Friday 30 November 2012

Sultan Of Swing

An erotically charged Turkish TV drama has been drawing increasingly hostile fire from some very powerful people, according to reports in the New York media. Magnificent Century, a sort of Ottoman-era Sex and the City set during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, is wildly popular in Turkey and across the Middle East. Yet one person who is decidedly not a fan is Turkey’s conservative prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is so incensed at the show’s steamy depiction of the heroic sultan that he has urged legal action against the series.

In the latest cultural battle to erupt in Turkey, the New York Times reports Mr. Erdogan last weekend slammed the lavish historical drama, which chronicles the palace and harem intrigue swirling around the sultan, including the rise of Hurrem, the slave who became his powerful wife. Suleiman ruled the Ottoman empire from 1520 to 1566 at the height of its glory and is revered as a valiant warrior and wise Kanuni, or Lawgiver.


Responding to criticism from the opposition that Turkey’s intervention in the region was undermining the country’s security, Mr. Erdogan baffled some observers by apparently conflating the critique of Turkey’s robust foreign policy with the portrayal of a debauched Suleiman on the show. Suleiman, he seemed to underline, had been a brave and adventurous conqueror. Critics "ask why are we dealing with the affairs of Iraq, Syria and Gaza," Mr. Erdogan said in a speech Sunday at the opening of an airport in western Turkey, according to Reuters. "They know our fathers and ancestors through ‘Magnificent Century,’ but we don’t know such a Suleiman. He spent 30 years on horseback, not in the palace, not what you see in that series."

He said that the director of the series and owner of the channel that broadcasts it had been warned, that judicial authorities had been alerted and that a judicial decision was expected. "Those who toy with these values should be taught a lesson within the premises of law," he said, according to The Hurriyet Daily News.

Cultural critics and political rivals railed against Mr. Erdogan, accusing him of cultural authoritarianism and censorship. Muharrem Ince, deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, accused Mr. Erdogan of behaving like a sultan, saying that he was jealous of the series’ popularity and determined to be the only sultan in the country. Mr. Erdogan, whose governing party has Islamic roots, has sought to embrace and rehabilitate the Ottoman Empire, a period of grandeur when the sultans claimed the spiritual leadership of the Muslim world before the empire’s ignominious decline by World War I.

Turkey’s culture and tourism ministry responded that popular Turkish soap operas were generating tens of millions of dollars in export income for Turkey and were widely watched across the region, expanding the exposure of the country. Magnificent Century attracts a third of the prime-time audience in Turkey and draws an audience of up to 150 million from Cairo to Kosovo, analysts said.

Even the sultan’s real heirs appeared more sanguine than Mr. Erdogan. Osman Selaheddin Osmanoglu, son of the last prince in the Ottoman Palace, told The Hurriyet Daily News that while he did not appreciate the lascivious portrayal of his ancestors, he wasn’t all that bothered as it was only a fictional work. "I am following the series," he said. "But I don’t take it seriously since it is only a soap opera."

The show is no stranger to controversy. After it was first broadcast in January last year, the Supreme Board of Radio and Television said it had received more than 70,000 complaints, and said that Show TV, the channel broadcasting the series, had wrongly exposed "the privacy of a historical person" and owed the public an apology.

Mr. Erdogan at the time called the program disrespectful and "an effort to show our history in a negative light to the younger generations." Dozens of egg-throwing protesters chanted 'God is great' outside the Show TV studios. Some viewers were irate because the series showed the Sultan drinking alcohol — banned in Islam — and womanizing with concubines in the harem. They also complained that the scriptwriters were engaging in dangerous and disrespectful historical revisionism.

Melis Behil, a film studies professor at Kadir Has University, said in an interview that the show, which has helped spur a cultural revival of the Ottoman Empire across the country, had been inspired by the success of historical dramas like ones about the Tudors and thus focused on the manners and personal lives of the characters as opposed to the traditional battlefield scenes of many Turkish epics. "The religious right are complaining that Suleiman was a great leader and all you are showing is his sex life and private parts," she said.
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Wednesday 28 November 2012

Dressing Up The Naked Truth

The BBC have been plunged into new controversy after irate naturists accused the channel of "falsifying history" by putting clothes on the actors appearing in Andrew Marr's History of The World. British Naturism said that the people of Africa, Ancient Egypt, Australia and other areas of the world would have been naked during many of the periods of history depicted in the reconstructions. In what is claimed to be BBC censorship, they are shown wearing costumes of animal skin and cloth often dreamt up by the corporation, says the organisation.

