Transformers 3). But there's also plenty to love about Melancholia, particularly if you're smitten with von Trier's ragged, anti-establishment approach
Movie Recon: The Lie, I Melt With You, & The Rum Diary
Today's recon brings you posters, trailers, and stills from The Lie, I Melt with You, and The Rum Diary.
Today's recon has information on three upcoming movies. First up is The Lie, an independent film about two idealists who find themselves conforming and a great big lie that may change it all. Next is I Melt with You about some college buddies getting together and finding more than they bargained for. Lastly, we've got the The Rum Diary based on a Hunter S. Thompson novel and starring Johnny Depp. The Lie Story: Based on a short story by T.C. Boyle, The Lie tells the story of two young idealists whose lives get derailed by a pregnancy and then the
Shut Up, Little Man! Movie Review: Viral Outrageousness from the Pre-Internet Age
An amusing/disturbing, funny/depressing little documentary about a nearly forgotten cult "audio verite" hit from 20 years ago.
Shut Up, Little Man! is an amusing, occasionally disturbing documentary about the origins and aftereffects of a prankish set of "audio verite" recordings that went viral before "going viral" was even a term. Some of the participants, interviewed recently, seem to want to put a degree of significance and seriousness on the story that it can't really bear. But that fits right into the documentary's method: let those who were there tell their tale, without editorial commentary. The recordings were made by Eddie Lee Sausage and Mitchell D, two young roommates in San Francisco in the late 1980s, at first
The Phantom Carriage Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Spooky Silent Cinema That Transcends Genre
The father of Swedish cinema directs a film that obsessed Ingmar Bergman, and might do the same to you.
The Film Victor Sjöström's intensely atmospheric, technically brilliant The Phantom Carriage was highly influential on the career of Ingmar Bergman, who would go on to cast Sjöström in several of his films, including Wild Strawberries. It's not difficult to understand why Bergman was so taken with the film and why Sjöström is considered the father of Swedish cinema. The Phantom Carriage is moody and spooky, but it's no mere genre film. Sjöström penetrates the human soul and captures some of the most stunning images of the silent era with his emotionally wrenching morality tale. Legend has it that the last
Ken Burns' Prohibition is the Pick of the Week
Lots of good releases this week, but my vote goes to the ever impressive Ken Burns.
It is a great big week for Blu-ray releases, but I've got to give the edge to a regular DVD release from Ken Burns because one can never really go wrong with a Ken Burns series. Prohibition is a three-part, six-hour documentary about the 18th Amendment - what brought it on, the consequences it created, and its ultimate repeal. The three-disc set includes interviews and bonus scenes not seen in the television airing, plus original music by Wynton Marsalis.Also coming out this week that sounds interesting to me:Bored to Death, Season 2: I haven't watched an episode of this HBO
Ben-Hur at the New York Film Festival: Flawless Restoration, Flawed Presentation
A beloved classic rises again, in fulfillment of the Scriptures.
The audience sat in rapt attention as a Roman centurion in scarlet cloak and gold chest plate marched onto the stage. Behind him tiptoed a shy young princess in flowing robes, her honeyed tresses cascading upon her shoulders. Applause filled the arena, then died out. Then silence. The princess and the soldier stood before the assemblage, seemingly unsure of what to do next. Then, from the wings of Alice Tully Hall, a man waved his hand at the centurion. The soldier unsheathed a dagger from beneath his cape and brandished it once or twice in the general direction of the
Le Beau Serge and Les Cousins Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: The True Origins of the French New Wave
Often unsung, Claude Chabrol's debut films reveal his early mastery of the craft.
The Films The French New Wave evokes thoughts of two films above all others -- François Truffaut's and Jean-Luc Godard's earth-shattering debuts The 400 Blows and Breathless. And while these unquestionably occupy the "shot-heard-round-the-world" slot of the movement, they're not the originators of the nouvelle vague. Rather, it's the perpetually unsung Claude Chabrol's complementary and contradictory pair Le Beau Serge and Les Cousins that take that honor, released in the late '50s months ahead of The 400 Blows. One of the Cahiers du Cinéma gang, Chabrol was the first critic of the influential bunch to make the jump into feature
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) Blu-ray Review: Why Bother?
Why should Disney put any effort into a film that couldn't even get its own story straight to begin with?
One of the delightful things many people enjoy when watching vintage flicks from the Golden Age of Hollywood is spotting the occasional goof or anachronism. Whether it be a visible wire in a "special effects" shot, a car in the background of the Old West, or a telephone pole on the moon, the odd flaw makes even some of the more wretched movies from yesteryear amusing. Such a sight is much less common in our modern age of filmmaking, though, so it's doubly laughable when you encounter a "newer" film that is littered with so many chronological mistakes and errs
The Tempest (2010) Blu-ray Review: A Nightmare of Pretentiousness
I'll stick to Forbidden Planet if it's all the same to you.
In the recent Big Box of Wood release from S'More Entertainment, filmmaker/Ed Wood historian Ted Newsom commented that, while Wood's dialogue seldom wandered into the territory of greatness, it would have ultimately made more of a favorable impression had it been read by professional actors. In watching Julie Taymor's interpretation of Shakespeare's The Tempest, however, I observed a similar, though adverse notion: even the world's best dialogue can be ruined by staggeringly horrendous overacting and a smug aura of farty pretentiousness. Yes, I know I just mentioned Ed Wood and William Shakespeare in the same paragraph. But hey, they're both


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buy Pregabalin online uk It's an honour for us to have our first FIA World Champion on the show.
