Hey, Leslie, happy birthday from Somebody who Loves You! Can't you just picture me as the crooner? You know I've always had it in me!

Playing tonight for one night only in Celebration of Leslie's Birthday! Live from New York it's Tuesday night I'm here to wish that wonderful Metro Gal Leslie a wonderful birthday and ask that she honor me with her company after the show I thank you Madam... I think I'm going to get lucky tonight..Happy Birthday dearest loveliest Leslie. ****** And from me...

did I forget to uncenter myself again? Hope that you had a wonderful day today! I know I did;-))

Happy Birthday Leslie! A most auspicious day for more than one reason! Here's hoping you have many more!

Oh, but wait a minute....you did join me after the show! Sorry you had to wait outside so long in the cold. For your birthday, I thought we could celebrate at our own after-afterparty at my hotel.. Just as soon as I get rid of the rather too helpful help. I must be a better tipper than I realized. Happy Birthday, Leslie!

Leslie, Happy Birthday!!! From standing on the sidewalk in cold rain at 6 in the morning to "tactical touring" of the NBC studios... From letting me squeeze your hand while waiting for the SNL dress rehearsal to start to screaming that you had just "come out and were no longer a virgin" in the hotel bar... From being a lurker to seeing TMH in the flesh... For all these amazing events and more, I congratulate you on one great year completed and wishes for an ever better one to come!!!!

(Shoshana) to screaming that you had just "come out and were no longer a virgin" in the hotel bar... ROTFL! I'd forgotten about that!

Never mind the hangover.... Time to get ready for Shoshanna's birthday

Oh no! Not another. Why didn't anyone remind me of string when I set the date for the film discussion. ;-) Later gator....

Wot?? Be still my heart. More birthday treats from the lovely DD�s? To Kimberley � My very first �in the flesh� Drool girlfiend. Oooo baby, I feel a toe tapping, finger snapping, good time coming our way at the multiplex soon. Must have been that audition at the �Showbiz Grande Explosion� that turned the SLY producers on to his hidden talents. Oh yes, Lora � a wonderful crooner he�ll be. Thinking something like �Love Me Tender� sung sweetly into my ear one night. (We can always dream, no?) Yes, we did get lucky that fateful night, didn�t we, Bee? Must have been all that diligent background work you and Risa were doing with the NBC pages while we were on line. Dorine � how I would have loved to be Keenan�s stand-in during dress rehearsal for that skit. Who cares about how bad it was when taking off ODB�s pants was on the agenda?? Shosh � Let�s never again curse the cold and rain. It definitely worked to our advantage. And a mutual thank you to my hand squeezing partner � I�m sure I caused your hand to turn blue yet you never once complained. And an additional thank you for not telling me what a jerk I was when I screamed about losing my virginity in a crowded bar. If only the crowd knew that we weren�t gay � it was just a first ODB sighting that caused all the jubilations Now it�s off to celebrate Shoshana�s big day!!

On the appointed day Darcy set out for London. His portmanteau was packed with his finest clothes: an apple-green coat, a lavender vest, breeches of black velvet, silk stockings with silver trees, buckled shoes, powder box, and a satin ribbon for his queue. Furthermore, the prudent traveler, not having a pistol to put in his holsters, had slipped in a little bottle of wine and several slices of almond birthday cake, in order to have something at hand to keep his courage up. For in reality now that the day had come he was in a very anxious state to see Shoshana. He had to be with her on her special day. Shoshana, I come with gifts. Remember our last conversation? You were infatuated with a certain part of me... ahem...well... I've brought some for you too. Happy Birthday Shoshana!

Allo Shoshana! For your birthday, I have a full batterie de cuisine for you! The copper bowls are especially good for when you whip up the oeufs: But you must have your own sous chef, so I will present you with one, who is particularly good with a whisk. He has an agile wrist, among other things, you may appreciate. I baked all through the night to replace this delicious gateau which I made for you But your new assistant cannot be trusted either and would not leave your birthday cake alone for the presentation. :-( I did try....so you must too! Have a very Happy Birthday Shoshana!

Shosh..I wanted to post your keep to wish you a Happy Birthday but I couldn't remember which t-shirt you claimed for LA? Was it this one? or this one? or maybe this one? Oooh I know, it was this one! Oh well whichever one it was, I hope you're having a great day!

eep! didn't realize it was this big..but I'm sure you don't mind the size;-D!

eep! didn't realize it was this big..but I'm sure you don't mind the size;-D! Not at 'awl'.... "Size matters":-))

My dearest Shoshana, wish you were here... HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Did I hear correctly? It's Shosh's birthday??The woman who knows all there is to know about "Regency Jollyhose" and nether regions?Well, http://pages.prodigy.net/indianahawkeye/newpage15/8.gif">, kiddo! Here's lookin' at you!!!

Hmmm . .I�m dying to have something sweet to go with my afternoon cup of free trade coffee. But since my favorite fan and baker hasn�t opened her own patisserie yet, I think I�ll just whip something up myself . . . It�s her birthday, I heard so here�s little sweet for my sweet Happy Birthday dearest Shoshana!

A truly happy and memorable day to you Shoshana Heard Sexy Rexy is a big fan of yours :-)) Enjoy.

Wow, more birthdays than I can keep track of... Hope you had a wonderful birthday, Leslie! You lucky girl. And Shoshana, Hope your day was exquisite! Slainte!

Hey Shoshana, it�s your birthday, and�� Yeah, baby, it�s me!! Gotta� hand it to ya�!! You�re a heck of a gal! !! Have a great day, babe! !!

Yeah, yeah, this is the film where Leslie played the dead chick. (so sorry I missed your day. Hope it was loads of fun)

Wow, I knew Shoshana could cook, but this is fantastic Happy Birthday, dear girl!!

Happy birthday Shoshana! Have a great one!

