lickyrlolli

Brideshead Revisited is a novel by Evelyn Waugh that was made into a now-classic British TV series in 1981. It still replays on PBS, and most people know it rather than the book. 

The story spans twenty or thirty years, beginning in the 1920s and ending during World War II. It’s a saga of sorts that follows a man’s involvement with the wealthy and initially enchanting Flyte family. As a student, Charles Ryder befriends the charming, good-looking and eccentric Sebastian Flyte, who soon turns into a total drunk, or “sot,” as they say in the show. Ryder loses touch with Sebastian, but can’t seem to shake his connection with the Flyte family. He later becomes involved with Sebastian’s sister Julia, who is herself a captivating, complex character.  

Jeremy Irons kick-started his acting career with the role of Ryder. The part includes a lot of voice-over–it’s practically half the role–and as anyone who’s seen The Lion King knows, Irons gives delicious voice-over. The whole cast, in fact, is so excellent that they pretty much own the rights to the characters.

Well, unbeknownst to the public, (who surely would have thrown down their tea and/or claret to protest), they’ve gone and made a Brideshead Revisited movie. I bet Anthony Andrews threw a king-size hissy.

Emma Thompson stars as Mama Marchmain, the uptight matriarch of the family. The only other actor I recognize is the husband from Match Point, who to me looks more like a Sebastian than a Charles, if you know what I mean. (Sebastian was  a pretty boy, and gay.) Anyway, the film was going to be directed by David Yates, with an all-star line-up of Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly and Jude Law as the main threesome. (That’s right, Law would have played the pretty lush.) Yates, however, stepped aside, and with him went the dream cast. Will this film have a proper opening or go straight to video? We’ll have to wait and see. Above are the original players, and here are the new faces.

Model Ruslana Korshunova was found dead outside her apartment in Manhattan yesterday, after falling from her ninth-floor balcony. The death is believed to be a suicide, as her balcony was surrounded by construction netting that appears to have been ripped. There were no signs of a struggle inside her apartment; indeed her boyfriend said he had left her early that morning, after the two had watched the film “Ghost” together.

Korshunova was days away from her 21st birthday, and according to those who knew her, she showed no signs of depression. Family and friends were stunned at her death, saying that she hadn’t fallen prey to typical model traps like drugs or excess partying.

The booker who discovered Korshunova  in her hometown of Almaty, Kazakhstan, said she “looked like something out of a fairytale.” She soon landed a contract with IMG, the modeling agency of Kate Moss and Heidi Klum. Known as the “Russian Rapunzel” for her long, luxurious locks, Korshunova was recently featured in ad campaigns for big-name designers like Marc Jacobs, DKNY, Vera Wang and Christian Dior.

Police continue to investigate this puzzling death.

There have been vague mentions of an ”Arrested Development” movie since the show went off the air two years ago. I’ve tried not to pay too much attention, as it felt like idle rumors and I don’t like my emotions toyed with. Now, however, confirmation has come from Michael Bluth himself!  According to Defamer, Jason Bateman confirms that the film will start shooting in 2009. 

“It’s typically bent and twisted,” Bateman says of series creator Mitchell Hurwitz’s plot. ”He’s got a really, really good idea for the movie version that would not be just simply the equivalent of four episodes back to back to back. It’s actually something that would be specific to the medium of film.” Bateman continues: “All the actors want to do it, the writers want to do it, and the boss wants to do it… But it’s a long, sort of drawn-out, complicated business process. ‘Arrested Development’ is such a specific tone, it doesn’t lend itself to mass appeal, as played out by the fact that it’s canceled. So it has to be done for a price.”  

It sounds like the actors and writers are jonesing for their Bluth fix just as much as AD fans. Jeffrey Tambor, who plays Bluth Senior, also mentioned the project on his Friday night appearance on Craig Ferguson’s talk show. As one Defamer commenter wrote: “Of late I’d been searching for a reason to live. Finally, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” Cheers to that!  

Lolli fave Mary-Kate Olsen appeared on Letterman last night to promote her new film “The Wackness.” Dave brought up the fact that Olsen went to the same high school as “Hills” super-villain Spencer Pratt. Dave is clearly not a fan of Pratt, calling him “oily” and “wormy.” He invited MK to bash him too, and though MK seemed to hold back a little, her opinion was clear by her facial expression. She said Pratt used to play soccer and had a bad temper, which is a pretty mild jab when you consider all the unfavorable and embarassing things one might say about a high school classmate. “He was a total jerk even then,” she might have said, or “He got drunk at this party and we found him crying on the toilet.” There’s no end to the mean things she could have said, and I think she kept it pretty tame. 

Pratt, however, is living up to his wormy reputation. Today he unleashed a nasty little tirade in response, telling Us Magazine, “I don’t really get why she’d use my name to get press for her little indie film that no one’s going to see. She should probably focus more on not getting dressed in the dark than on me.” He continued: “I know I’ve made it in Hollywood when a famous troll is talking about me on Letterman. I forgive her, though. She’s had to go through life as the less cute twin, which must be tough.” Hey Spencer, at least MK has a film to promote.

