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First look: 'Twelve Years a Slave'
 


'Slave' Sneak Peek
Enjoy a first look at a few images from the upcoming film '12 Years a Slave' which is based on a true story and features Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard and Chiwetel Ejiofor
 
Solomon Northup's story comes to life on screen with Chiwetel Ejiofor and behind the scenes thanks to Brad Pitt.
 
Hollywood is giving a history lesson on an unsung abolitionist hero.
Twelve Years a Slave, slated for a fall release, is director Steve McQueen's adaptation of the 1853 autobiography of Solomon Northup, an African-American who was born a free man but was tricked, captured and sold into slavery. He wound up working for 12 years on Louisiana plantations.
The British filmmaker is well-versed in American history, but he found Northup's story to be completely obscure. "It was the Anne Frank story of America of that time,'' says McQueen. "It's the situation and the detail of Solomon's recollection of those events that ingrained itself in my brain, and the humanity of everyone involved."
MORE: Discover more sneak peeks at USA TODAY Movies
One of the things that stood out when McQueen read the book was how much of a gentleman Northup was, even under extreme circumstances. That's why he tapped English actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (Kinky Boots, American Gangster) to bring the figure to life.
"He's like a Sidney Poitier or even Harry Belafonte," McQueen says. "There's a certain kind of class and dignity about him. He brings that with him wherever he goes."
The movie is a historical tale but also very much a straightforward and humbling journey for the audience, Ejiofor says. "He goes through an extraordinary ordeal, a very painful, brutal experience, and found a kind of redemption on the other side of it."
Northup actually struck up an "extraordinary friendship" with his first owner, Baptist preacher William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), says Ejiofor. But most of his 12 years was spent under the watch of the cruel planter Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), who posed an incredible physical and mental challenge to Solomon.
"Edwin Epps was able to create a very oppressive circumstance with great ease, almost flippantly'' says Ejiofor. "It's a very dramatic relationship and interesting dynamic they have as Solomon is attempting to survive it. Epps is not some Machiavellian character — he just has a mindset and a personality that allowed him to behave in a certain way to the people he owns."
McQueen, who cast Fassbender in his dramas Hunger (2008) and Shame (2011), says the actor has an intensity to his performance "that no one's ever seen before, and that's saying something."
Recent best-actress Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis stars as Solomon's young daughter, and the cast also includes her Beasts of the Southern Wildco-star Dwight Henry,The Wire's Michael K. Williams, Paul Giamatti and Alfre Woodard.
The film also features newcomer Lupita Nyong'o — "a star is born," McQueen says of his discovery. A recent Yale drama grad, Nyong'o plays Patsey, a slave whom Solomon befriends on the plantation and who has a volatile relationship with Epps, much to dismay of Epps' wife (Sarah Paulson).
Brad Pitt has a small role as a Canadian carpenter who is integral to Solomon's eventual freedom, but he played a much larger part as a producer and A-list force behind the scenes.
"Without Brad, this film wouldn't have been made. Fact," McQueen says. "Just his presence sometimes could lift everyone's mood. It's like having a great ballplayer on a team. He doesn't have to play a big role, but his presence can lift everyone's game."
McQueen and Ejiofor appreciate that Twelve Years a Slave will be many moviegoers' introduction to an important figure along the lines of a Harriet Tubman or Frederick Douglass.
"His story is not something that's been mythologized or idealized. It's raw and it's right there and it's a real connection," Ejiofor says.
"You can look at this film and be of any ethnic grouping and identify with Solomon," McQueen adds. "He has been taken away into circumstances that are horrific and not pleasant. All he wants is to get back to his family."

In 'World War Z,' Brad Pitt gave son Maddox a cameo: 'He gets shot in the head multiple times'
Actor also says eldest sons loved zombie thriller based on Max L. Brooks' best-selling book.

By [url=http://www.nydailynews.com/authors?author=Ethan Sacks]Ethan Sacks [/url]/ NEW YORK DAILY NEWS


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/brad-pitt-son-world-war-z-cameo-shot-head-multiple-times-article-1.1375998#ixzz2Wc19T8hF

Watch a New Clip from World War

With only three days before the release of World War Z, Brad Pitt and the the executives at Paramount Pictures continue to endlessly promote the massive zombie thriller.
Over recent weeks, Pitt has been flying around the world to personally premiere the film to preview audiences, sometimes appearing at four showings a day, and now iTunes has released a new clip of the movie that will certainly add to the growing suspense surrounding the film.
The minute-long clip doesn’t feature much action, instead focusing on a conversation Pitt’s Gerry Lane has on a plane en route to South Korea, but it definitely hints at something big right around the corner.
Watch the new video at Apple’s Movie Trailers website. World War Z hits theaters this Friday.

