All posts by alanwp

DVDs, Movies

A real-time thriller promises a bad-ass female motorcycle courier

Olga Kurylenko, Gary Oldman and Dermot Mulroney star in the fast-paced action-thriller The Courier, arriving in select theaters and everywhere On Demand on Friday, November 22 from Lionsgate. Kurylenko stars as a bad-ass female motorcycle courier who must fight off a sadistic crime boss’ henchmen in order to protect the one witness that can bring him down!
Drop image here
The official scoop:
This intense action-thriller unfolds in real time as two embattled souls fight for their lives. Oscar- winner Oldman stars as a vicious crime boss out to kill Nick, the lone witness set to testify against him.

He hires a mysterious (and, yes, gorgeous) female motorcycle courier (Kurylenko) to unknowingly deliver a poison-gas bomb to slay Nick, but after she rescues Nick from certain death, the duo must confront an army of ruthless hired killers in order to survive the night.
Books

“Sacred Liberty” offers a dramatic, sweeping survey of how America built a unique model of religious freedom, perhaps the nation’s “greatest invention.”

Our current climate of divisiveness over religion is not new, but our misinterpretation of religious liberty is. In fact, Steve Waldman argues, we are now at risk of undermining this hard-won and fragile American right.

Waldman’s latest book, Sacred Liberty, (HarperOne, $28.99), is a sweeping historical survey of how our principles evolved and matured from the founding of the nation and the Constitution under James Madison to the fraught and often controversial integration of various faiths—Jews, Catholics, Native American, African slaves and their religions, Mormons, and now Muslims—into the American mainstream, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

Waldman makes clear that these battles resulted in today’s firm legal foundation of both the separation of church and state and the protection of religious minorities—which, counterintuitively, has allowed the U.S. to become the most religious country among developed nations. He contends that religious liberty is at the core of America’s success.

“Depriving someone of their money or property can certainly wound,” he writes, “but blocking their path to God deprives them of
something even more important—their own quest to find meaning in life.”

Yet the consensus around religious freedom is fragile. There are signs that the core principles of religious freedom are not universally shared or understood. In reminding us of our past, Waldman hopes this history can illuminate our path forward.
Over the course of its development, America has been tempted to forget its principles of religious freedom and vilify particular religious minorities.

But each time there have been heroes who have stepped forward to remind us of our better natures and encourage us to stand by our core principles.To protect out most fundamental rights—enshrined in the First Amendment—we must remember the lessons of our past and defend the hard-won progressive values that are the true heart of America’s greatness.

Uncategorized

Howard Stern on his new book: “Fuck Hemingway! I put my heart and soul into this book and could not be more proud of it.”

Simon & Schuster is doing a pretty good job when it comes to the meat of Howard Stern’s new book private, as in private parts. The price is known ($35, retail) and the cover as well. And, of course, one important fact: Howard Stern Comes Again is his first book in more than 20 years and hits shelves and amazon.com May 14.

Private Parts, published in 1993, was (at that time) the fastest-selling book in the history of Simon & Schuster. When the first-printing of 250,000 copies sold out in just a few hours, a second printing of 600,000 copies was ordered. Within two weeks the book would be in its eighth printing, for a total of more than one million copies. So great was the demand that 10,000 people turned up for a signing at the midtown Barnes & Noble, creating a massive traffic jam in which Stern himself was trapped, effectively shutting down Fifth Avenue.

Private Parts went on to spend 20 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list—all the more remarkable considering that several national accounts refused to sell the book.

Stern’s follow-up, Miss America, released in 1995, sold even faster. Barnes & Noble recorded 33,000 sales on publication date—a one-day record for the chain at that time. 15,000 people showed up for a signing at a Borders Books & Music in Los Angeles. Miss America spent 16 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

“I’ve been waiting two years for this book to be finished, because Howard Stern told me to be patient,” says Jonathan Karp, Publisher of Simon & Schuster. “It was well worth the wait. Howard Stern Strikes Again is certain to be one of the most entertaining and widely read books of the year.”

