Microsoft's Windows 8 Sales Predictions - Business Insider

Julie Bort/Business Insider Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer ?

Despite a mixed reception to Windows 8, CEO Steve Ballmer is talking as if big sales are a forgone conclusion.

Yesterday he said, "hundreds of millions of people" will be using Windows 8 by next year.

Last week, he said 400 million people would be buying new PCs, implying these would be mostly Windows 8 devices.

Other execs were talking up the 400 million number, too. For instance, Keith Lorizio, Microsoft vice president of U.S. Sales & Marketing, told Beet.TV that some 400 million Windows 8 devices "wil be active" by July 1, nine months after the release of Windows 8 on October 26.

It seems like Ballmer's 400 million number came from market researcher IDC, who predicted 391 million PCs would be sold in 2012. The trick about that though, is that it was including Macs, which are PCs that don't use Windows. It also includes Windows 7 PCs.

So 400 million Windows 8 PCs? Not likely.

But even to sell half that, 200 million licenses (or "hundreds of millions," as Ballmer said) would be incredible. Windows 7 sold about 175 million copies a year after its launch, which Microsoft called at the time "a record breaking pace."

At the Windows 8 launch, Windows leader Steve Sinofsky said Microsoft sold 670 million Windows 7 licenses in three years. So clearly Microsoft has been selling Windows 7 licenses at an even faster pace over the past two years.

But that doesn't mean that Windows 7 sales will automatically transfer to Windows 8, because a huge portion of Microsoft's customers ? enterprises ? aren't all that interested in Windows 8 yet. Market research firm Gartner says that 90% of companies globally have no plans at all to deploy Windows 8 in a big way, and probably won't until at least 2014. And if they don't like it, they may ignore it forever, just like they did with Vista.

Don't miss: Windows 8 Is Both Infuriating And Brilliant

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/microsofts-windows-8-sales-predictions-2012-10

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First Person: During Breast Cancer Treatment, Lucky to Have My Husband by My Side

To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Yahoo News asked women who have had breast cancer or are going through treatment to write about the people in their lives who stood by them and cared for them. Here's one story.

FIRST PERSON | It's been two decades since my breast cancer diagnosis. Through it all, my husband was my companion: during my surgery, treatments and after.

Today, we're both 86, and living in Los Angeles. Howard and I have known each other for 45 years after we met on a blind date and fell in love the first day we met.

When I discovered I had breast cancer in my 60s, I considered myself lucky. Why? Because I discovered it when it was in the very first stage. I knew it was in the first stage because when I went in for my annual mammogram, there were no signs of cancer.

Two months later, I felt a small lump in my left breast, which I had never felt before. To make certain that my imagination wasn't getting the best of me, I asked my husband to feel my breast. When he told me that he did feel a lump, I became upset. He re-assured me that it was probably nothing to worry about. It made me feel a little better.

Although I went for my second mammogram only two months after the first one, I was disturbed when the nurse reported to me that I had cancer in the left breast. I made an appointment for surgery. My husband was a great companion. As he drove me to the hospital, he was very re-assuring that everything will be alright. This made me feel so much better.

Since my cancer was in the very early stage, I did not need chemotherapy, but I had to go for radiation therapy three times a week for six weeks.

Being a social person, I found my radiation sessions rather pleasant and relaxing. Why? Because while waiting in the waiting room for my treatments, there were other people waiting for their treatments also. When you sit in a room three times a week for six weeks, with basically the same people, you're bound to become friendly with some of the people.

One young man had brain cancer. Apparently, his wife left him because she couldn't take it. When I heard this, I felt so that my husband was definitely not like this man's wife.

Even though the pain from the operation was not too severe, he insisted on making dinner for the next three days after he brought me home from the hospital. Not only did he make the dinner, but when I told him that I would clean up, he insisted: "No, no. You go watch television. "

After he cleaned up, he held my hand, and whispered in my ear, "You're my only."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/first-person-during-breast-cancer-treatment-lucky-husband-164700092.html

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Indian-American body seeks UNSC seat for India

Washington, Oct 24, 2012 (IANS)

The National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), an umbrella body of Indian community organizations, has called upon the United Nations to give India a permanent seat on the Security Council.

The call was made in a resolution adopted at NFIA's Oct 12-14 17th biennial convention in Chicago inaugurated by the Consul General of India, Mukta Dutta Tomar. The NFIA members also approved two other resolutions condemning last August's brutal attack on a Sikh Temple in Oak Creek Wisconsin and requesting the Government of India to establish a Training Centre of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Welcoming the delegates from all over the United States to Chicago Tomar paid glowing tributes to the Indian American community saying the people of India origin have proved themselves in a tough global competitive environment.

Through their innovative, dynamic, pioneering qualities, they continue to produce new generation of talented individuals, good corporate and social citizens and enterprising and creative professionals, she said. Studies support that over 3 million immigrants from India living in the US are one of the most remarkable concentration of Indians, Tomar noted.

Seventy percent of them over the age of 25 are college graduates, 67 percent over the age of 16 are professionals and the median income of Indian household is over $90,000, the highest among all ethnic groups in the United States.

A joint UC Berkeley-Duke University study revealed that Indian American immigrants have founded more engineering and technology companies from 1995 to 2005 than immigrants from UK, China, Taiwan and Japan combined.

The convention also saw several seminars spread over 10 sessions. The first plenary session was titled "Indian American Making an Impact in America". Dr. Ann Lata Kalayil, General Services Administration Administrator for Great Lakes Region was the keynote speaker. Anju Bhargava, a member of White House Office of Faith-based and Neighbourhood Partnership also addressed the session.

There was a spirited discussion on the political involvement of the community and the success it has achieved in this area. Toby Chaudhary, a political activist from Washington DC, urged the audience to wake up and participate in the mainstream politics.

Go to Top

Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/287420/indian-american-body-seeks-unsc.html

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Greek Mythology Family Tree - Chart Porn

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Source: http://chartporn.org/2012/10/24/greek-mythology-family-tree/

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Why Won't My Ex Talk To Me? - The Truth

Maybe you tried to start a conversation too soon, or maybe you simply tried to open the lines of communication too much. Regardless of the method that got you to this point, you're currently at a standstill. Your ex just isn't responding the way you'd like - or at all. The good news is that there are certainly ways to overcome even this kind of challenge to win your ex back and get your relationship back on track. The bad news is that it's going to take some time, some patience and some dedication along the way in order to accomplish your goals - but hardship is no cause to give up and call it quits.

