Thursday, September 28, 2017

Michael's Musings

Come Closer, It Doesn't Smell
Michael Shinafelt
"I wish I was like you...Easily amused" - All Apologies, Nirvana 

It takes a lot to amuse me in the world of entertainment. In life not so much there are so many amusing and amazing people, places & things to engage in the world around us. While I am not one of those overly perky people I am certainly not a pessimist either. I would clarify myself as a realist. 

Life is a series of moments and how you experience them is up to you....time to throw me in the shallow water before I get too deep!

Let's all put on a folk hat and learn something about a foreign culture

Khloe Kardashian & Kylie Jenner are both pregnant. Smells like ratings spirit

Did you know you can purchase Vampire Repellent from Gwyneth Paltrow's life style brand Goop? It's supposed to ward off "Emotional Vampires" - I can save you $100, cut them out of your life. Yeah, it's that simple.

R.I.P. Hugh Hefner you were a true original

Started up yoga again my arms and back are SAF! But it's worth it!

Turns out Tyra Banks is good for something. Whilst trying to treat my dry skin issue I remembered some celebrity had once said they use Vaseline on their face. It works, and the celeb was Tyra.

Vulgarity is an important ingredient of life. F#ck you if you disagree!


Send In The Insane Clown Posse
American Horror Story
No matter what I think about it this season of American Horror Story is certainly the most audacious! 

When someone asks you why the response should always be: Because I can

AT&T needs me to spank them, hard!

What's on my mind? You, you are always on my mind


No one needs squad goals - are you listening Taylor Swift???

Keep Calm and As If...

Pretend I am a cult leader and mindlessly follow me at:

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/MShinafelt   

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Just Because...Madonna

Got MDNA?
Madonna
Just Because she is the The Woman in Red, Just Because she launched new line of skin care & Just Because, Bitch she's Madonna - here is her Madgesty at Barney's in NYC to launch her new MDNA Skin Care line.

Yes, boys & girls it's finally here, Madonna's skin pampering must haves have hit the shelves and she was on hand looking smashing in red to launch that puppy.

My Instagram feed has been jammed with her and a commercial she did with that guy affectionately known as The Fat Jew

During the course of the ad Madonna compliments The Fat Jew telling him he has good skin. He in turn tells her, that her face is really symmetrical. A symmetrical face, eh? Yes, it is, and no one comes by that naturally, it's a lot of work.

Whatever! The Queen of Pop looks fabulous with her product smeared on her face. Also I think she should stick with the red, Just Because, red does a Madonna good.

Happy "Hump Day!"

Madonna on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/madonna/?hl=en   

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Shave & A Haircut 100

Will You Accept This Rose?
Nick Heyward
Photo: Steve Ullathorne
Hey, Hey, Hey...It's Nick Heyward!
When you have the comfort of working on your ninth album without the rush to meet a deadline, you really want to take your time, especially if it’s your first solo outing in 18 years. For singer songwriter Nick Heyward Woodland Echoes, his forthcoming album out November 3 on Red River/BFE Entertainment, served as a reminder of things he is grateful for. “I’m glad I’m alive, I’m glad that I’m writing and putting records out.”  His appreciation for making music is reflected on all 12 tracks on this breezy, smart pop gem.
Nick has been putting out great pop songs since his band, Haircut One Hundred, blasted on to the scene in the early 80s earning four UK Top Ten and two US Top 40 singles with “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl),” “Love Plus One,” “Nobody’s Fool” and  “Fantastic Day” from their debut album, Pelican WestWhile enjoying the early days of success, differences in style and direction led Heyward to leave his post as front man and lyricist to begin his solo career.
An artist who has always been well received by both critics and fans, Heyward released three solo albums in the 80s, three in the 90s (including a 1998 release on Creation Records at the behest of Alan McGee) and two 2 collaborations in the aughts.  A 2013 announcement of new music was met with eager anticipation, but supporters would have to wait until 2015 for a preview of what would become the music on Woodland Echoes
Recorded at his son Oliver’s studio, on a houseboat in Key West, and Zak Starkey’s Salo Sound studio deep in the UK countryside, Nick deliberated over the music until he felt it was ready. “At first, I wanted it finished straight away.” he says. “But then, ‘that’ll do’ became impossible for me; in fact, it was the opposite – as soon as someone said something would do, I knew it wouldn’t!”
It’s that precise attitude that makes Heyward’s music so special. This album, like all of his work, is made with the same passion, introspection and grace found in all of his music. An avowed lover of nature and the outdoors, you can hear that influence in all the tracks, particularly “Beautiful Morning.” “Love is the Key By the Sea,” which opens the album, is a bold and harmonious love song, and the jazzy snap-your-finger fun of “Who” is most certainly a tip of that hat to Mr. Paul McCartney. “Baby Blue Sky” is a rapturous beach song with a dash of Oasis thrown in to the mix, and lead single “Perfect Sunday Sun” is the most perfect 70s era pop song.Heyward, who has always been singled out as a strong and thoughtful lyricist, continues his streak of songwriting success on Woodland Echoes, which feels warm and intimate.
All things being equal though, the Nick Heyward of 2017 isn’t the same person as the Nick Heyward of 1982. “You have to find peace and love; it’s a process – my early songs were always bittersweet – the verse would be going through the struggle, but then it would be ‘it’s a fantastic day’; but there was always that struggle. On this album, that struggle is gone. The songs on Woodland Echoes are reflective of the past 10 years.”
It’s a treat to have Nick Heyward back making premium pop music. In 1985, Nick told Smash Hits magazine that “I want to make the kind of LP you can wrap up and give to someone as a present. No duff tracks at all, just 12 shining wonderful singles, I suppose.” In 2017, with Woodland Echoes, he has finally achieved his goal. 
Check out Nick performing some of the new "Woodland Echoes"  tunes as well as some classic Haircut One Hundred music here: https://vintage.tv/episodes/nick-heyward-live-at-the-water-rats-2/


Social Media Links:
Official Website: http://nickheyward.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nickheyward
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickheyward
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickheyward/

Monday, September 25, 2017

Royals

Intriguing
Meghan Markle 
"And we'll never be royals, It don't run in our blood, That kind of lux just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz" - Lorde 

While I have never really been into the whole Royal Family thing with the exception of Princess Diana, I do have a passing interest in Meghan Markle.

The thing I think that intrigues me about her is, she is an actress dating Prince Harry. Actresses' aren't the usual cup of tea for Royals, that's for sure.

She is also racially mixed. Which is way atypical for a Royal to be courting. She said this about it: "My dad is Caucasian and my mom is African-American ... I have come to embrace [this and] say who I am, to share where I'm from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident, mixed-race woman."

You go Meghan! The photo of her was taken recently at the Invictus Games in Toronto where not coincidentally Prince Harry was attending too.

I wish you two the best! Happy last Monday of September!!!

Meghan on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/meghanmarkle/?hl=en 

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Sunday Sinema: A Fish Called Wanda

Can't Touch This!
John Cleese
And now for something politically incorrect in every little way...Yes!

A Fish Called Wanda [Blu-ray] (10/3)

In 1988, John Cleese, former Python and the mastermind behind Fawlty Towers, teamed up with the veteran Ealing Comedy director Charles Crichton (The Lavender Hill Mob) to produce another classic of British comedy.

Cleese plays Archie Leach, a weak-willed barrister who finds himself embroiled with a quartet of ill-matched jewel thieves - two American con artists played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline, Michael Palin's animal-loving hitman and London gangster Tom Georgeson - when Georgeson is arrested. Only he and Palin know the whereabouts of the diamonds, prompting plenty of farce and in-fighting as well as some embarrassing nudity and the unfortunate demise of some innocent pooches...
Wanda/Fish/Wanda/Fish
Jamie Lee Curtis 
Nominated for three Academy Awards and winning one for Kline's outstanding supporting turn as the psychopathic Otto, A Fish Called Wanda has stood the test of time, earning its rightful place among its creators' remarkable comedy pedigree.

