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CRIMSON PEAK Featurette Sneaks In

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crimson peak featurette sneaks in 2015 imagesThe movie Crimson Peak just arrived in theaters in time for Halloween. The movie is about a young woman named Edith who marries the seductive Sir Thomas Sharpe. Shortly after they wed, Thomas takes her to live with him in his remote Gothic mansion set in the English hills. Living with them is Thomas’ sister, Lady Lucille, who is protective over the mansion and the family secrets that lie within it. Since Edith is able to communicate with the deceased, she tries to decipher the mystery behind the mysterious visions that have begun haunting her since she moved into her new home.

The movie was written and directed by Guillermo Del Toro, who is known for writing such screenplays as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Pan’s Labyrinth. Mia Wasikowska of Alice in Wonderland stars as Edith, alongside co-stars Tom Hiddleston (Avengers) and Jessica Chastain (Interstellar/Zero Dark Thirty).

Director Del Toro brings a blend of psychological horror and gothic beauty to this film that plays with the realm of dark fairy-tales. He chooses to set the story in the year 1901, where he could emphasize contemporary gothic visuals throughout the film.

Crimson Peaks is set in Allerdale Hall, which is a well-known gothic mansion that sits atop the English hillside. The hall is located in the middle of a bleak, barren landscape and is perched above a red clay deposit – hence the name “Crimson Peak.” The Hall was originally a complex set that Del Toro had constructed in his mind. However, while writing the script the house quickly became one of the most compelling characters of the story and therefore, Del Toro had a crew work endlessly for six months to create a replica of what he had been envisioning when writing Crimson Peak.

Unique to most sets, Allerdale Hall was built like an actual house, complete with ceilings and hallways that connected all the rooms. Basically, the equivalent of 10 sets were all made into one. Del Toro wanted to ensure he was able to seamlessly film the scenes authentically and not to use any digital stitching of shots in post-production.

In order to showcase the film’s visuals, Legendary and Universal pictures are also releasing Crimson Peaks in IMAX. Therefore, IMAX has released a short featurette that explains the film’s “Throwback to Gothic Horror.”


The featurette begins with lead actor Tom Hiddleston, who plays Sir Thomas Sharpe, explaining that director and writer Guillermo Del Toro wanted to make a “classical gothic romance.” Going on to say he wanted to, “reclaim the horror genre to infuse it with a classical tone to make it romantic again.”

Next, Guillermo is shown explaining the inspiration behind the film. He states, “There is a beautiful genre called Gothic Romance that combines an almost fairy tale, dark atmosphere, ghostly, supernatural but very classy with a heightened melodrama.” He goes on to explain that this particular genre used to be much more common in Hollywood, as big budgets and production efforts were put towards creating such films. However, after the 1950s and 60s, he felt that Gothic Romance “got lost,” and therefore Crimson Peaks was his way of bringing it back.

The featurette also shows Academy Award nominated actress Jessica Chastain discussing how the house itself became a character in the film. She feels that the movie is almost a “throwback to another era,” as the set was built so intricately and with so much detail. Actress Mia Wasikowska notes that the built-to-scale mansion helped the actors embrace the world that is showcased within the movie. It truly gave them a sense of the story that Del Toro was trying to tell through his script and visuals. She also claims that it was the “most amazing, beautiful set [she] has ever seen,” which is an impressive feat considering she was on set of the imaginative Alice and Wonderland.

By seeing the film in IMAX, Jessica explains that you are not simply watching the film…you are “experiencing it.”

With the incredibly high attention to details, both the movie’s set and story brings audiences into another era. With a mansion that is as much luxurious as it is dark and spooky, Crimson Peaks puts a new high-quality spin on the typical Halloween thriller.

You can immerse yourself into the world of Allerdale Hall now that Crimson Peaks is in theaters everywhere.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool Soccer Preview 2015

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tottenham hotspur vs liverpool preview soccer 2015 imagesThis weekend’s fixture at White Hart Lane will see more eyeballs than some of the recent clashes at the London venue as Jurgen Klopp makes his Premier League debut with Liverpool on Saturday.

The Reds sacked Brendan Rodgers earlier this month after the Northern Irishman endured a difficult start to the campaign as they sit tenth in the league standings at the conclusion of the first eight rounds of games. The Merseyside giants had been hugely unimpressive in some of their recent games, which led to the Anfield faithful booing their own team during their League Cup game against League Two side Carlisle United.

However Klopp, who earned his reputation at Borussia Dortmund – where he stayed for seven seasons and guided them to back to back Bundesliga titles, a DFB Pokal and the final of the 2013 Champions League with attacking and fast transition football – will be expected to bring the same at Anfield. But it sounds easier than it actually is. At the Rhine outfit, Klopp had the players to fit the bill, or to put it another way, he had spent enough time at the club to shape the players into his mould.

Meanwhile, he is barely a week into his stint at Anfield and has hardly had any time with his players to teach them any nuances of his football philosophy. In the prevailing circumstances, he will be keen to use his first few games as testing water to see the kind of personnel he has at his disposal and if he needs to bring in any new players during the winter transfer market.

On the other hand, Mauricio Pochettino’s side are flying high as they have grabbed ten points from their last four fixtures. Their run included 1-0 wins over Sunderland – who are currently in the relegation zone – Crystal Palace and a hugely impressive 4-1 hammering of Premier League title contenders Manchester City at White Hart Lane.

The three wins, which all came in the month of September, helped Pochettino clinch Premier League Manager of the Month award and he will be eager to get his team back to their best as they head into the first game after the recent international break.

