Tuesday, November 30, 2010

New Spy DVDs Out This Week

After a bit of a drought, there are finally some big spy releases again this week. 

First and foremost, on the big-budget studio front, there's Knight and Day, available as a single-disc DVD, a 3-Disc DVD/Blu-ray Combo Pack with Digital Copy, and a "limited time Holiday Gift Set," which seems to be the same as the Combo Pack, but without the stupid digital copy. (That one also works out to be the cheapest.) Special features on all three versions include the featurettes "Wilder Knights and Crazier Days," "Boston Days and Spanish Nights," "Story," "Scope" and "Knight and 'Someday': Featuring the Black Eyed Peas and Tom Cruise" (which may actually be the worst special feature ever on a DVD!), the viral videos "Soccer" and "Kick" and the theatrical trailer.  The Blu-ray configurations will include all that plus the BD-Live Extras "What’s New, "Live LookUp," "Exclusive: Not Your Regular Spy" and "Highlight: Excerpt from Wilder Knights and Crazier Days." (No, I'm not quite sure what the advantage is of having an excerpt from a featurette also included in its entirety, but there you have it.)  SRP is $39.99 for the 3-disc Combo Pack (though it's half that right now on Amazon), $34.98 for the limited Holiday Gift Set (also cheaper, of course) and $29.98 for the DVD (ditto). I wish they'd had the courage to stick with the film's really cool theatrical poster design for the cover, but given its poor box office reception it was probably a good idea to switch to a more traditional show-the-stars'-faces look. And as far as star face DVD covers go, this one's actually not bad. This movie got a bad rap because the press wanted Tom Cruise to fail, but I found it to be a lot of fun.  (Read my review here.)

On the other side of the pond, Network has a couple of Region 2 releases that will be of interest to spy fans. It's not "Wet Job," but Whodunnit? is a Callan reunion of sorts. Whodunnit? is a unique panel gameshow from the Seventies hosted by Callan himself, Edward Woodward, on which Russell Hunter (Lonely on Callan) is one of the guests.  The show challenged celebrity contestants to solve a fictional murder mystery.  I'm not familiar with it myself, but it sounds kind of awesome!  According to Network's description, Whodunnit? "presented short dramas laden with clues to be pieced together by the panellists, who would then question the characters involved and finally point the finger at the most likely suspect; lively repartee was the order of the day." Other guests appearing on the first season (which is what you get, along with the pilot, on this 2-disc set) include James Bond author Kingsley Amis and real-life private eye Anne Summer.  The PAL Region 2 DVD retails for £19.99, but can be ordered from Network's website for just £11.99.

Also new from Network is Scorpion Tales, an anthology series of six one-hour plays "each linked by the scorpion-like twist in its denouement," according to Network's publicity.  Of most interest to spy fans will be the Prisoner-like sixth episode, "Truth or Consequence" by Brian Phelan, which follows a jet pilot who sets out for a training course at a remote secret service base. En route, he finds his car has been sabotaged, and on arriving, he is subjected to physical and mental abuse and accused of passing on intelligence documents. Terrifyingly, both his wife and father seem to be in collusion with the military authorities. He doesn't know what to believe, or to whom can he turn for help. Scorpion Tales, a 2-disc PAL Region 2 release, retails for £19.99. It can currently be ordered from Network's website, though, for just £14.99. (And there's a sale going on on web exclusives that makes it even cheaper still: £10.49!)

I mentioned there'd been a bit of a drought lately, but I've also overlooked some important releases in the last few weeks.  Last week saw the release of Who? from Scorpion Releasing (speaking of scorpions), and BBC released Sherlock the week before.  As previously reported, Who? is a 1974 Cold War spy-fi movie starring Elliott Gould and Trevor Howard, based on the novel by Algis Budrys (thanks, Tex). The plot mixes espionage and robots–but in a very gritty, serious, Seventies way, not a Sixties Casino Royale/Some Girls Do Way. Scorpion's DVD will contain a plethora of bonus features, including separate audio commentaries with director Jack Gold and star Elliott Gould, an interview with co-star Edward Grover and a brand new 16x9 (1.78:1) widescreen transfer. Retail is $19.95, but of course it's cheaper on Amazon.

