Living in Oblivion (1995) is a small film. As a matter of fact, it started out to be a 30 minute short, but the cast and crew were having so much fun, that they wanted to expand it. At the same time, writer/director Tom DiCillo realized that there was no possible market for a 30 minute film. Festival short subjects are more like 10 minutes, and he realized he had to expand it to feature length. Most of his financing was from the cast and crew, which was comprised mostly of old friends and relatives.

The film came about when he ran into a former film school acquaintance, who said, "You are so lucky. You actually got to make a film." His answer talked about how much can go wrong that is completely beyond your control even trying to shoot a simple scene, and that gave him the basic idea. Steve Buscemi, as the director, had already directed a short by the time they started on this, and was able to draw from that experience. He was trying to get financing to make Trees Lounge at the time.

Keener's breast exposure appeared last night, and below is my version. The DVD includes commentary, and an interview done at a film school. While not everyone will enjoy this insider film about making indie films, it is flawlessly done. They did an amazing job of setting the scenes such that you needed no special knowledge or experience to get the humor. If your favorite film is Die Hard, you might find the subject to narrow, and those who need plot and pace may not care for it, but critics loved it, and those who voted at IMDB give it a respectable 7.4. This is a C+, and very close to a B-.

Updates:

• Updated volumes: Phoebe Cates, Sheryl Lee, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Molly Parker, Halle Berry, Marina Sirtis, Amber Smith, Julia Ormond. Lena Olin, Carre Otis, Shauna O'Brien, Valerie Perrine, Monique Parent

• Please inform me if any encyclopedia volumes fail to connect, or any other such problems

Other crap

• a video about the naked protestors in Central Park and Australia
• Razzie nominations announced. This was my favorite line in the Guardian article: "The nomination of Benigni raises the intriguing possibility that, if Nicole Kidman wins for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours, there would be victories for two actors with enhanced noses."
• My second favorite line of the day "Mr Butt on Sunday visited the scene and ordered an inquiry." So Doonesbury is a documentary? (It's from an article about an explosion at a Pakistani nuclear facility. There's really no reason to read the actual humorless article.)
• Whatever happened to .... ? Grover the Muppet - his rise and fall. A beautifully conceived and executed piece comparable to the work of National Lampoon or The Onion. It would make a great short film. Basically treats the muppet Grover as if he were a live actor on SNL instead of a piece of felt on Sesame Street.
• President Bush and Saddam Hussein wear the exact same shoes! So that's why he wants to invade - he wants Saddam's shoe collection. It's all about the shoes, man.
• The silliest studio pre-Oscar campaign? Adam Sandler for Punch Drunk Love? Not even close. My vote goes to: "Matthew Lillard for Best Actor in Warner Brothers' Scooby-Doo". Matthew Lillard getting an Oscar HAS to be a sign of the End of Days, doesn't it? Actually, he did a brilliant job in that movie. I can't imagine how anyone could have done Shaggy better. I'm just not convinced there was any acting involved.
• New recording contract goes to Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Sophia Loren. Lines are already forming outside Virgin Records for that CD. I hear Clinton will sing some Stones music with different words ("I Can Get Mo' Satisfaction"), Gorbachev will cover "Red Sails in the Sunset". (Story is actually about Peter and the Wolf)
• Interesting Guardian story on Molly Parker
• whoa! The sixties are back, brother! Peace signs abound.
• I just don't think that coming back into the public eye was a great idea for Jacko. Here's more scandal.
• The queen is ready to return to work. There's a relief, eh?
• E-mail the White House to tell them how you feel. Only one catch. Negative feedback will be treated as treason.
• Mariel Hemingway and toxic, exploding breast implants
• Dustin Hoffman's nude shower with Susan Sarandon
• The Sun's latest article about Tatu
• What has happened to Eva Herzigova. Sad

Here are the latest movie reviews available at scoopy.com.

• The yellow asterisks indicate that I wrote the review, and am deluded into thinking it includes humor.
• If there is a white asterisk, it means that there isn't any significant humor, but I inexplicably determined there might be something else of interest.
• A blue asterisk indicates the review is written by Tuna (or Lawdog or Junior or C2000 or Realist or ICMS or Mick Locke, or somebody else besides me)
• If there is no asterisk, I wrote it, but am too ashamed to admit it.

