stars, sex and nudity buzz : 01/08/2013

Listen: Firewall and Iceberg Podcast No. 165

Dan and Alan talk TCA press tour, 'Girls,' 'Shameless' and more

By Daniel Fienberg

Happy Monday, Boys and Girls! We're in Pasadena to record a new installment of The Firewall and Iceberg Podcast.

Actually, we're in Pasadena for the Television Critics Association press tour, but y'all probably knew that already. 

In this week's installment, Sepinwall and I debrief after the first three-ish days of press tour and then we review a slew of cable shows including the new Cinemax drama "Banshee," HBO's "Girls" and "Enlightened" and Showtime's "Shameless."

It's unclear when we're gonna podcast next, but... it'll totally be "sometime."

Here's today's breakdown:

TCA Press Tour (00:01:20 - 00:34:55)

"Banshee" (00:35:10 - 00:43:20)

"Girls" (00:43:25 - 00:53:40)

"Enlightened" (00:53:45 - 00:59:29)

"Shameless" (00:59:30 - 01:10:50)

Banshee :
The guys saw the first two episodes. Boobs, Amish Mafia and Drifters.
36:46 : Dan confirms boobies exactly 1 mins 20 seconds into the show.

Girls :
Allison Williams was really really funny in few episodes according to the guys. Nothing on nudity or guest star Shiri Appleby

Californication at 59:36 : 
Dan confirms watching first four episodes of Californication. Solely to see if Maggie Grace shows her boobs. He just stopped shy of confirming Maggie nudity BUT SOUNDED DISAPPOINTED. Claims he won't watch the show again.

Shameless :
about Emma Rossum : from 69:00 onwards. Dan pretty much implies she will get naked a lot.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 


Fresh Faces: Margot Robbie

Filed under: Fresh Faces

NAME: Margot Robbie
AGE: 22
FROM: The Gold Coast, Australia
OCCUPATION: Actress
SIGNATURE STYLE: Distinctive Aussie casual cuteness. Florals and bright yellow suit her bronzed skin and flaxen locks, and a mix of billowy flowing dresses and tight body-cons are often seen on the red carpet. Off duty, she can be seen in boots, jeans, shirts – everything with a beachy vibe.

Looking fresh in floral

YOU MIGHT RECOGNISE HER FROM… Neighbours. Yes, like so many other prominent Australian actresses, Robbie found fame in the beloved soap opera that is as iconic down under as it is around the globe. She played Donna Freedman, a young girl who was only meant to be a short lived character, but who ended up becoming a major role for over three years. Her part in Neighbours lead to her being nominated for first a ‘Most Popular New Female Talent’ Logie award, and then ‘Most Popular Actress’. She then went on to play newbie flight attendant Laura Cameron in the short-lived but much loved ABC series Pan-Am, alongside Christina Ricci.

Robbie in New York, October 2012, rocking a bit of mustard yellow

WE LOVE HER BECAUSE… She’s a total innocent. Growing up on the beach and rural Australian farms, she had never been to the USA until she landed the part in Pan-Am. She has stated this gave her a really good affinity with her character, who was also meant to be wide-eyed with wonder at all the big cities. Even so, moving from Melbourne to New York must have been a bit of a shock.

Fur and neon at the Midwinter Night's Skate Party in New York, this time last year

WE CAN’T WAIT FOR… The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese‘s new film, which is set for release this year. In it, Robbie’s role is the wife of main character Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. A drama about a New York stockbroker dealing with corruption, it’s a set full of tension, which is maybe why rumours are rife that Leo and Robbie have started a real-life relationship. It does make sense, continuing his penchant for the twenty-something blonde. She’s also appearing in Richard Curtis’ new comedy, About Time, alongside Rachel McAdams, also to be released in 2013.

Margot Robbie on set for 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. We're loving the double leather.

INTERESTINGLY, one of the reasons that Robbie was so excited about being a part of the Pan-Am cast was that her favourite decade in the 1960′s. She’s said in a previous interview with MSN that the thrill of rebellion was what drew her to the era. Maybe that’s why she spent her 18th birthday skydiving, and was in the midst of a snowboarding holiday when she found out she’d landed the part in Neighbours. We need to watch out for this lady’s adrenaline addiction.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



Larisa Polonsky brief full-frontal on stage in Thomas Bradshaw' Burning


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Seventeen Questions Raised by the Really Racist Adrien Brody Trailer for InAPPropriate Comedy

By Jesse David Fox

The trailer for InAPPropriate Comedy was released today. It was directed and co-written by Vince Offer, the ShamWow! guy. It stars Adrien Brody, Rob Schneider, Michelle Rodriguez, and Lindsay Lohan and causes a person to question everything and anything. Below is the trailer and all of the thoughts it made run through our head.

According to a press release, Lohan lives out “her fantasy of taking an ultimate revenge on the salivating paparazzi who haunt her,” but maybe her shooting spree was funnier to the filmmakers before Newtown.
But it’s Brody that seems to be crying loudest for help here, playing Flirty Harry, “a tough, no nonsense cop with a soft middle and a flair for fashion.” In 2003, he won the Oscar for The Pianist; in 2011, he was playing Dali for Woody Allen in Midnight in Paris. Now, he’s the taking direction from the ShamWow! guy and uttering lines like, “Go ahead. Make me gay.” That is like Tom Brady losing the Super Bowl, getting dumped by Gisele, and shacking up with Octomom.

Apparently, this movie really exists and is not some viral stunt, as I momentarily hoped; InAPPropriate Comedy threatens to be released on March 22.

1. Why?
2. How many Oscar winners have acted in a film written and directed by the ShamWow! guy?
3. Why did they let them keep the word InAPPropriate in the tile? Why did they let them keep the word Comedy?
4. Was Cuba Gooding Jr. busy? Or did even the star of Boat Trip think this was too homophobic?
5. Was casting done exclusively at 2 a.m. at the Chateau Marmont?
6. On a scale from 1 to 10, where 10 is the most racist, how racist does this movie look?
7. Can we pick 11?
8. How many Oscars winners have said the line “Go ahead, make me gay” in a movie?
9. Could ShamWow!s even clean up this mess, or will they need ShameWow!s?
10. Did they steal College Humor’s font?
11. Why?
12. Who was a bigger “get” for the ShamWow! guy: Rob Schneider or Theo from Road Rules: Maximum Velocity?
13. Has anyone ever parodied the Marilyn Monroe air-vent thing before?
14. Has anyone ever parodied Black Swan?
15. Wait, is this actually "Adrien Brody’s finest performance since The Pianist"?
16. Do Asian people constantly steal the ShamWow! guy’s lunch money? Is there any other explanation for why he is so hostile toward them?
17. Seriously, just why?

* I don't know about you guys but I'm going to watch it just to hear Brody's double entendres ....."Soon as I came those assholes opened up".

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Why are we so afraid of nudity?

by Sarah Pynoo, Opinions Editor | January 7, 2013 |

The Classification and Rating Administration (CARA, a division of the Motion Picture Association of America) chooses what ratings to assign to films based on one main guideline – “to reflect what they believe would be the majority view of their fellow American parents in assigning a rating to a film,” according to their website.

That principle holds true against most major ratings boards – video games, films, and television are all regulated according to what a small number of people believe to represent cultural sensibilities for whatever area the entertainment medium is being rated for.

This makes it easy to see differences between countries – namely, the rating that sex and nudity is given. One notable case was the 2010 film Blue Valentine. The movie depicts a marriage that is in the stages of decomposition. The films scenes were not designed to titillate – brief awkward sex scenes, quick glimpses of nudity of someone in the shower; it’s hardly pornographic material. However, in the United States, the film was given NC-17, a rating that is a kiss of death for most films being promoted. NC-17 ensures that a film will have no commercial or promotional spots, and most theatre chains will refuse to show it. In Canada, it was given the equivalent rating of 18A. The American rating was protested, and eventually withdrawn, but the Canadian rating was upheld. Meanwhile, in most European countries, the film was giving much more reasonable ratings of Adult, 14, or 16+, allowing it a wider circulation.

