dubbing drubbing

The Curious Mystery of the Dubbed Voice...

Once upon a time, a little unknown named Kathy Sheldon, struggling to make ends meet in Hollywood during the silent era, was brought in by Monumental Pictures, to dub in the voice of tempermental movie queen Lina Lamont in its first singing talkie, "The Dueling Cavalier."

That's the plot of Stanley Donen-Gene Kelly's "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), of course, with Debbie Reynolds as Kathy and Jean Hagen as Lina. The odd thing is that life imitated art, in that Reynolds, a song-and-dance pro, was herself dubbed in the movie - at least, in its climatic scene. That's when Lina, who has a cartoonish, high-pitched voice, is brought on stage following the premiere of "The Dueling Cavalier" and is cheered on by the audience to sing live. She can't, of course, because Kathy dubbed both her speaking and singing voice in the film. And so, with Kathy behind the curtain, Lina mimes the lyric of "Would You?," while Kathy actually sings it.

You know all this if you've seen the film - and who hasn't? But the funny thing is that Reynolds herself was dubbed in the scene - by Betty Royce.

So you have a situation of Royce singing for Reynolds who is pretending to sing for Hagen. Got that?

"Singin' in the Rain" was made nearly 60 years ago and film types still complain about dubbing - which, frankly, is nearly as old as film itself and, for me, one of its more magical qualities. Most of these complaints, not surprisingly, are leveled at non-singers who need to be dubbed.

But wait! There are a lot of musically talented people in film who were routinely dubbed. Cyd Charisse was an MGM contract player who made musicals almost exclusively. She could dance but she couldn't sing. India Adams was brought in by Metro to fulfill that aspect of her performance.

And Rita Hayworth's house dubber at Columbia was Jo Ann Greer, whose voice was so remarkably close to Hayworth's that most people have assumed that the star did all her own singing. She didn't. Never.

Rita Moreno, another trained singer, likes to point out in interviews that Natalie Wood had to be dubbed by the ubiquitous Marni Nixon for "West Side Story," but fails to mention that she - Moreno - was dubbed in that film by Betty Wand (who also did the singing for film-musical regular Leslie Caron in "Gigi"). Co-star Russ Tamblyn, another Metro musical player, was dubbed by his fellow Jet in the film, Tucker Smith. It's odd to hear Tucker's voice come out of Tamblyn's mouth in "The Jet Song" and then hear the same voice come out of his own mouth in "Cool."

And here's the clincher: Juanita Hall sang the role of Bloody Mary on Broadway for Joshua Logan in "South Pacific," but when he made his 1958 film version, Murial Smith was brought to supply Bloody Mary's singing voice, apparently at the request of composer Richard Rodgers.

So get over it, folks, because even the most adept musical talents have been dubbed, as bizarre as that might be to imagine.

Much more troublesome - for me, at least - are those players whose entire vocal performances have been dubbed.

Case in point: The charming singer Joanie Sommers who made her inauspicious film debut in the 1961 Don Taylor film, "Everything's Ducky," starring Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett.

Taylor, the affable actor who played the groom opposite Elizabeth Taylor in Vincente Minnelli's "Father of the Bride" (1950), directed a few episodes of several TV series before making his big-screen directorial debut with "Everything's Ducky," a comedy for Columbia.

It's about two sailors (Rooney and Hackett) and a talking ... duck.

Sommers had a distinctive speaking and singing voice - soft, velvety, with a slight tomboyish pull to it. She is perhaps best-known for her hit version of the song "One Boy" from the play and film, "Bye Bye Birdie." But her voice in unrecognizable - alien - in "Everything's Ducky." For some bizarre reason, Taylor (or someone) decided to completely re-record her dialogue using another actress's voice. They even dubbed over Sommers' giggles in the film. It's an insane conceit - akin to replacing the singular voice of, say, a Debra Winger or a Zooey Deschanel.

It was never revealed exactly who dubbed Joanie Sommers in "Everything's Ducky," although Columbia did manage to credit the actor - Walker Edmiston - who provided the voice of the duck. Go figure.

Yes, shades of "Singin' in the Rain."

This wasn't the first time that a studio did something drastic with an actress' voice. When Ingrid Thulin's voice in Minnelli's 1962 version of "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" was considered too thick and indecipherable for the average American moviegoer, Metro recruited no less than Angela Lansbury to read all her lines.

At least, Thulin was already an establish actress - well, certainly in Europe. But Sommers was brand-new to acting. And so was Jacqueline Bisset, who had one of her more memorable early screen roles in Stanley Donen's "Two for the Road" (1967) and her voice, also very familiar, was dubbed. Word is that Donen actually needed Bisset to reloop her dialogue but, as she was already off, working on another film, and unavailable, another actress was brought in, also never identified.

I personally find all this distracting and disturbing. I mean, a person's voice is a big part of his or her performance - nay, it's 100% of the performance. I don't know how it can be easily replaced.

Is any artistic excuse legitimate?



