Here’s something you won’t see every day on Deadline. A reader pointed us to the 20-minute short Loom written and directed by Luke Scott, son of Ridley and nephew of Tony. It features Giovanni Ribisi and Jellybean Howie, and Dariusz Wolski is the cinematographer:
* some nudity by Jelly(Bean) Howie. Her first topless scene (?)
Download higher resolution version : http://red.cachefly.net/LOOM/loomH264.zip
_________________________________________________
The Master (2012), Paul Thomas Anderson's "it's-totally-not-about-Scientology-I-swear" epic starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the charismatic leader of a cult-like group, Amy Adams as his doting wife, and Joaquin Phoenix as a conflicted disciple, is at the top of our list of movies to see this year, but not for the nudity. Sure, P.T.A. made Boogie Nights (1997), the movie that brought Roller Girl Heather Graham to our attention, but that movie was about porn. Of course it had a lot of skin. But a creepy 1950s period piece like The Master won't be nude. Right?
Wrong! Anderson was on hand for an exclusive 70mm preview screening of The Master at Chicago's Music Box Theatre last night, and among the lucky attendees was our own Skin Skout. Our Skout reports that Amy Ferguson, whom you may remember from Garden State (2004) and Tanner Hall (2009), goes topless in the film, as does newcomer Jennifer Neala Page. But that's nothing compared to a party scene 1 hour and 8 minutes into the film where Joaquin imagines an entire room full of women nude--and we get to see it all, including full frontal from Katie Boland. Talk about a Master-piece.
(0:13) Amy Ferguson opens her green dress for Joaquin Phoenix displaying her 1950's black bra and panties. Then she takes off the bra, revealing her breasts, which Phoenix pokes with his finger.
(1:08) Joaquin Phoenix imagines a party scene where all the women are now naked. An entire room is now filled with women giving us amazing full frontal looks at their bodies. Young and old and all shapes. Specifically they include Katie Boland, who shows full frontal breasts and bush. Ambyr Childers is sitting on a piano bench displaying her buns to us.
The Master opens in theaters nationwide on September 21, 2012
_________________________________________________
Naked Leonardo Di Caprio In On-Screen Orgy?
After Prince Harry was caught baring the royal botty in some startling naked photos from Las Vegas, we assumed the world of buff men in the buff had hit its peak. So imagine our delight when we heard that Leonardo Di Caprio is set to reveal e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g in an illicit orgy scene for his latest movie!And no. He isn't playing Christian Grey in 'Fifty Shades Of Grey'.
Leonardo Di Caprio is set to bare all in new film 'The Wolf Of Wall Street', in which he plays Jordan Belfort, a former stockbroker who became a motivational speaker after serving time in prison.
According to New York Daily News, Leonardo is going to have to get down and dirty for his character - think sex, drugs, beautiful women and plenty of dodgy money grabbing antics. And an illicit on screen orgy:
"Leonardo is set to bare it all... There will be some pretty illicit sex scenes coming up. It involves four guys and two girls."_________________________________________________
"Leo has a scene coming up where he is completely out of his mind on drugs with the other brokers. Cocaine and Quaaludes will be a big part of the movie."
"They are asking the actors to get comfortable with snorting baby laxative. They all have to indulge heavily in cocaine."
Watch: First Footage of Harmony Korine's 'Spring Breakers'
Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers is one of only a handful of films to compete at the Venice Film Festival, which began today. Despite previous production stills suggesting the film would be a light-hearted comedy based around James Franco being shirtless and resembling Kevin Federline, judging from the trailer it's safe to say this will be a Very Serious and Poignant cinematic work. Plus, you know, it's by Harmony Korine.
And double plus, it's in the company of past Golden Lion winners — Sofia Coppola's Somewhere in 2010, Darron Aronofsky's The Wrestler in 2008 and Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain in 2005. Spring Breakers will screen at the Venice Film Festival on September 4, and also stars Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez.
_________________________________________________
McKayla Maroney Teaches Maria Menounos How to Dougie!
_________________________________________________Alexa Vega Reveals More Details on Her Character, KillJoy and Embracing Her Sexuality in MACHETE KILLS
The career paths of child stars can either end up as inspiring success stories or engrossing train wrecks. There appears to be no rhyme or reason as to how an individual will handle the fame as they mature, but Alexa Vega (Spy Kids) seems ready to complete her transition into adulthood. After having recently turned 24, Vega is far from adolescence, but is just now preparing to take on a role that centers on her sexuality. Starring as KillJoy in Robert Rodriguez’s Machete Kills, Vega surprised her fans and co-workers alike with how far her new character is willing to go. Hit the jump to see what she had to say about her risque role and embracing her sexuality.
In a recent interview with THR, Vega talked at length about her upcoming role in Machete Kills, the sexuality surrounding her character and what the opportunity means for advancing her career. We recently shared a set photo of Vega in costume and it definitely turned heads as most people recognized the name as a tween in the Robert Rodrguez Spy Kids films. But much like Taylor Lautner going from a kid action star in a Rodriguez picture to becoming a sex symbol in The Twilight Saga, Vega now appears ready to make the transition.Vega talked about stepping on set in her costume for the first time under the eyes of people she’s worked with so long that she considers them family:
“The first time I walked out in my outfit on set, everyone was like, ‘Wow, you’re not allowed to wear that!’”We’ll probably get our first full look at the costume when Machete Kills debuts next year. But Vega did reveal a few more details about her character, KillJoy. Vega described the hitwoman as a “bodyguard of a whore house,” saying:
“I’ve never done anything like this. I’d never felt comfortable enough, and I never thought this would be the project where I’d take a step forward.”
That’s not to say that Vega has been completely sedentary since her Spy Kids days. She’s played a student activist who staged protests against racial discrimination in the 2006 HBO Films picture, Walkout and was central to the plot of Repo! The Genetic Opera. But the KillJoy character stands apart.
“My characters have always been light, and (KillJoy) is the first role to challenge that.”While sex certainly sells, the role clearly presents a challenge for Vega:
“This was all about owning my sexuality. I worked really hard for it in a way that I never had to work hard for something before.”Hopefully, Machete Kills is only the beginning of a fruitful career for Vega who, in her own words, wants to continue exploring and keep people guessing.
