Brandon Routh the sexy star of the new Superman returns movie has been offered a cool $500,000 to strip for Playgirl. Woof! Let’s hope he accepts! Hell if he doesn’t we’ll all have a whip round and raise some more! Although I have to say whilst he set the screen on fire in the movie I have yet to see any decent pictures of the guy off screen?
Is it true he was digitally enhanced for the film? Who knows but most of the pictures I’ve seen he’s definitely more Clark Kent than Superman. According to rumours he was definitely digitally reduced though, as apparently Mr Routh is packing a Superman sized package which Warner Bros brass thought might distract people from the plot! Let’s just hope he looks as good in playgirl as he did on screen and that all those digital reduction rumours are true!
She may have passed on to the great concert hall in the sky but Judy garland is alive and well and Podcasting!
It seems Rufus Wainwright isn’t the only one channelling Judy garland at the moment.
Podacster BillyBoy a 24 yr old hottie from the US brings us his fantastic “The Entertainment Beat with Frances Gumm” The Podcasts are an irreverant take on Judy as she and her guests discuss current hot topics and even get to sing some of the songs she never got to record like Enough Is Enough! This time rather than Donna and Barbra its Judy and Carol Channing! Judy is in fine form considering she’s been dead since 1969! and funny as ever. There are special guests galore including Bernadette Peters, Patti Lu Pone, Katherine Hepburn and Madonna.
Having debuted in mid December, the show already boasts 6,500-plus subscribers because, as “Garland” herself quips on one recent podcast, “it’s more fun than an afternoon in Lana Turner’s sweater.” Catch the podacsts or go to BillyBoy’s blog and download all the episodes there.
MGM once boasted more stars than there are in heaven well last week one of its brightest stars finally went out when Miss June Allyson died aged 88.
Despite the somewhat alarming ads for incontinence pads (Depends) her bout of alcoholism and a career that ended in the usual MGM glamour girl graveyard of guest spots on Hart to Hart, The Love Boat and Murder She Wrote.
June Allyson still remained America’s sweetheart and Perfect Wife right till the end.
Nothing changed her image in America’s eyes in much the same way that June herself never changed her hairstyle in 50 years!
Inspired by the recent dramatic weight loss of Janet Jackson and not wishing to stoop to the levels of mad old Mariah Scarey, who recently appeared in public with a perfect six pack drawn onto her stomach! I have just returned from the clinic after a brush with the surgeon's vacuum!
Yes Rank & Bile has been reduced!
Lordy! but you were so slim and gorgeous before I hear you cry? Ok maybe not!
Well needs must when your hurtling towards 40 and reachingMonserrat Caballe proportions and as Joan Rivers says " I dont exercise. If God had meant me to bend over he'd have put diamonds on the floor" and having exhausted every fad diet known to man, with the exception of the Kate Moss Class A plan, it only left one option. Hippo Suction!
And here is the offending fat to prove it - 2 litres of the darn stuff to be precise! (Those of a nervous disposition should look away now if they ever want to be able to drink a smoothie again!)
A word of caution dear readers: Firstly, when they tell you the pain is minimal, its a lie! I feel like I've been kicked by a horse! The mystery of Shergar is finally solved, He's alive and well and working in a clinic in Brussels! Only one of Naomi Campbell's maids could be more bruised and battered! Secondly, the words "you may experience some wound leakage" are a severe understatement. Despite my friend Mike's best efforts, using all available towels. I left a hotel room in Brussels looking like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. We left the hotel with the screams of an unsuspecting maid ringing in our ears.
So was it worth it ? I'll let you know in 4 weeks when the swelling has subsided and I can take of the Rocky Horror girdle I have to wear till then!
A while ago we reported on the horror that was Madonna’s Gnarly Old Hands. Well it seems that her Madgesty obviously applled by the pictures published here at Rank & Bile, has had a little work done, if only digitally, to enhance her emaciated claws.
As her recent shoot for (those purveyors of cheap tat) H&M, shows!
On Monday it was off to The National Portrait Gallery to see what is astonishingly, the first museum retrospective devoted to Angus McBean (1904-90), one of the most significant British photographers of the twentieth century.
Following on from the success of last years Beaton exhibition this dazzling array of more than 100 works by McBean are a real treasure trove.
From his surrealist portraits of the 30’s to his long stint as theatre portraitist supreme and on to his come-back, as a photographer of 1960’s pop idols. Mcbean kept up a furious pace and went on to be re-discovered by yet another generation during his second come-back in the heady days of the 1980’s.
The photographs themselves range from Marlene Dietrich to Rum DMC and include major figures from dance theatre and film as well as his now famous work with Pop Idols, The Beatles, Shirley Bassey and Cliff Richard. Unlike Beaton whose society portraits were formulaic at best Mc Bean shows a verve and wit which remained undiminished throughout his long and prolific career.
If you have the chance, get yourself down to The National Portrait Gallery and see the work of one of the 20th Centuries great eccentrics and true geniuses.
Poor old Chaka she seems never to have had dress sense or a stylist but this really takes the biscuit! Chaka once sang she was every woman and it looks like its true and all of them are trapped under that outfit! I mean Chain mail for goodness sake?!
What exactly was the look she was trying to achieve here? S & M Bag Lady? Gothic Fairy? Pensionable Dominatrix? Who knows but its hideous!
Ray Charles could have picked out a better outfit!
Do us all a favour and get a stylist and a hair cut for gods sake!
Despite their sell out farewell tour at Carnegie Hall, Kiki and Herb (The fabulous Justin Bond & Kenny Mellman) are back out of retirement , this time on Broadway, for a limited run. The irony is Kiki is supposed to be a washed up cabaret chanteuse who's audience has long since deserted her but in reality she can sell out Carnegie Hall. Whilst I'm really pleased by Kiki & Herb's success they are in danger of losing their cabaret terrorist reputation and becoming main-stream.
I've been lucky enough to catch them many times but theres no doubt they work best in a small venue, as opposed to somewhere like the Helen Hayes Theatre where they are due to perform in August.
Justin may be keen to put his alter ego Kiki aside but it seems the fans are having none of it!
Lets hope they drag their fabulous asses back over to London real soon! Their last christmas show at the Queen Elizabeth Hall was the highlight of the festive season in London and they are still the best act around.
Buy Kiki & Herb Will Die for You (The Farewell Tour, Live at Carnegie Hall) at Amazon
At the grand old age of 71, Italian institution, Sophia Loren is to become a Pirelli Calender girl!
Pirelli announced the news this week and released this picture from the shoot. Loren will be by far, the oldest Pirelli model to have graced the famous calender.
Loren said of the shoot "You have to be firm about it when you make up your mind to do something you like and you've been thinking about doing for a long time," Let's just hope her body is still as firm as her resolve!
The Italian bombshell who is looking remarkably well preserved for her age puts her enduring good looks down to one thing .... Spaghetti!
You Tube is a bloggers dream especially when you can't be bothered to post much! Normally I only post my own You Tube videos but as there are some gems on there I thought I'd post my favourite each month.
This months is a classic piece of random and very camp TV from the 70's and features Bea Arthur and Rock Hudson singing about class A drugs! No really it does! Play it and see! Lord knows how this got past the censors, who ever thought they would hear Rock and Bea singing about coke and poppers! Enjoy!
Thanks to You Tube user Lamp2av for posting this and sending it to me.
A huge thank you to Lulu and Warner Bros for the preview tickets to Superman Returns. I have to say this isn't my usual type of film and I went along expecting to be bored silly but to my surprise the film is fantastic. Although at 154 minutes a trifle too long.
I wont give away the plot as it's not on release untill Friday! What I will tell you is that Brandon Routh is fantastic and quite by far the dishiest Superman ever, even young Tom Welling looks plain beside this guy. He also has the most perfect eyes and the most gorgeous lashes in fact he is far prettier than kate Bosworth who looked far too young and plain to play Lois Lane. Theres also a great (but far too short) cameo from Eva Marie saint, one of my favourite actresses and there's even an appearance by Marlon Brando!
I also have to say the special effects are superb especially in the aeroplane scene at the start of the film.
All in all a really enjoyable and much better than I expected. Welcome back Superman!
A friend of mine, well I say friend, we’ve swapped saliva and text messages occasionally so as good as, remarked that I haven’t posted anything on Europride. Well truth be told, I didn’t because I was somewhat under whelmed by the whole thing but here goes anyway.
Mid afternoon I trudged down past Trafalgar Square in blistering heat to catch the tail end of the parade. All the usual suspects had dragged (and I mean that literally!) themselves up from the Home Counties and were blowing their whistles and waiving their placards like their lives depended on it. You know the usual Pride routine!
I then ambled past the legions of football hooligans into Trafalgar Square which was filled with people wandering aimlessly about waiting for the rally to start, so I toddled over to Leicester sq which was full of people wandering aimlessly about waiting for the for the cabaret to start. Undeterred I ventured on to Soho Sq where guess what….
