First Take: Jim Beam is huge get for Suntory

First Take: Jim Beam is huge get for Suntory

With its purchase of the maker of the Jim Beam brand, Japan's Suntory Holdings has its eyes on both American culture — and global sales.

Bill Murray in a scene from the motion picture 'Lost in Translation': His most famous line from the film is "For relaxing times, make it Suntory time."

You can offer a toast to this mega-deal for its sheer audacity. And its cultural smarts.

With news that the Japanese whiskey and beer giant Suntory Holdings has agreed to purchase the maker of the legendary Jim Beam bourbon for $13.6 billion, another chunk of Americana falls into foreign hands. But, in this case, perhaps, ably so.

Suntory — which makes Yamazaki whiskey and Premium Malt's beer — totally gets American shtick. It was, after all, among the earliest major Asian marketers to cozy-up to American celebrities to sell stuff in Japan. Way back in the "Rat Pack" heyday of the early 1970s, no less than Sammy Davis Jr., showed up in ads for Suntory brands in Japan.

Even folks who don't have the name Suntory at the tips of their tongues, probably are familiar with actor Bill Murray, whose character in the 2003 film Lost in Translation, so perfectly depicted the image of a fading American actor seeking redemption — and a few bucks — overseas. His most famous line from the film: "For relaxing times, make it Suntory time."

Clearly, with this move, it is Suntory's time. Never mind that this deal between Suntory and Beam ranks among the biggest of 2014 so far. So eager was Suntory Holdings to get its hands on Beam Inc., that the maker of Jim Beam and Canadian Club liquor walks off with a $83.50 cash per share -- which is about 25% above Beam's closing price on Friday. Competing bids could be on tap, too. The combined company is expected to have annual liquor sales of more than $4.3 billion.

But even if Suntory has master plans to make Beam more of a global brand, the key is to not let the brand stray one iota from its American roots. The bourbon, produced in Kentucky, has been linked to some seven generations of the Beam family for more than two centuries. And, yes, Jim Beam was named for a real person -- James B. Beam, best-known for lifting the business from the ashes shortly after the end of Prohibition..

Beam, which also owns Maker's Mark bourbons, has had its own history of celebrity adulation. Even with agent 007.

During his high-flying days as James Bond, Sean Connery showed up in Jim Beam ads -- as did the venerable Bette Davis. More recently, even Leonardo DiCaprio -- a very tough get for advertisers -- has appeared for Jim Beam. All, of course, class acts. But, with its Southern roots, the Jim Beam brand's closest cultural links may be to pure American patriotism. And that's not likely to change one whit.

Jim Beam is a blue collar, "good ol' boy" bourbon, says brand guru Peter Madden. Its acquisition by a Japanese-based company poses at least some threat to that, he says.

But Jim Beam must remain the "quintessential American brand," says David Srere, co-CEO and chief strategy officer at the branding firm Siegel+Gale. "The best thing they could do is stay the hell away from changing that."

Or, perhaps, have agent 007 to answer to.

source: usatoday

Paul Walker death

Paul Walker death 

Paul Walker

 Celebrities react, investigation continues

Paul Walker's death on Saturday afternoon in a fiery car crash drew reactions from his famous costars and other celebs, and a makeshift memorial grew at the site of the Santa Clarita wreck.

The "Fast and Furious" star, 40, was killed when the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a tree and a concrete lamp post, exploding into flames. The driver, Walker's friend and business partner Roger Rodas, also died. The sound of the crash was audible from the car shop where Walker and others had gathered earlier in the day for a charity event, a witness told L.A. Now.

Law enforcement was still investigating how fast the car might have been going and whether drag racing might have played a role; an update was not expected until Monday. Meanwhile, people close to the Always Evolving shop -- co-owned by the actor and Rodas -- wondered to TMZ whether an automotive malfunction, specifically a steering issue, might have occurred.

"Fast" costar Tyrese Gibson, who broke down in tears at the crash site on Saturday, leaving a flower at the memorial, remembered his friend in a post on Instagram in which he wrote, "My heart is hurting so bad no one can make me believe this is real Father God I pray that you send clarity over this cause I just don't understand My heart hurts it's broken no one can convince me that this is real.... Prayer warriors please pray real hard for his only child, his daughter and family... #HeartOfAnAngel13YrsFamilyForeverWeJustCelebreatedYour40thBirthday..... My God... My God... I can't believe I'm writing this." Other costars were similarly broken-hearted over the actor, who'd also appeared in films including "She's All That," "Pleasantville" and the upcoming "Hours." "Paul was pure light," Jordana Brewster tweeted. "I cannot believe he is gone." Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson remembered Walker's family, writing, "All my strength, love & faith to the Walker family during this heartbreaking time. We find our strength.. in his light. Love you brother." Neil Patrick Harris, Alyssa Milano, Rihanna and William Shatner were among those to express their condolences, while Ludacris, who'd appeared in several "Fast" films, Instagrammed a photo of cast members at a meal together. "Your humble spirit was felt from the start," Ludacris wrote. "Wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark, we were like brothers & our birthdays are only 1 day apart, now You will forever hold a place in all of our hearts@paulwalker legacy will live on forever. R.I.P.