_________________________________________________
New, Shorter Cut Of 'On The Road' Will Premiere At The Toronto International Film Festival
by Kevin Jagernauth
Decades in the making, the Francis Ford Coppola produced, Walter Salles directed "On The Road" finally premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May to a mixed response. The adaptation of Jack Kerouac's seminal novel of a generation was never the easiest thing to bring to the screen, and our review by James Rocchi from the Croisette called it "lustrous but long winded." And indeed, running nearly 2 hours and 20 minutes, this writer was definitely checking his watch during the film. Now as it heads to TIFF, it looks like Salles has hit the editing bay one more time for a new, slimmer cut.
IndieWire recently chatted with IFC Films honcho Jonathan Sehring, and he elaborated on what audiences in Toronto will see. "The response at Cannes was that some people loved it and some people were respectful of it, like some people loved the book. And Walter took a lot of that to heart. He’s gone back, and we’re unveiling a new cut in Toronto, which is about 15 minutes shorter. It’s a little over two hours now. He’s added certain things that weren’t in the cut that was in Cannes," he explained. "He has been in New York and Rio and L.A. working on it the past couple of months, and it’s going to be very wet when it gets to Toronto. We’re locked, but they’re finishing the mix up right now. We’re very, very excited about it."
It will be interesting to see what elements and moments get axed, shuffled and added to the movie, and certainly with an extensive cast featuring a number of actors in brief appearances, we wonder who might ultimately end up on the cutting room floor. If we were to take a wild stab in the dark, we'd wager that Alice Braga might be one who could get sliced out. She plays Terry (aka Bea Franco), a young Mexican woman Kerouac meets on his journey and exchanges letters with that he fictionalized in the novel, and her role is already quite small and a bit inconsequential in the film.
Whether this makes for a smoother, sharper "On The Road" remains to be seen. If anything, Salles has kept the ambling nature of the source material intact, though the cut we saw certainly could've used a bit of a pacing punch up, and this may do the trick. And as Sehring notes, it's the kind of movie that will split audiences. "That novel and that whole Beat thing, people take it so personally. Either they passionately love it or they passionately hate it, and that’s one of the things that really attracted us [to the film] across the board, everyone in the company," he said.
"On The Road" will play TIFF next month. No release date has been set yet for the film but IFC's website has this as a 12/21/12 release.
* If this Salles guy was smart he'll extend Stewart nude/sex scenes to cash on Trampire current reputation. But of course Stewart will sue his ass off! The Director's Cut is our only hope.
_________________________________________________
FrightFest 2012 Review: American Mary
Review by Nia Edwards-Behi
Beware of spoilers after the bloody pic.Back in May, I described American Mary as the most original film I’d seen for a very long time. Months later, and having watched a great deal of upcoming horror films in my capacity as a festival programmer, I can say the statement stands. The film has just received a special preview screening at London’s Fright Fest, having been picked up by the wonderful folk at Universal, where it deservedly met a rapturous reception. I’ll be the first to admit that there’s a possibility that I’m somewhat blinkered when it comes to the Soskas. I’m lucky enough to be able to call the twins my friends, but regardless of that, I believe American Mary to be an important and vital horror film. Modern horror cinema seems to have entered the era of found footage and ordeal horror, and the obsession with remakes lingers on still. When a truly good horror film comes along, it shines all the brighter, not only for being wonderful in and of itself, but for having the guts to break away from its already stagnant peers. Such a film is American Mary.
Mary Mason (Katharine Isabelle) is a promising medical student training to be a surgeon. Facing increasing financial difficulties, Mary searches for jobs for which she’s far over-qualified. Attending an interview with Billy (Antonio Cupo), a local strip-club owner and gangster, Mary finds herself able to make a quick wad of cash in exchange for practising her burgeoning surgical skills. Word gets out of Mary’s underground slicing, and she is unwillingly recruited by Beatress Johnson (Tristan Risk) to help her friend, Ruby RealGirl (Paula Lindberg), who desires unusual surgery. Still desperate for money, Mary agrees. When the medical community she longs to join betrays her, Mary finds herself a new career performing body modifications – some on unwilling victims. Though most of her clients bring her financial security and admiration for her work, Mary finds herself increasingly thrown into a dark and uncontrollable world.
Although worlds apart, there are two ways in which American Mary and its predecessor, Dead Hooker in a Trunk are comparable. Both tell highly interesting and original stories, while at the same time paying homage to the genre. In Dead Hooker that originality came from the characters themselves, all of whom were somehow sympathetic and sweet, despite being purposefully two-dimensional in nomenclature and superficial behaviours. Otherwise the film was a spot-on homage to grindhouse exploitation filmmaking, in tone and in production. American Mary pays as much homage to classic monster movies as it does to body horror and Asian horror; while offering an original monster-heroine and a story I can’t say I’ve ever seen before. Without even broaching the film’s content, though, it is technically brilliant. From its production design, to its performances, to its soundtrack, American Mary is a beautifully put together film.
At the film’s core is Katharine Isabelle’s truly remarkable performance as Mary. She is simultaneously self-assured and vulnerable – on the one hand defiant when she’s told off in class, on the other nervously smoothing out her clothes when trying to impress. This duality is what’s preyed on by those who should be nurturing her talent, and in many ways they light the spark that creates the monster. Although eventually monstrous, Mary is never terrifying. It’s fully clear why other characters in the film are frightened of her, but as an audience member we are not invited to be scared of her. We see so much of Mary that it is always possible to sympathise with her. This is down to the wonderful performance, and the wise choice to allow Isabelle to gesture, rather than speak Mary’s complexities. Indeed, a lot of Mary’s dialogue is darkly funny, and Isabelle boasts some wonderful comic timing in the film.
Isabelle’s is not the only remarkable performance in the film, however. A stand out from an array of secondary characters is Tristan Risk as Beatress Johnson. Beatress has literally transformed herself into Betty Boop, through cosmetic surgery, altering her voice, and perfecting her mannerisms. Risk’s performance, under heavy prosthetic make-up, is a delight, as she not only performs the mimicry of Boop, but performs the character of Beatress too. Initially seeming harmlessly deranged, Beatress slowly reveals herself as not quite so innocent. She’s a hugely likeable character, however, and Risk’s performance is revelatory. Beatress is also very funny, one hysterical c-bomb getting its own round of applause from the FrightFest audience. The rest of the supporting cast is strong, with notable performances from David Lovgreen, Twan Holliday, Paula Lindberg and John Emmett Tracy.