Most disturbing of all is what director Hugh Hudson (strangely silent lately, but not missed by me) and what he did to Andie MacDowell in her first screen role in his "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" (1984). He took MacDowell's charming, enticing twang and replaced it with the dull patrician tones of Glenn Close. His decision was never explained.

And neither MacDowell nor Close has ever discussed it, although I spent most of my career as a working critic dying to ask Close exactly why one actress would do that to another.

Hudson's dubious decision could have derailed MacDowell's acting career and ruined her reputation. Luckily, it didn't. She flourished in some very good films ("Groundhog Day," "Unstrung Heroes," "The Muse," "The End of Violence," "Green Card" and, yes, "Four Weddings and a Funeral").

Hudson, meanwhile, hasn't made a film in more than a decade.

And according to Hollywood legend, James Keach dubbed the voice of then-newcomer Klinton Spilsbury in the "Legend of the Lone Ranger" movie - a move that I think may have aborted Spilsbury's career - and Lindsay Crouse came in and dubbed Lysette Anthony in "Krull."

Getting back to Sommers, she made out much better in her second film, 1964's "The Lively Set," with James Darren and Pamela Tiffin. Director Jack Arnold, always a pro, was smart enough to retain her seductive purr.

cinema obscura: Maddow/Meyers/Strick's "The Savage Eye" (1960)

A major independent film of the 1950s, "The Savage Eye" has become something of an enigma in the past four decades, forgotten about until the UCLA Film and Television Archive inexplicably but bravely revived it in 2008, jogging my memory. A rush of stirring black-&-white images, courtesy of cinematographers Jack Couffer, Helen Levitt and Haskell Wexler, reminded me of what a vivid experience it was - and still is.

The dual-level film - directed in tandem by Ben Maddow, Sidney Meyeres and Joseph Strick, who also produced and edited the film - is ostensibly about a woman named Judith McGuire (Barbara Baxley, then a popular New York stage actress who had just appeared in Tennessee Williams' "Period of Adjustment"), who spends the day waiting for her divorce to come through by wandering around Los Angeles.

The year is 1959.

Jaded and now seeing life in a more realistic way, Judith serves as a guide through a city which, seen up close, looks dirty and disreputable - bustling yet empty. The rose-colored glasses are off.

The result is a narrative which works also - largely - as a documentary about the city and its assorted haunts, a narrative whose compelling supporting cast is a vast array of Los Angeleans, most of whom come across as emotionally and culturally impoverished. There's no sense of joy here because priorities have been skewed in favor of relentlessly shallow needs and goals.

Gary Merrill co-stars as a character called The Poet, who gives voice to the city, and Herschel Bernardi is on board, too. Leonard Rosenman wrote the score for this vivid journey through hopelessness.

For its 2008 screening of "The Savage Eye," the UCLA Film and Television Archive utilized The Billy Wilder Theater on its campus. More please.

All Good Things Must End

My time for crafting is coming to a screetching halt.

Sad, but true.

Why you ask?

Three reasons:

My favorite little busybody makes daytime crafting impossible :)

I go back to work...tomorrow (eek).

By the end of the month, one of these will be in our front yard.

I can't go cold turkey, but I just won't have as much time (or energy) to craft as much as I have this summer.

Keep checking in with me though...I'm still here!

Dramatic Reinactment

Me in the store:

"Simplicity patterns for 99 cents! Let me see what I can find!"

Thumb through the catalog. Find this pattern}

"Hmmm...this is cute, but I really only like the shirt."
{mentally debate if I really NEED this pattern or not}
"Aw shucks. It's only a buck. I'll buy it and whip it up for my sweet LA."
{skip to the checkout at Hobby Lobby--ok, I really didn't skip}
{arrive home}

Fast forward several days
{remove pattern from packaging and debate what size to make it. Decide to go with smaller size based on weight recommendations--thank goodness I did}
{trace and cut out pattern pieces}
{begin sewing}

"@&^%&!!"
{continue sewing}
"*&&*&^%# #$#$^&@@!!"
{for some reason, continue sewing}
{give up for the evening and contemplate just trashing the entire thing}

Next morning:
{insanely decide to persevere}
"*&&*&^%# #$#$^&@@!!"
{Finally finish}

And scene.

Sooo...can you tell how much I "enjoyed" this pattern? Let's just say, if I were to ever make it again, there are so many things I would change! I did make a few modifications on this one as it is, but there are even more I would do next time.

Had it not been past 9 pm when I started sewing, I might have thought through the pattern better and foreseen some of the "bad planning" that Simplicity made. Oh well. In the end, it actually turned out pretty cute!

I made some capris to go with it. I did not use the pattern from the package. Instead, I used a pattern that I drafted from a pair of pants that actually fit LA. They are a little wide for capris, but since it is not a knit fabric, she needed the extra room for moving around.

Baxter is my quality control man.