Take a second to think back to a different breakup you went through. Even if you were the one that called it off, there were some significant emotions that came along with ending a relationship that you had been invested in. Your ex is going through the same thing right now. Understanding that can be the key to your overall success to win back their heart as long as you choose your path carefully and don't fall victim to impulse that can limit your opportunities to communicate in the future.

Acting with Dignity and Choosing Wisely:

It may be easier to just go with your instincts and allow the emotional side of the breakup to take over. In order to increase your chances for success, however, you need to put your impulses aside and try to examine the situation rationally. Finding the balance between the emotional and rational side may be easier said than done, but it is absolutely vital that you keep your emotions in check and continue to act in a way that doesn't diminish your self-respect in your own eyes - and in the eyes of your ex. Using the following guidelines for behavior that can move your forward as well as things that should be avoided can help you through the initial stages and get you to the point where communication can be reestablished beneficially.

- Don't Continue the Pursuit:

You may have a lot of unanswered questions for your ex that you legitimately deserve answers to, but now is not the time to pursue that line of thought. All that pursing them will accomplish is pushing them even further away from contact with you and is counter-productive to what you hope to accomplish. While your questions may be valid, your timing isn't - just be patient and believe that you'll be able to talk to them about the situation later on down the road.

- Don't fall into the trap of Self-Pity:

Being dumped automatically creates negative feelings and can easily progress into a downward spiral. Keep in mind, however, that the sooner you can overcome the wealth of negative emotions, the sooner you can begin the process of trying to reconnect with your ex. Instead of allowing your doubt to overwhelm you, choose to use this time to focus on your positive characteristics and keep your eye on the prize - a renewed relationship with your ex that has the potential to last.

- Enjoy some social input:

It may seem harder than normal to put yourself out there, but it's a definitive and important process towards recovery. Your social network is not only a built-in support network to help get you through these difficult times, but you want to make sure that you're creating a positive image that will get through to your ex. If your ex sees you out and about instead of sitting on the couch throwing a pity party, they're going to wonder what your secret is. Maybe they'll think you've moved on or found someone new. No matter what they think, you're on their mind - and that's an important piece of the puzzle to eventually communicating and winning back their heart.

- Think about the past productively:

You don't want to wallow in the past, but you do want to think about the process of when you and your ex first got together. What caused them to notice you out of all the potential people they could be with? What were you like when you first got together? It's possible to revamp your image and become the person that they initially fell for again. Not only can it help you feel better about yourself, it will make your ex remember the way things used to be as well. That fact goes a long way in reestablishing communication and getting the ball rolling in the right direction again.

Why They Seem to be Giving You the Cold Shoulder:

If your ex just isn't responding to any of your phone calls or messages, it's usually for one of two possible causes. Either you didn't wait long enough after the breakup to make initial contact, or you've gone overboard and contacted them too much. They're not going to realize that they made a potential mistake in leaving you if they don't have the chance to miss you first - and that simply won't happen until you give them some space to breathe. Not only does the distance work in your favor, but it also allows you some valuable time to come to terms with the situation on your own and make a plan going forward.

Going into the situation blind isn't going to do you any favors. You certainly need to have a plan in place that requires more than one step towards your end goal. Along the way, it's important to pay attention to the reaction you're getting, and that means that you have to be willing to put yourself in your ex's shoes. Understanding their thought process can be critical to your success, and there are many different avenues to explore. Overall, your plan is going to reunite you and your ex as long as you're willing to put in the effort and be patient. All of your hard work is going to pay off if you play your cards right.

What To Do Next

Being dumped can come as a massive shock, especially if your ex is no longer talking to you. If you acquire the right knowledge then your chances of winning back your ex will be vastly improved.

You can win your ex back. Knowing how to manage contact with your ex is one of the most important steps towards getting your relationship back on track again. Knowing how to avoid breakup mistakes is also essential if you want to achieve your goal.

Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/communication/why-wont-my-ex-talk-to-me-the-truth

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Use an Elevator Pitch to Pitch a Meeting About Your Project, Not Your Idea

Elevator pitches are a great way to condense a complex idea into a small amount of time so you can get the idea in front of someone who matters. Author Seth Godin recommends you pitch for a meeting, not the idea itself.

Essentially, the idea is to use that brief amount of time when you're in front of the powers-that-be to get a meeting so you can really pitch your project in full. Godin explains:

The best elevator pitch doesn't pitch your project. It pitches the meeting about your project. The best elevator pitch is true, stunning, brief and it leaves the listener eager (no, desperate) to hear the rest of it. It's not a practiced, polished turd of prose that pleases everyone on the board and your marketing team, it's a little fractal of the entire story, something real.

Of course, the elevator pitch isn't exclusive to elevators. It's useful when you need to pitch an idea?any idea?to anyone you want to work with. Godin's suggestion is that when you compress that idea into a two minute overview, the idea only loses a bit in the process. It also makes it a lot easier for someone to say "no." When you pitch the meeting, your ensuring you get the idea in front of people who matter, and it becomes a real conversation as opposed to an announcement.

No one ever bought anything on an elevator | Seth Godin

Photo remixed from Derek Key.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Lo8nwwUJzU4/use-an-elevator-pitch-to-pitch-a-meeting-about-your-project-not-your-idea

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Geaux Teacher ? Homeschooling In Your Future? Try These Tips

It is possible that you have overlooked the option to homeschool your child. Perhaps you should reconsider. Its popularity has grown and lots of innovative materials are now available. It is easier to research homeschooling and make the right decision for your family.

If your homeschool program includes preschoolers as well as older kids, allow time for them to interact directly with each other. It?s a good idea to have a completely separate area with craft supplies and favorite toys for playtime. Also, let your older kids help the younger ones. Both children will learn and are likely to appreciate the chance to interact outside of a rigid lesson plan.

On method of teaching is the unit study option. This can increase the knowledge building on a subject. Unit study method is teaching a single subject at a time. The topic can be delved into much deeper this way. One example is a 6-week unit on classical music. When six weeks have passed, taking in a classical performance as a field trip will solidify what has been taught. Your child will never forget this lesson.

Perhaps you plan to home school two or more children. First, you should take a good look at your current discipline routine in your home. Be clear about your expectations and ensure that everyone understands the rules. Understanding your individual disciplining style can allow you to tweak it to work for your classroom.

