Joy Behar: Sharron Angle A 'Bitch,' 'Going To Hell'

'Agora': A Remarkable Important Film ***1/2stars

'agora' is a good film that did not find an audience mainly because earlier this year it was released in select cities but never opened wide. it did open in europe in 2009. it's a historical drama set in ancient alexandria that pits pagans vs the new but thriving christian cult and after that the now established christian cult against the jews. it pits them all against science. does any of this sound familiar? i was taught that we study history to see where we came from and learn from past mistakes, one, and i've also been taught that history repeats itself, two. the latter appears to be the truth. 

first we must look at the rise of the christian or jesus cult that grew as the roman empire lost it's strength. the multiple gods thinking was being replaced by monotheism. and all would accept it or be damned. damned as in be persecuted and put to death by being skinned or stoned to death. ah christianity!  insane clerics, literally insane, would be made saints and called martyrs upon their death because they went after those jews, philosophers and scientists who would not convert to the new faith. sweet arrogance. again i ask: does any of this sound familiar? 

for my american readers i ask you to think about the current climate in the states today. we have a political party that basically denies science. political candidates who do not believe in evolution or climate change. to them stem cell research is something against nature. we have political candidates running for office who freely wear nazi garb and call their opposition nazis.  i think you see where i'm going. these 'new christians' on the right who disavow science, make a mockery of jews and mock jews by espousing hitler like tactics and vocabulary. this newest jesus cult condemns an entire religion for the fanaticism of a minority. muslims anyone? and yes they do not recognize science. science is to them evil. they think jesus would not like science. i think they should remember jesus supposedly changed water into wine. a damn good bit of chemistry going on there friends*. i think jesus would like science. jesus was a philosopher first and foremost. he was not a king or a god until the 3rd century when elevated by a cult preying on the fears of the downtrodden. but i digress or think i do.

'agora' is an important film. it is a necessary film. i am not surprised that it has been seemingly suppressed in the united states. it is an ancient story mirroring our modern day. how the hell does that make us modern?

today you can see this film. it is available on dvd. if you are a thinking person you owe it to yourself to see it. if you care about history and our humankind past you owe it to yourself to see it. if you believe history should not repeat itself you owe it to yourself to see it.

the film is well directed by alejandro amenabar ('the sea inside', 'the others'). the well cast film is headed by rachel weisz, max minghella, oscar isaac and rupert evans all of whom excel.

it is quite possibly one of the most important films of our times.

*on a personal note i believe jesus was a great man, prophet and philosopher. no more, no less.

trailer

on dvd now

Song of the Day: 'Pretty Ballerina'

the left banke had a major hit with 'walk away renee' and a minor hit with 'pretty ballerina' a quiet little gem.

i'm using the opportunity to showcase the upcoming festival favorite and oscar bait film 'the black swan' starring natalie portman.

two remixes

Song of the Day: 'Mr. Dieingly Sad'

a haunting song about longing...we've all been there...

the critters

i really like this version. i'm not sure who is doing the vocals. is it lou christie? i know he covered it.

anyway, who better than julie christie to be the 'blue be your eyes, blond be your hair' object of

         longing and lost affection both in her personal life and her sporadic film appearances that always make us long for more.

Kiera as Diana?

pathe productions are in talks wih keira to play diana. a good casting bet. her mum to be played by the too oft seen helen mirren. someone call julie christie or judi dench please!

Song of the Day: 'Maybe'

Barack to Gay Youth: 'It Gets Better'

'Hereafter' ***1/2

clint eastwood continues to amaze me. he never looks back. he takes on new material with every directorial effort. and he always seems to succeed. 'hereafter' is the newest success. i'm never ashamed to say i cried...ever! and this film had tears rolling down my face intermittently a number of times. why? not too sure. maybe it was just the cumulative effect of the number of deaths i've lived through my whole life packed into 2hours and 9 minutes. but i am not saying this is a sad film....it isn't. nor is it a joyous film in that we now know what the hereafter is as we don't know this any more after seeing the film than the moment before it began. but it touched something deep within me. that says a lot to me. i liked these moments and the feelings. i liked the film in it's entirety also.

matt damon just keeps on growing as an actor with each role. he and eastwood ('invictus") make a good team. the rest of the cast, mostly unknown to me, all delievered the goods. there was no weak link in the cast.

