Will America become a Corporatocracy? A New Political Mystery by Wynter Sommers Takes a Glimpse into the Future

"EDGES: Swift Encounter" by Wynter Sommers (PRNewsfoto/Pure Force)

Educational fiction is an effective method of learning - The 9-part Edges series set in 2030 showcases America after the country has been ravaged by an unprecedented political regime which has stripped away democracy from the memories of its residents. 

The Ruling Courtly family splashes their name on buildings and merchandise to remind citizens about who is in charge. Lawlessness is allowed to flourish to discombobulate the people so they never organize and rise up against the corporate fiefdom, which maintains tight control. 

Newspaper reporter Bjorn Esterday's investigative division is downsized, but as he moves to popular lifestyles, he brings his hard-edged curiosity to a seemingly innocuous assignment only to be slapped with deadly ramifications. 

How can he and Sarah Paradise, clever school teacher, challenge such a venomous force?

Nicolas Berggruen may have some good ideas about the future of American Democracy. That is why he founded the Berggruen Institute and co-founded the World Post with the Washington Post to investigate global issues…

Berggruen and Nathan Gardels co-authored Intelligent Governance for the 21st Century, which addresses designing a better way to govern by taking the best of East and West. Recently, they released Renovating Democracy.

• Yet, does Berggruen's think tank address corporation-managed cities?

• Would Nicolas Berggruen, 58, and Nathan Gardels, 66 want to compare and contrast their book, Renovating Democracy, with Edges penned by Wynter Sommers?

We probably both know the answer.

In 2008, Lehman Brother's folded laying off 26,000 employees as it dramatically ushered in a new era now called the Great Recession, blazing the path for an uncertain gig-economy where your spare time needs to produce a revenue stream. No longer could a middle-class household pay for healthcare, childcare, and education on one income without going deeply into debt. 

The ripple effect vaporized about 8.7 million jobs, disintegrating the secure scaffolding of pensions, retirement, and traditional nest eggs. Analysis traces this avoidable incident back to a lack of financial regulations.

• So, what is next? If a city files for bankruptcy and needs to liquidate assets at auction, could a corporation buy that distressed city? Could Americans exchange democracy for corporatocracy?

• Does Berggruen's tome address corporation-managed cities? Will America become a corporatocracy?

Edges reveals what America will be like in the year 2030. 

• Why does the character Bjorn Esterday, investigative reporter, take such immense risks?

• Why does Sarah Paradise, determined school teacher, insist on finding out the truth even if it may cost her life?

Wynter Sommers explained, "Edges confronts us with what will happen when the nation complacently stands by as we become corporatized, shifting America's Mission Statement to supporting corporate demands at the expense of our citizen's needs and rights. An earnest desire for objective truth could threaten leadership. Would you be ruled by Jack Courtly or Skipper, his brother? What would you accept and what would it take to get you to fight?"

• Edges, distributed by Pure Force Enterprises Publishing, is available at Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com USA,

• The Bundle Set of books  includes Edges:Conversation Station guide which evokes poignant questions about each of the nine books.

SOURCE: Pure Force

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Makes Thrilling Debut at Walt Disney World Resort

Grand opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (PRNewsfoto/Walt Disney World Resort)

This will be a day long remembered at Disney's Hollywood Studios, as the park took its first step into a larger world with the grand opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, was flanked by the mighty Chewbacca and other Star Wars characters Wednesday morning as fireworks exploded overhead during the land's dedication ceremony.

"With the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, we've set a new standard for the most immersive storytelling in the galaxy," said Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. "Every experience in Batuu – from piloting the Millennium Falcon to building your own droid – puts guests deeper into their own Star Wars story."

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, which opened at Disneyland Park in California on May 31, 2019, is the largest and most technologically advanced single-themed land expansion ever in a Disney park. The 14-acre land transports guests to the remote planet of Batuu, full of unique sights, sounds, smells and tastes.

Guests become part of their own Star Wars stories as they experience galactic food and beverages, such as iconic Blue Milk and Green Milk. They can craft their own lightsabers or build their own droids in immersive, interactive retail experiences. They can explore an intriguing collection of merchant shops and may even come across iconic Star Wars characters.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Walt Disney World Resort)

• In one of the land's signature attractions, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, guests take the controls of the most famous ship in the galaxy as pilots, gunners or flight engineers in an exhilarating experience that responds in real time to the actions they take. 

• A second anchor attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, will debut Dec. 5, 2019, at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Jan. 17, 2020, at Disneyland. In the most ambitious, immersive and advanced attraction ever imagined, guests will become part of the action during a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance in an experience that will blur the lines between fantasy and reality.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Main Hold in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Walt Disney World Resort)

The new land builds off decades of collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm Ltd., a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production, including the Star Wars franchise. The work on Star Wars between these two creative powerhouses dates back to 1987, when the groundbreaking Star Tours attraction opened at Disneyland Park in California.

SOURCE: Walt Disney World Resort

Fires from Deforestation and Negligent Policy are Destroying Amazon Rainforest

Rainforest: Dispatches from Earth’s Most Vital Frontlines

The Amazon Rainforest, the lungs of the earth, is going up in flames due in large part to deforestation and negligent policy from Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro. 

Rainforests are hotspots of biodiversity and are crucial to our planetary health. These ecosystems provide indispensable benefits, from capturing carbon and ensuring food security to contributing to breakthroughs in medicine, farming, engineering, and protecting numerous species.

Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, the country's government conservation agency, knows rainforests better than anyone. On the Amazon wildfires, he recently wrote, "Our planet's largest freshwater system, biggest living carbon store, greatest repository of biological diversity & one of the richest places for cultural diversity is on fire. Difficult to imagine a more stupid policy than to wreck the Amazon rainforest."

His new book, Rainforest: Dispatches from Earth's Most Vital Frontlines, has been called "science writing at its best," by Booklist. In it, Juniper journeys from the barren forests of the Americas to Indonesia, where palm oil plantations have supplanted much of the former rainforest.

•  Along the way, he delivers a comprehensive view of the crucial roles rainforests serve, the state of the world's rainforests today, how they support civilization, and the inspirational efforts underway to save them.

Juniper explores the temperate zone rainforests, the pressures facing the Congo Basin, and the toll of hunting, forest fragmentation, and invasive species on rainforest wildlife. 

• He also examines how fires, often started by groups like palm oil and pulpwood plantations, can devastate thriving sections of rainforest in hours. 

Throughout, Juniper demonstrates how rainforests across the world have powerful and concrete impacts that reach as far as America's Great Plains and Central Europe.

SOURCE: Island Press

#TwitterPhilanthropy: CEO & Award-Winning Author Gives Away Thousands of Dollars Via Twitter in the New Age of E-Philanthropy

Scott Levy

Scott Levy, CEO of Award-Winning Digital Agency Fuel Online and Best-Selling Author & Investor, uses his own personal Twitter to help those in need with financial gifts and Amazon Gift Cards. 

The wealthy CEO & digital influencer has been giving away his money for weeks to teachers who have had to use their personal funds to supply their classrooms, as well as veterans and other people who find themselves simply in need.

Levy's Verified Twitter account, @FuelOnline, has been taking social media by storm making it rain, so to speak, in a monsoon of charitable gifts. Levy hopes his actions will inspire others to join him in giving back and paying it forward. His hashtags include: #TwitterPhilanthropy #payitforward #bekind #kindness #Teachers which dictate the underlying reasons that has spurred him on this journey. With a new user every fifteen seconds, social media plays an integral part in how to fulfill the moral imperative of doing right as charity has become a more interactive experience - the upside being a wider reach.

#clearthelist is an online viral campaign whereby teachers create Amazon Wishlists for their classroom supplies. Most teachers pay in the vicinity of $500, even up to $2500, of their own money to set up their classroom. The movement alleviates the financial pressure from teachers.

"It really bothered me that underpaid teachers are expected to buy classroom supplies out of their meager salaries, it's just not fair," says Levy. "I had to do something about it."

Teachers from all over the US have benefited from Levy's Twitter-verse of E-Philanthropy.

"I am a single mom in a Title 1 district with high poverty, high crime and high trauma. Thanks to Mr. Levy, I was able to support my 40 students with supplies to get them through their school year," says Teacher, Stef Moyer from Pennsylvania. "Mr. Levy continued his support by clearing the lists of other teachers we have met through this movement helping us build the foundation of learning for all students."

Levy is one of the founders and pioneers of digital marketing having started doing SEO work in 1997. His agency, FuelOnline, is based in both Boston and New York and works with mid-sized and Fortune 500 Companies on all things digital. He is a best-selling author ('Tweet Naked') and an investor who is grateful that his success has given him the ability to help others.

Scott Levy's Best-Selling Book "Tweet Naked"

In addition to teachers Levy, who considers himself a strong patriot, assists Veterans. Navy Veteran & Special Ed Teacher, Michele Downard of California explains, "This movement has brought a light to the amount teachers are spending in their classrooms and my gifts from Scott Levy have relieved the burden and allowing me to focus on additional projects and lessons."

Levy also works closely with Code of Vets, an organization that authenticates Veterans who need help and raises funds for them - from healthcare to housing to vehicles. Levy is helping them build a program via Amazon Wishlists whereby even the most basic necessities are met.

"We're a grassroots mission. We use social media to raise immediate funds for veterans in crisis," says Gretchen Smith, Code of Vets. "Scott Levy's donation is a beautiful example of Americans teaming up with us to support our military/veteran community. We are taking care of our own. One veteran at a time."

In addition to teachers and Vets, Levy's generosity extends to any individual in need. One Wisconsin-based man who couldn't afford a necessary operation reached out via Twitter and Levy stepped in to help foot the bill.

"I was reflecting on how fortunate I am and if I was gone tomorrow what would I have left behind? Who had I helped in this life? I wanted to do more. The biggest challenge after success is learning how to share it," says Levy. "I chose Twitter because it's my largest reach and I wanted help identifying who needed it the most. I'm also hoping to inspire the masses to give back as well. It's been a massive success, and I'm overwhelmed by the love and feedback."

Marrying social media know-how with a passion for giving, Levy has stumbled upon the perfect method with which to contribute his strengths to society at large. He hopes others who are similarly endowed will step up and lead the charge in this new age of Social Media beneficence.

SOURCE: Scott Levy

'Storm' Area 51 Basecamp set for Sept. 20-21 at the Alien Research Center on the Extraterrestrial Highway

Basecamp celebration to include appearances by expert speakers, live music, film screenings, food trucks, art installations and more...

On Friday, Sept. 20 the Alien Research Center on the Extraterrestrial Highway will be basecamp for believers as prominent ufologists, expert speakers, musicians and artists gather to celebrate the 'Storm' Area 51 movement.

What began from a tongue-in-cheek meme to "Storm Area 51 – They Can't Stop Us All," has ignited a global cultural movement to call for greater transparency around what many believe to be decades of government secrecy surrounding UFO technology.

Now, both believers and the uninitiated will have a place to come together, learn more and celebrate the occult as the Alien Research Center hosts the 'Storm' Area 51 Basecamp Experience on Friday, Sept. 20 and Saturday, Sept. 21. Featuring live music, expert speakers, food trucks, Alien-inspired retailers and art installations, Basecamp will also feature exclusive screenings and appearances by cast of Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell's hit Netflix documentary Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers. 

Additional featured speakers include an appearance by the "Rogue Warrior" Dick Marcinko, a retired U.S. Navy Seal commander who will share his story of a UFO sighting while conducting a covert mission. 

Festival goers will also have additional opportunities for learning when they explore the Alien Research Center's Earth Station - Area 51 exhibit or are treated to some of the best stargazing on the planet via high-powered telescope projections of the heavens above.

Corbell is curating the full speakers' lineup coordinating with other artists, musicians and filmmakers to shape the desert experience. A full timeline of events will be available in the coming weeks. In addition, Basecamp will serve as Lincoln County's media hub for all journalists covering this growing cultural movement. The location will also serve as the command and control center for the Lincoln County's Sherriff's Office to ensure public safety.

"Our goal is to provide a microphone for the movement while offering a safe, organized platform for education, awareness and entertainment for both believers and the uninitiated," says George Harris, owner of the Alien Research Center.

'Storm' Area 51 Basecamp

Both one-day and two-day passes are now available for the 'Storm' Area 51 Basecamp festivities. A limited number of on-site accommodations are available for those seeking to attend both days. Accommodation types include tent sites for campers, RV parking and a VIP "glamping" experience. 

• A list of preferred hotel partners will also be available on the 'Storm' Area 51 Basecamp website.

SOURCE: Alien Research Center

"LEGO Jurassic World: Legend Of Isla Nublar," Brand-New Animated Mini-Series, Set To Premiere Saturday, Sept. 14 On Nickelodeon

LEGO Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar (PRNewsfoto/Universal Brand Development)

Universal Brand Development (Universal), the LEGO Group and Nickelodeon have announced the all-new, animated mini-series, LEGO Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar, will debut Saturday, Sept. 14, at 11:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon in the U.S. 

The 13-episode CG-animated mini-series, taking place before the events of 2015's blockbuster Jurassic World film, will continue to premiere Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.>

Set in 2012, newly hired animal behaviourist, Owen Grady, and Assistant Manager of Park Operations, Claire Dearing, team up on Isla Nublar to deal with everything the Jurassic World park throws their way, including runaway dinosaurs, ongoing construction to expand the park, throngs of tourists, unpredictable tropical weather and an impulsive boss!

In LEGO Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar, there's also a mysterious saboteur with surprising ties to the park's past who is on a quest to find a legendary treasure and destroy Jurassic World forever. What could possibly go wrong? Well…everything.

A prequel to the brand-new mini-series, LEGO Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit Part 1 and Part 2, will be available on the Nick App and VOD beginning Sunday, Aug. 25. 

In The Secret Exhibit, Simon Masrani has an idea for a new attraction that is guaranteed to keep Jurassic World at the forefront of theme park entertainment, but in order for it to succeed, he needs his right-hand can-do problem solver, Claire Dearing, and newcomer Owen Grady, to get a trio of dinosaurs across the park to the new, super-secret exhibit. 

Unfortunately, delivering the dinosaurs to the new attraction is not as easy as they thought!

Beginning, Sunday Aug. 25, a sneak peek episode, "Mission Critical," will be available for fans to watch on the Nick App, Nick On Demand and Nickelodeon's YouTube channel.

LEGO Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar (PRNewsfoto/Universal Brand Development)

Building sets inspired by LEGO Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar are currently available at retail globally, including:

• Dilophosaurus on the Loose (75934) 
• Baryonyx Face-Off: The Treasure Hunt (75935) 
• Triceratops Rampage (75937)  
• T. rex vs Dino-Mech Battle (75938)

About Jurassic World:

From Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, Jurassic World immerses audiences of all ages in a new era of wonder and thrills where dinosaurs and humankind must learn to coexist. 

Jurassic World is more than a film franchise. At every turn, this $5 billion film series delivers a larger-than-life destination for exploration, discovery, and epic adventure. 

Dinosaurs live again and they live in Jurassic World.

SOURCE: Universal Brand Development

"LEGO Jurassic World" First Look:

UK Workers Share the Unusual Things Standing Between Them and Their Dream Careers

Mary Poppins (image via KettleMag.co.uk)

• Half the UK population (48 per cent) are currently open to a new job, but research shows interview questions and tasks are getting increasingly more bizarre wardrobe fails and bizarre interview requests standing in the way of Britons' perfect jobs

Nearly half of employed Britons are open to finding a completely new career, according to research revealed today, but are jobseekers prepared for increasingly strange styles of interviews?

A survey of 2,000 working adults in the UK, conducted by employment industry leader Adecco, discovered that the questions and tasks in interviews are becoming increasingly unique, unrelated to the role – and sometimes downright weird.

Despite growing awareness around employment law, 6 per cent claim to have been asked illegal or un-PC questions about their religion, sexual orientation and even plans for starting a family during an interview.

Other interview questions focused on surprising interviewees with curious questions, such as, 'would you rather' style, e.g. 'Would you rather be a butterfly or a bear?', 'Would you rather be a rock or a sponge?' or 'Would you rather have fingers as toes or toes as fingers?'

A further popular theme included, 'If you were a biscuit which biscuit you would be?', with topics covering anything from cakes, fish, crisps, fruits, flowers, animals or trees.

Outer space scenarios are also commonplace these days, with respondents sharing bizarre questions they've been asked such as, 'Can you fly a spaceship?', 'Have you been to the moon?', 'Explain making toast to a Martian', 'If a UFO landed out the front window, how would you avoid distraction and remain focused on the task at hand?' and 'If you were an alien in a spaceship where would you land and make home?'

Shelley Preston, Head of Adecco Retail, said: "The UK job market is really competitive and we've found that companies are forgoing the standard experience-related questions in favour of curve-ball, off-topic questions to catch interviewees off guard and test their mental reflexes.

Candidates are completely unable to prepare for such random enquiries, meaning they can often answer nervously and anxiously, leaving the job open for the more assertive to grab. Remember there's no right or wrong answer to most of the strange queries – remain calm, confident and cool and be sure of your ability to do the job you're interviewing for."

Some interview task themes were even more random, with 8 per cent of interviewees being asked to perform in front of their potential bosses, despite the prospective job having no link to the arts. Some were asked to act, some told to sing, others had to draw, while others claim they had to tell a joke or even do an animal impression.

One in 20 (5 per cent) were asked to construct something seemingly random, e.g. a bridge out of straws, a house out of lollipop sticks, a racing car out of building blocks, a tower out of toilet rolls and even flatpack furniture.

Others were asked to showcase their balancing skills e.g. stand on one leg or balance a book or a cup of water on their head and walk around the room.

These weird and random requests have clearly got the better of many unprepared candidates, leaving many to perform embarrassing blunders they'd rather forget.

When asked about their most embarrassing moments in an interview, UK workers said circumstances beyond their control are often to blame. 11 per cent admitted to leaving the interview red faced with profuse sweating, sneezing fits and endless coughing listed as top blunders.

Others claimed having a mind-blank (8 per cent), spilling a drink (4 per cent), falling over (3 per cent), stumbling over words (2.5 per cent) or arriving late (0.8 per cent) were near the top of the list.

While for some respondents (3 per cent) disastrous wardrobe malfunctions were to blame, such as trousers or skirts splitting, flies undone, or blouses unbuttoned.

Shelley Preston added: "While you may not be able to prepare for questions like 'would you rather be a rock or a sponge', you can ensure you're prepped in terms of the basics. Research the company thoroughly, keep an open mind, prepare your outfit the night before and ensure you arrive early so that you start proceedings on the right foot and assert confidence throughout."

Top 10 most unusual interview questions:

1. Can you sing the theme tune to Captain Pugwash?
2. Have you ever seen an invisible man?
3. How do you build a tower out of spaghetti?
4. How many elephants can you fit in your car?
5. How would you climb out of a giant bucket?
6. How would you respond to a random person asking to lick your armpit?
7. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
8. Why are manhole covers round?
9. Where do you see Arnold Schwarzenegger in five years' time?
10. Who is more important – Father Christmas or the Tooth Fairy?

Top 10 most unusual interview tasks:

1. Form a line youngest to oldest without talking to anyone
2. Write your name backwards
3. Act like a plug
4. Clap like a duck
5. Count backwards
6. Copy the sound of a fax machine
7. Do the 'I'm a little teapot dance' every time someone is late to a group interview
8. Lick your elbow
9. Sit still for 30 minutes
10. Stack cereal

Top 10 most embarrassing interview moments:

1. I was asked to give an example of when someone broke my trust and I blabbered on about my ex cheating on me
2. I called the interviewer Dad
3. I caught my trousers in the window chord
4. I got stuck in the loo
5. I got my finger stuck in the chair I was sitting in
6. I hugged the boss
7. I went to a party the night before with gems on my face which burnt my skin so I looked like I had the letter Y branded on my forehead
8. I walked out of the door but it was actually a small cupboard
9. I accidentally displayed my holiday photos instead of my presentation
10. The chair I was sat in collapsed

• Research conducted by Opinion Matters, 31 July-8 August, 2019 of 2,013 employed respondents.

SOURCE: The Adecco Group UK&I

Related Video:

US: Thousands of Be Bold Be Bald! Activists to Stand in Solidarity Against Cancer on October 18th

Be Bold Be Bald! (image via beboldbebald.org)

On October 18, 2019, thousands of people across the U.S. will show their support for those affected by cancer and raise money for cancer charities as a part of National Be Bold, Be Bald! Day. 

Founded in 2009, Be Bold, Be Bald! is a social movement where participating individuals rock a bald cap throughout the day and get others to sponsor them for their bold move. Since inception, the movement has swept the nation, becoming a show of strength for anyone touched by the terrible disease. 

To date, Be Bold, Be Bald! has raised over $1.35MM to fight cancer. Be Bold, Be Bald! supports over fifty beneficiaries of all sizes including the American Cancer Society, Boston Medical Center, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and many, many more.

"For the last decade, we have been fighting against cancer to support our many beneficiaries," says Jeff Freedman, founder of the movement and owner of Boston-based advertising agency Small Army, a Finn Partners company. "We're excited to celebrate this 10th Year Anniversary and continue to create awareness and increase the number of participants in this year's Be Bold, Be Bald! Day."

In 2007, the Small Army family was hit with a tragic blow when co-founder and Creative Principal, Mike Connell, lost his battle with cancer. Faced with their grief, the Small Army team channeled Mike's courage and strength, and dedicated themselves to continuing his fight against cancer. 

