Austrian online betting company bwin announced Thursday it had signed a merger agreement with British rival PartyGaming.
The move, giving bwin a 51.6-percent stake in the new group compared to 48.4 percent for PartyGaming, will become effective in the first quarter of 2011, the Austria Press Agency reported.
"This business combination makes great strategic, operational and financial sense," bwin chief executive Norbert Teufelberger said in a statement.
"We will be in pole position to capitalise on the wealth of opportunities that will flow from the continued evolution and expansion of the global online gaming industry," he added.
PartyGaming chief executive Jim Ryan echoed that sentiment, saying: "The enlarged group will have a winning formula to exploit the growing online gaming market, supported by a strong balance sheet, significant cashflow generation and a highly experienced management team."
The two men will become co-chief executives of the new company, which will have its seat in Gibraltar and be listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Meanwhile, bwin will be delisted from the Vienna Stock Exchange.
The new group will be the largest listed online gaming company.
In late trade Thursday, bwin shares were up 20.35 percent to 42.88 euros in Vienna and PartyGaming gained 19.49 percent to 307.1 pounds in London. (Credit: Fairfax Media)
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Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Australia's Most Dangerous Casino?, by Greg Tingle - 30th July 2010
Australian land based casino and pubs, clubs and hotels have a bit of a reputation as not exactly totally safe places to hang out. Some of the dangers of land based casinos in Australia were touched on in the Productivity Report into gaming, but new findings further back this up with the Gold's Coast's Jupiters getting the most heat. Media Man and Gambling911 bring in the bodyguards with bullet proof vests, baton sticks and plastic handcuffs at the ready with this special report...
Australia's Conrad Hotel and Casino on the Gold Coast is now considered one of the world's most dangerous occurring to numerous Media Man informers who don't wish to be named (funny that).
This news follows the trial of the Star City Casino gunman as reported in Gambling911 just two days ago.
Some commentators say Monte Carlo may be home to the world's most dangerous casino, with a couple of casinos on the U.S Las Vegas Strip giving them a run for their money. High profile incidents like a celebrity committing a crime at a casino, like the O.J Simpson matter in Vegas and Van der Sloot might raise the profile of a casino, but it doesn't mean that they are the most dangerous, as there are a number of criteria to judge... bashings and assaults, deaths and injuries, theft, guns and / or knives and so it goes on.
iGaming insiders sometimes joked that Grand Prive, Lucky Ace, Platinum Partners were the most dangerous online casino brands! Last year Casino Tropez was an online casino hangout for a players who went on to commit murder, but that shouldn't mean that that casino was dangerous - just not good luck for the player or casino on that matter. More about these cases in the Media Man online casino reviews and of course Gambling911 has an expensive Gambling News and Casino Crime section on their website portal.
Gambling 911 Star City Casino Gunman news
http://www.gambling911.com/gambling-news/australian-new-zealand-gambling-news-july-28-2010-072810.html
'Casino Model Holly Graham revelled'
http://www.mediamanint.com/articles/casino_model.html
Jupiters Hotel and Casino on the Gold Coast - Broadbeach to be precise, is the most dangerous casino in Queensland, and one of the world's most dangerous casinos occurring to numerous sources to afraid to provide names. Jupiter's recorded more than double the number of assaults as the Treasury Casino in Queensland's biggest city, Brisbane, last year.
Queensland Police numbers released under a Right To Information application have disclosed more than 1 offence was committed on average per day at the casino in 2009 including serious assaults, rape, extortion, stalking, fraud, car stealing, theft and a huge number of liquor and drunkenness offences. Get that, 1 offence per day folks!
Some 30 assaults were listed in the charges, including 18 incidents considered grievous or serious, in comparison to a total of "only" 13 assaults in Conrad Treasury Casino in Brisbane, 4 assaults in The Reef Hotel and Casino in Cairns, and just 2 in Jupiters Townsville Hotel and Casino.
Among the more than 350 charges were 35 odd offences against the person, 92 offences against property and 230 other charges including drugs, drunkenness and good order, or minor, offences.
Full details on the the deaths, guns and knives cases are not in the public domain.
The local Mermaid Beach Member For Parliament Ray Stevens (Media Man tag "The Crippler") advised the casino was by a country mile the biggest 24-hour venue in the state so it was not surprising there were a ton of incidents.
"It also shows an attitude of zero tolerance," he said, balancing the scales.
"I suppose the concerning thing is (assaults) were double the number for the Brisbane Treasury."
Tabcorp Holdings Ltd, owner of Jupiters (formally Conrad) advised 15,000 people a day visited the Gold Coast based casino which was about 5.5 million a year compared to about 3 million who visited the Brisbane casino owned by the gaming giant. Tabcorp remains the major competitor to Crown Limited in the Australian gaming sector.
The casino advised press it operated on a "0 tolerance" approach towards illegal and undesirable behaviour and had one of the best surveillance systems available in the world. Surveillance involves more than just the famed "Eye In The Sky" and casino bouncers aka "gorillas in suits".
"Combined with highly trained staff and constant vigilance means that detection rates of illegal and undesirable behaviours are very high," said the PR release.
All incidents were reported to police and to the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation.
The presser said casino safety and security officers often responded to incidents outside the venues, providing emergency assistance, first-aid and contacting police.
"It is important to note that in 2009 over 8.5 million people visited the southeast Queensland casinos," it noted.
"Therefore, the total number of incidents reported to the Queensland Police during that time represents just .02% of the total number of visitors."
Gold Coast police superintendent Jim Keogh, told News Limited it was difficult to compare the figures between the two cities.
"The Gold Coast (casino) would be busier than Brisbane. They are worlds apart. Brisbane seems to cater for a different demographic."
A Media Man spokesperson said "What type of demographic is attracted to Conrad Jupiters is open to interpretation. I've been there myself, thankfully with no incidents. The numbers don't lie, but Jupiter's do bring in a lot of punters and tourists, so there's going to be incidents from time to time. Still, one case per days still seems high. Not as high we understand at Star City in Casino or Crown Casino in Melbourne. At least the Tabcorp powers that be are aware of the situation and are taking action, rather than closing their eyes and ears to the matter. I guess the Aussie casino wars continue to evolved, this time with security and crime being a sub sector of the wars. We commend the take no prisoners and zero tolerance mantra and policy".
Punters, er readers, stay glued to Media Man reports via Gambling911 for more "can't miss" information on Australian and global casino wars, land based and online.
Media Man Profiles
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http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/australian_casios.html
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Pink Panther
Online casinos, perhaps recognizing the sometimes crime link with land based casinos, going back to 'The Mob' in Vegas and Chicago have a number of game titles with dangerous titles such as The Godfather, Hitman, Heist, Mafia Millions, Predator, High Noon and Resident Evil? Just good Hollywood fun or something perhaps more sinister? In the meantime Aussies continue to call for an Underbelly and Kerry Packer themed slot game, but have to settle for Pink Panther within weeks and Andre The Giant likely before year end. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers. PartyGaming, Virgin Casino and Captain Cooks remain some of the world's must trusted, ethical and popular online casinos, with Party leading the charge down under followed by Captain Cook.
So, whether you prefer land based casinos or online, please take precautions. As always, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Good luck.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Australia's Conrad Hotel and Casino on the Gold Coast is now considered one of the world's most dangerous occurring to numerous Media Man informers who don't wish to be named (funny that).
This news follows the trial of the Star City Casino gunman as reported in Gambling911 just two days ago.
Some commentators say Monte Carlo may be home to the world's most dangerous casino, with a couple of casinos on the U.S Las Vegas Strip giving them a run for their money. High profile incidents like a celebrity committing a crime at a casino, like the O.J Simpson matter in Vegas and Van der Sloot might raise the profile of a casino, but it doesn't mean that they are the most dangerous, as there are a number of criteria to judge... bashings and assaults, deaths and injuries, theft, guns and / or knives and so it goes on.
iGaming insiders sometimes joked that Grand Prive, Lucky Ace, Platinum Partners were the most dangerous online casino brands! Last year Casino Tropez was an online casino hangout for a players who went on to commit murder, but that shouldn't mean that that casino was dangerous - just not good luck for the player or casino on that matter. More about these cases in the Media Man online casino reviews and of course Gambling911 has an expensive Gambling News and Casino Crime section on their website portal.
Gambling 911 Star City Casino Gunman news
http://www.gambling911.com/gambling-news/australian-new-zealand-gambling-news-july-28-2010-072810.html
'Casino Model Holly Graham revelled'
http://www.mediamanint.com/articles/casino_model.html
Jupiters Hotel and Casino on the Gold Coast - Broadbeach to be precise, is the most dangerous casino in Queensland, and one of the world's most dangerous casinos occurring to numerous sources to afraid to provide names. Jupiter's recorded more than double the number of assaults as the Treasury Casino in Queensland's biggest city, Brisbane, last year.
Queensland Police numbers released under a Right To Information application have disclosed more than 1 offence was committed on average per day at the casino in 2009 including serious assaults, rape, extortion, stalking, fraud, car stealing, theft and a huge number of liquor and drunkenness offences. Get that, 1 offence per day folks!
Some 30 assaults were listed in the charges, including 18 incidents considered grievous or serious, in comparison to a total of "only" 13 assaults in Conrad Treasury Casino in Brisbane, 4 assaults in The Reef Hotel and Casino in Cairns, and just 2 in Jupiters Townsville Hotel and Casino.
Among the more than 350 charges were 35 odd offences against the person, 92 offences against property and 230 other charges including drugs, drunkenness and good order, or minor, offences.
Full details on the the deaths, guns and knives cases are not in the public domain.
The local Mermaid Beach Member For Parliament Ray Stevens (Media Man tag "The Crippler") advised the casino was by a country mile the biggest 24-hour venue in the state so it was not surprising there were a ton of incidents.
"It also shows an attitude of zero tolerance," he said, balancing the scales.
"I suppose the concerning thing is (assaults) were double the number for the Brisbane Treasury."
Tabcorp Holdings Ltd, owner of Jupiters (formally Conrad) advised 15,000 people a day visited the Gold Coast based casino which was about 5.5 million a year compared to about 3 million who visited the Brisbane casino owned by the gaming giant. Tabcorp remains the major competitor to Crown Limited in the Australian gaming sector.
The casino advised press it operated on a "0 tolerance" approach towards illegal and undesirable behaviour and had one of the best surveillance systems available in the world. Surveillance involves more than just the famed "Eye In The Sky" and casino bouncers aka "gorillas in suits".
"Combined with highly trained staff and constant vigilance means that detection rates of illegal and undesirable behaviours are very high," said the PR release.
All incidents were reported to police and to the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation.
The presser said casino safety and security officers often responded to incidents outside the venues, providing emergency assistance, first-aid and contacting police.
"It is important to note that in 2009 over 8.5 million people visited the southeast Queensland casinos," it noted.
"Therefore, the total number of incidents reported to the Queensland Police during that time represents just .02% of the total number of visitors."
Gold Coast police superintendent Jim Keogh, told News Limited it was difficult to compare the figures between the two cities.
"The Gold Coast (casino) would be busier than Brisbane. They are worlds apart. Brisbane seems to cater for a different demographic."
A Media Man spokesperson said "What type of demographic is attracted to Conrad Jupiters is open to interpretation. I've been there myself, thankfully with no incidents. The numbers don't lie, but Jupiter's do bring in a lot of punters and tourists, so there's going to be incidents from time to time. Still, one case per days still seems high. Not as high we understand at Star City in Casino or Crown Casino in Melbourne. At least the Tabcorp powers that be are aware of the situation and are taking action, rather than closing their eyes and ears to the matter. I guess the Aussie casino wars continue to evolved, this time with security and crime being a sub sector of the wars. We commend the take no prisoners and zero tolerance mantra and policy".
Punters, er readers, stay glued to Media Man reports via Gambling911 for more "can't miss" information on Australian and global casino wars, land based and online.
Media Man Profiles
Australian Casinos
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/australian_casios.html
Jupiter's Hotel and Casino
Star City Casino
The Reef Hotel and Casino
Australia
Casino Reviews
New Zealand
Monte Carlo
Pink Panther
Online casinos, perhaps recognizing the sometimes crime link with land based casinos, going back to 'The Mob' in Vegas and Chicago have a number of game titles with dangerous titles such as The Godfather, Hitman, Heist, Mafia Millions, Predator, High Noon and Resident Evil? Just good Hollywood fun or something perhaps more sinister? In the meantime Aussies continue to call for an Underbelly and Kerry Packer themed slot game, but have to settle for Pink Panther within weeks and Andre The Giant likely before year end. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers. PartyGaming, Virgin Casino and Captain Cooks remain some of the world's must trusted, ethical and popular online casinos, with Party leading the charge down under followed by Captain Cook.
So, whether you prefer land based casinos or online, please take precautions. As always, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Good luck.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming.
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Australian And New Zealand Casino And Gambling News, by Greg Tingle - 28th July 2010
The Aussie and Kiwi casino, gambling and sports betting scene shows little sign of slowing down, pending Australian election or not (you can bet on it too). Aussie gaming fans rejoice as PartyGaming release more branded games, and the industry awaits return fire from the land based casino sector as the battle for the gambling and entertainment dollar continues. Media Man and Gambling911, no virgin's to the region, once again do the Asia Pacific... News, PR or shades of grey... readers, er punters...you be the judge...
Australian And Kiwi Casino Fans Rejoice With PartyGaming's Sly Rocky Classic...
Aussie's and New Zealanders had reason to cheer last night with a range of PartyGaming casinos releasing the long rumoured Rocky online slot game. It's the original 1976 classic and it must be said that Sylvester Stallone and the Party powers that be have delivered a world class result. The rumour mill says that Party will soon be following up with the Pink Panther themed slot. The 1963 film classic directed by Blake Edwards and co-written by Edwards and Maurice Richlin, is a comedy film, starring David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine and Claudia Cardinale. Insiders say PartyGaming has done a fine job with it, and be watching Media Man, Noble Casino and Casino Las Vegas for more clues! The tag line..."A Madcap Frolic Of Crime and Fun".
SkyCity Alpine Adventure tournament: New Zealand Poker Tour (NZPT): Student Wins $75k...
With Aussie poker players making up 8 of the 9 places at the final table of this past weekend's poker tournament in Queenstown, it was no surprise to see the winner's cheque going to an Aussie. Julian Cohen, a recent uni grad from Melbourne snatched $75,000 first place prize in the SkyCity Alpine Adventure tournament, part of the New Zealand Poker Tour (NZPT). The only Kiwi to make the final, Emerson Riwi of Rotorua, finished in 6th place, earning over $15k. Rewi is a 35 year old Department of Justice employee. He finished 4th at the 2008 Auckland championships, but this was his biggest payday to date. An original starting field of 119 players battled for a total prize pool of $267,750. 13 countries were represented, including Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Singapore, United States, Germany, Korea, Macau, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. The big names in the main event didn't last through to the finals. Australian's Tony Hachem and Chris Levick, Singapore's Bryan Huang and New Zealand's Lee Nelson were all out in the early rounds. Simon Watt, who became New Zealand's most famous poker face overnight with his bracelet win in the World Series of Poker, couldn't get past past day 2.
Final Standings And Money:
1. Julian Cohen (Australia) $73,630.00
2. Andrew Watson (Australia) $46,860.00
3. Vesko Zmukic (Australia) $27,440.00
4. Michael Spilkin (Australia) $22,760.00
5. Tim Clarke (Australia) $18,740.00
6. Emerson Rewi (New Zealand) $15,400.00
7. Jason Gray (Australia) $12,720.00
8. John Maklouf (Australia) $10,040.00
9. Bryan Huang (Australia) $8,030.00
GenerationOne Ideas Forum In Sydney; Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest Flys Flag This Week, Mate James Packer Casino King Still Cruising Globe...
Media Man Rounds Up Sydney Community Entrepreneurs To Chip In... In an effort close to our hearts, GenerationOne is to hold their Ideas Forum at Fox. Aussie casino king might be cruising the high sees but the Bondi Beach entrepreneurs connection will be represented well with a Media Man army of social and community entrepreneurs set to hit Fox. The forum will be broadcast live at approx 1pm. Where: Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney, Australia - Thursday 29th July...
