Thoughts from the show biz wiz

Current TV Counts Down the 50 Best Documentaries

2011-09-09T13:07:00.004-04:00

The cable channel Current TV recently had a countdown hosted by documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. He did a countdown of the 50 best documentaries of all time. Spurlock's film Super Size Me was #5 on the list. I have written about that film here before, and mentioned how it is a cautionary tale of the health risks associated with eating fast food. I have stayed away from McDonald's ever since seeing that film back in 2004. I think that documentary films address some important issues, but seldom are they viewed by large audiences. Overall the countdown show was good, but I think that some outstanding films were omitted such as; No End in Sight, King Corn, Pressure Cooker, Waiting for Superman and Wild Man Blues. Flint native Michael Moore had three films on the countdown, including Fahrenheit 9-11, Bowling for Columbine and Roger and Me.

Here is the top 10;

10. Grizzly Man---This is about a man who lives with Grizzly Bears and documents all of their behavior.
9. Trouble the Water---This shows the effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans.
8. An Inconvenient Truth---Starring Al Gore, this looked at global warming.
7. The Celluloid Closet---This showed hows gays have been portrayed in Hollywood films.
6. The War Room---This showed behind-the-scenes activities during Bill Clinton's run for the White House.
5. Supersize Me---I loved this since it showed how harmful McDonald's food can be to the body. You get what you pay for, cheap food with almost zero nutritional value. Yet everyday millions of people eat their disgusting food.
4. Waltz with Bashir---Animated film about war.
3. Roger and Me---This started it all for filmmaker Michael Moore. This movie showed how the city of Flint, Michigan has been devastated by the loss of General Motors jobs.
2. The Thin Blue Line---This was a true crime movie, that led to a conviction.
1. Hoop Dreams---This was about young boys in the inner city who have dreams of playing in the NBA.

Many documentaries take a very left wing approach to politics. I am republican on some issues and democrat on others. I do not always agree with the political viewpoint of the filmmakers but I can look past that to see the art of the film. Some of the best documentaries have nothing to do with politics, such as The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, which is about the battle to be the best Donkey Kong player in the world.

* Countdown information from Current TV network.

Film Analysis: Martin Scorsese's 1982 Film, The King of Comedy

2011-08-29T23:11:00.006-04:00

This film was not a success financially for Scorsese, who has had groundbreaking success with films such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Good Fellas and many others. The budget was $20 million and the United States gross box office receipts equaled only $2.5 million. Nevertheless, this is a film I enjoyed greatly due to its spot on depiction of the pitfalls of celebrity and its themes of isolation and loneliness. Making the film was emotionally grueling for director Scorsese, and he an DeNiro would not work together again for seven years. For more information on the amazing career of Martin Scorsese, see my blog post from February, 2010 titled The Artistic Vision of Martin Scorsese. The top photo above shows Jerry Lewis with director Martin Scorsese. The second picture shows Robert DeNiro (Rupert Pupkin) on the left and Jerry Lewis (Jerry Langford) on the right.

Cast
Robert DeNiro----- Rupert Pupkin
Jerry Lewis----- Jerry Langford
Sandra Bernhard----- Masha
Fred DeCordova----- Bert Thomas
Diahnne Abbott----- Rita
Shelley Hack----- Cathy
Victor Borge----- Himself
Tony Randall----- Himself
Ed Herlihy----- Himself
Lou Brown----- Himself

The music production was by Robbie Robertson, from The Band. Scorsese did a documentary about that group called The Last Waltz.

The King of Comedy is about Rupert Pupkin, a man who is delusional when it comes to his goals of fame and his relationship with talk show host Jerry Langford. Langford is a Johnny Carson-like late night talk show host. He even has a sidekick/announcer named Ed. The producer of Jerry Langford's show is played by Fred DeCordova, who was Carson's producer for many years. Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were considered for the role before Jerry Lewis was chosen. Rupert is a stalker, obsessed with Langford, and he will stop at nothing to get his shot as a stand up comedian. Rupert is not unlike Travis Bickle, the protagonist of Scorsese's brilliant drama, Taxi Driver. Both men are obsessive loners who struggle with an inner turmoil of hostility and frustration. Travis Bickle said "Loneliness has followed me my whole life. I'm God's lonely man." Rupert Pupkin could have spoken those words. He is 34 years old, living with his mother, and he talks to cardboard cutouts of celebrities, fantasizing that he is a talk show host.

Rupert and Masha (Bernhard), both are crazed stalkers, obsessed with Jerry and seeking his approval. Rupert confronts Jerry in the back of his limo and Jerry says to contact his office. Rupert does, and is told to submit a tape of his performance. Jerry's people listen to the tape and tell Rupert he is not ready to be on the show. Rupert and Masha turn to kidnapping Jerry and say that Rupert must be able to perform on the show before they will let him go. There is an especially uncomfortable scene where Rupert shows up unannounced, and uninvited at Jerry's residence. Rupert shows up with a woman from high school. He had a crush on her many years ago, and now is desperate to show her he has become friends with Jerry.

The movie ends with Rupert doing his standup act which ends with the line "Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime." He gets his picture on the cover of all of the top magazines including Time, Life, Newsweek, People and Rolling Stone. He gets one million dollars to write his autobiography. Just like in Taxi Driver, the primary character ends up an unlikely hero.

In the bonus footage Scorsese mentioned how the film has an underlying hostility throughout. Some scenes were improvised, especially the scene where Rupert shows up at Jerry's home. Scorsese's mother played the voice of Rupert's mother, who would yell down to the basement, telling Rupert to keep down the noise level as he practiced his monologues. As usual, Scorsese himself had a cameo role in the film, playing the director of the Jerry Langford show. Like Alfred Hitchcock, he would often do that. Entertainment Tonight called the film "the flop of the year". In his monologue on the Jerry Langford show, De Niro's character Rupert Pupkin says that he is from Clifton, New Jersey. This is possibly an allusion to Andy Kaufman's abusive comedian persona, Tony Clifton, whom Pupkin resembles with similar hair, moustache and cheap blue suits. When Jerry Langford is walking down the street, he is stopped by a woman talking on the telephone. When Jerry refuses to talk to someone on the phone, the lady says I hope you get cancer. This incident actually happened to Jerry Lewis. According to Scorsese, Lewis directed this segment himself. Martin Scorsese has stated that he "probably should not have made" the film.

* Some material from imdb.com.

Film Analysis: New York Stories

2011-08-06T15:34:00.004-04:00

This is an anthology film, broken into 3 segments. I recall liking it in college so I wanted to revisit the movie and write about it here. It was released in 1989 by Touchstone Pictures, and each segment was directed by an iconic filmmaker. It offers 3 unrelated tales with only one thing in common: the setting is The Big Apple. I have always had an obsession with New York, probably since it is the headquarters of so much that is iconic in the world of entertainment. It is the home base for Broadway, several TV networks and so many legendary films were shot in New York. Being a Woody Allen fan has made me a fan of New York also, since it is the setting for many of his films.

The first story is directed by Martin Scorsese, the genius behind Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Casino, GoodFellas, and many more. His part of this anthology is called Life Lessons. Nick Nolte is a gruff New York City artist living in a loft apartment where he spends his days painting and listening to music. The soundtrack includes music such as "Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum and "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan. Scorsese has used classic rock music skillfully in this film, just as he has done in many others. Nolte goes to the airport to pick up his assistant/on-and-off girlfriend played by Rosanna Arquette. Scorsese uses a slow motion technique with Nolte looking at Arquette that is reminiscent of the same shot from Taxi Driver when Robert DeNiro spots Cybill Shepherd. Nolte is obsessed with her. The alcohol, art and music are his only reliable companions. He leads a solitary life, much like the life of Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. Nolte's character, Lionel Dobie is preparing for an art show where his work will be featured. He tells Paulette (Arquette) that he gives life lessons that are priceless to his assistants. She wants to move out but he pleads with her not to go. She wants to be an artist and asks Lionel if she is wasting her time. Scorsese takes us into the world of a painter with his close ups of the textured paint on the canvas, a paint-splattered cassette player and tight shots of the brushes. Scorsese's longtime film editor, Thelma Schoonmaker is pivotal to the visual elements of the film. A key visual scene is one where Lionel is painting frenetically, obsessed in his work, and the Bob Dylan song has the line "When you ain't got nothin', you got nothin' to lose". The shot is looking down at him, making him seem small, like he is battling against a mighty foe. Paulette's room is above the main level of the loft and there is a hole in the wall which overlooks the area where Lionel paints. She is up high, he is down low. He gazes up at her room longingly as she is up there, symbolizing that she is above him, in more ways than one. Lionel attacks Paulette's boyfriend (Steve Buscemi) in a bar. Arquette has had it and says she is moving out. She says she feels like a "human sacrifice". Dobie tells her he had been married 4 times before she was born. She has no idea how down he gets. The closing scene has Lionel at his art show where he meets another young woman who he recruits to be his assistant, just like Arquette. The cycle begins again.

The second story is the weakest by far. It's called Life without Zoe and it was directed by Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather films, Apocalypse Now). It is about Zoe, a 12 year old rich girl who lives in the Sherry Netherland Hotel in New York. Her father is a professional flute player who performs around the world. She is cared for by the family butler Hector (Don Novello, best known for his character Father Guido Sarducci). Zoe and friends interview Abu, the new boy at school. He says he has no friends. The hotel is robbed and luckily a precious diamond earring is not stolen from Zoe's father. The earring turns out to belong to a princess who is the aunt of Abu. There is a lavish costume party for the kids and Zoe returns the earring to the princess. The story ends with Zoe and her mother watching the father perform his flute in Greece. The story and acting were poor in this portion of the film. I imagine that Coppola has regrets about releasing it. The first and third stories are so much stronger.

The third story is directed by Woody Allen (Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, Vicky Christina Barcelona and many more). It is called Oedipus Wrecks since it involves a son's relationship with his mother. Woody plays a 50 year old lawyer at a Manhattan firm. He is often criticized and embarrassed by his demanding mother. He tells a therapist about a dream. His mother is in a coffin and Woody is driving the hearse. Still, she is telling him how to drive. He wishes she would disappear and quit bothering him. In the film, Woody is dating Mia Farrow. They take his mother to a magic show. The magician takes her on stage for a trick. He puts her in a box and puts swords through the box. Woody watches from the audience with a sense of glee. The magician then opens the box and she is gone. He does not know where she went. Her disappearing permanently is not part of the trick. Larry David has a small role backstage as the theatre manager. Woody's mother is missing for a week and he tells his therapist he feels great. One day, Sheldon's (Allen's) mother appears in the sky over Manhattan as an apparition. Everyone can see her and she tells Sheldon what to do, embarrassing him as always. She even takes out baby pictures of him to show everyone. The mother, Sadie, tells Sheldon to not get married. She is even interviewed on the news and the press also hounds Sheldon. He wants to kill himself he is so tormented. The therapist recommends a psychic, Treva, played by Julie Kavner (voice of Marge Simpson). Woody gets discouraged with the psychic's antics. He thinks she is a fraud. She makes him dinner and he finds that he likes her. Lisa (Mia Farrow) leaves a note for Sheldon, saying she is leaving him. Sheldon goes back to Treva, gets engaged and introduces her to his mother. She likes her, and says she will come down. The motherly apparition disappears from the sky and she sits on Sheldon's couch. The story ends with the mother showing Sheldon's baby pictures to Treva.

This was a good showcase for 3 legendary directors to strut their stuff. 2 out of 3 of them were successful.

Music: The Soundtrack of our Lives

2011-07-31T16:12:00.007-04:00

Some people limit themselves to only one type of music. I have never understood this. Some only like heavy metal, some only like country or blues. I think that there are outstanding musicians in every genre, so no way would I want to limit myself to just one type of music. Often times one can learn about one type of music by listening to another type that is related. Country fans may get introduced to bluegrass or Southern Rock by way of country artists that may discuss their influences.

Listening to just one kind of music for one's life would be like only eating Italian food, never to taste a burrito or a serving of sweet and sour shrimp. Some are passionate about food, or playing sports, or fishing. For me, music has always been my passion. The only thing that comes close is my interest in film.

In the 1970s, I was introduced to much of my favorite music by way of my 4 older brothers. I looked up to all of them in many ways. I recall some of their 45 rpm records included some by Michael Jackson ("Rockin' Robin"), The Beatles ("Day Tripper"), and Chicago ("Saturday in the Park"). I recall listening to those as well as finding some musicians I liked such as ELO, Barry Manilow (my brothers teased me endlessly about listening to his music), and The Bee Gees. It was the 1970s after all. I recall that one of my first vinyl albums was "Out of the Blue" by Electric Light Orchestra. I was transfixed by the cover art of a spaceship. I think back to the carefree days of listening to "Disco Inferno" by The Tramps while sitting on my bunk bed reading magazines.

The music of the 1980s will always be sentimental to me since those were the years I was in junior high, high school, and most of college. Most people look back on music from those formative years as the best music they have heard since those songs provided the soundtrack for many of the most important happenings in our lives. I will always like Van Halen, Rush, Beastie Boys, Duran Duran and so much of the music from that period. Some of my classmates in high school liked Rush very much so I got into their music as well. I was envious of the kids who witnessed a live concert by Beastie Boys and had the t-shirts to prove it. Back then we had more time to pay attention to music. We did not have the worries that grown ups do such as concerns about our job, finances, or marriage/kids. Music, movies and TV shows of the 1980s will always be important to me. I cannot hear Chicago's "You're the Inspiration" without taking me back to the days of listening to that song over and over on my Sony Walkman cassette player. I would listen to it and think of the girl I had a crush on. "Purple Rain" by Prince and Foreigner's "I Wanna Know What Love Is" will always be bittersweet to me. Those songs were the ones I recall playing at the high school dances after the football and basketball games. In the small town high school cafeteria, those songs would blast through the speakers, and as an adolescent boy there were so many girls I wanted to ask to dance, but seldom had the guts to do so. Nevertheless, those songs make me think of missed opportunities fueled by my feelings of self doubt. One of the best fast songs that was played at the dance was Morris Day and The Time's "The Bird". Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me with Science" takes me back to high school the minute I hear it as well as The Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian". Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was such a phenomenon during the 1980s. I don't know if I will ever experience another musical artist who possessed his raw talent. In 1988, I was a counselor at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and some of my campers were hardcore Led Zeppelin fans, and I became one as well. I can't hear Van Halen's OU812 album without thinking of that fantastic summer.

The music of Beastie Boys led me to appreciate music by Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, The Fat Boys, Kid and Play, Young MC, Tone Loc, and so many more. I recall in 1990-91, that was the time of MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice and 3rd Bass. I still listen to 3rd Bass ("The Gas Face", "Pop Goes the Weasel") a lot, as well as the solo projects put out by members MC Serch and Prime Minister Pete Nice. Around 1992 I began to lose interest in rap since it became all about glamorizing crime, and degrading women. Other than Beastie Boys, I do not follow the rap that is currently being released. Rap in the 1980s was simply about having fun.

The early 1990s saw the rise of hard rock groups like Dangerous Toys, Slaughter and many others I still enjoy. This was a period of decline for the "Hair bands" like Motley Crue, Poison and Cinderella. The grunge period happened and with it we learned about Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and others. I like all of these groups, and the movie Singles, written and directed by Cameron Crowe, was all about this period. Some members of the grunge groups had small parts in that film.

In the mid-1990s I discovered country music when I heard "Chattahoochie" by Alan Jackson. I became a fan of his as well as Travis Tritt, Garth Brooks, Sammy Kershaw, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, and so many more. Travis Tritt became my favorite country artist who I have seen perform 5 times, and through him I learned of his love for Southern Rock such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Charlie Daniels and the like. Travis also greatly was influenced by the country outlaws like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Hank Williams Jr. My love of country music led me to not only discover Southern Rock, but bluegrass as well.

I think it was 1997 where the world embraced ska music by artists like Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, and No Doubt. I had enjoyed the ska of the group Madness in the 1980s but never explored the genre much until the late 1990s. I came to really enjoy the fun, upbeat music that has horns and often a tongue-in-cheek attitude. 1998 saw the rise of big band music like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Brian Setzer Orchestra, and Squirrel Nut Zippers. Big band music was nothing new, but these groups brought back the sound that was popular when my parents were growing up in the 1930s and 1940s. Being a "band geek" and a fan of horns, I enjoyed it. I also have always had great admiration for the group Chicago and their amazing horn section.

The 1990s and into the 2000s saw the rise of alternative rock like Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, System of a Down, Disturbed, and others. Depending on my mood sometimes I like the aggression and intensity of this music, also some heavy metal bands like Pantera, Megadeth, Metallica, and Stuck Mojo. Music like that can provide great motivation if one is exercising. This period of the 1990s and into the 2000s also saw the rise of punk bands like Blink 182, Green Day and Good Charlotte and I like their music a lot.

At around age 35, in 2005, I started to lose interest in much of the music that was being played on the radio. I delved deeper into classic rock of the 1970s and 1980s. I think that most people eventually lose interest in current music.

One day I might feel like listening to lots of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Allman Brothers. The next day it may be lots of ska like Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish. Some days it's all country like Travis Tritt and Sammy Kershaw. Maybe I feel like lots of Buddy Rich or Harry Connick Jr. Anyway, there are many "flavors" of music out there. Don't limit yourself to just one, try them all. There's only 2 types of music, good and bad.

Film Analysis: Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous

2011-06-24T12:36:00.009-04:00

Now and then I like to take one of my favorite films and write an extensive blog entry where I dissect the movie. One of my favorite writer/director filmmakers has to be Cameron Crowe. His works include Say Anything, Singles, Jerry Maguire, Elizabethtown and Vanilla Sky. Also, he wrote the book that became the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. His films are not blockbusters that make hundreds of millions of dollars. They are not filled with explosions or special effects. They are works of art which have the story as the focus of the film. Crowe is a music lover, and rock music often plays a significant role in his films. Almost Famous and Singles are the two of his films which have music featured prominently. The top photo above shows writer/director Cameron Crowe with his Academy Award. Picture #2 shows Philip Seymour Hoffman as the Creem magazine writer Lester Bangs. Picture #3 shows rock journalist William Miller (Patrick Fugit) and "band aid" Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) backstage watching the band Stillwater perform. Picture #4 has the band Stillwater and various cast members in front of the tour bus. The bottom picture is the official poster for Almost Famous.

Almost Famous was released in 2000, and was hailed by critics as outstanding. Roger Ebert called it the best film of the year. 88% of the critics liked it according to rottentomatoes.com. Entertainment Weekly magazine gave it a grade of A+. The film won two Golden Globe awards, one for best picture and one for best supporting actress, Kate Hudson. It received four Oscar nominations and Cameron Crowe won for best screenplay. In 2001, the Almost Famous soundtrack won a Grammy. The movie was filled with outstanding music, mostly from the 1970s. The soundtrack had songs by Simon and Garfunkel, The Who, Black Sabbath, The Allman Brothers, Elton John and many more. The average music budget for a film is $1.5 million. The music budget for Almost Famous was $3.5 million.

Key characters in Almost Famous;

Patrick Fugit--- William Miller (main character, rock journalist)
Frances McDormand--- Elaine (William's mom)
Zooey Deschanel--- Anita (William's sister)
Philip Seymour Hoffman--- Lester Bangs (writer for Creem magazine)
Kate Hudson--- Penny Lane (one of the "band aids")
Billy Crudup--- Russell Hammond (guitarist for Stillwater)
Jason Lee--- Jeff Bebe (lead singer for Stillwater)

Budget: $60 million
Box office gross: $47.3 million

This film is semi-autobiographical since the lead character tours with rock bands in the 1970s, and Cameron Crowe did the same thing. Crowe was a writer for Rolling Stone as a teenager and he wrote articles about bands with which he toured such as Led Zeppelin and Allman Brothers. The best critic's quote I have read regarding Crowe's films was from Entertainment Weekly magazine; "Every Cameron Crowe film is in one way or another, about romance, rock and roll, and his romance with rock and roll." On the bonus footage of the DVD, Crowe said "The goal was to write a love letter back to music." He also said "Music is usually more profound than anything the actors will say." Crowe felt that Almost Famous was a work that was important to him and he said "I'm getting stuff said on film that matters to me." The movie had been brewing in Crowe's mind for many years before it got made. He wrote the songs performed by the band Stillwater with his wife Nancy Wilson of the group Heart.

