Another day, another trailer for a movie Nicolas Cage made over a weekend. Yesterday brought us "Stolen," Cage's "Taken"-in-a-taxi-cab movie, and today brings "Frozen Ground," with a rough/early spot leaking to the web, promising Vanessa Hudgens stripping and lots of glowering from Cage and his co-star John Cusack.
Based on real-life events, "Frozen Ground" follows the 1980s investigation of serial killer Robert Hansen, who stalked or killed between 17 and 21 young women. Cage stars as the Alaskan detective Glenn Flothe, who tries to bring down Hansen (Cusack) and finally gets the opportunity after a seventeen-year-old (Hudgens) escapes from the killer and provides key information. Granted, this looks like an early cut of the trailer (and hence, it will probably be ripped down pretty fast), and so music and other elements aren't final (even the production company logo is temporary), but the overall vibe is a picture that seems like your pretty run-of-the-mill, direct-to-video serial killer flick, with opportunity enough for both Cage and Cusack to chew some scenery. Meanwhile, between this and "Spring Breakers," Hudgens is really aching to shed her wholesome Disney image by showing lots of skin.
No release date yet, but Lionsgate is on board to distribute, and we presume "Frozen Ground" will be arriving soon if promo material is starting to come together. Watch below.
Frozen Ground Full Trailer by EgotasticMedia
* Vanessa sure can dance like a real stripper. There will be nudity. Check out the topless waitress and strippers. Pretty slim expecting one from Vanessa but Gia Mantegna could be a good bet.
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Celebuzz 101 Hot Bodies: ‘True Blood’ Star Kelly Overton Reveals How to Get Bikini-Ready (PHOTOS and VIDEO)
As True Blood’s werewolf Rikki, Kelly Overton is no stranger to shedding layers for some of the show’s more intimate scenes.
The 33-year-old actress and longtime athlete – who ranked No. 50 on the Celebuzz 101 Hot Bodies countdown — recently sat down with Celebuzz to talk about looking lean and kicking butt, both on and off screen.
What did she reveal?
Among other things, Overton says her secret to getting bikini-ready is to focus on two things: her abs and — wait for it — her butt.
She also revealed what types of songs she has on her fitness playlist.
“I think my all-time classic fitness playlist includes a little Daft Punk, a little Linkin Park — classic rock and some fun ’80s songs,” she said.
For more on Celebuzz‘s interview with Overton, check out the video, below.
* Kelly only discovering her natural sexiness in her 30's and after becoming a MILF as well.
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Lea Michele “Loved” Getting Naked With Jonathan Groff on Broadway
Long before Rachel Berry and Jesse St. James were ever rolling around her bed, singing Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” on Glee Season 1, their real-life counterparts Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff were getting much racier than that... And on a Broadway stage, nonetheless!Lea and Jonathan starred as teenage lovebirds Wendla and Melchoir in the 2007 Broadway rock musical Spring Awakening, and one of their most famous scenes featured Jonathan undoing Lea’s top and exposing her naked breasts to the audience.
“[E]very night I had to do this nude scene,” cover girl Lea tells NYLON magazine in its September 2012 issue. “I always loved to find the one person who I knew was going to be uncomfortable — who throughout the show was cringing in their seat — and when Jonathan Groff would undo my top, I loved it!”
How very un-Rachel Berry of her, no? But moving on from her scripted love life to her real-life romances, Lea also takes a moment to talk about her longtime co-star/much more recent boyfriend Cory Monteith (Finn).“We were Finn and Rachel before,” she tells the mag. “I feel like they come first.” Too cute, right? More of Lea’s interview and photos appear at NYLON.com, and in the September 2012 issue of NYLON magazine.
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Banshee Season 1: Tease (Cinemax)
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I was so nervous having to strip down for Lemon's saucy comedy :
Kelly Brook
KELLY Brook confessed she still gets nervous about appearing scantily clad on camera when she attended the premiere of TV funnyman Keith Lemon's risque new film.
The actress and model, who regularly poses for photo shoots in lingerie and swimwear, wears skimpy underwear, suspenders and a revealing bikini during the comedy.
Dressed in a figure-hugging lace gown for the premiere in London's Leicester Square, Brook said: "It's horrendous, I didn't know I'd be doing that but he got everyone doing all sorts."
Brook plays herself in the movie, in which the moustachioed star finds fortune after inventing the Lemon Phone -- a bog-standard mobile phone with a lemon stuck on it.
"We all just wanted to do a film with him. He's just funny, isn't he, there's no one like him," she said. "He's crazy. He never sticks to the script, he always comes off the script so you never know which way he's going to go."
Lemon -- the alter ego of entertainer Leigh Francis -- managed to secure cameos from names such as Gary Barlow, Ronan Keating, David Hasselhoff and ITV2 Celebrity Juice co-stars Fearne Cotton and Holly Willoughby.
Dressed in a white suit with feather wings for the London premiere, Lemon said: "They got paid nothing. Most of them just wanted to come out and have a bit of fun."
And he said he was not planning to head to Hollywood just yet.
"I'm not bothered about fame. I'll still eat Scotch eggs."
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Italian News Program Says Venice Lineup Should Be Rated R
An Italian news bulletin on a network owned by disgraced former prime minister Silvio Berluconi has chided the Venice film festival for putting on its raciest lineup in many years.
TG 24 said the entire event would benefit from an adults-only rating – though its diatribe is thought to be at least partially tongue-in-cheek – due to a programme of "sapphic sex, violence and religion". This year's lineup, which runs from 29 August to 8 September, with Alberto Barbera taking on organising duties for the second time, includes potentially controversial celluloid from Terrence Malick, Paul Thomas Anderson, Harmony Korine, Brian DePalma and Marco Bellocchio.
TG, the main news programme on one of the three channels owned by Silvio Berlusconi, described To The Wonder, Mallick's forthcoming romantic drama starring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Rachel Weisz and Javier Bardem, as a film which was unsuitable for young people due to a high degree of sex and nudity. Korine's Spring Breakers, it said, was full of "sexual transgression", while DePalma's Passion was described as centring on a dark sexual relationship between a "cynical businesswoman" played by Rachel McAdams and her "sweet assistant" portrayed by Noomi Rapace. Anderson's The Master, already under the spotlight because its storyline hints at the history of Scientology, was also highlighted, as was Bellochio's Bella Addormentata (Sleeping Beauty), a drama set during the final six days of Eluana Englaro, a young woman who lived for 17 years in a vegetative state. The latter film stars Isabelle Huppert, Tony Servillo and Alba Rohrwacher.
All of the above are competing for the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion. Barbera, who took over from Marco Mueller in a surprise move in December, said last month that the opening night film would be Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist. The closing night film was previously confirmed as L'Homme Qui Rit by Jean Pierre Ameris.
