- The television revival of a classic horror film is
rounding out its cast with some rising names in the acting world and
“Rosemary’s Baby” is shaping up nicely. The upcoming TV miniseries has added
“Harry Potter” actor Jason Isaacs, who will star as Roman Castevet, the warlock leader
of a coven. He previously held down the role of Lucien Malfoy in the “Harry
Potter” franchise and will now join two big names as part of the four-hour long
series based on the cult 1967 novel by Ira Levin. Zoe Saldana will play the
role of a young wife who moves to Paris with her husband and becomes fearful
that her new neighbors have evil plans for her child. Her husband, Guy, will be
played by “Suits” actor Patrick
J. Adams. NBC is producing the project, which is a retelling of the 1968
feature film by noted pedophile/director Roman Polanski. "Zoe has proven
that she is one of our most gifted actresses and we think she has the perfect
combination of spirit and gravitas to take on the title role from Ira Levin's
infamous novel,” NBC executive Quinn Taylor said. “With Zoe leading the cast
under the direction of Agnieszka Holland, this re-imagined event mini-series is
off to a great start.” Taking the story to Paris is a new twist (and not at all
true to the book or film), as both of the first two takes on the tale were set
in Manhattan. The 1968 film version starred Mia Farrow and was shot in and
around the Dakota building near Central Park. The location later became famous
as the home of The Beatles' John Lennon and the site of his murder in 1980. But
hey, a little (or a lot) of creative license with the actual details of a story
is nothing new……….
- What’s the point of being a federal appeals judge if you
can't enjoy the perks and benefits? For the former chief judge of Cincinnati's federal
appeals court, his short time on the job was extremely beneficial even though
his high-on-the-hog lifestyle might be coming back to bite him now. Judge Boyce
F. Martin, a Louisville judge who for years led the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of
Appeals, is under investigation for receiving almost $140,000 in travel
expenses during his four and a half years on the bench. A judicial conduct
committee has determined that Martin should be investigated by the public
integrity section of the U.S. Department of Justice. Martin appealed the
recommendation and insisted he had done nothing wrong, but the committee of
judges who investigated the complaint against him ruled rejected that appeal. Complaints
against federal judges are rarely made public and referrals to the Department
of Justice rarer still, so there is clearly something more to this case. That
has much to do with the fact that federal appeals judges are second in judicial
power only to U.S. Supreme Court justices. The 6th Circuit hears death penalty
appeals, church and state disputes, white collar crimes and serious drug cases,
so a shady judge could have a significant impact. Court records show that the
court’s current chief judge, Alice Batchelder, instigated the case when she complained
about "questionable travel reimbursement requests" made by Martin. In
a 55-month period between Jan. 1, 2008, and Aug. 2, 2012, Martin filed for reimbursements
in the amount of $138,500. Unfortunately, the records do not specify the nature
of the travel or which parts of the total expenses were questioned. Martin's
spokeswoman, Claire Parker, boldly claimed that amount was "a
fraction" of the total expenses and said the judge voluntarily repaid the
total amount. Some of his expenses stem from the fact that most 6th Circuit
judges live in one of the four states covered by the 6th Circuit — Ohio,
Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee — and must travel regularly to Cincinnati for
hearings. However, being based 100 miles from Cincinnati in Louisville doesn’t
seem to justify $140,000 in gas money over four and a half years……….
- Intrigue and mystery abound on Mars, where the latest discovery
is a jelly doughnut-shaped Martian
rock that "just plain appeared" out of nowhere in front of the Mars
rover Opportunity. NASA researchers are having a difficult time identifying the
strange stone, which showed up on images beamed back from the red planet last
week. Even after initial testing, scientists say w it is "like nothing
we've ever seen before." "It's very high in sulfur and magnesium, and
it's got twice as much manganese as we've ever seen in anything on Mars,"
lead scientist Steve Squyres said. "I don't know what any of this means.
