3/08/2006
3/07/2006
'Dead' denizens dwell on cusp of life, death
"By Anita Sama, USA TODAY
Tue Mar 7, 6:54 AM ET
The premise is larger than life: There is a transitional place for the dead if they remain in the memory of someone living.
In his novel The Brief History of the Dead, Kevin Brockmeier peoples an entire city with these nearly departed.
His city of the dead pulses with life. Inhabitants shop for shoes, read the newspaper, linger over coffee and wonder what comes next. Neither heaven nor hell, death here actually looks a lot like life on Earth with some fascinating quirky twists. No one ages, and possibilities range from good people rediscovering love to the not-so-good staying disturbingly in character. (Related excerpt: Read a preview of The Brief History of the Dead)
Each chapter alternates between this posthumous 'outer room' and a fiendishly cold corner of the real world. Here, one woman's memory holds the key to that otherworldly city. Laura Byrd is a wildlife specialist on a bizarre polar expedition.
Gradually, we understand why she is there and meet her family, childhood friends, former lovers and passing acquaintances. With Brockmeier's well-paced narrative, connections among them become clear.
Who are these people, and what are they doing in this strange place? Sound familiar and enticing? Sort of like Lost in a good book.
Brockmeier's roots in the tradition of science fiction and fantasy are evident, although in this relatively brief book, he reaches wider than merely charting the apocalypse. There are many levels, each interesting.
One is the fragile nature of human civilization. Another is the stunning number of people e"
Tue Mar 7, 6:54 AM ET
The premise is larger than life: There is a transitional place for the dead if they remain in the memory of someone living.
In his novel The Brief History of the Dead, Kevin Brockmeier peoples an entire city with these nearly departed.
His city of the dead pulses with life. Inhabitants shop for shoes, read the newspaper, linger over coffee and wonder what comes next. Neither heaven nor hell, death here actually looks a lot like life on Earth with some fascinating quirky twists. No one ages, and possibilities range from good people rediscovering love to the not-so-good staying disturbingly in character. (Related excerpt: Read a preview of The Brief History of the Dead)
Each chapter alternates between this posthumous 'outer room' and a fiendishly cold corner of the real world. Here, one woman's memory holds the key to that otherworldly city. Laura Byrd is a wildlife specialist on a bizarre polar expedition.
Gradually, we understand why she is there and meet her family, childhood friends, former lovers and passing acquaintances. With Brockmeier's well-paced narrative, connections among them become clear.
Who are these people, and what are they doing in this strange place? Sound familiar and enticing? Sort of like Lost in a good book.
Brockmeier's roots in the tradition of science fiction and fantasy are evident, although in this relatively brief book, he reaches wider than merely charting the apocalypse. There are many levels, each interesting.
One is the fragile nature of human civilization. Another is the stunning number of people e"
Christopher Reeve's Widow Dies at Age 44 - Yahoo! News
By JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press Writer 16 minutes ago
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -
Dana the singer-actress who married the strapping star of the "Superman" movies and then devoted herself to his care and his cause after he was paralyzed, has died of lung cancer, a year-and-a-half after her husband. She was 44.
Although Reeve had announced her cancer diagnosis in August — to an outpouring of sympathy and support from admirers around the world — her death seemed sudden. As recently as Jan. 12, she looked healthy and happy as she belted out
Carole King' 's "Now and Forever" at a packed Madison Square Garden during a ceremony honoring hockey star Mark Messier, a friend.
"Unfortunately, that's what happens with this awful disease," said Maggie Goldberg of the Christopher Reeve Foundation, where Dana Reeve had succeeded her husband as chair. "You feel good, you're responding and then the downturn."
Reeve, who lived in Pound Ridge, died Monday night at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Medical Center in Manhattan, said foundation president Kathy Lewis.
Officials would not discuss Reeve's treatment or say when she entered the hospital. But Lewis said she visited her there on Friday, when Reeve was "tired but with her typical sense of humor and smile, always trying to make other people feel good, her characteristic personality."
"The brightest light has gone out," said comedian
Robin Williams' "We will forever celebrate her loving spirit."
Former
President Clinton' and Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton' described Reeve as "a model of tenacity and grace."