The festival's new director said in May that this year's 69th edition would be a "more sober" event than previous iterations. It has been slimmed down to fewer than 50 films in total, with just 18 in competition. "We're starting a change in Venice's skin, in which within two or three years we will have a nice rebirth," Barbera told Italian journalists. "The festival is like a grand old lady, a refined lady, but one in need of being freshened up. I believe a festival should take responsibility for its choice, and not to simply select dozens and dozens of titles."
Berlusconi himself has been the subject of a series of salacious stories during the past couple of years, including suggestions that he took part in "bunga bunga" sex parties and paid an under-age girl for sex. The former politician and media magnate stepped down as prime minister in November 2011 but recently hinted that he would seek re-election for a fourth time in 2013. He is awaiting trial on a number of charges relating to the sex scandals.
* The nudity force is strong with Rachel McAdams in To The Wonder.
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'Boss' Returns Shy of Freshman Premiere Ratings, Still Bests 'Magic City'
With a weekend haul down slightly from its first season average, the initial broadcast of Kelsey Grammer's political thriller pulls just 317,000 total viewers.
The second season of Starz original Boss, which the network ordered before the series ever premiered in 2011, kicked off Friday night with a significant ratings dip in its inaugural broadcast.
Boss' 9 p.m. episode pulled in 317,000 viewers. That's less than half of the 659,000 viewers who watched the series premiere (10 p.m. on Friday) last October.
With encores that night, Boss brought in 509,000 viewers on Friday. That number bests Magic City's recent premiere night showing of 423,000.
Over the course of the weekend, the season premiere of Boss pulled in 915,000 viewers according to fast national numbers -- not far south of last year's 1.1 million average. (Across all platforms, season one of Boss averaged 3 million viewers).
The 2011 premiere weekend of Boss was boosted by early sampling and the potential for 10 million more viewers with a DISH promotional subscription for the network running concurrently.
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Amber Heard : thumbs up for Terry Richardson photo shoot
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Dreama Walker Talks COMPLIANCE, Her Surprise at the Controversy, and DON’T TRUST THE B IN APARTMENT 23
Based on true events, Compliance tells the story of a pretty young blonde named Becky (Dreama Walker), who works at a suburban fast food joint for her high-strung manager, Sandra (Ann Dowd). When Sandra receives a phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer, saying that Becky has stolen money from a customer, she thinks she’s doing the right thing by leading an investigation, no matter how invasive the instructions become, and leaving audiences wondering just how far this nightmare will go.
At the film’s press day, actress Dreama Walker talked to Collider for this exclusive interview about how she came to be a part of this film, having been the same age as the victim the story was based on, that she was surprised about how controversial this film has become, how she got to a comfortable place with the director and subject matter, and being a people pleaser, in real life. She also talked about her desire to work with people who are like-minded and fun, what she loves about her comedy series Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23 (which returns to ABC on October 23rd), upcoming guest stars, and the fact that she’d love to play a character that acts out of anger and is a total bad-ass. Check out what she had to say after the jump.
Collider: How did you come to be a part of this film?
DREAMA WALKER: It’s a long story, but in essence I was doing a day on the movie The Sitter and David Gordon Green was directing. He was checking his email and, at one point, he was like, “Oh, your name just got thrown into the bag of actress that we’re looking at doing this smaller project that I’m doing,” ‘cause we were on a multi-million dollar movie. I got very excited, immediately, and was like, “Oh, more work, great!” I was like, “Well, you should pick me!,” just trying to be cute. He was like, “It’s very dark,” and I was like, “I can be dark. I can do dark.” I didn’t really know or have any idea, at the time, and I didn’t have time to discuss it further ‘cause we were at work. But then, I got the email about the audition, read the script and looked into Craig [Zobel] and though he was incredibly talented, and then I met him and wanted to work with him.
Was there any point that you wondered, “Can I really do this?!”?
WALKER: Absolutely! I didn’t study drama in school. I am literally a girl who’s been doing this my whole life and I love it, and it’s my passion and I’m super into it, but I certainly didn’t go to Russia to study under Chekov or anything. So, of course, I was like, “Wow, this is really a big stretch for me.” But ultimately, I built up a background and have loved doing this kind of thing, my whole life. I’ve always wanted to have a well-rounded, diverse career.
What was your reaction when you found out that this was based on real events?
WALKER: I actually knew, before I read the script, that it was based on true events. I remember, in 2004, when the incident took place, and it had always stuck with me because the victim and I are the same age. I was just graduating from high school when this happened, so it always struck a chord with me because I thought, “That could have been me, or any of my friends.” I was always fascinated with it. My mom and I had a long discussion about it, and talked about why they did what they did, and how terrible it must have felt to have been a victim of that situation.
Were you surprised about how controversial this film became when it screened at Sundance, or did you expect that kind of reaction with this kind of subject matter?
WALKER: Truly, I was surprised. I knew that the film would be difficult to watch, especially if anyone had a sensitivity toward the subject matter, or toward an experience that they’d had in their lives, but I had no idea that it would be so polarizing. Everyone at Sundance didn’t know what they were getting themselves into. There were a lot of people, at the beginning of the film, that were laughing at little quips and lines. At one point, it sunk in and I realized that they thought it was a comedy. That was utterly terrifying for me because I knew the rest of it was not going to make them laugh. So, yeah, I was definitely surprised and really taken aback when people reacted the way they did. Most of the reviews have been glowing and wonderful and great, but I think it’s so visceral and it’s such difficult content that a lot of people are quick to dismiss it.
What were the biggest concerns that you had with doing this film, and were there things that the director did to reassure you?
WALKER: Well, Craig and I had a lot of conversations. We wanted to get to a place where we trusted each other, and that can be a bit difficult, especially when your whole intent is to trust somebody. But, we really clicked and got along, and we talked a lot about the way things were going to be shot and how things were going to be done. We had similar upbringings. We’re both from the South, we were both brought up in a religious household, and we had similar outlooks, ideas and sensibilities about life and the emotional process of what my character went through. So, we talked about a lot of those things and got to a comfortable place.
Can you really ever get to a totally comfortable place with something like this?
WALKER: No. It was very difficult, doing this at work, every day. It was really difficult not to bring it home. It was really difficult to snap out of it. Becky is in such a high-stakes situation, in her mind. To her, it’s not that she is a fast food employee who could just easily walk out. To her, everything is at risk. Being thrown in jail and losing what little she has and the freedoms that she has is all very threatening, in those hours. And so, raising the stakes to that level for me, every day, and psychologically being put there was very taxing.
Did it feel claustrophobic to be in the same place with the same people, every day?
WALKER: Well, I loved the people, so that actually wasn’t something that really bothered me. But psychologically, when you put yourself in the position where you think you’re going to lose everything, as my character was in, it’s pretty difficult to shut that off and go home to your two cute dogs and have a good sleep.
