REVIEW: The Notorious Bettie Page

Name of Film: The Notorious Bettie Page
Release Date: April 14th 2006
Starring: Gretchen Mol
Website: thenotoriousbettiepage.com
Rating: 7 spankings out of 10

Thanks to various Facebook groups that really introduced me to pin-up art (modern and vintage), I definitely knew who Bettie Page. When this movie first came out, I think I saw the commercial once and it even intrigued me then. But something came up and I completely forgot about the movie and left went on…

Time passed and last year, my interest in pin-up was born. I came across the name of legendary bondage, fetish and glamor model of the 1950s. Thus, I found this movie once again and decided to give it a try.

A friend said that it was “okay”, so that had me a little worried. But all and all, I really liked this film. Gretchen Mol makes Bettie sweet, innocent and yet- at the same time- deliciously naughty. Although I have read that the movie was far from historically accurate, I really like how it was made, going in and out of black-and-white and recreating some of Bettie’s bondage films. They seem so silly and innocent compared to… well… most music videos of today. The fact that so many of those films and photos were destroyed because they were considered so evil and corrupting is a shame. How much artistic history was lost because of something so innocent.

This film was charming and smartly executed… and it made me want to dish out some money to buy myself some leather lace-up kinky boots.

Poehler Preggers!

Listening To: Ash – Meltdown

Have I mentioned before that Will Arnett and Amy Poehler are my very favorite celebrity couple? Well, if not, then I’ll say it now. WILL ARNETT AND AMY POEHLER ARE MY FAVORITE CELEBRITY COUPLE. There, I said it. That’s why I was thrilled to read that SNL funny lady Amy Poehler is with child. Oddly enough, announcing it while her film Baby Mama is number one at the box office (despite its not-great reviews). If that baby doesn’t end up being funny at all, something went wrong.

In less good news, Gary Dourdan of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is under investigation himself. According to IMDB, the actor has been arrested suspicion of possessing heroin, cocaine, Ecstasy and prescription drugs. (I didn’t know possessing prescription drugs was a crime, but okay.) Dourdan recently announced he would be leaving CSI.

(Seems that the actors of the original crime investigation series are dropping like flies. I stopped caring about the show a long time ago. And after Gary leaves, I won’t even have a reason to watch it.)

I enjoyed Robin Williams‘ appearance on Law & Order: SVU last night. He was scary. Since the end was kind of a cliffhanger, I’d love to see him make another appearance. It’s cool when a comedian can play serious too… although it’s rare. (Don’t think I’m encouraging funny people to go try dramatic acting. DON’T DO IT.)

Last night’s results show of Dancing With The Stars saw actress Shannon Elizabeth and her boyfriend lover stud muffin partner Derek Hough eliminated from the competition. I did not expect that. She seemed like such a sweetheart and I was looking forward to seeing her steamy relationship with Derek progress on screen. Poo poo. Next week is Dancing 100th episode, so that should be good.

Remember what the dormouse said!

I came across the video taken at Woodstock in 1969. It features Jefferson Airplane performing “White Rabbit”. Enjoy!

FEIST ON COLBERT!!!

OH. MY. GOD.

Feist was on tonight’s episode of The Colbert Report. She performed “I Feel It All” at the end of the episode and gave her blue glittery outfit from the “1 2 3 4″ video to Stephen. And he put it on.

My ears, eyes and nine other senses almost overloaded with all the awesomeness. I could almost not contain it.

And because I get both Comedy Network channels, I might watch the episode again tomorrow… three times… because I can.

Dancing: Kristi Kriticized!

First House, then Dancing With The Stars.

It makes me so sad that House used to be my one and only obsession and now I hardly even like it. I’m trying really, really hard to stay in love with it… but something is making that very difficult. I don’t know. His shocking behavior is no longer shocking. I’m so sick of the whole Amber-Wilson relationship too. They’re boring. I don’t like Amber. Unless they start doing it in interesting places around the hospital (like House’s office, perhaps), they should just end it. House asking Chase to go bowling was an unexpected treat though. And did Cameron sleep with House? I’m thinking… no.

Tonight’s episode of Dancing With The Stars had its up’s and down’s. A couple of Bruno’s quotes from the night made me giggle: “You could have pushed a little more on the sex.” (in reference to Marissa and Tony’s Rumba) and Len was extra cranky tonight.

I could tell right away that something was wrong with Cristián’s arm as soon as the dance started heading south. He just had this horrible look on his famous- a combination of pain, frustration and (likely) embarrassment. The judges still gave him 7s for the performance up until the muscle mishap.

I’m not sure if this is a highlight, but Kristi and Mark were actually criticized tonight! OHMYGOD!! And they didn’t even top the leader board of the night! THAT IS CA-RAZY!! I thought their Viennese Waltz was beautiful. Mark really is a fantastic choreographer. I loved the umbrella prop. But somehow, seeing them have a somewhat flawed night was somehow… comforting. Maybe Kristi isn’t perfect after all!