Now, this would be all fine and dandy if the North American film boards were consistent with their stringent ratings. However, a quick glance at the ratings of current films in theatres shows that their priorities might need a little adjusting. Jack Reacher, The Bourne Legacy, Hitchcock, Les Miserables, Sinister, and Skyfall are all given either 14A or PG ratings. These films are devoid of sexual content, but include hand to hand violence, gun violence, blood, corpses, profanity, and graphic depictions of violence towards prostitutes and children. Yet, somehow they sit and two to three rating levels below films like The Sessions and Holy Motors, which show brief depictions of sex and nudity, and very little else to be offended about.

Ryan Gosling, an actor in Blue Valentine, summed up his feelings about how the ratings system’s double standards. “The MPAA is okay supporting scenes that portray women in scenarios of sexual torture and violence for entertainment purposes, but they are trying to force us to look away from a scene that shows a woman in a sexual scenario, which is both complicit and complex.”

On Facebook, a strange rating system also applies. A document leaked in February of this year showed how Facebook decides whether to approve or ban photos – breastfeeding is unacceptable, but crushed heads and limbs are absolutely okay.

Clearly, in North America, something is out of place. Maybe it’s time to rethink our priorities – we all have bodies, and viewing nudity is pretty natural. However, we don’t all carry submachine guns everywhere, and our film ratings should reflect that.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Heidi Klum: When You Have A Good Body You Can Quickly End Up Not Wearing Much Clothing

The Huffington Post  |  By Rebecca Adams

Heidi Klum is not one to be shy about going nude. The supermodel has graced many magazine shoots (seriously, many) sans clothing, wore nothing but body paint for a beauty gig, took it all off in the name of "Project Runway" and even tweeted a few scantily clad personal snaps of her own. You get the picture.

Naturally, when Ocean Drive sat down with the supermodel for their 20th anniversary issue, they had a few questions about how the 39-year-old maintains her relatively clean image (er, besides that whole body guard thing) in spite of all of the stripping. Ms. Klum dished how she learned to toe the line between tasteful and obscene at a very young age:

“When you have a good body, photographers will often be like, ‘Yeah, let’s take this off, and why don’t we lose this too,’ and you can quickly end up not wearing much clothing. You have to be careful and strong at saying no, especially when you’re younger and on your own. Not everyone is cool and has your best interest [at heart]. But Rankin has always made sure, when some of my shoots would be more on the naked side, that they wouldn’t look raunchy. They were sexy, yes, but very classy.”

We can't say we've seen the mother of four in any photo shoot that was less than classy, but we're sure it takes quite a good head on your shoulders to maintain your sense of self in an industry with few boundaries. Just ask Kate Moss. The British model recently opened up about her own struggles with nudity when she began modeling at 16. Oy.
Fortunately, it looks like both ladies have maintained long careers and have the power to call the shots now. But what do you think of Heidi's latest take on going nude in the modeling industry?


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Can Erotica Help Women's Sexuality? 

Trina Read (Founder VivaXO.com, Eat Drink Love and CBC radio relationship columnist)

I'm glad the Fifty Shades of Grey (FSG) trilogy and its 15 minutes of fame are over. I couldn't for the life of me understand why such a poorly written book became 2012's biggest blockbuster seller since there's much better erotica to read. I also could not understand how such a vanilla, mainstream book -- one notch up from a Harlequin romance, really -- started such a controversy in the first place.

One thing for certain the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon was the perfect storm and, I believe, has forever changed the way many women perceive and read erotica.

For those who haven't heard of this book, it's an erotica book cloaked in a "love story." Handsome tycoon billionaire Christian Grey wants to dominate young, innocent college student Anastasia, and he wants her to be his submissive. But Christian is a broken man which leads him down the path of BDSM. They sign a contract, yet Anastasia constantly asks herself whether she wants this relationship.

So of course, from the time the book came out there was outrage about the BDSM theme. Which is understandable -- I would be astonished if there wasn't push back from a segment of the population.
For instance, a U.K. women's charity refers to Fifty Shades as "an instruction manual for an abusive individual to sexually torture a vulnerable young woman" and organized a book-burning protest.

How do you explain someone who doesn't believe fantasy is a good thing that a book about BDSM fantasy is an okay read? Not easy. Especially if you don't understand BDSM -- and most people, understandably, don't -- then yes, of course, a book like this can seen harmful.

What is actually going on in the novel is an "exchange of power" which puts Anastasia on equal footing to Christian Grey. Everything is consensual and agreed upon. Professionally, I wish all couples would take a chapter from BDSM in that there is a mutually satisfying exchange.

The American press had a heyday vilifying this type of female fantasy -- again. In 1973 Nancy Friday gathered women's fantasies and published My Secret Garden. Many of these average gal's fantasies were about being dominated -- just like Anastasia.

Interestingly history shows that S-and-M erotica comes in and out of fashion about every 20 years (or so). Ann Rice published her erotic fairytales in the early 1990s. Anais Nin was wildly popular in her day (mid-70s); The Story of O published in 1954 by Anne Desclos; and so on.

Women loved and read these books but had to pass them along secretly to her friends and family. The difference is FSG is a lot more accessible and women feel a lot more empowered to read it openly.

As much as I'm not a fan of the FSG trilogy I am glad and grateful for one thing: for once the average gal was in your face about her sexuality. Not caring that she was being titillated for everyone to see. It was almost a status symbol to be seen reading the book in public places. It's one of the few times since women "won" her right to orgasm in the 1970s that she put her sexual needs first.

As for inevitable conservative backlash here's what I think: Society still isn't comfortable with a woman flaunting her sexuality. Especially when she gets turned on by certain fantasies that are seen as taboo'ish. I really don't believe today's woman is sexually emancipated and the backlash telling her she shouldn't like this sort of book is simple proof.

Many long-term couples are stuck in a romance rut -- they love their partner but don't know how/ what to do to make things interesting. Suddenly someone hands her a book and says, "You've got to read this" and it awakens her sensuality. FSG opened up a world for a lot of women that they never knew existed. And it felt good to connect with her partner (and with her sexual self) at that level.

How could that possibly be bad or wrong?

Being titillated by erotica is as natural as breathing, and an incredibly easy and healthy way to get turned on.

If Fifty Shades of Grey doesn't appeal to you please don't give up on erotica. This book may not be your thing, but there are a lot of other story lines that might.

And for the sake of women's sexual emancipation world wide -- sorry to be dramatic, but I feel that strongly --simply ignore the media when they tell you it is harmful. It's not.

Reading erotica and being titillated is good. Very good.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sofia Vergara Nude Photoshoot Behind the Scenes

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


* least surprising news of the day. 
By the way and I'm speaking from experience, shopaholic is a dangerous addiction or symptom...whatever you want to call it but I've seen girls with this habit dabble in nude modeling just for the cash and not because they're passionate about the work, pro-am hardcore porn (check out Backroom Casting Couch) and like Juno who will take on any roles as long as she gets her paycheck and spend it like crazy.  

Juno Temple plans risque lingerie range   

'Atonement' actress Juno Temple wants to create her own clothing and underwear lines inspired by Agent Provocateur.
Juno Temple wants to set up her own lingerie line.

The stylish 'Killer Joe' actress - who has been named one of the five 2013 EE Rising Star Award nominees alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Suraj Sharma, Andrea Riseborough and Alicia Vikander - hopes to branch out into fashion design by creating her own range of underwear and clothing inspired by saucy shop Agent Provocateur.

Speaking after the announcement at BAFTA in London, Juno exclusively told BANG Showbiz: ''I'm a huge lingerie fan. If I'm really honest, if I have money I spend it in Agent Provocateur. I absolutely want to design, I can't wait to do it one day.

''I'm very inspired by the 30s, I like a high waist, I think that's beautiful. Just a little risque. I've got a few really good ideas that I've talked to some people about and hopefully I'll do that one day!''
The 23-year-old star is a self-described ''vintage junkie'' and admits her favourite way to relax after a hard day's filming is to snap up some retro bargains in second hand stores.

The shopaholic - who got her big break as Cate Blanchett's daughter in 'Notes on a Scandal' before impressing in 'Atonement' - admits her first big paycheque went straight on a designer handbag, which still has pride of place in her wardrobe.

She revealed: ''I spent it on a white Miu Miu bag that I still have. It's the coolest bag ever and I've had it since I was sixteen. Most of my money goes on clothes!''

