Saturday April 14, 2012
By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Saturday April 14, 2012
F-35 Stooges
Directed by brothers Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly, the 20th Century Fox movie brings back the beloved trio, this time starring Chris Diamantopoulos, Will Sasso and Sean Hayes in the roles of Moe, Curly and Larry respectively.
In the comedy, the brothers are trying to save their childhood orphanage and inadvertently stumble into a murder plot and wind up starring in a reality TV show. The cast also includes Jane Lynch, Sofia Vergara, Jennifer Hudson and Larry David.
The Three Stooges is projected to do well at the box office; it’s estimated that the film will earn $15 million on opening weekend. At the moment, the movie is averaging a 43 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. (Source: Hollywood Reporter)
Meanwhile the F-35 controversy continues with a couple key figures: Defence Minister Peter MacKay — Canada’s defence minister since 2007, MacKay has positioned himself as a strong supporter of the military. MacKay announced the government’s plans to purchase 65 F-35s to much fanfare in July 2010, and he has continued to point out that the F-35 is the only stealth fighter available to Canada even after other ministers began softening their support for the plane. The project was taken out of his hands and given to Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino last May as cost overruns and delays mounted. Opposition parties have been demanding his resignation.
Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino — Prime Minister Stephen Harper charged Fantino with overseeing all military procurement following the federal election last May. After initially refusing to publicly admit concerns with the F-35’s development, Fantino admitted last month that the government had not closed the door on the possibility Canada will walk away from the stealth fighter. Internal documents show he has been quietly raising concerns about the project with Lockheed Martin and other partner nations. (Source: Vancouver Sun)