Mr. Skin favorites Olga Kurylenko and Abbie Cornish both have sexy scenes as two of the titular Seven Psychopaths (2012), but it’s only blonde babe Christine Marzano who shows up topless 22-minutes in. Crazy like a fox! Also on DVD, Two and a Half Men star Melanie Lynskey bares buns and just a hint of bush while stripping for a skinny dip in Hello I Must Be Going (2012). The second season of the UK TV series Misfits has Amy Beth Hayes ’ hoots in bed, and Cinemax’s Femme Fatales has funbags from a whole slew of foxy ladies. Finally, the Midnight Movies 9: Zombie – Double Feature has full frontal from Margrit Evelyn Newton in Hell of the Living Dead (1980), and mams from Maria Rosaria Omaggio in Nightmare City (1980). Nightmare? Seems more like a wet dream!
Proving that a movie shot over a day and a half can premiere at Sundance if it has James Franco’s name attached, Interior. Leather Bar . is an infuriating stunt that misrepresents itself as Franco and co-director Travis Mathews’ reimagining of the 40 minutes William Friedkin claims he was forced to cut from Cruising to get an R rating. Yet it would seem “James Franco’s 40 Minutes” don’t exist either, leaving only this hastily tossed-off companion piece, a partly authentic, partly scripted behind-the-scenes featurette that never quite conveys the star’s “high/curious” interest in all things taboo. After Sundance and Berlin, relative obscurity awaits. On paper, the project echoes Franco’s earlier Memories of Idaho , two experimental films made from scraps that Gus Van Sant discarded during the making of My Own Private Idaho . A notorious embellisher, Friedkin has often said that he brought Cruising to the ratings board 50 times before they relented and gave him an R, despite still-graphic footage and talk of bondage and numerous other fetish acts, nearly all of it unsimulated. In his DVD director’s commentary for Cruising , Friedkin explains how he recruited actual members of Gotham’s leather-bar scene: “Of course, I filmed all these activities in their entirety, but all the other film that I shot has somehow disappeared.” With or without the lost X-rated material, Cruising was an important and controversial film in its time, serving as a time capsule of a pre-AIDS sexual subculture, while conflating its play-acted aggression with a series of ripped-from-the-headlines New York murders. As such, it’s a rich text to reopen, though Mathews (an openly queer director who shook up the LGBT fest circuit with his art-porn feature I Want Your Love ) makes no effort to investigate what went missing or query Friedkin, but instead focuses on Franco as the pic’s more marketable meta-subject. Recognizing how the “is he or isn’t he” debate has dogged nearly all of Franco’s recent art projects (beginning with his blatantly homoerotic NYU student short, The Feast of Stephen ), Mathews attempts to shift the attention onto Franco and his creative process. None of the young actors who agreed to participate in the film, least of all Val Lauren (a longtime Playhouse West cohort and star of Franco’s directorial debut, Sal ), would have enlisted if not for Franco’s involvement. Although Franco appears in the film, his role is mostly that of the man behind the curtain, stirring things up with half-baked opinions, such as his complaint that the MPAA is to blame for his hetero-normative upbringing: “Why don’t they gives us violence in a little more palatable way, and amp up the sex?” Franco really should have agreed to take the pic’s Al Pacino part himself — a Kinsey Zero assigned to go undercover and blend with an extreme queer subculture — but instead delegates it to Lauren, asking the actor to “play” a version of himself. To the extent that this sloppy assembly has a shape, the film constructs an arc in which Lauren constantly questions his participation in the project (different from the controversial tension underlying Cruising , where exposure to leather bars may be turning Pacino’s cop aggressive and/or gay). Lauren is seen debating his choice with the other actors, most of them straight, and improvising calls to a homophobic friend (performed by one of Franco’s producers) and his supportive wife. The Cruising re-creations make up only a small portion of the pic’s running time, shying away from Crisco-covered forearms and the other extreme acts that caused Friedkin so much grief, while trying to portray barroom fellatio and a random, unrelated rough-love scene between three bears as “just right.” This last act pushes the underlying insult to new extremes, cutting between “dirty” closeups and the expressions on Lauren and Franco’s faces as they watch from the sidelines, pretending that witnessing this act of outre lovemaking has somehow broadened their minds. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
NeNe Leakes Defends Kenya Moore As you may have heard by now, RHOA pageant queen turned reality ratchet Kenya Moore plans to release a workout video entitled “Stallion Booty” to rival that of her fellow RHOA cast member Phaedra Parks’ “Donkey Booty” workout DVD. The latest episode had both big-bootied ladies at odds over plans to capitalize on their cakes, and now cast member NeNe Leakes is weighing in on who she thought was in the right. Here’s what “rich beyotch” NeNe had to say via her personal blog: via Bravo TV This past episode was all about being an a**, LOL! Me personally, I like to roll with Team Right! Friend or no friend! Let me take you back a minute. Remember when Phaedra was going to represent Sheree in her child support case? Phaedra made it clear that she doesn’t work for free, and she supposedly had to chase sheer down for 5k before she would start the proceedings. We are all in businesses that we hope will make us money, and doing business with friends is always a tricky thing. It’s funny how the two of them pride themselves on being such business women but didn’t have enough business sense to have a contract upfront. My thoughts are this: from what I could see on the show, Phaedra didn’t think Kenya deserved to be paid. If Kenya was going to help produce Phaedra’s donkey booty video, she should be paid for her efforts and hard work! Surely Phaedra paid the men she met with. From what we’ve seen, Kenya has been doing the most this entire season in every way possible, so it’s no surprise that Phaedra was a lil cautious about partnering with her on a business level. What do you think of NeNe’s take on it all?
Too bad he didn’t get the chair. This guy deserved to fry. We will never forget this heinous crime and hope that the 73-year-old woman he murdered may rest in peace. Via NYPost reports : Jerome Isaac, 48, admitted in a plea deal that he ambushed Dolores Gillespie, 73, in 2011 by spraying gasoline on her, lighting her aflame with a barbeque lighter, then throwing a Molotov cocktail on her as her screams echoed through the building. “He will die in jail,” Gillespie’s daughter said in a statement read by prosecutors. “While my authentic feeling continues to be anger, ultimately, we believe that you fight fire with water … not fire. So may God have mercy on his soul.” The judge, prosecutors, and defense attorney all agreed the attack that the video of the attack – captured by a surveillance camera in the elevator – was among the worst sights they had ever seen. “I would have thought after 30 years in this business very little would have shocked me,” said ADA Mark Hale. “I was wrong. It’s a permanent part of my dreamscape. I have nightmares and that tops the list.” The judge and both attorneys praised the plea deal and how it ensures neither the victim’s family nor the jury will be forced to watch the horrific video. “It does in fact spare the family and the public the trauma of seeing the video,” defense attorney Howard Tanner said. Tanner also said his client – a Rastafarian – requested that the Department of Corrections not cut his hair. Isaac’s sentencing in November was postponed because he told probation officials “the devil tells him what to do.” Judge Vincet DelGiudice ordered a psyche evaluation and postponed sentencing until today, when it was revealed Isaac had been found fit to be sentenced. DelGiudice sentenced Isaac to 50 years to life on counts of murder and arson and said, “I can’t conceive of any right-minded individual allowing Mr. Isaac to rejoin the public.” Gillespie had hired Isaac for odd jobs but fired him when he stole her kitchenware and DVD player, which made Isaac so angry he planned the attack. SMH, the nerve of this guy asking to be allowed to keep his hair. Do you agree they should allow him to do so because of his faith? Nice that his family was so merciful, but do you hope this man is punished beyond his crime both here on earth and in the afterlife? That seems more like justice to us.
I just got this video sent to my email of Carmen Electra in a bikini for some straight to DVD movie called “2-Headed Shark Attack”. So if you’re a fan of Carmen, you will definitely appreciate this clip. I know I did!
Get out your passports, kids, because we’re seeing the world. Director Godfrey Reggio’s epic Qatsi Trilogy, filmed around the world, will kick your home theater to the next level with its stunning visuals and complex soundtracks. Then it’s off to the Caribbean, where Michael Caine embarrassed himself in a Peter Benchley adaptation several years before starring in that really terrible Jaws sequel. Some people never learn. HIGH: The Qatsi Trilogy (The Criterion Collection; DVD or Blu-Ray, $79.95) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: Three films from screen artist and environmental activist Godfrey Reggio: The legendary Koyaanisqatsi (1983), and its equally impressive follow-ups Powaqqatsi (1988) and Naqoyqatsi (2002). (All three titles are words from the Hopi language; respectively, they mean “life out of balance,” “life in transformation,” and “life as war,” so basically this set is “The Life Trilogy.”) WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: All three of these films defy easy synopsis, but here goes: Reggio uses compelling imagery and the music of Philip Glass to portray the stark contrast between the natural order and man’s inflicting of industry upon the planet (and upon his fellow men). A slow pan across a desert plain or along the face of a cliff might be contrasted with sped-up footage of cars driving through cities or hot dogs and Twinkies being processed in factories. One of the signature moments of Powaqqatsi shows a small child walking along the road, only to be engulfed in the sand cloud kicked up by a passing 18-wheeler. There’s no narration or dialogue, so what you take from these film is purely up to you. WHY IT’S SCHMANCY: This sort of non-verbal, non-narrative film generally gets relegated to museums and art installations, so for Reggio to have gotten mainstream theatrical (and DVD) distribution is something of a miracle. But even if you shy away from anything that even smacks of experimental, these movies are hypnotic and thought-provoking. (They may also play well in Washington and Colorado, if you get my drift.) WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT (AGAIN): Just the fact that these films are being made available in Blu-Ray for the first time would be reason enough to plunk down for this set, but it’s a Criterion Collection release, which means it comes loaded with oodles of great extras. There are new and vintage interviews, TV spots, Reggio’s short film Anima Mundi , a demo version of Koyaanisqatsi with a scratch soundtrack featuring Allen Ginsberg , a chat with musicians Glass and Yo-Yo Ma, and a booklet featuring essays by film scholar Scott MacDonald, music critic John Rockwell and environmentalist Bill McKibben of 350.org. LOW: The Island (Scream Factory; $26.99 DVD+Blu-Ray Combo) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: Written by Peter Benchley, based on his novel; directed by Michael Ritchie; starring Michael Caine and David Warner. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Caine stars as a journalist investigating the disappearance of ships in the Bermuda Triangle. Traveling to the Caribbean with his estranged son (Jeffrey Frank), Caine discovers a hidden colony of pirates, descended from French marauders of centuries ago, raiding pleasure boats to stay alive. Caine gets raped by one of the lady pirates (they’re excited to get some non-inbred DNA into the pool) while Caine’s son is won over by the scalawags (led by Warner). Can our hero escape — and will he be able to convince his son to go with him? WHY IT’S FUN: Something of a legendary dud upon its original release (particularly since this marked a reunion of Benchley with Jaws producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown), The Island has become a cult fave in the ensuing decades among Benchley fans and bad-movie lovers alike. I think the film’s strengths lie with director Ritchie, one of the more underrated American auteurs of the 1970s and ’80s. (His films include Fletch , Smile , The Candidate and The Bad News Bears .) While this isn’t anywhere near his best work, Ritchie does what he can with the often risible source material — don’t ask too many questions about how this cabal of hidden pirates has survived for three centuries — and keeps things moving at a brisk clip. WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT (AGAIN): Previously available only via Universal’s movies-on-demand label, this marks the first Blu-Ray release of the film. There’s not a single extra to be found, alas, and you you just know Caine would have some hilarious things to say about the experience if Scream Factory could have convinced him to do a commentary. Alonso Duralde has written about film for The Wrap, Salon and MSNBC.com . He also co-hosts the Linoleum Knife podcast and regularly appears on What the Flick?! (The Young Turks Network) . He is a senior programmer for the Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles and a pre-screener for the Sundance Film Festival. He also the author of two books: Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas (Limelight Editions) and 101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men (Advocate Books). Follow Alonso Duralde on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
How do you wrangle a movie set packed with Channing Tatum and dozens of his actor friends playing high school classmates catching up, knocking a few back, reuniting with lost loves, reliving teenage hell, and experiencing the awesome-to-mortifying highlights of any class reunion? You “embrace the chaos,” says 10 Years director Jamie Linden ( Dear John ). “There were 15 28-year-old actors running rampant,” he explains in Movieline’s exclusive clip from the 10 Years DVD/Blu-ray, in stores today. “There wasn’t much of a way to keep control.” But Linden put the chaos to good use, filtering that ensemble energy into the film, which plays out over the course of one night as Jake (Tatum) comes face to face with the one that got away while his old classmates (Chris Pratt, Justin Long, Kate Mara, Oscar Isaac, Scott Porter, Brian Geraghty, Anthony Mackie, Max Minghella, Aaron Yoo, Lynn Collins, Ari Graynor) deal with their own drama. If you missed the indie pic in theaters, now’s a good time to catch up. Not only does it feature just about every single rising star of young Hollywood (in addition to the above: Jenna Dewan-Tatum , Aubrey Plaza, Nick Zano, Ron Livingston, and Rosario Dawson), it rounds out the year that marks Tatum’s graduation from heartthrob to legit thespian. Plus, there’s a lot of love between the cast evident onscreen and it features a karaoke after party in a dive bar called Pretzels, which exists in real life , and has 35-cent wing Tuesdays, so let’s all head there now mmkay? And for you Oscar Isaac fans (so, everyone): He plays guitar and sings. Prepare to swoon. Check out more behind the scenes clips on the 10 Years DVD/Blu-ray release, out today. RELATED: Jenna Dewan-Tatum on High School Reunion Indie ‘Ten Years’ And Life A Decade Ago: ‘I Was A Bit Naïve’ Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Nude on DVD this week it’s the complete first season of the divisive HBO drama Girls . Narcissistic New Yorkers may not be your bag, but you have to give some one-handed applause to Lena Dunham who so frequently writes nude roles for herself. Also releasing is the French musical Beloved (2011), where nude scenes from Chiara Mastroianni and Ludivine Sagnier will erect an Eiffel tower in your pants. Finally, there’s an endless parade of Australian ass-ets from the bounty of beauties in Underbelly . Crikey, those are some wonderful wobblers! See pics after the jump!