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'World War Z' premiere draws massive crowd in New York
by Associated Press
Thousands of screaming fans brought Times Square to a standstill as they waited to catch a glimpse of Brad Pitt at the premiere of his new thriller, World War Z.
The 49-year old actor took his time to talk to reporters on the appropriately-designed “Z-shaped” red carpet, often breaking away to sign autographs and pose for photographs with fans.
“We’re not doing this small… we’re going big this summer,” Pitt said of the premiere that resembled a music festival.
Pitt stars in and produced the apocalyptic thriller based on the book by Max Brooks. He’s the son of the legendary Mel Brooks.
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Pitt plays a former United Nations investigator who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a zombie pandemic that is threatening to decimate humanity.
“We liked this idea of taking a genre and using that as, I guess, a metaphor for pandemics, and what if one of these pandemics jumped the tracks. Would we be ready? What countries would be in better shape, what countries would take the biggest hit,” Pitt said of the zombie thriller.
While Pitt sees the film as more of a summer thriller than a cautionary tale, he’s nonetheless intrigued by the political subtext.
“A movie is only good if it speaks about our time, if it’s personal in some way, and it plugs into the zeitgeist to irritate a little bit. I think we got that here,” he said.
As for letting his children see it, Pitt feels the movie is not appropriate for the younger ones.
“My two oldest I’ve let see it, and they’ve loved it. Parental guidance, it’s called parental guidance,” Pitt said of only allowing Maddox, 11, and Pax, 8, to see the film.
Pitt, and fiance’ Angelina Jolie, have six children.
Jolie has long been recognized for her humanitarian work, and served as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR. In 2012, she was promoted to Special Envoy.
So how does Jolie feel about Pitt representing the U.N in the film?
Pitt laughed, saying: “She just didn’t want me to embarrass them.”

Hello..good evening:D

Watch Jimmy Fallon And Brad Pitt Yodel To Celebrate World War Z


Jimmy Fallon’s often one of the goofier late night hosts (the only one who beats him in terms of goofiness is probably Craig Ferguson). Rarely does an entire episode of Late NIght with Jimmy Fallon go by without the host swimming toward the deep end, but a video segment that aired earlier this week may have actually been the former SNL cast member's goofiest endeavor yet. Perhaps even more surprisingly, Fallon coaxed one of the world’s suavest actors into doing the skit with him too. If you haven’t caught the sketch, which follows Fallon and Brad Pitt as they go on a yodeling adventure, you can do so by watching above video.

In the video, Fallon opts to take a break from his busy work schedule to head to the rooftop of a tall building in New York City. There, viewers learn that Fallon is actually a better-than-passable yodeler as he belts out a tune that is not too shabby on the ears. However, Fallon’s not the only male on a rooftop working on his yodeling skill set. Apparently, Pitt also happened to be practicing and the two engage in an amusing yodeling conversation with subtitles underneath.

The way things look, Pitt couldn’t make it to the set for an onscreen interview, and the clip was a good way to amuse viewers as well as promote Pitt’s newest movie endeavor, World War Z, which hits theaters on Friday. In fact, during the clip, Fallon makes sure to say, “By the way, congrats on World War Z,” which seems a little pre-emptive, but whatever. The clip aired early during the episode on Tuesday night to make room for actual interviews with Jerry Seinfeld and Ice Cube.

Fallon has been known for viral videos in the past, including the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’s hilarious and continual spoof on Downton Abbey called “Downton Sixbey.” The late night comedian also has some pretty good comedic videos that he has filmed with First Lady Michelle Obama in the past, as well.

While Pitt is less known for putting together viral videos than Fallon, he did amusingly make a name for himself this fall when he put together a super serious video for Chanel N°5 that has accrued over 8 million YouTube hits at this point. Lest you forget that beauty, you can check it out in all its yodel-less awkwardness, below.

Movie Review: Brad Pitt, zombies entertain in "World War Z"

Might there be a real-life zombie apocalypse one day? Not likely, but then again, the way zombies have chomped their way into our pop culture the last several years, it’s maybe a bit less implausible than it once was
What IS increasingly quite plausible, alas, is a scary global pandemic, and “World War Z,” the long-awaited Brad Pitt thriller, cleverly melds that real-life threat into the more fanciful zombie premise. Talk about more bang for your buck: Once you’ve settled back into your seat after agood snarling zombie chase, there’s nothing like the thought of a SARS outbreak to get the blood racing again.

