“Emilia Clarke as Kate and Henry Golding playing Tom do, surprisingly, display chemistry, despite “Tom” playing the same dream-boat dashing Prince Charming as he dutifully smiled through in “Crazy Rich Asians”…
Two things stand out from the trailer; London is a really, really romantic backdrop for a Christmas love story, and Emilia Clarke has loads of charisma playing an elf, a princess, pretty much anything one can think of, apparently.
Adding George Michael songs, paired with the London mise en scène, is a sort of emotion pulling machine, even before the adorable elf and the dashing prince begin to mesh.
Directed by Paul Feig and written by playwright Bryony Kimmings and Academy Award Winner Emma Thompson, this is, as long as you are open to a straight up romantic comedy, with emphasis on romantic, and ready to re-live whatever 80s memories George Michael songs will conjure up, a perfect holiday film in a tradition that goes way back. Perhaps all the way back
Congratulations to Emilia Clarke for moving on to a role beyond dragons so soon, and for her performance that appears to show her wit, humor and humanity.
Photo / Universal
The trailer hints at a darker side, deeper romance, just a straght ahead love story…or?
Based on the trailer (see above) there are definitely funny moments in the film, and, yes, an “opposites-attract” chemistry is evident, but what people are wondering, in response to a view of the first trailer, is if that is enough?
Shortly after the trailer appeared online a twitter guessing game erupted, on the question of the possible plot twists:
The LAST CHRISTMAS trailer definitely seems to hint at some kinda twist — so I broke down all the possible twists it could be: https://t.co/oEzzKA6DZR
— Matt Singer / mattsinger.bsky.social (@mattsinger) August 14, 2019
Many of us are already looking forward to this one. In theaters on November 8, 2019
Based on the 2008 novel of the same name, written by Garth Stein, a novel that has had lasting success, this was an obvious choice to be made into another, family friendly, Disney K-9 fest.
Directed by Simon Curtis and starring Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried and with Kevin Costner as the voice of the thinking of Enzo, who is a dog.
It’s not that Enzo talks, other than the same way other dogs “talk”, but, instead, Enzo narrates the film from the perspective of Enzo’s thoughts and observations.
The story is based around Enzo’s belief that a dog that has the proper life experiences will be a human after re-birth. Since it is late in his life he tries to gather those and reach his goal of becoming a (human) and a race car driver.
The human drama does take a front seat and they are able to talk, as is usual, but the feelings of the audience are likely moved most by seeing these human events with “dog eyes”.
The story revolves around Enzo’s relationship with his owner (Milo Ventimiglia as Denny Swift) and his Wife (Avery “Eve” Swift played by Amanda Seyfried).
Probably the appropriate question to ask yourself, once you’ve seen the trailer, above, is how much of a dog lover are you? If the answer is that you are a huge fan of dogs and dog movies, you will love this movie, or at the least, be moved by it.
Costner is well cast as the voice of the internal thoughts and musings of Enzo, and the thoughts do seem to match his well known off-beat heroic on screen persona.
No big surprises but plenty of heart strings get pulled
Naturally, while not a movie to sneak up on you with any huge surprises, once you are comfortable with the basic premise of seeing life through the eyes of a very cute and sympathetic dog, nevertheless, the stories many emotional peaks and valleys hit home, as the novel also did with its millions of fans.
As a kind of unrelated sequel to “Marley & Me” also a hit dog story that succeeded in novel as well as Feature film form, there is, apparently, a growing tradition of adorable dog profiles that make it to the big screen.
So: cute, adorable dog imparts wisdom from late in his life, looking back, and presumably forward to his reincarnation as a human.
If you love the trailer you’ll likely enjoy the film.
Martin Freeman stars as Charlie in this romantic comedy about a cataplexic man (faints when excited or has too much joy) struggling with his attraction to the ultimate trigger of his affliction: Francesca, played by Morena Baccarin.
Based on an episode from NPR’s podcast series “This American Life”, that first aired in 2010, the concept was based on a real person, the subject of the piece, who had cataplexy, which is a particular symptom of narcolepsy that can cause lack of muscular control or even paralysis as a reaction to the experience of strong emotions, including joy.
At one time having the provisional title; “The Pursuit of Unhappiness” it chronicles a man who’s condition literally requires him to avoid feelings, including happiness and joy.
In a sense, the plot is like a physical re-enactment through this dramatization, based on a real affliction, of what, perhaps, we all feel on some level. Too much “joy” and Charlie literally collapses and removes himself from the overstimulating situation.
The Plight of One is a Mirror of Us All?
It’s funny, but also somehow endearing, that this man has resigned himself to intentionally avoiding all that excites and fulfills him. The journey becomes one of facing his “demons” and, in his case, quite literally confronting them, even as they cause him to collapse whenever he attempts to do so.
Based on the trailer (see above) there are many genuinely funny moments in the film, and the romance appears poignant and believable, in spite of the true-to-life and yet, at the same time hard to imagine, plot twists.
The film’s producer, Jason Winer, when interviewed in “The Hollywood Reporter” put it this way:
“A lot of people living with this disease described the horror of being conscious while it’s happening,” he explains. “You’re not passing out; you’re losing muscle control. So as (Charlie’s) body reacts to emotion by essentially crumbling, he’s witnessing people’s reaction to him crumbling, which is part of the embarrassment and fear of the whole thing.”
Jason Winer, producer, “ode to Joy
And on what it was about the story that attracted him to the project:
“It was a compassionate and moving look at the people who were living with this condition where they couldn’t allow themselves to feel, and it was tragic, But it was also the most original obstacle to falling in love that either Mike (co-executive producer) or myself had heard in years.”
JASON WINER, PRODUCER
Photo / Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions
With so many major film studios focused on Super Hero blockbusters, sequels and remakes, “Ode to Joy” had a long arduous path to reach today’s release. Originally slated to be made under the Sony Pictures umbrella, ultimately is became an Indie project now with distribution by IFC Films.
Perhaps it is still enough, in the movie industry, to stimulate thought and entertain with comedy and romance. With so much violence and strife in our real-life surroundings, it seems, maybe this is the kind of hopeful and thoughtful escape we can all embrace.
