Monday's This & That

Whilst I deal with Monday's "dog-eat-dog" feeling, how's abouts we see what's floating around the interwebs?

Let's start with this article of some "secrets" of Lucy and Ricky...you have to click a billion times to get them all, but hey - you had nothing better to do, right?

Here are 25 cocktail recipes that apparently everyone should know.  Study them all for the test on Friday (when you can drink yourself in to oblivion over the weekend).

So you like to read about grisly deaths on set, do you?  Well then this article is for you...some you may have heard of, others not so much.  Unfortunately, most deaths are from dear stuntmen just doing their job.

And lastly, here's a list of 10 Audrey Hepburn Quotes with fabulous photos of her to peruse. #3's about makeup is particularly inspirational.

Enjoy!

Wednesday's This & That

I'm still preparing for my favorite holiday, Halloween!  So while I wait, let's see what's floating around the internet...

Apparently, we Americans are spending a boatload of money this year for Halloween, mostly attributed to the fact that it falls on Friday.  2.2 BILLION DOLLARS are predicted to be spent this year on candy alone.  If you're a dentist, it's time to jack up your prices, because you'll be getting a lot of customers by January 2015.

Halloween on a Friday also means more parties, more events, and a lot more people dressing up in costume. Studies show that "consumers this year are spending $1.4 billion on adult costumes compared to $1.1 billion for children's costumes."

As far as costumes you should probably avoid, there's the offensive (like the Ray Rice costume), the newsworthy (in a Hazmat suit for the Ebola scare), and the downright pointless (crazy Amanda Bynes).  Choose wisely, my friends!

Monday's This & That

So I'm getting ready for Halloween here at the Lounge...meanwhile, let's see what the heck is going on around the interwebs, with a special Halloween Costume Edition!

Do you dress up for Halloween? If so, what will you be?  It happens to be my favorite holiday, so I will of course be dressing up.  My closet is so full of costumes that the options are endless.  It looks like, for kids, "Frozen" is still holding the prize as most popular costume this year.

Subway is playing up on female insecurity in its new ad.  They say there was no ill-will intended, but the basic premise is that we all should be dressing slutty for Halloween, so their reasoning seems pretty paper thin.  I don't mind dressing up in a slutty costume (as my pictures have demonstrated), but I don't feel that you need to be a size 2 to do so.  And, by the way, Subway is one of the least "freshest" places to eat, so they really shouldn't be promoting any kind of fitness or weight-loss regimen anyway.  *end rant*

But for those of you who'd rather not whore it up for Halloween, there are plenty of alternatives for you!  I especially like costumes that you can make yourself.

...And just when you thought the Ice Bucket Challenge craze was over, there is -- of course! -- the Ice Bucket Challenge costume to stretch those 15-minutes even further.

Let me know what you'll be dressing up as in the comments!

Friday's This & That

It's Friday!  Now let's see what's floating around the interwebs?

Well, it looks like another of Steve McQueen's cars is up for auction.  They speculate 1967 Ferrari could go for anywhere between $8 and $12 million when it goes to auction later this month at the RM Auctions annual Monterrey sale in California.  "Chianti-colored" (that's dark red for you non-wine drinkers), it was a gift given to him when he was filming Bullitt.

Emma Ferrer, granddaughter of Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer, is going to appear on the September cover of Harper's Bazaar.  Check out the multiple news links to verify, but it definitely looks just like her grandma. The 20-year-old art student doesn't seem to be making modeling a full-time career -- as this is her first photo shoot of its kind -- and with those genes, she definitely should consider making it a full-time thing.

Always looking for great books to bring me back to the Golden Age, I found this great list at Huff Post Books of 8 Books That Will Transport You to Old Hollywood.  I've already read Errol Flynn's My Wicked Wicked Ways, and it was pretty good.  I hope I can get to the others.

Happy Friday, and have a great weekend!

Wednesday's This & That

Happy Windsday! While I deal with this unusual weather, here's what's happening around the internet...

