Spooks, BBC 1, Wednesdays 9pm

Burn Notice, FX, Mondays 10pm

I guess now is as good a time as ever to review Spooks (or [spooks] for the pedantic) as last week’s episode was a cracker. I’m not the biggest fan of this show, it has to be said. I only started watching it a few years back after reading loads of rave reviews, referring to it as the British 24. Luckily, the early series were up on Virgin’s on-demand service and repeats were frequent on the usual repeat channels. I think it was as early as episode two when the shocking event happened. You know: the one with the hot oil. It was so shocking that I’m not even going to refer to it in full but it was genuinely disturbing and made you very quickly aware that this was a show that was prepared to go anywhere and do anything.

It’s pretty much continued in that vein with established characters regularly being killed and replaced. You’re never safe in Spooks and this adds a nervy element to watching this urban thriller. 24 is a close comparison due to the terrorist aspect but the British spies of MI5 are portrayed in a different manner. There is little time for a personal life and when it encroaches on a storyline it will usually tie in to a plot point somewhere down the line.

Nevertheless, with a consistently strong set of characters, brilliantly acted, you do manage to engage with their personalities and care about what happens to them. Luckily, each time a lead character has gone they have been replaced with someone equally good and I can honestly say that there has never been a main character on this show that I was apathetic towards. Some characters I haven’t initially liked, step forward Ros, but again due to good old-fashioned decent acting they’ve managed to win me over. I hated Hermione Norris’s Ros Myers at first but eventually her tough-woman act and biting sarcasm has led me to the stage where I’ll be sorry when she goes.

But like I say, there’s no point getting too attached to the stars of this show. Tom Quinn, as played by Matthew Macfadyen, and Adam Carter (Rupert Penry-Jones) were both fantastic leads but Richard Armitage’s Lucas North, if anything, is even better. When he decides to leave I’ll feel a bit nervous. Perhaps the next lead could be someone utterly ruthless? It would be interesting to see if we, the audience, could warm to someone like that. A male Ros, if you will. Because these characters do have a heart and perhaps this is the least believable part of the show. For all their necessary callous behaviour dictated by the nature of their work these are decent people who ultimately try to do the right thing.

Popular opinion would have it that this series isn’t quite as gripping as the last. I was never that impressed with the last series although I did like Lucas. Again, I think, it was the shock moment where Connie was shown to be the traitor and killed one of her colleagues. It was very well-done but lacked something for me purely because I didn’t like the character of Connie. (Again, note, I admired her, just didn’t like her.) Moments like this linger long in the memory and Spooks always manages to come up with a few of these. This series, so far, the biggest event has been Jo’s death but this was perhaps undermined by the fact that she has clearly been a dead-woman walking for about two-and-a-half years prior to her eventual demise. It almost became a relief when she finally went which is a shame as I loved her character.

Surprisingly we haven’t had a replacement yet. That means we only have two major spies to follow and it does appear to be getting a little short-staffed. We also lost Malcolm this year but, thankfully, he was allowed to retire gracefully and didn’t meet the ignominious fate of his fellow techie, Colin! And, of course, we have had the fabulous Ruth back. Nicola Walker’s performance is pitch perfect and the ‘romance’ with Harry Pearce is surely destined to be consummated. My only worry is that this could be a way of setting up Harry to leave. Peter Firth is the only character to survive throughout the series and while he is a fantastic leader and I would be sorry to see him go some fresh blood might provide a lifeline to the show.

I don’t think it’s exactly tired. That’s not quite the right word, but, inevitably, as in 24, the stories are a bit limited when dealing with threats to national security and we do seem to see some plots being repeated. Last week’s episode is a staple, actually, with MI5 having to protect an asset who is working, reluctantly, on the inside trying not to be discovered. Which was actually the basic plot just the other week, too! But, it had a lot of politics in it, was very well-acted and a lot of fun. So good was Ashley Kumar as a young Muslim, desperate for peace, that I thought they might have been setting him up as Jo’s replacement but considering his scathing views of “liar man” Lucas and their whole approach to the situation it would be quite a twist to see him recruited.   

Past series relied almost exclusively on stand-alone stories but recently the series arch has become de rigueur and the Nightingale plot that has been building up in the background is coming more and more to the fore. The baddies, having vacillated between Russians and assorted Arabic terrorists, and even, sometimes, the Americans, is now settling into some sort of global conspiracy, with capitalism becoming the evil force that is manipulating other countries into committing various attacks. What the end game is I don’t know and it may be that this group becomes a continuing villain.

There’s been plenty action this series with loads of car chases, explosions, bombs, and lots for the stuntmen to do. The political intrigue has been well delivered with the recent removal of the recurring Home Secretary, played by the wonderful Robert Glenister (Ash in Hustle.) Hopefully, his character will have some sort of swan song because he’s too good to leave this meekly. It’s beautifully shot and always looks good, with fantastic skyline views of London and it has a cracking theme. Relatively unimportant in the wide scheme of things but a blessing nevertheless.

Everything from the title sequence credits to scenes so fast-paced you think you’ve missed a bit are stripped down to the bone. There are no named credits for the actors in this show, the writers and directors anonymous unless you look them up in the Radio Times or online. The stylistic fade to negative that ends each episode is a bleak summary of the nature of [spooks]; everything, including life, is temporary and there’s no time to waste.

Burn Notice  

FX, Mondays, 9pm

Speaking of spies this is also a good time to mention this little gem of a show, which I presume you are already ignoring along with the rest of the nation. This is very different from 24 or Spooks in that it’s not about homeland security but rather about one individual former spy. It’s actually more along the likes of shows such as The A-Team or The Equalizer in that its hero will take on a variety of missions on behalf of unfortunate ‘normal’ people, like me and you, who have fallen foul of the criminal element of society.

Michael Weston (engagingly played by Jeffrey Donovan) was a spy for the CIA, undergoing a number of covert missions on foreign soil. Until he was “burned”. This means, essentially, that he’s been grounded, as well as having been made persona non grata. He has no money and no home. He has no job and limited means of living a normal life as he has to remain secretive so that past scores cannot be settled upon him. He is surveilled so that he cannot leave the city in which he has been dumped, which happens to be Miami. Presumably, this is because it’s where his Mom lives (a classic annoying mother performance from Chris Cagney herself, Sharon Gless) and where Michael grew up.

Miami is a fantastic setting for a show as Dexter and CSI: Miami have shown in recent years. Miami always seems to get a bum rap as the sort of place where loads of oldies go to retire. But with that weather, and the ocean, beautiful scenery and buildings everywhere, surely it can’t be that bad? Or is that all just TV glamour, edited to look pretty? Certainly you have to put up with serial killers and cops who remove their sunglasses and tilt their heads all the time but it’s swings and roundabouts.

Weston has to try and establish some sort of life for himself and the early episodes set this up with his warehouse-penthouse apartment. He hooks up with former girlfriend, Fiona, dodgily (is that a word?) a former IRA member with a thing about guns and explosions and annoying Michael. Hmmm. UST much? She’s played by Gabrielle Anwar, who those among you with good taste will recognise as one of the kids of the first series of Press Gang, the first series written and created by Steven Moffat. One of the funniest shows ever. Fact. Anwar is feisty and fun, but has the worst Irish accent this side of David Boreanaz.

He also hooks up with former spy Sam, and this is where the show gets really cool. Sam is played by Bruce Campbell. Yep, The Evil Dead star himself! I don’t think it gets cooler than Bruce’s delivery. It would be worth watching for him alone but thankfully, the leading man is just as engaging. Weston is confident, good looking and knows how to look after himself. This could easily have become a vain, unlikeable character but Donovan’s exasperated expressions as things inevitably go wrong are a delight. Oh, and don’t touch his yoghurt!

There is usually a story of the week as Michael works as a ‘consultant’ to try to bring justice to some unfortunate victim. Many of these are good causes and his kind nature, despite his tough exterior, often gets the better of him. Essentially, he is facing down the bullies of society and teaching them a lesson. Not literally. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is all goody-goody. There are some nasty, unpleasant people in this show and they often get a proper put-down. Weston won’t kill but he uses his experience as a spy to coerce, con and kick the crap out of the Miami lowlifes that he has to deal with.

The backdrop for all this, and becoming a bigger part of the picture as the series progresses, is the reason why Michael has been burned. There is an ongoing mission to discover who has done this to him and why. It presents a nice dichotomy as he dishes out punishment to everyday bullies around him but he himself is under the thumb of a huge organisation for no logical reason and his frustration creeps through now and again. There is a dark side to Michael Weston that is hinted at and perhaps more secrets to be revealed.

Voiceovers are USUALLY NOT A GOOD THING, but here it works perfectly. The narration that accompanies the action is Michael explaining why spies do things certain ways, how to go undercover, or tail someone, or use a handful of household chemicals to make a nuclear device. Well, maybe not the last one but it is all a bit McGyverish. The way he talks about which gun to use and why is so down-to-earth as if he’s passing on a few gardening tips. And they all make sense. If I ever decide to become a spy I’ll almost certainly use these.      