Sydney: Star City Casino Gunman Pleads Guilty To Attempted Murder...
A male mongrel has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of his former girlfriend at Sydney's Star City Casino. Todd Devaney was charged with a range of offences after the shooting of fitness babe and instructor Holly Graham aka "Casino Model" as she was teaching yoga at the casinos gym in May of 2008. The legal eagle courthouse had previously been advised that the model instructor was shot twice...below the ribs and in the hip region. Devaney fled the scene on foot but was arrested a short time later. Star City sports multiple hundreds of videocameras, a powerful "eye in the sky" or two, and dozens of security officers. In Sydney's Downing Centre District Court early today, the gunman pleaded guilty to 4 charges including shooting (with intention to murder) and the possession of 3 firearms, which he was banned from carrying on his person. He is set to be sentenced on 15th September. Ms Graham was in court to witness Devaney plead guilty. Afterwards she told the press she was pleased with the outcome. "I'm really, really lucky that I've recovered and I just hope that he gets put away for a long time," Ms Graham said. Media Man friends and associates wish Holly well with her ongoing journey.
Crown Casino To Get Celebrity Chef TV Show...
Network Nine has signed last year's MasterChef winner Julie Goodwin for her own show, Home Cooked. Nine is also set to produce Celebrity Chef Live from Melbourne's Crown Casino. Ten is responding with Junior MasterChef, which will screen from mid-October, and MasterChef USA, hosted by Gordon Ramsay. Auditions for the third series of MasterChef Australia are to take place around the country from October. Ten's program manager, Peter Andrews, is confident MasterChef can weather the storm. "We're actually quite flattered that Seven and Nine are jumping on the bandwagon," he said.
"I think the audience can smell a copycat program from a mile away so if any of these cooking shows aren't entertaining, the audience will desert them in a flash." Media analyst Steve Allen said Nine and Seven were playing a spoiling game. "Everyone is crowding into the same space and it will be counterproductive in the end," he said. "Nine and Seven want to overcook the cooking genre so that it lowers the ratings for MasterChef in 2011.". Australian casinos are home to some of the world's finest chefs, and Crown Casino and Star City have a foodie casino war on their hands. What network and casino is to get egg on their face remains to be seen.
Shane 888 Warnie Does The Races With Babe Elizabeth Hurley...
The cricket - celeb poker icon just off comparing the Australia VS Pakistan games, accompanied the British babe socialite to the Glorious Goodwood race meet on Tuesday. Warnie filled the void for Hurley's husband and friend, Arun Nayar who was missing in action from the sexy sporting Sussex. The rumour mill reckon Warnie and his filly for the day might be at least slightly addicted to Twitter (and poker). We understand Warnie made time to place a wager with bookies on the horses. Elizabeth Hurley Twittered "Glorious Goodwood tomorrow...just got some tips from my racing mad shepherd whilst trying on hats." The very friendly couple have been friends for years and occasionally share friendly chats Twitter. Also among Hurley’s Australian Twitter mates are Russell Crowe and Media Man mate Max Markson aka Mr Fame, seems to swap the odd wise crack online, often about food or coffee. Crowe doesn't bet, but Warne more than makes up for the shortfall. The ex spinner is also chummy with Packer and they get spotted together from time to time at casinos and sports fields.
Australian TV Broadcasters To Ramp Up Poker And Gambling Coverage...
Network Ten - One HD, Foxtel and friends have only just scratched the surface of Australian poker and gambling programs such as The Poker Star and World Series of Poker highlights. The Media Man bush telegraph says to perhaps even expect a casino king type program or two, that will cover both only and offline activity. Broadcasters and sponsors are keen to see plain language warnings on the broadcasts advising punters not to overdo it and "bet with your head, not over it, and set limits". The shows are tipped to cut into air time formally occupied by traditional gambling programming like horse racing. Sky Sports was not commenting. Ten's The 7PM Project mentions poker and casinos from time to time and let's not forget Packer pal David Gyngell, CEO of Nine, a smart cookie by all accounts, is aware of Crown's total entertainment experience, which includes gambling and poker tournaments, including the famed Aussie Millions coming up in January.
Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group To See Kids Skill Games Removed From Pokie Palaces...
He king of poker machines in Victoria has voted to remove children's arcade games that offer prizes such as iPods from its venues nationwide. Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group, a JV between supermarket tsar Woolworths and billionaire poker machine operator Mr Bruce Mathieson, has now confirmed that games offering prizes more valuable than "stuffed toys or chocolate" would be removed for good from all its venues over the next year, or as soon as the games' contracts permit. The decision was made at a board meeting on Friday. A Woolworths spokeswoman, Clare Buchanan, said "We've made a decision that we are going to be removing what's known as tile machines from our venues - the (games with) more high-value prizes but less chance of winning the prize." The games are in roughly 280 of the group's 286 palaces, including the "vast majority" of the 96 or so venues in Victoria. She said it was appropriate to remove them. "We did a bit of research among patrons and these weren't games that we felt were adding any value to the venues," Buchanan said. The move follows Fairfax Media reports that experts believed arcade games with prizes were "grooming" children to gamble.
Boxing: Green VS Brigg's Does Hurricane Type Damage To Boxing Betting In Australia...
The match has done great damage to both Australian boxing and the sports betting elect of such. The day of the "fight" there was a rush across betting agencies for Briggs to be knocked out in the 1st or 2nd round. One agency shortened its odds from $7 early in the day to even money. Others closed the market! Multiple bookies said the activity was odd, with a spokesman for Centrebet going on record..."We've never in the history of boxing seen so much go on a specific decision outcome." Line-betting is enjoying mega popularity with punters and fans. Sport remains the fastest growing sector of the Aussie gambling industry, increasing by 12% last financial year, compared with 1.2% for pokies and 0.5% for horse-racing. In response to the Briggs-Green bout, some betting agencies have advised they will no longer take line bets on boxing fights down under. Boxing can no longer be trusted says Media Man informers. Boxing is more high risk to betting corruption than most other sports. A 1:1 "contest" is easier to rig, as their are less people involved! Word leaked to MM from an Aussie legal eagle report carried by some wires including Fairfax...Team sports are not immune to the ills of line-betting. The common thread in many recent international betting scandals in basketball, soccer and cricket is that they involved large-scale betting on immaterial outcomes, such as the winning margin in a lopsided contest. A classic example is "point shaving" in US basketball; where players or referees influence the winning margin, or "point spread", of a game without affecting the result. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has called for a ban on sport betting until the federal government establishes regulations. Given the recent Aussie sports scandals "Mr X" has a leg up on the sports gamblers on this matter, even if some of X's proposals relating to gaming and gambling are in "fantasy land", whispered a Media Man staffer.
Australian Music Groups Do U.S Hotel Casinos...
Fresh off U.S performances, The Australian Bee Gees and Air Supply, are both understood to be keen to clock up a few more gigs at American hotels and casinos. Folks, let's be honest... a number of land based casinos are in a better position than many venues to be able to pay good bucks to top notch Australian groups. Music helps get customers into the premises, and some will of course "feel lucky". Some will be lucky, and some won't... that's the nature of a casino. Punters generally have "more luck" playing games of skill, be it poker or other table games, while slots aka pokies, are basically pure luck, but remain popular with casino punters the world over.
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As always, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Good luck.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming. Media Man also publish Australian Sports Entertainment
http://www.australiansportsentertainment.com and Casino News Media
http://www.casinonewsmedia.com
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Australian And Kiwi Casino Fans Rejoice With PartyGaming's Sly Rocky Classic...
Aussie's and New Zealanders had reason to cheer last night with a range of PartyGaming casinos releasing the long rumoured Rocky online slot game. It's the original 1976 classic and it must be said that Sylvester Stallone and the Party powers that be have delivered a world class result. The rumour mill says that Party will soon be following up with the Pink Panther themed slot. The 1963 film classic directed by Blake Edwards and co-written by Edwards and Maurice Richlin, is a comedy film, starring David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine and Claudia Cardinale. Insiders say PartyGaming has done a fine job with it, and be watching Media Man, Noble Casino and Casino Las Vegas for more clues! The tag line..."A Madcap Frolic Of Crime and Fun".
SkyCity Alpine Adventure tournament: New Zealand Poker Tour (NZPT): Student Wins $75k...
With Aussie poker players making up 8 of the 9 places at the final table of this past weekend's poker tournament in Queenstown, it was no surprise to see the winner's cheque going to an Aussie. Julian Cohen, a recent uni grad from Melbourne snatched $75,000 first place prize in the SkyCity Alpine Adventure tournament, part of the New Zealand Poker Tour (NZPT). The only Kiwi to make the final, Emerson Riwi of Rotorua, finished in 6th place, earning over $15k. Rewi is a 35 year old Department of Justice employee. He finished 4th at the 2008 Auckland championships, but this was his biggest payday to date. An original starting field of 119 players battled for a total prize pool of $267,750. 13 countries were represented, including Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Singapore, United States, Germany, Korea, Macau, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. The big names in the main event didn't last through to the finals. Australian's Tony Hachem and Chris Levick, Singapore's Bryan Huang and New Zealand's Lee Nelson were all out in the early rounds. Simon Watt, who became New Zealand's most famous poker face overnight with his bracelet win in the World Series of Poker, couldn't get past past day 2.
Final Standings And Money:
1. Julian Cohen (Australia) $73,630.00
2. Andrew Watson (Australia) $46,860.00
3. Vesko Zmukic (Australia) $27,440.00
4. Michael Spilkin (Australia) $22,760.00
5. Tim Clarke (Australia) $18,740.00
6. Emerson Rewi (New Zealand) $15,400.00
7. Jason Gray (Australia) $12,720.00
8. John Maklouf (Australia) $10,040.00
9. Bryan Huang (Australia) $8,030.00
GenerationOne Ideas Forum In Sydney; Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest Flys Flag This Week, Mate James Packer Casino King Still Cruising Globe...
Media Man Rounds Up Sydney Community Entrepreneurs To Chip In... In an effort close to our hearts, GenerationOne is to hold their Ideas Forum at Fox. Aussie casino king might be cruising the high sees but the Bondi Beach entrepreneurs connection will be represented well with a Media Man army of social and community entrepreneurs set to hit Fox. The forum will be broadcast live at approx 1pm. Where: Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney, Australia - Thursday 29th July...
Sydney: Star City Casino Gunman Pleads Guilty To Attempted Murder...
A male mongrel has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of his former girlfriend at Sydney's Star City Casino. Todd Devaney was charged with a range of offences after the shooting of fitness babe and instructor Holly Graham aka "Casino Model" as she was teaching yoga at the casinos gym in May of 2008. The legal eagle courthouse had previously been advised that the model instructor was shot twice...below the ribs and in the hip region. Devaney fled the scene on foot but was arrested a short time later. Star City sports multiple hundreds of videocameras, a powerful "eye in the sky" or two, and dozens of security officers. In Sydney's Downing Centre District Court early today, the gunman pleaded guilty to 4 charges including shooting (with intention to murder) and the possession of 3 firearms, which he was banned from carrying on his person. He is set to be sentenced on 15th September. Ms Graham was in court to witness Devaney plead guilty. Afterwards she told the press she was pleased with the outcome. "I'm really, really lucky that I've recovered and I just hope that he gets put away for a long time," Ms Graham said. Media Man friends and associates wish Holly well with her ongoing journey.
Crown Casino To Get Celebrity Chef TV Show...
Network Nine has signed last year's MasterChef winner Julie Goodwin for her own show, Home Cooked. Nine is also set to produce Celebrity Chef Live from Melbourne's Crown Casino. Ten is responding with Junior MasterChef, which will screen from mid-October, and MasterChef USA, hosted by Gordon Ramsay. Auditions for the third series of MasterChef Australia are to take place around the country from October. Ten's program manager, Peter Andrews, is confident MasterChef can weather the storm. "We're actually quite flattered that Seven and Nine are jumping on the bandwagon," he said.
"I think the audience can smell a copycat program from a mile away so if any of these cooking shows aren't entertaining, the audience will desert them in a flash." Media analyst Steve Allen said Nine and Seven were playing a spoiling game. "Everyone is crowding into the same space and it will be counterproductive in the end," he said. "Nine and Seven want to overcook the cooking genre so that it lowers the ratings for MasterChef in 2011.". Australian casinos are home to some of the world's finest chefs, and Crown Casino and Star City have a foodie casino war on their hands. What network and casino is to get egg on their face remains to be seen.
Shane 888 Warnie Does The Races With Babe Elizabeth Hurley...
The cricket - celeb poker icon just off comparing the Australia VS Pakistan games, accompanied the British babe socialite to the Glorious Goodwood race meet on Tuesday. Warnie filled the void for Hurley's husband and friend, Arun Nayar who was missing in action from the sexy sporting Sussex. The rumour mill reckon Warnie and his filly for the day might be at least slightly addicted to Twitter (and poker). We understand Warnie made time to place a wager with bookies on the horses. Elizabeth Hurley Twittered "Glorious Goodwood tomorrow...just got some tips from my racing mad shepherd whilst trying on hats." The very friendly couple have been friends for years and occasionally share friendly chats Twitter. Also among Hurley’s Australian Twitter mates are Russell Crowe and Media Man mate Max Markson aka Mr Fame, seems to swap the odd wise crack online, often about food or coffee. Crowe doesn't bet, but Warne more than makes up for the shortfall. The ex spinner is also chummy with Packer and they get spotted together from time to time at casinos and sports fields.
Australian TV Broadcasters To Ramp Up Poker And Gambling Coverage...
Network Ten - One HD, Foxtel and friends have only just scratched the surface of Australian poker and gambling programs such as The Poker Star and World Series of Poker highlights. The Media Man bush telegraph says to perhaps even expect a casino king type program or two, that will cover both only and offline activity. Broadcasters and sponsors are keen to see plain language warnings on the broadcasts advising punters not to overdo it and "bet with your head, not over it, and set limits". The shows are tipped to cut into air time formally occupied by traditional gambling programming like horse racing. Sky Sports was not commenting. Ten's The 7PM Project mentions poker and casinos from time to time and let's not forget Packer pal David Gyngell, CEO of Nine, a smart cookie by all accounts, is aware of Crown's total entertainment experience, which includes gambling and poker tournaments, including the famed Aussie Millions coming up in January.
Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group To See Kids Skill Games Removed From Pokie Palaces...
He king of poker machines in Victoria has voted to remove children's arcade games that offer prizes such as iPods from its venues nationwide. Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group, a JV between supermarket tsar Woolworths and billionaire poker machine operator Mr Bruce Mathieson, has now confirmed that games offering prizes more valuable than "stuffed toys or chocolate" would be removed for good from all its venues over the next year, or as soon as the games' contracts permit. The decision was made at a board meeting on Friday. A Woolworths spokeswoman, Clare Buchanan, said "We've made a decision that we are going to be removing what's known as tile machines from our venues - the (games with) more high-value prizes but less chance of winning the prize." The games are in roughly 280 of the group's 286 palaces, including the "vast majority" of the 96 or so venues in Victoria. She said it was appropriate to remove them. "We did a bit of research among patrons and these weren't games that we felt were adding any value to the venues," Buchanan said. The move follows Fairfax Media reports that experts believed arcade games with prizes were "grooming" children to gamble.
Boxing: Green VS Brigg's Does Hurricane Type Damage To Boxing Betting In Australia...