In this, the Fifth Article in a Series Featuring all the Winners, See Photos of the Top Three Awards for the Categories: Children and Landscape
With photo submissions from over 140 countries around the world it is no surprise that some amazing shots were captured in incredible locations. – Bayan Ulgi, Mongolia, for example – The authenticity of the subject matter is on clear display and there is something about the light…
Naturally, unbelievable photos can happen anywhere, anytime, which is the beauty of having a camera that is always with you. Don’t overlook the “honorable mentions” either. The two mosaic galleries below show how high the competitive artistry was and how difficult it must have been to choose.
Established in 2007, IPPAWARDS have featured the worlds best iPhone photographers and photos since the iPhone’s inception. The deadline to enter the next years program is March 2020, so, use these great images as inspiration to take your best shot. Who knows, it might be you taking the Grand Prize in 2020!
First Place Winner, Children : Neri Rivas
First place Children photo shot in Los Angeles, California, on an iPhone XS by Neri Rivas – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Neri Rivas – IPPAWARDS
”Neri Rivas was born in el pueblo de Los Angeles, CA. With a passion for movies and comic books, Neri refined his pencil sketches to a love of graphic design to tell stories through single imagery.”
”This photo was taken outside a supermarket in Los Angeles. My son Jasper wore a raptor mask and a Dodgers hat and we made up a story about Jasper the Raptor, a dinosaur boy who was hungry and went to the grocery store.”
Second Place, Children : Kirill Voynovskiy
Second place Children photo shot in St. Petersburg, Russia, on an iPhone 6 by Kirill Voynovskiy – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Kirill Voynovskiy – IPPAWARDS
”I live in Russia, in the city of St. Petersburg.”
”This is my daughter Olivia.”
Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Children
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Third Place, Children : David Booker
Third place Children photo shot in Peak Rail, Derbyshire, on an iPhone XS Max by David Booker – IPPAWARDS
Photo of David Booker – IPPAWARDS
”I live in Derbyshire, England and have exhibited iPhone photography on a number of occasions in the UK and USA under the name of Blemished Eye – a collection of dark, somewhat alternative portraiture. Since the birth of my son just over two years ago I’ve shifted my attention to documenting family life but this is the first time I’ve shared such an image outside of family and close friends. I manage an independent bookshop – Scarthin Books of Cromford – and live with my wife, Eve, and young son, Gabriel and have a daughter, Sophie, who is at University.”
”My two year old son, Gabriel, totally captivated by his first experience of traveling by steam train.”
First Place, Landscape : Hsueh Isan
First place Landscape photo shot in Umm Sayhoun, Jordan, on an iPhone SE by Hsueh Isan – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Hsueh Isan – IPPAWARDS
”An architecture designer from Taiwan who enjoys capturing life.”
”An unexpected scene on the road to Petra.”
Second Place, Landscape : Erik Burdett
Second place Landscape photo shot in Canyon, Texas, on an iPhone XR by Erik Burdett – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Erik Burdett – IPPAWARDS
”Erik Burdett is a freelance photographer and writer living in windswept West Texas with his two dogs Disco and Mary.”
”The photo was taken on one of my many hikes in Palo Duro Canyon State Park.”
Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Landscape
[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”17″]
Third Place, Landscape : Guoxi Chen
Third place Landscape photo shot in Lake Baikal, Russia, on an iPhone 8 Plus by Guoxi Chen – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Guoxi Chen – IPPAWARDS
”I am a photographer of Humanities and scenery. I travel around the world with passion and eyes for beauty. Also, try to record the most beautiful moments of the planet with a lens.”
”Lake Baikal is frozen for thousands of miles in winter. Because of the ice, people can walk on the lake. On a snowy morning, I took a picture of Lake Baikal, using the lead wire on the ice as the foreground.”
In this, the Fourth Article in a Series Featuring all the Winners, See Photos of the Top Three Awards for the Categories: Panorama and Nature
A panorama shot on an iPhone is a special software assisted technique where the camera lens is literally swept across the scene to be photographed. It takes a special eye and a steady hand. The rest is software magic. This episode shows the skills of panorama shooters as well as nature photographers extraordinaire.
Naturally, unbelievable photos can happen anywhere, anytime, which is the beauty of having a camera that is always with you. Don’t overlook the “honorable mentions” either. The two mosaic galleries below show how high the competitive artistry was and how difficult it must have been to choose.
Established in 2007, IPPAWARDS have featured the worlds best iPhone photographers and photos since the iPhone’s inception. The deadline to enter the next years program is March 2020, so, use these great images as inspiration to take your best shot. Who knows, it might be you taking the Grand Prize in 2020!
First Place Winner, Panorama : Vincent Chen
First place Panorama photo shot in Senja Island, Norway, on an iPhone X by Vincent Chen – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Vincent Chen – IPPAWARDS
”I currently work for a metal company in Zambia, Africa. I like travelling around the world and taking photos with my phones. Surrounded by nature, landscapes became my first subject matter, and have stayed with me ever since.”
”Segla Mountain is a very identifiable mountain on the northern part of Senja Island. From Segla’s top I saw the amazing landscape of a narrow mountainous peninsula surrounded by two spectacular fjords. They looked really beautiful at sunrise.”
Second Place, Panorama : Garrine Tsang
Second place Panorama photo shot in Monument Valley, Arizona, , on an iPhone 6S by Garrine Tsang – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Garrine Tsang – IPPAWARDS
”Garrine Tsang was born in Hong Kong and moved to Canada in 1998. She started and fell in love with wildlife and nature photography in 2013. Garrine is an active member of the National Geographic YourShot community and a photo club member of Canadian Geographic. iPhone is a great companion to her during outdoor shooting due to its portability and versatility.”
”View from Artist’s Point in Monument Valley, where the ground falls away steeply and the flat land stretches ahead for many miles, punctuated by the peaks of buttes, mesas and pinnacles in distance.”
Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Panorama
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Third Place, Panorama : Jessica Notelo
Third place Panorama photo shot in Matera, Italy, on an iPhone 7 Plus by Jessica Notelo – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Jessica Notelo – IPPAWARDS
”Jessica Notelo is a Cape Town born photographer who has experience in the commercial, fashion, automobile, and wedding industries. Although weddings are currently Jessica’s main focus, she has always been a lover of travel photography and loves spending time wandering new places taking snaps with her iPhone.”
”Walking the streets of this magical city, it’s so difficult to actually capture the spirit of the town. There are corners of quiet solitude where you find hidden gems such as an abandoned 1000 year old cave abode, and there are bustling streets in the city centre with scooters buzzing by on business, and the fresh smell of Italian coffee.”