Features
- Brand-new 4K restoration from the original negative, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original English mono audio (uncompressed LPCM)
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Commentary by writer and star John Cleese
- Brand-new appreciation by Vic Pratt of the BFI National Archive
- Brand-new interviews with composer John Du Prez, production designer Roger Murray Leach, executive producer Steve Abbott and makeup supervisor Paul Engelen
John Cleese's Final Farewell Performance, a 1988 documentary on the making of A Fish Called Wanda featuring interviews with actors Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, Kevin Kline and director Charles Crichton
Something Fishy, a 15th anniversary retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Cleese, Curtis, Kline and Palin, executive producer Steve Abbott and director of photography Alan Hume
Fish You Were Here, a documentary on the film's locations hosted by Robert Powell
- 24 deleted/alternative scenes with introductions by Cleese
A Message from John Cleese, a tongue-in-cheek introduction recorded for the film's original release
- Gallery
- Trivia track
- Theatrical trailer

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring writing on the film by Sophie Monks Kaufman

Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon 

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Just Because...Supermodels

Smile & Say Versace!
l-r
Claudia Schiffer, Donatella Versace, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen 

Just Because it's nostalgic, Just Because they all still look amazing & Just Because they are legends - Here are the four of the biggest Supermodels ever: Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford & Helena Christensen with designer Donatella Versace.

What brought the four women together you may ask? They were at Milan Fashion Week to strut on the catwalk for, what else? Versace, I am sure Donatella's presence must have tipped you off to that one, if it didn't...

Rumor has it these four stole the show. But of course they did sweetie darling. They were from an era when being a Supermodel was like being a Movie Star, and emanating the like qualities of one.

Not like modeling is today. What's that? You want me to go there? I'm not in the mood to write a dissertation about that nor do I care enough to do so. This being stated I am sure you can fill in the blank without me telling you what's going through my mind.

Anyway, this image is one for the Entertain Me books.

You'd better werk!

Versace on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/search/versace

Friday, September 22, 2017

Film Buff Friday: Children of the Corn


Just in time for Halloween and to catch the hype of that other Stephen King work "IT" comes...

Children Of The Corn [Blu-ray] (9/26)

From the mind of celebrated horror author Stephen King, the man behind such classic terror tales as The Shining, Carrie and It, comes one of his most chilling offerings yet - Children of the Corn.

A young couple on a road trip find themselves lost in the backroads of rural Nebraska, eventually winding up in the seemingly abandoned town of Gatlin. But the town is far from empty - as the pair soon discover, it's inhabited by a twisted cult of murderous children thirsty for another blood sacrifice...

Adapted from King's eponymous short story first published in 1977 and starring Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Children of the Corn has gone on to spawn one of the most enduring horror franchises of all time. 
Features
- Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative 
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio options 
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary with horror journalist Justin Beahm and Children of the Cornhistorian John Sullivan 
- Audio commentary with director Fritz Kiersch, producer Terrence Kirby and actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains 
Harvesting Horror - retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Fritz Kiersch, John Franklin and Courtney Gains 
- It Was the Eighties! - an interview with actress Linda Hamilton 
- ...And a Child Shall Lead Them - a brand new interview with actors Julie Maddalena and John Philbin 
Field of Nightmares - a brand new interview with writer George Goldsmith 
Stephen King on a Shoestring - an interview with producer Donald P. Borchers 
Welcome to Gatlin: The Sights & Sounds of Children of the Corn - interviews with production designer Craig Stearns and composer Jonathan Elias 
Return to Gatlin - a look back at the iconic filming locations in Iowa with host John Sullivan 
Cut From the Cornfield - an interview with actor Rich Kleinberg on the infamous "lost" Blue Man Scene 
Disciples Of the Crow - 1983 short film adaptation of Stephen King's story 
- Storyboard gallery 
- Original theatrical trailer 
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Fully illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by John Sullivan and Lee Gambin

Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon