No one can stop the magical due of Siegfried and Roy from doing what they love, not even a near fatal tiger attack that nearly killed Roy Horn in 2003.  You probably remember the horror stories that audience members reported in October of that year as they watched Horn being attacked and dragged off the stage by his white tiger, Montecore.

Shocked and horrified audience members watched helplessly as Montecore suddenly lunged at Horn in the middle of a performance, sank its giant teeth into his neck, and dragged the magician off the stage, nearly killing him.  This was the last time the world famous duo performed their magic and animal act as the Mirage Hotel and Casino indefinitely suspended the long-running show while Horn recovered.  However, from the very beginning Horn defended the actions of the tiger, believing that the animal had actually sensed that he was having a stroke and was trying to protect the musician by dragging him to the safety of backstage.

 
Siegfried and Roy recently announced that they will return for a one-night only event next year that will raise money for the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute’s “Keep Memory Alive” fundraiser charity dinner.  While the magicians have not announced what the show will entail, they have stated that animals will most likely be involved in their comeback performance because that is what Siegfried and Roy are all about.  Hopefully, for the audience’s sake, there will not be an encore performance by Montecore!

Posted by Chrysta.

Are you worried about what eternity might hold for you in the afterlife?  Well, now you can stop worrying and Reserve a Spot in Heaven for as little as $12.79!  Sound too good to be true?  Well, check out the website for yourself and see how your reservation in heaven is 100% guaranteed!

Never before have you been given the opportunity to guarantee your place in heaven simply by using your credit card!  You can choose to reserve a spot in heaven for yourself or buy a spot for your friends and loved ones.  There are actually two reservation packages to choose from, the Essential Travel Kit and the All Access Travel Kit. 

Both kits come with a certificate of reservation, a first class ticket, an official heavenly identification card, and a handy information guide to acquaint you with the holy land once you arrive in heaven.  However, the All Access Kit also comes with a VIP pass that will get you into all the coolest parts of heaven for just $15.95.  Hey, for just three dollars more, it seems well worth the upgrade!

On the other hand, if heaven doesn’t seem like your thing, you can also choose to Reserve a Spot in Hell for the same low price as heaven!  Not everyone wants to go to heaven it seems, so you can make your reservations in hell instead.  It seems that it might be a little bit harder to get into hell with all those sinners running around, so you might want to order now.  Makes a great holiday gift!  Of course, a good sense of humor is required for either package to be appreciated and enjoyed!

Reserve a Spot in Heaven

Reserve a Spot in Hell
 
Posted by Chrysta.

There's something right about checking out a different take on things. When it comes to film, the North American audience often sees film based on the same tired formulas, and sequels based on sequels based on former originals. It can get tiresome and predictable.

While there are great, artistic films made in North America there are also a host of others produced in other countries. One's appreciation of film as art and not merely as throw-a-way entertainment can increase greatly by checking out some of these foreign offerings. The best place to start is with foreign film classics. Some of America's great directors hold the makers of these foreign language gems in high esteem. Many were the inspiration for their own film careers.

With many foreign films you have to adjust to the fact that you will have written subtitles to deal with. Once you get past this and get used to it you'll wonder why you worried about it in the first place. The reading as you watch becomes matter-of-fact and part of the foreign film experience.

If you want to explore the creative work and emotional depth of many of foreign films, these five by two masterful directors are great places to start. While opinions vary on to what are the best foreign films of all time, these would have to be among the top picks for any top 100 list. Two are by the great Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. Three are by the renowned Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski (two from his Red, White, and Blue trilogy). These are worth checking out in the foreign film section of your local DVD store or DVD rental club.

Wild Strawberries Sweden, Ingmar Bergman)

This is a tale of a professor who travels to a university by car across the Swedish landscape to receive an honorary degree for his lifetime achievements. He looks back on his life as he does, and contemplates his dealings with those who love him. The dream sequence and its stark black and white imagery at the beginning of the film continue to enthrall film students to this day.

Persona: (Sweden, Ingmar Bergman)

Experimental, daring, riveting, alluring, and challenging all at once, this 1967 film stirred debate in film circles when it came out. Today, the questions it generated remain because of the multiple layers of meanings inherent in the story. The film concerns a nurse charged to take care of an actor who has stopped speaking. This actor froze on stage during a performance and now placed under the nurses care must try to deal with the issues that brought her to this point in her life.

Three Colors: Blue (France-Poland-Switzerland, Krzysztof Kieslowski)

A young woman must deal with the hand that life deals her and in so doing learns some hidden secrets about the husband she dearly loved. It's a story of refashioning oneself according to new life circumstances. The music and imagery of this film are as captivating as the story itself.

Three Colors: Red (France-Poland-Switzerland, Krzysztof Kieslowski)

A model has a chance meeting with an older man and walks down a path of her choosing, one full of intrigue and secrecy. The color red is the focal point of the entire film and gives the film its powerful aura. It's a story about coincidences in life and friendship and unattainable love.

The Double Life of Veronique (France-Poland, Krzysztof Kieslowski)

This film leaves you thinking about it long after you watch it. It concerns two women, who, unrelated to one another, look the same and have many of the same personality traits. They have and will never meet, but somehow their lives seem linked to one another. One lives in France and the other lives in Poland. The film is a study of fate, and decisions we make and do not make in life, and how that determines whom and what we become. Again, the music is mesmerizing along with the photography in this film.

The above examples are a minute sample from the huge library of foreign film available today. They represent the views of only two great directors but these five films speak volumes about the power of 'art films' in helping us understand this mystery we call life.

Posted by Mike.