If you have a new baby or toddler, homeschooling your older child can be a challenge. Address each of your children?s needs by using a well thought out time schedule. Try finding some activities that appeal to them both. Have your older child help out your younger child in a way that helps them as well, such as reading a book.

If you child was attending public school, he or she would get plenty of social interaction ? but possibly not with people you approve of. However, a homeschooled child still requires some amount of socialization. Plan nights out with relatives and other kids in the neighborhood. The park is a great place for kids to get exercise and meet other kids. Find some sport teams, clubs and organizations for your child.

When homeschooling, there is always something new to learn. There is an abundance of homeschooling websites with all sorts of ideas, lesson plans, printable activities and resources. You can improve your own curriculum and methods by taking advantage of their helpful advice. Connecting with others who feel the same way you do about homeschooling can make the process seem easier.

Get to know other families that home school. Outings offer wonderful opportunities to socialize with other children. You love your children and relish the chance to bond with them in a learning environment, but it?s certainly nice to interact with people your own age.

Don?t get so immersed in homeschooling that you forget about other members of your family. Spending time with your significant other can help maintain free time that could be easily lost in a busy homeschooling curriculum. Make sure you set aside some time for dates, or just staying home alone. Even just a little quality time every day will make a huge difference.

Libraries are a great resource. Literature is imperative to incorporate for your child. In fact, children learn so many things through their reading skills. Taking trips to the library will expose the kids to an unlimited amount of reading material. Encourage your learner to browse the stacks, but try to steer them toward books that are appropriate for their reading level, or even a little beyond. Take these books and use them for reading and writing, as well as other subjects.

Homeschooling your children can be fun and efficient if you do it properly. The benefits are numerous for all parties involved. These benefits, as well as the necessary preparation, should be clear from reading this article. The sooner you start homeschooling your children, the sooner your children can start taking advantage of homeschooling?s many educational benefits.

Source: http://www.geauxteacher.com/homeschooling-in-your-future-try-these-tips/

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London Markets: U.K. stocks recover after Chinese data

By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch

LONDON (MarketWatch) ? U.K. stocks advanced Wednesday with the FTSE 100 index tracking gains across Europe, after encouraging Chinese manufacturing data set the stage for buying in resource shares.

The FTSE 100 /quotes/zigman/3173262 UK:UKX +0.42% ?rose 0.2% to 5,807.73, as the benchmark recouped a small portion of its 1.4% loss on Tuesday.

Politicizing the yuan

The yuan recently hit a 19-year high amid renewed cries for China to allow its currency to appreciate further. The WSJ's Mark Cranfield explains how politics may be influencing moves on China's currency.

Energy shares also were among notable gainers in London, playing off the ?flash? HSBC China manufacturing Purchasing Managers? Index, which rose to a reading of 49.1 for October, hitting a three-month high. A reading below 50 signals contraction. See: China factory data add to ?soft landing? view.

?Today?s HSBC manufacturing PMI, in line with recent hard data for September, suggests that the Chinese economy is bottoming out and is poised to recover moderately in the coming months as long as global demand does not weaken further,? analysts at Danske Bank said in a note. ?We expect HSBC manufacturing PMI to be above 50 by year-end.?

Against this backdrop, Royal Dutch Shell PLC /quotes/zigman/359955 UK:RDSB +1.08% ? /quotes/zigman/379012/quotes/nls/rds.b RDS.B -1.81% ?added 1%, outpacing BP PLC /quotes/zigman/210014 UK:BP +0.20% ? /quotes/zigman/247026/quotes/nls/bp BP -2.93% , up 0.4%, and BG Group PLC /quotes/zigman/249967 UK:BG +0.38% , up 0.3%.

Mining-sector shares were also on the rise, as most metals prices moved higher. Vedanta Resources PLC /quotes/zigman/336962 UK:VED +2.76% ?added 1.1% and BHP Billiton PLC /quotes/zigman/184879 UK:BLT +1.16% ? /quotes/zigman/270355/quotes/nls/bhp BHP -2.41% ? /quotes/zigman/180893 AU:BHP -1.38% ?rose 0.4%.

Curbing equity gains in the U.K. and across Europe, October purchasing-managers-index readings for the euro zone proved weaker than expected, as did and the closely watched German Ifo business-climate index. The PMI reading for the euro zone dropped to a 40-month low of 45.8 from 46.1 in September. See related: Euro extends slide on weak PMI, German Ifo data

Banks traded mixed, with Barclays PLC /quotes/zigman/152323/quotes/nls/bcs BCS -1.72% /quotes/zigman/301787 UK:BARC -0.47% ?shedding 1.3% and Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC /quotes/zigman/10330253 UK:RBS +0.59% /quotes/zigman/530544/quotes/nls/rbs RBS -2.32% ?losing 0.7%, while sector heavyweight HSBC Holdings PLC /quotes/zigman/13843 UK:HSBA -0.20% ? /quotes/zigman/207333/quotes/nls/hbc HBC -1.51% ? /quotes/zigman/13834 HK:5 -0.85% ?rose 0.6%.

Among other notable movers in London, shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC /quotes/zigman/482114 UK:RB +5.28% ?rose 4.8%. The consumer-goods company said it?s on track to meet 2012 financial targets, underpinned by strength in emerging markets and improved performance in Europe.

Also Wednesday, WPP PLC /quotes/zigman/526756 UK:WPP -0.12% ?fell 0.7% after UBS cut its rating on the advertising firm to neutral from buy.