The couple of the night, hands down, were Jason and Edyta. They were at the top of the leader board after performing an awesome Quickstep and an even awesome-er Paso Doble. The guy is huge but he owns that floor. Totally awesome tonight.

Who goes home tomorrow? …Beats me. Here are the scores for the night, the two dance scores combined for a score out of 60:

• Jason & Edyta = 55
• Kristi & Mark = 54
• Marissa & Tony = 52
• Shannon & Derek = 51
• Mario & Karina = 51
• Cristián & Cheryl = 46

Okay, cool. I finished this blog entry just in time for The Colbert Report. Ta!

“This livens up the day.”

Listening To: Boomtown Rats – I Don’t Like Mondays

I just watched a show about the school shooting in San Diego, California in January 1979 that influenced the song “I Don’t Like Mondays” by the Boomtown Rats. I was first introduced to that song a couple years ago when my friend Emma used it in a skit in our Drama class. The skit was about a teenage girl who was bullied and then takes a gun to school with intentions to shoot several of her classmates. The skit made me cry because the subject matter is so serious and because Emma is an intensely gifted actress.

Being the fan of Wikipedia that I am, it’s a wonder I didn’t look into the song at all. I was channel surfing earlier and saw a show called I Don’t Like Mondays. I was not aware that the song was influenced by a real event. I just thought it was just made up. Little did I know that the title was actually uttered by Brenda Ann Spencer, the convicted spree murder of San Diego.

Spencer was sixteen. Her mother and father had been divorced for several years. She has said that her father abused her, emotionally, physically and sexually. Spencer’s father gave her a rifle for Christmas. The following month, she opened fire from her house across the street from Cleveland Elementary School, killing the principal and a custodian and wounding eight children and a police officer.

When asked what her motive for the shootings was, she said simply, “I don’t like Mondays. This livens up the day.” Her words have since become famous, in song and on their own.

She escaped the death penalty because she was a minor at the time and was sentenced to 25 to life. She has been up for parole several times and has been denied each time. Her next parole date is next year.

Ryan = high as a corporate kite.

Last night’s episode of The Office was, without a doubt, the best of this season- so far. Although, the storyline of everybody getting stuck in the office for a few extra hours because they got locked in was a bit lame, I admit. However, the New York half of the episode was frickin’ hilarious.

Michael and Dwight go to New York to party it up with Ryan and some of the cool night clubs he’s mentioned. Poor guys- they really think Ryan is excited to see them. No, Ryan is just high. I laughed really hard at Ryan’s erratic behavior, especially his dancing. Oh man. Too funny. And Dwight’s constant references to Ryan’s short friend being a hobbit almost made me pee my pants.

And then, if that weren’t funny enough, Dwight got his mack on. At a bar. With an amazon.

Also in this episode, Toby announced to “the gang” that he’s moving to Costa Rica… right after he casually put his hand on Pam’s knee-upper leg area and made everybody awkward. Although I’m not happy to see Toby go, I’m not extremely sad either. I always found his character annoying. I’m sure Michael wouldn’t miss him. (Spoiler alert!) Anyway, the name of the season’s last episode is called “Goodbye Toby” so I can only assume that’s when he goes. Whether he stays gone or not, I’m not sure. (End of spoiler.)

Arrivederci Lauren!

Listening To: Kimya Dawson – So Nice, So Smart

Well, punk rocker Lauren was eliminated from last night’s episode of America’s Next Top Model. I knew as soon as they said that the models would be doing a Cover Girl commercial and speaking Italian (very badly, albeit), I knew Lauren wouldn’t have a chance. She’s awkward on a good day and just isn’t Cover Girl material. Cover Girls look effortlessly pretty and smile with all forty-seven of their bright white teeth. That’s just not Lauren’s scene.

Naturally, she (metaphorically) fell on her face at the shoot. (And, earlier in the episode, Anya literally fell on her face!) I had to laugh when they showed Dominique’s commercial. She’s such a tool. Anya, yet again, won the week’s challenge and won a glam silver gown. Last week it was 10,000 and a few weeks before that, she won a photo-shoot with (the damn sexy) Nigel Barker. The girl may be kinda dumb, but the girl has got a good shot at winning.

I just finished watching my brand new Juno DVD, for about the 10th time. Every time I watch it, I notice something new. I laughed pretty hard at the “gag take” on the DVD extras. It always makes me giggle like a frickin’ idiot whenever I hear Rainn Wilson say “fuck”. It just strikes me as odd. I dunno. Maybe I’ve watched The Office way too much.

Speaking of The Office… it’s on tonight. OH, IT’S ONNNN!!

Neptune’s THE PRODUCERS a “rollicking good time”

I’m going to see The Producers at Neptune Theatre on June 1st. Not only have I been in love this musical for a few years, I was a part of a small production at my high school last year. We took an artistic liberty and changed Max Bialystock to Maxine Bialystock and removed a few songs. My friend Andy (this year playing “LeFou” in CEC’s production of Beauty & the Beast) played the part of Leo Bloom.

