To celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the release of Mark Ronson’s pop hit, Uptown Funk, a new mashup video of vintage dance sequences has been edited together for your viewing pleasure. This song is just so catchy that people can’t seem to get enough of it. It has over 11 million views on YouTube and was played at almost every single wedding this past year. Here is the new mash up, plus some of our other favorite versions of this song. This could be the song of the decade. Don’t believe me? Just watch.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are back! Not really, but Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie-Pitt have teamed up again on the big screen. Only this time it is in the beautifully shot drama, By The Sea, which was written, produced, and directed by Angelina.
Forget about the pair’s sizzling and playful chemistry from their hit 2005 action flick. In this drama, the two play a married couple in the 1970s who, from the moment they arrive at the sleepy French beach hotel, palpably despise each other. He’s a writer named Roland; she’s a former dancer named Vanessa. Yet at no point will you not think to yourself, “That is Brad Pitt. That is his wife, Angelina Jolie. They are married in real life. I wonder how weird it was for her to direct her husband. It’s crazy that they have six kids.” (Such is the downside of a super-famous Hollywood couple paired up on-screen).
What comes through most strongly in the film is the interplay of longing and withholding on a directorial level. Here is one of the most recognized, admired, derided, speculated-upon women on the planet making a movie with her equally high-profile husband, about a troubled marriage. She knows that the world will be watching the movie for clues into their actual relationship. She knows that the rawer she gets, the more of a feeding frenzy it’ll create. The film’s opacity, therefore, feels deliberate.
The marital drama is filled with long, immaculately shot pauses and often tin-eared dialogue. It’s perplexing and wildly imperfect, but there’s something here that’s quite powerful if you get on its wavelength. Call it a very personal longing to connect. This is an intimate, troubled, troubling movie, and as such not made for the multiplex, or for the endless hype-and-demolish whirligigs of the media cycle.
In its style and its treatment of themes of the human experience, By the Sea is reminiscent of European cinema and theater of the ’60s and ’70s—with its concentrated, lean storytelling style, spare dialogue and intimate, often disquieting atmosphere. The film is not for everyone and won’t be appreciated by the large masses, but the Pitt’s have created something very beautiful in its simplicity.
The A-list couple explains the film and the opening of their intimate lives on the big screen in this interview:
Told in alternating voices, the novel The Silent Wife is about a marriage in the throes of dissolution, a couple headed for catastrophe, concessions that can’t be made, and promises that won’t be kept. Expertly plotted and reminiscent of Gone Girl and These Things Hidden, The Silent Wife ensnares the reader from page one and does not let go.
Nicole Kidman now faces the challenge of bringing the pain of this wife to life onscreen. Adrian Lynne, who hasn’t been behind the camera since 2002’s Unfaithful, will direct the thriller. Lyne continues to be intrigued by sexual infidelity and obsession, with past sex-charged films that include Lolita, Indecent Proposal, Fatal Attraction, Nine 1/2 Weeks, and Flashdance. He has flirted with a number of projects in recent years, but this one is serious and is likely to happen fast.
The bond of friendship can be more rewarding than that of some relationships. It is a rarity to find that special someone who truly gets you. A friend who understands your sense of humor, knows all your secrets and you trust like no other. But what happens when there is a shift in the relationship? What happens when the one person you thought would always be there isn’t?
Here are some tips for letting go of a friendship:
When friends part, there is a void in your life.
Accept the fact that people change and what was once a true meaningful friendship may not be the case any longer. Maybe you are in a different season of life or the similarities you once shared aren’t there anymore. Whatever the reason, don’t play the blame game, sometimes friends just drift apart. When you recognize and acknowledge you both have evolved into different people letting go and moving forward comes easier.
If you need to be angry, be angry.
In the beginning anger may be the driving emotion you experience but try not to let anger consume you. If you wallow in resentment and hate you will deny yourself the freedom of letting go. You are two people who no longer share the same compatibility. There is nothing wrong with that. Accept your differences and try to remember the good times in the friendship. Know in your heart at one time, you shared a bond and were special to each other.
Allow yourself time to grieve.
Feeling sad this person is gone from your life is normal. Mourn what once was, you are suffering the loss of someone you loved and now, for whatever the reason, they are no longer a part of your world. Grief is a part of accepting loss, without grieving we can’t truly move on.
Wish them the best.
