I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.
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DVD GIVEAWAY – LAFFAPALOOZA WITH TRACEY MORGAN
I just loved Comic Strip Live with John Mulrooney when I was a kid.
I would tape that show relentlessly every weekend, this being before TiVo and having to get the timing exactly right or else risking taping a completely different show 12 hours earlier/later than you wanted to or, God forbid, someone tuned it to a different channel after you physically set the recorder, and every weekend I was exposed to a few great comedians.
Tracey Morgan’s Laffapalooza was like watching that show all over again. The DVD, which showcases a diverse set of comedians, I’m an Earthquake fan myself, was a great watch as you just don’t see enough programs that let comedians do their thing. Sure, you can watch Last Comic Standing but I want to see guys who have already honed their craft, who already know who they are as entertainers, and these players absolutely do. It was rapid fire, wasn’t as obnoxious as some sets you’d see during Def Comedy Jam, and wholly enjoyable.
To that end I am giving away THREE copies of this DVD away to 3 random entrants who can send me their name and address to Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com
The product description:
Hosted by brilliant comedian Tracy Morgan (30 Rock, Cop Out), this laugh-out-loud comedy concert was taped before a live audience in Las Vegas and includes performances by Lavell Crawford, Mark Curry, Earthquake, Corey Holcomb and Sheryl Underwood. The crowd is hyped and the comedians are no joke! We’re coming into your home and taking no prisoners, so strap yourself into your seat and hold on to your stomach because you are about to experience the true power of LAFFAPALOOZA!
Available for Pre-Order on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Laffapalooza-Live-Las-Vegas-Hosted/dp/B002ZPIC2G/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1266444297&sr=8-16
Oscar Faux Pas by Raymond Schillaci
Why go on about the Oscar telecast? Why beat a dead horse? Well, one should not – the dead horse deserves more respect than the big “O” telecast. Every year it seems the Academy tweaks its dog and pony show and every year we, who love the entertainment industry, hope against hope that it will get better. Unfortunately, the powers that be always seem to find a way to muck it up. Was this year no different? In some ways it showed improvement, but with a glaring marketing ploy of nominating ten best pictures there was bound to be some abysmal failure to follow, and boy there was!
Never mind the awkward slip up of acceptance speeches delivering a false Kanye West moment by the disagreeable makers of the Best Documentary Short Subject. The Academy can avoid these nasty displays by either allowing a generous minute for each recipient or dismissing short subjects all together and inviting them to the same dinner as the Governor’s Awards thus shortening an all ready too long telecast. Speaking of length; I thought the show started to get smart with their condensing of Best Song Nominees, but they blazed a whole new trail of idiocy with the extended interpretive dance (?) routine to Best Score. You want to shorten this over bloated dinosaur – display a short piece of the score with the film itself (ohmygod – what a concept!). The Academy is so out of touch with today’s audience, they forget this is the group growing up with “Dancing with the Stars”. The last thing viewers want to be treated to would be a flaming choreographer’s wet dream that makes little sense to a mass audience.
Then there is my personal beef, the Academy’s pandering to horror movies. Okay, we get it – you don’t relate to the genre. You have two pseudo-horror presenters, the bland and the beautiful, when you could have struck gold and invited Robert England, Wes Craven, Anthony Hopkins or as a stretch…the Wolfman – Benicio. You have not recognized anything in the cateGORY in over 30 years! So, why the cold shoulder in presenting something you are suppose to be commemorating? Is it perhaps another marketing ploy? Shit, that’s a good way to have the fans turn away from you for good and bury your ass with no hopes of resurrection.
Look at the past salutes; they were nowhere near as haphazard a presentation as this beloved one. Westerns, musicals, comedies were all given a prestigious hail while horror was slapped together with scenes that were not even considered horror movies (i.e. Jaws). Yes, they included the staples (Freddy, Michael, Leatherface), but where was “Re-Animator” “The Descent” and f*#king “Near Dark”! For crying out loud, you have the soon-to-be first woman Best Director right there and you don’t even acknowledge her having made one of the very best vampire films ever?! They didn’t even bother to throw a bone to a brilliant bloodsucking tome that they chose to ignore, “Let the Right One In”. Perhaps they are waiting for the Americanized version to bastardize it. The sad part, the salute was a waste and didn’t even muster up a minor chill.
Also chilling was the “In Memory” piece that chose to omit a very brave Farrah Fawcett, a member of the Academy for over 40 years, and include a psychologically disturbed drug addict that had no business being mentioned amongst the other cinema greats. Sorry, I don’t mean to be so harsh, but that’s what comes to mind when comparing the two; Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Mind you, Ms. Fawcett had her kooky moments, but she also delivered some rich performances in feature films; “Extremities” and “The Apostle”. Jackson belonged in the pantheon of music and music videos. One gig in a bad movie musical does not warrant a mention. In fact, the Academy went as far as to display Jackson’s music video, “Thriller” because they had no other choice with his feature film resume – unless one wanted to include the shameful “Captain Eo”. Let’s see, wasn’t the Academy’s excuse that Ms. Fawcett was better known in TV? Let’s compare – the performance in “Thriller” or “Captain Eo” and “The Burning Bed” or “Small Sacrifices”. Need I say more? Shame on the Academy decision-makers, you owe Ms. Fawcett’s family, friends and fans a sincere apology.
Might an apology be needed also for saddling the legendary cinema icon, Lauren Bacall with “B” movie king Roger Corman with honorary Oscars? Okay, I get that Roger gave a lot of those people in that auditorium their first break, including the king of the world himself, Avatar’s James Cameron, but really to honor him with an Oscar? Has the Academy not reduced itself to the likes of getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame where just about anybody can buy one? Is nothing sacred?
On the brighter side of the rainbow, Neil Patrick Harris was a breath of fresh air in the stale climate. Our hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were amusing and one wish they had been given the chance to adlib and really cut loose bringing the show back to the good old days of Bob Hope presenting. The set was classy till somebody neglected to remove the lampshades from the gig before. Presenters for the most part were paired nicely, but grinding the show to an all new halt was the decision to have actors and actresses pontificate their admiration of their nominees. Really, must we extend the telecast with this childish dribble? Just deliver a brief explanation of each performance accompanied by a clip. That has always sufficed. We don’t need to hear how wonderful everyone is. We get enough of that with every press JUNK-it.
So for next year, Academy take notice; shorten the telecast to a concise two hours by ridding us of bizarre dance interpretations, short subjects that many do not care about (my apology to the filmmakers – but the Governor’s Awards should be enough – after all we are talking ratings) and performers passing on praise to their brethren. Either keep Steve and Alec as hosts or if they decline the embarrassment of being on a telecast that is broadcast worldwide and having a Magoo-like Tom Hanks dismiss all the Best Picture nominees and blurt out the winner – then opt back for Hugh Jackson. For that matter, Neil Patrick Harris would make a great host – if he ends up not too busy taking over Simon’s job on American Idol.
The Maestro at Work and Play: A Review of Shutter Island by Raymond Schillaci
Ten minutes into Martin Scorsese’s new magnificent opus, “Shutter Island” I realized where the story was going and wanted to reveal it to my 16 year-old son, but I dared not. What if I was wrong? After another fifteen minutes I was captivated by Scorsese’s handiwork as a master of cinema and dismissed my knowing the outcome and enjoyed the creepy ride provided. This is not the personal voice of Scorsese that brought us such captivating cinematic landmarks as “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull”. This is a more commercial venture that demonstrates not only his love of film past and present, but his prowess as one of the great directors of his generation managing to deliver an icy shudder (pun intended) to a powerful story.
I’d rather give you the bare bones of this sordid yarn than spoil all the fun of a pulpy tale of rotting insanity, murder, mayhem and love. Yes, I said love, and if anybody is familiar with the works of Mr. Scorsese that emotion is often heaped with brutality. Of course that’s what makes the film so damn fascinating. The year is 1945 and U.S. Marshall, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) with his partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) is investigating the disappearance of a murderess from a home for the criminally insane. Their arrival on the island is met with foreboding acceptance; stoic guards with shotguns, creepy looking inpatients and rules that supersede the Marshal’s laws (no guns for any visitors). Daniels is introduced to the most suspicious Dr. Crawley (Ben Kingsley) and Dr. Naehring (Max Von Sydow) who offers little help for explanations in regards to the patient who seems to have vanished “through the walls”. What follows is a maze of madness that makes you think about all the possibilities. It’s amazing, a movie that actually demands you to think rather than just go along for the ride.
Scorsese delivers a film that emulates Hitchcock at his finest moments and that’s the difference between the director and so many others who have attempted to mimic Hitchcock’s style (Brian DePalma in particular). Alfred Hitchcock admittedly emulated from other German expressionist filmmakers and developed a style all his own. Scorsese does the same whether he’s tackling his own personal demons or delivering a more entertaining piece like “Gangs of New York” or “The Departed”. With Scorsese we get a director that is in love with film and its history and provides us with the utmost care in presenting a story with all the accouterments; cinematography, set design, music score and acting that will have us talking for days. Speaking of which, Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a powerful performance that leaves one breathless. And, a special shout out to the resurrection king – Jackie Earl Haley. Aside from the nasty makeup job, he nearly went unrecognizable. Haley provides a scary performance that gets under one’s skin and leaves a residue of gut-wrenching questions that demand to be answered.
In the end, I revealed to my son that I knew how the film was going to play out. He asked how that was possible. I told him my years of being a film enthusiasts and writer helped, but I was quickly transported from my thoughts with the finesse and bravura that the director and his talented cast and crew provided in laying out a narrative that both entertains and captivates. The nice part about it all, my son asked me what else has “this guy” done. On to a resume that reads like John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock and Cecil B. Demille. I will enjoy sharing the viewing with him. Thank you, Marty and goodnight.
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