Did you look at any one specific character as the one responsible for what happened to Becky? Did you have to justify her actions to yourself, or did you just have to find an understanding of it?
WALKER: That’s a good question. Unfortunately, I think everyone is responsible, and I know that sounds like an easy out. Obviously, the caller is the one who was sick enough to orchestrate the whole thing and be privy to all of it, and still go through with it. But, at the end of the day, in the story, there’s even an element of responsibility for my character. Had she not felt so threatened and terrified, she maybe could have been like, “This is stupid. I’m going to go get a job at another fast food restaurant. I’m leaving!” Obviously, the person that would and should be accountable in this situation is Sandra (Ann Dowd) and her boyfriend. Everyone just thinks that this is life and this is truth. The prank caller is playing God, essentially.
Did you think about what you would do, in this kind of a situation?
WALKER: Totally! That was one of the biggest things that Craig and I talked most about. I’m a people pleaser. I usually try to appease, and make people feel comfortable and happy when I can. I’m probably more of one than I’d like to admit. We were talking about how I’d been in circumstances like that before. There was one time, when I was 10 years old, and I remember it vividly, where someone told me that I said something really horrible to them. They told me exactly what they thought I said, and I thought it was very cruel. When they told me that I said that, they were crying and really emotional. Granted, these are problems that you have when you’re 10 years old, but she was so upset that I eventually started to believe that I had actually said that, even though I knew, the moment she accused me of it, that I was innocent and that nothing like that ever came out of my mouth.
After awhile, I really started to guilt trip myself and become consumed with this idea that I was a bad person because she was so upset. And still, to this day, I replay those moments back in my head, and granted, this is all very trivial to the content of the movie, but we’ve all been in situations before where someone has questioned us and, all of a sudden, you think, “Well, wait a second, am I guilty or am I not?” It was very important to me to bring that aspect out in Becky, especially when Officer Daniels goes into talking about my brother and his issues with crime. I had made a choice that my brother had maybe dabbled in marijuana and raised the stakes really high on that, so I thought that we were all going to get in a lot of trouble for it. That was my justification and understanding of what happened.
Did this script evolve on set, once you got into the room you were shooting in?
WALKER: The most bizarre things that actually happened, we had to find a way to make them truthful and somewhat believable. It was difficult because usually the things that you’re trying to make believe in a script would never happen and you’re like, “How are we going to do this?,” but in this particular instance, it was instead things that actually transpired and we just had to figure out ways to get there and navigate how that evolution could have happened.
What do you look for, in a project or role?
WALKER: Well, I love to work with people that are like-minded, in the sense that they’re fun to be around and are inspiring. But, for me, if I were to read a script that really moved me and did something for me and I thought would be incredible, I don’t care who’s attached. I just want to be a part of it. I can’t explain it, but it’s something very specific that you come across. I think you should know by page 10, if it’s inspiring, and it grabs you and pulls you in. I thought this incident (in Compliance) was something that I wanted to talk about. It amazes me that there are people who still didn’t hear about it in 2004 because it wasn’t a big enough issue. It brings up a very interesting discussion that gets much bigger than the whole idea of the film, and much bigger than what Craig ever intended. It goes along with the idea that maybe we all are sheep and we’re all taught to be sheep and we’re supposed to follow. The movie is a Rorschach test to see how you interpret it because everyone interprets it so differently. It could have been way more black and white. Another thing that’s really interesting is the element of Sandra and our strangely combative passive-aggressive relationship, and how that plays out.
Doing film and television, what do you enjoy about getting to develop a character over a long period of time and what do you enjoy about telling the finite story of a character?
WALKER: TV is wonderful because often you’re working with extremely talented people who continue to come up with fantastic ideas of wonderful circumstances that they can put your character into and funny little things that can happen, and I love that. But, I also love the idea of having the artistic liberty to take a character in a film and construct who they are internally, who’s made them what they are, what experiences they’ve had, and all the nerdy stuff you learn in drama school. For Becky, it was really important for me to understand who she was, where she came from, her naïvete, her being a middle-American teenager, and how we were different but also still the same.
What were you excited about, with getting to return to June for your show, Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23?
WALKER: We have a lot of fun! It’s really quirky and really smart. I love the show! I did Compliance and, a week later, we shot the pilot for the show. I’m glad it happened in the order that it happened, but I went from doing something super dark and very strenuous, to something very fun and lighthearted, working with James Van Der Beek, playing James Van Der Beek.
What’s it like to have people like Busy Philipps, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Frankie Muniz, all coming in to play themselves?
WALKER: Oh, it’s great! Everyone has such a great sense of humor. There are a lot of wonderful ideas. We have a really collaborative team of writers and producers that are constantly listening to us, which is very nice because I know a lot of people don’t want actors to talk about ideas. It’s a wonderful team, and I am crazy about the show. I love it!
Is there a dream role that you’d love to do, or a genre that you’d love to work in, if given the opportunity?
WALKER: I don’t really talk about this out loud because it’s so embarrassing that I’ve never really wanted to acknowledge it, but I’d really love to play a character that acts out of anger and is a total bad-ass just because little blonde girls like me don’t get to play characters like that. I was talking to someone about it that had seen Compliance and they said, “You could completely do that. There’s actually a sliver of that character, in your defiance. I could totally see you being the type of person who could freak out.” Basically, I would love to play that sort of character. Everybody wants to bring out their inner Katniss (from The Hunger Games), if that’s what you’re asking.
At the film’s press day, actress Dreama Walker talked to Collider for this exclusive interview about how she came to be a part of this film, having been the same age as the victim the story was based on, that she was surprised about how controversial this film has become, how she got to a comfortable place with the director and subject matter, and being a people pleaser, in real life. She also talked about her desire to work with people who are like-minded and fun, what she loves about her comedy series Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23 (which returns to ABC on October 23rd), upcoming guest stars, and the fact that she’d love to play a character that acts out of anger and is a total bad-ass. Check out what she had to say after the jump.
Collider: How did you come to be a part of this film?
DREAMA WALKER: It’s a long story, but in essence I was doing a day on the movie The Sitter and David Gordon Green was directing. He was checking his email and, at one point, he was like, “Oh, your name just got thrown into the bag of actress that we’re looking at doing this smaller project that I’m doing,” ‘cause we were on a multi-million dollar movie. I got very excited, immediately, and was like, “Oh, more work, great!” I was like, “Well, you should pick me!,” just trying to be cute. He was like, “It’s very dark,” and I was like, “I can be dark. I can do dark.” I didn’t really know or have any idea, at the time, and I didn’t have time to discuss it further ‘cause we were at work. But then, I got the email about the audition, read the script and looked into Craig [Zobel] and though he was incredibly talented, and then I met him and wanted to work with him. Was there any point that you wondered, “Can I really do this?!”?