Some friends are only in our lives for a season. Try to remember your friendship in a positive manner. During the time you shared you enriched each other’s lives. Eventually you will come to terms with the friendship being over. When you can accept the friendship for what it was, you will be able to wish them well.
An academic over-achiever growing up, Rhimes received her BA from Dartmouth College in English literature and creative writing. After a short stint in advertising, she enrolled in the Writing for Screen & Television program at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, earning her MFA. Continue reading →
Ballet might look graceful and ethereal, but don’t be fooled by the pliés and politesse. The world of professional ballet is brutal and bruising, populated with lecherous taskmasters and sharp-elbowed ingénues. For those who find the basic concept of duality shocking and revelatory, Starz’s new ballet drama Flesh and Bone will make a lasting impression by revealing the ugly truth just beneath the beautiful veneer.
“Casting was challenging” says Moira Walley-Beckett, showrunner/Executive Producer of the show. “I did not want to have body doubles or actors who could dance a little. I wanted to watch them sweat and bleed,” she said. Walley-Beckett added that it got “down to the wire” because she could not find her Claire, until a choreographer remembered future lead Sarah Hay from when she was a student and tracked her down dancing for a company in Germany. “And the rest is history,” Walley-Beckett said.
Flesh and Bone has been described as a dark and gritty drama that unflinchingly explores the dysfunction and glamour of the ballet world.It originally was envisioned as an ongoing series but, in October, the network announced it would run it as a limited series after wrapping production on Season 1. Starz announced today all episodes of Flesh and Bone will be available for subscribers on Starz Play and Starz On Demand in the U.S. in conjunction with the premieres of its first episode on November 8.
With websites like doccool.com and alibinetwork.com instructing readers not only how to have affairs, but how to cover them up, it’s no wonder half of all marriages end in divorce.
Are more people being unfaithful these days, or has it just become less stigmatized—like opiate addiction. As a society, we must ask ourselves: Have we become more forgiving, or more thoughtless?
Divorce Rates in the USA
Age Women Men
Under 20 years old 27.6% 11.7%
20-24 years old 36.6% 38.8%
25-29 years old 16.4% 22.3%
30-34 years old 8.5% 11.6%
35-39 years old 5.1% 6.5%
According to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri, 50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second, and 74% of third marriages end in divorce.
Infidelity—The Office: A New Hotbed For Affairs
The late Dr. Shirley Glass, infidelity researcher for over two decades and author of Not Just Friends has found:
At least one or both parties in 50 percent of all couples, married and living together, straight and gay, will break their vows of sexual or emotional exclusivity during the lifetime of their relationship.
After reviewing 25 studies, Dr. Glass concluded that 25% of wives and 44% of husbands have had extramarital intercourse.
Among the 350 couples she’s treated, approximately 62% of unfaithful men met their affair partners at work.
Dr. Glass Clears Up Fact from Fiction
Assumption: Affairs occur mostly because of sexual attraction.
Fact: Affairs can happen in good marriages. Affairs are less about love and more about sliding across boundaries. The lure of an affair is how the unfaithful partner is mirrored back through he adoring eyes of the new love. Another appeal is that individuals experience new roles and opportunities for growth in their new relationships.
Assumption: A cheating partner almost always leaves clues, so a naïve spouse must be burying his or her head in the sand.
Fact: The majority of affairs are never detected. Some individuals can successfully compartmentalize their lives or are such brilliant liars that their partners never find out.
Assumption: A person having an affair shows less interest in sex at home.
Fact: The excitement of an affair can increase passion at home and make sex even more interesting.
Assumption: The person having an affair isn’t getting enough at home.
Fact: The truth is that the unfaithful partner may not be giving enough. In fact, the spouse who gives too little is more at risk than the spouse who gives too much because he or she is less invested.
Assumption: A straying partner finds fault with everything you do.
Fact: He or she may in fact become Mr. or Mrs. Wonderful in order to escape detection. Most likely he or she will be alternately critical and devoted.
According to the Wall Street Journal, infidelity is becoming more common among people under 30. Many experts believe this increase in cheating is due to greater opportunity (time spent away from a spouse) and young people developing the habit of having multiple sexual partners before they get married.
Points in the Marriage/Relationship When These Affairs Occur
After the Frist Year of Marriage: The time when affairs are the least detected. This is when the whirlwind ends, and routine sets in. The emotional high that both partners had been experiencing is gone. This leaves a void. And like drugs, you want to get high again. The new husband or wife may no longer consistently supply what is needed to find that high. If it happens here, the chances of it happening again have increased substantially.