The match has done great damage to both Australian boxing and the sports betting elect of such. The day of the "fight" there was a rush across betting agencies for Briggs to be knocked out in the 1st or 2nd round. One agency shortened its odds from $7 early in the day to even money. Others closed the market! Multiple bookies said the activity was odd, with a spokesman for Centrebet going on record..."We've never in the history of boxing seen so much go on a specific decision outcome." Line-betting is enjoying mega popularity with punters and fans. Sport remains the fastest growing sector of the Aussie gambling industry, increasing by 12% last financial year, compared with 1.2% for pokies and 0.5% for horse-racing. In response to the Briggs-Green bout, some betting agencies have advised they will no longer take line bets on boxing fights down under. Boxing can no longer be trusted says Media Man informers. Boxing is more high risk to betting corruption than most other sports. A 1:1 "contest" is easier to rig, as their are less people involved! Word leaked to MM from an Aussie legal eagle report carried by some wires including Fairfax...Team sports are not immune to the ills of line-betting. The common thread in many recent international betting scandals in basketball, soccer and cricket is that they involved large-scale betting on immaterial outcomes, such as the winning margin in a lopsided contest. A classic example is "point shaving" in US basketball; where players or referees influence the winning margin, or "point spread", of a game without affecting the result. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has called for a ban on sport betting until the federal government establishes regulations. Given the recent Aussie sports scandals "Mr X" has a leg up on the sports gamblers on this matter, even if some of X's proposals relating to gaming and gambling are in "fantasy land", whispered a Media Man staffer.
Australian Music Groups Do U.S Hotel Casinos...
Fresh off U.S performances, The Australian Bee Gees and Air Supply, are both understood to be keen to clock up a few more gigs at American hotels and casinos. Folks, let's be honest... a number of land based casinos are in a better position than many venues to be able to pay good bucks to top notch Australian groups. Music helps get customers into the premises, and some will of course "feel lucky". Some will be lucky, and some won't... that's the nature of a casino. Punters generally have "more luck" playing games of skill, be it poker or other table games, while slots aka pokies, are basically pure luck, but remain popular with casino punters the world over.
Media Man Profiles
Australian Casinos
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/australian_casios.html
PartyGaming
Rocky
Pink Panther
Boxing
War Of The Worlds
New Zealand
GenerationOne
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/generationone.html
As always, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Good luck.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming. Media Man also publish Australian Sports Entertainment
http://www.australiansportsentertainment.com and Casino News Media
http://www.casinonewsmedia.com
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Saturday, July 24, 2010
Palladium Slot Launch Party at PartyCasino
Win a $5,000 weekend for two with the Palladium Slot Launch Party at PartyCasino.com
The launch party is running now through 23:59 ET, July 31st and offers massive payouts – up to $1.8 million per spin – to welcome it in style PartyCasino.com is running a special leaderboard promotion.
You could win a dream weekend holiday worth $5,000 to the destination of your choice when you take part in the Palladium Slot Launch Party.
There are five prize trips, each one including: Luxury hotel stay (up to $1,500), Airfares (up to $2,000) and $1,500 spending money.
So whether you want to shop ‘til you drop in London or New York, soak up the culture in Rome or Barcelona, or simply relax on a beach in the south of France, give the Palladium slot a spin and you could be on the plane to your dream destination.
For your chance to win one of these five amazing packages all you have to is collect as many points as you can when you play the exclusive new Palladium slot game from now through 23:59 ET, July 31st.
Every point you collect while playing the Palladium slot during this period gets you onto the Palladium Slot Launch Party leader board. The 50 players at the end of the promotion will win a prize with the top five players claiming the holiday packages.
The Palladium slot game is exclusively for VIPs and offers massive payouts. This extravagant slot also features more paylines and allows higher betting amounts for high-rollers to enjoy a slot experience like no other.
Website
PartyCasino.com
Profiles
Palladium Slot
Palladium Lounge
PartyCasino.com Slots
PartyCasino.com New Games
PartyCasino.com
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com and PartyGaming has won numerous awards and commendations including from Media Man, Casino News Media, Global Gaming Directory and eGaming Review.
The launch party is running now through 23:59 ET, July 31st and offers massive payouts – up to $1.8 million per spin – to welcome it in style PartyCasino.com is running a special leaderboard promotion.
You could win a dream weekend holiday worth $5,000 to the destination of your choice when you take part in the Palladium Slot Launch Party.
There are five prize trips, each one including: Luxury hotel stay (up to $1,500), Airfares (up to $2,000) and $1,500 spending money.
So whether you want to shop ‘til you drop in London or New York, soak up the culture in Rome or Barcelona, or simply relax on a beach in the south of France, give the Palladium slot a spin and you could be on the plane to your dream destination.
For your chance to win one of these five amazing packages all you have to is collect as many points as you can when you play the exclusive new Palladium slot game from now through 23:59 ET, July 31st.
Every point you collect while playing the Palladium slot during this period gets you onto the Palladium Slot Launch Party leader board. The 50 players at the end of the promotion will win a prize with the top five players claiming the holiday packages.
The Palladium slot game is exclusively for VIPs and offers massive payouts. This extravagant slot also features more paylines and allows higher betting amounts for high-rollers to enjoy a slot experience like no other.
Website
PartyCasino.com
Profiles
Palladium Slot
Palladium Lounge
PartyCasino.com Slots
PartyCasino.com New Games
PartyCasino.com
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com and PartyGaming has won numerous awards and commendations including from Media Man, Casino News Media, Global Gaming Directory and eGaming Review.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Virgin Casino Gets The War Of The Worlds Slot Game; Virgin Bingo Gets Three More Games - 21st July 2010
Virgin Casino Gets The War Of The Worlds Slot Game; Virgin Bingo Gets Three More Games
Profiles
Virgin Casino Virgin Games Virgin Bingo Virgin New Games Richard Branson
H.G. Wells Steven Spielberg Jeff Wayne
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
The invasion has begun! Spin now to save Mankind and win a x700 bonus!
Introduction
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of The Worlds is a 5-reel 100-line slot machine, with each reel being 4 symbols tall. In addition to a bonus round (where winnings are awarded for damaging and killing the Fighting Machines), the game features special Wild symbols which react together to fill a reel with wilds.
Step 1: Getting Started
When you load the game you will be given the option to load the Full high quality version of the game (which has all the animations and sounds) or the Reduced quality version which has fewer sounds and animations and lower quality graphics so the overall file size is smaller and quicker to download. The game functionality and payouts are exactly the same for both versions. After the version you have selected has all been loaded you will see the main screen:
Press the 'STAKE UP' and 'STAKE DOWN' buttons to choose a stake per line.
Your selected stake per line will be multiplied by 100 lines. You cannot change the number of lines in this game.
The total amount you have staked will be shown in the TOTAL STAKE box at the bottom right of the screen.
Click on the 'Paytable' button to view the paytable, which shows the potential winnings for each reel combination,
Step 2: How To Play
Press 'PLAY' to start the game (Alternatively you can press the Spacebar on your keyboard to spin).
The reels will spin and eventually stop at random.
If the combination of symbols appearing on the reels form a line (starting from the left reel) of 3, 4 or 5 matching symbols on one of the 100 win lines then you win.
Any symbols that were part of a win will be highlighted and your winnings will be credited to your account balance.
The total winnings are shown in the top right and the total number of lines that had a win are shown in the bottom left of the screen.
Fighting Machine Bonus
The Fighting Machine bonus game is a special bonus win, triggered by getting 3 BONUS symbols anywhere on the reels (this is a scatter win, so the BONUS symbols do not have to be on the same winline).
There is no line win attached to the BONUS scatter win - only entry to the bonus game, which itself guarantees a win.
When the game enters the bonus round, you will see the introduction screen showing details of the bonus game. The idea of this bonus is to shoot as many of the Fighting Machines as you can before they shoot all 3 of your cannons.
You have 3 cannons and there are 3 Fighting Machines to shoot, each of your cannons can only shoot forwards at the machine in front of it (you cannot aim left or right, you can only adjust the power by pressing the Fire button at a different time).
When the power meter is on the amount you want then press the Fire button to fire that cannon. The cannon will then be disabled for a moment while it reloads.
If you kill all 3 of the machines then you will get onto the next stage. There are 3 stages in total and you get a bonus of 500 times your total stake if you complete them all by killing all 9 Fighting Machines.
The game ends when you have no more cannons left or when you have killed all 9 machines. You will then be awarded your winnings and taken back to the main game.
Wild Symbols
The WILD symbol substitutes all other symbols except for the BONUS symbol to enhance your chances of getting a winning line.
If 2 WILD symbols are revealed on the same reel - one at the top and one at the bottom - then they will expand to change the two symbols in-between them to WILD symbols as well, and so increasing your chance of getting several wins. This expanding wild event occurs even if there are no wins created.
A row of WILD symbols on an active win line does not have any associated payout - the WILD pays only when used as a substitute for another symbol.
Auto Play
By selecting 'AUTO PLAY' you can choose to place up to 25 bets automatically, one after the other. Click 'AUTO PLAY' and select the number of automatic bets you want before clicking the 'PLAY' button to start those bets.
You can stop Auto Play from continuing onto the next spin by clicking 'STOP AUTO' (which replaces the 'AUTO PLAY' button when you are in Auto Play.
Auto Play will turn off if you get into the bonus round.
GENERAL NOTES
This game has a Return to Player of 94.7%. - System malfunction voids all pays and play.
Profile
The War Of The Worlds
Virgin Games Launches Three New Virtue Fusion Games
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - July 21, 2010 - Leading online gaming company, Virgin Games, has today launched three new titles to add to its extensive offering. The games, all developed by the innovative online games producer, Virtue Fusion, are Multi Balls (available on Virgin Bingo), George and the Dragon, and Treasure Time Traveller (available on both Virgin Casino and Virgin Bingo).
Multi Balls
Multi Balls is a multi-player game where the higher up on the leader board you are, the greater the share of the community jackpot you win. Payouts are awarded for achieving groups of 5 or more horizontally or vertically adjacent balls that are the same character – there are 6 different characters to play with.
George and the Dragon
George and the Dragon is a 5 reel, 20 five line slot with a progressive jackpot, a feature game and exploding reels. There is a Bonus Feature that is triggered when a Dragon symbol appears in reels 1, 3 and 5. The Bonus Feature will play out once all winning combinations on the reels have been completed.
Treasure Time Traveller
Treasure Time Traveller is a 9-square scratch card. To qualify for the bonus round players have to scratch and match 3 odometer symbols.
The launch of these new games coincides with an exciting promotional offering at Virgin Bingo. For the first time players will be able to pre buy tickets for specific games incentivised by a range of some of the most fantastic prizes Virgin Bingo have ever offered, such as weekend breaks to New York and 42 inch Flatscreen TVs.
Warren Eloff, Product Manager at Virgin Games, commented:
"With these exciting new games and fantastic promotions Virgin Games truly offers one of the best online gaming experiences available. At the beginning of the year we stated that our priority was to offer great choice to our customers - and we're now doing that in spades. The range of games we have is superb and the promotional offerings have just raised the bar!"
Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 200 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.
Websites
Virgin Casino.
Virgin Bingo
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, with a current jackpot value of over GBP 2,500,000
-- 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.
Websites
Virgin Bingo
Virgin Casino.
Join now and get a £100 Casino Welcome Bonus at Virgin Casino.
Virgin Games has won a number of industry awards and commendations including awards from Media Man, Casino News Media and eGaming Review. Virgin Casino won the Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' for June 2010 and is in the running again this month.
At present Virgin Casino is unable to accept money players from the United States, Australia or New Zealand. Please see World Casino Directory.
Websites
Virgin Bingo
VirginCasino.com
Profiles
Virgin Bingo
Virgin Casino
Virgin Games
Neteller
Cleopatra
Cleopatra 2
The War Of The Worlds
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Casino
Media Man Poker
Casino News Media
Casino Travel Media
Global Gaming Directory
Profiles
Virgin Casino Virgin Games Virgin Bingo Virgin New Games Richard Branson
H.G. Wells Steven Spielberg Jeff Wayne
*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory
The invasion has begun! Spin now to save Mankind and win a x700 bonus!
Introduction
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of The Worlds is a 5-reel 100-line slot machine, with each reel being 4 symbols tall. In addition to a bonus round (where winnings are awarded for damaging and killing the Fighting Machines), the game features special Wild symbols which react together to fill a reel with wilds.
Step 1: Getting Started
When you load the game you will be given the option to load the Full high quality version of the game (which has all the animations and sounds) or the Reduced quality version which has fewer sounds and animations and lower quality graphics so the overall file size is smaller and quicker to download. The game functionality and payouts are exactly the same for both versions. After the version you have selected has all been loaded you will see the main screen:
Press the 'STAKE UP' and 'STAKE DOWN' buttons to choose a stake per line.
Your selected stake per line will be multiplied by 100 lines. You cannot change the number of lines in this game.
The total amount you have staked will be shown in the TOTAL STAKE box at the bottom right of the screen.
Click on the 'Paytable' button to view the paytable, which shows the potential winnings for each reel combination,
Step 2: How To Play
Press 'PLAY' to start the game (Alternatively you can press the Spacebar on your keyboard to spin).
The reels will spin and eventually stop at random.
If the combination of symbols appearing on the reels form a line (starting from the left reel) of 3, 4 or 5 matching symbols on one of the 100 win lines then you win.
Any symbols that were part of a win will be highlighted and your winnings will be credited to your account balance.
The total winnings are shown in the top right and the total number of lines that had a win are shown in the bottom left of the screen.
Fighting Machine Bonus
The Fighting Machine bonus game is a special bonus win, triggered by getting 3 BONUS symbols anywhere on the reels (this is a scatter win, so the BONUS symbols do not have to be on the same winline).
There is no line win attached to the BONUS scatter win - only entry to the bonus game, which itself guarantees a win.
When the game enters the bonus round, you will see the introduction screen showing details of the bonus game. The idea of this bonus is to shoot as many of the Fighting Machines as you can before they shoot all 3 of your cannons.
You have 3 cannons and there are 3 Fighting Machines to shoot, each of your cannons can only shoot forwards at the machine in front of it (you cannot aim left or right, you can only adjust the power by pressing the Fire button at a different time).
When the power meter is on the amount you want then press the Fire button to fire that cannon. The cannon will then be disabled for a moment while it reloads.
If you kill all 3 of the machines then you will get onto the next stage. There are 3 stages in total and you get a bonus of 500 times your total stake if you complete them all by killing all 9 Fighting Machines.
The game ends when you have no more cannons left or when you have killed all 9 machines. You will then be awarded your winnings and taken back to the main game.
Wild Symbols
The WILD symbol substitutes all other symbols except for the BONUS symbol to enhance your chances of getting a winning line.
If 2 WILD symbols are revealed on the same reel - one at the top and one at the bottom - then they will expand to change the two symbols in-between them to WILD symbols as well, and so increasing your chance of getting several wins. This expanding wild event occurs even if there are no wins created.
A row of WILD symbols on an active win line does not have any associated payout - the WILD pays only when used as a substitute for another symbol.
Auto Play
By selecting 'AUTO PLAY' you can choose to place up to 25 bets automatically, one after the other. Click 'AUTO PLAY' and select the number of automatic bets you want before clicking the 'PLAY' button to start those bets.
You can stop Auto Play from continuing onto the next spin by clicking 'STOP AUTO' (which replaces the 'AUTO PLAY' button when you are in Auto Play.
Auto Play will turn off if you get into the bonus round.
GENERAL NOTES
This game has a Return to Player of 94.7%. - System malfunction voids all pays and play.
Profile
The War Of The Worlds
Virgin Games Launches Three New Virtue Fusion Games
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - July 21, 2010 - Leading online gaming company, Virgin Games, has today launched three new titles to add to its extensive offering. The games, all developed by the innovative online games producer, Virtue Fusion, are Multi Balls (available on Virgin Bingo), George and the Dragon, and Treasure Time Traveller (available on both Virgin Casino and Virgin Bingo).
Multi Balls
Multi Balls is a multi-player game where the higher up on the leader board you are, the greater the share of the community jackpot you win. Payouts are awarded for achieving groups of 5 or more horizontally or vertically adjacent balls that are the same character – there are 6 different characters to play with.
George and the Dragon
George and the Dragon is a 5 reel, 20 five line slot with a progressive jackpot, a feature game and exploding reels. There is a Bonus Feature that is triggered when a Dragon symbol appears in reels 1, 3 and 5. The Bonus Feature will play out once all winning combinations on the reels have been completed.
