RUSSELL BRAND TO HOST “2012 MTV MOVIE AWARDS”

21st Annual “MTV Movie Awards” Will Air Live Sunday, June 3rd at 9 PM ET/PT on MTV from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA

NEW YORK, NY (MAY 10, 2012) – MTV today announced that comedian, actor and TV personality Russell Brand will take the “MTV Movie Awards” stage for the first time as host when the show airs live on Sunday, June 3rd at 9 pm ET/PT on MTV from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. Brand will build upon his triple-threat skill set to give viewers a new, off-the-cuff and unique spin on the past year’s biggest films and hottest stars.

“The MTV Movie Awards incorporates two of my favorite things. Movies and Awards,” said Russell Brand. “If somehow group sex could be involved it would be the greatest night of my life.”

“With his amazing ability to span the full spectrum of comedy from the most high to lowbrow, Russell’s smart, unpredictable wit uniquely connects him to our audience,” said Stephen Friedman, President of MTV. “His rock-n-roll sensibility and fearlessness give us the perfect partner with whom to take a leap of faith with as we meld the worlds of movies and music together on one very special night.”

In 2008, Brand burst onto the US-scene as host of the “MTV Video Music Awards,” which he again hosted the following year. Since then, his career has taken off to include starring roles in films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek, Despicable Me, Arthur and the upcoming Rock of Ages. In addition, Brand will soon headline a series of six half-hour late-night comedy specials that will be filmed in front of a live audience on the FX network.

Brand joins the ranks of past hosts such as Jason Sudeikis, Aziz Ansari, Andy Samberg, Ben Stiller, Jimmy Fallon, Mike Myers, Sarah Silverman and Justin Timberlake.

Fusing MTV’s musical core with the wonder and amazement of the comedy, drama, adventure and mystery inherent to the movie-going experience, the “2012 MTV Movie Awards” will continue its tradition as one of the most outrageous and distinctive televised award shows, while putting the spotlight on the most diverse roster of nominated films in years for the show.

Featuring a broad array of movies that resonated with the MTV audience this year, this year’s nominees include both blockbusters and critically acclaimed films such as “Drive,” “Like Crazy,” “The Descendants,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” and “My Week with Marilyn.” MTV fans hold the “Power of the Popcorn” awards in their hands with voting available online via MovieAwards.MTV.com through Saturday, June 2nd. As always, voting for “Movie of the Year” will remain open throughout the live show on Sunday, June 3rd.

Previously, it was announced that chart-topping indie-pop group fun. will serve as the first musical performance announced for the “2012 MTV Movie Awards.” fun.’s debut single, “We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe),” off their latest album, “Some Nights,” is currently the unofficial anthem for the MTV audience and dominated the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six consecutive weeks.

MovieAwards.MTV.com is the official site for the “2012 MTV Movie Awards” where fans can visit to vote and get up-to-date info on this year’s show, watch video of last year’s biggest occurrences, get the full list of 2011 show winners, and check out fashion and celebrity commentary from the red carpet.

The “2012 MTV Movie Awards” will air across MTV’s global network of more than 60 channels reaching more than 600 million households around the world as well as through syndication. In addition, its convergent programming and content will reach the entire interactive community, via MTV’s more than 200 digital media properties around the world.

Jesse Ignjatovic/Den of Thieves serves as Executive Producer for the “2012 MTV Movie Awards.” Garrett English serves as Executive Producer and Executive In Charge for MTV. Amy Doyle is Executive in Charge of Music and Celebrity Talent.  Joanna Bomberg is Executive in Charge of Music Talent.   Wendy Plaut serves as Co-Executive Producer and Executive in Charge of Celebrity Talent. Lee Lodge serves as co-Executive Producer.

Official sponsors of the 2012 MTV Movie Awards include Bing, Chevrolet®, Sprint®, State Farm® and Taco Bell®.

About MTV:
MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand.   With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people.  MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy®, Grammy® and Peabody® award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile.  MTV’s sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is a leading destination for music, news and pop culture.  MTV, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  For more information, go to www.mtvpress.com.

About Den of Thieves:
Founded in 2007 by Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager, Den of Thieves has quickly emerged as a force for ambitious event shows and uniquely stylized reality television series. Using their extensive experience working with talent, Ignjatovic and Prager launched Den of Thieves as the TV arm of the Warner Music Group in 2007. After a successful three year partnership, they branched out and are now fully independent. Den of Thieves continues to create, develop and produce original television.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry are divorcing

Russell Brand has filed for divorce from Katy Perry. The two have been rumored to have marital problems when Perry vacation in Hawaii, while Brand was in England during Christmas.

Russell Brand said in a statement, “Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I’ll always adore her and I know we’ll remain friends.”

