Hoffman
Hoffmann or Hofmann is a surname of German origin. The original meaning in medieval times was "steward, i.e. one who manages the property of another". The name was later adopted by many Jewish families. In English and other European languages, including Yiddish and Dutch, the name is also spelt Hoffman, Hofman, Huffman, Gofman or Hofmans.
Hoffman
Hoffman (film)
Hoffman is a 1970 British film directed by Alvin Rakoff and starring Peter Sellers, Sinéad Cusack, Ruth Dunning and Jeremy Bulloch.
It is notable for the haunting music by Ron Grainer, the theatrical art of scene setting, fine color cinematography, and as one of Sellers' few 'straight' performances.
Plot
Hoffman is the satirical tale of an older man, played by Peter Sellers, who pressures a young woman to come to his flat in London. As the film progresses, it is revealed that Sellers' character has caught one of his workers dealing in a scam against his company, and has decided to blackmail the man's lovely fiancée away for a full week to convince her to fall in love with him instead. A witty drama rather than a comedy, the film has an almost terrifying performance by Sellers, involved in intricate mind games with the other protagonists.
Production
The movie was one of the first greenlit by Bryan Forbes while he was head of EMI Films.
Reportedly, Sellers despised Hoffman because the lead character too closely reflected his own personality. According to Bryan Forbes, who was head of the studio that financed the film, Sellers went through a depressive phase after filming was completed and he asked to buy back the negative and remake the movie. He also gave an interview where he said the film was a disaster.
Hoffman (Detroit automobile)
The Hoffman had two prototype vehicles built by the R.C. Hoffman company of Detroit, Michigan in 1931. They were front-drive vehicles, powered by Lycoming straight-8 engines. The wheels were carried on solid load-bearing axles. Semi-elliptical springs were equipped on the front end, along with torque arms.
References
Serenity (soundtrack)
The soundtrack to the 2005 motion picture Serenity was released on September 27, 2005. The film's score was composed by David Newman, and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony under Newman's direction. According to director Joss Whedon's sleeve notes for the album, Newman was recommended by Universal's music executives when he requested a musician capable of "everything." It is of note that the acoustic guitar version of the Ballad of Serenity, which was used at the end of the film's credits, is absent from the soundtrack.
Track listing
References
Reviews
Serenity (Firefly vessel)
Serenity is a fictional spaceship that appears in Joss Whedon's Firefly television series and related works. Set in the 26th century, the series follows the nine-person crew of the Firefly-class vessel, a small transport ship, as they earn a living through various legal and illegal means. The ship is the main setting; it appears in all fourteen episodes, the film, and several comics.
The ship was designed by director Joss Whedon, production designer Carey Meyer, and visual effects supervisor Loni Peristere. The collaboration led to more consistency between the live-action and digital effects representations of Serenity than is usual in science-fiction works. Two contiguous sets were built, between them containing the entirety of the ship's interior, which provided several advantages to the cast and crew during filming. The digital model of the ship was created by Zoic Studios, who also developed methods to digitally replicate live-action filming techniques, a first for television. These allowed digital renderings of the ship to blend in with the documentary/found-footage filming style of the live-action scenes.
Serenity (Bobo Stenson album)
Serenity is a double album by Swedish pianist Bobo Stenson recorded in 1999 and released on the ECM label.
Reception
The Penguin Guide to Jazz selected this album as part of its suggested Core Collection. The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4½ stars stating "Simply put, there are no records like the Stenson Trio's Serenity. The band has outdone themselves by their slow, careful development over three records and has become one of the premier rhythm trios on the planet. Serenity is not only the group's coup de grace, but also a jazz masterpiece of the highest order". The JazzTimes review by Stuart Nicholson stated "Here, Stenson emerges as an original voice within jazz, which in these renascent times is cause enough for celebration".
Track listing
Disc One:
Podcasts:
