Other than a single shouted expletive toward the end of All is Lost, the only words we hear from its central character — a sailor adrift alone on the Indian Ocean — come right at the beginning, in a note of apology to unknown recipients for unspecified sins.
That cryptic missive aside, the movie's viscerally terrifying, weirdly ennobling language is all sight and sound. The sailor, known only as Our Man and played by Robert Redford, grunts and pants as he struggles to caulk a deep gash in his sailboat, inflicted by a stray cargo container that's lost its ship and is littering the ocean with Chinese-made children's sneakers.
Global capital bites back, perhaps. But as with several other plum films of this year's Oscar season — Gravity, Captain Phillips — the elements will bite harder. Our Man takes a vicious beating from nature, and the wishful thought crossed my mind that the character might be Jeremy Irons' brutally callous hedge fund manager from director J.C. Chandor's previous film, the underappreciated Margin Call, back on the big screen to get his just deserts.
Not that Our Man is telling. We hear the creak of ropes and the gentle lapping of waves around his bunk. The whisper swells into a roar, accompanied by whistling wind as a storm bears down on his rudderless boat. Loudest of all is the deep silence that tells Our Man he's all alone, his only compass an animal instinct to endure.
As recently as last year's The Company You Keep, in which he painfully miscast himself as a former Weather Underground activist on the run, the 77-year-old Redford was playing implausibly younger men. Here, his weathered face looking like the Grand Canyon, he moves like an old man, accustomed to competence but a touch geezerish, puffing away as he tries to fix every leak, re-establish each malfunctioning connection to the outside world. It's this that gives Our Man his force, and his aching vulnerability. If weather is the movie's showier star, Redford's lack of vanity makes him its taciturn equal.
All is Lost is as quiet as Margin Call was chatty; at a minimum, you might call this film a procedural. But like the best of the genre, its relentless focus on the material and the practical also gestures subtly at a life of the soul, however battered.
On its face, All is Lost digs deep into the frontier mythology — specifically calling back to Redford's rugged '70s turn in Sydney Pollack's Jeremiah Johnson — of the strong, silent American hero doing what he has to do to survive in an arbitrary, indifferent environment.
Yet in other ways the movie refuses standard heroics. We don't know what Our Man has done wrong, or whether his efforts to survive are an attempt at expiation, or even quite what happens to him at the end. The film's denouement can be read in at least two ways.
Tempting though it is to see his struggle as a blunt metaphor for navigating the storms of life itself, the movie seems to be asking something more specific than simply, how shall we live when we know we're going to die some time? It's posing a higher-stakes version of that question: How shall we live when death is palpably at hand? (Recommended)
Fifty bucks might sound expensive for an undershirt, but not when it means you can cancel your gym membership, stop buying gallons of protein powder, and sell all of your home gym equipment. Because not only does the Funkybod t-shirt promise to camouflage manboobs, it also creates the illusion you've got a muscular toned physique, no matter how frail you might be in real life.
Statin, osteoporosis drug combo may help treat parasitic infections
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 17-Oct-2013
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Contact: Silvia Moreno 706-542-4736 University of Georgia
Athens, Ga. Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that a combination of two commonly prescribed drugs used to treat high cholesterol and osteoporosis may serve as the foundation of a new treatment for toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. They published their findings recently in PLOS Pathogens.
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite capable of infecting nearly all warm-blooded animals. While healthy human adults usually suffer no lasting ill effects from infection, it can be harmful or fatal to unborn fetuses or those with weakened immune systems.
"For many years, therapies for toxoplasmosis have focused on drugs that target only the parasite," said Silvia Moreno, senior author of the article and professor of cellular biology in UGA's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "But in this paper, we show how we can hit the parasite with two drugs simultaneously, one that affects body chemistry in the host and one that affects the parasite."
The UGA researchers discovered that a combination of the cholesterol lowering drug atorvastatin and osteoporosis medication zoledronic acid, both more commonly known by their respective trade names, Lipitor and Zometa, produce changes in the mammalian host and in the parasite that ultimately block parasite replication and spread of the infection.
