Tag: red roses and petrol

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St. Patrick’s Day Films to Binge On

 

What’s the craic?

Another year, and another Saint Patrick’s Day. The day of the year when Irish heritage, culture, and everything else Irish is celebrated.

Historically, this is the day Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland died. In his honor, March 17th has been celebrated by the Irish dating all the way back to early 17th century, and as of recent has become a day to celebrate and be merry around the world.

Usually, this day is celebrated by spending the day with your family, feasting on corned beef and drinking Guinness, or wearing green or shamrocks. You may also want to attend and immerse yourself at the numerous parades and festivals that have crowded all the nearby streets and parks, in order to celebrate with other slightly inebriated individuals.

Now, if you are planning on celebrating this wonderful holiday, but the thought of jam-packed bars and parade-filled streets have you petrified and staying at home all day, then I hope you’re prepared with a fridge full of Guinness and a belly full of corned beef. We have selected for you a great selection of Irish-themed films for you to binge on today in honor and celebration of our Irish brothers and sisters.

Gangs of NY

Gangs of New York - A tall-tale of violence, corruption, and greed follow as Leonardo DiCaprio, the son of a dead Irish immigrant, returns to New York in the name of revenge and power. Do not be fooled by the constant violence and gore of this movie, as it also shows the struggles of Irish immigrants as they as they tried to settle down in New York. If you have an appetite for carnage, there is an extremely well-done battle scene between the armies of DiCaprio and Bill “The Butcher” who is exceptionally performed by Daniel Day-Lewis that should fill your appetite.

Boondock Saints

Boondock Saints - “It’s Saint Paddy’s day, everyone’s Irish tonight!” The story follows two poor Irish brothers in a crime-riddled Boston area. After killing some mafia members in self-defense, they find an appetite and a deep twisted pleasure for handing out justice to some of the main crime lords of Boston. Although this film originally did not receive a theater showing, the Boondock Saints film is now known as a cult classic through its extensive and very over-the-top violence.

The Departed

The Departed - Starring the powerful trio of Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon, The Departed follows the story of a crime boss in Boston (Nicholson) and two Irish descent policeman that work for him (Damon and DiCaprio). One of them is his mole, and the other has infiltrated his organization. Tune into this Scorsese masterpiece, which won him his first Best Director Oscar, to unravel the rest of this brilliant story.

Michael Collins

Michael Collins - Starring Liam Neeson as Michael Collins himself, this movie is as patriotic as you can get for any Irish man or woman. Collins is a man infatuated with the vision of an independent Ireland, and he will stop at nothing in order to achieve this dream for his countrymen. A brutal and violent film, Michael Collins is captured beautifully through its wonderful cinematography. Other noteworthy stars like Alan Rickman and Julia Roberts deliver exceptional performances that solidify this piece of work as one of the all-time premier Irish films.

Red Roses and Petrol

Red Roses and Petrol - A World Wide Motion Picture Corporation feature film, Red Roses and Petrol is an award-winning, dark comedic drama. In it, Malcolm McDowell stars as an Irish poet, librarian, and rascal whose sudden death resurfaces all the past problems in his family, as they are reunited in his memory. Tune into this drama to unravel the secrets of this dysfunctional family.

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Women’s History Month: Greater Diversity in Hollywood

 

March is not only a time to welcome the springtime but also a month to celebrate women worldwide as it is Women’s History Month! There have been a lot of women who have contributed to the film industry―whether through directing, screenwriting, etc. A great example would be Tamar Simon Hoffs, who is well-known for her work in the film Red Roses and Petrol (2003) that was distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures (WWMPC). Hoffs is particularly interesting as she is the first woman to receive credit for playing all three roles of director, writer, and producer for the major studio film, The Allnighter (1987).

Despite the great strides women in the film industry have accomplished, there has been a problem for both genders in Hollywood―diversity. As a result, to commemorate Women’s History Month, why not discuss the growth in diversity amongst actresses throughout the years? Here are two amazing actresses that have made significant contributions to the diversity in Hollywood!

