Daria Ibn-Tamas

Mel Brooks Gives Eleven Fingers to Hollywood

September 24, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

Mel Brooks, the 88 year-old comedy legend got to cross another Hollywood honor off of his bucket list. As reported by the Associated Press, Brooks got to join such tinsel town luminaries such as Humphrey Bogart and Jimmy Stewart by leaving prints of his feet and hands in the cement in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

But just like everything else Brooks does, he did things a little differently. Mel came to the ritual – one that is practically as old as Hollywood itself – wearing a prosthetic finger. As a justification, Brooks said that he pulled the stunt “just in case somebody from Des Moines, Iowa, says ‘Harry! Harry! Look, Mel Brooks has six fingers on his left hand!'”

Mel Brooks is the director, producer, writer, and actor responsible for films such as “Blazing Saddles” and “The Producers.” The ceremony was held on September 8, as a way of commemorating the 40th anniversary of “Young Frankenstein,” Brooks’ classic send up of classic black-and-white horror films. The film’s anniversary is also being commemorated with a Blu-ray re-release on September 9.

Mel Brooks began his career in show business in the 1950s working on Your Show of Shows with Sid Caesar. The show would also help to launch the careers of playwright Neil Simon, and frequent Brooks collaborator, Carl Reiner. Brooks made his film debut as a writer/director with 1968’s “The Producers.” He would go on to make 11 other films occupying that dual role, and serving as a supporting actor in the majority of them. Brooks would also experience great success as a producer, filling that role in David Cronenburg’s very successful remake of “The Fly” and helping to launch David Lynch’s career when he allowed the director to helm “The Elephant Man.”

New Film Brings Out A Multi-Generational Group of Stars in Toronto

September 15, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

Director Noah Baumbach is one of the undisputed kings of indie film. His dry humor and understated delivery has bewitched audiences and attracted big stars to his projects. According to the LA Times, those stars, including comedy A-lister Ben Stiller were out at the Toronto International Film Festival for the premier of Baumbach’s new film, “While We’re Young.”

When speaking to the press about the inspiration for making the film, he jokingly said “middle-age.” And certainly the new film deals with the gap between generations. While Baumbach’s most recent work, 2012’s “Frances Ha” dealt with youth issues, this new film takes stock of how generations view one another.

Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts play a couple in their forties who become fascinated by the lives of another couple in their twenties, played by Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried. The film not only hopes to look at the way that different generations view one and other, but also how advances in technology and changing trends affect the way people move through life in different ways.

“Something is going on in the movie that’s ‘wait, we’re old, the old people,” Stiller said to the audience post-screening, “With social media and everything going on,” he added, as a personal note, “it does make me feel outside of what’s going on a lot of the time.”

The social media driven world of the millennial generation plays a part in the film, though one of the actors playing one of the young people in the film commented that he has a complicated relationship with that technology.

“Twitter and Facebook make me scared,” Adam Driver said to the crowd, “There’s something valuable in boredom and not having access to everything.”

Ben Stiller has been playing forty-ish people at existential crossroads for a bit now, most recently in his directorial passion project “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”

But with the help of Noah Baumbach, he tackles things from a different direction in “While We’re Young.” The new indie, which world-premiered Saturday at the Toronto international Film Festival, has on its mind not just the usual tropes about career and relationships from movies on the subject, but shifting attitudes about topics such as privacy and creativity.

Shortly after his new film opens, Stiller’s documentary-filmmaker character Josh and wife Cornelia (Naomi Watts) find their lives energized when they meet an exciting young couple, Jamie and Darby (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried). The older pair covets the free-spirited artisanal ways of their new friends, seeing them as an antidote to the child-centric world of their contemporaries.

Soon, though, the veil is lifted, and what follows is an older generation’s more complicated view on younger people — by turns energized, jealous, fascinated and resentful — and the techno-fueled lives they lead.

“Something is going on in the movie that’s ‘wait, we’re old, the old people,” Stiller told the audience after the screening. “With social media and everything going on,” he added of his own life, “it does make me feel outside of what’s going on a lot of the time.”

Joking that “middle age” was his inspiration, Baumbach said the film sprung from an idea he had about couples that he couldn’t quite crack, until he had a small epiphany. “Thinking about people of different generations,” Baumbach said, “motivated me to write it.” (Click over to this piece for my colleague Betsy Sharkey’s take on the director’s own evolution.)

“While We’re Young,” which is seeking U.S. distribution, is rife with the kind of adjustments, psychological and otherwise, members of an older generation must make when they realize a baton has been passed. “It touches on so many things I identify with,” Stiller said. That’s true not just with gizmos themselves but further-reaching areas such as storytelling (“If everybody records everything, then what’s a documentary anymore,” Josh asks) and the appropriation of culture. “I knew this song when it was just bad,” Stiller’s character says when Driver uses Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” as psyche-up music.

But “While We’re Young” is hardly a cri de coeur, just as it’s also not an easy piece of fogeyish fetishization. Josh and Cornelia actually have a reasonably good relationship in their own right, and not all is rosy in the Millennial world.

And for all the Facebook Generation assumptions, the younger couple is sometimes actually seeking to turn back the clock, embracing vinyl (most obviously) and occasionally even eschewing quick phone-based research (less so). Driver, the director’s go-to choice for Millennial embodiment these days, himself upended the perception when he told the audience that “Twitter and Facebook make me scared … there’s something valuable in boredom and not having access to everything.”

In the end, “While We’re Young” doesn’t stake out a position as much as it asks us to take stock of the shift, and the size thereof. When Cornelia questions Josh how he found her at a meeting with a person she didn’t want Josh to know about, he replies, “I follow him on Twitter. We can’t lie like we used to.” It’s only a small piece of the new world.

Brazil’s Silver Lining

July 21, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

There is no question that Brazil’s loss to Germany was a tremendous blow to the nation’s morale. As a unit, Brazilians were embarrassed and devastated over their country’s loss. However, despite what one may expect, Brazilians everywhere let out a collective sigh of relief as Mario Gotze scored the one and only goal of the final game, leading Germany to a victory over Argentina.

Though it may be hard to believe, Brazilians gathered to watch the final game at the Maracaña stadium, celebrating the German’s win in the final. This win made Germany the first team hailing from Europe to take home a World Cup that was played in North or South America.

Post-game, a Brazilian fan was quoted, saying, “ Argentina winning would have been the worst thing I could think of.” While this may seem like a harsh sentiment, many would say Brazilians were warranted in this attitude. Leading up to the final, tens of thousands of fans from Argentina had flooded Brazil, setting up camps wherever they could and consistently heckling Brazilians over their crushing loss to Germany, followed shortly after by their loss to the Netherlands.

On the other hand, Argentina also had reason to be enthused. This year was the first time Argentina had made it to the World Cup Final in the past 24 years, thanks to Lionel Messi, their super-star player who many revere as the world’s best soccer player.

The interesting thing about this rivalry between Brazil in Argentina is that many fans seem to be unaware of the grounds for it in the first place. “We hate them, and we don’t even know why,” commented Flávia Torezani, a Brazilian fan who cheered until her voice was lost for Germany over Argentina. “They’re our rivals. We don’t want them to win, ever. This was almost like Brazil winning today.”

While Brazil is still licking their wounds from their loss, they were able to at least rally some camaraderie and cheer on the falling of their rival. To read more about Brazil’s sentiments on the cup at large and the final fate of Argentina, check out this article.

Does Winning the World Cup Ensure a Detriment to the Economy?

July 14, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

When it comes to the World Cup, one would think that the winning country would benefit the most- in terms of recognition, bragging rights, attention, tourism in the future, and so on. However, an interesting article in Forbes magazine suggests that the winner may not really take all when it comes to economic growth following the game.

In a gathering of data by the World Bank, results yielded that in six out of the past seven world cups, the winning country saw a decline in their gross domestic product following the year of their win. This interesting pattern dates back to 1986, when Argentina won the cup, and has continued every year, aside from Spain’s win in 2010. That being said, the only growth Spain saw in GDP was by 0.1%, much lower than one would expect for the country that had just won the world cup.

Worse yet, is that out of the countries that did experience a decline in GDP following their world-cup win, 5 out the 7 total experienced a continued decline in the second year after their winning of the world cup. Interestingly enough, it seems that this trend is already on its way to taking hold once again. Between this year’s finalists, Argentina is already seeing an improvement in their economy- seeing a 3.0% growth in 2013, while Germany only saw a 0.4% increase that same year.

Experts are speculating on why this is the case, and are quick to say that only 7 years of observation is not enough data to solidify this pattern. Some economists believe that the time the people of a country spend watching the world cup results in a detriment of the economy, as people are not focused on their careers and their daily lives. That being said, this does not seem like something that could be that severely detrimental to the economy, and for such an extended period of time. Not to mention, this trend is solely relative to the World Cup- it is not seen during the Olympics, NBA finals, the Superbowl, or any other widely-viewed sporting events.

