The Last Seduction

The Last Seduction is a neo noir thriller directed by John Dahl. It stars Linda Fiorentino as the unforgettable femme fatale Bridget Gregory, Peter Berg and Bill Pullman. Fiorentino's character steals some money fom her drug dealing husband, heading for Chicago she stops off at the small town of Beston where she meets Mike, a recent divorcee who gets much more than he bargained for by getting entangled with Bridget. Meanwhile Bridget's husband Clay has loan sharks after him while he's hot on the trail of his sexy, dupilicitous wife. Full of twists the movie is also about the battle of the sexes. This nastily brilliant gem is a great flick, Fiorentino was cheated out of an Oscar nomination. This was her finest hour, she's fantastic. What a role and what a woman.

Femme Fatale:Linda Fiorentino

Linda Fiorentino is sublime in The Last Seduction. Not only is she absolutely stunning but she gives a magnificent performance as Bridget Gregory, the femme fatale who cooly double crosses everybody. She's so deliciously vicious and smart you love her guts. Sizzlingly sexy and amoral, superb.

Unusual Travel Musts

Aurora Borealis, Tromso Norway. Otherwise known as the northern lights. Watch nature's spectacular display of lights in late autumn or winter and early spring. Mystical and magical.

Machu Picchu, Peru. It stands 2,430 m above sea level amidst an incredible tropical mountain forest. It was created by the Inca Empire and is supposed to be an astounding place of beauty, peace and power.

La Balade Gnomes, Belgium. In an outwardly deceptive farmhouse are amazing fairy tale inspired rooms, sleep in a boat or a room that's like being on the moon. Surreal and other worldly. I can't wait to go.

World Bites:Vegan Peasant

Vegan Peasant is a unique catering company offering innovative, delicous meat and dairy free dishes. It was found and created by Diana Pickett who grew up in a caribbean household in New York. How's this for a taster: sticky rice cakes with umboshi and toasted sesame seed on lotus root crisp, saffron risotto,wine glazed shallot and mangetout finished with shredded radicchio and snipped chive, sauted wild mushroom and spinach with oregano and cherry tomato concasse over gnocchi with curly endive and basil oil. Sounds mouth watering. The food is so good, they've even been converting bona fide carnivores. They have a stall on Chatsworth Road Market in Hackney. They also run a 7 course secret dinner event where attendees discover the location within 48 hours of the event. So if you live in the UK and want to find out a bit more about them, check out their website.

http://veganpesantcatering.com/

Skewed Sports Club

Shin kicking, Cotswolds England. Two idiots aim to knock down each other by kicking the crap out of each other's shins. It's part of the Cotswold games (God knows how idiotic the other games are). Competitors can shove hay down their pants for protection. Yeah, fat lot of good that will do. Irredeemably stupid and pointless.

Wife carrying, Finland. A man heaves his wife on to his back and charges through a special obstacle course. You can carry your own wife, a friend's or...Well anybody. Competitors race through a 250 meter track with two jumps and a water trap. Hmmm, maybe not so pointless. As a wife, this is a good opportunity to berate your husband or put in requests for things you'd normally get a "hell no" to. Manipulation under duress, I like it. But imagine if you dropped someone else's wife? Ooh there'd be a fight at the end of the course. "Dude, you fucking dropped my wife on her head."It would be like an ice hockey fight, only without the sticks.

Dwarf tossing, Australia. This is usually held in a pub or bar. A small person wears a helmet and harness and for a little fee, people get to see how far they can toss them, it's normally a competition. Apparently, this was considered popular and entertaining at one point, until the death of a dwarf who hit his head at an event and bled to death. How was this ever legal in the first place?


My bid to discover the most ridiculous and bizzarre sports around the world continues. As you can see, these aren't random, one off bouts of stupidity, people have taken the time to create them and ensure they're consistently held. Joyous. More lunacy next time.

Ellen Page:Super Super

I really like Canadian actress Ellen Page. I think she's very beautiful and very talented in equal measure. I've pretty muched loved everything I've seen her in. Loved Hard Candy, Whip It and Juno. Inception I wasn't crazy about but I admit it's an innovative film but they lost me with the storytelling aspect and it became a little too contrived for my liking. I've watched some of her interviews and she strikes me as savvy, interesting and intelligent. I really dig the fact that she's a tomboy, tomboys rock. She also shares an interesting connection with Zoe Kravitz. They both dated actor Ben Foster and I think, Ben broke up with Ellen to date Zoe. She's versatile and she'll continue to get great roles. Next up, dark comdey Super, can't wait to catch it.

The Science Of Sleep

The Science Of Sleep is a film by Michel Gondry starring the delicious Gael Garcia Bernal and the beautiful Charlotte Gainsbourg. It's about a man seduced by his dreams and imagination who attempts to show his world to the french beauty he's smitten with. I love love love Michel Gondry films, I think he makes such unique, magical and innovative films. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind is one of my favourite films ever. I really like how he captures the compexity and pain of people falling in and out of love. The way Gael's character continues to distort reality and retreat further into the recesses of his mind and dreams in order to connect with this woman is both magical and heartbreaking. It's a visually brilliant movie, like being a kid again and rediscovering the wonder in the world. Incidentally, co star Charlotte Gainsbourg is also a really good musician.