First Place, Nature : Huei Jiuan Wang
First place Nature photo shot in Iceland, on an iPhone 6 by Huei Jiuan Wang– IPPAWARDS
Photo of Huei Jiuan Wang – IPPAWARDS
”I’m an architecture professional and an amateur photographer based in Amsterdam. I move among different countries every several years as a nomad.”
”It was dark, humid and quiet inside the ice cave. I was climbing up step by step toward the light. The moment brought me to the scene as a newborn inside the womb of nature, ready to embrace the outside world.”
Second Place, Nature : Xiao Lin
Second place Nature photo shot in Kaski, Nepal, on an iPhone X by Xiao Lin – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Xiao Lin – IPPAWARDS
”I am a programmer, and work in a company who develops educational apps for kids in Ningbo, China. I love taking pictures with my iPhone. My wife encouraged me to send those photos to your website after she saw them, I love my wife!”
”The picture is of Annapurna mountain in the Himalayans where I was walking the ABC trail. The view was so amazing, I will never forget it.”
Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Nature
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Third Place, Nature : Yingya Liu
Third place Nature photo shot of the China Sea on an iPhone 6S by Yingya Liu – IPPAWARDS
In this, the Third Article in a Series Featuring all the Winners, See Photos of the Top Three Awards for the Categories: Architecture and Animals
Although the cameras built into iPhones have been improving, every year since 2007 when the first iPhone was released, what these collections of the best photos shot on iPhone each year show is how composition and choosing the moment stand out, much more than the technical achievements of the built in cameras themselves.
This installment, focusing on Architecture and Animals, displays perfect examples of those qualities. Mostly still-life such as architecture and elusive living subjects, such as animals, either way, it is the framing, composition and capturing the perfect angle with the perfect light that separates a great photo from a merely good one.
Naturally, unbelievable photos can happen anywhere, anytime, which is the beauty of having a camera that is always with you. Don’t overlook the “honorable mentions” either. The two mosaic galleries below show how high the competitive artistry was and how difficult it must have been to choose.
Established in 2007, IPPAWARDS have featured the worlds best iPhone photographers and photos since the iPhone’s inception. The deadline to enter the next years program is March 2020, so, use these great images as inspiration to take your best shot. Who knows, it might be you taking the Grand Prize in 2020!
First Place Winner, Architecture : Kuanglong Zhang
First place Architecture photo shot in Jaipur, India, on an iPhone X by Kuanglong Zhang – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Kuanglong Zhang – IPPWARDS
I am a professional photographer and photography teacher. I teach many people mobile phone photography skills in China so that everyone can feel the fun of mobile phone photography. ”
”Janta Manta Observatory is very sci-fi looking. I captured the flying pigeon with the building to give the photo a dynamic feeling.”
Second Place, Architecture : Sally Ann Field
Second place Architecture photo shot in Palm Springs, California, , on an iPhone X by Sally Ann Field – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Christian Horgan – IPPAWARDS
”Sally Ann Field is a commercial and fine art photographer who is influenced by human behavior and pop-culture. Sally is based in Hollywood, California, where she brings her art director’s eye to the viewfinder and the printed page.”
”I can’t get enough of the mid century modern architecture in Palm Springs, CA. This building is one of my favorites and I happened to be driving by mid day when the intense light, color and shadow caught my eye. The building does not have a bad angle, but for me it was the palm tree that made the composition complete.”
Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Architecture
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Third Place, Architecture : Shuo Chen
Third place Architecture photo shot in Xiamen City, Fujian, on an iPhone X by Shuo Chen – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Shuo Chen – IPPAWARDS
”After graduation from Victoria University of Wellington, I have become a professional photographer and designer from Xiamen, China. I’ m a contributor for many international photo agencies.”
This image was taken in the Xiamen, international shipping center. I was trying to create a futuristic battle scene of Star Wars (I’m a huge starwars fan). When a friend told me about this location, I thought it would be very good to shoot something like this with a lightsaber and two characters fighting. The lighting that afternoon was great, and we waited for the best natural light of the sun to light up the place.”
First Place, Animals : Diogo Lage
First place Animals photo shot in Porto, Portugal, on an iPhone SE by Diogo Lage – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Diogo Lage – IPPAWARDS
”My love for photography began years ago, with black and white film. Today I keep up that taste, including shooting the photos with the active black and white filter and only with rare exceptions do I revert to color. My background is in Art and Design where I always look for inspiration and references.”
”What made me take this photo was the unexpected balance of the composition that reinforces the sense of pride, place and charisma of this peacock. In this public garden, seeing these wild peacocks is one of the most exquisite experiences people can have, they are truly the lords of the garden.”
Second Place, Animals : Yoichi Sato
Second place Animals photo shot in Kisarazu, Japan, on an iPhone X by Yoichi Sato – IPPAWARDS
Image of Yoichi Sato – IPPAWARDS
”Photographer active in Tokyo Japan. I was previously a camera module designer and now takes snapshots of daily life using the iPhone.”
Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Animals
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Third Place, Animals : Deena Berton
Third place Animals photo shot in the Bahamas on an iPhone X by Deena Berton – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Deena Berton – IPPAWARDS
”Deena Berton has had an abiding interest in making images since high school. In college and business school she was a photographer and photo editor for her college newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun. She creates images in many different media. Her current passions are mobile digital image making, painting exuberant abstracts, Nerikomi ceramics and mixed analog and digital media.”
”I was captivated by the giant fish tanks at a resort in the Bahamas where the fish seemed to be observing people, mirroring the people observing the fish.”
The calculation of the average global temperature was arrived at by measuring data from satellites, buoys, weather balloons and various other sources, daily and hourly, and then inputting that information into proprietary computer models.
Photo / The Copernicus Program
Next, the results were compared with other measurements taken by various similar climate research agencies around the world.
In case you are wondering, more modern and accurate global average temperature records have been kept for approximately 100 years. General record keeping goes back much further, for example, the recent heatwave in Europe broke high temperature marks dating to the 1500s, according to the Climatology Institute in Potsdam, Germany.
The warmest previous July in history was in 2016 and global average temperatures in July this year were at least as high, if not higher. Northern latitudes had particularly high temps, compared to the average from 1981-2010 including, Alaska, Baffing Island, parts of Siberia, and also, Iran as well as large parts of Antarctica.
Photo / Adobe Stock
Extreme Measures During Euro-Heatwave Required:
Heat across Europe was extreme and caused disruption and dismay during it’s recent severe heatwaves, in June and again in July.
