TresSugar

Hollywood Already Anxious for Film Rights to Colombian Hostage Story

BuzzSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:35:33 PDT

According to Variety, so far this has been a "sluggish summer marketplace for film material," so when 15 hostages in Colombia were freed last week, Tinsel Town lit up - and not just out of relief for the hostages. Already there are several book and movie deals in the works about various members of the hostage group.

Most of the clamoring is for the rights to French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt's story. Apparently, "several agents and producers felt that hers is a strong vehicle for a top actress." Though Julia Roberts may not actually play Betancourt, her production company "has long been interested in telling Betancourt's story, but it was unclear how her release would impact those aspirations."

You can read about all the many and varied projects that may come from this story here.

Warner Bros. producer David Kennedy says, "You've got several possible approaches, from the kidnap of a presidential candidate who is now being called France's new Joan of Arc to what happened during captivity to the well-orchestrated rescue itself."

But on the other hand, one (unnamed) literary agent "felt the story isn't quite as ideal for a film adaptation as others assume." He noted, "It lacks what Americans love in movies: There is no violence in the rescue."

Do you think there's validity to that? Or is that underestimating American audiences, who may be riveted to the dramatic rescue story even without violence?

Source

After FARC Rescue One Says End Hate, One Says "Terrorist"

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:28 PDT

After the stunning rescue last week of 15 hostages held by FARC rebels in Colombia, Ingrid Betancourt - the most well-known of those rescued after being held hostage for six years - has urged the end of a vocabulary of hate against her former captors.

She says:

I think we have reached a point where we must change this radical, extremist vocabulary of hate of very strong words that intimately wound the human being.

Though her sympathy for her captors sounds a little Stockholm Syndrome-y, she says she has no illusions as to the true nature of the group, but that a honey trap of kindness would be a better way to ensure more hostage releases.

And there are many more to be released from the group one American is calling "terrorist." To see the extent of the situation,

Despite the high-profile rescue last week, the 14 saved are the tiniest portion of those being held. It's thought that at least 700 to 2,000 Colombians remain in the custody of the rebels, and the rescue has destabilized the group - whose main source of income is ransom money - endangering those left. One mother whose son was abducted ten years ago, feels the sting stronger now that rescues have been shown possible. She says, “I know my son isn’t a trophy, but I demand to have him back.”

In the US, the three Americans rescued echo that concern. Marc Gonsalves, one of those saved, says, “there are people in this exact moment who are being punished because we got rescued successfully.” He went on to call FARC "a terrorist group with a capital T." The three men are said to be in good health despite their concerns including Keith Stansell who has 5-year-old twin sons that he's just met.

Which is a better method to negotiate for the release of the hundreds of hostages left? Honey, or force? Was the rescue mission a good move given the number still held? How will they be rescued now that the "trick them" hand has been played?

Source

Front Page: A Perfect Rescue Operation, Mandela Not a Terrorist, Jobs and Airlines in Trouble

CitizenSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:00:22 PDT

A Perfect Rescue Operation:
French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages freed from FARC rebels in a daring rescue mission has called her release after more than 6 years, a "miracle." She says, "there is no historical precedent for such a perfect operation." The mission was accomplished without a shot fired after the Colombian military penetrated the highest level of FARC and tricked them into handing over the hostages. Among those rescued were three American military contractors and 11 members of the Colombian security forces, all said to be in relatively good health. FARC has been trying to overthrow the Colombian government for 40 years, and still holds over 40 high-profile hostages, among up to 700 other captives.

Mandela Not a Terrorist:
US President George W Bush signed a bill removing Nelson Mandela and South African leaders from the US terror watch list. Mandela and ANC party members will now be able to travel to the US without a waiver from the secretary of state. The African National Congress (ANC) was labeled as a terrorist organization by South Africa's former apartheid regime.
Jobs and Airlines in Trouble:
The number of former workers signing up for unemployment insurance rose sharply last week. According to a Labor Department report, new applications jumped by 16,000 to 404,000, the highest level since late March. Meanwhile, the airline industry is predicting a $6.5 billion loss for the year, having been hit harder by fuel costs than expected.

Source

Need to Know: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

LibertySugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:00:00 PST

Yesterday, the Organization of American States (OAS) declared last weekend's Colombian raid in Ecuador a violation of sovereignty. The US was the only state to support Colombia's decision to enter Ecuador and kill 24 rebels, including a top commander of the insurgency group FARC. So what's the deal with FARC?

FARC is the world's largest, and richest insurgency group, currently waging war with the Colombian government. A Marxist group, its mission is the redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor, and the end of foreign influence by multinational corporations, and the US government.

Taxes levied on drug-traffickers give FARC $300 million in revenue each year. Of course, drug use among the 10,000 - 15,000 rebels is forbidden. Ransom collected from FARC's 3,000 plus kidnappings a year, also bankrolls the group. FARC, which pulls most of its support from rural areas, was founded in 1964, as the military wing of Colombia's Communist Party.

Colombia, with the full support of the US, maintains that Venezuela and Ecuador are assisting the rebels. Colombia is an important US ally, receiving $600 million a year in aid. Leftist countries in the region see the government in Colombia as nothing more than a US puppet.

