Monday, September 22, 2014

Favorite Pic of the Day for September 23rd

Welcome Autumn!

As much as Tom is trying, he can't hold back the Fall!  The summer is officially over as September 23rd marks the first day of Autumn.  Despite how adorable he looks in them, it is time to put away the shorts, flip flops and tank tops... at least when going outside in the cold!

Happy Birthday today September 23rd


Happy 27th to actor Skylar Astin

Check out more of today's Birthday's HERE: & HERE:

Below: Skylar with Miles Teller in 21 And Over (2013)
Caps via Superherofan.net

You're The Top?


Big Brother comes to an end this Wednesday and I am not sure that anyone could have predicted the final three when the season first began. Yes, Derrick might have been on many people's lists, but I am not sure Cody or Victoria were. I have enjoyed Derrick's game, it was not as flashy as Dr. Will's or as dramatic as Dan's but it was effective and did the trick. He brought both Cody and Victoria to the end as he felt they both would be loyal, and easier to manipulate than the rest of the house. In a season that often seemed like The Frankie Show, and I was no fan of that particular series... Cody has turned out to be a surprisingly effective player.


Cody is near the bottom of most popularity polls but I have grown to like him, above and beyond just his good looks. Although he was prone to mouthing off on what he was going to do, and who he was going to tell of, he smartly kept these rants in private, moving throughout the game in a generally non-threatening and likable fashion. He won comps when he needed to, cut ties to ally's when he needed to, and except for maybe Hayden, remained fairly popular with the others. He certainly bashed others, it is Big Brother, but not generally in a cruel or vindictive way. In fact, Cody quietly was usually the one taking the high road during bash sessions, walking away or commenting that the comments were going to far. Derrick will get the lions share of the credit at the finale, and so he should. Derrick's road to the end however would not have been possible without his right hand man, and Cody made a might fine one.

Favorite Face Of The Fall Season


Last week FOX wisely unveiled it's new series Red Band Society a week before things got busy with premiere week. A fan of Octavia Spencer, Dave Annable and Wilson Cruz, I had planned to watch the series, but was out during's it's airing. FOX repeated the pilot later in week which thankfully I remembered to DVR.


The entire company is full of likable and talented young actors, but a stand out to me was actor Charlie Rowe. Charlie plays Lee Roth, the cancer survivor who leads the group of unlikely friends brought together by their commonalities and circumstance. The show had me from the first scene. Yes, it pulls at your heart strings, but with intelligence and wit. If you feel for the characters, it was not just because the writers gave them a challenge, but because the characters were so well written and performed.


Charlie hails from Islington, London, England and has been acting much of his 18 years. Some of you may remember him from his turns in The Golden Compass, Walking With Dinosaurs and the Neverland Mini-Series. Charlie shaved his head for the role and he transforms into a realistic, believable and likable anti-hero.


I suspect a long life for this hospital drama, I just hope the producers have a plan for it's teen cast. So many series beginning with a young cast end up throwing away the magic far too quickly. I remember how incredible the pilot for Glee was, smart, witty and so well written. Glee today seems so far removed from that great pilot that is sprang from. Executive Producer Steven Spielberg hasn't had the best luck with television shows the last few years, (Extant...) but hopefully Red Band Society breaks that trend!



Below: Charlie with co-star Nolan Sotillo

Temptation by Matt Lee


'There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.'
Mark Twain


'The apple has long represented many things in religion, fables and mythology. A symbolism of temptation, desire and downfall, whether it be the apple featured in Genesis or the apple featured in Snow White. It's this concept of desire and seduction I've sought to capture in this shoot with Archie.'


Apple, the forbidden fruit... As soon as you label something with the word forbidden, you're already in trouble. Anything, as Mark Twain wisely says, labelled forbidden, instantly becomes more interesting, more desirable and that much more tempting. You can literally feel the temptation in this new series from London photographer Matt Lee. Matt captures Archie in full temptation mode, luring us in with his juicy and ripe piece of fruit.


I love the trajectory on Archie's face that Matt captures. Initially a little coy, even shy with the apple at his side. As his arm rises, Archie teases us with his goods, becoming more confident, even cocky, smirking at our inability to resist. By the last image, Archie knows he has won. We have caved and you can see it on the satisfied look on Archie's face.


I first featured Matt Lee's work on the blog last spring with A Strange Place. The first day of Autumn is a perfect time for this new series because as well as a symbol of temptation and desire, Apple's are also a symbol of fall. In many parts of the world, Apples are ready to be picked, eaten and enjoyed between mid to late September through the end of October. Matt shares that Archie is both a model and photographer himself, which made him wonderfully easy to work with given his understanding of how to get the best from a shoot. I love the concept that Matt achieved here, weaving the almost Gothic and mystical elements that have become some of my favorite parts of Matt's imagery.