Deep-fried Mars bars

Do you want to know what you get when you mix a Scottish salesman with a fish and chips shop? Well, just read what follows and you will get the answer!

In 1995, a man in a Scottish fish and chips had the unusual idea to fry a Mars bar in a deep fat fryer. The result looked like that:

We don’t know what you think about it, but English people’s first reaction to this product was very ironic! Indeed, Scottish people were reputed for their unhealthy food and this new product confirmed this idea. However, the popularity of the dish did spread. Today, deep-fried Mars bars are not so popular anymore, but new varieties of deep-fried dishes have been invented. In the following pictures, you can see a deep-fried pizza and deep-fried haggis.

How do you make a deep-fried Mars bar? Actually, it is very easy. Just take 1 Mars bar, 1 egg, some milk, ¾ of a cup of flour, a pinch of salt and some oil for frying.

First, prepare the batter to cover the Mars bar before putting it into the deep-fat fryer. In order to make it, just use the ingredients we have just mentioned above. Put them together and mix them. Be careful: you have to make sure that the Mars bar was kept a few days in the fridge before using it, otherwise it will melt in the deep-fat fryer.

The second step is very easy. Immerse the Mars bar into the boiling oil. Once it is fried, serve with whipped cream, ice cream or fruits. If you think you need more details about the recipe, you can watch the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvt-CYmBPI8&feature=related .

Whatever you might think about it and even if you are not extremely enthusiastic about trying it, just remember what a Scottish guy said after tasting it: « It looks disgusting, but it tastes like Heaven. »

Mélina Charlier and Marie Collage

The Aviator

Release: December 17, 2004
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: John Logan
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Kate Beckinsale, Alan Alda, Gwen Stefani, Danny Huston, Willem Dafoe, Jude Law, Kelli Garner

Click

Director: Frank Coraci
Cast: Sean Astin, Kate Beckinsale, David Hasselhoff, Julie Kavner, Adam Sandler

"In the loop"

« In the loop » is a typical British comedy which was released on the seventeenth of April 2009. “In the loop” criticizes the absurd effort of the Anglo-American involvement in the Iraq war.
This film is based on the popular TV series “The thick of it” on BBC 2 and was oscar-nominated in 2010.

“In the loop” is directed by Armando Iannucci, a 47-year-old Scottish Italian comedian, writer, director, performer and radio producer. He wrote "Facts and Fancies" in 1997, later turned into radio series. He’s also famous for his radio programmes, for example “On the hour”. What is more, he had a personal TV show. He directed two films “ Tube tales” and “In the loop”.

The main actors in the film “In the Loop” are for example Tom Hollander, the British Minister Simon Forster, Peter Capaldi, allias Malcom Tucker, a sort of spin doctor, and James Gandolfini, the American General Miller.

At the beginning, the film is settled in London. Simon Forster, the Minister of International Development, makes a blunder during an interview about the possible invasion of Iraq. He tells journalists that a war in Iraq is unforeseeable.
This ill-chosen word is going to cause a terrible panic among media and politics in the US and in Britain. Malcom Tucker, acted by Peter Capaldi, tries everything to make the situation better. We could call him a spin doctor. A spin doctor is “A person who publicizes favorable interpretations of the words and actions of a public figure, especially a politician”. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/) He’s said to be a parody of Alaistair Campbell, the famous spin doctor of Tony Blair.

Simon Forster tries to get back on his feet and gives another interview to the journalists in which he makes once more another blunder. He says: "To walk the road of peace, sometimes we need to be ready to climb the mountain of conflict". It’s how a war conspiracy begins, with many misunderstandings which make the situation only worse and worse.

The American characters are General Miller, played by James Gandolfini. He’s pacifist and against the war in Iraq. Whereas Linton Barwick creates secretely a war committee and would do anything to justify a war in Iraq.

According to many critics, “In the loop” is the funniest film of the year. For others, it’s a comedy of highest order. This film is also described as genius, unmissable and brilliant.

