watch the final collections of the project runway 4 finalists before the season finale oct 11th

so the final four of this season's wildly popular project runway has been announced and between uli, laura, jeffrey and michael, the designers have enough diverse styles to make the finale very interesting.

since the designers were all allowed to show at this years olympus fashion week, their collections have become public knowledge by now. if you haven't gotten around to checking them out, here they are collected so nicely by the blogging project runway folks!

also, if haven't been tivo-ing the series already, the finale will be broadcast october 11th. i can't wait!

[note: the annoying theme song plays throughout these videos]

laura's collection (exquisite, adult and gorgeous! i'm torn between hers and uli's at the moment for favorite collection)


uli's collection (beautiful and classy! her signature prints are just amazing)


Jeffrey's collection (all over the place)


Michael's collection (to me, the worst of the batch)

watch the first 8 minutes of ugly betty's premiere here

if you missed the premiere of the hot new ABC show ugly betty last night, here is the first 8 minutes for your viewing pleasure. camp, sweet (a tad too simplified) but starring the amazing america ferrera, this is easiest one of the MUST SEE programs of the new season. enjoy!

Jagshemash! let the borat hype machine begin

check out borat with some friendly village girls in the island of cannes. very nice!

when you read that the kazakhstan president complained to president bush about the film borat last week, one quickly gets the feeling that borat himself (played amazingly by sacha baron cohen) is on the tip of being a worldwide phenomenom.

easily one of the funniest movies of the year, borat isn't due to be on screens for another two months, but i figured i'd start the hype with my people so you can spread the borat love.

btw, if you still don't know who this borat is, check out what i wrote about it after seeing it at toronto here, then take a look at what the NY Times had to write about the man here (or if you can't read it, check it out on my movie blog)

and just for instant gratification, check out the latest trailer (which already gives away too much) for the film:


oh! borat recently posted his very first video blog on his myspace page (see below) and i'm praying more will come.

Borat's myspace video blog

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

UPDATE: TMZ.com just put up this clip of Borat inviting premier warlord bush to a screening of his film.

the return of wongie's music world: with a cheeseball song by tim mcgraw/faith hill

[to check out new posts on wongie's music blog, click here]

it's been awhile hasn't it? not only have i been away pretty much the whole month of september, but i've done something that i haven't done in a long time, i basically just stopped getting obsessed with my escapist outlets (movies, music, tv, books) and just kind of took in with life.

of course that doesn't mean entertainment elements didn't filter through. i spent a considerable amount of time in toronto for the amazing film festival (as seen here on wongie's world). i browsed through a crazy load of music that made it on my desktop. i've also managed to see all the pilots and programmed my whole fall tv grid on my dvr.

it took awhile. but i'm ready to get back into it all.

you would think i'd come back with a bang, but instead, i go to a piece of television that i caught last week on my dvr between country husband and wife tim mcgraw/faith hill on the fashion rocks show.

with performances by beyonce/christina aguilera/scissor sisters and elton john, this quiet showcase was not only completely out of place, but impressively touching.

though the tune isn't due for release until tim's upcoming album in november, people are going crazy for it when they see it live (as did i). so pull up a chair and give yourself a good 4 minutes cause all you wanna do afterwards is sigh (or gack depending on how heartless you can be). me, i'm a cheeseball and i love it!

tim mcgraw & faith hill - i need you (live on oprah performance) [one week only]

NY Times names these three french actors as future superstars

top to bottom: romain duris, gaspard ulliel, mathieu amalric

with their mix of strong acting skills and international debonair, these three young actors from french cinema are poised to become the next hot things on the worldwide market (at least according to the NY Times).

if so, i would love nothing less than fawning over these intellectual and effortlessly talented actors. let the hype machine commence!

hoorah!

toronto film festival: day 9 (LAST DAY)

it's actually quite fitting that on my last day at toronto, i'm watching the debut picture away from her of torontonian sarah polley (yes, the actress).