Their marriage lasted for 14 months.

The Tempest (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

As far as Shakespeare film adaptations go, “The Tempest” is viscerally entertaining and features beautiful costume design and make-up.  But it’s pacing seems quite a bit disjointed and doesn’t pull you in but pushes you away.  But “The Tempest” is one beautiful experimental film that looks and sounds fantastic on Blu-ray!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc. and Spyglass Entertainment Group, LP. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Tempest

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2010

DURATION: 110 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (widescreen 2:35:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English & Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English SDH and Spanish

RATED: PG-13 (For Some Nudity, Suggestive Content and Scary Images)

COMPANY: Miramax Films/Touchstone Home Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2011

Directed by  Julie Taymor

Based on the play by William Shakespeare

Screenplay by Julie Taymor

Produced by Robert Chartoff, Jason K. Lau, Julia Taylor-Stanley, Julie Taymor

Executive Producer: Ronald M. Bozman, Anthony Buckner, John C. Ching, Rohit Khattar, Deborah Y. Lau, Tino Puri, Greg Strasburg, Stewart Til

Co-Executive Producer: Beaux Carson

Associate Producer: Phyllis LaVoie

Music by Elliot Goldenthal

Cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh

Edited by Francoise Bonnot

Production Design by Mark Friedberg

Art Direction by Alex DiGerlando, Kim Jennings

Set Decoration by Alyssa Winter

Costume Design by Sandy Powell

Starring:

Helen Mirren as Prospera

Felicity Jones as Miranda

Jude Akuwudike as Boatswain

Reeve Carney as Prince Ferdinand

David Strathairn as King Alonso

Tom Conti as Gonzalo

Alan Cumming as Sebastian

Chris Cooper as Antonio

Ben Whishaw as Ariel

Djimon Hounsou as Caliban

Russell Brand as Trinculo

Alfred Molina as Stephano

This modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s final masterpiece is an exciting, mystical and magical fantasy with Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren (Best Actress, The Queen, 2006) leading a star-studded cast including Russell Brand (Get Him To The Greek) and Alfred Molina (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice). Exiled to a magical island, the sorceress Prospera (Mirren) conjures up a storm that shipwrecks her enemies, and then unleashes her powers for revenge. Directed by Julie Taymor (Frida) — and complete with exclusive bonus features — The Tempest, with its innovative twist, is a supernatural dramedy filled with Shakespearean villains, lovers and fools that will leave you spellbound.

When it comes to plays and theater, Julie Taymor is well-known in the circle.  Having earned two Tony Awards for directing the stage musical of “The Lion King” and well-known for her costume design and puppetry for plays such as “The Tempest”, “Oedipus Rex”, “The Magic Flute” and was also the production consultant and designer for Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” concert show.

But when it comes to directing films, Taymor is best known for directing the 1999 film “Titus” and the 2007 film “Across the Universe”.

But in 2010, Taymor returned to her roots, her passion for Shakespeare and to create the film adaptation of the William Shakespeare play “The Tempest”, considered to be the last play that Shakespeare had written alone.  And many consider it to be a play that would incorporate themes from other Shakespearean plays such as romance, comedy, drama and other sources.

The 2010 film is loosely based on “The Tempest” as the lead character Prospera (played by Helen Mirren, “Queen”, “Excalibur”, “Calendar Girls”, “National Treasure”) is played by a woman and not a man (who goes by the name of Prospero). And in the play, Prospero is the Duke of Milan but for this film, Prospera is the wife of the Duke.

“The Tempest” revolves around Prospera, the Duchess of Milan and also a sorceress who is accused by her brother Antonio of killing her husband, the Duke with witchcraft.

Antonio had wanted power and control and thus, fearful of a woman taking the leadership of the country, he casts Prospera and her four-year-old daughter Miranda to the open seas.

The two end up on an island where they take up residence and the only person that lives on the island is a monster/human named Caliban.

With her power, Prospera makes Caliban (played by Djimon Hounsou, “Blood Diamond”, “The Gladiator”, “The Island”) her slave and claims the island for her and her daughter.  Caliban has a deep hatred towards Prospera for making him a slave.  But using her magical powers and to call upon the spirit Ariel (played by Ben Whishaw, “Layer Cake”, “Bright Star”) to help her, both make sure that no one sets foot on the island.

But with Prospera now older and Miranda (played by Felicity Jones, “Chalet Girl”, “Like Crazy”) now a young woman, one day, Miranda spots a ship in trouble in the sea.