"These two drugs have a strong synergy," said Moreno, who is also a member of UGA's Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. "The mice we treated were cured from a lethal infection using this combination approach."
Moreno and her colleagues began working on this drug combination following a series of experiments with unexpected results. They created a genetically modified version of the parasite in the laboratory that lacked a specific enzyme essential for one of the organism's most basic functions.
They thought such an experiment was an excellent opportunity to observe how the absence of this enzyme would kill the parasites. But every time they checked on the supposedly defective parasites, they were healthy and appeared completely unaffected.
"We kept asking ourselves, 'How did this happen? This enzyme should be essential to the parasite's survival,'" said Zhu-Hong Li, a UGA research scientist and lead author of the article. "It's almost like a human surviving without food or air."
What they discovered is that in order to survive, Toxoplasma has evolved an extraordinary ability to siphon essential compounds from its host when it is unable to make them on its own. This led them to the two-drug therapy.
Zoledronic acid prevents synthesis in the parasite and atorvastatin inhibits production in the host.
When Toxoplasma cannot produce these important molecules itself or steal them from its host, the parasites die.
"These drugs have been studied extensively, they are FDA-approved and safe for most people," Moreno said. "Plus, one might not have to take the drugs for an extended period, just long enough to clear the infection."
Moreno cautions that more research must be done before this becomes an accepted treatment for humans, but she hopes that a similar strategy might work for other serious parasitic diseases, such as malaria and cryptosporidiosis.
Early experiments with an anti-malarial drug already suggest that combining atorvastatin with fosmidomycin, an antibiotic effective against malaria parasites, creates a more potent antimalarial cocktail and it may lessen the risk of drug resistance.
###
UGA Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases
The University of Georgia Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases draws on a strong foundation of parasitology, immunology, cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics to develop medical and public health interventions for at-risk populations. Established in 1998, the center promotes international biomedical research and educational programs at UGA and throughout Georgia to address the parasitic and other tropical diseases that continue to threaten the health of people throughout the world. For more information about the center, see ctegd.uga.edu
Writer:
James Hataway, 706-542-5222, jhataway@uga.edu
Contact:
Silvia Moreno, 706-542-4736, smoreno@uga.edu
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Statin, osteoporosis drug combo may help treat parasitic infections
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 17-Oct-2013
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Contact: Silvia Moreno 706-542-4736 University of Georgia
Athens, Ga. Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that a combination of two commonly prescribed drugs used to treat high cholesterol and osteoporosis may serve as the foundation of a new treatment for toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. They published their findings recently in PLOS Pathogens.
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite capable of infecting nearly all warm-blooded animals. While healthy human adults usually suffer no lasting ill effects from infection, it can be harmful or fatal to unborn fetuses or those with weakened immune systems.
"For many years, therapies for toxoplasmosis have focused on drugs that target only the parasite," said Silvia Moreno, senior author of the article and professor of cellular biology in UGA's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "But in this paper, we show how we can hit the parasite with two drugs simultaneously, one that affects body chemistry in the host and one that affects the parasite."
The UGA researchers discovered that a combination of the cholesterol lowering drug atorvastatin and osteoporosis medication zoledronic acid, both more commonly known by their respective trade names, Lipitor and Zometa, produce changes in the mammalian host and in the parasite that ultimately block parasite replication and spread of the infection.
"These two drugs have a strong synergy," said Moreno, who is also a member of UGA's Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. "The mice we treated were cured from a lethal infection using this combination approach."
Moreno and her colleagues began working on this drug combination following a series of experiments with unexpected results. They created a genetically modified version of the parasite in the laboratory that lacked a specific enzyme essential for one of the organism's most basic functions.
They thought such an experiment was an excellent opportunity to observe how the absence of this enzyme would kill the parasites. But every time they checked on the supposedly defective parasites, they were healthy and appeared completely unaffected.
