Home and Away are planning to introduce a storyline involving two of it characters starting a lesbian love affair. This has caused outrage amongst some family groups.
The start of their relationship is due to air this month in Australia between Police women Charlie Buckton (Esther Anderson) and female deck hand Joey Collins (Kate Bell). Conservative family groups have expressed their disgust and feel its completely inappropriate for this story line to be adopted within the shows 7pm PG rated time slot.
Pro-Family Perspectives director Angela Conway said:-
“Home And Away continue to market to kids and they continue to develop quite sexualised plot lines. The plot lines that young kids and teenagers should be presented with should be about really authentic relationships that are not just sexualised.”
Esther Anderson, playing part of the lesbian duo defended Home And Away saying:
“You learn pretty much everything at school. I don’t think it’s like I’m lifting the lid on something they don’t already know about.
“To me there’s no difference - love’s love. The fact that your partner’s the same sex is no different. You just want to be loved.”
Its isn’t the first time Australia soaps have had problems with lesbian plot lines. In 2004, Neighbours was in trouble with similar groups when they aired a lesbian kiss between schoolgirls Lana Crawford (Bridget Neval) and Sky Mangel (Stephanie McIntosh).
Karl Bishop, 22, is jailed for life for the murder of Harry Potter actor Rob Knox.
Bishop stabbed Rob Knox five times outside the Metro Bar in London last year and wounded three of his friends - one of which was stabbed in the neck causing permanent spinal damage.
The minimum sentence he will serve is 20 years in prison with no option of parole before then! however, he has also been given another 3 concurrent life sentences for the injuries he inflicted on Knox’s friends.
Mr Justice Bean sentenced Bishop - he said:
“lack of regret let alone remorse was truly chilling”.
“I do not think it is proved that you intended to kill Robert Knox. The truth is that you simply could not care less whether you killed him or not.”
Bishop denied murder and other counts of wounding even though eye witnesses watched the event occur. He claimed that he was acting in self defence even though there was overwhelming evidence suggesting the opposite and that Knox was in fact protecting his younger brother from Bishop when he was killed.
Knox’s father said:-
“We are enormously relieved justice has been done, although there is nothing that will compensate for the shattering sense of loss.”
It also came to light that Bishop has previously been involved in a knife-point robbery but had not been charged.
Knox had just finished filming on Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince as Marcus Belby - due to be released in July 2009.
Many Independent film makers struggle to make money from their projects - not only is it a risky industry where many new movies flop on a regular basis but also down to the fact that initial funding for a new film is not investigated out properly.
Obviously the best way to make money from film making is to actually sell the film - if possible on screen or via DVDs etc.. but to do this, it has to get noticed by a distributor. Big names are always going to be easily seen by them but for new movies from people not hugely known in the industry (yet), its a fight to get the movie recognised.
The most common way for independent film makers cover their initial outlay on producing the movie is to fund the project personally. This involves saving up over a large amount of time or by taking personal loans. This however is never a good idea because after paying back interest on loans etc.. generally means the filmmaker is out of pocket (unless its a big hit which is rare).
A better way to approach funding rather than banking on loans is to find a funding bodies designed to support or average filmmaker but be warned - they will only accept strong applications and in depth knowledge in what you are doing will be essential, they will spot people who haven’t done their research. Scottish Screen, the UK Film Council and Film4 are examples of these and regularly provide start up filmmakers with grants and other schemes etc.
The most ideal way of course is to approach the bigger companies to get your film funded or a sponsorship deal with little risk to yourself. They will expect something in return though like return on the investment, use of your services etc.. amongst other things, so before going down this route, you need to know what you are prepared to offer them.
Once funding is sorted and the film produced, other avenues to sell the movie is another way to encourage a better return from the film. As mentioned before, DVDs and cinema are the most common but many filmmakers have been drawn to the online marketing like paying per download and selling DVDs on their web sites etc.. Teaser trailers using social networking sites are also a good way to get the movie noticed.
The wait is almost over and X-Men fans will finally find out about Wolverines past in this new Marvel movie due to be released in April 2009.
Its been a long running secret as to what happened to him from the first X-men movie, with him getting close to the truth during the second X-men film but it still remained unclear what really happened to him in the past - how he came to have an adamantium in-cased skeleton and why him and (Victor Creed) Sabertooth are mortal enemies.
The film is obviously a prequel, set 20 years before the first X-men movie and will also show other characters from the hit cartoon series such as Gambit and Deadpool etc.. It will also shed light on his relationship with William Stryker who he left for dead in X-Men 2.
X-Men Origins is the first of many spin off movies planning to be developed such as Gambit, Deadpool and probably the most anticipated after this movie is the story behind Magneto and Professor X - how two strong alleys and best friends turn to be mortal enemies. Hopefully it was also explain how Xavier ended up having to use electric wheelchairs to get around but although it has a script, its still in very early stages and anticipated to be released in 2011.
ITV soap Emmerdale welcomes Kitty McGeever. She will play Lakely, an old friend of Lisa Dingle’s - She will be serving a community sentence for a petty crime within the show. I think she will be an interested addition to the TV programme due to the fact she is blind.
McGeever lost her sight at the age of 33 through an illness and will be the first blind cast member Emmerdale have signed. She will arrive on the TV show in the spring and her character is said to cause friction within the town from the get go, with menacing behaviour and little concern to others. However the the true nature of her visit to the village is still a secret.
McGeeevr said:
“I’m thrilled to be joining Emmerdale as Lizzie and delighted that the show is challenging stereotypes in this way. Lizzie spells trouble from the word go and will be causing all kinds of strife in the village.”
Series producer Gavin Blyth commented:
“Kitty is an extremely talented actress and I’m pleased that she will be joining the show, marking the arrival of such a fascinating character. Lizzie is forthright and fun and she’ll soon prove that she isn’t afraid to manipulate circumstances to her advantage.”
“She’ll no doubt ruffle feathers and make friends in equal measure, and we are looking forward to embracing the opportunity to explore how the residents of Emmerdale react to that.”