Encouragingly for the Lilywhites, their frontman Harry Kane has gotten off the mark with his goal against the Citizens and Spurs will be counting on his heroics this weekend.

Klopp has been dealt two injury setbacks in his early days at Anfield as young defender Joe Gomez and former Burnley striker Danny Ings have both been ruled out for months after they suffered anterior cruciate ligament tears recently.

To compound his problems, Christian Benteke and former Hoffenheim forward, Roberto Firmino will also be unavailable.

Klopp will be expected to play his trusted 4-2-3-1 – the formation he preferred at both Mainz and Borussia Dortmund – and will be counting on the heroics of Divock Origi and an injury prone Daniel Sturridge during his Premier League managerial debut.

Whatever the result, it sure promises to be an enticing affair.

Fantasy Football NFL Week 6 Start and Sit: Bridgewater & Donnell

fantasy football nfl week 6 teddy bridgewater 2015 images

It’s Week 6, the New Orleans Saints actually looked like a professional football team, and now it’s time once again to set those lineups! There’s a ton of great looking matchups this week, and here’s a little help deciding who to play in both season-long and one-day fantasy leagues:

Start: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Minnesota Vikings—Bridgewater sneaks onto the list for Week 6, not necessarily because the Vikings have been playing better the last few weeks but mainly because the Kansas City Chiefs can’t seem to get anything done against quarterbacks. The Chiefs have allowed the most points to fantasy quarterbacks so far in 2015.

Bridgewater comes into this game with Adrian Peterson playing like we expect him to, a receiver corps helping him out, and of course the scrambling threat that defenses always have to account for, so he should have no problem continuing to abuse a struggling Chiefs’ defense.

If you’re in a two-QB league or your main guy is on bye week, Bridgewater is definitely a safe play. If you’re looking to save up for Rob Gronkowski in your one-day leagues, Bridgewater looks like a cheap, reliable sleeper for the week.

Sit: Larry Donnell, TE, New York GiantsDonnell had a fantastic catch to help the Giants overtake the San Francisco 49ers Sunday Night, but at the end of the night he only had 35 yards to go along with that touchdown. In fact, Donnell has yet to score 10 fantasy points in a single game with that being only his second touchdown of the first five weeks.

Donnell will have some upside with a lot of injuries to Giants’ receivers, but the Philadelphia Eagles don’t make things easy on tight ends. Only two TEs have had touchdowns on the Eagles since last season, and one of them was New Orleans Saints’ Ben Watson, who had one last week.

Donnell has also struggled personally against the Eagles dating back to last season with only 32 total yards over two games, so all in all he is probably not the best option. Try using some of the dough you saved playing Bridgewater to aim for a bigger name.

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER 204: Shanked Skanks

how to get away with murder 203 skanks recap images 2015How To Get Away With Murder is on and popping this week with so much revealed. Nothing better than a title like ‘Skanks Get Shanked!’

We are given an extended view into the night in question in which Annalise and ADA Sinclair have been stabbed. The ambulance makes it to the house and gets Annie onboard but does she make it? We are still yet to know.

As for the story this week, which is four weeks before the incident at the Haptalls’, Annalise is in her tub, holding her breath under water when she gets a call, on Nate’s phone, from Nate’s wife. You know the one in the hospital dying. She requests her to come to her bedside, which Annalise does. When she gets there, she reveals, “I was afraid to come. I’m not a woman that gets afraid.”

Nate’s wife tells her how she feels about her screwing her husband and asks her an important question, “Do you love him?” Annalise doesn’t know how to answer that. “I need you to love him.” She then puts her hand out to Annalise and asks her for a favor. “I want you to help me end it; I want you to kill me.”

We don’t see her answer and are immediately taken back to Annalise’s house where they have a new client. A young college girl named Zoe, who has been accused of murdering her best friend.

Annalise takes the case and goes with the defense that Zoe met bad influences (two other girls) who made her kill her best friend. “An innocent girl that doesn’t deserve jail.” She goes the mental instability route.

Back at the house, after opening statements, Connor points out how everything Annalise said was done to Zoe, she did to them. Just then, Annalise walks into the room and calls Michaela to help her get to the bottom of the Hapstall case while Laurel and Connor try to find info to discredit the expert witness the prosecution is putting on the stand the next day. She sends her to find out if the Hapstalls are screwing.

Meanwhile, Asher is MIA because he is with his father, a lawyer, who is helping him make a deal with ADA Sinclair about the Lake Trotter mystery. Bonnie continues to call him, and he continues to lie to her about where he is. This prompts her to ask Frank about his guy who can trace calls. You see where that storyline is going.

As Annalise sits in the court, she flashes back to her conversation with Nate’s wife, and we are clued into what was said. She asks Annie to get her pills so that she can “end it” herself. Annalise is hesitant, but his wife tells her, “You owe me this.” Annie brought back from her zone out when the judge calls her to cross-examine the expert witness, a psychologist. She is given a recess being that she needs to regroup and during that time finds that the physiologist misdiagnosed a patient before who turned around and killed his own family.

During the recess too, Zoe’s friends are seen talking to her and walk away when Laurel and Connor come over. Connor sits down to talk to her and after speaking to her gathers that “she’s not a sociopath.”

At the Hapstall’s house, Michaela tries to reason with Caleb, and he’s pretty uncooperative. He doesn’t believe that anyone is on his side and gives her a hard time. She tries to find common grown with him, telling Caleb that she’s adopted too, and it appears she may be falling for him.