/quotes/zigman/3173262

UK : FTSE Indices

Volume: 0.00

Oct. 24, 2012 2:13p

/quotes/zigman/359955

UK : U.K.: London

Volume: 1.73M

Oct. 24, 2012 2:13p

Market Cap

?136.12 billion

/quotes/zigman/379012/quotes/nls/rds.b

US : U.S.: NYSE

Volume: 1.35M

Oct. 23, 2012 4:02p

Market Cap

$221.73 billion

/quotes/zigman/210014

UK : U.K.: London

Volume: 14.71M

Oct. 24, 2012 2:12p

Market Cap

?82.56 billion

/quotes/zigman/247026/quotes/nls/bp

US : U.S.: NYSE

Volume: 8.66M

Oct. 23, 2012 4:00p

Market Cap

$135.48 billion

/quotes/zigman/249967

UK : U.K.: London

Volume: 3.43M

Oct. 24, 2012 2:12p

Market Cap

?44.61 billion

/quotes/zigman/336962

UK : U.K.: London

Volume: 268,065

Oct. 24, 2012 2:13p

Rev. per Employee

?272,834

/quotes/zigman/184879

UK : U.K.: London

Volume: 4.47M

Oct. 24, 2012 2:12p

Market Cap

?41.85 billion

Rev. per Employee

?983,627

/quotes/zigman/270355/quotes/nls/bhp

US : U.S.: NYSE

Volume: 3.63M

Oct. 23, 2012 4:02p

Market Cap

$115.09 billion

/quotes/zigman/180893

AU : Australia: Sydney

Volume: 10.51M

Oct. 24, 2012 5:40p

Market Cap

$112.86 billion

/quotes/zigman/152323/quotes/nls/bcs

US : U.S.: NYSE

Volume: 4.67M

Oct. 23, 2012 4:00p

Rev. per Employee

$487,429

/quotes/zigman/301787

UK : U.K.: London

Volume: 32.03M

Oct. 24, 2012 2:12p

Market Cap

?28.48 billion

Rev. per Employee

?285,159

/quotes/zigman/10330253

UK : U.K.: London

Volume: 7.16M

Oct. 24, 2012 2:13p

Market Cap

?31.02 billion

Rev. per Employee

?254,327

/quotes/zigman/530544/quotes/nls/rbs

US : U.S.: NYSE

Volume: 286,355

Oct. 23, 2012 4:03p

Rev. per Employee

$423,098

/quotes/zigman/13843

UK : U.K.: London

Volume: 10.23M

Oct. 24, 2012 2:13p

Market Cap

?113.11 billion

Rev. per Employee

?231,061

/quotes/zigman/207333/quotes/nls/hbc

US : U.S.: NYSE

Volume: 1.87M

Oct. 23, 2012 4:04p

Market Cap

$182.86 billion

Rev. per Employee

$369,480

/quotes/zigman/13834

HK : Hong Kong

Volume: 13.37M

Oct. 24, 2012 4:01p

Market Cap

HK$1410.09 billion

Rev. per Employee

HK$2.84M

/quotes/zigman/482114

UK : U.K.: London

3,825.00 p

+192.00 +5.28%

Volume: 2.68M

Oct. 24, 2012 2:13p

Market Cap

?26.15 billion

Rev. per Employee

?252,884

/quotes/zigman/526756

UK : U.K.: London

Volume: 2.37M

Oct. 24, 2012 2:13p

Market Cap

?10.37 billion

Rev. per Employee

?90,485

Sara Sjolin is a MarketWatch reporter, based in London.

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B60D18E24-1DB0-11E2-B624-002128040CF6%7D&siteid=rss

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LeAnn Rimes to Katie Couric: I'm Starting Over

LeAnn Rimes isn't embarrassed that she sought treatment for stress and anxiety. Just weeks after completing a voluntary 30-day rehabilitation program, the country star is opening up about how the experience has changed her life. Rimes spoke candidly about her emotional breakdown and recovery in two new interviews with Katie Couric: one for the daytime chat show Katie, the other for a special "All Access Nashville" edition of 20/20. (Watch a preview below!)

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/leann-rimes-katie-couric-im-starting-over/1-a-496259?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Aleann-rimes-katie-couric-im-starting-over-496259

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Russian activist claims he was kidnapped, tortured

An opposition supporter holds a poster reading "Free Lebedev" near the building of a court which sanctioned the arrest of leftist activist Konstantin Lebedev in Moscow, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. Russia's top investigative agency filed criminal charges Thursday against Konstantin Lebedev, an assistant of opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov, continuing a widespread crackdown on the movement against President Vladimir Putin. The Investigative Committee said in a statement that Left Front member Konstantin Lebedev has been charged with plotting mass riots and could face a jail term of up to ten years. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

An opposition supporter holds a poster reading "Free Lebedev" near the building of a court which sanctioned the arrest of leftist activist Konstantin Lebedev in Moscow, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. Russia's top investigative agency filed criminal charges Thursday against Konstantin Lebedev, an assistant of opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov, continuing a widespread crackdown on the movement against President Vladimir Putin. The Investigative Committee said in a statement that Left Front member Konstantin Lebedev has been charged with plotting mass riots and could face a jail term of up to ten years. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Russian opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov gestures as he leaves the headquarters of the Russian Investigation committee after he was questioned, in Moscow, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012. Russia's top investigative agency says it will investigate claims made in a recent documentary aired by a Kremlin-friendly TV channel that opposition leaders worked with Georgian officials to prepare terrorist attacks across Russia. Udaltsov, 35, a leather-clad, shaven-headed leader of the Left Front opposition movement, has denied the charges stemming from the documentary, which he said was a sham. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze)

Leftist activist Konstantin Lebedev sits in a defender's cage during a trial in Moscow, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. Russia's top investigative agency filed criminal charges Thursday against Konstantin Lebedev, an assistant of opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov, continuing a widespread crackdown on the movement against President Vladimir Putin. The Investigative Committee said in a statement that Left Front member Konstantin Lebedev has been charged with plotting mass riots and could face a jail term of up to ten years. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia's top investigative agency announced Monday that a government opponent has turned himself in and confessed to orchestrating riots, but the man and his supporters said he was kidnapped abroad, smuggled back to Russia and then tortured into confessing.

The Investigative Committee said in a statement that Leonid Razvozzhayev admitted to plotting with leftist leaders Sergei Udaltsov and Konstantin Lebedev, and taking funding from a Georgian lawmaker.

Razvozzhayev, an aide to opposition lawmaker Ilya Ponomarev, was in hiding in Ukraine when investigators came to search homes of Udaltsov and Lebedev last week. The activist's supporters reported over the weekend that he had been kidnapped in Ukraine by Russian security officers outside a U.N. office where he was going to apply for political asylum.

A video published on the LifeNews.ru website showed Razvozzhayev being taken away from a courthouse Sunday evening after the court sanctioned his arrest. Razvozzhayev shouted to reporters: "Tell everyone that they tortured me. For two days. They smuggled me in from Ukraine."

The Investigative Committee denied his claims, insisting that Razvozzhayev himself penned a 10-page confession.

The criminal case against the three activists is based on alleged hidden camera footage aired earlier this month by a Kremlin-friendly TV channel. The documentary claimed that they met with Georgian officials to raise money to overthrow Putin's government.

The quality of the footage is poor, but investigators insist that it was not doctored.

