tangyin blog

More than 70 works by noted northern artist and calligrapher Wang Limin were exhibited at the Daejeon MBC Art Museum in South Korea from June 25 to July 1, a first by a foreign artist.

Wang’s paintings, calligraphy and seal cuttings “reflect the traditional culture and art of North China, which has had a major influence in Daejeon art circles”, said Daejeon Art Association Chairman Choi Nam In.

MBC is one of the three national television broadcasters in South Korea.

The exhibit shows Wang’s deep insights and versatile skills, said art critics.

Wang, also known as Mu Gong, studied at the Department of Fine Arts at Harbin Normal University with many renowned masters as his teachers.

Chao Mei and Jia Pingxi were his tutors in painting, You Shou and Zhou Qi instructed him in calligraphy, and Liu Jiang and Wu Yiren were his tutors in seal engraving.

Though greatly influenced by his teachers, Wang has also developed his own style combining traditional and modern elements.

His paintings, calligraphy and seal engravings have been displayed in many international and domestic exhibitions.

He has also published hundreds of articles on literature, paleography, history and aesthetics as well as art books including Wang Limin Sealing Manuscript, Wang Limin Paintings and History of Modern Calligraphy, which he co-authored.

Wang has also acquired many titles and awards including vice-president of the Heilongjiang Writers Association, member of the China Artists Association, member of academic committee of the China Calligraphers Association, member of the Xiling Seal Society, vice-president of the Heilongjiang Calligraphers Association and member of the Heilongjiang Artists Association.

Lionsgate’s “Saw 3D,” billed as the final installment in the series about Jigsaw’s legacy of bloody terror, debuted as the Halloween weekend’s No. 1 movie with $24.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

That was $10 million more than the debut of last year’s “Saw VI,” the first dud in the annual horror franchise.

“Last year, a lot of people said, ‘OK, that’s it. Put a fork in it, it’s done,’” said David Spitz, head of distribution for Lionsgate. “The following week, we were all disappointed and thought, what can we do to reinvigorate the franchise? So we shot the movie in 3-D and said this is the final chapter.”

It paid off, though “Saw 3D” still brought a modest return compared to earlier chapters in the “Saw” series, whose second, third, fourth and fifth movies all topped $30 million over opening weekend.

“Saw 3D” also had a soft debut compared to the previous weekend’s No. 1 movie, Paramount’s “Paranormal Activity 2,” a newer fright franchise that opened with $40.7 million. “Paranormal Activity 2″ slipped to No. 2 this weekend, raising its total to $65.7 million.

“Seven years into it, obviously, that’s a long time for one franchise to hold up year after year,” said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. “Other types of horror movies have come into vogue. `Saw’ is part of that whole torture-porn genre, which has gone from great success to lesser success. But they’ve had a good run. There’s nothing to complain about here.”

“Saw 3D” also had the benefit of premium prices for 3-D screenings, which cost a few dollars more than tickets for 2-D movies. According to Lionsgate, 3-D projection accounted for roughly 77 percent of “Saw 3D” screenings but 92 percent of the movie’s revenues.

Summit Entertainment’s action comedy “Red” continued to hold up well, finishing at No. 3 with $10.8 million and lifting its total to $58.9 million.

Another franchise playing in 3-D for the first time, Paramount’s “Jackass 3D,” crossed the $100 million mark, coming in at No. 4 with $8.4 million. The stunt and prank comedy raised its haul to $101.6 million.

In narrower release, Fox Searchlight’s legal drama “Conviction” broke into the top-10 after two weeks in a handful of theaters. Starring Hilary Swank in the real-life story of a woman who put herself through law school to free her brother on a murder rap, “Conviction” was No. 10 with $1.8 million, playing in 565 theaters and averaging a modest $3,230 a cinema.

That compared to an $8,618 average in 2,808 theaters for “Saw 3D.”

