movies filter: The Bad and the Beautiful

Pam Anderson's Garage Sale Grindhouse

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:08:13 GMT

Pamela Anderson recently had a garage sale and while I can agree with most of the items she cleared out -- why sell your book on the history of Grindhouse cinema Pam? That's a keeper!

From the Daily Mail:

"Fans hoping for an insight into Pamela would be interested to see her book collection, including political pundit William J. Bennett's moral story book 'The Book Of Virtues', Eddie Muller and Daniel Faris's 'Grindhouse: The Forbidden World of "Adults Only" Cinema' and the pictorial 'Kiss Kiss' by Patrick McMullan."

I already own a copy of Muller and Faris's "Grindhouse" but I would have loved to have purchased Miss Anderson's. Or at least told her to hang on to it! And further, reminded her to track down a copy of Eddie Muller's "Dark City" or even better, "Dark City Dames: The Wicked Women of Film Noir" -- a book she might relate to...or gain some new fashion tips from.

--posted by Kim

Honeysuckle Owe

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:28:37 GMT

It's tax day. For me, a day not of wine and roses but, wine and wine and wine and hard liquor and whatever I'm gonna get my hands on to soften/inebriate the blow after I send in my check.

If you see me at the bar (the Frolic Room), I'll be the girl yelling "Drinks NOT on me!"

Anyway, with that in mind, here's the top ten troubled tax celebs, including Buster Keaton, Judy Garland and my current favorite Wesley Snipes.

And...God bless you Willie Nelson!

--posted by Kim

Marilyn Monroe Sex Tape Remains Private

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:19:59 GMT

Wow. I almost don't believe this story:

"A 15-minute film of Marilyn Monroe engaging in oral sex with an unidentified man will be kept from public view by a New York businessman who has bought it for $1.5 million, the broker of the deal said on Monday.

"Memorabilia collector Keya Morgan said he recently arranged the sale of the silent, black-and-white film from the son of a dead FBI informant who possessed it to a wealthy Manhattan businessman who wants to protect Monroe’s privacy.

“'The gentleman who bought it said out of respect for Marilyn he’s not going to make a joke of it and put it on the Internet and try to exploit her,' said memorabilia collector Keya Morgan. 'That’s not his intention and I would never get my name involved if that were to happen.'”

In this day and age, to call the buyer a "gentleman" is a supreme understatement.

Read the entire piece here.

--posted by Kim

Jack's Got Hillary's Back

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 03:04:33 GMT

In an ad not commissioned or endorsed by the Hillary Clinton campaign (but they have to love it), acclaimed actor, iconic movie star and famed lothario Jack Nicholson shows his support for Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton via a variety of film characters from movies like "Batman," "The Shining," "Chinatown," and "Five Easy Pieces."

It's great, it feels almost weird, it's nice, it's cool, it's funny, it's sexually confident (as if Jack's threatened by a woman running the country) and it's gonna rub so many people the wrong way.

I'm just waiting for whomever creates the unofficial rebuttal, focusing on famous Nicholson movie lines that are more negative regarding the opposite sex. Films like "Carnal Knowledge," "The Witches of Eastwick" and "As Good as it Gets" will offer some choice quotes and scenes. (Remember what happened when Ann-Margret complained that she had wanted to "canvas for Kennedy"?)

Anyway, I wonder how much this will actually help Hillary right now?

--posted by Kim

Happy Leap Day!

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:28:22 GMT

Dinah Shore says Happy Leap Day!

Among those celebrating (or would have celebrated):

William Wellman, Jimmy Dorsey (brother to Tommy Dorsey), Japanese film director Masahiro Makino, "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" writer Dee Alexander Brown II, Photographer Edward B. Taylor, Mary McAdoo (the "Most Outstanding Female Personality" by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 1955), Michelle Morgan, Tempest Storm (born Annie Blanche Banks), Alex Rocco, Dennis Farina, Gérard Darmon, Anthony Robbins, Ja Rule and of course, Miss Dinah Shore.

Since it comes only once every four years, I propose we make it a National Holiday.

Instead, we'll have to look forward to the opening of "Semi-Pro," "The Other Boleyn Girl," "Penelope," "Chicago 10" or dear god, "Witless Protection." Check out reviews here.

And maybe stay in tonight. Celebrate the day with a rousing viewing of William Wellman's "Wings" (Clara Bow, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers," Richard Arlen and Gary Cooper? You can't go wrong.)

Or...watch Dinah duet with the sublime Peggy Lee over and over and over again. Why is it more transfixing out of synch? Must have something to do with leap year...

--posted by Kim

Master Welles

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:59:47 GMT

I love Orson Welles but I can't help it. Must post dog impersonating not his master but the master:

--posted by Kim

'Cat Ballou' Will Keep You Warm

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:11:53 GMT

This is an older piece but I love it. Those stationed in Antarctica often go a little crazy -- especially about movies.

One man really got into "Cat Ballou" -- 87 times really.

Actually, I don't think that's all that weird, especially if you're cold.

From the story:

"How boring is life in the Antarctic? People in one group wintering at the South Pole in the 1960s watched the film 'Cat Ballou' 87 times. People in another, after tiring of the westerns, Disney features and pornographic films on hand, spliced the movies together into their own production and adopted a vocabulary based on their creation that was so strange that relief crews arriving in the spring could barely understand them."

Read the rest of the story here.

