“Have you ever heard the joke about the Polish actress? She came to Hollywood and fucked the writer.”
Early on in Bret Easton Ellis’ “Imperial Bedrooms” (his long-awaited sequel to his debut “Less Than Zero”) this old Hollywood joke is shared between characters. Not because it’s funny, but because it offers a hint to the novel’s central theme: the Screenwriter’s Sexual Revenge. A theme that could have been used in so many effective ways to further the narrative Ellis set in place 25 years ago… but ultimately falls flat.
by Carolyn Blais
Unfortunately a photogram is not something you can eat. Nor is it like a telegram unless of course you count the fact that a photogram just may “speak” to you and relate a message. Well what exactly is a photogram you may ask? I was recently educated myself in this matter during the opening of the exhibition “Photograms: Uniquely Simple” at the DNJ Gallery this weekend. A photogram is a kind of photograph, except not really because no cameras or lenses are involved in its making. Instead, a photogram is made when an object or objects are placed “on top of a piece of paper or film coated with light sensitive materials” that are then exposed to film or light (DNJ Gallery Press Release). While the title of the exhibit may imply simplicity, photograms can in fact yield complex images that appear to have intricate designs. Read the whole story »
by Carolyn Blais
Oscar Wilde once said “There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” For Wilde there were actually many things he considered to be the WORST things about life, but this quote in particular rings true in this town, in this day and age, in the entertainment industry specifically. I mean, with TMZ, the tabloids and paparazzi, not too mention The Emmy’s, The Golden Globes, and The Academy Awards—one thing is for certain—actors LOVE to be talked about and recognized. But with every good piece of press, there is that possibility that there can be bad press as well. Like anything in life, it’s just the way the cookie crumbles. So when a few weeks ago, I was instructed to pull a perfectly thoughtful and positive review of a play because the company practices “safe” theatre, I was and am bewildered. Read the whole story »
Wars are being waged, the economy is wavering like a drunk hobo about to pass out, the Gulf of Mexico is a cesspool of death, and yet we keep coming back for more. What is wrong with us? Is it the media’s fault? Are they to blame? Can we accuse them of force-feeding Lindsay Lohan to us even though we are obese and covered in our own vomit? Or maybe we like it. Maybe we enjoy the secret thrill of watching a once-cute child actress blossom into a buxom sex-symbol only to get bloated on whiskey and cocaine and her own radioactive ego, left to crash and burn like a kamikaze bisexual and flush what’s left of her toxic soul down a shit-stained toilet. Maybe… but then again maybe not.
by Elizabeth Manson
photos by Nicole DeVries
I always jump at the chance to go to the Hive because I know that they can put on a killer opening, and this night didn’t disappoint. On Saturday, July 3rd, The Hive Gallery hosted a group show featuring the work of Van Saro, Leyla Akdogan, L. Croskey, Jun Duras, Gaia Bracco, and Charles Swenson as well as their 26 resident artists. With so much art and the promise of live shows and burlesque dancers, how can you not have a good time? Read the whole story »