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Gosh, it's been a couple weeks since I updated my blog. Guess I've been busy with the holiday season...too busy living life to have time to write about it!

The holidays always begin for me on my birthday, December 17th. My friend Betty met me for dinner at Miceli's in Hollywood. Then Heidster came down from the Valley and took me to the movies at the Egyptian. We saw a Jeff Bridges double-feature ("The Door In The Floor" and "The Fisher King"), which included an in-person appearance by Mr. Bridges himself. That was cool!!

Christmas was pleasant in Denver. I abbreviated my usual week-long visit to about 4 days this time. It was the perfect amount of time to be there. Long enough to see everyone and not feel too terribly rushed, but still short enough to avoid boredom or frustration. Always leave them wanting more, right?!

My last few trips home have been so hectic and stressful that I ended up feeling more exhausted after my vacation than before it. I've really been burnt out lately so I felt the need to allow a few days to myself at home in LA, and I'm really glad I made that choice.

Today is a dark, rainy day in Los Angeles. I got out of my tour training obligations this morning (who wants to walk around downtown in a downpour?), so I have the whole day to myself to play with my Christmas toys!

Year End Wrap-up 2005

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that the Michael Jackson trial will be one of the biggest news stories in 2005. We'll have to follow the trial all year and the story will be included in all of the "year-in-review" programs about twelve months from now.

Mark my words.

Electronic Reusable Paper?

Check out the next wave of the future HERE.

Worst Commute Ever

Anyone who lives in L.A. knows the traffic is a bitch sometimes, OK most of the time, but tonight was one of the worst commutes ever.

My commute home from UCLA in Westwood to my apartment near Hollywood is approximately 9 miles and usually takes me 20-30 minutes on surface streets. Tonight that 9 mile drive took (drumroll please) two and a half hours! Yes, TWO AND A HALF FUCKING HOURS!!! That's got to be a new record.

I knew it was going to be bad when I pulled out of the parking lot and saw the left turn lane on to Wilshire all backed up. That's OK because I have an alternative route up Sunset I can take so I tried that. Bad idea. Sunset was even more jammed than Wilshire. After thirty minutes, and having traveled barely a mile from my office, I decided to sit out the rush, so I pulled back into one of the parking structures and took a nap while listening to the radio.

An hour later, I decided to brave it, but the roads hadn't improved. I started home anyway and sat in the car for another hour before finally reaching home. I don't know what caused the huge backup. I never saw an accident or heard any reports on the radio, but it was a mess.

Kim Basinger is a Movie Star

Last week I went to the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood to see Kim Basinger in person for her tribute from the American Cinematheque. The program included screenings of Basinger's newest feature The Door In The Floor, co-starring Jeff Bridges, and L.A. Confidential, for which Miss Basinger won an Oscar for her supporting performance.

Although I've enjoyed her work for years, I've never really considered her a great actress. My opinion hasn't really changed, but I do enjoy her presence on screen and in person she is even more lovely.

I remember first seeing Kim Basinger over twenty years ago in the 1983 film Never Say Never Again, which featured the return of Sean Connery as James Bond. She was a total babe and I quickly developed an adolescent crush on her. Now she is a big movie star and an Oscar winner. Even my students from various countries overseas know who she is.

Basinger arrived at the theater with her own entourage. There was her publicist and an assistant, plus at least two big beefy guys in suits who served as her security guards, as if anyone at the Egyptian would hassle her...it's not that kind of crowd. It was strange to see the security personnel there, and somewhat comical as they shielded her from the movie audience as she entered and exited the theater. (I heard later from a friend who said Basinger has agoraphobia and therefore mistrusts crowds.)

I've seen a lot of famous stars hold court at the Egyptian. They often come to promote their current movie (The Door In The Floor comes out on DVD Dec 14th) or the relive the glory days of a classic film. Never have I seen a star arrive with a security detail. She is a big star in the classic Hollywood sense: strikingly beautiful, somewhat talented, and extremely glamorous.

The Door In The Floor is based on the novel A Widow For One Year by John Irving. It's a decent film focusing on the first third of the book (an oustanding read by the way) and it's a very sad story, full of grief and emotional performances and Miss Basinger held her own with Jeff Bridges, who never ceases to be extremely entertaining.

After the screening, Miss Basinger arrived to discuss the film with the head of the American Cinematheque, who asked leading and pretentious questions as usual. She did a fine job of replying equally pretentiously ("The director told my agent, 'if she fears the role, she'll take the job'"). Then there were a few questions from the audience. Nothing surprising or exceptional. I wanted to ask her about Never Say Never Again, but I was too shy to raise my hand and probably wouldn't have been noticed since I was sitting toward the back of the house.

At the conclusion of the Q&A, Miss Basinger posed for a few publicity photos, then she was whisked away by her security detail through the emergency exits, entourage in tow. Ah, the life of a movie star.

After a short break, the double feature continued with L.A. Confidential, the great film directed by Curtis Hanson (whom I saw two years ago at the DGA), and the role for which Miss Basinger won her coveted Oscar. Ironically, when an audience member asked her about playing that part, Ms B couldn't even remember her character's name. Oh well, easy come easy go.

P.S. I just realized today, Dec 8, is Kim Basinger's birthday. Happy Birthday, Kim!

First Ken, Now Tom?!

As if saying goodbye to Ken Jennings last night on Jeopardy wasn't bad enough, tonight Tom Brokaw gave his last report as the anchor of the NBC Nightly News. God, what is the world coming to??

I always liked Tom. He was a reassuring voice in the worst of circumstances, and he seems to have a keen intellect and respect for history. I must admit I migrated to Peter Jennings (no relation to Ken) a couple of years ago, but I would still flip over to see how Tom was doing now and then. He's like somebody's favorite old uncle who can't pronounce his "L's".

Brokaw's replacement will be Brian Williams, who has been anchoring news programs on cable's MSNBC for some time. He's great -- a wonderful reporter, and a sly sense of humor as well.

Farewell Tom, and let's go Brian!

"He's Out Of My Life"

KEN JENNINGS' REIGN AS 'JEOPARDY' CHAMPION ENDS



I guess it had to happen eventually. As Alex Trebek said at the conclusion of tonight's Jeopardy episode, "All good things must come to an end." Ken Jennings finally lost.

It was Final Jeopardy and Ken had an unusually short lead over his female challenger ($14,000 to $10,000) and Ken didn't come up with the correct answer. The challenger had wagered $4000 and Ken wagered $5000. It was a shocking moment for everyone, especially the challenger who probably never imagined she would unseat the All-Time Top Game Show Cash Winner, who amassed a grand total of over $2,500,000.

What will life be like without Ken? I've become used to seeing him on the show as a regular fixture for the past six months. It's not that I watch Jeopardy that often, but whenever I do happen to flip through the channels and it's on, it's reassuring to see Ken's happy smile and keen intellect. He is a bright guy, no doubt about it.

Now he will go back to his life in Salt Lake City with his wife and child. He said tonight during the show that he will keep his job as a software engineer. He loves his work and his colleagues at the office. First though, he'll likely be enjoying his last few minutes of fame. In fact, tonight Ken appears on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “Nightline.”

So long, Ken. It's been fun watching you win!

Celebrity Fuck Fest

Have you ever wondered about which swear words are most popular with celebrities? Wonder no more! Someone actually made a short film asking them all to recite their favorite curses.

Check it out here.

Sip Your Antioxidants

A surprising winner in the drinkable antioxidants arena is cocoa.

