BCCI race: no plum post for Dalmia, Srinivasan still rules

Jagmohan Dalmiya, interim chief of the Indian cricket board who who bailed it out during a crisis period, was left without any plum post and had to be satisfied with being only the chairman of the North East Development Committee at the board's Annual General Meeting (AGM) here Sunday. At the AGM of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) here Sunday, Dalmiya's name was doing the rounds for the post of Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman, which post finally went to Ranjib Biswal.

Sources told IANS that it was Dalmiya's age that went against his appointment as the IPL chairman. Dalmiya, 73, was the given the charge to promote the game in the northeastern states.

The appointment of Biswal as the IPL chairman was severely protested by the Dalmiya-headed Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). The only key position that went to the CAB was that Chitrak Mitra retained his seat as the vice-president.

While Dalmiya, a former BCCI and International Cricket Council (ICC) president, missed out on a plum post, his three junior colleagues in the CAB found places in other important committees.

CAB joint secretaries Subir Ganguly and Sujan Mukherjee were named in the IPL governing council and NCA sub-committees while treasurer Biswarup Dey was promoted from the NCA sub-committee to the finance committee.

A top office-bearer in the BCCI told IANS that it was Srinivasan's manouvre to keep out Dalmiya.

"Srinivasan was the man who was instrumental in banning Dalmiya from the BCCI. Srinivasan knew that giving any more power to Dalmiya could have spelt doom for him in future," the official said on the condition of anonymity.

Dalmiya took over as the interim chief of the BCCI in June after Srinivasan had to step aside as the board president after his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested by Mumbai police on charges of betting after the spot-fixing scandal broke out in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dalmiya ensured smooth sailing for the BCCI during its most troubled times.

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Spinner Monty Panesar feared England career was over

England spinner Monty Panesar has admitted that he thought he had destroyed his international career after being fined for urinating on a nightclub doorman.


   
The incident occurred two months ago, after Panesar was asked to leave a club in Brighton on the English 

south coast.
   
The 31-year-old was fined by police and released by county side Sussex, but he was nonetheless named in the England squad for the return Ashes series in Australia later this year.
   
He says that he regrets the incident, but insists that it was not a deliberate act.
   
"I know it looks terrible, but I wasn't as drunk as people believe," he told British weekly newspaper The Mail on Sunday.
   
"Yes, I'd had a lot to drink, but I wasn't paralytic. I was asked to leave and then got caught short. The next thing I knew the bouncers were shouting at me and running after me.
   
"I swear I didn't see them and I had no intention of purposefully urinating on them or near them. To be honest, I barely went (urinated) at all and I'm pretty sure I didn't hit them."
   
He added: "The next morning I woke up and thought, 'What have I done?'
   
"My first reaction was that I'd just thrown my England career away, maybe even my whole cricket career. I felt very lonely and very depressed. It was a very dark time."
   
However, after joining Essex for the remainder of the domestic season, he called the England management to apologise for his behaviour and was rewarded with an international recall.
   
"I just can't tell you how thrilled I am with the selection," Panesar said.
   
"It's an incredible boost I needed as a cricketer and as a person, after a chapter in my life I'm ashamed of."
   
Matters were made worse when a video of Panesar being restrained by bouncers from the club emerged a few days after the incident, which his new Essex team-mates took great delight in showing him.
   
"I knew it was out there, but I hadn't seen it and had no wish to, either," Panesar said.
   
"But the boys showed it in the dressing room and had a friendly laugh at my expense. It's how sport deals with things like this.
   
"I was fine with it but, of course, it didn't make great viewing. I've seen it now, I lost whatever dignity I had, and I have no intention of ever seeing it again."
   
Panesar was the subject of fresh controversy this week when the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) handed him a suspended one-game ban for acting in a "potentially threatening and intimidating" manner towards Worcestershire's Ross Whiteley.
   
"I wouldn't say I was either threatening or intimidating," Panesar said.
   
"But I will admit to becoming incredibly frustrated because I was having no luck at all, with inside edges and catches falling just short.
   
"I have to be aggressive when I bowl, but it was a minor incident that I accept. The ECB and I have spoken about it and I must be mindful of my behaviour, but it's not seen as a problem by England."

Book Talk: Best-selling Jamie Ford on writing that second novel

Jamie Ford admits he was taken aback by the runaway success of his debut novel "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" and was sidetracked for a while on his next work by the self-consciousness this produced.
But an invitation to write a story for a literary event led to the tale of an orphan boy who thinks he sees his mother in a movie, which grew into "Songs of Willow Frost", out last week.

Ford revisits historical Seattle in his story of William Eng, who travels through the Depression-era city in search of his mother Willow, whom he has not seen since she was carried half-dead out of their apartment when he was a child.

Ford spoke with Reuters about living up to a debut book that spent more than two years on the New York Times best seller list.

How did you come up with the character of Willow?

She definitely took some time. I looked at that time period. I began with the orphanage and began with the character of William. This was coming 19 years after a flu epidemic and it seemed like a really volatile time. To place a Chinese woman here ... I guess I always sympathise with characters who are caught between worlds. I'm half-Chinese. I either never feel Chinese enough or never feel Caucasian enough.

It just seemed as if there was a bunch of really interesting history and Willow was a great character to walk the reader through all that. Plus, the more I read about (actress) Anna May Wong, the more I felt for her being a Chinese woman who had dalliances with white men - producers, directors - but because of miscegenation laws she could never marry a Caucasian man and she was really shunned by a lot of the Chinese community.

