For those on the left coast, PEN USA is honoring Kirk Douglas for his efforts in defending the freedom of expression by hosting “Forbidden Fruit,” a brunch/raffle on Sunday, May 20 that will feature readings from banned works of literature. The event will take place at the Skirball Cultural Center, with the raffle commencing at 11:30 a.m., brunch starting at noon, and readings beginning at 1 p.m. Those participating in the latter portion include Lou Diamond Phillips, Samantha Mathis, Evan Handler, Radha Mitchell, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Richard Schiff, Gary Dourdan, Catherine Dent and Robert Wuhl. Attire is casual and complimentary parking is provided, but it’s not free, alas. For ticket information and other details, contact Sara at (310) 862-1555, ext. 365, and tell them Shared Darkness sent you.
Daily Archives: May 12, 2007
The Salon
A voluble hit parade of familiar bits, gripes, and go-girl posturing, The Salon doesn’t feature characters so much as sounding boards for sassy
rejoinders and rah-rah speechifying about societal issues like gay
rights, racism, corporal punishment, and interracial dating. Barbershop
writer-producer Mark Brown’s awkwardly directed film centers on single
mother and hair salon proprietor Jenny Smithe (Vivica A. Fox, above),
and her chatty crew of stylists, customers, and neighborhood
hangers-on. Unfolding over the course of a single day, it finds Jenny
nursing a slow-burn crush on a lawyer (Darrin Henson) representing the
DWP in an eminent domain case that threatens her shop’s future. For the full capsule review, from CityBeat, click here and scroll down.
John Travolta, Autism and Family Shame?
I can’t claim insider information that would shade this as either truth or fiction, but Hollywood Interrupted‘s Mark Ebner has up a piece about John Travolta’s alleged denial over his son Jett’s autism. And it’s provocative, I’ll give him that. I read Ebner’s book of the same name, co-written with Andrew Breitbart, and it was a good read, so I don’t necessarily doubt his journalistic credentials. There does seem to be an axe to grind with Scientology, though (no crime, that), and I’m also not sure how the couple cited in the story would have access to all this insider information. At any rate, something to make you go, “Hmmmm…”