The whole thing seemed very spread out this year and after watching a few friends, a few of whom were old enough to know better, dancing away in a sea of muscle marys and roasting to death in the sun, on the corner of Greek St . I ventured back to Leicester Sq (by way of a two mile queue for the portaloos. I swear some of those people are still in the queue!) for the Cabaret Stage. Caught the end of Sandra’s routine which was very funny!
Then a friend and I (Gareth) grabbed a drink in the quieter Crescent bar in the square only to be accosted by Z list celebrities (Michelle Collins and one of the Queer Eye guys to be precise) informing us we had lost the football! Somewhat dejected I wandered back to the cabaret stage for the ever brilliant, Dame Edna Experience.
Was just leaving Leicester Sq after everything fizzled out at 7.45pm. When an elderly chap in lycra (ewww) accosted me with the lament that Pride wasn’t what it used to be was it? It’s not like the old days he whined. For a moment I was tempted to pretend I was far too young to remember back that far but given it’s been 3 months since my last lot of Botox I thought I was pushing my luck with that line!
So I nodded in agreement, but then it dawned on me. Has it ever been that good really? Or am I just old and bitter?
No it’s not me! In fact, the last time I remember having a really good laugh at pride was in the early 80’s when a downpour of rain nearly drenched the Beverley Sisters who were then almost electrocuted when the amps on stage got wet!
Ahh the good old days! 10 yrs in a row of Hazel Dean still Searching and Kym Mazelle ballooning to the size of the Hindenburg and entire afternoons lost in over sweaty dance tents! Ahh yes good old days!
So how did I end my pride? In a sweaty drug fuelled night of clubbing? No a few pints in Comptons (not my usual watering hole but its any pub in a storm in Old Compton St, post pride) and then over to The Joiners Arms and in bed by 2am!
I think its time to hang up my whistle and leave Pride and all its fake tan and sequins to the youngsters!
In a story worthy of one of his legendary soaps, the family of über producer Aaron Spelling are at war.
Just two days after her father’s death, Tori spelling made some pretty gross accusations in Us Magazine. Amongst other things, spoilt brat Tori alleges her mother, Candy (present wrapping room) Spelling, was unfaithful and didn’t bother to tell her, her father had died. Tori claims a friend sent her a text message after seeing the news report of Aaron’s demise.
Not one to take things lying down Candy released statement saying "As we try to honour his memory with love and respect, the sudden media frenzy she has created at this sensitive time is hurtful and very disturbing," and accused Tori of tainting her father’s Legacy.
Hmm I feel a dis-inheritance coming on that interview could end up costing Tori a Carrington like fortune!
Expect Team Tori and Team Candy T shirts some time soon, as this one, like all Spelling productions looks set to run and run!
I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for a dishy man with prematurely grey hair and this month’s hunk is certainly dishy!
The man's got it all good looks, a great mind and even better he’s rich as Midas as his mother is the one and only Gloria Vanderbilt!
In fact the only thing not perfect about Mr Cooper is his 25 yr old boy friend, Julio Cesar Recio (drat! I knew there was a catch somewhere!).
Oh well married or not doesn’t stop everyone drooling over Anderson.
News was never so hot!
Picture from Vanity Fair of Anderson with his legendary mother Gloria Vanderbilt. Wow! if I can’t have Anderson I'll settle for the name of his mothers surgeon! She’s 82 and still looks hot!
Party girl Kate Moss has been painting the town red. The seemingly tireless Supermodel was one of the last to leave Elton john’s White Tie and Tiara Ball in the early hours of the morning and was enjoying the champagne so much they couldn’t prise the glass out of her hands, even after she got in her car to go home!
Then the paparazzi actually fell asleep waiting so long for the supermodel to leave another party late the following morning.
How does Kate have so much energy and manage to leave everyone else for dead?
Apparently she claims “when I ‘m that sleepy I move onto coke……….the caffeine does wonder for my energy levels”!
Just when we thought Mariah Carey was starting to get more normal (ho’ish dress sense aside) She goes and gets hit by the loony stick again. Latest Scarey, Carey story is her new whacky diet. Now it seems The Diva will only eat purple foods 3 days each week!
This apparently, is supposed to ward off wrinkles and stop you ageing!? Her publicist quickly added, in attempt to make Carey, not sound totally in-sane.
Well I can see it would help you lose weight, after all, try putting together a meal with just purple food, the options are pretty limited.
Although judging by Miss Carey’s yo-yo-ing weight she’s obviously including Purple Jolly Ranchers and Smarties in her new food group!
