Hurry Up, Simon!

Spotted near Bristol’s Christmas steps about ten minutes ago: Simon Amstell, floppy-haired, acid-tongued and quite possibly self-loathing comedian.

To whom we say: Get a move on, Simon! You’re due onstage at the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells in a little over five hours...

Call us immature...

...But today we are being amused by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons – otherwise known as BAAPS.

"I know it's dangerous - but it sure beats Rikers..."

This year we've already said goodbye to Lux Interior - wild-eyed frontman with The Cramps - at the age of 62.

Today I've been saddened to learn that Jim Carroll has died. He was just 60.



I must confess I haven't yet read The Basketball Diaries (famously filmed with Leonardo DiCaprio playing Carroll). But Forced Entries: The Downtown Diaries, detailing JC’s early ‘70s adventures with the Warhol scene, is a brilliantly evocative memoir of that place and time. A pre-fame Patti Smith used to bring Carroll donuts and chocolate milkshakes every morning for breakfast. And there’s an hilarious anecdote about Allen Ginsberg and a vibrator.

Although primarily a poet and author, Jim Carroll was also a musician. Fittingly his song ‘People Who Died’ is the most life-affirming song about death ever – and one of my favourite New York punk rock anthems. There’s a great version here:

http://www.myspace.com/jcarrollband

"I salute you, my brother..."

Geek Of The Week

Hard on the heels of cinema's current alpha nerd Michael Cera is the distinctly sensitive and unthreatening Jesse Eisenberg, who stars in two major films this month.

The first is Adventureland:



The second is, er, Zombieland.



Now that's what we call timing.

Mister River Lover

Described by its distributors as ‘Herzogian’ (Herzog-esque?), Amazon-swimming documentary Big River Man is on limited release in UK cinemas now.

Hmm. Judging by these pics, maybe it should be called ‘Weird Nipple Man’



Or perhaps ‘Small Speedos Man’



More from: www.bigriverman.co.uk

Silly-Named Actress of the Month™

Step aside Tallulah Sheffield (our previous SNAOTM™), and let’s hear it for PORTIA DOUBLEDAY! She stars alongside Michael “same in every single film” Cera in the forthcoming comedy Youth in Revolt. The trailer makes it look quite funny...

http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/youthinrevolt

Trick Baby

Possibly the most heart-warming film of the year, Andrzej Jakimowski’s ‘Sztuczki’ (‘Tricks’) gets a UK release today, but only in London’s Apollo Piccadilly Circus and Curzon Soho. We earnestly implore you to go see this Polish feel-good gem, and not just because the poster image reminds us of ‘80s Prefab Sprout album cover art...



More info from here: http://www.sztuczki-film.pl