You’re probably wondering why this poster resembles The Breakfast Club, right? Last December, we mentioned American Teen in our Sundance “Ones to Watch” review before the 2008 festival. Turns out it was acquired by Paramount Vantage (who created this cute movie poster), and they are releasing it this Friday, July 25th in theaters.

The doc follows the lives of four teenagers — a jock, the popular girl, the artsy girl, and the geek — in a small town in Indiana through Senior year in High School. Director Nanette Burstein (On The Ropes, The Kid Stays In The Picture) filmed them everyday for 10 months. It’s an honest look at an American high school and all the pressures surrounding a teen today.

The film is an A&E Indiefilms Presentation of a Firehouse Films and Quasiworld Entertainment production in association with 57th and Irving. Congrats to everyone on “the little doc that could” and for getting it out!
J

Kenneth Cappello has been busy — Directed a new video for The Kills, Photographed the latest Quiksilver Womens ad campaign, shot Italian GQ Cover story, etc. If you want to see more, check out the Kenneth Cappello Blog.

Starworks is looking for a few good soldiers. Starting August 1, 2008, we need FALL INTERNS. It is unpaid (for college credit) but you will get “front line” experience at all the large-scale fashion shows we produce this upcoming New York Fashion Week.

A little background on who we are: Starworks is a unique agency that fuses the world of fashion with entertainment. Starworks has established itself as a niche service providing highly innovative brand marketing, public relations, direct celebrity access, and intelligent celebrity brokering. We work with several well known brands in both fashion, accessories and lifestyle.

Job Requirements:
• Looking for intern to serve through the fall semester.
• Looking for young, hungry, WELL ORGANIZED junior or senior.
• Knowledgeable in fashion, pop culture, music and film.
• Job involves assistance to PR department with such tasks as trafficking samples, updating press clips, organizing our showroom, etc.
• Experience could be valuable for a career in the public relations business

We are located in the heart of Soho (great lunches)

Reply via Email only with Resume: printern@starworksny.com

(Weird Science plays for Free on Hulu. Go here to see whole movie)

We mentioned Hulu last April on its launch (Review here). It’s a website that streams premium content for FREE. It’s kind of like NBC meets YouTube in the sense you can grab the video, embed it, and spread it around via blogs. Where it kicks YouTube in the ass is that you can view an entire movie and snip the EXACT clip you want, then grab the embed code.

Anyway, the numbers are in — It’s a success. Hulu delivered 63 million total streams in April (that was it first month!). That makes it the No. 10 online video-streaming service. NBC got into the game overnight. Their compensation comes from the ads. Hulu CEO Jason Kilar is still experimenting, but admits to the value of a “department-store model” for shows. I’m sure other studio’s will be following suit.

Additional films playing on Hulu are Big Lebowski, Casino Royale (1967), Raising Arizona, Dave Chapelle’s Block Party, Lost in Translation, Some Like it Hot, Of Mice and Men, Xanadu, Dressed To Kill, Lost Highway, Sideways, and The Longest Day.

Random I know… They still need more content but there are new films constantly added to the site, so keep an eye on it.
J
p.s. How great was Kelly LeBrock in the 80’s?

I was horrified to see cute little Miley Cyrus persecuted all over the Media last Friday with her sassy pics she took for one of her boys. I mean, I didn’t comment on the Vanity Fair bare-backed Annie Lebowitz portrait because a photo like this is laughable to Europeans. The news kept calling it “topless”. For starters, Miley’s VF pics were “backless”. The term “topless” shows some other goods… like Lou Doillon in French Playboy. BIG DIFFERENCE. Anyway, there was nothing sexual about Annie’s pics. Americans need to get over themselves. For real. It’s reaching an epidemic. They should actually go see early Brooke Shields films (and an early topless photo shoot), which really crossed some racy “woman-child” lines… Just to get perspective.

(Brooke Shields is 12 years old in Pretty Baby)

I’m not saying we need to lower the sexual age by any means, but I do believe that young girls are super curious about their bodies. In Pretty Baby, little Brooke Shields’ character watches her mother in a brothel doing pin-up shots. Little Brooke gets intrigued by the attention her mother receives, and slowly begins to discover her, um, “women-ness”. It’s really no different than the TONS of images most young girls are barraged with on YouTube, MySpace, MTV, HBO’s Chicken Ranch, etc. etc… It’s natural for a 15 year old to “go there” and experiment with her self-image via pics. Don’t you remember that Cristina Aguilera had her “Dirty” phase as a backlash to her Disney persona? Then she met a nice dude, fell in love, and recreated herself as a lady? She just chilled out. Miley is living in her own Brothel society, so she’s simply a product of her own environment…. especially in this inflated era of visual stimulation and voyeurism.

