City Unwind

Movie Mania

Reality Bites (1994)

Starring: Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Janeane Garofalo, Steve Zahn, Ben Stiller

DISSECTING THE WIDESPREAD frustration and apathy of ‘Generation X’, Reality Bites treads the fine line between drama and romantic-comedy.

Ben Stiller steps into the director’s chair for the first time, and also appears in the movie as nice guy yuppie Michael, who begins wooing the fiercely intelligent but underachieving Lelaina (Rider), an aspiring filmmaker.

Wannabe rock star Troy (Hawke) is another case of wasted potential – masking his sky-high IQ behind a cynical and pretentious outlook, which worsens when he discovers Lelaina’s new choice of man.

Away from her difficult love life, Lelaina passes the time filming her roommates in a shabby Houston flat for a documentary about growing up in 90s America. These include the misanthropic Vickie (Garofalo), who may not be as anti-establishment as she’d like to believe, and the shy Sammy (Zahn).

But as the bills flood in and the friendships begin to crumble, can Lelaina’s footage resemble anything other than the hopeless mess of its protagonists’ lives?

Celebrity Trivia

WHILE STEVE-O may not fit your typical impression of someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth, the Jackass star actually had a highly privileged upbringing.

Born Steven Glover in London, his father was a high-powered executive who controlled the South American division of the Pepsi-Cola empire.

When he was four, the family moved back to the States – specifically into one of the country’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, Darien in Connecticut, where house prices today average a cool $1 million.

Steve-O went on to work as a circus performer, before finding fame as a member of the raucous MTV show Jackass. He is renowned for sporting an array of weird tattoos (including one of his face stretched across his entire back), numerous legal troubles, addictions and finally a successful stint in rehab.

YouTube Giggles

Shock & paw

THIS SILENT, 19-SECOND clip has proven popular with YouTube’s animal loving community, with more than 1.3 million views to date.

Simply put, a white and grey cat stares into the camera, looking increasingly shocked as its mouth and eyes widen. Let’s hope it didn’t get too curious – you know what they say that does to a cat…

To see the clip, visit www.youtube.com and type ‘OMG cat’ into the search box.

Love Connection

Courtney Cox & Garrett Hedlund

THERE WAS ONE question on everyone’s lips after Courtney Cox split from husband David Arquette – would the Cougar Town star opt for a real-life toyboy next?

If she were to follow in the footsteps of Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston and start shopping around for a younger gentleman, the stunning 46-year-old wouldn’t

be short of willing takers.

We’ve selected a young man on the rise for Courtney – Garrett Hedlund, soon to be seen in the CGI-heavy blockbuster Tron Legacy.

As all-American as apple pie, 26-year-old Garrett is a small-town boy from Minnesota made good. Plus a famous other half wouldn’t harm his prospects of becoming the next Brad Pitt – just as long as there are no wide-eyed Jolie-esque figures waiting in the wings…

Mole of the Emirates

Overheard from conversations around Dubai this week…

“I slept with a shoe in my hand” “What’s a sauna suit?”

“They should show the football at the Formula One”

“Maybe if I behave more stupidly people will think I’m younger”

Just for Laughs

A GROUP OF chess enthusiasts check into a hotel and stand in the lobby, each loudly discussing their latest victory in that day’s tournament.

After an hour, the manager comes out of his office and asked them to disperse.

“But why?” pipes up one of the crowd.

“Because,” replies the manager, “I can’t stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.”