Raul Boesel won the 1987 World Sportscar Championship, driving one of the famous SilkCut Jaguars. He is a veteran of Formula 1, Indycar, and much more.
He spoke to us not just about his years in motorsport, as well as his new career as a DJ.
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Professional Watercolour Painting Tuition -Workshops & Demonstrations
Are you like the other members of your local art club fed up with seeing the same old wishy-washy watercolour painting demonstrations produced on tiny little pieces of paper by artists that insist that the only way to paint successfully with watercolour is by following a list of rules as long as your arm? Not much fun are they and unfortunately it is these sort of demonstrations that put a lot of people of this wonderful medium.
How about something a little more exciting! My watercolour painting demonstrations are all about big paintings painted with big brushes and lots of paint with the emphasis on loosening up and learning that it is far more important to produce a painting that is true to yourself. There are far too many would be watercolour painters out there imposing self-inflicted rules on themselves that are completely unnecessary.
WRONG! - Watercolours should only be produced on little pieces of paper using transparent colour painted with expensive kolinsky sable brushes - usually as a sketch in preparation for a larger work in another medium…….
RIGHT! - Watercolours can be big, bold, atmospheric, dramatic & colourful and produced using any means the artist finds necessary using a mixture of transparent & opaque colours…….
As a creative person how you get to your finished painting should be completely up to you. If you want to add a little pastel or acrylic here and there, scrape out your tree trunks with a razor blade or even god forbid use a bit of Chinese white to add a highlight then that should be completely acceptable. Even Turner himself used to use a wee bit of white now and again and thankfully some of the stuffier watercolour societies have now started to revise their way of thinking and have started to be more inclusive of those pushing the boundaries - after all, since when did art have rules! Just remember that the only restrictions to your creativity are the ones that you impose yourself.
Through the course of my watercolour demonstrations & workshops I demonstrate both the traditional aspects of watercolour painting but also show the infinite range of possibilities that can open up simply by breaking a few of the so called rules and introducing a number of creative techniques to the process that watercolour artists can employ to give their work that extra zing. I like to make the session fun & entertaining and I am more than happy to stick around to pass on tips on particular techniques as well as constructive advice to those who request it.
If you feel that your club may benefit from a demonstration or watercolour workshop that's a little different then you can either contact me using the form below or alternatively you can call me on: 0792 6161652 to discuss your requirements.
p.s If you are just looking for a price you can get one by clicking here.
I am happy to stick around after the meeting to answer any particular questions anyone may have although I do make a point of stopping at regular intervals throughout the demonstration to allow for questions on different techniques. I also try to make the demonstrations fun and entertaining and guarantee at least one terrible joke per demo.
With a workshop the idea is for everyone in the group to complete a painting by the end of the day - no one gets left behind and more importantly everyone has fun! To ensure this happens I break the painting time down into manageable sections which allows plenty of time for drying and evaluating at each stage thus ensuring that everyone no matter how slow they paint will be able to keep up. This results in everyone taking part in the workshop having a fun and productive day.
More importantly you will learn how by painting on a larger scale, with big brushes, lots of paint and a few extra bits of kit such as a spray gun & razor blade you can loosen up and create a beautiful, vibrant, atmospheric watercolour painting much more easily than you would be able to using the traditional methods of working in watercolour and what's more it is much more fun!
Workshop Testimonials
Hi Greg Just wanted to say many thanks for a really enjoyable and informative day yesterday. Must admit my stomach sank when you revealed "our painting"! LOL! However, you shared your tips and techniques which made a great day in a great venue. Thanks for the inspiration! - Jackie Maher
Workshop Testimonials
Wow what a workshop! You certainly opened my eyes. I didn't realise just how much all the little habits I have picked up have stifled my progress. As you said on Saturday we all just assume that because it's in a book that it must be how things are done and never think to question it. I have a feeling that me and watercolour are going to become best buddies again lol - Dave Stockton
Workshop Testimonials
Greg has a refreshing, almost rebellious approach to painting with watercolours, flying in the face of the "rule books". From large format canvass through broad and chunky brushes to scraping with a blade his approach certainly gets the attention of the room and invites questions from the audience.- Grange Art Society
Workshop Testimonials
Hi Greg, Thank you for your waterfall demo, we all enjoyed it and hopefully helped us all to loosen up, you made it look very easy, needs lots of practice! We hope you enjoyed the evening and the 'banter', we did! - Bolton Art Circle
Workshop Testimonials
Just thought you should have another "thank you" for the great workshop you did for us at Knott End. The feedback was excellent at the following meeting - Over Wrye Art Society
Workshop Testimonials
Hi Greg just a quick email to say thank you you so much for the wonderful workshop yesterday. I was nearly ready for throwing my watercolours in the bin but you have shown me the way forward. Thanks for sharing your approach & experience and see you next year! - Debbie Falson
Workshop Testimonials
We all enjoyed your demo and definitely learnt things we didn't know before. You went a long way to de-mystifying watercolours for some of us, and those of us who tend to steer clear of this medium went home with a resolution to try it again.
