TV, Movies, Met
I don’t like posting until I actually have my post completely set up but I’m a procrastinator and Photobucket’s new coding is trash and makes everything a chore, like listening to Kellyanne Conway make excuses for that Idiot-in-Chief level of chore, so here goes, my slapdash post. Talking about things that entertained me like that story out of Michigan about the police officer who did ancestry testing and found out that he was 18% black
Full story here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/12/us/cleon-brown-black-lawsuit.html
All his life, Cleon Brown, a 47-year-old police sergeant in Hastings, Mich., had thought he was a white man with some Native American blood.
That notion came from his father, who had black, curly hair and darker skin. Sergeant Brown’s father would tell him and anyone else who asked that his lineage could be traced to the Blackfeet Nation.
So Sergeant Brown stuck to that story.
But whenever people heard his name, Cleon, which he shared with his father, they would assume that he was a black man. He became a little suspicious of his actual heritage when his daughter, now 18, was given a diagnosis at birth for an illness that he said was typically found in African-Americans.
Ever curious about his background, he decided to take a DNA test from Ancestry.com last year. The results were surprising: He had zero Native American blood in him, but was 18 percent sub-Saharan African. The Times’s Race/Related newsletter [Sign up here to get it in your inbox] recently explored how people’s DNA matched with how they identified racially. Many of them were surprised, and even upset.
But Sergeant Brown said, “I was so proud of it,” in describing the moment that his wife called him at work and told him about the test result.
The clarity was relieving. He proudly told his colleagues at the police department, he said. But not long after that, his elation turned into misery.
“Kunta,” the Hastings police chief, Jeff Pratt, said to Sergeant Brown at the station one day, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit that the sergeant filed last month.
Later, the lawsuit charges, some members of the department “started whispering ‘Black Lives Matter’ while pumping their fists as they walked” past Sergeant Brown. Even the mayor at the time, Frank Campbell, got in on the racist teasing, Sergeant Brown said, by telling him a joke in which he used the word “Negroid” at least twice.
Isn’t there crime they should be stopping/solving?
I feel for ol’ Cleon getting that wakeup call but I have to say, I had the same reaction as Mero from Viceland’s “Deus and Mero”.
Cleon’s not a name you just pick out of a baby book. Someone in that family knew. That’s some sharecropper’s name who probably went north to play with a blues band. It reminds me of an episode of "This is Us" where Sterling K. Brown's character said "hope they have that Hugh Grant-Meryl Streep movie that sounds like a black lady. Florence Foster Jenkins!"
~I find myself time and time again-not often at all, mind you-checking Jared Padalecki’s Twitter timeline to see which worker he’s shamed lately and I’ve been seeing an account that takes him to task for that and for all of his ware that he’s pushing. And hey, I’m still salty about Jensen saying “Smallville” had gone on too long in SEASON FLIPPING SEVEN as they’re sliding into SEASON THIRTEEN so I would check it out for a laugh. Until. Until I realize the account was by a serious tin-hatter who thinks that Jensen and Jared are bearding with their wives.
Not that I think it’s outside the realm of possibility that Jensen and Jared full of SoCo and lax inhibitions didn’t engage in some totally straight, dude-bro exchange of seminal fluid. But a sham marriage? For why?
Anyhoo…
Here’s the future stars of “Supernatural” season 32
Speaking of close coworkers, Michael Rosenbaum attended Tom Welling’s big 4-0. Yes, 4-0.
The party was thrown by Tom’s girlfriend.
And in typical Tom fashion he has some curious friends.
Liam bloody Hemsworth and Andy Garcia???
My wish would be that he’s not wearing mandals. I mean, looking at the hat I’m sure he is but here’s to wishes
~Rosenbaum’s show has been cancelled but here’s hoping for a brighter future. His friend James Gunn cast him in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and while his role was relatively small.
He plays a pivotal character to the “Guardians of the Galaxy” lore and the film definitely sets it up for a return.
He’s not *just* a lush-lipped alien
~Another “Smallville” alum joining the Marvel Universe is Serinda Swan who has been cast in ABC’s “Inhumans” with Anson Mount who appeared in a “Smallville” ep as Dr. Helen Bryce’s ex-boyfriend.
This Spirit Halloween store wig is killing me
~Laura Vandervoort and Erica Durance have both seen the end to their series, but after ankling “Beauty and the Beast”, Kristin Kreuk netted another series.
Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) has placed a 10-episode straight-to-series order for a untitled small-town legal drama starring and exec produced by the Smallville and Beauty and the Beast actress.
The project, from writer Brad Simpson (King, Rookie Blue), centers on Joanne, a fast-rising attorney who leaves her fancy big-city corporate job to tackle a controversial case in her hometown. And she ends up staying put.
Production is slated to begin this summer in Winnipeg. There’s no official word on a U.S. home for the series.
And a producer at that! :: Jensen and Jared::
~It’s that time of year again: series that I didn’t know even existed are being renewed and cancelled. Joining already ended shows like “Grimm”, and “Bones” and “The Vampire Diaries” in the trash heap are:
ABC: “Conviction”, “The Catch”, “Dr. Ken”, “Notorious”, the critically acclaimed “American Crime”, “Secrets and Lies”, “Time After Time”, “The Real O’Neals” and Tim Allen’s “Last Man Standing”. Allen’s “Last Man Standing” seemed to be a successful series and was still going strong, so at least one site posited that it was axed because Allen-a Republican-recently went on Jimmy Kimmel’s show and likened Hollywood to Germany during the Second World War when it comes to being a Republican.
Returning shows are: “The $100,000 Pyramid” (I know I haven’t posted in a while but did I wake back up in 1972?), “American Housewife”, “Bachelor in Paradise”, “black-ish”, “Celebrity Family Feud”, “Designated Survivor”, “The Goldbergs” (for two seasons), “Grey’s Anatomy”, “How to Get Away with Murder”, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”, “The Middle” (see Tim Allen? This oustpoken Republican named Patricia Heaton still has a series), “Modern Family” (for two seasons), “Once Upon a Time” (with leads Jennifer Morrison, Ginny Godwin, Josh Dallas, Rebecca Hader, Emilie De Ravin and that little boy who grew up unto an awkward looking teen.) and “Speechless”.
Sure to be renewed are “America’s Funniest Home Videos”, “The Bachelor”, “Dancing with the Stars”, “Fresh Off the Boat”, “Match Game”, “Shark Tank”
ABC will also bring back “American Idol”.
CBS put on an ice floe: “BrainDead”, “American Gothic”, “Doubt”, “The Odd Couple”, “Training Day”, "Two Broke Girls" and “Pure Genius”.
Returning shows are: “The Big Bang Theory’ (for at least 2 more seasons), “Big Brother”, “Blue Bloods”, “Bull”, “Criminal Minds”, “The Good Fight” (which airs on CBS’ streaming site "All Access"), “Hawaii 5.0”, “Life in Pieces”, “Kevin Can Wait”, “MacGyver”, “Madam Secretary”, “Man with a Plan”, “Mom”, “NCIS”, “NCIS: Los Angeles”, “NCIS: New Orleans”, “Scorpion”, “Superior Donuts”, “Survivor”, “and “Zoo”.
Fox has put out to pasture: “APB”, “Making History”, “Pitch”, “Rosewood”, “Son of Zorn” and “Sleepy Hollow”
Returning shows are: “American Grit” (never heard of it), “Bob’s Burgers”, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", “Empire”, "The Exorcist" (!!!!) “Gotham”, “The Last Man on Earth”, “Lethal Weapon”, “Lucifer”, , "Master Chef", “The Mick”, “The Simpsons” (for two more seasons taking it to Season 30), “Star”, "So You Think You Can Dance", “The X-Files”.
”The X-Files” return is great news to young!Kate McKinnon
Very likely to be renewed are “Family Guy”, “Masterchef Junior”, “World’s Funniest”.
NBC has put in the sea: “Aquarius”(this show is dead but not Charles Manson. How??), "Blacklist: Redemption", “Emerald City”, “Powerless” and “Timeless”.
Returning shows are: “America’s Got Talent”, “American Ninja Warrior”, “The Blacklist”, “Blindspot”, “Chicago Fire”, “Chicago Med”, “Chicago P.D”, (no word, as of yet, on sister show “Chicago Justice”), “The Good Place”, “Great News”, "Hollywood Game Night", “Shades of Blue”, “Superstore”, “Taken”, "The Carmichael Show", “This is Us” (for two seasons), “The Voice” (for two seasons), “Law and Order: SVU for its 19th season.
The CW didn’t have much wiggle room. They only pick up two shows a year, not counting the shows they only air on CW Seed.
They have put concrete shoes on : “Frequency” and “No Tomorrow”.
Returning shows are: “The 100”, “Arrow”, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”, “The Flash”, “iZombie”, “Jane the Virgin”, “The Originals” (I gotta admit, this even shocked me), “Riverdale”, “Supergirl”, “Supernatural” and “Whose Line is It Anyway?”.
Returning shows also include those long dormant like Showtime’s “Twin Peaks” revival, the return of “Will and Grace” (10 eps, IIRC),
A “Psych” Christmas movie with returning cast members (including Timothy Omudson and his great hair who is recovering from a stroke.
~This brings me to (some of the) Movies I’ve Seen.
The Lost City of Z
Other than an opportunity to see a more reserved and emotional side of Charlie Hunnam there isn’t much “The Lost City of Z” has to offer. Directed and written (adapted from the David Gann book of the same name) by James Gray (“We Own the Night”, “Little Odessa”), ‘The Lost City of Z” is a slow moving, slightly immersive tale of the true story of British surveyor Percy Fawcett and his obsession with finding a mythical civilization he named “Z” (or “Zed” how everyone, including the Arclight staffer who introduced the film pronounced it).
When a dispute arises between Bolivia and Peru over territory, the British government is asked to intervene and map out the border to ensure rightful land ownership. Tasked with the assignment is Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam, “Sons of Anarchy”)
who is on the outside of affluent high society due to his father squandering away the family fortune. Knowing that this venture would gain him a job that would gain him respect and an opportunity to support his family, Fawcett takes on the job forcing him to leave his pregnant wife Nina (Sienna Miller, “American Sniper”) and their young son.
Paired with fellow surveyor Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson, “Twilight”) and Artur Manley (Edward Ashley) Fawcett embarks for South America. When their guide tells Fawcett of a civilization untouched by white hands or eyes he thinks it’s the thing of a fevered dream, but when they reach a remote part of the jungle and he finds ancient pottery Fawcett believes that he is on the verge of discovering a land that was thought of as a myth. Like one of the horrendous insects they likely encountered on their trek this idea of Z burrows into Fawcett’s mind and won’t free him leading him on numerous journeys to find this realm.
“The Lost City of Z” fails in the way most movies about true stories does in that the film isn’t as complex as real human emotions are. In real life people described Fawcett as being obsessed with Z to the extent of not caring about his family and willfully putting people in danger.