Here is the trailer, enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQrqMkCuHqA

No worries if you do not understand everything, you have to put yourself in Englishman's shoes! ;)


Audeline Boucart & Stéphanie de Wilde

Donald Trump: the man who never sleeps

Last year we told you everything about Alan Sugar. This year we are going to introduce his American counterpart, Donald Trump, who you maybe know thanks to his distinctive haircut.

Donald Trump was born in New-York City in 1946. He was the fourth of five children of Fred and Mary Anne Trump. He went to the University of Pennsylvania and afterwards he joined his father’s company, the Trump Organization, a real estate business. In the early seventies he started his career with the renovation of the Commodore Hotel and continued with the Trump Tower in New York City. Later on he developed other projects, among which the construction of casinos and the growth of a business airline industry.

However, from the nineties onwards, he had to face financial difficulties. Due to the effects of recession and bad investments he was indeed unable to meet loan payments.

By 1994 he could pay back his $900 million personal debt and his $3,5 billion business debt. In the late nineties and the noughties he became successful again. For instance, in 2001 the construction of the Trump World Tower was finished. Other projects include many buildings (Trump International Hotels and Towers, a Nike Store, etc.), golf courses and the creation of famous beaches.

He was not spared by the financial crisis, which he described as “an Act of God”. He eventually resigned from the board of his society, which is now led by his son, Donald Trump Jr. This does not prevent him from still having $1,6 billion on his bank account.

Donald Trump can be considered as a media personality for several reasons.

First and foremost he is the executive producer of “The Apprentice”, a reality show on the NBC in which candidates try to be employed by Donald Trump. He also shares with the same channel the production of Miss Universe and Miss USA.

Furthermore he is the author of fourteen bestsellers. His first book, "The Art of the Deal", is a business classic.

The Trump name is also to be found on many products: a university, restaurants, ice cream, a travel website, clothes, a fragrance, bottled water, magazines, a brand of vodka and even steaks and vitamins.

This self-made man also managed to seduce models. He has already been married with Ivana Zelnickova, with whom he got three children, then Marla Maples, who gave him one child and last but not least, the young Melania Knauss, who gave birth to a boy. His first wife gave him the nickname “The Donald”, which was picked up by the media. During his free time Donald Trump enjoys golfing and wrestling.

All this perhaps explains the fact that Donald Trump has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Elodie & Floriane

Flight of the Conchords

Flight of the Conchords is a duo of New-Zealand digi-folk musicians and comedians, composed of Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement. The duo's comedy and music has been turned into a BBC radio series and into an American television series, also called Flight of the Conchords.

BBC radio series

In 2004, the band created a radio series for BBC Radio 2, which was largely improvised. It was based on the band's search for commercial success in London (extract). The duo won the Bronze Sony Radio Academy Award for comedy with this radio series. And in 2006 BBC audio launched an album of the radio series; another one is to come by the end of this year (The Director's Cut).

Television series

The television series for HBO Flight of the Conchords started in the USA in 2007; the second and last season started in 2009. The fictional series is about the two musicians and their efforts to achieve success as a band in New York City. We saw them trying to get American fans, quite unsuccessfully.

The plot of the series is not really built-up; the spectator knows from the beginning on that the musicians will never achieve the expected success. However their misadventures don't stop them; they continue to follow their dream and compose songs, of which lyrics are completely crazy (e.g.: Business time, sugar lumps or too many dicks on the dancefloor).

The interest of the series is however more in the situations, in the characters themselves and in their innocent view of the society than in the plot. The duo seems to live in its own universe, filled with songs and dreams of romantic adventures.

Jermaine and Bret sing in each episode. The songs are built into the narrative structure of the show and some songs are part of the plot. They can sing to another character or sometimes the songs serve as internal monologue. Some songs can also be shot in the form of a music video. The manner in which the characters express themselves through songs is contrastive to the manner in which they express themselves throughout the rest of the show. They generally use songs when they are unable to express their feelings and thoughts.

Many jokes in the series make fun about New Zealand, suggesting that its culture is naive, backward, unsophisticated and technologically deficient; often in contrast to Australia. Another comical effect lies in the (New Zealand) pronunciation of the two musicians. And finally, they also mock the cliché saying that the best mean to pick up women is to be a singer or to play guitar; even if you don't have any talent.

Discography

• Folk the World Tour (2002),
• The BBC Radio Series: Flight of the Conchords (2006),
• The Distant Future (EP) (2007),
• Flight of the Conchords (2008),
• Pencils in the Wind (7" Single) (2009),
• I Told You I Was Freaky (2009).

Caroline Clément, Elodie Valet

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale

Release: January 11, 2008
Director: Uwe Boll
Writer: Doug Taylor
Cast: Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, Ron Perlman, Burt Reynolds, Will Sanderson, Matthew Lillard, John Rhys-Davies, Claire Forlani, Brian J. White, Kristanna Loken

Dark City

Release: February 27, 1998
Director: Alex Proyas
Writer: Alex Proyas, David S. Goyer, Lem Dobbs
Cast: Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising

Release: October 5, 2007
Director: David Cunningham
Writer: John Hodge, Susan Cooper
Cast: Ian McShane, Alexander Ludwig, Frances Conroy, Christopher Eccleston, Gregory Smith

The Covenant

Release: September 8, 2006
Director: Renny Harlin
Writer: J. S. Cardone
Cast: Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, Laura Ramsey, Taylor Kitsch, Toby Hemingway, Jessica Lucas, Chace Crawford, Kyle Schmid

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Release: February 15, 2008
Director: Mark Waters
Writer: John Sayles
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn, Seth Rogen, Martin Short

Peter Pan

Release: December 25, 2003
Director: P. J. Hogan
Writer: J.M. Barrie (book), P. J. Hogan, Michael Goldenberg
Cast: Jason Isaacs, Jason Isaacs, Jeremy Sumpter, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Lynn Redgrave, Richard Briers, Olivia Williams, Ludivine Sagnier

Stardust

Release: August 10, 2007
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writer: Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Sienna Miller, Peter O'Toole, Ricky Gervais, Billy Whitelaw, Jason Flemyng

E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Release: June 11, 1982
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Melissa Mathison
Cast: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote

Last Action Hero

Release: June 18, 1993
Director: John McTiernan
Writer: Zak Penn, Adam Leff, Shane Black, David Arnott
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, F. Murray Abraham, Charles Dance

Beowulf

Release: November 16, 2007
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer: Neil Gaiman, Roger Avary
Cast: Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Brendan Gleeson, Robin Wright Penn, Angelina Jolie, Crispin Glover, John Malkovich, Alison Lohman, Brendan Gleeson, Dominic Keating

Conan the Barbarian

Release: May 14, 1982
Director: John Milius
Writer: (Characters) Robert E. Howard, (Screenplay) John Milius, Oliver Stone
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones

Mortal Kombat

Release: August 18, 1995
Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Writer: Ed Boon (video games), John Tobias (video games), Kevin Droney
Cast: Christopher Lambert, Robin Shou, Linden Ashby, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Bridgette Wilson, Talisa Soto, Trevor Goddard, Chris Casamassa, Francois Petit, Keith Cooke

The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior

Release: August 19, 2008
Director: Russell Mulcahy
Writer: Randall McCormick, Stephen Sommers
Cast: Andreas Wisniewski, Jeremy Crutchley, Shane Manie, Pierre Marais, Warrick Grier, Az Abrahams, Vaneshran Arumugam, Wayne Shields, Robin Smith, Diane Wilson, Sean Higgs

The Scorpion King

Release: April 19, 2002
Director: Chuck Russell
Writer: Stephen Sommers, Jonathan Hales, William Osborne, David Hayter
Cast: The Rock, Steven Brand, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kelly Hu, Bernard Hill

D-War: Dragon Wars

Release: September 14, 2007
Director: Hyung-rae Shim
Writer: Hyung-rae Shim
Cast: Jason Behr, Amanda Brooks, Robert Forster, Aimee Garcia, Craig Robinson, Elizabeth Pena, Cody Arens

