STANDING AND POSING..

 

So Saturday night we got the chance to hit up the CD release party for Niki Haris's latest track over at neighborhood spot, here! lounge. You'll remember Niki was one of Madonna's backup vocalists back in the golden dizzles of the early 90s so it was so good to see her back in action! Our girl Debby Holiday joined us and upon arrival we met up with lovely ladies and DIVA extraordinaires Erin Hamilton and Billie Myers. J'amazing times were had by all.






I've been really lucky to get to know Billie over the past few months and she is really an exceptional woman and artist. I remember sneaking my huge AM/FM cassette radio player into my bed in the late 90s and being transported away by her vocals on Kiss the Rain. Sitting across the table from her at Kitchen 24 as she broke into an acapella rendering of this iconic jam was one of the most surreal moments of the past few years. The gorgeous and classy Calpernia Adams from Logo's Transamerican Love Story also graced us with her presence. It's always good to see her! Such a special soul!Anyway, also in attendance was iconic Pepper Mashay, hottie David Morretti from Here TV's The Lair, Jason Dottley from Logo's Sordid Lives, DJ Casey Alva, the ubiquotous Bobby Trendy, the never-aging Wilson Cruz and DJ/Producers The Perry Twins (Doug and Derek.) 

Yesterday one of our fave photographers and recent artistic obsessions, Justin Monroe, stopped by the studio for an experimental photo shoot.


Local celeb Detox was part of the shoot. It was fun! That's all. Check out some of Justin's work over here. The shoot started to go long and I was getting a little restless, so I popped open some Tequila, started pouring some cocktails, and popped in a Netflix'ed copy of a movie I've been wanting to see since the weekend it came out (nearly 2 years ago already), Hot Fuzz.

I'm sure the tequila helped a bit, but OMFG you guys, this movie had me LMFAO'ing for rillz, son!! I only made it half way into the movie before we had to head out to the Arclight, but I can't wait to get back to it to finish the rest.

After the shoot, we decided to take it easy and headed a couple blocks up to the Arclight to take in Duplicity.

So sometimes, it's just really good to enjoy a movie and Duplicity was pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be. Ultimately, this caper may make some demands that the payoff doesn't quite justify, but getting there is actually half the fun. So is staring at movie stars. And Duplicity has two thoroughbreds: Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. They each work for tycoons, Claire for Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson), Ray for Richard Garsik (Paul Giamatti). Wilkinson and Giamatti have a high old time hamming it up while Roberts and Owen carry the romance part of the suspense-thriller equation. That would have been enough for any movie. But in Duplicity, Tony Gilroy (the mastermind behind one of last year's best films Michael Clayton) never meets a plot point he can't overcomplicate. As the film — shot with nuanced beauty by There Will Be Blood (which was officially IMHO, the best film of 2007) Oscar winner Robert Elswit — moves backward and forward in time across locations as diverse as Rome, London, Miami, New York and — yikes! — Cleveland (which besides Zurich is the only city in the film that I personally haven't spent some significant time in), I have to admit it will be a rare moviegoer indeed who keeps his or her bearings. It's Roberts and Owen who hold focus. Their love story is built on mutual mistrust. Is she playing him or is it the other way around? The actors make you care. Roberts has a great scene interrogating a homely travel employee (a terrific Carrie Preston) whom Ray banged brainless on her office desk to get info. The woman doesn't miss an erotic beat in detailing her one night with a hottie, action she assumes Claire gets on a regular basis. Roberts plays the scene in total, cold silence, but subtly registers anger morphing into hurt. Still, all emotions are suspects in Duplicity. "If I told you I loved you, would it make any difference?" Claire asks Ray. "If you told me, or if I believed you?" he answers. Gilroy is playing with play-acting, a necessary talent for spies and movie stars. You may leave the theater not knowing who to believe, but you're in for bright mischief with a dark streak that runs down to its core. Gilroy and his stars make it elegant fun to be fooled, but they sure as hell make you work for it. Those who come away from this slightly disappointed or generally non-plussed are simply missing the point. Considering the current milieu in this country, the fact that our two protagonists are laboring to shore up corrupt major corporations, is probably the least important factor of the film. And it's definitely not what the film's about. As the final shot slowly pulls out, 2 our times greatest cinematic forces featured squarely in the front and center of our attention, we realize that while the journey was fun, what remains is their relationship. And it's one of the most delectable relationships we've been treated to on film in the last few years. As the credits start to roll we realize, we really need Julia Roberts to come around more. And it's sure as hell great to have her back again! (B+)

Ugh. Time to go back to reality. I need more weekend, please. That's all.

So the other night we headed out to Silverlake to suck up every last drop of our drinks at the very last night of LA institution Mario Diaz's weekly Friday night event, SWALLOW!! The Randy Blue boys were in the house and good times were had by all.

Loves it!!

So Julia Roberts has come out from hiding to promote her upcoming film Duplicity and earlier this week she stopped by Regis & Kelly.



It's sooo good to have her back in the public eye again. I know she's got her school of haters out there, but I love me some Julia Roberts. I mean the woman's a f*^%ing institution! We're hoping to check out this flick this weekend, and even if the material proves to disappoint, it will be fun to see her back in action.


So how excited are we for some new Reno 911 comin' back at us?!?!

Apparently, they'll be introducing some new officers to the cast. Last time they did that, it didn't really improve much on anything (try as she might, Mary Birdsong is still clearly the weakest, least fully-realized member of the cast) so we'll see if this time around it proves to be an improvement on the original 7.


Did y'all catch Golden Girl alum Betty White on My Name is Earl last night?

Holla!! It's so good to still see her kickin' around doing her thing. I love me some Betty White.


OMG, you guys.. So I think I remember hearing something about my girl Audrina from The Hills landing a role in a feature horror movie and apparently that project moved forward and its trailer has recently made its way to the interwebs. Check out the trailer for the aptly titled Sorority Row below.



Umm.. OK, first of all... MotherF-ing Carrie Fisher is in this movie along side contemporary tabloid sideshows Audrina and Rumer Potato Head Willis??! Clearly, the apocalypse is upon us. And that being said.. I just think I might check this movie out at some point, though it'd have to probably be whilst under the influence of some kind of "mood alterating" substance... Ie booze..


So I'm sure y'all have heard.. Fresh off the totally not surprising news that Amy Winehouse won't be able to enter the country to fulfill her performing duties at Coachella, the yearly musical fest got a major upgrade this week with the annoncement that M.I.A. will be joining the Coachella Saturday lineup in her stead!!

Upgrade!! This totally changes my attitude towards this year's lineup and even gives me half an inkling to head out to Indio to deal with the heat and the trash and the overall unfabulousness to check her out. I dunno... It kinda seems like Coachella has had its day, yes? So I'll prolly pass, but it'll be fun to watch the footage of her performance on the youtubes!!


So the weekend is upon us!! While I loved all of the traveling we were doing the past few months, it's been really nice to be able to spend a string of weekends here in and around LA. This weekend promises to be full of some of the things that remind me why I love living here and making this place my home base. Tonight promises to be crazy as it's the last night to SWALLOW at MJ's, featuring the boys of Randy Blue!!

Tomorrow, we'll be hitting Here lounge for the CD release party of Diva Niki Haris's new track, mixed by local DJ's and boy-toy's the Perry twins. Of course, we hope to hit up Duplicity at some point and besides that we'll just be doin' our damn thang.

That's all.

So it’s that time of year again, bb’s!!! They’ve started run the promos and trailers for the newest incarnation of the never-tiring Real World/Road Rules Challenge, The Duel II, and it has to be said, I do believe that this could be the Best. Challenge. Yet. Ever!!

RW/RR Challenges: The Duel 2 - MTV Shows

I loooooove how philosophical they’re getting with this shizz!! Seriously, this promo nearly brought tears to my eyes.. How poetic! A lot of my fave’s are back and I just gotta say… I know where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing this April 4th!! Let the Dramz Begin!!

Sad / worrisome news today. No clever commentary, no pithy observations..

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — An arrest warrant has been issued for actress Lindsay Lohan, possibly in connection with a 2007 drunken driving arrest after she crashed her Mercedes-Benz into a tree, police said Saturday.


A judge at Los Angeles Superior Court in Beverly Hills issued the warrant on Friday and it carries a bail amount of $50,000, Sgt. Mike Foxen said.

"We believe it has to do with her arrest for DUI," Foxen said. He said he did not have any other details about the warrant.

Shawn Chapman Holley, Lohan's attorney, said in a statement Saturday that her client has complied with the terms of probation and all court orders.

"The warrant issued on Friday was, in our view, born out of a misunderstanding which I am confident I can clear up next week," she said.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office had not been formally advised that a warrant was issued, spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said.

However, a court hearing for Lohan is scheduled for Monday and it "apparently has something to do with Ms. Lohan's probation," Gibbons said. "We don't know exactly what it's about. The court contacted the defense directly, not us."

The 22-year-old star of the 2004 movie "Mean Girls" was arrested during the Memorial Day weekend in 2007 after crashing her Mercedes in Beverly Hills.

She was arrested again last July after the mother of her former personal assistant reported that her car was being chased by an SUV. Police said Lohan was at the wheel of the SUV and she was arrested in Santa Monica.