(Brooke Shields hanging with her Brothel mentors in Pretty Baby. i.e. Susan Sarandon)

OK, so Pretty Baby was a fictional character, but consider The Lover. Jane March played a 14 year old girl in 1929 French Colonial Vietnam who had a torrid affair with a wealthy Chinese businessman. It was based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Maugerite Duras. Sure the romance was reckless, but didn’t the “forbidden” factor ignite the spark more? Suppress a girls sexuality and you’ll see that fire rage to its fullest. Super conservative mentality tends to bring out the freaks. Push someone hard enough to the right and they’ll swing to the left — (even if they “keep it in the closet”). The story is as old as time.

(Jane March is 14 years old in The Lover)

America has become so puritanical that I just discovered another alarming fact that might be related to it. In the documentary, Playground (Produced by George Clooney) to be released later this year, Director Libby Spears asks which country is the number #1 user of child prostitution, and child pornography? The answer is, shockingly, America! Could it be because we treat sex as a dirty word around 15,16,17,18 year old boys and girls, which in turn creates a deviant side in them later as adults? Could it be that parents don’t talk to their libidinous teenagers like normal people who have a human urge?

The sad new factor in this whole new paradigm is the Internet! Now we gotta worry about Digital pirates invading our decks and robbing any hidden little treasures tucked away. Hunting season is for Celebs. Remember that poor Miley took these iPhone pics privately. Some hacker by the name of “TrainReq” tenaciously cracked her files open, and made them public. Creepy. You know what is worse? The fact AOL plastered the photos all over their corporate website! I mean, I’m not surprised by Perez Hilton posting them, but AOL?!

The spokesperson for the DigitalGangster website (yes, that is the name of the website) refers to himself as “Padillac”. He boasts that his team of hackers are the most “notorious underground American hackers” on the internet. I guess these guys have nothing else better to do with their time than comb through famous girls’ phones. You’d think such tech savvy brains could apply themselves to things that actually make a difference in this world. Instead, Padillac claims: “we, or some of our members rather, were the forces behind the Paris Hilton T-mobile sidekick hack, the major Lexis Nexis Security Breach of 2005, and limitless other exhibitions of pure might.” Congrats. What an accomplishment.

Ok, there’s really nothing left to say. Except I feel bad for girls like Miley who get hunted down by loser hackers, then persecuted by America’s conservative. I’ll never forget when I was a little girl and Madonna’s first nudie pics were published everywhere on the heels of her “Like A Virgin” era. They stemmed from her NYC starving-artist-days back in 1979. Her statement to the press? The New York Post cover read in big black chunky font —– “SO WHAT?!”. Everyone backed off. Actually, Madonna has made a career off manipulating conservative America. Imagine if she had the internet in the 80’s?

(”So What?!” says young Madonna about her first nude scandal)

And to all the frisky young starlets out there with iPhone cameras — DELETE, DELETE, DELETE…
J

Summer in Miami is hot hot hot! And last weekend’s Swim Week festivities were certainly no exception. Kate and I traveled down to South Beach to help high-end lingerie brand La Perla launch the 2009 collection from their upscale Mare collection. The event took place at the pool plaza of the trendy new Gansevoort South Hotel, overlooking the ocean.

(Actress Gabrielle Union)

Guests sipped cocktails and checked out the New York City-inspired swimsuits, which appeared mannequins that stood on the surface of the water (thanks to some clever production tricks!). Gabrielle Union, the gorgeous actress and “Bring It On” alum, dropped by the party with a few friends and gushed over the sexy suits.

(Suzy Biszantz, CEO of La Perla North America, and Gabrielle Union check out the styles)

Click here to check out all of the chic La Perla collections!
-Lyle

Vice Magazine has this Annual issue called The Photo Issue. Not for the faint of heart considering some portraits are gross out shots (i.e. people vomiting or your usual Vice shenanigans the brand is so well known for). The issue usually encompasses a spectrum of new photographers cropping up in the scene. Vice invites anyone and everyone to contribute, then widdles down the entries once a year.

