the A- Z of cOoL
"ice cool in the afternoon."
M - P
Made, Jena Malone, The Matrix, Mickey & The Soul Generation, Tim Minear, Mulholland Drive, Bill Murray, The Neptunes, Night Watch, A Nightmare on Elm Street, No Doubt, Now & Again, The OC, Office Space, Oldboy, One Night at McCool's, Out of Sight, Outkast, Ozomatli, Out of Sight, Chuck Palahniuk, Paris Texas, Jeremy Piven, The Player, Natalie Portman, Preacher, Profit, Pulp Fiction
* = latest entries are highlighted
navigator
MADE (2001)
starring: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Sean Combs, Famke Janssen, Faizon Love, Peter Falk, David O' Hara, Vincent Pastore, Makenzie Vega, Sam Rockwell, Federico Castelluccio, Jennifer Esposito, Drea De Matteo, Dustin Diamond
director: Jon Favreau genre: gangster comedy drama
JENA MALONE http://www.online-shrine.com/jena-malone/
A child actress who made her film debut as the star of Anjelica Huston's 1996 adaptation of Dorothy Allison's Bastard out of Carolina, Jena Malone has appeared in films ranging from Contact (1997), in which she played the younger version of Jodie Foster's character, to Stepmom (1998), which featured her as one of Susan Sarandon's children. A native of Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where she was born November 21, 1984, Malone was influenced to become an actress by her mother, who was active in community theatre. After persuading her mom to move to L.A., the aspiring actress began working in commercials and music videos. Following her debut in Bastard out of Carolina, she went on to do steady work, and in 2000, she starred in Christmas with J.D., which also featured Devon Sawa, Neve Campbell, and Christian Campbell. That same year, the young actress made headlines when she filed charges against her mother accusing her of squandering her earnings; the lawsuit resulted in Malone's legal emancipation from her mother, who was forbidden from interfering with her daughter's career and earnings. Coming out on the up side of the bitter family feud, Malone could next be seen in both the slightly surreal teen fantasy Donnie Darko and the bittersweet family drama Life as a House (both 2001). Following future appearances in The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys and The United States of Leland (both 2002), Malone would announce her intentions of studying photography at a northern California community college in the fall of 2002. She recently appeared in Cold Mountain with Nicole Kidman and will next be seen in the satirical teen comedy Saved.
Filmography
Bastard out of Carolina (92), Contact (97), Stepmom (98), For Love of the Game (99), Cheaters (00), Donnie Darko (01), Life as a House (01), The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (02), American Girl (02), The United States of Leland (03), Cold Mountain (03), Saved (04), Pride & Prejudice (05)
THE MATRIX (1999) http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/
starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, Gloria Foster
directors: The Wachowski Brothers genre: sci-fi action thriller
MICKEY & THE SOUL GENERATION http://www.solesides.com/
As the title implies, Iron Leg: The Complete Mickey and the Soul Generation [Cali-Tex/Quaannum 102] documents the entire catalog of this relatively obscure San Antonio funk unit. Until now, the group's music has long been lost-treasure-seekers' booty, and the only way you could hear it was via inferior-sounding bootlegs. Formed by the music-collage artist DJ Shadow and the hip-hop duo Blackalicious, Quaannum Projects is responsible for raising Mickey and the Soul Generation from the depths. Though the music isn't anything that hadn't been done before, it's readily apparent why music lovers searched for anything they could find. This cross-cultural, six-piece funk outfit blends Latino and African-American sounds into suction-tight instrumental funk that wouldn't sound out of place today. In fact, it's part of the contemporary landscape, thanks to groundbreaking artists like DJ Shadow and The Avalanches, who find the music ripe for sampling. Mickey Foster's malty organ playing is worth the price alone. Sourced from unplayed mint LPs and existing studio reels, the remastered first disc presents the group's studio sessions in stunning clarity and with ear-popping dynamics. The second disc contains rare, rough-sounding but musically vibrant live recordings.
"Nasty late-'60s funk from a Texas bar-circuit crew forgotten by time."
"The fattest drums and bass drive a Hammond organ so licentious it shouldn't be allowed out after dark, while acid-tinged guitar underpins two saxophones in a six-piece setup. This southern funk is an evolutionary link between '60s James Brown and '70s street funk, with Tex-Mex musical accents. And somehow, the Soul Generation had been forgotten, even by funk collectors, until DJ Shadow's label assembled this set. The exuberance is so sustained that the woozily melodic “Joint Session” — a pun? — and “Mystery Girl” come as welcome relief."
TIM MINEAR http://www.timminear.net/
Tim Minear graduated high school. He has never been convicted of a felony. He was a production assistant in the 80s on films such as “Re-Animator,” “Dudes” and “Platoon.” He had funny hair back then, but more of it. He found out that “craft services” meant “servicing the crafts,” and that when horses were on stage, guess who had to pick up the poop?
Tired of cleaning up other people's crap, he wrote some instead. His first television spec, an episode of “The X-Files,” landed him his first prime time television gig on “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.” Chris Carter was impressed enough with the sample to hire him onto the “The X-Files” writing staff in year five of that show. Among Tim's “X-Files” episodes was “Mind's Eye,” which garnered Lili Taylor an Emmy nomination. After his stint at “X-Files,” Tim joined with another “X-Files” alumni, Howard Gordon, for the ABC series “Strange World.”
