DJ Mehdi » Now What

NOW WHAT #7: JENNIFER CONNELLY

djmehdi — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:23:42 +0000

Oh boy, I’ve been meaning to NOW WHAT you guys with Jennifer since the beginning of these series.

I mean, it’s like this column was created solely to give me an excuse to talk about peeps like her.

From her early early starts as a teen model, she’s always had that melancholy in her eyes.

Kinda like a ‘troubled Courtney Cox’, so to speak.

The rumour says she’s got a nose job operation as a teenager, when look how cute she was with her natural attire.

She went through many style phases: the Femme Fatale.

The next door too-good-to-be-true student.

She even got her sexy pics on. But even then, she never lost that TRAGIC look, imo.

I mean, look at these eyes!

Also, she gets bonus points for being a full bred Brooklyn gal.

Her filmography unfortunately isn’t up to par with her potential, really, but still includes gems like ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, A BEAUTIFUL MIND and BLOOD DIAMONDS with Leo more recently.

And very little known fact: she even released a Japan-only record!

Jennifer, if you need a new label (or, ahem, a producer), reach out!

NOW WHAT? #6: MYLENE DEMONGEOT

djmehdi — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:08:55 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve NOW WHAT you guys—

I’m happy to right you back with my favourite sixties french actress, Mylène Demongeot.

I mean. This girl!
Her most famous role is probably ‘Hélène’ in the FANTOMAS trilogy (Fafi’s favourite sunday night movie).

Although always compared to Brigitte Bardot, she didn’t really have the same career.
Couple of Italian movies, a few adventures in Germany also,
but never had THAT big Hollywood break.

My favourite appearance of her remains OSS117 (1965).
She’s absolutely gorgeous in it, and simply makes the whole movie watchable.

Her later career is easy to overlook, and I kinda lost track of her, to be honest.

Mylène, wherever you are, the Cool Cats salute you—

Wishing you all a great Halloween weekend,

A QUICK HOMAGE TO FRENCH CINEMA (Part 2)

djmehdi — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:27:22 +0000

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.

A QUICK HOMAGE TO FRENCH CINEMA (Part 1)

djmehdi — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:19:31 +0000

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.

NOW WHAT? #5: ISABELLE ADJANI

djmehdi — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:50:17 +0000

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:

NOW WHAT? #4: HEATHER MATARAZZO

djmehdi — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:39:17 +0000

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Why did you have to leave the dollhouse?

You get eternal props anyway,

NOW WHAT? #3: CARL THOMAS

djmehdi — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:16:01 +0000

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

NOW WHAT? #2: JASON BIGGS

djmehdi — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:16:55 +0000

In the world ‘Now Whats’, obviously Biggs is no Thora Birch. I mean, the man is a huge star, and although I was never a fan of the AMERICAN PIE movies, you have to admit that he got the job done. I couldn’t help finding the guy ’sympathetic’ if you may. He has that proper A-Trak-meets-young-Tom-Hanks look, nice guy appeal, the kind of actor you can imagine in any role where the average Joe has an appointment with a bigger destiny (who the hell is SHIA LABEOUF??).

Yesterday I watched ‘ANYTHING ELSE’, and found it my own favorite of the Woody Allen 2000’s movies. Part of it because Christina Ricci is absolutely irresistible in it, part of it because Allen’s writing and acting in there is just too funny. And moreover, because you can’t overlook Biggs performance as a young Woody-like character, with the same goofy, attention-drawing manners that make the watching of this movie the joy of any rainy afternoon.

You might know my M.O. by now, I had to do my little research straight up: what has Jason Biggs been doing since 2003? Well, not much. A couple of cameos in TV series, three ’straight-to-DVD’ movies, and apparently two flicks with Eva Longoria that have never crossed the Atlantic. If it wasn’t for the news of a recent marriage with Jenny Mollen, I would say it sounds like a one-way ticket to weight-doubling, rehab in-and-outing, and more DVD movies with Maggie Wheeler or what have you. Word to Chandler Bing.

Jason, quoi d’neuf?

NOW WHAT? #1: THORA BIRCH

djmehdi — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:15:27 +0000

Peeps,

I’m now OFF, on a two months break from touring. I’m going to spend this time taking care of my little one while The Fafster focuses on her comic. I also want (need) to write some new music, and I came up with two new series for CoolCats, the first being started right here before your eyes: the NOW WHAT stories about those promising young cats who kind of disappeared from the radar when we would’ve loved to see them triumph.

I had this idea last night while watching the almost-classic adaptation of the GHOST WORLD comic by Terry Zwigoff, a movie that sparkled Scarlett Johansson’s career of course, as well as confirming all the good things we thought about THORA BIRCH after seeing her shine in AMERICAN BEAUTY.

A quick google/wikipedia/IMDB check of her resumé won’t contradict the feeling that she kind of fell off unexpectedly after Ghost World, while Scarlett was being catapulted in stratosphere by, hold your breath, Robert Redford, The Coen Brothers, Brian de Palma, Sofia Coppola, and eventually Woody Freaking Allen. What the eff happened here?

Here’s Thora now in 2008:

Could it be that Hollywood peeps couldn’t see her doing something else than “serving the soup” to her blonder, prettier (if any), easier co-stars Mena Suvari or Johansson and that she got sick of it? Has she been mismanaged by what seem to be her, very, curious father? Did she simply need a time-off?

Thora, quoi d’neuf?