But let’s just say right here that the one apocalypse you won’t see in “World War Z,” based on the 2006 novel by Max Brooks (son of Mel), is an artistic one. There was lots of talk about this mega-budget 3D movie, co-produced by Pitt and directed by Marc Forster, falling on its $200-million plus feet, what witha postponed release, a re-shot ending, endless script drafts and major crew changes along the way.

But in the end, it’s pretty much what you’d want in a summer blockbuster: scary but not-too-gross zombies, a fast-paced journey to exotic locales, a few quite thrilling action scenes, and did we mention Brad Pitt?

Oh right, we did. Surely this isn’t a performance to rival Pitt’s work in Moneyball” or “The Tree of Life,” but given the lack of time for nuanced character development, it hardly seems meant to be. What Pitt offers the film is pretty much what his character, a level-headed former U.N. investigator, offers the endangered planet: Nothing too flashy, just a comfortable, intelligent presence that keeps things grounded and just might win the day.

That last part, of course, remains to be seen: The filmmakers hope “World War Z” is just the first in a franchise. And so, the story may have a long way to go.

But the beginning — especially the first half of this movie — is promising. As fans of the book know, it was written as an oral history, a collection of individual accounts. The filmmakers wisely ditched that format for the sake of immediacy.

We begin in Philadelphia, on a sunny morning in the kitchen of Gerry Lane Pitt), his wife Karin (Mireille Enos, expressive well beyond her few lines), and their two daughters. We learn quickly that Gerry has abandoned his former harrowing work — investigating crimes in places like Rwanda, Bosnia and Liberia — in favor of a nice home life.

As the family drives off for the day, though, life changes in an instant. The streets of Philadelphia are suddenly and terrifyingly overrun by packs of wild, raging zombies. Once bit, it takes only seconds for a human to turn into one.

Talk about a leadership vacuum: The president is already dead. Thanks to his former U.N. boss, Gerry’s family is whisked to an aircraft carrier, but there’s a wee price for this protection: Gerry must head out to find the source of the outbreak


More Photos
Click thumbnails to enlarge


This publicity image released by Paramount Pictures shows, from center left, Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, Abigail Hargrove as Rachel Lane, and Mireille Enos as Karin Lanein a scene from "World War Z." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Jaap Buitendijk)



This publicity image released by Paramount Pictures shows Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, left, and Daniella Kertesz as Segen, center in a scene from "World War Z." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Jaap Buitendijk)


This publicity image released by Paramount Pictures shows Brad Pitt in a scene from "World War Z." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Jaap Buitendijk)
By JOCELYN NOVECK
AP National Writer

Click to enlarge

This publicity image released by Paramount Pictures shows Brad Pitt in a scene from "World War Z." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Jaap Buitendijk)
Might there be a real-life zombie apocalypse one day? Not likely, but then again, the way zombies have chomped their way into our pop culture the last several years, it’s maybe a bit less implausible than it once was.

What IS increasingly quite plausible, alas, is a scary global pandemic, and “World War Z,” the long-awaited Brad Pitt thriller, cleverly melds that real-life threat into the more fanciful zombie premise. Talk about more bang for your buck: Once you’ve settled back into your seat after a good snarling zombie chase, there’s nothing like the thought of a SARS outbreak to get the blood racing again.

But let’s just say right here that the one apocalypse you won’t see in “World War Z,” based on the 2006 novel by Max Brooks (son of Mel), is an artistic one. There was lots of talk about this mega-budget 3D movie, co-produced by Pitt and directed by Marc Forster, falling on its $200-million plus feet, what with a postponed release, a re-shot ending, endless script drafts and major crew changes along the way.

But in the end, it’s pretty much what you’d want in a summer blockbuster: scary but not-too-gross zombies, a fast-paced journey to exotic locales, a few quite thrilling action scenes, and did we mention Brad Pitt?

Oh right, we did. Surely this isn’t a performance to rival Pitt’s work in “Moneyball” or “The Tree of Life,” but given the lack of time for nuanced character development, it hardly seems meant to be. What Pitt offers the film is pretty much what his character, a level-headed former U.N. investigator, offers the endangered planet: Nothing too flashy, just a comfortable, intelligent presence that keeps things grounded and just might win the day.

That last part, of course, remains to be seen: The filmmakers hope “World War Z” is just the first in a franchise. And so, the story may have a long way to go.

But the beginning — especially the first half of this movie — is promising. As fans of the book know, it was written as an oral history, a collection of individual accounts. The filmmakers wisely ditched that format for the sake of immediacy.

We begin in Philadelphia, on a sunny morning in the kitchen of Gerry Lane (Pitt), his wife Karin (Mireille Enos, expressive well beyond her few lines), and their two daughters. We learn quickly that Gerry has abandoned his former harrowing work — investigating crimes in places like Rwanda, Bosnia and Liberia — in favor of a nice home life.

