In Michael Mann’s heady, intricately dark, raptly absorbing “Ferrari,” there’s a quiet scene that takes place the night before the Mille Miglia, the spectacular 1,500-kilometer motorsport endurance race. Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver), the Italian sports-car magnate who needs to win the race (the survival of the company that bears his name depends on it), has five drivers who are scheduled to compete. In a kind of calm-before-the-storm ritual, several of them write notes to their romantic partners, telling them how much they love them, just in case they don’t survive the race.
This is no mere superstitious formality. In the Mille Miglia, the possibility of crashing and burning, as the cars zoom at 150 kilometers per hour through the open roads of Italy, is all too real. That’s the ominous underside of racing’s power. The speed is thrilling because it represents a challenge to the universe,...
This is no mere superstitious formality. In the Mille Miglia, the possibility of crashing and burning, as the cars zoom at 150 kilometers per hour through the open roads of Italy, is all too real. That’s the ominous underside of racing’s power. The speed is thrilling because it represents a challenge to the universe,...
- 8/31/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Generationally wealthy royals: they're just like us!
Queen Elizabeth II's favorite movie was reportedly Mike Hodges' gloriously campy "Flash Gordon." Her son, King Charles, is apparently a fan of morose singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. When Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud isn't ordering the mutilation of journalists, he evidently enjoys pro wrestling.
Entertainment is essential. It's what gets us through the drudgery of day-to-day life, and even the most monstrous people who've ever existed require this escapist outlet. Adolf Hitler was a cinephile. So was Joseph Stalin. Donald Trump reportedly loves Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita."
King Abdullah II of Jordan is no exception. In 2002, the first child of King Hussein visited Hollywood, and, keen on meeting Steven Spielberg, visited the set of "Catch Me If You Can." He was also a fan of "Shrek," which prompted Jeffrey Katzenberg to give Abdullah II a tour of DreamWorks Animation...
Queen Elizabeth II's favorite movie was reportedly Mike Hodges' gloriously campy "Flash Gordon." Her son, King Charles, is apparently a fan of morose singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. When Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud isn't ordering the mutilation of journalists, he evidently enjoys pro wrestling.
Entertainment is essential. It's what gets us through the drudgery of day-to-day life, and even the most monstrous people who've ever existed require this escapist outlet. Adolf Hitler was a cinephile. So was Joseph Stalin. Donald Trump reportedly loves Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita."
King Abdullah II of Jordan is no exception. In 2002, the first child of King Hussein visited Hollywood, and, keen on meeting Steven Spielberg, visited the set of "Catch Me If You Can." He was also a fan of "Shrek," which prompted Jeffrey Katzenberg to give Abdullah II a tour of DreamWorks Animation...
- 4/28/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Larry King, who had a legendary six-decade career on TV and radio and pioneered the live interview, died on Saturday at age 87, according to a statement from his Ora Media company.
King, who had a 25-year run hosting CNN’s “Larry King Live,” died at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized last month with Covid-19 and had been treated in the hospital’s intensive care unit. “For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s many thousands of interviews, awards, and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster,” Ora Media said in a statement.
The suspender-clad broadcaster first rose to fame on radio before CNN hired him in 1985 to host a nightly interview show that won him widespread acclaim, high ratings and two Peabody Awards. At its peak in 1998, the show averaged 1.64 million viewers.
King, who had a 25-year run hosting CNN’s “Larry King Live,” died at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized last month with Covid-19 and had been treated in the hospital’s intensive care unit. “For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s many thousands of interviews, awards, and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster,” Ora Media said in a statement.
The suspender-clad broadcaster first rose to fame on radio before CNN hired him in 1985 to host a nightly interview show that won him widespread acclaim, high ratings and two Peabody Awards. At its peak in 1998, the show averaged 1.64 million viewers.
- 1/23/2021
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Chicago – In the pantheon of firsts, there are so many of them that fly under our radar. For every Rosa Parks, there are a number of women who take the challenge to make social change. In 1989, British-born Tracy Edwards became the first female skipper, guiding an all-female crew and sailboat in the prestigious Whitbread Around the World Race. Her story is told in “Maiden.”
Tracy Edwards in Chicago for ‘Maiden’
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
The new documentary, directed by Alex Holmes, tells Edward’s story, from teenage runaway to ship’s cook to skipper/navigator of Maiden, the sailboat that dared to challenge the sport’s patriarchy. The film is one of determination and inspiration, as Tracy gathered the best female team, who also wanted to show the sailing world their right stuff. The challenges to get to the starting line are well documented, including the purchasing...
