Category: Film News

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Moon Festival

 

Lanterns will light up the night, and delicious moon cakes will be enjoyed this weekend to celebrate China’s second most important day on the Chinese lunar calendar, The Moon festival.

        China’s Moon festival, or Mid-Autumn Festival, is a Chinese tradition that has been traced back as early as 1046 B.C., and is a public holiday practiced throughout China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and other neighboring countries. Celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month on the Chinese lunar calendar, this year, the Moon Festival falls on September 27th, and for the first time in over 30 years, it falls on a day where there will also be a supermoon and a total lunar eclipse.

        The Moon festival is a day of giving thanks for the Chinese people. Family and friends gather together and give thanks to the moon for harvest and pray for good fortune. In China, many believe the moon symbolizes harmony and utility. Some traditions include lantern lighting, dragon and lion dragon dancing, and exchanging of moon cakes. Moon Cakes are round, which represent the moon, and symbolize the reunion of a family. Moon cakes are presented to friends and family to demonstrate best wishes and good fortune.

 

        Family values are important in the Chinese culture, so it was no surprise that China’s selection for the 2015 Academy Awards was the film, “The Nightingale.” A film that captivates the reality of the Chinese people. “The Nightingale” takes viewers on a journey that begins in modern day China, and leads the audience through the beautiful landscapes and hidden villages in the rural parts of China, all while telling the story of a grandfather teaching his granddaughter the importance of family traditions.

        “The Nightingale” is set to release in select US theaters on November 6th.

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Drink Beer Day – September 28th

 

Pour a glass of your favorite ale or lager and give a toast to one of the oldest drinks in human history! Each year on September 28th, people around the nation celebrate the beverage.

Here are 10 fun facts about beer for you to enjoy:

  • Historians believe that nomads may have made beer from grain & water before learning to make bread. Beer was a vital part of civilization and the Babylonian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Hebrew, Chinese, and Inca cultures.

  • Babylonians produced beer in large quantities with around 20 varieties. Often, workers were paid in beer as it was a highly valued commodity.
  • Egyptians brewed beer commercially for use by royalty, medical purposes, and as a necessity to be included in burial provisions for the afterlife. It was also discovered that workers were given four liters of beer a day…while building the pyramids!
  • The world´s strongest beer is “Brewmeister Snake Venom“. While regular a beer usually has about 5% ABV, this Scottish killer has a stomach-burning 67.5% ABV!

  • American president George Washington had his own brewhouse on the grounds of Mount Vernon.
  • The world´s most expensive beer is “Belgian Vielle Bon Secours”. One bottle costs around 1000 American dollars.
  • Beer strengthens bones. It is rich in silicon that increases calcium deposits and minerals for bone tissue.

  • Beer prevents kidney stones. A study published in American Journal of Epidemiology estimated that a bottle of beer consumed every day reduces the risk by 40%.
  • Nowadays, there are about 400 types of beer in the world. Belgium is the country that has the most individual beer brands.
  • Ancient Babylonians were so serious about brewing beer that if anyone brewed a bad batch, they would drown him in it as a punishment.

So have a cold one, and remember also drink responsibly!

 

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National Grandparents Day

 

September 13 is Grandparents Day in the US. The day doesn’t get too much attention, like Mother’s or Father’s day, but it does exist and it should be celebrated just the same. Grandparents are such an influential part of development, and for those of us lucky enough to have them in our lives, we should take this day to give thanks and remind them of their importance. On this day grandparents should be celebrated like the elite of the film industry, but before you get to that, here’s a list of celebrities you might not know are grandparents themselves.

Nicolas Cage became a grandparent at age 50, in 2004, to Lucius Augustus Coppola Cage. Quite the suitable name for a child born into the Coppola film dynasty.

Whoopi Goldberg has been a grandparent since she was 34. Now her granddaughter is 20, and she is not embarrassed to hit the red carpet with grandma.

Pierce Brosnan became a grandfather in 1998, that achievement was followed by Pierce being considered the sexiest man alive.

Jim Carrey became a grandfather in 2010, and he is extremely proud of that role.

Kiefer Sutherland became a grandfather in 2005 at the age of 39. He is a caring grandfather of two boys.

Sally Field first became a grandmother at the age of 52. Now at 66, she is the loving grandmother of 4.


Ron Howard’s daughter, Bryce Dallas, made the famous director a grandfather in 2007.

In 2013, Charlie Sheen became grandparent to Luna Estebez.

In 2013, Charlotte Bryant Hanks was born, and her birth made her famous grandfather, Tom Hanks, a happy man in joining the grandparents club.

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Ben Mendelsohn in Star Wars Anthology Rogue One

 

Star Wars Anthology Rogue One is a storyline set in between Return of the Sith and A New Hope. The film follows an ensemble of Rebel pilots working to steal the plans of the Death Star to know the vulnerabilities of the space station. Because of the events that occurred in Return of the Sith, there are no longer any Jedi’s during this timeline of the Star Wars universe. This condition affects the film in a way that is being described as generating more moral ambiguity than other Star Wars films, as the protagonists in this story do not have the religious ethics of a Jedi master, and they are not able to use the ‘Force’ in their endeavors —putting them in a vulnerable bind.