For this particular book, what were some of the difficulties of writing and what were the joys?

One of the difficulties was, you know, the second book. Just trusting my gut. That was hard. When I wrote "Hotel" nobody cared. When I wrote this one there was suddenly a high level of expectation. The joy was that I'm happy writing. I love the process, I love the research. Occasionally something unexpected will happen and a new character will walk onto the stage. I'll feel "Oh, I've made a new friend today". My wife didn't read the manuscript until it was completed but I remember telling her those moments when I really liked this character and I feel terrible for what I've done to this character. You engage with them. In my mind, my characters have immortal souls - they're in some parallel universe, doing their thing. When they get to that point where they seem fully formed, it's a very joyful moment.

Did you expect "Hotel" to do as well as it did?

Yes, I expected it to be a tremendous success and I went out and bought a Porsche, knowing I could pay for it later. No, seriously, if I had sold 15,000 copies I would have been over the moon. My measure for success was to have someone buy it and like it that didn't share my same last name.

Did it make it harder to write "Willow"?

It did. You know, I wrote another book in the middle. I changed the process a little bit because I was a little wary. With "Hotel", nobody saw it until it was done. But when I was 100 pages in I showed (the other book) to my wife and my agent and got a lot of feedback. I left the door open and there were a lot of cooks in the kitchen and I ended up rewriting it for about 18 months. It just got to a point where it was all scar tissue. But in the meantime I would turn in a draft and then I would be researching the next book, which was this book. Once I read a couple pages of what I thought might be a good beginning to this book at the Humanities Washington forum, I showed those 12 hastily scribbled pages to my editor. She loved them and she said, if you'd like to take a break from the other project and pursue this, go for it. And I did. It feels as if I vented all that angst in that other book.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

When I have aspiring writers or students ask me for advice, I've told them to go to a garage sale, buy three really horrible out-of-print books, pay no more than a quarter apiece for them and force yourself to read them with a writer's eye. By doing that, you'll notice mistakes or quick, sloppy writing or whatever you notice. And you'll notice that in your own writing. I found that if you think Michael Chabon is a brilliant writer and that all you read is Michael Chabon, when you try to write, it's like trying to lose weight and only looking at beauty magazines. It's really discouraging. That doesn't mean you should read crap all the time but don't try to play Mozart the first time you sit down at the piano. Start with scales.

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'Doctor Sleep' was a challenge for Stephen King

Pop culture consumes authors, musicians and actors and quickly moves on. Only a few have staying power, and Stephen King is one of those rare figures.

With the release this week of "Doctor Sleep," his much anticipated sequel to "The Shining," the 66-year-old King continues to release and inspire new projects more than four decades after he first started to scare the bejeezus out of everybody. A stage musical he wrote with John Mellencamp is about to begin touring the country, "Under the Dome" was a surprise television hit of the summer and a film project based on his novella "A Good Marriage" is in the works as well.

"I always knew that if I hung around that I'd get hot again," King says with a laugh. "Sooner or later everything that goes around comes around. I just thought of guys like Billy Joel. I thought if Billy Joel can come back, I can come back."

With "Doctor Sleep," King revisits a grown-up Danny Torrance and the extra creepy best-selling novel that became a milestone film for Stanley Kubrick and Jack Nicholson. In this update, Dan is a recovering alcoholic and a mentor to a 12-year-old whose shining is stronger than his own.

King spoke with The Associated Press earlier this summer about how he approached the tricky task of writing "Doctor Sleep" and the home life that has produced two more literary voices:

Writing a sequel to a beloved book so many years later had to be tricky. How did you approach it?

When I went into it I thought to myself, if I do this I can probably never satisfy the expectations of the audience because so many people who read "The Shining," I got them while they were young and malleable, they were young adults, teenagers. I meet people all the time who say, "That book scared the s--- out of me," and I'll say, "How old were you when you read the book or saw the movie?" and they'll say 16. And if you were 16 then, you're probably 50 now and a little bit case hardened when it comes to scary things. I was curious. I wanted to see what happens to Danny Torrance, so I took my shot.

What do you think of the book now that you're done with it?

I like it. I think it's pretty good. I kind of approached it with the idea of it's a movie sequel where the story's supposed to be different but it's supposed to have the elements of the original that were successful, and I thought that's a real challenge. Let me see if I can do something that's really good, that has some of the elements that scared people in "The Shining" and create a story that's entirely on its own and that people could pick up and read even if they never read "The Shining" in their life. It was fun to take the shot.

That's going to be one of the literary events of 2013. Do you enjoy the attention of moments like those?

The short answer is no, I really don't know how to cope with that. I think one of the reasons writers are writers is because they're introverts basically. I'm pretty comfortable in a room by myself, creating stories. I don't have any sense that people are looking over my shoulder. It's a one-man game. When you write a book you don't have a whole team of writers in the way there is, for instance, on "Under the Dome" or some of the film projects that I've worked on. So I like that a lot. But I would be lying to you if I didn't say when you meet a big group of people that come to a reading or a talk or something like that, there's a certain validation. When they put their hands together, you say, "You know what? Somebody was out there the whole time and they were paying attention." That's a good thing and it warms you up.

You aren't the only King with a new book this year. Both of your sons, Joe Hill and Owen King, published novels last spring.

Joe knocked it out with "NOS4A2." I love that book. He's in his wheelhouse now. No question. Owen published his first novel, "Double Feature," in March and it's an entirely different thing. It's funny. It's fall on your knees funny, just roll on the floor funny, and that's a different kind of sensibility entirely.

