Since he showed up to the Grammy's wearing a gender bending outfit by Helmut Lang designer Shayne Oliver complete with high heeled boots, I have Jared Leto vibes this week.
Jared has kept a pretty low profile post his Oscar win for Dallas Buyers Club with the exception of portraying the Joker in Suicide Squad. Yeah, I know he was in Blade Runner 2049 but he was on the down low about it.
While Leto is a pretty man, he is definitely one of the more quirky/unique actor/rockers in Hollywood.
Honestly I wouldn't want him any other way. I generally don't go for the pretty ones unless there is that certain something that sets them apart, Jared has that and well a big you know what (look it up online, he does!) You just know he would be a freak in the sheets and keep you entertained for hours with his non-linear stream of consciousness musings.
I used to see him wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses sitting against a wall at Gold's Gym Hollywood on his cell phone from time to time. Uh, that is not a disguise Mr. that draws attention, not deters it.
I woke this morning after dreaming of things that were fantastical, magical and imaginative. Then I found this image of Lady Gaga on the WWW and declared it my creative inspiration for the day.
This stylish outfit is everything dreams are made of and our Lady of Gaga pulls it off magnificently!
Whoever her stylist is, whether it be her or someone she hired deserves high praise for this retro/modern hybrid.
Whatever the case may be today I declare we should all bend it like Gaga. Because Lady Gaga's have more fun!
After a very underwhelming Grammy telecast last night (yes there were a few great moments, but...) comes my favorite part of any award show. "Yes" this is where I honor my favorite Instagram or Twitter moment from last night's festivities.
This year the honor goes to Pink for posting a photo of her daughter Willow with Rihanna on her Instagram captioning it: "Dreams come true. My daughter lives for this woman. So do I"
This pic is too precious for words. Thus I will halt the use of any more adjectives to describe it right here right now.
It's Grammy Sunday and time to give thanks. What better way to do it than to offer up praise to Grammy Album of the Year nominee Lorde.
If there is paint drying that I can watch somewhere I will not be tuning in. That being stated there is much speculation as to why Lorde is the only Album of the Year nominee not performing since she is in town and has been belting out her latest efforts everywhere else.
Werd has it that she unlike the other nominees in her category who are male, she was not offered a solo spot. She was approached to take part in the Tom Petty Tribute singing American Girl...WTF?!
How weird would that be coming from a Kiwi? For those of you not in the loop that is a common nickname for people originating from New Zealand.
It's a shame Lorde won't be taking to the Grammy stage to croon, so let's offer up our gratitude for her music and praise her!
With Peter Rabbit opening February 9th the voice of the famed hare, James Corden took to the bunny trail to read the book the movie is based on to a group of school children.
He also announced Blue Jacket Day which drops on February the 3rd. The directive of the day is to promote literacy amongst kids. You read correct, on that day parents are to take their children to the, "gasp" library!
I remember in days of yore I went to the library quite frequently as a child. I actually won a library summer reading competition believe it or not. "Yes" I was the kid who read the most books that summer out of all the other ones participating. I don't recall how many that was, but I kicked some bookworm ass!
Labels: Blue Jacket Day, Bookworm, Children, February 3rd, February 9th, James Corden, Library, Literacy, Mic Drop, Peter Rabbit, Reading, Reading Is Fundamental
The feature debut of director Frank Henenlotter (Brain Damage, Frankenhooker), 1982's Basket Case is perhaps his most revered - a riotous and blood-spattered midnight movie experience, now immortalized in a lavish new 4K restoration by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Duane Bradley is a pretty ordinary guy. His formerly conjoined twin Belial, on the other hand, is a deformed, fleshy lump whom he carries around in a wicker basket. Arriving in the Big Apple and taking up a room at the seedy Hotel Broslin, the pair set about hunting down and butchering the surgeons responsible for their separation. But tensions flare up when Duane starts spending time with a pretty blonde secretary, and Belial's homicidal tendencies reach bloody new extremes.