As the family drives off for the day, though, life changes in an instant. The streets of Philadelphia are suddenly and terrifyingly overrun by packs of wild, raging zombies. Once bit, it takes only seconds for a human to turn into one.

Talk about a leadership vacuum: The president is already dead. Thanks to his former U.N. boss, Gerry’s family is whisked to an aircraft carrier, but there’s a wee price for this protection: Gerry must head out to find the source of the outbreak.
For an hour, the action is swift: Clues gathered at a prison complex in North Korea lead Gerry to Israel, the only country to have smartly employed the use of walls, artificial and ancient. But then those persistent zombies stretch themselves into a teeming, terrifying tower of un-humanity. Gerry escapes just in time — for a seriously harrowing plane-crash sequence.

The final act takes place on a dramatically smaller scale, and at a slower pace. Not to give away too much, but this is where Gerry’s scientific instincts — and that Brad Pitt calm — will come into play.

It’s worth noting that there are, amid the mayhem, occasional touches of humor. And one of them serves as a prudent reminder — to turn off those cellphones. After all, it’s not just your movie-going partner you’ll annoy here.

Cellphones also happen to awaken zombies. Consider yourself warned.

World War Z,” a Paramount Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for intense frightening zombie sequences, violence and disturbing images. Running time: 116 minutes. Three stars

Brad Pitt, Jimmy Fallon yodel atop New York City rooftops on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon'
The 'World War Z' star partakes in a video showing off his yodeling skills in a funny clip on a Manhattan roof with the late-night host.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/brad-pitt-jimmy-fallon-yodel-new-york-city-rooftops-article-1.1377040#ixzz2Whr3SVPR

'World War Z' Changes Confirmed: What Was Added To Brad Pitt's Blockbuster

We already know that the original already filmed ending of Brad Pitt's apocalyptic zombie thriller, "World War Z," was scrapped. But which scenes in the final version, which hits theaters this weekend, were rewritten by Drew Goddard, Damon Lindelof and Chris McQuarrie?
A source close to the production of "World War Z" revealed the answers to The Huffington Post -- and yes, some of them are surprising. (Mild spoilers ahead.)
In the June issue of Vanity Fair, writer Laura M. Holson describes how the film originally climaxed with a large-scale zombie battle in Russia, which followed the large-scale zombie battle in Jerusalem that can be seen in recent trailers. This ending was eventually cut from the film -- Drew Goddard and Damon Lindelof were then hired to write a new ending.
In the article, Lindelof is quoted as saying, "everything changes after Brad leaves Israel." Our source gets more specific, explaining that the dividing line between the original version and the final cut comes when Pitt's character, Gerry Lane, boards the plane on the Jerusalem tarmac. Everything starting with Lane entering the aircraft, including every incident on the flight, was written by Goddard and Lindelof. Our source adds that, while Goddard and Lindelof wrote the ending, Chris McQuarrie (who directed Paramount's Jack Reacher) was brought in to "sharpen" it.
That's not so surprising, though. We already knew that the ending changed. What we didn't know is that the beginning of the movie changed, too. "World War Z" opens with Lane and his wife, Karen (Mireille Enos), being awakened by their daughters, Rachel and Constance. The next scene finds the family in the kitchen eating breakfast as reports of the first "rabies" (i.e. zombie) outbreak is announced on the television. Our source confirms that these two scenes were part of the rewrite, as well, and did not appear in the original film.
Two other, later scenes were added as well. In one, Lane, who is driving the family from Philadelphia to Newark, New Jersey, in a commandeered RV, has to pull over to treat Rachel's asthma attack. In the other, Lane phones Karen during a plane ride from South Korea to Jerusalem.
It's hard to imagine "World War Z" without the above scenes. Each one -- especially the extended new ending -- grounds the characters and gives viewers a needed respite from all that over-the-top zombie carnage.
Mike Ryan is senior writer for Huffington Post Entertainment. You can contact h

Moscow Film Fest to Kick Off Thursday With Brad Pitt's ‘World War Z’