In Mike's honor, they started the 510c3, Small Army for a Cause, and the annual Be Bold, Be Bald! event. "Witnessing Mike's heroic, two-year fight, we saw firsthand the courage and strength cancer patients have," says Freedman. "He inspired us to continue that fight ourselves – and to do so in a way that would truly represent the boldness of Mike and his ideas."

Beginning August 19th, 2019 anyone can join the Be Bold, Be Bald! movement. Survivors, individuals, families, businesses, and even celebrities have all showed support by rocking a bald cap, including television hosts Maria Menounos and Joan Lunden, actresses Jessica Szohr and BK Cannon, rocker Peter Wolf, sports stars from the New England Revolution, New England Patriots' stud Julian Edelman and many more.

Those looking to get involved in Be Bold, Be Bald! can do so in three ways: 

• Sport a bald cap in solidarity on October 18 and get others to support you. 
• Support the fight by making a donation or sponsoring someone going bald. 
• Spread the word about the movement through your various social networks.

• For more information or to get involved, please visit beboldbebald.org

The Video:

SOURCE: Finn Partners

Experience the King Like Never Before With 'Elvis Unleashed,' in Movie Theaters Worldwide on October 7 & 10 Only

Elvis Unleashed

Elvis Presley returns to big screens across the globe this fall with the new music special, "Elvis Unleashed," featuring previously unseen footage on movie theater screens of Elvis as he filmed the iconic "68 Comeback Special." 

• The two-day cinema event, which includes outtakes and performances that reveal a new side of the King, will air in cinemas on October 7, with an encore screening on October 10.

Each screening will include a new 30-minute segment with Los Angeles Times lead music writer Randy Lewis in conversation with actor Dennis Quaid, rising pop/country artist Jade Jackson and the esteemed director and producer of the "68 Elvis Comeback Special," Steve Binder, to discuss Elvis's life and legacy. 

Quaid and Jackson are set to perform some Elvis classics, while Randy Lewis discusses the behind-the-scenes interactions that Binder had with Elvis and his manager Colonel Parker, as well as celebrating the King.

• This brand-new content is produced by Spencer Proffer, CEO of Meteor 17, and Dave Harding, in association with Authentic Brands Group.

Fathom Events will present "Elvis Unleashed" in more than 800 U.S. movie theaters on Monday, October 7, and Thursday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m. local time (both dates), through Fathom's Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). 

"This cinema event showcases Elvis as both a legendary performer and a charming, charismatic presence behind the scenes," said Meteor 17 CEO Spencer Proffer. "With my partners at Fathom Events, we are excited to bring together his many fans in theaters across the world to celebrate his lasting impact with never-before-seen moments and performances."

Elvis Unleashed

The "'Elvis '68 Comeback Special" was a major milestone in Elvis Presley's storied career, marking his first live television performance in seven years and pioneering the "unplugged" performance style with an acoustic set. 

"Elvis Unleashed" captures the spontaneous moments and stories behind the legendary special, and sheds new light on Elvis as a cultural icon.

"We are thrilled to share this wonderful tribute to Elvis with his fans around the world," Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt said. "This special not only provides a behind-the-curtain look at Elvis's most memorable live performance, it also explores his impact on today's music culture and performers."

• Tickets for U.S. screenings of "Elvis Unleashed" can be purchased at FathomEvents.com and participating theater box offices.

SOURCE: Fathom Events

Behind The Black Panther: Three Things You Didn't Know About Chadwick Boseman

NYC Film School founder recalls when Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman attended Digital Film Academy, New York. (Forbes interview)

1. Chadwick Boseman attended Digital Film Academy in New York

Chadwick Boseman attended the New York film school Digital Film Academy where he took the Digital Filmmaking Program which included "Acting For Directors" with the NYC film school founder Patrick DiRenna.

In a recent Forbes interview about Boseman, DiRenna notes, "I remember his face. You could see internal processes working."

Boseman's range is also exceedingly impressive; he's portrayed historical figures such as Jackie Robinson in the movie 42, been the lead hero in the Marvel movie Black Panther, and most recently starred in a thriller as an NYPD cop in the movie 21 Bridges. 

On the topic of Boseman's variety of acting credits DiRenna adds, "If you want to become these characters, you must be willing to really take it on. You need full emotional clarity."