The Forbidden Kingdom

Release: April 18, 2008
Director: Rob Minkoff
Writer: John Fusco
Cast: Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Michael Angarano, Collin Chou, Yifei Liu, Li Bing Bing

Eragon

Release: December 15, 2006
Director: Stefen Fangmeier
Writer: Peter Buchman
Cast: Ed Speleers, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, Djimon Hounsou, Garrett Hedlund, Joss Stone, Rachel Weisz, John Malkovich

Pan's Labyrinth

Release: December 29, 2006
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writer: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ariadna Gil, Álex Angulo

The Last Legion

Release: August 17, 2007
Director: Doug Lefler
Writer: Jez Butterworth, Tom Butterworth
Cast: Colin Firth, Aishwarya Rai, Sir Ben Kingsley, Thomas Sangster, Peter Mullan, Iain Glen

The Brothers Grimm

Release: August 26, 2005
Director: Terry Gilliam
Writer: Ehren Kruger
Cast: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Jonathan Pryce, Peter Stormare, Monica Bellucci, Lena Headey, Laura Greenwood

Lawrence of Arabia

Release: December 16, 1963
Director: David Lean
Writer: Robert Bolt, Michael Wilson
Cast: Peter O Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Jose Ferrer, Anthony Quayle, Claude Rains

Doctor Zhivago

Release: December 22, 1965
Director: David Lean
Writer: Robert Bolt
Cast: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness, Bob Shorrocks, Tom Courtenay

Epic Movie

Release: January 26, 2007
Director: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
Writer: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
Cast: Kal Penn, Adam Campbell, Jennifer Coolidge, Crispin Glover, Tony Cox, H?ctor Jim?nez, Carmen Electra, Darrell Hammond, David Carradine, Kevin McDonald, George Alvarez, Fred Willard, Jayma Mays, Crista Flanagan, Faune A. Chambers

Gladiator

Release: May 5, 2000
Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: David Franzoni
Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, David Schofield, Tommy Flanagan

Black Irish

Release: January 17, 2006
Director: Brad Gann
Writer: Brad Gann
Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Michael Angarano, Tom Guiry, Emily VanCamp, Melissa Leo, Michael Rispoli

12 Monkeys

Release: January 4, 1996
Director: Terry Gilliam
Writer: David Peoples, Janet Peoples, Chris Marker
Cast: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, David Morse

The Other Guys

Release: August 6, 2010
Director: Adam McKay
Writer: Chris Henchy, Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Rob Riggle, Damon Wayans, Jr., Lindsay Sloane, Andy Buckley, Ben Schwartz, Anne Heche

Multiple Sarcasms

Release: May 7, 2010
Director: Brooks Branch
Writer: Brooks Branch, Linda Morris
Cast: Timothy Hutton, Mira Sorvino, Dana Delany, Mario Van Pebbles, India Ennenga, Laila Robins, Stockard Channing

Spitting Image

Spitting Image was a satirical puppet show which ran from 1984 to 1996 in the UK. In all, 18 seasons were screened containing 141 episodes. Each episode lasted between 30 and 60 minutes. The show depicted puppet caricatures of many famous people during the 1980s and the 1990s. Spitting Image was created by Martin Lambie-Naim but was not very successful at first. However, by 1986 it had become very popular and even produced a Number 1 his single ("The Chicken Song"). The show was not only famous in the UK, but also in many other countries and influenced many similar series such as "Les guignols de l'info".