* Belial's Dream (2017, 5 mins) - brand new Basket Case-inspired animated short by filmmaker Robert Morgan
" 'Cause it makes me that much stronger, Makes me work a little bit harder, It makes me that much wiser, So thanks for making me a fighter" - Fighter, Christina Aguilera
We've all got battles to pick and choose from on a daily basis. Your strategy is always different for each one you plan to fight.
My favorite RHOBH quote of the season thus far: "Dorit is a bottomless pit of bullshit" - Camille Grammer
Just when you thought DSL was an acronym that referred to your computer, along comes Dick Sucking Lips to confuse the F#ck out of you. Beware the next time someone uses DSL it may not mean what you think...
On that note: "Your mind will always believe everything you tell it. Feed it faith. Feed it truth. Feed it with love."
With the Academy Award nominations having been announced yesterday it got me thinking about Best Actor nominees who have bared it all on screen. Well there really haven't been too many, but last year's nominee Viggo Mortensen for Captain Fantastic more than makes up for the lack of the Full Monty not shown by other male contenders.
Viggo has gone full frontal in not one, but three films he has been in: Indian Runner, Eastern Promises (for which he was also nominated for an Academy Award) & Captain Fantastic. Yep, he has been twice nominated for films he has bared it all in.
Now that I've gotten you all worked up time to show you the money shots via Tye Briggs Favorite Hunks & Other Things.
Do you know where the quote in my byline comes from today? If you do, then you are old. It comes from the TV show Fantasy Island which premiered January 14, 1977. The line was uttered every week by the character Mr. Roarke played by the late Ricardo Montalban.
This quote popped into my head (yes, I am old(er) not old) when I spotted this photo of Katy Perry attending Minnie Mouse's star ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Mickey Mouse was there too, naturally.
Minnie has been playing the Hollywood game for 90 years it's about time this ageless beauty got honored, she's more than earned it!
Here is a pic of one of last night's SAG Award nominees for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Mini Series or Television Movie.
She posted it to her Instagram page with the caption: "Who's ready for the SAG Awards? #sagawards #biglittlelies"
The nominee also went home empty handed. If you guessed Laura Dern, you guessed correctly. What's that? Do you win something? Uh, no.
While I did not watch the award show, I do enjoy seeing the photos post all the pomp & circumstance.
Particularly of celebrities preparing for their big night who do not shy away from making themselves look silly.
Fashion it inspires, it's creative and it can make for some interesting bedfellows. Case in point, behold this capture of Heidi Klum enjoying the company of Adam Lambert at Morais Collection 6 Fashion Show in the City of Angels.
Both from very different sectors of the Entertainment world yet their paths crossed all in the name of fashion.
Heidi is looking rather low key for her in this photo and Adam is looking low key for him as well, but yummy nonetheless.
Now the real question is, what did these two exchange sound bites about? I will venture a guess and say they exchanged tips about...fashion!
Features an intense performance from Bob Dylan, plus performances from Aaron Neville, Shirley Caesar, Dottie Peoples, and many others during behind-the-scenes making of the Grammy-nominated compilation "Gotta Serve Somebody" released 15 years ago
Marking the fifteenth anniversary of GRAMMY-nominated album Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan, MVD Entertainment Group will reissue the film of the same title. Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan features an intense Bob Dylan performance from 1980 of "When He Returns" as well as powerful performances and interviews with Aaron Neville, Shirley Caesar, Fairfield Four, Mighty Clouds of Joy, and Dottie Peoples, reflecting on their faith and connections to Dylan's Christian music.
Now, with the November release of Columbia Records' "Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981," a further exploration of that period has taken place, which began with this album and film. "It was an honor to have made an impression on the great artist himself with these recordings," said the film's producer Jeffrey Gaskill. From 2009 to 2011, Bob Dylan opened 40 concerts around the world with Gonna Change My Way of Thinking (his Grammy-nominated new version re-written and recorded for Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan with Mavis Staples.) in concert halls in Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong, London, Beijing, Shanghai, Adelaide and this performance in Tel Aviv (video HERE).