"We kept asking ourselves, 'How did this happen? This enzyme should be essential to the parasite's survival,'" said Zhu-Hong Li, a UGA research scientist and lead author of the article. "It's almost like a human surviving without food or air."
What they discovered is that in order to survive, Toxoplasma has evolved an extraordinary ability to siphon essential compounds from its host when it is unable to make them on its own. This led them to the two-drug therapy.
Zoledronic acid prevents synthesis in the parasite and atorvastatin inhibits production in the host.
When Toxoplasma cannot produce these important molecules itself or steal them from its host, the parasites die.
"These drugs have been studied extensively, they are FDA-approved and safe for most people," Moreno said. "Plus, one might not have to take the drugs for an extended period, just long enough to clear the infection."
Moreno cautions that more research must be done before this becomes an accepted treatment for humans, but she hopes that a similar strategy might work for other serious parasitic diseases, such as malaria and cryptosporidiosis.
Early experiments with an anti-malarial drug already suggest that combining atorvastatin with fosmidomycin, an antibiotic effective against malaria parasites, creates a more potent antimalarial cocktail and it may lessen the risk of drug resistance.
###
UGA Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases
The University of Georgia Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases draws on a strong foundation of parasitology, immunology, cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics to develop medical and public health interventions for at-risk populations. Established in 1998, the center promotes international biomedical research and educational programs at UGA and throughout Georgia to address the parasitic and other tropical diseases that continue to threaten the health of people throughout the world. For more information about the center, see ctegd.uga.edu
Writer:
James Hataway, 706-542-5222, jhataway@uga.edu
Contact:
Silvia Moreno, 706-542-4736, smoreno@uga.edu
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]
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The Serpentine Galleries' new visual identity was designed by Pentagram’s Marina Willer and Wolff Olins’ Brian Boylan. Image: Pentagram
The new logo features a brand new typeface and most notably, a big, gaping aperture that can be resized and repositioned anywhere in the word Serpentine. Image: Pentagram
It's meant to project a sense of openness. Image: Pentagram
It was unveiled to coincide with the opening of the Zaha Hadid-designed Sackler Gallery. Image: Pentagram
The entrance to The Magazine, The Serpentine's restaurant. Image: Pentagram
The restaurant's menus are meant to reflect Hadid's undulating structure. It's one of the more successful applications of the new branding. Image: Pentagram
The new branding in front of Sou Fujimoto's temporary pavilion. Image: Pentagram
The typeface, with its mix of sharp and rounded edges is supposed to be "approachable, welcoming and thought-provoking and challenging." Image: Pentagram
Logos require a new level of elasticity since they’re going to be used on signs, paper, tablets, web and in video. Image: Pentagram
The Serpentine Galleries' new visual identity was designed by Pentagram’s Marina Willer and Wolff Olins’ Brian Boylan. Image: Pentagram
The new logo features a brand new typeface and most notably, a big, gaping aperture that can be resized and repositioned anywhere in the word Serpentine. Image: Pentagram
It's meant to project a sense of openness. Image: Pentagram
It was unveiled to coincide with the opening of the Zaha Hadid-designed Sackler Gallery. Image: Pentagram
The entrance to The Magazine, The Serpentine's restaurant. Image: Pentagram
The restaurant's menus are meant to reflect Hadid's undulating structure. It's one of the more successful applications of the new branding. Image: Pentagram
The new branding in front of Sou Fujimoto's temporary pavilion. Image: Pentagram
The typeface, with its mix of sharp and rounded edges is supposed to be "approachable, welcoming and thought-provoking and challenging." Image: Pentagram
Logos require a new level of elasticity since they’re going to be used on signs, paper, tablets, web and in video. Image: Pentagram
The Serpentine Gallery is having a moment of transformation. With the opening of Zaha Hadid’s undulating, tent-like Sackler Gallery earlier this month, the museum has expanded its physical space and elaborated on its name, referring to itself now as the Serpentine Galleries. In fact, the London art institution has gone full throttle on its Cinderella moment and has gotten itself an entirely new visual identity.