We will most definitely keep you in mind for the future and pass on your name to any other society who might be interested. Thank you again.- Grange Art Society
Workshop Testimonials
Thank you on behalf of all members who attended your demonstration a couple of weeks ago. I have just had the glowing report from Gwyn after today's meeting. Everyone enjoyed it and felt they had picked up lots of tips on technique. Hope you enjoyed it.- Morecambe Bay Art & Craft Society
Important Note: As with my paintings I like to keep the prices for my demonstrations & workshops at a reasonable level so that as many people as possible can afford them. As a result of this I have demonstrated not just for larger established art societies up and down the country but also small local clubs with only a few members and even groups of painters who just like to paint together who have been looking for a little inspiration. If you have rejected the idea of having a professional artist come and demonstrate or provide a workshop before on the assumption that it would be too expensive then now may be the time to reconsider. Drop me an email today - you never know until you ask!….


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Favreau's eight-episode series will debut on the Disney+ streaming service on November 12. It's set in the aftermath of "The Return of the Jedi," taking place five years after the Rebellion's victory.
The series stars Pedro Pascal as the title character, a lone gunfighter the actor compared to a Western or samurai hero. It co-stars Gina Carano as a character named Cara Dune and Carl Weathers as a bounty hunter named Greef. Werner Hergog and Giancarlo Esposito also co-star. Emily Swallow, Omid Abtahi and Nick Nolte will also appear in the series.
"You have vestiges of the Empire. You have only the strong surviving. You have chaos taking over the galaxy," Favreau said.
Disney+ will cost $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually. Within the first year of launch, it will include all Pixar feature films and theatrical shorts, all Star Wars films, more than 250 hours of content from National Geographic and the first 30 seasons of "The Simpsons." The streamer will eventually feature all of Disney's motion picture library.
Disney movies coming out in 2019, beginning with "Captain Marvel," will make their streaming debut on Disney+. Original content will also premiere directly to the platform, including a remake of "Lady and the Tramp," a "High School Musical" television series, a docu-series chronicling the making of "Frozen 2," and "The Mandalorian." The overall launch slate will include more than 25 original episodic series and 10 original movies and specials, with more to come.
'Star Wars: Episode 9' Trailer: Teaser dropped with name reveal
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Lucasfilm and this station.


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Lentiviral Gene Transfer for Treatment of Children Older Than Two Years of Age With X-Linked Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (XSCID)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Know the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your health care provider before participating. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01306019
Recruitment Status : Recruiting
First Posted : March 1, 2011
Last Update Posted : October 10, 2019
|Tracking Information
|First Submitted Date ICMJE
|February 26, 2011
|First Posted Date ICMJE
|March 1, 2011
|Last Update Posted Date
|October 10, 2019
|Study Start Date ICMJE
|February 26, 2011
|Estimated Primary Completion Date
|December 31, 2022 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|The primary objective is to assess the efficacy of immune reconstitution in XSCID patients transplanted with autologous CD34 plus cells that have been transduced with a self-inactivating lentiviral vector expressing a Gamma C gene. [ Time Frame: Primary endpoint evaluation at 2 years ]
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|The primary objective is to assess the efficacy of immune reconstitution in XSCID patients transplanted with autologous CD34 plus cells that have been transduced with a self-inactivating lentiviral vector expressing a Gamma C gene.
|Change History
|Complete list of historical versions of study NCT01306019 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Current Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures
|Not Provided
|Original Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|Lentiviral Gene Transfer for Treatment of Children Older Than Two Years of Age With X-Linked Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (XSCID)
|Official Title ICMJE
|Lentiviral Gene Transfer for Treatment of Children Older Than 2 Years of Age With X-Linked Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
|Brief Summary
- To determine the safety and effectiveness of lentiviral gene transfer as a treatment for children and adolescents with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency.
- Children and adolescents between 2 and 20 years of age who have XSCID related to a defect in the IL2RG gene and who are not currently under treatment with strong immune-modulating or chemotherapy drugs.
|Detailed Description
This is a non-randomized clinical trial of gene transfer using a self-inactivating, insulated, lentiviral gene transfer vector to treat 13 patients with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (XSCID, also called SCID-X1) who are between 2 and 40 years of age; who do not have a tissue matched sibling who can donate bone marrow for a transplant; who may have failed to obtain sufficient benefit from a previous half-tissue matched bone marrow transplant; and who have clinically significant impairment of immunity. A patient s own precursor cells (also called blood stem cells) that give rise in the marrow to blood and immune cells will have been or will be collected from the patient s blood or bone marrow. A patient will not proceed to gene transfer treatment in this protocol until there are at least 3 million blood stem cells per kilogram body weight collected from the patient. At the NIH the patient blood stem cells will be collected from either the blood or bone marrow under another protocol (NIH protocol 94-1-0073 or a successor approved protocol) that is specific for collection of such cells. In most cases the harvested blood stem cells are put into frozen storage before use in this protocol. When the patient enrolled in this protocol has the required number of blood stem cells harvested, then the patient s blood stem cells will be grown in tissue culture and exposed to the lentiviral gene transfer vector containing the corrective gene. These gene corrected blood stem cells will be administered by vein to the patient. To increase engraftment of the corrected blood stem cells, patients will receive on 2 days before the gene transfer treatment a chemotherapy drug called busulfan at a total dose of 6 mg/kilogram body weight (3 mg/kilogram body weight/daily times 2 days) that is a little more than one-third the dose used in many standard bone marrow transplants. Patients will also be given another drug called palifermin that helps prevent the main side effect from the busulfan that is a type of inflammation the mouth, stomach and bowels called mucositis. After this treatment, patients will be monitored to see if the treatment is safe and whether their immune system improves. Patients will be followed at frequent intervals for the first 2 years, and less frequently thereafter so that the effectiveness in restoration of immune function and the safety of the treatment can be evaluated.