According to today's Telegraph, the group is now complaining to parliament after the BBC admitted it had been 'obliged' to compromise accuracy to take into account 'sensitivities' of audiences. It described the move as another example of the "once proud bastion of journalistic integrity, sacrificing its reputation for commercial reasons".

Malcolm Boura, BN's Research and Liaison Officer, said the 'world audience' referred to is overseas broadcasters paying the BBC to use programmes. "We do not pay the BBC licence fee for the systematic falsification of history in the pursuit of profit," he stated. "We do not pay the licence fee to be fed falsehoods intended to appease a misguided minority. The BBC is encouraging attitudes known to result in widespread and often serious harm, mainly to children and young people. The objective evidence on that is crystal clear. It is inexcusable."


British Naturism (BN), with 10,500 members, is the UK's officially recognised naturist organisation. The group said that in the Exodus from Africa, Ancient Egypt, the Minoans, the Caribs, the Australian aborigines, and members of a contemporary South American tribe, the costumes were the product of the BBC censors, not history. Mr Boura said: "This series is not an isolated case, BBC programmes and the website often self censor to the point of dishonesty. Most of the censorship is hidden so without specialist knowledge few people realise what is being done. Whatever happened to the BBC's high ideals of education, journalistic integrity, and honesty? The BBC considers this conduct acceptable so we have written to the Culture Media and Sport Committee and we are pursuing this lack of honesty through to the BBC Trust as rapidly as possible."

In a response to the compliant, Paul Kettle from BBC Audience Services, said he was sorry about the 'compromises in accuracy' that the corporation felt 'obliged' to make in the production of dramatic reconstructions. "You are of course correct in pointing out that, in reality, natives in various scenes in the early part of the series would have been naked," he said. "But in making a series like this we have to take into account the sensitivities of the widest possible world audience."

A spokesman insisted it was no excuse. "The BBC has admitted to the systematic falsification of history for profit and for fear of upsetting anyone,” a statement read. "There are at least six falsifications in the few episodes of Andrew Marr's History of the World that we have reviewed. The facts are actually very clear, as the BBC concedes. The costumes in many of the re-enactments are either dubious or quite undeniably false."
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Tuesday 27 November 2012

No Sex Here!

With its usual mix of prurient interest and compunctious self-loathing this morning's Daily Mail managed to garner an entire article from the fact that Lindsay Lohan 'keeps her clothes firmly on' as she plays a family friendly Elizabeth Taylor in Lifetime's recently screened TV movie Liz & Dick. "Viewers hoping to see Lindsay Lohan bare some flesh during steamy on-screen sex scenes in Liz & Dick had just a naked back to contend with," reports Julie Moult. "The troubled actress, who last year posed for Playboy, was coy in front of the cameras during her comeback role portraying Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor during her two decade love affair with Richard Burton. Despite spending plenty of airtime in the throws ['throes'] of passion, Lohan, 26, remained firmly beneath the sheets, presumably to keep TV broadcast regulators happy with the prime time slot. But the audience were treated to a shot of Lindsay's bare back as she lay on a bed after one love scene."

In a seemingly endless display of salacious screenshots, the newspaper provides a reproachful commentary of the film's more intimate scenes; "Bare back naked: Lindsay Lohan's turn as Elizabeth Taylor only showed a glimpse of naked flesh" reads the first. Followed by "Caught skinny dipping: Grant Bowler, as Richard Burton and Lohan appeared in a non-revealing naked pool scene" and then "Lovers entwined: The drama showed the couple in several love scenes, but none x rated; before going on to describe how "the couple were shown enjoying a steamy bath together during the two hour drama."


The TV movie, which has met with near universal critical opprobrium, spans their two decade famously on-off affair, beginning on the last day of Richard Burton's life as he lay dying of a brain haemorrhage on August 5th 1984 aged just 58. The couple narrate their story from a darkened film set as the great actor's mind drifts back to the first time he spotted Taylor one summer at a Hollywood pool party. He admits to being instantly smitten.