Voting is now open to the public at ee.co.uk/bafta and the winner will be announced at the EE British Academy Film Awards ceremony on Sunday 10 February 2013.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

‘Downton,’ ‘Girls,’ ‘Idol’ and more this January

NEW YORK (AP) - Where once the post-holiday schedule was a blizzard of chilly reruns, January is aburst with premieres and finales.

Already, the much-adored British miniseries “Downton Abbey” has made its much-awaited season return Sundays on PBS.

On IFC on Fridays, the hilarious “Portlandia” is back for its third season of sketch comedy poking fun at the peculiarities of Portland, Ore., starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.

And NBC’s mystery melodrama “Deception” has arrived on Mondays. Meagan Good stars as a detective going undercover at the home of a rich family with whom she was once friendly, to investigate a murder within the clan.

On Tuesday, PBS’ “American Experience” begins a three-week documentary miniseries, “The Abolitionists,” spotlighting Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Brown and Angelina Grimke.

Also on Tuesday, the FX drama “Justified” is returning for its fourth season of Kentucky hill-country crime-fighting led by Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (series star Timothy Olyphant).

On Thursday, comedic action centers at the White House with the premiere of NBC’s “1600 Penn.” Josh Gad (“The Book of Mormon”) stars as the goofball son of the incumbent U.S. president (played by Bill Pullman) who keeps the first family in a stir, yet manages to make everything turn out all right by the final fade-out.

The Gallaghers of “Shameless” are a much different family. In this dark comedy, William H. Macy stars as the boozy single father of a brood of kids who manage their ragtag Chicago homestead in spite of Dad’s overindulgences. Also starring Emmy Rossum, it returns Jan. 13 for its third season on Showtime.

Also on Jan. 13, HBO’s comedy “Girls” returns for a second season sure to be at least as ballyhooed, discussed and argued about as the first. Lena Dunham (who also writes, produces, directs and created the series) stars as one of a quartet of twentysomething gal pals in New York.

Right after “Girls,” HBO launches the second season of “Enlightened,” an affecting comedy starring Laura Dern as a confused New Age-y activist who’s bent on changing the world.

What was Carrie Bradshaw like before Sarah Jessica Parker and “Sex and the City”? Find out on “The Carrie Diaries,” which debuts on the CW on Jan. 14. AnnaSophia Robb stars as the high-school era Carrie in this likable prequel.

“American Idol” returns on Jan. 16 on Fox. Veteran judge Randy Jackson will be joined by Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban. Ryan Seacrest, as always, is the affable host.

After five seasons, Fox’s lovably inscrutable sci-fi series “Fringe” concludes its head-scratching run on Jan. 18. Stars include Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson and John Noble.

Fox’s bloody suspense drama “The Following” premieres Jan. 21. Kevin Bacon stars as a former FBI agent drafted back into service to chase a serial murderer and his vicious disciples.

My, how Spartacus’ army has grown! Commanding thousands of freed slaves, Spartacus is primed to bring down the entire Roman Republic as the final season begins for “Spartacus: War of the Damned,” Jan. 25 on Starz. Liam McIntyre plays the rebel leader.

The world of “Dallas” will be rocked during its second season with the death of arch-villain oilman J.R. Ewing (played, of course, by Larry Hagman, who passed away in November while the series was in production). Also starring Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray, this rebooted (so to speak) version of the long-running CBS prime-time soap returns on TNT on Jan. 28.

FX weighs in with an edgy new drama “The Americans” on Jan. 30. It stars Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell as two KGB agents posing as the heads of a normal American household in the 1980s, as they work tirelessly to bring down the U.S. on behalf of Mother Russia.

On Jan. 31, NBC unveils a new medical drama “Do No Harm.” Steve Pasquale (“Rescue Me”) stars as a neurosurgeon with a great bedside manner who inconveniently shares a body with his sociopathic alter ego.

The same night, NBC closes the book on the brilliant mockery of “30 Rock.” This Tina Fey comedy wraps seven seasons of making fun of pop culture, modern life and especially its own real-life broadcast network _ which, like the rest of the TV universe, has even more midseason goodies in store come February.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Alison Brie

Alison Brie video portrait by Tyler Shields

from Robert Szary

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Watch: Six Sundance 2013 Short Films Now Available To Stream. Go here

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

'Californication' clarification: award-winning Showtime series much more than a skin spectacle Evan Handler (Charlie Runkle) talks season six (note - some small spoilers)

Myles Cochrane/Tri-City Weekly

In some circles, misconceptions run rampant when it comes to the popular Showtime television series “Californication.” Before even watching the gripping drama some call it a show about a sex addict or they say it exists as a ploy to use skin to increase viewership. True, “Californication” should be viewed by mature audiences, but like they always say -- and here it's true -- the artistic program shouldn't be judged by its cover.

”(Starring David Duchovny as Hank Moody, 'Californication' is) about a writer on the skids -- with a substance-abuse problem for sure -- who pines for a relationship that he ruined and is trying to relocate that love and his writing gifts as he drowns himself in booze and various sexual encounters,” said Evan Handler, the actor who plays Moody's best pal and agent Charlie Runkle.

After hearing the IMDB description of the show, Handler couldn't help but be disappointed about the picture the website's bland synopsis paints. And with great reason. Sure, fans of the show love it for being sexy, edgy and provocative, but it also portrays an engagingly vivid view of the entertainment industry. The show is philosophical, it examines relationships with friends and family in a new light and it delivers an often comical as well as brutally honest look at alternative lifestyles.

”It has a tone that's very unique,” Handler said. “It manages to be very highbrow and lowbrow simultaneously. You have these guys who are behaving in an infantile fashion for their ages and yet the banter is quite clever and sprinkled with literary references.”

While season five's finale hinted at the possibility of Moody being poisoned to death by a jealous ex-girlfriend, a trailer for the new season reveals the main man very much alive, as well as a plethora of great guest stars. In previous years the show has featured guests like Rob Lowe, RZA of film and Wu Tang Clan fame, Rick Springfield and Zakk Wylde. This year's guests include Australian-British actor-musician Tim Minchin, “Taken” actress Maggie Grace, Steve Jones of the seminal punk group Sex Pistols and the ever-so-brilliant shock-rocker Marilyn Manson.

”In season six, Charlie descends with Hank into the world of rock 'n' roll,” Handler said. “He gets coerced to adapt one of his books and screenplays into a Broadway musical with a fictional character named Atticus Fetch (played by Minchin) -- he's a Bowie-esque rock legend. Minchin is well known in Australia and England and less known here. I think that's bound to change.”

”(Grace) plays a professional muse -- I didn't know there was such a thing,” Handler continued. “A woman who's made it her business to inspire rock legends and she sets her sights on Hank Moody as an underachiever worthy of her charms and gifts.”

Jones plays a “burly and surly” bouncer and Manson plays himself in season six. Manson's role also includes a staged performance at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, according to Handler.

Lowe will also reprise his role in season six.

While the premiere of season five of the show saw a jump in time of almost three years, season six begins about a week later.

”Hank has recovered from his poisoning (in the episode airing Sunday),” Handler said. “The woman who did that to him does not recover as much as Hank does. So he's plagued by guilt over this, which sort of fuels his descent over the season.”

Handler, who first met Duchovny during a conference room test-read for the show, said that he and the former “The X-Files” star kicked their relationship off by reading scenes for series creator Tom Kapinos that were half scripted and half ad-libbed.

”There's this great love affair between Charlie Runkle and Hank Moody that's outlasted any of their heterosexual relationships,” Handler said. “It's a great buddy story, a great up-and-down, round-and-around type of thing.”

Initially intended to be a screenplay, Showtime asked that it be reformatted into a series. “Californication” in its early stages was supposed to portray Runkle as a closeted homosexual -- something that was changed before the pilot was filmed.

Ironically in season six, Handler said Runkle pretends to be gay in order to sign an openly gay, major movie star client who wants an agent.

Originally from New York but currently living in Southern California on the coast where “Californication” is shot, Handler attended The Juilliard School in the late 1970s and early 1980s and was a member of the Drama Division's Group 12 with Kevin Spacey, Ving Rhames, Kelly McGillis and Elizabeth McGovern. In addition to being known for his role in the HBO series “Sex and the City,” Handler has some big screen credits as well -- he was in 1981's “Taps” starring Tom Cruise and Sean Penn as well as 1996's “Ransom” starring Mel Gibson.