Treasure Time Traveller
Treasure Time Traveller is a 9-square scratch card. To qualify for the bonus round players have to scratch and match 3 odometer symbols.
The launch of these new games coincides with an exciting promotional offering at Virgin Bingo. For the first time players will be able to pre buy tickets for specific games incentivised by a range of some of the most fantastic prizes Virgin Bingo have ever offered, such as weekend breaks to New York and 42 inch Flatscreen TVs.
Warren Eloff, Product Manager at Virgin Games, commented:
"With these exciting new games and fantastic promotions Virgin Games truly offers one of the best online gaming experiences available. At the beginning of the year we stated that our priority was to offer great choice to our customers - and we're now doing that in spades. The range of games we have is superb and the promotional offerings have just raised the bar!"
Founded in 2004, Virgin Games has over 1,000,000 players and over 200 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.
Websites
Virgin Casino.
Virgin Bingo
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, with a current jackpot value of over GBP 2,500,000
-- 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.
Websites
Virgin Bingo
Virgin Casino.
Join now and get a £100 Casino Welcome Bonus at Virgin Casino.
Virgin Games has won a number of industry awards and commendations including awards from Media Man, Casino News Media and eGaming Review. Virgin Casino won the Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' for June 2010 and is in the running again this month.
At present Virgin Casino is unable to accept money players from the United States, Australia or New Zealand. Please see World Casino Directory.
Websites
Virgin Bingo
VirginCasino.com
Profiles
Virgin Bingo
Virgin Casino
Virgin Games
Neteller
Cleopatra
Cleopatra 2
The War Of The Worlds
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Casino
Media Man Poker
Casino News Media
Casino Travel Media
Global Gaming Directory
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Australian And New Zealand Casino And Gambling News, by Greg Tingle - 20th July 2010
Readers er punters, casino billionaires, whales, journalists and everyone else... the last Australian and New Zealand report was so popular we're following it up pronto, without further delay. So, whether you take a liking to Kangaroos, Koalas, Octopus, Sheep or Tasmanian Devils, we've got something to whet you're appetite. Media Man and Gambling911 set the menu and fire up the barbecue for your culinary delight...
Friends, make no mistake, the Australian and New Zealand casino and gambling landscape comprises of more than just the famous casino wars dominated by James Packer's Crown Casino, Burswood Casino and Tabcorp's Star City, and if you like, add in the new potential players Mildura Jewel and Cairns 'Aus Vegas' proposal. Then you have the "pokie palaces" (clubs, pubs and hotels), and perhaps the odd illegal gambling den, but we don't know much about the later despite Underbelly rumours and cafe talk. The Australian horse racing industry used to be a serious player but their numbers and clout is way down from what it was 10, even 5 years ago. Some gambling and gaming related companies have adapted to the times better than most and that's the bottom line. Winners remain grinners and firms out of luck can usually blame themselves. Media Man and Gambling911 likes to back winners, and we applaud the switched on operators from down under that may have been listening to smart folks like Mort Zuckerman, media baron in New York.
Crown Limited's Burswood Entertainment Complex Multi-Million Dollar Expansion...
The Western Australia Government says it will not get in the way of a multi-million dollar expansion of the Burswood Entertainment Complex and casino. The operators of Burswood plan to spend over $350 million over the next 3 years upgrading the resort, building new restaurants and expanding the casino to accommodate 300 new gaming machines and tables, all set to please the powers that be, whales, dolphins and tuna.
If the project is officially approved by the Racing and Wagering Commission, Burswood has agreed to remunerate the government a $20 million up front fee. The Racing Minister, Terry Waldron, says that is a "typical business deal". "Twenty million dollars will be utilised to support problem gambling services also to support the racing industry," Waldron advised. If the expansion is approved, Western Australia will still have the lowest concentration of gaming machines per capita in Australia, so James Packer... comon, let's give the other states a run for their money, and many punters also look forward to Crown's continued online development with punters screaming for an online Cleopatra, Kerry Packer and Ned Kelly online slot. As Packer friend and associate Sir Richard Branson and other inner circle types have pointed out, sometimes its a "crawl, walk, run" situation. PartyGaming last year directed players to the Crown Casino Aussie Million's tournament via a PartyPoker online promotion which was encouraging, whispered a Media Man insider.
Adelaide Casino: All You Can Eat, All You Can Play, Or Both?...
The Independent Gambling Authority is understood to be a tan worried about a $5 "all-you-can-eat" gambling related deal promoted to a pensioner group by the Adelaide Casino. A number of aspects of the scheme are attracting an accusing finger, and then some. Critics say the promo is not a good example of responsible gambling promotion. The vast majority, if not all, of the states pubs and clubs can't do the same sort of promos. The community friendly gambling den is rarely in the bad books, but as is often the trend, a small but vocal minority scream blue murder, many of these organised groups often having strong links to Churches and the clergy. Don't start us up on pedophilia church scandals that have swept the world from Adelaide, to Vegas, the Vatican and beyond. The casino's deal for the more senior patrons is affectionately being referred to as the Pensioner Promotion says industry insiders. The diners are "forced" to stay at the venue for 4 hours in order to collect their "cheap" meals. Is cheap cheap, or can cheap be expensive? That may depend on their luck in the slots. The pensioners are mainly "tuna" with no whales, but may contain the odd "dolphin" to use industry speak in and around Media Man circles. No high rollers here folks. One may argue that there is an element of swapping food for the chance to win big on the pokies. 4 hours game play hey? We're advised their may be a version of peer-group pressure, the sort of thing that goes on in a school yard, but in this can its at the casino! If 1 person leaves the group in the 4 hour limit all of their mates will miss out on the "$5 pensioner promotion" deal.
Auckland's SkyCity Casino Targeted By Scammer...
A senior employee nicked $2.7 million from her company employer over 6 years to spend as a VIP high-roller at Auckland's SkyCity Casino. Herminia Lanuza pleaded guilty in Auckland District Court this week to fraud and theft and her accountant partner Divinia Granados admitted laundering stolen money through bank accounts. The daring couple will be sentenced in August. Lanuza worked as a senior financial controller for an Auckland company, whose name is suppressed. The incidents occurred from 2002 to 2008, systematically nabbing cash to feed her gambling addiction. The missing millions were uncovered after an unpaid tax bill was discovered back in March 2008. Crime doesn't pay.
New Zealand Poker Tour (NZPT) Queenstown 'Alpine Adventure' Tournament...
15 poker nuts are on journey from Auckland to Queenstown this week for a shot at fame and money via the poker green. The swag are qualifiers from a tourney at SkyCity Auckland casino last weekend that offered spots in the New Zealand Poker Tour (NZPT) Queenstown 'Alpine Adventure' tournament, which carries a sweet prize and the expected net prize pool is estimated to go up to $400,000, maybe a tad higher. The Auckland leg commenced on Saturday with a line up of 38 international and domestic players from 9 countries including reps from down under in Australia, Singapore, Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Canada and sheep loving New Zealand. Local poker sharks made up the most of the 15 successful players who fight for glory this weekend. SkyCity will pick up the tab for the travel and accommodation as well they might considering the global coverage they are getting, including Media Man and Gambling911 networks.
Players include
Yannick Frenette - Canada
Tim Macbeth - NZ
Stephen Smith - NZ
Richard Kit - NZ
Jordi Urlings - Netherlands
Lindsay Andrews - NZ
Campbell Melville - NZ
Brian Huang - Singapore
Rewi Emmerson - NZ
Mike Tyler - NZ
Robert Wang - NZ
Kani Edwards - NZ
Ben Price - Australia
Oleg Vitsenko - NZ
Renae Baker - NZ
Land Based Casinos VS Online Casinos And Media Connections...
Australian and New Zealand punters are taking to online casinos and sports betting sites like "ducks to water" says Media Man. A Media Man spokesperson said "Australians are some of the world's most passionate users and early adopters of technology and entertainment, as well as in the top 5 of gambling nations, so you can just imagine how they have fallen in love with online gaming, poker and betting in general. One need look no further than the Australian Productivity Report to see the passion Aussie's have for the punt. New Zealanders are also right up there. Media companies such as Fairfax Media and News Limited have plugged into the action, as has TV stations Foxtel, Network Ten and OneHD in roundabout ways, and Google has Google TV and Google TV coming up also, on the heels of Google Pac-Man, so things look exciting. Rest assured Media Man and Gambling911 will stay in the thick of the action. Readers are encouraged to open various accounts with a number of casinos and bookies, just in case your prime supplier gets banned. PartyCasino, Captain Cooks Casino, PKR, Betfair, Virgin Casino (no Aussies yet) and Centrebet are some of the ones we can recommend. Paul The Octopus isn't commenting on the findings. Media Man and Gambling911 have a casino reviews section, so check it out to find out more. Bet with your head, not over it, and have fun".
Media Man Profiles
Australian Casinos
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/australian_casinos.html
Crown Casino
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/crown_casino.html
New Zealand
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/new_zealand.html
Paul The Octopus
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/paul_the.html
Casino Reviews
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/casino_reviews.html
Tasty morsels hey. No animals or other creatures were hurt in the compiling of this report. That's it for now folks, stick a fork in her, she's done. Woof. Bah for now!
*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 bakers dozen of sectors they cover. They also offer political analysis and commentary
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited and Virgin and has conducted b2b with Crown Limited, PartyGaming, Virgin, Fairfax Media, News Limited and Betfair
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Casino
Media Man Poker
Casino News Media
Casino Travel Media
Global Gaming Directory
Australian Sports Entertainment
Friends, make no mistake, the Australian and New Zealand casino and gambling landscape comprises of more than just the famous casino wars dominated by James Packer's Crown Casino, Burswood Casino and Tabcorp's Star City, and if you like, add in the new potential players Mildura Jewel and Cairns 'Aus Vegas' proposal. Then you have the "pokie palaces" (clubs, pubs and hotels), and perhaps the odd illegal gambling den, but we don't know much about the later despite Underbelly rumours and cafe talk. The Australian horse racing industry used to be a serious player but their numbers and clout is way down from what it was 10, even 5 years ago. Some gambling and gaming related companies have adapted to the times better than most and that's the bottom line. Winners remain grinners and firms out of luck can usually blame themselves. Media Man and Gambling911 likes to back winners, and we applaud the switched on operators from down under that may have been listening to smart folks like Mort Zuckerman, media baron in New York.
Crown Limited's Burswood Entertainment Complex Multi-Million Dollar Expansion...
The Western Australia Government says it will not get in the way of a multi-million dollar expansion of the Burswood Entertainment Complex and casino. The operators of Burswood plan to spend over $350 million over the next 3 years upgrading the resort, building new restaurants and expanding the casino to accommodate 300 new gaming machines and tables, all set to please the powers that be, whales, dolphins and tuna.
If the project is officially approved by the Racing and Wagering Commission, Burswood has agreed to remunerate the government a $20 million up front fee. The Racing Minister, Terry Waldron, says that is a "typical business deal". "Twenty million dollars will be utilised to support problem gambling services also to support the racing industry," Waldron advised. If the expansion is approved, Western Australia will still have the lowest concentration of gaming machines per capita in Australia, so James Packer... comon, let's give the other states a run for their money, and many punters also look forward to Crown's continued online development with punters screaming for an online Cleopatra, Kerry Packer and Ned Kelly online slot. As Packer friend and associate Sir Richard Branson and other inner circle types have pointed out, sometimes its a "crawl, walk, run" situation. PartyGaming last year directed players to the Crown Casino Aussie Million's tournament via a PartyPoker online promotion which was encouraging, whispered a Media Man insider.
Adelaide Casino: All You Can Eat, All You Can Play, Or Both?...
The Independent Gambling Authority is understood to be a tan worried about a $5 "all-you-can-eat" gambling related deal promoted to a pensioner group by the Adelaide Casino. A number of aspects of the scheme are attracting an accusing finger, and then some. Critics say the promo is not a good example of responsible gambling promotion. The vast majority, if not all, of the states pubs and clubs can't do the same sort of promos. The community friendly gambling den is rarely in the bad books, but as is often the trend, a small but vocal minority scream blue murder, many of these organised groups often having strong links to Churches and the clergy. Don't start us up on pedophilia church scandals that have swept the world from Adelaide, to Vegas, the Vatican and beyond. The casino's deal for the more senior patrons is affectionately being referred to as the Pensioner Promotion says industry insiders. The diners are "forced" to stay at the venue for 4 hours in order to collect their "cheap" meals. Is cheap cheap, or can cheap be expensive? That may depend on their luck in the slots. The pensioners are mainly "tuna" with no whales, but may contain the odd "dolphin" to use industry speak in and around Media Man circles. No high rollers here folks. One may argue that there is an element of swapping food for the chance to win big on the pokies. 4 hours game play hey? We're advised their may be a version of peer-group pressure, the sort of thing that goes on in a school yard, but in this can its at the casino! If 1 person leaves the group in the 4 hour limit all of their mates will miss out on the "$5 pensioner promotion" deal.
Auckland's SkyCity Casino Targeted By Scammer...
A senior employee nicked $2.7 million from her company employer over 6 years to spend as a VIP high-roller at Auckland's SkyCity Casino. Herminia Lanuza pleaded guilty in Auckland District Court this week to fraud and theft and her accountant partner Divinia Granados admitted laundering stolen money through bank accounts. The daring couple will be sentenced in August. Lanuza worked as a senior financial controller for an Auckland company, whose name is suppressed. The incidents occurred from 2002 to 2008, systematically nabbing cash to feed her gambling addiction. The missing millions were uncovered after an unpaid tax bill was discovered back in March 2008. Crime doesn't pay.
New Zealand Poker Tour (NZPT) Queenstown 'Alpine Adventure' Tournament...
15 poker nuts are on journey from Auckland to Queenstown this week for a shot at fame and money via the poker green. The swag are qualifiers from a tourney at SkyCity Auckland casino last weekend that offered spots in the New Zealand Poker Tour (NZPT) Queenstown 'Alpine Adventure' tournament, which carries a sweet prize and the expected net prize pool is estimated to go up to $400,000, maybe a tad higher. The Auckland leg commenced on Saturday with a line up of 38 international and domestic players from 9 countries including reps from down under in Australia, Singapore, Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Canada and sheep loving New Zealand. Local poker sharks made up the most of the 15 successful players who fight for glory this weekend. SkyCity will pick up the tab for the travel and accommodation as well they might considering the global coverage they are getting, including Media Man and Gambling911 networks.
Players include
Yannick Frenette - Canada
Tim Macbeth - NZ
Stephen Smith - NZ
Richard Kit - NZ
Jordi Urlings - Netherlands
Lindsay Andrews - NZ
Campbell Melville - NZ
Brian Huang - Singapore
Rewi Emmerson - NZ
Mike Tyler - NZ
Robert Wang - NZ
Kani Edwards - NZ
Ben Price - Australia
Oleg Vitsenko - NZ
Renae Baker - NZ
Land Based Casinos VS Online Casinos And Media Connections...
Australian and New Zealand punters are taking to online casinos and sports betting sites like "ducks to water" says Media Man. A Media Man spokesperson said "Australians are some of the world's most passionate users and early adopters of technology and entertainment, as well as in the top 5 of gambling nations, so you can just imagine how they have fallen in love with online gaming, poker and betting in general. One need look no further than the Australian Productivity Report to see the passion Aussie's have for the punt. New Zealanders are also right up there. Media companies such as Fairfax Media and News Limited have plugged into the action, as has TV stations Foxtel, Network Ten and OneHD in roundabout ways, and Google has Google TV and Google TV coming up also, on the heels of Google Pac-Man, so things look exciting. Rest assured Media Man and Gambling911 will stay in the thick of the action. Readers are encouraged to open various accounts with a number of casinos and bookies, just in case your prime supplier gets banned. PartyCasino, Captain Cooks Casino, PKR, Betfair, Virgin Casino (no Aussies yet) and Centrebet are some of the ones we can recommend. Paul The Octopus isn't commenting on the findings. Media Man and Gambling911 have a casino reviews section, so check it out to find out more. Bet with your head, not over it, and have fun".
