Anything

[fenris]

Heard on the radio yesterday that Bettie Page died on 11/12/08, aged 85. The most famous American pin-up model of the 1950s, her fetish photoshoots and burlesque/striptease film-reels were highly controversial at the time, but by the beginning of the Sixties she had vanished into obscurity. However, a devoted cult following grew during the following decades, with Bettie eventually becoming an iconic figure in American popular culture. A wide range of merchandise bearing Bettie's image is still produced and sold today.

Writer and lesbian icon Guinevere Turner wrote a script about Bettie's life in the late Nineties, and intended to play the model in the resulting film (I can remember Turner posing as Bettie in a photoshoot for Bizarre magazine, to publicise the project). But development of the movie stalled for several years, and when Turner's script was eventually filmed in 2005 as The Notorious Bettie Page, Gretchen Mol played the title role.

RIP Bettie Page.

[fenris]

For what it's worth, here are my predictions for 2009;

- Prince William won't propose to Kate Middleton.

- Barack Obama will do a pretty good job as President, but because of the enormous mess he's inherited from Bush and the American people's unrealistic expectations, his first year in office will still be regarded as disappointing.

- there will be more rumours about Nadine leaving Girls Aloud.

- a Premier League football club will go into liquidation.

- the new actor to play the Doctor will be announced, whereupon 80% of the show's fans will instantly declare on forums and messages boards that he/she will be awful and they're boycotting the show.

- New Orleans will be hit by another hurricane, which results in less damage and panic than Katrina, but causes serious questions to be asked about the city's long-term future.

- a General Election will be called in the UK. Labour win, but with a reduced majority.

- with Strictly Come Dancing having failed to revive her career, Rachel Stevens will either (1.) take part in I'm a Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here, or (2.) pose for Playboy.

[fenris]

Actress Lois Winstone (daughter of Ray, sister of Jaime) was interviewed by Live magazine last week, to publicise her upcoming movie The Rapture and promote the fact that she's become the new face of Ann Sommers. In the interview she makes all the right noises about how her parents brought her up to be as normal and grounded as possible, how she's always earned her own money and never relied on her parents to fund her lifestyle, how she dislikes the whole 'celebrity' industry and detests It Girls who are famous for doing nothing except attending showbiz parties. But then she drops this almighty clanger: "There are only two things men need to remember when buying lingerie. First, take your woman with you, and second, spend over a grand."

Hmm. Spend a thousand pounds... on lingerie...

Oh Lois, bless your little cotton socks. You really have no idea how ordinary people live, do you?

Here's a link to the on-line version of the article;
www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1123723/Ive-naughty-girl-Lois-Winstone-follows-daddys-footsteps.html

[fenris]

Although the news about Michael Jackson's death broke late on Thursday night (25/06/09), the first I heard about it was on my car radio as I drove into work yesterday morning (26/06/09). Reading people’s reactions on other forums has been interesting. I was just short of becoming a teenager when Jackson (who was already famous, due to his time in the Jackson Five and his early solo stuff) achieved world-wide mega-stardom with the release of Thriller and the follow-up, Bad. Therefore, I should be of the generation for whom Jackson’s death is as emotive as the deaths of Elvis, Lennon and Kurt Cobain were to the generations either side of me. However, apart from the initial slight surprise when I heard about his death (which was no more than I felt when I hear about the sudden death of anyone in the public eye), I haven’t actually given the matter much thought since.

I suspect this is probably because I was never much of a fan. There’s no denying that Jackson was the biggest male pop star in the world during the Eighties and early Nineties, but I always thought his biggest (only?) rival Prince (whom I’m not particularly a fan of either) released music that was more vital and invocative during the same period. Another inescapable factor that clouded my view of Jackson was that even his most loyal fans can’t deny the fact that he was a seriously troubled individual. I’ve always considered him the perfect advertisement for how too much success, fame and money, too young, can completely screw someone up.

And then there's the unignorable elephant in the room: the charges brought against him for interfering with minors. The first time he paid his accusers off, the second time (almost a decade later) it went to trial and he was found not guilty – but several of the jurors subsequently stated their belief that from the evidence they’d seen, Jackson probably was a paedophile. However, in the case put before them, they were asked to decide whether he had sexually abused one specific, named child, and they found that the Prosecution couldn’t conclusively prove that he had. Again, I would hope even Jackson’s most ardent fans would find it hard to deny that his behaviour toward children was inappropriate. This was a man who, having been accused once of indecent acts with a child, still carried on inviting minors into his house and admitted sharing a bed with them – ‘just to sleep’. Even if the latter is true, it displays a truly staggering lack of judgement.