This has been just a really fun day, and now coming home to see all your messages - lovely! Oh, I love you all so much! Evelyn- I'd love to picnic outside with HD, but the weather has been hot and sticky with occasional violent storms. :-( On the other hand, it looks like there's plenty of space next to "Prince" Joe... he looks like he could use some company. ;-)))) Moon- I love those knee breeches (especially if Darcy's inside them)! ;-) And I am trying to get my next lecture ready in the breeches series. I feel like I've left you all hanging. Just after I master the tourne potato and memorize the difference between white wine vinegar and Champaign vinegar and starch my cravat... gah! There will be more breeches soon no that I have been re-inspired by your pic, Moon! Lovely!!! Karen- ROTFL! I could use some help building muscle memory on my whisking skills... How about he helps me with that in exchange for all the sweets I can provide? Seems like a great deal to me!!! Thanks! Ada- The bigger, the better! What a wonderful smile to fill up my screen and make my day!!! Tress- You picked one of my favorite pictures for "demonstrating the fit of fashionable pantaloons!" Now, in this new year I just have to get that close to that face again! Truly an amazing experience, and twice!!!! *sigh* Such sweet memories of those trips (and seeing ODB was a nice extra)! ;-) Kim- Poor Colin! He looks like me when I have to wake up for school (only that's 5:30 am). But, I will whip anything up to put a smile on his face! ;-) And I always deliver my cakes personally so that I can keep the cake safest and see the happy recipient enjoy the first sight! BTW, I am looking seriously at an externship/continuing education program in London through their branch of LCB!!! Lizza- I just picked the book up from the library and can't wait to read more about Sexy Rexy/Vince! ;-) Who cares about the difference between fine julienne and julienne and batonette carrots anyway, especially when there are nicer thing to think about?! This has been a wonderfully memorable day! (And don't worry, the whisk is still very much yours; I just want the assistant!!!!) Eithne- Go raibh maith agat! (Is that correct?) Thank you for you lovely wishes!!! I apologize for having my birthday at such a busy time! ;-) Leslie- All I can say is the same right back at ya! And it's so mice to be (almost) sharing b'day parties!!! So, is it now time to practice playing a dead body in NJ? ;-) Linda- LOL! That�s about my skill level right now�spreading butter on bread! I have to wait until Skills II until I get to fold it in half, though! ;-) And licking pinky fingers (despite how enticing HD�s is) is a sanitary food service no-no!!! Thank you for the �sweet� birthday picture! Thanks everyone for sending birthday messages in the midst of all the SLY excitement and the MOTM discussion (both of which I hope to catch up with soon)!!!

Ahhh, Shoshana. I haven�t been able to get you out of my mind since that wonderful morning that we met and touched. But what's this I've been reading about the research that you have been doing into my small clothes? But I'd take it all off for you my dearest, on your birthday. But here is a prezzie from your Aunt Bee who says you are the dearest and from the both of us we wish you a very, if late, Happy Birthday!

Hey Shosh . . . . . .let's mosh! Have a very Happy Birthday and a Sexy Rexy-filled year!

Go away ye bold!

And big???

Ack! Not only am I over 100 posts behind in the last day and a half, but I never got around to thanking Barb, Bee, and Mari for their birthday wishes. Barb- With all the excitement here at Drool and all the excitement at schole, I have great hopes that this will be a wonderful year. Thank you so much for the thought!!! Bee- Yeah, I guess by that point in the party it had been morning for some while! ;-) And despite the clothes, he looked AFG!!! Thanks! Mari- You wanton tag-open-leaver (that didn't make any sense, but it's rather early right now)! ;-) I don't care to mosh, but any more "intimate" gatherings with Rex/ODB would be more that welcome!!! Grazie!

Oh my, I can't believe I forgot Shoshana and Bee's birthdays. I'm so sorry for my tardiness to two very dedicated Metro gals! What's the one thing to do to cure a belated birthday wish (and breaking some O & E birthday rules as well) ? The rainbow picture, of course. Hope it was a joyous and happy birthday for you both.

Here's your happy rainbow!

Lora, that's one of my favorite pics. It's actually not my birthday, but I can always use a happy rainbow, so thanks!

(Mari)Lora, that's one of my favorite pics. It's actually not my birthday, but I can always use a happy rainbow, so thanks! Well it was mine and it's one of my favorites too so thanks Lora and great to have you in attendance over at film discussions!

From THR tody: Col, Ecosse team for Austen biopic Columbia Pictures is brushing up on its Jane Austen with "Becoming Jane," a biographical feature about the British author. Developed by London-based period-piece specialists Ecosse Films, "Jane" will be produced by Graham Broadbent, co-founder and former partner at Mission Pictures. The project was brought to the studio by sales company World Films. Penned by Kevin Hood, the film is described as a biographical portrait of the British writer at around age 20, before she became famous, and involves a love theme with Austen falling for a young Irish lawyer. With the studio signing a development deal on the project, "Jane" is out to directors, with the studio looking to put the film into production next year. Born in 1775, Austen is best known for her books "Pride and Prejudice," "Mansfield Park," "Emma" and "Persuasion." With a strong bent toward historical matter, London-based Ecosse's credits include "Charlotte Gray," which the company co-financed with Warner Bros. Pictures, and "Mrs. Brown." Warners recently signed a deal to produce and finance Ecosse's feature film version of the British TV classic "Brideshead Revisited." At Mission, Broadbent was involved in such films as Danny Boyle's "Millions" and "Picadilly Jim." Broadbent and Pete Czernin exited Mission in February.