It got so hot in Antwerp, Belgium, for example, that 2 suspected drug smugglers called the police to rescue them, after they accidentally locked themselves into a scorching hot shipping container, which also happened to be filled with cocaine.
Better than death by frying, apparently.
In areas of Germany, known for it’s stretches of autobahn without speed limits, limits were put in place, for the first time, in order to prevent cars from overheating and even damaging the roads themselves, while operating at high speeds.
In the Pairi Daiza Zoo in Belgium, bears were fed watermelons encased in blocks of ice, to keep them from potentially suffering heatstroke.
A wildfire burns in western Greenland on July 31, 2019. (Photo Credit / Orla Joelsen via Twitter)
Ice on Fire: This is Real
Arctic wildfires; yes, wildfires where there was once nothing but snow and ice, struck again. Again, that is, after a series of fires were reported in western Greenland in 2017.
Over 100 intense wildfires in the Arctic Circle were tracked by CAMS, part of the Copernicus program mentioned above, during June and July, 2019.
In June the fires caused 50 megatons of carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere, as much as the total yearly emissions for Sweden. Shortly thereafter in July, during the European heatwave, melting ice, also in Greenland, sent 197 billion tons of water into the Atlantic.
They call this a “melt event” and this summer there have been several of the largest on record, since at least 1950. Not because there was more melting in 1950, but because records have only been kept since that year.
It may well take years of these “melt events” to combine together and raise the world sea level, and endanger coastal cities around the globe, but if it is happening at all, that is alarming, in and of itself.
Since these kinds of ice melt events, such as we experienced this year, and a previous extreme event in 2012, are thought to occur only approximately every 250 years, therefore, already having seen two in less than a decade is a strong indicator that climate change is increasing the frequency of these, and many other anomalous weather patterns.
In this, the Second Article in a Series Featuring all the Winners, See Photos of the Top Three Awards for the Categories: Portrait and Abstract
With photo submissions from over 140 countries around the world it is no surprise that some amazing shots were captured in incredible locations. – Bayan Ulgi, Mongolia, for example – The authenticity of the subject matter is on clear display and there is something about the light…
Naturally, unbelievable photos can happen anywhere, anytime, which is the beauty of having a camera that is always with you. Don’t overlook the “honorable mentions” either. The two mosaic galleries below show how high the competitive artistry was and how difficult it must have been to choose.
Established in 2007, IPPAWARDS have featured the worlds best iPhone photographers and photos since the iPhone’s inception. The deadline to enter the next years program is March 2020, so, use these great images as inspiration to take your best shot. Who knows, it might be you taking the Grand Prize in 2020!
First Place Winner, Portrait : Mona Jumaan
First place Portrait photo shot in Bayan Ulgi, Mongolia, on an iPhone 7 Plus by Mona Jumaan – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Mona Jumaan – IPPAWARDS
”I am an amateur photographer/traveller based in Bahrain. Combining my passions, I aspire to create photos that connect the viewer to the places I have visited, and to give them the experience through my photographs what I have experienced firsthand. ”
”In Bayan Ulgi province in western Mongolia, eagle hunting is a tradition passed across generations. Boys start their training as early as 11 years old, and little Bakha is no exception as he makes his entrance into the world of eagle hunting with his prized falcon.”
Second Place, Portrait : Christian Horgan
Second place Portrait photo shot in Margaret River, Western Australia, on an iPhone X by Chrisitan Horgan – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Christian Horgan – IPPAWARDS
”Christian Horgan is a story teller based in Western Australia. He is a presenter and producer of Film, Television and Radio with his work reaching national and global audiences. Christian uses his iPhone as another means to tell stories, capturing images from the tales that unfold around him. He’s all about using his iPhone to see the world in a different light.”
”I take my nephew Eden on ‘Photo Safaris’, where we only shoot with our iPhones. Our trophies are the images we capture. My mum has a couple of bee hives in Margaret River, Western Australia, and I thought they’d make for an exciting safari. As we dressed for this adventure I decided to take a portrait of Eden in his ‘photo safari suit’.”
Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Portrait
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Third Place, Portrait : Magali Chesnel
Third place Portrait photo shot in Gruissan, France, on an iPhone 7 by Magali Chesnel – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Magali Chesnel – IPPAWARDS
”Magali Chesnel is a French artist, painter and self-taught photographer. Born in Versailles and a native of Brittany – France. She is an award-winning and globally exhibited aerial photographer.”
”One of my favorite moments, perched on the tummy of my master. I have to confess, the view is awesome!! This cushion makes me feel secure. I can also warn other dogs and protect my master. Yeeaah! Who’s the boss?! I belong to him and he belongs to me.”
First Place, Abstract : Jiangying Guo
First place Abstract photo shot in Mexico City, Mexico, on an iPhone 7 Plus by Jiangying Guo – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Jiangying Guo – IPPAWARDS
”A recent graduate from Pratt Institute (Brooklyn, NY). I work as an interior designer, and I love taking pictures for memories.”
”A beam of sunlight shined on a swimming pool at 9:32am, when I was visiting the house designed by Luis Barragán.”
Second Place, Abstract : JuliAnne Kaplan
Second place Abstract photo shot in San Francisco, Califrnia, on an iPhone 7 Plus by JuliAnne Kaplan – I
Photo of JuliAnne Kaplan – IPPAWARDS
”JuliAnne Kaplan is an award winning photographer living in San Rafael, California. She is passionate about seeing and hopes that, through her art, she can help enable others to slow down and catch the moment. JuliAnne’s daily photography practice is about “Seeing . . . What Is”. What makes her come alive is capturing those fleeting perceptions with her iPhone camera and discovering magic in the process—what is revealed in the moment: direct, vivid and true.”
”Looking up, at the corner of Laguna and Hayes Streets, San Francisco. The midday sun casts an engaging abstract pattern of geometric shadows onto the quirky facade.”
Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Abstract
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Third Place, Abstract : Samantha Byrd
Third place Abstract photo shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on an iPhone 8 Plus by Samantha Byrd – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Samantha Byrd – IPPAWARDS
”Texas born and bred but enamored with the world. I have an insatiable hunger for exploring and capturing the magic I find.”
”From the wrong angle, it looked chaotic, like someone had hung string frivolously. But from straight on, it was perfect. Serene and calming.”
Imagine that a camera crew followed you around all day. Each time you expended energy through exercising (you might be an athlete) and your daily routine, running to work, climbing the stairs, kick boxing after work, or dancing in the evening, the crew shot a flattering moment of you in the middle of it all.