Quite simply, this is one of the most entertaining shows out there. It goes about its business, quietly, week after week, providing engaging characters, well-structured plots, plenty of action and humour. And the satisfying feeling that comes from loving it when a plan comes together. There is nothing earth-shattering about Burn Notice, it is not a game changer but it is a very well put together show. You know that Plan A will go wrong and that there will be complications and more and more danger until Michael succeeds at the end and all is well with the world. But you just don’t care because it is done so effortlessly and with such style. It somehow manages to remind me of both Hustle and Ocean’s 11, with its slick looks, humorous tone and intricate plots.

It’s as cool as a Mint Mojito at a Miami poolside. With an umbrella in it.

Last night, QUEST attended PIAGET MEN TO WATCH IN 2009 hosted by LARRY BOLAND, President of PIAGET North America, and DAN PERES, Editor-in-Chief of DETAILS magazine, at LEHMANN MAUPIN GALLERY at 201 Chrystie St. We didn’t see ANDRE LEON TALLEY sporting his vintage diamond PIAGET timepiece slash his version of a “tennis bracelet” from THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE. But we did spy a GORG Piaget Polo 45 Flyback Chronograph Watch. Dear Santa!

The event’s honorees included LEE DANIELS (director of Oscar contender “Precious”), JEREMY RENNER (star of Oscar contender “The Hurt Locker”), JEFFREY DONOVAN (star of USA Network’s “Burn Notice”), MICHAEL BASTIAN (celebrated menswear designer), DAVID CHANG (celebrity chef/Momofuku … and a graduate of TRINITY COLLEGE in Hartford, Conn.), and NICK ROLDAN (top-rated US polo player).

QUEST strolled through the gallery (filled with ink sketches of human figures accompanied by pithy remarks in scrawly handwriting), noting a pair of THOM BROWNE pants (thumbs up) and lots o’ brightly colored footwear (the jury’s still out …). 

EQB

Hace algunos días anunciamos los regresos de varias series de la cadena USA Network, pero en las ultimas horas sus ejecutivos nos sorprendieron al realizar grandes cambios en los días y fechas de estreno de Burn Notice, Psych y White Collar.

A pesar de los anuncios iniciales, finalmente la cadena decidió cambiar totalmente su estrategia y estirar su programación original lo más posible al presentar sus tres series más importantes en tres noches diferentes.

Según lo informado, White Collar regresará con nuevos episodios el martes 19 de enero, Psych realizará lo mismo todos los miércoles desde el 27 de enero y finalmente Burn Notice regresará con su tercera temporada el jueves 21 de enero.

Sin dudas estas son grandes sorpresas, especialmente Psych que dejará su histórico horario de los viernes por un lugar mucho más competitivo en la mitad de la semana después del esperado final de Monk.

Por su parte, White Collar deberá enfrentarse solo al mundo, ya que muchos esperábamos que USA decidiera acompañarlo con Burn Notice, la serie más exitosa de la cadena y una de las más exitosas del cable.

Para terminar, será interesante ver como USA compite con su cadena hermana NBC ya que estas series se enfrentarán directamente con ese experimento que todos conocemos como The Jay Leno Show.

i’m back from my thanksgiving hiatus and i want to talk to you about my new winter obsession (tv wise) a little show called burn notice.

it’s about an ex-spy named michael westen living in miami and if you are already looking at your wardrobe and feeling blah, feeling like there are just endless months of sweaters and jeans before you, then come with me, my friend to a little place called south beach…

you will soon start thinking about cute swim suits and palm trees and floaty dresses with strappy sandals. OR if you are a dude, you will seriously, seriously think about buying a nice suit and the more men that can be encouraged to wear suits the better. this show is a fashion bulls eye, it’s up on trends (nudes and floral patterns every where, they’re even up on the new straw trend) and it perfectly dresses the city, it’s exactly how you’d wanna look if you lived in miami.

when you first start watching the show, there are a ton of cheesy montages that happen between scenes of “miami life” full of dripping girls pulling themselves out of pools and barely covered bottoms and i totally rolled my eyes and was like “is this gonna be one long will smith video?”. but eventually i grew to love the cheesy montages, like one grows to love a corny habit of a significant other. and i noticed it’s a good way to get the miami “flavor” which is helping me take tiny mental vacations from the stress of the holiday season.

so if you type in “michael westen fashion” or “burn notice fashion” a TON of stuff comes up, i am certainly not the first to take note of it. and if you start watching the show and you wanna find out where to buy the stuff you see and love (and trust me, you’ll love it) go to this awesome little site i found: http://www.seenon.com/category/television/burn-notice/

michael westen, in my humble opinion, is like a better james bond. and this is coming from the girl famous in second grade for getting in front of the class and saying she wants to be a bond girl when she grows up.

i think this show is kind of like the newer, cooler macgyver. michael westen narrates each show and gives you tons of tips about spy life, how to avoid being tailed, how to make crazy spy stuff from your hardware store, and you feel like you need to take notes. james bond never did that. michael westen uses his ex-spy skills to help people in trouble around miami along with his ex-girlfriend, fiona and an old cia friend, sam (played by bruce campbell, score!). they’re like this really cool posse and they drive around in michael’s souped up old dodge that is like the radest car ever. i know i am talking like a tween. hang with me.

it also helps michael westen that in addition to being well dressed, is like a big hunk of a man. MOVING ON.

fiona (played by gabrielle anwar, who you might remember from the scent of a woman or wild hearts can’t be broken–a favorite of mine–or more recently the tudors) is michael’s sexy irish gun running ex-girlfriend. she’s tough, she’s smart, she’s the only person on earth to pull off a fanny pack.

high five fiona! it’s amazing because gabrielle anwar is FORTY and wears these super hot outfits and just works it. it doesn’t hurt that she’s a former dancer, but whatever. she’s always doing bad ass stuff in tall heels and these tiny outfits, but she looks so good you buy it all the way.

here is a montage of her outfits done by some fan (sorry, i wish i’d written down who, i am bad about that) to give you an idea of her style–hint: she loves free people.

so my rx to you, as christmas is approaching and credit card debt is rising, is to ingest these images of miami, the corals and the electric blues and the sandy whites, via burn notice and enjoy the cheap get away.

So Donny took it — mirror ball and all! He’s the Dancing With The Stars champ and was said to be “numb”, while Mya, about whom they said the trophy “was hers to lose” on account of her “astonishing dance scores” was reportedly “disappointed”.  Well bravo,  Donny, and my guess is Mya — especially given her stellar work on the dance floor this year — will have many happy days (and performances to come).  Same with Kelly O., who still has the vote (and adoration) of millions.  Now…let’s move into some holiday fare.  With Thanksgiving upon us, everyone’s probably going to be spending lots of time at the table or in front of the TV.  And so now let’s take a trip over to the basic cable realm, where fans of USA’s Burn Notice have good reason to be delighted — the show, starring Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar, has  been picked up for a fourth season.  Which got me thinking about basic cable in general, and how much good stuff is seemingly right under our noses.  And while we spend a great deal of time talking about the premium cable shows like Weeds, Dexter, Nurse Jackie, Entourage, Big Love, Californication etc…today I’d love to know where you all weigh in on some of  basic cable’s original series. Now since there are several of them that people love, I’m just going to throw out a few shows to see how everyone feels about that netherworld between networks and cable. You’ll notice I’m leaving out Breaking Bad, Monk White Collar and others — but that’s just because we’ll be talking about them next week.  So here goes…voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which of these cable original series is your favorite? (and while you’re at it, have a fantastic Thanksgiving!)

1) Mad Men

2) Burn Notice

3) Damages

4) The Closer

USA continúa renovando, luego de que ayer les anunciásemos que Psych volvería para una quinta temporada, se ha confirmado oficialmente que el drama de espionaje ambientado en Miami Burn Notice, también volverá a las pantallas el año próximo.

A pesar de que los rumores acerca de la renovación del show para una cuarta temporada habían estado circulando desde hace meses, el trato no fue hecho oficial hasta el día de ayer.  Protagonizado por Jeffrey Donovan, Gabriel Anwar y Bruce Campbell entre otros, el show narra la historia de Michael Westen, un espía que es puesto en la lista negra y forzado a residir en la ciudad de Miami.

Allí intenta ganarse la vida usando sus talentos para realizar todo tipo de trabajos que van desde ladrón hasta detective privado. En medio de ello deberá lidiar con su conflictiva madre, su inestable ex-novia y muchas otras situaciones que siempre están listas para salirse de control más rápido de lo que parece posible.

La cuarta temporada de Burn Notice se estrena en el 2010.

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At first, Clint Eastwood’s CHANGELING could appear to be following too closely in the footsteps of his earlier Oscar winner, MYSTIC RIVER, since both films center on a missing child. But while his previous film was based on a Dennis Lehane novel, CHANGELING carries a particular weight because it is based on a true story, and one that isn’t largely known. Angelina Jolie stars as Christine Collins, a single mother working in 1928 Los Angeles when her son goes missing. A boy is returned to her months later by the police, but she is shocked and disheartened when she realizes that the boy isn’t her son. Joined by a crusading pastor (John Malkovich), Christine battles for justice against the corrupt L.A.P.D. while she continues to search for her child. Eventually her fight against the cops lands her in a mental hospital, where she is surrounded by others with a similar plight. At times, CHANGELING is incredibly difficult to watch. Jolie gives an authentic, anguished performance, and the on-screen tragedy is quite disturbing, largely because of its basis in reality. But Eastwood has crafted another Oscar-worthy film that is certainly worth sitting through, even if a tissue or two is required. Screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski had been best known for his work in science fiction (BABYLON FIVE) and graphic novels, but he makes an adept transition to feature drama with this film. Its unusual focus–on the victim and her struggle for justice, rather than on the criminal and the crime–brings further depth to the film. As always, Amy Ryan (an Oscar nominee for GONE BABY GONE) perfectly morphs into her role (this time as a prostitute imprisoned in the mental hospital), and the film’s many child actors are compelling to watch.