At the courthouse, Zoe’s phone has come up missing, and we later find that Laurel took because she just didn’t buy her story. She finds an app that young people use to share videos and in the video, it is clear that Zoe is the ringleader of the little group, killed her best friend and suggests killing someone else.

They show the video to her parents who demand that it be destroyed. Annalise obliges and lets Connor and Laure know. But Connor is not having it and can’t believe they are going to let it go. Annalise turns to Frank and tells him to get rid of all videos. He follows her into her office and gives her a bottle of pills.

We find out that Connor is the one who gave the prosecutors the video as he just couldn’t deal with letting Zoe get away with murder. Annalise finds this out and brings up the fact that Connor’s car, which has Sam’s blood stains, wasn’t stolen by Frank and that he better not EVER mess with her case again. I mean, literally, she put the fear of Zeus in that man.

Later than night, Michaela shares that she “has a boyfriend” referring to Levi and immediately West leaves to find him. When he does, tells him to stay away from Michaela because he’s playing with her emotions. Levi says that he will do anything to find out what happened to Rebecca and has found a lead. The lead ends up being connected to Frank, and somehow they find the place where Rebecca was buried.

Michaela takes another stab at interviewing the Hapstall siblings this time speaking to Catherine. She eventually finds out that she is a Virgin. They tell Annalise, take her to the hospital to see if it’s true and find out that it is. So no incest.

During the trial, the video that Annie had Frank destroy is brought in to evident by the prosecution Zoe’s mom is livid. She tells Annalise that she better fix it.

Nate shows up at the courthouse, and Annalise tells him that she went to see his wife. He asks her why and a flashback shows his wife telling her not to tell Nate that she plans to take the pills. So Annalise doesn’t.

Back on trial, Annalise cross-examines one of the girls accused of brainwashing Zoe. The girl says that they never liked Zoe they only wanted to be friends with the dead girl and Zoe can’t take it. She blows up in the courtroom yelling that they were nothing without her and that she better watch her back as she will be next. That bitch is hauled off to prison.

Annalise makes the trip to visit Nate’s wife one more time. And tells her that if she, Annalise Keating, who has done some messed up shit, doesn’t deserve to die, then neither does she. “Sorry, I can’t.” His wife is disappointed and tells her,  “I thought you’d do it, you’ve killed before.” She mentions Sam and Annalise walks out.

Whatever deal Asher worked out with the help of his father, is done. As his dad’s drives away, Bonnie has found him thanks to Frank’s friend. Asher tells her he knows that Nate killed Sam and Annalise is covering it up and “she needs to go down for it.” Bonnie tells him, “You’re wrong, I killed Sam.” Asher is shocked.

Back at the hospital, as Annalise walks out, she sees Nate and West having an intense conversation. Nate tells him that he should not have trusted Levi because he could have lied about being Rebecca’s foster brother.

In the end, with a flashback to the night Annie is stabbed, the crew, minus Asher, and Nate stop at an apartment and Michaela goes out to go inside. A man waits for her, and we see it is Caleb Hapstall who asks her, “How is she.”

Lord, I have no idea where it’s going, but I plan to find out.

BLACK-ISH 204: Daddy’s Day Recap

blackish 204 daddy day recap images 2015Get ready people, because there’s a brand new holiday on the calendar- Daddy’s Day. That’s the subject matter this week on Blackish.

Dre feels that Fathers Day is a joke and “It never even had a chance… cowering in its shell” against Mother’s Day.” He and his colleges come up with a new holiday honoring fathers- Daddy’s Day.

He calls his family together to tell them about the new initiative at work and how he is going to implement it at home. It is in the fall so doesn’t have to share any shine with Mother’s day, and he gives them a run down of the points, why they have this new holiday and what he expects.

Bow shuts him down with the quickness. He tells them that they are serious about it and are even pitching for sponsors. Can someone say Bud Light? Pops also weighs in letting Dre. Know that it “is the dumbest idea of all of your dumb ideas.”

Zoe comes into the meeting with her friend Rasheda, and they are clued into what Daddy’s Day is. Zoe looks at him like he is crazy, and Bow dismisses them. Dre. not wanting to be outdone by his wife, dismisses everyone with the homework to come up with ideas for gifts by Sunday.

Ruby, of course, breaks Bow joy (Jr. offers to give her the night off by doing the laundry) telling her that he’s only doing it to be nice since she is pretty much a failure as a mother. Throughout this episode, they explore the momma’s boy relationship between him and Bow. She coddles him, and Ruby tells her if Jr. isn’t willing to die for her, they are not close enough.

Back at the office, the men go over their strategies, which are sexist and offensive. They feel they need a child to be the face of their campaign and suggest Zoe. Dre. is all for it, but he feels that her attitude is all wrong. “If I’m going to get her excited about Daddy’s Day she has to care about Daddy.” Rasheda also gives her input to change Daddy’s Day from Sunday to Monday (in the place of Columbus Day). She and Dre bond until Zoe tells her dad to get out. He then offers the opportunity to Rasheda, to Zoe’s chagrin.

Jr. continues his momma’s boy behavior, even putting his young siblings in check and while she feels they have a great connection, Ruby tells her that they have a very similar relationship to that of hers and Dre. This horrifies Bow as she thinks about what that means.

Dre and Rasheda over the storyboard for the commercial and Bow tells him he is wrong for casting Zoe’s friend. Dre’s parents go back and forth about Pop’s parenting skills and they give their son a quick lesson on being a father to a daughter.

At the office, he premieres the video of Daddy’s Day, and everyone is in love with it. Dre then brings out Rasheda and they applaud at the idea that she’s real. “I thought she was CG.” Rasheda then texts Zoe that Dre is giving her driving lessons to which Zoe says, “We can play this game.”