People enjoyed it especially because of the recognisable and more likable presentation of politicians, who were often parodied. Their favourite target was Margaret Thatcher, the then Prime Minister. She was portrayed as a bullying, fascist tyrant and transvestite - she wore suits, used the urinals, etc. Thus, the show's beginning of the end was marked in November 1990, when John Major succeeded Thatcher in office. He was described as a boring and all-grey character, who was constantly mocked by Humphrey, the Downing Street cat. Other characters were also depicted as a vampire or as Hannibal Lecter. Moreover, the British Royal Family was also frequently present in the show. As for foreign politicians, Spitting Image devoted some time to them as well, among which Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev and Reagan's successor George Bush senior. Even religion did not stop the creators: Pope John Paul II did not believe in God and spoke with a Texan accent. Musicians and actors were parodied too, even though they often didn't like their puppets. Indeed, Mike Jagger looked perpetually high, Michael Jackson's skin became lighter and lighter (from African American to Albino) and Arnold Schwarzenegger was very insecure about his genitals' size.

Spitting Image also wrote and parodied songs. For example, The Police's "Every Breath You Take" was changed into "Every Bomb You Make" and sung by Sting himself. The song was accompanied by a video, depicting the puppets of world leaders and politicians, usually with the figure matching the lyrics "Every wall you build, Every one you've killed, Every grave you've filled, Al the blood you've spilled, I'll be watching you". Other musical parodies featured Michael Jackson, Kylie Minogue, Oasis, ZZ Top, Prince and Barbara Streisand.

In addition, there was a recurring news programme called "Rubber news". It lasted only a few minutes and involved two puppets presenting invented headlines, where sometimes they even got in a fight.

In short, the series was hilarious with a strong bitingly sharp humour, usually acknowledged as the rudest and funniest show on British television. Threfore, it was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards and won one of them.

By Aliénor, Louisa and Abigail

Mother and Child

Release: May 7, 2010
Director: Rodrigo García
Writer: Rodrigo García
Cast: Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington, Jimmy Smits, David Ramsey, Carla Gallo, Amy Brenneman

Killers

Release: June 4, 2010
Director: Robert Luketic
Writer: Melissa Stack
Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara, Rob Riggle, Casey Wilson, Martin Mull, Letoya Luckett, Katheryn Winnick, Sharan Masfield

Machete

Release: 2010
Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis
Writer: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Jeff Fahey, Steven Seagal, Don Johnson

The Star-Spangled Banner

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. During the 19th century, “The Star-Spangled Banner” became one of the nation’s best-loved patriotic songs. Despite its widespread popularity, it did not become the National Anthem until 1931.

Origins
The lyrics come from a text written by the gifted amateur poet Francis Scott Key in 1814, when he was inspired by the American victory at the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. When he saw that the American flag was still waving above the fort and had not been removed in defeat the morning after the bombings of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships, this sight inspired him to write an initial verse on the back of a letter he had kept in his pocket. He completed the four stanzas later on and entitled them "Defence of Fort McHenry”.
In the fourth stanza, Key urged the adoption of "In God is our Trust" as the national motto ("And this be our motto: In God is our Trust"). The US adopted the motto "In God We Trust" by law in 1956. In 1861, a fifth stanza was added to the song by Oliver Wendell Holmes, who wanted to share his indignation over the start of the Civil War. It appeared in songbooks of the era. Today only the first stanza is commonly sung, with the fourth added on more formal occasions.
The poem soon attained wide popularity when it was set to the music previously composed by an English composer John Stafford Smith, “To Anacreon in Heaven” (1775). This tune was the official song of the 18th-century Anacreontic Society, a men's social club in London and it quickly became popular. Soon after, the words and music were published together under the title "The Star-Spangled Banner”.
It gained popularity throughout the nineteenth century and bands used to play it during public events and celebrations. "The Star-Spangled Banner" was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889 (ceremonial purpose). In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that "The Star-Spangled Banner" be played at military and other appropriate occasions. In March 1931, 116 years after it was first written, President Herbert Hoover signed the law proclaiming it as the national anthem.

Performances and custom
Due to its wide range of one and a half octaves, the song is known for being difficult to sing for non-professionals. The song is often pre-recorded because even professional singers have been known to forget the lyrics. Another way to avoid this problem is for the performers to play the anthem instrumentally instead of singing it. "The Star-Spangled Banner" is traditionally played at the beginning of public sports events and orchestral concerts in the United States, as well as other public gatherings.
In the United States Code, it is stipulated that, during a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, everybody should face the flag with the right hand over the heart; men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold the headdress at the left shoulder, their hand being over the heart. Individuals wearing the uniform should give the military salute as soon as the anthem begins and maintain that position until the last note.

