They are all subjects of hot calendars.

Be it pinned to the wall, tucked in a pocket or lounging on a desk, calendars have maintained popularity even as they face stiff competition from technology.

While just about every cell phone or PDA allows users to keep track of those ever important events and appointments, calendars still seem to hold an allure for users day by day.

“We do not see technology-based calendars as the competition,” said Robert Gilbreath, director of marketing for Calendars.com, one of the largest e-commerce sites for calendars on the Web. “They do not evoke memories of past occurrences, experiences, and pleasures.”

A cell phone calendar also can’t give fans the opportunity to gaze upon 12 images of their favorite celebrity or object of desire in the comfort of their own home or office.

Some of Calendars.com’s most popular sellers include classic movie stars like Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne as well as today’s hottest fan favorites like the cast of the movie “Twilight.”

Calendars featuring beautiful women who also happen to be celebrities are also always in demand such as those featuring “Transformers” actress Megan Fox, Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriends, known as The Girls Next Door, and a perennial favorite — the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar.

If sales are any indication, print calendars are still holding their own.

“We’ve seen double-digit annual growth in our e-commerce channel every year until the last one,” said Paul Hoffman, chief operating officer of Calendar Holdings LLC, parent company of Calendars.com and Calendar Club retail stores. “We are very optimistic about the future growth online.”

Calendars have a long history as a part of American culture.

Larry Krug, one of the founders of the Calendar Collectors Society, said calendars used to be must have collectors items when they were produced using the works of famous photographers and artists such as Norman Rockwell.

Calendars still have their enthusiasts, Krug said, especially among those who are able to tie in calendars to an already existing passion, such as collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia.

“People collect different kinds of calendars,” he said. “There are wall calendars, desk calendars, pocket calendars, towel calendars and calendar plates. It’s really a very broad and interesting area.”

And while there are a multitude of calendars that can be found — often in a kiosk at the mall where a savvy shopper knows the prices will drop after the first of the year — there are some that start out as collectors’ items even before they are produced.

The Pirelli calendar, with its limited availability and artistic nude photos of some of the world’s most beautiful models, has become a sought-after item known for its exclusivity.

Gruppo Campari, the makers of spirits, wines and soft drinks, also produces a limited-edition calendar every year which is not for sale and has featured various starlets including Eva Mendes, Jessica Alba and Salma Hayek.

Since 2000, the company has employed world-famous and emerging photographers to capture the images, which are designed to tell a story within the calendar.

Chiara Bressani, head of Gruppo Campari’s Communication, said the calendars are marketing works of art.

“The calendar is always trying to convey seduction and passion,” Bressani said. “It’s a creative way of showing what Campari is.”

She said the women chosen to appear in the calendars are selected because they convey the Campari values.

The calendars have become very popular in Europe and the United States, Bressani said, despite the fact –or maybe because — they are not easy to obtain.

“[The popularity] is growing every year,” said Bressani, whose company has chosen Bond girl Olga Kurylenko to appear in the upcoming 2010 calendar. “You can enjoy the pictures on the Web, but it’s a different feeling when you have the calendar in your hands.”

The supermodel previously stripped for the men’s magazine Maxim’s Ukraine issue. She had once revealed that her poverty-stricken upbringing had made her very cash conscious.

Brett Ratner parted ways with the project and it was rumoured that James McTeigue was in talks to replace him.

But, as I reported later, McTeigue is also in talks to helm Fox’s X-Men Origins: Magneto movie.

Movie site CHUD claims that while producers Nu-Image/Millennium want McTeigue, the distributors Lionsgate are interested in Christophe Gans and Neil Marshall, while Marcus Nispel is also in the running.

Gans directed 1983 anthology horror film Necronomicon, 2001’s atmospheric historical fantasy Brotherhood of the Wolf and video game adaptation Silent Hill.

Marshall directed Dog Soldiers, The Descent, the post-apocalyptic Doomsday and the upcoming historical project Centurion starring Quantum of Solace Bond girl Olga Kurylenko.

Nispel’s directing credits including 2003’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2004 TV movie Frankenstein, 2007’s Viking adventure Pathfinder, this year’s remake of Friday the 13th and the planned Dracula-inspired film The Last Voyage of Demeter about the ship that brought the vampiric count to England.

