You know the times you spend just looking at people in the street or on trains and busses and wondering who they are?

I’m talking about the times you find yourself sat on the fountain in Stevenage town centre or the statue at picadilly or using the underground at King’s X and you look up at a stranger and find yourself wondering what their story is or where they are going? and how come they ended up crossing your path as they do now? You end up wondering about the millions of people around you and how they come to interact and who they are?

 Everyone does this, it’s a healthy extension of our own wonderment and imagination, some people give it the moniker of ‘people watching’ and people do it differently, some watch people in a detective style trying to work out by their clothes and demeanour who they are and what they do, they use clues such the subject’s briefcase and choice of vocabulary or even the expense of their wristwatch to try and gauge what they do for a living or where they are from and they delight in the knowledge they can garner from even the smallest of clues.

 But this is tediously boring and even slightly creepy in my humble opinion and whilst it is fascinating how much information you can gain about someone if you really look at them the real pleasure in people watching comes from making up stories and inventing the histories and missions of those strangers who cross your path. I’m guessing that there’s a few of you who read that last sentence who know exactly what I’m talking about.

Without exception everyone I have spoken to about this has fantasized, actually that’s too strong a word, has conjured up stories about a stranger in their imagination to while away the time and the most common themes tend to be about those strangers really being spies and secret assassins or other secret sections of society their humble briefcases containing much more than office stationary and a packed lunch, instead these mild mannered middle class commuters on public transport or passing you as you gaze out of the window of some bland eatery are actually carrying everything from unstable plutonium stolen to make nuclear missiles to silenced pistols and lethal poisons as they headed towards downing street.

If you have ever seen Ocean’s 13 where they steal the Faberge egg from a bland looking backpacker taking public transport whilst a convoy of impressive looking black cars distracts the attention of any would be thief then you will be able to understand that we never know what people have in their bags or who they really are or what they are doing. We can’t ever really know but it is a human tendency to wonder.

 We all know why we people watch, even if you’ve never really thought about it – because its our imagination drifting out into our surroundings making them more interesting for a while. People watching and giving others stories takes the tedium out of everyday life helping to pass the time when we’re doing something mundane and are surrounded by others doing the same and its directly connected to our sense of wonder which we should never ever lose.

In fact I can’t help but wonder about the lives I have lead in other people’s imaginations without ever knowing it – I wonder what they saw in me and where I was going in their imaginations?

 If you have any running themes that you tend to imagine when you people watch or anything you do when in these situations or thoughts on what I’ve written then please share them as its always good to know that even the odd little things we do we ALL do together. Da Hui

Ecco gli ascolti, basati sui dati forniti quotidianamente da Auditel, dei programmi di prima serata di ieri, e a seguire una guida completa dei programmi in onda sui canali in chiaro e a pagamento di questa sera, lunedì 2 novembre 2009. Per maggiori informazioni sulla programmazione televisiva visitate le sezioni Telefilm News, Cartoon News, Sat News e Dig News, per esprimere la vostra opinione utilizzate la sezione settimanale TelePagelle.

DOMENICA 1° NOVEMBRE 2009

IERI SERA… Grande successo, con oltre 7,7 milioni di spettatori e quasi il 32% di share, per la prima parte della miniserie di produzione internazionale in prima visione su RaiUno “Pinocchio” con Robbie Kay e Luciana Littizzetto, che ha stracciato tutti gli altri programmi della serata. Tengono testa alla fiction le serie poliziesche in prima visione su RaiDue “NCIS – Unità anticrimine” e “Criminal Minds”, addirittura in crescita rispetto a domenica scorsa; positiva la prima visione del film storico di Italia 1 “300″ con Gerard Butler; in calo il programma di RaiTre “Report” con Milena Gabanelli, dedicato ieri ai treni italiani; pessimo risultato su Canale 5 per la prima visione del film d’azione “Ocean’s 13″ con George Clooney e Brad Pitt, che non raggiunge nemmeno i 2 milioni e mezzo di spettatori e l’11,5% di share; in salita la serie poliziesca tedesca di Rete 4 “Siska” con Wolfgang Maria Bauer; infine, il film western “La via del West” con Kirk Douglas, in replica su La 7 con 680.000 spettatori (3,12%).

LA PRIMA SERATA (ore 20.30/22.30)

	PUBBLICO	SHARE %
	7.200.000	26,62
	2.675.000	9,89
	3.404.000	12,58
	183.000	0,68
	13.461.000	49,77
	4.116.000	15,22
	2.983.000	11,03
	1.884.000	6,97
	165.000	0,61
	9.149.000	33,83
	495.000	1,83
Altri canali terrestri	1.769.000	6,54
Canali satellitari	2.173.000	8,03
TOTALE	27.046.000	100,00

A seguire alcune segnalazioni sugli ascolti disponibili della prima serata di ieri, e per concludere una guida alla TV di questa sera sui principali canali in chiaro e a pagamento.

I CANALI RAI E MEDIASET

• Alle 20.42 il gioco “Affari tuoi” (6.221.000 spettatori – 22,48%). Alle 21.32 la prima parte del film TV fantastico “Pinocchio” (7.723.000 spettatori – 31,79%).
• Alle 21.02 l’episodio 8 “La talpa” della sesta stagione inedita della serie poliziesca NCIS – Unità anticrimine (2.813.000 spettatori – 10,01%). Alle 21.48 l’episodio 10 “Fratelli di sangue” della quarta stagione inedita della serie poliziesca Criminal Minds (3.059.000 spettatori – 11,66%).
• Alle 20.31 il varietà “Che tempo che fa” (4.164.000 spettatori – 15,20%, preceduto alle 20.08 da un’anteprima con 2.502.000 spettatori – 10,11%). Alle 21.35 la quarta puntata “Treni Italia” del programma “Report” (2.745.000 spettatori – 11,76%).
• Alle 20.46 la prima puntata del varietà “Striscia la Domenica” (5.344.000 spettatori – 19,21%). Alle 21.38 il film d’azione “Ocean’s 13” (2.426.000 spettatori – 11,49%).
• Alle 19.19 il film d’avventura “Wild Wild West” (2.367.000 spettatori – 9,69%). Alle 21.25 il film storico “300” (2.900.000 spettatori – 12,39%). Alle 23.44 il film di fantascienza “Resident Evil” (867.000 spettatori – 13,96%).
• Alle 19.40 l’episodio “Un delitto perfetto” della serie poliziesca Colombo (1.940.000 spettatori – 7,57%). Alle 21.30 l’episodio “Un amore non corrisposto” della serie poliziesca tedesca Siska (1.641.000 spettatori – 6,10%).

LA FORMULA 1
G.P. di Abu Dhabi – cronaca della gara
Gara (RaiUno, ore 13.55): 4.675.000 spettatori (28,32%)
“Pole Position” (RaiUno, ore 15.48): 1.091.000 spettatori (8,07%)

LUNEDI’ 2 NOVEMBRE 2009

Sono elencati principalmente i programmi di prima serata. Gli orari e i titoli indicati possono variare senza preavviso.

