“New York Times magazine” writer develops a concept called screen tests in which she interviews actors and actresses about various subjects concerning their careers, how they got started off and much much more.

CAREY MULLIGAN

NATALIE PORTMAN

EMMA STONE

MIA WASIKOWSKA

JULIANNE MOORE

CHARLIZE THERON

MILA KUNIS

DAKOTA FANNING

KATIE HOLMES

ANNETTE BENING

ELLE FANNING

HELENA BOHEM CARTER

Until about a week ago, I was catching up on episodes of season 1 of Raising Hope, a hilarious comedy about a boy who is stuck raising baby Hope by himself with the help of his clueless but amazing trailer trash family (check out my post on the show and it’s cast HERE). Then, I got slightly addicted to season one of Off the Map (check out my post on it HERE), a show produced by Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy & Private Practice writer and creator). In a few words, I wouldn’t generally recommend it but it’s a good time killer as it’s a medical drama set in the jungle with some interesting characters. Unfortunately it seems as though it’s going to get canceled next season. So there you have it.

I was stuck with nothing to watch so I decide to delve into my best friend’s recommendation, a new series Episodes, starring no other than Matt LebLanc. Yes, Matt LeBlanc I repeat. Not your obvious choice, but surprisingly he is amazing in this role which is practically tailored to fit both his humor, his charm and his intellect. Yes, he IS intelligent it turns out, as well as sweet and extremely likeable – even though he sounds like a jock most of the time. The show itself is evolving into something quite interesting. A British/American creation and collaboration, it brings together elements of both worlds as well as the shenanigans that go on behind the writers chair on a television series. The UK cast, Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig do a great job portraying the easily swayed and doe eyed / cynical British couple that go from London to LA to bring their hit television series to the US screens. Likewise the US cast, headed by Leblanc, is surprisingly witty and self-deprecating in a very un-American way. Maybe that’s why I love the show!

property of Showtime

So – back to why I almost fell off the sofa. All of a sudden who pops on the screen? Rachel Shelley. UK, British Rachel Shelley doing ana amazingly funny valley American accent. She literally stole the entire scene! What a nice surprise. I included the clip beneath so you can have a look. I managed to avoid a fall but I certainly could not suppress a gaffaw!

EPISODES

If you don’t know Rachel, you might remember her on the L Word recently or Lagaan, one of the most famous Bollywood films of 2001. She also starred opposite the adorable Heather Graham in Grey Matters. Rachel is also a writer and has a regular column with DIVA Magazine. I love reading her articles each month as she has a way with language and always follow her projects. The below video is a fan made video of some clips from the L Word, it’s cute!

THE L WORD

So, if you have a chance, check her out in Lagaan, she plays the adorable English love interest Elizabeth Russel and the intriguingly beautiful, powerful and charming Helena Peabody in the L Word who goes from riches to rags. We all loved her in both and there is much to see beyond her beauty. She possesses wit and charm as well as a very subtle style which seeps through all her roles.  She also has a wicked sense of humor. While she was in LA filming the L word, she did a hilarious cover of the song Run by Snow Patrol.

RACHEL DOING “RUN”

You can also check out her column in the monthly issues of DIVA magazine. Here is a sample of her interviewing Jennifer Beals in the July 2010 issue. Go Rachel! We definitely want to see more of her hilariousness on TV!

How did it feel to work behind the screen with someone, did they get along, did they fall in love? If all on-screen relationships ended up like Jolie-Pitt doesn’t it make you think what causes the relationship to flourish? Is it the actual chemistry between the couple or is reality getting intermingled with fantasy?

I found you guys some really cool artistic collaborations to ponder and think whether you expected this to come along, naturally or professionally. And if you did see it coming, can you imagine what the energy was like between these two people?

Hope you all have a good start to the week, it’s Easter for those of you who are celebrating, which means shorter work and school weeks for some so I hope you get to enjoy the weather wherever you are, maybe have some BBQs in the sun by the sea or the park…in my dreams! I’m just planning on cracking some red eggs (Greek custom, bringing the holy light home to bless the house without burning it down) and having some friends over, should be fun!