written and directed by the talented ingenue, sarah adapts the short story 'the bear came over the mountain' by alice munro and crafts a wonderfully subtle and moving love story between fiona and her husband grant (played gently by the gorgeous julie christie and gordon pinsent).

for over 40 years grant has never been away from his wife (and vice versa - even through his indiscretions), but when fiona's alzheimers becomes more and more debilitating, grant is forced to send his wife into a facility for full time care.

but what happens when fiona enters the clinic is what makes this movie more interesting than it seems. without giving anything away, all i can say is that sarah polley has created a beautiful film that may possibly redifine her calling in life. only a gifted storyteller can make a small canadian indie film into something quite grand and proudly representing canada.

so there you have it. toronto film festival movies in a nutshell. there were of course 300 movies that i didn't see (like the winning one bella), hopefully next year, i'll figure out a better way to catch the key ones.

so, so long toronto! looks like i have a crush on you!

toronto film festival: day 8

one of the nice things about the latter half of a festival is that you're pretty much done with interviews and stuff. the unfortunate thing about toronto is that they don't keep that in consideration when it comes to scheduling films for the press to see. so with not much on my viewing platter, i decided to sleep in today.

i did wake up just in time to check out the supposedly controversial film the bubble by director eytan fox.

making a name for himself as a director who tackles the issues of the liberal youth in isreal, eytan films mainly focus on relationships between the straights, the gays and the in between.

for 'the bubble', eytan looks at a doomed romance between an isreali ex-soldier, his palestinian boyfriend and those that they affect along the way. in some ways, it was nice to see a slice of life film about the liberally young in tel aviv, but the heavy handed political message that takes over halfway just bogs down the movie to the point that you just don't care what happens to these people in the end.

bleh. i should have stayed in bed...

toronto film festival: day 7

hype surrounding the uk splatterfest has been pretty high (heck, i even buzzed it a few weeks back). but the truth is, severance is nowhere near being as clever as shaun of the dead or any film that spoofs the genre. it does however have enough scares and laughs to mark it as a cut above the rest.

when the sales crew of the arms company palisade defence, go on a group bonding trip, they end up lost and in a secluded cabin that may or may not belong to a serial killer.

as the body count adds up, the remaining survivors find themselves going against something bigger than they bargained for.

not amazing, but i definitely left the theater in a good, spooked mood.



if you didn't like the dixie chicks before, then after watching dixie chicks - shut up and sing you'll wanna go out and not only buy their latest amazing album 'taking the long way' but also watch them in concert immediately.

chronicalling the backlash after lead singer natalie maines said the words "we're embarassed that the president is from texas" to a london audience in 2003, documentary filmmaker barbara kopple captures how 8 words can affect the careers of the biggest selling female group in america.

the end result is not only a look at how blindsighted national pride can spin it's ugly head on their targets (natalie got death threats), but how true artists can use the experience to come up with the best album of their career.

in the middle of all this are the defiantly strong threesome; funny, honest and finally able to tell their version of the past three years.

i was in line for death of a president (which won the fipresci prize) but the packed screening forced me to go and check out the highly spurned 'the fountain' next door.

if you haven't read reports, the hugely expensive darren aronofsky film was panned at the venice film festival (i think the sound of boo-ing was at the premiere). so when a movie is that bad, i always have an inkling to check out the scene of the crime for myself.

so my verdict? it's not good, but it's not horrible either.

spanning three stories between two lovers in three different eras, the main crux centers on a scientist (played quite nicely by hugh jackman) who is trying to find a cure for a fatal brain tumor; something his dying girlfriend (rachel weisz) is also suffering from.

the concept of time gets played through all three stories and by the middle, the thread of all three come together quite nicely.

it's only when the film reaches it's last section that the fountain just goes awol with spiritualism, folklore and the concept of undying love.

yeah... not good.

toronto film festival: day 6

only one movie today. it was a day of interviews and more interveiws and then some more... (though i did love chatting with jude law today...)

emilio estevez (yes that emilio estevez) has probably crafted a brand new career with the ambitious release of his movie bobby.

