Tuesday, December 31, 2013

US Festival '83 on DVD


DVD Release:
US Festival 1983: Days 1 - 3

Featuring U2, the Clash, Judas Priest, Stevie Nicks, Scorpions, INXS, Men at Work, Stray Cats, Triumph, Missing Persons and more; Curated by Steve Wozniak



The US Festival (US is an acronym for "Unite Us In Song") held on Memorial Day of 1983 was a massive three-day celebration of music and culture sponsored by Steve Wozniak, formerly of Apple Computer. Wozniak financed the entire thing himself (approx. 10 million dollars), and his motivation quoted as "to throw a big party in the middle of nowhere" is quite an understatement. This festival was a follow up to 1982 Labor Day inaugural US Festival events. The festivals were intended to be the celebration of evolving technologies; a marriage of music, computers, television and people.

Us Festival 1983: Days 1 - 3 is available on iTunes and on DVD.

Us Festival 1983: Days 1 - 3 includes the three days of New Wave, Heavy Metal and Rock in 1983 with performances from U2, the Clash, Judas Priest, Stevie Nicks, Scorpions, INXS, Men at Work, Stray Cats, Triumph, Missing Persons and more. This includes the legendary U2 performance of Sunday Bloody Sunday, The Clash's final performance with Mick Jones, a seminal performance for INXS in the US, and many other landmark moments in music history. It is estimated that over 670,000 fans attended.

The festivals included large air-conditioned tents featuring the US Festival  Technology Exposition a dazzling display of then-cutting edge computers, software, and electronic music devices. Also making a debut were installations of "out-door rain", perforated pvc nozzles that sprayed water to fight the fierce hundred-degree heat.

The US Festival interest remains strong 30 years later in pop culture with mentions in The Simpsons, Malcom In The Middle, Dharma & Greg and other popular TV shows. US Festival  1983 is produced by Icon Television Music, Inc. and Unuson Corporation with the cooperation of Steve Wozniak. This is the only Unuson sanctioned official release of US Festival 1983 at iTunes and on DVD.

US Festival  1983 is directed by award winning filmmaker and music biographer Glenn Aveni and includes insight from Mark Goodman, one of the original VJ's that covered the Us Festival in 1983 for the newly launched MTV Channel.

US Festival 1983 Days 1 - 3 are available on iTunes for $9.99 each: itunes.com/USFestival1983  

Order DVD: http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=MVD5946D


Track Listing:

INXS - The One Thing
Divinyls - Boys in Town
English Beat - Jeanette
Stray Cats - Rock This Town
Stray Cats - Please Make Up Your Mind
Men At Work - It's A Mistake
Men At Work - Who Can It Be Now
The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go
Judas Priest - Breaking The Law
Judas Priest - You've Got Another Thing Comin'
Triumph - Magic Power
Triumph - Fight The Good Fight
Triumph - Lay It On The Line
Triumph - A World Of Fantasy
Scorpions - The Zoo
Scorpions - Can't Get Enough
Berlin - Sex
Quarterflash - Find Another Fool
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
U2 - The Electric Co.
Missing Persons - Words
Stevie Nicks - Stand Back
Stevie Nicks - Outside The Rain 
 

Monday, December 30, 2013

Untold Civil War Stories
Elizabeth McGovern Narrates



Eiizabeth McGovern narrates 
Civil War: The Untold Story
Civil War: The Untold Story is a visually stunning and absorbing new 5-hour documentary series that breaks new ground by examining the war through the lens of the Western Theater - battles in the strategic lands between the Appalachians and Mississippi River. Narrated by Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey) the series is set to premiere nationally on public television stations beginning in February 2014.

Rather than revisit the oft-told stories of the battles of Bull Run, Antietam and Gettysburg in the eastern states of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, this gripping and comprehensive new series instead tells the stories of Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chickamauga, Atlanta, and other battles in lands then known as "the West." Many historians believe that the Western Theater was where the war was won - and lost. In addition to the epic battles, Civil War: The Untold Story provides new insights into the relatively unknown roles African Americans played in the conflict - from enslaved to emancipated to soldier.

