It is the year 2021 and Kaela is twenty-three years old when her father shares his secret about an extraordinary event that changed his very existence some fifteen years earlier. She was taught many lessons in moral principles growing up, but it’s rare that the most profound of them would be put to the test. A convergence of events gives her father the opportunity to teach her one of the greatest lessons of all.
Each year in Germany between 400 and 550 people fall victim to fires. Interestingly, in most cases the actual cause of death is not the blaze itself but smoke inhalation. Two minutes of exposure to thick smoke can result in such serious lung damage that oxygen no longer reaches vital organs in sufficient quantities. Now a new mobile heart-lung machine might help to save lives in situations like these.
“A TENSE AND RIVETING PIECE OF ACTION CINEMA… IMPRESSIVE FIGHT SEQUENCES… BONE-CRUSHING VIOLENCE.” – TWITCH.
Winner of eight honours at the prestigious Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Action Choreography, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume and Make-up Design and Best Original Film Score, and the winner of the Best Actor (Wang Xueqi) and Best Supporting Actor (Nicholas Tse) prizes at this year’s Asian Film Awards, the epic, period action movie Bodyguards And Assassins is a dramatic fictionalized retelling of the suspenseful events of 1906 that eventually led to the 1911 Xinhai Revolution and the founding of the Republic of China.
Directed by Teddy Chan (The Accidental Spy) and featuring an impressive cast of Hong Kong and China’s biggest stars, including Donnie Yen (Ip Man; Kill Zone), Leon Lai (An Empress And The Warriors; Seven Swords), Xueqi Wang (Forever Enthralled; Warriors Of Heaven And Earth; The Red Suit), Tony Leung Ka Fai (Missing; The Myth), Nicholas Tse (Dragon Tiger Gate; New Police Story; The Medallion) and Simon Yam (Ip Man; Triangle), Bodyguards And Assassins is a sumptuously staged, action-packed blockbuster, full of political intrigue, tragedy and drama that will appeal as much to lovers of quality cinema as it will to martial arts aficionados.
On October 15th 1906, the man destined to become the Father of Modern China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, is due to arrive in the British Colony of Hong Kong to discuss plans to overthrow the corrupt Qing Dynasty with a group of leading anti-Qing revolutionaries. Aware of Sun’s intentions, the Qing Court dispatches an elite army of assassins to the port where Sun is due to arrive, with orders to see to it that he never makes it to his appointment and does not leave the colony alive.
Receiving news of the proposed assassination, a newspaper editor and a local tycoon, both sympathetic supporters of the revolution, take it upon themselves to protect Dr. Sun at any cost. To help ensure his safety they recruit a motley band of fellow sympathisers, friends and acquaintances, all skilled in martial arts combat to act as Sun’s bodyguards. Additionally, they devise a risky plan to secretly replace the assassins’ target with a human decoy in an attempt to lead the killers away from their quarry.
As Sun arrives on the fateful day, the stage is set for a bloody confrontation in which a small group of selflessly courageous men and women will risk their lives fighting against hundreds of adversaries in a conflict that will determine the fate of millions.
Cleverly taking his time to establish his characters, their back-stories, motives and sub-plots in the deliberately paced first half of the film, director Chan expertly unleashes a barrage of non-stop, action set-pieces in a final hour that will leave viewers breathless.
Among the many standout sequences in a film that manages to be as emotionally involving and moving as it is exciting are a brilliantly directed sequence that echoes Brian De Palma’s homage (from “The Untouchables”) to Eisenstein’s famous Odessa Steps sequence from “Battleship Potemkin”, an extended free-running duel involving Donnie Yen and Cung Le, and a ‘man versus horse’ confrontation that is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Bodyguards And Assassins will be released on DVD (£12.99) and Blu-ray (£19.99) by E1 Entertainment on 31st May 2010.
Intellipunks Black Bikini Alpha let loose their anthemic single London Town is Falling Down. This controversial video toys with recent issues of national security and the looming presence of Big Brother style surveillance systems. Recently championed as the best debut of the year so far by Fuse Magazine, BBAs latest endeavor is set to take the London electro punk rock scene by storm. GET ON BOARD!
Americans across the country are drawn into the competition, cheering for their state’s queen. And this year one lucky winner and a friend will have the chance to experience the 2011 Miss America Pageant live in Las Vegas. ARTISTRY® Skin Care and Cosmetics, exclusively by Amway, recently launched the “Find Your Pageant Look and Win!” Sweepstakes on its Facebook® page at www.Facebook.com/Artistry.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/45839-Artistry-Miss-America-Sweepstakes/
Transitions Optical and VSP® Vision Care brought a state-of-the-art 40-foot mobile eyecare clinic, nicknamed “Eyenstein,” to the Harlem community to provide comprehensive eye exams and complimentary eyewear to area children to help them prepare for the start of a new school year. The mobile eyecare clinic, onsite at East Harlem Scholars Academy on Thursday, August 18, will also be at the Harlem Week Children’s Festival which is open to the public on Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/transitions/50070/
For the tenth consecutive year, silver has ranked as the most popular vehicle color in the world according to data from PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG), the world’s leading manufacturer of transportation coatings. In fact, silver’s popularity is the highest its been since 1990 when PPG began recording its data.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/ppg/46056/
Just in time for Valentine’s Day this year, Choice Hotels Music is offering yet another free original song download for consumers with “Sweetest Dreams.” Performed by Holly Montgomery and available for free at ChoiceHotelsMusic.com, “Sweetest Dreams” was inspired by the poetry of a remarkable young woman named Kai Croft and its lyrics were inspired by the emotion of love.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/choicehotels/45003/
Wildlands, Inc. announces the completion of habitat restoration at the Liberty Island Conservation Bank in Yolo County, California. The completion of construction caps a three year entitlement and permitting process with federal, state and local agencies in one of the most complex restoration projects in Wildlands 20-year history.
The 186-acre restoration project focused on tidal aquatic habitat suitable for special-status fish species. The Liberty Island Conservation Bank is a collaborative effort between Wildlands, California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and will mitigate permitted impacts to fisheries habitat throughout the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The Bank is protected with a permanent conservation easement and a non-wasting long-term endowment to manage the property in perpetuity.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/wildlands/49727/
Last year was a year of change for Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR). In its just-issued 2011 Annual Report online at www.marriott.com/investor, see how the company embraced change as it announced the spin-off of its timeshare business as well as the third CEO in company history. Even with major transitions the company remains Marriott to the core, and that means being the world’s best hospitality company.
To view Multimedia News Release http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54177-marriott-internationals-2011-annual-report-and-video