In a past interview, Joe described his upbringing with Owen and their sister Naomi in idyllic terms with parents who encouraged reading and imagination. Was it really like that?

We all had our noses in books. And we lived way out in the country. There wasn't a lot in the way of TV the way that there is now with these satellite deals and everything. We were a little bit constrained there. We all loved the movies and I'd pick them up at school on Friday afternoon and if there was a Spielberg picture or something, we'd go to Portland and see "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" or whatever it was, and just have a blast. ... I used to get them to read me books on cassette tapes. I would pay $10 a cassette or something like that, and they would read me all kinds of stuff. And, of course, Joe has blocked out all of his memories of me chaining them up in the cellar and driving nails into their little legs and stuff.

World's longest-running cartoon to go digital in Japan

The world's longest-running cartoon is to go fully digital, its Japanese broadcaster said Friday, abandoning hand-drawn celluloid-based animation after a run of 44 years.
Fuji Television Network said episodes of "Sazae-san" aired from October would be produced entirely digitally. The

move will mean there are no hand-drawn cartoons left on Japanese television, according to the Association of Japanese Animations.

Until the 1990s many cartoons were created by artists working directly on celluloid, a painstaking process that meant characters had to be drawn in many different postures to give them impression of movement as the camera was repeatedly started and stopped.

Two decades ago, computer animations began to become widespread, slowly squeezing out the traditional method.

"Sazae-san", which first aired in 1969, revolves around the life of the Mrs Sazae of the title, a cheerful but klutzy full-time housewife who lives with her parents, husband, son, brother and sister.

The 30-minute episodes, which can readily garner more than one-in-seven Sunday evening viewers, tend to focus on tiny incidents in the family's everyday life and are dotted with seasonal festivals.

"Doraemon", a Japanese cartoon about a robot cat from the future that has a following across Asia went entirely digital in 2002. 

"Sazae-san", whose broadcast denotes the end of the weekend for many Japanese, began the switch in 2005.

Bangladesh Book Fair offers treat to bibliophiles

Bookworms in the city are in for a treat! More than 20 publishers from neighbouring Bangladesh are showcasing a rich diversity of novels, essays, short stories at the Bangladesh Book Fair here.

The third Bangladesh Book Fair, that began Thursday, is drawing book lovers to try 
oeuvre of around a lakh of books, with titles on Bangladesh Liberation War and the country's folk tales stealing the limelight.
"There are 28 publishers and books exclusively from Bangladesh," Kazi Moshtaque Zahir, First Secretary (Press) of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, told IANS.

Organised by the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission, Bangladesh Exports Promotion Bureau in collaboration with the Academic and Creative Publishers Association of Bangladesh, the week-long exposition will also bring intellectuals and literati (like Rabeya Khatun, Faridur Reza Sagar) from the nation as speakers in two seminars.

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Hair: buns and bobs, this season's star styles

With each new season come new in-vogue hairstyles. The fall/winter season announces a major comeback for the bob, which is already turning heads on runways and red carpets everywhere. Buns, which were sophisticated and elaborate last season, will remain stylish, but in more minimalist versions,
just like tie-dye hair color, which has become more natural for the fall.

Simple buns
A timeless staple of runway style, buns can take many forms. This season, they are simple, unfussy or even slightly messy. The Viktor & Rolf and Rad Hourani haute couture collections, as well as the Christian Dior ready-to-wear collection, all included quick and easy buns in their Fall/Winter 2013 runway shows for a very natural effect. This uncomplicated hairstyle matches the season's makeup looks, also stripped down and simple.

Bobs, the season's trendiest look 
Angled, short, structured or natural: the bob is huge this season in all of its forms, offering a style that is at once modern and retro, chic and uncomplicated. The trend has been amplified by a number of celebrities, including Rita Ora and Beyoncé, who have transformed their look with the season's hottest haircut. For the fall/winter season, French hair salon chain Camille Albane is offering its "Cheeky Bob," a structured cut, parted down the middle for an uncomplicated yet glamorous style.

Natural tie-dyed color

Lothmann, another French hair salon chain, is highlighting natural ombré hair coloring this season. The look offers a very subtle two-tone, sun-kissed look and is a perfect way to prolong the summer. Thierry Lothmann, the brand's director, explains, "The look is based on progressive layering of color from the middle to the ends of the hair without a clear and sudden separation -- you know, that horrible line that you sometimes see appearing to cut the hair in two." 

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Ranbir Kapoor to play a teenager in Jagga Jasoos

There's this thing about Ranbir Kapoor - Out in the open, there's a cheeky little kid aspect to him. That sense of fun and adventure is something I find appealing. At home, he is the shy type but always respectful to his guests and friends, attending each one of them. Now you really stop to ponder on the question - What really makes him a Besharam? The answer is his approach towards his movies, the desperation to be called the new superstar and his will to survive, come what may, never to be pulled down. For once you want to believe that Ranbir must've signed Besharam for his personal life would've spiralled out of control and his soaring professional career was in danger of imploding. Kidding! Ranbir has proved himself to be someone unique - he has managed to excavate the sensitive soul that lurks beneath a swaggering arrogance, both on and off the screen. This Kapoor lad only buys commitment. Here's how - his background - his own history, is way more important than what he can achieve as a professional. Mother is an actress, grandfather was an actor, director and a producer, father is an actor, grandfather's father was an actor, uncles are actors, cousin sisters are actors. Ranbir's seen all this and all that you can imagine in an actor's life. So he doesn't buy success. He doesn't buy failure. He only buys commitment. That commitment as of now is Besharam. 