The following year, Tim made the move to Joss Whedon's Mutant Enemy as a producer on the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” spin-off “Angel.” Tim became executive producer on “Angel,” writing all the really good episodes and directing a bunch, too. When Whedon launched his series “Firefly” for FOX, he asked Tim to share executive producing duties while still putting in time on “Angel.” Since Tim was on an overall deal at the time, he actually made less with this promotion. After “Firefly” finished its network run, Tim returned full time to “Angel.” He wrote and directed the season finale last year, then he saw the pilot for “Wonderfalls.”
He liked.
Filmography
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (tv: 96 - 97), The X-Files (tv: 97 - 98), Strange World (tv: 99), Angel (tv: 00 - 03), Firefly (tv: 02 - 03), Wonderfalls (tv: 04), The Inside (tv: 05), The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (06)
MULHOLLAND DRIVE (2001) http://www.mulhollanddrive.com/
starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Elena Harring, Justin Theroux, Ann Miller, Katharine Towne, Dan Hedaya, Robert Forster
director: David Lynch genre: noir mystery thriller
BILL MURRAY http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/apocalypse/251/
Of the many performers to leap into films from the springboard of the television sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , Bill Murray has been among the most successful and unpredictable, forging an idiosyncratic career allowing him to stretch from low-brow slapstick farce to intelligent adult drama . Born in Wilmette, IL, on September 21, 1950, Murray was an incorrigible child, kicked out of both the Boy Scouts and Little League. At the age of 20, he was also arrested for attempting to smuggle close to nine pounds of marijuana through nearby O'Hare Airport. In an attempt to find direction in his life, he joined his older brother, Brian Doyle-Murray , in the cast of Chicago's Second City improvisational comedy troupe. He later relocated to New York City, joining radio's National Lampoon Hour. Both Murray siblings were also in a 1975 off-Broadway spin-off, also dubbed The National Lampoon Hour ; there Murray was spotted by sportscaster Howard Cosell , who recruited him for the cast of his ABC variety program, titled Saturday Night Live With Howard Cosell .
On the NBC network, a program also named Saturday Night Live was creating a much bigger sensation; when, after one season, the show's breakout star Chevy Chase exited to pursue a film career, producer Lorne Michaels tapped Murray as his replacement. Murray too became a celebrity, developing a fabulously insincere and sleazy comic persona which was put to good use in his first major film, the 1979 hit Meatballs . He next starred as the famed gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson in the film biography Where the Buffalo Roam , a major disaster. However, 1980's Caddyshack was a masterpiece of slob comedy , with Murray memorable as a maniacal rangeboy hunting the gopher that is slowly destroying his golf course. The film launched him to the ranks of major stardom; the follow-up, the armed services farce Stripes , was an even bigger blockbuster, earning over 40 million dollars at the box office. Murray next appeared, unbilled, in 1982's Tootsie before starring with Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis in 1984's Ghostbusters . The supernatural comedy was one of the decade's biggest hits, earning over 130 million dollars and spawning a cartoon series, action figures, and even a chart-topping theme song (performed by Ray Parker Jr. ).
Murray now ranked among the world's most popular actors, and he next fulfilled a long-standing dream by starring in and co-writing an adaptation of the W. Somerset Maugham novel The Razor's Edge . Few fans knew what to make of his abrupt turn from broad farce to literary drama , however, and as a result the film flopped. Murray spent the next several years in self-imposed exile, making only a cameo appearance in the 1986 musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors . After much deliberation, he finally selected his comeback vehicle -- 1988's Scrooged , a black comic retelling of Dickens ' A Christmas Carol . While it performed moderately well, it was not the smash many predicted. Nor was 1989's Ghostbusters II , which grossed less than half of the first picture. The 1990 crime comedy Quick Change , which Murray co-directed with Howard Franklin , was also a disappointment, but 1991's What About Bob? was an unqualified hit. In 1993, Murray earned his strongest notices to date for Groundhog Day , a sublime comedy directed by longtime conspirator Ramis .
Beginning with 1994's acclaimed Ed Wood , in which he appeared as a transsexual, Murray 's career choices grew increasingly eccentric; in 1996 alone, he starred in the little-seen Larger Than Life as a motivational speaker, co-starred as a bowling champion in Kingpin , and appeared as himself in the family film Space Jam . In 1998, Murray took on a similarly eccentric role in Wes Anderson 's Rushmore . Here, Murray did some of his best work in years and won the Best Supporting Actor award from the New York Film Critics Circle. The film's success helped to put the actor back in the forefront, and he drew further exposure that year from his appearance as a sleazy lawyer in the relentlessly trashy Wild Things. The following year, he could be seen in Tim Robbins' Cradle Will Rock.
Though the mere thought of Murray as Polonius in a film adaptation of William Shakespeare 's Hamlet may have elicited dumbounded looks and confused laughter early in his career, that was precisely how the versatile thespian ushered in the new millennium in director Micheal Almereyda 's modern updating of the classic drama . Subsequently landing laughs as the superspy point person Bosley in the big screen adaptation of the classic 1970's television hit Charlie's Angels , Murray 's interpretation of the character would be taken over by popular comic Bernie Mac in the film's 2003 sequel. After taking a brief voyage into gross-out territory with the Farrelly brother's Osmosis Jones in 2001, a re-teaming with Rushmore director Anderson resulted in a small but memorable supporting performance in the same year's The Royal Tenenbaums .