WALKER: Absolutely! I didn’t study drama in school. I am literally a girl who’s been doing this my whole life and I love it, and it’s my passion and I’m super into it, but I certainly didn’t go to Russia to study under Chekov or anything. So, of course, I was like, “Wow, this is really a big stretch for me.” But ultimately, I built up a background and have loved doing this kind of thing, my whole life. I’ve always wanted to have a well-rounded, diverse career.
What was your reaction when you found out that this was based on real events?
WALKER: I actually knew, before I read the script, that it was based on true events. I remember, in 2004, when the incident took place, and it had always stuck with me because the victim and I are the same age. I was just graduating from high school when this happened, so it always struck a chord with me because I thought, “That could have been me, or any of my friends.” I was always fascinated with it. My mom and I had a long discussion about it, and talked about why they did what they did, and how terrible it must have felt to have been a victim of that situation.
Were you surprised about how controversial this film became when it screened at Sundance, or did you expect that kind of reaction with this kind of subject matter?
WALKER: Truly, I was surprised. I knew that the film would be difficult to watch, especially if anyone had a sensitivity toward the subject matter, or toward an experience that they’d had in their lives, but I had no idea that it would be so polarizing. Everyone at Sundance didn’t know what they were getting themselves into. There were a lot of people, at the beginning of the film, that were laughing at little quips and lines. At one point, it sunk in and I realized that they thought it was a comedy. That was utterly terrifying for me because I knew the rest of it was not going to make them laugh. So, yeah, I was definitely surprised and really taken aback when people reacted the way they did. Most of the reviews have been glowing and wonderful and great, but I think it’s so visceral and it’s such difficult content that a lot of people are quick to dismiss it. What were the biggest concerns that you had with doing this film, and were there things that the director did to reassure you?
WALKER: Well, Craig and I had a lot of conversations. We wanted to get to a place where we trusted each other, and that can be a bit difficult, especially when your whole intent is to trust somebody. But, we really clicked and got along, and we talked a lot about the way things were going to be shot and how things were going to be done. We had similar upbringings. We’re both from the South, we were both brought up in a religious household, and we had similar outlooks, ideas and sensibilities about life and the emotional process of what my character went through. So, we talked about a lot of those things and got to a comfortable place.
Can you really ever get to a totally comfortable place with something like this?
WALKER: No. It was very difficult, doing this at work, every day. It was really difficult not to bring it home. It was really difficult to snap out of it. Becky is in such a high-stakes situation, in her mind. To her, it’s not that she is a fast food employee who could just easily walk out. To her, everything is at risk. Being thrown in jail and losing what little she has and the freedoms that she has is all very threatening, in those hours. And so, raising the stakes to that level for me, every day, and psychologically being put there was very taxing.
Did it feel claustrophobic to be in the same place with the same people, every day?
WALKER: Well, I loved the people, so that actually wasn’t something that really bothered me. But psychologically, when you put yourself in the position where you think you’re going to lose everything, as my character was in, it’s pretty difficult to shut that off and go home to your two cute dogs and have a good sleep.Did you look at any one specific character as the one responsible for what happened to Becky? Did you have to justify her actions to yourself, or did you just have to find an understanding of it?
WALKER: That’s a good question. Unfortunately, I think everyone is responsible, and I know that sounds like an easy out. Obviously, the caller is the one who was sick enough to orchestrate the whole thing and be privy to all of it, and still go through with it. But, at the end of the day, in the story, there’s even an element of responsibility for my character. Had she not felt so threatened and terrified, she maybe could have been like, “This is stupid. I’m going to go get a job at another fast food restaurant. I’m leaving!” Obviously, the person that would and should be accountable in this situation is Sandra (Ann Dowd) and her boyfriend. Everyone just thinks that this is life and this is truth. The prank caller is playing God, essentially.
Did you think about what you would do, in this kind of a situation?
WALKER: Totally! That was one of the biggest things that Craig and I talked most about. I’m a people pleaser. I usually try to appease, and make people feel comfortable and happy when I can. I’m probably more of one than I’d like to admit. We were talking about how I’d been in circumstances like that before. There was one time, when I was 10 years old, and I remember it vividly, where someone told me that I said something really horrible to them. They told me exactly what they thought I said, and I thought it was very cruel. When they told me that I said that, they were crying and really emotional. Granted, these are problems that you have when you’re 10 years old, but she was so upset that I eventually started to believe that I had actually said that, even though I knew, the moment she accused me of it, that I was innocent and that nothing like that ever came out of my mouth.
After awhile, I really started to guilt trip myself and become consumed with this idea that I was a bad person because she was so upset. And still, to this day, I replay those moments back in my head, and granted, this is all very trivial to the content of the movie, but we’ve all been in situations before where someone has questioned us and, all of a sudden, you think, “Well, wait a second, am I guilty or am I not?” It was very important to me to bring that aspect out in Becky, especially when Officer Daniels goes into talking about my brother and his issues with crime. I had made a choice that my brother had maybe dabbled in marijuana and raised the stakes really high on that, so I thought that we were all going to get in a lot of trouble for it. That was my justification and understanding of what happened. Did this script evolve on set, once you got into the room you were shooting in?
WALKER: The most bizarre things that actually happened, we had to find a way to make them truthful and somewhat believable. It was difficult because usually the things that you’re trying to make believe in a script would never happen and you’re like, “How are we going to do this?,” but in this particular instance, it was instead things that actually transpired and we just had to figure out ways to get there and navigate how that evolution could have happened.
What do you look for, in a project or role?
WALKER: Well, I love to work with people that are like-minded, in the sense that they’re fun to be around and are inspiring. But, for me, if I were to read a script that really moved me and did something for me and I thought would be incredible, I don’t care who’s attached. I just want to be a part of it. I can’t explain it, but it’s something very specific that you come across. I think you should know by page 10, if it’s inspiring, and it grabs you and pulls you in. I thought this incident (in Compliance) was something that I wanted to talk about. It amazes me that there are people who still didn’t hear about it in 2004 because it wasn’t a big enough issue. It brings up a very interesting discussion that gets much bigger than the whole idea of the film, and much bigger than what Craig ever intended. It goes along with the idea that maybe we all are sheep and we’re all taught to be sheep and we’re supposed to follow. The movie is a Rorschach test to see how you interpret it because everyone interprets it so differently. It could have been way more black and white. Another thing that’s really interesting is the element of Sandra and our strangely combative passive-aggressive relationship, and how that plays out. Doing film and television, what do you enjoy about getting to develop a character over a long period of time and what do you enjoy about telling the finite story of a character?