Investigators said Monday that Razvozzhayev also talked about his involvement in "organizing" clashes between police and protesters in May in Moscow, and said this was funded by Georgian lawmaker Givi Targamadze.

Targamadze has denied any links to funding the Russian opposition.

An opposition rally on May 6 in Moscow turned violent after police restricted access to the square where the rally was to be held. Bottles and pieces of asphalt were hurled at riot police who struck back by beating protesters with truncheons. The clashes did not appear to have been orchestrated.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-10-22-Russia-Opposition/id-49195322976c4045817863d90d4c1738

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Make a Pet Gate for Your Stairs with PVC and Fabric

If you want to keep a pet from going up your stairs you can certainly buy a commercial pet gate, but for a fraction of the price you can assemble a rectangle using PVC and cover it with fabric.

Household weblog Sew Many Ways covers making this pet gate after the author's dog could no longer safely make it up the stairs. All that was needed was making a rectangle out of PVC pipe and elbow joints and covering that with whatever inexpensive fabric matches your home. You could also use this for a temporary baby gate but I'd look for a more secure way to attach the gate to your stairs in that case.

Tool Time Tuesday: PVC Dog Gate and Stair Baskets Too! | Sew Many Ways

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/FpoLUIZ2Q6s/make-a-pet-gate-for-your-stairs-with-pvc-and-fabric

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Video: Florida frenemies?

>>> welcome back. florida will be a big win, of course, for either candidate. but his campaign across the state politico reports governor romney is keeping florida 's republican governor at a distance. it shows governor rick scott has a 46% approval rating, but at one point this summer he was considered the least popular gop governor anywhere. politico writes, quote, embracing him is no help to him in a must-win state. the most of any competitive state out there. let's bring in james who kovcovers the campaign for politico. he assesses who is a good friend or enemy. he picked governor scott to push off in a bit and brush his shoulders off and keep him at bay.

>> that's absolutely right, tamron. he's the elephant not in the room. the governor is glaringly absent from romney stump speech . he talks as if jeb bush is still governor. he hasn't appeared with him in public since the beginning of august, but he's willing to do his behind closed door. rick scott with romney at a closed door fund-raiser this weekend in palm beach . in public he doesn't want anything to do with him.

>> it's not as if it's a secret they met privately. so why do one thing in the quiet rooms and behave differently out front before the public?

>> tamron, in a close election florida could come down to a couple hundred votes and there's no sense putting an anchor on you. romney is outperforming rick scott . he's not popular here. there's a big difference in how they talk about the economy. rick scott is praising economic growth. mitt romney is talking about the problems under obama. when they're together, it looks awkward.

>> it's very different from the approach from john mccain with charlie crist we saw four years ago. we'll see if this strategy works. thank you so much for your time, james. we're sorry we're so brief, and we're grateful for it. we'll be right back. so you say men are superior drivers? yeah. then how'd i get this... [ voice of dennis ] ...safe driving bonus check? every six months without an accident, allstate sends a check. ok. [ voice of dennis ] silence. are you in good hands?

>>> welcome back. go to facebook.com/newsnation. check out the vote for the gut check. white men versus latinos, which group is most important voting day. that does it for this edition

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/49507280/

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BBC crisis deepens as Cameron demands answers

LONDON (Reuters) - Pressure on the BBC to address allegations its bosses covered up sexual abuse claims levelled at one of its former TV stars mounted on Monday after British Prime Minister David Cameron said the broadcaster had serious questions to answer.

The premier's intervention came as the editor of the internationally renowned media organisation's flagship "Newsnight" show stepped aside after admitting he had given an "inaccurate" account of why the BBC had axed its own expose of the alleged abuse of underage girls by the late Jimmy Savile.

"These are serious questions. They need to be answered," Cameron said of the cover-up allegations.

The scandal has engulfed the BBC at a time when it remains under pressure from its critics - which include much of the conservative media - who have queried whether it should still be funded via an annual licence fee paid by the public.

Critics, most notably media magnate Rupert Murdoch's son James, have said the licence fee gives the BBC an unfair edge over private competitors. The BBC is already cutting its workforce and output after Cameron's government imposed deep spending cuts and any loss of public trust could prove an issue in future discussions over funding and the licence fee.

While Savile, who died last year, was little known beyond Britain, the eccentric, cigar-chomping one-time DJ was one of the most recognised TV personalities on British television in the 1970s and 80s, hosting prime-time children's and pop shows.

But Savile, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his charity work and was famous for his garish outfits and long blonde hair, is now accused of raping and abusing girls as young as 12, some on BBC premises at the height of his fame.

Critics argue that the BBC covered up his alleged crimes which police say took place over six decades and were on an "unprecedented scale".

"The developments today are concerning because the BBC has effectively changed its story about why it dropped the Newsnight programme about Jimmy Savile," said Cameron when asked about the issue following a speech in London.

Veteran BBC foreign correspondent John Simpson said the organisation's handling of the case was the worst crisis to hit the corporation in his almost 50-year career.

"I don't think the BBC has handled it terribly well," he told the "Panorama" programme in clips released by the BBC.

"All we have as an organisation is the trust of people, the people that watch us and listen to us and if we don't have that, if we start to lose that, that's very dangerous."

The imbroglio has piled pressure on new BBC chief George Entwistle to explain what happened.

Entwistle only replaced Mark Thompson, the incoming New York Times Co's chief executive, as BBC Director General in August. He will appear before lawmakers on Tuesday amid a growing media clamour for answers.

"INACCURATE OR INCOMPLETE"

The claims about Savile were first aired on rival channel ITV at the end of September but the BBC faced embarrassment when it later emerged that its own programme - "Newsnight" - had carried out an investigation into Savile last year but had never broadcast its findings.

Newsnight editor Peter Rippon, who stood aside on Monday, wrote in his blog that the decision to drop the programme was made for editorial reasons, and that the investigation had only focused on possible institutional failings by police and prosecutors.

But those reasons have been publicly disputed by the show's journalists and Rippon stood down to allow an independent inquiry to try to establish the truth.

The BBC conceded Rippon's explanation was flawed. "The explanation by the editor in his blog of his decision to drop the programme's investigation is inaccurate or incomplete in some respects," it said in a statement.

The inaccuracies referred to have fuelled suspicions that BBC chiefs pulled the Newsnight probe because they did not want it to clash with planned programmes over Christmas commemorating Savile's life as a TV celebrity and charity fundraiser.