In the late 1980s, Handler was diagnosed with a seemingly incurable case of leukemia when he was 24 years old. He was cured.

To tell his story, he wrote the 1996 book “Time on Fire: My Comedy of Terrors” and another in 2008 called “It's Only Temporary: The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive.”

”(The newer volume) tells the story of the 20 years after the illness and the extremely lengthy process of finding and experiencing gratitude (for) the life that I knew I was lucky to be living,” Handler said.

Both published, the two works are now available in all formats as E-Books.

Handler has also written articles for ELLE; O, the Oprah Magazine and he contributes regularly to The Huffington Post.

The premiere of season six of the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning show “Californication” airs on Sunday at 10:30 p.m. PST.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dangerous People : R-Rated or Red Band Teaser Trailer (NSFW)

from Garo Nigoghossian

R-Rated or Red Band teaser trailer for my movie "Dangerous People". 

Visit us at: facebook.com/DangerousPeopleMovie. 

Dangerous People is a dark comedy with horror overtones about three serial killers set in 1972. Starring Playboy model Angelina Leigh, Vincent Stalba, and Garo (Actress Apocalypse) Nigoghossian. Story by Garo Nigoghossian and Richard R. Anasky. Director Of Photography Wheat. Produced by Catherine Epstein, Marisha McCormick, and Garo Nigoghossian. Directed by Garo Nigoghossian. Shot on the Canon T2i.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Actriz Angie Cepeda. Behind the scenes

from Mauricio Hilb Briceño

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lena Dunham Addresses ‘Girls’ Nudity, Implores Everyone to Cool Their Jets

By Kelsea Stahler

Lena Dunham is clearly a fan of nudity, harboring a consistent attitude along the lines of “I’m naked, so what?” It should be a refreshing dismissal of entertainment’s constant oppression of real bodies in favor of svelt, flawless figures — an act that simply says, “This is a female body, too” and moves on. Instead Dunham’s nudity, which continues right from the start in Season 2 of HBO’s Girls, constantly twists peoples' brains into tiny pretzels of disbelief over the fact that (gasp!) a woman with a shape not found in the window of a Forever 21 dares to make us look at her unclothed figure. Thankfully, Dunham continues to strip away the bullshit.

Dunham addresses the unyieldingly popular topic yet again in her appearance on NBC’s Today on Tuesday, saying once and for all that’s it’s really not that big of a deal. “It’s not that brave to get naked if you’re not stressed about being naked,” says Dunham after her co-star Alison Williams praises her for being “the bravest person [she] know[s].” The writer/director/actress’s reaction is a refreshing one in an increasingly body-image obsessed culture – a culture that allows such descriptions of Dunham’s naked body like the one that ran in the NY Post review of Girls’ second season premiere: "giant thighs, a sloppy backside and small breasts.”

It’s a wonder (and a damn sad shame) that descriptions like that still exist. Yet, in the top half of a review of Dunham’s work, we’re talking about her thighs and not one of the four jobs she performs on Girls (writer, director, producer, actress). And while the prevailing discussion should be about her creativity and her writing, for or against, it was and continues to be about her body.

But we’ve been here before. Long before she was wearing her birthday suit on HBO’s Girls, Dunham was filming scenes in the buff. In her 2010 film Tiny Furniture, Dunham is seen walking around in nothing but a short t-shirt, exposing her thighs and her bottom and later exposing it all with clips of her video “The Fountain” (in which she is nude in, well, a fountain). Even then, her proclivity for nudity aroused interest in critics and viewers alike. Some reviewers like Manohla Dargis of The New York Times directed attention to the use of nudity as expression, “This, she seems to say whenever she points the camera at herself, is me, a very real, very human body coming into being.” Others, however, can’t get past the fact that Dunham continues to bare it all.

When Dunham addressed fans during her New Yorker Festival discussion in October, she of course touched on the topic. “It completely sickens me what our culture is doing to women,” she said. Dunham had recently worn an outfit that exposed her legs, from the top of her thighs down to her ankles and received rampant criticism for her “no pants look.”

”I didn’t go out without pants, I had shorts on… If Olivia Wilde had gone to a party with a big silky top and little shorts she might have been told her outfit was cute,” she said. "What it was really: ‘Why did you show us your thighs?’” And that’s the problem with descriptions like that from the Post, which called Dunham’s exposure of her “sloppy backside” a “boon for the out-of-shape and perhaps a giant economic loss for high-end gyms,” as if Dunham’s perfectly normal female form is some sort of expression of anti-establishmentarianism in a world of oppressive physical fitness. It’s as if average women of the world might see Dunham in the buff, throw out their gym memberships, and cry “fuck it” in unison. But again, that’s not the point.

Dunham tries time and again to address the “issue” calmly and with the assertion that it simply isn’t the ordeal it’s constantly made out to be. The woman ate cake naked on a toilet in an Emmys sketch – you’d think with that we could reach the limit of shock, move on, and stop feeling a sense of surprise every time Dunham takes her shirt off on television.

Okay. You’ve got us: she doesn’t look like most naked actresses we see in any form of media. But for the love of all that’s normal, so what? There is no point in uttering a word about Dunham’s ongoing self-exposure if we’re going to make it the yin to the yang that is the Perfect Female Figure According to Hollywood and boil it down to terms that make it something other. 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

DirecTV's Audience Network hopes to make mark with originals

Thandie Newton stars in the Audience Network drama "Rogue." (DirecTV)

By Joe Flint (January 8, 2013)

Satellite broadcaster DirecTV is taking the next step with its in-house channel Audience Network.

Best known as the channel that gave a second chance to critically acclaimed but low-rated dramas "Damages" and "Friday Night Lights," the Audience Network is now making a big push into original scripted programming with the drama "Rogue."

Set to premiere in April, "Rogue" is a gritty and dark look at a detective (Thandie Newton) who goes undercover and finds herself crossing lines and putting her career in jeopardy. The Audience Network has ordered 10 episodes and owns half of the show.

While the Audience Network has delved into original programming before with its simulcast of Dan Patrick's sports radio morning show, "Rogue" is the first dramatic series it has been involved in from the ground up. Last year, it acquired the U.S. rights to "Hit and Miss," a drama that played overseas starring Chloe Sevigny as a contract killer who is also a transgender woman.

DirecTV senior vice president Chris Long said his goal is to have four original dramas and comedies on Audience Network within the next three to five years.

"You have to start slow," Long said.

In the meantime, DirecTV will continue to acquire product it hopes will build awareness for the channel. It recently bought rights to all the episodes of the Fox action show "24."

For DirecTV, Audience Network is strictly a promotional platform.

"It is about differentiating us from other distributors and having exclusive content," Long said. DirecTV subscribers, he added, do not pay a fee to get the channel. "There is no hidden cost, it is absolutely free." With regards to its programming budget, Long said, "obviously we have to look for bargains because we don't have the budgets of other competitors."

DirecTV says 4 million and 6 million of its 20 million subscribers watch the channel on a weekly basis. For now, Long said there are no plans to offer the network to other pay-TV distributors. While the Federal Communications Commission has had rules requiring cable operators to sell channels they own to competitors, there have never been such rules for satellite broadcasters including DirecTV.

* Here is a suggestion. Ramped up on the sex content. Show boobs of every actress on a particular series between age of 18-to-50. Full frontal will be even better. Sex scenes that goes on for about 3-to-5 mins tops. No low lighting and fucked-up angled shots. Clear satisfying view of the tits, ass and pubes.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Katrina Bowden discusses her future after ‘30 Rock’

Katrina Bowden at a fashion show

Katrina Bowden has a new interview with Maxim Magazine in which she discusses her future, being on television, and her embarrassing moments on the set of ’30 Rock’.

Now that ’30 Rock’ is coming to an end, Bowden has had to think about her future, and she says, “I don't know, but I'm definitely excited for a new chapter. I'd love to do a completely different kind of show, like 'Breaking Bad' or 'Homeland'. I'm really open to anything whether it's TV or more films.”