XSCID is a genetic disease caused by defects in common gamma chain, a protein found at the surface of immune cells called lymphocytes and necessary to their growth and function. XSCID patients cannot make T-lymphocytes necessary to fight infections, and their B-cells fail to make essential antibodies. Without normal T- and B-lymphocyte function patients develop fatal infections in infancy unless they are rescued by a bone marrow transplant from a healthy donor. The best type of transplant is from a tissue matched healthy brother or sister, but most XSCID patients do not have a tissue matched sibling, and are treated with a transplant from a parent who is only half-matched by tissue typing. While a half-matched transplant from a parent can be life-saving for an infant with XSCID, a subset of patients fail to achieve sufficient long lasting restoration of immunity to prevent infections and other chronic problems.
Recent trials of gene transfer treatments using mouse retrovirus vectors for infants with XSCID have been performed and have demonstrated that this type of gene transfer can be an alternate approach for significantly restoring immunity to infants with XSCID. However, among the 18 infants with XSCID benefiting long term from the gene transfer treatment, 5 developed T-lymphocyte leukemia and 1 died of this leukemia. Furthermore, when older children with XSCID were treated with gene transfer, the restoration of immunity was very much less than seen in the infants. These observations of gene transfer treatments using mouse retrovirus vectors to treat infants and older patients with XSCID suggests that safer and more effective vectors were needed, and that there also may be a need to give chemotherapy conditioning to increase engraftment in the marrow of the gene corrected blood stem cells. Our data and other published studies suggest that lentivectors that are derived from the human immunodeficiency virus and have the properties of our highly modified vector called CL20-4i-EF1alpha- HgammaC-OPT have a reduced interaction with nearby genes and therefore less of a tendency to activate genes that may lead to cancer formation. Also, this type of lentivector may work better at getting into blood stem cells.
The study purpose is to evaluate safety and effectiveness of lentiviral gene transfer treatment at restoring immune function to 13 XSCID patients who are 2 to 40 years of age, and have significant impairment of immunity. Early evidence for effectiveness will be defined by appearance and expansion in the circulation of the patient s own gene corrected T-lymphocytes with a functional gammac gene and improved laboratory measures of immune function. The primary endpoint for efficacy will be at 2 years after treatment, and will include these laboratory parameters plus evidence for clinical benefit. Evidence for safety will focus on maintenance of a diversity of gene marked cells and no occurrence of abnormal pattern of production of blood cells or any leukemia or other cancer. The primary study endpoints for all laboratory and clinical measures of efficacy and safety will occur at 2 years after gene transfer treatment. However, data collection regarding efficacy will occur at frequent intervals during the 2 years leading up to the endpoint analysis, and long term safety and efficacy evaluation will continue at intervals during the long term follow-up required by regulation in gene transfer treatment studies.
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Phase ICMJE
|Phase 1
Phase 2
|Study Design ICMJE
|Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Condition ICMJE
|Intervention ICMJE
|Study Arms ICMJE
|Experimental: 1
Gene Therapy
|Publications *
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Estimated Enrollment ICMJE
|Original Estimated Enrollment ICMJE
|Same as current
|Estimated Study Completion Date ICMJE
|December 31, 2025
|Estimated Primary Completion Date
|December 31, 2022 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
IN ADDITION, patients must satisfy the following Laboratory Criteria AND Clinical Criteria
Laboratory Criteria: (greater than or equal to 1 must be present)
i. CD4+ lymphocytes: absolute number less than or equal to 50 percent of the lower limit of normal (LLN)
ii. CD4 plus CD45RA+ lymphocytes: absolute number less than or equal to 50 percent of the LLN OR T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs)squared less than or equal to 5 percent of normal for age.
iii. Memory B Cells: absolute numberless than or equal to 50percent of LLN
iv. If serum IgM<normal for age
v. NK cells: absolute number less than or equal to 50 percent of LLN
vi. Lymphocyte proliferative response to each of 2 mitogens, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (ConA), is squared 25 percent with a normal control.
vii. Molecular spectratype analysis- absent or very oligoclonal (1-3 dominant peaks) in greater than or equal to 6 of the 24 V- Beta T-cell receptor families.
Clinical Criteria: (greater than or equal to 1 must be present):
i Infections (not including molluscum, warts or mucocutaneous candidiasis; see vii and viii below): greater than or equal to 3 significant new or chronic active infections during the 12 months preceding evaluation for enrollment.
Infections are defined as an objective sign of infection (fever greater than 38.3 degrees C [101 degrees F] or neutrophilia or pain/redness/swelling or radiologic/ultrasound imaging evidence or typical lesion or histology or new severe diarrhea or cough with sputum production). In addition to one or more of these signs/symptoms of possible infection, there also must be at least 1 of the following criteria as evidence of the attending physician s intent to treat a significant infection (a. and b.) or objective evidence for a specific pathogen causing the infection (c.)
