Wednesday morning’s news roundup includes a fire at Tyler Perry’s studios in Atlanta, an AMPAS celebration for Gene Kelly’s centennial and a rare screening of the first Oscar-winner, Wings . The Hunger Games partners form a new label, Fandor plans a new indie news site and Justin Bieber’s manager joins a doc spotlighting America’s school dropout crisis. First Oscar Winner Wings Set for Screenings A restored version of the 1927 World War I drama Wings , the first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, is set to hit screens for a rare presentation, exhibitor Cinemark Holdings said. Produced by Paramount for an whopping $2 million, the film explores the devastating effects of war through the story of two men who go off to battle and the woman they both leave behind. This historic piece of cinema stars Clara Bow, Charles “Buddy” Rogers and Richard Arlen, and also features Gary Cooper in one of his first feature film roles. A fully restored version of the feature will be presented May 2 and 16 at select Cinemark locations . Academy to Fete Gene Kelly The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a two-night celebration of the life and career of dancer, director and choreographer Gene Kelly on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Film clips, personal remembrances and an exploration of the technology Kelly used to change the look of dance on film will be featured May 17 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, and Friday, May 18 at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Both programs will be hosted by Kelly’s widow, film historian Patricia Ward Kelly. Around the ‘net… Tyler Perry’s Atlanta Studios Catch Fire A 4-alarm fire broke out at 9pm last night at Tyler Perry Studios, AP reported Tuesday night. The complex includes a 200,000 square-foot studio and other buildings. No injuries were reported. Justin Bieber’s Manager Boards Doc About Public School Dropout Crisis Scott ‘Scooter’ Braun, who manages an array of musical acts including Justin Bieber, will produce director Adam McKay’s look at the scourge of American school dropouts, Deadline reports . Hunger Games ‘ Joe Drake Partners on New Film Label Longtime partners Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane have launched a new full-service motion picture financing, production and global sales company, Good Universe. It will kick off its upcoming slate with films in Cannes, Deadline reports . Mad Men Actress Climbs Kilimanjaro Actress Abigail Spencer will star opposite actor Brian Geraghty ( Hurt Locker ) in indie drama Kilimanjaro , which will be directed by Walter Strafford. The story revolves around Geraghty’s character who dreams of climbing the mountain, Africa’s highest. THR reports . Fandor Launches Digital Film Magazine Keyframe Online film service Fandor is backing a new site dubbed Keyframe , which will “provide in-depth coverage of the art, craft and business of the film world.” San Francisco-based Susie Gerhard will serve as editor-in-chief. She formally headed website SF360, initiated by Indiewire and the San Francisco Film Society, Market Watch reports .
Today is officially Administrative Professionals’ Day , so give your favorite office administrator a hug today (or not, depending on your company’s sexual harassment policy). This year’s theme, according to their website, is “admins, the pulse of the office,” so if you’re nostalgic for the days when the lady at the front desk was called a “secretary,” not an “office administrator” (or if you just saw it on Mad Men and thought it sounded cool), then get your pulse pumping with our Hottest Office Administratives playlist. Not only do these nasty note-takers take dictation, they also take…well, you know. Plus, give yourself a raise with hot office spanking scenes from Californication and Secretary (2002) right here at MrSkin.com!
Today is officially Administrative Professionals’ Day , so give your favorite office administrator a hug today (or not, depending on your company’s sexual harassment policy). This year’s theme, according to their website, is “admins, the pulse of the office,” so if you’re nostalgic for the days when the lady at the front desk was called a “secretary,” not an “office administrator” (or if you just saw it on Mad Men and thought it sounded cool), then get your pulse pumping with our Hottest Office Administratives playlist. Not only do these nasty note-takers take dictation, they also take…well, you know. Plus, give yourself a raise with hot office spanking scenes from Californication and Secretary (2002) right here at MrSkin.com!
