'Cleopatra,' starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, is considered to be an iconic movie. Because it's iconic, people tend to assume that it must have been a runaway success, which is a mistake. Like 'The Golden Compass,' it didn't do badly, but so much money had been spent on it by the time it was released that it had virtually no chance of making a profit. That's despite the fact that the film almost marketed itself, thanks to the fascination of the press at the time around what may or may not have been going on between Burton and Taylor.
The big tragedy here is that much of the $44m budget - $330m today - was spent on scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor. The initial edit was six hours long, and so 20th Century Fox had to get the scissors out and cut away over forty minutes of very expensive footage. When it made less than was projected, Fox temporarily closed, laying off staff and cutting back on expenses wherever possible. They eventually reopened in a diminished state, taking years to make a full recovery.
For the past few years, we've been seeing more and more food halls dominate the retail industry. The craze has swept Los Angeles and New York by storm and is now making its way to Miami. In Magic City alone, ten of these food parks have opened just recently. The mania is even set to triple in size by the year 2020.
Now more than ever, more people have been adopting a vegan lifestyle. A survey in the United Kingdom reveals that 3.5 million residents have turned vegan, while 20 percent have at least tried the concept. People are now wanting to cut down on meat, and the food industry is giving in to the demand. Even wineries have started stocking up on vegan wines.
Due to increased awareness and desire to help the environment, companies have become more committed to eco-friendly food packaging. Previously, companies didnt care much about producing a ton of waste; but now, efforts to reuse, reduce, and recycle are much more apparent. For instance, PepsiCo has committed to creating completely recyclable packaging by the year 2025.
Who would have thought that young millennials would be into rum? These barrel-aged, small-batch rums are the latest trend in booze, and now even British companies such as Essexs English Spirit are joining in. The spirit is one of the most popular and versatile forms of alcohol, whether it be sweet or strong, dark or white, neat with ice or served with coke.
Nowadays, people have become more accepting of imperfection; when it comes to fresh produce that is. Imperfect Produce is just one of the grocery delivery companies that serve physically flawed fruits and vegetables. This effort is geared toward reducing waste, and the disfigured foods are often turned into hummus, crisps, and juices.
Various Asian restaurants have been popping up recently, and Sri Lankan cuisine is slowly making its way to the western palate. Sri Lankan dishes such as kottu roti, pol sambol, coconut relish, and hoppers, are being introduced to the market, and people are loving it. Unlike before, the Sri Lankan flavor is finally being recognized as an individual cuisine, separate from Indian food.