-Treatment (not prophylaxis) with systemic antibacterial, antifungal or antiviral antibiotics greater than or equal to 14 days
-Hospitalization of any duration for infection
-Isolation of a bacteria, fungus, or virus from biopsy, skin lesion, blood, nasal washing, bronchoscopy, cerebrospinal fluid or stool likely to be an etiologic agent of infection
ii Chronic pulmonary disease as defined by:
-Bronchiectasis by x-ray computerized tomography
-Pulmonary function test (PFT) evidence for restrictive or obstructive disease that is less than or equal to 60 percent of Predicted for Age
-Pulse oximetry less than or equal to 94 percent in room air (if patient is too young to comply with performance of PFTs).
iii Gastrointestinal enteropathy:
-Diarrhea-watery stools greater than or equal to 3 times per day (of at least 3 months duration that is not a result of infection as defined in criterion above)
-Endoscopic evidence (gross and histologic) for enteropathy (endoscopy will only be performed if medically indicated)
-Other evidence of enteropathy or bacterial overgrowth syndrome: including malabsorption of fat soluble vitamin(s), abnormal D-xylose absorption, abnormal hydrogen breath test, evidence of protein losing enteropathy (for example increasingly high or frequent dosing of intravenous gamma globulin supplement required to maintain blood IgG level).
iv Poor nutrition: Requires G-tube or intravenous feeding supplement to maintain weight or nutrition.
v Auto- or allo-immunity: Examples must include objective physical findings that include, but are not limited to any one of alopecia, severe rashes, uveitis, joint pain with redness or swelling or limitation of movement that is not a result of infection, lupus-like lesions, and granulomas (Does not include auto- or allo-immune enteropathy which is criterion iii). Where possible and appropriate, diagnosis will be supported by histopathology or other diagnostic modality.
vi Failure to grow in height: less than or equal to 3 rd percentile for age
vii Skin molluscum contagiosum OR warts (this criterion is satisfied if molluscum consists of greater than or equal to 10 lesions or there are two or more lesions at each of two or more widely separated anatomic sites; or there are greater than or equal to 3 warts at different anatomic sites at the same time; or the patient has both molluscum and warts)
viii Mucocutaneous candidiasis (chronic oral thrush or candida esophagitis or candida intertriginous infection or candida nail infections; must be culture positive to satisfy this criterion)
|Sex/Gender ICMJE
|Ages ICMJE
|2 Years to 40 Years (Child, Adult)
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers ICMJE
|Contacts ICMJE
|Listed Location Countries ICMJE
|United States
|Removed Location Countries
|Administrative Information
|NCT Number ICMJE
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE
|Has Data Monitoring Committee
|Not Provided
|U.S. FDA-regulated Product
|IPD Sharing Statement ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Responsible Party
|National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) ( National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) )
|Study Sponsor ICMJE
|National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
|Collaborators ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Investigators ICMJE
|PRS Account
|National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
|Verification Date
|May 21, 2019
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP


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I have bad eyes. I have since high school, maybe longer. I'm also stubborn, so although I have trouble seeing things at a distance, I still don't wear glasses or contacts. Having bad eyesight creates some problems. In school, it created a problem seeing the board. That was actually how I discovered I had bad eyes; my classmates could clearly make out the dates in history class while I struggled to figure out what was being written down. I can see well enough to drive safely, but if I have to pick out a street name in an area I have never been, it is not an easy task.
As humans, we all have a sight problem.
Sin is a problem that runs deep in our hearts, yet is also a problem that we ignore. As humans we sometime do not see this problem of sin clearly. Our vision gets a little blurry and we start to think that something else is the problem.
We forget it.
We ignore it.
We look the other way.
Imagine if this was something like heart disease. Imagine having heart disease and your life was at risk, yet you were completely unaware of it. If you were a walking heart attack yet you don't realize that there is any problem, you would not be very successful in dealing with your disease.
Because if you don't know there is a problem, you are not going to seek healing.
The Way of Repentance requires sight.
Paul writes in Corinthians, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." Ignoring a heart problem is certainly dangerous. Ignoring sin is even worse.
Repentance requires seeing clearly.
"Godly grief has sight." - Thomas Watson
Because of our sight problem sin often gets overlooked. And when we overlook sin, when our vision gets blurry in matters of our sinfulness, it is a matter of life and death.
The path of godly sorrow and repentance is a path of life, healing, salvation, and no regrets. Worldly sorrow on the other hand is a path towards death. When God gives us sight, two things become very clear. We see clearly the problem and we see clearly the promise.
In repentance we see things clearly. We clearly see what the law makes known. We are sinners. In repentance we also cling to the promise of the Gospel. We are assured that our sins are forgiven by the death and the resurrection of Jesus. We are called both saints (the promise) and sinners (the problem) at the same time. Although we have been marked and scarred by sin, we also have been marked by Christ.
Martin Luther actually believed that all of the Christian life should be repentance:
"When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent,' he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."
As Christians all of our life centers around seeing clearly both the problem and the promise.


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Written by: Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO of Green For All
Crossposted on The Huffington Post. Read the original article here.
America is in a tough place right now. In a recent poll, nearly half of voters said they think our country's best days are behind us. It's understandable, then, that many of us may be looking back and longing for the past, when life seemed a little bit easier.
But looking back isn't going to get us out of the fix we're in.
Yet that's exactly what Mitt Romney seems to be proposing in the energy plan he rolled out last week. His best recommendation for our country is that we cling to the same old energy technology from the 19th century -- the outdated, polluting fossil fuels that have caused so many problems for Americans -- from contaminating our air and water and saddling us with asthma, heart disease and cancer, to forcing us to reach deeper and deeper into our pockets to subsidize oil giants like Chevron, BP and Exxon.
If Romney stood up in front of Americans and suggested that we build telegraph lines instead of smartphones, no one would take him seriously. Yet that's exactly what his energy plan does.
It ignores the smartest, cleanest, most innovative technology -- and instead pours everything we've got left into the clunky, outdated, dirty fuels of the 19th century. Instead of putting Americans to work building state-of-the-art electric vehicles and modernizing our energy grid, Romney proposes we let a Canadian oil company cobble together a giant pipeline to carry toxic tar sands oil across America's heartland to the Gulf of Mexico, where it would be shipped overseas. He proposes we open up America's last untouched waterways and wild places to oil companies.