Tracy Edwards in Chicago for ‘Maiden’
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
The new documentary, directed by Alex Holmes, tells Edward’s story, from teenage runaway to ship’s cook to skipper/navigator of Maiden, the sailboat that dared to challenge the sport’s patriarchy. The film is one of determination and inspiration, as Tracy gathered the best female team, who also wanted to show the sailing world their right stuff. The challenges to get to the starting line are well documented, including the purchasing...
- 7/12/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Alex Holmes’ “Maiden” should be experienced in a theater. Catch it soon, because the rip-roaring sailing documentary could soon be gone, despite the yeoman efforts of Sony Pictures Classics. It’s a tough market these days, but the movie could be a factor in this year’s documentary Oscar race.
For veteran British sailor Tracy Edwards, who has been riding the swells of cheering audiences since she first saw “Maiden” ahead of its official 2018 Tiff world premiere, the film has been a cathartic, healing experience. Back in 1989-1990, the 23-year-old skippered the yacht Maiden and its all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World yacht race. She had to mortgage her house to buy and restore a second-hand yacht — the crew knew every inch of the boat as a result — as well as mortgaging the restored boat, and only the financial support of Jordan’s King Hussein, who had taken...
For veteran British sailor Tracy Edwards, who has been riding the swells of cheering audiences since she first saw “Maiden” ahead of its official 2018 Tiff world premiere, the film has been a cathartic, healing experience. Back in 1989-1990, the 23-year-old skippered the yacht Maiden and its all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World yacht race. She had to mortgage her house to buy and restore a second-hand yacht — the crew knew every inch of the boat as a result — as well as mortgaging the restored boat, and only the financial support of Jordan’s King Hussein, who had taken...
- 7/4/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Alex Holmes’ “Maiden” should be experienced in a theater. Catch it soon, because the rip-roaring sailing documentary could soon be gone, despite the yeoman efforts of Sony Pictures Classics. It’s a tough market these days, but the movie could be a factor in this year’s documentary Oscar race.
For veteran British sailor Tracy Edwards, who has been riding the swells of cheering audiences since she first saw “Maiden” ahead of its official 2018 Tiff world premiere, the film has been a cathartic, healing experience. Back in 1989-1990, the 23-year-old skippered the yacht Maiden and its all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World yacht race. She had to mortgage her house to buy and restore a second-hand yacht — the crew knew every inch of the boat as a result — as well as mortgaging the restored boat, and only the financial support of Jordan’s King Hussein, who had taken...
For veteran British sailor Tracy Edwards, who has been riding the swells of cheering audiences since she first saw “Maiden” ahead of its official 2018 Tiff world premiere, the film has been a cathartic, healing experience. Back in 1989-1990, the 23-year-old skippered the yacht Maiden and its all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World yacht race. She had to mortgage her house to buy and restore a second-hand yacht — the crew knew every inch of the boat as a result — as well as mortgaging the restored boat, and only the financial support of Jordan’s King Hussein, who had taken...
- 7/4/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The year was 1989, when male chauvinists were dripping with disbelief that these “girls” could survive a nine-month yacht race, much less emerge as real contenders in a 32,000 nautical mile sailing sprint from Southampton, England, and back.
You don’t have to know port from starboard to build a rooting interest in the dazzling portrait that director Alex Holmes (Stop at Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story) has put together with invaluable help from editor Katie Bryer. He’s raided the archives and included interviews with the participants, who look back in...
You don’t have to know port from starboard to build a rooting interest in the dazzling portrait that director Alex Holmes (Stop at Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story) has put together with invaluable help from editor Katie Bryer. He’s raided the archives and included interviews with the participants, who look back in...
- 6/27/2019
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
Tracy Edwards experienced her “first real taste of sexism and misogyny” when she sailed around the world with an all-female crew from 1989 to 1990 — but almost 30 years later, “Maiden” director Alex Holmes doesn’t think much has changed.
At the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, Edwards and Holmes were promoting “Maiden,” which chronicles Edwards’ race around the world with an all-female crew, although male crews dominated the sport. She explained that she was racing with a crew of 17 men and that in the entire race, out of 230 participants, only four were women. That’s when she decided to change it up and skipper the first all-female crew.