Designed by Pentagram’s Marina Willer and Wolff Olins’ Brian Boylan, the Serpentine’s new logo features a brand new typeface and most notably, a big, gaping aperture that can be resized and repositioned anywhere within the word Serpentine. So on one sign you’ll see ‘Ser—pentine Galleries’ while on another you’ll see ‘Serpen—tine Galleries.’ Check out the website right now, and you’ll read it as ‘Serpe—ntine.’ It’s an interesting choice, and one that Willer says is meant to point to the pervading theme of the Serpentine’s new identity: openness. “The concept came from the idea of the Serpentine being an open landscape for arts and culture,” explains Willer. “Open as in free, in the open (park) and open to new art forms and ideas.”
Requisite design tropes aside, the Serpentine’s logo is really an attempt to demonstrate that the gallery is more than just a place to hang art. Like most media-centric companies, the Serpentine is multifaceted—it’s a gallery, a restaurant, a cultural centerpiece amidst a sprawling park. But how do you explain that you’re actually many things though a simple logo? The Serpentine’s answer is the aperture, a hole that can be filled with a pretty photo of the park or an image from an upcoming exhibition depending on the occasion. It’s a smarter, better looking way to approach the idea of the logo as a customizable container, which other companies have unsuccessfully attempted. Think back to the failed ‘My__’ logo, which fell flat not just because it was lame design, but also because Myspace itself didn’t know what belonged in the blank.
Serpentine’s new logo offers total flexibility.
The Serpentine, for its part, seems to be aware of its value and what it offers the world, which helps to anchor the limitless possibilities of the aperture. Even beyond the conceptual ideas behind the new Serpentine identity, it’s true that more and more, logos require total flexibility. Like we saw with the Whitney’s responsive W, modern logos require a new level of elasticity since they’re going to be used on signs, paper, tablets, web and in video. An authoritarian logo has its merits, and it certainly conveys a cohesive sense of branding, but art museums in particular have the convenience, an obligation even, to push the boundaries of what we’re used to.
The accompanying logo typeface, designed by Pentagram’s Ian Osborne, is, for lack of a better word, quirky. With its mix of rounded and sharp edges, it’s definitely an update to the “englishness” of Graphic Thought Facility’s modified Monotype Grotesque that had been used across branding materials since 2009. Willer explains, “We used round and sharp corners on the logo typeface to be both approachable, welcoming and thought-provoking, challenging. With him [Osborne], we created a font that is modern and straightforward as we think the voice of Serpentine should be.” It hasn’t been universally loved, with some critics lambasting the font for being too much on an already visually-heavy palette. And true, when compared to the Serpentine’s stoic logo of the past, this one is certainly livelier and more inviting, even if it does try just a little too hard to be those things. When it’s all said and done though, the Serpentine got what it wanted (and needed) because this logo does feel—you have to admit—open.
Case Western Reserve School of Medicine wins prestigious NCI sponsored Provocative Questions grant
Public release date: 14-Oct-2013 [
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Contact: Christine Somosi Christine.Somosi@case.edu 216-368-6287 Case Western Reserve University
The $1.9 million research grant will allow investigators to detect tumors in the earliest stages of formation
The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) new Provocative Questions research funding program has awarded a prestigious grant to researchers at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University's Schools of Medicine and Engineering to study tumor detection at the earliest stages of growth.
"We know that the best way to fight cancer is to find tumors when they are small and have not yet left their primary location," said principal investigator Susann Brady-Kalnay, PhD, professor of molecular biology and microbiology at Case Western Reserve University. "Our unique approach uses molecular imaging agents that recognize tumors using conventional MR scanners. We envision that this technological advance will allow us to detect very early stage tumors using conventional MRI machines that currently exist at most major hospitals."