A late Happy Birthday to Leslie and Shoshana! The NY Times: June 28, 2004 Laid-Back Jeff Bridges, Going Where the Spirit Takes Him By ANNE THOMPSON HOLLYWOOD � Jeff Bridges is changing his clothes in the green room of the "Tavis Smiley Show." He is shedding his casual Santa Barbara persona � white Mexican shirt, gray linen slacks and loafers � for a leading man look: elegant black shirt, gray suit and suede shoes. He is in Hollywood to promote "The Door in the Floor," Tod Williams's $7 million film adaptation of the 1998 John Irving novel, "A Widow for One Year," co-starring Kim Basinger. He plays a children's book author, a blond, bearded, charismatic, womanizing narcissist whose estranged wife is still grief-stricken after the death of their two sons in a car accident. Early reviews of the film, which opens on July 14, positioned as relief for audiences sated by big action films, suggest it is the best role the actor has had in years. There is even some Oscar buzz about Mr. Bridges, 54, who has had three nominations for supporting roles and one for best actor in 1984 for "Starman." This week he will finish filming "The Moguls" an $8 million indie gamble he calls "a sweet Frank Capra-does-porn story." Leaving his beat-up brown leather briefcase behind in the green room, Mr. Bridges pops up on the television monitor. The actor adopts his familiar, affably goofy public persona with Mr. Smiley. But he takes care that the talk show host shows off to best advantage several panoramic black-and-white photographs from "Pictures by Jeff Bridges," a 2003 collection of photographs he has taken over the years on film sets and on location. Though Mr. Bridges cultivates a laid-back manner and likes to fly under the radar of superstardom, he takes all of his art � acting, painting or playing guitar � quite seriously. Later, in an interview, it becomes apparent that he wants people to underestimate him so that he is free to go where the spirit takes him, guided less by big paydays or commercial prospects than by his own impulses and taste, which lean toward the offbeat. It helps that he has had more flops than hits. He has played leading men ("King Kong" 1975), villains ("Jagged Edge" 1985) and in the Coen brothers' 1998 cult comedy, "The Big Lebowski," a pot-addled slacker known as the Dude. He played the portly racehorse owner Charles Howard in last year's "Seabiscuit," which won a best picture nomination. He has slimmed down considerably since then and shows off his new form in "The Door in the Floor," prancing around in the nude, scenes that Mr. Bridges plays with unabashed relish. He said, "I've gone out of my way to not take baggage with me from film to film," to avoid the kind of type-casting that plagued his father, Lloyd Bridges, first with the television series "Sea Hunt" in the late 1950's and early 60's, then the 1980 disaster film spoof, "Airplane." "I keep mixing characters," he continued. "I go from the Dude to the president of the United States. That way I get different scripts, and keep it more fun. I'm not locked into playing one guy." He made his screen debut in 1951 at four months, co-starring with his mother Dorothy and brother Beau in "The Company She Keeps," and 20 years later had his break-out role in "The Last Picture Show." Mr. Bridges is close to his mother, who is now 85. She reads all his scripts and approved of "The Door in the Floor," though she prefers him to play presidents (he won a supporting actor Oscar nomination for playing one in "The Contender" in 2000) and doctors ("K-Pax"). "She didn't like the Dude," he admitted. The Dude wasn't a stretch for Mr. Bridges, who has been open about past marijuana use. "The Dude has a serious laid-back streak," Mr. Bridges said. "I'm always busy, but I'm lazy as well. I wish I were more disciplined. "I used to kinda worry about it being distracting to have so many interests," he continued. "But I find that when I start to engage creatively, all my creative juices get stirred up and start to excite each other. And I end up making a drawing or playing music in the middle of studying for a scene." Mr. Williams, the writer-director of "The Door in the Floor," likens his star to a creative child who has never had to face the embittering grind of reality. "From Day 1 I don't think the guy ever tried to get work," he said. "In a creative sense he is pure and undamaged." "The Door in the Floor" is based on the first 188 pages of Mr. Irving's 592-page novel (the title comes from one of the spooky children's stories written by Cole, Mr. Bridges' character). Mr. Bridges himself provided the pen and ink book illustrations. He also tried to produce for the movie the life drawings created by Cole, who seduces women by having them pose nude. But the actor gave up after lining a location house's empty ballroom floors and walls with explicit pictures he deemed unworthy. With "The Door in the Floor," Mr. Bridges took a gamble on the second-time director Mr. Williams on the basis of his script, though he wasn't in love with "The Adventures of Sebastian Cole," Mr. Williams's first effort, which cost a mere $350,000. It helped that Mr. Williams had persuaded John Irving to sell him the rights to "A Widow for One Year" for a dollar. (Mr. Irving wanted to stay involved in the film; he says he is happy with the final results.) After Bill Murray failed to commit to the project, Mr. Williams insisted on Mr. Bridges for the lead. "Ted Cole is a complicated character," the director said. "He's selfish, creative, super-smart. And there is heavy stuff going on. And we sprinkle comedy throughout, overt or subtle. These are all things Jeff can do." The chairman of Paramount, Sherry Lansing, said: "He's always been an extraordinarily gifted actor. He's just a generous soul." But even having the veteran actor on board did not guarantee financing. "This is the kind of performance-driven film that distributors are afraid to make," the New York-based independent producer Ted Hope ("American Splendor," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") said in a telephone interview. "They love it when it is perfect. People think the world of Jeff as an actor. But not, `This is what makes the financing go.' " But only after Mr. Bridges agreed to star did the filmmakers land Ms. Basinger to play his wife, who embarks on a summerlong affair with his intern. (She had starred opposite Mr. Bridges in 1987's "Nadine.") After four years Mr. Hope was finally able to scrape together financing from equity investors, foreign presales and a domestic distribution deal with his old partner James Schamus at Focus Features, a division of Universal. "Both Jeff and Kim made this movie happen," he said. Last month, Mrs. Bridges let her son borrow her Malibu beach house so the "moguls" ensemble (including Tim Blake Nelson, Ted Danson, Joe Pantoliano and William Fichtner) could bond before beginning filming the next weekunder the direction of the neophyte writer-director Michael Traeger. "It's a bizarre tale, pretty politically incorrect," Mr. Bridges said, as his driver ferried him west along Sunset Boulevard to a rehearsal with the director and the actress Jeanne Tripplehorn, who plays his wife. "A small-town guy having a midlife crisis gets the whole town together to make a porn film. I hadn't seen something like this." He has learned how to pick and choose his collaborators. "I've had great luck with first-time directors," said Mr. Bridges, who has bet on rookies like Robert Benton ("Bad Company"), Michael Cimino ("Thunderbolt and Lightfoot"), Steve Kloves ("The Fabulous Baker Boys") and Rod Lurie ("The Contender") over the years. "There's a certain power to na�vet�. You don't know what can be done and can't be done. You just go for it. If a first-time guy is open to listening to all these experts he's going to surround himself with, you can come up with some really great, fresh stuff." His own resistance to directing? "Laziness," he said. "I know it's a tough job, it takes years out of your life." http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/28/movies/28BRID.html

Better do this before the week is over July Birthdays - July 1 - Annette July 8 - LisaJH July 18 - EmmaB As always, if I got someone wrong, let me know.