Another BBC documentary show "Panorama", due to air in Britain on Monday night, is expected to give details of how much information the Newsnight team had on Savile at the time their investigation was shelved.

Meirion Jones, the producer behind the Newsnight story, told Panorama he had warned his editor that the BBC was at risk of being accused of a cover-up if it did not run the story.

"We weren't asked to find more evidence, or anything like that, we weren't asked to get more people on camera, we were told to stop working on the story," he said in clips broadcast by the BBC.

The BBC has launched two independent reviews of the allegations, one looking into Savile's actions and another to investigate why the Newsnight report was dropped.

It has not commented officially on the case, saying it would be inappropriate to say anything until the reviews have been concluded.

"I'm afraid I can't make any comment on Panorama because I haven't seen it yet," BBC boss Entwistle told reporters when he left his home for work. "I will of course be taking questions at (parliament's) culture select committee tomorrow."

Media consultant Steve Hewlett, a former "Panorama" editor himself, said he did not believe there had been a great conspiracy but said the BBC had got itself in a mess.

"What the BBC have said about it is partial to the point of being misleading which has the effect of fuelling concern about what really went on," he told Reuters.

"They are now dealing with the way they've handled it and what they've said about it, rather than the fundamentals of what happened."

(Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bbc-crisis-deepens-allegations-emerge-070604658.html

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Israel's PM: No limits on Jerusalem construction

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing to continue building in east Jerusalem, over the objection of Palestinians who claim the territory as capital of their hoped-for state.

Netanyahu spoke Sunday after the European Union's foreign policy chief criticized plans to build 800 new apartments and a military college on contested land.

He told his Cabinet on Sunday, "We are not imposing any restrictions on construction in Jerusalem. It is our capital."

The fate of Jerusalem lies at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Palestinians refuse to negotiate while Israel continues to build settlements in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. Israel captured both areas in the 1967 Mideast war.

Netanyahu has rejected the notion of partitioning the city.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-10-21-Israel-Palestinians/id-b97fdba9366c4b468b18d2211512a917

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Mr. Knight's Double Bills of Blood (Part Nine) | Very Aware | Movie ...

I love October. The weather, the leaves changing color, the candy, the Halloween decorations?

?and the movies. Goddamn, you get to be a horror fan without anyone looking at you like you?re some bugged out dude sitting by the playground. For one month, fright fans are granted carte blanche because it?s ?in the spirit of the season? (unless you?re watching the?GUINEA PIG?films, in which case you?re still just a ?weirdo?).

In short, October is badass.

When I kept a personal blog, I used to watch a horror movie each day in October and then write about them at length, just like everyone else who isn?t the Osiris of this Horror Shit, Brian Collins of?HMAD.?Before that, I?d usually just jot down a list of the films I watched and on what day (fuck your judgement, I like lists). Now I bring this tradition to Very Aware, only I?ve put a bit of a spin on it.

Thirty double features in October ? that?s what I?m going to bring you. The dual bills of horror, cult, sci-fi or exploitation that I?m using to ring in my favorite month. Most of these pieces will be quick (a meaty paragraph or so) while others will be full-blown reviews. It all depends on how much I love (or hate) the films.

All of this leads up to my favorite day of the year: the Exhumed Films 24-Hour Horrorthon (October 27th and 28th); an entire day where, from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday, 35 or 16mm prints of great (or horrifyingly awful?depending on the group?s mood) genre films from the 60s, 70s and 80s are projected nonstop with trailers, shorts and other oddities in between. It?s all courtesy of the fine folks in?Exhumed Films?(Dan Fraga, Jesse Nelson, Harry Guerro and Joseph Gervasi), who have been putting on unbelievable double features for the past fifteen years, and the 24-Hour Thon for five.

Features seventeen and eighteen revolve around a pair of weird, atmospheric ?70s flicks and a double shot of Wes Craven?

Feature #17 ? 10/17/12 ? A Pair of Little Seen Atmospheric Oddities From the ?70s (DEATHDREAM [1974] & LET?S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH [1971])

DEATHDREAM is an angry movie. A film about the how the horrors of war can change a human being irrevocably, it uses its supernatural elements (in this case vampirism) as a metaphor, not just a tool for elementary scare tactics.?In many ways, DEATHDREAM?feels like it would be at home in the filmography of George Romero, an artist who was interested in creating similar allegories.

Bob Clark is mostly known for his holiday classic, A CHRISTMAS STORY,?and his raunchy teen comedy, PORKY?S. But before making those mainstream hits, he toiled away in indie horror. Starting with the zombie movie, CHILDREN SHOULDN?T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS?(which is an absolute snoozer), he cut his filmmaking teeth creating rubber faced ghouls and desperately horny teens. It wasn?t until DEATHDREAM?that he would add deeper dimensions of character and emotion, as it seems the story of young Andy?s homecoming from Vietnam is a very personal one for Clark.

The plot to DEATHDREAM?is relatively simplistic, and that straightforwardness allows the film to focus on the more interesting subtexts going on beneath the surface. Andy Brooks (an utterly chill inducing, dead eyed Richard Backus) is a young Vietnam soldier killed on the battlefield. While dying, he is suddenly transfixed by an ambiguous object. Back home, a soldier reports the tragic news to the Brooks family (which includes John Marley and Lynn Carlin, of John Cassavettes extraordinary FACES, as his father and mother). However, on a local highway, Andy reemerges as a silent hitchhiker. Much later that evening, hours after a tranquil Brooks family dinner, Andy returns home. The family is ecstatic, but Andy is despondent, much to his father?s chagrin. He stumbles through the motions of civilian life, but eventually the family?s happiness turns into curiosity and later fear for Andy?s condition. Something is definitely wrong with and Andy?s relationship with his father becomes increasingly strained as it becomes clear the boy may have been involved in two local murders (where the deaths ?fed? him in an unusual way).

Its obvious what Clark is getting at here. Like so many soldiers of that war, the ?old? Andy died on the battlefield and returned home a souless, empty shell of a human being. ?Clark and Ormsby take the transformation a bit futher, making Andy a very literal ?monster?, as the Vietnam War used him up, sucking every last of humanity the young boy had in him. The subtext adds a layer of sadness to Andy?s character and, even though he gives you creeps as he injects one of his victim?s blood straight into his veins (another obvious bit of Vietnam Vet imagery, as so many brought home drug habits), you can?t help but feel sorry for his plight. He served his country and, in turn, lost his soul.