"Despite the adversity that she faced, Dana bravely met these challenges and was always an extremely devoted wife, mother and advocate," they said.
Christopher and Dana Reeve married in 1992. Life changed drastically for the young show-business couple three years later when Christopher Reeve suffered near-total paralysis in a horse-riding accident and almost died.
In his autobiography, "Still Me," Reeve wrote that he suggested early on to his wife, "Maybe we should let me go." She responded, "I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you and I love you."
Those were "the words that saved my life," Christopher Reeve said.
For his remaining nine years, Dana Reeve was her husband's constant companion and supporter during the ordeal of his rehabilitation, winning worldwide acclaim and admiration. With him, she became an activist in the search for a cure for spinal-cord injuries.
"Something miraculous and wonderful happened amidst terrible tragedy, and a whole new dimension of life began to emerge," she wrote in a 1999 book, "Care Packages: Letters to Christopher Reeve from Strangers and Other Friends." "What we had yet to discover were all the gifts that come out of sharing hardship, the hidden pleasures behind the pain."
After her husband's death in October 2004, Reeve said she planned to return to acting. She had appeared on Broadway, off-Broadway and regional stages and on the TV shows "Law & Order," "Oz," and "All My Children," and she'd had to give up a Broadway role when she was widowed.
"I am an actress and I do have to make a living," she said.
However, her mother died of complications from ovarian cancer and her own diagnosis came the next summer.
"I thought that after everything that she had gone through with Chris that she would have time to smell the flowers and be in the sun," said Sen. Diane Feinstein of California. "But apparently that was not meant to be."
From the start, Reeve expressed confidence she would beat lung cancer. And four months ago, wearing a long formal gown at a fundraising gala for the foundation, Reeve provoked wolf whistles from Williams and said she was responding well to treatment.
"I'm beating the odds and defying every statistic the doctors can throw at me," Reeve said. "My prognosis looks better all the time."
At about the same time, Reeve taped a PBS show, "The New Medicine," about how doctors are paying more attention to a patient's cultural values and lifestyle as part of treatment. In her introduction to the program, Reeve said, "It has become clear to me that high-tech medicine, with all its wonders, often leaves out that all-important human touch."
PBS said Tuesday that the show will be broadcast as scheduled March 29.
Survivors include the Reeves' 13-year-old son, Will; two grown stepchildren, Matthew and Alexandra; her father, Charles Morosini; and two sisters.
Goldberg said Will was "in the loving care of family and friends" and that his mother had arranged for his future.
The foundation said no plans for a funeral have been announced.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -
Dana the singer-actress who married the strapping star of the "Superman" movies and then devoted herself to his care and his cause after he was paralyzed, has died of lung cancer, a year-and-a-half after her husband. She was 44.
Although Reeve had announced her cancer diagnosis in August — to an outpouring of sympathy and support from admirers around the world — her death seemed sudden. As recently as Jan. 12, she looked healthy and happy as she belted out
Carole King' 's "Now and Forever" at a packed Madison Square Garden during a ceremony honoring hockey star Mark Messier, a friend.
"Unfortunately, that's what happens with this awful disease," said Maggie Goldberg of the Christopher Reeve Foundation, where Dana Reeve had succeeded her husband as chair. "You feel good, you're responding and then the downturn."
Reeve, who lived in Pound Ridge, died Monday night at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Medical Center in Manhattan, said foundation president Kathy Lewis.
Officials would not discuss Reeve's treatment or say when she entered the hospital. But Lewis said she visited her there on Friday, when Reeve was "tired but with her typical sense of humor and smile, always trying to make other people feel good, her characteristic personality."
"The brightest light has gone out," said comedian
Robin Williams' "We will forever celebrate her loving spirit."
Former
President Clinton' and Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton' described Reeve as "a model of tenacity and grace."
"Despite the adversity that she faced, Dana bravely met these challenges and was always an extremely devoted wife, mother and advocate," they said.
Christopher and Dana Reeve married in 1992. Life changed drastically for the young show-business couple three years later when Christopher Reeve suffered near-total paralysis in a horse-riding accident and almost died.
