http://www.aikenstandard.com/ All Stories from The Aiken Standard en-us LivingOnTheGoTheAikenStandardhttp://feedburner.google.com http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/a0988-BC-US-BookReview-Tasteo-05-16-0606
"The Taste of Tomorrow: Dispatches From the Future of Food" (Harper), by Josh Schonwald: What will we be eating in 2035? That's the question reporter Josh Schonwald sets out to answer in "The Taste of Tomorrow."

The food odyssey that follows takes him from his neighborhood farmers market in Illinois all the way to the Netherlands, where he visits a lab making the world's first serious effort to grow meat in a test tube. Other stops include a California farmer who grows produce for renowned chef Alice Waters, the world's largest indoor fish farm in Martinsville, Va., and an Army food lab west of Boston.

Along the way, Schonwald eats his way through a buffet of possible foods of tomorrow including stinging nettles, a fish called cobia, "Stay Alert" caffeine gum and an African dish called fufu that he says tastes like raw sourdough. At the headquarters of a California food research and development company he even tries a balsamic-infused pickle in the prototype stage.

Luckily for readers, all this food exploration is divided into manageable and palate-pleasing bites. Different sections explore the future of salad, meat and fish. Schonwald also asks what will be the next big ethnic food, the next pad thai. And a final section explores the idea that we might be able to get all of our needed nutrients without even chewing, by taking a "food pill."

Readers who expect to come away knowing exactly what will be on the dinner table in 2035, however, will be disappointed. After thousands of miles of travel and a whole lot of eating, Schonwald confesses he still doesn't have a definitive answer.

------

Online:

http://joshschonwald.com/

------

Follow Jessica Gresko on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jessicagresko

]]> Sun, 27 May 2012 00:31:07 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/a0988-BC-US-BookReview-Tasteo-05-16-0606 http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/a0969-BC-US-BookReview-CliffW-05-22-0671--4018364
"Cliff Walk" (Forge Books), by Bruce DeSilva: In his Edgar Award-winning first novel, "Rogue Island," published in 2010, retired AP writing coach Bruce DeSilva introduced readers to the affable Liam Mulligan, a crime-solving Rhode Island metro reporter for the fictional Providence Dispatch.

Mulligan, an old-school newspaperman with a taste for whiskey, cigars and irreverent humor, returns in the chilling murder mystery "Cliff Walk," whose sometimes violent plot is tempered by the hero's wry observations on print journalism's seemingly inexorable decline.

Recent staff consolidation and cutbacks have forced Mulligan to churn out light stories on topics such as high-society parties. But a charity gala in posh Newport turns into real news when a guest is murdered atop the rocky Cliff Walk separating the area's Gilded Age mansions from the sea. Police believe the victim to be Sal Maniella, a millionaire pornographer and strip-club owner, but mysteries abound as none of Maniella's friends or family will consent to identify the body.

Mulligan teams up with Maniella's beautiful, brainy female attorney to unravel the case, whose scope widens to include prostitution, child abuse, multiple homicides and an enduring vendetta. Along the way, he receives help from a colorful cast of supporting characters, including a no-nonsense state attorney general nicknamed "Attila the Nun," loosely modeled on real-life Rhode Island politician Arlene Violet, who left the Sisters of Mercy religious order to pursue public office.

Despite the book's sexually charged situations and graphic crime-scene descriptions, DeSilva's masterful narrative style ensures that any shocking details remain firmly in service of the plot, and the tone never turns exploitative. You can count on the brilliant Mulligan to reappear in the next installment of this outstanding series from DeSilva, but be prepared for changes. When Mulligan learns that bookmakers are taking bets on how long the Dispatch will remain in business, he begins to consider a tempting job offer - from a private detective agency.

------

Online:

http://brucedesilva.com/

]]> Sat, 26 May 2012 23:28:16 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/a0969-BC-US-BookReview-CliffW-05-22-0671--4018364 http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052712-transformers-ride--4025725
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- The 10-foot-tall, red-blue-and-silver Transformer Optimus Prime stomps his way through the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park - sending adults and kids scrambling.

No, this isn't a scene from a new "Transformers" movie. It's part of the theme park's latest attraction - "Transformers: The Ride - 3-D." And one of the highlights is a chance to take a photo with Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, the heroes of the toy, television and film lines.

The ride doesn't officially open until May 25. But many park visitors in May got to ride the attraction early as it was tested for any glitches.

"Transformers: The Ride - 3-D" has taken over the soundstage that once housed the "Backdraft" and special effects shows. The front of the massive building sports life-size images of Optimus Prime, who check in at 28-feet tall, and Megatron, who stands 38 feet tall.

"Even with that, the space wasn't actually big enough," said Chick Russell, show producer for Universal Creative, the team that designs everything connected to the Universal parks. "We had to dig a basement and add another floor."

