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Selasa, 31 Maret 2009

Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation

Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation is a 1962 American comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara. The film is based on a novel by Edward Streeter and features popular singer Fabian.

Plot

Mr. Hobbs (James Stewart) is an overworked business man who seeks a quiet seaside vacation with his wife (Maureen O'Hara) and family, including his grown daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren. What he finds is a dilapidated beach house, nosey neighbors, and everything Hobbs does creates further complications. His teenage son Danny (Michael Burns) only wants to watch television. His youngest daughter Katey (Lauri Peters), with a new set of braces, refuses to leave the beach house. One of his sons-in-law, Stan (Josh Peine), is unemployed and Hobbs must escort his potential employer (John McGiver) on a bird-watching jaunt. Hobb's oldest daughter is married to the aloof professor Byron (John Saxon), with unorthodox ideas about disciplining children and the family dynamic. Through it all, Hobbs finds time to take Danny on a boating trip, escort Katey to a dance and a read a few pages of War and Peace while sunning on the beach.

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Production

Nunnally Johnson wrote the screenplay to Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation based on Edward Streeter's novel of the same name. Streeter had previously penned the novel Father of the Bride, which was filmed in 1950 and remade in 1991. Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation was filmed in California on Laguna Beach and at Dana Point. It marked the first time James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara starred together in a film. They would co-star again in the 1966 western The Rare Breed. During the scene where Mr. Hobbs escorts his daughter Katey to a dance at the yacht club, Herb Alpert is the trumpet player in the band.

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Reception

The film was relatively successful in America upon its release on June 15, 1962, earning $4 million with an estimated budget of $2 million, but found even greater success when released overseas. James Stewart garnered the Berlin International Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his hilarious performance, and director Henry Koster was nominated for Best Director. Stewart was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy. The screenplay by Nunnally Johnson was nominated for Best Written Comedy by the Writers Guild of America. Stewart and Maureen O'Hara were also nominated for their performances by the Laurel Awards. Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation's success inspired a series of light-hearted comedies starring James Stewart including Take Her, She's Mine (1963) and Dear Brigitte (1965), taking him away from the western movies he had become a staple of. The film is still aired on cable channels, and has developed a cult following that helped the film be released on DVD.



Mystic River (film)

Mystic River is a 2003 American drama film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood, and starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney and Emmy Rossum. The film was written by Brian Helgeland, based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane.

The film opened to widespread critical acclaim. It was nominated for six Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Sean Penn won Best Actor and Tim Robbins won Best Supporting Actor.

Plot Summary

The film opens with three boys, Sean Devine, Jimmy Markum, and Dave Boyle, playing hockey in the street. While playing, the boys find a section of sidewalk concrete that is still drying. Jimmy impulsively writes his name in the cement and Sean follows. Dave begins to write his name in the cement, but a car pulls up and a man who pretends to be a plainclothes police officer gets out, scolds the three boys, and tells Dave to get in the car. As the car moves away, Dave looks out the back window to see Jimmy and Sean staring back at him. Hearing that Dave was taken away by a police officer, the parents of Jimmy and Sean agree that something is wrong and begin to look for him.

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The film then cuts to Dave in the basement of the two pedophiles who took him and then to Dave running away from the house through a forest.

Twenty-five years later, the boys are now grown and still living in Boston. Jimmy (Sean Penn) is an ex-con running a neighborhood store, while Dave (Tim Robbins) is a blue-collar worker, still haunted by his abduction. The two men are still neighbors and related by marriage. Jimmy's 19 year old daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum) is secretly dating Brendan Harris (Thomas Guiry), a boy Jimmy despises. She and Brendan are planning on eloping to marry in Las Vegas.

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Katie goes out for the night with her girl friends and is seen by Dave at a local bar. That night, Katie is murdered, and Dave comes home with an injured hand and blood on his clothes, which his wife Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) helps him clean up. Dave claims that he fought off a mugger and possibly killed him. Sean (Kevin Bacon), who is now a detective with the Massachusetts State Police, investigates Katie's murder with his partner, Whitey Powers (Laurence Fishburne). In a subplot, Sean's wife Lauren (Tori Davis) has left him, and subsequently telephones him without speaking. She is pregnant when she makes this call, but won't even tell Sean the baby's sex.

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Over the course of the film, Sean and his partner track down leads while Jimmy uses his neighborhood connections to conduct his own investigation. Sean discovers that the gun used to kill Katie was used in a liquor store robbery during the 1980s by "Just Ray" Harris, the father of Brendan Harris, causing him to suspect Brendan. Ray Harris has been missing for some time, but Sean believes that his gun was still in the house.

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Brendan claims that Ray has been sending $500 a month since he disappeared. Sean also learns that Jimmy is listed as a known criminal associate of Ray Harris. Powers suspects Dave, as he was one of the last people to see Katie alive and has a wounded hand (Dave tells them that he injured it on the garbage disposal). Dave continues to act strangely, and his wife eventually tells Jimmy about Dave's behavior and the bloody clothing. She tells Jimmy that she thinks Dave killed Katie.

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The climax of the film occurs when Jimmy and his friends get Dave drunk. When Dave leaves the bar to vomit, and the men follow him out. Jimmy tells Dave that he shot "Just Ray" Harris at that same location for ratting him out and sending him to jail. This caused Jimmy to be absent while his first wife was battling cancer and ultimately dying while he was in prison. Jimmy tells Dave that he will let him live if he confesses to killing his daughter; if he does not he will kill him right then and there. Dave repeatedly tells Jimmy that he did kill someone but it was not Katie: he killed a pedophile, after finding him with a child prostitute in a car. Dave is so nervous he vomits once again. When Dave finally admits to killing Katie in an attempt to escape with his life, Jimmy stabs him in the stomach and shoots him in the head. They dispose of his body in the adjacent Mystic River.

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While Dave's murder is occurring, Brendan (having found out about his father's gun from Sean during questioning) confronts his younger brother and his brother's friend about Katie's murder. He savagely beats the two boys, but is almost shot by one of them when Sean arrives just in time to stop it.

The next morning, Sean tells Jimmy that the police have Katie's murderers – who have confessed. She was killed by Brendan's brother and his friend in a violent prank gone wrong over the fact that Brendan and Katie were going to move away and get married. Sean asks Jimmy if he has seen Dave, because he is wanted for questioning in another case, the murder of a known pedophile. A distraught Jimmy thanks Sean for finding his daughter's killers, but says "if only you had been a little faster". Sean asks Jimmy if he is going to send Celeste Boyle $500 a month too, as he had been doing for the widow of "Just Ray" Harris. This is why Brendan believed his father was sending his mother the money every month, even though it was clear he was dead. Jimmy's wife, Annabeth (Laura Linney), comforts him over Dave's murder, telling him that he did what he had to do because he loves his daughter. Some time later, at a parade, Celeste frantically tries to get the attention of her despondent son Michael (Cayden Boyd). Sean spots Jimmy in the crowd and makes a gun with his hand, 'shooting' it at Jimmy. Jimmy shrugs and puts on his sunglasses.