Alonzo, the King of Naples (played by David Strathairn, “The Bourne Ultimatum, “L.A. Confidential”, “Fracture”) is sailing back to his kingdom after his daughter’s wedding to the prince of Tunisia and accompanying him is his son Ferdinand (played by Reeve Carney. “Snow Falling on Ceders”, “Spread”), his brother Sebastian (played by Alan Cumming, “X2″, “The Anniversary Party”, “Spy Kids”)  and Antonio (played by Chris Cooper, “Adaptation”, “American Beauty”, “The Bourne Identity”).  Feeling that she can get her revenge, she unleashes her power, a tempest which wrecks the ship.  But with Miranda preventing her mother from causing much harm, she stops complete destruction in which King Alonzo and a few are able to make it onto the island.

As King Alonzo tries to find help in order to get back home, the conniving Antonio tries to convince Sebastian to kill his brother in order to be the next King of Naples.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand is separated from everyone else and encounters Miranda…and both fall in love with each other at first sight.  But concerned and protective of her daughter, Prospera tries to make Ferdinand her slave.

Also, finding the island are Stephano, Alonzo’s butler (played by Alfred Molina, “Spider-Man 2″, “Chocolat”, “Magnolia”) and Trinculo (played by Russell Brand, “Get Him to the Greek”, “Arthur”, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) and because Stephano has liquor, they manage to get Caliban drunk and together they try to find a way to go against Prospera.

But with her daughter falling in love with Ferdinand and the fact that her brother is on the island and feeling that they are going after her, will Prospera unleash her power to destroy them, or will she forgive them and let them live?

VIDEO:

“The Tempest” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1).  And  the film looks absolutely beautiful.  This film also reinforces my belief that nearly every film shot in Hawaii and released on Blu-ray looks magnificent in HD.  The film and the lighting are fantastic.  There is plenty of detail, colors are vibrant and dark when they need to be.

But the cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh (“Bridget Jone’s Diary”, “The Piano”, “Analyze This”), visual effects, costume and makeup design for the film is fantastic. In fact, possibly the most impressive part of the film is when Prospera calls upon Ariel in his darkest form.  Excellent scene!  Dryburgh has a lot to work with in terms of capturing the look and feel of the island on camera and there are plenty of breathtaking scenes.

I detected no banding, no edge enhancement, no softness.  Picture quality is fantastic!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“The Tempest” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA.  The back cover mentions English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, but it appears to be an error possibly meant for the DVD version.  But audio-wise, the lossless audio is fantastic.  There is quite a bit of action throughout the film from various weather elements, the opening scene alone with the chaos in the seas definitely utilizes the center, front, surround channels and LFE.  The overall ambiance is also well captured in the film and if anything, the lossless audio is nothing short of spectacular.

The dialogue is crystal clear and for the most part, audiophiles will find the lossless soundtrack to be quite immersive.

Subtitles are in English SDH and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Tempest” comes with the following special features:

• Audio Commentary  – Featuring in-depth commentary by Julie Taymor. Julie is very passionate about Shakespeare and she goes into details of the location, the cast and various scenes.
• Shakespeare Experts Audio Commentary - I found this audio commentary to be a welcome addition to the Blu-ray release as experts Virginia Mason Vaughan (a Professor of English at Clark University) and Jonathan Bate (A Shakespeare Professor at England’s University of Warwick)  discuss the differences between the play and the film adaptation.  The two do not engage in any lambasting towards the film but for those that want to know about the key differences, will surely enjoy this commentary.
  
• Raising the Tempest – (1:06:06) A making-of “The Tempest” but also gives you an idea of the location of the film, the cast’s state of mind while working on the film and also comparisons of the play and film and more.
• Julie & Cast: Inside the L.A. Rehearsals – (13:34) A featurette in which Julie Taymore along with Russell Brand, Alfred Molina and Djimon Hounsou at a stage rehearsal from back in 2008.
• Russel Brand Rehearsal Riff - (4:32) Julie Taymor interview Trinculo (Brand).
• Music Video – (3:22) Featuring a the music video for “Mistress Mine” by actor Reeve Carney.

EXTRAS:

“The Tempest” comes with a slipcover case.

I really wanted to love”The Tempest” and I know how passionate filmmaker Julie Taymor was when she created it.  And to reaffirm that passion, I listened to the audio commentary, the featurette on the making of this film.  And how she wanted to bring technology and theater together as one.

But the problem is, while visually the film was visceral and gorgeous, the story was not.

And the biggest culprit was the pacing of the film.  The film starts off rather dark, we learn what sacrifices Prospera had gone through to keep she and her daughter safe from intruders.  How she took control of the island and made Caliban, a slave.  And the dynamic between mother and daughter, Prospera and Ariel, Miranda and Ferdinand, I did like.

But the pacing takes a 90 degree turn as the film’s comedy diverts you from a more serious/darker tone to ridiculousness as the film begins to focus on Trinculo and Stephano with Caliban.  To put it bluntly, when you start watching Russell Brand trounce into the film, in modern day garb and discovering Calaban, “The Tempest” resembles less of a Shakespearan film and almost becomes more of something we would see from Happy Madison or Judd Apatow-produced films.