The 60,000-square-foot space was needed to bring together a ride that features a mobile in-car action attraction that's similar to Disneyland's "Indiana Jones" ride mixed with the giant projection screen work of "The Simpsons."

The thrill ride, which takes you from city streets to the tops of buildings, was made with the help of creative consultant Michael Bay, the director who brought the "Transformers" to the big screen, plus the technical wizards at Industrial Light & Magic.

"We came up with a brand new story for the attraction. It's not based on any of the films," Russell said. It's a new story, but features many of the Autobots and Decepticons from the animated and feature film offerings.

Before getting on the ride, parkgoers pass through a military maze - known as N.E.S.T. - designed to entertain fans and educate those who don't know Bumblebee from Devastator. Images and props tied to the feature films are used through the pathways leading to the ride.

The orientation visit becomes serious when Optimus Prime speaks: "Humans, you are in grave danger. The Decepticons have taken over. We need your help."

That help means 12 "volunteers," encouraged in drill sergeant fashion by the show's cast, pile into Evac, an Autobot created just for the ride to help keep the much-prized All-Spark shard from the bad guys. The cars have flight simulation technology that allows them to tip, twist and turn 360-degrees.

Bay says the ride is designed to envelop the audience and make them feel like they're in the middle of the battle between the giant robots.

On the ride, no car ever sees the group ahead or behind them. Russell points out that at one point the car moves up one floor but the rider does not notice the change.

Each car moves along 2,000 feet of track at perceived speeds of 60 mph. Fourteen massive screens make the 3-D images reach from floor to ceiling. There's no image loss, despite the massive size, because the images are projected at four times the resolution of HD.

"The screens are bigger than anything we've ever projected on before. Our goal is to make guests feel like they're in a Transformers movie. It is unlike anything anybody's ever seen on a ride," says Jeff White, the visual effects supervisor for Industrial Light & Magic. "This is the most complex and technically challenging project we have ever worked on."

That's high praise for a company that has distinguished itself through special effects work from "Star Wars" to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series.

The scope of the ride becomes clear when the car speeds down a city street while massive Transformers battle. Every image on the ride is animated, but it looks real. To create the city street, a high-resolution, sphere-shaped still camera shot 75 panoramic images every 50 feet within a square mile area of Chicago.

"We couldn't shoot this with video cameras or film cameras because we wanted to be changing the perspective of the scenes during the ride. So what they did was (they) went out and shot high definition stills and then took those images and stitched them together. Those images were then put on a 3-D environment - much like a video game - and when they did that they end up with images that look like a city street," Russell says.

Along the way, elements such as water, heat and wind are used to create the most realistic ride as possible.

Russell says no small detail was overlooked. That included using the original voice talents for the Transformers, including Frank Welker as the evil Megatron and Peter Cullen as the heroic Optimus Prime.

It all adds up to a ride that creates the closest thing to being in the middle of a Transformers battle as possible.

---

IF YOU GO:

What: "Transformers: The Ride - 3-D"

Where: Universal Studios Hollywood, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, Calif.

Cost: One day park ticket $77.

Opens: Friday (May 25)

Special hours: Open 7:30 a.m. May 26-28

Requirements: Must be 40 inches tall. Children 40-48 inches tall must be accompanied by a supervising companion who is 14 years or older.

Ride track: Runs 2,000 feet.

Evac ride vehicle: Carries 12.

Screens: 14

Projectors: 34

Audio: 5,000 watts per ride vehicle.

Toy history: Hasbro launched the Transformers toy line in 1984.

Movies: Three "Transformers" movies have made $2.6 billion worldwide.

Details: UniversalStudiosHollywood.com.

___

©2012 The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.)

Visit The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.) at www.fresnobee.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

]]> Sat, 26 May 2012 23:28:07 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052712-transformers-ride--4025725 http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/0525-CeliaGary--4022833
She has only been performing since the beginning of the year, but her voice resonates well beyond her years. You may have seen her around Aiken, but if not don't worry, Celia Gary will be around for a while.

"It's been really exciting, a great experience," Gary said. "I've learned a lot, not only with my music, but with the people.

"I've really enhanced my performance. I've been writing more and have been able to share my music with the community, which has been really great."

The USC Aiken psychology major is entering her senior year, but her love for music may trump a career in the field she studies.

"I love music and I hope it takes me somewhere, but if not maybe I'll go down the path of psychology," Gary said.

As much as she now enjoys playing live, it's as much for her as it is for the fans, ones that she hopes connect with her music.

"I really just wanted to share my music," Gary said. "I've always just done music for me, but I just got this feeling that I'd love to share it with the world and see if anyone else can connect. If somebody's going through something, maybe listening to my music will help them get through it."

