'A Single Man' on Blu Ray and DVD: ***1/2 stars

one of the best films of 2009 finally gets it's dvd/blu ray release. tom ford's first directorial effort seems effortless. he is and wins 2009's best first directorial effort. we can only hope for more. he certainly gave each supporting player his due including the wonderful matthew goode and nicholas hoult. he gave julianne moore the best role of her career so far but oscar snubbed her. penelope cruz, whom i adore, in 'nine' over julianne in this? ... i think not!

but the major kudos go to colin firth. damn what a brilliant performance. the BEST LEADING MALE performance of 2009. he lost the oscar to the oft nominated jeff bridges for all the wrong reasons. but oscar is known for this. john wayne in 'true shit' anyone? (are they really remaking that piece of crap?)

anyway back to mr. firth. he plays george who is preparing for the last day of his life. in often few words but with glances and gestures and his eyes, damn those eyes, he says more than any words could say. just watch him in the scene where by a phone call he is told of his lover's death. not a word. not a single word. colin's face says it all. sometimes words just don't matter. this is one of those times.

his performance is classic. it raises him above most of his piers. finally the brilliant mr. firth gets his role of a lifetime, and oscar be damned.

What Is Going on in My Mind Today?

gloria stuart was 100 years young yesterday. the gods have blest you rose dewitt




speaking of yesterday the 4th of july...i'm not much of a nationalist. as a pacifist i am aware that nationalism is the the cause of the need to be more powerful, the richest country in the world, the need for the inane need to be most dominant. all these added together have equaled war over the ages.



the usa is going through a new yet old nationalistic revival. this time it is shredding the very fiber of our nation. these are the right wing fanatics known as the fashion setting tea party. they are championed by pseudo anti-intellectuals (i am being to kind) with the likes of sarah pallin, michelle bachmann, sean the pig hannity and the most dangerous of all being the oxi king rush perfect name limbaugh and the insane toxic spewing glenn beck.

i say we had best have stayed with the brits...even better the dutch as they at least had architecture worth it's mortar and cement.

so yesterday i celebrated something far different with like minded friends.

barack how are you doing it. may the gods watch over your sanity and protect you from the insane.

'Fifth Avenue, 5 A M'

a good summer read if there ever was one. and it stars audrey...what's not to like?

Marion on 'Vogue'

great actress and true beauty

"Twilight: Eclipse" ***stars

with a new director at the helm, david slade, what is eclipsed this time around is just another vampire movie. mr. slade knows his material. he has gotten to know the actors. he has made a semi-classic romance almost bordering on romantic tragedy. or is falling madly for an undead already the tragedy. well not if you are bella swan. yet who knows that may still happen.



the oft too brooding bella swan now broods with a newfound sensuality. the twosome of bella and the vampire edward cullen begins taking a turn while the mostly in the shadows jacob the werewolf comes out swinging front and center. there is a kiss that could change everything or not. there are glances and stares that have multiple possibilities. yes edward? yes jacob? bella what is going on with the three of you. powerful sensuality with so many unanswered questions. can a human, a vampire, and a shape shifting werewolf ever really get questions answered? their feelings sorted? bella will she or won't she? edward will he or won't he? does this leave jacob with the winning ace?



kristen stewart bursts forward as a new sensual bella...more comfortable in her own skin making her that much more pleasing to us and more able for us to care about and care for. you've made me care bella.



taylor lautner gets a meatier role and just gets meatier. edward asks 'does he ever wear a shirt'. no he doesn't and we don't want him too wear one. he is a better defined jacob now physically and emotionally. he has the acting chops and now gets to truly show them along with those abs.



but it is robert pattinson who truly shines as the vampiric edward cullen. he is the real star here. he shines in every frame he is in. he shows more emotion in one word or one single gesture than most actors of his generation. some compare him to james dean. i say the brilliant montgomery clift. as the movie year is now half over i see only two potential best oscar actor nominees: leo decaprio for 'shutter island' and yes mr. pattinson for this 'eclipse'. i'll nominate him. this is the type of film that is overlooked. his performance should not be. i plan on pushing him as i pushed and cheered on sandra bullock last time around. we all know how that turned out! i only said a nomination so far.



besides the three leads there is the battle. the vampires and wolves team up to do battle with the 'newbies', a wild and undisciplined crazed new born gang of vampires, headed by the queen of mean vampire victoria. the goal is to kill bella to get even with edward. the battle is a rousing edge of the seat scene brilliantly editet sequence.

bravo mr. slade and a damn good supporting cast.

taylor and kirsten and robert bask in the glory you deserve

robert think about getting a tux*.