In his autobiography, "Still Me," Reeve wrote that he suggested early on to his wife, "Maybe we should let me go." She responded, "I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you and I love you."
Those were "the words that saved my life," Christopher Reeve said.
For his remaining nine years, Dana Reeve was her husband's constant companion and supporter during the ordeal of his rehabilitation, winning worldwide acclaim and admiration. With him, she became an activist in the search for a cure for spinal-cord injuries.
"Something miraculous and wonderful happened amidst terrible tragedy, and a whole new dimension of life began to emerge," she wrote in a 1999 book, "Care Packages: Letters to Christopher Reeve from Strangers and Other Friends." "What we had yet to discover were all the gifts that come out of sharing hardship, the hidden pleasures behind the pain."
After her husband's death in October 2004, Reeve said she planned to return to acting. She had appeared on Broadway, off-Broadway and regional stages and on the TV shows "Law & Order," "Oz," and "All My Children," and she'd had to give up a Broadway role when she was widowed.
"I am an actress and I do have to make a living," she said.
However, her mother died of complications from ovarian cancer and her own diagnosis came the next summer.
"I thought that after everything that she had gone through with Chris that she would have time to smell the flowers and be in the sun," said Sen. Diane Feinstein of California. "But apparently that was not meant to be."
From the start, Reeve expressed confidence she would beat lung cancer. And four months ago, wearing a long formal gown at a fundraising gala for the foundation, Reeve provoked wolf whistles from Williams and said she was responding well to treatment.
"I'm beating the odds and defying every statistic the doctors can throw at me," Reeve said. "My prognosis looks better all the time."
At about the same time, Reeve taped a PBS show, "The New Medicine," about how doctors are paying more attention to a patient's cultural values and lifestyle as part of treatment. In her introduction to the program, Reeve said, "It has become clear to me that high-tech medicine, with all its wonders, often leaves out that all-important human touch."
PBS said Tuesday that the show will be broadcast as scheduled March 29.
Survivors include the Reeves' 13-year-old son, Will; two grown stepchildren, Matthew and Alexandra; her father, Charles Morosini; and two sisters.
Goldberg said Will was "in the loving care of family and friends" and that his mother had arranged for his future.
The foundation said no plans for a funeral have been announced.
Knights Of The Internet
Welcome to the Knights of the Internet. Here you can receive your FREE online knighting! All you have to do is click the FREE INSTANT ONLINE KNIGHTING link, fill out the form then print off your credentials. You will then have the right to put "Sir" in front of your name
Farmer feeds family friend's corpse to pigs - Yahoo! News
Makes me think of "Hannibal"..."Feed them to the Pigs"...."Do you hear them squealing Clarice?"
Dana Reeve dies of lung cancer: reports - Yahoo! News
how very sad...they have left their child...poor kid.
3/06/2006
From Just Free Stuff:)
"Andy is driving around Tennessee and he sees a
sign in front of a house:
'Talking Dog For Sale.'
He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog
is in the backyard.
The guy goes into the backyard and sees a
Labrador Retriever sitting there.
'You talk?' he asks.
'Yep,' the Lab replies.
'So, what's your story?'
The Lab looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered
that I could talk when I
was pretty young.'
'I wanted to help the government, so I told then
CIA about my gift, and
in no time at all they had me jetting from
country to country, sitting
in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no
one figured a dog would
be eavesdropping. I was one of their most
valuable spies for eight years
running.'
'But the jetting around really tired me out, and
I knew I wasn't getting
any younger, so I decided to settle down. I
signed up for a job at the
airport to do some undercover security wandering
near suspicious characters
and listening in. I uncovered some incredible
dealings and was awarded a
batch of medals.'
'I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now
I'm just retired.'
The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the
owner what he wants for the dog.
'Ten dollars,' the guy says.
'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing. Why on earth
are you selling him so cheap?'
'Because he's a liar. He never did any of that."
sign in front of a house:
'Talking Dog For Sale.'
He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog
is in the backyard.
The guy goes into the backyard and sees a
Labrador Retriever sitting there.
'You talk?' he asks.
'Yep,' the Lab replies.
'So, what's your story?'
The Lab looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered
that I could talk when I
was pretty young.'
'I wanted to help the government, so I told then
CIA about my gift, and
in no time at all they had me jetting from
country to country, sitting
in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no
one figured a dog would
be eavesdropping. I was one of their most
valuable spies for eight years
running.'
'But the jetting around really tired me out, and
I knew I wasn't getting
any younger, so I decided to settle down. I
signed up for a job at the
airport to do some undercover security wandering
near suspicious characters
and listening in. I uncovered some incredible
dealings and was awarded a
batch of medals.'
'I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now
I'm just retired.'
The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the
owner what he wants for the dog.
'Ten dollars,' the guy says.
'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing. Why on earth
are you selling him so cheap?'
'Because he's a liar. He never did any of that."
Animal Print Collection - Animal Print �Pink Poodle� Handbag - D84260CD
this rocks, I love it....37.99....hey somebody buy it for me please:)
GARBAGE -Crush Lyrics-F@#king awsome Song...
Crush
I would die for you
I would die for you
I've been dying just to feel you by my side
To know that you're mine
I will cry for you
I will cry for you
I will wash away your pain with all my tears
And drown your fear
I will pray for you
I will pray for you
I will sell my soul for something pure and true
Someone like you
See your face every place that I walk in
Hear your voice every time I am talking
You will believe in me
And I will never be ignored
I will burn for you
Feel pain for you
I will twist the knife and bleed my aching heart
I'll tear it apart
I will lie for you
I can steal for you
I will crawl on hands and knees until you see
You're just like me
Violate all my love that I'm missing
Throw away all the pain that I'm living
You will believe in me
And I can never be ignored
I would die for you
I would kill for you
I will steal for you
I'd do time for you
I would wait for you
I'd make room for you
I'd sail ships for you
To be close to you
To be a part of you
'cause I believe in you
I believe in you
I would die for you"
I would die for you
I would die for you
I've been dying just to feel you by my side
To know that you're mine
I will cry for you
I will cry for you
I will wash away your pain with all my tears
And drown your fear
I will pray for you
I will pray for you
I will sell my soul for something pure and true
Someone like you
See your face every place that I walk in
Hear your voice every time I am talking
You will believe in me
And I will never be ignored
I will burn for you
Feel pain for you
I will twist the knife and bleed my aching heart
I'll tear it apart
I will lie for you
I can steal for you
I will crawl on hands and knees until you see
You're just like me
Violate all my love that I'm missing
Throw away all the pain that I'm living
You will believe in me
And I can never be ignored
I would die for you
I would kill for you
I will steal for you
I'd do time for you
I would wait for you
I'd make room for you
I'd sail ships for you
To be close to you
To be a part of you
'cause I believe in you
I believe in you
I would die for you"
3/02/2006
DOUBLE-CHEESE AND PROSCIUTTO CALZONE Recipe at Epicurious.com
"Using purchased pizza dough to make one large calzone saves lots of time. lighten up: For a lower-calorie, lower-fat calzone, use part-skim mozzarella.
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 8 ounces)
3 1/2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 ounces prosciutto slices, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 13.8-ounce tube refrigerated pizza dough
Extra-virgin olive oil
Position rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425�F. Toss first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Season with pepper. Unroll dough into rectangle on rimmed baking sheet. Mound filling crosswise on lower half of dough, leaving 1-inch border on sides. Fold upper half of dough over. Crimp edges to seal; fold corners under to form half-circle. Bake until puffed and brown, about 18 minutes. Brush with oil. Transfer to platter and cut into 4 pieces.
Makes 4 servings.
Bon Appetit
Quick Kitchen
February 2006"
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 8 ounces)
3 1/2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 ounces prosciutto slices, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 13.8-ounce tube refrigerated pizza dough
Extra-virgin olive oil
Position rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425�F. Toss first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Season with pepper. Unroll dough into rectangle on rimmed baking sheet. Mound filling crosswise on lower half of dough, leaving 1-inch border on sides. Fold upper half of dough over. Crimp edges to seal; fold corners under to form half-circle. Bake until puffed and brown, about 18 minutes. Brush with oil. Transfer to platter and cut into 4 pieces.
Makes 4 servings.
Bon Appetit
Quick Kitchen
February 2006"
blonde sagacity: Where are the Senate Republicans?!
