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Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
PKR's Caribbean Stud Poker Jackpot Approaches $150,000 - 13th December 2011
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PKR PKR Poker PKR Casino Caribbean Stud Poker
The progressive jackpot for PKR's Caribbean Stud Poker mini-game has today reached $149,000 and is expected to grow to a record size within the next few days.
The game is available directly through PKR's pioneering 3D room client, and invites poker fans to beat the dealer-s five card Texas Hold-em hand. Players can be eligible for the rapidly rising jackpot by placing a side bet of just $1, with jackpot payouts activated by hitting the highest ranked poker hands.
On 27 November, poker player GVincredible won 10% of the jackpot after hitting a straight flush, turning his $4 stake into $15,838. The Belgian, a regular at PKR's tables since July 2007 with a $1,833 tournament victory to his name, commented “I just couldn-t believe I-d won. I-d already planned to play more poker on PKR in 2012 and to buy a new car, but this makes it much easier!”
PKR's Caribbean Stud Poker mini-game forms part of the award winning operator-s suite of gaming products which includes a revolutionary 3D poker room, innovative 3D casino and sportsbook.
For more information on the Team PKR pro please visit PKR.com
About PKR
PKR.com is a revolutionary new concept in online poker that has changed the way the game is played. Featuring stunning real-time 3D graphics and a uniquely engaging and immersive gaming system, PKR.com brings an unparalleled and previously unseen level of realism to online poker. Developed by some of the brightest stars in the video games and poker industries, PKR.com continues to be the most innovative poker room in the world.
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100 PKR Players Set for BAMMA Giveaway - 1st December 2011
Next-Gen Online Poker Room PKR Offers Up Free Fight Night Hospitality
More than 100 poker players will enjoy the explosive atmosphere at the BAMMA 8 mixed martial arts event in Nottingham on 10 December through a free prize draw at PKR.com In the fourth event of its kind this year, PKR is again offering players the opportunity to meet staff and other players, against the backdrop of one of sport's fastest growing events. The prize draw is open to all PKR members and concludes on Friday 02 December.
PKR became the headline sponsor of BAMMA, Europe's premier mixed martial arts organisation, in January 2011. The online poker site has since welcomed hundreds of its members to BAMMA events in Manchester, London and Birmingham, having offered tickets in free prize draws through the site's busy forum and website.
PKR players who attend the upcoming BAMMA 8 event, which takes place in Nottingham's Capital FM Arena on Saturday 10 December, will enjoy 13 bouts featuring some of the world's top martial artists including light heavyweight champion Jimi 'Poster Boy' Manuwa, who makes his eagerly anticipated BAMMA debut. UFC legend Randy Couture is also rumoured to be making a promotional appearance.
Community Manager Dan Grant commented, "BAMMA events are a fantastic opportunity for our players to meet PKR and each other in a fun and social real-world setting. They'll get to put faces to names they've met at our online tables and meet new poker mates while enjoying the great atmosphere of a thrilling sporting event."
For more information on PKR's BAMMA 8 giveaway, please visit PKR.com
For interviews with top BAMMA fighters including UFC star Nate Marquardt and Tom 'Kong' Watson, please visit: www.pkr.tv
PKR Poker Media Man 'Online Poker Website Of The Month' Runner-Up For December 2011
PKR.com has been awarded the Media Man runner-up for 'Online Poker Website Of The Month'.
The popular online poker website has also been tipped to be a legitimate chance to place first in the coming months, should their excellent service and offerings continue.
Well done to PKR.com
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PKR PKR Poker PKR Casino Caribbean Stud Poker
The progressive jackpot for PKR's Caribbean Stud Poker mini-game has today reached $149,000 and is expected to grow to a record size within the next few days.
The game is available directly through PKR's pioneering 3D room client, and invites poker fans to beat the dealer-s five card Texas Hold-em hand. Players can be eligible for the rapidly rising jackpot by placing a side bet of just $1, with jackpot payouts activated by hitting the highest ranked poker hands.
On 27 November, poker player GVincredible won 10% of the jackpot after hitting a straight flush, turning his $4 stake into $15,838. The Belgian, a regular at PKR's tables since July 2007 with a $1,833 tournament victory to his name, commented “I just couldn-t believe I-d won. I-d already planned to play more poker on PKR in 2012 and to buy a new car, but this makes it much easier!”
PKR's Caribbean Stud Poker mini-game forms part of the award winning operator-s suite of gaming products which includes a revolutionary 3D poker room, innovative 3D casino and sportsbook.
For more information on the Team PKR pro please visit PKR.com
About PKR
PKR.com is a revolutionary new concept in online poker that has changed the way the game is played. Featuring stunning real-time 3D graphics and a uniquely engaging and immersive gaming system, PKR.com brings an unparalleled and previously unseen level of realism to online poker. Developed by some of the brightest stars in the video games and poker industries, PKR.com continues to be the most innovative poker room in the world.
Press Release
100 PKR Players Set for BAMMA Giveaway - 1st December 2011
Next-Gen Online Poker Room PKR Offers Up Free Fight Night Hospitality
More than 100 poker players will enjoy the explosive atmosphere at the BAMMA 8 mixed martial arts event in Nottingham on 10 December through a free prize draw at PKR.com In the fourth event of its kind this year, PKR is again offering players the opportunity to meet staff and other players, against the backdrop of one of sport's fastest growing events. The prize draw is open to all PKR members and concludes on Friday 02 December.
PKR became the headline sponsor of BAMMA, Europe's premier mixed martial arts organisation, in January 2011. The online poker site has since welcomed hundreds of its members to BAMMA events in Manchester, London and Birmingham, having offered tickets in free prize draws through the site's busy forum and website.
PKR players who attend the upcoming BAMMA 8 event, which takes place in Nottingham's Capital FM Arena on Saturday 10 December, will enjoy 13 bouts featuring some of the world's top martial artists including light heavyweight champion Jimi 'Poster Boy' Manuwa, who makes his eagerly anticipated BAMMA debut. UFC legend Randy Couture is also rumoured to be making a promotional appearance.
Community Manager Dan Grant commented, "BAMMA events are a fantastic opportunity for our players to meet PKR and each other in a fun and social real-world setting. They'll get to put faces to names they've met at our online tables and meet new poker mates while enjoying the great atmosphere of a thrilling sporting event."
For more information on PKR's BAMMA 8 giveaway, please visit PKR.com
For interviews with top BAMMA fighters including UFC star Nate Marquardt and Tom 'Kong' Watson, please visit: www.pkr.tv
PKR Poker Media Man 'Online Poker Website Of The Month' Runner-Up For December 2011
PKR.com has been awarded the Media Man runner-up for 'Online Poker Website Of The Month'.
The popular online poker website has also been tipped to be a legitimate chance to place first in the coming months, should their excellent service and offerings continue.
Well done to PKR.com
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Sunday, November 20, 2011
Casino in Adelaide, South Australia, refuses to pay punter $105,000 jackpot - 20th November 2011
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An Adelaide pensioner punter is embroiled in a bitter feud with the Adelaide Casino over a $105,000 jackpot she won playing the slots.
The casino has refused to pay 75-year-old Cecelia Cubillo the money because she won it after playing a $1 credit on a gaming machine that was not being used. After admitting she won the $105,731.75 jackpot using the $1 credit on the abandoned "Fort Knox" machine, casino security staff accused Ms Cubillo of being a thief, describing her actions in playing the abandoned credit as "theft by finding".
A week later, though, the casino gave her a $250 food and drink voucher as a goodwill gesture. Ms Cubillo, an Aboriginal elder who has two university degrees and worked for ATSIC in Canberra and Adelaide before she retired, has lodged a complaint with Liquor and Gambling Commissioner Paul White, who has launched an investigation.
A senior Government legal source leaked that the investigation has raised a legal question concerning the ownership of abandoned credits on gaming machines and the consequences of those credits being played.
As a result, Mr White has conducted a formal review of the case and has now requested a legal opinion from Crown Solicitor Greg Parker.
Ms Cubillo arrived in Adelaide in 1974 with her five girls after being evacuated from Darwin following Cyclone Tracy. Her mother, noted elder Hilda Jarman Muir, was one of the Stolen Generation who took their case to the High Court in 1995.
When contacted by the press Ms Cubillo said she went to the casino - which has recently won the Major Tourist Attraction category in the SA Tourism Awards - on May 6 last year after visiting friends.
She does not drink or smoke and said she enjoyed playing the pokies "every few weeks or so when I have a few spare dollars". "To me, it was just fun, an outlet," Ms Cubillo said. "I like the bright lights of the casino."
Ms Cubillo said on the May 6 visit she had only $7 with her. She played several machines before moving to the "Fort Knox" machine. She noticed there was a single $1 credit on the machine and to clear it, had played the credit.
"That is when all the lights and noises started on the machine and the jackpot came up," she said.
After speaking to an attendant, she was told a cheque would be arranged - but then the casino's gaming operations manager and security guard became involved.
Ms Cubillo admitted she had played a credit that was already on the machine. Surveillance videos showed a man had been playing the machine.
Ms Cubillo said she was shocked when a female security guard then accused her of being "a thief" and said she would not be paid the jackpot.
"She told me it was theft by finding and I started to get scared that the police would be called and take me away," she said.
"It was very intimidating and overwhelming. I was scared that they would come and arrest me.
"I didn't steal anything, I didn't do anything other than play the credit on the machine and they accused me of theft."
Ms Cubillo said after being confronted and interviewed by security staff and a manager, she had left feeling "bewildered, intimidated and overwhelmed".
She returned to the casino a week later, accompanied by her daughter, and met gaming machine operations manager Frank Edwards.
She was again told the jackpot would not be paid and was given a $250 voucher for food and drinks.
"If I was not entitled to anything, why did they give me the $250 voucher?," she said.
"I have not used it and I will never go back to the casino."
Ms Cubillo has engaged an advocate, who is pursuing the matter.
"My parents brought me up with solid values and taught me principles, values and beliefs," she said.
"I am not a thief. I have never had a parking ticket in my life."
"I have worked hard in life to get the best for my children and I am not a dishonest person. I have done nothing wrong at all."
In a statement to the Sunday Mail on Friday, Adelaide Casino general manager David Christian said the casino "operates in a highly regulated and controlled environment".
"The statutory scheme prohibits customers stealing credits left on gaming machines," he said.
"At all times, Adelaide Casino followed its legal requirement, to the letter, and was therefore required to deny Ms Cubillo the jackpot.
"The entire amount of this jackpot was reseeded into the jackpot pool and was then legitimately won by a customer a week later."
Punters, know the odds, know your game, and know your casino.
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Sin City Cleopatra Rambo The Godfather Sinatra Adelaide South Australia Australia
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An Adelaide pensioner punter is embroiled in a bitter feud with the Adelaide Casino over a $105,000 jackpot she won playing the slots.
The casino has refused to pay 75-year-old Cecelia Cubillo the money because she won it after playing a $1 credit on a gaming machine that was not being used. After admitting she won the $105,731.75 jackpot using the $1 credit on the abandoned "Fort Knox" machine, casino security staff accused Ms Cubillo of being a thief, describing her actions in playing the abandoned credit as "theft by finding".
A week later, though, the casino gave her a $250 food and drink voucher as a goodwill gesture. Ms Cubillo, an Aboriginal elder who has two university degrees and worked for ATSIC in Canberra and Adelaide before she retired, has lodged a complaint with Liquor and Gambling Commissioner Paul White, who has launched an investigation.
A senior Government legal source leaked that the investigation has raised a legal question concerning the ownership of abandoned credits on gaming machines and the consequences of those credits being played.
As a result, Mr White has conducted a formal review of the case and has now requested a legal opinion from Crown Solicitor Greg Parker.
Ms Cubillo arrived in Adelaide in 1974 with her five girls after being evacuated from Darwin following Cyclone Tracy. Her mother, noted elder Hilda Jarman Muir, was one of the Stolen Generation who took their case to the High Court in 1995.
When contacted by the press Ms Cubillo said she went to the casino - which has recently won the Major Tourist Attraction category in the SA Tourism Awards - on May 6 last year after visiting friends.
She does not drink or smoke and said she enjoyed playing the pokies "every few weeks or so when I have a few spare dollars". "To me, it was just fun, an outlet," Ms Cubillo said. "I like the bright lights of the casino."
Ms Cubillo said on the May 6 visit she had only $7 with her. She played several machines before moving to the "Fort Knox" machine. She noticed there was a single $1 credit on the machine and to clear it, had played the credit.
"That is when all the lights and noises started on the machine and the jackpot came up," she said.
After speaking to an attendant, she was told a cheque would be arranged - but then the casino's gaming operations manager and security guard became involved.
Ms Cubillo admitted she had played a credit that was already on the machine. Surveillance videos showed a man had been playing the machine.
Ms Cubillo said she was shocked when a female security guard then accused her of being "a thief" and said she would not be paid the jackpot.
"She told me it was theft by finding and I started to get scared that the police would be called and take me away," she said.
"It was very intimidating and overwhelming. I was scared that they would come and arrest me.
"I didn't steal anything, I didn't do anything other than play the credit on the machine and they accused me of theft."
Ms Cubillo said after being confronted and interviewed by security staff and a manager, she had left feeling "bewildered, intimidated and overwhelmed".
She returned to the casino a week later, accompanied by her daughter, and met gaming machine operations manager Frank Edwards.
She was again told the jackpot would not be paid and was given a $250 voucher for food and drinks.
"If I was not entitled to anything, why did they give me the $250 voucher?," she said.
"I have not used it and I will never go back to the casino."
Ms Cubillo has engaged an advocate, who is pursuing the matter.
"My parents brought me up with solid values and taught me principles, values and beliefs," she said.
"I am not a thief. I have never had a parking ticket in my life."
"I have worked hard in life to get the best for my children and I am not a dishonest person. I have done nothing wrong at all."
In a statement to the Sunday Mail on Friday, Adelaide Casino general manager David Christian said the casino "operates in a highly regulated and controlled environment".
"The statutory scheme prohibits customers stealing credits left on gaming machines," he said.
"At all times, Adelaide Casino followed its legal requirement, to the letter, and was therefore required to deny Ms Cubillo the jackpot.
"The entire amount of this jackpot was reseeded into the jackpot pool and was then legitimately won by a customer a week later."
Punters, know the odds, know your game, and know your casino.
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Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Virgin Casino New Circus Internet Slots; Virgin Casino Releases Siberian Storm Slot Game
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Virgin Casino Virgin Games Captain Cannon’s Circus of Cash Circus Siberian Storm Richard Branson Slots
Virgin Casino is licensed in the gambling jurisdiction of Alderney in accordance with British Law. New players are offered a 100% match bonus up to £$€100.
Virgin Casino has only reload bonuses reserved for the first week of November. The good news it has just added a new internet slots titled Captain Cannon’s Circus of Cash. Captain Cannon’s is a product of Ash Gaming which could be played at Virgin Casino through its GTS platform. One of the standout features of this circus based slot game is its 9 thematic bonus rounds. Captain Cannon’s offers players a return of 95%.
The slot game has three in-reel bonus rounds. In the Fire Breather bonus round a fire breather blowing flames appears on the reels. This amounts to three reels that have wild symbols. The line wins are then calculated anew and paid. A female lion tamer features in the Lion Tamer bonus features. In total five symbols are transformed into wild symbols. Yet again additional payouts are awarded to the player. Players will like the Rampaging Elephant. An elephant goes out of control on the reels knocking out some of the symbols. The remaining symbols and new symbols drop down to fill the gaps left. Chances are very good to obtain wilds in the new symbols. Every line win is calculated again and paid to the player.
The Caravan Side Shows is the next set of bonuses. These bonuses feature on the second screen and are played inside the caravan. To win bonus credits in the Bearded Lady bonus, the player has to choose one of two bearded ladies to win. In actual fact one of these women is a real beauty hiding behind the beard and offers larger payouts. In the Strongman Contest the player must pick one of the strongmen. The strongman lifts weights and holds it above his head. The longer the weights could be held, the larger the payout the player will receive. The Knife Throwers award five throws. The must choose a number of balloons, each balloon that is popped awards bonus credits or additional throws.
Last but not least is the Main Event bonus rounds; these offer the highest payouts as well as the possibility of hitting the progressive jackpot should the gold clown make its appearance on the screen during the bonus. Virgin Casino guarantees that one lucky player will win this progressive jackpot. Free spins are awarded by the Clown Car bonus. The amount of free spins is determined by the clowns with pink balloons and the multiplier is determined by the clowns with green spins. The Tightrope Motor Bear must ride across the rope and return a clown. Depending on how far the bar travels bonus points are awarded. The captain is fired from the cannon In the Captain Cannon Bonus. A prize is awarded with each object he collides with. The bonus ends the moment he collides with a water barrel.
Virgin Casino can not currently be accessed by Australian, New Zealand or American players, but a range of other online casinos can be located via the Global Gaming Directory.
Virgin Casino Releases Siberian Storm Slot Game...
Virgin Casino released a new slot game entitled Siberian Storm and it is set to cause just that at Richard Branson's very popular online casino.
The new slo game has a Siberian wild life theme to it and includes the mesmerizing MultiWay Extra™ format of wagering where players can win in up to 720 different ways.
The scatter pays and the stacked wilds make sure for an exciting slot game experience. The free spin bonus round gives the player the opportunity to win up to 240 free spins to win a huge reward. During the free spin bonus round, the player begins with 8 free spins. However, these can be re-triggered to attain the potential 240 free spins.
The stand-out features for Siberian Storm include superb graphics, a high quality soundtrack and the chance for players to win very big with a variety of ways to win a cash prize.
In Siberian Storm, players can win by hitting symbols diagonally as well as just from left to right. There is a single lines jackpot of 1,000 coins. This can be won when the player hits five Siberian Storm logos and there is a total jackpot of £250,000.
