Burt Reynolds Says No to Drugs
Anyone familiar with the personal history of actor Burt Reynolds will read “Burt Reynolds says no to drugs” and think “uh…again?”
Just last year Reynolds was in rehab for an addiction to prescription pain killers.
The Who2 Blog
Archie Adds Openly Gay Character; Moose Remains in Closet
“Archie Comics announced Thursday that Riverdale High will enroll its first openly gay character in September. The character, a blond newbie named Kevin Keller, will debut in No.
Leonard Nimoy: I Am No Longer Spock. For Reals This Time.
“Taxi!”Leonard Nimoy says that he will no longer play Mr. Spock, and good luck to him with that.Not that we doubt his good intentions, and they seem very good indeed:
The Royal Heave-Ho
Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, is wheeled to the stage on Thursday for the launch of British Food Fortnight 2010. The Duchess broke
her leg earlier this month “whilst hillwalking in Scotland.”(Photo Pool/Anwar Hussein Collection/WENN.com)
Roger Ebert is Not Loving ‘The Backup Plan’
The movie deals with artificial insemination, romance, sex and organic goat cheese, which are promising areas for investigation, but it’s so watered-down, it approaches homeopathy.Roger Ebert chuckles over The Backup Plan, the new Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy.Speaking of Nuts the terrier (as Ebert does), Lopez posed with him on the red carpet at the LA premiere this week.
Robots Can’t Placekick Worth Beans
Veteran NFL kicker Joe Nedney took on a robot this week for the placekicking championship of the world. Nedney is 234 pounds and 77 inches tall. The robot, Ziggy, is an intimidating 340 pounds and 14 inches.Who prevailed? Let’s go to the tape.
Charles Mingus Weird Nightmare
In honor of the birth anniversary of bandleader Charlie Mingus, here are clips from the Ray Davies (of The Kinks) documentary, Charles Mingus Weird Nightmare.To see Davies talk about the film and to see more segments, go to Weird Davies Nightmare.
It’s Bettie Page’s Birthday
Today Bettie Page was born in Nashville in 1923. A pin-up queen from “men’s magazines” of the 1950s, Page’s distinctive look is now what most people imagine when they think of that era of striptease burlesque. Page retired long ago and died in 2008.
To hear an audio interview with Page from 2007, go to this video (it includes a slideshow of typical Bettie Page poses).
James Mason at Last!
James Mason (center) with Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and Martin Landauin the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock thriller North By NorthwestEditor Paul Hehn has just profiled actor James Mason, and thank heavens. He’s a great one.
They Got Hitler!
“All those who enjoy Hitler bunker parodies, please leave the room.”(Hat tip: Mr. Hehn)
Next James Bond Film Suspended
The BBC says that producers are worried about MGM’s financial problems. Sam Mendes was in talks to direct, with a release date set for 2012 — the 50th anniversary of Dr. No.Maybe suspension is a good thing, given how dopey Quantum of Solace was. They should take all the time they need to get back to the magic of Casino Royale.
Funny Cide, Happy 10th Birthday
Funny Cide, the plucky chestnut colt who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness in 2003, turns 10 years old today.Funny Cide raced until he was 7 years old, won $3.5 million, and is now retired to the Kentucky Horse Farm. Alas, Funny Cide is a gelding, so it’s not the usual retirement at stud enjoyed by most Derby winners and NFL quarterbacks. Still, he’s eating peppermints and enjoying life.
Christina Hendricks Esquire Cover
Christina Hendricks and Esquire magazine go together. Hendricks — best known as Joan, the luscious take-charge secretary on the TV show Mad Men — is featured on the May 2010 cover of Esquire. It’s their annual ‘Women We Love’ issue.
Busy Weezy in Prison
Rapper Lil Wayne — a.k.a. “Weezy” — has a way of keeping his name in the papers, even though he’s in jail in New York.
His newest stay-in-the-public-eye scheme is a blog from his prison cell, which so far is a combination of meditations on professional sports and blatant advertisements for his most recent “rock” album, Rebirth.
Keith Urban is a Confident Man (PHOTOS)
Actress Nicole Kidman and her husband, country star Keith Urban, at the the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards last night in Las Vegas.
J.G. Ballard Died A Year Ago
Last year on this date English writer J.G. Ballard died at the age of 78. Ballard’s most famous book might be his memoir, Empire of the Sun, made into a 1987 movie by Steven Spielberg (introducing a young kid named Christian Bale).
In honor of the late J.G. Ballard, here are some links to some good sites:
A great collection of essays, videos, sound clips and links can be found at Ballardian.
Who’ll Be the American Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?
PopEater speculates on which actress will snag the title role in the American remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.It’s depressing reading. Kristen Stewart? Megan Fox?
Some April 19th Anniversaries
Oscar-winning actress Grace Kelly married Monaco’s Prince Ranier III in 1956.
Charles Manson was sentenced to life in prison in 1971 for his role in the 1969 murder spree that took Sharon Tate’s life.
Occupation: Alpha Dog
One perk of being President of the United States: When filling out your tax return, under Your occupation you get to write “U.S. President.”It’s the little things that count.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and the Five Iron
So why didn’t anyone tell me that there’s a scene in The Girl WIth the Dragon Tattoo where a young Swedish woman waving a golf club chases a sex fiend out of the house and into his SUV and then, as he tries to careen off down the driveway, she bashes in the driver’s side window with the five iron?(It looked like a five iron to me, though that’s not specified in the movie. Just like real life!)