Triple bill of police thrillers. 'Big Bang' (2011) stars Antonio Banderas as a Los Angeles private detective handed an unusual assignment. When Ned Cruz (Banderas) is approached by a Russian boxer (Robert Maillet) to find his missing girlfriend (Sienna Guillory) and the $30 million worth of diamonds in her possession, it is clear that this will not be an everyday job. Can Cruz make sense of the bizarre circumstances and track down the missing girl? 'Bad Cop' (2010) is an action thriller set in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. Johnny Strong stars as Sean Riley, a beleaguered police detective struggling to cope with the recent death of his young son and the subsequent breakdown of his marriage. After a call goes horribly wrong, Riley looks set to lose his job - unless he can solve a series of brutal murders that have sent the city spiralling into gang warfare. In 'Operation Endgame' (2010) a top-secret facility underneath Washington D.C. finds two competing teams of assassins - code-named according to a deck of Tarot cards - at work. When a new employee known only as The Fool (Joe Anderson) arrives for his first day of work, he is alarmed to find his new boss murdered and the entire building rigged with explosives. The Fool must race against the clock to identify the killer and make his escape. Zach Galifianakis, Brandon T. Jackson and Maggie Q co-star.

Comic action thriller about US government assassins. In a top-secret facility underneath Washington D.C., two competing teams of assassins - code-named according to a deck of Tarot cards - are at work. When a new employee known only as The Fool (Joe Anderson) arrives for his first day of work, he is alarmed find his new boss murdered and the entire building rigged with explosives. The Fool must now race against the clock to identify the killer and make his escape. Zach Galifianakis, Brandon T. Jackson and Maggie Q co-star.

South-East Asia has developed rapidly as a tourist destination, but what are the effects of this growth upon the peoples of the region? How far is it possible to control the impact of tourism whilst also supporting the industry's role in the region's development? This book, first published in 1993, attempts to answer these questions by providing a critical analysis of the nature of tourism as it has developed in the area. It questions commonly held assumptions about tourism both from a western perspective and from the point of view of policy makers in the region. It explores central issues such as the impact of tourism on the environment, culture and the economy, placing it within an historical and political context in order to assess the implications of current developments. The contributors use case studies from a variety of countries on such aspects as the sex industry, dream holidays and rural handicrafts, assessing tourist perceptions, both domestic and international, and policy decisions. By taking a long-term perspective it should provoke thought on the ways to develop sustainable tourism for the future.

This title was first published in 2000: Souvenirs, broadly conceived, are generally thought to be the material counterpart of travels, events, relationships and memories of all kinds. The material items classed as souvenirs discussed in this text have memorial functions, usually connected with the owner's travels. But not all of the items are souvenirs of tourism; they are also souvenirs of other past phenomena, such as political events (suffragettes), colonial history (India), former artistic pre-eminence (Awaji Ningyo puppetry) or former ways of life (South American ceramic archaisms). The authors do not necessarily focus on material souvenirs in their memorial function as prompters of memory. They also use their case studies as starting points for the discussion of many interesting contemporary phenomena, such as cottage industries for economic development in Mexico and Ainu, as devices to invigorate or maintain artistic practices, as emblems of cultural conformity (Surrealists) or as symbolic weapons in national and international political arguments. A key focus of many of the chapters is the question of meaning: what is the meaning of any particular souvenir or collection, and for whom does it bear that meaning?

This title was first published in 2000: Souvenirs, broadly conceived, are generally thought to be the material counterpart of travels, events, relationships and memories of all kinds. The material items classed as souvenirs discussed in this text have memorial functions, usually connected with the owner's travels. But not all of the items are souvenirs of tourism; they are also souvenirs of other past phenomena, such as political events (suffragettes), colonial history (India), former artistic pre-eminence (Awaji Ningyo puppetry) or former ways of life (South American ceramic archaisms). The authors do not necessarily focus on material souvenirs in their memorial function as prompters of memory. They also use their case studies as starting points for the discussion of many interesting contemporary phenomena, such as cottage industries for economic development in Mexico and Ainu, as devices to invigorate or maintain artistic practices, as emblems of cultural conformity (Surrealists) or as symbolic weapons in national and international political arguments. A key focus of many of the chapters is the question of meaning: what is the meaning of any particular souvenir or collection, and for whom does it bear that meaning?