• B-movie favorite Barbara Crampton shows breasts, and maybe a hint of pubes as she gets it on in a love scene.
• Melanie Griffith does some topless dancing while being spied on.

Be sure to pay Graphic Response a visit at his website. www.graphic-barry.com.

Scoops-

Some real lovelies today... just two, mind you, but they shore R purty.

First up is some pasting together of Tuna's wonderous caps of Angelina Jolie in Foxfire. Oft-capped movie, but Tuna did it up perfectly and I could not keep my mitts off these frames of the future former Mrs Billy Bob.

• Angelina Jolie (1, 2)

Then we have two frames of Demi Moore in About Last Night. She and Charlize Theron own the two most perfect faces on the planet, so strikingly beautiful tis almost painful to gaze upon them. And in this movie Demi's bod was still 100% natural and equally beautiful, IMHO. These are the first two of about 20 frames of Demi I'll be sending in sooner or later.

• Demi Moore (1, 2)

The old time machine stopped off today in 1973 for a brief look at "Bloody Friday" aka "The Single Girls".

First, a look at "Eight is Enough's" Joan Prather who we showed you tied up a while back in "Big Bad Mama". She does it again here to become today's "Babe in Bondage".

Then the late, former heffmate Claudia Jennings shows us some boob in a scene from the same movie.

• Joan Prather (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
• Claudia Jennings (1, 2, 3, 4)

Here are 'caps from the French movie "S.A.S. à San Salvador" (1982). Although there are some nice topless scenes, the flick itself is trashy.

• Catherine Jarret. Lovely breast exsposure, and some rear nudity in a shower scene

• Monika Kälin, Topless and wearing a dental floss sized thong bikini (1, 2)

• Dagmar Lassander, getting her top ripped off and revealing her breasts. I believe Hankster would call this a "Babes in Peril" moment".

I rented the DVD of Sex, Secrets, and Lies, from Hollywood Video. It's from MRG Entertainment, and was rated "R - Strong Sexual Content and Nudity". In spite of this, I'm certain there is an Unrated Version out there, as should be obvious from parts of the review.

First, as noted from the rating, there is lots of nudity, including Full Frontal from the three main actresses (I just can't get used to the new trend of calling them "actors"). There is also a clear rectal-cam shot (possibly accidental) in the opening scene where an intruder tries to kill the main actress. There is additional nudity from the cop's girlfriend, full-body but not showing pubes.

The nudity is strange for a couple of reasons. One, a lot is included, and alot is totally gratuitous. But I'm pretty sure even more was cut out. For example, there is a "lesbo" scene that is cut down to:

a) Two women take off each other's bra,
b) shown kissing
c) shown getting dressed.

There are also strategically placed devices, such as a camera case on a table in front of a totally nude actress sitting on a couch. Secondly, the women, although not unattractive, are not the usual "actress/model/playmate" look. In fact, I think they are either porn or soft-porn actresses - Shayla LaVeaux, Mandy Fisher, Amber Newman, and Julia Parton. Amber Newman, for example, besides playing a dancer in Lapdancing, she has ten movies listed with either "sex, sexual, or lust" in the titles. Julia Parton is also Adult Actress Nina Alexander, and has starred in such Ocar-caliber material as the Bare Tits Project, Bums Away and Big Tit Orgy. Shayla LaVeaux is from Denver where she ran Adult Bookstores and her own stripping service before starting in Adult Video.

Two of the women are well-endowed, but more like your busty Aunt Virginia than a robo-hootered porn star. The youngest of these has to be at least 30. The acting is terrible, the plot is paper thin and full of holes. Not to mention derivative and predictable: Attractive lady involved in a questionalbe murder, is actually being scammed, and is saved by the detective on the case. Been there, done that, got the souvenir T- shirt.

Every boy-girl sex scene follows the same cookie-cutter pattern:

Start to undress the lady, cut to shot of her from waist up in the "Cowgirl" position, either fondling her own breasts or being fondled by the guy, some non-revealing sex action, then cut to them cuddling, then getting dressed.

It's full of annoying details, such as the star who sunbathes by her own pool in a thong bikini and high heels. Also, she never seems worried about payments or upkeep on her million-dollar house after her husband disappears and is supposedly murdered, even though she has no visible means of support.

Bottom line, get the Unrated Version if you can find it, and don't expect too much from this one.

-E