Is it funny, yes…but it is so out of place and in many ways, it became more of an experimental, jarring part of the film that really takes you out of the actual story.  Yes, we know that Trinculo, Stephano and Caliban would be plotting against Prospera but perhaps the three were focused on too much.

The other story featured Kin Alonzo, Antonio, Sebastian and I felt that while the play shows the conflict between Antonio and Prospero quite well, I felt the necessary bridge to show Antonio’s betrayal of Prospera was not well tied together in the film.

But what I did enjoy about the film was relationship between Prospera and Miranda and you have to give credit to the performance of Helen Mirren who did a wonderful job.  Julie Taymor was correct in the fact that a woman can play the role of the lead protagonist and the casting of Mirren was terrific.

As mentioned earlier, the visual effects, cinematography, costume design and makeup were fantastic in this film and to incorporate an experimental and artistic direction for the film can be applauded, it’s just that I felt there were scenes, moments that were missing or just out of place.

While the Blu-ray release of “The Tempest” will surely be enjoyed by fans, there is no doubt that this film looks and sounds fantastic on Blu-ray and the special features are also lengthy, enlightening and entertaining.  But as far as the film itself, for a visceral film that screams beauty and darkness, unfortunately its disjointed storyline doesn’t match the vibrancy of the film’s beautiful aesthetics.

Katy Perry and Russell Brand are married!

Congratulations to Russell Brand and Katy Perry who were married in India today. According to reports, the two were married at Aman-i-Khas luxury resort in Rajasthan. Here are a few photos of Brand, Katy Perry’s family and friends taken hours before the wedding:

Russell Brand arrested

With LiLo getting all the attention of her positive drug test, there was other celebrity news and the other big news of Friday afternoon was Russell Brand’s arrest.

Brand and Katy Pery were walking inside LAX until paparazzi started getting a bit too close and Brand ended up pushing a few of the paparazzi and one of the photographers made a citizen’s arrest.

TMZ.com has posted a video of the altercation.

Get Him To the Greek on Blu-ray & DVD on 9/28

Get An All Access Pass to One of the Year’s Funniest and Most Outrageous Films Starring Jonah Hill and Russell Brand

From the Director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the Producers of Superbad and Knocked Up

GET HIM TO THE GREEK

Both Unrated and Original Theatrical Versions On Blu-ray™ and DVD
September 28, 2010

Plus, Choose One of Three Bonus Movies to Stream Instantly on Blu-ray™

Universal City, California, August 3, 2010— A mild-mannered record company employee gets a hilarious crash course in how to party like a rock star in the must-see comedy Get Him to the Greek, coming to Blu-ray™ Hi-Def,  DVD, digital download and video on demand on September 28, 2010 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The latest no-holds-barred comedy from writer and director Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and producer Judd Apatow (Superbad, Knocked Up), Get Him to the Greek is a hilarious and unpredictable laugh fest filled with unforgettable moments by a top-notch cast. The 2-Disc Blu-ray,™ 2-Disc DVD Collector’s Edition and single disc DVD  include an unrated, never-before-seen cut of the movie, plus the version of the film originally shown in theaters and a digital copy of the film that can be viewed on an array of electronic devices. A wealth of bonus features, including extended and alternate scenes, music videos, gag reels, karaoke, filmmaker commentary and much more will make viewers feel like they have a front-row seat to one of the year’s biggest comedy hits.

THE ULTIMATE CHOICE EXCLUSIVELY ON BLU-RAY™:

INSTANT ACCESS TO MORE MOVIES

As an additional value for Get Him to the Greek, Blu-ray™ purchasers can instantly stream a bonus film by choosing from one of three classic comedies— Uncle Buck, Dazed & Confused and Life—on Pocket Blu™ or BD-Live™  on any Internet-connected Blu-ray™ player.  The offer extends through March 31, 2011.

AN OUTSTANDING CAST REUNITES JONAH HILL AND RUSSELL BRAND

A spin-off of 2008’s hugely successful Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek reunites Jonah Hill (Superbad), playing a low-ranking record-label employee, and Russell Brand (Despicable Me), the ultimate larger-than-life rock-star Aldous Snow. Also starring are Sean Combs (aka P. Diddy) in a devastatingly funny comic turn, Rose Byrne (“Damages”) and Elisabeth Moss (“Mad Men”), plus cameos from music and media stars including Pink, Christina Aguilera, Lars Ulrich, Pharrel, Meredith Viera, Billy Bush, Mario Lopez, Kurt F. Loder and Paul Krugman.

BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVELY ON BLU-RAY™:

· Additional and extended scenes not available anywhere else

· Musical performances from The Today Show and VH-1 Storytellers

· Karaoke –  Sing along to 15 Outrageous Songs

· The Actual Auditions that landed Rose Byrne, Elisabeth Moss, Nick Kroll, Aziz Ansari and T.J. Miller their roles

· Instant access to stream a bonus movie by choosing one of three hilarious comedies: Uncle Buck, Dazed and Confused or Life via BD-Live or a smartphone

· BD-LIVETM—Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to get even more content, watch the latest trailers and more.

o MY SCENES—Bookmark your favorite scenes from the movie.

· Pocket BLU™ app— Experience Blu-ray in an exciting new way with the pocket BLU™ app for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry, Android, PC and Macintosh. With this app, you can work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray™ player to activate advanced features such as:

o Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-rayTM player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-LiveV functions with ease.

o Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the movie.

o Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there’s a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy exclusive content on the go, anytime, anywhere.

o Keyboard: Enter data into a Blu-ray™ player with your device’s easy and intuitive keyboard that will facilitate such Blu-ray™ features as chatting with friends and sending messages.

· social BLU™—Connect with friends on your favorite social networks to share information about your favorite movies, enjoy Blu-ray™ community features and more!

BONUS FEATURES AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY™ AND 2-D ISC COLLECTOR’S EDITION DVD:

· Gag Reel

· Line-O-Rama

· Blind Medicine – a promo for Sarah Marshall’s new TV series

· Feature Commentary with director Nicholas Stoller, cast members Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Elisabeth Moss and producer Rodney Rothman

· Getting To Get Him to The Greek Documentary

· Getting In Tune With The Greek Documentary

· The Making Of “African Child” Documentary

· Five Complete Music Videos featuring Aldous Snow, Infant Sorrow and Jackie Q

· Musical Performances from Infant Sorrow’s triumphant 1999 Greek Theater Concert and 2009 Comeback Concert, plus a peek at their infamous World Tour and the 2002 London Concert.

· Deleted, Extended and Alternate Scenes including an Alternate Intro and Ending

· Digital Copy

SYNOPSIS

Jonah Hill and Russell Brand reunite in a raunchy, raucous comedy from the writer and director of the smash hit comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Aspiring record company exec Aaron Green (Hill) has the brilliant idea of rejuvenating the career of fading British rock star Aldous Snow (Brand) with a comeback concert at the world-renowned Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Dispatched by his boss (Sean Combs) to transport the notoriously dissolute Snow from London to L.A., Aaron has just 72 hours to wrangle the out-of-control rocker across the Atlantic. The seemingly simple assignment devolves into a thicket of groupies and parties, as Snow does his anarchic best to undermine his handler at every turn and Aaron does whatever it takes to keep his unruly charge on track.

Visit: www.gethimtothegreek.net or www.facebook.com/gethimtothegreek

“ACCESS HOLLYWOOD” EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH KATY PERRY ON WEDDING PLANS WITH FIANCE RUSSELL BRAND AND STAYING GROUNDED AT 25

BURBANK, Calif. – June 10, 2010 - ”Access Hollywood’s” Billy Bush speaks with Katy Perry in an exclusive sit-down interview on how her nine-month relationship with fiancé Russell Brand has changed her, body image, her upcoming album “Teenage Dream” and taking life at 25 years-old one day at a time.

The interview will air Thursday, June 10 and Friday, June 11 on “Access Hollywood” (nationally syndicated, check local listings).

Excerpts below.  Please credit “Access Hollywood” with interview airdate.

***

On her MTV Movie Awards dress:
BILLY: How does Russell feel about you wearing a see through dress? Does he get jealous at all?
KATY PERRY: I think he likes it! Well um if you know anything about Russell, he doesn’t wear a whole lot of clothing either… I was channeling Britney Spears when she did that see through sparkly number in her music video.

***

BILLY: Will you be a married woman when your album comes out or will that happen after the fact?
KATY: I think it’s crazy up until August 24th and I think that we will get married this year, hopefully.
BILLY: This year hopefully but probably not before the album.
KATY: Probably not, no.

***

BILLY: Rihanna is planning your bachelorette party?
KATY: I hope so!
BILLY: Is that true?
KATY: That’s what I heard. That will be one of the times you’ll find me face down like in an alley way with like uh a penis hat, you know those like brides to be that like wear those awful things and you’re like, what is going on darling?

***

BILLY: Have you always had confidence over your body and body image?
PERRY: Some times. It’s weird you know, when you fall in love and have someone that really supports you, you stop really worrying about all this make up you have to wear or what everybody thinks about you…cause the person that you love loves you back.

***

On staying grounded at 25 years-old:
KATY: I have my idiotic moments too of course. I take it one day at a time and you know I have a really good support system. I have a good team. I don’t end up wasted with my face down in an alleyway. I kind of steer the ship pretty good so that I don’t hit any icebergs.

“Access Hollywood” is distributed by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution. Rob K. Silverstein is the executive producer.  

Russell Brand and Katy Perry at the premiere of “Get Him to the Greek” in Los Angeles

Actor/comedian Russell Brand (L) and singer Katy Perry arrive at the premiere of Universal Pictures’ ‘Get Him To The Greek’ held at the Greek Theatre on May 25, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images). Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

A reboot of the popular “St. Trinian’s” boarding school film series.  “St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” is an energetic, campy, crude, rude but ridiculously funny film.    Definitely not for the serious minded viewer but for those who are craving for a crazy, unusually fun “girl-power” British film.  Definitely give “St. Trinian’s” a try!

Images courtesy of © 2007 Fragile St. Trinian’s Limited, Entertainment Film Distributors Limited and UK Film Council. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls

DURATION: 101 minutes

DVD INFORMATION: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Anamorphic Widescreen 1:85:1, Subtitles: English, English SDH

RATED: PG-13 (For Thematic Elements, Drug and Alochol Content, Sexual Material and Language)

COMPANY: Ealing Studios/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Released on January 26, 2010

Directed by Oliver Parker, Barnaby Thompson

Written by Piers Ashworth, Nick Moorcroft

Cartoons by Ronald Searle

Executive Producer:  Rupert Everett, Nigel Green, James Spring

Producer: Oliver Parker, Barnaby Thompson

Co-Producer: Mark Hubbard

Associate Producer: Sophie Meyer

Music by Charlie Mole

Cinematography by Gavin Finney

Edited by Alex Mackie

Casting by Lucy Bevan

Production Design by Amanda McArthur

Art Direction by John Reid

Set Decoration by Bridget Menzies

Costume Design by Rebecca Hale, Penny Rose

Starring:

Talulah Riley as Annabelle Fritton

Rupert Everett as Camilla Fritton / Carnaby Fritton

Jodie Whittaker as Beverly

Gemma Arterton as Kelly

Kathryn Drysdale as Taylor

Juno Temple as Celia

Antonia Bernath  as  Chloe

Amara Karan  as Peaches

Tamsin Egerton as Chelsea

Lily Cole as Polly

Paloma Faith as Andrea

Holly Mackie as Tara

Cloe Mackie as Tania

Fenella Woolgar  as Miss Cleaver

Theo Cross  as Art Teacher

Russell Brand  as Flash

Tereza Srbova as Anoushka

Lena Headey as Miss Dickinson

Toby Jones as Bursar

Caterina Murino as Miss Maupassant

Colin Firth as Geoffrey Thwaites

St Trinian’s, the infamous school for ‘young ladies’, is in trouble. Despite being an old flame of its Headmistress (in a top-of-his-class comic performance by RUPERT EVERETT, My Best Friend’s Wedding), the new Education Minister is shaking things up and the school is facing financial ruin. But the students of St Trinian’s aren’t going to give up without a fight. After all, they excel at chaos and attitude not chemistry and algebra…and that’s exactly what it’s going to take to beat the authorities before they close down their beloved school for good.

We are the Best.  So screw the rest.  We do as we damn well please!  Until the end…  St. Trinian’s.  Defenders of anarchy!

“St. Trinian’s”, the fictional girls boarding school created by English cartoonist Ronald Searle and spawned several books in the late 40′s and early 50′s,  five comedy films from the early 1950′s through the 1980′s and now a reboot in 2007.  The film which cost around £7 million to make, earned over £12 million in the UK but is among the top grossing independent British films made and one of the top selling DVD’s in the UK in 2008.

The film had a brief run in the US in Oct. 2009 to help generate interest in the second film “St. Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold” which was released in theaters in the UK in Dec. 2009 and now a US DVD release of the first film in Jan. 2010.

In this reboot, St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls features an all-star cast from the UK.  Starring Rupert Everett (Stardust, Shakespeare in Love, Inspector Gadget), Colin Firth (Mamma Mia!, Bridget Jones’s Diary), LENA HEADEY (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” Vacancy), comedian Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Caterina Murino (Casino Royale). Also starring Mischa Barton (“The O.C.,” “The Beautiful Life”), Talulah Riley (The Boat That Rocked) and Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time), with a cameo appearance by U.K. sensation GIRLS ALOUD.

The school which had been depicted as the girl school where the bad girls attend.  In the original films, these female students were daughters of gangsters, crooks and shady bookmakers.  But in the 2007 revision, the students are broken down to groups from the Chavs, the Posh Totty’s, Geeks, Emo’s and the first years.

“St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” revolves around Annabelle Fritton (played by Talulah Riley), daughter of Carnaby Fritton (played by Rupert Everett) who has left her previous school and will attend the school which is headed by her aunt Camilla Fritton (also played by Rupert Everett).  Carnaby leaves his daughter at the school but to find out that St. Trinian’s is behind on payments and if they don’t pay their bill, the school will be foreclosed.  But Camilla tends to not bother with the collection notices.

As for Annabelle, she  immediately sees that the school is quite unkempt and their students are a bit different from her previous school.  She is given an introduction by head student, Kelly (played by Gemma Arterton) and is introduced to various groups in the school and also receives an initiation of sorts when she has goo dropped on her head and feathers stuck all over her.  To make things worse, while she takes a shower, the girls at school stream her shower through YouTube and steal all her clothing.  Immediately, Annabelle wants out of the school and tries to call her father to get her out to no avail.  She must stay.

We see how education is done at the school of St. Trinian’s.  The school tries to make lab-made vodka and have their teacher Flash Harry (played by Russell Brand) sell it for them to make a profit, foreign language teacher Miss Maupassant (played by Caterina Murino) can be seen teaching wearing S&M tight leather clothing and a whip, one teacher for art class who uses his body to pose in the nude for his students, another who teaches students how to fire weapons and possibly, the most sane teacher is the new teacher Miss Dickinson (played by Lena Headey) who was just hired.   And a former head student turned PR guru JJ French (played by Mischa Barton) who teaches the Posh Totty girls on how to look smart.

Needless to say that the school has a bad reputation and thus education minister Geoffrey Thwaites (played by Colin Firth) wants to use St. Trinian as an example to raise the standards for other schools and will do what he can to make the country know how bad of a school St. Trinian’s truly is.

Meanwhile, the collectors have given St. Trinian’s a few weeks to come up with their payment or else the school will be shut down.  Fearing that they will have to go to a normal school, the students of St. Trinian’s come up with a plan to pull of a major heist and sell the painting in order to get the money to pay the collectors with the support of the school’s owner Ms. Fritton.  Will they be able to pull it off?

The main students featured on “St. Trinian’s” are:

• Annabelle Fritton (played by Talulah Riley, “Pride and Prejudice”, “Doctor Who”, “The Summer House) – A normal student who can’t understand why her father sent her to St. Trinian’s.  Daughter of Carnaby Fritton.  She slowly becomes one of the girl’s at St. Trinian and goes through a major makeover in the first film.
• Kelly (played by Gemma Arterton, “Prince of Persia: Sands of Time”, “Quantum of Solace”, “Clash of the Titans”) – The head student and all students listen to whatever she says.
• Taylor (played by Kathryn Drysdale) – The student most likely to get in your face.  An aggressive student and part of the Chav’s.
• Celia (played by Juno Temple, “Year One”, “Atonement”) – Part of the Chav’s who uses her Internet instinct to help out the Posh-Totty’s and has a weird hairdo.
• Tara and Tania (played by Holly and Cloe Mackie) – The Soprano-like twins of the group “First Years”.  These girls are very smart when creating things in the lab, making of explosives and more.
• Polly (played by Lily Cole, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”) – Polly is the top of the geeks at St. Trinian’s.  A hacker and gifted computer genius.
• Andrea (played by Paloma Faith, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”) – Andrea is a member of the Emo’s.
• Chloe (played by Antonia Bernath), Chelsea (played by Tamsin Egerton) and Peaches (played by Amara Karan) – Chloe, Chelsea and Peaches are members of the Posh Totty’s.  The fashionably, spoiled rich students.
• Beverly (played by Jodie Whitaker, “Wish 143″, “White Wedding”) – The secretary of St. Trinian’s and knows how students and faculty can get a buzz.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” for the most part is filmed inside a school.  Blacks are nice and dark, an adequate amount of film grain and is presented in 1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen.

As for audio, the film is presented in English 5.1 Dolby digital.  For the most part, the film is front and center channel driven with dialogue and music quite clear.  There are some scenes with explosions that utilize the subwoofer but for the most part, the film is dialogue and music driven.

Subtitles are in English and English SDH.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” comes with a few special features. Included are:

• The Official School Diary- (9:56) Behind the scenes of the making of “St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls”.   Featuring interviews with the two directors Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson, Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Gemma Arterton, Jodie Whittaker, Toby Jones, Russell Brand, Tamsin Egerton and more.  Rupert Evertt talks about playing two roles, the talent working with two directors, filming on location and working with Girls Aloud.
• Bloopers - (5:46) Featuring bloopers from “St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls”.
• Girls Aloud – St. Trinian’s Chant – (4:34) The music video featuring an extended version of the Girls Aloud performance shown at the ending of the film.
• Deleted Scenes - (18:01) A total of 19 deleted scenes.
• Previews - Upcoming releases from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

This movie is definitely not your parent’s “St. Trinian’s” that they grew up with watching when they were younger, this 2007 reboot is a whole new comedy sporting an all-star case featuring on a new group of bad girls of today’s generation of Internet users, member of a school click…may they be a geek, emo, chav or posh.  “St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” is much more rude, crude but depending on your sense of humor, you may find it quite entertaining in an unusual way.

