Wednesday, August 25, 2004


Collateral: It's almost as though Tom Cruise felt that by "aging" himself, he'd be taken more seriously in the role of psychopath Vincent, a hired hit-man running through the list of witnesses in some vague upcoming trial. He's dragging along a taxi driver, played by Jamie Foxx (whose career is definitely on an upward trajectory -- think the Ray Charles film, considering he's coming from his overplayed comedic characters on In Living Color). And, Cruise is effective in his role -- his assassin is smart, vindictive, brass and wholly immoral. There's little question the film is well-made and well acted -- and of course, well-directed. However, there is something sorely lacking in film, and it's difficult to exactly pinpoint what it's missing.

Chick Lit: BeansTalk has been a fan of Brit Chick Lit since 1997, when we got our first exposure to it. Our latest read was Thin Skin by Emma Forrest -- tedious, and a kind of contemporary Inside Daisy Clover. On the bright side, we've rediscovered the joys of Marian Keyes (visit http://www.mariankeyesbooks.com/ for more info) recently. Those are a delightful read. Hit and miss are the books of (http://www.randomhouse.com/features/janegreen/) and Jane Green and Carole Matthews (http://www.carolematthews.com/index.html).

This summer has been full of a lot of books, many good, some mediocre and few really bad. We've started a journal, which became valuable when I began to read books I've already read (and worse still, bought again).

Cabrera Charts: E.V.L.A./Atlantic recording artist Ryan Cabrera makes a debut on this week's Billboard 200, entering the national album chart in the No. 8 spot with his label premiere, "Take It All Away." The album's debut is driven by the success of its first single, "On The Way Down." The song has bulleted into the top 15 at CHR/Pop radio outlets nationwide and into the top 25 at Hot AC. At the same time, the song's companion video has jumped into the Big 10 at MTV, where it remains a "Buzzworthy" clip, while also ranking in the top five at TRL.

KPR Gets New Addy: Our friends at KPR are moving:
kpr
329 N. Wetherly Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 860-0610
(310) 860-0630 fax
(310) 403-5797 cell
www.kennedypublicrelations.com

Dan Band in L.A.: the dan band this friday, august 27, 2004 at
avalon
1735 n. vine
8:30 show/doors at 7:30
for tickets email thedanband@avalonhollywood.com
www.thedanband.com

Catch Sex Again: This October, the Emmy-winning comedy series Sex and the City returns to HBO with an encore run of its sixth and final season, which wrapped its original run last February. Two episodes will air back-to-back on Sundays 8 p.m. throughout the fall. Winner of the 2001 Emmy Award for Comedy Series, Sex and the City stars Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie, a writer who explores and experiencesthe unique world of Manhattan's dating scene, chronicling the mating habits of single New Yorkers. Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon also star. For more details, visit www.hbo.com


Hilfiger Show: H Hilfiger Spring 2005 Fashion Show will held on Thursday, September 9, 2004 at 8 p.m. at
the Tents at Bryant Park in New York City.

Extreme Lemon Pie: Only a few days left for Marie Callendar's $7.99 special on this tart treat.

Cartier Performs: Daniel Cartier
will perform four days in celebration of his new album, Revival
(released date: September 21, 2004) at the Cavern Club in Silverlake, September 8 to 11, 2004
911 Mementos: A wallet, a keychain, a belt, a helmet...to most of us, these everyday objects have no real meaning, but to the families of those killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center, recovered personal items are precious mementos of lost loved ones, and for many, a way to help achieve closure. W. T. C. 9-11: STORIES FROM THE RUINS profiles the men and women dedicated to recovering these effects and tells the stories of the people to whom they once belonged. W. T. C. 9-11: STORIES FROM THE RUINS premieres on Discovery Channel on Saturday, September 11, 2004 at 10 p.m. .

On September 12, 2001, the first truck filled with debris from the World Trade Center rolled onto the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island, bringing the first of almost two million tons of material to the site for examination. The landfill was declared a crime scene, and thousands of detectives, agents, forensic specialists and volunteers poured over every piece of material to piece to gather clues to help solve the case. But after the world knew the names of those responsible for the attacks, the sifting and sorting of debris continued for 10 months, almost two million hours of work, in an effort to return personal belongings to the victims' families. In this special, family members who've received one of the recovery team's bittersweet gifts recount stories of those killed in the attack, while the show travels to Fresh Kills to reveal how the painstaking process to recover the artifacts began. Viewers also get unprecedented access inside Hangar 17 at JFK Airport, where many of the non-personal artifacts are housed.