PEOPLE READ THIS AND DO SOMETHING, WE ARE...
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Where are the Senate Republicans?!
...a new bill before the Senate has one sponsor and one co-sponsor. Both are Democrats. The Bill is S. 451: Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2005 and it is a desperately needed bill that will beef up the currently lax restrictions regarding "Class B" dog dealers.In layman's terms that means that currently individuals can run massive kennels where people called "bunchers" come sell random dogs to the kennel owners. Many of these dogs are stolen family pets sold to the kennels for $25 each --the kennel then sells them to research labs all over the country for approx. $250 each. The conditions at the kennels are beyond appalling. HERE are some pictures of the abuses that continue to go on... See how many Class B dealers are currently licensed to operate in your state.Turning your head from something unpleasant doesn't make it go away. Every Senator and House member should have to watch the documentary DEALING DOGS (Which is currently showing on Comcast "On Demand"). This documentary is the culmination of an eight month undercover investigation of a kennel in Arkansas. I don't care if you hate dogs...no sane person can see what goes on at these kennels and not be horrified.I know there are tons of "dog people" out there --and we really need to write our Senators and urge them to support this bill. Here you can find contact information and a sample letter.Last Chance for Animals is the organization that took down kennel owner (a pastor?!) C.C. Baird in AK. If you set aside some money to donate to animal causes --think about donating to them. Their organization used a dangerous and sophisticated sting to bring down Baird and saved hundreds of animals and a possible thousands more by having Martin Creek Kennels shut down permanently! I want to see some co-sponsors from the GOP on this bill!!!Maybe everyone should link pics of their pups in the comments...
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Where are the Senate Republicans?!
...a new bill before the Senate has one sponsor and one co-sponsor. Both are Democrats. The Bill is S. 451: Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2005 and it is a desperately needed bill that will beef up the currently lax restrictions regarding "Class B" dog dealers.In layman's terms that means that currently individuals can run massive kennels where people called "bunchers" come sell random dogs to the kennel owners. Many of these dogs are stolen family pets sold to the kennels for $25 each --the kennel then sells them to research labs all over the country for approx. $250 each. The conditions at the kennels are beyond appalling. HERE are some pictures of the abuses that continue to go on... See how many Class B dealers are currently licensed to operate in your state.Turning your head from something unpleasant doesn't make it go away. Every Senator and House member should have to watch the documentary DEALING DOGS (Which is currently showing on Comcast "On Demand"). This documentary is the culmination of an eight month undercover investigation of a kennel in Arkansas. I don't care if you hate dogs...no sane person can see what goes on at these kennels and not be horrified.I know there are tons of "dog people" out there --and we really need to write our Senators and urge them to support this bill. Here you can find contact information and a sample letter.Last Chance for Animals is the organization that took down kennel owner (a pastor?!) C.C. Baird in AK. If you set aside some money to donate to animal causes --think about donating to them. Their organization used a dangerous and sophisticated sting to bring down Baird and saved hundreds of animals and a possible thousands more by having Martin Creek Kennels shut down permanently! I want to see some co-sponsors from the GOP on this bill!!!Maybe everyone should link pics of their pups in the comments...
Dog Show USA - Dog Gallery - LEROY
Check this out, very cute:)
"Location: Fairfax, VA
Category: Best Trick
Breed: Border Collie
Nickname: Lee Lee
Dog's Age: 2
Favorite Place: on stage
Celebrity my dog most resembles: Ashton Kucher
Description: Leroy knows over 35 tricks. His most impressive is to set the dinner table with dinner, drinks and dessert from his own kitchette. Then he turns a lamp on, plays a piano for his audience and at the end of the show turns the lamp off...now that's entertainment !"
"Location: Fairfax, VA
Category: Best Trick
Breed: Border Collie
Nickname: Lee Lee
Dog's Age: 2
Favorite Place: on stage
Celebrity my dog most resembles: Ashton Kucher
Description: Leroy knows over 35 tricks. His most impressive is to set the dinner table with dinner, drinks and dessert from his own kitchette. Then he turns a lamp on, plays a piano for his audience and at the end of the show turns the lamp off...now that's entertainment !"
3/01/2006
SLICED STEAK WITH ARUGULA Recipe at Epicurious.com
"Straccetti di Manzo
Generations of Roman cooks have relied on this trattoria favorite � made with classic ingredients � for dinner in a hurry.
5 oz baby arugula
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 lb boneless top loin steak or sirloin (1 inch thick)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large shallot, thinly sliced crosswise
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Garnish: freshly ground black pepper
Mound arugula on a large platter.
Heat oil with garlic and rosemary in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat, turning garlic once or twice, until garlic is golden, about 4 minutes. Discard garlic and rosemary.
Meanwhile, cut steak crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices and toss with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add meat to skillet all at once and saut� over high heat, tossing with tongs to color evenly, about 1 minute for medium-rare. Arrange steak over arugula using tongs, then add shallot to oil in skillet along with vinegars and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and boil 2 minutes. Pour dressing over steak and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Gourmet
Quick Kitchen
March 2006"
Generations of Roman cooks have relied on this trattoria favorite � made with classic ingredients � for dinner in a hurry.
5 oz baby arugula
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 lb boneless top loin steak or sirloin (1 inch thick)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large shallot, thinly sliced crosswise
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Garnish: freshly ground black pepper
Mound arugula on a large platter.
Heat oil with garlic and rosemary in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat, turning garlic once or twice, until garlic is golden, about 4 minutes. Discard garlic and rosemary.
Meanwhile, cut steak crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices and toss with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add meat to skillet all at once and saut� over high heat, tossing with tongs to color evenly, about 1 minute for medium-rare. Arrange steak over arugula using tongs, then add shallot to oil in skillet along with vinegars and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and boil 2 minutes. Pour dressing over steak and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Gourmet
Quick Kitchen
March 2006"
Blogthings - How Much Do You Weigh?
Ok this is hilarious... I am 138lbs at 5ft 9in....ok lol.
"
| You Should Weigh 170 |
 If you weigh less than this, you either have a fast metabolism or are about to gain weight. If you weigh more than this, you may be losing a few pounds soon! |
Dinner and a movie... - Yahoo! News
Philip Blenkinsop
Wed Mar 1, 8:11 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - A real-life German cannibal who ate a willing victim is being immortalized on the big screen, like the fictional Hannibal Lecter, despite his legal bid to block the movie version of his gruesome crime.
'Rohtenburg' ('Butterfly -- A Grimm Love Story') is set to open in Germany on March 9 and will hope to profit from the shock and fascination the case of Armin Meiwes evoked in a transfixed public in Germany and beyond.
The movie tells the tale of fictional American criminal psychology student Katie (Keri Russell) who is drawn in by the bizarre case of a Meiwes-like character called Oliver Hartwin.
The cannibal plot of the movie, seen in a preview on Tuesday, is almost identical to real-life events. It also shows a younger Hartwin as a loner forced by a domineering mother to wear Lederhosen at school. Like Meiwes, he dreams up an imaginary friend.
Later, as a computer repairman, Meiwes's career, he is drawn to the 'Cannibal Cantina' Web site in his search for a willing victim, who he finds in Simon Grombek.
'I want you to bite off my thing. Are your teeth strong enough?' Grombek asks in one of the movie's more startling lines.
Later, when the two meet at a railway station near Hartwin's half-timbered home, mirroring that of Meiwes, Grombek introduces himself with the line 'I am your meat' a prelude to his slaughter.
Director Martin Weisz says the film is merely inspired by real events, but Meiwes's lawyers are not convinced.
Meiwes's lawyer Harald Ermel complains the film effectively portrays his client as a 'beastly murderer,' arguing the main actor could be Meiwes's twin brother and that the movie is a confusing blend of truth and fiction.
"The ending is all wrong. The victim is stabbed in a frenzy a dozen times. In reality, it was just one stroke," Ermel said.
LEGAL ARGUMENTS
Meiwes has sought to block the film's release. A German court will determine Friday whether his rights have been infringed after lawyers presented arguments Tuesday.
Ermel also believes the March release date is inappropriate as judges at Meiwes's retrial could then be considering their verdict.