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Cast

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Awards and nominations

Awards

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DVD releases

The DVD was released on June 8, 2004 and 3 editions have been released:

Bibliography

  • Eberhard Ostermann: Mystic River oder die Abwesenheit des Vaters. In: E.O.: Die Filmerzählung. Acht exemplarische Analysen. Munich (Fink) 2007. pp. 29-43.

Sean Penn

Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American film actor. He is also a filmmaker and political activist. He is a two-time Academy Award winner for his roles in Mystic River and Milk, as well as receiving a Golden Globe Award for the former and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the latter.

Early life

Penn was born in Los Angeles County, California, the son of Leo Penn, an actor and director, and Eileen Ryan (née Annucci), an actress. He has one living brother, musician Michael Penn. Another brother, actor Chris Penn, died in 2006. His paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and Russia, while his mother is a Catholic of Italian and Irish descent. According to Penn's mother, Leo Penn may have had distant Spanish ancestry, as the family's surname was originally "Piñón". Penn was raised in a secular home and is an agnostic.

Acting career

Penn appeared in a 1974 episode of Little House on the Prairie as a then blond-haired extra when his father, Leo, directed some of the episodes. Penn launched his career with the 1981 film Taps, followed a year later with the hit comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (in the role of stoner Jeff Spicoli). Penn's portrayal of Spicoli was immensely popular and the film remained his most commercially successful work for many years. In 1983, Penn turned in one of his best early performance as Mick O'Brien, a troubled youth in the drama Bad Boys. It earned Penn favorable reviews and jump started his career as a serious actor.

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In 1985, Penn gave a memorable performance in the role of Andrew Daulton Lee in The Falcon and the Snowman. Lee was a former drug dealer by trade, convicted of espionage for the Soviet Union and was originally sentenced to life in prison. Lee was paroled in 1998. According to an April 8, 2005, interview in The Guardian, Penn later hired Lee as his personal assistant, partly because he wanted to reward Lee for allowing him to play Lee in the film, and also because he was a firm believer in rehabilitation and thought Andrew Lee should be reintegrated into society now that he is a free man again.

In 1986 he starred in the drama At Close Range, opposite Christopher Walken. The film was based on a true story and gained positive reviews from critics. The film featured his then wife Madonna's single "Live to Tell". The music video for the song, which featured clips from the film, played heavily on MTV and helped promote the film.

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Penn has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor five times and won the award twice. The academy first recognized his work playing a racist murderer on death row in Tim Robbins' 1995 drama Dead Man Walking. Penn was noted in 1999 for his comedic performance as an egotistical jazz guitarist in the Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown. He received his third nomination in 2001 after portraying a mentally-handicapped father in I am Sam. In 2003 Penn finally won for his role in Clint Eastwood's Boston crime-drama Mystic River. In 2004, he played a disturbed man bent on killing the president in The Assassination of Richard Nixon. He received his fifth nomination and second win for his role as Harvey Milk in the 2008 film Milk. He was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2004.

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Penn's interest in politics is reflected in some of his recent film roles. In 2006 he portrayed populist governor Willie Stark (based on Huey Long) in an adaptation of the classic American novel All the King's Men, though the film was a critical and commercial failure. In November 2008, Penn earned rave reviews for his portrayal of real-life gay rights icon and politician Harvey Milk in the biopic Milk and was nominated for best actor for the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards.

Director

In 1991, Penn made his directorial debut with The Indian Runner, a film based on Bruce Springsteen's song "Highway Patrolman" from the Nebraska album. He also directed music videos, such as Shania Twain's "Dance with the One That Brought You" in 1993 and Peter Gabriel's "The Barry Williams Show" in 2002. He has since directed three more films, all of which were well-received by critics: The Crossing Guard in 1995, The Pledge in 2001, and Into the Wild in 2007.

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Personal life

Penn was supposedly engaged to actress Elizabeth McGovern, his co-star in 1984's Racing with the Moon, after which he dated Susan Sarandon. Penn's personal life began to attract media attention when he married pop star Madonna in 1985. The relationship was marred by violent outbursts against the press, including one incident for which he was arrested for violently beating a photographer. It is also suggested that when Penn discovered the paparazzo in his hotel room, he hung him by his ankles from the ninth-floor balcony. Madonna dedicated her third studio album, True Blue to Penn, referring to him in the liner notes as "the coolest guy in the universe". Later in the marriage, Penn was charged with felony domestic assault, a charge for which he pleaded to a misdemeanor. Penn and Madonna divorced in 1989.

He soon began a relationship with Robin Wright, and their first child, Dylan Frances, was born in 1991. Their second child, Hopper Jack, was born in 1993. Penn and Wright married in 1996 and lived in Ross, California. On December 27, 2007, the couple's representative announced that the Penns were divorcing, but they later stopped divorce proceedings in April 2008.

During a separation from Wright in the mid 1990s, Penn dated singer and songwriter Jewel. He was also the director of the original video for Jewel's hit song "You Were Meant for Me".

Penn's younger brother, Chris, died from an enlarged heart in his Santa Monica condominium on January 24, 2006.

Along with Johnny Depp, Mick Hucknall, and John Malkovich, Penn is a part-owner of the Parisian restaurant-bar Man Ray.

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Political and social causes

Penn has been active in supporting several political and social causes. On June 10, 2005, Penn made a visit to Iran. Acting as a journalist on an assignment for the San Francisco Chronicle, he attended a Friday prayer at Tehran University. Later in 2005, Penn appeared at the ACLU of Northern California's annual Bill of Rights Day Celebration to present Sister Helen Prejean with the Chief Justice Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award for her work opposing the death penalty.

On January 7, 2006, Penn was a special guest at a forum hosted by the Progressive Democrats of America. He was joined by author and media critic Norman Solomon, Democratic congressional candidate Charles Brown, and activist Cindy Sheehan. The "Out of Iraq Forum", which took place in Sacramento, California, was organized to promote the anti-war movement calling for an end to the War in Iraq.

In August 2008, Penn made an appearance at one of Ralph Nader's "Open the Debates" Super Rallies. He protested the political exclusion of Nader and other third parties.

In October 2008, Penn traveled to Cuba, where he met with and interviewed President Raúl Castro.