It doesn't take much of an imagination to see where this strategy will get us. Just look around. We'll see more communities like Richmond, Calif., exposed to life-threatening fires and a steady dose of toxic air. We'll see more disasters like the BP oil spill. We'll see more neighborhoods like those on Chicago's south side, where children struggle to breath as the result of living in the shadow of 100-year-old coal plants. We'll see more job opportunities evaporate. And we'll watch America fall farther and farther behind.
The truth is, we can drill every last one of America's beaches and wildlife refuges, and we'll still run out of oil. We can blow the top off every last mountain, and we'll still run out of coal. And the longer we stand around with our eyes locked on the dirty fuels of yesteryear, the more real opportunities will keep sailing on by. That's the fundamental problem with Romney's plan.
It misses so much opportunity. The world around us is already charging full-speed ahead into a clean energy future. Countries like China and India have seen the potential, and they're honing in. If we follow Romney's plan, they'll easily outpace us.
Here in America, even with modest investment in clean energy, we're already seeing results. Iowa gets 20 percent of its energy from wind. Texas has enough wind turbines to power 2 million homes. Meanwhile, the wind industry is rapidly creating manufacturing jobs around the country -- the kind of jobs that create pathways into the middle class. In California alone, we've added more than 20,000 jobs in clean energy -- at a time when the state's overall unemployment rate is over ten percent. That's just the tip of the iceberg. If we really get serious about clean energy, we can do even more.
Imagine if every state was producing as much wind as Iowa and Texas. Imagine if every city got serious about weatherizing the buildings that account for nearly 40 percent of our carbon pollution. We would not only slash pollution -- we'd create good, family-supporting jobs for millions of Americans. Jobs that can't be shipped overseas.
This isn't a distant dream for the future; it's the real world that's here in front of us right now, today. And if we want to get America on its feet again, we need to wake up, leave the past behind, and get serious about 21st century energy -- clean energy.


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Effective filtration in ethanol production leads to higher plant efficiency and lower energy costs, with other benefits as well. LAKOS Separators and Filtration Solutions are often used to:
- Keep cooling towers and heat exchangers clean – See video below
- Clean in place filtration
- Removing unwanted sand from source water supplies
- Keeping spray nozzles from clogging
- Pre-filtering water treatment to extend their operating cycles.
Download the Ethanol Filtration Brochure, LS-761.
Download the Industrial Filtration Brochure showing all Industrial Filtration Solutions, LS-636.
Download the Return of Investment Calculator (ROI) to help determine the payback of effective filtration in your ethanol plant.
Standard ROI Tool
Metric ROI Tool


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A nucleus is held together by a membrane called the nuclear envelope. The envelope is formed of phospholipids that create a lipid bilayer to separate the contents of the nucleus from the cytoplasm.
The lipid bilayer is formed of an inner and outer layer separated by 10 to 50 nanometers. The space between the two layers is called the perinuclear space. Additionally, the envelope gives the nucleus shape and helps control the flow of molecules in and out of the pores of the nucleus. The size of the pores allows the passage of small, water-soluble molecules while preventing larger molecules free passage into the nucleus. Typical mammal cells have roughly 3000 to 4000 pores in the envelope.
The function of the nucleus is to monitor and control gene expression and the replication of DNA during the cell cycle. When a cytoplasmic process needs isolation, key parts are removed to the nucleus.
Inside the nucleus is the nucleolus, a mass of RNA and proteins that contains the nucleolar organizer regions. These are chromosome parts that contain genes for ribosome synthesis. In contrast to the nucleus, the nucleolus does not have a membrane and is referred to as a suborganelle. The nucleus can contain a number of types of subnuclear structures.


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The AMA, a Physician's Rights, and the Radiologist
The AMA is fighting for your rights and responsibilities as a radiologist and a physician within a practicing medical community. Will you join them in representing your interests?
Radiologists often ask why they should become members of the AMA in addition to the ACR®. After all, doesn't the ACR represent their interests with state and local governments and regulators, while also providing voluminous materials on practice matters?
Well, yes, the ACR does all that, but there's much more involved in organized medicine than just radiology.
Most U.S. physicians are aware that, one way or the other, their reimbursement is based on Medicare and Medicaid payment amounts. And those payment amounts are based on current procedural terminology or CPT® codes. The CPT codes are developed via the AMA/Specialty Society RVS Update Committee, known more widely as the RUC. The ACR represents radiology on the RUC. The level of radiology representation depends largely on the number of radiologists who are AMA members. So AMA membership has a direct impact on current and future reimbursement for radiologists.
The AMA Medical Staff Rights and Responsibilities covers professionalism, representation and voting rights, due process regarding revocation of privileges, and — most important — the right always to act in the best interests of patients.
However, the AMA does much more than just convene the RUC. It has a House of Delegates (HOD) that debates and adopts policy resolutions designed to guide medical practice and direct the AMA's advocacy efforts. In fact, the ACR Council and its processes were originally modeled on the AMA HOD. Among the HOD's key activities are development of the Code of Medical Ethics and issuance of ethics opinions in response to issues arising anywhere in U.S. medicine.