You are in a league of your own Ranbir. But when you work with newcomers or actors one film old, do they sense of you over-powering them? 
I don't think I overpower my co-stars. With Pallavi Sharda and Amitosh Nagpal, both have a lot of experience in theatre and have faced the camera before. They are far more enthusiastic than one can imagine. They give more. They add more to the scene. They might not have the stardom that I have, but in a working relationship there is no stardom. It's only two actors working on a scene trying to make certain words on paper come alive. Stardom doesn't count there. What counts is your talent, your intelligence and your hardwork. I've worked with so many new girls - Nargis, Ileana, Shazahn, Sonam and now Pallavi. They are as hard working as Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra or Katrina Kaif. I hope Pallavi and Amitosh get the stardom and become established stars in the business and I'd love to work with both of them again.

You've worked with the Kashyap Bros. Bifurcate them please! 
I've worked with both the brothers. But the comparison is startling. Abhinav Kashyap likes to make happy, light hearted and entertaining films. Anurag Kashyap likes to make movies that are too personal to him - things that probably he wants to say or something to do with his personal angst. Abhinav's heroes are larger than life whereas Anurag's heroes are more in the world of the film that he's making. Abhinav's heroes sing songs and Anurag's heroes have to be content with background score (laughs). But at the heart of it, both are very honest to their job. They don't take it for granted and are very hard working. An actor like me wants to work with good directors because they make me a better and a bigger star. I am thankful to their parents to giving birth to both the boys.

Your house must be lying with scripts stacked one over the other. How do you manage to select the best one from the lot? 
Fortunately or unfortunately, since the last two years and the next two years to come, I am working with the same directors, apart from Abhinav and Anurag. I am working with Ayan, Imtiaz and Anurag Basu in their next movies. These are people I have had a successful working relationship with. Yes, I do want to work with new talent. When I worked with Ayan in Wake Up Sid, it was a very refreshing change. Unfortunately, I am not able to listen to any scripts right now and once I finish the run of these films, after a year and a half, I would love to work with new directors, new writers who get in new ideas.

Age no bar! But you are producing movies now. When do we see you turn producer for R.K. Films? 
My grandfather directed, acted and produced films when he was 21 years old. So there is no age bar for me to produce or not to produce movies. I am already 30 and I am producing a film with Anurag Basu called Jagga Jasoos. I have realised that I don't know if I really want to make films under our R.K. Films banner. It's synonymous with Raj Kapoor. It's his banner and his creation. I can't live up to his vision. I want to collaborate with directors as a producer and hence producing a movie with Anurag Basu. We are equal partners in it. It's called Picture Shuru. If I want to produce films with Ayan Mukerji, I will probably call it something else. I don't believe in this fact that I need to rekindle the R.K. Films banner. R.K Films is right up there in the 'Greats of Indian Cinema' and I wouldn't like to touch it or spoil it or take advantage of it. If I do something, I will create something of my own so that if my children are working in movies, they don't have to have anyone's shadow. Raj Kapoor is too big a name to have a shadow.

Why stay aloof from the social media? Your fans adore you. You should visit this world once. 
I know my fans want me on Twitter and Facebook but I wish I could. I want to connect to them personally. I want to connect with them through my movies that I do. I am a bit too shy and don't know what to say. I'm not politically or socially aware to speak things. The mystery of an actor dies I feel if I am too social. Throughout the course of my career, I would like to connect with my fans by the movies I act in, and hopefully in the future, direct. Twitter can always dis-balance an actor. If I have 1000 followers out of which 800 love me and 200 hate me. But I may not get a reality check on things. I might tend to believe them straight up. I think it's better to stay away from it as you are not affected by it and concentrate on my work.

What would be that one scene you'd remember Besharam for? 
There was a scene where I had to tie up my father and mouth such explicit words like - 'gendey, motey, etc'. I had to tickle him, gag him and do lots of banter. My father was so encouraging. He really enjoyed the scene. When the director called 'action' we went into our character more than our relationship. It's the best scene of mine.

Do you transfer yourself in a character more mentally than physically?
The roles I've done so far are coming of age, internalizing boys. Barfi and Rockstar were the only two films that required a lot of physical and mental change in me. Besharam is larger than life and such films are very hard for me to do. I come from a certain generation of actors who've grown up on more realistic movies and certain genre of movies. To do a Besharam you need to have a lot of self-confidence and self-belief. Playing a hero comes with a lot of difficulty for me. I am happy playing the underdog but Besharam is loud and over the top and mouthing corny lines. As far as physicality is concerned, YJHD was me, Rockstar and Barfi as I mentioned before had lots of physical attributes. When I do Jagga Jasoos, I play a twelfth standard boy from school. I'm playing a 17-year-old boy. So I have to undergo a lot of physical change there. 

John Abraham to produce a sports film

After winning critical acclaim for his last release, Madras Cafe, based on the Sri Lankan civil war, actor-producerJohn Abraham is now taking his interest in sports forward by planning to make films on football, motorcycling and boxing. "We are making a film on sports... Shoojit has 

quite a few ideas. The only thing I could reveal is the film is about football, it is based on that. We are still in development stage and we will make an announcement on it," John told PTI in an interview here.

