Chose promise chose due, here comes the next episode:

Jeanne Moreau. She’s classic amongst classics.

Emmanuelle Seigner. Polanski’s wife. She’s Fafi’s favourite.

Nathalie Baye. Remember your schoolmate’s mother? Only better.

Isabelle Huppert. (What can I say, really?)

Juliette Binoche, ever smiling.

Emmanuelle Beart. Side A.

Emmanuelle Beart. Side B.

And last but not least, the one and only Brigitte Bardot, today.

Françoise Dorleac. She’s Deneuve older sister. Got that ‘tragic’ feeling.

Sophie Marceau. An 80’s baby sweet dream.

Anna Karina. Godard’s muse.

Romy Schneider. She’s not really french, but she counts.

Marion Cotillard. She’s like the girls who were in Art class in my school.

Sophie Duez. She is pure France circa Mitterrand years.

Lea Seydoux. Nice feet.

Mylene Demongeot. So sweet, I’m gonna have to give her her own NOW WHAT post soon.

And Romain François Gavras.

AKA the most charming woman in french movie history,

And non-arguably the most famous Algerian actress ever.

From her teen years:

This is 1972.

This 1975.

To her young rise to stardom:

True story: she comes from the same hometown as me.

Gennevilliers!

My aunt went to school with her.

My father used to bullshit me about how he dated her when they were very young.

Yeah, right.

Then she blew up, starring in Luc Besson’s SUBWAY:

And other very popular french and american flicks:

Around the mid 90’s she went a bit weird,

she married Daniel Day-Lewis and stopped acting for a while.

This is her now:

Just can’t get enough, couple of bonus beats:

   BEFORE:

AFTER:

Why did you have to leave the dollhouse?

You get eternal props anyway,

   M.

   Peeps,

 I’m not a scrupulous follower of the R’n'B scene in general, of the Bad Boy Records roster in particular. But, man, that Carl Thomas really made me raise an eyebrow or two, I can’t front. First it was the hook to ‘The World Is Filled’ on Biggie’s second album. Then, the smooth vocalising on Puffy’s ‘Been Around The World’ remix with Mase. His first hit, ‘I Wish’ (2000), got us all singing off-key “And I wish I never met her at all!..”, ask Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige. And his unexplainably overlooked contribution to Capone n Noreaga’s ‘The Reunion’ album intro, a superb rendition of Sam Cooke’s classic ‘Change Is Gonna Come’, was absolutely perfect. Matter fact, he even featured on my personal favourite R’n'B record of the naughties, the almost faultless ‘Touch’ album, by Amerie.

(I’m breaking down all these songs precisely because if, god forbid, you were not familiar with them by now, I’d strongly advise that you run to your iTunes store or Limewire RIGHT NOW.)

   I don’t understand what made Carl fall suddenly off the radar around 2003. His second album (as well as his third, apparently) went almost completely unnoticed. Seems that the tragic loss of his brother affected him so bad that he didn’t want to do any promotion anymore. Consequently, Bad Boy dropped him off and he hasn’t been seen much around ever since. I feel truly blue for Mr Thomas as I think he is one of the most gifted male vocalist in the genre today and his career story could be used as an itchy sticky note for the rest of us, word to Black Rob.

   Carl, hope to hear some new music from you soon,

     Mehdi.

PS: Picture by D-Nice from the Boogie Down Productions, check where his head’s at HERE