Almost Famous starts with shots of San Diego at Christmas time, 1969, after the hand written credits. William Miller's mom is overprotective of her son and daughter. She tells her son to stay away from rock and roll since she thinks that many rock and roll performers are "on pot." William's sister leaves home to start a new life as a stewardess. She tells her little brother "Look under your bed--it'll set you free." She had left vinyl albums by performers such as The Beach Boys, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and more. There is a note with the albums that says "Listen to Tommy with a candle burning and you will see your entire future."

Skip to 1973, and William reads the rock and roll magazine Creem. He idolizes the rock writer, Lester Bangs. He meets Bangs outside a radio station and gets the advice to not make friends with the rock stars. Rock writers hang out with rock stars to make them feel cool. Miller gets hired to cover Black Sabbath at a San Diego concert. He cannot get in to interview them, but he meets Penny Lane, who is a groupie, or as she calls it, a "band aid". William gets a chance to interview the opening band Stillwater and he watches them perform from backstage. Penny tells William "If you ever get lonely, go to the record store and visit all your friends."

William and Penny go to Los Angeles to meet up with Stillwater at the Hyatt House hotel, called the Riot House. Rolling Stone calls William and they want him to tour with Stilwater and write about them. They do not realize how young he is, he is only 15. The Stillwater tour bus says "Almost Famous Tour '73."

Next stop on the tour is Tempe Arizona. Stillwater says to William "Just make us look cool." Russell gets electrocuted when he grabs a mic on stage and the band flees the venue, not finishing the show and angering the manager of the facility.

In Topeka Kansas, Stillwater gets their band t-shirts and a fight ensues when the shirts feature Russell the guitar player not the lead singer. Russell and William go to a party and Russell gets high on acid and jumps off a roof into a pool. He screams "I am a golden god" which was supposedly said by Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. As the leave Topeka they sing Elton John's Tiny Dancer. When I see this scene I get chills down my spine. William says "I need to go home." Penny says "You are home." The band and their followers have a sense of camaraderie. Penny struggles with real life and sees the life on the road as a way to escape from her issues.

In Cleveland, the band meets a new manager played by Jimmy Fallon. He will have them tour by plane, not bus.

In Boston, the band loses the right to have the "band aids" travel with them in a card game. The girls will be given to the band Humble Pie for $50 and a case of beer.

In New York, William finds out he has the cover story. Penny Lane is in New York and she is sad since she loves Russell but he does not love her back. She overdoses on Quaaludes and almost dies. The band has a rough plane ride on the way to Tupelo, Mississippi, perhaps an homage to the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash? When the band thinks the plane will crash, they confess their secrets.

Back in San Francisco at the Rolling Stone headquarters, the magazine wonders how they can put together a story from Williams' notes. They find out how young he is. Rolling Stone loves the article but Stillwater says the facts are fabricated. Later they say to go ahead and publish it. Stillwater embarks on the "No more airplanes tour '74." Rolling Stone prints the cover story and Penny follows her dream of going to Morocco.

I love the movie since music and movies are the two things in my life that have brought me the most enjoyment. Cameron Crowe's films speak to me on a personal level. I thought the key people in the movie that were outstanding included Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson (her best film in my opinion, it all went downhill for her after this), and Billy Crudup. The fictional band was great, thanks to Peter Frampton, who was a technical advisor who helped the actors to look authentic on stage.

*Some material for this article from imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, and the Almost Famous DVD bonus footage.

VH1 Classic's That Metal Show

2011-05-11T01:19:00.003-04:00

This show is a must see for all fans of hard rock and heavy metal. It has been on VH1 Classic on Saturday nights for seven seasons. TV seasons on cable are short, only 8-10 episodes per season with 2 seasons per year. That Metal Show first aired in November of 2008 and started as a 30 minute show. In season six, it expanded to an hour. The first four seasons were shot in New York, then starting with season five, they switched to Los Angeles for the tapings. Guests on the show have included many of the greats from the world of popular music such as Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Ace Frehley, Duff McKagan, Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford, and many more.

That Metal Show's main host is Eddie Trunk, who is a veteran of the music industry, and New York radio and TV. Trunk was born in New Jersey in 1964 and he once was vice president of Megaforce Records, the label that signed bands like Metallica and Anthrax. He also worked as an executive producer for various hard rock and metal bands. Currently he hosts a radio show for Q104.3 in New York and he has a show on XM radio's Boneyard channel. Also, he is the music host and interviewer for MSG TV network in New York. He is an unabashed fan of Kiss and Bon Jovi, often ranting about how it is a crime that Kiss is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He recently wrote a book called "Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal".

The show is co-hosted by two stand up comedians who are also metal mavens like Trunk. Jim Florentine (from Comedy Central's Crank Yankers) and Don Jamieson inject some humor into the show.

That Metal Show has some staples of the show that are included in the program each week. Stump the Trunk is a segment where Eddie Trunk shows off his knowledge of music trivia. Audience members ask him questions and if he cannot answer the question, then the audience member gets a prize. Each week they do a top 5 list where each of the 3 hosts put in their 2 cents on a certain topic and they come up with the quintessential list. For instance a topic might be top 5 drummers in the world of heavy metal/hard rock. The Throwdown is a segment where each week they take 2 minutes to discuss a certain topic. It might be something like-who is the best grunge era band, Nirvana, Alice in Chains or Soundgarden? The show has a guitar player who will play a few licks as they go to commercial, so that is cool to see who they will get to do the show.

I like this show a lot since there is nothing on TV like it. I am a fan of many of the bands they discuss such as Megadeth, Van Halen, Rush, Metallica, Motley Crue, Ratt, and more. Eddie Trunk is so passionate about music, and it is interesting to hear the guests talk about behind the scenes aspects of the music industry.

*Some material from en.wikipedia.org.

2011 Oscar Recap

2011-03-07T18:41:00.003-05:00

Hosts: James Franco and Anne Hathaway

Best picture: The King's Speech

Best actor: Colin Firth (The King's Speech)

Best actress: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Best supporting actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Best supporting actress: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Best director: Tom Hooper (The King's Speech)

Animated feature: Toy Story 3

Documentary feature: Inside Job

Original screenplay: The King's Speech

* Source: Entertainment Weekly magazine

Oscar Winner Christian Bale's Career

2011-03-07T14:20:00.005-05:00

Christian Bale has just been awarded the Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in The Fighter. He is known as someone who immerses himself in a role 100%. He has not been an overnight success, starting out as a child actor in the 1980s. He came from a showbiz family, with a grandfather who was an actor, and his mother worked for the circus, and the family traveled extensively.

He was born in Wales in 1974 and earned a role in Anastasia, a made for TV movie in 1986. The film co-starred Amy Irving, then the wife of director Steven Spielberg. She recommended Bale for the role in Spielberg's next film, Empire of the Sun. That film was released in 1987 and Bale received critical acclaim. The National Board of Review voted him the best juvenile performance for the film. He enjoyed the acting but found the press junkets to be repetitive and grueling. He wanted to be a kid, and was disillusioned by the loss of his privacy. He vowed to never act again.

The acting hiatus only lasted a year and Bale filmed Henry the Fifth with Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench. Around this time he also did a TV movie with Charlton Heston. In 1992 Bale did the film Newsies which was a musical. He endured a grueling schedule of singing and dancing lessons before filming the project. The movie was a flop, and so was his next work, Swing Kids (1993). But, even if the films were not seen by a wide audience, Bale received critical acclaim for his acting skills. In 1994 he did the film Little Women, where he developed a friendship with co-star Winona Ryder. She ended up introducing him to his wife.

Bale continued working in films through the 1990s, but his breakthrough role came in 2000 with American Psycho. This film was first put together in 1997 but went through changes in script, cast and crew. This was based on a novel by Bret Easton Ellis who wrote the book Less than Zero, which was a 1980s film with Robert Downey, Jr. American Psycho was a profile of Patrick Bateman, a deranged materialistic Wall Street yuppie from the 1980s obsessed with sex and violence. The film had a budget of $6 million. Lion's Gate Pictures did not know if Bale was right for the role. For a period of time, it looked like Leonardo DiCaprio would star and Oliver Stone would direct, but those plans fell through. Mary Harmon ended up as the director, and she was impressed with Bale's intensity and dedication to his craft. The film was not a hit at the box office and had mixed reviews from the critics. But, once it was released on DVD it caught on as a cult classic. It had a mixed reception at Sundance and the MPAA wanted to give it an NC-17 rating. Edits were made to make it an R rated film. I think it is a fantastic script and the performance by Bale is mesmerizing.

After American Psycho, the next film that caught the attention of critics and audiences was The Machinist in 2004. This was about an emaciated man who was a tortured soul who had insomnia and guilt over committing a crime. He lost 60 pounds to do this film, going from 180 pounds to 120 pounds. He ate less than 500 calories per day and was physically exhausted on the set. This is an example of how he committed to the role completely. It made me think of Robert DeNiro's transformation from muscular to fat in Raging Bull.

In 2005, Batman Begins was released and Bale had pressure on him to succeed with this franchise, which had been damaged by the George Clooney vehicle, Batman and Robin. It was well received, as well as 2007's The Dark Knight. Bale's next Batman work will be released in 2012 and will be called The Dark Knight Rises. He stays in character the whole time when doing these films, even wanting the name Bruce Wayne on his door of his dressing room.

2008 had Bale starring in Terminator Salvation, where he had an on-set tirade, yelling at the director of photography when he was trying to film a scene. He was mad since the camera operator was walking around while Bale was trying to concentrate on his scene. He was screaming "Are you professional?" Bale gave a public apology on a radio show in 2009 and said his actions were "inexcusable".

The 2010 film The Fighter has Bale co-starring with Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams. He plays a crack addicted boxing coach and former boxer Dicky Eklund, who works with his half brother to make him a champion. Like with his other roles, that part showed how Bale can transform himself like a chameleon in terms of his physical appearance and his mannerisms and way of speaking. I think he is one of the best actors working today. The role earned Bale a Golden Globe, an Oscar, a Screen Actor's Guild award and many other accolades from film critics.

* Some information from Biography channel program about Christian Bale, and en.wikipedia.org.

Scarface Remains one of Pacino's Best Films

2011-02-14T09:57:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite actors is Al Pacino, known for films such as Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, The Godfather trilogy, Heat, The Devil's Advocate, Donnie Brasco, and Scent of a Woman. I think that one of his best roles has to be Cuban drug lord Tony Montana in Scarface (1983). It is a re-make of the 1932 film which was directed by Howard Hawks and written by Ben Hecht. The 1983 version was dedicated to Hawks and Hecht. The 1932 film was based on the life of mobster Al Capone, in the days of prohibition.The 1983 film dealt not with the illegal sale of alcohol, but cocaine. The Pacino film was directed by Brian DePalma, who also directed The Untouchables, Carrie and Carlito's Way. It was produced by Martin Bregman who also worked with Pacino on Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Carlito's Way. The screenplay was written by Oliver Stone, who also wrote films such as Wall Street, Midnight Express and Born on the Fourth of July. Ironically, Stone fought cocaine addiction himself while writing the screenplay. In addition to Pacino, the film co-stars Steven Bauer as Manny Ribera, Tony's right hand man. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Elvira Hancock, the cold, distant girlfriend of Tony's mentor, Frank Lopez, played by Robert Loggia. Tony's sister Gina is played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.

The film was not loved by everyone. Roger Ebert gave it 4 stars (his highest rating), but film critic Leonard Maltin gave it a poor review. Despite being nominated for 3 Golden Globes, it was also nominated for a Razzie award for worst director, Brian DePalma. Some saw the film as being too violent, with too much profanity. There are 42 people killed in the film. It originally recieved an X rating by the MPAA. The filmmakers knew they could not release an X rated film and have a wide audience. They edited the film, cutting out a lot of the violence. The rating was revised to an R. But, before its release, DePalma actually submitted the original X rated version to theaters. Yes, the film is violent, but so is the world of cocaine trafficking. I see it as being an accurate depiction of that lifestyle.

Scarface is about Tony Montana, who was able to leave Cuba in 1980 when Castro released thousands of refugees to go to Miami. It turned out that many who were coming to America had criminal records. Tony and his friend Manny work in a restaurant briefly washing dishes but decide that they need to sell drugs in order to make some real money. Tony learns about the business from Frank Lopez and eventually surpasses him and takes his girlfriend as well. Scarface is about Tony climbing to the highest level of being a drug lord, but through that process he loses his friends, his family, and himself. It is a portrait of a man who seeks power but only finds weakness and paranoia. He turns to drugs in order to escape from himself. His descent into cocaine addiction is swift, disturbing, and it has a violent ending.

This could have been a very different film. John Travolta was considered for the role of Manny. Robert DeNiro was considered for the role of Tony, but he turned it down. Sidney Lumet was the first choice for director but he did not take the job. The following actresses turned down the role of Elvira: Rosanna Arquette, Melanie Griffith, Kim Basinger, Jodie Foster, Brooke Shields. Two others who auditioned were Geena Davis and Sharon Stone.

A scene in the movie has Tony looking up at a blimp with the message "The World is Yours". He has a statue in his house with a globe above with those words on it. The 1932 film had this phrase on a billboard when Tony Camonte died (Paul Muni).

Scarface has become a bit of a cult classic. It is popular with many in the hip hop community and in 2006 a Scarface video game was released. Its budget was $25 million and it has made $45 million in the US and $65 million worldwide at the box office. It is not a short film, with a length of 170 minutes. But, I put it up there with 2 other favorites, Casino and The Godfather, both which are also about 3 hours. It is long, but it takes time to tell the story, and I think it is a well crafted screenplay. Tony Montana is a hero in the same way as characters from films such as Good Fellas, The Godfather, Casino, Donnie Brasco, Carlito's Way and even Tony Soprano from the HBO show The Sopranos. People see the organized crime lifestyle as glamorous and powerful, with fancy cars, houses and everything a person could want. Those things are part of the lifestyle, but people in that life also sell their souls.

*Some material from imdb.com.

Billy Joel: Piano Man

2010-11-29T10:34:00.004-05:00

Billy Joel grew up on Long Island New York, the son of an immigrant who was an accomplished classical music pianist. Billy had more of an interest in rock and roll, which his father did not like. Billy's brother is a classical music conductor in Europe. He dropped out of high school and had dreams of becoming a recording star like his idols, The Beatles. He played in a piano bar in Los Angeles, which led to the hit Piano Man in 1973. Billy teamed up with producer Phil Ramone and ended up having an amazing career which has spanned over 4 decades. He has had 33 top 40 hits, all which he wrote himself. He has sold over 150 million albums worldwide. The show I saw on the Biography channel mentioned how he has had many ups and downs in his personal life. He had a manager who took advantage of him financially, leaving him with no option other than to tour extensively over a 2 year period to get on better ground financially. He has had struggles with substance abuse, and has been divorced 3 times, most notably from model Christie Brinkley. Joel was a boxer as a young man and his aggression and fighting attitude can sometimes be seen in his music. He has toured with another pianist/rock and roll legend, Elton John. In 1987 Joel performed a groundbreaking concert in Russia at the height of the cold war. Billy's albums 52nd Street, Glass Houses, Storm Front and River of Dreams all hit #1 in the US. I admire Billy Joel very much for his staying power and his mark he has made on the world of popular music. My favorite songs of his include; Piano Man, Movin' Out, New York State of Mind, Big Shot, You May be Right, My Life, Pressure, and many more.

* Some information from Biography channel and en.wikipedia.org

Barry Manilow: I Write the Songs

2010-11-29T10:11:00.004-05:00

I recently watched a Biography channel profile of Barry Manilow and thought I'd write a bit about this performer. Barry never planned on being a singer. He wanted to be a piano player in the background, not the star. He accompanied Bette Midler, and made money writing commercial jingles early in his career in New York City. He would also arrange music for performers such as Midler and Dionne Warwick. Before he had hit singles he would perform the commercial jingles that he wrote just so the audience would recognize something. He met Arista records chief and music mogul Clive Davis who thought he could make Barry a star. Manilow became known for his ballads such as Can't Smile without You, I Write the Songs, Could it be Magic and Mandy. From 1974 to 1980 he had hit after hit. He tired eventually of all the touring and singing these ballads. He started performing an up tempo fun song called Copacabana, and it became a big hit. He has been praised by Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan. After 30 years of touring to bring his show to the people, Barry decided to sign a contract with a Las Vegas hotel so that the people could come to him. He has branched out by releasing albums that pay tribute to the music of the 1950, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He has also recorded big band type music, Christmas albums and a tribute to the greatest love songs of all time.

* Some information from Biography channel and en.wikipedia.org.

Book Review: "We'll be here for the Rest of our Lives" by Paul Shaffer

2010-10-02T10:45:00.004-04:00

I greatly enjoyed this book since I have been a longtime fan of musician Paul Shaffer. He has been the keyboardist and band leader for David Letterman since 1982. He and Dave did the late night show at NBC from 1982 to 1993, and have been at CBS ever since. I admire Paul's musical talents, and it is obvious he has a sense of humor and a certain Las Vegas charm to him.

The book talks about his upbringing in snowy Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It tells about how he moved to Toronto where he met up with some other talented, funny Canadians like Martin Short and Eugene Levy. Paul worked in musical theatre in Canada for awhile and eventually moved to New York City and got a gig playing keyboards for Saturday Night Live. He was noticed by David Letterman who was starting his own show and he wanted a musical director who could play well, but also have a sense of humor.

The book is filled with interesting anecdotes from Paul's life working with some of the biggest stars in show business. He drops a lot of names, but if I had his life I would too.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Falls Short of the Original

2010-10-01T21:11:00.005-04:00

I really wanted this to be as good as the first one, which came out in 1987. Like most sequels, the original was so much better. Money Never Sleeps has Michael Douglas returning as financial giant Gordon Gekko. The film opens with his getting released from prison for insider trading. Like the first film, he takes a young broker under his wing, this time played by Shia LeBeouf. Gekko's original protegee, Bud Fox, played by Charlie Sheen, has a cameo with a few lines. It just so happens that LeBeouf is engaged to Gekko's estranged daughter. This is ironic since she is turned off to Wall Street traders by the actions of her corrupt father. She is played by Carey Mulligan, and she had a much better script to work with last year when she starred in the Oscar nominated An Education. Josh Brolin plays a slimy adversary of Gekko's who LeBeouf ends up working for. Oliver Stone appears in a cameo in this film as well as many CNBC personalities such as Maria Bartiromo and Jim Cramer. Other stars included Frank Langella and Susan Sarandon. The script is too long, not organized well, and I found myself looking at my watch wondering when it would end. In a great film you care about the characters and a great film will leave you wanting more. The Wall Street of 1987 had that effect on me. Still all of these years later I can watch it again and again. It was so quotable, and modern day traders still remember it as the ultimate movie about high finance in New York City. So many artists have their biggest hits early in their career and they spend the rest of their careers trying to get back that magic that they once had in their work. I am beginning to feel that way about Oliver Stone. The actors and the sets and costumes can all be good, but if the script is not polished, you don't have a hit. Wall Street 2 needed a better script that could interest people as much as the first one.

Thirteen Years after Wall Street comes Boiler Room

2010-08-20T20:16:00.005-04:00

If you liked Oliver Stone's drama about high stakes stockbrokers in New York, Wall Street (1987), you need to check out Boiler Room (2000). The two are so similar that the characters in Boiler Room actually quote Wall Street word for word in one scene as they watch the film at the home of one of the brokers. They are similar, but yet different enough that I would recommend both.

Boiler Room stars Giovanni Ribisi as Seth Davis, a college dropout who runs a casino out of his home. His dad, played by Ron Rifkin, is a judge and he just wants his son to get a decent, honest job. The relationship between Seth and his dad is similar to that between Charlie Sheen and his father in Wall Street (played by Martin Sheen). Both sons yearn to please their fathers. In Wall Street, Bud Fox was taken under the wing of Gordon Gekko, and Gekko gave him the respect his father had not. The elder Sheen was concerned about the bad influence Gekko had on his son. It was the same with Boiler Room since Seth's dad was dubious about this firm where people were making obscene amounts of money.