“This was my first real taste of sexism and misogyny and at the age of 21, I had no idea it existed,” Edwards told TheWrap’s Beatrice Verhoeven. “So I found myself fighting this battle I had no idea I was going to fight — putting the team together,...
At the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, Edwards and Holmes were promoting “Maiden,” which chronicles Edwards’ race around the world with an all-female crew, although male crews dominated the sport. She explained that she was racing with a crew of 17 men and that in the entire race, out of 230 participants, only four were women. That’s when she decided to change it up and skipper the first all-female crew.
“This was my first real taste of sexism and misogyny and at the age of 21, I had no idea it existed,” Edwards told TheWrap’s Beatrice Verhoeven. “So I found myself fighting this battle I had no idea I was going to fight — putting the team together,...
- 2/6/2019
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Shattering a glass ceiling has rarely been more engrossing — or grueling — than it is in “Maiden,” named after the ship that was the first crewed by an all-female team to compete in the Whitbread Round the World Race. Condescendingly little was expected of the “girls” who dared to crash this particular boys’ club nearly three decades ago, but their respectable showing during the intense nine-month race changed the sport’s hitherto extreme gender bias for good. Alex Holmes’ documentary has more than enough human interest to grip viewers with no prior interest in sailing. Its potential as a non-fiction commercial breakout got Sony Pictures Classics’ attention at the Toronto festival, with their theatrical release (and doubtless awards campaigning) plans as yet Tba.
The main protagonist here is Tracy Edwards, the Maiden’s English skipper and the driving force behind its fabled run. Her path to sailing was unorthodox: A problem...
The main protagonist here is Tracy Edwards, the Maiden’s English skipper and the driving force behind its fabled run. Her path to sailing was unorthodox: A problem...
- 9/21/2018
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Strolling through the gardens of their official residence in Amman, Queen Rania and King Abdullah II of Jordan showcase their own style of royal marriage joy. (Yes, they hold hands!) The charming picture, released by their office exclusively to People, comes as the romantic couple marks their 23rd anniversary on Friday. A series of photos - some rarely seen, others shared by the very modern Queen on her social media - show how comfortable they are in publicly proclaiming their love. • Want to keep up with the latest royals coverage? Click here to subscribe to the Royals Newsletter.For Rania,...
- 6/9/2016
- by Simon Perry, @SPerryPeoplemag
- PEOPLE.com
Strolling through the gardens of their official residence in Amman, Queen Rania and King Abdullah II of Jordan showcase their own style of royal marriage joy. (Yes, they hold hands!) The charming picture, released by their office exclusively to People, comes as the romantic couple marks their 23rd anniversary on Friday. A series of photos - some rarely seen, others shared by the very modern Queen on her social media - show how comfortable they are in publicly proclaiming their love. • Want to keep up with the latest royals coverage? Click here to subscribe to the Royals Newsletter.For Rania,...
- 6/9/2016
- by Simon Perry, @SPerryPeoplemag
- PEOPLE.com
Has it really been 25 years since we first met Indiana Jones's father?
"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," the third film in the globe-trotting series, opened on May 24, 1989, returning our favorite dashing archaeologist to fighting Nazis and searching for Biblical treasures. It was the second-highest grossing film of 1989 with $197 million in the U.S. alone, surpassing 1984's "Temple," which earned just under $180 million.
While we are all as much scholars of these films as Dr. Jones is of collectible relics, we've unearthed some details you might not have known about the making of the film, including its many James Bond connections and why Steven Spielberg was so reluctant to make a movie about the Holy Grail.
1. Although George Lucas and Spielberg had always intended to make the series a trilogy, Spielberg also wanted "to apologize for the second one" by returning to the spirit of the original, hence the welcome...
"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," the third film in the globe-trotting series, opened on May 24, 1989, returning our favorite dashing archaeologist to fighting Nazis and searching for Biblical treasures. It was the second-highest grossing film of 1989 with $197 million in the U.S. alone, surpassing 1984's "Temple," which earned just under $180 million.
While we are all as much scholars of these films as Dr. Jones is of collectible relics, we've unearthed some details you might not have known about the making of the film, including its many James Bond connections and why Steven Spielberg was so reluctant to make a movie about the Holy Grail.
1. Although George Lucas and Spielberg had always intended to make the series a trilogy, Spielberg also wanted "to apologize for the second one" by returning to the spirit of the original, hence the welcome...