The film takes a different tack with Fawcett in that it never truly makes him seem obsessed, but compelled. It was as if the notion of this place which he felt would be better than the world with its war and caste system would be a Valhalla. There’s a scene where Fawcett is talking about Z as tears falls from his eyes and it’s moving because you can understand the pull that Z has on him. It’s not about making the history books but it’s as if it is calling to his soul.
The film gives Hunnam to play a softer man than his “Sons of Anarchy” character Jax Teller and even his cocksure characters on “Undeclared” and “Queer as Folk” (however, there is a rousing scene that is perfectly played and perfectly him where he has to verbally combat naysayers and it’s just shy of swaggering).
The film offers some fine performances from Angus MacFadyen as James Murray and explorer who wants to hitch his wagon to Fawcett, and Sienna Miller is quite capable in a largely thankless role which tries to do right by her by making Nina more than just the dutiful wife but ultimately feel shoehorned. Surprisingly entertaining was Robert Pattison all bearded looking like John Lennon.
His antisocial boozehound Costin is a fine compliment to Fawcett’s earnestness. I was impressed. Pattinson should keep the beard because it obscures that he essentially has a face shaped like a foot.
King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword
~As a Guy Ritchie fan I enjoyed it. I don’t get the terrible reviews. It’s “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” meets “Excalibur”. People are critiquing it saying, “This isn’t the King Arthur tale I loved.” Fair play, but that’s like saying Disney’s animated “Robin Hood” wasn’t faithful to the tale. It’ s a completely different animal. Not that I didn’t find problems with it, I did. All the zippiness falls away in the second act only to return in the third which made it feel disjointed and Jude Law who is always incredible wasn’t fully utilized.
Their Finest
Now this I loved but then again anything starring Bill Nighy is already tops in my book. A slight film that serves nothing more than to be a feel good story about the human spirit and the joy of escapism it’s much needed in times like these. Adapted by Gaby Chiappe from the 2009 novel by Lissa Evans Their Finest Hour and a Half
Amidst the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, the British Ministry of Information film team is at a lost as how to continue making morale boosting films in a time of war. With audiences’ attendance and favor waning the Ministry led by Roger Swain (Richard E. Grant) pairs his writers Gabriel Baker (Henry Goodman) and the abrasive Tom Buckley (Sam Claflin) with a burgeoning writer Catrin Cole (Gemma Atherton) in order for her to write the “slop” a pejorative for female dialogue.
Seeing the reaction to her dialogue among women, the Ministry asks her to write a female centric story.
A dream come true for Catrin, she must ignore the pride of her starving artist husband (Jack Huston) and takes on the task throwing her in with the icy assistant to the British Ministry Phyl Moore (Rachael Stirling) and the egocentric, needy actor Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy).
Catrin and Tom’s relationship starts off prickly but threatens to turn into something more
as they dodges all the slings and arrows of making a film complete with government meddling as they want Catrin and Tom to cast American soldier and war hero, the non-acting, Carl Lundbeck (Jake Lacey, “Carol”) as the film’s star.
Just a really nice film all around. It epitomizes the phrase “Keep Calm and Carry On” as characters cope with the constant drumbeat of war and ignore their own fears in order to help the greater good which is providing entertainment for those who have been left behind.
Atherton is rightfully named because she is a gem and she shines whether coddling Ambrose or verbally dueling with Tom.
Atherton, Grant, Stirling and Claflin
Director Lone Scherfig and her cast
~Scherfig was in the news recently not because of something she did but what Anne Hathaway did. Hathaway gave an interview recently where she says that she felt she exhibited internalized misogyny when directed by Scherfig in the film “One Day”.
Hathaway: ”"I really regret not trusting her more easily," she said. "And I am to this day scared that the reason I didn’t trust her the way I trust some of the other directors I work with is because she’s a woman."
"I’m so scared that I treated her with internalized misogyny," she continued about the film and its director. "I’m scared that I didn’t give her everything that she needed or … I was resisting her on some level. It’s something that I’ve thought a lot about in terms of when I get scripts to be directed by women."
"When I get a script, when I see a first film directed by a woman, I have in the past focused on what was wrong with it. And when I see a film … directed by a man, I focus on what’s right with it," she continued. "I can only acknowledge that I’ve done that and I don’t want to do that anymore ... I, before I realized this, had actively tried to work with female directors. And I still had this mindset buried in there somewhere."
I think it’s commendable she expressed this so openly.
The first Monday in May not only meant it would be the last day to use the Justin Timberlake “it’s gonna be May” meme, but it was the day of the annual Met Gala!
This year’s theme was Comme des Garçons and its founder Rei Kawakubo. Chairing this year’s event with Anna Wintour and Kawakuob were Pharrell Williams and Katy Perry.
Hailey Baldwin in Carolina Herrera
Elizabeth Banks in Michael Kors
Jennifer Lopez (with Alex Rodriguez) in Valentino
Thandie Newton
Mary J Blige in La Perla Haute Couture
Jessica Chastain in Prada
*Not a good color on her.
Halle Berry
Lily Collins in Valentino
Lea Sedouyx
Jennifer Connolly
Gabriel Kane Day-Lewis in TopMan
*Daniel Day-Lewis’ son Gabriel with some other dude and Cindy Crawford’s son Presley.