Or, better yet, say you are at the end of a long, active day. Ever since you’ve been “closing rings” on your apple watch, you know just what kinds of activities, and for how long, it will take to get them all closed. You watch, in your mind’s eye, an imaginary external montage of each step, each jump, each time your foot presses the pedal on your bike, all the various ways you express physicality and, this being a daydream (at night) you run the sequence in your mind over and over.
Each time you view the day’s movements and activities you choose just a snippet, a tiny captured slice, of every peak action revelation that, by the end of the long day, combine together to close your rings. By the time you’ve compressed it into the ultimate montage, it is not more than fifteen seconds of fleeting, flashing, images. And it is good.
Now you can doze off knowing that, tomorrow, you will live your life in motion, and, with your partner on your wrist, your rings will close again. And once more you will doze off watching your personal highlight reel of action, health and satisfaction.
Below are a few special Apple Watch owners who really did have that camera crew (graciously supplied by Apple, for commercial purposes) and we’ve attached the videos to prove it:
I’m a pretty competitive person. So it’s always a good feeling when I close my rings.
“Haley competes for the U.S. National Team as an elite open water swimmer. She uses the Pool Swim workout to track her yardage in the pool, where she closes her Exercise ring in training sessions every morning. Because she’s highly competitive, Haley tries to double her Move and Exercise rings every day.”
APPLE / HALEY A.
Haley’s swimming metrics are duration, active calories, laps, and distance.
The rings turn it into a game. Even if you’re not trying to hit a target, you close them just for fun.
“Jessica is the founder and lead instructor of Fat Buddha Yoga. She’s also a surfer and regularly DJs at clubs around the world. Being active in so many different ways can make it hard to track her fitness. But with Apple Watch, it’s simple. And whether she’s powering through a plank or dancing behind the turntables, everything counts”
APPLE / JESSICA S.
Jessica can see her progress with a lift of the wrist.
If you’re bored, just move. Jump around. Pick something up and throw it. Enjoy yourself.
“Cory believes in closing his rings every day, no matter where he is in the world. As a captain of the Track Mafia running club and fitness instructor, he’s led people in sprints up mall escalators, jogs through the Wembley Stadium parking lot, and marathon runs that stretch all the way from Santa Monica to Las Vegas. He also frequently cycles or runs to whatever’s next on his busy schedule.”
APPLE / CORY W-M.
Cory inspires people to go the distance as a Nike Run Club coach.
I believe in exercising the mind, the body, and the heart.
“In addition to the strenuous workout he gets on the podium, Jason likes to close his rings using the Workout app to track swimming, cycling, and weight lifting. When it comes to staying mentally fit, reminders from the Breathe app nudge Jason during his busy day, helping him to recenter.”
APPLE / JASON L.
The Heart Rate app lets Jason quickly check his pulse during performance breaks.
Apple Watch helps me be a better instructor. It also shows me how to live a healthier life.
“Natsumi is a yoga instructor and model living in Tokyo. She uses the Yoga workout to close her Exercise ring while she’s teaching a class. On occasion, Natsumi likes to surprise her students by taking them on hiking expeditions, where the Hiking workout tracks her distance and calorie burn. If Natsumi’s rings aren’t closed by the afternoon, she walks to her modeling gigs.”
APPLE / NATSUMI Y.
Natsumi uses the Breathe watch face to begin yoga classes.
I love to work out with Apple Watch. It doesn’t have stuff that gets in the way. It just has what I need.
Couch potato turned avid marathon runner, cyclist, and swimmer, Atilla credits his transformation to Apple Watch. To close his rings, he makes sure to schedule two workouts every day. On his 12-mile runs, Atilla streams Apple Music for motivation. If he hasn’t closed his rings (which he admits being addicted to), an Outdoor Cycle or Open Water Swim workout gets the job done in the evening.
APPLE / ATILLA K.
Rolling Pace lets Atilla see a mile split at any point on his run.
We sometimes forget we are flesh and bone. Apple Watch comes in handy keeping you aware of that fact.
“At 65, Eric prides himself on being in great shape. He closes his rings five times a week, walking everywhere throughout his city to visit clients, friends, and neighborhood shops. Along the way, Eric loves to watch his rings close and see the miles, calories, and flights of stairs stack up in the Outdoor Walk workout and the Activity app. Eric finds himself moving just as much on the weekends, dancing, playing volleyball, and riding his bike.”
APPLE / ERIC G.
Eric uses turn-by-turn directions in the Maps app to find his way around the city.
I love the fact that I have all my information on my wrist. And that I don’t have to carry my phone.
“As a busy student and point guard on her college basketball team, Yocelin doesn’t know what it means to sit still. She closes her rings virtually every day, running and lifting weights to stay in competitive shape. When she’s not on the court or in the classroom, Yocelin racks up even more Move calories and Exercise minutes taking care of her three younger brothers. If it weren’t for bedtime reminders from her Apple Watch, she might never rest.”
APPLE / YOCELIN S.
Yocelin stays motivated during workouts and before each game using AirPods to listen to her favorite songs.
In this, the first article in our 10 part series highlighting all the prize winners, photos from the Grand Prize Winner and the three runner-ups are featured.
There are nearly 1 billion iPhones in the world today and almost as many iPhone photographers. With that many people, and, obviously, some with extraordinary talent, you’d think there’d be some pretty amazing shots out there, captured all around the world at the most opportune and magical moments.
And you’d be right. The proof we present below, and in a series of articles chronicling the winning photographers and photos from the 12th Annual iPhone Photo Awards presented by the IPPAWARDS. The best of the best are chosen from thousands of photos from over 140 countries. In addition to the top prize winning photos below, there are individual category winners that will be featured in upcoming articles. The images are truly amazing so, stay tuned.
Established in 2007, IPPAWARDS have featured the worlds best iPhone photographers and photos since the iPhone’s inception. Awards are also given for the best photos of the year in additional individual categories. The deadline to enter the next year’s program is March 2020, so, use these great images as inspiration to take your best shot. Who knows, it might be you taking the Grand Prize in 2020!
Grand Prize Winner: Gabriella Cigliano
Grand prize photo shot in Zanzibar, Africa on an iPhone X by Gabriella Cigliano Photo Credit: Gabriella Cigliano – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Gabriella Cigliano – IPPAWARDS
”I’m Gabriella, I’m 23 and I’m from Napoli, Italy. When I was a little girl and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always “traveling!”. Now that I’m grown-up, I’ve realized that beyond curiosity about the world, one of the reasons why I love to travel is to share with others what I see. I do this through the photos I take, I try to show others the world through my eyes, with no filters.”