Slater, Missouri's fourth annual Steve McQueen Days begin April 24! Slater is the childhood home of actor Steve McQueen, and the annual event last two days. The schedule includes a Happy 80th Birthday Dinner Buffet, a car show and bike show, wine tasting, bike rodeo, and a Steve McQueen Memorial Highway Dedication. Learn more at www.cityofslater.com.

And eerily timed with the recent findings of what is believed to be Sean Flynn's remains, a movie based on Errol Flynn's son Sean will premiere at the Cannes Festival, entitled "The Road to Freedom." The remains found in Cambodia, where Sean last was seen, are still being verified by scientists.

And pictures have surfaced of Kate Winslet shooting the HBO remake "Mildred Pierce," the role originated by Joan Crawford.

Hopefully these news items send a chill up your skirt!

Tuesday's This 'n' That, Ya'll!

We're saddling up for a special edition of This & That! Today's post features our favorite King of Cool, Steve McQueen... Because of his recent birthday (March 24), there's a lot floating around on the internet about the actor.

...He is featured in these never-before-seen photos on the Life magazine website -- some racier than others (one almost NSFW). You also get a peek at his personal life with first wife Neile Adams. I can't imagine any celebrity today allowing such carte blanche.

...Check out the Steve McQueen Blog-a-thon featured at The Cooler...a great blog for movie info and trivia, especially centered around Steve McQueen.

...And don't forget to check out the post I put up yesterday on SorryIGotDrunk, about a bar inspired by McQueen's film Bullitt. Better yet, check it out daily (or two or three times a day), because, not only do I post there often, but the site just rocks!

Yee-haw!!

Monday's This & That

As I enjoy the nice Spring weather, let's take a peek at what's around the 'net.

HBO is casting for their mini-series Mildred Pierce, that will star Kate Winslet in the role that won Joan Crawford a Best Actress Oscar. HBO did really well with the 're-imagining' of Grey Gardens starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore. Let's hope this one does Ms Crawford justice, as well. Not familiar with Mildred Pierce? See a (hilarious) dubbed over part of the film featured in a previous post.

And speaking of unnecessary remakes, Dermot Mulroney is in talks to star in a 'reboot' of The Rockford Files TV series, taking over James Garner's famous role. Also to star is Beau Bridges. House creator David Shore will be a part of the 70s remake, and Steve Carell will executive produce.

Apparently Disney is making their newest fairytale flick "less princessy." They've changed the title from the classic "Rapunzel" to Tangled in an attempt to attract more boys to theaters. We'll see if it works. Critics speculate that its animation will be the real test, as the film is being done using traditional hand-drawn style animation, and critics say the style is of something that this generation of kids may not be accustomed. A teaser trailer is appearing on The Princess and the Frog DVD for the Fall release, but you can see it here, as well.

And the role previously thought to be taken by Keira Knightley may now be going to Carey Mulligan. The role? In another remake, of course. This one being My Fair Lady. The role Mulligan is close to signing was originally perfected by Julie Andrews on stage and Audrey Hepburn on film.

Got any NEW ideas, Hollywood?

Thursday's This & That

We're ready for Halloween! This is one of our favorite days, and it's approaching fast!! What are you gonna be for Halloween?

Pixie was kind enough to adorn us with a wonderful Kreativ Blogger Award! Thanks, dearie! Now we just have to list 6 Things We Enjoy:

1. Halloween!
2. Drinking a Vodka Collins
3. Confusing Dyno
4. Procrastinating
5. Old movies with happy endings
6. Flirting

So do you think you deserve the Kreativ Blogger Award? How about our very own You're the Shit Award? (See both of these on the bottom right.) Leave a comment directing me to your blog, and I'll check it out! I love exploring new places!

Now stop staring at my gams and comment, dammit!

Monday's This & That

Things are really ramping up around here... I'm getting ready for a well-deserved 2 1/2-week vacation, and that means cranking away at work to get all my shtuff done so I can get the hell outta Dodge! As a result, I haven't found much time to do anything fun lately, but I have found a few choice tidbits of frivolity here and there...