'bobby' retells the day that the inspirational president nominee was horribly shot dead during the night of his win at the california primaries. but rather than renacting the days events, the impending assasination provides a framework for his more than 20 fictitious characters in the film (from sir anthony hopkins to demi moore to sharon stone to lawrence fishburne and even lindsay lohan). their story delves into issues of race, war, youth, lust and the optomism that was quickly taken away that fateful evening.

it's a tall order and to an extent the film really works. the causes that bobby fought for mean even more in our current climate, but the film with it's massive list of plotlines and distracting star power creates a sense of hard sell by the end of the film. a subtler ending would have been all the more powerful. still, this is a feat for director estevez and i applaud him for his obvious talent.

toronto film festival: day 5

taking on a wide spectrum of topics, anthony minghella's beautifully subtle breaking and entering looks at how the diverse immigrant influx over the past couple of years affects (or in some cases, sadly doesn't) a group of londeners.

with jude law (in his best performance ever) playing an architect who's studio gets ransacked by a bosnian teen, the film slowly weaves a complex emotional web that includes his distant wife (robin wright penn) and the mother of the teen (played by the brilliant juliette binoche).

the fact that many of the actors have worked with minghella before really allows for this story to unfold carefully. like the filmmaker (who is the nicest guy you can interview), through sensitivity and tenderness comes a devastating truth of the urban landscape many of us live in.

when talking about the next film, the premise alone still makes me giggle. basically, two environmental activists let loose an experimented on labLAMB, a quiet rural farm in new zealand becomes a breeding ground for man-eating sheep.

black sheep has the spirit of early peter jackson and sam raimi (jackson's weta workshop created all the monsters), but lacks the savvy of the aformentioned directors. the one joke wears thin pretty quickly and i was left hoping that at some point, i was going to be proven wrong in my cynicism. i wasn't. shame really.

i was quickly experiencing a bad horror movie day because 30 minutes into the schlocky trapped ashes i had enough of the blood sucking boobies and haunted monks. oh well... i went out to dinner instead.

toronto film festival: day 4

one word, borat. not only is this movie the funniest movie of the year, but i personally haven't screamed (i mean, laughed) so hard in ages. completely un-PC, sick and just plain wrong, i was completely wiped out after i was done watching kazkhstan's biggest reporter cross america with his misadventures. to tell you more would be unfair. just go and watch it!











literally minutes before rushing into a last minute additional screening of borat, i was storming out in a huff because i just saw the highly anticipated new release of director mira nair's (monsoon wedding) new film, the namesake. adapted from pulitzer prize winner Jumpha Lihari's book of the same name, the story of how moving to america affects the ganguli family had the potential to subtly delve into issues of race, community and identity. but instead nair cliches-up the film by bombarding it with one obvious choice after another. in the end 'the namesake' comes across basic and well... lame.

toronto film festival: day 3

argh! blogger died on me just when i pressed publish so i'm going to just write about the only movie i liked today (walked out of citizen duane and fast forwarded through a screener copy of the finnish/chinese, fantasy/martial arts film jade warrior)

l'homme de sa vie(the man of my life) brings together the scenario of a friendship developed between a happily married man (comedian bernard campan - who i have a big crush on) and his gay neighbour (charles berling) during a summer retreat.

with the french countryside as the films gorgeous visual backdrop, the lazy atmosphere allows an intimate conversation between the two men that evolves into a special connection that changes everyone's world forever.

