sex and death 101 is a 2007 dark comedy science fiction film written and directed by daniel waters released in the united states on april 4 , 2008 .

the film marks the reunion of writer-director daniel waters and winona ryder , who previously worked on the 1988 film heathers , written by waters .

sex and death 101

a promising concept is gradually run into the ground in
sex and death 101 .
aspires to be a clever sex comedy , but has little life behind the sex or the death .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing sex and death 101 near you .
“sex and death 101” is rated r ( under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian ) . the many naked breasts may disturb certain men and hungry babies .
thach b . tragic and sudden death : potential and proven mechanisms causing sudden infant death syndrome .
malloy mh , hoffman hj . prematurity , sudden infant death syndrome , and age of death .
01 . 01 . 101 department organization and responsibility ( eff . 12 / 06 / 15 )
04 . 03 . 101 occupational safety and health ( eff . 10 / 24 / 16 )
05 . 03 . 101 movie selection and previewing ( eff . 09 / 18 / 06 )
byard rw . hazardous infant and early childhood sleeping environments and death scene examination .
featured in nim ' s island / sexy and death 101 / leatherheads / forgetting sarah marshall / shine a light ( 2008 ) . see more »
02 . 02 . 101 administrative leave ( eff . 01 / 06 / 14 )
03 . 01 . 101 disciplinary credits ( eff . 07 / 10 / 17 )
02 . 06 . 101 employees and job applicants with disabilities ( eff . 11 / 17 / 03 )
a guy ' s life is turned around by an email , which includes the names of everyone he ' s had sex with and ever will have sex with . his situation gets worse when he encounters a femme fatale ( ryder ) who targets men guilty of sex crime .
a guy s life is turned around by an email , which includes the names of everyone he s had sex with and ever will have sex with . his situation gets wors ( more… )
04 . 07 . 101 therapeutic diet services ( eff . 08 / 15 / 94 )
a promising concept is gradually run into the ground in “sex and death 101 , ” a would - be black comedy that lacks both laughs and gravity . racy subject matter , the marquee appeal of the rarely seen winona ryder , and the occasional protrusion of plastic breasts guarantee some aud interest , but bet - hedging blandness and weak production values make this anodyne sex romp best suited to cable and vidstore crypts .
one man . one list . 101 women . some fantasies are too true to be good .
02 . 05 . 101 in - service training ( eff . 04 / 27 / 15 )
03 . 02 . 101 in - reach services ( eff . 03 / 08 / 10 )
03 . 04 . 101 prisoner health care copayment ( eff . 02 / 09 / 09 )
roderick blank ( simon baker ) is a successful executive and ladies man whose life is turned around by an e - mail that includes the names of everyone he ' s had sex with and ever will have sex with .
01 . 06 . 115 sex offenders registration act ( eff . 04 / 01 / 14 )
somehow , at last year’s seattle international film festival , “sex and death 101” ended up winning the golden space needle for best director . the runners - up included eytan fox ( “the bubble” ) , frank oz ( “death at a funeral” ) , olivier dahan ( “la vie en rose” ) and john jeffcoat ( “outsourced” ) . there must be an explanation .
death nell
( winona ryder ) is a mysterious femme fatale who becomes an urban folk hero when she targets men guilty of sex crimes against women .
i enjoyed sex and death 101 much more then i thought i would , not only because of simon baker but because i found the film itself was very enjoyable to watch and had a few good belly laughs to boot ( one in particular had me laughing throughout most of the rest of the film ) . don ' t watch sex and death 101 if you are looking for an average popcorn munching comedy film watch it if you are looking for something a bit different and perhaps odd yet still enjoyable . i was lucky enough to pick it up due to my undying love of simon baker and i ' m happy i did .
a promising concept is gradually run into the ground in “sex and death 101 , ” a would - be black comedy that lacks both laughs and gravity . racy subject matter , the marquee appeal of the rarely seen winona ryder , and the occasional protrusion of plastic breasts guarantee some aud interest , but bet - hedging blandness and weak production values make [ … ]
poets cf . apparent life - threatening events and sudden infant death on a monitor .
collins ka . death by overlaying and wedging : a 15 - year retrospective study .
amadiume , ifi . male daughters , female husbands : gender and sex in an african society . london : zed , 1987 .
06 . 04 . 100 lifetime electronic monitoring of sex offenders ( eff . 11 / 01 / 12 )
one man . one list . 101 women . some fantasies are too true to be good . see more »
vege a , ole rognum t . sudden infant death syndrome , infection and inflammatory responses .
raza mw , blackwell cc . sudden infant death syndrome , virus infections , and cytokines .
tagline :
one man . one list . 101 women . some fantasies are too true to be good .
a lame comic idea poorly executed dooms
sex and death 101
to failure . the leads , handsome simon baker and an alluring winona ryder , don ' t come together until the final sequence , which might cause the few people still in the theater to wish the movie could start at this point . the
sex
in the title may entice the unwary , but what they will experience will come closer to the title ' s other noun .
a guy ' s life is turned around by an email , which includes the names of everyone he ' s had sex with and ever will have sex with . his situation gets worse when he encounters a femme fatale . . . see more »
naeye rl . brain - stem and adrenal abnormalities in the sudden - infant - death syndrome .
playing it safe throughout , waters ensures the conventional music , staging , and phallo - centric humor can all add up to a happy ending that congratulates viewers for skirting the margins of sex and death while never even getting close to the abyss .
disappointing sex comedy written and directed by daniel waters , the screenwriter behind heathers , demolition man and hudson hawke who hasn ' t had much success since the early . . .
sex and death falls into the category of those unfortunate films in that it ' s a schoolboy ' s wet dream slathered in smug self - back patting and wish - fantasy run amok , all told with the deftness of a piano falling out of the sky and onto our heads .
one man . one list . 101 women . some fantasies are too true to be good . roderick blank is a successful executive and ladies man , who has finally found ' the one , ' and is getting married in a little over a week . his life , however , is turned upside down when he receives a strange email that includes the names of everyone he ' s had sex with - - and ever will have sex with . the list throws roderick into a dilemma , as it doesn ' t end with the name of his wife - to - be , but counts 72 more potential sex partners . his situation goes from bad to worse when he encounters ' death nell , ' a mysterious femme fatale who becomes an urban folk hero as she targets men guilty of sex crimes against women .
hunt ce . sudden infant death syndrome and other causes of infant mortality : diagnosis , mechanisms , and risk for recurrence in siblings .
kemp js , kowalski rm , burch pm , graham ma , thach bt . unintentional suffocation by rebreathing : a death scene and physiologic investigation of a possible cause of sudden infant death .
task force sudd . infant death syndr . the changing concept of sudden infant death syndrome : diagnostic coding shifts , controversies regarding the sleeping environment , and new variables to consider in reducing risk .
guntheroth wg , spiers ps . the triple risk hypothesis in sudden infant death syndrome .
filiano jj , kinney hc . arcuate nucleus hypoplasia in the sudden infant death syndrome .
mukoma , mukoma
means older sibling of the same sex as the speaker . so a girl ' s mukoma would be her older sister ; tambu and her sister use the term incorrectly in the novel to refer to nhamo , who should be called their ' hanzvadzi ' ( sibling of the opposite sex )
( thompson )
opdal sh , rognum to . the sudden infant death syndrome gene : does it exist ?
downing se , lee jc . laryngeal chemosensitivity : a possible mechanism for sudden infant death .
matturri l , ottaviani g , lavezzi am . maternal smoking and sudden infant death syndrome : epidemiological study related to pathology .
life is a lot like death , it happens to everyone whether they like it or not .
horne rs . effects of prematurity on heart rate control : implications for sudden infant death syndrome .
takashima s , becker le . developmental abnormalities of medullary “respiratory centers” in sudden infant death syndrome .
that line from “schindler’s list” is twisted almost beyond recognition in daniel waters’ raunchy , draggy new comedy , “sex and death 101 . ” the plot revolves around a list that turns up on the e - mail of an arrogant philanderer , roderick blank ( simon baker ) , who thinks he’s settling down to marry an airhead named fiona ( julie bowen ) . everything changes when he sees what’s on the list : the names of every woman he’s bedded or will bed .
vege a , chen y , opdal sh , saugstad od , rognum to . vitreous humor hypoxanthine levels in sids and infectious death .
the conflict eventually boils down to poor roderick wanting a relationship , trying life without his magic sex list , and then realizing that that is much harder than being given a cheat sheet . oh—and he’ll eventually have to meet up with “nell . ” but this concept of a bro romantic comedy , or “brom - com , ” is impossible to take seriously , even as waters tries so hard to make sex and death commercially viable . there is nothing redeeming behind this juvenile plot concept beyond “having sex is hard , ya know . ” waters is more confused about his audience ; both he and ryder appear desperate to shake out an entertaining art - house hit , but none of the original heathers gang seem capable of being culturally cool these days .
beal sm . sudden infant death syndrome in south australia 1968–97 . part i : changes over time .
roderick blank , simon baker , is a successful modern man , content with his personal and professional life . however , a week before his wedding to a suitably stuffy fiancee , rodericks perfectly planned existence is upended by a mysterious e - mail containing the names of every woman he has had sex with and , eerily , every woman he will have sex with in the future . he is stopped in his tracks when he meets a femme fatale , winona ryder , who targets men guilty of sex crimes against women . co - starring patton oswalt and directed by daniel waters , writer of the cult hit heathers .
takashima s , armstrong d , becker l , bryan c . cerebral hypoperfusion in the sudden infant death syndrome ? brainstem gliosis and vasculature .
emery mj , krous hf , nadeau - manning jm , marck bt , matsumoto am . serum testosterone and estradiol in sudden infant death .
just before he ' s to marry fiona , roderick blank receives an anonymous e - mail with 101 names on it ; fiona ' s is the 29th , the first 28 are women rod has slept with , and the 30th turns out to be the stripper at his bachelor party . the notion that he will have sex with 70 more people sends rod into crisis mode , especially after three odd men in an aseptic office confirm that a celestial machine has made an error . they suggest destroying the list , but rod finds that easier said than done . working his way through it consumes him , plus he realizes that death may await him after # 101 . meanwhile , a femme fatale nicknamed death nell is putting men into a coma . are they fated to meet ?
just before he ' s to marry fiona , roderick blank receives an anonymous e - mail with 101 names on it ; fiona ' s is the 29th , the first 28 are women rod has slept with , and the 30th turns out to be the stripper at his bachelor party . the notion that he will have sex with 70 more people sends rod into crisis mode , especially after three odd men in an aseptic office confirm that a celestial machine has made an error . they suggest destroying the list , but rod finds that easier said than done . working his way through it consumes him , plus he realizes that death may await him after # 101 . meanwhile , a femme fatale nicknamed death nell is putting men into a coma . are they fated to meet ? written by
in the end , unfortunately , sex and death 101 is the exactly the movie the title portends : late - night cinemax fare , the sort of movie to offer just enough exposed breasts to keep a 15 - year - old intrigued ( yes , sophie monks’ are among them ) , but not enough to entertain him , resulting in next morning’s ultimate embarrassment : a mother who walks in on her son , asleep with his dick in his hand , an appropriate metaphor for daniel waters’ efforts here .
schechtman vl , harper rm , wilson aj , southall dp . sleep state organization in normal infants and victims of the sudden infant death syndrome .
oyen n , skjaerven r , irgens lm . population - based recurrence risk of sudden infant death syndrome compared with other infant and fetal deaths .
yamanouchi h , takashima s , becker le . correlation of astrogliosis and substance p immunoreactivity in the brainstem of victims of sudden infant death syndrome .
krous hf , beckwith jb , byard rw , rognum to , bajanowski t , et al . sudden infant death syndrome and unclassified sudden infant deaths : a definitional and diagnostic approach .
meanwhile , a dark seductress dubbed
death nell
by the media puts a series of deserving males into deep comas following sexual encounters . and don ' t you just know that good old nell - - real name gillian de raisx ( ryder ) - - is no . 101 , the last playmate on blank ' s list .
machaalani r , waters ka . nmda receptor 1 expression in the brainstem of human infants and its relevance to the sudden infant death syndrome ( sids )
mathews tj , macdorman mf . infant mortality statistics from the 2003 period linked birth / infant death data sets .
takashima s , armstrong d , becker le , huber j . cerebral white matter lesions in sudden infant death syndrome .
huggle s , hunsaker jc , 3rd , coyne cm , sparks dl . oxidative stress in sudden infant death syndrome .
blair ps , fleming pj , bensley d , smith i , bacon c , et al . smoking and the sudden infant death syndrome : results from 1993–5 case - control study for confidential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in infancy . confidential enquiry into stillbirths and deaths regional coordinators and researchers .
mitchell ea , brunt jm , everard c . reduction in mortality from sudden infant death syndrome in new zealand : 1986–92 .
machaalani r , rodriguez m , waters ka . active caspase 3 in the sudden infant death syndrome ( sids ) brainstem .
bergstrom l , lagercrantz h , terenius l . post - mortem analyses of neuropeptides in brains from sudden infant death victims .
schechtman vl , lee my , wilson aj , harper rm . dynamics of respiratory patterning in normal infants and infants who subsequently died of the sudden infant death syndrome .
veit - wild , flora . [ interview with dangarembga ]
women write about things that move them .
matatu : zeitschrift fur afrikanische kultur und gesellschaft 3 . 6 ( 1989 ) : 101 - 108 .
bouali s , evrard a , chastanet m , lesch kp , hamon m , adrien j . sex hormone - dependent desensitization of 5 - ht1a autoreceptors in knockout mice deficient in the 5 - ht transporter .
willinger m , hoffman hj , hartford rb . infant sleep position and risk for sudden infant death syndrome : report of meeting held january 13 and 14 , 1994 , national institutes of health , bethesda , md .
mitchell e , thach b , thompson j , williams s . changing infants’ sleep position increases risk of sudden infant death syndrome .
lewis kw , bosque em . deficient hypoxia awakening response in infants of smoking mothers : possible relationship to sudden infant death syndrome .
fleming pj , levine mr , azaz y , wigfield r , stewart aj . interactions between thermoregulation and the control of respiration in infants : possible relationship to sudden infant death .
david rockefeller , the banker and philanthropist with the fabled family name who controlled chase manhattan bank for more than a decade and wielded vast influence around the world for even longer as he spread the gospel of american capitalism , died on monday morning at his home in pocantico hills , n . y . he was 101 .
shannon dc , kelly dh , o’connell k . abnormal regulation of ventilation in infants at risk for sudden - infant - death syndrome .
obonai t , yasuhara m , nakamura t , takashima s . catecholamine neurons alteration in the brainstem of sudden infant death syndrome victims .
pasquale - styles ma , tackitt pl , schmidt cj . infant death scene investigation and the assessment of potential risk factors for asphyxia : a review of 209 sudden unexpected infant deaths .
cutz e , perrin dg , pan j , haas ea , krous hf . pulmonary neuroendocrine cells and neuroepithelial bodies in sudden infant death syndrome : potential markers of airway chemoreceptor dysfunction .
obonai t , takashima s , becker le , asanuma m , mizuta r , et al . relationship of substance p and gliosis in medulla oblongata in neonatal sudden infant death syndrome .
filiano jj , kinney hc . a perspective on neuropathologic findings in victims of the sudden infant death syndrome : the triple - risk model .
takashima s , becker le . delayed dendritic development of catecholaminergic neurons in the ventrolateral medulla of children who died of sudden infant death syndrome .
folkerth rd , zanoni s , andiman se , billiards ss . neuronal cell death in the arcuate nucleus of the medulla oblongata in stillbirth .
waters ka , meehan b , huang jq , gravel ra , michaud j , cote a . neuronal apoptosis in sudden infant death syndrome .
in other words , “sex and death” is a hard - boiled fantasy with a squishy center . the man in question is a single guy with the kind of name usually found next to a couple of x’s , roderick blank ( simon baker ) , a looker whose bland existence derails when he receives a list naming all 101 women he will bed before he dies . the list puzzles him , as does the revelation of three guys in gray suits , alpha ( robert wisdom ) , beta ( tanc sade ) and fred ( patton oswalt ) , who hang out in a white room weighing the fate of mortals and have some connection with the roll call . as these three rehearse the all - seeing , all - knowing routine , roderick takes the opportunity to dump his castrating fiancée and liberate his inner player .
baker plays roderick blank , a fellow who on the eve of his wedding receives a mysterious e - mail that contains a list of all the women he has had - - or will have - - sex with in his entire life . in chronological order . the list does not stop with his fiancee , containing no less than 72 more sex partners . thinking with an organ that is clearly not his brain , he cancels the nuptials in favor these 72 new flavors .
roderick blank : life is a lot like death it happens to everyone whether they like it or not . and meaning of it all ? honestly ? who gives a fuck ? see more »
translational research is needed to develop methods to identify living infants at risk for sids with 5 - ht - related brainstem pathology and to establish preventative strategies against sudden death during the critical period .
kahn a , groswasser j , rebuffat e , sottiaux m , blum d , et al . sleep and cardiorespiratory characteristics of infant victim of sudden death : a prospective case - control study .
weese - mayer de , ackerman mj , marazita ml , berry - kravis em . sudden infant death syndrome : review of implicated genetic factors .
matturri l , biondo b , mercurio p , rossi l . severe hypoplasia of medullary arcuate nucleus : quantitative analysis in sudden infant death syndrome .
) . the emerging data about the role of the medullary 5 - ht system in many sids infants may pave the way for future identification of infants at risk and specific interventions to prevent death .
franco p , szliwowski h , dramaix m , kahn a . decreased autonomic responses to obstructive sleep events in future victims of sudden infant death syndrome .
southall dp , stevens v , franks ci , newcombe rg , shinebourne ea , wilson aj . sinus tachycardia in term infants preceding sudden infant death .
kinney hc , myers mm , belliveau ra , randall ll , trachtenberg fl , et al . subtle autonomic and respiratory dysfunction in sudden infant death syndrome associated with serotonergic brainstem abnormalities : a case report .
the sudden infant death syndrome ( sids ) is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age that is typically associated with sleep and that remains unexplained after a complete autopsy and death scene investigation . a leading hypothesis about its pathogenesis is that many cases result from defects in brainstem - mediated protective responses to homeostatic stressors occurring during sleep in a critical developmental period . here we review the evidence for the brainstem hypothesis in sids with a focus upon abnormalities related to the neurotransmitter serotonin in the medulla oblongata , as these are the most robust pathologic findings to date . in this context , we synthesize the human autopsy data with genetic , whole - animal , and cellular data concerning the function and development of the medullary serotonergic system . these emerging data suggest an important underlying mechanism in sids that may help lead to identification of infants at risk and specific interventions to prevent death .
kopp n , chigr f , denoroy l , gilly r , jordan d . absence of adrenergic neurons in nucleus tractus solitarius in sudden infant death syndrome .
quattrochi jj , mcbride pt , yates aj . brainstem immaturity in sudden infant death syndrome : a quantitative rapid golgi study of dendritic spines in 95 infants .
mason p . contributions of the medullary raphé and ventromedial reticular region to pain modulation and other homeostatic functions .
hauck fr , herman sm , donovan m , iyasu s , merrick moore c , et al . sleep environment and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in an urban population : the chicago infant mortality study .
iyasu s , randall ll , welty tk , hsia j , kinney hc , et al . risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome among northern plains indians .
paterson ds , trachtenberg fl , thompson eg , belliveau ra , beggs ah , et al . multiple sero - tonergic brainstem abnormalities in sudden infant death syndrome .
kato i , franco p , groswasser j , scaillet s , kelmanson i , et al . incomplete arousal processes in infants who were victims of sudden death .
kinney hc , brody ba , finkelstein dm , vawter gf , mandell f , gilles fh . delayed central nervous system myelination in the sudden infant death syndrome .
jordan d , kermadi i , rambaud c , bouvier r , dijoud f , et al . autoradiographic distribution of brainstem substance p binding sites in humans : ontogenic study and relation to sudden infant death syndrome ( sids )
nachmanoff db , panigrahy a , filiano jj , mandell f , sleeper la , et al . brainstem 3h - nicotine receptor binding in the sudden infant death syndrome .
kinney hc , burger pc , harrell fe , jr , hudson rp . , jr “reactive gliosis” in the medulla oblongata of victims of the sudden infant death syndrome .
besides nelson , born in 1908 , the other children were abby , who was born in 1903 and died in 1976 after leading a private life ; john d . rockefeller iii , who was born in 1906 and immersed himself in philanthropy until his death in an automobile accident in 1978 ; laurance , born in 1910 , who was an environmentalist and died in 2004 ; and winthrop , born in 1912 , who was governor of arkansas and died in 1973 .
kinney hc , randall ll , sleeper la , willinger m , belliveau ra , et al . serotonergic brainstem abnormalities in northern plains indians with the sudden infant death syndrome .
suddenly he was a widower and a single parent , eking out a threadbare life in his islington lodgings , and working incessantly to dam the flood of remorse and grief at his wife ' s premature death . in 1945 , for instanc e , he wrote almost 110 , 000 words for various publications , including 15 book reviews for the observer .
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ant - man and the wasp , starring paul rudd and evangeline lilly , took the top spot at . . .
centralized sites for the collection and disposition of sids and control tissues specifically handled for research analysis need to be developed .
a child of north dakota , leslie bibb was the youngest of three sisters and was raised in a single family home after the death of her father when she was three . raised in rural nelson county , virginia , . . .
awtry tl , werling ll . acute and chronic effects of nicotine on serotonin uptake in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of rats .
8 . describe tambus responses and feelings when she first comes to live at the mission and go to the mission school .
06 . 01 . 120 arrest , restraint and detention of parolees and probationers ( eff . 03 / 09 / 15 )
kinney hc , filiano jj , sleeper la , mandell f , valdes - dapena m , white wf . decreased muscarinic receptor binding in the arcuate nucleus in sudden infant death syndrome .
mansouri j , panigrahy a , filiano jj , sleeper la , st - john wm , kinney hc . α2 receptor binding in the medulla oblongata in the sudden infant death syndrome .
ongoing basic science research is needed to determine the precise mechanisms whereby multiple homeostatic stressors interact with multiple brainstem neurotransmitter systems , including 5 - ht , as well as with complex genetic and environmental risk factors , to cause sudden death in early life .
darnall ra , harris mb , gill wh , hoffman jm , brown jw , niblock mm . inhibition of serotonergic neurons in the nucleus paragigantocellularis lateralis fragments sleep and decreases rapid eye movement sleep in the piglet : implications for sudden infant death syndrome .
panigrahy a , filiano j , sleeper l , mandell f , valdes - dapena m , et al . decreased kainate receptor binding in the arcuate nucleus of the sudden infant death syndrome .
kinney hc , filiano jj , assmann sf , mandell f , valdes - dapena m , et al . tritiated - naloxone binding to brainstem opioid receptors in the sudden infant death syndrome .
george owes his own adjective to this book alone and his idea that wellbeing is crushed by restrictive , authoritarian and untruthful government .
blair ps , sidebotham p , berry pj , evans m , fleming pj . major epidemiological changes in sudden infant death syndrome : a 20 - year population - based study in the uk .
narita n , narita m , takashima s , nakayama m , nagai t , okado n . serotonin transporter gene variation is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome in the japanese population .
kinney hc , mchugh t , miller k , belliveau ra , assmann sf . subtle developmental abnormalities in the inferior olive : an indicator of prenatal brainstem injury in the sudden infant death syndrome .
extensive experimental analysis indicates that the medullary 5 - ht system is critical for the modulation and integration of a variety of homeostatic functions ( e . g . , respiration , chemosensitivity , autoresuscitation , blood pressure , temperature ) that are state and age dependent , and underscores the possibility that deficits in this system could lead to sleep - related sudden death under stress in a critical developmental period .
21 . describe the characters and situations of lucia and takesure . why is babamukuru unhappy to see them at the homestead ? what do we learn of the past history of lucia and her sister ?
oh , yes , winona ryder , who memorably starred in “heathers , ” shows up periodically as death nell , a mysterious vamp with a black widow complex and some nasty black heels . i’m not exactly sure what she’s doing in this film , and i don’t believe that mr . waters or ms . ryder know either .
he continued to collect art , including hundreds of paintings as well as furniture and works in colored glass , porcelain and petrified wood .
once upon a time , writer - director daniel waters wrote a pitch - black satire of high - school - as - jacobean bloodbath called heathers , and even though he ' s written five other films since ( including the notorious hudon hawk and the adventures of ford fairlane ) , you wouldn ' t know it by this tacky sex comedy . it ' s as if he ' s taken every plot idea , every turn of phrase . . . read more
from the spring of 1947 to his death in 1950 orwell would re - enact every aspect of this struggle in the most painful way imaginable . privately , perhaps , he relished the overlap between theory and practice . he had always thrived on self - inflicted adversity .
how the abnormalities in the medullary 5 - ht system translate into a mechanism for sudden and unexpected death in apparently healthy infants likely relates to the importance of this and related brainstem systems in multiple homeostatic processes that , if dysfunctional , could in sum promote death . these processes involve central chemoreception , modulation of inhibitory reflexes ( e . g . , laryngeal chemoreflex [ lcr ] ) , sleep , arousal , temperature regulation , and autoresuscitation . sids research depends upon the use of animal models of homeostatic dysfunction because there are no available biomarkers for identification and study of living infants at risk . also , given that there are no known spontaneous models of sids in animals , we have focused upon the analysis of homeostatic function in young rats , mice , and piglets , in which abnormalities of the human medullary 5 - ht and related pathology are produced by various pharmacological and genetic methods , as well as in reduced brainstem preparations and cell culture systems .
the effect of nineteen eighty - four on our cultural and linguistic landscape has not been limited to either the film adaptation starring john hurt and richard burton , with its nazi - esque rallies and chilling soundtrack , nor the earlier one with michael redgrave and edmond o ' brien .
fundamental research is needed to understand where , how , and when specific subpopulations of 5 - ht neurons develop during fetal life , and if and how they are programmed to regulate specific homeostatic functions after birth .
kubo s , orihara y , gotohda t , tokunada i , tsuda r , et al . immunohistochemical studies on neuronal changes in brain stem nucleus of forensic autopsied cases . ii sudden infant death syndrome .
panigrahy a , filiano j , sleeper la , mandell f , valdes - dapena m , et al . decreased serotonergic receptor binding in rhombic lip–derived regions of the medulla oblongata in the sudden infant death syndrome .
) . our objective here is to provide an up - to - date review of the rationale for brainstem research in sids , as well as an integrative overview of human , whole - animal , cellular , and developmental studies involving the medullary 5 - ht and related neurotransmitter systems in an effort to elucidate potential mechanisms underlying sudden death in early life .
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16 . trace the significant moments of the scene at the beit hall christmas party and its aftermath . why do nyasha and her father fight ?
four minutes later , cue the first of three montages . each features roderick sleepfucking his way through women of all ages ( and one man ) , cursed by his infernal list of sure - fire sexings . his feminine foil , “death nell” ( winona rider ) , stands for the stereotypical womyn who views all men as sex - crazed fiends that masturbate in the bushes while watching little girls . she hunts down these deviants—white rappers ( “master bitchslap” is an awesome name though ) , pervy newsstand men , college frat boys—and puts them into a chemical coma while scrawling the walls with her poetry ( i . e . “what men call breathing , i call suffocation . ” edgy ! ) she eventually spills her guts and relates a traumatic , rather disturbing past that seems infinitely more interesting than roderick’s list .
: 25 - 38 . striking fear into the hearts of men everywhere ,
death nell
is a headline grabbing , wig - and - costume changing femme fatale , who mates with her male victims before putting them into fairy tale - style comas . going beyond her lurid media sensation status , death nell reveals herself to be a strangely likable , world - weary ex - chemist of playful , intellectual firepower . incognito and on - the - lam , she continuously crosses paths with roderick blank , a man going through his own comically shocking journey . finally confronting him , death nell melts back into her real persona , gillian de raisx , letting flow the details of her sad , tragic life with a warmth and humor unexpected from a terrifying villainess . roderick is caused to wonder , is he her final victim , ultimate soul - mate , or both ? lead ;
jones kl , krous hf , nadeau j , blackbourne b , zielke hr , gozal d . vascular endothelial growth factor in the cerebrospinal fluid of infants who died of sudden infant death syndrome : evidence for antecedent hypoxia .
with : simon baker ( roderick blank ) , winona ryder ( death nell ) , leslie bibb ( dr . miranda storm ) , julie bowen ( fiona wormwood ) , mindy cohn ( trixie ) , robert wisdom ( alpha ) , tanc sade ( beta ) and patton oswalt ( fred ) .
duncan jr , randall ll , belliveau ra , trachtenberg fl , randall b , et al . the effect of maternal smoking and drinking during pregnancy upon ( 3 ) h - nicotine receptor brainstem binding in infants dying of the sudden infant death syndrome : initial observations in a high - risk population .
duncan jr , randall ll , belliveau ra , trachtenberg fl , randall m , et al . the effect of maternal smoking and drinking during pregnancy upon ( 3 ) h - nicotine receptor brainstem binding in infants dying of the sudden infant death syndrome : initial observations in a high - risk population .
there are a lot of laughs , good performances , and points for creativity .
future studies are needed to delineate the number and types of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators that may be part of the neurochemical brainstem pathology in sids in association with serotonin .
erickson jt , millhorn de . hypoxia and electrical stimulation of the carotid sinus nerve induce fos - like immunoreactivity within catecholaminergic and serotoninergic neurons of the rat brainstem .
jacobs bl , azmitia ec . structure and function of the brain serotonin system .
cannon b , nedergaard j . brown adipose tissue : function and physiological significance .
netsai and rambanai are tambus sisters ; later a brother dambudzai is also born .
the concept of a combination of events coming together to result in death extends to the cellular level as well , as exemplified by the neurotransmitter modulation of gasping . in this context , blocking 5 - ht receptors ( primarily 5 - ht
9 . compare the characters of tambu and nyasha as they are revealed to us once the girls begin to share a room at the mission house . describe the nature and trace the development of their friendship . why is tambu both attracted to and disapproving of her cousin ? how do their attitudes toward babamukuru and maiguru differ ?
some hotels have refused to call a guest bedroom number 101 - rather like those tower blocks that don ' t have a 13th floor - thanks to the ingenious orwellian concept of a room that contains whatever its occupant finds most impossible to endure . like big brother , this has spawned a modern tv show : in this case , celebrities are invited to name the people or objects they hate most in the world .
) . naeye attributed this gliosis to chronic hypoxia due to sleep apnea and alveolar hypoventilation prior to the lethal event . subsequent research focused upon the hypothesis that sids is due to a neurotransmitter defect in brainstem cardiorespiratory–related pathways , and investigators worldwide , including our group , reported various neurotransmitter and morphological abnormalities in sids cases in brainstem nuclei related ( and unrelated ) to cardiorespiratory control using immunocytochemistry , tissue autoradiography , and cellular quantitation (
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st - john wm , leiter jc . maintenance of gasping and restoration of eupnea after hypoxia is impaired following blockers of α - 1 adrenergic receptors and serotonin 5ht2 receptors .
alenina n , bashammakh s , bader m . specification and differentiation of serotonergic neurons .
tambudzai or tambu : the narrator and one of the main characters of the novel .
mr . baker is one of the strange whites at the umtali mission ; his children are nyaradzo ( daughter ) , a good friend and agemate of nyashas ; andrew and brian , mr . bakers sons , are good friends and school fellows of chido .
he was the last surviving grandson of john d . rockefeller , the tycoon who founded the standard oil company in the 19th century and built a fortune that made him america’s first billionaire and his family one of the richest and most powerful in the nation’s history .
more tickets = more points = more movies on us ! rack up vip + points for every ticket you buy to score streaming movies and discounts on tickets and movie gear .
mohanty , chandra talpade .
under western eyes : feminist scholarship and colonial discourses .
third world women and the politics of feminism . ed . chandra talpade mohanty , ann russo , and lourdes torres . bloomington : indiana up , 1991 . 51 - 80 .
: 25 - 35 . the girl of every man ' s dreams to an almost satirical degree , dr . miranda storm is a sweet and adorable veterinarian , who can ' t help causing men to actively injure their own pets in order to spend more time with her . miranda stops the fable of roderick blank and his 101 women in its tracks . there can be no other woman - dr . storm is kind , caring and can make a martini as well as she can tell a joke . in roderick , miranda has found a much - needed friend , one who inspires her to turn her quirk of thinking inanimate objects have feelings into a children ' s book . alas , the randy roderick wants more than friendship and while dr . storm is quite articulate in protest , she can ' t prevent their companionship from coming to a darkly comic and downright tragic end . lead ;
receptor neurons , and affect hypercapnic and hypoxic responses in a gender - dependent manner . neurons in the medullary raphé modulate the lcr , although we do not know whether 5 - ht neurons specifically participate in this important inhibitory reflex . we speculate that primary medullary 5 - ht defects cause subclinical homeostatic dysfunction days or weeks prior to the final lethal event and that they also cause repetitive hypoxia , leading in turn to secondary subtle brain injury and systemic hypoxic injury prior to death . it is also likely that particular sites of origin within the embryonic neural tube , with their unique profiles of gene expression , set in motion developmental programs that subsequently define functionally different subsets of raphé and extra - raphé 5 - ht neurons (
hynes m , rosenthal a . specification of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons in the vertebrate cns .
chido is nyashas brother and tambus male cousin , another anglicized sigauke . he attends the elite and costly multiracial government school in salisbury with his white friends , mr . bakers sons .
babamunini thomas is brother to babamukuru and jeremiah , a male patriarch of the sigauke clan .
mr . rockefeller enlisted in the army in 1942 , attended officer training school and served in north africa and france during world war ii . he was discharged a captain in 1945 .
: 25 - 40 , male . as roderick ' s more laid - back friend and co - worker , xavier tries to be a voice of reason for his suddenly sex - obsessed buddy , but doesn ' t try that hard . like all single males , he can ' t help being impressed , yet when roderick sets his sights on xavier ' s unrequited love , dr . miranda storm , the fangs come out . their friendship survives as xavier gives in to the fact that roderick has no control over his actions ;
schematic representation of our concept of sudden infant death syndrome ( sids ) as a disorder of homeostasis due to abnormalities in the medullary serotonin ( 5 - ht ) system . this disorder involves multiple neurotransmitters and neuromodulators that interact with the defective medullary 5 - ht system ; multiple intrinsic and extrinsic ( exogenous ) stressors acting simultaneously ; and the critical developmental period , i . e . , the first six months of postnatal life when 90 % of sids cases occur . abbreviations : gaba , γ - aminobutyric acid ; sp , substance p .
morrell mj , heywood p , moosavi sh , guz a , stevens j . unilateral focal lesions in the rostrolateral medulla influence chemosensitivity and breathing measured during wakefulness , sleep , and exercise .
22 . consider the formal scene of greetings in maininis room . what is revealed by maininis interactions with nyasha , tambudzai , babamukuru , and maiguru ? how does lucia behave and why ?
probably the definitive novel of the 20th century , a story that remains eternally fresh and contemporary , and whose terms such as
big brother
,
doublethink
and
newspeak
have become part of everyday currency , nineteen eighty - four has been translated into more than 65 languages and sold millions of copies worldwide , giving george orwell a unique place in world literature .
: 50s . more a god than a man , alpha is a smooth gentleman with all the answers . enigmatically representing an enigmatic organization , alpha explains to roderick the strange technology that produced the list that knows oh - somuch of his sex life . initially , an ominous , seemingly science fiction villain , alpha warms into the flesh - and - blood role of benevolent guide . as if watching an ant trying to carry a candy bar , alpha takes a bemused interest in the plight of the hapless mortal roderick , marveling at the twists and turns of his literal bedtime story , while giving out sage advice that roderick can never seem to quite follow ;
: 28 - 38 . insufferably perfect and perfectly insufferable , fiona wormwood is the classic , passion - lacking fiancee who dazzles with her beauty and breeding , but never quite makes it to the altar . her workedout - to - the - last - detail wedding to the equally clinical roderick blank gets outrageously sidetracked by forces beyond her control . her revenge against roderick is swift and effective - and even a little sympathetic , revealing a depth and grace one never knew she had ;
it was a bright cold day in april , and the clocks were striking thirteen .
barnes nm , sharp t . a review of central 5 - ht receptors and their function .
sinton cm , mccarley rw . neurophysiological mechanisms of sleep and wakefulness : a question of balance .
see also links to essays and a general map for traditional african religions ( prepared by chidi denis isizoh , urltoken ) , as well as an extensive bibliography and friendly webpages of related links .
02 . 02 . 100 time utilization and compensation ( eff . 03 / 01 / 18 )
03 . 02 . 105 volunteer services and programs ( eff . 05 / 26 / 15 )
04 . 03 . 102 sanitation and housekeeping standards ( eff . 02 / 11 / 13 )
05 . 01 . 140 prisoner placement and transfer ( eff . 11 / 01 / 17 )
05 . 03 . 100 prisoner programs and organizations ( eff . 10 / 21 / 15 )
06 . 02 . 110 supervision and oversight fees ( eff . 01 / 13 / 03 )
the list of lovers also includes selena kyle ( catwoman ' s real name ) , kitty twist ( jane fonda ' s role in walk on the wild side ( 1962 ) ) , barbarella pygar ( formed from fonda ' s barbarella ( 1968 ) character and its blind angel pygar ) , candace christian ( the full name of the title character of the sex romp candy ( 1968 ) ) , annabelle lee ( the title of an edgar allan poe poem ) , carlotta valdes ( a character in vertigo ( 1958 ) ) , and gillian de raisx ( a modification of the fifteenth century aristocratic french serial killer , gilles de rais ) . see more »
a prenatal origin of medullary 5 - ht abnormalities in sids is suggested by ( a ) the finding of deficits in the regulation of 5 - ht cell number and differentiation in the medullae of affected cases , ( b ) epidemiologic data indicating that prenatal adverse exposures ( e . g . , alcohol and cigarette smoke / nicotine ) are major risk factors for sids , and ( c ) autopsy data showing that prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke is associated with reduced 5 - ht receptor binding in the arcuate nucleus in the postnatal period , irrespective of the cause of death .
after the death in 1979 of his older brother nelson a . rockefeller , the former vice president and four - term governor of new york , david rockefeller stood almost alone as a member of the family with an outsize national profile . only jay rockefeller , a great - grandson of john d . rockefeller , had earned prominence , as a governor and united states senator from west virginia . no one from the family’s younger generations has attained or perhaps aspired to david rockefeller’s stature .
based upon the combined human and animal data presented above , we propose that sids results from the convergence of exogenous stressors ( e . g . , face - down sleep position , overbundling ) , a critical developmental period , sleep , and dysfunctional and / or immature cardiorespiratory and / or arousal systems ( i . e . , underlying vulnerability ) that often involve abnormal 5 - ht mechanisms (
writer - director daniel waters once wrote the sharp , even seminal high school satire
heathers ,
but that was then and this is now . here he becomes entranced with two gimmicky though negligible plots . one is better suited to a porno , or at least a porno back in the day when such films had actual plots . the other belongs to a female
death wish .
hbo ' s new series sharp objects premieres july 8 and follows amy adams as camille . . .
) . these rostral and caudal domains are distinct not only in their anatomic location , but also in their developmental origins , functions , and connectivity . the rostral domain , located in the upper brainstem , projects diffusely to the cerebral cortex , thalamus , hypothalamus , basal ganglia , hippocampus , and amygdala (
) . notably , the 5 - htt is the key regulator of 5 - ht levels at the synapse , and its upregulation can result from genetic factors , e . g . , polymorphisms , and / or environmental factors , e . g . , cytokines , alcohol , nicotine , and cocaine (
hodges p . defects in breathing and thermoregulation in mice with near complete absence of central serotonin neurons .
01 . 01 . 110 effective process improvement and communication ( eff . 04 / 01 / 14 )
01 . 03 . 110 environmental and waste management program ( eff . 10 / 24 / 16 )
02 . 04 . 105 meals provided employees and guests ( eff . 06 / 18 / 15 )
03 . 01 . 120 detainers and pending felony charges ( eff . 08 / 01 / 13 )
03 . 03 . 115 substance abuse programming and testing ( eff . 01 / 01 / 02 )
04 . 04 . 140 funeral and sick bed visits ( eff . 11 / 01 / 02 )
. john hartl is a university of washington journalism graduate who has written about movies , books , stage plays and videos for the seattle times since 1966 . he ran a film series at clark college in 1964 , and has written for the new york times , the oregonian , msnbc and the chicago tribune .
godwin , peter , and inn hancock .
rhodesians never die
: the impact of war and political change on white rhodesia , c . 1970 - 1980 . new york : oxford up , 1993 .
) . findings from laboratories worldwide , including ours , indicate that medullary 5 - ht neurons have multiple roles in the control of breathing , blood pressure , temperature , and arousal and that their function differs by gender , age , and level of arousal . moreover , these 5 - ht neurons respond directly to co


blessed benefit is a 2016 internationally co-produced drama film directed by mahmoud al massad .

it was selected to be screened in the discovery section at the 2016 toronto international film festival .

blessed benefit

blessed benefit , dir . mahmoud al massad ( clip ) | international competition - youtube
“blessed benefit” premiered at the toronto international film festival . international sales will be handled by beta cinema .
in “blessed benefit” the lead character is played by ahmad thaher , whose real - life story inspired the film .
al massad keeps the narrative trajectory off - kilter , allowing blessed benefit to be diagnostic while avoiding prescriptivism . frequently hilarious !
besides the ‘blessed benefit’ of being in jail , another comic element of the film are visualizations of ahmad’s nightmares while behind bars .
blessed is a powerful and truthful movie experience that lingers long after the end .
a tad bloated and uncompromisingly bleak , blessed is buoyed by its impressive ensemble cast .
an accomplished and likable comedy ( the hollywood reporter ) al massad keeps the narrative trajectory off - kilter , allowing blessed benefit to be diagnostic while avoiding prescriptivism . frequently hilarious ! ( cinema scope )
one of the ironies of “blessed benefit” is that the character played by ahmad eventually finds himself more comfortable and free inside the prison than in his everyday life . so , what sort of reputation do jordanian jails and jordanian police actually have ?
blessed is uneven and overall not as good as kokkinos ' s other films but it nevertheless contains some of her best work to date .
al massad , who lives in the netherlands , moved back to jordan to make “blessed benefit . ” he’d always wanted to return to his country but , despite the boost that naji abu nowar’s oscar - nominated theeb has supposedly given jordanian cinema , his return home actually coincided with decreasing opportunities for filmmakers in the region .
blessed ' s relentless melodrama means the situations feel staged and stereotypical and both the mothers and children for the most part become painful , charmless annoyances who we want to go home to avoid .
blessed with cinematic ambition , ana kokkinos and her writing collaborators have forged a striking film out of pain and dysfunction , yet managing to pull out a serene sense of closure in the final moments .
the film is directed by mahmoud al massad . he previously directed two feature - length documentaries : “recycle , ” which follows an ex - mujahadi fighter struggling to make a living in jordan , and “this is my picture when i was dead , ” a free - form profile of bashir mraish , son of assassinated plo fighter mamoun mraish , who was almost killed as a 4 - year - old along with his father . “blessed benefit” is his first fiction film .
blessed is a rich , unsettling vision of the mother - child relationship , by the end , it is clear that things are not always as they seem . sometimes it ' s a reversal of expectations , sometimes an unpredictable consequence .
the inmates are well individualized in a few swift strokes . mor ( maher khammash ) is the cell boss whose emotional fragility ahmad immediately ferrets out . when ahmad tells him why he’s in jail , mor asks , “did you benefit ? ” the answer is no , as it would be for everyone else in the cell , and crime really doesn’t seem to pay very well in jordan . yet it often seems to be the only way to make ends meet .
well , it ' s hard to find anything blessed about the lives in this australian drama . the writers have woven a whole bunch of stories together from children and mothers viewpoints and every one of those stories is adding to the hard and dark atmosphere of the movie . social study which is depressing but truethful . . . very good acting and the directing improved in the second part of the film . . . typical aussie movie !
no fewer than ten dutch productions and co - productions have been selected for the upcoming edtion of the toronto international film festival ( tiff ) .
competition section . the film , produced by topkapi films , is about layla ( 18 ) , a dutch girl with moroccan roots , who joins a group of radical muslims . she encounters a world that nurtures her ideas initially , but finally confronts her with an impossible choice . sales are handled by beta cinema . it ' s not the first time mijke de jong is selected for toronto . her previous films
. the thriller , produced by n279 entertainment ( nl ) and x - filme ( de ) ( sales : embankment films ) , will first celebrate its world premiere at the venice international film festival , where it will be in the running for a golden lion in main competition .
century in the american west . an epic thriller told in four chapters about a young women and her family whose lives change drastically when a diabolical preacher comes to town .
. the story revolves around the filmmaker and his decade long quest not only to overcome the intercultural misunderstandings and failed expectations between him and his long absent tunisian father , but also to repair the relationship with his dutch mother . the documentary premiered earlier this month at locarno in the
competition . the short , which was selected for cannes ' directors ' fortnight , tells the story of a young bosnian refugee family who , after obtaining a residence permit in 1994 , arrive in a small village in the netherlands . absurd situations arise as the family members try to make this new world their home .
furthermore five minority dutch co - productions have also been selected for toronto . thomas vinterberg ' s
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ahmad a construction worker gets tangled up in an unfortunate business deal leading him to prison . he meets fraudster ibrahim who ruins his last hope to prove his innocence . ahmad is . . . see full summary »
lakeith stanfield and his sorry to bother you crew reveal their most soul - crushing jobs in our freewheeling interview .
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ahmad a construction worker gets tangled up in an unfortunate business deal leading him to prison . he meets fraudster ibrahim who ruins his last hope to prove his innocence . ahmad is awakened by the realisation that life in prison might be better than the one he has on the outside .
explore popular sci - fi movies and tv shows available to stream with prime video .
فيلم the worthy و la la land و محبس و إن شالله استفدت . . . كام من عشرة؟
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eric kohn and anne thompson discuss their favorite films of the year so far . they also debate several new releases and share some streaming recommendations .
in an episode dedicated to the show within the show , “glow” illustrates its grand capacity for storytelling , and the very good tv podcast breaks down how .
rules weren’t meant to be broken when it comes to tv episode lengths , but these 10 examples — introduced on the very good tv podcast — are clear exceptions .
after studying under cinematographer ed lachman , shevaun mizrahi forged her own unique filmmaking path with its own set of rules .
the actress and director both love the genre , but as they told indiewire , they also knew it needed to be retrofitted to tell the true story of catherine weldon and sitting bull .
lane and schoenbrun discuss how her interest in morgellons disease patients ( “the pain of others” ) and his exploration of the slenderman myth ( “a self - induced hallucination” ) led them to make archival films from youtubes .
an oldster is convicted of small - time fraud in jordanian director mahmoud al massad ' s ironic look at prison life .
poor , scrawny but far from stupid , ahmad has an unruffled calm and a delight in putting his nose in other people’s business that is funny in itself . he asks everyone what they’re in jail for . spying , terrorism , fraud . some white collar types answer , “we’re the stock market guys . ” “you did a great job , ” ahmad shoots back without batting an eye .
though the prison scenes , which make up the bulk of the film , allow for few variations , cinematographer georges mihelis brings such warmth and imagination to lighting faces there is always something interesting to watch . four international editors ensure things proceed at a fast clip on this german - jordan - netherlands coprod .
ahmad , a construction worker , gets tangled up in an unfortunate business deal that lands him in prison . he meets ibrahim , a fraudster who ruins his last hope of proving his innocence . ahmad is awakened by the realisation that the life he has in prison might be better than the one he has on the outside .
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ahmad gets tangled up in an unfortunate business deal that lands him in prison . but life in prison might not be that bad .
ahmad , a construction worker , is arrested for using a client ' s down payment to help his cousin in a deal involving 10 brand - new laptops and the hopes to make a small profit from it .
due to customs procedures , the imported laptops are not released in time . unable to do the job or pay the money back , ahmad is sentenced to three months in prison for fraud .
far from all the obligations of the outside world , where food and drink are not a worry , where new friendships are struck , and where no cell phones are ringing , ahmad gradually feels something that he ' s never felt before – liberty . halfway through his sentence his biggest worry becomes losing this liberty after his release and , above all , having to deal with a bigger debt…
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dir : mahmoud al massad . 2016 . germany / jordan / netherlands / qatar . 83 mins
ahmad ( ahmad thaher ) , a builder with a sideline in under - the - table activities , finds himself facing the impenetrable maze of the jordanian legal system when one minor crime catches up with him . ahmad argues to the judge , to the arresting officer , to anyone within earshot that it’s a misunderstanding and that he fully intends to pay back the money he owes , just as soon as a little cash - flow problem has been ironed out . but the judge briskly seals his fate . “you were paid to build a wall . you didn’t build a wall . three months . ”
ahmad’s lovable roguish tendencies are established from the outset , with a nice little scene in which a botched attempt to syphon electricity from the neighbourhood power cables plunges his entire apartment block into darkness . he lies effortlessly to his wife ( not so much a character , more a checklist of nagging spouse clichés ) in order to get out of visiting her parents . instead , he smokes , gambles and plays cards with his buddies on the roof .
he accepts his arrest , along with almost everything else that life throws at him , with a fatalistic shrug and a quizzically raised eyebrow . he is liked by almost everyone he meets , from the policeman who questions him about how to set up a facebook account , to the chief of his overcrowded cell . grey haired , bespectacled and dentally challenged , ahmad earns the nickname old man . but with it comes a respect that perhaps is lacking outside the walls of the prison .
episodic in structure , intimate in focus , the film sometimes feels like a list of male bonding moments . the prisoners sunbathe and banter in the yard ; they dance in their cell to arabic pop on television . and the closest thing to a dramatic climax – ahmad’s encounter with the man who is , indirectly , responsible for his current incarceration , is over in a brief scene .
performances tend towards the broad , however thaher , a non - professional actor whose real - life experiences inspired the film , brings an authenticity that goes beyond his alarming teeth . soundtrack choices are the kind which will most appeal to the local audience . further afield , the music , like the humour , might feel a little unsophisticated .
a russian teen endures a deeply troubled relationship with his mother in ivan i . tverdovskiy’s latest
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asked why he decided to move into fiction , al massad says he doesn’t think there is any difference between fiction and documentary films , in that they both basically tell a story . he says the only difference is the approach he takes . “in fiction , you work on a script , and in documentary you work on following [ the course ] of daily events back and forth to create the full story , ” he notes .
and which approach does he prefer ? “it’s hard to say , because i love both , ” he answers .
the inherent risk in making a documentary , of course , is that the story might take an unplanned course . “in fiction , you have no limit to what you can create and you are in control of the outcome , ” al massad notes . “the tough part , after writing a good script , is finding the right character or person to deliver the message of the story . ”
al massad says he’s known ahmad for over two decades and always dreamt of making a film about him “because he’s such an interesting and very positive character , no matter what comes his way or happens around him . ”
in real life ahmad , who worked as a contractor , has spent three months in prison “for taking 1800 jordanian dinars ( about $ 2 , 540 . 00 ) and not delivering the job he was asked to do from a client , ” al massad notes . that is exactly what happens in the film .
“the police are friendly and helpful , ” says al massad . “in terms of prisons , i have visited and scouted several in jordan and i noticed how they treat prisoners humanely , unlike what we see or hear of in other countries worldwide , ” he adds .
working with them was very challenging , but “they were very eager to be part of the film and this is why i believe they brought honesty into their performance , ” he notes .
shooting them required a lot of preparation “in order for them to have the same look as the rest of the film , ” al massad recounts . with his cinematographer they decided to shoot these scenes in sequential order so they could begin with a realistic feel and subsequently veer into fantasy .
“there are less than a handful arab funds left to support filmmaking , ” he laments .
nevertheless , al massad already has a new project in the works . he is working on an new narrative feature project for the international market which he hopes to shoot in dubai , where the story takes place .
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if a fish hadn ' t opened its mouth it wouldn ' t have been caught .
abu dhabi film commission shasha grant global film initiative award – usa arte award for best pitch at dubai film festival - dubai film connection selected for cannes film festival ' s program l ' atelier 2012 .
ahmad , a construction worker gets tangled up in an unfortunate business deal leading him to prison . he meets fraudster khaled , who ruins his last hope to prove his innocence . ahmed is awaken by the realization that life in prison might be better than one that he has on the outside .
a wry , tongue - in - cheek tale about a construction contractor implicated in an unfortunate business deal that lands him in jail . ironically , once in prison , he gradually feels something that he ' s never felt before—liberty . “an accomplished and likeable comedy for mideast film fans . ” the hollywood reporter
in this wry , tongue - in - cheek tale , ahmad , an ultra - laid back construction contractor who loves a good game of cards , gets tangled up in an unfortunate business deal . he uses a client ' s down payment to help his cousin import 10 brand - new laptops and hopes to make a small profit from it .
an accomplished and likeable comedy for mideast film fans .
deborah young , the hollywood reporter
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ahmad , a construction worker gets tangled up in an unfortunate business deal that sends him to prison . he meets fraudster ibrahim who ruins his last hope to prove his innocence . ahmad is awakened by the realisation that life in prison might be better than the one that he has on the outside .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
movies and tv shows are certified fresh with a steady tomatometer of 75 % or higher after a set amount of reviews ( 80 for wide - release movies , 40 for limited - release movies , 20 for tv shows ) , including 5 reviews from top critics .
unforgiving in its shrewd relentlessness , the cast is flawless as is the direction .
some fine talent manages to rise above flimsy scenarios in this multi - thread expose of low - rent melbourne mothering and its bitter legacy . surely the whole truth would call for some rays of light in these shabby lives ?
a slow - burning , emotionally haunting film that thrusts the bond between mother and child under a microscope .
kokkinos is never backward in confronting her audience , but she ' s also a sensitive portrayer of emotions that are basic to us all and with this marvellous film she has created her best work so far .
skilfully woven together , the separate tales that eventually intersect portray a touching look at the relationship between mothers and children .