Viola Davis

First off would be Academy Award Golden Globe and Emmy award actress, Viola Davis! Since 2014, Davis has been in the popular TV drama How to Get Away with Murder, and in 2015 she became the first black woman of any nationality to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Her portrayal in the TV drama also won her two SAG Awards in 2015 and 2016. In 2012, she was listed by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. And Sunday she won her first Academy Award, for her role in "Fences."

 

Constance Wu

Another actress that promotes diversity would be Constance Wu! Wu is known for her role as Jessica Huang in the ABC comedy series Fresh Off the Boat. It is a known fact that there is a limited number of Asian actors in Hollywood and Wu is well-known to speak her thoughts regarding this matter. For instance, in one of her interviews with Entertainment Weekly, she stated “[Diversity] doesn't mean we want the white people to write Asian stories. What I want is to foster the Asian-American writers and directors and producers and actors...foster their stories to come into the spotlight a little bit.”

It is great to see the growth that women in the film industry, especially in Hollywood, have accomplished. Although there still exist problems and obstacles actresses have to face, they have indeed come a long way! Let’s clap our hands for the actresses out there who continue to push through these obstacles and help pave the way for other women in the industry or those interested in joining.

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Drink Beer Day 9/30

 

Beer - one of the world’s oldest and most widely-consumed beverages. From beer halls in Germany to U.S. college bars, it is one of the most popular beverages of all time. Though its popularity, it has become a part of the culture of many nations. With celebrations such as beer festivals, anniversaries of breweries, and games including this drink, it has become an important part of society. Today is Drink Beer Day and was commemorated to celebrate drinking beer and the wonderful variety of this delicious drink. Throughout time, it has evolved and people have been able to create hundreds of flavors of beers. There are also many different types of beer depending on how it is fermented the different ingredients involved. The many types of beer include:

beer-whiskey

  • Pale Ale: Predominantly comprised of pale malt and uses a top-fermenting yeast.
  • Stout/Porter: Darker beer using roast barley or roasted malts. They usually have slow fermenting yeast when brewed. Included in this category are sub-varieties such as dry stout, imperial stout, and Baltic porter.
  • Mild Ale: Made predominantly with a malty palate, it has an abv of 3%-3.6%.
  • Wheat Beer: Contains a significant amount of malted barley but is brewed with a large proportion of wheat.
  • Lambic: Naturally fermented using wild yeasts, rather than cultivated.
  • Lager: Cool fermented beer using a cool bottom-fermenting yeast.

Aside from celebrating with the use of this alcoholic beverage, alcohol can also be used as a toast of commemoration or remembrance, as seen in this scene of the film Red Roses and Petrol.  The film is available on DVD and digital download courtesy of World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation.

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Happy Women’s Equality Day 08/26/2016

 

Considering most leading roles are played by men, having women play strong roles in films continues to be a highly relevant topic in the movie industry. Women are not only underrepresented as actresses, but also in the director's chair. Only around 8% of directors are women, however it is funny what happens when women are put in the director's chair: they seem to hire more women.

On this Women's Equality Day, we're putting the spotlight on both female directors and actors, who are not only exceptional at what they do, but also are raising their voices for women everywhere.

One of the first that comes to mind is the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director, Kathryn Bigelow, who directed the film The Hurt Locker, and is also known for the film Zero Dark Thirty. Bigelow said in a statement to TIME that she believes that directors should be judged only based on their work, not by their gender, which continue to stigmatize the industry. She emphasizes that “gender neutral hiring is essential”.

Talent is found all over the world, especially in the French director Claire Dennis and has produced such films as White Material and 35 Shots of Rum. She is often given the high praise of being the best French director alive.

Yet another woman breaking records is director of our own Red Roses and Petrol Tamar Simon Hoffs, became the first woman to receive the triple director/writer/producer credit on a major studio feature film, The All Nighter.

