Friday Feature: "True Story" review

TRUE STORY Trailer Deutsch German & Check | James Franco 2015 [HD]

Hayden Pittman, WFAA Special Contributor 4:36 p.m. CDT April 17, 2015

(L-R) Jonah Hill as Mike Finkel and James Franco as Christian Longo in "True Story."(Photo: Barry Wetcher/Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Starring James Franco, Jonah Hill, and Felicity Jones, "True Story" is a dramatic thriller based on true events and elevated by performances from Franco and Hill, who star in a more serious and engaging role than most audiences have likely seen before.

Overall, this film has many good qualities, but it also has several elements that seem to be out of place or that simply do not work. Although there is some dark and hard content, it"s nice to see Hill and Franco together in something other than a comedy. While the film may not be on the exact same level, it almost presents a "Gone Girl" or "Prisoners"-like thrilling, dramatic experience.

Going into this film, I didn"t know anything about it. To my knowledge, I was not familiar with the story and had not seen any advertisements for the film. Being a fan of Franco, Hill, and Jones, I had good hopes for the movie. Initially, I expected Hill or Franco to start telling jokes, but after some time, I started to appreciate their decent performances. "True Story" won"t be mistaken for the best of its genre or one of the top films of the year, but it"s a refreshing change from some of the other films currently in theaters.

Hill plays the role of Michael Finkel, a journalist for the New York Times who gets fired for improperly creating a story about African slave trade. On top of losing his job and struggling to find another, Finkel soon finds out that Christian Longo (Franco), a man who is part of the FBI"s Most Wanted for allegedly murdering his wife and kids, has been arrested, and claims to have been living as Michael Finkel. The real Finkel goes to visit Longo in prison, and the two strike up a rather strange relationship, where Finkel ends up trading journalism and writing tips for Longo"s confession and account of what really happened.

"True Story" is the kind of film that is not always clear, doesn"t give you all the pieces and presents a slow reveal, which often keeps you guessing, waiting, and sometimes confused. It"s clearly a drama or suspense thriller, utilizing techniques like slow motion, extreme close-ups of people or objects, shots that are in and out of focus, long pauses, and ominous or dark background music. Some of the material is often weird, eerie, or difficult to watch, such as the creepy relationships or encounters between characters, or when Longo is describing how his family died while showing flashbacks of the event. There"s not exactly a huge shocking reveal at the end; it"s more of the creepy and odd way everything plays out.

The plot of the film is intriguing enough and there are several known quality actors, but for whatever reason, certain things don"t seem to work. Whether it"s the dialogue, pacing, the setup and layout of events, or something else entirely, parts of the film just feel off, unclear, out of place, misused, poorly executed, etc. Felicity Jones plays Finkel"s wife, and while her performance is not a loss, her role seems forced or incomplete at times. As she is an English actress, I had a difficult time trying not to focus on her attempting to cover up her accent. When it"s all said and done, there are certain elements in the film that are very weird.

While the storytelling and treatment may not be perfect, it"s fascinating and even chilling to think about the reality of what really happened with Finkel and Longo. From British theater director Rupert Goold, produced by Brad Pitt"s Plan B Entertainment, and premiering at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, "True Story" feels more like an artistic indie thriller than a Hollywood blockbuster. For fans of Hill and Franco, their interactions and one-on-ones are the main reasons to see this film. Opinions of this film are all over the map, but there"s no denying that this tense thriller and true story provide adequate entertainment.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars.

"True Story" is rated R for language and some disturbing material. Running time is 1 hour and 40 minutes.

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Hayden Pittman is a special contributor to WFAA.com and a freelance film critic and entertainment writer out of Dallas. He is a film, TV, and sports enthusiast, and when he is not reviewing movies, Hayden works in film production. As an average, passionate film lover who rarely misses a film, his reviews are simple and straightforward. Don"t like what he has to say. Let him know at hpittman87@gmail.com, find him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter at @HPMoviePitt. Enjoy the movies!

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Source: http://www.wfaa.com/story/entertainment/2015/04/17/friday-feature-true-story-movie-review/25956365/

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Andy Fickman Paul Blart : Mall Cop 2

PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2 - Official Trailer

Andy Fickman Paul Blart : Mall Cop 2

Kevin James (The King of Queens, Hotel Transylvania) reprises his role as Americas favorite security guard in Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. Written by Kevin James and Nick Bakay (Mom, Zookeeper), and directed by Andy Fickman ( Reefer Madness 2005, Race to Witch Mountain 2009, Liv and Maddie 2013-2015) Mall Cop 2 which is all laughs from beginning to end features an all-star ensemble cast which includes Ana Gasteyer (Mrs. Gundermutt/ Reefer Madness 2005, SNL), D.B. Woodside (Robinson/ Suits, single Ladies), and Neal McDonough (Vincent/ Suits, Justified, Desperate House Wives) to name a few. The film opens with a quick recap for the returning fans bringing both old and new up to speed on Blarts current family, employment and romantic situations. Blart is feeling a bit down on himself and his luck until he gets a letter inviting him to the S.O.T.A. conference in Las Vegas to receive an award for his outstanding work as a mall cop. He tells his daughter Maya, played by Raini Rodriguez (Austin & Ally) the good news and they fly out straight away. The trip which started out looking down for Blart begins to take a turn for the better when he is given the impression that h**l be giving the Keynote Address at the conference. All is going well, and seems like a dream to Blart until a group of white collar criminals check into the hotel and threaten to turn his dream getaway into a nightmare of epic proportions.

This morning I had the pleasure of having a quick phone conversation with Fickman about the film. We discussed the Mall Cop 2s positive impact in the community, the effort put into making a comedy, and filming a fight scene with a crane. To hear our conversation click the link below.Note: This is a direct phone recording so you may need to adjust your computer volume to hear Fickmans responses at times.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 opens today, Friday April 17th in theaters nationwide. For more information on the film visit: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/paulblartmallcop2/.

http://moviehole.net/img/Andy-fickman-2.mp3

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Source: http://moviehole.net/201588664andy-fickman-paul-blart-mall-cop-2

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The Instant Historian: Britt McHenry Was Classist, So Is The Internet

Donkey of the day: Britt McHenry (Mean Girl)
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Britt McHenry berated a towing company employee. The tape leaked. It trended worldwide. ESPN suspended her for one week. She apologized. While the leaker edited the footage, its hard to envisage context that would soften what was said, which was ugly.

Reactions, as they are wont to do, polarized into two camps. Supporters felt McHenry had a lamentable outburst, a relatable low moment unfortunately caught on camera. Critics argued the sharp, personal attacks were odious and character defining. Treating another person that way was not something reasonable people did. The truth, as usual, was somewhere in the grey area between.

My initial reaction skewed critical. Ive been angry. Ive been frustrated. Ive had low moments, unfit for film. But, Ive never, to my recollection, lashed out at another person about their perceived education, skill-set, domicile or teeth. Maybe thats empathy. More probably thats a combination of conflict avoidance and guilt or perhaps just not having being provoked to that point.

The thing isIve done this, in a broader sense. So have many of you.

McHenrys biting insults profession, education, weight, dental care, take your pick centered on the tow truck employees class. Media, to large extent, have grown attuned to race, gender and sexuality sensitivity. Class is another matter. The same folks hounding down every slightand malapropism in the former realms have few compunctions about reducing working class people to a tableau.

Most Internet humor that goes viral (not involving cats) is some variation of we the educated laughing at the zany antics of the great unwashed.Many media members told us they stayed on Twitter for the jokes. The jokes and memes are, often, cutting, impolite jibes about many of the topics McHenry touched on.Look at this outfit I saw at the stadium.Everyones off to #LexingtonPoliceScanner, right? How do you guys feel aboutOlive Garden? #TCAP still on? Everyone loves Shirtless, towel-waving N.C. State fan.

Speaking for myself, Ive made fun of people I didnt like for their weight and their physical appearance. Ive belittled others educations and professions. As a Michigan fan, Ive made comments about rival Ohio one may consider classist (Ill shut up about the sweat pants. I promise). Much of my activity, writing about college football, is finding folks like this or like thisto ridicule. I laugh, heartily, at the rubes who call into Paul Finebaums show.

A world that causes no offense would be dour and humorless. Theres a difference between tongue-in-cheek and deeply-held belief. Theres a difference between playing with stereotypes and spewing direct vitriol in someones face. But, the differences are not enough for me to start spouting off about virtue. Maybe your conscience is clean.

McHenry has been labeled as a Mean Girl for this incident. Undoubtedly, bearing as strong a resemblance to Regina George as any member of the sports media is having a strong bearing on how this is being processed. But, its worth notingthe point from Tina Feys movie was that everyone has that mean girl inside them. A quick cruise through McHenrys mentions on social media will attest to that.

Opprobrium has descended upon her. McHenrys actions warrant it. She was, without question, wrong. But, when we adjudicate these matters over the Internet, we tend to exculpate ourselves and brutally castigate the isolated individual. Thats the precise mistake that got McHenry intro trouble.

One person wont alter the prevailing social media wind. But, remember, pretty much at any moment, that torrential wind can come down on you.

Britt McHenry, ESPN, The Instant Historian, Media

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Source: http://thebiglead.com/2015/04/17/the-instant-historian-britt-mchenry-is-classist-so-is-the-internet/

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Nicki Minaj"s Ex Safaree Samuels Leaking Racy Pics After Her Engagement?