”Last year I spent a month in Wasa, Tanzania, teaching a class of young, curious and amazing guys. Before heading back to Italy we stopped in Zanzibar, where this photo was taken. I still wonder how could I capture that exact moment in all its beauty. I was just observing, a few meters from them, but they were probably more curious about me than I was about them, and that’s probably why the girl was looking at me. We couldn’t talk much, except for a few words in Swahili I had learned in the previous weeks, but those kids could definitely talk with their eyes. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my life, and I’ll keep it in my memories forever. The best part was showing them and their mums the photos, for some it was the first time they were seeing their faces, and their excitement was unexplainable, unfortunately my iPhone was in their hands and I couldn’t capture that!”
First Place: Diogo Lage
First place photo shot in Santa Rita Beach, Portugal, on an iPhone SE by Diogo Lage Photo Credit: Diogo Lage – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Diogo Lage – IPPAWARDS
”My love for photography began years ago, with black and white film. Today I keep up that taste, including shooting the photos with the active black and white filter and only with rare exceptions do I revert to color. My background is in Art and Design where I always look for inspiration and references.”
”Sea Stripes was taken in Santa Rita Beach, Portugal where the striped beach tents are very typical and set the tone of the well organized and summery little villages. Playing along with this beachy mood, a bather in the distance embodies the spirit in a striped shirt.”
Second Place: Yuliya Ibraeva
Second place photo shot in Rome, Italy, on an iPhone 7 Plus by Yuliya Ibraeva – IPPAWARDS Photo Credit: Yuliya Ibraeva
Photo of Yuliya Ibraeva – IPPAWARDS
”My name is Yuliya Ibraeva. I’m 30 years old, live in Moscow & work as a photographer, photo editor and media producer more than 10 years. Photograph is my passion and profession.”
”It was a hot summer day in Rome, Italy, even the asphalt was melting. We decided to escape from the city center to see the ancient trees of the Borghese Gardens and watch an Italian movie, but when we arrived the pouring rain began. We didn’t see the film, but I took wonderful pictures. It was great travel moment I’ll never want to forget.”
Third Place: Peng Hao
Third place photo shot in Nevada, USA, on an iPhone X by Peng Hao – IPPAWARDS Photo Credit: Peng Hao
Photo of Peng Hao – IPPAWARDS
”My name is Peng Hao. I am a film director and also a photographer.”
”I took this photo in the desert in Nevada, USA, at the Burning Man festival. I stood on a bridge and saw two people lost in a sand storm, but after a while, something very special came along, a huge silver ball.”
In the case of the Jungle Cat, a boffo box office was always expected, yet, after critics panned it for having a storyline that was identical to the original animated version, perhaps the magnitude of the success was somewhat surprising. Also, with Spider-man: Far From Home being a sequel long down the line, over $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide (so far), also seems like a less than obvious outcome. Cats? well, see for yourself, if you haven’t already, this is a trailer that gives everyone inspiration to sound off –
One Highly Anticipated Tarantino and 2 Lessor Known But Just as Worthy…
It’s not often that we are able to recommend going out to a theater for not just one but up to three films in one weekend. On July 26th, however, three films hit the theaters, and all of them, each in it’s own way, have something that makes them worth checking out. Above we have a short video with descriptions and below, the full original trailers along with links to articles profiling each.
Once more a Disney fan favorite is remade to record smashing box office receipts.
With a record $185M in it’s opening weekend in the US and a total Cume of $531M globally, the digital “faux” live action fantasy remake scores the highest ever domestic debut for a PG flick, and the ninth-biggest first week for any rating.
After being almost universally panned by critics for being, allegedly, to much of an exact copy of the original 1994 animated version, albeit with the technical twist, which was lauded, generally.
With overall box office performance in 2019 trailing the previous year by nine percentage points, going into the King’s inaugural weekend, it was a welcome event for industry insiders, as the feline’s performance lowered that deficit by almost two points, as the weekend tally began to emerge.
The powerful cat attracted female audience attentions by an almost 60% majority, a stat borne out by our own research.
Favreau’s recreation of the “everything the light touches’’ scene is perhaps not significantly different in content, yet is a new form of experience due to the presentation. This is the iconic scene where King Mufasa explains to his son Simba where and how they rule. Even better, James Earl Jones reprises his roll as King Mufasa, and delivers a commandingly enunciated speech once again.
For those who have not yet seen a preview of the box office wonder, the official trailer can be viewed above.
First is was the FaceApp that added years to your face with its app filter, in the FaceApp Challenge – with questionable issues regarding the origins (Russia) and terms of service agreement.
Now, from a more reassuring source, namely researchers in the US, including some from the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, we have the opportunity to see our selfies (and celebrity snaps) transformed into pseudo-classical portrait styles.
The web site upload system, currently down due to massive demand, uses GAN (Generative Adversarial Network) results from 45,000 images in the art history archives to create a new photo based on the original plus the relevant data instructions from the scan.
“With AI Portraits Ars anyone is able to use GAN models to generate a new painting, where facial lines are completely redesigned.
The model decides for itself which style to use for the portrait. Details of the face and background contribute to direct the model towards a style.
In style transfer, there is usually a strong alteration of colors, but the features of the photo remain unchanged. AI Portraits Ars creates new forms, beyond altering the style of an existing photo.”
AI Portraits Ars Web Site
As can be seen from the montage above (and the version with names added below) the results are often flattering in an odd ancient sort of way. Also, some, such a Keanu Reeves, are obvious (?) whereas others you might never guess!
So below the results and thanks for playing!
The AI Portraits web site should be back up shortly, assuming the rush to try it out eventually slows!
The “Cats” Trailer with Tylor Swift and the Gang is getting a lot of attention today. Not sure if it will build into a crescendo of adulation by the December release, but at least we are not ignoring it, and there’s a lot here to be entertained by.
First, there’s the “digital fur”. This makes it look like Simba had a human stuffed into his digital fur (and digital everything) and then, instead of just singing and acting like and animal he starts dancing like he’s on Broadway.