Not only is Mira Nair coming to play a center stage role in film as a director, but also take the cake in learning, hailing from the alma mater of Harvard. Most renowned for her award-winning documentary Saloam Bombay, and owns her own production company, Mirabai Films, which is based in New York.

A Tony Award-winning director, Julie Taymor, has been recognized for her work on Broadway in the production of the Lion King, becoming the first woman to win a Tony for a musical. She has also directed stirring films like Frida, showing that women can not only direct movies well, but also tell other women's stories well.

And it's not just directors, but actresses too, who are speaking out concerning women's rights and what it meant be a confident and modern woman.

Daryl Hannah, from the documentary Welcome to Eden, was listed by the Huffington Post as one of “5 Powerful Women Who Are Making a Positive Difference,” and is renowned for her contributions not only as an actress but also as an environmentalist and powerful voice against human trafficking, giving a voice to people and topics that perhaps would be often overlooked.

Salma Hayek's advice to young girls is simply to “Stand out, don't blend in,” and encourages women everywhere, “to really be profound thinkers that are excited about their differences and explore what they are and who they are and what can come out of the new.” Hayek has advanced such ideas in fundraising events for charities such as “Chime for Change”.

The currently highest-paid actress, Jennifer Lawrence, has spoken out against the gender pay gap, when she discovered that she had negotiated a smaller deal than her male counterparts in the hit movie American Hustle.

Lastly, we give you one of the most outspoken advocates in recent years for women's equality, British Harry Potter star Emma Watson. In conjunction with various organizations, she has built up quite a reputation for women's equality and feminism in general, encouraging men to come alongside women.

“I want men to take up this mantle.” Watson said. “So their daughters, sisters and mothers can be free from prejudice, but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too — reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned and in doing so be a more true and complete version of themselves.”

Happy Women's Equality Day!

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12 Movies With Sisters Who Don’t get Along

 

August 7th, is Sister’s Day and Friendship day. Both holidays are rooted in the idea of making amends with your friend or sister, cherishing them, and celebrating your relationships. However, We here at World Wide thought we’d do something a little bit different and feature movies with sisters who were not very friendly towards one another or sisters who could even be considered mortal enemies.

 