In 2003 Murray essayed the role that would offer what was perhaps his most heartfelt combination of personal drama and touching comedy to date in director Sofia Coppola 's acclaimed indie film Lost in Translation . Cast as a washed up American actor who strikes up a tentative friendship with the young wife of a superstar photographer while on a stay in Japan to endorse a popular brand of whiskey, Murray 's low-key charm proved the perfect balance to co-star Scarlett Johansson's youthful malaise. Virtually across the board, critics were bowled over by the subtle depth of Murray 's performance, leading to Best Actor honors from The New York Film Critics Circle, The Boston Society of Film Critics, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association, The San Francisco Film Critics Circle, The National Society of Film Critics, The Golden Globes, and The Independent Spirit Awards. But the one award that remained elusive to Murray was Oscar. Though nominated, the prize ultimately went to Sean Penn for Mystic River .
In 2004, along with providing the voice for a CGI version of Garfield the cat, Murray once again teamed up with director Wes Anderson , starring as as a world-renowned oceanographer in The Life Aquatic .
Filmography
Caddyshack (87), Stripes (81), Ghostbusters (84), Little Shop of Horrors (86), Scrooged (88), Quick Change (90), Groundhog Day (93), Ed Wood (94), Kingpin (96), Wild Things (97), Rushmore (99), Hamlet (00), Charlie's Angels (00), The Royal Tenenbaums (01), Osmosis Jones (01), Lost in Translation (03), Coffee & Cigarettes (04), Garfield (04), The Lfe Aquatic with Steve Zissou (04), Broken Flowers (05), Garfield 2 (06)
THE NEPTUNES http://www.n-e-r-d.com/ http://www.startrakmusic.com/
The Neptunes quietly emerged from Virginia Beach at the turn of the century and quickly became the hottest producers within the rap industry, then the entire pop music industry. The peerless duo began their ascendance in the late '90s with a few party-themed hits: Ol' Dirty Bastard 's "Got My Money" (1999), Mystikal 's "Shake Ya Ass" (2000), and Jay-Z 's "I Wanna Love U" (2001). The Neptunes crossed over from rap to pop in 2001 and began producing tracks for the likes of Britney Spears ("I'm a Slave 4 U"), *NSYNC ("Girlfriend"), and Usher ("U Don't Have to Call"). In addition to these pop stars, the duo continued producing hits for the biggest names in rap, working with everyone from LL Cool J ("Luv U Better") and Busta Rhymes ("Pass the Courvoisier") to Bow Wow ("Take Ya Home") and Nelly ("Hot in Herre"). Furthermore, the Neptunes began their own rap-rock group, N.E.R.D, and introduced another one, the Clipse. By this point, the duo -- Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo -- had become the pop-rap industry's most demanded producers, on a par with other big-name producers like Dr. Dre and Timbaland , if not perhaps even supplanting them. Their debut album, Neptunes Present... Clones (2003), confirmed their across-the-board popularity, topping Billboard's album chart and moving roughly 250,000 units during its first week. Amid all of this success, they continued to churn out hits, most notably alongside Justin Timberlake ("Rock Your Body") and Snoop Dogg ("Beautiful") as well as for their longtime standbys ( Jay-Z 's "Excuse Me Miss") and even themselves ( Pharrell 's "Frontin'").
Selected Discography
Noreaga - Superthug (98), N.E.R.D - In Search Of... (01), No Doubt - Hella Good (01), Clipse - Lord Willin' (02), Justin Timberlake - Justified (02), Beyonce - Work It Out (02), Britney Spears feat. Pharrell - Girls (02), Common feat. Mary J. Blige - Come Close (02), Snoop Dogg - From Da Church To Da Palace (03), Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell - Beautiful (03), The Neptunes Present Clones (03), Jay-Z feat. Pharrell - Change Clothes (04), N.E.R.D - Fly Or Die (04), Gwen Stefani - Love Angel Music Baby (04)
NIGHT WATCH (2004) http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/nwnd/
starring: Konstantin Khabensky, Vladimir Menshou, Valery Zolotukhin, Maria Poroshina, Galina Tunina, Victor Verzhbitsk
director: Timur Bekmambetov genre: sci-fi fantasy thriller
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) http://www.anightmareonelmstreet.tk/
starring: Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Johnny Depp, Amanda Wyss, Jsu Garcia
director: Wes Craven genre: supernatural horror thriller
NO DOUBT http://www.nodoubt.com/ http://www.nodoubtonline.com/ http://www.no-doubt.net/
With the return of the punks in the mid-'90s came a resurgence of their slightly more commercial rivals, new wave bands. No Doubt found a niche as a new wave/ska band, on the strength of vocalist Gwen Stefani's persona -- alternately an embrace of little-girl-lost innocence and riot grrl feminism -- exemplified on the band's breakout single, "Just a Girl."
Formed in early 1987 as a ska band inspired by Madness, the lineup of No Doubt initially comprised John Spence, Gwen Stefani and her brother Eric. While playing the party-band circuit around Anaheim, the trio picked up bassist Tony Kanal, born in India but raised in Great Britain and the U.S. Hardened by the suicide of Spence in December 1987, No Doubt nevertheless continued; Gwen became the lone vocalist and the group added guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young.