She also talks about being embarrassed on set, saying, “There were moments where I didn't get references because I was younger. One time we filmed an episode at Kenneth's apartment, and Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth, had filled it with real photos of his family and also decades of TV memorabilia he'd collected. So I picked up this photo of four old women and ask Jack if they were his aunts, and Judah, who was there, was like 'Are you serious? Those are the Golden Girls!' I was like 'Oh, my God, I guess I really am a lot younger.'"

Katrina Bowden at the TCA's

And how does she feel now that ’30 Rock’ is syndicated?  She says, “There are reruns, like, three or four times a night. It's crazy! It becomes this weird timeline where I can tell what point of the shooting process we were at based on how everyone looks, like, did I have bangs? Or what baseball cap Judah Fredlander's wearing.”

* She barely had any lines on the show. Katrina better off doing comedy/horror flicks for now. I don't see boobies in immediate future. Soon to be a married woman, Katrina will grow more comfortable with her body and if she becomes a mother even better. Just look at Kelly Overton. In few years time, Katrina either will be angling for a co-star role in a sitcom (multi-camera) or forever stuck in B-grade movies (except for the masterpiece Tucker and Dale vs Evil).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You have read this article Alison Brie / Californication / DirecTV' Rogue / HBO's Girls / Katrina Bowden / Maggie Grace / Margot Robbie with the title DirecTV' Rogue. You can bookmark this page URL http://renelyons.blogspot.com/2013/01/stars-sex-and-nudity-buzz-01082013.html. Thanks!

stars, sex and nudity buzz : 01/04/2013

Thandie Newton In Rogue : Exclusive First Look

What would you do if you came face-to-face with your child's killer? 

The series stars Thandie Newton, Marton Csokas along with newcomers Joshua Sasse and Leah Gibson. 

Newton is a grief-stricken mother who is drawn into a devil's deal to find her son's killers; the series is set in San Francisco and premieres on DirecTV this April 3rd. 

The cast will make an appearance at the winter TCA press tour in Pasadena (January 9).

CAST �

THANDIE NEWTON (Grace Travis)

MARTON CSOKAS (Jimmy Laszlo)

JOSHUA SASSE (Alec Laszlo) � SEXY NEWCOMER

LEAH DIANE GIBSON (Cathy Laszlo) � SEXY NEWCOMER 

Grace Travis is a wife, mother of two, and the bay area's best undercover detective. She's adept at transitioning between suburban life and the Oakland docks where she's been embedded for months with a criminal enterprise run by James "Jimmy" Laszlo and his sons, Max and Alec. Grace is abruptly pulled out of the field when her son, Sam, is killed in a drive by shooting. Her life is shattered. 

Four months later... 

The investigation into Sam's death has gone cold. Grace, guilt-ridden and unable to accept the loss, has begun to search for answers. With the help of her mentor, Mitch, a link is uncovered between Sam's death and Jimmy Laszlo's organization. Unable to convince her superiors that she is fit for duty, Grace goes ROGUE slipping back undercover as "Jackie Hays" in Laszlo's gang. When Laszlo discovers Grace's true identity, thru his mole in the police department, they make an unholy alliance. Someone close to Laszlo has been working against him. He's willing to spare Grace's life, and help her find Sam's killer, if she helps him uncover the traitor in his organization. It's a deal she can't refuse. 


* It appears Canadian actress with sexy bod Leah Gibson will do her first nude scene(s) judging from the trailer above. Admittedly I don't know the direction DirecTV will go with their original content. The cable version of DAMAGES had nudity but it was all too darkish and brief. You can only hope ROGUE will have full-blown sex scenes similar to Starz productions.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Poster Debut: Kaya Scodelario in 'Emanuel And The Truth About Fishes'

Rising U.K. actress Kaya Scodelario (Skins, Moon, Wuthering Heights) stars as a teenager who strikes up a friendship with her mysterious neighbor (Jessica Biel) in the drama Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes, which premieres in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Movieline's got your first look at the poster for the surrealism-tinged thriller featuring Scodelario, who will be one to watch this month in Park City.
Scodelario's been an intriguing new talent since breaking out on the original Skins, the kids-behaving-badly hit U.K. series that inspired Project X-esque mayhem in suburban England and inspired a terrible American knockoff series on MTV. She appeared in Duncan Jones' Moon and briefly in Clash of the Titans, but earned critical acclaim last year as Catherine in Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights, and for a good while had considerable fan support vying to play the role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games which eventually went to Jen Lawrence.

Emanuel should help Scodelario bolster her presence stateside (she also appears in the as-yet unreleased in the U.S. drama Now Is Good, AKA The One Where Dakota Fanning Has Cancer And A British Accent), and it also adds some zest and indie cred to co-star Biel's filmography following a varied year marked by the indie horror The Tall Man, the sci-fi remake Total Recall, awards hopeful Hitchcock, and the Gerard Butler vehicle Playing For Keeps.
Alfred Molina, Frances O'Connor, Jimmi Simpson, and Aneurin Barnard also star in the pic from director Francesca Gregorini, who previously co-wrote and co-directed the girls school drama Tanner Hall. Check out the full hi-res poster debut below and stay tuned for Movieline's coverage of the Sundance Film Festival, held January 17-27.

Synopsis:
A troubled girl Emanuel (Kaya Scodelario) becomes preoccupied with her mysterious new neighbor (Jessica Biel), who bears a striking resemblance to her dead mother. In offering to baby-sit Linda's newborn, Emanuel unwittingly enters a fragile, fictional world, of which she becomes the gatekeeper.

More info at the Sundance Film Festival website. 

* Reportedly Kaya enjoyed filming the movie but hated living in Los Angeles during that period. So much so she flew in her mom to stay with her. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2012's TV lessons for 2013

By Breeanna Hare, CNN

(CNN) -- You don't have to be an avid fan to acknowledge that 2012 offered some great TV.

Putting aside the national reality show that was the presidential election, there was escalating excellence on "Sons of Anarchy," "The Walking Dead" and "Parks and Recreation." There was the birth of "Girls," "House of Lies," "Veep" and "Luck" (RIP) and the redemption of "Dexter." For every hour of uncomfortably bad scripted or unscripted programming, there was something thought-provoking or, at the very least, entertaining.

We can only hope this trend continues as we look ahead to 2013. So if we could whisper a few of the lessons we've learned from TV this year into the ears of showrunners, here's what we'd say:

1. Keep the intrigue coming

One reason we're excited about the potential for FX's "The Americans" is because we're already addicted to Showtime's "Homeland" and ABC's "Scandal." We've had to wean ourselves off ABC's "Last Resort," seeing as it won't return next fall.

Those are all different shows with different objectives, with "Scandal" giving us sudsy twists, "Last Resort" offering seafaring suspense and "Homeland," at its best, tautly paced thrills. Despite their storyline divergences, they all appealed to our current collective interest in conspiracy, deception and tangled political drama.

"The Americans" teases us with the prospect of more of the same, except this time the focus will be on two KGB spies posing as married parents residing in the suburbs of Washington during the 1980s. We can hardly wait until January 30.

2. Oh, the horror

Between the imaginative insanity on "American Horror Story: Asylum" and the ruthless gore on "The Walking Dead," horror is ever-present on the small screen, and TV viewers are welcoming the thrills with open arms.

The trend looks to continue in 2013, as one of NBC's more anticipated shows is Bryan Fuller's take on the Hannibal Lecter legend. The drama "Hannibal" explores the psychiatrist and eventual serial killer's burgeoning consulting relationship with a young Detective Will Graham.

A-and-E will also try out a series in this genre, examining the early years of "Psycho's" Norman Bates with "Bates Motel." The series is executive produced by "Lost" mastermind Carlton Cuse.

When asked during a press call why horror is having such a renaissance with TV viewers, "AHS: Asylum's" Zachary Quinto said he thinks it could be because its a no-holds-barred approach to our societal fears.

"These shows that are able to be so bold and graphic and uncompromising, unflinching, stand to serve that purpose and be the sort of receptacle for all that collective anxiety," he said. "I think that's important, actually, in a social function, especially in a world that has as much anxiety as the one that we live in does. I think in some ways, it's exhilarating, but it's also a little bit scary that that reflects the world we live in as well."