"No, it is not a biopic on any sports personality but it is based on a true story. It is amazing, adventurous, commercial and will be fun to watch for the audience," he said.

There are other areas of sports as well that the 40-year-old actor wants to explore through films.

"Besides this, there are two-three films on sports as that is my area of interest. And one is on motorcycling, that we have started scripting, the other is in space of contact sports (meaning boxing, wrestling etc)," John said.

Ask him if he would be acting in these projects the reply seems affirmative.

"I don't know that yet. I think in all probability I will be the first choice for my own production for these films. Then we will look out for others," he added.

Post the success of his two home production films Vicky Donor and Madras Cafe John insists he will make sure the next film will be even better.

Madras Cafe was a spy thriller, which traced the political and military histories of the neighbours and covered the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Lankan rebel group LTTE's activities through the eye of an agent, played by John.

"The film did not have a typical Bollywood song, dance hero and it did half the business of a successful film. This shows there is audience who want to watch these kinds of films as well.

"This segment of audience will grow as the youth is getting more and more aware. I want to create that kind of new and entertaining cinema as a producer and actor," John said.

He says the audience has proved that they are open to see qualitative cinema.

By accepting Madras Cafe they have substantiated their liking towards this space of cinema... I respect the audience.

I have always said audience is my god father but today I feel they are hero of my films, he adds.

John also said that he is happy to see that the attitude of the film industry towards him has changed now.

"I think the film that began changing things was Force, then I had hit films like Desi Boyz, Housefull 2, Shootout at Wadala, Race 2 and now Madras Cafe. I think Madras Cafe has changed people's perception completely about me... it has done a completely 360 degree turn," John said.

"People look at me in a completely different light. I would like them to know that this is how I always was... it is only that I gave myself an opportunity as a producer to do it finally," he said.

The actor-producer is busy shooting Welcome Back and Dostana 2 and is also looking forward to begin his third production tentatively titled Hamara Bajaj. 

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/John-Abraham-to-produce-a-sports-film/Article1-1128216.aspx

Lindsay Lohan fails to show up at Venice Film Festival

American star Lindsay Lohan failed to show up yesterday at the ongoing 70th edition of the Venice Film Festival. She plays the female lead in Paul Schrader’s The Canyons opposite porn star James Deen. The title is part of the festival’s official lineup. Less than a month ago, Lohan
completed a court ordered 90-day stay at a rehabilitation centre. She is said to be addicted to alcohol.

Ironically, Lohan portrays the suffering girlfriend of a Hollywood producer in The Canyons, a work that has been panned by critics.

However, Lohan’s off-the-screen activities have provided enough fodder for the press and the people to keep The Canyons flame burning bright. A Hollywood executive said recently that “Lindsay Lohan is now like U.S. golfer John Daly. She’s a curiosity who is watched primarily for the side entertainment she offers, not for her professional performance. Her stints in rehab and personal life drama won’t have much effect on how well The Canyons does because the movie has already been ripped apart.”

At a press conference post The Canyons screening here yesterday, Schrader who though began by saying that Lohan’s personal problems were “off the table”, did veer into the subject once or twice. Along with the rest of the film’s cast – which was present – Schrader praised Lohan’s performance, even comparing her to the legendary Marilyn Monroe. "They aren’t the same as actresses, they are very different,” the director averred. “But both have had trouble separating their professional lives from their personal lives."

Schrader also called himself "a free man": "For the past 16 months, I've been hostage, by my own choosing, to a very talented but unpredictable actress," he quipped. "One of her problems as an actor is she has a very hard time faking things," the helmer added.

Schrader in addition to being at Venice to promote The Canyons, is also the president of the jury for the Festival’s Horizons section. Which highlights innovative cinema.

He regretted that the American movie industry was passing through a stormy period with many cinemas closing down. The Canyons was made with the money raised through crowd funding.

Schrader, who wrote Taxi Driver and directed American Gigolo, has unfortunately strayed into what is arguably B-grade stuff. The Canyons seems like a half-hearted attempt. And nobody, just nobody acts with any conviction.

The Canyons purports to be a bleak parable about Hollywood’s tattier outer limits, and the death of cinema as we all know it. Maybe, there is just one power-packed scene in the whole work, and it comes right at the beginning when we see the camera panning across half a dozen derelict film houses.

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Superheros are back in Hollywood

It’s a ‘super’ time for Hollywood, literally. Many of the superheroes that you might have seen on the big screen off late, are ready to make a second appearance, telling a fresh story and battling new villains. The coming months will see a slew of superhero films, which will continue the
narrative established in their first outings.

Franchises are about moving the stories forward and this set of films will further the plot, with characters going back in time to realise their past, fighting their own generated enemies or even taking the help of an evil half brother — this will be the case of Thor, who will be leading the onslaught of these flicks with Thor 2 in November 2013.

He’ll be followed by Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April 2014), The Amazing Spider-man 2 (May 2014), X Men: Days of Future Past (May 2014) and The Avengers: Age of Ultron in May 2015.

Captain America 2Subtitled, The Winter Soldier, this film is more or less a S.H.I.E.L.D. movie, as Captain America Steve Rogers will be shown working for the organisation. The film will see Steve facing off against his former friend Bucky Barnes, who’s known as the winter soldier.

Amazing Spider-Man 2
The followup to The Amazing Spider-Man will see actor Jamie Foxx as the fan favourite villain Electro. Apart from featuring another antagonist in the form of the Rhino (played by Paul Giamatti), the film will also introduce the character of Harry Osborn.