Filmed in a sweeping cinematic style, Civil War: The Untold Story painstakingly recreates the battles of the Western Theater in a thoroughly authentic manner. Many scenes were filmed on the very grounds where these epic battles were fought, which add to the sheer magnitude of history felt throughout the films. The series also uses state-of-the-art 2D and 3D graphics, fascinating archival imagery, and incisive expert commentary by Civil War historians and scholars.

Timed to coincide with the 150-year anniversary of the pivotal "Campaign for Atlanta," the series also chronicles the presidential campaign of 1864 in which Abraham Lincoln was nearly defeated. In many ways, Civil War: The Untold Story can be considered a prequel to Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln." Within the story of the Western Theater, the series highlights the causes of war, the home front, the politics of war, and the impact of war on Southern civilians and women. The authenticity of uniforms, voiceovers and scenery makes it seemingly impossible to distinguish this modern adaptation from the actual war so many years ago.

Civil War: The Untold Story is produced for public television by Great Divide Pictures, which, in addition to numerous cable television documentaries, has created more than 25 films shown in National Parks Visitor Centers around the country. The series is sponsored by Nashville Public Television and will be distributed to public television stations nationally by American Public Television (APT).

"The film is not just about who we were then. It's about who we are now," said producer Chris Wheeler. "In a nation arguably as divided today as we were 150 years ago, Civil War: The Untold Story is a compelling, relevant program that we believe will strike a powerful chord with Americans today."

Interspersed are compelling on-camera interviews with some of America's top Civil War historians - including Allen Guelzo, Henry R. Luce Professor of the Civil War Era at Gettysburg College; Peter Carmichael, Robert C. Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Studies at Gettysburg College; Amy Murrell Taylor, Associate Professor of History at the University of Kentucky; and Stacy Allen, the Chief Historian at Shiloh National Military Park.

Episode One - Bloody Shiloh
With the 1860 election of anti-slavery candidate Abraham Lincoln, thirteen states from the South secede and form the Confederate States of America. Union military leaders, along with Lincoln himself, realize that ending the rebellion rests on controlling the Mississippi River. In February 1862, Union forces, led by an obscure general named Ulysses S. Grant, establish a foothold in southern Tennessee near a simple log structure known as "Shiloh Church." On April 6, 1862, a Confederate force of over 40-thousand, led by General Albert Sidney Johnston, launch a surprise attack on Grant. The fighting in the hellish terrain surrounding Shiloh is some of the most brutal of the entire war. By day's end, victory is in sight for the attacking Confederates. But Johnston has been struck in the leg by a bullet, and bleeds to death in 20 minutes. The death of Johnston is a harbinger of a great change that will soon sweep over "Bloody Shiloh."

Episode Two - A Beacon of Hope
In the disaster at Shiloh, Union General Ulysses S. Grant sees victory. On the night of April 6, 1862, Grant's beleaguered army along the Tennessee River is reinforced. The next morning, Grant's counterattack leads to victory. The defeated Confederate force of 40-thousand retreats south to Corinth, Mississippi. At Shiloh, the Confederates lose arguably their best opportunity to change the outcome of the war. The shocking combined casualties of 24-thousand men is more than in all the wars fought to that date in the United States. Many of the nearly 4 million slaves across the South see the war as an opportunity to seize their own destiny. Thousands of escaping slaves, dubbed 'contrabands', seek refuge with Union forces advancing into the South. At Corinth, Mississippi, the Union army sets up a 'contraband camp.' The former slaves begin building a community that includes a school, hospital, and church. As thousands of slaves flee northward, the question asked all over America is this: are they still slaves or are they now free? In a cottage overlooking Washington DC, Abraham Lincoln begins drafting a "proclamation" whose message will boldly answer that question.

