SABU

The Criterion Collection's Eclipse series pays tribute to the Indian-born actor Sabu. At 13, he was discovered by documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty ("Nanook of the North"), who cast him in a role of an elephant driver in the popular 1937 film "Elephant Boy." Sabu is best known for his role as Abu in Alexander and Zoltan Korda's 1940 film "The Thief of Bagdad." Sabu became a U.S. citizen in 1944 and served in the armed services during World War II. His postwar career suffered. He died of a heart attack in 1963.

the "father of special effects"

Director D.W. Griffith once said of French filmmaker Georges Méliès, "I owe him everything." Charlie Chaplin described him as "the alchemist of light."

Méliès built the first movie studio in Europe and was the first filmmaker to use production sketches and storyboards. Film historians consider him the "father of special effects" — he created the first double exposure on screen, the split screen and the dissolve. Not to mention that he was one of the first filmmakers to have nudity in his films — he was French, after all.

And thanks to Martin Scorsese's critically acclaimed 3-D family film, "Hugo," contemporary audiences are being lovingly introduced to the silent film pioneer. "Hugo" is a fanciful tale about a young boy, Hugo (Asa Butterworth), who lives in the Paris train station in the early 1930s and discovers that the curmudgeonly old man (Ben Kingsley) operating a toy shop in the station is Georges Méliès. ("Hugo" took in $15.4 million from Wednesday to Sunday, playing on far fewer screens than other wide releases).

When cinema was in its infancy, Méliès made about 500 films filled with wonder, humor and outrageous effects. A trained magician who captivated audiences with his illusions at the Theatre Robert Houdin, he happened to be in the audience on Dec. 28, 1895, when the Lumière brothers premiered their Cinematographie to the public.

Within a year, he was making his own one-minute films. His best known work, 1902's "A Trip to the Moon," which features the iconic image of a rocket landing in the eye of the man in the moon, has recently been restored to its hand-colored glory.

"Tiger and Turtle"

From a distance, "Tiger and Turtle -- Magic Mountain" looks like a conventional roller coaster, but get up close and you'll realize its curves aren't meant for a quick adrenaline rush. The steel structure, which made its public debut Nov. 13, is actually a giant sculpture by German artists Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth.

"Holiday Organ Spectacular"

On Wednesday, December 9 at 8:00pm, the LA Philharmonic’s Holiday Organ Spectacular welcomes David Higgs to the instrument of the hour, soprano Lisa Vroman, Mindy Bell on the harp, and percussionist Bernie Dresel. To help you kick off the holiday season, they’re giving tickets away to Wednesday’s performance!

What the College Times has to say about "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1"

For those keeping score, "Breaking Dawn" is missing the interesting indie edge that director Catherine Hardwicke brought to the first film. It does not flat line as badly as the second, "New Moon," which would have died without the werewolves' bite. It loses the brief emotional uptick of No. 3, "Eclipse," which saw the cast blossom into actual actors. So in the "Twilight" pantheon, "Breaking Dawn Part 1" is at best a draw. Hopefully they'll fix what's wrong before next year's finale, because I really can't take another broken heart.

"for the “Dexter” fan in your life?"

The holidays are fast approaching, so why not pick something up for the “Dexter” fan in your life?

In tandem with this season’s return of the Ice Truck Killer, Showtime is now selling “Dexter” merchandise perfect for those who prefer Brother Brian to Brother Sam.

We’re a fan of the stylish Ty Mattson Season 1 silk screen print, but the “Thumb” drive might be this season’s perfect stocking stuffer for those with dark senses of humor and important files to back up.

"An invitation to delve ever deeper into Dexter's world"

If you were harboring any suspicions that Dexter Morgan would be captured and put on the chopping block this season, you might want to get a new theory: “Dexter” has been renewed for two more seasons, Showtime announced today. After a bit of a scary period wherein it seemed unclear whether star Michael C. Hall would return to the show, Seasons 7 and 8 are now locked down, with production on Season 7 beginning in 2012 in Los Angeles. Seasons 7 and 8 will consist of 12 episodes each. “On behalf of the entire ‘Dexter’ family, we relish the invitation to delve ever deeper into Dexter's world,” said Hall.

Season 6 of “Dexter” has been doing well, most recently delivering its fifth consecutive week of growth. Season-to-date, the series is averaging 5.12 million weekly viewers on all platforms, making it the highest rated season yet, according to Showtime.

What a great show !!!

"it's every man for himself"

The Walking Dead Board Game is here to give you your zombie fix and because there's a solitaire-play option, you can do it even if all your friends have been eaten. In this game, you're fighting your way through walker-infested Atlanta with your team of survivors. Grab weapons, collect supplies, find safe places to rest. Watch your back, though. When supplies run low, it's every man for himself.

