MY ARMS FOLD BACK

Moon

2010-05-28T10:22:00.003+10:00

Hi viewers,

I need to tell you all about the film, Moon. My version anyway. I watched this film only a few weeks ago and have not been able to get it off my mind. It is one of those films that crawls under your skin and before you know it there is a memory, an imprint, that stays and stays. This film is about a man on the moon, in the future. He is ready to come home. He communicates via recorded message because of some direct communication break down. The messages he receives are emotionally charged and confusing for him. He feels delusional at times, apparitions appear and then disappear. What is real and what is not is questioned.

This is what my friends and I get up to when we're in space.

Nash, our baby monkey and me.

Sheila

I Woke Up

2010-02-13T21:42:00.003+11:00

Today I woke up and realized I hadn't posted anything in two years. I hope everyone is OK.

yours truly, Sheila

Amy Winehouse Can Sing

2007-09-15T14:05:00.000+10:00

You know I didn't really get into Amy Winehouse until recently. You see I'm always behind the times - never in front. I kept seeing images of her withering body with ballet shoes and beehive stumbling from one pub to the next and wondered what's all the fuss about? So I listened to "Rehab" and now I'm a huge fan - ranting and raving to friends about her with mixed responses. Nash said he knew about her for ages and even had the album playing as a soundtrack to a camping trip that was "months ago". I wonder why he didn't say anything to me about how great she is? Maybe its because you have these pleasures going on in your mind they don't get verbalized until something triggers the Amy Winehouse conversation. All you have to do with her is close your eyes and think you are in the deep south and its about 1940.

Speaking of pleasures in the back of your mind, a guilty one of mine is "Spoonman". Now this is indeed something I was quite prepared to never talk about until the other day at work. I confessed to Paul that I listen to the "Spoonman" on the way home from work every night and he laughed because he does as well. You see, the "Spoonman" or "Spooney" to his friends, is a complete and utter dork, righteously informed, painfully politically correct, creepily deep voiced, piece of talk back radio work. He's the guy that everyone from the suburbs listens to when they just want to snuggle in bed with their sense of "doing their bit" for the world and snickering at all the "bad" people out there that need their proverbial "wrist slapped". To hell with it, I love him. He's the scary red head on the right hamming it up with Wierd Al Yankovic. I'd put a link to his web page but I'm too scared of how disgusted you'll be with me.

What the hell, I'm going to throw in another one. Extreme Makeover is something I find hard to live without. Up late, eating dinner after work, kettles on, slippers - check. It flashes up on the screen with promises of amazing transformations - from slob to sensational! - from dowdy to dangerous! - One of my favorite episodes is the snaggle tooth guy. Anyway this is "Jim" above - and this is "Jim" below. Humble Hog to Handsome Hunk!

Joan Collins Arrives At David Frost Summer Party

2007-07-06T13:05:00.000+10:00

Its funny, I was just getting my hair this morning and I looked into the mirror. The light in the hairdresser was of a most unflattering nature but none the less I was cheerful. I was having the morning off as they say, childless, work less, a free agent amongst a room full of hairdressers and their clients. It struck me, not the lightening bolt type, but the matter of factual type, gee Sheila you look like your getting old. No way, are you kidding me, its my genes I would always say when someone looked surprised at my age (I'm 41 and look a bit younger I guess, but not this morning as you can gather). Anyway, I wondered does this mean anything. Will I freak out at about 4 am and think that I'm an old hag that no one will ever have the hots for again? Will I ever get surgery - or the more favorable non invasive treatments stars go on about? I laughed, because one of the trainee girls watching the hair cut take place was amazed at my relaxed state (a lot of hair was coming off - I needed a Posh-like, Katie Holmes make over). "Gee you look relaxed for someone getting so much off the length!". "Yeah, when you start having kids you couldn't care less about things like that", I condescended. Are you kidding Sheila?

Anyway, it struck me when I looked at this picture of Joan Collins that may be she couldn't care less about her looks (I mean I know she cares but she has that 'up yours!' bravado that just adds eyeliner with every year). Mutton dressed up as lamb? 'Get stuffed!' is Joan's motto. My Mum reckons she was the poor man's Elizabeth Taylor (she was quoting I know), but it just struck me that she really doesn't look 74.

What Will Nash Do Next?

2007-05-18T18:47:00.000+10:00

I have been tagged my dear friend Nash- he says that you have to list 8 things that are about you or something - random? crazy?? things that people don't know about you - that's hard because most things that people know about me are random and crazy...

1. When I was little I wanted to be an air hostess. My friend Doris and I wrote a letter to the universe and pledged our allegiance to the world of air hostessing. We buried this pledge in my backyard where the idea stayed.

2. I thought that going to church was boring. I used to stare at the clock and pray that the hour would end quickly. Our priest caught me yawning and gave me the death stare. It didn't stop me from yawning and his death stares mellowed over time. Little did I know that many things in my life would bore me to tears and staring at clocks is my weakness.

3. I have a knack for the dramatic. I can break into a sweat over the most stupid things (they are too numerous to mention). Under pressure I can turn into a robot like super hero and create an atmosphere of calm that even I thought was impossible.

4. I love watching T.V. I know this must come as a shock to most people but its true. I can watch Extreme Makeover with the same interest as a documentary on the inner workings of the brain.

5. I eat exactly the same thing each day for breakfast (cereal with soy milk and nice coffee). It gives me great pleasure when I make it because I am the first one up and the house is quiet. I feel great comfort that Woody Allen also shares this ritual with me (he prefers cheerios with 7 slices of banana on top).

6. I daydream. I can drive from one place to another and not remember how I got there.

7. I love stationery. Not just the printed, delicate stuff. Anything that is filed under that category. I can go through Officeworks and just marvel at the amount of notepads there are to cater for any activity. The other day I stayed in there for close to an hour and forgot that the rest of my family was in the car wondering what the hell was going on.

8. I thought that I would think differently about things when I got older but that hasn't happened. There's a lot to be said for consistency.

Sheila.

Dreaming

2007-05-05T13:46:00.000+10:00

Its funny what you think about sometimes. The first thing that pops into my head when I think of the word 'dreaming' is Deborah Harry singing 'Dreaming' and how I used to be a teenage girl singing it at the top of my lungs in my bedroom along with my mums stereo which just happened to be housed there because of some sort of deal with Mum of how it was in every one's best interests that it be there - "it would be less noisy!" - who knows - the deal was done. So there I am in the middle of my bedroom screaming; "dreamin' just dreamin'" and then I'm transported back to now and I realize that it was a fun thing to do. So I am generally thinking about dreaming and I can't get past Deborah Harry for two reasons: one, she did this interview where she explained how having children passed her by. I was saddened by this but didn't think much else of that until many years later. And two, she talked about how she was picked up in Ted Bundy's Volkswagon beetle after a hard night out on the town. Hitchhiking because she couldn't get a taxi (pissed out the front of studio 54 or something like that).

If you don't know who Ted Bundy is, well he's just one of those text book serial killers that is on the one hand intriguing because of is so called 'charisma' and on the other he was one of the most violent and sadistic killers ever documented. I used to be interested in serial killers but I can't stand thinking about them anymore. Anyway, Deborah Harry was in his beetle and she noticed that he didn't have any window winders or door handles or something and alarms went off and sorry to cut a long story short but she managed to get out. Only later when he was caught would she really know the full extent of the fate she narrowly escaped.

Anyway, since taking a break from blogging I have been having these daydreams about Anna Nicole Smith acting like a loony clown in front of her new born baby. They are sort of frustrated - how could she be carrying on like this? - character assisnation daydreams. Imagine her baby, seeing her mother move around the room sort of pissed, high, blubbering like a lunatic and that stupid lawyer who thought he was the father of the poor little thing filming her for the family home video night - what the hell was going on? So when the poor little thing grows up and wonders what to expect out of life she has that for prosperity. Come on, everyone hates clowns! What more were they going to do to that baby that would screw her up?

Then I see on 'Entertainment Tonight' there's a re-enactment of the moment in hospital when Anna Nicole Smith notices/finds out/realizes that her son Daniel is dead. Lots of screaming and crying and yukky stuff all there for the little one to embed her poor brain for future couch sessions with her shrink. Gosh, I really was going to start talking about dreaming and now I forget what I was going to say. Thanks Anna Nicole Smith.

Oh yes, last night I dreamt of Noel Gallagher. I have never really fancied that snotty nosed Pom but now because of last night, I think I have a new celebrity crush. He was tender, sweet and sort of innocent in my dream and we were falling for each other. The absolute opposite of his personality I'm sure. Yet when we walk in dreams, things are meant to be sweeter - aren't they?

New Post On Its Way!

2007-04-30T21:35:00.000+10:00

Hellooooo?

2007-04-18T21:00:00.000+10:00

That's funny, I thought Sheila would be back from her holiday by now. Hmmm, hope she doesn't mind me wandering in like this. Too bad really. She shouldn't leave the back door unlocked. Okay, who wants to party? You're all welcome, so c'mon in! My name's Nash n I'll be your host.

Sheila and I used to party like it's 1999 (and any other year). We started in 1983 to be precise although we met the year before that. Ah, so many stories. Let's put on some music (any requests?) and have a drink. Who wants a Tequila Slammer?

I'm sure Sheila would like one. If she was here. She'd probably like two. Then again, maybe she's gone off them. I mean there was that run-in with the Law way back when. Hang on, lemme pour us all another shot first. Ready? Down the hatch. Mmmm *cough* okay, sooo one night Seela n I went to n ope-ning ovva bar n when we got... Er, where's Miz Lizzi gone? Cun summon go n get her, please. Thankss. Okay, less havva Tequila n I'll finishh story... Uh, who did thisss to the cat?

*sound of someone arriving and opening the front door*

When in the Hell is Sheila Coming Back?

2007-04-14T09:32:00.000+10:00

Greetings earthlings,
Like a lot of you I've been wondering when Sheila will return from her holiday. I know she's out there somewhere because she recently did a guest post on my blog (drift) and now I'm here to return the favour...

Sheila and I love to play the 6 Degrees of Separation game so with this in mind I planned to write something about her connection to some of the people she writes about here at My Arms Fold Back. What I was really hoping for was a connection to Anna Nicole-Smith through Zsa Zsa Gabor. Sadly I couldn't make the connection in 6 steps. The best I could manage was 7:

Sheila knows Nash who knew (the late actor) Les Foxcroft who worked with Barry Humphries (aka Dame Edna) who knows Zsa Zsa who's married to Prince Frederic Van Anhalt who claims to have impregnated ANS. Close, but not close enough. Oh well, it was worth a try.

Here's another, more successful, attempt:

Sheila knows Nash who knows Deborra-lee Furness who knows Nicole Kidman who was once married to Tom Cruise who's now married to Katie Holmes. Arghh, it's a creepy TomKat connection! I'm sure Sheila's delighted...

On Holidays

2007-02-24T09:43:00.000+11:00

Anna Nicole Smith Dies At 39

2007-02-09T10:32:00.000+11:00

Anna Nicole Smith arrives on the arms of a bodyguard before a boxing event Jan. 6, 2007, in Hollywood. The buxom bottle blonde beauty lived life on the edge as it played out like a fairy tabloid tale - jeans model, Playboy centerfold, widow of an octogenarian billionaire, reality-show subject, diet pill peddler, tragic mother — died Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007, after collapsing at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel.

Smith, whose legal name was Vickie Lynn Marshall, had weathered some difficult times of late, including a 12 year battle in the United States Supreme Court for access to her deceased husband's (J.Howard Marshall) fortune, the death in September last year of her 20-year-old son, Daniel Wayne Smith, a pending paternity suit over her infant daughter, and just this week, being named in a class-action lawsuit against TrimSpa, the diet-pill company for which she was a spokeswoman. The lawsuit alleges the marketing of the product, TrimSpa X32, was false or misleading. How did she get caught up in this web in intrigue and heart ache? Lets start with how she saw the world or rather how the world was supposed to see her -

This is how Smith thinks that men in particular like to see women in the world. Long blonde hair, big boobs and a goofy grin that says "Ugh, I don't know anything". Yeh and in its own way if I try and morph into the body of a sixteen year old guy and imagine how beautiful women are supposed to look like - it sort of measures up. Luckily, I'm a bitter and twisted 41 year old chook who is trying to make some sort of sense of this. I'm not a prude either - don't get me wrong - piercings, tatts, laser eye surgery are just great, I just hate boobs that are filled with silicone. Come on, when you feel those things surely they've got to have the yuk factor.

Smith really grabbed my attention when she appeared on the American Music Awards and was completely off her face. I thought it was sort of funny that someone stuck it up the establishment without even trying and it payed off - everyone was asking Smith to host everything. I think I saw a replay of the eyes rolling in the back of her head sermon about 50 million times on the telly.

