Sunday, September 22, 2013

Hugh Jackman's " prisoners/">Prisoners " is making a break at the U.S. box office.

The Warner Bros. drama, directed by Denis Villeneuve, should expect north of $20 million this weekend for Jackman's eighth No. 1 movie of all-time.

According to early estimates, the R-rated "Prisoners" is lining up $8 million in ticket sales Friday and approximately $21 million through Sunday - not bad for a movie that cost only $30 million.

"Prisoners" tells the story of a small-town carpenter (Jackman) turns vigilante in order to rescue his abducted daughter and her best friend. Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano and Melissa Leo co-star in the Alcon Entertainment thriller.

Factoring in strong word of mouth, the kidnapping drama, currently riding an 81% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes, should have plenty of leg room in the historically slow September/October release period.

Last weekend's champ "Insidious 2," meanwhile, is down significantly in its second frame. FilmDistrict's "Insidious 2″ fell 89% week-to-week on Friday afternoon, a drop typical of most horror features, but will likely pick up for a weekend estimate of $12 million. The low-budget sequel ($5 million) has already cumed $46 million at the U.S. box office.

This weekend's other new feature, Chris Brown's teen dance pic "Battle of the Year," is all but a ghost with $5 million. Made for $20 million and co-starring "Lost" actor Josh Holloway, the 3D dance movie will really need to step it up to avoid becoming a financial wreck.

Playing in limited release this weekend are "The Wizard of Oz 3D" and Universal's racing pic "Rush."


Source: Variety

It's September. The developments between now and next May are ever-changing. Through the college schedule and the pre-draft process, prospects' stock will inevitably rise and fall. And the needs of all 32 franchises - including the New England patriots - will follow suit.

While the 2014 NFL draft is eight months away, it's never too soon to examine potential late first-round talents who could fit the criteria of head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots. And in this exercise, we'll look at three potential Day 1 options at a position generating plenty of discussion:

Tight end.

The Patriots are sorting things out offensively, and a healthy Rob Gronkowski in the huddle will certainly help open the throttle. With that said, Patriots tight ends have been on the receiving end of only one catch and two targets through two contests this season. Undrafted tight end Zach Sudfeld is still acclimating, and veterans Michael Hoomanawanui and Matthew Mulligan are utilized primarily as blockers.

The long-term ingredients might already be in place. But adding firepower at a position New England has leaned on remains an intriguing notion. In light of this, here are three top-tier tight ends worth monitoring.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington

Washington's Austin Seferian-Jenkins has the size at 6'6", 276 pounds, and the athleticism as a former college basketball player. With those components on the docket, it's no wonder he has so many eyes on him.

Seferian-Jenkins relishes as an in-line run-blocker, jabbing his hands at the opponent's numbers and using his wide base. From there, though, he also knows how to disengage from blocks and slip downfield. He's not overly fast and seems to take short strides in his routes. Although in jump-ball situations, he's hard to defend.

Seferian-Jenkins be seen lining up next to the offensive tackle, in the seam or out wide, where he has been able to challenge secondaries with his physical frame and rebound for balls. He may not be known for yards after catch, but Seferian-Jenkins also knows how to stiff-arm and keep his feet moving through tackles.

The 20-year-old junior was suspended for the first game of 2013 after pleading guilty to a drunken-driving charge in July. Aside from his arrest - as well as ankle and pinkie injuries suffered over the last year - there are no other known issues holding him back from being the No. 1 tight end in 2014.

Colt Lyerla, Oregon

In a different mold than Seferian-Jenkins, the 6'5", 250-pound Colt Lyerla can be seen setting up in-line, at fullback, H-back and in the seam within Oregon's rapid spread offense.

Lyerla has good speed and explosion for the position, which figures to make him a versatile chess piece at the next level. Despite his slim build, getting off his blocks and downfield is not a glaring problem for Lyerla. He's adept in containing pressure off the edge to free up the running game. And while he's not heavily featured in the passing game - as evidenced by his production - the junior is a dynamic asset both vertically and horizontally.