CANALI IN CHIARO

• Alle 21.10 il film TV fantastico “Pinocchio” (2009), con Robbie Kay e Bob Hoskins – seconda ed ultima parte.
• Alle 21.05 il programma divulgativo “Voyager – Ai confini della conoscenza” con Roberto Giacobbo – puntata 6.
• Alle 21.10 il programma “Chi l’ha visto?” con Federica Sciarelli – puntata 9.
• Alle 21.10 il reality show “Grande Fratello” con Alessia Marcuzzi – puntata 2. Alle 00.20 il varietà “Mai dire Grande Fratello” con la Gialappa’s Band – puntata 1.
• Alle 21.10 il film d’azione “Shooter” (2007), con Mark Wahlberg e Michael Peña.
• Alle 21.10 la serie poliziesca francese Julie Lescaut con Veronique Genest – episodio “Julie a Parigi” (2008).
• Alle 21.10 il programma “L’infedele” con Gad Lerner – puntata 6.
• Alle 21.00 il varietà “Nitro Circus” . Alle 21.30 il varietà “Pranked”.
• Alle 20.15 una rotazione di video musicali (- 7 giorni al debutto della nuova ).
• Alle 21.00 il programma sportivo “Il processo di Biscardi” con Aldo Biscardi.
• Alle 21.15 il programma “Il club delle prime donne” con Ombretta Colli.

DIGITALE TERRESTRE:

• Alle 21.10 il film di fantascienza “Star Trek – L’insurrezione” (1998), con Patrick Stewart e Brent Spiner. Alle 22.50 la serie drammatica Roma con Kevin McKidd e Ray Stevenson – episodi 2×05-06. Alle 00.45 la serie drammatica Crash con Dennis Hopper – episodio 1×04.
• Alle 21.00 il film commedia “N – Io e Napoleone” (2006), con Daniel Auteuil e Monica Bellucci.
• Alle 21.00 la telenovela per ragazzi “Flor – Speciale come te” con Florencia Bertotti e Ángeles Balbiani – episodio 24. Alle 21.50 la serie animata “Il laboratorio di Dexter”.
• Alle 21.05 la serie animata “Atomic Betty” – episodio 7. Alle 21.25 la serie animata “Team Galaxy” – episodio 22.
• Alle 20.45 il varietà “Takeshi’s Castle” commentato da Lillo e Greg. Alle 21.40 la serie animata “X-Men”.
• Alle 21.00 il documentario “Dixit P.D.D.”.
• Alle 21.00 il film commedia “Sballato, gasato, completamente fuso” (1982), con Diego Abatantuono e Edwige Fenech.
• Alle 21.00 lo sceneggiato “Il maresciallo Rocca” (1996), con Gigi Proietti e Stefania Sandrelli – episodio “La vendetta”.
• Alle 21.00 la replica della puntata di ieri sera del programma “Report” con Milena Gabanelli.

CANALI A PAGAMENTO

Sono compresi i principali canali delle offerte Mediaset Premium e Sky. Nell’elenco non considero i vari canali “+” disponibili, con programmazione differita nel tempo rispetto al canale principale.

(Digitale terrestre)

• Alle 21.00 il film drammatico “Un sogno per domani” (2000), con Kevin Spacey e Haley Joel Osment.
• Alle 21.00 la serie American Dreams con Brittany Snow e Vanessa Lengies – episodi 2×09-10.
• Alle 21.00 la serie 4400 con Joel Gretsch e Jacqueline McKenzie – episodi 3×09-10.
• Alle 21.00 il film commedia “Giù al Nord” (2008), con Kad Mérad e Dany Boon.
• Alle 21.00 il film drammatico “Il gigante” (1956), con James Dean.
• Alle 21.00 il film d’animazione “Lupin III – Una cascata di diamanti” (1996).
• Alle 21.00 la replica dell’incontro di calcio Milan – Parma di Serie A.

(Digitale satellitare)

INTRATTENIMENTO:

• Alle 21.00 il varietà sportivo “Gnok Calcio Show” con Gene Gnocchi – puntata 9. Alle 22.00 la serie inglese Bonkers – Sesso in allegria con Liza Tarbuck e Mark Addy – episodio 5.
• Alle 21.10, in contemporanea con gli USA, la serie thriller FlashForward con Joseph Fiennes e Sonya Walger – episodio 1×05. Alle 22.00 la serie poliziesca Lie To Me con Tim Roth e Kelli Williams – episodio conclusivo di stagione 1×13.
• Alle 21.00 il reality italiano “S.O.S. Tata” – puntata 5×05. Alle 21.55 la serie poliziesca Cold Case – Delitti irrisolti con Kathryn Morris – episodio 3×12.
• Alle 21.00 la serie The Guardian con Simon Baker e Dabney Coleman – episodi 1×09-10.
• Alle 21.00 il varietà “Comedy Club” con Max Novaresi – puntata 6.
• Alle 21.00 il programma “Cortesie per gli ospiti”. Alle 22.00 il programma “Ma come ti vesti?!” – puntata 3×02.
• Alle 21.00 la serie belga Matrioshki con Peter Van den Begin e Luk Wijns – episodi conclusivi di stagione 9-10.
• Alle 21.00 il film poliziesco “Il giustiziere della notte 3” (1985), con Charles Bronson e Deborah Raffin.
• Alle 21.00 la serie Missione impossibile con Steven Hill – episodio 1×14. Alle 22.00 la serie poliziesca Starsky & Hutch con Paul Michael Glaser – episodio 1×14.
• Alle 21.00 la telenovela “Il segreto della nostra vita” con Adele Noriega e Eduardo Yanez – episodio 141. Alle 22.00 la telenovela in lingua originale “Mientras haya vida” con Margarita Rosa de Francisco – episodio 128.
• Alle 21.30 la serie italiana “Distretto di Polizia 9” con Simone Corrente e Giulia Bevilacqua – episodi 15-16.
• Alle 21.00 il docu-reality “Dr. 90210″ - puntata “Un seno perfetto”.
• Alle 21.00 il documentario “Mio marito è un condannato”. Alle 22.00 il documentario “The Sex Blog Girls”.
• Alle 21.00 la serie gialla Miss Marple con Geraldine McEwan – episodio “Addio, Miss Marple” (2005).
• Alle 21.00 il documentario “Torture”.
• Alle 21.00 la serie Il Corvo con Mark Dacascos e Marc Gomes – episodio 5. Alle 22.00 il film horror “Il serpente e l’arcobaleno” (1988), con B. Pullman e C. Tyson.
• Alle 20.45 la serie inglese (in lingua originale) Sensitive Skin con Joanna Lumley – episodio 1×04. Alle 21.15 la serie inglese (in lingua originale) Supernova con Rob Brydon – episodio 1×04.
• Alle 21.00 la serie inglese Life on Mars con John Simm e Philip Glenister – episodi 2×03-04.
• Alle 20.50 il programma sportivo “New American Gladiators”. Alle 21.40 il varietà “Takeshi’s Castle”commentato dal Trio Medusa.
• Alle 21.00 la serie animata “Dai Guard”.  Alle 21.30 la serie animata “Alexander”. Alle 22.00 la serie animata “Inuyasha”.

SPORT:

• Alle 21.00 la replica dell’incontro Real Madrid – Milan di Champions League.

CINEMA:

• Alle 21.00 il film commedia “Sex and the City” (2008), con Sarah Jessica Parker e Kim Cattrall.
• Alle 21.00 il film drammatico “Il passato è una terra straniera” (2008), con Elio Germano e Michele Riondino.
• Alle 21.00 il film commedia “La seconda volta non si scorda mai” (2007), con Alessandro Siani e Elisabetta Canalis.
• Alle 21.15 il film thriller “Death Sentence – Sentenza di morte” (2007), con Kevin Bacon.
• Alle 21.00 il film western “Ring of Fire” (2001), con Kiefer Sutherland e Marcus Thomas.
• Alle 21.00 il film drammatico “Il divo” (2008), con Toni Servillo.
• Alle 21.00 il film commedia “La mia vita a stelle e strisce” (2003), con Massimo Ceccherini e Victoria Silvstedt.
• Alle 21.00 il film d’avventura “Angelica” (1965), con Michèle Mercier e Robert Hossein.
• Alle 21.00 il film documentario “Religiolus – Vedere  per credere” (2008), con Bill Maher.
• Alle 21.00 il film drammatico “Il rivoluzionario” (1970), con Robert Duvall e Jon Voight.

