A Golden Globe for Best Film, $1.62 billion dollars worldwide and seven years in the making, James Cameron's Avatar isn't exactly failing to pull in the viewers. Why then, after taking a whopping $73 million there already, is the country that has just overtaken the US to become the world's leading economy, banning the blockbuster from its screens after just two weeks? China's government yesterday issued a statement to explain they feared the revolt by the indigenous Na'vi population shown in the film would ignite the Chinese people's imagination to instigate a similar popular revolt. Sure. Maybe the Americans should watch out while we're at it, and the Irish too, because by the same token there is just as much reason to ban extreme violence from our screens. Furthermore, it's an insult to suggest the Chinese population are stupid enough to ignore the political agenda behind replacing 2D screenings of Avatar with a biographical production about Confucius. Subtle? I think not. Twentieth Century Fox has confirmed that the film will be withdrawn from 1600 Chinese cinemas nationwide, but that the 3D version is expected to continue showing in 900 cinemas across the country. Now forgive me if I'm wrong dear Communist Party of China leader, but if you really want to stop people from seeing something you should probably get rid of the real-life three dimensional version. Didn't you know that prohibition breeds rebellion?
Fresh from the news that Sarah Jessica Parker is to head up US fashion house Halston as their new Creative Director, it seems only fitting to identify the unlikely figure who may have had a hand in her career.
Over in New York in the summer of 1976, author and playwright Harold Pinter was auditioning for the roles of children Miles and Flora in his adaptation of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, when in walked the future fashionista herself. "A minute flaxen-haired doll called Sarah, so small she could hardly read the script, proved to be the most brilliant actress" writes Antonia Fraser, Pinter's widow, in her recently published memoirs. "Years later I was amused to realise that the doll had become famous as Sarah Jessica Parker".
Thank Harold for Carrie Bradshaw...
For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about here, 2010 is the year for you to get your Glee on. And maybe read a few magazines to keep abreast of what the kids are watching these days. One of the most anticipated TV series in years, the US export, probably best described as a Mean Girls come High School Musical hybrid, is a musical comedy set at William McKinley High School. There are the jocks (a shame that the high school quarterbacks at my school didn't look like that), the geeks and the blonde cheerleaders, but far from subscribing to the archetypal clique cliche, the one thing they ultimately all have in common is their singing. Their glee, if you like, for glee.
Admittedly, the show's formula might not sound instantly appealing, but last night's UK debut on E4 pulled in more than 1.3 million viewers to the channel - triple its usual figure for a Monday night - and covered everything from Journey's Don't Stop Believing (see below) to Kanye West's Gold Digger. Oh, and followng the ensuing media storm news has reached our shores that Oliva Newton-John will have a recurring guest role in the newly commissioned second series. If that doesn't grab you...
Forgive my headline. Initially it might seem as non-pc and insensitive as a passing school corridor comment, but what I mean to refer to is the triumph of the redhead. News has reached my ears this week of top model (pictured) Karen Elson's latest campaign, and boy is it a good'un. As the new face of cult label St. John, the flame haired super's profile is fast becoming as high as the stage from which she fell at 2009's British Fashion Awards, but even better is who she's replacing; Angelina Jolie.
After three years with St. John, CEO Glenn McMahon has amitted that the actress 'overshadowed the brand'. Ouch. He went on to add "We wanted to make a clean break from actresses and steer away from blondes and cleanse the palette". Ouch. A small step for wronged women everywhere, a giant step for redheads.
Celebrity Big Brother is upon us once again with its seventh and final series, and if you'll pardon the pun, oh Goody. It's only day 3 and already I'm tired of the endless news coverage and infinite column inches devoted to one of the most embarrassing national past times of the Nougties (oh wait, can i say that now we've entered a new decade?) Admittedly bagging Vinnie Jones for the series finale must have had the Endemol boses jumping for joy, but other than that this year's cast is as predictably grey as ever. Alec Baldwin' crackpot Bible bashing brother Stephen joins Jones to represent LaLa land in, er, style, while Ronnie Wood's Eastern European bit on the side probably guarantees at least one extra viewer in the shape of his ex-missus.
Best of all, the pitting of cauliflower faced cage fighter Alex Reid against fellow silicone fanatic Dane Bowers does not, as far as I'm concerned, make for terrific viewing given the negative IQ of both contestants, but rather confirms Katie Price's universal grasp on the nation's conscience following her disastrous appearance on I'm A Celebrity late last year. Something which I'm sure, as the truly patriotic Brits we all are in these times of crisis, we should be toasting over a bottle of Lambrini. Oh, and while we're at it, perhaps the Tories should consider making her their new postergirl. After all, who would you rather look at as the snow comes down?