The film’s production design complements its performances. Dark yet playful, the film’s sets, locations and costumes emphasise and underline the action. The best example of this is through Mary’s costumes. Stylish from the outset, Mary increasingly boasts an array of specially designed work wear – from red surgical scrubs to a latex butcher’s apron. Likewise Mary’s apartment begins life as a quirky homestead, but soon makes way for her work, to the point where she moves to live elsewhere in order to better support her life, and gone is any sense of homeliness. Completing the film’s feel is a great soundtrack, packed with great songs, some expected horror scoring, and an absolutely inspired use of Ave Maria.
As I’ve said, as well as being technically wonderful, American Mary pays tribute to other horror films and traditions in a subtle way. It’s apt that the film has been picked up by Universal, as Mary herself is, in many ways, a classic horror monster. She’s sympathetic and she’s vulnerable – and she’s deadly. If Robin Wood’s argument that in classic horror the monster and the heroine – and that’s heroine, not protagonist – are allowed moments of recognition in each other, then in Mary we see both, combined, and she is the one who drives the story. There is another wonderful way in which American Mary plays with horror conventions, but it involves a fairly hefty SPOILER, so beware the two paragraphs below.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Mary is drugged and raped by her tutor, Dr. Grant (David Lovgreen), when he invites her to a sleazy sex party after assuming that her new found income is because she has become a prostitute.
Dr. Grant is the first to face Mary’s wrath at the tip of her scalpel, as she makes vengeful use of her new-found body modification skills. However, this is no conventional rape-revenge plot. Normally, in rape-revenge films, the rape occurs, often protractedly, and is followed by a definitive and lethal revenge.
Mary does not murder Dr. Grant. Rather, she subjects him to a long, drawn-out, living nightmare as she
changes his body entirely and irreversibly. If the fairly definitive revenges taken in traditional rape-revenge narratives might be equated, figuratively, with the lack of focus on the aftermath of rape in its depiction in film, then the revenge element of American Mary very much seeks to readdress this huge imbalance. The depiction of rape in horror films seemed to have become something of a hot topic during FrightFest, with many other films screened at the festival seemingly doing it very, very wrongly. It seems to me that increasingly rape is often used now in horror films as a throw away plot device or a useful tool for making a bad guy seem worse. This is not remotely the case with American Mary, whereby Mary’s assault is committed by someone she knows and trusts, who has been depicted as a well-meaning, even nice (albeit stern) tutor. Given recent reprehensible comments regarding rape by politicians in the USA and the UK, and undoubtedly elsewhere, this factor seems to me to be incredibly pertinent and important.
Following on from the above, the frequent and traditional depiction of law enforcement in post-1970s horror as being mostly incompetent is done somewhat differently in American Mary. Often this incompetence is portrayed through disinterest, lack of skill, or corruption in the police force or judicial system. Detective Dolor (John Emmett Tracy) is thorough and well-meaning. It is only through Mary’s lack of co-operation that he is rendered incompetent. He’s an important character in this respect, in that he’s probably the only male character with significant screen time in a position of authority who doesn’t abuse that position. Other characters are protective and respectful of Mary – particularly Lance (Twan Holliday), in some rather wonderful scenes – but they too are fairly marginalised or low on any sort of traditional societal ladder.
Detective Dolor is important, then, insofar as he ensures that the film is never dealing in black and white depictions of what type of person is good and what type of person is bad.
END SPOILER END SPOILER END SPOILER
Body modification plays a huge role in American Mary and it’s testament to the Soskas’ professionalism that they never once portray the community in a way that is disrespectful. This isn’t a film that uses a community or a subculture as a cheap gimmick, but embraces it, consults it, and portrays it as entirely healthy. It’s refreshing to see such due care and attention paid in a film like this. As well as the real body modifications seen in the film, there are, of course, those less consensual modifications and surgeries that take places. The defiantly practical effects on display in the film are glorious, the work by MastersFX truly impressive.
The final scene of American Mary is incredibly clever and surprisingly moving, reflective of a subtle thread of truth that has run throughout the film about Mary. Although she can save lives as a surgeon and allow others to fully express themselves through performing body modifications, she ultimately cannot fix herself. That being said, American Mary is in no way a downbeat film. It’s challenging without being an endurance test. It’s funny without being silly. It’s sexy without being gratuitous. Jen and Sylvia Soska have cannily made a second film that is nothing like their first. They completely defy expectation, and have made a film that is leaps and bounds ahead of many, if not most, of its peers. American Mary is ultimately mature, intelligent and subtle without being in any way boring, and is at all times entertaining. With this film, Jen and Sylvia deserve every single success that I’m sure is headed their way.
Look out for American Mary on the festival circuit over the coming months, ahead of a release early next year.
American Mary is “horrible graphic torture and jokes”
by Sarah Dobbs
There have been an awful lot of movies recently that feature rape scenes, but they’re all made by men. It’s interesting to see a film made by women that deals with that from a woman’s perspective.
Jen: There was a study done, I believe, in NYU, that says most rape in film is done to be sexually gratifying to men. In our film, you don’t see her breasts – you see her face. If you’re in a situation where you’re raped – and if you’re a woman and you exist in life, either it’s happened to you, it’s come close to happening to you, or it’s happened to someone you love and care about – it doesn’t just cut to the next scene. You’re stuck there, and it seems like it goes on forever. That’s why, in the film, you’re just locked on Mary’s defeated, horrified eyes. I’d say that scene is the most horrifying scene in the film.
More here
* It always been a futile anticipation but still holding out hope we get a glimpse of Katharine's melons even if it was very brief shot.
_________________________________________________
Third Annual PollyGrind Film Festival Announces Opening Night Film : Albert Pyun's Road to Hell!
Las Vegas area grindhouse fans, get ready! The third annual PollyGrind Film Festival is gearing up for another successful roll in the hay with the best in b-movie madness and to get you fiends ready for what looks to be the biggest year yet!
The madman behind it all - Chad Clinton Freeman- went ahead and announced the opening night flick earlier this week. It looks like PollyGrind is hellbound on October 17th as Albert Pyun's Road to Hell has been picked to kick-off the fest. For more details on Road to Hell and PollyGrind, read on for all the low-down from the official press release!
From the Press Release:
Known as the film festival of a different breed, PollyGrind of Las Vegas has announced it's set to ride the Road to Hell with legendary cult filmmaker Albert Pyun.