Warming up with hot cocoa will deliver an antioxidant punch that neither red wine nor green tea can beat, according to recent research. Cocoa is rich in phenols, compounds that fight heart disease, aging, and cancer. To keep your fat and calorie intake low, drink it in moderation.

From RealAge.com (http://www.realage.com/news_features/tip.aspx)

U2 rocks!!

Anybody catch U2's performance last night on Saturday Night Live? They were simply amazing. I've enjoyed their music for a long time, even saw them in concert back in high school (remember Joshua Tree?), but I wouldn't call myself a fan as such. However, their live performance on TV last night was nothing short of scintillating.

The band totally rocked the house. How four guys can produce so much sound is beyond me. They seem to create a bubble of sound that expands and soars like a cathedral. Bono is still screaming it out after all these years, and even though he had a few croakers, it didn't matter because it was a live performance, as he even reminded the audience at the end of the broadcast ("This is Saturday Night Live, live, live."), obviously referencing the recent scandal over Ashlee Simpson's embarrassing lip-synching snafu on SNL a few weeks ago. They proved that real superstars have the goods live on stage as well as in the studio.

I think the host of the show was Luke Wilson, who is one my favorites, but nobody was paying much attention to the comedy skits. It was U2's show last night and boy did they deliver. They performed their new hit single "Vertigo" and a slower ballad, "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own", for the second number. But later they returned for a show-closing rendition of "I Will Follow", their classic debut single from 1980 (can you believe it was that long ago?!).

In the last number, Bono and Edge both jumped off the stage and headed towards the crowd. Bono rubbed up against some of the young ladies in the front row (such a rocker) before playing havoc with the TV cameras. I would've hated to be the poor director during all that chaos, but it didn't matter because the band were hot and so was the crowd.

The show's credits rolled during the last chorus of "I Will Follow" and the crowd erupted as Bono screamed "Do you want more?!" and headed back to the stage to meet the Edge and start an extra song. That performance was for the studio audience only, however, since the broadcast ended before the band continued.

I would have loved to have been in that crowd, but I was completely satisfied by the television presentation. It was quite a moment that will definitely go down in television history as a highlight both for the band and for SNL.

The Magic Castle

I had a great and rare opportunity to have dinner at The Magic Castle last weekend with some new friends of mine. The father of one of the girls used to be a member of the club years ago and the maitre d' remembered her and allowed her to make a dinner reservation, even though she herself is not a member.

What a truly magical place it is! The Magic Castle was the Lane Mansion, built in Hollywood in 1908. It's a beautiful Victorian mansion built on a hill. A residence for many years, the mansion was turned into the Magic Castle, a private clubhouse and school for magicians in 1963.

As one enters the club, the doorway seems to be a bookcase, to which you say "Open Sesame" and it slides open, allowing you to enter. The gourmet dinner was quite good, and expensive. I ordered Filet Mignon, medium-rare and it was perfect. After dinner, we made our way upstairs to the Palace of Mystery to see the first magic show. Then we went downstairs to the basement area, called the Inner Circle, to the tiny W.C. Fields bar, where another magic show and comedy routine was going on. (They also had Fields' trick pool table on display.) Finally, we caught the midnight show of traditional magic in The Parlour Theater.

It's a huge building full of posters and pictures of famous magicians who were members of the club. Current members include Siegfried & Roy, David Copperfield, Johnny Carson, and Steve Martin, who got his start in show biz doing magic tricks at Disneyland.

For dinner, we were seated at an intimate table in the corner near a beautiful beveled glass window. During the meal, one of the dinner hosts stopped by to greet us and to inform us that we were at the VIP table which was where Cary Grant always sat when he came for dinner at the Magic Castle. I was so excited to be sitting right where one of my favorite stars used to sit!

Overall, it was a magical and memorable evening. The performances were top-notch, the food delicious, and the ambience unbeatable. If you are ever lucky enough to spend an evening at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, don't hesitate to do it. You will have a wonderful time!

Leonard Maltin

I walked past film critic Leonard Maltin on the street in Westwood this evening. I was headed toward the parking lot to get in my car and go home. He was leaving his car and preparing to enter the popular New York pizza place there. We made brief eye contact. He seemed a little nervous. I just smiled.

50 Elvises can't be wrong!

Just had a funny LA moment on my way to work today. I live a few blocks from CBS Television City and as I was passing, I noticed a large group of people waiting in line outside the entrance gate to the studio lot. This in itself is not unusual because many TV shows are taped there and studio audiences usually wait in line outside until they are brought in.

Well I don't know what these people were waiting for, but it quickly became apparent that they were all dressed like Elvis Presley!! There were probably 50 or more guys all in their white jumpsuits and black bouffants with bushy sideburns and guitars strapped to their backs.

Maybe it was for an audition or something, but it was a pretty funny moment to see a whole bunch of Elvises standing in line together on the sidewalk. Only in LA!!

Tom Hanks is Brilliant

I had forgotten what a talented and versatile actor he really is. It's easy to become jaded when someone becomes such a huge superstar that their persona begins to overshadow the roles they play, but I've been watching Saturday Night Live's "Best of Tom Hanks" episode tonight and it's been great to see Hanks progressing through his career from a young up-and-comer all the to a big movie star.

The variety of the roles he played and his complete and utter commitment to the reality of each character is remarkable. And he's hosted the show 7 times! That's got to be a record. He's so damn funny every time, too!

George W. Bush: Gay or Straight?

I don't get it. GW Bush is always talking about how much he hates gays and how he wants to pass a Constitutional Amendment discriminating against the possibility of gay marriage, yet today he keeps talking about "Man Dates."

"America has given me a man date." "I have a new man date for my second term."

What gives, Dubya?!

Four More Years

Yuck.

Bush will win again

FUCK!!! What's the deal, people??!!

Why God, why??!!

I'm over it.

The whole fuckin' election bullshit. What the hell do most Americans see in Bush? Something familiar? That's all I can assume.

They suck. Anyone with a pulse on the international consciousness knows that Bush is not the guy. If we want to save our country from shame and embarrassment, Bush is not not the guy.

Slap the Candidates

Want to take out some Election Day frustrations?

Visit slapthecandidate.com for some cheap fun!
But hurry, the site goes down at midnight tonight!!

"You're an Asshole!"

Funny song and video: http://filmstripinternational.com/

thanks to flipsycab for passing it along!!

WATER OR COKE?

This is really an eye opener.... Water or Coke? We
all know that water is important, but I've never seen
it written down like this before.

WATER
1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so
weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's
metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger
pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a
University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses
of water a day could significantly ease back and
joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy
short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and
difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a
printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the
risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the
risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less
likely to develop bladder cancer.

And now for the properties of COKE:

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol
carries two gallons of coke in the truck to remove
blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and
it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into
the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one
hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke
removes stains from vitreous China.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub
the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap
aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals:
Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble
away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked
in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into
the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and
bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished,
remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix
with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke
into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run
through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help
loosen grease stains.

9. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.


For Your Info:

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid.
Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4
days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones
and is a major contributor to the rising increase in
osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the
commercial truck must use the Hazardous material
place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of coke have been using it to
clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would you like a coke or a glass
of water?

"The Long Goodbye"

Just finished reading Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye and I wanted to post a few of my favorite quotes from the book. There are so many great lines in any Chandler work, but here are a few gems from this one:

On politics:

"We live in what is called a democracy, rule by the majority of the people. A fine ideal if it could be made to work. The people elect, but the party machines nominate, and the party machines to be effective must spend a great deal of money. Somebody has to give it to them, and that somebody, whether it be an individual, a financial group, a trade union or what have you, expects some consideration in return."