Watch Taylor Swift, James Corden, Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Jason Derulo, Rebel Wilson, Ian McKellen and Jennifer Hudson prance through the trailer and display catlike reflexes, replete with digital fur…
– Kat
And, what about the Lion King tie in? Obviously it can’t be an accident that this weekend, of all weekends, is the one that they decide to drop this clip for a movie coming out at Christmas.
So, what, we are supposed to have a subliminal aching to see more digital cat fur once we have seen The Lion King a few times and then, right around the end of the year, suddenly remember, hey let’s go to that Cats movie?!
I have a strange hankering for watching some more digital fur! And hear songs and dance and see cats with hands and hats and some of them wearing clothes.
Oy. Great stars in this one. “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot, has come a long way from ink on paper. Here are the tweets:
Jon Favreau’s new reimagining of the Disney classic “The Lion King”, in spite of a spate of less than stellar reviews, looks to be positioned for a huge opening weekend. Although at CinemaCon, the press were floored by newly released footage from the faux-live-action, photo-realistic movie, the final preview of the completed film in theaters struck many as a hollow, albeit, beautiful. shell.
The expectations appear to have been so high, based on the trailer (above), and the overall powerful impression made by the advanced, computer generated, live action treatment, that an expansion of the impact of the story was highly anticipated.
Instead many reviewers panned the lack of any new pot twists or character revisions, or, at least, any surprises, once the effect of the beauty of the presentation wore off in the full length film.
In spite of any negative impact made by critics, it does seem assured that the momentum of the huge feel-good blockbuster campaign, the vast love for the original movie and the characters and the absolutely unmistakable visual quality will, nevertheless, assure a huge inital turnout.
Favreau’s recreation of the “everything the light touches’’ scene is perhaps not significantly different in content, yet is a new form of experience due to the presentation. This is the iconic scene where King Mufasa explains to his son Simba where and how they rule. Even better, James Earl Jones reprises his roll as King Mufasa, and delivers a commandingly enunciated speech once again.
Similarly, Favreau recently reimagined “The Jungle Book” in pseudo real VFX style. Jungle Book won several awards for its visual effects, including the Academy Award for Visual Effects in 2017. The award winning team returned with Favreau for “The Lion King”.
Classics reimagined
Although Disney has been recreating some of their classic animated movies in hybrid CGI / live action form, technology for a full VFX treatment seems to be catching up with the ideas and nostalgia.
The “re-boot and reimagining” isn’t an uncommon concept in Hollywood. Warner Bros. is reworking a stand-alone Joker origin story prequel, to be released in the fall, for example. But Disney’s new visual interpretations stir excitement and nostalgia all at once. This looks like a fresh and exciting take and I’m looking forward to the full experience.
The Lion King is Opening big in Theaters starting tomorrow
Fifty-nine new emoji with a large number of additional variations are coming soon…
Here, scattered across your screen, are Emoji that you will be living with starting with the release of iOS 13, in the Fall. Featuring diversity and fun new additions for already well populated categories, including animals, activities, food and, of course, smiley faces. When it comes to emoji, as the saying goes, more is better and better is just fine.
In an update that smiles on progressive ideas and openness, the “Holding Hands” emoji now sports any combination of gender, skin tone and even personalities, allowing the creation of up to 75 variations on the relationship and couples theme.
Based on a push from Apple, to add more emoji depicting disability themed icons, an ear adorning a hearing aid, a robotic, bionic-looking prosthetic arm and leg, wheelchairs, and a new guide dog will all be part of the new collection. Apple is dedicated to celebrating all forms of diversity and will take these steps to fill gaps in the current set of available emoji. Also exciting are the new animals: a flamingo, a sloth, a skunk and, likely to be a fan favorite, an orangutan.
Celebrating diversity in all its many forms with new emoji. Photo / Apple
“Many additional emoji categories are getting exciting updates with a new smiley face for yawning, a one-piece swimsuit, new food items including a waffle, falafel, butter and garlic, and new animals like the sloth, flamingo, orangutan and skunk.”
– APPLE PRESS RELEASE
In total, fifty-nine newly designed emoji will be included, after a free software update, on the iPad, iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch. These will be added to the thousands of emoji already available . These new designs are based on the approved characters in Unicode 12.0.
A Food lovers have more ways to communicate with the waffle, falafel, butter and garlic emoji. Photo / Apple
At ELEVEN times the strength of the temblor on July 4th, just one day earlier, Friday’s earthquake has all of Southern California thinking about the next one…
Living in Southern California we all know that earthquakes can happen at anytime. As a matter of fact, small shocks happen all day, everyday. Every year California experiences around 10,000 tremors, most of them small. Perhaps around 100 per year are above 3.0 and fifteen to twenty are above 4.0.
It is also important to understand how the size and strength of quakes are measured. The richter scale, once used to measure the strength of earthquakes, has now mostly been superseded by the Moment Magnitude scale (Mw), which measures an earthquake of Mw 7.0 at 1000 times as much energy as one of 5.0 and about 32 times that of 6.0.
Another example would be: A magnitude 8.7 earthquake is 23,000 times stronger than a magnitude 5.8 earthquake. This massive difference in strength (as opposed to size, which is measured differently) is the reason why anything above 7.0 is very serious and can do great damage if in a highly populated area, while an 8.0, for example, could be catastrophic.
Now That We Have Your Attention: Some Earthquake Preparedness Advice
Many simple things can help to reduce any possible damage to your home or, more importantly, harm to yourself and your loved ones.
Photo / Adobe
Just as you wouldn’t want a bookshelf to accidentally fall on your baby, in an earthquake, furniture and especially appliances can be dangerous to anyone in the house.
Prepare for an earthquake in advance by using “baby-straps” that can be purchased at any hardware outlet, and use them to secure shelves, televisions and appliances like microwaves. People can be injured or even killed by these heavy objects in a severe quake.
Making sure your bed is not near any windows can help avoid broken glass. Use picture frames with clear plastic instead of glass in halls and stairways to make sure your exit route will be safe.
At least a few fire extinguishers should be ready in known locations around the house. As you can imagine, emergency lights in the bedroom and in various other places are essential. These can be battery powered, emergency crank, or even solar as long as they store a charge, in case the quake hits at night, or power is out for days, or even weeks.
And, while we are on the subject of electricity, if services are interrupted in your area, many things we rely on daily will also potentially be unavailable. Gas pumps need power, so it is always smart to keep at least one vehicle with the tank at more than half full.
“The real trick is: do these things now, don’t get caught wishing you had.”
– K.L.
