CD Giveaway - Sam Shrieve, "Bittersweet Lullabies"
Ends Nov 29, 2009
The current student at Berklee College of Music has a rock 'n' roll pedigree, but delivers a pleasing and diverse collection of soft pop on his debut record. Enter our contest for your chance to win!
The Twilight Saga: New Moon Prize Pack
Ends Nov 29, 2009
The second installment of the Twilight saga is hitting theaters, and we've got the stylish goodies you'll howl over!
Featuring guest stars like John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Kevin Nealon, and a host of other Hollywood notables, FAT ACTRESS is a disturbing, surreal look at la-la land. Turning the reality show concept squarely on its ear, the situations are sometimes so over the top and blatantly wrong that you can't help but think: "It's got to be real, because fiction has to make sense!"
So what is it all about? Well... if you haven't seen a tabloid newspaper, first count your lucky stars. Then prepare yourself for a shock: Kirstie Alley, star of "Cheers" and "Veronica's Closet" has developed a bit of a weight problem. But rather than wallow in misery (or worse, attempt drastic and dangerously unhealthy weight reduction methods) Kirstie takes the sow's ear fate has has dealt and turns it into, if not a silk purse, then at least a nice sow's purse. Oh, who cares what it's made of: it functions! And it functions as a bit of biting satire on perceptions of what people are and what they think they should be. Yes, Kirstie bemoans her weight--but we never really see her doing anything about it. Sure, she tries the parasite diet, or the "think small" philosophy (in the hilarious episode "The Koi Effect.") But you hardly ever see a scene of Kirstie where she's not eating french fries or a Ding Dong or some outdated baked goods. She cares, but she doesn't care. This is who she is, and why should there be anything wrong with that?
Merv Griffin, Kevyn (HARRIS) and Eddie (CALLEN) in
episode 6, "Crybaby McGuire."
Whether she's giving her agent an ulcer or ticking off her next door neighbor Mayam "Blossom" Bialik or constantly pining for the love of her life, Kid Rock, Alley and cast provide an interesting and ultimately realistic performance of some very unreal and unbelievable circumstances.
There is no "Play All" function. The menu takes the viewer directly to an episode list on each disk, and you select them one at a time. On the plus side, each episode provides a synopsis and an option to turn on commentary.
Bonus Features:
First up is an "On The Set" featurette of considerable length, where Kirstie explains what the show is really about. Along the way we get words from the co-stars and co-writer Brenda Hampton, as well as from other crew members.
"Premiere Party" is an entertainment report on the opening night of the show, interviewing actors and celebrity guests.
"Showtime Shorts" is one-on-one with Kirstie in a Q&A session, being peppered with questions and giving off-the-cuff responses.
There is also the to-be-expected collection of deleted (or differently edited) scenes and the rather unexpected selectable commercial for DISH Network.
Previews on Bonus Features menu include upcoming boxed sets for Showtime favorites like REEFER MADNESS, THE L WORD, QUEER AS FOLK, and OUR FATHERS, as well as a sneak peek at what's coming to Showtime in 2005--including such theatrical releases as MONSTER, SUPERSIZE ME, and BARBERSHOP 2.
Rounding out the bonuses is an index of the actors and writers, with each selection providing a textual biography. Kirstie, Bryan, and Rachael are included, as are Brenda Hampton and Sandy Chanley.
Fat Actress Season One Episode List
Disk One
Big Butts: Kirstie demands (and gets) a meeting with NBC network executives. She also hasn't had a date in forever, so she and her assistants go trolling for black men on the supposition that they're more attracted to well-rounded girls like Kirstie.
Charlie's Angels: A meeting with McG lands Kirstie a role in the next Charlie's Angels movie--as long as she can convince him she's not really pregnant. Also, advice to eat lots of laxatives spoils her chances of getting together with Kid Rock.
Holy Lesbo, Batman: While trying to accidentally be seen with next-door-neighbor Gwen Stefani, Kirstie runs afoul of her other neighbor, Mayam Bialik. She later gets caught up in an arrest of gay men cruising the park, one of whom happens to have been an ex-lover of hers.
The Koi Effect: Koi grow to the size of their environment. Surround yourself with small things and small thoughts, and you too should become small. Leah Remini guests in one of the more disturbing episodes of the season.
Disk Two
Crack for Good: Ever seen a fat crackhead? That's the question posed by Kirstie's visiting crackhead brother as he tries to rescue her from fat. Kirstie calls in her parents, but they're just as dysfunctional as he is, and the end result is that Kevyn gets stoned out of her mind.
Crybaby McGuire: To get Kirstie out of her depression, Eddie calls Merv Griffin and gets Kirstie invited to a billionaire party. There Kirstie meets the man of her dreams (after Kid Rock, of course) who dotes on her--but suffers from utter emotional instability.
Hold This: The money from the network has stopped coming in. Can Kirstie finagle another holding deal from NBC? And will Kevyn and Eddie continue to stick around when their paychecks start bouncing? Will there be a second season?