The 5th to 7th Year: Referred to as the seven year itch. It doesn’t literally have to be the 7th year, but the point when achieving goals has occurred. From a couple getting married, having kids, buying their dream house, to a promotion at work. The faithful mate typically questions the fidelity of the other partner more at this point than at any other. These affairs go on for the longest period of time as well.
How to Tell if Your Partner is the Unfaithful Type
Low Self-Esteem. Can’t pass up the opportunity to have their ego stroked and feel like someone wants them.
Thrill-seeker. Taking risks makes them feel alive, a dangerous form of escapism.
Behavioral. Picked it up from good ol’ Dad. If your spouse met his father’s girlfriend(s) at an impressionable age because he brought her by the house when Mommy wasn’t home, then watch out.
And remember, if you do confront your partner, he or she will deny any such infidelity, negating any such evidence you may have collected. They have no choice but to deny. Either they are guilty, but know you’ll leave them if they confess (and they don’t want a costly divorce), and tell their family, friends, and post their names on womansavers.com (a community-oriented site for survivors of emotional/physical abuse to share their experiences, tips and words of warning before it’s too late for others).
Other times they just won’t ‘fess up because they still have a certain fondness for you due to your history—though not enough to keep them respectful—and don’t want to hurt your feelings. There’s also the possibility that they’re telling the truth. However, if your gut is telling you something—listen to it. Especially if you’re not a suspicious person by nature. If you are naturally untrusting, don’t discount your intuition. Examine if something else is amiss in your life or your relationship first before hiring a P.I. or putting in the hours for DIY investigation.
You can’t stop someone from cheating, but you can do things that may make the person think twice about it.
Know each other’s daily routine. Call to check in and say hi, or to share some news.
Write a “mission statement” for your marriage. Put it in a nice frame and hang it in your bedroom next to your marriage certificate. This serves as a constant visual reminder of your bond and why you love each other.
Always go to his work functions, and share your social networks. Having the same friends (bonus points if they’re in committed monogamous relationships) and becoming friends with your spouse’s family decreases the odds of infidelity by 26%.
Learn conflict resolution. Real negotiation. Consider what you really want vs. what you need and what you’re willing to give up.
Don’t stop learning about each other. You may be married for 5 or 10 years, but there’s always something to share about yourself. Tastes change. Maybe there’s a new hobby or activity you’ve always wanted to try and want your spouse to be a part of it.
Put your marriage first—before the kids, your job, everything. You need to stay close. Sit down and have coffee or put on music you both like and just talk for a few minutes about what your day was like. Don’t bring up anything negative during this time. Establish a pattern of safe, open conversation time. In an infidelity study, people who reported being “not too happy” with their marriage were 4 times more likely to have cheated on their spouse as those who were “very happy.” And those “very happy” spouses were actually 28% more likely to have an extramarital affair than those who claimed to be “extremely happy.”
It’s the oldest trick in the book to watch a scary movie when you want to hold a certain someone tightly. There’s a scientific reason why it works.
When we’re scared, our brains pump out the feel-good chemical dopamine, the same chemical we release when we’re infatuated with someone. Your heart races and you can become addicted to that feeling—as the euphoric serotonin hormone also shoots up.
So if your relationship is lacking, getting scared with a slasher film (heck, even a super-intense drama) can boost dopamine, to give you that infatuated feeling again. The arousal from being frightened becomes mixed up with the arousal of sexual attraction. The proof’s in the science.
Here is our list of the 10 most Romantic Horror Movies to mix the best of both worlds. No sappy Twilight movies to be found here. We’ve put together the classics, the obscure and the modern to get your blood flowing this Halloween. Enjoy!
Cat People (1942)
Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), a New York City–based fashion designer who hails from Serbia, begins a romance with marine engineer Oliver Reed (Kent Smith). After the couple gets married, Oliver becomes concerned about Irena’s notion that she is cursed and may transform into a large cat in the heat of passion. Confiding in his beautiful assistant, Alice Moore (Jane Randolph), about his marital issues, Oliver unwittingly triggers Irena’s curse, with tragic results.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire novel. Gary Oldman plays Dracula whose lonely soul is determined to reunite with his lost love, Mina (Winona Ryder). In Britain, Dracula begins a reign of terror and seduction draining the life from her closest friend, Lucy (Sadie Frost). Together they try and drive Dracula away.