Sorry if this seems like a hatchet job on a person who’s just died, as that’s not my intent. By all means, people can still enjoy his music and videos, and admire him as an artist, a singer, an entertainer and showman – but the issues I've mentioned above were an unavoidable aspect of the man’s life. In the same way that it would now be hard to find anyone who’d admit to liking Gary Glitter’s music, I’ve always felt a slight uneasiness every time one of Jackson’s songs is played on the radio. Yes, he was never convicted. But his own behaviour made it very hard to give him the benefit of doubt.

[orokiah]

The news came last week that Teletext is being switched off in January 2010 - sad news and a real shame. Yes, the internet has replaced many of its functions, is bigger, better, brighter, faster and all the rest - but Teletext is often still the first thing I check in the morning, to find out what's going on in the world.

Admittedly it's partly the nostalgia factor that makes me sorry to see it go; internet access does make teletext services a bit redundant. But for ease of use it still can't be beaten. At least Ceefax, for now, is still going: but for me Teletext, and Oracle, its predecessor (used to love their soap opera, Park Avenue), have always had the edge.

It's by no means the end of the world but it's definitely the end of an era.

[fenris]

Say what you like about Sienna Miller, she knows how to play the media, the clever minx. As reported on the website www.icelebz.com, here's what she's revealed while promoting her new film G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra;

Sienna Miller spent Valentine's Day in bed with a woman. The British actress formed such a close bond with her G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra co-star Rachel Nichols the pair chose to mark the romantic day by spending time alone - away from the male-dominated film set.
Sienna said: "We needed each other - it was a very testosterone-fuelled environment - we actually spent Valentine's Day together, in my bed!"
Rachel added: "We all got on so well making the film - we spent all of our time together."

Oh look, a cold shower with my name on it.

[fenris]

Heard on the BBC news last night that book chain Borders has gone into administration. I hope that a buyer can be found, if only because it's always a shame when we lose a high street name, and too many have gone in the last fifteen months.

That said, I've shopped in several Borders branches - Coventry, Brighton, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Oxford - and have always found them cold and impersonal. Yes, there's a lot of stock and I really like their magazine sections, but in comparison when you walk into a Waterstones (who are just as much a corporate chain as Borders) you get the sense that you're in an actual bookshop, whereas a Borders is just a large place filled with a product to be shifted, and that product just happens to be books.

[fenris]

A friend of mine who knows that I'm a film buff was recently quite surprised when they found out that I haven't upgraded to Blu-ray. I explained that I just don't see the point. We all know that in five-ten years Blu-ray will be dead, and instead we'll all have a multi-purpose entertainment centre sitting in our living rooms that'll be a combined TV/radio/PC/games machine. Nobody will buy music, games or movies in any kind of physical format - it'll all be downloaded straight into the machine.

I should point out that I don't think this oncoming Download Everything culture is a good thing. I actually loathe the idea (when I buy something I want to be able to physically hold it in my hot sticky hands, as opposed to purchasing a lot of bytes), but I can see that it's inevitable. Music downloads have killed off the CD single, the entire CD format will be next (and with people choosing to download individual songs, how long before the album as a concept becomes obsolete?). DVDs and Blu-ray are living on borrowed time.

[fenris]

