Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Julia Roberts and her F*&? filled Tom Hanks speech

This just in!

Julia Roberts gives an expletive filled speech at a tribute to Tom Hanks in New York on Monday night (New York time, obviously).

It pretty much speaks for itself. It's a bit of a roast and less a toast (i.e. raise your glasses for the bride and the groom), which is always refreshing when you're dealing with someone with the star level magnitude of Tom Hanks. So sit back and enjoy this foul mouthed tirade! And a suggestion for Roberts. I think she needs to give another heartfelt impassioned speech to someone else on a similar A list high power level. And that person might be Oprah.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Lightning Strikes Martha Stewart

Not only is she a self proclaimed domestic goddess, but now she's a triple time lightning strike survivor. She really can do it all!

Martha Stewart, 67, claims to have been electrocuted three times recently, during electrical storms, while being inside and completing (of course) some domestic chores. It's like reading that Martha Stewart was killed when 10 carpet rolls fell on her while she was undertaking a summer project in the Hamptons. If she's going to be killed, it will be while being Martha Stewart to the nth degree.

Now Martha claims that she was doing the dishes and got struck in the stomach. And then was struck two more times while being on the phone and holding a metal rod. Now, I've heard of lightning striking twice, but three times?!?!

If you've seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, then you may recall the man who was struck by lightning seven times. Perhaps Martha is on this path. But for now, here's some videos of lightning, striking!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

*Okay, so this is not exactly new news. And there has already been an article written on this at the vine (click here to read it). However, I felt I needed to write about it with a bigger Lynchian emphasis.

If you're a David Lynch fan, then you will understand how fitting it is that he has directed the new Moby music video "A Shot in the Back of the Head". From reading the title of the song, it is clear that a magical collaborative dream team effort has occurred. There's Lynch, with his fascination with the head and it being smashed, kicked, shot, cutting its ears off, etc. and then there's Moby, specifically with this disjointed, dark tune. And put together in this clip, is just a visual feast for the (dark) eyes and a treat for all of the Lynch fans out there.

Even if you're not a fan of David Lynch's movies (Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and TV show Twin Peaks) you will be able to realise that watching this clip is a similar experience to watching Lynch's work. His dream like images are felt on a different level here. In "Shot in the Back of the Head" it feels like you are watching a labyrinthine disjointed tale of love, loss and murder, all through the shots of a dark, messed up set of animated shots and distorted images.

I could go on for hours about everything Lynch, but for now, here is the Moby clip again for your enjoyment!


Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Barrymore shines in Grey Gardens

Movie adaptations are always tricky. Whether you're adapting from a book, poem, song, short story, or remaking a classic film, there lies certain problems within the undertaking that can cause irreparable damage within the final product. Over six months ago, when I heard about the HBO remake/adaptation film of one of my favourite films of all time, I got skittish. But now after a sneak peak, I can rest assured that this could be one of the TV events of the year.

In 1975, the Maysles Brothers (Albert and David, of previous Rolling Stones-fan dying at concert documentary-Gimme Shelter fame) released a groundbreaking, fly on the wall style documentary (also known as Cinéma vérité for all you cinephiles and cinephile wannabes out there!)

The doco was about the pairing of an eccentric mother and daughter, living in an old, dilapidated mansion called Grey Gardens. But the pull was that this mother and daughter pairing were the great Aunt and cousin of former First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (or the original Jackie O!) These former women of high class New York society had been living in squalor. And when press caught wind of it, a flurrying sensation was caused and Jackie herself came to help clean up the mess. A few years later, the Maysles came to film them, still living in their festering squalor with roughly 20 feral random cats wondering the premises, just "doing what they do". And henceforth the film Grey Gardens was born.

These two ladies were the original crazy old cat ladies you always heard about.
And just to add to Little Edie's (the daughter) eccentricities, she donned a head scarf at all times to hide her hair that had previously fallen out, thus creating the unforgettable image of Little Edie (seen to the left) and the one of the woman that lies behind Grey Gardens.

But enough about the old, and in with the new. Some time ago, I heard that a film version was being made of Grey Gardens. Already a successful Tony aw
ard winning musical had been made. However this film is not an adaptation of the musical, it's a movie of the whole story of the Beales, spanning 40 years.

The first thing that I noticed was the casting choices. The brilliant Jessica Lange was to play Big Edie, which seemed like a very apt choice, as Lange is simple put, amazing. But then I read that Drew Barrymore had been cast as the one-of-a-kind Little Edie. This seemed like a risky choice for both the studio and Barrymore to make. Well, luckily, I have to say that my faith has been restored. If you check out the following clips you will see Barrymore as you've never seen her before. Over a years worth of vocal training, and much preparation has lead to what shall hopefully be a masterful performance. To judge for yourself, take a sneak peak at the trailer embedded below.

As a fan of the original cult doco, all I can say is that I'm relieved and beyond excited to see this hopefully magnificent adaptation of a truly unique and amazing story.

Originally slated for a theatrical release, HBO will be premiering Grey Gardens this Sunday night in the US. Who knows when we'll get it. I pray as soon as humanly possible, but with the past track records of getting anything decent on our screens, this could prove a more difficult task.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Fit for an iQueen

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama recently landed in London for the G20 summits. And while in town, the Obama's had a little meeting with Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Phillip. But what present would be given? Of late, the Obama's have been giving some interesting, if not unusual presents, most noticeably a collection of 25 American Classic Films to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. So, what were we expecting from the hip, cool and trendy, Blackberry obsessed US Prez?

When I heard that young Lizzy received an iPod from the Obama's as her official present, I couldn't help but wonder, what was on it? And then what would she likely to add, presuming her was as uber cool as Obama.

Naturally, little jokes such as Dancing Queen, and Queen's Greatest Hits come to mind, but According to the Associated Press, the iPod had a collection of popular Broadway musicals hits from such shows as "Funny Girl", "Dreamgirls", "Rent", "My Fair Lady" and "The King and I" among many others.

As when Brown received his collection of American classic films, I wondered, if I was Obama, what would I put on the iPod for the Queen. Perhaps I'd thrown in some Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, classics in my book, maybe some Greenday, and some local chaps called The Beatles, and some of their contemporaries. As I pop forth this question to myself, I pop it forward to you: If you could put anything on the Queen's iPod, what would you choose?

Animal Sex Interests Rossellini


Some people like to knit or yarn. Others take up gardening. Well, it seems veteran actress Isabella Rossellini (daughter of Hollywood legends - actress Ingrid Bergman and director Roberto Rossellini) is interested in the mating rituals of animals. And why not, I say. The fascination of reproduction is one not to be shy of, and yet everywhere I turn on the internet this past day, all I read it "Rossellini fascinated by animal fornication" as if it were a shameful thing. Naturally, intrigue got the better of me and within minutes I was reading about Rossellini's new pet project.

"Green Porno" is a set of documentary shorts based on the coital habits of different animals. And these series of shorts sees, Rossellini, not shy of her own famous sexuality (see Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her if you don't know what I'm talking about) diverting off to another set of species. Rossellini says "I'm not interested in people sex, just animal sex! More scandalous!”

Her shorts feature an array of "interesting" animals such as insects and sea creatures. I, personally, would have been more fascinated by the larger animals mating rituals (like the elephants, lions, etc, but I guess you can see that on any David Attenborough special) Rossellini most importantly notes about her little creatures that "they can do it everywhere. They can reproduce sexually, like us, but they can also do it asexually. They're so freaky, I love them! It''s fascinating," she added.

Let's bring it on, Isabella. Bring it on!