Wednesday, June 9, 2010

The Return of Calypso and Indiana Jones



bbc - To mark the centennial of marine explorer Jacques Cousteau's birth, the society established in his name will relaunch his ship, the Calypso.

The vessel was badly damaged in 1996, when a barge accidentally rammed into it in the port of Singapore.

It is now being repaired and the Cousteau Society says it will become a "touring educational exhibition".

The ship, originally a British minesweeper, was adapted into a "mobile oceanography laboratory" in 1950.

It was bought by Irish millionaire and former MP Thomas Loel Guinness, a descendent of the founder of the Guinness brewery, who outfitted it to Captain Cousteau's specifications and leased it to him for a symbolic one franc per year.

The former naval officer turned explorer caught some of the first glimpses of deep sea life from aboard the ship.

This was aided by Calypso's "false nose" that Captain Cousteau and his team used as an underwater observation chamber.

He also brought the life of the oceans to public attention with his TV series, films and several books.

In 1943, Captain Cousteau and the French engineer Emile Gagnan developed the aqualung, the breathing apparatus that first supplied oxygen to divers, allowing them to stay underwater for several hours.

Captain Cousteau died in 1997. His eponymous society plans to mark the centennial of his birth with a year-long celebration.

This will include a new filming expedition in the Mediterranean Sea - to document the changes since Captain Cousteau made one of his first films there in the 1940s.

His youngest son, Pierre-Yves Cousteau said: "If he were alive today, my father would be gratified by the creation of marine protected areas in many countries and by the growing community of scientists working to advance understanding and conservation of ocean biodiversity.

"However, I know he would also be distressed by the ongoing pillage of oceans by industrialised fisheries [and] by the catastrophes that stem from exploiting off-shore oil resources."
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'Indiana Jones 5' Goes to the Bermuda Triangle....Will He Kick ET's Ass?

stuff - Harrison Ford's final outing as Indiana Jones will be "emotional and exciting" as the franchise heads back to its roots after a badly received fourth installment.

Ford is well-known for his portrayal of the archaeologist and adventurer, and has agreed to reprise the role one last time.

Indiana Jones 5 will begin shooting next year, and much of the plot line will be centered around the Bermuda Triangle, an area over the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft are said to have disappeared.

"George (Lucas) and Steven (Spielberg) have been working on a script and it's almost there," a source explained.

"Harrison is on stand-by for filming next year. This looks like being an emotional and exciting conclusion to the franchise, with Indy facing his biggest challenge yet."

The last film in the franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was released in 2008 and performed well at the box office, but was savaged by critics.

Shia LaBeouf played Indiana's son Mutt Williams, and he will also appear in the new instalment.

Movie bosses have assured fans the film will stay true to the series' roots, and won't contain lots of state-of-the-art special effects.

"Shia LaBeouf has a central role again as Indy's son but this will be a blockbuster made in the old fashioned way rather than the CGI efforts of the last movie," the source added.

NOTE: I would wish for confrontations against Reptilians in underwater bases and on USO's :) ...Lon

The Return of Calypso and Indiana Jones