During the driving lesson, he screams at Rasheda, etc. but that’s okay because she believes, “Yelling is caring.” He is caught off guard (in a good way) because that’s exactly what he tells Zoe (who doesn’t listen). Speaking of his oldest daughter, just as he and her bestie finish their driving lesson, she rolls past them driving Charlie’s car and gives her daddy a, “Now what” look. “Zoe has fired her first shot, and it was a good one.”

They then become locked in a “major daughter/daddy standoff.” Back at the house, she tells him that she failed her lesson because of Charlie. “The driving instructor told me I drive like a drunk person… she actually gave me a breathalyzer.” She chastises her father, in a way, saying that she is just being a teenager when she turns down his help, and he’s supposed to keep pushing until she caves. Zoe walks away, and Dre is left standing there speechless.

This situation leaves him feeling down during his meeting with the sponsors, and he is off his game. He breaks down during his presentation. “I’m just a little distracted.” As he explains how his daughter’s friend does things for him that she doesn’t the sponsors (and his co-workers) misinterpret what he is saying and are disgusted, so they leave. “We’d rather not be implicated in this.”

After school, Rasheda tells Zoe she passed her drivers test, and Zoe still throws shade at Dre. Pops then interrupts and tells her she should be thankful because if dads did what Dre does for her back in his day, they’d be considered women.

Dre’s presentation ends Daddy’s Day at work but at home, Zoe gives him the Daddy’s Day he wants. As Jr. brings out Dre’s favorite food, ribs, he drops them. His father goes off on him, and Jr. looks to his mother, who enforces what her husband said. As her eldest son walks out, with much sorrow, she tells him from then on they will have a normal mother/son relationship. Ruby then tells her as she heads to the table, “Now he’ll never kill for you.”

Oh, the Johnsons. You’ve got to love them.

FRESH OFF THE BOAT 204: Fall Ball Recap

It’s dancing and new money on this episode of Fresh off the Boat, Eddie is going to his first dance, Grandma Huang comes into some money, and Jessica wants to flip houses.

Louis is called into a meeting at Eddie’s school where the principal asks him if he will be a part of the dance committee. He gets extremely excited at the thought of Eddie going to his first dance in Orlando and immediately comes up with a plan for his son to be smooth as butter on the night of the dance.

Back at the house, as Jessica checks the mail, she sees that a house she sold a few months back has been remolded and up on the market for almost double the price. She then gets the idea to buy a house, fix it up and sell it for more. Especially since her next-door neighbor Honey lets her know that she has a guy who can help her remodel.

Enter Grandma Huang whose longtime boyfriend just died. He left her an unknown sum of money, which leads Jessica to concoct a plan to get her mother in law to loan her the funds she needs to buy a house and flip it. She first approaches Louis, who remember, is overly excited about Eddie dances, hoping he can get his mother to give her the money. He tells her sure he can ask her, but all she is going to do is ask him why Jessica didn’t ask her. She knows this and builds up her “courage” to ask Grandma Huang for the money. It is funny here too because apparently, everyone knew that she had a boyfriend except Jessica.

While his mother is trying to play nice with his grandmother, Eddie, and his friends are getting their dance moves together so that they can impress their crushes on the night when it matters most. Louis finds them in the living room and excitedly tells them that he wants to help them by making sure they have all the right moves to make an impression. They tell him “thanks but no thanks, we got it” and then proceeds to show Louis what they have been practicing. Which turns out to be them rolling their backs to the song Mr. Boombastic, which really took me back. Louis looks at them with such pity as they feel that’s all they need to catch the girls that they want.

Let me say that the music in this show is golden. I mean, the 90’s hip-hop and R&B which is mostly what they feature thanks to Eddie’s love for appropriation is just so perfect. In fact from the cars to the dress to the lingo, Fresh Off the Boat does a really good job at capturing that 90’s.

Later, Jessica thinks of ways to approach grandma Huang in order to get her to see how investing her money in flipping a house is a good idea. She tries by giving her a gift but the elder Huang is not impressed. Nonetheless, because she was tipped off to what Jessica wants to do and because she is okay with it, she tells her that she does not only want to loan her the money but to be her partner. Then she drops the bomb on her that her boyfriend only left her $7000. Jessica is dumbfounded because obviously that is not enough to buy a house. ”It can buy a village” grandma replies, and Jessica is lost for words. Seeing that they don’t have enough money, her mother in law suggests asking Honey to go in with them. Honey agrees, gladly writes them a check, and they are in business.

The night of the dance, Louis is worried the Eddie and the boys are going to make fools of themselves and they are too. But they eventually realize that if they have fun, it will not be so awkward for them, and that’s exactly what they do. The girl that Eddie likes ends up coming to dance with him anyway, and they have a really good time.

At the end, Louis gets on the floor and shows everyone his moves, which are pretty sick. He’s a break dancing, b boy and kills it.

Leave it to the Huangs to get what they want.

MODERN FAMILY 704: She Crazy Recap

modern family 704 she crazy recap cam goat imagesThis week on “Modern Family,” there’s frat boys, duck laying and teenagers learning to drive.

Phil cares for the duck eggs that Luke got him a few weeks back, and no one wants to help him nor stay with him as he builds a duck village.

At Cam and Mitch’s, Cam is experiencing bromance with some college athletes who are members of his frat. They rent the apartment upstairs but, of course, spend time downstairs playing catch in the house. Mitch feels a certain kind of way about it because Cam gets all “manly” and acts differently.