AMC series nerds out with ‘Lost’ references and Ken Cosgrove’s sci-fi novel about a robot and a bridge. By Josh Wigler Embeth Davidtz and Lane Jared Harris in “Mad Men” Photo: AMC All right, AMC, if we didn’t get it before, we certainly do now: You dudes are a bunch of nerds. No one is going to argue that point what with your record-smashing “Walking Dead,” or the developing series based on “Dead” creator Robert Kirkman’s “Thief of Thieves” comic book . But all those many, many geek references on this week’s “Mad Men”? Consider the message received, loud and clear. What, you missed the ’60s-set drama’s absurd amount of nerd-out moments last night (April 15)? For good measure, then, we’ll walk you through them all. “Mad Men” season five draws major attention for “fattening up” Betty Draper actress January Jones. First and foremost, the episode, titled “Signal 30” and directed by series star (and “Iron Man 2” actor) John Slattery, heralded the arrival of science fiction and fantasy novelist Ben Hargrove, the pen name for ad man Kenny Cosgrove (played by actor Aaron Stanton, already a fixture in geek culture for providing his voice and likeness to the lead role in video game “L.A. Noir” ). Previously operating in secret, Ken’s private passion was outted by Cynthia, Ken’s all-too-forgettable wife who is suddenly a whole lot more memorable when you realize that she’s played by Larisa Oleynik, formerly the titular shape-shifter on ’90s Nickelodeon series “The Secret World of Alex Mack.” Cynthia (or is it Cheryl? Like Don’s new wife Megan, we can’t really recall) spilled the beans on “The Punishment of X4,” an old story of Ken’s, during a dinner party held at Pete and Trudy Campbell’s home. Her description of the plot: “There’s this bridge between these two planets and thousands of humans travel on it every day, and there’s this robot who does maintenance on the bridge. One day he removes a bolt, the bridge collapses, and everyone dies.” “There’s more to it than that,” a nervous Cosgrove tells the hushed room. Don pushes for further details: Why does the robot destroy the bridge? “Because he’s a robot,” Ken answers, clearly encouraged by Don’s interest. “Those people tell him what to do and he doesn’t have the power to make any decisions, except he can decide whether that bolt’s on or off.” “Or he just hates commuters,” Pete quips in response. Ken’s fledgling career as a sci-fi novelist wasn’t the only nerdy reference at the Campbell family’s eventful dinner: Texas college sniper Charles Whitman was briefly misidentified as Charles Widmore, a clear Easter egg for “Lost” fans. Indeed, “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof (who already enjoyed a shoutout to his six-season sci-fi series earlier in the evening on “The Simpsons” ) took it upon himself to further flesh out Cosgrove’s “X4” through a series of fan-fiction tweets . Well worth a read from the man behind the DHARMA Initiative. “The solution seemed obvious… create a commuter colony that would work on Nephytus, but live on Aton.” — Damon Lindelof (@DamonLindelof) April 16, 2012 Later, at the same dinner, the faucet at Chez Campbell burst for the second time in the same episode, prompting Don to remove his dress shirt and get to work on fixing the sink. The heroic action drew immediate Superman comparisons from the onlooking housewives, which is far from the first time that Jon Hamm has been connected to the Man of Steel . Superman is a “young man’s game,” according to “Mad Men” superstar Jon Hamm Meanwhile, on a subtler note, Pete Campbell took a turn for the super-villainous this week. Aside from being completely shown up by Don’s ability to fix a sink in seconds, Pete spent the episode flirting with and fantasizing about a high school senior in his driver’s education class, and later having sex with a prostitute, but only after she switched into king-worshipping role-playing mode. He even got into an intense fist fight with fellow Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce partner Lane Pryce; usually the consummate British gentlemen on the AMC series, don’t forget that Lane is played by Jared Harris, who also appears as science terrorist David Robert Jones on Fox’s cult sci-fi series “Fringe” and recently enjoyed a celebrated turn as legendary villain Professor Moriarty in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” Pete clearly hasn’t seen the aforementioned show and film, but he nevertheless learned the hard way (and by hard way I mean via serious ass-kicking) that you never, ever get into a knockout brawl with Dumbledore’s son . All of this served as a reminder to me that Pete, whose views on Don