Archive for the ‘General’ Category



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Tarantino and Rodriguez release Machete next month…

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

The concept for the upcoming film Machete (to be released on April 16) has been around for a while now. In fact, ever since Danny Trejo appeared in Desperado, Robert Rodriguez has believed he should be the Mexican Jean-Claude Van Damme. In fact, Rodriguez wrote the Machete screenplay in 1993 — around the time of Desperado — and has pulled many sequences from that script for his recent films. Now the project has finally come to fruition, with Trejo cast perfectly. 

The film looks typical of both its producer (Quentin Tarantino) and director. Trejo plays the assassin Machete, a Mexican ex-federale who’s hired to kill a corrupt Senator selling illegal immigrants in the United States. The trailer — simultaneously bloodthirsty and funny — speaks for itself, but what it fails to show is the stellar cast behind Trejo, which includes Robert De Niro, Steven Segal, Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Rose McGowan and Cheech Marin. Take a look at the trailer above for what is sure to be a Rodriguez classic.

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Oscar Round Up – Bigelow and Stiller steal the show

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Since the moment it was announced Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin were to host this year’s Academy Awards, I had a feeling it would be a good year for the Oscars – and it most certainly was. In terms of numbers, it had the largest audience in five years- since Million Dollar Baby scooped the top prize, but it was more than the ratings that made last night a success. The shadow that had overcast the evening for me was the fear that Avatar would win Best Picture. Yes it was a wildly successful and visually spectacular movie – but best film of the last year? Absolutely not. As soon as Kathryn Bigelow was announced as Best Director for  the Hurt Locker I was convinced that was it – Avatar had to win a major prize and all that remained was Best Picture. Well thankfully I was wrong and the Hurt Locker did pick up Best Picture. In fact indie films dominated the awards last night – receiving twelve statues compared to the nine that films from major studios collected.

As for the rest of the ceremony itself, the hosts were funny – though maybe they could have pushed the envelope a little further – and there was an incredibly touching tribute to John Hughes. The real scene stealer though was Ben Stiller, who presented the award for Best Makeup in character as a Na’vi from Avatar (Avatar was not nominated in this category). Take a look at the video above to watch him garner more laughs than all the other presenters put together.

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Marion Cotillard for AnOther Magazine

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

This month, AnOther magazine has picked the perfect person to grace its cover and be the focus of the issue: Marion Cotillard. The Oscar-winning actress, the current face of Dior, has been shot by Craig McDean for an amazing fashion spread and also a short film (which can be viewed HERE). The shoot itself has a little more going on than the average celebrity photo shoot.

Inspired by the Fluxus Movement’s instruction-based art, Cotillard was told to bring three items with her on the day of the shoot. She was first instructed to bring something she loved — for this she chose a Polaroid SX70, which she uses to document her adventures around the world. Next she brought a piece of writing that had taught her something: Freedom From the Unknown, a collection of teachings from philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. Finally, Cotillard was told to bring a photo that made her smile. Unable to choose, she bought three. All depicted tranquil safe havens that seem to be the antithesis of the hectic life she now leads since being thrust into the spotlight. These items all played a part in, and inspired, the shoot.

The result is AnOther’s best issue in a long time, and an exquisite shoot that will be hard to top. You can read the full in-depth interview with Cotillard in the issue out now.

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Crystal Renn shows how it’s done…

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

As predicted, V magazine’s “Size Issue” created a storm of both positive and negative press. The slightly gimmicky quality of the issue — especially the fact that rail-thin models still graced its pages — seemed to warrant a mention in every newspaper and blog worth a read. One of the issue’s stars was Crystal Renn — and by “star” I mean Renn was shot in a series of outfits, and then a size 0 model was shot in the same outfits and the shots were placed side by side, apparently to show that women of any size can look good. V also provided both girls’ measurements — Jacquelyn: 5 ft, 9 in; 32″/24″/34″ Crystal: 5 ft, 9 in; 36″/31″/41″  — for what reason I cannot quite make out.

Well, Renn’s book Hungry is now being promoted across the country, and its principal highlight is her tone throughout. Many girls who write this kind of novel (about young girls who battle anorexia while pursuing a modeling career), after detailing their struggle, go on to slander the fashion industry and its effect on them. Renn, by contrast, rises above this — she doesn’t adopt a “woe is me” attitude, and continues to be enamored and enthralled by the business despite some of her bad experiences. She understands that every industry has its downsides, and refuses to play the victim. 

Check out a great article on Renn from the U.K.’s Independent online HERE (more…)

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The Best Game Ever….Courtesy of Wii. And the Japanese.

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

If a long-unsatisfied dream of yours is to run through the world as an oiled-up, steroid-taking, bright-orange bodybuilder, then Wii just might have come to your rescue with Japan’s new game Muscle March. Admittedly, this was something that never occurred to me, but after seeing the preview, I can safely say I have to play this game. I once lived in Tokyo and saw an array of utterly ridiculous video games, but this is the funniest by a mile.

Let me take you through it: You play a hunky bodybuilder surrounded by your little bodybuilder army. One day, while pumping iron in the gym and minding your own business, a despicable thief (sometimes a pink monkey, sometimes an alien in goggles) steals one of your precious protein shakes. What do you do? Gather your bodybuilder minions and give chase, of course. Each time the thief runs through a wall, he leaves a person-shaped hole (always in some absurd pose). You have to flex your muscles and copy the pose exactly to get through the wall. Luckily, Wii has the sense not to market Muscle March as part of Wii Fit, but for sheer comedy, no game has ever made me laugh this hard. Take a look; I promise it’ll brighten your day.

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Sports Illustrated for the iPad Tablet

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Well, it seems as though the iPad is already gathering steam. Someone today tried to convince me of its virtues — and although I’m not a technophobe, I’m very clear about the fact that I like keys and buttons. (And let’s just say Amazon’s Kindle does not enthrall me; I’m a fan of paper, too!) The iPod I love. The iPhone I’m learning to deal with. Now, it seems, the tablet is next in the long list of things I must warm to.

Admittedly, the iPad looks pretty exciting. Now, while I’m not a fan of digital book distribution, magazines delivered digitally could be something special. Sports Illustrated is the first magazine to announce that it’s making itself available on the iPad, and its demo more than convinced me of the idea’s merit. You can check out your team’s stats and scores (from almost any sport), rearrange your NFL fantasy team and create your own personal Sports Illustrated archive to read again and again. 

Interview magazine has just followed suit — after celebrating its fortieth anniversary last week, it too has released an iPad demo. Although less informative than its SI counterpart, it still looks pretty incredible, and it seems the tablet will suit magazines with high-fashion spreads down to the ground. It’s also a great way to show off behind-the-scenes videos and interviews within the magazine you’ve bought rather than forcing readers to troll through YouTube later to find them. Check out the demos above and below to see what the iPad has to offer.

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Live at the White House…

Monday, February 15th, 2010

February, as I’m sure you know, is Black History Month. It perpetually comes with an array of special events, ceremonies and commemorations; this year, even AT&T has gotten in on the act by profiling 28 prominent African-Americans. So far, though, the event that has truly stood out is a concert that recently aired on PBS, In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement. The performer lineup could certainly have given the Grammys a run for its money.

Bob Dylan, making his White House debut, was a highlight; he performed “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” Then came one of the best duets I’ve heard in a long time. At awards shows, artists often seem carelessly thrown together and not especially happy about sharing a stage with another performer, but Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson really showed how it’s done. Their performance of Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready” made the whole event worthwhile. Not that the other performers weren’t spectacular — John Mellencamp, Will.i.am and Joan Baez all did their part as well. Courtesy of PBS, you can now watch all the performances online here. Enjoy! (more…)

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Come back True Blood!

Friday, February 12th, 2010

As an avid True Blood fan I am having difficulty enduring the wait for season three. Whilst I cannot offer up any new episodes I can let you know of an amazing shoot and interview Anna Paquin gave to Marie Claire UK this month. Its the closest thing to a True Blood fix I can find, so if like me you miss the blood sucking adventures, pick up a Marie Claire to find out about life behind the scenes!

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Alexander McQueen

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Today, at age 40, fashion designer Alexander McQueen passed away. His death, something no one was prepared for, has shocked and saddened many. As I have read what has been written about him over the last few hours, the focus has been on his fashion — which is, of course, understandable; his work was the reason his passing has been covered by every major news outlet. Yes, he was an icon and a leader in his field, but he was loved by those around him for so much more than that, and should be remembered for his humanity, in addition to the timeless work he produced. To those who knew him, I am truly sorry for your loss. (more…)

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A laptop made of recycled CDs and plastic bottles? Yes please!

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

I’m a Mac addict. I have been ever since a long string of dead PC’s convinced me that maybe it was time to try something new. Now, of course, Macs are the norm and not the newfangled, slightly scary pieces of equipment they once were. Very little could now persuade me to stray from my Mac, but Sony just might have created something cool enough to entice me to switch sides once again (or, at the very least, add something a bit different to my Mac collection).

The new Sony W series “Eco Edition” is made from recycled plastic and old CDs. That’s pretty impressive by any stretch of the imagination, but Sony has gone so far as to make the carrying case out of old plastic bottles. Being eco is not something I always buy into — many of my friends are obsessed with their carbon footprints, and while I might nod in agreement and look shocked and appalled when they talk about airplane emissions, I can safely say nothing would persuade me to cross the United States in anything but a plane. A laptop made from recyclable materials, though — well, that’s something I can buy into. 

n addition to being great for the environment, Sony’s Eco Edition looks as cool as it sounds, and I’d be more than willing to show it off. Though it’s being described by many as a laptop, it’s actually more of a mini-notebook — slightly smaller than a piece of paper and extremely light — and its $450 price tag is reasonable, I think. With 10 million old computers being sunk into landfills each year, maybe it’s time to start going green. (more…)

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