DOCUMENTARI:

• Alle 21.00 il programma “Marchio di fabbrica” – due puntate.
• Alle 21.00 il programma “Hai mai provato a…” – puntata 3. Alle 21.30 il programma “Fatti curiosi” – puntata 3.
• Alle 21.00 il documentario “L’arte della guerra” – puntata 4 “Maratona, il giorno del giudizio”.
• Alle 21.00 il programma “Veterinari a Sydney”. Alle 21.30 il programma “Veterinari in azione”.
• Alle 21.05 il programma “Come è fatto” – due puntate .

RAGAZZI:

• Alle 21.05 la sit-com La famiglia Addams con John Astin. Alle 21.30 la serie animata “Carletto principe dei mostri”.
• Alle 20.45 la serie animata “Occhi di gatto”. Alle 21.15 la serie animata “SpongeBob” – due episodi.
• Alle 20.50 la serie animata “Le nuove avventure di Scooby Doo”. Alle 21.15 la serie animata “Shin Chan”. Alle 21.40 la serie animata “Gli amici immaginari di casa Foster”.
• Alle 21.00 la serie animata “Hello Kitty – Alla ricerca delle mele magiche”.  Alle 21.25 i cortometraggi animati della serie “Bugs Bunny”.
• Alle 21.05 la serie animata “Le nuove avventure di Winnie the Pooh”. Alle 21.30 la serie animata “I Numerotti”.
• Alle 20.25 la telenovela per ragazzi “Il mondo di Patty” con Laura Esquivel. Alle 21.20 il programma musicale “Dance Time”. Alle 21.30 la serie animata “Bruno the Great”.  Alle 21.35 la sit-com italiana “Quelli dell’intervallo”.
• Alle 20.45 il film d’animazione “Topolino e i cattivi Disney” (2003).
• Alle 21.05 la serie animata “I Fantastici Quattro”. Alle 21.30 la serie animata “L’incredibile Hulk”.

I SIMBOLI USATI
L’indicazione tipo 1×02 segnala il 2° episodio della 1^ stagione.
= film o film TV.
= telefilm (serie/sit-com) straniero.
= telefilm o sceneggiato di produzione italiana, o miniserie straniera.
= soap opera o telenovela.
= cartone animato.
= programma sportivo.
= prima visione sui canali non a pagamento, o al primo passaggio sui canali pay.
= variazione rispetto al programma previsto.
comprende Rai 4, Rai Gulp, Rai Storia, Rai Sport Più, Rai News 24, Rai Edu1 ed i canali RaiSat.

70 The Glen Miller Story

I’m a big fan of Jimmy Stewart and I love big band & jazz music, so this movie provides an irresistible combo. Stewart is quite the Miller doppelganger, which I assume is a prime reason he was cast in the film. June Allyson provides perky support as Miller’s wife, and a pre-MASH Harry Morgan plays Miller’s best buddy. The story follows Glen Miller from his struggling musician days through his rise to fame to his untimely demise in a presumed plane crash during World War II. I decided to watch this movie years ago simply because I had become a fan of Stewart and wanted to see as many of his films as possible. But the movie made me a Glenn Miller fan and I continue to enjoy his music immensely.

69 The Shrek Trilogy

I have to admit…I didn’t see any Shrek films until all three were already out and available on video, so I’m fairly new to the Shrek universe. I didn’t bother with them at first because I assumed they were kiddie films. However, I decided to watch one on television a few years back and have since seen all three. I was both right and wrong in my original assessment. They are undoubtedly geared toward an demographic far younger than I, but on the other hand sometimes it’s okay to temporarily feel like a kid again. For anyone unfamiliar (which I assume would only be folks who, like me, are both single and childless because anyone with children is surely familiar with Shrek), this animated trilogy follows the adventures of a surly but loveable ogre, his talking donkey sidekick, and the ogre’s lady love. There are a host of other characters. Lending their considerable voice talents to the three films are an all star team of folks such as Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Justin Timberlake, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, and many more. Most of the visual humor and jokes in the series parody well known fairy tales, which is a huge part of the charm for me…I love parodies and who doesn’t appreciate childhood fairy tales. The animation is computer generated, which far exceeds the animation most of us grew up with. These movies need to be viewed in high definition to really get the full effect.

68 The Greatest Show On Earth

Once again my favorite actor Jimmy Stewart is paired with something cool. This time it’s the circus. I think this is one of Stewart’s best performances. It is certainly low key and subtle, as he spends the entire film in clown makeup. The bigger draw for most people, I suppose, would be Charlton Heston in one of his finest performances as well. Heston kind of became a sad parody of himself in the latter part of his career, but this is one of his earlier movies and he shows why he was once one of the top box office attractions in the world. Directed by famed auteur Cecil B. Demille (I’m ready for my close-up…indeed), the story follows the Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Circus as it travels from town to town. We meet several of the performers and become involved in their lives behind the big top, so to speak. That behind the scenes view reveals a lot of romance, intrigue, drama, and tragedy. Basically it’s a soap opera set at the circus. Demille is known for his lavish, over-the-top, extravagant productions, and he doesn’t disappoint with The Greatest Show On Earth. Like so many beloved memories of yesteryear, the circus has almost slipped into being a remnant from a bygone era. Sure they are still around, but they are no longer an event. Even when I was a kid not that long ago it was a big deal when the circus came to town. Nowadays kids are into their video games and computers and iPods and couldn’t possibly care less about the circus. But watch this movie and you will be reminded of just how extraordinary it used to be.

67 Ocean’s 13

In 2001 George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt teamed up to remake the 1960 Rat Pack romp Ocean’s 11, about robbing a Vegas casino. The remake was a smashing success and unlike the original spawned sequels. The first movie will be dealt with later in this list. The second movie, Ocean’s 12, was poorly written and quite forgettable. The third movie was Ocean’s 13, and it’s a nice rebound from its disappointing predecessor. This time the gang returns to Las Vegas and they don’t actually rob a casino as much as they…turn the odds in their favor through uniquely nefarious means. The bad guy is played by Al Pacino, which automatically makes this a must see. As with the other Ocean’s films, don’t try to interject logic or make sense out of the proceedings. This is pure popcorn cinema, escapism at its best.

66 The Frat Pack Three Pak (Anchorman, The 40 Year Old Virgin, & Wedding Crashers)

Anyone who grew up in the 80’s is familiar with The Brat Pack (Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, Rob Lowe, and a few others). And while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery I would not necessarily call the modern Frat Pack imitators. The only similarity is the name homage, which was itself a takeoff on the 1960’s Rat Pack of Frank Sinatra and his pallies. The Frat Pack is generally thought to be comprised of Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Owen and Luke Wilson, Steve Carell, Jack Black, Paul Rudd, and Seth Rogen. Some combination of those actors has starred in a host of films together with a wide array of results. Zoolander and Starsky & Hutch…not so good. Old School and Blades of Glory…much better. But for me three Frat Pack films stand head and shoulders above the crowd and have stood up to numerous repeated viewings. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy stars Ferrell with Carell and Rudd in very amusing supporting roles. Vaughn, Stiller, Black, Rogen and Luke Wilson all have brief cameos. Ferrell plays an over-the-top misogynistic 70’s news anchor whose world is turned upside down when he’s forced to share the anchor desk with a woman. Anchorman is among the most quotable movies of the past two decades and is just pointless yet harmless fun. The 40 Year Old Virgin stars Carell as the titular character, with Rogen and Rudd in vital supporting roles that really make this film work. It’s hilarious but sweet, with more quotable dialogue and a few really memorable scenes. I really like Rudd in this film. Wedding Crashers, starring Vaughn and Owen Wilson, is a movie I really like but probably not as much as some people. I don’t think it’s really any better than any other Frat Pack film, which doesn’t mean anything negative it just means my praise seems to not rise to outlandish and undeserved peaks of hyperbole. Will Ferrell makes possibly one of the best cameos of all time, and to say that Rachel McAdams (who I someday intend to make my bride) is quite fetching may be one of the biggest understatements I could conceive. Plus there’s Christopher Walken and that’s just the cherry on top.