Siberian Storm is available to play at Virgin Casino right now.
Virgin Casino can not currently be accessed by Australian, New Zealand or American players, but a range of other online casinos can be located via the Global Gaming Directory.
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Virgin Casino Virgin Games Captain Cannon’s Circus of Cash Circus Siberian Storm Richard Branson Slots
Virgin Casino is licensed in the gambling jurisdiction of Alderney in accordance with British Law. New players are offered a 100% match bonus up to £$€100.
Virgin Casino has only reload bonuses reserved for the first week of November. The good news it has just added a new internet slots titled Captain Cannon’s Circus of Cash. Captain Cannon’s is a product of Ash Gaming which could be played at Virgin Casino through its GTS platform. One of the standout features of this circus based slot game is its 9 thematic bonus rounds. Captain Cannon’s offers players a return of 95%.
The slot game has three in-reel bonus rounds. In the Fire Breather bonus round a fire breather blowing flames appears on the reels. This amounts to three reels that have wild symbols. The line wins are then calculated anew and paid. A female lion tamer features in the Lion Tamer bonus features. In total five symbols are transformed into wild symbols. Yet again additional payouts are awarded to the player. Players will like the Rampaging Elephant. An elephant goes out of control on the reels knocking out some of the symbols. The remaining symbols and new symbols drop down to fill the gaps left. Chances are very good to obtain wilds in the new symbols. Every line win is calculated again and paid to the player.
The Caravan Side Shows is the next set of bonuses. These bonuses feature on the second screen and are played inside the caravan. To win bonus credits in the Bearded Lady bonus, the player has to choose one of two bearded ladies to win. In actual fact one of these women is a real beauty hiding behind the beard and offers larger payouts. In the Strongman Contest the player must pick one of the strongmen. The strongman lifts weights and holds it above his head. The longer the weights could be held, the larger the payout the player will receive. The Knife Throwers award five throws. The must choose a number of balloons, each balloon that is popped awards bonus credits or additional throws.
Last but not least is the Main Event bonus rounds; these offer the highest payouts as well as the possibility of hitting the progressive jackpot should the gold clown make its appearance on the screen during the bonus. Virgin Casino guarantees that one lucky player will win this progressive jackpot. Free spins are awarded by the Clown Car bonus. The amount of free spins is determined by the clowns with pink balloons and the multiplier is determined by the clowns with green spins. The Tightrope Motor Bear must ride across the rope and return a clown. Depending on how far the bar travels bonus points are awarded. The captain is fired from the cannon In the Captain Cannon Bonus. A prize is awarded with each object he collides with. The bonus ends the moment he collides with a water barrel.
Virgin Casino can not currently be accessed by Australian, New Zealand or American players, but a range of other online casinos can be located via the Global Gaming Directory.
Virgin Casino Releases Siberian Storm Slot Game...
Virgin Casino released a new slot game entitled Siberian Storm and it is set to cause just that at Richard Branson's very popular online casino.
The new slo game has a Siberian wild life theme to it and includes the mesmerizing MultiWay Extra™ format of wagering where players can win in up to 720 different ways.
The scatter pays and the stacked wilds make sure for an exciting slot game experience. The free spin bonus round gives the player the opportunity to win up to 240 free spins to win a huge reward. During the free spin bonus round, the player begins with 8 free spins. However, these can be re-triggered to attain the potential 240 free spins.
The stand-out features for Siberian Storm include superb graphics, a high quality soundtrack and the chance for players to win very big with a variety of ways to win a cash prize.
In Siberian Storm, players can win by hitting symbols diagonally as well as just from left to right. There is a single lines jackpot of 1,000 coins. This can be won when the player hits five Siberian Storm logos and there is a total jackpot of £250,000.
Siberian Storm is available to play at Virgin Casino right now.
Virgin Casino can not currently be accessed by Australian, New Zealand or American players, but a range of other online casinos can be located via the Global Gaming Directory.
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
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Casino gambling is colorful and dramatic and theatrical. - Steve Wynn (Wynn Resorts)
SkyCity Marriott Launches Hong Kong Disneyland New 2-Day Ticket (Effective 1 March 2012)
HONG KONG, Feb 23, 2012 - Working closely with Hong Kong Disneyland Resort as one of its top-performing hotel partners, SkyCity Marriott proudly launches Hong Kong Disneyland's new 2-Day Ticket. Guests can now enjoy two magical visits to the Park with just one ticket.
With the new 2-Day Ticket, which costs only HK$100 more than the 1-Day Ticket, guests can enjoy flexibility in visiting the Park on any two days within a seven-day period. With every purchase of any two Hong Kong Disneyland Tickets at the concierge, guests will receive a complimentary special edition Toy Story Land Shopping Bag. Both 1-Day and 2-Day Tickets are now available at the hotel's concierge (refer to appendix A for price table).
To mark the launch of the new ticket type, guests who pre-book the Magical Escape Room Package to stay at the hotel between 1 March to 30 June 2012 will receive a complimentary upgrade from the 1-Day Ticket to a 2-Day Ticket as part of this exciting Hong Kong hotel deal. Guests can take their time to fully explore the Park and meet their favorite Toy Story friends in its latest Toy Story Land.
The Magical Escape Room Package is available for booking, Monday to Sunday, from HK$2,088+ per night. The Package includes a Deluxe Room one-night stay, two adult Hong Kong Disneyland Park Tickets and buffet breakfast for two. Reservations can be made through skycitymarriott.com or by calling (852) 3969 1888 (refer to appendix B for room package and promotion details).
Located just 20 minutes away from the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, SkyCity Marriott is one of the closest hotels in Hong Kong to the theme park. Due to its proximity, our 5 star Hong Kong hotel is popular among local Hong Kong residents and short-haul leisure travelers from South East Asia, who wish to visit Hong Kong Disneyland and experience five-star luxurious accommodations.
SkyCity Marriott first launched the Magical Escape Room package in 2009 and it is has been one of the most popular room packages, especially among families. The room package has been specially designed to cater to this market with the inclusion of Hong Kong Disneyland Park Tickets and buffet breakfast. To provide a seamless and hassle-free experience, SkyCity Marriott offers complimentary shuttle bus service to and from the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort on a daily basis -- 10am from SkyCity Marriott to the resort, 8:45pm from the resort to SkyCity Marriott.
In addition to our unparalleled holiday offer for families and leisure travelers, guests can also enjoy the hotel's five-star facilities -- 24-hour gym, 27-meter indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. For golf enthusiast, the SkyCity Nine Eagles Golf Course is at the door-step of the hotel. Traveling out of the hotel is convenient with complimentary shuttle bus service to Tung Chung MTR station and the Airport. To reach town, guest can take the Airport Express Line, which is connected to the hotel via AsiaWorld-Expo.
About Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel Nestled on the edge of Lantau Island and on banks of the South China Sea, the Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel offers a refreshing escape from the bustling city. A five-star luxury hotel, the Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel provides luxurious accommodations with 658 guest rooms, 13 premium meeting rooms for corporate events, houses five restaurants for a variety of dining options and offers pampering spa treats at the boutique Quan Spa. Transportation to the hotel is a breeze as the hotel is located next to the Hong Kong International Airport and is just a 28-minute train ride (Airport Express Line) away from Hong Kong's central business district. For the leisure travelers, they can enjoy the convenience of the hotel being located near Hong Kong's famous tourist attractions -- Disneyland, Ngong Ping 360 and the Tian Tan Buddha. This modern day oasis is perfect for conferences, business travelers and leisure guests seeking the best of both worlds -- the luxury and convenience of contemporary living set in peaceful tranquility.
About Hong Kong Disneyland Hong Kong Disneyland Resort offers immersive, unique Disney experiences for all families, generations and ages to enjoy. Hong Kong is one of only five locations in the world that is home to a Disney theme park and the many Disney characters that are beloved the world over, such as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Stitch and Buzz Lightyear. Since the Grand Opening in September 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland has received more than 31 million Guests from around the globe. Through the unique product offering and the world-class service provided by the 5,000 strong Cast at the theme park and the two hotels, the Resort has received outstanding Guest satisfaction ratings and a range of awards from the hospitality and entertainment sectors.
Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search; Johnny Ruffo at Parramatta Westfield, Sydney - 23rd June 2012
Today the Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search was held at Westfield, Parramatta, with celebs such as Johnny Ruffo and 'Young Men Society' thrown into the mix.
Sydney is the third stop in a national tour of the country, offering teen Australians a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at international stardom. The Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search stands as Australia's most esteemed modelling initiative, launching the career of some of Australia's most celebrated modelling faces including Catherine McNeil, Alyssa Sutherland, Abbey Lee, Pania Rose, Samantha Harris and Ruby Rose.
As Australia's favourite teen magazine searches the nation to uncover fresh modelling talent, all teenage girls aged 13 years and over are encouraged to attend the roadshow at Westfield Parramatta today.
The overall winner of the 2012 Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search will receive a two-year contract with Chic Management and an opportunity to meet Next Model Management in New York; an all-expenses paid trip to Sydney for the finalists' fashion shoot; an appearance in two fashion shoots for Girlfriend magazine and a one-year supply of Rimmel London products.
The 22nd annual Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search for 2012 arrives in Sydney this morning, searching for the freshest modelling talent.
News Backgrounder...
Maddison Coluccio in Girlfriend magazine model search...
Maddison Coluccio is chasing a career on the catwalk under the watchful eyes of her big sisters.
The Ashcroft teenager has been shortlisted in the Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search.
Now in its 22nd year, the competition was instrumental in the careers of internationally recognised models such as Samantha Harris, Catherine McNeil and Abbey Lee Kershaw.
While Maddison said it would be "really cool" to win, she was most looking forward to the competition process.
"I really like all of it. It's exciting going through the costume changes and hair and make-up," she said. "It can be competitive but mostly just fun. If I get upset my big sisters Elyce and Lauren are usually there to cheer me up."
The teen advised her family is supportive and keeps her grounded.
"I know the whole cliche of real beauty coming from within and I totally agree," Maddison said.
"My family and friends are always there for me."
The competition arrives in Sydney this Saturday from 9am at Westfield Parramatta - the third stop in a national tour.
The overall winner will receive a two-year contract with Chic Management and an opportunity to meet Next Model Management in New York, an all-expenses-paid trip to Sydney for the finalists' fashion shoot, an appearance in two fashion shoots for Girlfriend magazine and a one-year supply of Rimmel London products.
Today the Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search was held at Westfield, Parramatta, with celebs such as Johnny Ruffo and 'Young Men Society' thrown into the mix.
Sydney is the third stop in a national tour of the country, offering teen Australians a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at international stardom. The Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search stands as Australia's most esteemed modelling initiative, launching the career of some of Australia's most celebrated modelling faces including Catherine McNeil, Alyssa Sutherland, Abbey Lee, Pania Rose, Samantha Harris and Ruby Rose.
As Australia's favourite teen magazine searches the nation to uncover fresh modelling talent, all teenage girls aged 13 years and over are encouraged to attend the roadshow at Westfield Parramatta today.
The overall winner of the 2012 Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search will receive a two-year contract with Chic Management and an opportunity to meet Next Model Management in New York; an all-expenses paid trip to Sydney for the finalists' fashion shoot; an appearance in two fashion shoots for Girlfriend magazine and a one-year supply of Rimmel London products.
The 22nd annual Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search for 2012 arrives in Sydney this morning, searching for the freshest modelling talent.
News Backgrounder...
Maddison Coluccio in Girlfriend magazine model search...
Maddison Coluccio is chasing a career on the catwalk under the watchful eyes of her big sisters.
The Ashcroft teenager has been shortlisted in the Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search.
Now in its 22nd year, the competition was instrumental in the careers of internationally recognised models such as Samantha Harris, Catherine McNeil and Abbey Lee Kershaw.
While Maddison said it would be "really cool" to win, she was most looking forward to the competition process.
"I really like all of it. It's exciting going through the costume changes and hair and make-up," she said. "It can be competitive but mostly just fun. If I get upset my big sisters Elyce and Lauren are usually there to cheer me up."
The teen advised her family is supportive and keeps her grounded.
"I know the whole cliche of real beauty coming from within and I totally agree," Maddison said.
"My family and friends are always there for me."
The competition arrives in Sydney this Saturday from 9am at Westfield Parramatta - the third stop in a national tour.
The overall winner will receive a two-year contract with Chic Management and an opportunity to meet Next Model Management in New York, an all-expenses-paid trip to Sydney for the finalists' fashion shoot, an appearance in two fashion shoots for Girlfriend magazine and a one-year supply of Rimmel London products.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Advertising News Media Blog: 5 Keys To Online Success
Advertising News Media Blog
5 Keys To Online Success
It is being more commonly understood that the dot.com bust of 2000 was more the result of bad business models and execution than of some intrinsic fault within the Internet. Many businesses with models appropriate to the Internet are alive and thriving.
Perhaps you’re wondering if your own business has what it takes to be successful on the Web? While every situation is different, experts have noted that successful online businesses possess a number of common characteristics. Let’s take a look at five key characteristics that they share.
1. Management possessed a “Net” awareness.
Dun and Bradstreet’s 20th Annual Small business Survey reports that two-thirds of today’s small businesses have Internet access, and approximately 50 percent of those also have a Website. And more than 60 percent of those with Internet access plan to increase their use of the Internet in coming months.
As business owners and decision-makers, you will most certainly benefit by spending time online learning about the Internet. Look at how your competitors and industry are using it, try to discern where your markets potentially hang out, and ask lots of questions.
2. They had an organized plan.
Do you remember the story Alice in Wonderland and the Cheshire cat? One day Alice came to a fork in the road. Looking around, she saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. “Which road should I take?” she asked. “Where do you want to go?” the cat replied. “I don’t know,” Alice answered. “In that case,” the cat said, “it doesn’t matter which road you take.”
Once you have gotten familiar with the Internet and its potential for your marketing, create a written plan of action. Simply putting your ideas down on paper will help focus your thoughts. Set goals and identify how you can get there.
How important is it to have a plan, or better yet, a written business plan? The Small Business Administration says that most successful companies started with a detailed business plan and those that didn’t plan were far more likely to fail.
3. Successful ventures implemented their creative ideas and then learned from what worked and what didn’t.
Kraft Foods is the largest branded food and beverage company in North America, and the second largest worldwide. Paula Sneed, one of their vice presidents, was a keynote speaker at an Economist Conference. She boiled down the basis for their success down to three simple “ingredients” which I believe are also important to all businesses, no matter what size.
Make smart bets. Kraft identified initiatives that build brand, increase customer loyalty, or cut costs.
Move fast. Once identified, they implemented their initiatives. I think one of the most notable things Sneed said was, “If we’re going to fail let’s fail fast and fail cheap.”
Make course corrections. Kraft expected both success and failure. They made mid-course corrections based on early feedback to improve the likelihood of success. Even failures provided good market feedback they could use for future initiatives.
4. Successful Web ventures did targeted marketing.
As a marketing consultant I find that many small businesses have great difficulty identifying their choice markets. I can’t tell you how many times I ask entrepreneurs what their target markets are, only to be told, “everyone.”
But targeting your marketing to “everyone” doesn’t make sense. Targeting means identifying those potential customers who represent the best prospects for sales and focusing your marketing efforts on them. This is simply the old 80/20 rule (that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers) in practice.
In fact, finding a niche and working to serve its unmet needs is one of the best uses for the Web. Why? Because the Web isn’t really a mass marketing tool, as some would believe. It’s actually a supreme targeted marketing tool.
5. They combined online and offline marketing.
I always hear people making either/or kinds of comments about offline versus online advertising. But successful companies recognized that online and offline advertising are synergistic. They support and amplify one another.
Here are two simple examples. First, including your website URL in all your offline advertising messages (yellow pages, magazine ads, circulars etc) will bring traffic to your website. Second, a signup form on your website that you use to send prospects your standard marketing printed materials (brochures, sales materials etc).
While these five Keys do not guarantee online success, including them in your business will certainly improve your chances for success.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Casino News Media: Online Gaming Promotions
Profiles
Media Man Casino IGT Slots Poker Grand Reef Online Casino PartyCasino Virgin Casino
Current Promotions
Grand Reef Online Casino website - new players get up to $750 sign up bonus. Australian and New Zealand players welcome. Powered by Playtech. Grand Reef Online Casino profile
PartyCasino.com website - world class promotions and over 300 games. Players from most parts of the world accepted including Australia. Sorry, no U.S players. PartyCasino.com profile
Virgin Casino website - world class promotions and over 300 games. Virgin Casino profile.
Paddy Power casino website - world class promotions. Hundreds of games. Paddy Power profile.
News
Grand Reef Online Casino gets new games
PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino war continues
Microgaming powered online casinos at war. Captain Cooks VS Roxy Palace.
Paddy Power online casino gets new games.
Australian government looking into affiliate program deals
Steve Wynn of Wynn Resorts rumoured to be interested in purchasing Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment.
Donald Trump continues to lobby for full legalisation of iGaming sector in the U.S
Media Man website network attracting over 6 million hits per month
Casino News Media website attracting over 1 million hits per month
*Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory has conducted business with all of the above entities, as they have with dozens of other companies in the gaming, technology, media and entertainment sector
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man News
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Media Man Casino IGT Slots Poker Grand Reef Online Casino PartyCasino Virgin Casino
Current Promotions
Grand Reef Online Casino website - new players get up to $750 sign up bonus. Australian and New Zealand players welcome. Powered by Playtech. Grand Reef Online Casino profile
PartyCasino.com website - world class promotions and over 300 games. Players from most parts of the world accepted including Australia. Sorry, no U.S players. PartyCasino.com profile
Virgin Casino website - world class promotions and over 300 games. Virgin Casino profile.