Then her son Daniel died only 3 days after she had given birth to her little girl Danilynn Hope in the Bahamas. It had the yuk factor but the really sad yuk variety - like what in the hell is going on with these people?

Then she gets married three weeks later to her attorney Howard K. Stern, who later confesses on Larry King Live that: 'Anna and I have been in a relationship and we love each other, and it's been going on for a very long time, and because of my relationship as her lawyer, we felt that it was best to keep everything hidden'. Stern is now involved in a paternity test to find out the true father of Danilynn. Smith looked more like the bride of Frankenstein on her wedding day.

I guess that somewhere somehow underneath those boobs and fake persona she must have been a little girl once. Did she ever think that when she grew up life would be like this?

Where Is Everyone?

2007-01-29T10:02:00.000+11:00

Sean Penn, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Reverend Jesse Jackson participate in the protest of the war in Iraq at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. So where is everyone else? Where's Bob Dylan? Where are all the great hippies from the sixties running around screaming with head bands and guitars? I think I must be behind the times. Back then it looked groovy to protest against war. Especially if you're a celebrity. Everyone knows that Sean Penn will be in the front line. He flew to Iraq to meet with bloody Saddam Hussein for goodness sake. He sat in one of their palatial palaces and had a cup of tea. What about the rest of the gang? Everyone in Hollywood must be bored with the whole thing. What about what its costing? Surely if you have no feelings of compassion for how many people have been killed, terrorized, raped, tortured and mentally stuffed up, surely you'd have to be thinking about the money. I really must be behind the times.

Apparently Team America really hit a nerve with Sean Penn. He couldn't stand it. Apparently it's not hard to get a rise out of Penn. He is of the 'edgy' breed. When recognised, he is scornful, deliberately pissed off. He served 32 days in jail in 1987 for hitting an extra. When he married Madonna he tried to shoot the helicopters flying around the air space above.

Luckily he missed because they managed to take crappy photos like this one. Madonna apparently wore a black bolar hat with her white gown ensemble. It was a disaster, just like the marriage. The only redeeming feature of the day was that they invited the late and great Andy Warhol.

If only Andy Warhol was alive today - donning boxing gloves and resisting the war. Even if it was to rustle some Washington feathers for the sake of a party.

Looking Forward - Oscars 2007

2007-01-19T11:05:00.000+11:00

Oscar Statuettes stand on a shelf before being polished at R.S. Owens & Company in Chicago, Illinois. R.S. Owens manufactures the Oscar statuettes which are presented at the annual Academy Awards by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This year's awards will be presented February 25, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. Yes well this is all well and good but has anyone asked this company why they are so stingy with the gold? Apparently the gold plate rubs off after only a few weeks creating a dilemma for some winners. Do I get it re plated or do I pretend that I don't care about this award and tell everyone I use it as a door stop - ha ha ha. I don't believe any of you. I know that you relish the glow of this golden phallus as if it were your own flesh and blood. Everyone who has ever looked into the mirror and worked out there own selfless, humble and often humorous Oscar winning speech knows this too.

Which brings me to the Golden Globes. This is ridiculous. Has everyone forgotten that it takes around 90 people from the old country to effect the box office results for most of the newly released films and what stays on the telly? Everyone is playing dumb and thinking that it's a great honor to receive this award because your producer brown nosed his or her way into taking one of the old ducks out to lunch and telling them how beautiful they are and promising that the stars of their film will hang out with them and massage their gnarly feet. I must say though that even though I haven't watched that show Ugly Betty (America Ferrera pictured below), I was sort of moved by her acceptance speech. Its great how she believes she is helping girls with how they view themselves. Beauty is only skin deep and all that. I can't see it working though. I wouldn't have the heart to tell her that all the old bags that voted for her were the only one's paying attention, gently weeping into their schnapps.

The most excruciating part of the night was when Warren Beatty was getting some sort of life time achievement award. I was getting so hot and bothered at his lousy humor and self appointed holier than thouness, that I had to wring out my hands in a pretend motion to remove the sweat. Luckily when Sascha Boran Cohen accepted his award for best leading actor in Borat it was so funny that I thought the powers that be would be on to his originality and edit it out of the presentation. You have to hand it to that clapped out lot though, they have a bit of taste.

Bob Geldof Gets Honorary Degree

2007-01-09T08:57:00.000+11:00

Bob Geldof poses in Gateshead before receiving an honorary doctor of Civil Law degree from the University of Newcastle later in the day - a special honor for key figures in the campaign against world poverty. I've sort of had a love hate relationship with Geldof. I couldn't stand The Boomtown Rats and thought most things musical he did after that were mediocre. My love relationship is with how much he cares for things - namely that most of the world's population is poor and we should do something - anything - how dare we keep our collective knuckleheads in the sand. He stood up off course and produced Live Aid and followed with many attempts to somehow tell us to get off our trans fat arses and realize we are too well off.

I have to take a ride back with Geldof. Back when he was with that super nut - Paula Yates. They seemed to have a pretty good partnership for a while anyway until Yates interviewed Michael Hutchence from INXS. She was besotted. Astounded. Taken aback. She promptly ran home and pasted a picture of dear Michael on her kitchen fridge to be prayed to daily. This conjurer of Love's endurance finally managed to convince Michael he would be better of without Helena Christensen and come and have a nudge and a wink with her. Meanwhile back at the ranch that held that deteriorating fridge magnet, Geldof felt that his wife's antics where to be shrugged off as general folly. Little did he know that the Kama Sutra was being rewritten in a little hide away in the English country side.

Their love flourished and produced their pride and joy Tigerlily. Theirs was a dangerous liaison with talks of ecstasy and opium balls being found and their London apartment - tough of wars between Geldof and Yates over their own children's visitation etc. When you looked into their eyes you could see that these two were in for something.

Hutchence arrived back in Australia for a tour with INXS in 1997 looking bloated and wasted. He had always strutted his stuff with confidence and charisma (I wasn't much of a fan except for when I was about 17 and I saw the band at my local pub in the early days. Can I be so bold to include that Hutchence leapt off the stage and planted a kiss on my dear ape face? Go on then you name dropper Sheila!) Anyway, back to that fateful year. Hutchence decides to get all auto-erotic and hangs himself using his own belt. Erotic asphyxiation moved around the media like wild fire and then everyone started talking about it. Me, embarrassingly naive, had never really heard of it before. Before long everyone had either done it or knew someone who was doing it. Off course my friend Troy at work knew the funniest tale. It was of a man who was heavily in to it. Seriously devoted. He would tie a chain around his neck and then to a tree, jump into his VW and then let the car slowly drive around a tree. Eventually he would have his way with the whole thing. His devotion would cost him his life.

I felt so badly for Paula, everyone did. It was such a stupid way to die. No one could believe it at the time and then after a while everyone sort of believed it. The funeral was held in Sydney and everyone was there. It wasn't long before Yates followed Hutchence which seemed inevitable.

Back to Geldof. Everyone felt like he was some sort of puppet master and somehow all this was his bloody fault. He trundled along like the Irish leprechaun he is and decided to bring up Tigerlily (centre) along with her half sisters.

Happy New Year Me Hearties

2007-01-03T11:34:00.000+11:00

Crown Princess of Japan Masako greets well wishers at The Imperial Palace on January 2, 2007 in Tokyo, Japan. I look at this woman and think of Rapunzel - locked in a palace and wishing for someone to save her - anyone. The immense pressure to produce an heir rather than pursuing her career as a diplomat has put great stress on Masako. She has become a recluse of sorts rotting away in a system that has no place for a woman's will let alone freedom.

Over the break I was reading three books at once. The first is Jane Fonda's autobiography - My Life So Far. She is such a shape shifter. I mean that in the nicest possible way. Complicated child - needing love from her mother and father and receiving little. Funky hipster wowing everyone in the sixties. Political activist in the seventies. Workout queen in the eighties. Ted Turner wife and devotee in the nineties. What this century holds is someone that has a lot of wisdom and prefers her own company rather than needing any male definition. She worries me though going back to her original faith.

The next is Germaine Greer's biography - Untamed Shrew. This disappointed me. It was full of stuff and then only passed wind gently giving a whiff of who Greer really was. I was shocked about her obsession with Mike Willesee though.

Last but not least is Margaret Whitlam's bio. Now I've never really been interested in this dear ol' chook but I can't resist any reading about how a woman lives through a husband like Gough Whitlam. It is full of common sense and determination but sadly me thinks that her own identity was never a priority. The moral of the story? Make sure you have a great 2007!

Who Are You?

2006-12-18T07:38:00.000+11:00

Thanks to Casual Slack I've come face to face with the truth - take the test - see if you can handle the truth!

http://www.myheritage.com

Robbie Williams Told To Butt Out!

2006-12-15T10:50:00.000+11:00

Robbie Williams has rattled the patience of the anti-smoking lobby by dragging on a cigarette in front of more than 52,000 people at his first show in Brisbane. A spokesman for Health Minister Stephen Robertson said while it was illegal to smoke at public venues, Robbie was a visitor to both Australia and Queensland and he might not have been aware of the anti-smoking laws and how seriously Queenslanders regarded them. "We hope there's not a repeat performance tonight," Mr Robertson said yesterday. The spokesman would not say what penalties the pop star would face if he became a repeat offender. Queensland Cancer Fund manager Susan Greenbank took a more tongue-in-cheek approach; "Robbie is a very bad boy and there are a number of staff at the Queensland Cancer Fund who would be more than willing to give him a stern talking to," she said. I bet she has some special punishment for naughty Robbie.
See, in the beginning, I couldn't stand Robbie Williams. In fact, anyone who was remotely connected with a boy band made me sick to my stomach. Then suddenly, as if from a flash of mainstream hoodoo voodoo, I was smitten. See, I think he's probably revolting in real life. He's all laddy and I'm a reformed drug addict and all of you are a complete losers if you even look at a Bex. See, there is a distinct line between performers and their real life personas. They can be a right ol' ning-nong tosser and I couldn't care less as long as they tickle my fancy bone.

When he teamed up with Kylie Minogue, I thought it was such a miss match. You see, Kylie has no sexuality. She is one of those nymphs that just floats about singing and occasionally kissing someone on the cheek. As for Robbie, he explodes with sexuality. He's admitted that he's been with everyone and everything.

I thought that his song with Nicole Kidman was sort of pathetic but who cares. It was just interesting to see them together. I think that Robbie seriously at one stage thought he was the next in line after Tom Cruise.

Now, picking Daryl Hannah for his music video was sheer brilliance. That liaison I could understand. Something extra, well Daryl has this little secret in the palm of her hand. A half finger to be exact. When she makes some movies they digitally enhance the finger so that she doesn't look freakish. I wonder if she still thinks about JFK junior. Her replacement looked similar. I wonder if she ever wonders that it could of been ol' Daryl in that plane.

Now Noel Gallagher is having some sort of war of words against poor ol' Robbie about the state of his mental health. I heard that these two were as thick as thieves. It coincided with Oasis being rehashed so I think it was just so he could get his name on my blog.

All this smoke from Robbie seems to have blown over my dear ol' town of Melbourne. Here it is just a few days ago. We were all coughing and splattering around the place because of all the damn bush fires everywhere. An eerie, orange light glowed all day and into the night. I didn't want to go outside.

One day later and now look at us. Thank goodness it all seems to be under control. Everyone is breathing. Everyone is glad that no one was hurt (except all the native animals that everyone is desperately trying to rescue) and everyone is going about their business to Santa's little bell. Ting-a-ling-ling.

El Camino De Los Ingleses - Madrid Premiere

2006-12-01T19:28:00.000+11:00

Antonio Banderas and wife Melanie Griffith attend the premiere of "El Camino de los Ingleses" at Kinepolis Cinema in Madrid, Spain. When I first saw this picture my mind was flooded with memories of Madonna and her epic rockudrama "Truth Or Dare". The excruciating tale of Madonna on tour: her perceptions of life, love and all things just really stupid. The thing is, at the time it was released I was a sort of closet fan of her songs (not so closet with a chosen few Nash) anyway, when I saw that piece of bum drivel, I could not believe she had sweated it out in an editing suite and found that it was passable.

Madonna furiously stalked Antonio - he gave her a bit of a nudge and a wink but that was about it. Regardless, she basically gave birth to his career in Hollywood which killed any credibility he would have had as an actor. I think its great though that he has stuck by Melanie Griffith besides all her reported emotional highs and lows, drug and alcohol problems and last but not least surgical addiction. I remember standing in line at the supermarket and the headline in one of the mags: "Antonio Forbids Further Surgery!"

This leads me to Awful Plastic Surgery where everyone who's been under the knife or has even flirted with the idea is listed. There is a line in the sand and we all know what it is. Ginger pops up as one of those people who found the line blown away by life's little sand storms...

See, I can understand why Ginger went kicking and screaming into her later years. She was so beautiful in Gilligan's Island so how can anyone blame her for not wanting it to last?