Media Man Profiles
Australian Casinos
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/australian_casinos.html
Crown Casino
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/crown_casino.html
New Zealand
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/new_zealand.html
Paul The Octopus
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/paul_the.html
Casino Reviews
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/casino_reviews.html
Tasty morsels hey. No animals or other creatures were hurt in the compiling of this report. That's it for now folks, stick a fork in her, she's done. Woof. Bah for now!
*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 bakers dozen of sectors they cover. They also offer political analysis and commentary
*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited and Virgin and has conducted b2b with Crown Limited, PartyGaming, Virgin, Fairfax Media, News Limited and Betfair
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Casino
Media Man Poker
Casino News Media
Casino Travel Media
Global Gaming Directory
Australian Sports Entertainment
Friday, July 16, 2010
Media Man Brands Blog: Brand SEO
Media Man Brands Blog
Brand SEO
SEO, Search Engines, Hunt Machine on the web and more; Gonzo news for business
SEO, Search Engines, Hunt Machine on the web and more; Gonzo news for business
SEO or Hunt Machine Optimisation is the process of perfecting the website’s visibility to have applicable quests on hunt machines. More visibility in hunt results makes the point attract the attention of the druggies.
Search Machines similar as Google, Yahoo, Bing use technology to bottleneck on the web on different spots. They collect information about each point and also put them in an indicator. Further, the algorithm analyses the runners in the indicator grounded upon numerous different factors to determine the applicable spots that appear in a hunt result. The ranking factors for seo toronto can be keywords, unique content, applicable length of content, image attributes, etc. Optimizing the point with SEO factors can grease crawling and indexing and help the point rank advanced in hunt results. Unlike paid hunt advertisements, organic rankings on point can’t be achieved on hunt machines. thus, it becomes important to optimize websites to rank advanced in hunt results.
When it comes to Statistics, The first five Google quests on the first runner account for 67.60, while only 0.78 of Google quest click on the alternate runner. 70 of the marketers consider SEO more effective than PPC for generating deals. 51 of shoppers surveyed say they use Google to probe a purchase they plan to make online. These are a many statistics to punctuate the significance of SEO in 2021.
An effective SEO strategy can help the runner rank advanced and reach the right followership and increase website business when it comes to businesses. It can also help in getting transformations. Readout why SEO is important for businesses in 2021.
1. Increases visibility of a website
SEO, when done right, can help businesses increase their visibility on the website. It’s the direct motorist of bettered visibility and prints in the hunt results. Using the right keywords, adding backlinks from high sphere authority websites, optimizing metadata on the point, and participating unique content are among the many factors that can help the point increase visibility. SEO facilitates crawling and indexing, which helps in adding the visibility of a website.
2. Increases website business
Organic hunt is pivotal to a business. Search Machines contribute to a business’s visibility, and SEO can help druggies land to the point. SEO builds an online presence, increases website business, and helps the business to grow. The advanced the website ranks, the further business the business shall admit. The first Google hunt result has a28.5 click- through rate which falls down to2.5 for the tenth hunt result.
3. Enhances stoner trust on website
SEO establishes the authority of content on the hunt machine by admitting parameters like unique content, quality backlinks, advanced runner ranking, and stoner geste, which enhances stoner trust in the website. spots that are listed on the hunt machine are considered believable than the runners that are n’t. Quality SEO helps establish business credibility, gives exposure, and enhances its character.
4. This leads to a better consumer experience of the website.
SEO can help in perfecting the consumer experience and furnishing quality content to the consumers. It makes the content dependable through quality backlinks and the right keywords. SEO helps search machines in relating the right spots that are helpful to the stoner. Website speed is another criterion that plays an important part. A slow website will have a high brio and tends to distort the stoner experience.
5. Search Machines aren’t perfect, and if you do n’t take applicable way, your website will be ranked lower.
Hunt Machines need or, as we call, colorful conditions to identify point applicability. SEO enables the hunt machine to effectively judge its applicability and show the same in the hunt results. The better these conditions are satisfied, the advanced the runner ranks, which can help the business get website business, make credibility, and lead to transformations.
6. High website business would lead to advanced transformations.
Transformations can be appertained to the asked thing the point or business has. That can be enabling deals, subscribing to a service, adding readership, etc. Quality SEO promotes high website business which in turn leads to advanced transformations. High-engaging websites are bound to get a better conversion as they can gather maximum eyeballs.
Conclusion
SEO has come a critical element to the online success of businesses. Businesses who want to make sure of their strong online presence need to invest in SEO.
Pop Culture Flashback
Entertainment news, WWE, Hollywood, Australia, Sin City, Las Vegas, gaming and more...
What an exciting time for entertainment, movies, gaming and wrestling fans. WWE new angles and storylines, plus Main Event hits Australian TV
We've also got Hollywood box office reports, pro wrestling scoops, celebrity news and lots more. The Media Man agency with the latest...
James Bond new documentary...
The highs and lows of the James Bond film franchise have been brought into the spotlight with the release of a new documentary. 'Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007' charts the story behind the movie franchise and has been launched to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the films. Director Steven Riley told Reuters he was pleased the producers let him delve into the story behind the stories. 'I wanted to tell a real truthful history of the franchise, so I had requested that we could tackle some of the tricky areas, some of the hard luck story of Bond and they were thankfully very open about that,' he said. 'There were many obstacles in the way, there were changing times to cope with changing generations, tastes, there were changing relations - well personal struggles and personal relationship failures and really how did the films survive despite those obstacles in the way was something I really wanted to get to the root of.' Riley said. The documentary interviews five of the six official bond actors with the original Bond, Sean Connery, a noticeable absence after turning down interview requests. Former Bond girls mingled with the biggest names in James Bond at the premier screening in London earlier this week. Among the guests were the children of the pioneering producers of the film franchise Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. 'Well you know it's our baby and we feel very very protective over the Bond franchise, it's something our father started over 50 years ago and he had great passion for it and we have just been carrying the flame.' Cubby's daughter Barbara Broccoli told Reuters. 'Everything or Nothing' was released in theatres on Friday October 5, branded 'Global James Bond Day'.
Adele's Bond theme tops iTunes...
Adele's theme for the new Bond film Skyfall has shot to the top of the iTunes chart within hours of its release today. The track is hotly tipped to become the first 007 theme to make it to number one in the official chart when it is announced on Sunday. The song - also called Skyfall is her first new material since her career exploded following the success of second album 21 early last year.
The Rock on: Dwayne Johnson’s new competition series, The Hero; U.S auditions...
Adele's Bond theme tops iTunes...
Adele's theme for the new Bond film Skyfall has shot to the top of the iTunes chart within hours of its release today. The track is hotly tipped to become the first 007 theme to make it to number one in the official chart when it is announced on Sunday. The song - also called Skyfall is her first new material since her career exploded following the success of second album 21 early last year.
The Rock on: Dwayne Johnson’s new competition series, The Hero; U.S auditions...
Arnie admits cheating with Stallone's ex-wife...
Arnold Schwarzenegger had an affair with Brigitte Nielsen shortly before she wed Sylvester Stallone. The philandering actor has revealed he had a steamy fling with the actress - who was once married to his good pal Sylvester - during the early years of his relationship with now ex-wife Maria Shriver. Arnold has confessed to having an affair with the Danish actress while he was dating Maria in his new autobiography, according to US gossip website TMZ. He wrote that he and Brigitte became close while filming 'Red Sonja' together in 1985; the same year she married Sylvester. The 'Terminator' film star's admission comes more than a year after Brigitte originally blew the whistle on their "outrageous affair" in her own memoir 'You Only Get One Life', in which she claimed she didn't know he was living with Maria at the time. Maria is said to be furious with the actor for doing an interview about her reaction to his new book on '60 Minutes' because she did not receive an advance copy of his tell-all and was not contacted by the show to give her own reaction before their interview. He has also reportedly told Maria that she should not expect a share of the profits from his autobiography, 'Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story', even though much of the book is about their relationship. Arnold recently admitted his affair was the "stupidest thing" he ever did in his marriage. He said: "I think it was the stupidest thing I've done in the whole relationship. It was terrible. I inflicted tremendous pain on Maria and unbelievable pain on the kids."
WWE Studios 'The Day' positive movie reviews...
"The Day" hit theaters this week and the positive reviews are in on WWE Studios and Anchor Bay Films' chilling horror film about a day in the lives of a group of people living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Variety by Marc Graser
" 'The Day' is one of the most effective horror movies made in years, successfully delivering a feeling of dread that so many films in the genre lack these days, along with a unique story and captivating characters. Douglas Aarniokoski doesn’t take the easy out in his direction and never relies on camp or amps up the gore quotient to thrill audiences. He’s an impressive filmmaker who is worth keeping an eye on."
HollywoodLife.com by Russ Weakland
"WWE Studios and Anchor Bay Films have always delivered films all over the spectrum and with 'The Day' they continue to entertain us with a story of humanity torn by war, destroying civilizations and most of all life on earth, which makes those that are the survivors realize they must do whatever it takes to stay alive." ...
"So if you want to go out and see a film that will make you think and give you some jumps and chills 'The Day' is your movie. You will not be disappointed!"
The Los Angeles Times by Mark Olsen
"Luke Passmore's screenplay is stingy with his explanations about who these people are or how the world came to be in this state, and that turns out to be one of the film's greatest strengths." ...
"As Mary, the most recent enlistee to the tribe, [Ashley] Bell has a secretive reserve and steely resolve."
The Rock 'foils would-be burglars in London'...
The Rock has apparently foiled an attempted burglary in London.
The actor - also known as Dwayne Johnson - was working on his new movie Fast and Furious 6 in Hackney when he spotted the group of would-be thieves as they attempted to break into vans.
Johnson, who was dressed as an FBI agent for filming, was said to have abandoned a fight scene mid-take in order to confront the group.
"It was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand," an insider recalled to The Sun. "All of a sudden, there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was about to mow them down. The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and left the crew in peace.
"It was like the Only Fools [and Horses] 'Batman' sequence - they must have thought they were in the middle of a real-life action movie."
The source also quipped that the crew have suggested that actor - wrestler Johnson should be single-handedly responsible for security on the Fast and Furious 6 set.
The source said: “It was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand. All of a sudden there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was about to mow them down. The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and left the crew in peace.
“It was like the Only Fools Batman sequence — they must have thought they were in the middle of a real-life action movie.
“Now the crew are joking that they should drop security and just have The Rock do it.”
Dwayne Johnson wards off burglars...
London - Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson scared off a gang of would-be thieves on the set of his latest film.
The 40-year-old actor spotted a group of youths breaking into a warehouse in Hackney, East London while filming The Fast and the Furious 6 and stormed off the set mid-scene - dressed in full FBI agent costume - to chase the burglars away.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "It was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand.
Quick thinking
"All of a sudden there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was about to mow them down.
"The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and left the crew in peace. They must have thought they were in the middle of a real-life action movie.
"Now the crew are joking that they should drop security and just have The Rock do it."
The former wrestler managed to prevent the theft of expensive equipment thanks to his quick thinking and his impressive 6'5" frame.
The Fast and the Furious 6 also stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and singer Rihanna, who is set to play a villain in the popular film franchise.
Box Office results for new WWE movie...
WWE Studios's latest movie, "The Day," drew an estimated $10,100 in its first full weekend in theaters. The movie, which was shown in 12 theaters, ranked 52 out of 54 movies tracked over the weekend, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. (Pro Wrestling Torch) - U.S news report
No Holds Barred star facing prison time...
Tommy "Tiny" Lister, who was back in the spotlight this summer when WWE re-released "No Holds Barred" on DVD, faces up to five years of prison time for alleged mortgage fraud. Lister, who played Zeus in the WWE movie, pled guilty to "conspiring to commit mortgage fraud" in federal court on Friday, according to a TMZ report.
According to the plea agreement, Lister and other individuals conspired to obtain mortgages worth $5.7 million, costing lenders $2.6 million. Lister was also accused of defrauding lenders of another $1.1 million. Lister is due back in court in September for sentencing, which could be up to five years in federal prison.
David Otunga talks WWE and movies...
WWE wrestler David Otunga said in a recent interview that he hopes to eventually advance to the top of the card in WWE. "I am very goal oriented and want to see my character go to the top. I am hoping to have the creative freedom to do that and let it pan out the way I would like. It’s exciting for sure and hopefully in the next few weeks my character continues to grow," Otunga told ChicagoNow.com promoting Monday's Raw.
Otunga also discussed his recent movie role for WWE Studios's "The Hive." Otunga said, "The film was unbelievably fun because it came to me second nature. With the WWE, the acting classes, and the improv I do it was very easy to blend in. The only major difference was me having to shave. I haven’t shaved in many, many years but it had to be done and it helped me get into character."
WWE Interested In Lingerie Football Star...
The WWE NXT website has added a profile for Summer Rae and in that profile they acknowledge her past career with the Lingerie Football League. On a related note, WWE apparently has interest in another LFL star - Zipporah Chase.
NWA documentary news...
Charleston Post & Courier columnist Mike Mooneyham's Sunday column features a review of a new NWA documentary, "History and Tradition: The Story of the National Wrestling Alliance," which focuses heavily on the history and prestige of the NWA World Title. The story also reviews the current state of the NWA, which is being re-organized by R. Bruce Tharpe after buying the rights to the organization. Included are quotes from PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell on the history of and state of the NWA and his view on whether the organization has a place in today's wrestling era.
WWE News: Jericho details WWE's lack of long-term planning & day-of-TV-changes in interview on his 2012 WWE run...
In an interview with the Busted Open satellite radio show, Chris Jericho highlighted WWE's lack of long-term planning and changes on the day of TV tapings, which has been exacerbated by Raw shifting to three hours, in a review of his 2012 WWE run.
Notably, Jericho said he did not find out about his "Contract vs. Contract" send-off match against Dolph Ziggler on the August 20 Raw the night after Summerslam until ten minutes before Raw started.
"I didn’t know until the day I showed up, actually ten minutes before Raw started in Fresno that we were doing this contract vs. contract thing. So, I didn’t even know this was going to happen. I just figured I would have a match with Dolph and that would be the end of it," Jericho said.
"So, people who think that there is some long, drawn-out, plan, it really wasn’t. It was about ten minutes before the show started and I was like 'Oh, we are doing a contract vs contract thing? Oh okay.' So there you go, a little special behind the scenes look."
Jericho also said WWE did not have a plan for his feud with Dolph Ziggler when it started after the Money in the Bank PPV in July. Jericho said he pressed for a back-story to their feud before their strong opening promo.
"I couldn’t wait to work with Dolph but I needed a story. What’s the story? They said, 'we will think of one later.' I said, 'I don’t like that.' I need to think of one now since I have a promo tonight with Dolph. We can't think about this next week," Jericho said.
Jericho added, "That’s when I came up with the concept of everyone was bitching that Jericho never won a match on PPV... I thought it would be real interesting to go with the 'you can’t win the big one' scenario. But sometimes the writers will write 'this old broken down guy who is on the last legs of his career.' I’m like, 'Wait a second, broken down? I’m in the best shape of my life, never been hurt, I’ve never missed a match...' I wanted to focus on the storyline of 'he can’t win the big one.' It gave us a great place to go."
Jericho has said in recent interviews that he wasn't supposed to feud with Ziggler in his send-off program culminating at Summerslam. Jericho expanded on his reaction to being told he wouldn't be feuding with the other candidates, Sheamus and Daniel Bryan.
"Originally I was supposed to feud with Sheamus, and then it was Daniel Bryan. Then the day of Raw, they said I was doing something with Dolph. I was like, 'What happened to Daniel Bryan and Sheamus?' They said it changed and I was fine with it. I’ve been doing this long enough that I roll with the punches," Jericho said.
Regarding future stars on the roster replacing the old guard, Jericho talked about the uphill battle that wrestlers like Ziggler and Miz have in front of them not being having well-rounded wrestling experience outside of WWE. Jericho said, "When that light bulb comes on and they already have ninety percent, but that last ten percent is what makes you a great performer; some guys never figure out that last ten percent and when the guys do, that’s when they become guys you can base companies around and put in main events."
