A Winning Streep

Look who's on the cover of the new Vanity Fair...



It's Meryl (Miss Streep, if you're nasty).

I think she's great and am so happy that she continues to do such a wide variety of work all these years later. Vanity Fair has written a "30 Years With America's Favorite Actress" article on her, so I guess I'm gonna have to get myself over to the Piggly Wiggly and get a copy.







She has done so many wonderful serious roles with a variety of accents in the past ("Sophie's Choice", "Silkwood", "A Cry in the Dark) as well as some very fun not-so-serious-actress roles ("Death Becomes Her", "Adaptation", "Devil Wears Prada") and, of all things, played the delightful Julia Child last year in "Julie and Julia".

I'm looking forward to "It's Complicated" with she and Alec Baldwin too. They should be a fun team.

I also like that she's so normal and funny whenever she is interviewed or giving a speech. Here she is giving an award to Stanley Tucci in New York recently...



Meryl dropped the F-bomb.

Enjoyable.

Fair Lady

Lady Gaga snags the cover of the new Vanity Fair next month and discusses some of the bad romances that she's been through over the years...

I had a man say to me, ‘You will die alone in a house bigger than you know, with all your money and hit records, and you will die alone.’” In these dark moments, Gaga tells Robinson, she has found meaning in her work: “Even though I know it sounds a bit Hallmark, whenever I [was] in that kind of stressful, worthless moment, I would think, I’ll show you.’”



Oh...I think she's shown him and many, many others.

Caitlyn Jenner

Vanity Fair released a preview of it's upcoming cover of Caitlyn Jenner and a short video peek at the photo shoot (the issue will be out on newsstands June 9th).

     

Quite an amazing transformation.



It just shows you that you never know where your life journey will take you...ya' just gotta hop on and do all you can to be true to yourself and as happy as you can be while you're here.

Hopefully she's happy now.

Games people play

In other sad news, in a Vanity Fair interview, one of the directors seems to confirm that the next season of Game of Thrones might be shorter than the current 10 episode seasons we're used to...

They’re only doing seven [episodes], and they’ve got their regulars who have done it forever.

I'm with the Dowager Countess on this bit of news...



Let's hope that changes.

Where wolf?

There, wolf.

The fourth season of True Blood starts on Sunday and, although I'm no marketing expert, I think I've started to pick up on a very subtle, yet consistent, promotional theme over the past two seasons...



There is no actual blood used in their marketing photos.



I know it sounds like a madcap conclusion to draw, but I've done extensive research to prove my theory. Just bear with me...

Besides the latest Muscle and Fitness and Entertainment Weekly blood-free cover articles, look at these other recent examples...



The new GQ article...hemoglobin-free.





Muscle & Body magazine...bloodless.





Vanity Fair...not a wound in sight.



Cosmopolitan magazine...zip.



Men's Fitness...plasma-free.



US Weekly...dry.



I really think I'm on to something here...it's the only consistent visual theme that I've noticed in every one one of these articles.

Perhaps they thought that having blood in the title and then blood on promotional materials may have been too obvious and, perhaps, off-putting to the viewing audience. So, they went in the complete opposite direction hoping that Joe-public wouldn't be on to their scheme.

HBO, you may not think we are sophisticated enough to notice these kinds of things...



But we do.

We notice.

Speaking of noticing, one of my favorite blogs JoeMyGod, linked to my research today. I'm very honored and glad that countless others will now have access to this very important marketing and PR study. Thanks Joe!

Also...Towleroad posted Joe Manganiello's Werewolf Workout video from Details magazine...again, splatter-free.



My arduous research continues...

Covering the Force

Vanity Fair's upcoming Star Wars issue will be out on newsstands in a couple weeks. Until then, here are a few of the cool images that you'll find inside...











There is also a behind-the-scenes video about the shoot as well..



Enjoyable.

World Cups

Looks like I have another magazine to pick up next week along with Interview...



