The big-screen adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower opened in theaters over the weekend, starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. It topped the box office charts, which reflects the high anticipation for the first screen version of King’s epic work.
Still, it fell short of expectations and did not fare particularly well with critics, as its Rotten Tomatoes score reflects. What does that mean for the future of The Dark Tower?
Is this first movie a total write-off?
Oh, no. Reportedly, the budget was a relatively modest $60 million and it’s made nearly $20 million so far just in the U.S. So the movie has a fair shot at recouping its costs through the international theatrical release and home video market.
What about the TV series?
As we’ve already noted, a television series is still moving forward. Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead, Damien) will guide the series as showrunner. The idea is to feature the heroic Gunslinger in his younger years.
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What about more movies?
That’s not resolved yet. Interestingly, before the release of The Dark Tower, Stephen King told Cinema Blend: “I’d love to see the next picture be R. That’s sort of where we’re coming from now, and where the movie needs to go. PG-13 was the safe spot to go. When pictures were R, the studio execs would say, ‘Well, we know that this is going to make 20% or 30% less money because we’re going to exclude a prime tenderloin part of the moviegoing public.’ I think that movie’s like Deadpool have changed that.”
We’re not expecting any decision on more movies to be made quickly. It’s likely, in fact, that any sequel plans will be put on hold until the TV show debuts.
The show is heading to the Starz premium cable service, which means that it it can contain material intended for adults that would earn it an R-rating if it played in theaters. So the future of The Dark Tower may indeed be R-rated, as Stephen King wishes, but it may not return to the big screen for a while yet.
Photographed in Walden, Colo., in 2013, greater sage grouse perform mating rituals. The Trump administration is revising a conservation plan for the imperiled species.
David Zalubowski/AP
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David Zalubowski/AP
A task force is recommending changes that could loosen protections for the greater sage grouse, a Western bird species renowned for its elaborate mating dance.
The report comes out of a review by the Trump administration of a massive Obama-era conservation plan for the bird which is imperiled by loss of habitat.
The administration says the revisions are aimed at giving states more flexibility. But critics argue that the changes favor mining and petroleum companies and could hurt the bird’s long-term prospects.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke ordered a review of current sage grouse management plans in June, saying he wanted to see improvement in the bird’s conservation while also taking into account “local economic growth and job creation.”
The review task force came back with a list of recommendations that could relax rules related to the sage grouse around mineral leasing areas and allow for more flexibility in grazing management. Noting President Trump’s executive order “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth,” the task force’s review says: “A cooperative DOI and State effort can provide the flexibility for responsible economic growth and at the same time ensure conservation of [greater sage grouse] habitat.”
Zinke has ordered his agencies to being implementing the recommendations immediately.
Greater sage grouse, which live across 11 Western states, have seen their populations decline from the millions to fewer than 500,000.
In 2010, their numbers dipped to the point where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deemed that the bird warranted protections under the Endangered Species Act, but limited resources and higher priorities precluded it.
Still, the finding put a scare into natural resource-dependent Western states. A listing under the Endangered Species Act would have severely limited development on tens of millions of acres of Western land. One study estimated that $5.6 billion in economic output would be lost if the bird was listed.
As a result, a broad and unlikely coalition of biologists, ranchers, environmental groups, extractive industries, federal agencies and state and local governments worked feverishly to create a management plan for the bird that would preempt a listing.
Finalized in 2015, the Greater Sage Grouse Conservation Plan was lauded as unprecedented and as one of the most complex and comprehensive conservation efforts in U.S. history. Then-Interior Director Sally Jewell described it as a “truly historic moment – one that represents extraordinary collaboration across the American West.” Given the efforts and an evaluation of the bird’s population status, the FWS decided to not list the greater sage grouse.
Not everyone was happy though. Some environmental groups argued that the plans didn’t go far enough and that the bird needed protections under the Endangered Species Act to survive.