Paddy Power casino website - world class promotions. Hundreds of games. Paddy Power profile.
News
Grand Reef Online Casino gets new games
PartyCasino VS Virgin Casino war continues
Microgaming powered online casinos at war. Captain Cooks VS Roxy Palace.
Paddy Power online casino gets new games.
Australian government looking into affiliate program deals
Steve Wynn of Wynn Resorts rumoured to be interested in purchasing Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment.
Donald Trump continues to lobby for full legalisation of iGaming sector in the U.S
Media Man website network attracting over 6 million hits per month
Casino News Media website attracting over 1 million hits per month
*Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory has conducted business with all of the above entities, as they have with dozens of other companies in the gaming, technology, media and entertainment sector
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man News
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Advertising News Media Blog: 5 Keys To Online Success
Advertising News Media Blog
5 Keys To Online Success
It is being more commonly understood that the dot.com bust of 2000 was more the result of bad business models and execution than of some intrinsic fault within the Internet. Many businesses with models appropriate to the Internet are alive and thriving.
Perhaps you’re wondering if your own business has what it takes to be successful on the Web? While every situation is different, experts have noted that successful online businesses possess a number of common characteristics. Let’s take a look at five key characteristics that they share.
1. Management possessed a “Net” awareness.
Dun and Bradstreet’s 20th Annual Small business Survey reports that two-thirds of today’s small businesses have Internet access, and approximately 50 percent of those also have a Website. And more than 60 percent of those with Internet access plan to increase their use of the Internet in coming months.
As business owners and decision-makers, you will most certainly benefit by spending time online learning about the Internet. Look at how your competitors and industry are using it, try to discern where your markets potentially hang out, and ask lots of questions.
2. They had an organized plan.
Do you remember the story Alice in Wonderland and the Cheshire cat? One day Alice came to a fork in the road. Looking around, she saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. “Which road should I take?” she asked. “Where do you want to go?” the cat replied. “I don’t know,” Alice answered. “In that case,” the cat said, “it doesn’t matter which road you take.”
Once you have gotten familiar with the Internet and its potential for your marketing, create a written plan of action. Simply putting your ideas down on paper will help focus your thoughts. Set goals and identify how you can get there.
How important is it to have a plan, or better yet, a written business plan? The Small Business Administration says that most successful companies started with a detailed business plan and those that didn’t plan were far more likely to fail.
3. Successful ventures implemented their creative ideas and then learned from what worked and what didn’t.
Kraft Foods is the largest branded food and beverage company in North America, and the second largest worldwide. Paula Sneed, one of their vice presidents, was a keynote speaker at an Economist Conference. She boiled down the basis for their success down to three simple “ingredients” which I believe are also important to all businesses, no matter what size.
Make smart bets. Kraft identified initiatives that build brand, increase customer loyalty, or cut costs.
Move fast. Once identified, they implemented their initiatives. I think one of the most notable things Sneed said was, “If we’re going to fail let’s fail fast and fail cheap.”
Make course corrections. Kraft expected both success and failure. They made mid-course corrections based on early feedback to improve the likelihood of success. Even failures provided good market feedback they could use for future initiatives.
4. Successful Web ventures did targeted marketing.
As a marketing consultant I find that many small businesses have great difficulty identifying their choice markets. I can’t tell you how many times I ask entrepreneurs what their target markets are, only to be told, “everyone.”
But targeting your marketing to “everyone” doesn’t make sense. Targeting means identifying those potential customers who represent the best prospects for sales and focusing your marketing efforts on them. This is simply the old 80/20 rule (that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers) in practice.
In fact, finding a niche and working to serve its unmet needs is one of the best uses for the Web. Why? Because the Web isn’t really a mass marketing tool, as some would believe. It’s actually a supreme targeted marketing tool.
5. They combined online and offline marketing.
I always hear people making either/or kinds of comments about offline versus online advertising. But successful companies recognized that online and offline advertising are synergistic. They support and amplify one another.
Here are two simple examples. First, including your website URL in all your offline advertising messages (yellow pages, magazine ads, circulars etc) will bring traffic to your website. Second, a signup form on your website that you use to send prospects your standard marketing printed materials (brochures, sales materials etc).
While these five Keys do not guarantee online success, including them in your business will certainly improve your chances for success.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
PartyCasino News: Let's Hear It For The Girls - $8 Million Worth Of Winners In One Month On PartyCasino
Let's Hear It For The Girls - $8 Million Worth Of Winners In One Month On PartyCasino.com
The Big One Hit For Over $4.3 Million
Gibraltar – 7th June 2011 -- PartyCasino.com the world’s largest online casino, would like to congratulate a female customer, who wishes to remain anonymous, for hitting ‘The Big One’ on Melon Madness, scooping a life changing $4,445,947.40!
Remarkably, this lucky lady had only been a customer for nine days when she hit the largest progressive online jackpot in the industry. She becomes the second woman in a matter of weeks to hit a life changing jackpot after Cameeq8 won $1,986,161.61 through the Gold Mega Jackpot playing SuperStar in early May. In total, over $8 million in big jackpots were won by women alone during the month of May!
After hitting ‘The Big One’ for over $4.3 million on the 23rd May the latest big winner at the world’s largest online casino instantly went on a two week break to help the news to sink in. "I still don't feel like a millionaire," she said. “It will take a while for me to really understand how much I won. My life has already changed as I do not have to worry about my mortgage or wonder how I will pay off my big bills. I can go and purchase something without thinking of where the money will come from!"
"I love Melon Madness and decided to splurge a little as I won $6,100 a few hours prior. When I say spurge I mean play the 30 lines at $0.50. I managed to hit the colossal wheel three times and each time I won approximately $9-$10. When I hit the fourth colossal wheel, I said to myself, just land on the $60,000 colour please and shut my eyes as I was just hoping to win that amount! I opened my eyes just as the wheel was about to stop and it landed on $4.3 million! I looked at the computer screen and could not believe the winnings and put left hand to my head and softly said I won big. I did not believe I won that amount. To this day I still don’t believe it," she added.
24 hours before this huge win, another female customer won big on PartyCasino.com Rebecca350 took down over $500k while another lucky female customer won over $800k days before.
A PartyCasino.com spokesman said: "We haven’t seen a winning streak of this magnitude from female players on our site before, the men haven’t had a look in. Women simply won everything in the last month and have scooped over $8 million in big jackpots. We are wondering whether this run is ever going to stop!"
PartyCasino.com has the most frequent game launches in the industry and offers over 160 games, including over 100 slots. PartyCasino.com pays out easily over $10 million EVERY DAY to players. The Big One is structured as a five tiered pool. The highest tier - Colossal Cash - seeds at $1.5 million, the biggest online jackpot seed in the industry and currently stands at over $1.6 million.
Website
PartyCasino.com
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
Melon Madness
The Big One
SuperStar
Gold Mega Jackpot
Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man Int
Media Man
Media Man News
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
The Big One Hit For Over $4.3 Million
Gibraltar – 7th June 2011 -- PartyCasino.com the world’s largest online casino, would like to congratulate a female customer, who wishes to remain anonymous, for hitting ‘The Big One’ on Melon Madness, scooping a life changing $4,445,947.40!
Remarkably, this lucky lady had only been a customer for nine days when she hit the largest progressive online jackpot in the industry. She becomes the second woman in a matter of weeks to hit a life changing jackpot after Cameeq8 won $1,986,161.61 through the Gold Mega Jackpot playing SuperStar in early May. In total, over $8 million in big jackpots were won by women alone during the month of May!
After hitting ‘The Big One’ for over $4.3 million on the 23rd May the latest big winner at the world’s largest online casino instantly went on a two week break to help the news to sink in. "I still don't feel like a millionaire," she said. “It will take a while for me to really understand how much I won. My life has already changed as I do not have to worry about my mortgage or wonder how I will pay off my big bills. I can go and purchase something without thinking of where the money will come from!"
"I love Melon Madness and decided to splurge a little as I won $6,100 a few hours prior. When I say spurge I mean play the 30 lines at $0.50. I managed to hit the colossal wheel three times and each time I won approximately $9-$10. When I hit the fourth colossal wheel, I said to myself, just land on the $60,000 colour please and shut my eyes as I was just hoping to win that amount! I opened my eyes just as the wheel was about to stop and it landed on $4.3 million! I looked at the computer screen and could not believe the winnings and put left hand to my head and softly said I won big. I did not believe I won that amount. To this day I still don’t believe it," she added.
24 hours before this huge win, another female customer won big on PartyCasino.com Rebecca350 took down over $500k while another lucky female customer won over $800k days before.
A PartyCasino.com spokesman said: "We haven’t seen a winning streak of this magnitude from female players on our site before, the men haven’t had a look in. Women simply won everything in the last month and have scooped over $8 million in big jackpots. We are wondering whether this run is ever going to stop!"
PartyCasino.com has the most frequent game launches in the industry and offers over 160 games, including over 100 slots. PartyCasino.com pays out easily over $10 million EVERY DAY to players. The Big One is structured as a five tiered pool. The highest tier - Colossal Cash - seeds at $1.5 million, the biggest online jackpot seed in the industry and currently stands at over $1.6 million.
Website
PartyCasino.com
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
Melon Madness
The Big One
SuperStar
Gold Mega Jackpot
Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment
Website Network
Media Man Int
Media Man
Media Man News
Casino News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Friday, June 03, 2011
Virgin Casino Gets Hot Ink Online Slot Game
Profiles
Virgin Casino Virgin Games Slots Richard Branson
Website
Virgin Casino
*sorry, no U.S, Canadian, Italian, Australian or New Zealand players. See World Casino Directory
General Rules
The following general rules apply:
All one thousand and twenty-four possible winning ways are permanently enabled.
A bet multiplier of 50 applies per spin.
You can bet up to 10 coins per spin.
All payouts are in coins.
Malfunctions void all plays and pays
Website
Virgin Casino
Profiles
Virgin Casino Virgin Games Slots Richard Branson
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Advertising News Media Blog: 5 Keys To Online Success
Advertising News Media Blog
5 Keys To Online Success
It is being more commonly understood that the dot.com bust of 2000 was more the result of bad business models and execution than of some intrinsic fault within the Internet. Many businesses with models appropriate to the Internet are alive and thriving.
Perhaps you’re wondering if your own business has what it takes to be successful on the Web? While every situation is different, experts have noted that successful online businesses possess a number of common characteristics. Let’s take a look at five key characteristics that they share.
1. Management possessed a “Net” awareness.
Dun and Bradstreet’s 20th Annual Small business Survey reports that two-thirds of today’s small businesses have Internet access, and approximately 50 percent of those also have a Website. And more than 60 percent of those with Internet access plan to increase their use of the Internet in coming months.
As business owners and decision-makers, you will most certainly benefit by spending time online learning about the Internet. Look at how your competitors and industry are using it, try to discern where your markets potentially hang out, and ask lots of questions.
2. They had an organized plan.
Do you remember the story Alice in Wonderland and the Cheshire cat? One day Alice came to a fork in the road. Looking around, she saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. “Which road should I take?” she asked. “Where do you want to go?” the cat replied. “I don’t know,” Alice answered. “In that case,” the cat said, “it doesn’t matter which road you take.”
Once you have gotten familiar with the Internet and its potential for your marketing, create a written plan of action. Simply putting your ideas down on paper will help focus your thoughts. Set goals and identify how you can get there.
How important is it to have a plan, or better yet, a written business plan? The Small Business Administration says that most successful companies started with a detailed business plan and those that didn’t plan were far more likely to fail.
3. Successful ventures implemented their creative ideas and then learned from what worked and what didn’t.
Kraft Foods is the largest branded food and beverage company in North America, and the second largest worldwide. Paula Sneed, one of their vice presidents, was a keynote speaker at an Economist Conference. She boiled down the basis for their success down to three simple “ingredients” which I believe are also important to all businesses, no matter what size.
Make smart bets. Kraft identified initiatives that build brand, increase customer loyalty, or cut costs.
Move fast. Once identified, they implemented their initiatives. I think one of the most notable things Sneed said was, “If we’re going to fail let’s fail fast and fail cheap.”
Make course corrections. Kraft expected both success and failure. They made mid-course corrections based on early feedback to improve the likelihood of success. Even failures provided good market feedback they could use for future initiatives.
4. Successful Web ventures did targeted marketing.
As a marketing consultant I find that many small businesses have great difficulty identifying their choice markets. I can’t tell you how many times I ask entrepreneurs what their target markets are, only to be told, “everyone.”
But targeting your marketing to “everyone” doesn’t make sense. Targeting means identifying those potential customers who represent the best prospects for sales and focusing your marketing efforts on them. This is simply the old 80/20 rule (that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers) in practice.
In fact, finding a niche and working to serve its unmet needs is one of the best uses for the Web. Why? Because the Web isn’t really a mass marketing tool, as some would believe. It’s actually a supreme targeted marketing tool.
5. They combined online and offline marketing.
I always hear people making either/or kinds of comments about offline versus online advertising. But successful companies recognized that online and offline advertising are synergistic. They support and amplify one another.
Here are two simple examples. First, including your website URL in all your offline advertising messages (yellow pages, magazine ads, circulars etc) will bring traffic to your website. Second, a signup form on your website that you use to send prospects your standard marketing printed materials (brochures, sales materials etc).
While these five Keys do not guarantee online success, including them in your business will certainly improve your chances for success.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
PartyCasino News: Record Jackpots At PartyCasino - Biggest Ever!; The Big One Over $4 Million And Total Jackpots Over $6 Million
Record Jackpots At PartyCasino - Biggest Ever!; The Big One Over $4 Million And Total Jackpots Over $6 Million
Gibraltar – 7th April 2011 – Records are tumbling at PartyCasino.com the world’s largest online casino, with ‘The Big One’ crossing $4 million for the first time and total jackpots amazingly over $6 million, the highest they have ever been!
A PartyCasino.com spokesman said: "To say that people feel a jackpot coming on is an understatement – the total of the jackpots on the site have reached a record high and they can be hit by just wagering one cent! The Big One has never been so big! The Big One is structured as a five tiered pool. The highest tier - Colossal Cash - seeds at $1.5 million, the biggest online jackpot seed in the industry and, staggeringly, currently stands at over $4 million. Games where ‘The Big One’ can be hit include the classic 'Melon Madness’ and firm favourite ‘Snowbusiness.’"
In addition, the billionth dollar has been wagered on an online slot machine for the first time! The slot in question was the famous Firedrake, an online casino classic. The lucky player to hit the milestone is Koka11, who not only takes the prestigious honour but is handsomely rewarded with a dream VIP trip to Las Vegas along with $2,500 cash. 665 players also won thanks to Koka11! For more information see: PartyCasino.com
PartyCasino.com has recently introduced a new Gold Jackpot slot game ‘The Sting.’ This hexagon based game features buzzing busy bees and has a pleasant sting in its tail with an expanding honeystick wild and free spins! PartyCasino.com has the most frequent game launches in the industry and offers over 160 games, including over 100 slots. PartyCasino.com pays out easily over $10 million EVERY DAY to players.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBets.com
PartyGammon.com
PartyBingo.com
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
bwin.party digital entertainment
World Poker Tour
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Australian Casino News
Casino News Australia
Global Gaming Directory
Gibraltar – 7th April 2011 – Records are tumbling at PartyCasino.com the world’s largest online casino, with ‘The Big One’ crossing $4 million for the first time and total jackpots amazingly over $6 million, the highest they have ever been!
A PartyCasino.com spokesman said: "To say that people feel a jackpot coming on is an understatement – the total of the jackpots on the site have reached a record high and they can be hit by just wagering one cent! The Big One has never been so big! The Big One is structured as a five tiered pool. The highest tier - Colossal Cash - seeds at $1.5 million, the biggest online jackpot seed in the industry and, staggeringly, currently stands at over $4 million. Games where ‘The Big One’ can be hit include the classic 'Melon Madness’ and firm favourite ‘Snowbusiness.’"
In addition, the billionth dollar has been wagered on an online slot machine for the first time! The slot in question was the famous Firedrake, an online casino classic. The lucky player to hit the milestone is Koka11, who not only takes the prestigious honour but is handsomely rewarded with a dream VIP trip to Las Vegas along with $2,500 cash. 665 players also won thanks to Koka11! For more information see: PartyCasino.com
PartyCasino.com has recently introduced a new Gold Jackpot slot game ‘The Sting.’ This hexagon based game features buzzing busy bees and has a pleasant sting in its tail with an expanding honeystick wild and free spins! PartyCasino.com has the most frequent game launches in the industry and offers over 160 games, including over 100 slots. PartyCasino.com pays out easily over $10 million EVERY DAY to players.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBets.com
PartyGammon.com
PartyBingo.com
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
bwin.party digital entertainment
World Poker Tour
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Australian Casino News
Casino News Australia
Global Gaming Directory
Thursday, March 24, 2011
PartyCasino News: The Offer You Can't Refuse and Wager the Billionth Dollar
PartyGaming is on a financial and innovation role, impressing players, the stock market, partners such as Bwin, and media associates including yours truly - Media Man.
The Offer You Can't Refuse
Rise to power with our big-money leader boards and guaranteed prizes
Starts: 00:00 ET, 16th March
Ends: 23:59 ET, 28th March
Prove yourself at your favourite casino and we'll reward you with prizes worth a fortune.
The Offer You Can't Refuse promotion will make playing any of our great slots and jackpot slots - including our new The Godfather Part I slot - even more thrilling as we are putting up $5,500 every day for 13 days in daily leader board races as well as giving away guaranteed cash bonuses just for collecting points.
Big business leader boards
Only the most dedicated players will rise to the top and earn our respect so make sure you impress us and pick up as many points as possible playing our slots and jackpot slots, especially The Godfather Part I.