No Doubt's live act began to attract regional interest, and Interscope Records signed them in 1991. The band's debut a year later, an odd fusion of '80s pop and ska, sank without a trace in the wake of the grunge movement. As a result, Interscope refused to support No Doubt's tour or further recordings. The band responded by recording on their own during 1993-94; the result was the self-released The Beacon Street Collection, much rawer and more punk-inspired than the debut. Eric Stefani left just after its release, later working as an animator for The Simpsons.
By late 1994, Interscope allowed recordings to resume, and Tragic Kingdom was released in October 1995. The album served as a document of the breakup of Gwen Stefani and Kanal, whose relationship had lasted seven years. Thanks to constant touring and the appearance of "Just a Girl" and "Spiderwebs" on MTV's Buzz Bin, the album hit the Top Ten in 1996. Stefani, who has made no secret of her pop ambitions, became a centerpiece of attention as an alternative to the crop of tough girls prevalent on the charts. By the end of the year, Tragic Kingdom hit number one on the album charts, almost a year after its first release; the record's third single, the ballad "Don't Speak," was the band's biggest hit to date. No Doubt's much-anticipated follow-up, The Return of Saturn, was released in the spring of 2000 and "Simple Kind of Life" and "Ex-Girlfriend" were both critically successful at the mainstream and college levels. A year later, Stefani also hooked up with rap chanteuse, Eve for the single "Let Me Blow Your Mind" (it went on to earn a Grammy for "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" in 2002), however Stefani also joined her band for the release of fifth album. The ska-revival and new wave sounds of Rock Steady was issued hot on the heels of debut single "Hey Baby" in December 2001.
Discography
No Doubt (92), Beacon Street Collection (95), Tragic Kingdom (95), Return of Saturn (00), Rock Steady (01), The Singles 1992 -2003 (03)
NOW AND AGAIN (1999- 2000) http://www.scifi.com/nowandagain/
starring: Eric Close (Michael Wiseman), Dennis Haysbert (Dr. Theodore Morris), Margaret Colin (Lisa Wiseman), Gerrit Graham (Roger Bender), Heather Materazzo (Heather Wiseman)
creator: Glenn Gordon Caron genre: supernatural comedy drama
why it's cool: Yet another case of being too clever for the Americans. This was cancelled after just one series -due to declining ratings Stateside- leaving regular viewers with an annoying cliffhanger which will never be resolved. The really shocking thing is that this is just as well written as shows such as 'The West Wing' and 'ER'. So what was the problem? Could it have been the highly improbable plot - Michael Wiseman (a guest starring John Goodman), a successful businessman dies and returns to Earth as a superhuman experiment (Eric Close) working for the government- which put them off? Who knows? Even so, it had one of the best ensemble casts on television. The wonderful Dennis Haysbert has gone on to become a star of '24', while it is likely that if the show had been a hit, Eric Close (Without A Trace) would probably now be a Hollywood superstar. He has more charisma in his little finger than Josh Hartnett has in his entire body.
number of series: 1 (22 episodes) shown on: Sci-Fi Channel
THE O.C. (2003 - ?) http://www.fox.com/oc/
starring: Benjamin McKenzie (Ryan Atwood), Adam Brody (Seth Cohen), Peter Gallagher (Sandy Cohen), Kelly Rowan (Kristen Nichol Cohen), Mischa Barton (Marissa Cooper), Chris Carmack (Luke Ward) (2003 - 04), Melinda Clarke (Julie Cooper Nichol), Rachel Bilson (Summer Roberts), Alan Dale (Caleb Nichol), Samaire Armstrong (Anna), Tate Donovan (Jimmy Cooper)
creator: Josh Schwartz genre: drama
why it's cool: I'm not entirely sure. This strangely addictive slice of teenage life has been one of the successes of the year in the States. Probably due to fact that most of the fans of 'Dawson's Creek' desperately needed something to replace that show with. But while they're both similar, in truth, this is a much better show. Likeable characters (Adam Brody's Seth Cohen is genuinely funny), good writing and lots and lots of beautiful people. Unlike many popular teenage shows, 'The O.C.' has characters you actually care about in situations that are actually interesting. Roll on series two.
number of series: 2 (51 episodes) (so far) shown on: E4, Channel 4 availability: Season 1 is available on dvd
OFFICE SPACE (1999)
starring: Ron Livingston, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, Gary Cole, Stephen Root, Jennifer Aniston, Richard Riehle, John C. McGinley, Mike Judge, Orlando Jones
director: Mike Judge genre: comedy drama
OLDBOY (2003) http://films.tartanfilmsusa.com/oldboy/
starring: Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang
director: Chan-wook Park genre: mystery thriller
ONE NIGHT AT McCOOL'S (2001)
starring: Liv Tyler, Matt Dillon, John Goodman, Paul Reiser, Michael Douglas, Reba McEntire, Richard Jenkins
director: Harald Zwart genre: black comedy
OUTKAST http://www.outkast.com/
OutKast's blend of gritty Southern soul, fluid raps, and the rolling G-funk of their Organized Noize production crew epitomized the Atlanta wing of hip-hop's rising force, the Dirty South, during the late '90s. Along with Goodie Mob, OutKast took Southern hip-hop in bold, innovative new directions: less reliance on aggression, more positivity and melody, thicker arrangements, and intricate lyrics. After Dre and Big Boi hit number one on the rap charts with their first single, "Player's Ball," the duo embarked on a run of platinum albums spiked with several hit singles, enjoying numerous critical accolades in addition to their commercial success.