Sherlock is the fresh, contemporary take on Sherlock Holmes devised by Lucifer Box creator Mark Gatiss and current Doctor Who (speaking of Who?) producer Steven Moffat.  Benedict Cumberbatch (the upcoming Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) and The Office's Martin Freeman (soon to be Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit) star as Holmes and Watson, respectively.  (Sorry; "Sherlock" and "John" as they're now referred to.)  As with many of the best Holmes adaptations, it uses the character of Sherlock's brother Mycroft Holmes to inject a healthy dose of espionage into the proceedings.  Mycroft (played by an actor who should probably be recognizable to fans of the material covered on this blog) pops up in two of the three feature-length episodes, and the final one, "The Great Game," is partially an adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's very best spy tale, "The Bruce Partington Plans."  Beyond the spy angle, though, this is hands-down the best adaptation of Sherlock Holmes in years, and just so much fun.  Bond composer David Arnold provides the soundtrack.  Sherlock: Season One is available on DVD (SRP $29.99, but obviously available cheaper if you look in the right places) and Blu-ray ($39.99, but currently discounted enough on Amazon that it's actually cheaper than the DVD).  To make up for the fact that the "season" contains only three episodes (only in England!), there are lots of bonus features, including commentaries by Gatiss, Moffat and others, a making-of featurette and--best of all--the unaired, original, hour-long version of the pilot, which was totally reshot.
Upcoming Spy DVDs: Interpol Calling

Network will unearth another early spy(ish) gem from the ITC vaults next month, the complete 1959-60 series Interpol Calling.  I see Interpol shows like this and The Man From Interpol (and I think there were others, too) as the not-so-missing link between the detective shows popular in the Fifties and the spy shows that dominated in the Sixties.  A jetsetting detective, who, in this case, covers ground from London to Paris to Mexico to Sweden to the Himelayas to Swiss ski resorts, is basically a spy in all but the particulars of the cases he handles.  And at the height of the Cold War, it was inevitable that even those sometimes veer into the realm of international intrigue. Spy plots on Interpol Calling ranged from dead NATO couriers found in sleeping compartments on the Orient Express to South American coups d'etat to political assassination to the usual (for that era) escaped Nazi war criminal plotlines. But for me, the jetsetting is one of the most important aspects of a spy show, and Interpol Calling had that in spades–in the stages-and-stock-footage ITC manner, anyway. Network describes the series thusly:

World crime is his target. Intelligence and style are his most deadly weapons. When Interpol’s Inspector Paul Duval is on the case, international criminals are on the run. Tracking his targets from searing sand dunes near the equator to icy peaks at the ends of the earth, the unstoppable investigator risks his life daily in a global race against time. He has the persistence of Columbo and the style of Holmes – and not even the most elusive fugitive can hide when he is on the hunt. Hungarian-born Charles Korvin stars as the intrepid Paul Duval, while Edwin Richfield is fellow Interpol investigator Mornay in this classic ITC series.
All the usual ITC suspects show up as guest stars, indluding Donald Pleasence, Walter Gotell, Cec Linder, Douglas Wilmer, Hazel Court, Alfred Burke, Barbara Shelley and the ubiquitous Walter Gotell, among many others.

This release contains all 39 half-hour, black-and-white episodes, which originally aired in 1959 and 1960. Special features include Network's usual "extensive image galleries" and PDF material, the latter of which can sometimes prove much more interesting than it sounds. 