Bond . . . James Bond

Dupont James Bond pen set, $4,000-$5,000, available from Bonhams auctioneers starting Dec. 6

"Mama’s boy to the end"

The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the final resting place of many important figures in movie history, like directors Victor Flemming (Gone With The Wind and The Wizard of Oz) and Cecil B. “I’m ready for my close-up Mr.” Demille (The Ten Commandments and The Greatest Show On Earth), and actors Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks and Peter Lorre. But only one star haunts the cemetery: Clifton Webb. He was a popular actor who received three Oscar nominations but never won. While most of his counterparts are satisfied with being immortalized on film, Webb prefers to be immortal in ghost form. His apparition has been seen roaming the Abbey of the Psalms, where he is buried, along with his mom, Maybelle. Mama’s boy to the end.

"Fall Magic"

Photo by CaptPiper/Flickr

Getting into the "Holiday Spirit" in Munich, Germany

"Nader's Raider"

The former "Nader's Raider" who used California's initiative process to regulate auto insurance rates is headed back to the ballot. This time he's spoiling to take on health insurers.

Harvey Rosenfield, the combative attorney and consumer advocate who wrote California's landmark Proposition 103 more than two decades ago, is preparing a ballot initiative that would force health insurers to get state government approval before they could raise premiums.

Stricter controls are needed to put some restraints on a industry that's reaping fat returns for shareholders and multimillion-dollar salaries for executives while consumers struggle to pay for coverage, Rosenfield said. In California, average premiums for family coverage rose 7.5% in 2010, according to the California HealthCare Foundation. They increased by 3% nationally for the same period. About 1 in 5 Californians, or 7.2 million, have no health insurance.

Daimler will axe its Maybach superluxury brand

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Daimler will axe its Maybach superluxury brand after years of losses and moribund sales, replacing the car with more expensive models of its Mercedes-Benz S-Class flagship saloon starting in 2013.

"We held extensive discussions internally about which way would promise the greatest success in the luxury segment, and we came to the conclusion that the sales chances for the Mercedes brand were better than that of Maybach," Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

"It would not be sensible to develop a successor model for the current Maybach," he added, according to an excerpt of the interview, which will be published in the German daily in full on Saturday.

Instead, he plans to extend the number of S-Class derivatives from a current three to six in order to boost the model's volume, possibly even doubling it to 80,000 cars a year.

A spokesman for the company declined to comment on which new S-Class derivatives would be added on top of the existing saloon, long-wheelbase saloon and the coupe, sold under the CL-Class nameplate.

"Maybach sold cars upwards of 300,000 euros, but what we want to do now is move into the 100,000-300,000 euros segment -- where the annual volumes are in the thousands and not the hundreds," the spokesman said.

BMW debuts i8 plug-in hybrid and i3 all-electric cars

There's a lot of redefining going on at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, particularly among performance- and luxury-oriented auto makers as they fold fuel efficiency and sustainability into their designs.

Kate Winslet is set to see the doomed ship ‘Titanic’ for real – courtesy of billionaire Sir Richard Branson

The Virgin boss had recently divulged his plan to join other tourists paying 38,000 pounds each for a submarine 12,500ft dive to the wreck of ‘Titanic’ in the North Atlantic, the Daily Mail reported.

“It is something I am very keen to do. I’m deadly serious about this and I would love to invite Kate to come with me,” Branson said.

“Wouldn’t it be something if the star of Titanic really got to go down to the real ship? I’m going to talk to her but I’m sure it’s an opportunity she will jump at.”

It is one of the most iconic images in film history. When Kate Winslet stood on the prow of the Titanic in the blockbuster 1997 film, it turned her into an overnight superstar.

The SS CATALINA should have become a National Historical Monument

A retro look at the SS CATALINA and SS AVALON. They were called the BIG WHITE STEAMERS. These day tourist steamships operated together from 1920 into the early 1950s — except for WW 2. The SS CATALINA (shown above) continued running into the mid-1970s. They provided daily service throughout the summer from Los Angeles to Catalina Island. The SS AVALON lies at the bottom of the Pacific off the coast of Southern California. The SS CATALINA, after a valiant attempt to rescue it, was taken to Mexico where she is rotting in Ensenada Harbor. There was a big deal about making the SS CATALINA a National Historical Monument. But like most "historical" endeavors in California it got lost in financial problems and endless legal action. Cheers to the memory of these ships and the great people who tried to save the SS CATALINA.

A Reminder of the Glamour of a past era

The lobby and entrance of the Fox Theatre in Detroit – One of the Last Great Movie Palaces.


Elvis Presley at the Fox Theatre Detroit. Circa -- 1950s.

Movie Palaces STAR Again !!!

Steve Needleman is the owner of the renovated Orpheum Theatre, which appears in "J. Edgar" and "The Artist."

(Mark Boster, Los Angeles Times / November 22, 2011)