This video has a nice retro feel to it. Watching it, it feels like one of those music videos that would have been made in the late 70s or the early 80s in order to show what aspiring musicians could accomplish if they invested in a personal computer of their very own. You keep expecting someone to say, “Now that I’ve got a Next Generation Mojo Video Maker, I can really make my music come to life.”
Enjoy!
Under the Skin
Here are the nominations for the Gotham Independent Film Awards! It’s debatable just how reliable the Gothams are as an Oscar precursor. For one thing, the majority of the big studio productions are not eligible for the Gothams. However, when you’re an indie film trying to win mainstream awards, any recognition is good recognition.
As far as the nominees go, Birdman and Boyhood are already Oscar front runners. However, the Gotham nominations will perhaps remind some people that The Grand Budapest Hotel is eligible for Oscar consideration as well.
Here are the Gotham nominations!
Best Feature
Best Documentary
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award
Best Actor*
* The 2014 Best Actor nominating panel also voted to award a special Gotham Jury Award jointly to Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum for their ensemble performance in Foxcatcher (Sony Pictures Classics).
Best Actress
Breakthrough Actor
Boyhood
LEE HYORI
It’s been awhile since this feature graced this iconoclastic place. What better way to drop in for a visit than by introducing the ridiculously gorgeous Ms. Lee Hyori. She’s our latest “Hottie of the Day” and brings her unique talent and fame as one of South Korea’s best known exports.
Lee Hyori was born in May 10, 1979 and began her singing career as part of the South Korean pop group Fin.K.L. She would soon branch out with a successful solo career which continues through today. Like idols in Japan, Ms. Lee is one of the rare kpop idols who continues to remain popular and one of the most sought after performers (in addition to being one of South Korea’s premiere models) into her 30’s.
She’s run the varied spectrum of kpop look and fashion from the candy-colored vibe of the early 2000’s right up to the more mature and sexy trend hitting the Kpop scene in the last couple years. Her ability to adapt to the changing trends and fashions of the music industry in South Korea and Asia has allowed her to remain one of the region’s top acts. Plus, the rise of Kpop’s popularity in the West and Europe has gained her some new fans and following that should just help bolster her popularity to cross beyond regional boundaries.
PAST HOTTIES
HAYLEY ATWELL
With the release of Iron Man 3 to video we get a new look at one of Marvel Studios’ popular character in Agent Peggy Carter. She’s played by the very lovely Hayley Atwell.
Ms. Atwell is an English actress who burst into the scene taking on the role of Agent Peggy Carter for 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. She totally owned the role and fans, both old and new, have been wanting more of her ever since. While it was her role in Captain America that finally got the rest of the world to notice her she was already a known commodity in both English and American television.
Her work ranged from shows and tv films such as The Duchess, Pillars of the Earth, Mansfield Park and The Prisoner. Yet, it always be her role as Agent Carter that fans will remember her most for now.
Her popularity doesn’t just stem from the fact that she’s drop-dead gorgeous in the old-school, 40’s glam sort of way, but also for the fact that she exudes a sense of confidence and toughness in the roles she plays without having to sacrifice her femininity and sensuality. She looks like she belongs both in the here and now and still just at home as a leading lady in a 40’s noir film.
Here’s to hoping that plans for Marvel Studios to give Ms. Atwell her own tv series based on her Peggy Cater role comes to fruition as that means we’ll be seeing more of her.
PAST HOTTIES
With Man of Steel out this weekend, everyone’s taken notice of Antje Traue, who plays General Zod’s partner in destruction, Faora-Ul. As such, we are adding her as the Hottie of the Day. Hailing from Germany, she also appeared in 2009’s Pandorum, alongside Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster. In Man of Steel, she managed to steal just about every scene she was in. Hopefully we’ll see her in more in the future.
PAST HOTTIES
EVA GREEN
This week saw the announcement from The Weinstein Company and Robert Rodriguez’s studio that the most important role in the upcoming sequel to 2005’s Sin City has been cast. The actress cast for the role of Ava Lord, the sequel’s “A Dame to Kill For”, wasn’t the expected Angelina Jolie who had been 0ft-rumored to be Rodriguez’s first choice as the femme fatale for the sequel. When Angelina Jolie’s name wasn’t announced and another was instead the reaction from fans of the original comic book source wasn’t one of disappointment. The reaction from fans at this certain performer’s name being called instead was one of near-universal approval.
Eva Green, she of Bertolucci’s The Dreamers, Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven, Campbell’s Casino Royale and Starz’s own Morgan Le Fay, was going to play Ava Lord and Sin City fandom mightily approved.
Her smoldering eyes and classic femme fatale looks makes her an almost perfect fit for the role of Ava Lord. Ms. Green is not new to the role of dangerous and darkly, beautiful women who uses their sexuality as weapon to attack and defend what they want and have. She easily encapsulates the notion the idea of why the femme fatale continues to be such a tempting role for actresses. It’s a role that demands from it’s performer that they be able to pull off being someone’s dream but also their nightmare in equal amounts. I think I’ve heard someone else very close by being called that.