The film is currently in production, and though the only cast member to have officially been announced is Felicity Jones, there have been rumors regarding the casting of other actors. Enough rumors, in fact, that it could be said that they’re already part of this cast (Disney has been very secretive with casting this film up to this point). Those actors include Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Ben Mendelsohn, and Jonathan Aris. Though not much is known about the roles the actors are playing, it has been rumored that Ben Mendelsohn, who starred in World Wide Motion Picture Corporation’s film Amy, and others like Dark Knight Rises and Bloodline, is said to be playing a Moff who is the main villain for Rogue One. His role is said to be in charge of attempting to capture the rebel pilots, by hiring a group of bounty hunters to scourge the galaxy, in order to get the Death Star’s plans back.

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National Women’s Equality Day

 

Today is the anniversary of nation women’s suffrage. During the span of 72 years, women fought hard for the same rights given to men. On August 26, 1920, U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the amendment into law allowing women to vote.

There are many films that celebrate the roles of women in society. Here is our list of ten films to watch on National Women’s Equality Day:

North Country (2005) is a story about Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) who endured abuse while working in the Eveleth Mines. She battles her oppressors in the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States. The film also stars Sean Bean, Jeremy Renner, Sissy Spacek, and Woody Harrelson.

The Rosa Parks Story (2002) follows the account of Rosa Parks (Angela Bassett) whose refusal to obey racial bus segregation was just one of her acts in her fight for justice. The TV film was nominated for a Prime-Time Emmy.

Amy (1997) tells the story of a young girl (Alana De Roma) who is traumatized by her father’s death. She becomes mentally mute and deaf, and her only mode of communication is her singing voice. Her mother fights to keep custody over her daughter and deals with child protective services on the regular. The film also stars Rachel Griffiths and Ben Mendelsohn.

In Mona Lisa Smile (2003), a free-thinking art professor (Julia Roberts) teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley girls to question their traditional social roles. The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julia Stiles, and Ginnifer Goodwin.

Makers: Women Who Make America (2003) documents stories of women's contributions to some of the most important moments in the history of America, with the thoughts of women like Meryl Streep, Gloria Steinem, and Hillary Clinton.

Iron Jawed Angels (2004) is a docudrama about activists Alice Paul (Hilary Swank) and Lucy Burns (Frances O’Connor) who struggled against conservative forces in order to pass the 19th amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Erin Brockovich (2000) is based of the true story of Brockovich (Julia Roberts) who takes on a legal battle with The Pacific Gas and Electric Company for polluting the waterways. The film also stars Albert Finney and Aaron Eckhart.

Girl Rising (2013) is a documentary tells the stories of nine girls from different parts of the world who face arranged marriages, child slavery, and other heartbreaking injustices. Despite these obstacles, the brave girls offer hope and inspiration. By getting an education, they're able to break barriers and create change. The film offers narrations from Cate Blanchett, Salma Hayek, Anne Hathaway, Alicia Keys, and Liam Neeson among others.

Joy Luck Club (1993) explores cultural conflict and turbulent relationships between four first-generation Chinese-American women in San Francisco. The film stars Ming-Na Wen, Kieu Chinh, and Tsai Chin. It is based off the book by Amy Tan.

Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (1999) tells the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony who fought for women everywhere, and the effects of their fight that still shine through today.

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Be an Angel Day and Inspired by Angels

 

Happy Be an Angel Day! There are many ways to celebrate this holiday from being an angel to others to watching a great film about them. This holiday was established by Jayne Howard Feldman in 1993, to promote random acts of kindness. It’s a day to put others ahead of yourself and to make the world a better place through acts of kindness. So many of us struggling through economic, emotional or physical hardships that they have no control over, and a helping hand or word can make all the difference. You don’t need to be Mother Teresa to be an angel for someone else. You can mow a neighbor's lawn, give flowers to a stranger, or even adopt a pet.  Even small tasks such as saying hello, picking up litter or planting a tree are a great way to celebrate. Just because you don’t have white wings, doesn’t mean you can’t do a world of good.

There are many films dealing with Angels, from the real to the imaginary kind. Most agree that angels can be any gender and hide their identity well. In the film, Michael, actor John Travolta plays an angels who is living on earth with an elderly woman. This is not your typical angelic angel, but one who smokes and drinks. This films shows that all angels aren’t the same, but how they still do good. Another famous film about angels is Angels in the Outfield, where actor and comedy writer Christopher Lloyd plays the boss angel Al. This is such a heartwarming film about how praying for angels actually works. While some may think that real angels only exists in our films, here is a documentary about Angels that will change your mind. Inspired by Angels, take a real look at angels, from who they are, to what they do, and how we can find them. It features interviews with spiritual healers, authors, lecturers, and other angel experts.  Another great film is What Dreams May Come, with actor Robin Williams playing a man who has passed away in a car crash. This film focuses on what happens after death and finding your loved ones in heaven. All these films have the same basic message, treat others well because you don’t know who’s an angel in disguise.  So today act like an angel, whether you think they are real or fake.