'hereafter' heads into my top 5 of 2010. is it brilliant? no. is it eastwood's best? no. but it is damn good and better than most releases. is it a masterpiece? no. but it is a minor masterpiece.

'hereafter' touched my spirit.

Song of the Day: 'Time Warp'

sneak peak

'time warp' from the 'glee' 'rocky horror show' halloween episode 10/26

Fall Film Releases With Oscar Hopes

October 22

Hereafter
Cast: Matt Damon, Cecile de France, Bryce Dallas Howard
Director: Clint Eastwood
Screenwriter: Peter Morgan
Distrib: WB

The Company Men
Cast: Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Craig T. Nelson, Rosemarie DeWitt
Director/Writer: John Wells
Distrib: The Weinstein Co.

November 5

127 Hours
Cast: James Franco
Director: Danny Boyle
Screenwriter: Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy (adaptation)
Distrib:Fox Searchlight

Fair Game
Cast: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn
Director: Doug Liman
Screenwriter: Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth (adaptation)
Distrib: Summit

For Colored Girls
Cast: Thandie Newton, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Whoopi Goldberg, Phylicia Rashad, Jurnee Smollett, Kimberly Elise, Kerry Washington, Loretta Devine, Macy Gray, Isaiah Mustafa
Director/Writer: Tyler Perry
Distrib: LionsGate

MegaMind
Feat. Voices of: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller
Director: Cameron Hood, Kyle Jefferson
Screenwriter: Alan Schoolcraft, Brent Simons
Distrib: Dreamworks

Welcome to the Rileys
Cast: James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, Kristen Stewart
Director: Jake Scott
Screenwriter: Ken Hixon
Distrib: Samuel Goldwyn

November 12

Morning Glory
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton
Director: Roger Michell
Screenwriter: Aline Brosh McKenna
Distrib: Paramount

November 19

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
Director: David Yates
Screenwriter: Steve Kloves
Script: Novel Adaptation
Distrib: WB

Made in Dagenham
Cast: Sally Hawkins, Miranda Richardson, Rosamund Pike, Geraldine James, Bob Hoskins
Director: Nigel Cole
Screenwriter: Billy Ivory
Distrib: Sony Classics
Next Three Days
Cast: Russell Crowe, ELizabeth Banks
Director/Screenwriter: Paul Haggis
Distrib: Lionsgate

November 24

Love and Other Drugs
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Judy Greer, Josh Gad
Director: Ed Zwick
Screenwriter: Charles Randolph
Script: Novel Adaptation
Distrib: Fox

The King's Speech
Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter
Director: Tom Hooper
Screenwriter: David Seidler
Distrib: Weinstein Co.

Tangled
Voices: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi
Director: Byron Howard, Nathan Greno
Distrib: Walt Disney Pictures

November 26

The Fighter
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale
Director: David O'Russell
Distrib: Paramount

December 1

Black Swan
Cast: Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder Director: Darren Aronofsky
Script: Original Distrib: Fox Searchlight

December 10

The Chronicles of Narnia
Cast: Ben Barnes
Director: Michael Apted
Distrib: Fox

The Tourist
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Screenwriter: Julian Fellowes, Christopher McQuarrie, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Distrib: Sony Pictures

The Tempest
Cast: Helen Mirren, Chris Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Reeve Carney, Djimon Hounsou, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Ben Wishaw, Felicity Jones, Geoffrey Rush
Director: Julie Taymor
Screenwriter: Julie Taymor
Distrib: Miramax

December 17

Everything You've Got
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Jack Nicholson
Director: James L. Brooks
Screenwriter: James L. Brooks

December 22

Somewhere
Cast: Elle Fanning, Stephen Dorff
Director/Screenwriter: Sofia Coppola
Distrib: Focus

December 25

True Grit
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Script: Novel Adaptation

December 29

Another Year
Cast: Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Jim Broadbent
Director/Screenwriter: Mike Leigh
Distrib: Sony Classics

The Debt
Cast: Sam Worthington, Helen Mirren
Director: John Madden
Distrib: Miramax

December 31

Blue Valentine
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Screenwriter: Derek Cianfrance et al
Script: Original
Distrib: Weinstein Co.