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Criticism of President Bush

On October 18, 2002, Penn placed a US$56,000 advertisement in the Washington Post asking then President George W. Bush to end a cycle of violence. It was written as an open letter and referred to the planned attack on Iraq and the War on Terror. In the letter, Penn also criticized the Bush administration for its "deconstruction of civil liberties" and its "simplistic and inflammatory view of good and evil." Penn visited Iran briefly in December 2002.

This advertisement was cited as a primary reason for the development of his relationship with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. Chávez used and read aloud an open letter Penn wrote to Bush in one of his televised speeches. The letter condemned the Iraq War, called for Bush to be impeached, and also called Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "villainously and criminally obscene people". In August 2007, Penn met with Chávez in Caracas for two hours, after which Chávez praised him for urging Americans to impeach Bush. Penn also visited a new film studio on the outskirts of Caracas, though he did not speak publicly.

On April 19, 2007, Penn appeared on The Colbert Report and had a "Meta-Free-Phor-All" versus Stephen Colbert that was judged by Robert Pinsky. This stemmed from some of Penn's criticisms of Bush. His exact quote was "We cower as you point your fingers telling us to support our troops. You and the smarmy pundits in your pocket – those who bathe in the moisture of your soiled and blood-soaked underwear – can take that noise and shove it."He won the contest with 10,000,000 points to Colbert's 1.

On December 7, 2007, Penn said he supported Ohio Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich for U.S. President in 2008, and criticized Bush's handling of the Iraq war. Penn questioned whether Bush's twin daughters supported the war in Iraq.

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Hurricane Katrina

In September 2005, Penn traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. He was physically involved in rescuing people although there was criticism that his involvement was a PR stunt as he hired a photographer to come along with his entourage.

Director Spike Lee interviewed Penn for his documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, about Hurricane Katrina.

Filmography and awards

On December 18, 2006, Penn received the Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award from the Creative Coalition.

The Game (film)

The Game is a 1997 psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher, starring Michael Douglas, featuring Sean Penn, and produced by Polygram. It tells the story of an investment banker who is given a mysterious gift: participation in a game that integrates in strange ways with his life. As the lines between the banker's real life and the game become more uncertain, there are hints of a large conspiracy.

The film was well received by critics in spite of middling box-office returns compared to the success of Fincher's previous film, Seven.

The Game was #44 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

Plot

Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) is a successful, extremely wealthy businessman, but his success has come at the cost of his personal life. He is estranged from his ex-wife.

On Nicholas' 48th birthday, his younger, rebellious, brother Conrad (Penn) presents him with an unusual gift -- a game offered by a company called Consumer Recreation Services -- promising that it will change Nicholas' life. (The idea of Consumer Recreation Services seems to be lifted directly from the G. K. Chesterton story "The Tremendous Adventures of Major Brown"). The nature of The Game is unclear at first, but it appears to be a sort of live action role-playing game that integrates directly into the player's real life.

After taking a lengthy psychological test and a physical exam, Nicholas is informed that CRS has rejected "his application" for The Game. However, he soon discovers the Game has not only begun, but it begins by focusing on a key traumatic moment of Nicholas's life when, as a child, he witnessed his father committing suicide by leaping off the roof of their family home, the same home Nicholas lives in now, on his 48th birthday, the same one Nicholas is now "celebrating."

Evidence mounts that The Game is actually an elaborate and dangerous scheme. Each time Nicholas thinks he has uncovered the truth, he finds a new layer of complexity to it. The game escalates into a no-holds-barred assault on everything Nicholas values, and his carefully ordered life seems to be disintegrating around him as The Game takes control.

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He encounters an employee of Consumer Recreation Services, a waitress who calls herself Christine (Unger), who at first assists him in escaping from the clutches of the increasingly violent CRS operatives, but after a series of narrow escapes and repeated attempts on his life, Nicholas realizes he has been drugged by Christine. He regains consciousness in a burial crypt in Southern Mexico in a symbolic premature burial, all the while knowing that the hundreds of millions of dollars in his and his company's bank accounts have been drained by Christine and her associates. The Game is now revealed to be an elaborate scam to relieve the power elite of their property and, if necessary, of their lives.

Nicholas returns from Mexico to San Francisco by hitchhiking and begging rides, and as he believes that he has been alienated from his friends and his trusted lawyer, Nicholas comes to a realization about his life. He meets with and makes peace with his ex-wife, who has happily remarried and is about to give birth to her second child. But he becomes increasingly desperate and retrieves a hidden handgun from his ransacked home. He locates a Game employee and threatens him. With the employee's security clearance, he heads directly into the offices of The Game and takes Christine hostage.

Security arrives and opens fire. Several of the staff are hit, falling over. Christine and Nicholas escape to the roof of the company's skyscraper, and he demands answers. Christine appears surprised by the gun, anxiously telling Nicholas that CRS had provided an automatic for him to use, yet he is carrying a revolver. She says that The Game's company thought it had replaced any real firearms Nicholas could access with unloaded fakes. She insists that the Game is just a hoax, and that his friends and family are waiting on the other side of the steel door, ready to celebrate his birthday. As the steel door opens, surprising the frightened and almost hysterical Nicholas, he fires without looking, only to reveal that he has shot his brother, who was holding a bottle of champagne and dressed in a tuxedo to celebrate Nicholas' birthday, and the successful conclusion of The Game. Several of the staff who have been shot appear again, unharmed.

Stricken with remorse and guilt (and exhaustion), Nicholas walks to the edge of the skyscraper's roof and steps off. He crashes through the glass ceiling of the ballroom. However, he lands safely on an airbag placed there for just that reason, and a doctor and rescue workers quickly restrain him and check him over, brushing bits of breakaway glass from his face and eyes. Then he finds his family and friends awaiting his scheduled arrival, and The Game is revealed to have just been a complex game after all. None of his accounts have been drained, the gun was indeed reloaded with blanks, and his brother is very much alive. As they embrace, Conrad confesses that he arranged the extremely expensive Game as a way to shake his brother back to reality and help him to learn to enjoy life again.

As the party is in full swing, Nicholas meets several of the guests who were operatives in the Game. When he asks about Christine, Conrad tells him that she is outside about to depart in a cab. Nicholas runs outside and talks to her about her part in the Game. She appears attracted to him, and invites him to have coffee with her at the airport before she flies to Australia for her next assignment in the Game. Nicholas's Game appears to finally be over (but he cautiously looks around, as he isn't sure).

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Cast

Production

According to David Fincher, there were three primary influences on The Game. Michael Douglas' character was a "fashionable, good-looking Scrooge, lured into a Mission: Impossible situation with a steroid shot in the thigh from The Sting."He said in an interview that his movie differs from others of that kind because "movies usually make a pact with the audience that says: we're going to play it straight. What we show you is going to add up. But we don't do that. In that respect, it's about movies and how movies dole out information."

For the scene where Nicholas Van Orton's taxi drives into the San Francisco Bay, the close-up with Douglas was filmed on a soundstage that contained a large tank of water. The actor was in a small compartment that was designed to resemble the backseat of a taxi with three cameras capturing the action.

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Locations

The movie was filmed primarily in San Francisco, the final scenes were filmed in what is now the Palace Hotel on 2 New Montgomery St. The use of San Francisco as the primary locale was clearly a deliberate choice by Fincher; the city was of great significance in Michael Douglas' own career—he rose to fame as the co-star (with Karl Malden) of the popular 1970s police series The Streets of San Francisco, and also starred in the San Francisco-based hit thriller Basic Instinct.

Nicholas's mansion was actually the historic Filoli Mansion, 25 miles south of San Francisco in Woodside, California. The plain gravel forecourt of the mansion was made to look more like a wrap-around driveway by the addition of the fountain, which was constructed of lightweight foam. The interior shots of the kitchen were made in the original time-worn kitchen, which is displayed on tours but no longer used. The kitchen was in a failing state of repair, so very dim lighting was used in the kitchen scenes to hide this. The scenes in which the walls were defaced with graffiti was done by tacking up lightweight graffiti-painted foamcore boards over the wood paneling.

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Response

The Game opened to fairly positive reviews, and grossed $48 million domestically and $61 million overseas. As of Feb 2009, it ranks 79% 'Fresh' at Rotten Tomatoes, with 29 counted reviews. On Metacritic, the movie has a score of 61(generally favourable reviews) out of 100. Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4, praising the dialogue and casting of Michael Douglas. In his review for the Boston Globe, Jay Carr wrote, "The Game doesn't pretend to be more than a deftly fabricated construct, but it will keep you guessing and then outguess you and leave you feeling dazzled as opposed to dazed." Janet Maslin wrote in her New York Times review, "Mr. Fincher, like Michael Douglas in the film's leading role, does show real finesse in playing to the paranoia of these times." The San Francisco Chronicle's Mick LaSalle wrote, "At times The Game is frustrating to watch, but that's just a measure of how well Fincher succeeds in putting us in his hero's shoes."


Senin, 30 Maret 2009

Bullmastiff

The Bullmastiff is a powerful dog, which was originally a cross between the English Mastiff and the Olde English Bulldogge. Originally bred to find and immobilize poachers, the breed has proven popular as a family pet.

Size

Males should be 23 to 25 inches tall (58.4 to 63.5 cm) at the withers and 110 to 130 pounds (50 to 59 kg). Females should be 22 to 24 inches (55.8 to 60.9 cm) at the withers, and 100 to 120 pounds (45 to 55 kg). Exceeding these dimensions is discouraged by breeders as they are too big to do their jobs. As the breed has aged it has become more like the bulldog due to bad breeding it has actually become a slightly smaller breed.

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Color

Any shade of brindle, fawn, or red is acceptable in the AKC (American Kennel Club). The fawn is a light tan. Red can range from a light red-fawn to a dark rich red. Brindles are a striped overlay of the fawn or red. A Bullmastiff should have no white markings, except for on its chest where a little white is allowed. See breed standard under external links for additional details

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Temperament

A Bullmastiff should be fearless and confident, yet docile. A Bullmastiff is courageous, extremely loyal to its family, calm, and loving. It has a very strong protective instinct and will defend against any threat to its owners, as well as any threat to its territory. Bullmastiffs become intensely attached to their families. Their protective instinct combined with their great size and natural wariness of strangers means that early socialization and obedience training is essential.

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Bullmastiffs can also get along with other dogs too but like any should be socialized. The Bullmastiff can get along extremely well with children provided the dog has been properly trained and socialized. Parental supervision must be maintained when they are with children; they may knock smaller children down accidentally because of their large size.

A Bullmastiff, because of its history, is a very independent dog, and likes to make its own decisions. However, with good training, a Bullmastiff will look to its owner for "permission" to act on its instincts. Obedience training with all members of the family will teach the dog to look to them before taking action.

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Health

The lifespan for a Bullmastiff is generally from eight to 11 years. A Bullmastiff will not stop growing until it is about two and a half years of age. Bullmastiffs are prone to certain hereditary diseases including:

History

Bred by English gamekeepers in the 1800s to assist English wardens or gamekeepers guard estates. As a result the Bullmastiff is known as the Gamekeeper's Night Dog. The Bullmastiff was a cross of 40% Old English Bulldog, not the short, chubby Bulldog of today) and 60% English Mastiff for its size, strength and loyalty. They bark much less often than other breeds, however, when they do bark it's generally worth checking.

The Bullmastiff was recognized as a pure-bred dog in 1924 by the English Kennel Club.

In October, 1933, The American Kennel Club recognized the Bullmastiff. The first standard for the breed was approved in 1935.

The standard has undergone several revisions since then. The most current version is available on the AKC web site.

Air Jordan

Air Jordan, known colloquially as Air Jordans, Jordans, "Jay's", "Js", or "MJs" are a brand of shoes produced by Nike which was designed for and endorsed by professional basketball player Michael Jordan. The Air Jordan line is now sold by Jordan Brand, a sub-division of Nike. Since its first release in 1984, there have been new designs of the shoe released each year, even after Jordan retired from basketball.

Collectors classify the Air Jordan line by release year and model: Originals (OG), Retros, Retro-pluses (Retro +), Player Exclusive (PE) and Samples. The Jordan Brand also produces a line of Team shoes, separate from the signature line of Air Jordan shoes. The Jordan Brand has periodically reintroduced signature shoes that were previously released.

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History

During early 1984, Nike was in serious jeopardy in the fast paced sportswear market. Suffering from its "white man jogging brand" image, Nike had no credit in the basketball world. The running shoe phenomenon that had fueled their sales in previous years was slowly dying, and they needed a way to revitalize and reinvent themselves in order to appeal to another segment of the market. That is when Nike saw something special in the rookie player Michael Jordan, they saw a chance, an opportunity. Nike signed Jordan to a $2.5 million deal for 5 years, plus royalties and other fringe benefits.

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The introduction of the Air Jordan 1 turned the athletic shoe industry upside up. Before the Air Jordan 1, most basketball shoes were white, but the bold black and red styling of the Air Jordan 1 flouted this convention. The NBA banned the shoe from the league in response, but Michael Jordan wore them anyway, racking up serious fines of up to $5000 a game. Nike, of course, was more than happy to pay these to keep the shoes in the game and in the public eye. All this controversy and Jordan’s spectacular performance that year served to put the Air Jordan line on the road to becoming a household name.

Air Jordan have consistently been among the best selling basketball shoes since their creation in 1985. The designers take his ideas, hobbies, and life into account and incorporate these themes into the shoes.

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Air Jordan I

Designed by Peter Moore and released in 1985, the Air Jordan I pair of sneakers was considered a breakthrough in basketball shoe design, although its design was improved upon later with the Nike Dunk. The shoe initially gained a great deal of publicity and interest when the National Basketball Association disallowed usage of the shoe during games because its vibrant black and red color violated the league's uniform rules and fined Michael Jordan five thousand dollars every time he wore the shoes during a game. Nonetheless, other shoe companies scrambled to emulate the design and introducing knock-off brands of the Air Jordan line. In 1994 the Air Jordan 1 was re-released with dismal success, they soon went on clearance for $70(these shoes are now worth $600+)

When the Air Jordan I model was reintroduced in 2001, they sold out instantly.

The first colors unveiled were the banned black/red design, due to a violation within the leagues uniform policy regarding its lack of support.

On March 29, 2008, a Retro 1 tribute to Jordan's baseball days with the Birmingham Barons were released. The shoes were a quick strike release.

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Air Jordan II

The Air Jordan II model was released after Jordan's rookie year in the NBA. The Air Jordan II featured high quality Italian leather and its design was inspired from a 19th century Italian woman's boot. These were the only shoes from the Air Jordan line to not originally be released in a black color placement. Reintroduced in its original color scheme in 2004 (black, white, and red), a new black/silver colorway was released as well as a Carmelo Anthony colorway of white, Carolina Blue, and yellow. The Air Jordan II shoe was also the first Nike sneaker to not feature the Nike swoosh logo. They were featured briefly in the movie School Daze. The Air Jordan II was actually released during the 87-88 NBA season. This is Jordan's third year in the league, as he wore the Air Jordan I for his first two years.

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Air Jordan III

The Air Jordan III was designed by Tinker Hatfield. It was the first Air Jordan to feature a visible air unit on the heel, the new Jumpman logo, an elephant print trim, and tumble leather for a luxury look. The Air Jordan III were also famous for the humorous ads depicting Spike Lee as Mars Blackmon—the character he played in his film She's Gotta Have It. This campaign was known as "Mars and Mike" ad campaign. This was one Nike's most successful advertisement campaigns. These were the first Jordans to feature the "NIKE AIR" logo on the back, but later replaced by the Jumpman logo, with the words "AIR" underneath it, similar to the Air Jordan VI. This was said to be Michael Jordan's favorite shoes, he wore it during the 1988 Dunk Championship (which he won) and many other historical events in his basketball career.

The Air Jordan III's had poor sales when first retroed in 1994. However when they were re-retroed they sold out instantly. A pair of the Air Jordan III model can be sold for over 300 dollars. The long awaited "Fire Red" Air Jordan III was released in March 2007. The original Air Jordan III had the "NIKE AIR" logo on the back. Nike replaced it with the Jumpman logo on recent Air Jordan models such as the "Black cats" or the "Pure $'s."

In 2007, Jordan brand collaborated with director Spike Lee to release a limited pair of Air Jordan III's in a special colorway to resemble the Do The Right Thing movie poster.

2007 also saw the "retro'ed" versions of the Air Jordan III's in two monotone colorways, all black and all white, nicknamed the "Black Cats" and the "Pure $," respectively.

2007 also had the "Flips" which moved the elephant print from the trim to the entire shoe and replacing it with white leather, indeed "Flipping" the original design of white leather with elephant print trim.

The sole and mid-sole in these shoes take part in the inspiration of the Jordan Spiz'ike, inspired by the Mars Blackmon character.

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Air Jordan IV

The Air Jordan IV shoe was first released in 1989, designed once again by Tinker Hatfield. It became the first Jordan shoe released on the global market, with some exceptions. The Air Jordan IV cushioning sole and design helped to make the shoe an international bestseller.

Spike Lee, the director/actor who helped in the ad campaign for the Air Jordan III, created the Can/Can't TV commercial. Lee also featured the Air Jordan IV in his movie Do The Right Thing in a scene where the character "Buggin Out" (played by Giancarlo Esposito) angrily confronts a bicyclist who accidentally bumps into him and scuffs his Air Jordan IV shoes. After the confrontation, Buggin Out promptly places his shoe on a fire hydrant and cleans it with a toothbrush.

The shoe was retroed in 1999 in a white/black colorway and a black/cement colorway, and stores were sold out of Air Jordan IV within hours of release. However, when Nike released the first Retro+ model of the Air Jordan IV, many fans of the shoe claimed that the company had "destroyed a classic" by removing the nets on the shoe along with making some other subtle changes. One example being "NIKE AIR" logo featured on the back of the shoe being replaced with the Jumpman logo.

In 2006, Nike released several variations of the Air Jordan IV, including "Mars Blackmons" ("Red" IV's with Spike Lee's alter ego on the heel), "Military Blues", and the $500 "Thunder and Lightning" package. Also released the Mist blue color and all white and all black.

These particular variations of the shoe also takes part in the inspiration of the Air Jordan Spiz'ike (the shoe's side-lace strap).

Air Jordan V

The original Air Jordan V was released in February 1990, again designed by Hatfield. Some elements were the same from the Air Jordan IV, but the Air Jordan V's most distinctive feature is arguably its reflective tongue. There was also another innovation: clear rubber soles. The soles gave the shoe a whole new and unique look, but it yellowed over time when exposed to moisture. To combat this problem, collectors stored the shoes in a cool, dry place with a desiccant at the soles, most commonly silica packs

The Air Jordan V also featured a base top with lace locks, making strapping on the shoe easy. The lacelock feature partly inspired the Air Jordan Spiz'ike. The Air Jordan V model is considered to have the best structure and design to wear during basketball games and sold the most pairs of shoes from the Air Jordan line.

Hatfield is believed to have drawn inspiration for the Air Jordan V from the World War II Mustang fighter plane; which is most notably visible in the shark teeth shapes on the midsole. The Air Jordan V was retroed in 2000 to great demand, including a new colorway featuring Michael Jordan's high school (Laney High) colors. In 2006 several re-retro V's had released including the very popular LS "Grape" V's, the LS "burgundy" V's and the popular "Fire-Red" V's. Along with the latter, a very limited laser design and the black/metallic/fire red colorways were released in early 2007.

In the month of May 2009, Air Jordan conformed the release of an "DMP II" consisting of two Air Jordan V's. In March, there has been recent picture leaks of this product,which is also referred as "The Raging Bull" Package. The most of the leaked pictures are of the first Jordan V color way which consist of a composition of buttery varsity red suede on the upper. Paired alongside the eye-catching color is black on the midsole, lace area, tongue and a crystal-clean sole and the classic 3M material tongue.The second color way features a 3M material base with black laces and midsole. The retail price is yet to be confirmed.

