Holy Ground

Cand Marilyn Monroe s-a intors la Los Angeles, trebuia sa reinceapa lucrul la filmarile pentru "Something's Got To Give". Marilyn s-a intors pe platou a doua zi, pentru ceea ce avea sa fie o zi incredibila de filmare a unei scene nud, in piscina. Era pentru prima data cand o actrita americana facea asa ceva si, desigur, protagonista nu putea fi alta decat Marilyn. Urma sa poarte un costum de baie de culoarea pielii. Totusi, nu a rezistat prea mult cu el; l-a scos si s-a hotarat sa filmeze chiar nud. Platoul era inchis, la filmare participau doar cei a caror prezenta era de neinlocuit. Filmarile din acea zi ne dezvaluie o Marilyn in toane bune. Corpul ei, bronzat si voluptuos, nu arata nicicand mai bine. Parea o tanara de 25 de ani, nicicum o femeie care se apropia de 36. Charles Casillo, biograful lui Monroe, remarca:"Era o parte din perspectiva schizofrenica, contradictorie, pe care o avea atunci despre sine. O parte din ea era gata, chiar dornica, sa treaca la roluri mai serioase, iar alta parte din ea stia ce asteptau inca oamenii de la ea. Trebuia sa treaca treptat la noua imagine si, in acelasi timp, din cand in cand, sa se ridice si la inaltimea legendei. Asa ca, daca etalarea corpului de model adauga un pic de atmosfera unui film mediocru si retinea atentia publicului, oferindu-i astfel un ragaz, era dispusa s-o faca. Dumnezeule, avea nevoie sa dea lovitura."(...) Luni, 28 mai, Marilyn a anuntat din nou ca este bolnava si a ramas acasa. Se pare ca avusese un weekend dificil. Nu se stie ce s-a intamplat, dar disparuse orice speranta ca va mai fi in stare sa se ridice la inaltimea prestatiei de ultima data. A doua zi, cand a revenit, era intr-o forma ingrozitoare si nu reusea sa se concentreze. La 1 iunie implinea 36 de ani. Pe platou o astepta un tort aniversar care i-a placut, iar in acea dupa-amiaza a participat la o actiune caritabila pe stadionul Dodger. Dupa ce a ajuns acasa, in seara aceea, situatia s-a inrautatit si mai tare. Mai tarziu, in seara respectiva, Marilyn a aparut in casa familiei Greenson intr-o stare atat de deplorabila, incat copiii lui nu stiau ce sa faca cu ea. Dr. Greenson si Hildy, sotia lui, se aflau in vacanta la Roma."Nu putea sa doarma si tot repeta cat de rau se simte, cat de neinsemnata. Spunea ca era abandonata, ca era urata, ca oamenii se purtau frumos cu ea doar pentru ca aveau ceva de obtinut de pe urma ei. Spunea ca nu mai merita sa traiasca." Doctorul pe care Greenson il rugase sa il inlocuiasca in timpul vacantei sale a venit intr-un suflet; parerea lui a fost ca Marilyn dorea sa se sinucida. A incercat sa-i confiste toate pastilele pe care le avea si spera sa se simta bine macar pana la intoarcerea dr. Greenson. Iar Greenson a revenit imediat ce a aflat cat de rau se simtea celebra lui pacienta. Dupa inca o absenta de pe platou, echipa si distributia o cam terminasera cu ea. Dr. Greenson s-a intalnit cu directorii de la Fox si le-a spus ca Marilyn era gata sa faca tot ce i se cerea; el garanta ca se va intoarce la lucru. Nu a fost crezut. La 8 iunie, Fox a concediat-o, apoi i-a intentat un proces pentru jumatate de milion de dolari.(...) Fireste, Marilyn s-a suparat din cauza concedierii. Dupa parerea ei, fusese fidela studioului timp de 16 ani, iar acum o tratau fara respect pentru problemele legitime din viata ei.(...) Marilyn era o femeie ale carei dorinte fusesera mereu foarte modeste. Tot ceea ce-si dorise vreodata fusese sa fie actrita si sa fie buna in ceea ce face. Si...isi mai dorea sa fie celebra. Cam atat. Niciodata nu s-a pus problema unei motivatii financiare. Banii si prestigiul nu insemnau prea mult pentru ea. Casa modesta pe care tocmai si-o cumparase era dovada a gusturilor ei simple si fermecatoare. Cum s-a ajuns la o situatie in care visurile ei sa fie spulberate , ii depasea intelegerea, mai ales din cauza bolii de care suferea. Marilyn n-avea de gand sa accepte totul fara sa lupte. Dupa ce a fost concediata, a inceput o campanie de proportii, ca sa se asigure ca publicul stia ca este vie si sanatoasa. Intre altele, a realizat in revista Life un reportaj care a fost, fara indoiala, cel mai bun si mai incitant interviu pe care l-a dat vreodata. Richard Merryman ii spusese ca vrea sa vorbeasca nu numai despre legenda MM, ci si despre femeia MM. Intr-un moment de clarviziune, Marilyn a declarat:"Legenda s-ar putea sa dispara inainte de publicarea acestui numar din revista. Nu femeia, ci legenda."(...)
