Category Archives: Actresses

March 23, 2011 · 7:55 am

Farewell Elizabeth Taylor… A Beauty Inside and Out


Today a world icon known for beauty, stardom, glamor, the occasional scandal, and even tragedy passed away.   Her name – Elizabeth Taylor.  Yes, she was an Academy Award winning actress. Yes, she was larger than life  personally and on screen.  She had her share of mistakes.  She also was vulnerable and human.

Her life taught me and others that despite our flaws, we can still improve and we can still contribute worthwhile things to humanity.

Liz shined most in the work she did for charities and causes, even those that were not so popular.  This was especially true in the early fight against the AIDS‘s epidemic.  Liz brought light to the plight when there was so much bigotry , misinformation and fear on the disease. She tirelessly worked for the cause and was a major factor in getting funding and public support.

Many will write about her film career, her personal life and her physical beauty today.  I wanted to write about the great soul she had , even with her life of privilege and of mistakes.  In spite of her very human failings, she was able to to give of herself.

Ultimately, at the end of her of her life Elizabeth Taylor will be known as a hero to millions who she has saved for her humanitarian efforts and for her fight for those that the hand of bigotry has oppressed.

I will miss her and my heart weeps today.  However, it will honor her in the days and years to come.

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January 23, 2011 · 3:14 pm

Rabbit Hole – Powerful Story Where Nicole Kidman Shines


It is like visually watching  a classical musical masterpiece on the movie screen from start to finish. That  is the best way to describe Rabbit Hole directed by John Cameron Mitchell and starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart.  The film is based on a play by David Lindsay-Abaire who also develop the screenplay for the film.   Dianne West also co-stars  and brings on a strong performance as Kidman’s  somewhat scattered but loving mother.

Every movement of the film is played out with instrumental perfection to the crescendo of its emotional peak  with perfection by both leads, but it is Kidman who shines with her controlled but deeply moving performance of Becca Corbett.

Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart in Rabbit Hole

The impact of the accidental death of their four year old son is excruciating played out by both Kidman and Eckhart  that their grief is almost unbearable.  You feel it palpable throughout the whole film which is kept very understated, and in many ways, that is how it successfully garners its highest emotional notes.

This is one of the best films of the year.  It is definitely one of Nicole Kidman’s most memorable performances  to date.

Rabbit Hole reminds us of the suddenness of death and perhaps the road out of grief.

It is a film definitely worth seeing.

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January 17, 2011 · 7:51 am

Blue Valentine – Brilliantly Riveting and Sad


Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine

The film quietly and unobtrusively gives the audience a window to a couple’s marriage with a sense that something is awry.  It moves along and until the emotional tempo rises from a low rumble to a loud explosion.

The film is masterful in capturing through flashbacks the promises of the beginning of a relationship and the realities of  how two really different personalities united  suddenly together in a marriage by  an unexpected pregnancy can sometimes be fraught with issues in the long run.

It is painful to watch as you see two wonderful people really have to deal with the reality of their situation. The film wrenches you with the impossibility of their heartache.

Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are stellar in their performances. They capture every nuance and layer of their characters. They also exude great chemistry onscreen.

This film definitely deserves every critical acclaim and recognition it garners. It is a must see!

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January 16, 2011 · 9:25 pm

Social Network and Glee win Big at Golden Globes


Chris Colfer

With Emcee Rick Gervais setting the tone of the Golden Globe Awards Show with perhaps the raciest and most zinging comedic remarks aimed at the  expense of the celebrities  in the house, it was certainly a night to remember.

Social Network ,  the movie based on the founding of Face Book and it’s founder , Mark Zuckerberg, won some awards including Best Motion Picture Drama.

Ricky Gervais

Glee won several awards including Best TV Comedy or Musical.  Chris Colfer won Best Actor and Jane Lynch won Best Actress.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman won Best Actress  Drama for Black Swan and Colin Firth won Best Actor Drama for The King’s Speech.

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November 10, 2010 · 6:39 am

Glee and Ellen Tackle Homophobic Bullying


Glee

Image by watch with kristin via Flickr

 

The nation has become acutely aware recently of the rash of suicides by LGBT youth caused by homophobic bullying.  Once largely overlooked by society or simply tolerated, there has been a national movement to address it as a serious issue.

We have seen in the entertainment industry in shows like Ellen and Glee, the topics being addressed. Ellen interviewed Madonna in what I thought was a very poignant interview about the topic.  On Glee, the story lines following the character of Kurt, and even the misfits like the ones about the one of one of the coaches and the bad boy Pug all centered on how we view those who do not quite fit it and how we perceive them.

Kurt ( Chris Colfer) of Glee shows us the view of the bullied

Blaine ( Darren Criss) and Kurt ( Chris Colfer) New love interests on Glee?

Glee’s storyline on Kurt perhaps resonated the most with me as the very individual, tender hearted , and often courageous young gay out man who endures the onslaughts of abuse from a bully simply because of being gay on Glee.  The storyline is meaty.  He finally meets a potential love interest.  He gets his first kiss in a very interesting way.  He personifies the very word “courage.”

Many young people don’t live in the ideal world of Glee where your problem is solved in a song and dance number,  but they do live among people who I know can care enough to reach out to them to let them know that their lives are worth it.  I hope the lesson that we can all learn is that bullying should never be tolerated and that all young people, no matter who they are,  are worth saving and protecting from harm.

Ellen DeGeneres interviewed Madonna on anti-bullying views

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October 29, 2010 · 8:20 am

One of My Favorite Things – The Sound of Music


" My Favorite Things Scene" from the film, The Sound of Music

Oprah’s recent episode featuring the reunion of the entire cast of the film, The Sound of Music, this week brought back its impact to my life.