Specifically on whether Ziggler can be a future main-eventer, Jericho said, "Dolph is one of the best guys on the roster, but he is still learning as are a lot of the other guys. People say, 'Oh, Damien Sandow is the next guy or Kofi.' These guys are still learning. In time, I think these guys will be amazing, amazing performers. But, right now they are still on their way up the learning tree. So, yes, I think Dolph is going to be an amazing performer. Yes, I think the Miz is going to be a great performer. Lots of guys are getting into that zone, but they are still learning... It’s a different world out there right now than the way it used to be. There is a lot of great, great performers or potential great performers that are on the way to getting there."
[ FYI: Busted Open with Dave Lagreca and Doug Mortman can be heard from 2:00 to 4:00 EST on Sirius 94, XM 208, and Sportszone 860 on the Internet ] (Pro Wrestling Torch)
Ric Flair Comments On 'Hangover 3' Campaign And His Daughter Working For WWE NXT...
We noted before that fans online are trying to get WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair a cameo appearance in The Hangover 3 movie. Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald spoke with Flair this weekend about the campaign and The Nature Boy is perfectly fine with it.
"Oh man, I love my fans. So cool they started this whole campaign. I could play anything, as long as I'm not the guy getting married."
Flair also says he's proud of his daughter Ashley, who is currently working as Charlotte in WWE NXT. Flair said:
"It's my hope that people see that her accomplishments aren't a result of me. She's worked extremely hard for this. It's a very physically and mentally demanding business, and I really just couldn't be more proud."
You can check out the full article by clicking here.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/01/2980014/hangover-suits-wwe-hall-of-famer.html
Ric Flair going through fourth divorce, waiting for WWE call up...
Details are scarce at the moment, but Dave Meltzer, in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, reported that Ric Flair is currently going through a divorce, his fourth one, with his current wife, Jacqueline Beems. Apparently, Flair is the one who filed for divorce and cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their break up.
The news is unsurprising as less than two months ago Flair was assaulted by Beems at his home, according to a local police report. This wasn't the first such incident during their marriage together, as Beems was arrested for simple assault on February 21st, 2010 after getting into a fight with Flair upon their return to their residence after a night out. They managed to patch things up after that highly publicised and embarrassing affair, but obviously the second fight that required police intervention was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The cause of their second fight together never came out publicly. But Ric Flair still living The Nature Boy lifestyle and their money problems worsening, what with Flair losing his job with TNA, were all likely at least partly to blame. Ric's adultery was at the heart of his divorce with second wife, Beth; while third wife, Tiffany VanDemark, quickly "had enough" of his inability to retire gracefully and lead a more normal lifestyle with her.
Expect a fifth marriage in the not too distant future for Flair, as he obviously has a psychological need to be in a serious relationship at all times, even though he clearly finds it difficult to fully commit to a partner and amend his behaviour to ensure that a marriage lasts the test of time.
Meltzer also had the latest on his status with WWE:
There was talk surfacing of Flair replacing [Vickie] Guerrero with [Dolph] Ziggler but I don't know how serious that is. Plus, even though Flair can legally start with WWE on 9/10, WWE has yet to sign anyone from TNA since the lawsuit was filed.
This may explain why Ziggler is currently in a holding pattern of putting over the likes of Randy Orton and Sheamus on a seemingly weekly basis. WWE may not want to pull the trigger on him cashing in the Money In The Bank briefcase and winning the World Heavyweight Championship until TNA's lawsuit against them for contract tampering has been dealt with and Flair can return to WWE as his manager.
I have mixed feelings on Flair becoming Ziggler's new manager. Though it should help Ziggler to be taken more seriously, there is the risk that he will be overshadowed by Flair and make it more difficult for him to get heel heat. At least being managed by Vickie ensures plenty of boos. Personally, I think Flair would be much better utilised in an onscreen figurehead role - what do you think Cagesiders? (Cageside Seats)
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.
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.
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.
The Top 10 best MMA fights of the rest of 2012...
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)
Entertainment, Gaming, Casino and Hollywood News Report: Marvel Entertainment, WWE, Movies, James Bond...
Sony Pictures May Emulate Marvel’s Strategy and Tie ‘Venom’ to ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and Other Films...
Some people including some studio executives scoffed as Marvel Studios began to build a franchise of films that would lead up to The Avengers. The team movie was ambitious, and the result of so much planning that it was easy to suspect may fail. We know now, of course, that The Avengers did anything but fail — it is one of the most financially successful films ever released - currently around 3rd most successful of all time.
That means other studios are now willing to consider emulating Marvel’s strategy. Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment haven’t laid the groundwork for a team film in the same fashion Marvel did, but they’re attempting it with Justice League anyway.
And Sony has the rights to some Marvel characters, notably the Spider-Man and Ghost Rider families. And it seems like the character spin-off Venom, which Chronicle director Josh Trank may make, could be designed to fit in with the new wave of Spider-Man movies that begins with The Amazing Spider-Man. Question is… to build up to what?
Hollywood.com talked to The Amazing Spider-Man producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach, who said Venom is being developed with connectivity in mind.
What I’m trying to say to you without giving anything away is hopefully all these worlds will live together in peace someday…Look for the worlds to make sense with one another.
Avi Arad explained what they’re trying to do with Venom, in basic terms:
It’s an Eddie Brock story. We want to be as close to the comics as possible. Especially in Eddie Brock’s story. But again, pseudo-sceince is becoming science. All these tidbits about webs, artificial webs, is a huge industry now. Spiderwebs have unique qualities that will be huge for communications, fibers, and so forth. So we have taken the approach that we want to make the huge amazing movie about Eddie.
The Brock character was played in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 by Topher Grace, but this will be a new take, presumably with a new actor. Brock will be “a journalist. He had the wrong story, he got in trouble for it, he got fired,” explains Tolmach.
Making the films play nice together makes sense, but now the question will be: can we expect a Ghost Rider reboot that places that character in the same universe? In general, is it reasonable to expect that any Marvel characters held by Sony will get films that are connected in at least some vague way? Sony can’t quite make The Avengers, but it could build up to something like the old Marvel Team-Up comic series.
Spiderman comes to South Korea...
A new face of Spider-man came to Seoul on Thursday (June 14) to premiere Parker's untold story, the latest saga of the Spider-Man franchise.
One of this summer's most eagerly awaited blockbusters, "The Amazing Spider-Man" delves into the origins of teenager Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, and tells of the superhero that the 17-year-old eventually becomes.
The new spider-man, Andrew Garfield, appeared on a news conference stage with a smile, but he was more than serious when he spoke about the new saga of the Spiderman series.
"There is such a long legacy to honour, and to do justice to, and I think our intention was to start from there, and make sure we were doing justice to these timeless mythical characters that Stanley created," said Garfield at the news conference.
Spider-man's latest instalment reboots the modern movie franchise that began with 2002's "Spider-Man", starring Tobey Maguire as the comic book crime fighter.
Over three films, the franchise amassed around 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in ticket sales, and for the fourth movie, its creators decided to take a fresh look at the series, bring in a new director and hire 28-year-old Garfield to replace Maguire, 36.
Talented actor Garfiled advised wearing a Spiderman suit and mask wasn't very easy, but it was also his dream come true.
"No one wants to wear spandex, but Peter has to for many reasons, so yeah, it was a challenge, but of course wearing the suit itself was a dream of mine since I was three years old, so being able to put it on every day," said Garfield.
Emma Stone, 23, who has been linked romantically with Garfield off-screen, portrays Parker's first love interest, Gwen Stacy, in the flick.
She said Gwen is different from Mary Jane Watson from the previous series.
"She's involved in helping Peter save the day as Spiderman of course, and so there are a lot of differences there, she doesn't sit idly by and she doesn't let him being a superhero stop the relationship from continuing or complain about it, she becomes a partner," said Emma Stone.
The movie director Marc Webb, well known in the country for his romantic comedy movie "500 Days of Summer," said the characters and romance made the blockbuster actions more appealing.
"You'll believe in that action more, you'll experience it in a more profound way if you care about the characters, and I think the only way I know how to create that empathy is through finding relatable characters and finding those little tiny moments between, whether it's between Peter and his aunt or uncle, or between Peter and Gwen, obviously romance interests me in cinema," said the film director Marc Webb.
About a thousand of fans gathered to see the new Spiderman and his girlfriend on a red carpet, and a fan couldn't hide his excitement for seeing the hero in person.
"I'd never imagined to actually meeting him like this, so I'm so honoured to see him in person. I got an autograph signed by Andrew Garfield himself.
I love him!!" said South Korean fan Lee Kyung-hoon.
South Korea's popular girl group '2EN1' was also attending the red carpet event to promote the movie.
"The Amazing Spider-Man" opens on June 28 in Seoul.
No official word yet on when the new movie will hit Australian big screens, but it should be around the same time as Korea.
Comics film gives legend respect...
Many people put Marvel creator Stan Lee in the same ranks as Walt Disney and Jim Henson. This is exactly the reason William Lawrence Hess and Nikki Frakes decided to make a documentary about the comic book legend.
“When I met Stan, I began to realize how big the things he created and stories he told were,” Hess says during a recent phone interview. “I’m into history and with Stan, there’s a rich history in what he’s done. You can tell he’s one of the 20th-century creators that people look up to.”
The duo’s result was the documentary “With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story.” The film will screen at 9 tonight at the KiMo Theatre, 420 W. Central.
Lee will introduce the film and then sign autographs during the Albuquerque Comic Expo, which runs today through Sunday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The documentary took nearly four years to complete. Hess says production began at Comic Con in San Diego in July 2006.
“We shot about 40 hours of footage right before that,” he explains. “When the project was over, we had 480 hours of footage that we managed to fit into an hour and a half documentary.”
Hess says the editing was tiring, but what softened the blow of cutting so much content out was the ability to make bonus footage.
“Nikki worked really close with the editor in carving it down,” he says. “It was a big process to go through, but it worked out in our favor.”
Frakes says it was important to show the man behind the mask.
“He invited us into his house and we got to see what he’s like with his wife,” she says. “It was important that we captured that and tell the story of how he came to be this icon in the comic industry.”
The duo led a team that searched archives and interviewed people associated with Lee. One of the prized interviews was with “Captain America” co-creator Joe Simon, who died in December 2011.
“Joe was basically Stan’s boss six decades ago,” he says. “We wanted to get inside the inner workings of the comic book industry. There were plenty of heavy hitters that came along in the ’40s. This was a huge interview for us.”
Yet for both filmmakers, comics weren’t the first thing they read. Frakes didn’t read them, but says when she learned more about Lee’s story, she wanted to help tell it.
“A lot of people think that he’s an overnight success,” she says. “He’s overcome a lot in his life and managed to become this cultural icon. He’s worked hard to get to his status.”
Hess, who grew up in New Orleans, was introduced to “X-Men” comics and later the Saturday morning comics that Lee participated in.
“I can still hear him saying ‘Stay Tuned Because We’ll be Knee Deep in Danger’ before the commercial break,” he says. “I appreciate that he’s been able to make an impact like that on me.”
'Black Panther' movie rumour: Marvel Studios...
Entertainment Weekly’s inside sources at Marvel Studios advise the news report is no true, however studio representatives declined to comment on the hot rumour.
A news report from the movie website Latino Review by writer El Mayimbe stated Marvel Studios has committed to making one of its next projects a picture based on Black Panther, the leader of the fictional African nation and the character widely regarded as the first major black superhero.
Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney did not immediately comment on the rumor, which has circulated far and wide, causing a buz among comic book movie fans. But now inside sources at Marvel have told EW that it’s simply not true that Black Panther will be one of their next films.
Black Panther is not just a cool codename, it’s the title bestowed on the Wakandan king. In the comics, T’Challa, a Wakandan prince and warrior, passed the trials necessary to ascend to his nation’s throne, thus earning the mantle of Black Panther. Coincidentally, he also fell in love with Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. the weather-controlling Storm from X-Men, during his journeys, but don’t expect her to show up in any Marvel Studios film about him. She remains a part of X-Men mythology still owned by 20th Century Fox.
Black Panther first appeared in a 1966 issue of Fantastic Four, and the name only coincidentally mirrors that of the militant civil rights political party, created that same year. (He also fought as part of The Avengers, which could factor into any sequel for that blockbuster.)
If the look of the character recalls DC Comics’ Batman, the two characters actually have similarities beyond the costume. T’Challa’s superhuman powers are his acute senses of perception and strength, but he is also a brilliant scientist, and as heir to the throne of Wakanda he is every bit as wealthy as Bruce Wayne.
Wakanda was the site of an ancient meteor crash which scattered the element vibranium throughout the land. That fictional element, of course, is one of the rarest and strongest minerals on earth, and is used in the creation of Captain America’s shield. Black Panther’s prime nemesis is Ulysses Klaw, a physicist who murders T’Challa’s father to gain access to the precious vibranium deposits, which he uses to craft a weapon that can create solid objects out of sound waves.
Being the first mainstream black superhero, there were also political elements to Black Panther’s story. In the mid-1970s, comic book story arcs sent him to the American South, where he clashed with the Ku Klux Klan. Black Panther also ventured into an Apartheid-ruled South Africa depicted in the guise of a Marvel nation called Rudyarda.
The Black Panther script was revealed last January, with documentarian Mark Bailey (The Fence, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, and Pandemic: Facing AIDS) crafting the story — an unusual choice, but not if Marvel would like to add a dose of social commentary to the action hero’s story.
If Latino Review’s report proves to be true, the next big questions are who would star and who would direct.
In breaking the scoop, Mayimbe proposed Nate Parker, who got high marks from critics for Red Tails (even if the movie itself did not) and garnered lots of praise at Sundance for a powerful turn opposite Richard Gere in the Wall Street thriller Arbitrage.
Parker’s a solid choice, but The Wire‘s Idris Elba would also supply endless intensity for the character. Chiwetel Ejiofor has the kick-ass-professor vibe down, and Anthony Mackie, although a little slim physically, could build some muscle for the role. If we’re talking pure star power and charisma, Jamie Foxx could be a good choice, and will be riding high after Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained debuts this year.
Marvel Entertainment movie fans.. if the rumour turns out to be true it sure will be excelsior!
Pro Wrestling News...
The debut of Steve Austin’s Redneck Island on CMT (in the U.S) this past Saturday scored a 0.42 rating with 665,000 viewers. It was the highest rated show for the day. Austin wrote the following about the show last night:
“It’s a damn crying shame that Canada, Australia, England, and other great countries cannot get CMT Redneck Island. A damn shame. Spreading Redneck Island around the globe is my newest task. Yes…To provide quality entertainment and content across the globe. #CMT #BSR”
- Despite what WWE says in the lawsuit from TNA, most people within WWE believe that "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair will return to the company as soon as he is legally able to and that WWE officials would love to have him back at the 1,000th RAW in July.
Wrestling companies square off in Nashville, USA court...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawyers for World Wrestling Entertainment have told a Nashville judge the company has not and will not use confidential information from rival Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
The pledge came during a hearing last week over a lawsuit TNA filed last month against pro wrestling giant - WWE, claiming WWE had obtained secret contract details in an attempt to poach TNA's wrestlers.
Attorneys for WWE told Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle that the company has not contacted any of TNA's contracted personnel. The attorneys also said WWE has returned the only copies of the confidential information to TNA.
Lyle dissolved a May 24 temporary restraining order against WWE that had prohibited it from using the information to solicit TNA wrestlers, but she made no ruling on the merits of the case. Another hearing will be July 12.
TNA, based in Nashville, claimed in the suit that WWE apparently had already tried to hire away veteran wrestler Ric Flair. According to the court record, WWE lawyers said the company "has no intention of doing so."
TNA alleged that one of its former employees, Brian Wittenstein, went to work for WWE and provided his new employer with contract details. WWE said he was fired when he gave them the information.
A TNA suit against Wittenstein is still pending.
Jerry McDevitt, an attorney for Connecticut-based WWE, said Tuesday the company will file clarifying details with the court. He said the latest order "speaks for itself."