So, this being the middle of September probably doesn’t bode too well for any of this week’s new releases. However, “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”, based on the 1978 childrens book, should win the weekend. Family audiences haven’t had a film to see in a couple of weeks, and it is being released in a lot of theaters. Given the popularity of the book, and the surprisingly strong reviews so far (100 % on rottentomatoes.com), look for a $26-29 million opening.

The wild card this week is “Jennifer’s Body” starring Megan Fox (Transformers) and written by Diablo Cody (Juno). Although opinions seem to be that people either want to see it or think it will suck, I think a $17-20 million is in place.

Next is Steven Soderberg’s “The Informant” starring Matt Damon. Teaming together for the first time since “Ocean’s 13″ look for a $12-15 million opening. “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” should fall to $10-13 million, and “9″ will earn another $8-11 million.

Lukas Eggen

This is from the film “Takers”.. it looks like a more action packed, worse acted, confusing version of Set It Off.. Dead Presidents and Oceans 11,12,13..

Anywho.. this ain’t no movie review..

If you watch the trailer.. you’ll notice Zoe Saldana with the SEXIEST light skinned man to ever grace the movie screen… Michael Ealy..

Clearly Michael Ealy is some sort of bad boy.. and she is LOVING it..

Which leads me to this age old question:

What Is It About The Bad Boy?!

1. Danger is sexy — being caught up in action is scary, but if you have a strong man to protect you.. then you’ll eat up the danger like you chompin on a 2-piece at Popeyes..
2. Forbidden fruit – being with the bad boy is frowned upon.. so many negative consequences will have anybody’s mama going nuts. But the less they want us to date him, the more desirable he becomes..
3. Risk-taking gets the blood boiling – adrenaline rushes make us horny..
4. Opposites attract — a good girl and a bad boy are a match made in heaven.. they are so different.. it makes sense that they would balance each other out
5. Rebellion – we may be the good girl, but good girls are boring.. bad boys spice up our lives without us having to actually do something ourselves
6. It will never work – usually these relationships do not last long.. for commitment-phobic women.. they are a great sense of adventure and then.. on to the next!
7. We need a challenge — many women want to mold or change a man to be what she wants him to be.. if he is already the professional with a great sense of humor that loves family, there is no challenge! But a bad boy!? He has much to be desired
8. He will hit the bottom — If he has nothing else to offer, a bad boy usually has a tight d*ck game.. he knows how to put it down and may be more adventurous in the bedroom.. plus, many people work harder at what they are good at when they are missing other key ingredients (such as, a job)
9. Money – Many bad boys are into illegal activity, if he’s doing it right, he’s making money of it.. and the lure of that lifestyle alone will draw women to him
10. Some of our best Hollywood fantasies are of bad boys – think old school James Dean (the rebellious Bad Boy), think Michael Ealy in Barbershop (reformed Bad Boy), think Tyrese in Baby Boy (needs to get a grip on life, just bad enough Bad Boy), John Travolta in Grease (seems nice but a Bad Boy at heart).. and lastly.. just because he has muscles Bad Boy: 50 Cent

by The Great White Gypsy

Amreeka – Written and Directed by Cherien Dabis
We’ve seen this kind of thing on TV and in movies before. Actually, a lot recently. But this story of a single mother emigrating from Palestine and working at a White Castle in Illinois looks interesting. If you liked The Visitor, you’ll probably enjoy this, and it’s gotten a lot of positive reviews from Cannes and Sundance.
Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muellam, Alia Shawkat
September 4

Carriers – Written and Directed by Alex and David Pastor
Chris Pine (Star Trek, Bottle Shock) has already proven himself to be a versatile actor. Looks like your typical virus-ends-mankind thriller, but since when is that a bad thing? The Pastor brothers are new, but the preview is enticingly vague and eerie.
Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Lou Taylor Pucci
September 4

Extract – Written and Directed by Mike Judge
The creator of Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill has been sadly absent from cinema since Office Space in 1999 (save 2006’s Idiocracy). About an Extracts plant owner who thinks his wife is cheating on him, the fact that the preview and the tagline compare it to Office Space could spell trouble, but Judge, Bateman, and J.K. Simmons haven’t let me down so far.
Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, J.K. Simmons, Kristen Wiig, Clifton Collins Jr.
September 4

Gamer – Written and Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Pro: It’s good to see Gerard Butler in an action movie after being in bullcrap like P.S. I Love You, Nim’s Island, and The Ugly Truth.
Con: The Writer/Director team is the same guys who did Crank and Crank 2.
Futuristic story about convicts who are players in a live action video game, controlled by real people. The winner is set free…everyone else dies. Granted, it appears to be a solid movie, but Crank 2 didn’t do anything for Jason Statham’s career (especially after Transporter 3), and after movies like Death Race, The Condemned, and Running Man, don’t expect to see anything groundbreaking.
Gerard Butler, Ludacris, Michael C. Hall, John Leguizamo
September 4

9 – Directed by Shane Acker, Written by Shane Acker and Pamela Pettler
Sure, 9 little rag dolls running around in a post-apocalyptic world might not rattle your cage, but after seeing Sebastian’s Voodoo at the Ashland Festival last April, I can’t wait to see Shane Acker’s animated short come to life as a full length feature. Not only is the voice casting solid, but it’s being produced by Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for 9 years (don’t worry, I already punched myself for that one.)
Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, Crispin Glover
September 9

The Other Man – Written and directed by Richard Eyre
Liam Neeson suspects his wife is cheating on him. Then she disappears, which makes him…slightly more suspicious. So he sets out to find and meet the man she’s seeing. Then they play a game of chess (if only Ingmar Bergman was alive to collect royalties on that). Kinda looks like Taken 2, but Neeson, Banderas, and Linney are all solid, and Eyre directed Notes on a Scandal, which got a lot of Oscar attention. Also based on a short story by Bernhard Schlink, who wrote The Reader. Unsure about this one.
Liam Neeson, Antonio Banderas, Laura Linney
September 11

The Burning Plain – Written and Directed by Guillermo Arriaga
Kicking off Oscar pre-season is Guillermo Arriaga’s (writer: 21 Grams, Babel) poignant drama about three women searching for happiness. Not only are Theron and Basinger involved, but composer Hans Zimmer (Frost/Nixon, The Dark Knight), cinematographers Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton) and John Toll (Gone Baby Gone, The Last Samurai, Almost Famous), and Production Designer Dan Leigh (The Last Kiss, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) are all present and accounted for. Could be a contender.
Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, John Corbett, Jennifer Lawrence, Joaquim de Almeida, Robin Tunney
September 18

Disgrace – Directed by Steve Jacobs, Written by Anna Maria Monticelli
Adaptation of Nobel Prize winning author J.M. Coetzee’s (Elizabeth Costello, Waiting for the Barbarians) novel about a professor in post-apartheid South Africa who has an affair with a black student. When he is dismissed, he goes to live with his lesbian daughter, and they are attacked by a group of black teenagers. Films like this are hard for Americans to swallow, because they often forget that apartheid really didn’t start to disappear until 1994. Rookie director and writer, but Malkovich is always brilliant.
John Malkovich
September 18