X Men: Days of future PastA sequel to the X Men: First Class (2011), as well as X Men: The Last Stand (2006), Days of Future Past will see Wolverine travel back in time to 1973, in order to save the future of the mutants.

Thor 2Set one year after the events in the Avengers, Thor: The Dark World will see Thor taking the help of his half brother Loki to save the nine realms from an ancient race led by Malekith. The film will also see the demi-god reuniting with his lost love Jane Foster, who he takes to Asgard with him.

The Avengers 2The next outing of the team-up of the Marvel superheroes (minus Spider-Man) will revolve around a robot known as Ultron going rogue and battling the Avengers. Starring actors Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and Mark Ruffalo, the film is set to release in May 2015.

Western Province North win Prima Cup Under-15 final

Fast bowler Niduka Welikala, all-rounder Jehan Daniel and Eranga Jayasinghe’s fine batting powered Western Province North to a convincing two-wicket win over Southern Province in the SLC conducted Prima Cup Under-15 final, which ended at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo yesterday.

The Mahanama College right arm paceman, claimed four wickets for 42 to restrict Southern Province for 203 in 49 overs after they batted first winning the toss.

Both Welikala and Jehan Daniel maintained a good line and length to share six top order wickets between them as right arm seamer Daniel captured two for 19 in the six-over spell. Weilkala conceded 42 runs in 10 overs with a maiden over.

Earlier, batting first, Southern Province middle order batsman Kamindu Mendis scored a brilliant half century as the promising left hander made 86 off 119 hitting eight boundaries and a six.

Batting at number eight, Chathura Milan made a rapid 42 runs in just 32 deliveries. Milan struck four fours and two huge sixes and Navidu Nirmal’s contribution of unbeaten 19 helped Southerns to make a commanding 203 after early collapse, which was suffered due to brilliant pace bowling by Western Province opening attack, Welikala and Daniel.

Chasing a 204-run target, Western Province North reached with ease in 7.5 overs to spare. Eranga Jayasinghe steered to the winning mark scoring 35 in 43 balls hitting three fours and a six.

All-rounder Jehan Daniel, who captured two for 19 with the ball, batted through a brisk 23-ball 26. Daniel struck four boundaries.

Raveen Yasas and Kasun Maduranga took five wickets between them as Yasas scalped three for 37 in 10 overs with two maiden overs.

Brief scores:

Southern Province U-15: 203 all out in 49 overs (Kamindu Mendis 86, Chatura Milan 42, Navindu Nirmal 19, Niduka Welikala 4/42, Jehan Daniel 2/19)

Western Province North U-15: 209/8 in 42.1 overs (Eranga Jayasinghe 35 n.o, Jehan Daniel 31, Kavindu Munasinghe 26, Nipun de Silva 22, Denuka Perera 19, Dasun Seneviratne 18, Raveen Yasas 3/37, Kasun Maduranga 2/19). 

- See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/sports/western-province-north-win-prima-cup-under-15-final#sthash.cCqiM7Nu.dpuf

Elizabeth Hurley 'hibernating'

Elizabeth Hurley is "socially hibernating".

The 48-year-old actress-turned-model has been hiding out at home refusing to see anyone apart from her immediate friends and family since the news broke that she called time on her engagement to cricket star Shane Warne.

A source told HELLO! magazine: "Elizabeth is deeply upset about recent events and is hibernating socially for a while, only seeing her old and trusted friends."

Australia-based Shane recently confirmed the couple - who have been engaged since 2011 - are going through a difficult time, but denies speculation they have ended their relationship and is keen to fly to the UK to patch up their differences.

He wrote on Twitter last week: "Some of the reports re EH & me r absolute rubbish. Yes we're sorting through some (private) issues. But we're not throwing the towel in yet (sic)"

The 48-year-old beauty reportedly ended her romance with the cricketer because their conflicting work schedules put a strain on them.

However, new reports suggest 'Gossip Girl' star Liz recently discovered her fiancé - who splits his time between England and his native Australia - has been getting close to his ex-wife Simone Callahan again.

Shane ended his 10-year marriage to Simone - the mother of his three children, Brooke, 16, Jackson, 14, and 11-year-old Summer - in 2010 and quickly began dating Liz, who has an 11-year-old son.

See more at: http://life.dailymirror.lk/article/6350/elizabeth-hurley-hibernating#sthash.DXUeMLFd.dpuf

UAE aim for another landmark win

Dubai: The UAE will take a big step towards qualifying for the 2015 World Cup if they can beat Namibia in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League (WCL) at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The hosts, who created history by bowling Namibia out for just 39 in their 158-run victory on Friday, play the same opponents from 2pm aiming for a 2-0 clean sweep that would put them in a strong position in the race for a place in the Australia and New Zealand tournament.

The UAE are currently third in the WCL standings with 16 points and victory on Sunday would take them to second, above the Netherlands courtesy of winning more matches.

Only Afghanistan, who have to play back-to-back matches against Kenya at Sharjah later this week, could then deny the UAE as two wins would put them one point ahead in the second and final World Cup qualification spot.

Speaking to Gulf News on the eve of the crucial match, skipper Khurram Khan said: “We needed a big win [on Friday] to keep the team morale high and the momentum going. It was indeed a wonderful and confident performance. We just need one more win to finish the tournament on a high. We will try again to repeat such a performance.”