oscillated between hero worship and pure spite throughout the episode, has known about Draper’s secret identity for several seasons now. With his latest turn toward the dark side, can it really be much longer before he uses that bit of proverbial kryptonite against the artist formerly known as Dick Whitman? Only Matt Weiner knows for sure. Finally, we return to Ken’s side-career as a writer, news of which spread throughout SCDP like wildfire. After a scolding from silver fox playboy Roger Sterling (played by the aforementioned Slattery, whose own Roger got his groove back a bit in this week’s episode, albeit to mixed results for his company), Cosgrove was persuaded to let his alter-ego Ben Hargrove go, but not before Peggy Olsen was able to read one of Ken’s short sci-fi stories, “the one in Galaxy about the girl who laid eggs.” ( Lindelof has titled the story “Ova,” though whether or not he tweets excerpts from the yarn remains to be seen.) But where Ben Hargrove dies, Ken is reborn anew as Dave Algonquin, writer of “The Man with the Miniature Orchestra.” The episode closes with a reading from Cosgrove’s latest effort: “There were phrases of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony that still made Coe cry. He always thought it had to do with the circumstances of the composition itself. He imagined Beethoven deaf and soul-sick, his heart broken, scribbling furiously while Death stood in the doorway, clipping his nails. Still, Coe thought, it might have been living in the country that was making him cry. It was killing him with its silence and loneliness, making everything ordinary too beautiful to bear.” Ken’s latest written effort isn’t exactly nerd-worthy, no, but it’s the perfect example of why it’s so fantastic to have “Mad Men” back after a year and a half, geek call-outs be damned. Tell us what you thought of the latest “Mad Men” episode in the comments section or hit me up on Twitter @roundhoward !
January Jones’ piled on the pounds in the second episode. By Gil Kaufman January Jones in “Mad Men” Photo: AMC If you followed the arc of “Mad Men” actress January Jones’ real-life pregnancy, you know that the slim TV star never looked … that big. And by that big we mean the really full-figured look Jones’ character, Betty Draper , showed off during Sunday night’s second episode of the show’s fifth season. That Betty was, well, big all over: in the face, the arms, middle. And while we still don’t know the identity of Jones’ real-life baby daddy, one mystery was solved on Monday when it was revealed that Jones was wearing a fat suit and prosthetic face and neck appliances to make her character look heavy duty. While Jones was pregnant with her now-six-month-old song Xander during filming, instead of writing that into the plot, series creator Matthew Weiner had the series’ writers explain it away by explaining that Betty had packed on the pounds out of boredom, depression and a distance from her second husband, Henry Francis. The shocking makeover divided fans and once again caused the kind of Monday morning quarterbacking that TV execs salivate over, which was totally the point. According to the Hollywood Reporter the makeup artists on the show did the same thing for Jones that they did for cast mate Elizabeth Moss when her character Peggy Olsen was pregnant during season one. The crack team covered Jones in a fat suit and prosthetic facial and neck appliances that gave Betty a surprisingly zaftig look. In addition, they used a back double for the scene where Betty steps out of the shower. While Jones’ Betty has a history of weigh issues stemming from a childhood as a chubby kid whose every meal was monitored by her mother, only to shed that weight to become a slender model, the Reporter speculated that her emotional eating may have been triggered by her ex Don Draper’s sexy, slim new wife, Megan. Jones gave birth to Xander in September and was quickly back to her old shape, thanks, in part, she claimed, to such unconventional methods as eating her own placenta. “It’s not witch-crafty or anything. It’s something I was very hesitant about,” she told People magazine at the time of eating the lining of her uterus in dehydrated pill form. “But we’re only the only mammals who don’t ingest our own placentas.” Related Photos ‘Mad’ Hook Ups: The Relationships Of ‘Mad Men’
This week on the boob tube, Olga Kurylenko leads an unbelievable nude cast on the Starz drama Magic City , and Emmy Rossum caps off the second season of Shameless with a topless rug-muching scene. Plus, Jessica Pare and Hannah Simone celebrate National Cleavage Day with sizzling bikini scenes on Mad Men and New Girl .