The thing to note here, as Quinto did, is that cable is playing by a different set of rules when it comes to telling stories with a horror bent. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how NBC works through that with "Hannibal."

3. Talent trumps drama

We are not a nation in want of a singing competition, but "The Voice" has managed to blaze a trail through a crowded playing field.

All of the big three -- "The Voice," "The X Factor" and "American Idol" -- operate on essentially the same ground rules: Unknowns will audition, the famous will do the judging, and with help from the viewing audience, a singer will be crowned.

But here's where they differ: While "The X Factor" and "American Idol" still trade heavily on which personalities are seated at the judges' table and any potential drama, "The Voice" pushes competing and guest talent to the forefront. The coaches/mentors still have their squabbles, and there are still a few awkward auditions, but the very premise emphasizes singing ability above all else. With so many reality shows boiling down to bickering and fake tension, a competition show that fights (mostly) clean stands out.

4. Narrow is the new broad

Along with the rise of the antihero, thanks to shows like "Breaking Bad," "Mad Men" and newcomer "House of Lies," there has been a distinct lean toward individuality.

As TV viewing habits shift from a few shows watched by the masses to several shows that are each supported by a devoted few, we're also getting more nuanced, detailed and unique voices.

For example, the heart and irreplaceable point of view Louis C.K. brings to the character and story of "Louie" makes the FX comedy infinitely watchable. Lena Dunham's Hannah Horvath on "Girls," and really the entire cast, can be relatable, detestable and endearing all in one episode.

This was the year that Max Greenfield really came into his own, stealing many "New Girl" scenes as Schmidt.

This year also brought the arrival of Don Cheadle's immoral but surprisingly sympathetic Marty Kaan on Showtime's "House of Lies" and the hilariously horrid B.J. on "Ben and Kate." And has there ever been anyone on network television like Chloe, the title character from "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23?" You'd be hard-pressed to find more individuality than on top comedies like "Parks and Recreation" and "Happy Endings."

Granted, the "quirk" factor has been in overdrive on TV lately, but all attempts toward originality are welcomed by us.

5. Quality over quantity

We hate breaks between seasons as much as anyone who shifts their schedule around their TV-viewing plans, but not every story needs to be fleshed out for 22, or even 12, episodes and extended for seasons. In fact, there are quite a few series we can think of that should've given up the ghost several episodes ago.

Rather than forcing us to watch something beloved collapse under the strain of an increasingly stretched plot, miniseries like PBS' outstanding "Sherlock" or History's one-time-only "Hatfields and McCoys" offer only as many episodes as the story supports. And in doing so, the quality remains intact.

6. Don't be afraid to kill a character

As much as viewers may weep, showrunners everywhere should take note that virtually no one is safe on the most highly acclaimed dramas. "Game of Thrones," "Boardwalk Empire," "American Horror Story: Asylum," "Mad Men," "The Walking Dead" and "Homeland" have all been willing to sacrifice a character or three in the name of maintaining an unpredictable and affecting story.

7. Give good send-off

With many of our favorites headed into their series finales, including "30 Rock," "Fringe" and "Breaking Bad," we have to say we like where the road to the end is carrying us.

From Walter White's continued descent into darkness, to a final showdown with the Observers, to Liz Lemon's exploration of having it all -- complete with a Princess Leia costume to get married -- the creative teams are acknowledging that now's the time to raise the bar for excellence even higher. Here's to seeing both series, as well as others wrapping up in 2013, going out on top.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Idiot's Guide to Making Movies for Dummies: Ep 2 DIRECTING A LOVE SCENE

from Slamdance

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Asia Argento and Matt Damon Want to Make Porn Movies

By Girls Talkin Smack

Why would anyone in Hollywood be interested in making a porn film? To give the seedy genre a new unique spin, to break down existing sexual taboos or for another reason, these 5 stars all have an interest in making a porn film in the future even though it is sure to stir controversy and get a lot of attention for its risqué content – they want to do it! While some want to stick to the usual set-up that comes with porn (the bad script, cheesy locations, etc) others are more interested in doing something different such as writing a proper script and developing the characters to give it more depth and meaning.

Asia Argento

Asia wants to create a film possibly for women because she feels it would address a taboo that is rarely seen: “I wanted to make a porn remake of Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and take it to the next level. One day I would like to make a movie about sex, especially for women because women’s sexuality, things like women’s masturbation, is still a huge taboo.”

Dita Von Teese

Dita is interested in directing a porn film aimed at both genders that wouldn’t be too cliche: “I don’t want my porn too geared toward women. I want it really dirty. I like Sasha Grey. I look for her movies because she’s got it all. She’s beautiful and not trying to look like the cliche porn star.”

Lil’ Jon

Rapper Lil’ Jon has put together a team to make several porns: “We’ve been planning to make some proper hardcore porn films for about two years now. And when my homeboy came up with a script we just looked around for a crew and good producer. It probably took about two weeks to get together. We’re planning a series of them. The next one will be shot in either Costa Rica or Brazil.”

Matt Damon

Matt wants to make a one-of-a-kind porn film that develops the characters properly: “My theory on action movies is that they’re like porn movies. A porn movie has got really bad writing, really bad acting and really thinly drawn characters. They have a really sh*tty scene where they talk and say, ‘Hey, I’m the milkman’ And you know what is going to happen. And then you get the action and you don’t really feel anything for the action and then you get another really stupid scene with, ‘Hey, I’m the milkman’. What I want to do is make a character-driven porn movie. It’s all going to be about the character and the porn’s going to grow out of the characters and serve as character development.”

Moby

Moby wants to make a porn that features men who are less well-endowed than usual: “I’ve never understood why porn made for men often stars studly guys with enormous you know? Surely that’s intimidating to most guys watching? My porn flick would exclusively feature men with normal-to-titchy-sized penises in order to make viewers feel better.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Penises (willies, cocks) are awesome.....10 Reasons Why

emilyhart
Hi, I'm Emily, I take a wry look at the top 10 reasons why... a weekly show that proves that everything in the world can be explained with 10 reasons. You might not agree with everything I say and that's fine, my only intention is to provide you all with some much needed light entertainment.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Girls Star Allison Williams on the Show’s Second Season

By Dan Macsai

Lena Dunham might be the face of Girls, the HBO show about twenty-somethings stumbling into adulthood in New York City (returning Jan. 13 at 9 p.m. ET), but Allison Williams is making her mark as Marnie, the Type-A yin to Hannah’s (Dunham’s) hot-mess yang. Here, the 24-year-old actress lets loose with TIME.

The new Girls tagline is “almost getting it kind of together.” Heading into season 2, which character is the biggest mess?
At the top of the season, it’s probably Marnie.

Not that you’re biased or anything.
No, I know. I’m going through the characters in my head, and Marnie [who just broke up with longtime boyfriend Charlie] has had the whole rug has pulled out from underneath her. She really is the biggest mess.

So does she get it together? Almost? Kind of?
It’s mostly a season of flailing for her. But I think that’s really important. People who claim to have it all together, who seem totally together all the time, need to have a realization that everything isn’t perfect, and that that’s okay. It was hard for me. I root for her.

Do you think she’ll get back with Charlie?
Oh, I can’t tell you that. You’ll have to watch.

Do you want her to?
I want her to be happy, so if that is what will make her happy, then that’s what I would want for her.

The last time we saw Hannah, she had lost her purse and phone and was stranded on Coney Island beach—with a slice of cake. I take it she survived?
She survived! I asked Lena, So wait, did you replace your credit cards, or what? And she was like, ‘Only you would worry about the logistics of Hannah getting her purse stolen.’

Actually, I was wondering the same thing.
Yeah! She gave me no answers.

When Girls first premiered, there was a lot of backlash. People were saying the show wasn’t diverse enough, that the actresses were too well-connected [Williams’ dad is NBC anchor Brian Williams], etc. Did any of that bother you?
I have a couple friends who are actors, and before the show came out, they said stop Googling your name and don’t read anything—good or bad—because the best criticism and notes are gonna come from your directors, and Lena, and stuff. And so I didn’t read a lot of it. But I of course heard about it through broad strokes.

