'Mad Men' Wins at 62nd Annual DGA Awards

Dominating the awards show with three noms for its episodic directors, the AMC's show has helped Lesli Linka Glatter to take home best directing prize in Dramatic Series category.

"Mad Men" has grabbed a gong at the 62nd Annual Directors Guild of America Awards which was held on Saturday, January 30. Earning one nom each in Dramatic Series category for three episodic directors Jennifer Getzinger, Lesli Linka Glatter and Matthew Weiner, this AMC's drama has given the prize to Glatter.

In Comedy Series category, "Modern Family" has aided its pilot director, Jason Winer, to take home an award. Also among the winners was "Taking Chance" helmer Ross Katz who won best directing prize in TV Movie category.

In movie categories, meanwhile, Kathryn Bigelow has beaten her ex-husband James Cameron for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film award. Thus, "The Hurt Locker" helmer has set her name as the first woman ever to win the top award from the awards event.

Later, taking home the gong for Documentary category was "The Cove" director Louie Psihoyos. At the ceremony, DGA also handed out Lifetime Achievement Award to "In the Heat of the Night" helmer Norman Jewison. The partial winners of this year's DGA Awards can be seen below while the full winners list can be seen on the official site of DGA.

Partial Winners List of the 62nd Annual Directors Guild of America Awards:

Dramatic Series: Lesli Linka Glatter - "Mad Men"
Comedy Series: Jason Winer - "Modern Family"
Movies for Television: Ross Katz - "Taking Chance"
Musical Variety: Don Mischer - "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration"
Reality Programs: Craig Borders - "Build It Bigger"
Daytime Serials: Christopher Goutman - "As the World Turns"
Children's Programs: Allison Liddi-Brown - "Princess Protection Program"
Feature Film: Kathryn Bigelow - "The Hurt Locker"
Documentary: Louie Psihoyos - "The Cove"
Lifetime Achievement Award: Norman Jewison


source: allkpop

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Grammy Awards: The good, the bad and the frankly bizarre (yes Lady GaGa) on the red carpet

By Emily Sheridan

The Grammy Awards is the biggest night of the year on the music calendar when all the A-listers pull out all the stops on the red carpet.

And this year's star-studded bash in Los Angeles didn't disappoint with stars including Beyonce Knowles, Lady GaGa, Pink and Taylor Swift all making an impression - both good and bad - as they arrived at the bash.

Lady GaGa, who opened the awards with a performance of her mega-hit Poker Face, wore a jaw-dropping, celestial Armani Prive lilac gown with bejewelled platform heels.

She completed her typically wacky ensemble with a spiked star sculpture made of metal and two tone blonde curls.

Newly-engaged Katy Perry went for the dominant colour of the evening as she showed off her figure in a nude and gold floor-length Zac Posen gown.

She accessorised her outfit with a jewelled Judith Leiber clutch bag and fiancé Russell Brand on her arm.

Unusually this year, Beyonce disappointed with her nude zip-front Stephane Rolland gown with raised geometric patterning, which was so tight she could barely move.






She added some glam to her outfit with a glittery string woven into her blonder-than-usual hair.

Renowned for her tomboy style, Pink stunned her peers by turning out in a stunning grey and black panelled mermaid strapless gown.

Arriving with husband Carey Hart, Pink gave the feminine outfit a rock 'n' roll touch with her quiffed platinum 'do.





Another singer renowned for her tough, androgynous style, Rihanna also went for a feminine look with a high-necked, white Elie Saab gown and gold strappy sandals.

Sporting a nearly identical blonde quiffed hairstyle to Rihanna was her idol Mary J Blige, who flaunted her curves in a fuchsia column dress with keyhole cleavage.

Like Lady GaGa and Beyonce, teenage country singer Taylor Swift sported several different looks last night.

Although arriving on the red carpet in an off-the-shoulder shimmering Kaufmanfranco blue gown, the 19-year-old also wore a simple nude gown to collect some of her awards during the pre-awards telecast.






However former teen queen Britney Spears, who leaped to fame 10 years ago, committed a fashion no-no in her sheer, lace Dolce & Gabbana dress over a black bodysuit.
The singer jetted in from recording new album in Miami to attend the bash with her agent boyfriend Jason Trawick.

While many stars were going for typical floor-length couture, some famous females crossed the red carpet boundaries with their extremely high hemlines.
Jennifer Lopez managed to accomplish both floor-length and a mini with her bizarre Versace gold mini dress with a white panelled front and side, giving the photographers a glimpse of only one of her toned legs.





And of course, given the title of her latest single 'Louboutins', she was wearing a pair of white Christian Louboutin peep-toe heels.
Miley Cyrus shrugged off her teen queen persona in teal panelled Herve Leger by Maz Azria dress and gladiator heels.
After weeks of promoting her acting stints in the movie Nine, Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie was back where she belonged showing off her fabulous legs in a cobalt blue Emilio Pucci dress.











source: Dailymail

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X-Games.

Exactly why I don't attempt to skateboard. lol.



Damnnnn, that sucks.

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RECAP.

Yes, those ARE some, not all, of the new Good Life tees!!
FRESH OUTTA THE OVEN.

We also have Good Life stickers now for sale ($1 for the large stickers and $0.50 for the small ones). Keep your eyes peeled for stickers all around Miami, you never know where you'll spot one ;D.

The Customer's always right.

This weekend was pretty eventful - Churchills on Friday went alright, selling just a couple tees there. Saturday went better, DXC was interesting and we sold some more tees there. I also got to sell a couple of pairs of shoes I wanted to get off my hands & traded for the purple pigeon sb dunks.

Stay tuned for the next Weekend Warriors post... coming soon.

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Portia de Rossi

Actress Portia de Rossi is 37 today. So what if she likes girls. She's still hot.

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Roman Abramovich's girl makes a dash for Hollywood

By Miles Goslett

Spending spree: Dasha Zhukova hopes to live at the mansion for most of the year

He is one of the world’s wealthiest men, with five homes, eight yachts and even a football club to his name.

And it would seem that Roman Abramovich has passed on his love of buying property to girlfriend Dasha Zhukova.

Miss Zhukova, who gave birth to the couple’s first child last month, has spent $19.5million (£12million) on a Tuscan-style mansion in the exclusive Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles.

The 28-year-old former model paid ten per cent below the $21.9million (£13.7million) asking price for the six-bedroom home, which also has eight bathrooms, a swimming pool, cinema and wine cellar.

The house is situated in one of the city’s ‘bird streets’, so-called because they are named after species including robin and nightingale.

Neighbours include Leonardo DiCaprio and Halle Berry.

It is understood that Miss Zhukova - who was born in Russia and raised in Los Angeles - intends to spend much of the year at the property, which she bought to be closer to her mother Elena, who also lives in the city.

Her father, multi-millionaire oil baron Alexander Zhukova, is based in London.

Last month, Miss Zhukova gave birth to her first child, son Aaron, in Los Angeles.

Mr Abramovich, 43, who is worth around £5.3billion ($8.5billion), has five other children from his second marriage.


New home: The £12million Tuscan-style mansion in Los Angeles


source: dailymail

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The Saturdays: Pop music's new high-flyers

From left: Rochelle Wiseman, Vanessa White, Mollie King, Frankie Sandford and Una Healy

The latest arrivals in the girl group universe, the Saturdays have racked up five hit singles and a platinum debut album since forming two years ago, making them one of the most successful manufactured bands since Girls Aloud. So what’s their secret? Hard work, high heels and a huge appetite for life, they tell Benji Wilson over a large chocolate cake and cups of tea.

Rochelle, 20

Rochelle Wiseman was born in Essex and grew up with her mum and sister. ‘My dad was…somewhere. He and my mum split up when I was three. I don’t really talk to him.’ She went to school in Hornchurch, but weekends meant dance classes, where she first met bandmate Frankie. They auditioned together for S Club Juniors when they were both 12.

When that band broke up in 2005, she worked for two years as a television presenter and then in 2007 she got the

Rochelle on Rochelle
‘It’s a shame that a lot of people think that to be famous you have to go on The X Factor. A lot of those bands are put together just to go on the show. But you need to gel and blend – and that’s not something you can do over a ten-week show.
‘Everyone always says I’m into my girlie stuff but to be fair we’re a girl band so if we weren’t into it before, we’ve all picked it up by now. But I love the dressing up – although getting up at 4am for make-up before going on SMTV isn’t much fun. I also like to talk – I could probably chew your ear off all night.’

The girls on Rochelle
‘If any of us take the big sis role it would be Rochelle.’ (Una)

‘Rochelle is obsessed with shoes and shopping. We were in Selfridges for five minutes the other day and she came out with a Burberry mac!’ (Vanessa)

Love life
‘I met my boyfriend Darren Randolph when I was 15 and we were on and off for a while. We’ve been together properly for about two years now. It is what it is – there are no wedding bells, no babies. He’s a footballer for Charlton. And no, I’m not a Wag.’

Bags and shoes
‘I’m a killer heels girl. I’ve got about 50 pairs of Christian Louboutins. My boyfriend hasn’t got that much room in the wardrobe - he gets dressed in the spare room!’


