Kim Kardashian and her sister Kourtney did some bikini modeling this morning in Monaco. And, yes, you're actually looking at Kim's ass notcovered by a sarong. Some might say these shots put an end to the buttpad debate, but I say "Not fucking quite." They only add to a new debate on extremely long distance photography and, what I'm suggesting is, choreographed butt-flexing. Touché, Kim Kardashian. Touché.
There has been much said about the CFDA event, “Beauty of Health” and the involvement of Michael Kors, Diane Von Furstenburg and supermodel Coco Rocha. MDC asked Coco herself for a personal take on it, “What is the most important thing you want to convey to the aspiring models out there?” Her answer? “For girls that want to be models, my advice is to make sure you are healthy and you do all you can to take care of your body. The girls that succeed are usually the ones who have personality. Finally, stand for what you believe in and you’ll go far!”
Well said, Miss Rocha! And kudos for being so honest and taking part in this much needed discussion.
4 faces in town now, from the FAMILIAR: fantastic Colette (coming off her gorgeous Paris Vogue shoots with David Slijper, Ben Hassett and Mario Sorrenti and based in NY now with 1 Models) and the still striking Maggie Rizer, now at Muse Management…. to the BRAND NEW: runway ready Drew Kelly at Red Model Management and cool Cliff at Development.
The new multi model campaign for Belstaff, lensed by Steven Meisel, continues its sleek black and white image. Looks like this quintet’s stocks continue to rapidly rise!
Reid, Maryna, Isabeli, Miro and Lara. Ph: Steven Meisel for Belstaff, FW08, photos Belstaff website, via tFS
Maryna, Lara, Isabeli. Ph: Steven Meisel for Belstaff, FW08, photos Belstaff website, via tFS
Isabeli. Ph: Steven Meisel for Belstaff, FW08, photos Belstaff website, via tFS
Reid and Miro. Ph: Steven Meisel for Belstaff, FW08, photos Belstaff website, via tFS
Might a screening of "Celtic Pride" be in order? Might be, if that 1996 comedy wasn't so painfully bad. But hold on to the title for a bit; maybe we can repurpose it on Sunday.
The multiplex offerings this weekend are pretty slim. "The Incredible Hulk" is a perfectly okay superhero movie that turns pale green in comparison to "Iron Man". Yes, Edward Norton is a fine actor, but all he has to do here is mope, and Liv Tyler is such a limp noodle as his biologist girlfriend that I got the giggles. (Thank goodness for the juicy overacting provided by Tim Blake Nelson and William Hurt's eyebrows.) The CGI effects are impressive but I never forgot they were CGI effects: The fight scenes look like the Rock-Em Sock-Em Robots videogame we've all been waiting for.
"The Happening" doesn't. My review pretty much says all I have to say on the subject of M. Night Shyamalan's new thriller, but I should underscore how shocked I am at just how poor the writing and filmmaking is here. The underlying idea -- don't mess with Mother Nature -- is solid, especially if the honeybee die-off is already freaking you out. The script, though, should have gone back to rewrite at least twice. And those people hanging from trees in the trailers? That's the cast, left twisting in the wind by M. Night. The scariest apocalypse-now vision remains Michael Haneke's "Time of the Wolf," or, if you're looking for something closer to the classical model, Hitchcock's "The Birds," an obvious influence on "The Happening" and a movie whose innate craft makes this one look like a bad student video.
The art-houses try to pick up the slack with "Savage Grace" (true crime story of decadent jetsetters, but it's no "Reversal of Fortune"), "When Did You Last See Your Father?" (tepid British male sobfest about dying fathers and emotionally constipated sons), "War, Inc." (a splattery political-satire mess from John Cusack, long on justified outrage, short on coherence or laughs; almost worth seeing for Hilary Duff as a sexed-up Central Asian pop tart, tho -- that's her in the photo above, and you don't want to know what she's about to do with that scorpion).
Bottle Shock - Trailer There are certain moments in history when America has proven itself to the world: Neil Armstrong setting foot on the Moon; or the US Men’s Hockey team beating the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics. One such moment, however, never got the recognition it deserved: In 1976, a small American winery bested the exalted French wines of the time and sent the wine industry into a tizzy - putting California wines on the map for good. Based on a true story, Bottle Shock chronicles the events leading up to the famous ‘Judgment of Paris’ tastings, told through the lives of father and son, Jim and Bo Barrett. A former real estate attorney, Jim (Bill Pullman) sacrificed everything to realize his dream of creating the perfect hand-crafted chardonnay. His business, however, is struggling, and he’s not only trying to overcome differences with his slacker son (Chris Pine), but is also fighting off the creditors. Meanwhile in Paris, unwitting British wine shop owner Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) hopes to revive his own failing business by sponsoring a competition which will pit the traditional French powerhouse against the California upstarts. Little did Steven and Jim realize that they were both on course to change the history of wine forever. Directed by: Randall Miller Starring: Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Rachael Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez
Red Roses and Petrol - Trailer Amid a haze of cigarette smoke and uneaten food, the family of Enda Doyle gathers in Dublin for his wake only to find a trail of unresolved issues and a disturbing mystery. Based on a successful Irish play by acclaimed writer Joseph O’Connor, this darkly comedic drama offers a tour-de-force showcase for Malcolm McDowell as Enda Doyle, a university librarian, poet, and rascal who is the flawed patriarch of a dysfunctional family struggling to come to terms with his death and with one another. Dazed widow Moya’s desperation to keep her family together and twenty-something daughter Medbh’s sharp tongue provide the backdrop for the arrival of headstrong older sister Catherine and her handsome but awkward boyfriend, Tom Ivers, from New York. Sorting through boxes of Enda’s books, the women discover a cache of self-recorded video diaries that might shed light on some of the secrets of Enda’s life, secrets he was never able to share with them. Black sheep brother Johnny, a brilliant, emotionally wounded slacker, brings the clan to the edge of violence with his biting recollection of long buried memories, inciting them into what can only be called unchecked family therapy. Red Roses and Petrol explores the emotional dynamics of familial relationships with sharp humor and surprising turns, taking the viewer on an intense emotional journey into the depths of what is truth and what is love. The film’s soundtrack features music from acclaimed Irish-American band Flogging Molly and Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles. Directed by: Tamar Simon Hoffs Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Olivia Tracey, Susan Lynch, Max Beesley, Heather Juergensen
Eagle Eye - Trailer 1a In the fast-paced race-against-time-thriller “Eagle Eye” Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan are two strangers who become the pawns of a mysterious woman they have never met, but who seems to know their every move. Realizing they are being used to further her diabolical plot, they must work together to outwit the woman before she has them killed. Directed by: D.J. Caruso Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis, Anthony Mackie
If you haven’t discovered the pure hilariousness of Italian Spiderman yet, then now’s the time to start.
Quick Background: Italian Spiderman started when a group of Australian film students made a spoof trailer for an Italian take on the Spiderman franchise from the 70s. The trailer was so popular - and unbelievably hilarious, that they decided to actually go ahead and make the film, which is being released in parts. Check out the trailer and the first three episodes here and watch the latest episode here.