Bruce a.k.a ‘The Man’ is off to Iraq.  Ooooh there’s some slack assed terrorists about to meet the boom stick.  Maybe a few dozen zombies as well if they get in the way. 

Bruce Campbell and Jeffrey Donovan are off to Iraq today to meet the troops. They will be in Iraq for the following 10 days. You can learn more about the event on the official USO website.

Rumor has it that Bruce is heading east to Afghanistan next to link up with Marcus Atrocious and finally take care of that crap.  With that team I bet all the troops can come home by Christmas.  Both countries will be smoking ruins when they are done.  It’s no big loss, trust me.  What chaps my fourth point of contact is that I won’t be there to join in on the battle cry as they rip start the chainsaws.

National Ledger – Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in The Tourist?

While everyone in the movie business, particularly associated with The Tourist, is likely crossing fingers and toes that this pans out, I’m not so sure I agree.

I know, I’m probably in the minority but I just don’t like Angelina Jolie as an actress. She’s boring. I’ve seen Beyond Borders, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Changeling. I know that’s only three of her many movies, but why would I watch more if I find her boring?

What’s interesting is this. In all three movies, I absolutely loved her male co-stars, or two of them. Beyond Borders was one of the best Clive Owen films I’ve seen. Brad Pitt didn’t bother me nearly as much as usual. And even the villain of Changeling, Jeffrey Donovan, was a saving grace.

Which all bodes well, of course, if Johnny Depp does happen to be in The Tourist. The plot sounds interesting and I watch nearly, yes nearly, everything that Depp does.

So, all in all, I am intrigued and interested though not necessarily excited by the prospects.

Not quite the sweater, and not quite the vest.  Yet the cardigan brings the best of both worlds to the table.  With winter right around the corner, it’s time to start layering.  What better way to spruce up your style than by adding a cardigan into your collection of clothes?  Timberlake did his thing and brought back the vest into mainstream fashion, but now the cardigan’s been on the rise and taking the spotlight with celebrities and fashionistas alike.

I can hear people thinking already “Why would I want to wear one?” Let’s get that question squared away and then we’ll check out a couple of different looks you can start using right away.

Why

• Keeps you warm

• Serves as a great layering piece, either under a jacket or as a standalone for an outer layer.

• Emphasizes the highly regarded silhouette and enhances the desired V-taper guys want from clothes

• Versatility: Can be dressed up and dressed down.  Produces very different looks for very different outfits, making it more of a staple. Basically, more bang for your buck!)

Five Looks You Can Incorporate Now

David Beckham: Photo Courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk

Rugged yet dressy, that’s what this look is all about.  This season is all about combining both hard and soft looks together through different layers.  Flannel shirt and a medium wash pair of jeans brought together with a more casual-styled belt drives home the rugged look.  Combined with the dressy elements of a cardigan and black tie easily ties the looks together.

Tip: Stick with a black tie, it’s a classic that will never go out of style and makes pairing tie and shirt combos easy.

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Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice): Photo Courtesy of Men’s Health

Modern prep, how the cardigan used to be rocked back in the day, now updated.  Gingham button down with a patterned tie, brought together with a cardigan on top.  If you know how to wear a vest, this is exactly the same.  Nothing different from what guys are use to with the vest except the fact that you’ll be warmer and able to play with more looks.  To obtain the same style, unbutton the cuff on your dress shirt, flip it up and push your sleeves up for a more casual vibe.  Stay away from actually rolling up the sleeve, its just more a push, the cardigan’s sleeve should hold everything in place.

Tip: To change it up a bit, have the sleeves pushed up at varying lengths.

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Common (Rapper): Photo Courtesy of BET

For a style that’s fully dressed up and just downright classy.  Some days its just not cold enough to wear a jacket, yet still a bit chilly.  Same as above, wear it like how you would wear a vest.  It’s a great substitute for one and feel free to throw your suit jacket on top.  Think ‘black tie’ event or what you’d wear to work and simply add the cardigan as a layer.

Tip: Make sure the cardigan is the right length where you can show off a quarter inch of cuff.  It adds a nice dash of color to the ensemble that works especially well with dress shirts in vibrant colors!

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Vest + Cardigan: Photo Courtesy of Bijou Living

For those who want to take things to a completely different level.  This not only adds a couple of layers, but adds more dimensions to the look, with varying ‘V’ tapers in the outfit.  Different shades of the same color for both the vest and cardigan will create dimensions in the look that emphasizes style, without making the whole ensemble too loud.  If you wanna dress to impress and stand out from the crowd, here’s one outfit that’ll do just that.

Tip: Button as few buttons on the cardigan as possible, it’ll create more of a contrast between the two items.

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Ryan Reynolds (Van Wilder): Photo Courtesy of Men’s Health

This look is simply casual.  A simple V neck paired with a cardigan with the sleeves pushed up.  Pair it with anywhere from a medium-light wash pair of jeans all the way to dark.  Just make sure you’re boots align with the wash.

Tip: Motorcycle is optional.

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A couple of rules of thumb before you leave

…and a personal tidbit or two

• Go with neutral colors for your first purchase (black, gray, white).  It’ll make things a lot easier to pair up.

• Stick with solid colors.  They have ones with patterns, designs, and graphics.  If you’re a pairing genius then by all means go for those, if not… stick with the solids.  With P,D, and G’s it gives more of a casual vibe, but this can still be achieved with a solid color.

• Buttoned or Unbuttoned.  If buttoned, keep the last button undone.  It’ll sit better this way and prevent this weird bubble in your midsection (aka “I just had a huge meal and gotta a gut” look).  If you look back on the ‘different looks’ section you’ll see what I’m talking about.

• Personally I like a bit of symmetry on what buttons I keep undone. So if one is undone on the bottom, I undo one on top. Same applies for two buttons.

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Be creative when wearing a cardigan.  Test out different looks!  Instead of focusing on just buttoned up or unbuttoned go a step further, play with the number of buttons you have buttoned or unbuttoned.  A good rule of thumb: don’t button the last button.  It’ll flare out, which gives the same appearance of an untucked dress shirt, but more importantly it won’t balloon up in a weird fashion.  But more importantly, have fun and enjoy!

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Las estrellas de Hollywood no son siempre tan rutilantes como estamos acostumbrados a verlas. Drogas, posesión de armas, conducción temeraria, escándalo público, hurto, prostitución, maltratos o elevado índice de alcohol en sangre son algunas de las lindezas que han provocado que rostros muy famosos acabaran siendo detenidos.

Son tantos y tantas los que han acabado esposados que ha sido necesario realizar una pequeña selección, a menudo condicionada por la falta de testimonio gráfico del arresto en cuestión. De ahí que Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ray Liotta, Sean Penn , Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Sylvester Stallone o Roman Polanski, entre muchos otros, se hayan librado de aparecer en esta lista negra.

Tiene derecho a guardar en silencio…

AIDAN QUINN

Quinn fue arrestado por conducir borracho. Dos años después se le declaró culpable, tuvo que pagar 500 dólares de multa y se le retiró el carnet durante tres meses.

AL PACINO

En 1961 y con 21 años Al Pacino fue detenido por estar en posesión de una pistola del calibre 38 y cargada. Parece ser que Pacino pasó tres días en el calabozo y que los cargos fueron retirados posteriormente.

BRAD RENFRO

Tres fueron las veces que el joven Renfro pasó por la comisaría antes de morir en 2008 a los 25 años de edad.

En 1998 fue detenido y acusado por posesión de cocaína y marihuana, en 2000 por intentar robar un yate totalmente drogado y en 2006 cuando quiso comprar heroína a una policía vestido de paisano.

CARMEN ELECTRA

La explosiva Carmen Electra fue detenida en 1999 tras agredir a su ex marido el jugador de la NBA Dennis Rodman.

CHRISTIAN SLATER

Christian Slater también posee un amplio currículum de detenciones. La foto que os mostramos es de diciembre de 1994 cuando fue arrestado en el aeropuerto JFK de Nueva York por tenencia ilícita de armas.

CHRIS KLEIN

Klein, al que pudimos ver en “American Pie” (1999), “American Pie 2″ (2001), “Cuando éramos soldados” (2002) o “El mundo de Leland” (2004), fue detenido en 2005 por conducir borracho. Parece ser que su tasa de alcohol en sangre duplicaba la permitida en el estado de California, lo que le supuso una multa de 1.800 dólares y la obligación de realizar 150 horas de trabajo comunitario.

CHRIS TUCKER

Chris Tucker que interpretó al histérico y excesivo Ruby Rhod de “El quinto elemento” (Luc Besson, 1997)  fue arrestado por exceso de velocidad con el agravante de que no se detuvo ante el aviso de los agentes de policía.