source link: www.latimes.com

Justin Bieber break up with Selena Gomez

Justin Bieber's new song alludes to break up with Selena Gomez

Justin Bieber’s new single Heartbreaker, could be referring to his romance with Selena Gomez. 
The 19-year-old singer took to twitter saying that the song is for people going through heartbreak, like he was when it was being written. The teenage singer further added that sharing his feelings with his fans meant a great deal to him and he only hoped the song gave them an insight into his heart, the New York Daily News reported. Bieber and Gomez parted ways in November but since then have been seen together several times.

Justin Bieber

Source link: www.dnaindia.com

Fast & Furious 6

On biggest Memorial Day ever, 'Fast & Furious 6' laps 'Hangover III'

Paul Walker stars in "Fast & Furious 6

"Fast & Furious 6" blew past the finish line at the box office this Memorial Day weekend, leaving "The Hangover Part III" to face a sobering reality. The sixth entry in the action-packed "Fast" franchise took in a robust $120 million from Thursday evening through Monday, according to an estimate from distributor Universal Pictures. That's by far the best opening for the series, whose fifth installment collected $86.2 million over a three-day weekend in 2011. (The sixth film grossed $96.8 million in three days.) The third and final "Hangover" film, meanwhile, performed more poorly than both of its predecessors. The movie, which hit theaters late Wednesday, will have sold an estimated $63 million worth of tickets by the end of the holiday weekend. Over Memorial Day weekend in 2011, the second "Hangover" grossed $135 million during roughly the same time period. Even the 2009 original picture debuted with $45 million in just three days; the third film grossed $41.8 million between Friday and Sunday. The other picture new to cinemas this weekend, "Epic," served as the family-friendly alternative for moviegoers. The 3-D animated film grossed a solid $42.6 million over the four-day weekend. With the "Star Trek" sequel, "Iron Man 3" and "The Great Gatsby" still doing solid business in theaters, it was a record Memorial Day weekend at the box office. Ticket sales amounted to $316 million, per Hollywood.com, breaking 2011's record of $276.8 million -- not accounting for inflation. Though summer blockbusters have helped to reverse a downward trend at the box office, 2013 receipts and attendance are still down 7% compared with last year. Critics and audiences loved the latest "Fast" film, as those who turned up to see the movie over the weekend assigned it an average grade of A, according to market research firm CinemaScore. Heading into the weekend, the movie was generating the most interest among young men, but the picture ended up appealing to males and females in nearly equal measure. The weekend crowd ended up being a bit older, as well, as 57% of “Fast” moviegoers were older than 25. Likely because of the film’s ethnically diverse cast -- which includes Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson -- 32% of those who saw the sixth film were Latino. “The movie did very well in urban, diverse areas, and the entire South was also very strong,” said Nikki Rocco, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “What has been most thrilling for me, though, is that as these films go on women are endorsing them. We spent a lot of time trying to make this more than a car-heist franchise, and it’s paid off.” Financed by Universal and Elliot Inc. for $160 million, "Fast & Furious 6" is on pace to outgross all of the previous entries in the franchise. To date, "Fast Five" is the most successful film in the series, having collected $626.1 million worldwide two years ago -- about 67% of which came from overseas sales. The sixth movie is already off to a good start abroad. Playing in 59 foreign markets this weekend, the movie grossed $160.3 million -- exceeding the $125 million "Fast Five" opened with in those same locations in 2011. The movie, which launched in the United Kingdom last weekend, has now grossed a total of $197 million internationally. This weekend, the sixth "Fast" had the biggest opening of all time in the United Arab Emirates and Argentina, though it sold the most tickets in Russia and Mexico. The picture has yet to debut in six countries, including Japan and China in July. "The Hangover Part III" received scathing critical reviews, but moviegoers didn't hate it, giving the film a B CinemaScore this weekend. The movie attracted a slightly older male crowd, as 52% of those who saw it were men and 55% were older than 25. Heading into the weekend, the R-rated film was expected to collect $80 million by the end of the weekend -- but by mid-day Friday, it was clear the picture would not meet that mark. “We underperformed a bit and I was a bit taken aback, but it is what it is,” acknowledged Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros., which co-financed the film with Legendary Pictures for $103 million. “It doesn’t help to be a Monday morning quarterback. If I had seen research that suggested our film and ‘Fast’ were not neck-in-neck heading into the weekend, I would have fought harder for a different date.” Though he admits the studio “did leave some money on the table” this weekend, Fellman said he is hopeful that those moviegoers who saw “Fast” this weekend will turn to see a comedy in the coming weeks. The "Hangover Part II" grossed $586.8 million globally in 2011 -- 56% of which was due to international sales. Though the third film may not fare as well as the second domestically, the studio is hopeful that the expanding global market means the new "Hangover" will exceed its predecessor overseas. This weekend, the movie grossed $19.2 million from just three foreign markets: the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The major international launch, however, comes next weekend, when the film will debut in 50 countries.

source link: www.latimes.com

Upcoming Movies

Upcoming Movies

Man Of  Steel. 