*i believe this is the official start of oscarbation 2010

Happy Birthday Eva

Idiot of the Week!!!: Michael Steele

what the hell now even republicans are embarrassed by him and want him fired. idiot said that afghan war was started by barack...duh. let's face it he only got rnc chair because after obama won the election they needed a black man. the morons just forgot to get a smart black man.

Happy Birthday Audra

Happy Birthday Patrick

as brad adamson in 'little children', patrick had his best film role so far








patrick as raoul in 'phantom of the opera'









patrick









'all i ask of you'

Mentally Challenged and Child

'The Last Station' *stars

'the last station' or 'the history of histrionics as offered by 'watch me over emote' helen mirren'.

as the countess sophia who all but kicks her husband leo tolstoy in his nuts ms. mirren proves she is the most overrated british actress of her time. she is such a 'phony' actress. it's all kind of ''watch me act. am i not wonderful? i'm going to scream and shout now. am i not a brilliant actress?". no ms. mirren you are not brilliant. you are damn annoying is what you are.

those who follow this blog know that my love and admiration for british actresses are bountiful and always has been. julie, judy, maggie, keira, deborah and kate are always at the top of all my lists. but mirren my god stop already. you are maddening.

christopher plummer what can i say? you gave an admirable performance considering the scene chewing ham you were playing against. she actually recieved an oscar nomination for this. makes one wonder.

the film itself is a waste of 1:53 hours. the one star is for the location shots, james mcavoy and the cinematography. i am being kind much to kind.

oh well...my suggestion is do not buy, do not rent...pass it by.

'Every Little Step' ****stars

it's really not fair to judge a documentary on the same playing field as a movie. so 4 stars for 'every little step is appropriate. it stands high above other 'theatre' documentaries released.

let's go back to 1975 when choreographer/director michael bennett had an idea after recording hours and hours of broadway dancers or 'gypsies' experiences on why they became dancers and their experiences getting work. he wanted to make a musical of it all. enter marvin hamlisch and joe papp and more an idea would come to life.

in 1976 this 'little' show opened off-broadway at the joe papp theater where many 'little' shows had their start. this show was 'little' as it han no setpieces except for a mirror, minimal props and they were mostly hats and dancers bags and it had no stars. no names. no above the title name recognition. well this 'little' show became the must see show of the 1975 season and made it's move to broadway where it became the longest running show until those idiot 'cats' came along. it took home a basket full of tony awards that year 9 out of the 12 it was nominated floor including bennett as director, the amazing kelly bishop as for best featured actress and of course best musical. unfortunately kelley's win meant a loss for the equally amazing priscilla lopez...it was a coin toss. then there was the featured actor win by sammy williams who tells his story on how and why he became a dancer. his was an amazing performance that goes down in history as a monologue to remember.

slow forward to 1985 when hollwood decided it was time to film this brilliant piece of musical theater. enter acclaimed director richard attenborough. we know mr. attenborough never directed a musical before this. upon seeing the movie it is conceivable that mr. attenborough never ever never saw a musical prior to this time. wgat a frackin' mess. here we have a show about dancers and this director forget the actors have feet. enough of this piece of toxic celluloid.

now a real slow forward to 2006 when a broadway revival is mounted. it was real good. it was not the original but stood on it's own merit. it did win two tony's including best revival of a musical.

so now we go back to the beginning of this little bit of history. the documentary 'every little step'. it traces the audition process for the revival...it becomes the real 'chorus line' story. intermingled with this audition process of high hopes, shattered dreams and a dream come true is archival footage of the original tapes, the original show and it's original conception and creation.

it is brilliant. it is truth. it is sad and joyous at the same time. please please please rent or buy this dvd. if you love or even like musical theater you owe yourself this pleasure. if you don't like or love musical theater i'm not sure why the hell you are reading my blog in the first place.

if you have netflix and a compatible blu ray or play station it is also available on streaming video.

i can't recommend this enough...so now i will stop...no i won't...SEE THIS FILM!

July Video Recommendations

i have already reviewed all of them either upon their theatrical or dvd/blu ray releases. i'll revisit 'a single man' on july 6 when the blu ray/dvd disc's become available.

from the vault: 'mamma mia' the film was released two years ago july 18th and remains one of the happiest film musicals of all time. revisit it or see it for the first time.