Cara2 Kencangkan Payudara

Banyak wanita yang ingin payudaranya tampak lebih besar. Cara instan pun dilakukan seperti suntik silikon atau operasi payudara. Tetapi sebenarnya ada cara yang lebih aman untuk memperbesar payudara.

Kuncinya terletak pada estrogen dalam tubuh Anda. Estrogen adalah “hormon wanita”, yang bertanggung jawab untuk membuat tubuh Anda lebih berisi, dan payudara Anda lebih besar. Hormon ini dipompa melalui tubuh untuk membuat perubahan bentuk tubuh dari seorang gadis cilik menjadi remaja.

Estrogen ditandai dengan siklus menstruasi, membuat tubuh lebih berisi dan tumbuhnya payudara. Hal ini sangat penting, dan alasan mengapa begitu banyak wanita tidak memiliki payudara yang mereka inginkan, adalah karena masa pubertas terlalu dini. Itu membuat hambatan pada berkembangnya pertumbuhan payudara dengan baik.

Dari usia 12 hingga 16 tahun, tubuh wanita dipenuhi estrogen. Itu adalah masa puber dimana perubahan banyak terjadi. Namun, ketika pubertas berhenti, kadar estrogen dalam tubuh Anda secara dramatis berkurang, sehingga ukurannya tidak berkembang sepanjang hidup Anda.

Ini berarti bahwa untuk membuat payudara lebih besar secara alami, Anda hanya perlu perbanyak konsumsi makanan yang bisa merangsang hormon estrogen. Estrogen dalam tanaman disebut “Phyto-Estrogen” atau estrogen tanaman. Anda bisa mendapatkannya dengan mengonsumsi biji rami (flax seed), produk kedelai seperti susu kedelai, tahu, dan tempe. Jadikanlah makanan tersebut sebagai menu wajib Anda.

Tips Latihan Mengencangkan Payudara

Seperti telah disebutkan dalam artikel Triumph Boobcamp, produsen pakaian dalam wanita ini meluncurkan sebuah program fitnes yang dikembangkan untuk membentuk area payudara menjadi lebih kencang.

Program fitnes baru ini dikembangkan secara eksklusif oleh instruktur mantan militer di fitness camp terkenal, No. 1 Boot Camp, dan pakar musik sports AudioFuel.

Latihan selama 30 menit ini didesain untuk membentuk dan mengencangkan otot-otot yang menyangga area payudara. Jika Anda belum pernah melakukan latihan semacam ini, lakukan sesuai kenyamanan Anda. Tambahkan porsi latihannya setiap kali Anda berhasil meningkatkan kemampuan.

Warm up

1. Mulailah dengan memutar kepala untuk memanaskan otot-otot leher. Tengok ke kiri, ke atas, ke kanan, dan ke bawah. Ulangi beberapa kali.

2. Panaskan otot-otot pundak. Berdiri dengan kaki terbuka selebar pundak, rentangkan lengan lurus ke samping dengan telapak menghadap ke depan dan ibu jari di atas. Buat gerakan memutar lengan ke arah depan. Setelah itu, buat gerakan memutar yang lebih besar, seluas yang Anda bisa. Ulangi gerakan memutar ini, namun ke arah belakang.

3. Berdiri dengan kaki terbuka selebar bahu. Letakkan lengan di belakang punggung, tautkan kedua tangan dengan telapak menghadap keluar. Jaga agar pundak tetap rata, lalu tarik kedua tangan yang bertautan ke arah pundak. Tahan posisi ini hingga 10-15 detik. Anda akan merasakan peregangan pada bagian depan dada dan pundak.

Latihan 1: Dumbbell Press

1. Gunakan dua dumbbell seberat sekitar 3 kg. Jika tidak ada dumbbell, gunakan botol air minum ukuran 500 ml.

2. Berbaring telentang dengan lutut ditekuk, kaki dan punggung menempel lantai. Pegang beban di kedua tangan, rentangkan kedua lengan lurus di atas dada, buku-buku jari menghadap ke wajah Anda. Bawa beban ke arah bawah dalam gerakan lambat yang terkontrol, sementara siku ditekuk dengan sudut yang tepat ke arah tubuh, lalu turunkan siku sedekat mungkin ke arah lantai.

3. Lakukan 3 set dengan 15 repetisi. Tingkatkan jumlahnya setelah kekuatan Anda makin bertambah.

Latihan 2: Dumbbell Flye

1. Latihan ini dirancang untuk membangun otot-otot dada. Gunakan beban ringan untuk menghindari tambahan tekanan pada pundak.

2. Untuk posisi awal, berbaring lurus dengan kedua kaki sedikit dibengkokkan, telapak rata di lantai. Pegang dumbbell, lengan sedikit ditekuk, lalu rentangkan lengan lurus ke atas tubuh sehingga dumbbell bertemu di tengah-tengah. Buku jari menghadap keluar, sedangkan jari-jari menghadap ke dalam.