Brittany Murphy. One of my favourite actresses. Actually, remove the ‘one of ‘. She was my favourite actress. Many of the articles written about her in newspapers and on-line since the weekend have stated that Clueless (1995) was her breakthrough film, but I disagree. Clueless may have brought her to the attention of movie-goers, but true mainstream success eluded her for another half-decade, during which time she appeared in various low budget, independent movies either made-for-TV or intended for the direct-to-video or cable markets. She specialised in playing misfits, oddballs and outsiders, and could always be relied upon to both give a terrific performance and steal every scene in which she appeared. Having not seen Clueless myself, it was during this period (the mid-to-late Nineties) that I discovered her. Her performances included one of the title roles in David & Lisa, a TV movie about two mentally-handicapped teenagers falling in love; a small but memorable part in Freeway as a wide-eyed, facially scarred prison inmate who clumsily seduces Reese Witherspoon’s trailer trash anti-heroine; and a hilarious turn as a kooky, man-hungry motel clerk in the sci-fi/action flick Drive. By the time she appeared in horror sequel The Prophecy II (1998), I’d become a big fan of Murphy, and to see her paired with one of my favourite actors Christopher Walken (she plays the suicidal Goth sidekick to his Archangel Gabriel) was my personal dream movie partnership come true. She also made a fine Final Girl in the controversial slasher film Cherry Falls, which received a cinema release in the UK and many other countries, but sadly went straight to cable in America.

It was her supporting role as a traumatised sexual abuse victim in Girl, Interrupted (1999) that provided Murphy with her true breakthrough. Angelina may have bagged the Oscar, but it was Brittany who quietly got the attention. It directly resulted in her playing a not-dissimilar role in the thriller Don’t Say a Word – her first leading role in a studio film. Major parts in the blue collar Eminem bio-pic 8 Mile, drug addiction drama Spun, and playing a teenage mother in Riding in Cars With Boys all followed in quick succession…but then things started to go wrong. Hollywood just didn’t know what to do with such a quirky and individual talent. Faced with an actress who excelled at portraying the damaged and dysfunctional, the studios tried to turn her into a conventional rom-com star, with films such as Upturn Girls, Just Married and Little Black Book. While Murphy never gave anything less than a good performance, the roles just didn’t suit her or her persona (although Uptown Girls was surprisingly bittersweet in places) and those movies underperformed. At the same time that the studios were trying to transform her, Murphy herself attempted to alter her image, losing weight, dying her hair blonde, and posing for lads mags’ photoshoots. It was disconcerting to see such a naturally beautiful and spirited young woman believing that she had to conform to society’s blinkered, media-guided definition of beauty and attractiveness.

As far as I’m aware, the last of Murphy’s movies to receive a cinema release was Sin City (2005). When that film’s cooler-than-cool cast list was announced/leaked in dribs and drabs, consisting of A listers who have never lost their credibility (Bruce Willis), cult B movie veterans (Rutger Hauer, Michael Madsen, Powers Boothe), up-and-coming starlets (Jessica Alba, Jaime King, Alexis Bledel, Devon Akoi, Marley Shelton), left-field casting choices (Elijah Wood) and comeback kings (Mickey Rourke), the most striking thing was that Murphy’s casting seemed the most natural. It was expected. It would have been a major surprise if she hadn’t been included. As Shellie the waitress (incidentally, the only character to appear in all three of the film’s separate tales), Murphy was the perfect match for both the material and the movie’s fiercely independent spirit and attitude. Although her role in the film is relatively minor, in hindsight Sin City could be considered the best individual indicator of Murphy’s on-screen image and persona.

After Sin City, Murphy dropped out of the limelight, making a handful of independent movies that went direct to DVD or cable. I don’t read or follow celebrity gossip, as I’m only interested in a performer’s work, not their private life, but in the wake of Murphy’s death many articles have referred to rumours that arose during the last few years of her getting a reputation for being unreliable; possible drug problems (that she always denied); concerns about her losing weight; and questions regarding her sudden marriage. How much truth was contained in those rumours is irrelevant now, but an example of how far her star had fallen is that her last completed film at the time of her death was MegaFault, a disaster movie produced by The Asylum (who are notorious for churning out blatant rip-offs of major studio releases) that debuted on the SyFy Channel.

And now she’s gone. RIP Brittany, and thank you. In the years to come, we’ll re-watch and enjoy all the performances you gave us, and regret all the ones we’ll never get to see.

[fenris]

Dec 26, 2008 16:19:06 GMT fenris said:

For what it's worth, here are my predictions for 2009.

So let's see how accurate (or not) my predictions were;

- Prince William won't propose to Kate Middleton.
Well, I was right about this. If press-reported rumours are to be believed, Royal courtiers have been advised to plan for an engagement announcement and wedding in 2012, when the eyes of the world will already be on London due to the Olympics.

