Win a Thank You For Smoking DVD

UPDATE: CONTEST IS OVER. The winner is Scott in Australia!

He'll receive a DVD of Thank You For Smoking which stars Aaron Eckhard (woof), Maria Bello (owwooo), Katie Holmes (ew), Rob Lowe (yes, him) among many others including Hollywood's favorite post-Haley Joel Osment creepy child, Cameron Bright --you know him as the mutant who was all mutation killing in X3 and as the creepy object of Nicole Kidman's affection in Birth.

I asked contestants to list their favorite smokin' moment from a film. Here were three of my fav responses:

In Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, the Grim Reaper observes someone smoking and says "I'll see you soon." -Suzanne

I know it's a cliche, but how can the best smoking moment in movie history be that great moment from Now, Voyager ? Bette Davis, sailing forth to seek and find (as Whitman says), and Paul Henreid lighting two cigarettes at once, his way of telling her that he sees her as a woman, in a way no one else has. Glorious. -Aaron

My favorite smoking moment from a movie has to be Faye Dunaway's "Secret Storm" scene in Mommie Dearest. She worked the cigarette prop like a pro and the boy actor struggled to keep up. The scene was about Crawford's desperate need for attention and her jealousy of her sad daughter's meager success, but the sheer lunacy of a screen legend of a certain age playing an coy ingenue on a soap opera made it unforgettable. -Sam

Smoking in real life has lost all of its glamour. It's just icky. But in old movies. Ahhhhh, the awesome cinematic of cigarettes!

Win a Thank You For Smoking DVD

UPDATE: CONTEST IS OVER. The winner is Scott in Australia!

He'll receive a DVD of Thank You For Smoking which stars Aaron Eckhard (woof), Maria Bello (owwooo), Katie Holmes (ew), Rob Lowe (yes, him) among many others including Hollywood's favorite post-Haley Joel Osment creepy child, Cameron Bright --you know him as the mutant who was all mutation killing in X3 and as the creepy object of Nicole Kidman's affection in Birth.

I asked contestants to list their favorite smokin' moment from a film. Here were three of my fav responses:

In Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, the Grim Reaper observes someone smoking and says "I'll see you soon." -Suzanne

I know it's a cliche, but how can the best smoking moment in movie history be that great moment from Now, Voyager ? Bette Davis, sailing forth to seek and find (as Whitman says), and Paul Henreid lighting two cigarettes at once, his way of telling her that he sees her as a woman, in a way no one else has. Glorious. -Aaron

My favorite smoking moment from a movie has to be Faye Dunaway's "Secret Storm" scene in Mommie Dearest. She worked the cigarette prop like a pro and the boy actor struggled to keep up. The scene was about Crawford's desperate need for attention and her jealousy of her sad daughter's meager success, but the sheer lunacy of a screen legend of a certain age playing an coy ingenue on a soap opera made it unforgettable. -Sam

Smoking in real life has lost all of its glamour. It's just icky. But in old movies. Ahhhhh, the awesome cinematic of cigarettes!

I Dream of Kiki

So, last night I dreamt that I was friends with Kirsten Dunst. (Don't laugh, Kiki, that's so unkind) Not just that I met her -- that we were friends! She was reclined on a sofa of some sort, really sprawled out in a casual dress with her hair down, long and relaxed. She's in the middle of the lobby of a movie theater when I walk in.

Kirsten: (all casual / delighted) Hi, Nat. ohmygod. How've you been?

Nathaniel: (instantly confused. How does this movie star know me? And why don't I remember that she does? but externally all cool and casual) Hey, Kiki. I'm good.

Small talk ensues. She starts talking about the last time we were out together and giggling about some inside joke / previous exchange. I pretend to know what she's talking about. Not only am I apparently friends with Kirsten Dunst (in my dreams), I'm also above remembering that I am or at least indifferent to it. In this dream I'm kind of a jerk. (?)

She tells me to ignore the line forming beside us to get into the theater.

Kristen: Oh, that's just my family. Mom, it's OK I know him.

She grabs my arm. I am curiously not thinking about Jake Gyllenhaal as we head into the movie theater.

What's the last dream you had about a movie star?
Spill it in the comments or be haunted by insomnia tonight.

I Dream of Kiki

So, last night I dreamt that I was friends with Kirsten Dunst. (Don't laugh, Kiki, that's so unkind) Not just that I met her -- that we were friends! She was reclined on a sofa of some sort, really sprawled out in a casual dress with her hair down, long and relaxed. She's in the middle of the lobby of a movie theater when I walk in.

Kirsten: (all casual / delighted) Hi, Nat. ohmygod. How've you been?

Nathaniel: (instantly confused. How does this movie star know me? And why don't I remember that she does? but externally all cool and casual) Hey, Kiki. I'm good.

Small talk ensues. She starts talking about the last time we were out together and giggling about some inside joke / previous exchange. I pretend to know what she's talking about. Not only am I apparently friends with Kirsten Dunst (in my dreams), I'm also above remembering that I am or at least indifferent to it. In this dream I'm kind of a jerk. (?)

She tells me to ignore the line forming beside us to get into the theater.

Kristen: Oh, that's just my family. Mom, it's OK I know him.

She grabs my arm. I am curiously not thinking about Jake Gyllenhaal as we head into the movie theater.

What's the last dream you had about a movie star?
Spill it in the comments or be haunted by insomnia tonight.

Hump Day Hotties: Qi Shu & Chen Chang

The upcoming fantastical time-travelling epic The Fountain is not the only movie of 2006 with a triptych love story starring two beautiful actors. Earlier this year Hou Hsiao-hsien's Three Times premiered to great acclaim. It arrived on DVD last month so I thought it was a good time to gaze at its stars. Taiwanese sex symbol Qi Shu is the female lead and this film marks her second tour of movie star duty for the acclaimed director. The first was Millenium Mambo, 2001. She and her screen lover, Chen Chang each play three roles in different time frames, though this is no futuristic epic but a meditation on Taiwan's history.

Neither star has what could be considered international name recognition. They haven't reached the remarkable levels of a Ziyi Zhang or a Tony Leung. But they have the first part of the stardom equation covered: familiar faces.

In addition to the serene presence Chen Chang lent Three Times you've seen him in pivotal second tier roles in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (as Ziyi Zhang's desert lover), Happy Together (as Tony Leung's post-heartbreak friend), and in a bit role in 2046.


Tony Leung or Jackie Chan fans will recognize Qi Shu as their romantic sparring partner from the comedies Love Me, Love My Money and Gorgeous respectively. Gorgeous is an apt description, yes? She was also part of the girl power martial arts flick So Close and the object of transport in the Jason Statham action flick The Transporter. A little known fact about Qi Shu: She does not sleep, nor eat, nor even exist outside the movie set. Or if she does any of those things she does them on her lunch breaks since she's found the time to make 54 (you heard me) movies in the past 10 years. And to think I bitched about Cate Blanchett's excessive filming schedule! Qi Shu recently won the Best Actress Golden Horse for her work in Three Times. Though if you ask me, Chen Chang is the MVP, believeable in all three time periods when Shu seemed too modern and inexpressive in the middle story.


I couldn't find much English language material about either actor once I got curious about them. They both spell their names in several different ways which makes it even more difficult to get acquainted with them. For instance. Chang Chen also goes by Zhang Zhen but Zhang Zhen happens to be a professor who wrote an 'amorous history of the silver screen.' Not the same person --though the amorous history discovery is pretty funny considering the amorous feelings Chen can stir in his obsessive fans and tearful Taiwanese actresses. Hee. As for Qi Shu, it's easier to find info on her. There's plenty for salivating fans at this expansive fansite.

Previous HDH Entries:
Jamie Dornan & Asia Argento burning up Versailles * James McAvoy randy king of Scotland * Naomie Harris pretty chameleon * Hot on TV from "Agent Dale Cooper" to "Faith" * Channing Tatum steppin' up and out * Hugh Jackman dancer, fighter, lover, mutant, god * Uma Thurman 18 years of hotness. * Cheyenne Jackson from Broadway to Hollywood * Season One of HDH Gyllenhaal, Gong Li, Bernal, and more...

Tags:
Chen Chang, movies, Qi Shu, film, foreignfilm, Taiwan, Three Times, cinema

Hump Day Hotties: Qi Shu & Chen Chang

The upcoming fantastical time-travelling epic The Fountain is not the only movie of 2006 with a triptych love story starring two beautiful actors. Earlier this year Hou Hsiao-hsien's Three Times premiered to great acclaim. It arrived on DVD last month so I thought it was a good time to gaze at its stars. Taiwanese sex symbol Qi Shu is the female lead and this film marks her second tour of movie star duty for the acclaimed director. The first was Millenium Mambo, 2001. She and her screen lover, Chen Chang each play three roles in different time frames, though this is no futuristic epic but a meditation on Taiwan's history.

Neither star has what could be considered international name recognition. They haven't reached the remarkable levels of a Ziyi Zhang or a Tony Leung. But they have the first part of the stardom equation covered: familiar faces.

In addition to the serene presence Chen Chang lent Three Times you've seen him in pivotal second tier roles in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (as Ziyi Zhang's desert lover), Happy Together (as Tony Leung's post-heartbreak friend), and in a bit role in 2046.


Tony Leung or Jackie Chan fans will recognize Qi Shu as their romantic sparring partner from the comedies Love Me, Love My Money and Gorgeous respectively. Gorgeous is an apt description, yes? She was also part of the girl power martial arts flick So Close and the object of transport in the Jason Statham action flick The Transporter. A little known fact about Qi Shu: She does not sleep, nor eat, nor even exist outside the movie set. Or if she does any of those things she does them on her lunch breaks since she's found the time to make 54 (you heard me) movies in the past 10 years. And to think I bitched about Cate Blanchett's excessive filming schedule! Qi Shu recently won the Best Actress Golden Horse for her work in Three Times. Though if you ask me, Chen Chang is the MVP, believeable in all three time periods when Shu seemed too modern and inexpressive in the middle story.