Gas water heaters or any propane tanks are also potentially dangerous. Your gas heater or water heater must also be secured. An automatic valve that will sense any vibration beyond a certain threshold will help prevent fires that can be caused when an active gas line breaks during an earthquake.
Photo / Adobe
At minimum, be sure to know how to manually shut off your gas. This is usually done with a wrench, or a tool can be attached to the valve area to be sure you have it handy.
Keep some spare shoes near the bed to slip on, in case you awaken to debris and even broken glass. Cell phone service might be out, but even if it is working you will need charged phones. Cell battery back-ups are cheap these days and can be a life saver. For longer outages, if you do not have a generator, even a solar / emergency crank phone – a usb charger which is rechargeable by solar and hand crank can be great.
As can be seen by the common sense tips listed so far, much of these ideas can be thought of by just imagining what the situation could be like in the direct aftermath of an earthquake. The real trick is: do these things now, don’t get caught wishing you had.
Here are a few more tips:
Download maps in .pdf format and store on a laptop (keep it charged). Or just get some of those old fashioned paper maps.
Learn CPR: go to a class and be the one ready to save those around you.
For homeowners: check the structural integrity of your foundation. Double-check your earthquake insurance policy.
Keep extra water (lots of it) in your home as well as food and other supplies such as medicine, first aid kit and other essentials. Keep empty, safe water containers around to fill for extra H2O. Enough for at least a week or two is advised
Be sure that there is some cash hidden for this occasion; ATM machines can also be out for extended periods after a very large temblor.
If you implement the majority of the various suggestions described above, you are way ahead of most, and have much better chances of survival in the event of an earthquake emergency.
What to do immediately after a quake:
To panic or to rush is always dangerous. You can’t outrun an earthquake. If you are in public, such as at a movie theater, concert or sporting event, get down onto the floor and protect your head and upper body.
If in a large building, drop and cover, under a sturdy desk or table and hold on until the shaking stops. Stay away from windows and elevators.
When you are already outdoors, or if you can easily reach an open area, if it is safe to get there, stay away from anything that could cause harm – power-lines, billboards, buildings, even cars and trucks.
If near the ocean and the quake has a large enough magnitude to cause significant damage on land, a tsunami is a real possibility. Get to high ground, further inland, 2 miles or more. Driving is unlikely to be feasible, so hike to a spot more than 100 feet above sea level.
A large rolling earthquake centered 11 miles from Ridgecrest, CA. at 8:19 PM, was felt all the way to Mexico. The epicenter was again in the same relatively remote area as the July 4th quake: approximately 100 miles from downtown Los Angeles, in San Bernardino County.
In our newsroom, near LAX, the walls swayed and it was as if we were on a ship. Having been in the same location during the July 4th quake I can say that the difference was that this one lasted about twice as long. It was immediately clear that it was a higher magnitude.
For us near the coast, it is fortunate that the epicenter was approximately the same as the last one – approximately 150 miles inland
A large rolling earthquake centered in Searles Velley, CA was felt all the way to LAX. The epicenter was in the vicinity of Ridgecrest, approximately 100 miles from downtown Los Angeles, in San Bernardino County.
Reports of people noticing the quake came from as far away as Las Vegas and all the way to Newport Beach. The tremblor was at first clocked at 6.6, but subsequently downgraded to 6.4 – still the biggest since the infamous Northridge earthquake that all local residents recall. Fortunately this one was centered in an relatively remote area and no significant damage has yet been reported.
“America The Beautiful” broadcast from Washington DC on 4th of July. Nothing wrong with that. Even makes me misty-eyed sometimes. But for a more thought provoking auditory emanation of the American Dream, moreover the real lives and loves of the real America, of the last 100 years, maybe these few songs can dig a little deeper.
This Land Is Your Land
The ultimate people’s anthem. Endlessly influential, from Bob Dylan to Springsteen all the way to the present day. Not to be forgotten. Ever.
The Star-Spangled Banner (Jimi Hendrix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKAwPA14Ni4
Misunderstood, yet insightful to the nth degree. Performed at Woodstock (50 year anniversary happening now) at the height of unrest during the Vietnam War. For many, perhaps the peak and final moments of the 60s. Has taken on mythic status and while the controversy has faded, the insight and bittersweet love for the country shines through, to this day. Hendrix was a veteran and knew exactly what “rockets red glare” really sounded and felt like.
Born In The USA
In the parade of the misunderstood “Born In The USA” may stand as the most misinterpreted song ever. Pride at being born in the USA? Absolutely. Look at the rest of the lyrics to get the more nuanced take on what it means.
America, West Side Story
What can you say? Classic all the way.
Living In America
Anything by James Brown is an American Treasure.
America The Beautiful (Ray Charles)
Ditto
A bit more from The Boss and some lesser known gems to round out the tour:
In the second biggest initial release totals so far this year, China’s early release of the superhero appears headed skyward. At 46% above “Spider-man: Homecoming” this could be a strong sign for the Stateside release. However, “Homecoming” was released a week after the US, in contrast to “Far From Home’s” advance release in Asia’s largest market.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is the latest installment in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). It will presumably have box-office juice coming hot on the heels of Avengers: End Game (currently, the second highest grossing film of all time, recently surpassing Titanic and only behind James Cameron’s Avatar at 2.8 billion).
Peter Parker takes a little sabbatical from his Queens, NYC Spidey-life and embarks on a European trip with his friends. Somewhere along the way, Nick Fury commissions Spider-Man to uncover mysterious elemental creatures creating havoc across the continent. But, it looks like Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) is on the case!
As an unassuming tourist in Italy. – Photo / Sony Pictures
Spider-Man: Far From Home preview hints at a travelogue format: Europe and the Marvel Universe
Poster showing Venice, Italy – Photo / Sony Pictures
Spider-Man fans will also rejoice in the fun little ‘easter eggs’ planted within the film. For example, Parker is seen wearing shades and an upgraded Spidey suit designed by fellow Marvel superhero, Tony Stark.
Stark Designed Stealth-Black Outfit. – Photo / Sony Pictures
New York’s best-known superhero is seen scaling a European wall, in a black makeshift costume. Not quite the black “symbiote” outfit that hatched Venom, but we’ll take it.
In front of the “Brandenburg Gate” in Berlin. – Photo / Sony Pictures
Spider-Man: Far From Home: directed by Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and stars Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Jon Favreau reprises his role as Parker’s mentor, Stark’s bodyguard and chauffeur, Harold “Happy” Hogan.