Cara Delevingne in Chanel
Lily-Rose Depp in Chanel
Zoey Deutch in Tory Burch
Celine Dion in Versace
Lena Dunham in Elizabeth Kennedy
Luke Evans in Louis Vuitton
*With Catherine Deneuve
Elle Fanning in Burberry
Selena Gomez (with The Weeknd) in Coach
Ashley Graham in H&M
*Look who escaped “Westworld”?!
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Marni
Evan Rachel Wood
Tracee Ellis Ross
Bella Hadid in Alexander Wang
Gigi Hadid in Tommy Hilfiger
f
Kate Hudson in Stella McCartney
*With other Stella wear-er Naomi Watts and w/ Stella
Kendall Jenner in La Perla Haute Couture
*I knew with La Perla it would be daring but I didn’t think she’d go practically nude. Might as well just wear La Perla thong and bra set.
Kylie Jenner
*With Donatella Versace
Blake Lively (with Ryan Reynolds)
Rose Byrne (and Bobby Cannavale
*Her man Bobby was just coming off a Drama Desk nomination for his role in the stage play “
*Another theatre nominee is this guy, newly Tony nominated…
and newly single Andrew Rannells
Lupita Nyong’o
Dakota Johnson in Gucci
*She was dressed by Allesandro Michele whose fashions are also worn by his buddy Jared Leto.
Claire Danes (with Hugh Dancy)
She got a good man, there
Kim Kardashian in Vivienne Westwood
Mindy Kaling in Prabal Gurung
b
Jemima Kirke in Chanel
*I got it give it to her for her boldness but this is something you wear to a sock hop.
Brie Larson in Chanel
Nicki Minaj in H&M
Janelle Monae in Ralph and< Russo
Mandy Moore in Michael Kors
Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein By Appointment
*Why do people wear Calvin Klein to events like this? It’s so average. And to couple average!Klein with average!Paltrow is like mixing beige with taupe.
Julianne Moore in Calvin Klein
Felicity Jones
Katy Perry in Maison Margiela
Katie Holmes in Zac Posen
*Takes form fitting to another level. Sensational look on her.
Rihanna in Comme des Garcons
*Hands down the night belonged to Bad Girl RiRi. Even Aziz Ansari is impressed.
I like Lupita’s dress better in this lighting.
Emmy Rossum in Carolina Herrera
Haley Bennett (“The Girl on the Train”)
*it seems when it don’t grab a hat and it works for her.
Cynthia Eivo
La La Anthony
*Lala and her husband Carmelo Anthony recently announced their split. He reportedly got another woman pregnant. I take it this is LaLa’s “I’m Single” look.
Kerry Washington in Michael Kors
~Chris Rock has returned to the stand up comedy world and in a spread in Rolling Stone magazine he opens up about his divorce brought on by his infidelity. In his act he says he had three affairs and one was with a A-list actress. Of course everyone thinks it’s Kerry who was his costar in “I Think I Love My Wife”.
Reese Witherspoon
Allison Williams in DVF>
*Very chic and slick, but definite Golden Globes fare. Not Met Gala.
Pharrell Williams and wife Helen in Comme des Garcons
*Okay. Okay. OKAY. She did the theme but at what cost???
~and of course Twitter has jokes.
Solange Knowles didn’t come out unscathed, either
Caroline Kennedy was right up there with Helen
Amy Fine Collins
Julie Macklowe
Grace Hartzell looking like Emily Strange
Serena Williams and fiancé Alexis Ohanian
*It’s not that hard to find chic maternity clothes. She has enough money to have one custom made.
Zendaya in Dolce & Gabbana
*she looks gorgeous. I’m not completely sold on the dress. The bird motif is for the…birds. But overall it works despite her looking like she’s on her way to stomp grapes for wine in some Italian village.
Rita Ora
Ruby Rose and Donald Glover
Anna Wintour
*I like the mirrored look but she didn’t even follow the theme.
Paris Jackson
*Paris is my new favorite fashionista. I love her style and her energy.
The Olsen Twins
Ruth Negga
*So regal looking.
~Poor Dom is never photographed with her. He’s always in the back like her short, wee, dirty little secret. I only knew he was at the Oscars with her because you can see his reaction in one of the shots when the Moonlight cast went to the stage after the envelope debacle.
Amy Schumer and Riz Ahmed
Zoe Kravitz
*There is no look she cannot rock.
Daisy Ridley
Courtney Love and daughter, Frances Bean
Michelle Monaghan
The GUYS
The King of doing too much, Diddy!
With girlfriend Cassie
Alexander Skarsgard in Zegna
*Rocking that busboy chic look.
*Alex’s girlfriend, model/presenter Alexa Chung was on hand as well as his younger Brother Bill who stars as Pennywise the Clown in the “IT” remake.
Jaden Smith in Louis Vuitton
*The always fashionable Smith brought his dreadlocks as an accessory. For Jaden reasons.
Why are people on the interwebs like this??! The accuracy of this kills me
~Jaden had to cut his hair for his latest role opposite Cara Delivigne.
His dad did the cutting honors
Hugh Jackman (with Deborra Lee-Furness)
*Love Debs hair and shoes.
Brandon Lee (son of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee)
Rami Malek
Joe Jonas
Nick Jonas in Ralph Lauren
~Nick’s series “Kingdom” returns at the end of the month for its third and final season. What will become of Jonas’ character, Nate, the closeted MMA fighter? One thing I do know is Jonathan Howard returns as Nate’s frustrated love interest, Will.
Corey Hawkins
Future
*I love the splash of color and the waistcoast. My favorite dressed male.
Eddie Redmayne in Burberry
Lil Yachty
*I appreciate that he came dressed like a Marx Brother crashing a swank affair.