Stern, when asked to comment, offered “Fuck Hemingway! I put my heart and soul into this book and could not be more proud of it.”

Books

Meet Shannon Watts, the “NRA’s Worst Nightmare”. Go get ’em girl!

She is one of our favorite women. She’s a fave with Michael Bloomberg, Hilary Clinton and Katie Couric, this gem named Shannon Watts—and dubbed “the NRA’s Worst Nightmare”.

Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World (HarperOne, $25.99) tells the inspiring story of how Watts’ rallying call-to-action grew into a powerful women’s
movement to protect children from America’s epidemic of gun violence, and offers lessons for others who want to make a difference in their community.

Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the WorldOn the morning of December 14, 2012, stay-at-home-mom Shannon Watts was folding laundry when the news broke that there had been a shooting in Newtown, Connecticut involving young children. Outraged and heartbroken, Shannon felt an overwhelming need to act. Discovering there was no organization for gun violence correspondent to MADD—Mothers Against Drunk Driving—she vowed to build it.

Fight Like a Mother is the powerful story of how one mother’s cry for action started a national women’s movement—MADD
Mom’s Demand Action—to fight some of the richest and most powerful people in America: the gun lobby. It is an inspiring
record of how outraged mothers became engaged citizens, creating a powerful grassroots network of local chapters in all
50 states.

Along with her observations and wisdom, Watts shares inspiring messages of perseverance, courage, and compassion, and outlines the core mantras and principles that MDA has used to battle the NRA and the intimidating tactics they use to prevent gun safety progress. Throughout, Shannon proves that a woman with a laptop can be more powerful than a man with a gun.

Fight Like a Mother explores the unique power of women. While not everyone can be on the front lines of the fight, every mom is already an organizer, and Shannon shows them how to put their skills to use in their own community, in their own way. Bringing activism into the everyday, the book will inspire everyone—mothers and fathers, students and teachers, lawmakers, and every citizen outraged, angry, and motivated to work for change—transforming hearts, minds and laws, and most importantly, show them how to honor their values with action.

Books

“How the Bible Actually Works” explains that the Bible is powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth by refusing to provide us with easy answers

So what is this hype about a book called the Bible?

In How the Bible Actually Works (HarperOne, $26.99), controversial evangelical Bible scholar, blogger, podcast host Peter Enns  explains that the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth by refusing to provide us with easy answers, instead forcing us to acquire wisdom.

For many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal
truths about belief about God that must be strictly followed. But the Bible is not static, Peter Enns argues. It does not hold easy answers to the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not
only offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers to spiritual questions, cultivating God’s wisdom within us.

“The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible’s true subject matter,” writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves.

The Bible, in other words, really isn’t the problem; having the wrong expectation is what interferes with our reading. Rather than considering the Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today.

How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that “being right” is the most important measure of faith, Enns’s freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God—which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do

Books

First he showed us to “Unfuck Yourself.” Now Gary John Bishop now offers us “Stop Doing That Shit”

Everyone fucks up. Me. You. Pope Francis. And every Republican.

Now it’s time to stop doing shit.

From the author of the New York Times and international bestseller Unfu*k Yourself, Gary John Bishop now offers us Stop Doing That Sh*t, a no-holds barred guide to breaking through our cycles of self-sabotaging behavior to get what we want out of life.

Bishop explains how our destructive cycles come down to the way that we’re wired. He then identifies different types of people and the ways we fuck ourselves over: We can’t save money. We land in the same type of toxic relationship. We’re stuck in a rut at work.

Analyzing why we act the way we do, including what our common grenades are that blow up our lives, Bishop then shows how we can interrupt the cycle and stop self-sabotaging our lives. Written in the same in your face style as Unfu*k Yourself, Stop Doing that Sh*t will help us get in touch with our psychological machinery so we learn to interrupt negative thoughts and behavior before they start, allowing us to give our attention to something else, and start to find success in the areas we thought we never could.

