Britney. Must. Be. Stopped.
Cynthia McMullen
May 14, 2008 6:16 PM
So Britney ran into another innocent driver—again—yesterday. Her Mercedes Benz coupe rear-ended a Ford 
Explorer in Beverly Hills. My guess—since she didn’t have a child in her lap—is that she was reaching for her 27th Starbucks of the day and just did not notice that pesky 2 tons’ worth of metal in front of her.
Or ... and here’s a theory worth investigating ... did she hit Drew Barrymore? I would’ve jumped on that one—made sense to me—except Drew was hit from behind on Monday. Of course, it still could’ve been Ms. Spears. That one gets around.
Seriously, somebody needs to take her driver’s license and grind it into tiny pieces, impound her car and put a lock on her front door till she gets some sense. Sure, I feel bad for Britney. She needs help. But does that make it OK to put others’ lives in danger?
Ooh, ooh, this just in!
Cynthia McMullen
May 13, 2008 4:48 PM
Forget what I said in the previous entry, Shayne Lamas’ career is clearly burgeoning.
This just in from Santa Monica, Calif.:
“Newly engaged actress Shayne Lamas, who was selected over 24 other girls for a marriage proposal by Matt Grant in the season finale of ABC TV’s popular ‘The Bachelor’ series, has chosen the Girls Gone Wild Magazine for her national print debut.
“Shayne says she decided to pose for Girls Gone Wild because ‘To me, Girls Gone Wild is about fun and freedom. It’s a way for a girl to express confidence in herself.’ The magazine contains no nudity.”
I’m more nonplussed by that last statement than I am about Shayne’s posing for the mag. How can it be Girls Gone Wild sans naked women? Do they paste those rectangular blocks—the one you see in the TV commercials—over each and every girly part?
Oh, wait, here you go: “Each issue of the magazine comes packaged with an exclusive, uncensored Girls Gone Wild DVD.” So I guess the magazine is just an entree to the vids.
Shayne is even classier than I thought. We can only hope Matt Grant agrees.
Matt, oh, Matt, what were you thinking?
Cynthia McMullen
May 13, 2008 4:28 PM
I watched the finale of “The Bachelor” last night. Yes, I admit it. Mock, if you will.
What can I say, I’m a romantic at heart. As little chance as true love has in this artificial world where bachelor-meets-25-lovely-ladies-whittles-them-down-to-one-and-lives-happily-(ha!)-forever-after, hope springs eternal for me. But c’mon, Matt, what were you thinking?
In this edition of the ABC show, global financier Matt Grant of London, 27, comes to America to find himself a 
bride. After weeks of painful and so-not-dramatic rose ceremonies, he pops the question on bended knee. And wouldn’t ya know it, 22-year-old Shayne Lamas of Malibu, Calif.—whose initial appearance even forces Matt’s big bro, Simon, to comment on her ever-so-bleached-blondness—ends up with the hunka-hunka diamond engagement ring.
Shayne, according to Shayne, is an actress. She is not there, she says, to enhance her career, despite papa Lorenzo Lamas’ comment to the contrary: “I think it was the idea of being on television that was very enticing to her.”
What acting career, you say? Yeah, I was curious, too, never having heard of her. Here’s what I found, courtesy of http://www.imdb.com: Shayne has appeared in two episodes of “Air America,” 18 episodes of “General Hospital” and three films I’m pretty sure you never heard of: “Endless Bummer” (in which she plays the no-doubt pivotal role of Red Bikini Girl), which apparently has been released but who knows where; “The 13th Alley,” somewhere between completion and release; and “Deep in the Valley,” in post-production.
You know the latter is Oscar-bound. It also stars one of the interchangeable Kardashian brood and, just to sweeten the pot, Tracy Morgan.
Matt, Matt, Matt. I’d like to think this is going somewhere – despite the best attempts of reality TV, I’m still that romantic at heart – but c’mon, let’s not kid ourselves. Your chances of marrying Shayne might not be quite as bad as 300-to-1, as one handicapper is predicting. But I’m guessing they’re slim.