--posted by Kim

Another Day, Another List

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:26:39 GMT

I've know plenty of smart people who've made really stupid decisions in their lives. I've also met quite a few dim-witted "successful" people. So naturally, this list bothers me to no end.

And, yes, the petty listers (The New York Daily News) who compiled the "50 Dumbest People in Hollywood" claim their choices don't necessarily equate to IQ points:

"The newspaper is quick to point out that “dumb doesn’t necessarily correspond to a low IQ. There are poor life choices, style slipups and mishaps under the influence to take into account,” that they used to compile their list.

"Lindsay Lohan tops the list for 'poor movie choices ('I Know Who Killed Me'), delinquent behavior and bad taste in men,' according to the Daily News.

"The actress might have been labeled 'dumbest,' but Lindsay shares the dishonor with some stiff completion from fellow list-makers Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Jackson, Isiah Washington, Nicole Richie, David Hasselhoff, Shar Jackson and many more."

...But still.

And Shia? Please. We'll always have Walgreens.

--posted by Kim

Curious 'Country' Connection

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 20:05:47 GMT

Wow. In terms of Cormac McCarthy very loosely basing the mysterious killer Anton Chigurh (played by Javier Bardem in The Coen's movie) on a real guy (or at least playing around with his name), this speculative bit of background regarding "No Country For Old Men" is interesting. But when it gets to co-star Woody Harrelson's father, you start to really wonder about such coincidental connections. Blogger K. Bowen dug up some impressive information:

"While watching the movie, something unusual struck me. A weird coincidence. Or perhaps a non-coincidence. In fact, that is what's interesting about it.

"You must understand that I share one big thing in common with the great American author Cormac McCarthy. We both have spent considerable portions of our lives living in El Paso, Texas. I grew up there. He spent most of his adult life there. Which explains why 'No Country for Old Men' revolves around a drug deal gone bad in the arid desert of West Texas about 1980. The hit man sent to recover the drug money, played by Javier Bardem, is named Anton Chigurh. To an El Pasoan, that name can’t help but ring a bell.

"One of the big drug kingpins in the Southwest in the 1970s was allegedly an El Pasoan, Jamiel 'Jimmy' Chagra. He was (and presumably still is) a colorful character. Raised in a Lebanese family who moved up from Mexico, he spent much of his riches gambling in Las Vegas... As an El Pasoan, it’s hard not to notice that the two names – Chagra and Chigurh – share the same consonants.

"Now, I can't say for sure that this is the case, and you would not have seen any member of the Chagra family stalking through West Texas on a killing spree. Whatever was done or not done, it was white-collar. However, if I were a novelist writing a book about drug trafficking in and around El Paso circa 1980, I might be tempted to play around with the name Chagra.

"Now this is where it starts getting really interesting. The most infamous event involving the Chagra family took place in 1979. While walking in a San Antonio parking lot, Federal Judge John Wood was shot and killed by a hidden gunman... Curiously, one who served zero was Jimmy Chagra himself. He would be acquitted of a murder conspiracy charge, but found guilty on a drug trafficking charge and sent to prison until early this decade. (Naturally, someone is writing a film script.)

"Now here’s the big twist that brings it back to the film ….. the man convicted of accepting $250,000 to do the shooting? The late Charles Harrelson. The father of Woody Harrelson. Who appears in this movie. Not only does he appear in the movie. He’s the only person in the movie who is said to be able to recognize the killer.

"So is that coincidence, or casting? I don’t know. Certainly Harrelson has worked for the Coens before. Maybe no one thought about this. But I have my sneaking suspicion."

Read the entire entry at Anti-dis-arts-and-Entertainmentism. And bravo to Bowen's detective work.

--posted by Kim

Well Did You Ever?

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:11:36 GMT

Congratulations to Milla Jovovich for giving birth to her first child with her "Resident Evil" director Paul Anderson.

No word yet on why the gorgeous actress named her child for an adverb and near the moniker of an Erich Von Stroheim ventriloquist character (he was Gabbo), but we're happy Ever Gabo is a bouncing, healthy baby girl. And, OK OK. Gabo is a Russian name, so, you know I was just kidding around. And I love Milla. I'm also growing fond of the name. It almost sounds like the "Green Acres" sister, Eva Gabor.

--posted by Kim

Shia LeBeouf Arrested

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:50:46 GMT

Shia LeBeouf was arrested in a Chicago Walgreens for criminal trespassing.

Walgreens? What the hell Shia? Are you conducting research to play a mentally unstable homeless person? Or one of those tweekers who freaks out when they can't get a three year old script for Oxy filled and starts screaming about their imaginary lawyer? Will this factor into the new Indy movie? Why, Shia, why?

On a side note, I think I've been to that particular Chi Town Walgreens and I too spent an excessive amount of time in there. I was staring at magazines and checking out travel size toiletries but, still. I kind of understand.

--posted by Kim

Swank's Latest Cut

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:50:18 GMT

Listen up salon addicted actresses, pop stars and writers seeking both a spot on Oprah for their "great American novel" and a shorter, sassier style. If you want to generate positive media attention for chopping your locks, hand those shears over to Ms. Winfrey who will hack your cascading tresses on national television. Well, Hilary Swank's tresses anyway:

"Hilary Swank must really trust Oprah Winfrey. The Oscar-winning actress let the talk-show host chop off a little more than 9 inches of her hair during a segment that was to air Friday on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show.'

"The TV shearing was done in the name of charity: Swank, 33, donated her locks to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which works with the American Cancer Society to provide wigs at no charge to women suffering from hair loss caused by their cancer treatments."

Somewhere Britney is wishing she had arranged such a smart media move -- and a generous one. Good for Miss Swank. Now let's just hope she doesn't replace her shorn locks with extensions made from the hair of Romanian orphans. Even Amy Winehouse knows that's wrong.

--posted by Kim

The Cat Howls!

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:13:20 GMT

For "A Place in the Sun," "Giant," "Suddenly Last Summer" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" I would never, ever laugh at Elizabeth Taylor. But I sure can laugh with her.

Dear God I love this woman.

Thanks to Mollygood for posting the clip.

And, on a side note (and this relates to Taylor's "Butterfield 8"), if I'm ever at anyone's house, be it a friend or visiting relatives, and I'm near a mirror I'm always tempted to scrawl an angry "No Sale!" in lipstick across it.

--posted by Kim

Indy Theft

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:37:52 GMT

First Francis Ford Coppola and now Steven Spielberg:

"Computers and photographs for director Steven Spielberg's upcoming fourth 'Indiana Jones' film were stolen, and DreamWorks Pictures SKG has asked local law enforcement to investigate, a studio spokeswoman said.

"'An investigation is being conducted by law enforcement,' said Kristin Stark, a spokeswoman for DreamWorks.

"Stark declined to say where and when the theft took place. Officials from the Los Angeles Police Department, the FBI and the Sheriff's Department could not immediately confirm that they were investigating."

Let's hope George Lucas isn't next.

--posted by Kim

One From The Hard Drive

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 02:14:24 GMT

Remember that scene in "Husbands and Wives" where Juliette Lewis leaves Woody Allen's manuscript in the taxi? This is a lot worse -- and it's no movie:

"Armed bandits raided Francis Ford Coppola's Argentine headquarters and stole a computer with the screenplay for the upcoming feature film 'Tetro,' according to local news media. The director of 'The Godfather' apparently was not in Buenos Aires at the time of the robbery Wednesday night.

"A federal police spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give his name, confirmed that a robbery had occurred and a judge was investigating, but he said he could not give details.

"The independent news agency Noticias Argentinas reported at least five people entered the offices of Zoetrope Argentina, tied up employees and took computers, cameras and other valuables.

"Noticias Argentinas said one of the stolen computers contained the 68-year-old director's script for 'Tetro,' a story about Italian immigrant artists set to begin shooting next year and starring Matt Dillon."

Geez. I mean, surely he's got some backup files (*actually, he lost 15 years of data on that computer) but how many obstacles does this man have to come up against in his influential, sometimes brilliant career?

--posted by Kim

Pop (And Popcorn) Bites

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:18:56 GMT

--So this means movie popcorn and stove popped corn are alright, yes? Given how much I consume this stuff, I certainly hope so. Popcorn lung would not only be painful but soooo embarrasing.

--Talented ex-child star Jodie Foster weighs in on the troubles of Lindsay Lohan by blaming Dina Lohan. Understood. But I just want to know what Carrie Fisher thinks about all this Lohan business. And also, if she's sent her a copy of "Postcards from the Edge" for rehab reading? Seriously, I think it would help Lindsay.

--I like this story and I get the unlikely sex symbol angle (and Dame Judi Dench is up there for me) but come now? Tina Fey? I know by Hollywood standards she has to be considered unlikely sexy, but will there ever be a day when we simply accept that she's got it all?

--posted by Kim

Jerry Lewis Raises Over 63 Million

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:48:56 GMT

Comic legend Jerry Lewis conducted his 42nd surreal, funny, inspiring, helpful, painful and...I think I might be tripping on some California Sunshine telethon over Labor Day weekend. He set a new record by raising $63.7 million to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

He also managed to anger a lot of people and shock his audience when he dropped a derogatory term towards homosexuals during a rambling joke aimed at a member of his production team. GLAAD demanded an apology and Lewis issued one:

"I apologize to anyone who was offended. Everyone who knows me understands that I hold no prejudices in this regard. In the family atmosphere of the telethon, I forget that not everyone knows me that well.

"That something like this would distract from the true purpose of the telethon pains me deeply. ... I accept responsibility for what I said. There are no excuses."

Um, this is Jerry Lewis. I'm not saying he didn't slip up here (it's a family show and you can feel his regret as he stumbles through the joke) but I'm sure he's said far worse in his comedic life.

Anyway, in researching historic footage of Jerry Lewis being mean to other people, I found this gem from the classic "What's My Line?" and...OK this is actually pretty funny. God this show was great.

--posted by Kim

Big Love

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:31:04 GMT

Come on Hollywood. Get this on the big screen. It's one of the most romantic stories I've heard in a long time:

"A lonely wild male elephant raided a female elephant stable at a circus in eastern India and wooed one of its residents to elope with him, a newspaper report said on Thursday.

"The 26-year-old tusker smashed through the tin walls of the circus in Raniganj town of West Bengal state on Wednesday and fell for Savitri, one of the four females in the stable, the Times of India said.

"Savitri fled with him and residents later saw the couple roaming around 'much in love', the newspaper said."

--posted by Kim

Larry Craig, Prick Up Your Ears

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 20:39:07 GMT

When it comes to the Larry Craig scandal, I get it. As in, I see what he was allegedly doing in that airport bathroom.