Considered the greatest film musical of all time by many,  it continues to resonate with each generation throughout the world with its universal themes of  family, faith and love.  Based on the real live story of the Von Trapp family of Austria and that part of their lives up to their perilous exodus from Nazi’s in World II,  the film captures the essence of the time and the beauty of country.  It won an Oscar for Best Picture along with other assorted awards.

Many have seen the film as life changing or pivotal in some way in their life’s journey.  For me, I was a very young boy when I saw it in the movie theater.   My home life was overshadowed by my parents’ volatile marriage and I was sick with asthma.  I was a lonely boy of 6 years old.

Sound of Music Cast Reunion on Oprah

I remember from the opening scene of  majestic mountains to Maria on the lush green hill to final trek over the mountains crossing the Austrian border to safety,  I was enraptured and even healed in many ways.   I am not sure if it was the music, the perfect family that was displayed, or the story itself  that took the heart of this island boy and placed it where joy sat,  but I went there.  It probably was a combination of all of it.  Where life seem so dark for me, I actually escaped momentarily to a place where I could find peace.

I believe The Sound of Music gave me  my love for film, music, and even reading.  It also gave me the ability to believe in something better.

In hindsight, after all these years,  I believe it is truly a work of art.  I have been exposed to various forms of art and understand the power of a great painting to move one’s soul or piece of  wonderful poetry to awaken emotions.  The Sound of Music is the perfect film in cadence and structure that it truly is inspiring as an art form.  That is why people are so moved by it.

It is good in these days where there is so much struggle to be reminded of a story of a family that united together in music and used it to stand up against great odds to forge a new destiny.  That message is for of all of us.

We all need a dose of the Sound of Music now and then.

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May 31, 2010 · 7:43 am

Robin Hood’s High Ambitions Hampered By Dragging Plot


Russell Crowe stars as Robin Hood in Universal Pictures' Robin Hood (2010) Copyright © Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

There is nothing worse than going to see a movie that is epic in feel with great actors, and the promise of a good story based on a well known legend, just to see it dragged down by a slow moving plot.  I actually fell asleep during a certain portion of the movie.

The movie is “Robin Hood.“  It stars such luminaries as Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett , Max von Sydow and William Hurt.  The story focuses on how Robin Hood became the Robin of the legend we are all familiar with in stories and mythology.

The film is beautiful to watch it in its gritty portrayal of Great Britain during that time period. I think that some of the “slow mo” archery special effects were a little over done. The battle scenes were some of the most exciting parts of the movie. The acting was stellar.

However, there were really slow, dragging parts of the movie that completely destroyed the cadence of the film.  It became boring at parts.

I came away feeling disappointed at a movie I expected so much more from with the caliber of talent associated with it.

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May 16, 2010 · 9:07 pm

Salvation Ends Smallville’s Most Prolific Season


"Salvation" -- Erica Durance as Lois Lane and Tom Welling as Clark Kent in SMALLVILLE, on The CW Network. Photo: Jack Rowand/The CW ©2009 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

You would think that a show entering its 9th season on television would be experiencing some weariness  through tired story lines and lost of creativity.  Yet the 9th season of CW’s Smallville on the air proved to be quite the opposite.

Tom Welling

Not only have the writers brought on a new tradition of the Superman story, but has made it even more compelling with every season.  The 9th season was even more riveting with a strong apocalyptic theme based on an amped up story of the Kandorians from the traditional comic  origins.   The story of Lois and Clark  moved along as a strong co theme of the series with the appropriate amount of humor.

"Salvation" -- Callum Blue as Zod and Tom Welling as Clark Kent in SMALLVILLE, on The CW Network. Photo: Jack Rowand/The CW ©2009 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The season finale cliffhanger ” Salvation”, with the exile of the Kandorians to another realm and the post battle fall of Clark from a high rise building plunging to his supposed death, was simply epically resounding.

The cast that included Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Allison Mack,  Justin Hartley, Cassidy Freeman and Callum  Blue were simply on spot for the season.

Erica Durance

The series has been underrated by the industry but, in retrospect, it has been one of the best shows on TV.   I am looking forward to Season 10.

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February 2, 2010 · 9:45 pm

Caprica – Following the Battlestar Galatica Legacy of TV Excellence


L-R Esai Morales, Sasha Roiz, Eric Stolz

Set  58 years before the time period covered by the show Battlestar Galatica, with its epic battle with the robotic Ceylons and the very survival of the human race at stake, Caprica takes us to the beginning of all of it.  Unlike most prequels,  this one has already elevated itself in two episodes ,not only as a fine piece of science fiction drama, but as one of the better dramas on TV.

Sasha Roiz

Caprica follows in the footsteps of its older sister show, Battlestar, known for great writing, acting , and directing.  Caprica comes with a power house of  actors such as Erick Stolz, Esai Morales, Paula Malcomson, Polly Walker and Sasha Roiz.

The story follows the crossed paths of the Adama and Graystone families and the pivotal roles they play in the future of humanity.  With the mixture of scientific ambition, teenage angst mixed with rebellion, cult extremism and terrorism, organized crime, parental denial, and a mixture of other topics that underly the stories, they are woven perfectly into the overall pending doom of the creation of the Ceylon menace.

Polly Walker

This is definitely a must see show, whether you like science fiction or not.  It is good TV.  Caprica is shown every week on Fridays, 9 eastern/8 central.

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January 31, 2010 · 1:16 am

“Secret Love” Looking Back at a Doris Day Classic


Doris Day - Calamity Jane

You know sometimes you get reminded from such channels like Turner Classics, movie musical gems from starlets from the past.   I am speaking of the very wonderful Doris Day.

One of her most beautiful ballads comes from the raucous musical, Calamity Jane.   The song is called,  ” Secret Love.”   It later  went on to be a chart hit.

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