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Nicole Kidman to Directors: Seduce Me
By Ellen Tumposky
Nicole Kidman's marriage to Keith Urban has not always been smooth sailing. But the Oscar-winner says she is so happy relaxing with her husband in Nashville, she has to be "seduced" to accept movie roles.
In fact, when she was first offered the part of Mrs. Coulter in The Golden Compass, she wasn't convinced.
"I actually just didn't want to work," Kidman, 40, said Tuesday at a London press conference to promote the new film (based on the beloved children's book by Philip Pullman). "I was just in a place in my life where I was in Tennessee and I was just feeling a little lazy and wanting to hang out."
So what changed her mind? A flattering note from director Chris Weitz and one from Pullman himself. "With those two letters, I was seduced," said Kidman.
The prolific actress (currently filming the epic Australia) also referred to her love of the easy life when asked which daemon – the animal companions to human characters in Compass – she would most like to be.
"It changes," she explained. "Yesterday it was a kitten, because I love milk and I like to be petted and taken care of and to sleep a lot." But today, under the spotlight at the press conference, the actress said her daemon would be "a tiger."
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Lovers and Lycanthropes
Mozart reigns at the Carnival Center, while Ramirez rules at Mad Cat.
By Brandon K. Thorp
After squinting and squinting, picking out maybe one in 10 words of the translated libretto projected above the stage, I was not in a good mood during a recent Carnival Center staging of Cosi Fan Tutte. Which is fine: The music of Mozart was performed during the American Civil War, both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and its sequel, and on both sides during most of those conflicts. So Mozart is obviously oblivious to human misery. He'll just go doodly-doodly-doodly unto infinity, being all beautiful and perfect.
This production seems a bit austere — a lot of white walls, seashorelike backgrounds, and perfectly conical trees that look like they were made of AstroTurf. But it's all functional, and to my knowledge, Mozart's appeal never had much to do with interior design (though it has occasionally had something to do with wigs, and for Cosi, Florida Grand Opera has dug up some winners). Mozart is mostly known for writing gorgeous, structurally perfect, and busy music, and that's what'll be filling the seats at the Carnival Center.
The music is good. Really good. At first the singing was a bit underpowered, but that was just the actors warming up. This is a very silky-voiced crew. Except for Susanne Mentzer (Despina), whose role demands a lot of funnily voiced character singing, there is never a metallic note from any of Cosi's six principals. These folks are creamy. And that goes double for Ana Maria Martinez, a stunning soprano. It's rare to find a voice that's both dark and creamy; hearing her sing is like falling onto a pillow of ravens' feathers.
Lorenzo Da Ponte's translated libretto is bolstered by solid comic acting, especially from tenor Brian Anderson and baritone Michael Todd Simpson. I wonder, though, how much easier it is to act convincingly with lines like this one, delivered when the men are trying to woo their fiancées by singing the praises of their own body parts: "Our mustaches might be plumes of love!"
Plumes of love! Yessir, people were funny in the 1700s. But hell, if you go see this thing, you might do more than laugh — you might learn something. Any story about (deep breath) a couple of dudes who tell their fiancées (who happen to be sisters) they're going off to war, and instead put on some cheesy-ass disguises to return and seduce their own fiancées in order to test the ladies' fidelity, and who then wind up regretting the decision when the ladies' willpower weakens, break their fiancés' hearts, and ultimately learn the true meaning of love and life and whathaveyou — well, any story like that is probably gonna get at some kind of profound wisdom about love or honesty or something.
Look, that's important, but not superimportant. What this is actually about is Mozart's divine doodly-doodly-doodly. The guys in the pit do a fine job; conductor Stewart Robertson and his orchestra are lovely and sensitive throughout (aside from a few slurred woodwind arpeggios during the overture). And the cast is rare, delivering delightful ensemble singing. "Soave Sia il Vento" ("May the Wind Be Gentle") is so gorgeous that, if the rest of the opera weren't so funny, you'd cry all the way home.
Over the years, a great many books, movies, and TV shows have been compared to the books, movies, and TV shows of Stephen King, because he is one of the few writers famous enough to be an immediately recognizable cultural touchstone. But it has always been bullshit. Nobody has ever really been like King, who for all his damn popularity has retained a unique and expressive voice, from Carrie to whatever unscary stuff he's writing now. (The voice is still there, but plots? Alas, that bird has flown.)
But Marco Ramirez actually writes like King, at least when the topic is werewolves. I don't think it's Ramirez's real voice — he's too young to have settled on a real voice, and he seems like too fluid a writer to get pinned down so easily — but the boy can steal like a gypsy. There are details throughout Mister Beast that are so King you can barely stand it. For example, a retarded kid (played by Scott Genn) talks about the Incredible Hulk, how when he undergoes his transformation his pants stay on so we don't have to see his "gross Hulk weiner!" That's King humor, baby — the kind of awesomely fun detail ignored by people who think this kind of entertainment is for idiots.
Well, it ain't for idiots, unless I'm one too. Mister Beast is the most fun I've had at a theater in South Florida this year. Beast has novelty, laughs, suspense, some surprising poetry, a killer cast, and even some pathos. There are continuity problems, but, eh, it's a world premiere. Anyway, it's not like this is fucking Titus Andronicus. Again, this is a play about a werewolf. A werewolf!