All eyes on girl with cloudy past From The Sunday Times June 29, 2004 SECURITY guards will surround Sotheby's auction house in London next week when the first Vermeer painting to go on sale for 81 years comes under the hammer. The Girl in the Yellow Shawl � real title: Young Woman Seated at the Virginals � is not as famous as Girl With a Pearl Earring, which inspired the novel by Tracy Chevalier and the film starring Colin Firth as the artist and Scarlett Johansson as his 16-year-old muse. The rest is here: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,9980388%5E16947,00.html

Risa and I saw Before Sunset last night...the sequel to Before Sunrise with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. We both loved it! I would recommend seeing the first one before the second if you haven't seen it in a while and are foggy on it, though it's not necessary, I suppose. I was glad I did. Both actors seemed very natural and the dialogue was totally believable. There was a Q&A after with stars and director. The 3 of them wrote it. Said the story was completely outlined and all the dialogue/movements were scripted without deviation. It was heavily rehearsed as well, and as far as I'm concerned, you couldn't tell. There actually seemed to be much improvisation at times....more movements than the dialogue, but small bits of dialogue did, too. Apparently not. There were some scenes that were 10 min long one-shots....no editing. They said scenes like that were challenging, partially because of physical restrictions of the small streets and a cafe they filmed in. Had a stedicam operator for filming, to whom they pointed out and gave credit to at the theater. The movie was only 80 minutes long...happens in real time....but I can't imagine that the script was less than 100 or 120 pages (usually a 2 hour movie length...I should've asked that). They talked the *entire* time, non-stop, except for one pivotal scene near the end where they were quiet for a couple of minutes walking up stairs. It wasn't too much talk either. I found it interesting and compelling. I doubt everyone will though. Risa asked a very good question and got a very comprehensive answer from them all, which didn't happen for everyone. You go girl! :-D And Julie Delpy sang a very beautiful song (that she wrote and played guitar with) near the end of the film. She has a wonderful voice. Apparently she has a CD out in Europe. Must look it up. I never really had any affinity toward Ethan Hawke before, but I have to say I found him very entertaining. He's very articulate, intelligent, and amusing. There was a great rapport with all three of them. You can tell they're very good friends. I'd love to see it again. Quite a few lines I missed from laughing at the last ones. It reminded me of Lost in Translation in the manner of 2 people, strangers or virtually strangers, meeting up and sharing an intimacy through conversation, exploring and sharing their own lives and relationships with another person. I wondered to Risa whether people who liked LIT would like this and vice versa whether people who didn't like LIT wouldn't like this either. She said she didn't like LIT, but loved this. I think this is out Wed or Friday. At least here it is. Will be counterprogramming to Spiderman 2, but think it might get crushed under that and the other stuff that has just come out. Maybe it'll get good word-of-mouth and build slowly like LIT did. Unfortunately, these stars won't be a draw like Bill Murray was, IMO.

Forgot to say it was filmed in Paris, hence the small streets and cafe. Wonderful scenery. Made me want to go back in a big way. *sigh*

Thanks Do! I was a fan of the first film and am very excited about seeing this one! So what was Risa's question?? And the answer?? Where is the Little Bee?? ;-)

Before Sunset got fabulous reviews by Ebert & Doper, saying it was better than the first and they hoped the series would continue a la Michael Apted's "Up" documentaries.

Interesting... "Scarlett Johansson is set to join the cast of Woody Allen's 36th movie, replacing Kate Winslet, who dropped out Friday. Winslet reportedly wanted to spend more time with her family. Johansson joins cast members Emily Mortimer and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers on the feature, which is due to begin production shortly at London's Ealing Studios."

Isn't she doing like 4 movies at once now? :-/

"Scarlett Johansson is set to join the cast of Woody Allen's 36th movie, replacing Kate Winslet, who dropped out Friday. Told you she wasn't "youthful" enough. ;-) So much for Woody wanting to work with all those British actors.

Wellll let's see, Woody was/is looking for a British actress who's young and can act... Keira?;-D!

"It's Good be Be Renee Zellweger" (don't I know it!) will be on tonight on E! at 10 p.m.

Thanks, but will be taping the boys at Nip/Tuck while out listening to Mr. Clapton jam at the Garden. :-D You know I have to say, KK looked eerily like RZ did in Chicago with the stick figure physique.

So much for Woody wanting to work with all those British actors. Hey, she bailed at the last minute; he needs to start shooting next week. Here's how the DePalma website is reporting it, as it releates to Black Dahlia: SCARLETT RUNS WITH WOODY THEN WILL SEGUE IMMEDIATELY INTO DAHLIA Woody Allen was reported to be furious with Kate Winslet last week for dropping out of his new untitled film project at the last minute. The production was set to begin filming next week in London, but now Scarlett Johansson has agreed to replace Winslet on short notice. According to a report in today's Variety, the film will shoot in July and August in London, and then "Johansson will segue immediately to The Black Dahlia, an adaptation of the James Ellroy novel to be directed by Brian De Palma." On a side note, Vilmos Zsigmond, who shot Allen's previous film, Melinda And Melinda (not yet released), will be the cinematographer on The Black Dahlia.

I think the time she spent on a three-page letter would have been better expended on one phone call.;-) Woody Furious with Winslet Hollywood legend Woody Allen is furious with British actress Kate Winslet after she pulled out of his forthcoming English film. The director is scheduled to begin filming on the untitled project in London next month and was shocked when the Oscar-nominated beauty announced last week she would be spending time with her family - daughter Mia and baby son Joe - instead of starring in the movie. According to British newspaper the Daily Mail, Allen was offended Winslet did not tell him of her decision face-to-face and opted to write a three-page letter to producer Nicky Barnes. A film source says, "She wrote that she didn't want to be away from her children and she was feeling frazzled after doing lots of PR for her last film Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. But if that's the case, why did she accept the part in the first place? She signed off by saying how miserable she was feeling about it all, which didn't go down at all well, given how much more miserable her decision has made everyone else involved in the picture."

(Dorine) Isn't she doing like 4 movies at once now? :-/ Were you counting SpongeBob SquarePants: The Movie in that total? I caught a bit on Cartoon Network (innocent bystander), she's voicing Mindy, Neptune's daughter.

(Dorine) Isn't she doing like 4 movies at once now? :-/ She's busy, busy...Mission Impossible 3???? By Liza Foreman LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Scarlett Johansson is set to join the cast of Woody Allen's 36th movie, replacing Kate Winslet, who dropped out Friday. Winslet reportedly wanted to spend more time with her family. Johansson ("Lost in Translation") joins cast members Emily Mortimer and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers on the untitled feature, which is due to begin production shortly at London's Ealing Studios. As is the case with Allen's movies, the story is being kept under wraps. Johansson recently signed on to do "Mission: Impossible 3." Other projects in which she is involved include "The Black Dahlia," "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" and "A Good Woman." Reuters/Hollywood Reporter http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=5543760

(Tress) She's busy, busy...Mission Impossible 3???? Wasn't it she who told Colin:"Gotta strike while the iron is hot."

