| | |
| Wong Kar Wai's 'The Grandmaster': an exile story told through Kung Fu Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 08:03 PM PDT  By Eric Kelsey BEVERLY HILLS, Calif (Reuters) - It was a black-and-white home movie of an old man, diminutive and cancer-stricken, performing Chinese martial arts techniques in a Hong Kong apartment that spurred director Wong Kar Wai to make his latest film, the Kung Fu epic "The Grandmaster." Wong, best known as an auteur of pensive and brooding urban dramas "Chungking Express" and "In the Mood for Love," said he was deeply puzzled by the intentions behind the homemade film of Kung Fu master Ip Man, made days before his death in 1972. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Jazeera America launches, but AT&T won't carry network Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 07:28 PM PDT  By Liana B. Baker and Lisa Richwine (Reuters) - New cable network Al Jazeera America introduced itself to viewers on Tuesday with reports on political strife in Egypt and the impact of climate change on U.S. cities, shortly after a major pay TV distributor declined to carry the channel. The decision by AT&T's U-verse pay-TV service stemmed from a contract dispute over terms to carry the new network, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said. Al Jazeera responded by suing AT&T for breach of contract in Delaware Chancery Court. Globally, Al Jazeera is seen in more than 260 million homes in 130 countries. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. crime writer Elmore Leonard dead at 87 Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 07:17 PM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - American author Elmore Leonard, whose ear for gritty, realistic dialogue helped bring dozens of hard-bitten crooks, cops and cowboys to life in nearly 50 novels, died on Tuesday several weeks after a stroke. He was 87. "Elmore passed away this morning at 7:15 a.m. at home surrounded by his loving family," according to an announcement on his website, elmoreleonard.com. It did not provide other details. Leonard, who first wrote Westerns when he gave up his advertising agency job in the 1950s before moving on to crime and suspense books, suffered a stroke on July 29. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain defends detention of journalist's partner Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 07:01 PM PDT  By Estelle Shirbon and Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - The British government, accused of abusing media freedom, said on Tuesday police were right to detain a journalist's partner if they thought lives might be at risk from data he was carrying from fugitive U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fox News fires communications chief for 'financial irregularities' Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 05:24 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Fox News, a unit of Rupert Murdoch's newly separated Twenty-First Century Fox Inc film and TV company, said on Tuesday it had fired corporate communications chief Brian Lewis due to "financial irregularities" and other issues. "After an extensive internal investigation of Brian Lewis' conduct by Fox News, it was determined that he should be terminated for cause, specifically for issues relating to financial irregularities, as well as for multiple, material and significant breaches of his employment contract," the company said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| One Direction premiere draws screaming fans; Cowell talks of fatherhood Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 04:58 PM PDT  By Rollo Ross LONDON (Reuters) - British boy band One Direction was greeted by more than 3,000 screaming fans on Tuesday for the London premiere of its new 3D documentary "This Is Us," while music mogul and manager Simon Cowell addressed his impending fatherhood for the first time. Cowell, 53, the owner of music and television production company Syco, which manages One Direction, is expecting a child with his friend's ex-wife, socialite Lauren Silverman. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Jazeera America launches, AT&T won't carry network Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 04:52 PM PDT By Liana B. Baker and Lisa Richwine (Reuters) - New cable network Al Jazeera America introduced itself to U.S. viewers on Tuesday with reports on political strife in Egypt and a shooting at a Georgia elementary school, making its bid to win audiences shortly after a major pay TV distributor declined to carry the network. The decision by AT&T's U-verse pay-TV service stemmed from a contract dispute over terms to carry the new channel, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said. Globally, Al Jazeera is seen in more than 260 million homes in 130 countries. But the new U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Conde Nast launches new subscriber service with Amazon Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 04:50 PM PDT  By Jennifer Saba NEW YORK (Reuters) - Magazine publisher Conde Nast announced a major partnership with Amazon.com Inc on Tuesday in which the Internet retailer will handle print and digital subscriptions for glossy publications such as Vogue, Wired and Vanity Fair. Conde Nast is the first magazine publisher to collaborate with Amazon on this type of service, a move that will simplify and eventually save money on its subscription process and give it access to a huge new customer base. Currently, subscriptions involve direct mail and stacks of magazine insert cards. ... Full Story | Top |
| Toronto film festival promises Oscar bait, major celebrities Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 02:49 PM PDT By Julie Gordon TORONTO (Reuters) - The 38th Toronto International Film Festival promises a heavy dose of Oscar bait and celebrities, with past Academy Award winners Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Julia Roberts all expected in town for the 11-day event, which starts on September 5. Widely considered the kick-off to Oscar season, the 2013 festival will feature 146 world premieres, including talked-about new films from acclaimed Canadian directors Paul Haggis and Denis Villeneuve. The full program was released on Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Factbox: Facts about novelist Elmore Leonard Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 10:14 AM PDT (Reuters) - Facts about novelist Elmore Leonard, who died on Tuesday: * Leonard was born in New Orleans in 1925 and was still a boy when his family moved to Detroit, where his father worked for General Motors and where the author would set many of his books. He served in the Navy in the South Pacific during World War Two. * While attending the University of Detroit, he entered writing contests and submitted his work to magazines. He continued writing on the side while working at an advertising agency. * Leonard's first short stories and novels were Westerns. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mirror journalist, Sun director to be charged over UK corruption Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 09:39 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - A former journalist at the Daily Mirror tabloid and a veteran editorial director at Rupert Murdoch's Sun newspaper are to be charged with making illegal payments to public officials, British prosecutors said on Tuesday. The Crown Prosecution Service said Greig Box Turnbull would face two charges of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office in the first such charge for a journalist from the Trinity Mirror group. He is accused of making payments to prison officers for information to generate news stories over a seven-year period. ... Full Story | Top |
| Factbox: Elmore Leonard's rules for writing Tuesday, Aug 20, 2013 08:36 AM PDT (Reuters) - Elmore Leonard, who died on Tuesday, , laid out his 10 rules for writing in a 2001 essay in the New York Times. He said they helped him "remain invisible when I'm writing a book" and summed up his approach by saying, "If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it." While acknowledging there were exceptions, these are the guidelines Leonard worked under: 1. Never open a book with weather. 2. Avoid prologues. 3. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue. 4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said." 5. Keep your exclamation points under control. 6. ... Full Story | Top |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment