Latest news with #NoDice
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Best film' nomination for Sheffield teenager's filmmaking debut
An 18-year-old's filmmaking debut has been nominated for best film at a red-carpet ceremony in Holt, from Sheffield, wrote and directed her genre-subverting short film 'No Dice' for her A-Level Film Studies film, which is shortlisted in the 16-19 age category, will be shown at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square, as part of an awards ceremony organised by the film charity Into Film."Having my name out there already is a dream come true. It fills me with hope that if I keep making things I'm passionate about, those efforts will be noticed," said Grace. Grace, who is currently a student at Lancaster University, said being recognised, at such a young age, was a "really big surprise" given the film industry's reputation for being notoriously difficult to get ahead added: "If I were to continue doing this, which I really want to, I feel like [being nominated] is something you'd expect to come later in your career. "It's happening now, which is really weird."'No Dice' follows a Dungeons and Dragons-style fantasy role-play game, and shows a world within the game alongside the lives of the real-life players, who are residents in a care home. "In almost every fantasy thing you see, the older members of the cast are always like, a sage old wizard," Grace said."I thought it would be interesting and fun if the older characters were able to play reckless, stupid characters that make mistakes and get involved in brawls."The cast, whom she found on local acting websites, with the help of her teachers at Wales High School, were "amazing and so accommodating"."At the start I was a bit too nervous to say anything, but I think, as we went on, I got into it more and was able to say what my vision was," she London awards ceremony, on 24 June, will screen the nominated films in each will be hosted by actress and Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis, who said she was "honoured" to host."The standard is extraordinarily high and just shows how important it is to give young people a voice through filmmaking," she annual ceremony has previously been attended by film actors including Daniel Craig, Lashana Lynch, Martin Freeman and Lily James. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
At $23,995, Is This 2005 BMW 330i ZHP A Bayerisch Bargain?
According to its ad, today's Nice Price or No Dice E46 is a one-owner car. Let's see if this hot ZHP edition's price tag makes you think the offering dealer is full of number two. When it comes to boats, tractors, heavy construction equipment, and others, it's typically not the miles that determine the level of wear and tear; it's engine hours. For cars, however, it's the odometer that portends gloom and doom whenever the numbers get too high. Back when nobody thought cars and trucks would last all that long, the odo would roll over once it hit 100,000. Nowadays, you'd have to hit a million miles on most cars before that magic milestone could be manifested. In the case of the 2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK 32 AMG we looked at yesterday, those miles added up to over 200,000, and that was a lot of road for the hot sports car to have covered. Because of that, we all didn't think too highly of the Benz's $8,500 asking price. In a nail-biter of a vote, that ultimately fell in an incredibly narrow 51 percent No Dice loss. Read more: The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Is The Crossover To End All Crossovers Fortunately for those among us who identify as mile-a-phobes, today's 2005 BMW 330i sports a modest 90,650 miles on its digital odometer. It also rocks the special and sought-after performance package that the Marque's many fans note by its options sheet code, "ZHP." The ZHP package was a U.S.-only upgrade that was intended to position the so-imbued 330i somewhere in between the standard 330i and the hairiest-chested of all M3. This puts it as Mama Bear to the other two models' Baby and Papa Bears. Changes on the ZHP included a revised suspension featuring thicker anti-roll bars, firmer springs, and different control arm bushings. In addition to the upgraded components, BMW's engineers revised the model's suspension geometry and gave it a lower ride height. The steering ratio is also faster, and the cars ride on 18-inch Style 135M alloys. Overall, the feel is not quite a halfway point between the plebeian starting point and the M3, but it's a pretty fun car nonetheless. A big part of that fun comes from the mods made to the 2979cc M54B30 under the hood. The ZHP package includes hotter cams for the straight six, giving it a 10 horsepower bump to 235 and an increase in torque to 222 lb-ft. That's not much, but it also shows up 300 rpm later in the rev range, making for a different feel from the less-peppy car. Backing that up is a ZF six-speed and shorter final drive in the limited-slip rear end, which, again, are changes made to give the ZHP an edge. It's not just all go and no show either. The ZHP cars have unique bumper styling and chrome-plated dual exhaust tips. Those changes, along with the slightly lower ride height and the bigger wheels, make the ZHP one of the, if not the best-looking, E46s out there. This one appears to still wear that style well. The dark silver color may not be the life of the party, but it still properly pops as it should. There's no discoloring of the headlamp covers nor annoying flaking of any of the various roundels, either. Those style 135s also appear to be in great shape, with no evidence of having ever tussled with a curb. The interior appears up to the task as well. It's a sea of Alcantara in here, with the material covering the highly-bolstered front buckets, as well as the rear bench and sport steering wheel. More still covers the car's headliner. Faux carbon fiber trim crosses the dash and spills down onto the console to surround the shifter. There are a lot of gadgets in here too, starting with power front seats with multi-position memory for the driver's throne. Along with that comes automatic climate control, power windows and locks, cruise, and a CD stereo. The interior does show its age in the lack of a center stack screen, offering the old-school charm of BMW's orange digital readout in the IP for miles and information readouts instead. Everything, from the pixels in those displays to the carpet mats and floor covering in the boot, all appear to be in stellar condition, having been seemingly well-kept by the car's single owner. The only black mark on the car is a couple of missing components in its boot lid tool kit. Per the annoyingly brief ad, the car has a clean title and, well... available financing. The dealer's website listing offers some more info, but it's mostly limited to the model's specs and does not give us much in the way of details on this particular car. Despite that, there's a lot to like here, based on the car's apparent condition and this model's fandom among the Bimmer community. Could it then be worth the $23,995 the dealer is asking? What are your thoughts on that price for this hot-to-trot 330i? Is that a fair deal for the car as it sits? Or is that asking far too much of Mama Bear? You decide! Nice Price or No Dice: Fresno, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears. H/T to RevUnlimiter for the hookup! Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at robemslie@ and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your commenter handle. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
The Guardian
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Joey Molland obituary
The powerful rock ballad Without You, which was covered nearly 200 times and was a massive hit for both Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey, was orginally by the Swansea-Liverpool band Badfinger, an early signing for the Beatles' Apple label. Playing guitar on that recording, from the band's second album, No Dice (1970), was Joey Molland, who has died aged 77. As well as their own recordings, Badfinger, including Molland, acted as session musicians for the individual Beatles, playing on John Lennon's Imagine album, George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, and Ringo Starr's hit single, It Don't Come Easy. Of Harrison's international bestseller My Sweet Lord (1970), from the aforementioned album, which was the subject of a plagiarism suit, Molland said: 'Of course we knew it was based on He's So Fine [by the Chiffons], but it wasn't our place to tell George how to write his songs.' Personable and affable, Molland could also be a little cocky, a trait that perhaps did not translate so well in the US. In May 1995 the American songwriting organisation ASCAP held a celebration of Without You, which had been a huge hit for Carey the year before. Although the song was written by Pete Ham and Tommy Evans of Badfinger, who were no longer alive, the band had an agreement whereby royalties were shared with their manager at the time, Bill Collins (father of the actor Lewis Collins), and the rest of the band. So, at the ASCAP awards, five people took to the stage to receive a songwriter's plaque – Molland and Mike Gibbins from Badfinger, Collins, and family members to represent Ham and Evans, who had both taken their own lives, Ham in 1975, and Evans in 1983. Molland triumphantly held his plaque aloft, which some felt to be an insensitive misjudgment, and did not help his standing in the music industry. Maybe he thought that it would increase interest in his own songs. Although Badfinger had other hits, they were not with his compositions, and his solo albums were largely confined to gig sales. His tracks Vampire Wedding (1992) and Walk Out in the Rain (2013) had the makings of hits, but on the whole his songs lacked that spark of originality that would put them ahead of the pack. On the other hand, his career as a journeyman musician tells a compelling story of the 1960s and 70s music scene. One of six boys, Joey was born and raised in the West Derby suburb of Liverpool. He attended Cardinal Allen grammar school but had little interest in education and was in a beat band, the Assassins, when only 12. 'We assassinated music,' Molland told me. He took a job in the city centre as a messenger boy, which enabled him to attend lunchtime sessions at the Cavern. He joined the Masterminds, who were playing late night at the Blue Angel in March 1965 when the Rolling Stones arrived. The Stones' manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, had them record Bob Dylan's She Belongs to Me: 'A nice song with easy guitar parts,' Molland recalled. It made the Top 50 that year following an appearance on ITV's Ready Steady Go! When the Merseys had a hit with Sorrow in 1966, they needed a touring band and selected the Fruit Eating Bears with Molland. Molland then joined Gary Walker and the Rain, who had a minor hit with a version of the Classics IV track Spooky in 1968. The band was highly successful in Japan but disbanded in 1969. The Iveys, a Swansea band that included Ham and Gibbins in its original lineup, then Evans from Liverpool, were on the Beatles' new record label, Apple, in 1968. They changed their name the following year, to Badfinger. Molland joined the band shortly after they recorded Paul McCartney's Come and Get It for the film The Magic Christian, which explains why there are only three group members on the LP cover of the 'pseudo-soundtrack' album Magic Christian Music (1970). Molland was featured, however, on Badfinger's second album, No Dice, which, as well as Without You – an international bestseller for Nilsson in 1972 – featured another Top 10 single, No Matter What. Harrison produced Badfinger's 1972 hit single, Day After Day, from their Straight Up album (1971). Harrison also told Molland he would have to drop the phrase 'Pusher, pusher' from his song Suitcase, as it would never get airplay (it was dropped from the recording, but Molland reinstated it when playing live). After Apple, Badfinger signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Warner in 1973, but the label lost interest when hits were not forthcoming. When Badfinger broke up the following year, Molland formed Natural Gas with Jerry Shirley from Humble Pie and they supported Peter Frampton on his Frampton Comes Alive! tour. Following Ham's death, Badfinger reformed in 1979 for touring dates and a new album, Airwaves, with Molland, Evans and Gibbins. They then made Say No More (1981) without Gibbins. Both Evans and Molland toured with versions of Badfinger before Evans's death. Over the past 40 years, Molland formed several groups for tours of American casinos, usually working as Joey Molland's Badfinger. He made the solo albums After the Pearl (1983), The Pilgrim (1999), This Way Up (2001), Return to Memphis (2013) and Be True to Yourself (2021). He also played at Beatle festivals in the UK, where he had a good rapport with fans and could join in with Beatle tribute bands without any rehearsal. In between playing and recording, Molland would work as a carpet layer. He told me: 'Carpets have such great names. I must make an album around them in the future.' He married Kathie Wiggins in 1972 and they had two sons, Joe and Shaun. She died in 2009, after which he had a longterm relationship with Mary Joyce. Mary, his sons, and a brother, Douglas, survive him. Joseph Charles Molland, musician and songwriter, born 21 June 1947; died 1 March 2025
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joey Molland, Badfinger Guitarist, Dead at 77
The post Joey Molland, Badfinger Guitarist, Dead at 77 appeared first on Consequence. Joey Molland, guitarist for the legendary Welsh rock band Badfinger, died at the age of 77 on Saturday (March 1st). While no cause of death was announced, the veteran musician had been battling a number of health issues recently. Molland's passing was reported by his social media manager Paul (aka PD), who wrote on Instagram, 'It is with profound sadness to inform his fans here on IG, and around the world that Joey (Joseph Charles) Molland passed away last night at 11:39pm CST, after a 3+ months long battle with multiple health issues.' Previously, PD had posted about Molland's health on January 18th, linking to a GoFundMe page and writing, 'Joey has spent the past 2 months in the hospital due to a complicated list of health issues, which centers on complications from his 30+ years of managing diabetes. Not to mention, he's now 77. He is under constant care…has good days & bad days. It's too much for his long-time angel of a girlfriend Mary, to handle at home. Joey has health insurance, but we all know the 'industry' only covers so much.' On the GoFundMe page, Molland's girlfriend Mary wrote of the guitarist's condition, 'Joey was vaguely ill throughout the fall, and then in early December acquired a very bad bacterial infection due to his diabetes. The infection caused septicemia and traveled through his body, causing harm in multiple critical organs and bones. His recovery has been slow and arduous, including several surgeries and procedures.' Molland joined Badfinger in 1967, right as they changed their name from The Iveys. He was considered part of the band's core lineup, also consisting of singer-guitarist Pete Ham, drummer Mike Gibbins, and bassist Tom Evans, all of whom have also died. Badfinger were signed to the Beatles' Apple Records, and released six albums from 1970 through 1974. However, they were left financially ruined by their corrupt manager Stan Polley, and singer Pete Ham wound up taking his own life in 1975. During that time, the band scored hits with such songs as 'Come and Get It' (co-written by Paul McCartney), 'No Matter What, 'No Dice,' 'Day After Day,' 'Straight Up,' and 'Baby Blue.' The band's debut album, Magic Christian Music, was co-produced by McCartney, while their third album, Straight Up, was co-produced by George Harrison and Todd Rundgren. Molland also contributed acoustic guitar to Harrison's albums All Things Must Pass and The Concert for Bangladesh, as well as John Lennon's 1971 album Imagine. Prior to Ham's suicide, Molland left Badfinger in 1974, and formed a band called Natural Gas with Humble Pie's Jerry Shirley. That outfit was relatively short-lived, and Molland ended up forming a new version of Badfinger with Tom Evans, releasing two albums: Airwaves (1979) and Say No More (1981). Sadly, Evans committed suicide in 1983, marking the end of the second incarnation of Badfinger. Molland went on to release six solo albums, ranging from 1983's After the Pearl to 2020's Be True to Yourself. Per Molland's last concert took place November 19th, 2024, in Clearwater, Florida. Our condolences go out to Joey Molland's family and friends during this difficult time. See him performing with Badfinger in the clips below. Joey Molland, Badfinger Guitarist, Dead at 77 Spencer Kaufman Popular Posts Tony Hawk Wishes Kurt Cobain Could Meet Their Shared Grandson Michelle Trachtenberg Dead at 39 Gene Hackman and Wife's Deaths Ruled "Suspicious" as Investigators Find No Signs of Gas Leak Wu-Tang Clan Announce Final Tour with Run the Jewels as Special Guest Classic MTV Unplugged Episodes Now Streaming on Paramount+ Pink Floyd to Release 4K Remaster of Live At Pompeii in Theaters and IMAX Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
At $6,000, Is This 1988 Toyota Pickup Simply A Steal?
Top Gear couldn't destroy one, enshrining Toyota Pickups like today's Nice Price or No Dice standard cab as one of the best bets for anyone looking for a long-term truck relationship. Let's see what that might reasonably be worth. The Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland is supposed to be the most complex device ever conceived by humans. In the early aughts, Volkswagen gave it a run for its money with a series of vehicles that took innovation and packaging complexity to new-found strata. The 2014 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Sport we looked at yesterday represents one of those models—the W8 Passat and Phaeton are two others—and its complexity proved a defining factor in the voting. The idea of an out-of-warranty fancy VW didn't sit well with most of you, especially not under the auspices of paying the $11,300 price asked for our Touareg. The result? A solid 80 percent No Dice loss and a collective sigh of relief not to have to deal with potential future entanglements. If complexity and the unknown are off-putting, could simplicity, expected durability, and the promise of a recently refreshed heart be a far more attractive prospect? We have all that and some sweet rubber 'Taz' floor mats with this 1988 Toyota Pickup. In fact, aside from an automatic transmission and Air-Con, this little standard cab trucklet seems to offer nothing in the way of excess frippery or clowning-around-ness. That's all good, right? We all know how legendary the '80s Toyotas as a whole and the Hilux/Pickup have come to be seen. As a testament to that vaunted reputation, this truck has done over 200,000 miles and still looks like something you wouldn't mind being seen in. Quite remarkably, for a Toyota of this era, those miles did extract a toll on the truck's fuel-injected 2.4-liter 22R four. That has been extracted, cleaned up and rebuilt, and then re-installed with its multitude of hoses and wires looking all intact. Good job, seller! If still rocking its factory specs following the rebuild, that engine should make around 110 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque, which was par for the course for small four-pot pickups back in the day. Would it be nice for this to have the turbo 22R or the 3VZ V6? Maybe. The extra oomph would be appreciated, but the added complexity and poorer fuel economy probably wouldn't be. Plus, who exactly are you racing to the home center? The three-speed automatic also puts a damper on any tire-spinning stoplight theatrics, so there's that. As noted, the rest of the truck seems to be in pretty good shape. The bodywork shows no major insult or injury, and the bed isn't overly scraped or dinged up. A sliding rear window offers excellent ventilation at the back of the cab should the A/C not be called into duty. That sits above a wide bench seat, perfect for three as the shifter is on the column and not getting in the way of feet on the floor. A nicely-fitting cover makes the bench all the more inviting, while another is doing a less successful job of snooding the dash. The dashboard below is noteworthy for having what looks to be the original radio and an oddly positioned fisheye mirror next to the glovebox door. Don't wear short skirts when riding shotgun in this truck, folks. Door cards and floor coverings also look to be in equally serviceable shape. Other plusses here include newish-looking Big O tires and a clean title with current registration. The asking price for this simple as a pimple truck is $6,000. Where do you land on this truck at that asking? Does the engine rebuild turn you off since you don't know the skill of the rebuilder? Or does the whole package add up since it is a Toyota of a certain age, and you can't break those no matter how hard you try? You decide! San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears. H/T to Don R. for the hookup! Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up via email and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