A review of The Producers at Neptune came out this morning in the Halifax Chronicle Herald.

A rollicking good time
Neptune’s got The Producers’ number: laughs, great acting, sets, choreography

By ELISSA BARNARD
Arts Reporter
The Producers is a hoot and a hit for Ron Ulrich in his final mega-musical as artistic direc­tor at Neptune Theatre.
This lavish production, mounted by a familiar team of designers and ensemble mem­bers and blessed with powerful leads, never skimps on smaller scenes in favour of the big, show-stopping numbers. The crazy, outrageous comedic script and all its playful musi­cal references are beautifully clear.
The Producers is Mel Brooks’ politically incorrect send-up and celebration of Broadway and if you take a younger per­son there’s a lot of explaining to do about stereotypes and the Second World War and sexual innuendo (best left unex­plained).
In The Producers, Max Bi­alystock was once king of Broadway but his latest musical version of Hamlet is a flop. When the dweeby accountant Leo Bloom points out that, with a lot of up-front capital, more money could be made from a flop than a hit, Max begs Leo to join him and fulfill his own dream to become a Broadway producer.
They find the most-offensive script possible — Springtime for Hitler — and the worst direc­tor — the gayer-than-gay Roger DeBris. They cast the Swedish blond bombshell Ulla in the play and hire her as their recep­tionist- housekeeper. The Pro­ducers builds up to the amazing production number of Spring­time for Hitler and then, when the play turns out to be a hit, Max and Leo unravel.
Despite its blatant black com­edy about one of the blackest events in human history, The Producers is full of fun, inno­cence and joie de vivre.
Under Ulrich’s direction, the outlandish, stereotypical char­acters take themselves totally seriously which is key to mak­ing this piece work.
Actors Steve Ross as Max and Christian Goutsis as Leo are even less self-aware than were Nathan Lane (Max) and Mat­thew Broderick (Leo) in the 2005 movie. There is no wink to the audience. Ross and Goutsis are totally entrenched in their characters and together, they have a convincing and lively chemistry. Ross has all of Max’s intense bluster and enthusiasm underlain by a passionate belief in what he’s doing and an essen­tial kindness. Goutsis is excel­lent at signaling Leo’s anxiety and distress as he navigates an overwhelming new world.
The quickly shifting small ex­pressions on their faces as they watch Ulla dance are as comical and precious as is Ross’s fantas­tic solo number in which he re­tells the whole story of The Pro­ducers in one song.
While she looks like a bomb­shell, Ayrin Mackie makes Ul­la’s innocence and affection more dominant than her obvi­ous sensuality. Keith Savage makes the flaming queen De­Bris not only a comic gem but amazingly lovable and human. When DeBris is accidentally thrust into the role of Hitler and he takes his final bows in the play-within-a-play the real Nep­tune audience claps wildly.
Two lead roles are played well by local actors: Christian Mur­ray bringing all his fantastic physicality and comedic talent to Roger’s uber-gay partner Carmen Ghia and Cliff Le Jeune frighteningly in charac­ter as the twisted German play­wright Franz. Given the speed of the produc­tion and the rapid, numerous set changes with backdrop up­on backdrop, wheeled-on pieces and set pieces that slide into fake brick walls, the show is a technical feat and only the occa­sional swaying wall gives it away.
Ulrich has often worked with choreographer Jim White, a magician at putting big show-­stopping numbers on a small stage and at using dance not just as style but emotion. Also back on deck are costume de­signer Paul Daigle (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast), who out­does himself with overall pur­ple and silvery tones and fantas­tic silver headdresses, hard-­shelled skirts and extra-vivid springtime colours for the Springtime For Hitler number. Also tops is the work of set and props designer John Dinning (Beauty and the Beast) and lighting designer Lesley Wil­kinson The Producers has a cast of 25, over 150 costumes and six musicians including musical director Andrew St. Hilaire driving away at the spirited, varied score peppered with ref­erences to Broadway’s musical idioms and specific shows.
If you don’t like satire or silli­ness or Broadway, you won’t like this. If you do, you’ll love it. The eight-year-old I took, al­ready exposed to the movie through a Broadway-crazed un­cle, liked the flashy song and dance but suggested 12 and up would be an appropriateage range. The mainly adult audi­ence when we saw it gave the show a standing ovation once the lead actors came out.
The Producers runs to June 1.

Dancing: Marlee, you shall be missed.

In tonight’s sad (but not overly surprising) Results show of Dancing With The Stars, Marlee Matlin was eliminated from the competition. The girl really gave it her all. She always kept a brave face on, the whole time. It would be so frustrating, being kept back because you can’t really hear the music.

Derek Hough’s reaction to the judge’s critique was a bit of a surprise. This makes me wonder, naturally…

What? Don’t like it when someone bashes your woman?

But when they found out that the votes for the viewers saved them, Derek and Shannon apologized. I thought that was big of them.