She would crack on to anyone in the show - even the dim witted Gilligan - who would have been impressed by anything - even the skipper in a tutu. Dear Bob Denver, what was life like for you after all that tomfoolery?

Here he is at the Gilligan's Island pokey machine trying his luck with Dawn Wells. Wells decided to stay with the face that she had and probably looks better than anyone. It was Mary-Anne who won the war over who received the most fan mail (apparently most young boys thought that she was the hot one out of Ginger and her good self - while men over the age of about 15 thought it was Ginger but they never really watched the show or wrote fan mail except probably for my Dad who watched it religiously) while making Gilligan's Island and as they say had the last laugh.... In April 2005 Dawn Wells sold her famous Mary Ann ginham blouse and shorts ensemble for $20,700.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2006-11-24T10:05:00.000+11:00

Twin rare white lion cubs from Mogo Zoo on the New South Wales South Coast run around at Lavender Green, Luna Park, Sydney. Mogo Zoo's breeding of two litters of white lion cubs in the space of just three months brings their pride of white lions to 7. The 8-week old twins are white in color due to a recessive gene called 'the chinchilla mutation' and have been extinct in the wild for over 12 years.

A smuggled orangutan sits caged in Halim Perdanakusumah Airport, Jakarta, Indonesia. Forty six smuggled orangutan from a Thai amusement park are to eventually to fly home to their native Indonesia. The trafficked animals, many of them forced to stage mock kick-boxing bouts were confiscated from Bangkok's Safari World theme park several years ago. DNA tests prove they had come from the island of Borneo in Indonesia. After their short transit in Jakarta, they will fly to Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Center in Central Kalimantan, Borneo.

Winner Pat Bertoletti of Chicago (left) tries to stuff as much turkey as he can in his pathetic gob while current champion Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas (right) of Virginia has trouble swallowing her lot as they compete in the 'Thanksgiving Invitational Turkey-Eating Championship' at Artie's Delicatessen, New York. Bertoletti won by devouring 2.177 kg of turkey in 12 minutes - the "The Black Widow" failed to measure up this time.

Alien vs. Predator - You Decide!

2006-11-17T10:13:00.000+11:00

Michael Jackson receives the 'Diamond Award' on stage during the 2006 World Music Awards at Earls Court in London. "There have been so many who have loved and stood by me for the 25 years I have been in the entertainment industry. I'd like to thank my children particularly - Paris, Prince Michael and Blanket (Prince Michael II) for their unconditional love. I love all my fans from the bottom of my heart."

The 'Diamond Award' signifies selling at least 100 million albums. As this is a feat in itself I'll give him that. That's as far as I'll go. Oh, no I'll give him the fact that he's persisted with his facial surgery for so long and has entertain us all for years. Yes and Neverland, I'll give him that as well. The thing is, I was in a dilemma about something. I was impressed by Michael's appearance but I'm also wondering about something else.

Do you think you know what it is? Come on look into Michael's eyes and see if you can decode the title of this post. Michael, Michael - Is there anyone out there that is as freaky as you? Come on, you know you want to tell, maybe you can sing it softly to us....

What's this! Someone else has started to do the crotch grabbing, zombie dance! Michael what's happening? Chris Brown performed the hit "Thriller" on stage during the awards with Michael giggling behind a curtain somewhere.

The atmosphere was slimed with zombie goo and the disappointment of the loyal few. Michael thought he would deflate the sadness with a few bars from 'We Are The World' with all the lovely children drawing around to pipe into the chorus. Boos came from the arena, panic and then calm. Yes everyone read Michael's eyes. They said that the only thing that would beat him in the headlines was Tomkat's wedding.

Tom Cruise and his fiancee Katie Holmes holding their daughter Suri arrive at a restaurant in central Rome. They are expected to marry at the weekend, in the Odescalchi Castle, in the lakeside town of Bracciano near the Italian capital.

The Black Ball

2006-11-10T14:46:00.000+11:00

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise pose with model Iman at "The Black Ball" presented by Conde Nast Media Group and hosted by Alicia Keys and Iman to benefit "Keep A Child Alive" at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Of course when I see a photo like this I can't let it rest. I'm intrigued by the people in it and what they represent. I thought I'd reflect on relationships and how they can influence your life and your career. Let me start with Tom Cruise.

When Tom Cruise made Born On The Fourth Of July I was more than impressed. It was a great film and one that led me to believe that Tom Cruise had some depth to him. I said had as I can't see anything in him now that reflects any sort of introspection or deep thought. He is blank. Gone to that other place that only loonies can go. Let me get back to the film. See, at this stage he was with Nicole Kidman. To my understanding she never joined the Scientology pack and seemed to challenge Cruise on many things. A worker from a hotel they stayed in Sydney said that he would hear them yelling and screaming at each other for hours from their hotel room. They would laugh merrily when caught as if it was all 'method acting'. In a way this sounds healthy. Two upstarts trying to out do each other. I see his relationship with Katie Holmes so terribly out of whack with all that is right and good. She seemed to convert to that space spawn ministry with the speed of a whippet. She skidded into this relationship loaded with memories of teenage dreams with the ultimate being 'married to Tom Cruise'. Pregnancy burst on to our televisions sets with the speed of a miraculous conception. I always thought that Cruise had a low sperm count and that's why Kidman found it hard to get pregnant (impotence and a small member had also been whispered around the traps) but then who am I to know?

Iman and David Bowie's relationship has always mystified as well. Suddenly he's settled down with a wife and child and happy to just be a house husband and listen to jazz. She sees him as 'the love of her life' and there it is. Look to be honest when I went to see Bowie's 'The Serious Moonlight' tour of '83 I was in love with him too. I couldn't get enough of him. I despised Catherine Deneuve for turning him into the living dead in The Hunger and like Candy Clark, I wanted to take good care of the poor ol' alien in The Man Who Fell To Earth.

David Bowie was always considered a swinger of sorts. Women to men and then men to women and then back again. I heard that he had it off with Mick Jagger more than once (I can't imagine how he got round that gaping mouth of his) but anyway, good luck to him. This brings me back to Iman. How can someone that's been around that traps like Bowie just be happy to sit around the house and make cups of tea? I don't buy it.

When Mick Jagger was with Marianne Faithfull I think his looks were at their peak. She unfortunately took an overdose and landed in hospital while he was making Ned Kelly.

Mel Brooks And David Hasselhoff Make Major Announcement

2006-11-03T11:10:00.000+11:00

David Hasselhoff and Mel Brooks pose at the St. James Theatre in New York City. Brooks announced that Hasselhoff has been signed to perform as Roger DeBris in the Las Vegas production of "The Producers." See what I think is going on here is that Mel Brooks thinks Hasselhoff is going to pull in the broads and make him some big money i.e. the Baywatch phenomenon (apparently in its hey day, Baywatch was watched by over 1 billion people per week). He also sees beyond all the hoo-ha and the faux pas (i.e. drunken episodes in London etc.) and wants to give the Hoff a chance to shine in the city of lights. Hasselhoff on the other hand sees this as a chance to redeem himself: 'To work amongst the people, real acting - on a stage!'. Hasselhoff doesn't understand the non-believers, people that think he's is a drunken ol' fool with just enough talent to captivate a karaoke crowd. He is an innocent of sorts.

See this is what he sees in the mirror. A man on a mission. Someone that's been around the traps and knows a thing or two about charisma.

At night he sees himself like this. Fully charged and ready to go. He's a man's man and a woman's electric blanket.

He beholds grace and power too.

Oh Hoff you ol' fool, if only art had imitated life and it was Larry David in Vegas (season 4 of Curb Your Enthusiasm sees Larry performing "The Producers" on Broadway). Larry David has this uncanny way of tinkering with your funny bone and making it hurt.

A scene from an early Curb where Larry is disgusted by the girl sitting next to him. She gets to see the doctor first and Larry is left wondering why when you make an appointment at a doctors surgery, its first in first serve: "What in the hell were you doing in there for 45 minutes? Talking about old times?"

One of Larry's real life friends, Richard Lewis plays a friend of his in the show. Larry explains that Richard is one of those friends you can scream obscenities without any repercussions.

Cabaret Musical - Opening Night At The Folies Bergeres

2006-10-27T18:54:00.000+10:00

Liza Minnelli poses with actors Claire Perot, Fabian Richard, Catherine Arditi and Patrick Mazet at the musical "Cabaret" opening night at The Folies in Paris, France. In a moment like this I always wonder what people are thinking. Actors wanting to please Liza; Do I measure up? What was it like to be in the original? When will you stop looking like Sally Bowles in "Cabaret" Liza? How much cocaine did you really snort? Luckily none of them need to stoop to my level.

Marisa Berenson with Liza and dear Roman Polanski (one of the best auto-biographies ever written is 'Roman by Polanski'. Its a whole different can of worms but I'll discuss this at a later date). Anyway, Liza seems to pull in the crowds despite everything. If you think I'm being hard on dear Liza, you need to stay with me a little longer. See I remember when she used to be a babe and almost an innocent one at that. Yes, Liza.

Here she is when she looked hot. I know she has a strange sort of beauty but who cares. She looks amazing. Oversized eyes and lips. Everyone is trying to implant that now as we speak. She echoes a sort of Christina Onassis persona. No wonder Peter Allen fancied her despite his sexual orientation.

Boy I wonder what really went on in their relationship. I find them to be an intriguing pair. Did she know at first? Did she care? And what about her mother? Every tranny across the globe either wanted to be Judy Garland or be some sort of relation even if it was her son in law.

I see these two as almost sisters. They lived such parallel lives. The drugs, the booze and the talent.

Much love.

I had to put in this coupling. Robert DeNiro with Liza in New York, New York. What's great about this photo is that it represents nothing about who these two really were. And yet the staged innocence of it is remarkably moving.

Here we go. Now this is when she must have been hitting the scene really hard. Here she is with Uri Geller, Alice Cooper and Uri's dear ol' ma.

This one's for you Nash. (Some know it all from South Australia finally bought that Warhol book on ebay!)

Now this is where everyone thinks Liza's fortune went pear shaped. For me it was a delightful union of like minded souls.

Apparently all was not well in the marital bed. That dirty bird Gest has accused dear Liza of giving him herpes. What about all the lergies she sucked out of his waxy mouth? Oh Liza, I wish you all the best.

Rome Film Festival - "Actors' Studio" - Red Carpet

2006-10-20T11:50:00.000+10:00

Ellen Burstyn, Martin Landau and Lee Grant attend the Actors' Studio red carpet on the sixth day of Rome Film Festival. These three were there to comment on scenes screened from Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Detective Story and Ed Wood before a audience made up mostly of Italian actors. The foundation of the Actors Studio is the Stanislavsky Method, the expression of one's psyche and inner world: "We are not psychoanalysts. If while attending the Actors Studio actors realize they need one, we advise them to go to a professional!" said Grant, instantly provoking rowdy applause. When asked by somebody in the audience; "What is the one thing an actor should never do?", Ellen Burstyn replied: "Give up". The consensus was that it was an 'emotional' encounter.

Here's Martin Landau in Space 1999. I really loved him in that - I mean really loved him.

Lee Grant in Shampoo who really stole the show from Julie Christie. I have to say though most of her films are pale in comparison to When Are You Comin' Back Red Rider?

Ellen Burnstyn doesn't do much for me but she certainly took a gamble and won with The Exorcist.

Who can forget this moment when dear Linda Blair crawls backward down the stairs!

Frieze Art Fair In London

2006-10-13T10:07:00.000+10:00

A man replicates the pose of an art installation to his left entitled 'Playtime' by artist Paul de Reus at the annual Frieze Art Fair in London. The Frieze Art Fair showcases modern installation, sculptures and paintings and video art by over 1,000 international artists.

Its great to act like we don't give a damn. To have that confidence to go in to a gallery and bend over and put your bum in the air should be encouraged. I find that one of my public faux pas is to just burst out laughing for no apparent reason. I can't help myself sometimes. Its not one of those nutty laughs that insane people do walking down the street, scratching their head and then slowly taking off layers of clothing. It's more like a ridiculous flutter of memory that has no way of escaping except through the gaping cavity in my head. It can happen anywhere and anyhow.

A still from the compulsory viewing film The Idiots.

Warren Beatty Ridiculously Re-Runs 'Reds'

2006-10-06T10:22:00.000+10:00

Warren Beatty and Annette Bening attend Paramount Home Entertainment's special 25th anniversary screening of Reds at The New York Film Festival in New York City. Its great to see these two out and about but the thing is they haven't been able to make a good movie in years so they run Reds again which I thought was just so so and Beatty seems to be really proud of it but I think he's done much better than that.

Take for instance Bonnie and Clyde. It stands up well to the test of time even though its naive in its portrayal of the two bank robbing scoundrels. Don't get me wrong, I love naivete. As a matter of fact I can be quite naive. Their relationship with family and friends, their sexuality, their sense of self are all exposed in this film with the same vigor as the tale of their bank robbing arrogance. I love this film. The stand out performance is by Michael J. Pollard and their bumbling, country bumkin side kick.