3. Perlahan turunkan lengan dengan siku tetap ditekuk sedikit, ke arah kiri-kanan tubuh Anda hingga terasa peregangan penuh pada dada dan pundak Anda. Tarik nafas saat Anda menurunkan lengan, dan tahan peregangan itu hingga 5 hitungan. Lalu keluarkan nafas dengan mulut saat menaikkan lengan kembali ke atas.

4. Lakukan 3 set dengan 15 repetisi. Tingkatkan jumlahnya setelah kekuatan Anda makin bertambah.

Latihan 3: Dumbbell Pullover

1. Latihan ini akan menguatkan otot-otot dada.

2. Berbaring dengan kaki ditekuk, punggung dan telapak kaki rata di lantai. Pegang satu dumbbell dengan dua tangan di bagian tengahnya, posisi piringan pada dumbbell menghadap ke atas dan ke bawah.

3. Sebagai posisi awal, dorong dumbbell ke atas dada dengan siku tetap ditekuk sedikit. Sambil menarik nafas, perlahan dorong kembali dumbbell melewati kepala dan turunkan ke arah belakang sedekat mungkin ke lantai. Pastikan siku tetap menekuk. Rasakan peregangan tersebut, sambil mengeluarkan nafas lewat mulut. Setelah itu kembalikan dumbbell melewati kepala hingga mencapai posisi awal.

4. Lakukan 3 set dengan 15 repetisi.

Latihan 4: Rotational Push Up

1. Gerakan ini melatih pundak dan kestabilan otot-otot pusat, sekaligus otot-otot dada dan trisep. Lakukan semampu Anda, dan tingkatkan jumlah atau durasinya setiap kali Anda berhasil melakukannya.

2. Lakukan posisi push up. Kaki dibuka selebar bahu, jari ditekuk untuk mencegah tubuh Anda lebih rendah ke lantai, lengan lurus tetapi tidak terkunci di bawah Anda, telapak tangan diletakkan di lantai di bawah pundak. Agar lebih mudah, letakkan lutut Anda di lantai.

3. Biarkan lengan Anda dibengkokkan keluar saat Anda menurunkan tubuh, dan saat Anda menaikkan tubuh. Putar tubuh Anda ke arah luar sesuai gerakan lengan, sehingga lengan kiri lurus sedangkan lengan kanan diangkat dengan sudut 180 derajat dari lantai. Kembalilah ke posisi awal, dimana kedua lengan ditekuk sedikit saat tubuh diturunkan, dan saat tubuh didorong kembali ke atas dan berputar ke kiri. Ganti gerakan dengan mengangkat lengan kiri ke atas.4. Lakukan 3 set dengan 4 repetisi.

Foto Syur Marissa F Lee

Luna dan Ariel Akan Bertunangan di Tahanan

JAKARTA- MESKI sang kekasih terang-terangan meniduri wanita lain, tak lantas membuat cinta Luna Maya luntur. Aktris kelahiran Denpasar, Bali, 26 Agustus 1983, itu disebut-sebut justru akan bertunangan dengan Ariel yang kini mendekam di tahanan Mabes Polri, Jalan Trunojoyo, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan. Namun saat memenuhi wajib lapor kemarin, dia enggan memberikan keterangan.

Kabar mengenai rencana pertunangan Luna dan Ariel didapat dari seorang penyidik Mabes Polri yang enggan disebutkan namanya. Menurutnya, saat ini pihaknya mempertimbangkan rencana keduanya untuk bertunangan di dalam tahanan Mabes Polri. "Belum tahu kapannya, nanti kalau jadi pasti kami beritahu," ujarnya.

Namun seperti biasa, Luna enggan buka suara setiap kali usai memenuhi panggilan Mabes Polri. Dia tidak membenarkan, juga tidak membantah tentang kabar rencana pertunangannya dengan Ariel. Bintang film Pesan dari Surga itu juga tak sedikitpun memberi keterangan tentang kedatangannya ke Mabes Polri.

Dengan tergesa-gesa, dia keluar dari Bareskim Mabes Polri setelah berada selama tiga jam di sana. Dia sempat kebingungan mencari mobil Mercedes Benz warna silver bernomor polisi B 666 FJ yang ditumpanginya saat tiba di Mabes Polri pukul 10.30. Luna yang tampak pucat tanpa make-up, hanya tersenyum datar saat disodorkan sejumlah pertanyaan oleh awak media.

Salah satu kuasa hukum Luna, Timothy Inkiriwang mengungkapkan, kedatangan Luna siang itu untuk memenuhi wajib lapor yang ditetapkan setiap Senin-Kamis sampai berkas perkara diajukan ke Kejaksaan Negeri. Tak ada pemeriksaan yang dilakukan tim penyidik pada kliennya itu. Tiga jam berada di sana, Luna diakuinya tak sempat bertemu dengan Ariel.

"Oh nggak (bertemu Ariel). Luna datang untuk melaksanakan kewajibannya, hanya wajib lapor, tidak sampai diperiksa. Kemarin (Senin, 19 Juli, Red) dia datang, dan sekarang dia datang. Itu namanya kooperatif," tuturnya seraya menambahkan kalau kliennya sudah siap menghadapi sidang kalau memang berkasnya sudah diajukan ke kejaksaan.

Sementara mengenai rencana pertunangan Luna dan Ariel di dalam sel tahanan, dia mengaku belum mengetahuinya. "Kalau memang berkasnya lengkap dan harus disidangkan, ya nggak apa-apa. Kalau soal itu (bertunangan di dalam sel, Red) tanyakan langsung ke orangnya," katanya seraya berlalu meninggalkan sejumlah wartawan yang terus menghujaninya dengan berbagai pertanyaan.

Menurut Kadiv Humas Mabes Polri Irjen Pol Edward Aritonang, berkas perkara Ariel terkait video mesumnya dengan Luna dan Cut Tary sudah dilimpahkan ke Kejaksaan Negeri, Rabu (21/7). Sementara berkas perkara Luna baru akan dilimpahkan hari ini atau selambat-lambatnya pekan depan. "Kemarin berkas Ariel dilimpahkan ke kejaksaan. Luna Maya dan Cut Tari besok atau minggu depan," ungkapnya.

Berbeda dengan Luna yang nampak hadir di Mabes Polri untuk memenuhi wajib lapor pada Senin-Kamis, Cut Tari justru tidak pernah lagi terlihat batang hidungnya. Menurut kuasa hukumnya Hotman Paris, Tari tidak perlu wajib lapor lantaran sudah mengakui dirinya yang ada dalam video porno bersama Ariel. Tetapi menurut Kadiv Penum Mabes Polri Kombes Pol Marwoto Soeto, Tari tetap punya kewajiban untuk melapor untuk memastikan dirinya berada di Indonesia. "Dia tetap wajib lapor, nggak ada diskriminasi. Kemarin (Senin, 19 Juli) dia datang," terangnya.

Dia sekaligus membantah kabar yang menyebutkan pihaknya mengabulkan permohonan SP3 (Surat Pemberhentian Penyidikan Perkara) yang diajukan pihak Tari. Menurutnya, itu hanya upaya kuasa hukum Tari untuk menenangkan kliennya. "Pengacara kan mau kliennya enak. Tapi kan nggak mungkin (permohonan SP3) dikabulkan kalau sudah ada pemberkasan," imbuhnya.

Sarah idol Resmi Mengganti Kikan Vokalis Cokelat

Sarah Hadju alias Sarah Idol akhirnya tampil perdana on air sebagai vokalis Cokelat di WTC Mangga Dua di acara DAHSYAT pada Minggu (25/7) kemarin. Finalis INDONESIAN IDOL tahun 2007 ini langsung mendapat tempat di hati para penggemar Cokelat yang lama terlena dengan penampilan mantan vokalisnya, Kikan.

Sarah pun mengaku, sejauh ia menjabat sebagai vokalis band yang sudah berdiri 14 tahun ini, ia tidak ingin mencoba menggantikan sosok Kikan yang bisa dibilang legendaris bagi fans Cokelat.

"Ini kan band, waktu IDOL juga sempat membawakan lagu Cokelat, semangat, nggak mencoba menggantikan Kikan, tapi mencoba sesuatu yang beda. Kalau kikuk saat audisi karena nggak yakin. Pastinya punya tanggung jawab yang lebih besar, tapi ini tantangan yang lebih besar," ungkap Sarah.

Tampil bersama tiga personil original yang tersisa yakni Ronny, Erwin, dan Ernest - Sarah banyak mendapat pujian. "Keunggulan Sarah, dia semangat. Kita sudah ngobrol, yang kemarin kita juga punya masalah semangat dan sekarang Sarah buat semangat baru. Sarah ini orangnya positive thinking. Kita tidak membahas perbandingan yang lama. Kita ingin menjadi band yang lebih baik dan besar," ujar Ronny.

"Audisi dua bulan, berapa kali nyobain. Kita memang sudah melihat Sarah menyanyi sampai akhirnya hasilnya maksimal. Saya berharap Sarah menjadi lebih semangat karena jadwal kita sudah banyak," kata Erwin.

"Dengan keluarnya vokalis yang lama bukannya kita jadi sepi job atau jatuh, kita punya tantangan baru, semangat baru, mainan baru. Kitanya harus lebih sukses. Ya, dari kita bertiga memang perang ide, tapi nggak perlu berantem," sambung Ernest.

Sarah sendiri mengakui, beberapa hari ini ia merasa jauh lebih senang karena banyaknya dukungan terhadapnya. Menurutnya, Cokelat bukan hanya bertumpu pada vokal, tapi lebih kepada musiknya sendiri. Kesenangan pun terus berlanjut, meskipun ada sedikit komplain dari penggemar mereka.

"Beberapa hari ini di jejaring sosial banyak yang komplain mengenai vokalis Cokelat yang baru. Tapi setelah melihat penampilan kita, akhirnya mengerti dan mereka memberikan support setelah melihat dan mendengarkan lagu kita," pungkas Ernest.