One night a broker stops by Seth's casino to gamble and Seth is impressed with his Ferrari, and he learns he works for a firm called J.T. Marlin (the name is similar to prestigious firm J.P. Morgan). The firm has an office on Long Island, NY and Seth gets a job as a trainee broker. Others in the office are played by Vin Diesel, Nicky Katt and Jamie Kennedy. In an obvious nod to Alec Baldwin's character in David Mamet's ode to the world of salespeople, Glengarry Glen Ross, Ben Affleck plays the tough as nails head of the brokerage house who wants his employees to sell by any means necessary, if they want to keep their jobs. The secretary at the firm is played by Nia Long, and like Wall Street, there is a love triangle. In Boiler Room it is between Seth, the secretary, and one of Seth's supervisors. In Wall Street the love triangle was between Charlie Sheen, Daryl Hannah and Michael Douglas.

The longer he works there Seth begins to wonder why no one has heard of this firm, why they are on Long Island and not in Manhattan, and how they can possibly pay brokers more commissions than any other firm. Seth is making a lot of money, but still he has mixed feelings about the morality of what he is doing. "Greed is good" could be the tagline for Boiler Room just like it was with Wall Street.

***Spoilers below***

Seth is investigated by the FBI and he finds out that J.T. Marlin is nothing but a house of cards and an illegal con game, or a boiler room. In exchange for his freedom he blows the whistle and tells the FBI about the firm. He copies his files from work onto a disk he will give to federal agents. Seth leaves the office just before federal agents raid it, and he tips off Vin Diesel's character to get out as well. An alternate ending has a former client of Seth's, Harry Reynard, showing up at J.T. Marlin with a gun to get his revenge. Harry had lost his life savings through investing in the firm's shoddy investment schemes.

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage

2010-07-23T10:38:00.006-04:00

I recently saw this documentary about the progressive rock Canadian trio Rush. They are a unique band who has been making albums since 1974. I have followed them since the 1980s when I was introduced to them by 2 of the best musicians at my high school.

Their self titled album in 1974 had a drummer named John Rutsey, but he left the band after the first release due to health issues. A radio station in Cleveland started playing the songs from their first album and received many calls from listeners who wanted to hear more. Finding my Way and Working Man were 2 of their early hits. Rush needed a new drummer and they found Neil Peart, who was not only a phenomenal musician but a talented lyricist.

It is amazing that Rush can put out such amazing music with only 3 people. Geddy Lee is the lead singer with a very high and distinctive voice. He also plays the bass and the keyboards. Alex Lifeson is the guitar player and Neil Peart the drummer. Peart uses a complex drum set equipped with every type of percussive instrument imaginable.

In the 1970s Rush released some of their most creative albums and some were commercially successful. Their albums in this decade included Caress of Steel, Fly by Night, the live album All the World's a Stage, 2112, A Farewell to Kings, and Hemispheres. Many of these included extended songs split into several chapters that were concept songs. People did not always get it, and producers began getting frustrated with the lack of airplay and they wanted more commercial music that would appeal to the masses.

The 1980s saw Rush release some of their most popular material such as the albums Permanent Waves, Signals and Moving Pictures. The 80s music had a larger emphasis on keyboards and Peart began using some electronic drums. Alex Lifeson felt that his guitar part was being usurped by Lee's keyboards. The sound of Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows and Hold Your Fire sounded further away from the classic power trio sound of their earlier albums.

Before the 1996 release of Test for Echo, drummer Neil Peart took a look at his drumming style and decided to make some changes. He had recorded and produced a Buddy Rich tribute album and he re-evaluted his drumming style with teacher Freddie Gruber. He put out a DVD which showed his new drumming style where he talked about his approach to the Test for Echo songs. He is a virtuoso musician, seen as one of the best drummers ever, but yet he has humility, seeing his musical life as a work in progress. Shortly after this, Peart had two tragedies in his life when he lost his wife and daughter. The band took several years off and Peart embarked on a 55,000 mile motorcycle ride on his own to deal with his grief. He is much more private, shy and contemplative than other band members Lifeson and Lee. Peart is not comfortable dealing with the adulation of the fans.

In 2002 after a hiatus of many years Rush released Vapor Trails. In 2004 Rush put out an album of cover tunes called Feedback. The documentary pointed out that the band was influenced by groups such as Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis and The Who. In 2007 Snakes and Arrows came out, and this decade also included a world tour where Rush documented their concert in Brazil where they packed a stadium.

I like Rush since they do music on their own terms and yet they have been very successful. They are ranked third behind the Beatles and The Rolling Stones in consecutive gold or platinum albums. They may not be the coolest guys in the world but they have stood the test of time. They are intellectual guys who are not embroiled in "bad boy" scandals like so many rockers. They have not received the credit they deserve in my opinion. They have not been inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame which seems like a crime to me. They could be called the world's biggest cult band.

Food Inc. Revisited

2010-04-23T13:53:00.006-04:00

PBS recently aired the 2009 documentary Food Inc. I wrote about it here before, but took notes this time and wanted to write some more about it since it brings up important topics which affect us all.

The way we eat has changed more in the past 50 years than the previous 10,000. 47,000 products in the average supermarket give us the illusion of diversity. The food industry does not want you to know where the food comes from, otherwise you would not eat it. A small group of multinational corporations control food, from seed to supermarket. 70% of supermarket food is genetically modified.

McDonald's is the nation's largest purchaser of beef, and they want a hamburger to taste the same in every one of their establishments. As far as meat producers, in 1970 the top 5 controlled 20% of the market. Today, the top 4 control 80% of the market. The big meat companies include Tyson, Smithfield, ADM and Cargill. Cows are fed corn not grass since it is cheaper and they put on weight faster. Farmers are given subsidies to grow corn, and high fructose corn syrup is included in a wide range of products since it is cheaper than sugar to use as a sweetener. Foods that contain this are highly processed. Corn is found in so many products these days, including ketchup, cheese, twinkies, batteries, peanut butter, cheese-its, salad dressing, coke, jelly, charcoal, diapers, motrin and meat. So much cheap corn being fed to animals creates low meat prices. Grass fed beef will not have as many e.coli bacteria issues as corn fed beef. Acid resistant e. coli develops from feeding cows corn. The cows are ankle deep in manure and their hides are caked with manure, which often ends up in the meat. Ammonia is being added to meat to cut down on the chances of e. coli contamination, but do we really want to be ingesting ammonia? What are the long term health consequences? In 1996 Oprah Winfrey was sued by the beef industry for making disparaging remarks about beef after the mad cow outbreak. Regulations are not enforced like they should be since often it is former beef industry people who work for the FDA and determine policy. In 1972, the FDA performed 50,000 food safety inspections. In 2006 that number fell to 9,164. In the 1970s there were thousands of slaughterhouses, and today there are only 13. Illegal aliens are sometimes used to work there since they provide cheap labor. That type of work has become very dangerous.

"Cheap food" is not really cheap in terms of health consequences, effects on the environment and the workers in the food factories are often mistreated. Our country has skewed the costs toward the bad calories. The junk food is subsidized which makes it so cheap. Humans are hard wired to crave salt, fat and sugar. High fructose corn syrup and refined carbohydrates lead to spikes in insulin levels. This wears down the system by which the body processes sugar, and can lead to diabetes. Of the children born after 2000, 1 in 3 will get diabetes.

Monsanto made the chemicals DDT and agent orange, and they rule the farming industry with an iron fist. Farmers who save Monsanto seeds and re-plant them will be investigated and prosecuted. They operate like Microsoft in that they own the intellectual property and the patents. Farmers do not have the money to battle a multinational corporation like Monsanto, so they must do as they dictate. Many former Monsanto executives have gone to work for the federal government where they can make and enforce laws that benefit that company. Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas is a former Monsanto employee.

Growth hormones and antibiotics are put into animals, and chickens that used to be full grown after 70 days in 1950 are now full grown in 48 days. The chickens get so big so quickly that they often cannot walk since their legs cannot support their bodies. Companies like Tyson and Perdue would not be interviewed for the film. They did not want the insides of their chicken houses to be shown. They have regulations that chicken farmers must follow or their contracts will be cancelled. It costs $300,000 to build a poultry house, so farmers need to accumulate lots of debt. The average farmer only makes $18,000 per year so they become slaves to the companies that buy their goods.

The film Food Inc. showed some bleak facts about agriculture and nutrition, but also said that we have the power to change the industry. We can vote with our wallets and make the right choices by staying away from bad foods. If we do not support fast food restaurants and quit buying the processed foods and junk food it will cause change. The film makers pointed at the tobacco industry and how their power has declined due to the evidence of negative health consequences. I have to wonder, what role does what we eat play in health issues that have become epidemic in this country? Does the food we eat contribute to cancer, alzheimers, parkinsons, autism or other issues? What can we do? Grow a garden. Support your local farmers market. Buy food that is locally produced or organic if you can. Look for foods that do not contain hormones or antibiotics. Buy beef that comes from grass fed cows, not corn fed. You can change the world with each bite.

The Career of Comedy Icon Woody Allen

2010-04-05T11:09:00.007-04:00

In his 74 years, Woody Allen has had an amazing, varied career which any artist would envy. He is more than just a film director. He has written many of his best films, as well as books, (Without Feathers, Side Effects and Getting Even), plays and he has written for television dating back to the 1950s. He wrote for Sid Caesar, Ed Sullivan, The Tonight Show and Candid Camera. In the 1960s he worked as a stand up comedian. In 1966, Allen made his directorial debut with What's Up Tiger Lily. Starting with 1969's Take the Money and Run, Woody started an amazing string of comedic triumphs. The period between 1969 and 1979 included his most acclaimed fims. The 1980s saw some moody, melodramatic films which pay tribute to Allen's hero, Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. Woody's films are not $200 million dollar blockbusters full of special effects, but he does have loyal followers, especially overseas in France and Spain. The city of Oviedo, Spain, erected a life size statue of Woody in 2002. Post-2000, he has shot many of his films in Europe, a change of pace since most of his are shot in his beloved New York. He has been nominated for Academy Awards 21 times and he has won 3. He has a large following in New York City and the surrounding areas. His films often deal with the same issues of intellectuals, psychological challenges, Jewish life, and sexuality.

Here are some of his most significant films;

1969--- Take the Money and Run--- A slapstick screwball comedy about an incompetent bank robber. I think this was one of his funniest movies.

1971--- Bananas--- A wacky comedy in which Woody plays a Castro-style revolutionary.

1972--- Play it Again Sam--- Allen was the writer and actor in this, but he did not direct it. This was shot in San Francisco, which is unusual for a Woody Allen film. Woody is a neurotic man who wants to be smooth with women like his hero, Humphrey Bogart.

1972--- Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask)--- This was broken into several sections, each dealing with different sexual topics.

1973--- Sleeper--- Woody's look into the future.

1977--- Annie Hall--- Woody co-starred with Diane Keaton, and this was his most acclaimed, best known work. This is a landmark film in the genre of romantic comedies. It won 4 Oscars, including best picture, best actress, best director and best screenplay. It featured Christopher Walken, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon, Jeff Goldblum and Sigourney Weaver.

1978--- Interiors--- I loved this, but many did not since it was so moody and a complete departure from Annie Hall. It was Allen's homage to Ingmar Bergman.

1979--- Manhattan--- Other than Annie Hall, Manhattan is Woody's most popular film. It is a black and white love letter to New York City. It is well known for its soundtrack by George Gershwin, especially Rhapsody in Blue over the opening sequences. The irony is that this film foreshadowed a romantic relationship which would shock the world. In the movie Woody played a 42 year old comedy writer dating a 17 year old high school student. He would be criticized later for marrying his wife Mia Farrow's adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. Manhattan featured Mariel Hemingway, Diane Keaton, and Meryl Streep.

1980--- Stardust Memories--- The ironic thing about this movie is that Woody plays a film director who has people coming up to him saying they prefer his "earlier, funnier films". Along with The Purple Rose of Cairo, Allen considers this one of his best films. This was also shot in black and white, reminiscent of the films of Fellini.

1983--- Zelig--- This was a mockumentary about an insecure man who is a human chameleon that morphs into whoever surrounds him in an attempt to be accepted.

1986--- Hannah and Her Sisters--- This is one of my favorites and it starred Mia Farrow, Michael Caine, Barbara Hershey and Dianne Weist. This film dealt with family strife and infidelity. These themes seemed to be more common for Woody's films starting in the 1980s. Grossing just over $40 million, it is one of Woody's biggest financial hits. It was praised heartily by critic Roger Ebert.

1987--- September--- This film along with 1988's Another Woman and 1992's Shadows and Fog and Husbands and Wives, was a very moody and dark film, perhaps tied to the turbulence in Allen's life. These films are polar opposites of his early screwball films like Bananas or Sleeper.

1989--- New York Stories--- This was broke up into three sections, each directed by an iconic director. The first section was directed by Martin Scorsese, the middle directed by Francis Ford Coppola and the final is directed by Woody Allen. Woody's portion deals with his relationship with his mother who wants him to meet a nice Jewish girl and settle down.

1995--- Mighty Aphrodite--- This film earned Allen plenty of attention since its star Mira Sorvino won the Oscar for best supporting actress. She also won many other awards for her role such as a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA award (British Academy of Film and Television Awards).

1996--- Everyone Says I Love You--- This was Woody's first musical and it starred Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore, Alan Alda, Goldie Hawn and Natalie Portman. Roger Ebert called it his favorite of Woody's films. It was set in New York, Paris and Venice.

1997--- Wild Man Blues--- I enjoyed this very much since it was a documentary about a side of Woody Allen we do not see. It chronicles his tour overseas playing clarinet with a jazz band. This film shows how much Allen is idolized in Europe. It is unique to see since Allen is such a private man and in this film we are able to see him unguarded, not hiding behind a character. He has played with his jazz band for over 25 years. They perform in Manhattan regularly.

2005--- Match Point--- This was a dramatic thriller starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson. Two things that make this significant is that is was a big hit at the bos office and Woody was satified with how the picture turned out. He said Match Point "arguably may be the best film I've made." Its worldwide gross was $85 million.

2008--- Vicky Cristina Barcelona--- This was shot in Spain, marking Woody's fourth consecutive film shot outside the US. It was successful, taking in $96 million worldwide. Penelope Cruz won many awards for this, including an Oscar.

2009--- Whatever Works--- I liked this since it featured Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), as a Woody Allen type of character who is a neurotic older man dating a younger woman.

I think it is amazing how Woody Allen has had such a varied, lengthy career, and he has been prolific as a writer-director for films over the past 40 years. He makes films by his own standards and does not aim for the lowest common denominator, as so may films do these days. He may not make blockbusters like Steven Spielberg or George Lucas, but he makes thought provoking films that are appreciated by those who like to be challenged intellectually. I think he is one of the most under appreciated artists working in the genre of film. To people who have not seen his work, I would recommend Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, New York Stories and Everyone Says I Love You.

* Some information from en.wikipedia.org.

2010 Academy Award Recap

2010-03-08T08:29:00.004-05:00

Last night the 82nd Academy Awards were held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The hosts were Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. For the first time since 1943, ten films were nominated for best picture instead of five. Casablanca won in 1943. This year's telecast featured a tribute to the late writer/director/producer John Hughes (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Home Alone). There was also a tribute to horror films with clips from The Shining, The Exorcist, Child's Play, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, The Shining, and more. Here are some of the big winners from the night;

Best supporting actor-Christoph Waltz for Inglorius Basterds

Best animated feature-Up

Best song-The Weary Kind from Crazy Heart

Best original screenplay-The Hurt Locker

Best supporting actress-Mo'Nique for Precious

Best actor-Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart

Best actress-Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

Best director-Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

Best picture-The Hurt Locker

Oliver Stone's 1987 Masterpiece, Wall Street

2010-02-21T14:24:00.009-05:00

Later this year a sequel to Wall Street will be released. The film will be called Wall Street:Money Never Sleeps, which was a line from the first movie. It has been 23 years since the original film came out, and it is still the quintissential movie about New York stockbrokers and the world of high finance. An Oliver Stone film has never had a sequel. According to a documentary on the Blu Ray DVD version of Wall Street, stock brokers still quote lines from the film all of these years later. Traders have said that this movie is the best representation of what really goes on at the New York stock exchange. Michael Douglas says he gets people coming up to him all of the time telling him that his character influenced them to go into finance. He says that people do not seem to realize that his character of Gordon Gekko was not a good guy, but a bad person whom no one should view as a role model. Nevertheless, people seem to love the bad characters more than the good ones.

The multi-talented Oliver Stone co-wrote and directed Wall Street after writing and directing Platoon just a year earlier. He has an impressive resume, having written Scarface, Midnight Express and Conan the Barbarian. Post-Wall Street his writer/director resume grew with the films Talk Radio, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Nixon, Natural Born Killers, and more. His father had worked as a Wall Street trader, so he wanted to make a film about what goes on in that environment.

Wall Street is the story of Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young hotshot stock broker who wants to make as much money as he can, and he will do anything to get what he wants. He persistently calls Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) every day in an attempt to meet him and give him stock tips to make him money. Gekko is a giant in the finance industry. He buys companies, breaks them into pieces and sells the parts for enourmous profit. He is one of the richest people on Wall Street and Bud Fox becomes his protege. Fox realizes that to make the kind of money Gekko makes, one needs to engage in the illegal practice of insider trading. Fox's dad Carl (Martin Sheen) is an airline mechanic for Blue Star airlines and Bud gets inside information about that company that he gives to Gekko. Carl Fox wants his son to be successful, but he also wants him to stay on the right side of the law. He is concerned that Gekko has taken his son under his wing, and he does not like that his son seems to idolize Gordon more than him.

Wall Street is a morality tale. There is good money to be made as a stockbroker who follows the rules, but one who breaks the law can make endless money, but this comes with consequences. Hal Holbrook plays Lou Mannheim, Bud Fox's boss. He has a feeling that Bud is getting stock tips illegally and he has a memorable quote in the film:

"Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss."

Lou also says: "The main thing about money, Bud, is that it makes you do things you don't want to do."

The most quoted line from the film is when Gekko says "Greed is good." This is the context of where he says that, at a stockholder's meeting.

"Teldar Paper, Mr. Cromwell, Teldar Paper has 33 different vice presidents each earning over 200 thousand dollars a year. Now, I have spent the last two months analyzing what all these guys do, and I still can't figure it out. One thing I do know is that our paper company lost 110 million dollars last year, and I'll bet that half of that was spent in all the paperwork going back and forth between all these vice presidents. The new law of evolution in corporate America seems to be survival of the unfittest. Well, in my book you either do it right or you get eliminated. In the last seven deals that I've been involved with, there were 2.5 million stockholders who have made a pretax profit of 12 billion dollars. Thank you. I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much."

There are so many outstanding quotes from this film. The relationship between Bud Fox and his father explodes with this exchange:

Carl Fox: He's using you, kid. He's got your prick in his back pocket, but you're too blind to see it.
Bud Fox: No. What I see is a jealous old machinist who can't stand the fact that his son has become more successful than he has!
Carl Fox: What you see is a guy who never measured a man's success by the size of his WALLET!
Bud Fox: That's because you never had the GUTS to go out into the world and stake your own claim!
[Long Pause]
Carl Fox: Boy, if that's the way you feel, I must have done a really lousy job as a father.

Gekko and Bud Fox see the world of Wall Street as not unlike a conflict on the battlefield. At one point when about to buy stock, Gekko says: "We're in the killzone." Bud Fox, quoting "The Art of War" says: "Sun-tzu: If your enemy is superior, evade him. If angry, irritate him. If equally matched, fight, and if not split and reevaluate." Gordon Gekko enjoys the thrill of being in a battle with someone else. There is a scene at Gordon's house where he is negotiating a stock deal with a rival. He shows off his collection of vintage pistols. Stone has drawn comparisons between the world of Wall Street, the Vietnam war battles, and the drug dealers in Miami he chronicled in the film Scarface.