- Barack Obama will do a pretty good job as President, but because of the enormous mess he's inherited from Bush and the American people's unrealistic expectations, his first year in office will still be regarded as disappointing.
Mostly correct about this as well, though I'm not sure how good a job Obama has actually done (being given the Nobel Peace Prize was just silly - he's done nothing to earn it yet, and perhaps never will). The American Right-Wing haven't taken his election to the presidency lying down, and are doing everything they can to sabotage his health reforms and other policies. Their conspiracy theory that he's wasn't born on US soil and therefore wasn't eligible to run for president is my favourite.

- there will be more rumours about Nadine leaving Girls Aloud.
Before last year, Nadine always seemed the weakest link in the Girls Aloud chain - the one most likely to leave. She lives in America (the other Girls are still resident in the UK), has started a property development business over there, and had been officially excused from several of the group's public appearances and performances. But following her success as a X-Factor judge and resulting meteoric rise in popularity, it's now Cheryl who will probably make the break. The group is currently 'in hiatus' and Mrs. Cole is busy promoting her best-selling solo album. She even has her own individual calendar out. It's the beginning of the end, mark my words.

- a Premier League football club will go into liquidation.
Was wrong about this, but probably only just. It's looking increasingly likely that Portsmouth are about to go belly-up.

- the new actor to play the Doctor will be announced, whereupon 80% of the show's fans will instantly declare on forums and messages boards that he/she will be awful and they're boycotting the show.
"HE'S TOO YOUNG!" went the enraged cries. Heh. This was an easy one to get right.

- New Orleans will be hit by another hurricane, which results in less damage and panic than Katrina, but causes serious questions to be asked about the city's long-term future.
Was wrong about this. But New Orleans still has a long way to go before it fully recovers.

- a General Election will be called in the UK. Labour win, but with a reduced majority.
Wrong again. An electron is guaranteed in 2010, and we'll see what it brings.

- with Strictly Come Dancing having failed to revive her career, Rachel Stevens will either (1.) take part in I'm a Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here, or (2.) pose for Playboy.
Arguably, I was partially correct. Rachel was practically invisible in 2009. Her only work of note was a couple of return appearances in Strictly Come Dancing (in last year's final and the Christmas Special) - which smacks of desperation - and a photoshoot in FHM's January 2010/calendar issue. Come in Ms Stevens, your time in the limelight is well & truly up.

[fenris]

My dog died yesterday, just a couple of weeks short of his fifteenth birthday - a very good age for a dog of his size. I'd owned him since he was a puppy. The house suddenly seems much larger. There's now masses of space where he used to be. The next few days will be the hardest: when you own a dog, their routine is your routine. Your day is built around the set times when you prepare their food, give them their medication, take them for walks, etc.
I'm going to have to get used to finding myself with some unwanted spare time.

[WarrenWitchesRule]

I'm very sorry to hear about your dog dying Fenris. I know when my Retriever died it was very hard not having her around. Even though both your dog and mine lived to be what is considered "a ripe old age" for dogs, they are still an integral part of the family unit and are mourned as such.
People who don't have pets can't understand the connection that a dog/cat etc owner has with their pet and so are not particularly understanding when one is grieving for a dear departed animal. Rest assured that there is at least one other member on this board who is empathising with you now.

[orokiah]

Sorry to hear that fenris. It's a horrible experience. My first dog, who I'd had since I was a child, died a few years ago and he left a huge hole behind.

Can only echo everything WarrenWitchesRule said - it's a sad time, but I hope the many years of memories you have will eventually be a consolation of sorts.

[fenris]

Thanks WarrenWitchesRule and orokiah. Much appreciated.

[fenris]

American actress Lisa Blount has died, aged 53. A striking-looking redhead, the IMDB lists her as having appeared in almost fifty movies and/or TV shows, but she was probably best known for playing Lynette Pomeroy (the best friend of the character portrayed by Debra Winger) in An Officer and a Gentleman, and also for being the heroine in John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness.

In addition to being an actress, Blount was a producer, responsible for The Accountant, which won the Oscar for best live action short film in 2001, and the recent feature-length movie Chrystal which she also starred in, alongside Billy Bob Thornton.

Reportedly, Blount's mother found her dead in her home yesterday (27/10/10). The coroner has apparently told the press that she appears to have died two day earlier, on 25/10/10. The cause of death has not been announced.

RIP Lisa Blount.