This is why Eva Green is the latest Hottie of the Day. Like one a certain someone with mismatched eyes and hair to match her personality, Eva Green is easily a man’s dream…but also can be his nightmare.
PAST HOTTIES
JESSICA CHASTAIN
Well, I might as well get on the Jessica Chastain bandwagon. She’s the latest pick for “Hottie of the Day” and also another addition to the redhead selections that’s growing (but still not the number 1 redhead on the site).
Jessica Chastain seemed to have come out of nowhere in the last two years. While she has been acting for many years before 2010 it wasn’t until 2011’s release of Terence Malick’s The Tree of Life which finally got her noticed. Since then she has been such films as Corialanus, Take Shelter, The Help, The Debt and Lawless. In each and every film she has been singled out as one of the highlight performances and from what I’ve seen she’s definitely deserving of the praise she’s been receiving.
Yet, it’s in 2012’s Zero Dark Thirty that Chastain may have finally gone from ingenue stage to full-blown star. She carries Kathryn Bigelow’s film from start to finish and all the accolades and acclaim she has been receiving for that performance may just snag her a Best Actress Oscar award next month. Even the box-office is not immune to the redhead’s growing star power as the top two films in North America for the weekend of Jan. 18-20 has her in the starring role with Zero Dark Thirty and the horror film Mama.
Born near my neck of the woods of Sonoma, California, Jessica Chastain is a graduate of the famed Julliard School in New York City and worked her way through the Hollywood system by getting supporting roles in tv series after tv series before her breakout role as the mother in The Tree of Life.
PAST HOTTIES
BÉRÉNICE MARLOHE
The latest “Hottie of the Day” comes courtesy of the latest Bond Girl and making her appearance on the latest James Bond film: Skyfall.
Bérénice Marlohe is a French actress of French, Khmer and Chinese heritage. It’s a powerful combination that truly makes her one of the most exotic Bond Girls (Kissy Suzuki doesn’t count). Prior to landing the role of the femme fatale Bond Girl, Ms. Marlohe spent much of her acting career in small roles for French tv. The disadvantage of her exotic looks which kept her from getting roles outside of TV has now made her an almost perfect choice to play Severine. I think she has more than earned her spot in many “best of…” lists for Bond Girls with not just her looks but her acting skills as well.
PAST HOTTIES
MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD
With this being horror-theme month here at Through the Shattered Lens I thought it was time for another “Hottie of the Day” entry and one who has some experience atbeing a scream queen in horror films these past couple years.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is better known for the role (perfectly cast and played) of Ramona Flowers in Edgar Wright’s wright’s film adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, but she has done quite a bit of work in the horror genre. One of her earliest films was as the lead in Final Destination 3. Then she has followed that up with roles in Quentin Tarantino’s half of Grindhouse as a naive young actress being stalked by Kurt Russell’s psychotic stuntman in Death Proof. Her last couple films have also been in the field of horror as she had major roles in both The Thing prequel and the fantasy horror mash-up this past summer with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
Ms. Winstead has become a favorite of genre fans and not just for her All-American girl-next-door look, but for the fact that she has talent as an actress and makes the most of every role she plays even in films that critically fails. Of late her work has gotten her noticed as a contender for the end of the year awards for best performance in a film with her performance as Kate Hannah in the comedy-drama Smashed.
Whether she wins awards later this year or not, here’s to hoping that she doesn’t stop doing genre projects while moving on towards more serious work.
PAST HOTTIES
DEBORAH ANN WOLL
Season 5 of HBO’s hit series True Blood just ended over the weekend and the verdict seems to be a season that was better than the previous one though still plagued with some slow moments and uninteresting subplots. It also had what many termed as a WTF cliffhanger that should make Season 6 quite interesting. But this post is not about focusing on the show, but one a particular actress in the show who plays one of my favorite characters since she arrived on the scene.
The latest “Hottie of the Day” is none other than Deborah Ann Woll who plays the immature and naively, sweet baby vamp Jessica Hamby. Better known amongst the show’s fans as “Baby Vamp” the character played by Deborah Ann Woll continues to be a fan favorite. It elps that Ms. Woll’s performance as “Baby Vamp” ranges from alluring, sexy yet also sweet-natured. While she may be a gorgeous redhead to behold it doesn’t mean that Ms. Woll’s acting skills are lacking. She’s not just a pretty face for the audience to gawk at. As evidenced by this season’s episode where she says a final goodbye to her first love, Ms. Woll can act circles around her co-stars when allowed to do so.
I’ve also selected Ms. Woll as the latest hottie because sooner or later site co-founder Lisa Marie will complain that there’s not enough redheads being featured. Good thing True Blood reminded me that there is one hot ginger out there right now for me to pick and profile.
PAST HOTTIES
Through the Shattered Lens 