He's got the skill to make difficult catches, but he has not had a clean sheet in regards to the easier ones. Nevertheless, he knows how to get open. Lyerla is quick into the defensive backfield and dangerous when sneaking out into the flats. He creates opportunities for himself, running low and delivering the shoulder to pick up extra yards.

Lyerla has missed time for " personal issues" in the past. And he was unable to play against Tennessee due to illness, which led to a public venting about the way Ducks head coach Mark Helfrich handled the situation. But in the grand scheme of things, there doesn't appear to be any long-term concern with the tight end's behavior. The 20-year-old's athleticism and shiftiness outweigh his inexperience. His abilities as an "F" receiver will draw many suitors, especially with two-tight end sets on the rise.

Eric Ebron, North Carolina

Seferian-Jenkins and Lylera headline the draft class, but not far behind is North Carolina's Eric Ebron. A 6'4", 245-pound Tar Heel, Ebron is a smooth runner who's seen in-game work dating back to his true-freshman season in 2011.

Ebron may be one of the best athletes in this year's group of draft-eligible tight ends. Case in point: He has also been used as a situational pass-rusher in North Carolina's defensive front. He's strong and he's quick off the snap - on both sides of the line. Ebron's ability to separate from the line of scrimmage nets him many targets, both over the middle and on the outskirts.

Post-catch, Ebron does an excellent job driving through tackles and reaching out to move the sticks. And as a talent who can expose linebackers and defensive backs from in-line and in the slot, there isn't much holding the highly recruited pass-catcher back.

When it comes to sticking points, Ebron has two that stand out. Even though he has the long arms to make an array of catches, the junior has dropped more passes than a first-round caliber tight end should. In terms of blocking, Ebron is growing into his responsibilities but has some technical aspects to improve upon. Elements like hand placement, pad level, and lower-body leverage will continue to be addressed, as he can get circled at times. Yet in all, the 20-year-old's upside makes him one poised to jump up draft boards.

Tags: 2014 NFL Draft, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Colt Lyerla, Eric Ebron


Source: Nepatriotsdraft

The dodgers on Thursday became the first team to clinch a division championship this season. LA secured the NL West title with a 7-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

A few hours later, the Boston Red Sox clinched at least a wild-card berth with a 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Boston can win the American League East outright on Friday.

The AL wild-card race remained unsettled, with the Texas Rangers again pulling into a tie with the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot and the Cleveland Indians keeping pace at a half-game behind. The NL Central race got tighter with the Pittsburgh Pirates picking up ground on the St. Louis Cardinals.

AL WILD CARD

Red Sox 3, Orioles 1: Boston starter John Lackey carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Baltimore's Adam Jones broke it up with a home run. Lackey finished with a complete-game two-hitter. The Orioles are two games behind the Rays/Rangers for the second wild-card berth.

BOSTON HERALD: Red Sox saving celebration for East clincher

Rangers 8, Rays 2:Texas managed a split of its four-game series in St. Petersburg. Mitch Moreland, Elvis Andrus and Alex Rios homered off Matt Moore in the third inning to give Texas starter Yu Darvish early offensive support. Darvish got the win despite walking six in five innings.

Indians 2, Astros 1 (11 innings): Cleveland struggled with baseball's worst team at home, but it managed to get the win. Journeyman outfielder Matt Carson delivered perhaps the biggest hit of his career, a seeing-eye single to right that drove in the winning run. The Tribe has three more games with Houston this weekend.

Blue Jays 6, Yankees 2: New York got the worst of it Thursday with its loss in Toronto. The Bombers are now 3 1/2 out of a postseason berth with just nine games remaining. The Jays' Todd Redmond outdueled Hiroki Kuroda, and Toronto got home runs from Anthony Gose and Adam Lind.

The idle Kansas City Royals fell to three games behind the Rays and Rangers.

FAGAN: Ranking the best wild-card teams of all time

NL CENTRAL

Rockies 7, Cardinals 6 (15 innings): St. Louis' bullpen woes continued at Coors Field. Trevor Rosenthal and Edward Mujica surrendered tying runs in the eighth and ninth, respectively, after the Cards had taken a lead. The Rockies finally won the 5-hour, 9-minute marathon on Corey Dickerson's RBI triple. The Redbirds' division lead is down to a game because . . .

