WALKING AWAY

The Hollywood Walker is away, walking (among other things).

THE LIMOUSINE WALK

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So, this happened. I was invited to a pre-Oscar party given by German Films and the German Consulate General at the Villa Aurore (yep, I’m THAT well connected.  That's it above).  The Villa is a splendid place, right on the edge of the Topanga State Park.  We were told to park in Los Liones Drive, which is the road where the State Park hikers leave their cars, and then board a shuttle bus to get to the Villa.

There were a few hundred guests, and who knows how many hikers: not a single bit of parking was to be had nearby.  I ended up parking a good 20 minute walk away. 

 I’m a walker, right, so I told myself that this was a good thing, but once I’d parked. I had to schlep up a substantial hill to the place where you signed in and got your wristband and then waited for the shuttle.

I’d spruced myself up a little for the event – jacket, proper trousers - and it was a hot day and, walker or not, halfway up the hill I was feeling it.

Now I’m not one usually one of those writers who listens to conversations and writes them down in his notebook – but here I happened to overhear a fellow in shorts doing some mansplaining to the girl he was with, thus “Bowie was Bowie because he WAS the Starman.  And he was so unique.”  That almost made the walk up the hill worth it. 

And at the party there were quite a lot of women in “limousine shoes” – I have no idea how they got there.  I’m pretty sure they didn’t walk up that hill.

BEST DRESSED AT OSCARS 2016! BEN HARDY JOINS DOUGLAS BOOTH, ELLE FANNING IN 'STORM IN THE STARS' PERCY SHELLEY MOVIE! 'LOUDER THAN BOMBS' TRAILER WITH GABRIEL BYRNE, JESSE EISENBERG, ISABELLE HUPPERT

'THE STORM IN THE STARS'

BEN HARDY JOINS DOUGLAS BOOTH AND ELLE FANNING IN THE CAST

A bit of Oscars, a bit of indie movies today, starting with the info on young Ben Hardy (Angel in X MEN: APOCALYPSE) joining the ensemble cast of Haifaa Mansour's drama THE STORM IN THE STARS! Douglas Booth is portraying a famous Romantic poet in this big screen dramatization of the love affair between poet Percy Shelley and 18-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft — who will later on become famous Mary Shelley that wrote legendary novel 'Frankenstein'! Elle Fanning is taking the lead female role, with Bel Powley also in the cast.

OSCARS 2016 RED CARPET

THE BEST DRESSED STARS
Yep, I agree with you, people, Oscars 2016 were probably the worst I ever remember . Almost all of them went to wrong hands. And fashion didn't vow us either. Who were your red carpet faves? I wasn't impressed by anyone, but I think Lady Gaga (you can see a lighter version of her outfit below at Vanity Fair party), Cate Blanchett in her flowery Armani gown, beautifully pregnant Crissy Tiegen, Saoirse Ronan in emerald green as her Ireland, and Sofia Vergara stood out.

'LOUDER THAN BOMBS' TRAILER

STARRING GABRIEL BYRNE AND JESSE EISENBERG

Our Monday trailer is the first one for festival movie from Joachim Trier LOUDER THAN BOMBS which follows Gene (Gabriel Byrne) and his sons Jonah and Conrad (Jesse Eisenberg and Devin Druid) two years after the death of their wife and mother Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert), an internationally celebrated photographer. As Gene takes the first steps toward a new relationship, Jonah has just had a baby of his own. Meanwhile, Conrad is a typically alienated teenager.

Outfit: Time to play B-Sides.

Embroidered afghan coat: 70s Vintage via Etsy || Gypsiana shirt dress: Spell Designs || Platform boots: Vagabond 

Starting the week with probably my last winter outfit for the next 10 months and with the oldest vintage piece I own - I got this amazing 60s/70s afghan coat secondhand on Etsy, it's like the ultimate dream finding which is also in a perfect vintage condition for its age. It was one of my christmas presents and I'm so glad I found this amazing coat. It's made of dark brown suede which got a mint colored ethnic embroidery all over and shearling details. The original afghan coats are really hard to find these days and I loved this one immediately when I saw it. It's the warmest coat I own, too - it's crazy how cozy it is. I love wearing it with my printed dresses, especially my this dress by Spell Designs matches perfectly to the mint embroidery. I like the light pink color in combination with the dark brown and light mint ornaments. That could also be an outfit straight from Woodstock, it's probably the most 70s look I've ever posted on my blog haha. I'm also wearing my favorite platform boots, I usually go for them while wearing coats. 