Publicul aflase deja ca fusese internata intr-un spital de nebuni din New York, iar acum, dupa concedierea de la Fox, oamenii erau interesati de starea ei emotionala. Mai rau, vizitele zilnice la dr. Ralph Greenson ajunsesera in atentia unora dintre reporteri si chiar a admiratorilor, care incepusera sa-i urmareasca fiecare miscare.(...) "Astepta in hol", isi aminteste unul dintre doctorii pe care i-a vizitat in vara lui 1962."Cred ca pana atunci isi ingropase fata intr-o revista, iar dupa ce a plecat ultimul pacient programat, pur si simplu a intrat in birou.Era o aparitie: multe bucle blonde si un ruj rosu aprins. Imi amintesc ca purta o haina alba, care mie mi s-a parut a fi din satin. Purta o rochie alba si-mi amintesc clar ca avea tocuri-cui albe. Arata superb, in alb complet. Foarte impresionanta, foarte...ca o vedeta de cinema." In ciuda faptului ca Marilyn i s-a adresat acestui doctor pe numele angajatorului sau anterior, facandu-l sa inteleaga ca avusese atat de multi doctori incat nici nu-si mai aducea aminte cum arata, curand a devenit clar ca nu-l cunostea deloc. Intr-adevar, cel care o tratase inainte pe Marilyn murise, iar cel care statea acum in fata ei era protejatul si succesorul sau, mult mai tanarul dr Scwartz.(din cauza serviciilor pe care i le-a oferit lui Marilyn Monroe, acest doctor a cerut sa ramana anonim.Prin urmare, vom folosi un pseudonim ca sa-i protejam identitatea)."Dorea sa ia torazina",explica dr Schwartz."Eram circumspect daca sa o iau sau nu ca pacienta. Majoritatea doctorilor se temeau sa trateze pacienti celebri care incercasera sa se sinucida.Nimeni nu vrea sa fie trecut in necrologul pacientului ca fiind ultimul sau doctor." Desi Marilyn a incercat sa-l convinga pe tanarul doctor ca tratamentul ei cu torazina functionase, el inca ezita."Cand abea ai terminat Medicina, te afli sub lupa,"explica el."Zelul in a prescrie anumite medicamente poate sa-ti aduca o gramada de belele. Nu neaparat cu autoritatile, insa poate sa-ti aduca la usa o gramada de pacienti dependenti de medicamente.Poate ca unora le place asta, pentru ca pacientii revin, insa mie nu." Marilyn i-a explicat in detaliu doctorului nevoia ei de confidentialitate, ceea ce i-ar fi usurat tanarului doctor sarcina de a o ajuta. Desi nu a vrut sa detalieze subiectul sumei primite de la Marilyn,doctorul nu a negat faptul ca a fost platit pentru serviciile sale." Existau o gramada de retete vechi"' explica Schwartz, "si, din moment ce oricum ea dorea ca retetele sa fie scrise unui nume fictiv...am facut ce mi-a cerut. Totusi, n-am facut-o pentru bani. Pur si simplu, m-a convins ca era spre binele ei." Tanarul doctor avea toate motivele sa-i fie teama sa aiba de-a face cu Marilyn Monroe, asa ca, atunci cand a primit un telefon de la ea, cateva saptamani mai tarziu, a ezitat sa se implice mai mult."Spunea ca se simte mai bine decat s-a simtit in ultima perioada si m-a intrebat cat costa o vizita la domiciliu,"explica Schwartz."I-am zis ca nu i-as face o vizita la domiciliu, insa ea a zis ca nu dorea asta. Mi-a spus ca vroia sa vin cu ea la mama ei.(...) Cand am ajuns la Rock Heaven, receptia era goala, ceea ce este neobisnuit intr-un astfel de loc," isi aminteste Schwartz,"apoi m-am intors si am privit holul; tot personalul parea adunat intr-un loc. Atunci am stiut ca ea, Marilyn, era deja acolo."