Credit to: Wired.com
Here's how a killing machine evolved into a killer franchise.
The Terminator debuts in 1984, directed by James Cameron. Starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was only known as Conan at the time. The film pulls in $78 million worldwide. Meanwhile, the first wave of novelizations hits bookstores, and a franchise is born.
The first Terminator videogame for PCs hits the streets, sparking more than two dozen iterations across a wide array of consoles. Flush with Rambo dough, indie film studio Carolco Pictures acquires Hemdale's rights for a film follow-up. Cameron signs on to direct.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day—at $100 million, then the most expensive production in Hollywood history—is the top-grossing movie of the year, eclipsing $200 million in the US and $520 million worldwide.
T2-mania is in full swing. Metallic T-800 skulls show up on backpacks, boxer shorts, lunch boxes, and cubicle walls as licensees like Kenner and MacFarlane Toys see total sales for Terminator-related merchandise climb into the nine-digit range.
T2 3-D: Battle Across Time, a 12-minute theme-park attraction, opens at Universal Studios in Orlando. One of the priciest ($60 million) and most complex attractions ever, it's codirected and written by Cameron and features original performances by all of T2's principal actors.
Director Jonathan Mostow spends a whopping $187 million to make Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. It makes a modest $44 million on opening weekend, but its ultimate box-office gross lifts the film franchise's total to $1 billion worldwide.
Fox's The Sarah Connor Chronicles, starring Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, and Summer Glau, debuts to 18.3 million viewers. It's a critical darling but struggles for ratings and is hobbled by the Writers Guild strike. Nonetheless, Fox renews the series for another season.
Warner Bros. is set to release the $200 million, postapocalyptic Terminator Salvation, starring Christian Bale, in nearly 4,000 theaters on Memorial Day weekend. A battalion of next-gen videogames is in the works, and a $10 million, 2,850-foot-long Terminator roller coaster opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Illustrations: John Ritter; Photos: 1984: Everett; 1992: Allen Shope/Treasure-cove; 1995: Getty; Furlong: Everett; 1997: Getty; 2003: Warner Bros/Everett; 2008: Michael Desmond/Fox
1. AIG Executive
2. Cowboy Capitalism
3. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
6. Golden Parachute
4. Mortgage-Backed Security
5. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson
Dancing beauties wearing little more than sequins and smiles wrapped up two nights of Carnival parades by Brazil's top samba schools in Rio de Janeiro.
The spectacular floats and costumes take months to make and the competition between samba schools is fierce.
More than 70,000 people packed Rio's purpose-built Sambadrome for the traditional pre-Lent celebrations. Festivities continued throughout the streets of the city.
Elements being judged include choreography, timing and harmony. Each school has 82 minutes to herd its dancing, singing troupe through the 700m-long stadium.
Themes this year included environmental protection and the technology of the future.
The winning school will be named on Wednesday. No major prizes are given but the winners are celebrated across the country.
Security has been tight for the Rio carnival - although police say nearly 100 foreigners fell victim to robbers in the lead up to the event.
Luxuriant costumes have to be painstakingly created and worn with care. A misplaced wing or feather can cost a school the title.
In addition to strategically placed glitter, many performers wore enormous headdresses and dangerously tall high heels.
The global economic crisis has led to fewer corporate sponsors for this year’s event, but observers say the spectacle was unaffected.
The government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva donated $3m (£2m) to help the samba schools pull through.
February 23, 2009
EZRA SALKIN Staff Writer
esalki20@student.scad.edu
On Saturday, Feb. 21, Tybee Island, Ga. joined for its first time a select number of U.S. cities celebrating Mardi Gras.
Sometimes called Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras traditionally falls before Ash Wednesday, the herald to the Catholic fasting season of Lent.
Other U.S. cities celebrating Mardi Gras this year include Mobile, Ala. and New Orleans, of which the celebration has become virtually synonymous.
On Feb. 21 however, on a pleasant afternoon on Tybee Island, this reporter was ordained with purple, gold and green beads by an old guy named Rufus with multicolored, tassel-strewn hair, wearing colossally wide-brimmed glasses.
A music group called the New Orleans Dixieland Jazz Band dominated the event, playing everything from Santana and Lynard Skynard, to blues. The blocked-off streets were packed with screaming kids, teenagers in baggy shorts and Jester hats, elderly people in lawn chairs and the occasional surfer. Everyone who looked of age carried a swelling cup of beer in their hand.
Venetian carnival masks, garlands of white and colored feathers, goofy glasses and beads sold briskly at local vendors. The owner of ACME Costumes, Nancy Cox, explained that the fun-loving, beach-going residents have the same Tybee patrons responsible for Pirate Fest to thank for the this year’s French Cajun festivities.
“Costume sales for this first time event are competitive with those for St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween. I’ve been here since 9 a.m. and there hasn’t been a dull moment yet.”
She attributed the high turnout for the day at least partly to displaced Louisiana residents who were pushed east due to Hurricane Katrina. “Some good ol’ fashioned grace accompanied by good weather, as well the fact that Tybee is still a place where you can walk with a cocktail in your hand probably doesn’t hurt either.”
The parade regaled the eager crowds with flag-weilding smiling alligators and feathered scarves, being driven along by old flamboyant Cadillacs, jeering despots, malevolently grinning cigarette butts in tubing devices, prismatic graffiti-ridden school buses and wagons driven by mad, masked French men and pirates, imposing ship masts and top sails, bug people with bulbous eyes and sagging antennas, not to mention a few beauties in bikinis. Purple, green and gold balloons, symbolic of Lent, flew everywhere.