Cristiano Rinaldo and several of his international soccer friends will be gracing the pages of the June Vanity Fair issue. I doubt that having Cristiano and his pal only wearing underwear on the cover will have "any" noticeable affect on sales...



There is also a behind-the-scenes video of the photo-shoot, if you'd like to watch the kids do all of their kicking and stretching in front of the camera.



For those of you who might have missed my previous posting on Cristiano's Armani ads...



You can relive the magic again by clicking here.

Lowe and Behold

Rob Lowe is on the cover of Vanity Fair this month discussing his new book, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, An Autobiography.

I wonder if he's told them about all the aging paintings that he must have lining the walls of his attic?

Probably not.

I'm sure the Devil made that a deal-breaker.

Will people come and see'em?

Bebe Neuwirth really is perfect casting as Morticia in the new Addams Family Musical.

The Addams Family stars the undisputed king of Broadway musicals, Nathan Lane, as the gallant, dapper layabout Gomez. (The irrepressible Lane even looks like a living cartoon.) The smashing Bebe Neuwirth makes for inspired casting as the slinky matriarchal goth, Morticia.

They certainly look a lot like the original cast, don't they?



It will be interesting to see how this does. Although it sounds like a good idea, I also thought that "9 to 5" and "Young Frankenstein" would do well on Broadway.

Not so much.

Here is a fun behind-the-scenes video of the photo shoot of the cast for the upcoming Vanity Fair issue.

Afterglow

Claire Danes wore quite an illuminating dress at the Met Gala this week...

The actress made a show-stopping entrance in a whimsical sky-blue ball gown created by her longtime friend Zac Posen. The one-of-a-kind, hand-sewn creation was crafted from organza and fiber optics, which allowed the dress to light up in the dark.

The high-tech garment featured a voluminous skirt, and due to the sheer size of the dress, Danes and Posen made alternate travel arrangements. “Zac literally had a bus for me to get here, so I stood,” Danes told Vanity Fair as she escalated up the red carpet in her high-tech garment, with husband Hugh Dancy on one arm and Posen on the other arm for support. “I’m moving carefully. . . cautiously. I’m going to throw the after-party under my dress! It’s very spacious.” 

Danes, along with Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Amy Schumer, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Katie Holmes were just some of the 600 high-profile figures to step out at the 2016 Met Gala to celebrate this year’s Costume Institute exhibition, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” co-chaired by Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, Apple’s chief design officer Jony Ive, and Anna Wintour. Befitting the theme, metallic, backless gowns, sequined embroidery, sheer fabrics, and, as was the case with Danes, enough L.E.D. work to warrant another Tron reboot dominated the red-carpet fashion.

It looks like a Cinderella dress.

I bet the after-party under her dress was quite memorable.

Poolside

Here is a pic from the upcoming Vanity Fair of Michael Douglas as Liberace with Matt Damon playing his boyfriend, Scott Thorson.

Those are some rockin' mumus.

Silver Fox and Friends

Anderson Cooper and his partner, Ben Maisani attended the recent Vanity Fair Oscar pre-party and made a stop by the photo booth for a quick pic.

It also appears that Neil Patrick Harris and his partner, David Burtka, did the same...but likely after a few more drinks...



Tip it!!

Viva Espana!

Kylie Minogue's boyfriend, Andres Velencoso, seems to have opted for a wardrobe-free photoshoot for the Spanish version of Vanity Fair.



She certainly looks happy.

He probably has a wonderful....personality.

Enjoyable

Vanity Fair posted a new interview with Kathy Bates recently. It's well worth the watch, if you enjoy her.

Avengers Assemble!

Vanity Fair just released all four of their upcoming Avengers Anniversary covers...







Very cool.

Star Wars: What's In The Box?

In honor of Star Wars: The Last Jedi opening TODAY (which I'm seeing tonight in IMAX 3D), here are two of the stars, John Boyega and Gwendoline Christie, playing a round of "What's In The Box?" for Vanity Fair....



Hilarious!!