"Now that we have received the grant, our hope is to translate our discoveries into clinical practice," said Brady-Kalnay. "With this technology, the radiologist will be confident that the abnormality on an MRI is actually a malignant tumor. This will inform the surgeon where all the tumor cells are located in order to remove them, and then the oncologist will be able to monitor how well each individual patient is responding to a given chemotherapy or radiation treatment," stated Brady-Kalnay.
CWRU was uniquely positioned to win the Provocative Questions grant because of the University's expertise in building world-class interdisciplinary teams that function with a high level of collaboration and cooperation. This strong suit is evident in the Provocative Questions grant team which includes chemists, MRI physicists, radiologists, biomedical engineers and cancer biologists, winning the $1.9 million award.
"Dr. Brady-Kalnay's novel approach is built on her discovery of an abnormal protein fragment on tumor cells that encourages their movement through tissue," stated Stanton Gerson, MD, Asa and Patricia Shiverick- Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematological Oncology, director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and director of the Seidman Cancer Center at UH Case Medical Center. "This is a key factor that starts the process of metastasis, the most devastating part of cancer growth. Finding these cells early, and pinpointing their location by MR is a phenomenal advancement in the field of cancer diagnosis," noted Gerson.
The grant is part of the NCI's Provocative Questions Project, conceived by NCI Director Harold Varmus, MD, to challenge cancer researchers to provide answers for 24 perplexing questions in cancer research. In 2012, the NCI assembled a list of important questions to stimulate the research community to use multiple scientific disciplines, including clinical and laboratory science and epidemiology, in novel ways to investigate promising but neglected or unexplored areas of research. A Provocative Questions
research project is charged with tackling broad questions in cancer biology and aims for a 5-10- year time frame for making significant progress.
The Case Western Reserve University grant is one of only 30 awarded nationwide by the NCI in 2013 and only one of two in Ohio. The research team will address the NCI's fifth Provocative Question: "Can tumors be detected when they are two to three orders of magnitude smaller than those currently detected with in vivo imaging modalities?"
###
In addition to Brady-Kalnay, the research team includes Mark Griswold, PhD, professor of radiology; Vikas Gulani, assistant professor of radiology; Zheng-Rong Lu, PhD, the M. Frank and Margaret Domiter Rudy Professor of Biomedical Engineering; and David Wilson, the Robert J. Herbold Professor, Biomedical Engineering.
About Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Founded in 1843, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is the largest medical research institution in Ohio and is among the nation's top medical schools for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The School of Medicine is recognized throughout the international medical community for outstanding achievements in teaching. The School's innovative and pioneering Western Reserve2 curriculum interweaves four themes--research and scholarship, clinical mastery, leadership, and civic professionalism--to prepare students for the practice of evidence-based medicine in the rapidly changing health care environment of the 21st century. Nine Nobel Laureates have been affiliated with the School of Medicine.
Annually, the School of Medicine trains more than 800 MD and MD/PhD students and ranks in the top 25 among U.S. research-oriented medical schools as designated by U.S. News & World Report's "Guide to Graduate Education."
The School of Medicine's primary affiliate is University Hospitals Case Medical Center and is additionally affiliated with MetroHealth Medical Center, the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic, with which it established the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University in 2002. http://casemed.case.edu
About Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center is an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center located at Case Western Reserve University. The center, now in its 25th year of funding, integrates the cancer research activities of the largest biomedical research and health care institutions in Ohio Case Western Reserve, University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic. NCI-designated cancer centers are characterized by scientific excellence and the capability to integrate a diversity of research approaches to focus on the problem of cancer. It is led by Stanton Gerson, MD, Asa and Patricia Shiverick- Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematological Oncology, director of the National Center for Regenerative Medicine, Case Western Reserve, and director of the Seidman Cancer Center at UH Case Medical Center.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Case Western Reserve School of Medicine wins prestigious NCI sponsored Provocative Questions grant
Public release date: 14-Oct-2013 [
| E-mail
| Share
]
Contact: Christine Somosi Christine.Somosi@case.edu 216-368-6287 Case Western Reserve University
The $1.9 million research grant will allow investigators to detect tumors in the earliest stages of formation
The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) new Provocative Questions research funding program has awarded a prestigious grant to researchers at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University's Schools of Medicine and Engineering to study tumor detection at the earliest stages of growth.