Lighters, handbags, coasters, and other goodies featuring pin-up girls, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, and more retro characters are for sale at PinupgirlLighters.com. They're enough to make smoking cool again!

Go back in time by checking out these WWII posters...

And Wired provides us with Air Hostesses of Yesteryear. Fly the friendly skies with an air of nostalgia!

Well, back to my march... And remember, VOTES FOR WOMEN!

Monday's This & That

While we try to beat the heat here in the Lounge with a little dip, take a look at what's going on...

The Rat Pack Ultimate Collectors Edition is now on sale at Amazon.com, and includes "Oceans 11," "Robin and the 7 Hoods," "4 for Texas," and "Sergeants 3."

And it's been 45 years since the fantastic war adventure "The Great Escape" was released. Steve McQueen heads up an all-star cast that includes James Garner, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, and many others. Watch it on AMC this Sunday. Check local listings for time. (Tonight on AMC is "The Magnificent Seven," also with McQueen, Coburn, and Bronson. Check AMC's website to see what time in your area!)

And I saw "Iron Man" over the weekend. Loved it! It's the perfect summer blockbuster movie. Good to see Robert Downey, Jr. back in action. Can't wait for the sequels.

Monday's This & That

So let's dive in to the latest floating around the internet...

More classics being redone... ContactMusic.com reports:
A musical version of the classic Audrey Hepburn movie "Roman Holiday" has been staged in London. The 1953 film was Hepburn's first starring role and earned her a Best Actress Oscar for her performance alongside Gregory Peck. And now the movie has become the latest legendary picture to be transformed into a West End show, with the story interspersed with the classic songs of Cole Porter. "Roman Holiday"'s London debut follows the musical version of "Gone With The Wind," which opened there earlier this month.

Music by Cole Porter? Has to be good...

Joan Crawford's arch-rival Bette Davis gets her own box collection released on DVD. The set includes "All About Eve," "Phone Call from a Stranger," "The Virgin Queen," "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte," and "The Nanny." (Available on Amazon.com for $36.99 as of this posting.)

...And Disney's going green with their new film label Disneynature, which will produce nature documentaries about environmentalism. (If you've ever been to Walt Disney World and ridden on some of the rides, you'll see this was a long time coming.) The first of seven films that are to revive the classic nature documentary style will be Earth, set for release on Earth Day (April 22, 2009). "The movie focuses on a yearlong journey of three mothers -- a polar bear, elephant and humpback whale with their offspring." Awwww.....

Thursday's This & That: Disney Edition!

I know I've been all about the "This & That" lately, but there's just so much cool stuff going on! And today's edition is all about Disney.First of all, there are more Anne Leibovitz photos on the web for the Disney Parks campaign. (I took the "Snow White" one with Rachel Weisz and 'sweep-a-fied' it, above.) Can't wait to see more of these!

The Hollywood Reporter reports "Comic book legend Stan Lee has set up three projects at Disney, which houses his production shingle POW! Entertainment...The projects are based on stories and ideas from Lee, who will executive produce." The stories are: "Nick Ratchet," revolving around the exploits of a private eye, and action-adventure project called "Blaze," and "Tigress" (working title), that follows a woman who starts getting tiger-like instincts.

The University of Rochester's Campus Times has taken time to discuss the Top 10 Disney Princesses: who's the hottest. (Unfortunately pinup girls impersonating Disney princesses were not applicable.) Oddly enough, they listed many in the top 10 that are not even princesses: Jessica Rabbit, Tinkerbell, and Jane from "Tarzan" to name a few... So check out the list and then tell us who you think is the hottest in the comments!

Wednesday's This & That

April is here, and so are the wonderful unseasonable Santa Ana winds!

No, I didn't play any April Fool's jokes this year...except on the Lounge MySpace page, where I confessed that I am really a 45-year-old man from Duluth. But no one fell for it...I guess that's a good thing.

Some interesting sites are up and running... Disney fans will love Stuff From the Park, an often nostalgic look with "a collection of images and other items from Disneyland, theme parks and other amusement parks."