A few Western states – Nevada, Idaho and Utah – argued that the plan was too restrictive and that it would impede economic development. Some oil, gas and coal companies agreed.
With the Trump administration touting energy independence, pushing for increased energy development on federal lands, and rolling back many Obama-era environmental policies, many expected the sage grouse plan to be reviewed.
In a memo posted with the task force’s recommendations, Zinke wrote that he issued the review in response to “concerns” he had heard regarding the plan.
The American Petroleum Institute applauded his efforts in a press release on Monday.
“The record shows that energy development and sage grouse populations can successfully coexist,” said API Upstream Director Erik Milito. “And the industry has been a leader in working with state governments and agencies to preserve Western habitats, while continuing to meet the needs of America’s energy consumers.”
Environmental and conservation groups are lambasting the decision to revise the current sage grouse management plan, saying that it’s a sign that the Trump administration can’t say ‘no’ to mining and petroleum companies.
“Weakening these plans puts the grouse at grave risk of further population declines,” says Steve Holmer, Vice President of Policy at American Bird Conservancy.
A post shared by World Dog Surfing (@worlddogsurfing) on Aug 7, 2017 at 11:27am PDT
The dogs are scored by a group of three judges.
“No. 1 is stay on the board and No. 2 is looking happy,” Sam Stahl, one of the judges explained. “No one wants to see a dog terrified at the end of a surfboard.”
At the event, an Australian kelpie named Abbie Girl not only stayed on her board, but maneuvered it, too.
Her board is custom built for a dog — it’s short and has a bright orange blaze down the bottom with her name on it.
A post shared by World Dog Surfing (@worlddogsurfing) on Aug 7, 2017 at 12:24pm PDT
Michael Uy is her owner. He started surfing with her after he adopted her from a rescue organization. He’d take her to the beach to mellow her out and socialize her.
A post shared by World Dog Surfing (@worlddogsurfing) on Aug 7, 2017 at 12:04pm PDT
“One time we put her on a surfboard to rest. And she stood up on the board and we thought, well, why don’t we put her on a wave and see what happens, and she just rode it all the way into shore,” Uy said.
Abbie Girl took home the prize for top dog — she’s now the two-time reigning champion of the event. After a push from her owner, she surfed maybe 20 feet, lifting a front leg to balance and then land on the beach. The judges noticed her footwork.
Top prize — a trophy for Abbie and a bottle of wine for her human.
Stahl, one of the judges, has a theory on why so many people get into the competition.
“There’s a lot going on in the world and a lot of things that have people kind of riled up and I think it’s important for some people to have something like this to look at and smile at,” he said. “And nothing’s more fun than watching dogs surf, honestly.”
Women work on strengthening their core abdominal muscles in Leah Keller’s exercise class for new moms, inside a San Francisco clothing store called Monkei Miles.
Talia Herman for NPR
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Talia Herman for NPR
I admit it. I have a “mummy tummy,” also known as “mommy pooch.” You know, that soft, jelly belly you retain after having a baby — it makes you look a few months pregnant.
I’ve tried to convince myself that the pooch is a valiant badge of motherhood, but who am I kidding? The pooch bothers me. And it turns out it’s been causing me back pain.
So when I hear that a fitness coach and doctor have come up with a technique that can flatten the pooch quickly and easily, I think, “Why not?”
A few weeks, later I’m rolling out a yoga mat with a dozen other moms and pregnant women in San Francisco.
“We will see a dramatic change,” says Leah Keller, who leads the class. “You can easily expect to see 2 inches off your waist in three weeks of time,” Keller says. “That’s not an unrealistic expectation.”
Decked out in purple yoga pants and leather cowboy boots, Keller is a personal trainer from New York City. She has developed an exercise that allegedly shrinks the mommy pooch.
There’s science to back up the method, she says.
“A doctor at Weill Cornell and I did a study on the exact same program we’re going to do,” Keller says. “And we found 100 percent of women achieved full resolution.”
