Note to the makeup-wearing contingent of Gossip fans: Beth Ditto has signed on with MAC Cosmetics to “create a limited edition collaboration with products expected to hit counters in June,” according to Women’s Wear Daily and Harper’s Bazaar, which expects the limited-edition makeup line to be “anything but dull.”

The fine folks over at Valley of the Vapors in Hot Springs have announced most of this year’s lineup, and hot-diggity, it is exciting.

Advertisement

Some names jumped out at us, among them: Psychic Ills, Cloud Nothings, Japanther, Black Belles, Jeffery Lewis, R. Ring (featuring Kelley Deal), Girl in a Coma, Maps and Atlases and Wooden Wand.

But there’s still like 30 or so other bands playing. What to do? Check out the festival’s YouTube channel, VOV TV (shortcut: arktimes.com/VOV), which has videos from all the bands playing this year’s festivities. You’ll most likely discover something awesome you’d never heard before. The festival runs from March 18-24, and the schedule so far is available at www.valleyofthevaopors.com.

Advertisement

Johnny Depp, one of the most vocal celebrity supporters of the West Memphis Three, has optioned Damien Echols‘ forthcoming prison memoir for possible development into a feature film. Depp and his Hollywood partner Christi Dembrowski bought the rights for their Infinitum Nihil production company. Echols’ book is scheduled to be published this September by Blue Rider Press, an imprint of Penguin.

It’s the latest in a star-studded series of film projects surrounding the release of the WM3 last August, including HBO Films’ “Paradise Lost 3” (nominated for the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature), the Peter Jackson-produced doc “West of Memphis,” and an in-development adaptation of Mara Leveritt‘s “Devil’s Knot” starring 2011 Best Actor Oscar winner Colin Firth and 2010 Best Actress Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon.

Advertisement

Speaking of Echols, he’s on tour promoting “West of Memphis” with his wife, Lorri Davis, and director Amy Berg. He recently gave Democracy Now! perhaps the most revealing interview so far on what life was like in jail, and what it’s been like since he got out of prison, including details on that forthcoming memoir:

“DEMOCRACY NOW: What has surprised you most about being free? And do you feel free?

Advertisement

ECHOLS: I do. I do feel free. But there are still a lot of things that are really overwhelming to me and things that I’m just having to slowly learn, you know, a lot of things about technology. You know, whenever I went in, there was no such thing as the internet, as far as I knew. I had never seen it. The last time I had seen a computer was 1986, and it was basically a giant glorified typewriter for really rich people. You know, that’s basically all it was good for. There were cell phones, but once again, they were things that only really wealthy people had, and they were these giant contraptions that you didn’t see out on the street anywhere, that was mostly something you saw in movies. So, you know, it really is stepping into a complete new world for me.”

OK, sharp-eyed Blue Man Group fans, here’s your chance to win some free tickets to see your favorite blue-paint-covered performance artists at Robinson Center Music Hall on Valentine’s Day.

Advertisement

Just tell us where exactly the Blue Men are in the photo below (and the five others at www.arktimes/bluemangroup) and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a family 4-pack of tickets. You must get at least four correct to be entered into the drawing. Email your answers to tiffanyholland@arktimes.com by 9 a.m. Monday. Good luck!

50 years of fearless reporting and still going strong

Be a part of something bigger and join the fight for truth by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been tackling powerful forces through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 email subscribers, it's clear that our readers value our commitment to great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing or donating – as little as $1 –, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be supporting our efforts to hire more writers and expand our coverage. Take a stand with the Arkansas Times and make a difference with your subscription or donation today.

Previous article LR Board defers zoning ordinance that hampers vet center Next article Vets center followup