The Informant! – Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Written by Scott Z. Burns
I’m trying very hard to forget about Ocean’s 11-13, and Soderbergh’s love affair with George Clooney. If I focus really hard on films like Out of Sight, Traffic, and Sex, Lies, and Videotape, then maybe I’ll give this Kurt Eichenwald (Conspiracy of Fools) adaptation of an agricultural businessman turned government informant a chance. I make no promises.
Matt Damon, Scott Bakula
September 18

Paris – Written and Directed by Cedric Klapisch
About a Parisian man with heart disease who is waiting for a transplant. He observes the city, and the people around him as they struggle through life and love. Klapisch looks fairly prolific in France, and I’m a Juliette Binoche fan. Looking forward to it.
Juliette Binoche, Romain Duris, Fabrice Luchini
September 18

Jennifer’s Body – Directed by Karyn Kusama, Written by Diablo Cody
A hot high school girl takes a plain jane under her wing. Turns out she’s possessed, and trying to kill everyone. Normally I won’t even mention high school horror films like this. However, the people involved have me interested. Diablo Cody wrote Juno, which was amazing. Kusama directed Girlfight (good), but she also did Aeon Flux (not good). Probably won’t see it on the big screen, but I’ll look for it on On-Demand.
Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, Adam Brody
September 18

Splice – Directed by Vincenzo Natali, Written by Vincenzo Natali and Antoinette Terry Bryant
Again, normally I wouldn’t hype a film that appears to be a rip off of Species. But it also reminds me of Mimic, which was directed by Guillermo del Toro and, interestingly enough, del Toro is producing this sci-fi thriller. I like Adrien Brody, and I liked The Orphanage. Enough said.
Adrien Brody, Sarah Polly
September 18

The Blue Tooth Virgin – Written and Directed by Russell Brown
As an aspiring writer, I’m always a sucker for a film about aspiring writers. Two such people in L.A. have their friendship thrown into turmoil when one of them doesn’t like the other’s new screenplay. I’m interested, but most of you might wait until you see it on cable.
Karen Black, Roma Maffia, Lauren Stamile, Lance Aaron, Amber Benson, Bryce Johnson
September 25

The Boys are Back – Directed by Scott Hicks, Written by Alan Cubitt
The director of Snow Falling on Cedars and Hearts in Atlantis is teaming with Clive Owen for this dramedy about a man trying to raise his young son and reconnect with his older son after his wife dies suddenly. Looks more dramatic-family-dynamic than feel-good-comedy, a good departure for Owen as of late.
Clive Owen
September 25

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men – Written and Directed by John Krasinski
Krasinski’s directorial debut portrays a woman (Nicholson) interviewing men about their relationship patterns. Might not be really innovative, but after The Office and Away We Go, I’ll shell out $10 to support Johnny K. Not only that, it’s based on a short story by David Foster Wallace (Infinite Jest), who is freaking brilliant. Good luck finding this anywhere, though; I can’t even find an actual preview yet.
John Krasinski, Julianne Nicholson, Timothy Hutton, Lou Taylor Pucci, Josh Charles
September 25

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell – Directed by Bob Gosse, Written by Tucker Max
I’ve picked up Tucker Max’s book several times from the discount table at Borders, but, funny as it sounds, it’s not my kind of literature. However, the subject matter should make for an entertaining movie, and the outlandishly misogynistic things this guy says should be good for a laugh (the first line of the preview had me laughing out loud.)
Jesse Bradford, Matt Czuchry, Geoff Stults, Traci Lords
September 25

The Invention of Lying – Written and Directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson
As much as I respect Ricky Gervais (The Office…no no, the original one), this inside-out Liar Liar has the potential to be esoterically dull. That being said, anything with Jeffrey Tambor has my initial approval.
Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Patrick Stewart, Jeffrey Tambor, Jason Bateman, Tina Fey
September 25

Pandorum – Directed by Christian Alvart, Written by Travis Malloy
Unknown meets The Descent meets Event Horizon in this sci-fi thriller about two crewmen aboard a large transport spaceship. They wake up alone, without any memory, and start to see weird monsters and crazy visions. Ben Foster is creepy all by himself, but this film looks dark and tense. Director, cinematographer, and editor each have a respectable body of work in Germany, but few successes in the US. I’ll definitely see it.
Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid, Antje Traue, Norman Reedus
September 25

Surrogates – Directed by Jonathan Mostow, Written by Michael Ferris and John D. Brancato
This is an almost Aasimovian story about a future where everyone just stays home on the couch, and controls a robot surrogate in the outside world with their mind. No one’s supposed to die. Then someone does. How do they never see that coming? Unfortunately, Mostow directed Terminator 3, which, along with Terminator Salvation, was also written by Farris and Brancato. If I see Schwarzenegger once, I’m throwing popcorn.
Bruce Willis, Rosemund Pike, Ving Rhames, Radha Mitchell, James Cromwell
September 25

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

Dorian Gray – Directed by Oliver Parker, Written by Toby Finlay
Oscar Wilde’s original novel may have been a bit dry, but it’s a classic. Like most classics, however, this one is yet again being twisted and exploited by the film industry. The effects look cool, but the story seems a bit off, and the shameless addition of lurid sex scenes, while generally enticing, is just corrupting another good book, so today’s teens can read the smutty film novelization instead of the real thing. Not sure when it’s hitting the states, but the UK gets it next month.
Ben Barnes, Colin Firth
September 9 (UK)

Creation – Directed by Jon Amiel, Written by John Collee
The story of Charles Darwin in the midst of his controversial theories on evolution. It’s supposed to be based on a biography, but it appears to have a little church propaganda slant to it. Nevertheless, Bettany and Connelly are generally good, and the genuine emotions in the preview look solid. Not sure when we’ll see this one, but once again the UK gets it next month.
Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Jeremy Northam
September 25 (UK)

So I’ve been hearing a lot about this car for sometime and I really love it so naturally, I’m compelled to talk about it with you. This will be the first time since 1995 that this automaker will be selling their brand in North America. Anyone know who this long standing automaker is? If not, I bet you’re all pretty curious by now. Okay, I’ll give it up, it would be the Italian automaker; Alfa Romeo. These guys have a great reputation for their cars but personally I’ve never been a fan of anything they have made. Luckily, there’s a first time for everything. The 8C is Alfa Romeo’s take on a true exotic sports car and what a take it is.

Before we discuss what’s under it’s hood, why don’t we pretend that the 8C is sitting in our garage because it would be oh so nice to own one of these. So when you walk downstairs and into your garage you see this beauty and inside this beauty sits a powerful 4.7L V8 engine which can satisfy your adrenaline addiction with 450hp, hitting the 100km/h mark in about 4.5 seconds. Anyone who isn’t a fan of convertibles, no need to worry the coupe carries the same statistics. To help the car reach those very nice numbers we just discussed, it is completely outfitted with Carbon Fiber panels. You’re also set with suspension with a front and rear double wishbone design.

Now if you really do want this exotic car in your garage you better get ready to fight for it because, of the 500 being available worldwide, a small 35 will be available to you in the U.S. and make sure your wallet can hold some serious cash because it’ll be running you around $300,000.

My Thoughts: Love it, love it, love it!! I could do with a quicker 0-100km/h time but it’s a beautiful car and I’d be happy to make a place for it in my huge garage which doesn’t exist!

Thumbs up! You’ve seduced me Alfa Romeo!

