The Middle Finger at the Super Bowl: Thumbs Down
Even as the New York Giants pulled off a thrilling come-from-behind, down to the last play win inIndianapolis, what Super Bowl XLVI may be remembered for nearly as much are its record ratings for the NBC broadcast, the M.I.A bird flip during the Madonna halftime show and the Clint Eastwood Chrysler commercial. With :30 spots going for a pricey $3.5 million each, the majority of those that seemed to resonate most were for...
Tilda Swinton + Italian Jewelry = A Champagne-Soaked Night
The ethereal Tilda Swinton, dressed in luminous white on a balmy night, brought her unique blend of sophistication and beauty to the opening of a new jewelry store on Rodeo Drive. Swinton, starring in this season’s “We Have to Talk About Kevin,” is the face of the jeweler, Pomellato, and wore two of its signature chunky jeweled chains around her neck while greeting guests as the host of the event, which benefited LA’s Museum of...
A Controversial Show Vindicated (Again) by Awards Gold
It was Michel Hazanavicius’ night at the DGA Awards. Yes, you better learn how to pronounce the French director’s six syllable name of Lithuanian origin already. More on that in a moment. It would be an understatement to say that “The Kennedys” began as a very rough road for Jon Cassar and everyone else involved in the production of the mini-series about the presidency of JFK, starring Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes as...
Cirque du Soleil OVO: A Smashing Success in Santa Monica
Cirque du Soleil is known for its artistic, visual and acrobatic extravaganzas, and its latest tent show, called “OVO,” adds a vivid new entry to the repertoire of the Québec-based performing arts company. Opening night on January 20 under the yellow and blue big tent, or Grand Chapiteau, at the Santa Monica Pier was star-studded. Josh Brolin, Diane Lane, Hilary Swank, Heather Graham, Neil Patrick Harris and Ali Landry were among the...
Gervais Gets Neutered, Silence is Golden for The Artist
It was the second coming of Ricky Gervais to the emcee podium of the Golden Globe Awards, or actually, the third. After last year’s controversial performance, people forget that the British comedian also hosted the 2010 edition of the kudocast. The hyped-up fascination of who he would offend this year paid off again in the ratings, with Nielsen estimating that about 16.8 million viewers tuned in to Sunday night’s...