I think that Wall Street is Stone's best film. Like directors such as Hitchcock and Scorsese, Stone had a cameo in his film where he played a broker on the phone during a montage of deals being made. Richard Gere and Warren Beatty almost got the role of Gekko instead of Douglas. Tom Cruise almost was given the part of Bud Fox. Stone worked with him in Born on the Fourth of July. Michael Douglas deservedly won a best actor Oscar for his pivotal role. The storyline was loosely based on Ivan Boesky and the insider trading scandals of the 1980s. Daryl Hannah played the role of Bud Fox's girlfriend and she has never seen the film. She has said that she had an "unhealthy working relationship" with Oliver Stone. I love all aspects of this film, even the soundtrack. Frank Sinatra's Fly Me to the Moon plays over the opening credits and later a song by The Talking Heads is used (This Must be the Place-Naive Melody). The film Boiler Room (2000) is a must see for fans of Wall Street. It is also about stock brokers, and the characters in the film are obsessed with Gordon Gekko and Oliver Stone's portrayal of the world of finance. Another film that Wall Street fans should check out is American Psycho (2000) since it also features the 1980s New York yuppie era. It is based on a novel by Bret Easton Ellis (Less than Zero), and it stars Christian Bale as a self obsessed, materialistic psychotic executive.

* Some information from imdb.com.

The Artistic Vision of Martin Scorsese

2010-02-12T19:33:00.010-05:00

I wanted to write about this fantastic director since I admire his work so much. I will list his films which are some of my favorites, and provide a few words about each one. From 1968's Who's that Knocking at my Door, to this year's Shutter Island, Scorsese has had an amazing career. His 21 feature films have earned 64 Oscar nominations and 15 wins. He did not win a best director Oscar until 2007, for The Departed, a film about the Irish mafia. He had lost this coveted best director Oscar five times previously. But, after all, greats such as Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles never won best director Oscars. He has also directed several documentaries and short films, often about the classic rock artists he admires so much. He has had small roles in many of his films, just like another legendary director, Alfred Hitchcock. He is probably best known for his many films that are about the Italian mafia, but he has not limited himself to that genre. He did a period piece (The Age of Innocence) and a film about the Dalai Lama in Tibet (Kundun). Many of his films deal with emotional longing, loneliness, and some feature scenes of unflinching violence. He grew up in New York's Little Italy but lived a sheltered life due to being an asthmatic. He spent lots of time in church and going to the movies. Scorsese is known for his distinctive directing style in which the camera is often moving throughout the scene. Throughout the final three decades of the 20th century, Scorsese films often featured one of best actors of our time, Robert DeNiro. In recent years he has directed many starring Leonardo DiCaprio. He is a graduate of the legendary New York University film school, where his students included Oliver Stone and Spike Lee. Here are my favorites:

Mean Streets (1973) This was a breakthrough for Scorsese as well as stars Robert DeNiro and Harvey Keitel. It featured a gritty, violent New York setting where the mafia rules, rapid fire editing and a rock soundtrack. This film is his most autobiographical, and it is a favorite film of many real life gangsters.

Taxi Driver (1976) This is one of the greatest masterpieces of film of all time, and my favorite Scorsese work. It is not a film for everyone. It is disturbing to say the least. It follows Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro), a New York cabbie who says "Loneliness has followed me all of my life. I'm God's lonely man." He is man who has been broken by his time in Vietnam, his challenges to navigate through society and his worst enemy is himself. He is a powder keg ready to explode in a flurry of violence, and he does. He is trapped in a life which is an angry nightmare from which he cannot awake. He sees the world through twisted eyes and tries to "save" a prostitute from her lifestyle which she sees as her only option. On the other hand, he seeks revenge on another woman who had rejected his advances. Travis Bickle seems to view women as either angelic or as prostitutes. Cybill Shepard's character first appears wearing white and moving in slow motion, and Travis writes in his diary "They cannot touch her." He wants her, but at the same time his self destructive feelings are more powerful, and they keep him from doing the right things to win her over. This featured Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepard, Albert Brooks, Peter Boyle, and Harvey Keitel. Reagan assassin John Hinckley was obsessed with this film, and he thought that killing the president would impress Jodie Foster. Overhead shots are used repeatedly in this film showing guns for sale laid out on a bed, junk food at the adult movie theatre, and an long overhead tracking shot towards the end depicting the bloody mayhem left in the wake of Travis' killing spree. Scorsese has said that Travis Bickle saw what he had to do and it was a ritualistic, religious, sacrifice for him. The ultra violent, grimy, New York of the 1970s is much different than the more sanitized New York of today. Screenwriter Paul Schrader (Hardcore, Blue Collar, Last Temptation of Christ, Bringing Out the Dead), and the haunting melodies of composer Bernard Herrmann deserve a lot of credit for this masterwork. Herrmann also did the music for Citizen Kane (one of Scorsese's favorites) and Psycho, among other Hitchcock films. His final film to score was Taxi Driver, and he died just hours after recording it. The main title theme with its sultry saxophone fit the mood of the film perfectly. This was nominated for a total of 4 Academy Awards, including the best picture Oscar, but it lost to Rocky. It won the highly coveted Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. One of Scorsese's biggest fans is my favorite film critic, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times. He gave a perfect 4-star review to 14 of Scorsese's films. These include; Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Raging Bull, GoodFellas, Casino, After Hours, The Departed, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and others. Regarding Taxi Driver he says "Taxi Driver is a brilliant nightmare and like all nightmares it doesn't tell us half of what we want to know. Taxi Driver is a hell, from the opening shot of a cab emerging from stygian clouds of steam to the climactic killing scene in which the camera finally looks straight down." Ebert has insights into film like no one else. He is the only film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for criticism.

Raging Bull (1980) This is a tale of the violent, aggressive world of professional boxing where Robert DeNiro plays Jake LaMotta. DeNiro's character has trouble separating the world in the ring, where violence is applauded, with the world outside the ring, where violence is not allowed. This film was in black and white, with use of slow motion and a moving camera. Many view this as the director's greatest work. Actor Joe Pesci played a key role, just as he would in later Scorsese works. Cathy Moriarty plays the wife of LaMotta, and she must deal with his violent outbursts. This was nominated for 8 Oscars, and it won 2.

The King of Comedy (1983) This comedic film was a change of pace for the director known largely for his dramatic films based around Italian American life in New York. DeNiro plays Rupert Pupkin, who is a sad character who has lost touch with reality. His dream is to host a late night talk show. Jerry Lewis plays Pupkin's idol, Jerry Langford, a Johnny Carson-like comedian/talk show host. Carson was actually considered to play the role, as well as Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. DeNiro's character lives at home with his parents and interviews cardboard cut-outs of celebrities in his basement as practice for hosting his own show one day. The story turns dark as Rupert Pupkin finds a way to make his dream come true, by any means he can. In the film Rupert says "It's better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime." Scorsese has said this was an emotionally grueling film to direct. He and DeNiro did not work together again for seven years.

New York Stories (1989) This was a different approach for a film since it was broken up into 3 sections, each directed by a legendary film maker. It was not a big hit with critics or at the box office, but I enjoyed it. The first segment, titled Life Lessons was directed by Scorsese. The other 2 were directed by Francis Ford Coppola and Woody Allen. Life Lessons was the story of a New York painter played by Nick Nolte who takes on a protege played by Rosanna Arquette who becomes his love interest. This included use of Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone in the soundtrack.

GoodFellas (1990) This film featured Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta as powerful figures in the world of the Italian-American mafia. I think that this film is on the same level as The Godfather, also directed by a legendary Italian-American, Francis Ford Coppola. It has scenes of disturbing violence and a great classic rock soundtrack. Roger Ebert called it "the best mob movie ever". Four years earlier, Scorsese's film The Color of Money was released, and it starred Paul Newman and Tom Cruise in a story about pool hall husters. This was his least personal film, but its success at the box office made a film like GoodFellas possible. The studios want nothing but blockbusters. This was nominated for 6 Oscars and it won 1, for Joe Pesci.

Cape Fear (1991) This marked the director's seventh time working with Robert DeNiro, and it is a remake of the 1962 film starring Robert Mitchum. Other Scorsese films have violent scenes, but Cape Fear felt more like a horror film than his other work. Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis also star in the disturbing but brilliant work.

Casino (1995) This mobster film takes place largely in Las Vegas and has a running time of about 3 hours. It is so well written and performed, the 3 hours goes by quickly and it left me wanting even more. I have only said this about 2 other works, The Godfather, and Brian DePalma's Scarface. It features Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and the best performance of Sharon Stone's career.

The Aviator (2004) Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, this was a biopic about the odd but incredibly successful tycoon, Howard Hughes. It chronicles the love life, the business life and the obsessive-compulsive disorder which ruined a life which had so much potential. Like other films by this director, it shows one man's descent into madness. This was nominated for an amazing 11 Oscars, and it won 5.

Scorsese has a passion for music, and he directed directed the video Bad for Michael Jackson, the film The Last Waltz, about the musical group The Band, and Shine a Light featuring the Rolling Stones. He directed New York New York, which was a film where Robert DeNiro played a sax player, released in 1977, and it featured Liza Minelli. The original director's cut was 4 and a half hours, but it had to be trimmed significantly to play in theatres. There were challenges with this film in shooting the musical numbers, with the choreography, the lip-synching and the illusion of DeNiro playing a saxophone as well as his character. In May 2009, he confirmed he will direct a biopic about legendary crooner Frank Sinatra. In 2010 a Scorsese documentary will be released about former Beatle George Harrison. In 1974's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore Scorsese directed the singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson. It made money, so this opened doors for him, and the film studios put trust in him to make more films. The TV show Alice, starring Linda Lavin, was loosely based on this film.

* Some information from en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, movies.yahoo.com, "Roger Ebert's Four Star Reviews 1967-2007" and "Martin Scorsese Interviews", Edited by Peter Brunette.

Elton John:40 Years of Captain Fantastic

2010-02-09T10:02:00.006-05:00

A supremely talented musician was born in England in 1947. His name was Reginald Kenneth Dwight, but we know him as Elton John. This moniker came from combining two names of members of his band which was formed in the 1960s. Elton grew up in a family with parents who were musically inclined, but yet his father did not want him to be a musician for a living. He wanted him to have a more stable job, such as being a banker. Elton fell in love with rock and roll when his parents brought home records by Elvis Presley and Bill Haley and the Comets. As early as 3 years old Elton played piano and found he could play songs by ear. His mom and dad had a turbulent relationship and they divorced when he was 15. Elton never felt accepted by his father and he was closer to his mother and grandmother. As a teenager he would play piano in a local pub, and at 17 he left school to pursue music. He was part of a group called Bluesology starting in 1964, and at first he did not want to be a performer, he wanted to write music for others to perform. Bluesology would back American R&B and soul bands, so Elton developed a love for this type of music. In 1967 Elton met a lyricist named Bernie Taupin, and the two of them would team up to create some of the most successful songs in the history of music. Elton's 1969 album Empty Sky did not have success on the charts, but the following year would be the start of a string of hits that led to Elton John selling over 250 million albums, with 35 going gold, 25 platinum and seven albums in a row hitting #1.

In 1970, Elton's first U.S. concert was at the Troubador, a legendary music venue in Los Angeles. He was introduced by Neil Diamond, and Rolling Stone magazine called this one of the 20 performances that changed rock and roll. Elton received high praise from one of his idols, John Lennon, who said that Elton was the first big thing on the music scene since the Beatles had broken up. The 1970 self titled album had the first breakthrough hit, Your Song. In November of 1970 an album was recorded live at WABC-FM in New York City. This release was called 11-17-70 and it included Elton's interpretations Get Back by the Beatles, Honky Tonk Women by the Rolling Stones, and My Baby Left Me, by Elvis. Elton did not shy away from performing cover tunes, and later in the decade he would perform The Beatles' Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and Pinball Wizard by The Who.

The early to mid 1970s were a time of hit after hit for Elton, with such gems as Your Song, Levon, Rocket Man, Honky Cat, Crocodile Rock, Daniel, Bennie and the Jets, The Bitch is Back, Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me, and many more. In 1973 Elton played on the song Whatever Gets You Through the Night by John Lennon. He had one stipulation, if the song went to #1, Lennon had to join Elton on stage in concert. Lennon said yes, thinking it would not be successful. The song went to #1 and Lennon joined Elton on stage at a concert at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1974. Apparently Lennon was nervous since he had not performed in a long time since the Beatles had broken up in 1970. Many performers turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with the rigors of being on the road and the stress of churning out hit songs. Elton was no exception and he battled addiction through his most prolific periods of his career.

The second half of the 1970s was a time of many challenges for Elton. In 1976 at the height of his success, Elton admitted to being a bisexual. This was a big risk since it may hurt his album sales. In 1977 he was burned out and announced at a concert at Wembley Arena that that concert would be his last. He returned to performing a year later and tried writing with some other lyricists besides Bernie Taupin. In 1978 he collapsed from exhaustion. He had been pushing himself too hard and something had to give. In 1980 he performed a concert in Central Park for a crowd of 500,000 people. Later this year, Elton was crushed when he learned his friend and idol John Lennon had been killed. The song Empty Garden was written in his memory.

The 1980s were a period where Elton did not see the commercial success he had the decade before. In 1984 he married friend and sound engineer Renate Blauel, and he was in denial over his sexuality. They divorced in 1988. In 1986, Elton had nodules removed from his vocal cords after his voice gave out. Since then his voice has gone from a falsetto tenor to more of a baritone, and in concert he sounds different than on his early albums. This seems to happen to many performers as they get older. All of the touring puts a lot of stress on a voice.

Since the late 1980s Elton became involved in the fight against AIDS. He befriended a young boy named Ryan White who was HIV positive and when Elton performed at his funeral, it was a turning point for him personally. He saw video of his performance and he knew something had to be done to face his own demons. He though he looked terrible, sickly and old. He sought help for his addictions to drugs, alcohol and food. 1993 was the year that Elton's AIDS foundation was formed and it has raised millions to fight the disease. This was also the year that Elton met his partner, filmmaker David Furnish, who directed a documentary about the musician called Tantrums and Tiaras. The film was an unflinching look at the artist, including some scenes of him losing his temper. He is a perfectionist, who expects only the best from himself and others.

In 1997 he became "Sir" Elton John after being knighted by Queen Elizabeth. This same year his friend Princess Diana died and he wrote an updated version of Candle in the Wind for her, which sold a record breaking 37 million copies. The song was originally about Marilyn Monroe.

Elton is secure enough with his own success that he helps other up and coming musicians to gain notoriety. He has written articles for Interview magazine about current artists he enjoys.

In recent years he has written music for Broadway shows and films. He won an Oscar for The Lion King, a Tony and a Grammy for Aida and 10 Tonys for Billy Elliott.

Billboard magazine ranked him as the most successful male artist of all time. They did a list called "The Billboard Hot 100 Top All Time Artists" and Elton is #3 overall, behind only The Beatles and Madonna.

The song Tiny Dancer found a new audience when the 2000 film Almost Famous included it in the soundtrack. The film is an autobiographical piece about Cameron Crowe, who toured with Led Zeppelin in the 1970s as a writer for Rolling Stone.

In the 21st century, Elton has toured with another pianist/music legend, Billy Joel. In 2005 he performed his Red Piano show over an extended period in Las Vegas. 2007 marked Elton's 60th birthday and his 60th performance at Madison Square Garden. In 2009, while touring an AIDS clinic in the Ukraine, Elton decided he wanted to adopt a 14 month old HIV positive baby he met there. He and his partner were turned down due to their age and marital status.

40 years after the big break at the Troubador, Elton John remains one of the most prolific artists in the history of music and his works will be appreciated for decades to come. I am impressed by his mix of sensitive orchestral ballads such as Tiny Dancer and Daniel, as well as his up tempo intense songs such as The Bitch is Back and Philadelphia Freedom. It is so difficult to make a living in music, and anyone who can do it, especially with the success and staying power of Elton John, is impressive.

*Some information from en.wikipedia.org and the Biography channel's TV show about Elton John.

Mad about Mad Men

2010-01-19T11:19:00.004-05:00

One of the best shows on TV just won a Golden Globe award, to add to its many other accolades it has earned over its 3 seasons. Mad Men is a show on AMC which is about people who work in the New York City advertising industry in the 1960s. This is a drama, but it has some comedic moments, and it has been a breakthrough show for the previously unknown cast. I have not seen a show with writing this good since The Sopranos. Once you start watching, you want to see more. Seasons one and two are available from Netflix. Jon Hamm stars as Don Draper, the suave ad executive with a mysterious past. His wife is played by January Jones, who is a Grace Kelly dead ringer that fights against a boring home life and a husband who is unfaithful. The Sterling Cooper ad agency is headed up by womanizer Roger Sterling (John Slattery) and the eccentric Bertram Cooper (Robert Morse). Two of the most interesting ad agency employees are Peggy, played by Elisabeth Moss, and Joan, played by Christina Hendricks. Peggy yearns to be more than a secretary at work, and to be seen as someone who can contribute. Joan is seen as the sex symbol of the Sterling Cooper agency. The set design and costumes are pulled off flawlessly to give the show a 1960s appearance. Down to the smallest detail, you feel like you are going back in time when you watch the show. The co-stars of this show seem to be activities like smoking, drinking, and men living a hedonistic lifestyle. Watching this show makes one realize how much things have changed since the 1960s, such as the roles of women in the workplace. Also, people are smoking (a lot) in the office, which today would be forbidden.

NBC's Unprecedented Late Night Blunders

2010-01-11T22:05:00.006-05:00

NBC moved Jay Leno from 11:35pm back to 10pm only about 6 months ago. Conan O'Brien moved from 12:35am to Leno's old slot at 11:35pm as host of The Tonight Show. Conan has been working for NBC since 1993, when David Letterman left to get his 11:35pm show at CBS. The ratings for Leno at 10pm have been really bad, and he gets beat night in and night out, especially by the CBS dramas like CSI:Miami, CSI:NY and The Mentalist. His numbers are about what they were at 11:35, but in prime time those numbers do not fly. The numbers need to be there to get decent ad rates, and to keep the affiliates happy. Now NBC wants to end this little experiment and move Leno back to 11:35pm. His show may be only 30 minutes, putting Conan on at 12:05am. If this is the case, Jimmy Fallon would move from 12:35am to 1:05am assuming Conan's show is 60 minutes. If I were in Conan's shoes I would jump ship to Fox. ABC has Nightline at 11:35pm and Jimmy Kimmel at 12:05am, so Fox is probably the best bet. Maybe NBC should drop the unfunny Leno all together. I assume they will go back to dramas from 10-11pm on NBC and the affiliates are hoping their newscasts will get better numbers once Leno vacates after the 2010 winter olympics. Conan is not hurting for money. He gets $20 million per year for the next 4 years. Still, Conan has paid his dues, he deserves to be on at 11:35pm, and this is the biggest network blunder I can recall. Sure the networks have put on many shows that have flopped, but this was a 5 night per week, 10pm-11pm experiment that failed miserably. Their justification is that a talk show is cheaper to produce than a scripted show. But, what good does that do if the ratings are poor and you are affecting your affiliates numbers for their newscasts which provide a major revenue source? The once mighty peacock network has fallen a long way from the days of must see TV.

The Best New Show of 2009 is "Glee" on Fox

2010-01-07T10:36:00.004-05:00

There is a lot of buzz about the new Fox comedy/musical Glee. It takes place in a high school and it is about kids who are in the glee club. The cast is full of mostly unknown people, but they have become stars quickly. The members of the choir come from every demographic. These actors can sing, dance and act, and the show is often very funny. The cheerleaders are taught by the hilarious Jane Lynch, who has appeared in Best in Show and Two and a Half Men. She is a mean spirited, driven teacher who will do anything to make sure her group (called the Cheerios) are number one. The glee club teacher has a challenging home life with his wife and another teacher at the school has a crush on him. The show has dealt with issues like teen pregnancy and the challenge to fit in at a school where the glee club members are seen as geeks. The best part of the show is the music. Anyone who enjoys pop music or especially musical theatre needs to check it out. The music from the show has been put on CD and the mp3s have been selling well online. They perform some 80s songs such as "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey and "Bust a Move" by Young MC, as well as putting their spin on current tunes. Matthew Morrison is the glee club instructor, Jessalyn Gilsig plays his wife, Dianna Agron plays the cheerleader Quinn, Jayma Mays plays the germ-freak teacher Miss Pillsbury, and the breakout star has been the multi-talented Lea Michele, who plays Rachel Berry, the ultra driven glee club star with an amazing voice. She has performed on Broadway previous to doing the TV show.

