Just Break

My AF1 Collection

2007-03-05T11:23:00.000-08:00

AF1 Test Post

2007-03-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

from the strange mind of conan o'brien

2006-12-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

There are no words...

Horny Manatee

bill lawrence is funny...

2006-11-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

Even if Nobody's Watching...

The Creator of Scrubs Diagnoses the State of TV Comedy

remember when studio 60 was good?

2006-10-29T07:38:00.000-08:00

The Onion pokes fun of The West Wing v2.0.
Studio 60 Was Better When It First Came Out

leo dicaprio's environmental reality show

2006-10-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

He wants to rebuild a town to be eco-friendly.
Leo's green builds skein

marta kauffman developing show about a family-run dance studio

2006-10-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

How great could this be?
'Friends' Co-Creator Dances to CW

scarlett johansson recording an album?

2006-10-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

Johansson Signs Record Deal

air america files for bankruptcy

2006-10-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

Air America Radio Files for Chapter 11

behind the scenes of heroes

2006-10-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

Small Spoiler Alert.
I Became a Hero for a Day and (Barely) Lived to Tell About It

south dakota's abortion ban on the ballot

2006-10-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

The climate in South Dakota as seen through the eyes of a writer from The Christian Science Monitor, and it's not exactly what I would have expected.
South Dakota's stark abortion choice

sara evans quits dancing with the stars

2006-10-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

I really thought she was going to get voted off this week. She looked so upset after the performance show on Tuesday, although the judges did say she performed better than usual.
Sara Evans Hangs Up 'Dancing' Shoes

arguments for eating at home vs. restaurants

2006-10-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Is eating at home cheaper?

nbc adds new programming after carson daly

2006-10-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

For all of the people up at 2:05am.
Peacock draws 'Poker'

mtv's looking for sperm donors

2006-10-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

NYC call for entries.
Sperm Donors Ages 18-26, MTV News Wants To Talk With You!

tara reid talks about her boob job

2006-10-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

She so didn't want a C.
Reid Devastated by Botched Plastic Surgery

'going once' vacation discounts

2006-10-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

American Express is running a really cool promotion this week - Going Once. A specific vacation package goes on sale everyday at noon EST. Every 20 minutes the price goes down until all of the packages are sold. The catch is you never know how much the price will go down and you never know how many packages are left.

I've been watching a trip to Peru decrease in cost all day today. Initially, there were 30 packages for sale. It retails for $12,600 (for 2 people), but is now at $7,487. Oh, it just sold out! Not like I had $7500 bucks to go to Peru, but it was a good deal for the 7 night package. Tomorrow - Vegas!

november is national novel writing month

2006-10-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

Write 50,000 words in 30 days.
NaNoWriMo

ramones biopic to be made!

2006-10-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

But it won't star Vincent Chase.
The Ramones Biopic Gets Underway

whale rider star expecting a baby

2006-10-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

Best actress Oscar nominee 16 years old now and pregnant.
Whale Rider's Keisha Castle-Hughes Expecting

britney loses baby #2 to in touch magazine

2006-10-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

If only this were true...
Britney Spears Loses Custody Of Child To In Touch Magazine

will katie and tom move to virginia?

2006-10-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

They're missing out if they don't move to Hoodbridge.
Will TomKat and baby Suri be Washingtonians?

elmo's got competition

2006-10-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Meet the new muppet.
Abby Cadabby Moves to 'Sesame Street'

matt lauer's on the market

2006-10-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

Maybe he can take advantage of that People Magazine photo, maybe.
'Today' Show Host Lauer and Pregnant Wife Split

the amazing emanuels

2006-10-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

This CNN article has been sitting my inbox for a few weeks...What was most surprising to me is that Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Congressman and DCCC Chair, is also the older brother of Ari Emanuel. You know, the Ari Gold of Entourage. And there's a THIRD brother, the oldest, who is perceived as the smartest in the bunch...Clearly they were bread for success.

Rahm Emanuel, Pitbull Politician

nick carter once dated debbie lefave...and he's promoting it

2006-09-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

Oh, the things one is willing to talk about when promoting a TV show... At the same time, this helps to explain what led the teacher to sleep with her 13-year-old student.
Hot For Teacher Long Ago

see, saving frequent flyer miles can really pay off

2006-09-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

Frequent-flyer cashes in miles for space trip

oregon state #5 in sex ed

2006-09-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Amy and Stevie have a 'Luv Kit' to look forward to...

Oregon State could not be happier after receiving 5th place in Trojan's Sexual Health Report Card.
Orange and black, their condoms wave

A few choice quotations from Oregon State:
-"We're pleased we popped up that prominently," says university spokesman Todd Simmons.
-"Part of our job is to make safer sex exciting," Shell said. "We try to make things a little more interesting for students who are sexually active."
-Naturally, then, the condoms unfurl in orange and black. "You can show your school spirit at all times," Shell said.

And the University of Oregon's disappointment at not ranking so high:
-The folks at Oregon are a bit miffed. "That's not an accurate picture of our campus," says Paula Staight, Oregon's director of health promotions...

terrell owens suicide attempt?

2006-09-27T09:30:00.001-07:00

Can it be true...
Report: T.O. attempted suicide

the coreys tv show to air on a&e

2006-09-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

'Lost Boys' Found: A&E Reunites The Coreys

nbc promos

2006-09-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Bill, the promo guy.

AUGUST 27, 2006 - riley's 1st birthday

2006-09-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

WHAT: Riley's 1st Birthday
WHEN: August 27, 2006
WHERE: Arlington, VA

I know every aunt probably thinks her niece and nephew are the cutest kids in the world, but mine really are the cutest. If you have some free time, it's totally worth checking out my photos of Riley's birthday parties. Riley turned 1 year old at the end of August and Robbie celebrated his 3rd birthday a few weeks beforehand.

man bites panda

2006-09-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

Poor Gu Gu.
Man bites panda in Beijing zoo as retribution

sanz, parnell, and mitchell leaving snl

2006-09-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

Now it looks like Seth Meyers will replace Tina Fey on Weekend Update.
'SNL' slimming down

a morning show with anderson cooper and campbell brown?!

2006-09-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

Since The Today Show seems headed down a bad path right now, I'd be thrilled if this rumor were true. Industry buzz does seem to indicate that Campbell will leave NBC when her contract expires next year.
CBS 'Early Show' With ... Anderson Cooper and Campbell Brown?

lucky louie cancelled

2006-09-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

HBO Boots Sunday Sitcom LUCKY LOUIE To the Curb!!

adrian grenier documentary sidenote

2006-09-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

A year and a half ago I was at the Tribeca Film Festival and I met this guy, Jon Davidson, a very New York, New York kind of guy. Entourage had blown up and he talked about a documentary he made with his buddy, Adrian Grenier, about Adrian reuniting with his estranged father. The film premiered at the first Tribeca Film Festival and although Jon was actually working at the 2005 festival, he was also shooting some footage in the hopes of making a film that compared their experiences at the first festival to what the festival has grown into now. This was very rough footage on an old camcorder, but he shot us doing lame stuff, like unloading cases of wine. Actually, I shot some random stuff for him, too, but then his girlfriend took the camera and I never saw any footage.

This year, at the Toronto International Film Festival, Adrian and Jon "premiered" their documentary Shot in the Dark about Adrian and his father (I don't know how much of the footage is the old movie or if they reshot the whole thing--an awkard concept for a doc). If what Jon told me is true, I wonder why they did not wait until the Tribeca Film Festival next year to show the film? I'm really curious now to see it. According to this article, it's supposed to air around Father's Day 2007. Knowing some backstory, it will definitely be fun to see the commercials and ads, etc., next year.

AUGUST 26 - carly and robbie's wedding

2006-09-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

WHAT: Carly and Robbie's Wedding
WHEN:
August 26, 2006
WHERE: Taylor-Grady House, Athens, GA

I'm a couple weeks late posting this, but finally, here are my photos from Carly and Robbie's wedding. I actually don't have many so hopefully I can get to their official wedding photos. Carly looked absolutely amazing and I'm also not sure my photos do her justice.

Pink roses, like the ones the wedding party carried and the ones in Carly's hair, were on the tables, as well. Very pretty and very Carly.

Robbie, aka 'Ken' from 'Barbie & Ken', swept the dance floor with Ricky's Aunt Sadye, who was surprisingly at the wedding. Just kidding. Really, I just want to show the photo of the two of them at my wedding.

amanda peet's pregnant

2006-09-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

Amanda Peet a Mom-to-Be

tom and katie hang out in dc

2006-09-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

Cruise, Holmes Take in Redskins Game

salon.com republishes 2001 9/11 article

2006-09-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

People share their inappropriate thoughts from September 11, 2001.
Forbidden thoughts about 9/11

A few quotations from the article:

"I was actually moving the week of 9/11 and I just wanted to find a way to get out of work so I could pack. When the attack happened, I was thinking, This is so cool. I can go to the dentist and still have time to get everything done." --Ruth Wagner, 28, an editor in New York

"Thank goodness they got those buildings. I've always hated them! They're so ugly." --New York woman, overheard in London on the day of the attacks

"I'm sorry to say it, but it was the most exciting day of my career in journalism. It was really fuckin' fun." --A New York reporter

"Former mayor Rudolph Giuliani transformed from a crazed, intolerant zealot into a sensitive and compassionate leader. Wasn't his new subdued personality just the effect of his cancer medication?" --An editor and writer in New York who served at least 2,000 meals and helped about 600 families file relief claims between September and New Year's

"The ACLU has got to take a lot of blame for this. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.'" -- The Rev. Jerry Falwell, in a Sept. 13 appearance on "The 700 Club." He later apologized for making the statement.

