Wishing Kim Well

kim novak is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. my best wishes and good thoughts go out to her today and the days to come

Song of the Day: 'Alexander's Song'

when i started doing this 'song of the day' i wanted to revisit old songs, feature newer songs and introduce less known songs i like and songs by singers i like.

elly stone a well known cabaret singer in new york has always 'meant' something to me.

this song is about a dad, a dad who drove a taxi 'on the streets of new york'. elly's amazing voice gives real life to an otherwise 'mundane life'

Academy Award Winner 'The Secret in Thier Eyes' ***1/2stars

academy award winner 'best foreign film' of 2009 is a great mystery and a story of love's labors lost and found. justice and pain and injustice and more pain all collide. it's that rare intelligent film which is always welcome.

trailer

Song of the Day: 'Seasons in the Sun''

'seasons in the sun'

terry jacks 1974 surprise chart maker

the poet and singer jacques brel's original french recording

the beach boys covered it

nirvana even put a seemingly drug induced spin on it

elly stone an amazing cabaret singer and star of the long running off-broadway show 'jacques brel is alive and well and living in paris' recorded the song with new lyrics to fit her new york style and sensibilities. it was then titled 'goodbye new york'.

i actually sent this to my friends and family when i left new york almost six years ago. it wasn't hard to leave...it's just hard to stay away.

Song of the Day: 'Walk Away Joe'

as a kid born and raised in the city 'country western' was kind of foreign language for me. dolly parton and crystal gayle's crossover releases were about as close as i got or thought i would get. but a former boy friend introduced me to the sounds of trisha yearwood. i liked her sound, her music, her voice and her 'stories'. first up is 'walk away joe'. hell we've all been here.

Oscarbation: Outlook on Best Picture Nominees So Far

 the state of the race early on

The Leading 10:
1. The Social Network
2. The King’s Speech
3. Black Swan
4. 127 Hours
5. True Grit
6. The Kids Are All Right
7. Inception
8. Toy Story 3
9. The Fighter
10. For Colored Girls

a reminder: this time last year 'up in the air' stood at number 1

Song of the Day: 'I Don't Want to Know'

following up on angela lansbury's birthday celebration i offer one more number from another of her tony winning roles in 'dear world'.

'i don't want to know'

and liza minnelli added her own special flair and sequins to a great broadway song

Remembering Monty on His Birthday

personally i think monty was the handsomest man on the screen for years. that being said he was also a great actor. he was a brilliant though understated actor. possibly the best of a generation. monty died to young having lived a tortured life in the closet as one had to do in hollywood. a tragic and great loss to film.

my favorite monty films

he should have won the oscar for his role in 'judgement at nuremberg' over george chakiris in 'west side story'. another oscar fiasco! but chakiris was swept in with the 'west side story' tidal wave.

he should have been at least been nominated for 'suddenly last summer'. just another of oscar's greatest snubs. charton heston for 'ben hur' give me a break.

 i'm not sure if this clip is for monty or just my excuse to re-watch katherine hepburn's monologue  reminding us of when 'sebastian saw god'. damn she was brilliant.

a tribute

Song of the Day: Prempted by the Songs of Legendary Angela Lansbury on Her Birthday

Happy Birthday Angela

5 time tony award winner angela lansbury turns 85 years young today and continues to entertain us.

a 'gypsy' vocal compilation

'everything's coming up roses' at the 1989 tony awards

from 'sweeney todd' angela and len cariou 'a little priest'

'the worst pies in london'

'by the sea'

thank you miss lansbury for sharing your amazing talents with us for decades in every entertainment medium possibe.


you are loved

'The Social Network': ***stars

a likeable cast lifts lifts a story of mostly dislikable characters. and with all his whimsy and childish charm jesse eisenberg can't make facebook founder, well more like facebook thief, mark zuckerberg, any less despicable than he actually is/was.

still aaron sorkin authors an amazingly involving screenplay, brilliantly directed by david fincher and deftly edited by kirk baxter and angus wall. but this does not a 'best picture' make. well not for me at any rate.

the real kudos for me go to andrew garfield as the blindsided and betrayed eduardo saverin and armie hammer in the dual role of the less than shall i say intelligent winklevoss brothers, tyler and cameron, who are more brawn than brain. i actually thought real life twins were playing these real life twins. this is the best dual role play since hayley mills in 'the parent trap'. quite a feat mr. hammer.

okay the bottom line is this: if you are an oscarbater go see it. it will be nominated for multiple awards unless the next two and a half months bring multiple surprises which i doubt. but who knows? for me it's a nominee not a winner.  but then again 'the english patient', 'out of africa' and 'the hurt locker' were winners. so all bets off.

also ask yourself this: do you really really care enough about the history of facebook. truly i don't.

This Is Important: 'It Gets Better'

a councilman from texas makes a plea to all of us after hearing about the too many gay youth suicides of late.

i relate to his story. it was/is my story. councilman joel byrnes is the bravest person of the week if not the year.

it did get better for me. i'm not sure why or how. not all who grew up gay or are growing up gay are as lucky as joel or me.

Happy Birthday Vanessa

Song of the Day: 'Bosom Buddies'

angela lansbury and bea arthur recreating their 'mame' duet 'bosom buddies from 'mame'. and thank the theatre gods they did or we would be stuck with the horrendous lucille ball/bea arthur from the movie fiasco. no fault of bea's. solely destroyed by the once loved now not forgiven lucy.

more angela tomorrow on the occasion of her birthday

Whoopie and Joy Walk Out on the Racist O'Reilly on the View Today

you showed him ladies as the racist pig he and all of the fox network on screen morons are!

'Desperate Housewives': Put It and Us Out of Our Misery Please. Season So Far Rates an F

all good things generally come to an end. bad things seem to linger. 'desperate housewives' has been on a steady downfall since season 2. but like an addict i keep going back to it. i know it's bad for me but the hook is still there. well i'm getting the help i need and that help is removing it from my dvr..

this season is just plain old garbage. adding vanessa williams has not helped. in fact her story lines with felicity huffman and now with marcia cross are bringing all their characters into a pit. why bring the character of paul back? i'll tell you why...the wriyers are at a standstill. it's proving nothing but a boring ploy and lack of imagination.

the only possible redeeming value to continue to watch is in seeing how much eva longoria has developed as an actress over the years. but even her storyline this season is questionable. are we being offered just another absurd if not lurid baby switch plot line or a true morality tale? truthfully i no longer care.

some offer up that 'brothers and sisters' is done. i disagree. the walkers change or at least make an attempt to change. wisteria lane just stagnates in it's own pond scum.the wives and the show are just desperate now!

Song of the Day: 'The Nights the Light Went Out in Georgia'

 

a one hit wonder for vicki lawrence. adultery and murder sung by a carol burnett show alumni. what's not to like. it's worth another listen.

Vote Nov. 4

stop the republicans from taking over congress and bringing us back to the bush years!

THEY HAVE NOTHING BUT THE SAME OLD SAME OLD THAT GOT THE UNITED STATES WHERE IT IS TODAY

VOTE DEMOCRAT

Song of the Day: 'Billy Don't Be a Hero'

yesterday we did 'the night chicago died' by paper lace. today it's their other 1974 semi-hit 

'billy don't be a hero'

Song of the Day: 'The Night Chicago Died'

paper lace released this, 1974, at the same time abba released 'waterloo'. guess which group won out?
but 'the night chicago died' presented as odd a historical background as 'waterloo' did and made a semi-hit and an impression. they had another hit with 'billy don't be a hero' also in 1974.