From a legal standpoint, one of the AMA's most valuable resources is the Litigation Center. The Center analyzes potential and pending court cases involving issues of interest to organized medicine, provides those analyses to other organizations (like the ACR), and funds litigation either by filing cases directly or joining cases in progress at the appeals level. The Litigation Center has assisted the College in several cases involving radiologists and provided a steady stream of information that ACR simply does not have the resources to develop on its own.
In addition, the AMA develops materials designed to assist hospital-based physicians in their interactions with hospitals and payers. One such resource is the "Medical Staff Rights and Responsibilities," which sets forth the basic rights and responsibilities physicians should demand and undertake as members of any medical staff (see page 27). The document covers self-governance, professionalism, privileging, representation and voting rights on various bodies, due process regarding revocation of privileges, and — most important — the right always to act in the best interests of patients. This document is an invaluable tool for all physicians seeking fair treatment for their patients and themselves.
To that end, the AMA has generously allowed ACR to share the document with our members.
Medical Staff Rights and Responsibilities
I. Our AMA recognizes the following fundamental responsibilities of the medical staff:
a. The responsibility to provide for the delivery of high-quality and safe patient care, the provision of which relies on mutual accountability and interdependence with the health care organization's governing body.
b. The responsibility to provide leadership and work collaboratively with the health care organization's administration and governing body to continuously improve patient care and outcomes.
c. The responsibility to participate in the health care organization's operational and strategic planning to safeguard the interest of patients, the community, the health care organization, and the medical staff and its members.
d. The responsibility to establish qualifications for membership and fairly evaluate all members and candidates without the use of economic criteria unrelated to quality, and to identify and manage potential conflicts that could result in unfair evaluation.
e. The responsibility to establish standards and hold members individually and collectively accountable for quality, safety, and professional conduct.
f. The responsibility to make appropriate recommendations to the health care organization's governing body regarding membership, privileging, patient care, and peer review.
II. Our AMA recognizes that the following fundamental rights of the medical staff are essential to the medical staff's ability to fulfill its responsibilities:
a. The right to be self-governed, which includes but is not limited to (i) initiating, developing, and approving or disapproving of medical staff bylaws, rules, and regulations (ii) selecting and removing medical staff leaders, (iii) controlling the use of medical staff funds, (iv) being advised by independent legal counsel, and (v) establishing and defining, in accordance with applicable law, medical staff membership categories, including categories for non-physician members.
b. The right to advocate for its members and their patients without fear of retaliation by the health care organization's administration or governing body.
c. The right to be provided with the resources necessary to continuously improve patient care and outcomes.
d. The right to be well informed and share in the decision-making of the health care organization's operational and strategic planning, including involvement in decisions to grant exclusive contracts or close medical staff departments.
e. The right to be represented and heard, with or without vote, at all meetings of the health care organization's governing body.
f. The right to engage the health care organization's administration and governing body on professional matters involving their own interests.
III. Our AMA recognizes the following fundamental responsibilities of individual medical staff members, regardless of employment, contractual, or independent status:
a. The responsibility to work collaboratively with other members and with the health care organization's administration to improve quality and safety.
b. The responsibility to provide patient care that meets the professional standards established by the medical staff.
c. The responsibility to conduct all professional activities in accordance with the bylaws, rules, and regulations of the medical staff.
d. The responsibility to advocate for the best interest of patients, even when such interest may conflict with the interests of other members, the medical staff, or the health care organization.
e. The responsibility to participate and encourage others to play an active role in the governance and other activities of the medical staff.
f. The responsibility to participate in peer review activities, including submitting to review, contributing as a reviewer, and supporting member improvement.
IV. Our AMA recognizes that the following fundamental rights apply to individual medical staff members, regardless of employment, contractual, or independent status, and are essential to each member's ability to fulfill the responsibilities owed to his or her patients, the medical staff, and the health care organization:
a. The right to exercise fully the prerogatives of medical staff membership afforded by the medical staff bylaws.
b. The right to make treatment decisions, including referrals, based on the best interest of the patient, subject only to review by peers.
c. The right to exercise personal and professional judgment in voting, speaking, and advocating on any matter regarding patient care or medical staff matters, without fear of retaliation by the medical staff or the health care organization's administration or governing body.
d. The right to be evaluated fairly, without the use of economic criteria, by unbiased peers who are actively practicing physicians in the community and in the same specialty.
e. The right to full due process before the medical staff or health care organization takes adverse action affecting membership or privileges, including any attempt to abridge membership or privileges through the granting of exclusive contracts or closing of medical staff departments.
f. The right to immunity from civil damages, injunctive or equitable relief, and criminal liability when participating in good faith peer review activities.
©2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved


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We needed to add 3 CAT5 jacks to each desk, and eliminate the voice jacks completely, since they were converting over to VoIP. Each desk has 2 VoIP phones and a computer. We wanted each phone and computer to have its own individual jack, and to provide power to the phones with a PoE switch.
|This is what their network looked like when we got started.
I converted all of the old analog jacks over to data jacks. All of the wiring was home run, and was all CAT5, so this meant nothing more than just replacing the jacks at the end of the wires, and connecting it to a patch panel.
I installed a rack, added a 2nd patch panel. Put in a shelf in the new rack, and connected up all of the network equipment.
|The completed product.
But this was all done with minimal down time for their network. There were several hiccups where the network was inadvertently disconnected for several seconds due to the previous mess that had to be organized, but all in all everything is up and running solid now.
A dual WAN router was installed, providing internet from FiOS as well as a cable modem. The phones are running on the cable modem, while the PCs are running on the FiOS - with auto fail over, so if one internet goes down, the other will pick up the slack for phones and PCs.