We're completely confused, and everyone in the team is arguing and fighting
(over what it means).” The rock has been dubbed "Pinnacle Island" and
likened to a jelly doughnut because it has white around the edge and a low,
dark red spot in the middle. Maybe a few members of the team investigating it
were powering down some Dunkin’ Donuts jelly-filled treats in the break room
prior to the find and that helped inspire the name, but equating anything to
doughnuts is usually a great way to relate it to the average American. The
rover has been patrolling Mars since 2004, but it has been stationary the past
month as it waits for better weather. Yet in its unmoving state, Opportunity
spotted the rock, which was not visible in previous pictures taken four days
before. Squyres said one theory is that the rock was blown out of the ground
after being hit by a meteoroid. Other members of the research team believe the
rover could have dislodged it with one of the rover’s own wheels. "It
obligingly turned upside down, so we're seeing a side that hasn't seen the
Martian atmosphere in billions of years and there it is for us to
investigate," he said. There to investigate, not to eat three of with your
morning cup of coffee………
- French President Francois
Hollande has a unique view on the role of his leading lady in the presidency,
namely that she doesn’t have one. Hollande is in a tough spot, juggling both a
wife and mistress, so it’s understandable that he is having a tough time deciding
who should join him on his various official duties and visits. On the one hand,
there is his longtime partner Valerie Trierweiler, who overdosed on
prescription drugs when she learned that at a magazine was to expose the president's
affair with Julie Gayet. On the other hand, there is Gayet, an actress who has
been involved with Hollande for some time. Neither woman was with Hollande as
he made an official visit to the Netherlands. Trierweiler rested at La
Lanterne, the official presidential residence in Versailles, and did her best
to avoid the sh*t storm swirling around the president. "Valerie
Trierweiler is better. She is resting,” Hollande said during his visit. Nothing
screams intimacy and closeness with one’s partner quite like referring to her
by her full name, F. Then again, it’s tough to come across as caring and
concerned about the lady loves of your life when one week prior, you said
neither of them should be around when you’re on the job. "I don't want
there to be a first lady at the Elysee in the future," Hollande said after
a news conference last week. Television talking heads quickly seized on the
remarks as evidence that Hollande wanted to end his relationship with
Trierweiler but was unwilling to elevate Gayet to official role at his side. The
post of first lady is not mentioned anywhere in French legislation, but Trierweiler
has an office in the Elysee, a staff of five funded by taxpayers and whose
salaries come to more than $30,000 a month. She also maintains her own page on
the president’s official website…just not an official spot by his side in his
most important moments………
- John Tortorella is the best. Even though he was fired as
coach of the New York Rangers after last season and forced to bring his special
brand of awesomeness to a smaller stage than the media bonanza that is
Manhattan, Torts is still the greatest show in the NHL. Need proof? Just take
his actions before, during and after Saturday’s game between his new team, the
Vancouver Canucks, and the Calgary Flames. He was angry because the Flames
offended him by putting their fourth line on the ice to start the game. That’s
the line populated by tough guys and enforcers, signaling that a fight was
about to happen. Tortorella countered with his tough guys and after defenseman
Kevin Bieksa took the opening draw for Vancouver, a line brawl broke out as
soon as the puck was dropped. Two seconds into the game, five skaters from each
team dropped their gloves and began throwing punches. Multiple game misconduct
penalties were handed out and the game went on, but so did Tortorella’s rage. At
the end of the first period, televison cameras captured him attempting to go
into the Flames' locker room at Rogers Arena. Calgary enforcer Brian McGrattan
stopped the bum rush and Flames goaltender coach Clint Malarchuk came out of
the Flames' dressing room after Tortorella and McGrattan were separated. An
irate Malarchuk had to be held back by several players as Tortorella was led
away from the scene. For some odd reason, the NHL had a problem with what went
down and suspended Tortorella for 15 days without pay "Mr. Tortorella's
actions in attempting to enter the Calgary Flames locker room after the first
period were both dangerous and an embarrassment to the League," said Colin
Campbell, senior vice president of hockey operations, in a statement.
"Coaches in the NHL bear the responsibility of providing leadership, even
when emotions run high, and Mr. Tortorella failed in his responsibility to the
game." Sure, but without his actions, the NHL is back page news as people
talk about other sports they are about more……….
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