I read the great Joe Orton's diaries, I revere William Friedkin's "Cruising" and Fassbinder's "Fox and His Friends" is a huge favorite. So I see that there's clearly a thrill (a thrill that's not for everyone obviously) involved when conducting such nervy, sometimes dangerous dalliances.

But Craig's conservative stance on homosexuality aside, what was the Senator allegedly thinking? If the allegations are true, had he read/watched the examples I cited above, he might not have found himself in this mess in the first place.

Look, Sen. Craig, if you're were trolling, you have to know how all this stuff goes down. And especially as a man in your position. So...the airport lavatory? You can scarcely make an off-color joke in the airport, much less foot tap for sex in the loo.

See how much you can learn from watching the right kind of movies?

That being said, I think his treatment was unfair and homophobic. If he was looking for some action, who cares? Straight men do this all the time in clubs, at art openings, even in the grocery store.

--posted by Kim

No, Donny. These Men Are Cowards

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 20:52:56 GMT

What with living in this age of reality television, tabloid insatiability and fame addiction no matter what one is famous for, I often forget that writer Paddy Chayefsky penned "Network" as a satire. I'm pretty sure Isaiah Washington has forgotten.

But after reading Michael Lohan's interview with The New York Observer, I don't think the movie is such the over-the-top-pitch black comedy anymore. Even if it wants to be. As Lindsay's father said:

"'At the beginning of the things, I suggested a reality show called 'Living With the Lohans: Over or Starting Over?' he said. 'When Dina served me the divorce papers, I said instead of going trial, why don’t we work this out in an amicable way—just show everyone we could end it the right way, and/or start over the right way. There would have been cameras on us the whole time. It would have guided us in the right way.'

Mr. Lohan thinks such a show would not only be a smash hit—now more than ever—he thinks it might be the only way to restore what once was."

And now I'm drifting back to my college courses on existentialism and veering into the territory wherein I believe everything is a black comedy and nothing is real. And that takes me away from Nietzsche and into that troublesome area called nihilism. But I'll drop these thoughts because, as the Dude Lebowski says, "Oh that must be exhausting."

--posted by Kim

Hollywood's Underdog Candidates

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:13:22 GMT

We all know George Clooney and Brad Pitt are supporting Obama. Angelina Jolie is an Edwards woman. I believe Adam Sandler's going with Giuliani (he donated to his campaign anyway) and Chuck Norris...who's he for? Probably not Dennis Kucinich. But, according to a recent LA Times article, "Crash" director Paul Haggis has his support.

Who else is for an "underdog" like Kucinich? Here's what the LA Times reported:

"• Barry Manilow gave $2,300 recently to GOP Texas Congressman Ron Paul's campaign.

• Mark Ruffalo is a strong backer of former Democratic Sen. Mike Gravel from Alaska.

• Paul Simon is on the campaign trail for Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd from Connecticut.

• Pat Boone is supporting Republican Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, though he's also backing former GOP Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's bid.

"And Democrat Dennis Kucinich? He's got a cultlike following in Hollywood that dates back years. Sean Penn gave to his congressional race in 2004. His presidential bid has the backing of Paul Haggis, Esai Morales, Deidre Hall, Alexandra Paul, Tom Ortenberg and Max Palevsky."

I say this without a trace of irony but you'd think more in Hollywood would be pulling for Ron Paul. No taxes, immediate pull-out of the War in Iraq, pro free market, legalize pot. Bill Maher can't be the only one, right?

--posted by Kim

Rosemary's Rebel

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:27:58 GMT

Before Angelina Jolie, there was Mia Farrow, a woman who's lived a life that's been anything but boring.

Like Angelina, she was born from fame, with two famous parents in fact (director John Farrow and actress Maureen O'Sullivan). As a young woman she was friends with Salvador Dali. She hung out with The Beatles during their famed trip to India to see the Maharishi. She was married, famously to Frank Sinatra (when she was very young), Andre Previn and was a longtime partner of Woody Allen (which ended in massive controversy and heartbreak). Oh yes, she also has 15 children (11 adpoted) and is goodwill ambassador for Unicef.

And now, she's offering her freedom in exchange for Darfur rebel, Sudan Liberation Army Humanitarian Coordinator Suleiman Jamous.

According to Reuters:

"Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) Humanitarian Coordinator Suleiman Jamous has been confined to a U.N. hospital in Kordofan, neighboring Darfur, since the United Nations moved him there without permission last year.

"He needs a stomach biopsy which cannot be performed there.

"Khartoum said if he left he would be arrested, but has said it is open to talks on his release.

'Before his seizure, Mr. Jamous played a crucial role in bringing the SLA to the negotiating table and in seeking reconciliation between its divided rival factions,' Farrow said in the letter dated August 5.

"'I am therefore offering to take Mr. Jamous's place, to exchange my freedom for his in the knowledge of his importance to the civilians of Darfur and in the conviction that he will apply his energies toward creating the just and lasting peace that the Sudanese people deserve and hope for.'"

I admire people who are willing to sacrifice and I believe in Mia's passion but...what will Dr. Saperstein have to say about all of this?

--posted by Kim

Jack Will Not Go Gently Into That Good Night

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:21:36 GMT

The flag is almost at half mast. For whom, you ask? Those elder sex machines, the "Geezer Roués."

