>> 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
January 8, 2007

Lady Sovereign at Studio 54, Planet Serpo Tourists, CineVegas Screening Series Begins January 12, God Talks, Gay Sheep – Who Knew?, Columnist Polly Peluso, Saints Behaving Badly, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, The New Darwinism, Idi Amin, The Amazing Johnathan, and more...

“Love, and do what you like.” Saint Augustine

Planet Serpo Holiday Tourists? The Ebens delegation almost landed but their gate at O’Hare was taken, so they deplaned in Las Vegas instead! A flying saucerlike object hovered low over O'Hare International Airport for several minutes on November 7, 2006 before bolting through thick clouds with such intense energy that it left an eerie hole in overcast skies, said some United Airlines employees who observed the phenomenon.

The Federal Aviation Administration said its air traffic control tower at O'Hare did receive a call from a United supervisor asking if controllers had spotted a mysterious elliptical-shaped craft sitting motionless over Concourse C of the United terminal.

"To fly 7 million light years to O'Hare and then have to turn around and go home because your gate was occupied is simply unacceptable," said O'Hare controller and union official Craig Burzych.

The sighting occurred during daylight, about 4:30 p.m., just before sunset. All the witnesses said the object was dark gray and well defined in the overcast skies. They said the craft, estimated by different accounts to be 6 feet to 24 feet in diameter, did not display any lights. Some said it looked like a rotating Frisbee, while others said it did not appear to be spinning. All agreed the object made no noise and it was at a fixed position in the sky, just below the 1,900-foot cloud deck, until shooting off into the clouds.

"I tend to be scientific by nature, and I don't understand why aliens would hover over a busy airport," said a United mechanic who was in the cockpit of a Boeing 777 when he observed the metallic-looking object above Gate C17. "But I know that what I saw and what a lot of other people saw stood out very clearly, and it definitely was not an [Earth] aircraft," a United mechanic said. (Photo of Serpo Christmas card sent to U.S. Ambassador to Serpo Stephen Thorburn) The Serpo Project

CineVegas Screening Series. On January 12, CineVegas Film Festival inaugurates a new screening series. An added feature will be the special appearance of actor, director and comedian Bobcat Goldthwait who will be in attendance in Las Vegas on Friday, January 12 after the 7:15 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. screenings of his film, “Sleeping Dogs Lie.” Goldthwait will introduce his film and participate in Q&A sessions with the audience following each screening.

Goldthwait (photo) wrote and directed “Sleeping Dogs Lie,” a story that explores family, forgiveness and courage. “Sleeping Dogs Lie” is independent filmmaking at its best – raw, original and edifying.

I thoroughly enjoyed, and was utterly charmed by, Bobcat when he was on the “Outlaw Cinema Panel” at last year’s CineVegas. He was the most approachable, honest and charming of the panel. I hope CineVegas invites him back this year as the moderator.

Goldthwait’s film will kick off a screening series hosted by the CineVegas Film Festival, which brings independent, underground, foreign and documentary films to Las Vegas. Other films confirmed for the series include “Sherrybaby,” “Lunacy,” “Come Early Morning,” “Tideland” and “Old Joy.”

Tickets to “Sleeping Dogs Lie” and all other screenings are $8 for general admission and $6 for students and seniors and can be purchased at the Tropicana Cinemas box office. For more information, please call (702) 992-7979 or visit the CineVegas Screening Series website at www.cvarthouse.com. For more information on the CineVegas Film Festival, please call (702) 992-7979 or visit www.cinevegas.com.

On left, a terrific photo of my dear friend, journalist and entertainment maven Polly Peluso; on left, a photo montage from John Johnson. (There’s something about this kid I like.)

Saints Behaving Badly. I was writing a book, “Holy Eroticism: The Erotic Life of Saints.” Literary agents I contacted did not believe the book buying public was interested in the erotic life of medieval saints. I thought it was a great idea! However, I am enjoying a more fun read – I do admit my proposal was filled with whippings, starvation, and bloodletting mystical rituals – “Saints Behaving Badly” by Thomas Craughwell.

The principle of Catholicism is forgiveness and some saints had rather rocky paths to sainthood. So there is hope for us all. One of my favorite reformed sinners is Saint Augustine, well known for saying: “O Lord, help me to be pure, but not yet.” Amazon.com: Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men, and Devil-Worshippers Who Became Saints: Books: Thomas J. Craughwell

Today, Gay Sheep. Tomorrow, Gay Fetuses. Is this the future? Scientists are conducting experiments to change the sexuality of “gay” sheep in a program that critics fear could pave the way for breeding out homosexuality in humans. The technique being developed by American researchers adjusts the hormonal balance in the brains of homosexual rams so that they are more inclined to mate with ewes.