- 5/24/2014
- by Sharon Knolle
- Moviefone
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Epic Grandeur Captured In Blu-ray Gift Set
By Raymond Benson
It’s probably the quintessential motion picture epic. If you’re looking for an intimate story told on a grand scale, an adventure set in an exotic location and against the backdrop of significant historical events, and an engrossing portrait of an important First World War figure… seek no further. Lawrence of Arabia has it all. This 1962 roadshow attraction from arguably Britain’s greatest director, David Lean, Lawrence is simply a magnificent achievement—both technically and artistically. With star power such as Peter O’Toole (in his first major role), Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Alec Guinness, Claude Rains, Jack Hawkins, and Jose Ferrer, and a master cinematographer such as Freddie Young, Lawrence of Arabia is not only gorgeous to look at, it is dramatically compelling.
O’Toole states that on the first day of shooting, Lean told him, “We...
Epic Grandeur Captured In Blu-ray Gift Set
By Raymond Benson
It’s probably the quintessential motion picture epic. If you’re looking for an intimate story told on a grand scale, an adventure set in an exotic location and against the backdrop of significant historical events, and an engrossing portrait of an important First World War figure… seek no further. Lawrence of Arabia has it all. This 1962 roadshow attraction from arguably Britain’s greatest director, David Lean, Lawrence is simply a magnificent achievement—both technically and artistically. With star power such as Peter O’Toole (in his first major role), Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Alec Guinness, Claude Rains, Jack Hawkins, and Jose Ferrer, and a master cinematographer such as Freddie Young, Lawrence of Arabia is not only gorgeous to look at, it is dramatically compelling.
O’Toole states that on the first day of shooting, Lean told him, “We...
- 11/13/2012
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
David Lean’s (Doctor Zhivago) classic 1962 epic adventure film Lawrence of Arabia, fresh from a 4K digital restoration and an international premiere Cannes, makes its Blu-ray debut on Nov. 13 from Sony, but that’s only after it rolls out to a slew of theaters across the country on Oct. 4.
Yeah, yeah, we’re mostly about Blu-ray and DVD here, but Lawrence is one movie that’s worth catching on the big screen if given the opportunity—particularly since it’s reportedly stunning 4K digital restoration. If ever there’s going to be a high-end theatrical movie-going experience, then this is it!
“Lawrence of Arabia 50th Anniversary Event: Digitally Restored” comes to theaters on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 7:00 p.m. local time, with special matinees in select theaters. Presented by Ncm Fathom Events and Sony Pictures Entertainment, the special screening features an exclusive introduction from Lawrence star Omar Sharif and includes...
Yeah, yeah, we’re mostly about Blu-ray and DVD here, but Lawrence is one movie that’s worth catching on the big screen if given the opportunity—particularly since it’s reportedly stunning 4K digital restoration. If ever there’s going to be a high-end theatrical movie-going experience, then this is it!
“Lawrence of Arabia 50th Anniversary Event: Digitally Restored” comes to theaters on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 7:00 p.m. local time, with special matinees in select theaters. Presented by Ncm Fathom Events and Sony Pictures Entertainment, the special screening features an exclusive introduction from Lawrence star Omar Sharif and includes...
- 9/28/2012
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
We’ve got an update on Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Lawrence of Arabia Blu-ray release on November 13, 2012, which represents the high-definition premiere of David Lean’s (Doctor Zhivago) 1962 adventure epic.
There’ve been a couple of changes concerning the release since Sony’s initial announcement in July, 2012. For starters, the Blu-ray will not be issued as a 3-disc edition, as we previously noted. According to a Sony announcement received on Aug. 6, 2012, Lawrence will be available in two configurations: As a two-disc set which includes an UltraViolet downloadable edition, and as a limited edition four-disc collector’s gift set.
Well, technically, the four-disc set contains three Blu-ray discs, but the complete collection is comprised of four discs, one of them being a CD of the classic film’s memorable soundtrack by Maurice Jarre.
Amazon lists the retail price of the four-disc collection as a healthy $95.99, but it’s available through...
There’ve been a couple of changes concerning the release since Sony’s initial announcement in July, 2012. For starters, the Blu-ray will not be issued as a 3-disc edition, as we previously noted. According to a Sony announcement received on Aug. 6, 2012, Lawrence will be available in two configurations: As a two-disc set which includes an UltraViolet downloadable edition, and as a limited edition four-disc collector’s gift set.
Well, technically, the four-disc set contains three Blu-ray discs, but the complete collection is comprised of four discs, one of them being a CD of the classic film’s memorable soundtrack by Maurice Jarre.
Amazon lists the retail price of the four-disc collection as a healthy $95.99, but it’s available through...
- 8/6/2012
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Emily Smith A scene from ‘My Neighborhood.’
Queen Noor of Jordan began supporting filmmaker Julia Bacha and her production company Just Vision in 2009 after they were awarded the King Hussein Foundation Leadership Prize for the documentary “Budrus.” The film tells the story of how a group of Palestinians from Hamas and Fatah, and Israelis fought the military’s building of a security fence that would cut off the village of Budrus.
On April 21, Just Vision’s latest documentary, “My Neighborhood,...
Queen Noor of Jordan began supporting filmmaker Julia Bacha and her production company Just Vision in 2009 after they were awarded the King Hussein Foundation Leadership Prize for the documentary “Budrus.” The film tells the story of how a group of Palestinians from Hamas and Fatah, and Israelis fought the military’s building of a security fence that would cut off the village of Budrus.
On April 21, Just Vision’s latest documentary, “My Neighborhood,...
- 4/21/2012
- by Stacy Perman
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Lockerbie, the Great Manmade River, "Isratine," abolishing Switzerland, all-female bodyguards, and camels in Belgrade: David A. Graham chronicles some of the most extreme, outrageous, and bizarre actions and ideas of Libya's unpredictable strongman. Plus: full coverage of the Mideast uprisings.
Although he might wish it had happened another way, fierce protests in Libya have put Muammar Gaddafi right back where he loves to be: in the international spotlight. Since Gaddafi came to power in 1969, his mix of panache, viciousness, and capricious rule has made him a figure of curiosity-with stunts like trying to pitch a tent in Central Park-and fear, stemming from a series of terrorist acts (a 1981 Newsweek cover story called him "the most dangerous man in the world" ). With many analysts predicting an end to Gaddafi's four-decade reign, here is a look back at its the strangest, zaniest, and most important moments.
Related story on The Daily Beast:...
Although he might wish it had happened another way, fierce protests in Libya have put Muammar Gaddafi right back where he loves to be: in the international spotlight. Since Gaddafi came to power in 1969, his mix of panache, viciousness, and capricious rule has made him a figure of curiosity-with stunts like trying to pitch a tent in Central Park-and fear, stemming from a series of terrorist acts (a 1981 Newsweek cover story called him "the most dangerous man in the world" ). With many analysts predicting an end to Gaddafi's four-decade reign, here is a look back at its the strangest, zaniest, and most important moments.
Related story on The Daily Beast:...
- 2/24/2011
- by David A. Graham
- The Daily Beast
“Why would a head of state want to write a book?” It is the first question King Abdullah II of Jordan poses in the preface of his book, Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril. Considering the political risks, what does a sitting Arab monarch have to say, and to whom?
At first, the King writes, he had hoped his book’s publication (it hits stands this week) would celebrate the resolution of the...
At first, the King writes, he had hoped his book’s publication (it hits stands this week) would celebrate the resolution of the...
- 2/22/2011
- by Rebecca O'Brien
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
While the Middle East erupts in protests, King Abdullah II of Jordan is publishing a new memoir that Karen Elliot House says shows that his true political test is still to come.
King Abdullah of Jordan has the good-or perhaps bad-fortune to have his prosaic memoirs published just as the Middle East is engulfed in momentous changes that began in Tunis a month ago, spread to Cairo, and now reverberate in other capitals, including, in a still-small way, his own.
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Right's Democracy Hypocrisy
The Hashemite dynasty, of which Abdullah is the latest leader in a line stretching back to the Prophet Muhammad, once played leading roles in the Mideast drama, though these days King Abdullah has been reduced to a modest supporting actor. As he recounts at the opening of his book, Our Last Best Chance, his great-great-grandfather, Sherif Hussein of Mecca, launched...
King Abdullah of Jordan has the good-or perhaps bad-fortune to have his prosaic memoirs published just as the Middle East is engulfed in momentous changes that began in Tunis a month ago, spread to Cairo, and now reverberate in other capitals, including, in a still-small way, his own.
Related story on The Daily Beast: The Right's Democracy Hypocrisy
The Hashemite dynasty, of which Abdullah is the latest leader in a line stretching back to the Prophet Muhammad, once played leading roles in the Mideast drama, though these days King Abdullah has been reduced to a modest supporting actor. As he recounts at the opening of his book, Our Last Best Chance, his great-great-grandfather, Sherif Hussein of Mecca, launched...