Khan once again led from the front with figures of 4.4-2-2-3 with his left-arm spin and went on to praise his spinners. “We have proved again that our spinners are the best among the associate countries. I was delighted to be among the wickets as I hadn’t bowled after the Canada tour.”

Khan revealed that the wicket was on the slow side and praised his batsmen for putting up a good score. “It was great batting from Shaimon Anwar, Mohammad Shafiq and Rohan Mustafa. We posted a challenging total of 197.”

UAE team coach and former Pakistan Test star Aaqib Javed, who has transformed the team since taking over in February last year, is delighted with his team being able to perform well despite being under the pressure of trying to qualify for the World Cup. “Our bowlers held up really well in the conditions,” he said. “I am extremely pleased with Shadeep Silva’s performance.”

Javed also praised Anwar, who is set for a landmark achievement. “Anwar batted really well,” he said. “He is only a few runs off from becoming the leading run scorer of the tournament. Mustafa and Shafiq did an excellent job in lifting UAE to a challenging total.”

Anwar, who top scored with 54 runs, has piled up 568 runs and is just 27 runs behind Kyle Coetzer of Scotland as the highest run-scorer of the tournament.

http://gulfnews.com/sport/cricket/uae-aim-for-another-landmark-win-1.1236639

Chinese Taipei stun Saudi Arabia

The 8-day 17th Asian senior men’s volleyball championships after a partial change to the original group schedule, got off to a flying start with defending champions Iran fighting hard to beat spirited Kazakhstan in Pool C of the eight-team and now 21-team championship.

Iran beat Kazakhstan 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-22) in the opening match at the Hamdan Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon. Pool C also has the strong Kuwaitis in the fray.

The winners get three points for a 3-0 winning margin. The event format allows for three points for those who win 3-0 and 3-1 and, two for a 3-2 win. Losers get 2 points if they go down 2-3 and 1 point for a 1-3 loss.

Action from the volleyball match between the UAE and Uzbekistan on Saturday. — KT photo by Mukesh Kamal

Amir Ghafoor led the well-knit Iranians with a telling all-round display both at the net and in mid court retrieved brilliantly to spur his attackers and the setters.

In the first match, slotted at the mainly swimming stadium, where the water areas have been covered temporarily for the Asian men’s meet, Lebanon got walkover points from Pakistan.

Pakistan pulled out at the last minute leaving the seeding committee and the organisers in a frantic rush to make last minute adjustments for re-grouping the teams and re-arranging the match schedules.

In the revised playing plan at Al Nasr Club, the second venue, seeded India got three points thanks to a walkover from Indonesia who had withdrawn a fortnight ago. Jordan were the first to pull out some 17 days back.

Sri Lanka caused a flutter at Al Nasr Club when they hoodwinked the better rated Omanis in Pool E play during the mid-afternoon session. The 3-0 scoreline in favour of the islanders will be a big encouragement for the fan support in the UAE.

In the second game at the Hamdan SC on Saturday, a young Chinese Taipei outfit which is one for the future taking into account that half the side is born after 1990, played splendidly to surprise a slightly sluggish Saudi Arabia 25-20 in the first set before storming home for a 3-0 win.

Chinese Taipei brought off a stunning but hard fought victory over the seasoned and seeded Saudis in a game stretched well over 2 hours. The early phases saw an error prone yet determined young Taipei clinch the first set 25-21 which set them off to a commanding five-point cushion in the second before Saudi Arabia clawed back momentarily in the Pool D encounter.

The islanders slowly fought their way out of a partial Saudi fightback to draw level midway in the set before running away with a 25-20 scoreline. The GCC side saw their attackers and defence put pressure on the Chinese islanders in the closing stages of the third set when they fought hard to push the issue into 20-23 and 21-23 positions.

The younger and far fitter Far Easterners had things in their bag when they smashed their way past the desperate Saudi blocks for a 25-22 final outcome.

Chennai cruise into T20 semi-finals

Michael Hussey had a major role in Chennai Super Kings’ consistent batting performance in the Indian Premier League last season and the Australian opener seemed to have extended his golden run in the Champions League Twenty20 tourney as well.

Michael Hussey on his way to a half-century.

Hussey smashed an unbeaten half-century to guide Chennai to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Brisbane Heat in a one-sided Group B encounter at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Saturday night. It was Chennai’s third consecutive victory and helped them clinch a semi-final spot in the tournament.

Hussey, who remained not out on 57 off 48 balls, made Chennai’s victory easy after he added 75 runs in just 9.2 overs with his opening partner Murali Vijay, who made an aggressive 42 off 27 deliveries with two sixes and five boundaries.

Even after Vijay’s dismissal, sent back by Ben Cutting, Chennai faced no pressure because Hussey had a reliable partner in Suresh Raina, who chipped in with a cameo of 23 from just 15 balls with two sixes and one boundary. The duo added a quick-fire 41 from just 4.4 overs, hastening Chennai’s victory surge.

Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined Hussey after Raina was trapped infront by Daniel Christian, and the Dhoni-Hussey pair smashed 24 runs from 11 balls and powered Chennai to an easy victory with 25 balls to spare.

Dhoni remained not out on 13 from five balls, including one six and one four.

“We thought we would be chasing 120-odd runs, but it was very well done with the help of Raina, Hussey and Vijay,” Dhoni said.