South-East Asia has developed rapidly as a tourist destination, but what are the effects of this growth upon the peoples of the region? How far is it possible to control the impact of tourism whilst also supporting the industry's role in the region's development? This book, first published in 1993, attempts to answer these questions by providing a critical analysis of the nature of tourism as it has developed in the area. It questions commonly held assumptions about tourism both from a western perspective and from the point of view of policy makers in the region. It explores central issues such as the impact of tourism on the environment, culture and the economy, placing it within an historical and political context in order to assess the implications of current developments. The contributors use case studies from a variety of countries on such aspects as the sex industry, dream holidays and rural handicrafts, assessing tourist perceptions, both domestic and international, and policy decisions. By taking a long-term perspective it should provoke thought on the ways to develop sustainable tourism for the future.

This book investigates tourism as a form of globalization within the context of the island of Bali, which has been voted the world's top island destination for the third time running by American travellers. The volume covers the onset of the Asian Crisis, the largest stock-market crash since the Great Depression. The authors chart the turbulence that has afflicted the island at a time of market uncertainty and global political strife and analyze the responses of Bali's business and community leaders to the crises that have buffeted the island since the fall of Suharto. In particular, the book analyzes crisis management with regard to the Bali Bombings, the impact of the bombings on the tourism development cycle and investigates the motives of the bombers. The authors argue that the actions of the bombers can best be understood with regard to the rise of political Islam as a global issue and the book breaks new ground with an analysis of the bombers' global experiences. The book also examines home-grown resistance to certain aspects of globalization, notably the attempt to turn Besakih, the island's mother temple, into a World Heritage Site and top tourist destination.

The impact of the Asia crisis has contributed to the debate about the need for regulation of global markets. This book outlines the events leading up to and during the Financial Crisis of 1997 and assesses the responses of the financial contagion. The potential for economic reform is discussed and the willingness of legislators in South East Asia to create a new legal infrastructure to control business is studied. The discussion moves to the political arena, where the extensive use of the internet as a new medium is discussed using Malaysia as a case in point. The next section focuses on specific themes relating to labour, capital and political business. It studies the response of Malaysian labour to the financial and political crisis. Another contribution explores the tourism industry in Bali, and Indonesian economic and social meltdown. Finally, it examines the vulnerability of fast growth in the Thai telecommunications industry and the development of third world multinationals is assessed. Unfolding tensions between local and expatriate staff as a result of multinational corporate restructuring are explored.

The word 'batik' is possibly of Malay origin from the word 'tik' meaning 'to drip' or 'to drop.' The term is applied to a resist dye technique invented independently in locations as diverse as Ancient Egypt, Japan and Turkestan. Batik is a remarkably flexible textile technique and is suited to small-scale methods of production, but demand from the fashion and tourism industries is increasing. This volume brings together the experiences and concerns of the international community of batik producers. It gives voice to their suggestions for ensuring that the producers of this traditional craft are integrated into its increasingly global production rather than excluded from it. Building on the work of batik designers and producers the book discusses the emergence of a global craft consciousness. Batik producers report on innovative measures taken both individually and collectively to hold their market position while commercial producers frequently annex and mass-produce traditional batik design. The book concludes with a discussion of marketing and production innovations and tourism which enable the producers of batik to maintain the integrity of their designs whilst harnessing the benefits of new commercial forms.

The word 'batik' is possibly of Malay origin from the word 'tik' meaning 'to drip' or 'to drop.' The term is applied to a resist dye technique invented independently in locations as diverse as Ancient Egypt, Japan and Turkestan. Batik is a remarkably flexible textile technique and is suited to small-scale methods of production, but demand from the fashion and tourism industries is increasing. This volume brings together the experiences and concerns of the international community of batik producers. It gives voice to their suggestions for ensuring that the producers of this traditional craft are integrated into its increasingly global production rather than excluded from it. Building on the work of batik designers and producers the book discusses the emergence of a global craft consciousness. Batik producers report on innovative measures taken both individually and collectively to hold their market position while commercial producers frequently annex and mass-produce traditional batik design. The book concludes with a discussion of marketing and production innovations and tourism which enable the producers of batik to maintain the integrity of their designs whilst harnessing the benefits of new commercial forms.

This collection of papers discuss World Trade Law and focus on the contested nature of World Heritage at sites as diverse as The Netherlands, Ellis Island (USA), post-colonial Mesoamerica, Cambodia, Fiji, Kyrgyzstan, and Vietnam. In addition, eight research notes explore heritage interpretation in the USA, Lebanon, Peru, Indonesia, Singapore, Tasmania and India.