Man Who Shot Pope John Paul II Released From Prison
Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who shot and wounded Pope John Paul II back in 1981, has been released from a Turkish prison, according to this article in the Guardian.
The Who2 Blog
The Faces of Hand Models
Our man Mike Duffy passes along this nice slideshow of Faces Behind Famous Hands.Now you can find out what those hand models look like. Our favorite slide is the one of Pamela Moses, whose hands replaced those of Transformers star Megan Fox in a television ad for Motorola.
Did Branwell Brontë Die Standing Up?
Did Branwell Bronte really die standing up?So says Somerset Maugham.We mentioned earlier that Maugham lists Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights in his book on the 10 greatest novels of all time. Emily was preceded in death (barely) by her older brother Branwell, and Maugham relates a curious anecdote about his death.
Oscar Wrap-Up
The LA Times blog The Envelope has it all pretty well covered.
California Sen. Roy Ashburn: ‘I’m Gay’
If the aftermath of a politician being arrested for drunk driving can be called refreshing, this story is refreshing:”I’m gay,” [Sen. Roy] Ashburn told KERN host Inga Barks in an interview this morning. “Those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long.” Ashburn made the admission even though he has a long history of voting against gay rights. Can’t have been easy; good for him.
Crucial Oscar News About Kathy Ireland
Kathy Ireland says she “wasn’t on meds” at the 2010 Oscars. So take that, critics! [[wysiwyg_imageupload:321:]]See our biography of Kathy Ireland »Photo: WENN
Best Picture Oscar: Hooray for 10 Nominees!
Whatever happens at the Oscars tonight, having 10 best picture nominees is already a huge win. It’s such a relief. It’s SO much more fun. Adding five movies doesn’t really dilute the field, first of all. 417 movies were released in the U.S. in 2009, so with 10 total nominees we’re still above the 97th percentile.What we gain is color, unpredictability, and that all-American theme of plucky underdogs getting their shot at the big prize.
Christopher Walken Reads Lady Gaga
Another fine performance by Christopher Walken, reading Lady GaGa’s “Poker Face” on BBC. The video is here.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Cameo Appearances
Alfred Hitchcock cameos from (nearly) all his films, courtesy of fan Roy van der Zwaan:
The Ten Greatest Novels of All Time (1948 Edition)
I am holding in my hand (courtesy of Cincinnati’s Mercantile Library) a first edition of Great Novelists and Their Novels, in which author W. Somerset Maugham names his 10 greatest novels of all time.
James Cameron Saturday
I went in and pitched it to the studio as Romeo and Juliet on a ship: “It’s going to be this epic romance, passionate film.” Secretly what I wanted to do was I wanted to dive to the real wreck of Titanic, and that’s why I made the movie. James Cameron tells the TED Conference about his fascination with diving and how it’s affected his career.
The Unruly Party That Turned Theodore Geisel into Dr. Seuss
It happened while Theodore Geisel was editor of the Dartmouth humor magazine, the Jack-O-Lantern:Geisel was very proud of his position as editor. But it’s a title Geisel would lose one fateful night on campus.”His senior year he decided to hold a party for all of the Jack-O-Lantern staff,” Pease recounted.
How the “John Roberts Is Retiring” Rumor Got Started
Nice bit of legwork by Above the Law.(Hat tip: Daily Intel)
Woody Crashes the Bush Party
We’ve added a new biography of Woody Harrelson, just in time for the Oscars on Sunday night.
Here Come the Oscars
The Oscars official YouTube channel doesn’t allow you to see their many videos without going there. So go there.Some of the best ones are the meetings of the nominees with the press. You can get a feel for how different the nominees are from each other, for one thing. Here are a few links:Woody Harrelson, for example, looks a little out of place in a suit and tie, as you can see here.
St. Elsewhere’s Opening Credits
For absolutely no reason at all, here’s a video of the opening credits to the ’80s TV show St. Elsewhere (second season). Note the many familiar faces, from Ed Begley, Jr. to Denzel Washington:
Annals of Diplomacy: Donald Duck
He’s now a free bird in Oregon.
Johnny Depp! You Don’t Have to Put on the Pasty Makeup!
“There’s no denying Depp’s gifts and abilities, but this performance feels both indulgent and something we’ve all seen before.””Johnny Depp brings
Stanley Tucci Is a Good Interview
“Sometimes you do just have to go do a job to make money, and sometimes — I think — who was it? Was it Edward G. Robinson who said — you did three movies a year. One for the location, one for the money, and one for the art.”Stanley Tucci, in an interview with Dark Horizons last year.
A Valentine to Film Noir
A terrific compilation for fans of the movies (and for fans of the band Massive Attack):