With a folk style and a bluesy voice, Celia is easily remembered. Many have already caught her around town either performing by herself or with fellow singer/songwriter Eli Montgomery. It has been the response that has kept her going strong in her young career.

"The feedback has been really great," Gary said. "The people are really, I think, connecting with my music and I think that is a plus, definitely, that people are enjoying it.

"Anytime somebody says something positive to me it gives me that confidence that, yes, I can do this again."

Gary's music can be found on a slew of social network and music sites, most prominently on her Facebook page. She will also be one of many local talents taking the stage in next weekend's amateur talent contest. The winner will be determined by online fan voting.

Chris Walsh is the arts and entertainment reporter for the Aiken Standard. He graduated from Valdosta State University and hails from Atlanta, Ga. ]]> Thu, 24 May 2012 17:42:44 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/0525-CeliaGary--4022833 http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052512-ap-Fifty-Shades-books-now-have-fanfic-of-their-own--4023108
NEW YORK -- Not all that long ago E L James was Snowqueens Icedragon, cranking out her sexed-up "Twilight" fan fiction online.

Well, faster than you can shriek your safe word, her kinky "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy has fanfic of its very own in the same place where she first serialized her story under a different title.

"I'm immensely flattered, and it's humbling to know my work is inspiring others to write," James said in a statement less than three months after "Fifty Shades" was published by Vintage Books and climbed to the top of best-seller lists.

The writings range from parody to otherworldy to crossovers into other book worlds like "Harry Potter." Some is barely discernible in style from James's three -- often the point in fanfic -- advancing time or pushing it back with new imaginings of her story and characters.

Fan fiction for "Twilight" remains among the most popular at FanFiction.net, James's former home, with nearly 200,000 contributions there, behind only Potter for books. The number for James's three is growing, but still well under 50.

The irony of all of that hasn't been lost on some of the writers and reviewers on FanFiction.net, the largest gathering place for largely anonymous fanfic writers. Asked one on the site: "How absurd is it to write fanfics OF fanfics?"

No more or less absurd than the concept of fan fiction, which stretches back at least to the early 1900s and the stories of Sherlock Holmes, said Anne Jamison, an English professor at the University of Utah who taught a unit on the "Twilight" fandom.

"There was fan fiction before you called it fan fiction," she said, "and before there was copyright it was called writing."

In more recent years but before the rise of the Internet, the early "Star Trek" series helped boost the popularity of fanfic. It exists today online for numerous TV shows, movies, comic books, plays and games, done in many genres and much of it with big fat disclaimers declaring it's all just for fun.

When James was still back in "Twilight" fandom toiling on her "Master of the Universe," beginning in mid-2009, she received anywhere from nearly 40,000 to nearly 60,000 comments on FanFiction.net. That's an immense number then and now, propelling her stardom.

The London mother and TV producer eventually moved the story to its own website, reworked it with non-"Twilight" names and signed on with a small Australian company known for plucking and publishing fan fiction for e-book and print-on-demand hard copy.

Vintage, a literary imprint of Random House, snatched up the rights after the buzz began building, paying seven figures for the bondage erotica and leading James to a movie deal with Universal Pictures and Focus Features.

Sales for the trilogy are at 10 million and counting across formats, Vintage said Tuesday.

Jamison dived into the "Twilight" fandom with her students in the summer of 2010 at a time of derision for James in the community, largely over her crossing from the "just for fun" part to the cashing in part.

While it's not unprecedented for writers to publish fanfic, "There is this whole network predicated on not having any sales," Jamison said. "It was a huge rift in the fandom."

To many fanfic writers, the point is to honor the original work, drawing on the existing characters and stories. It's unclear whether telling the "Fifty Shades" story from the point of view of a tampon, as one fic does, is tribute or a not-so-subtle message for James.

Other "Fifty Shades" undertakings are written by fans who already miss the stories or just wanted to provide a laugh. Lucia Paul, writing as Nancy O'Toole, falls into the latter category with her "Fifty Shades of Flannel."

The freelance writer in Minneapolis, a 49-year-old mom of two, has Anastasia Steele's mother as protagonist in a Lanz nightgown as she galavants with the young, rich and hunky Christian Grey, cutting her sleepwear into sexy outfits for his pleasure.

"This beguiling satyr of a man! He knows the ways of Lanz: the ballooning illusion of comfort that hides a roiling sea of passion. So few understand. So few will ever know."

Paul isn't much of a "Twilight" fan and read only the first of James's books. "Then I saw her on the 'Today' show and I liked her, but I still thought, 'Gosh, I've got to make fun of this.' I love writing humorous pieces."

The "Fifty Shades" books chronicle the hyperactive sex life and love story of the damaged Grey and the innocent Steele from her perspective, soon after they meet when she interviews him for her college newspaper.

