Want to go to that Nicole Kidman-Ewan McGregor-Baz Luhrmann extravaganza but not too sure what to say at the ticket counter? Don't worry, you're not alone.
In the States, some are troubled by how to articulate "the red windmill" (moulin rouge), despite the lustrous Nicole Kidman correctly delivering the name in
le scenario.
Entertainment Weekly asked 100 moviegoers in Times Square (La Place du Temps, peut-etre?) how to pronounce the title: 49 per cent said "moo-lon," 33 per cent said "moo-lan," 14 per cent said "moo-lin" and four per cent offered "moo-len."
For those who lack a little ... qu'est-ce c'est? ... confiance (confidence) with the wilful Gallicness of the Kidman flick, we offer some petite assistance. Moulin (en France anyway) is pronounced "moo-lan" with the final "n" mostly silent and the "la" a bit more as in laugh than land.
And the more roll of the "r" and swallow of the "oo" in rouge you get, the better. And the more pretentious you sound.
NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT: The story so far: Sony, which owns Columbia Pictures, creates a fake reviewer to give its films great reviews so it can then quote him in ads. The fake reviewer is called David Manning of Connecticut weekly newspaper The Ridgefield Press. The man's fake, the newspaper is not.
The organ has served the town since 1875, when there weren't any films to review. Now, on its website, which includes lists of 100 things to do around the county (first suggestion: go to the airport to watch planes land), it runs movie reviews. Whereas the fake Mr Manning called Heath Ledger of A Knight's Tale "this year's hottest new star," the paper actually labelled Ledger a Californian-looking "Sir Dude" and the movie "a shamelessly manipulative ripsnorter." It rated it a lowly two and a half stars. Not great ad copy.
In a local twist, the Nelson Mail right here in New Zealand does have a flim critic called David Manning. He is real. And he's American-born. The real Manning isn't taking calls for now. But we look forward to this thoughts on A Knight's Tale when it starts showing at his local fleapit.
IMPORTING DIESEL: It's true. An "exciting international artist" is going to open the Hard Rock Cafe in Queenstown on June 22, coincidentally on (approximately) the 30th anniversary of the food 'n' rock 'n' roll chain. The Queenstown cafe will feature New Zealand rock memorabilia (hey, anyone seen my Loxene Golden Discs?) and on the gala opening night (proceeds to the Variety Club's children's charity) that "exciting international artist" will entertain.
Oh, the name? Well, it's Mark Diesel, whom you might remember as the Australian guitar-slinger once known as Diesel and then as Mark Lizotte (his real name). Nice fellow, made a couple of snappy soulful albums back in the middle of the last decade. But, to be honest, we haven't heard from him for quite a while. In fact we'd forgotten him.
DON'T MENTION THE WAR: Here's how they're getting them flocking to Pearl Harbor in Japan, where the film will be showing in a special culturally sensitive cut (no nasty name-calling, that sort of thing). The main tagline reads: "All the world will devote its heart, the drama of the century." Loses something in the translation, perhaps.
AND, BY THE WAY: The winner of the TimeOut Bob Dylan giveaway was Andrea Dawe, of Sandringham.
Want to go to that Nicole Kidman-Ewan McGregor-Baz Luhrmann extravaganza but not too sure what to say at the ticket counter? Don't worry, you're not alone.
In the States, some are troubled by how to articulate "the red windmill" (moulin rouge), despite the lustrous Nicole Kidman correctly delivering the name in
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