Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Skiing Blackcomb and Whistler Village
Our day started out great. We woke up to 7 cm of new fluffy snow and the snow cannons were blasting on the mountain all night. The temperature was a balmy 1 degree and there was no wind. The conditions on a 155cm base were perfect. We decided to ski Blackcomb. It was a great decision.
I love the exhilaration reaching high rates of speed on my skis. I love feeling the biting wind on my cheeks and the way my skis carve the snow in large wide turns down the steep terrain. I started skiing when I was a youngster growing up in Northern Ontario. After high school I made it a mission to ski around the world. Over the years I have accomplished some of that mission enjoying skiing around the United States, Canada and Europe.
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| Sea to Sky Highway |
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| New snow overnight |
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| Whistler Village Welcome Inukshuk |
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| The Village |
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| Remember these guys? LtoR Sumi, Miga, MukMuk & Quatchie |
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| Going up the Blackcomb Gondola |
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| Fresh Snow |
I haven't skied very much over the past four years and I was worried my skill level would have suffered. I was anxious riding to the top in the high speed gondola but as soon as we unloaded and my skis hit the snow, it all came back to me. As they say, it is like riding a bicycle.
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| Crystal Lodge |
We enjoyed some lunch at the Glacier Hut. It is located on the top of Blackcomb and reminded me of the huts that dot the mountains of Switzerland. They served soup, chili, roasted good things to eat and a selection of beer, wine and shots. Their claim to fame is the all day fully loaded waffle complete with hot fruit and whipped cream.
The day was perfect. I was able to book a ski and stay package at the Whistler Listel Hotel right in the center of Whistler Village. The room was comfortable with coffee and a small refrigerator. The hotel offered valet ski storage, underground parking, a hot tub, the Bearfoot Bistro with the Ice Room.
The Hotel is within walking distance to the main ski area where you can rent skis and load onto the Blackcomb Gondola or the Whistler Gondola.
The Village at night is beautiful. Dozens of colorful Christmas lights in bright blue, red, green and white illuminate the pathways between hotels and restaurants. Retail stores stay open late and beckon late night wanders. Pubs and night clubs overflow with merrymakers and music is heard from the live bands at the Longhorn, and The Irish Pub.
I will upload the rest of the pictures on my flickr, search Scoop_photo.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist makes his MI4 debut in Vancouver.
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| Michael Nyqvist |
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| Michael Nyqvist |
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| Michael Nyqvist |
Mission Impossible 4 started filming in downtown Vancouver today. The first location was the Wosk Center of Dialogue beside the Vancouver Delta Suites Hotel on W Hastings. The production then moved to an empty building on Granville street. Michael Nyqvist was the only actor I saw today. He was very kind and generous to the autograph seekers who had their photographs ready. Michael was pleasant and chatted with the guys while he was signing the autographs. I think he may be a villain in this movie but I`m not sure. Other people say they saw Simon Pegg but I was not so lucky. Tomorrow is another day.
I was able to click off a few candids.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Mission Impossible 4 Cast Hits Vancouver
Mission Impossible 4 " Ghost Protocol" has been filming around the world and now Vancouver, also known as Hollywood North is preparing for one of the most bankable and successful stars of the 20th Century to film in our city.
Tom Cruise is said to be joining the rest of the cast in Vancouver for the fourth installment of the action
packed, shoot em up, intriguing, spy filled movie due on in 2011. The franchise starring Tom Cruise and a number of beautiful supporting cast members has been extremely successful in the box offices around the globe. Tom Cruise has huge international appeal and although people may criticize him, I luv him. Not in the way where I fantasize about marrying him like Katie Holmes or I need a lock of hair but like Barbara Walters. I find him very interesting.
Tom Cruise is a bankable star, a family man, a generous individual, a hardworking actor and from all appearances, an all around great guy who has worked tirelessly for what he has and knows how to enjoy life.
It is the first time Tom Cruise has worked in Vancouver and I think it is exciting to have such a high caliber production in our Hollywood North.
This installment will be helmed by Brad Bird, known for his involvement in award winning Pixar animation features such as Up, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille
Here is a break down of the earning from the Mission Impossible franchise to date.
The first movie released in May of 1996 "Mission Impossible" brought in $180,981,886 US and World Wide, $457,697,994.
The second installment the franchise released in May of 2000 , Mission Impossible 2 earned a little bit less with only $215,409,889 US gross and $546,209,889 world wide.
We last saw super spy and man of mystery Ethan Hunt in May of 2006 when the studios threw $180,000,000 at the project and enjoyed just enough at the box office to make their money back. Perhaps it was a time when Tom's popularity was waining.
US box office receipt for Mission Impossible 3 were declining. Box office totals of $133,501,348 were less that expected but the world wide receipts of $397,501,348 were decent enough for the producers to recruit Tom Cruise and a respectable cast of well known actors to join together for Mission Impossible 4.
This latest franchise has a estimated modest budget of $140,000.00, 10 million less that Mission Impossible 3.
Source
The segment in Vancouver will be shot in the sound stages of Canada Motion Picture Park located in Burnaby. It is the same sound stages that housed the Twilight Saga Eclipse and New Moon in 2009 and recently Red Riding Hood in 2010. The crews have been busy with pre-production since late August.
Don't count on seeing Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway, Michael Nyqvist or any other cast around the studio. I understand the studio is in lock-down and the location shoots will be just as difficult if not more secure than the Twilight Saga was to catch a glimpse of the action. They may go out on location shoots and that is the best time to see them, if you are lucky.
If you plan on doing some star stalking, here is some Do's and Don'ts.
Don't be a bother or make a nuisance of yourself. These people are working and don't want trouble makers on their set.
Do respect the boundaries the crew has made for by-standers. It is for your own safety and you can't be in the shot.
Do be quite on the set and never sit in the star's chair. Don't eat in the crafty tent, it is for the cast and crew.
Don't try to hitch a ride or pretend you are part of the crew. You will be discovered and removed.
Do try to be discrete with your camera. Too often the production people will think you are a paparazzi if you have a DSLR camera. It is worse if you have a good DSLR camera with a long lense.
Do stay out of the way of the crew. Do find a good place to watch, tucked away and out of the way. Do keep your distance from the cast. They are concentrating on their scenes, running lines and rehearsing in their mind. There are a lot of crazy people out there and the cast don't want to feel threatened. Don't appear to be a threat.
Finally, remember you may be one of the lucky people that are in the right place at the right time and meet everyone. I met Tom Hardy on a stairwell in New Westminster and met a lot of the Twilight cast just randomly downtown Vancouver. Keep your eyes open and if you see the paparazzi, keep an eye on them. They are focused on the prize. When they run, you run.
All photographs from Google Search.
Tom Cruise is said to be joining the rest of the cast in Vancouver for the fourth installment of the action
packed, shoot em up, intriguing, spy filled movie due on in 2011. The franchise starring Tom Cruise and a number of beautiful supporting cast members has been extremely successful in the box offices around the globe. Tom Cruise has huge international appeal and although people may criticize him, I luv him. Not in the way where I fantasize about marrying him like Katie Holmes or I need a lock of hair but like Barbara Walters. I find him very interesting.
Tom Cruise is a bankable star, a family man, a generous individual, a hardworking actor and from all appearances, an all around great guy who has worked tirelessly for what he has and knows how to enjoy life.
It is the first time Tom Cruise has worked in Vancouver and I think it is exciting to have such a high caliber production in our Hollywood North.
 |
| Director Brad Bird |
Here is a break down of the earning from the Mission Impossible franchise to date.
The first movie released in May of 1996 "Mission Impossible" brought in $180,981,886 US and World Wide, $457,697,994.
The second installment the franchise released in May of 2000 , Mission Impossible 2 earned a little bit less with only $215,409,889 US gross and $546,209,889 world wide.
We last saw super spy and man of mystery Ethan Hunt in May of 2006 when the studios threw $180,000,000 at the project and enjoyed just enough at the box office to make their money back. Perhaps it was a time when Tom's popularity was waining.
US box office receipt for Mission Impossible 3 were declining. Box office totals of $133,501,348 were less that expected but the world wide receipts of $397,501,348 were decent enough for the producers to recruit Tom Cruise and a respectable cast of well known actors to join together for Mission Impossible 4.
This latest franchise has a estimated modest budget of $140,000.00, 10 million less that Mission Impossible 3.
Source
| Tom Cruise |
| Jeremy Renner |
| Paula Patton |
The segment in Vancouver will be shot in the sound stages of Canada Motion Picture Park located in Burnaby. It is the same sound stages that housed the Twilight Saga Eclipse and New Moon in 2009 and recently Red Riding Hood in 2010. The crews have been busy with pre-production since late August.
Don't count on seeing Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway, Michael Nyqvist or any other cast around the studio. I understand the studio is in lock-down and the location shoots will be just as difficult if not more secure than the Twilight Saga was to catch a glimpse of the action. They may go out on location shoots and that is the best time to see them, if you are lucky.
| Simon Pegg |
| Josh Holloway |
| Michael Nyqvist |
Don't be a bother or make a nuisance of yourself. These people are working and don't want trouble makers on their set.
Do respect the boundaries the crew has made for by-standers. It is for your own safety and you can't be in the shot.
Do be quite on the set and never sit in the star's chair. Don't eat in the crafty tent, it is for the cast and crew.
Don't try to hitch a ride or pretend you are part of the crew. You will be discovered and removed.
Do try to be discrete with your camera. Too often the production people will think you are a paparazzi if you have a DSLR camera. It is worse if you have a good DSLR camera with a long lense.
Do stay out of the way of the crew. Do find a good place to watch, tucked away and out of the way. Do keep your distance from the cast. They are concentrating on their scenes, running lines and rehearsing in their mind. There are a lot of crazy people out there and the cast don't want to feel threatened. Don't appear to be a threat.
Finally, remember you may be one of the lucky people that are in the right place at the right time and meet everyone. I met Tom Hardy on a stairwell in New Westminster and met a lot of the Twilight cast just randomly downtown Vancouver. Keep your eyes open and if you see the paparazzi, keep an eye on them. They are focused on the prize. When they run, you run.
All photographs from Google Search.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Halle Berry in Frankie & Alice, Trailer
Well done. Intriguing trailer for Halle Berry's new movie,Frankie and Alice. This production was quietly shot in and around Vancouver in 2008. Halle was dating Gabriel Aubrey at the time.
IMDB describes the storyline as " A drama centered on a young woman with multiple personality disorder who struggles to remain her true self and not give in to her racist alter-personality".
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