There has not been any official confirmation of the above names being on a studio wishlist.

The Cross is set in a border town the film is set in the near future. Bloom plays a man seeking to cross a mysterious border, something no one else has achieved; Cassel will play the sentry who wants to stop him.

Unfortunately details on Goodman’s role are not mentioned.

After doing reality show ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’, the 28-year- old is keen to crack Hollywood.

Kardashian, who landed a minor role in 2008 film ‘Deep in the Valley, has set her sights on a big budget blockbuster.

“I would love to be a Bond girl, that would be my dream of life,” Contactmusic quoted her as telling PopEater.com.

Kardashian also admitted that she’s a huge fan of ‘Twilight’, and would love to play a sexy vampire in a sequel to the teen hit.

“I would, like, die to be in Twilight… being around all those hot guys. I want to be a vampire. I kind of want to be evil,” she added.

The start of her conversation doesn’t sound like something you’d hear in a royal court, however.

“Basically, your body has to be like this — your hips must go forward,” she says, arching her back.

It’s not often you get within a couple of feet of a Bond girl, and should you accomplish it, it’s even less likely she’ll spend the first five minutes of your meeting sticking her chest out at you while gyrating in a chair.

Realising the assembled all-male group of journalists is getting a little flustered, 29-year-old Olga ends her impromptu sky-diving lesson and returns to talking about Quantum Of Solace, in which she stars as James Bond’s Bolivian sidekick Camille.

The film — the second movie in the rebooted 007 franchise and the 22nd in the Bond series — was released in cinemas last October and is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.

To promote the release, Olga has come down to Bodyflight, an indoor skydiving centre just outside London where she and Quantum co- star Daniel Craig trained for the film’s death-defying aerial action set pieces.

“I practiced skydiving every day for a month. I’ve not done it since then and I miss it,” she says.

Learning how to fall out of a plane properly was just one of the skills Olga picked up while making Quantum Of Solace.

She makes it look easy on screen but reveals that she didn’t know what was in store when she signed up for her first action role.

“I was in (2007 video-game adaptation) Hitman, which was an action film, but I wasn’t involved in any of those scenes.

“I didn’t know to what point they faked it, what point they replaced you with a stunt person, it was all totally new. When started training I soon realised I had to do it all by myself!” she shrieks.

“They trained me so hard so they didn’t have to double me. It looks better that way — when the actor does the stunts you don’t have so many cuts in the action.

“I’m grateful to the producers for getting me do it because I had so much fun.”

At the time of the film’s release much was written about how Daniel Craig had pushed himself to the limit — dancing across rooftops in Siena, Italy, crashing speed boats or careering around in an Aston Martin DBS.

While Olga’s daredevil streak passed by almost unnoticed, she actually performed nearly as many stunts as the leading man.

In Quantum Of Solace, Camille and 007 first cross paths in Haiti where Bond is chasing up leads to the mysterious Quantum organisation. It’s there he comes across global terrorist Dominic Greene, a man Camille has seduced in order to get closer to corrupt Bolivian General Medrano, the man who made her watch while he killed her parents and sister.

Unsurprisingly, she wants revenge. After a frosty start Camille realises Bond is both the only person she can trust and the one man who can assist her vengeful crusade.

While Camille isn’t the first Bond girl to resist his charms — they only share a short kiss — she is the strongest female character in the series to date. She’s single-minded, ruthless, and every bit Bond’s equal.

Playing fierce, independent women has now become something of a calling card for the former lingerie model, who was born in Berdyansk, Ukraine.

She’s currently based up in Scotland while filming Centurion, a British film telling the story of a great battle between the Romans and the Picts.

Olga plays savage warrior Etaine and gets to put her combat skills to good use, spending much of the film on horseback.

When asked about why she picks such iron-willed characters, Olga stops in her tracks.

“It’s very funny because I realise only now that that’s what happened,” she says.

“Maybe it’s subconscious, but I am attracted to that quality when I read a script.”

She’s embarrassed, almost to the point of blushing, when it’s suggested she sees something of herself in these steely characters.

“I guess I am kind of like that, in order to go through everything I’ve been through to get what I want and chase my dream,” she says reluctantly.