In connection with those cases, Lohan pleaded guilty in August 2007 to two misdemeanor counts of being under the influence of cocaine; no contest to two counts of driving with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08 percent and one count of reckless driving.

Lohan spent 84 minutes in jail and had to perform community service and undergo drug-rehabilitation treatment.

At the time, she released a statement through her publicist that read: "It is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs."

Lohan also was placed on probation for three years. A prosecutor warned that she if she violated the terms of the probation Lohan could face up to a year in jail on each of the drunk-driving and cocaine charges and 90 days on the reckless-driving charge. Violations could include failing to complete a drug test or report to her probation officer.

Laaaamme!! Leave Lindsay alone!!

Did y'all catch Paul Rudd last night on The Daily Show?! Seriously.. could this man get any cuter?!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Paul Rudd

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Economic Crisis

Swoooon!! This is probably the third or fourth time Rudd has visited TDS, and these two are so darn cute when they get together I can't even stand it!! Though I've yet to really jump on the bandwagon of many of his recent films, he's still quickly becoming one of my favorite peeps ever!!

THE BOTTOM LINE IS...

...Lemme just paraphrase for you...

Did y'all catch Jimmy Kimmel doing his best Rosie O'Donnell on The View this morning?!?

LOLOL!! Loves it!! The girls have been talking for weeks now about their anticipatory week in LA which kicked off today!! Too bad I had to work.. I soooo would've gone!!


Ugh.. so while I have yet to muster any semblance of interest, feigned or otherwise, in ever watching one scene of the new incarnation of 90210 over on the WB or the CW or whatever they're calling it these days, I was vaguely intrigued when they announced a reimagination of my second to most favorite Aaron Spelling vehicle from the 1990s (behind Models, Inc of course..): Melrose Place, until they announced the most recent casting choice of one Miss Ashley Simpson..

Multiple sources confirm that singer-songwriter-sometime actress Ashlee Simpson has become the latest tenant of The CW’s refurbished Melrose Place. The onetime 7th Heaven star will play small-town girl Violet, a character whose disarming naiveté masks the calculating, shrewd sex kitten within. In other words, the little tramp’s Sydney. Simpson joins a cast that so far includes Katie Cassidy (as ambitious publicist Ella), Michael Rady (as aspiring filmmaker Jonah), and, if there is a God, original Melrose icon Heather Locklear, who would be slipping back into Amanda Woodward’s office microminis. “Both sides are talking,” whispers my Melrose mole of Locklear. “It’s looking good.” Melrose 2.0, which is considered a lock to land a spot on The CW’s fall sked (most likely on Tuesdays after 90210), is being shepherded by Smallville’s Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin. Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) has been tapped to direct the pilot. Now for the big question: Did Simpson score the part that Mischa Barton had been circling? My sources tell me no. That means the ex-O.C. siren is in talks to … play straight-arrow med student Lauren or revoltingly sweet schoolteacher Riley.

Blah! I'm sure she's a very nice person but.. Zzzz.. I dunno.. Maybe her acting will prove more satisfying than the crap music she's been putting out all these years, but I really don't think she's got the chops to really sink her teeth into the Sydney role!! I guess we'll just have to wait and see...


So I just gotta send some mad props the way of my friend and not-so-secret crush of late, who I must say, rocks some of the most delectable set of lips (like 2 plump pillows), Wilson Cruz, for continuing to stand up against homophobia and general ignoramousness!!

“Some people had something to say about the fact that I may have been too effeminate or other people in the film may have been too effeminate but I celebrate that fact that we can do that in 2009,” the actor said when we spoke before the screening of Pedro Saturday night at Outfest Fusion 2009 in Hollywood. “I want to see more effeminate men on television and in film. I think there is a lack of that. The more we see effeminate men on screen, the more we can help those young people who are exactly that feel okay about it. And that’s really the whole point of my career.”

“When we as a community start to tear each other down because of the fact that some of the members of our community feel so free and so alive, that they feel they can be whoever they are in public, then we have lost the whole purpose of our movement. The purpose of our movement really is that we as gay men and women be exactly who we are - at all times. And we’re not trying to mask and be something other than that.”

Well said, bb! Besos!!


OK, wait! What is this I hear about Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer performing together in Utah?!?!

And at the McKay Events Center on top of it all?!? Umm... Why was I not notified of this?? I sooo would've flown into town for that!!

So did everybody catch this weekend's fresh ep of The Family Guy?! Peter ended up signing up for medical experiments for money, eventually leading to his being injected with the gay gene. 

ZOMFG, you guys, this ep gave me the LOL's like no other and apparently it's ruffled some Christian feathers out there!! Click here to stream the ep yourself, if you've yet to see it!! Talk about must-see TV!!