We can take back our lives. We may have fucked up in the past, but Stop Doing That Sh*t will show us how to break the patterns in order to live the lives we yearn to have.

Books, CDs, Music

Paul Stanley gives fans a KISS and a tour of his life, from the kitchen to the stage

Wanna go backstage at a KISS concert? We cab guarantee fans one thing: In Backstage Pass, (HarperOne, $27.99) Paul Stanley, legendary frontman and rhythm guitarist of the group, offers grants fans an all-access backstage pass to his personal life, and shows them how to pursue a royal rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle of their own offering hard-won advice and rules to live by from a rock n’ roll legend.

Backstage PassIn this follow-up to his popular bestseller Face the Music, Paul takes us deeper into his personal life and his home life on and off the stage, revealing what he eats, drinks, and does with his friends and family, he’s learned from a lifetime at the frontman of the iconic band KISS, and how he brings his unique sensibility not only to his superstar music career but to every area of his life—from the business to parenting to health and happiness, to the kitchen and the bar to the gym and the office.

Showcasing his unique lifestyle, Backstage Pass is a rare look at the man beneath the modern rock god persona. Paul shares fascinating details about his life—his fitness routine, philosophy, business principles, how he finds inspiration, passion, and joy after nearly 50 years filling arenas and selling out shows, and even his favorite meals, and includes recipes from friends such as Anthony Bourdain, Rocco DiSpirito and Mario Batali.

Backstage Pass divulges more true stories of the rock legend’s relationships, hardships, and wild nights, contains intimate four-color never-before-seen photos from Paul’s personal collection, and offers surprising lessons on the discipline and hard work that have made him one of the healthiest and most successful rock n’ roll frontmen in history—and a model superstar for the modern age.
This is the book for fans who love living large, but also want to kick ass at everyday life. From doing shots at the bar to enjoying a glass of red on the patio, Paul shows you how you can rock n’ roll all night and party every day—without missing a beat or looking like you do.

Books

Hana Ali captures her father in “At Home with Muhammad Ali: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Forgiveness”

Athlete. Activist. Champion. Ambassador. Icon. Father. The Greatest. Gatorade Pitchman. Muhammad Ali is all these things.

His daughter, Hana Ali,  captures the legendary heavyweight boxing champion, Olympic Gold medalist, activist and philanthropist as never before in At Home with Muhammad Ali: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Forgiveness (Amistad, $25.99), a candid and intimate family memoir, based on personal recordings he kept throughout his adult life.

Hana illuminates this momentous figure as only a daughter can. As Ali approached the end of his astonishing boxing career, he embraced a new purpose and role, turning his focus to his family and friends. In that role, he took center stage as an ambassador for peace and friendship.|

Dedication to preserving his family’s unique history, Ali began recording a series of audio diaries in the ’70s, which his daughter later inherited. Through these private tapes, as well as personal journals, love letters, cherished memories, and many never-before-seen photographs, she reveals a complex man devoted to keeping all nine of his children united, and to helping others.

https://youtu.be/9yNgGEKHBrA

Hana Gives us a privileged glimpse inside the Ali home, sharing the everyday adventures her family experienced—all so “normal,” with visitors such as Clint Eastwood and John Travolta dropping by. She shares the joy and laughter, the hardship and pain, and, most importantly, the dedication and love that has bonded them.

“It’s been said that my father is one of the most written-bout people in the world,” Hana writes. “As the chronicles continue to grow, the deepest and most essential, essence of his spirit is still largely unknown.” A moving and poignant love letter from a daughter to a father. At Home with Muhammad Ali is the untold story of Ali’s family legacy—a gift both eternal and priceless.

Books

An old dog (a very old dog) teaches Dave Barry some new tricks. Thank you Lucy.

