Sunday, August 05, 2007

Lindsay Lohan Works the Movie Pole




What's up with this trend in movies like "I Know Who Killed Me" and "Grindhouse" where strippers become amputees in some kind of freakish scenario and are transformed into crime-solving heroines with rechargeable or gun metal body parts? In the absurdly gross and perhaps intentionally hilarious "I Know Who Killed Me," train wreck starlet Lindsay Lohan's finger falls off after her turn at the pole and her leg mysteriously disconnects during the middle of the night. Sorry if I spoiled any essential plot points for anyone planning to see this stinker, but the good news is it's probably already out of the theaters (it's worth checking out on Netflix though). But on the clear heels of naughty Cupie doll Rose McGowan's stripper with a machine gun leg of gold role in "Grindhouse," I'm starting to wonder if Hollywood honchos are fulfilling some sort of sadistic fantasy.

At least in NBC's revival of the "Bionic Woman -- airing September 26 at 9 p.m. -- the new and improved Jamie Summers will kick butt with her clothes on. And for a classic dancing girl's tale, nothing can beat the campy genius of "Showgirls." Elizabeth Berkley does beat a guy down with her spiky, thigh-high boots, but the only thing fake about Nomi were her fire-engine red Lee press-ons and strained blonde ponytail extension.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Bag Lady: "I Am Not A Plastic Bag" Sale Report from the Front Line


Not even a torrential downpour could stop trendy and eco-friendly New Yorkers from getting their fashion fix. Thousands. Yes, thousands of drenched customers waited on line a few weeks ago – some overnight -- outside of the Whole Foods supermarket in the East Village for the chance to grab one of award-winning accessories’ designer Anya Hindmarch’s oh-so-trendy “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” canvas totes, which sold out in a few hours at her Soho boutique in June. Thank goodness for my press credentials or I would have been standing in the rain with the rest of the fashion-crazed masses.

Some of the patrons I chatted with seemed sincerely interested in doing their part to save the planet by reducing the use of plastic bags, while others were design students and borderline Hindmarch stalkers. But my hunch is that many of the drenched fad followers waiting in line, which was curiously overrun with young Asian men, were eagerly snatching up the hot $15 bag (limit 3 per customer) to flip it on Ebay where it’s selling for up to $300. Whatever the bag seeker’s motivation, Hindmarch thinks the recycling message is still loud and clear.

Despite her good intentions, however, the designer has received her share of backlash. The most attention grabbing take on Hindmarch’s bag is fellow Brit designer Marissa Vanderzee’s cheeky “I’m NOT a smug twat” bag ($41 U.S.). On Vanderzee's website she says her bag “is a reaction to the it-bag phenomenon, a reaction to the faddishness of fashion...and it helps you avoid using plastic bags!”

Whatever your bag is, there are plenty of styles to choose from, including Whole Foods’ large “Honey” carry all for only a buck. Happy shopping!