Also in narrower release, Music Box Films had solid results for “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest,” which follows “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” and “The Girl Who Played With Fire” to finish the trilogy based on late author Stieg Larsson’s best-selling thrillers.

“Hornet’s Nest” took in $735,000 in 121 theaters, averaging $6,074 a cinema. The Swedish-language film has Larsson’s troubled savant Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) targeted by ruthless conspirators.

Director David Fincher is shooting Sony Pictures’ English-language remake of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig. The movie is due in theaters in December 2011.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. “Saw 3D,” $24.2 million.

2. “Paranormal Activity 2,” $16.5 million.

3. “Red,” $10.8 million.

4. “Jackass 3D,” $8.4 million.

5. “Hereafter,” $6.3 million.

6. “Secretariat,” $5.1 million.

7. “The Social Network,” $4.7 million.

8. “Life as We Know It,” $4 million.

9. “The Town,” $2 million.

10. “Conviction,” $1.8 million.

Keira Knightley and Eva Mendes face off as the two rival beauties in “Last Night,” the story of a married couple grappling with the temptations of infidelity that kicked off the Rome film festival on Thursday.

The opening ceremony was marred by a protest over the Italian government’s drastic cuts to funds for cultural events, with some 800 people storming the red carpet.

Knightley and Mendes did not take to the red carpet and were whisked into the theater alongside the rest of the film’s cast, surrounded by bodyguards.

In the film, Knightley leaves behind her trademark costume roles to play Joanna, a young woman living in a posh Manhattan loft who becomes jealous when she meets her husband’s sexy new colleague, played by Mendes.

When he and Mendes go on a business trip together, Joanna bumps into her French former lover — and finds herself confronted with the same dilemmas about cheating as her husband.

The film develops into the parallel tales of how the couple spent their tempting evenings in separate cities, using frequent close-ups to explore the emotional side of the story.

Knightley described “Last Night,” Iranian-American screenwriter Massy Tadjedin’s directorial debut, as a thought-provoking film that leaves it to the audience to decide just exactly what constitutes cheating.

“I think everyone can recognize the scenarios that happen within this piece, I think that most people have at least been one person, if not all four, at some point in their life,” Knightley told reporters after a press screening.

“In most films there are goodies and baddies, what I liked about this script is that it did not take a standpoint, that there is no conclusion,” she said.

The film, which also casts “Avatar” star Sam Worthington and French actor Guillaume Canet, opened the fifth edition of the Rome film festival, which runs until November 5.

Also screening on Thursday was “Dog Sweat,” a film by Iranian director Hossein Keshavarz following the lives of six young people rebelling against the rigidity of conservative Islamic society in present day Iran.

The film was shot clandestinely throughout Tehran before the disputed presidential election of 2009.

A boyfriend and two doctors who were part of Anna Nicole Smith’s inner circle in her final days and were charged with enabling her prescription drug use were acquitted of most drug charges Thursday, but two were convicted of conspiring to use false names to get her prescriptions.

Howard K. Stern, Smith’s boyfriend-lawyer, and Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, her psychiatrist, were convicted of conspiring to get the former Playboy model and reality TV star painkillers and sedatives.

Prosecutors contended during the nine-week trial that the defendants were dazzled by Smith’s glamor and filled her demands for prescription drugs to protect their insider status in her personal life and her celebrity world.

Defense attorneys countered by portraying the defendants as angels of mercy who were trying to help Smith cope with her chronic pain, particularly after she gave birth to her daughter by cesarean then quickly lost her 20-year-old son, Daniel, to a drug overdose.

Smith eventually died of an accidental drug overdose in Florida in 2007, but the defendants were not charged in her death at age 39.

The jury convicted Stern of conspiring with Eroshevich to obtain drugs through the use of a false name and misrepresentation. Eroshevich also was found guilty of using a false name and misrepresentation to obtain prescriptions for the painkiller Vicodin for Smith.

Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, the physician who prescribed most of her pain medications, was acquitted of all charges in a verdict he called a triumph for the medical profession.

“This is not just a victory for me, but for patients everywhere who suffer chronic pain,” an emotional Kapoor said outside court.

His lawyer Ellyn Garofalo said it also was a victory for Smith.

“The jury found she was not an addict,” Garofalo said.

Stern originally faced 11 counts of conspiracy, excessive prescribing of opiates and sedatives to an addict, and fraudulently obtaining drugs by using false names but was convicted of only two conspiracy counts. The judge previously dismissed two charges against him.

As he left the courthouse, Stern told reporters, “Everything relating to the appropriateness of the medication, I was acquitted of.”

His lawyer, Steve Sadow, said Stern never denied using his name on Smith’s prescriptions but maintained Stern didn’t know it was illegal.

Stern, 41, had been Smith’s lawyer, manager, lover and friend since they met in 2001. Testimony showed they were inseparable, even when she was involved with other men.

In 2006, Smith donned a wedding gown, and she and Stern had a commitment ceremony on a catamaran off the Bahamas. They exchanged rings and vows but were never legally married.

At one point, Stern claimed he was the father of Smith’s baby daughter until DNA tests made clear the father was photographer Larry Birkhead, who now has custody of the child.

Sadow contended during the trial that Smith was the love of Stern’s life and he would never harm her. He also stressed that Stern was not a doctor and was relying on medical professionals to do the right thing for Smith.

Kapoor and Eroshevich also were close to Smith during her final years.

Eroshevich, 63, was Smith’s neighbor and friend before treating her as a psychiatrist. Prosecutors claimed the friendship was a violation of professional ethics and called a pharmacist who testified the amount of drugs Eroshevich requested for Smith at one point would have amounted to pharmaceutical suicide.

The pharmacist refused to fill the request, and prosecutors showed Eroshevich used other pharmacies to get most of the drugs and took them to Smith in the Bahamas.

Along with conspiracy, Eroshevich was convicted of unlawfully obtaining Vicodin by fraud. The jury deadlocked on whether she unlawfully prescribed the drug.

“I feel relieved,” Eroshevich said. “I’m just happy it’s over.”

Her attorney, Brad Brunon, said he would likely move for a new trial and might ask to have the charges against her reduced to misdemeanors.

Stern and Eroshevich remained free pending a Jan. 6 hearing when the defense can file a motion for a new trial.

If the motion is denied, the judge can sentence both defendants, but it was not immediately clear how much prison time, if any, they could face.

Kapoor, 42, who was Smith’s internist, wrote numerous prescriptions for opiates and sedatives during the period he treated her. His lawyer said he followed a drug regimen originated by Smith’s previous doctor who sold his practice to Kapoor.

Prosecutors Renee Rose and David Barkhurst argued that Kapoor blurred the line between patient and doctor when he was photographed kissing her at a party. They also pointed to a diary in which Kapoor discussed the “mesmerizing” experience of riding with her in a gay pride parade and wondered: “Can she ruin me?”

The jury of six women and six men spent nine weeks hearing details of Smith’s troubled life and 58 hours deliberating their verdicts.

Dave Kettel, a former federal prosecutor who handled prescription drug cases and was in court for the verdicts, said the outcome might make authorities reluctant to file similar cases.

Prosecutors who handled the case said they would have no comment because the defendants still had to be sentenced.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said in a written statement he was pleased there were some guilty verdicts.

“This case illustrates the problem of the overuse of prescription medicine in today’s society,” said Cooley, a candidate for state attorney general. “Medical professionals have a responsibility to ensure that the strict ethical guidelines of their profession are followed in prescribing medicine as part of the care of their patients.”

Faye Wong performs on the stage of Wukesong Sports Center in Beijing, capital of China, on Oct. 29, 2010. Chinese singer Faye Wong kicked off her comeback concert tour in Beijing Friday.

Oprah Winfrey has some rules for her upcoming OWN network.

Look for “fun and entertainment without tearing people down and,” she stresses, “calling them bitches.”

Not exactly an outright ban on the b-word – but close.

“Imagine that. Imagine,” she said in a speech this week at the Women’s Conference in California, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The network launches in January. And she says that despite her success, leaving her talk show to “start out on this next chapter” will still be difficult.

“I know there’s going to be some stumbles,” she said at the event. “I know I’m a work in process and progress. I know nothing new is perfect, but I’m not scared. I’m not afraid.”

Keira Knightley and Eva Mendes face off as the two rival beauties in “Last Night,” the story of a married couple grappling with the temptations of infidelity that kicked off the Rome film festival on Thursday.

The opening ceremony was marred by a protest over the Italian government’s drastic cuts to funds for cultural events, with some 800 people storming the red carpet.

Knightley and Mendes did not take to the red carpet and were whisked into the theater alongside the rest of the film’s cast, surrounded by bodyguards.

In the film, Knightley leaves behind her trademark costume roles to play Joanna, a young woman living in a posh Manhattan loft who becomes jealous when she meets her husband’s sexy new colleague, played by Mendes.

When he and Mendes go on a business trip together, Joanna bumps into her French former lover — and finds herself confronted with the same dilemmas about cheating as her husband.

The film develops into the parallel tales of how the couple spent their tempting evenings in separate cities, using frequent close-ups to explore the emotional side of the story.

Knightley described “Last Night,” Iranian-American screenwriter Massy Tadjedin’s directorial debut, as a thought-provoking film that leaves it to the audience to decide just exactly what constitutes cheating.

“I think everyone can recognize the scenarios that happen within this piece, I think that most people have at least been one person, if not all four, at some point in their life,” Knightley told reporters after a press screening.

“In most films there are goodies and baddies, what I liked about this script is that it did not take a standpoint, that there is no conclusion,” she said.

The film, which also casts “Avatar” star Sam Worthington and French actor Guillaume Canet, opened the fifth edition of the Rome film festival, which runs until November 5.

Also screening on Thursday was “Dog Sweat,” a film by Iranian director Hossein Keshavarz following the lives of six young people rebelling against the rigidity of conservative Islamic society in present day Iran.

The film was shot clandestinely throughout Tehran before the disputed presidential election of 2009.

A boyfriend and two doctors who were part of Anna Nicole Smith’s inner circle in her final days and were charged with enabling her prescription drug use were acquitted of most drug charges Thursday, but two were convicted of conspiring to use false names to get her prescriptions.

Howard K. Stern, Smith’s boyfriend-lawyer, and Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, her psychiatrist, were convicted of conspiring to get the former Playboy model and reality TV star painkillers and sedatives.

Prosecutors contended during the nine-week trial that the defendants were dazzled by Smith’s glamor and filled her demands for prescription drugs to protect their insider status in her personal life and her celebrity world.

Defense attorneys countered by portraying the defendants as angels of mercy who were trying to help Smith cope with her chronic pain, particularly after she gave birth to her daughter by cesarean then quickly lost her 20-year-old son, Daniel, to a drug overdose.

Smith eventually died of an accidental drug overdose in Florida in 2007, but the defendants were not charged in her death at age 39.

The jury convicted Stern of conspiring with Eroshevich to obtain drugs through the use of a false name and misrepresentation. Eroshevich also was found guilty of using a false name and misrepresentation to obtain prescriptions for the painkiller Vicodin for Smith.

Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, the physician who prescribed most of her pain medications, was acquitted of all charges in a verdict he called a triumph for the medical profession.

“This is not just a victory for me, but for patients everywhere who suffer chronic pain,” an emotional Kapoor said outside court.

His lawyer Ellyn Garofalo said it also was a victory for Smith.

“The jury found she was not an addict,” Garofalo said.

Stern originally faced 11 counts of conspiracy, excessive prescribing of opiates and sedatives to an addict, and fraudulently obtaining drugs by using false names but was convicted of only two conspiracy counts. The judge previously dismissed two charges against him.

As he left the courthouse, Stern told reporters, “Everything relating to the appropriateness of the medication, I was acquitted of.”

His lawyer, Steve Sadow, said Stern never denied using his name on Smith’s prescriptions but maintained Stern didn’t know it was illegal.

Stern, 41, had been Smith’s lawyer, manager, lover and friend since they met in 2001. Testimony showed they were inseparable, even when she was involved with other men.

In 2006, Smith donned a wedding gown, and she and Stern had a commitment ceremony on a catamaran off the Bahamas. They exchanged rings and vows but were never legally married.

At one point, Stern claimed he was the father of Smith’s baby daughter until DNA tests made clear the father was photographer Larry Birkhead, who now has custody of the child.

Sadow contended during the trial that Smith was the love of Stern’s life and he would never harm her. He also stressed that Stern was not a doctor and was relying on medical professionals to do the right thing for Smith.

Kapoor and Eroshevich also were close to Smith during her final years.

Eroshevich, 63, was Smith’s neighbor and friend before treating her as a psychiatrist. Prosecutors claimed the friendship was a violation of professional ethics and called a pharmacist who testified the amount of drugs Eroshevich requested for Smith at one point would have amounted to pharmaceutical suicide.

The pharmacist refused to fill the request, and prosecutors showed Eroshevich used other pharmacies to get most of the drugs and took them to Smith in the Bahamas.

Along with conspiracy, Eroshevich was convicted of unlawfully obtaining Vicodin by fraud. The jury deadlocked on whether she unlawfully prescribed the drug.

“I feel relieved,” Eroshevich said. “I’m just happy it’s over.”

Her attorney, Brad Brunon, said he would likely move for a new trial and might ask to have the charges against her reduced to misdemeanors.

Stern and Eroshevich remained free pending a Jan. 6 hearing when the defense can file a motion for a new trial.

If the motion is denied, the judge can sentence both defendants, but it was not immediately clear how much prison time, if any, they could face.

Kapoor, 42, who was Smith’s internist, wrote numerous prescriptions for opiates and sedatives during the period he treated her. His lawyer said he followed a drug regimen originated by Smith’s previous doctor who sold his practice to Kapoor.

Prosecutors Renee Rose and David Barkhurst argued that Kapoor blurred the line between patient and doctor when he was photographed kissing her at a party. They also pointed to a diary in which Kapoor discussed the “mesmerizing” experience of riding with her in a gay pride parade and wondered: “Can she ruin me?”

The jury of six women and six men spent nine weeks hearing details of Smith’s troubled life and 58 hours deliberating their verdicts.

Dave Kettel, a former federal prosecutor who handled prescription drug cases and was in court for the verdicts, said the outcome might make authorities reluctant to file similar cases.

Prosecutors who handled the case said they would have no comment because the defendants still had to be sentenced.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said in a written statement he was pleased there were some guilty verdicts.

“This case illustrates the problem of the overuse of prescription medicine in today’s society,” said Cooley, a candidate for state attorney general. “Medical professionals have a responsibility to ensure that the strict ethical guidelines of their profession are followed in prescribing medicine as part of the care of their patients.”

One of the world’s most famous James Bond cars — the specially equipped silver Aston Martin first driven by Sean Connery in “Goldfinger” — was auctioned off Wednesday in London for 2.6 million pounds ($4.1 million.)

The unique car, which boasts an ejector seat, machine guns, rotating license plates and other spy gear, was initially expected to go for more than 3.5 million pounds ($5.5 million).

“This is the only genuine, 007 James Bond car,” said Mick Walsh, Editor-in-Chief of Classic and Sports Car Magazine.

He said the fact the iconic Aston Martin has never been auctioned before meant it had tremendous appeal to collectors.