Episode Three - River of Death
Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation not only frees slaves in the rebelling states. It changes the war from one of reunification, to one of ending slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation also gives African Americans freedom to fight. By war's end, some 200,000 will enlist. In truth, Lincoln's proclamation is an empty promise without the power of the United States Army to enforce it. In 1863, Ulysses S. Grant begins a campaign to take Vicksburg, Mississippi, a Confederate citadel overlooking a strategic section of the lower Mississippi River. In May, Grant begins laying siege to the city of 4500. Mary Loughborough is one of the many terrified civilians who have dug caves into the hillsides for protection. Clutching her 2-year old daughter, Mary "endeavored by constant prayer to prepare myself for the sudden death I was almost certain awaited me." On July 4, 1863 - the day after Pickett's disastrous charge at Gettysburg - the Confederates surrender Vicksburg to Grant. With the Mississippi River now under Union control, the campaign moves eastward to Chattanooga, Tennessee, a rail center that Lincoln considers to be as important as the Confederate capital of Richmond. Eight miles south, along the Chickamauga - a creek the Cherokee call "the river of death" - Union and Confederate forces clash in what will become the biggest battle of the Western Theater.

Episode Four - Death Knell of the Confederacy
September 19, 1863. The first day of the Battle of Chickamauga ends in a bloody draw. On the next day, the battle is determined by one of the biggest blunders of the Civil War. Miscommunication, confusion, and fatigue with Union General William Rosecrans and his generals have left a gap in the Union line more than a quarter mile wide. James Longstreet's force of 11,000 from the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, pour through the gap and split the Union army in two. Rosecrans and his beaten army escape to Chattanooga. Chickamauga's combined casualties of 34,000 are only topped by the carnage at Gettysburg. In October, Rosecrans is replaced by U.S. Grant, who immediately plans an offensive. In November 1863, Grant routes the Confederate stronghold just outside Chattanooga. As they escape southward into Georgia, a Confederate officer calls the devastating defeat: "the death knell of the Confederacy."

Episode Five - With Malice Towards None
In the spring of 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman's force of 100-thousand men marches from Chattanooga toward Atlanta, Georgia, the industrial hub of the Deep South. Twenty miles north of Atlanta, Sherman's army is soundly defeated at Kennesaw Mountain. Sherman's defeat combined with Grant's stalemate in Virginia, enrages a Northern electorate already weary of war. The presidential election is in November, and Abraham Lincoln's chances for a second term are dwindling by the day. The Democrats nominate George McClellan. The party's platform calls for a negotiated peace with the Confederacy in which slaveholders will be allowed to keep their property. If McClellan is elected, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation will almost certainly be struck down. Though victorious at Kennesaw Mountain, the outnumbered Confederate Army falls back to a defensive position at Atlanta. After 6 weeks of bloody conflicts around Atlanta, Sherman wires Washington: "Atlanta is ours and fairly won." For the first time in the war, many in the North now believe victory can be achieved. Eight weeks later, the president defeats McClellan in a landslide. After the election, Sherman begins his March to the Sea. The largely unopposed march across Georgia to Savannah is a psychological blow to the Confederacy, and a stunning conclusion to the Western Theater.

To view video clips, images and additional information on Civil War: The Untold Story,  follow the series on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarTheUntoldStory .

About Great Divide Pictures:
The series is produced and directed by Chris Wheeler of Great Divide Pictures (greatdividepictures.com). For more than 20 years, Great Divide has been producing award-winning historical documentaries including: How the West Was Lost, Our Time in Hell: the Korean War, and Godspeed, John Glenn which was narrated by Walter Cronkite. Additionally, Great Divide has recently produced Visitor Center films for more than 25 National Parks, including Shiloh National Military Park, Chickamauga/Chattanooga National Military Park, and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. 

Friday, December 27, 2013

BeansTalk Loves Embroidered Clothes
















Johnny Was Collection
Long Eyelet Drawstring Cardigan

Long Eyelet Drawstring Cardigan :
Eyelet georgette with scalloped trim.
Open front.
Long sleeves.
Drawstring waist.
Hem hits above the knee.
Silk.
Imported.