So enjoy your little American tartlet while you can – sorry, make that little American “monkey.” (Yes, he DID propose this way: “Monkey, will you marry me?” Which might be the biggest reason of all that the relationship is most likely doomeddoomeddoomed.)
A new season of “The Bachelorette” premieres next week. Having just come off “The Bachelor,” I might have to skip it. Sometimes you just have to say no.
Weekend warrior?
Cynthia McMullen
May 05, 2008 12:59 PM
Not exactly. But I did have enough plans to keep me from having time to trim my Bradford pear tree. (Poor tree, I’ll be home soon!)
Here’s some of what I learned in my wanderings:
A. First Fridays Artwalk is still going strong. As always, it’s lovely to see people—all ages, all stages—out and about on the streets of downtown Richmond. I had my first listen to the Happy Lucky Combo and got my first look at the Artwalk’s new market (in a parking lot next to 1708 Gallery). A great addition to the proceedings, it offered fresh eggs, kale, carrots, lettuce ... just the thing to pick up when you’re out perusing art but thinking omelets and salad.
B. I’ve only been to Black Finn once— and that was for a sad occasion— so I’m probably not the best judge of what it has to offer. But my hairdresser, Deborah, hangs out at the Shockoe Bottom restaurant and bar on weekends. So it has to be a happenin’ place.
C. My friend Lisa’s husband prefers NASCAR to Shakespeare. Who’d-a thunk it? But Olaf’s preference for strong odors and headgear paved the way for me to attend Richmond Shakespeare’s annual Bard Bash. Artistic director Grant Mudge unveiled the company’s new eight-minute promotional film (nicely done!), which emphasizes the importance of making Shakespeare accessible, even to young’uns. Especially to young’uns. (The educational component is headed up by the enthusiastic Cynde Liffick). Bobbie Barajas—you know, from WCVE-FM?—hosted the event; it was fun to meet the woman behind the voice.
D. Even Patrick Dempsey has his off days. I know, I can hear the screaming from here. But seriously, even 
McDreamy has trouble pulling off hefty, wavy bangs when they obscure his beautiful forehead and detract from those lovely blue eyes. *Sigh.* Still, it was fun to see him take one fall after another—except the final fall, which proved one fall too many—in “Made of Honor.”
<<<< Dempsey with good hair
E. West Tower is my third favorite cinema (Byrd Theatre first, Westhampton second)—mainly because it doesn’t have 25 screens the size of your Uncle Ned’s big-screen TV and you don’t have to wait in a line
that snakes around the lobby three times. That said, the building could use a good airing. As soon as we walked in, I got a strong whiff of eau de stale popcorn. Hmm, maybe a few appropriately placed air fresheners would help.
F. Zorba’s (Greek and Italian restaurant) at Tuckernuck Square still has some of the best rolls in town. And its hummus appetizer makes for a great meal.
G. This was PetSmart’s National Adoption Weekend. I have two cats who pretty much take up every square inch of my house—but if I had room, I know I could’ve found the perfect canine. PetSmart’s Short Pump location was finding new homes for some gorgeous doggy-dogs this weekend. To them all, I say, “Happy tails to you!”
This dog was not at PetSmart, but I like his looks. He won first place in a canine fashion show in Manila, Philippines, last week. >>>>
Watch what you wish for.
Cynthia McMullen
April 29, 2008 4:22 PM
So herOrbit.com, a women’s social network, asked 5,000 women which celebrity guys’ features they’d use to create the ultimate fantasy man. The results are ... scary.
The winners were:
* Hair—Patrick Dempsey
* Eyes—Jake Gyllenhaal
* Nose—Owen Wilson (interesting choice! It takes a certain kind of man—like Owen Wilson—to handle this nose.)
* Mouth—Brad Pitt
* Jaw line— Johnny Depp
Herorbit.com’s conclusion after Photoshopping the results? That most girls just want an average man. (Of course, most girls hadn’t yet seen this photo.)
“Sure, women go crazy when they see Brad Pitt, but the truth is they want the person who delivers their mail, packs their groceries and coaches their kids’ softball team,” said Nadine Reeves, the Web site’s marketing director.
OK. But who knew Jake G. had such massive eyebrows? And whose facial hair is that? And why couldn’t they just have saved time and used Patrick Dempsey’s whole face? Inquiring minds ...
My, they grow up so fast.
Cynthia McMullen
April 28, 2008 6:07 PM
A mere five days ago, I was worried how Miley Cyrus, at the tender age of 15, was going to produce her memoirs.
That was then, and this is now. Forget the memoirs, l’il Miley has much bigger fish to fry. In February, she was photographed half-nekkid (as “they” say) by photog-to-the-stars Annie Leibovitz for the June issue of Vanity 
Fair.
Well, the June issue is about to hit the newsstands and the, er, trash has hit the fan. And the fans are not amused. So young Miley has done what every child-star-gone-grown-up-too-soon has done: issued an abject apology wherein she “never intended for any of this to happen.” (As Melissa says, incredulously, “What did she THINK Annie was shooting when she took her shirt off and wrapped herself in a sheet?!")
“Most of all,” Miley says in a statement, “I have let myself down. I will learn from my mistakes and trust my support team. My family and my faith will guide me through my life’s journey.”
Ahem. This brings us to Part II of Miley-gate, the part where the girl’s parents, Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus, were there for most of the shoot. They didn’t see the final shot, apparently—whichever the final shot was—but her grandmother and teacher were there for that. So ... no excuses. Her support team, clearly, wasn’t using good judgment. Unless they lived under a rock, they knew Leibovitz would push the envelope and that “artistic” doesn’t always mean “clothed.”
Which brings up to Part III. Have you seen the photos of Miley and her dad together? They’re all over 
youtube.com, Vanity Fair’s Web site, etc. And don’t tell me that 46-year-old Billy Ray Cyrus, who’s been around the block a few times, didn’t know exactly what impression the photos would give where he’s wrapped around his daughter like a dude on a beach date.
It’s all too sad. The kid has her own TV show, sold out a concert tour and has multiplatinum albums. Miley-gate could go either way: garner her a ton of priceless noteriety or mess with her rep as a rising young star. In today’s climate, I’d guess it will be the former.
Fans get ticked, Miley apologizes, Disney—oh, yeah, this is funny, Disney arises in righteous indignation, saying V.F. is taking advantage of Miley (Disney’s own little cash calf). The whole thing blows over, people think it’s a joke and the next thing you know, she’s wearing torn fishnets a la Britney and hooked on, well, caffeine at least.
Yeah, I’m painting a pretty dark picture. I’m sure most folks will think I’m being harsh, that it’s all just part of the celebrity process. But I keep hoping some child star will remain unscathed till ... I dunno ... is 21 too much to ask?
At this point, the only one who comes to mind is Raven Symone, who for my money is still a down-to-earth young woman who doesn’t feel compelled to go the “artistic” route.
Miley will probably be OK. But her parents need to take a long look in the mirror.
Up-close (sort of) and personal with Laura Linney
Cynthia McMullen
April 11, 2008 7:15 PM
Laura Linney is one smart cookie. If she’s NOT smart—I mean, seriously intelligent—then she’s an even better actress than those three Oscar noms would lead you to believe.
Unlike some celebs in interview mode, she listened closely to the questions during a recent conference call 
about her role as Abigail Adams on HBO’s “John Adams” miniseries (now showing daily and nightly, with Part 6 premiering Sunday night and Part 7 premiering next Sunday night. That Sunday—April 27—HBO will also run a “John Adams” marathon 1-10 p.m.).
You’ll find a story in the upcoming Sunday Flair section of the Times-Dispatch about Linney. In the meantime, here are a few select bits from the Laura Linney interview that there wasn’t room to include in the story:
Could you be anything other than an actress?
I could be. I don’t think I’d be as happy.
Do you select certain roles because they are similar in terms of the characters having inner strength?
I would love to be able to tell you that I’m in complete control of what I choose to do. You know, I’m just not. Sometimes I am. But a lot of the time, the roles pick me more than I have the power to choose them. . . . I believe that there are a lot of parts that, even though they may be strong women, they’re very weak in other areas. You know, they might be strong in some ways as far as personality or endurance or whatever, but they have emotional weaknesses throughout.
I’m a big believer that no one is one thing. That’s what makes people interesting and three-dimensional and human. . . . There’s certainly no agenda on my part. Parts come to me, thankfully, as they do, and then I do my best to flesh them out.
Do you find Hollywood a difficult environment for women, especially older women? (Linney is 44.)
It’s a complex topic. And a lot of it is just what you will participate in. I can only speak for myself . . . You just have to surround yourself with the right people and keep yourself concentrated on the things that you think are important and do the best you can.
I don’t know how to completely tackle this because I don’t spend all of my time there. I do work in the theater, and I work in television, and I . . . am not completely, 100 percent, focused on just film. . . . I’m certainly very lucky and grateful that I’ve somehow been able to keep working. I think you have to . . . not let people tell you what to think about yourself, quite frankly.
How do you make a woman of the 18th century authentic and also accessible?
Well, you do the research that you can. The areas that I will first tackle are lifestyle, how people lived, meaning how they dressed, what they do for entertainment, how they learn, what they eat, how they lived. All that stuff and then the world view, which is how they think. So you start there.
Then you try and do the research that you can about the specific things. For example, Abigail Adams was pigeon-toed. I didn’t know that. That will throw your body off. That will tell you how someone moved.
And then you sort of go to the heart of what all human beings have in common regardless of what period of time they are living in—love, ambition, happiness, anger. You know, those basic qualities of being a human 
being and the emotional life of a human being. . . . Anger is anger, no matter what century you’re in. Love is love, no matter what century you’re in.
Did you find anything out about Abigail Adams that perhaps didn’t show up on screen but went toward your forming the character?
Her father was a minister, which definitely made a difference in her character. And her religious foundation was very, very strong. That was a big part of their life. I think it gave her a tremendous sense of safety, and it allowed her will to remain very strong. Because she felt that, you know, that there was a protective God. And she also believed—the thing that I found fascinating was that she really believed—that the Revolutionary War was punishment from God for the sin of slavery.
(The Adamses) were very unusual in that they never, ever, ever owned slaves. They only had hired hands and they did a lot of the work themselves. They had a real firm sense of what they felt was right and wrong and what was right and wrong for them. . . . I love it when they go to Europe and then they come back because—you know that phrase, “How do you keep them down on the farm once they’ve seen Paris”—that applies to them as well.
They came back and they bought a bigger house. And all of a sudden, they had furniture and lace. ... Their trip to Europe certainly influenced her.
What can we learn from John and Abigail Adams’ marriage? They’ve been called America’s first power couple.
Communication is important. . . . You know, all those letters that went back and forth. They were forced to communicate, even when they were very, very far apart. And so they had tremendous self-respect and for each other. They opened every letter with “Dearest Friend,” and they really meant it.
Did Abigail Adams see people—such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington—differently than her husband?
I think she was just a very astute judge of character, and I think she was really fascinated by people. . . . She could be very empathetic; I think her friendship with Jefferson is an example of that. I mean, she met him when he was grieving and when he first got to Paris. Although this isn’t in the series, he wasn’t well, and she really helped restore him to health and they became very, very good friends.
She and Jefferson spent a lot of time together (in France), and she also advised him on his parenting skills. She’s the one who insisted that he bring his daughter over. So she became very involved with the people who she connected with. And she was a very, very loyal friend. Once she was crossed, however, that was that.
Have you spent much time with Sarah Polley, who plays your daughter, “Nabby,” in the miniseries?