Cosi Fan Tutte
Mister Beast
Contact the author to discuss the story:
stage@miaminewtimes.com
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I'm a woman, and I think I might taste bad. Could it be something I'm eating?
Our sexpert tackles your bedroom conundrums.
By Stacey Grenrock WoodsI'm a woman, and I think I might taste bad. Could it be something I'm eating?
What do you mean you "think"? I suppose some girls are not as limber as others. Whatever, let's assume you do taste bad (and it is bad, not badly, but I'll leave that grammatical stew to simmer, because if I have to go into a parts-of-speech lesson, the fellas will get too turned on to finish reading!). First, consider that your taste is probably the result of a vaginal infection, inferior genes, bad jeans, or any combination of your dirty habits: infrequent bathing, too frequent freebasing, sitting too close to the television set, etc. And some experts (the ones who would talk to us) don't rule out that your diet could indeed be influencing what the bloggers keep referring to as your "congealed salmon and battery acid" flavor. (But don't let them bother you. Take it from me: They're just jealous!) Garlic and onions spring to mind. Curry is far from innocent. Antihistamines, too. Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus author Violet Blue (who was kind enough to speak to me now that Blue Indigo Violet is no longer accepting my calls) posits that one can sweeten one's taste by drinking "a smoothie that contains cucumber, mango, and pineapple juice once a day for three or four days," and hopefully by that time, anyone who was considering oral sex with you will have moved on. But Howard I. Glazer, neurophysiological psychologist and coauthor of The Vulvodynia Survival Guide, which is not, as the title suggests, about Russia, says it's not as simple as eating some things and not others, since everybody metabolizes things differently. Not to mention, taste is a matter of taste. I'm sure you can still recall that innocent age before you developed a taste for fresh semen. Personally, I remember my bittersweet years back at James Caan Prep, where my fellow Swallows and I would horse around the locker room and squeal with disgust at the very thought of such a thing! It may take a while to find a suitor with an appropriately refined palate. So in the meantime, forget the smoothie. Just pour yourself a big glass of Benadryl, take the cucumber to bed, and wait it out.
What do women really want me to smell like on a date?
Roses, of course. It was decided at the last Women's Summit. There was me, Steinem, that French chick, Fonda, Longoria, and Charo, and we were in the hot tub, drinking our daiquiris, and Jane said, "I want my perfect date to smell like roses -- pink roses," and we all said, "Oooo, me too!" But perhaps I'm remembering it incorrectly. The fact is, women don't really know what they want, and you complicate matters with your zesty talcs and voodoo sprays. It's better to smell like a somewhat honest version of yourself. According to Rachel Herz, visiting professor in psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, "When men mask their biology with cologne and seduce women, women can end up making a biological mistake," and all too often naming it something like "Jayden James." In a blind smell test, women favored the worn T-shirts of men who were biologically unlike themselves, and not those of Warren Oates after a long weekend in Mexico, as I predicted. It has to do with the furtherance of the species: Selecting a mate with dissimilar genes makes for better progeny. But you want to get laid, and luckily Dr. Alan Hirsch, neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation of Chicago, has logged countless hours measuring vaginal reactions to a variety of odorous stimuli. His findings from a recent study indicate that the scent that most incites the female sex drive is a combination of Good & Plenty candy and cucumber. Cucumber. My, how that gourd comes up.
Whose advice is more likely to get me laid, yours or that Mystery guy's from The Pick-up Artist?
The Pick-up Artist? You mean the movie where the guy hits on a bunch of chicks and then bones Molly Ringwald? That's no "mystery guy" -- that's Robert Downey Jr. Maybe you ought to crawl out from under your pet rock and check your VHS cabinet once in a while, pal.
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Porn without sex ed can mislead
BIRDS AND BEES: Without adequate guidance and education, young people who view pornographic material may develop an inaccurate view of sex, speakers said
By Loa Iok-sin
STAFF REPORTER
Curious children and young adults can often be misguided by pornographic material if there is not enough adequate sex education to provide them with accurate information on the topic, speakers at a conference said yesterday.
About 100 teachers from elementary to high school levels and sex education researchers attended the conference jointly hosted by the Mercy Memorial Foundation (MMF) and the Taiwan Association for Sexuality Education (TASE) in Taipei yesterday.
Through a survey of 3,614 children and young adults from elementary school to college age, 65.4 percent said they had viewed or read materials with sexual content, such as pornographic films, pictures, comics, computer games or Web sites, TASE president Kao Sung-ching (高松景) told the audience.
"Most of the students surveyed cited curiosity as one of the reasons why they viewed such materials," Kao said. "And that's where an adequate sex education should intervene."
Intervention of sex education is necessary because "pornographic materials often present twisted information about sex and about interaction between people of different genders," Kao said.
Through a detailed survey, Kao found that one of the most dangerous pieces of misinformation that heavy pornographic material users "learned" from such material was the "rape myth."
"Some young adults think that rapes sometimes occur because victims seduce rapists -- they believe that some women actually subconsciously want to be raped," Kao said. "They think a woman doesn't really mean it when she says `no.'"
A documentary director, nicknamed Taco, who has filmed and directed Japanese pornographic videos said that everything is planned in such videos.