Translation and modern history
The song was translated in other languages as a result of the immigration to the US: in German in 1861, and later in Hebrew, Yiddish, Spanish, French, Samoan and Irish. Here is the French translation of the first stanza:

La Bannière Etoilée
Oh, dites-moi, pouvez-vous voir dans les lueurs de l'aube
Ce que nous acclamions si fièrement au crépuscule ?
Ces larges bandes et ces brillantes étoiles, que durant la terrible bataille,
Au sommet de nos remparts nous regardions flotter si fièrement ?
Et l'éclat rouge des fusées, et les bombes explosant dans les airs,
Nous prouvaient à chaque instant de la nuit que notre drapeau était toujours là.
Oh, dites-moi, est-ce que la bannière étoilée flotte encore
Sur la terre de la Liberté et la patrie des braves ?

Different versions have been performed since then because the law of 1931 did not specify any official music of the song. Famous interpretations and performances are the followings:

- Igor Stravinsky's 1941 version for orchestra and male chorus
- Duke Ellington's 1948 Cornell University arrangement

- Jimi Hendrix's 1969 electric guitar interpretation which was a set-list staple until his death (September 1970)

- José Feliciano's 1968 rendition

- Marvin Gaye’s 1983 soul-influenced performance at the NBA All-Star Game
- Whitney Houston’s 1991 soulful rendition before Super Bowl XXV
- The 1991 version by the St. Louis Symphony under Leonard Slatkin.
- At Buckingham Palace (London), the day after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in NYC, at the Changing of the Guard, the Band of the Grenadier Guards played the American National Anthem instead of the British one as a show of support for her ally.

On this link you can see the anthem sung by US Presidents

Yaël Haelterman and Camille Mertens

Jeeves : a gentleman's personal gentleman

Jeeves, or Reginald Jeeves, is a fictional character that appears in novels and short stories written by the British novelist P. G. Wodehouse. Jeeves is the valet of Bertie Wooster (Bertram Wilberforce Wooster), thus being the « gentleman’s personal gentleman ». The series of novels and short stories started in 1915 and ended in 1974 a year before P. G. Wodehouse died. However, the first full-length novel, entitled « Thank you, Jeeves », appeared only in 1934. Before that, the adventures of Jeeves and his master were written into short stories.

The entire collection of novels and short stories including Jeeves are known as the Jeeves canon or the Jeeves books. In total there are thirty-five short stories and eleven novels. What is more, the short stories were originally published in magazines before being collected into full books. The stories are set in three primary locations : the flat in London, the English countryside or New York. Bertie is the narrator of the stories in all the books but two : in “Bertie changes his Mind” it is Jeeves who narrates and in « Ring for Jeeves » there is a third person narrator.

The main concept of the stories is that Jeeves, the valet, is in control of Wooster, his master who is totally unaware that he is being manipulated. In fact, Jeeves often saves his master from trouble and even from marriage. This happens, however, without Bertie knowing what is going on. All of this results in comic effect since Bertie, the aristocrat, is depicted as an idiot, whereas Jeeves, the butler, has a wide, encyclopaedic knowledge ranging from philosophy to an effective antidote against hangovers... Jeeves has become a kind of archetypal character who served as an example to various other well-known fictional butlers such as Geoffrey in «The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air» or even Alfred, the butler in the comic Batman. The series of novels and short stories with Jeeves is so popular and well-known that it has become a synonym to the word “butler” and is included in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Since the first Jeeves novel was published, film and musical adaptations, plays and Tv and radio series have followed one another regularly. Jeeves is even found in the comic « The league of extraordinary gentlemen » where he contacts the league to help him fight a Mi-go. The best-known adaptation of the Jeeves novels is a TV series called « Jeeves and Wooster » which was screened on ITV, a commercial channel. The main actors of this series are the comic-duo Hugh Laurie, as Bertie, and Stephen Fry, as Jeeves. In total, there are twenty-three episodes of about fifty-five minutes each.