Hard to believe this book was written over fifty years ago! I guess some things never change. OK, how about this one about crime and Los Angeles:

"Out there in the night of a thousand crimes people were dying, being maimed, cut by flying glass, crushed against steering wheels or under heavy tires. People were being beaten, robbed, strangled, raped, and murdered. People were hungry, sick; bored, desperate with loneliness or remorse or fear, angry, cruel, feverish, shaken by sobs. A city no worse than others, a city rich and vigorous and full of pride, a city lost and beaten and full of emptiness."

On law and order:

"Let the law enforcement people do their own dirty work. Let the lawyers work it out. They write the laws for other lawyers to dissect in front of other lawyers called judges so that other judges can say the first judges were wrong and the Supreme Court can say the second lot were wrong. Sure there's such a thing as law. We're up to our necks in it. About all it does is make business for lawyers. How long do you think the big-shot mobsters would last if the lawyers didn't show them how to operate?"

And finally, on American cuisine:

"I went to the drugstore and ate a chicken salad sandwich and drank some coffee. The coffee was overtrained and the sandwich was as full of rich flavor as a piece torn off an old shirt. Americans will eat anything if it is toasted and held together with a couple of toothpicks and has lettuce sticking out of the sides, preferably a little wilted."

Incognito

Check out the 'stache! Mr. Bowie is trying to blend in with the locals these days.



Here he is without the Halloween costume:

"America, fuck yeah!"

Team America: World Police is an hilarious and ballsy new film from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park.

It's probably the only marionette-action-comedy-musical you will see all year. But be warned: there is something in this film to offend absolutely everyone. Check it out!

Elvis is Alive!!

I just saw him standing on the corner by my place as I was driving home from work. As I made the turn from Beverly onto Gardner going north, there was Elvis Costello waiting by the valet parking stand outside the Buddha's Belly restaurant!

At first I couldn't believe it was him -- he looked too much like Elvis Costello (black leather jacket, brightly colored shirt, scruffy beard and glasses) and he was completely by himself. I thought perhaps he was waiting for the valet to bring his car, so I quickly made the block and circled around again to see if it was really him. Sure enough, it was Elvis Costello!

I couldn't believe it. I quickly searched the car for my cell phone to call my friend Heidster, who is one of the world's greatest Elvis Costello fans, but the phone was hidden in my briefcase in the back of the car and I couldn't reach it. I still couldn't get over the fact that Elvis Costello was standing on the street corner one block from my house, so I made the block again to have one final look, and there he was, Elvis Costello, still standing a few feet away from the valet parking stand. He was leaning against the wall, talking or singing to himself. The valets were crowded casually around their stand, so apparently Elvis was not waiting for his car but perhaps for someone to arrive (it was about 7:30pm). I stopped my car and rolled down the window.

"Hey Elvis, do you need a ride?" I asked.
"No, I'm fine, thank you sir," he replied casually in his English Elvis voice.
"You're awesome," I gushed.
"Thank you very much," he said politely before turning his attention back to the spot on the street where whomever he was waiting for was supposed to arrive.

I drove on and made my way up the street to my aparment, but I wish I could've stayed longer to chat with him, though I'd hate to be a nuisance to him. I see celebrities in LA all the time but I rarely have an interest in talking to them. Elvis C. is really cool, though. He's an artist I greatly respect and someone who seems like an interesting guy.

Blonde Football

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had
great seats right behind their team's bench. After the game, he asked her
how she liked the experience.

"Oh, I really liked it," she replied, "especially the tight pants and all
the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing
each other over such a small amount of money."

Dumbfounded, her date asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I saw them flip a coin and one team got it and then for the rest
of the game, all they kept screaming was, 'Get the quarterback! Get the
quarterback!' Hell-OOOH! It's only 25 cents!"

The Ten Commandments: The Musical

(Warning: this review contains spoilers!)

I saw the new Ten Commandments musical last night at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Let’s just say I’m glad my ticket was free.

The show was…an experience. It’s got potential, but it has some big problems as well. The biggest flaw was the dependence on technical effects to propel the story. Some of the effects were clever and effective, while others were disappointing and occasionally humorous when they didn’t work. The story of Moses and the Ten Commandments is supposed to be about human struggle against oppression. The characters and their relationships should make the drama compelling. The pyrotechnics in this production distracted the audience from noticing the glaring gaps in the script. Still, there were plenty of “whoops and hollers” from the mostly tourist audience after each special effect.

Val Kilmer as Moses was passable. He is a fine actor, but he doesn’t have much of a singing voice. He lumbered through the role without much focus. This is not necessarily Mr. Kilmer’s fault. One of the major weaknesses in the script is that Moses has almost nothing to do. For one thing, we never witness his interactions with God. The burning bush is represented but it is almost a background set dressing. We do not hear the voice of God nor witness Moses even acknowledging God’s presence. Moses sings of dedicating his life to a grander cause, but we never saw the reason why Moses was so transformed. Later when he returns from the mountain with the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments, it seems almost an afterthought. We never knew that Moses had left the group or why he chose to disappear while the hot, young chorus people were writhing around on stage performing simulated sex in front of the golden calf. Moses arrives as if he is late to the party and nobody will acknowledge him, nor the two tablets he carries, so he throws them to the ground in a fit of jealous anger. The tenderest moment of the performance follows, as a young child picks up the Styrofoam tablets (they seemed very light) and reads/sings the list of Commandments in a lovely boy soprano voice.

The play assumes the audience is already extremely familiar with the details of the Biblical story. Most of the characters are never referred to by name, except Moses and Ramses. Moses and Ramses have several powerful duet scenes, but Val Kilmer’s sleepy baritone was no match for the awesome vocal prowess of Kevin Early as Ramses. Moses is supported in his crusade by Aaron, Miriam, and Joshua (all of whom were excellent singers and dancers) but the audience is never clearly introduced to them, nor is it explained how and why they came to be involved in Moses mission. Someone who wasn’t intimately familiar with the story would have trouble following along.

The music was written by Patrick Leonard, who has had an interesting career writing and producing for many big name stars besides working in his own bands. I happen to enjoy Mr. Leonard’s sound, but I am not sure it is the most appropriate style for musical theater. His compositions tend toward airy melodies and rich textures that wash over the listener. There are few standout melodies. Some of the songs in The Ten Commandments were lovely and effective; other numbers were not so good, and some were downright awful.

The sets and costumes were attractive and well done. The set pieces resembled large sandstone brick walls with hieroglyphs and other Egyptian iconography painted and carved on them. There were several sections of the stage floor that rose up to create large block platforms, and other sections of the floor with trap doors that opened to reveal actors climbing in and out of them.

The most effective element of the set design was the use of video projection screens on either side of the stage and at the rear center backdrop. Images of Egyptian temples with flaming torches, the flowing waters of the river Nile, and the shifting desert sands under the moonlight added a nice cinematic touch. The entire plague sequence was handled with mixed results by the video screens and lighting projections. But again, the script did not allow time for the drama of the plagues to unfold. Moses never announces the plagues, they just start happening, and the whole series of plagues is over in less than five minutes! The plagues also depended on sound effects such as the buzzing of locusts. The biggest disappointment was the parting of the Red Sea, which featured wavy glass panels, representing the water, lowered to the stage and surrounded by lots of fog. It was pretty lame and the actors knew they looked silly.