Nicki Minaj - Only ft. Drake, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown
Whoa!Is Safaree Samuelsfeeling thirsty for attention now thathis ex, Nicki Minaj, has moved on? Someone has been sendingout someNSFW pics of Nicki on Twitter and that someone is claiming to beSafaree!

Well, isnt this convenient? The world is all a-buzz over Nicki Minaj, 32, and her possibleengagement to Meek Mill, 27. But now, her engagement news is being overshadowed by someone leaking some pretty risqu photos of Nicki. Could Nickis former flame, Safaree Samuels, 33, be feeling a little jealous, bitter and vengeful?

Safaree Samuels: Nicki Minaj Racy Pics Posted ByEx-Boyfriend?

The @ScaffBeezy account first tweeted on Mar.14, plugging Safarees Apr.7 mixtape, It Is What It Is. The first mention of Safarees ex came on Apr.9 when he posted a picture of the Super Bass singer. Right afterwards, he tweeted that he missedher.But, things got scandalous on Apr.15, the same day when Nicki and Meek were first rumored to be engaged.

The account posted a shot of Nickis bare b*****s, tagging it Should I leak the rest of your pics, @NickiMinaj. From there, the account started posting more pictures while talking trash in some obscene tweets.

However, the real Safaree Samuels cameforth to call @ScaffBeezy a fraud! A rep for the rapper denied that Safaree was behind the @ScaffBeezy account, that hed never do anything like this and that Safaree is doing anything he can to shut the account down, reports TMZ.

Fans quickly noted that the pictures posted by @ScaffBeezy were actually old shots of Nicki, some of which shehad shared herself! Plus, Safarees @IamSafaree account is not only verified, but has 143k followers where @ScaffBeezy, an account barely two months old, only has 5k.

Safaree addressed the identity-theft controversy directly by how else? posting on Twitter.

Nicki and Safaree ended their longtime relationship in late 2014. Nicki and rapper Meek Mill allegedly began dating shortly afterward, with Meek hinting attheir relationship backin February 2015.

While it looks like Nicki and Safaree have both moved on, whoever is posing as @ScaffBeezy clearly hasnt!

Take Our PollNicki Minajs $500K Engagement Ring From Meek Mill: All TheDetails

Nicki and Meek got the world talking about their possible engagement when the Anaconda rapper was seen with a diamond ring on her left hand. How could we NOT see the ring its HUGE! Its also incredibly expensive, asexperts told HollywoodLife.com the heart-shaped diamond ring could have cost half-a-million dollars!

What do you think about the shade @ScaffBeezy is throwing at Nicki,HollywoodLifers? Do you believe Safaree when he says it isnt him?

Jason Brow

Source: http://hollywoodlife.com/2015/04/17/safaree-samuels-nicki-minaj-racy-pics-ex-boyfriend-denies-it/

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Most Goals Real Madrid History: Cristiano Ronaldo Approaching Ral ...

Real Madrid vs Granada FULL MATCH ENGLISH COMMENTARY 720p 05/04/2015 BBVA LA LIGA

Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the best soccer player in the world. But for now, he has his sights set on becoming the best player in Real Madrid history.

At the moment, Ronaldo has 301 career goals as a member of Real Madrid, the third most in team history. Ral Gonzlez holds the all-time scoring record with 323 club goals. The only other player with more goals than Ronaldo at the moment is Alfredo Di Stfano, who scored 305 goals for Real Madrid. Ronaldo is just five goals away from surpassing Stfano for second on the list.

Not only is Ronaldo approaching Stfano for second place on the all-time Real Madrid list, but he is close to passing him for most La Liga goals as well. Ronaldo has scored 215 La Liga goals since coming over from Manchester United in 2009, that"s the eighth most all-time. Only Lionel Messi has more career La Liga goals (277) as an active player.

Ronaldo needs to just one more La Liga goal to tie Stfano, and another 13 goals to tie Gonzlez for most La Liga goals in Real Madrid franchise history. To make things even more interesting and intriguing, Ronaldo currently has 38 La Liga goals this season.

Why is that relevant?

It"s critical because Ronaldo is also 13 goals away from breaking Messi"s single season La Liga scoring record of 50 goals. Messi scored 50 goals in the 2011-12 season for Barcelona. Right now, the magic number for Ronaldo is 13.

Fortunately for Ronaldo, he not only has the ongoing 2015 UEFA Champions League to score, but he also has seven more Spanish League games remaining this year to find the net. Ronaldo is still just 30 years old, and he shows no signs of slowing down. At the rate he is going, Ronaldo will break Gonzlez"s record in less than one year.

Ronaldo has the top three single-season highest scoring outputs in Real Madrid history. Because of this extraordinary accomplishment, he has put himself on a scoring pace that would shatter the Real Madrid scoring record. Ronaldo has also benefited from staying healthy, and being able to play in almost every game for Real Madrid on a consistent basis.

As far as potentially breaking the single season record this year, Ronaldo will need to score 13 goals in the final seven La Liga games. That"s a tough challenge, but Ronaldo is fully capable of doing so.

All Time Real Madrid Scorers:

1. Ral Gonzlez: 323 (228 La Liga)

2. Alfredo Di Stfano: 305 (216 La Liga)

3. Cristiano Ronaldo: 301 (215 La Liga)

4. Carlos Santillana: 289 (186 La Liga)

5. Ferenc Pusks: 242 (156 La Liga)

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TagsCristiano Ronaldo, lionel messi, messi vs ronaldo, Soccer, soccer news, Real Madrid, Real Madrid stats, most goals real madrid, raul gonzalez, barcelona, Alfredo Di Stfano, Carlos Santillana, Ferenc Pusks, la liga records

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Source: http://www.latinpost.com/articles/48198/20150416/most-goals-real-madrid-history-cristiano-ronaldo-approaching-ra%25C3%25BAl-gonz%25C3%25A1lezs-all-time-scoring-record.htm

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After puking in bookstore, little boy gifts Ben and Jerry"s gift card to those ...

Thank You Notes: Ben & Jerry"s, Lent

PORTLAND, Ore. (PIX11) Aftera young boy got sick in a bookstore, he made an adorable gesture to the owners who had to clean up the mess.

Workers at Powells Books in Portland, Oregon said they got this letter and gift card to Ben and Jerrys. It had Attention: Barf Cleaners written on the envelope.

This Ben and Jerrys card is for the people who cleaned up the throwup of a kid on Friday the 28th, he wrote. I dont know their names but I thank them a lot and Im sorry again for throwing up and hope you enjoy your ice cream.

The boy signed the letter From Jack, AKA the kid that puked right next to the bathroom.

Source: http://pix11.com/2015/04/09/after-puking-in-bookstore-little-boy-gifts-ben-and-jerrys-gift-card-to-those-who-cleaned-up/

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Dubai"s property prices moving into "sweet spot"

Dubai City As You"ve Never Seen It Before. WOW!!!

AKOYA construction in progress at the Akoya by Damac construction site in Dubai. Damac Properties has announced a pre-summer package that includes promotional offers.

Dubai:

Dubais developers are starting to hit the sweet spot in pricing anywhere between Dh600-Dh900 a square foot for off-plan launches aimed at a budget conscious buyer. The price band is deemed crucial to convince more genuine end-users to get in at a time when market sentiments are deemed as being soft.

Also, at these prices for what are small to mid-sized apartments, it will not be too high a barrier for buyers to finance the purchase or at least the bulk of it through cash rather than go through elaborate process of raising mortgages. As it is, on off-plan property, mortgage is limited to a maximum of 50 per cent of the value, as per banking guidelines.

More properties are now being introduced in the budget-critical range of Dh500,000 to Dh1.5 million, said Niraj Masand, Partner at the property services firm Banke M. E. Nshama launched around 150 apartments last week at Dh500,000 to Dh1 million at the Town Square development and will follow up with another release, expected to around the same number of units and pricing in the coming days. At a price of Dh800-Dh900, these are eliciting strong responses. (The developer had earlier launched town houses where the offer price was set from Dh1 million, but the majority were averaging around Dh1.2 million and more.) Another developer, GGICO Properties released more than 200 apartment units on April 1 (as pre-launch) and April 11 as part of its Topaz Residences project in Dubai Silicon Oasis. Price of a one-bedroom unit is Dh536,982. Confirmed sales have gone past the 80 per cent mark for this phase, said a spokesperson at GGICO, which also has in place a scheme with 30/70 per cent payment plan, with the balance to be paid at 2 per cent a month from completion, free of interest.

Market sources suggest that most of such purchases could be by end-users. Theres very little flipping activity taking place in the market now and its quite unlikely anyone would want to buy now with that intent in mind, said a source. Even at these entry prices, it just wouldnt make sense.

Meanwhile, even at the other end of the Dubai property spectrum, developers are getting proactive on their incentives. Damac Properties has announced a pre-summer package that includes promotional offers on payment plans and the removal of processing fees on mortgages. But the developer is not solely looking at buyers from within.

These make investing in Dubai property even more attractive to overseas buyers and we aim to continue presenting the most luxurious living experiences with funding options, said Niall McLoughlin, Senior Vice-President, Damac. The developer is offering mortgages free of processing fees through a partnership with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank on all villas and apartments at Akoya.

For some of Dubai Properties developments, the incentives now include a 10 per cent down payment and as much as 70 per cent on handover.

Source: http://gulfnews.com/business/property/dubai-s-property-prices-moving-into-sweet-spot-1.1491260

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