Each daily leader board in The Offer You Can't Refuse promotion is worth $5,500.
Pay your respects to The Godfather Part I slot
The Godfather, one of the classic films of all time is now proudly recreated as one of our stunning slots featuring all the excitement of this epic movie.
Spin the reels of The Godfather Part I to start your life of crime. Make sure to look out for The Don's wild symbol, the generous expanding wilds that will boost your winnings and the five bonus games packed with free spins. Join the family in The Godfather Part I slot and spin this masterpiece of a slot today.
Wager the Billionth Dollar
Get ready to break a record!
PartyCasino.com’s legendary Fire Drake slot is about to set the online casino industry alight with a scorching world-first. The game is poised to pass $1 billion wagered – a monster milestone that we’re marking with Wager the Billionth $.
It’s a red-hot promotion that’s giving away some flaming good prizes.
Win a VIP Las Vegas holiday plus $2,500 cash.
Wager the billionth dollar on Fire Drake and you’ll win a VIP holiday to Las Vegas. You’ll also get $2,500 cash to spend while you’re there.
Wager the Billionth dollar on the Fire Drake slot and you’ll:
Fly to Las Vegas, and spend five nights in a luxury suite at a five-star hotel
Dine each night at Las Vegas’s top restaurants
Enjoy spectacular sell-out shows, and a breathtaking helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon
With airport limousine transfers and 24-hour concierge service included, you’ll do Sin City in style!
Plus - wager $50 on the day the billionth dollar is wagered and win $25!
If you wager at least $50 on the same day that Fire Drake’s billionth dollar is wagered you’ll win a super $25 cash bonus.
So spin the reels to trigger three Fire Drake symbols and raid the dragon’s lair. Crack open a treasure chest and escape with free spins.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
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Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
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Saturday, January 15, 2011
Casino News Media: Virgin Casino Offers High Rollers an Industry Leading Sign-Up Bonus
LONDON, January 14, 2011 - Virgin Casino part of the online gaming company - Virgin Games is now offering fantastic new sign-up offers designed uniquely for High Rollers as well as bonus offers for regular players.
Virgin Casino is offering High Rollers one of the best sign-up bonuses in the industry. There are three offers available: GBP350 for a GBP500 deposit, GBP600 for a GBP1,000 deposit, and GBP1,200 for a GBP3,000 deposit. Details of the High Roll sign-up bonuses can be found at VirginCasino.com
For regular players Virgin Casino is offering a 100% sign-up bonus up to GBP100. For details of the promotional offer go to VirginCasino.com
Oliver Wilson, Casino Acquisition Manager at Virgin Games, commented: "For bigger players looking for a better deal than the standard GBP100 sign-up bonus, our High Roller offer is seriously generous and one of the best deals to be had in the industry. We're offering up to GBP1,200 - a great gift for the New Year!"
Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 250 games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Games seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. A growing selection of games can be found at Virgin Games from a number of producers including Microgaming, WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
- Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games.
- Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry - Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand players. See World Casino Directory
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Virgin Casino is offering High Rollers one of the best sign-up bonuses in the industry. There are three offers available: GBP350 for a GBP500 deposit, GBP600 for a GBP1,000 deposit, and GBP1,200 for a GBP3,000 deposit. Details of the High Roll sign-up bonuses can be found at VirginCasino.com
For regular players Virgin Casino is offering a 100% sign-up bonus up to GBP100. For details of the promotional offer go to VirginCasino.com
Oliver Wilson, Casino Acquisition Manager at Virgin Games, commented: "For bigger players looking for a better deal than the standard GBP100 sign-up bonus, our High Roller offer is seriously generous and one of the best deals to be had in the industry. We're offering up to GBP1,200 - a great gift for the New Year!"
Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 250 games on its site. Through the introduction of a custom built Virgin Games platform in 2008, Virgin Games seeks to provide its players with the widest possible choice of casino games. A growing selection of games can be found at Virgin Games from a number of producers including Microgaming, WagerWorks, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming.
Notes to editors:
About Virgin Games:
Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
- Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic, Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games.
- Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros - as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry - Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
*Sorry, no U.S, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand players. See World Casino Directory
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Monday, January 10, 2011
Crown Casino Refuse Jackpot Payment; ClubsNSW VS PokieAct, by Greg Tingle - 10th January 2011
G'day punters, journos, high rollers, politicians, insiders, outsiders... one and all. Media Man and Gambling911 with another hardcore news report hot off the desk...
Crown Casino Refuse Jackpot "Winner"; Wrong Rewards Card!...
Crown casino has thus far refused to pay out many thousands of dollars to an elderly mum (when she was found out to have used her daughter's loyalty card on the winning poker machine.) Crown leaks advise the lady won the 800,000 award points jackpot - worth $8000 grand last Friday but Crown management had told her she had in fact committed fraud! Crown also said the winning jackpot could not be converted into cash. The Crown Signature Club provides points for every dollar spent inside the casino, offering patrons rewards such as free parking, meals and hotel discounts. Folks, you have to read the fine print. Take it from us, its hard to beat Crown, and any casino house for that matter. They are smart cookies to say the least, and that's why Media Man owns some shares in them, and we're up front about it too, unlike some other media companies. Crown spokesman Gary O'Neill said the terms and conditions were made clear to everyone who signed up for the rewards program. "On each machine in that area, the rules of the jackpot are clearly stated, plus at the end of each row of the machines the terms and conditions are clearly explained and the vital term is you must be playing with your own card to be eligible to win," O'Neill said. "As far as we're concerned, the conditions are pretty basic and they're pretty straight forward: to be eligible to get the points you obviously have to have your card in the machine." O'Neill denied the jackpot could be converted into cash, despite a Crown staff member is rumored to have told the press the points could be converted at a rate of 1c a point. "The points go on to your card, it is not a cash jackpot. You don't get money for it." Folks, play by the rules or you could end up very disappointed.
Crown Limited AGM 2010 Recap; Crown Limited Earnings Up...
Folks, Crown is powering along. For those who missed it, and since Crown and 'Our James' remains the talk of the town...Australian casino operator Crown Ltd says revenue from its local gaming and hotels operations since the start of the financial year are up on same period in 2009. Combined gaming revenue from Crown's Melbourne and Burswood casinos between July 1 and November 24 was up abut six per cent on the same period last year, chief executive Rowen Craigie said. Craigie was speaking at the group's annual general meeting in Perth. Non-gaming revenue in the same period was up by about five per cent on the same period last year, excluding the impact of the newly opened Crown Metropol hotel in Melbourne. Including the Metropol, non-gaming revenue was up around 13% on the previous corresponding period, Mr Craigie said. He said turnover from VIP gamblers at the Melbourne and Burswood casinos in the first 21 weeks of the financial year was down 10 per cent on the same period last year. "We are continuing to see an impact from the opening of the two new integrated resorts in Singapore and are yet to capitalise on the opportunity to capture the new business that Singapore potentially offers," Mr Craigie said in a prepared speech. The Metropol hotel, which opened in April, is achieving better than expected occupancy rates and room rates are "firming", he said. Melco Crown Entertainment, in which Crown holds a 33.5 per cent stake, has reported a "broad-based improvement" in the performance of its flagship resort City of Dreams in Macau, the meeting was told. Melco reported improved revenue and earnings in the three months to September 30 compared with the same period last year, Mr Craigie said.
ClubsNSW VS Pokie ACT!; PokieAct Fights Back; Some Documentation Now In Public Domain (Credit: PokieACT)...
Below is my response to an email received on Friday, 7 January around 4:30 in the afternoon. As a matter of professional courtesy, I responded to ClubsNSW's solicitors in the following terms on Sunday morning.
"I refer to your email below. I have not received either your letter nor notification of your letter from Australia Post. My email address is available on the PokieAct.org web site and has been used by the public to contact me.
Please note that because you have stated that your threatening letter is not for publication does not bind me in any way.
The advertisement you attached and commented upon has been revised in accordance with the requirements of Fairfax Media after some debate. To assist you, I have attached the revised advertisement. The revisions may eliminate your concerns.
I reject your suggestion that the advertisement makes any defamatory imputations about ClubsNSW or Mr Newell. There is no allegation that either have concealed anything nor mislead anyone. It is the normal business of ClubsNSW to advocate positions they believe to be in their member's interests and put forward those facts that support that position. In the advertisement, Mr Newell is clearly addressed as chairman of ClubsNSW and in no other capacity. ClubsNSW and Mr Newell as chairman and chief advocate for ClubsNSW are being urged to tell a number of facts that, in my opinion, I consider truths about the pokie gambling pre-commitment reform now being debated.
In substance, you raise four matters of concern to your client. These matters are considered below:
1.
The words you cite ("Casual gamblers won't be inconvenienced. They'll be able to bet safe amounts without a pre-commitment card") as not being presently established are, in fact, an accurate reflection of both the findings of the Productivity Commission and current government policy. Here's the relevant passage from the federal minister Jenny Macklin's speech at Jupiter Casino on 1 December 2010 where she states:
"We also want to minimise the impact on occasional players and overseas visitors. The Productivity Commission’s model would allow occasional gamblers to play outside the pre-commitment system, by purchasing a pre-paid card for example."
This statement was made at the 20th Annual Conference of the National Association for Gambling Studies and was widely reported in the media.
2.
The information about the cost of implementation was obtained as a result of visiting two clubs in Queensland in the company of Rohan Wenn, Senior Adviser to Sen Nick Xenophon. We were both informed by a club manager that the cost of the system in use was $1.50 per day per machine. This system presently provides nearly all of the features of partial pre-commitment as set out by the Productivity Commission. We were informed that alteration to full pre-commitment could be made within the existing pre-commitment system. The present cost of these systems does not take into account the likely economies of widespread adoption or competitive pricing between system suppliers when full pre-committment will be mandated. Those factors are likely to further reduce the cost.
3.
It is open for your client to advocate that the key recommendation and findings of the Productivity Commission about pokie gambling pre-committment are only "conjecture". I do not. I have a high regard for the Commission's research and conclusions. Reports have been published on pre-commitment trials indicating effectiveness that was significant. A report found that for those participating in the system, there was minimal reduction in the pokie gambling spend for recreational and low risk gamblers whereas moderate risk or problem gamblers expenditure was reduced by about 50%. I regard that as significant. In any event, the advertisement prominently indicates that it expresses my opinions. My opinion is reasonably based upon available information.
4.
With regard to the issue of privacy, I again refer to the Minister's speech where Ms Macklin states:
"We will also ensure that the pre-commitment system has very strong privacy arrangements for the data that is collected. The Australian Government has strict privacy legislation to protect people. These are issues that have been successfully resolved in a wide range of areas and we will be applying the highest standards to our gambling reforms."
To speculate that the government will do the complete opposite of what they state is disingenuous. My view is that the Minister is telling the truth.
To indicate that I have any malice whatsoever towards Mr Newell is mistaken. The advertisement addresses Mr Newell strictly with respect to his office as chairman of ClubsNSW. In fact, on the issue of malice, the opposite seems to be the case. Mr Newell declined to attend a meeting with Sen Xenophon if I were to be present. I flew to Canberra and did meet with Mr Ball of ClubsNSW. While there was certainly a conflict of views between myself and Mr Ball, the meeting was cordial and I felt there was mutual respect.
Mr Newell has written an article denigrating my concerns in a ClubsNSW publication. He is recently reported as using the words "panic politics" to describe my endeavours. He is also reported as stating that I have made attacks on his family. This is untrue. As a former editor of the Illawarra Mercury with a high public profile career, I am surprised that, by your letter, Mr Newell seeks to suppress the publication of facts that, in my opinion, are truths of the coming pokie gambling pre-commitment reform even though they run counter to ClubsNSW position. Notwithstanding, I would be happy to meet with Mr Newell at a time and place of mutual convenience. I would welcome a constructive dialogue same as that which has lead to reforms in Woolworths Limited's own pokie policy. Woolworths is Australia's largest pokie operator. My constructive consultation on their gambling policy was publicly acknowledged at Woolworths' recent annual general meeting. My constructive work with Wesfarmers has also been acknowledged.
It is relevant to note the promotional document produced by ClubsNSW that featured former Treasurer Egan was produced while Mr Newell held office at ClubsNSW. That promotion addressed the person ultimately responsible for policy in a similar manner as my advertisement.
Regarding publication, I am informed that it was ClubsNSW itself that provided and therefor published the advertisement to The Australian. I am not responsible for the consequences of that publication let alone Mr Salusinszky's report. In fact, when asked by Mr Salusinszky whether I believed that Mr Newell had mislead ClubsNSW members I stated that he had not. As mentioned above, it is the normal business of ClubsNSW to advocate positions they believe to be in their member's interests and put forward those facts that support that position. In any event, Mr Salusinsky's report is a matter that you should properly take up with the publishers of The Australian based upon my information that it was your client that provided The Australian with a copy of my proposed advertisement.
It is significant that the editorial column of The Australian noted that a mature community debate was under way of pokie gambling pre-committment reform. This characterisation of the advertisement is correct.
Rather than litigation, I respectfully suggest that the better course of action for your client would be to arrange for a public discussion of the issue of pre-commitment reform. Sen Xenophon's staff have informed me that he would be prepared to participate in such an open forum."
Australia's Next Hot Poker Babe; Casino Babes And Media Babes Welcome...
Poker Babes, casino babes, media babes and such have long long a favorite of Media Man and Gambling911. Some poker brands started to pick up the ball (not balls) and run with it, with PartyGaming and Virgin Games touching of things just a tad risque, but now PokerStars is further raising the bar (so to speak). There is now an opportunity for an Australasian-based hostess to follow the PokerStars (.net) Asia Pacific Poker Tour in 2011 and report back all the excitement from each event, capturing every titillating and tantalising moment. Next year you could find yourself partying hard with the boys and girls of the poker tour, celebs and more. It’s not all just fun and games. There's also the bump and grind and travelling from hotel to hotel, give to give, trying you best to keep everyone happy (but there's only 1 of you). Yes, the money is pretty good and some wonderful tips can be garnered for those friendly, open minded and receptive. Yes, you have to work hard, but some say, Party Harder! Cocktails, fine dining, TV cameras, poker gossip, lots of money and fun. Bring your portfolio, career assets and show 'em what you have. If you've got it, flaunt it! Some production exp would be handy, but not required. Lots of on the job training too!!! Bring your passion for poker and party time, and have fun. You might just be the lass (or lad) they are looking for. Oh, check out the Media Man Poker Babes and Casino Babes portfolio. You know you want to. Let Jenny and the girls on the web Woo you, if you follow our lead. Work hard and play harder! Oh, last thing, this month the Media Man Poker Babe of the Month is meeting stiff competition. A 3 way tie thus far between PartyGaming's: PartyPoker's Kara Scott, Australia's Elle Macpherson (coming from nowhere) and Gambling911's Jenny Woo (for her brains and beauty, and ability to get the scoops with her tempting and crafty ways. Carrie Stroup is also making a late charge, and might be in line for the Media Man encouragement award!
Online Casinos, Online Poker and Sports Betting...
Ok readers, we hear you... you also want to know some of the best places to play online (that accept Aussies) if your in or around the Asia Pacific - Australia (including Tassie) and New Zealand, so here it is...
PartyCasino.com
Captain Cooks Casino
Betfair (sports betting only)
PKR.com (mainly poker and some casino and sports betting)
PartyPoker.com (online poker at one of the world's most respected poker rooms and gaming brands)
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Australia
Media Man and Gambling911 remind our readers to keep the following in mind:
Take the time to research and learn games before placing down money
Media Man, Casino News Media and Gambling911 are website portals. Not casinos as such, however are recognised as world leading websites that cover the sector and act as central points to games, news, reviews and more.
Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? How did you see in the new year? Do you like the poker babes and casino babe feature? Is Crown Casino right or wrong in encouring there terms and conditions? Tell us in the forum.
If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Crown Casino Refuse Jackpot "Winner"; Wrong Rewards Card!...
Crown casino has thus far refused to pay out many thousands of dollars to an elderly mum (when she was found out to have used her daughter's loyalty card on the winning poker machine.) Crown leaks advise the lady won the 800,000 award points jackpot - worth $8000 grand last Friday but Crown management had told her she had in fact committed fraud! Crown also said the winning jackpot could not be converted into cash. The Crown Signature Club provides points for every dollar spent inside the casino, offering patrons rewards such as free parking, meals and hotel discounts. Folks, you have to read the fine print. Take it from us, its hard to beat Crown, and any casino house for that matter. They are smart cookies to say the least, and that's why Media Man owns some shares in them, and we're up front about it too, unlike some other media companies. Crown spokesman Gary O'Neill said the terms and conditions were made clear to everyone who signed up for the rewards program. "On each machine in that area, the rules of the jackpot are clearly stated, plus at the end of each row of the machines the terms and conditions are clearly explained and the vital term is you must be playing with your own card to be eligible to win," O'Neill said. "As far as we're concerned, the conditions are pretty basic and they're pretty straight forward: to be eligible to get the points you obviously have to have your card in the machine." O'Neill denied the jackpot could be converted into cash, despite a Crown staff member is rumored to have told the press the points could be converted at a rate of 1c a point. "The points go on to your card, it is not a cash jackpot. You don't get money for it." Folks, play by the rules or you could end up very disappointed.
Crown Limited AGM 2010 Recap; Crown Limited Earnings Up...
Folks, Crown is powering along. For those who missed it, and since Crown and 'Our James' remains the talk of the town...Australian casino operator Crown Ltd says revenue from its local gaming and hotels operations since the start of the financial year are up on same period in 2009. Combined gaming revenue from Crown's Melbourne and Burswood casinos between July 1 and November 24 was up abut six per cent on the same period last year, chief executive Rowen Craigie said. Craigie was speaking at the group's annual general meeting in Perth. Non-gaming revenue in the same period was up by about five per cent on the same period last year, excluding the impact of the newly opened Crown Metropol hotel in Melbourne. Including the Metropol, non-gaming revenue was up around 13% on the previous corresponding period, Mr Craigie said. He said turnover from VIP gamblers at the Melbourne and Burswood casinos in the first 21 weeks of the financial year was down 10 per cent on the same period last year. "We are continuing to see an impact from the opening of the two new integrated resorts in Singapore and are yet to capitalise on the opportunity to capture the new business that Singapore potentially offers," Mr Craigie said in a prepared speech. The Metropol hotel, which opened in April, is achieving better than expected occupancy rates and room rates are "firming", he said. Melco Crown Entertainment, in which Crown holds a 33.5 per cent stake, has reported a "broad-based improvement" in the performance of its flagship resort City of Dreams in Macau, the meeting was told. Melco reported improved revenue and earnings in the three months to September 30 compared with the same period last year, Mr Craigie said.
ClubsNSW VS Pokie ACT!; PokieAct Fights Back; Some Documentation Now In Public Domain (Credit: PokieACT)...
Below is my response to an email received on Friday, 7 January around 4:30 in the afternoon. As a matter of professional courtesy, I responded to ClubsNSW's solicitors in the following terms on Sunday morning.
"I refer to your email below. I have not received either your letter nor notification of your letter from Australia Post. My email address is available on the PokieAct.org web site and has been used by the public to contact me.
Please note that because you have stated that your threatening letter is not for publication does not bind me in any way.
The advertisement you attached and commented upon has been revised in accordance with the requirements of Fairfax Media after some debate. To assist you, I have attached the revised advertisement. The revisions may eliminate your concerns.
I reject your suggestion that the advertisement makes any defamatory imputations about ClubsNSW or Mr Newell. There is no allegation that either have concealed anything nor mislead anyone. It is the normal business of ClubsNSW to advocate positions they believe to be in their member's interests and put forward those facts that support that position. In the advertisement, Mr Newell is clearly addressed as chairman of ClubsNSW and in no other capacity. ClubsNSW and Mr Newell as chairman and chief advocate for ClubsNSW are being urged to tell a number of facts that, in my opinion, I consider truths about the pokie gambling pre-commitment reform now being debated.
In substance, you raise four matters of concern to your client. These matters are considered below:
1.
The words you cite ("Casual gamblers won't be inconvenienced. They'll be able to bet safe amounts without a pre-commitment card") as not being presently established are, in fact, an accurate reflection of both the findings of the Productivity Commission and current government policy. Here's the relevant passage from the federal minister Jenny Macklin's speech at Jupiter Casino on 1 December 2010 where she states:
"We also want to minimise the impact on occasional players and overseas visitors. The Productivity Commission’s model would allow occasional gamblers to play outside the pre-commitment system, by purchasing a pre-paid card for example."
This statement was made at the 20th Annual Conference of the National Association for Gambling Studies and was widely reported in the media.
2.
The information about the cost of implementation was obtained as a result of visiting two clubs in Queensland in the company of Rohan Wenn, Senior Adviser to Sen Nick Xenophon. We were both informed by a club manager that the cost of the system in use was $1.50 per day per machine. This system presently provides nearly all of the features of partial pre-commitment as set out by the Productivity Commission. We were informed that alteration to full pre-commitment could be made within the existing pre-commitment system. The present cost of these systems does not take into account the likely economies of widespread adoption or competitive pricing between system suppliers when full pre-committment will be mandated. Those factors are likely to further reduce the cost.
3.
It is open for your client to advocate that the key recommendation and findings of the Productivity Commission about pokie gambling pre-committment are only "conjecture". I do not. I have a high regard for the Commission's research and conclusions. Reports have been published on pre-commitment trials indicating effectiveness that was significant. A report found that for those participating in the system, there was minimal reduction in the pokie gambling spend for recreational and low risk gamblers whereas moderate risk or problem gamblers expenditure was reduced by about 50%. I regard that as significant. In any event, the advertisement prominently indicates that it expresses my opinions. My opinion is reasonably based upon available information.
4.
With regard to the issue of privacy, I again refer to the Minister's speech where Ms Macklin states:
"We will also ensure that the pre-commitment system has very strong privacy arrangements for the data that is collected. The Australian Government has strict privacy legislation to protect people. These are issues that have been successfully resolved in a wide range of areas and we will be applying the highest standards to our gambling reforms."
To speculate that the government will do the complete opposite of what they state is disingenuous. My view is that the Minister is telling the truth.
To indicate that I have any malice whatsoever towards Mr Newell is mistaken. The advertisement addresses Mr Newell strictly with respect to his office as chairman of ClubsNSW. In fact, on the issue of malice, the opposite seems to be the case. Mr Newell declined to attend a meeting with Sen Xenophon if I were to be present. I flew to Canberra and did meet with Mr Ball of ClubsNSW. While there was certainly a conflict of views between myself and Mr Ball, the meeting was cordial and I felt there was mutual respect.
Mr Newell has written an article denigrating my concerns in a ClubsNSW publication. He is recently reported as using the words "panic politics" to describe my endeavours. He is also reported as stating that I have made attacks on his family. This is untrue. As a former editor of the Illawarra Mercury with a high public profile career, I am surprised that, by your letter, Mr Newell seeks to suppress the publication of facts that, in my opinion, are truths of the coming pokie gambling pre-commitment reform even though they run counter to ClubsNSW position. Notwithstanding, I would be happy to meet with Mr Newell at a time and place of mutual convenience. I would welcome a constructive dialogue same as that which has lead to reforms in Woolworths Limited's own pokie policy. Woolworths is Australia's largest pokie operator. My constructive consultation on their gambling policy was publicly acknowledged at Woolworths' recent annual general meeting. My constructive work with Wesfarmers has also been acknowledged.
It is relevant to note the promotional document produced by ClubsNSW that featured former Treasurer Egan was produced while Mr Newell held office at ClubsNSW. That promotion addressed the person ultimately responsible for policy in a similar manner as my advertisement.
Regarding publication, I am informed that it was ClubsNSW itself that provided and therefor published the advertisement to The Australian. I am not responsible for the consequences of that publication let alone Mr Salusinszky's report. In fact, when asked by Mr Salusinszky whether I believed that Mr Newell had mislead ClubsNSW members I stated that he had not. As mentioned above, it is the normal business of ClubsNSW to advocate positions they believe to be in their member's interests and put forward those facts that support that position. In any event, Mr Salusinsky's report is a matter that you should properly take up with the publishers of The Australian based upon my information that it was your client that provided The Australian with a copy of my proposed advertisement.
It is significant that the editorial column of The Australian noted that a mature community debate was under way of pokie gambling pre-committment reform. This characterisation of the advertisement is correct.
Rather than litigation, I respectfully suggest that the better course of action for your client would be to arrange for a public discussion of the issue of pre-commitment reform. Sen Xenophon's staff have informed me that he would be prepared to participate in such an open forum."
Australia's Next Hot Poker Babe; Casino Babes And Media Babes Welcome...
Poker Babes, casino babes, media babes and such have long long a favorite of Media Man and Gambling911. Some poker brands started to pick up the ball (not balls) and run with it, with PartyGaming and Virgin Games touching of things just a tad risque, but now PokerStars is further raising the bar (so to speak). There is now an opportunity for an Australasian-based hostess to follow the PokerStars (.net) Asia Pacific Poker Tour in 2011 and report back all the excitement from each event, capturing every titillating and tantalising moment. Next year you could find yourself partying hard with the boys and girls of the poker tour, celebs and more. It’s not all just fun and games. There's also the bump and grind and travelling from hotel to hotel, give to give, trying you best to keep everyone happy (but there's only 1 of you). Yes, the money is pretty good and some wonderful tips can be garnered for those friendly, open minded and receptive. Yes, you have to work hard, but some say, Party Harder! Cocktails, fine dining, TV cameras, poker gossip, lots of money and fun. Bring your portfolio, career assets and show 'em what you have. If you've got it, flaunt it! Some production exp would be handy, but not required. Lots of on the job training too!!! Bring your passion for poker and party time, and have fun. You might just be the lass (or lad) they are looking for. Oh, check out the Media Man Poker Babes and Casino Babes portfolio. You know you want to. Let Jenny and the girls on the web Woo you, if you follow our lead. Work hard and play harder! Oh, last thing, this month the Media Man Poker Babe of the Month is meeting stiff competition. A 3 way tie thus far between PartyGaming's: PartyPoker's Kara Scott, Australia's Elle Macpherson (coming from nowhere) and Gambling911's Jenny Woo (for her brains and beauty, and ability to get the scoops with her tempting and crafty ways. Carrie Stroup is also making a late charge, and might be in line for the Media Man encouragement award!
Online Casinos, Online Poker and Sports Betting...
Ok readers, we hear you... you also want to know some of the best places to play online (that accept Aussies) if your in or around the Asia Pacific - Australia (including Tassie) and New Zealand, so here it is...
PartyCasino.com
Captain Cooks Casino
Betfair (sports betting only)
PKR.com (mainly poker and some casino and sports betting)
PartyPoker.com (online poker at one of the world's most respected poker rooms and gaming brands)
Profiles
Australian Casinos
World Casino Directory
Global Gaming Directory
Casino Travel
Casinos
Australia
Media Man and Gambling911 remind our readers to keep the following in mind:
Take the time to research and learn games before placing down money
Media Man, Casino News Media and Gambling911 are website portals. Not casinos as such, however are recognised as world leading websites that cover the sector and act as central points to games, news, reviews and more.
Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? How did you see in the new year? Do you like the poker babes and casino babe feature? Is Crown Casino right or wrong in encouring there terms and conditions? Tell us in the forum.
If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Monday, January 03, 2011
Advertising News Media Blog: Pop culture flashback
Pop Culture flashback
Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising. - Mark Twain
Pop Culture Flashback
Visual Effects Society Lauds Stan Lee - Comic book icon to receive Lifetime Achievement Award. - 19th October 2011
Comic book publisher and entrepreneur Stan Lee has been selected by the VES Board of Directors as the recipient of the VES 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will be presented at the 10th Annual VES Awards, which will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on February 7, 2012.
The VES Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals whose "lifetime body of work has made a significant and lasting contribution to the art and/or science of the visual effects industry by way of artistry, invention and/or groundbreaking work." Stan Lee is known to millions as the man whose Super Heroes propelled Marvel Comics to its preeminent position in the comic book industry. His famous co-creations include Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Daredevil, The Avengers, Silver Surfer and Dr. Strange, among many others.
Lee first became publisher of Marvel Comics in 1972 and is presently the Chairman Emeritus of Marvel Enterprises, Inc. and a member of the Editorial Board of Marvel Comics. In 1977, he introduced Spider-Man as a syndicated newspaper strip that went on to become the most successful of all syndicated adventure strips. Spider-Man now appears in more than 500 newspapers worldwide -- making it the longest running of all Super Hero strips. Lee founded, and is currently Chief Creative Officer, of POW! Entertainment, where he continues to write and create new characters.
"Stan Lee's imagination has created a completely original and profitable niche in the entertainment world and has allowed visual effects to flex its muscle in service to it!" said VES Chair Jeffrey A. Okun. "Thanks to Mr. Lee's fantastic creations and amazing stories he not only created a future filled with gadgets and inventions that we aspire to create for real – but all while inspiring the minds and imaginations of storytellers, visual effects artists and computer wizards everywhere," added Okun.
"As a writer there is nothing more rewarding than to see your creations brought to life on the screen and I am indebted to all of the incredibly talented artists who have contributed to my projects," said Lee. "Visual effects have played a pivotal role in the ongoing success of Marvel's characters and allowed fans to experience their stories in an entirely new way. It is truly a great honor to receive this award from the Visual Effects Society."
Without question, Stan 'the Man' Lee has exerted more influence over the comic book industry than anyone in history. He created or co-created 90 percent of Marvel's recognized characters, which have been successfully licensed and marketed since 1965. The numbers are staggering -- more than 2 billion of his comic books have been published in 75 countries and in 25 languages.
In 1981 Stan Lee transformed his Spider-Man and Hulk creations into Saturday morning and syndicated television cartoons. When Marvel Comics and Marvel Productions were acquired by New World Entertainment in 1986, Stan's horizons expanded even further, giving him the opportunity to become more deeply involved in the creation and development of filmed projects for both the big and small screen. He supervised such diverse animated series as X-Men, Spider-Man and The Hulk. To date, Stan's characters have populated over 24 separate television series, all of which continue in syndication around the world.
In 2001, Stan founded POW! Entertainment, Inc., a multi-media entertainment company, where he is creating a myriad of new characters, stories and franchises for traditional and emerging media.
Previous recipients of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award are George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis, Dennis Muren, Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall, James Cameron and Ray Harryhausen.
Pop Culture Flashback
Spider-Man Marvel News; Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man Poker Probe, Spider-Man Gaming, by Greg Tingle - 8th August 2011
'Amazing Spider-Man' Sequel Release Set For May 2014...
"The Amazing Spider-Man" has already set the release date for its sequel.
Our friends at Sony Pictures must know something we here at Media Man do not.
The studio announced that "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" will be spinning into US theaters on May 2, 2014, to kick off that year's summer blockbuster season. So far, Sony is the only superhero-producing studio to plan that far ahead, as neither Marvel nor Warner Bros. has announced any of their upcoming comic book adaptations for three years down the road.
In March, "The Amazing Spider-Man" screenwriter James Vanderbilt was hired to pen the sequel. It seems as though Sony is impressed with the drafts he has brought in, considering they green-lit his second "Spider-Man" film 11 months before "The Amazing Spider-Man" hits theaters.
"I think it speaks volumes about our confidence in what we are seeing on the new film and our desire to move quickly on the next installment," a Sony executive told Deadline Hollywood.
The trailer for "The Amazing Spider-Man" premiered on July 20 to mixed responses. One part in particular that had fans doubtful was a scene at the end of the teaser where the camera switches to a first-person, Spidey Vision perspective. But despite the skepticism, Sony seems confident that their reboot of the "Spider-Man" franchise will premiere as a success.
At San Diego Comic-Con, director Marc Webb explained to MTV News that the effect was an attempt to play around with the "experimental process of 3-D." While the movie itself features a lot of realistic stunt work that wasn't accomplished with CG trickery, Webb also explained that he wanted the 3-D element of the movie to be an integral part of it.
"We shot and conceived of this film in 3-D," he said, "and I wanted there to be moments where you really feel and see the world through Spider-Man's eyes. I wanted to get that visceral feeling. In 3-D, I thought there was something about the experiential process, in a big theatrical environment, that was really special that I had seen. I was like, 'If I'm going to do a movie in 3-D, I want to give the audience that experience.'"
Maguire’s poker suit heads to trial...
Hollywood actor Tobey Maguire’s legal battle against the bankrupt trustees of convicted conman Bradley Ruderman is heading to trial in January 2012.
The Spider-Man star is accused of beating Ruderman in a series of unlicensed poker games in California, taking more than $300,000 in winnings from the bankrupt hedge fund manager, who is currently serving time in prison after being convicted of operating a fraudulent Ponzi scheme.
Bankruptcy trustees filed suit against Maguire in June in a bid to recoup money that Ruderman claims to have lost in the illegal games.
The actor has fired back with a countersuit, insisting the card games were never controlled and did not feature a regular roster of celebrities - as initially reported. Maguire also argued that he should not have to hand back any winnings because he lost just as much money to Ruderman.
The case will go before a trial judge at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles on the week of January 30, reports Eonline.com.
Ads and Fees Lift Viacom to a 37% Increase in Profit...
Viacom, the owner of MTV and Paramount Pictures, on Friday reported a 37 percent increase in profits for the quarter that ended in June.
The company’s net earnings of $574 million, or 97 cents a share, were up from $420 million, or 69 cents a share, in the same quarter last year. The company reported revenues of $3.77 billion, up from $3.27 billion.
Like the other major media companies that reported second-quarter earnings that exceeded expectations this week, Viacom credited a sturdy television advertising market, solid revenues from subscriber fees and emerging revenues from digital distributors like Netflix.
“We have always thrived on competition in the distribution arena, and there’s now more competition than there has ever been, and it’s growing,” said Philippe Dauman, the chief executive of Viacom. He added that there was increasing competition for digital distribution in international markets as well as in the United States.
Media companies like Viacom are increasingly accepting online distributors like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu as new bidders for their content — especially for the old content in their libraries that does not compete directly with what is currently on their television channels. Viacom already has licensing deals with Netflix and Hulu, and Mr. Dauman said Friday that discussions were under way with other potential licensees.
“As a result of these new deals, we have set a new higher base for our affiliate revenues this year and we expect to continue to increase those revenues from this higher base at a high single- to low double-digit annual rate every year for the foreseeable future,” Mr. Dauman said on a conference call with analysts.
In the quarter, Viacom’s cable networks had revenues of $2.39 billion, up 16 percent versus the same quarter last year, in large part because of the strength in advertising.
Mr. Dauman singled out several scripted television series for praise, like TV Land’s “Happily Divorced” and VH1’s “Single Ladies,” and he noted that the ratings at MTV had increased year-over-year even though new episodes of “Jersey Shore,” the channel’s biggest show, were not televised in the United States in the quarter. (Both this year and last year, the series skipped the spring quarter.)
Profit growth was up sharply in the cable division, but down in the Paramount filmed entertainment division, largely because of the “timing and mix of theatrical releases,” the company said in its earnings statement. Still, revenues for filmed entertainment were up 13 percent, to $1.4 billion.
Looking ahead, Mr. Dauman acknowledged that Viacom was preparing for an end to its film distribution deal with DreamWorks Animation, which started in 2006 and is expected to end in 2012. Last month, Viacom said it would start its own animation division. “We are proceeding on the operating assumption that we will not be extending the DreamWorks Animation deal beyond next year,” Mr. Dauman said Friday.