WALKER: TV is wonderful because often you’re working with extremely talented people who continue to come up with fantastic ideas of wonderful circumstances that they can put your character into and funny little things that can happen, and I love that. But, I also love the idea of having the artistic liberty to take a character in a film and construct who they are internally, who’s made them what they are, what experiences they’ve had, and all the nerdy stuff you learn in drama school. For Becky, it was really important for me to understand who she was, where she came from, her naïvete, her being a middle-American teenager, and how we were different but also still the same.
What were you excited about, with getting to return to June for your show, Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23?
WALKER: We have a lot of fun! It’s really quirky and really smart. I love the show! I did Compliance and, a week later, we shot the pilot for the show. I’m glad it happened in the order that it happened, but I went from doing something super dark and very strenuous, to something very fun and lighthearted, working with James Van Der Beek, playing James Van Der Beek. What’s it like to have people like Busy Philipps, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Frankie Muniz, all coming in to play themselves?
WALKER: Oh, it’s great! Everyone has such a great sense of humor. There are a lot of wonderful ideas. We have a really collaborative team of writers and producers that are constantly listening to us, which is very nice because I know a lot of people don’t want actors to talk about ideas. It’s a wonderful team, and I am crazy about the show. I love it!
Is there a dream role that you’d love to do, or a genre that you’d love to work in, if given the opportunity?
WALKER: I don’t really talk about this out loud because it’s so embarrassing that I’ve never really wanted to acknowledge it, but I’d really love to play a character that acts out of anger and is a total bad-ass just because little blonde girls like me don’t get to play characters like that. I was talking to someone about it that had seen Compliance and they said, “You could completely do that. There’s actually a sliver of that character, in your defiance. I could totally see you being the type of person who could freak out.” Basically, I would love to play that sort of character. Everybody wants to bring out their inner Katniss (from The Hunger Games), if that’s what you’re asking.
Dreama Walker's Intense New Movie, Wacky Halloween Costumes, and, Of Course, Fall Fashion MustsOkaaay, so that's some pretty deep thoughts for the day, especially from a style website. So read on for a little more from Walker about Compliance, but don't worry, we lighten things up too—the star also spilled her fall fashion musts, and revealed her last genius Halloween costume.
This movie is quite a turn from your TV series, Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23. What made you decide to go for it?
DW: We had a lot of conversations about how this film was going to be done sort of objectively, and also not have s gratuitous amount of nudity. Anytime you do nudity in a film, there’s all sorts of legal contractual stuff that you have to talk about and things that you have to make sure you agree on, but I trusted [director] Craig Zobel. It was a really interesting story and it always made me think.
Do you think your character sort of went into a state of shock, where she just gave in to the increasingly extreme demands?
I think that most people when put in a situation like that when they’re told that their whole job and their freedom and everything is on the line can understand it. Eventually your emotions and your soul kind of flee your body—you get resigned and check out. That’s exactly what I think happened to Becky. She had to get out and be like, "Alright, well my body and brain can’t deal with this anymore so I’m no longer here."
Did you know that it was going to be so polarizing when it premiered at Sundance?
I think that's just kind of a testament to the fact that the film works. It’s visceral, it’s raw, it’s difficult to watch. It’s difficult to watch humans being so terrible to each other. It's kind of like a Rorschach test and everyone is sort of going to react in a different way and everyone is going to sort of take away something different from the movie and let it be their own conversation starter.
Do you think that the negative outbursts at Sundance were coming from the fact that maybe people couldn’t separate the exploitation of your character with the exploitation of you as an actress?
I think that was a large part of why people reacted the way they did. I’ve learned recently that the two people who were screaming at Sundance actually made an attempt to plug both of their projects while they were screaming so publicly at Sundance. So I think it’s kind of just the world that we live in. But yes, I think there was a blur between the exploitation of myself and the exploitation of my character which is really ridiculous because I’m an actress in a movie and just because an event that happened is misogynistic or exploitative, it doesn’t mean it’s misogynistic towards me. You have to separate.
Do you think this project will make people see you in a new way, and perhaps think of you for different roles?
Oh, it’s a totally different genre. Yes, I do think that it’s hopefully going to be a platform for people to see me in a different light besides someone who can make people laugh, thought to be honest, I love making people laugh and there’s nothing wrong with that. But no actress wants to be pigeonholed or type-casted and of course I want the opportunity to show as many different sides to myself as I can. But I love comedy, and I love my job and I’m glad that I get to do that every day too.
Moving on to more frivolous topics, what was your worst job before your acting career took off?
Oh jeeze. I was a busgirl at a big restaurant in New York in Times Square. They thought that I was really strong apparently, which is something no one would think. Actually, I think they were pretty much just trying to be cruel but they were like, ‘Okay, you need to carry these large boxes full of glassware.’ And I couldn’t lift them and I would literally have to pick them up and I’d walk a few feet and then plop them down. And then I’d pick them up and walk to the next table and plop them down. I fell a couple of times and it was just kind of a disaster.
Are there any fashion trends you’re really wanting to try for fall?
I’m a big boots person. I just can’t think of anyone that doesn’t look good in boots. I always get my staples, like a pair of like burgundy-colored boots, a pair of camel-colored boots that I really got these awesome sort of mid-calf length suede yellow boots by Tracy Reese that I’m loving. So yeah, I’m a big boots and bags person. I always make sure I have cool, fun colors and for fall.
Are you more of a high-heeled boot person or a low-heeled boots person?
Well, I say I’m 5’2” but I’m 5’1½ “ so I’m always in heels. The great thing about boots is that usually they don’t look as intimidating as a pair of platforms so it’s not like when I walk into a room people know that I’m wearing ridiculous Kardashian-tall heels. I love to wear boots because they’re just connective and they’re just cohesive with everything, and you know they always look great.
Since the success of your TV show, do you put more thought into your outfits before you go out?
You know, I probably should, but I’m still pretty notorious for getting up in the morning, having a really great shower and saying, "Okay, that’s cool. I’m just going to throw on yoga pants or something and go out." So I’m still pretty bad about going out with no makeup on and wearing slightly funny clothes. But I look at it like, I can dress myself up and I love to look great, but at the end of the day I’m me, and I like to be comfortable.
Fair enough. Your co-star, Krysten Ritter, is also very fashionable. Do you guys ever shop together?
We haven’t. We’ve been talking about it for ages but we’ve never actually gone out and gone shopping together. It’s kind of funny, the last couple of events that we’ve gone to together we’ve worn something similar and people kind of end up grouping us together. We keep gravitating towards the same things and we’re going to have to make sure we’re better about that.
Anything else you’re looking forward to this fall?
Fall is my favorite season. I’m big into Halloween. Last year my boyfriend and I went as "Toddlers and Tiaras" and he was the crazy, deranged pageant mother and I was the toddler. I get really into Halloween costumes. We had so much fun. You know, I love it when the leaves fall, the fall weather. I love the sweaters, jackets and boots. I love the color scheme. So I have a lot to look forward to this fall and hopefully I’ll go to a cool Halloween party to show off my cool idea.