There isn’t anything worse than being in the doghouse. I didn’t have the catch to catch up with Dave Barry’s delightfully witty and warm and damn funny Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog, his latest gem from Simon & Schuster ($26).

Credit: Jeffry Salter
Lucy and his dad

The book was all set and ready to be published October 2018, but when a medical crisis upended the Barry family, the book was postponed so they could deal with this unforeseen challenge. In the final version—the one you must pick up now—Dave has included an additional chapter about that crisis.

I won’t blame you if you jump ahead to that final, profoundly moving chapter. But, please, not at the expense of the preceding chapters. In the book, Dave has just turned 70—the same age his beloved rescue dog Lucy is in dog years. Dave can’t help but notice that Lucy seems to be handling the aging process more gracefully than he is. “She’s way better at this than I am,” he writes. “I know much more than she does, but she knows something I don’t: how to be happy.”

That’s the idea behind .

“This book represents my attempt to understand how Lucy manages to be so happy, and to figure out whether I can use any of her methods to make my own life happier,” Dave writes. “Because—not to get too dramatic—I don’t have that much time left.”

Lucy imparts seven crucial life lessons to Dave—lessons of value to anyone, at any age:

Dave shows how to age gracefully, taking cues from his beloved and highly intelligent canine. Faced with the obstacles and challenges of life after middle age, Barry turns to Lucy to learn how to live his best life. Lucy, it seems, is dealing with old age far better than he is. She has more friends, fewer worries, and way more fun. So Dave decides to figure out how Lucy manages to stay so  happy, to see if he can make his own life happier by doing the things she does (except for drinking from the toilet).

Lucy teaches Dave such lessons as “Make New Friends” (an unfortunate fail when he can’t overcome his dislike for mankind) and “Don’t Stop Having Fun” (validating his longtime membership in two ridiculous but fun groups: The Lawn Rangers, a marching unit that performs in parades—and even Obama’s inauguration—pushing lawnmowers and twirling brooms; and the Rock Bottom Remainders, the world’s oldest and least talented all-author band).

She shows Dave how to live in the present, how to let go of daily grievances, and how to feel good in his own skin. The lessons are drawn from Dave’s routine humiliations and stream-of-consciousness accounts of the absurdities of daily existence, as he riffs hilariously on dogs, people, and life in general.

DVDs, Movies

A restored “The Bostonians” explores political intrigue and forbidden romance in post-Civil War Boston.

Charles S. Cohen, Chairman and CEO of Cohen Media Group is ready to pull another gem out of his wealth of wonders.  On May 21, Cohen releases Merchant Ivory Productions’ Academy Award-nominated The Bostonians in a 4K restoration on Blu-ray, DVD and digital platforms.
The Bostonians (1984) was the second of three handsomely mounted Henry James adaptations by the team of producer Ismail Merchant, director James Ivory and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, following 1979’s The Europeans and preceding The Golden Bowl (2000).
Academy Award-winning actresses Jessica Tandy, Vanessa Redgrave and Linda Hunt headline an all-star cast alongside Christopher Reeve in this adaptation of James’s 1886 novel of political intrigue and forbidden romance in post-Civil War Boston. Olive Chancellor (played by Redgrave) finds her infatuation with young activist Verena Tarrant (Madeleine Potter) challenged by a Southern lawyer (Christopher Reeve) who also loves her. An intricately drawn study of the impact of women’s suffrage on society, The Bostonians is also a lush evocation of the late 19th century, with dazzling cinematography by Walter Lassally and a memorable score by frequent Merchant Ivory collaborator Richard Robbins.

The film received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Actress (Vanessa Redgrave) and Costume Design (Jenny Beavan, John Bright). Redgrave was named Best Actress by the National Society of Film Critics.
Special features on the Blu-ray and DVD include a new interview with director James Ivory, “Conversations from the Quad: James Ivory on The Bostonians,” the original trailer and the 2018 re-release trailer.