George Clooney hits a home run with "Up in the Air"

2010-01-03T17:14:00.005-05:00

Starring George Clooney, and directed by Juno director Jason Reitman, Up in the Air is an outstanding film. Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, who has a job where he fires people for a living. He is based out of Omaha, Nebraska but is on the road for most of the year flying from one city to another. He is obsessed with collecting frequent flyer miles, and his goal is to reach 10 million. There is plenty of product placement for airlines, rental car companies, hotel chains, and the like. Bingham has no desire to get married, have kids, or "settle down" in any respect. He gives speeches about living a simplified life where we are not weighed down by possessions or obligations. He is a man who lives a detached life. Vera Farmiga plays a woman he meets on the road who is looking for the same thing he is; a fling with no strings attached. Anna Kendrick plays a hot shot young go getter who is sent on the road with Clooney so he can show her the ropes of how to do the job. She has suggestions to the boss about how they can save money, and these ideas may keep Clooney from travelling in the future. In this era of companies downsizing, the film seems especially relavent. The cast also includes Jason Bateman as Clooney's boss and Melanie Lynskey (Rose from Two and a Half Men), as Clooney's about to be married sister whom he hardly knows. The movie is good since it has a mix of romance, comedy, and drama, and there are not weak parts of the script or lackluster performances. The story makes you think about how we go about living our lives. Look for this to be honored by the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.

Political commentary regarding the American two party system

2009-11-04T12:16:00.005-05:00

It's the day after the elections. It was not a presidential election year, but a few mayoral and gubernatorial seats were up for grabs. We have a democrat in the White House, but republicans won the governor's race in New Jersey and Virginia. I was listening to a few minutes of a right wing political talk show this morning. The host said that since these states will be led by republicans, that this shows that people are tired of Obama and it was a vote against him. Sometimes I wonder, how much difference does it really make who is in charge? Politicians on the left and right make empty promises just to get elected, and once they are in office those are forgotten. Did Bush do everything he had promised to his supporters once he got into office? I don't think so. Did he put prayer in every school or overturn Roe vs. Wade? Did he resolve things in Iraq and Afghanistan and capture Bin Laden? No. The aftermath of 9-11 provided a convenient excuse for ushering in a big brother society where liberties are taken away under the guise of not letting the terrorists win. Who are the real terrorists? Did Clinton do everything he had promised to his followers? No, he did not. Clinton or Obama did not outlaw all guns, or ban capital punishment in every state, or make gay marriage legal in every state. What did they do to help minorities? Liberals claim to be anti big business and they stick up for the little guy, but NAFTA was passed under the Clinton administration. I think that the free trade agreements have hurt this country in many ways. Good paying manufacturing jobs have gone overseas due to cheap labor. Not everyone is an intellectual who will want to go to college. Some people want to have a job where they work with their hands, and those jobs need to stay in this country. When factories and machine shops close and go overseas, it has a ripple effect on the rest of society. Those people get kicked out of their homes because they cannot afford them, and they do not contribute property taxes to the economy, and they do not buy as much so the sales tax is not contributed to as much as when they were employed also. Clinton, Obama, and democrats in general claim to be a friend to the unions but they have seen the power of unions erode significantly, and what have they done to help? Unions claim to be so powerful, but they can't keep jobs in this country, so how much power do they really have? I voted for Obama since I had issues with Bush regarding his handling of 9-11, Katrina, starting a war with the wrong country, and the economy going down the drain due to the housing mess and other factors. We still have people in New Orleans who were devastated by Katrina living in FEMA trailers that are making them sick. I thought that McCain would be 4 more years of Bush. Obama has claimed to be against the rich and for the poor, but what has he done in his time in office to help the downtrodden? He bailed out the "evil" rich companies in the banking and auto industries, and still some of them continue to flounder. I have issues with his fiscal policy and I don't think that punishing the rich is the answer since often they are the ones who provide the jobs in our country. The out of control deficit needs to be addressed and putting health care in the hands of the federal government is not the answer when it comes to getting the country on the right track financially. I think that politicians only look out for one person, themselves. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and their cronies profitted off the war in Iraq, but I don't think that Clinton was any more of an honest person. It seems like we have a republican in office for awhile, we get frustrated with them, and think we need a democrat leading things. Then it goes back and forth ad infinitum. I am not a liberal, or a conservative, I'm just someone who is disillusioned with the whole process. Are there any politicians who really care about helping our country?

Show Biz Wiz Weight Loss Tips

2009-10-07T20:46:00.009-04:00

OK, this is not really show biz related, but this is what's been on my mind and I can write about whatever I want on my blog, right?

I have been working on establishing a healthier lifestyle in order to lower my risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. Also, losing weight will help me to get off some of the medicine I am taking, if not all of it.

I wanted to list some tactics that have worked for me so that others that read this blog might get some good tips. Also, writing things down and telling others about it will help me to stay motivated.

My wife read a book called "The Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno, and we decided to both work on being healthier. The basic principle we follow is trying to eat basic, unprocessed, simple foods that we all know we should eat, but often don't. The cornerstones of the eating plan include the following;

fruits (fresh or frozen are best, with no additives, especially no added sugar)
vegetables (eating these are even more important than fruits, and try to get them fresh or frozen, with no additives, especially added salt)
lean meats such as turkey, chicken, fish and pork provide lots of protein for building muscles, eat red meat sparingly
dairy (skim milk, fat free plain yogurt, cottage cheese-small curd fat free is best, and real cheese, not processed)
whole grains (stay away from white bread and foods made with white flour) these will fill you up so you don't eat as much
a few "no brainer" foods that any nutrition expert would recommend would include; almonds, walnuts, and other nuts (unsalted), flax seed and oatmeal are 2 super healthy foods that can help to lower cholesterol, spinach and any other leafy greens (fresh or frozen with no salt added), and sweet potatoes (as long as they are not in a sugary syrup)
lots and lots of water, plain with no added flavors or sugar

Limit or better yet, eliminate these things from your diet;

diet pop or regular pop, these will spike your sugar levels, leaving you wanting more sweets
alcohol
coffee with cream or sugar, if you must have it, drink it black
juice, especially with added sugar
eating out, this includes fast food and non-fast food restaurants
baked goods like cookies, donuts, muffins, cake, pie, etc.
ice cream
fried foods such as french fries, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, etc.
hot dogs
sausage
butter
bacon
creamy soups or sauces
candy/milk chocolate (although some dark chocolate is OK in moderation)
processed foods (read labels and stay away from foods with lots of chemicals, preservatives, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, etc.)

When grocery shopping get most of your food from the perimeter of the store. This includes fresh produce, dairy, meat, cheese, and eggs.

Think about why you are eating. Are you truly hungry or are you eating since you are bored, depressed, lonely or thinking that the fatty food will make you feel good? Dr. Phil McGraw says "You don't fix psychological issues with food." Food is not meant to be used as a form of entertainment. It is a tool we use to nourish our bodies. Spread out your meals so that you eat every 2 to 3 hours. You can have 3 meals and 2 snacks each day. Make a vow not to put unhealthy food in your body. Think of your body as a car. You only want to put the best "fuel" in your body to make it function smoothly. Life is all about choices. Making good choices will give you good results. Look at how you are doing and ask yourself how your current approach is working. Don't see this as a "diet" see it as a lifestyle that you will commit to for the rest of your life. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

One key that people often overlook is examining how many calories you take in through liquids. Soft drinks are loaded with sugar and have no nutritional value. Diet soft drinks are not good either since they contain aspartame, which has been associated with various health problems. Stay away from energy drinks, sports drinks like Gatorade, flavored iced teas or flavored water, alcohol, and milkshakes. If you have the vast majority of your liquid intake as simple, plain water, you will keep your body hydrated and lose weight. Unsweetened ice tea, black coffee or skim milk are fine now and then.

Finally, make it a point to do something active every day, even if it is only 15 minutes of activity. Exercise is important, but 80% of weight loss is eating the right foods in the right quantity. Find activities that you like to do. Little changes can make a big difference. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park further away from your destination so you need to walk. Joining a gym is fine, but there are many other ways to get exercise. Take a walk, ride your bike, buy dumbells and work out at home, exercise with a workout video or a video game. The Nintendo Wii has lots of great games that will get your heart pumping. A body with strong muscles and a high functioning cardio vascular system will function properly and burn more calories when you are at rest. Slow and steady really does win the race. Take off the weight slowly and make sure to keep it off. Since 2001 I have lost 80 pounds and have kept it off. In 2004 I lost 35 pounds, and from June of 2009 to March of 2010 I also lost 35 pounds. I went from 285 to 205 as of March, 2010. I used to wear XXL shirts, now I wear size L. I used to wear pants with a 44" waist and now my pants have a 34" waist. Get rid of your old, big clothes. Getting back into them and gaining the weight back is not an option. Crash diets or fad diets may work in the short term, but the weight will not stay off since people tend to be on these radical diets only temporarily. Establish a lifestyle you can stay with for the long haul. Don't see it as going on a diet for awhile until you lose weight and then you can go off of it. A "cheat day" is fine occassionally but then get back on track. Living healthy does not mean you can never have sweets or salty foods again. If they are eaten very seldom, then they will be more of a treat.

Best Food Network Programs

2009-08-27T12:02:00.004-04:00

I like a lot of shows on the Food Network. Even for someone who does not know much about cooking, it provides lots of shows for those who enjoy learning about food. I'm not really into the ones where it is just someone cooking for 30 minutes, but many shows will integrate travel or some sort of competition or reality programming. The network has quite a stable of entertaining personalities. Two of my favorites are Guy Fieri from Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, and Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes. The first show features chef and restaurant owner Guy Fieri as he travels the country visiting the most unique mom and pop eateries. Fieri was the winner of the reality show The Next Food Network Star a couple years ago. He also has a cooking show called Guy's Big Bite. He is obviously someone who is passionate about food, but he also is a gregarious, likeable person who brings a special energy to his show. Duff Goldman is a chef who started his own bakery, Charm City Cakes in Baltimore. He ended up getting a Food Network show called Ace of Cakes where we see the day to day operations of his bakery as he and his staff make elaborate cakes. Duff is the star, but his co-workers are also an interesting cast of characters. The humor of Duff, and the challenge of meeting deadlines and pleasing the customers makes it a fun show.

Food for Thought from an Eye-Opening Documentary

2009-08-25T09:53:00.004-04:00

I have written on this blog in the past about documentaries such as No End in Sight, the many fine films of Michael Moore, and Super Size Me. I like films like these since they are thought provoking and they tackle important issues. They actually make you think, and therefore they do not attract mass audiences like some of the lowest common denominator drivel that ends up making hundreds of millions of dollars. If you see a documentary in a theatre, chances are it will have many empty seats, but those who are there are impacted. The latest documentary I have seen is called Food Inc. This exposes the dirty little secrets that the industry giants who fill our stomachs do not want you to know. Only a few huge conglomerates control what we buy in supermarkets. The movie looks at how agriculture has changed and how farmers are under pressure to deliver more product. Farming requires long hours, low pay and high debt accumulation, so the farmers must do all they can to maximize their yields. Food Inc. also looks at the political system and how the giants of the food industry have so much power. It follows a woman to Capitol Hill as she lobbies for more food regulations. Her son died from eating a hamburger tainted with e. coli. There are fewer inspections of food processing plants, and this leads to more diseases. It talks about how the unhealthy food is the cheapest, and how it is expensive to eat right. Fast food is quick and easy, and especially prevalent in poor neighborhoods where obesity and related health problems are an epidemic. The film takes a look at how slaughterhouses are employing illegal aliens to work in dangerous positions where they are exploited. It talked about organic foods, and how even Wal Mart has started selling organic food due to the rising demand. Watching documentaries which paint a bleak picture of society often make us feel powerless, but at the end of Food Inc. there was advice on how we can all have some power. All of us "vote" with our wallets, and when we buy food we are telling the food manufacturers that we want more of the same. We can have power to see more healthy foods if we support restaurants, farmers markets and supermarkets who sell organic, locally grown, unprocessed, healthy food.

Nintendo's Wii System is a Groundbreaking Console

2009-08-23T15:30:00.004-04:00

I have always loved video games, ever since the early 1980s when video arcades were thriving. Many of those arcades are gone, largely due to the popularity of home gaming systems. The Atari 2600 in the 1980s made it so people could stay home and play games rather than plugging quarters into a machine. I enjoyed my system, and spent countless hours playing games like Pac Man, Pole Position and Pitfall. Those games seem so primitive in comparison to the games we play today, but back then they were revolutionary. The Atari consoles led to gaming machines like the Nintendo 64, the Sony Playstation and the X-Box. Of course computer gaming was popular on the Commodore 64 and the Amiga, and on today's PCs. Nintendo put out the Game Cube and the DS, which allowed for portable gaming. Sony released the Playstation 2 and the portable PSP, and then we came to the current generation of gaming consoles. Sony has the Playstation 3, Microsoft has the X-Box 360 and Nintendo has the Wii. The Playstation 3 can play Blu Ray DVD discs, and all 3 of the current consoles can interface with the web if you have an internet connection that you can integrate. I bought a Wii last week, and there are a couple of things that make it groundbreaking. First, the Wii games are not played just by males of a certain age. Women as well as the elderly are finding that they enjoy games on the Wii. Second, the Wii has games where you actually move around and get some exercise. Video gamers have often been viewed as overweight men who are sedentary and play their games for hours on end. With the Wii, you can do some bowling, play tennis, baseball, do some boxing, and more. The controller's movements are picked up wirelessly by a sensor on the TV. If you move your hands, the player on the screen moves their hands. With the Wii Fit, it comes with a board you stand on and that picks up your movements. You can work on balance, you can do strength training exercises, aerobics, or yoga while in your living room. You can go for a jog on a virtual island, and you don't have to deal with rain, snow, hot or cold weather like you would if you were outside. The Wii Fit lets you set specific fitness goals for yourself. It will weigh you, and chart your progress. It really is amazing how far home video game systems have come in the past 25 years. With the current obesity epidemic in our country, I think that the Wii has come along at just the right time.

The Art of Romero Britto

2009-07-23T12:06:00.004-04:00

I am not an expert on the art world, but I know what I like when I see it. A few years ago I saw a TV show profiling the artist Romero Britto and I have been a fan ever since. I like his use of vibrant colors, and his works reflect an optomistic, whimsical celebration of life. Simply put, his art makes me smile, and in these challenging times, we all need that. Britto is of Brazilian ancestry and he resides in Miami, Florida. He has worked on designing art for marketing campaigns for companies such as Absolut Vodka, Disney, Pepsi, Volvo, BMW and Evian. For more information, check out http://www.britto.com/.

The Sims 8 in 1 House Collection No. 1

2009-06-08T10:38:00.002-04:00

This is an example of an elaborate Sims house that can be built if you have all of the expansion packs. There is a car parked outside of this house and there are websites where you can download cars and other items to put in your house. The original copies of The Sims do not include cars, and your sim cannot drive the vehicle. There are sites where you can download entire houses with all of the furnishings to integrate into your game.

Will Wright and the Virtual World of The Sims

2009-06-05T16:59:00.010-04:00

The best selling PC game of all time will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. Game developer Will Wright created The Sims and it was released in 2000 by Maxis/Electronic Arts. Wright also created other sim games such as Sim City, Sim Earth, Sim Copter and Sim Ant. In 1989, Sim City became a big hit and it was originally designed for computer systems such as the Amiga and the Commodore 64. This was an urban planning game where you were in control of developing your own city. The Sims was in development from 1995 to 2000, and it was played on a much more personal level than Sim City.

With The Sims, you create your own characters (sims), and you can design the house they inhabit. Will Wright has called it a "digital dollhose". The game was originally designed as an architecture simulation alone. Some pre-created Sims and houses are included with the game, but the most satisfying thing to do is create your own virtual world. If you want only one person to live in your house, you can do that. If you want a man, a woman and many kids you can do that too. The player is able to design the look of the characters, from the gender, clothing type, the look of the face, body type, etc. You can give your sims different personality traits such as whether or not they are clean, outgoing, active, and the like.

My favorite aspect of The Sims is that you can design their home from scratch. You start with a bare lot and you can determine the size of the house, how many bedrooms, bathrooms, what type of wallpaper, carpet, tile, paint, will be used on the house to make it exactly as you want it. You design where the furniture goes, the size of the rooms, whether or not there are pictures on the walls, what type of doors and windows the house will have, it's all up to you. There are cheat codes which can give you unlimited money to buy furnishings for the home. Otherwise, your sim needs to get a job and as they earn money you can buy virtual home furnishings. I find using the cheat code to be more enjoyable. Homes you design can be ultra luxurious. There are lots of virtual items to keep your sims busy and entertained. Each expansion pack you buy gives you more items for your home. You can build a swimming pool for your sims, which can be indoors or outdoors. Does your sim like electronics? Give them an arcade game, or a computer, or a virtual reality headset. If your sim likes sports build them a basketball court or give them a pool table. Creative sims can paint a picture, play the piano or the electric guitar. The yard can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. You can have a yard with trees, flowers, ponds, or whatever you desire.

There is not an "end" to the game. One of the main objectives is to keep your sims happy. There are 8 gauges at the bottom of the screen that show the status of your characters emotional status. The 8 categories include; hunger, comfort, hygiene, bladder, energy, fun, social and room. If the "bladder" status is low, click on the toilet and they will use it. If the "social" status is low, have them talk to other people in the game. If the "hygiene" gauge is low, have your sim take a shower or a bath. The best way to raise your "energy" status is to send your sims to bed. For a short burst of energy, have them drink coffee or espresso. Make sure your house you design has a kitchen or else the sim will go hungry and the "hunger" status will be in the red. Your kitchen can be however you want it. You can buy a refrigerator, a microwave, a stove, a trash compactor, a dishwasher, or whatever you want. Buy a book shelf for the house and your sim can study cooking. If the "fun" gauge is low, have them watch TV, play a video game, or listen to the radio. The "room" gauge is low if the sim is in a small, dirty, or dark room. Sims like large rooms with lots of windows to let in light.

There have been 7 expansion packs released for The Sims. The Sims 2, The Sims Online, and The Sims 3 have also been released. More than 100 million copies have been sold in this franchise. Perhaps the reason why so many copies of the games have sold is that 50% of Sims players are female. This is a departure from the typically male dominated world of video games. The Sims is different from most games since it is a non-violent, non-sports, non-driving game. Expansion packs and their release dates include the following;

Livin' Large 2000
House Party 2001
Hot Date 2001
Vacation 2002
Unleashed 2002
Superstar 2003
Makin' Magic 2003

Starting with the Hot Date expansion pack, playing The Sims became more enjoyable since your characters were no longer limited to their own neighborhood. With Hot Date, there is a new part of town where your sim can take a date or look for new people to meet. The new area has restaurants, parks, retail shops and vacant lots where you can design your own retail establishments. In Vacation, you can send your sim to recreational areas where they can swim, do outdoor winter activities, and get away from the daily grind. Unleashed gives your sims the opportunity to acquire pets, and there is yet another new neighborhood to explore. Superstar has a Hollywood-like area where you can try to make your character into a music, movie or TV star. Makin' Magic has a new area with amusement parks and magic themed activities. All expansion packs have many new items as well as new lots for designing more homes.

These sims characters are not invincible. If they do not eat, they will die. Sometimes a house will catch on fire, and if the fire is not put out, either by the sim themselves or by firefighters, the sim will die. If a sim is swimming in a pool and there is no ladder to get out, they will die.

Many copycat sim games have been created where you are in control of your own world, but none have reached the overwhelming success of The Sims. One of the most popular sim-type games was Roller Coaster Tycoon where you can design your own coasters, theme park, and you try to keep your customers happy. This was released by Microsoft and they also developed Zoo Tycoon, where you run your own zoo. Will Wright worked in conjuction with the creator of the popular Civilization PC game series Sid Meier to make Sim Golf. In this you can design your own golf course. You are in control of how long the holes are, if there are sand traps, trees, water hazards, etc. Your golf course can have a clubhouse, a driving range, restaurants, a hotel, all in the name of keeping your customers happy, and to keep them coming back. You can watch customers play your course, and you can see what they like and don't like about it.

* Some information came from en.wikipedia.org.