$295



JWLA for Johnny Was
Zoe Embroidered Military Coat

Stand up for a colorful occasion. This JWLA For Johnny Was coat serves as a really cool indoor and outdoor piece. With all the vivid colors, you'll find yourself grabbing it on the daily.
Felt with colorful floral-motif embroidery; available in your choice of color.
Stand collar; button front.
Long sleeves.
Pockets at hip.
A-line silhouette.
Inverted pleat at back skirt.
Hem hits above the knee.
Cotton; unlined.
Imported.

$260


JWLA for Johnny Was
Mina Embroidered Military Coat

Knit with contrast botanical embroidery.
Stand collar; button front.
Long sleeves.
Empire waist; pleated back.
Cotton.
Imported

$260

Thursday, December 26, 2013

It's The Biggest Gift Returning Day

Some Boxing Day Sales

Bloomingdale’s

GUESS THE CARABINER AT VICTORINOX
December 26, 2013 - December 28, 2013
Come experience the scents of the Victorinox Swiss Army Family.
Stop by Victorinox Counter and guess how many carabiners are in the jar for your chance to win a Victorinox Swiss Army Ufill and fill it with your favorite Victorinox fragrance for free!* For more details please call 212-705-2368.
*One per customer; while supplies last.

LANCÔME NEW YEAR'S EVE MAKEOVER
December 26, 2013 - December 29, 2013
Now that you have the perfect dress for your New Year's celebrations, complete your look with the perfect makeup! Book your appointment with a Lancôme artist today by calling 212-705-2022.

CLINIQUE NATIONAL 3-STEP GIVEAWAY DAY
December 26, 2013
Come to the Clinique Counter and get your skin checkup, call 212-705-2879 to book an appointment with a Clinique Consultant to diagnose your skin type, and receive complementary 3-Step samples.*
*One per customer; while supplies last.

ELIE TAHARI GIFT WITH PURCHASE
December 26, 2013, 5pm - 7pm
Shop Elie Tahari and receive a cashmere scarf* with your purchase of 500.00 or more.
*One per customer, while supplies last.
The New View on 3


Macy’s

M.A.C PUNK COUTURE
Celebrate Punk?s rebel spirit and revolutionary impact on fashion with an hautecore colour collection of vibrant neon hues for eyes, lips and nails. To create your own chaos of colour, stop by a M.A.C counter for a look that?s pure, polished punk.

Amazon

If you love Christmas sales, after-Christmas sales, end-of-year sales, and all that fun bargain shopping, you've come to the right place...except that you're just a wee bit early! Our Year-End Deals event will start on December 23 this year, so mark it on your calendar so you don't miss our best prices on markdowns, clearance items, and more. Looking for great deals right now? You can:
Shop the Outlet Store for today's clearance and overstock deals.
Become a regular on the Gold Box--check out the Deal of the Day and today's top Lightning Deals.
Sign up for daily deals e-mails so you won't miss tomorrow's deal or our best deals.
Like us on Facebook to receive updates about deals, plus exclusive Amazon content.
Follow @amazondeals on Twitter. We'll tweet about all our Deals of the Day and Lightning Deals.
Install the Amazon mobile app and shop our deals from anywhere, no matter where you are.
Install the Amazon 1Button App and put special Amazon features right at your fingertips.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Christmas Eve....

Whether you celebrate for spiritual, religious or just celebratory reasons, tonight is Christmas Eve. BeansTalk hopes you have a wonderful evening, whether you spend it with family or friends.












Must-See Holiday TV

Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan in one of BeansTalk's very favorite holiday films, "Christmas in Connecticut."

Monday, December 23, 2013

Get Ready for Detection





"Sherlock" Returns for a Third Season

Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and brilliantly updated “Sherlock” return to PBS and “Masterpiece Theater” on 16 January 2014. The first installment of the Season 3 trilogy is “The Empty Hearse.” Sherlockology.com describes the episode as featuring “the simple themes of the need for forgiveness and regaining someone's trust running tightly throughout the entire duration.” BeansTalk favorite Rupert Graves guests.