Many questions were answered, but which ‘Mad Men’ mysteries remain unresolved following Sunday night’s season opener? By Josh Wigler Aaron Stanton, Larisa Oleynik, Vincent Kartheiser and Alison Brie in the “Mad Men” season five premiere Photo: Michael Yarish/AMC The “Mad Men” season five premiere has come and gone, leaving us with several burning questions answered and one heck of a catchy tune to hum all week long. But not every question was answered — two seasons later and we still don’t know the whereabouts of Sal Romano, for one, not to mention all of the confounding baby drama circulating throughout the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce offices. Those are just some of the “Mad Men” mysteries still lingering after the season five premiere. Here are 10 more. 10. You do know Dick : So, Megan is in on Don’s big secret — some of it, at least. We know she knows his real name is Dick Whitman, and clearly she knows he has some deep-seated insecurity issues. Beyond that, what else does she know? Did Don tell her he witnessed the real Draper’s explosive death firsthand? Did he tell her about switching the dog tags while Real Don’s corpse was still warm? We’re definitely curious to know more. 9. Pete’s secret : Megan isn’t the only one in the know on Drapergate. Don’s former-rival-turned-reluctant-ally Pete Campbell is also in on the secret, having known Draper’s true identity for a few seasons now. Pete’s always been ambitious, but as we saw in the season premiere, his ambitions are at an all-time high. When will the time come when Pete uses Don’s real identity to his own advantage? Will that particular cat come out of the bag this season? 8. Pete’s other secret : The other bagged cat that eventually has to come out? Pete fathered a child with Peggy Olson. Trudy still doesn’t know about Pete’s somewhere-out-there illegitimate son, but that’s a secret that can’t possibly be contained forever. Five seasons is a long time to go without bringing that particular pot to a boil. Smart money says that Pete’s big daddy secret comes out before the year’s end. 7. When Joanie met Roger : In other baby drama news, Joan Holloway is the proud mama of Roger Sterling’s baby boy, though that too is a secret; by all other accounts, Joan’s infant son belongs to her military-serving husband Greg. But when that bundle of joy turns into a silver-haired, chain-smoking, womanizing toddler a season or two from now, people are going to put two and two together pretty quickly. Expect this one to be a major plot point throughout season five. 6. Wherefore art thou, Betty? : We understand that January Jones’ emotionally disturbed housewife has been downplayed in recent seasons, what with her divorce from Don, but sitting out of the opening two-hour episode entirely? That was a bit of a shock. What’s up with Betty Francis these days? How are things with her not-so-perfect new husband? Thankfully, this seems like one mystery that’ll get resolved before too long. 5. Wherefore art thou, Delores? : Ah, good old Lane Pryce. You can always count on that fine gentleman to wear his heart on his sleeve. This time, the detail-oriented Lane has set his sights on Delores, a woman he’s only spoken with on the phone and seen in an old photograph. Though that storyline seemed quickly and neatly wrapped up before episode’s end, that far-off look in Lane’s eye is a dead giveaway: He hasn’t given up on meeting this one, not by a long shot. The question isn’t when will they meet, but how super-awkward will their meeting be? 4. New hires : Looking at the business goings-on at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, it appears that a new employee will be hired before much longer, based on the premiere’s end. But in the racially tense 1960s, will the chauvinists and bigots of SCDP be accepting of an African-American co-worker? And what will the new hire, whoever he or she (probably she) may be, bring to the table as a character? We’re certain looking forward to meeting the latest “Mad Men” castmember when (or if) he/she finally shows up. 3. The musical fruit : We’ve already seen Peggy’s attempts at crafting creative, innovative ideas for her clients. But Heinz didn’t bite on Peggy’s elegant bean ballet, eye-fetching as it was. Will we see the better (or worse) idea that Heinz falls in love with, or will Peggy