50 best high school movies, according to a pretentious person at ew

2006-09-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

The 50 Best High School Movies

50. Splendor in the Grass
49. Sixteen Candles
48. Just One of the Guys
47. Napoleon Dynamite
46. Flirting
45. My Bodyguard
44. Can't Hardly Wait
43. Stand and Deliver
42. Fame
41. Can't Buy Me Love
40. Risky Business
39. The Virgin Suicide
38. Bye Bye Birdie
37. Friday Night Lights
36. Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire
35. Brick
34. Get Real
33. Hoop Dreams
32. Scream
31. The Karate Kid
30. Bring It On
29. Gregory's Girl
28. Back to the Future
27. To Sir, With Love
26. Pretty in Pink
25. Hoosiers
24. Rushmore
23. Cooley High
22. American Pie
21. Grease
20. Dead Poets Society
19. The Last Picture Show
18. Rock 'n' Roll High School
17. Peggy Sue Got Married
16. Lucas
15. Carrie
14. Donnie Darko
13. High School
12. Mean Girls
11. Say Anything
10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
9. Election
8. Boyz N the Hood
7. Clueless
6. American Graffiti
5. Heathers
4. Rebel Without a Cause
3. Dazed and Confused
2. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
1. The Breakfast Club

kennedy center announces 2006 honorees

2006-09-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

The 29th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcast December 3.

Honorees include Steven Spielberg, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Dolly Parton, Smokey Robinson, and Zubin Mehta.

spike lee creates pilot for nbc about katrina victims rebuilding in new orleans

2006-09-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

Spike Lee Sets Up Shop in 'NoLa'

view studio 60 on the sunset strip starting today on aol.com

2006-09-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

AOL to Debut Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Twenty Good Years

the same ben affleck wins best actor at venice film festival; helen mirren also wins

2006-09-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

Official Awards of the 63rd Venice Film Festival

VENEZIA 63
The Venezia 63 Jury of the 63. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica, chaired by Catherine Deneuve and comprised of José Juan Bigas Luna, Paulo Branco, Cameron Crowe, Chulpan Khamatova, Park Chan-wook and Michele Placido, having viewed all twenty-two films in competition, has decided as follows:

GOLDEN LION for Best Film:
Sanxia Haoren (Still Life) by Jia Zhang-Ke

SILVER LION for Best Director:
Alain Resnais for the film Private Fears in Public Places

SILVER LION REVELATION:
Emanuele Crialese for the film Nuovomondo - Golden Door

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE:
Daratt by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

COPPA VOLPI
for Best Male Actor:
Ben Affleck in the film Hollywoodland by Allen Coulter

COPPA VOLPI
for Best Female Actor:
Helen Mirren in the film The Queen by Stephen Frears

MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD
for Best Young Actor:
Isild Le Besco
in the film L’intouchable by Benoît Jacquot

OSELLA
for Best Technical Contribution:
Emmanuel Lubezki
Director of Photography for the film Children of Men by Alfonso Cuarón

OSELLA
for Best Screenplay:
Peter Morgan
for the film The Queen by Stephen Frears

SPECIAL LION:
Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet for innovation in the language of cinema

HORIZONS
The Horizons Jury of the 63. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica, comprised of Philip Gröning (President), Carlo Carlei, Yousri Nasrallah, Giuseppe Genna and Kusakabe Keiko, has decided to award:

HORIZONS PRIZE to:
Mabei shang de fating by Liu Jie
The Horizons Prize is supported by Groupama with a cash prize of 10,000 Euro.

HORIZONS DOC PRIZE to:
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts by Spike Lee

Premio Venezia Opera Prima “Luigi De Laurentiis”
The Opera Prima Jury of the 63. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica, comprised of Paula Wagner (President), Guillermo Del Toro, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Andrei Plakhov, Stefania Rocca, has decided to award the:

LION OF THE FUTURE - Premio Venezia Opera Prima “Luigi De Laurentiis” to
Khadak by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth
Aurelio De Laurentiis and Filmauro award a cash prize, of 100,000 USD, to the winning first film (50,000 to the director, 50,000 to the producer). To the director, an additional film voucher for 40,000 Euro will also be awarded, offered by Kodak.

CORTO CORTISSIMO
The Corto Cortissimo Jury of the 63. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica, comprised of Teboho Mahlatsi (President), Francesca Calvelli, Aleksej Fedorčenko, has decided to award:

CORTO CORTISSIMO LION for Best Short Film to:
Comment on freine dans une descente? by Alix Delaporte

PRIX UIP for Best European Short Film to:
The Making of Parts by Daniel Elliott

SPECIAL MENTION to the film
Adults Only by Yeo Joon Han

wtf - jt does nirvana?

2006-09-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

WOW.

ben affleck gets frisky with french-canadian

2006-09-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

This is so strange, I almost felt guilty for watching. Almost.

conan o'brien 1864 baseball

2006-09-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

AUGUST 25 - final i am the world trade center show

2006-09-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Warning: For some reason, the links here aren't working. It's not a problem with the html, but somehow "http://justbreak.blogspot.com" and quotation marks are being inserted into the links. If you remove these things from the url, you should be able to reach each page.

WHAT: I Am the World Trade Center and Masarati final show and goodbye after-party.
WHEN: August 25, 2006
WHERE: 40 Watt, Athens, GA

For some crazy reason (okay, a doctorate isn't that crazy), Amy and Stevie are about to move to Corvalis, Oregon. While Ricky and I are happy to have them live so close to us, the people of Athens are not so thrilled with the move. Two weeks ago, the 40 Watt hosted the farewell show of Dan and Amy and I Am the World Trade Center.

Dan and Amy met in 1995, started dating in 1997, formed their band in 1998, broke up for the last time in 2004, and ended their professional relationship August 25. That includes battling cancer and rabies, moving to New York and back, and dealing with a band name, that although created prior to 9/11 with the best of intentions, still raises eyebrows (they released an amazing statement to MTV five years ago – ”…the two towers, equal and independent yet still one entity, are a metaphor for the relationship Amy [Dykes] and I have developed both personally and professionally.")

The show was also the final performance for Masari with Stevie. Surprisingly and unfortunately, it was the first time I've seen them play live. I know Stevie is ready to end the touring/performing part of his life, but the show was so great that it’s sad to know he won’t play with them anymore. After the show, there was a goodbye afterparty/salute to Amy and Stevie with entertainment provided by ExcaliBRAH and Lil’ Flip Scoldjah.

I have a few photos of Amy and Stevie’s July wedding. My camera jammed and I used Sara’s most of the evening. Amy looked beautiful and Stevie rocked the color purple (a tough color, I think, for men to pull off, but the wedding party did it.) Barrie Buck’s backyard in Athens was decorated with tents, pink carnations, bright colored materials, and Indian food. If I can find more photos, particularly of the bride and groom, I’ll put them up on just break as well.

katie couric uses new show to reveal first photo of suri cruise

2006-09-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

The CBS Evening News is apparently going to be a hard-hitting news program.
With the mystery of does she/doesn't she exist now solved, viewers are now puzzled by asian-looking Suri.
Suri Cruise Revealed by Katie Couric

myspace to open online music store

2006-09-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

MySpace To Take A Bite Out Of Apple, Sell Music Online

danger mouse behind the paris hilton unauthorized cd

2006-09-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

Graffiti artist, Danger Mouse behind doctored Hilton discs

jessica simpson lip syncs on the view

2006-09-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

Turns out her mic wasn't on.

berry playing with r.e.m. for ga music hall of fame

2006-09-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Isn't it a surprise they're not in the HOF already?
R.E.M. reunites with drummer for induction

photos/laura and dj's wedding album

2006-09-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

I've returned home! After 11 days of traveling, I'm back in PDX and have a ton of photos that I want to add to just break. Expect to see many photos soon of the last I Am the World Trade Center show, Carbie's wedding, Riley's first birthday party, and more...

What I thought I'd share today is the photo album I made for Laura and DJ of their wedding. They have an actual hard copy, but here are some jpgs of the book. My favorite is the dance party page, but the 'let's hug it out' page is also pretty special. I've never seen so many photos of hugs at one wedding - I ran out of room to include them all.

follow-up to the birth of sean preston

2006-09-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

Suri’s Bronzed Poo Apologizes in Advance for Ruining Your Dinner

enquiring minds say katie holmes has herpes

2006-09-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Likely a totally fictious article, but I'm still shocked they actually claim Katie has herpes.
Katie Cracks Under Pressure

jennifer aniston/nike deal?

2006-09-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Why did I have to hear about this online?
Jennifer Aniston to Sign with Nike

trump fires carolyn

2006-09-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

Trump Dumps His Fireing-Squad Aide Carolyn

be a wuog dj

2006-08-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

An hour of airtime in exchange for a donation to the Crisis Resource Center of Athens.
Seize the Airwaves!

the 50 most controversial films

2006-08-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

In no particular order, according to The Times London.
Our critics pick the controversial film 50

SEX

AI NO CORRIDA (1976) Nagisa Oshima’s graphic depiction of sexual obsession was not submitted for British classification until 1989. It was given an 18 certificate in 1991 after optical changes to a scene involving naked children.

BAISE-MOI (2000) The mix of real sex and staged violence for this French “hardcore Thelma and Louise”, about a prostitute and her raped friend on a sex and killing spree, provoked shock horror and debate (is it an issue drama or pure exploitation?) wherever it was shown.

CRASH (1996) David Cronenberg’s tale of sex addicts aroused by car crashes and injuries, based on a J. G. Ballard story, was banned by Westminster Council before the British censor had even viewed the film for classification.

DEEP THROAT (1972) Porn briefly went overground and achieved dinner-party chic thanks to Linda Lovelace’s antics and films such as The Devil in Miss Jones.

THE IDIOTS (1998) Lars von Trier’s Dogme satire, about commune members pretending to be physically and mentally handicapped, featured flapping erections and an explicit orgy scene.

I’M NO ANGEL (1933) Religious, civic and industry groups finally coerced Hollywood to expand its self- regulating Hays Code after this ribald Mae West sex comedy. The Code went from prohibiting indecency to mere indelicacy and demanding chaste passion and moral endings. As West remarked of Tinseltown: “Here they tell you what not to do before you do it.”

LAST TANGO IN PARIS (1972) Early 1970s cinema began pushing the boundaries of screen sex, led by Marlon Brando’s butter-assisted encounter with Maria Schneider and explicit sex talk. The film was banned in Italy for 11 years.

9 SONGS (2004) Michael Winterbottom’s film charts a young couple’s relationship through their (unsimulated) sexual encounters punctuated by visits to indie-band concerts. Asked Winterbottom at the time: “Why can a writer engage in sexual imagery with no restrictions and yet a film author can’t do the same?”

PANDORA’S BOX (1929) Scenes of prostitution, lesbianism and Louise Brooks’s sensual performance as a high- class call girl made this film fall foul of censors everywhere.

SEBASTIANE (1976) Derek Jarman’s homoerotic movie, shot in Latin, sees St Sebastian going gaily to his martyrdom at a remote Roman outpost. Features the first erect penis approved by the British censor.

DRUGS

CHRISTIANE F. (1981) “At 12 it was angel dust. At 13 it was heroin. Then she took to the streets.” Based on the true story of a teenager in 1970s Berlin, Uli Edel’s film was described by one critic as “revoltingly offputting”.

EASY RIDER (1969) Nicholson, Fonda and Hopper were at it again in the definitive countercultural jamboree, bookending the now-obligatory LSD trip with (real) spliff-smoking sessions and a (fictional) cocaine deal.

HUMAN TRAFFIC (1999) One of the truer films about club culture, evoking the permissive mood of the 1990s, Human Traffic raised eyebrows for its authentic depiction of Ecstasy bonhomie and comedown paranoia.

THE LOST WEEKEND (1945) Billy Wilder claimed that the liquor industry offered Paramount $5 million not to release his searing portrait of an alcoholic, played by Ray Milland. Ironically, temperance groups thought the film would actually encourage drinking.

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (1955) Frank Sinatra excelled as a heroin-addict card-sharp in Otto Preminger’s film, which was originally refused a certificate by the MPAA. The following year the production code was changed to allow movies to deal with drugs as well as kidnapping, abortion and prostitution.

PERFORMANCE (1970) On screen, James Fox’s gangster was plied with magic mushrooms by Mick Jagger’s rock Mephistopheles. Off screen, they allegedly smoked psychotropic DMT. Time’s critic called it “the most disgusting, worthless film I have seen since I began reviewing”.

REEFER MADNESS (1936) A brush with wacky baccy consigns a pair of innocents to a downward spiral of murder and mental illness in this propanganda piece turned cult classic. Notable more for being cack-handed than for any subversiveness.

REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000) Darren Aronofsky’s adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr’s novel cut a disturbing line in trans- generational addiction, with Jared Leto’s descent into heroin Hades being mirrored by his mum’s slimming pills habit.

TRAINSPOTTING (1996) The scenes of heroin use — for which the cast prepared with Generation Game style “cooking up” workshops — drew the loudest snorts from Middle England. But Renton and his cohorts also consumed Ecstasy, Valium and, erm, opium suppositories.

THE TRIP (1967) In preparation for this psychedelic wig-out, the LSD virgin Roger Corman took his writer Jack Nicholson and stars Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper to drop acid in Big Sur. The film was branded a “user’s manual” for LSD and was banned in Britain until 2003.

VIOLENCE

BATTLE ROYALE (2000) Kinji Fukasaku’s death-sport take on Lord of the Flies also aspired to be a parable on violence and the State — enough to prompt questions in Japan’s parliament.

BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)/ THE WILD BUNCH (1969) Two films that pioneered the art of slow-motion carnage. The final scene in Bonnie and Clyde saw Clyde’s head blown apart and was intended to remind audiences of JFK’s murder. The Wild Bunch, meanwhile, helped to establish Sam Peckinpah as the “Picasso of violence”.

IRRÉVERSIBLE (2002) By dressing up sick shock values as arthouse innovation, the French auteur Gaspar Noé subjected audiences to such treats as a man’s head being smashed 22 times by a fire extinguisher, as well as the anal rape of the heroine filmed in a single take lasting nearly ten minutes. Each one feels like an hour.

LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972) Wes Craven’s grainy debut stands as the daddy of slasher movies, as two teenage girls are abducted, raped and murdered by psychopaths; then their parents take revenge with chainsaws. Tagline: “To avoid fainting, keep repeating ‘It’s only a movie . . . ’ ”

NATURAL BORN KILLERS (1994) Oliver Stone saw his media satire both (initially) banned and take the record for the largest number of cuts and reshots needed to attain an R rating (150). The film’s anti-heroes murder approximately 50 people.

NO ORCHIDS FOR MISS BLANDISH (1948) You’d be forgiven for never having heard of this Brit- thriller about the New York underworld. But it had UK critics spluttering hyperbole: “The most sickening exhibition of brutality, perversion, sex and sadism ever to be shown on a cinema screen,” was one journal’s considered verdict.

STRAW DOGS (1971) It ends with local Cornish thugs being scalded by boiling whisky and having their feet blown off by a shotgun; earlier a cat is hanged in a closet. But it was the rape sequence that saw it banned since, at one point, Susan George’s victim appears to become compliant.

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) It later transpired that the pain on the faces of the actresses was often real amid the lacerating terror wielded by Leatherface and co. It was allowed an uncut release in the UK only in 2000.

VIDEO NASTIES The rise of the video-rental market in the early-1980s also ushered in the age of the video-nasty: cheapo splatter- movies that had Britain’s moral crusaders on the rampage faster than Leatherface in a sorority house. The likes of I Spit on Your Grave, The Driller Killer and The Evil Dead led to the Video Recordings Act of 1984, ending the media frenzy.

RELIGION

DARK HABITS (1983) Made before Pedro Almodóvar achieved global fame, this typically lurid tale in which the Mother Superior is a heroin addict was refused a screening at Cannes. Also see Valerian Borowczyk’s Behind Convent Walls, in which a nun gets closer to the Saviour by means of a conveniently shaped object imprinted with Jesus’s face.

THE DA VINCI CODE (2006) The biggest controversy centred, in the end, not on the offence to Christians for traducing the faith with specious semi-historical bunkum, but on how Ron Howard could have turned the talents of Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno and a budget of $125m into such pedestrian tosh.

THE DEVILS (1971) Was it Vanessa Redgrave’s hunchbacked, sexually frustrated Mother Superior, the torture scenes or the indictment of Church corruption in 1634 that caused The Devils to be banned in several countries and released heavily cut under an X certificate in the UK? Whichever, it remains one of the most successful films of Ken Russell’s envelope-pushing career.

THE EXORCIST (1973) Its release occasioned fainting in the aisles, one viewer breaking his jaw on the next seat when he fell, and some British councils banned it altogether — a ban made ridiculous by Exorcist bus trips to neighbouring areas. The director, William Friedkin, also caused consternation within the industry for the lengths he went to to scare his actors in order to get realistic performances.

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST (1988) Used to coming under fire for violence, swearing and the negative portrayal of Italian-Americans, Scorsese hit his rawest nerve with this film, in which Christ has sex with Mary Magdalene. Attracted then record complaints (more than 1,500) when shown on Channel 4.

THE LIFE OF BRIAN (1979) It seems extraordinary now, but this finest of all Python films was banned in several countries and ran foul of several local councils in England. So many Christian groups complained that John Cleese used to joke: “We’ve brought them all together for the first time in 2,000 years!”

THE MAGDALENE SISTERS (2002) Unremittingly bleak tale of three young Irish women committed to work in a laundry run by a sadistic order of nuns, for the crimes of, respectively, flirting, being raped, and having a child out of wedlock. Condemned by the Catholic Church, it was based on a true story.

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (2004) The controversy at the time — was the film by Mel Gibson, whose father is a Holocaust- denier, anti-Jewish? — has been eclipsed by Gibson’s recent drunken anti-Semitic rantings. The extreme violence also raised eyebrows, though Gibson himself has been obsessed with torture and sacrifice in his films from Mad Max through Braveheart and Lethal Weapon to Payback.

SUBMISSION (2004) After making this ten-minute documentary about the abuse of women under Islam, the director Theo Van Gogh (a direct relative of the artist) was murdered by an irate Muslim. His 2004 film Submission is currently being remade by Steve Buscemi, and he and the leading actress, Sienna Miller, have reportedly been granted high-security protection for fear of reprisals.

VISIONS OF ECSTASY (1989) With most of its 18 minutes taken up with erotic lesbian nun scenes (supposedly of St Teresa and her “psyche”) and of passion with Christ, this is the only film to have been successfully banned in Britain on grounds of blasphemy. An appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in 1996 was unsuccessful.

OTHERS

BAD LIEUTENANT (1992) Some films court controversy for glamorising the dark side of modern society. Bad Lieutenant does the opposite. It dives right in to the sleaze and filth, offering, through its nameless central character (Harvey Keitel), a worldview so filth-encrusted that you need a shower after watching it.

BAMBI (1942) Death comes to Disney when Bambi’s mother is killed by a hunter, a scene that has traumatised generations of children. The hunter was to have appeared in the film, but Walt Disney, worried about the hunting lobby, cut the role. For the same reason, the film’s premiere was moved from Maine to New York.

BIRTH OF A NATION (1915) Depicting the Ku Klux Klan as the saviours of the American south, the film was boycotted by the National Association for the Advancement of Black People, and inspired the re-emergence of the Klan, dormant at the time.

FREAKS (1932) Given free rein after the success of Dracula (1931), Tod Browning produced this twisted tale of love, betrayal and revenge in a circus sideshow, starring real-life “freaks”. The film was banned in the UK for 30 years.

JFK (1991) Oliver Stone caused outrage in the press by suggesting that elements within the US government were responsible for the assassination of the 20th century’s best loved president.

KIDS (1995) The film follows 24 hours in the lives of a group of hard- drinking, drug-taking inner-city kids, as an HIV-positive teenager sets out to deflower as many virgins as possible.

PEEPING TOM (1960) The film that graces our cover also finished off Michael Powell’s career. It is now recognised as a masterpiece. The question it asks of the viewer — if you enjoy a murder-thriller, what makes you so different from the killer? — remains unsettling.

ROMPER STOMPER (1992) This brutal Australian portrayal of skinheads and racial violence features a remarkable performance by the pre-Gladiator Russell Crowe, and was barred from cinemas in Glasgow.

SOUTH PARK THE MOVIE (1999) The proud holder of the record for profanity in an animated film, and with one song containing 24 “f***s” in a minute, South Park is a hilarious satire on censorship, but not recommended for the easily offended. Or Canadians.

THE WILD ONE (1953) This tale of rampaging bikers was banned in the UK until 1968. “What are you rebelling against, Johnny?” asks Mildred (Peggy Maley). “Whaddya got?” replies Johnny (Marlon Brando).

Reader's choice: A Clockwork Orange (1971)

next set of survivors to be divided by race

2006-08-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

The show/game will start with four tribes - Hispanic, African-American, Asian-American, and Caucasian.
Segregated 'Survivor'

tom cruise + paramount = no more

2006-08-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

Fourteen year, 10 mill/year partnership over.
Cruise No Longer Top Gun at Paramount

4 snl cast members to be fired?

2006-08-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

UPDATED ARTICLE: 'SNL' Shaking Up Its Cast

All Eyes on 'SNL' - Again

cast members not mentioned in the article as returning (I wonder which four might be fired?):

Fred Armisen
Will Forte
Bill Hader
Finesse Mitchell
Chris Parnell
Maya Rudolph
Horatio Sanz
Jason Suediis
Kenan Thompson
Kristin Wiig

music fest northwest

2006-08-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

Can U Dig It? MFNW Confirmed Bands

scrubs to have a musical episode this season

2006-08-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

Following in the footsteps of Buffy.
'Scrub' in with a Song

grey is the new thursday!

2006-08-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

Has anyone seen this new ad for Grey's Anatomy's move to Thursday night? Very cool.

benji schwimmer's interview with ew

2006-08-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

Will he take the job with Celine Dion? Will he play Fred Astaire in a movie? And where was he when the finale aired? If you love So You Think You Can Dance as much as I do, check Entertainment Weekly's interview with the winner.
Champion Schwimmer

oscar ceremony hops on the irs bandwagon

2006-08-17T21:25:00.000-07:00

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will now also be reporting swag gifts to the IRS and made a deal to retroactively pay taxes on all swag gifts prior to 2006 so that celebritises wouldn't have to pay. Ahhh......
Uncle Sam Bags Oscar Swag

gnarls barkley's rider

2006-08-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

This is similar to my rider when I stay at Sara A's house. Anybody want to bet Brian's "Dressing Room #2"?
Backstage With Gnarls Barkley

my wedding anniversary

2006-08-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to Me! Actually, it was a week and a half ago--August 6 to be exact. Ricky took a day off from work and we went to Cannon Beach for a few days. I wish it were warmer, but it is the Oregon coast, and it was still sunny and beautiful. Here are a couple shots from the trip, including the spectacular view from our hotel room.

school changes abstinence only program after realizing 13% of female students were pregnant

2006-08-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

Sex Ed Changes At School With 65 Pregnant Teens

one-quarter of AIDS victims in low and middle income countries receive AIDS drugs

2006-08-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

There is still a lot of work to do, but drugs and access to drugs has improved significantly in poor countries in the past 3 years.
More than 1 million in Africa get HIV drugs: report

omg...are kate hudson and owen wilson together?

2006-08-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Inside Owen and Kate’s Romance

does kevin get more pre-nup money for each kid he has with britney?