Andre Benjamin (Dre) and Antwan Patton (Big Boi) attended the same high school in the Atlanta borough of East Point, and several lyrical battles made each gain respect for the other's skills. They formed OutKast, and were pursued by Organized Noize Productions, hitmakers for TLC and Xscape. Signed to the local LaFace label just after high school, OutKast recorded and released Player's Ball, then watched the single rise to number one on the rap charts. It slipped from the top spot only after six weeks, was certified gold, and created a buzz for a full-length release. That album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, hit the Top 20 in 1994 and was certified platinum by the end of the year. Dre and Big Boi also won Best New Rap Group of the Year at the 1995 Source Awards. OutKast returned with a new album in 1996, releasing ATLiens that August; it hit number two and went platinum with help from the gold-selling single "Elevators (Me & You)" (number 12 pop, number one rap), as well as the Top 40 title track. Aquemini followed in 1998, also hitting number two and going double-platinum. There were no huge hit singles this time around, but critics lavishly praised the album's unified, progressive vision, hailing it as a great leap forward and including it on many year-end polls. Unfortunately, in a somewhat bizarre turn of events, OutKast was sued over the album's lead single "Rosa Parks" by none other than the civil rights pioneer herself, who claimed that the group had unlawfully appropriated her name to promote their music, also objecting to some of the song's language. The initial court decision dismissed the suit in late 1999. Dre modified his name to Andre 3000 before the group issued its hotly anticipated fourth album, Stankonia, in late 2000. Riding the momentum of uniformly excellent reviews and the stellar singles "B.O.B." and "Ms. Jackson," Stankonia debuted at number two and went triple platinum in just a few months; meanwhile, "Ms. Jackson" became their first number one pop single the following February.
In 2003, they released the multi award-winning double album Speakerboxx/The Love Below, which spawned the hits "Hey Ya", "The Way You Move" & "Roses".
Discography
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (94), ATLiens (96), Aquemini (98), Stankonia (00), Big Boi & Dre Present... Outkast (01), Speakerboxx/The Love Below (03), Kelis - Tasty (03), Gwen Stefani - Love Angel Music Baby (04)
OUT OF SIGHT (1998) http://www.erasingclouds.com/0414outofsight.html
starring: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Dennis Farina, Albert Brooks, Catherine Keener, Isaiah Washington, Steve Zahn, Luis Guzman
director: Steven Soderbergh genre: romantic crime drama
OZOMATLI http://www.ozomatli.com/
Brewing a vital concoction of Latin salsa, urban hip-hop, and jazz-funk, Ozomatli formed in Los Angeles in the mid-'90s, eventually settling on a lineup that included Raúl "El Bully" Pacheco , Ulises Bella , Jiro Yamaguchi , Cut Chemist , Wil-Dog Abers , Mairo Calire , Rene "Spinobi" Dominguez , Justin "Niño" Porée , Asdrubal Sierra , and Jabu . After making their name on the local club circuit, the group made an appearance on the urban late-night talk show Vibe! and released their self-titled debut in June of 1998. Embrace the Chaos was released in 2001, followed by an EP, Coming Up , in 2003. A third full length, Street Signs , came out in 2004. Cut Chemist has also recorded as a solo act for Ubiquity.
Discography
Ozomatli (98), Embrace The Chaos (01), Street Signs (04)
CHUCK PALAHNIUK http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/
Palahniuk (pronounced PAUL-ah-nik or Pôl?nik) is the son of Carol and Fred Palahniuk, and grew up living in a static caravan in Burbank, Washington with his family. His parents later separated and divorced, often leaving him and his three siblings to live with their grandparents at their cattle ranch in eastern Washington.
In his twenties, Palahniuk attended the University of Oregon 's School of Journalism, graduating in 1986. While attending college, he worked as an intern for National Public Radio 's KLCC in Eugene, Oregon . He moved to Portland soon afterwards. After writing for the local newspaper for a short while, he began working for Freightliner as a diesel mechanic, continuing in that job until his writing career took off. During that time, he also wrote manuals on fixing trucks and had a short stint as a journalist (a job he didn't return to until after he became a succesful novelist). After casually attending an Erhard Seminars Training seminar held by an organization called the Landmark Forum, Palahniuk quit his job as a journalist. Wanting to do more with his life than just his job, Palahniuk did volunteer work for a homeless shelter. Later, he also volunteered at a hospice as an escort; he provided transportation for terminally-ill people and brought them to support group meetings. He ceased volunteering upon the death of a patient to whom he had grown attached.
Palahniuk would also become a member of the rebellious Cacophony Society in his adulthood. He is a regular participant in their events, including the annual Santa Rampage (a public Christmas party involving pranks and drunkenness) in Portland. His participation in the Society inspired some of the events in his writings, both fictional and non-fictional.