Dixie Carter, president of TNA, said in a statement Tuesday that the company "will vigorously protect TNA and its brand from damage at the hands of any and all sources, no matter who is involved." TNA was founded by wrestler Jeff Jarrett.
WWE Legal Letter To TNA Legal Counsel...
WWE Attorney Jerry McDevitt recently sent a letter to TNA legal counsel Erika Blonquist. The letter was filed with the court last week and can be read below:
First, and as I advised you orally on the phone during our recent conference call, WWE has not solicited Ric Flair to leave TNA and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has made no offer to Flair and has no intention of doing so.
Second, as I also advised you, WWE has not solicited any other current TNA talent to repudiate their contracts and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has no interest in current TNA talent.
The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK To Air On FX...
TUF: Australia vs. UK broadcasts on FX in Australia this fall
"The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K." will air on FX in Australia in the fall as the latest installment of the reality series from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC officials announced the news yesterday.
Tryouts for the upcoming season of "TUF" are currently underway, featuring fighters from both Australia and England. The coaches for the season have not yet been named, though an official announcement is expected soon.
"We're excited to be part of the FX family in Australia," UFC managing director for international development Marshall Zelaznik stated. "When the first series of 'The Ulimate Fighter' debuted in the United States seven years ago, it brought in millions of new fans who tuned in each and every week to watch their favorite fighters. I have no doubt that 'The Smashes' will do the same in Australia."
"The Smashes" is the title given to this season, referencing a cricket rivalry ("The Ashes") between the two countries.
While the season will air in Australia, no plans have been announced for those hoping to view in the U.S. Fans could watch "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" online earlier this year as it was taping in Brazil, but the season did not broadcast on national television until FUEL TV began airing episodes just recently.
Are you ready? Are you ready? Let's get it on!
KA By Cirque du Soleil And Marvel Entertainment Bring Epic Story From Stage To Page With All-New Comic Book; KA #1 Released to Fans at Comic-Con International in San Diego 2012...
LAS VEGAS, June 13, 2012 - KA by Cirque du Soleil, the spectacular production at MGM Grand Las Vegas, and Marvel Custom Solutions team up to tell the story of this acclaimed live production through an all-new, collectible comic book. KA #1 will debut at the Marvel booth (#2329) during Comic Con International in San Diego, July 12 – 15, 2012.
"To see our live KA performances transform from the theatre to ink on pages in a comic book is an incredible opportunity for our entire team," said Marie-Helene Gagnon, Artistic Director of KA. "By aligning ourselves with the premier brand of comic book creators, we have produced an illustration of KA that depicts the story very vividly and stays true to the plot. Marvel and its team of creators have been great to collaborate with and have embraced the story of KA and the expectations of Cirque du Soleil."
"Marvel's proud to bring the exciting, out of this world action and adventure of KA to life in this all new comic book," said Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief, Marvel Worldwide, Inc. "This is a great comic for fans of all ages, whether they're long-time fans of Marvel, KA or new to both exciting brands of storytelling."
KA fans attending Comic Con International can take home the heroic journey of Imperial Twins separated by war who encounter adventure and peril at every turn on their quest to reunite their kingdom.
"What's more jaw-dropping, the majesty of the Imperial Court...the dynamic dance of their martial arts display...the overwhelming might of the invading archer army...the desperate fight for survival in the storm-tossed seas...or the tantalizing glimpses at the future threats that await the Twins?" said Marvel Editor Bill Rosemann. "Readers can decide for themselves when they feast their eyes on the all-out spectacle that writer Bryan J.L. Glass, artist Wellinton Alves and cover artist Michael Del Mundo have crafted in this world premiere debut issue."
KA #1 will be distributed at Comic Con International in San Diego at the Marvel booth in July. A limited amount of books also will be available at comic book stores in select markets. In addition to the print copy of the comic book, fans will be able to access the KA customized comic book by utilizing Marvel's cutting-edge digital comics reader.
Fans can get an inside look at the making of the comic book by visiting www.kacomicbook.com. Featuring sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes information, including line art, storyboards and more, this site will serve as a hub for details on the collaboration. Fans will be able to receive information on how to get their own copy of the comic book. On Twitter, fans can tweet about the collaboration to @Cirque and @Marvel using the #KAComicBook hashtag.
About KA:
KA by Cirque du Soleil is a heroic journey of love and conflict set within ever-changing theatrical landscapes that conjure an entire empire on stage. Presented exclusively at MGM Grand Las Vegas, KA unfolds on a colossal, 360-degree rotating stage which forms the backdrop for this cinematic journey of aerial adventure and perpendicular acrobatics. For more information visit www.ka.com. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KA and Tweet us: @Cirque #KA.
About Marvel Entertainment:
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook. SOURCE Cirque du Soleil
Macquarie takes a stake in Echo...
Investment firm Macquarie Group has bought a five per cent stake in casinos operator Echo Entertainment Group.
Echo said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday that Macquarie had become a substantial shareholder in Echo on June 7, having acquired about 35.1 million shares, or about 5.1 per cent of Echo.
Echo announced on Tuesday that it proposed to undertake a capital raising - the amount of which was undisclosed - and its shares are currently in a trading halt.
The company last week lost its chairman John Story after Crown's James Packer launched a public campaign against him.
Crown is Echo's largest shareholder, with a 10 per cent stake.
Echo owns The Star casino in Sydney, the Jupiters casinos on the Gold Coast and in Townsville, and Treasury casino in Brisbane.
Shares in Echo last traded at $4.49 before going into a halt.
Crown Undecided on Support for Echo Capital Raising...
Crown Ltd. (CWN), the casino operator controlled by billionaire James Packer, hasn’t decided whether it will buy new stock in a planned capital raising by Echo Entertainment Group Ltd. (EGP)
Echo, based in Brisbane, will seek to raise between A$400 million ($399 million) and A$500 million in a rights offering being managed by UBS AG and Macquarie Group Ltd., according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The details may be announced as early as tomorrow, the person said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.
Crown, which owns 10 percent of Echo, will wait for details of the share sale, Chief Financial Officer Ken Barton said by telephone from Melbourne today.
Packer agreed to cease a campaign against Echo after Chairman John Story stepped down June 8, Acting Chairman John O’Neill said yesterday. Crown is seeking regulatory approval to increase its holding in the operator of the only casino in Sydney above the current 10 percent limit as Genting Singapore Plc (GENS) built a stake of 4.9 percent.
“We’ll wait to see what they’re proposing,” Barton said.
Trading in Echo shares was halted yesterday, ahead of the capital raising. Spokeswomen for UBS and Macquarie in Sydney declined to comment.
Brad Schmitt, a Sydney-based spokesman for Echo, declined to comment on the fundraising plan in an e-mailed statement. The Australian Financial Review reported that Echo is planning to raise A$400 million earlier today, without saying where it got the information.
Genting’s stake may make it harder for Crown to take control of Echo and increases the chances of a bidding war, according to Gary Pinge, Macquarie Group Ltd.’s regional head of gaming and consumer research. Though a joint bid by the two companies is possible, Crown won’t want to see Genting “entering its backyard,” he said.
Story resigned after Crown, which owns casinos in Melbourne and Perth, called a meeting to vote on his removal and ran advertisements in local newspapers criticizing the company’s “underperformance” under his leadership. Packer has now withdrawn his request for a shareholder meeting.
Echo owns the Star in Sydney as well as three casinos in the state of Queensland.
Hot Body of 2012...
ELLE MACPHERSON
Admit it: 48 never looked this good! The Aussie model, known around the world as "The Body," ignited bikini envy from a whole new generation of beachgoers when she flaunted her fit form in the pages of PEOPLE. "I do get jitters," says Macpherson of donning a two-piece 20-plus years after gracing four Sports Illustrated covers. "I was comfortable [at the shoot]. But I had to get my self-conscious 'maybe I don't look my best' head out of the way and go with, 'Let's celebrate where I'm at.'"
James Bond turns 50...
James Bond turns 50 this year but you'd never know it by looking at him. Despite hundreds of skirmishes with the world's scariest villains, not to mention a diet heavy on shaken-not-stirred martinis, the man in the Aston Martin still cuts a dashing figure.
In October, it will have been five decades since 007 -- in the form of Sean Connery -- first sauntered onto movie screens in "Dr. No." And he's still going strong. The Bond movies are not only the longest continuously running series in cinema history but also the most successful, with more than $5 billion in box-office receipts. Take that, George Lucas.
Daniel Craig, the sixth actor to play the world-saving spy, will step into Bond's shoes once again on Oct. 26 with "Skyfall," the 23rd film in the series. Also this October, MGM will celebrate 007's birthday with a 22-disc Blu-ray set that finally makes all of the movies available in high definition.
The movies, which will be presented in 35 mm prints, include "Goldfinger" (June 17), "GoldenEye" (June 26), "The Spy Who Loved Me" (July 2), "Dr. No" (July 10), "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (July 16), "Live and Let Die" (July 24) and "From Russia With Love" (July 30).
The Bond film franchise began in 1962 with "Dr. No." It was not only a worldwide smash but also turned out to be a big influence on popular culture. Think "The Man From U.N.C.L.E," "Our Man Flint," "Get Smart" and "Mission: Impossible."
So where did the idea come from? Ian Fleming, of course. A former journalist and British Naval intelligence officer, he conceived of the book series in 1952 while vacationing in Jamaica in a holiday home he called Goldeneye.
James Bond made his first appearance in "Casino Royale," which was published in 1953. Thirteen more Bond books by Fleming followed.
Since the release of "Dr. No," we have never gone more than five or six years without a new Bond flick. Connery played him five times 1962-1967 and then again in 1971 and 1983. In between, there was a one-off appearance by George Lazenby. In 1973, Roger Moore took over for seven outings.
Next came Timothy Dalton for two films beginning in 1987. Pierce Brosnan got the job in 1995 for four features. The latest Bond is Craig, who has played him in series re-boot "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace" and the upcoming "Skyfall."
Did we mention that Bond also enjoys a good game of poker and baccarat and often the stakes have been life or death. Would you like to play with Bond? That's what we thought.
Sony Pictures May Emulate Marvel’s Strategy and Tie ‘Venom’ to ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and Other Films...
Some people including some studio executives scoffed as Marvel Studios began to build a franchise of films that would lead up to The Avengers. The team movie was ambitious, and the result of so much planning that it was easy to suspect may fail. We know now, of course, that The Avengers did anything but fail — it is one of the most financially successful films ever released - currently around 3rd most successful of all time.
That means other studios are now willing to consider emulating Marvel’s strategy. Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment haven’t laid the groundwork for a team film in the same fashion Marvel did, but they’re attempting it with Justice League anyway.
And Sony has the rights to some Marvel characters, notably the Spider-Man and Ghost Rider families. And it seems like the character spin-off Venom, which Chronicle director Josh Trank may make, could be designed to fit in with the new wave of Spider-Man movies that begins with The Amazing Spider-Man. Question is… to build up to what?
Hollywood.com talked to The Amazing Spider-Man producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach, who said Venom is being developed with connectivity in mind.
What I’m trying to say to you without giving anything away is hopefully all these worlds will live together in peace someday…Look for the worlds to make sense with one another.
Avi Arad explained what they’re trying to do with Venom, in basic terms:
It’s an Eddie Brock story. We want to be as close to the comics as possible. Especially in Eddie Brock’s story. But again, pseudo-sceince is becoming science. All these tidbits about webs, artificial webs, is a huge industry now. Spiderwebs have unique qualities that will be huge for communications, fibers, and so forth. So we have taken the approach that we want to make the huge amazing movie about Eddie.
The Brock character was played in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 by Topher Grace, but this will be a new take, presumably with a new actor. Brock will be “a journalist. He had the wrong story, he got in trouble for it, he got fired,” explains Tolmach.
Making the films play nice together makes sense, but now the question will be: can we expect a Ghost Rider reboot that places that character in the same universe? In general, is it reasonable to expect that any Marvel characters held by Sony will get films that are connected in at least some vague way? Sony can’t quite make The Avengers, but it could build up to something like the old Marvel Team-Up comic series.
Spiderman comes to South Korea...
A new face of Spider-man came to Seoul on Thursday (June 14) to premiere Parker's untold story, the latest saga of the Spider-Man franchise.
One of this summer's most eagerly awaited blockbusters, "The Amazing Spider-Man" delves into the origins of teenager Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, and tells of the superhero that the 17-year-old eventually becomes.
The new spider-man, Andrew Garfield, appeared on a news conference stage with a smile, but he was more than serious when he spoke about the new saga of the Spiderman series.
"There is such a long legacy to honour, and to do justice to, and I think our intention was to start from there, and make sure we were doing justice to these timeless mythical characters that Stanley created," said Garfield at the news conference.
Spider-man's latest instalment reboots the modern movie franchise that began with 2002's "Spider-Man", starring Tobey Maguire as the comic book crime fighter.
Over three films, the franchise amassed around 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in ticket sales, and for the fourth movie, its creators decided to take a fresh look at the series, bring in a new director and hire 28-year-old Garfield to replace Maguire, 36.
Talented actor Garfiled advised wearing a Spiderman suit and mask wasn't very easy, but it was also his dream come true.
"No one wants to wear spandex, but Peter has to for many reasons, so yeah, it was a challenge, but of course wearing the suit itself was a dream of mine since I was three years old, so being able to put it on every day," said Garfield.
Emma Stone, 23, who has been linked romantically with Garfield off-screen, portrays Parker's first love interest, Gwen Stacy, in the flick.
She said Gwen is different from Mary Jane Watson from the previous series.
"She's involved in helping Peter save the day as Spiderman of course, and so there are a lot of differences there, she doesn't sit idly by and she doesn't let him being a superhero stop the relationship from continuing or complain about it, she becomes a partner," said Emma Stone.
The movie director Marc Webb, well known in the country for his romantic comedy movie "500 Days of Summer," said the characters and romance made the blockbuster actions more appealing.
"You'll believe in that action more, you'll experience it in a more profound way if you care about the characters, and I think the only way I know how to create that empathy is through finding relatable characters and finding those little tiny moments between, whether it's between Peter and his aunt or uncle, or between Peter and Gwen, obviously romance interests me in cinema," said the film director Marc Webb.
About a thousand of fans gathered to see the new Spiderman and his girlfriend on a red carpet, and a fan couldn't hide his excitement for seeing the hero in person.
"I'd never imagined to actually meeting him like this, so I'm so honoured to see him in person. I got an autograph signed by Andrew Garfield himself.
I love him!!" said South Korean fan Lee Kyung-hoon.
South Korea's popular girl group '2EN1' was also attending the red carpet event to promote the movie.
"The Amazing Spider-Man" opens on June 28 in Seoul.
No official word yet on when the new movie will hit Australian big screens, but it should be around the same time as Korea.
Comics film gives legend respect...
Many people put Marvel creator Stan Lee in the same ranks as Walt Disney and Jim Henson. This is exactly the reason William Lawrence Hess and Nikki Frakes decided to make a documentary about the comic book legend.
“When I met Stan, I began to realize how big the things he created and stories he told were,” Hess says during a recent phone interview. “I’m into history and with Stan, there’s a rich history in what he’s done. You can tell he’s one of the 20th-century creators that people look up to.”
The duo’s result was the documentary “With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story.” The film will screen at 9 tonight at the KiMo Theatre, 420 W. Central.
Lee will introduce the film and then sign autographs during the Albuquerque Comic Expo, which runs today through Sunday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The documentary took nearly four years to complete. Hess says production began at Comic Con in San Diego in July 2006.
“We shot about 40 hours of footage right before that,” he explains. “When the project was over, we had 480 hours of footage that we managed to fit into an hour and a half documentary.”
Hess says the editing was tiring, but what softened the blow of cutting so much content out was the ability to make bonus footage.
“Nikki worked really close with the editor in carving it down,” he says. “It was a big process to go through, but it worked out in our favor.”
Frakes says it was important to show the man behind the mask.