She’s an amazing, amazing person. . . . I was thrilled to meet her, and it was amazing to watch her. She has 
tremendous grace, Sarah. . . . We really had a good time. I love all those kids. I mean, all those people who played the adult children and the little kids as well.
But Sarah is really having a remarkable life. And as the years go by, it’s really interesting to see what she chooses to do next. She has a lot to give. There’s a lot for her to do. And, you know, I’m happy that I think she’s going to have the opportunity to do it.
Was Abigail Adams an empowered woman?
I think the healthiest power comes from self-esteem and sort of liking yourself and liking where you are and liking other people. So that’s one kind. . . . I think Abigail Adams certainly was empowered by her imagination and her character and her instincts and her family and her beliefs and the context in which, and how, she lived her life. She had wonderful survival instincts, and she rose to every challenge. She had tremendous courage.
Is Laura Linney an empowered woman?
Am I empowered? Of course, you know, I’m an American. I’m able to do what I want to. I live in a free society. It’s 2008, and so for me to say anything else would be silly.
Ford Flannagan’s bloody good story
Cynthia McMullen
April 11, 2008 6:19 PM
Ford Flannagan is one of several Richmond actors who was cast for HBO’s “John Adams” miniseries. Though his part—as an unnamed smallpox doctor—took only a total of three to four days to shoot, there was much he enjoyed about the experience.
First of all, he said, “I think the film is great, very well done. Anyone who enjoys history will get a kick out of this.” Like Laura Linney, who plays Abigail Adams, he hasn’t seen the whole series yet. But he has seen the first three episodes.
Flannagan spent some quality time with Linney. If you haven’t seen Part 2 of the miniseries, in which the two are featured together, here’s a sneak preview: Go to http://www.hbo.com/films/johnadams/index.html, click on Part 2, then click on Behind the Scenes.
That’s Flannagan in the poofy gray wig!
Although the costumes were heavy, he says—not to mention all that extra hair—“The food was incredible. I 
wanted to screw up every day so they’d bring me back.”
Waxing enthusiastic, he noted that the set chefs grilled fish one day. Other times, actors would find whole tables of beef, pork, chicken, vegetables, even desserts.
Once, he said, they had “Italian Day” with four different pastas. So—despite all you hear about how boring people often say it is to wait around on set—at least they eat well.
Flannagan said filming the smallpox scenes was a fairly lengthy process because of the special effects. No, not those nasty pox all over the kids’ faces, but the blood that erupted when he cut them to “bleed” them as part of their treatment.
“It took longer to set up than to shoot the first scene,” he said. “They had to work out the kinks.”
Basically, he had a tube running up his sleeve from his wrist, down his back, down his pants and across the room to a man with a little squeeze bottle of “blood.”
One problem was that if people weren’t aware of the tubing and stepped on it, unexpected blood would spurt from Flannagan’s hand.
“In the first take,” he recalled, “I felt my hand getting wet. It was dripping all down my arm, and I was dripping blood all over the medicine bag.”
Apparently the tube had taken a big hit.
“Then it was dripping all down my arm, and I was trying not to drip on Laura!”
Fortunately, said Flannagan, it was fixed pretty quickly. “Those props guys were amazing.”
Flannagan’s next big adventure is playing Peter Pan—for the third time since 1996—at Theatre IV’s Empire Theatre, beginning April 25. He’s been fully wired for the flying parts . . . and what a far cry from 18th-century doctor. For details, visit http://www.theatreivrichmond.org.
Rumor has it …
Cynthia McMullen
April 09, 2008 7:02 PM
So we keep hearing that our own—we can call him that because he’s from Virginia—anyway, that our own Chris Brown is dating the lovely Rihanna. It’s all over the tabloids (such as In Touch last week) and even the more “serious” entertainment magazines, such as People.
Any truth to it? Only time will tell because Chris’ lips are sealed.
We also heard ... and this was a while back ... that Jessica Rae Springsteen had applied for admission to University of Richmond. No need to say whose kid she is, right?
As one wag (a loyal UR alum) said, “And this means that UR will have to officially join the New Jersey state college system.”
Nothing’s been confirmed, but an anonymous N.J. source implied that if a Springsteen had applied to UR, it would have been Jessica’s one-year-older brother, Evan.
Again, only time will tell. But if The Boss shows up for Parents’ Day, he’d better come in disguise or he’s playing the next dance for sure.
And speaking of gossip ... here are some interesting results from a new AOL Television survey of more than 1.35 million users. Who knew?!
* Ellen DeGeneres, sez the survey, is more popular than Oprah. Ellen wins as overall best talk-show host and the host most people would like to have attend their dinner party.
* Kelly Ripa beat out Tyra Banks and Matt Lauer for sexiest talk show host, snappiest dresser and best hair. Although that’s not completely fair because Tyra often leans on faux locks and Matt doesn’t have any.
* Larry King was voted most unsexy host. What, people don’t love those retro glasses and red suspenders? Or perhaps braces, in his case? Whatever.
* I hate even typing this in ... but Jay Leno edged out David Letterman, 41 percent to 34 percent. Say it ain’t so! Because I love me some Dave.
* On “The View”—as if you could distinguish one from another when they get to jabbering—those surveyed said if the ladies had a smackdown, Whoopi would come out on top, followed by Joy Behar, Barbara Walters, Elizabeth Hasselback and Sherri Sheppard.
* Given the choice, they would elect Diane Sawyer as U.S. president over Oprah, Jon Stewart and Martha Stewart. I dunno, I guess Diane would make a good-looking president, but she dances around the tough questions too much for me ... .
When was the last time somebody read to you?
Cynthia McMullen
March 30, 2008 5:18 PM
For me, it was last night at the fabulous fifth annual Virginia Arts & Letters Live at the Empire Theatre downtown. It’s an event produced by James River Writers and Barksdale Theatre in support of the READ Center.
Before you start falling asleep ... trust me, it’s a kick to be read to when the stories are this fun and actors are adding a certain “je ne sais quoi.” This time around, local thespians Audra Honaker, Matt Polson and Matthew Costello did the honors, reading stories by Michael Parker, Ryan Effgen (who was in the audience) and J. David Stevens.
Honaker was hilarious and spot-on as a college freshman reading her own essay in the story “Hidden Meanings, Treatment of Time, Supreme Irony and Life Experiences in the Song, ‘Ain’t Gonna Bump No More No Big Fat Woman.’ “ Polson transitioned effortlessly from drunken party girl to beleaguered boyfriend in “The Pirate’s Life for Me” (bits of which took me back to Theatre IV’s production of “Beauty and the Beast,” in which Polson played the swashbuckling Gaston). And Costello delivered “The Death of the Short Story” with just the right amount of irony.
Mary Badham—who played Scout in “To Kill a Mockingbird”—hosted. Now fiftysomething, she shared funny stories from her experience on the film, for which she garnered an Academy Award nomination. (Remind me to rent that movie and watch it—I know I read the book, and I can just see Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. But I have a bad feeling I never saw the whole movie, now a perennial classic.)
Richmond-based music group VocalBluR entertained before, after and sometimes during the readings. Don’t be put off by the fact that it’s strictly a cappella. VocalBluR is good. It’s really good. Jeff Gray started with a beatbox demo that would’ve made Blake Lewis grin and continued with about a dozen other singers, including founder and president Matt Bolling. VocalBluR sang and percussed all over the place. (For info, visit http://www.vocalblur.com.) Hard to believe the group’s less than a year old.
Kudos and congrats to Arts & Letters Live director Irene Ziegler and everyone else who produced this evening. Look for Ziegler, by the way, in October’s “Nights in Rodanthe,” a Nicholas Sparks story starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane. She’ll also be in “Lake City” with Sissy Spacek and Dave Matthews (yeah, THAT Dave Matthews!) in December.
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