  • What Ever Happened to Baby Jane:  This classic 1960’s movie What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? features classic actresses Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. (Don’t know either of the actresses? Think “No more wire hangers!!!” for Crawford and the name “Oscar” which was coined by Davis when she named the statue after her husband.) The movie features both actresses who play feuding sisters who hate one another to the point of violence. The movie ends by giving the viewers as small form of closure as the sisters agree they could have been friends instead of enemies but, at that point, it’s is too late. Their feud had caused irrevocable damage to both of their lives.
  • The Other Boleyn Girl: The movie The Other Boleyn Girl features actresses Natalie Wood who plays the infamous “Anne Boleyn” and Scarlett Johansson who plays her older sister “Mary Boleyn”. The movie follows Mary’s introduction into court, her affair with King Henry, and her relationships thereafter. Before, of course, her sister is introduced to him. While the two sisters do not become violent with one another, one of them does play dirty. Wood’s character betrays her sister in pursuit of her ambitions causing her sister to be thrown out of the kingdom. In the end, this betrayal is costly but ,Johansson's character is still forgiving, putting her sisterhood before anything else. The movie ends as history says and the audience sees a final shot of Elizabeth, Boleyn's daughter being looked after by her aunt.
  • Sixteen Candles: Molly Ringwald’s character “Samantha Baker” in the movie Sixteen Candles is a classic and the perfect match to the teen stereotype. The movie features the story of an awkward, underdeveloped teenager as she navigates through life while being forgotten by her family, and being in love with one of the most popular boys in school. Samantha confides in her older sister who then implies she trivial and calls her an asshole for wanting the attention to be on her. The two sisters butt heads but in the end, they are able to apologize to one another and move on.
  • My Sister’s Keeper: The movie My Sister’s Keeper follows the life of a leukemia stricken teen and its impact on her family. Younger sister “Sara Fitzgerald” wants her older sister “Kate” to live, but, at the same time, Sara doesn’t want to give up her body and future for her sister’s medical needs. So, Sara sues her family in order to get her control of her body back. While the sisters do not exactly fight one another, they do seem to be at odds with one another.The book differs from the movie greatly, but both end tragically, leaving the Fitzgerald family reeling with the grief and loss of a loved one.
  • 10 Things I Hate About You: The movie 10 Things I Hate About You follows the story of sisters “Kat” and “Bianca Stratford” played by Julia Stiles and Larisa Oleynik as the men in the movie plot to date the younger sister by finding a date for the older one. They do, a new kid by the named Patrick Verona played by the late actor Heath Ledger. Despite Kat’s best effort she falls in love but is devastated when the truth comes to light. Throughout the movies sister Kat and Bianca  fight but, at end of the movie, the sisters unite and a few well power punches leaves the antagonist of the story in his place.
  • Alice in Wonderland: In the live action film adaptation of Alice In Wonderland, director Tim Burton and his writers creatively make the “Red Queen” Helen Carter-Burton and “White Queen” played by Anne Hathaway sisters who are feuding over the throne throughout the movie. The movie comes to a climax when the sisters bring their armies together to start an all out war for the throne. The movie ends with one sister being banished and Alice being sent home by way of a potion. The sequel Alice through the Looking Glass had left theatres and is ready to debut on redbox in late August early September of 2016.
  • Red Roses and Petrol: In the movie Red Rose and Petrol, Maeve is the younger, safe sister who may be eccentric but sticks close to home to be close to her family. Katherine is the glamorous, older sister who is seen as prettier, fashionable, morally impeccable, and as someone who is going places. Both sisters clash immediately upon seeing one another again. As the plot goes on, the movie exposes Katherine’s flaws and the cracks hidden behind the facade of the upbeat, happy Irish family. The movie ends with no real resolution of the sister’s issues but it does correct some misconceptions the audience has about the original plot of the movie.
  • Dirty Dancing: The movie Dirty Dancing  features another classic family dynamic. The movie follows Frances "Baby" Houseman and her family as they vacation for the summer. Baby is often pitted against older sister Lisa Houseman who is seen as more conventional and proper than her sister. Baby, the free thinker and the girl with dream, is a black sheep in her family. The sisters bicker throughout the movie and Baby even resorts to blackmailing her sister at one point. However, towards the end of the movie, the two sisters are able to come to an understanding. Lisa even admits that she was jealous of Baby and all that she had accomplished.
  • Oz the Great and Powerful: The movie The Wizard of Oz is considered an American classic and is still treasured and parodied now, decades after it released 1939. The prequel Oz the Great and Powerful features actor James Franco who plays con man Oz. Mila Kunis “Theodora”, Rachel Weisz “Evanora”, and Michelle Williams “Glinda” play three witch sisters who are fighting over their father’s throne after his untimely demise. The movie ends with the sister’s fight coming to a head when Evanora and Glinda have the final fight that leads one broken and the other with the throne.
  • Parent Trap: There is the original movie Parent Trap starring Hayley Mills and the more modern one starring Lindsay Lohan both share the same plot. Two twin sisters separated at birth are reunited at a summer camp where they feud, join forces, and the decided to switch places and bring their parents back together. The first half of the movie features the sister feuding with one another over their similar appearances and competitive natures. The feud comes to a head when one sister pulls the ultimate prank that lands them in deep trouble. However, because of this, the sisters are able to bond and use their devious tricks to better their family.
  • Sisters: Tina Fey and Amy Pohler are our Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis of the 21st century. Every time this comedy duo teams up they bring America laughter and another legendary movie to archive. This happened when the movie Mean Girls came out in  2004 and again when the movie Sisters debuted in 2015. Sisters is a movie that comically explores the lives of two sisters, one who is wound up too tight and the other who lives her life just a bit too freely. At the movies, climax the sisters fight Maura and Kate fight over Kate’s daughter and over Maura keeping secrets from Kate. By the end of the movie, the house is destroyed and the sisters are able to stop fighting and come to an understanding.
  • Frozen: The popular Disney movie Frozen centers around the relationship of two sisters who, because of older sister Elsa’s magical powers, are isolated from one another as they grow up. Though the sisters are essentially strangers to one another, they eventually come together under the principle “sisters before misters” as they save themselves and their home from the clutches of an evil prince. Everyone is looking forward to the sequel of the movie which is scheduled to come out in the next few years.
  • Jacob Have I Loved: The tagline for this Jacob have I Loved is: “My beautiful and golden twin sister was adored by everyone except me- the one who should have loved her the best.” This book turned movie follows twin sisters Louise and Caroline as they grow up in a rural town during a war. Louise’s sister has taken everything from her, her friends, her family, her opportunities, even her own name. While the battle isn’t obvious, Louise is fighting her sister so she can carve out her own identity when everyone chooses her sister over her. While Louise doesn’t win her battles, she wins a war by offering a chance to another set of twins to be loved and remembered equally by their family. The story ends with Louise’s reflecting and experiencing a moment of clarity as she remembers her sister’s beautiful voice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Music for all you record lovers