Palahniuk began writing fiction in his mid-thirties. By his recount, he started writing while attending writer's workshops, hosted by Tom Spanbauer , which he attended to meet new friends. Spanbauer largely inspired Palahniuk's minimalistic writing style. His first book, Insomnia: If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Already , was never published due to his disappointment with the story (though a small part of it would be salvaged for use in Fight Club ). When he attempted to publish his next novel, Invisible Monsters , publishers rejected it for being too disturbing. This led him to work on his most famous novel, Fight Club , which he wrote as an attempt to disturb the publisher even more for rejecting him. Palahniuk wrote this story in his spare time while working for Freightliner. After initially publishing it as a short story in the compilation Pursuit of Happiness (which would become chapter 6 of the novel), Palahniuk expanded it into a full novel, which – contrary to his expectations – the publisher was willing to publish. While the original hardcover edition of the book received positive reviews and some awards, it had a short shelf life. Nevertheless, the book made its way to Hollywood, where interest in adapting it to film was growing. The film was eventually completed in 1999 by director David Fincher. The film was a box office disappointment (although it was #1 at the U.S. box office in its first weekend) and critical reaction was mixed, but a cult following soon emerged as the DVD of the film was popular upon release. Two paperback re-releases of the novel, one in 1999 and the other in 2004, were later made (the latter of which contains a new introduction by the author about the success of the film adaptation).
While not all fans of the film realized that it was based on a novel, many fans did, and a fan base for the author's work soon began to form. A revised version of Invisible Monsters , as well as his fourth novel, Survivor , were also published that year, allowing Palahniuk to become a cult figure himself. A few years later Palahniuk managed to make his first New York Times bestseller , the novel Choke . From then on, Palahniuk's later books would often meet with similar success. Such success has allowed him to go on book tours to promote his books, where he reads from both new and upcoming works.
The year 1999 affected Palahniuk's later writings. At that time, his father Fred Palahniuk had started dating a woman named Donna Fontaine. Fontaine had recently put her ex-boyfriend Dale Shackleford in prison for sexual abuse. Shackleford had vowed to kill Fontaine as soon as he was released from prison. After his release, Shackleford followed Fontaine and the senior Palahniuk to Fontaine's home in Kendrick, Idaho after they had gone out for a date. Shackleford then shot them both and dragged their bodies into Fontaine's cabin home, which he set on fire immediately afterwards. In the spring of 2001, Shackleford was found guilty for two counts of murder in the first degree and sentenced to death. In the wake of these events, Palahniuk began working on the novel Lullaby . According to him, he wrote the novel to help him cope with having helped decide to have Shackleford get the death sentence .
In September 2003 , Palahniuk was interviewed by Entertainment Weekly 's Karen Valby. During the interview, Palahniuk confidentially mentioned information pertaining to his spouse. While it had been previously believed by many that he was married to a woman (some members of the press had claimed he had a wife), Palahniuk had in fact been living with his boyfriend. Some time later, Palahniuk believed that Valby was going to print this information in her article, without his consent. In response, he put an angry audio recording of himself on his web site, not only revealing that he is gay , but also making negative comments about Valby and a member of her family. However, Palahniuk's fears turned out to be ungrounded, and Valby's article did not reveal anything about his personal life outside of the fact that he is unmarried. The recording was later removed from the web site, making some fans believe that Palahniuk is embarrassed of his homosexuality. According to Dennis Widmyer, the site's webmaster, the recording was not removed because of the statements regarding his sexuality, but because of the statements about Valby. Palahniuk would later post a new recording to his site, asking his fans not to overreact to these events. He also apologized for his behavior, claiming that he wished he had not recorded the message.
While on his 2003 tour to promote his novel Diary , Palahniuk read to his audiences a short story titled Guts , a tale of accidents involving masturbation which appears in his book Haunted . It was reported that over 35 people fainted while listening to the readings (although it is possible that many of these incidents were staged by Palahniuk's fans for humorous effect). Playboy magazine would later publish the story in their March 2004 issue; Palahniuk offered to let them publish another story along with it, but the publishers found the second work too disturbing. On his tour to promote Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories in the summer of 2004, he read the story to audiences again, bringing the total amount of fainters up to 53, and later up to 60, while on tour to promote the softcover edition of Diary . The last fainting occurred on 25 September 2004, in Ann Arbor, Michigan . Palahniuk is apparently not bothered by these incidents, which have not stopped fans from reading "Guts" or his other works.
Bibliography
Fight Club (96), Survivor (99), Invisible Monsters (99), Choke (01), Lullaby (02), Fugitives And Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon (03), Diary (03), Nonfiction (04), Haunted (05)
PARIS, TEXAS (1984) http://perso.wanadoo.fr/forban/
starring: Hearry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell, Aurore Clement, Hunter Carson
director: Wim Wenders genre: drama
JEREMY PIVEN http://www.jeremypiven.net/ http://www.hosking-online.com/jeremypiven/
Classically trained character actor Jeremy Piven shot to stardom as Ellen DeGeneres ' unforgettable, sharp-witted cousin Spence on the ABC sitcom Ellen . Born in New York City on July 26, 1965, Piven is the son of actors Byrne and Joyce Piven . He grew up in Evanston, IL, where his parents founded the Piven Theater Workshop. He studied theater at his parents' school alongside Lili Taylor , Rosanna Arquette , and pal John Cusack . The longtime friends, who began by performing Chekhov at age eight, have collaborated on several films -- including One Crazy Summer (1986), Say Anything (1989), The Grifters (1990), Floundering (1994), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), and Serendipity (2001). They also co-founded the New Criminals Theater Company in 1989, which is now New Crime Productions , the company behind Grosse Pointe Blank and the Cusack vehicle High Fidelity (2002).