"I'm learning how to write naughty. It's not so easy. You have to break down your own shield. You have to open yourself up to write naughty," said 60-something aspiring fiction writer Nancy Hartmann in Gillette, N.J. Her "50 plus 15" story has Grey seducing one of his teen daughter's teachers.

Some of the people reading and creating "Fifty Shades" fanfic haven't read the books, or have barely read the first one but appreciate the stories as an extension of their true love, the four-book "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer.

The rapid publication of all three "Fifty Shades" books has other fans in withdrawal and seeking more -- even if it's not the real deal.

Sara Eberhart, a 22-year-old college student in Athens, Ga., considers herself a "Fifty Shades" fan, with qualifications, and is also following a few of the stories on FanFiction.net.

"James's writing style is weak and pedestrian and there can be much improvement and I think that's what all of the fanfic writers are sensing and consequently writing their own version of," said Eberhart, who hopes to be a published author someday.

"But when I do start trying," she added, "it won't be my fanfic that I would be sending out to publishers." ]]> Fri, 25 May 2012 10:52:39 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052512-ap-Fifty-Shades-books-now-have-fanfic-of-their-own--4023108 http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052512-ap-Publicist-says-Actress-Keira-Knightley-engaged--4025189
Publicist Sara Keene Friday confirmed the engagement. She says she does not have further details about the wedding plans.

The Oscar-nominated 27-year-old actress who first won acclaim for her role in "Bend It Like Beckham" is to marry musician James Righton.

He is a keyboardist with the Klaxons band.

The couple started dating early last year.

]]> Fri, 25 May 2012 10:51:32 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052512-ap-Publicist-says-Actress-Keira-Knightley-engaged--4025189 http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052512-ap-Born-this-way-Lady-Gaga-meets-Thai-lady-boys--4024908
BANGKOK -- Lady Gaga has met Thailand's premier "lady boys" at a Bangkok drag show featuring busty dancers who were not born that way.

Diving in to the city's nightlife, the pop diva and an entourage from her "Born This Way Ball" took in a show at the well-known Calypso Cabaret, where she cheered on a transvestite review of Broadway show tunes.

"A million people have to pay to see a Gaga concert, but Gaga paid to see our show!" cabaret manager Nipon Boonmasuwan told Friday's Thairath newspaper. When the performance ended, she took the stage to shake hands with the dancers and handed out six tickets to her Friday night show.

Born This Way, the title track of Lady Gaga's latest album, has become a gay anthem. It includes the line, "Don't be a drag, just be a queen." Transvestites and transsexuals are known in Thailand as lady boys.

Promoters confirmed Lady Gaga visited the cabaret Wednesday night, just hours after her arrival in Bangkok.

Lady Gaga's Asian tour has generated publicity and often controversy at nearly every stop.

In Seoul, fans younger than 18 were banned from Lady Gaga's concerts after Christian groups complained that her lyrics and costumes were too sexually provocative.

It remains unclear if her June 3 show in Jakarta will take place after Muslim hard-liners threatened violence. Indonesian police initially denied a permit but later hinted the show could go on if she tones it down.

Not a chance, said her manager Troy Carter, who told the Straits Times in Singapore on Friday that Lady Gaga "plays the show as it is" and has no plan to self-censor.

------

Associated Press writers Thanyarat Doksone in Bangkok and Alex Kennedy in Singapore contributed to this report.

]]> Fri, 25 May 2012 10:51:29 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052512-ap-Born-this-way-Lady-Gaga-meets-Thai-lady-boys--4024908 http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/e0041-BC-US-Film-JoshBrolin-05-24-0962
LOS ANGELES -- Josh Brolin thought he was just being goofy when he launched into a Tommy Lee Jones impersonation on a night out with the Coen brothers and their pal Barry Sonnenfeld. Turns out, Brolin was on an audition of sorts.

Four years later, Brolin shows his Jones act to the world in Sonnenfeld's "Men in Black 3," playing a young version of Jones' Agent K opposite Will Smith's Agent J as the sci-fi comedy franchise returns after a 10-year break.

After the Directors Guild Awards in 2008, Brolin went out on the town with Joel and Ethan Coen, who had just won the top honor for "No Country for Old Men," their crime thriller that co-starred Jones and Brolin. Sonnenfeld, the cinematographer on the Coens' first three films, had won a TV prize for "Pushing Daisies" at the guild honors and joined them afterward, meeting Brolin for the first time.

Brolin had everyone laughing as he shifted into an imitation of Jones' melodic drawl.

He had no idea that years earlier, Smith had suggested a sequel idea in which Agent J travels back in time and encounters the younger incarnation of Jones' stone-faced Agent K.

When it came time to shoot "Men in Black 3," that was the storyline, and Sonnenfeld knew just the right guy to call.

"Barry was like, 'Hey, Brolin! You want to be in "Men in Black"? It's fun!' And I was like, 'Yeah, I love "Men in Black." But as what? Like, Agent Q or Agent Whatever?"' Brolin said. "And Barry said, 'No, to play young Tommy! Remember, you did that impression for me?'

"There's one thing about being out at a bar with Barry and doing stupid impressions of Tommy Lee Jones with the Coens, and then there's another thing where somebody's telling you to do a movie that's going to be screening all over the planet."

Brolin, 44, has taken on tough interpretations before, earning acclaim as President George W. Bush in "W." and receiving an Academy Award nomination for "Milk" as San Francisco city supervisor Dan White, the man who killed fellow supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone.

But Brolin said doing a credible take on Jones' Agent K may have been the most-challenging acting job he's had, requiring subtle humor as straight man to Smith while making the younger K his own man and not just a caricature.

Brolin holed up at a Mexican hotel practicing his Agent K routine syllable by syllable, eventually going out to restaurants there and speaking like a young Jones.

"Then, once I felt like I had conquered Mexico, I could come back to California and try it on a few people here, see if that worked, then try it on my friends," Brolin recalled. "Then I'd go through half days of doing nothing but Tommy."

"Men in Black 3" is the third movie featuring Jones and Brolin, after "No Country" and "In the Valley of Elah." The movie begins and ends in present times, with Smith's J, as always, trying to draw out Jones' taciturn sad-sack K. The mid-section sends J back to 1969, where a nasty alien plots to kill Brolin's young K so he can carry out an invasion of Earth in the future.

Sonnenfeld has vivid memories of that night with the Coens, when he first met Brolin. What struck Sonnenfeld more than Brolin's Jones impersonation was a physical feature the two actors share.

"What I remember," said the director, "is, oh my God, this man is the only person on the planet that has a head as physically as huge as Tommy Lee Jones."

]]> Fri, 25 May 2012 00:31:15 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/e0041-BC-US-Film-JoshBrolin-05-24-0962 http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/e0047-BC-US-ThemeParks-NewAtt-1stLd-Writethru-05-21-1638--4015668
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The first phases of a reimagined Fantasyland at Florida's Walt Disney World, the new Cars Land at California's Disneyland based on the "Cars" movies, and Universal Studios Hollywood's new Transformers ride top the list of new attractions at theme parks across the country in 2012.

And thrill ride enthusiasts won't be disappointed, with at least 20 new roller coasters debuting at parks from Maryland to California.

Disney said the renovation and new construction at Fantasyland inside the Magic Kingdom in Florida is the largest expansion project in the park's 40-year history, doubling the size of the current Fantasyland. Part of it - including one of what will eventually be dueling Dumbo rides and the rethemed Barnstormer family roller coaster - opened in April.

Much of the construction is still in the middle stages, but Disney says most of the new elements will be open in time for the winter holidays this year, with the rest opening later. It's going to include new "attract-areas" - immersive mini-parks that include attractions, restaurants and retail - built around the stories of "Snow White" and "Beauty and Beast," as well as a new dark ride based on the adventures of "The Little Mermaid."

Replacing Snow White's Scary Adventures in Fantasyland will be Princess Fairytale Hall, where visitors will be able to interact with all the Disney princesses.

"The opportunity to greatly expand and relaunch Fantasyland, which has been largely unchanged since 1972, is just a huge opportunity," Tom Staggs, chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts, told The Associated Press earlier this year. "Every time I go down and look at the progress in construction I get more excited about it."

Industry consultant Dennis Speigel said the Fantasyland expansion with detail-oriented areas immersing guests in Disney-themed worlds is expected to pay dividends for years, much like the hugely successful Harry Potter mini-park at Universal Orlando, where visitors feel like they've been dropped right into meticulously decorated movie sets.

"It's a big deal," Speigel, president of Cincinnati-based International Theme Park Services, said of the Fantasyland project. "It's the largest expansion ever in the history of the park. The last number we heard is that it's approaching $500 million....Parks have realized it takes more than a Space Mountain by itself or one ride and attraction. It has to have a combination of all the elements now."

In June, Disneyland California Adventure is opening Cars Land, replicating the town of Radiator Springs from the movies, including a race-course ride and two other new little-kid-friendly attractions.

Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles is expected to debut the new Transformers ride - a dark ride with motion-simulator vehicles inspired by the science fiction action film - on May 25, with gates opening early Memorial Day weekend (starting at 7:30 a.m. Friday) due to expected interest in the ride. On May 8, Universal Orlando introduced a daily interactive character parade and nighttime pyrotechnics show celebrating Universal's 100 years of making movies. A new 3-D ride based on the "Despicable Me" movie will open at Universal Orlando sometime this summer.

In April, SeaWorld Orlando opened a new attraction centered on sea turtles, including a first-of-its-kind 360-degree domed theater showing a 3-D movie about the endangered creatures. Legoland, which opened in October in central Florida, is renovating and reopening an existing water park at the site in time for the summer season.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay this spring rolled out an elaborate ice show called "Iceploration," which features everything from bombastically costumed skaters to real live exotic birds flying around the indoor theater. The show tells the story of a kid who, with the help of his wise grandfather, puts down his electronic devices and discovers the natural wonders of the world. And entering the cool indoor theater for the 30-minute show will undoubtedly be a welcome respite for park visitors in the heat of the Florida summer.

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions trade group reports 135 new attractions opening this year, including water parks, rides and shows, spokeswoman Colleen Mangone said. Among those are 20 new roller coasters.

"It's almost like timing is everything," Mangone said. "And in 2012 we're seeing short-term and long-term projects coming to fruition at the same time, which certainly should create some great thrills at amusement parks."

Among the new coasters debuting are Manta at SeaWorld San Diego, which will simulate underwater flight; and Superman-themed launch coasters at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif., and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif. Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Ill., introduces a new coaster called X-Flight, in which two riders sit side-by-side with their feet dangling, experience a 12-story drop and turn upside down five times.

Hersheypark in Hershey, Pa., introduces a 200-foot-tall coaster called Skyrush, which will reach speeds of 75 mph and includes five zero-G airtime hills. Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., opened the 210-foot-tall Wild Eagle coaster in March. Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia unveils a half-mile-long indoor-outdoor coaster called Verbolten.

Apocalypse at Six Flags America in Largo, Md., is a 100-foot-tall stand-up coaster, and the Stinger at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pa., is a scorpion-themed boomerang-style coaster that features six inversions and face-to-face seating.

Based on attendance trends and season-pass sales, Speigel said the theme park industry is expected to see 7 percent growth or more this year, which is much better than expected. He attributes it to the number of new attractions, an improving economy, pent-up demand and other factors.

---

Follow Mitch Stacy on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/mitchstacy.

]]> Thu, 24 May 2012 17:42:51 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/e0047-BC-US-ThemeParks-NewAtt-1stLd-Writethru-05-21-1638--4015668 http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/0524-MIB3-review
Josh Brolin impersonating the young Tommy Lee Jones is worth the price of admission to "Men in Black 3." Dry, drawling, deadpan - he nails the flinty Texan in this sentimental sequel to the sci-fi comedies about secret agents in black suits who save the world from aliens.

We have to meet the young Agent K because an alien serial killer who isn't fond of his nickname, "Boris the Animal" (Jemaine Clement), has traveled back in time to save the arm that Agent K shot off in 1969 and avoid the 40-year prison sentence that followed.

And that bit of time travel means that Agent J (Will Smith) must go back and save his future partner, played by Jones through three films as a laconic loner who has saved the world a few times and doesn't brag about it.

Ten years have passed, and everybody involved is much older now. The head of the agency (Rip Torn) is buried in an early scene. Emma Thompson, in the silliest scene of her big-screen career, takes over. But before she can explain to Agent J what Agent K means when he says "Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to," Boris escapes from the super-secret lunar prison and the Agent K of the past and Earth of the present are in peril.

That leaves an awful lot of this movie in the usually capable hands of Will Smith. But if director Barry Sonnenfeld, who hasn't been funny in this century, has lost his fastball, Smith has lost a step or two running the bases. It's a movie of scattered chuckles before he manages to deliver his first big laugh, 45 minutes in. Sonnenfeld's full-screen close-ups (his theory of comedy is that it is in your face, literally) catch Smith pasting what he has decided is a funny expression on his face, and freezing it through an entire scene.

Still, this is comedy packed with possibilities, many of which pay off. The black Man in Black time-travels to 1969, "not the best time for your people," J is warned. Race isn't his big problem. Racing to save victims of Boris before they get murdered is.

Brolin, as the young Western swing fan Agent K, does that "surly Elvis thing" that Jones mastered for the older K. A scattering of hippies, an impending moon shot and antique future tech (the Men in Black were ahead of their time, even then) are played for laughs.

But there's no urgency to this, no insistence to the humor. Sonnenfeld's whiplash-quick "Addams Family" and "Men in Black" movies were sprints compared to this ambling follow-up. We find out the secret behind supermodels (they're all aliens) and Andy Warhol (Bill Hader of "Saturday Night Live"). And we meet an alien who sees every version of the future, whose eyes moisten over the coming of the "Miracle Mets" of '69. Michael Stuhlbarg plays this fellow with a Clarence-the-Angel ("It's a Wonderful Life") glimmer and sets the tone for the film's third act, which manages a lump in the throat or two.