 

Have you ever lost yourself in a record store? Looking at all the vinyls, wondering how a previous generation’s method of entertainment still exists in today’s society? With digital formats of music allowing us to simply buy music instantly onto our devices, it’s hard to think that vinyls would ever make a comeback or how it could still continue to exist. Yet, when you look around, vinyls are still pretty much thriving in our mainstream culture being displayed in stores like Forever21.

Founded in 2007, Record Store Day (RSD) is an annual event held on the third Saturday of April, celebrating the culture of independently-owned record stores. This year, Record Store Day will on April 16th, 2016. As tradition follows, RSD will have three tiers of exclusive releases of discs. The tiers including RSD Exclusive Release, RSD Limited Run/Regional Focus Release, and ‘RSD First’ Release. The lists of the releases can be found here: http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialReleases

The lists of exclusive releases include:

The All-American Rejects’ Move Along in LP format

The second album by The All-American Rejects released on July 12th, 2005. It had three top 15 singles, which helped the album become a double platinum.

The Animals’ Animal Tracks in 10” Vinyl

The third album in the United States released by the Animals first released in 1965.

Justin Bieber’s Purpose in 12” Picture Disc

Bieber’s fourth studio album released on November 13th, 2015. The album was made with the help of Skrillex and Diplo for their top 10 single, “Where Are U Now”. Other singles off of the album include “Sorry”, “Love Yourself”, and “Company”.

David Bowie’s I Dig Everything - The Pye Singles 1966 in 12” Vinyl

Go back to the 60s listening to David Bowie! The vinyl contains six tracks consisting of “I’m Not Losing Sleep”, “I Dig Everything”, and “Good Morning Girl”.

Dr. Who’s Genesis of the Daleks in LP Format

Doctor Who fans rejoice for the release of the Genesis of the Daleks! Travel back to the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) as he ventured with Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan as they challenge Davros, the creator of the Daleks.

Madonna’s Like A Virgin & Other Hits in 12” Colored Vinyl

Travel back to the 80’s back when Madonna first appeared onto the musical scene. Like A Virgin was released on November 12th, 1984!

And many more!

In the soundtrack of Red Roses & Petrol, Flogging Molly plays a huge role in the film creating the ambience, atmosphere, and the mood. Flogging Molly based in Los Angeles, California is an Irish-American Celtic punk band. After the release of Red Roses  Petrol in 2003, Flogging Molly has continued to release three albums, “Within a Mile of Home”, “Float”, and “Speed of Darkness” with a new album in the making to be released in 2016 with their new single, “The Hand of John L. Sullivan,” honoring the Irish-American boxer.

Currently on tour, Flogging Molly’s next local stop on their Splash Tour will be in San Diego, CA on August 6th at the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air! Check them out at here.