For more informative background resources,

NY Times Topic Page

BBC News FARC biography page

FARC info from globalsecurity.org

Source

Headline: President Bush Condemns Venezuela

CitizenSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:00:29 PST

President George Bush condemned Venezuela yesterday saying, “We firmly oppose any acts of aggression that could destabilize the region." The statement comes amid growing border tensions in South America over Venezuela’s and Ecuador’s militarization along the Colombian border.

Venezuela and Ecuador have mobilized their armies in reaction to a Colombian incursion into Ecuador on a mission to assassinate a high level commander of FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia), Raul Reyes.

FARC is a militant organization currently waging war with the Columbian government from bases located within Ecuador. The Columbian government has caused a great deal of tension in the region by illegally entering Ecuador to attack FARC. At this point, both Venezuela and Ecuador are likely to back down since Columbia has the full support of the United States.

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The Dictator: Ruled by Tasteless but Funny Jokes

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:23 PDT

Full disclosure: I laughed out loud many times during The Dictator, knowing full well that I should have been offended instead. But what you see is what you get when it comes to Sacha Baron Cohen, and after movies like Bruno and Borat, you already know whether you'll be able to find humor in film about a horrifyingly ignorant world leader who's as naive, racist, and prejudiced as they come.

I know that sounds hard to swallow, but there is a big difference between The Dictator and Cohen's previous work: this time, it doesn't even feel remotely real. Whereas Borat and Bruno are made to taunt and embarrass what appear to be unsuspecting, everyday people, there's no mistaking The Dictator for what it is: a total farce that comes complete with actors you've seen before. It may sound obvious, but having Cohen's Aladeen interact with the likes of Ben Kingsley, Anna Faris, and John C. Reilly makes the whole story easier to digest - and much easier to laugh at in spite of yourself.

To see what else I enjoyed about The Dictator, just

At the core, The Dictator is really a fish-out-of water comedy, just taken to staggeringly inappropriate levels. Aladeen has ruled his North African country, Wadiya, since he was a small child, and in many ways, he's never grown up. While he's busy ordering execution for anyone that rubs him the wrong way (including the engineer that couldn't make his nuclear weapon pointy enough), his uncle Tamir (Kingsley) is the one that's really making the decisions about how the country should be run. Predictably, Tamir turns on Aladeen and seizes power during a trip to NYC, leaving Aladeen lost, penniless, and unrecognizable on the streets of the Big Apple.

The Dictator then turns into a bizarre romantic comedy, as Aladeen befriends a crunchy protester named Chloe (Anna Faris), who he initially mistakes for a boy. Chloe gives Aladeen his first job in her organic whole foods store, which opens a Pandora's box of jokes about the irony of a world leader wearing a hairnet. Meanwhile, Aladeen hatches a plan to bring down his uncle, and somewhere along the way, you start rooting for the same guy that suggests aborting a baby because it's not a boy.

I'm not saying that The Dictator is sophisticated by any means, or even groundbreaking as a comedy. Cohen spares us no expense of crude humor that pushes the envelope (and literally takes us inside a woman's birth canal), and if you're not a fan for Cohen's brand of humor, you'll probably walk out of the theater before you even get there. But if you've ever found his antics to be funny before, chances are you will again - even if you're slightly embarrassed to admit it when the credits roll.

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The Vampire Diaries "Ordinary People": The Good, the Bad, and the Bloody

Marisa Tom — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:46:06 PDT

On this week's episode of The Vampire Diaries, we pick up where we left off - perplexed by the mysterious writings on the cave walls beneath the Lockwood property. It's imperative that Alaric, Elena, and Damon unearth the meaning behind these ancient cryptic inscriptions, for better or for worse. With Stefan locked up, Rebekah basking in her new-found high school popularity, Klaus nowhere to be found, and Katherine stirring up trouble with Mikael (we presume), it'll take more than a little luck for the motley trio to decipher the cave code.

For Elena that means making nice with Barbie Klaus in order to press her for information about her past, while Damon tests out a riskier method of research, and Alaric continues to work tirelessly to crack the "vampire Pictionary" messages the old-school way. If you're ready to dive right into the good, the bad, and the bloody, just keep reading.

Brian Atwood's Gorgeous Lower-Priced Line Is Now Available For Preorder!

Chi Diem Chau — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:46:50 PDT

We're currently using the new season as an excuse to buy new footwear, but we all know that's a farce. It takes little coaxing (or reasoning) for us to drop our credit cards for a shiny new pair of shoes, and we think we just found our latest lust with Brian Atwood's lower-priced line dubbed B by Brian Atwood. The celeb-favorite shoe designer - his heels have been worn by the likes of Rachel Bilson, Olivia Palermo, and Emma Stone, to name a few - just released the collection, ranging from $275 to $995, for preorder online, and we're already eyeing a pair, or two, to add to our Fall wardrobe. Here are our top three picks:

These glittery Liese metallic peep-toe booties, seen above, had us at hello - we love the slim ankle-wrap detail.
We can already picture these Edeline wine-hued booties with cropped dark denim skinnies and an angora sweater for a chic understated look.
The exotic detailing on these Blayne peep-toe pumps would go perfect with a scintillating holiday-party ensemble.

Now click the slideshow to see the rest of the collection.