"We know that the best way to fight cancer is to find tumors when they are small and have not yet left their primary location," said principal investigator Susann Brady-Kalnay, PhD, professor of molecular biology and microbiology at Case Western Reserve University. "Our unique approach uses molecular imaging agents that recognize tumors using conventional MR scanners. We envision that this technological advance will allow us to detect very early stage tumors using conventional MRI machines that currently exist at most major hospitals."
"Now that we have received the grant, our hope is to translate our discoveries into clinical practice," said Brady-Kalnay. "With this technology, the radiologist will be confident that the abnormality on an MRI is actually a malignant tumor. This will inform the surgeon where all the tumor cells are located in order to remove them, and then the oncologist will be able to monitor how well each individual patient is responding to a given chemotherapy or radiation treatment," stated Brady-Kalnay.
CWRU was uniquely positioned to win the Provocative Questions grant because of the University's expertise in building world-class interdisciplinary teams that function with a high level of collaboration and cooperation. This strong suit is evident in the Provocative Questions grant team which includes chemists, MRI physicists, radiologists, biomedical engineers and cancer biologists, winning the $1.9 million award.
"Dr. Brady-Kalnay's novel approach is built on her discovery of an abnormal protein fragment on tumor cells that encourages their movement through tissue," stated Stanton Gerson, MD, Asa and Patricia Shiverick- Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematological Oncology, director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and director of the Seidman Cancer Center at UH Case Medical Center. "This is a key factor that starts the process of metastasis, the most devastating part of cancer growth. Finding these cells early, and pinpointing their location by MR is a phenomenal advancement in the field of cancer diagnosis," noted Gerson.
The grant is part of the NCI's Provocative Questions Project, conceived by NCI Director Harold Varmus, MD, to challenge cancer researchers to provide answers for 24 perplexing questions in cancer research. In 2012, the NCI assembled a list of important questions to stimulate the research community to use multiple scientific disciplines, including clinical and laboratory science and epidemiology, in novel ways to investigate promising but neglected or unexplored areas of research. A Provocative Questions
research project is charged with tackling broad questions in cancer biology and aims for a 5-10- year time frame for making significant progress.
The Case Western Reserve University grant is one of only 30 awarded nationwide by the NCI in 2013 and only one of two in Ohio. The research team will address the NCI's fifth Provocative Question: "Can tumors be detected when they are two to three orders of magnitude smaller than those currently detected with in vivo imaging modalities?"
###
In addition to Brady-Kalnay, the research team includes Mark Griswold, PhD, professor of radiology; Vikas Gulani, assistant professor of radiology; Zheng-Rong Lu, PhD, the M. Frank and Margaret Domiter Rudy Professor of Biomedical Engineering; and David Wilson, the Robert J. Herbold Professor, Biomedical Engineering.
About Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Founded in 1843, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is the largest medical research institution in Ohio and is among the nation's top medical schools for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The School of Medicine is recognized throughout the international medical community for outstanding achievements in teaching. The School's innovative and pioneering Western Reserve2 curriculum interweaves four themes--research and scholarship, clinical mastery, leadership, and civic professionalism--to prepare students for the practice of evidence-based medicine in the rapidly changing health care environment of the 21st century. Nine Nobel Laureates have been affiliated with the School of Medicine.
Annually, the School of Medicine trains more than 800 MD and MD/PhD students and ranks in the top 25 among U.S. research-oriented medical schools as designated by U.S. News & World Report's "Guide to Graduate Education."