Here's Beatty as he would like to be remembered. As George in Shampoo - the sexy, traveling, cut and blow wave guy, who is just there when you need a house call for a home hair disaster. See when I saw shampoo, I just fell in love with Warren Beatty. He's just an idiot in the film but who cares? I just thought he was a modern day cowboy who would root his way to the top. I was impressed. The thing is though, Warren Beatty still thinks he's the main guy that Carly Simon sings about. I once saw him interviewed on 60 minutes. This was just a few years ago. You could barely see him because he had requested special dim lighting to hide any resemblance he had to being an old man. Its just that he was squinting so hard to see the interviewer, the interviewer was squinting so hard to see him and everyone who was watching was squinting so hard that I completely forget anything he talked about. Your right, he is soooo vain.

What about when he went out with Madonna for a few months? What was that all about? She is just about as boring as he is so they were a great match. When Madonna opens her mouth you better run.

Here's a little ray of sunshine, Beatty with his sister, Shirley MacLaine. She's nuts but at least she's more interesting than her poor ol' bro.

Its hard to imagine that the two are even related. Just look at them.

One of my favorite MacLaine films is ofcourse, Terms Of Endearment. Come on don't roll your eyes, you love it too. Apart from that, my other interests in MacLaine lie with her off the planet ravings and her relationship with one of our politicians, Andrew Peacock. He's a slimy ol' bastard. The only interesting thing he really did was hook up with her.

I tried getting a better photo of the two of them but this will have to do.

Norman Gunston seems to pop up at pivotal moments in history. Only he could interview MacLaine and have Andrew Peacock pop up in the background. Here he is with my favorite band when I was 14 - KISS.

Second Annual Christopher Reeve Foundation Celebration

2006-09-29T11:28:00.000+10:00

Robin Williams attends the Second Annual Christopher Reeve Foundation Celebration at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Thank goodness for Robin Williams. He was such a great friend to Christopher Reeve. He financially supported Reeve after that fateful accident and never made a song and dance about it. As far as acting goes, the best thing Williams ever did was The World According To Garp. I was so surprised with this film - I cried like a baby. Nanoo nanoo was no where to be seen (oh maybe just a little bit).

Ofcourse John Lithgow worked on Garp as well and here he is lending his support.

Deathtrap is my favorite Christopher Reeve film. Michael Caine was his usual brilliant self (just forget Blame It On Rio for a second). A play written by Ira Levin, his other credits include The Stepford Wives and one of my dark favorites, Rosemary's Baby.

If I think of Michael Caine and blink, I see Alfie. The style of this film and Caine's trail blazing performance would influence many actors and directors alike. Shelley Winters co stars with Caine which leads me to one of my favorite scenes of all time - her mammoth swim in the seventies classic, The Poseidon Adventure.

I remember my Dad asking me if I wanted to go and see The Poseidon Adventure. My first reaction was 'Is it scary?' I was only about 10 at the time and was going through a difficult faze coming to terms with the concept of death. My parents were sensitive to this to a point. 'Nah, its just a great adventure'. Suspicious, I went along anyway and loved every minute of it.

Roddy McDowall was in Poseidon and luckily for me turned up in The Planet Of The Apes. This is another poignant moment in my film education. Sitting with Mum and Dad in the loungeroom - volume unusually high - light flickering from the telly - no one moved. From the moment that Charlton Heston delivered his bleak diatribe about human existence I was hooked. During the shoot chimps, apes and orangutans were deliberately segregated from each other. I wonder how the people that played the humans in the film felt?

The ultimate love scene. Who would of thought that I'd end up smooching one of my favorite actors, Charlton Heston (just try and forget about the gun lobby for a second also). Just think Soylent Green and The Omega Man and now you're with me.

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Receive Key To The City

2006-09-22T11:51:00.000+10:00

Tom Petty shows off the Key to the City of his hometown of Gainesville, Florida, during a press conference at the Stephen J. O'Connell Centre. The Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan proclaimed September the 21st to be "Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Day." You know I think its great that Tom Petty is letting the sun shine on his face once again - its just that I don't know if I can bear looking at those chompers.

Ahh, here's a closer look at those teeth. Yes I remember them well singing 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around' with Stevie Nicks. I couldn't take my eyes of them. I always wondered if he ever had a fling with ol' Stevie - the hippy songbird that led an army of girls to wear cheese cloth dresses and burn incense in lieu of washing.

Well she used to be Lindsey Buckingham's gal and I don't know if she still held a candle for him because he sounds like a right ol' pig. I remember seeing one of his exes on Geraldo. She said that he was a wife bashing nut - going off the deep end about nothing and then pretending to be happy as Larry.

Stevie Nicks was interviewed about her career after it well and truly fizzled and would lament that her biggest regret was not having children. She said back in her day with Fleetwood Mac it was literally a choice between the two.

Hey these guys looked just great back then. Unlucky for me, I found there music excruciating in the height of their success. It would take me years to buckle and listen to Rumours again. I have to say that it's in my top 100 - you take a listen to my favorite song from the album in the Greatest Hits section.

In 1977, when Rumours first came out, I was moving from my ABBA stage to thankfully a better destination.....

ACDC before Bon Scott chocked on his own spew.

2006 Robot Show - South Korea

2006-09-14T07:34:00.000+10:00

Humanoid robot 'Eve R-1' is getting her hair brushed at the 2006 Robot Show, Kintex Centre in Goyang, South Korea. Eve can sit down, stand on her feet and can move all her limbs in a fast motion. I'm sure there are many optional modifications but how useful is she really? The thing is I think that robots are great. I want them like no one else. Its just that I want them like we all imagined years ago - like we were promised - capable - flexible - human like - unable to be detected as a machine merely for the fact that they never sleep (and have a sad life long quest for a human heart). What is wrong with all of this is that technology on the robot front seems to have slowed down - all the robots look and act like they are side show exhibits. They are stupid and slow, not worth the trouble. When the space race started and everyone was excited about the future and colonizing other planets - we thought that things would go full steam ahead - as if everything would look like 2001: A Space Odyssey and so on. The future is nothing like what we thought it would be.

See this is not what its all about. She looks like a mannequin - not someone you would have walking around the house saying "Good evening, how can I be of assistance?". Its something you'd keep in the garage with all the other junk you're sick of (like those dumb robot dogs everyone seemed to be so impressed with). I'm being harsh on ol' Eve, but when will the people that make robots realize that you need to set the replicants from Blade Runner as your bench mark?

A replicant owl from Blade Runner. The guys from Tyrrell Corporation knew what they were doing.

Even back in 1927 we had a vision of the future that was over the top in Metropolis.

The prediction is that by 2017, most homes will have some form of robotic help.

Robert Mapplethorpe: Still Moving & Lady

2006-09-08T10:51:00.000+10:00

Patti Smith and Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (must be a relative of the late Robert Mapplethorpe) arrive at the 'Robert Mapplethorpe: Still Moving & Lady' private view at the Alison Jacques Gallery, London. The gallery will continually screen Mapplethorpe and Smith's black and white film Still Moving (1978) and also Mapplethorpe's color film Lady (1984), made in collaboration with Lisa Lyon. Photographs of Patti Smith etc. (including unique works and early polaroids) and well-known silver gelatin photographs will all be there.

Patti Smith's relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe was intense. She describes their first meeting - "The first time I saw Robert he was sleeping. I stood over him, this boy of twenty, who sensing my presence opened his eyes and smiled. With few words he became my friend, my compeer, my beloved adventure". Patti Smith, 'The Coral Sea', 1996.

Patti and Robert.

A textural feast.

A classic shot of William Burroughs.

In September 1951 Burroughs accidentally killed Joan Vollmer, his common law wife. They were partying in a room above a bar when he announced to the assembled company he would perform a shooting in the 'William Tell' style. Vollmer placed a glass on top of her head and Burroughs shot at it with the gun he carried - missing and killing her. Burroughs was never tried for the accident but did spend 13 days in jail before the killing was deemed "criminal imprudence". Burroughs lament's; "I'm forced to the appalling conclusion that I would never have become a writer but for Joan's death..."

Dear Robert Mapplethorpe.

Robert Mapplethorpe started The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation soon before he died in 1989. It aims to promote photography, support museums that exhibit photographic art, and to fund medical research and finance projects in the fight against AIDS and HIV-related infection.

Spalding Gray

2006-09-04T17:27:00.000+10:00

I did the unthinkable the other night. I watched most of BEACHES again. Its just that this time I watched the middle of the film which is odd I know its just that I had never seen the middle - I'd dabbled in the beginning - fought tears at the end and left it at that. Because of my BEACHES tardiness I had never known about the presence of Spalding Gray. Before I get into Spalding, I must explain why I choose to dip my feet into the murky-tissues-not-enough-excruciating-depths of BEACHES. Its that I have a fascination with the junior Bette Midler in the film, Mayim Bialik. Even someone that has been cloned for the role wouldn't even come close.

Mayim Bialik

See, she's only fascinating to all Bette Midler fans and my sad, sorry, self. Anyway, when I watch this mutant Bette, I think of her mother or father ramming Bette Midler videos down her throat and WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? keeps flashing in my mind. Lucky for Mayim, she has mostly worked in trashy TV series since but her last job was in CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM so life is looking up.

Barbara Hershey's lips.

The above photo is too small to do justice to my second reason for watching BEACHES. I've always thought that Barbara Hershey was a reasonable talent verging on not bad. When I see her in this film I'm left with the feeling - What in the hell are you doing? She made herself look ugly in that twisted-plastic-surgery-gone-wrong way with too much collagen ferried into her lips.

Anyway back to Spalding, he is a great actor turning up in all matter of projects from THE KILLING FIELDS to an absurd series like THE NANNY but most of all he is a writer and compelling presenter of his words. MONSTER IN A BOX did it for me. You can't take your eyes off Spalding when he talks about his life. He talks about his relationship with his mother, her suicide and the life he made for himself which presented massive highs and lows. He is one of those crafty people that makes the bleak funny and the embarrassing truth worth shouting from the roof tops. Unlucky for us all, he lost his battle with depression in January, 2004.

Dear Laurie Anderson created a fluent sound track to MONSTER IN A BOX and years later would speak at Spalding Gray's memorial service.

Acupuncture

2006-09-01T19:10:00.000+10:00

While I was underneath the pins and the pleasantries of my local acupuncturist, the 63rd Annual Venice Film Festival was underway. Even though my dearest pin pusher was thinking of my holistic health and well being, he wasn't to know that things of a more urgent nature where filling the streets of Italia and my consciousness.

Here's Scarlett Johansson waving to some people on the street - delightful.

I saw Sandra Bullock in The Lake House with Keanu Reeves (a reliable source informs me he has the most beautiful complexion and the demeanor to match - thanks A!) I also have another dark secret to reveal - I love soppy love stories and absolutely loved this film (I went on my own because everyone I know refused to sit through it) - majority of reviewers say it stinks but who cares!

Here's one of the most talented and gorgeous actors of our time - Adrien Brody (The Pianist).

Everyone was invited - Valentino Rossi.

These Are The Only Gals That Count -

2006-08-28T19:31:00.000+10:00

I don't care about anyone else at those awards - Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith have been cryogentically resurrected.

Its great to see these gals together again after all these years. Aaron Spelling persisted with CHARLIE'S ANGELS despite horrendous reviews when it first aired back in 1976. Now they are here to pay their respects at the Emmys - lucky, because if it were up to that nut case Tori or her cheating - present wrapping room Mom - Candy, we would be left in the dark about what Spelling meant to us all.

58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Red Carpet Arrivals

2006-08-28T12:59:00.000+10:00

I'm not really sure what Calista Flockhart and Harrison Ford are up to but they look like they're still together despite their union being completely toxic for their careers.

Ellen Pompeo from GREY'S ANATOMY is the new millennium answer to Calista Flockhart.

What's happening to Lorraine Bracco? I'm sure she needs to let one go (one of my favorites in THE SOPRANOS by the way).

Felicity Huffman is turning up without her husband William H. Macy again Miss Litzi, I think you're on to something. I saw TRANSAMERICA the other night and thought her performance was magnificent despite the script having some major flaws - it started off so well and then bombed.

Hey, who could forget Joan Collins? Not me, no way. She's looking great here (rumor has it that she took 2 months to get ready - but who cares!)

30th Anniversary Screening of JAWS at Guild Hall

2006-08-27T13:00:00.000+10:00

Look, I have a lot of respect for Steven Spielberg (because he car pools not because of all his films) and Roy Schieder but out of any film that both of these guys has made why commemorate JAWS? The impact it made all those years ago was wild - enough to make anyone sick to the stomach to go swimming and enough to practically make anything with a fin extinct. Have you seen it lately though? Its really not worth sitting through (only if your really sick in bed and you can't manage to flick the remote). But look at these guys, they're looking great (Schieder should put some socks on though because only Julio Iglesias gets away with those shenanigans).