Asked about perceived friction with the DreamWorks chief executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, Mr. Dauman dismissed it: “The relationship is very good,” he said, “and the only issue is what DreamWorks Animation wants to do strategically as this deal expires, and how that fits in with our own strategic objectives.”
As Marvel living legend Stan Lee would say, Excelsior!
'The Wolverine' movie wraps up in Australia; Now shooting in Japan; Jackman swaps hair for suit...
'The Wolverine' movie wraps up in Australia; Now shooting in Japan; Jackman swaps hair for suit...
After wrapping the filming in Australia, "The Wolverine" has officially kicked off its production in Japan. Unveiling a first look at lead actor Hugh Jackman on the Tokyo set of the Marvel film, a set of photos featuring the Australian hunk as he filmed a scene at the Zojoji Temple have made their round onto the web.
Instead of sporting unkempt long hair and scruffy look just like when he was filming in Australia, Jackman was spotted rocking Wolverine's trademark haircut and beard. Looking dapper, he donned an all-black ensemble while filming a scene with a number of Japanese men at the said Buddhist temple.
Per Comic Book Movie, the scene Jackman was filming happened to be a "grand funeral." There were no further details about whose funeral the actor's character attended. It was said that the filming at the temple was wrapped on Sunday, September 2 and Jackman was expected to continue filming in Hiroshima next.
Taking its cue from the early 1980s Chris Claremont/Frank Miller miniseries, "The Wolverine" finds Logan (Jackman), the eternal warrior and outsider, in Japan. There, samurai steel will clash with adamantium claw as Logan confronts a mysterious figure from his past in an epic battle that will leave him forever changed. Serving behind the lens is James Mangold.
Jackman has stressed that the upcoming film will be a standalone one and won't be related to 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". He told Total Film, "We've deliberately not called it Wolverine 2 because we want it to be placed and feel like a standalone picture. With an all-new cast and setting in Japan, it's going to give us a whole new visual aesthetic."
"The approach to character means we won't be overloaded with mutants and teams and the like, so it'll be more character-based," he claimed, before adding, "I think in my ways it will feel like a completely different X-Men film."
The anticipated movie is scheduled to open wide in the U.S. on July 26, 2013.
Joss Whedon: 'The Avengers isn't a perfect movie'...
Joss Whedon has claimed that The Avengers isn't "a great movie".
The film has met with critical acclaim and outstanding commercial success, becoming the third highest-grossing film of all time in just a few months, but Whedon, the superhero blockbuster's writer and director, is determined to keep his feet on the ground.
In an interview with Vulture, the 48-year-old claimed that the box office numbers became, ultimately, "meaningless".
He said: "They're large, and you can't really count that high."
Describing what his goals were with The Avengers, he claimed: "I felt like I had a particular mission in making what I felt was a slightly old-fashioned movie, because I grew up wanting to make summer movies and wanting to make superhero movies, and I got to do both at once.
"I felt like summer movies haven't been what I remember them to be, so I felt like I would love to evoke something that's less hip and ironic and more heartfelt and character-driven, and apparently, other people cared about that in a large way."
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator then conceded: "I don't think it's a perfect movie. I don't even think it's a great movie. I think it's a great time, and I'm proud of it, but for me, what was exciting is that people don't go to see a movie that many times unless it's pulling on something from within, unless there's a need there. That's very gratifying."
The film is set to increase its box office even further this weekend, after being re-released in the US to take advantage of the Labour Day holiday.
Whedon will oversee a Marvel-produced SHIELD television show for ABC, before starting work on the Avengers sequel, due for a summer 2015 release.
The Avengers Crosses $1.5 Billion At Worldwide Box Office...
While the re-release of The Avengers at the U.S. box office might have failed to break into the top ten Labor Day weekend movies, it did help The Avengers reach another major milestone. The Avengers has become the third movie in history to cross the $1.5 billion mark at the worldwide box office.
While retaining its number three position on the worldwide box office list, The Avengers took in another estimated $1.7 million over Labor Day weekend, which brought The Avengers U.S. box office total to $619.5 million and The Avengers worldwide box office total to $1.501 billion.
Interestingly enough, The Dark Knight Rises also reached a milestone today, surpassing $1 billion at the worldwide box office, which means that combined The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises have accounted for $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office this year. If you add in The Amazing Spider-Man, which currently sits at number four on the 2012 worldwide box office list with $734.9 million, then the total rises to $3.2 billion. It’s definitely a good time to be in the superhero movie making business.
Expendables blitzes box office...
Explosions, guns and hand-to-hand fighting seem to be the flavour of the month on Australian cinema screens, with The Expendables 2 debuting at the top of the box office.
The film, packed with 1990s action stars (and Liam Hemsworth) took $2.962 million at the weekend, according to figures released by the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.
The Bourne Legacy held on to its No.2 position on the box office charts while last week's top place-getter, Total Recall, fell to third place.
Feel-good Aussie movie The Sapphires fell one spot to fourth but still managed to pull in $1.146 million, while ageing rom-com Hope Springs also dropped a spot to finish fifth.
The Dark Knight Rises is still in the Top Ten after seven weeks and more than $41 million, at sixth place, while Finding Nemo 3D debuted in seventh.
Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom dropped one place to eighth, Will Ferrell's latest comedy The Campaign finished ninth and Step Up 4: Miami Heat rounded out the Top Ten.
Top 10 at the Australian Box Office this weekend:
1. The Expendables 2 - $2.962 million (Roadshow)
2. The Bourne Legacy - $1.273 million (Universal)
3. Total Recall - $1.166 million (Sony)
4. The Sapphires - $1.146 million (Eone/Hopscotch)
5. Hope Springs - $868,207 million (Roadshow)
6. The Dark Knight Rises - $570,846 (Warner Bros)
7. Finding Nemo 3D - $403,700 (Walt Disney)
8. Moonrise Kingdom - $393,824 (Universal)
9. The Campaign - $283,950 (Warner Bros)
10. Step Up 4: Miami Heat - $139,801 (Universal)
2012 Box Office News (U.S Report)...
The summer movie season started out with a bang, and then it…
Say, did we mention it started out with a bang?
It wasn't exactly all downhill after The Avengers kicked things off in record fashion, but it was close. Overall domestic ticket revenue this summer will top out at $4.3 billion, down 2.2 percent from last summer, according to the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.
The Avengers' big return to theaters: a Titanic surprise?
Here are more findings from the season, which concludes this holiday weekend:
The Avengers Wasn't the Most Powerful Movie: Well, all right, it was, but it didn't make 16 times its production budget. That honor goes to Channing Tatum's Magic Mike, which cost $7 million and made $113 million domestically, per BoxOfficeMojo.com stats. Other bottom-line wonders: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which made 13 times its $10 million budget for a worldwide total of $131 million; and, hey—whaddya know?—The Avengers, which did its $220 million budget about seven times better with a worldwide gross of $1.5 billion.
Men in Black 3 Was the Most-Valuable Movie: Per a rundown of the studios' latest fiscal reports, Sony was about the only major player that saw a significant uptick in ticket revenue, and that was due to the not-especially beloved MiB sequel, which grossed $624 million worldwide.
The Dark Knight Rises Outgrossed The Dark Knight…Briefly: We've noted it before, but it's worth noting again. In the pre-Aurora world, The Dark Knight Rises scored $30.6 million from opening-day midnight screenings, and towered above its predecessor, which debuted to $18.5 million in 2008. In the post-Aurora world, the movie ran behind The Dark Knight in each and every successive major box-office period.
Avengers alternate opening revealed
Total Recall Outgrossed Total Recall…Once: The pricey Colin Farrell reboot opened to a soft $26 million, but averaged more per screen ($7,103) than a one-theater-only rerelease of the 1990 original ($5,788). And thus concludes the positive things to take away from the pricey Colin Farrell reboot.
Spider-Man Isn't British for Nothing: With Andrew Garfield behind the mask, nearly two-thirds of The Amazing Spider-Man's $705 million worldwide take came from overseas audiences, the largest percentage yet for a big-screen Spider-Man.
The Hunger Games Competed: This was a nifty trick, as The Hunger Games was not a summer movie, having opened back in March. But the blockbuster played and played and played, and from the start of the movie summer, on May 4, through Wednesday, it grossed another $33 million domestically, a total that on its own was roughly as big as Adam Sandler's That's My Boy, which, no, was not big at all.
Adam Sandler's That's My Boy Was Not an "Unfortunate, Large Miss": That precise distinction belongs to Battleship, which was branded as such by the chairman of Comcast, which runs Universal Pictures. (E! and Universal are both part of the NBCUniversal family, which is owned by Comcast.) The $200 million Battleship did make back its reported budget, grossing about $300 million worldwide. The same can't be said of Sandler's That's My Boy ($70 million budget; $50 million worldwide gross). Or Tom Cruise's Rock of Ages ($75 million budget, $50 million worldwide gross). Or Ben Stiller's The Watch ($68 million budget; $37 million worldwide).
Sequels for Prometheus, Snow White, Magic Mike, more?
What to Expect When You're Expecting Was No Prometheus: Prometheus, like a number of summer movies, including Snow White and the Huntsman, Johnny Depp's Dark Shadows and the aforementioned Battleship and Total Recall, failed to match or surpass their budgets from domestic ticket sales alone. The unheralded Jennifer Lopez-led ensemble comedy, however, grossed $41 million domestically, and $80 million worldwide, from a $40 million budget.
Ray Romano Is King of the World, Practically: Among the summer's animated films, the latest Ice Age sequel, Continental Drift, ran behind Brave and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted—domestically. Internationally, the Romano-voiced wooly mammoth stood alone, grossing a whopping $660 million-plus for a worldwide total of about $815 million. That made Continental Drift the third-biggest overall hit of the season after The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. This is par for the course for the Ice Age movies that probably have their own postage stamps in countries such as Germany, Finland and Brazil.
Here's a rundown of the summer's Top 10-grossing films heading into Labor Day weekend, per domestic stats from BoxOfficeMojo and The Numbers:
The Avengers, $617.8 million
The Dark Knight Rises, $425 million
The Amazing Spider-Man, $258.6 million
Brave, $230 million
Ted, $215.2 million
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, $213.9 million
Men in Black 3, $178.5 million
Snow White and the Huntsman, $155 million
Ice Age: Contiental Drift, $154.3 million
Prometheus, $126.3 million (E! Online)
‘Global James Bond Day’ - 3rd September 2012...
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise on the anniversary of “Dr. No,” which enjoyed its world film premiere in London on October 5, 1962, and in anticipation of the worldwide release of the 23rd James Bond adventure “Skyfall,” Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced today that October 5, 2012 will be “Global James Bond Day,” a day-long series of events for Bond fans around the world.
A new feature documentary from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Passion Pictures and Red Box Films, “Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007,” will be also be unveiled, country-specific details to follow. Directed by Stevan Riley (“Fire In Babylon”), “Everything or Nothing” focuses on three men with a shared dream – Bond producers Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman and author Ian Fleming. It’s the thrilling and inspiring narrative behind the longest running film franchise in cinema history which began in 1962.
Further worldwide events celebrating Bond’s golden anniversary include a global online and live auction charity event of 50 lots to benefit twelve charitable institutions organized by Christie´s in London (full details at www.christies.com/bond), a global survey to discover the favorite Bond film by country, a film retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, a “Music of Bond” night in Los Angeles hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and an exhibition, “Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style,” at TIFF in Toronto.
Leading up to “Global James Bond Day,” for the first time ever fans can own all 22 films in the franchise on Blu-ray Disc in one comprehensive collection with “BOND 50,” releasing worldwide beginning September 24. Further updates by country will be announced in due course on 007.com and facebook/JamesBond007.
Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in “Skyfall,” the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time.
Jim Carrey joins Kick-Ass 2 cast...
Jim Carrey has been offered the role of Colonel Stars in Jeff Wadlow's superhero comedy, director Jeff Wadlow has strongly hinted.
Director Jeff Wadlow and creator Mark Millar have hinted that the 50-year-old funnyman has landed the coveted role of Colonel Stars in the sequel to 2010's wacky superhero comedy.
Jeff tweeted: "6 days till we start shooting... and we officially have our Colonel. Alrighty f'n then! @ChloeGMoretz @MintzPlasse @donald_faison #kickass2. (sic)"
After Christopher Mintz-Plasse replied asking who his new co-star was going to be, the original comic book's author Mark replied: "Clue - he lives with 200 raccoons and parrots, owns the mask of Loki and named by spielberg as a genius. (sic)"
During Jim's 1994 film 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective', which sees him play the titular character, his alter-ego is a private investigator who specialises in the retrieval of captive animals.
'The Mask' star Jim is reportedly a big fan of the original 'Kick-Ass' film by Matthew Vaughn and was being courted to play the born again Christian superhero, who assembles a motley crew of superheroes to help fight evil.
The sequel will see several new additions to the cast, including 'Scrubs' actor Donald Faison as Doctor Gravity and John Leguizamo as Red Mist's bodyguard, Javier.
The comedy will begin shooting this Friday (07.08.12) and sees Aaron Johnson returning as the lead Kick-Ass, while co-stars Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage are also reprising their roles from the first film.
'Kick-Ass 2' is set for release in June 2013.
US actor Michael Clarke Duncan dies - 4th September 2012...
Michael Clarke Duncan's fiancee says the Oscar nominee for The Green Mile has died while being hospitalised following a July heart attack.
Publicist Joy Fehily released a statement from Clarke's fiance, the Reverend Omarosa Manigault, saying the 54-year-old actor died on Monday morning in a Los Angeles hospital after nearly two months of treatment following the July 13 heart attack.
The 196-centimetre tall, 136 kilogram Duncan appeared in dozens of films, including such box office hits as Armageddon, Planet of the Apes and Kung Fu Panda.
Duncan had a handful of minor roles before The Green Mile brought him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor.
The 1999 film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starred Tom Hanks as a corrections officer at a penitentiary in the 1930s.
Duncan played John Coffey, a convicted murderer.
Russell Crowe bailed out by Coast Guard...
Russell Crowe needed some help from the U.S. Coast Guard late Saturday night during a kayaking trip that went awry off New York's Long Island.
The actor was enjoying some water recreation in Long Island, where he's filming -- irony alert! -- the Darren Aronofsky epic "Noah" (as in Ark). He took off in a kayak from Cold Spring Harbor Saturday afternoon, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Robert Swieciki told the Associated Press. When it got dark, he and a friend apparently got lost but managed to make their way to shore, beaching their kayaks in Huntington Bay -- nearly 10 miles from where they had set out.
The coast guard was patrolling the area and heard the 48-year-old actor calling out from the shore around 10 p.m. According to Swiecki, the officer did not recognize the actor but paddled over and brought them to Huntington Harbor.
"It wasn't really a rescue," Swieciki told the AP. "Really, more of just giving someone a lift."
The two men were wearing life vests and sustained no injuries.
For his part, Crowe was grateful for the assistance, tweeting at 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning, "Thanks to Seth and the boys from the US Coast Guard for guiding the way ... 4 hrs 30 mins, 7m(11.2km)."
And he later expounded, writing, "We knew where exactly where we were, paddling around from csh into wind, we ran out of day. Grand adventure eh."
Aussie actors Crowe and Jackman at war...
Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman are at war!
According to various news reports, the actors having been fighting like catty tween girls while shooting the new Les Miserables movie.
“They refuse to be in the same room – trying to get them to promote a film together is a nightmare,” a source tells Star magazine.
“They’ve known each other for a decade, but during this shoot, any shred of civility was thrown aside. They can’t stand each other, each calling the other an embarrassment to the profession.
“Russell sneers at Hugh’s musical-theater background. But Hugh says Russell embarrassed his country with his bad reputation in Hollywood.”
Costar Anne Hathaway has tried to mend fences, but the actors won’t budge.
“Producers hope she can convince them to come to a truce, but it’s not looking very promising,” said the source.
Idea of the moment: Crowe VS Jackman at WWE WrestleMania (Jackman is a known massive WWE fan and has participated in a physical WWE angle in the past, so here's hoping).
Howzat: Kerry Packer's war on cricket may be missing Dennis Lillee...
Many in media and sports circles are now buzzing that the true founding father of one-day cricket was not Kerry Packer but Dennis Lillee - yet the TV smash Howzat! whitewashes him from history, one of the original World Series directors has revealed.
In an rocket on Channel 9's ratings blockbuster, World Series Cricket director Austin Robertson - who also featured as a character in the mini-series - said Australians should thank Lillee for creating the one-day game.
In response, the show's producers launched a broadside of their own, claiming they asked Lillee to contribute but the bowling superstar refused to because he wouldn't get any money.
Mr Robertson, who worked closely with the former Nine king and the rebel team, also defended "the Big Fella" and said he was not the bully he was portrayed to be. Nor was the late batting star David Hookes the simpering and indecisive vacillator depicted in the show.
Mr Robertson said Howzat! was great entertainment and brilliantly produced but riddled with inaccuracies.
"The producers made a nonsense of the way they treated the man really responsible for the whole thing - Dennis Lillee," he said.
"Dennis was visible enough but he is not given the acknowledgement for having the idea in the first place, and his contribution in putting the entire thing together. Other people have put their hands up for having the brainchild of WSC but I am here to say that, without Lillee, it would never have happened at the time.
"Though Packer was determined to get the precious television rights, they would never have been delivered at that time without having the best fast bowler in the world in his corner.
"Curiously, the producers of the show, in the curtain-call of the program, in the segment 'Where are the main players today,' DKL was again overlooked.
"I had to ask myself, why did they do that? It was Lillee who delivered the players and, while it was great to be playing on the Packer team, without Lillee it would have never got off the ground."