It's not very up-to-date (it still doesn't have Season 3 up), but there's a new wiki online for one of the greatest sitcoms on television today, How I Met Your Mother. Chock-full of Barneyisms, trivia, and other fun stuff. Still not as good as the Barney blog on the network site, but it's a start.

And comedy fans will be ecstatic over Comedy Juice, the essential guide to comedy in the universe. Watch videos, read up on your favorite humorists, and find out who's performing when. Very funny, very cool.

I have also just been hired as The Swingin' Capybaras' graphic artist, commissioned to assist in designing their album covers. So far I've completed their latest albums released "Under the Wizard's Cloak, Vol. 3" and "By the Light of My Monster Truck." Check out their MySpace page for all the good stuff.

Enjoy surfing!

Thursday's This & That: Steve McQueen Edition!

Chad McQueen (son of Steve) and The Terry McQueen Testamentary Trust have gone to court to stop an apparel manufacturer from using Steve McQueen's name and likeness to promote its products without their consent. The Italian-based clothing company, Belstaff USA Corp, has used The King of Cool's in its marketing of jackets, coats, sweaters, T-shirts, pants and shoes. Steve McQueen's daughter Terry died in 1998, leaving her rights and assets to her daughter, Molly Flattery, through The Terry McQueen Testamentary Trust.

More news on the Steve McQueen Festival! The Missouri town of Slater's second annual Steve McQueen Day birthday celebration begins tomorrow, Friday, March 28. The event kicks off with a 5:30 p.m. barbecue dinner, followed by a talent show at 6 p.m.

On Saturday there will be a 5K run at 8 a.m. A car show starts at 9 a.m. at the 2008 Bullitt Mustang display. At 10 a.m., the vintage motorcycle display opens and vendors open up their booths.

There will also be a showing of the animated children's cartoon "Cars" featuring "Lightning McQueen," a bike awards show, showings of "The Blob" and "Tom Horn," and Richard Martin's documentary "Portrait of an American Rebel," and an auction of McQueen memorabilia. The day will end with a McQueen look-alike contest. (If you or anyone you know looks like Steve McQueen, let us know in the comments!)

In attendance will be McQueen's stunt double, Loren Janes, biographer Marshall Terrell, military pal Cliff Anderson, film producer Richard Martin, and McQueen's widow, Barbara McQueen, who will sign copies of her book about her late husband.

At an early age, McQueen was sent to Slater, Missouri to be raised by his Uncle Claude on a farm when his mother's alcoholism made her unable to care for him anymore. After he left Slater, McQueen spent some time at California Junior Boys Republic (optimistically described as "a home for wayward boys"), and the McQueen family still supports the work of the organization. Proceeds of some of the festival events will benefit the home.

Tuesday's This & That

Sorry we've been distant for a while. But let's look into the crystal ball and see what's going on around the internet...

Disney is going to be expanding their web content, featuring some of their vintage television shows for full viewing on their site. Chief executive Robert Iger didn't reveal which shows in particular, but they own the rights to shows like "Zorro," "Davy Crockett," and "The Mickey Mouse Show." They've already provided some of their shows from ABC and Disney Channel to iTunes for purchase, but this would make them accessible for free!

Also in Disney news, the Pixar movie "Toy Story" will be made in to a musical, featured for now only on the Disney cruise line. This is after turning their other movies in to musicals ("Lion King", "Beauty & the Beast," "Mary Poppins," and the latest "The Little Mermaid"). What's even funnier (or stupider) is that besides re-releasing old movies "from the vault," Disney has begun making their stage musicals back to a feature film live-action musical. (There have been hints that Disney is making the stage musical of "Beauty and the Beast" in to a live-action version, featuring Anne Hathaway as Belle.) Okay, Disney, are you ready for any original ideas yet?

Enough about Disney. Target has some great Audrey Hepburn items for sale to decorate your home. Some cheap, some not-so-cheap. But you can't beat Target prices, right?

And the Joan Crawford Collection, Vol. 2 is now available, featuring five discs of our favorite diva. The set also comes with a couple of documentaries, cartoons, and vintage shorts.

