Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Hey, Hey

Photobucket

Sad news today...

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.

Photobucket

Lordy, I'm getting old.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Monday, February 27, 2012

Oscar, Oscar

Photobucket

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.

Photobucket

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.

Photobucket

I'm glad The Descendants won for best adapted screenplay. It was one of my favorite movies of last year.

Photobucket

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!

Photobucket

Hugo won five awards and, again, most people I know thought the movie looked good, but was too long.

I haven't seen this...

Photobucket

or this...

Photobucket

or this (nor did I recognize my friend John in this poster)....

Photobucket

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!

Photobucket

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.

Also, yesterday marked my FOUR year anniversary of writing this blog.

Thanks to everyone who has continued to read it over the years....it is very much appreciated!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Cranky

Photobucket

The first photo of Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk in the upcoming Avengers movie was just released.

He looks pretty much the same as the other two Hulks that were in the previous movies.

They should have given him a jaunty hat or a tattoo, just so he looked a bit different.

Must I do everything?!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Freaks and Geeks: The Movie

Photobucket

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.

Photobucket

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.

Here is the first very entertaining trailer....



I can't believe I lived in LA all of those years and never attended. Although, last year I did attend the annual Atlanta version called Dragon Con and it was a hoot AND a hollar.

If you get a chance to attend either, I highly recommend it.

The visual entertainment value is priceless.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Bow Chick'a Bow Wow

Photobucket

There is nothing sexual at all about this new Liquid Plumbr commercial...



I fully support this new marketing campaign.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Chelsea's Angels

I enjoy Chelsea Handler and her show.

Photobucket

I also enjoy her two dogs.

Photobucket

That's Chunk.

Photobucket

And this is her new puppy, Gary.

Photobucket

I want to spend a day with all three of them.

Someone make that happen, please.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Holiday in the Abbey

Photobucket

Downton Abbey aired its second season finale last night, which was also their Christmas special last year in the U.K.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

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...

Photobucket

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."


Photobucket

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?


Photobucket

Season 3 can't get here quickly enough for me (which we wont see until January of next year)!

However, it'll be worth the wait to see Shirley MacLaine and Maggie Smith battling it out over tea and sarcasm.

Photobucket

Here is the always entertaining recap of the finale from NYMag.

Friday, February 17, 2012

You will believe

Photobucket

This video montage of people "flying" across a variety of landscapes is pretty amazing.

Definitely enlarge the video to get the full effect.



I wish I had the nerve to do some of those things.

I imagine the experience is life-changing.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Boy, can he talk

Photobucket

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.

Photobucket

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.

You can read the full interview here.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

What's in Spock's scanner?

Photobucket

If you've ever wondered just what Spock used to see in that little private scanner on his station, well...now you'll know.







It's amazing how much can be conveyed with just a look or facial expression.

Hilarious.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Rolling In The Grammys

Photobucket

I was very happy to see Adele win all six of the Grammy Awards that she was nominated for last night. It was also wonderful to hear her singing again.

She looked and sounded great!

Also, if you missed her interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes last night, here ya' go:



The rest of the Grammy show was a fast-forward event for me. There was just too much rambling and a few too many unnecessary performances.

Speaking of which....

Photobucket

Nicki Minaj....I don't get her appeal at all.

One of my favorite fast-forwarded performances of the night.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Bittersweet Memories

Photobucket

Very sad news today...

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.

Her memory will live on in the music she left us.

She will be missed.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Space 2099

Photobucket

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.

Photobucket

"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.”

Photobucket

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.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Spidey Trailer

Photobucket

A new trailer was released this week for the upcoming The Amazing Spider-man...



It actually looks pretty good, although a bit more snarky than previous versions.

I enjoy snark.

Mostly.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

2 busy

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.

Photobucket

It's looks like an epic CGI-fest which will make a nice rental in a few months.



That's why God invented OnDemand.