Without further delay, allow us to present you with our first-ever HIH podcast!
Contributor/critic Garytt Poirier and executive editor/pop culture junkie Hiko Mitsuzuka critique, discuss, and speculate on Star Trek Into Darkness, the upcoming summer movie season, casualties from the past TV season, and every piece of pop cultural goodness in between.
Forgive us if we sound a little newbie-ish; we're still adjusting, and we have a lot to say.
Sit back and enjoy...or download it for your listening pleasure during your next commute. And thanks for listening.
Our favorite digital comedic trio is at it again, celebrating the very American rite of passage that is Spring Break...and same-sex marriage. Just in time for swimsuit season!
The trailer for The Butler, Lee Daniels's follow-up to The Paperboy, looks like a giant, ripe piece of Oscar bait, and we had to watch it TWICE to make sure we caught all of the names attached to this sprawling production that is "inspired by true events." Oprah. Forrest Whittaker. Jane Fonda. John Cusack. Liev Schrieber. Robin Wiliams. Cuba Gooding Jr. Vanessa Redgrave. Alan Rickman. The list goes on...
And no, it's not about Wadsworth from Clue (although that would be pretty awesome). Take a peek at the historical drama that's bound to draw up some buzz later this year:
Here in Los Angeles we are in the midst of Brit Week, that time of year when UK-born artists of all types living in Southern California (and Anglophiles like myself) gather together to mingle and celebrate each other's achievements and overall fabulousness.
I was honored to be invited to attend a Brit Week party in the hills above Sunset Boulevard celebrating opera, fashion, and art (OPARTASH, get it?). Thrown at the private home of Genlux fashion editor Amanda Eliasch (pictured, below), the guest-list-only "soiree" held about 150 guests including actress Lisa Zane from -- yep -- Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (I'll let that sink in for you 90s horror junkies out there). And who knew she could sing? Early in the night, the raven-haired artist slinked up next to a pink piano and performed an Italian number with opera singer Charles Eliasch.
My plus-one for the evening was a filmmaker friend of mine who wished to remain nameless here because of his following description of the house: "It's as if Betsy Johnson and Ed Hardy had sex in 1987 and exploded." Indeed: white walls, onyx tables, pink velvet chaise lounges, baroque sculptures, and neon artwork made for a decor that would've done Andy Warhol proud.
Since we arrived shortly after 6pm, the actual start time, we expected to enjoy some gourmet nibblers as our dinner, but lo and behold, a dining table strewn with cheese plates and hummus wasn't enough to satiate our appetites.
After stuffing my face with brie and grapes, I searched the rest of the party for anything that would quell my stomach. No such luck. Instead, I gulped down two glasses of Veuve Clicquot and a vodka cocktail at the open bar. I then peeked my head into the kitchen where two catering staff members asked if I needed anything. I politely asked them if anything else was being served since I, like some of the guests I knew, didn't prefer to graze on pita chips and berries like farm animals.
That's when we snuck into the dressing room where some half-naked models were getting ready for the pending Pam Hogg fashion show. One smiling waif offered us some pizza that some of the models had eaten for dinner (yes, you read that correctly: models eat pizza before walking the runway).
I scarfed down a slice of barbecue chicken pizza as if I were a vagabond who had just traveled across a post-apocalyptic Earth after weeks without sustenance.
Somewhat satisfied, we made our way outside to the pool deck to grab a good seat for the pending fashion show. A runway had been constructed over the pool and a spotlight had been situated next to the DJ. A hush came over the Euro-centric crowd.
Amanda Eliasch came out and tapped on a microphone, thanking everyone for coming, especially designer Pam Hogg who had flown in from London to showcase her new line of out-of-this-world outfits. Hogg, one of Gaga's fashion femme fatales, isn't known for making public appearances, so tonight's occasion was quite special.
The models strutted and did their thing. I caught Smiling Waif making her way towards our seats. In a moment of recognition I smiled, nodded my head, and on behalf of my stomach, mouthed the words, "Thank you."
Without missing a beat, before she walked off the pool deck, she turned and said, "It was soooo good, right?"
We're digging the laid-back, early summer vibe of EOTS's new single from their forthcoming sophomoric album, Ice On The Dune (out in June), and once again, we're trippin' out over the out-of-this-world costumes and visuals in the vid. Check them out:
Naama Kates has had better shows. It wasn’t anything that
any one person did. The music sounded fine, and the atmosphere was perfect. For
one reason or another, the whole thing just didn’t click on Friday night. Judging
by Naama’s expression at the end of the set, it was clear that she felt the
same way.
Room
5 in West Hollywood was bustling as Kates and her band rushed to set up their
equipment, late for their set from the outright. Perhaps the venue was too bustling,
because by the time Kates made it to the opening lines of her first single, “King for a Day,” hardly anyone was listening to the music.
There
was no break between the pre-show, setup calamities, and the actual set. The
band should have vacated the stage, or maybe Kates should have addressed the
crowd with more command.
Regardless of how it could have been better handled, the music started
in competition with the conversational roar of every other person in that
venue. Kates’ opener was lost amidst the rumble of voices, and the first half
of the set sort of careened from there.
The
drummer left for a song, right after the opener. It was a huge showstopper and
left Kates struggling to find a way to fill time. For him, it was a pretty
unprofessional move, not to mention the fact that he left the rest of his group
just hanging there. Things eventually picked up when he finally made it back to
his set, but the increase in energy had nothing to do with him.
Kates’
set picked up energy as she approached her last four or so songs, because she
started to find her own rhythm. As the set went on, the crowd quieted down, and
Kates could actually hear herself. It also helps that the majority of her more
melodic songs are budgeted at the end of her set list.