Just a month after his recording with Staples he would kick off a new tour in Stockholm Sweden and perform Solid Rock (what many consider the theme song to his gospel era concerts) for the first time in over twenty years. Dylan would continue to perform this rousing song as well as other gospel era songs at numerous concerts across Europe and beyond. The two-time Grammy nominated compilation would be released on Sony/Columbia one year later on April 1, 2003 (video HERE).
"This gospel music was Bob Dylan's ultimate rebellion, and it took much more courage than strapping on an electric guitar," said Gaskill. The film offers historical insights into this Bob Dylan era provided by Jim Keltner, Fred Tackett, Spooner Oldham, and Regina McCrary - all of whom performed and recorded with Dylan at the time. Famed record producer Jerry Wexler, who produced the records, and music journalists Paul Williams and Alan Light, also disclose insights.
Singer-songwriter and American Idol Winner David Cook has confirmed a February 16, 2018 release date for his brand-new EP, Chromance. The EP features all new material that was written over the past year and also includes an ethereal mid-tempo spin on the Phil Collins classic "Another Day in Paradise."
David has, once again, involved his fans in the creation and release of this EP through a hugely successful PledgeMusic campaign – giving them the opportunity to follow the progress of the EP from inception through its February release. In addition to signed guitars, personalized voicemail messages, and other limited-edition items, participating fans have access to one-of-a-kind experiences and will be the first to hear the new material.
Chromance is available through the PledgeMusic campaign: www.pledgemusic.com/davidcook, as well as all other digital retailers. All pre-orders will receive two instant grat tracks: "Ghost Magnetic" and "Gimme Heartbreak."
David is also set to hit the road in support of Chromance on February 15 in Nashville, TN. The Nashville show is open to the public and there will be a pre-show soundcheck/celebration for Pledgers on this date. Fans can click here for tickets to the Pledge pre-celebration event: https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/davidcooknewep/items/215124
"I try so hard not to get upset, Because I know all the trouble I'll get" Till Tuesday, "Voices Carry"
Abuse is a hot button issue, as it should be. With it all over the place of late it brought to mind the great 80's hit song "Voices Carry" which addresses that very subject matter.
"If you've had enough, don't put up with his stuff, don't you do it, If you've had your fill, get the check pay the bill, you can do it" - Enough Is Enough, Barbara Streisand & Donna Summer
Today's Hump Day & Chill is quite literal. With all of the snow falling around the country why not get naked and go for a run in it?
Well, Oliver Hudson did just that, thus we have something to be thankful for on this January 17, 2018. While, there is no frontal flashing, Hudson does have quite the delectable derriere, now there's a tongue twister (and an entendre, think about it, but not too much.)
Of course I unearthed this footage via a whimsical piece about a snow day written by Tye Briggs on Favorite Hunks & Other Things. Tye really finds some great things on the WWW that elude me, thus I visit his corner of the web everyday so I never miss a thing.
Don't think I don't know where your mind went when you read the byline...as you can see there is a photo of a threesome, but not in the way you were thinking out of the gate.
This threesome looks like they are camera ready for a reboot of Charlie's Angels. Hey, that actually isn't a bad idea if I do say so myself. I did just say so myself, moving on...
Wouldn't you have like to been a fly on the wall for what was said when the three exchanged sound bites? I know I would have, perhaps they will all end up appearing in a project together, or simply meet for lunch on a sunny afternoon or ________ fill in your own blank, because filling in blanks is fun!
Whilst waking this ayem and catching a wave on the WWW to what did my half awake eyes did appear? None other than Lisa Rinna of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills sporting the most awesome cheetah print leggings on the way to yoga.
How much more motivation do you need than Lisa Rinna seen engaging in the same activity I ask you??? The woman is 54 and has a body that women in their twenties covet.
"Yes" I understand I am a guy and will never have a body like Lisa's for obvious reasons. That being stated Rinna is more like a poster child to motivate me to not forgo my yoga class for some limp excuse that I could manifest at the last minute. Got it?
"Ryan Tennis and the Clubhouse Band have a community vibe, riffing full-tilt on a rootsy chord progressions with vocal harmonies, trumpet and bongo percussion."
Having wrapped a pair of knockout All-Star Graceland tribute shows here and in Washington DC, and a triumphant six-week tour of Europe, global music sensation RYAN TENNIS celebrates the release TODAY of his brand-new studio EP, Two Days on the Fence.
Next week, Tennis heads to South America in for a month-long tour of Colombia. He returns to the U.S. in February to launch an East Coast tour, which includes an appearance at Folk Alliance International.
Co-produced by Tennis and Tom Spiker (Calvin Weston, Sun Ra Arkesta, G. Love) and recorded at the expansive Rittenhouse Soundworks studio in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Two Days on the Fence sees Tennis and his virtuosic band
Shaun Hennessey (percussion), Brahm Genzlinger (bass), Maxfield Gast (sax), Nate Graham (keyboards), and Christopher Farrell (guitar) ― locking in with telepathic precision on five luminous new cuts that draw heavily on sounds and rhythms Tennis absorbed during his extensive travels throughout South America and his performances with legendary South African musicians Bakithi Kumalo and Morris Goldberg, both of whom performed on Paul Simon’s historic Graceland album.
“I wanted to explore more powerful rhythms than you get with the usual acoustic singer-songwriter thing,” Tennis explains. “My band can play a lot of incredible grooves, so I know I can throw anything at them and they’ll turn it into genius stuff that makes people move. I’m flat-out amazed at what they did on the new EP.”
Over the years, Tennis has been compared to artists such as Paul Simon, Ben Harper and Bill Withers. The songs on Two Days on the Fence range from soul-enriching ballads to exuberant, body-moving groovers, and they see the inveterately creative singer-songwriter spreading the waters of his influences (“a lot of folk, soul and Afro-Caribbean sounds”) while micro-targeting his lyrics to soothe today’s information-overloaded society.
“I wrote these songs with the intention of giving people hope and positivity in their lives,” Tennis says. “In general, we’re inundated with negativity – from the news to Facebook, it’s so easy to get bogged down. I’m not one to write protest songs, but in a way I did that by writing songs to make people feel good. There’s a lot of power in that message, the audacity it takes to feel joyful in tough times.”
The upcoming live music video for the title track of Two Days on the Fence was filmed in Paris during Tennis’ most recent European tour. Having won over audiences in Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Colombia and Argentina, he’s looking forward to expanding his global reach in 2018.
“When you come to one of my shows, you’re going to get an explosion of funky soul music mixed with Afro-Caribbean beats and textures,” Tennis enthuses. “Everybody in the band sings backing vocals, so it’s a loud and joyous sound. It’s a welcoming environment, so come on and shake off your troubles. We’ll have you moving in no time!”
When I spied this photo of Chris Pratt posing with a Dinosaur to promote the latest Jurassic World opus - Fallen Kingdom in London, well I couldn't help but post it.
Oh, and BTW the reasons have nothing to do with the movie, of which I have no intention of seeing. First off the image is dynamic. Secondly Pratt looks cute in it. Third and most important of all it took me back to my youth in the 80's - 1988 to be exact when the group Was (Not Was) had a hit song called Walk The Dinosaur.
What's that? Who walks a dinosaur? What a silly song, you say? Literal it was not euphemism it was, that's correct, Yoda taught me this in the 80's as well.
Singer-songwriter and American Idol Winner David Cook has announced he will kick-off an acoustic tour this fall in St. Louis, MO on October 25. Tickets go on-sale Thursday, July 12. (visit davidcookofficial.com/events for tickets and info).
