(New Album!)

(1) Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple – Official Site

(2) The Kills, Midnight Bloom – The Kills / Myspace

(3) Goldfrapp, Seventh Tree – Official Site

(4) Beach House, Devotion – Beach House Music

(5) Hot Chip, Made In The Dark – Hot Chip / MySpace

Also, Nylon cover stars, The Kills, come to New York on May 1st to headline Webster Hall. I cant think of anyone I’d rather run into in a dark alley than Allison Mosshart.

After a few years of pushing the boundaries of what makes an interesting narrative film (with such experiments as Gerry, Elephant, and Last Days), Gus Van Sant’s skateboard teen drama Paranoid Park just opened last Friday to much acclaim.

It’s yet another portrait of troubled youth, but this time he has simultaneously created something compelling and interesting to look at. Most of the cast is unknown, apart from Gossip Girl’s Taylor Momsen who is one to watch…

(Taylor Momsen)

Later in the year, I very much look forward to Milk, his Harvey Milk biopic featuring an amazing cast — Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Josh Brolin, and another teen star…Lucas Grabeel from High School Musical.

I can only gather that Gus or his casting agent has his finger on the pulse of the American teen and pre teen set!

(“Sister Act” photographed by Steven Klein in this months W)

The prospect of my two favorite contemporary actresses, Scarlett Johansson & Natalie Portman, paired in one film that was…
a) a period piece
b) written by Peter Morgan whose last film was The Queen
c) rounded out by some of my favorite rising stars — Eddie Redmayne, Jim Sturgess, Juno Temple, and Alfie Allen
…was almost too much to bear. Along with that hot W Magazine photo shoot by Steven Klein, it rose my excitement levels even further!

What I didn’t expect was that these girls would deliver such an amazing balance of camp and genuine performance that entertained the preview audience I saw it with! Playing against their sex kitten and demure public perceptions, Natalie and Scarlett bring it!

The Other Boleyn Girl opens this Friday.

W Magazine Official Site