From a highly entertaining New York Observer Article--which quotes my ex-colleague and pal Shawn Levy, a man who knows a few things about Roués. Check out his fantastic book "The Last Playboy: The High Life of Porfirio Rubirosa" and you will understand Levy's expertise.

Writes the NY Observer:

"[Jack] Nicholson comes at the end of a long and distinguished Hollywood lineage of Geezer Roués: Douglas Fairbanks Jr., David Niven, Rex Harrison, Robert Evans, Darryl Zanuck, Alan Jay Lerner, Jimmy Van Heusen. On this coast you had Bill Paley, Nelson Rockefeller, Huntington Hartford, Taki Theodoracopulos, even The New Yorker’s Brendan Gill. (This was a time, dear young’uns, when male literary lads ran barefoot through the typing pool rather than setting up house in a comfy Brooklyn brownstone.) Mr. Nicholson’s compatriot roués—Warren Beatty, Michael Douglas—have been tamed, to some extent, by much younger wives and the recognition that perhaps it’s better to go gently into that saggy night. If you want to see a Geezer Roué manqué, have a look at deflated Bill Clinton as he plays the Good Boy on his wife’s campaign trail.

"Not so long ago, it was not uncommon to encounter silver-haired womanizers, stinking of Bay Rum, wolfishly a-prowl in Manhattan. What distinguishes the roué has always been his impeccable manners—wealth and success, to be sure—and more importantly, the sense of artistry with which he approaches his life’s ambition: to love and be loved by women. It was less about sex and more about sensibility. Especially if that sensibility had great legs and was significantly south of 30.

"But a moment of silence, please: the bell tolls for the Geezer Roué.

"Rarely if ever anymore do you see that nattily clad, well-tanned if slightly creepy gentleman leaned up against the end of the bar. Theories abound as to what confluence of conditions has this once proud beast limping toward extinction."

Read more about Jack, Peter Beard and and an interesting curiosity Shirley MacLaine expresses towards her brother, reformed roué, Warren Beatty. Oh, to be a man.

--posted by Kim

Lohan's Troubled Future

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:38:53 GMT

The New York Times discussed the obvious damage Lindsay Lohan's latest antics have done to her career. Famed agent Bernie Brillstein also weighed in, not mincing words.

According to The NYT:

"'I hope they put her in jail for as long as they can,' said Bernie Brillstein, whose company has represented John Belushi and Chris Farley. 'Maybe she’ll realize how serious it is. I believe she’s uninsurable. And when you’re uninsurable in this town, you’re done.'”

Ouch. As many of you know, I'm a Lohan defender (her acting, her acting. And, NO I don't condone drunk driving) but I do agree that if jail is the one thing that saves her, so be it. It saved Robert Downey Jr. And NO, I don't think she's proven herself to the level of Downey Jr. (who is sometimes, brilliant). Not yet she hasn't. I still say she's talented.

Anyway, if she's uninsurable, perhaps she should look into acting with Jackie Chan. Isn't he uninsurable too? "Drunken Master III" anyone? Ah...bad joke.

I think John Waters should do a career intervention. And that's no joke. Lindsay, Patty Hearst and Traci Lords starring in...anything by Waters. I'm there.

--posted by Kim

Random Rumblings

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:29:02 GMT

--When "The Lost Boys" becomes your whole life, you do need to put things in perspective, dude. Still, and even if this clip might possibly be staged, the scenario is surprisingly sad.

--Nick Nolte falls asleep in an airport. People take pictures. Bloggers make comments. Nick Nolte probably doesn't care. Good for him.

--Writer thinks feminism can "survive" the "Bratz" movie.

--Feminist icon Germaine Greer should write about the "Bratz" movie. Clearly she's not afraid of speaking her mind. Especially when "assorted hacks started munching your remains and modelling a new version of you out of their own excreta."

--posted by Kim

Maybe He Should Have Tried A Different Branch...

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 07:56:52 GMT

I'm always hearing how all the great stories have already been told but, I dunno...this one is pretty freaking awesome.

Someone has to turn this true story into a movie:

"Leaf it to New Hampshire, where a bank branch was held up by a man disguised as a tree. Just as the Citizen Bank branch opened Saturday morning, a man walked in with leafy boughs duct-taped to his head and torso, and robbed the place.

"'He really went out on a limb,' police Sgt. Ernie Goodno said Sunday.

"Police said the leafy man didn't saying anything about having a weapon, just demanded cash, and was given an undisclosed amount.

"Although the branches and leaves obscured much of the man's face, someone who saw images from the bank's security camera recognized the robber and called police.

"Officers said James Coldwell, 49, was arrested early Sunday at his Manchester home and charged with robbery. Arraignment was not expected until Monday."

OK, did police Sgt. Ernie Goodno have to make the limb joke? On second thought, it's kind of charming--in a stupid way.

Actually the story kind of reminded me of the famous hold-up in Woody Allen's great "Take the Money and Run." Is it "abt natural" or "gub?"

--posted by Kim

Nicole Does...Nintendo?

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:12:44 GMT

Nicole Kidman is one of our most gifted actresses and I'm always happy to see her in just about anything.

Among her many expertly played roles, she's been a sociopathic climber in "To Die For," a song happy courtesan in "Moulin Rouge," a distraught, child loving widow in "Birth," and a very, very depressed Virginia Woolf in "The Hours."

As far as I'm concerned, she can do it all (well, except play Diane Arbus).

So why Nintendo Nicole? I'm not really being critical here, I'm seriously just wondering. Chanel, I get. But Nintendo? Since you seem obsessed with challenges and you work nonstop, perhaps your newest role required the same disclipline and inner searching that you rocked in Lars von Trier's brilliant "Dogville?" Perhaps. It is a brain power system.

Nevertheless, I'm excited for Noah Baumbach's "Margot at the Wedding." Why am I talking directly to you? I need some sleep.

--posted by Kim

Ethical To Animals, Rude to Humans

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:12:23 GMT

This was incredibly rude. And kind of stupid.

Prompted by Michael Moore’s anticipated documentary "Sicko," opening this weekend, PETA (People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals) decided to relay the overweight director a message. It was quite simple: You are fat.

And not only did they tell him he was fat but, because "Sicko" is critical of U.S.'s healthcare system, he's also a hypocrite:

“'There’s an elephant in the room, and it is you,' says Ingrid Newkirk, President of PETA in a letter to Moore. Newkirk went on to tell Moore he should become a vegetarian because doing so might make him lose weight. She then referred him to her PETA website GoVeg.com for meat-free recipes and ended the letter with, 'As they say at Nike (sorry!): ‘Just do it.'”

Gosh PETA, so because he's fat he's not qualified to discuss our problematic system of healthcare? Going by their logic, he would be a hypocrite if he was an alcoholic or had cancer or emphysema. Please.

And don't they know that Moore said (and to a prominment member of PETA, Bill Maher) that while making this documentary he was inspired to take better care of himself, eat vegetables and exercise?

Also, um...vegetarians can be overweight. Sorry but bread, ramen, french fries and Hydrox cookies will make you fat. Trust me, I knew a lot vegans in college.

--posted by Kim

Sticking Up For Paris

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:14:05 GMT

After discussing this very same topic to mostly deaf ears, I'm happy Lisa Wade has so perfectly explained my frustration concerning venomous public hatred for a person I would probably intensely dislike in real life. Yes, Paris Hilton.

Lisa Wade is so right. And I love that this Ph.D. in sociology boldly admits to liking Paris...just a little.

Here's what she wrote at The Huffington Post:

"But our hatred of Paris is not just about her money and the (underserved) power it accrues to her. These quotes show that our hatred of Paris is conspicuously gendered. Not that we wouldn't hate her if she were a man, but we would hate her differently.

"What brings about this distinctly sexist disgust?

"Paris Hilton both embodies and defies idealized femininity in contemporary America. She embodies idealized femininity with her (racially) white, blonde good looks, a thinness that evokes fragility, and a clear need to be admired by others. She is the perfect female: coy, but ultimately passive, counting on her beauty to inspire our devotion. And Paris draws both men and women in...even those of us that find her appalling find her performance of femininity fascinating, even hypnotically appealing. Many more of us, perhaps, than would admit as much.

"But Paris also defies idealized femininity. She's a dick. And I mean that exactly how it sounds. She is unapologetically rich. She is callous and cruel towards the disadvantaged on 'The Simple Life.' We can only imagine how frivolously she must treat her trendy pocket pets; how unkind she must be towards her entourage of paid help; how fickle with her friends. She even has sex when she wants with who she wants and doesn't apologize for it (something that the commenters above find particularly infuriating). In a world which expects women (especially, studies show, beautiful ones) to be nice and care about other people, she is mean and selfish in ways that we only allow men to be."

Read her entire treatment of Hilton here. To make a lousy joke, you might think that the real bad "lay" isn't Paris but that other rich jerk...Kenneth.

--posted by Kim

The King's Dolls

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:03:20 GMT

I know people think this is crazy, but I've seen money spent by so-called normal people on far more useless items (like another handbag or a designer denim splurge or the tenth unecessary computer upgrade).

Anyway, someone paid $2,640 for a prescription pill bottle belonging to Elvis Presley. Sadly, they didn't get the drugs inside as handing over the King's prescription would be a federal crime. Wonder what they did with the pills? I hope the owner didn't place them in their medicine cabinet and throw a party. Bad news.

Here's more from the auction which also featured Alfred Hitchcock's passport, a gold plated Elvis gun and an umbrella Marilyn Monroe used in a photoshoot.

--posted by Kim

Johnny Is Good

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 23:35:23 GMT

Another reason to love Johnny Depp.

He's nice to children. Or, rather, he's nice to children dressed as pirates who perform an avant garde musical number as a special treat.

Actually, it would be monstrous if he wasn't nice to these kids but, still. He's the picture of grace and goes above and beyond the call of publicity when he gives each little kid a hug. Why do you have to be so perfect? Damn you Johnny Depp!

Thanks to Brian for the sharing this with me.

--posted by Kim

Because Sometimes It's The Little Things...

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 22:57:03 GMT

After a day of enduring the disciplinary drama that is Paris Hilton's life (and way too many others) and the depressing debate over "Torture Porn" it's nice to know there's some things in pop culture that just make you happy. And not in a gag inducing manner. Just happy.

Thank you Paul Rudd. Thank you Jon Stewart.

Thanks to Mollygood for reminding us of this pleasant power, this "perfect storm of non-threatening, intelligent, funny New Yorkers."

--posted by Kim

A Fit Of Anger

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 21:51:07 GMT

When "Hollywood Babylon" author and legendary experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger isn't throwing a fit at Curtis Harrington's funeral, he needs to be restrained from "attacking the screen" while watching "Spider-Man 3."