Only time will tell when it comes to learning more about this pattern and its causes. To learn more about this interesting trend, check out the Forbes article here.

Make Workouts Manageable

April 24, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

For anyone looking at Kit Rich, a Pilates instructors for celebrities and healthy-lifestyle coach for large name brands, you would never guess that she was once a woman struggling to lose roughly thirty pounds. She tried all types of extreme, unhealthy, short term methods to drop the weight- practices that facilitated issues such as eating disorders and body dysmorphia for her. In her desperation to lose weight, she couldn’t see how unhealthy it was- and how these extreme diets would cause her to ricochet back to the opposite extreme of unhealthiness. It was simply impossible for her to lose weight, or keep any weight she did lose, off.

After years and years and of this unhealthy behavior, Kit finally realizes that these extremes weren’t getting her anywhere. She finally reached a conclusion that enabled her to lose 30 lbs, and is an idea that she stands by: Make it Manageable. This is Kit’s number one piece of fitness advice and overall mantra. What she sticks to, in terms of exercise, is the practice of, “three miles or 30 minutes, every day.” It was exercising in this way that made her workout routine more doable and thus, she began to see results that were lasting this time. Kit says that the way you get your thirty minutes of exercise is entirely up to you- hike, jog, or walk three miles, or do a thirty minute workout that can consist of circuit training, weightlifting, and so on. If there’s any advice we should take, it is probably that of a professional trainer. ” I really do believe wholeheartedly that the middle road is the way to go,” says Kit, “Anything extreme is not long lasting.”

This three-or-thirty rule is one that can truly help women to lead a more healthy, balanced life, rather than thinking they need to work out for hours a day to achieve results. Working out can seem like a daunting task, especially for women who lead busy lifestyles. With the three-or-thirty rule, and in doing workouts that they enjoy, women will be able to achieve lasting results, feel better about their bodies and hopefully will not dread working out so much anymore. To learn more about Kit Rich and her workout tips and tricks, check out this page.

Become a Better Runner!

April 15, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

Whether you are looking to start an exercise regimen, or are looking to get in better shape, running is a popular and common suggestion for increasing your overall health and wellness. Running can be a great way to blow off steam and relax your mind. However, when you are trying to improve yourself as a runner, or even just starting out running, it can be extremely difficult to enjoy the exercise, let alone force yourself to do it.

The following are some helpful methods for getting yourself to go running, and keep running. You’re sure to see improvements in your running- be it a faster time, a farther distance, or just plain getting in shape- if you utilize these tips.

1. Adopt a Mantra- Mantras can be extremely helpful in pushing yourself and reminding yourself why you are doing what you’re doing in the first place. Pick a word or phrase that truly speaks to you and is positive that will be sure to beat out any thoughts of negativity.

2. Find YOUR song– For those who run with music, its imperative that you have your ultimate pump-up song ready to go when you feel yourself slacking. It can be anything that works for you and keeps you going, just make sure you have one!

3. Positivity!– A lot of what keeps you from running or continuing running is purely mental. Therefore, it is important to focus on the positive- why you are running, how much better you are making yourself, how far you have come and how much farther you will go. These thoughts can help to push out those negative thoughts.

4. Keep good form- When you start to doubt yourself mentally, this is when your running form generally starts to deteriorate as well, which can make running even more miserable. Keep your shoulders back, your chest up and focus on steady breathing. This can both take your mind off the negative and make your running more comfortable.

These are just a few ways that can make running easier and more manageable for those of all levels of fitness. To see more examples of tips and tricks for better running, check out this post.

Gabourey Sidibe’s Empowering Non-Profit

March 20, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

Gabourey Sidibe rose to stardom after her performance in the 2009 film, Precious. She has experienced difficulty with being scrutinized for being plus-sized but despite the discrimination, the 30-year-old actress is known for speaking out against her critics.

Sidibe plans to help girls and women share her self-confidence by creating a non-profit organization dedicated to building self-esteem in females. Sidibe has also expressed concern for cyber bullying after she herself received some personal attacks. Sidibe says, “I just joined Twitter and I’m getting the hang of it, but I still don’t like it. People who are complete strangers feel like they get to have an opinion on me when they really can’t. If we were in a restaurant together, [they] wouldn’t come say stuff like that to me!”

No moves have been made to start the organization yet but the actress continues to express plans to take action. When asked what the mission of the organization would be, Sidibe said, “It would be about building a good self image and really building confidence. I think that’s the most important thing that I have that I hold on to. It was the hardest thing that I ever had to build and it’s the hardest thing to maintain.”

The trend of promoting self-confidence is spreading across media outlets. From public service campaigns to Dove advertisements, young girls are being targeted in a way the media has not seen before. Sidibe wants to expand the trend to include women as well, not just young girls. “There are a lot of grown women who don’t know that they are worthy of love,” Sidibe explains.

The timeline for the organization is not yet set in stone. “I have not slowed down enough to really focus on that, but it’s something I do have plans to do,” Sidibe says.

Hints for Happiness

February 10, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

Studies have shown that people who are happier and more outgoing tend to have better heart health, are better at managing stress in their lives and have a lesser risk of stroke relative to those who are less optimistic.

For those who feel they could stand to be a bit more optimistic, there are tactics and habits one can practice to improve upon their outlook in life and become a happier- and therefore healthier- person.

1. Practice Gratefulness– There is something to be said for being grateful for your life and everything you have. It is natural to aspire for more, but if you cannot be happy with everything that you already have in life, you will never reach happiness, no matter how much you attain. At the same time, you need to be grateful of all of the obstacles and hardships you have encountered. The reason for this is that they strengthen you as an individual and help you to further appreciate all the good in your life. If you can start embracing this mindset, slowly but surely you will start to become more optimistic.

2. Practice Forgiveness- Learning to forgive others for having hurt you in the past is a key component to becoming a more optimistic, outgoing individual. The phrase, “Don’t look back you’re not going that way,” is a good one to remind yourself of. Meaning, don’t allow instances in your past to affect the life you are living today.

3. Change Envy to Energy- Feeling jealous of others is usually because we have an area of our life in which we feel we are lacking. Rather than spending time feeling envious of others, turn that energy inwards and use it to motivate yourself to improve upon areas that you have always wanted to be better in. Do not do it to be better than anyone else- do it to be a better you.

4. Smile! So simple, yet so effective. Even when you don’t feel like smiling, or are feeling unhappy, try smiling for a bit. You’ll be surprised at the lift in your mood, even if you didn’t expect it.

5. Be Responsible for Yourself- It is easy to point the finger at others for reasons things have occurred in your life, why certain situations have failed, or any other problems in your life. It is time to take control and realize that you are in charge of your own life- only you can make the positive changes you want to see. Accepting this responsibility will give you a refreshing sense of liberation and optimism.

These tips are just some of the highly effective methods for improving upon your optimism and viewing the world in a more positive sense. To hear more of these helpful tips for optimism and happiness in life, check out this article from shape magazine.

Get More Sleep!

January 24, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

The phrase, “There just aren’t enough hours in the day,” is a common one that many busy Americans are familiar with. Jobs, commitments and taking care of family can easily occupy a ton of your time. But it seems that what all of this constant motion and business leaves us with is not enough hours in the night- for sleep! Many Americans are sleep deprived and many are not even aware of it, or how much sleep deprivation can affect functioning. A recent article in Self Magazine details how to tell whether or not you are sleep deprived and, if you are sleep deprived, what you can do to rectify it.

Research experts have noticed that there are three main signs that indicate individuals are not getting enough sleep: daily dependence on caffeine in order to stay alert, needing an alarm to wake up on time and sleeping in much later than you do on weekdays. These signs align perfectly with one who is sleep deprived. The following are tips on how to get better sleep, and thus, take better advantage of the hours that you do have in a day!

1. Change how you think about sleep– Treating sleep as a treat, as you would a shopping trip or a manicure, discredits its importance in your overall health. Start to view sleep as a crucial component of your well being- just as you treat a balanced diet and consistent exercise.

2. Slowly up your hours– In order to start getting more sleep, implement your earlier bedtime slowly and incrementally. Try going to bed 10-15 minutes earlier than normal for one week. The next week, add another 10-15 minutes to the previous week’s time. By the end of one month’s time, you’ll have added an extra hour of sleep to your nights and gotten yourself into a manageable routine.

3. Make changes in your room- Believe it or not, setting the temperature of your room around 3 degrees lower than the rest of the house- roughly 65-68 degrees- helps you to fall asleep, because your body cools down during sleep and a colder room aids in your drifting off. Lowering the lights prior to bedtime helps as well, as it begins to signal to the body that it is time to sleep.

These are just a few simple changes you can make in your day-to-day routine to start getting a better night’s sleep! Check out the article in self for more tips on getting more sleep.