A PoE switch was installed for the VoIP phones.
Due to the customers request, this is not a standard 18 inch deep rack, it is a 12 inch deep rack. The customer did not want a rack that stuck out past the furniture below it, because he may want to install a cabinet or place furniture beside it to conceal it better, but with such a beautiful network he may want to show it off now.


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Fash Day the Bermuda Way
Growing up I had lots of fashionable things to do in Bermuda. Being involved in different fashion clubs and being apart of well-known local fashion magazines, it was the best but what is there available now? If you are interested in fashion and are located in Bermuda during the summer I strongly suggest you get involved with Bermuda Fashion Festival as they always need helpers for the big fashion week. Also, don't be afraid to shadow a local fashion designer or if editorial is more of your thing Bermuda Bliss Magazine is always looking for new fashion writers. I want to give back to my community in, of course, a fashionable way. I've planned a Fash Day where absolutely anyone can attend and spend a whole day dining and learning with some of the islands best fashion editors, bloggers and designers. Below is just a survey I'd like for you guys to fill out so that I could get some feedback on this idea!
Thanks in advance, Shantia x
Leave a Reply.


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Siem Offshore Contractors has awarded Seaproof Solutions with a contract for the design and supply of cable protection systems for the inter-array subsea cables at the Trianel Windpark Borkum II offshore wind farm in Germany.
Seaproof Solutions' head office and main production site in Bergen, Norway, will execute the contract with manufacturing expected to be completed this year and ready for offshore installation in 2018.
This is the 12th offshore wind farm project for Seaproof Solutions, taking the total number of cable protection systems supplied to more that 700 units, the company pointed out.
Siem Offshore Contractors won the contract for a turnkey supply and installation of the inter-array grid cable system for the wind farm in November 2016.
The cables, which will be delivered by Norddeutsche Seekabelwerke GmbH (NSW), will connect 32 Senvion 6.33 MW wind turbines to the existing substation, installed as part of the Trianel Borkum I wind farm.
The construction of TWB II is scheduled to start in early 2018 and the wind farm is expected be connected to the grid by the end of 2019.
Offshore WIND Staff


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Our corporate team provides commercially-focused, tailored and proactive advice to a wide range of national and international clients; from start-up companies to major trading groups operating globally. We have expertise in numerours industry sectors ranging from media and sports to fashion and financial services.
As a group we are committed to building and maintaining long term relationships with our clients. We are aware that in difficult economic times, clients expect us to be effective in the use of our resources. All projects are partner-led and we will agree in advance the most cost effective team for each matter. We work closely with our colleagues in the firm's employment, intellectual property and commercial property groups to provide a full service on major corporate transactions.
How we can help you
Our services can be summarised by reference to the lifecycle of a corporate entity.
We have expertise in numerous areas including:
- National and international mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and disposals
- Joint venture and shareholder arrangements and limited liability partnership agreements
- Management buyouts and private equity transactions
- Company reconstructions
- General company law including directors' duties and corporate governance
- Restructuring and turnaround including insolvency and corporate recovery
We also regularly advise boards and shareholders in situations where they can no longer agree on the management and/or direction of their business; we suggest possible company law and litigation solutions for resolving these types of situations.
What our clients say
"The corporate team provides speedy and responsive advice, which is focused and practical and set in a commercial context." - Colin Haig, KPMG
"The team at Collyer Bristow worked tirelessly to deliver this important transaction." - Robert Plumb, CEO of HML Holdings Plc


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If you are still trying to figure out about RSS(Really Simple Syndication) -then this article is specially for you and how you can get maximum results from it.
Every blog has its own RSS feed/XML feed. There are many platforms to burn your RSS feed and one of the popular service is called google's FeedBurner.
The reason to choose feedburner is because its fast, easy and has lots of features. Now let me explain the RSS feed to you. Take a look at the picture,
The top page is your blog with having title, blog post, ads, links, widgets and lots of things which you have in your blog. When you will burn your blog RSS feed, it will look like the second window with having only the blog post/content. And it will have no other links, widgets, ads and no other things. Because RSS feeds only have the content, these loads faster on the browser and this is why most of the people likes to read blogs in their RSS readers.
When you will burn your feed from feedburner, you will get your feed address which will look like this, feeds.feedburner.com/blogkori. You have to set it up with your blogger account.
Go to your 'blogger dashboard' > 'settings' > 'site feed'
Now select 'full' -as 'allow blog feeds'
Now add your feed address(eg: feeds.feedburner.com/blogkori) on 'Post feed redirect url' -so that every feed on your blog will redirect to your feedburner RSS feed.
This means your readers can read the full article on their RSS reader. If you select 'short' -then they will be able to read few lines in the RSS feed and then they have to come to your blog to read the rest of the article. If you want to build up a strong readership, you will have to provide 'Full RSS feeds' because professional bloggers offer full RSS feeds.
Why should I provide Full RSS feeds?
- To keep your subscribers connected to your blog
- To make it simple for your readers to get the updates
- A big readership is far more better than having lots of visitors
- To turn your visitor into a regular reader
- More readership means more blog status
- RSS readers will promote your blog
- To make your reader remember your blog
I hope after reading the above article you now know,
- What is RSS and how does it work?
- Why it is important for a blog?
- How to set it up with feedburner?
- Why should you provide Full RSS feeds?
- How RSS helps you to get regular readers?
If you still having any question regarding with Feeds and RSS, then you could ask me anytime. This article has been continued with more advanced tips on the next part.