(...) Marilyn si dr Schwartz au fost condusi in sanatoriu de catre o asistenta. El isi aminteste ca atmosfera avea un aer surprinzator de idilic, cu pajisti ingrijite si stropite de aspersoare, cu zone umbrite de stejari, in care pacientii puteau sa se odihneasca si sa se plimbe. Au gasit-o pe Gladys la o masa de picnic, purtand la gat un guler de blana. Era o femeie micuta, fragila, cu parul argintiu dat pe spate si legat intr-o coada simpla cu ceva ce semana a elastic de cauciuc.(...) Doctorul i-a explicat lui Gladys de ce era important sa-si ia medicamentele,insa o facea mai mult de dragul lui Marilyn. In timp ce-l asculta, Gladys continua sa caute prin poseta. Cand a terminat, Gladys l-a privit si l-a intrebat daca este doctor. El a incuviintat."Ei bine, o sa ma rog pentru tine, iar tu te poti ruga pentru mine," a spus ea, pe un ton sarcastic."Asta e mai puternic decat orice, iar Norma Jeane stie asta."
"Nu mama, nu", a insistat Marilyn. Apoi i-a explicat ca poate se inselasera in ceea ce priveste Stiinta Crestina, din moment ce pana atunci nici una dintre ele nu fusese vindecata de credinta. I-a spus ca aveau nevoie de ceva mai mult decat credinta, aveau nevoie si de medicamente. Apoi i-a explicat pe scurt ca si ea avusese de curand o perioada foarte grea, iar acum credea cu tarie ca amandoua ar avea de castigat daca ar lua torazina. Gladys a ascultat cu atentie pana cand Marilyn a terminat ce avea de zis. Apoi s-a uitat la Schwartz."Nu stiu cu ce i-ai umplut capul copilei mele," spuse ea, dupa cum isi aminteste doctorul,"insa Norma Jeane stie ca in Rai ajungi prin rugaciune si cucernicie."
"Dar poate ca aceste medicamente sunt raspunsul la rugaciunile tale," a spus Marilyn."La rugaciunile noastre." A continuat sa incerce s-o convinga pe mama ei cu atata vehementa, cu atata pasiune, incat a izbucnit in plans.(...) Gladys si-a privit fata cu o cautatura rece. In sfarsit, a intrebat-o pe Marilyn ce dorea sa faca exact. Marilyn i-a spus ca tot ce dorea sa faca era sa ia torazina cel putin o saptamana sau chiar o luna, daca se putea."Stiu ca o sa te simti mai bine," a zis Marilyn. "Vrei sa ma fac mai bine pentru tine,"i-a raspuns Gladys, "si iti multumesc pentru asta." Apoi, privind intens in ochii fiicei ei, a adaugat:"insa, Norma Jeane, eu vreau ca tu sa te faci bine pentru tine." Mama si fiica s-au privit lung o vreme. Apoi Gladys a schimbat subiectul dintr-o data. S-a intors catre doctor si, atingandu-si blana din jurul gatului, i-a spus ca Norma Jeane i-o facuse cadou. Cand doctorul i-a spus ca i se pare frumoasa, Gladys a parut incantata.I-a spus doctorului ca personalul spitalului ii permitea rar sa o poarte. Cu toate astea, cand vremea se racea, Gladys ii ruga sa i-o dea, iar personalul ii facea de obicei pe plac. I-a spus sa o atinga. Doctorul a intins precaut mana si a atins blana, dar Gladys s-a crispat si s-a tras inapoi cu putere."Atingerea ta e diavoleasca" a spus ea, iar fata i s-a intunecat dintr-o data. Era prea mult pentru Marilyn, care a inceput din nou sa planga, fara sa se poata opri. "Ai suparat-o pe Norma Jeane," i-a spus Gladys doctorului."E foarte sensibila."(...) Desi nu stiau, aceasta avea sa fie ultima data cand mama si fiica se intalneau."Nu spun la revedere," a adaugat Gladys tare, cu spatele la fiica ei."Niciodata n-a spus la revedere", spuse Marilyn pe un ton linistit."Poate din cauza asta trebuie s-o spun eu atat de des."