2006-08-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

This would explain so much.
Fatherhood a financial incentive for K-Fed?

kate hudson and chris robinson split!

2006-08-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

It was about two weeks ago she told The View that she doesn't think she got married too soon, maybe one day she would feel that way, but right now, as long as things were good, she has no regrets. (I'm paraphrasing)

Now there's new hope for Velena.

Kate Hudson, Chris Robinson Separate

21-year-old crashes car and delivers her own baby

2006-08-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

She named the baby 'Myracle'.
Woman Gives Birth in Crashed Car

houston crime rate up after welcoming 150,000 new orleans evacuees

2006-08-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

Starting over, getting a fresh start, and wiping the slate clean. For a New Orleans criminal, there's no place like a new city where the police don't know your name.
Katrina victims blamed for Houston crime

new dancing with the stars stars

2006-08-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

Guess who wants to revive their career?

Harry Hamlin
Jerry Springer
Tucker Carlson
Vivica A. Fox
Joe Lawrence
Emmitt Smith
Shanna Moakler ("Meet the Barkers")
Mario Lopez
Willa Ford (pop singer)
Monique Coleman ("High School Musical")
Sara Evans (country music singer)

celebrities don't pay taxes on swag?

2006-08-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

But the IRS won't let them get away with it anymore...is this the end of free stuff as we know it! (okay, not as WE know it)
Swag Hags Beware!

america under the "child custody protection act"

2006-08-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

A great NY Times Op/Ed ripping on the Senate's latest attempt to limit our rights.
Criminals, Like Me

the future of cynthia mckinney

2006-08-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

Sundance hit American Blackout showed how Cynthia McKinney was robbed of her congressional seat in 2002. Was she robbed again this year, what future does she have in American politics, and I'm wondering as the plot grows thicker, will we see more film uncovering the truth behind the cop-slapping incident and 2006 primary? Will we ever even see the first film - American Blackout - in theatrical release?

Facing Voters, Georgia Congresswoman Gets an Assist From Documentary

McKinney's Future Unsure after Loss

why america's next top model writers are striking

2006-08-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

I heard about this strike, but LA Weekly does a good job of explaining the whole situation. Will reality TV writers ever receive WGA membership and benefits?
Reality Strikes

china manages to evacuate 1.3 million people before typhoon

2006-08-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

What our government could learn from China.
1.3 million evacuated as typhoon slams China

ellen burstyn's bullshit emmy nom

2006-08-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

I think the NY Post might be the only ones who saw Mrs. Harris.

from IMDb

Outrage Over Burstyn's 15-Second Emmy Nomination

Ellen Burstyn's nomination for a Best Supporting Actress Emmy Award is being ridiculed by the US media, because the Oscar winner appears in Mrs. Harris for a mere 15 seconds. THe HBO drama stars Sir Ben Kingsley as Dr. Herman Tarnower - the man who invented the Scarsdale diet - and Annette Bening as Jean Harris, the woman who murdered him. Burstyn appears in a flashback sequence, and her character is listed on the Internet Movie Database as "Ex-Lover Number Three." The New York Post writes the 73-year-old's performance "required her to do nothing more than sit in a chair and speak three sentences of dialogue in a vaguely foreign accent." The newspaper claims Burstyn's nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie category is indicative of the "deeply flawed process" leading to the nominations. Winners will be announced in Los Angeles on August 27.

signs trailer

2006-08-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

You knew this was coming...
Mel Gibson's Signs of Anti-Semitism

myspace can be used for good

2006-08-07T22:13:00.000-07:00

Because America's youth is not that bright.
Teens Post Violent Videos Online — But Police Have Internet Too

top 50 grossing movies to never go into wide release

2006-08-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that some of these movies were never considered wide release, but it's an intersting list nonetheless.
Top 50 Movies Never to Go Into Wide Release

tom cruise may have to pay his production staff himself

2006-08-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

Cruise's Pay Cut at Paramount

she really crazy.

2006-08-07T11:10:00.000-07:00

From EW.com

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, The Terror of The View (ABC) Last week, the inarticulate mouse of The View suddenly became the primary reason to watch the show. First, on Aug. 2, she went off on a gibbering tirade about the evil of the morning-after birth-control pill, to the point where Barbara Walters had to tell her to calm down. Two days later, she revealed the harsh mistress beneath her genial thoughtlessness by telling an anecdote about encountering a babysitter whom Hasselbeck felt was neglecting her young charges on a New York City street. She freely admitted to yelling at the young woman and read a description of her (she'd taken notes!) so that the girl would be identified and fired... and so, presumably, would scores of other babysitters who may have fit that description. Woe unto you should you be the luckless waitress, taxi driver, or other service employee who does not behave as Ms. Hasselbeck thinks you should. She seems like one of those people whose TV prominence has made them just arrogant enough to think they wield the power to get someone terminated. Dubious human; great TV.