Thursday's This & That

As I'm spending a little time pampering myself, I can daydream about all the things floating around the internet...

Yay! The video game website play™ reports: "A new Guitar Hero-rival designed for kids has been revealed for the DS and the Wii by Disney. The new game will arrive in autumn." It's called Ultimate Band, and even though "the rhythm-action title is aimed at teenagers and younger kids," I still want it, because it's probably perfect for my skill-level...

And MSTK: The Movie (in widescreen, thankyouverymuch!) is available for pre-order from Amazon.com. "Normal view...normal view...NORMAL VIEW!!"

Well, my birthday's coming up... (*hint hint*)

P.S. Wow, my ass is really hanging out in this picture.

Tuesday's This & That

I'm just getting ready for Valentine's Day...so in the meantime, let's see what's going on around the internet.

Pixie sent me this really fun Advertising Slogan Generator. The first slogan that popped up for me was Get Busy With the Sweepea! Now how can I argue with that??

To prepare yourself for Valentine's Day, check out our post from last year romantically entitled WTF is with Valentine's Day? It's sure to lift your hearts and inspire your spirit. Or it's just something to read for a minute or two.

And in the spirit of our first Valentine's Day post, here's the other valentine from the same Simpson's episode.

Tuesday's This & That

Once again, I'm sick. Why do germs always seem to find me? It's like every month I have a cold. Every time the weather changes, or there's a lot of wind, or someone sneezes, I seem to catch a virus.

So are you gonna vote today? I guess I should. Women sacrificed a lot to allow us to vote. Not to get too political (because I hate the subject), but I don't like any of the candidates. I just can't agree on anything that one guy is saying over another. It's like one guy will stand for something I like, but another guy will stand for something else I like. Especially living in a state as large as California, I barely feel like my one vote counts. But I guess it's my duty as an American. Maybe if I was feeling better I'd be more pumped about it.

I've been watching a lot of old movies again. I cracked open my Esther Williams collection and showed Dyno the magic of "Bathing Beauty" -- my favorite of Esther's. Dyno liked the comedic parts of Red Skelton. I had to tell him the importance of the swimming scenes; how Esther revolutionized synchronized swimming and was a huge success every time she dove in to a pool.

Oh yeah, and I'm probably moving this summer. I've decided to find some new digs...I'm sick of my manager, the apartment's too small, and they raised my rent. The place never had the right amount of drama as the last place. No character.

Well, off to make some more tea with honey and then pretending to work...

Friday's This & That

Well we're still doing a bit of redecorating around here, so pardon the dust. Until we get things straightened up, why don't we take a look around...

Thanks to Matthew for correcting me in the previous post...DVD's of Cinematic Titanic are available NOW! And speaking of Cinematic Titanic, the other half of the former MST3K crew (led by Mike Nelson) has been putting together RiffTrax: downloadable "riffs" that you can synch up with a movie to get that MST3K experience in your own home. Go to their site to see some great examples; there are also a lot on You Tube (just search under "rifftrax").

And for more fun at the expense of movies (or, as Dane Cook calls them "Cinematic Adventures"), go to The Trailer Mash for...well, mash-ups of trailers, obviously.

And lastly, for all those of you who read this blog regularly but haven't yet signed up to be my friend on The Lounge MySpace page...here's a reminder to do so: SIGN UP TO BE A FRIEND OF THE LOUNGE FOR PETESAKE. (Sheesh.) You'll be able to see many more slutty pictures of me and you'll hear some awesome tunes. Can't beat that, right?

Thursday's This & That

Come an' get a thick, heaping bowl of This & That!

A recent survey conducted in London confirms that no one likes clowns. (Just as an aside, I considered using a 'scary clown' picture here, but when looking for clown pictures, I came across some that were so disturbing that I couldn't even use them as an example of a scary clown. Nightmare Fuel, party of one!)

Also something to freak you out...a girl donning a leash who calls herself her fiance's pet gets booted off the bus, then gets an apology from the city for discriminating against her beliefs. What???

To get those disturbing images outta your head, how about looking at the trailer for Mamma Mia? Can't wait for this flick!