Sequels are almost by definition let-downs. But sometimes it's enough to want a movie to work, to want a genuinely funny filmmaker to regain a little of his lost form, for Josh Brolin to come along and firmly take the mantle of man's man/ funnyman from the actor who made humorless so damned hilarious, way back when.

___

MEN IN BLACK 3

2 1/2 stars

Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson, Alice Eve, Jemaine Clement

Credits: Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, scripted by Etan Cohen. A Sony/Columbia Pictures release.

Running time: 1:45

MPAA rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, and brief suggestive content ]]> Thu, 24 May 2012 00:30:54 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/0524-MIB3-review http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052412-movies-playing-this-weekend Men in Black III 3-D NEW!



In pop culture terms, it has been light years since the “Men in Black” franchise’s last installment. A full decade has passed since Agents J and K last battled nefarious aliens bent on the destruction of Earth, and after numerous false starts, rumors of an embattled production and an estimated $375 million budget, “Men in Black 3” has arrived, bearing little trace of its reportedly tortuous creation. Re-teaming stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones with director Barry Sonnenfeld, this briskly paced episode provides modest entertainment, finding surprising pathos in an otherwise lightweight narrative, even as it waves away the stench of the financially successful but unsatisfying “Men in Black II.” Once more, the gregarious J (Smith) and the taciturn K (Jones, whose performance more or less serves as a bookend) are keeping the world safe for humanity, but something’s troubling K. As the Men in Black mourn the loss of leader Zed and welcome the new chief, Agent O (Emma Thompson, in a glorified cameo), Agent K disappears suddenly, sending Agent J hurtling back to 1969 to meet up with the younger version of his partner (Josh Brolin). Together, they must stop the menacing Boris (a wasted Jermaine Clement, “Flight of the Conchords”) from annihilating humanity. While Jones provides some early, welcome doses of surly comic relief, “Men in Black 3” is really a Will Smith vehicle. He’s in nearly every scene. Together with Brolin (whose imitation of Jones is eerily accurate), the pair keeps the film humming and brings the chaos to an unexpectedly poignant conclusion. Filmed in 3-D, “Men in Black 3” doesn’t really benefit from the flashy technology, although J’s initial “time jump” from the Chrysler Building and the climactic struggle at Cape Canaveral both get an eye-popping boost. Although not out of this world, “Men in Black 3” still achieves lift-off, proving there’s still life in one of Hollywood’s most profitable series. Only the dollars raked in this time around will determine if this is the last we’ve seen of the dynamic, dark-suited duo.

3 stars out of 5 — Preston Jones, McClatchy-Tribune

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, language and brief suggestive content. 1 hour, 46 minutes.

Chernobyl Diaries NEW!



Six young tourists in search of adventure abroad hire an extreme tour guide, who takes them to a ghost town thought to have been deserted in the wake of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. With Devin Kelley, Jonathan Sadowski and Ingrid Bolso Berdal. Written by Oren Peli, Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke. Directed by Brad Parker. — McClatchy-Tribune

Not screened in advance for critics.

Rated R for violence, some bloody images and pervasive language. 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Battleship



Naval officers participate in a global effort to fight off invading aliens. With Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgard and Rihanna. Written by Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber. Directed by Peter Berg.

11⁄2 stars out of 4 — Roger Moore, McClatchy-Tribune

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, action and destruction, and for language. 2 hours, 8 minutes.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting



Five couples have their intertwined lives turned upside down by impending parenthood. With Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks and Chace Crawford. Written by Shauna Cross and Heather Hach. Directed by Kirk Jones.

21⁄2 stars out of 4 — Roger Moore, McClatchy-Tribune

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, thematic elements and language. 1 hour, 38 minutes.

The Dictator



A political strongman will stop at nothing to keep democracy out of his oppressed nation. With Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris and John C. Reilly. Written by Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer. Directed by Larry Charles.

11⁄2 stars out of 4 — Rene Rodriguez, McClatchy-Tribune

Rated R for vulgar language, considerable nudity, mock violence, gore, sexual situations and strong adult themes. 1 hour, 23 minutes.

Dark Shadows



In 1772, after breaking a witch’s heart, an inveterate playboy is turned into a vampire and buried alive for 200 years, at which point he is inadvertently freed and emerges into a very different world. With Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter and Eva Green. Written by Seth Grahame-Smith. Directed by Tim Burton.

3 stars out of 4 — Roger Moore, McClatchy-Tribune

Rated PG-13 for comic horror violence, sexual content, some drug use, language and smoking. 1 hour, 54 minutes.

The Avengers 3-D



A team of superheroes including Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Thor unite to save the world. With Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth. Written and directed by Joss Whedon. In Imax 3-D.