Yes Schieder was hot in a sort of twisted way in JAWS, but what about MARATHON MAN? If you want to revisit anything in your career you would have to pull out the good stuff - wouldn't you?

An unforgettable moment between Lawrence Olivier and Dustin Hoffman - Hoffman being a devout follower of The Method would work himself up into a frenzy to shoot these scenes - Olivier would simply remark; "Just act!"

How can I tie in Cruise's recent departure from Paramount Pictures you might ask? Simple. It was the above incident that started his slow demise from their friendly coffers. Steven Spielberg was on the phone during the show begging Tom to promote the abysmal WAR OF THE WORLDS - Cruises mantra was just 'Katie, Katie, Katie'. Oh yeah and all that rubbish about how no one should take anything for post-natal depression.

HFPA Annual Installation Luncheon

2006-08-19T12:47:00.000+10:00

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association donates about a million bucks in financial grants to film schools and non-profit organizations. These awards were announced during the Association's Annual Installation Luncheon honoring its 2006-2007 slate of officers at the Beverly Hills Hotel, California. Actors attending the event to boost their profiles included Felicity Huffman (master of ceremonies), Annette Bening, Bill Condon, Jenna Elfman, James Franco, Dustin Hoffman, Lisa Kudrow, Diane Lane, Jack Nicholson, Edward James Olmos, Christina Ricci, Mark Ruffalo and Forest Whitaker. See I don't know if this is a big secret or what but the HFPA is a corrupt money making bunch of grannies and grandpas from the old country wanting to rub shoulders with celebs - if you think The Golden Globes has any credibility your nuts. I have to say though that their choices beat The Oscars any day.

How do these guys do it? I remember reading once that Marilyn Monroe used to turn herself on when she wanted to look like 'Marilyn' - these guys must be taking a few pages out of her book (all three by the way were taught The Method by Lee Strasberg)

Christina Ricci is here with a couple of grandpas from HFPA. She needs a bit of a boost in her career (I saw her recently on Grey's Anatomy)

Annette Benings career took quite a nose dive when she married Warren Beaty.

And here's the master of ceremonies Felicity Hoffman and Mark Ruffalo (who was fantastic in Jane Campion's In The Cut and keeps getting hotter) and another guy with a cheque.

Comedy Central Roast Of William Shatner

2006-08-15T13:51:00.000+10:00

William Shatner and Farrah Fawcett arrive at the Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner held at CBS Radford Studios, Studio City, California.

William Shatner is definitely in the limelight at the moment with all his Star Trek commitments and then this roasting. He must be feeling hot, hot, hot (pig on a spit comes to mind again). Anyway here he is with Farrah who is letting him know about her latest bout of surgeries. This keeps her occupied and also in the limelight. I really wanted to look like Farrah when I was a kid (I made mum buy the Farrah Fawcett shampoo so that my hair might look something like hers but you know how far fetched that was being - oh yeh, and it was about the same time I had a crush on William Shatner - so there's two dark secrets for you). Good luck to the both of them!

This is proof that if you look from a distance and squint your eyes, Farrah looks hot!

Carrie Fisher turned up and I have to say she is one of my favorite character actresses - great in When Harry Met Sally, Hannah And Her Sisters and Shampoo.

Here's George Takei looking like he hasn't aged a bit and giving that lovely Star Trek Salute - 'Nanoo Nanoo, George' or whatever they used to say.

And last but not least Nichelle Nichols - glamorpuss personified.

Andy Warhol Museum Hosts ~ The Downtown Show: The New York Art Scene, 1974-84

2006-08-14T12:03:00.000+10:00

The decade from 1974 to 1984 is the subject of The Andy Warhol Museum's exhibition - The Downtown Show: The New York Art Scene, 1974-84, which is on view until the 22nd of October, 2006. This is the first substantial retrospective of ten critically important years in the artistic development of New York's downtown district - postmodernism was emerging and Reaganism was lingering. Artists showing will include Vito Acconci, Karen Finley, Cindy Sherman, David Wojnarowicz, Kiki Smith, Jenny Holzer, Nan Goldin, Patti Smith, Nam June Paik, Keith Haring, Richard Hell, Carolee Schneemann, Robert Mapplethorpe, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and many others. Punk, minimalism and techno will feature also (this sounds like paradise). You can get more information here. Because I find Warhol so fascinating - I'm going to indulge and just show pictures of him.

Its great to see pictures like this of Warhol. He was a trail blazer of sorts in the 'production' of art. Having a team of willing fans to do your prints and so on was how his factory was run. Seeing him hands on is rather rare.

Warhol had many admirers and he definitely returned the favor. Here he is with the eighties uberbitch, Joan Collins.

Warhol's famous wig recently was sold at auction for US$10800 (if only).

This one's for you Stocking Face.

Star Treks 40th Anniversary On TV Land

2006-08-10T13:49:00.000+10:00

William Shatner promotes the 'STAR TREK 40th Anniversary On TV Land' at the Four Seasons Hotel, Los Angeles, California.

Its just great how William Shatner can keep promoting Star Trek after all these years isn't it? To me now he just looks like a pig on a spit but back in his hey day he was funky - and yes I did have one of my first TV crushes on him (dark secret). He recently had a kidney stone removed and wanted to sell it on Ebay but I think that they won't let you sell human body parts there so he had to sell it elsewhere. Good on him for having a go!

Leonard Nimoy looks surprisingly well preserved.

I always found Dr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) to be one of the most intriguing characters on the show and it wasn't because of those pointy ears or that endearing greeting he would flash up with fingers parted, it was because he was complex, misunderstood - a true character of the future - robot like - wanting to be human but like the tin man, missing a human heart.

Where do I fit in life's great game?

These two still get on like a house on fire!

"Hey, you were the greatest!" - "No you were" - "Hey you still look great after all these years" - "No you do" - "Lets get out of here" - "We've got too much to talk about!"

MIFF 2006 - Geoffrey Rush In Conversation

2006-08-07T19:36:00.000+10:00

Geoffrey Rush poses before a stage conversation as part of The 2006 Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) at The Forum theatre, Melbourne, Australia.

Geoffrey Rush is one of those character actors that pleases the senses despite having the occasional mediocre script. He shot to international fame playing David Helfgott in SHINE. I don't know why but I can't stand that film (can I just indulge for a moment and add that my six degrees of separation from him is that the real David Helfgott came up to me out of the blue at a book launch and planted a kiss on my cheek - if you're familiar with the film you will know that this happens to anyone in close proximity to him) anyway, he went on to far more superior roles in ELIZABETH, QUILLS, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS. One role that I would have loved to show a photo of is his guest spot on ABC's KATH AND KIM (now that would have been the icing on the cake).

With Lyn Redgrave in SHINE

QUILLS

Playing Peter Sellers (could have done with a meatier script).

Back!

2006-08-05T21:30:00.000+10:00

After drowning in my own phlegm for a few weeks with the flu and drifting off into la la land, the intricate web of tangents that my mind is prone to led me from forgotten memories of the past (which included a lucid flashback of being at an ACDC concert and lamenting that I wished I'd seen them before Bon Scott choked on his own spew and died) to one cherished film - FANTASTIC VOYAGE. Surely the only way that I would be rid of this devilish affliction would be to shrink a team of scientists down to a microscopic size and then inject them into my body to laser the gunk out of there.

The ship that would take the scietists on their microscopic journey

When that didn't happen, I just realized why this planet is such a beautiful place. Its artists like Nike Savvas that do crazy things with balls of color (50,000 spray painted balls to be exact) that makes life look so silly and magnificent at the same time.

"Atomic: full of love, full of wonder" by Nike Stavvas is part of a sculpture project called ADVENTURES WITH FORM IN SPACE at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, opens 9th of August 2006.

Sick

2006-08-04T10:06:00.000+10:00

Hasselhoff Honestly Hates 'Hammered' Hypotheses

2006-07-28T20:21:00.000+10:00

There is no way that David Hasselhoff gets hammered all the time. For instance, at Wimbleton when he was trying to persuade-talk-go nuts to get into the press area and was 'ejected', it was only because he was innocently asking directions to somewhere else in the complex.

Later, when he cut himself while shaving and then walked into a chandelier which omitted shards of glass all over his face and arms, it was again - just losing ones way through a hotel room.

Now at Heathrow Airport, while being taken away from a flight by a little airport buggy (giddy with glee and waving), he again was merely misunderstood. It was 'his choice' to take a later flight according to his publicist, Judy Katz; "Due to a new medication prescribed on Tuesday by his doctor in London for an infection to his injured hand, Mr Hasselhoff became ill at Heathrow airport and requested to be put on a later flight".

ERASERHEAD dir. David Lynch, 1977

2006-07-25T13:50:00.000+10:00

Because of that cute little panda I couldn't help myself but show a few images from one of my favorite films - ERASERHEAD. For those who haven't been initiated (that means you Miss Litzi) into the world of David Lynch and his first film, I must warn you - it can give you nightmares that tap into a place you've never been before, or it can be one of the most uplifting experiences of your life. I laughed, squirmed and fell into the latter category and have been a fan of David Lynch for many a year. I must say that the title of my blog comes from a poignant line that Laura Palmer says to Agent Cooper in TWIN PEAKS.

Ohh!!

2006-07-24T14:11:00.000+10:00

A new born giant panda cries out in an incubator in Wolong, China. The mother gained notoriety when she escaped captivity remaining at large for four and a half years. She gave birth to the female cub on July 22, which was only eight months after she was recaptured. The cub was conceived through artificial insemination at the China Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Sichuan Province and weighs 160 grams. Even though David Lynch's ERASERHEAD comes to mind when I see these pictures, I still feel gooey at the wonder of it all.

Mum seems to be doing well but craves a few creature comforts.

Deadwood Lives On?

2006-07-22T13:21:00.000+10:00

Ian McShane (Al Swearegen) communicates with Mr. Wu (Keone Young)

David Milch, the creator of DEADWOOD, has teamed up with designers at Western Lifestyle Clothing and accessories company Billy Martin to produce a new 'Misfit' boot. There are also plans to follow the boot line with clothing and accessories inspired by DEADWOOD such as Victorian-style silk and velvet bodices and waistcoats. This is all well and good but I wish they could have extended the show beyond the third season. Its one of those gems that rarely sees the light of day on the telly - thank goodness for HBO.

Town Meetings at The Gem (notable character second from left is Doc Cochran played by one of my all time favorites Brad Dourif)

Joanie Stubbs (Kim Dickens) and Maddie (Alice Krige) form a doomed alliance.

Alma Garret (Molly Parker) climbs a powerful ladder.

Kindred spirits - Lee with Francis Wolcott (Garret Dilahunt). Diahunt previously played Jack McCall in DEADWOOD's first season - the man who shot Wild Bill Hickcok.

Teeth

2006-07-21T12:23:00.000+10:00

Nicky the Pygmy hippopotamus is having her teeth cleaned with a new giant (5ft) toothbrush at London Zoo. The Zoo's two hippos, named Nicky and Thug, have a pink and blue toothbrush respectively - lucky.

Man Ray

2006-07-18T11:40:00.000+10:00

I watched Andrew Denton's show ENOUGH ROPE last night and was squirming in my seat trying to get a handle on Chrissy Amphlett. A few months ago I wrote a brief review of her book PLEASURE AND PAIN - MY LIFE in which she decribes her rock and roll experience with THE DIVINYLS and her battle with the bottle. I feel the same way now as I did then, unconvinced that she is really delving into her soul but trying to entertain with a story that is muted by how she wants to be perceived. She kept doing this thing with her eyes as if she was Sally Fields in SYBIL (dir. Daniel Petrie, 1976) where her head would lower slowly ferreting her chin to her chest. The next answer would follow muffled and confused as if having an LSD flashback. Why this annoyed-bemused-bored me was that all the answers she was giving to Denton's questions were straight from the book she was promoting. In her favor I must say her acoustic version of 'I Touch Myself' was intriguing to say the least.

I couldn't just go off to bed at this stage which leads me to my next uncomfortable encounter on the couch - a live autopsy on SBS. Professor Gunther Von Hagens (pictured above) who performs the autopsy has a strange physical similarity to the famous German artist Joseph Beuys . Strange is probably the wrong word - the right word is deliberate. Anyway, within the first few minutes of the program he is slicing the skin off the corpse he has hanging in the middle of the set with his scalpel to reveal what lies beneath. The ease in which he does this is sort of like a butcher getting your favorite cut of meat (that one's for you Miss Litzi!), and the skin just folds away to be hung up like the facade that it is.

This brings me to Man Ray . His pictures came to this morning, stirring from dreams of dead bodies and Chrissy Amplett's acoustic number. What has always drawn me to Man Ray apart from him being part of the Surrealists and referencing the importance of dreams is his textural perception. It's close to the bone.

