There were many, many art shows that opened this week. The climax was yesterday's assume vivid astro focus show at John Connelly Presents (pictured). It's not too often that you're asked to take off your shoes before entering the gallery. But that's what happened, and once you've walked past a friendly drag queen who handed you a 3-D glass-mask with a half of her face on it, it was well... I won't spoil the fun for you.

So the word on the street is that the market is still strong (surprised?)!! Apparently, the buying frenzy is so potent that gallerists need more artists and more work to sell, and supposedly at the Takashi Murakami opening at Gagosian Tuesday night, prices kept morphing on the small flower plates (see below) as the demand continued to escalate. I don't know what's crazier -- New York City real estate market or the art market!

But never mind all this waxing on capitalism... beginning this Monday, art renegades from Austria Gelitin (pictured right, below) will be subway-ing to Coney Island with shovels in hand to dig a hole as part of Creative Time's anniversary extravaganza. We give you the message from the horse's mouth:

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I didn't want to mention this until I knew fer shurrrr it was going to happen but I've been told that the first episode of "American Dad" that I did a voice for is going to air this Sunday, May 6th at 9:30 p.m.! Look and, more importantly, LISTEN for the character of "Lisa Collins," a very lusty next-door neighbor to Stan and family. If you haven't seen American Dad you MUST tune in! From the creators of Family Guy, American Dad is one of the most subversive shows on television! The American Dad in question is Stan Smith who works for the CIA and what the writer/producers get away with is astonishing! Even more so considering the show is on FOX! When I asked them how they manage to slip past conservative ire they told me some of the biggest fans of the shows are far right-wingers! Like the animated series " The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, which could simultaneously play on both a child and adult level, American Dad has its Republican red-state cake and eats it too... with a bright blue liberal fork!

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First off, I would like to congratulate "meli," who won the Checkered Vans Wallet. Said Meli:

"Well... I love it cause I can give it different uses. Obviously, I can store my money and cards in it, but I can also use it as a mini purse to store my keys, cellphone, lipstick, even my shades. I can use it to play chess, and in an extreme case, as a mini pillow or umbrella everytime I have to place my ass on the sidewalk or whenever it rains."

Way to think outside the box, Meli!

This week's Take That item is a beautiful patent leather pair of Lela Rose for Payless shoes -- in a size 9. Sorry, my small-footed friends! Tell us why you want to strut your stuff in these fly shoes, and we'll send them your way! Thanks, as always, to our lovely Take That model Blaire Huntley, who is seriously rocking these kicks.

If dipping a slice of chorizo into a puddle of mustard and washing it down with a glass of Medici Ermete Lambrusco Solo ($9) sounds appealing, then head to Boerum Hill's friendly new wine bar Donna da Vine. Perch yourself at the bar for an intimate modern-day Cheers feel, or if you prefer to engage in a more private setting, plenty of quiet and cozy tables are available both inside and out. Brick walls display photographs of the Eiffel Tower, an Oregon waterfall and an elephant from the Serengeti as a tribute to the diverse regions from which the various wines are imported. Owner Alyssa Becker, a former Wall Street bond trader, who became grape savvy by working at an Upper East Side wine shop in her off-hours, guides you through the list, and her cleverly named groupings offer great variety. “Do You Know the Way to San Rosé?” ($20) showcases the best refreshing, mysterious rosés with generous pours of Cristalino Cava Brut, Renardat-Fâche Cerdon du Bugey NV and Renard Rosé. Donna da Vine's “tastes” and “bites,” like spicy pig shrouded in puff-pastry blankets ($5) and a tangy duck-and-goat-cheese pizzelle ($11) make for a lovely dinner. 378 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, (718) 643-2250. Alia Akkam

The other night I went to see the world premiere of An Octopus Love Story, produced by the relatively new theater company Kids with Guns, and written by Delaney Britt Brewer, a member of the Youngblood playwrighting collective. It's playing at the cutest off-off Broadway theater space called Center Stage Theater on 21st Street. The lobby looks like a cozy coffee house with wood floors and plush couches to chill on before they open up the house, and bar serving up drinks to enjoy during the show and at intermission.

There didn’t seem to be an empty seat in the house for the energetic and well-acted show about a lesbian (Kelli Holsopple) and a gay man (Josh Tyson) who are coerced by their ambitious peers to marry for the sake of legalizing gay marriage. All the cast members were great, but Holsopple and Tyson were especially charismatic and had great chemistry. Michael Cyril Creighton, who played a more stereotypical gay man to Tyson’s less flamboyant one, was hysterical. The sets by Brian Sidney Bembridge were perfect; colorful and warm, with a modern vibe. It was just the type of production you would expect from the artistic director of Kids with Guns, Ben Cikanek, who also happens to be the COO of one of our favorite art-toy companies Kid Robot. It was a fun experience and seems like a group to watch, so check out the world premiere of An Octopus Love Story running through May 20th at Center Stage.