"The scenarios and the positions in a porno are all pre-arranged. We often use fake semen," he told the conference.
"The duration of the sexual act can be lengthened through editing and difficult positions usually don't render any pleasure -- actors just have to act as if they're enjoying it," he said.
"People can really have twisted views about sex if they `learn' from pornos," he said.
To provide curious students with accurate information about sex, the sex education curriculum must be open and honest, he said.
"Sex education is not just teaching about the reproductive organs," MMF chief executive Yen Han-wen (晏涵文) said.
Kao then showed the conference an example of a sex education curriculum that he designed.
In the curriculum, students will be involved in a discussion on how the two genders should treat each other according to social norms, as well as when it would be considered "normal" for people to hold hands, hug or kiss each other.
In the "where did I come from" section of the curriculum, Kao used cartoon strips to show how a man and a woman fall in love, get married, enjoy their married life and have sex, as well as how a child is born.
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Play It Again
by David Denby
In 1948, at the height of Hollywood’s infatuation with Europe and classical music, the German-émigré director Max Ophüls and the screenwriter Howard Koch adapted a story by Stefan Zweig, which they turned into the magnificent tearjerker “Letter from an Unknown Woman.” Joan Fontaine plays an impressionable Viennese girl who falls in love with a handsome young classical pianist (Louis Jourdan). He seduces her and then leaves. Years go by, during which she raises their son. Then they meet once more and, having forgotten her, he attempts to seduce her all over again. Ophüls’s camera sweeps seamlessly in and out of rooms, up and down stairways. The shadows are dark, the rain glistens, and everyone’s manners are exquisite; one couldn’t reasonably ask for anything more. What’s surprising is how good the two stars are in their kitschy roles—Jourdan polite, insatiable, self-destructive; Fontaine tremulous as always but with bursts of happiness so radiant that she redeems the material from its hapless, masochistic romanticism. Playing at BAM Nov. 28-Dec. 4.
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Britney Spears wants lesbian romp with Kim Kardashian
Britney Spears has reportedly admitted she wants to have a lesbian romp with reality star Kim Kardashian. Spears has displayed similar behavior in the past with former assistant Shannon Funk. Reports claimed the pair had a topless romp in a hot tub, while other reports claimed Spears tried to seduce her children’s nanny.
Spears was reportedly playing a tell-all game with a group of friends when she was asked which celebrity she would like to sleep with. Spears replied, “I really love Kim’s butt, skin and hair. Kim is a real woman. She is a real horny beast.”
“She was so graphic,” a source says. “It’s funny to hear America’s pop darling gets so dirty.”
Meanwhile, Spears’ latest album ‘Blackout’ was recently released and is expected to hit No.1 on music charts. To view more stories and news related to Entertainment please go to:
http://news.finditt.com/NewsList.aspx?cat=2&wcat=6
befound@finditt.com
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Two homes, one happy marriage
STACEY HOLLENBECK; McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceThis month’s magazines look at married couples who live apart and the fine art of seduction.
TWO’S A CROWD
According to the 2006 census, 3.8 million married couples live under different roofs. Judith Newman and her husband, happily married and raising twin boys, are one of them. In the November issue of Self magazine, Newman describes why she thinks their living situation is better than cohabitation.
• The cost of living together is too high. Moving from their respective New York apartments to a home big enough for the family would mean spending big bucks.
• They hate change. Newman and her husband both love their respective digs and have very different tastes in decor.
• They can say “Get out!” When their significant other gets under their skin, they can boot them out the door.
FUN FACT
What’s in a name? According to the 486 men surveyed in the November issue of Men’s Health, a lot. When asked if it was important to them that their wife takes their last name, 61 percent said yes, 27 percent said no and 12 percent said they’d be OK with hyphenation.
THE ART OF SEDUCTION
What do women want? The November issue of Men’s Health has the answer. The magazine compiled six research-proven ways to get, and seduce, the girl of your dreams. Among them:
• Don’t make your first impression your last. Women want to see three things in your first meeting: confidence, conversation and chemistry.
• Give her the perfect compliment. It should touch on her hidden talents and, at the same time, massage her ego.
• Lay it on thin. Subtle displays of affection are sexier to women than bumping, grinding and groping.
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Hilary Angelo Is Seducing Tom Hanks in Charlie Wilson's War!
Hilary Angelo gives us the low down on Mike Nichols' latest political dramedy
Hilary Angelo plays a key character in the upcoming Mike Nichols' political dramedy Charlie Wilson's War. In the film, she is supposed to seduce Charlie Wilson (aka Tom Hanks) in a hot tub while still wearing her stripper shoes. Her scenes are based on a real incident that got the Texas Congressman in a lot of trouble back in the day.
In an unusually large cast of supporting players, Hilary Angelo's Kelly stands out. Angelo gives a great performance that adds an enthralling complexity to the sure-fire wattage of stars Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Her work will only help get this film noticed come award time. And it is our pleasure to shine a spotlight on her rising star.
A veteran of many cult television shows and films, Hilary took a moment out of her busy schedule to chat with us about her work in Charlie Wilson's War. And to reminisce about her days on Saved by the Bell: The New Class. Here is our conversation:
You are co-starring in Charlie Wilson's War. Can you tell me about the character you play in this film?