And what did you think?
Honestly, I think some amount of that is certainly to be expected. To be on a show where you hear no negative criticisms at all would have been an incredible anomaly. But when people come up to me and talk to me they seem to really love it. So in terms of the criticism, none of [what we did] was malicious and I’m sorry if it offended anybody or hurt anybody’s feelings.
Well, the show got a second season and four Emmy nominations, so clearly you’re doing something right.Thank you, yes, that was really exciting. Especially to be nominated with all of those behemoth shows I’ve been watching since their inception — it was an absolutely eye-opening and a humbling experience.

What do your parents think of Girls?
My entire family likes the show. In fact, my grandparents watch the show. My grandfather just turned 90 and my grandmother is 83 and at Christmas they were asking me all kinds of questions. They were begging for spoilers. 

You shoot some pretty racy scenes, though—sex, drugs, even masturbation. That’s never awkward?
OK, I was concerned about that, obviously, cause you know, it’s grandparents. But they quickly reminded me that they’ve been alive so much longer than I have, and that they’ve seen it all. So I was like, Oh okay, great. We don’t have to have this long, awkward conversation!

You’ve said you watch a lot of TV.
Oh my gosh, I did an interview once where I wrote down every single show I watch, and there are, I believe, around 50 of them. Luckily they’re not all on the air at the same time.

I was gonna say…
I watch everything. Really. Honestly. If you just picked a show and guessed, I probably watch it.

Which one is your guiltiest pleasure?
Bachelor Pad [ABC’s reality competition for ex-contestants on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette]. The Bachelorette and The Bachelor are such an intricately produced and riveting two hours of television that I don’t call them guilty pleasures; they’re just pleasures. Bachelor Pad—even my most devoted Bachelor fan friends, are like, I gotta bow out for this one. But I always stick through it.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Imogen Poots: The face you won't be able to miss this year

From biopics of Paul Raymond and Jeff Buckley to a Nick Hornby rom-com, Imogen Poots has a busy 2013 ahead, she tells Kaleem Aftab. 

Kaleem Aftab

There will be no stopping Imogen Poots in 2013. The west London-born star is appearing in some of the most highly anticipated films of the year. Meanwhile as a model she has found time to front a fragrance campaign for Chloé, shot by Sofia Coppola. Her own style is certainly eclectic. When we meet in a trendy, windowless bar she is wearing trousers that feature an elaborate, chaotic silver print. "They are a bit like a party got spilled on my pants," she says. "I woke up this morning and was feeling a little dazed and I thought, Hey I'm going to put on something that is going to make me smile all the time."

Full of jokes, at 23, Poots has the confidence of someone who senses that they are about to have the biggest year of their career. First up she plays Debbie Raymond, daughter of the Soho porn magnate Paul Raymond in Michael Winterbottom's The Look of Love. After that we'll see her rubbing shoulders with Christopher Walken, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener in A Late Quartet, starring as a girlfriend of Jeff Buckley in the music biopic Greetings from Tim Buckley, and further down the line comes an adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel A Long Way Down.

Playing the notorious Raymond was an education. "I wasn't fully aware of her, nor the Raymond legacy," she says. "I did not necessarily see her as a party girl. I know she died in her early thirties and I always thought of her like a Peter Pan character. She never really grew up, she was savvy as hell and very intelligent but that doesn't necessarily translate into her being able to take care of herself."

Part of the enjoyment of making The Look of Love came from working with the prolific Winterbottom, she says. "He is such a kinetic film-maker, constantly switching it up and deciding things in a way that I found very brilliant. I loved working in a way that is unpredictable. You walk around and you find things that are perfect for the film and you just shoot it.

"It's a shame in a way because you then go onto other jobs and you realise: 'Oh no, not everybody is like that. Not everyone has that sort of energy and trust.'"

After that, it's a brace of musical films – A Late Quartet, in which she plays the prodigal daughter of concert violinists who conducts an affair with her father's best friend, and Greetings From Tim Buckley, which uses a concert organised by Jeff Buckley in tribute to his father to look at both musicians. Gossip Girl star Penn Badgley stars as Jeff Buckley.

"Music is something I care immensely about. Growing up in my late teens my mum and dad didn't really give me music, they gave me books," says Poots. "It was definitely my own discovery. I found that a lot of stuff that I loved stemmed from Eighties and Nineties music, but now I'm just a doo-wop fanatic."

She is also a fan of Tim Buckley. "'Once I Was' is the greatest love song ever. I mean, really ever." Would it be her wedding song of choice? "If I ever make it down the aisle, maybe that or 'Ceremony' by New Order..." As for her guilty pleasures: "I used to be embarrassed by my Billy Joel and Dolly Parton obsessions. I'm now just embracing them full-on."

She grew up in Chiswick ("full of pensioners and pigeons") and started acting with the Young Blood Theatre Company in Hammersmith. By the age of 14 she had her first Casualty appearance under her belt. Her movie career started with a turn in V For Vendetta in 2006 followed by her first major role in 28 Weeks Later when she was just 17.

The trajectory has hardly changed since and these days the actress finds herself being courted as much in America as she has been in Britain. In addition to a home in London she rents an apartment with a friend in Los Angeles, although it's New York that she calls her "favourite place in the world."

It was where she shot A Long Way Down, an adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel about four people who meet on a rooftop to commit suicide. She's also in the middle of shooting the romantic comedy Are We Officially Dating? in the city, in which she plays opposite Zac Efron, her co-star in Me and Orson Welles.

All of which left her with not very much time to spend at home over Christmas, "I was home just for five days, having a whisky with my dad and hanging out."

'The Look of Love' is out on 8 March; 'A Late Quartet' is out on 5 April; 'Greetings from Tim Buckley' and 'A Long Way Down' are out later in the year

This article appears in tomorrow's print edition of Radar Magazine

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Trolling Celebs at the Venice Film Festival

Disguised as a journalist, master troll Nimrod Kamer heads to the Venice Film Festival and messes with celebrities like Willem Dafoe, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Weinstein, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
--
Nimrod Kamer is a social climber disguised as a journalist. He recently subscribed to a website called ForesightNews, which allows unlimited information and invites to the world's cheesiest PR events. In addition, he bought himself 19,000 bot twitter followers and created a fake TED talk lecture, to spark-up his CV. His pledge is this: spend the rest of his life living off PR gift-bags and journalist treats, while boasting about it.
Check out more Nimrod here 



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kickstarter: Users Pledge More Than $100 Mil to Indie Film Projects

by Aaron Couch

Five Oscar-shortlisted documentaries are among the more than 8,500 projects that have received backing.

Here's a big kickstart for the indie film community.

Users of Kickstarter.com have pledged more than $100 million to independent film projects, the fundraising site announced in a blog post Thursday. In all, 891,979 backers have pledged $102.7 million to independent films since April 2009. A little more than $85 million has been collected so far, going to more than 8,500 projects.

“In Hollywood, $100 million might be the marketing budget for a single blockbuster, but independent filmmakers are more resourceful,” wrote the site’s editors. “This $100 million helped to create more than 8,000 films, many of which have gone on to great acclaim and success.”

Here’s the breakdown of the types of projects that have been funded, from April 28, 2009 to Jan. 1, 2013:
Documentary - $42.64 million pledged to 2,394 projects
Narrative Film - $31.74 million pledged to 2,331 projects
Short Film - $16.68 million pledged to 3,000 projects
Webseries - $6.83 million pledged to 619 projects
Animation - $4.87 million pledged to 223 projects

Some of those projects have gone on to receive Oscar nominations, including the 2011 documentaries Sun Come Up and Incident in New Baghdad.

Three Kickstarter projects have been shortlisted for the 85th Academy Awards in the documentary feature category (The Waiting Room, Detropia and Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry), and two more have been shortlisted in the documentary short category (Inocente and Kings Point).

Kickstarter-funded films also have been hitting the festival circuit, with about 10 percent of the Sundance Film Festival’s 2012 and 2013 slate being made up of films backed by the site's users. The same was true of the 2012 South by Southwest Film Festival and the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, according to Kickstarter.

“This would be a very impressive track record for an established studio or production company. To see these results come from outside the system in such a short time is even more inspiring,” wrote the Kickstarter staff.

Kickstarter was launched in 2009 and allows people to seek funding for creative projects from backers online.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Miss Polonia 2012 Manhattan Natalia Starr in Brazzer' Teens Like It Big (American House Sitter) released on New Year's Day.