The School of Medicine's primary affiliate is University Hospitals Case Medical Center and is additionally affiliated with MetroHealth Medical Center, the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic, with which it established the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University in 2002. http://casemed.case.edu
About Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center is an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center located at Case Western Reserve University. The center, now in its 25th year of funding, integrates the cancer research activities of the largest biomedical research and health care institutions in Ohio Case Western Reserve, University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic. NCI-designated cancer centers are characterized by scientific excellence and the capability to integrate a diversity of research approaches to focus on the problem of cancer. It is led by Stanton Gerson, MD, Asa and Patricia Shiverick- Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematological Oncology, director of the National Center for Regenerative Medicine, Case Western Reserve, and director of the Seidman Cancer Center at UH Case Medical Center.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Google Reader stand-in Feedly has picked up a bounty of tweaks and features in its latest version, which just hit Google Play. Now in its 17th iteration, the app starts up 300 percent faster, boasts smoother scrolling, a retooled widget and a new discover section to peruse stories. Design buffs will ...
Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter star as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in Burton and Taylor, a new made-for-TV movie from BBC America.
BBC America
Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter star as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in Burton and Taylor, a new made-for-TV movie from BBC America.
BBC America
You have to be of a certain age to remember firsthand the tornado of publicity that erupted when Liz Taylor, the former child star turned screen vamp, first met British stage star Richard Burton on the set of the 1963 movie Cleopatra. But it's still one of Hollywood's most famous and inescapable love stories.
He played Mark Antony, she played the Queen of the Nile, and just like their onscreen characters, they fell in love. Though Liz and Dick were married to others at the time, they began a torrid affair, the coverage of which spread outside the gossip columns. Eventually, they divorced their spouses and got married. After 10 years and many films together, they divorced — then, after a while, married each other a second time, then got divorced again. That all happened by 1976.
In the early '80s, Liz and Dick decided to reunite once again — but this time, only professionally, as the stars of a limited-run Broadway revival of the Noel Coward comedy Private Lives. The play was about a long-divorced couple who meet while on honeymoons with new spouses — but whose love for one another is rekindled during the chance encounter.
Liz, who was popping pills and drinking at the time, may have wished for life to imitate art. Dick, newly sober, considered Liz one more compelling addiction it was wiser for him to avoid. And it's this period of their lives that screenwriter William Ivory examines in the new BBC America telemovie import, Burton and Taylor.
It's a highly entertaining study, for two reasons. One is the decision to peek at the private lives of these very public figures through such a tiny, fixed peephole. It's much more satisfying than watching a boring by-the-numbers recreation of career highlights, like last year's horrible Lifetime telemovie Liz & Dick, starring Lindsay Lohan. That was more focused on getting the costumes and makeup right than caring about the performances or character insights. Burton and Taylor, though, stays in one place long enough to make us feel their emotions — and, because of the excellent performances, believe them.
The performances are the other reason this drama works. The stars of Burton and Taylor sound like unlikely choices, but they mesh perfectly. Helena Bonham Carter, who's spent much of the past decade playing cartoonish characters for Tim Burton and others, plays Liz with a fire, and a vulnerability, that quickly make the impersonation succeed. And as Richard Burton, one of the most commanding and forceful actors of his generation, the movie casts Dominic West, whom fans of The Wire know well as Detective McNulty.
Here, the native British actor gets to drop the accent he used for that HBO series, and approximate Richard Burton's gravelly, velvety tones. West does it so well that he, too, quickly makes you forget about the performer and get drawn into the often intimate action.
Burton and Taylor is as serious as last year's Liz & Dick telemovie was campy. For writer Ivory and director Richard Laxton, it's easily a career best. For the stars, it's one more triumph to add to their already impressive resumes. And for other TV writers and producers looking to dramatize the lives of famous figures, Burton and Taylor — like Steven Spielberg's narrowly focused movie biography of Lincoln — serves as a very clear lesson. Sometimes, when deciding how much of a life to examine, less very definitely is more.
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Google Reader stand-in Feedly has picked up a bounty of tweaks and features in its latest version, which just hit Google Play. Now in its 17th iteration, the app starts up 300 percent faster, boasts smoother scrolling, a retooled widget and a new discover section to peruse stories. Design buffs will ...