The pair next meet in Rome on the set of Cleopatra while Taylor was married to Eddie Fisher and Burton to his first wife Sybil Williams, the mother of his two sons. But, notes Moult, "things do not start well and the co-stars are at each other's throats - Taylor mocks his classical training while Burton calls her rude and dumpy. Burton's love of the booze is seen early on as he turns up on set with a terrible hangover and fumbling his lines which leads to the first of many furious spats.

'A love scene? With him?” shouts Taylor to an assistant. 'A love scene? With her?” Burton played by Grant Bowler says to his assistant. The duo sit on a bed moments before filming is due to start and Burton struggles to get into character asking for a moment before cameras start running. He turns to Taylor who appears disinterested and begs her to help him get into the role. 'Now I have to act that I am in love with you and that you are in love with me and that is not easy. Help me. Please.' With that, the pair begin to kiss to the embarrassment of the crew and a director who interrupts asking Burton to finish reading his lines first.

Already whispers are circulating on set about ladies' man Burton and his fiery co-star. From that moment of their first kiss, they do little to hide their desire for one another. Paparazzi catch them out together on the town in Rome which causes headaches for studio bosses trying to avert the scandal of an affair. As both their marriages dissolve, Burton forces Taylor to chose between her lover and her husband in a room full of people including Eddie. He demands to know: 'Who do you love Eddie or me?' Taylor answers 'You. I love you.' She runs outside in tears and chased by her mother who says: 'If I'm not mistaken you have just ended your fourth marriage. 'That might be a record for a 29 year-old.' Taylor responds: 'What am I to do? I love the man.'

But a blissful summer together ends abruptly when Burton's scorned wife attempts suicide and he rushes to her side. Devastated, Taylor knocks back pills with a bottle of vodka when he tells her their relationship must end for the sake of his two young sons. However, back on set for the final scene of Cleopatra he tells his former mistress: "My heart is broken and you have the smashed pieces.' Taylor travels to Switzerland to get over her heartbreak but Burton tracks her down and sends the first of a lifetime of letters.

It isn't long before they fall for each other again and conspire another film collaboration in The V.I.P.s, ousting Sophia Loren as the female lead. Once more the Welshman is torn between his wife and his lover leading to furious on-set and off-set rows with both drinking heavily. 'It's 8am and they are already drinking,' remarks a member of the production crew. Snubbed by London society because of their adultery, chased by paparazzi and criticised in the press, they head to New York. But the animosity follows them there and under pressure - and after a divorce from Fisher and Williams - they marry for the first time. Burton has stage success on Broadway but an Oscar evades him. Nominated seven times throughout his glittering career, he fails to win an Academy Award which causes friction when Taylor receives her second.

They win their next joint film roles when they are introduced to a movie executive producing Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. To prove they can fight on demand they ad-lib a row. Taylor says: 'Why would anyone hire a vomiting vat of vodka like you?' Burton replies: 'At least when I vomit, I make mellifluous sounds unlike your little mouse-crap squeaks.'

After the success of the film, they head on vacation to Mexico where their business manager flies in to tell them they are broke thanks to their lavish lifestyle. In a bid to save money and escape the press they move onto a yacht in the Mediterranean. Despite their financial woes, Burton continues to shower his wife with the expensive jewelery she loves and even buys her a $1 million private jet. Meanwhile, the boozing continues.'I've ordered breakfast,' Taylor announces before two bloody marys are brought out to the deck.

As she reaches her fortieth birthday the actress begins to fear her career is on the skids and tragedy strikes when Richard loses his beloved brother Ifor. Six months later on the set of Blue Beard, Burton's drinking gets out of control and marks the beginning of the end of their marriage. They divorce in haste after 10 years in 1974. But less than a year later he proposes for a second time at her hospital bed after she suffers a cancer scare. The union was over in months and both go on to marry others - never forgetting their incredible bond. Burton continued to write to Taylor till the end. Years later on news of Burton's death, Elizabeth collapses in shock. She kept his love letters until the day she died. 'I know he really loved me,' she says.
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Thursday 15 November 2012

The Mad Men Of Sex

Masters of Sex (premiering in 2013) is an amazingly attention-getting title for a new TV show, right? According to one of the stars, the Showtime series lives up to it. Speaking to HuffPost TV, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Beau Bridges, who plays mentor to Michael Sheen's William Masters and Lizzy Caplan's Virginia Johnson, the two real-life pioneers of human sexuality studies in the 1950s, described the following hilariously graphic scene:

"It's about Masters and Johnson, the man and woman who instigated all these incredible sexual experiments back in the '50s," Bridges said. "I am the dean of the university where these experiments are happening. I'm sort of mentoring Masters - he's my hope for the future - so I'm a little freaked when he tells me what he's going to do."