Let the Right One In (2008)
When Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy living with his mother in suburban Sweden, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli (Lina Leandersson), they strike up a friendship. Initially reserved with each other, Oskar and Eli slowly form a close bond, but it soon becomes apparent that she is no ordinary young girl. Eventually, Eli shares her dark, macabre secret with Oskar, revealing her connection to a string of bloody local murders.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Shaun (Simon Pegg) is a 30-something loser with a dull, easy existence. When he’s not working at the electronics store, he lives with his slovenly best friend, Ed (Nick Frost), in a small flat on the outskirts of London. The only unpredictable element in his life is his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield), who wishes desperately for Shaun to grow up and be a man. When the town is inexplicably overrun with zombies, Shaun must rise to the occasion and protect both Liz and his mother (Penelope Wilton).
Warm Bodies (2013)
A terrible plague has left the planet’s population divided between zombies and humans. An unusual zombie named R (Nicholas Hoult) sees his walking-dead brethren attacking a living woman named Julie (Teresa Palmer) and rescues her. Julie sees that R is different from the other zombies, and the pair embark on an unusual relationship. As their bond grows and R becomes more and more human, a chain of events unfolds that could transform the entire lifeless world.
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
Artistic, sophisticated and centuries old, two vampire lovers (Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston) ponder their ultimate place in modern society.
The Fly (1986)
When scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) completes his teleportation device, he decides to test its abilities on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a housefly slips in during the process, leading to a merger of man and insect. Initially, Brundle appears to have undergone a successful teleportation, but the fly’s cells begin to take over his body. As he becomes increasingly fly-like, Brundle’s girlfriend (Geena Davis) is horrified as the person she once loved deteriorates into a monster.
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
In a desperate attempt to reach his ill wife, organist Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) is horrifically disfigured in a car accident and presumed dead. When he learns that his wife died during an operation, Phibes blames her surgeons and plots an elaborate revenge to punish them for their incompetence. With the help of a mute assistant (Virginia North), Phibes creates a mask resembling his own face and murders the surgeons one by one using bizarre methods inspired by the biblical plagues.
What Lies Beneath (2000)
It had been a year since Dr. Norman Spencer (Harrison Ford) betrayed his beautiful wife Claire (Michelle Pfeiffer). But with Claire oblivious to the truth, Norman’s life and marriage seem so perfect that when Claire tells him of hearing mysterious voices and seeing a young woman’s image in their home, he dismisses her terror as delusion. Claire moves closer to the truth and it becomes clear that this apparition will not be dismissed, and has come back for Dr. Spencer and his beautiful wife.
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
A young wife comes to believe that her offspring is not of this world. Waifish Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) and her struggling actor husband Guy (John Cassavetes) move to a New York City apartment building with an ominous reputation and odd neighbors Roman and Minnie Castavet (Sidney Blackmer, Ruth Gordon). When Rosemary becomes pregnant she becomes increasingly isolated, and the diabolical truth is revealed only after Rosemary gives birth.
From the vault of True Love Magazine, comes an entry in the “My Worst Date Ever!” writing contest.
When it comes to bad dates, let’s face it ladies…we all have a share-worthy story to tell!
I was home from graduate school for the summer and ran into a guy who used to be in my French class in high school. I remember thinking he was the coolest guy alive–good at sports, funny, the kind of guy that everyone else looked up to. In short, he was the type of guy who never would have noticed me with my frizzy hair, glassed and braces. Now here I was, five years later. The braces were gone, the glasses and hair were more stylish, and I have a new found confidence from my time at college.
He told me that he was taking a year’s break from getting his MBA to help manage his dad’s business. Then he asked if I would like to meet up for dinner and a drink later at a nice little Italian place. I couldn’t believe that he was finally noticing me and, better yet, had asked me out on a date!
Things started out well. He picked me up in a rather flashy car, and, as we ate, we reminisced about school. At the time, it didn’t seem odd to me that he wanted to talk more about the old days rather than his current endeavors. But the reason why became very apparent later that evening.
As we were enjoying dessert, his mother came bursting through the restaurant doors in a furious mood. The minute she saw him, she stormed angrily over to the table, yelling and waving her arms. What I didn’t know was that, earlier in the evening while I had gone to the bathroom, he had realized he didn’t have any cash so he’d called his mom to ask if she could give him some money. What’s more, the car was actually his mother’s and he had borrowed it without her knowing.