Craft Hope: Project 9

Craft Hope has just announced their 9th project and this is a quick, easy and special one! They have teamed up with ConKerr Cancer to collect handmade novelty pillowcases for children undergoing cancer treatments. The best part...your donation will go to your local children's treatment center!

Last December, Lily was hospitalized in the PICU with pneumonia. In addition to the special handmade quilt that graced her bed, the nurses also brought around special holiday pillowcases (from ConKerr Cancer) to help make the rooms a little "merrier." While LA was too young to enjoy the special touches, it did make the room a bit less sterile which sure helped mom and dad!

Craft Hope has lots of ideas on how to help, so even if you can't sew, you can participate. To learn more about the project and find out how you can help, visit the Craft Hope website.

perfect/imperfect

Belatedly, but gratefully, I come to Disney/Pixar's remarkable "Toy Story 3," arguably one of the most original prison-escape movies ever made. The prison in question is the jarring day-care center where Andy's toys - including sassy cowgirl Jessie (that's her above) - are sent because Andy is grown and soon off college and his toys have become, well, obsolete.

The head toy there is an embittered old stuffed bear who sadistically puts the new arrivals in the line of fire of a bunch of stampeding brats.

Smoothly directed by Lee Unkrich, it's all alternately affecting, hilarious and heartbreaking, and among the new editions to its cast is a Ken doll who is worthy of/sleazy enough for a spot on ABC's "The Bachelor."
Lisa Cholodenko's "The Kids Are All Right" is a bright alt sitcom that benefits considerably from another thorough performance from Annette Bening and a playful one from Julianne Moore, the two (that's them above) playing lesbian partners/mothers whose world is turned upside down by the arrival their respective kids' same sperm-donor dad.

The only problem with the film is not Mark Ruffalo's usual non-actor performance, but a conventional twist in the narrative which has Ruffalo bedding Moore and Bening discovering the betrayal in a way that would be dated even on a daytime soap opera. I'm not spoiling anything here; Cholodenko sets up Moore's interest in hetero sex early on by having the two women use gay male porno films to jumpstart their own sex lives. It's an unfortunate tonal shift that mars an otherwise smart comedy.

So, I lied...

Liar, liar, pants on fire--that's me! Less than 2 weeks ago, I publicly announced that had made the last summer outfitfor LA. Well...I LIED! I "found" some fabric I forgot I had, and it seemed like such a waste to let it sit there in the drawer all lonely and unused. Plus, it has been so stinkin' hot here lately, that I realized that LA NEEDED another shirred romper. Really, she NEEDED it. What did you want me to do? Let my child suffer? I have no idea when or why I bought this fabric, but apparently I bought 2 yards of it, so you will see it again at some point. I even found some fabric that coordinates with it in my stash. I should "shop" my own fabric more often :)

My romper was originally inspired by Made by Rae's Baby Sunsuit. As with the cherry romper, this I changed the bottom completely so that it would fit Lily better (since Rae's does not fit my long skinny kid). My husband requested a snap closure on this outfit instead of buttons. Since I have gotten over my fear of snaps, it was a "snap" to oblige! I tried out a new technique for using ribbon to turn the straps that I learned on another blog. It worked out great and allowed me to have skinny little straps!
I'm not even going to pretend that I am done with the summer sewing--but I can justify it now. It DOES stay pretty warm here for a few more months! Oh, don't worry, I have already started buying fabrics and patterns for fall!!

(Just a little puppy love! )

cinema obscura: Lewis R. Foster's "Those Redheads from Seattle" (1953)

Came across an obit singer Teresa Brewer, who died at age 76 in 2007, and it brought back vague memories of her single excursion into film.

Poster art for "Those Redheads from Seattle"

Paramount's lively "Those Redheads from Seattle," directed in 1953 by Lewis R. Foster, was yet another overripe musical designed to exploit the 3-D craze, much less cheesy than two other 3-D musicals, George Marshall's "Red Garters" and Lloyd Bacon's "The French Line," both from 1954.

Brewer shares the title role with Rhonda Fleming and sister duo, Cynthia and Kay Bell, as members of a singing-sister act, The Edmunds, performing in saloons in the Yukon during the Gold Rush days of 1898 - and hoping to strike their own fortune. The inimitable Agnes Moorehead plays their mother.

Teresa Brewer with Guy Mitchell in a musical number

The plot, such as it is, involves Fleming's suspicion that the act's boss - a saloon owner played by Gene Barry (with the untrustworhty name, Johnny Kisco) - may be the very no-account who murdered the girls' beloved father.

Brewer's endearing, outsized perkiness - she was dubbed "the little girl with the big voice" at the time - made her a screen natural. The camera loved her. And, for what it's worth, she steals the movie - or what little there is to steal.

But nothing came of her film debut. The problem may be that she didn't have musical numbers here as infectious as her signature songs, "Music, Music, Music" and "Ricochet Romance." Too bad. Because if Doris Day hadn't been available (and as wonderful as she was), Brewer would have made a terrific Babe Williams in "The Pajama Game."

Another missed opportunity.

Note in Passing: Co-incidentally, Guy Mitchell, a young musical leading man of the era, had roles in both "Redheads" and "Red Garters."

Brewer above and in a publicity shot with Agnes Moorehead and Rhonda Fleming and The Bell Sisters

nolan's brilliant crackpot of a movie

Some movies have a little subtext. Christopher Nolan's challenging and quite bracing new film, "Inception," is all subtext. Gloriously so.

Structured as a state-of-the-art noir,"Inception" has something to do with a small band of intellectual adventurers who invade - and often share - the dreams of clients with lofty problems that need to be solved.

They are provocateurs who suggest ideas to their clients, manipulating their thought and dream patterns, and particularly astute viewers might sense that Nolan is using dream manipulation here as an allegory for filmmaking itself and that his chief protagonist is an auteur of sorts.

Arcane wordplay is used to explain everything and simply listening to it can lull one into a seductive dreamworld that is not unlike a movie.

And that is not at all unpleasurable.

A commanding Leonardo DiCaprio, Nolan's on-screen surrogate, is physically even a dead-ringer for Nolan here as he leads a world-class supporting cast through an intimidating maze of rushing action and melancholy moods. The latter is driven by DiCaprio's relentless pursuit of his late wife (the magnetic Marion Cotillard) in a dreamworld that he would like to share with her but, for apparent reasons, can't.

Their "relationship" is the core of "Inception" and it's clear that Nolan shrewdly used Alfred Hitchcock's woozy, iconic "Veritgo" (1958) - the last word in a man hopelessly stalking a woman - as his template.

This most audacious film tackles remarkably serious matters - loss and the fear and sense of exclusion that come with it - and, in the end, despite its willfully confusing vision, "Inception" is astonishingly simple.

It is that rare modern movie that has a moral conscience.

Little Birdie Doorstop

LA's nursery needed a doorstop (since her door likes to close when the AC kicks on). Of course, it needed to fit her bird theme and Lollychop's Wendy the Bird was the perfect pattern! I sewed a packet of aquarium gravel and added it along with the stuffing to add some weight. Quick and easy project--and, yes, it does work!

Lima Tips Masturbasi Paling Sensasional Buat Cewek

Artikel ini menjelaskan bagaimana seorang wanita melakukan masturbasi.

Teknik I

Biasanya kaum wanita melakukannya dengan memasukkan jarinnya ke dalam mrs.V dengan posisi berbaring. Tetapi bisa jadi dengan posisi duduk itu lebih menyenangkan. Tetapi, jika anda melakukannya dengan posisi berdiri tentu akan lebih mendebarkan dan kesan seksualitasnya lebih mengguncang.

Teknik II

Ada cara lain yang lebih nikmat dan cepat merasakan sensasinya, yaitu dengan bantuan Vibrator. Tetapi jika terlalu sering menggunakannya dapat menyebabkan de-sensitisasi atau kerusakan pada dinding-dinding kenikmatan vagina.

Teknik III

Melakukan masturbasi di kamar mandi, yaitu dalam bak mandi juga tidak kalah nikmat sensasinya. Jika anda mampu melakukannya dengan sempurna, maka anda bisa merasakan air lendir yang menetes dari dalam mrs.V terasa sangat hangat saat anda mencapai orgasme.

Teknik IV

Melakukan masturbasi dengan menggunakan kedua tangan yang bermain secara bersamaan. Satu tangan memegang payudara (rabaan dan remasan), yaitu yang perlu anda lakukan adalah dengan memainkan puting payudara dengan memilin-milinnya secara lembut. Sedangkan tangan lainnya memainkan clitoris dengan menggunakan jari tengah. Sensasi yang anda rasakan akan bertambah nikmat.

Teknik V

Jika anda ingin mendapatkan orgasme secara cepat saat masturbasi, hendaknya anda memainkan permainan ini secara focus pada area clitoris dan area vagina yang mampu membangkitkan kesenangan.

Sammy Siap2 Dengan 100 Lagu Untuk Kebangkitannya

Hukuman penjara yang diterima Sammy tidak menyurutkan niatnya untuk terus berkarya. Selama dipenjara Sammy tetap aktif menciptakan lagu. Bahkan ia mempersiapkan 100 lagu untuk para penggemarnya.
“Tunggu Sammy dengan seratus lagu yang dia siapkan.Selama ini dia sudah bikin seratus lagu, salah satunya ada lagu buat bulan Ramadan,” kata pengacara Sammy, Ida Rumindang, di Pengadilan Negeri Jakarta Pusat, Harmoni, Jakarta Pusat (15/7/2010).

