Search Results for: man on a ledge movie

23andMe Has a Course On Human Prehistory

Genealogy is the study of family. Often, this means a person’s immediate family, their direct ancestors, and so on through the family tree. Genealogy has become intertwined with the study of genetics, including the genetics from the DNA of early humans. 23AndMe has a course that will teach you more about Human Prehistory. All humans have something in common with each other, genetically speaking. Today, there are several home DNA test kits that genealogists can use to learn more about their heritage. 23AndMe sells one that uses a person’s saliva to extract their DNA, for the purpose of discovering the … Continue reading →

Shakespeare and Romance: Romeo & Juliet

One of the reasons why I often like to facilitate discussion about my type of romance is because I feel that it isn’t represented much in the media. We draw some ideas of our cultural norms from the media, so others like me might be led to feel that they’re not normal. Interestingly, one of the most famous examples of my type of romance, or at least extolling against silly romance, is often misinterpreted: “Romeo & Juliet.” People will call an ideal male lover a “Romeo,” when in fact that was the opposite of what Shakespeare intended. Shakespeare liked to … Continue reading →

The Courage to Love Movie Review

The story of Henriette Delille is anything but ordinary. Based on a true story, The Courage to Love explores a little known time in Lousianna’s history. When the “Americans” were a threat to the way of life, and free women of color were openly kept by rich white benefactors. The children of such matches, known as Quadroons (if they had a quarter of non-white “blood” or Octaroons (for an eighth) where prepared by their mothers to attend balls, where their suitors would pledge their keeping for a year or a lifetime. The law forbad the marriage between persons of mixed … Continue reading →

It’s Time to Meet the Muppets in “The Muppet Movie”

Can “The Muppets” really ever come back? Or more to the point, can they ever be really what they were without Jim Henson? Although I enjoyed “Muppet Treasure Island” and to a lesser extent “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” these movies came out when I was a kid and thus I loved them automatically. I agree with many that The Muppets’ heyday was when Jim Henson was still alive. Sure, The Muppets have been carving out their own space in current popular culture with their YouTube shorts. Perhaps that’s the best way to be relevant in the modern era, but short … Continue reading →

Muppets Movie Trailers

The start of summer saw the release of four Muppet movie trailers. The tone of those trailers, though they contained many of the same scenes, taught us a lot what the new Muppet movie will feel like. Isn’t that any diehard Muppets fan’s biggest complaint: that most of the Muppet movies released in the 1990s didn’t feel like Muppet movies? Something about them didn’t contain that unique Jim Henson sense of humor. It’s not that we expect they could, since Henson’s passing. That raises the question, however, of whether Muppet movies should continue if they couldn’t remain true to their … Continue reading →

Lifetime Movie about Foster Care airs Saturday

Tomorrow night (Saturday February 28), the cable channel Lifetime will air an original movie about the foster care system, and more specifically about the dilemma of one teen, raised in foster care (and sometimes abused there), about to turn 18 and “age out” of the system. The teen’s name is America, which is also the title of the movie. I have written a past blog, detailing how teens in foster care are usually literally turned out on the streets on their 18th birthday. Often still in high school, it is a nearly insurmountable task to pay for an apartment, work, … Continue reading →

No Criminal Case in Heath Ledger’s Death

They know he died from an accidental drug overdose, but federal prosecutors wanted to learn how actor Heath Ledger obtained the powerful painkillers that contributed to his death. But, now, it appears that will remain a mystery. Yesterday prosecutors overseeing a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into whether the painkillers found in Ledger’s system were obtained illegally decided not to pursue criminal charges against the person who supplied the actor with the drugs. Law enforcement officials say they bowed out of the probe “because they don’t believe there’s a viable target.” The announcement comes less than 24 hours after actress Mary-Kate … Continue reading →

Movies Week in Review July 14th – 19th

It’s sure been a busy summer, and a hot one, too! Are you looking for a great flick to enjoy while sitting with your family in front of a fan, taking time just to be together in the midst of all the rush? Maybe we can help you out. We started the week with a review of “Courage Mountain,” a film which is supposedly the continuation of the story of “Heidi.” Heidi is now fifteen and decides to attend boarding school, but as World War I ignites, she and her classmates are stranded in Italy . . . until Peter … Continue reading →

Big Screen Tribute to Heath Ledger Planned

When “The Dark Knight” makes its debut on the big screen next month all eyes will be on the movie’s star the late Heath Ledger… and on his family who plans to be front and center at the film’s premiere. According to new reports, the premiere of Ledger’s final complete film, in which he stars as Batman’s nemesis, The Joker, will be dedicated to the actor and his family just acknowledged that they will be the special guests at the event. New York newspapers are reporting that Ledger’s parents and sisters will make the trip from their native Australia to … Continue reading →

Celebrity Updates: Ledger, Chapman, and Aiken

HEATH LEDGER Still no word on the claims made by uncles of the late Heath Ledger as to whether the movie star fathered a love child. And we probably will never know how much Ledger’s daughter Matilda gained financially when her young father’s will was honored. But what we do know now is what some Aussie’s are doing to keep Ledger’s legacy alive. Australians in Film just announced that it has established a scholarship in the late actor’s name to help wannabe Australian movie stars follow in their idol’s footsteps. According to organizers, the scholarship fund will be presented each … Continue reading →