At Gloria and Jays, Manny tells his mother about a crush he has on a girl that works at the coffee house. Gloria is all ears until her show comes on with her favorite actress, Mariela. Mariela is in town, and Gloria plans to visit her hotel and meet her so that they can become best friends.

Phil goes all out building a farm for his ducks so much so that he makes a mess that gets on Claire’s clothes. As he helps her clean off and listen to her talk about work stuff, Mitch and Lily come over as Phil has told them about a “super fun” project. Just as they fall victim to Phil’s obsession, Mitch gets out of it by giving Luke driving lessons. Lilly, however, still has to stay.

During Luke’s driving lesson, Mitch opens up to his teenage nephew about how he feels about Cam acting macho and is glad to get it off his chest. At their house, the frat boys ask Cam if he can help them out with a plan to distract their rivals, and he reluctantly says yes. Then, they throw back shots of tequila.

During Claire’s meeting, she pitches “creative ideas” against everyone’s knowledge (she’s corporate). Jay shoots down every idea in her presentation, as it is clear that she hasn’t done her researched. Everything she pitches has been done already, and she is super embarrassed as Jay dismisses everyone.

Gloria nervously waits for Mariela at he hotel and Manny sits with her. As he tells her how he was not able to talk to his crush, Chelsea, and that the world is different for people who look like his mother, her “crush” Mariela comes down the hall. Gloria makes a complete fool of herself. She is loud and can’t form her words. Her behavior is ironic after just got finished telling her son that he needs to have more confidence and just speak to his crush.

Cam makes his way to the frat boys’ rivals house posing at a pizza guy. He takes the boxes in and while he’s following through on his end, the frat boys distract them. Cam steals their goat, and they all run away.

Lily is not impressed with the duck village, which has a working lighthouse and everything. And by working I mean a candle on the top, which ends up starting a fire putting the duck eggs in danger. They roll off the table, and Phil saves them by the hair of his chin.

Back in the driving lesson with Luke, as Mitch talks through his feelings, he realizes he is jealous of Cam for being able to get along with everyone, and Cam changing his personality with every guest is because he’s easy to be around. As Luke drives, they see Cam walking the goat. They stop, Mitch gets out and apologizes to him for acting weird. Cam admits that Mitch is right, he does have a need to be liked by people and is the reason why he changes with every visitor, thus is why he is stuck walking a goat down the street dressed as a pizza guy. Cam and Mitch make up, and as Cam says he’s not going to bend to others anymore, the frat boys pull up. He tells them he’s going to return the goat because it’s not right, and if they are really his friends, they’ll understand. They pretty much tell him he’s whack and drives off.

Gloria finally comes out of the bathroom embarrassed after retreating there. She apologizes to Manny for telling him to be more confident, when she herself showed him the very opposite. But for him, his seeing his mom fall flat in front of Mariela gives him the courage to talk to his crush, because he sees that even condiment people are always confident. As they walk away, she runs right into Mariela and loses it again.

Phil pays a visit to the tool store to get some things to fix his village. As he thinks about the ducks, he calls Claire, who is home after a horrible day, and asks her to turn the eggs. She says no because she’s been through hell and not taking any more orders. Just then, the ducks hatch and Phil rushes home. Claire forgets all about her bad day and shares a sweet moment with Phil.

See that’s what life is about. The moments.

Lamar Odom: Khloe & Kardashian Clan On Social Media Lockdown

lamar odom khloe kardashians on social media

UPDATE:

10/17/2015

5:15 PM ET:

Just when the odds were nearly all against him, Lamar Odom looks like he’s going to have a full recovery, and having his wife Khloe Kardashian with him through this was definitely a big help. Doctors at the hospital have upgraded his condition as he is now breathing completely on his own without the aid of an oxygen mask or ventilator.

Doctors are keeping him on an oxygen mask though as a way to bring up his oxygen levels for better recovery of his vital organs that were failing earlier this week. His heart is doing very well, and his kidneys have begun to respond also. His two other organs are still not responding so he’s not out of the woods yet, but he’s making some amazing progress on his journey out.

As someone who has gone through this with a family member, this is truly a miracle, and I have to give Khloe Kardashian credit for being there the entire time for Lamar. Just having a loved one (even an estranged one) can make all the difference in someone’s recovery.

6:02 PM ET: Doctors have realized that Lamar Odom did not go without oxygen which is a rather large factor for his regaining consciousness. The only thing that can be a problem is the series of strokes he had once he was admitted to the hospital. This is more good news so fingers crossed that those strokes didn’t cause brain damage.

3:45 PM ET: Finally, some good news to report! The doctors have been able to get Lamar Odom to breath for a short time off the ventilator with the aid of a breathing mask. They are going back and forth to try and get him onto the breathing mask as a good step down to breathing on his own. With his heart responding, this is definitely a sign of improvement, but his other organs that were failing have shown no recovery yet.

The doctors don’t know if he’s capable of breathing on his own yet, but it gives a slim glimmer of hope that he’s able to use a breathing mask, even for a short period of time. No word yet on brain damage yet, but that’s something that Lamar has to truly regain consciousness to fully understand.

The family known for reporting, tweeting, twitting, Instagramming and blogging their every moment and marketing opportunity is suddenly going into social media lockdown beginning today. Khloe Kardashian took to her blog to announce that this would be her last reaching out to the world while she attends to the health and medical needs of her husband, former NBA star, Lamar Odom. Kim Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner are following suit and have stated the same thing on their sites.

Momager Kris Jenner cannot do that as she must continue fielding marketing opportunities for her family.