Vanessa, 20

Vanessa White is the youngest Saturday girl. Born in Somerset to an English father and a Filipina mother, they moved to Stratford in East London when she was five, after the weekend journeys to dancing lessons had become too much of a commute. ‘We moved to London for me: when I was younger I just wouldn’t stop singing.’

After primary school in Stratford she won a place at the Sylvia Young Theatre School aged 12 and was hoping to go the famous Brit school in South London afterwards, but was rejected. So she set out to do every girl-band audition going. ‘I knew I wanted a record deal and that was it.’ The Saturdays was the first one she got.

Vanessa on Vanessa
‘I’m the odd one of the group. One minute I can be really loud, but the next I’m so chilled out it’s a joke. The car journeys are my “me time”. Off to bed! ‘I like clothes but I don’t know if I’d call myself a girlie girl. I’m just very different. At the moment my room is an absolute tip. I’m so messy. I remember once Roch gave me a sweet; I didn’t like it and put it on the bedside table…two weeks later it was still there! Uck!’

The girls on Vanessa
‘Her voice is absolutely amazing.’ (Rochelle)
‘She’s the “young” one and it’s nice to mother her a bit more. She’s not childish but you just want to put your arms around her – she can be a bit ditsy.’ (Frankie)

Love life
‘He is called Adam Chandler, and he’s a jazz singer. We met a year and a half ago when we were supporting Girls Aloud on tour. I live in Kent, but we’re going to move to London in a few months.’

Bags and shoes
‘I’ve just bought a bag from Prada. That’s my first expensive bag; I had been eyeing it up for a while. I’m not used to getting things like that, but I thought I’d treat myself.’



Una, 28

Irish Una Healy is the oldest Saturday but the years between her and the others have been wholly dedicated to music. She was born in Thurles, Co Tipperary, went to her local school, then began a teacher-training course, but dropped out to focus on music.

‘I bought a PA system, started gigging with musicians, in restaurants and hotels. Always practising. When I was 25 I decided to leave Ireland, and the first audition I went for was for this band.’

Una on Una
‘Gigging on my own in Ireland was tough, so I’m very appreciative of the position I’m in – I’ve worked hard to get into this band.

‘I’ve been nicknamed Fierce by the fans. I’m not sure why. I think it’s because of how I look in pictures sometimes [she pulls a sultry face].

‘And yeah, I do like the dressing up. I’ve done modelling part time in the past, so our fashion and our image is very important to me.’

The girls on Una
‘She’s the expert at the look-behind-the-shoulder shot. I watch her for tips. She’ll be walking down the street and if there’s a pap there…off she goes.’ (Mollie)

‘Una’s great to have a night out with. The girl knows how to have a good time!’ (Frankie)

Love life
‘My boyfriend is Ben Foden, a rugby player for Northampton Saints. We’ve been going out for a year now.’

Bags and shoes
‘The bag I’ve been going out with lately is an Alexander Wang one with studs. My favourite shoe shop is Kurt Geiger - it’s not too expensive and the designs are edgy.’



Mollie, 22

Unlike Victoria Beckham, Mollie King could accurately be described as posh. She went to an all-girls school in Surbiton, Surrey, and, when she said she wanted to be a pop singer, was told to stop being ridiculous and study to become a lawyer or a banker like her two sisters. She skied for Great Britain until she was 17, has three A-levels and a place at Loughborough University waiting for her. But she has deferred it so she can pursue her singing career.

Before being headhunted for the Saturdays she was a member of Fallen Angelz, who got to boot camp stage on The X Factor two years ago.
Mollie on Mollie
‘I’m a good girl: I’m so fussy – I’ve only ever kissed three boys. I don’t drink. In our early photo shoots I’m smiling and the other girls are pouting. I asked them how I can get that face and they went, “Squint and stop smiling.”

‘We supported Girls Aloud on their 2008 tour. Cheryl and Kimberley came to wish us luck on the first night. Normally I can chat for England, but I was as silent as a mouse. I mean, I couldn’t exactly ask Cheryl, “How’s Ashley? How’s your mum?”, but they’re so nice. And so tiny! Tiny this way [pointing to her stomach].’

The girls on Mollie
‘I call her Disney – she’s just like a character from a Disney movie. But she will always choose the shortest dress.’ (Frankie)

Love life
‘He’s called Andy Brown and he’s a singer. We’ve been together for about a year.’

Bags and shoes
‘It’s got to be Ugg boots!’


Frankie, 20

At 20, Frankie Sandford has already spent eight years in the music business. She grew up in Essex and went to her local primary school, and attended dance school after hours. She started stage school in Romford, but by the age of 12 she and Rochelle had joined S Club Juniors.