Rumors have been circulating for years now that the Material Girl and her British director hubby Guy Ritchie are soon to split. Now the London Times, a reputable source for once, is reporting that Madge has sought legal advice from divorce attorney Fiona Shackleton. Shackleton recently represented Sir Paul McCartney during his split from Heather Mills, effectively minimizing the damage to Sir Paul’s bank account. 

Madonna and Guy have been married for seven years, and according to the Times, they are believed not to have a pre-nup. As a result, Guy may be entitled to up to £50 of Madge’s £300 million fortune.

The pair recently attended the Cannes Film Festival together, but their strained demeanors did nothing to quell the rumors. In photos of the event, Guy looks on the verge of rolling his eyes, while Madonna was uncharacteristically reserved. The two have plenty to clash over. She is ten years his senior, devoted to Kabbalah and a rigorous exercise routine, with plans to adopt more children. Does the Material Girl have the time or even the desire for a husband any more?

Uh oh, the tiny twin is not going to pleased about this. Heads will roll. It seems that, like us regular folk, celebs have parties at which some pain-in-the-ass snaps pics the whole time to post on facebook. These lovely candids of Mary-Kate Olsen attending what Gawker calls a “Flannel Freak Out Cigarette Party” were recently discovered online. Nicole Richie also makes an appearance with beau Joel Madden, so they must be pretty recent.

 It’s nothing scandalous, and appears to be a birthday party. Everyone wears flannel shirts with tights and pearls, and cigarettes in hand. MK is the life of the party, striking wacky poses and at one point taking a few swings at a pinata with what looks like a blind person’s walking stick.

This one with MK, beer and dog is definitely my fave.

People Magazine is reporting that eternal babe Heather Locklear has checked into a medical facility in Arizona. Her rep, Cece Yorke, confirmed reports, adding that “Heather has been dealing with anxiety and depression. She requested an in-depth evaluation of her medication and entered into a medical facility for proper diagnosis and treatment.”

The 46-year-old actress has had a rough, messy couple of years. In 2006, she filed for divorce from Richie Sambora, with whom she has a 10-year-old daughter. Sambora subsequently had a very public fling with Locklear’s former friend, Denise Richards. He made the tabloids again this past spring, when he was busted for DUI. The couple’s daughter and a friend were his passengers.

Shortly after, the police received a 911 call, supposedly from one of Locklear’s friends, who (wrongly, it turned out) believed Locklear to be suicidal. A rep claimed the call was a mix-up, saying, “[I] spoke with Heather and she is fine. She never requested medical assistance and did not place a 911 call, nor did anyone from her house call 911 or place a call requesting medical assistance.” Hmm, kinda fishy. Good luck to Heather!

Hollywood is infested with celebrity super-couples at the moment. Brangelina, TomKat, and Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck all appear to be going strong, while Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer now join the list. Serial celeb-daters Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong have also been flaunting their fresh coupledom. How fitting that, after running through pretty much everyone else, they come together for a happy summer romance. Seasonal relationships are the way to go.

Matt Damon is one of the only celebs married to a regular gal, a bartender he met in Miami.  Before his marriage, the actor was linked to a number of actresses, including Minnie Driver, Winona Ryder, and Eva Mendes. He married Argentine-born Luciana Bozan in 2006, and last May the couple announced that they’re expecting baby #2. Damon is a thoroughly likable guy already, but this makes him even more so, doesn’t it? 

Mike Myers is having a rough week. His newest comedy in years, The Love Guru, is getting not just bad but scathing reviews, with NY Times critic A.O. Scott calling the film ”an experience that makes you wonder if you will ever laugh again.” Scott even invents a new word, deeming the film “antifunny.”

Then Myers appears on Inside the Actor’s Studio and makes an ass of himself. I watched a painful excerpt of the recent episode. An audience member asks Myers how he juggles his many roles as writer/actor/comedian. His answer is rambling and incoherent, enough to make the poor lady wish she’d never asked what was probably a polite question anyway. Worst of all, Myers labors to give his words depth, as if people might be taking notes rather than waiting for the punchline. Nobody likes to see comedians like this, pontificating on their craft. At one point, he launches into an especially nonsensical rant about the “process of change.” He describes what I guess are the stages actors go through, starting out ”unconsciously incompetent,” then progressing to “consciously incompetent” and “consciously competent,” and finally attaining the supreme “unconsciously competent” state. Huh? It’s as ridiculous as his comedy, except he’s serious. Maybe he should take up a nice, relaxing hobby, like decoupage or knitting.

Funnyman Michael Ian Black has a new hobby: picking on bestselling author David Sedaris. Black has his own book of humorous essays coming out, titled My Custom Van… And 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face, and he’s declared war on the genre’s reigning champ. On his blog, Black instructs readers on how to throw some casual anti-Sedaris jabs into the conversation. He writes, “Say, for example, you are at league bowling night and your buddy finds himself facing an easy pick-up for a spare. Just before he bowls say something like, ‘Don’t miss, Bob, or you might hear David Sedaris telling a long and humorous story about what a boob you are on ‘This American Life.’” He continues: “When referring to him, put a “p” after the “S” in “Sedaris,” so that what you’re saying is “Spedaris.” This isn’t a put down exactly; it’s actually just a mispronunciation of his name, but if enough people start doing it, I have no doubt it will drive him fucking crazy.” No word yet on how the Sedaris camp is going to handle this, but I smell a write-off!