History of Late Night TV

2009-06-04T12:04:00.006-04:00

With all of the recent changes in late night TV, I decided to find out a bit about the predecessors to today's late night hosts. Different networks have tried to establish late night franchises, and some have had more success than others. I will look at the different personalities which have contributed to the genre. The above pictures show some of the greats in late night TV. From top: the original host of The Tonight Show, Steve Allen. The next picture shows Tom Snyder who hosted The Tomorrow Show and The Late Late Show. The third picture shows Johnny Carson doing his "Carnac" bit. The bottom picture shows from left to right; Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, David Letterman and Conan O'Brien.

The network that has been the most successful in establishing a late night audience has been NBC. Saturday Night Live has aired from 11:30 pm to 1:00 am on NBC since 1975. The Tonight Show is the third longest running TV show in history, only eclipsed by Guiding Light and the Hallmark Hall of Fame. When the show started in 1954 it was 90 minutes in length, airing from 11:30 pm until 1:00 am. Its first host was Steve Allen, and he did the show from 1954 to 1957. His original announcer was Gene Rayburn, who later spent many years hosting The Match Game. Allen was known for his man on the street bits and David Letterman has cited him as an influence. The next host of the show was Jack Paar, from 1957 to 1962. His announcer was Hugh Downs, who later worked for ABC for many years as host of 20/20 with Barbara Walters. In 1960, Paar's show became one of the first programs to air in color. He left the show after becoming frustrated with the network for censoring his material. The next host would change late night TV forever and become one of the most beloved icons in entertainment history. Johnny Carson hosted the show from 1962 to 1992 and he got his start entertaining people as a magician in his home state of Nebraska. In 1970, The Tonight Show moved its operations from New York City to Burbank, California. Johnny's show had announcer/sidekick Ed McMahon as a significant aspect of the show as well as fantastic big band jazz music from trumpeter Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Orchestra. When Johnny retired in 1992, Jay Leno took over and hosted until 2009. It has been reported that Carson wanted Letterman to take over but NBC wanted Leno, who was seen as more of a safe bet and he was not known as an edgy, trouble maker like Letterman. Carson wrote some jokes for Letterman, and this was acknowledged by Dave after Carson's death. Letterman sometimes does a "Stump the Band" bit on his show, preceded by music leader Paul Shaffer doing an homage to Carson's Carnac character. To have the right to do these, Letterman must have received clearance from Carson, which is more proof that Carson favored Letterman over Leno. When Jay Leno took over the show he fired Carson's entire staff and did not acknowledge Johnny on his first episode. The animosity between Letterman and Leno exists to this day. In June, 2009, Conan O'Brien took over for Leno as the 5th host of The Tonight Show.

NBC decided they wanted to add another late night show to air after Johnny Carson, so in 1973, Tom Snyder started hosting The Tomorrow Show and this lasted until 1982. From 1982 to 1993, David Letterman took over the 12:35 am time slot with his show Late Night. His band was led by Paul Shaffer, who had previously worked on Saturday Night Live. After being denied the job hosting The Tonight Show, Letterman was fed up with NBC and his show was taken over by Conan O'Brien. Conan was known as a writer, not a performer and he got off to a shaky start. He had been a writer for The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live, and he is a Harvard graduate. Conan hosted the Late Night show from 1993 to 2009, before leaving to host The Tonight Show. Conan's announcer on the 12:35 am show was Joel Goddard. His band on the 12:35 am show and on the 11:35 pm show is led by Bruce Springsteen drummer, Max Weinberg. His sidekick on the 12:35 am show for many years was Andy Richter, who left to pursue TV and film opportunities. He will be back with Conan as sidekick/announcer on the 11:35 pm show. Former Saturday Night Live cast member Jimmy Fallon took over for Conan in 2009.

NBC decided to add another show after the 12:35 am show, when the interview show Later started in 1988. This aired from 1:35 am to 2:05 am and was hosted by Bob Costas until 1994. This was a change of pace for late night TV since this was a show with one guest, no house band, and no studio audience. From 1994 to 1996 it was hosted by Greg Kinnear, who had hosted Talk Soup on the E! network. Kinnear left to focus on his film career and from 1996 to 1998 the show rotated various hosts. Cynthia Garrett hosted from 1998 to 2000. For the next 2 years this time slot was filled with SCTV reruns, a sketch comedy show which featured Martin Short and John Candy. From 2002 to the present, the show in this time slot has been Last Call with Carson Daly, who previously hosted TRL on MTV.

CBS got into the late night talk show game in 1993 when David Letterman left NBC, and his show was called The Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman wanted an 11:35 pm show, and since he did not get The Tonight Show, he figured that at least at CBS he could go head to head with Leno. Many staff memebers have worked with Letterman since the days at NBC, including musicians Paul Shaffer, Sid McGinnis, Will Lee, Anton Fig, stage manager Biff Henderson and producers Maria Pope, Jude Brennan and Barbara Gaines. Letterman's announcer for many years was Bill Wendell and the current announcer is Alan Kalter.

From 1995 to 1999, the 12:35 am slot on CBS was filled by Tom Snyder who hosted The Late Late Show. Former host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, Craig Kilborn took over for Snyder, and he did the show until 2004. From 2004 to the present the show has been hosted by former cast member from The Drew Carey show, Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson. The show has been produced by Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants, since the beginning. This company also produced the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond.

ABC has dabbled on an off in late night and from 1967 to 1969 a late night show was hosted by rat pack member Joey Bishop. His sidekick was a then little known Regis Philbin. Nightline has been on ABC for many years at 11:35 pm, but this is a news show, not a typical late night talk show. In 2003 Jimmy Kimmel started hosting his own talk show after Nightline, at 12:05 am and his show has become the longest running ABC late night talk show since Dick Cavett hosted from 1969 to 1975.

In the early days of the Fox network, Joan Rivers had a late night show, but it only lated a year, starting in 1986. The sketch comedy show Mad TV aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009 from 11 pm to 12 am Saturday nights. Former Seinfeld writer Spike Feresten had a show on Fox called Talk Show with Spike Feresten. This aired from 2006 to 2009 on Saturdays. Fox has cancelled Talk Show and Mad TV.

Many other have tried to helm late night talk shows, some more successfully than others. Arsenio Hall had a late night syndicated show from 1989 to 1994. Chevy Chase did not fare as well since his late night outing only lasted 6 weeks in 1993. Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak had a show from 1989 to 1990. NBA legend Magic Johnson did not have much luck with his late night show, lasting only 3 months in 1998.

In the fall of 2009, NBC will try a new experiment when they move Jay Leno to have a show from 10 pm to 11 pm weeknights. The struggling network saw it as a way to hang on to Leno, as well as a way to cut costs since the one hour dramas that typically air in the 10 pm hour are expensive to produce. We will have to see how this affects the ratings for NBC affiliates' 11 pm newscasts as well as how many viewers stick around to watch Conan at 11:35 pm.

* Some information from en.wikipedia.org

The Future of TV and the Internet

2009-05-26T10:53:00.005-04:00

I think that it is obvious that the world of traditional television is merging with the internet. I saw an ad in Entertainment Weekly magazine for a TV from Samsung with a feature called Internet@TV. Yes, it's a flat screen HDTV with great resolution, but it has access to websites too. It has widgets you can use to check news, stock quotes, weather or sports scores from the internet. You can check out Twitter, see what's for sale on E-bay, and look at pictures from Flickr on your living room TV. In the future people will watch a show, and when they go to commercial they can check their Facebook page or buy something off Amazon. Netflix has a box that can be connected to a TV so that movies and shows can be watched immediately. For that matter they can be watched via the Netflix website too. Who will need to get them through the mail? As it is now it seems that most either watch internet videos on a desktop computer in a home office or they watch it on a laptop. In the future all living rooms will have TVs where people will sit on the couch with the family and watch videos from You Tube or Hulu.com. This is exciting, but between watching shows via websites and/or on a DVR where people skip through commercials, will local businesses want to buy commercial time on TV?

The Films of John Hughes

2009-04-29T01:18:00.003-04:00

Writer/director/producer John Hughes is one of the Hollywood big wigs I really admire. I am such a fan of so many of his films, especially several from the 1980s. Just check out this amazing filmography;

1983 Vacation (screenplay)
1984 Sixteen Candles (writer/director)
1985 Weird Science (writer/director)
1985 The Breakfast Club (writer/director/producer)
1986 Pretty in Pink (producer/writer)
1986 Ferris Bueller's Day Off (writer/director/producer)
1987 Planes, Trains and Automobiles (director/producer/writer)
1989 Uncle Buck (director/producer/writer)
1990 Home Alone (writer/producer)
1992 Beethoven (writer)

He was also involved in sequels for Home Alone, Vacation and Beethoven. He additionally has worked on the following films; Mr. Mom, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Great Outdoors, Dutch, Curly Sue, Maid in Manhattan and many more. Since the early 1990s, he has written under the pen name of Edmond Dantes. Hughes was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1950, and he got his start as a writer for National Lampoon magazine. No doubt, anyone who had their formative years in the 1980s will look back fondly at many of these works. I cannot imagine having the level of creativity it would take to come up with all of these amazing works. He was behind the formation of "The Brat Pack" which included actors such as Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, and Anthony Michael Hall. The group also included those from St. Elmo's Fire such as Rob Lowe and Demi Moore. John Candy appeared in 8 of Hughes's films. Without John Hughes the world may have never known about Molly Ringwald and after her trilogy of The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles she became a teen icon and was featured on the cover of Time magazine. She has acted in many projects in France and has appeared in a Broadway revival of Sweet Charity. She stars in the ABC Family program The Secret Life of the American Teenager. When VH1 did a countdown of the 100 greatest teen stars she ranked #1.

* Some material for this essay came from imdb.com and en.wikipedia.org.

Oscar Results for 2009

2009-04-02T03:13:00.004-04:00

Best Picture-Slumdog Millionaire (this won a total of 8 Academy Awards, also including best score, best song, best editing, best adapted screenplay, best sound mixing and best cinematography)
Best Directing-Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Actor-Sean Penn (Milk)
Best Actress-Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Best Supporting Actor-Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Best Supporting Actress-Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Best Animated Feature-Wall-E

I was glad to see Slumdog do so well. It was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.

*Some information from www.buddytv.com

The Man and the Mouse

2009-04-02T01:44:00.005-04:00

My wife and I recently took a trip to Walt Disney World outside of Orlando, Florida, and I was thinking about the impressive empire that Disney created. The Disney company bought 28,000 acres in Florida to build the theme parks. The construction of Magic Kingdom was launched in 1967, and it opened in 1971. Epcot opened in 1982, Hollywood Studios in 1989 and Animal Kingdom in 1998. Walt Disney never saw the park bearing his name since he died in 1966. His brother Roy died in 1971, only 3 months after the opening of the Magic Kingdom. We saw all four parks and visited one each day. Disney's Florida properties also include two water parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon). There are also 2 Disney areas that have lots of retail/dining/entertainment venues and they are called Disney Downtown and Disney Boardwalk. We went to Disney Downtown and they have a House of Blues, a Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Cafe, several Disney stores, a Lego store, a riverboat that serves seafood, and a performance venue for Cirque du Soleil. There is also a Disney Wedding Pavillion, Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex and the Walt Disney World Speedway. In addition to all of this, the area also has 23 Disney owned and operated hotels and 5 golf courses. Anaheim, California's Disneyland opened in 1955, and Walt Disney wanted to open a park that would attract visitors from the eastern portions of the U.S. Walt Disney World employs 66,000 people, and it is the largest single-site employer in America.

* Some information from en.wikipedia.org

CBS Cancels Guiding Light

2009-04-02T01:13:00.004-04:00

The longest running television drama is going off the air. The Guiding Light started as a radio show in 1937. It has been on CBS television since 1952. Many soap operas have seen ratings decline over the years. The Guiding Light recently changed its on air look and shot much of the show outdoors on location in New Jersey. This was done in an effort to cut costs, and some cast members have taken pay cuts. CBS currently airs soaps from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm eastern time. They have been the ratings leader for daytime dramas for years, and many soaps on other networks have disappeared. NBC only has one soap left, Days of our Lives. The other daytime hours need to be filled by local affiliates. CBS is looking for a lower cost alternative to air in the time slot, which is 3 pm to 4 pm eastern time. The final episode will air on September 18, 2009. The producers say they may try to resurrect the show by airing it on a different network, perhaps on cable.

*Some information from msn.com and en.wikipedia.org

"The Wrestler" is a Triumphant Comeback for Mickey Rourke

2009-01-25T17:05:00.004-05:00

Sometimes life imitates art. Sometimes art imitates life. Like his character in the film The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke has had a life filled with ups and downs, with career highlights happening in the 1980s. Rourke was Hollywood's leading man with such films as Diner, 9 and a Half Weeks and Rumble Fish. He then got a reputation of being hard to work with and he had challenges with substance abuse. He tried earning a living as a boxer in the early 1990s but had limited success and returned to acting. He had a semi-comeback a couple years ago with Sin City, but The Wrestler has critics hailing him like he has not experienced in a long time, and the film is accumulating many awards and nominations.

The Wrestler is about Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a man who packed arenas in the 1980s but whose career has slowed significantly as he has aged. He still wrestles in small venues but he needs to supplement his income by working in a grocery store. He lives a sad and lonely life in a trailer, when he can afford the rent. One scene has him spending the night in his van since he has been locked out of his home by his landlord. Bruce Springsteen did a song for this film. After watching it I thought of Springsteen's hit from the 1980s-Glory Days, which could easily have been a theme song for this work. The Wrestler is a sad movie that is about past victories, past mistakes, growing old, and the search for happiness in a world which can be cruel. "The Ram" has not been a good father and he tries to reconcile with a daughter he hardly knows. He tries to establish a relationship with a stripper at a club he frequents, played by Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny, Untamed Heart). She is wounded just like he is and she is reluctant to open up her life to him. The Wrestler is about physical pain and the toll that a career in the ring has on the body. But the emotional pain felt by Rourke, his daughter and Tomei is even more devastating.

This film was directed by Darren Aronofsky, who also did The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream and This Film is Not Yet Rated. It has an approval rating of 98% on rottentomatoes.com. It is not a film for everyone. It has some violent, gory, disturbing scenes, but it is still a great work which will win many awards.

Here is a quote from the movie when Randy talks to his fans:
I just want to say to you all tonight I'm very grateful to be here. A lot of people told me that I'd never wrestle again and that's all I do. You know, if you live hard and play hard and you burn the candle at both ends, you pay the price for it. You know in this life you can loose everything you love, everything that loves you. Now I don't hear as good as I used to and I forget stuff and I aint as pretty as I used to be but god damn it I'm still standing here and I'm The Ram. As times goes by, as times goes by, they say "he's washed up", "he's finished" , "he's a loser", "he's all through". You know what? The only one that's going to tell me when I'm through doing my thing is you people here.

Some information from rottentomatoes.com and imdb.com.

Ron and Fez Show on Sirius/XM

2009-01-08T23:44:00.004-05:00

My favorite show on satellite radio is the Ron and Fez show. It is on XM 202 and Sirius 197 from noon to 3 pm weekdays. Ron Bennington and Fez Whatley have worked in Tampa, Florida and Washington, DC before coming to New York City. Ron used to be a stand up comedian and he owned a comedy club in Florida. They have many sidekicks and recurring characters on the show such as producers Earl Douglas and David "East Side Dave" McDonald. The show takes a humourous look at what's going on in the world of sports, entertainment, politics, or anything else that is on their minds. Ron is an outstanding interviewer and he hosts an XM show called Unmasked where he talks with comedians about their influences, their style of comedy, and the like. Fez has an odd view of the world and many phobias which he is not afraid to share with listeners. Fez grew up in Florida, and Ron was raised in Philadelphia where he was childhood friends with "Don Vito" Margera from the show Viva La Bam. Above I posted a photo from week 12 of the battle of the beards between Dave and Fez, with Fez on the left.

Broadcast networks may cut back on programming

2008-12-10T10:55:00.003-05:00

NBC has been struggling ratings-wise and they may make fewer hours of prime time available to their affiliates.

Jeff Zucker, president/CEO of NBC Universal, speaking at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference, said it was a possibility that NBC might consider trimming prime-time hours--or even a whole night of programming.

"Can we continue to broadcast 22 hours in prime time? Three of our competitors don't," he said during Monday's keynote. "Can we continue to broadcast seven days a week? One of our competitors doesn't."

The competitors he is referring to are My Network, the CW and Fox. My Network does not broadcast on Sundays and all 3 of the aforementioned networks have 2 hours of prime instead of 3. On Sundays, the big 3 networks have 4 hours of primetime. I wonder if we may see a merger of networks in the future. Maybe NBC would merge with CBS, or ABC would merge with Fox? In these tough economic times, merging companies seems to be all the rage. Many cities that used to have 2 newspapers have merged so they have one. The UPN network and WB network merged to form the CW.

NBC has only one soap opera, and that genre has been losing viewers steadily. According to TV Guide, in the past 10 years, daytime soap ratings have fallen as much as 50% for some shows. The top rated soap is CBS' The Young and the Restless and in the past 10 years its ratings have fallen from 7.9 million viewers to 4.9 million. NBC's Days of Our Lives took a steep fall, going from 5.4 million to 2.6 million. Guiding Light on CBS has fallen from 4.5 million to 2.1 million viewers. Longtime soap stars like Susan Lucci and Anthony Geary have had to take pay cuts. NBC fired its most popular soap stars, Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn, and the remaining cast has to take a pay cut of 40%.

Leno will stay at NBC

2008-12-09T10:36:00.003-05:00

People have been wondering what will happen next year when Jay Leno leaves The Tonight Show. Conan O'Brien will move to 11:35 pm to follow in the footsteps of Jay Leno, Johnny Carson, Jack Paar and Steve Allen. Former SNL star Jimmy Fallon will take over the 12:35 am slot on NBC, which was previously occupied by Conan O'Brien, who replaced David Letterman in 1993. The associated press, The New York Times and msn.com are reporting that Leno will stay with NBC to host a show which will air at 10 pm weeknights. There were rumors about Leno pursuing a late night deal with ABC, or Fox, or a syndicated show. This will be a cost saving measure for the peacock network since talk shows are cheaper to produce than the dramas that often air in the 10 pm time slot. Leno will be able to reach a larger audience at 10 pm as opposed to 11:35 pm. NBC has been struggling compared to the other broadcast networks in terms of ratings. CBS is number one, largely due to their popular crime dramas such as their 3 versions of CSI, Without a Trace, Cold Case, NCIS, Criminal Minds, and the like. Fox has American Idol to bring in the big numbers, and ABC has Dancing with the Stars. The last episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno will be May 29, and Conan's first episode will be June 1. I am looking forward to it, and I think that Conan will have more success than Leno since he is funnier and better at interviews. Also, Conan is not someone who "plays it safe" as Leno does. I have never been impressed with Leno's watered down style of comedy, and I'd like to see someone with more of an edge at the helm of that show.

One Day At A Time 81'-82' Opening

2008-12-06T13:38:00.002-05:00

That's Incredible!

2008-12-06T13:37:00.001-05:00

Real People with Skip Stephenson, Sarah Purcell, Mark Russell, etc.

2008-12-06T13:35:00.001-05:00

Day by Day opening sequence

2008-12-06T13:32:00.001-05:00

This show was about a couple who run a day care out of their home, and it was created by Gary David Goldberg, who also did Family Ties. It featured Courtney Thorne-Smith, who would later do Melrose Place and According to Jim. It also featured Julia Louis-Dreyfus who did Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Family Ties Theme

2008-12-06T13:04:00.001-05:00

Alex P. Keaton was the best!

Mr. Belvedere Opening Theme (Stewie Griffin Version)

2008-12-06T13:00:00.001-05:00

Too Close for Comfort Promo WEWS TV Cleveland 1985

2008-12-06T12:53:00.001-05:00

I couldn't find the opening credits sequence, but this is a good locally produced promo from Cleveland.

Head of the Class TV Theme Song

2008-12-06T12:50:00.001-05:00

Howard Hesseman did this show after playing Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati.

Perfect Strangers Intro

2008-12-06T12:46:00.001-05:00

Remember Balki Bartokomos? That was Bronson Pinchot's character. He recently appeared on a season of VH1's The Surreal Life.