Have a lovely new week, guys! Love x

MAGIC & FANTASY ADAPTATIONS: 'A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES' TO BECOME TV SERIES, 'A WRINKLE IN TIME' GETS DISNEY ADAPTATION, 'DUNGEONS & DRAGONS' TO HAVE VIN DIESEL?

'A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES'

TO BE DEVELOPED INTO A TELEVISION SERIES

A number of movies set in magical worlds to announce today starting with Deborah Harkness multi million selling historical fantasy novel A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES from the ALL SOULS TRILOGY! It is going to be turned into TV series by Bad Wolf production house. It follows the story of Diana Bishop, a young scholar at Oxford who is a descendant of the Salem witches. When she accidentally unlocks an enchanted manuscript, she is compelled to embrace the magic in her blood and enters a forbidden romance with charming 1,500 year old vampire Matthew Clairmont. Warner Bros. previously held the rights on adaptation, and it was offered to BBC too but will be done now independently.

'A WRINKLE IN TIME'

TO GET DISNEY ADAPTATION
Meanwhile, over at Disney, SELMA's Ava DuVernay will helm the movie adaptation of Madeleine L'engle classic fantasy novel A WRINKLE IN TIME with FROZEN's Jennifer Lee penning the script. As 'Deadline' reports, the book involves a young girl whose government scientist father has gone missing after working on a mysterious project called a tesseract, which involves being transported to a fifth dimension with mysterious inhabited planets. She takes part in a search for her father and sees some incredible creatures along the way.

'DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS'

TO BE A MIX OF LORD OF THE RINGS & GUARDIANS OF GALAXY

At the same time, 'Collider' reveals that Warner Bros. new big screen adaptation of one of world's most popular video games ever DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS is going to be a mix of LORD OF THE RINGS and GUARDIANS OF GALAXY! Beside Vin Diesel being rumoured for one of the roles in what is to be an ensemble cast, there are also rumours that the studio views the movie as a multi universe one with possible spin-offs and with the story taking place only in the magical realm! Some fifteen years ago New Line made an unsuccessful movie out of it which spawned tons of DVD sequels. That one was set in the empire of Izmer populated by mages, magic users, empresses, dragons, dwarves and elves. The new one is set for 2019!

'MAGGIE'S PLAN' TRAILER WITH EATHAN HAWKE, JULIANNE MOORE, TRAVIS FIMMEL! SAOIRSE RONAN TO LEAD 'ON CHESIL BEACH' PERIOD SET MOVIE! OLIVIA DEJONGE JOINS 'WILL' SHAKESPEARE EPIC TV SERIES

SAOIRSE RONAN

CAST IN 'ON CHESIL BEACH' MOVIE

While she is waiting to see whether she will win Best Actress Oscar tomorrow for her role in BROOKLYN, Saoirse Ronan has booked another new role for her: she has boarded period set movie ON CHESIL BEACH. Adaptation of Ian McEwan book and set in England in 1962 it follows Florence (Ronan), one half of two young lovers, in the touching story of how their unexpressed misunderstandings and fears shape the rest of their lives. It is a tender story that shows how the entire course of a life can be changed – by a gesture not made or a word not spoken. Epic mini series' THE HOLLOW CROWN's Dominic Cooke is having his directorial movie debut. 

'WILL' EPIC TV SERIES

OLIVIA DEJONGE FEMALE LEAD
In TV waters, young Olivia Dejonge will play the female lead in Shekhar Kapur's and TNT's hip historical musical series WILL, the wild story of young William Shakespeare (Laurie Davidson) and his arrival onto the punk rock theater scene that was 16th century London – the seductive, violent world where his raw talent faced rioting audiences, religious fanatics and raucous side-shows. It’s described as the hot, contemporary, dangerous version of Shakespeare’s life, played to a modern soundtrack, exposing all his recklessness, lustful temptations and brilliance. Dejonge will play WILL's love interest.