Plot: Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) is a young twenty-something journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond his imagination. Transported years ago to Earth from Krypton, a highly advanced, distant planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question 'Why am I here?' Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha (Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Costner), Clark discovers having extraordinary abilities means making difficult decisions. When the world is in dire need of stability, an even greater threat emerges. Clark must become a Man of Steel, to protect the people he loves and shine as the world's beacon of hope - Superman.

Now You See Me.

Plot: Now You See Me pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against "The Four Horsemen," a super-team of the world's greatest illusionists. "The Four Horsemen" pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.

After Earth,June 7
Plot: One thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanitys escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankinds new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai. When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitais craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance.

 

Part III. 
Plot: This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.

Fast & Furious 6,May24

 Plot: Since Dom and Brians Rio heist toppled a kingpins empire and left their crew with $100 million, our heroes have scattered across the globe. But their inability to return home and living forever on the lam have left their lives incomplete.

"Star Trek Into Darkness"

Boldly going 'Into Darkness' at warp speed

In "Star Trek Into Darkness," Chris Pine, from left, is Kirk, Zoe Saldana is Uhura and Zachary Quinto is Spock

Kirk and crew beam aboard J.J. Abrams' Enterprise for a mission full of action, emotions and this time terrorism. Then there's baddie Benedict Cumberbatch.
 "Star Trek Into Darkness," bursting at the seams with enemies, wears its politics, its mettle, its moxie and its heart on its ginormous 3-D sleeve. Director J.J. Abrams and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise try to build a better sequel with action spectacles to get lost in, clever asides to amuse, emotional waves to ride and allusions to terrorism in general and 9/11 specifically. Abrams' first reimagining of the beloved Gene Roddenberry franchise was a stellar surprise in 2009. The casting was spot-on with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto embodying and embellishing the iconic characters of James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, respectively. The story, from screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, was highly inventive, not easy for a franchise with 11 movies and four separate TV series under its plot-twisting belt.
There were astute nods to that history — Leonard Nimoy's cameo as Spock in old age was by far the showstopper. The expectations were impossibly high, but Abrams proved to be a cool-hand Luke as he kept the Enterprise moving at warp speed.
A follow-up was risky. And, in fact, "Star Trek Into Darkness" doesn't quite match 2009's blast from the past.
There are times when it feels as if the director has pulled a page out of the Michael Bay playbook, taking some of the action to exhaustive extremes. At other moments, all that bravado collapses into safer-than-necessary choices. But before that whither-Star Trek sigh has time to build, the film does something bold, surprisingly pointed in its treatment of terrorism, for one.
So many things are done right that even with the bombast, "Into Darkness" is the best of this summer's biggies thus far. It's a great deal of brash fun, and it should satisfy all those basic Trekkie cravings.

The movie begins in blinding light. Kirk and Bones (Karl Urban) are making a mad dash through the red fields of Nibiru trying to distract and evade the planet's primitive people — bodies baked in clay, painted faces, spears, superstitious, you know the type. A volcano is about to destroy their world, though they don't know it. Ice bombs and Spock come to the rescue.
Naturally, being dropped into a very hot spot doesn't phase Spock, though I do believe he breaks a slight sweat. He's not the only one in mortal danger, and in short order, Starfleet rules have been broken to save the day.

The icy volcanic ash has barely cleared before Kirk and Spock have that age-old logic-versus-emotion argument. And they are barely back on Earth when they find themselves on the ropes for the Nibiru fiasco — Kirk suspended, Spock reassigned.
Indeed, there is virtually no time to breathe until the credits start rolling. The script by Kurtzman, Orci and Damon Lindelof, the latter of whom has a string of action/drama credits but most significantly created "Lost" with Abrams and Jeffrey Lieber, sets an exceedingly fast pace.

Which means Kirk has only started to grumble about Nibiru when a bomb blows up the Starfleet's main archive in London. Control of the Enterprise is handed over to Kirk's old mentor, the no-longer wheelchair-bound Capt. Pike (Bruce Greenwood). Somehow, before the ship lifts off, Kirk and Spock are back on board along with the rest of the "Star Trek" essentials — Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho), Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Chekov (Anton Yelchin). As are the top-notch film crew, including director of photography Dan Mindel, production designer Scott Chambliss, costume designer Michael Kaplan and composer Michael Ciacchino.
This time out, "Sherlock's" Benedict Cumberbatch is the major menace to society. He portrays top Starfleet agent John Harrison, who may or may not have gone rogue but is unquestionably indestructible. It makes for some fun fights. The race against time to track him down will have the Enterprise globe- and galaxy-hopping from a futuristic San Francisco and London circa 2259 filled with polished metal and glass spires to the down-and-dirty Kronos, home planet of the Klingons. Just their mention is likely to elicit a cheer. At this point in time, they are still archenemies.

As important as the Klingons and Cumberbatches of the Star Trek world are, villains do not this franchise make. What helps keep the motor humming are the ship's family dynamics, the very familiar squabbles between crew members that all Trekkies and most of the rest of the movie universe know so well.
It is here that "Into Darkness" really shines. One of the movie's major themes is what place, if any, feelings have in guiding actions.
This comes into play in broad strokes as cities are attacked in ways that echo today's terrorists. And, more telling, with a great deal of intimacy as the crew comes to each other's aid.
Pine and especially Quinto expose much deeper layers of the complex bond between Kirk and Spock. So intensely personal does it become, you may find yourself moved in unexpected ways. In this way, "Star Trek Into Darkness" really does boldly go where no man has gone before.

source link: www.latimes.com

Crosby, Stills and Nash get new look in concert with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra

Crosby, Stills and Nash get new look in concert with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra

2010 file photo, Stephen Stills, from left, David Crosby and Graham Nash, from the band Crosby, Stills and Nash perform in Hyde Park

Crosby, Stills and Nash surprised the audience with a new look when they walked onstage dressed in dark gray Brooks Brothers suits for a benefit concert with Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
“If you laugh at our suits, you’re getting thrown out of here,” quipped Graham Nash. “My first pair of grown-up shoes,” David Crosby added, without skipping a beat. “They have laces and everything.”

Nash admitted to some uncertainty about whether the languages of rock and jazz “would blend” at Friday night’s concert in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater.
But such concerns were quickly dispelled once the folk-rock trio’s trademark intricate vocal harmonies and acoustic and electric guitar parts were enhanced by the JLCO’s tight ensemble playing and skilled soloists such as saxophonists Sherman Irby, trumpeter Marcus Printup and trombonist Vincent Gardner.
The jazz arrangements, mostly written by JLCO members, reimagined a dozen tunes from the Crosby, Stills and Nash songbook, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers were clearly thrilled with the results on songs such as “Love the One You’re With.”

“It’s like getting to play with the bigger kids,” Crosby said. He later added that they were having so much fun it felt “like three children being let loose in NASA.”
The jazz orchestra added a chugging rhythm to “Marrakesh Express” from CSN’s 1969 debut album, while the anti-war tune “Military Madness” got a big-band swing arrangement that opened with a brassy fanfare and closed with a military-style drum roll and the trumpets playing “Taps.”
The rock trio drew inspiration from the jazz orchestra’s soloists. Stephen Stills played a hot acoustic guitar solo in “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” even quoting Beatle George Harrison’s “Within You Without You.” And Nash couldn’t resist throwing in a harmonica solo on “Deja Vu.”
Another highlight came when Marsalis, playing a muted trumpet, went to the front of the stage to play alongside Crosby and Nash on a tender, intimate trio version of Crosby’s folk ballad “Guinnevere,” which trumpeter Miles Davis covered in a 1970 recording.
Marsalis, JLCO’s music director, said he was impressed by the amount of time the rock trio spent rehearsing the complex arrangements in order to master material outside their comfort zone.
“They embody the spirit of collaboration because it’s easy to just say, ‘Here, I’m used to doing stuff a certain way and you have to do it this way,’” Marsalis told the audience. “They came here and were dealing with swing grooves, all kinds of changes, and things coming in on different beats.”
Marc Quinones of the Allman Brothers Band made a guest appearance to play Latin percussion on several numbers. Crosby’s son, James Raymond, who plays keyboards in the CSN band, conducted the performance.
On Wednesday, Crosby, Stills and Nash performed with the jazz orchestra at a private gala. The two performances were the latest in an annual series of benefit concerts with pop-rock performers to support Jazz at Lincoln Center, which in previous years has featured Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson and Paul Simon.
After Crosby declared, “We need you to sing, not just rattle your jewelry,” the concert closed with a sing-along version of “Teach Your Children,” which was followed by an extended standing ovation until the trio reappeared onstage. Instead of an encore, Marsalis and other members of the JLCO returned to usher Crosby, Stills and Nash offstage in a lively New Orleans-style Second Line march.

source link: www.washingtonpost.com