Hilary Angelo: I play a woman named Kelly. She is a stripper in Vegas. It is a true story, this movie. I am in the first fifteen minutes of the film. Kelly more or less tries to seduce Tom Hanks, who is playing Charlie Wilson. They are over at Caesar's Palace, and it is a crazy party. She is trying to get to know Charlie in a hot tub, but he is not paying attention to her. He is more interested in Dan Rather on television. A couple of "things" later, I'm still trying to get his attention. But he is much more interested in politics. Which I think is interesting. You would think he'd be more interested in a stripper. It sort of introduces Charlie as a playboy guy who hangs out with people of this ilk. And he is a politician. Now, all of a sudden, he has taken an interest in Afghanistan. It all has to do with being in the hot tub and watching Dan Rather. So, it really is the launch of the film. I don't want to give away too much. Charlie in real life gets in trouble for hanging out with strippers in hot tubs. He did get in trouble with congress in the 80s for doing that.
That sounds pretty funny. I have read different things about the film. What do you think the tone of the film is?
Hilary Angelo: Aaron Sorkin wrote it. He did The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. He can take serious topics and make them really very witty. I would say the tone of the movie is a drama. But it is very comical in the way he has written it. Charlie Wilson himself is a funny, gregarious congressman that drank a lot. He slept with many women. He wasn't married at the time this took place. He had many lovers everywhere, in every city. He had hot women called "The Charlie's Angels" that worked for him. He was just this interesting, eccentric congressman from Texas. I think that Aaron Sorkin did have a lot of fun with the dialogue because of that. Even though there are a lot of serious issues on hand, I think Charlie Wilson himself was a fun loving guy. He just became passionate about Afghanistan's fight against the Russians. I think it's a drama, but it is more of a dramedy. It is a melding of comedy and drama. I don't know if you'll cry in it, but you'll definitely laugh.
What is it like to have to seduce Tom Hanks in a hot tube? Were you looking at him as Tom Hanks, or were you in the mindset that this was actually Charlie Wilson?
Hilary Angelo: It's funny. That's what I was thinking about when I first walked onto the set. Am I going to be looking at him as Tom Hanks? How is this going to work? What is great is that Mike Nichols rehearses his actors. So we had a whole day where we rehearsed with Tom. I actually got to know him as a person. He actually took us to lunch on that second day of rehearsals. It was really great for him to do that. He made himself a real person, rather than this icon. He knows that people think of him like that. I think it was because of that lunch, that I just thought of him as a regular guy. I just know his face, and his voice. Sure, I have gotten to know him from his movies. But he is a regular person. Once I got to the set and did the scenes, I was comfortable. I did look at him as Charlie Wilson. I've never really seen him play a character like this. It was great to see him having fun in this guy's skin. That helps to not see him as Tom Hanks, but to see him as Charlie Wilson. Or, rather, his version of Charlie Wilson.
I know this is based on a true story, but is your character based on a real person?
Hilary Angelo: Yeah. According to the book, I really existed. I asked Charlie about it at the wrap party. He wasn't on set the days I worked. But, he told me that, "Yup, there were two showgirls." He told me that in reality, they were showgirls, not strippers. And that he invited them up to party with him in his suite. He said that a lot of things happened, but he is not talking about it. He got in trouble for it years ago, and he doesn't want to get in trouble again. I would like to see if they are still around. I would have liked to meet them. I don't think Charlie knows where they are. They're not talking. I have no idea who they are. There were two of them. And there are two of us in the movie. We are strippers. The only thing in the book that they had about my character is that she had long, red fingernails. And she wore her high heels into the hot tub. Those are the two things that stuck out to me. I have long, red fingernails. And I have great high heels that I wear into the hot tub.
So you obviously read the book before jumping into this character?
Hilary Angelo: I did. It's a great book. I thought Aaron did a really great job of adapting it into a movie. Because it is such a dense book with a lot of information and facts. It's a funny book as well.
A lot of films are coming out that deal with Afghanistan, and the war in general. Why do you think its important to have these films at this period in time, in history?
Hilary Angelo: I didn't see Lions for Lambs or the Reese Witherspoon film Rendition. I have yet to see either of those. But I think what is different about "Charlie Wilson's War" and why it is important to have in theaters right now, is that it talks about a secret war in the 80s, and how we really did help the Afghans fight the Russians. How we gave them money. A lot of people aren't aware of this. A lot of people also aren't aware of the religious extremists that were living in a world of fanaticism in Afghanistan. We were training Osama Bin Laden. But we had no idea. We thought we were helping these guys battle communism. We didn't know we were training them to kill us one day. That's why I think it is so important. We really need to learn from history. History is repeating itself before our eyes, and we really need to wake up and learn from our mistakes. Our world is just not a safe place. And our country is not very well liked at the moment. I think that's why all of these movies are coming out. I hope the country is not overloaded, and I hope people will go see them. But I think that in an election year, it is really important for us to wake up and atone for our mistakes.
That's why I was asking about the tone of the film. I've heard various different things about the tone. But, it seems like to me, with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts starring in it, and the film having a little bit more of a comedic tone, that more people will go and see it.
Hilary Angelo: I am hoping that it is being marketed properly. I think the trailer is great. I know what the movie is about. I don't know if you can tell what it is about from the trailer. I think it is much more light and airy, even though it is touching on more serious subjects. I think that's what is going to be great about the film. It is cathartic and eye opening. Yet, you are enjoying it at the same time. I'm sure, by the end of the film, you will feel like, "Oh, my God! We really need to wake up and smell the coffee." I think the tone is important. And the fact that Julia Roberts hasn't been in a movie since she had her child. I think people want to see her. And Phil Hoffman is fantastic. I don't even have to mention Tom Hanks, because everybody loves him. I hope that, yes, their comedic sensibility lifts the spirits of the general moviegoers. It is a Christmas release, first of all. And people want to enjoy themselves when they go to the movies on Christmas.
Yeah, people don't really want to go to the movies on Christmas Day and be depressed, I guess.
Hilary Angelo: (Laughs) No, they don't. They want to go see some big Hollywood movie. I think people will enjoy this film. I hope it does well. I hope people enjoy it. Who knows about Oscar? It's too early to even predict that.
What was is like working with Mike Nichols?
Hilary Angelo: It was wonderful. I've been describing him as a grandfather or uncle you love so much. I just love sitting and listening to him tell stories. He has a million stories, because he has worked with every actor in town. He is just so funny. I mostly love how he just lets you play. He really was so freeing. He never really gave me or anybody else any directions. He hires someone because he knows they can do the job. He lets you just play and have fun, and do the scenes that you are doing. It gives the actor so much confidence, they are free to have fun and try different things. He doesn't put a cap on you. He lets you explore. It was such a joy to work with someone that really gets actors. That's were he came from. He was an actor, he worked on stage. That's how he directs you.
I was doing a little bit of research on you this morning, and I noticed that you have your resume up on IMDB. Does that actually help you land jobs?
Hilary Angelo: You know, I do everything I can. You never know who may click on it one day. I have my resume up on a bunch of websites. It just seems to be the way things go nowadays. Sometimes you go into a casting office, and they print up your IMDB resume. And they have your forehead shot on there. They don't even bother having your agent send over one. I just do it more to be professional. To not have your picture up on IMDB if you are an actor is silly. You are just shooting yourself in the foot. If someone wants to find you, that's where they are going to go.
That's where I went.
Hilary Angelo: IMDB just seems to be the one place everyone goes. Everyone in the business is on IMDB-Pro. They can look at your resume on there. And the resume gets into more detailed information like training, and whom you have studied with. The IMDB pages just talks about your credits. And that's it.
The one thing I noticed about looking at your resume is that your are a dancer by trade. Have you gotten a chance to utilize those skills in a film or television project yet?
Hilary Angelo: No. It is so unfortunate. I was just talking about this. I have probably auditioned for twenty or thirty dance parts in movies. I have gotten very close, but they always seem to hire the person that doesn't really dance. Which frustrates me. I have used it a little bit. I have played a cheerleader in a couple of things. But I haven't really used my skills. Not really. I am a trained ballet dancer, and I would love to use it. Though, a lot of the dance movies now are all about hip-hop and street dancing. That is not my thing. I have auditioned for a couple of the recent dancing films. I just haven't gotten them.
I heard that they were putting a spoof movie out based on all the recent dance movies.
Hilary Angelo: That would be great. I haven't thought about it, or read that script. Geez, you should write that.
They are actually in the process of making it right now. I don't think they have even begun casting for it.
Hilary Angelo: I should get on top of that.
That sounds right up your alley.
Hilary Angelo: It sounds hilarious. I know, it's about this kid from the wrong side of the tracks. I could totally write the whole thing by myself. The kid is from the wrong side of the tracks, he doesn't know how to dance, a girl teaches him how to dance. Then, the girl is anorexic. She doesn't eat enough. She faints in the middle of class. Yeah, those are all great movies. And the dance moves are awesome.
I noticed that you were in some huge television cult hits like Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Gilmore Girls, and Beverly Hills, 90210. Do you remember anything exciting about working on those shows?
Hilary Angelo: Yeah, I had a great time working on Saved by the Bell: The New Class. It's on my IMDB pages. Don't tell anyone. I can't get rid of it. But, I was on the New Class, alright? I loved Saved by the Bell growing up. It was fun to be on it. Screech was still on it. And Mr. Beldings. Screech was my favorite. He loved what he did. He loved his job. He will always be Screech until he dies. And Gilmore Girls, I just love. It was a fun show. The only thing they tell you when you get on set is, "Talk fast." The one thing you'll notice about that show is they all talk a mile a minute. Then I did Beverly Hills, 90210 towards the end of its run. Which was awesome, because I had posters of Luke Perry on my wall. That was a really fun job.
Christmas is coming up, and I saw that you and your immediate family all starred in the Mr. Bill: Christmas Special.
Hilary Angelo: (Laughs) Yeah. My whole family is in it. The reason is, Walter Williams, the guy that created Mr. Bill, is a very close family friend. My father and him lived in New York together. They scrapped pennies to get the first one made. Walt came up with this Mr. Bill character. And Lorne Michael told Walt to start making some movies, and he would put them on Saturday Night Live. My dad helped him make these short films in the 70s. They have been best friends for over twenty-five years. Mr. Bill: Christmas Special was the one we were all in. My brother, my mom. My mom had to join the Screen Actors Guild to be in it. Walter is a great guy. And he has been doing a lot for New Orleans and the Katrina clean up. He is just doing a lot of work down there, trying to get government officials to pay some attention. He is a wonderful person. He is a funny, very clever guy.
