>> The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
>> Identity Thief
>> Gangster Squad
>> Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away
>> Lincoln
>> Zero Dark Thirty
>> Hitchcock
>> The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
>> Hyde Park on Hudson
>> Safety Not Guaranteed

Opening 5.10.13
>> The Great Gatsby (PG-13) [trailer]
>> Peeples (PG-13) [trailer]
>> Aftershock (Limited) (R) [trailer]
>> And Now a Word From Our Sponsor (Limited) (NR) [trailer]
>> Erased (Limited) (R) [trailer]
>> Sightseers (Limited) (NR) [trailer]
>> Venus and Serena (Limited) (PG-13) [trailer]

Coming To DVD/Blu-Ray 5.7.13
>> Safe Haven (2013) [buy]
>> Fringe: The Complete Fifth Season [buy]
>> Jack Reacher [buy]
>> Mama [buy]
>> Superman: Unbound [buy]

Las Vegas: Satan Vacations Here
by Victoria Alexander
January 23, 2012

The Mysterious Stone Monuments of Markawasi, Moive Review: Coriolanus, Gigolos Host Men of Sapphire, and more...

The Mysterious Stone Monuments of Markawasi, Peru. High atop a remote plateau in Central Peru, hundreds of illusive shapes can be seen in the living rock. Are they merely natural erosion, or were they carved, as some think, by the hand of man? And if so, whose hand, and for what reason? Markawasi (also spelled Marcahuasi) is located at 12,500' in the Andes Mountains.

The statue at the right is the Monument to Humanity. Named by Daniel Ruzo for the four distinct races of humanity which can be found on this 85 foot high monument. Situated at the Northern entrance to the plateau, it greets all visitors.

The man responsible for what little is known about Marchuasi was the late Daniel Ruzo, a Peruvian explorer. Ruzo believed that a forgotten race created the statues before they were destroyed by a world-wide cataclysm. Another 2012 warning perhaps?

According to the Ruzo's, the previous humanity lived on earth in Proto-History before our civilization. They were very advanced, able to travel worldwide and left evidence of themselves in many places. This agrees with theories of the Hopi Indians suggesting we are not the first humanity to reach a degree of developmental sophistication, but probably the fourth or fifth.

Did the builders of Markawasi travel to Egypt? The African Queen bears a close resemblance to the profile of the Great Sphinx of Egypt.

Movie Review: Coriolanus. Fiennes’ modern interpretation is absolutely brilliant. There is pronounced homoeroticism and mother-fixation.

Fiennes must do Macbeth next. How about his take on Richard III? King Lear?

You haven’t read William Shakespeare’s military tragedy Coriolanus in decades. Here it is, envisioned by director and star Ralph Fiennes, in a remarkable prescient time when it easily leaps from ancient Rome to our war-hungry present day. The re-dressing of Shakespeare’s play is emblematic of the massive protests across the Arab World known as the Arab Spring that began in December, 2010.*

Set in modern Rome, aristocrat Caius Martius (Ralph Fiennes) is a hero soldier, returning victorious from a war with a neighboring Italian tribe, the Volscians, who are led by Martius’ great rival, Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler). The Volscians are defeated, and thanks to the heroism of Martius, and sporting scars of battle, he returns to Rome beset by revolt by the common people. Martius has contempt for the people and their petty complaints. Before his victory, he had brutally suppressed the rioters. Now, for his bravery, the Tribune gives the honorific title of "Coriolanus" (meaning "crowned one") and offers him the title of Consul of Rome. All he has to do is win the votes of the common people.

I’m not a Shakespeare scholar by any means, but what is with the playwright’s mother-fixation? There are some very strong, dominant mothers in Shakespeare’s plays suggesting an Oedipal fixation. Fiennes makes this clear in his staging of Martius and his mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave), one of the pantheon of Shakespeare’s cunning women: Lady Macbeth, Margaret in Henry VI Parts 1-3 and in Richard III, and King Lear’s Goneril and Regan, all women who lusted for power and greatness.

Martius has a very public meltdown spitting his disgust at the common people. He banished from Rome. He is condemned to never see his mother, wife Virgilia (Jessica Chastain), and young son again.

Furious at being banished, Martius decides to team up with Aufidius and wage war on Rome. Here is where Fiennes subtly explores the homoeroticism between the two men.

Fearing the Maritus-led Volscians – whose soldiers are in awe of him – the Tribunes send first Menenius (Brian Cox) Maritus’ former mentor, and then Volumnia, to plead for peace. Volumnia comes with Maritus’ wife, son, and a chaste gentlewoman. All of Rome knows Martius and the Volscians will destroy the city to rubble.

There is a magnificent confrontation between the mighty, manipulative Volumnia and her son. Fiennes plays it for all its worth, giving Redgrave an Academy Award spotlight she richly deserves.

Volumnia succeeds and Martius signs a peace treaty between the Volscians and the Romans! When Maritus returns to the Volscian capital, Aufidius kills him for his betrayal.

Brian Cox is known for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he gained recognition for his portrayal of King Lear. Watch Cox’s video "Shakespeare for Toddlers". http://www.wimp.com/shakespearetoddlers/. It is wonderful!

James Nesbitt, who appears in CORIOLANUS as Tribune Sicinius, appeared in Shakespeare’s As You Like It on stage. I’ve been watching Nesbitt in Series 3 of "Murphy’s Law" available from Acorn Media (acornmedia.com). This is the first time Gerald Butler has taken on Shakespeare and he does a terrific job. Of course, Redgrave is glorious.

And finally, Fiennes is electric as Coriolanus and a powerful director. His knowledge of Shakespeare is extensive and it appears he has done every one of the Bard of Avon’s plays on stage.

The screenplay by John Logan is richly current and the Director of Photography, Barry Ackroyd, gives the film a tough, war-ravaged look.

There is not a false note in CORIOLANUS. And, non-Shakespeare fans will find it not medieval, but perfectly suitable to today’s modern ears.

*The Arab Spring, otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began in December 2010. There have been revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, a civil war in Libya resulting in the fall of its government, civil uprisings in Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen, the latter resulting in the resignation of the Yemeni prime minister; and major protests in six other Arab countries.

The protests have shared techniques of civil resistance in sustained campaigns involving strikes, demonstrations, marches and rallies. Many demonstrations have met violent responses from authorities, as well as from pro-government militias and counter-demonstrators. A major slogan of the demonstrators in the Arab world has been "the people want to bring down the regime."

GIGOLOS at Sapphire. Sapphire, The World’s Largest Gentlemen’s Club, has a Men of Sapphire male revue show in their ladies-only showroom. It is Sin City’s "Bachelorette Party Headquarters" and Sapphire threw a party for all ladies on Friday, January 20th hosted by Vin Armani, Brace, and Steven Gnatt, cast members of Showtime’s hit series GIGOLOS.

I watch GIGOLOS and have met Steven Gnatt when dear friend Nikki Artale brought him to a VIP event for the great show ABSINTHE.

But going to Sapphire’s with a mob of screaming women was not for me.

I get a kick out of "veteran" Brace because in his interviews he always talks about "The Brace Philosophy". Steven really appears to like his profession, as does Brace, Vin and Nick, but Jimmy Clabots, not so much. He is always complaining about what he has to do and the amount of effort it takes. He’s the "sourpuss" of the show. Let’s face it, Jimmy doesn’t seem to enjoy his job. And if he is indeed a paid escort, he’s not doing himself any favors attracting clients.

GIGOLOS Season 1 was released on DVD in October and the stars gave away copies throughout the night 0 if you were lucky enough to have the right ticket number. The guys were mingling all evening and Nikki called me from the event to giggle, "I’m with Brace!" I heard the screaming ladies in the background. (Photo: from left: Vin, Steven, Nikki and Brace)

A unique aspect of "Men of Sapphire" - usually not a part of male revue shows like Chippendales and Thunder Down Under - is that ladies can get private lap dances by the performers as well as stage dances.

The World's Largest Gentlemen's Club at Sapphire is located at 3025 S. Industrial Road in Las Vegas and has 70,000 square feet of topless entertainment. Open 24/7, 365 days a year to patrons 21 and over.

The Men of Sapphire shows are Friday and Saturday evenings only and the door opens at 9:30pm. Show time is 10pm to 2am. http://www.MenOfSapphire.com. For more information call 702-869-0003.

But that is not all the news regarding Gigolos this past weekend.

One of the stars of "Gigolos" not scheduled to appear at the event was 31-year old Jimmy Clabots. According to TMZ.com, Clabots was arrested early Friday morning for felony domestic violence. Clabots, who also starred in the movie "Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!", had gotten into a verbal altercation with his girlfriend and it quickly got physical. Cops were called -- and when they arrived on the scene, TMZ was told police observed visible signs of injury on Jimmy's girlfriend.

Jimmy was arrested on the spot. He is currently in custody on $50,000 bail.

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