et al lose the client? And if they lose the client, well, it leaves only one question to ask … 2. When will the ship sink? : Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce barely stayed afloat during season four of “Mad Men.” Business has not improved much since then. Depending on how long the bad luck continues, can SCDP really stay open for business? Will Don and the guys have to cut back on their heavy drinking and over-the-top lifestyles to save the company? (God forbid they give their livers and lungs a break for one episode!) If the proverbial ship hits the iceberg, where will Don and the others go? A “Mad Men” without Sterling Cooper in some way, shape or form is a very different “Mad Men” indeed — but perhaps it’s a “Mad Men” we’ll see before season’s end. 1. Zooby zooby zoo : Finally, perhaps the most important lingering mystery of them all: When are we going to hear “Zou Bisou Bisou” again? Because I’m pretty ready for that to be a regular fixture in every “Mad Men” episode from here until eternity. What did you think of the “Mad Men” season premiere? Tell us in the comments section or let me know on Twitter @roundhoward ! Related Photos ‘Mad’ Hook Ups: The Relationships Of ‘Mad Men’
Critics are offering up raves and caution in their assessments of Sunday’s return. By John Mitchell Aaron Stanton, Larisa Oleynik, Vincent Kartheiser and Alison Brie in “Mad Men” season five episode one Photo: Michael Yarish/AMC After a 17-month break, “Mad Men” finally returns Sunday night to begin its fifth season . Its return, however, is being met with mixed reviews — well, mixed reviews for “Mad Men,” that is, which would be considered raves if they were for any other series. The devil is in the details when you’re a four-time Emmy Winner for Outstanding Drama Series. After all, when you are arguably the most critically beloved series on television, you are always being compared to yourself. So now, as the cracks start to show — like they do for every series this far into its run — critics can’t resist pointing them out alongside the expected raves about the show’s cast and film-level production. “The two-hour premiere feels long and is a little dreary, repeating many of the same themes that were so new and unexpected when the series first began,” The New York Times writes. “Certain genres have inherent limits, and just as there are only so many ways zombies can storm a stalled car on ‘The Walking Dead,’ there are only so many jokes to be had from an adult’s cradling an infant in one hand and a cigarette in the other on ‘Mad Men.’ ” This season, the show is set to tackle the social movements that began in the 1960s, in particular the civil rights movement, but having been off the air for so long, it has some catching up to do. There are loose ends from season four that need to be tied up before the show can move forward, and with race riots and picketing beginning in the streets in earnest as the season kicks off, the show works hard to get everyone up to speed so it can move forward. “The two-hour premiere ticks by mainly as a series of vignettes where familiar characters strut their familiar stuff and talk about work that no one ever seems to do,” the Wall Street Journal says. “When it’s over, fans will have gotten their ‘Mad Men’ fix, if not much of a high.” In a three (out of four) star review, Slant writes, “As is usually the case with a landmark show’s return, the two-part opener, ‘A Little Kiss,’ is primarily concerned with establishing mood and with dropping hints as to where the narrative may lead us. [The episode] is ultimately a haunting character study that’s slower and more melancholy than perhaps any episode of ‘Mad Men’ that’s preceded it. There’s a Cheever quality to ‘A Little Kiss,’ an unsettling sense that every inhabitant of the show is reaching a moral stasis and crisis simultaneously and exactly at the same time.” That sentiment is echoed by Variety : “Series creator Matthew Weiner resists rushing into anything, easing into a reset of where players currently stand in a manner — especially given the protracted absence — that should leave all but the most ardent fans trying to putty-in the gaps. Each time-lapse introduces more wrinkles in the show’s world, but the premiere offers a sketchy road map of what’s to come, and won’t expand ‘Men’s’ footprint beyond its