Apple TV+ counts its 'Luck' as fallen 'Toy Story' exec makes comeback

LOS ANGELES, United States - Like all good animated family movies, "Luck" has a thoroughly optimistic premise: that no matter how hopeless or dire your circumstances may seem, something good will eventually come of it.

Apple TV+ will be hoping the same is true for John Lasseter, the former Pixar guru who resigned under a cloud of #MeToo harassment claims, and later became head of the new Skydance Animation.

"Luck" is that studio's first film, available to stream Friday, which follows 18-year-old girl Sam and a talking black cat called Bob on their adventures in the fantastical Land of Luck.

In this land of perfect fortune, all the world's good and bad luck is produced by magical creatures including leprechauns, dragons, unicorns and goblins, who then funnel it down to Earth.

The movie features a voice cast of Simon Pegg, Whoopi Goldberg and Jane Fonda, along with Broadway star Eva Noblezada in the lead role of Sam, the world's unluckiest girl.

The cast could have been even starrier, had Emma Thompson not very publicly withdrawn in 2019 over the hiring of Lasseter, publishing her resignation letter in the Los Angeles Times.

It was a decision that other cast members have mulled over, with Pegg telling AFP he "initially" had qualms before deciding to proceed.

"It's a dangerous thing to just write people off immediately, I think, if there's some accountability, if there's some acknowledgement and acceptance," he told AFP.

- 'Complicated' -

Lasseter, who transformed Pixar from a small Lucasfilm graphics department into the world's most successful animation studio with hits including "Toy Story," was accused of misconduct at the 2017 height of the #MeToo movement.

The powerful studio president apologized to "anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug," and for "falling short" in ensuring a culture of "trust and respect." 

The following year, he resigned, acknowledging in an internal memo that he had made staff feel "disrespected or uncomfortable."

Multiple sources alleged that Lasseter was a heavy drinker at company social events who would try to kiss women, place his hands on their thighs and hug them in meetings. 

In her letter, Thompson said the case of Lasseter was "complicated."

Upon his hiring by Skydance, Thompson wrote that "any Skydance employees who don't want to give him a second chance have to stay and be uncomfortable or lose their jobs."

For Pegg, it was important that Lasseter had "admitted accountability for the things that had been aimed at him."

"We're all doomed if we are banished for stuff that we regret and apologize for, and mean that apology. That's the most important thing."

Goldberg had a more succinct take: "Everybody steps in it sometime," she told AFP.

- 'Real-world stakes' -

In the film, Sam -- an orphan who has reached adulthood without finding a permanent foster home -- follows Bob the cat (Pegg) into the Land of Luck in order to find a lucky penny.

She hopes this magical coin can help her young friend Hazel find the "forever family" she never had.

Of course, getting her hands on it is anything but straightforward, taking Sam on a physical journey through the realm's whirring Rube Goldberg machines and glittering waterfalls -- and an emotional one.

"I really love that element. It's a film which is the most outrageous environments and concepts but paired with genuine real-world stakes about friendship," said Pegg.

"Sometimes what appears to be bad luck can end up being good luck. Not least for Sam, who apparently lives an entire life of bad luck, only to go on this adventure and find exactly what she's looking for."

For the filmmakers, the withdrawal of Thompson led to the hiring of Oscar-winner and social campaigner Jane Fonda, playing an elegant dragon who is the CEO of the luck-making operation. 

"When Jane joined the cast, I looked to her as being such a legendary activist and feminist," said Pegg.

"I felt like she was a great person to take the lead from. And it was her involvement in the film that cemented my decision to do it."

Agence France Presse

Bring in some luck at home in the Year of the Water Snake

The start of the year of the water snake on February 10, 2013 is closely inching in and accompanying this event are questions on what rituals  one should do in order to usher in the Chinese New Year full of good luck and prosperity.

Jean Chua of the Dragon Phoenix Enterprise in Ongpin Street, Manila shares feng shui tips one could do or prepare to shoo away negative energies and welcome the year ahead with blessings.





 
Here are her tips to celebrate an auspicious beginning.

1. Clean house.
Before welcoming the New Year, conduct a general cleaning of the house in order to cleanse the house from all the negative energies of the past year.

2. Display red lanterns.
Apart from being a festive ornament, one should also display pineapple lanterns, red lanterns or dragon lanterns to attract and welcome good fortune in our homes.

3. Place prosperity baskets on the table.
Dining tables in our homes should have prosperity baskets with charms inside it. To further enhance the energy of the charms, place rice and money inside. Nine days after the celebration of Chinese New Year, the rice put inside the basket should be cooked and the money should be deposited in your bank accounts for good luck.

4. Prepare round fruits and eat tikoy.
To usher the New Year, the presence of round fruits in dining tables could not be missed. Round fruits like apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries and cherries represent abundance. On Chinese New Year’s Eve till Chinese New Year’s day keep the table filled with food to live in abundance for the whole year.

Eating tikoy, a Chinese delicacy made up of glutinous rice, is also advisable to eat for it represents unity among family members. Glutinous rice treats like bilo-bilo were also recommended to be eaten for it represents coins, indicating financial fortune.

5. Make a wish.
One can write a wish on a yellow wishing paper. Afterwards, the wishing paper should be burned after the Chinese New Year celebration.

6. Put lucky charms around areas of the house with “violent stars.”
Pinpoint areas in your home that are unlucky for this year which includes the center, southwest, southeast, west and east directions. For the center of the house, one can put crystals to drive away negative energies. It is also advisable to put charms at the southwest part of the house to have good health.

Making noise in the southeast part of your home is discouraged to avoid misfortunes. On the other hand, rhino elephants are advised to be put on the western part of the house to avoid “violent stars”, which means robbery, accidents, bad intentions and jealousy. Lastly, fire wheels and three celestial guardians are encouraged to be put on the eastern part of the house to avoid arguments.

Putting “cures” or lucky charms inside the house can make not only your abode lucky but the people living inside it as well.

It is also advisable to put charms inside cars to avoid unlucky incidents.

7. Install protection amulets on doors.
To enhance good energy, protection amulets are encouraged to be placed on doors as well as peace and harmony amulets to enhance a peaceful and harmonious relationship inside the house.

8. Wear new clothes.
For personal luck, it is advisble to wear new clothes, prefereably yellow, green and red ones which are lucky colors for the year.

9. Burn incense.
One can burn nine sticks of incense and visit a temple or church for prayer petitions and blessings.

10. Be happy.
It is always good to usher the new year full of happiness and it is a must to be happy on the day of Chinese New year to attract prosperity throughout the whole year.

Chua also added that those born in the year of the Dog, Rat, Horse, and Ox will be lucky for this year in the areas of career, love business, health and family relationships. On the other hand, those born on the year of the Sheep, Rabbit, and Rooster are unlucky and need to wear protection amulets to prevent any untoward incident.

source: interaksyon.com

No instant successes

The world lost a great man when famous motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar passed away last week at the age of 86. As an ode to such a great person, let me share with you his notable thoughts on “overnight success.”

“Many times an unknown person does something spectacular and suddenly becomes a ‘hero,’ a public figure, an ‘overnight success,’ the object of much envy.” Let’s explore this ‘overnight success’ syndrome.

“Several years ago, Gary Spiess from White Lake, Minnesota, did an incredible thing. He sailed his 10-foot boat across the Atlantic Ocean in just 54 days. Most of us can only imagine what he endured to complete his 54-day ordeal, but suddenly the whole world knew who he was.

“What is the real story? Did he just have a good idea, implement it and “luck” into celebrity status? The reality is that, Gary had worked, planned, sacrificed and studied for three years to build his boat. He committed not only his money but 100 percent of his spare time for three solid years. He had to chart his course and plan every detail, down to the minutia – including maximum use of his space and the proper food, clothing and water to carry. Once the trip began, so did the danger. The most dangerous and difficult part was fighting the violent seas of the Atlantic Ocean. The seas often combined with a driving, bitterly-cold rain, which chilled him to the bone. By the time he reached England, he was so brutally battered by the cruel sea that his entire body was black and blue. Yes, it’s true he had his day in the sun, but it’s safe to say that he had sacrificed and worked in order to receive his rewards.

“Most of us are not interested in doing anything of that nature, but it is safe to say that if we’re going to accomplish anything of significance, and particularly if we’re going to maintain that significance, long hours of planning and even more of hard work are required. But it’s also safe to say it’s worth it because the effort is temporary but the satisfaction and rewards can be long-lasting.”

There is no such thing as instant success. Champions aren’t made on the day of the game. That’s simply the day when the world recognizes all the preparations that took place before that day arrived.


Adoring crowds and television cameras aren’t usually around when Champions are being made. They’re made in the early morning hours when the rest of the world is sleeping just a little bit longer; in the late evening hours when fatigue has overtaken the average person and sent him to bed. Champions are made in the thousands of little ways that they discipline themselves to do the things that everyone could do, but most people won’t.

It has taken me many years to learn that none of the “big” things I’ve done have helped me to succeed. Instead, it’s all of the little things that I did over and over. For example, the discipline to plan each day’s work the night before, no matter how tired I was, has had more to do with my success than any “big” thing I’ve ever done. Not a “big” thing, but a necessary thing in getting ready to win.

Former heavyweight boxing champion of the world Muhammad Ali said, “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”

Same thing in the Christian life. It’s not those big moments that make you saintly. It’s those tedious, mundane things that you constantly and consistently do well that prepare you for big successes in the coming days.

Be faithful in the little things, then you can be handed the bigger things. Prepare. Work hard and be diligent. And always remember that it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.

source: philstar.com