In her blog post, Khloe stated:

“As a family, we’ve decided to hold off on publishing content across our apps while we continue to support and pray for Lamar,” the family statement reads. “Thank you for your kindness and understanding during this difficult time.”

This does not mean that sources have dried up though as they continue keeping up updated along with other news media.

Reports are once again starting claiming that Lamar Odom is getting better as his eyes have opened again with some body movement, but as I stated yesterday, this is more common that you know when someone is in a coma or unresponsive. Having gone through this with a family member, I know how this can fill you with joy and hope, but sadly, many times, it is an involuntary body movement. The best example would be like those falling dreams we’ve all had when our bodies suddenly jerk and wake us up. I wish I could be more hopeful and optimistic, but having gone through this, I know the sad realities.

We reported earlier on our other update article this morning:

A glimmer of hope for Lamar Odom as this heart function has improved. His heart, kidneys and two other organs were failing, but having one organ respond does give some form of hope. Khloe is the only person allowed in the room with him now as the doctors do not want to be stimulated in any way in hopes of his improving. There hasn’t been any word on how his kidneys or other two organs are faring, but with one organ responding and functioning, there’s a slim chance the others may do as well.

This still doesn’t answer about how well his brain functions will be, but unlike the situation with Bobbi Kristina Brown, Lamar did not lose as much oxygen to the brain as she did. This has given a bit of hope to all.

 

Derrick Coleman Suspended from Seattle Seahawks Indefinitely

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derrick coleman suspended from Seattle Seahawks indefinitely 2015 nflSome NFL players are easy to clown when they get into trouble off the field. Pac-Man Jones has had so many issues it is no big deal to write a piece on his many brushes with the law. Ray Rice was certainly no sympathetic figure after seeing him go Iron Mike on his fiancé in an elevator video. Aaron Hernandez is fair game for anyone after being accused of killing more than one fellow human.

But some guys are not easy to pile on when things get sideways.

Derrick Coleman is one such NFL player. The Seahawks fullback and special team’s player has been suspended indefinitely by the team as the investigation into his hit and run continues. According to officers, Coleman left the scene of the accident that occurred on Wednesday, and they located him about two blocks from the scene.

The other driver apparently suffered a broken collarbone and photos from the scene show it to have been more than a mere fender bender. Both vehicles being upside down are a good sign that this was a pretty serious accident.

So why is it not so easy to pounce on just another NFL’er who screwed up and didn’t do the right thing after the screw up by leaving the scene? Mainly because the guy has been an inspiration to many. Coleman has been deaf since he was three years old, yet didn’t let that stop him from making an NFL roster as a free agent, then becoming a Super Bowl Champion with Seattle.

It’s not very much fun to jump a guy for a mistake after seeing what he overcame to have a successful football career. And if he were a successful swimmer, businessman, or teacher I would say the same.

His platform is just bigger as an NFL player obviously.

I would imagine the fact that he is such an inspiration to so many is why many other leaders have gotten away with various transgressions over the years. Preachers, business leaders, and politicians who do many good things and motivate others as a group, often have sins swept under the rug to protect the followers in some twisted way.

That said, Coleman will have to be accountable, inspirational figure or not. His lawyer argued the guy was just dazed after the accident and didn’t technically leave the scene. I would say most logical people would say being two blocks away from a wreck is leaving the scene.

Most idiots I see in accidents don’t leave the exact spot where the wreck happened. They stay put no matter how easy it would be to ease to the side of the road like they’re afraid to disrupt a murder scene or something.

The video Coleman’s lawyer put up did make it appear that the guy was completely lucid and not under the influence of any drugs. But that was many hours after the accident occurred. That would be plenty of time to gather yourself if alcohol or other drugs were the cause of the wreck. The results from the blood test were still unavailable at the time of this article.

We can only hope for the truth to come out and hopefully Coleman’s many fans will not be let down. Maybe he was dazed and had a concussion as his lawyer also proposed. It’s certainly possible he fell asleep at the wheel as sleepy driving is super dangerous as we all know. But at 6 pm?

What we know for sure is another person was hurt as a result of Coleman’s actions and by the looks of the photos at the scene it could have been much worse for both drivers. The fact that Coleman left the scene is not a good look and not something I would expect from a guy who overcame quite a bit to get to where he is today.

I hate to think he would leave behind an accident victim that may have been badly injured just to keep his name out of the news, which obviously never works anyway. Derrick Coleman does not strike me as a coward. He has faced real struggles head on for most of his life.

As I always say, and even remind myself from time to time, we do not know these people. They are faces we see on big screens three hours a week and catch random soundbites from in locker room chats. For all we know our favorite quarterback would run us off the road into a ditch and just take off.

That’s what happened in this case, and it remains to be seen if any of Derrick Coleman’s excuses hold up.

EMPIRE 203 Poor Yorick & Cookie Won’t Crumble

empire 2013 poor yorick recap 2015Every week, Empire gets more and more explosive (and unbelievable) and this week’s episode, it started and ended with a bang.

It opens with the FBI raiding Empire and you immediately just know that it was Cookie. I mean after all, Lucious did make it so that none of the music Lyon Dynasty makes will play on the radio. Just when you think she has exacted sweet revenge, Lyon Dynasty is raided by the FBI too. It is an intense first few minutes of the show. Lucious is sleep in his bed with some hottie as Thirsty bursts into his room letting him know what went down at Empire and that the feds are headed his way too. That’s okay to Luscious; he stays calm, cool and collected. When DA Ford (the badass attorney looking to nail him for Bunkie’s death) comes through his doors with her people (and her girls all out and about), Lucious is standing right there in the nude to greet her. I feel some sexual tension between these two and I won’t be surprised if they end up sleeping together at some point during the show. That’s just my two cents.