ZOOEY DESCHANEL & JIM CARREY

photo by Peggy Sirota, courtesy of zooeyd

SCARLETT JOHANSSON & WOODY ALLEN

property of New York magazine, courtesy of Pen Hitting Paper

ALEC BALDWIN & TINA FEY

photo by Robert Ashcroft, Gotham magazine, courtesy of The Girlie Show

DREW BARRYMORE & ELLEN PAGE

property of Marie Claire, courtesy of After Ellen

MILEY CYRUS & BILLY RAY CYRUS

photo by Annie Leibovitz, property of Vanity Fair

LEISHA HAILEY & CAMILLA GREY

photo property of UhHuhHer, courtesy of Band We Blogs

LAURA MARLING & MUMFORD and SONS

photo courtesy of UGP Music

LILY ALLEN & MARK RONSON

photo property of Factory 311

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

I only made it round to the Soho stores but the crowds, bands and atmosphere were amazing! We started out our day with Brunch at the Breakfast Club and then made our way to BM Soho, Sister Ray and finally Phonica Records. We got a glimpse of DJs, some live acts, cool Tshirts and our favorite Vinyl. It was such a great event to re-ignite our passion for music and start a vinyl collection. Also it was a fabulous way to get to know our “neighborhood” record stores and support them.

I decided to log my day by keeping a photo journal that I also “leaked” onto my facebook account. Check out both for complimentary photos…There are a lot of feet photos I notice but I couldn’t help myself from being a little bit fascinated by people’s shoe fashion…Hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think.

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

photo by kranARI

courtesy of Miss Shelby Rose

For one, Florence Welch might be signed to Island Records (based here in the UK) but lately, it feels as if she’s been touring the US forever! She hasn’t done a UK gig in a while and my fear is that now that she’s charmed the pants off US audiences, she might never return…

On the same level,  Adele seems to have a similar effect on American audiences. The genre of her music and vocal stylings have made her a major hit in the US and it is the “appropriate” thing to do – when you decide to conquer America, usually you can conquer the rest of the world.

courtesy of Katie McCaffrey

Are we going to ever get these artists back or will the lure of the musical Happy-Meal contract glue them to the continent over the pond. These are sad, sad times…

So here’s just a few of the talented female Aussies out there to feast our eyes on early in the week. See if you can remember where you last saw or heard some of these Australians. Have we forgotten anyone?

CATE BLANCHETT

photo by Annie Leibowitz, courtesy of Castle and Cottage

NICOLE KIDMAN

courtesy of W magazine

THE VERONICAS

MIA WASIKOWSKA

courtesy of BlackBook magazine

TONI COLLETTE

RACHEL GRIFFITHS

ABBIE CORNISH

ANGUS & JULIA STONE

courtesy of Impressionable Youth

MISSY HIGGINS

photo by Adrienne Overall, courtesy of Adeli’s Music Blog

KYLIE & DANNII MINOGUE

courtesy of Esquire Magazine

MELISSA GEORGE

courtesy of Sprinkled in Pink

PORTIA DEROSSI

property of The Advocate, courtesy of SassiSam

Tonight we planned to go to my very good friend’s concert. You see, she is a pianist, an excellent one and that, who is incredibly technical and engaging. The funny thing that happened (something which I had forgotten about that I do) is that during the concert – I manically started drawing all over the program! Not a terribly odd thing to do in my mind, but something funny started to happen. As I looked up between pieces to give the musicians a well deserved clap, I caught some really nasty glares coming from no other than my friends sitting next to me – So I decided during the intermission, as if I was doing something horrible and naughty to turn to my girlfriend and ask her if it was indeed horrible to drawing during the performance. Turns out, it looked like I was incredibly BORED! Not true! In fact I was so engaged that I was inspired to unleash some creative juices…(and don’t let your mind go all dirty on me)

Unfortunately it reminded me of my school days, where I literally used to draw my way, through my afternoons and nights of classes only to offend my teachers and often get scolded for not paying attention. The fact is, that people never realized that creative people like me often need visual stimulus and sometimes several things going at once in order to improve their concentration.