Besides unveiling Clark?s directorial talents, DEATHDREAM?also served as a training ground for two other horror icons: Tom Savini and Alan Ormsby. Savini?s legendary talents speak for themselves, but it is worth noting he considers DEATHDREAM?an important rung on the ladder of his success. The DVD (from fellow exploitation icon Bill Lustig?s amazing label, Blue Underground) features a 10-minute featurette about Savini titled ?The Early Years? that has the young makeup artist saying just how much DEATHDREAM?meant to his career. Screenwriter Alan Ormsby wrote DEATHDREAM, and he later wrote CAT PEOPLE?for Paul Schrader and THE SUBSTITUTE?(yup, the one with Tom Berenger), in addition to frequently collaborating with Bob Clark. Ormsby also directed and wrote DERANGED?in 1974 (the same year?Deathdream?hit the States from its native Canada), a biopic about serial killer Ed Gein that again showcased Savini?s early makeup work.

There?s a lot to love about DEATHDREAM, but I can also see many people being turned off by its overtly grim tone. Unlike CHILDREN SHOULDN?T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS?and his follow up to DEATHDREAM, the holiday slasher classic (and pre-cursor to HALLOWEEN), BLACK CHRISTMAS, Clark would inject zero humor into the proceedings. But those looking for a dour, thoughtful piece of cinema with one hell of a downer ending will be thrilled beyond words. A true product of its times, DEATHDREAM?is a damn fine horror picture.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of LET?S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH, which?is the very definition of ?unremarkable?.

I first saw LET?S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH?at an Exhumed Films triple feature in 2005 (I believe the second and third movies were actually Bob Clark?s CHILDREN SHOULDN?T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS?and Lamberto Bava?s DEMONS).?A definite ?slow burn?, LET?S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH?is the low budget tale of our titular heroine, a recently released psych patient who moves with her cellist husband and hippie friend into a New England estate known simply as ?the old Bishop place?. Upon arriving, she attempts to ignore the whispering voice in her head and the ghostly apparitions surrounding the property.? Is Jessica going crazy? Or is the house really haunted by the spirits of its past?

I honestly can?t give you an answer either way, as the film?s attempts to shroud its narrative in ambiguity create too many unanswered questions. The locals tell tales of a girl drowning in the lake that surrounds the home, and that she now roams the countryside as a vampire. And an old family portrait shows the girl bearing quite a resemblance to the beatnik squatter Jessica finds living in their new house. But that can?t be right?can it? The resemblance has to be a conicidence. Or is it?

LET?S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH creates solid atmosphere with its misty photography and haunting score. The use of sound in the film is top notch as well, as long stretches of silence give way to jolting pianos and jarring jump scares, something I usually hate but found worked quite effectively here. I?d be interested to see if Tobe Hooper is a fan of this film, as the aural design would be replicated in the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, full of clangs and white noise. And much like that classic, the scares never feel cheap, but are used in an effort to build Jessica?s growing paranoia.

The performances are good, if a bit uneven at times, and the attention to character building over straight horror (a solid portion of the film is devoted to how Jessica?s mental disorder puts a strain on her marriage) is something you don?t see in most scare films anymore. Unfortunately, the lack of answers grows frustrating after a while and the film, while only running a scant 88 minutes, drags quite a bit.

A true encapsulation of the filmmaking style of the time, LET?S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH?feels like a great concept that never fully gels into a completely coherent film. With such a great title and premise, it?s a wonder Hollywood hasn?t snatched it up to remake (I know I sound like a broken record here). With a slightly more focused script, LET?S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH?could be a truly wonderful little horror movie.

Feature #18 ? 10/18/12 ? Two From the ?Master? of Horror: Wes Craven! (SHOCKER [1989] & NEW NIGHTMARE [1994])

Wes Craven?s nickname should be ?50/50?, because those are the odds that, whenever he makes a movie, it?ll be any good. While it?s considered a ?classic?, no one can say A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET?is completely flawless (the ending, when you think about it, makes completely no sense), and even Craven?s ?solid? movies, like LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT,?suffer from glaring flaws (God, those bumbling small town cops are horrible). To me, SCREAM?will always be his best film (just rewatched the first one on blu and it holds up like a motherfucker. The sequels?not so much?), and when you combine this fact with the absolute stinkers he?s made (DEADLY FRIEND, THE HILLS HAVE EYES II, CURSED, MUSIC OF THE FUCKING HEART), the guy comes off like an above average Tobe Hooper, not a John Carpenter or George Romero.

SHOCKER is a film that is usually lumped by most into the ?stinker? category. And, for the most part, that?s right. But only half right. In 2010, Craven directed the monument to incoherent filmmaking, MY SOULD TO TAKE. Watching that film unfold is how the last moments must be before you dehydrate and die in the middle of the desert. It?s hallucinatory, bizarre, and you just kind of want it to end already. In many ways, SHOCKER feels?like the a stepping stone to?that colossally entertaining piece of crap, as the last thirty minutes find Craven almost brazenly defying logic.

What sucks is that SHOCKER?actually starts off great because it?s, well?coherent. Following a very ELM STREET?feeling credits sequence (where a man is using a buck knife to splice television pieces together in a grimy lair), we meet Jonathan Parker (future FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS?mastermind?Peter Berg), a rising high school football star. He?s got a pretty girlfriend, a supportive coach, and a loving police detective foster-father (the always welcome Michael Murphy). Enter Horace Pinker (Mitch Pileggi or, as you and I know him, Skinner from THE X-FILES), notorious mass murderer of suburban families. He slaughters Jonathan?s mother and sister (which Jonathan somehow witnesses in a dream?before?it happens) and then Jonathan psychically leads his father and the rest of the police force to Pinker?s television repair shop. He, of course, eludes capture and murders Jonathan?s girlfriend.

Up until this point, everything pretty much follows an easily discernible bit of logic. The psychic dream stuff, you would assume, will be explained later (spolier: it isn?t) and there?s only been minor logic gaps (like?why would they just let Jonathan and his girlfriend hang out alone after Pinker has just slaughtered his relatives and then gotten a good look at Jonathan while escaping the TV shop?). But, overall, it?s thrilling, well paced, and chock full of that great atmosphere that made A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET?so enjoyable. In all honesty, there are so many similarities between this movie and the ELM STREET?films that I couldn?t help but wonder why Wes didn?t just rework the script to be another sequel.

