Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Children of Glory

Great, a film's been made using the Hungarian Uprising as its background:

The Hollywood-style cinema treatment of Hungary's 1956 revolution that was crushed by the Soviets and the water polo team's Olympic revenge was made to appeal to viewers worldwide, its producer Andrew G. Vajna said.

It should come as no surprise that Vajna, who became a top Hollywood producer after fleeing Hungary in 1956, would use the political and sporting drama of that year as the backdrop for a fictional love story in his film "Children of Glory".

Vajna, who has produced a wide range of films from "Rambo" and "Total Recall" to "Evita", said he harboured hopes of making a major drama about that eventful year ever since he escaped.

"It's been close to my heart since I left at 12," Vajna told Reuters after his "Children of Glory" (or "Szabadsag, szerelem") earned thunderous applause at a Berlin film festival screening.

"It was ultimately a good thing for me that it happened -- it gave me the opportunity of a lifetime in America. It's also a good thing for everyone. It changed everything. The Berlin Wall would not have fallen without the Hungarian revolution."

Vajna, now 62, kept looking for the right way to make the film about Hungary's upheaval in between producing blockbuster franchises like "Terminator" and "Die Hard". He got serious about the project nine years ago.

That polo team revenge: not only did the Hungarians beat the Russian team, they beat them into a bloody pulp while doing so. Seriously, blood all over the swimming pool.

 

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Friday, February 02, 2007

Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul makes something of a fool of herself on American Idol:

In the annals of mean things the “American Idol” judges have done over the years, two incidents from this year’s Los Angeles auditions are sure to make the highlights. Simon, Randy, Paula and guest judge Olivia Newton-John first made a decision that earned the wrath of frustrated parents everywhere, and then the judges tried to break up a happy couple for no good reason. It’s like they’re aggressively trying to be the anti-role models.

Los Angeles is filled with young people dreaming of a career in show business, in the process crushing mom and dad’s dreams of a child with a college education, a steady paycheck and something resembling a future. Alaina Alexander was one of those hopefuls, but said she had come to the conclusion at age 24 that being a struggling performer in Los Angeles is not very much fun. She planned to quit and go back to school.

Then “Idol” came around, and she decided to give the dream one more shot.  She made the most of the last chance, and got Simon’s vote right away, but Randy hesitated because of the pitch problems and Paula was noncommittal. Alexander reacted simply: “I’m close to quitting, so it’s up to you guys to let me know what my destiny is.”

Never mind, it's got to be better than being a cheerleader, which is where she started out.

 

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Thursday, February 01, 2007

Beyonece: Most Gorgeous

Beyonce Knbowles has been voted the top fantasy girlfriend this year:

Singer-actress Beyonce, star of the movie musical "Dreamgirls," was named this year's "most desirable woman" in an annual reader survey released on Wednesday by the popular lifestyles Web site AskMen.com.

The entertainer, sometimes credited by her full name, Beyonce Knowles, jumped from No. 50 last year to the top of AskMen's list of "fantasy girlfriends" in 2007, as ranked by its readers -- a majority of whom are men aged 18 to 34.

Beyonce, who burst on the recording scene as a member of the chart-topping R&B group Destiny's Child, earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role as the Diana Ross-like character in "Dreamgirls," a big-screen adaptation of the Broadway hit musical. The movie is nominated for eight Oscars.

Screen star Scarlett Johansson is this year's AskMen runner-up, followed by the top pick from 2006, Jessica Alba, who slips two places to No. 3.

Apoologies if I differ: until there's a redhead in there to vote for I ain't voting.