Did anyone catch 60 Minutes on Sunday night? Segment 3 was an interview with the redoubtable Anna Wintour. For those not in the know, AW is the elfin fashionista extraordinnaire who has ruled the fashion world for the last two decades atop the throne of the “House of Vogue“.

She is also the supposed template for horribly pretentious Miranda Priestley character in “The Devil Wears Prada” (a view Meryl Streep incidentally denies – she claims she based Priestley more on the soft spoken “Dirty Harry” character – and on re-examination of the film, its a fairly accurate claim).

Wintour spoke and purred in diminutive tones, as if the very slightness of her demeanour is enough to cower each lowly Dior wannabe into total and utter submission. She put paid to those gorgeous rumours that one was not to even look at her direction in the elevator, much less open one’s mouth.

She explained the wide glasses, a sort of Holly Gollightly on acid look, were essentially a shield to prevent prying eyes from seeing an upturned eyelid of disapproval at the numerous fashion shows she attends each year. In some $200, 000 for ‘clothing allowance’ on top of her editor-in-chief salary paid by Vogue (and Vanity Fair) Conde Nast.

All told, it was a fascinating, surreal entertainment, seeing the ‘real world’ person bought to life – and explaining quite well and effectively I thought – that most of the things written about her are actually really true.

Lines blurred yet again.

I’ve just edited my first piece of content on Wikipedia. Depending on your viewpoint, its amazing that it’s taken this long to make this passage to inner geekness. Even more so once you find out what I’ve edited.

To see my entry, go to the episode review for American Dad, then the season 1 cultural references for Roger Codger (who wants to be bothered contributing to boring plot summaries).

Mine is the last entry about Larry David – which for some strange reason, I can’t believe wasn’t shown here originally. Oh well!

For those of you like me, who possess an unending curiosity for movies and importantly, HOW they are actually made, this is practically El Dorado. The blog Mystery Man on Film has uncovered a transcript from a 5 day series of brainstorming sessions between George Lucas, Stephen Spielburg and young writer gun for hire at the time, Lawrence Kasdan.

The result is sheer delight for anyone who wants to understand the screenwriting process, and how plot, character, pacing, exposition, structure and story all intersect on that cosmic plane we call movie magic. It doesnt happen often, but when it does, it’s an amazing joy to behold. The site has a further link to either PDFs, or a HTML version.

Check out the link to Mystery Man’s blog here, also spend some time around his site – he has some fantastic film and movie screenwriting resource links here, not to mention writing blogs to a stack of his mates and acquintances. Thanks also to AICN where I first spotted this gem.

We had some after work drinks last week – trying to establish a work GLBTI initative. We had quite a respectable tunout at the inaugural “Southern Cross Stars” networking event at Hotel Chambers.

I can’t precisely recall (actually I can but I’m not in a position to repeat it) but we got on to the subject of Australia’s most notorious soap of the 1970s, Number 96. Not many people at the table remember the show – however, I remember it being only a young whippersnapper myself. It was lewd, crude and one of those utterly adorable shows that you had to ’sneak’ a viewing of – especially if you were a young person. “Officially” it was banned in our house – so my sister used to pretend to go to bed then try to view if over our parents lounge chairs.

One of the things I DO recall quite fondly was local gossip Dorrie Evans, shamelessly and totally played OTT by veteran Aussie actress Pat McDonald. She really was the grandmother of Kath Day Knight – her most common phrase being;

“Why wasnt I told”

This expression since became the lightning rod for every local gossip on the planet. She also had a variety of malopropisms, the most famous of which were;

“It’s enough to drive a body beresk.”

“I am quite ardamant about that.”

“Speaking for myself, personally, alone…”

“I prefer to remain ambiguous.”

“It is a well-known fact.”

“That is all my eye and Mary Martin.”

“Life is not always a bowl of cherubs.”

“That is a horse of an entirely different colour.”

“Pardon me for protruding…”

“We’ve passed a lot of water under that bridge”

Thanks to Ian McLean for Dorrie’s sayings and photos.

Comden and Green’s lyrics (about New York) never seemed more prescient;

A town’s a lonely town
When you pass through
And there is no one waiting there for you
Then it’s a lonely town

Well she is now. Whoever would have thought that Miss Brahms would have gone before Mrs Slocombe?

Sad news today that Grace Bros favourite “cockney knockers” tart Wendy Richards has gone to the great department store in the sky. Bone cancer apparently. She amassed a second generation of fans from her time on Eastenders.

But to me, she will always be the object of the resident Lothario Mr Lucas and his lustful longings across the perfume counter.

Hooray for Hollywood, that screwy, bally hooey Hollywood.
Where any office boy or young mechanic can be a panic with just a good looking pan.

Fortunately for us, Hugh Jackman and Heath Ledger who in their own ways owned last night’s 81st Oscar show, had both good looking pans (ie faces) as well as talent talent talent to boot.

Heath – long expected to have the Best Supporting gong in his back pocket after his maniacially diabolical turn as the Joker in Chris Nolan’s smash, the Dark Knight – was emphatically endorsed by the New York Times as a no brainer contest for picking up the prize. His family’s simple eloquence on accpeting the award will go down as one of the quintessential Oscar moments that you will see again and again on future repeats.

Now to Mr Jackman – who I thought did an outstanding job. The job of the host is to ENTERTAIN – and Hugh ( by virtue of being the best actor- singer-dancer combination in Hollywood today – come on – who else do you think could have pulled off what he did) rose to the occasion magnificently. Forget the whole cheesy cruise ship references some of the more acerbic US critics have savaged him with today – he was brilliant!

Line of the night – Natalie Portman – to a bearded Ben Stiller made to look like the current ravaged rap artist Joaquin Phoenix seems to have morphed into:

“You look like you’ve come from a Hasidic meth lab”

Hilarious!

If you didnt happen to catch the telecast (or even if you did) check out Ken Levine’s hysterical review of the night here on Huff Post. Believe me you WON’T be disappointed – a brief  sample being:

Benjamin Button did win “Best Make-Up.” They made Brad Pitt look younger. The real trick is to do that with Goldie Hawn.

Congratulations to Penelope Cruz. Even with subtitles she won. Expect to see Will Smith in the next seven Woody Allen movies until he gets his.

I will have to get along to see Slumdog Millionaire very soon. Hard to think it was slated to head straight to DVD in the US – although given most Americans  display a cultural ignorance of anything more sophisticated than grits and Southern Fried Chicken – not that surprising.

I’ve also included a link to the colour co-ordinated slideshow from the NY Times so you can compare all the hags and their frocks!

Moving away from the tragic events of the past few days back to a more flippant normality – which unfortunately seems to have been the unintended theme of the cultural posts I’ve done to date – I dare you – I double dare you – to spot the rather obvious error above?

Spotted it yet?

He’s just NOT that into you?

or

He’s just not that into YOU?

Think of it people – where should the emphasis be? Of course it should be on the YOU - ie the girl/person/object – which presumably the whole point of this next big DCF (that’s DICK CHICK FLICK*) - which incidentally has not drawn that many positive reviews since its release.

Yes yes – I realise I’m probably being super pedantic. But hey, as one of my idols is fond of saying;

“Yes – I AM a high maintenace pendadist. But I think you gotta be”

Detail counts. Remember that.

* come on – there are GUYS in this as well!