“I’ve had to be strong, and determined and focused. I have that in me, and these characters do reflect my character as well. But I’m not just that, I am so many other things. I am a human being also, so I don’t want to be limited to playing that all the time.”

“Next, maybe I’ll go for a weak character. If it’s interesting.”

The last sentence speaks volumes about Olga. With such exotic looks, she could easily coast through a career playing one fluffy role after another, never offering more than something to look at for the audience, and an objection of affection for the leading man.

She says she turns down scripts all the time because they require nothing more of her than to stand around looking pretty.

“It happened before Bond, more so afterwards. It’s very disappointing,” she explains.

“I said no to three films after Quantum Of Solace. They were with big actors, too. I thought ‘What is my character doing there? Nothing. So why should I do it?’

“I believe in what I do, and try to be serious, genuine and truthful. That’s all I can do,” she continues.

“People who are interested in that can see through anything else. Those that are blind to those things will be blocked to it no matter what I try.

“Some people can get stuck on looks, but I don’t think it’s my loss, I think it’s their loss because they’re not seeing what’s in front of them.

“In life, if you are adventurous, you can discover things.”

Born into a poverty-stricken family, Olga was raised by her mum – - her parents divorced shortly after her birth — in an apartment shared with her grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousin.

She says she never stopped dreaming about a better life, and believed from an early age something good was around the corner.

At 16 she was spotted by a model agency scout in Moscow, who duly signed her up. Pretty soon after she was packing her bags for Paris, where she still lives after being granted French citizenship in 2001.

“My background means I really know the value of things now,” she says.

“I don’t go crazy and I know how to treat people.

“I can compare things to my childhood, so I know what something means for other people.

“I always think about those not in my position, and I know not to treat anything with disdain or disrespect.”

Quantum Of Solace is now out on DVD and Blu-ray

Voting is currently taking place to determine who will end up in the top 100 overall for 2009, to be announced on Thursday, 23 April.

To cast your votes for the Quantum of Solace leading lady, visit her profile pages at Olga Kurylenko and vote!

The 29-year-old, who played Camille in the latest Bond outing Quantum Of Solace, said she loved her time as a Bond babe and is excited for the next girl who gets to star opposite OO7 Daniel Craig.

“I had my time and last year was the most exciting year of my life, or one of them. I enjoyed my time, you have to live in the present, and it was great,” she said.

Olga added that she doesn’t mind always being remembered as a Bond Girl.

She said: “It was a really wonderful part, it was a wonderful Bond Girl role compared to the others. If I had to choose I would’ve chosen the part of Camille.

“I really don’t mind, it was a wonderful experience, it’s a great film and I am really excited for the next Bond girl, she is gonna have a great time.”

The former model grew up in Ukraine but after being spotted by a modelling scout while on holiday in Moscow, she graced the covers of Vogue and Elle magazine, before making the transition into films.

She explained recently that despite a steady acting career, she’s not wasteful with her money: “[I remember once] I refused to go to school because my shoes had no soles.

“My mother insisted that I go, so I took a needle and thread and stitched the shoes so that my toes wouldn’t poke out at the end. By the time I got to school the stitches had come out and my feet were on show.

“It was very upsetting. But those experiences taught me a lot about money. It’s not important in my life. I don’t really think about it at all.

“Because I grew up with nothing I have no extravagances. I don’t want hundreds of shoes – just a few pairs that don’t need stitching up.”

The 29-year-old Bond girl plays Etain, a vengeful Pict warrior woman, who had her tongue cut out by Roman soldiers. The movie is set during the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 117. It follows the story of Quintus Dias who is the sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier port who is ordered to destroy the Picts entirely for revenge.

Talking about her Pict warrior character, the Ukranian model remarked that she is “quite furious… she is an animal.”

The epic blockbuster is expected to be released later this year.

]]> http://olga-kurylenko.net/?feed=rss2&p=405 0 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=404 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=404#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:53:40 +0000 admin http://olga-kurylenko.net/2009/03/16/first-look-olga-in-centurion/

I guess Olga Kurylenko has decided to make a career out of playing chicks with an ax to grind. I mean, is it just me or does she have a thing for revenge? In the world of action, women usually have two choices: damsel or butt-kicking femme fatale, and Kurylenko has seemingly found her niche as the ridiculously hot tough chick — which is just fine by me because unlike some of her co-stars, at least Kurylenko looks like she could take you in a fight. But for those of you out there hoping she would be donning another skimpy outfit for Neil Marshall’s ancient action flick Centurion, keep your pants on, because in Empire’s first look the gal is all covered up wearing freaky makeup (if I know Kurylenko, however, it won’t be for long before she reveals a little skin regardless of this whole Clan of the Cave Bear look she has going on).

Centurion centers on the famed 9th Legion fighting for their lives behind enemy lines after a devastating guerrilla attack, and joining Kurylenko for the hacking and slashing are Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds), who plays the title character, Dominic West, and Noel Clarke. Marshall spoke with Empire during a set-visit and he described Kurylenko’s character Etain thusly: “Her family were butchered by the Romans, she had her tongue cut out by the Romans, she’s had a hell of a time and she’s out for Roman blood.” In reality, the 9th Legion were Cesar’s most faithful soldiers who were believed to be lost during their stay in Britain while fighting the Scots — a theory that while the inspiration for plenty of historical novels, has since been debunked. But, true or not, I won’t hold it against Marshall, because it probably made for a much more interesting story than the truth.

Centurion is currently filming on location in Scotland, and is expected to arrive in theaters with Kurylenko in all her avenging glory later this year.

Credit: Cinematical

]]> http://olga-kurylenko.net/?feed=rss2&p=403 0 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=402 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=402#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:33:53 +0000 admin http://olga-kurylenko.net/2009/03/11/ex-bond-girl-is-queen-of-picts/ DRESSED in leather trousers and tunic and up to her ankles in heather, former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko is miles away from the glamour and excitement of starring as a Bond girl.

The Ukranian-born actress, who starred alongside 007 Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace, is filming in Glen Feshie, near Aviemore, for her latest movie, Centurion.

The film, directed by Newcastle-born writer-director Neil Marshall, is set in AD 117, a time of conflict between the Romans and the Picts. It tells the story of Quintus Dias, who is the sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman fort.

He manages to make his way back to the Roman forces and then marches north again with the Ninth Legion under orders to wipe out the Picts and kill their mysterious leader Gorlacon, played by Miss Kurylenko.

Dias is played by Dominic West, best known for his role in the American crime series The Wire.

Last month, residents in Badenoch and Strathspey were invited to apply to be extras in the adventure film. Other scenes will be shot at Ealing Studios in London.

]]> http://olga-kurylenko.net/?feed=rss2&p=402 0 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=401 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=401#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:47:51 +0000 admin http://olga-kurylenko.net/2009/03/10/olga-shooting-period-piece-in-scotland/ A touch of Hollywood glamour has come to the glens as filming gets underway on a major new movie in the Highlands.

Centurion tells the story of the battle between a Roman legion and a mysterious Pictish queen, played by a Bond girl.

The film, directed by Neil Marshall, is set in 117AD and follows of a sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman fort. He escapes and returns with a Legion to wipe out the Picts.

Their mysterious leader is played by Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, who starred in Quantum of Solace with Daniel Craig.

Also swapping Hollywood for the Highlands is English actor Dominic West, familiar to fans of HBO series The Wire as unconventional cop Jimmy McNulty.

Thomas MacDonnell, the factor of Glenfeshie Estate, says the production is a great boost for the area, which has already had a starring part in Helen Mirren smash hit The Queen.

He said: “I think it’ll show Scotland as the fantastic place it is. I’m quite proud when I see these things on television.

“I had friends in America who phoned me up and said they’d seen The Queen and Glenfeshie and how fantastic it was. It can only be good for the area.”

Other scenes are due to be filmed at Ealing Studios in London.

As well as stunning scenery, Highland residents may spot some familiar faces when the film hits the big screen, with recent auditions held locally for extras.

Watch a behind-the-scenes video (at stv.tv)

For more information in Russian 

The 22nd James Bond film is currently up for vote in the Best Thriller category, Best Actor (Daniel Craig), Best Actress (Olga Kurylenko), Best Newcomer (Gemma Arterton) and Best Soundtrack.

