>> The Switch
>> Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
>> The Other Guys
>> Salt
>> Inception
>> Cyrus
>> The Last Airbender
>> Grown Ups
>> Toy Story 3
>> The Human Centipede

Opening 9.10.10
>> Resident Evil: Afterlife (R) [trailer]
>> Bran Nue Dae (Limited) (Not Rated) [trailer]
>> Heartbreaker (Limited) (Not Rated) [trailer]
>> I'm Still Here (Limited) (Not Rated) [trailer]
>> Legendary (Limited) (PG-13) [trailer]
>> Lovely, Still (Limited) (PG) [trailer]
>> The Romantics (Limited) (PG-13)
>> The Virginity Hit (Limited) (R) [trailer]

Coming To DVD/Blu-Ray 9.7.10
>> Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season [buy]
>> The Office: Season Six [buy]
>> Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season [buy]
>> Jillian Michaels: Shred-It With Weights [buy]
>> Criminal Minds: Fifth Season [buy]

Las Vegas: Satan Vacations Here
by Victoria Alexander
July 3, 2006

Awesome triumph “Love” at The Mirage, Cirque du Soleil Rules The Strip!, Bodies…The Exhibition at Tropicana, The Great, Shocking Joan Rivers at Tropicana, Stripper 101, Bobbi Katz, VooDoo Risin at Rio, Cleopatra Not a Suicide?, Grindhouse Film Festival, Actors Expo at UNLV, Nudity on the High Seas, and more...

2004XP14. An asteroid, designated 2004 XP14, was discovered on Dec. 10, 2004 and is possibly as large as a half-mile or more in diameter and is, as you read this, rapidly approaching the Earth. The space rock is making an exceptionally close approach to our planet early today, July 3rd, passing just beyond the Moon's average distance from Earth.

Nuclear Terrorist Attack for July 4th? If the asteroid misses Earth, there is always something else. It hasn’t happened yet but there is still one more day to go for this Nuclear Terrorist prophecy to be fulfilled. The Lords’ Witnesses Bible Scholars have issued a press release advising that there will be a Nuclear Terrorist Attack (“NTA”) on the United Nations between June 29 and July 4. They advise everyone with faith in God to be at least 20 miles away from Midtown Manhattan between Sundown Thursday June 29th and Sundown Tuesday July 4th 2006.

The LW Bible Scholars have deduced this potential tragedy of biblical proportions from the symbolic interpretation of several bible accounts. They rely mainly on 1 Kings 18, 1 Thessalonians 5, Exodus 13 & 14, Revelation 13, Isaiah 2 and Joel 2. For more on the code see www.truebiblecode.com/understanding49.html

Bodies…The Exhibition at Tropicana. On Tuesday, June 27th, I went to the opening of “Bodies…The Exhibition” at the Tropicana Resort and Casino that showcases 21 whole-body specimens and more than 260 organs and partial body specimens. It was amazing, fascinating, and scary. Trust me: People look much better when alive clothed in skin. I am now in awe of surgeons. As far as I was concerned, it was a harrowing experience. Now that I know, I’m going to coddle my body like a rare Chinese porcelain vase. No more binge drinking, illegal drugs, and weekends without sleep.

“Bodies…The Exhibition” features real human bodies that have been meticulously dissected, preserved through an innovative process and respectfully presented, giving visitors the opportunity to view the complexity of their own organs and systems.

“Your body is the only thing that you carry with you from the moment you are born until your last breath. Yet we know surprisingly little about ourselves,” said Dr. Roy Glover, Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Michigan and Chief Medical Director for the Exhibition. “For centuries, this world has been off-limits to the public – open only to doctors and medical professionals. Now, for the first time, we are allowing the public to see it for themselves, up-close and personal. Have you ever wondered what’s underneath your skin? After seeing this Exhibition, you will finally know.”

If you dare. Yes, it was beautifully done and the exhibition is stunning, but I’m still thinking about it. The displayed fetuses, in various stages of development, is eerily thought-provoking. Bits of veins and arteries are displayed like fine art.