A former member of the Second City National Touring Company, Piven made his small-screen debut on Carol Burnett 's short-lived variety show Carol and Company in 1990. He went on to play a writer on HBO 's The Larry Sanders Show and to appear on Seinfeld before starring as an unemployed father on the short-lived series Pride & Joy . Disney , who produced Pride & Joy , then created a role for him on Ellen . After the sitcom's cancellation in April 1998, Piven landed his own show, the offbeat ABC comedy / drama Cupid . Also starring Piven 's real-life neighbor Paula Marshall , Cupid followed the infamous matchmaker after he had been thrown out of heaven for bad behavior and attempted to earn his reentry by uniting 100 couples in true love without using his otherworldly powers. The series won critical acclaim and earned Piven quite a following. Yet, as with many of the network's more innovative shows, ABC mishandled Cupid , shuffling it in and out of prime time until its inevitable cancellation. Undaunted, Piven returned to television a year later to guest star on Will & Grace .
While Piven 's film career has suffered the same ups and downs as his time on television, it is marked by numerous scene-stealing supporting performances. After making his feature-film debut in Lucas (1986), the actor appeared in Robert Altman 's The Player (1992), Cameron Crowe 's Singles (1992), and Tim Robbins ' Bob Roberts (1992). He fell into a slump with failures like Judgment Night (1993) and Car 54, Where are You? (1994), but became a cult favorite for his portrayal of a campus misfit in P.C.U. (1994). Standout roles opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in Miami Rhapsody (1995), Robert De Niro in Heat (1995), Bill Murray in Larger Than Life (1996), and Morgan Freeman in Kiss the Girls (1997) quickly followed. He then proved to be the only good thing in Peter Berg 's Very Bad Things (1998), before playing Nicolas Cage 's best friend in The Family Man (2000). Piven took a respectable dramatic turn as a doomed helicopter pilot in Ridley Scott 's award-winning Black Hawk Down , but returned to comedy for Old School (2003), a film by the makers of Road Trip (2000).
In 2004 he found what has proven to be his best role yet, as Hollywood agent Ari Gold in HBO series, Entourage.
Filmography
Lucas (86), Say Anything (89), The Grifters (90), Rugrats (tv: 91), The Player (92), Bob Roberts (92), Singles (92), The Larry Sanders Show (tv: 92 -93), PCU (94), Miami Rhapsody (95), Heat (95), Ellen (tv: 95 - 98), Larger Than Life (96), Just Write (97), Grosse Pointe Blank (97), Very Bad Things (98), Cupid (tv: 98 - 99), The Family Man (00), Rush Hour 2 (01), Serendipity (01), Black Hawk Down (01), Old School (03), Runaway Jury (03), Scary Movie 3 (03), Chasing Liberty (03), Entourage (tv: 04 - ?), Lucky 13 (05), 2 For The Money (05), Smokin' Aces (06)
THE PLAYER (1992)
starring: Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Brion James, Cynthia Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Richard E. Grant, Sydney Pollack, Lyle Lovett, Jeremy Piven, Gina Gershon, Gary Busey, Cher, James Coburn, John Cusack, Peter Falk, Louise Fletcher, Dennis Franz, Teri Garr, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Elliot Gould, Joel Grey, Anjelica Huston, Jack Lemmon, Andie MacDowell, Malcolm McDowell, Nick Nolte, Burt Reynolds, Mimi Rogers, Susan Sarandon, Rod Steiger, Lily Tomlin, Robert Wagner, Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts, Patrick Swayze
director: Robert Altman genre: drama
NATALIE PORTMAN http://www.natalieportman.com/ http://www.natalieempire.com/ http://www.nat-portman.net/
With a major part in the most anticipated film of the 1990s, George Lucas ' Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace , repeated comparisons to Audrey Hepburn , and the drool of a thousand critics at her feet, Natalie Portman has emerged as one of the most promising actresses of her generation. Born in Jerusalem on June 9, 1981, to an artist mother and doctor father, Portman moved to New York when she was three. Raised on Long Island, she was discovered by a modeling agent who signed her on the spot. Her modeling stint led to an audition for Luc Besson 's Leon (or The Professional , as it was called in the United States). Due to her age (she was 12 when the film was cast), Portman was initially turned down for the lead role of Mathilda , a girl who asks a hit man ( Jean Reno ) to train her as an assassin to avenge her brother's death and falls in love with him in the process. However, she ultimately won the part and her 1994 film debut earned a number of positive notices. In interviews, Portman allowed that making her first film in the toughest sections of Spanish Harlem was frightening, but not quite so frightening, she claimed, as going back to school once shooting wrapped.
