Gemini, cinephile, actressexual. Also loves cats. He lives and works as a writer in NYC. All material herein is written and copyrighted by him, unless otherwise noted.
❝Admission: never finished a Haneke film. Started Cache & White Ribbon. Found them intolerable..❞
-MURTADA
❝I was hoping a Palme d'or for Holy Motors might ensure I get to see the movie within the next 12 months. Palme or no Palme, the Haneke was bound to be released by the end of the year all the same.❞
JA from MNPP here. Well it's official! As rumored slash threatened, Lindsay Lohsan will be playing Elizabeth Taylor in a Lifetime channel bio-pic centering on Liz's back-and-forth paparazzi-bait romance with Sir Richard Burton. I thought maybe this would go the way of Linds playing Lovelace and end up no more than hot air, but it appears it's for real, and she's maybe cleaned her act up enough...?
I'm forced by the sheer weight of the past several years sordid history to end that sentence with a question mark. Nevermind if this is even a good idea or not - skepticism regarding any project involving LL has become too deeply ingrained in me. Until this thing's actually on my TV screen, I will doubt.
What say y'all? Is it too soon after losing the legend to even contemplate this? Does Lindsay have what she needs to nail this... or to even walk away unscathed? Is it a gutsy move on her part or just a symptom of derangement? And who would you cast as Dick? So many question marks.
<-- Ooh look The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo poster. There are so many posters for every movie nowadays that I think the word "official" has lost all meaning. But I like it. The tag line sounds artier than most
"what is hidden in snow comes forth in the thaw"
Slant has a strong piece on the 25 best horror films of the Aughts. Some truly surprising but gratifying inclusions. Film Buff On Demand has a fun post about Halloween treats you can make for your party like brain cupcakes and such. The Movie 411 has a nomination round in which you can submit your favorite blog articles or movies blogs in various categories. IndieWire considers the many way's this year's Oscar race might mirror 1998's: Brothers Weinsteins comedy vs. Steven Spielberg war epic with a little Terrence Malick on the side. And that's not all. The Movie 411 has a nomination round in which you can submit your favorite blog articles or movies blogs in various categories. Michael Musto's choice of the two best lines in The Descendants
I hadn't seen this so maybe you haven't either but delicious devil Colin Farrel presented Robert Downey Jr with the "Hero" award at the recent Scream Awards. Like so...
That is one gawdy-ass awards show!
Grantland Mark Harris on the writers branch of the Academy. Which causes will they take up this year? Movie|Line speaks with Sean Durkin, the writer/director of Martha Marca May Marlene IndieWire speaking of... how about a double feature with a previously disturbing cult movie The Rapture. Let's call it Martha Marcy Mimi Michael Boy Culture shares an awesome Elizabeth Taylor photo and Richard Burton poem. I can never get enough of Liz & Dick. Towleroad Gareth Thomas, who came out of the closet two years ago, is retiring from rugby. I wonder if his biopic is still on... it's SO weird that Mickey Rourke is supposed to play him because they look nothing alike and Jason Statham would be so so perfect.
Pajiba "the superhot women of old timey westerns" HitFix Eddie Murphy speaks about his Oscar hosting gig.
Justin Timberlake as Elton John in 2001Ten years ago right about now, Elton John's "Songs From the West Coast" dropped. I bring this anniversary up because...
a) I love to celebrate anniversaries b) music videos are short films c) an irregularly curated side-obsession of mine is tracking film actors who've appeared in music videos.
For the videos from the album, his last hit-parade album (though not his last album), he used actor/musicians rather than himself, including a pre comeback Robert Downey Jr back when everyone still worried for the actor's very life and he seemed like an open wound... which really worked for this video.
Just love that one, don't you? It was directed by Sam Taylor-Wood before the days of her award winning narrative short Love You More and before she graduated to features with the John Lennon early-years bio Nowhere Boy (starring her future babydaddy Aaron Johnson).
In the follow up videos "This Train Don't Stop Here Anymore" and "Original Sin" Elton John used two pre film-stardom singers: Justin Timberlake as Elton himself and Mandy Moore as a devoted fan. In the latter Elton does appear and drags Elizabeth Taylor along with him in pink-turbaned cameo as "Doris" because, you know, Elton does love to flaunt the company he keeps. Was "Doris" an inside joke of some sort between them?
Maybe JT got a taste for his acting future right here because he keeps playing important men from the music industry (Sean Parker in The Social Network and now Neil Bogart in Spinning Gold)
What's your favorite Elton John song? And if you were celebrity-aware back in 2001, did you ever dream of such enormous movie stardom waiting just around the recovery corner for Robert Downey Jr.?
I can't even remember where or how I found this photo -- I think it was during the rush of web activity mourning Elizabeth Taylor's passing. And I think it must be from 61/62? But how insane is this?
Elizabeth Taylor and Natalie Wood and Audrey Hepburn all awkwardly dancing with their men friends within bumping distance of each other? It's so "It Movie Stars of the 60s". CrazyHotNostalgia. That'd be like if you could find a candid shot of Meryl, Kathleen & Michelle dirty dancin' in the 80s or Faye, Jane & Diane boogieing in the 70s or Kate and Cate and Nicole letting loose in the 00s or, ah, ... well, you could play this game for hours. Gah! Wonderment.