Martha, Martha, Martha!!

An audio engineer who worked on the Martha Stewart "Apprentice" confessed the other day that she couldn't remember upon which ankle rested her house arrest device. The engineer, who had to affix her mic on Martha on her free ankle, got away with her forgetfulness and even said Martha was quite lovely to everyone.

I guess prison really changes a person, huh?

The Ritz is Chintzy

So I was staying at the Dana Point Ritz-Carlton (my dad was there on business--this is not an everyday occurence) and I found it delightful and pleasant.

There are two things I take issue with, however.

1. No in-room fridge.
2. No in-room coffee machine.

My family loves coffee. Often, during family trips, we have an end-of-day pot of decaf in our hotel room while shouting at the usual round of pundits on MSNBC or engrossed in Law and Order reruns. Well, first of all, the cable channels were pretty lame (no HGTV!!!!), and second of all, the food was ridiculously expensive. Expected, of course; but now you can't even save your ridiculously expensive leftovers in an in-house fridge!

And they couldn't afford a $5 4-cup coffee maker? Whatever. So you have to order their $4-a-cup coffee? Which, by the way, isn't that good. !!!

I'm still glad I got to spend a day there. But if I were a paying customer...

Rest...Rest...All I Wish to Do Is Rest...

I remember auditioning for "Uncle Vanya" for one of the characters--hell if I can remember who--and I remember her always saying, "All I want to do is rest..."

Now, after a increasingly brutal (for HGTV standards) shoot schedule, one that I bear the brunt of more than any of my hardworking peers, I drive home, piddle through my mail, hurriedly take a shower, and think: Rest. All I want to do is REST. But my brain is thrumming and I'm going through my mental checklist of how I can squeeze a full seven hours in between now and 7am and if I can make it through the next 48 hours, for that matter, and how I'm going to pay my bills this week on top of it. I still can't REST.

Finally, that time has come. Instead of filling a cooler with ice and ordering lunch and being told my the cameraman that he needs protein so could he PLEASE have a chicken sandwich instead of pizza and being asked by a homeowner as I'm cleaning his floor if I'd "like to be a producer someday" (only to tell him I'm, ahem, a Segment Producer), I will be working in a cool, AC'd, gray cubicled normal humming OFFICE.

I usually hate offices. But after all that hot-heavy-lifting-construction-site-filled menial labor, I just want to sit somewhere and do paperwork, make phone calls, rush to the copier, fill in my boss on post production status, and rest. Just rest.

Finally, I can. Sweet Jesus, thank you.

I'm going to bed now.

I Be in front of TV for "Being Bobby Brown"

The show debuts on June 30th on USA and will hopefully be one more good reason I pay for cable. I keep thinking, maybe I should cancel since my living expenses have increased thanks to my mortgage and all...and a second later, I think, are you on crack???? Of course I have to have cable! What would I do without it? SOMEONE has to make sure Bobby Brown is doing okay!!

Sneak Peek: 40 Year Old Virgin

Steve
Originally uploaded by violetta.

I saw a screening of the "40 Year Old Virgin" last night--very funny! Hilarious. Although I wrote on my little "feedback card" that it was verrrrry slow at times. I have a feeling there's gonna be some snip-snip.

Judd Apatow is credited with Steve Carrell as a writer; and his "Freeks and Geeks" sensibility (silly humor with heartwarming, sincere emotional arcs) works great here. The actors are all superb and a fine time was had by all. Just...too long. Too long, and a little unfocused and jumbly. I'm sure some careful editing will make for a tight and fun romantic comedy.

Nananananananananan BAT MANNNNN!

batman_on_set
Originally uploaded by violetta.

Okay. Best superhero movie I have EVER seen. And I was quite a sucker for the Spider Man movies.

So many good things about this; a poetic thematic arc about facing fear, about facing guilt; a dash of conspiracy about correcting the evils of man worldwide; a perfectly (almost...TOO perfect) orchestrated combination of different characters and how they wind together elegantly by the end; and almost-fantastic fight scenes. (Too close up in many so you can't see the martial-arts play--probably because there was only so much Batman could do in that stiff suit, huh? I'm guessing.)

And lots of fun, lots of drama, beautiful set pieces...and Christian Bale. Listen, Batman has to be intelligent and super hot all at the same time, and he fits the bill. Sweet!

All the actors are fantastic--including 28 Days Later's unexpected Cillian Murphy and the chameleon-perfect Gary Oldman.

Oh, I could go on--instead I'm going to start counting the hours till I see it again tomorrow.

Gossip FROM the Stars

So lately the big brou-haha about Tom and Katie (ENGAGED--did you hear? Ew!) has brought about reminiscing over the bizarre circumstances that may have surrounded the Tom and Nic divorce.

Here's a theory, by the stars themselves:

A friend of a friend was accompanying a famous actress pal of hers to a party. In the kitchen were several high-profile players--including the biggest director of our time, and one of the biggest actors of our time (hint: both are neighbors in the Palisades and have made several movies together).

The group was bandying about theories about the then-recent Tom and Nic divorce. "So is he gay, or what? Is that actually true?" someone wondered.

"Here's what I heard," came a response. "I heard that when she got pregnant, it was a total surprise to Tom. She had told him from the beginning she couldn't get pregnant, so they adopted. When she got pregnant, it was his [not Ewan MacGregor's as has been rumored], and she had to confess she'd lied to him. She never wanted to bear a child because she wanted to preserve her figure."

Wow. That's a hell of a lot harder to make up than TC being gay or bi, or Nic cheating, or whatever.

Even more interesting is that celebrities, like us, wonder about the people who populate pop culture too. Gossip is universal!

I Dream of Lindsay

I had a dream last night that LL was earnestly helping me with a booth for some film festival. She was doing it all for free with no publicity or anything, and I felt bad for exposing her horrid thinness on my blog.

Then I woke up and I still felt bad, but I realized that I blogged about it because of how disgraceful it is that women are killing themselves to look "better." Now the word is that drugs are the problem, and that sucks too. How is it that once someone "makes it," they're miserable? Or crazy? (See: Tom Cruise.)

Please. Eat. SOMETHING.

ouch
Originally uploaded by violetta.

I don't get it: People get fabulously wealthy in this country and immediately stop eating. Imagine my shock when I see the pic of Lindsay in the red dress looking like a cross between a banshee and a wraith. Now don't tell me she doesn't have a problem--this is gross!

Feeling completely disturbed, I started sending her mental energy, hoping to transplant in her brain images of hoagies. I'm sure when she finally eats one it'll be national freakin' news.

Even *I* didn't like it

I like a lot of swill. I had Sorority Boys on in the background the other day and I praise "Dr. Phil" for being an "upscale Jerry Springer."

And yet, even I did not like the new Star Wars movie.

Everyone has their complaints, so I'm not going to get into it. But honestly, Lucas, did you HAVE to show a shot of Jar Jar at the end? What the hell was that?

Rest...I Only Want to Rest...

This is really fun: You're working on a "hit design show" that can't spare oh, say, a full time production assistant, but nevertheless, you and the other producers get down and dirty and go so far as to sweep and vacuum, and even feed all participants. Then one of your most important team players hits you with such attitude and meanness--for the millionth time--that you want to sit in a corner and glare meanly and everyone who walks by.

Who needs that shit?