One last question before I run out of time. What are your plans for the future? What do you got coming up?
Hilary Angelo: Well, you know, it is hard to say with this strike going on. I have some things on the burner that I'm waiting to hear back on. I wish I could say I have something. I did this movie. I have a television show that came out a week ago. I am just hoping to get another film gig in the next month. TV is kaput until the strike ends. The movies, we only have until next June if the Screen Actors Guild decides to go on strike. So, hopefully, there will be an influx of productivity in the next month. I will most likely get something soon. I wish I could tell you to go see me in Blah, blah, blah. But I have to take this one job at a time.
The strike is making it hard for everyone.
Hilary Angelo: Yeah, my husband is a screenwriter. He is out there right now with his picket sign. Poor guy. But, he did sell a movie to Disney. Maybe they will settle this here in the next couple weeks. They are trying not to rush it.
How long does he have to be out there everyday?
Hilary Angelo: They are supposed to be there for four hours a day. They need to be out there twenty hours a week. I don't think they are going to reprimand you if you don't. He has to get up. He has to give his time. He is not supposed to be writing anything for money, that's for sure. I think a lot of writers will be writing their million dollar spec script in the next six months, because they are not going to be able to get work. They think it will end next week, which it very well could.
Well, I hope so.
Hilary Angelo: Okay. Is that it?
Yeah, it was great getting to chat with you today.
Hilary Angelo: Thank you. It was a lot of fun.
Hopefully, we will speak again in the near future.
Charlie Wilson's War opens December 25th, 2007.
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What possesses so many middle-aged women to become modern Mrs Robinsons?
By SADIE NICHOLAS
Their children are horrified. Their parents say they should know better. So what possesses so many middle aged women to become modern Mrs Robinsons?
Punting down the river in the dappled sunlight of an early summer's day Lydia Harvey, 48, felt the familiar butterflies in her tummy. Then as her handsome date Jonathan leaned over to top up her glass with pink champagne, the pair shared a tender kiss.
It was a show of affection that undoubtedly attracted the attention of several onlookers, but it wasn't the passionate embrace that caused such keen interest.
Rather, it was the huge - and all too evident - age gap between the two lovers. For, at just 30, Jonathan could have been 48-year-old Lydia's son.
A scene from the Graduate: research has revealed that
hundreds of thousands of women over 40 long for a younger man
In fact, he was just one of a string of toyboys she's dated in the past decade. And Lydia, a twice-divorced company director from Leeds, isn't unique in her penchant for men almost half her age.
They've become a familiar feature on the arms of celebrities such as Sadie Frost and Demi Moore, and now it seems they are the lovers of choice for a growing number of middle-class, middle-aged divorcees.
Research has revealed that hundreds of thousands of women over 40 long for a younger man.
It seems that with a rising divorce rate, more and more women are finding themselves single later in life - and instead of settling for a pair of slippers and a cat, they are choosing to reinvent themselves socially, and sexually.
"I've been addicted to toyboys since discovering their virtues after my second divorce," says mother-of-two Lydia, whose eldest son has understandably had trouble coming to terms with his mother's unusual love life.
"I was first married at 27 to a man six years older than me, and subsequently to a man the same age in my mid-30s. But I found them chauvinistic, expecting me to dress and behave conservatively, as that generation believed a wife and mother should. I dreamed of a man who would embrace the fun-loving, sexy, independent woman I felt I was underneath."
But the possibility of romancing a toyboy didn't enter Lydia's head until she'd had several disappointing relationships with men her own age.
"I was 38 when a friend persuaded me to register on a dating website where the majority of men were much younger.
From left: Venetia Bladon, Angela Pulsford and Lydia Harvey: all three have dated toyboys
"I didn't hide my age and posted a photo of myself looking glamorous and groomed. I was delighted when I received countless e-mails from young men complimenting me on how gorgeous I looked."
She met her first younger man ten years ago at a Lancashire music festival. Jason was good looking, a successful businessman - and 27.
"He was handsome, engaging and interested in me, which was refreshing after dating middleaged men keen to talk only about themselves. It was three weeks before I found out he was 11 years younger but, while I was shocked, Jason didn't care that I was nearer his mother's age than his."
But that wasn't the only problem this odd couple had to overcome. Trying to consummate their relationship proved difficult - for while Lydia's house lacked privacy because her children were always there, Jason slept in a single bed at his parents' home.
And when they finally did, she was wracked with worry about what he would think of her body. Thankfully for her, he didn't seem to mind.
But, perhaps predictably, her son and her parents did mind - all were horrified at the blossoming relationship.
And who can blame them? For at the root of this trend for toyboys is the uncomfortable feeling that these women will be regarded by some observers as making fools of themselves by throwing themselves at younger men.
The flipside, of course, is that it's hard not to conclude that the men in question are exploiting the, shall we say, enthusiasm of their older conquests.
Lydia admits her own family were less than thrilled at her choice of boyfriend.
"My parents met Jason at my 40th birthday party and couldn't hide their disapproval," recalls privately-educated Lydia. "And my son was unhappy that I was dating a younger man." But a little disapproval was clearly not going to stop her from kicking up her heels.
"Jason and I grew apart and after several months I ended the affair, brimming with new-found confidence."
With that relationship consigned to history, Lydia met Dan, a human resources manager from London who at 30 was also 11 years her junior. She was soon to find that the large age gap - which she had convinced herself didn't matter - clearly did.
Dan's friends understandably found the age gap ridiculous and shamed him into dumping her.
"We had booked a fortnight's holiday in Spain," recalls Lydia. "But as I waited for him to arrive, he called to tell me he was dumping me and didn't want to see me any more. I spent the two-week holiday sobbing."
To get over her broken heart, Lydia set out to hook yet another younger man. In November 2003, Ian, a sales director seven years her junior, became the latest off the production line.
"He made me feel like the most important woman in the world," she coos.
"But my son, who was then 17, was jealous, especially as I used to spend most weekends with Ian, leaving my kids with their grandparents or friends."
Eventually, after just over a year she found herself single once again, this time citing the pressure of long separations.
At least the increasingly desperate Lydia is dimly aware of why many might find her romantic career a little demeaning.
"I don't know how I'd feel if my son one day arrived home with a woman 18 years older. It would be difficult because like any mum I want my son to get married and have kids, and realistically that won't happen with an older woman. But I'd be a hypocrite not to accept it."
But that hasn't stopped her targeting more younger men. A few months ago, she met Jonathan who was, you guessed it, barely out of his 20s. 'We got chatting outside my office, and he admitted he'd seen me around the place and found me attractive.
My heart was soon pounding, even though at 30 he was 18 years younger.
"A few days later we went punting on the river in North Yorkshire. The date was perfect until we stopped for dinner at one of my favourite restaurants on the way home. 'Blimey, it's a bit expensive,' exclaimed Jonathan, as he read the menu.
She adds: "That should have been enough to tell me that the relationship wouldn't work. I go to lots of balls and charity functions, host dinner parties and travel the world. Each time I suggested he join me after that, he could never afford to."
Quite why she expects someone just starting their career to be able to afford the same as an established forty-something is not clear.
But it was their striking financial differences that led Lydia to end the relationship in September. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, she already has her eyes on a 27-year-old called Mark on a website which seeks to match middleaged women to toyboys, a sort of online Ikea for divorcees lusting after young bucks.
"Mark doesn't care that I'm 21 years older," says Lydia defiantly, not in the least put off by the fact that she hasn't actually met him yet.
"He's attracted by my confidence and sophistication. Girls his own age don't have that sort of allure. I really think Mark's attractive - he looks gorgeous in his photographs, with brown hair and a great physique - and meeting him soon is an exciting prospect.
"I've got toyboys coming out of my ears, so why would I ever want to date a stuffy middle-aged man again?"
It's a sentiment echoed by Venetia Bladon, 51, a successful restaurateur from West Hampstead in London, who admits she ceased to find men her own age attractive in her 30s.
"The men who'd been fun to date in my 20s became career absorbed," she says. "Frankly, it made them dull boyfriend material. So, subconsciously, I started taking notice of younger men.
"I was 37 when I dated my first toyboy, David, a chef 17 years younger. A girlfriend and I had lunch in the restaurant where he worked and he came over to chat. When we met for dinner a few nights later I almost choked on my wine when he admitted he was only 20.
"I reached for my coat because I thought he was just too young. But he persuaded me to stay and for two years we had a fun, sexually charged relationship - younger men are so fit and energetic. And we had so much in common, not least our passion for good food and wine."
It ended when David was offered an unmissable career opportunity in Canada. But in 1999, aged 43, Venetia met Richard, a 31-year-old businessman.
"He made me laugh constantly and told me on our first dinner date that he was in love with me. I remember thinking: 'This poor man - he actually means it!'
"But I soon fell in love with him too and we married in September 2001. My girlfriends thought it was wonderful that I'd got such a young lover. I didn't encounter any disapproval."
The marriage lasted six years until Richard walked out unannounced in 2005. Venetia spent two years nursing a broken heart then decided to date again.
Predictably, despite the pain they've caused her, she is only considering toyboys as lovers and has a 39-year-old City banker lined up for dinner next week.
One does not hold out too much hope for their long-term happiness.
For while the Venetias and Lydias of this world are looking for lasting love and companionship, it's a simple truth that men in their 20s don't want to settle down with a woman old enough to be their mother.
A few dates, a short romance maybe, but not a fully-fledged relationship. The lure of a sophisticated older woman may have lodged in young men's minds since the days of The Graduate, but the day-to-day realities - friends who won't mix, snide remarks from strangers and a lack of shared experience - are more than likely to put an end to such a liaison sooner rather than later.
Short of the Mrs Robinson connotations, just what do nubile young men in their prime see in fading beauty?
"Lots of younger men are curious about middle-aged women," Venetia explains. "Girls their own age might have flat stomachs and firm thighs, but they don't have self-confidence.
"I don't care that I've got a bit of a tummy, small breasts and wrinkles. Young men like a woman who exudes confidence, and I've got plenty.
"Although society deems me middleaged, being 51 now isn't like being 51 when my mother was. I'm a slim, energetic career woman and I want young men in my life, not stuffy, middle-aged suitors."
Ironically, it was when Angela Pulsford's partner of 23 years - a gamekeeper seven years her junior - left her for his 30-year-old mistress that she decided to start pursuing much younger lovers herself.
"Every woman likes to feel they can still turn the heads of younger men," admits Angela, a 51-year-old estates manager from Crayke in North Yorkshire.
"Since my partner left me, I've reinvented myself. Out went the tweeds, jodhpurs and green Wellingtons. Now I wear dresses, skirts and sassy stockings. I get my hair and nails done regularly and I've never felt sexier or more feminine."
Educated at a private convent school in Harrogate, Angela lives in a three-bedroom cottage with a river running past the garden.
Her first encounter with a toyboy was two years ago when she met 32-year-old, half-Italian IT specialist Paulo on an internet site.
"When we met for lunch in a country pub I thought all my birthdays had come at once," says Angela.
"Paulo was so handsome, but I never had any doubts that he'd find me attractive, too. I'd gone to a lot of trouble for our date doing my hair and nails, and I've worked hard to stay slim and toned."
The relationship ended after five months - Angela claims it was because she was looking for nostrings fun, while, ironically enough, Paulo wanted commitment.
But by now she had developed a taste for toned young men, and soon a date with 26-year-old Jonathan, a "Johnny Depp lookalike" she'd met in a local pub, followed.
"We had dinner in a local restaurant and kissed and cuddled, but I didn't sleep with him," she says. "He wanted to see me again, but I didn't feel that chemistry."
Since then Angela has seduced a 23-year- old engineer called Jason while on holiday in America and a 26-year-old dancer.
"The only advantage of dating men my age is that they've made their money and aren't fighting that career battle any more.
"But there's nothing about middleaged men that excites me,' she says bluntly. 'I want to be with young, vibrant men who want to get up and dance and have fun. I'm not ready for a fleecy nightie and Saturday nights in front of the TV."
But Angela also admits that she would like to settle down at some point, an aspiration she realises is at odds with her preference for toy-boys.
"Dating these men is fabulous. But I'm realistic and I know that it's rare for this sort of relationship to work long term because young men want to have children, a need I can't fulfil."
The answer? Ironically, Angela admits that when she reaches her 60s she may still want to be with younger men, but of course at that stage they are likely to be in their 40s or 50s - the very age of partner she is currently doing so much to avoid.
Meanwhile, the fact that dating ever younger men means she may grow old without a long-term partner is an uncomfortable reality that she - and many like her - would perhaps rather not face.
©2007 Associated Newspapers Ltd
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Kareena Loves to 'Seduce' SRK
Kareena Kapoor's ultimate dream is to do a romantic movie with Shah Rukh Khan. The actress can't seem to stop gushing over her favourite actor.
"Very frankly I did the Yeh mera dil song in Don because of Shah Rukh. My ultimate wish is to do a full-on love story with him," said the actress whose latest movie Jab We Met is a box-office hit.
"When Farhan Akhtar offered me the song I wondered if making a guest appearance was right for me. However, the temptation of doing a song with Shah Rukh got the better of me."
Kareena says she is glad she did the song. "It got me tremendous notice. My niece Samaira has become my biggest fan. She dances to the song. And the minute she sees me she starts singing Yeh mera dil pyar ka deewana," said the young Kapoor.
The actress, who is listening to new scripts every day, has given the go-ahead to only two new projects.
"I've decided I can't do run of the mill films any more. I've done enough films without conviction. And it shows in my performances. Unlike my sister Karisma who could look convincing in any role, I've to be convinced about the role."
Talk about her movie Omkara and Kareena's face brightens up.
thehimalayantimes.com
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The Secret Of Seduction
By Peter W
For hundreds of years the topic of seduction has put so much interest in the mind of man. It is true if this secret of seduction can make any man get any woman they want? The truth, there are a lot of evidence when there is a man without nothing exceptional, I mean NOTHING, no Hollywood looking face, no expensive car, no Mr. Olympic body can get a girl or woman that even a word class movie star failed to get her.
This is not exaggerated to say, indeed, there is a secret out of which man can get any woman he
wants. This article will uncover to you some of those secrets that you can put in use tonight! Read on to know more.
First secret of seduction - Confidence is All The Mighty Power
Confidence was and will always be a trait of all successful people in their chosen field. And this has no different when it comes to seduction field. A confidence man will always attract attention rather than the one with lower or no confidence at all. To be blunt, if you not believe in yourself, how could you expect women to believe in you?
Women Love Humorous Man
Research has shown that women love humorous man more than the serious man. That is not mean you always have to be humorous, but it is important to mix some humorous quality in your personality.
Do Looks Matter?
Th
is question always comes to man's attention. We always want to know if women put same weight to looks as much as men. From having talked with a lot of women, we can safely say that in spite women do pay attention to man's look, it is more desirable for them to choose a man based on how he can make her feel.
All that said invest a little bit in knowing small little things like this can put you a thousand mile toward successful journey with any girl you want.
Peter Williams is 15 years experienced psychologist. During his 15 years time he has devoured much time into research about dating and relationship. He runs an informational newsletter that provides seduction tips, dating articles and relationship advices. To take advantage of his free newsletter and more make sure you check out Peter's site at http://www.the-seduction-files.net
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