Diplo
*I nearly vomited when I saw the length of his pants. The horror! You either wear a boot so that it looks like you’re going for hooligan look or you wear longer pants.
Hamish Bowles
Full story here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/12/us/cleon-brown-black-lawsuit.html
All his life, Cleon Brown, a 47-year-old police sergeant in Hastings, Mich., had thought he was a white man with some Native American blood.
That notion came from his father, who had black, curly hair and darker skin. Sergeant Brown’s father would tell him and anyone else who asked that his lineage could be traced to the Blackfeet Nation.
So Sergeant Brown stuck to that story.
But whenever people heard his name, Cleon, which he shared with his father, they would assume that he was a black man. He became a little suspicious of his actual heritage when his daughter, now 18, was given a diagnosis at birth for an illness that he said was typically found in African-Americans.
Ever curious about his background, he decided to take a DNA test from Ancestry.com last year. The results were surprising: He had zero Native American blood in him, but was 18 percent sub-Saharan African. The Times’s Race/Related newsletter [Sign up here to get it in your inbox] recently explored how people’s DNA matched with how they identified racially. Many of them were surprised, and even upset.
But Sergeant Brown said, “I was so proud of it,” in describing the moment that his wife called him at work and told him about the test result.
The clarity was relieving. He proudly told his colleagues at the police department, he said. But not long after that, his elation turned into misery.
“Kunta,” the Hastings police chief, Jeff Pratt, said to Sergeant Brown at the station one day, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit that the sergeant filed last month.
Later, the lawsuit charges, some members of the department “started whispering ‘Black Lives Matter’ while pumping their fists as they walked” past Sergeant Brown. Even the mayor at the time, Frank Campbell, got in on the racist teasing, Sergeant Brown said, by telling him a joke in which he used the word “Negroid” at least twice.
Isn’t there crime they should be stopping/solving?
I feel for ol’ Cleon getting that wakeup call but I have to say, I had the same reaction as Mero from Viceland’s “Deus and Mero”.
Cleon’s not a name you just pick out of a baby book. Someone in that family knew. That’s some sharecropper’s name who probably went north to play with a blues band. It reminds me of an episode of "This is Us" where Sterling K. Brown's character said "hope they have that Hugh Grant-Meryl Streep movie that sounds like a black lady. Florence Foster Jenkins!"
~I find myself time and time again-not often at all, mind you-checking Jared Padalecki’s Twitter timeline to see which worker he’s shamed lately and I’ve been seeing an account that takes him to task for that and for all of his ware that he’s pushing. And hey, I’m still salty about Jensen saying “Smallville” had gone on too long in SEASON FLIPPING SEVEN as they’re sliding into SEASON THIRTEEN so I would check it out for a laugh. Until. Until I realize the account was by a serious tin-hatter who thinks that Jensen and Jared are bearding with their wives.
Not that I think it’s outside the realm of possibility that Jensen and Jared full of SoCo and lax inhibitions didn’t engage in some totally straight, dude-bro exchange of seminal fluid. But a sham marriage? For why?
Anyhoo…
Here’s the future stars of “Supernatural” season 32
Speaking of close coworkers, Michael Rosenbaum attended Tom Welling’s big 4-0. Yes, 4-0.
The party was thrown by Tom’s girlfriend.
And in typical Tom fashion he has some curious friends.
Liam bloody Hemsworth and Andy Garcia???
My wish would be that he’s not wearing mandals. I mean, looking at the hat I’m sure he is but here’s to wishes
~Rosenbaum’s show has been cancelled but here’s hoping for a brighter future. His friend James Gunn cast him in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and while his role was relatively small.
He plays a pivotal character to the “Guardians of the Galaxy” lore and the film definitely sets it up for a return.
He’s not *just* a lush-lipped alien
~Another “Smallville” alum joining the Marvel Universe is Serinda Swan who has been cast in ABC’s “Inhumans” with Anson Mount who appeared in a “Smallville” ep as Dr. Helen Bryce’s ex-boyfriend.
This Spirit Halloween store wig is killing me
~Laura Vandervoort and Erica Durance have both seen the end to their series, but after ankling “Beauty and the Beast”, Kristin Kreuk netted another series.
Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) has placed a 10-episode straight-to-series order for a untitled small-town legal drama starring and exec produced by the Smallville and Beauty and the Beast actress.
The project, from writer Brad Simpson (King, Rookie Blue), centers on Joanne, a fast-rising attorney who leaves her fancy big-city corporate job to tackle a controversial case in her hometown. And she ends up staying put.
Production is slated to begin this summer in Winnipeg. There’s no official word on a U.S. home for the series.
And a producer at that! :: Jensen and Jared::
~It’s that time of year again: series that I didn’t know even existed are being renewed and cancelled. Joining already ended shows like “Grimm”, and “Bones” and “The Vampire Diaries” in the trash heap are:
ABC: “Conviction”, “The Catch”, “Dr. Ken”, “Notorious”, the critically acclaimed “American Crime”, “Secrets and Lies”, “Time After Time”, “The Real O’Neals” and Tim Allen’s “Last Man Standing”. Allen’s “Last Man Standing” seemed to be a successful series and was still going strong, so at least one site posited that it was axed because Allen-a Republican-recently went on Jimmy Kimmel’s show and likened Hollywood to Germany during the Second World War when it comes to being a Republican.