Southern Star producer John Edwards, who made the show, hit back at Mr Robertson. He said Lillee boycotted the show and "shut down" Mr Robertson after learning no money was on offer.: "He (Robertson) was invited. There's nothing more to say really. He was mad keen on being involved and Dennis got to him and he was shut down. Dennis wanted money.
"We tried to speak to everybody and not everybody wanted to speak. Some people had grievances and grudges.
"(Writer) Chris Lee tried to involve them as much as as possible in the story and they chose not to be involved."
Mr Robertson confirmed he and Lillee had been approached but declined to take part. He declined to comment further or say whether money was an issue.
Lillee could not be reached but he has consistently refused to comment on Howzat!.
Mr Robertson praised Mr Packer and revealed the media tycoon was not as aggressive as the show portrayed: "The portrayal of Kerry as a constant bully and user of foul language is far from the truth. He could bully. I saw him on many occasions rise up like an out-of-control bull elephant and reduce a grown man to tears. I heard him swear like a storm trooper when out of control. But I never saw him chuck a plate of food.
"I thought Kerry was in the main a humble man, often revealing great compassion, a gentle giant who would talk issues out for hours before making a decision, and then following it through.
"The mini-series gave everybody the impression he was a loud, foul- mouthed bully and we saw precious little of his other side."
Channel 9 declined to comment however sources at the network said they felt the show was spot on in capturing Mr Packer.
Mr Robertson also rejected Howzat!'s portrayal of friend David Hookes, who died after an altercation with a bouncer in Melbourne in 2004.
"David was not a weak, indecisive and nervous character who 'spilled the beans' to The Age's Peter McFarline."
And as for his own portrayal Mr Robertson said: "From birth, and throughout the many years I have enjoyed on the earth I have never had a moustache."
Prince Harry; casino tycoon Steve Wynn and fun and games in Las Vegas and beyond...
As the UK's Daily Mail states it's a rare man who walks away from Las Vegas with nothing to regret.
Prince Harry counts the cost of his escapades in Sin City, he may just be coming to regret the day he ever made the acquaintance of casino tycoon Steve Wynn.
Wynn, the self-proclaimed King of Las Vegas, is the billionaire owner of the five-star Encore Wynn resort, the opulent hotel-casino in whose eight-room, £5,100-a-night suite the prince was photographed playing strip billiards.
Unsubstantiated reports this week have suggested that cocaine was snorted in the suite, and that a known prostitute was among the guests. There are even rumours of a video tape capturing the night's events. So how did the third-in-line to the throne come to meet – even befriend – a septuagenarian gambling mogul?
Steve Wynn, a flamboyant showman with a surgically-enhanced, wrinkle-free face, carefully coiffed hair, a volcanic temper and a trophy wife, is famous for befriending celebrities whose patronage would be good for business.
Last November, 70-year-old Wynn was spotted having dinner with the prince in one of his Vegas steakhouses while the Prince was enjoying a weekend break from an advanced helicopter training course in Arizona.
Waiving the bills of celebrities is common practice in Vegas, and it remains unclear who paid the estimated £30,000 bill for Harry's recent stay. According to Wynn's spokesman, the tab was not picked up by either the tycoon or his hotel.
Is the prince welcome to return? I can't see why not,' the spokesman said.
Wynn is unlikely to be perturbed by Harry's naked shenanigans, but if drugs do turn out to have been involved, he may swiftly seek to distance himself from the events. He may be Las Vegas's most revered casino owner, but he still has his gambling licence and his reputation to think about. It is a reputation that Wynn is eager to protect. He has worked hard to erase the stains of the past.
Today, he is widely credited as the man who single-handedly cleaned up' Vegas and made it into a place in which Wall Street could invest and young families could holiday (if parents don't mind their children collecting the prostitutes' calling cards which litter the pavement).
Yet for all his denials, Wynn, who is worth $2.5 billion, has never shaken off accusations that he was linked for many years to the mobsters who once ruled Las Vegas.
He has weathered successive U.S. investigations over everything from drug-dealing to money-laundering, and has never been found to have committed any wrong-doing.
In Britain, the authorities have proved harder to convince. When he tried to open a casino in London to exploit the influx of rich Arabs in the early Eighties, Scotland Yard denied him a licence. But in the desert city of Las Vegas, he remains a swaggering icon. He has a reputation for being sophisticated' but that's by Vegas standards.
This is a man who bought Impressionist masterpieces only to hang them on the walls of his casinos; who reputedly blew his finger off while playing with a gun given to him by a former Mob hitman, and who boasts that his wife Andrea has the greatest butt in the world'.
Money is no object. In 2005, Wynn sank $2.7 billion into building just one hotel the curved glass and steel Wynn Las Vegas. He then did the same again a few years later with the Encore.
So enamoured is he with the idea of himself as Sin City royalty that he arranged his wedding last year to coincide with that of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Hollywood star Clint Eastwood was best man and lingerie model Caprice a bridesmaid. The reception, held in the ballroom of Wynn's Encore resort, boasted a 500-strong guest list which included Sylvester Stallone, Steven Spielberg, Lionel Richie, Sir Philip Green and Celine Dion.
Each guest left with a five-inch high replica of the tiered wedding cake, but it's unlikely Wynn or his rake-thin new wife enjoyed much of the banquet. Both are vegans, and the youth-obsessed Wynn, who exists on a diet of vitamin pills, liquidised walnuts and the occasional indulgent dribble of olive oil, boasts that he still has a 32in waistline.
After years of hard graft and wheeler-dealing, he has earned the right to behave as he wishes. The son of an East Coast bingo parlour operator and hardened gambler, the brash and handsome Wynn Jnr expanded the family business to Las Vegas with a string of clever investments and ambitious hustling.
In the Seventies and Eighties, when Wynn was building his empire, Las Vegas was full of the mobsters who had originally built its gambling industry.
Some say it was impossible to work in the city and not come into contact with mafiosi, even unwittingly. Others have suggested that, even so, Wynn had an unusually large number of brushes with the Mob.
Wynn himself has vigorously denied any involvement with the Mob, and none of the numerous law enforcement investigations for gambling licences have ever concluded that he worked for or with organised crime.
In 1967, he was with some business associates of noted mobsters on a private yacht cruise on a lake in Nevada when a naked young woman somehow fell over the back of the boat and was chopped almost in half by the propeller blades. Her death prompted an investigation, but everyone on board denied having seen the incident.
And he had trouble with officials in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1986 after investigators discovered mobster Tony Castelbuono, a friend of Wynn, was laundering the profits of heroin trafficking at his gambling tables. Wynn almost lost his gambling licence.
Today, such tales of the Mob are just water under the bridge. Wynn has re-invented himself as the business genius who demolished seedy gambling joints along the Vegas Strip and replaced them with slick hotel-casinos such as the Mirage (the city's first 3,000-bed hotel), the Treasure Island and the Bellagio.
Part of his success has been his ability to turn on the charm with important people. But Wynn is notorious, too, for his temper. In 1991, he reached an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum with the former president of Wynn's Golden Nugget casino, who described Wynn as a womanising, brutal boss.
In allegations made in documents lodged at court, it was said that he would get so angry that his eyes bulged and he started screaming at the top of his lungs and banging his head on the table'. There was no admission of liability by Wynn, who denied the allegations.
His mother Zelma claims his tyrannical behaviour is the result of frustration over his failing eyesight. The tycoon suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive genetic disease which effectively gives him tunnel vision by destroying his ability to see peripheral images. In a dark room, he is completely blind.
His vision may be failing, but for years he was infamous for his roving eye, keeping keys to empty rooms at his various hotels for trysts. He was known to favour his female blackjack croupiers.
All that came to a stop when he met the beautiful Mrs Wynn. Usually described as a British socialite, 48-year-old Andrea was, in fact, born in New York but, as her proud husband likes to stress, was raised in England and France. Tres sophistique.
It all sounds rather less chic when you learn that the family moved to France because her father, a wheeler-dealer named Victor Danenza, fled there in 1976 to escape an FBI fraud investigation.
Before becoming the second Mrs Wynn, Andrea had lived in London with her first husband, Texan banker Robert Hissom, a former polo-playing friend of Prince Charles.
She met Wynn in 2008 in St Tropez, where he keeps a yacht, and the couple began a very public romance. Wynn divorced his long-suffering first wife Elaine, after 46 years of marriage, and wed Andrea last year.
Elaine made around $740 million from the settlement one of the biggest payouts in U.S. divorce history. The costly divorce appears not to have troubled Mr Wynn, who is delighted with his new wife.
It's like God made a woman for me,' he once said, before pointing out the part of his wife he most admired the greatest butt in the world'.
It all goes to show that money can buy you neither taste nor manners. Even Wynn's attempts to acquire a collection of old masterpieces have invited accusastions that he was vulgar and greedily acquisitive.
He has, since the late Nineties, spent hundreds of millions of dollars on paintings by Picasso and Degas, Caravaggio and Titian. He has several times scooped the world's great galleries at auction, only to horrify the art world by hanging his purchases in his casinos.
At 70, he shows no sign of slowing down though controversy continues to dog him. He is embroiled in a three-year court battle with Joe Francis, founder of the soft porn video empire Girls Gone Wild.
In documents lodged at court, Francis claims Wynn threatened in an email that he would kill him over a $2 million gambling debt. Wynn is alleged to have written that he would hit Francis in the back of the head with a shovel'.
Wynn denies the allegations and claims no such email exists.
In Asia, where Wynn now earns 70 per cent of his profits from the gambling mecca of Macau, a resort on the South China Sea, he is embroiled in a battle with a former business partner, Kazuo Okada.
This week, Okada sued Wynn for $140 millino for libel after each accused the other of paying bribes within the Asian gambling industry. No amount of black marble and old masters can hide the sleaziness at the heart of Las Vegas.
It is hard to believe Wynn when he claims he could just as easily have gone into family theme parks if Walt Disney hadn't done it first. Indeed, it seems about as likely as Prince Harry settling for free entry to Sleeping Beauty's Castle rather than a weekend with his colourful acquaintances in Sin City.
One ponders if the prince may be planning to visit in any casino - hotels in the near future, and little doubt that Australia's The Star or Crown Melbourne would love to have him. The smart money say's Prince Harry will no be stepping into any casino in Australia or anywhere else in the near future, perhaps more positive PR appearances will be on the cards however.
Soprano tops bill for Ten Days festival...
Internationally-renowned soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa will perform at next year's Ten Days on the Island Festival in Tasmania.
The New Zealand singer is one of two top international acts secured by the organisers.
Dame Kiri will perform in Launceston, Hobart and Burnie during the festival next March.
Festival director Jo Duffy says the Tasmanian performances will give the acclaimed performer a very intimate experience.
"She's performed at the Royal Albert Hall, she's won Grammy awards, she's performed at La Scala, she's performed for the Queen and various members of the Royal Family," she said.
"But really a lot of performers, when they reach a certain stage in their career, they want to almost get back to were they began, to be able to look their audiences in the eye and really relate to them very closely."
Award-winning New York theatre company Elevator Repair Service will open the festival with a performance based on an Ernest Hemingway novel.
Ms Duffy says interest is already huge.
"We have already had people interested in coming to Tasmania specifically to see this show."
"It's only doing six performances and it's travelled around the world to many of the very large international arts festivals and it's not been to anywhere else in Australia."
Zionist casino mogul Sheldon Adelson rocks Israeli media...
The loss-making 60-year old Israeli daily Maariv plans to stop appearing as a weekday newspaper and convert to a digital-only edition unless a major new injection of investment can be found to sustain it in printed form.
But its plight also likely to cast a fresh spotlight on the runaway success—at least in circulation terms—of its newest competitor, the right-wing free paper Israel Hayom, which is financially backed by US casino magnate, Sheldon Adelson.
While the paper is likely to continue printing a weekend edition for the foreseeable future, the planned move comes amid fears by journalists at the paper of significant possible layoffs.
Nir Hefetz, Maariv’s editor-in chief told Army Radio yesterday: "We've been looking at the digital direction for a number of months and it's all just a matter of timing. If we won't have any oxygen, we will be forced to make the move quickly."
Discount Investments, which has a 62 per cent holding in the paper and is part of the financially troubled IDB conglomerate has agreed to back a £2.3m bank loan, but one which is apparently conditional on a halt to weekday printing and other cost cutting measures.
Israel Hayom, which strongly supports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is owned and funded by Mr Adelson, the American casino billionaire who is a major Republican Party benefactor, and opponent of a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After supporting the unsuccessful GOP primary candidate Newt Gingrich, he indicated he could spend up to $100m on Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.
While Israel Hayom also has paid delivery to homes it is handed out for free by seemingly ubiquitous newsboys across the country. It says that "reaching every citizen and every venue in Israel is one of the key tenets of the paper’s mission.2
The paper survived an unsuccessful attempt in 2009 by Knesset members to block majority newspaper ownership by foreigners. An unnamed Yedhiot Ahronot executive was recently quoted in the business daily Globes saying: "Adelson has simply brought ruin to the Israeli newspaper market, and the Israeli politicians who benefit from its flattering coverage have allowed this unprecedented phenomenon to occur."
While the paper has a range of established columnists and is highly professionally produced, it was criticised over its deletion of an insulting reference to Mr Netanyahu in its report of the letter left by Moshe Silman, who set fire to himself during a social protest in Tel Aviv in July.
Like other media, Israel Hayom provided readers with an illustration of the letter written by Mr Silman, who later died of his injuries. And it said that Mr Netanyahu and his finance minister Yuval Steinitz were among those Mr Silman blamed for his financial plight. But unlike other media it displayed an image which failed to include the letter’s two lines describing the two politicians as “scumbags”—or literally “stinking dead bodies.”
According to the latest authoritative survey by the market research organisation TGI Israel Hayom, which boasts a weekday distribution of 275,000 copies, has a 38.1 per cent share of that market, compared to its closest rival, Yedhiot Ahronot, with 36.1 per cent and Maariv with 11.1 per cent. The left-leaning daily Haaretz has a market share of 7.2 per cent. (Belfast Telegraph)
Sam Razavi Wins 2012 APPT Melbourne Main Event - 03 Sep 2012
The second Main Event of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) wrapped up this weekend at the famed Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia as the final nine players competed for the AUD $326,125 first prize. In the end, it was England’s Samad “Sam” Razavi who emerged triumphant for his first ever APPT title.
Razavi entered the nine-handed final table second in chips with 1.318 million, one of four players over the million chip mark. He had a bit of a gap to make up, though, as Tom Grigg led the remaining field with 2.271 million chips.
It took Razavi about three hours to make his big move, but as they say, good things come to those who wait, right? Throughout much of the final table, he was basically just one of the crowd, not really doing much to distinguish himself aside from eliminating Brendon Rubie in 9th place, but Rubie was down to just 30,000 chips at that point, anyway. In the meantime, other players had made runs at the top, including Wayne Bentley and Keith Walker. But finally, with just four players remaining, Razavi made his move.
Bentley raised pre-flop to 60,000 and Razavi called. Razavi then check-called a 150,000 bet after the flop landed Q diamonds-6 diamonds-4 diamonds. The check-bet-call pattern was the same on the turn A hearts and river 8 clubs (but for 250,000 and 400,000 chips, respectively). Apparently, Razavi wasn’t too worried about losing the hand, quickly revealing Q spades-T clubs for just second pair (or maybe he wanted to end the pain quickly, like tearing off a bandage). If that was confidence, it was spot on, as Bentley mucked, handing the sizable pot to Razavi. That hand sent Razavi’s stack up to 2.5 million, while Bentley’s fell to 1.1 million.
Twenty minutes later, Razavi grabbed another 200,000 chips, this time from Grigg, who was seeing his fortunes decline. Just a few minutes later, though, Grigg took a large sum of chips while eliminating Wayne Bentley in 4th place. Bentley had gotten all of his chips in on the turn with a flush draw and Grigg had made the call with top pair. The flush, obviously, never came to fruition.
Going into three-handed play, it was a very close race with Razavi holding 2.74 million chips, Grigg claiming ownership to 2.6 million, and Walker clutching 2.2 million. After more than an hour, it looked like Grigg was going to run away with the tournament, as his stack was up to 5 million, while Razavi had 1.5 million and Walker had just 1.2 million.
But Razavi doubled-up with 9-9 versus Grigg’s A-K, followed by Walker winning an 800,000 chip pot from Grigg. And then, just like that, it was Sam Razavi’s tournament. In what may have been the turning point of the tournament, Grigg opened pre-flop to 105,000 and Razavi called. Grigg again bet 105,000 on the K-T-T flop and Razavi again called. They both checked the 4 on the turn and Grigg checked the 3 on the river, but Razavi bet 500,000. Grigg went deep into the tank and finally made the call, though his cards were never revealed as Razavi flipped over 3-3 for a rivered full house. That was nearly a one million chip pot for Razavi, sending him up to 2.65 million chips.
And then, after having led for much of the final table, Tom Grigg was gone. Grigg raised a hand pre-flop to 100,000 and was once again called by Razavi. Just like before, Grigg bet 105,000 on the 7-7-5 flop and Razavi called. When a Queen landed on the turn, Grigg threw down 215,000 chips and Razavi made the call. The river was a 3 and Grigg checked, only to be shocked when Razavi moved all-in. Obviously a huge decision, Grigg pondered it so long that Razavi had to call clock on him. Grigg eventually made the (crying) call and Razavi instantly showed that he had 5-5 and flopped a boat. Grigg was eliminated and Razavi took a 5.9 million to 1.8 million chip lead into heads-up play against Keith Walker.
Heads-up play was short and sweet. On one of the opening hands, Walker three-bet all-in pre-flop with pocket Jacks and Razavi called with K-T of spades. The flop presented two spades, giving Razavi a flush draw, and the turn brought third, clinching the hand and the tournament title for Sam Razavi.