Festival founder and programmer Chad Clinton Freeman, dubbed the "new champion of unabashed B-movie sleaze" by ArrowintheHead.com, is remaining tight-lipped about the bulk of his third annual lineup, but said he is too excited to keep quiet about Pyun's rock opera thriller Road to Hell opening the main event of his fest on October 17.
"I'm a big fan of Albert," Freeman said about the director of The Sword and the Sorcerer, Cyborg, Captain America, Dollman, Nemesis and many more. "He's one of those modern day masters of the straight-to-video cult world like Charles Band, Lloyd Kaufman and Andy Sidaris. I am very pleased he is apart of PollyGrind this year."
Written by Cynthia Curnan, Road to Hell is a non official sequel to Walter Hill's Streets of Fire that has drawn comparisons to Sin City due to its highly stylized look and violence. It stars Michael Paré (Eddie and the Cruisers) and Deborah Van Valkenburgh (The Warriors), both of Streets of Fire; Clare Kramer (The Gravedancers, Glory on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Courtney Peldon (Mortuary). The film also gives many their introduction to Roxy Gunn, the vocalist of the Las Vegas pop-rock sensation the Roxy Gunn Project that carries the film with her acting and nearly nonstop singing.
* much delayed movie with alleged first 'real' topless nudity by 34-years old Clare Kramer. She was totally uninhibited according to one reviewer. But a reminder though. It was only a work print. The latest rating denotes "brief nudity" for upcoming screening at PollyGrind Film Festival which means Clare nudity could have been sacrificed to inject some other elements to fit the plot.
_________________________________________________
Birds and Batteries : Be My Girl
Over the past few years, Bay Area-based band Birds and Batteries has been garnering fans and acclaim all over through the release of four albums, the latest of which just came out earlier this month. Featured on the LP, Stray Light, is a song called "Be My Girl" for which a video has just surfaced. James Sharpe, who directed the artsy clip, said this about it: "Using the human body as a canvas, I wanted to create a beautiful and haunting visual narrative portraying a conflict between nature, architecture and the body, ultimately representing love and acceptance, whatever the imperfections." Watch the video above and head over to iTunes to purchase Stray Light now via Eightmaps Records.
Director: James Sharpe
Producer: Russell Noon
Production Company: Saloon Films
Executive Producer: Emory Ruegg
Model: Michaela Ireland
Producer: Russell Noon
Production Company: Saloon Films
Executive Producer: Emory Ruegg
Model: Michaela Ireland
_________________________________________________
3K Pictures announces today that director Sam Kadi’s debut drama THE CITIZEN will have its North American Premiere at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana on Monday, October 22nd at the AMC Castleton Square 14 theater at 7:15pm. The film was produced by Kadi, Chris Wyatt (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE) and Alan Noel Vega, with Ameer Kabour executive producing. The Heartland Film Festival started in 1992 as a small event in Indianapolis and has expanded over time to become one of the fastest growing film festivals in the country. Today, the annual film festival is a ten-day event full of independent films, a variety of special events for film enthusiasts of all ages and a one-of-a-kind experience in one of the Midwest’s most inviting cities. This year the festival runs from October 18th-27th.
The script took over three years to write and was co-written by the noted Arab American playwright Samir Younis (BROWNTOWN). Younis was living and working in New York on 9/11, and brought his experiences about the aftermath of that event to bear on the script.
Additionally, the trailer for the film has been released today to the public for the first time on the film’s website
_________________________________________________
It Brit Girl Juno Temple Bares All
It Brit Girl Juno Temple Bares All
Standing at a petit 5’2” and topped off with a wild, wavy blonde mane, 23-year-old actress Juno Temple is not your average young Hollywood starlet. With four films out this year, and five in post-production, the British bombshell is literally everywhere. From the moment you see her on screen, she commands a presence that’s at once deeply endearing and frighteningly captivating, taking on roles that are provocative and challenging. This past year, Temple portrayed the innocent-yet-sultry Dottie in William Friedkin’s grease-fried pulp hit Killer Joe alongside a gritty and grizzled Matthew McConaughey and Emile Hirsh. This summer Temple also made an appearance in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Rises and will star in the darkly romantic flick Jack and Diane, locking lips with Riley Keough.
While the captivating ingénue has already proven her theatrical dexterity, it’s with her latest film Little Birds that Temple really shines. The film tells the story of Lily, a tough and rebellious young girl who longs to escape her hazy and mundane life by the Salton Sea. After meeting a pack of beer guzzling drifter skateboarders, Lily experiences a life-altering event after an impromptu excursion to Los Angeles. We recently caught up with the charming actress to discuss character-building, exploring sexuality on screen, and the drama school of life.
You’ve been in a ton of films this year alone. How does that feel to keep putting out one thing after another?
It’s exciting, and I feel really fucking lucky, because with this business it’s so unpredictable and you never know when you’re going to work or not going to work. I also feel nervous about it, too, because with movies coming out back-to-back people are really going to be judging how much of a chameleon you can be if the roles are really similar or really different. Whatever it ends up being you want to be different in each movie. You want to be forgettable as Juno Temple but memorable as your character.
Does it becoming sort of addicting working so much and throwing yourself into these characters?
It’s always hard to keep tabs. What’s hard is when there’s two things going on at one time and then you really keep like [asking yourself], “Who am I right now?”
Tell me a little bit about how you started acting, I heard about how you watched La Belle et La Bête and decided you wanted to be an actress.
Yeah, that’s when I was a baby. But when I decided I wanted to get my start in the business I told my parents when I was 14. They both went, “Well okay, good luck to you, you’re going to be pretty miserable and unemployed a lot of the time.” And I was like, “Yeah, well, I want to give it a shot.” And they found out about an open audition in London and sent me out for it and I waited in line for about three hours to take a Polaroid picture. They said they’d let me know by the end of the week. I got a phone call two-days later and the director asked me to come in and audition. It was for Notes on a Scandal with Richard Eyre directing, which is amazing. And I was like, “Shit, an audition, what do I do?” And I went in and got it like two days later.
So you started off on a pretty high note.
Yeah right, I know. My mom told me it would all go down hill after that, and then my second job was Atonement.
Your parents are both in the film industry, so it was good they were able to warn you about it. But they didn’t try and hinder your desire for it.
Yeah, that’s kind what I love about it too because it can be hard when you don’t get that job that you fucking want so bad and you think you’re so right for. Oh, it’s like a stab in the heart.
So how did you meet Little Birds director, Elgin James?
My agent organized it. I got sent the script and sat with Elgin for, it must have been two-and-half hours, and we just chatted, and chatted, and chatted. And then I got a phone call from my agent saying they wanted me to pick which role I wanted to play.
Did you see yourself right away as Lily when you read it?
Yeah, I think so. I was definitely more of Lily for sure. And we waited—we had to wait for like eighteen months before the movie actually got green lit. Me and Elgin would meet three-times a week if we could and just sit at this diner and he’d eat French toast. We’d sit there and talk about this character and the script. We became amazing friends because of it. It was instantaneously quick. Rather than waiting, we really did spend time together and came up with this entire backstory for Lily. And then, you’ve got so much time on your hands that you just open up to each other and he’s now a very, very dear friend of mine. He’s like family out here for me.
And once you did start shooting, that must have made it very easy to trust him as a director, especially because there were many really emotionally challenging scenes.
Totally. He would have taken a bullet for me. I know that.
Did you find a lot of yourself in Lily?
Not really. I think as more of a shadow of myself from when I was sixteen. I guess I know a lot of girls like that, or did know a lot of young girls like that, and they’re heartbreaking. The young girls that just make those decisions that lead to another bad decision and another bad decision, and you can’t say, “Don’t do it,” because they’ll turn around and say, “Why? Why not?”
And how was the actual shooting of the film? Was it a short shoot?
We shot it in 17 days. It was quick. We shot in the Salton Sea, which is like World War III happened there, but it’s so beautiful. It’s insanely beautiful. And then we shot a lot in East L.A.
How were things on set? Did you have to keep things light?
We make it light, where you just have to roll with it and be like, this feels crazy dark and foreign but at the moment we’re making a movie. I can go home to my bed at the end of today. Elgin is incredibly protective and incredibly loving so if you ever felt uncomfortable with anything he would figure out a way to make it feel okay. And it’s tough because with this subject matter you’re obviously faking it, but only to a certain extent. You have to feel things, you know?
Speaking of guns, I saw Killer Joe the day before I saw Little Birds. Did you see similarities between Dottie and Lily?
Not at all. They are such different women from such different walks of life. The only similarity would be that they live in trailer parks.
You’ve worked with so many amazing actors and directors in your career so far, have you transformed and a learned a lot as an actor with each film you’ve made?
Honestly, it’s like being at drama school for ten years. You watch people and you learn and they’re so giving. It’s about being a sponge, you want to suck up all that knowledge and just use it. I’m very, very lucky with the people I’ve had teach me things and direct me. I think every time I make a movie someone teaches me something, I hope someday I can teach other people things too. If you get, you want to give. I think that’s the best way to explain it, it’s better than any drama school you can imagine.
You’ve been in a ton of films this year alone. How does that feel to keep putting out one thing after another?
It’s exciting, and I feel really fucking lucky, because with this business it’s so unpredictable and you never know when you’re going to work or not going to work. I also feel nervous about it, too, because with movies coming out back-to-back people are really going to be judging how much of a chameleon you can be if the roles are really similar or really different. Whatever it ends up being you want to be different in each movie. You want to be forgettable as Juno Temple but memorable as your character.
Does it becoming sort of addicting working so much and throwing yourself into these characters?
It’s always hard to keep tabs. What’s hard is when there’s two things going on at one time and then you really keep like [asking yourself], “Who am I right now?”
Tell me a little bit about how you started acting, I heard about how you watched La Belle et La Bête and decided you wanted to be an actress.
Yeah, that’s when I was a baby. But when I decided I wanted to get my start in the business I told my parents when I was 14. They both went, “Well okay, good luck to you, you’re going to be pretty miserable and unemployed a lot of the time.” And I was like, “Yeah, well, I want to give it a shot.” And they found out about an open audition in London and sent me out for it and I waited in line for about three hours to take a Polaroid picture. They said they’d let me know by the end of the week. I got a phone call two-days later and the director asked me to come in and audition. It was for Notes on a Scandal with Richard Eyre directing, which is amazing. And I was like, “Shit, an audition, what do I do?” And I went in and got it like two days later.
So you started off on a pretty high note.
Yeah right, I know. My mom told me it would all go down hill after that, and then my second job was Atonement.
Your parents are both in the film industry, so it was good they were able to warn you about it. But they didn’t try and hinder your desire for it.
Yeah, that’s kind what I love about it too because it can be hard when you don’t get that job that you fucking want so bad and you think you’re so right for. Oh, it’s like a stab in the heart.
So how did you meet Little Birds director, Elgin James?
My agent organized it. I got sent the script and sat with Elgin for, it must have been two-and-half hours, and we just chatted, and chatted, and chatted. And then I got a phone call from my agent saying they wanted me to pick which role I wanted to play.
Did you see yourself right away as Lily when you read it?
Yeah, I think so. I was definitely more of Lily for sure. And we waited—we had to wait for like eighteen months before the movie actually got green lit. Me and Elgin would meet three-times a week if we could and just sit at this diner and he’d eat French toast. We’d sit there and talk about this character and the script. We became amazing friends because of it. It was instantaneously quick. Rather than waiting, we really did spend time together and came up with this entire backstory for Lily. And then, you’ve got so much time on your hands that you just open up to each other and he’s now a very, very dear friend of mine. He’s like family out here for me.
And once you did start shooting, that must have made it very easy to trust him as a director, especially because there were many really emotionally challenging scenes.
Totally. He would have taken a bullet for me. I know that.
Did you find a lot of yourself in Lily?
Not really. I think as more of a shadow of myself from when I was sixteen. I guess I know a lot of girls like that, or did know a lot of young girls like that, and they’re heartbreaking. The young girls that just make those decisions that lead to another bad decision and another bad decision, and you can’t say, “Don’t do it,” because they’ll turn around and say, “Why? Why not?”
And how was the actual shooting of the film? Was it a short shoot?
We shot it in 17 days. It was quick. We shot in the Salton Sea, which is like World War III happened there, but it’s so beautiful. It’s insanely beautiful. And then we shot a lot in East L.A.
How were things on set? Did you have to keep things light?
We make it light, where you just have to roll with it and be like, this feels crazy dark and foreign but at the moment we’re making a movie. I can go home to my bed at the end of today. Elgin is incredibly protective and incredibly loving so if you ever felt uncomfortable with anything he would figure out a way to make it feel okay. And it’s tough because with this subject matter you’re obviously faking it, but only to a certain extent. You have to feel things, you know?
Another thing I’ve noticed, especially from seeing some of your films in close succession, is that you take on these roles that are really interesting for a young woman. They’re quite fearless roles, and you’re not afraid to explore your sexuality on screen.
No, I’m definitely not. I’m fascinated by it. I think it’s a magic moment in a young girl’s life and it can be something that can be very destructive or can be very liberating. That’s interesting.
No, I’m definitely not. I’m fascinated by it. I think it’s a magic moment in a young girl’s life and it can be something that can be very destructive or can be very liberating. That’s interesting.
Does that ever intimidate you at all or is it something you just feel that really just serves a purpose in the film for the character?
I feel like it’s definitely my choice to show off my body in a way I want to, and it’s interesting to me because there’s such an image about what it is to be perfect naked and I’m definitely not that. I’m 5’2" and extremely curvy. And so I think it’s a good thing in that department to not be afraid to show my body. But I also think it’s something that, almost when you’re rolling you forget. You think, “Well, if I was in this moment, I would take my bra off, it would be weird for me not to.”
I feel like it’s definitely my choice to show off my body in a way I want to, and it’s interesting to me because there’s such an image about what it is to be perfect naked and I’m definitely not that. I’m 5’2" and extremely curvy. And so I think it’s a good thing in that department to not be afraid to show my body. But I also think it’s something that, almost when you’re rolling you forget. You think, “Well, if I was in this moment, I would take my bra off, it would be weird for me not to.”
Well, it’s not like there was nudity without a reason for it. Like when you’re in the bathtub, what are you supposed to be wearing?
Yeah, and I’m not afraid of nudity. The scariest thing to me ever has been firing a gun. I’m not a violent human being and I don’t like the idea of guns; they frighten me, so that’s way scarier than taking my clothes off.
Yeah, and I’m not afraid of nudity. The scariest thing to me ever has been firing a gun. I’m not a violent human being and I don’t like the idea of guns; they frighten me, so that’s way scarier than taking my clothes off.
Speaking of guns, I saw Killer Joe the day before I saw Little Birds. Did you see similarities between Dottie and Lily?
Not at all. They are such different women from such different walks of life. The only similarity would be that they live in trailer parks.
You’ve worked with so many amazing actors and directors in your career so far, have you transformed and a learned a lot as an actor with each film you’ve made?
Honestly, it’s like being at drama school for ten years. You watch people and you learn and they’re so giving. It’s about being a sponge, you want to suck up all that knowledge and just use it. I’m very, very lucky with the people I’ve had teach me things and direct me. I think every time I make a movie someone teaches me something, I hope someday I can teach other people things too. If you get, you want to give. I think that’s the best way to explain it, it’s better than any drama school you can imagine.
_________________________________________________
Playboy Pin-Up Sherlyn Chopra and India’s Changing Morals
By Visi R. Tilak
On Aug. 30, 2012 U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams is set to embark on a spacewalk, the fifth in her career. Next month, Ms. Williams, who is of Indian origin, will take command of the International Space Station, where she is stationed for six months.But what has captivated greater interest than Ms. Williams’ latest space journey in recent months is Sherlyn Chopra, an Indian model and actress who in November is set to be the first Indian to grace the cover of Playboy magazine.
Recently, my Twitter feed has been rife with folks comparing the two women, with many arguing Ms. Chopra’s achievement is more noteworthy than that of Ms. Williams. For instance, Twitter user @Sushoban recently wrote: “wd argue that Sherlyn Chopra has taken a huge step for India and Indians. More imp than, say, Sunita Williams.”
The BBC dubbed Ms. Chopra as a woman who “defied convention,” spawning this title for her in the blogosphere.
It is true that bona fide famous Indian women have not had to shed their modesty to become successful. While it’s rare to see women at the helm of most developed nations, Indians can point to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. There are notable examples in the corporate world as well, including Indira Nooyi, the chief executive officer of PepsiCo Inc. In the U.S., there are many women of Indian origin we can point to as well, like Bhairavi Desai, the executive director of New York Taxi Workers Alliance or California State Attorney General Kamala Harris. In the world of arts and culture, the examples are plenty, from writer Anita Desai to Indian-born Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta.
Ms. Chopra, told the BBC she wanted to pose for Playboy because “power derives from money. I always wanted to make a lot of money on my own, to have power from that.”
“If total freedom comes with the perceived notion of being a whore, then so be it,” she added.
 |
| Richard Gere kissed Shilpa Shetty at an event in New Delhi, March 14, 2008. |
India went berserk. This surprised foreign observers, with Time Magazine asking: “How can the country that gave the world the Kama Sutra be so prudish?”
The incident was widely seen as an attack on India’s cultural and moral values and resulted in countrywide protests.
This time around, no fingers can be pointed to a ““firangi,” or foreigner. After all, Ms. Chopra approached Playboy herself.
Ms. Chopra’s case is not isolated. Recently, Indo-Canadian actress and porn star Sunny Leone made her Bollywood debut in “Jism 2,” one of the raciest films to hit Indian screens to date.
While there has been some criticism and reaction from the general public, the response to Ms. Leone has been fairly muted as well. Some went as far as criticizing the actress for not exposing herself enough in the movie.
All this seems to reveal a shift in moral attitudes in India. “There’s no doubt that attitudes toward sexuality are changing among Indian women and Indians generally. That’s a transformation best described by the way Bollywood movies portray love and sexuality, and by the clear influence of the globalized world on Indian mores,” says Miranda Kennedy, a journalist and author of a memoir based on her five year stay in India, “Sideways On A Scooter.”
While it would be a mistake to see Ms. Chopra’s freedom to pose for Playboy as evidence of greater female empowerment – far from it – this suggests Indian society may have become less judgmental.
“Sherlyn Chopra posing nude in Playboy isn’t exactly a feminist’s dream milestone marker for women in India,” says Ms. Kennedy, “but it is probably further evidence of the way women can choose to portray themselves in India without ruining their lives and futures.”
 |
| Sherlyn Chopra at a press conference in Mumbai, July 23. |
Not all agree this necessarily reflect changes in Indian society more broadly. “Chopra is entitled to her choices, and perhaps her decision was personally empowering. While this decision may be a reflection of a more open society, the society in question may not be ours: let’s not forget that Chopra lives and works abroad, and that Playboy isn’t officially available in India,” says Sonia Faleiro, author of “Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay’s Dance Bars.”
Ms. Faleiro instead points to other role models: “I’d like to think that women in India are more likely to be inspired by the achievements of Olympian Mary Kom or of [Congress Party President] Sonia Gandhi, the most powerful politician in India today. Through their achievements these women have not only broken barriers, they’ve raised the bar for men and women.”
Playboy Makes Indian Splash
Written by Siddharth Srivastava
Casual followers of India’s Internet beauties (yes there exists a genre here) know about Sherlyn Chopra. She is among the many virtual Indian divas that attract some eyeballs by suggestively floating about networking websites, some forgettable movies and predictably a TV reality show.
She is sexy. Her online portrayals have been bold. Like others she hopes to be noticed by a big Bollywood producer, the path to instant money and more fame. Sherlyn is making some progress. She has been picked up, not by a Hindi movie biggie though. She is going to be the first Indian on the cover of Playboy, the pre-Internet porn era smut leader, obviously nude.
Chopra, 28, has said that she did not need to sleep with Hugh Heffner, 86, to land her jackpot assignment along with free bed and breakfast eligibility at the Playboy Mansion. She claims that she did not even need to ``audition’’ whatever that means in Playboy terms. Does this matter? How many would, today?
So, one has to assume that Sherlyn has got where she has on merit of a beautiful face and toned body. There is no doubt about that.
``Stripping nude for an iconic adult magazine is no less than setting oneself free from rigid social conventions. I'm partially nude at home mostly. But then to expect worldwide recognition by being nude at one's home would be foolishness,’’ Sherlyn has said. She surely has it all well sorted.
Over the recent past, Chopra has been trying her best to create a buzz about her stripping act that will appear in November --- uploading on Twitter her pictures during the Playboy shoot with private portions appropriately clouded, a time-tested method by many to gain notoriety, celebrity status, movie offers, money and more.
Internationally, such a strategy has been followed by the likes of Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson and Kim Kardashian. Their carefully leaked personal porn videos have catapulted them to high earning divas and product brand ambassadors.
Following a similar route in India porn star Sunny Leone has made it to mainstream Bollywood with her first movie Jism-2 due for release. Another wannabe Poonam Pandey has been consistent with her brazen and bold appearances, without much success till now. She regularly uploads pictures of her daily activities --- bathing, sleeping, flushing etc. She has her diehard followers. One does hope she lands a role to do more worthwhile stuff during the day.
Marketing, it can be safely said, is about meeting the ends, the tools, medium and means don’t matter. Being pretty and sexy is a high selling proposition in itself. Still, it is important not to lose perspective about Sherlyn’s big break. Playboy has stretched matters a bit by calling her a ``Bollywood Legend.’’
Probably the drafters of her promotional matter have been absorbing some of the recent coverage centered round the late Rajesh Khanna, a true Bollywood great, who died earlier this month. Setback by US sales, Playboy does need new markets -- what better than a young tech savvy testosterone driven Indian population for online subscriptions. Then there are millions of desis settled abroad crazy about rooting for anything Indian.
Clearly excited about her true appearance on Playboy, Chopra has also anointed herself eligible for the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award that an Indian can win. This clubs her alongside others possible contenders – iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and chess genius Vishwanathan Anand. This does not sound good at all. Tomorrow, we could have streakers at Wimbledon claiming awards for appearing on prime time TV, as they do by default.
To be fair, Chopra has worked hard on her birthday suit appearance in the venerable Playboy, by spending some time at the gym. Such criterion, however, would club her alongside many more claimants to the prestigious award.
Chopra showing skin is a non-achievement. It is titillating, an aspect that Playboy is looking to en-cash to reverse dwindling sales. But clearly, none of the A-list Bollywood or even Hollywood stars today give much attention to a Playboy appearance as essential CV material. Thousands of copies of Playboy would surely have been smuggled into India if a Kareena Kapoor or Katrina Kaif or Deepika Padukone, the current Bollywood hot bods agreed to pose for the magazine.
Chopra cracking Playboy has perhaps happened more than 10-years too late when porn turned into a mass phenomenon that can be accessed by anybody free online. Quality sleaze is a time tested avenue revenue earner. This is not abuse, not arms smuggling or doing illegal drugs. But, to stitch decorum, sanctity, merit to such an occurrence is perhaps going overboard. There are others to celebrate. Chopra sets no standards for others to follow for sure, except perhaps Poonam Pandey. _________________________________________________
Mr Skin's 9th Annual Summer Soiree GALLERY
More pics here
_________________________________________________
Underground sex club found at Whiskey Row
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Workers preparing historic Whiskey Row buildings for interior demolition have discovered what appears to be the remnants of a sado-masochistic swingers club, abandoned for decades.
"This is the weirdest I've ever found," said Greg Harris, the superintendent of the project for Sullivan-Cozart.
Two floors below Main Street, a large black and white logo displays the word "LATEX," presumably the name of the club, painted on the century old wall.
From deep inside the subterranean blackness, a series of oil paintings depict a series of bizarre images, sexual and violent.
"Very disturbing," Harris said.
Below one painting, a piece of equipment that appears fit for a torture chamber remains. A wooden rack large enough for one or two people includes a headrest and a rusted chain that can be turned by a handle. A gear resembling a saw blade is connected to the handle.
Workers found sheets of plastic that they presume separated the sub-basement into different rooms, candles, a disintegrated couch, a mysterious piece of cloth draped over a table and chair and another chair - covered in cobwebs and in a slow decay.
The project will save the facades of all seven Whiskey Row buildings in the project. The interiors of three middle buildings will be saved, but demolition begins September 4 on the interiors of the other four buildings.
Crews have not yet had access to several parts of the buildings, “so we probably may see some more things,” said Brad Wilcox, a representative for the ownership group.
Click here to view the photos. WARNING: Some of the pictures may not be suitable for all ages.
_________________________________________________
Why ‘Morning After’ Boudoir Photography is Absurd
A new “trend” seems to have rolled into the photography world, and it needs to die. It needs to die now. It’s not good for photographers, for viewers, or for those in the image. What is this trend? It’s called the “day after” wedding photography session, and to me it is narcissistic, unnecessary, and absurd.
So you already know my opinion on this subject, yet the rational part of my mind is still able to diverge the topic in two somewhat logical paths (even the path that I think is absurd):
1) If I were the bride and groom getting the images done, I wouldn’t care what anyone else thought because clearly I am are already vain and self loving in the first place. I obviously see the need to have photo documentation right after I’ve consummated my marriage. This is important – my ruffled and unkempt hair, smeared makeup, disheveled sheets, clothes strewn everywhere. My ass is hanging out of my scantily clad “bride” underwear. Now that is a work of art.
2) But let’s get real: Do I really need images of this? What is the point of having them? Nowadays the only reason us of this present generation take pictures of ourselves is to hang on the mantle and most importantly, share on Facebook. Facebook is heavily, and somewhat unhealthily, ingrained in our lives- don’t deny it. It IS the ultimate scrapbook. Scrapbooking places we’ve eaten, friends we met, places we’ve gone, and epic parties that we’ve been too. We even use Facebook to validate marriage. Now all of a sudden the new trend is to document where and how many times we’ve had sex? I bet Mark Zuckerberg never saw that coming.
All images © Michelle Jonne
_________________________________________________
'Robot Chicken' Creators Unveil
'Star Wars: Detours'
Seth Green and Matt Senreich show off footage from their upcoming 'Star Wars' animated comedy series at Celebration VI.
As reported on IGN, Green and Senreich officially announced "Star Wars: Detours" earlier today during a panel at Star Wars Celebration VI in Orlando, Florida. "Star Wars: Detours" is a comedy series animated in CGI with a tone very similar to the three "Robot Chicken: Star Wars" specials.
"Detours" is set in the time period between Revenge of the Sith and the original Star Wars movie (A New Hope), with a focus on several classic characters like Darth Vader, ObI-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian and a 14 year old Princess Leia Organa, among others. The series also appears to feature Chibi and super deformed inspired character designs. A trailer and several clips were played for the audience.
As you can probably tell from the trailer, a lot of the "Robot Chicken" writers have come on board "Star Wars: Detours," including Breckin Meyer, Doug Goldstein, Tom Root, Kevin Shinick, Zeb Wels and Dan Milano. "Detours" will also feature the writing of Brendan Hay ("The Daily Show"), David Goodman ("Family Guy"). Michael Price ("The Simpsons") and Jane Espenson, from "Game of Thrones," "Warehouse 13," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and several other genre series.
As announced at the panel, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels and Ahmed Best will reprise their roles as Lando, C-3PO and Jar-Jar; respectively; while "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane will continue to voice Emperor Palpatine, as he did in the character's "Robot Chicken" appearances. It was also revealed at the panel that Jennifer Hale ("Mass Effect") will frequently appear on the show and that other voice talent lined up for the series includes Joel McHale, Nat Faxon, Cree Summers, Felicia Day, Abraham Benrubi, Weird Al Yankovic and Zachary Levi.
A release date for "Star Wars: Detours" was not announced, but early speculation is suggesting a 2013 debut.
_________________________________________________
History of nude modeling in China
by Chen Xia
 |
A female nude model is seen in this file photo. She was beaten black and blue by her father four days after it was taken. [File photo] |
Although nudity in art was not an uncommon sight in ancient China, figure drawing -- a study of the human form in its various shapes and poses, was introduced to China as a modern western art in the 1910s.
In 1914, artist and teacher Li Shutong opened China's first figure drawing class in a teacher's school in eastern China's Zhejiang Province. The class however did not receive much public attention as it was strictly limited to the students in the school.
That same year, Liu Haisu, a painter excelling both at Chinese painting as well as oil painting, initiated figure drawing course at a Shanghai art school.
When Liu tried to find a nude model to pose for his students, he encountered many problems. At first, he could only find a 15-year-old boy, but one adolescent model would simply not suffice. He needed an adult model as well.
Liu offered potential candidates a handsome pay and eventually found a man willing to take on the job. But the man regretted doing so the moment he stepped into the classroom. In the end, Liu persuaded the man to take off all his clothes and this man went on to become China's first nude model.
The first female nude model in the country appeared in 1920, but she was actually a Belarusian.
The first public controversy regarding nude models occurred in 1917, when Liu's school held a student art exhibition including several examples of nude drawings. This immediately sparked public uproar and Liu was denounced as a "traitor of arts" and the "rotten apple amidst teachers".
 |
(From left to right) Liu Haisu, Liu's wife and Fu Lei, a famous translator and art critic, in Paris. [File photo] |
Two years later, Liu opened another exhibition which led to an investigation by authorities. He was lucky to get away uncharged since the exhibition lasted only five days and when the investigators arrived, it was drawing to a close already.
In 1924, one of Liu's students held an exhibition featuring nude art in central China's Nanchang City. This greatly disturbed Sun Chuanfang, the warlord of several provinces in eastern China at that time. Sun issued a secret warrant for Liu's arrest and tried to close down the latter's school. Fortunately, the school was based in the French concession area of Shanghai, where Sun had no right to interfere. But Liu still had to pay a fine to appease the warlord's fury. This event was breaking that year and made the concept of nude modeling public knowledge across China.
After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the drawing course was retained but any public display of nude art was not allowed. In 1964, a senior official of the Communist Party of China tried to ban nude modeling, but was severely opposed by Mao Zedong, who stated that nude drawing was an essential skill for painters and sculptors to develop. Any attempts to ban the course were revoked.
Thanks to Mao, the nude drawing course stayed on for one more year until the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) erupted in 1966 and the course was criticized for being vulgar. Although Mao was still a supporter of nude drawing, his words were never publicized and the course was canceled.
In 1978, China launched its policies of reform and opening-up, causing enormous changes to sweep through both society and the people's mindset. Nude art thrived once again, featuring major works such as "Fierce General," a sculpture by Tang Daxi, and "Water-Splashing Festival: A Paean of Life," a mural painting by Yuan Yunsheng.
After 2000, the Chinese people were even more open to nude arts. Tang Jiali, a Chinese dancer and model, sold books of nude artistic photographs of herself in 2002 and in doing so became a household name. Today, people have finally dispelled prejudice and treat nude modeling as a profession no different from any other.
A female nude model in the early days in China. [File photo]
A figure drawing class in the early days in China. [File photo]
Artists make sculptures in the early days in China. [File photo]
A nude artistic photograph taken in the early days in China. [File photo]
A nude artistic photograph taken in the early days in China. [File photo]
A Beijing sculpture class using nude models in 1965. [File photo]
An artistic photograph of Tang Jiali. [File photo]
Lin Siduan, the first nude model in Taiwan. [File photo]
_________________________________________________