You can’t give up your idea for a costume yet, I guess?
I can’t. I don’t know what it’s going to be yet.
And how exactly did you pull off dressing like a toddler?
It was awesome. I had a hairpiece in, and I had knee socks and you know those shoes that you get at Payless? I don’t know even how they were my size, but they were like the flat, little girl Shirley Temple proper church shoes. So I had those and I had bobby socks and it was also how I carried myself that evening. I smiled that big smile in every picture like ‘Oh, they’re telling me to smile.’ And I’m naturally 5’2” and my boyfriend is 5’11” so there’s obviously a height difference there, so I flattened out the boobies and went as a toddler and it was awesome.
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'Fifty Shades of Grey' Movie Casting News: Producers Reveal Film Will Be Rated-R; Will Focus on 'A Young Love Story'
Fans are starving for more information.
"Fifty Shades" producers Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca recently did an interview with CNBC's Squawk Box about the hotly anticipated movie.
The "Fifty Shades of Grey," written by bestselling author E.L. James, tells the story of 22-year-old recent college grad Anastasia Steele, who enters into a dominant/submissive sexual relationship with 27-year old sexy billionaire Christian Grey, and both explore Christian's world of BDSM (bondage, dominance, submission, masochism) while trying to understand their complicated relationship.
In the interview, co-host Andrew Ross Sorkin asked the team if the erotic book would need to be R-rated, according to FiftyShadesFilm.
"That's correct. The challenge is similar to adapting from any medium. We're going to treat this like adapting from Ben's [Mezrich] books or any books or adapting from a play or comic book or magazine article," De Luca said. "Anything that's not film, you get into a process of adaptation, and we're just going to kind of bring the same criteria to the adaptation of this. Obviously with this, when you're dealing with something that's found such incredible mainstream success, you want to preserve everything that's wonderful about it. The success of this has certainly been breathtaking, and we're going to honor that in our quest for the perfect adaptation."
When asked about if the plot is good enough to where porn doesn't need to be included for people to come watch it, De luca said, "You should definitely read the book.
"It's a beautiful, earnest love story. It's a 'first love' love story. A young love story. And that's the kind of engine that drives the whole enterprise. It's really about the arc of a relationship, and that I think will be easy to preserve and must be preserved in any compelling film adaptation."
Recently on Twitter, Brunetti let his fans know, "Cast of a film is usually decided on with a directors input..." This most likely means that everything "Fifty Shades" fans are saying are just rumors and that the crew has not picked a director, or a screenwriter for that matter.
One can only fantasize.
Recently, James took to Twitter to address all the casting rumors on who will play the lead parts of Christian and Anastasia.
"I am not making any comments on casting the movie. No one is ruled out or in yet - far too early," she tweeted.
In recent news, it was said that "The Descendants" star Shailene Woodley, 20, has "caught the eye" of James, and might be up for the role of Ana.
Ian Somerhalder Confirms Meeting With 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Movie Makers!
by Mark Worgan
Vampire Diaries star won our poll to decide your favourite, and now it appears producers like him too!
For months now fans have been speculating about who should play Christian Grey, with everyone from Shia LaBeouf to Brad Pitt generating gossip around the 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' role.
Now at last it seems we have some concrete news, and it's sure to please Entertainmentwise readers.
That's because Ian Somerhalder, who won our readers' poll to decide your favourite for the part, told fans at a "Vampire Diaries" convention yesterday (August 19) that he is going to meet with the "Fifty Shades of Grey" film team!
According to Examiner.com he did not give any details about who he would be meeting with but did say he would be leaving for Los Angeles next week.
Fans in the convention hall then reportedly began clapping and cheering.
The website quotes Kimberly Perek, who attended the convention, as saying that Ian was asked by another fan if he was interested in playing Christian Grey.
Adding that "fans were thrilled," and that "we have been wanting information like this for so long so everyone flipped".
The news is the first concrete casting information about the much anticipated movie, which will be produced by Dana Brunetti and Mike DeLuca. Four screen-writers are believed to be in line for the writing job, with 'Cars 2's' Dan Fogelman the most prominent.
Meanwhile, LoveFilm has revealed that British cineastes are developing an increased appetite for "saucy" fare in the wake of the Fifty Shades of Grey publishing phenomenon. The DVD rental and film streaming service says viewing figures for salacious movies have leapt by 55% since the explosion in popularity of EL James's erotic knee-trembler, which last month became the country's bestselling book of all time with 5.3m copies sold.
The news bodes well for the novel's forthcoming big screen adaptation, which is being put together by the producers of The Social Network, Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti. Studio Universal plans a trilogy based on the novel and its two sequels.
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Watchdog group says implied nudity on TV increased at alarming rate
NEW YORK - Implied nudity has increased over 400 percent since the 2010 to 2011 season, a watchdog group claims.
The Parents Television Council said Monday that its researchers found 76 instances where a person appeared nude, with private parts obscured, in prime time last season. It happened on 37 different shows. The group says that's a sharp rise from the 15 instances the networks aired the season before that.
"The networks have made it abundantly clear they have no intention of respecting either the broadcast licenses they've been granted or the public in whose interest they are licensed to serve," the group said in a press release. Therefore the American people, whose values are being assaulted on a nightly basis, must insist that the Federal Communications Commission vigorously enforce broadcast decency laws, as mandated by the Congress and affirmed by the Supreme Court."
Seventy percent of the full nudity depicted scenes were on shows that aired before 9 p.m. and as early as 7 p.m. Only 76 percent of the shows had an "S" description on their rating, which is intended to warn parent about the content of the program.
The group looked at shows that appeared on air from September 1 to May 31 during the 2011 to 2012 primetime broadcast television season. Specials were included, but traditional news and sports were excluded.
Examples include a couple skinny-dipping on ABC's "The Bachelor," Howie Mandel jokingly appearing nude in his dressing room at NBC's "America's Got Talent" and a naked man jumping out of a car trunk in the candid camera show "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" on NBC.
In each case, the full nudity is obscured by pixilation or strategically placed objects. The use of pixilation went from two cases in 2010 to 2011 to 56 cases in 2011 to 2012, an increase of 2700 percent.
"It's a lot more suggestive than we've seen in the past," said Melissa Henson, spokeswoman for the group.
The parents group, which also monitors language and sexually suggestive content on broadcast television, said it will complain about the development to the Federal Communications Commission.