The AUD $326,125 first prize is the largest cash of Razavi’s career. He has had success in the past, placing sixth in the 2011 Aussie Millions Main Event for $222,530 and winning the 2011 UK & Ireland Poker Tour – Cork Main Event for $100,628. He has now earned over $800,000 on the live tournament circuit.
2012 Asia Pacific Poker Tour Melbourne – Final Table Results (AUD$)
1. Sam Razavi – $326,125
2. Keith Walker – $205,345
3. Tom Grigg – $114,750
4. Wayne Bentley – $87,575
5. Gary Benson – $72,475
6. James Bills – $57,375
7. Kristian Lunardi – $45,300
8. Nigel Andrews – $36,240
9. Brendon Rubie – $27,175 (Poker News Daily)
New Trailer For Marvel Heroes...
Gazillion Entertainment is proud to show off a new trailer for Marvel Heroes. The new trailer announces 3 new playable heroes in the game – Daredevil, Punisher, and Squirrel Girl. The trailer made its debut at the Marvel Heroes panel at PAX 2012. The panel featured Gazillion President David Brevik (one of the creators of Diablo!), legendary Marvel writer Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man! Avengers vs. X-Men! And) and Marvel’s mighty VP of Games Production TQ Jefferson. If you look closely, you’ll also see a bunch of villains were also revealed in the trailer, including Mr. Fisk the notorious crime lord.
Website:
http://www.youtube.com/marvelheroesonline
About Marvel Heroes...
Marvel Heroes is a FREE-TO-PLAY action-packed massively multiplayer online game created by David Brevik, the visionary behind Diablo and Diablo 2. Set in the iconic Marvel Universe, Marvel Heroes combines the core game-play style of Diablo and MMOs with the expansive library of heroes from the Marvel Universe. In the game, players can collect and play as their favorite Marvel Superheroes (including Iron Man, Thor, Wolverine, Hulk, Spider Man, Captain America and many others). Team up with friends and try to stop Doctor Doom from devastating the world with the power of the Cosmic Cube in a story crafted by comic-book super-scribe Brian Michael Bendis.
The Main Event's top 10 best MMA fights of the rest of 2012...
This weekend has been more about the fight that didn’t happen than any that did.
UFC 151 was canceled Aug. 23 and the the finger of blame has been pointed in every which direction. The basics are that Dan Henderson partially tore his MCL and was unable to compete in the main event against Jon Jones. Jones was given a fill-in opponent in Chael Sonnen, but turned it down, causing the UFC to cancel the show altogether and inciting president Dana White to go all medievel on Jones in a media conference call.
White blames Jones and his coach Greg Jackson. Jones has blamed the UFC, himself and Henderson (or “that old man,” according to a tweet Saturday). There’s more finger pointing here than in the Republic National Convention. Just not as many empty chairs or old, senile actors.
But what’s done is done. Jones will face Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 on Sept. 22. UFC 151 will forever be known as the event that wasn’t and it’s time to move on.
There are plenty of exciting fights to look forward to before 2013. Here’s a look at our top 10 (barring injuries):
10. Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le (UFC on Fuel TV 6, Nov. 10 in Macau)
This one isn’t as much about the fight as it is about the significance of the event – the UFC’s first in China. Neither of these guys is currently in their prime, but they always give crowd-pleasing performances. Le, a native of Vietnam, should have a massive Asian following.
9. Eddie Alvarez vs. Patricky Freire (Bellator 76, Oct. 12 in Windsor, Ontario)
Alvarez might have dropped the Bellator title last year to Michael Chandler, but he’s still one of the top 15 lightweights in the world. This also could be his last Bellator fight with his contract expiring – don’t be surprised if he’s in the UFC in 2013. Explosive knockout artist Freire will be a game opponent.
8. Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson, UFC flyweight title (UFC 152, Sept. 22 in Toronto)
Don’t blink. These are two of the fastest guys in MMA and both challenged for the bantamweight title before the UFC created its flyweight division. This bout will determine the company’s first-ever flyweight champion and these are legitimately the top two guys in the world at 125.
7. Shane Carwin vs. Roy Nelson (TUF 16 finale, Dec. 15 in Las Vegas)
There’s very little chance this one leaves the first round. Carwin and Nelson love to slug it out and after coaching against one another on “The Ultimate Fighter” they probably won’t be too friendly. It’ll be nice to see Carwin, a former heavyweight top contender, back in the cage.
6. Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir (Strikeforce: Mir vs. Cormier, Oct. 27 in TBA)
This might be a Strikeforce fight, but it has UFC implications. Mir, the former UFC heavyweight champion, takes on Strikeforce champ Cormier in somewhat of a crossover matchup. But Cormier will be in the UFC right after this fight courtesy of Strikeforce's heavyweight division being disbanded and a win here puts him on path for a title shot in 2013.
5. BJ Penn vs. Rory MacDonald (UFC on Fox 5, Dec. 8 in Seattle)
The trash talk has already been fun between the two, but things will really heat up when they enter the Octagon. Think of this as something of a passing of the torch fight. Penn, in the twilight of his career, will put up a strong challenge against the young lion, but the multi-faceted MacDonald is nearing superstardom in the welterweight division.
4. Benson Henderson (c) vs. Nate Diaz, UFC lightweight title (UFC on Fox 5, Dec. 8 in Seattle)
This could easily be a Fight of the Year candidate if it goes how it’s supposed to. Neither of these guys gives an inch – both Henderson and Diaz are perpetually moving forward. A win here, against a superior standup fighter in Diaz, would put Henderson’s name among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
3. Jose Aldo (c) vs. Frankie Edgar, UFC featherweight title (UFC 153, Oct. 13 in Rio)
Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Aldo was supposed to defend his title against Erik Koch, but Koch had to pull out with an injury and his loss is the fans’ gain. Edgar was the UFC lightweight champion for more than a year and his last two losses were by the slimmest of margins. Aldo, meanwhile, is a buzzsaw – one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. This is, indeed, a superfight.
2. Georges St. Pierre (c) vs. Carlos Condit, UFC welterweight unification (UFC 154, Nov. 17 in Montreal)
It seems like it’s been forever since St. Pierre has fought. One of the best MMA fighters of all time has not competed in more than a year and a half due to injuries, including a torn ACL. He returns to face red-hot Carlos Condit, who is coming off a win over Nick Diaz in January. St. Pierre, a dominant champ, has never faced anyone with the combination of speed, athleticism and technique that Condit has.
1. Junior dos Santos (c) vs. Cain Velasquez, UFC heavyweight title (UFC 155, Dec. 29 in Las Vegas)
This time, we’ll get the incredible battle of wills that we were promised last year. Velasquez lost his title to dos Santos last November in just over a minute via stunning knockout. To make matters worse, it was the UFC’s first show on Fox and the company took undeserved criticism for the quick, flash KO.
Who knew that dos Santos-Velasquez wouldn’t be a war? This one will make up for it, closing the year on a huge high note – the two best heavyweights in the world trading in the center of the cage. Only one will be standing at the end. (New York Post)
Captains agree it's Manly or Dogs to win - 3rd September 2012...
The NRL competition is a two-horse race between last year's premiers and this year's minor premiers, according to the eight captains taking part.
The pair, going head to head at ANZ Stadium in a qualifying final, were the overwhelming favourites in a poll of the team leaders at Monday's captains' call.
Premiership favourites the Sea Eagles were favoured by Canterbury's Michael Ennis and Cronulla's Paul Gallen as the team to beat, while North Queensland's Johnathan Thurston and Canberra's Terry Campese like the chances of this year's minor premiers.
'I can't go past Manly obviously with the side that they've got,' Gallen said.
'It's a pretty good side and they've been there and done it before.'
South Sydney's Michael Crocker summed up this year's premiership race perfectly when he admitted he couldn't pick a favourite between the two.
The Raiders only just squeezed into the finals on the back of a five-game winning streak, but they've been dubbed the dark horse of the competition, alongside the Rabbitohs, who emerged from a slump with two wins to finish the regular season.
'Souths have got a really good style of play and I reckon they're the smokies,' Thurston said.
'They've flown under the radar.
'Every team goes through a period like that (where they lose a few) but they've bounced back.'
After witnessing the Raiders pile on 36 unanswered points against last year's grand finalists the Warriors, Crocker admits he will be keeping one eye on the Green Machine.
'The way the Raiders have been playing, they're a scary prospect,' he said.
'If you look at their performance in the second half yesterday, when they were 22-6 down at halftime, to come out and score 36 points, they've got that ability and so many class players across the park.'
Ben Barba was unanimously anointed this year's Dally M Medal winner for his scintillating season with the Bulldogs, and was tied with Thurston on two votes a piece as the player most oppositions will fear these finals.
Manly's Jason King declined the opportunity to participate in the poll.
Beachley Classic Women's World Tour Surfing: Dee Why, Sydney, Australia - 21st April 2012
Courtney Conlogue Claims the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic Crown...
DEE WHY, Sydney NSW/AUS (Saturday, April 21, 2012) – Courtney Conlogue (USA), 19, has won the prestigious 2012 Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic, over Malia Manuel (HAW), 18, at Dee Why beach today. In clean, but challenging two-to-three foot (1.5 meter) waves, the world’s best female surfers battled head-to-head for the biggest prize purse on the ASP Women’s World Championship Tour, with Conlogue taking home USD$30,000.
Stop No. 4 of 7 on the 2012 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour, the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic, run by seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion Layne Beachley, has caused some interesting twists and turns in the race for the coveted ASP Women’s World Title. Yesterday saw the early exit of reigning ASP Women’s World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW), 19. Then today the current ASP Women’s World No. 1 and 2 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, and Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 21, both bowed out in the Quarterfinals.
Conlogue who has won multiple ASP 6-Star events, today claimed her maiden win on the elite ASP Women’s World Championship Tour, a feat that sees her jump to 4th on the ratings. Conlogue and Manuel battled through the stacked field of competitors to reach the Final. The dying swell made conditions difficult, but Conlogue found the best waves that allowed her to execute multiple powerful turns.
“I’m speechless right now!” Conlogue said. “It’s been two years on the ASP Women’s World Championship Tour where I kept losing in the Quarterfinals. Then today after winning my Quarterfinal I just tried to go and win the thing. Malia (Manuel) was surfing great in the Final, even though the waves were tricky. I’m really stoked to have won this event! I love Steph (Gilmore) and Sally (Fitzgibbons) and to have them chair me up the beach was absolutely amazing!”
Manuel’s run to the Final wasn’t easy, defeating Gilmore and Tyler Wright (AUS), 18, in the morning’s Quarterfinal and Semifinal. Manuel’s smooth style and tail drifting turns saw her earn big scores and new fans all event. Her red-hot run was only ended by Conlogue’s superior wave selection. Manuel is now equal 6th on the ASP World Championship Tour, and she is now the highest ranked 2012 rookie.
“I’m really relieved to get a good result here at Dee Why,” Manuel said. “I’m happy to move up the ratings. It’s a great confidence boost going into the next three events. I’m really stoked to make a final in my rookie year. I hope the battle for ASP Rookie Of The Year goes down to the last contest. It’s really close between me and Lakey (Peterson). I’m not going to count her out.”
Rebecca Woods (AUS), 28, and Wright were the highest placed Australian surfers, both finishing equal 3rd place. Wright has placed 3rd three times this year, but this is Woods’ best result of the 2012 season and is sure to help her requalification campaign.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling at the moment,” Woods said. “I’ve had a few last places this year, so in some regards I was just happy to put it together for a few heats. I’ve made about nine Semifinals in my life and still never made it into that elusive Final. It’s good to be pushed by the younger girls. I woke up this morning and thought Courtney (Conlogue) was going to win today, then she was on my side of the draw and I cursed myself for putting that in my head. Then she beat me and won the contest, so I was right.”
Gilmore, four-time ASP Women’s World Champion, suffered a shock early exit at the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic today. Gilmore has had three final appearances in the first three events of the year, and today added a respectable equal 5th place finish to her tally. In testing conditions Gilmore was bested by an in-form Manuel, who also defeated her in their non-elimination Round 3 match-up yesterday.
“It’s disappointing,” Gilmore said. “But it’s not a terrible result for me. I feel really strong. When there’s great waves on offer I feel like I’m surfing great. It’s just a matter of getting those waves and I didn’t get them today. I’m looking forward to heading over to Brazil and finding the form I had in the first few events.”
Fitzgibbons went down in the Quarterfinals to eventual event winner Conlogue. Fitzgibbons held an early lead with two mid-range scores, but Conlogue snared the best wave of the heat and tore it apart with some impressive turns, netting a 9.00 (out of a possible 10) and won the heat.
“This is the worst part about what we do,” Fitzgibbons said. “Today I just wasn’t good enough. When you’re feeling strong, you really want to progress through to that Final. I got some early scores and it was really challenging out there. That one wave popped up for Courtney (Conlogue) and she grabbed a 9.00, which is the highest score of the day. I’m really happy for her. She’s a good friend and she trains and surfs really hard and that paid off today.”
More info www.ASPWorldTour.com
COMMONWEALTH BANK BEACHLEY CLASSIC FINAL RESULTS:
1: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 13.17
2: Malia Manuel (HAW) 11.56
COMMONWEALTH BANK BEACHLEY CLASSIC SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Malia Manuel (HAW) 12.67 def. Tyler Wright (AUS) 10.50
SF 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.33 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 10.10
COMMONWEALTH BANK BEACHLEY CLASSIC QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) 14.43 def. Laura Enever (AUS) 12.50
QF 2: Malia Manuel (HAW) 13.00 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 11.47
QF 3: Rebecca Woods (AUS) 11.73 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 8.73
QF 4: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.97 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.34
CURRENT ASP WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR TOP 6 (after the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic):
1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
3: Tyler Wright (AUS)
4: Courtney Conlogue (USA)
5: Carissa Moore (HAW)
6: Laura Enever (AUS)
6: Malia Manuel (HAW)
The Bourne Legacy red carpet premiere at State Theatre, Sydney, Australia
The Bourne Legacy tonight enjoyed its Sydney, Australia red carpet premiere (and a bike stunt) at the world famous State Theatre.
Megastar Jeremy Renner has seen his career take off in recent years after appearing in a string of popular movies including 'The Hurt Locker', 'Avengers' and 'The Bourne Legacy'. The 41-year-old says it is impossible for him to pick a favourite out of the vast number of films he's starred in.
"My favourite movie... it's difficult to say," Jeremy admitted to Sydney radio's Kyle and Jackie O. "It's a bit like having to choose which is your favourite child."
Renner features in the latest Bourne movie following the departure of Matt Damon. He found it tough to abide by some of the rules surrounding the top secret nature of The Bourne Legacy's script.
"They flew the script in at midnight and you were allowed to look at it for two hours before they flew it back. I'm a slow reader anyway so I felt pressured," Jeremy explained. "I had to really rifle through it! I mean what were they going to do, have it burst into flames on me or something?!"
Although he felt stressed, Jeremy agrees with the concept. The actor respects the need for secrecy with storylines in the film industry.
"We are in the age where nothing is sacred or private anymore. It gets to the point where no one wants to come see movies if they know the ending anymore so why spoil it for people?" Jeremy continued. "Especially in a big franchise like Bourne where there is a big fan base."
Story...
After agent Jason Bourne goes rogue as seen in the original "Bourne" trilogy--CIA agent Eric Byer (Edward Norton), head of the government's secret Outcome program which has used a chemical process to create super agents, decides to end that program by killing all the agents in the field. One such agent, Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) manages to survive the culling and with the help of biochemist Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) goes on the run from Byers' agents as he tries to get the chemicals he needs to survive.
"The Bourne Legacy" is a very interesting approach to reviving a franchise because it's not a reboot as much as a sequel that takes place concurrently and overlapping with "The Bourne Ultimatum." This idea is the brainchild of Tony Gilroy, who was involved in the the first three "Bourne" movies before directing "Michael Clayton" and "Duplicity." He returns to the "Bourne" franchise.
In The Bourne Legacy, writer/director Tony GIlroy expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films.
For The Bourne Legacy, Renner joins fellow series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.
The buzz is that this is an awesome film, so be watching out for release dates in your region.
Release Date: August 10, 2012
Genre: Action-Thriller
Studio: Universal
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Albert Finney, Joan Allen, Scott Glenn, Stacy Keach, Oscar Isaac
Directed By: Tony Gilroy
Written By: Tony Gilroy and Dan Gilroy
Produced By: Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley, Jeffrey M. Weiner, Ben Smith
Full Cast List:
Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross
Rachel Weisz as Dr. Marta Shearing
Scott Glenn as Ezra Kramer
Stacy Keach as Retired Adm. Mark Turso, USN
Edward Norton as Retired Col. Eric Byer, USAF
Donna Murphy as Dita Mandy
Michael Chernus as Arthur Ingram
Corey Stoll as Zev Vendel
Prue Lewarne as CNN Reporter
Tony Guida as Dr. Benezara
Sonnie Brown as Dr. Lieberburg
Neil Brooks Cunningham as Dr. Dan Hillcott
Zeljko Ivanek as Dr. Donald Foite
Robert Christopher Riley as Outcome #6 (as Rob Riley)
Albert Finney as Dr. Albert Hirsch
Dennis Boutsikaris as Terrence Ward
Oscar Isaac as Outcome #3
David Strathairn as Noah Vosen
Corey Johnson as Ray Wills
Jennifer Kim as Outcome #4
Page Leong as Mrs. Yun
Joan Allen as Pam Landy
John Arcilla as Joseph
Clayton J. Barber as Gene (as Clayton Barber)
Michael Berresse as Leonard
Elizabeth Marvel as Dr. Connie Dowd
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