2. Boseman's directorial Debut was an impressive production

As part of the rigorous and hands-on film school training that filmmakers get at Digital Film Academy, all students must develop, write, cast and direct their own thesis film.

Chadwick was no exception.

The Chadwick Boseman Digital Film Academy thesis project was titled, Blood Over A Broken Pawn. It was an ambitious undertaking. The short film, written and directed by Boseman, revolves around a Brooklyn coffee shop owner who finds himself in a dangerous confrontation with a kingpin. 

DiRenna recalls, "The main character was a complex mix of pride and fear: the classic hero. He must face his fears and step up to action. He must become brave. It was all very clear and very good."

3. Director's Take on Boseman

It was obvious from his first days at Digital Film Academy in New York that Boseman had something truly unique about him; whether it was his laser focus, or his talent for becoming a wide array of characters. "I understood that this particular student was a star in the making and on a path to other places," DiRenna remembers.

"There is great inner strength required to give yourself over to becoming another person. Even more so when the characters are actual important historical figures that have already touched many lives. I certainly witnessed this strength when Chadwick Boseman studied at Digital Film Academy."

 ⏩The Full Forbes interview can be found here

SOURCE: Digital Film Academy NYC

The Unrated Version Of Rob Zombie's Horror Sequel '3 From Hell' To Be Unleashed On Big Screens Across The U.S. For Three Nights Only

'3 From Hell'

Horror icon and heavy metal mastermind Rob Zombie is unleashing "3 From Hell" on big screens across the U.S. as a follow-up to "House of 1,000 Corpses" and "The Devil's Rejects," and the latest installment in the blood-soaked Firefly family trilogy. 

The film will be released in cinemas nationwide over three nights, September 16-18, featuring the unrated version and unique special content nightly.

• Night one, moviegoers will see a special video introduction from Rob Zombie with the first 50 attendees at each theater receiving an exclusive poster (while supplies last). 
• Night two, audiences will be treated to a nearly 30-minute behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. 
• Night three, moviegoers will experience the ultimate double feature including "3 From Hell" and "The Devil's Rejects."

Lionsgate, Saban Films and Fathom Events present "3 From Hell" in nearly 900 select movie theaters on September 16, 17 and 18 at 7:00 p.m.local time each night. 

• For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

"Whether it's creating visionary music or epic opuses of horror on the screen, Rob Zombie is a master at giving his loyal fans what they want," said Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt. "We're pleased to continue to partner with Rob and share this long-anticipated final chapter of the trilogy with audiences nationwide."

"3 From Hell" was written and directed by Rob Zombie, who also produced alongside CC Capital Arts Entertainment's Mike Elliot. Greg Holstein and Saban Films' Jonathan Saba are executive producers.

Saban Films and Rob Zombie previously partnered with Fathom Events in a successful theatrical event for Rob Zombie's 31.

• Tickets for "3 From Hell" are now available at FathomEvents.com and participating theater box offices.

SOURCE: Fathom Events

The First Ever 'Star Trek' Film Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary As 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' Returns to the Big Screen for Two Days Only

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

In 1979, the Starship Enterprise flew its very first big-screen mission in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," and to mark the film's 40th anniversary, Fathom Events and Paramount Pictures will bring this awe-inspiring adventure back to America's movie theaters for two days only, on September 15 and 18.

In its first nationwide cinema release since the film premiered in December 1979, the original theatrical cut of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" will include the film's soaring overture by famed composer Jerry Goldsmith. 

• Preceding the film, this special presentation will also feature the behind-the-scenes documentary short "The Longest Trek: Writing the Motion Picture."

A mammoth undertaking by Oscar winning director Robert Wise, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" boldly took audiences further into the final frontier than ever before and kicked off one of the biggest franchises in movie history. 

The film became the fourth highest grossing of the year and earned three Academy Award nominations, including Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, and Best Music, Original Score.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

• Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, and James Doohan, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" sees Admiral James T. Kirk return to the helm of an updated U.S.S. Enterprise to confront an alien spacecraft of enormous power heading toward Earth.

"'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' is a visual marvel and a film that even many ardent 'Star Trek' fans have never had an opportunity to see on a big screen. Fathom Events is honored to celebrate this cinematic classic's 40th anniversary with this special theatrical presentation," said Tom Lucas, Fathom Events Vice President of Studio Relations.

• Tickets to "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" are available beginning Friday, August 2, at www.FathomEvents.com or participating theater box offices

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

SOURCE: Fathom Events