Michael's Musings

The New Black???
Michael Shinafelt

This past week has been a "Stormy" one - get it? wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Pretty much every week is of late. 

Seriously with Easter falling on April Fools Day this weekend I feel so conflicted. Do I hunt for eggs or pull a rabbit out of my butt?

It's time to make a decision, and whatever you do make it yours!

What he said -
"The Stormy Daniels story isn't about Trump having an affair with a porn star. That's not news. It is about his campaign trying to threaten, intimidate and illegally use campaign funds to buy her silence just weeks before the election. Don't let the lurid details overshadow this." - George Takei

I licked it, so it's mine

Started doing an abs class on top of spinning, yoga & boxing - what a feeling!

How much wood can Wesley Woods chuck?

#fashioncompassion "Dear @StormyDaniels, I can only imagine how stressful things must be for you right now. Fashion shouldn’t be one of them. Let me know if you need a sleek ensemble. @teampinup @Laura_Byrnes" - Traci Lords

Hey Shakira, you don't have a monopoly on hips that don't lie

Sometimes I wonder...what? You thought I was going to tell you what that was???

Just saw that someone bit Beyonce, all I want to know is, how did she taste?

Renewed & It Feels So Good
Toni Trucks

A "beep beep" to my spin buddy and one of the stars of CBS' Seal Team, Toni Trucks for it getting picked up for season two

Is there anybody out there?

Unreal on Lifetime really lives up to it's title, I mean that in a good way

I have the hots for Teddi Mellencamp's husband Edwin on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Will someone finally reveal "who let the dogs out?!"

And now for my next trick...

Cut loose, Footloose with me at:
https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/MShinafelt

Hump Day & Chill

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Buster Keaton In His Own Time

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

Buster Keaton "can impress a weary world with the vitally important fact that life, after all, is a foolish inconsequential affair,"wrote critic Robert Sherwood in 1918. A century later Keaton, with his darkly comic "theater of the absurd," speaks to audiences like no other silent comedian. If you thought you knew Keaton --- think again. 

By closely researching the responses of 1920s critics, Gehring has discovered countless new insights about the comedian's 12 features made from 1923-1929. 

After a split chapter on THE THREE AGES and OUR HOSPITALITY, each feature receives a full chapter ---- which will give the reader both a broader and better understanding of the film. This will also involve many bombshells.

For example, learn how SHERLOCK, JR. started out to seemingly be a different and controversial picture. Discover where Buster's idea to walk into SHERLOCK, JR.'s screen appears to have come from. 

Take in the many period reasons why THE GENERAL could not help but fail. These would include its pioneering use of dark comedy, and that period's sacred perspective on the Civil War. That era seemed to think it ended in a tie. Therefore, one did not make comedies about the conflict, let alone a DARK COMEDY. Moreover, ponder how THE GENERAL might be the comedian's greatest film, but NOT the greatest KEATON film. Based on Keaton's prior work that honor better belongs to THE NAVIGATOR.

Consequently, this book invites a revisionist look at the study of an era that has been stuck in amber too long. The aforementioned Sherwood quote helps explain how Keaton went from almost more of a 1920s cult favorite, to today's most timely comedian of the silent era. Moreover, readers will receive new takes on John Bunny, Fatty Arbuckle, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon, and other 1920s personalities. It is well researched, but if you are also stuck in amber, one might recycle a signature line from Bette Davis, "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to a bumpy ride."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wes D. Gehring is a distinguished professor of film at Ball State University and associate media editor for USA Today magazine, for which he also writes the column "Reel World." He is the author of 37 film books, including biographies of James Dean, Carole Lombard, Steve McQueen, Robert Wise, Red Skelton and Charlie Chaplin.

Reunited

Ezria
Ian Harding & Lucy Hale

This one is for all of you Pretty Little Liars fans out there, like me. Lucy Hale posted a photo of her and former co-star Ian Harding with the caption: "Look who I found in Chicago" this past Sunday on her Instagram, meaning yesterday.

As all you fans recall they played the hopelessly romantic couple Aria Montgomery & Ezra Fitz, or the couple formerly know as Ezria.

While I miss the show that wrapped after it's seventh season nine months ago. It was time for it to end.

But fear not PLL fans a spin-off The Perfectionists with "Liars" Sasha Pieterse & Janel Parrish is in the works! Yay!

Lucy on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lucyhale/?hl=en

I've Been Slimed!

Pretty in Slime
Heidi Klum

The Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards aired last night. While I never watch them, because, duh, I am not their target audience. I have a fondness for their tradition of sliming celebrities who appear on the show. Is that goo still on the market BTW? I really loved it as a kid.

Well my lust for slime was fulfilled this ayem when I spotted an photo of one Ms. Heidi Klum getting doused with the gooey confection on stage during the show last night at The Forum in Los Angeles.

Personally I love Heidi, she is such a game girl and never takes herself too seriously. Also who doesn't love to see a beautiful woman get slimed??? 

On that note, I am feeling the need for slime myself. Now where to find it...

Heidi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/heidiklum/?hl=en 

Just Because...Drew Barrymore

Team Jake
Drew Barrymore

Just Because it's the weekend, Just Because the Santa Clarita Diet is in season deux & Just Because she's holding a sign that makes you go Hmmmmmm - "Yes" peeps it's Drew Barrymore at the premiere of her hit Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet in Hollywood.

OK, while I love me some Drew I am not sure why she is holding a sign that says "I Heart Jake Gyllenhaal" at her premiere.

Am I missing something??? Well apparently I am - as a little bird called the WWW informed me that Ms. Barrymore ranked Jake as her least talented co-star on The Late, Late Show With James Corden. It was either that or....drum roll please, or eat a turkey testicle.

Thus our intrepid Drew carried a sign declaring her love for Jake down that red carpet on her special night. That Drew always a giver.

Drew on Instagram:

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

The First "Kut"

Debbie Gibson is pregnant with their two headed love child...NOT!

Rock category Finalist of the UK Songwriting Contest 2017 and Semi-Finalist of the International Songwriting Competition The Kut announced today that the North American release date for their hard-rocking debut album, Valley of Thorns is set for Friday May 18 via Cargo. The album, produced by James Le Rock (Skindred / Def Leppard / White Zombie / My Vitriol) kicks off a busy touring schedule for the band this summer.  

 

Active on the UK and European alt.rock scene, The Kut is the alter-ego of multi-instrumentalist and PhD graduate, Princess Maha, who brings together a multitude of hard rock and alt. rock sounds that bring to mind elements of L7, The Cult, Hole, Magnapop and Placebo. The Kut’s live outfit has seen many guises, with the most recent line up featuring female trio Diana Bartmann (drums)and Stella Vie (bass / bvs). In the last few years, the band has gained traction in Europe by winning spots of the MTV Brand New Unsigned Poll, releasing a subsequent EP release and Record Store Day vinyl 7” and press, radio and TV support from The Guardian, Metro, Scuzz, Kerrang! Magazine, Big Cheese, Planet Rock, BBC Introducing Lancashire, Kerrang! Radio, Metal Hammer, Q, Classic Rock, AXS TV, MTV-U USA and others. 

The Bands All Here
The Kut

Live, the band has performed at festivals such as Download, Camden Rocks Festival, Rebellion Festival, Hard Rock Hell, Glastonbudget, Nice N Sleazy and Strummercamp in the UK, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The band has confirmed the following live dates for Summer 2018 in support of Valley of Thorns : Camden Rocks Festival, Amplified Festival, Strummercamp Festival, Nice and Sleazy, Rebellion Festival and more to be added!

 

2017 was a significant year for The Kut as they were featured as one of Kerrang! Magazine's Breakthrough Acts of the year, while ‘The Kut EP' was released on 500 limited edition picture discs for Record Store Day 2017, also featuring at number 4 in Kerrang! Magazines Top 10 Record Store Day Releases. This past summer saw the band playing 21 consecutive UK dates, and the year ended with the band claiming the Number 1 Spot in the Beyond 50 Promotions Top 50 Under the Radar UK Bands.

 

But don’t take our word for it. Here’s what the U.K. press has said about The Kut:

 

The Guardian - Editor’s Pick

“Your snarly singer-guitarist in the latest line up of this doughty girl-grunge trio. Shades of Courtney, Brody and L7, naturally, but with plenty of contemporary haters to aim her barbs at”

 

Metro

“This trio of multi-talented girls with a ‘90s grunge alt-rock sound have been touring all over Europe”

 

Kerrang! Magazine

“Led by Princess Maha, this is a neat twist on grunge pop”

 

Q Magazine

"There's a slice of angst-offloading gutter rock that's a kissing cousin of Hole, but The Kut's scuzz-covered family tree also stretches further back to the garage rampages of The Stooges.”

 

Metal Hammer

"The Kut are like the bastard lovechild of Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson with awesome riffs and chaotic live shows"

 

Classic Rock Magazine

"Marks the precise point in the Venn diagram where L7 meets “I Wanna Be Your Dog” meets Courtney Love, which is equal parts terrifying and a cause for long and rowdy celebration. Punk's not dead, pass it on.”

 

 

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