2006-07-18T10:51:00.000+10:00

Ingres Violin 1924

Noire et Blanche 1926

Primat de la matiere sur la pensee (Matter primes thought) 1929

Dear Man Ray (solarized self-portrait) 1930

A l'heure de l'observatoire, les Amoureux 1934

Clowns Did Bring Us 'CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS'

2006-07-14T20:08:00.000+10:00

These two clowns are taking part in the First Congress of Clowns in San Salvador as we speak. This pose was done during a class of physical skills for clowns. About one hundred clowns from Mexico, Guatemala, Peru and El Salvador take part of this congress in which they discuss about their benefits, financial assistance, and new skills to make people laugh. I'm a member of about half the population that can't stand clowns but ever since I saw the best documentary of 2003, 'CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS' I must thank them for one thing, and that this compulsory viewing documentary came in to fruition.

Andrew Jarecki started to make a film about professional clowns and in the process met David Friedman (pictured left), New York's most successful party clown. It turned out that David had a huge store of home movies, reaching back to the 1950s. They are home movies of a pretty middle of the road American family. Slapstick being the order of the day, they are nonsensical, normal, verging on yawn material. Andrew Jarecki: "And finally he said to me one day, well, if you're going to refocus the film and it's going to be about my family, I should tell you that in addition to the 25 hours of home movies I gave you in the beginning of my father and my family during happy times, there are another 25 hours of home videos that I started taking after the police showed up at my house." This revelation becomes the basis for the documentary and the home movies bloat with meaning.

The Friedman Family

Jarecki uses all kinds of material to explore one of the most bizarre sexual abuse cases in American legal history. David's father Arnold and his 18-year-old brother Jesse were charged with sex crimes against young boys that were allegedly carried out over a period of years in their Great Neck, Long Island home (they had set up a computer skills course in the basement). The film brings up questionable methods by which the police investigators at the time used to attain evidence such as the manner in which the alleged victims were questioned. It also uncovers old letters which reveal the sexual history of the father. The accounts from all family members conflict then match up and then implode again. It filters through how impossible it was for any of the boys in the family to have any objective distance from what there father may have done (or Jesse for that matter) or what he was really like as a human being. Only the mother obtains this distance but with major consequences. Utimately the test of this film is whether you can stand to be left in the dark about who is telling the truth and why your personal feelings about what really happened change with every blink of your exasperated eyes.

Andrew Jarecki: "I think interestingly, even the people who are telling you things that don't turn out to be true very often don't know it. It's not that they're lying. It's that they've completely convinced themselves over time that their version of events is correct."

Jesse and Arnie Friedman

There are a few websites worth visiting for more reading, one is run by Jesse Friedman himself and the other gives you some great insights into the film with some eerie back ground sound bites so make sure your speakers are on.

Heather Mills Her Own Devastating Handiwork

2006-07-13T12:14:00.000+10:00

Heather Mills (pictured left) has stopped any contact between her daughter, Beatrice and her ex-stepchild Stella McCartney (below right). The ex-model? has decided enough is enough; "Heather and Stella are at war. It is as simple as that. The pair have disliked each other for years but always put on a brave public face for Paul's sake. Heather does not want Bea to see Stella ever again."

It seems that Mills has had her poor old ex Paul McCartney's phone wires tapped and over heard Stella bitching to her Dad about how she is a 'liar!' and that she is a really dumb campaigner for her anti-landmine and animal rights causes. To top it all off Stella believes that Heather was really a 'high-class prostitute'. Well you could have blown us all over with a feather but it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Heather played the tape to Paul and he went white as a sheet begging that he 'adores Stella' and has been relying on her. Bea is his baby girl and she means the world to him. Heather new this was the only ace left in her hand.

Helen Reddy Receives Recognition

2006-07-12T06:36:00.000+10:00

Helen Reddy who sang the feminist anthem 'I Am Woman' generating both joy and angst, is being inducted into the ARIA's Icons Hall of Fame at Melbourne's Regent Theatre on August 16. "It will be a fun night and it is really unexpected because I never recorded in Australia," said Reddy from her Sydney home.

Thinking about the upcoming event, Reddy now 64 muses; "It is rather striking when you are an old fart to see pictures of yourself looking young and slim and active". Reddy has retired from performing and now works as a hypnotherapist, "this kind of closes the circle very nicely". Her other big hits included 'Delta Dawn', 'Angie Baby' and 'I Can't Hear You No More'. Good on you Helen, I still love 'I Am Woman' (except when someone is hogging the microphone at karaoke).

Leaving the sixties image behind

Recent times - Reddy with her half sister, Toni Lamond

Space Walk

2006-07-10T21:13:00.000+10:00

Astronaut Piers J. Sellers (foreground) and Michael E. Fossum, STS-121 mission specialists, work in tandem on the shuttle's Remote Manipulator System/Orbiter Booster Sensor System during the mission's first scheduled session of extravehicular activity. Discovery is scheduled to be docked with the International Space Station until the 14th of July and return to Florida on the 16th. I wonder what the exhilaration must feel like stepping out to see what they see?

Sellers and Fossum suiting up in the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station.

The International Space Station's view of the bottom of Discovery's crew cabin and its thermal protection tiles.

The Running Of The Bulls - Day 3

2006-07-09T12:38:00.000+10:00

PAMPLONA, SPAIN: The running of the bulls is part of the nine-day annual Fiesta to honor San Fermin, the patron saint of Pamplona. Thousands of runners brave the 902 yard route to the bull ring. Its great to see the tables turned!

Rod's Roger Rarely Random

2006-07-07T14:00:00.000+10:00

Here is Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart at the Berkeley Square Ball, Berkeley Square July 6, 2006 London, England.

History has an uncanny way of repeating itself when it comes to women and Rod Stewart. Penny Lancaster, Brit Ekland, Alana Hamilton and Rachel Hunter all look as if they have been cast out of the same mould. Lets take a trip down memory lane and soon you will understand the history of Rod's Roger.

Rod with Brit Ekland, 1975

Rod married Alana Hamilton in 1979

Rod married Rachel Hunter in 1990

All kilted up and engaged to Penny (set to marry in '07).

What Do These Three Cloaked People Have In Common?

2006-07-05T09:56:00.000+10:00

Its Annie Lennox, Billy Connolly and Tilda Swinton receiving honorary degrees from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. These sort of events improve the profile of the school that hands them out I suppose so good on them for the photo opportunities. I think all three are top stuff in their respective careers though.

Annie is still looking great these days and has teamed up with Dave Stewart again to revive the EURYTHMICS. I have such fond memories of this band. I remember being at a party in the early eighties and a nice fellow in the kitchen asked me if I knew what band was playing on the record player and I confidently responded 'Its the EURYTHMICS!'. Being mutually impressed with our amazing music knowledge we became the best of friends and always laugh about our first real connection.

I have a love hate relationship with Billy Connolly. Sometimes he's all over the television like a rash being a really annoying-Scottish-nutter and then at other times when my patience will allow me he is really funny when he does his stand up performances. Normally I hate stand up - I just can't stand it - it makes me nervous for the performer and for myself (I would sit through SEINFELD quite happily but always feel let down and embarrassed when Jerry would have his mundane stand up moments - thank goodness Larry David helped write the show). He has a way of making the most personal details of his married life to Pamela Stephenson sound so familiar on one hand and then just stupid and funny on the other. They met performing comedy together and later she became a clinical psychologist specializing in sexual behavior - she would write about their relationship in BILLY which she also detailed Connolly's sexual abuse by his father.

Tilda Swinton is one of those elusive alien type people that pop up in films when you least expect it. I first saw her in ORLANDO dir. Sally Potter, 1992. She would flitter and flutter through many films until I saw her in VANILLA SKY dir. Cameron Crowe, 2001. I loved VANILLA SKY I must confess. I feel like its a confession because most people hate it and there is the Tom Cruise factor (he fell in love with Penelope Cruz and then divorced Nicole Kidman around this time). It touches something in me which can only be described as the tenderness of regret. Anyway back to Tilda, she has recently starred in THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA dir. Andrew Adamson, 2005 but more notably in the best film of 2005, BROKEN FLOWERS dir. Jim Jarmusch.

Pierre Huyghe At The Tate

2006-07-01T20:09:00.000+10:00

This is the first solo exhibition in the UK by French artist Pierre Huyghe aptly named 'Celebration Park'. Huyghe's work features puppet shows, village fetes and natural history films. A hotchpotch of ideas that mould an aesthetic feast for the eyes. His dreamy world is fable like and worth watching. He's a bit of a French dish as well. Exhibition starts the 5th of July and ends the 17th September 2006.

Who Is This Man?

2006-06-30T12:23:00.000+10:00

It is Keith Urban - Nicole's new husband. The more that I dig up on this guy the more I feel I'm on a repulsed-excited-scared-sick-queezy-giddy-stupid-dribble-uncontrollably-and-then-come-to-my-senses-you-silly-fool emotional rollercoaster. A shape changer extraordinaire.

George Is Just Raking In The Leaves

2006-06-28T12:11:00.000+10:00

Boy George has been ordered to rake leaves. Judge Anthony Ferrara said that George O'Dowd, former lead singer of the eighties band CULTURE CLUB, convicted in March of wasting police time, must complete five days of work by Aug 28. "This is a simple matter of five days of community service. It's up to you as to whether it will be an exercise in humiliation or an exercise in humility," the judge scolded.

O'Dowd had also been fined for falsely reporting a burglary to escape a more serious charge of drug possession when police found cocaine at his New York home. He claimed that the drugs had been left by party guests.

Pointing to the door out of the court, Judge Ferrara said: "I'm going to make you a promise: if you do the community service, you go through that door."
Then, gesturing to the door through which prisoners are taken, he added: "But if you don't do it, you go through that door. You must bring your toothbrush." The proverbial line in the sand was drawn.

Even though O'Dowd would have preferred to do some Aids charity work he denied suggesting that he would not do community service. Asked if he would mind raking leaves, he replied: "I've always been a scrubber."

The many faces of George - here with Rosie O'Donnell

Culture Club

Its Wedding Bells For The Urbmans

2006-06-26T08:34:00.000+10:00

I knew Nicole would scrub up well for this one.

Rupert Murdoch and his wife Wendy Deng

Art Is Found Under A Woman's Skirt

2006-06-24T13:21:00.000+10:00

Japanese artist Noriko Sunayama is wrapped in a crimson dress during her exhibition: "A SULTRY WORLD" at the Yokohama Museum of Art, Japan. The audience is invited to venture under her dress and communicate with what is found beneath.

The Kids Are Here!

2006-06-23T10:11:00.000+10:00

Connor Kidman Cruise and Isabella Kidman Cruise arrive for the wedding of the year. Flying around the world for these kids must be a weekly event. I still have my reservations about the Kidman/Urban nuptials. Nicole seems to be the ice maiden-ivory tower-untouchable-verging on vixen type. Keith seems to be a smiley-teeth whitening fanatic-country bumpkin who no one seems to know anything about. Nicole has gone back to Catholicism and left her Scientology roots behind (I actually didn't know that Nicole had converted to Scientology but I've been recently informed otherwise). I wonder if Connor and Isabella have to do the Scientology hop?

Nicole's Mum Janelle accompanies Isabella and Connor from the airport.

St Patrick's College in Manly (Sydney Australia), where Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are rumored to be getting married. A white marquee is erected at the back.

St. Andrews Honors Michael Douglas

2006-06-22T08:39:00.000+10:00

Michael Douglas walks into the quadrangle after receiving his honorary degree from St Andrews University in Andrews, Scotland. Many people wonder what all these honorary degrees are about and they have every right to keep wondering because nobody really knows - Principal and Vice-Chancellor Dr Brian Lang tries to fathom the decision; "We are honouring Michael Douglas in recognition of his outstanding contribution to British film."

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are both golf fans and are regularly spotted on and off the University's famous golf course when they visit Britain; "I had never seen so many beautiful women in my life", Douglas begins to salivate. Anyway its a relief to see that Michael can keep his sex addiction to one side for this auspicious occasion.

Rocky's Revelling In Another Round

2006-06-16T11:29:00.000+10:00

President and CEO of the Brenden Theater Corporation Johnny Brenden, Sylvester Stallone, model Diana Funes and Creative Advisory Board Chair Dennis Hopper, arrive at the CineVegas film festival screening of ROCKY BALBOA at the Brenden Theatres inside the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stallone is at it again with the sixth ROCKY. See, I thought the first one had some street cred and all that but this is ridiculous. Memories of nerdy love and fighting hanging sides of beef are long gone. I have to say though, I sort of have the hots for Stallone - he scrubbs up well still - you big ol' nickumpoop!

Jodie Foster once said that she thought Dennis Hopper was one of the most attractive men she had ever met. I think he's enigmatic but I'm still scared of him because of his portrayal of Frank Booth in BLUE VELVET dir. David Lynch, 1986.

Liza Cannot Leave CABARET Behind

2006-06-14T23:01:00.000+10:00

Liza Minnelli attended the 14th annual American Society of Young Musicians' House of Blues Spring Benefit Concert and Awards Show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, California. Of course her presence was the only one that stood out there. It seems that Liza cannot leave the image she created with her late father, Vincente Minnelli alone. The father and daughter team were responsible for her complete look for her Oscar winning performance in CABARET dir. Bob Fosse, 1972. Many giggles, crazed babblings and spaced out stares later, she is still carrying the CABARET torch. Good on her I say - I hope there are many high kicks to come.

Now marrying David Gest was an act of sheer genius on Liza's part to move the attention on to his weird head. Now that they have sadly parted ways, Liza must hold the fort.

Heather Mills To Sue Over 'False' Prostitute Claims

2006-06-14T11:27:00.000+10:00

HEATHER Mills is to sue over allegations that she used to be an 'high class' prostitute who engaged in group and lesbian sex, her lawyers said yesterday. Mills' lawyers said claims in the News of the World that she was paid thousands of dollars for wild sex romps with wealthy Arabs when she was in her 20's were "untrue and highly defamatory". Mills will be launching legal proceedings but not until her divorce from Paul McCartney was finalized (because she wants to see how well she does out of that first). "Heather is very distressed by this article. She continues to recover slowly from her revision amputation operation and has suffered weight loss, anxiety and sleeping problems as a result of the stress and anxiety of the break-up of her marriage. The coverage of this in certain newspapers has caused further distress and illness to her, her concerned lawyers pleaded. "The interests of her daughter are of paramount concern. She will defer issue of legal proceedings until the arrangements in relation to the divorce are concluded but intends to sue at that stage all parties (including individuals) who are intent on damaging her reputation."

Last week, a tabloid newspaper showed Mills posing in a series of topless shots from a 1988 German publication, which she described as a "lovers' guide". Mills seems to be tripping herself up at every turn.

One more thing, that dye she made Paul McCartney use to cover his grays looks ghastly (pictured right).

Susan Sontag Lives In Pictures At The Metropolitan

2006-06-13T12:28:00.000+10:00

Susan Sontag died of leukemia Dec. 27, 2004 at the age of 71. As a novelist, an essayist and critic, Sontag was a major force in the intellectual life of New York. Being renowned for her passionate writing on photograghy, The Metropolitan Museum Of Modern Art is presenting an exhibition of 40 photographs that celebrate Sontag's contribution to the history of the medium from the 6th of June through to the 3rd of September.

"The ultimate wisdom of the photographic image is to say: 'There is the surface. Now think - or rather feel, intuit - what is beyond it, what the reality must be like if it looks this way.' Photographs, which cannot themselves explain anything, are inexhaustible invitations to deduction, speculation, and fantasy. Photography implies that we know about the world if we accept it as the camera records it. But this is the opposite of understanding, which starts from not accepting the world as it looks." - Susan Sontag, from ON PHOTOGRAPHY.

Mount Merapi Blows Back To Life

2006-06-12T20:02:00.000+10:00

In Yogyakarta Indonesia, Mount Merapi (fire mountain) is now spewing ash after the devastating May 27 Earthquake that killed 5,700 people. Its volcanic activity is increasing.

Uri Geller Makes Believe

2006-06-09T12:28:00.000+10:00

Uri Geller is bending more spoons at 'Believe-athon', an event held to inspire British soccer fans to believe they can actually win the world cup. Geller was commissioned by Mars to be some sort of spiritual counselor for the British public. Seeing they all munch on mars bars all the time, Mars has renamed they bar 'Mars - Believe' so that subliminally all the happy munchers will sleep, eat and dream positive thoughts about their teams chances. Uri thought that bending some spoons would help also.

Uri actually missed out on that Elvis mansion he bid on through E-Bay. Psychically, Uri knew-thought-hoped-conjured the winning bid. He and his team of bidders thought they had the winning bid but it fell through to another buyer. 'Of course we will sue', a dismayed Uri muttered. Uri was certain of his claim for the Elvis Mansion as he had heard Elvis being played on the radio; 'We shall turn it into a house for the sick children of the world'.

Dada In New York

2006-06-07T09:29:00.000+10:00

Dada is one of the twentieth century's most influential avant-garde art movements. Dada began in Switzerland during WWI and peaked from 1916 to 1920. Dada was characterized by the absurd - unrelated imagery fused together to become whole, an irrationality born out of sheer disgust for the war and what it was doing to the world. Beyond the emotional it went further and dabbled in chance and randomness rejecting acceptable mainstream art practices which made the movement a forerunner in conceptual art. Andre Breton led the revolutionists and was also the instigator of The Surrealist movement. The exhibition runs from June 18 to September 11, 2006 at MoMA.

The MOJO Honors List 2006

2006-06-06T12:10:00.000+10:00

The MOJO HONORS AWARDS are held in London to recognize career long contributions to popular music. I have no idea why Jon Bon Jovi and Elton John are posing together (except Elton has been acting a bit demented lately screaming abuse at reporters while dressed in lycra jumpsuits)

Nick Cave looks like a stunned mullet here posing with Rosanne Cash who picked up an award for the late Johnny

Mick Jones from THE CLASH poses here with a surprisingly freshed faced Chrissie Hynde who received THE MOJO SONGWRITERS AWARD

Mani and Bobbie Gillespie from PRIMAL SCREAM pose with Jim Reid of THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN (all looking like bored-fab-strung-out-popstars)

Olivia Newton-John's Boyfriend Fakes Death?

2006-06-05T12:34:00.000+10:00

According to an investigation held by THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, Patrick McDermott (the missing creepy boyfriend of Olivia Newton-John) has been spotted alive and kicking in the remote Baja Peninsula, Mexico.

As I reported months ago (Olivia Newton-John Reaches For Lost Love), Olivia was pining for her lover of nine years as he had gone missing from a fishing vessel named 'Freedom' on July 1st, 2005. Now it is believed McDermott faked his death in order to escape mounting debt and possibly a jail term for not paying thousands of dollars in child support.

The fishing boat made a stop outside San Pedro in Los Angeles that would have made it possible for McDermott to abscond out of Olivia's heart for ever and reach dry land. 'Freedom' for McDermott was more than a boat.

The fishy Mr. McDermott

Howard Arkley - The Retrospective

2006-06-01T07:39:00.000+10:00

Dear Howard Arkley

Howard Arkley is having a retrospective at the Ian Potter Centre at the NGV Melbourne from November 7 2006 to February 25 2007. He died in 1999 which wasn't a shock to the people that knew him. His work was famous for showcasing Australian suburbia. He made it look funky and bizarre at the same time. The line between abstraction and representation became blurred.

I first met Howard in art college and found him electric. He was there to teach us how to use an airbrush which was difficult because there was only one airbrush between 15 students. We ended up at the pub and during many manic conversations that were to follow over the next few years, I saw how he was so full of energy and hilarity on one hand, and then on the other so connected to drugs and alcohol. At the time I was just impressed with this his lust for making pictures and his generosity to share whatever he knew with the likes of me and anyone that would listen.

Michael Jackson Whispers "I love You" In Japanese

2006-05-29T21:15:00.000+10:00

Michael Jackson visited an orphanage in Tokyo as one of his first public appearances since being acquitted of child molestation charges last June. Surrounded by little Japanese orphans, Jackson whispered "Aishiteru" which translated means, "I love You". Smiling from ear to ear, he took autographs with the children screaming, "Michael, Michael". Some children had no idea who he was but still were caught up in the miasma which is Michael Jackson. "He is very tall and very cool looking. I don't know his songs but I've seen him dance on television", Eiho Omori, aged 13 remarked.

Inside the Seibi Gakuen children's home, Jackson watched a 15-minute performance of traditional music and dance by children in kimonos before speaking briefly on stage. "I'm very happy to be here," said Jackson, wearing sunglasses and a white T-shirt under a black double-breasted suit with gold buttons and a single red armband. "I'm happy to be with you lovely people," he told an auditorium of 140 children, ages 2-18.

Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein And Robert Rauschenberg Together At Harn

2006-05-27T13:00:00.000+10:00

The Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville Florida presents AMERICAN MATRIX Part II. The exhibition is organized in five sections - The first section is POP INSPIRED and features work from artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg.

I love Andy Warhol beyond words. I love his fondness for people, for things, for memories. Rather than feature a picture of his over produced work, I'd rather see him hamming it up on roller skates. Roy Lichtenstein is a funky, 60's American painter that was way over rated. I still find what he says in his pictures funny though. Robert Rauschenberg on the other hand is an artist of his time and yet resonates a lasting boldness, a luscious connection with everyday life through found objects (last three pictures).

Cate Blanchett Plays Dylan

2006-05-25T11:51:00.000+10:00

Cate Blanchett (pictured left) confirmed yesterday at the Cannes Festival that she will play a young Bob Dylan in the upcoming movie; IM NOT THERE. Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Christian Bale and Ben Wishaw will all play Dylan at different stages of his life. Colin Farrell dropped out of the film (he was to play Dylan in the 70's). Julianne Moore is also in the cast, along with Charlotte Gainsbourg (the daughter of Jane Birkin and the late Serge Gainsbourg) and Michelle Williams. Dylan is said to be so keen on this film going ahead that he is giving the director, Todd Haynes, access to his complete back catalogue and relinquishing his half of the publishing income to keep the budget down to 20 million US. Shooting starts in Montreal in July.

Apparently Blanchett will portray Dylan as an androgynous star before his 1966 motorcycle accident. I think this will be a challenge for Blanchett but if any actor can pull off a cross gender role its her. There is bound to be a lot of interest in this picture because of its star power alone, I just hope that they bring forward the poetry of Dylan and his absolute panache for penning the truth.

Heath Ledger (he gets better and better)

Christian Bale (brilliant in THE MACHINIST dir. Brad Anderson, 2004)

I've still got time for Richard Gere

Colin Farrell won't be missed from this film

Wind Beneath My Wings Theme For Wedding Of The Year

2006-05-23T06:13:00.000+10:00

Bette Midler has been asked in a hand written letter to perform her hit from the movie BEACHES (dir. Garry Marshall, 1988) - 'Wind Beneath My Wings' at Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's wedding. Apparently they want it to be their wedding song, as it defines their love for eachother. This creates a black mark for the two love birds from the start. What a sign of disaster when 'Wind Beneath My Wings' is all you can think about when you think of your future husband/wife. Don't they know that practically everyone who saw BEACHES sobbed their little hearts out when that number was drearily played (me included). If Nicole really wants to compete with Tom she really should have come up with something more original. In a recent UK poll, 'Wind Beneath My Wings' was found to be the most played song at British funerals.

Nicole also wrote a letter to Peter Garrett formerly known for fronting MIDNIGHT OIL and asked him to sing but he had to decline because of parliamentary obligations (now an Australian Labor MP). See it would have worked for me then because at least he would have injected some street cred in to the whole event. Nicole better jazz this whole thing up a bit because she needs to overcome that victim-I-still-love-Tom-cods-wollop quick smart. He couldn't give a rat's ass about her or anyone else for that matter (except everyone at the celebrity Scientology centre).

Hasted-Hunt Exhibits Martin Schoeller's " Close Up "

2006-05-19T19:52:00.000+10:00

Hasted Hunt Gallery New York is showing Martin Schoeller's – "Close Up", large format photographic portraits. This is the artist’s US debut. Exhibition dates May 25 to July 14, 2006. Schoeller shows us celebrity close up and makes us see them directly, eye to eye. Are they people or specimes? I don't know. I just feel very drawn to them. He has worked for THE NEW YORKER since 1999 and is said to be in the world's top 100 photographers.

The Paul And Heather Misinterpretation

2006-05-19T11:06:00.000+10:00

Everyone is talking about how awful Heather McCartney is and how she's a gold digger and that she is trying to get her filthy hands on poor ol' Paul's money now they've split and so on. The thing is he pursued her and she resisted his advances for quite a long time before they actually first started dating. When she first met him at a charity do for her land mine cause she shrugged him off despite his cheque for 125,ooo pounds that he handed over (impressed mostly with her rather than the cause, don't get me wrong - I know he loves being a vegetarian and being an all round do-gooder). She gladly accepted the cheque and that was that. He hounded her like a dog on heat until she finally caved and decided to give it a go. It is being said that she just loves publicity and that she is slightly deranged (she has paid homage to herself with embarrassing velocity in the form of sepia tinted photos in her own personal website http://www.heathermillsmccartney.com/ ) but who cares, most celebrities of today are nuts anyway.

The relationship that she has with Stella McCartney is also a bone of contention. Stella felt pushed out of the wedding plans when Heather decided to wear a dress of her own choice rather that one of Stella's creations. Paul and Linda's children in general have never taken a liking to Heather. To be under the shadow of Linda is a whole other story. This is why I'm with camp Heather on this one.