DANIEL BALDWIN

La carrera delictiva de Daniel Baldwin (hermano de Alec) es más prolífica que la cinematográfica. En 1998 fue arrestado por posesión de cocaína tras haberse paseado desnudo por los pasillos del Hotel Plaza de Nueva York. Después de acumular varios arrestos, fue nuevamente detenido en 2006 acusado de haber robado un coche. Aunque posteriormente se demostró que era el vehículo de un amigo, el actor no se libró de pagar una fianza de 20.000 dólares por haber tomado prestado el dichoso coche sin permiso de su colega.

DAVID BOWIE

El cantante y actor David Bowie fue arrestado en 1976 por posesión de marihuana. El “Duque Blanco” se encontraba en un hotel en compañía del también cantante Iggy Pop.

DENNIS HOPPER

En 1975 Hopper sufrió un accidente a consecuencia de su conducción temeraria. Posteriormente fue detenido por no informar a las autoridades de dicho accidente, por huir del lugar de los hechos y por resistencia a la autoridad.

DUDLEY MOORE

Dudley Moore (“10, la mujer perfecta”, “Arthur, el soltero de oro”) fue arrestado en 1994 por violencia de género, aunque su novia, Nicole Richardson, retiró posteriormente los cargos.

EDWARD FURLONG

El John Connor de “Terminator 2″ (1991) y el Danny Vinyard de “American History X” (1998) ha sido otro de esos jóvenes actores que han terminado coqueteando con el alcohol y las drogas. En 2001, Furlong pisó la comisaría en dos ocasiones: una por conducir borracho y otra por hacerlo sin el permiso reglamentario. Este año 2009 su mujer, la actriz Rachel Kneeland, lo ha acusado de agresión y amenazas.

ERIC ROBERTS

Eric Roberts (hermano de Julia) también fue un habitual “visitante” de las comisarías. En 1987 fue arrestado por posesión de cocaína y marihuana y por resistirse a la autoridad. La violencia de género fue el otro delito por el que se le detuvo en 1995.

FATTY ARBUCKLE

La estrella de cine mudo Fatty Arbuckle fue detenido en 1921 como presunto autor de la muerte de la actriz Virginia Rappe. Tras una fiesta en un hotel a la que la joven estaba invitada, comenzó a sentirse mal y murió tres días después de una peritonitis. Una amiga de Rappe y la prensa sensacionalista de la época acusaron falsamente a Arbuckle de ser el causante del fallecimiento por haber violado a la joven con una botella. Aunque fue absuelto, su carrera cinematográfica quedó totalmente arruinada.

FRANK SINATRA

El arresto de Frank Sinatra no deja ser de lo más curioso. Corría el año 1938 y se le detuvo por (parece ser) haber mantenido una relación con una mujer casada. Cómo cambian los tiempos…

GARY DOURDAN

El famoso Warrick Brown de la serie televisiva “C.S.I.” fue detenido cuando pernoctaba en su coche y en el cual se encontró heroína, cocaína, éxtasis y varios tipos de fármacos. Tras pagar una fianza de 5.000 dólares, Dourdan fue puesto en libertad acusado de posesión de narcóticos. El careto de su ficha policial lo dice todo.

GUS VAN SANT

En 2006 el director estadounidense Gus van Sant sufrió un arresto por conducir borracho.

HALEY JOEL OSMENT

El niño que en ocasiones veía muertos a punto estuvo de convertirse en uno de ellos siendo ya mayorcito. Tras estrellar el coche que conducía cerca de su casa, los policías que acudieron al lugar del accidente comprobaron que Osment no sólo iba borracho, sino que hallaron que estaba en posesión de marihuana. En estos momentos es imposible no acordarse de aquel visionario e hilarante vídeo de los de “El informal”.

HEATHER LOCKLEAR

La Sammy Jo de “Dinastía” y la Amanda de “Melrose Place” fue arrestada en 2008 por conducir borracha y con alguna que otra sustancia más en su cuerpo. Aunque se difundió que todo había sido una trampa de una ex empleada de la actriz, el asunto nunca llegó a aclararse. Qué pena que Heather no tuviera tiempo de ir a la peluquería antes de que la fotografiaran para rellenar su ficha policial.

HUGH GRANT

En 1995 Grant fue detenido acusado de conducta indecente (=una prostituta estaba realizándole una felación) y el 2007 volvió a una comisaría de policía por agredir a un paparazzi.

JASON PATRICK

Ir drogado y atacar a uno de los agentes que le detuvieron le supuso un grave problema a Patrick que siempre declaró su inocencia y demandó al susodicho policía. Aunque la oficina del fiscal retiró los cargos, el jurado federal falló a favor del agente.

JEAN FONDA

La reivindicativa Jane Fonda fue arrestada en 1970 en el Aeropuerto Internacional Hopkins de Cleveland. No sólo golpeó a uno de los oficiales de la aduana, sino que en su equipaje se encontraron píldoras de vitaminas y Valium por lo que se le imputó un cargo de tráfico de drogas. Lo absurdo de la acusación se resolvió con un sobreseimiento de los cargos cuando se demostró que esas sustancias eran completamente legales.

JEFFREY DONOVAN

Lo visteis junto a Angelina Jolie en “El intercambio” (Clint Eastwood, 2008) encarnando al Capitán J.J. Jones. El 12 de julio de este año se le detuvo en Miami Beach por conducir borracho y por negarse a realizar la prueba de alcoholemia. Tras pagar 1.000 dólares de fianza, Donovan fue puesto en libertad.

JENNIFER LÓPEZ

La actriz y cantante Jennifer López fue arrestada en 1999  junto a su novio Sean “Puffy” Combs después verse involucrada en un tiroteo en un club nocturno de Manhattan. Tras pasar 14 horas detenida, fue puesta en libertad sin cargos.

JOSH BROLIN

Mientras rodaba la película “W” (2008) de Oliver Stone, Brolin (junto con otros miembros del equipo) acabó con sus huesos en prisión después de haber participado en una pelea en un bar. Tras pagar una fianza de 334 dólares fue puesto en libertad.

JOSHUA JACKSON

Joshua Jackson, que saltó a la fama tras su participación en la serie televisiva ”Dawson crece”, acabó en comisaría en 2002 por soltarle unos cuantos guantazos a un segurata en un partido de hockey.

JULIETTE LEWIS

En comparación con sus otros colegas de profesión, lo de Lewis es una simple anécdota: fue detenida por hallarse en un club nocturno para mayores de edad cuando la actriz sólo tenía 16 años.

KEANU REEVES

En 1993 el futuro Neo de la trilogía “Matrix” fue arrestado por conducir borracho. Reeves tenía 29 años.

KIEFER SUTHERLAND

Kiefer Sutherland, el agente Bauer de la serie televisiva “24”, pasó 48 horas en el calabozo por conducir con unas copichuelas de más lo que le llevó a realizar un cambio de sentido prohibido (estos yanquis fliparían con los vídeos de la DGT). Fue en 2007

LINDSAY LOHAN

La díscola actriz ha sufrido dos arrestos en 2009. En mayo se la detuvo por conducir borracha (estrelló su deportivo contra un seto) y decidió ingresar en una clínica de desintoxicación de la que salió el 5 de octubre pasado. Tres días después Lohan volvía a ser detenida por conducir, nuevamente, bajo los efectos del alcohol y por encontrarse restos de cocaína en su bolsillo. Por más que la amiguísima de Paris Hilton ha declarado que la droga no era suya, ha tenido que desembolsar 30.000 dólares de fianza y deberá comparecer ante el juez.

MACAULAY CULKIN

Uno de esos niños prodigio que no ha sabido crecer en condiciones. En 2004 Culkin fue arrestado por posesión de drogas y quedó en libertad tras pagar una fianza de 6.000 dólares. Atención a su cara de empanado.

MARTIN SHEEN

Parece ser que Martin Sheen, activista declarado, ha sido detenido más de 60 veces por participar en manifestaciones (no autorizadas) de distinta índole. Como no tenemos espacio para incluir 60 fotos, ahí os dejamos éstas dos como muestra.

MATT DILLON

El actor fue detenido en 2008 por exceso de velocidad. No deja de ser paradójico que Dillon fuese nominado al Globo de oro y al Oscar al Mejor Actor Secundario por la película “Crash” (Paul Haggis, 2005)…

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY

En 1999 McConaughey decidió darse unos bailoteos por su barrio completamente desnudo. Al parecer el actor había fumado marihuana (hecho que no pudo ser demostrado, aunque su careto en la foto casi no deja lugar a dudas) y se le arrestó. Tras pagar una fianza de 1.000 dólares, fue puesto en libertad.

MEL GIBSON

El actor-director se ganó una sonora detención (segunda) en 2006 por conducir borracho por una autopista de Malibú. Durante su arresto se comportó de forma violenta e insultante (“los judíos son los responsables de todas las guerras en el mundo”). Después de desembolsar los 5.000 dólares de la fianza y quedar en libertad, Gibson comenzó a recibir ayuda de Alcohólicos Anónimos.