Song of the Day Prempted by Annette

Happy Birthday Annette

annette's been out of the public eye for some time now as she battles ms. annette single handedly is credited with putting a certain generation of pre pubescent boys on the road to early manhood. if you have to ask it's best you don't.

we wish her well on her birthday.

annette recorded a few albums in her teens and released a few singles from them. here are a few of the mostly known.

annette became the most popular of the original mouseketeers so disney decided to write a 'serialized' segment simply titled 'annette'. the following song was introduced and charted on billboard within weeks of the serialized airing.


how will i know my love'

'tall paul'

'first name initial'

annette became a disney favorite and was given a guest shot role on the then prime time series 'zorro'


naturally by that point they wrote a song for her character called 'lonely guitar'

'Les Miserables' Film Finally?

'les miserables' stands atop my favorite broadway musicals. will the film really, finally, happen? we'll see.

Last Wednesday Cameron Mackintosh was in Madrid to present the cast of the new production of Les Miserables that will open in November. In the press conference he was asked by a journalist about why there wasn't yet a movie adaptation of the musical.
Broadway World Spain was there to capture Mackintosh's reply, which was "I signed a contract yesterday. And, in fact, the concert at the O2 next week, I'm presenting with Universal Pictures and it's huge -- with over 500 in the cast and it is being simultaneously screened to over a 1000 cinemas around the world - including Spain. It's been a long time coming, I originally was going to do it after the Broadway opening but mercifully it didn't happen. No film could have been as successful as Les Miserables has been on stage. And now, after 25 years, it seems a very good time to do it. We'll be working with a screenplay writer over the next few months and hopefully if all that comes together, we will find a great director and start."
In October this year, the legendary musical "LES MISÉRABLES" will celebrate its 25th birthday by making theatrical history with an international first - three different productions in London at the same time. The Original Production at the Queen's Theatre, the New 25th Anniversary Production at the Barbican, London and now, stars in their multitudes will gather for a celebratory concert at The O2 on Sunday 3rd October at 7.00pm, when all three productions and many of the shows original cast will come together to celebrate this momentous occasion.
LES MISÉRABLES originally opened in London at the Barbican Theatre on 8 October 1985, transferred to the Palace Theatre on 4 December 1985 and moved to its current home at theQueen's Theatre on 3 April 2004. When "LES MISÉRABLES" celebrated its 21st London birthday on 8 October 2006, it became the World's Longest Running Musical, surpassing the record previously held by "Cats" in London's West End. In January 2010, the West End production broke another record by celebrating its historic 10,000th performances.
Seen by nearly 60 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 21 languages, "LES MISÉRABLES" is undisputedly one of the world's most popular musicals ever written, with new productions continually opening around the globe, with seven more currently scheduled. There have been 36 cast recordings of "LES MISÉRABLES", including the multi-platinum London cast recording, the Grammy Award-winning Broadway cast and complete symphonic albums and the soon to be released live recording of the New 25th Anniversary Production. The video of the 10th Anniversary Royal Albert Hall Gala Concert has sold millions of copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling musical videos ever in the UK. There are over 2,500 productions of the Les Misérables School's Edition scheduled or being performed by over 125,000 school children in the UK, US and Australia, making it the most successful musical ever produced in schools. Cameron Mackintosh is currently developing a film of "LES MISÉRABLES" with Working Title and Universal.


*reprinted from 'broadway world' without permission

Armani Jeans

cristiano ronaldo, portuguese  footballer hunk, in armani jeans (ad)

Song of the Day: 'Sparrow'

mary hopkins had a hit with 'those were the days'. on the flip side was this 'little' song about moving out on one's own from their family. it always stuck in my mind and here it is...

'those were the days' is coming soon

'Hereafter' Opens Friday

4 teasers for 'hereafter'

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.

