Tag Archives: entertainment

Stylin’

Bill Murray is cool.

Part of what makes him cool is the distance he maintains from the public and the press. Which means no autographs. Which can make him seem rather uncool to some.

Well, look what he did in lieu of an autograph for filmmaker David Walton Smith.

 

Coolest dude on the planet.

Can’t wait to see what he does in Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson’s new movie that opened yesterday.

Bet it’s cool, too.

Animal instinct

On my flight today, the proffered movie was Big Miracle, starring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski — the whale movie, as you might remember it.

That’s how I did.

I had meant to see it in the theatre, but I tend to shy away from animal movies.  Even though I knew this one was positive — it’s based on true events — I hate seeing animals in any potential, dramatized or real trauma.

But I manned up and watched it today.  And I was right.  They found ways to make the animals — and me — suffer through this supposed feel-good story.

It’s so nice to cry with people you don’t know.

Which made the e-card that popped up in my Facebook feed today all the more timely:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You got that right.

 

 

 

 

 

That rascally rabbit

I am amused when Broadway audiences applaud the set at the start of a show…as if the couch needs a boost in self-esteem.

But perhaps the set for Harvey, which is in previews on Broadway, needs just that.

About 20 minutes into the performance last night — as the home of Elwood P. Dowd transforms into the dread psychiatric hospital — a loud clunk was heard.  The set shuddered.  All action grinded to a halt.

And poor Jim Parsons, who was faux reading a book in the library, scurried away as they dropped the curtain.

The curtain dropped a lot last night; a cable snapped in the set mechanism that couldn’t be quickly repaired.  So every time the set changed, the curtain dropped and the lights came up.

Harvey lasted almost three hours.

I intended to review the play today, but it wouldn’t be fair.  While I found Jim Parsons’ Dowd utterly charming, the show itself didn’t get a fair shake because of the constant interruptions and expansive running time.

I was literally nodding off at the end.  Bnd that wasn’t really Harvey’s fault…or was it?

Darn pooka.

Broadway Harry

Potted Potter, the parody of the seven Harry Potter books now on Broadway, was tailor-made for kids.

It’s only 70-minutes long, is super high energy, and even features a quidditch match with audience participation.

 

No wonder I liked it so much.

Brits Dan Clarkson and Jeff Turner, who also wrote the show, bring all the characters to life with minimal props, costumes and staging.  The humor is decidedly British as well, but Potter lovers — and the family and friends who they drag along — will find it easy to translate.

Obviously some plot points are skipped in such a short synopsis, but the ones that made the cut are treated with high hilarity.  Favorites include Lord Voldemort, the dragons from book four, and the bigger-than-life quidditch snitch.

Dan and Jeff cracked up a few times during the show, but the reason was pretty obvious –

They are as wild about Harry as the audience.

Sweets for the sweet

I had big dreams as a kid — live in New York City, be on TV, write a book.  Well, I have a new one to add to that list:

Be immortalized in cake.

Betty White was.

We’re talking a 5’2″ life-size vanilla cake with buttercream, covered in modeling chocolate.  It was created by Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro and his team.

And you thought Betty couldn’t get any sweeter.

The cake was served at Wednesday night at Betty’s roast at the Friars Club here in New York City…hence their motto at the base (where Betty’s feet should be).

Funny thing — being roasted?

Not on my list.

Dance, dance baby

I love a good documentary on a Saturday morning.

And First Position, which is currently in theatres and available OnDemand, is great.

The feature film documents the journey of six young ballet dancers as they attempt to qualify and compete in the Youth America Grand Prix in New York City, the most prestigious youth ballet competition in the world. 

This contest isn’t just about trophies or medals; it’s serious business.  The winning dancers receive full scholarships to top ballet schools and contracts to the most prestigious ballet companies in the world — jobs that are few and far between.

The filmmakers have amazing access to the dancers at home, in the rehearsal studio, and in the wings before, during and after their competition performances.  It’s pretty incredible…and no small wonder the documentary was named the audience choice’s first runner up for Best Documentary at the Toronto Film Festival where it premiered.

See?  Told you it was great.

A dog’s life

We are smack dab in the middle of National Children’s Book Week…

What is your favorite?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My fav is The Poky Little Puppy, a children’s classic from Little Golden Books.  And I’m not the only one who liked it.  In 2001, it was the all-time best-selling hardcover children’s book in the United States, having sold nearly 15 million copies.

Of course, I didn’t know that back then.

I liked Poky because of his funny name and cute — if rather ginormous — head.  I also liked his independence.  In the story, he lags behind his brothers and sisters and ‘does his own thang.’  Sometimes it works to his advantage; other times it gets him into trouble.

Wow. Just call me Poky.

Ad-versity

Can you see me?

Me either.

A few weeks ago, I was an extra in this White Castle commercial.  I know I was.  I was there.  And I saw the ad for the first time during tonight’s episode of  Community. 

I recognize the locations, that red convertible, the principal actors.  I saw my scenes.

But I’m not there.

It was those poppin’ White Castle heads.  They reduced me to a blurry smudge.

What a coincidence — that’s how I feel when I eat White Castles.

Truth in advertising — who’d have thunk it?!

Chris crossed

While catching up on my late night programming this morning, I saw that actor Chris Evans the guy in the Star Trek remake — was on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

I could watch that.

But when I did, it wasn’t Captain Kirk at all.  It was Captain America from the new Avengers movie.

I had my superheroes — and my Chrises — all mixed up.

Chris Evans

Chris Pine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my defense, the two do look a lot a like.  They’re even the same age (well, Chris Pine is one year older).  And they’ve both been seen on the big screen in a series of lighthearted romantic comedies before they buffed up for their bigger-than-life, save-the-planet roles.

Chris Evans was in The Nanny Diaries with his current Avengers co-star Scarlett Johansson (shown at left), and in What’s Your Number? with funny lady Anna Faris.

In his early days, Chris Pine romanced Anne Hathaway in Princess Diaries 2 and Lindsay Lohan in Just My Luck.

There’s a title for ya.

But seriously — would you have known the difference if I hadn’t given you a primer?  I mean, would you?  Really?

(Say no.  I need reassurance that my synapses are firing correctly.)

Get the message

I love watching movies on the big screen. Many of my friends prefer to stay at home.

Price is only one factor.

They hate having their movie ruined by chattering, texting, rude people in the theatre.

Let’s face it — it happens more often than not.

And it might be getting a lot worse.

At a recent CinemaCon panel in Las Vegas, movie executives from Regal and IMAX chains said they both had discussed allowing texting during movie screenings to make the experience more interactive for younger viewers.

NO.

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.

It’s bad enough already, with cellphones randomly lighting up the theatre and distracting your eye from the screen.  Imagine what it would look like if they were on throughout the film.  The incessant clicking.  The chatter as people shared text messages.

If movie executives want to lose customers, it’s the perfect business model.

Text them that.