I couldn't find much English language material about either actor once I got curious about them. They both spell their names in several different ways which makes it even more difficult to get acquainted with them. For instance. Chang Chen also goes by Zhang Zhen but Zhang Zhen happens to be a professor who wrote an 'amorous history of the silver screen.' Not the same person --though the amorous history discovery is pretty funny considering the amorous feelings Chen can stir in his obsessive fans and tearful Taiwanese actresses. Hee. As for Qi Shu, it's easier to find info on her. There's plenty for salivating fans at this expansive fansite.

Previous HDH Entries:
Jamie Dornan & Asia Argento burning up Versailles * James McAvoy randy king of Scotland * Naomie Harris pretty chameleon * Hot on TV from "Agent Dale Cooper" to "Faith" * Channing Tatum steppin' up and out * Hugh Jackman dancer, fighter, lover, mutant, god * Uma Thurman 18 years of hotness. * Cheyenne Jackson from Broadway to Hollywood * Season One of HDH Gyllenhaal, Gong Li, Bernal, and more...

Tags:
Chen Chang, movies, Qi Shu, film, foreignfilm, Taiwan, Three Times, cinema

Brad in Blue. Jack in the Green.

Things Movie actors I'm thinking about...
Vanity Fair Robert Wilson may be an avant-garde kook but since he can convince Brad Pitt to stand nearly naked in studio rain for Vanity Fair's "Art Issue" who am I to judge. I merely thank. [src]
Hollywood Bitchslap interviews the underappreciated Veronica Cartwright and gets fun details on The Children's Hour, The Birds, and Alien. Goodness this woman has been in a lot of cool films. That ain't the half of it.
Low Resolution Joe is working out his feelings about the Witherspoon / Phillipe split. We'll need to make this a group therapy event to get through...

And finally leaving work yesterday I heard half of a cell phone conversation that perfectly illustrates the "word-of-mouth = box office" equation:

i saw that new jack nicholson last night... yeah... the departed. jack was badass...badass...every self-respecting jack fan has to see it...nicholson and scorsese ...yeah! ...what else do you need?

The Departed has already earned $91 million. By next weekend it'll pass The Aviator's $102 total. Since it's not slowing down much at all, it'll also pass Cape Fear which, if you adjust for inflation, is still Scorsese's biggest hit at the reachable $124.

Those Oscar nominations are beginning to look like easy gets. Oh, and Ellen Burstyn likes it, too.

Brad in Blue. Jack in the Green.

Things Movie actors I'm thinking about...
Vanity Fair Robert Wilson may be an avant-garde kook but since he can convince Brad Pitt to stand nearly naked in studio rain for Vanity Fair's "Art Issue" who am I to judge. I merely thank. [src]
Hollywood Bitchslap interviews the underappreciated Veronica Cartwright and gets fun details on The Children's Hour, The Birds, and Alien. Goodness this woman has been in a lot of cool films. That ain't the half of it.
Low Resolution Joe is working out his feelings about the Witherspoon / Phillipe split. We'll need to make this a group therapy event to get through...

And finally leaving work yesterday I heard half of a cell phone conversation that perfectly illustrates the "word-of-mouth = box office" equation:

i saw that new jack nicholson last night... yeah... the departed. jack was badass...badass...every self-respecting jack fan has to see it...nicholson and scorsese ...yeah! ...what else do you need?

The Departed has already earned $91 million. By next weekend it'll pass The Aviator's $102 total. Since it's not slowing down much at all, it'll also pass Cape Fear which, if you adjust for inflation, is still Scorsese's biggest hit at the reachable $124.

Those Oscar nominations are beginning to look like easy gets. Oh, and Ellen Burstyn likes it, too.

Na - No - Wri - Mo

Because I am ever so slightly a person of the, um, obsessive variety --OK, I'm off my rocker --I like to have 20 projects going at once. And every November, National Novel Writing Month tempts me with its demanding 'can you deal with me?' love. I've only signed up once, about 3 years ago, and I didn't finish the novel but I found the experience oddly rewarding.

As for my 20 simultaneous projects habit. On the bright side: It keeps me stretching creatively. On the dark side: It can function as a creative form of self sabotage.

Anyway, if you've ever wanted to write a novel, I dare you to sign up. It's a really brilliant contest. Write 50,000 words in one month and do not look at what you're writing. No second guessing. No editing. No nothing other than the writing itself. The process cuts through all the ways writers force themselves not to write and just makes them brain vomit. So what if only 5,000 words of it are beautiful when you're done. When's the last time you wrote 5,000 beautiful words o' fiction?

Who's with me? (and before you ask none of the writing will be appearing on this blog. I'm crazy but I'm not that crazy)