‘When that finished, when I was 15, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I went through an “emo” phase, worked in a bar, then House of Fraser. My friends were starting to go to university and I thought maybe I should go, too. Then I got a call about the Saturdays. I was lucky - not many people get one chance. Roch and I had two.’

Frankie on Frankie
‘We never argue. I know every band says that, but we don’t – we don’t have time and it’s not worth it.

‘I like a good time. But I go through stages where I just want to be at home in trackie bottoms. I love being glamorous but I also like putting on my ripped denim shorts, a pair of flat boots and going to a smelly club to see a band.’

The girls on Frankie
‘She’ll either be quiet, stay in with her dogs, or really go for it.’ (Una)

‘Frankie’s a massive flirt!’ (Rochelle)

Love life
‘Dougie Poynter, the bass player with McFly; we live together.’

Bags and shoes
‘I’ve recently bought a YSL bag and a purple suede Mulberry bag. With shoes I’m a heels girl. But I can’t wear too-high shoes – Dougie’s not that tall!’
The Saturdays’ latest album Wordshaker is out now on Fascination Records


source: dailymail

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Kerry Washington

Actress Kerry Washington is 33 today.

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The Receivables Issue, MaeMode, Mems And Megan

Comments from the posting MaeMode And Its Receivables Again!

• solomon said...
  With receivables 1.5x of shareholder equities and the company's RM300 million loans, I think this company financial is very very weak.
  
  From the company cashflow statement, interest paid per quarter is RM7million x 4 quarters = RM30mil annually. The cash balance of RM31mil is only managed to pay off the one year interest.
  
  Brother Moolah, "pi po pi po" I think this company need a financial doctor ASAP.///If the bankers pull the brake, could it be the next LCL? Please advise me.

I actually feel that it's difficult to predict if any company would be the next company 'like' LCL. Nothing in life is ever truly certain and in the corporate anything that might happen could happen. And the unexpected could certainly happen too.

So would MaeMode turn into a LCL?

The issue of trade receivables is so simple for me. Company makes sales, company should collect them sales. All of it. A sale is never a sale until ALL the money is collected.

Which is why when I look at a company's balance sheet, I would not like to see high receivables increasing.

Obviously this would suggest to me that 'most likely' the management is either lousy because the company is not able to collect the money due to them. (yes, I would not complicate things here by suggesting fake sales - so for simplicity sake, let's assume all sales and receivables are legit).

And to make matters even illogical is when I see the company's debts increasing at the same time too.

It just does not make sense.

Why borrow more from the bankers when there are already so much money owed to the company?

Why can't the company collect these money instead of borrowing more?

And from a business point of view, if one is offered to be a co-owner of such a business, would such a business proposition appeal? Won't the logical answer be NO? Why would one want to be a co-owner in a business which requires more and more funding when it cannot collect the money owed to them?

And since I equate investing to owning a business, I would always, always shy away from such business opportunity. No matter what future prospect the company says it could achieve because in the long run, for me, without collection, such a business would most likely go no where.

Of course, having said that, I understand I could miss out on one or two opportunities! Such mindset is never 100% fool proof because because sometimes the wheel of fortune could really turn for such a company but this is something I would not want to bet on it because I am merely speculating that changes out of the blue could happen. I would rather forgo such an opportunity and invest in a company which has no such risks.

And sometimes, being safe, does work. Ok, I am not bringing out the goats from the farmville and let them gloat all over this posting but let me show an incident where investing using such a mindset did work out. It did prevent the investor from losing their money.

Here's my most famous example written way back on Oct 2005, Megan

• And then their trade receivables increased by some 17 million to an unbelievable 270 million! Holy moo-moo cow! What kind of business is Megan running? Selling without collection?

Yup, the classical selling without collection and debts increased soared too. Rest were history as Megan turned into one massive accounting fraud!

Or how about Mems technology. Yet another deeply troubled company too. From the posting Mems Tech Directors Charged!!

• A couple of months later, I wrote A Brief Look at Mems Latest Quarterly Earnings
  
  It was astonishing! All the warnings signs were lit. Trade receivables were insanely high when compared to its sales revenue. Cash depleted to a mere 3.191 million and loans increased by 7.441 million to 50.796 million!

Now coincidentally Mems reported its earnings last night.

It lost an incredible 21.1 million!

And the main culprit? A 20.9 million provision for doubtful debts!!!

Yup, as mentioned in yesterday's posting MaeMode And Its Receivables Again!

• And I wonder, since it's the receivables are in MaeModes books for so long, what if these receivables are scrutinised and review in depth? What if a huge portion needs to be reclassified as doubtful debts??? And when this happens, due to size of the receivables, won't MaeMode get hit by huge loss provision for these doubtful debts??

Again this is a possibility yes?

Maemode's receivables is at a totally unreal 355 million!

It's simply way too much!

And for the long term investor the risk has got to be what if these debts needs to be reclassified as doubtful debts??? Won't MaeMode get hit by huge loss provision for these debts???

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OK, one last Heather Graham

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One more Heather Graham

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Divorce numbers fall to 35-year low

By Steve Doughty

Fewer couples ended their marriages in 2008 than in any year since the divorce boom of the 1970s

The number of divorces has dropped to a historic low, official figures showed yesterday.

Fewer couples ended their marriages in 2008 than in any year since the divorce boom of the 1970s.

The number of children left in broken families by divorce - 107,000 - has dropped by a third in just five years, the Government's Office for National Statistics reported

Increasingly, divorce involves younger couples in their 20s and early 30s, who appear more tempted into infidelity in an age when a majority of young people are unmarried and many engage in serial relationships.

Older couples and those with children are sticking together in a way which means marriages are more stable than they have ever been under modern divorce laws.

There were 121,799 divorces in England and Wales in 2008, the figures showed, 5.5 per cent down on the 128,232 in 2007. The number was the lowest since 1975, when 120,522 marriages ended in the courts.

Although the collapse in numbers of people marrying has reduced the number of couples who may divorce, divorce rates released yesterday tell the same story of declining marriage break-up.

In 2008 11.5 couples parted for every 1,000 married people, the lowest rate since 1979.

The 1970s were a period of rapidly climbing divorce numbers thanks to the 1969 law reforms, which introduced the 'quickie' divorce and allowed couples to break up simply by living apart.

Claire Tyler of the counselling group Relate said: 'The divorce figures show a total of 106,763 children under 16 saw their parents divorce in 2008.

'However this figure captures only part of the picture of family break up, as there are no statistics on the number of cohabiting parents who break up.'

She called for more spending on relationship support to help couples stay together.

The growing number of early divorces meant that the average time a marriage lasts fell from 11.7 years to 11.5. This is however, an increase from the 10.2 years in 1998.

The statistics also showed:

In 2008, the divorce rate in England and Wales decreased by 2.5 per cent to 11.5 divorcing people per 1,000 married population, compared with 11.8 in 2007;

The mean age at divorce increased for both men and women in 2008. The mean age for men divorcing was 43.9 years in 2008, an increase from 43.7 years in 2007. For women this increased from 41.2 years in 2007 to 41.4 years in 2008;

The median duration of marriage at divorce granted in 2008 was 11.5 years, a decrease from 11.7 years in 2007 and an increase from 10.2 years in 1998;

In 2008, 20 per cent of men divorcing and 20 per cent of women divorcing had a previous marriage ending in divorce;

The number of divorces in the United Kingdom fell by 5.5 per cent in 2008 to 136,026 compared with 143,955 in 2007;

The number of divorces in Scotland fell by 10 per cent from 12,810 in 2007 to 11,474 in 2008.

The number of divorces in Northern Ireland also decreased. In 2008, there were 2,773 divorces, 4.8 per cent less than in 2007 when there were 2,913.


source: dailymaail

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Heather Graham Can Swing

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Professional women are the new big drinkers: They down double the alcohol of those in lower paid jobs

By Daniel Martin

Middle class professionals are drinking more units a week than the working classes, according to new figures (photo posed by models)

Professional and managerial women are downing almost twice as much alcohol as the lower paid, according to an official survey.

They are drinking an average of 10.2 units a week - more than a bottle of wine - compared with 6.5 units for manual workers.

While this is nowhere near the 15-unit safe limit for an individual, it is an alarmingly high average for the general population bearing in mind that some women don't drink at all.

And according to the survey, one in five of all women was drinking more than 15 units a week - a rise of 17 per cent on 2008.

Women were averaging 9.5 units of alcohol a week in 2009, compared with 7.7 units a week the year before. Men's consumption fell.

The Office for National Statistics, which carried out two studies of drinking habits, also found that the middle aged were much more likely to drink every day than younger people.

Adults in managerial and professional households drank an average of 13.8 units a week in 2008 - the equivalent of six pints of beer or one and a half bottles of wine.

But those employed in manual or routine jobs drank significantly less, 10.6 units.

The 2,000 interviews carried out by the ONS for one study showed that 19 per cent of adults in professional households had drunk on at least five of the seven days beforehand.

This was true in only 11 per cent of working-class homes.

More than a third of professionals drank more than the daily limit - four units for a man and three for a woman - at least once a week.

Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: 'These figures suggest that the increased investment in public health campaigns is having only a limited effect.

'While spreading awareness, they are not necessarily changing behaviour.

'Policies that tackle the bigger influences on drinking behaviour like cheap alcohol and round-the-clock availability are more likely to reduce harm.'

The main ONS study, which covered 2008 and included interviews with 14,000 people, showed age was a major factor.

The middle aged and elderly were more than twice as likely to drink every day than those below 45.

Asked where they had their heaviest drinking day in the previous week, 46 per cent of men and 57 per cent of women said it was at home rather than in a bar


Dangers: 31 per cent of women exceed the daily sensible drinking limit


The statistics come as the Government launched a campaign on the dangers of alcohol. It shows the damage caused to internal organs by drinking more than the recommended limits.

Gillian Merron, public health minister, said: 'Many of us enjoy a drink: drinking sensibly isn't a problem.

'But if you're regularly drinking more than the NHS recommended limits, you're more likely to get cancer, have a stroke or have a heart attack.'

Chief medical officer Professor Liam Donaldson said: 'Over a quarter of the population regularly drink above the Government's recommended daily limits, with over two and a half million adults regularly drinking above higher risk levels, putting their health at risk of serious diseases and conditions.'

A pub chain, meanwhile, is to promote large glasses of wine, equivalent to a third of a bottle, in a bid to tempt women of 35 and over.

Greene King will also feminise some of its outlets with flowers, glossy magazines, complimentary toiletries and more women managers. Critics say the 250ml glasses pose health risks and increase the chances of drinking and driving.


source: dailymail

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More Heather Graham

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Heather Graham

Actress Heather Graham is 40 today

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Brittany Murphy's husband blames movie chiefs for her death after claiming she was fired from Happy Feet 2

By Paul Thompson

Brittany Murphy, pictured at the London premiere of Happy Feet in 2006, was allegedly fired from the sequel


Hollywood chiefs have hit back at the husband of actress Brittany Murphy after he claimed they were to blame for her death.

British screenwriter Simon Monjack said movie executives were responsible for the 32-year-old's sudden death and is filing a wrongful death lawsuit.

He said the Warner Brothers studio brought on a fatal heart attack when they fired her from a sequel to the animated hit Happy Feet.

But a spokesman for Warner Brothers labelled Monjack's claims 'reprehensible' and denied they had even signed a contract with the Eight Mile star.

A spokesman said: 'Any claim that Warner Bros Pictures was somehow responsible for Brittany Murphy's tragic death is demonstrably false, reprehensible, and defamatory.

'Despite press reports to the contrary, Warner Bros Pictures and Ms Murphy never entered into any deal for Happy Feet 2, and thus, there was not a contract to cancel.'

Monjack claimed Warner Brothers had agreed to pay her £7,000 a day for a minimum of five days work to be the voice of one of the characters in the film about penguins.

He said the studio axed Murphy on the strength of rumours she was sacked from a horror film The Caller for being difficult on set.

Producers on that film also claim Monjack turned up drunk on the set in Puerto Rico and had him removed.

But in an extensive interview with The Daily Beast website Monjack blamed movie chiefs for his wife's death a week before Christmas.


Lawsuit: Murphy's husband Simon Monjack (L), said Warner Brothers was responsible for her sudden death by bringing on a heart attack. He is pictured with her mother Sharon and a portrait of the actress


'She was devastated,' Monjack said. 'Warner Brothers relied on conjecture and hearsay about the Puerto Rico film.'

The Los Angeles County Coroner has not released the cause of death pending the results of drug tests.

Murphy was known to have a heart condition known as mitral valve prolapse, a common heart condition in which the valve doesn’t close completely

The actress had also battled anorexia and there were more than a dozen prescription drugs found in her bedroom.

Monjack denied that his wife ever took drugs.

'In all the time I've known her, she has never, and I repeat NEVER, done drugs. Not a line of cocaine, not a hit from a joint, nothing,' he said.

'She was anti-drugs. There are no drugs involved. The drug rumours made her lose roles, I'm sure.'


Happy Feet: Murphy's voice was used in the original but her husband said she was fired from the sequel. Warner Bros denied they had a contract with the star


Monjack denied that he had been too controlling over his wife.

'Brittany's films had grossed $100 million before she met me,' he said. 'But her career had ended before then. She had gone through four or five agents by the time we met, and she had made a lot of indies that went straight to video.

'She hadn't earned millions in years, and when we met she was struggling financially, from a series of bad investments. She trusted some people who she shouldn't have.

'There are people in Hollywood living off of young successful boys and girls and getting them to invest in things they shouldn't.'

source: dailymail

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EXCLUSIVE: The Spierig Bros interview

Above: The Spierig Bros Peter (L) and Michael (R), er, I think, with a minature from Daybreakers

Well, well, well…do I have a fangtastic exclusive for you or what! I just wrapped up an interview with Peter and Michael Spierig, aka The Spierig Brothers, who are the masterminds behind vampire flick Daybreakers (reviewed below). Not only are the visionary writer/director/producers Australian, they’re also twins which gives them double cool points in my book. Oh, and they think Twilight is “lame” (awesome!)

The bros have been working together since in the womb and first burst on to the scene in 2000 with their debut effort The Big Picture, a dramatic short film. But it was their 2003 follow up Undead, a low-budget zombie flick, that really garnered them attention and it wasn’t long before Hollywood came knocking. Fast forward a few years and the lads are busy on a worldwide press tour to promote their latest film Daybreakers, which has been getting all sorts of kudos from critics for its unique blend of sci-fi and horror.


Anywho, I sat down with doppelgangers for a chat about life, love and relationship. Just kidding, I wanted gorey details damn it and the bros certainly delivered.

Movie Mazzupial: First of all, howdy, it’s awesome to meet you guys. I’m a big fan of Undead and can I just say, Daybreakers freakin blew my mind.
Michael: No worries, it’s good to meet you too.
Peter: Great, glad you liked it.

MM: Okay, so what is something you want audiences to take away from Daybreakers?
P: I hope it’s something new and different for the genre. We wanted to offer something original and stay true to the vampire mythology as much as possible, but then add something new too. Hope what we’ve done finds an audience that wants something darker in their vampire films compared to what has been out there at the moment.

MM: Are you happy with responses to the film so far?
M: Horror films don’t usually get a good wrap from mainstream critics. We care what some critics think, the ones who really love the genre and have a passion for it. I don’t really care what mainstream critics think, I think they don’t like the horror genre to begin with but what’s important is that it finds an audience and we think it has.

MM: What was it like shooting it on the Gold Coast?
P: To be perfectly honest we shot mostly at Warner Bros studios and it was great, we did some exterior shots outside on the Gold Coast but most of it was inside. The studios are fantastic and the crews down there are world class.

MM: There has been a real push lately to try and attract big budget films to come and shoot here, what were some of the benefits for you guys shooting on the coast?
P: The benefits were the studios and the crews; they were really experienced and had the background working on big budget American productions there. The hardest thing about filming wasn’t on the Gold Coast, it was in Brisbane. The locations were incredibly expensive which is unfortunate because it’s a city that doesn’t have too many films come through and it’s ridiculous to have the locations at Sydney prices.

MM: Would you like to see more horror films shot in Australia?
P: I’d like to see more films shot in Australia in general, but they need to be films that people want to see. There’s a very small number of people that actually go and see Australian films and a lot of them end up being DVD releases. We need to focus on finding more promotable ideas. Unfortunately we’re at a time when a film like Undead would struggle to get a theatrical release, but the good thing is the DVD market is so huge you can use that to gain an audience.

Above: The Spierig Bros on Daybreakers set. Good luck guessing who's who.

MM: Call me slightly delirious but I thought there were some Dawn Of The Dead-esque moments toward the end of the film, is Romero someone who has inspired you guys?
M: George Romero has been a big influence on us, we actually got to meet him last year too. Dawn Of The Dead and the whole Living Dead series are really good at subtly layering social commentary within a B-Grade splatter movie and we tried to do that with Daybreakers. He’s really good at shooting bloody splatter scenes and we tried to do the same. They’re actually really hard to shoot and you have to hope you get it right the first time because they take so long to set up afterwards.

MM: Yeah, I could understand that, like in the scene with the soldier.
M: Exactly.

MM: What are some of the films that have inspired you, horror or otherwise?
P: We grew up in the 80s which was a great decade for films with Spielberg and everything that was going on. In terms of horror stuff we’re heavily influenced by (Sam) Raimi’s early stuff and Peter Jackson, big fans of Peter Weir, (Stanley) Kubrick. The reason we started off in horror, we loved the genre, but it’s an easy one to do low budget if you’re starting out and don’t have all the resources.

MM: Now that Daybreakers is done and dusted, what’s next in the pipeline for you guys?
P: We have a few projects at Universal and Warner Bros that we’ve been looking at and there’s been a script Michael and I have been working on for a while. It’s not going to be six-years between films or anything. We have to be vague on the details because it’s still all in the works. It’s just good material is very hard to find. We’ve read a lot of scripts and a lot of them are awful. As long as the material is good we will be working on something.

MM: Now you two are twins right?
M+P: Yeah.

MM: I don’t want to ask you any lame twin questions like when one of you pinches himself does the other one feel it, but is there ever the possibility of making a twin horror film down the track? Like your appropriation on a J-Horror one?
M: (Laughs) Like Dead Ringers.
P: (Laughs) Doubt it, our life as twins is enough of a horror film (laughs).