'the man of my life' is the 1st movie i've seen this festival that has me a bit torn on how i feel about it. one aspect, observing a bond developing between two adult men that have opposite preferences and issues is pure joy (just watching the honest sensitivity and emotional transformation applied by the actors is impressive). but on the other hand the final outcome seems a bit like fantasy wish-fulfillment and really rubs me the wrong way.

the main quality that redeems this picture is the fact that the characters are all flawed and to blame. intellectually, and finally emotionally, going with the changes in their lives, the idyllic relationships that begin all neatly tied up, unravel by the end.

i was so torn about this film that at dinnertime i was still discussing it with other people that saw it. i guess this is the movie to beat.

toronto film festival: day 2

it's day two and i am knackered. so much so that i had to come home this afternoon, shower from the heat and literally sit on my bed so my feet would lose it's soreness. much had to do with the fact that i saw 3 1/2 films, walked up and down bloor trying to get some last minute interview slots and showing up just in time to talk to carrie anne moss (matrix) and billy connolly (mrs brown).

i had to get up extra early this morning so i could catch a screening of the opening film for the canada first program called fido.

part zombie film, part boy and his pet feature, part douglas sirk tribute, fido prides itself in it's complete crossing of genres and manages to come out pretty sassy and subversive in the process. starring the aforementioned carrie anne moss, billy connolly and dylan baker, fido is a story of how a lonely boy finds his best friend in the form of a zombie (played hilariously by connolly). funny, twisted and darn bloody, the joy of this film is to watch a zombie play fetch one minute, then rip the arm off an old lady the next. though the plot does wear thin after awhile, the pitch perfect cast really bring fido above the average median.

my next screening was sometime later in the afternoon and though i was already a bit sleepy, i was glad that it was the highly buzzed stranger than fiction.

directed by marc forster (monsters ball, finding neverland), strangers has the feel of being this years 'eternal sunshine'; quirky, sad and painfully romantic. basically howard crick (played with such resistance from will farrell) is a by-the-numbers IRS auditor. one day, he hears a british woman (emma thompson) accurately narrate his life on a minute by minute basis. it's when the voiceover forbodes his impending death that harold decides to take great measures to find out how to stop his potential demise.

it's a kooky premise that doesn't really resonate until a good hour into the film. but when it does, the movie turns into a touching story with enough twists to have you emotionally rooting for harold to succeed. not amazing, but good nevertheless.

right after strangers, the theatre next to it was showing the film chacun sa nuit, the debut film by actor jean marc barr (the big blue).

though the cast was delectable (hot boys and a girl lazing about half naked or wrapped around each other), the plodding plot was too much for me to bear and i made my first official walk out of the festival.






i went back home to rest my feet but was then pulled back out at 10pm to check out the latest quarter life crisis film starring zach braff called the last kiss.

adapted from the italian box office smash film of the same name, the last kiss unfortunately doesn't hold up to the promise of taking a sensitive look on relationships. instead, all of the plotlines seem forced, and barring jacinda barrett, the (mis)cast seem like they're trying really hard to make an important movie. well news flash people... it's not important (and if i have to watch yet another film stuff good music into scenes to carry the movie, then hell is going to break loose). while i'm at it, i'm done with zach braff films that try to ride the 'garden state' trolley. those films suck!

though i walked out of the previous film, this last kiss was just plain horrible.

toronto film festival: day 1

i went to bed early last night just so i could wake up to catch the latest martial arts costume drama the banquet starring the ubiqutous zhang zi yi. then at 8am this morning, i looked at my watch, changed the time to 10am and rolled over instead... welcome to the relaxed lazier film festival version of wongie. in years past, i would have gone hell or high water to wake up sleep deprived to watch a film. these days, i know that at some point in my life, i'll watch the film (if not, well... the stars just weren't aligned for me to experience this).

luckily something did align an hour later as i checked out the latest melodrama from acclaimed norwegian director susanne bier (brothers) called after the wedding (efter brylluppet).

programmed under the gala presentation section, 'after the wedding' tells the story of social worker Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen) who returns to copenhagen in order to convince wealthy entrepenuer Jorgen to donate money to the indian orphanage that he works for. by some twist of fate, Jacob discovers that Jorgen and his family are more connected to him than he's mentally prepared and well... drama ensues.

though the plot kind of falls under a solid tv movie of the week, it's the emotionally realistic performances of this amazing cast that bring the film to above average status. for that reason alone, 'after the wedding' is worth seeking out.

the film ended on a somber note, so i needed a lighter movie to balance my emotions.