There was one story that caught my eye, Animal Town. Not because I’m a cat girl (on the contrary, usually fluffy Hallmark pics of kitties make my stomach turn). Somehow, these cats look sinister.

Jens, the photographer, breaks it down: “These are some of the cats I’ve seen behind windows in the streets of Flanders. They’re everywhere, if you really look. At times I feel like I’m walking through a red-light district—the cats are like the whores watching me from their windows, trying to lure me inside with their looks and gestures, into the warmth of their nests.”

To see more of Jens Mollenvanger Photography, go to his Flicker Account here, where you’ll read a super short description on his profile that reads: “I’m Male and Taken. From Antwerp, Belgium”

Vice Photo Issue 2008 also includes Terry Richardson, Ryan McGinley, Richard Kern, Roe Ethridge among many others. Read Viceland.com to see more.
J

(Heath Ledger, Dark Knight)

Our editorial department screened it earlier this week and our one tip is to see it in IMAX for the jaw dropping scenes of the city. You actually feel like you’re flying with Batman. That being said, apart from the amazing Heath Ledger performance, there’s a whole lot of action without the strong story of the first Christopher Nolan installment. So….for more summer fun, and until you can get into the IMAX theater, spend your time with a singing dancing Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia.

(Amanda Seyfried, Mamma Mia)

(Meryl Streep)

I think the film isn’t getting the raves of Batman, but I had a lot more fun watching Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper in Greece. And nothing tops Christine Baranski!
-Greg

(Agyness Deyn for POP: muse to both Katie Grand and Mario Testino)

The stars of the photography and styling worlds are usually kept behind the scenes, but it was so interesting to read about 2 of most important players in their respective worlds. Both are involved in 2 of the magazines we contribute to here at Starworks.

(1) Katie Grand is a stylist tour de force for brands like Louis Vuitton but she is the creative everything force behind one of the industry’s most respected fashion superglossy bibles, POP. Read Guardian.co.uk.

(2) Mario Testino shoots the top celebrities for the Visionaire stable of magazines, V & VMan. Though it’s never our policy to “Gossip” about our publications on this site, Mario already let it out of the bag who is gracing the cover of the Winter VMAN sending millions of teenage girls and boys hearts a flutter. Read TheIndependent.com.

-Greg

Sir Ben Kingsley has been playing quite the lady-killer in his recent films. I must say I saw both The Wackness (released early July so watch out for Netflix now) and the upcoming Elegy this August. He manages to bond with young hot ladies in both. In The Wackness, Kingsley’s character is a “Dead-head” acid-dropping therapist that makes a cosmic connection with Mary Kate Olsen’s Phish loving hippie.. and yes, they end up dry humping in a phone booth. Quite the funny scene. Perhaps he’s got his mojo on from the fact he just wed a Brazilian woman 30 years his junior. Go Ben!

(The Wackness Cast. Hanging with his crew: Method Man, Olsen, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby)

His upcoming film, Elegy, is based on a much much more cerebral story between college professor and curious student. I know, I know, it sounds cliche. But the script is smart. Based off a Philip Roth Novel. And what you think is the beginning of a shallow fling evolves into something that transforms both people emotionally. Life’s little curveballs!

(Elegy. Kingsley & Penelope Cruz)

Anyway, I enjoyed seeing Ben play this role very much. He expressed layers of vulnerability, joy, depth, and even panic while addressing his mortality issues. Penelope did a great job at “bringing it”. Keep an eye open for Elegy in theaters August 8th.

Locked up in Van Nuys California, Jenny Lewis recently got back from her world tour with Rilo Kiley and holed up in a studio to make her next solo record. The mantra was pure and simple. The recordings were all analog, no Pro-tools. No embellishments.

She invited members of her own family — i.e. sister Ana on strings, father Eddie Gordon on bass harp. Then she invited music friends like Elvis Costello for a duet (”Carpetbaggers”), M. Ward, Benji Hughes, Zooey Deschanel (of She & Him), and a TON of other musicians for some new flavor.

(Rabbit Fur Coat — Jenny’s last solo record. A Starworks favorite)

Acid Tongue is her follow-up to Rabbit Fur Coat, her last solo record, a collection of beautiful songs and narratives. The title track, “Rabbit Fur Coat” is a beautiful hummable short story in itself. The new album will be released September 2008 and we hear it has a whole new body of good tales, with songs like “The Next Messiah” and “Jack Killed Mom”.