solid arthouse niche.” To be clear, the above reviews are generally positive, talking about the show’s “deserved accolades” and especially about Jon Hamm’s performance, but “Mad Men” has moved beyond the point of “is it good?” criticism and deep into the land of near-doctoral study of its intricate plotting and how its dealings with the rebellious ’60s symbolize what’s going on in our current world. When critics are simply asked to assign it a grade, they are, like Newsday, mostly offering up A’s. In its rave review, Newsday declares, ” ‘Mad Men’ is back and back in all the right ways — the humor, the writing, the period details, and best of all, the flawless attention to these characters and their cluttered interior worlds.” Assigning the season-five debut four stars (out of four), USA Today praises the show’s “meticulous” attention to detail and goes on to cheer, “No series sets a higher, more consistent level of excellence, a level sustained, fans will be pleased to hear, as ‘Mad Men’ returns after a 17-month absence. … That high level of achievement extends to the cast, led by the shockingly under-Emmyed Jon Hamm, playing a man who is his own deeply flawed invention and letting us see the effort and pain behind the charade. But there’s not a weak performer on view Sunday, from the preternaturally assured Kiernan Shipka as Sally to old pro Robert Morse as Bert.” So it seems fans will not be disappointed by Sunday’s episode. Consensus opinion seems to be that while it might not rank as one of the series’ best, it does a good job of catching everyone up and setting the tone for what will surely be a riveting season of highbrow television. Will you be watching “Mad Men” on Sunday? Let us know in the comments below. Related Photos ‘Mad’ Hook Ups: The Relationships Of ‘Mad Men’
Brush up on what ad man Don Draper and the ad folks at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce have been up to as the AMC show returns Sunday after 17-month hiatus. By Josh Wigler Jon Hamm in “Mad Men” Photo: AMC “Mad Men,” like the advertising world it revolves around, is a busy show. Lots of comings, lots of goings, lots of inside baseball, lots of Jon Hamm getting drunk. Making matters even more complicated is the fact that the 1960s-set AMC drama has been off the air for dangerously close to two years, thanks in large part to contract disputes between the network and “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner. Now, “Mad Men” is finally set to return for its fifth season on Sunday night. But, as is often the case with the show, don’t expect Weiner and company to welcome you back into the world of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce with an instruction manual. If you don’t remember what went down in the last few seasons of the Emmy Award-winning show, that burden rests entirely on you. So if you’re behind on your “Mad Men” know-how, or simply need a refresher before Sunday night, don’t sweat it: Keep reading for 10 things you need to remember about season four going into the weekend’s big season-five premiere.
Brush up on what ad man Don Draper and the ad folks at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce have been up to as the AMC show returns Sunday after 17-month hiatus. By Josh Wigler Jon Hamm in “Mad Men” Photo: AMC “Mad Men,” like the advertising world it revolves around, is a busy show. Lots of comings, lots of goings, lots of inside baseball, lots of Jon Hamm getting drunk. Making matters even more complicated is the fact that the 1960s-set AMC drama has been off the air for dangerously close to two years, thanks in large part to contract disputes between the network and “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner. Now, “Mad Men” is finally set to return for its fifth season on Sunday night. But, as is often the case with the show, don’t expect Weiner and company to welcome you back into the world of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce with an instruction manual. If you don’t remember what went down in the last few seasons of the Emmy Award-winning show, that burden rests entirely on you. So if you’re behind on your “Mad Men” know-how, or simply need a refresher before Sunday night, don’t sweat it: Keep reading for 10 things you need to remember about season four going into the weekend’s big season-five premiere.