Here is a clip of the 8C Spider on the beloved show Top Gear. I love the song in this clip!

Oh and if you wanted to know, the song is called 11,12, &13 by David Holmes.

Actor Vincent Cassel dancing through lasers in Ocean’s 12:

I still think he would make an awesome Gambit. What’s interesting is that  after further research, I found that he has a background in capoeira; which is a form of crazy martial arts that has a smooth dancing style to it (originated in Brazil). Some of you nerds might know capoeira better if you’ve played Tekken. Eddy Gordo anyone?

PS. If you’re wondering about the title of this post, click here.

From joblo.com, here is the first picture from the upcoming film, “Fantastic Mr. Fox”. 

Based upon the classic novel by Roald Dahl, the film features the voices of George Clooney (Ocean’s 13), Meryl Streep (The Devil Wear’s Prada), and Bill Murray (Caddyshack, Ghostbusters). 

The film will use stop-motion animation, and is being directed by Wes Anderson.  What do you think?

Lukas Eggen

From director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s 11, 12, and 13) comes “The Informant” starring Matt Damon (Bourne films). 

What do you think?  It looks like another winner to me.

Lukas Eggen

Most people pay anywhere from $300 to $3000 and more for a GFE, but I managed to snare one for free the other night. And it wasn’t just me; there were a few of us in on it. Too many to count, but upwards of 100 people seems like a safe bet. All of us… one of her. There were times when things got a little messy, and other times when all the action just stopped making sense. I’m pretty sure I saw at least one person pull out about half-way through and just leave. Personally, I think that’s a little rude. We were all there to have a good time and enjoy, so just take it like a man. Just because you don’t like what you’re experiencing is no reason to zip up and leave. (I think we all know that’s a blatant lie)

For the uninitiated, a GFE refers to a Girlfriend Experience. With an escort. Hence the cost and subsequent discretion. It’s one of many terms used to describe services offered by escorts. I’m sure you know them all, you pervert. As mentioned above, approximately 100 people came (no pun intended) to experience this particular GFE. Oh, the girl? Sasha Grey.

Well, to be precise, the girl’s name was Chelsea, and she was portrayed by Sasha Grey. In a movie. A movie called The Girlfriend Experience. I bet you didn’t see that coming. (Another pun… there’s no end to sexual puns is there? I’ll be sure to throw in a few more groaners as we thrust ahead.) (no pun intended) Anyway… Mongrel Media in Toronto presented the screening and while I was happy to have secured a few passes, this film did not induce MSOG. (look it up)

The film is actually directed toward a mainstream audience, though after watching it I’m not entirely sure who Steven Soderbergh thinks is his audience. It’s not a porno, as Sasha Grey’s name may otherwise suggest, but the role doesn’t seem like much of a stretch for her. And I’m sure she’s been stretched plenty of times. (pun)

The film centers on several days in the life of an upscale escort in Manhattan, set against the backdrop of the 2008 U.S. election. You can insert your own “Sasha Grey could stimulate my economy any day!” jokes here. I’m above that sort of thing.

I won’t give too much away, nor could I even if I wanted to. Soderbergh has worked on such fine films as the Ocean’s trilogy (11, 12 and 13), Traffic, and the revolutionary sex, lies and videotape. Here, he crafts an interesting story but muddles it up through much of the movie. Jumping back and forth in time is a formidable cinematic device when used properly, but in The Girlfriend Experience, it only serves to confuse the viewer. Perhaps it’s meant to be more along the lines of Memento, making sense upon subsequent viewings and benefitting from the knowledge of what comes next. (pun) But I’m not going to give Soderbergh the credit here as I don’t believe that was his intention. Whatever his intention was, I’d certainly like to know, as would another 100 or so people in last night’s theatre, I’d suspect. My highly-informal survey of two other couples who attended the same screening confirmed those suspicions.

Sasha Grey is getting a lot of buzz over her role in the movie as Chelsea. While she does an admirable job, it would have been more impressive had the role called for more depth. She’s at the top of her game as an escort in New York City, has a successful and long-term relationship with a decent guy, lives in a posh condo and has money to burn on designer clothes, expensive haircuts, a car service and a personal trainer. Good thing, as most scenes consist of her eating, drinking or fucking. Not a bad lifestyle.

As the economy tumbles into disarray, Chelsea and her boyfriend are forced to rethink their priorities, each having financial decisions to make affecting their respective futures. But while her boy seems to be trying to get ahead in his game to better provide for both of them (he’s a personal trainer… those guys aren’t dicks at all…), she begins to blur the lines between her profession and her personal life. When she seemingly stops caring about one, the other suffers as well.  It’s not long before a few bad decisions come back to bite her in the ass. (Greek) Though she’s probably used to that sort of thing. (I think biting costs extra.)

The film certainly has its moments and characters. Chelsea’s boyfriend seems like a great guy at first, caring, sweet and supportive of her line of work. By the end of the film though, he has become needy, controlling, insecure and a little reminiscent of George Costanza. Chelsea herself is cold, emotionless and dull. It was also pointed out to me that she would often wear the same outfit on her “dates”. The scene involving an online escort reviewer is realistically sleazy (who doesn’t know a guy like that? Come on…), and the final scene of the movie is unintentionally hilarious. I wish I could give it away, but all I’ll say is it involves Chelsea on the job with a Hassidic Jew. That last scene actually made me wonder if Hassidic Jews have sex with their kipas on. Extra protection?

While I left the theatre with the feeling that nothing in the film had been resolved, I did kind of enjoy that aspect. That’s life isn’t it? There’s never really any resolutions… just stop-gap solutions until the next problem breaks. Maybe Steven Soderbergh made the film a little too realistic for some viewers. Maybe he just could have been a little less art-house and made a little more sense. Maybe that’s what he intended. Maybe that’s not really what people want. Maybe I just wrote a review for a movie I never really intended to write a review about.

On a personal note, I saw the movie with my lovely girlfriend who pointed out to me that one of the hotels that hosts Chelsea and her clients is New York’s Gild Hall on Wall St. Coincidentally, the girlfriend and I had some experiences of our own at Gild Hall earlier this year. I recommend the place, as would Chelsea I’m sure.

The latest film from Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction), Inglourious Basterds, has a new trailer out. 

The film stars Brad Pitt (Ocean’s 13, Snatch) and Christoph Waltz. 

Lukas Eggen

The shady world of Costa Rican online casinos will be the centre point of the new film from Leonardo DiCaprio.  The yet untitled film is being made by Paramount Pictures and will written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien who have us the poker classic Rounders and Oceans 13
DiCaprio is also co producing the film which should be released next year.  DiCaprio a keen poker player has a genuine interest in poker and has competed in a number of high stakes poker events.

In second place, just missing off the number 1 spot is . . . Brad Pitt . . . which I am sure is not a suprise at all.

Brad has always been very very sexy and will always be very very sexy. He does not seem to age, and is pretty close to what you would call perfect in my eyes. He is also a fantastic actor to go with it all, sometimes I think he is underrated because of his good looks.

He has been in some very big hits at the box office, including the Ocean’s series of movies in which he is a lead role alongside his good friend George Clooney. Which helps make a very sexy set of movies. He has had some of the most beautiful women as his co-stars, such as Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta Jones and Angelina Jolie. Which certainly makes his roles even hotter when he is with those women. He is now with Angelina Jolie, after the very public split from Jennifer Aniston (who I just loved him with). They have 6 children together, 3 adopted and 3 biological. I think when you see pictures of Brad with the children it makes him even sexier, as it is just lovely to see a man being so caring with children.