- 2/22/2011
- by Karen Elliot House
- The Daily Beast
All the Praetorian guards, torture, and "coup-proofing" haven't stopped a wave of protests from deposing two Arab regimes and threatening many more. John Barry and Christopher Dickey on how Mideast despots have stayed in power so long.
A ritual of sorts tends to mark the fall of a dictator. His torture chambers are opened, and the electrical cables and bloodstains testify to his crimes. Under the worst tyrants, like Iraq's Saddam Hussein, there are photographs, too. His torturers were meticulous record keepers, taking pictures up to and including the subject's gruesome death. As light shines into those fetid cells, emotional cleansing begins. Responsibilities are understood and must be assumed.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Facebook Chat Gets Hijacked
The torture chambers have not been opened yet in Tunisia or Egypt. The dictators are gone, but not their Praetorian guards, who are now in charge. The military, the secret police,...
A ritual of sorts tends to mark the fall of a dictator. His torture chambers are opened, and the electrical cables and bloodstains testify to his crimes. Under the worst tyrants, like Iraq's Saddam Hussein, there are photographs, too. His torturers were meticulous record keepers, taking pictures up to and including the subject's gruesome death. As light shines into those fetid cells, emotional cleansing begins. Responsibilities are understood and must be assumed.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Facebook Chat Gets Hijacked
The torture chambers have not been opened yet in Tunisia or Egypt. The dictators are gone, but not their Praetorian guards, who are now in charge. The military, the secret police,...
- 2/22/2011
- by John Barry & Christopher Dickey
- The Daily Beast
By Sharon Waxman
The woman who once ruled Jordan with King Hussein is poised, dressed impeccably in a summer-white suit and speaks calmly about the nuclear threat facing her region, and the world. Nuclear materials are “poorly guarded in unstable regions,” she told WaxWord at a private lunch in Beverly Hills on Friday. That situation intensifies the longstanding threat from Cold War nuclear arsenals – even with significant cuts back in the Reagan era. It’s been decades sinc...
The woman who once ruled Jordan with King Hussein is poised, dressed impeccably in a summer-white suit and speaks calmly about the nuclear threat facing her region, and the world. Nuclear materials are “poorly guarded in unstable regions,” she told WaxWord at a private lunch in Beverly Hills on Friday. That situation intensifies the longstanding threat from Cold War nuclear arsenals – even with significant cuts back in the Reagan era. It’s been decades sinc...
- 6/12/2010
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
"Real Time with Bill Maher" concludes the first half of its eighth season Friday, June 11 (10:00-11:00 p.m. live Et/tape-delayed Pt), exclusively on HBO, with an instant replay at 11:00 p.m., following the live presentation. Maher dishes his perspective on contemporary issues via an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with panelists, and interviews with in-studio and satellite guests. The roundtable guests this week are former Tenn. Sen. Bill Frist, news anchor Rachel Maddow and journalist Jon Meacham; Queen Noor of Jordan, chairwoman of the King Hussein Foundation, and director Oliver Stone are interview guests. Other HBO playdates: June 13 (12:30 p.m., 3:10 a.m.), 14 (8:00 p.m.) and 16 (11:00 p.m.) HBO2 playdates: June 11 (2:20 a.m.), 12 (9:30 a.m.,...
- 6/10/2010
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
After a long illness, New York City financier and philanthropist Lionel Pincus passed away on Saturday at his Upper East Side residence. He was 78. Despite his death, it appears that Pincus's two sons will continue their vicious estate battle with his longtime girlfriend, Princess Firyal of Jordan. Initiated this summer, Matthew and Henry Pincus's lawsuit claims that the Princess, the first wife of Jordan's Prince Muhammad bin Talal (brother to the late King Hussein I), took advantage of their father's deteriorating mental and physical state by spending extravagant sums to decorate a $50 million, 14-room duplex in the city's Pierre Hotel. As loyal Royal Watchers know, the suit also alleges that the Princess had Lionel Pincus change his will—giving the royal his art collection, a lavish apartment, and $35 million in cash—when he was too sickly to understand the paperwork. The allegations seem to resemble the conditions surrounding the Brooke Astor trial,...