Jonathan then (psychically, of course) leads the police to a murder in progress, where they apprehend Pinker. Time passes, Pinker is sentenced to death and, on the day of his execution, the guards find him worshiping at a self-made television altar (his last wish was to have a TV brought to his cell), where some kind of spirit comes out and electrocutes him. The guards are able to revive the maniac (not without Pinker snapping awake and attacking the poor saps), and then Pinker is promptly put to death via electric chair, but not before delivering a speech to Jonathan and his dad (they?re witnesses at the execution) that pretty much says ?Luke, I?m your real psycho killer daddy?.

The whole time I found myself thinking, ?OK?so I?m still with you Wes. And I?m entertained. So really, who gives a shit about logic?? I quickly regretted giving him, as my dad would say, ?enough rope to hang himself?.

Pinker comes back, but as conducted electricity. Also?he?s able to jump into other people?s bodies. It?s actually kinda cool at first (and nice to see where JASON GOES TO HELL?stole the idea from). But then Pinker possess everyone in a small park, one after another, and it kind of gets ridiculous.?I?m sorry, but the movie lost me from that point on. SHOCKER?kind of just drags from there (at almost two hours, this film is ENTIRELY too long), hurtling toward a climax that is so preposterous, so inexplicably batshit as to defy explanation. But I?m going to give it my best shot (HERE THERE BE SPOILERS):

At one point, Jonathan?s loving football coach (who should?ve been played by Carl Weathers) is possessed by Pinker?until the ghost of Jonathan?s girlfriend appears and tells him to ?will it out? (the ghost will later appear to guide Jonathan in his quest against Pinker, kind of like ?Grandpa?s Ghost? leads little Joshua in TROLL 2). It seems that Pinker feeds off of the ?life force? inside of each human, but if it?s strong enough, you can kick his ass to the curb. Needless to say, the coach fails and then Pinker makes him jam a knife through his own chest. Everyone?s sad, and Jonathan gets the football team to rally together to execute a plan that he?s (again, inexplicably) devised to trap Pinker in TV Land.

This is where it gets tricky. Jonathan somehow is able to wrestle Pinker INTO A TELEVISION, where they fight and tumble through classic TV shows (like Mary Tyler Moore), music videos (I think that was Alice Cooper) and recorded moments in history (like the H-Bomb tests?who the hell is watching this?). At midnight, his football buddies are supposed to cut the town?s main power tower off (using just an axe, apparently), trapping Pinker in TV Land forever. It?s a sequence so?stupid and strange, that you can?t help but grin ear to ear while watching it.

Oh?this should be a good time to clue you guys in: I loved every second of this nonsense. It?s so weird, so defiant in its stance against logic and reason that it almost becomes a piece of abstract art. Craven throws narrative to the dogs and just lets the crazy flow. It?s deliriously wonderful, and really has to be seen to believed.

Seek SHOCKER?out. It?s not ?boring bad? like CURSED, but instead is a great film to crack a beer and just kick back with. You?ll laugh. You?ll gasp. You?ll scream ?WTF?? more than once. But as the credits roll, I guarantee you?ll be entertained.?It?s up in the air as to which side of the ?50/50? coin this truly lands on, but I?d say it lands on the ?solid? side.

NEW NIGHTMARE felt like the obvious choice to follow SHOCKER with, as it almost explains why the film was so incoherent. Craven was obviously bored with the actual character of Freddy Kreuger. Relegated to a pop culture piece of iconography, the gloved killer had lost his ability to be scary long ago. After having very little to do with FREDDY?S DEAD (falsely subtitled THE FINAL NIGHTMARE), Craven didn?t actual ressurect the character, but instead let Freddy usher a new monster into ?the real world?. Deliciously meta in a way he?d go on to perfect in the SCREAM movies, NEW NIGHTMARE is, in my opinion, one of the more wrongly underloved films of all time.

NEW NIGHTMARE is very much a horror film within a horror film. The film follows actress Heather Langenkamp, director Wes Craven and the rest of the crew (both fictional and playing themselves, as is the case with New Line head honcho of the time, Bob Shaye) as they embark upon making another sequel in the ELM STREET franchise. But Wes is making the movie in order to stop evil from entering this world, as the first six films apparently helped usher in a demon that manifests itself in the form of Freddy.

Where SCREAM would be a commentary on horror films, NEW NIGHTMARE is really a commentary on fervor. Much like the Sutter Cane novels in John Carpenter?s IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, these works of fiction are made real by the multitudes that take in and believe them. In many ways, I also wonder if Craven is relaying to us, via fiction, some of his disdain for both fans of the franchise and the franchise itself. The demons return to earth because, not only do people not believe in them anymore, they?re also angered by the death of their fictional manifestion on the big screen. They want more Freddy because, without him, the people don?t get their fill of ?pure evil?. ?The only way to stop Freddy is to make another movie,? Craven says at one point, making it literally clear that he wanted to stop the ELM STREET movies and their clamoring fans in their tracks.

Craven also seems interested in the effects making these movies has on its stars and creators. Heather has trouble sleeping and almost fears the sight of her movie when her young son has it on the television. When Craven is said to be writing the ?new script?, his nightmares keep him awake night after night, to the point that Langenkamp is concerned and instantly knows the background of the director?s seemingly legendary dreams.???Nothing good comes from these,? Craven seems to be saying and even Robert Englund is haunted by visions of his evil alter ego.

None of this would matter if the film didn?t work, and it really does. Craven?s shot composition, while rather workmanlike as it always is, is lit to moody perfection at times. And the look of ?new Freddy? is kind of terrifying, as the cartoon, rubbery visage that became his trademark is replaced with an angular, demonic face. Also gone are the ?witty? one liners and jokey, tongue-in-cheek nature of Freddy?s attacks. NEW NIGHTMARE is deadly serious, and all the better for it, as its the first movie since the original that is actually, you know?scary.

If Craven?s intention was to throw fans off and kill the franchise, he succeeded. While the film made $18 million at the BO (over double its budget), it was the lowest grossing, and final entry in the series (unless you count FREDDY VS. JASON). It?s just as well, as this is the best way to take out an icon. By reinventing him almost completely and putting an entirely new spin on the series, Craven made his greatest creation scary again. And that?s really all we want from our horror right? To thrill and chill and make us question why we ever liked these movies (or want to make them) in the first place.

Source: http://veryaware.com/2012/10/mr-knights-double-bills-of-blood-part-nine/

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