The shadow cast by the former Mrs McCartney was strong (notice how weird Paul looks in this photo - the conspiracy theory that he died and was swapped by an impersonator because of the bare feet ABBEY ROAD photo comes to mind - plus when you play their records backwards John Lennon keeps mentioning that Paul is dead)

Wings was one of the most excruciating bands of the last century so Heather didn't have to worry about living up to anything there

I thought that Heather carried herself exceptionally well despite missing a leg (everyone keeps saying how stunning she is but I think that's taking it a bit far)

The Countdown Spectacular

2006-05-18T21:07:00.000+10:00

The Frontier Touring Company has put together a celebration of the iconic television show in the form of the much anticipated live concert tour, 'The Countdown Spectacular'. Promoter Michael Gudinski said he was excited to be producing the show; "I've been waiting to create this tour for years. I wanted to get the lineup and timing just right. I think everything has come together perfectly for this year and the positive response I've had from the artists has been overwhelming". Well that may be true Michael, its just that the line up looks really scary, namely Tottie Goldsmith, Daryl Braithwaite, Wilbur Wilde, Leo Sayer, Red Symons and host Molly Meldrum pictured (Joe Dolcie has also been thrown in and some others). If someone had bothered to ask me I could have told them that this will be a complete failure and they should have just rehashed 'Countdown' with Molly hosting and Gavin Woods as DJ. Everyone would have been more than pleased with that.

The good ol' days

Jackson Pollock At The Guggenheim NY - NO LIMITS, JUST EDGES

2006-05-17T14:42:00.000+10:00

Jackson Pollock was clever. Twisted layers of sheer expressionism through flicked blobs of paint, maybe. Then there is this other thing that happens when you walk up to a Pollock, a daunting vibrancy that screams "I'm alive". He was a complicated, messed up guy (depressive alcoholic to boot) but he also knew what he was doing. You can yawn at the frequency his name is mentioned in the history of twentieth century art or you can run down to The Guggenheim and see his smaller works on paper in the flesh from May 26th to September 29th, 2006.

Favorite Pollock paintings

Uri Geller Buys The Ghost Of Elvis Past

2006-05-16T19:36:00.000+10:00

A ranch style home that Elvis bought in 1956, sold on Ebay to Uri Geller and two friends for $910,000; "We are unbelievably pleased. This is a piece of history". The trio plan to turn the mansion in to a home for "sick children of the world". Geller's intuition went into over drive when he heard an Elvis song playing on the radio and only then he knew he had placed the winning bid. Geller is a good friend of Michael Jackson so his intuition better start telling him something about having sick children in the house. Elvis lived in this house for 13 months before moving into Graceland.

Favorite pictures of Elvis

Happy Mother's Day

2006-05-14T23:24:00.000+10:00

Susan Sarandon and antiwar activist, Cindy Sheehan, prepare to speak during a Mother's Day antiwar protest in front of the White House May 14th, 2006 in Washington, DC. Cindy Sheehan's son Casey died fighting in Iraq.

Obsessive Compulsive Celebrities Cont. - Woody Allen

2006-05-13T12:23:00.000+10:00

My love for Woody Allen grows and grows despite his last two films MELINDA MELINDA and MATCHPOINT which were both pathetic in their own way ( I have to say though that Will Ferrel as Hobie in MELINDA MELINDA stands out in all of the drivel). The reason why I love Woody Allen so much is that he makes me laugh like no one else. He's crazy and he knows it. His Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is out there for everyone to see and has been well documented.

I have two stories that I find delightful and the first one was when I saw Mia Farrow being interviewed just after they had broken up (She was interviewed by Eric Bana before he was known for his acting abilities). She mentioned that she had finally wooed Allen to her country retreat by installing a shower as he refuses to have baths. When he went to use the shower there was a great scream of disbelief that bellowed out of the bathroom. She ran to see what the problem was. Allen couldn't use the shower because the drain was located in the middle of the shower and not on the side. This meant he would have to put his feet either side of the drain and that wasn't going to happen. To appease Allen, Farrow had the plumber change the drain to the side.

The next story involved how he eats breakfast. For fifty years or more he has eaten breakfast the same way and is too scared to change for fear of bad luck; "For breakfast I have freshly squeezed orange juice, followed by a bowl of Cheerios with skimmed milk and raisins. And I always have a sliced banana on top." Allen continues, "This is going to sound silly, given that I am a complete rationalist with no religious belief whatsoever. But I always cut my morning banana into seven slices. It's my only superstition. I've always done it - ever since I was a child - and now I'm afraid not to in case something terrible happens and I upset the delicate balance of the universe."

Frida Kahlo At The NHCC

2006-05-12T19:16:00.000+10:00

Dear Frida

The National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, announces the opening of the traveling exhibition - 'Colección FEMSA, una mirada continental'. The exhibition will remain on view until Sunday, August 13, 2006. The artists included in the exhibition are Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siquieros, Rufino Tamayo, Wifredo Lam and Roberto Matta. Frida Kahlo is one of my favorite surrealists. She documents her life, her pain and her passion for painting.

Kitt Talks Its Way Out Of The Junk Yard

2006-05-11T07:56:00.000+10:00

KNIGHT RIDER, the eighties hit show (1982-86) that starred the talking car 'Kitt' and catapulted David Hasselhoff into out hearts forever, will be made into a major motion picture for us all to enjoy.

The Weinstein Company, recently established by the Weinstein brothers who founded the successful Miramax, has picked up the project which is due for production next year. The television shows creator Glen A. Larson reckons: "There was always some humor on the show, but this film will probably have more gallows, foxhole humor." Whatever that means. Larson, who refused to confirm whether Hasselhoff would star in the film or even make an appearance, will write and executive produce the film. Please don't leave me, the public or David Hasselhoff hanging by a thread for too long.

Vintage Hasselhoff

Behind the scenes

Many believe he was responsible for the end of the cold war

On This Day

2006-05-09T19:13:00.000+10:00

In 1950 'Dianetics: The Modern Science Of Mental Health' by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientlogoy and Dianetics was first published. And look who took it to heart -

Tom Cruise pledges allegiance

Kirstey Alley attributes most of her weight loss to her belief in Scientology

Imagine the millions that Priscilla Presley has poured into Scientology

Lisa Marie Presley followed her mother

Beck a surprise convert

2006 TV Week Logie Awards - The Red Carpet

2006-05-08T14:18:00.000+10:00

Richard Wilkins and Joan Rivers are starting to look related

Lisa Tinkerbell McCune

Pippa Black (Sheila's pick for best dressed of the night) NEIGHBOURS

Natalie Bassingthwaite needs to go to the toily can

McLeod's Daughter Slags

2006-05-08T14:04:00.000+10:00

Kimberley Davies (looks really scarey these days) and her husband Jason Harvey

Lauren, Matthew Welsh, Patti and Matthew Newton

Kerry Armstron with partner Greg Lucas

Johnny Boxer and Maria Venuti

Kate Langbroek and Molly Meldrum (good one)

2006-05-08T13:56:00.000+10:00

That motley tanned crue from HOME AND AWAY

AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST LOSERS

HI FIVE (middle one's preggars)

What to do with Georgie Parker?

Don Lane and Rhonda Burchmore (why doesn't anyone ask him to host the Logies?)

2006-05-08T13:43:00.000+10:00

Catriona Rowntree (you make me puke darling)

Cathy Freeman danced and sang her way through a Chris Lilley number

Those gals from Australian Idol decided to wear matching fashion disasters

Bec and Lleyton Hewitt (I don't know, those matching chins)

Chris Hemsworth and Isabel Lucas HOME AND AWAY

The Annual TV Week Logie Awards 2006 - Winners

2006-05-08T09:52:00.000+10:00

Joan Rivers stole the show with her foul mouth and straight to the point demeanor; 'I'm sure you're all famous, its just that I don't know who any of you are!'

Sonia Kruger (something gammy about her I can't quite put my finger on) and Daryl Somers (unsure of himself in the nine studios?) from DANCING WITH THE STARS

Kate Ritchie HOME AND AWAY (breast reduction?)

John Wood BLUE HEELERS finally gets the Gold Logie (dear old fart)

George Eads from CSI (another American that hasn't any idea what a Logie is)and Lara Bingle (actress?)

2006-05-08T09:28:00.000+10:00

Andrew G, Kyle Sandilands (even though he acts like a snotty nosed name dropper I've still got a dubious crush on him) and Mark Holden (fountain of youth or chemical peel) from AUSTRALIAN IDOL

Pink was there to promote her new song - STUPID GIRLS which attacks the phenonemon of superficial pop culture

Nigel Ruck, Jody Rigby(dowdy dress), Jamie Durie (fashion faux pas with the tie) and Scott Cam (ning nong) from BACKYARD BLITZ

Rove McMannus (his rise and rise reminds me of Daryl Somers so he better watch out)

Paul O'Brien and Jodi Gordon (tanning salon over-kill with all the HOME AND AWAY gals) from HOME AND AWAY

Grant McLennan From THE GO-BETWEENS Dies At 48

2006-05-07T12:44:00.000+10:00

Grant McLennan (orange shirt) died in his sleep at home in Brisbane yesterday. No explanation has been given yet of the state of his health or the reason for his death.

McLennan met student Robert Forster at Brisbane University and together they formed THE GO-BETWEENS around 1980. McLennan's auto-biographical masterpiece CATTLE AND CANE was recently voted by the Australian Performing Rights Association as one of the ten greatest Australian songs of all time. This song for me has always been a favorite that stirs fond memories of times past.

He was as a passionate supporter of the arts and extremely well read. The official website for the band http://www.go-betweens.net/ describes McLennan as an "exceptionally charming and polite man who endeared himself to everyone who met him and was one of the rare individuals worthy of the epithet 'larger than life'."

Robert Forster and Grant McLennan seemed to be joined at the hip creatively. It will be hard to imagine one without the other.

Michael Riley - SIGHTS UNSEEN, NGA Canberra

2006-05-06T12:58:00.000+10:00

Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi artist Michael Riley (1960 - 2004) was born in Dubbo, lived on Talbragar Reserve in western New South Wales and lived in Sydney from the late 1970s until he died. His iconographic imagery stands out for me. He is one of the most important contemporary Indigenous visual artists of the past two decades, challenging non-Indigenous perceptions of the Indigenous experience. SIGHTS UNSEEN is at the NGA Canberra July 14th to October 22nd, 2006.

Poor Katie Dragged Out For Mission Impossible III

2006-05-05T17:22:00.000+10:00

I'm at my wits end with these two. Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise pose on the red carpet at the Paramount Pictures fan screening of "Mission: Impossible III" held at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.

DEATH DEFYING ACTS - Houdini The Movie

2006-05-05T10:56:00.000+10:00

Gillian Armstrong is set to direct DEATH DEFYING ACTS, a movie about Harry Houdini and his obsession with contacting the spirit of his dead mother. Guy Pearce has been signed up to play Houdini since last year, now it looks as if Catherine Zeta-Jones will play Mary McGregor, a woman of charm that connects firstly with Houdini as a psychic and then as a romantic interest. If they have been waiting until now to produce the film just for Zeta-Jones that's a shame. She is nothing but a pretty bore.

'AngloMania' -British Fashion Exhibition In New York

2006-05-04T13:15:00.000+10:00

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, ANGLOMANIA : Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion opens today. The exhibition presents a wide range of works by British designers. The following photos of the exhibits are what really caught my eye - reminiscent of EYES WIDE SHUT dir. Stanley Kubrick 1999.

Dame Edna Packs A Powerful Punch

2006-05-04T12:22:00.000+10:00

Dame Edna (Barry Humphries) was pursued by photographer (Malcolm Ladd) outside a Sydney restaurant and swung a mighty punch in his direction. Humphries became upset when Ladd followed him from Dee Bee's Cafe in Sydney's exclusive Double Bay where the actor had lunch with musical director Andrew Ross, Humphries publicist (Suzie Howie) said. "I can confirm to you that Barry did hit him," Howie said. "He was obviously very upset."

"But at least he didn't throw a phone," added Howie, referring to actor Russell Crowe who was given a conditional discharge by a New York court last year after pleading guilty to throwing a phone at a hotel receptionist.

Even though Howie draws a long but diversionary bow with that jibe, it seems as if Humphries certainly hits like Russell Crowe; "It knocked my glasses off. It was a good punch - it still hurts," Ladd was quoted as saying.

More memorable Dame Edna moments pictured below.

Shanghai Surprise - Madame Tussauds Opening

2006-05-03T20:39:00.000+10:00

New Madame Tussauds wax statues museum opened May 1 at the New World Department Store on Shanghai's West Nanjing Road. It is the first Madame Tussauds museum in Chinese mainland and the sixth of Tussauds Group's waxwork museums.