Tickets to BODIES…The Exhibition are available at the Tropicana Box Office. Ticket prices are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors, $15 for children 12 and under, and $21 for Nevada residents and Tropicana Hotel guests. The Exhibition is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with last admission at 9 p.m. For additional information or to reserve tickets by phone, call 702-739-2411or by visiting www.bodiestickets.com.

Publicist-Journalist Bobbi Katz. The vivacious Bobbi (pictured) hosted a terrific evening at the Kiss Lounge for “The Platters” lead singer Curtis Bridgeforth. I was there until 1:30AM! Diana Ross is Curtis’ muse and he honors her with a fabulous tour through four decades of her music. Curtis has put together a sensational seven-piece band and, with two of his Platters singers, gives a concert that rivals featured acts on The Strip. Curtis, unlike pop singers who hate to sing, absolutely loves performing! This is one of the best intimate evenings of terrific songs with an entertainer whose strong voice brings another dimension to Miss Ross’ classic music.

Bridgeforth’s show (pictured) is at the Kiss Lounge on West Sahara off Decatur Blvd. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. and the show begins at 10:30 p.m. From 10-10:30 p.m., audiences will be treated to a multi-media presentation highlighting Ross’ and Bridgeforth’s careers. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door or by calling 702-235-2036. Five dollars from each ticket will be donated to diabetes research.

Stripper 101. Because Las Vegas producer David Saxe is an “entertainment philanthropist” who aims to serve bored housewives (anonymous wife pictured), he has opened the first striptease dance studio - Stripper 101 - in the Desert Passage Mall at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino. Stripper 101 gives women the opportunity to learn stripper moves without collecting dollar bills and getting touched inappropriately by strangers. Stripper 101 has a higher mission: Women will be able to unleash their inner bombshell with striptease cardio and pole dancing.

Stripper 101 classes cover more than 25 floor moves. Actual exotic dance moves used in Las Vegas gentleman’s clubs are taught, as well as choreography with boas, chairs and poles. During the class each student will have the chance to master the Sin City stripper pole. Classes are held Thursday – Saturday at 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Stripper 101 studio above the V Theater in the Desert Passage Mall at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino. http://davidsaxe.com/

Love at The Mirage. Last Wednesday, June 28th, was the VIP opening of “Love” that officially opened on June 30th. Friends who had been to preview performances told me it was a sensation they fully intended to see over and over again. They were right. It was joyful! It was breathtaking! You want to “Love” everyone. I finally understood the impact of The Beatles music on the world. It was an artistic revelation.

First, the 2,000 seat theater is spectacular. I was sitting in the last row in the Upper Orchestra in Section 208. Every seat in the 360° circular theater is perfect. There are gigantic panoramic video projections and huge moving screens. I have never seen anything like this.

There is theater and then there is Cirque du Soleil - with “Love” it is “Event Theater.” Cirque’s “Love,” under the direction of writer and director Dominic Champagne, has created an intimacy that engages the audience. More than 6,000 speakers in a theater bring a dazzling audio experience that makes the Beatles music profoundly lavish. The acoustics are sensational. This is Cirque's fifth standing show on the Strip and, while I have only seen “O” and “Mystère,” (my Cirque wish list includes "KÁ" at the MGM Grand and “Zumanity” at the New York, New York Hotel Casino) with “Love,” it continues to create an entirely new concept of theater.

Even if you have seen a Cirque du Soleil show before, this one is entirely unique.

“Love” evokes the exuberant spirit of The Beatles as imagined through a prism of a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale. Once again, as with the other Cirque shows I have seen, a small bed prominently evokes a fairy tale dreamscape. Champagne has designed a production that is crowded with a youthful, urban energy utilizing a cast of 60 international artists. There are spectacular show pieces, with aerialists gliding through the air, and especially one that uses every audience member to…I will not spoil your surprise.

“Love” is wonderful and I left the theater loving Las Vegas because this production could only exist here. Cirque rules The Strip and has changed it forever. “Love” is joy. The ending is exhilarating. Since my husband John was in Vietnam on Wednesday filming a documentary, I will be seeing “Love” again very soon.