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Sarah Shahi : Nino Muñoz photoshoot [2011]
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PORKCHOP 3D RED BAND TRAILER
When a group of Porkchop's would-be victims return for revenge, they never suspect the pig-masked killer is not alone! After all, the family that squeals together kills together! Starring cute and topless Kaylee Williams (Slices of Life), Sam Qualiana (Snow Shark), Danny Hicks (Evil Dead 2), and Brian Gunnoe (Zombie Babies), Porkchop 3D was filmed entirely....well....in 3D on a budget of $3000. The entirety of the movie was shot in Charleston, West Virginia and surrounding areas. Cinematography by Andrea Anderson. Produced by Melissa Myers and Harper Gardner. Written and Directed by Eamon Hardiman.
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Miss NZ elbowed aside at beauty pageant
Watch the video here
Organisers of Miss World NZ will formally complain to the competition's international body after the Kiwi contestant was pushed by Miss Malawi as they stood on stage.
Collette Lochore, 18, of Auckland was taking part in the international pageant in the Inner Mongolian city of Ordos in China at the weekend.
However, during the competition, cameras caught Miss Malawi, Susan Mtegha, jostling with Miss New Zealand on stage.
Words were exchanged between the two, then Miss Malawi elbowed the Kiwi out of shot and stood smiling, with her hands behind her back.
Miss NZ could just be seen standing to the side, also continuing to smile.
Speaking from Shanghai yesterday, the director of Miss World NZ, Desmond Foulger, said he was shocked and upset for Miss NZ and would complain this week.
"What actually happened was that Collette was on her correct spot on stage, but Miss Malawi didn't realise that. Instead of asking her to move over, she just shoved her, elbowed her, and everybody in the audience was aghast.
"Our girl was fine, she was correct, but Miss Malawi was bad-mannered. I'm going to complain to the Miss World organisation when I get back.
"She was pushed hard, so she nearly fell over. It was a very rude and very unprofessional thing to do."
The video, which quickly went viral, had Twitter fans chatting eagerly about the incident, with one calling it "The Pageant Push."
Ms Lochore teaches drama to young people aged 3 to 18 and was this year inducted as the youngest member of the New Lynn Rotary Club.
Ms Mtegha is a fashion designer and dancer.
Mr Foulger said that after the incident, Ms Lochore did not approach or say anything to Ms Mtegha.
He praised Miss NZ for maintaining her composure and continuing to act appropriately.
"She's very professional, she just carried on. In fact, she didn't want us to make a complaint - she was really very good."
Miss China, Yu Wenxia, was crowned the winner.
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Miss Teen USA 2012 Logan West first photo shoot
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As Big Media Gets Bigger, What's Left To Buy?
What's left for big media to buy?
Comcast could be looking for more. BTIG Research's Richard Greenfield thinks the recent floating of Liberty Media's pay TV network group, Starz, as a separate publicly traded company, would be an obvious choice. Comcast could funnel some of its Universal Pictures into the pay TV window arena.
CBS? Perhaps it could use a few more few more cable channels -- especially widely distributed basic ones. Maybe even Starz. For years, analysts have speculated that broadly distributed Hallmark Channel (and growing Hallmark Movie Channel) would be a perfect fit, given CBS' older-skewing viewers and its history with the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. (That franchise has now moved to ABC.)
NBC already got bigger through its association with Comcast; it is now able to cross- market with more cable channels (E!, Style, NBC Sports Network and Golf Channel) as well as with local cable systems.
Fox has broad assets, including TV stations and cable channels. Maybe it wants a pay TV group like Starz? Maybe Disney-ABC wants Starz as well?
Sony Pictures Entertainment? For years it has been the odd-man out -- no TV stations, no broadcast network, no big U.S cable presence (though it does have some international networks). It would seem to some that Sony could or should get bigger. Then again, new smart TVs -- made by Sony -- could be an in toward a new TV business model.
Trouble is that few independently owned traditional media properties are available. So then one turns to the Internet. But which part of this vast arena? Fox, for one, had MySpace, the erstwhile former king of social media.
Big media, for the most part, is sitting on the sidelines -- because much can change in the Internet world. Today's Netflix may be tomorrow's Joost. All big media companies have had some connections with Google, Facebook and Twitter -- some good, some bad, some indifferent. Buying in now may not be the right way to go, especially if those platforms are only marketing and distribution tools for their content.
To many media critics, bigger media isn't good for anyone. It limits opinions, information, and access to content. But don't worry too much. There is too much hesitation afoot.
Many media companies -- and all U.S. companies -- like the idea of having a lot of cash on hand. Few want to be over-leveraged in this economy. Recently, Disney and Hearst agreed to out NBC's 16% share in A-and-E Networks for just over $3 billion. But that was a planned move, somewhat years in the making.
Will Google buy some big media company some day? Will Microsoft?
Big media will get bigger -- but not always in the ways we expect.
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Stand Down: Tumblr Denies Putting the Kibosh Specifically on NSFW Blogs
A SFW sampling of the NSFW content.
Could we have a case of foul play on our hands? Tumblr says nope–just a case of overzealous anti-spam efforts.
The publisher of Team Pervert told TechCrunch:
“When my site was deleted from Tumblr, I received an automated two-sentence email saying my account was deactivated for ‘spam or affiliate marketing’, which was false. I ran standard ads units on the blog, I had no pop-ups, no predatory ads, no viruses, no creepy affiliate programs. The ads on my blog were no different than the ads on thousands of other Tumblr-hosted blogs today.”Booty of the Day admitted to dabbling in affiliate marketing, but insisted it wasn’t the main purpose of the site. Art or Porn didn’t respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
However, it might be a little premature to rush to the ramparts to defend Tumblr smut. For one thing, at the risk of outing ourselves as connoisseurs, three explicit Tumblr blogs is a mere drop in the bucket. We also paged back through Betabeat’s roundup of sexy Tumblrs, and only one had disappeared. That sounds about like the natural rate of blog die-off, to us.
We reached out to Tumblr spokesperson Katherine Barna, who told us via email:
There have been no recent changes to our content policies.In other words: Tag your adult content as NSFW and don’t upload any explicit videos, and Tumblr is cool with it, which seems to contradict the notion the platform should brace for a purge. (Also, if you’ve every done a tag search for “porn,” you’ll understand why the site might be taking an aggressive stance in the war on spam. All we can say is yikes.)
However, we have looked into the accounts in question and discovered that they belong to small handful of blogs that had been recently flagged as “spam” by an overzealous heuristic. We are currently reviewing and will be reactivating any of these accounts that were improperly flagged.
However, watch this space over the next 18 months. The arrival of advertisers does tend to change the dynamic re: raunch.