. . . Pirates 10, Padres 1: Pittsburgh avoided a four-game sweep by San Diego at home. Rookie right-hander Gerrit Cole struck out 12 over six innings, and Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez homered off Ian Kennedy in the fourth inning to break the game open. The Bucs will begin a huge three-game series Friday in Pittsburgh against the Reds, the team that's right behind them in the division standings.

NL WILD CARD

Nationals 3, Marlins 2: Washington's hopes for the second wild-card berth remain faint, but at least the Nats gained ground on the idle Cincinnati Reds by edging last-place Miami at home. Bryce Harper hit a three-run homer to back the pitching of starter Gio Gonzalez, who started in place of Stephen Strasburg (forearm). The better news for Washington: It has three more games vs. the Marlins while the Reds and Pirates beat up on each other this weekend.

GAMMONS DAILY: Nats remain cautious with Strasburg

WILD-CARD STANDINGS

American League

Tampa Bay, 83-69, ----

Texas, 83-69, ----

Cleveland, 83-70, 1/2 GB

Baltimore, 81-71, 2 GB

Kansas City, 80-72, 3 GB

NY Yankees, 80-73, 3 1/2 GB

National League

Pittsburgh, 88-65, +1

Cincinnati, 87-66, ----

Washington, 82-71, 5 GB

FRIDAY'S KEY GAMES

All times Eastern

American League

Houston (Oberholtzer 4-3) at Cleveland (McAllister 8-9), 7:05 p.m.

Baltimore (Hammel 7-8) at Tampa Bay (Price 8-8), 7:10 p.m.

Toronto (Rogers 5-7) at Boston (Lester 14-8), 7:10 p.m.

Texas (M.Perez 9-5) at Kansas City (E.Santana 9-9), 8:10 p.m.

National League

Cincinnati (Latos 14-6) at Pittsburgh (Liriano 16-7), 7:05 p.m.

Miami (Ja.Turner 3-7) at Washington (Zimmermann 18-8), 7:05 p.m.

St. Louis (S.Miller 14-9) at Milwaukee (Hellweg 1-4), 8:10 p.m.

Interleague

San Francisco (Lincecum 10-13) at N.Y. Yankees (Sabathia 13-13), 7:05 p.m.

Contributing: The Associated Press.


Source: Sportingnews

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- joy Covey, a former executive with Amazon.com, died earlier this week when her bicycle collided with a truck in California's Silicon Valley, police said.

She was 50.

Covey, an outdoors enthusiast, died at the scene of Wednesday's accident on a road in the hills that run from San Francisco to San Jose, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The police said a minivan apparently making deliveries for OnTrac shipping service was turning into a side road when the accident occurred, police said.

"It appears the driver was making deliveries, but we're still working on our investigation," said Art Montiel, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.

As Amazon's chief financial officer, Covey helped take the company public and advocated Amazon's plans to ignore Wall Street and invest for the future, the Times said. That concept was the foundation for Amazon's growth into a $61 billion retailing and entertainment giant.

"It's a very sad day at Amazon," said Mary Osako, an Amazon spokeswoman. "Joy was a wonderful human being and treasured colleague, and we will miss her very much."

Covey joined Amazon in late 1996 and left in 2000, as the dot-com balloon was deflating.

She is survived by a son.


Source: Upi

Everyone loves a great escape.

It's thrilling to escape the humdrum reality of everyday life by watching a manacled magician wriggle out of a giant fish tank into which he has been lowered head first.

Or by sitting through a rerun of the TV series Prison Break, wherein an innocent man is imprisoned and his only hope is his brother, who gets himself locked up as part of an elaborate plan to save his sibling.

When it comes to daring escapes, however, it's hard to top real-life jailbreaks, of which Quebec has had more than its share this year. In the most recent case, officials are investigating how a notorious killer and former Hells Angel vanished into thin air last Saturday night from the Montée Saint-Franßois federal prison north of Montreal.

René Charlebois, 48, serving a life sentence for second-degree murder, was discovered missing after a routine head count at the Laval prison. "It's not something that we take lightly, and obviously we are looking into what exactly happened here," a befuddled corrections official confessed.