Brad has been around for quite a long time now but it is still hard to believe that he is in his 40’s now as he still looks so good. I think one of his stand out movies is “Meet Joe Black” in which he plays death, who falls in love and gets to know what living is like. He was just so gorgeous in this movie it was hard for everyone to not fall in love with him.

Another of his real stand out roles has to be “Fight Club” everyone remembers his speechs and his very muscular body !!! He really was ripped in that movie and totally fit the part of Tyler Durden.

He has changed his hairstyle quite a lot over the years but still manages to always look really hot. He has had to change the colour to blonder or darker for different movie roles as well but it certainly does not change his face and he still looks great !!!

He has been voted world’s sexiest man by people magazine in the past and no one can deny how true that is. He always seems so nice and charming when he does interviews, and when he is on the red carpet he totally owns it without even trying. He is just a very sexy man who does not have to put any effort into looking sexy.

As already mentioned above he has the perfect body as well, of a 6-pack . . . got to love that !!!

In 6th place is none other than an actor who made a transistion from TV star to movie star . . . the one and only George Clooney !!!!

His real big break was on TV as a doctor in ER and he soon had an army of female fans. Maybe the doctor’s uniform added to his sexiness? Possibly but he looks sexy and hot in or out of the doctors uniform. He then managed to go from TV star to crossover into the movie scene. At first I think his looks played a big part in how successful he was, but in recent years he has really proven that he is a very good actor. This is backed up by an Oscar win and nominations.

He is another actor who has no problem having grey hair and pulling off the silver fox look, which is just fantastic. Not only is he talented infront of the camera. He has had success as a director behind the camera. But I still want to see lots of him on screen!!! I think possibly his biggest box office hit(s) have been the Ocean series in which he plays Danny Ocean. There has been recent rumours of a forth movie, but who knows if that will happen or not.

He has been in a couple of romantic movies, such as my favorite “One Fine Day” in which he has a daughter and looks after someone’sson. He has great chemistry with Michelle Pfeiffer in this movie which is great. The other romantic movie I can think of at the moment is Intolerable  Cruelty in which he stars with Catherine Zeta Jones.

He has quite the reputation as a ladies man off screen which really adds again to his sexiness. I can fully imagine that every woman wants to be with him. He is one of those names who just pops into everyday conversation about a man that you want to be with haha.

When you see him doing interviews he always looks like he is a joker and likes to have fun when he makes a movie. Which is just fantastic and yet again adds to his appeal. His recent movie “Michael Clayton” he was incredible in and recieved an Oscar nom for this.

With a gorgeous man like George being in at number 6 . . . I bet your really wondering who made it into my top 5 !!!

This is your first glimpse of Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) as Whiplash in Iron Man 2.  The highly anticipated film stars Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder, The Soloist), Scarlett Johansson, and Don Cheadle (Ocean’s 13).  It is being directed by Jon Favreau (Zathura). 

In this picture, not a whole lot can be found out.  It is clear that he appears to be at some sort of race track, and has a power source similar to Tony Stark’s.  What do you think?  Iron Man 2 hits theaters next May.

Lukas Eggen

Steven Soderbergh has had what some would call a bipolar career, starting off with his widely acknowledged indie Sex, Lies and Videotape and ending up somewhere around Ocean’s 13 (a three-quel, not a thirteen-quel, thankfully), by way of Erin Brokovich. But even with his mainstream films, Soderbergh has burned the candle at both ends, continuing to make his farcically commercial vehicles while releasing camp, kitsch and craziness like the pastiche film The Good German or the crazy micro-budget Bubble.

The latter film is the result of his partnership with HDNet Films and producer Mark Cuban, shooting on the vaunted RED-One camera, a digital device with the quality of film, and casting mostly non-professional actors as largely versions of themselves for a heady experience that usually involves two-weeks-or-so of shooting and simultaneous video-on-demand releasing. This model, which he used previously for Bubble and his political-epic Che (a selection of the New York Film Festival 2008), is turned towards the smaller, upscale livelihood of a call girl and her personal-trainer boyfriend in his new film, The Girlfriend Experience.

I sat down with Glenn Kenny, a real-life blogger and film critic, who in the film plays a character out of a movie by Todd Solodnz or Todd Field: a smarmy “hobbyist” and rater of escort services who self-identifies as “The Erotic Connoisseur”.

Given that he himself is a blogger and that most of the people in the movie are playing themselves or something similar–Sasha Grey, the lead, is a porn star playing an escort–I asked him if he was worried about people thinking he actually was the part he played.

“Well,” he said, adopting a sardonic tone. “Let’s just say I’m lucky to be married in more ways than one.”

Kenny, a long time film critic and writer who wrote for Premiere magazine for over a decade, now blogs on the web at his site Some Came Running, a place where he talks about movies and his life, but does not in fact rate escorts.

“I was long-time friends with the screenwriters, David Levien and Bryan Koppleman and they had worked with Soderbergh just recently on Ocean’s 13,” Kenny explained. “They were holed up in a hotel room, writing another script entirely, when they saw a couple down outside the hotel which just didn’t seem right; an older man, with a much younger woman in intense clothes, hanging off him, as if for dear life.”

“One of them asked aloud, ‘What’s that?’ and another one of them replied ‘Oh, it’s the Girlfriend Experience, a service where a prostitute doesn’t just dole out sex, but simulated love as well.’ And this got them all thinking and so, David, Bryan and Soderbergh thought there was a script there and wrote it.”

However, even though Levien, Koppleman and Soderbergh collaborated on the script, the script was almost an outline and all the dialogue was improvised with the actors on set immediately, a sort of crystal-meth rush of Mike Leigh method. As a result, a script that was written in March 2007, according to Kenny, ended up heavily referencing September 2008, with the anxiety of the financial crisis and the upcoming election at the forefront.

“They would have newspapers for us on set from the week it was supposed to be and we would just sit around and talk about it,” Kenny recalled.

In the film, Chelsea/Christianne (Sasha Grey) is a practitioner of “The Girlfriend Experience”, while her boyfriend Chris (Chris Santos), a personal trainer, chases his own dreams of breaking it big in the world managing a gym or marketing a line of sportswear. Their relationship is interesting in the acknowledgment of Chelsea’s profession. “You’re the best at what you do.” Chris tells her, when she seems threatened by another escort’s popularity.

This anxiety drives Chelsea to seek “Glenn,” the character played by Glenn Kenny, who runs a website that rates escort services. One of the most sublime moments of the film occurs when Chelsea shows up at an old furniture store to be confronted with an old man who directs her to Kenny’s character, who lives in the back.

Kenny explains: “Steven really wanted to use that store. And when we got there, this old man, the store owner, was there. And Steven said let’s put him in the movie. So I was faced with this old man, who I had just met for the first time and of course it was improvised, so I thought, what could the relationship be between me and this guy and I thought–landlord–but wait, wouldn’t it just be more awful if it was my dad?”

Two more improvised riffs from Kenny also add up to some of the best moments in the film: a description of a prostitute “junket” in Dubai that “Glenn” offers as bait to Chelsea, and a stinging review of Chelsea’s services to him administered, off-screen, for free.

“We actually shot the sex scene, I had to ask my wife about that, but it was cut from the film,” Kenny told me. “And when I wrote my on-set diaries for GQ, they ended up dropping them and I can’t help but think it was because they didn’t see me naked next to Sasha Gray.”

“As for the ‘junket’, well I’m a film critic and I thought that would be funny. I actually heard some sailors I met overseas talk to me about their experience in Dubai and how the most beautiful women they’d ever seen were the Russian hookers they saw in Dubai. So I thought, wouldn’t it be funny if my character brought a bunch of high-class prostitutes to them to try to convince them to ‘buy American.’”