Keller measures the separation in a student’s abdominal muscles using her fingers as a guide.
Talia Herman for NPR
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Talia Herman for NPR
OK! Wait a second. Two inches off my belly in three weeks? That sounds too good to be true. I decide to do a little digging into the science of mummy tummy and Keller’s claim.
Putting the six-pack back together
It turns out the jelly belly actually has a medical term: diastasis recti, which refers to a separation of the abdominal muscles.
And it’s quite common. Last year, a study from Norway reported about a third of moms end up with diastasis recti a year after giving birth.
“This is such a ubiquitous issue,” says Dr. Geeta Sharma, an OB-GYN at Weill Cornell Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital.
And it’s not just a cosmetic problem. Diastasis recti can cause another big issue for new moms: lower back pain.
“People can start feeling some back pain because the core is weakened,” Sharma says.
The Diastasis Recti
During pregnancy, the abdominal muscles responsible for a “six pack” stretch apart (left) to accommodate a growing fetus. After birth, the muscles don’t always bounce back, leaving a gap known as the mommy pooch.
Source: Nick Sousanis/Courtesy of Sustainable Fitness Incorporated
There’s a simple way to see if you have diastasis recti:
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent.
Put your fingers right above your belly button and press down gently.
Then lift up your head about an inch while keeping your shoulders on the ground.
If you have diastasis recti, you will feel a gap between the muscles that’s wider than an inch.
In rare occasions, the tissue in the abdomen isn’t just stretched, but it is also torn a bit. This can cause a hernia, Sharma says.
“If there’s a defect in a layer of tissue called the linea alba, then the bowel can poke through,” Sharma says. “That’s going to be more dangerous.”
A hernia may require surgery. “So I will refer patients to a general surgeon to have a C.T. scan if there’s really a true concern about a hernia,” Sharma says.
Diastasis recti arises during pregnancy because the growing fetus pushes the abdominal muscles apart — specifically the rectus abdominal muscles.
“These are the muscles that give you a ‘six pack,’ ” says Dr. Linda Brubaker, an OB-GYN at the University of California, San Diego. “People think these muscles go horizontal across the belly. But they actually go vertical from head to toe.”
The rectus abdominal muscles should be right next to each other, on either side of the belly button, Brubaker says. “There shouldn’t be much of gap between them.”
But during pregnancy a gap opens up between the muscles, right around the belly button. Sometimes that gap closes on its own, but other times it stays open.
That leaves a spot in the belly where there’s very little muscle to hold in your stomach and other organs, a spot that can be one to two inches wide. That lets the organs and overlying tissue bulge out — and cause mommy pooch.
To flatten the area, women have to get those abdominal muscles to realign. And that’s where the exercises come into play.
If you search online for ways to fix diastasis recti, you’ll turn up a deluge of exercise routines, all claiming to help coax the abdominal muscles back together.
But the quality of much of that information isn’t good, Brubaker says. “Some of it is actually potentially harmful.”
Even some exercises aimed at strengthening the abdomen can exacerbate diastasis recti, says Keller, including simple crunches.
“You have to be very careful,” she says. “For example, please don’t ever again in your life do crossover crunches or bicycle crunches. They splay your abs apart in so many ways.”
That said, there are a few exercise programs for diastasis recti that many doctors and physical therapists support. These include the Tupler Technique, Keller’s Dia Method and the MuTu System in the U.K.
Most such courses, taught once a week for an hour in New York, San Francisco and at least a few other places, tend to run about four to 12 weeks and cost around $100 to $300. Some places offer online classes and videos, which are much less expensive.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also recommends abdominal exercises for the perinatal period. But the organization’s guidelines don’t provide details — such which exercises work best, or how often women should do them and for how long.
Plus, ACOG focuses more on preventing diastasis than fixing the problem; it recommends strengthening the abdomen before and during pregnancy.
Keller (right) checks a student’s progress after the the final class. The fitness coach worked with an OB-GYN from Weill Cornell Medicine to standardize and evaluate her exercise program, which primarily targets abdominal muscles.