Returning shows are: “The $100,000 Pyramid” (I know I haven’t posted in a while but did I wake back up in 1972?), “American Housewife”, “Bachelor in Paradise”, “black-ish”, “Celebrity Family Feud”, “Designated Survivor”, “The Goldbergs” (for two seasons), “Grey’s Anatomy”, “How to Get Away with Murder”, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”, “The Middle” (see Tim Allen? This oustpoken Republican named Patricia Heaton still has a series), “Modern Family” (for two seasons), “Once Upon a Time” (with leads Jennifer Morrison, Ginny Godwin, Josh Dallas, Rebecca Hader, Emilie De Ravin and that little boy who grew up unto an awkward looking teen.) and “Speechless”.
Sure to be renewed are “America’s Funniest Home Videos”, “The Bachelor”, “Dancing with the Stars”, “Fresh Off the Boat”, “Match Game”, “Shark Tank”
ABC will also bring back “American Idol”.
CBS put on an ice floe: “BrainDead”, “American Gothic”, “Doubt”, “The Odd Couple”, “Training Day”, "Two Broke Girls" and “Pure Genius”.
Returning shows are: “The Big Bang Theory’ (for at least 2 more seasons), “Big Brother”, “Blue Bloods”, “Bull”, “Criminal Minds”, “The Good Fight” (which airs on CBS’ streaming site "All Access"), “Hawaii 5.0”, “Life in Pieces”, “Kevin Can Wait”, “MacGyver”, “Madam Secretary”, “Man with a Plan”, “Mom”, “NCIS”, “NCIS: Los Angeles”, “NCIS: New Orleans”, “Scorpion”, “Superior Donuts”, “Survivor”, “and “Zoo”.
Fox has put out to pasture: “APB”, “Making History”, “Pitch”, “Rosewood”, “Son of Zorn” and “Sleepy Hollow”
Returning shows are: “American Grit” (never heard of it), “Bob’s Burgers”, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", “Empire”, "The Exorcist" (!!!!) “Gotham”, “The Last Man on Earth”, “Lethal Weapon”, “Lucifer”, , "Master Chef", “The Mick”, “The Simpsons” (for two more seasons taking it to Season 30), “Star”, "So You Think You Can Dance", “The X-Files”.
”The X-Files” return is great news to young!Kate McKinnon
Very likely to be renewed are “Family Guy”, “Masterchef Junior”, “World’s Funniest”.
NBC has put in the sea: “Aquarius”(this show is dead but not Charles Manson. How??), "Blacklist: Redemption", “Emerald City”, “Powerless” and “Timeless”.
Returning shows are: “America’s Got Talent”, “American Ninja Warrior”, “The Blacklist”, “Blindspot”, “Chicago Fire”, “Chicago Med”, “Chicago P.D”, (no word, as of yet, on sister show “Chicago Justice”), “The Good Place”, “Great News”, "Hollywood Game Night", “Shades of Blue”, “Superstore”, “Taken”, "The Carmichael Show", “This is Us” (for two seasons), “The Voice” (for two seasons), “Law and Order: SVU for its 19th season.
The CW didn’t have much wiggle room. They only pick up two shows a year, not counting the shows they only air on CW Seed.
They have put concrete shoes on : “Frequency” and “No Tomorrow”.
Returning shows are: “The 100”, “Arrow”, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”, “The Flash”, “iZombie”, “Jane the Virgin”, “The Originals” (I gotta admit, this even shocked me), “Riverdale”, “Supergirl”, “Supernatural” and “Whose Line is It Anyway?”.
Returning shows also include those long dormant like Showtime’s “Twin Peaks” revival, the return of “Will and Grace” (10 eps, IIRC),
A “Psych” Christmas movie with returning cast members (including Timothy Omudson and his great hair who is recovering from a stroke.
~This brings me to (some of the) Movies I’ve Seen.
The Lost City of Z
Other than an opportunity to see a more reserved and emotional side of Charlie Hunnam there isn’t much “The Lost City of Z” has to offer. Directed and written (adapted from the David Gann book of the same name) by James Gray (“We Own the Night”, “Little Odessa”), ‘The Lost City of Z” is a slow moving, slightly immersive tale of the true story of British surveyor Percy Fawcett and his obsession with finding a mythical civilization he named “Z” (or “Zed” how everyone, including the Arclight staffer who introduced the film pronounced it).
When a dispute arises between Bolivia and Peru over territory, the British government is asked to intervene and map out the border to ensure rightful land ownership. Tasked with the assignment is Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam, “Sons of Anarchy”)
who is on the outside of affluent high society due to his father squandering away the family fortune. Knowing that this venture would gain him a job that would gain him respect and an opportunity to support his family, Fawcett takes on the job forcing him to leave his pregnant wife Nina (Sienna Miller, “American Sniper”) and their young son.
Paired with fellow surveyor Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson, “Twilight”) and Artur Manley (Edward Ashley) Fawcett embarks for South America. When their guide tells Fawcett of a civilization untouched by white hands or eyes he thinks it’s the thing of a fevered dream, but when they reach a remote part of the jungle and he finds ancient pottery Fawcett believes that he is on the verge of discovering a land that was thought of as a myth. Like one of the horrendous insects they likely encountered on their trek this idea of Z burrows into Fawcett’s mind and won’t free him leading him on numerous journeys to find this realm.
“The Lost City of Z” fails in the way most movies about true stories does in that the film isn’t as complex as real human emotions are. In real life people described Fawcett as being obsessed with Z to the extent of not caring about his family and willfully putting people in danger.
The film takes a different tack with Fawcett in that it never truly makes him seem obsessed, but compelled. It was as if the notion of this place which he felt would be better than the world with its war and caste system would be a Valhalla. There’s a scene where Fawcett is talking about Z as tears falls from his eyes and it’s moving because you can understand the pull that Z has on him. It’s not about making the history books but it’s as if it is calling to his soul.
The film gives Hunnam to play a softer man than his “Sons of Anarchy” character Jax Teller and even his cocksure characters on “Undeclared” and “Queer as Folk” (however, there is a rousing scene that is perfectly played and perfectly him where he has to verbally combat naysayers and it’s just shy of swaggering).
The film offers some fine performances from Angus MacFadyen as James Murray and explorer who wants to hitch his wagon to Fawcett, and Sienna Miller is quite capable in a largely thankless role which tries to do right by her by making Nina more than just the dutiful wife but ultimately feel shoehorned. Surprisingly entertaining was Robert Pattison all bearded looking like John Lennon.
His antisocial boozehound Costin is a fine compliment to Fawcett’s earnestness. I was impressed. Pattinson should keep the beard because it obscures that he essentially has a face shaped like a foot.
King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword
~As a Guy Ritchie fan I enjoyed it. I don’t get the terrible reviews. It’s “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” meets “Excalibur”. People are critiquing it saying, “This isn’t the King Arthur tale I loved.” Fair play, but that’s like saying Disney’s animated “Robin Hood” wasn’t faithful to the tale. It’ s a completely different animal. Not that I didn’t find problems with it, I did. All the zippiness falls away in the second act only to return in the third which made it feel disjointed and Jude Law who is always incredible wasn’t fully utilized.
Their Finest
Now this I loved but then again anything starring Bill Nighy is already tops in my book. A slight film that serves nothing more than to be a feel good story about the human spirit and the joy of escapism it’s much needed in times like these. Adapted by Gaby Chiappe from the 2009 novel by Lissa Evans Their Finest Hour and a Half
Amidst the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, the British Ministry of Information film team is at a lost as how to continue making morale boosting films in a time of war. With audiences’ attendance and favor waning the Ministry led by Roger Swain (Richard E. Grant) pairs his writers Gabriel Baker (Henry Goodman) and the abrasive Tom Buckley (Sam Claflin) with a burgeoning writer Catrin Cole (Gemma Atherton) in order for her to write the “slop” a pejorative for female dialogue.
Seeing the reaction to her dialogue among women, the Ministry asks her to write a female centric story.
A dream come true for Catrin, she must ignore the pride of her starving artist husband (Jack Huston) and takes on the task throwing her in with the icy assistant to the British Ministry Phyl Moore (Rachael Stirling) and the egocentric, needy actor Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy).
Catrin and Tom’s relationship starts off prickly but threatens to turn into something more
as they dodges all the slings and arrows of making a film complete with government meddling as they want Catrin and Tom to cast American soldier and war hero, the non-acting, Carl Lundbeck (Jake Lacey, “Carol”) as the film’s star.
Just a really nice film all around. It epitomizes the phrase “Keep Calm and Carry On” as characters cope with the constant drumbeat of war and ignore their own fears in order to help the greater good which is providing entertainment for those who have been left behind.
Atherton is rightfully named because she is a gem and she shines whether coddling Ambrose or verbally dueling with Tom.
Atherton, Grant, Stirling and Claflin
Director Lone Scherfig and her cast
~Scherfig was in the news recently not because of something she did but what Anne Hathaway did. Hathaway gave an interview recently where she says that she felt she exhibited internalized misogyny when directed by Scherfig in the film “One Day”.
Hathaway: ”"I really regret not trusting her more easily," she said. "And I am to this day scared that the reason I didn’t trust her the way I trust some of the other directors I work with is because she’s a woman."
"I’m so scared that I treated her with internalized misogyny," she continued about the film and its director. "I’m scared that I didn’t give her everything that she needed or … I was resisting her on some level. It’s something that I’ve thought a lot about in terms of when I get scripts to be directed by women."
"When I get a script, when I see a first film directed by a woman, I have in the past focused on what was wrong with it. And when I see a film … directed by a man, I focus on what’s right with it," she continued. "I can only acknowledge that I’ve done that and I don’t want to do that anymore ... I, before I realized this, had actively tried to work with female directors. And I still had this mindset buried in there somewhere."
I think it’s commendable she expressed this so openly.
The first Monday in May not only meant it would be the last day to use the Justin Timberlake “it’s gonna be May” meme, but it was the day of the annual Met Gala!
This year’s theme was Comme des Garçons and its founder Rei Kawakubo. Chairing this year’s event with Anna Wintour and Kawakuob were Pharrell Williams and Katy Perry.
Hailey Baldwin in Carolina Herrera
Elizabeth Banks in Michael Kors
Jennifer Lopez (with Alex Rodriguez) in Valentino
Thandie Newton
Mary J Blige in La Perla Haute Couture
Jessica Chastain in Prada
*Not a good color on her.
Halle Berry
Lily Collins in Valentino
Lea Sedouyx
Jennifer Connolly
Gabriel Kane Day-Lewis in TopMan
*Daniel Day-Lewis’ son Gabriel with some other dude and Cindy Crawford’s son Presley.
Cara Delevingne in Chanel
Lily-Rose Depp in Chanel
Zoey Deutch in Tory Burch
Celine Dion in Versace
Lena Dunham in Elizabeth Kennedy
Luke Evans in Louis Vuitton
*With Catherine Deneuve
Elle Fanning in Burberry
Selena Gomez (with The Weeknd) in Coach
Ashley Graham in H&M
*Look who escaped “Westworld”?!
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Marni
Evan Rachel Wood
Tracee Ellis Ross
Bella Hadid in Alexander Wang
Gigi Hadid in Tommy Hilfiger
f
Kate Hudson in Stella McCartney
*With other Stella wear-er Naomi Watts and w/ Stella
Kendall Jenner in La Perla Haute Couture
*I knew with La Perla it would be daring but I didn’t think she’d go practically nude. Might as well just wear La Perla thong and bra set.
Kylie Jenner
*With Donatella Versace
Blake Lively (with Ryan Reynolds)
Rose Byrne (and Bobby Cannavale
*Her man Bobby was just coming off a Drama Desk nomination for his role in the stage play “
*Another theatre nominee is this guy, newly Tony nominated…
and newly single Andrew Rannells
Lupita Nyong’o
Dakota Johnson in Gucci
*She was dressed by Allesandro Michele whose fashions are also worn by his buddy Jared Leto.
Claire Danes (with Hugh Dancy)
She got a good man, there
Kim Kardashian in Vivienne Westwood
Mindy Kaling in Prabal Gurung
b
Jemima Kirke in Chanel
*I got it give it to her for her boldness but this is something you wear to a sock hop.
Brie Larson in Chanel
Nicki Minaj in H&M
Janelle Monae in Ralph and< Russo
Mandy Moore in Michael Kors
Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein By Appointment
*Why do people wear Calvin Klein to events like this? It’s so average. And to couple average!Klein with average!Paltrow is like mixing beige with taupe.
Julianne Moore in Calvin Klein
Felicity Jones
Katy Perry in Maison Margiela
Katie Holmes in Zac Posen
*Takes form fitting to another level. Sensational look on her.
Rihanna in Comme des Garcons
*Hands down the night belonged to Bad Girl RiRi. Even Aziz Ansari is impressed.
I like Lupita’s dress better in this lighting.
Emmy Rossum in Carolina Herrera
Haley Bennett (“The Girl on the Train”)
*it seems when it don’t grab a hat and it works for her.
Cynthia Eivo
La La Anthony
*Lala and her husband Carmelo Anthony recently announced their split. He reportedly got another woman pregnant. I take it this is LaLa’s “I’m Single” look.
Kerry Washington in Michael Kors
~Chris Rock has returned to the stand up comedy world and in a spread in Rolling Stone magazine he opens up about his divorce brought on by his infidelity. In his act he says he had three affairs and one was with a A-list actress. Of course everyone thinks it’s Kerry who was his costar in “I Think I Love My Wife”.
Reese Witherspoon
Allison Williams in DVF>
*Very chic and slick, but definite Golden Globes fare. Not Met Gala.
Pharrell Williams and wife Helen in Comme des Garcons
*Okay. Okay. OKAY. She did the theme but at what cost???
~and of course Twitter has jokes.
Solange Knowles didn’t come out unscathed, either
Caroline Kennedy was right up there with Helen
Amy Fine Collins
Julie Macklowe
Grace Hartzell looking like Emily Strange
Serena Williams and fiancé Alexis Ohanian
*It’s not that hard to find chic maternity clothes. She has enough money to have one custom made.
Zendaya in Dolce & Gabbana
*she looks gorgeous. I’m not completely sold on the dress. The bird motif is for the…birds. But overall it works despite her looking like she’s on her way to stomp grapes for wine in some Italian village.
Rita Ora
Ruby Rose and Donald Glover
Anna Wintour
*I like the mirrored look but she didn’t even follow the theme.
Paris Jackson
*Paris is my new favorite fashionista. I love her style and her energy.
The Olsen Twins
Ruth Negga
*So regal looking.
~Poor Dom is never photographed with her. He’s always in the back like her short, wee, dirty little secret. I only knew he was at the Oscars with her because you can see his reaction in one of the shots when the Moonlight cast went to the stage after the envelope debacle.
Amy Schumer and Riz Ahmed
Zoe Kravitz
*There is no look she cannot rock.
Daisy Ridley
Courtney Love and daughter, Frances Bean
Michelle Monaghan
The GUYS
The King of doing too much, Diddy!
With girlfriend Cassie
Alexander Skarsgard in Zegna
*Rocking that busboy chic look.
*Alex’s girlfriend, model/presenter Alexa Chung was on hand as well as his younger Brother Bill who stars as Pennywise the Clown in the “IT” remake.
Jaden Smith in Louis Vuitton
*The always fashionable Smith brought his dreadlocks as an accessory. For Jaden reasons.
Why are people on the interwebs like this??! The accuracy of this kills me
~Jaden had to cut his hair for his latest role opposite Cara Delivigne.
His dad did the cutting honors
Hugh Jackman (with Deborra Lee-Furness)
*Love Debs hair and shoes.
Brandon Lee (son of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee)
Rami Malek
Joe Jonas
Nick Jonas in Ralph Lauren
~Nick’s series “Kingdom” returns at the end of the month for its third and final season. What will become of Jonas’ character, Nate, the closeted MMA fighter? One thing I do know is Jonathan Howard returns as Nate’s frustrated love interest, Will.
Corey Hawkins
Future
*I love the splash of color and the waistcoast. My favorite dressed male.
Eddie Redmayne in Burberry
Lil Yachty
*I appreciate that he came dressed like a Marx Brother crashing a swank affair.
Diplo
*I nearly vomited when I saw the length of his pants. The horror! You either wear a boot so that it looks like you’re going for hooligan look or you wear longer pants.
Hamish Bowles
