A Little of The Old In and Out



(image via berlinale)

In: Thumbsucker. Last night The Corsair attended a screening for Thumbsucker, which is, by turns, hilarious (Keanu Reeve's deadpan hippie orthodontist, for example), heartfelt, extremely disgusting (Tilda Swinton retrieving smuggled contraband from Benjamin Bratt's blood-bespattered ass) and goddamned beautiful (The Corsair applauds). For some reason it reminded us of I Heart Huckabees (Also from Fox Searchlight). From the Cinematical review:

"A couple of absurdly attractive middle-aged suburbanites lie in bed at the end of a long day, playfully nibbling on one another, until the female half stops to wonder aloud if their teenage son is having sex. A mother enlists her son's help in shopping for a dress to wear to get the attention of the TV star with whom she hopes to have an affair. A 17-year-old girl gets her boy best friend friend high, blindfolds him, and orders him to suckle her ample breasts. It's not HBO, it's Thumbsucker, the new movie from artist/music video director Mike Mills, which ends an almost year-long festival lap by opening in select theaters tomorrow. It's a curious thing, this film; episodic yet rambling, by turns sex farce and existential soap. It covers no real new territory for a top-tier indie, and yet it's an extremely satisfying film to sit through, funny and bittersweet, and unexpectedly epic in its emotional range."

Bittersweet -- yeah (The Corsair looks off into the horizon), that's the word we were looking for. More here.



(image via probertencycolopedia)

Out: Russell Crowe. At least he didn't throw the empty. Why is Russell Crowe always angry? He's famous, he's fabulously wealthy, he has a son, he's A-List, he has a great eye for picking projects -- so: Why the rage? Do you remember the massive stinkface Russell gave the camera after Denzel Washington beat him out for an Oscar several years ago? It is indelibly etched upon our mind. This from the LASocialDiary: "When Russell Crowe very grandly ordered the sommelier at a popular night spot in London to 'bring us a bottle of your best wine,' the wine steward took him at his word and brought to Crowe�?s table as bottle price at $7000. It was not until he had ordered a second bottle and was presented with the bill showing $14,000 for wine that Crowe realized how fine his taste in wine really was. He was not a happy diner. He paid the tab, but we hear he really raised a stink about it. The irony of this is that Russell's next film is Ridley Scott's A Good Year for Fox 2000 by Mark Klein adapted from Peter Mayle's novel about a London banker who moves to Provence after inheriting a vineyard. The film begins shooting in Paris in a few weeks. Meanwhile, Crowe is undergoing a crash course in wine by visiting several French vineyards with an oenologist."

Wouldn't therapy be better?



(image via typemuseum)

In: AOL. Granted, AOL has taken quite a beating for the past -- oh -- four years or so. Still, the emerging Media Online Goldrush (tm) strikes us as overwhelmingly favorable news for beleagueredured company. The NYPost's Tim Arrango adds some seasoning to the soup:

"A partnership between AOL and Microsoft would put considerable heat on the two other major portals, Yahoo! and Google. While talks are most advanced with Microsoft, Time Warner has also discussed an AOL partnership with both Yahoo! and Google.

"Talks with Microsoft have been ongoing, and a deal could be wrapped up within a few months.
Two years ago the two companies settled an antitrust lawsuit over Microsoft's tactics in the Internet browser market.

"The talks could also lead to AOL dumping Google's search technology and using Microsoft. Other areas of collaboration said to be under consideration are online advertising and instant messaging."

And, from The Old Gray Lady:

"The most elaborate proposal being discussed would involve combining America Online with the MSN Internet portal and dial-up Internet business, creating the world's largest Internet company. The venture's Web search would be provided by Microsoft. That combination would be a significant blow to Google, which provides the Web search on AOL's services. This year, 11 percent of Google revenue came from advertising it placed on AOL sites."

And TheStreet.com gives us the numbers Here (link via blogs.pcworld.com)



Got Blow? (image via ctran)

Out: Kate Moss and the "Bolivian Marching Powder." (Sniff, sniff) Something had to give, we suppose, if Kate Moss was going to remain icommittedited relationship with Pete Doherty, former man-whore. He dragged her down, as we learn today. According to TheSun:

"KATE Moss is blowing �200 every day on cocaine- snorting the drug morning, noon and night.A close pal of the catwalk queen last night revealed how she reaches for the cocaine as soon as she wakes up."




(image via boston)

In: Marketing to the Red States. NBC, in dead last place, is marketing to the red states. Why hasn't anyone thought of this before? Actually, we have always argued that television needs to include more red-state programming. Urban blue-staters tend to be more into urbane sophisticated comedies and documentaries, while -- often, but not always -- red-staters are more concerned with issues of morality, righteousness and wisdom (as opposed to "sophistication") Just so long as HBO remains pristine and indie, it's all gravy. Says The Old Gray Lady:

" The cash register at Goody's clothing store here flashed $106.01 - for a dress shirt and three pairs of Levi's - but as Lori Smith reached for her credit card, a nearby voice brought the transaction to a halt.

"'Tell you what, why don't you let me take care of it?' said Scott Evans, his delivery as smooth as a car salesman's as he directed Ms. Smith to a partner brandishing stacks of $1 bills.

"Mr. Evans explained that they were there on behalf of NBC, promoting an unscripted show, 'Three Wishes,' which will have its premiere on the network on Sept. 23. In the series, the singer Amy Grant travels to a different town each week in an effort to fulfill the heart's desire of needy families and community groups.

"For a network that dominated the prime-time ratings for a decade with sophisticated urban comedies like 'Cheers,' 'Seinfeld,' 'Frasier' and 'Friends,' only to tumble to fourth place last season without them, Ms. Grant's show is a radical departure. 'Three Wishes' is aimed, in no small part, at a churchgoing rural and suburban audience. And its marketing plan, evocative of a red-state presidential campaign, bears scant resemblance to any NBC has crafted before."