As amazing escapes go, this latest breakout probably won't go down in history, but that's OK, because our Top 5 definitely did:

5) The breakout date: Feb. 21, 1923

The great escape: Suspended nine metres above the old Winnipeg Free Press building on Carlton Street, the immortal Harry Houdini, the most famous escape artist the world has known, wormed his way out of a straitjacket in front of about 5,000 rubbernecking Winnipeggers. The death-defying stunt, captured in a famous photo by L.B. Foote, was held to promote Houdini's week-long show at the city's Orpheum Theatre. On Oct. 31, 1982, local escape artist Dean Gunnarson, then 18, recreated the stunt in honour of his idol, "the greatest showman who ever existed." Making his hometown proud, Gunnarson escaped after being hoisted by his ankles about 90 metres above the Free Press parking lot, beating Houdini's two-minute time by 20 seconds.

4) The breakout date: Oct. 2, 1975

The great escape: William "Billy" Hayes, a 23-year-old New York student, was famously caught trying to smuggle hashish out of Turkey in 1970. His ordeal in a hellish Turkish prison and subsequent escape spawned the award-winning movie Midnight Express. Hayes was handed a sentence of just over four years and, with his release just weeks away, was stunned to learn his sentence had been increased to life. In the movie, a distraught Hayes kills a sadistic prison guard, steals his uniform and casually walks to freedom. In real life, he was transferred to an island prison, where he worked on the docks and escaped in a stolen rowboat in the middle of a fierce storm. He reached freedom after walking through a minefield and swimming a river.

3) The breakout dates: Oct. 12, 2001, April 14, 2003 and July 14, 2007

The great escapes: When it comes to high-flying breakouts, France's Pacal Payet soars over the competition. In a nutshell, this escape artist fled a French prison in 2001 on a hijacked helicopter; in 2003, he again used a chopper to help three friends flee the same prison; and in 2007, after being recaptured, the crafty con -- at that point one of the most closely monitored inmates in French history -- did it one more time, escaping after four armed pals hijacked a helicopter and landed it on the prison's roof. No doubt inspired by Payet's airborne elusiveness, two inmates at a prison in St-Jerome, Que., escaped in March of this year by dangling from a cable lowered by a hijacked chopper. And just like their French hero, the Quebec escapees later landed back behind bars.

2) The breakout date: June 11, 1962

The great escape: Opened in 1934, Alcatraz was hailed as America's only escape-proof prison. Plopped on an island in the middle of San Francisco Bay, it was surrounded by gun towers, electric fences and bars, not to mention shark-infested waters. But that didn't stop Frank Morris and brothers Clarence and John Anglin from carrying out one of the most daring breakouts in history. Armed with nail clippers, spoons and an improvised drill made from a stolen vacuum (or a fan, depending on whom you believe), the convicted robbers chipped away the concrete around the air shafts in their cells. Before climbing into the vents, they left papier m¢ché dummies in their beds. Their "boat" was a makeshift raft of barrels and raincoats. Did they make it? The prison says they drowned, but the bodies were never found. They inspired the 1979 Clint Eastwood flick Escape from Alcatraz.

1) The breakout date: March 24, 1944

The real great escape: While you read this, we recommend you whistle the unforgettable theme music for the Hollywood blockbuster The Great Escape, which tells how, in the latter half of the Second World War, hundreds of Allied PoWs spent 15 months digging three tunnels (Tom, Dick and Harry) in a massive bid to escape from the Stalag Luft III work camp in what is now Poland. American prisoners helped build the tunnels, but were moved to another compound before the breakout. Of the three tunnels, only Harry was finished and, when they popped to the surface, the shocked PoWs found the exit had come up short of the trees and was near a guard tower. Of the 76 men who crawled out of Harry, only three (two Norwegians and a Dutchman) made it to safety. Fifty escapees were shot by the Gestapo and the rest were sent to a concentration camp.

How you can escape: Choppers and tunnels are fine, but we suggest you make it easy on yourself: Call a travel agent, because we hear Tahiti is lovely at this time of year.

doug.speirs@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 21, 2013 D2

History

Updated on Saturday, September 21, 2013 at 6:27 AM CDT: adds video


Source: Winnipegfreepress