Earlier, Brisbane found it difficult once spinners were introduced and Chennai took firm control of the match after Ravindra Jadeja bagged two wickets in the seventh over. The all-rounder bowled an economical spell, finishing with 2-18 from his four overs. Ravichandran Ashwin was miserly as well, giving away only 10 runs from his four-over spell and picked up the wicket of Chris Lynn, who chipped in with 29 off 24 balls. Even part-time spinner Raina had an excellent time, taking one wicket for nine from his three overs.

Mohit Sharma had two scalps, but proved a bit expensive, going for 35 runs from three overs.

Brisbane finished with 137 for 7 in 20 overs, thanks mainly to an unbeaten 71-run seventh-wicket partnership between Cutting and wicketkeeper Chris Hartley. The duo rescued the team from a precarious position of 6-66 and added some quick runs. Fast bowler Cutting was at his aggressive best, smashing five sixes in his 25-ball 42, while Harley played a calm knock of 35 from 32 deliveries with the help of three boundaries.

Brisbane, after being sent into bat, had a disastrous start when they lost opener Dom Michael for a duck, but James Hopes hit four delightful boundaries in his 14-ball knock of 20.

Mena Tour tees off Monday in Saudi Arabia

Dubai: The fourth round of the 10-stage Mena Tour tees off in Saudi Arabia on Monday with the $50,000 (Dh183,700) American Express Dirab Golf Championship at Dirab Golf and Country Club.

With two wins, a second and $23,000 in the bank from the first three events of this year’s Tour, England’s Zane Scotland will be the odds-on favourite, but he will have to watch out for Pakistan’s Shafiq Masih, last year’s winner in Saudi Arabia.

Shafiq may have missed the cut at last week’s Dubai Creek Open, but he is confident of making a comeback. “I am pretty familiar with the course where I have been a teaching professional for many years.

“Local knowledge and memories of last year’s win makes it feel great coming back to Dirab. It will be lot of fun if I can win here again. Anything can happen in golf, but my confidence is on a high,” he added.

Leading the home challenge will be Prince Khalid Bin Saud Al Faisal, along with five other Saudi golfers, including professional Ali Balhareth. They join an 85-strong playing field, 26 of whom are amateur. Despite the strength of field the Saudi players are confident they can compete as well as anyone, especially in the amateur division.

An avid golfer, Prince Khalid has brought his handicap down to scratch, and he will be competing in the amateur division which will also see a number of Arab players from Morocco, Bahrain and the UAE contest for honours in what could lead to a healthy regional rivalry.

The Moroccan duo of Ahmed Marjan (85 points) and Mustapha Al Maouas (81) are currently leading the Order of Merit race in the amateur division, but they have their work cut out with the likes of England’s Jean-Michel Hall and Max Williams making big moves at the recently-concluded Dubai Creek Open.

“We feel proud and privileged to have Prince Khalid in the field. His gesture to sign up for the event is a great advertisement for the overall development of the game in the Kingdom,” said Mohammad Juma Buamaim, chairman of the Mena Golf Tour.

“This is our second visit to Saudi Arabia, but the tournament has already created a buzz with a quality field going out to experience the golfing facilities at Dirab Golf and Country Club. The success of this event, I am sure, will encourage other countries in the region to have their own event on the Mena Tour.

“We want is to see Arab golfers play well on the tour. Hopefully, the presence of Prince Khalid will provide just the inspiration they need to excel on the stage,” he added.

http://gulfnews.com/sport/golf/mena-tour-tees-off-monday-in-saudi-arabia-1.1236980

Manuel Pellegrini keeps the faith despite defeat

Birmingham: Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini refused to panic after his side lost 3-2 at Aston Villa on Saturday as their wait for a first away win in the Premier League this season goes on.

The Chilean coach refused to let his stuttering side’s form on the road worry him despite a run of only three victories from their last 11 away league games dating back to last season.

City have picked up only one point from three of those games this term after defeat to Cardiff City and a draw at Stoke City and have slipped to fifth spot, five points off leaders Arsenal.

“It’s important to keep calm,” Pellegrini said. “In general I was very happy with the way my team played today and we deserved a different score. We played very well and deserved to win.”

City started well against Villa and dominated the first half, but missed lots of chances before Yaya Toure opened the scoring with his fourth goal in their six league games this season.

Pellegrini’s side would come to rue their profligacy in front of goal as they twice squandered the lead. Villa’s Karim Al Ahmadi equalised early in the second half before Edin Dzeko restored City’s lead. The hosts then scored twice in three minutes to turn the game on its head with Leandro Bacuna’s magnificent free-kick and Andreas Weimann’s winner.

“We played very well and deserved to win,” a frustrated Pellegrini told Sky Sports. “We deserved another score in the match, but in five minutes we did two things that threw away everything good we had done in the rest of the match.

“The way we lost this game was incredible. We led twice, and we had control of the game.”

Villa manager Paul Lambert praised the way his side overcame a crippling injury list to claim a third league win of the season that takes them up to ninth place with nine points.

“I thought we were outstanding,” he said. “The injury list is pretty horrendous. We’ve lost two lads [forwards Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor] who have scored a lot of goals for us and we’ve lost [Ashley] Westwood, who has been fantastic.

“We’re up against one of the best teams in the country. Not just for the Barclays Premier League but for Champions League football so that says a lot about the magnitude of the result.

“I know from experience reputation will never win you the game. Their two lads [Toure and Brazilian Fernandinho] played well but Al Ahmadi, [Yacouba] Sylla and [Fabian] Delph were absolutely brilliant.”

http://gulfnews.com/sport/football/manuel-pellegrini-keeps-the-faith-despite-defeat-1.1236981