People panic back at Empire. Lu finally shows up and gives the pimp pep talk of the year. “Back in my hood, if the police raid your place you’re a G. If the FBI raid your place you’re an OG.” His speech reenergizes the staff, and all doubt of the business going down is out the window. Lucious really should be a motivational speaker.

He later meets with all Lyon family members as they discuss what happened, what it means and how to proceed. There is truly in interested dynamic here because in the real world, when family members break away to form their own whatever, they don’t keep huddling with the enemy. They do their own thing. But here, which further shows the show’s often uneven storyline, they don’t. It is actually somewhat psychotic. But I digress.

Cookie and Lucious have a personal meeting where they talk about the raid and more. Cookie lets him know that Anika told her about his coming for her masters and using Boo Boo Kitty to do so. He says she’s lying, which Cookie knows he’s lying but lets it be for the time.

Jamal and Hakeem also shoot a video, and it is clear that the young Lyon feels a certain way about the attention his brother continues to get. He doesn’t like how Jamal is put on a pedestal and has no issues with showing it. At the video shoot, which is so reminiscent of Dr. Dre. and Tupac’s “California Love” video with a cage dome and everything, things really explode as Lucious and Hakeem have “a moment.” At that moment, daddy tells son the reason he chose Jamal is because Hakeem can’t function without his momma and the middle Lyon can. This prompts Hakeem to put a dagger in a beautifully painted picture of Jamal in front of everyone. They go back to filming the video and break out into a fight, ending said video shoot.

Which Cookie would have been able to stop had she been there, but she was “occupied.” As in arrested occupied. She has a warrant out for her arrest because she jump a turnstile (she is shown a picture of Portia her assistant actually jumping the turnstile, and she supposedly gave Cookie’s name). It is just a way for DA Ford to get her in custody so that she can question and threaten her. Cookie is left alone for a second, and we see a flashback to her prison days. She comes to and then requests to speak to Ford. For a second you think that Cookie is about to be a snitch, bitch, but what she actually does is tell her that Bunkie, who we all know is dead, and Lu fought over something to do with a radio deal. This, I am sure, is a ploy to get them to look into Lu buying Apex Satellite Radio, the deal that somehow prohibits Dynasty from being on the radio.

This episode focuses on Vernon a lot and brings back into focus Andre’s newfound faith. He tells Rhonda that he has to dig up the body so that he can show his father his can handle making tough choices and because it’s the right thing to do. They go to the spot where Vernon is buried only to realize that they may be digging in the wrong place. They are at their wits end after digging several holes looking for the corpse when a car pulls up. They hide in a ditch but are told to “come out” by whomever just arrived. It is Lu and Thirsty (they put a tracking device on Dre’s car). They find the body with a gadget Thirsty has and put it in their trunk. Now, what do you suppose they are going to do with that dead Vernon?

Well, at the end of the episode we find out. DA Ford heads to her car the next morning, and as she gets in, Vernon’s body is right there in the passenger seat. WOW!

There were some “jump the shark moments” in this episode, which kind of makes me feel like the actual “jump the shark” moment is near. But until then, they keep the story going and audiences begging for more.

 

Democratic Debate 2015 Breakdown

democratic debate 2015 breakdownThe first democratic debate of this presidential “season” was one to define the candidates. If you didn’t know who’s who or what each hopeful stands for, after watching the debate, you got a good idea of each candidate’s stance.

Before I get into the meat of my critique, I want to point out the clear and blaring differences between this debate and the last Republican debate. The reason I feel the need to do so is because, in my view, the differences are indicators as to how each party and within that, each candidate, is going about portraying who they are. That, to me, is a central aspect as to how people will think and vote.

Barrack Obama really changed the game when it comes to the way campaigns are run and in how candidates carry themselves. Considering the democratic debate and keeping in mind how the Republican candidates like Trump, Christie and Rubio presented themselves, the Democrats are winning. They were poised, they were serious, and they stuck to what really matters- letting the American people know their agenda. Whereas the Republicans were more concerned with personally jabbing each that relayed to me and I am sure others a cattiness that exists within that party.

The Republicans definitely gave a better show, but I was not impressed with their wit and quick comebacks at each other. Yes, some of those elements were present during the democratic debate, but they were not a central focus that kept creeping its way back into the discussion every other question. It’s not a good look.

Now as for the actual debate, there were some standouts of course. The main two being Sanders and Clinton with O’Malley coming in third and the other two just coming in.

Bernie Sanders, as everyone is saying, won the night, and it’s not just because of the things he had to say. He expresses his views and plans with such fervor and conviction, and he had actual solutions that may sound unfeasible to the others on stage, but that didn’t matter to him because he believes in them. I like Sanders. I like him a lot. He embraces the title of socialist that the other candidates and the media have placed on him, and he actually makes you agree with his reasoning when he explains why he is okay with being considered that. Plus he had the highlight of the night when he told Hilary Clinton, “We are all tired of hearing about your damn emails.”

Speaking of Hilary Clinton, she spent a lot of her time defending herself against everything from her decisions on foreign policy to her leaked emails. Aside from that, she has a seasoned debate style that is very effective and convincing. She is poised and in control of her emotions. She knows what she is talking about and seems to have solutions. It just comes down to whether or not we, the America people, feel hers are the best.

