We've all got lots of different interests. Quaint hopes you will find something to say hmm about when you read our pages. Our entertainment page mentions tv shows, shows open to the public, and a bit of the ol' Hollywood gossip from time to time. If you're into films and groves or you just like reading reviews, we have music and movie pages too!
A new judge, the return of the wild cards and more power to Simon. This can only mean...
American Idol returns to ITV2 for an 8th season
Four hour season premiere over two days on 15th January at 8pm and 16th January at 9pm on ITV2 The world’s biggest entertainment format American Idol returns exclusively to ITV2 in January 2009 for what promises to be the biggest season yet. Last year saw David Cook win the competition with a record of nearly 100 million votes. Now in its eighth incarnation, the show that has spawned global pop sensations such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks, starts its search across America to find this year’s bright young star to be crowned the next American Idol.
International pop impresario Simon Cowell returns to head up the distinguished panel of judges that include of pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul and record producer and music manager Randy Jackson. Ryan Seacrest will be continue to assume his duties as host making sure the judges are kept in check. And joining the show this year is Kara DioGuardi as a fourth judge on the panel.
Kara is a Grammy-nominated songwriter who has a number of hit tracks to her name. Her songs have been recorded by award-winning artists including Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Santana and Pink. As one of the industry's most sought after songwriters and producer she will create a new dynamic across the show as she balances the sexes on the judging panel. Simon said "She has experience, she’s written hit songs, she has an opinion, she talks a lot and is well qualified."
With Kara by her side, Paula finally has some back-up and now there is going to be a lot more 'girl power' on the show. Expect Kara and Paula to gang up on Simon throughout the season, who said of the twosome; "What guy would like that? Come on. One is hard enough, two is unbearable! They’ve both got personalities, they’re very forceful. At least I have Randy by my side." However Simon will have the last word in the event of a judge’s tie. Simon’s take on how the judges will react to his new found power to make or break dreams "I love it. They hate it."
There will also be a number of other exciting new changes that will keep the audiences on the edge of their seats throughout the season. The Hollywood stage will change as 36 contestants will now go forward (previously 24) to the live semi-final stage. Then the lucky 36 will be divided into three groups of 12. Each group of 12 will perform separately in 3 consecutive weeks with three chosen from each group to make 9 to go into the final stage. However to make up the 12 finalists three more contestants will be brought back as this season sees the return of the wildcard.
Watch the drama unfold, Thursdays and Fridays on ITV2
…only on AMERICAN IDOL 8
HOST Gallery is pleased to announce Sweet Nothings, an exhibition of the critically acclaimed photographs by Vanessa Winship of rural schoolgirls from the borderlands of Eastern Anatolia, to open in February 2009.
During the decade Winship lived and waorked in and around Turkey, her eye was often drawn to the dresses worn by schoolgirls in the region. Always blue, across every village and town, the uniform was a symbol of the Turkish state. Yet tiny details - a lace collar, an embroidered message - defined the girls as individuals. Girls in rural Eastern Turkey have frequently been denied schooling, with traditional values prioritizing work in the home over education.
In addition, long-term, low-level conflict between the state and Kurdish separatists has disrupted life in the area. More recently, the Turkish government has become attentive to the situation, with record numbers of girls attending classes.
About Vanessa Winship: Vanessa has lived and worked in the Balkans and Turkey for almost a decade. In her imagery, she focuses on the junction between fiction and reality, exploring ideas around the concepts of borders, land, memory, identity and history. Her work has been recognized internationally: she is the recipient of two first prize World Press Awards and was exhibited in the annual Photographic Portrait Awards 2007 at The National Portrait Gallery, London, and in 2008 received the Godfrey Argent Award for best black and white image in the same award.
She is currently the holder of the Sony World Photography Awards, Photographer of the Year. Her first book The Black Sea was published by Mare in September 2007. Sweet Nothings is published in the U.K by Foto8
About HOST gallery HOST is a central London venue that celebrates and defines photography, art and journalism, running a concurrent programme of photography related talks, screenings and book launches alongside its strong exhibition curation.