The tour will weave throughout the southeast and hit other major markets like Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York City. It’ll be a chance for fans to experience an up-close, intimate evening with David, as he performs songs from his brand-new EP, CHROMANCE, as well as other hits from his catalog. The EP, which was released earlier this year, features all new material that was written over the past year and includes an ethereal mid-tempo spin on the Phil Collins classic, Another Day in Paradise.
If launching a tour and putting out a brand new EP wasn’t enough to keep Cook busy; this past April, he made his Broadway debut as Charlie Price in Kinky Boots and had the time of his life (no pun intended). David is now set to reprise his performance in the starring role from July 17 through September 9 (tickets available at kinkybootsthemusical.com).
“I am so honored and excited to get to come back to the factory! Kinky Boots is such a great show, made all the better by having an incredible cast, crew, and staff, and I can’t wait to help tell the story again!”
$35 Million Gift from Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Launches Fundraising Drive for Endowment to Support Medical Research
Mount Sinai Hospital is pleased to announce that Larry and Judy Tanenbaum have made a transformative $35 million gift in support of research at the Hospital. In recognition of the gift, the Hospital’s research institute will be re-named the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute. The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum is already ranked among the top ten medical research institutes in the world and this gift will propel further growth that will transform patient care in the future.
The gift by Larry and Judy Tanenbaum launches a major fundraising drive with the goal of achieving a $50 million endowment to sustain and grow the leading-edge research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute.
“Research is about finding answers to questions, where failure is more common than success, and where the cost of success requires time, patience and investment. Judy and I continue to be inspired and rewarded by the researchers at Mount Sinai and the quiet success they are achieving. Their discoveries are transforming the way that we understand disease and this not only positions Canada as a leader in biomedical research, but is leading the way towards how patients will be cared for in the future,” says Larry Tanenbaum, Chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
Mount Sinai Hospital Chairman, Jay S. Hennick, made the historic announcement today in Toronto with the Hon. Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario by the donors’ side.
“Larry and Judy Tanenbaum exemplify the very best of philanthropic, civic and business leadership in this country. Their invitation to other philanthropists to join them sets them apart as they inspire others to stand up as role models in the community, says Jay S. Hennick, Chair of the Board, Mount Sinai Hospital.
The gift will support the research of internationally recognized investigators working towards the prevention, detection and treatment of health conditions that are aligned with Mount Sinai’s flagship clinical programs. These include cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, maternal and infant health, neurodegenerative diseases and mental health disorders. The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute is home to Canada’s largest research team focused on maternal and infant health and ranks #1 in diabetes research among academic hospitals worldwide.
“Larry and Judy’s gift today is an extraordinary example of what can happen in Ontario when private and public investment work together. It is an inspiring act that will support our research community and change countless lives," says The Hon.Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario.
Mr. & Mrs. Tanenbaum have made their gift as a catalyst to inspire additional gifts from the community, creating sustainable funding for scientists at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum. Thanking Mr. & Mrs. Tanenbaum was Brent S. Belzberg, Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation Chairman, who also heads the Hospital’s major fundraising campaign and will work with other donors to take up the Tanenbaums’ challenge and secure the full endowment target envisioned.
The Chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., Larry Tanenbaum is one of the country’s most influential and respected business, civic and philanthropic leaders and today’s announcement is the latest chapter in over four decades of his volunteer and philanthropic leadership at Mount Sinai. As a passionate advocate for medical research, Mr. Tanenbaum has chaired Mount Sinai’s research committee of the board of directors and has been a strong voice for research that asks “why?” and allows vision and creativity to fuel innovative medical discoveries that will revolutionize patient care.
“I know I speak for all of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum scientists at Mount Sinai Hospital in thanking Larry and Judy Tanenbaum and their family for this extraordinary commitment to medical research. I also know our researchers will continue to make them, and the people of the wonderful Province of Ontario, proud,” says Jim Woodgett, Director of Research, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute.