Davy Jones, the frontman and only British member of the ’60s pop band the Monkees, has reportedly died of a heart attack. The singer passed away at the age of 66.
Jones — along with Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz — turned “The Monkees” into a popular TV show and parlayed that into top 40 success that lasted well after 1968, the year the series came to an end. The Beatles knock-off band’s well-known tunes included “Daydream Believer,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” and the theme from “The Monkees.”
I used to watch that show a lot when I was a kid and enjoyed many of their songs at that time.
The Artist really racked up the Oscars (literally in this poster) on the Academy Awards show last night. I haven't seen it yet, but most folks I have spoken to who have said that it was kinda boring and, although good, just not that great. However, I do enjoy watching Jean Dujardin, so we'll see what I think when I finally catch it OnDemand one day soon.
I don't care what anyone says, I'm really happy that Meryl Streep finally won for Best Actress! She constantly gives great performances and should have won several other times over the years. I liked Billy Crystal's line about how she deserved an award just for having to sit through the other 14 nominations in the past and acting like she didn't care that she lost again.
Here is a great article on the Art of the Meryl Streep Acceptance Speech from The New Yorker (thanks for posting Kerry!). I think many people assume Meryl wins Oscars all the time, but she doesn't...
What you may not realize is that Streep has not won an Academy Award since 1982, for “Sophie’s Choice,” and before that she had won only for “Kramer vs. Kramer.” Yes, she’s been nominated a record-breaking seventeen times, but that means she’s lost fourteen times, which puts her firmly in Susan Lucci territory.
I'm glad The Descendants won for best adapted screenplay. It was one of my favorite movies of last year.
My Week With Marilyn didn't win anything, but I've heard it's good and my friend Joel did such a good job with this poster that I didn't even realize that it's my friend Andrew. Hilarious!
Hugo won five awards and, again, most people I know thought the movie looked good, but was too long.
I haven't seen this...
or this...
or this (nor did I recognize my friend John in this poster)....
It seems I will be using OnDemand a lot over the next few months.
I did see The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and really enjoyed it. I also enjoy that my friend Chris (featured here in the poster) will be moving to Atlanta very soon!
Overall, I thought Billy Crystal was a fine host and, although he seemed a bit off than in years past, it was nice to see his opening movie montage again. I always enjoyed those in previous years.
I also enjoyed Ellen's new JCPenney commercials. Here are some fun outtakes:
Jimmy Kimmel also had his Oscar follow-up show and presented his Movie: The Movie that "packs everything moviegoers love into one spectacular motion picture event" and includes all of these actors: Ryan Phillippe, Jessica Alba, Taylor Lautner, Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Colin Farrell, Jeff Goldblum, Bryan Cranston, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Cameron Diaz, JJ Abrams, Martin Scorsese, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Jessica Biel, Chewbacca, Helen Mirren, Steven Tyler, George Clooney, Charlize Theron, Tom Hanks, Ed Norton, Meryl Streep, Matt Damon as a bunch of grapes, and Gabourey Sidibe.
Chewbacca and Helen Mirren in one movie!
Here is a Behind-The-Scenes video of the making of Movie: The Movie:
As always, thanks to my friend Joel's hilarious Oscar Party posters for this post. They always make me laugh and remind me how much I miss attending that party and seeing all of my friends at his house each year. He started making these posters a few years ago and they quickly became the anticipated highlight each year to see which friend would be featured and how.
Click on these links to see the fun posters from 2011, 2010, and 2009.
There is a new documentary by Morgan Spurlock (he directed Supersize Me) coming out later this year that is all about the crazy world of Comic-Con, which is held each year in San Diego.
Here is a little bit about it:
Have you ever imagined a place where Vulcans and vampires get along? Where wizards and wookies can be themselves? Welcome to Comic-Con San Diego. What started as a fringe comic book convention for 500 fans has grown into the pop culture event of the year that influences every form of entertainment, now attended by over 140,000 strong. COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN'S HOPE- a film by Morgan Spurlock explores this amazing cultural phenomenon by following the lives of five attendees as they descend upon the ultimate geek mecca at San Diego Comic-Con 2010.
Downton Abbey aired its second season finale last night, which was also their Christmas special last year in the U.K.
It was a great episode, with some lingering plot resolutions revealed along with some new storylines put into place for next season.
I also enjoyed the witty exchange when Maggie Smith got her least favorite Christmas present...
The Dowager Countess (opening a gift): "Oh, this is nice, what is it?"
Cousin Isobel: "What does it look like?"
The Dowager Countess: "Something for getting stones out of horses hooves?"
Cousin Isobel: "It's a nutcracker. We thought you'd like it. To crack your nuts."
Our favorite "nutcracker" even got to kick up her stuffy heels for a holiday Jig with the help. Plus she let loose one of my favorite zingers this season to one of my least favorite characters:
Carlisle: “I’m leaving in the morning, Lady Grantham. I doubt we’ll meet again.”
Dowager Countess: ”Do you promise?”
Season 3 can't get here quickly enough for me (which we wont see until January of next year)!
Billy Sammeth used to manage Cher and Joan Rivers for a long time, until they fired him. He's preparing to write a book and in this interview has, obviously, decided not to sensor himself when it comes to either of them...
On Cher and Sonny:
You know how you can tell Cher is a great fucking actress and deserved the Academy Award? Because of her eulogy at Sonny’s funeral. This was someone she hated. Cher gave a brilliant performance when she delivered that eulogy because I knew how she really felt. I can tell you what I do think she cried so about. She cried that she never settled her differences with him, that they never had that resolution. That would be upsetting to her. But that he died? Please. She thought he was nothing but a used-car salesman.
On Cher and Chaz:
I’m sure Cher is more upset that Chaz is fat. Knowing Cher and how she feels about thin people and fat people, I can tell you this: she has no time for fat people. None. So Chaz—whether when he was a lesbian as Chastity or a man as Chaz—is fat. That probably bothers her a lot more.
On Joan and Melissa:
What do I really think about Melissa finally? I think when she no longer has Joan, it will be a very interesting Melissa. But with her final breath, Joan will be trying to lock Melissa into some job or other. As much as I wish Melissa had more talent, it ain’t easy being Joan’s daughter. She tried to segue Melissa into the jewelry collection, but Melissa just wasn’t very good at it.
I wonder how he really feels?
I've always liked Cher and Joan and also realize that he is angry at them both, so more likely to dramatize his memories a bit. But, I'm sure the truth is somewhere in the middle.
Legendary pop singer Whitney Houston was found dead Saturday at a Beverly Hills, California, hotel, officials said. She was 48.
The entertainer, whose incredible talent was discovered at an early age, was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. (6:55 p.m. ET) at the Beverly Hilton hotel despite resuscitation efforts.
She used to have one of the most beautiful voices in the music industry. It's such a shame that her life took such a tragic turn over the years.
It looks like one of my favorite 70's TV shows, Space 1999, is getting a reboot...
ITV Studios America and HDFILMS announced plans for a reimagining of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's famed franchise of the 1970s, then called Space: 1999.
"While we are indeed re-imagining the franchise and bringing something new and relevant to today’s audiences," continued Hall, who recently revived V at ABC, "I feel strongly that some of the overall tones set by the original Space: 1999 television show represent an exciting platform to explore possibilities.”
Added ITV Studios International's managing director Paul Buccieri: “After more than 35 years, we are thrilled to be developing a new vision of our much beloved franchise for audiences worldwide. Historically, the Space: 1999 brand has entertained and fascinated millions of people."
I never missed and episode of this show when it first aired, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the remake (although the Space 2099 title seems odd).
Let's hope it's more Battlestar Galactica updated than the recent Charlie's Angels.
Exciting!
Here is their official site, if you want to follow all the latest news on the show as it develops.
I had a hectic day today and forgot to post anything this morning. So, so here's a nice picture of Dwayne Johnson in the movie Journey 2: They Mysterious Island, which opens this Friday.
It's looks like an epic CGI-fest which will make a nice rental in a few months.