Anger's wrath as published in The Guardian:

"The biggest spider turd that ever dropped from the great big spider web in the sky has landed. We knew because we couldn't escape it. I went to see Spider-Man 3 with two psychiatrist friends - shrinks, as in the popular parlance. They sat on either side of me in the front row and each had in their pocket a gleaming pair of handcuffs to use in the event of their client Dr Anger rising up from his seat and attacking the screen. So I sat through the agony of that ear-deafening bombardment for three whole hours. For three hours I was forced to endure the biggest, most effeminate pile of crap I have ever seen in my life."

In case you're not clear on this, he didn't care for the movie.

Read more about why he hates "Spider-Man 3," Tobey Maguire, James Dean and something about beard patterns here.

Thanks to Matthew and Brian for the tip.

--posted by Kim

Sarah Silverman Thinks Paris Hilton Sucks...

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 22:01:46 GMT

Sarah Silverman has aimed her humor at Paris Hilton before. And the ironic nature of the joke was funny and telling about the image of women in popular culture. And that sentence I just "crafted" was not funny. At all.

Anyway, this time around, during her hosting duties at last night's MTV Movie Awards, Silverman was just plain mean. It's funny even though she is shooting fish in a barell (you can do better than that) and since Hilton is in the audience it's...wow...mean. Hilton is probably not a wonderful human being and I'm thinking karmic justice was served here (We've seen her laugh at another person's expense and at far meaner comments) but...still. I don't want to almost feel sorry for her. No wonder Hilton checked herself into jail early.

--posted by Kim

Happy Memorial Day, One Day Early

Sun, 27 May 2007 22:48:46 GMT

A lot of incredibly nice folks from all over the world come to this blog and bid me well, give me kudos or try out their English. To all of these people I say, thanks for reading, thanks for the kind words and...can I stay at your house in Milan next summer? You can help me with Fellini, I'll walk you through some John Ford. I kid, I kid. Well, not really.

Anyway, because of my frequent non English speaking comments, one Canadian reader asked, "Why does everyone love America?" Well I don't know exactly the reasons for others but for me, there are many. We'll just start with icons like Robert Johnson, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Hank Williams Sr., Bo Diddley, Otis Redding, Elvis, Marlon Brando, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Marilyn Monroe, Howard Hawks, Sam Fuller, James Cagney, John Garfield, Barbara Stanwyck, Carole Lombard, James Dean, Robert Mitchum, Lee Marvin, Nicholas Ray, Sam Peckinpah, Sinclair Lewis, JD Salinger, Wegee, John Dillinger, Jim Brown, Edgar Allen Poe, David Allan Coe, Tennessee Williams, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, James Ellroy...oh this could continue forever. And I haven't even started with film noir, muscle cars, architecture, landscapes or my favorite cafeteria in Los Angeles, Clifton's.

And this isn't to slight anything outside of America. If you know how much I love Serge Gainsbourg, Godard, Polanksi, Bergman, Fassbinder, Takashi Miike, Kinji Fukasaku, Mario Bava, The Rolling Stones, Syd Barret, Dostoyevsky, Gogol, Graham Greene, Beethoven, Debussy, Lars von Trier, Alfonso Cuarón, Picasso, Wong kar-Wai, Ringo Lam, Kurosawa, Julie Christie, Alain Delon, Werner Herzog, Sergio Leone and more and more and more, you'd understand where I'm at. All over the map.

But look. Whatever you think of our current adminstration and what's really destroying this beautiful country (I'll just say a chain of ugly superstores that wipe out nearly all of our charming small towns), America, artistic, amber waves of grain America, can be pretty damn great.

With that, let's celebrate a man who represents the true American spirit, Wild Bill Hickok, who was born today in 1837. He fought in the Union Army during the American Civil War, was a famed army scout, and most notoriously, a lawman and gunfighter. He was also, unknown to many, one of the earliest supporters of equal rights for blacks during the winding down time of slavery.

And it terms of cinema (and really, this all has to tie into movies) he was also played by that other iconic American, Charles Bronson in J. Lee Thompson's "White Buffalo" and another sort of American icon, Jeff ("The Dude") Bridges in Walter Hill's "Wild Bill."

So in honor of Memorial Day and Wild Bill's debut and just America in general, Happy Birthday Wild Bill. And Happy Memorial Day.

--posted by Kim

Rosie Whine

Sun, 27 May 2007 19:03:24 GMT

"God these women embarrass me. In the catfight heard 'round the water cooler, Rosie O' Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck memorably lashed tongues on that televised coffee klatch (but with real issues! And "hot topics!") in yet another display of whiny one-up-manship that placed the art of debate at another low. Yes, I know, it's The View. I'm not going to find Gore Vidal or William F. Buckley or Tony Blankley or Christopher Hitchens flexing wits after a spirited segment on bathing suits that flatter every figure. Hell, I'm not going to find that anywhere, really. But this argument (about the Iraq War, or so it began) became so personal, so grating, so decidedly female, that I cringed for my entire gender."

Read my entire take on the ridiculous drama at The Huffington Post.

Breaking! Kevin Costner Thinks Madonna Is Neat Again

Sun, 27 May 2007 03:24:50 GMT

My gosh. You'd think an old War buddy finally apologized for deserting him in the jungle all those years back.