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A Dispatch from The Naked Girls Reading
by Brentney Hamilton |
| The Black Mariah (and mustache) and Angi B. Lovely |
Anyone who has been to even the most rudimentary burlesque show knows that the art is not about "nudity" so much as "getting there" in a lighthearted and mutually pleasurable manner. Caitlin Moran distinguishes between capitalistic, dead-behind-the-eyes stripping and the effervescent transcendence of burlesque by writing that "burlesque clubs feel like a place for girls ... watching good burlesque in action, you can see female sexuality; a performance constructed with the values system of a woman: beautiful lighting, glossy hair, absurd accessories (giant cocktail glasses; huge feather fans), velvet corsets, fashionable shoes, Ava Gardner eyeliner, pale skin, classy manicures, humor, and a huge round of applause at the end -- instead of an uncomfortable, half-hidden erection and silence."
I was no burlesque virgin, so why did I expect Naked Girls Reading to consist of a dour set, involving no humor, creativity or interaction with the crowd? Well, probably because the Dallas set was wildly different than what I'd read about other cities' incarnations.
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| Courtney Crave's rendition of Snow White -- in the original German -- had the most unusual effect on certain members of the packed audience... |
In reality, Friday's show was innovative, hilarious and intellectual -- things not typically associated with "nakedness" or "girls." And those qualities are what made it not just an evening of Betty Boop caricaturing, but instead -- if I may be so dramatic -- revolutionary. Any woman who has been so fortunate as to have a man ask her thoughts on Platonic Dualism mid-coitus will appreciate the crash-of-lightning premise upon which Naked Girls Reading is built. Any man who notices the blood rushing from his head at the wistful thought of his high school English teacher will understand as well.
Among the talent onstage Friday evening -- and by talent, I truly mean it -- there was a published author who regaled the crowd with a just-penned, original short story, The Dirty Blonde; a Neil Gaiman loving redhead with the articulation of a college professor and the reading voice of an angel, Angi B. Lovely; a bilingual German fetishist with the dry impromptu wit reminiscent of a buxom Mark Twain, Courtney Crave; a thickly-brogued sexpot with a wicked sense of bawdy Scottish humor, Bonnie Lou; and the show's producer, a Dallas burlesque institution, with a larger than life personality who -- despite its grating popular use -- understands the actual definition of "pun," The Black Mariah.
With a fairy tales theme, the reading list consisted of poetry by Lewis Carroll and the aforementioned Neil Gaiman; selections from Gregory Maguire; twisted tales of vampirism, cannibalism and tentacle sex (read in funny voices with homemade mustaches) from the original German, Scottish and Japanese texts; feminist psychoanalysis of Disney's white-washed princesses, with specific attention to double entendre; and a raunchy retelling of Goldilocks penned by the Dirty Blonde and set in Dallas, replete with Uptown bitchiness and Gayborhood glitz.
So why naked? And doesn't that detract from the women's intellect?
You don't go see Eddie Izzard because of the way he's dressed; you see him because he's hysterical. The leather pants and stilettos are just part of his "drag" -- literally, in Izzard's case, if more figuratively in the realm of burlesque. Drag, as an outward manifestation of something beautiful, absurd, funny, or broken on the inside; something human rather than object. My own thick black eyeliner, short dress shorts and bright emerald wedges were perhaps more subtle than the Dirty Blonde's pitch-perfect Marilyn coif and shimmering rhinestone chandelier necklace, but they were a performative costume no less.
Burlesque is the embodiment of daring femininity. It subverts restrictive traditionalism on one's own terms and for one's own gratification. These ladies are not naked purely for the approval of a male audience; though that might be a welcome side-effect. They are naked because they have the right to be. And because it's fun.
Admit it -- you're naked right now. I know I am.
Miss Friday night's erudite erotica? The Black Mariah tells us another NGR is in the works for October. Stay in the loop with the Dallas chapter on Facebook.
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James Burke reveals the murky world of casting couch in Bollywood!
There have been fleeting evidences of this dark practice in B-town. But what you see here might shock you In the recent past we’ve woken up to Payal Rohatgi accusing Dibakar Banerjee of making an indecent proposal while casting her for Shanghai. Then there was news about a starlet called Preeti Jain being raped by Madhur Bhandarkar. While none of these stories could be confirmed, it’s no hidden truth that the casting couch is part and parcel of life in Bollywood.
And, guess what: B-town’s history of indecent proposals dates back to – hold your breath – 1951!
Photographs of Hindi movie director A R Kardar of Kardar Productions taking screen test of new girls for his movie in 1951. A R Kardar (Abdul Rashid Kardar) was director of famous movies like Shahjehan (1946), Dillagi (1949), Dulari (1949), Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966) etc. IMDB link
These photographs were taken by James Burke for Life Magazine. The Life archive hosted by Google wrongly documented the date of these photographs as 1941, but probably these photos were taken in 1951.
Sigh. And a look at them surely makes you wonder what criteria the girls are supposed to satisfy to pass the screen test!
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Two Friends Gang-Rape Teenager, Take Victim’s Nude Photo with Phone
A 17-year old girl (name withheld) has narrated before an Ejigbo magistrate’s court in Lagos, how two friends, Ekene Uzor, 24, and Eni Daniel, 21, allegedly gang-raped her after they had forced her to suck their penises. They also took her nude photo with their camera phones.
The teenager was giving evidence before the court in a two-count charge of forcing her to suck the defendants’ penises and gang-raping her. Click to continue reading…
At Thursday’s resumed hearing before the trial magistrate, Mrs. M.B. Folami, the girl said she knew Daniel Uzor, who is in the entertainment industry, at her mother’s shop in Surulere, Lagos, southwest Nigeria.The victim stated that Uzor promised to groom her to become a star in the entertainment industry and under this guise, he invited her to his residence at 10, Joe Ejeye, Jakande Estate, Ejigbo.
She said on the day of the incident, she went to Uzor’s flat where his friend, Eni Daniel was already waiting, adding that immediately she entered, Uzor locked the door to the flat.
“They came to me and started fondling my breasts and other parts of my body. They ordered me to remove my dress. They started taking my nude photographs and threatened to post them on the internet.
“They forced me to suck their penises. They had rounds of sex with me in turns. When they were satisfied, they told me to go. But they did not delete my nude photographs in their camera phones,” the girl narrated her ordeal.
She disclosed that she did not inform anyone of her experience because of fear that her nude photographs might be posted on the internet.
But after some days, she summoned the courage and narrated the incident to her grandfather who took her to the police station to report the matter.
She said when the police arrested Uzor and Eni, her nude photographs were still in their mobile phones. The photographs were later downloaded and printed in hard copies. The court admitted them as exhibits.
The police prosecutor, Mr. Oladejo Balogun, charged Uzor and Eni before the court with the offences punishable under sections 409 and 259 of the criminal code laws of Lagos state of Nigeria, 2011.
At the commencement of the case, they pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.
The trial magistrate, Mrs. Folami admitted them to bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.
Uzor and Eni were remanded in prison custody pending when they will perfect their bail condition.
The court has adjourned the matter till 31 August, 2012 for continuation of the trial.
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