Photos (from left to right) of Kelli Holsopple and Josh Tyson; Michael Cyril Creighton and Josh Tyson.

Photos by Ryan Robinson.

Essentially a film about the ambiguous benefits of charisma and leadership, Poison Friends (Les Amitiés Maléfiques, directed by Emmanuel Bourdieu) examines the relationship between a group of young men at university in Paris, each studying literature and unnerved by their ambition to become serious writers. Their ringleader, André Morney (Thibault Vinçon), is highly brilliant, has read everything and is adored unconditionally by his professors. He is outspoken, supremely narcissistic and seemingly unafraid. He mesmerizes his friends, Eloi (Malik Zidi), Edouard and Sébastien with his eerily accurate analyses of their characters, provoking them to take enormous risks (lying on their résumés, setting letterboxes on fire to destroy a regretted love-letter before it reaches the recipient).

As a result, their desires become more clear, they become more successful, they gain confidence; this makes Morney all the more essential to their lives. With this focus comes dependency, and his friends become fodder for his hateful, outrageous behavior: He beats them up, humiliates them and abuses them. This cycle preoccupies Morney so much that he neglects his thesis and is fired by his professor, at which point the unraveling of his character begins. This movie is completely absorbing and wonderful. See it.

Above, Malik Zidi and Thibault Vinçon.

Poison Friends is currently showing at Cinema Village

This adorable band from Omaha, Nebraska consists of five members who sing, play instruments and even tap dance. That's right. Tap dance. In lieu of a drummer, Tilly and the Wall decided to have a tap dancing percussionist.

Aside from this obvious cute factor, Tilly doesn't mess around with their music. It's straight to the point -- classic Americana. Their latest album, Bottom Of Barrels, is full of beautiful summer anthems. It's harmonious and bright, not unlike the '60s pop and folk that they all have an affinity for.

Their first album, Wild Like Children, was released on Conor Oberst's label, Team Love. He helped produce it, in fact, and was even in a band with Tilly lead singer Neely and Kianna before forming Bright Eyes. Small world! But, then again, when it comes to good music, the world is surprisingly small.

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Lucha Va Voom, L.A.'s hottest Mexican Masked Wrestling & Saucey Striptrease revue, is back with what may prove to be the wildest, sexiest and sickest theme yet -- QUINCEANERA! After witnessing what the Va Voomers have done to Halloween and Valentine's Day, I can only blush when imagining what might happen when those raspberry, ruffled hoop-skirts get into the wrestling ring! Tickets for this mad and insanely popular event (that willl occur at the trippy Mayan Theater on June 26, 27 & 28) go on sale this Saturday. Get 'em here while they're hot (and still available -- this show ALWAYS sells out - with good reason!)

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In this, JD Ferguson's second installment of his porn star showcase, Ferguson shot and interviewed adult film wunderkind Tommy Deluca. At a mere 23, Deluca is already a veteran in the industry with a whopping 28 films under his belt! Let's get to know Deluca a little better, shall we?

TOMMY DELUCA

Age: 23

Hometown: New York, NY

Sign: Gemini

Company you shoot porn with: Tommy Deluca Entertainment

Measurements: 10" x 7"

What's the most memorable sex scene you've ever done and why?

My most memorable sex scene was working with Chad Hunt in The Bigger the Better. It was a really intense scene, he was a lot of fun to work with, we had really good chemistry on camera and that's what made it really memorable for me.

Which celebrity would you most like to have sex with and why?

The celebrity i would love to have sex with is, believe it or not, Lindsay Lohan. Even though I am gay and I never been with a girl, I'd want to lose my virginity to Lindsay Lohan.

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Mr. Mickey is on a kick with the British cuties! Say hi to Sam Branson, the super-sexy son of Sir Richard. Sam is 21-years-old, 6-feet tall and wears a size 11 shoe. MM is not a size queen but some of you MMBloggers like to know these facts. He's modeled for Burberry (they love a celebrity offspring and so does Mr. Mickey!)

Photo from Tatler.

Here's a report from our foodie and statistics expert Gary Pini...

Attention foodies and statistic freaks: Restaurants and Institutions magazine released their 2007 edition of the Top 100 grossing independent restaurants in the USA. The numbers are mind boggling. Tao Las Vegas is #1 and grossed $55,289,055 and half of that was from booze. Now we see why everybody opens a branch in Vegas. The New York City Tao only grossed $26 million and came in at #4. Tavern on the Green is #2 ($38 million) and 21 had one of the highest average per person expenditures at $150.76. Junior's in Brooklyn (#23) did better than the Four Seasons (#30) and a restaurant in Michigan called Zehnder's that somehow seats 1,400 people, grossed $13 million and is #43. Stop listening to all the pessimists and go ahead and open a restaurant.

My fabulous bathing suit (which I purchased at Opening Ceremony here in New York City) was designed by none other than the Sao Paulo designer Neon. I was wearing it this last weekend at Coachella ,and crazily enough, most of CSS (some of them being designers themselves) are friends with Neon. And luckily for us, those Brazilians are wacky and fabulous!

Adriano Cintra of CSS was kind enough to pass on this video for an insane song called "The Book Is On The Table." See that crazy long-haired fellow? Well, that's the designer otherwise known as Neon! By the way, this video is amazing.

Partly inspired by Mr. Mickey (and his juicy pinups!) but mostly by the hot, cool, amazing, creative and terminally unique dudes one encounters here in SoCal, L.A. Woman has decided it's time to shine the spotlight on some L.A. Men! So while I debate who to bestow the honors on first, perhaps some of you have some nominees of your own? Send 'em on! Winner receives a free bottle of Sun-In!

Tuesday night, PAPER's Hunter Hill and Mr. Mickey hosted a littled dinner to celebrate Annelise Peterson's new position as Director of PR at the House of Valentino. Check out what a gorgeous glamourpuss Annelise is in the photos. Lots of Annelise's friends and fans came to pay their respects like Valentino's Carlos Souza, Dr. Lisa Airan, Ferebee Bishop, Maggie Betts, Bonnie Morrison, Kim Vernon, Valentino's Matthew Marchak and Triana Trujillo, Carlos Mota, Alexis Bryan and Lisa Marie Fernandez. The dinner was at Indochine, one of New York's most classic and chic restaurants.

Photo above of Ferebee Bishop, Triana Trujillo, Annelise Peterson, Valerie Boster and Maggie Betts.

All photos by Caroline Torem Craig.

CLICK BELOW TO SEE MORE PHOTOS.

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I intended to see a lot more movies this year at the Tribeca Film Festival but got thwarted by Jury Duty... did catch a few good ones, and a few stinkers.

The Education Of Charlie Banks is an exceptional first film by Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) with an amazing performance by Jason Ritter as Mick, this hot-tempered kid from the old neighborhood (Manhattan), who shows up unexpectedly in the Vassar dorm room of a startled Charlie Banks (Jesse Eisenberg (who’s sensational). He doesn’t say how long he’s staying and charms all of Charlie’s friends with his rebel charisma (especially the girl Charlie’s smitten with -- played sweetly by Eva Amurri). But Charlie knows how dangerous this kid really is when provoked -- many years ago he witnessed Mick beat two kids to a pulp at a party and nearly leave them for dead. It’s really a terrific movie, and Ritter is both heartbreaking and scary at the same time.

Lady Chatterley is a needlessly long French adaptation by director Pascale Ferran of D. H. Lawrence’s second version of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, John Thomas And Lady Jane. Marina Hands plays the wealthy wife of a wheelchair-bound husband who enters into a lustful affair with the gamekeeper (Jean-Louis Coullo’ch) on her estate. After nearly three hours of endless nature shots and the two of them rolling around nude in the mud you feel like screaming: “ We get it -- she’s finally come alive -- she’s erotically one with the earth!” But where the hell is Ken Russell when you need him?

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Here are the rest of my fantasmical photos... Pictured here are Paris Hilton and CSS and Luiza Sa (of CSS) and Le Tigre's JD Samson.

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Mr. Mickey is proud to introduce MMBloggers to Otis Ferry, the sexy son of singer Bryan Ferry. Now Daddy Bryan is pretty sexy himself but for those of you who go more the young'uns here is Otis. MM is a bit sad to hear that Otis is into fox hunting because Mr. Mickey thinks it's possible to have country fun without killing cute, little furry animals. Nonetheless, we're all entitled to our own beliefs and Otis's thirst for blood doesn't erase the fact that he's a tasty treat.

Photo from Tatler magazine.

Today is the birthday of the late, great, American playwright William Inge, born in Independence, Kansas in 1913, who rose to fame with searing 1950s dramas such as Come Back Little Sheba, Bus Stop, The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs, the wonderful original screenplay to Splendor In The Grass and my personal favorite Picnic.

Picnic also has the sexiest, most romantic dance in movie history between Kim Novak and William Holden, which I included here. Inge was a truly unhappy man who took his own life in 1973, and his portraits of lonely frustrated spinsters and sexually panicked youth seem rather dated now. But there are moments of poetry and genius in his writing that glow as brightly as the colored lanterns in this sublime scene from the 1965 film version of Picnic.

No, not from the Germans, but from our own animal shelters! In a disturbing story from the L.A.Times on April 26, I learned that "in the 12 months ending March 31, city shelters put to death 5,622 unweaned kittens. That's slightly more than twice the number of pitbulls -- possibly the most reviled dog on the planet -- that were euthanized during the same period." Hey, I know some very sweet pitbulls! But I love cats -- and kittens even more! But I just can't take in any more strays. But if you have any room in your life for a friend for life PLEASE ADOPT A KITTEN from your local animal shelter! This is "kitten season," says Marcia Mayeda, director of Animal Care & Control for L.A. County "and we are overwhelmed with kittens." Because feral cats bother people less than wild dogs, fewer cats are caught and spayed and neutered, hence an avalanche of abandoned, motherless "neonatal" kittens come springtime!

What to do? One Dee Carey from Seal Beach wrote into the Times Monday with this:

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Friday night, downtown gay hotspot Mr. Black hosted the birthday party of nightclub superstar (and former PAPER Marketing Director) Drew Elliott. One third of the party promoting team, the Trinity, Drew is a host of the long-running Sunday night Cuckoo Club at the Maritime Hotel, Friday nights at Mr. Black and a substitute host at the legendary Beige Tuesday night party at B Bar. Drew's partners in crime are his boyfriend Mack Dugan and their gorgeous sidekick Aimee Phillips, who sadly, was on tour with the Scissor Sisters on Friday and had to miss Drewpsie's birthday celebrations.

They always pack em in like sissy sardines on Friday night, and this special occasion was no different. Guests included nighlife empresario Erich Conrad, Drew's (tor)mentor, Brazilian bombshell Luigi Tadini, Drew's childhood friend Trip Zanitis, window display king Eric Vidmar, Village Voice columnist Michael Musto and a cavalcade of cute gays, fashion freaks and generally fabulous cuties. Mr. Mickey's favorite look was the shorty suit which is a perfect look for the hot summer to come!!!

Photographs by Mr. Mickey.

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Tree, a darling restaurant that recently opened in the East Village, is firmly rooted in classic French cuisine. The name is a tribute to the trees in its 1,200-square-foot garden patio. Our warm and engaged server immediately made us feel like we belonged in the snug 30-seat space. Co-owners Colm Clancy and Andrew Robinson (who is also the chef) have transformed former restaurant Brunetta's into a joyful pied-à-terre, erecting a wood bar, tiling the floors and painting the walls a soft lemon yellow. Robinson's rustic, homemade country pâté ($6), served with toast points, sharp mustard and cornichons, is hugely satisfying. While sweetly fragrant French onion soup ($6) is unabashedly dished up with a thick mantle of cheese, the mesclun salad with poached eggs and tiny cubes of lardons ($12) is tossed with vinaigrette, giving a whole new meaning to eggs and bacon. And what's not to like about a perfectly cooked steak ($23) with crisp frites and haricots verts, great French wine and Serge Gainsbourg crooning on the stereo? Hearty dishes like cassoulet ($16) with duck confit and fresh bacon will be spared from the menu in summer for lighter fare, especially fish, but we hope the custard-based Alsatian apple tart ($7) and lovely crème brûlée ($7) will be available year-round. 190 First Ave., (212) 358-7171. Julie Besonen

Here's a report from PAPER special correspondent Gary Pini...

The limos were lined up on Madison Avenue last night for the opening of Takashi Murakami's first show for the Gagosian Gallery. Lots of Japanese media and Upper East Side $$$ (plus several members of the Scissor Sisters) contemplated the artist’s latest work -- paintings that seemed specifically geared for the high-brow crowd. Those expecting more of his familiar cartoon style, as cleverly used by Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, may be disappointed. The exhibit is on view until June 9 at 980 Madison Ave.

Stopped at Rockefeller Center to check out the temporary one-hole golf course with a big water trap set up by The Players Championship. You can try it beginning May 4th (until the 13th) or just watch other people embarrass themselves. Walked by the Apple Store on 59th and was quickly admonished by a security guard for getting too close to the glass structure. They have a guard posted at each corner 24/7. I guess it saves on Windex.

Had good potato salad and a cheeseburger at Stand (24 E. 12th St.) before heading over to Webster Hall for Peter Bjorn and John + Fujiya & Miyagi. The latter currently have the #5 tune on the latest "music discovery" site CriticalMetrics.com with a catchy song called "Ankle Injuries."

Here at MMBlog, the hunt for international cuties of both sexes never ends, which is why we were happy to recently stumble upon Evgeny Lebedev a London-based Russian who is the president of the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation. This photo from Tatler is not so gorgeous, but the better photo in Point de Vue was too small to scan well. MM knows you kids don't care how choppy the water is, you just want Mr. Mickey to bring home the boat. His father is one of Russia's super rich oligarchs who are to the 2000s what the Saudi Princes were to the 1980s.

Photo from Tatler Magazine.

Two of my favorite artists -- who I am lucky enough to also call friends -- just finished their websites, and I can finally show off why I love these two women and what they do. Go and look at both of these sites and really spend some time looking at what they do.

1) Karen Kimmel is one of the most amazing artists I have ever met. Her work is brilliant and really hard to explain to people. Whenever I try to explain it I realize that its useless unless you experience it. Her work is performative and experiential. She carries through her amazing pristine modern visual aesthetic into everything she does but that is really only the surface of her work. I wont try to explain it... just go and look at her "social sculptures." These are situations that she sets up with very vigorously defined boundaries and aesthetics but she invites others to enter the experience and make decisions/choices that effect the end art product. She, in essence, gives away control of some of the art decision-making and then takes the results back and repurposes it into her art. Hard to explain. Just go and look. Its amazing. Look at her site here. Spend some quality time really exploring what she does. It is mindbending.

2) My other favorite artist who I can't stop talking/writing about is the San-Francisco-based artist Tauba Auerbach whose work is incredible. Auerbach's inspiration is the alphabet and language. She has done everything from spelling out the alphabet (see above) to alphabatizing the bible (REALLY!). Her work is extraordinary and a treat to look at it all on her amazing site. Check out her new website. It's also a mind-blower.

I just got back yesterday morning from an amazing weekend at Coachella. During the three-day-long festival I had the extreme pleasure of staying with the Brazilian cuties of CSS. We partied and played all weekend (and I even saw some great music in between). Other celebrities and musicians that I saw (and that were seen) include Amy Winehouse and Kelly Osbourne walking hand in hand, Vincent Gallo, Jeremy Scott, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore (talking to Arcade Fire and then making out with an Arctic Monkey), Perry Farrell, Courtney Love, Jason Statham (actor from Snatch and The Transporter), Danny DeVito, Lindsay Lohan, Steve Aoki, Mark Hunter, Cory Kennedy, Busy Phillips and Scarlett Johansson (singing with the Jesus & Mary Chain and then later driving home with Cameron Diaz).

My favorite siting by far was Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz. I was eating a slice of pizza in the shade of the press tent when he walked by. I didn't know what I was doing at the time but I suddenly yelled out "Hey!" with a stuffed mouth. He smiled and walked over, at which point I didn't know what else to do but smile and blurt out with a mouth full of food that I loved his band.

(Above two photos of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire and Lily Allen and her boyfriend)

Click below to see the first insallment of my Coachella photo extravaganza:

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On Monday night, for the opening party for the new music venue the Highline Ballroom (owned and operated by the bigwigs behind The Blue Note and B.B. King’s), Lou Reed strolled onstage wearing a Helmut Lang-style slashed tee, baggy blue jeans and trainers. What? However, those used to his black leather pants and black shirt (“I mean, he is born for the black and white photograph,” said my friend) were not let down by his other two famous character traits: the supercilious grin and outrageous confidence.

His band, most of whom were the musicians who played on 1992’s Magic and Loss -- including the sensational Jane Scarpantoni on cello -- were so tight that the absence of drums was irrelevant. The crowd, a mixture of music industry types and rabid fans, were stoically indifferent to the scrappy support band, Okkervil River. Reed owned the space, ordering the sound guys, smoke machine operator and the audience around with his deep growl. Songs were mostly culled from Magic and Loss, Ecstasy and The Raven -- in other words, for hardcore Lou Reed fans only. Usually, that kind of set list entices blowhards to yell crap like “Sweet Jane!” and “Venus In Furs!” in between songs, but last night, it only happened once, and the Great One did not flinch. (When I saw him on tour for Magic and Loss, he threatened to walk off stage if they didn’t “shut the fuck up.” He left fifteen minutes later).

An hour into the set, Reed sat down at a Moog and read excerpts from Andy Warhol’s diary, in which Warhol blasts Reed for ignoring him and not inviting him to his wedding; then, to everyone’s shock and excitement, John Zorn walked onstage, and the whole thing became a delirious jam session. The set ended at midnight. In a rock 'n' roll frenzy we’ve not experienced for a long time, my friend and I snatched the set-lists off the stage and rolled out to keep drinking.

Photographs by Eugenia Park.

File this under: "If I Lived In New York I'd Be There!"

Director Stephen Kijak's documentary about the famous troubadour-turned-recluse Scott Walker opens in New York City today! I really do wish I could be there -- but hopefully it will play in L.A. soon!

I first met Stephen years ago when we were both working on the indie film Ghostlight. I knew of Scott Walker and was a big fan, but it wasn't until Stephen handed me a tape (yes, we still listened to tapes back then! Still do actually...) full of very obscure Scott Walker tunes that I became a fanatic. Similar fanatics appear in Stephen's doc, Scott Walker – 30 Century Man", including executive producer David Bowie, who, I am told, may grace the red carpet at Wednesday's premiere. Other folks who sing the praises of Walker include Allison Goldfrapp, Johnny Marr, Jarvis Cocker and Marc Almond (who I went to see at the Bowery Ballroom with Stephen. Almond gave a mind-boggling performance worthy of Walker -- with a big dose of Judy thrown in!)

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Name: Annette Piazza

Age: 26

Title: Magazine intern

Hometown: Newtown, PA

School: The Art Institute of Philadelphia

Best thing about interning at PAPER: The people that work here; everyone is so nice, and willing to help you out and teach you things.

The worst: Updating contact databases!

Fave PAPER cover and why: Fergie, August 2005. I just love her look. I'm a fashion major so I look at the clothes!

Fave PAPER person and why: I have to pick two -- Mickey because he is just way too funny. He says whatever he wants and I love it. Also Diane, because she is so nice and gave me this great opportunity.

Where do you see yourself in five years: Hopefully working in this crazy industry we call fashion; whether it's at a magazine, or for a designer, I just want to do something I love...

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Sunday night was the opening of the new Broadway musical Legally Blonde, based on the movie and the novel (news to me) of the same name. The buzz at the after-party (held at Cipriani 42nd Street) was that it was very entertaining, and for the most part, the reviews that came out yesterday echoed the same sentiment. Ben Brantley of The New York Times said: "But unlike such deadweight musicals as “Footloose,” “Saturday Night Fever” and “Lestat,” “Legally Blonde” never threatens to put you to sleep. On the contrary, its cast members emanate a wired, attention-fixing tirelessness that suggests they have all been subsisting on Red Bull (Elle’s favorite drink, given a jokey product-placement moment in the show)."

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Who doesn't love this movie? Director Michael Powell and his writing/producing partner Emeric Pressberger are genius cinematic wizards! So is their cinematographer/art director/production designer/costume designer. Post-war ballet rocks!

Two good Korean horror films from Tartan Video you should check out. The Ghost is an above average chiller about a sociology student suffering from amnesia. When some her of grade school chums start mysteriously drowning, she realizes it’s tied into what she can’t recall and there’s a very pissed off water-logged ghost out for revenge so she better remember fast. There are some nice twists to this one.

In Cinderella, a 17-year-old girl is home from school to stay with her mom, a plastic surgeon. But when her girlfriends start suddenly disfiguring themselves (with shards of broken mirrors and sculpting knives) it might be tied to a dark secret mom’s got hidden in the basement. Stylish to a fault but still good, grisly fun.

In his travels on the Internet, Mr. Mickey has stumbled upon some exciting British aristocracy develpments in the form of Frederick, Marquess of Bristol. Frederick is the youngest Marquess in all the UK (he's 28). His sisters Lady Victoria and Lady Isabella Hervey are in some ways the Hilton sisters of London and get lots of tabloid attention. We're always so excited to stumble onto cute young artistos here at MMBlog and we know you are too!

Photo from The Tatler.

YIKES! Happy May Day? No wonder NASA wants to keep those commies off the moon! But wait a minute, are the Russians even commies anymore? And with everyone scrambling to get their business into China, what does that make them? Or us? One thing is for sure, if these two superpowers team up we're all having Kung Pow Stroganoff for din-din. But what are the folks on YouTube saying?

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In most cities in the USA, public art usually means installing ugly plastic cows in the parks for (mostly) bad local artists to paint on. Ya know, family values, etc. But In New York City, thanks to Creative Time, (now celebrating its 33rd birthday) public art has always meant something entirely different. With Creative Time's support, public art in New York has celebrated what make our city different from every other city in our country. The grit, the crime, the scale, the power, the diversity and the joy we New Yorkers always had living in this crazy place. Our public art celebrated it all!

You see, many of us New Yorkers used to feel like outsiders living in our own country here in NY. We'd come here on pilgrimages (with nothing but 50 bucks in our pockets) as creative outcasts from small towns everywhere where people looked at us funny and didn't understand us. Many of us were creative outcasts -- we were flamboyant gays, we were fashion-loving heteros, we were eccentric, we were sophisticated, we were intellectuals, we were political, we were left wing, we were literate, we were party-ers, we took drugs at after hours clubs, we smoked pot on the street, we hung onto the back of taxis on our roller skates, we stepped over bums sleeping in our doorways when we came home at night, we saw movie stars in the deli when we went out to buy cigarettes at two in the morning. New York was that kind of amazing place. And Creative Time was there to celebrate this all. They sponsored "art on the beach" in the deserted sandy space at the foot of the World Trade Center towers in the '80s. They invited artists to celebrate the amazing Times Square (when it was threatened by developers) by painting the grills and billboards in the '90s. They sponsored the wonderful Dreamland artist project to repaint the old peeling signs in Coney island a few years ago. And so much more.

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One of Mr. Mickey's favorite Spanish glamour couples is Beltran Gomez-Acebo (son of the Duchess of Badajoz, nephew of the King) and his wife, former model Laura Ponte. Here they are at the Laureus Awards in Barcelona. These awards honor excellence in sports. In the photo Beltran and Laura are chatting with dancer Joaquin Cortes. MM thinks it doesn't look like Joaquin but that's how he's identified in Hola! where MM got this image.

Some of you might be asking yourself why Mr. Mickey showcases so many Spanish cuties. Well the answer is that Mr. Mickey lived for two years in Madrid, and Spain is still very close to MM's gay heart! Still, Mr. Mickey is always looking for cuties of other nationalities to serve up to you loyal and devoted MMBloggers!!!

Photo from Hola! magazine.

Struggling for that perfect Mother's Day gift? How about going to www.herobuilders.com and picking up a Britney Spears action figure: OOPS I DID IT AGAIN! This just makes me insane -- I love it so much!

1. It's an exciting time to be English. Kate Moss’s Top Shop line debuts tomorrow! According to Reuters, “To try prevent fights among shoppers when the doors open, each person will be able to buy only five items.”

2. Apparently, Vanity Fair is running a “yoga spread” with high-profile yogaphiles (Donna Karan, Sting and Trudie Styler, Ali MacGraw, etc.) for their June issue. Doesn’t that seem very 1997 to you?

3. Ben Brantley gives new musical Legally Blonde a pretty middling review in the Times today calling it superficial, potentially anti-lesbian and compares watching the show to eating candy. While a cute comparison, he took the candy metaphor and ran with it in a serious way. In the first three grafs alone, he mentions that audience members might want to floss between songs, and dropped M&Ms, Hershey’s, empty-calories, Gummi-Bears and “confectionary charms.” We get it, it’s candy-like. No need to hit us over the head.

4. We’ve never heard of a SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring) bracelet before, but apparently Tracy Morgan has to wear one! A result of a DUI charge and a subsequent probation violation, Morgan will have to wear a SCRAM for the next 90 days that will check his blood alcohol content every 30 minutes. How Orwellian! Now that Alec Baldwin may not return to 30 Rock for a second season, we especially hope that Morgan doesn’t mess up and drink, because a 30 Rock without Baldwin and Morgan would be no 30 Rock at all!

5. So long dodgeball, hello Dance Dance Revolution. According to the New York Times, gym teachers across the country are using the Japanese video game Dance Dance Revolution in P.E. classes. The article suggests that “more than 1,500 schools are expected to be using the game by the end of the decade.”

6. Tonight’s the opening of the Pete Wentz/Gym Class Heroes bar in the East Village… Look out for Wentz’s GF Ashlee Simpson on Avenue A.

7. Feist’s The Reminder received a whopping score of 8.8 on Pitchfork today. Go, Feist, go!

You MMBloggers know that Mr. Mickey loves a show biz dynasty and that's what you're looking at in the this photo of Antonio Banderas en familia who spent Holy Week in Malaga. From left to right we have Antonio and Melanie Griffith's daughter Stella del Carmen, Mama Melanie, Dakota Johnson (Melanie's daughter with actor Don Johnson) and Papa Antonio. Missing is Melanie's son Alexander, son of hunky actor Steven Bauer (and godson of legendary ladies' man Warren Beatty). Sourpusses didn't think the Antonio and Melanie marriage would last but Mr. Mickey thinks this is a very sweet and modern looking family!!!

Photo from Hola!

British/Italian designer Allegra Hicks, whose flagship store opened in London's ritzy Knightsbridge neighborhood nine years ago, has found an equally well-to-do nook in Manhattan. On a recent trip to Hicks's new eponymous boutique, a perfectly put-together woman (I gathered, a society lady) was buying a beachy, beige tunic for a dinner party. Another -- nanny and baby stroller in tow -- searched for a white dress for a wedding in the Bahamas, and another hastily tried on triple-digit-priced items to wear that very night. It's true that Hicks's price points ($255 and up) can be exclusive, but her style doesn't discriminate: lots of sparkly cocktail wear, long printed dresses, patent-leather T-strap sandals (designed by Hicks in collaboration with Ferragamo) and breezy kaftans (a signature Allegra item), in bold colors like fuchsia, marigold and turquoise for women of any age. Aside from clothes, the store offers home accessories, such as a pair of fire-engine-red candles shaped like barren trees and matching dining trays. Hicks keeps things personal, with items like eye-catching Venetian-glass rings made by her friends at Leg and Brain and a children's book written by her husband, Ashley (who also designed the shop). To compliment the collection, Allegra has written The Getaway, a photo-illustrated comic book about a frustrated housewife who escapes from her humdrum life to team up with a hot bank robber wearing Allegra Hicks. And that's just what her clothes are made for -- a getaway, whether running off to a party or the beach. Allegra Hicks outfits your fantasy. 1007 Madison Ave., (212) 249-4241.

Sure, its been 13 years since Kurt Cobain left the building, but his pajamas are still keeping Courtney's buns warm at night. No more, says Love. She has decided to auction off his belongings at Christie's. She tells Spinner: "[My house] is like a mausoleum. My daughter [14-year-old Frances Bean] doesn't need to inherit a giant hefty bag full of flannel f***ing shirts ... A sweater, a guitar and the lyrics to 'Teen Spirit' -- that's what my daughter gets. And the rest of it we'll just f***ing sell."

Does this announcement, once again trafficking on the Cobain legacy, have anything to do with the fact that Love has a new record, Nobody's Daughter, about to drop in which she looks back at some of her celebrated affairs with Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan and Ed Norton. I'll leave it for you, dear reader, to decide.

"I still wear his pajamas to bed," she says. "How am I ever going to go form another relationship in my lifetime wearing Kurt's pajamas?"

OK, well maybe there are some other reasons she has not moved on to another relationship besides Kurt's pajamas. Like her personality and destructive habits. Seems like she still hasn't learned to take responsibility for her actions.

Here she is photographed with daughter Francis Bean Cobain.

Normally, Mr. Mickey, being a devoted royalist, tries to steer clear of these kinds of stories and photos but in this case, it's to editorialize a bit. Princess Beatrice of York was spotted all boozed up coming out of the London club Boujis at 3:15 a.m. according to the Daily Mail. Drunkeness aside, Beatrice looks pretty great. Now Mr. Mickey understands that the kids want to have a good time, but it looks bad for the family business to get hopped up in public and create a scene. Beatrice is certainly not giving Prince Harry a run for his money. Harry's behavior has been pretty shocking with his drunken attack on paparazzi. Yes the photographers overstep their bounds and are practically stalkers. Still, if these royals want to get drunk or carry on, they can do the dirty work in private. Mr. Mickey is not saying they don't deserve to have fun, MM just wishes they wouldn't be a mess in front of the cameras.

The other night I went to see the new Broadway play Coram Boy, which is still in previews, and I loved it! It opened last year to rave reviews on the West End and will open on Broadway May 2nd with an all new American cast.

I’m not a religious girl but I’m a sucker for Handel’s Messiah, which is sung throughout the play by a full choir in the rafters of the stage. I recently caught up with one of the stars of the show, cutie Wayne Wilcox, during tech week. He plays the grown-up Alexander Ashbrook, who runs away from his family responsibilities at the age of 15 to study music under Handel, leaving a mess behind at his family’s estate. He was terribly charming and after seeing the performance I'm convinced he's terribly talented as well. He starred earlier this year in the Roundabout’s production of Suddenly Last Summer and he’s also well known for playing Marty on Gilmore Girls. He's also very generous! And after we spoke, the Tennessee native sent me some of his favorite Vosges chocolates! Here's a window into our love connection. (OK, that's wistful thinking.)

How old are you?

I’m 28.

What’s your theatrical training?

I went to Boston University -- there are actually three of us from BU in the cast.

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Poor Nicolas Cage -- his new sci-fi action movie Next opens to universal pans and then this hilarious video round-up of his best/worse scenes from The Wicker Man, with either Cage screaming, punching women in the face or over-acting wildly. Anyway, this made me laugh all weekend!

Every year, young, super-innovative fashion hopefuls gather from around the world in the south of France in Hyeres for a competition that has become legendary. I've always wanted to go but have never had the time to actually do this... It is such an inspiring gathering of young creatives/talent, fashion lovers, talent scouts and enlightened fashion press. This spectacular annual gathering is called the Hyeres Festival of Fashion and Photography and took place this past weekend in a villa tucked away on a hill.

The final competition this year down to ten designers and ten photographers from countries like Sweden, Belgium, Germany, the UK, Japan and France. The jury is led by Christian Lacroix and also includes designer Kim Jones and other art directors and members of the non-mainstream fashion press (Dazed and Confused, Tank). Additionally, the festival offers alternative fashion-centric conferences, catwalk shows, parties and exhibitions. The best way to find out what went on there is through my friend Diane Pernet's blog (A Shaded View on Fashion). Check out her coverage of Hyeres 2007 here.

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Mathilde of the Belgians is one of Mr. Mickey's favorite Crown Princesses and you can see why here. Look at the leopard print. What about that bold accessory choice?

Photo from Hello! magazine.

There is a certain hubris in calling your new posh hotel the Bowery. For about the past 400 years, the street has primarily been associated with lowlife, heavy drinking, homelessness and Joey Ramone. Now, Sean MacPherson and Eric Goode have set up shop, and if anyone can change the Bowery's reputation, it's them. The two are the media-blitz sophisticates behind the Waverly Inn, the Park and the Maritime Hotel, Chelsea's converted Covenant House. The latter's nautical-themed and opium den-decorated basement has made it incredibly popular over the years. Like the Maritime, the Bowery is rumored to feature an Italian restaurant, but this time the overall theme is 19th-century Black Forest hunting lodge. It's beautiful. And, by the way, it makes Freemans seem minimalist by com-parison. (Freemans honcho Taavo Somer is an architect of the restaurant, and it looks like he's really indulged himself here.) If you like taxidermy, deep woodsy colors, smoky oil paintings and a real live fireplace, look no further. As of press time, the hotel is still under construction, although it is definitely open for business. On a recent visit, even the waitstaff seemed impressed. “If you like this, you should see the bar upstairs,” my waitress said breathlessly. “It's gorgeous." 335 Bowery, (212) 505-9100. Jonathan Durbin