- 10/12/2009
- Vanity Fair
Financier Lionel Pincus's two sons are suing their father's companion, Princess Firyal of Jordan. The lawsuit claims that the Princess, the first wife of Jordan's Prince Muhammad bin Talal, who is the brother of the late King Hussein I of Jordan, took advantage of Pincus's deteriorating mental and physical state by spending extravagant sums to decorate a $50 million, 14-room duplex in New York's Pierre Hotel, on Fifth Avenue. (Um, $21,000 candlesticks, anyone?) In wording that has sparked comparisons to the ongoing Brooke Astor case, allegations are being made that changes the Princess had Pincus make to his will—ones that make her the recipient of his art collection, a lavish apartment, and $35 million in cash—were unlawful because Pincus, who was mentally incapacitated after cancer surgery in 2006, was too sickly to understand the paperwork. The spendthrift royal even had her boyfriend sign papers saying that if Pincus were ever declared mentally unfit,...
- 8/6/2009
- Vanity Fair
Jordan's Queen Noor has invited Angelina Jolie to stay with her. The 57-year-old royal - who is the widow of King Hussein - is good friends with the Hollywood actress and has opened her home to the star during her stay in Amman. A source told In Touch Weekly magazine: "Angelina will be staying with Her Majesty Queen Noor, who is a good friend of hers." Angelina, who has been accompanied on the trip by her seven-year-old adopted son Maddox, is in Jordan to attend the 24th annual Arab Children's Congress. The 'Changeling' actress is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and has supported the foundation for many years. It is believed the 34-year-old beauty is a guest of honour at...
- 7/24/2009
- Monsters and Critics
Jordan's Queen Noor has invited Angelina Jolie to stay with her. The 57-year-old royal - who is the widow of King Hussein - is good friends with the Hollywood actress and has opened her home to the star during her stay in Amman.
A source told In Touch Weekly magazine: "Angelina will be staying with Her Majesty Queen Noor, who is a good friend of hers."
Angelina, who has been accompanied on the trip by her seven-year-old adopted son Maddox, is in Jordan to attend the 24th annual Arab Children's Congress.
The "Changeling" actress is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and has supported the foundation for many years. It is believed the 34-year-old beauty is a guest of honor at the event.
A source told In Touch Weekly magazine: "Angelina will be staying with Her Majesty Queen Noor, who is a good friend of hers."
Angelina, who has been accompanied on the trip by her seven-year-old adopted son Maddox, is in Jordan to attend the 24th annual Arab Children's Congress.
The "Changeling" actress is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and has supported the foundation for many years. It is believed the 34-year-old beauty is a guest of honor at the event.
- 7/24/2009
- icelebz.com
Queen Noor, widow of the late King Hussein of Jordan, is reportedly being wooed by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú. According to an admittedly shaky source, the Jordanian royal visits Mexico City with some regularity and has even taken Spanish lessons. Don't expect to read about this potential romance in The New York Times, however—Slim, the world's third richest man, is also The Times's largest shareholder outside of the Sulzberger clan. Slim, a widower, lost his wife to a kidney ailment in 1999, the same year that King Hussein passed away after complications from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
- 7/9/2009
- Vanity Fair
Jordan's Queen Noor is allegedly romancing a Mexican billionaire. The 57-year-old royal - who is the widow of King Hussein - has reportedly been paying frequent visits to Carlos Slim in Mexico, with the pair often spending time relaxing with friends. Culture blog transracial.net claims: "They are involved in a golden-years romance. She visits Mexico City often, is said to be studying Spanish, stays in the hip Hotel Condesa and they either rendezvous at the private homes of friends or in luxury resorts in Latin America." Queen Noor and Carlos were seen together in 2007, at a fundraising event in New York. Representatives for the queen and for the New York Times - which Carlos is a major investor in...
- 7/9/2009
- Monsters and Critics
Jordan's King Abdullah II has named his eldest son heir to the throne. The 47-year-old monarch bestowed the title of Crown Prince on 15-year-old Prince Hussein Bin Abdullah by royal decree yesterday (02.07.09), ending five years of speculation over his successor. Abdullah was reportedly keen to avoid the succession uncertainty that plagued his father King Hussein. Hussein stunned Jordanians in 1999, when he - fighting cancer on his death bed - stripped his brother Prince Hassan of the crown and gave it to Abdullah. Hassan had been groomed for the throne for more than three decades. Crown Prince Hussein - the eldest of Abdullah's four children with Queen Rania - will enjoy the "rights and privileges" of his new post...
- 7/3/2009
- Monsters and Critics
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