Peckerwood Manor

Did you know? Madonna's single, "True Blue," from the album of the same title, was released in US markets this month in 1986, which means it's almost middle-aged at 38 years-old. I wasn't born yet, of course (oh, let me have this one!), but I hear that Madonna was married at the time to Sean Penn, an actor-turned-dried-up-7-11-sausage-left-on-a-grill-roller-for-at-least-5-decades. In fact, all the albums songs are said to be "inspired" by her l'amour for Penn.    1986 was also the same year Madonna and Penn starred in "Shanghai Surprise," a movie many rented on VHS - after its blessedly brief theatrical release - and stopped watching after 15 minutes, then returned it to the video store, not bothering to rewind it. I know this because when I rented it, it started at the 15 minute mark. I rewound it, started it at the beginning and 15 minutes in, I thanked the previous renter, since I agreed that 15 minutes was more than enough time to sp...

Are stars "just like us?" Are actors their roles? And are they consistently playing out their own psycho-dramas on screen and in public? In the case of Charlize Theron, it's a fair question to ask. Or put it this way: throughout the years, there may be a reason we haven't seen her playing any of those cute, funny-bunny leading lady roles like Jennifer Lopez or Cameron Diaz (not that there's anything wrong with that), with the exception of a few "pretty girl" roles early in her career in forgettable movies like "Trial and Error" and "Sweet November."  First coming to critical notice in "Monster," in which she obliterated her "pretty girl" looks with weight gain and no make-up in order to portray true-life serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, for which she won a Best Actress Oscar, Charlize has become Hollywood's go-to actress for kicking ass - particularly male ass - either literally, or, in the case of "Bombshel...