It raises the prospect that pregnant women could one day be offered a treatment to reduce or eliminate the chance that their offspring will be homosexual. Experts say that, in theory, the “straightening” procedure on humans could be as simple as a hormone supplement for mothers-to-be, worn on the skin like an anti-smoking nicotine patch. The techniques could one day be adapted for human use, with doctors perhaps being able to offer parents pre-natal tests to determine the likely sexuality of offspring or a hormonal treatment to change the orientation of a child.

Homosexuality and the New Darwinism. I’m a fan of the New Darwinism. I have a large section of my library dedicated to human evolution including “The Moral Animal” by Robert Wright and “The Origin of Races” and “Racial Adaptations: The Study of the Origins, Nature, & Significance of Racial Variations in Humans” by Carleton S. Coon (Amazon.com: Racial Adaptations: Books: Carleton S. Coon). There is one glaring problem Darwinists cannot answer: Why did the trait of homosexuality persist if it is counterproductive for reproduction? According to Darwin, the only purpose for sex is the transfer of sperm. And if Darwin is right, then homosexuality is a biological dead end.

In doing some research I came across a highly interesting book by Stanford evolutionary ecologist Joan Roughgarden. Roughgarden’s book “Evolution’s Rainbow: Diversity, Gender and Sexuality in Nature and People,” (Amazon.com: Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People: Books: Joan Roughgarden) challenges one of Darwin’s principle theories.

Roughgarden’s thesis begins with the idea that since homosexuality is not a reproductive strategy, according to Darwin it’s an aberration that should die off. But instead of deciding that homosexuality is wrong from an evolutionary standpoint, Roughgarden arrived at another conclusion: Darwin’s theory of sexual selection must be wrong. Traveling this path and others, her book marks the first time that a scientist has presented a cogent challenge to one of Darwin’s sacred cows.

Foremost Darwinist Richard Dawkins has had to frequently address the issue of homosexuality and has admitted to not having a good Darwinian answer.

In a 1998 interview with California Wild, Dawkins said: “Well this is only a problem to the extent that homosexuality is genetically influenced. It probably is. The homosexual phenotype [a physical trait determined by genetic instructions and environmental influences] seems to exist in males with sufficient frequency that it is something to give a Darwinian a bit of a worry.” Amazon.com: The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition--with a new Introduction by the Author: Books: Richard Dawkins

God Is Talking. Just Not To You. Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson predicted last week that a terrorist attack on the United States would result in "mass killing" late in 2007. "I'm not necessarily saying it's going to be nuclear," he said. "The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that."

Robertson said God told him during a recent prayer retreat that major cities and possibly millions of people will be affected by the attack, which should take place sometime after September. Robertson said God also told him that the U.S. only feigns friendship with Israel and that U.S. policies are pushing Israel toward "national suicide."

Lady Sovereign at Studio 54. Right after seeing “Black Christmas” with FilmsInReview.com’s David DelValle (Column - Camp David January 2007) (photo of David from the Mishlove’s New Year’s Eve Party), I went off to Studio 54 at Caesar’s Palace. Britain’s hip-hop princess and rapper Lady Sovereign was celebrating her 21st birthday. Lady Sovereign has a huge hit right now, “Love Me or Hate Me” that she performed at the MTV New Year's Eve celebration.

Partying with friends at her Studio 54 VIP table, Lady Sovereign drank Veuve Clicquot Champagne all night long.

Around 1 a.m. Lady Sovereign got on stage and blew out the sparklers on her monkey themed birthday cake. As the crowd sang Happy Birthday, Lady Sovereign tossed pieces of cake into the crowd so that everyone could be a part of her special night. I was happy not to be belted with cake on my tiara. Others were not so lucky. Taking pictures with fans and signing autographs, Lady Sovereign even surprised club goers with a special performance on stage singing to a few of her songs. (Photo courtesy of Jeanine Zelik.)

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The last stop on our African Safari was Zimbabwe and a visit to Victoria Falls and the open markets. Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya are situated on the Zambezi River, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. They are considered a remarkable spectacle because of the peculiar narrow slot-like chasm into which the water falls, so one can view the falls face-on.

We were given a fascinating talk on David Livingstone, a Scottish explorer, who visited the falls in 1855 and renamed them after Queen Victoria. Vastly larger than North America's Niagara Falls, Victoria is only rivaled by South America's Iguazu Falls (photo on right from our trip to Igauzu). While Iguazu is divided into over 270 small falls and cataracts, Victoria is the largest single sheet of water in the world, over 100 metres tall, and over one mile wide. See my little silent video.

The highlight of our stay in Victoria Falls was meeting Dr. Hwesa (photo left with her ceremonial Nyaminyami cane – I have one too!) and showing off my 5th Degree Black Belt in Bargaining in the open market. Our Wilderness Safaris guide, Arthur Kaseke, was able to arrange a meeting for us with Dr. Hwesa, an authentic African Spirit Medium.

I nagged every African I came in contact with - across four countries - to introduce me to a traditional healer. Dr. Hwesa transferred her principal spirit guide, The Great Uncle, to me. It was an extraordinary experience. Dr. Hwesa can be contacted by email: hwestrad@mweb.co.zw.

Celebrity Witch Doctors. Because I believe in the power of shamans and the importance of what I like to call the “Retribution Hex,” I read an interesting item on Glitterati.com: “It's being leaked that Nicole Richie hired a shaman - or witch doctor - to get rid of some kind of curse she believes was put on her, which is being blamed for all of her past problems.

“See? It's not Nicole's fault - it's that damn curse!

“Supposedly, she told her friends she thinks her bad luck in 2006 is because someone has put a hex on her. So, she paid a witch doctor a thousand bucks to break the curse and perform a "spiritual cleansing" of her West Hollywood apartment on December 15. An insider tells Life & Style the good doctor chanted, danced and burned sage in her home for two hours.

“According to a source: "She's very superstitious and believes in this stuff. It's a very personal thing for Nicole. Nicole believes in curses but would never put one on anyone, not even her worst enemy." Glitterati (Photo of a shaman I brought to our tent camp in Nepal. After spending several hours going into trance, he jumped into the fire he had built and then healed many of the camp workers.)

The Last King of Scotland. Since “The Last King of Scotland” (photo of Forrest Whitaker as Idi Amin) is not opening in Las Vegas, I hosted a private screening. My friend Ken Walther met Idi Amin several times while he was working for the CIA in Africa. I wanted to know what he thought about the film’s portrayal of Amin. Here are some fun facts I found online about the dictator:

The former dictatorial leader of Uganda from 1971-1979, Idi Amin (pictured left) had special penalties for his enemies.

"After his coup of his predecessor, Apollo Milton Obote, Amin rounded up the military leaders that did not support his coup, murdered them, decapitated them and sat their disembodied heads around the presidential dining table, scolding them for not supporting him, and taking bites of their flesh."

Just asking: What was Ken really doing in Brundi in the early 70’s?

“Wracked by sexual diseases, almost totally illiterate (unable to write and barely able to read), and prone to marrying and divorcing multiple wives, Amin was not what one would call the most stabilizing force for the war-torn Uganda. At one point, he gave all Asians in Uganda 90 days to leave, sans their businesses of course. [He ordered] similar attacks against Christians, his wives' lovers and his own cabinet.

“Of course, the most astounding fact about Amin is that after years of torture, military insurgency, mismanagement of Uganda's economy to the point of disaster, and deaths of over 300,000 of his own citizens, he was never incarcerated. He lived for years in exile in Saudi Arabia, where one newspaper reported that he ate "40 oranges a day" to keep up his "sex power." Amin died in 2003, and is survived by four wives and 45 children.” Idi Amin Dada

Black Snake Moan. “Hustle & Flow’s” director, Craig Brewer, has a vulgar trailer out for his new movie, “Black Snake Moan.” Christina Ricci, playing a white trash slut “with the sex itch” is found dumped on a dirt road by Old Man Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson). He drags her - and she is only wearing a bikini bottom - to his Tennessee rural hut where he chains her to the sofa. He intends to redeem her by keeping all her clothes off. Ricci, so good in “The Opposite of Sex” and “Monster,” told W Magazine that she feels that she is "too short" to ever be an A-list actress, saying she tends "to look really small on camera". She has also said that she believes that she does not have much control over her career, specifying that she still has to audition for film parts. Ricci’s huge forehead hasn’t helped her career either.

The Amazing Johnathan. My friend Sabrina at Preferred Public Relations asked me to make sure all of Johnathan’s fans know that he is ranked #6 on Comedy Central's "Stand-Up Showdown 2007," a contest where people vote for their favorite comedian. On January 28th they will have a marathon to countdown the Top 20. Amazing Johnathan is urging his fans to vote at Comedy Central. Let’s not let down Johnathan.

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