From an interview with Kevin Costner in the LA Times:

"In the 1991 Madonna documentary 'Truth or Dare,' while greeting the singer backstage in Los Angeles on her "Blond Ambition" tour, a hapless Costner describes her concert as 'neat,' causing Madonna to bristle noticeably and, unseen by him, feign shoving her finger down her throat. 'Anybody who says my show is 'neat' has to go,' she says after he beats a hasty retreat.

"Asked how the incident affected his life, right at the moment his star was riding the highest, with the wolves circling somewhere out beyond the fire, Costner doesn't give the answer that's expected.

"'Yeah, I was embarrassed by it and kind of hurt by it,' he says. 'I just went back there because I was asked to go back. And I found the best word that I could. I never called her on it or whatever. 'But she did a really beautiful thing. She was performing [in L.A.] about three or four years ago, so I decided to take my daughters to see her. I just thought this is somebody they should see. I didn't call anybody for tickets, I just got tickets and we went down….

"'And about the third song in, the lights were down, and she said, 'I want to apologize to someone.' And all of a sudden my face starts to get hot…. And she says, 'I want to apologize to Kevin Costner.' She just said it very simply. Ninety-eight percent of that audience didn't know what she was talking about. But I really respected that, and it showed me the power of just keeping your own counsel for a long time…. Whatever possessed her, whatever was inside her, she came to her own decision. And a bigger thing came out of some kind of humiliation. 'I never wrote her to say thank you, but I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, and that meant more to me than you could ever know.'"

Dude. I bet ninety-eight percent of her audience over 15 completely got it. If you pay that much for a Madonna concert, you've seen "Truth or Dare" and you do not forget that scene. It's an iconic moment. Right up there with Dylan ignoring Joan Baez in "Don't Look Back." Though Dylan clanking away on his typewriter while Joan caterwauls is a lot cooler. And as nice as Joan seems, the diss is more understandable.

--posted by Kim

When Mindless Fluff Becomes Serious

Wed, 16 May 2007 18:22:45 GMT

What a mess:

"Author Clive Cussler has been ordered to pay $5 million to the production company responsible for the movie adaptation of his book Sahara. The novelist mounted a legal case in 2004 against production company Crusader Entertainment, claiming the company had breached its contract, which stated Cussler was allowed "absolute approval" over the film's script up until filming began. However, Crusader later countersued Cussler, accusing him of "duping" them into adapting his book, and ambushing the movie by publicly criticizing the project on its 2005 release. A Los Angeles jury yesterday found Cussler had breached an "implied covenant" of good faith, and falsified his book sales in any dealings with Crusader - but recommended Crusader pay Cussler $8 million he alleged he was owed for a second novel which never made it to the big screen.

"Sahara, the Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz-starring movie made $68 million at the box office, and it was claimed in court the film's losses were in excess of $80 million. During the 14-week long case, lawyers for Crusader argued the company would not have paid the author $10 million to adapt his novel into a movie if it had been aware Cussler had sold only 40 million books, as he had initially told executives his sales figures were closer to 100 million. Speaking after the decision, Cussler said, "I'm relieved that it's over, and now we can go home." Although Cussler was found to be in breach of his contract with Crusader, Bert Fields, Cussler's attorney, says, "I think that Cussler is the winner. If the judge upholds what the jury has done, he gets a net gain of $3 million." However, Marvin Putnam, Crusader's attorney, says, "It's a massive vindication not only for Crusader and all the people who made the film, but also for the industry at large." The final amount of compensation will be decided by Superior Court Judge John P. Shook later this year."

And over a movie no one remembers...

Lindsay On Oscar

Tue, 01 May 2007 17:42:09 GMT

Lindsay Lohan tells Nylon magazine that the paparazzi are partially to blame for her not being taken seriously as an actress.

While I think the paparazzi and tabloid culture can hurt stars in their attempts to be human, I think Ms. Lohan is taking it a bit far when she claims (from MSNBC):

"'The thing about the press and why they need to leave me the [bleep] alone for a little bit is because I don’t want that distraction from my work,' she told the mag. 'I want to get a nomination. I want to win an Oscar. I want to be known for more than, like, going out. For being the party girl. I hate that. I bust my [bleep] when I’m filming, and when I Have time off, yeah, I like to go out and dance.'"

OK. I love Lindsay but come now. As annoying as the paparazzi are when you're attempting to leave a club and not flash your nether-region while climbing into your car, there is another way to remedy this distraction. How about a few extra nights at home with an old movie? Here's a tip. Check out one of Jane Fonda's (your "Georgia Rule" co-star) movies like "Klute" or "They Shoot Horses Don't They?" or "Julia." Consider it research. Added bonus! It won't make you gain weight!

--posted by Kim

Hugh Grant Arrested

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:12:55 GMT

Yet another celebrity vs. the paparazzi incident:

"Actor Hugh Grant has been arrested over an allegation he attacked a photographer in London, before throwing a tub of food at him.
Photographer Ian Whittaker told the Daily Star newspaper he was kicked before the tub was hurled at him.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed a 46-year-old had been arrested on suspicion of assault and has since been released on bail.

Mr Grant's lawyers confirmed an incident was now under investigation."

Why is Hugh always getting caught doing things that every celebrity does? I feel sorry for him (in this case, not the other one). I know celebs sign an unwritten contract that they must endure the paparazzi but they are human. They snap. And, FYI, that "tub of food" was a can of baked beans. He was probably really hungry.

--posted by Kim