Air Jordan VI

The Air Jordan VI was released in late 1990 and designed by Tinker Hatfield. Jordan won his first NBA Championship wearing these sneakers.

In 2000, an olympic colorway was released with a mixture of white, royal blue, and a hint of red (lacelocks) to symbolize the U.S.A. colors.

In 2008, a second Olympic colorway was released that consisted of an all-white patent leather upper, black tongue, and all of the Olympic rings' colors on the midsole. On the toebox of the shoe is an embroidered Chinese flower as a symbol of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The entire tongue, and part of the lace locks of the Jordan VI were inspiration for the Air Jordan Spiz'ike.To celebrate the defining moment of Jordan’s first championship, Nike released a commemorative Black/Gold Air Jordan 6 packaged with a White/Black/Gold Jordan 11 sold as the “Defining Moments Package”.

Air Jordan VII

The Air Jordan VII was released in late 1991. Tinker Hatfield created the Air Jordan VII which had many similarities with the Air Jordan VI model. The Air Jordan VII was unique because it used some of the Nike Huarache technology to create a shoe that really stuck to the consumer's foot. The visible air sole, the Nike Air logo, and the yellowing soles all were no longer featured on the Air Jordan VII. The Air Jordan VII model is also commonly known as the "Hares" because the commercials promoting the shoe featured cartoon character Bugs Bunny.

When Jordan went to compete at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics to play for the US Men's Basketball Team (also known as the "Dream Team"), Nike released a special Olympic color combo of the Air Jordan VII model which featured Jordan's Olympic jersey number, 9 while all of the previous Air Jordan models that featured his jersey number had always been the number 23.

Various retros of the Air Jordan VII were released in 2002, again in 2004, and again with different colors in 2006. Also in 2008 Nike released a black and blue pair owned only by Cheikh Mbacké, ordered for $600.

Air Jordan VIII

The Air Jordan VIII was released to coincide with the 1992-1993 NBA season.

The eighth model of the Air Jordan was noticeably heavier than its predecessors. Its base was clearly close to that of the Air Jordan VII model, but it had a lot more details, including two crossover straps on each shoe and a furry Jumpman logo. Thus the Air Jordan VIII model became known as the "flower-power Air Jordan". This shoe was only made in three different color combinations. The shoes were produced in less quantity than the VII. The Air Jordan VIII was re-retroed in September 2007 in its aqua and black/red color along with a navy and orange and a white and orange colorway.


Air Jordan IX

Originally released in November 1993, the Air Jordan IX model was the first Air Jordan model release after his retirement and Jordan never played a whole season of basketball with this model. This model was created in the form of baseball cleats that Jordan used when playing minor-league baseball.

The white/black version of the Air Jordan IX model was worn by Jordan for one scene in the 1996 movie Space Jam.

Like the Air Jordan VIIs and VIII model's, the Air Jordan IX model featured an inner sock sleeve and nubuck accents. The sole featured different symbols and languages of different countries.

The Air Jordan IX has been the shoe chosen to adorn Jordan's feet for his statue outside of the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

In Popular Culture, in the children's movie The Little Rascals one of the bullies chasing Alf Alfa and Spanky is wearing a pair of Air Jordan IX.

Air Jordan XVIII (18) - Countdown Package

Air Jordan X

The Air Jordan X represents an important landmark in Jordan's basketball career. This represents Jordan's first retirement from the NBA. Inscribed on the soles of the shoes is a list of Jordan's accomplishments up to 1993.

This shoe was also known as "the comeback sneaker".

Air Jordan XI

The Air Jordan XI model was designed by Tinker Hatfield. While Jordan was still pursuing a career in baseball, Hatfield designed the shoe in hopes that Michael would eventually wear it if he returned to the NBA.

The Jordan XI was meant to stand out with a fusion of performance and style. Taken from the world of high-end mountaineering backpacks, the condura nylon upper gave the Air Jordan XI model lightweight durability. Further innovation came with the use of a carbon fiber plate on the sole of the shoe, that can be seen underneath the clear outsole, which gave the shoe exceptional torsional rigidity. The most visually distinct aspect of the shoe was its shiny patent leather mid and toebox. A material long used in the fashion industry, patent leather was extremely lightweight, when compared to genuine leather, and also tended not to stretch - a very useful property to help keep the foot within the bounds of the shoebed during quick direction changes on the court. The shiny leather gave the XI what many described as a "formal" look - a fact that many owners of the shoe took advantage of thereafter, pairing the shoe off the court with business suits in substitution for dress shoes. Boyz II Men wore black and white Air Jordan XI shoes with white suits at one of their concerts.

Jordan wore the Air Jordan XI model to help the Chicago Bulls claim the 1995-1996 NBA championship. The legacy of the shoe was transferred to the silver screen as Jordan wore a black/white/royal blue colorway of the Air Jordan XI model in the 1996 Warner Bros. animated movie "Space Jam" (these shoes were eventually released in 2001 with the tag name "space jams"). Which was then fined for $5,000 for not respecting the Bulls colorway policy.

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Air Jordan XII

The Air Jordan XII was inspired by "Nisshoki", (the Japanese flag) and a 19th century womans' dress boot. Initial public perception was a disappointment. However, featuring gold-plated steel lace loops, embossed lizard skin pattern and zoom air, this model set a new direction in style and technology in shoe design. Though not as light in weight as previous models, the construction and firmness of the shoe is widely considered to be the most durable and sturdy shoes from the Air Jordan line ever made. This shoe known as "OG's' came in 5 colorways and was released on March 13. This shoe was also designed by, one of the top Jordan designers of the Jordan Brand. This shoe will release in December 2008 with the Eleven as the final countdown pack. In addition, the Twelve was combined with the Thirteen numbered Jordan to produce the 12.5. They are in stores now.

Air Jordan XIII

The Air Jordan XIII's were released in 1997. This model was designed by Tinker Hatfield and were known for its cushioning along with breathability. They were re-released in 2005, which coincided with the release of the Air Jordan XX shoe The inspiration for the XIIIs were based on the black panther. If you look at the bottoms, the sole looks like a panthers paw.

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Air Jordan XV

As the first Air Jordan model released after Jordan's 1999 2nd retirement from the NBA, it shared a similarity to the Air Jordan IX in that Jordan never played professionally in the shoe. There was also concern about the shoe's comfort. The tongue of the shoe stuck out to mimic Jordan's well known habit of sticking his tongue out while playing. The woven kevlar Jordan XV was modeled after the X-15.

This was to be the last Air Jordan model design Tinker Hatfield's last Air Jordan but would later came back to design the Air Jordan XX model. This Air Jordan model however is widely recognized as being somewhat of a failure in terms of performance and style.