Portman then took on the role of Al Pacino 's step-daughter in another demanding film, Michael Mann 's Heat (1995). She followed this up with lighter fare as Jack Nicholson 's daughter in Mars Attacks! (1996). Despite a triumph of casting (the ensemble also included Glenn Close , Annette Bening , and Rod Steiger ) and the direction of the dependably original Tim Burton , the film was a critical and financial disappointment. Portman emerged relatively unscathed, going on the same year to make Woody Allen 's musical comedy Everyone Says I Love You . The film met with a decidedly happier fate among critics and filmgoers than her previous venture and Portman continued to ride high with the success of her third film of 1996, Beautiful Girls. For her performance as Marty , the precocious teen who nearly steals a much older Timothy Hutton away from his fiancée, Portman received adulation from a host of critics, some of whom stated that she was the best part of the whole movie.
After turning down title roles in both Lolita and William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet , Portman took on another title role with her 1997 Broadway debut in The Diary of Anne Frank . She stayed with the show until May 1998, during which time she received positive notices for her performance. After lending her voice to The Prince of Egypt (1998), Portman took on her most talked-about role to date, that of Queen Amidala in The Phantom Menace (1999). Despite very mixed reviews, the film went into box-office hyperdrive, further propelling Portman toward her status as a rapidly emerging talent for the new millennium. The actress ended the 20th century with more positive reviews for her role as Susan Sarandon 's moody daughter in Wayne Wang 's Anywhere But Here and then, appropriately enough, kicked off the new century with her first more adult role in Where the Heart Is . For her portrayal of the film's protagonist, who ages from 17 to 22 over the course of the story, Portman was required to do her first love scene, something she professed a distaste for in various interviews. Offscreen, she also did some growing up, enrolling for her college education at Harvard university. A psychology major, Portman made it clear upon her enrollment that, aside from her role as Queen Amidala in the Star Wars films, she would not accept any film roles for the duration of her education. As of 2002 Portman had stayed true to her word, and her fans eager to see serious minded actress back onscreen would have to wait until that year's release of the much anticipated Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones.
Filmography
Leon (94), Heat (95), Beautiful Girls (96), Everyone Says I Love You (96), Mars Attacks (96), Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace (99), Anywhere But Here (99), Where The Heart Is (00), Star Wars: Episode Two - Attack of the Clones (02), Cold Mountain (03), Garden State (04), Closer (04), Star Wars: Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith (05), Paris, je t'aime (05), V For Vendetta (05), The Smoker (05)
PREACHER (1996) http://www.neonwheels.com/preacher/index.shtml
writer: Garth Ennis artist: Steve Dillon
genre: religious horror comedy thriller publisher: Titan Books
why it's cool: "Preacher has taken the art of graphic literature to new heights. With its hard stance on religion and cultural ritual, Preacher propels the reader into a new realm of thought. If there is one thing to be taken from this book, it's that no one should take any shit from anyone. That's what makes Preacher great. Enjoy." -Divinity
"More Fun Than Going To The Movies." - Kevin Smith
number of books: 10 availability: buy the entire series from Amazon.co.uk
PROFIT (1996)
starring: Adrian Pasdar (Jim Profit), Lisa Zane (Joanne Meltzer), Keith Szarabajka ("Chaz" Gracen), Jack Gwaltney (Pete Gracen), Allison Hossack (Nora Gracen), Lisa Darr (Gail Koner), Lisa Blount (Bobbi Stakowski), Sherman Augustus (Jeffrey Sykes)
creators: David Greenwalt, John McNamara genre: mystery drama
why it's cool: In April 1996, Fox aired a two-hour pilot for a daring new series called "Profit" Even before the first commercial break, audiences were stunned. Critics were blown away. And in one of the most controversial moves in TV history, the network pulled the show after only four episodes. Adrian Pasdar - delivering what The New York Daily News calls "a totally committed, even dangerous performance" - stars as Jim Profit, a charismatic psychopath who turns a horrific childhood secret into a ruthless climb up the corporate ladder. For the first time in primetime, here was a 'hero' for whom greed, blackmail, incest, sexual manipulation were all in a day's work. Lisa Zane, Keith Szarabajka, Lisa Blount and Lisa Darr co-star in this legendary series that New York Newsday called "deliciously evil and amazing...an incredible achievement in unorthodox television!"
Profit is a show you won't soon forget, with imagry that will burn itself into your mind. It is also a show that won't leave viewers with mixed emotions... they will either love or hate it, as was the case during its original run. Those who fall in warped, twisted love with the series will find themselves wanting to defend their show voraciously. Those who loath it will argue just as loudly. But honestly... when was the last time a network television show inspired such intense feelings - good or bad - in an audience? (courtesy of Amazon.com)
"Profit may well be the most unremmitingly evil character ever to serve as the protagonist and principal voice of a network tv series." - New York Daily News
Jim Profit: "The key to real success is to take all your fears and put them in a box and lock them away. Of course not every evil can be tied up in a neat little package. But that's the challenge - to face our own personal darkness and to put our demons where they can't hurt us any more, to do what we can to make the world a better place...When the smoke clears, and you get right down to it, only three things really matter: your faith, your fortitude, and your family. Good night."
http://avclub.com/content/node/40386
number of series: 1 (9 episodes) shown on: BBC2 availability: available on Region 1 dvd
PULP FICTION (1994) http://quentin-tarantino.8m.com/pulp.htm
starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria De Medeiros, Ving Rhames, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken
director: Quentin Tarantino genre: crime comedy drama