I missed the backstage tech tour on Thursday that I heard was awesome. And to think I would have tried talking someone into letting me get into a harness and fly around to “Lady Madonna”! Ah, next time…

Beginning July 2, 2006, performances are held Thursday through Monday at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. There are no performances on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Lower Orchestra seats are $150, Upper Orchestra seats are $125, Lower Balcony $99, and Upper Balcony $69. http://www.mirage.com/

VooDoo Risin at Rio. On the 51st floor of the Rio All-Suite Hotel, the VooDoo Risin lounge celebrated its one-year anniversary with a party on June 29th. It’s always a pleasure going to VooDoo. Bartenders concocted specialty tropical drinks – that blue one was especially potent - and, as always, the view of the Strip is incredible through the huge windows in the lounge or from the outdoor crowded terrace. The VooDoo party music was provided by DJ L1, Kriscut and Joey Mazzola, and the Voodoo Dolls dance team.

Cleopatra Not a Suicide? Was Cleopatra murdered? I recently watched a Discovery Channel program, “The Mysterious Death of Cleopatra,” that theorizes Cleopatra was not a suicide but was murdered by her arch-rival, Roman conqueror Octavius (posthumously adopted by Julius Caesar in his will). Cleopatra VII inherited the throne of Egypt at age 17, killed two brother-husbands, and famously had Julius Caesar’s only biological son, Caesarion, and three children with Marc Antony (twins and another son).

Cleopatra’s suicide by snakebite is now challenged by cold case criminal profiler Pat Brown and a team of experts that included an underwater archaeologist and a toxicologist.

Using techniques of 21st century criminal investigations, they reconstructed the 2,000-year-old death scene (which is now submerged beneath Alexandria harbor) and offer the theory that Octavius decided against parading a chained Cleopatra through Rome as a slave as was the popular practice.

Cleopatra decided on suicide after her upcoming role in Octavian's triumph was "carefully explained to her." Octavius decided on murder instead of a victorious entry into Rome with his reviled enemy?

Remember those “Dazed, Drugged, and Dirty” photos of Saddam Hussein being pulled from a spider hole? He had $750,000 in US currency with him but he didn’t have one friend who would put him up for the night. Who ratted out Saddam for the $25 million reward? How about those humiliating photos of him having his mouth checked for contraband?

Back to Cleopatra…Instead, says Brown, Octavius decided against displaying Cleopatra and had his soldiers kill her and her two handmaidens. According to history, which Brown disputes, Marc Antony killed himself after being defeated by Octavius at Actium. In any case, it is historical fact that Cleopatra lived for some weeks after Antony's death and met Octavius on at least one occasion. When she realized that Octavius was determined to parade her as his captive in his triumphal parade, she tricked him into believing that she would do this, and then had an asp smuggled in to her and died of its bite (or perhaps she took poison), along with two of her faithful servants, Iras and Charmion.

Cleopatra died at the age of 39 after sending 17 year-old Caesarion south towards Ethiopia with a large portion of Egypt’s wealth. Caesarion was killed by Octavius, who did not bother to hide the fact that he had Julius Caesar’s son “butchered without compunction.” Octavius supposedly said "two Caesars are one too many" as he ordered Caesarion's death). The other children of Cleopatra were raised by Antony's wife, Octavia.

My question is why didn’t Cleopatra plan an escape for herself, as she did for Caesarion, when she realized Octavius had won and was on his way to her palace? patbrown@patbrownprofiling.com

Joan Rivers at The Tropicana. I love Joan! Please, Tropicana, invite Joan back for more dates even though she is mad at you for making her pay for the six piece band (that played while the showroom filled up). On Saturday night I was thrilled to finally see the great, acid-dripped Joan “I Hate” Rivers at the Tiffany Showroom at the Tropicana Resort & Casino. Joan single-handedly created the Red Carpet Pre-Show with her memorable question, “What are you wearing?”