(Evelyn) Wasn't it she who told Colin: "Gotta strike while the iron is hot." And Tom Cruise is still single...;-)

I think she wants to move into directing by the time she's 21. ;-)

Sort of tacked onto an article about the UK's distributor for Fahrenheit 9/11 (remember our friends at Optimum?): "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" is not the only Working Title movie that Miramax has flipped back to Universal. The Weinsteins also have sold back Dimension's one-third equity stake in Richard Loncraine's tennis romance "Wimbledon," starring Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany, as part of their wider effort to reduce their financial commitments. U toppers are more than happy to regain sole control of projects they were never desperate to share in the first place. In a familiar tactic, Miramax used its leverage with talent to get into the mix. With "Wimbledon," Miramax's involvement was the price of making Dunst available, as she owed the Weinsteins a movie. In the case of "Bridget," Miramax got North American rights to the original film in return for allowing John Madden to direct "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," and then replicated that deal for the sequel. Meanwhile, Madden is lining up to direct "The Amulet of Samarkand," which Mirage is producing for Miramax. "The Amulet of Samarkand" is the first book in the Bartimaeus trilogy, written by Jonathan Stroud, about a maverick genie and the upstart boy magician who summons him to wreak revenge on a powerful sorcerer. Regular Miramax scribe Hossein Amini is writing the screenplay. Madden is putting the finishing touches on Gwyneth Paltrow starrer "Proof" for Miramax and is in talks for "Amulet." A Miramax insider says although there's no deal yet, "He wants to do it and we want him to do it."

From Variety: Indie gets fired up Despite the blockbuster buzz for its "Fahrenheit 9/11," distributor Lions Gate Entertainment on Tuesday turned in a hefty net loss for its fiscal year as the company absorbed the costs of buying Artisan Entertainment and promoting a heftier-than-usual spring platter of wide theatrical releases. Investors, however, seem more than happy to wallow in the glow of "Fahrenheit" publicity, despite Lions Gate's only marginal upside exposure to the film's anticipated windfall. Company's shares rose to a six-year high of just under $7 on Monday, before settling back Tuesday to around $6.80. Lions Gate, a partner in the distribution of the snowballing political doc, reported total sales of $384.9 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004, compared to $293.1 million a year earlier. Much of the gain came thanks to one full quarter of sales from its $200 million acquisition of Artisan last December. Other fiscal 2004 drivers were theatrical releases of "Cabin Fever," "House of 1000 Corpses," "Girl With a Pearl Earring" and "The Cooler." Company's $94.2 million net loss for the year was chalked up to some $36 million in film marketing expenditures on five back-to-back releases, plus hefty Artisan-related charges. Total expenses in fiscal 2004 rose to $474.9 million from $279.8 million a year ago. On the bright side, the new super-indie said it was upping its revenue guidance for its current fiscal 2005 to $680 million from $650 million, citing "across-the-board" growth in all its divisions, but particularly home entertainment and theatrical. [Ed note: Not if I have anything to do with it.] Company also reported a fourth-quarter loss of about $51 million on revenue of $159 million, with several films ("The Punisher," "Godsend") hitting the expense line before their revenues will turn up on company's Q1 2005 income statement. Firm nevertheless said it was on track to deliver some $80 million in free cash flow for its fiscal 2005. Though limited to the rather fixed returns of a "standard studio distribution deal," Lions Gate CEO Jon Feltheimer on Tuesday described company's "Fahrenheit" returns as "a nice solid double." "We had four weeks to work on this, and the prints practically went out wet" said Feltheimer, adding the company recouped its P&A in the first weekend. "Fahrenheit" will expand to "north of 1,500" screens this weekend, with an estimated 2,000 expected for the following weekend. The docbuster will be "solidly profitable" for Lions Gate, though as a standard studio distrib deal its upside is limited. One Wall Street analyst estimated company's profit potential for the film "in the $3-plus million range." While Lions Gate is essentially getting only a fixed distribution fee on "Fahrenheit," the fringe benefits are considerable, Feltheimer reminded analysts and investors in the Tuesday conference call. He noted the sudden interest from filmmakers who now perceive Lions Gate as a company "doing interesting, provocative projects" and the extra promotional plug that will come virtue of embedded trailers for its August release "Open Water." [Ed note: LOL! Fixed distribution fee. Oh those wonderful unquantifiables should impress the analysts!] Lions Gate has tried so far in vain to secure the video/DVD deal for the Weinsteins' hot doc, but now seems resigned that the rights are likely to go to a major studio. "I've made it clear to Harvey and Bob (Weinstein) that we can do as well as any major," said Feltheimer. [Ed note: Still LOL! They're not getting bupkis!] Meanwhile, company has high hopes for "Open Water." Sea-based thriller about stranded deep-sea divers will be released on up to 2,000 screens. Another unusual summer wager, "The Cookout," an urban comedy staring Queen Latifah and Danny Glover, is slated for a wide, 1,000-plus-screen release for Labor Day weekend. Analysts at S.G. Cowen reckon "Open Water" needs to gross $18 million domestically for Lions Gate to meet its $80 million box office target for its four calendar-2004 wide releases. ("Fahrenheit" will make only a small contribution to that figure.) Company has already pre-sold foreign rights to "Open Water" for more than the $2 million the company paid to acquire the film. Six months into its integration of Gotham-based Artisan, company said it has completed most of its major structural changes and cutbacks. It insists that its balance sheet is in good shape, despite what some analysts described as higher-than-expected debt levels, and that it is now operating with the lowest proportion of general and administrative expenses of any major film company. Most investor eyes, however, are trained on 2005, its first full year operating with a fully integrated Artisan. Touting its low overhead and balanced mix of 15-18 franchise, arthouse, genre and urban/teen pics (half of which are acquired) Lions Gate is confident it can thrive in the Hollywood tentpole market, thanks in part to its cash-cow home entertainment catalog business. Feltheimer said he also hopes the message of "Fahrenheit" is that the company has the fiscal flexibility to be opportunistic about more daring purchases. Company said home entertainment is its primary growth engine, adding that it hopes to sign licensing deals similar to its recent direct-to-video pact with Marvel to drive future sales. The film and TV producer generates the vast bulk of its earnings off home entertainment sales from its now 8,000-title library. Some 500 of those titles contributed more than $100,000 in revenue apiece. Overall, video and DVD sales accounted for $223 million of the company's $385 million in total sales for its fiscal 2004. And thanks to the addition of Artisan, that home entertainment line is forecast to grow to as high as $500 million for fiscal '05. For its fourth quarter, homevideo earned $65 million in profits against $121 million sales. Its still-nascent TV production business generated $60 million in this year, largely from the success of USA's "The Dead Zone." Feltheimer believes company can double TV sales "in the next few years." In addition to a possible best pic nomination for "Fahrenheit 9/11," Feltheimer is pinning his Oscar hopes on three films on Lions Gate's fall slate: Billy Crudup/Claire Danes starrer "Stage Beauty" (October), Kevin Spacey's "Beyond the Sea" (Nov. 24) and "Fierce People," starring Diane Lane (December). As for the sequel to the somewhat disappointing "Punisher," company said it's waiting to see how the film performs overseas (distribbed by Sony) before determining the size and scope of "Punisher 2." Company is still waiting to see the international returns on "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," which it believes should sell well in video, packaged alongside its ever-popular predecessor. "We think it will be profitable, but not by a lot," Feltheimer said. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sorry, but couldn't suppress my glee. It couldn't have happened to a more deserving bunch IMO and hope 1Q home entertainment results fall short of expectations too.