Silver Spoons theme

2008-12-06T12:44:00.001-05:00

Later, Ricky Schroder became Rick Schroder and did NYPD Blue. I always thought it would be cool to have arcade games in my living room like they did on Silver Spoons.

My Two Dads TV Theme Song

2008-12-06T12:40:00.001-05:00

This was after Greg Evigan did BJ and the Bear and before Paul Reiser did Mad about You.

Small Wonder

2008-12-06T12:35:00.001-05:00

This was a ridiculous concept for a sitcom, but it was so bad it was funny.

Alice Season 5 Opening Credits Version 1

2008-12-06T12:33:00.001-05:00

I used to love this show. Linda Lavin as Alice Hyatt, Vic Tayback as Mel Sharples (his famous retort was "stow it"!) And who could forget Polly Holiday as Flo in the earlier seasons ("kiss my grits"!) Beth Howland was the ditzy but loveable Vera. This show was based on the Martin Scorsese film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore with Ellyn Burstyn and Kris Kristofferson.

Snow Miser - Heat Miser

2008-12-05T18:09:00.001-05:00

Southern Rock: It's More Than Just Skynyrd

2008-08-14T11:22:00.004-04:00

Around the mid-1990s, I became interested in country music. The first artists I enjoyed were Alan Jackson, Sammy Kershaw and Garth Brooks. Then I heard something a bit different in the music of Travis Tritt. It was country, but with more of a rock/blues style. Travis always starts his shows with the song "Put Some Drive in Your Country". In the song he talks of his influences, ranging from country classics like Roy Acuff and George Jones, to artists like Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings. My favorite line of the song says..."Well I made myself a promise, when I was just a kid, I'd mix southern rock and country, and that's just what I did". Another line says "Man I miss Duane Allman, I wish he was still around". (Sometimes in concert he substitutes the names Stevie Ray Vaughan or Waylon Jennings). So it got me thinking, who is Duane Allman and what is southern rock all about? I idolized Travis so much that I figured if he likes it, it must be some good stuff. I had heard of Lynyrd Skynyrd but did not know much about them or their genre of music. Much of southern rock originated in Florida and the most prominent bands peaked in the 1970s. So, here are some of my favorite southern rock bands with some of their best known songs listed.

Lynyrd Skynyrd---Freebird, Sweet Home Alabama, Gimmee Three Steps
Allman Brothers Band---Ramblin' Man, Melissa, Statesboro Blues
Marshall Tucker Band---Can't You See, Heard it in a Love Song
Molly Hatchett---Flirtin' with Disaster
Charlie Daniels Band---Devil Went Down to Georgia, The South's Gonna do it Again
.38 Special---Hold on Loosely
Stevie Ray Vaughan---Pride and Joy, Taxman (Some may consider him a blues artist, but there are southern rock influences in his music).

Prominent Bands in the Genre of Ska Music

2008-08-13T10:41:00.004-04:00

During the mid to late 1990s, ska music had a resurgence, and I have been hooked ever since. The genre originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s. It is distinctive music, which is made up of a mixture of calypso/reggae, jazz, and rhythm and blues. I like the fact that ska bands have horns, usually consisting of a trumpet, trombone and saxophone player. There are three periods of ska music, starting with the Jamaican music, then the 2 tone period in England in the late 1970s, and the 3rd wave starting in the 1980s. The most well known band in the 2 tone period was Madness, which had an international hit in 1982 with Our House. The most visible ska band during the 3rd wave had to be No Doubt. Their 1995 Tragic Kingdom album was a smash hit and their success led to countless other bands springing up. Gwen Stefani has done well as a solo artist, and the band No Doubt has changed their sound from a decade ago. They are scheduled to release a new album in 2009. Like No Doubt, Mighty Mighty Bosstones formed in the mid 1980s but did not have wide commercial success until a decade later. In 1997 their release, Let's Face It, contained the single The Impression That I Get, which rose to number one on the Billboard charts. Since 2000 the Bosstones have not had as much commercial success and the members have moved on to other projects. Lead singer Dicky Barrett has worked in LA radio and as an announcer for the Jimmy Kimmel show. The band has not broken up and they still tour occassionally, primarily in New England, where they are more prominent than other parts of the country.

Other third wave ska band that I enjoy include;
The Aquabats
The Insyderz (Christian ska band)
Less Than Jake
Let's Go Bowling
The OC Supertones
Reel Big Fish (great band with a wacky sense of humor)
Save Ferris (they did a remake of Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners)
The Toasters (check out their song 2 Tone Army)

*Some source information from en.wikipedia.org

Hollywood Shootout Gets the ShowBizWiz Seal of Approval

2008-07-27T18:49:00.003-04:00

If you are interested in the movie business, check out the syndicated TV show Hollywood Shootout. It is a 30 minute show that airs on various stations depending on the television market, so check your local listings for time and channel. It is hosted by Peter Bart, editor-in-chief of Variety magazine, which is like the Bible for many in show business, and Peter Guber, Hollywood mogul/producer, who has worked on some legendary productions over the past several decades. This is not another thumbs up/thumbs down movie review show. It talks about the movie business from the inside out, covering topics like marketing of films, production techniques, they discuss the careers of various producers, directors and actors. These guys know how Hollywood works, and due to their clout and connections they are able to secure some impressive guests. They did a 2 part show with Steven Spielberg where the legendary director talked about how he chooses which films to direct, they talked about his early films like Jaws and Close Encounters and how they compare with later works like Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. Spielberg talked about his collaboration with Jeffery Katzenberg and David Geffen and how they formed Dreamworks SKG. Other guests I have seen on the show include James Caan (Guber knew him from his days working for the studio that did The Godfather), Jon Favreau discussed his directing of Iron Man, and Diablo Cody talked about how writing the screenplay for Juno launched her career to the next level. Philip Seymour Hoffman was on the show discussing the craft of acting, and his role in Capote. The set for the show is designed to look like a coffee shop with movie posters on the walls and extras posing as patrons in the backround. The show is a winner since Guber and Bart are not a pair who are on the sidelines of the movie biz, they are insiders sharing their precious nuggets of information with the rest of us.

Van Halen - Love Walks In

2008-04-04T15:27:00.001-04:00

Eddie on the keyboards, Sammy on the guitar, an amazing power ballad.

Curb Your Enthusiasm is Another Hit for Larry David

2008-02-16T13:54:00.003-05:00

As the co-creator of Seinfeld, Larry David saw enormous success. After Seinfeld he created Curb Your Enthusiasm, another 30 minute comedy for HBO. Only this time, Larry is in front of the camera, not behind the scenes. A lot of the show is improvised, and co-stars include Richard Lewis and Ted Danson. Larry plays himself, a television mogul living in Los Angeles with his wife played by Cheryl Hines. Larry's manager in the show is Jeff Garlin, who is married to the foul mouthed Susie Essman. The main concept behind the show is that each week, Larry does something stupid and Cheryl gets mad. This was also the basic concept for Everybody Loves Raymond and The King of Queens. Being such a Seinfeld fan, I bought the first season of Curb on DVD having never seen the show. I do not have HBO, but I knew that if Larry David was involved, it would be good. The show sometimes will make you cringe when you see the uncomfortable situations Larry gets himself into, but it is worth checking out, especially for Seinfeld fans. Larry's character is a lot like George Costanza. He's a shlub who always seems to screw things up. Apparently Woody Allen is a fan since he has recruited Larry David to appear in his next film.

A Refreshing Change of Pace for the 2008 Grammy Awards

2008-02-16T13:39:00.004-05:00

Last year at this time I wrote about how I felt old and out of touch after watching the Grammys. Well this year was the 50th anniversary of the awards show and they had more than just contemporary artists appearing. I knew that this year's show would be different when it opened with a Frank Sinatra/Alicia Keys duet. Morris Day and the Time performed Jungle Love after a 15 year abscence. I liked their music a lot in the 80s. Prince was a presenter and there was a Cirque du Soleil performance of a Beatles themed show. The never humble, always egotistical Kanye West accepted an award but was knocked down a few pegs by Vince Gill. Ringo Starr presented Gill with his award and Vince asked Kanye from the stage if he had ever been given an award by a Beatle. While many American Idol winners have faded away, Carrie Underwood still seems to be a strong force in the world of music and she performed on the telecast. Lifetime achievement Grammys were announced for the likes of bluegrass pioneer Earl Scruggs, virtuoso violinist Itzhak Perlman and jazz drummer Max Roach. Herbie Hancock had a big night and performed an excellent piano duet with another artist performing Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Going back to the infancy of rock and roll, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard performed. In the past, the Grammys seemed to focus too much on contemporary R&B and rap artists, but this year there was something for everyone to enjoy.

My Favorite Films of 2007

2008-01-25T00:11:00.000-05:00

I would recommend all of these and they would all receive a letter grade of A or A- in my opinion.

Music and Lyrics-funny flick with Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant about a washed up 1980s singer

Reign Over Me-Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle star in this drama/comedy about a guy who lost loved ones in 9-11

Ratatouille-another great Pixar film about a rat who is a chef in Paris

Waitress-Keri Russell is outstanding in this sweet, heartfelt comedy/drama

Hairspray-feel good, upbeat musical revival of John Waters' creation

Superbad-funny, risque comedy about high school life

No End in Sight-documentary about the mess in Iraq

Bella-a touching, romantic movie about adoption

Enchanted-a naive Disney princess tries to figure out life in Manhattan

Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Miniature American Eskimo

2008-01-11T16:59:00.001-05:00

Is there a cooler looking dog than a Pembroke Welsh Corgi? I don't think so.

Late Night Shows Return-Some with Writers, Some Without

2008-01-03T11:34:00.000-05:00

A bearded David Letterman returned to the air last night after a 2 month hiatus with a new show and a contract with his writers. Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants, reached a deal with the writers to work on his show and Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show. The writer's strike still continues though, and Leno and Conan were back sans writers. Harkening back to the writer's strike of the 1980s, Letterman brought back his director from NBC to do a segment called "Hal Gurnee's Network Timekillers". Letterman's top 10 list featured striking writers joking about their demands in the negotiations. Robin Williams was on Dave's show, as well as a taped cold open from Hillary Clinton. Williams said that Letterman resembled General Robert E. Lee. Conan also sported a beard last night. Letterman took the stage amid dancing girls holding picket signs. Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee crossed picket lines and appeared with Jay Leno. The screen actors guild is urging its members to not do shows with Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, or Conan since they are not employing writers. So, the CBS shows may get better guests.

Leno is averaging 4.4 million viewers this season. Letterman averages 3.6 million viewers. The numbers for Leno and Letterman are down 25 and 15% respectively compared to last season. With people losing interest in Leno, one has to wonder what he will do next year when Conan takes over. In the 12:35 am slot, Conan and Ferguson are in a virtual tie, with 1.8 and 1.7 million viewers respectively. Jimmy Kimmel's ABC show averages 1.8 million viewers and has Nightline as its lead in. Leno, Conan and Kimmel are not allowed to do many of their comedic bits such as traditional monologues due to strike restrictions. The main question is, how will this affect the ratings? This strike may be a big break for Letterman and an opportunity to win over Leno, which has not happened in a long time. Let's see how long the strike lasts, and how long it will be before Leno, Conan and Kimmel draw up their individual deals to get the writers back. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report return next week to Comedy Central with no writers, which should be an enormous challenge for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

Here is a link to some clips and comments from the Today Show's Meredith Viera and Al Roker.

*Some information from msn.com.

30 Rock is a Rock-Solid Comedy

2007-12-30T18:00:00.000-05:00

NBC's Thursday night primetime lineup is moving closer to its glory days in the 1980s which was branded as "Must See TV" with shows like The Cosby Show, Family Ties and Cheers. Former Saturday Night Live head writer and weekend update host Tina Fey has created the witty, edgy, quirky comedy, 30 Rock. Sandwiched between My Name is Earl at 8pm and The Office at 9pm, the show is a behind-the-scenes look at an SNL-type of program. Fey plays Liz Lemon, and is joined by cast members Alec Baldwin, Judah Friedlander and fellow SNL alum Tracy Morgan. The current American Express commercial is a takeoff on her 30 Rock alter ego. Various other SNL players guest star occassionally. Recently The Sopranos' Edie Falco guested as Alec Baldwin's love interest. 30 Rock came out at the same time as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which was another NBC show based around an SNL-type of show. It was created by West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin. Studio 60, although excellent, did not last, perhaps due to its time slot opposite CBS' juggernaut, CSI:Miami. Maybe people did not watch it due to confusing it with 30 Rock. My Name is Earl, along with 30 Rock, provide a powerful 1-2 punch for the peacock network. Advertisers like airing spots on Thurdays since it is just before the weekend, when lots of people spend their disposable income, and TV viewing on Friday and Saturday tends to be low. The only concern I would have with 30 Rock lies in its marketability in syndication. The fictional show that the program is based around is taped at 30 Rockefeller Center, the home of NBC, and there are many references to NBC during the show. So, will non-NBC stations want to air this program in syndication?

Late Night TV Shows from the Past

2007-11-08T17:14:00.001-05:00

Johnny Carson and David Letterman have 30 and 25 years of late night TV under their belts respectively, but many late night shows do not last. A successful late night host needs a mixture of wit, creativity and drive, and some who have been successful in other arenas end up flopping when it comes to the world of late night TV.

Possibly the biggest flop was former Saturday Night Live star Chevy Chase. He had success in sketch comedy and film but his stint as a late night host was a disaster. His show debuted on the Fox network in 1993 and ran for a dismal 5 weeks. In the wake of Johnny Carson retiring, this and other shows tried to pick up viewers who wanted to see something new.

Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak tried his hand at hosting a talk show on CBS in 1989-90. The show lasted 15 months, which seemed like an eternity compared to Chevy's run. Ironically, Chase's show and Sajak's had the same bandleader, Tom Scott. Sajak's announcer and sidekick was Dan Miller. The duo had worked together at WSMV-TV, Nashville's NBC affiliate. Chevy Chase was Pat Sajak's first guest. The show was originally 90 minutes long, but was later shortened to 60, after receiving poor ratings. For a clip, click here.

Basketball legend Magic Johnson hosted a show called The Magic Hour which proved to be anything but. If only his talk show skills matched his athleticism. The show was syndicated on a station-by-station basis and ran for 8 weeks in 1998. Magic seemed uncomfortable on the air and he did not put much work into the show. Click here for a clip.

Most people know Alan Thicke from the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains, where he was dad to Kirk Cameron and Tracy Gold. But he also had a syndicated late night show in 1983-84 called Thicke of the Night. He was well known in his home country of Canada where he had hosted a daytime show. He was also known as a songwriter, penning the theme songs for Different Strokes and The Facts of Life. It was not possible for the show to continue since it consistently was beat by Johnny Carson.

Arsenio Hall had much more success than the personalities named above with his late night syndicated show. It ran from 1989 to 1994 and won 6 Emmy awards. A big moment for the show was when presidential candidate Bill Clinton appeared playing his sax with the band in 1992. Check out the final episode opening here.

For many years NBC had a 30 minute show at 1:35 am called Later. From 1988 to 1992 NBC had the killer late night lineup of Carson, Letterman and Costas. It was hosted by Bob Costas from 1988-94 and later Greg Kinnear from 1994-99 I believe, then Cynthia Garrett hosted for about a year. Kinnear was best known for hosting Talk Soup on E! from 1991-95. That time slot is now occupied by Carson Daly who started Last Call in 2001. It was a fantastic venue for the great interviewing skills of Bob Costas. When he did it there was no studio audience, no band, no monologue, and it was an intimate 30 minute interview with one guest. It was never as engaging after Costas left.

From 1980-82, ABC had a late night sketch comedy show called Fridays. It featured Larry David (writer for Seinfeld and actor/writer on Curb Your Enthusiasm), Michael Richards (Seinfeld's Kramer), and Andy Kaufman from Taxi guest hosted. Like NBC's Saturday Night Live, the program was 90 minutes and aired live in front of a studio audience. The first guest host was George Carlin, who had been the first guest host on SNL in 1975. The show's downfall was when ABC decided to air Nightline 5 nights a week and Fridays was moved to midnight instead of 11:30.

In 1995 CBS decided to launch a show after David Letterman, appropriately titled the Late Late Show. The program is produced by Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants. Tom Snyder was the host from 1995 to 1999. He had been best known for hosting the Tomorrow Show, on NBC following Johnny Carson. CBS recruited Comedy Central's Daily Show host Craig Kilborn to host from 1999 to 2004. From 2004 to the present Craig Ferguson has been the host. Ferguson was formerly with The Drew Carey Show.

With the shakeup involving Jay Leno leaving the Tonight Show and turning it over to Conan O'Brien coming up in 2009, it will be interesting to see what changes occur in late night. Will Leno go to ABC, Fox or CBS? Will he bump Jimmy Kimmel to a later time slot? I can't imagine Leno taking a 12:35 slot. Will Fox start up a Monday-Friday late night show? All they have now is 2 Saturday shows, Mad TV and Talk Show with Spike Feresten, a former Seinfeld writer who also worked on Bee Movie.

*Some information came from en.wikipedia.org.

The Biggest Loser

2007-11-02T14:15:00.000-04:00

I used to like NBC's reality show The Biggest Loser, but lately it has gone downhill quickly. It has contestants trying to lose the most weight helped by 3 different trainers, Bob, Jillian and Kim. Previous seasons were hosted by Caroline Rhea from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but the new host this year is Allison Sweeney from the soap Days of Our Lives. The problem with the show is that there is too much teasing of upcoming segments and recapping of previous segments. Also most episodes are 90 minutes and they seem to be stretching to fill the time. The first third of the show is some type of a physical challenge, next is the weigh-in to see who has lost the most, and the third part is the elimination round. There is very little nutrition advice, and if there is it is presented as some type of product placement. Having more exercise and diet tips would be good since these would be applicable to those who are watching. The weigh in and elimination rounds are too long, with overly dramatic music and too many concerned reaction shots of the contestants. The show is motivational to some degree for those who want to lose weight, but it could be so much better if a few changes were made.

25 or 6 to 4 - reloaded- Chicago - 1974

2007-11-01T16:41:00.001-04:00

This footage is from a TV special shot at a Colorado ranch. Check out the candid shots of the band members on the ranch, some are pretty funny.

Chicago- Make Me Smile

2007-11-01T16:38:00.001-04:00

This is some old school video from 1970, only 3 months after this song hit the top 10. It has time code on it, and the quality is not perfect, but it's still cool to see the origins of this unique band.

Chicago, a One of a Kind Band

2007-11-01T16:02:00.000-04:00

I have always liked the group Chicago, so I have decided to write a bit about their past and their music. Their popularity has waned since the 70s and 80s, but they still tour, although not with many of the original members. They have been around for 40 years, which is impressive in this day and age of so many flash in the pan groups. They became known for romantic ballads, especially with lead singer Peter Cetera, but they had some outstanding up tempo songs too. The are unique due to their use of horns, which included saxophone, trombone and trumpet. In the 70s Chicago was the leading group for US singles according to Billboard magazine. Their first album was titled for the original name of the group, Chicago Transit Authority. Early on, some songs were sung by Terry Kath and some were performed by Peter Cetera. In 1978, Terry Kath died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was under the influence of alcohol when it happened. Chicago 17 was a landmark album for the 1980s. It included the hit singles "You're the Inspiration", "Hard Habit to Break", "Stay the Night" and "Along Comes a Woman". The band became frustrated with Cetera's ballads and he left the group in 1985 and embarked on a successful solo career. Chicago has toured with The Beach Boys, Huey Lewis and the News, and Earth, Wind and Fire, and 40 years later they still have a large fan base. In 2006 they released their 30th album. Here is a link to their official website.

Reality TV Ad Nauseum!

2007-11-01T15:35:00.000-04:00

With the looming writer's strike, we may see more reality television and/or reruns. Some reality shows are good, such as The Amazing Race, but too many networks have jumped on the bandwagon and the format has become watered down. It seems like ever since Survivor became a runaway hit, everyone and their brother has a reality show. It used to be that reality shows would only feature non-celebrities, but now has-been celebrities like Scott Baio and Danny Bonaduce are resurrecting their careers. MTV and VH1 seem to be the worst offenders when it comes to giving shows to former celebrities. They have done this with Celebrity Fit Club, The Surreal Life, Hogan Knows Best, Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, Breaking Bonaduce, Flavor of Love with Flavor Flav, and Scott Baio is 45 and Single. If it were not for the popularity of reality shows, maybe the only place you could find these "stars" would be flipping burgers at the local fast food joint. Hogan Knows Best and Rock of Love featured 2 guys past their prime who never remove bandanas due to their balding heads. Hogan's show is not so much about the former wrestler, but about his overprotective attitude toward his daughter and how desperate they are to make her the next singing sensation. Be careful what you wish for Hulk, she might end up as the next Britney. Rock of Love is about a bunch of women vying to be the main squeeze of a rocker whose career peaked 20 years ago. Some people have one reality show evolve into another. Flavor Flav and former wife of Sylvester Stallone, Brigitte Nielsen, kindled a romance on The Surreal Life, which turned into their own show called Strange Love. The twosome broke up, Flav needed to find a woman, and the wheels were in motion at VH1 to cook up another show for him. Flavor of Love was born, where the premise of the show was to find a girlfriend for the former Public Enemy member. That was a hit, and it spawned a spin off for one of the contestants nicknamed New York. Now she has the second season of her show called I Love New York. There is another one called Shot at Love with Tila Tequila on VH1 where model Tila has to choose from a variety of suitors. Shows like this are trainwreck TV, but they get good ratings. Why do people watch them? For the same reason that people follow the trials and tribulations of people like Britney, Lindsay and Paris. It's uncomfortable, but yet they cannot look away. Maybe it makes people feel better about themselves to see the rich and famous screw up and have problems just like everyone else. It's sad, but our society seems to be drawn to people with issues, and meantime the people who are doing good in this world seem to be ignored.

Tim Wilson-"Livin' on a Gas Card"

2007-10-11T14:03:00.001-04:00

This is a video someone made of a song by comedian Tim Wilson. See him live if you get a chance, he's really funny.

Top 100 Talk Radio Hosts

2007-10-11T13:36:00.000-04:00

Talkers magazine came out with what they call their "Heavy Hundred" which is a list of the top 100 radio hosts. The top 10 are:

1. Rush Limbaugh
2. Sean Hannity
3. Michael Savage
4. Dr. Laura Schlessinger
5. Ed Schultz
6. Opie and Anthony
7. Laura Ingraham
8. Mike Gallagher
9. Neal Boortz
10. Glenn Beck

The rest of the list can be found here http://www.talkers.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=44

Some of my favorites are lower on the list, such as Jerry Doyle, Dave Ramsey, Lionel, John and Jeff, and George Noory. Bob and Tom are not on the list, but they should be. Ron and Fez are not listed either, but I think that their show is the best thing on XM Satellite Radio. I like comedy radio or radio with middle of the road politics rather than the extreme right programs like Rush Or Hannity.

My top 10 would be;

1. Ron and Fez
2. Bob and Tom
3. Opie and Anthony
4. Dave Ramsey
5. Jerry Doyle
6. George Noory
7. Bruce Williams
8. John and Jeff
9. Neal Boortz
10.Lionel

No End in Sight

2007-10-05T13:31:00.000-04:00

This is a great documentary by writer/director Charles Ferguson about the quagmire in Iraq. Some might think that this is another Michael Moore-type film with a left wing agenda but it is not. It seemed to be a non partisan view of a war started for all the wrong reasons. It tells about the incidents that have happened, especially starting after the fall of Baghdad in 2003, and why we are still involved in this battle. Some of the key things that are revealed have to do with inadequate US troop levels and the dismantling of the Iraqi military. Many of the former Iraqi soldiers have become the insurgents that are fighting against the American troops. The movie also tells of the arrogance of the Bush administration and how it was made up of primarily people with no combat experience. Those with experience, like Colin Powell, and other top military officials, were often ignored. Saddam Hussein and Iraq were not involved in 9-11, and there were no weapons of mass destruction. Nevertheless the invasion happened, but the big wigs who were behind launching the war did not anticipate it would be this difficult or take this long. There was widespread looting of Baghdad and priceless artifacts in museums were destroyed since there were inadeqate US troop levels to keep this from happening. There is a civil war going on there now between differing religious factions and whether we stay or go would not change that. The only criticism I would have of this film is that it did not cover the reasoning behind going to war and the ulterior motives of those in charge. It is no coincidence that Dick Cheney used to run Halliburton and they received the contract to oversee the Iraqi oil fields. The Bush family are key members of the Carlyle Group, which invests heavily in defense stocks which flourish during war time. No End in Sight is a must see film for everyone to see since many are oblivious to what is really happening. Toward the end it gives a staggering tally of the war costing our country well over one trillion dollars. It paints a bleak, but realistic portrait of a war started for all the wrong reasons by ignorant, selfish, greedy people who don't have a clue. It is a shame the American soldiers, who are truly heroes, are dying, and being damaged physically and/or mentally for this cause. Iraq is the Vietnam of the 21st century.

100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time

2007-09-28T12:33:00.000-04:00

From 2003, here is the list from Rolling Stone magazine. See if you agree. I would put Eddie Van Halen much higher than number 70. Also I would have put Alex Lifeson from Rush on the list. Feel free to comment on this post and say who would be on your list.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time

Here are their top 10-

1Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
5 Robert Johnson
6 Chuck Berry
7 Stevie Ray Vaughan
8 Ry Cooder
9 Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
10 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones

Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien

2007-09-28T12:26:00.001-04:00

The way this guy can play the guitar is incredible. You won't believe your ears!

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN on NBC program Night Music

2007-09-28T12:08:00.001-04:00

This was an amazing rock/blues performer. Sadly, he was killed in 1990 at age 35 in a helicopter crash.

Television's Richest Personalities

2007-09-28T10:31:00.000-04:00

According to Forbes magazine, here are the top 10 earners from June 2006 to June 2007. I don't think that you will be surprised who tops the list.

1. Oprah Winfrey - $260 million
2. Jerry Seinfeld - $60 million
3. Simon Cowell - $45 million
4. David Letterman - $40 million
5. Donald Trump - $32 million
6. Jay Leno - $32 million
7. Dr. Phil McGraw - $30 million
8. "Judge" Judy Sheindlin - $30 million
9. George Lopez - $26 million
10. Kiefer Sutherland - $22 million

Obviously I am in the minority, but I have never seen the appeal of Oprah's show. I watched it a couple weeks ago because David Letterman was the guest but I can count the number of times I have watched Oprah's show from beginning to end on two hands. Jerry Seinfeld has not been on TV for years, but he gets huge residuals from syndication. He also does stand up gigs around the country. His animated film, Bee Movie, comes out later this year. Simon Cowell makes money from American Idol of course, but he also stars on British TV shows and gets a share of earnings from American Idol performers. Letterman gets paid big bucks from CBS, but also gets residuals from reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond, which his company, Worldwide Pants, produced. Trump is on the list for The Apprentice, and Leno for The Tonight Show. Oprah pal Dr. Phil's show is still going strong and his $30 million is nothing to sneeze at. Some might not realize how lucrative being a TV judge can be. Judge Judy lives in New York and flies in her own private jet to Los Angeles to tape her show. George Lopez earned big bucks from syndication and stand up. Kiefer Sutherland rounds out the top 10 making $22 million for his Fox show 24. That's almost $2 million per month. I think I could live on that, how about you?

Take the TV Myths Quiz! See if You Can Beat My Score!

2007-09-28T10:24:00.000-04:00

I found a cool quiz about television myths. Some are true, some are false. Here's one of the questions-The boy who portrayed Mikey in TV commercials for Life cereal died when his stomach exploded after he consumed Pop Rocks and Coca-Cola, true or false? Take the quiz and see how you do. I got 13 out of 14 correct, so I still retain my crown as "show biz wiz"! Here's the link, http://encarta.msn.com/quiz_282/tv_myths_quiz.html?GT1=10393

Quiz courtesy of msn.com.

Jeff Daniels Stays True to His Michigan Roots

2007-09-21T12:44:00.000-04:00

Most actors with the successful resume of Jeff Daniels would live in Los Angeles, but not him. He lives in his hometown of Chelsea Michigan and is the owner of the Purple Rose Theatre. This was named after the Woody Allen film he was in called The Purple Rose of Cairo. The website for this is http://www.purplerosetheatre.org/. He also appeared in Allen's Radio Days. He has been married to his high school sweetheart since 1979. If he had not become an actor he probably would have gone into the family business, Chelsea Lumber Company, which provided all of the building supplies for his theatre. He has released an album of songs he has written, including one titled "If William Shatner Can, I Can Too". His salary for the 1994 comedy with Jim Carrey, Dumb and Dumber was $750,000. His 2001 deer hunting film Escanaba in da Moonlight was shot in the upper peninsula town and the next year Super Sucker was shot in Jackson, Michigan. He was the writer and director for both of these movies. He has had success in comedies, dramas and family films. Here are some of his other notable films;

1983 Terms of Endearment
1985 The Purple Rose of Cairo
1986 Something Wild
1987 Radio Days
1990 Arachnophobia
1994 Dumb and Dumber
1996 Fly Away Home
1996 Two Days in the Valley
1998 Pleasantville
2005 The Squid and the Whale
2005 Because of Winn-Dixie
2005 Good Night and Good Luck
2006 RV

Back in 1980 he had a role in the TV series Hawaii Five-O.

*Information for this entry came from http://imdb.com.

Casey Brohard--Incredible Drumming!

2007-09-19T12:45:00.001-04:00

This is the champion of the DCI (Drum Corps International) 2005 snare drum solo competition. Anyone who appreciates good drumming has to check this out. He is simply amazing. He played with the Blue Devils drum and bugle corps.

Ed Shaughnessy vs. Buddy Rich Drum Battle on Johnny Carson

2007-09-19T12:34:00.001-04:00

The Tonight Show's drummer Ed Shaughnessy battles the great Buddy Rich in a classic clip from Johnny Carson's show.

CNBC's Maniacal Mad Money Maven

2007-09-14T16:22:00.001-04:00

Weeknights at 6 and 11pm CNBC has the show Mad Money with Jim Cramer. It teaches you about investing in the stock market. You might think that this sounds like a boring show, but not with the animated, crazy, but intelligent host Jim Cramer. He is a graduate of Harvard law school and he worked as a journalist before working as a trader for Goldman Sachs on Wall Street. He made millions for his clients when he ran his own hedge fund. I have learned a lot from his TV show, his radio show and his books. Learning about the stock market is not rocket science, it just takes some time and patience to learn the basics. Cramer also owns a website, www.thestreet.com.

Beastie Boys- Intergalatic

2007-09-13T14:46:00.001-04:00

Great video--shot in Tokyo!

Beastie Boys- Sabotage

2007-09-13T14:43:00.001-04:00

This is a creative video by Spike Jonze where the boys spoof 1970's cop shows. Check out the wardrobes! Jonze also directed Weezer's Buddy Holly video and the movie Being John Malkovich. This is one of their best videos from one of their greatest songs.

Book Review: The Skills to Pay the Bills, The Story of the Beastie Boys

2007-09-13T13:23:00.000-04:00

This book, by Alan Light, tells the story of this groundbreaking rap group. It has interviews with the group and various friends and associates. The Beasties were a punk group at first but then the teamed up with Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons who formed Def Jam records. The label also included Run DMC, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and 3rd Bass. The group put out their first record, Polly Wog Stew in 1982 but did not achieve success until Licensed to Ill came out in 1986. They opened for Madonna and they acquired a loyal following.

Michael Diamond (drums), Adam Yauch (bass), and Adam Horovitz (guitar), are three New York natives of Jewish heritage who play their own instruments and share a quirky sense of humor that is evident in their videos. They sample clips from various groups and their DJ is Mixmaster Mike. I will post some of their best videos on this blog. They have some funny videos directed by Spike Jonze and their appearances on Letterman have been top notch. They have released 13 albums over 25 years and it is impressive how they have stood the test of time.

Discography
1982 Polly Wog Stew (punk rock EP)
1986 Licensed to Ill (breakthrough with Def Jam and Rick Rubin/Russell Simmons)
1989 Paul's Boutique (teamed up with Dust Brothers)
1992 Check Your Head (first Grand Royal label release)
1994 Ill Communication
1994 Some Old Bullsh#@
1995 Aglio E Olio (EP)
1996 The In Sound from Way Out (instrumental)
1998 Hello Nasty
1999 The Sounds of Science (greatest hits, last Grand Royal release)
2004 To the 5 Boroughs
2005 Solid Gold Hits (greatest hits)
2007 The Mix Up (instrumental)

For more info check out www.beastiemania.com

Book Review: David Letterman:On Stage and Off

2007-08-24T12:23:00.000-04:00

This book came out in 1994, just as Letterman was getting used to his new CBS Late Show and his new surroundings in The Ed Sullivan Theatre. It was written by Rosemarie Lennon and it covers a variety of topics, from Dave's childhood in Indianapolis to his battle with Jay Leno to be the successor to Johnny Carson. It chronicles Dave's time as a broadcast student at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He worked in radio and TV in Indiana and then moved to Los Angeles. He wanted to be a writer but ended up primarily doing stand up at The Comedy Store. He was discovered by a talent agent for The Tonight Show and was invited to be on the program. He was a big hit with Johnny and filled in guest hosting the show on a regular basis. In 1982 after a failed morning show for NBC, the peacock network launched Late Night with David Letterman, which aired until 1993. Letterman wanted to take over for Johnny, and Carson thought that Dave was the man for the job, but the suits at NBC chose Leno. CBS gave Letterman a $14 million per year contract and renovated The Ed Sullivan Theatre to be his new home. The theatre is in the heart of the midtown/Broadway district where Dave can do his man on the street antics that he did at NBC. The CBS headquarters are in a less vibrant part of town and Dave wanted to be in a neighborhood where he could find comedy opportunities. He has made Rupert Jee and his Hello Deli famous. The book covers Dave's failed marriage, and his long relationship with Merrill Markoe, who was instrumental in writing much of Dave's comedy material. Lennon's work discusses Letterman's pessimistic streak, and also the stalker who showed up at his Connecticut home repeatedly.

I'm a big fan of late night television, from pioneers like Johnny Carson and Tom Snyder, to David Letterman and Conan O'Brien. Anyone who enjoys late night TV should check out this book since it gives many insights into how the business works. After 25 years in late night television, Letterman is still going strong.

David Letterman will appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Monday, September 10. It should be interesting to see what they talk about. Oprah's appearance yielded big ratings for The Late Show.

Broadcast TV Ratings for the Week of August 6-12, 2007

2007-08-24T12:03:00.000-04:00

According to Entertainment Weekly's Neilsen stats, America's Got Talent was the winner for this week with 10.8 million viewers. Numbers are down for TV viewing in the summer, and these are not American Idol numbers, but the Jerry Springer hosted talent show finished #1. Unscripted reality or game shows are cheap to produce and they have been showing up on all of the networks. The networks are hoping to invent another American Idol-type phenomenon.CBS's Power of Ten game show on Tuesday, hosted by Drew Carey was #4. The Wednesday airing of Carey's show was #17. Drew Carey will take over The Price is Right for Bob Barker this fall. Of the top 20 shows, CBS had 13 of them, including 60 Minutes, all three CSI shows, Without a Trace, Two and a Half Men, and Big Brother Sunday and Thursday editions. NBC had 4 shows in the top 20. Fox had 2 on the charts and ABC had no shows in the top 20. Even though NBC's The Singing Bee and Don't Forget the Lyrics on Fox are basically the same show, both did well, finishing #6 and #10 respectively.

Hairspray Hits a Home Run

2007-08-11T18:41:00.000-04:00

The 2007 revival of John Waters' 1988 film Hairspray is a feel good movie with lots of toe-tapping musical numbers. It stars up and comer Nikki Blonsky in the role played by Ricki Lake in the original movie. It also stars Christopher Walken as Blonsky's dad and John Travolta in drag as Blonsky's mom. The story takes place in 1962 Baltimore and deals with issues of race and acceptance of all people. Blonsky's character, Tracy Turnblad longs to dance on a local American Bandstand-type of Baltimore TV show. She faces discrimination due to being overweight but she gets on the show due to her great attitude and dance skills. Other stars include Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, Jerry Stiller and Amanda Bynes. John Waters and Ricki Lake have cameo appearances. Anyone who is a fan of Broadway shows, great music or fun films needs to check this out. You will leave the theatre smiling.

The King of Kong:A Fistful of Quarters

2007-08-09T15:11:00.000-04:00

I am looking forward to this movie, The King of Kong. It is about two guys who battle to be the world champion of Donkey Kong. It will be released August 17 in limited theatres. I don't know if it will ever get a wide release, so it may be one we'll have to wait to see on DVD. I first heard about it on a show about video games on Spike TV. In the 80s Donkey Kong was one of my favorite arcade games, so this movie will be a must see. You can find out more here from the official website.

Sweet Home Alabama

2007-07-20T15:37:00.001-04:00

It's classic old-school Skynyrd band! Turn it up!

Banana Splits

2007-07-20T15:15:00.001-04:00

Here's the opening sequence from that wacky 1970s kid's show The Banana Splits! They don't make kids shows like they used to.

The art of Rob Gonsalves

2007-07-18T20:54:00.000-04:00

At an art gallery recently I discovered that I loved the work of artist Rob Gonsalves. His style of work is called magic realism, and is reminiscient of Dali or Escher. If you glance at the paintings quickly you might not notice the subtle messages. His paintings are imagination brought to life, where one object morphs into another. I especially love "Bedtime Aviation", where quilts on a bed become acres of lush green landscape a young girl soars above.

The art of Josh Agle, aka Shag

2007-07-18T20:45:00.000-04:00

I found a book at the library featuring the work of an artist named Josh Agle. He goes by the nickname of Shag, which comes from the last 2 letters of his first name and the first 2 letters of his last name. I love his work since it conveys a hip, 1960s style with humorous touches and a flair for the unique.

Buddy Rich VS Animal

2007-07-18T19:38:00.001-04:00

Here's a clip of the best human drummer versus the best Muppet drummer!

Musical Musings

2007-07-18T19:09:00.000-04:00

I have written here before about my favorite country artist, Travis Tritt. On August 21st he will release his new CD titled "The Storm". Appropriately, this is his first CD with Category 5 records, which is also the label of Sammy Kershaw and George Jones. The new Tritt album is co-produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson. Learn more about it at this website.

I had the priviledge of seeing the bluegrass group The Grascals at a local festival a few weeks ago. Anyone who enjoys this type of music will appreciate their top notch musicianship. I first saw them last year at the Grand Ole Opry. Their self-titled debut CD was released in 2005 and their follow up, "Long List of Heartaches" came out last year. Dolly Parton called their first CD "One of the greatest albums I've ever listened to". Here is a link to their website. One of their best videos, for "Me and John and Paul" can be seen here.

The Simpsons movie is coming!

2007-07-18T15:31:00.000-04:00

This movie will hopefully live up to expectations. It's a film we have waited 18 years for, ever since the show has been on the air. I guess that they took the best writers and had them concentrate on the film, that's why the TV episodes have not been as good lately.

From Sixteen Candles to Sweet Charity

2007-06-14T17:49:00.000-04:00

I'm not afraid to say it-I love Broadway musicals. A lot of guys would not admit that, but I enjoy the top-notch performers, and I like to see musicals whenever possible. I live a long way from New York, but luckily a local venue in my town has Broadway musicals several times per year. I have a lot of admiration for performers who have the guts and talent to work in the field of musical theatre. I know that the competition is cut throat. Some of my favorite Broadway musicals are Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Little Shop of Horrors, Annie, and the one I saw most recently, Sweet Charity. I saw the touring production of Sweet Charity starring Molly Ringwald, best known for 1980s movies like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink. She was not the best singer or the best dancer on stage, but due to her name recognition, she was the star. The show is based on a Neil Simon book and it featured songs such as Big Spender and If My Friends Could See Me Now. Ringwald plays Charity Hope Valentine, an idealistic young woman looking for mister right, who works as a dance hostess in the Fandango Ballroom. The show is packed with great singing and dancing, quirky characters and it has funny and touching moments that made it a real treat that I would recommend checking out. In past performances the title role had been played by Christina Applegate from Married with Children.