In addition to the parade on Feb. 21, a fantasy masquerade ball was held the night before, where a King and Queen were crowned for best costume, as well best cocktail cup. Attendees of the ball were able to participate in tasting King Cake, a Mardi Gras delicacy similar to a cinnamon roll, topped with sugar or icing, and is usually colored purple, green and gold. Sometimes, a plastic baby Jesus is perched in the middle. Attendees also had the chance to dance to authentic Zydeco music, which is Louisiana Creole folk music. Traditionally, it has a fast tempo and is dominated by the accordion.
More information about Mardi Gras Tybee can be found at www.mardigrastybee.com.
Without Wes Craven, the face of horror would be a much different, far less scary beast. In a career that spans 37 terrifying years, he's haunted moviegoers' dreams with the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' movies; made audiences laugh and scream with the 'Scream' franchise; and scared the bejesus out of all comers with underrated cult fare like 'The Serpent and the Rainbow' (one of his personal favorites) and 'Swamp Thing.'
The show, which debuts on April 10 in London, is a multimedia event featuring a 90-minute re-edit of the six films’ classic scenes on a 100-foot LED screen as well as new arrangements of John Williams’ iconic score by the maestro himself. The 86-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir will perform live at the event.
"This'll be the biggest, baddest sounding orchestra that anybody's ever heard," said Spencer Churchill, tour producer for Another Planet, the Berkeley-based company producing the show. Churchill added that vintage costumes from the films will be displayed at the venue. So will the musical event resemble a Star Wars convention? Don’t worry. "You do have to walk that fine line," Churchill explained. "Certainly you want it to be entertaining without it being kitschy, and I think we are doing that completely. It's not a bunch of shtick."
Dates in Europe and America are still to be announced.
I just had to post this update. Since the idea of a Star Wars musical conjures this, for most of us:
Earlier this afternoon we posted the new full length trailer for the highly anticipated JJ Abrams revamp of Star Trek. It looks like today is your lucky day, because we’ve got an amazing photo gallery full of Trekkie treasures. If you live near the Arclight theater located in Los Angeles, California you can view three special edition models of the USS Enterprise that were created by several artists from all over the world. Each replica is 34 inches long and was cast from the 3D digital models for the film by Industrial Light & Magic. If you can’t make the trip to Sunset and Vine, check out the gallery after the jump to see what all the hype is about.
See All Purim Costumes & Accessories at AnniesCostumes.com
Costumes from the movie "The Duchess" starring Keira Knightley as Princess Diana's ancestor Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire are set to appear as part of the "Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition.
The movie has already been nominated for five Oscar nominees for best costume design.
The costumes set to appear at the exhibition will be joined by costumes, accessories and props from more than 20 other films for the Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition, which will open to the public on Wednesday January 28th '09 and remain on view through March 29th '09.
What: The 17th annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition featuring clothing, accessories and props from recent films, including several current Oscar nominees.
When: 10 am. to 4 pm. Wednesdays through Sundays from Wednesday through March 29.
Where: FIDM Museum & Galleries at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, 919 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.
Admission: Free. Guided tours for 10 or more people are available by prior arrangement at the cost of $10 per person.
Information: 213-624-1200, ext. 2224.
Five Lesser Known Mardi Gras Celebrations
Aside from ‘The Big Three’, there are actually many other Mardi Gras carnivals held around the world, including
1) Nice Carnival in France
2) Carnaval de Dunkerque in Belgium
3) Spain Carnival (particularly the festivities in Tenerife and Cadiz)
4) The Germany Carnivals of Dusseldorf and Cologne, known as Fasching
5) Carnival of Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean
For more on these, take a look at our top 10 carnival destinations.
Can’t get to Rio or Venice? Then celebrate Mardi Gras where you are! Try cooking a traditional Mardi Gras recipe such as pancakes, King Cake, or gumbo and then drink as many Mardi Gras cocktails as you can.
St. Patrick's Day is another hot holiday for us, promote costumes, beads, hats, and more! St. Patrick's Day is March 17, 2009!
EasterBunnyCostumes.com features over 30 bunny mascots. Easter is April 12, 2009!
Also look out for a Renaissance Fair near you and be prepared to attend in full Renaissance garb!
Fernando Veludo, AFP / Getty Images
More than 14,000 people dressed as Santa Claus marched in the annual Santa Claus parade in Porto, Portugal, Dec. 14. The group aimed to break a Guinness World Record with the feat, and to raise money for charity. The crowd was singing and dancing from the afternoon until well after dark. Although the weather was against them (cold and drizziling) 14,200 showed up to march out of 17,400, everyone involved donating 1 euro to needy children. According to the Guinness World Records web site (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com), the previous world record for the largest gathering of Santas was set last year in Derry City, Northern Ireland, where a total of 12,965 people took part dressed up as Santa or Santa's helpers. 
Sondra Fortunato, the New York Giants' most iconic fan, was kicked out of the Giants' December 7th game versus Philadelphia. She was asked to leave because she brought signs and a bag to the game. 
The 'Australia' actor - who has two adopted children with wife Deborra-Lee Furness - often keeps his outfits from films including 'X-Men', when he played sexy mutant Wolverine, to impress in the bedroom .
Hugh - who has been named the Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine - said: "It's easy with my wife. She loves the idea of me coming home in costume because it makes her feel like she's having an affair in a good way.
"When we met, I was cast as a prisoner with tattoos and she'd say, 'Don't take your tattoos off tonight!' and I'd be like, 'All right!' But what works best with her is the stockbroker look."
Looks like Hugh Jackman will have a new Wolverine costume to take home and play with soon. X-Men Origins: Wolverine premiers May 1, 2009 and will be the start of a costume filled summer at the movies, with Star Trek, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince to follow, just to name a few!
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