Check out the three galleries of gender bending (courtesy of Photoshop) here: http://www.worth1000.com/cache/gallery/contestcache.asp?contest_id=3053&display=photoshop

Just popping in to say... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR LEAH

(Tress) "It's Good be Be Renee Zellweger" (don't I know it!) will be on tonight on E! at 10 p.m. Yes, the captures they showed from BJD were only of RZ with Huge!!!!

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadian drooleurs. I'm just off to Canada House in Trafalgar Square - it's actually a lot of fun spending it here in London, you should see the crowds and flags!

Bollucks

again?

Beedee: repost your message and I'll delete the one in 1862

Have a very happy birthday, Annette!

ENJOY A REALLY SPECIAL DAY Have fun Annette

A special party favor has arrived to light up your birthday Annette! And he's bearing gifts! I shall not be denied! To the lady Viola! I too brought a tasty favor! And I�d like nothing better than to share it with you, Happy Birthday Annette!

Testing

(Karen)Testing I would have put something in there but I was ROTF! After all of that work to reconstruct the message etc, to leave it blue...Thanks!

I don't care if the fleet's in....I'm on my way to Annette's party....

Hurray! It's Annette's Birthday!! Time to get ready to party...they're not my best ones, but I don't think she'll mind! Don't mind me...just trying to catch up!!

Some people debunny and some people debold. ;-)

Annette!!!! Sitting in the shadows thinking of you . . . Have a very Happy B'day! **Thanks to Firthissimo for the pic!

Happy birthday Annette! Best wishes for a rosy year! (hanging head in shame ;-) at the awful pun!) All the best!

Happy birthday Annette. Best wishes!

Thoughts of Annette on her birthday�. Have a lovely day!!

Tillykke med fodselsdagen, Annette! I hear that your weather today has been cool with clouds and rain, which, although it seems more pleasant than the weather where I am (hot, humid, and overcast), does not befit your birthday. Instead, can I give you a sunny summer day in Yorkshire with Birkin? You can take home some lovely art to remind you of the countryside, the lovely gardens abloom with the fragrant roses of July, and the green apples from when the summer ends, still warm from the sun. I hope you had a wonderful birthday! May the next year bring even more excitement!

Oops. Too much excitement! ;-)

Hope your day was wonderful. Happy Birthday, Annette!

I'll just have these wrapped, and we can be off to Annette's party Happy Birthday, Annette!

Dear Annette, we returned home just in time to celebrate here with you. The hell with Europe Cup 2004 we said, Annette comes first. Happy Birthday, Annette!

Annette, maybe after we celebrate your birthday, we can play in my paddling pool;-) Hope you had a great day!

Rather than feed the coffers of Spidey, I recommend you either go see The Terminal (v.g.) or seek out The Mother. Think I'll probably fit in a De-Lovely screening, as a vote against comic books this holiday weekend. Remmeber, I vote with my pocketbook.

Jumpers to close on July 11 . . . Give my regards to Broadway By Rodney Dalton July 03, 2004 ESSIE Davis is happy but exhausted, revelling in being in a Broadway play but itching to get back in front of a camera, to travel to exotic locations and speak different lines every day. For the rest of the article . . http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,9989882%255E16947,00.html

Marlon Brando has just passed away. . . Legendary actor Marlon Brando dies Considered greatest of all time NEWS WIRE SERVICES Marlon Brando, called by many the greatest actor of all time and best known for his roles in �On the Waterfront� and �The Godfather,� has died. He was 80. Brando died yesterday in Los Angeles, KPHO-TV reported. The cause of death wasn�t immediately known. Brando earned best actor Oscars for his performances as the ex-fighter in �On The Waterfront� (1954) and as mafia boss Don Vito Corleone in �The Godfather� (1972). Brando refused the second Oscar in protest of the federal government�s treatment of American Indians. He sent Sacheen Littlefeather to the awards ceremony to give his refusal speech, and she was booed off the stage. He was born in Nebraska in 1924 and made his Broadway debut in �I Remember Mama.� Brando�s big break came in his role as Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams�s �A Streetcar Named Desire� in 1947. He also starred in the film version in 1951. http://www.nydailynews.com/front/breaking_news/story/208465p-179750c.html

Oh my, I hadn't realized he was 80. Should be lots and lots of coverage today.

�On The Waterfront� (1954) and as mafia boss Don Vito Corleone in �The Godfather� (1972). Oh my. What a contribution he made. Streetcar, Teahouse of the August Moon, Guys and Dolls... what a range and risk taking.

I thought he was older. Saw a tabloidish pic of him in the last couple of weeks, in a wheelchair and maybe oxygen on. Didn't look well. I think they said he wasn't well, too.

Have seen De-Lovely, along with local AARP chapter, many of whose members liked to talk loudly during the movie, despite the "shushing" from others. This movie screams AA noms and perhaps wins for costume, art direction and makeup (aging of main characters). Nobody looks better than Ashley Judd in clothing of that period IMO. And the jewelry, Louisa! What I wouldn't give for a couple of the necklaces she wears. The film has a gimmick, where you have the old Cole Porter looking back on his life, as if it were being done as a musical. Strange as it sounds, it does work. Most of the music blends very well, though a few renditions I found totally aggravating or just plain grating, most notably: Robbie Williams, Elvis Costello and Sheryl Crow. The first two were supposed to be singers in a band playing at a function, but they weren't in in the background. They were featured way too much. Sometimes the screen was just filled with Robbie Williams mugging it up. Ugh! The best numbers were of the old Hollywood/Broadway musical variety, where ordinary people just burst into song. At the beginning, there's "Well Did You Evah" and then much later "Be a Clown" with Cole and Louis B. Mayer. Terrific! The funniest part of the movie is when Cole and Linda are screening the movie Night and Day, which they do show. Afterward, Cole asks Linda why Linda came back to Cole and she replies because he's Cary Grant! That entire segment got lots of laughs. There were some very intriguing usages of songs like Love for Sale, where they showed you the alternate meaning. As for casting, I had some quibbles. First off, could they possibly have tried to get someone who looked like he danced for the Russian ballet dancer who was all decked out for the Firebird like a Nijinksy? Or what about somebody with a better voice for Nelson Eddy? Then, Alan Corduner as Monty Wooley didn't but it for me. Maybe it was the fact that the real one appeared in Night and Day and is fixed in my memory. I hadn't known the movie was made in England. Lots of British actors, even a very small bit part for James Wilby. Kevin McNally (from Conspiracy) has a big party. Kevin Kline is fabulous in it, especially as he's not supposed to sing well as Cole Porter. However, at a scene near the beginning, when he's supposed to be very young (which none of the oldies really achieves) and is in bed with Ashley, they should've paid a bit closer attention to the hair on his chest and at his temples. Can see gray. ;-) Beware of the *cough cough* The wife dies of TB, so the first time you get the telltale *cough cough* you do have to get a grip. Since there's no way to avoid it, I thought AJ did a very good job and didn't Camille it up.

Have seen Spidey 2. Not the run- of- the -mill action movie by a long shot. Special effects are spectacular. A sweet romance with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunston (what a beauty!).

I must admit to having indulged in Spidey myself. Enjoyed it and agree it was a definite cut above the usual Superhero flick. I'm a big fan of TM and thought he did an excellent job adding depth to the character. There was an interesting scene that I thought must have been an homage to all the work he'd done 'buffing up' for the role. Quite gratuitiously, a long shot zoomed into his apartment window while he was undresssing. He lifted his short and for a brief moment you got a glimose of a very sculted physique. Thought the image had no other purpose than to silence his critics.

Sorry for the double post but here's an article from this week's NY TImes I thought applied to a lot of the discussions we have here. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/01/movies/01MEN.html Hollywood's He-Men Are Bumped by Sensitive Guys By SHARON WAXMAN OS ANGELES, June 30 � Once upon a time, and for a very long time at that, the American leading man had a square jaw, a glinty gaze and an imposing physique. But that has changed. The new generation of Hollywood's young leading men are soft of cheek, with limpid stares and wiry frames. Advertisement Tobey Maguire, who began swinging across thousands of American movie screens this week as the title character in "Spider-Man 2," is only one of a new crop of leading men who are remaking the central-casting image of what a male film star should look like. The new hero is less Tom Cruise, more Jake Gyllenhaal, less "Top Gun," more "Bubble Boy." Casting directors, agents and movie executives say that the shift has happened during the last decade as a generation of romantic and action heroes have passed into middle age, among them Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford and Kevin Costner. They have been replaced by young men who look and seem very different. There is the thoughtful, vegetarian Mr. Maguire, who turned 29 on Sunday, and the lanky Mr. Gyllenhaal, 23, a star in "The Day After Tomorrow." Other new-model leading men include Orlando Bloom, a slim British actor who stars in "Troy" this summer and was recently cast as the lead warrior in "Kingdom of Heaven," a Crusader epic directed by Ridley Scott; the baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio, who rose to fame as the artistic stowaway in "Titanic" and has been cast as Alexander the Great in a movie being developed by the director Baz Luhrmann; and the brooding Ryan Gosling, the romantic lead of "The Notebook," which opened on Friday. While there is always demand for Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, who are both over 40, Hollywood is an entertainment machine that is constantly hungry for new talent. When it comes to younger actors, studio chiefs and casting directors have begun to recognize that the traditionally masculine star has grown hard to come by. "They are always looking for the macho man, but they are pulling from this other group, who are strong but more overtly sensitive and more emotionally available, because that's what there is right now," said Debra Zane, a leading casting director who has worked on films like "American Beauty" and "The Terminal." "There's always the desire for the sort of Russell Crowe types, which is to say a man's man," she added. "They're always in demand. And in short supply. And why is that? I don't know why." These days Mr. Crowe, an Australian, seems to top the list of actors when studio executives cast about for big-screen virility. The others who make this shortlist also tend not to be American. "When we want a tough guy, we go to Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Colin Farrell," observed Jim Gianopulos, a co-chairman of Fox. Mr. Jackman, this summer's vampire killer in "Van Helsing," is Australian; Mr. Farrell, soon to star in another Alexander the Great film � this one directed by Oliver Stone � is Irish. "Whether it's coincidental or otherwise, one thing that is apparent is there aren't as many macho-driven stars from here as there are from other parts of the world," Mr. Gianopulos said. The new crop of pure action stars, like Vin Diesel and the Rock, have drifted into niche movies; Mr. Diesel's would-be summer blockbuster, "The Chronicles of Riddick," has been a bust. Some say the evolving style of the Hollywood leading man may reflect a more feminized American society, the rise of the metrosexual male and the absence, until recently, of war and true hardship in the last two decades of American life. Hollywood veterans draw a contrast with the generation of actors who came out of the Depression or wartime, when hardship could be read in the faces of stars like Humphrey Bogart and, later, Steve McQueen. "We have a lot of pretty guys running around with six-pack abs, but they lack authenticity and credibility," said Robert Newman, a leading agent at International Creative Management. "In the 1950's a lot of men had been in the war; some of them became actors. They lived hard lives. There was a weight that came out of it." He added, "When Steve McQueen took his shirt off, he's thin, he's not ripped. There's a hardness and danger about him because of who he was." Now the search goes on for a new Bogart or McQueen, but they are not easily found. "I'm casting a movie now and I need an 18-year-old Steve McQueen, and he doesn't exist," said Allison Jones, a casting director here. An actor like Mr. DiCaprio, she said, is "not going to be in the remake of 'Bullitt,' " referring to the 1968 crime film starring McQueen. "I'm looking for that again. It's killing me. I can't find them. It must be hard to find them in life." Warner Brothers has spent more than two months considering and rejecting well-known actors in their early 20's to play Superman in a big-budget revival of that studio's lucrative franchise. The search has been broadened to find an unknown who cuts a more traditionally heroic figure than Mr. Maguire or Mr. Gyllenhaal. "We're looking for a type consistent with the comic book," Alan Horn, president of Warner Brothers Entertainment, said. "Christopher Reeve fits that image," he said, referring to the studio's Superman in the 70's and 80's. "You have to believe he's tough when he fights." Warner took a chance in casting Christian Bale, a character actor in independent films, as the superhero of "Batman Begins," which is in production. Mr. Bale, who is Welsh, appears starvation-thin in the forthcoming indie "The Machinist" and played the deranged yuppie killer in "American Psycho." In casting Mr. Maguire in the first "Spider-Man" in 2002, Sony had an easier time: it needed a nerdy type to play Peter Parker, Spider-Man's alter ego, and Spider-Man wore a mask. But in the sequel Sony does not avoid showing Mr. Maguire's face: it is on one poster, and in the film the superhero is unmasked much of the time. "It was easy: Tobey Maguire is Peter Parker," Avi Arad, the film's producer, said. But Mr. Maguire, who emerged from delicate dramatic roles in movies like "The Cider House Rules" and "Wonder Boys," was initially considered an unlikely choice. When he came for a screen test, the studio chiefs were unconvinced, so Mr. Maguire � who had been spending time at the gym � peeled off his costume to reveal his muscles. The American leading man has been evolving for some time. Action heroes from the 1980's � Mr. Schwarzenegger, Mr. Stallone, Mr. Ford, Mr. Willis � have been analyzed endlessly by academics as screen heroes who allayed cold war anxieties and worked through unresolved Vietnam-era conflicts in the American psyche. But by the 90's, a more pampered decade, when Hollywood sought new stars to fill the shoes of those action heroes, the studio machinery seemed to have broken down. Natural leading men like Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp shied away from using their good looks to hone traditional movie careers, frequently playing against type. Mr. Pitt, who plays Achilles in "Troy," has only rarely taken on the screen-hero persona. "When we were casting for Achilles, I literally couldn't think of anyone other than Brad Pitt, provided he'd let his hair grow and gain weight," Mr. Horn said. "He had to look like a god." Advertisement Other actors promoted as leading men in the 90's � including Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey and Matt Damon � have not quite resonated with American audiences: their movies have not been consistent blockbusters, and their faces do not lure major foreign financing, the sign of a true international star. One thing that has not changed is that the new leading man is almost always white. Denzel Washington and Will Smith, who are black, regularly star in big-budget movies, but no younger leading black actors are being cast. And there are exceptions to any Hollywood trend. Tom Hanks, the American Everyman, is as big a star as they come. Industry veterans see the current crop of actors as connected in some way to Dustin Hoffman, who in the 70's changed the leading-man mold, and even to the more ethnic Marlon Brando and the sexually ambivalent James Dean in the 50's. Others point out that with so many women running Hollywood studios, a more feminine sensibility may have crept into the casting decisions. "The access of women at the very top of the food chain at the studios � Amy Pascal at Sony, Nina Jacobson at Disney, Stacey Snider at Universal, Sherry Lansing at Paramount � has to mean a leavening of the testosterone effect," said Peter Guber, a producer and host of the AMC cable talk show "Sunday Morning Shootout." "Their impact is felt. It's not by design, not as a cabal; it just references their taste. Some of the male leads tend not just to a right-brain but a left-brain sensibility." Now, with about 140,000 American troops in Iraq, some analysts predict that the trend will shift once again, as the experience of war filters down through the popular culture. "It's certainly possible that the second gulf war is going to turn the cultural definition of masculinity in new ways," Robert Sklar, a professor of cinema studies at New York University, said. "We're seeing a kind of sacrifice and heroism by young people that we haven't seen in a long time in this country. That's going to impact on the kinds of stories screenwriters write, and the kind of actors we need to play them."

Others point out that with so many women running Hollywood studios, a more feminine sensibility may have crept into the casting decisions. Thought it hasn't affected *what* movies they make. :-( Thanks, Leslie, for posting the article, though I don't buy much of it. They cast what they want to cast and it has little to do with the pool of "talent" available. The writer seems to forget that many of her leading men didn't start out as rock-hard types. "I'm casting a movie now and I need an 18-year-old Steve McQueen Maybe if she saw an 18-year-old McQueen, she would change her mind. They're superimposing mature men onto mere boys. There's the flaw.

(Leslie)I'm a big fan of TM and thought he did an excellent job adding depth to the character. Agree, though I'm not a fan of Toby Maguire. In this film he inhabited his character more than in any other film I've seen him in. Terrific supporting cast too; Alfred Molina ,great actor as Doc Oc. *Spoiler* Can't imagine what they'll do for Spidey 3 now that he has revealed himself to Mary Jane and Harry.

Haven't seen the movie yet but if Raimi is still following the comic books for Spidey 3, some things that could happen... -Peter and Mary Jane get married, she's stalked by some nutcase, who 'kills' her and then keeps her locked up in a luxury penthouse. -Harry becomes Green Goblin 2, gets addicted to drugs...goes insane...dies. -Curt Conners ingests some strange formula, becomes The Lizard, lives in the sewers. -Jameson's son gets a red gem stuck in his chest and becomes Manwolf. -Aunt May loses house..finds out Peter is Spidey..has innumerable heart attacks..dates Doc Ock (if he's not dead) -Spidey and Wolverine battle it out..also fights Hulk...Daredevil...Fantastic Four...everybody Don't think there'll be a problem finding a story;-) showing just how much I know about Spiderman;-P

I also saw and enjoyed SM2. Did I feel sorry for Peter Parker! Looking forward to SM3. But De Lovely is on my list as soon as it gets to "Versailles Town". ;-) "When Steve McQueen took his shirt off, he's thin, he's not ripped. There's a hardness and danger about him because of who he was." Definitely. Steve was one hell of a cool guy. He had the cool smarts and these young stars if you hear them on the talk shows are just boring middle of the road types. And those stories they think are funny or entertaining??? Plus, I can't undestand the attraction of Van Diesel and the Rock. I find Colin Farrell such white trash that it blocks me from believing any roles he's in. Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon and Leo Di Caprio are not handsome enough to tempt me either. I will go with the foreigners, Hugh Jackman, Viggo M., Jeremy Northham and our very DB. Thanks, Leslie.