A Little of the Old In and Out



Above: It's Bob's world, we just live in it.

In: Bob Berney. He is the man that we are all talking about this morning. Well, him and Prince Rainier, who, sadly, is on a respirator. Indiewire writes of Bob Berney, "With industry insiders speculating about the fate of Miramax and the Weinsteins, and others spreading rumors about what might be happening at other shingle's like Warner Independent, Bob Berney has rapidly ascended to the top of a what will undoubtedly be, given the resources of all involved, a major new company for specialty and independent film." And, according to Cinematical's Karina Longworth:

"Berney has had phenomenal success (at Newmarket, and first at IFC Films) distributing difficult-to-market pictures - My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Monster, The Passion of the Christ - that no one else knew what to do with. Fine Line, meanwhile, has been making a lot of critically acclaimed films of late - The Sea Inside, Vera Drake - but these pics have struggled at the box office. One imagines that Berney's presence is, thus, the key to the sale."



Above: Nananana-nananana-heyheyhey, goodbye ..

Out: Ousted President Askar Akayev. And another Oedipus manquee bites the dust. George Bush has got to be smiling, as another punk-ass dictator is retiring to, no doubt, some out-of-the-way Belgian chateau so as to do what war criminals on the lam so often do, which is, namely, get shitfaced on bad brandies and lament their lack of power to Russian prostitutes. And the Kremlin remained neutral, besides, making the transition from tyranny as good as can be expected. Score -- Neoconservatives: 5, Realists: 0. According to the AP:

"Protesters stormed the presidential compound in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday, seizing the seat of state power after clashing with riot police during a large opposition rally. President Askar Akayev reportedly fled the country and resigned."

"... During the takeover, about 1,000 protesters cleared riot police from their positions outside a fence protecting the building, and about half entered through the front. Others smashed windows with stones, tossed papers and tore portraits of Akayev in half and stomped on them."

Intense. Say what you will about the neocons, their articulation of Book IX of Plato's Republic is astonishing. There will be no more Machiavellian coddling of dictators in the long term interests of the United States. Now, if we could only do something proactive about that tyrant swine in Zimbabwe, and those genocidal semi-savages in the Sudan.

In: Pirates. Pirates are the new black, guys. First, NYPress writes:

"Democracy proved itself alive and well at least for a few minutes on Nov. 2, when 41-year-old Virginian David Nash flopped ashore on Governors Island. Nash, who was wearing a wetsuit, raised a pirate flag and attempted to claim the misbegotten rock in the name of the Blue Tulip Party. As soldiers led Nash quietly away to Bellevue, his mother admitted to reporters that he is, yes, a little touched in the head."

Sweet. And, according to Page Six, "KORN frontman Jonathan Davis has joined the weird baby-name club. Davis and his wife, porn star Deven Davis, had a baby boy Monday and named the poor tot Pirate."

Okay, so not so much the new black as the new "teal."



link via Rivieraconcepts

Out: Guinness. According to fashionweekdaily:

"Fashionweekdaily: So Lulu, do you like beer?

"Lulu Guinness: No, I don�t! I hate beer, and I particularly hate Guinness! I drink Diet Coke instead."

Is there something we should know, dear?



In: Brittany Murphy. Sure, she has big 'ol crazy peepers, but she's also got a hip new film role, according to insomniacmania:

"Alek Keshishian is to direct the upcoming romantic comedy 'Love and Other Disasters.' Brittany Murphy is to play an assistant at U.K. Vogue, who is the catalyst for a group of young friends as they try to find love. Keshishian wrote the script and will also act as a producer."