“It’s never been on the market before, and with the classic car scene it’s very important to see something new,” he said.

He said it was likely the car would end up on public display, perhaps as the centerpiece of an upscale office complex in a city like Los Angeles or Moscow.

Bond’s creator, newspaperman and novelist Ian Fleming, had originally placed Bond in a Bentley, which was his own personal car of choice. But the filmmakers put him in the Aston Martin, which then competed mainly with the Jaguar E-type for the lucrative British and American sports car market.

Aston Martin was seen as a heady mix of Italian design and British engineering.

The silver Aston Martin DB5 coupe auctioned Wednesday was used by Connery to elude various villains in both “Goldfinger” and “Thunderball” — generally regarded as early classics in Hollywood’s longest running and most successful film franchise.

It is closely associated with the Connery-era Bond films, which are often preferred by aficionados, who rate him above George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and the current 007, Daniel Craig.

The use of the Aston Martin, with a rear bulletproof shield that could be activated with the push of a dashboard button, provided a major boost for the British carmaker, which received worldwide publicity when the car was featured in “Goldfinger” in 1964.

It was the Bond movies that made Aston Martin a household name, even though its handmade cars remained far too expensive for most.

The street version of the Aston Martin DB5 was released in 1963 and had a top speed of 145 miles (233 kilometers) per hour.

The car auctioned by RM Auctions Automobiles of London is one of two Aston Martins factory-modified for use in the early Bond films, and it is the only surviving example.

The car, which contains an early version of the modern-day navigation system, is described as being in excellent condition. The other 007-modified Aston Martin was reported stolen in 1997 and has never been recovered. Many believe it has been destroyed.

The buyer also gets extra perks: A signed photograph of Connery standing with the Aston Martin on location in Switzerland during the filming of “Goldfinger,” and several other bits of film memorabilia.

Hollywood heart-throb Hugh Grant said he had fallen in love four times since arriving for his first-ever visit to China just 24 hours earlier.

The British actor, who counts Elizabeth Hurley and socialite Jemima Khan among his past girlfriends, on Thursday said he had been bowled over by Chinese women and would consider having a Chinese girlfriend.

Grant is in Haikou, on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, to play in the Mission Hills Star Trophy celebrity pro-am tournament, along with fellow A-listers Catherine Zeta-Jones, Christian Slater and Matthew McConaughey.

Zeta-Jones is taking part in the event despite her husband, Hollywood legend Michael Douglas, battling throat cancer.

The 50-year-old Grant is a self-confessed golf addict, but dismissed the suggestion his passion for the game was hampering his love life.

“That’s not quite true. I find there’s plenty of space in life for girls and golf,” he told reporters.

“I am very happy to contemplate a Chinese girlfriend. I must say I’m very charmed by Chinese women so far. I’ve only been here 24 hours, but I’ve fallen in love four times.”

Grant insisted he would not be distracted from the golf by the Miss World contest, which is taking place elsewhere in Hainan this weekend.

“I’ve got to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the Miss World contest. There, I’ve said it. It’s not my cup of tea,” he said.

Grant has forged a hugely successful career playing bumbling, upper-crust charmers in a string of romantic comedies including “Notting Hill” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral”.

But he said he would love to take on a darker role suggested by Hong Kong star Aaron Kwok.

Kwok won a best actor award at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Horse awards in 2006 for his performance as a gambling addict in “After This Our Exile”, and he said Grant would be perfect to reprise the role in any Western remake.

“Funnily enough, I just came from Las Vegas and I would relish that role, although I am a very bad gambler — I did lose a lot of money,” Grant said.

Away from the golf course, Grant said he was working on a new book. Last year he told a German newspaper he dreamed of fleeing Hollywood to pursue a literary career.

The field of 18 professionals at the Star Trophy — who include Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman — will compete for a winner’s prize of 1.28 million dollars this weekend.