The 35th edition of the event will close with Russian biopic "Rasputin," in which Gerard Depardieu plays the advisor to the country’s last czar.
MOSCOW -- The 35th edition of the Moscow International Film Festival will kick off in the Russian capital on Thursday with a local premiere of director Marc Forster’s World War Z.
The movie’s star Brad Pitt is expected to turn up in Moscow for the screening, as one of the festival’s highest profile guests this year.
The festival’s official competition will feature 16 films. Among the highlights are the erotic drama Delight by British veteran Gareth Jones, Rol (Role) by Russian art house director Konstantin Lopushansky and the teenage drama Los chicos del Puerto (The Kids From the Port) by Spaniard Alberto Morais.
PHOTOS: 'World War Z' Premiere: The Zombie Apocalypse Starts in London
Among the fest’s most prominent non-competition sections are 8 1/2 Films, which normally includes eight full-length features and a short, and Films Around the World.
8 1/2 Films is to feature, among others, Borgman by Dutch director Alex van Warmerdam, Vechnoe Vozvraschenie” (Eternal Homecoming) by Russian/Ukrainian Kira Muratova and the experimental film 3x3d by Jean-Luc Godard, Peter Greenaway and Edgar Pêra.
The most notable titles in Films Around the World are Michel Gondry’s Mood Indigo, starring Romain Duris and Audrey Tautou; Sophie Blondy’s L'étoile du jour (The Morning Star), starring Iggy Pop, Denis Lavant, and Béatrice Dalle, and We Will Riot, the debut feature by Lithuania’s Romas Zabarauskas.
The festival’s retrospectives this year are devoted to Bernardo Bertolucci, Greece-born, France-based director Costa Gavras, including his most recent film, Le Capital; French-born Swiss director Ursula Meier; and Russian director Alexei Balabanov, who died last month at the age of 54.
PHOTOS: Outtakes from Brad Pitt's THR Cover Shoot
The other non-competition sections include Minor Dutch Artists, Korean Cinema Showcase, 20th Century Fox Golden Collection and the documentary program Free Thought.
The award ceremony is to be held on June 29. The festival will close with the screening of Irakli Kvirikadze’s Rasputin, a biopic on Grigory Rasputin, an early 20th century mysterious psychic and faith healer and advisor to Russia’s last czar Nikolai the Second. Rasputin is played by Gérard Depardieu.
The festival’s industry section, Moscow Business Square, runs June 24-26, featuring the Moscow Co-production Forum and a series of round-table discussions and presentations.

Fan photos of Brad Pitt at the ‘World War Z’ Premiere in NYC
by Christine on June 18, 2013 ·


Brad Pitt had a busy day in NYC yesterday. He appeared on GMA in the morning, did more press in Time Square in the evening, premiered his latest movie, World War Z, at the Ziegfeld Theatre and then attended an after-party at Catch, but through it all he maintained a smile and greeted fans at every stop.
One of our contributors, Denise, was at the premiere and commended Pitt on his patience with the fans. She told us, “Brad Pitt was so awesome to the fans last night at the Ziegfeld. He did sneak in the back entrance, though, but that couldn’t’ stop us! After seeing some other stars arrive in the front, people realized he was going to use the back so a bunch of us ran to the other side and there were barricades set up there. When he was walking in he got bombarded by people, so he said “I’ll get you on the way out” and true to his word he did! Luckily, he only did an intro and then left the theater so we didn’t have to wait very long. He slowly made his way around the entire barricade and signed a ton of autographs and posed for pictures too. He was really nice to everyone.”
Denise also spotted Fifty Cent, Mel Brooks and Jon Voight heading in the front of the theater. We love hearing about stars like Brad who has been able to remain humble despite being one of the most famous men in the world!
Check a few of Denise’s photos below:

New WORLD WAR Z Clip: Brad Pitt Is A Chatty Cathy On Plane Ride To South Korea

Read more at http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/nailbiter111/news/?a=81892#XAqyD5VEEeJJvWDs.99

Angelina Jolie makes official visit to Jordan to mark World Refugee Day
Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Actress Angelina Jolie has returned to work as a humanitarian a month after stunning the world with her double mastectomy revelation by jetting off to Jordan in celebration of World Refugee Day.
On Tuesday she traveled to the Middle East for an official visit as an ambassador with the United Nations.
The actress met with a number of women and children fleeing war-torn Syria, and listened to their stories as they expressed the pain of losing their homes and loved ones amid the hostilities.
She also spoke with Major General Hussein Al-Zyoud, who helps control the border between Jordan and Syria, and called for more humanitarian aid ahead of World Refugee Day on Thursday.
She said, “The worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century is unfolding in the Middle East today. The international response to this crisis falls short of the vast scale of this human tragedy. Much more humanitarian aid is needed, and above all, a political settlement to this conflict must be found.”
Jolie last visited the Jordanian border in December.