The rest of his story also fell apart. He had dropped out of college after failing his first year’s exams, had been unable to keep a job, and now worked for his dad and lived in his parent’s basement. Before my very eyes–not to mention the entire restaurant–the coolest guy in school became a whiny little boy, pleading with his mom not to embarrass him.
I never saw him again but the experience did teach me that I could finally put my days of geeky embarrassment from high school well behind me.
This week, we had a chance to talk with first time author Lily Temperley and hear her bad ass and brave story. Her book, FIX: Sex Lies & Banking is making big waves as it reveals her real-life 50 Shades of Gray affair with a powerful businessman. What started out as a fun affair quickly became a sordid tale of a controlling sadist. Lily’s story is honest, empowering and brave.
Lily arrived in London at the tender age of twenty with a dream: to dominate the world and see as much of it as she could while doing so. Reality soon bit with paying her rent becoming paramount, and so it was that she shunned everything she learnt at law school and opted for a shiny, lucrative job in the city.
Roll the clock forward more than a decade, she was married, she was single; she was armed with a list of more than 50 countries visited and she had money. She was hit by an epiphany – she wanted to write.
The basis for her first book (and subsequent two books in their planning stages) is her own life experience. She practically grew up in an investment bank, had jobs working in the executive suites of two of Britain’s largest firms, and has seen both these companies handle catastrophes on a global stage. She also had an intimate relationship with a very senior executive, providing a real life romantic angle to the corporate setting in her new novel.
Here’s what Lily had to say about all things love, loss and moving on!
What do you do and why do you do it?
I currently work for a Financial Services firm. I do it because it supports my lifestyle. I travel a lot for business and pleasure and I can afford to indulge my shoe and handbag addiction!
What’s the best gift you ever got?
The best gift I ever got?… that is a hard one as I have been spoiled many times with fabulous things. I think my favorite gift is an antique sliver matchbox holder with my initials on it. I put it on a belcher chain and wear it as a necklace. It is probably not worth much but it’s from the 1900s and holds massive sentimental value because of who gave it to me and how thoughtful the gift was. I just got a pair of 20th anniversary Louboutins for my birthday which, are pretty awesome.
What’s the worst gift you ever got?
An ex bought me a pair of python skin boots. I love the boots and had coveted them in the store before we broke up. I think it is the worst gift as I didn’t want them from him, but felt I had to accept them, and now I don’t wear them as they remind me of him! Maybe I should list them on NeverLikedItAnyway.com!
What’s your advice for all things love, sex and dating?
I think it is so important to follow your heart. I spent a lot of time worrying about whether men liked me and would they ask me out on a second date… when I stopped to think about it, I didn’t fancy them that much so it was more an exercise in seeking external validation. You need to love yourself before you can really be loved by anyone else. As soon as I remember that and am kind to myself I attract the type of man I want to be with. With dating, it can be very hit and miss. I think, as with all things in life, it is important not to take anything too seriously. Have fun!
Finally, with sex, there is so much judgment around this… many woman struggle to draw a line between sex and love and this leads to attachment that can be detrimental to one’s self esteem and, ultimately, unsatisfying. Again, have fun, go easy on judging yourself and listen to your intuition. Usually early red flags will turn into screaming alarm bells so don’t ignore them!
What’s your go to pick me up?
Shopping! Retail therapy always makes me feel better. Even window shopping can improve my mood…
Tell us about your first heartbreak…
I am a hopeless romantic so it was the first guy I ever kissed. It didn’t go anywhere but I was young and had a mega-crush on the guy. I see him now many years later in my Facebook feed with his receding hairline and wonder why I ever thought he was hot!
Tell us about a time you Bounced Back better than ever
The time in my life now… I am feeling very content with who I am and smile thinking about the experiences that I have had. It is nice to know that any feelings of regret have evolved to understanding the lessons learned. Maybe I am finally becoming an adult. Scary to think…
(From Never Liked It Anyway, the number one destination for all things break-ups and bounce-back! It’s the place to buy, sell and tell all things ex! Sell your breakup baggage, tell your story and join the community of rock stars bouncing back better than ever! )
Want More Love?
You’ll Get a FREE Ebook PLUS the TruLOVE Newsletter