“He invited us into his house and we got to see what he’s like with his wife,” she says. “It was important that we captured that and tell the story of how he came to be this icon in the comic industry.”
The duo led a team that searched archives and interviewed people associated with Lee. One of the prized interviews was with “Captain America” co-creator Joe Simon, who died in December 2011.
“Joe was basically Stan’s boss six decades ago,” he says. “We wanted to get inside the inner workings of the comic book industry. There were plenty of heavy hitters that came along in the ’40s. This was a huge interview for us.”
Yet for both filmmakers, comics weren’t the first thing they read. Frakes didn’t read them, but says when she learned more about Lee’s story, she wanted to help tell it.
“A lot of people think that he’s an overnight success,” she says. “He’s overcome a lot in his life and managed to become this cultural icon. He’s worked hard to get to his status.”
Hess, who grew up in New Orleans, was introduced to “X-Men” comics and later the Saturday morning comics that Lee participated in.
“I can still hear him saying ‘Stay Tuned Because We’ll be Knee Deep in Danger’ before the commercial break,” he says. “I appreciate that he’s been able to make an impact like that on me.”
'Black Panther' movie rumour: Marvel Studios...
Entertainment Weekly’s inside sources at Marvel Studios advise the news report is no true, however studio representatives declined to comment on the hot rumour.
A news report from the movie website Latino Review by writer El Mayimbe stated Marvel Studios has committed to making one of its next projects a picture based on Black Panther, the leader of the fictional African nation and the character widely regarded as the first major black superhero.
Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney did not immediately comment on the rumor, which has circulated far and wide, causing a buz among comic book movie fans. But now inside sources at Marvel have told EW that it’s simply not true that Black Panther will be one of their next films.
Black Panther is not just a cool codename, it’s the title bestowed on the Wakandan king. In the comics, T’Challa, a Wakandan prince and warrior, passed the trials necessary to ascend to his nation’s throne, thus earning the mantle of Black Panther. Coincidentally, he also fell in love with Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. the weather-controlling Storm from X-Men, during his journeys, but don’t expect her to show up in any Marvel Studios film about him. She remains a part of X-Men mythology still owned by 20th Century Fox.
Black Panther first appeared in a 1966 issue of Fantastic Four, and the name only coincidentally mirrors that of the militant civil rights political party, created that same year. (He also fought as part of The Avengers, which could factor into any sequel for that blockbuster.)
If the look of the character recalls DC Comics’ Batman, the two characters actually have similarities beyond the costume. T’Challa’s superhuman powers are his acute senses of perception and strength, but he is also a brilliant scientist, and as heir to the throne of Wakanda he is every bit as wealthy as Bruce Wayne.
Wakanda was the site of an ancient meteor crash which scattered the element vibranium throughout the land. That fictional element, of course, is one of the rarest and strongest minerals on earth, and is used in the creation of Captain America’s shield. Black Panther’s prime nemesis is Ulysses Klaw, a physicist who murders T’Challa’s father to gain access to the precious vibranium deposits, which he uses to craft a weapon that can create solid objects out of sound waves.
Being the first mainstream black superhero, there were also political elements to Black Panther’s story. In the mid-1970s, comic book story arcs sent him to the American South, where he clashed with the Ku Klux Klan. Black Panther also ventured into an Apartheid-ruled South Africa depicted in the guise of a Marvel nation called Rudyarda.
The Black Panther script was revealed last January, with documentarian Mark Bailey (The Fence, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, and Pandemic: Facing AIDS) crafting the story — an unusual choice, but not if Marvel would like to add a dose of social commentary to the action hero’s story.
If Latino Review’s report proves to be true, the next big questions are who would star and who would direct.
In breaking the scoop, Mayimbe proposed Nate Parker, who got high marks from critics for Red Tails (even if the movie itself did not) and garnered lots of praise at Sundance for a powerful turn opposite Richard Gere in the Wall Street thriller Arbitrage.
Parker’s a solid choice, but The Wire‘s Idris Elba would also supply endless intensity for the character. Chiwetel Ejiofor has the kick-ass-professor vibe down, and Anthony Mackie, although a little slim physically, could build some muscle for the role. If we’re talking pure star power and charisma, Jamie Foxx could be a good choice, and will be riding high after Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained debuts this year.
Marvel Entertainment movie fans.. if the rumour turns out to be true it sure will be excelsior!
Pro Wrestling News...
The debut of Steve Austin’s Redneck Island on CMT (in the U.S) this past Saturday scored a 0.42 rating with 665,000 viewers. It was the highest rated show for the day. Austin wrote the following about the show last night:
“It’s a damn crying shame that Canada, Australia, England, and other great countries cannot get CMT Redneck Island. A damn shame. Spreading Redneck Island around the globe is my newest task. Yes…To provide quality entertainment and content across the globe. #CMT #BSR”
- Despite what WWE says in the lawsuit from TNA, most people within WWE believe that "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair will return to the company as soon as he is legally able to and that WWE officials would love to have him back at the 1,000th RAW in July.
Wrestling companies square off in Nashville, USA court...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawyers for World Wrestling Entertainment have told a Nashville judge the company has not and will not use confidential information from rival Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
The pledge came during a hearing last week over a lawsuit TNA filed last month against pro wrestling giant - WWE, claiming WWE had obtained secret contract details in an attempt to poach TNA's wrestlers.
Attorneys for WWE told Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle that the company has not contacted any of TNA's contracted personnel. The attorneys also said WWE has returned the only copies of the confidential information to TNA.
Lyle dissolved a May 24 temporary restraining order against WWE that had prohibited it from using the information to solicit TNA wrestlers, but she made no ruling on the merits of the case. Another hearing will be July 12.
TNA, based in Nashville, claimed in the suit that WWE apparently had already tried to hire away veteran wrestler Ric Flair. According to the court record, WWE lawyers said the company "has no intention of doing so."
TNA alleged that one of its former employees, Brian Wittenstein, went to work for WWE and provided his new employer with contract details. WWE said he was fired when he gave them the information.
A TNA suit against Wittenstein is still pending.
Jerry McDevitt, an attorney for Connecticut-based WWE, said Tuesday the company will file clarifying details with the court. He said the latest order "speaks for itself."
Dixie Carter, president of TNA, said in a statement Tuesday that the company "will vigorously protect TNA and its brand from damage at the hands of any and all sources, no matter who is involved." TNA was founded by wrestler Jeff Jarrett.
WWE Legal Letter To TNA Legal Counsel...
WWE Attorney Jerry McDevitt recently sent a letter to TNA legal counsel Erika Blonquist. The letter was filed with the court last week and can be read below:
First, and as I advised you orally on the phone during our recent conference call, WWE has not solicited Ric Flair to leave TNA and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has made no offer to Flair and has no intention of doing so.
Second, as I also advised you, WWE has not solicited any other current TNA talent to repudiate their contracts and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has no interest in current TNA talent.
The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK To Air On FX...
TUF: Australia vs. UK broadcasts on FX in Australia this fall
"The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K." will air on FX in Australia in the fall as the latest installment of the reality series from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC officials announced the news yesterday.
Tryouts for the upcoming season of "TUF" are currently underway, featuring fighters from both Australia and England. The coaches for the season have not yet been named, though an official announcement is expected soon.
"We're excited to be part of the FX family in Australia," UFC managing director for international development Marshall Zelaznik stated. "When the first series of 'The Ulimate Fighter' debuted in the United States seven years ago, it brought in millions of new fans who tuned in each and every week to watch their favorite fighters. I have no doubt that 'The Smashes' will do the same in Australia."
"The Smashes" is the title given to this season, referencing a cricket rivalry ("The Ashes") between the two countries.
While the season will air in Australia, no plans have been announced for those hoping to view in the U.S. Fans could watch "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" online earlier this year as it was taping in Brazil, but the season did not broadcast on national television until FUEL TV began airing episodes just recently.
Are you ready? Are you ready? Let's get it on!
KA By Cirque du Soleil And Marvel Entertainment Bring Epic Story From Stage To Page With All-New Comic Book; KA #1 Released to Fans at Comic-Con International in San Diego 2012...
LAS VEGAS, June 13, 2012 - KA by Cirque du Soleil, the spectacular production at MGM Grand Las Vegas, and Marvel Custom Solutions team up to tell the story of this acclaimed live production through an all-new, collectible comic book. KA #1 will debut at the Marvel booth (#2329) during Comic Con International in San Diego, July 12 – 15, 2012.
"To see our live KA performances transform from the theatre to ink on pages in a comic book is an incredible opportunity for our entire team," said Marie-Helene Gagnon, Artistic Director of KA. "By aligning ourselves with the premier brand of comic book creators, we have produced an illustration of KA that depicts the story very vividly and stays true to the plot. Marvel and its team of creators have been great to collaborate with and have embraced the story of KA and the expectations of Cirque du Soleil."
"Marvel's proud to bring the exciting, out of this world action and adventure of KA to life in this all new comic book," said Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief, Marvel Worldwide, Inc. "This is a great comic for fans of all ages, whether they're long-time fans of Marvel, KA or new to both exciting brands of storytelling."
KA fans attending Comic Con International can take home the heroic journey of Imperial Twins separated by war who encounter adventure and peril at every turn on their quest to reunite their kingdom.
"What's more jaw-dropping, the majesty of the Imperial Court...the dynamic dance of their martial arts display...the overwhelming might of the invading archer army...the desperate fight for survival in the storm-tossed seas...or the tantalizing glimpses at the future threats that await the Twins?" said Marvel Editor Bill Rosemann. "Readers can decide for themselves when they feast their eyes on the all-out spectacle that writer Bryan J.L. Glass, artist Wellinton Alves and cover artist Michael Del Mundo have crafted in this world premiere debut issue."
KA #1 will be distributed at Comic Con International in San Diego at the Marvel booth in July. A limited amount of books also will be available at comic book stores in select markets. In addition to the print copy of the comic book, fans will be able to access the KA customized comic book by utilizing Marvel's cutting-edge digital comics reader.
Fans can get an inside look at the making of the comic book by visiting www.kacomicbook.com. Featuring sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes information, including line art, storyboards and more, this site will serve as a hub for details on the collaboration. Fans will be able to receive information on how to get their own copy of the comic book. On Twitter, fans can tweet about the collaboration to @Cirque and @Marvel using the #KAComicBook hashtag.
About KA:
KA by Cirque du Soleil is a heroic journey of love and conflict set within ever-changing theatrical landscapes that conjure an entire empire on stage. Presented exclusively at MGM Grand Las Vegas, KA unfolds on a colossal, 360-degree rotating stage which forms the backdrop for this cinematic journey of aerial adventure and perpendicular acrobatics. For more information visit www.ka.com. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KA and Tweet us: @Cirque #KA.
About Marvel Entertainment:
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook. SOURCE Cirque du Soleil
Macquarie takes a stake in Echo...
Investment firm Macquarie Group has bought a five per cent stake in casinos operator Echo Entertainment Group.
Echo said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday that Macquarie had become a substantial shareholder in Echo on June 7, having acquired about 35.1 million shares, or about 5.1 per cent of Echo.
Echo announced on Tuesday that it proposed to undertake a capital raising - the amount of which was undisclosed - and its shares are currently in a trading halt.
The company last week lost its chairman John Story after Crown's James Packer launched a public campaign against him.
Crown is Echo's largest shareholder, with a 10 per cent stake.
Echo owns The Star casino in Sydney, the Jupiters casinos on the Gold Coast and in Townsville, and Treasury casino in Brisbane.
Shares in Echo last traded at $4.49 before going into a halt.
Crown Undecided on Support for Echo Capital Raising...
Crown Ltd. (CWN), the casino operator controlled by billionaire James Packer, hasn’t decided whether it will buy new stock in a planned capital raising by Echo Entertainment Group Ltd. (EGP)
Echo, based in Brisbane, will seek to raise between A$400 million ($399 million) and A$500 million in a rights offering being managed by UBS AG and Macquarie Group Ltd., according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The details may be announced as early as tomorrow, the person said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.
Crown, which owns 10 percent of Echo, will wait for details of the share sale, Chief Financial Officer Ken Barton said by telephone from Melbourne today.
Packer agreed to cease a campaign against Echo after Chairman John Story stepped down June 8, Acting Chairman John O’Neill said yesterday. Crown is seeking regulatory approval to increase its holding in the operator of the only casino in Sydney above the current 10 percent limit as Genting Singapore Plc (GENS) built a stake of 4.9 percent.
“We’ll wait to see what they’re proposing,” Barton said.
Trading in Echo shares was halted yesterday, ahead of the capital raising. Spokeswomen for UBS and Macquarie in Sydney declined to comment.
Brad Schmitt, a Sydney-based spokesman for Echo, declined to comment on the fundraising plan in an e-mailed statement. The Australian Financial Review reported that Echo is planning to raise A$400 million earlier today, without saying where it got the information.
Genting’s stake may make it harder for Crown to take control of Echo and increases the chances of a bidding war, according to Gary Pinge, Macquarie Group Ltd.’s regional head of gaming and consumer research. Though a joint bid by the two companies is possible, Crown won’t want to see Genting “entering its backyard,” he said.
Story resigned after Crown, which owns casinos in Melbourne and Perth, called a meeting to vote on his removal and ran advertisements in local newspapers criticizing the company’s “underperformance” under his leadership. Packer has now withdrawn his request for a shareholder meeting.
Echo owns the Star in Sydney as well as three casinos in the state of Queensland.
Hot Body of 2012...
ELLE MACPHERSON
Admit it: 48 never looked this good! The Aussie model, known around the world as "The Body," ignited bikini envy from a whole new generation of beachgoers when she flaunted her fit form in the pages of PEOPLE. "I do get jitters," says Macpherson of donning a two-piece 20-plus years after gracing four Sports Illustrated covers. "I was comfortable [at the shoot]. But I had to get my self-conscious 'maybe I don't look my best' head out of the way and go with, 'Let's celebrate where I'm at.'"
James Bond turns 50...
James Bond turns 50 this year but you'd never know it by looking at him. Despite hundreds of skirmishes with the world's scariest villains, not to mention a diet heavy on shaken-not-stirred martinis, the man in the Aston Martin still cuts a dashing figure.
In October, it will have been five decades since 007 -- in the form of Sean Connery -- first sauntered onto movie screens in "Dr. No." And he's still going strong. The Bond movies are not only the longest continuously running series in cinema history but also the most successful, with more than $5 billion in box-office receipts. Take that, George Lucas.
Daniel Craig, the sixth actor to play the world-saving spy, will step into Bond's shoes once again on Oct. 26 with "Skyfall," the 23rd film in the series. Also this October, MGM will celebrate 007's birthday with a 22-disc Blu-ray set that finally makes all of the movies available in high definition.
The movies, which will be presented in 35 mm prints, include "Goldfinger" (June 17), "GoldenEye" (June 26), "The Spy Who Loved Me" (July 2), "Dr. No" (July 10), "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (July 16), "Live and Let Die" (July 24) and "From Russia With Love" (July 30).
The Bond film franchise began in 1962 with "Dr. No." It was not only a worldwide smash but also turned out to be a big influence on popular culture. Think "The Man From U.N.C.L.E," "Our Man Flint," "Get Smart" and "Mission: Impossible."
So where did the idea come from? Ian Fleming, of course. A former journalist and British Naval intelligence officer, he conceived of the book series in 1952 while vacationing in Jamaica in a holiday home he called Goldeneye.
James Bond made his first appearance in "Casino Royale," which was published in 1953. Thirteen more Bond books by Fleming followed.
Since the release of "Dr. No," we have never gone more than five or six years without a new Bond flick. Connery played him five times 1962-1967 and then again in 1971 and 1983. In between, there was a one-off appearance by George Lazenby. In 1973, Roger Moore took over for seven outings.
Next came Timothy Dalton for two films beginning in 1987. Pierce Brosnan got the job in 1995 for four features. The latest Bond is Craig, who has played him in series re-boot "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace" and the upcoming "Skyfall."
Did we mention that Bond also enjoys a good game of poker and baccarat and often the stakes have been life or death. Would you like to play with Bond? That's what we thought.
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