Categories

AMMAN: Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie urged the international community to boost aid to Syrian refugees hit by what she called “the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century,” a UNHCR statement said yesterday.
Jolie, who is UNHCR special envoy for refugee affairs, visited the Jordan-Syria border overnight accompanied by head of UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres.
During their tour the two met Syrian refugees and heard how they had escaped their war-ravaged homes for Jordan.
“By the end of this year half of Syria’s population — 10 million people — are expected to be displaced and in desperate need,” the Hollywood star was quoted as saying in the UNHCR statement.
“The worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century is unfolding in the Middle East today,” Jolie said, adding that the “the international response to this crisis falls short of the vast scale of his human tragedy”.
“Much more humanitarian aid is needed, and above all, a political settlement to this conflict must be found,” she said ahead of today’s World Refugee Day.
Jolie said her visit was intended “to show support for Syria’s refugees, to call on the world to address their plight, and to better understand needs in Jordan and other countries in the region most directly affected by this devastating conflict”.
Jordan says it is home to 540,000 Syrian refugees, 150,000 of whom are housed in the Zaatari camp in the kingdom’s north, near the border with Syria.
More than 1.6 million Syrian refugees have sought refuge in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey since the beginning of an uprising against President Bashar Al Assad in March 2011, the UN says. It says the fighting in Syria has killed more than 93,000 people so far.AFP

UN Special Envoy Angelina Jolie appeals for more aid to help Syrian refugees
UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie (right) records the stories of refugees who have just escaped the war in Syria at the Jaber border crossing in Jordan on 18 June 2013. Photo: UNHCR/O. Laban-Mattei

19 June 2013 – Urging the international community to scale up aid to Syrian refugees, Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy for the United Nations refugee agency, today said that the two-year conflict in Syria had sparked “the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.”
“The international response to this crisis falls far short of the vast scale of this human tragedy,” declared Ms. Jolie, who travelled to the Jordan-Syria border to sound the alarm about the staggering number of people forced to their flee their homes – estimated by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at some 1.6 million, 540,000 of whom are in Jordan.
Along with Jordan, other countries hosting refugees sparked by two years of fighting between the Syrian Government and forces seeking to oust President Bashar Al-Assad include Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. UNHCR estimates that the number of refugees could reach almost 3.5 million by the end of this year.
The conflict has also left more than 93,000 people dead and another 6.8 million in need of humanitarian assistance. Earlier this month, UNHCR updated the amount of funds needed for the Syria Regional Response Plan to almost $3 billion for international agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). An additional $830 million is needed for the Governments of Jordan and Lebanon.
Making her visit to the region just ahead of World Refugee Day, marked annually on 20 June, Ms. Jolie listened to the stories of men, women and children who had fled Syria just hours before. In a press release, the agency said that the envoy arrived in the country yesterday with UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres.
Mr. Guterres started his visit to the region in Lebanon, where he met with refugees and Government officials. In Jordan, he and Ms. Jolie plan to meet with Government representatives and refugees living in Jordan’s cities, as well as in the sprawling Za’atari refugee camp.
“Much more humanitarian aid is needed, and above all, a political settlement to this conflict must be found,” Ms. Jolie said, urging the world to do much more to help the people of Syria.

Angelina Jolie visits Syria-Jordan border
Amman : Jordan | Jun 19, 2013 at 4:35 PM PDT
By Michael McGuire



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Actress Angelina Jolie on Wednesday visited war refugees near the borders of Syria and Jordan, the United Nations announced in an emailed news release.
Jolie, a UN special envoy for refugees, said that violence in Syria has resulted in “the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.”
"Ms. Jolie listened to the stories of men, women and children who had fled Syria just hours before," the UN said.
“The international response to this crisis falls far short of the vast scale of this human tragedy,” Jolie said in a prepared statement. “Much more humanitarian aid is needed, and above all, a political settlement to this conflict must be found."
The UN estimates about 3.5 million refugees could flee to other countries by the end of 2013. In addition to Jordan, nations impacted by refugees include Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.
"The conflict has also left more than 93,000 people dead and another 6.8 million in need of humanitarian assistance," the UN said. "Earlier this month, UNHCR updated the amount of funds needed for the Syria Regional Response Plan to almost $3 billion for international agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). An additional $830 million is needed for the Governments of Jordan and Lebanon."
Jolie's visited the border the day before World Refugee Day, an annual UN day set for June 20.
Michael McGuire’s RSS Feed

Angelina Jolie: Syria crisis 'worst this century'

• From: AAP
  
• June 20, 2013 1:33AM
  

OSCAR-WINNING actress Angelina Jolie has urged the international community to boost aid to Syrian refugees hit by what she called "the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century," a UNHCR statement says.
Jolie, who is UNHCR special envoy for refugee affairs, visited the Jordan-Syria border overnight accompanied by head of UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres.
During their tour the two met Syrian refugees and heard how they had escaped their war-ravaged homes for Jordan.
"By the end of this year half of Syria's population - 10 million people - are expected to be displaced and in desperate need," the Hollywood star was quoted as saying in the UNHCR statement.
"The worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century is unfolding in the Middle East today," Jolie said, adding that the "the international response to this crisis falls short of the vast scale of this human tragedy".