3 stars out of 4 — Roger Moore, McClatchy-Tribune

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout and a mild drug reference. 2 hours, 22 minutes.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance



Still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter, the supernatural antihero Ghost Rider risks everything to team with a rebel monk to save a young boy and himself.

21⁄2 stars out of 4 — Roger Moore, McClatchy-Tribune

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images and language. 1 hour, 35 minutes.

The Hunger Games



In the post-apocalyptic ruins of North America, a teenage girl competes in a nationally televised battle to the death against 23 of her peers. With Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Woody Harrelson. Written by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray. Directed by Ross.

3 stars out of 4 — Michael Phillips, McClatchy-Tribune

Rated PG-13 for intense violent thematic material and disturbing images – all involving teens. 2 hours, 22 minutes. ]]> Thu, 24 May 2012 11:33:17 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052412-movies-playing-this-weekend http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052412-ap-Efron-leaves-his-comfort-zone-in-The-Paperboy--4022642
CANNES, France -- Zac Efron felt uncomfortable filming his revealing role "The Paperboy" -- and he says that's the way he wanted it.

The "High School Musical" actor has moved into decidedly grown-up territory with the film by "Precious" director Lee Daniels, which screened Thursday at the Cannes Film Festival.

It's a swampy slice of Southern gothic set in the 1960s, with Efron as an aspiring writer helping his journalist brother (Matthew McConaughey) investigate a possible miscarriage of justice. Efron's Jack falls for Nicole Kidman's sparky but sultry femme fatale, who is in turn obsessed with a death row inmate (a supremely creepy John Cusack).

The cast also includes singer Macy Gray as Jack's family maid and surrogate mother, and British actor David Oyelowo as an ambitious big-city journalist.

Efron spends much of the film in his underpants, but says he didn't mind the scrutiny.

"I don't think I was supposed to feel comfortable," the 24-year-old actor told reporters in Cannes. "It's like life. This character is supposed to be learning the ways of the world, and that can be very uncomfortable. But it's also exciting."

Daniels had a shallower explanation for all the Efron flesh on display.

"He's a good-looking guy," the director said. "And I'm gay. What do you want?"

Efron is not the only actor asked to bare his soul in the movie, which combines a crime thriller plot with a swampy landscape and undercurrents of racism and sexuality into a pungent gumbo.

Cusack sheds a lifetime of good guy roles to play the sweaty, sinister inmate, and loved every minute of it.

"I felt like I'd been let out of some cage," Cusack said.

Kidman also stretches herself, playing a sexually adventurous woman drawn to danger. In one memorable scene she administers to Efron the traditional treatment for jellyfish sting -- urine.

"I'd been looking as an actor for something raw and something dangerous," Kidman said.

"I may be uncomfortable watching the movie. But that's my job -- it's my job to give over to something, not to censor it, not to put my own judgments of how I feel as Nicole playing the character. I am there to portray a truth.

"I don't want to be pigeonholed," she added. "I'm willing to fail because of that. I just want to try."

Kidman worked hard to create Charlotte Bless, interviewing women who were in love with convicts and putting together the character's bold look.

"Lee said to me, 'Look, we've got no money, you're going to have to do your own hair and makeup,"' Kidman said -- so she sat down and experimented with fake tan, fake eyelashes and a platinum hairpiece, then photographed the results.

"I texted it to Lee, all different provocative positions, and that was how it all started to come together," Kidman said. "What he sent back I can't say -- but it was like, 'Thumbs up."'

"The Paperboy" is adapted from a novel by Pete Dexter, with an expanded role for Gray's character, Anita, who becomes the film's narrator. Yardley, the reporter played by Oyelowo, is white in the book but black in the film.

"What I could give in this world was my truth, my understanding," said Daniels. "Every single character in this movie is someone I know personally, someone I have interacted with personally.

"I saw a movie called 'The Help,' and though I liked it, most of my family was 'help.' They came back and told me stories about working with white people.

"There was a truth in Anita that I wanted to bring out, and that's why I expanded that role. And also because there aren't enough roles for African Americans in the world today."

Daniels' last film, "Precious," was a surprise hit that won two Academy Awards in 2010. His next will be "The Butler," the story of a long-serving White House staffer in which McConaughey plays John F. Kennedy and Cusack is Richard Nixon

"The Paperboy" has drawn mixed response in Cannes, where it is one of 22 films up for the Palme d'Or, to be awarded Sunday.

But the actors seem to have adored the experience. Efron said working with Kidman had been a dream.

"I've been in love with her for a long time -- since 'Moulin Rouge,"' Efron said. "It was the loveliest time in the world for me."

------

Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless ]]> Thu, 24 May 2012 11:18:44 GMT Living on the Go http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/052412-ap-Efron-leaves-his-comfort-zone-in-The-Paperboy--4022642