I knew Joan was irreverent, but I was stunned at how dangerous and evil her comedy was. She was brilliant! At 73 years old, Joan was a dynamic stage force, ruthlessly mocking celebrities. If you think Kathy Griffin is tough on celebrities and movie stars, you should hear Joan. Angelina Jolie? Her adopted kids are ugly. Joan says: “I hate fucking old people,” “I hate old performers,” and “I hate ugly people.” She even hates her own Joan Rivers QVC “piece of shit” jewelry. Joan on Madonna: “I hate it when old whores get fancy.” She takes on one-legged Heather Mills McCarthy, 9-ll (which she thinks of as 7-ll), and the Oslen Twins: “The egg should not have split.”

Yes, she mentions her husband Edgar’s suicide and loves model Naomi Campbell’s retro-behavior of beating up servants (like in the good old days). While Joan had a lot to say about gay Rosie O’Donnell, she did not mention Star Jones and her husband, called on internet gossip sites as “Big Gay Al.”

I agreed with everything Joan said, especially regarding Princess Diana, who she said was a whiner ungrateful for all she had. She also has some astute observations on third wives: “Have you noticed they are always Chinese?” And her career advice to women? “Look for a man with a nurse.”

Joan Rivers brought her daring humor (she may be old herself, but she uses the “F” word a lot) to the Tropicana Resort & Casino at 7:30 p.m. for one night only. Tickets were $49, $54.00 & $59.00 (plus tax and surcharge). Joan must be brought back for a longer engagement but when she is only in Las Vegas for another one night engagement, I will let you know. http://www.tropicanalv.com/

Going Topless at Morrea Beach Club. It’s Las Vegas, after all! The Hotel at Mandalay Bay has a topless pool for hotel guests. And there is an admission charge, to boot! For gentlemen hotel guests, the cost is $50 for the weekend, $40 during the week. Lucky topless women get in for $10. http://www.mandalaybay.com/amenities/beach.aspx

Nudity of the High Seas. You used to be able to engage in public sex and nudity on cruise ships? Who knew? After the death of an Australian woman who died from an overdose of a date rape drug less than 24 hours after boarding a P and O Pacific Sky ship, passengers who engage in "excessive behaviour" will now be removed from the ship. It has emerged that nudity, streaking, and sex in public are common on luxury liners.

A former night manager on the P and O liner told an inquest on Monday that as many as 20 people would be seen running around the ship naked every night. Asked if nudity, streaking, and sex in public were common during her more than 10 years working on board cruise ships, manager Kathleen Ann Taylor said: "All the time."

P and O Cruises Australia said that from now on, unruly passengers would be disembarked at the next port of call and would not be refunded their fare.

(Photo of New Year’s Eve revelers George Soli and Robert Mimm, our terrific table mates – and race walking champion athletes - on our 2004 cruise of Antarctica on the MV Discovery. If there was anyone under the age of 50 on the cruise - dressed or naked - we never saw them. There was a charming squad of 75 year-old “Gentlemen Hosts” and a ship filled with active women over 80.) http://www.cruiselines.us/cruiseline_discovery.html

Actors Expo at UNLV. Actors Mario Lopez and Victor Webster, along with director Renny Harlin (pictured. “Die Hard 2,” “Cliffhanger”) and producer Kia Jam (“Lucky Number Slevin,” “The Jacket”) are scheduled as keynote speakers at the first Actors Expo being held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 15th at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of History at The University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The Actors Expo provides a forum for aspiring actors, will tackle what those interested in a career in entertainment need to know to succeed. The event includes panel presentations from film and television heavyweights on a variety of subjects designed to provide a forum of relevant and necessary information for those wanting to break into the world of show business.

Registration is available online for $70 before July 5 and $90 after that. For more information on the Actors Expo, call 702-258-4222 or visit www.actorsexpo.net.

"You know, you almost got to be a homosexual to be recognized in the entertainment industry anymore." The Moral Majority's Jerry Falwell. (Photo of Frank Langella and Bryan Singer at the premiere of “Superman Returns.”)

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