MICHELLE RODRÍGUEZ

Michelle Rodríguez, actriz de la serie televisiva “Perdidos” ha sido arrestada en dos ocasiones. En 2003 se la detuvo por conducir borracha y con el permiso caducado y en 2005, nuevamente, por coger el coche con una copas de más. En esta última detención iba acompañada de Cynthia Watros, otras de las actrices que participan en la serie citada anteriormente.

MICKEY ROURKE

Mickey Rourke ha visitado en dos ocasiones la trena. En 1994 se le detuvo por agredir a la también actriz Carré Otis (su esposa en esos momentos) y en 2007 por conducir su moto en estado de embriaguez.

NICK NOLTE

En 2008 fue arrestado por conducir bajo los efectos del alcohol cuando transitaba por una calle de Malibú. Sobran los comentarios observando el aspecto que presenta Nolte en la foto.

O. J. SIMPSON

Lo de este tío clama al cielo… Después de librarse de la cárcel (que no de pagar una indemnización de 33,5 millones de dólares por daños y perjuicios) tras los asesinatos, en 1994, de su ex mujer Nicole Brown Simpson y el amigo de ésta Ronald Goldman, Simpson fue detenido por el presunto robo de una colección de objetos deportivos en un casino de Las Vegas. Al colega se le acusaba, entre otras lindezas, de robo con arma de fuego, asalto con arma de fuego, conspiración para cometer un hurto y hurto con un arma de fuego.

RANDY QUAID

¿Recordáis a aquel aviador borracho que se convierte en un héroe en los minutos finales de la película ”Independence Day” (1996)? Pues se trata del actor estadounidense Randy Quaid, hemano del también actor Dennis Quaid.

Randy y su esposa Evi fueron detenidos el pasado mes de septiembre de 2009 acusados de estafa por no haber pagado la cuenta de un hotel de Santa Barbara que ascendía a 10.000 dólares. Después de  abonar la fianza, fueron puestos en libertad.

RIP TORN

¿Que quién es este tío con esta pinta tan horrible? Para que os situéis rápidamente Rip Torn es el actor que interpretó a Z en la película “Men in Black” (1997) y en su secuela “Men in Black 2″ (2002). Aquí el amigo fue detenido en 2004 por conducir borracho y volvió a pasar por la comisaría en 2006 tras protagonizar un accidente con su automóvil. Al negarse a someterse a la prueba de alcoholemia, se le acusó de ir ebrio.

RYAN O’NEAL

Durante una investigación que tenía como objetivo a Redmond O’Neal (hijo de Ryan y Farrah Fawcett), la policía registró la casa del actor encontrando metanfetamina. Ambos fueron arrestados por posesión de drogas.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR.

Desde finales de la década de los 80, el actor sucumbió a las drogas y al alcohol. Ya en 1980 asistió por primera vez a un centro de rehabilitación que abandonó al poco tiempo sin obtener ningún resultado.

En 1996 fue arrestado en Los Ángeles por exceso de velocidad; por posesión de marihuana, cocaína, heroína y crack; y por encontrársele una pistola descargada. Fue puesto en libertad condicional tras pagar una fianza, pero antes de ser citado a juicio por esos cargos, fue nuevamente detenido, al entrar por error en casa de su vecina. Había consumido tanto alcohol y droga, que necesitó de asistencia sanitaria para recobrar el conocimiento.

Fue enviado a un centro de rehabilitación mientras estaba a la espera de juicio, pero tan solo cuatro días después, fue detenido por los agentes de seguridad del lugar unas horas después de fugarse.

En 2000 fue arrestado nuevamente por fumar crack y beber alcohol y en 2001 por vagar por las calles bajo los efectos de varios narcóticos.

Parece ser que desde 2002 Downey Jr. ha logrado mantenerse “limpio” y alejado de las cárceles.

RUSSELL CROWE

El actor australiano no se caracteriza precisamente por su paciencia. En 2005 fue arrestado en un hotel de Nueva York después de lanzarle un teléfono a un conserje. Parece ser que Crowe se puso nervioso porque no podía comunicarse con su mujer en Australia.

SAM SHEPARD

El actor (“París, Texas”; “Magnolias de acero”; “El informe pelícano”; ”Black Hawk derribado”; entre otras) y dramaturgo fue detenido por conducir borracho y por exceso de velocidad. Shepard fue puesto en libertad tras pagar una multa de 600 dólares y las costas del juicio y prometer que no volvería a reincidir.

SHIA LaBEOUF

LaBeouf fue detenido por conducir borracho después de chocar contra otro vehículo. A causa de este accidente se retrasó el rodaje de “Transformers 2” (2009).

STEVE McQUEEN

El inolvidable actor de “Los siete magníficos” (1960), “La gran evasión” (1963), “Bullitt” (1968), “La huida” (1972), “Papillon” (1973) o “El coloso en llamas” (1974)  fue detenido en 1972 por conducir ebrio. No se puede negar que a Steve se le ve la mar de “contento”…

TIM ALLEN

Antes de iniciar su carrera cinematográfica, Tim Allen fue arrestado en 1978 en el aeropuerto de Kalamazoo (Michigan) acusado de vender de drogas y en 1979 por posesión. Volvió a ser detenido en 1997 por conducir borracho y por exceso de velocidad.

VINCE VAUGHN

En 2001 Vaughn fue arrestado por participar en una pelea multitudinaria a la salida de un bar.

WESLEY SNIPES

En 2006 Wesley Snipes fue detenido en el aeropuesto de Orlando por evasión de impuestos. Parece ser que el actor le debía al fisco unos míseros 12 millones de dólares…

WINONA RYDER

La cleptómana actriz también ha caído en las redes de la policía por robar en unos grandes almacenes. En la foto podemos observar a Winona durante el juicio en la que fue procesada.

WOODY HARRELSON

En 1982 el actor fue arrestado por desorden público. Parece ser que a Harrelson le dio por pegarse unos bailoteos en medio de la calle entorpeciendo el tráfico. No sólo se resistió a la detención, sino que incluso se escapó del coche de policía que le trasladaba a la comisaría.

YASMINE BLEETH

La actriz Yasmine Bleeth, conocida por participar en la serie televisiva ”Los Vigilantes de la Playa”, fue detenida en 2001 por posesión de cocaína. Tras declararse culpable, se la sentenció a dos años de libertad condicional y a 100 horas de servicios comunitarios.

ZSA ZSA GABOR

En 1989 la actriz fue detenida no sólo por conducir su coche con el carnet de conducir caducado, sino por soltarle una bofetada al agente que le había dado el alto. Curiosamente la Gabor también pasó por la comisaría cuando en Palma de Mallorca se marchó de un local sin pagar la cuenta.

Briony 

Der Womanizer

Bitte Lächeln – und Knips! Machen Sie sich ein Bild von Mode-Fotograf Connor, der seine Freiheit liebt und seine Freundinnen nach Lust und Laune abserviert.

In der Nacht der Ex-Freundinnen führen ihm drei ganz besondere Geister alle seine gescheiterten Beziehungen vor: Der Womanizer.

Auch eine junge Bankangestellte bekommt es mit übernatürlichen Erscheinungen zu tun, als eine alte Zigeunerin sie mit einem mächtigen Fluch belegt. Ob Drag Me to Hell der Verbannung entkommen kann, flüstert Video Buster Ihnen in der Filmkritik.

Gespenstisch geht es dann weiter, denn dort werfen die Halloween-Collection und ein Star aus Trick’r Treat ihre Schatten voraus.

Top-Film: Der Womanizer
Der Junggeselle Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) gehört zu den Typen, die drei Freundinnen den Laufpass geben. Gleichzeitig. Per Telefonkonferenz. Auf der Hochzeitsfeier seines Bruders hat er also nur ein Ziel: Er will die einzige Brautjungfer herumkriegen, die er bisher irgendwie übersehen hat… Filmperlen Bewertung ***

Filmkritik: Drag Me to Hell
Verflucht! Sam Raimi kehrt zurück in unsere heimischen Player. Höllisch gut oder zum Gruseln schlecht?

TOP 10 bei Video Buster:
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Hugh Jackman schlüpft wieder in die Rolle, die ihn zum Superstar machte: Wolverine – der Mann mit den unverkennbaren Stahlklingen, bemerkenswerten Selbstheilungskräften, ruppigem Charme und einer gehörigen Portion trockenem Humor. ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ erzählt die Vorgeschichte Logans mit Augenmerk auf seine mysteriöse Vergangenheit, seine komplexe Beziehung zu Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) und das ominöse Weapon X-Programm. Der Zuschauer erfährt, wer Wolverine wirklich ist.

Slumdog Millionär
Für Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) ist es der größte Tag seines bisherigen Lebens. Nur noch eine Frage trennt ihn vom 20 Millionen Rupien-Hauptgewinn in Indiens TV- Show ‘Wer wird Millionär?’. Doch was in aller Welt hat ein mittelloser Youngster aus den Slums von Mumbai in dieser Sendung verloren? Und wie kommt es, dass er auf alle Fragen eine Antwort weiß…

Duplicity
CIA-Offizier Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) und MI6-Agent Ray Koval (Clive Owen) standen früher im Geheimdienst ihrer Regierungen. Derzeit haben sie in die Privatwirtschaft gewechselt, um mit lukrativen Verträgen das meiste aus dem Kalten Krieg herauszuholen. Beide jagen jeweils für ihre Bosse Tully (Tom Wilkinson) und Garsik (Paul Giamatti) einem milliardenschweren Patent nach. Keiner ahnt, dass sie eine heimliche Affäre und eigene Pläne haben…

Männersache
Tagsüber arbeitet Paul (Mario Barth) in einer Berliner Zoohandlung und abends an seiner Karriere als Komiker. Zugegeben, seine Auftritte laufen mies… bis Paul anfängt, Witze über seinen besten Freund Hotte (Dieter Tappert) und dessen Freundin Susi (Anja Kling) zu reißen. Auf einmal läuft es auf der Bühne: Pauls Gags über Hottes Beziehungsgeschichten, nicht enden wollende Shopping-Orgien von Susi und den Pärchen Kaffeeklatsch bei den Schwiegereltern sind ein Renner…

The International
Im Mittelpunkt steht die Entschlossenheit von Interpol-Agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) und der New Yorker Staatsanwältin Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), eine der mächtigsten Banken der Welt zu Fall zu bringen. Während sie eine Reihe illegaler Aktivitäten aufdecken, folgen Salinger und Whitman der Spur des Geldes von Berlin nach Mailand, New York und Istanbul. Bald schon befinden sie sich mitten in einer hochriskanten Hetzjagd rund um den Globus, bei der sie durch ihre kompromisslose Hartnäckigkeit auch ihr eigenes Leben aufs Spiel setzen…

Defiance – Unbeugsam
Kriegsjahr 1941: Zu Tausenden werden Juden in der Sowjetrepublik Weißrussland von den Nazis ermordet. Darunter auch die Eltern und weitere Familienangehörige der drei Bielski-Brüder. Um ihre nackte Haut zu retten, fliehen sie in die undurchdringlichen Wälder der Umgebung. Als sich die Kunde ihres Partisanenkampfes gegen die deutschen Besatzer verbreitet, stoßen immer mehr verzweifelte jüdische Landsleute zu ihnen. Unter der Leitung von Tuvia Bielski bereitet sich die Notgemeinschaft auf die unabsehbar lange Zeit im Versteck und den harten Winter vor…

Willkommen bei den Sch’tis
Der Postbeamte und Südfranzose Philippe Abrams (Kad Merad) wird unfreiwillig in den rauen Norden versetzt – zu den Sch’tis, wie die ‘Ureinwohner’ wegen ihres Dialekts genannt werden. Zwei Welten prallen aufeinander! Schnell merkt Philippe, dass er den Sch’ti-Dialekt zwar überhaupt nicht versteht, die Menschen aber unglaublich herzlich sind…

Der fremde Sohn
Los Angeles, 1928. Die alleinerziehende Mutter Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) verabschiedet sich morgens von ihrem Sohn Walter und geht zur Arbeit. Am Abend ist der Neunjährige spurlos verschwunden. Fünf verzweifelte Monate später bringt ihr die Polizei einen Jungen, doch Christine ist überzeugt: das ist nicht ihr Sohn! Die Behörden tun alles, um Christine zum Schweigen zu bringen, aber die kämpft unbeirrt weiter. Ihre Suche nach der Wahrheit bringt einen Sumpf aus Korruption und Lügen ans Licht, erschüttert die Öffentlichkeit und verändert L.A. für immer…

Appaloosa
Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) und Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) werden als Unterstüzung gegen die Herrschaft des Ranchers Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons) in einer kleinen Stadt angeheuert. Schnell bekommen sie die Situation in Griff. Als jedoch die junge attraktive Witwe Allison French (Renée Zellweger) anreist, ändern sich die Pläne für die beiden…

Hilde

Hilde
Hildegard Knef geht einen langen Weg, bis sie zu sich selbst findet: Aus bedrückenden familiären Verhältnissen gelingt ihr der Sprung in die Schauspielausbildung, doch in den letzten Kriegswirren zählt nur mehr das blanke Überleben. Nach Filmerfolgen und Fehlgriffen, falschen und richtigen Männern, lähmender Langeweile in Hollywood und einer turbulenten Hass-Liebe mit dem deutschen Publikum muss die Kämpfernatur Hilde lernen, dass manchmal andere Dinge zählen als der Ellenbogenkampf im Showbiz: In ihrer eigenen Geschichte und im Inneren ihrer Seele findet sie die Substanz für die ‘Hilde’, auf die sie selbst aber auch das deutsche Publikum immer gewartet hat… Einer der deutschen Lebenswege nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Hildegard Knef war die Sünderin, ein Kinotraum, ein Weltstar, eine Ikone. Und sehr, sehr cool. Dies ist ihr Leben.

Filmperlen-Tipps zu Halloween
Die lange (Film-) Nacht des Grauens…
Ob Sie nun einen privaten Halloween-Abend planen und zu Ihrer orange-schwarzen Dekoration neben einem ekeligen Büffet mit Kürbissuppe noch die richtig unheimliche Filmkost reichen möchten, oder sich ganz einfach mal wieder im Heimkino erschrecken lassen wollen: Video Buster hat viele höllisch gute Vertreter und einige ‘Geist-reiche’ Filmvorschläge versammelt. Grausige Gestalten, schauderhafte Schauplätze, mörderische Träume. Nebel zieht auf… das Böse stirbt nie. Oder doch?
Bloß nicht erschrecken lassen – buh!
Freitag, der 13. (2009) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Der Fluch der 2 Schwestern (2009)
Der Nebel (2007) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Das Omen (2006) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
The Descent (2005)
Saw (2004)
Gothika (2003)
Ring (2002) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Haus der 1000 Leichen (2002)
Final Destination (2000)
Das Geisterschloss (1999) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Haunted Hill (1999) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Blair Witch Project (1999) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Scream – Schrei! (1996) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Candyman’s Fluch (1992)
Stephen King’s ES (1990) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Friedhof der Kuscheltiere (1989)
Nightmare on Elm Street – Mörderische Träume (1984)
Poltergeist (1982)
Tanz der Teufel (1982)
Stanley Kubricks Shining (1980) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
The Fog – Nebel des Grauens (1980) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Amityville Horror (1979) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Carrie – Des Satans jüngste Tochter (1976) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Das Omen (1976) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Die Wiege des Bösen (1974) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Der Exorzist (1973) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Rosemary’s Baby (1968) Filmperlen Bewertung ****
Night of the living dead – Die Nacht der lebenden Toten (1968)
Tanz der Vampire (1967) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Der schwarze Abt (1963)
Freaks – Missgestaltete (1932)
Dracula (1931) Filmperlen Bewertung ***
Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922). Filmperlen Bewertung ***    Mehr über Video Buster erfahren Sie hier:  Video Buster – Erleben Sie Hollywood mit dem Filmtipp der Woche!

Data
Title: Changeling
Year: 2008
Length: 141 minutes
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Starring: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan
Music: Clint Eastwood
Distinctions: currently #232 on IMDb’s Top 250

My reaction
Synopsis: the LAPD gives the mother of a missing child the wrong kid and insist it’s the right one
How I saw it: on video (rented from Netflix), yesterday
Concept: Great. The one time I’m not against “based on a true story” stories: when it’s so bizarre and unbelievable that you would never buy it as fiction.
Story: Good. Great plot, but only so-so writing.
Characters: Bad.
Dialog: Indifferent. According to the IMDb’s trivia, a number of lines are recycled from Babylon 5 (which was written by the same guy). That sounds about right.
Pacing: Terrible. Easily twice as long as it should be.
Cinematography: Indifferent. Looks nice, but unmemorable.
Special effects/design: Great.
Acting: Good.
Music: Bad. Not bad music (and let’s give some credit to Eastwood – writing a mediocre film score is no small task), but bad for the movie.
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay). Interesting story, and more emotionally resonant than most Eastwood-directed movies, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Objective Rating: 6/10 (Okay) 2.2/4 (Okay).

Oh, for the days of our youth when Richard Dean Anderson taught us that all you really need to make it in this world is a little floss, some duct tape and a whole lot of chutzpah. Huh. Until Google told me otherwise, I always thought there was an “s” in there somewhere.

Luckily for the children of the oughts, there’s a new MacGyver to teach us how to wreak havoc and free hostages with only household supplies on hand. That man? Is Michael Westen, the super-smokin’-hot protaganist of Burn Notice.

Also, have I mentioned he dresses realllllly well?

Here he is, folks, the man of Selma and Patty's dreams.

What happens when you pit old-school vs. new-school?

Let’s find out.

Physicality? Well, if I had to rate them, which I do, because I’m making myself do it, Michael Westen would be a 10 on the super-smokin’-hotness scale, which only goes up to 5. MacGyver would be a 5, and that’s mostly nostalgia talking. I’m not saying he’s not hot, because he is, I’m saying he’s not as super-smokin’-hot as Michael Westen. Which is why this round’s winner is Michael Westen.

Rocks a mullet? Oh, MacGyver. Women wrote odes to your flowing tresses, and they all managed to fit the phrase “business in the front, party in the back” into them. Winner? MacGyver.

Is friends with Bruce Campbell? Look, I know Bruce Campbell’s Burn Notice character’s name is Sam Axe, which is an awesome, nay, a spectacularly awesome name, but when you see Bruce Campbell, do you think of any name but Bruce Campbell? No you do not, because he is Bruce Campbell, and also a god. And, as far as I can tell from his imdb page, he was never on MacGyver. Winner? Michael “Friends with Bruce Campbell” Westen.

I stand by my previous assertions that Bruce Campbell is a god.

Blows shit up? Ermm, my memory is a little foggy, and my go-to guy Google is of no help here, but I’m not sure MacGyver ever blew things up, except possibly in a credit card commercial. Michael Westen and his little friend Fi, however, blow shit up constantly. They blow shit up like mad. It’s like blowing shit up is their specialty. Winner? Michael “I blow shit up” Westen.

Uses household products for nefarious … er, I mean “moral” purposes? Look, Michael Westen is always telling us how to use cell phones as bugs or how to make explosives out of cake mix or what-have-you, but he almost always has one little mystery ingredient that keeps the parents of stupid kids from suing the USA network. And that one little mystery ingredient is almost certainly not a household product. MacGyver, however, did not have access to such products, and thus hotwired a car with toothpaste one time. (Note: this scenario almost certainly never happened in an episode in MacGyver, but, if it didn’t, it should have.) Winner? Mac “Mad Improvisation Skillz” Gyver.

Former spy? Oh, for MacGyver, there’s no “former” about it. He’s all secret agent man, all the time. Winner? *Gasp* MacGyver.

Lokifire can spell your name? You don’t know how many “u”s I’ve had to remove from MacGyver. (Between the G and the y, if you were wondering.) Michael Westen, I didn’t get wrong once. Winner? Michael “Name Recognition” Westen.

Since I only put in that last category out of a deep-seated (seeded?) preference for Michael Westen, it seems only fair that we have a tiebreaker. The tiebreaker? How sweet is your ride, g-man? MacGyver mostly drove jeeps or jeep-like vehicles or pickup trucks during the course of the television show. Although he did rent a Mustang once, which fills Lokifire with so much joy! But Michael Westen inherited his dad’s 1973 Charger, which is one big fat muscle car all the time, MacGyver. Winner? Michael. Westen.

Michael Westen's car also gets to hang out with Bruce Campbell, making it the luckiest car ever.

Originally planned as a Ron Howard project, 2008’s Changeling winds up making use of Clint Eastwood’s meticulous direction and is a careful, interesting film. Based on real life events in 1928 Los Angeles, Changeling tackles an abundance of themes but manages to not feel overly crowded. It can be an exhausting ordeal, much like the experience of the lead character, but remains an ultimately rewarding motion picture from Eastwood.

With a script by J. Michael Straczynski, Changeling is based on the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders. In the real case, Gordon Stewart Northcott abducted his 13-year-old nephew, Sanford Clark. When Clark was eventually discovered by police in California, he informed them that he had been forced to help Gordon and his mother kill several young boys. One of the boys was Walter Collins, whose mother Christine Collins is used as the focus of the film.

Angelina Jolie plays Christine Collins. One day her son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) goes missing and she reports the case to the police, only to discover that the LAPD has a sort of 24-hour “waiting period” on missing children. After a few agonizing months, the police inform Christine that they have found her son alive. She meets the boy and immediately tells police, who are looking to clear up a public relations nightmare, that the boy is not hers. Captain Jones (Jeffrey Donovan) coerces Christine to take the boy home on a “trial basis.”

Christine discovers that the boy the police have presented her with is circumcised and shorter than her son, so she pursues it with Captain Jones who tosses her aside to avoid more bad PR for the department. Christine is persistent and her case eventually becomes the cause of Rev. Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich), a fiery preacher with a mission to expose the corruption of the LAPD. Christine’s battle is a nightmare, as she is transferred to a mental institution for troubling the police.

Changeling works beautifully as an account of the swirling events overtaking Christine. While she is locked away in the mental institution, she discovers that it is common practice for the LAPD to simply discard women that are troubling. Meanwhile, a boy named Sanford Clark (Eddie Alderson) turns up and informs Detective Ybarra (Michael Kelly) of the aforementioned killings. This blows yet another door of the case wide open and the LAPD finds it difficult to control the storm that follows.

Changeling is about how events spiral out of control and how quickly things can get out of hand. It is about the corruption of the police force, about sexism and about missing a child. Eastwood handles these various themes well, never giving the impression that he or anyone else is merely spinning plates. Instead, Changeling is an operation of what Roger Ebert describes as “an uncoiling of outrage.” Try to remain contained as you witness the cops lie and sidestep. Try not to feel Christine’s anger.

This is a movie that moves forward, adding complications and possibilities as it gathers steam. It meanders through the avenues of chance as it should, with many questions as to whether or not Walter is alive dividing the road ahead. Jolie is excellent at the centre of the maelstrom, while other performers give her sublime support. Especially of note are Alderson’s emotional portrayal of Sanford as a boy crippled with regret and guilt and the deviously simple casting of Jason Butler Harner as Gordon Northcott. The movie makes no mention of his mother’s involvement in the crimes, likely for dramatic simplicity.

Changeling is a fascinating motion picture directed and scored wonderfully by one of the finest working directors of our time. Eastwood is always careful piecing things together and between this film and Gran Torino, it’s safe to say that 2008 found him having a very good year behind the camera.

8.9/10

Trailer:

Can he outsmart Michael Westen?

Garret Dillahunt, most recently seen on the short-lived ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’, is set to appear on an upcoming episode of USA’s hit series ‘Burn Notice’.The actor will play Simon, an intelligent new client of Jeffrey Donovan’s character, Michael. Dillahunt has also guest-starred on ‘CSI:’, ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’, ‘Lie to Me’ and ‘Criminal Minds’ last season.

The episode is set to air this winter when the show returns to complete its third season.

‘Burn Notice’ stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar and Bruce Campbell.

Over on FOX,  ‘Sons of Tucson’ is going through major changes. All three of the show’s kids are being replaced by different actors. Young actor Matthew Levy will fill in the role of Brandon Gunderson, the oldest brother. His credits include ‘The Misinvention of Milo Weatherby’ and ‘Farewell Darkness’.

The single-camera comedy is about three young brothers who hire a hustler (played by ‘Reaper’s’ Matthew Labine) to act as their father, while their biological one is in prison. The show is set to premiere midseason on FOX, and goes into production next month.

Let's just update their wardrobe a tad, and this will be the best HBO series ever. Whaddya mean, HBO doesn't want it anymore? Go to hell, HBO. Go to hell with Norton.

Word on the street, or the internets, which is like the street now, except for less traffic and all that pesky leaving your house and the like, is that Sam Mendes plans to make a Preacher movie!

Of course, since they’ve been planning to make a Preacher movies since the ’90s, with suggestions for casting Jesse Custer as widely varied and generally craptacular as Ben Affleck to James “Cyclops” Marsden (wait, that’s not widely varied at all. It’s the opposite of that), I’m not exactly holding my breath. I am, however, cautiously optimistic. A bit. Ish.

In the meantime, however, let’s make a list!

Preacher: the most perfect cast ever!

Seriously, all I can think about now is hearing this man say "I swear" with a Texas accent.

1. Jesse Custer: Jeffrey Donovan of Burn Notice. He’s no Ben Affleck, but — oh, no, wait. “He’s no Ben Affleck” is his selling point.

2. Tulip O’Hare: I could recommend Gabriel Anwar just to keep the whole Burn Notice theme going, but she’s kind of scrawny, so I want someone with a little more brawn. Which is why I’m going to suggest Yvonne Strahovski from Chuck. She’s beautiful, and I believe that she could truly kick everyone’s ass 12 ways from Sunday, if that is indeed a cliche.

3. Cassidy: Someone recommended Guy Pearce, who would be good, but I think once I said it should be Edward Norton, and I stand by that. Unless they can get Robert Carlyle, and then they should. In fact, go to hell, Norton.

4. Saint of Killers: At first I thought the only option was bringing John Wayne back from the dead, but then I realized Clint Eastwood is John Wayne brought back from the dead.

5. Arseface: Hey, that Zac Efron kid was looking to be taken seriously as an actor, right? Playing a disfigured Kurt Cobain fan is just the ticket! Just make sure to flashback to his pretty, pretty face. (Soooo pretty!)

6. Herr Starr: Patrick Stewart. Mostly for the baldness, partly for the Jean-Luc Picardness.

7.  Genesis: Do not go with some craptastic CGI for this thing. We need whoever makes Guillermo del Toro’s monsters and we need them stat.

8. Jody: I’ve heard the name “Woody Harrelson” tossed around for this guy, but since I hate him for the whole “Zombies made me hit the paparrazzi” thing, like, take pride in your papparazzi beating, dude, I’m going to have to say let’s poach another Chuck actor instead: Adam Baldwin. I fear/love him. Flove?

9. Gran’ma: Does Elizabeth Taylor still act? Or breathe? She would be good.

10. God: Just … not Alanis Morrissette, okay?

“‘Burn Notice’ At Comic Con: It IS A Sci-Fi Show”

On the heels of the electrifying panel, Entertainment Weekly’s Wonder Women, next up in Ballroom 20 was the “Burn Notice” panel moderated by Michael Shanks (”Stargate SG-1″).

After the fans recovered from their elation upon discovering Michael Shanks, who played both Victor on “Burn Notice” and Daniel on “Stargate SG-1″, would be moderating the panel, things only got more outrageous with Bruce Campbell stealing the spotlight at every opportunity.

First up, there was a short video introduction by Jeffrey Donovan, who plays Michael Weston,  providing spy tips for Comic-Con attendees, such as:  if you have 2 panels you want to attend that are at the same time, how to create a delay tactic with technical difficulties.  But he concluded with a final warning that this technique should not be employed on a panel where a spy was presenting as both sabotage and sneaking out of a spy’s panel could be potentially hazardous.

Continue reading article here:

LINK: http://nicegirlstv.com/2009/08/06/burn-notice-at-comic-con-it-is-a-sci-fi-show/

Bruce Campbell

I finally got around to trying out USA’s Burn Notice. I honestly wish I done so earlier. Although, I don’t think I really knew what it was about before I started watching. I probably would have never even looked at it if Tenillypo hadn’t recommended it. In my opinion, the network could have done a better job promoting the show. Then again, its charm is something I believe  you need to experience in order to appreciate.

The main character, Michael Weston, used to be a spy before he was “burned,” which means he was basically fired and wiped from the government records. It was done without warning or cause.  It is the catalyst for Michael’s primary objective: to figure out who burned him and why. While doing so, he uses his special set of skills to help a client solve a problem in each episode. These are often people who would otherwise not have the means or connections to change their situation. Michael seems to help them out of compassion and a sense of justice.

He works with Fiona,  an ex-girlfriend who has a similar set of skills and a short fuse, and Sam, a friend who is a former Navy seal and an FBI informant. They all have light playful relationships that make watching them enjoyable. Their loyalty to each other is palpable – if one of them needs help with a job, the others are there to help, no questions asked.

Michael’s family is also often thrown in the mix. His mother uses guilt to try and work Michael and it’s easy to see where he gets his power of persuasion from. This is often portrayed in a comedic way and their love for each other is always obvious. His brother has gambling problems and is in and out, often needing Michael to get him out of trouble.  His father died, but he continues to be an active presence in the family, with the entire family carrying baggage from his abuse during their childhood.

Michael Weston may be one of the most bad-ass characters I have ever seen. He is confident, versatile, cool under any circumstance and blows stuff up on a regular basis. Did I mention he is super hot? When I first saw Jeffrey Donovan I didn’t think much about how he looked. When watching him as Michael Weston, I have to fan myself on a regular basis. He oozes sex appeal.

Michael and Fiona have enough sexual tension to keep their relationship interesting. There is a little “will they/won’t they” to their relationship, but it isn’t the central focus of the show. Fiona is just as talented and strong as Michael. She keeps up with him and is always portrayed as his peer. Let’s hear it for gender equality! She can be a loose cannon, but I like that about her. She is a big personality and does not apologize for it.

It all comes down to this – if you like shoot outs, disguises, spying, explosions, fun accents and hot people you will most likely enjoy this show.

So last night’s Burn Notice aired.  By the way, I am a huge fan of the show, don’t get me wrong.  But this finale was really a lack luster regular episode.

I was expecting more explosions, more action, more of something!  Something, anything!  Now while it did have its moments, like Michael sending the Buick off of the top deck of the parking garage to foil Fi and her brother’s attempt of taking down the Irish terrorists.  Or when the terrorist group breaks into the safe house and takes Fiona, shoots the brother, and leaves Michael for someone else.  Those were great, but it just wasn’t enough.

Like the finales before this season’s, I was hoping for that last minute “OMG!  I forgot to breathe!” moments.  Like Michael almost getting blown up by that bomb triggered on his loft’s door, or when he jumps from the helicopter into the Atlantic Ocean…

Oh well, we will just have to wait for the new season to start January 7th, 2010.

What did YOU think of last night’s finale?  Comment below!

“Long Way Back”

August 6th, 2009

One of the downsides of USA Network’s season structure is that show operate in the form of shortened half-seasons, and that their quintissential summer series Burn Notice only airs half of its season during the summer. As a result, last night’s summer finale of Burn Notice feels slightly bittersweet, like saying goodbye just as the season was really picking up steam (which isn’t to say it really struggled early, but just the nature of momentum).

“Long Way Back” is an episode that is very blatant in its thematic content, picking up where we left off last week as Fiona prepares to head back to Ireland and in the process unlocks a firestorm of pent-up aggression in a certain collection of bloodthirsty hooligans, a new emotion or two for Michael, and a nice collection of events for us as viewers. In the end, the episode goes about where you’d expect it to, but in the vein of previous finales there are more than enough complications present for us to question the stability of the entire series by episode’s end.

This is, of course, an episode about dealing with saying goodbye, something that Michael Westen is too good at. This is someone who, because of his job, has no worldly possessions outside of firearms, an emotional disconnection that may be most recently the result of his time in the CIA but stems back to his father’s influence on his life. When his mother attempts to sell the family home, she presumes that Michael won’t mind: after all, he hated the house and all of the memories that were in it, and it was representative of the life he ran away from when he became a spy. It’s the reason why going to his mother when he returned to Miami was so hard for Michael; it wasn’t that she was annoying (although Madeline rode that line in the very beginning), but rather that family was never a source of comfort for Michael.

However, this episode was all about how Michael has changed, a point which drives him further away from returning to the CIA and back towards Fiona and his life in Miami. Everyone knew that it was coming, let’s make this entirely clear: there was no way Fiona was heading back to Ireland, and there was no way Michael was actually going to join the CIA again. As a result, this episode can really only be judged on how successfully they managed to create a scenario whereby Fiona’s departure would be complicated, and where Michael would have to come to terms with her departure and how it relates to the question of his return to the CIA.

Ultimately, I thought that they achieved this goal with a fair deal of success, although it wasn’t always smooth. I have some issues with how they more or less made Michael’s decision for him with the extremity of Strickler’s behaviour in the episode. Yes, Michael eventually had to make the decision to kill Strickler to be able to save Fiona, therefore giving up any chance of getting back into the CIA, but I think it would have been even more powerful if Strickler hadn’t already been asking Michael to lie about what had actually happened. I understand why Strickler’s micro-managing of the truth was there, so as to make him appear even more shady, but I think that if Strickler’s machinations had remained somewhat more subtle until that final moment it would have made Michael’s decision that much harder, and that much more effective. It’s not as if the decision itself was that controversial, as the audience is bound to dislike Strickler’s cocky attitude, and while the consequences are heavy (as the end of the episode shows) I don’t think they’re so heavy that questions about whether killing Strickler was necessary would compromise too greatly our respect for Michael.

But overall, I thought they really hit the right notes here. Yes, Madeline selling the house was a bit much in terms of reinforcing Michael’s loss of the home he’d built in Miami, but I thought it helped tie everything together to something beyond Fiona, and the actual Fiona side of the storyline was so strong that it was hard not to love. Whether it was Michael being forced to step back into his cover I.D. at a moment’s notice in order to maintain Fiona’s brother’s trust (the Irish are not so much with foreigners, especially those who were posing as Irishmen), or the Fiona’s realization that there were really that many people who wanted her dead or worse back in Ireland, things began to unravel in a way that was predictable but never boring. Learning Strickler’s involvement part way through was a nice twist on things, and there was some strong tension in Sean’s explosiveness coupled with Michael being somewhat distracted by everything else going on around him. When we finally got to the conclusion, as Michael was able to plant the bomb on the boat and rescue Fiona, it felt like a legitimate conclusion to that particular story, and one that in its events really did convince me that Michael would be willing to give up the CIA gig in favour of the woman he loves.

What really works about the finale, though, is that it doesn’t really end at all: Diego’s death at the hands of whoever is coming to replace Strickler and discover what went wrong in Miami is the kind of mystery that Michael admits at episode’s end is most dangerous, and I think that’s really good for this point in the season. Part of what made Detective Paxson so frustrating earlier in the season was that there were no consequences from her departure, and Strickler is by far the more interesting individual to emerge now that Michael isn’t nearly as protected as he used to be in terms of who knows he’s a spy and who doesn’t. And while Sean, who I enjoyed quite a bit for a recurring guest star, insists he’ll keep the Irish off their backs for a while, this doesn’t mean that it will work, which creates another chance for more problems in the future.

I guess the whole point of this finale, then, was to return the show to a place where uncertainty was a bit more certain, and where there is a clearer sense of danger rather than nuisance on the horizon. On that front, I think the finale was a definite success, although waiting until January is going to be a killer.

Cultural Observations

• Sam didn’t get too much to do here, but it was nice seeing the Buick (which we’ve seen a lot of) get one final moment of glory flying off of that parking structure. Poor Mrs. Reynolds (and, you know, poor Sam). I also enjoyed “Don’t tell her I said that,” after Sam promised to rescue Fiona should something happen to Michael.
• Bloodthirsty hooligan is definitely a favourite Chyron of mine.
• I have to wonder how easy it would be to recreate a bombing signature from a pretty simple Interpol report, but if anyone can do it I figure it would be Michael and Fiona.
• When the show returns, we’re getting Tyne Daly opposite Sharon Gless – it’ll give the show a shot at an Emmy, considering Daly reputation, so there’s that at least to be excited about…plus, you know, the people dying and Michael being in mortal danger thing. That’ll be neat too, I reckon.