"Much more humanitarian aid is needed, and above all, a political settlement to this conflict must be found," she said ahead of Thursday's world refugee day.
Jolie said her visit was intended "to show support for Syria's refugees, to call on the world to address their plight, and to better understand needs in Jordan and other countries in the region most directly affected by this devastating conflict".
Jordan says it is home to 540,000 Syrian refugees, 150,000 of whom are housed in the Zaatari camp in the kingdom's north, near the border with Syria.
More than 1.6 million Syrian refugees have sought refuge in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey since the beginning of an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011, the UN says.
It says the fighting in Syria has killed more than 93,000 people so far.

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'The Sopranos' & 'Killing Them Softly' Star James Gandolfini Has Died
by Ethan Anderton

Thanks to HBO, it's hard to think about mobsters without thinking of Tony Soprano. It's been six years since the Emmy-winning series"The Sopranos" ended its six season run on the cable network with a much talked about cut to black. Sadly, now the film's leading man has also faded away as THR reports James Gandolfini has passed away at age 51. Gandolfini was overseas to attend the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, Italy and waiting to participate in a special event with Italian director Gabriele Muccino, and reports say the actor died suddenly after a massive heart attack. This is truly a shocking and terrible loss.
In addition to his Emmy-winning turn as Tony Soprano, which he took home three years in a row out of six total nominations for lead actor, Gandolfini also made his mark on the big screen. Early roles included True Romance, Crimson Tide, Get Shorty and The Juror. He also made waves in the TV movie adaptation of "12 Angry Men" with Jack Lemmon and followed with more prominent roles in films like A Civil Action, The Mexican, The Last Castle and the remake of All the King's Men, all while working on the HBO series "The Sopranos."
In the last five years, Gandolfini brought his gravitas to comedy and drama with In the Loop, The Taking of Pellham 123, Where the Wild Things Are, a return to HBO with the TV movie Cinema Verite, and a busy 2012 with supporting turns in Not Fade Away, Killing Them Softly and a great cameo in the Best Picture nominated Zero Dark Thirty. This year Gandolfini brought some laughter in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and his last two big screen performances, which have already been completed, will be Animal Rescue with Tom Hardy and an untitled project from Nicole Holofcener. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family through this difficult time. Gandolfini was a force to be reckoned with on TV and film, and he will be missed. Rest in peace.

World War Z’ as entertaining as hell, thanks to Brad Pitt and non-stop action
BY RICHARD ROEPER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST June 19, 2013 2:18PM
 
Like the heroes in just about every end-of-the-world thriller ever made, Brad Pitt’s Gerry in “World War Z” has the ability to see things no one else can see, figure out things no one else can figure out, overcome obstacles no one else can overcome.
The doctors and scientists frantically searching for the origins of the mutation that caused the Zombie Apocalypse, leaders of the Armed Forces evacuating cities and trying to figure out how to kill these things, the remaining diplomats and elected officials barking orders even as entire cities are overrun — at one point or another, they all get out of the way and let Gerry do this thin