So what are they going to do exactly?

"The first thing I have to do is peer at a woman's vagina through a dildo while she masturbates ... and it's outfitted with a magnifying glass. The poor woman who had to have her legs up in stirrups, I couldn't see her face because they had up a cloth ... and then my wife and I are out to dinner in New York, where we filmed, and this lady comes up and was very nice and friendly, 'Oh it's so nice to see you!' and it was this woman that I'd been staring at her crotch all day! [Laughs.] I said, 'I hardly recognize you!'"


John Madden, the British director behind Shakespeare in Love and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, shot that scene and the rest of the pilot episode in and around New York City. "You couldn't do this on regular TV," he says. "It is somewhere between House and Mad Men. It has the period feel, but mainly the pair have such an extraordinary journey and it's their exciting relationship that is the heart of the story." He says of his cast: "Michael is amazing and Lizzy is in a very different role than what she has played before. Caitlin Fitzgerald is Masters' wife. And Beau Bridges plays the chancellor of the university where they started doing their work." So what Mad Men is to advertising, Masters of Sex is to, well, sex? "It absolutely is," Madden assures.

If that description makes it sounds a bit like Kinsey, then Michael Sheen is keen to point out "he was sort of around a few years previous to Masters and Johnson, and his work was really based on questionnaires, so the big difference was that the work the Masters did was with actual people, you know," he says. "It wasn't just asking questions and compiling information. This was about actually looking at the effects on the body of sex, which obviously involves having bodies to research on, and since it's on Showtime, you get total freedom really in terms of exploring it. It should be fascinating." Does that freedom extend to to some candid nudity from Sheen himself? Co-star Lizzy Caplan has recently been agitating for exactly that in the name of equal representation. "Well, I think some things are best enjoyed in small doses!" laughs Sheen.
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Friday 2 November 2012

Getting Dirty For Chocolate And Crisps

It's safe to say love scenes are not most actors' favourite part of the job. Getting naked with a relative stranger can be nerve-wracking enough so having a whole TV crew watching must make it extra hard. But Andrew Scott, best known to fans of Sherlock as consulting criminal Jim Moriarty, has a secret weapon for ensuring a solid performance – chocolate. In his latest TV project, ITV1 series The Town (airing early next month), Scott plays a young man returning to his home town after a decade away. There he rekindles a romance with his first love, played by Charlotte Riley – and the actor admitted things get a little steamy between the pair.


Speaking in the Radio Times, Scott admitted: "There is an element of roooomance – yes, there is. I do get my kit off. I do." What, everything? "Well, no, I don’t think the audience need to see that! I don’t think they’d want to see that. But there’s definitely a bit of that." Scott revealed that he and Riley gave themselves a reward for completing the scene in question: "I had a Double-Decker Duo and a packet of giant buttons after it. Charlotte had a packet of Monster Munch."


Picking up the thread, Riley explains we're first introduced to her character when Mark is trying to just kind of drink his way through something that has happened. happened. "He’s gone to the pub and then suddenly you just see her in the background and it’s kind of strange for him because you assume that he hasn’t been back to this town for years; he’s assumed she moved away, but his childhood sweetheart is just suddenly still there and still very much present and part of the town and his memories," she tells TV Choice. "So you just see a tiny glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye so to speak, and then she goes off and he runs after her and she disappears into the night. And then he goes round to her house hammered because she’s the only person he still feels he might have a connection with. She’s now married and has a child, but he doesn’t know this and turns up really drunk to try and talk to her. She’s not really in a place to be taking on his personal problems, but there’s still a spark between them. Of course there is, or there wouldn’t be a drama!"

So, when you watch that particular scene in question and see the passion in the two actors' eyes, just remember it's not each other they're lusting after – its chocolate and crisps.
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