E4’s home-grown drama series is coming back in January, but with just two of the original cast returning Skins 3 introduces a gang of new faces.
“We're very excited about series three of Skins and feel that our new cast are shining in roles, stories and characters which have been created by young people to a greater extent than ever before.” Bryan Elsley, Executive Producer.
The Class of 2009 is headed up by the beautiful and elusive EFFY (Kaya Scodelario), returning as the new queen bee. She’s joined by sweet and kooky best-friend, PANDORA (Lisa Backwell) who keeps the gang together.
The guys are led by the irrepressible and irresponsible COOK (Jack O’Connell - This is England, Eden Lake) a daring and charismatic leader of the gang. His best mates are FREDDIE (Luke Pasqualino) who’s the skateboarding, weed-smoking ‘cool’ one, and JJ aka Jonah Jeremiah Jones (Ollie Barbieri), the master illusionist.
The twins KATIE (Megan Prescott) and EMILY (Kathryn Prescott) are pulling in different directions. One wanting to shed her twin and gain status, the other hanging on, crippled by shyness. Completing the girls is passionate, political and principled NAOMI (Lily Loveless). Finally, THOMAS (Merveille Lukeba), good and honest, he travels from the Congo to set up home for his family, and has to find his feet in a new and strange country.
Together the gang bond as they fall in and out of love and lust, fight one another, compete against each another, and also unite as one.
Series 3 will see guest stars Harry Enfield and Morwenna Banks return as the Stonem parents, alongside new guest appearances from Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, and actors Mackenzie Crook, Sally Phillips and Geoffrey Hughes.
The ten brand new episodes are written by a young British writing team, headed up by Executive Producer Bryan Elsley. Chris Clough is series producer, while series 3 is directed by Charles Martin and Simon Massey. Skins is made by Company Pictures and commissioned by Camilla Campbell for E4/Channel 4.
QUAINT SAYS: this is one of those weird shows. sometimes when i watch it i feel uncomfortable but i'm not sure why lol. the film crew do a great job, when you watch skins you actually feel like a fly on the wall. you totally feel what's going on is 'real'.
The hysterical box office smash explodes onto DVD & Blu-ray January 26 2009 ~
The movie that takes no prisoners deploys on Blu-ray & DVD on January 26 2009 in a 3-disc Special Collector’s Edition Unrated Director’s Cut as well as in a single-disc format from Paramount Home Entertainment.
Directed by and starring Ben Stiller (Zoolander) and featuring an all-star cast including Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda), Nick Nolte (Hulk), and Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge), TROPIC THUNDER is “brilliant – great entertainment” (Sunday Mirror). The film follows five pampered actors on the set of a Vietnam War movie who are thrust into real-life danger and forced to become the fighting unit they’re attempting to portray in order to survive. The result is an over-the-top, unforgettable film that is “brilliant, *****” (UNCUT).
The TROPIC THUNDER Unrated Director’s Cut three-disc DVD set includes the director’s cut version of the feature film with an extra 15 minutes of never-before-seen footage plus an arsenal of special features that takes viewers even deeper into the s&*t including ‘Rain of Madness’, an uproarious faux documentary about the making of the film within a film, filmmaker and cast commentaries (including some in character), behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast profiles, ‘Dispatches from the Edge of Madness’, deleted and extended scenes, including an alternative ending, ‘TROPIC THUNDER at the MTV Movie Awards’ and more. The three-disc DVD set and Blu-ray also includes Paramount Home Entertainment’s first digital copy which offers consumers the ability to watch TROPIC THUNDER on their preferred portable media device (both WMV and iTunes formats).
TROPIC THUNDER is available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray from January 26 2009
from Paramount Home Entertainment
Quaint Says: anything with Ben Stiller is worth our time!