Despite the negative critic reviews the film has received, the fact that the independent film has done well in the box office and it has done well in DVD sales in the UK, now has a sequel with talks of a third film being made, definitely shows you how this film has amassed a cult following.  Intriguing as well as the actresses who have gone on to bigger projects since the making of the first film, most have all returned for the sequel as well.

At first, I was sort of expecting something a film along the same style of the original 1954 film “The Belles of St. Trinian’s” but with a twist and more modern but what we got is a more, girl-power driven comedy utilizing a more modern feel of today’s generation, working together for the greater good for their school in the most obnoxious, crazy, campy but yet hilarious kind of way.

Similar to the original film which had Alastair Sim playing both the headmistress and her brother, Rupert Everett takes on the role of Camilla and Carnaby Fritton.  For the most part, it was a bit scary at first to see Rupert in drag but for the most part but you kind of ease into the role because the film is quite campy but yet funny.  Colin Firth as usual, very good with his deadpan humor.

Those who wonder about the top billing of other well-known talents such as Lena Heady, Russell Brand and Mischa Barton, its important to emphasize that the main talents are the students themselves, especially Talulah Riley and Gemma Arterton.  Brand is featured a good number of times throughout the film, with Heady in second (has quite a few scenes that were cut and are on the deleted scenes) and Barton’s role lasts around under two minutes.  So, for “The O.C.” fans wondering if Barton plays one of the main students in the film, she’s doesn’t.  And why she is receiving top billing on the DVD, I’m guessing it is to attract American fans who may not be familiar with any of the UK talent.

“St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” is not a a great film nor is it a bonafide stinker.  It’s all about one’s humor and their sensibilities.  This is not a politically correct film nor should those who enjoyed the original films, look for anything close to it.  Personally, I think some going to the film to see something close to the original may find the campiness and ridiculous gags a bit too much for them but for some with an open mind to the film’s style of comedy, you can find some enjoyment because it is so unusual and crazy. And personally, I feel that Happy Madison or Apatow-related films have made me a bit more lenient towards these types of comedy related films and by the end of “St. Trinian’s”, I was content by it.  I found it to be a wild, crazy and fun film!

Parents who have seen trailers of the film and saw many children on it, don’t be fooled.  This is not a kid’s film, thus the PG-13 rating.  In fact, these younger kids in the film are making vodka and other unusual concoctions in their lab, using explosives and up to some kind of trouble.

As for those who are wondering about the “girl power” theme, it’s nothing like “Mean Girls” of one trying to achieve popularity.  These girls are the outcasts of their school and find solace at St. Trinian’s because they feel like they belong.  Sure, they may be amongst a group of troublemakers or depressed individuals but they enjoy being at that school and thus, the will do what they can to fight for their school.  I think the lyrics to the theme by Girls Aloud describes these girls in the best manner:  We are the Best.  So screw the rest.  We do as we damn well please!  Until the end…  St. Trinian’s.  Defenders of anarchy!

As for the DVD, it’s cool that there are a good amount of special features included.  I will say that there are some scenes that were included in the deleted scenes of the DVD that I wish was included in the final cut of the film.  I’m guessing that the filmmakers tried to get the duration down to 100 minutes and it is essentially the reason why there are so many deleted scenes (19) included on the DVD.

Overall, “St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” is a film that can appease the teenage girls with its “girl power” theme, especially the young Internet generation who are on YouTube digs music from Girls Aloud or a member of a certain type of school click. For the guys, seeing girls being bad or girls in their bra and panties with fishnet stockings are probably going to catch their attention and for the grownups, the cast which has a good share of older and younger talent is going to attract their attention, especially those who are curious about how different this film is from the original.

Again, this film is not going to be for everyone.  Some may find the film too over-the-top, boorish, crude and all out ridiculous, while others may find it as an enjoyable 101-minute popcorn flick with wild and crazy British humor.  If you are part of the latter, then definitely give “St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” a try, you may very well enjoy it!

Russell Brand at the signing of his new DVD at HMV in London

Russell Brand attends a signing of his new DVD ‘Scandalous: Live at the O2′ at HMV, Oxford Street on November 13, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images). Content © 2009 Getty Images All rights reserved.

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