Interpol Calling: The Complete Series will retail for £49.99 but will be available to pre-order for £10 less from Network's website beginning tomorrow (December 1).  It starts shipping the following week (December 8).
Archer Returns January 27

We knew that the best new spy show of 2011, FX's highly irreverent and highly stylized animated spoof Archer, would come back in January.  Now, thanks to Deadline, we know exactly when.  Season 2 of Archer will kick off on Thursday, January 27, at 10PM.  I've seen the second season premiere, and I think it might be the series' best episode to date.  It's also a great jumping-on point for new viewers (not that you couldn't really begin with any episode), so if you missed out on the first season (and aren't too easily offended), be sure to tune in!  Of course, by the end of January no one should have missed out on Season 1, since Archer: Season 1 comes out on DVD on December 28.  Sterling Archer is a superspy and a jerk, as smarmy as any Eurospy hero.  Some of the publicity material put it best: "Think James Bond without any of the good qualities."  It's a hilarious send-up, and the Cold War-era design aesthetic is sumptuous to behold.

Monday, November 29, 2010

¡¡Sorteo de un Anillo ENE by Suárez!!

¡Hola a todos! El otro día os dije que tenía una sorpresa para esta semana, y es un ¡¡SORTEO!! Ya que se acercan las fechas Navideñas uno de vosotros se llevará uno de los anillos de eNe by Suarez.

Yo cuando los vi me quedé enamorada de cada uno de ellos, son una maravilla. Son anillos totalmente artesanales, hechos a base de hilos de alambre de distintos colores, con piedras engarzadas. ¡Son una delicia!

Para mi el que más me ha enamorado, aunque ha sido una elección difícil porque me gustan todos, me quedo con el "Cilindro Indio Negro", por su originalidad y color.


eNe nos propone 5 colecciones diferentes, Tierra, Metal, Fuego, Madera y Agua. Los anillos están inspirados en estos elementos, y los podemos encontrar para todos los gustos y colores.


Y os preguntaréis ¿qué debo hacer para participar? pues es muy sencillo, estas son las Bases:

1. Debéis entrar en la página de eNe by Suárez y elegir el anillo que más os guste (Click aquí). Una vez allí es necesario que os registréis en la página para que si resultáis ganador o ganadora ya tengamos vuestros datos para proceder al envío (click aquí). El formulario es muy corto y vuestros datos serán 100% confidenciales. Y donde pone "Tipo de cliente" seleccionais "Concurso".

2. Una vez que ya tenéis decidido vuestro modelo favorito escribís un comentario en este Blog con vuestra elección, nombre, y un email de contacto para comunicaros el resultado. Si aún no lo sois deberéis haceros Seguidores del Blog en el panel de la derecha. (Edito: si no tenéis cuenta gmail no os voy a obligar a ello, por lo que no es necesario que si no tenéis gmail lo hagáis.)
Así tendréis una participación.

3. Si sois ambiciosos y os han encantado los anillos, podéis tener más participaciones, así tendréis más posibilidades de salir ganador.
Sumaria una participación más hacerse seguidor de The Fashion Paradise en Facebook (click aquí), así tendríais 2 participaciones.

Y otra más hacerse seguidor en Twitter (click aquí). Así tendríais 3 participaciones.

4. Si tenéis blog os agradecería que lo publicarais de la forma que queráis, en un post, o panel lateral, para que una mayor cantidad de gente pueda participar. Este apartado no es obligatorio.

El sorteo empieza hoy Lunes 29 de Noviembre y finaliza el 17 de Diciembre, así que tendréis mucho tiempo para apuntaros y que no se os pase el plazo. El ganador será seleccionado por una de las páginas más utilizadas para los sorteos, todos sabéis cual es, mostraré los resultados sin trampa ni cartón.

Sorteo limitado al territorio Nacional.

Espero que os guste el Sorteo y que tengáis MUCHA SUERTE!!








Gala 2010 CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, LA


Jessica Alba llevó un vestido precioso, en color nude con estampado, de Rachel Comey Primavera 2011. Llevó un collar de House of Lavande.