Right well I’m off to buy some plums and aubergines, Hey! if it works it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than Botox!
Oh Lordy! Yet another Celebrity has been ostrich-ised by Hollywood.
Poor little Kate Bosworth ( who used to be so pretty!) has been added to our feed a starving celebrity campaign after appearing on the red carpet with an emaciated 20 inch waist.
Do they really think looking like a big bird is appealing?
David Hasslehoff takes the Rank & Bile award for campest accident of the year.
The former Baywatch "star" and German singing sensation (they don't get out much in Germany!) had a tendon in his right arm severed by a shard of glass, after colliding with a Chandelier at The Sanderson Hotel.
How random is that?
Luckily "The Hoff" wasnt too badly hurt and was released later from hospitable, presumably in time to consult with his lawyers!
Shocked and appalled by pictures posted on Rank & Bile of her bald spot. Mrs Beckham rushed back to London by Easyjet (classy!) to have emergency extension repairs, in time for the England match on sat.
Having forked out £1500 for the privilege, she then trotted down the street so the paparazzi could get a good look at her new flowing hair/extensions and just to make sure they didn't miss her she left her blouse half open. Well done Posh, another hair disaster averted and plenty of tabloid coverage into the bargain.
For those of you who appreciate Miss Davis more subtle early work, this is not the Bette Davis film for you. This is Bette in high camp mode; by this time a caricature of herself flinging the vicious dialogue out of her red slashed upside down mouth and with enough venom to stop an elephant in its tracks.
Mrs Taggart is a one eyed monster of a mother who tortures her children and their spouses with undisguised zeal, in this film of a battling family who gather on the wedding anniversary of their widowed Mother.
Davis without firm direction plays to the galleries and is a mass of eye popping and cigarette waving mannerisms that makes for delicious black comedy. Davis is armed with some spectacularly bitchy dialogue and revels in every minute of it and her supporting cast, especially the fabulous, Sheila Hancock give just as good as they get. Ironically when the original play was staged again this year, in London, it was Hancock who played Mrs Taggart. Much as I enjoyed Hancock in the role, Bette is Better.
They really don’t make these kind of star vehicles anymore and this one is fabulous, so do yourself a favour and go buy/rent this movie you won’t be disappointed.
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) Starring: Ziyi Zhang, Suzuka Ohgo Director: Rob Marshall Nitta Sayuri reveals how she transcended her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
You really can’t find much to fault in this sumptuous adaptation. The story of one of Japans last and greatest Geishas. It has breathtaking photography, locations, costumes and make up, which all perfectly evoke pre-war japan and give this film a visual splendour.
Despite the controversy surrounding the casting of Chinese actresses in key roles Suzuka Ohgo is absolutely mesmerising as the Geisha and Ken Watanabe, always a very watchable actor, turns in another great performance. All in all an excellent film that is worth a couple of hours of anyone’s time.
Cabaret (1972) Starring: Liza Minnelli, Michael York Director: Bob Fosse We went to see this film at the open air cinema near Tower Bridge and armed with a picnic it turned out to be a very pleasant evening. It was also the first time I had actually seen this film on a big screen and with an audience. Yes dear readers I am too young to have seen the original theatrical release despite what people and the deterioration of my face may tell you!
I’d forgotten just how good a film this is, Liza is simply superb and the Bob Fosse’s direction is perfect. It was also good to hear people liked the humour as much as I always have and sung along with all the songs, like I always do. All that is except for my friend’s new BF who horror of horrors not only hadn’t seen the film he wasn’t a fan of Liza’s! I don’t understand these new fangled gays? Don’t they teach them anything in school?!
Go get yourself a Liza education and buy the DVD and while you’re at it start making your way through her Mother’s back catalogue.
Brandon Routh the sexy star of the new Superman returns movie has been offered a cool $500,000 to strip for Playgirl. Woof! Let’s hope he accepts! Hell if he doesn’t we’ll all have a whip round and raise some more!
Is it true he was digitally enhanced for the film? Who knows but most of the pictures I’ve seen he’s definitely more Clark Kent than Superman. According to rumours he was definitely digitally reduced though, as apparently Mr Routh is packing a Superman sized package which Warner Bros brass thought might distract people from the plot! Let’s just hope he looks as good in playgirl as he did on screen and that all those digital reduction rumours are true!
Picture courtesy of the fabulous 
(The Farewell Tour, Live at Carnegie Hall) at Amazon
Buy it at Amazon
Buy it at Amazon
Buy it at Amazon