Talia Herman for NPR
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Talia Herman for NPR
“The best way is prevention,” says Dr. Raul Artal, an OB-GYN at St. Louis University, who helped ACOG write its exercise guidelines for the perinatal period. “The best way to do that is to exercise during pregnancy.”
But, as Sharma, the Cornell OB-GYN, points out, no one has really vigorously studied these various exercises to see if they actually fix diastasis recti.
“There’s a general knowledge that exercise is going to help,” Sharma says. “But no one has really tested them in a standardized way.”
In fact, the few studies that have been done haven’t been high enough quality to draw conclusions, researchers in Australia concluded a few years ago.
Sharma hopes to change that. A few years ago, she teamed up with Keller to start to gather some evidence on her technique.
“We did a pilot study to see if the method is helpful for women,” Sharma says.
The study was small — just 63 women. But the results were quite promising. After 12 weeks of doing Keller’s exercise — 10 minutes a day — all the women had fixed their diastasis recti, Sharma and Keller reported at ACOG’s annual meeting few years ago.
“We had patients that were even one year out from giving birth, and they still had such great benefit from the exercises,” Sharma says. “We love to see that there is something we can do to help women.”
The key exercise is typically performed while sitting crossed-legged, standing up or on all fours. But during Keller’s four-week class, she teaches many versions of the exercises. Here Tania Higham (left) and Maeve Clancy, do a version laying on their backs.
Talia Herman for NPR
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Talia Herman for NPR
Now Sharma says she’s working to put together a larger study to really nail down when the exercise works and how well.
Tight and tighter
Back at the class in San Francisco, Keller is taking us moms through the key exercise. It’s surprisingly simple to do.
“The exercise is a very small, very intense movement. That’s almost imperceptible,” Keller says. “OK. We’re going to do another set.”
Sitting on the floor cross-legged, with our hands on our bellies, we all take a big breath. “Let the belly fully expand,” Keller says.
And then as we exhale, we suck in our belly muscles — as far back as they’ll go, toward the spine. “Now we’re going to stay here near the spine. Hold this position,” she says.
Then we take tiny breaths. With each exhale, we push our stomachs back further and further.
“Tight, tighter,” Keller chants, rhythmically.
You can do the exercise in several different positions, Keller says: sitting crossed-legged, sitting on your knees, standing with knees slightly bent, on all fours or laying on your side in the fetal position.
The key is to be sure your back is flat. And that you do the exercise 10 minutes each day, changing positions every two minutes or so. For the rest of the time, your belly is pulled all the way back into the spine.
“The fingertips on the bellybutton are really important for this reason,” she says. “So you know that you’re squeezing tight, tighter with the belly, and you’re never bulging the bellybutton forward.”
This is our fourth week of class, and we’ve been doing this same exercise on our own every day for at least 10 minutes. So it’s judgement day. Time to see if we’ve flattened our bellies and resolved the diastasis recti.
Keller pulls out a measuring tape and starts wrapping it around women’s middles. She also has us lie down on the floor, so she can measure the separation in our abdominal muscles.
One by one, there’s success after success. Several moms completely closed up their abdominal separations. Many lost inches from their bellies.
One woman had amazing results. “Oh my goodness, you lost nearly four inches from your belly circumference,” Keller exclaims. “That’s amazing!”
How did I fare? Well, after three weeks, I didn’t completely close up the abdominal separation. My separation decreased from 1.2 inches to 0.8 inches.* But I did drop more than an inch from my belly circumference.
And I am quite happy with the results. My abs are definitely firmer. And regularly doing this exercise brought a bonus benefit: My lower back pain has almost completely gone away.
*I continued to do the exercises after the class had finished. I checked with in Keller three weeks later to have her measure my diastasis recti. At that point, the separation had dropped down to 0.6 inches, which meant technically I no longer have diastasis recti.