Those diaries, which ended up here on Martin Scorsese’s Auteur Project, are very humorous and provide more insight into the casting process as well as the improvisation on set.

Overall, I thought the film fairly successful, a Steven Soderbergh take on Two or Three Things I Know About Her, with Sasha Grey standing in for Mariana Vlady and an interesting time-capsule of an anxiety not-too-far-gone.

“I like Soderbergh even when he is working on Ocean’s 13, though like all directors he’s made up-and-down films. He just keeps throwing things at you until he gets what he wants; he’s really hands on,” Kenny said. “You know, when they called me up for the part, they told me they needed someone who could talk, who could go-on, who could expound…”

“Who could bloviate?” I offered, giving the root of the term “blog.”

“Yeah,” Glenn Kenny said with a smile. “That too.”

-Nicholas Feitel

Nicholas Feitel also writes for his own blog, Feitelogram

Ennesimo capitolo (il terzo contando dall’11) di film di Steven Soderberg con il gruppo di ladri capeggiati da Danny Ocean (George Clooney).
Anche questa volta, come nei due precedenti episodi, ritroviamo tutto il clan di esperti nell’impadronirsi l’altrui ricchezza (a Las Vegas) composto da un cast di attori davvero da paura: George Clooney, Elliott Gould, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck ed Andy Garcia, Eleln Barkin nonchè Al Pacino. Questa volta manca all’appello Julia Roberts. Aspettiamola nel 14°?

La trama – pur differenziandosi nell’innesco che qui è la vendetta – è praticamente la stessa degli altri 2 titoli oceanici: escogitare un sistema per derubare qualcuno di molto , ma molto, ricco. Tutto qui.
Chiaramente si gioca molto sulla simpatia, fascino, carisma e bellezza dei protagonisti; sulle ambientazioni spettacolose e sui mezzi tecnologici ingegnosi che i nostri utilizzano per raggiungere il fine. In questo lo accomuno a film come “Mission Impossible”, “oo7″ ed “Italian Job”.

Il film è “abbastanza” divertente e per nulla imprevedibile, il finale non mi hato gran soddisfazione e il senso che mi rimane appiccicato addosso è che questo film sia una sorta di reunion, una rimpatriata tra amici (il regista con gli attori) che si divertono a fare un film invece di farsi una grigliata in giardino. Guadagnadoci uno sproposito, oltretutto!

Che dire di altro?
Un film bello a vedersi ma vuoto, giusto per passatempo ecco…

Voto : 6 [Si può vedere anche senza entusiasmarsi]

Ciao, J

Is society itself getting less and less intelligent? I mean, schools have lowered their standards, English classes have put books away because they would be “too difficult” for students, and most people I asked have no idea what the Iron Curtain was. WTF? -Assprin91

I believe that the divide between the smart and stupid is getting farther apart.  Todays instant gratification society is becoming a great tool for the clever and urbane, while becoming a seriously problematic distraction for the simple and easy manipulated.

Did you hear about the new GranSlam breakfast at Denny’s inspired by OCTOMOM? 8 eggs, no sausage and the man at the next table pays for it! -EliteWeaponry

Funny confirmed.

South Park or Family Guy? -Skinsfan09

I’m giving the edge to Family Guy only because they don’t make South Park jokes, and I find attacks like that petty and embarrassing.

I always have to force myself to try and forget Ocean’s 12 is part of the Ocean’s trilogy. It’s such a shame because Ocean’s 11 is so amazing, and Ocean’s 13 is really not a bad movie, but MAN… Ocean’s 12 is terrible. -PrizzonWurrker

I really enjoyed 13. Though, 11 is rightfully the flagship. I can see where they were going with 12, and it is watchable, but it pails in comparison to the other 2.

I’ve been watching Family Feud since the Louie Anderson era and I’ve seen maybe one family ever pass on a question. No one ever sweeps the board if there are more than 4 answers, and usually the questions are weird and you need time to think outside the box to figure out one of the more obscure answers up there. -GlideMonkey

Basically you have to have one of the top two answers on the board to make the decision, and one of the bottom two answers on the board to consider passing.  And then, if the other family takes your answer, you could be pretty much screwed.

I have a program that generates a random number between 1 and infinity. If you guess the number I have right now I will sponsor your blog. -Shamuvon

Aren’t you worried that by starting the program you risk your computer just spouting out numbers to eternity?

What happened to the rumored XBOX Live price drop? -LTomHubbard

They realized you have no choice but to pay what they are asking for?  That’s my guess.

Favorite Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode? I havent seen that many episodes, but the best one ive seen so far is Space Mutiny. Every 1 liner the robots deliver is pure gold.  You?  -SeanandGina

The old 50s short educational films are my favorites. Full length? I’d go for “Mitchell” just for the 2 hours of Joe Don Baker cracks.

Seen this commercial? – These authentic Italians loved Pizza Hut’s Tusconi Lasagna. They loved it cause it was fucking free food you idiots. -DeltaForceB

My favorite part is when they cheer at the end, like “Yay! I got scammed! Awesome!”

Good writing = LOTS OF SYMBOLISM -YellowHint45

Some people find good writing to be the ability to say complex things in a simple manner.  Like lots of things, it’s all a matter of taste.

Hey recession, eat my balls! I just found a job! Store clerk, selling beer and cigarettes 32 hours a week. That’s $242 every week, or damn near $500 every paycheck. -JerryJones4Pres

You are living proof the stimulus package is working. Thanks Obama!

I need two days off work, and a medical certificate stating that I’m unable to attend work due to illness is the only option of getting out.  Obviously I’m not sick, so what are some good symptoms to say to the doctor to make them believe that I’m sick and need a couple of days off work? I was thinking of stomach virus, but I think I’ve used that one a while ago. -BigKoronado

Just go to a walk-in clinic and pay the diagnostic fee. They’ll ask you what you want the form to say. I would suggest asking for it to say three days, so when you go back to work in 2 days, you can shut them up about forms next time.

Japanese Food>Chinese Food -CoolStoryHansel

Japanese cooking is very simple, which has benefits and drawbacks. If they didn’t have a hibachi table to spice up the situation, a majority of Americans wouldnt care because the food is bland to the open palate. Frankly, if sushi wasn’t as popular, they would never stand a chance, even with WWII. Tempura is good, though.

American chinese food is versatile enough, if you get Hunan or Szechwuan, or pretty much anything not fried can be healthy too. But pure chinese food is very complex and dynamic. It’s not surprising its flavours became popular. Spicy and sweet has been doing great things for everywhere but Europe (Where savory dominates) for thousands of years.

Ok, my school is about to purchase a mobile cell phone jammer. This jams all cell phone signals within a 25 meter radius. Now there has to be a way around this, I just need to know what one is. Have any ideas? -VadersRealSon

Sounds complex and expensive. I suggest heavily vandalizing it until it doesnt work anymore. Maybe they won’t buy another.

You ever notice how a woman having a 9 year olds voice is sexy? why? Like Lyla Garrity from Friday Night Lights, sexy voice, but my little cousin has that same voice, it’s strange.  -MatteFinnish

My wife has a tiny voice, I don’t find it sexy, but it’s cute. Especially when shes complaining. But she gets a lot of flack about others for it, so I don’t really mention it. She doesn’t need it from everywhere, all day.  Wait…. Did you just say your cousin was sexy?

How do you get a girls number? -XLIIIWasAwesome

I ask a girl to use her cellphone. Then I call my phone, leave a voicemail to myself, and then give her phone back. I then return my phone call to myself (her phone) and ask her if I can buy her a drink since I already have her phone number, and thats usually the tough part.