The real computer repairman was sentenced to 8-1/2 years for manslaughter in January 2004.
However, Germany's Supreme Court ruled the judges had been too lenient and ordered a retrial, which started in January.
Meiwes only killed one man, unlike notorious American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who practiced necrophilia on and ate some of his 17 male victims, but Meiwes's case is unique because his victim wanted to be eaten.
Legal experts have focused on the case.
Meiwes's lawyers argue he is only guilty of illegal euthanasia, but prosecutors say the fact that Meiwes filmed the slaying for sexual gratification should tip the scale toward murder.
Meiwes severed his victim's penis and they both tried to eat it, initially raw then fried. The bizarre scene is also part of the movie, Hartwin serving up the dish for a candlelit knife-and-fork meal for himself and a weakening Grombek.
When the victim fell unconscious, Meiwes took him to his "slaughter room," slit his throat, pulled out his organs and chopped off his head. In the film too, Hartwin hacks into the corpse, with a severed head in the foreground.
The movie title "Rohtenburg" is a corruption of Rotenburg, the town where Armin Meiwes lived. "Roh" is German for raw.
Wed Mar 1, 8:11 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - A real-life German cannibal who ate a willing victim is being immortalized on the big screen, like the fictional Hannibal Lecter, despite his legal bid to block the movie version of his gruesome crime.
'Rohtenburg' ('Butterfly -- A Grimm Love Story') is set to open in Germany on March 9 and will hope to profit from the shock and fascination the case of Armin Meiwes evoked in a transfixed public in Germany and beyond.
The movie tells the tale of fictional American criminal psychology student Katie (Keri Russell) who is drawn in by the bizarre case of a Meiwes-like character called Oliver Hartwin.
The cannibal plot of the movie, seen in a preview on Tuesday, is almost identical to real-life events. It also shows a younger Hartwin as a loner forced by a domineering mother to wear Lederhosen at school. Like Meiwes, he dreams up an imaginary friend.
Later, as a computer repairman, Meiwes's career, he is drawn to the 'Cannibal Cantina' Web site in his search for a willing victim, who he finds in Simon Grombek.
'I want you to bite off my thing. Are your teeth strong enough?' Grombek asks in one of the movie's more startling lines.
Later, when the two meet at a railway station near Hartwin's half-timbered home, mirroring that of Meiwes, Grombek introduces himself with the line 'I am your meat' a prelude to his slaughter.
Director Martin Weisz says the film is merely inspired by real events, but Meiwes's lawyers are not convinced.
Meiwes's lawyer Harald Ermel complains the film effectively portrays his client as a 'beastly murderer,' arguing the main actor could be Meiwes's twin brother and that the movie is a confusing blend of truth and fiction.
"The ending is all wrong. The victim is stabbed in a frenzy a dozen times. In reality, it was just one stroke," Ermel said.
LEGAL ARGUMENTS
Meiwes has sought to block the film's release. A German court will determine Friday whether his rights have been infringed after lawyers presented arguments Tuesday.
Ermel also believes the March release date is inappropriate as judges at Meiwes's retrial could then be considering their verdict.
The real computer repairman was sentenced to 8-1/2 years for manslaughter in January 2004.
However, Germany's Supreme Court ruled the judges had been too lenient and ordered a retrial, which started in January.
Meiwes only killed one man, unlike notorious American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who practiced necrophilia on and ate some of his 17 male victims, but Meiwes's case is unique because his victim wanted to be eaten.
Legal experts have focused on the case.
Meiwes's lawyers argue he is only guilty of illegal euthanasia, but prosecutors say the fact that Meiwes filmed the slaying for sexual gratification should tip the scale toward murder.
Meiwes severed his victim's penis and they both tried to eat it, initially raw then fried. The bizarre scene is also part of the movie, Hartwin serving up the dish for a candlelit knife-and-fork meal for himself and a weakening Grombek.
When the victim fell unconscious, Meiwes took him to his "slaughter room," slit his throat, pulled out his organs and chopped off his head. In the film too, Hartwin hacks into the corpse, with a severed head in the foreground.
The movie title "Rohtenburg" is a corruption of Rotenburg, the town where Armin Meiwes lived. "Roh" is German for raw.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