Martin O’Malley has the looks but doesn’t have the presence. And if I’m really honest here, he doesn’t have the track record. I lived in Baltimore for three years and to say that he has a bad rep in that state is the understatement. I mean hell, his lieutenant governor couldn’t even get elected when he ran for governor after O’Malley left office, and it’s because of the laws pass and patterns of government/law enforcement behaviors during O’Malley’s reign that he allowed to flourish. As far as I am concerned, nothing that comes out of his mouth can be trusted, and I feel all the same doom and gloom at the thought of him being president as I do when I think of Trump in that position.

Jim Web was interesting in that we didn’t get to hear a lot from him, as he pointed out, but when he did have a chance to speak, he made sense. He was particularly strong in voicing his agenda and that, to me, was in his favor.

Lincoln Chafee was boring, and I honestly can’t remember much of what he said or how it affected me when I heard it. He did speak more than Webb, but I don’t feel that his time made an impact whereas Webb’s commanding approach the few times he got a word in did.

The democratic debate clearly positioned the forerunners Sanders and Clinton and also gave a glimpse into who might be running mates (O’Malley for Clinton). As reported by numerous outlets, the Republican presidential hopefuls were “put to sleep” watching the debate and bored out of their minds. I guess that’s what happens when you’re used to making a spectacle of everything you do.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We were a little late with this one as Curvy Girl Diva and our team have been investigating and covering Lamar Odom’s tragic unconsciousness at the Love Ranch and his fight to survive.

Love Ranch Accused Of Robbing Lamar Odom: Kardashians Want A $75K Accounting

love ranch accused of robbing lamar odom 2015 gossipHere we are, barely two days after the devastating find of Lamar Odom unconscious at a brothel in Las Vegas, and more information is being released (both willingly and through our journalistic investigation) that reveals something that I have thought from the beginning – the possibility of foul play.

Now am I saying that Lamar was drugged, or there was a conspiracy in place to “take him out?” Not totally. I do, nonetheless, feel like there were forces and people at play that may have greatly aided in Lamar ultimately being found in the condition in which he was discovered. I also think that the withholding of certain information by the Love Ranch is for their protection. From what? That remains to be seen.

There are so many things being reported right now about Lamar Odom: He confessed to doing crack, he partied all weekend, he was popping nearly 10 herbal Viagra pills at one time, he drank a whole bottle of Cognac, and of course, one of the women that both partied with him and then later found him unconscious is a transsexual porn star courtesan. We may need to shift the focus off him and what he did and focus on the brothel itself. Is it possible that there were some suspicious behavior and things done on their part? I’d say so.

They say they don’t allow drugs on the premises, but the media spokesperson of the Love Ranch spilled to 911 that Lamar admitted to doing cocaine during his stay. They sold the Reload to Lamar, and if you recall, this is a product that the FDA warned consumers to throw away immediately. The Sheriff’s Department wound up seizing all of that product from their display counter.

Recent reports, as cited by TMZ, claim that Lamar’s people and family suspect that he was grossly overcharged by the Love Ranch. They also think that staff members robbed him of all cash he had on him.

According to his bodyguard, Lamar’s personal items were returned to him without any cash, which is odd since he always carried large amounts on him at all times.

Of course, Dennis Hof of the Love Ranch refutes these claims saying that the money Lamar spent was for the services rendered. Hof maintains that the $75,000 Lamar spent was for two women to be with him at all times (24/7). But Khloe Kardashian and his family are not buying it.

madison montage 243 tweetMy question is that since Lamar was left unattended for nine hours, was he also paying for the two women for this period? During this nine our timeframe, Madison Montag was on Twitter promoting her services and stating ‘Let’s party!’.

Hof insists that all of Lamar’s things were returned to bodyguard without anything missing. It is clear that he feels a certain kind of way about everything, especially since, according to the DailyMail, he has reportedly been told by Khloe’s people not to speak to the press, to which he has pretty much said “F off.”

“I got a call from their [Kardashians] publicist today saying, ”Are you going to do any media?” and I said yes I’m going to go on the Nancy Grace show and she said ”please don’t do that, we’d rather have Khloe say what needs to be said’… I told her to go to hell.”

Why is he so hostile? The Love Ranch and its owner are obviously trying to capitalize on this situation. Why else would he feel so strongly about the Kardashian’s asking him not to say anything to the press? I get why they don’t want him speaking to the media. He has already given out information that has caused media outlets, like us, to break stories that call a lot of things into question about Lamar’s lifestyle.

dennis hof love ranch

His comments have led to so much press that Madison Montag has made her social media pages private because as you can imagine, people have a lot to say to and about her once it was revealed she not only found him but is transsexual. It was a smart move too since people were tweeting her questions about Lamar, and at this point, she should be careful with what she says as authorities will be watching all social media.

What’s also interesting is that when we contacted the Love Ranch early Tuesday morning asking about Madison Montag, she was more than happy to let my Editor-in-Chief know that he could get a date with her later that day (she let him know how popular Madison was, and he shouldn’t waste any time setting something up), but Wednesday, the place was closed to new customers. I’m assuming when the news trucks and photogs showed up, they realized they needed to be more cautious.

Hof explained why he’s been so open to the media. “I know what happened,” he said. “I’m the one protecting my business and telling the truth about it.”

People want to accuse the Kardashian clan of trying to capitalize on this situation, and I think that they are genuinely upset and saddened by what has happened to Lamar. But what about Dennis Hof? Is he not trying to spin the spotlight he’s getting into free press and publicity?

As I mentioned before, as this situation continues to unfold, the details will prove to be more suspicious and more complicated as to what really happened. And none of us may be ready to know the truth.