These
are the songs that she should be boasting, especially as she is getting on her
feet as a vocalist. Songs like her single, “King for a Day,” are complex, jazzy
tracks with an emphasis on staccato and a very narrow appeal. Her more
melodious tracks are the actual ear catchers, and they have a much more
universal appeal to listeners. Perhaps she could plan for those to be right out of the
gate next time.
Naama Kates is just getting her legs
underneath her, and the next few years of her career are not doubt going to be
exciting to watch. She has all the makings of an act that will truly stand out.
There is just a little bit of work that needs to be done before it can all be adequately communicated on stage. In time she’ll find her voice, her drummer
will learn to stick behind his kit, and her live shows will be much, much
better.
The White Collar stud leisurely walked out of the popular burrito eatery here in L.A. carrying an interesting cookbook (The Amazing Acid-Alkaline Cookbook), and all of Hollywood continues to obsess over how he maintains his ridiculous body.
It’s been over 20 years since Keanu Reeves first achieved
superstardom for his laid back, original
bro-style and fiercely brooding screen presence in classics like Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure, My Own Private Idaho, Point Break and of course, Speed. Reeves has been somewhat quiet
recently, but his fans know that every few years, they can count on the
reclusive superstar to swing his orbital Hollywood’s way; a veritable Halley’s
Comet of good hair and smoldering charisma.
His latest project, Generation Um, is a James Toback-meets-Paul Morrissey, verite-style tribute to lost souls, New
York City, and filmmaking itself -- written and directed by the talented Mark Mann. I was fortunate enough to sit for roundtable discussions, first with the
superstar and his director, and then with his charismatic young costars, Boyana
Novacovic and Adelaide Clemons. I’d be lying though, if I said it wasn’t all
about Neo, at least at first…
Tell us about your
character…
“I steal a camera and some chocolate”, the actor says with
youthful passion, still possessed of all his boyish charm. “Stealing the camera
for John (his character) was the only thing he could do in order to have that
camera. He’s felt trapped in his life. In this moment of watching this group of
people do this improvisational dance in this park in the Lower East Side of New
York, he sees an opportunity for something that he’s interested in and it’s one
of the times that he steps out of himself and he takes it. And as for the candy
bar, he’s hungry, and he wants chocolate, and
he’s depressed. “
What was the most
intimidating scene to shoot?
“The scariest scene was the scene where John and Violet
(Novacovic) come together,” Reeves declares without a moment’s hesitation,
“because playing John, I had no idea how that could actually happen. How could
this person who felt so vulnerable and insular and wanted to reach out, how
could he help someone? How could these two possibly hug each other? And then, a
lot of film rolled…”
The actor is of course, jokingly referring to the
thoughtful, anything but rushed style
that Mann brought to this project, only his second feature film. But the shy,
probing writer-director readily cops to his scrupulous process and deliberate
nature. “(The 'hug scene') is one of the longest hug scenes ever on film, at over five inutes. It was the hardest scene in the movie to cut and I struggled with it
the most, it was the last piece of the puzzle, and just, finding that level of
intimacy was extremely hard.”
Mark, was that what
you were mainly thinking about when you set out to write this script, finding
closeness and connection?
“I was thinking about how
do you change your life?” he says matter of factly. “Often times, you have
to make a bold move and do something that people don’t necessarily congratulate
you for, to give yourself what you need to move forward. Then, when you start
to inject hope, optimism and love inside a wrapper of disassociation and
alienation (as is the case with Reeve’s character, after his petty theft),
things get very complicated and ultimately, that’s what makes the film”.
Is that what the camera
symbolizes, a catalyst for uncompromising change?
“I make films on some
level about what I know, and both my films are about the filmmaking process.
That’s my thing. The first feature I did was a documentary about the narrative
filmmaking and editing process, and now this one is a narrative that
incorporates a man learning how to use a camera and document the world around
him,” Mann responds passionately.
Keanu, can you talk a
bit about your director and costars?
“When you make a movie, one of the coolest things is when
artists come together in like mind about the work, and Mark kind of fostered
that.He was so collaborative about
sharing his perspective and always asking us, the actors, for ours, (which
brought about) a real (on-set) camaraderie.
Both Keanu’s
character and Sarita’s Choudhury’s thoughtful waitress, seem to be the only
people in the film who actually shut up and listen, leading to quite a
beautiful, if unspoken connection. Is listening the message of the film?
“It’s certainly part of it,” the director responds
assuredly. “First of all, Sarita Choudury is a treat! The quiet moment where
she’s behind John and you see their whole relationship- the joy of working with
the actors in that particular scene was that they were so connected without
even looking at each other. The answer to the question again is, yes,” he carefully reiterates. “We have
become so immune to the noise of everything that nothing is shocking anymore.”
“That’s not true”,
Keanu ventures with ease, clearly demonstrating the comfort and intellectual
rapport between the two friends and collaborators. “It’s not that nothing’s
shocking, it’s just that there’s a state of shock. These characters are shocked
characters in transformation, trying to reach out to have any type of intimacy
or connection.”
With characteristic deliberation, Mark responds, “It
fascinates me, the subtle differences in motivation. Like whatever my intentions
are in writing it and (Keanu’s) intentions are for playing that character, they
are different, and it’s a fun conversation. I just like the dialectic.”
What did you each take
from this experience?
“It’s my first narrative film and I feel so happy to have
been able to make the film I wanted to make,” says Mr. Mann appreciatively. “(The
whole process) was very organic and I was allowed to just make the film without
(studio executives) coming at me, and most of that was due to Keanu.”
But for the reluctant superstar whose presence clearly still
carries some hefty clout in this industry, it was all about his
writer/director. “There are so many pleasures that Mark’s story offered me as
an actor (especially) this idea of hope for these trapped characters. And just
the opportunity to create, and I’m happy.”
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