Natalia's BJ skill is improving by each flick. Attempted to deep-throat the 7-incher. She gagged but was game for it. 

For a girl professing deep love for black men, she had trouble coping with a big cock in her pussy. Her face (and later the whimpering) said it all. Bringing in the vib to soothe the pussy is pretty good sign. She was in pain but strangely appeared to enjoy the rough treatment meted out by the male talent. A future KINK candidate?

Loved the way her tits swayed to the hard poundings.

Her first proper facial on-cam. The strings of love juice beautifully adorned her pretty face.

Later in an interview:
“Kieren is a very passionate performer and it shows in our scene,” Natalia offers. “We really took that scene to the next level.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Diem Brown Reveals Her Bald Look in Emotional Photo Shoot

By Diem Brown

In her PEOPLE.com blog, Diem Brown, the Real World/Road Rules Challenge contestant recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer for the second time, opens up about her desire for a child and the ups and downs of cancer and fertility procedures.

Have you ever had a event that you are equally excited and nervous about? A certain holiday party where you want to look your best because your ex will be there; a high school reunion where you'll come face-to-face with classmates you want to impress; or a photo shoot where you'll reveal your bald bulbous head for the first time in front eyes other than your own? Well, the latter of the three applies to me, but I think we can all relate to an event that makes us as equally excited and nervous.

I have been much better this time around with losing hair from the chemo. This time, I've been able to look at myself in the mirror and even document and share the hair loss on camera.  

However, where I fall very short is in person. I have not let anyone see me bald.

For some reason, seeing someone's eyes on me face-to-face has caused so much apprehension. No one, not even my boyfriend or family, has seen me bald in person yet. I have gotten better about accepting my new look personally, but I have this weird fear about what others see when they look at me with no hat, wig or head wrap to hide my bald head. I know my every insecurity is at an all time high because of chemo, because of the steroids etc., but I still fear the judgment as silly as that might sound.

I remember searching "bald girls" on Google Images after I was diagnosed with cancer the first time around and up popped pictures of the beautiful Natalie Portman and Demi Moore. I felt so relieved to see these Hollywood actresses make having a shaved head look sexy and cool, but I wanted to see more. I wanted to see pictures of girls who were bald because of chemotherapy. I needed to see what a cancer patient on chemo and on all the steroids looks like.

Now it's six years later and if you Google Image search "bald girls," the same Natalie and Demi images pop up, along with a fun website that has Photo Shopped various celebrities like Angelina Jolie to Halle Berry to depict what they would look like bald. These images are beautiful – but the effect that multiple rounds of chemo, steroids shots and countless prescriptions have on you physically is much different than just sporting a buzz cut. I realized I wanted to do a photo shoot that didn't scream "cancer" but instead screamed that being bald from chemo can be just as cool, artistic and beautiful as G.I. Jane! 

The Big Day

The morning of the shoot I was so, so nervous. I got out of the shower and just stared at myself. "Okay you got this, it isn't that big of a deal, no one will judge you so stop being a crazy person!" I said.

I believe some of my apprehension comes from my experience taking off my wig on MTV's The Duel six years ago. So many viewers sent messages of support and admiration, while others reacted in disgust and hate. "God please tell Diem to put that wig back on. She looks like a transvestite without it!" Sadly comments of that nature stick with you, so although I was excited to do a bald photo shoot, my inner insecurity naysayer kept popping up.

Upon arriving at the PEOPLE shoot with my chemo cap on, I could see the set looked amazing! The room was filled with the nicest, most understanding people you can imagine, and I felt my nerves start to ease. The makeup artist started wiping off my makeup and although I was like, "Oh great, say bye bye to the eyebrows I just painted on," he assured me I was in great hands. "They would like to start with some natural shots and don't worry I won't take off all your eyebrows" he said with a smile.

As I walked on set, I knew the moment was about to happen, time to rip off that Band-Aid. I have always hid behind my hair, or most recently hid behind hats and bandanas, so taking it all off really does feel extremely raw and makes you feel incredibly vulnerable.

Diem Brown

The photographer started shooting to test the lighting and – boom – my nerves started up once again. I knew in mere moments my lovely chemo hat had to be tossed off. I started knotting and twirling my fingers trying to displace my anxiety. But I could feel the tears welling up, burning like fire in my eyes, and on cue my throat started becoming tense.

"Is it okay if I just take it off now? The anticipation is making me crazy," I blurted out with a laugh trying to control my emotions.

"Of course. Any time you're ready sweetie," the photographer chirped.

My hands fiddling like a mad woman, I started caressing my chemo cap while chanting in my head, "Just do it, come on you baby... just do it," and with a flick my cap was off and I was no longer able to hold back my welled up tears.

"Wow, okay here we go, here I am y'all" I thought to myself. It's truly insane how those first moments being bald in front of other people feel. You feel completely raw and you almost feel naked. Pulling myself together I quickly wiped away my tears and said, "Okay, let's go, let's do this!"

I continued to feel raw and almost naked during most of that first outfit. I could not look anyone in the eye. I was only able to look directly at inanimate objects like a camera lens or the floor where my chemo cap was.

But as the day went on, I became more and more comfortable and even stopped putting my chemo cap back on in between the outfit changes. I started feeling strong and kept reminding myself of the image I would have liked to see six years ago Googling "bald girls."

I didn't want the image to scream "cancer" but instead wanted the image to scream strength, determination and for the images to deliver a cool confident vibe like I saw in Natalie Portman's shaved head pics. Hell, I'll be honest, I wanted to feel like I looked sexy in some of the pics just like those Hollywood chicks always seem to.

By the last outfit the music started pumping Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," so of course I started dancing to the beat of the chorus. I went from a scared, crying, anxious girl at the start of the shoot to a jumping, laughing, dancing manic girl on set by the end of the day. It was an amazing experience and I'm so very happy I went through with it... insecurities and all!

That said, whatever event you might have coming up ...do it! Go for it! Don't let your insecurities hold you back. We all have them and we all have the ability to push those insecurities to the ground and stomp them out.

In the end, you can only grow by allowing yourself to be vulnerable and you will feel a sense of pride once you put yourself out there in spite of your stupid lil inner insecurity naysayer!

Check back for updates every Thursday: Diem will be chronicling exclusively for PEOPLE.com her journey through fertility treatments, chemotherapy and her quest to educate others about ovarian health. You can also follow her on Twitter @DiemBrown.

More here.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Natalya Toporova Swimwear: Photoshoot by Jason Bassett | Model : Elaina Christina

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sundance (2013) - Big Sur Official Trailer #1 (2013) - Sundance Movie HD

FilmFestivalVideos
Starting on January 17th, we'll be sitting in the mountains of Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival, ready to start the buzz on the latest (and hopefully greatest) independent movies that 2013 has to offer. And with the festival so close, the hype for some of the films is already kicking off. This time it's the first trailer for Big Sur, an adaptation of yet another Jack Kerouac book (Kill Your Darlings with Daniel Radcliffe will also be at Sundance). Jean-Marc Barr plays Kerouac this time with Kate Bosworth and Josh Lucas also starring in this story of the writer's struggle with alcoholism and a relationship with his best friend's mistress. This looks like a gorgeous film that Kerouac fans might really enjoy. Watch below!

Michael Polish (The Astronaut Farmer, Twin Falls Idaho) directs Big Sur from a script he wrote himself based on Jack Kerouac's famed book of the same name. The story focuses on a moment in the writers’s life when, overwhelmed by the success of his opus On the Road and struggling with alcoholism, he retreats to his publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s cabin in the small, coastal California town of Big Sur, which eventually inspires his 1962 novel. Kerouac’s time begins with quiet moments of solitude and communing with nature. But, struck by loneliness, he heads to San Francisco, where he resumes drinking and gets pushed into a relationship with his best friend Neal Cassady’s mistress, Billie. Big Sur premieres at Sundance this month.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You have read this article Allison Williams / DirecTV' Rogue / Emmy Rossum / Imogen Poots / Kaya Scodelario with the title DirecTV' Rogue. You can bookmark this page URL http://renelyons.blogspot.com/2013/01/stars-sex-and-nudity-buzz-01042013.html. Thanks!