Ibunda Sammy pun mengucapkan hal senada soal tanggapan putusan hakim. Beliau memuji hakim yang telah mengambil keputusan yang dianggapnya bijaksana dengan memberikan vonis hukuman satu tahun kepada anaknya

.”Ini merupakan keputusan yang bijaksana, benar-benar sekarang masih ada hamba hukum yang bijaksana, masih punya hati nurani yang bersih memperjuangkan dan masih prihatin dengan anak bangsa. Setelah menjalankan hukuman dan rehabilitasi Sammy akan kembali ke panggung hiburan. Sammy pun akan membangun karirnya mulai dari awal,” kata Ibunda Sammy, Tiur Ida Simorangkir.

One Last Summer Outfit

Making clothes for LA has become my latest "addiction." It is so fun, quick and satisfying (not to mention, I can make clothes that actually FIT my lean little girl). But, all good things must come to an end. After all, she REALLY does not need any more summer clothes! Oh, but don't think I am giving up sewing clothes cold-turkey. Nope. Now I am shifting my focus to finding patterns, tutorials and fabric for FALL clothes!!! Imagine, pants that fit in the length AND waist!!!

Remember this little project and the fabric I fell in love with?

I had some left over--just enough for Prudent Baby's Toddler Snap Top!

The top was pretty easy to make and I did not have to make any modifications for it to fit LA (BONUS!). I used pearlized snaps for the first time (easy peasy) and made just a couple of topstitching modifications in the armholes to make them lay better.

The pants I made using a pair that Lily has. I am not loving them, but they fit ok. Pants are not the easiest and I think I need more practice before I tackle full length pants.

(I love this picture..she dropped the star and couldn't figure out for a minute where it went!)

And, as always, no outfit is complete without a hair bow (not to mention that LA's bangs are getting so long they need to be pulled back). I made two different flower clips. For the rose, I just took a length of fabric folded in half and rolled, squished, sewed, squished, rolled until it looked sortof like a flower :) I am sure you can find a tutorial out there if you are really interested in making one.

For this next one, I used A Little of This and That's fabric flower tutorial.

Speaking of bows, I also made a different one to go with the yellow pillowcase bubble romper. I don't know why I didn't think to make a yo-yo clip before! It is perfect for this outfit!!

Ok, now I seriously have to stop sewing summer clothes!!

cinema obscura: Stanley Donen's "Lucky Lady" (1975)

20th Century-Fox's "Lucky Lady" (1975) seemed to have everything going for it. A script by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz of "American Graffiti" (1973) fame, a legendary director (Stanely Donen) and a cast including one major box-office draw (that would be Burt Reynolds), a respected actor (Gene Hackman in an atypical comedy role) and the era's resident lovable kook (Liza Minnelli, newly Oscared at the time).

It was to be Fox's B.H.E. - Big Holiday Entertainment. (It was a Christmas release.) But it turned out to be Fox's B.H.E. - Big Holiday Embarrassment.

What went wrong? The plot - about a trio of unlikely rum-runners (Burt, Gene and Liza) - sounded like it could be a pleasing romp, particularly with that cast. Plus Huyck-Katz added the titilation of Minnelli going back and forth between Reynolds and Hackman, romantically, with coy hints of ménage à trois doings (coy enough to avoid an R rating, natch).

Actually, now that I think about it, none of this sounds very good at all. In performance, the film is forced, with everyone pretending to have a blast and Minnelli, in particular, irritating in her trademarked giggly/jittery way.

Two additional endings were filmed when Fox became understandably anxious over the original in which the film takes a jarringly tragic turn with Hackman and Reynolds ending up dead and Minnelli ending up alone.

In the early 1980s, the Fox syndicated self-promotional show, "That's Hollywood," included this footage in an episode on outtakes.

The sequence is haunting and painterly as Hackman and Reynolds are gunned down on a beach, with the waves pushing their dead bodies towards a traumatized, immobolized Minnelli who walks towards the shore.

It's a sobering, fatalistic moment but one has to ask what it had to do with what preceded it. What on earth were Donen, Huyck and Katz thinking? Not surprisingly, Fox (which presumably approved the original script) demanded a happy ending. Donen shot two - one in which the three characters are still together in old age (see out-of-focus photo below) and the one which went into the release print, where everything turns out rosy and the implied ménage à trois continues uninterrupted. The End.

Hackman came through the ordeal essentially unscathed, while the ever productive Reynolds didn't have a care in the world as he had churned out three other titles that year (John G. Avildsen's "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings," Peter Bogdanovich's "At Long Last Love" and Robert Aldrich's "Hustle"). He operated as an old-style studio star.

But the film effectively ended the film careers of Donen, Minnelli and Huyck and Katz, who would go on to write a negligible sequel to "American Graffiti" and the notorious "Howard the Duck" (1986).

"Lucky Lady," reportedly never released on any home entertainment format, had disappeared until the Fox Movie Channel started airing it (in wide screen) in June. Added showings have been penciled in for July 21 at 2:00 p.m. (est), July 27 at 4:00 p.m., August 3 at 2:00 p.m. and August 13 at 4:00 p.m. Not a good film but, for some bizarre reason, worth catching.