SNL Spoofs Christine O'Donnell

Happy Birthday Emily

Song of the Day: 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie'

as close to abba as it was going to get after their breakup but at the same time definitely not abba at all...too little too soon. subsequent releases just didn't catch on.

but 'yes sir, i can boogie' was catchy enough.

HBO's 'Mildred Pierce' Extended Teaser

coming to hbo 2011

Song of the Day: 'Total Eclipse of the Heart''

'total eclipse of the heart' or 'turn around' as it is often referred to was one of those instant classics and deservedly so.......

originally recorded by bonnie tyler became that instant classic. bonnie reminded me of rod stewart with the gravelly sounding voice that worked oerfectly with this song.

live at the 1984 grammy awards

thinking kim would have the last word with this musical piece would have been a mistake. nikki french took ot to greater hights with her 'dance' version. the song would reach the realm of musical masterpiece.

nikki's extended mix

nicki live

another nikki remix

the cast of 'glee' gave it a rousing spin too

'Total Eclipse of the Heart'' the Literal Version

you've either watched or listened to the above versions. or totally ignored them. but treat yourself to this 'literal' version of the bonnie tyler video. you may have to watch it closely and read the 'literal' lyrics to really enjoy it.

Remembering John Lennon on His Birthdate

imagine

love

happy xmas (war is over)

It's Our Turn To Say NO on November 2

Idiot of the Week

Song of the Day: 'Wishin and Hopin'

dusty's smash hit

as much as i love her pet's cover came nowhere near dusty's original. but hell it's pet so here you go...

'What If Sonny Corinthos Met Erica Kane

maurice benard is one of day-times best actors. as sonny corinthos (general hospital) he plays the mafia boss with a heart of gold. in this 'waht if' he is paired with one of day-times biggest personalities susan lucci. and a personality she may be but an actress she is not. no hate mail please. it's just my opinion. because of her overacting and that her character still acts like she's 16 years old as an absurd 50 something is one of the main reasons i gave up on 'all my children' a decade ago.

Oscarbation: 'The King's Speech'

it's getting praise and winning prizes on the festival circuit.so is colin. maybe the oscar he should have won last year is now within reach.

in wide release

the trailer

teaser

Song of the Day: 'I Just Want To Be Your Everything'

andy had talent and was as sexy as hell. another talent that died way to soon

Happy Birthday Matt

there are a handful of 'younger' actors today who are reaching the heights and reputation of classic actors past. one of them is matt damon. as an actor matt keeps learning and growing. he's come along way since 'good will hunting' and i don't see him stopping any day soon.

'Secretariat' Opens Today

i have a feeling this is not just another horse story. i'm hearing good things about it. and i love diane lane so i'm giving it a shot.

'City Island' Rates ***1/2stars

'city island' opened this past april with little or no fanfare and where it did open it disappeared quickly. unfortunately this is the fate of many films especially those labeled as 'art house' films. but thank the cinematic gods that they get a second life on home video.

'city island is a 'slice of life' film that begins and ends in a matter of days. at it's core is secrets. secrets kept and secrets exposed. at the center of it all is the brilliant performance of andy garcia in his best role to date. he is the dad in a secretive family. their secrets are non-malicious. they are kept out of love or just because the other characters think they are no big deal or because the owner of the secret thinks they are, simply put, silly.

this film is charming and delightful. that julianna margulies has her best film role to date makes it worth seeing even more. but have no doubt that this is andy garcia's movie. and he deserves an oscar nomination for it. in fact with the best picture field still at the ridiculous ten nominations the movie itself deserves a nom.

rent this film. you will hopefully be as pleasantly surprised as i was. i love finding these small gems. in an otherwise slim film year so far this small gem is a diamond.

trailer

 

Song of the Day: 'Vienna'

i feel in love with linda eder when i saw her in 'jekyll and hyde' on broadway.

'vienna', not from the musical, is just a beautiful song delivered by a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice. but i warn you: in concert she is a total bore. she has zero stage presence. buy her cd's and listen to them at home.

Song of the Day: 'Jambalaya'

i have no ides why i find myself humming and singing this song as much as i do. it was a catchy tune the first time i heard it.

 emmylou harris

the first time i heard it was this recording by jo stafford and the version that is gladly stuck in my brain