Elena Michaels is a wanted woman. She hasn’t done anything wrong. Well, not recently, anyway. But ten years ago her lover turned her into a werewolf: the only female werewolf in the world, in fact. And now, just as she’s finally coming to terms with it all, a group of scientists learns of her existence. They’re hunting her down, and Elena is about to run straight into their trap. But they haven’t reckoned on Elena’s adoptive family, her Pack, who will stop at nothing to get her back. They haven’t reckoned on Elena herself, either, and that’s a very big mistake…
Stolen is the second book in Kelly Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series. In Stolen, Kelly Armstrong creates a fascinating plot, exploring not only Elena, the only female werewolf, but a whole band of supernatural beings, a plot to capture and expose these creatures and the sick mind of a multimillionaire. Sounds a bit difficult to believe, but it works. The story opens with Elena going to investigate a suspicious internet advertisement from someone claiming to have solid proof of the existence of werewolves up for sale. Within her Pack, it’s mainly Elena’s job to make sure that the activities of the Mutts (non-Pack werewolves) do not expose their existence, so she always investigates claims that look like they might amount to something. As it turns out, it amounts to much more than Elena expected. Two witches tell her they put the ad on the internet to lure her to them so that they could warn her. Elena, who until that moment had believed that werewolves were the only supernatural beings, suddenly finds out that there are in fact many other supernatural races; and that the safety of all these groups are at stake. Before she knows it, Elena finds herself at a meeting of the supernaturals - from Witches and Shamans to Half-Demons and Vampires. This unlikely assembly strive to prevent a group of scientists undergoing an investigation from capturing and exposing their kind. Despite the meeting and warnings, Elena is kidnapped and taken to a high-security compound in a forest in the middle of nowhere, where she finds many other supernatural beings being held. There, they are kept under round the clock surveillance, living in cells with 1-way, soundproof glass for walls. They are poked and prodded by doctors and scientists looking to find a way to tap into their powers for the benefit of the human race. However, we soon find that the manipulative, self-centred billionaire Tyrone Winsloe, who is funding the project, has an agenda of his own. He is funding the project on the condition that once the scientists are finished with each supernatural ‘specimen’, he can let them go in the forest, which is rigged with high-tech surveillance equipment and traps, and then proceed to ‘hunt’ them to their death. This is his sick idea of a game.
Stolen is brilliantly written, combining quick, quirky, snatches of humour with graphic, gory scenes of battle and mayhem. Kelly Armstrong provides just the right dose of comic relief to ease the tension that is built in the gorier scenes. The plot develops too quickly for the reader to become bored or to question the use of such ideas as a witch casting a spell to become invisible and really leaves us wanting more. All her characters are unique individuals and are very well developed as the story progresses. Another great thing about this book is that unlike other books that are part of a series, you don’t have to have read the book before it to be able to understand and enjoy it and it has a proper ending, instead of leaving you hanging. It is truly a brilliant read, with a gripping story-line that leaves you unable to put the book down.
Fantastic story, great plot, brilliantly written, well worth reading.

From the director Catherine Hardwicke comes the romantic fantasy thriller "Red Riding Hood". The movie features an ensemble cast, led by Amanda Seyfried in the title role.
In "Red Riding Hood", Amanda plays Valerie, a beautiful young woman, torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter, but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry. Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie's older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon, to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon's arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them.
As the death toll rises with each moon, Valerie begins to suspect that the werewolf could be someone she loves. As panic grips the town, Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast - one that draws them together, making her both suspect...and bait.

Here goes the premiere of the much anticipated Bobby Ray video for the No.1 smash ‘Airplanes’ featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore. "Airplanes” appears on B.o.B.’s 2010 release, The Adventures of Bobby Ray.

In the last decade, pop divas haven't exactly had the best track record on the silver screen. Now it's Christina Aguilera's turn to show her skills, which she attempts to do in "Burlesque," a star-is-born drama out in November from Screen Gems. The singer plays Ali, the prototypical small-town girl with starry eyes who buses herself all the way from Iowa to the Hollywood sign to fulfill her dreams of stardom. She starts waiting tables at a "neo-burlesque" club, run by the world-weary Tess (Cher). Ali tries to convince the lounge's owner that she has what it takes to be a part of the club's act, but Tess and her surly counterpart, Sean, don't think she has the chops. That is, until she gets on stage and belts out a song like — well, Christina Aguilera.

Elena Michaels is the only known female werewolf. And she's tired of it. Tired of a life spent hiding and protecting, a life where her most important job is hunting down rogue werewolves. Tired of a world that not only accepts the worst in her— her temper, her violence— but requires it. Worst of all, she realizes she's growing content with that life, with being that person. So she left her Pack and returned to Toronto where she's trying to live as a human. When the Pack leader calls asking for her help fighting a sudden uprising, she only agrees because she owes him. Once this is over, she'll be squared with the Pack and free to live life as a human. Which is what she wants.
Elena lives in Toronto, Canada and writes for a popular newspaper. Elena is also the only known female werewolf in the world. This gives her a very special place in the werewolf world, and especially with the werewolf pack. She struggles to deal with her other-ness and to assimilate to the human world. She also contends with her terrible childhood, and with the man who bit her and turned her into a werewolf. However, she learns that her Pack (the governing body of werewolves) is in trouble, and comes to their aid, flying to Stonehaven, the country estate of the pack Alpha. It is in Bear Valley, a fictional city in up-state New York. When Elena arrives, she is greeted by her ex-lover, Clayton Danvers, who is also the man who bit her and made her a werewolf (without her consent). Clayton is also the bodyguard and foster-son to Jeremy Danvers, the pack Alpha (leader). Elena learns that a local woman was found murdered on Stonehaven's land, and that she had been savaged by what authorities thought to be a dog. However, the Pack has determined that she was murdered by a Mutt, a rogue werewolf. They track the mutt and find out he is a recently escaped killer, who has even more recently been turned by a bite into a werewolf.
Armstrong says Bitten was inspired by an X-Files episode on werewolves. She had the idea to portray werewolves as other than "bloodthirsty, ravening beasts", and quickly wrote a short story about a young woman who becomes a werewolf to present to her writing group. Eventually, Armstrong fleshed out the short story into a novel that became Bitten. In the Women of the Otherworld series, unlike many modern horror fiction stories, werewolves transform into full wolves in a painful transmogrification, while maintaining their hair colour and body mass, making them extremely large wolves. Although transformations have to occur regularly, Armstrong's werewolves are not affected by phases of the moon, can shape-shift at will and, with practice, can learn to transform a single part of their body (as of yet, Jeremy and Elena are the only ones shown to be able to do this though it is strongly implied that Clay can as well). Werewolves can be killed by anything that can kill a human, and have no extra sensitivity to silver. They do, however age slower than humans. While in human form, werewolves have wolf-like characteristics, better hearing, a keener sense of smell and a wolf's instinctive reactions, while in wolf form they maintain their intellect but cannot talk and are more driven by instinct. In both forms they have greater strength and reflexes than a normal human or wolf and heal significantly faster. Hereditary Werewolves acquire these enhanced abilities gradually, following puberty, and have their first change in their late teens or early 20s. Non-hereditary werewolves start changing shortly after they are bitten, and not all survive the process; the bitten mutts took around a month to recover.
"Bitten" was nominated Best First Novel by the International Horror Guild.
For a while, there was discussion of making a movie adaptation of this novel. Angelina Jolie was approached to play the central role of Elena. This has however been scrapped for now but there is still a script floating around for it.