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Air Jordan XVI

The Air Michael Jordan XVI was released on February 17, 2001 - Jordan’s 38th birthday. This shoe was the first to not be designed by Tinker Hatfield in over a decade, yet it brought together the best pieces of shoes Tinker designed.

The Air Jordan XVI’s hit the shelves following the successful Air Jordan XV. Jordan Brand found that Jordan didn’t need to wear the shoes in the NBA to be on the hot list of every other American teenager.

Jordan Force Fusion 20-1720

Air Jordan XVII

This shoe comes equipped with Keefer, which held the shoes and a compact disc containing the Air Jordan XVII song. The retail price of the shoe was $200. The defining functional design element of the Air Jordan XVII model which was later replicated on the Air Jordan XXIII model was the reinforced midsole which provided a very sturdy and stable chassis for the shoe. The XVII is known as the most expensive Air Jordan model ever produced. They were made in four mid top colors and three lowtop colors. One colorway was known as the "Fergilicious" because of the red/pink color combination and is reminiscent of Fergie's "The Dutchess" album cover.

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Air Jordan XVIII

The Air Jordan XVIII was released in 2003 and was the shoe for Jordan’s last season (part 3).

Jordan played for the Washington Wizards, but his knees didn’t hold up for all of the games. Jordan returned towards the end of the season and ended his career on April 16, 2003 in a loss against the 76ers. Though many would love to see Jordan back yet again, its pretty safe to say that Jordan has retired...for good.

Creator of the design of the Air Jordan 18 was Tate Kuerbis (Jordan Senior Footwear Designer). A person that had been part of the Jordan footwear design team since 1999 and with Nike since 1995. The inspiration of the design is a combination fo a number of things; Sleek racing lines of the auto world, Carbon fiber-based monocoque of F1 race cars, Race car driving shoes (rubber heel wrap) and Fine Italian dress shoes (bold stitching on the soles).

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Air Jordan XIX

Released in 2004 and modeled after the black mamba snake, this is the first Jordan release after his third, and final, retirement which came after the 2002-2003 NBA season. Two original colorways where released: white/flint grey and black/red. Three regional colorways and three special edition colorways were released. They consisted of the East, West, and Midwest edition for regular and West, East, and Olympic for the SE (special edition).

The Air Jordan XIX used innovative materials. The upper section of shoe was developed in collaboration with Material ConneXion Inc. from a sleeving normally used in architectural applications for protecting PVC pipes from bursting. In theory, this allowed for a lace-less shoe because the sleeving does not stretch, however the Air Jordan XIX model did include a set of laces behind the sleeve to better secure the shoe.

Air Jordan XX

This revolutionary motorcycle-inspired model celebrated the legacy of Michael Jordan. Equipped with next generation IPS cushion, a spherical shape and a laser etched design representing immortalized symbols of Jordan on its lace strap and interior gave this shoe a unique look and performance. As well as being inspired by motorcycles this design was also in inspired bicycling shoes this is why the strap was placed in the center of the shoe over the laces it also helped to creat a tighter fit and increased support. Each number on the back has a huge significance.

Air Jordan XXI

The design for the Air Jordan XXI model was inspired by the world's finest sport touring vehicles. The shoe features lower-foot air grilles, double-overlasted Phylon midsole, a carbon fiber shank plate and a seamless diamond-quilted booty. It also has an evolutionary tunable I.P.S. suspension system that lets the wearer choose between Zoom and Encapsulated air.

Air Jordan XX2/XXII

The Air Jordan XX2/XXII model, designed by Dwayne Edwards, was released on March 24, 2007. Its original retail price was $175 but has declined. The aggressive and sharp design was inspired by the F-22 Raptor fighter jet. Some technical features of the shoe include an updated visible, interchangeable independent podular system, a new metallic mesh for ventilation, the Air Jordan camouflage pattern printed in reflective 3M, and an updated traction system, based on an army general's stripes.

There were two special editions of the Air Jordan XX2 model released. The first edition was released for Jordan's birthday on February 17. This edition featured an authentic Jordan Brand basketball leather. The second edition was the Omega model, part of the Alpha-Omega package. This model featured a laser-etched image of Jordan after he won his sixth NBA championship in 1998.

An entirely new line of Air Jordan XX2/XXII shoes called the player editions or "PE" were released with these shoes worn by NBA players from the Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and Dallas Mavericks. This Air Jordan model featured a new strap around the heel and ankle.

Air Jordan XX3/XXIII

Starting at the toe, the toe cap has Jordan’s signature embossed. The side of the shoe features a stitched pattern that gives the shoes strength in addition to cosmetic effect. The tongue of the left and right are different for a first time with a jumpman logo on the right shoe and the number “23″ embedded on the left shoe. The shoe also features a glittery glossy panel that covers the midsole body of the sneaker. This was the first Air Jordan that was engineered to not use any glue.

According to an article in Jet magazine, the XX3/XXIII is the first basketball shoe to be made under the "Considered" ethos, meaning the shoe is made with the environment in mind. The shoe was constructed using the absolute minimum amount of adhesive to make it more environmentally sound, while the soles (which are designed from Jordan's own fingerprint) are made from recycled rubber. It is considered the most technologically advanced Jordan model to date, and according to Gentry Humphrey, the head of the Jordan design team, it may be the last actual Air Jordan.

The shoe was released in three different colorways from January to February, with a limited edition release where 23 retailers around the world sold the shoe, before its national release in February.

The Air Jordan XX3/XXIII model had virtually eliminated the Jumpman logo. It is found only on the tongue of the right sneaker, and completely missing on the left sneaker, except on the ends of the shoelaces.

Other Shoes from the Air Jordan Line

The Air Jordan line has also produced shoes for cross-training, casual, baseball, and football. They are lower in price then the signature basketball shoes from the Air Jordan line.

  • "Air Jordan Dub Zeros"

The Air Jordan Dub Zeros were a new creation by Jordan Brand released in 2005. The Air Jordan Dub Zero is a mixture of a handful of Air Jordans. The Air Jordan 20 was a tribute to Michael Jordan and his career.

The Air Jordan Dub Zero features some of the most recognizable pieces of the most famous Air Jordan shoes.

Jordan 4 The sole and midsole of the Air Jordan Dub Zero is made from the Air Jordan 4 sole.

Jordan 6 The loop on the back of the Air Jordan Dub Zero is from the Air Jordan 6.

Jordan 11 The patent leather on the Dub Zero got its inspiration from the Air Jordan 11.

Jordan 12 The “T W O 3″ on the tongue of the Dub Zero is from the Air Jordan 12.

Jordan 13 The shape of the upper of the Dub Zero come from the Air Jordan 13.

Jordan 15 The woven leather on the back of the Dub Zero is inspired by the Air Jordan 15.