MM: So do you guys get along well? You work together all the time writing, directing, producing, it never ends up in a punch up on set?
P: We get a long just fine, we have a lot of the same influences and we have a sort of shorthand between us. We know each really well, it’s a very honest kind of relationship and no fights.

MM: I know you mentioned before about some of the directors that inspire you, but are there specific elements of a director’s work you really like or has intrigues you?
M: I’ve always been a big fan of (David) Cronenberg. He does really interesting things and his films are always about the monster within. Sometimes what he’s doing doesn’t always work but he has some interesting ideas.

MM: Yeah, he’s great. The horror genre has seen quite a resurgence in the past few years, are there any horror films that you’ve really like or have caught your eye?
M: I really enjoyed Let The Right One In which was a little Sweedish vampire film that was particularly good. Other than that there hasn’t been a lot that has stood out…
P: I like this little independent film called New Moon (laughs). That was a joke.

MM: (Laughs) Right, but does that annoy you? I mean, the vampires in Daybreakers are all hardcore and badass, does the romantic, swooning ones in Twilight and True Blood tarnish the genre for you a little bit?
P: Ahh, there’s nothing wrong with True Blood, it’s quite good. Twilight is lame but it’s like the training wheels of the vampire movie; it introduces the audience to a genre they would usually be in to and hopefully it encourages them to explore a little bit further.

MM: Nicely put. Well, thank you so much for chatting with me and good luck for the rest of the whirlwind press tour.

P: Thanks a lot.
M: Thanks.

Sigh. There ain’t no business like family filmmaking business.

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MaeMode And Its Receivables Again!

It's almost an year since I wrote on Malaysian AE Mode or MaeMode.

21st Jan 2009, I wrote Update Again On MaeMode

Let me copy and past what I wrote a year ago.

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Here's an update to the posting: Would You Buy MaeMode?

MaeMode announced its earnings tonight.

And as you can see, the key yardsticks simply got weaker and weaker!

The margins is still thin. Net debt post increased yet again and the trade receivables are still ballooning at an extremely alarming rate!

Past postings on MaeMode:

1. A look at MaeMode again
2. Mae, I hope I am not WRONG!
3. Reply to Mae, I hope I am not WRONG!
4. MaeMode Again
5. The Trade Receivables In MaeMode
6. Would You Buy MaeMode?

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My issues on MaeMode were simple. Razor thin margins, high debts and an insanely high receivables in its books.

MaeMode announced its earnings last night. Here's a news article from the Edge Financial: MAE 2Q net profit plunges to RM26K

• MAE 2Q net profit plunges to RM26K
  Written by The Edge Financial Daily
  Thursday, 28 January 2010 23:35
  
  KUALA LUMPUR: MALAYSIAN AE MODELS HOLDINGS [] Bhd's (MAE) net profit for the second quarter (2Q) ended Nov 30, 2009 plunged to RM26,000 from RM6.38 million a year earlier mainly due to lower turnover and lower profit margin from projects.
  
  MAE said on Jan 28 customers' delay in taking delivery of the projects was also a contributing factor.
  
  Revenue dipped 10% to RM115.12 million from RM128.43 million while basic earnings per share fell to 0.02 sen from 5.96 sen previously.
  
  For the six months ended Nov 30, 2009, net profit fell to RM503,000 from RM11.55 million a year earlier while revenue fell 23% to RM196.62 million from RM256.22 million. EPS fell to 0.47 sen from 10.8 sen.
  
  MAE said its board remained cautious about the weak global economic environment which might impact its future performance but was optimistic it would remain profitable in the remaining quarters of the financial year ending May 31, 2010.

Here's how MaeMode's numbers are stacking up.

Look at the size of the receivables!!!

It's 355 million!!!

Forget about investing for a moment and just use some normal business common sense. Don't you wonder about such a company? How could they run a business where you have amount due to the company snowballing each year? The table says it all. In 2002, receivables were only at some 56 million. It's now 2010 and receivables have blown to 355 million!

And the even more incredible thing about this receivables comparison between MaeMode's fy 2002 numbers and current is that in fy 2002, MaeMode made 8 million. Now? It's less than one million but people owing MaeMode has snowballed to 355 million!

Yeah holy cow!

How could a company be run in such a manner???

And I wonder, since it's the receivables are in MaeModes books for so long, what if these receivables are scrutinised and review in depth? What if a huge portion needs to be reclassified as doubtful debts??? And when this happens, due to size of the receivables, won't MaeMode get hit by huge loss provision for these doubtful debts??

How?

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