'MAGGIE'S PLAN' TRAILER

 ETHAN HAWKE,JULIANNE MOORE

The only trailer I have for you today is for unusual comedy movie MAGGIE'S PLAN starring Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Maya Rudolph and Travis Fimmel. Maggie 's plan to have a baby on her own is derailed when she falls in love with John, a married man, destroying his volatile marriage to the brilliant and impossible Georgette. But one daughter and three years later, Maggie is out of love and in a quandary: what do you do when you suspect your man and his ex wife are actually perfect for each other?

'MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY' TRAILER WITH DEV PATEL, JEREMY IRONS, STEPHEN FRY! FINN JONES TO LEAD 'IRON FIST' MARVEL TV SERIES! JUSSIE SMOLLETT, DEMIAN BICHIR JOIN MICHAEL FASSBENDER IN 'ALIEN: COVENANT'

FINN JONES TO LEAD

'IRON FIST' MARVEL TV SERIES

Probably the main television news of the day is that young star Finn Jones, whom you mostly remember by that delight- fully gay role of his in GAME OF THRONES as Ser Loras the Knight of Flowers, will take the lead role in Netflix series adaptation of Marvel's IRON FIST! The expert of ancient martial arts, who, as 'EW' reports, at age of 9 travels with his family from New York to a lost mystical city called K’un-L’un. After some tragic twists of fate, he is adopted by the city’s ruler and taught advanced martial arts and the mystical power of the Iron Fist that gives him enhanced healing, telepathy, along with super strength and reflexes. As an adult, Rand returns to his native New York and begins a career as a superhero. DEXTER's Scott Buck will be the show runner. After Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, it will be fourth Marvel series at Netflix.

'ALIEN: COVENANT' CASTS

JUSSIE SMOLLETT AND OTHERS

In movie news, the cast is being rounded up for Ridley Scott's science fiction prequel sequel ALIEN: COVENANT, the second movie in his ALIEN prequel trilogy started two years ago by PROMETHEUS! The first batch of young actors to join Michael Fassbender, who reprises his original role of android David, includes EMPIRE's superstar Jussie Smollett along with Amy Seimetz, Carmen Ejogo (Selma) and Callie Hernandez! The movie which will take place ten years after the previous one will also have  Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride and Demián Bichir in the cast together with Australian star Alex England whom you are watching this weekend in GODS OF EGYPT! Billy Crudup is also in talks.

THE STORY
To open in cinemas October next year, ALIEN: COVENANT will follow the crew of the colony ship Covenant, travelling to a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy. They discover what they think is an uncharted paradise, but it actually turns out to be a dark, dangerous world. And the sole inhabitant is the "synthetic" David (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

'MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY' 

WITH DEV PATEL, JEREMY IRONS

Your trailer for today is an inspiring one for ensemble drama movie THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY starring Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons, Stephen Fry and Toby Jones! Growing up poor in Madras, India, Srinivasa Ramanujan Iyengar earns admittance to Cambridge University during WWI, where he becomes a pioneer in mathematical theories with the guidance of his professor, G.H. Hardy.

Outfit: Come to California and be a freak like me.

Asymmetric poncho cardigan: Buckle || Fringe printed shirt: Topshop || Bandits shorts: One Teaspoon (available at ASOS) || Western boots: Gamloong || Necklaces: Boho Moon & Claire's

Here's one of my comfortable to go looks for the warmer spring or fall days - a cozy cardigan, denim shorts, a cropped tee, sheer tights and western boots. I think cardigans are one of those pieces you can never have too many of, because they literally go with everything and everywhere. I especially love wearing them while traveling, days in the city or for throwing over while I go for a walk. I bought this poncho inspired one from Buckle last summer season and I immediately liked it's laid-back vibe. It got a striped pattern in salmon, dark brown and turquoise colors on cream ground and some very nice fringing details for its asymmetrical hem. Even if it's a very light fabric, it's incredibly soft, almost flannel like and reminds me of one of those snuggly blankets. I'm wearing it with my vintage inspired crop tee I got from Topshop, one of my favorite pair of denim shorts, western boots, coin necklaces and navajo turquoise jewelry. I don't know why but to me it seems like an ultimate californian look I love to wear. Do you guys know Ivy Sullivan from the tv show 90210? She would wear exactly those kind of looks and that tv show has been influenced my style for many years now.