Which brings me to people who are as creative as Florence Welch. It makes me laugh to think she was also one of those kids who got told off in school for randomly breaking into song, but this also simultaneously slightly upsets me. Looking into her past, you get the impression that she was one of those people who was creative from the get go – even in her school days. In the time she spent at the Camberwell college of the arts, she studied illustration before quitting early to follow her musical aspirations. Lucky for us, she became a musician instead of an illustrator, yet her art school influences are evident in her work even today.

In fact, her entire musical persona is a highly creative one, whether it be her outfits, her music videos, her fiery red hair, her makeup or her lyrics. Her outfits change chromatically, virtually determined by the shade of her hair at the time and her music videos evolve artistically depending on mood and artistic exploration. One element she never leaves out however is her incredibly cute interpretive dance. Cosmic Love, Dog Days and Drumming song are the first that come to mind when one thinks of creatively loose choreography. On that same note, unlike her lyrics that speak of love, lust, isolation and death – her videos have a broader theme. They are, in my opinion at least, interpretive and symbolic rather than literal.

courtesy of Pretty Young Things.com

Perhaps these thematic interpretations fit well with her epic / powerful voice. Even live, whether it be arenas or studios, her voice radiates emotion and power – leaving space for creative improvisation. Look how she builds the tension in a song using her body and voice in order to rile up the following arena.

ARENAS

In a quieter setting like a radio station, she effectively tones down her vocals and physicality in order to fit the environment, yet without loosing the power.

Live on KEXP

At the ZOO

This particular video is the epitome of what it means to be an interpretive artist. At a random setting, what amazes me is that Florence is able to jam with her guitarist and give this song a completely new spin. This for me is an indication of true talent – the ability to effectively improvise on the spot. Her and the guitarist mash so well that it sounds like a completely different song. Love it!

Here Florence talks about her music

All of this musical analysis leads me to only only one conclusion: IF more schools would encourage creative expression during class, not only would artistic people like us feel more at home (not like the freaks we are labeled to be) but also FREE to express our true self and embrace the fact that even though we are all different, we can be just as effective and creative as the next person if allowed to be.

Well, this is a post about trailers that are exactly NOT like that. I want to write about movies that surprised me, caught me off guard, sent me into a spiral of sadness or uncontrollable laughter without me expecting it. I also want to hear which trailers did that to you.

On that same note, I should probably introduce you to two hilarious, talented guys that I’m going to be writing for soon. Their names are Mike and Cass and they run this site called Movie Vortex. The reason I bring them up is because they do these hilarious Trailer reviews on iTunes. Check these out on their site. I will never have to go a day without fully analyzing a trailer so that I know what to expect.

Daydream Nation

courtesy of FilmFodder

Surprising and deceiving trailer number one will have to be upcoming film Daydream Nation. I mean seriously, what is this a comedy or a drama? I simply have no idea whether to prepare myself for laughs or depression? And though I seriously love Kat Dennings, this trailer turns nasty after the 1.27 mark. In other words, what you think you’re going to watch turns into a completely different film. To tell you the truth when trailers do that it kind of scares me…

Norwegian Wood

courtesy of Twitchfilm

As if my work colleague’s warning “This book that I’m reading Norwegian Wood is amazing, but I don’t think you should read it, it’s pretty depressing” wasn’t good enough, I went ahead and based my viewing expectations on the film’s trailer. My knack for easily forgetting titles might be the cause of this mishap, you might say, it was the trailer ultimately that mislead me. Here I am, watching what I thought might be a film about love in 70s Japan when I am bombarded in the actual with with the concept of loss, death and suicide? Where exactly in the trailer might I ask were these concepts represented?

If you can tell, things are going much better in my life at the moment which is mostly due to an OVERdue appointment with the chiropractor. Ah, the pain relief to my bulged disc in my back is making the creativity flow all the way up to my brain again!

So, without further ado, I would like to introduce you to my favorite ladies in comedy. They might not be exactly who you expect them to be (aka Tina Fey or Amy Poehler) but I’ve found a rather subtler, different generation to represent them. Tell me what you think…did I miss someone?

KRISTEN WIIG

Kristen Wiig

Yes I know she is a Saturday Night Live alum, but the girl made me shed tears of laughter in Paul with her cute, beautiful, one-eyed, character, “Ruth Buggs”. Though I’m not terribly excited to see her new movie Bridesmaids which she wrote and is starring in (don’t ask me why, it’s just a gut feeling though I hope she can prove me wrong) – I AM excited to see her in future projects cause she is a great leading lady and a cinematic hidden gem.

HEATHER MORRIS

Heather Morris, Glee

The genius of Heather Morris all-encompassed in one word is : Brittany. The creation of her character on Glee might be accidental but if you don’t know this already, it is Morris who actually contributes a lot of the amazing one-liners that make Brittany so incredibly hilarious. Her combination of amazing dance skills that would leave anyone open-mouthed along with great comedic timing, beauty and a dash of wit and dead pan (poker face humor) are what make her so absolutely unique. And hey she can even RAP!

MARTHA PLIMPTON

photo by Todd Heisler, property of the New York Times

Again, Plimton is one of those hidden 80′s television/theatre gems that has only been rediscovered lately through her new television hit Raising Hope. If you remember well, Plimpton was a Goonies graduate and has built herself a great career in the theatre over the years. The thing I love about her is that she is so BLUNT, in-your-face and absolutely charming. Make sure to catch her on her new show ASAP and you can also get to know her on Jimmy Kimmel live.

SOFIA VERGARA

property of InStyle magazine

I’m not going to lie to you. I wouldn’t necessarily call Sofia Vergara unassuming. She might look like someone who is a mix between your favorite NY tranny and your typical Latina heartthrob. And she is a big deal where she comes from! So it doesn’t surprise me that she has intelligently used her self-deprecating sense of humor for her character Gloria in the hit comedy series, Modern family. I think I read somewhere that someone wrote the part especially with her in mind. Check her out on the Late Show with Dave Letterman and you’ll see what I mean.

PORTIA DEROSSI

courtesy of CheckUserAccount.com

Thank Goodness Portia DeRossi doesn’t let her high-profile marriage to Ellen DeGeneres or her anorexic past define her. Well, it sort of does, as of late. But if you know Portia better, you’ll know she’s also a really good comedian known for roles in hit shows like Ally McBeal, Arrested Development and Better off Ted. The girl is just DAMN good at playing cold. But she also has great comedic timing and a knack for picking witty projects. Go Portia!

property of FOX, courtesy of PopTower.com

My obsession with relatively new television hit Raising Hope has suddenly raised an interest in a rising starlet, Shannon Woodward. Every single night for the past week without fail we have cuddled down in my sofa (with significant other) and laughed our heads off over this refreshing trailer trash comedy about a boy who becomes a dad when his one night stand turns into a serial killer and is fried on the electric chair.  Jimmy’s family disjunctions become a source of humor and stress as he tries to grow up and fall in love (enter Shannon Woodward’s character) and raise his daughter safely while following relatively correct values.

courtesy of shannon-woodward.com

Though Martha Plimpton often steals the show with her wonderfully distorted facial expressions, it is Shannon Woodward’s quirky-cool character Sabrina that we fall in love with. Perhaps it’s her under exposed face and her cool, hipster-type acting that makes us wonder why we haven’t seen her on our screens before.

property of FOX

Well here’s where you’re wrong. Seems as though kissing Katy Perry, being Rob Pattinson BFF and Andrew Garfield’s GF will have certain perks. I discovered a little secret while doing my digging. Shannon had a music video cameo back in the day. If you notice closely, she appears as one of the bridesmaids in Katy’s HOT n COLD. Coolness!

Apart from social exposure, this girl does not rely on social connections to get her where she is. If we have a quick look at Woodward’s professional background, there are two supporting roles immediately that stand out in her resume. Apart from the recent Raising Hope, she also starred alongside Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver in The Riches as DiDi Malloy. This was probably the role that gave her initial exposure though it’s my feeling that her current portrayal of Sabrina will probably give her more recognition and secure some future work for her. Both roles effectively highlight her deadpan ability to deliver a line and be as cute as a button all at once.

courtesy of Shannon-Woodward.com

It definitely makes me really excited that they’re developing her character gradually more and more in Raising Hope. Here are a couple of clips of her playing Sabrina , Jimmy’s love interest and friend and talking about her part in the television hit. Enjoy and I hope you soon get hooked on the show!

Talking about her role as Sabrina in Raising Hope

Clips from Raising Hope