 
And why not? He’s Brad Pitt. Even in that dubious haircut that makes him look like a drag queen in the very early stages of figuring out who he is, he’s BRAD PITT. If you can’t get TOM CRUISE or WILL SMITH, you can’t do much better than BRAD PITT, am I right?
Before Gerry retired from a life of constant danger to be with his family, he was a United Nations investigator of the highest order, the best in the world at solving, um, all sorts of international crimes in the most harrowing circumstances imaginable. (And yes, before all hell breaks loose and he has to spring into action, we get the obligatory Chaotic Breakfast Scene, with Gerry making pancakes for his gorgeous buzzkill of a wife and their two impossibly adorable daughters, with Mom and Dad exchanging loving glances every five seconds because life is perfect and what could possibly go wrong?)
There’s not a whole lot of explanation for why zombies are overrunning cities around the world, swarming in huge herds like fast-motion ants and “turning” nearly every human in their path. (In one particularly cool special effect, the super-fast zombies climb an insurmountable wall by creating their own Zombie Ladder, clawing over one another to get to the tasty human flesh on the other side.) All we need to know is that Gerry is humanity’s best hope to figure out the source of this virus and get to work on a cure before the population is wiped out.
There’s plenty of tension, measured doses of gore and some terrific set pieces as Gerry’s quest takes him from Korea to Jerusalem to Nova Scotia. Even when he’s safely in the air, he might not necessarily be safe.
If you’re as zombie’d out as I am by now, and you feel “The Walking Dead” cable TV series has set the all-time standard for popular culture entertainment about the flesh-chomping undead, your reluctance to see “World War Z” is understandable. All I can tell you is, there’s fresh blood here, just as there was in the oddly endearing “Warm Bodies” a few months ago.
“World War Z” trafficks in a lot of familiar territory, but thanks to the wickedly vibrant source material (Max Brooks’ 2006 horror novel), some slick and darkly funny directorial choices by Marc Forster and terrific performances from Pitt and the supporting cast, it’s entertaining as hell.
While “World War Z” provides nearly non-stop action, there are only a few scenes of the zombies chomping madly at the air as they sniff out their prey or dig into another meal. Rated PG-13, “World War Z” isn’t nearly as gruesome as a typical episode of “The Walking Dead.” This is more of a thriller than a sci-fi bloodbath, with a couple of brilliantly constructed sequences where the humans are trying to be really quiet, and the zombies are starting to stir, and you just know somebody’s going to clang into something or let a door slam, and then it will be time to RUN!
At times, the attempts to get profound and draw real-world parallels to contagious diseases are close to unintentionally funny. The paths placed in Gerry’s way range from the plausible to “you’ve got to be kidding me.” And Gerry’s lightbulb moment occurs to him about a half-hour after a good percentage of audience members will figure it out.
The only movie hero faster, stronger and nobler than Gerry in theaters right now is Superman. Even after this guy has survived a plane crash and he’s got a sheaf of metal sticking through his mid-section, Gerry needs just three days to recover before he’s back at it, leading the charge against the zombies. It’s ridiculous, but Pitt sells it.
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Brad Pitt in World War Z: 10 things you didn’t know about Brad Pitt

Added by GM on June 19, 2013.
Saved under Entertainment, Jim Donahue

Brad Pitt is an American actor and film producer, best known for his relationship with Angelina Jolie. He was born on December 18th, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He has appeared in numerous films, as well as in several made for TV movies, and TV in general.

Here is a list of ten things that you probably didn’t already know about the ever popular actor/producer/activist William Bradley “Brad” Pitt, voted People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” twice

• Brad Pitt’s net worth is about $220 million.
  

• Brad Pitt is part Native American, having stated previously that his family bloodline has “Some Seminole and some Cherokee Indian in it.
  

• Thought of as a film actor, Brad Pitt made his television debut in May 1987, appearing in 2 episodes of the long running NBC soap opera ‘Another World’.
  

• Often described as a sex symbol, this moniker was placed on him for his love scenes with actress Geena Davis in the movie, Thelma and Louise, the motion picture that garnered him major attention from the Hollywood studios.
  

• His breakout performance in Hollywood was his portrayal of Paul Maclean in the movie, ‘A River Runs Through It,’ directed by legendary actor and producer Robert Redford.
  

• Pitt has made plenty of movies, some of which may be considered ‘B’ movies by Hollywood standards, and most of which were more high profile than the one that has grossed the most money, ‘Troy.’ Starring as ‘Achilles’ in the motion picture ‘Troy’, the film grossed $497 million, making it by far Pitt’s most successful film endeavor monetarily, so far in his career.
  

• Brad and Angelina have 6 children together, 3 adopted and 3 biological. Their names and ages are; Maddox 10, Pax 9, Zahara 8, all adopted, as well as Shiloh 7, and twins, Knox and Vivienne, 4.
  

• Pitt is an activist of sorts, as well as a card carrying Democrat. “Brad is somebody who is passionate about promoting justice. Whether it’s dealing with the injustice of a poor family in New Orleans being left behind by their government or the injustice of this ballot proposition, which would strip legally granted rights away from gay couples in California, he wants to use his influence the best he can,” Trevor Neilson, Pitt’s philanthropic and political advisor was quoted as saying.
  

• Brad’s parents, Bill and Jane Pitt, are the chief caregivers for the Jolie/Pitt children. Pitt and Jolie have purchased a French Chateau recently, and had a guest house built for Brad’s parents, moving them in and getting rid of the 6 nannies they had previously retained to care for their 6 children. That’s right, each child had their own nanny!
  

• Brad and Angelina’s biological children are more Native american than you may know, as it has been reported that Angelina Jolie’s bloodline is purported to be part “Iroquois,” a small group of American Indians, originally from the Upstate New York area of the U.S., moving to the province of Quebec after the Revolutionary war, as they had sided with the British in that war. This explains Jolie’s French-Canadian Heritage.
  

So there you have it, 10 things you may or may-not have known about Brad Pitt. Enjoy