Have an amazing weekend, friends!

Love x

UNSETTLING 1ST BBC 'TABOO' EPIC TV SERIES TRAILER WITH TOM HARDY! TYLER SHERIDAN IS STEVEN SPIELBERG'S 'READY PLAYER ONE'! CW'S MARS SF SERIES CASTS CARL BEUKES

'READY PLAYER ONE' 

SPIELBERG CASTS TYLER SHERIDAN FOR THE LEAD ROLE

And it seems Steven Spielberg has found his lead youngster for the movie adaptation of Ernest Cline's cult sf novel READY PLAYER ONE: young Cyclops from X MEN movies Tyler Sheridan will apparently play Wade Owen Watts, a poor orphan who spends most of his time in a massive online game and virtual society whose currency is the most stable in the very troubled world. Like other players, Wade wants to solve a puzzle hidden in the game by its creator, as doing so supposedly unlocks access to a mind-blowing fortune. Olivia Cooke and Ben Mendelsohn have been cast already.

CW'S MARS SET SERIES

CASTS CARL BEUKES AND OTHERS
In TV news, I've recently announced that CW is preparing a Mars set sf series and now they are gathering cast:  Mouzam Makkar, DOMINION's Archangel Gabriel Carl Beukes and Tongayi Chirisa will play the team of explorers sent to Mars to join the first human colony on the planet, only to discover that their predecessors have vanished. Led by a woman whose husband is among the missing, the colonists are forced to change their mission from exploration and settlement to investigation and survival, while navigating the hostile planet and their own personal demons.

'TABOO' EPIC TV SERIES

TRAILER WITH TOM HARDY IS HERE

The first trailer has been released for Tom Hardy and Ridley Scott's historical series TABOO, BBC and FX eight part drama to air next year. Set in 1814, it sees Hardy playing James Keziah Delaney, a man who has been to the ends of the earth and comes back irrevocably changed. Believed to be long dead, he returns home to London from Africa to inherit what is left of his father’s shipping empire and rebuild a life for himself. But his father’s legacy is a poisoned chalice, and with enemies lurking in every dark corner, James must navigate increasingly complex territories to avoid his own death sentence. Encircled by conspiracy, murder, and betrayal, a dark family mystery unfolds in a combustible tale of love and treachery.

WALKING WITH LEE AND ECO

It’s a bad week when we lose both Umberto Eco and Harper Lee.  Maybe it’s because I’m English that I don’t have the affection To Kill a Mocking Bird  that I feel I’m supposed to have. 

A few honest Americans I’ve talked to aren’t sure whether they really like the book or not.  It was drummed into them at an early age that this was such a good book, and such an important book, and they had to like it because.  For many it seems to have been the first "serious" book they ever read. 

Of course most of us in the English speaking world had never heard of Umberto Eco until The Name of the Rose, which first appeared in English in 1983.  It was obviously a very good thing, but also really hard to read.  The movie made everything easier. 

I’m actually much fonder of the essays in Eco’s How to Travel With a Salmon– and elsewhere he did an analysis (and a take down) of James Bond plots that even as a fan of Ian Fleming I find just wonderful.

I can’t swear that either Lee or Eco was a great walker but Lee did write this:

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”  That’s a little bit Hannibal Lector isn’t it?  If we have only understand people by climbing into their skin and walking around, we’re never going to understand many people at all. Which is of course a completely reasonable point of view.  Here's Harper Lee on the movie set.

Eco wrote a book titled Six Walks in the Fiction Woodwhich contains this passage: "There are two ways of walking through a wood. The first is to try one of several routes (so as to get out of the wood as fast as possible, say, or to reach the house of grandmother, Tom Thumb, or Hansel and Gretel); the second is to walk so as to discover what the wood is like and find out why some paths are accessible and others are not. Similarly, there are two ways of going through a narrative text."

That strikes me as just dumb – surely there an infinite number of ways to walk through a wood, and an infinite number of ways to go through a text.  But this is Fine.  This is the joy of literature, right?  We can love and admire writers, and in some metaphorical way walk with them, but we don’t have to agree with them about everything, or in fact anything.