The awards are voted for by readers of Empire magazine and will be announced at a ceremony on 29 March. Comedian Dara O’Briain will be hosting the event.

As 007 fans may recall, Craig’s debut Bond film, Casino Royale took home three awards at the 2007 ceremony, including the Best Film honour.

Check out MORE for the nominations!

Quantum of Solace

Best Thriller

• Quantum of Solace
• No Country For Old Men
• Changeling
• Gone Baby Gone
• Eagle Eye

Best Actor

• Daniel Craig – Quantum of Solace
• Daniel Day Lewis – There Will Be Blood
• Christian Bale – The Dark Knight
• Robert Downey Jr – Iron Man
• Johnny Depp – Sweeney Todd

Best Actress

• Olga Kurylenko – Quantum of Solace
• Angelina Jolie – Changeling
• Ellen Page – Juno
• Sally Hawkins – Happy Go Lucky
• Helena Bonham Carter – Sweeney Todd)

Best Newcomer

• Gemma Arterton
• Robert Pattinson
• Jim Sturgess
• Toby Kebell
• Hayley Atwell

Best Soundtrack

• Quantum of Solace
• Mamma Mia!
• Sweeney Todd
• RocknRolla
• There Will Be Blood

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

The film will follow the story of Quintus Dias, the only survivor during a raid who emerges with a mission to wipe out a faction called the Picts. Marshall also wrote Centurion.

Another Quantum of Solace Bond girl, Gemma Arterton, is picking up post-Bond roles, too. Arterton will star in The Disappearance of Alice Creed, a modern day kidnapping-themed thriller. Eddie Marsan and Martin Compston also star in the film, which is currently shooting on the Isle of Man. Marsan and Compston will play a pair of kidnappers who develop and execute a meticulous plan where they snatch Arterton’s rich character. Things quickly fall apart, with all three of the key characters proving to have their own twisted agenda.

]]> http://olga-kurylenko.net/?feed=rss2&p=395 0 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=393 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=393#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:58:22 +0000 admin http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=393 Olga Kurylenko attends Paris Fashion Week.

]]> http://olga-kurylenko.net/?feed=rss2&p=393 0 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=387 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=387#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:02:09 +0000 admin http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=387 Thanks to Anouk for the heads up on this information.

Olga ranked number 30 at Askmen.com Top 99 Women of 2009, go check it out. Here is what they said on why she is number 30.

You usually don’t associate the name Olga with beauty, but that’s about to change. Olga Kurylenko was absolutely sizzling as Camille in Quantum of Solace. She brings an exotic, dangerous edge to the classic Bond girl that has never been seen before. She has big, dark eyes and a body that would make Olympic gymnasts jealous, plus she can speak French as well as Ukrainian — in fact, the only thing she seems to be missing is the love of a good man. Any volunteers? Look for her in the 2009 flick Kirot.

]]> http://olga-kurylenko.net/?feed=rss2&p=391 0 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=385 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=385#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:58:48 +0000 admin http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=385 Just as Quantum of Solace finally arrives in theatres in Japan, one of the country’s top telecommunications companies has launched a limited edition James Bond cell phone.

Mobile Magazine reports that KDDi au released a special 007-themed edition of their W63S cell phone, sporting a handset designed by Sony Ericsson this past Wednesday to tie-in with the release of the 22nd Bond film.

Retail price is set around $145 and this Quantum of Solace model is limited to only 3,000 units worldwide.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most complete and up-to-date Quantum of Solace coverage on the web.

]]> http://olga-kurylenko.net/?feed=rss2&p=383 1 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=381 http://olga-kurylenko.net/?p=381#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2009 03:00:02 +0000 admin http://www.olga-kurylenko.net/?p=381 If Olga Kurylenk’so fellow Ukrainians weren’t already proud of her, they sure will be now.

Her first name may rhyme with vulgar, but the stripped bare Quantum of Solace beauty is quite the opposite on the cover of her country’s Maxim magazine.

Boasting such a perfectly formed body, it’s little wonder Olga has been happy to appear naked in countless movie roles and now on shop counters across the Ukraine.

I will have scans shortly (if I can find them, if you can send me the scans I would be grateful, nana19@gmail.com).