Jordan 20 The laser etched upper of the Jordan Dub Zero is from the Air Jordan 20.

The Air Jordan Dub Zero is a unique shoe in itself from all other Jordan shoes. It is the only shoe that is a collaboration of several other Jordan shoes, but it is on its own since it is not part of the Air Jordan series, it is not a Retro Jordan, and is not part of the Jumpman Series nor the Jordan Lifestyle line. The shoe sold so well in 2005 that Jordan Brand brought the shoe back one last time at the end of 2006.

Like all Jordan shoes made, there are a lot of fake Jordan Dub Zeros. Most are quite humorous since there are many colorways floating around featuring Sponge Bob Dub Zeros.

Even though the Air Jordan Dub Zeros were made up of many Retro’s and previously released Jordans, this particular model was not a Retro. A total of five Air Jordan Dub Zeros have released, and sales for each one were well selling out for within days.

The Jordan Packages

  • "Defining Moments"

The Jordan Brand released their first two-pair package named the Defining Moments Package(DMP) which consisted of the Air Jordan VI Retro model and the Air Jordan XI Retro model and was released on January 28, 2006. The Defining Moments package sold for $295.00. A second Defining Moments package will release in May 2009. The two-pair package will consist two pairs of the Air Jordan V Retro model.

  • "Beginning Moments"

The Jordan Brand released their second two-pair package named the Beginning Moments Package (BMP) or Old Love New Love (OLNL) which consisted of the Air Jordan I Retro model in White/Black-Varsity Red (Black Toes) and Black/Varsity-Maize/White. It was released on April 21, 2007. The Beginning Moments package was sold for $200.00.

  • "Air Jordan Spiz'ike"

The Air Jordan Spiz'ike combines the best elements from the Jordan 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 20. It was created to commemorate Spike Lee during the Mars Blackmon Era. Released on April, 2007.

It was initially nicknamed the “retro Frankenstein”, the Air Jordan Spizikes (Spiz’ikes) had as many haters as lovers initially and probably a few more. Many anticipated that this was going to be a bust, but when word got out that the first colorway of the Air Jordan Spizikes would only be available along I-95 (as per Spike Lee’s request), the hype for these shoes boomed!

Initially, the Air Jordan Spizikes were going to be released in only the first two colorways, but after the more than warm reception to the first colorway, Jordan Brand fast tracked 5 new colorways including one that is themed after another hot Spike Lee joint, “Do The Right Thing.”

Surprisingly, there will be more colors of the Air Jordan Spizikes released than of the recent Air Jordan 3 retro re-release. Speaking of, the Air Jordan Spizikes take pieces from the following Air Jordans:

Air Jordan 3 - sole, midsole, and “Spike”/elephant print

Air Jordan 4 - “wings” on the sides of the shoes that hold lace loops

Air Jordan 5 - main silhouette of the shoes, netting on the side, and lace locks

Air Jordan 6 - tongue of shoes

Air Jordan 9 - back tab

Air Jordan 20 - Lasered graphics on sockliner

Spike Lee produced or appeared in commercials reciprocating to each model represented on the Air Jordan Spizikes


  • "Countdowns"

This package consisted of two different variations of Retro Air Jordan, in which each number equaled 23. The first Countdown package consisted of retroed Air Jordan XIII model in white/black-true red. The package also included a pair of the shadow grey Air Jordan X model with 23 stitched on the side of the shoes. The package cost $310.00 and was released January 19, 2008.

The second Countdown package consisted of the Air Jordan retro XIV model in black/red which was similar to the Air Jordan XIV model though it will consist of a white with the stitching on the sides and a different colored Jumpman logo on the side. The other shoe will be the Retro Air Jordan IX model in a white/black-true red color scheme. The package cost $310.00 and was released March 15, 2008.

The third Countdown package consisted of the Air Jordan Retro II model in white/varsity red. The other Air Jordan in this package would be Air Jordan retro XXI model in Black/Varsity Red. The package cost $310.00 and was released April 26, 2008.

The fourth Countdown package consisted of the Air Jordan Retro VI model in White/Carmine. The other Air Jordan in this package would be Air Jordan Retro XVII model in Black/Metallic Silver. The package cost $310.00 and was released May 24, 2008.

The fifth countdown package comsisted of the Air Jordan Retro xi model in red/black.The other jordan in the package is the air jordan retro xii model in black/white. The pack cost $310.00.

  • Jordan Fusions

This package is a fusion of several Air Jordan and Air Force One Models.

Air Jordan XII Air Force One Fusion A fusion between the Air Jordan XII model and the Midtop Air Force One model.

Air Jordan V Air Force One Fusion This package is the only original colorway of the Air Jordan V model that was not released in the last round of retros. Like the Air Jordan V model, the outsole is a nasa1 mix of black and clear rubber, however there is no visible air sole unit in these shoes. Has a rubber loop in the back, middle upright cotton jumpman, rubber tongue, and the lace lock first was brought in a infrared colorway. The shoe was released April 19.

Air Jordan XX Air Force One Fusion A fusion between the Air Jordan XX and the Air Force One model. These feature the same laser upper as the original XX but replace the ankle strap and sole with that of the Air Force One. Has the numbers 1 through 6 on the heel to represent Michael's 6 championships.

Air Jordan VI Air Force One Fusion A fusion between the Air Jordan VI and the Air Force One model.

  • Jordan "6 Rings" shoe The Jordan 6 Rings is a combination of the seven Air Jordan shoes that Michael Jordan wore during his 6 Championship seasons. That includes the AJ 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, and 14. The Jordan Brand company released the "6 Rings" shoes in September 2008.

Air Jordan 6: Lace locks on laces and heel loop

Air Jordan 7: Huarache style inner sock

Air Jordan 8: Fuzzy tongue logo and velcro straps

Air Jordan 11: Silhouette of upper and patent leather

Air Jordan 12: TWO 3 on the tongue and metal lace loops at top

Air Jordan 13: Midsole and outsole

Air Jordan 14: Jumpman upon toebox

Nike Air Force Obama series-6547

Air Jordan 2009 This new edition to the Jordan family was released on January 31, 2009. Only 2009 pairs were released throughout the country. The USA received 1005 while overseas received 1004. The Air Jordan 2009 was designed by Jason Mayden. It somewhat resembles the Air Jordan 14. This shoe was inspired by fencing. It features a small green-blue diamond on the top of the shoe. The special edition retailed for $230, while the regular models will retail for $190.

The New 2009 Air Jordan line will showcased from February 12, 2009 to February 14, 2009 at Metrocenter Mall in Phoenix, Arizona as part of NBA All-Star Weekend. Team Jordan athletes, Jayson Mayden, and Jadakiss made special appearances to sign autographs.

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