i could have easily caught one of my favorite movies of the year 'the host' again, but i wasn't sure if i needed to see the hilariously scary monster film by myself (i'd rather go with people watching it for the first time).










so i scanned the list of the 30 movies showing today and gleefully saw that the british comedy 'confetti' was showing. i had read about this rom-com awhile back and was especially interested in the fact that my favorite comic actress jessica stevenson (spaced) was starring alongside the awesome martin freeman (the office) as one of the couples vying for the most 'original' wedding in a competition.

taking the cue from the christopher guest school of comedy filmmaking, 'confetti' collects a wonderfully hilarious ensemble group of actors and sets them loose in preposterous situations (the themes of the three competing weddings are 'tennis', 'nudist' and 'musical'... and yes, we see a fair bit of willy in this movie). though some scenes come across forced and painful to watch, jessica & martin (plus Vincent Franklin and Jason Watkins, who play wedding planners heron & hough) clearly provide the touching heart and soul of the movie. i know, a movie about weddings makes me an official sap, but something worked in this film and i was completely won over by the end. so bleh to all you cynical folk and say hoorah for weddings!

so, i was in a good mood and ready to check out two more films, but then hunger kicked in and well... like i said, this is a new dawn for festival wongie.

holy cow! julian mcmahon from nip/tuck is HOT!

nip/tuck is easily tv's most raunchy show and the fact that it's back for yet another scorching season means that our fascination with smut is all justified again.

with special guests ranging from jacqueline bisset to rosie o'donnell, season 4 promises to bring the drama back to the main characters (and hopefully alot of nudity while we're at it).

here's a promo about this season


oh why be coy, here's the true reason to watch this season! threesomes, boy love and mcmahon bootie oh my!

finally! a baby suri pic. why did they dye her hair so early?

on the cover of this months vanity fair is the official unveiling of suri cruise. is it just me or does she look kind of like she's wearing a toupee already?

the top 6 new shows for the fall tv season (at least for me)

i'm already planning out my tivo grid, but from the batch of new shows, these are the ones that i'm most looking forward to (ok, i may have seen a few of these pilots already)

#1. Ugly Betty - based on the crazy popular telenovela 'betty la fea', the US version starring the awesome america fererra places her smack dab in the middle of the fashion world. ABC have so much faith that they've scheduled it right before grey's anatomy on thursdays. i can't wait!


#2 Studio 60 on Sunset Strip - aaron sorkin has done it again, he's created an ensemble piece that not only is one of the best shows of the year, but also with enough comedy and drama to last awhile. i'm hooked already!


#3 The Nine - what happens when nine people are forced into a traumatic situation? the compelling drama nine gives us an insight of the aftermath. as to what actually happened during the 52 hour hostage situation, each week a snippet of it is leaked out, adding another piece to the puzzle. from this 6 min opening scene alone, you get the idea of how exciting this show is.


#4 Heroes - what happens when a group of everyday people discover that they have special powers that might allow them to save the world? that's the comic book premise of the highly buzzed new series heroes. it sounds a tad hokey, but trust me, i've seen the pilot and this one is a moody, smart series.


#5 Knights Of Prosperity - originally titled 'lets rob mick jagger', the new title allows these misfit thieves to ron as many celebrities as they can get cameos. led by donal logue, the knights of prosperity are a ragtag team of have nots who decide to gather their skills (or lack thereof) to become 'haves'. the pilot is hilarious and well... mick jagger needs to be a regular on this show.





#6 Six Degrees - created by jj abrahms the fact that this show has an amazing cast (hope davis, campbell scott, jay hernandez) is worth checking out alone. it's also part of abc's killer thursday lineup which means they have something good up their sleeve.





of course i'm also going to watch the class, men in trees and 30 rock, but these are the six shows that i'm really confident about. it's going to be an amazing season!

going to toronto

for the next week and and a half i'll be away at the toronto film festival. i'll try to update stuff with tips on great movies, but if i lag with posting, you now know the reason.

get ready to projectile vomit: kevin federline premieres new video (ugh!)