Because I can, Chris Pine edition!!! For Elinda!

Check Out Elinda's Book, Con Grub, and all of the other great books from 

Deans Family Productions!!!

http://jrd.deansfamilyproductions.com/

Lebanon BANS the blockbuster movie Wonder Woman because lead actress Gal Gadot is Israeli

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese authorities banned the new “Wonder Woman” movie Wednesday hours before it was due to premiere in the capital and following a campaign against its lead actress, Gal Gadot, who served in the Israeli army, a security official and activists said.

Cinemas in Beirut began removing the movie posters and cinema executives said the movie will not be shown because of the ban.

Lebanon is officially at war with Israel and the two countries have been through a number of wars. A particularly devastating 2006 war battered Lebanon’s infrastructure and left hundreds of civilians killed.

The ban is in accordance with a decades-old law that boycotts Israeli products and bars Lebanese citizens from traveling to Israel or having contacts with Israelis. The official says the ban issued by the minister of interior Wednesday has been relayed to the distribution company, which in turn have to inform the theaters planning to show the movie.

A premiere later Wednesday in Beirut was cancelled. An executive at the Grand Cinema chain said the company was planning to show the movie in 16 out of its 18 theaters around the country, but it would now be removed.

The security official said violators of the ban will have to face legal consequences, but he didn’t specify. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been published.

A campaigner against the movie, Rania Masri, hailed the decision to ban “Wonder Woman,” saying it signaled respect for the law. She said there was much anticipation as the decision was last minute, just before the official launch of the movie.

“Still, it was a joyous moment the minute the law was implemented,” Masri, of the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel - Lebanon told The Associated Press.

A similar campaign against another movie where Gadot played the role of Wonder Woman last year, “Batman v Superman,” never turned into an outright ban. Masri said it was “different” this time because of a major media campaign against the movie that has helped push for the ban.

On its front page Wednesday, the leading al-Akhbar newspaper had a column titled: “The Israeli soldier. She has no place in Lebanon.” The column featured a picture of Gadot carrying her Wonder Woman shield.


Warner Bros., which has released the film, declined comment.

Economy Ministry official Alia Abbas told the AP that her department, which is responsible for enforcing the boycott of Israel, had delivered a request to ban “Batman v Superman” last year. But the ban didn’t come together. This time they presented their petition to the security agencies on Monday, she said.

Tensions have been rising between Israel and Hezbollah, with Israel reportedly bombing several Hezbollah targets in Syria in recent months. Israel has signaled that the targets were smuggling sophisticated weapons to Lebanon. Hezbollah officials said recently that they are not seeking war but are ready for it.

On her Facebook page, Gadot had praised Israel’s military during the 2014 Gaza-Israel war, sending prayers to soldiers “who are risking their lives protecting my country against the horrific acts conducted by Hamas.”

Masri said the campaign to boycott is about “self-respect” and “resisting” normalizing relations with a state that is at war with Lebanon and occupies Palestinian land. “First and foremost she is Israeli. We don’t distinguish between a good Israeli and a bad Israeli,” Masri said of the boycott campaign.
The movie, based on the DC Comics character, has earned acclaim for Gadot for landing a rare leading role for a woman in a super hero movie.

Even though Lebanon enjoys a greater margin of freedom of expression than other countries in the region, prior censorship remains in place, particularly with content relating to Israel, religion and homosexuality.

Some in Lebanon criticized the call for the ban, but their voices were faint compared to the boycott campaign that featured in primetime television in Lebanon.

“We sold many tickets and we had to cancel now,” said Isaac Fahed, sales and distribution manager for Grand Cinemas, the company which had the movie scheduled for 16 of its 18 movie houses. He said his company would abide by the law, despite the losses it would suffer. “We have to respect that, but we have few questions.”

Fahed said previous movies with Gadot were shown in Lebanese theaters and her new film will be viewed online and sold on DVD.

“The end result will only ... affect the cinemas,” Fahed said.
___

Associated Press writers Andrea Rosa in Beirut and Jake Coyle in New York City contributed to this report.

Yes, I am a LITTLE excited about Wonder Woman this weekend!!!

Make sure you support your local movie theater or drive in!



Post your reviews here in the feedback, or on my Facebook (Wendy Chiles), Twitter (@faccordions), or my new Instagram (@wendy_chiles) page.  I would love to know what you think about the film and I may have a Wonder Woman prize coming to one of my followers!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the changes!

Wendy, the NOT so good Witch

Marvel pulls comic over hidden Koranic messages

The comic book giant was accused of inciting religious intolerance after a Muslim artist referenced a series of Koran messages.

Sky News 09 April 2017

Image: The illustration shows a Jewish character surrounded by Islamic references

By Duarte Garrido, Entertainment Reporter

Marvel comics has removed a book from circulation after a fan backlash against some Koranic messages in the artwork.

In two vignettes of X-Men Gold #1, Indonesian artist Ardian Syaf coloured several hidden references to passages of the Koran and to Muslim protests against the Christian governor of Jakarta.
The verses were referenced using numbers in two different illustrations.

They were perceived as intolerant by some fans, who complained to Marvel about what they called "anti-Christian and anti-Jewish messages".

On Saturday, Marvel issued a statement to Sky News denying previous knowledge of the hidden messages and adding "disciplinary action is being taken".

Image: X-Men Gold #1 has been pulled from circulation and will be re-issued

"The mentioned artwork in X-Men Gold #1 was inserted without knowledge behind its reported meanings," Marvel said.

Marvel assured Sky that "the implied references do not reflect the views of the writer, editors or anyone else at Marvel and are in direct opposition of the inclusiveness of Marvel Comics and what the X-Men have stood for since their creation".

"This artwork will be removed from subsequent printings, digital versions, and trade paperbacks and disciplinary action is being taken," they added.

:: Is Marvel's push for more diversity harming profit?

In the book, Jewish X-Men character Kitty Pryde is seen talking to a crowd, with the "Jew" portion of the word "Jewellery" over her head, and the numbers 212 and 51 in the background.

The number 212 is often used as a reference to the Muslim protest against the Christian governor of Jakarta on 2 December 2016, which the artist admitted on his Facebook page to draw inspiration from.

"This is a special memory for me," he wrote in response to online criticism.
"The number is a peace act, when a governor did blasphemy to our holy book," he added.

Image: The numbers '5:51' are seen on Russian mutant Colossus' top

"I don't hate Jews or Christians, I worked with them for 10 years. A lot of good friends too. For all that happened I apologise sincerely." he wrote.

The numbers "5:51" are seen in another vignette of the comic book as well. They are on a top that Russian mutant Colossus is wearing while hitting a ball with a bat.

They reference a Koranic passage which reads: "O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people."

The verse was used by Jakarta's governor in 2016, and led to mass protests by the country's conservative Muslim population.

Contacted by Sky News, Marvel has not yet revealed if the artist will continue to collaborate in the X-Men Gold series, or what kind of disciplinary action has been taken.

Ruby red slippers from Wizard of Oz due for conservation

By Associated Press By Associated Press

Local

April 9 at 5:03 PM

WASHINGTON — There’s no place like home.

And there’s no place like the Smithsonian Museum of American History if you want to see the ruby red slippers form the Wizard of the Oz.

But you better hurry on down the road.

Museum officials say April 23 is the last day to see the iconic shoes from the family movie classic before they are taken off display through next year for some behind-the-curtain conservation work.

Smithsonian officials launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign that raised more than $300,000 for the conservation project.

The size-five shoes worn by Judy Garland were donated to the Smithsonian in 1979 and have been one of the museum’s most popular artifacts.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

STAR WARS!! Carrie Fisher Will Reprise Leia In This Year’s VIII And 2019’s IX??

Ain't It Cool News


I am – Hercules!!
Carrie Fisher’s brother Todd tells the New York Daily News that the late actress will reprise the role of General Leia Organa in Star Wars Episode IX.

Prior to her death Fisher had completed shooting her role for this year’s Episode VIII, titled “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” but execs had ruled out using a computer-generated Leia for Episode IX.

Repurposed footage of Fisher shot for 2015's “The Force Awakens” and/or 2017's “The Last Jedi” will apparently be utilized to include Leia in the untitled 2019 sequel, which has yet to commence principal photography.

Todd Fisher told the newspaper than both he and Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd had granted Disney permission to use the footage for IX.

A fully CGI version of Fisher made a brief appearance as a twentysomething Princess Leia in last year’s prequel “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”

Find all of The Daily News’ story on the matter here.

Follow Herc on Twitter!!
Follow Evil Herc on Twitter!!