Boomerangs

Nowadays, boomerangs are seen in sport competitions or in the hands of children as a toy, but people often forget its original function. Boomerangs are throwing sticks that were used by Australian aboriginals. It is a curved piece of wood that was used for hunting and warfare. They are also works of art on which aboriginals paint or carve decorative elements related to their legends and traditions. They have their importance in religion too, as they are used as an accompaniment to songs during religious ceremonies, by clapping them together or pounding them to the ground. But today they owe their reputation to sport competitions.

Boomerangs’ shape, weight and size depend on their tribal origin and on their function. Indeed there are two great types of boomerangs. The best known is the returning one. It was mostly used for leisure and recreation, even though, to frighten game birds into flight and in order to catch them, they were thrown above long grass. This type of boomerang, as its name suggests, has an elliptical path and comes back to its point of origin after being correctly thrown. They are thin, light (340 gr.), well-balanced and relatively short (30-75 cm). They are supposed to have developed from the non-returning type of boomerang.

The non-returning boomerangs, also known as Kylies or ‘killing sticks’, are longer, straighter and heavier than the returning variety. They could maim or kill animals when used for hunting, whereas they could cause serious injuries and death while used in warfare. Evidence has been found that it was used by the ancient Egyptians, in Southern India and by Native American in California and Arizona, for killing birds, rabbits and other animals. In Australia, when thrown horizontally and following their nearly straight flying path, they were heavy enough to take down a kangaroo.

Besides its war and hunting purposes, boomerangs were also used in the aboriginal tribes for sport competitions. Through trials of accuracy, speed and flight quality, the men of the tribe could show their dexterity, strength and accuracy. Nowadays, a boomerang world cup is held every second year. Two teams dominate the competition, namely Germany and the United States. The thrower of the boomerang must stand in the middle of an open field, at the centre of concentric rings that are marked on the ground. Whichever the discipline, the boomerang must travel at least 20 meters from its thrower. Some of the disciplines practiced during the world cup are the ‘Aussie Round’, the ‘Accuracy’, the ‘Trick Catch’, the ‘MTA 100’ (Maximal Time Aloft), the ‘Juggling’, and some others…

Throwing a boomerang is not as easy as throwing a wooden stick to your dog. Indeed, it requires a lot of accuracy. The flat side of the boomerang must be opposite to your face when you hold it in the hand, with the curve of the boomerang turned towards your face. The boomerang must be thrown 45° right to the wind, with an inclination of the arm of 1 o’clock. Note also that the movement of the wrist is very important.

Marie Demez & Pauline Nakad

Warbirds

Release: April 19, 2008
Director: Kevin Gendreau
Writer: Kevin Gendreau
Cast: Jamie Mann, Brian Krause, Tohoru Masamune, Shauna Rappold, Lucy Faust, Caleb Michaelson, Gizza Elizondo, Jon McCarthy, Stephanie Honore, Dennis Nguyen, Henry Ku, Marel Medina, David Jensen, David Lee, Tsuyoshi Goto, Shota Kamo

Letters to Juliet

Release: May 7, 2010
Director: Gary Winick
Writer: Jose Rivera, Tim Sullivan
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Chris Egan, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero

A Shine of Rainbows

Release: April 16, 2010
Director: Vic Sarin
Writer: Vic Sarin, Catherine Spear
Cast: Connie Nielsen, Aidan Quinn, John Bell, Jack Gleeson, Tara Alice Scully, Niamh Shaw

My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

Release: April 22, 2010
Director: Daryn Tufts
Writer: Daryn Tufts
Cast: Alyssa Milano, Christopher Gorham, Michael Landes, Beau Bridges, Carol Kane, Tom Lenk, Heather Stephens

The Expendables

Release: August 20, 2010
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Eric Roberts, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Dolph Lungdren, Mickey Rourke, Charisma Carpenter, Steve Austin