Here’s some dates were she’ll be performing this September:

9/16 – Fox Theatre- Boulder, CO
9/17 – Ogden Theatre- Denver, CO
9/19 - Epiphany Church, Chicago IL
9/20 – Anchor Inn- Omaha, NE*
9/21 – Ryman Auditorium- Nashville, TN*
9/22 – Bijou Theatre - Knoxville, TN*
9/23 – George’s Majestic Fayetteville, AK*
9/24 – The Lyric Theatre - Oxford, MS*
9/25 – Cain’s Ballroom - Tulsa, OK*
9/26 – Austin City Limits - Austin, TX
10/2 - Sixth & I Historic Synagogue- Washington, DC
10/4 – Apollo Theatre- New York, NY

(*with Conor Oberst )

Miu Miu’s website has freshly posted their images of Fall/Winter 08-09 collection on MiuMiu.com. We love casting for Miu Miu because of their intent to find tough women that have a fragile edge to them. Last season, we showed you Kirsten Dunst for Miu Miu in her Moulin Rouge theater-esque glory.

This season, the vision by Miuccia Prada hints at an undisclosed world. The surreal place in time is a modern day metropolis of LA, but still an alternate reality. Miuccia’s campaigns tend to put women in scenarios that overlap intellect, imagination, and divergence.

The heroine of this series is a woman we don’t get to see much here in the States, Vanessa Paradis. I sorta fell in love with her when I first saw Girl on a Bridge, a cute little french film that shows us, well, a girl on a bridge ready to say goodbye to the cruel world — before her soulmate strolls into her life. The relationship is as dysfunctional as Maggie Gyllenhall’s character in Secretary but just as complimentary, thrilling, and complete. You’re going to have to watch the trailer Girl on a Bridge to see what I mean.

In essence, Miu Miu’s new protagonist is highly stylized and powerfully independent. In real life, Vanessa has been entertaining since she was 7 years old (appearing on French TV show L’Ecole des Fans). In 1989, she won the César for Most Promising Actress in the film Noces Blanches, and has put out several records (one which spawned a #1 single in 15 different countries). Keep in mind she collaborated with Serge Gainsbourg on the album Variations sur le Même t’aime in the 90’s. She is still traveling the world with her new set of songs released late last year.

Photography by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Nas is about to drop his new record with another controversial title which I’d rather not type on this blog. What better way to create attention than hold a word of mouth small secret show? And what better spot than Lower East Side’s alife Rivington Club — the sneaker ambassadors of the scene. Great night. Artists KR and ESPO were in attendance. I must say Nas did meander on some politics in between songs, of which I truly respect his energy in the matter. I will have to hear the entire new record before I fully expand on his new state of mind.

(Nas steps to the mic)

The highlight of the evening (in addition to hearing new tracks) was when he busted out some of his classics in the tiny backyard of the sneaker store — “NY State of Mind” and “Made You Look”. Simply brought the house down. One of those reasons you love living in New York City.

As far as the term “viral” goes for the party last night — all the footage, photos, and clips are ALL OVER the internet today. Well done guys.
J

Livia Corona is an extremely talented photographer from Mexico. In between her other hectic work gigs, she managed to escape whenever she could in order to document a community within a community in her native country. For a span of 10 years, Livia lived with these cast of characters — she woke up with them, spent the day with them, spoke to their families, visited their shows, etc. The result is a new retrospective book published by powerHouse Books available next week.

Jauretsi: Why Dwarf bullfighting? How did you bump into this niche?

Livia Corona: Enanitos Toreros started in a very casual way when a woman, who is a little person, invited me to tour with her team of dwarf bullfighters, after I made her a headshot. Through her I met other little people who also invited me to their shows and to their homes. With time I realized that there is not a great deal of common knowledge about dwarfism and, consequently, there are many false ideas and much discomfort about the subject. I was interested in the space between these two factions.

What aspect of their lives did you find the most surprising in all your years of documenting them?

I was, and am, struck by how dwarfism, in a sense, remains a sort of “last minority” which culture can discriminate against. Seems that the blanket of political correctness skipped this part of our society altogether. We became accustomed, through handed-down outlooks, to think of people with dwarfism in a very specific and limited way. In the interviews for my book, many people say they feel just fine with themselves. Recently one of the Enanitos Toreros told me, “My normal side is myself reflected in the mirror.” Tallness could be the outsider in this case. It’s relative, and irrelevant in the end. The book is about a lot of things, but mainly an effort to get past the spectacle and re-portray dwarfism in a way that made sense to me, having people with dwarfism as friends.

What is your next project?

I am finishing a documentary film about the Enanitos Toreros which I started along with the photos for the book. I am also working on a second book, “Two Million Homes for Mexico.” It is about definitions of family patrimony and cultural legacy via real estate.

(Enanitos Toreros, the book)
———————————————–

The Book launch party is this Friday July 18, 6-10pm at powerHouse Arena in Brooklyn — 37 Main St., BK, 11201. To RSVP, email icumexny@sre.gob.mx.

To see more of Livia’s body of work, go to liviacorona.com

Dogbehindthefence
Mark Delong
10 x 13 inches
pencil on paper
$150.00

Today’s graphic just made me laugh when I saw it. The drawing is actually available for $150 at TVBookShop, or email tim@tvbookshop.com

Conde Nast International has officially announced it’s taking on the magazine Wired. They are expecting to launch a UK edition of Wired during the first half of 2009.
J

(Denver’s Stadium: 80,000 seat strong)

The presumed Democratic Presidential nominee said last Monday that he would accept the nomination at Denver’s 79,000 seat Invesco Field (where the Bronco’s play). The convention lead-up takes place at the 21,000-seat Pepsi Center arena, where all the news stations are already parked, so of course they’d all prefer the speech stays in 1 place.

“Sometimes our conventions don’t feel like they are open to everybody,” Obama said. “For us to be able to do it in Invesco Field is an opportunity for 80,000 people who might otherwise not have been able to participate to get involved.”

All the networks are freaking out now about logistics of covering this. Due to the crazy expenses involved, they will probably “pool” coverage now. Loads of conference calls are happening now to figure out the reality of shooting this right. The first three nights of the convention, which run Aug. 25-28, will be held at the Pepsi Center. The final night will shift to the stadium for Obama’s acceptance speech.

Things that are good to know about this historic moment:

(1) Good Practice: Obama has already wowed a HUGE crowd. In May, a record 75,000 jammed into a riverside park in Portland, Ore., to hear him speak shortly before that state’s primary.

(2) Upgrading to a Stadium: It won’t be the first time a presidential candidate has accepted the nomination in a stadium. On July 15, 1960, John F. Kennedy gave his acceptance speech before tens of thousands at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

(3) Anniversary Night: Obama’s acceptance speech on the final night of the convention will coincide with the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.

Source: Variety.com.
J

Vivre is a simple “one-stop-shop” if you ever need to buy a gift or spoil yourself. The product above is Roberto Cavalli’s primal bracelet. Two goldplated interlocking, oversized elephant heads meet at the top of this brass cuff. One size fits all, the bracelet adjusts to any size wrist. Click here to purchase.

(Gold $585.00, Ruby or Cognac $325.00)

Faceted Goldleaf Glass Ring by Yummi Glass, $585.00. Modern glass is hand formed and coated in goldleaf to take on the appearance of an oversized solid gold carved ring. Lightweight. Gold. The non-gold glass rings take on the appearance of an oversized faceted gem. To purchase ring, go here.

This photo was taken by the lovely photographer James Gooding who swung through New York this weekend and attended the 4th Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. It was a beautiful day and a powerful show. Other artists included old-school classics such as DJ Premiere. Smif & Wessun, and Buckshot.

See more of his body of work at James Gooding Portfolio.
J

The Trailer tips you off to its broad range of music — from PIL’s “This Is Not a Love song” to Bach’s concerto in F minor.

Waltz with Bashir is sort of a Waking Life (because of its real voices in documentary-like form) mixed with Grand Theft Auto like ballsy graphics — although I must say, that description does not do this film justice. This work of art is completely unique and not biting anyone. It premiered this May at Cannes 2008, and let just say the crowd rose to their feet and applauded forever and ever and ever….. (and you know how tough Cannes crowds are).

The story is essentially an animated documentary by Ari Folman, who is our hero in the story (one with post-traumatic war syndrome). The Director holds your hand through surreal images and fractured memories regarding the Israeli Army’s mission during the first Lebanon War in the early 80’s.

Next to the other animated treasure this year, Persepolis, this seems like another big fish ripe for awards. Super happy to see smart political animations poppin’ off everywhere.

To see a clip of the film, go here.
J