Demi Moore llevó un vestido azul marino de Marios Schwab, con cuello joya de piedras azules. Llevó los zapatos 5016 de Casadei.

Emmy Rossum optó por un vestido de escote asimétrico de Lela Rose Invierno 2010, en color crudo con manchas doradas.

Annalynne McCord llevó un curioso vestido negro de manga larga, con puños de pelo, de Alice + Olivia. Llevó las sandalias "Ambertina" de Christian Louboutin.

Renee Zellweger llevó un vestido rosa de Carolina Herrera Primavera 2011.

Marisa Tomei llevó un vestido naranja, con escote asimétrico de Vivienne Westwood.

Fiesta "GQ el Hombre del Año" 2010, LA

Shenae Grimes me pareció que iba muy guapa con este vestido largo en color negro, con abertura en las piernas.
Camilla Belle llevó un vestido de seda en color negro, con corset de Dolce & Gabbana. Llevó unos zapatos con pulsera en el tobillo, los "Marion" de Brian Atwood.
Rosario Dawson llevó un vestido con estampado floral de Dolce & Gabbana. Ese estampado tan grande es demasiado para mi, no me gusta demasiado.
Katie Cassidy llevó un vestido palabra de honor estilo "bandage".
Elsa Pataky llevó un vestido negro, con lentejuelas en los hombros, de Emilio Pucci. Me encantó el clutch de ante azul que lleva.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Abnormal

Wish I were a mainstream person; normal person -- people wouldn't have ridiculed me.
Another Cool Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Location Revealed
Filming Wraps In Dubai After Shoot At Indoor Desert Ski Resort

In a special issue last week about filming in the Middle East (print edition only, I think), it was mentioned that besides the much-publicized stunt atop the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, the Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (or M:I-4 to those who don't speak Ludlumese) team was also shooting at a massive indoor ski slope in the desert pleasure dome of Dubai.  There were no details or pictures, but the tidbit was intriguing enough for me to research the location a bit further.  And it sounds like an amazing setting for a spy movie!  (Dozens of Eurospy directors are turning in their graves right now regretting that this place didn't exist in the Sixties.) Ski Dubai is more than an oasis; it's eternal winter right in the middle of perpetual summer.  According to its official website, "Ski Dubai is the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East and offers an amazing snow setting to enjoy skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing or just playing in the snow. The construction covers an amazing 22,500 square meters covered with real snow all year round."  There are chairlifts and everything.  I love the decadance! 

The trade doesn't mention whether it was Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Josh Holloway or any of the movie's many other stars who filmed at this snowy location.  Renner recently confirmed the rampant speculation that he was being groomed to take over the franchise from Tom Cruise to the MTV Movies Blog (via The Hollywood Reporter). "It's a franchise to potentially take over," the actor told MTV. "I can't predict the future and what they want, but that's certainly the idea." He was quick to give due credit to Cruise, adding that he remains the guiding hand behind the film franchise. "It's Tom's baby. He's the engine behind the thing. What happens after that, we'll see."

Rounding out this Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol news roundup, today's LA Times reports that filming wrapped in Dubai earlier this week, so whatever was going on at that awesome indoor ski slope is all done now. The fourth film in the series based on the classic TV show opens December 16, 2011, taking advantage of the delay of the next James Bond movie by honing in on the season 007 has traditionally staked out for the last fifteen years.

Autobiographical

I don't believe in paper chasing. I'm a college dropout. You learn from loss and ridicule. Life itself is your mentor.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Rachel Weisz, Bill Nighy, Michael Gambon Join David Hare Spy Movie

Possibly irked at being left out of the new film remake of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (which seems to star all of their peers), Bill Nighy and Michael Gambon have decided to make a high-brow spy movie of their own.  The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye reports that acclaimed playwright David Hare ("The Hours") has decided to try his hand at penning a spy movie.  And he's recruited first-rate actors to star in it.  Besides the great Nighy and Gambon (who once auditioned for the role of James Bond back in the Seventies), Oscar nominees (and former co-stars in John Le Carré's The Constant Gardener) Rachel Weisz and Ralf Fiennes will star in Hare's Page 8, which the writer will also direct.  According to the tabloid, "Bill Nighy will play an MI5 ­operative who believes [Weisz's] character could represent a threat to him. Michael Gambon will play the director general of the Security Service. Judy Davis, the celebrated ­Australian actress who rarely works outside her homeland, will also be in the film in an as yet unspecified role."  What's not totally clear from the article is whether this will be a theatrical film or one made for UK television.  BBC Films is producing (along with NBC Universal and Harry Potter mogul David Heyman), but BBC Films doesn't always mean TV; they've had plenty of theatrical releases.  I get the impression this is one of those. There's no question that the fantastic cast is film-caliber!

Bamigboye reveals some other intriguing details about Hare.  Apparently, the playwright (who previously penned the early Eighties Judi Dench spy film Saigon: Year of the Cat) is a spy fan, and wrote Page 8 basically because he saw a gap in bigscreen espionage entertainment and wanted to enhance his his own "pleasurable cinema-going." (He must have written it last year when there was a noticeable dearth of such movies in the theaters, as there've been a load of them this year.  But you can never have too many!)  Specifically, Hare misses James Bond (and who doesn't?), but it sounds like his own movie will, unsurprisingly, occupy more Le Carré territory.  And it just so happens that Hare and Le Carré are neighbors!  According to Bamigboye, "Hare revealed that Le Carré offered to read the Page 8 script, telling Hare: ‘I promise to be withering.’ Hare added: ‘That put me in my place. I wouldn’t dare give the screenplay to Le Carré. I’d be absolutely terrified to show him what I’ve come up with.’" Well, I, for one, am very curious to see what he's come up with!
Spy Bargains Continue Throughout The Weekend

Many Black Friday deals on spy DVDs continue today and in some cases through tomorrow or Cyber Monday.  I can't possibly keep track of them all, but I'll point out a few good bargains I've noticed.  If you don't have all the seasons of Burn Notice yet (and, frankly, you should!), then it's worth a trip to Target.  They're offering all of them (seasons 1-3) for $9.99 apiece! That price is also available online, though the latest season is sold out at the moment. Amazon's got the same $9.99 deal on Season 1 (review here), but 2 and 3 aren't discounted any more than usual.  Amazon also has the same deals on neo-Eurospy movies as Best Buy: you can find Taken (review here) for $7.99 on Blu-ray and $5.00 on DVD, From Paris With Love for $9.99 on Blu-ray and $5.99 on DVD and The Transporter, Transporter 2 and Transporter 3 (review here) Blu-rays for $9.99 apiece.  Killers is also just $9.99 on Blu-ray and $5.99 on DVD; Jackie Chan's The Spy Next Door is $9.99 for a Blu-ray/DVD combo.  Finally, perennial Black Friday bargain favorite The Prisoner will be an Amazon Gold Box deal at 4:30 Pacific this afternoon.  I don't know what the price will be or whether it will be for the DVD or the special feature-laden Blu-ray set, but if you or a spy fan on your Christmas list don't yet own The Prisoner in any of its past home video incarnations, I'm sure it will be worth looking into!

If you stumble across any other great deals on spy DVDs that are still active, please feel free to share them in a comment below.

Elige a la Mejor Vestida de la Semana 48 del 2010

Aquí está la sección semanal con las elegidas a mejor vestida de la semana 48 del 2010. Espero que os guste, y que votéis por vuestra favorita.
¡Por cierto el Lunes os tengo una sorpresa que espero que os guste!
¡Gracias por Votar y Buen Fin de Semana!


Camilla Belle es la Mejor Vestida de la Semana

Esta semana la reina es Camilla Belle con este precioso y original vestido de Carolina Herrera.

En la segunda posición encontramos a Gwyneth Paltrow con un vestido precioso de Atelier Versace. Pisándole los talones está Olivia Palermo con un look masculino de Mango.

Classless society

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classless_society

Karl Heinrich Marx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx

Eventos de la Semana

Gala 25 ANiversario de FINCA, NY

Natalie Portman me pareció que iba preciosa con este vestido blanco de Christian Dior, con detalles de flores y transparencia en el pecho y mangas.

Presentación de "Love & Other Drugs" en NY

Anne Hathaway llevó un vestido precioso, de encaje y con pelo, de Valentino Couture Invierno 2010. Llevó sandalias de Valentino y clutch "Chandra" de Jimmy Choo.

Alexa Chung llevó un vestido maravilloso con un estampado casi como una fotografía de Valentino Resort 2010. Llevó unos zapatos de tacón bajo con lazo en la punta, de Louis Vuitton Invierno 2010.

Cena de Lanvin por H&M, NY

Emma Roberts llevó un vestido gris, con escote corazón, de Topshop, que por cierto me recuerda un montón a uno de los vestidos que Lanvin ha creado para H&M.

Fiesta Us Weekly's Hot Hollywood, LA

Katie Cassidy llevó un vestido de lentejuelas multicolor, de Tibi.

El vestido de Olivia Wilde en color azul con un volante en la cintura me gustó, pero su peinado le pone años encima. El vestido es de Opening Ceremony.

Presentación de "Abel" en el AFI FEST 2010, LA

Zoe Saldaña llevó un vestido sencillo en color negro de Nina Ricci, y clutch de Nina Ricci Primavera 2011.

Paz Vega llevó un vestido globo de seda, en color negro. Me encantaron sus botines con aberturas.

Katy Perry presenta su perfume en Londres

Katy Perry llevó un vestido violeta de Miu Miu Invierno 2010, con zapatos zapatos con doble pulsera al tobillo de Dolce & Gabbana Invierno 2010.

Good scribe

http://motherjones.com/

Ants with wings . . . .



Ants with wings are not a different species, but are sexually active male ants and female ants (queens) in a colony. Queen ants lose their wings after nuptial flight, while male ants retain their wings throughout their lifespan.


Let's go to the movies: Munich


Friday, November 26, 2010

Premios American Music 2010, LA


Jessica Alba llevó un vestido negro, con escote simétrico de Cushnie Et Ochs Invierno 2010. Llevó zapatos con pulsera "D'Orsay" de Christian Louboutin.

Rihanna llevó un vestido precioso en color granate de Elie Saab Couture Invierno 2010, con encaje y transparencias.

Miley Cyrus llevó un vestido corto de Machesa, con cola, en colores pastel, de Marchesa Primavera 2011. Llevó los zapatos Cynthia Steffe Primavera 2010.


Taylor Swift llevó un vestido joya plateado, de Collette Dinnigan, con las sandalias "Viola" de Jimmy Choo.


Katy Perry llevó un vestido rosa con flores y lentejuelas de Badgley Mischka Primavera 2011.

Heidi Klum llevó un vestido negro de encaje, con sandalias "Hortencia" de Chalotte Olympia.


Fergie llevó un vestido azul con lentejuelas y plumas de Falguni & Shane Peacock Invierno 2010.

Whitney Port llevó un vestido a base de gasas en tonos pastel, de Rafael Cennamo. Llevó zapatos de ante gris, de Camilla Skovgaard.



Mandy Moore llevó un vestido estampado de Matthew Willaimson Primavera 2011, con sandalias color nude de Jimmy Choo.


Jada Pinkett Smith llevó un vestido con el pecho metálico, en color cobre de Emilio Pucci. Llevó sandalias doradas "Tinazata" de Christian Louboutin.


Fergie tras la gala se visitó con un vestido plateado, de estilo armadura de Zuhair Murad Couture Primavera 2010.

Taylor Swift llevo tras la gala un pantalón negro con chaqueta de Helmut Lang.