Overall the sound design was very effective. It was the first time I experienced surround sound in a musical theater production. The rear house speakers often carried sound effects like the swirling desert winds, the plague of buzzing locusts, or the rippling waters of the Nile. This was another cinematic effect that worked well.

As a venue, the Kodak Theater, the new home of the Oscars, is beautiful. I sat in the upper balcony during the first half of the show, but moved down to the orchestra section for the second act (the house was only half full). For Act Two, I sat right behind the sound and lighting booth, which had the largest sound mixing board I have ever seen: three boards in all, complete with several notebook computers and display monitors, including the closed-circuit video image of the conductor displayed on one of the computer screens. Two technicians stood behind the soundboard but they did almost nothing during the show. No doubt every lighting and sound cue is preprogrammed for this production. The band was tucked away somewhere out of the sight, probably under the stage. They appeared on the large video screens for the curtain call. All the lobby areas on each floor of the theater feature grand staircases and huge pictures of past Oscar winners mounted on the walls. It was a lot of fun to walk around admiring the images of many famous stars past and present.

I can’t vouch for the future of The Ten Commandments, the musical. It’s definitely a tall order to pull off, but the writing and technical flaws were almost overcome by a dynamic and talented (not to mention gorgeous) group of young singers and dancers. This could end up being a smaller touring production. I know first hand how much the people of America’s heartland eat up religious-themed performances. I went on the road with Jesus; maybe soon this company will be out on the road with Moses.

'Superman' is dead.

MSNBC - 'Superman' star Christopher Reeve dies at 52

Who won the second presidential debate?

According to CNN's online poll, as of 12:26 AM:

President Bush 20% 71959 votes

John Kerry 77% 270969 votes

Evenly matched 2% 8173 votes

Total: 351101 votes

I'm surprised the margin was so sharply divided. I guess a lot of Kerry supporters must have voted because the general consensus from the TV pundits was that the debate was a tie. The ABC viewer's poll favored Kerry by a slim three point margin, 44% to Bush's 41%.

The Fog

It has been SO foggy here in Los Angeles the past two nights. I woke up last night around 4 AM to let the cat in and I could barely see the houses across the street, the fog was so thick. It's almost as bad again tonight.

It reminds me of my first summer here in California. I lived in Santa Maria, on the Central Coast, and it was often foggy in the evenings because we were close to the shoreline. It's common to have foggy beaches here in SoCal, but it's rare to have the fog travel as far inland as Hollywood. I love it!

Red Line Tours

Here I am, Scott Hollywood, your personal tour guide to the history behind-the-scenes in "glamorous" Hollywood, California -- home of the stars!

Actually, it's funny to be working in a small family business again after many years in the corporate world and in academia. I had forgotten that small-business employees work as long as there's an opportunity to earn income. Even if you don't get paid, you work. The store stays open as long as there are customers coming in. I finished my last tour an hour ago and I've tried to close up twice since then, but potential customers kept coming in to browse through our giftware and Hollywood memorabilia. So, I let them in an encourage them to take their time shopping. It's not like K-Mart, where you kick everybody out at closing time.

OK, my last group of customers just left. They didn't buy anything. It's just as well, though, since I'm not sure how to conduct a retail transaction yet! I better learn soon though since I'll be on my own for most of this weekend. The boss is on his way to Vancouver for a weekend anniversary celebration, and the other boss will be giving tours downtown at our other location.

So Mr. Scott Hollywood, opportunity knocks: you are in charge of holding down the fort!

Fucking Blogger

OK, so if you look below you'll see two posts about the opera I saw on Saturday. I went to blog about it, but I kept getting an error message when posting. I thought my data was lost so I recreated it (as close as I could recall) and tried to post again. Same error message!

"Fucking Blogger!" I thought to myself, and I turned off the computer in disgust, figuring all my efforts had been wasted. Now I see both my posts were indeed posted. Geez Blogger, I guess I take back all those nasty things I said about you. But what the f*&#, man?!

Therefore, dear readers, you can see the before and after and choose which entry you like the best. I'm too indecisive to delete one of them since I like qualities about both of them. Plus I was influenced by Kerouac's holy "first-word-is-best-word" approach to writing so I would cancel the second entry but I'm not exactly sure which one came first!

Oh well. Fucking Blogger.

Mount St. Helens Cam

Follow the link below for a live shot when she blows.

Johnston Ridge Observatory Webcam Loop

Opera is cool

Went to the LA Opera yesterday thanks to my cohort Alia, who had a free ticket she didn't want. Ariadne auf Naxos was the production and it was a wonderful send-up of opera and the courtly snobs who claim to appreciate it.

The music of Richard Strauss (Also Sprach Zarathustra, Der Rosenkavalier) always intrigues me for its melodic and modern qualities. This new production was directed by William Friedman, the film director who made The Exorcist and won an Oscar for The French Connection. He did a great job. The stand-out peformer was Laura Claycomb as Zerbinetta. She combined an hilarious sense of physical comedy with a gorgeously controlled soprano voice. She stole the show!

Opera is cool. I hope I can go again soon.

Opera is cool

Went to the LA Opera yesterday thanks to my cohort Alia, who had a free ticket she didn't want. Ariadne auf Naxos is an hilarious send-up of opera, both serious and comedic. Kind of a Noises Off scenario.

The music of Richard Strauss (Also Sprach Zarathustra, Der Rosenkavalier) always catches my attention for its melodic modernity. This new production was directed by filmmaker William Friedkin, who made The Exorcist and won an Oscar for The French Connection. Laura Claycomb as Zerbinetta had the crowd in the palm of her hand. She was definitely the highlight of the performance.

It was a wonderful show!

Which Rocky Horror Picture Show Character Are You?

I'm Brad Majors, which is no surprise since I played Brad on stage in Denver!!

Which Rocky Horror Picture Show character are you? Brad Majors A Hero

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

IncrediblyX: My Disasters with Internet Dating

IncrediblyX strikes again. This guy is funny -- check him out.

IncrediblyX: My Disasters with Internet Dating

Growing Pains

The whole planet is going through growing pains right now. We're experiencing a shift in the axis, so to speak. The calendar has symbolically advanced, cultural development and integration are progressing, dependence on technology increases, and the generations are evolving as the children of the Baby Boomers stand poised and eager to assume control.

Even mother Earth is demonstrating her own growing pains as she enters a period of warming and violent exchange of energy between hemispheres.

Real Time with Bill Maher

If you have HBO or any friends with HBO, check out this guy's show. He absolutely tells it like it is, with no sense of political correctness or mincing words. And amazingly his guests follow suit.

Unfortunately this show is only on HBO, so people have to pay to get this information and perspective. Sadly, the people who really need to hear what Bill Maher is saying are the people who can't afford it.

IncrediblyX

If you guys haven't checked out this guy's blog yet, do it.

"the situation in IRAQ looks hopeless as the US Marines are trying to secure key cities to protect the Iraq elections from terrorism. "

--
Posted by IncrediblyX to Scottydude at 9/24/2004 01:05:35 PM

Brother Ray

The late great Ray Charles was born on this date in 1930. Today would have been his 74th birthday.

Happy Birthday, Ray!

PS: Ray Charles' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is right outside the office of my new Red Line Tours job.

IncrediblyX: Friend in IRAQ

If you want to get an idea of a young marine's perspective on living and serving in Iraq follow the link below to a transcript of a live text chat conversation between a couple of men in uniform. It's heartbreaking.

IncrediblyX: Friend in IRAQ

Cat Stevens diverts plane

Well, he didn't exactly divert the plane himself, but the U.S. Transportation Security Administration ordered the flight he was on board from London to make an unscheduled landing in Bangor, Maine because his Muslim name appeared on a government "watch list." The authorities took him off the plane and planned to deport him back to England. Perhaps they were afraid he might crash his guitar into a building.

Dear God, please stop the insanity and smite all of humanity!! We are truly not worthy of living.

CNN.com - Cat Stevens diverts plane - Sep 22, 2004

I'm Lovin' It

I've wondered for a while if McDonald's doesn't put some chemical in their burgers that makes them addictive. I eat McDonald's about once every six months so it's not like I'm a regular customer, but occasionally I crave a McDonald's burger and fries.

Yesterday I had a McD's "Big N' Tasty" burger for dinner. Today I again ate a "Big N' Tasty burger from McDonald's even though I wasn't particularly hungry. I had already eaten lunch two hours earlier. I only went in for a coke, then thought maybe some fries would be a nice snack, and by the time I waited in line to get to the cashier I ordered a number 6 with cheese value meal!

Now it's about four hours later and I'm starting to get hungry again....and you know what sounds good?

Maybe I should see that movie Super Size Me so I can snap out of it.

1970: Death Of A Legend

And on this date, September 18, 1970, Jimi Hendrix collapsed and died suddenly at a London party. Although Hendrix was reported to have consumed 9 sleeping pills, the coroner's verdict on the cause of death was inconclusive. Jimi Hendrix was 27 years old.

Start Swimming

Saw an amazing report on BBC News today. Scientists have been drilling sediment cores from beneath the Arctic Ocean. They are researching how long the Arctic sea ice, now melting, has lasted.

Turns out the North Pole once enjoyed a sub-tropical "Mediterranean" climate about 55 million years ago. The water temperature was closer to 70 degrees Fahrenheit than the below-freezing temperatures there now.

This time period "was characterized by an extremely warm climate that created a natural greenhouse effect, which caused massive amounts of carbon to be deposited in both sea and air," the article states. This caused a huge die-off of many species of plants and animals. Only the strongest organisms were able to survive.

It seems obvious now that the global warming phenomenon is something that occurs on planet Earth from time to time. There is a warm period, followed by a cooling period. We're beginning another warm cycle now.

Hope you packed your water wings, everyone!

Movie Money

On this date, September 18, in 1975, Steven Spielberg's film Jaws became the first movie to gross over $100 million.

Consider today, almost 30 years later, that most Hollywood movies that don't make $100 million are considered bombs, while many blockbusters clear $100-mil on their opening weekend.

Dashiell Hammett

What the hell kind of name is "Dashiell Hammett"? Those are two names and I've never heard either one of them before. "Hammett" I'll forgive because it's a family name and there are a lot of strange family names out there. But "Dashiell"? Give me a break! What sick bastard would name his kid "Dashiell"? What did they call him around the house, "Dash"? Poor kid must have got his ass kicked every day at school.

Dawn of the Maya

Saw a really cool National Geographic program tonight about the ancient Maya culture. The height of the Maya culture was previously believed to have occurred between 250 and 900 A.D. However, archeologists have recently discovered a much older Mayan civilization in the central Yucatan which dates back a thousand years earlier than any previously known record of Mayan culture.

This earlier Mayan civilization was in a period called the pre-classic, which most scientists regard as a primitive time. But this new discovery has shed light on a thriving metropolitan society with a network of large cities and advanced developments in industry, commerce, the arts, science, language, and architecture. This was a vast and complex society that was already flourishing before the time of Christ, then suffered a collapse and went through a great resurgence, all before the Europeans arrived.

The pre-classic Mayan culture had a well-established cosmology and an early form of hieroglyphic writing style which researchers are still trying to decipher. Archaeologists are also digging in hopes of finding the tombs of an early dynasty of Mayan kings. These kings established significant empires and infrastructure. They built grand cities and temples, with pyramids large enough to rival the great pyramids of Egypt.

Yet somehow this society collapsed and their cities were reclaimed by the jungle. The current theory is that the increasing demand for construction materials led to deforestation of the surrounding jungles. The resulting loss of natural resources led to famine and the empire was lost.

A thousand years later, the Maya society had resurged into a great modern civilization until the Spanish conquest in the early 1500s. To compel the conversion of the "natives" to Christianity, the Spanish colonial friars ordered the destruction of all idols and rituals related to Mayan spirituality. The great Mayan culture was lost again.

Diamond Dog Days Of Summer

Fun party downtown last night with my BowieNet friends. Say what you will, I like downtown LA. Got away with WAY too much liquor, amongst other intoxicants.

Here's a snap of me striking a pose with my pals Benny and Frank (and some breadsticks).



"Shaken, not stirred, baby!"

New Planet Photographed

That's right. We now have what astronomers believe to be the first image of a planet outside our solar system.



"The red object appears to be a planet orbiting the brighter (but still relatively dim) brown dwarf star, seen here as blue-white. Credit: ESO/VLT" [Space.com]

The possible planet is relatively young (or at least it was when the light we now see was first emitted toward Earth; the object is 230 light-years away), and it is five times the size of Jupiter. It also has water in its atmosphere, which negates the possibility that it may instead be a star.

Did you know there are already more than 120 known planets outside our solar system? The trouble is we haven't been able to see them directly until now. Because planets are so dim relative to stars, it is hard for telescopes to spot them.

"The more things change, ..."

Here's a great 50-year-old quote I heard this morning:

"This 'country-right-or-wrong' business is getting a little out of date. Today we’re fighting Communism. OK. If I’d been alive fifty years ago, the brand of conservatism we have today would have been damn near called Communism and we should have been told to go and fight that. History is moving along pretty quickly these days, and the heroes and villains keep changing parts."

-- from Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, the first James Bond novel, published in 1953.

Now read the passage again but substitute the word "Communism" with "terrorism" and see what happens. Nothing.

New Template

I suddenly got tired of seeing my words in the same old format -- maybe it was after realizing I've been blogging more than a year -- so I changed the template.

Lesson learned: make a backup copy of your old template before choosing a new template. I didn't do that and now I've lost all the comments left here because my old template didn't offer a comment function. I used Haloscan for that.

Oh well, live and learn. Let me know what you think of the changes.

1000 Lives

How many young lives must be wasted before old men realize they understand nothing?

So Clinton Made It (Up)

He's resting in serious condition in the hospital.

From The New York Times:

"Mr. Clinton will almost certainly be sidelined for the much of the final stages of the presidential election campaign, unable to keep a heavy schedule of travel to stump for the Democratic nominee, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts."

Oh too bad, Kerry. I'm sure Mrs. Clinton is very upset about that.

After all, former President Bill Clinton is "a cigar-smoking workaholic whose family history of heart disease and passion for junk food had set him up for a heart attack in the near future...."

The New York Times

Bush vs. Kerry

I'm sad to say that G.W. is almost a shoe-in at this point for the next four years as president. I absolutely despise the guy and everything he stands for, particularly his insertion of conservative Christianity into a government that is supposed to have separation between church and state.

Dubya has his fans (mostly in the central and southern states) and they ardently adore him, but I'm not convinced that most Americans are that in love with him. It's just that there is no viable alternative. In my view, anyone but Bush is the guy to vote for, but John Kerry does not have the charisma, the leadership qualities, or (most importantly) the "likeability" factor that Americans crave in their Presidents.

As usual, the moderate majority, left with no compelling choices (and more concerned with paying the mortgage and raising their kids than with politics), will eschew the polls on election day and let the elite decide (as they typically do).

Bush seems like a buffoon to most of us, but he has an uncanny folksiness about him that middle America just eats up. Barring some catastrophic event or scandalous revelation that alters the playing field, George W. Bush will be the next President of the United States.

HOT!!!

Today is the hottest it's been in Los Angeles for a long, long time. The DJ on KCRW just said it's almost 100 degrees in Santa Monica...and that's by the beach! It's never that hot in Santa Monica; in fact, most people from the city go to Santa Monica to escape the heat.

Right now, according to weather.com the temperature in my area is 98 degrees. I've had my air conditioning on all day. It was hot when I woke up this morning at eight o'clock and it's forecasted to stay hot all night. Ugh.

Garden State

This is a really cool movie. Funny, sad, thoughtful, romantic...it's got everything and it's well done, too. (Not to mention a very good soundtrack)

Go see it!!

Why are you still here? I told you to go see the movie already. OK, maybe you want to know what it's about? Here's a brief synopsis from the writer/director/star himself:

"What Garden State's really about is how short life is. And how we get caught up in so many entanglements and insecurities and worries and obsessions and trivial arguments while life races right by us shaking it's head at how seriously we take ourselves. Keep in mind that the sun's gonna burn out in about a million years and truly nothing will have mattered."

"Elvis has left the building."

from The New Zealand Herald:

Al Dvorin, famous for using the phrase "Elvis has left the building" at the end of the singer's shows, has died.

Dvorin died in a car accident as he and well-known Elvis photographer Ed Bonja drove from Palm Springs to Las Vegas.

He was thrown from the car and died at the scene, Elvis.com said.

Though details of the accident were not clear, it seemed Dvorin was adjusting his seat belt or had dropped something, and that Bonja reached over to assist and lost control of the car, the website added.

Earlier in the day, Mr Dvorin - aged 81 - had appeared at the Trump 29 Casino in Coachella, California, with Elvis impersonator Paul Casey, The Melbourne Herald Sun reported.

His catch-phrase was used by other announcers at Elvis shows, but Dvorin made it his own.

Flipsycab, please blog again!

The world needs your witty comments and observations. OK, maybe not the whole world but at least one or two of us would find it amusing.

Film Composers

We often hear about our favorite movie stars passing away, but only occasionally do we hear about the loss of film composers. The last month has seen the passing of three of the greatest film composers of all time.

Elmer Bernstein died last Wednesday the 18th at age 82. Bernstein composed the scores for over 250 films and television shows. He had so many classic themes that everyone recognizes immediately, The Magnificent Seven being perhaps the most famous.

Bernstein first gained recognition for incorporating jazz elements into his scores for such films as The Man With The Golden Arm and The Sweet Smell Of Success, but he was also known for creating melodic themes for sweeping epics such as The Ten Commandments and The Great Escape. He could also create tender, intimate scores for films such as To Kill A Mocking Bird, The Birdman Of Alcatraz and Hud.

Bernstein also created memorable TV themes such as for the National Geographic Specials and Gunsmoke. After the success of The Magnificent Seven, he was enlisted to compose for many westerns, often starring John Wayne, including The Sons Of Katie Elder, True Grit, and The Shootist.

Late in his career, Bernstein composed themes for a number of now-classic comedies, including Meatballs, The Blues Brothers, Caddyshack, Trading Places, and Ghostbusters. He also composed the mysterious incidental music for Michael Jackson’s Thriller video.

Elmer Bernstein was nominated for Oscar awards 14 times, but won only once, ironically for Thoroughly Modern Millie, which was mostly an adaptation of music from other composers.

(National Public Radio had a nice retrospective.)

David Raksin is not a name most people recognize, but you have surely heard his music before. Raksin began his career in the mid-1930s, the golden age of film music, and he composed for such memorable films as The Bad And The Beautiful, Suddenly, and Pat and Mike. His most famous theme, however, will always be 1944’s Laura.

David Raksin died August 9 of heart failure. He was 92.

Jerry Goldsmith, who passed away July 22 at age 75, was one of my favorite film composers. The prolific Goldsmith composed over 300 scores for film and television and it is hard to underestimate his influence on the industry. There are no words fit to describe the profound impact of Mr. Goldsmith’s work, so I’ll simply offer a summary list highlighting his credits and let you “ooh” and “ah” for yourself.

Television: The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, Perry Mason, Raw Hide, Dr. Kildare, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, The Waltons, Barnaby Jones, Police Story, Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and many more.

Movies: Lonely Are The Brave, Lilies Of The Field, The List Of Adrian Messenger, Seven Days In May, Von Ryan’s Express, A Patch Of Blue, In Harm’s Way, Agony And The Ecstasy, The Sand Pebbles, Seconds, Our Man Flint, Bandolero!, Patton, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Papillon, Chinatown, The Wind And The Lion, Logan’s Run, The Omen, Islands In The Stream, Coma, Capricorn One, The Boys From Brazil, Magic, Alien, Outland, Poltergeist, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Under Fire, The Secret Of Nimh, First Blood (Rambo), Gremlins, Legend, Hoosiers, Innerspace, Rent-A-Cop, Wall Street, Total Recall, Medicine Man, Basic Instinct, Six Degrees Of Separation, Rudy, L.A. Confidential, Air Force One, Mulan, The Mummy, and on and on and on…

He also wrote the “Fanfare for Oscar” for The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (we hear it every Oscars broadcast) and the fanfare Universal Pictures, which we hear when we see the spinning globe before their movies.

My favorite score of Mr. Goldsmith’s, besides Alien and Poltergeist, has to be his most revered classic, Planet Of The Apes. Ask any young musician writing for films today and they will surely tell you that Planet Of The Apes was one of the films that inspired them to become a composer. Goldsmith broke all the rules by creating a 12-tone soundscape with non-traditional percussion (beating on pots and pans!) to evoke an odd, primitive view of an alien world. For freaky, spine-chilling effect, it simply hasn’t been topped.

Jerry Goldsmith was nominated for Oscars 17 times, and won only once, for The Omen.

(NPR also had an appreciation for Jerry Goldsmith, and you can hear the Main Title for Planet Of The Apes here.)

Sleepy

Yours truly was in bed by 11:30 last night, Friday night!! I got back from the movies with Heidster (In A Lonely Place, starring Humphrey Bogart) and I had already started dozing during the movie, not an unusual practice of mine.

Got home and didn't even turn on the lights. Just went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and went to bed. After a full eight hours of sleep, I woke up to start teaching my English lessons online.

Then this afternoon I felt sleepy and took a two-hour nap. I was so tired I slept right through my last lesson. Oops!

It's ironic that I often go to bed early on the weekends considering I almost never make it to bed before midnight during the work week. Between cooking dinner, doing laundry, and finishing my homework (teachers always have more homework than students), it's not unusual for me to turn out the lights after one o'clock or later. The six o'clock alarm follows shortly and I'm up-and-at-'em for another round.

Can you trust the media?

One of my favorite things to do if I have the time is to watch the national evening news. I especially love flipping between channels to see each network's interpretation of current events.

Tonight, there was a major story about Sport Utility Vehicle safety and a new report issued by the government. I am not kidding when I tell you that ABC and CBS had exactly opposite viewpoints on the same story.

CBS News reported that new crash statistics indicate that SUV deaths were slightly higher than those of ordinary cars, but that since there are almost five times more cars on the road than SUVs, many more people are killed in cars than in SUVs. Also, significantly, CBS suggested that older SUVs had a much higher rate of fatalities than newer SUVs, which have advanced safety technology.

Two minutes later, I saw the same story covered on ABC. ABC completely contradicted CBS's version of the story. ABC said that SUVs were far more dangerous than cars because they have a higher rollover rate, and that SUV drivers who claim they feel safer in the bigger vehicles have a false sense of security. ABC also explicitly said there was no statistical difference in crash ratings between older and newer SUVs!!

Who do you believe?

L.A.P.D.

Had a scary experience as I was heading out yesterday. It was about mid-day so I figured I'd take Melrose east to Highland for a change. I don't usually take Melrose since the traffic can be bad, but since it was early in the day on a Friday I figured I'd give it a shot. Traffic wasn't so bad, but I only got a few blocks before I could see the flashing lights of a black and white approaching from the opposite direction.

Cars were starting to pull to the right side of the road and I followed suit. But as the cop car got closer it did a surprising thing. Instead of flying past me and the other stopped cars, it suddenly pulled right in front of us and blocked traffic. Two officers quickly jumped out of the car, guns drawn, and moved to the sidewalk in front of a closed store front. I could see that the security gate in front of the store was pulled open slightly and the cops leaned against the building's wall peering around into the store. One officer had a shot gun and the other was holding a .45.

Well, you can imagine the sudden terror this created for those of us sitting in our cars as well as some unlucky pedestrians who happened to be passing by just as the cops arrived. Everyone started to scatter and luckily with traffic stopped, those of us parked in front of the store could quickly make a U-turn in the middle of the block before the opposing traffic began to proceed. As I turned off on a side street to continue my journey north, I heard and then saw a police helicopter flying overhead.

I don't know if anything came of that episode. I'm assuming it was the store alarm which alerted the police. One thing I do know: if bullets had started flying, yours truly and about a dozen other people would have been in the direct line of fire.

I love L.A.

Class Blog

This was a good idea. I think the students liked it. I made a blog for my class and made students all members. They first posted on their own about any topic they chose; then I asked them to read some other posts and make comments.

Then we looked at some other blogs on the net and saw the variety of blogs out there.

Finally, I put them in groups and had them find a cool item for sale online and post a link on the blog.

Lots of language interaction and fun as well.

Fucking Blogger!!

I hate it when I spend an hour composing a new blog entry, editing carefully and adding links and pictures so it's just right, then I try to publish the post but Blogger is unavailable at that moment so all my data is lost! Good times.

"Lost Horizon" ~ The Musical!

That's right; there's a musical version of the James Hilton novel Lost Horizon. Most people remember Frank Capra's classic version from 1937. But did you ever see the 1973 musical version featuring music and lyrics by none other than Burt Bacharach and Hal David?! It sounds too ridiculous to be true, doesn't it?

This is an example of how lots of money, a great cast of actors, and an excellent production team, can occasionally misfire. The film isn't terrible; in fact, it's quite entertaining. But it shifts between serious drama and campy musical numbers, and the inconsistency is unsettling.

The story begins in an eastern Asian country in the middle of a civil war. Peter Finch stars as a famous U.N. diplomat trying to mediate between warring factions. He and his journalist brother, played by Michael York, are kidnapped on a hijacked airplane along with an eclectic group of others, including George Kennedy, Sally Kellerman, and song-and-dance man Bobby Van. The plane crash-lands high in the snowy Himalayas and the group is rescued by some nomadic lamas who take the strangers to the mystical land of Shangri-La.

That describes the first 45 minutes of the film and it is quite gripping drama. Then we get to Shangri-La and the silliness begins, starting with Sir John Gielgud dressed in Asian makeup and attire as the town elder "Chang." Oh boy. Gielgud is accompanied by residents Liv Ullman, Olivia Hussey, and (believe it or not) Charles Boyer as the elderly High Lama.

Our visitors are enchanted by the peaceful utopian society of Shangri-La, but they are also torn between their desires to return to the 'real' world. Add a few bright costumes by Jean Louis, extremely fey choreography by Hermes Pan, and juvenile bubble gum pop songs by Bacharach and David and you've got a doomed classic on your hands!

There was certainly no lack of talent involved. The beautiful photography was handled by legend Robert Surtees and the entire show was produced by Ross Hunter. This was a scenario in which an older generation of Hollywood royalty was passing the torch to the younger generation. Somebody dropped the torch.

BUT, the charming Michael York did make a personal appearance last night at the Egyptian Theatre and he kindly sat for a Q & A session.

This film has not been released on video (yet) but if you ever get a chance to see it, don't miss it! You will enjoy the drama, you will laugh at the film and with the film, and you will cringe to hear Peter Finch singing a love duet with Liv Ullman!

In the meantime, some kind soul has posted screen shots of the whole film here so you can get a feeling for the odd look of the film if you like.


Peter Finch and John Gielgud (in his 'tea cozy' hat)

"Fahrenheit 9/11"

See this movie! It's entertaining, it's informative, it's provocative, and it's funny. Michael Moore does it again after his huge success with Bowling For Columbine. I actually think Columbine had more big laughs, although there were plenty of serious moments as well. 9/11 had its humorous moments too, but they were more nervous laughter, or laughter of disbelief, like: "I can't believe these guys are such crooks and they're not even trying to hide it or deny it and nobody's doing anything about it. Ha ha."

Chances are Bush will not be re-elected (hope, hope), but if everyone could see this movie, not only would Bush lose the election, he'd probably lose his freedom, if not his very life. He should be dropped in a deep dark pit with all the rest of his fuck-buddies, and a big pile of cement poured on top of them. Public execution is too good for these villains. These are despicable, ruthless, selfish animals. They don't even deserve to be called 'human beings.'

Pilate to Co-Pilate*


Dennen and Dude

I met Barry Dennen tonight. He attended the screening of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and he did a short Q&A session after the film.

The film looked amazing. It was so great to see it on the big screen. Ted and Carl were gorgeous, as was the scenery of Israel. Not since Lawrence Of Arabia have I seen such sweeping vistas of deserts and canyons. So powerful. And the music and lyrics in that show are just top notch. Nothing matches it as far as I'm concerned.



After the beautiful final shot of the shepherd tending his sheep below the silhouetted cross at sunset, the credits rolled in silence. The house lights came up and Barry Dennen approached the front of the theater to warm applause. He's smaller than I realized and now grey-headed and bald on top. I also didn't know he is American! He sang/spoke with a perfect English accent in the film. He lived in England for a long time and is still well known there, much more than here in the States.

Mr. Dennen told us the story of how he got involved in the show. He was doing Cabaret in London with Judy Dench when he met Murray Head through an agent. Murray and Barry became friends and worked on some projects together. About that time, Murray told Barry that a couple of acquaintances were working on a new rock opera called "Jesus Christ" and would he like to get involved with it? Barry went to the studio to meet Andrew and Tim and they played the half dozen songs they had finished so far. Barry loved the music and gladly joined the project. He had a close connection with the show as it progressed from the concept album to the Broadway stage and then the film. In fact, it was he who insisted director Norman Jewison test Ted and Carl for the leads. They had both assumed the roles on Broadway but Jewison hadn't seen either of them before.


"Judas, must you betray me with a kiss?" -- from the 1973 film (above) and the 1993 reunion tour (below).


Dennen has performed the role of Pilate several times on stage since then, and he's kept a busy career of film and TV work over the years. Most recently he joined the current touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar in the role of Herod, and I can imagine what a delightful interpretation he must give.

A short while ago he wrote a book about his early romance with Barbra Streisand. They met in New York in 1960 when they were both struggling young actors working on a terrible play. Barbra wanted to be a serious actress but when Barry heard her sing he told her she had to be a singer. Barbra wasn't really interested but Barry convinced her to give it a try and he directed her first nightclub appearances. They also became lovers during this period and they lived together for about a year in New York. Barbra became a huge superstar shortly thereafter.


A jolly fellow, Barry Dennen today.

After Mr. Dennen made his comments I stepped up to greet him and introduce myself. I told him I had performed the role of Pilate in the last reunion tour with Ted and Carl. "Did you love it?" he asked cheerfully. By then a small crowd had gathered around us and a woman pointed to me and said, "You were wonderful, Scott! I saw the show several times." That was nice to be recognized.

Barry said that he had loved working with Carl on the most recent JCS tour, but that it was terribly sad to see Carl get sick and have to leave the show. "It was so difficult for everyone in the cast," he said. "We watched him die right in front of us."


Carl Anderson, 27 February 1945 -- 23 February 2004


Barry Dennen has a wonderful website with a lot of great stories and information. Some of the pictures in this blog came from his site.


Ted Neeley and Barry Dennen as 'Pilate and Christ' in the 1973 film. Below, Ted Neeley and yours truly on stage 25 years later.


*Special thanks to Heidster for the title. If only we'd taken a picture!

Bowie is back after heart surgery. 

It's certainly good news for all Bowie fans that the man was spotted shopping in New York's Chinatown today.  Bowie stopped to greet fans and well-wishers and even chatted with a few neighborhood police officers.  He also took a moment to observe some Chinese men playing mah jong in the park.

Going semi-incognito for his first public appearance after emergency heart surgery last month, Bowie was dressed casually in jeans, t-shirt, and cowboy hat.  He's also sporting a new moustache and mutton chops!  Kind of a Neil Young look going....



Click on Bowie's hat if you'd like to see a few more pics!

Jeopardrink!: The KenJen Edition

Just read a very funny blog by surfergirl, who writes for Slate magazine online.  Seems there's been a competition to create a Jeopardy! drinking game and the winner has been chosen.  It's a takeoff of the "Hi Bob!" game based around the Bob Newhart shows, though Jeopardrink! has a little more structure and player-interaction considering it's based on a well-established TV game show.

And to add even more intrigue to the high-stakes brinksmanship thrilling viewers so far: "There are only four games remaining until the season ender this Friday, when we find out whether KenJen will make the jump to come back as next season's returning champion."

The suspense is killing me....

"Stop the Insanity!"

I've been irritated for months about the whole stupid 'low-carb' diet phenomenon, which is just a bunch of crap.  It's just another marketing trend that has taken off incredibly, and to absurd proportions.  I've been joking for weeks that early next year doctors will reverse themselves (as they always do) and discover the nutritional value of a high-carbohydrate diet.  Then all the restaurants and food companies will advertise the 'high-carb' diet and all will be well with the world.  Whatever.

My friend Stennie turned me on to an hilarious rant on a blog called Tomato Nation.  It's a bit long, but worth the effort.

We Americans must be the laughing stock of the world; and if we're not, we should be!

Wanderlust

All my life I've had an unquenchable desire for knowledge and travel.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe I inherited it from my maternal grandfather who moved his family dozens of times around northern Texas when my Mom was a child.  It was this burning desire that led to my sojourns to Japan in the mid-1990s, and my two-year adventures on tour with Jesus Christ Superstar.

Since coming to LA in 1997, I haven't had quite the same lust for travel as in my youth.  Not sure why; perhaps life in southern California is unsettling enough on its own.  Now, however, I feel the pangs of discovery beating in my heart again.  It's only a dream at this point, but god I'd love to be able to explore more of planet Earth while I'm still here.

As a teacher of English to international students, I've met students from all over the world, including thousands of Taiwan Chinese.  But I've never had more than a passing curiosity in China and Taiwan.  My interests always belonged to Japan.  That has now changed. 

I saw an amazing episode of Globetrekker tonight about Hong Kong and Taiwan.  I sat there awe-struck for the full hour.  I had no idea there was so much beauty and diversity in that part of the world.  When I think of China, I think of Communism, oppression, poverty, and most of all, crowds.  Those things are probably true, but I didn't realize how much great beauty there is, both natural and man-made.  China has evolved tremendously in the past decade or so into a burgeoning global power.  There is a tangible sense of optimism and joy from the modern Chinese people that is quite infectious (much like America must have been about a hundred years ago).  I see it in my students, whose English improves with each new group that arrives, and I saw it on this television program in the attitudes of the Chinese people, their unprecedented emphasis on development and construction, and their connection and respect for the historical past.

As the Chinese economy continues to modernize and expand, so does their culture and their influence in the world.  A wise person once said, "What comes around, goes around."  China once had the greatest empire in the world.  I have no doubt that in the 21st century they are well on their way to reclaiming that title.

Ken Jennings


Alex and Ken: Together Forever? 

Surely you've all heard about this now legendary Jeopardy! champion who has reigned more than 30 consecutive days and has won over a million dollars in prize money. This guy is amazing. How does he know so much? It's really incredible.

At this point he and Alex Trebek are so chummy together, the other contestants tend to sink into the background, like bad window-dressing in someone's home that probably won't be there the next time you visit. He and Alex even have a witty repartee going, as if Ken is the co-host or sidekick of the show. He's Alex Trebek's Paul Schaffer or Ed McMahon.

Alex and Ken have spent so much time together, they finish each other's sentences. On tonight's show Ken chose the first Daily Double clue and said "I'll wager --." 
 
Alex interrupted, "$6,800?"
 
"That's right, the usual," Ken replied with that golden smile of his.  It's like Ken is a regular at Alex Trebek's bar and being a good bartender, Trebek anticipates his customer's desires without them even having to ask.

A few moments later Ken picked the second Daily Double question. The audience applauded appreciatively while the other two contestants turned to each other in resigned conversation. By this time those two could have made plans to spend the weekend together. But Ken surprised Alex by only wagering $5,000.
 
"Why?!" Alex questioned painfully, like a lover whose trust has been betrayed.

"I'm trying to keep a safe margin between my opponents," Ken replied.

"If you say so," Alex chided. "You know, I could easily make the wagers for you as long as you answer the clues correctly," Alex offered with a forgiving smile.

"Yeah, why am I even here at this point?" laughed Ken, head in his hand. 

Ha ha! Oh boy, it's all fun and games (literally) at "Alex and Ken's place." Or should it be "Ken and Alex's"? Hmmm. Alex has been on the show for so long, but Ken is the reason people are tuning in these days. Soon Ken's agents will be asking for equal billing with Alex. And who knows, maybe Ken will take over as Jeopardy! host someday when Alex realizes he can't keep up with the 30-year-old whippersnapper.

How long can Ken Jennings last?  We'll just have to tune in and see...

Follow the link below for a funny audio commentary from comedian Jake Johannsen:
NPR : Ken Jennings, 'Jeopardy!' Legend in the Making

This Land
 
...this is the funniest thing I have ever seen on the 'net.... http://www.jibjab.com/thisland.html

Bloggin' Blues

Sounds like a song title. Haven't had much time or reason to blog lately. Busy with summer mayhem at UCLA, always a hectic time. Nice to be working though. Will help to pay some bills, then I'll be broke again in the fall. Ugh.

Here's a picture of me (second from the left) last Saturday (July 3rd) at the BowieNetters party in Redondo Beach. It was held at the apartment of the lovely Paula (aka Squeakie), the girl in front wearing the Bowie T-shirt. It's a great place situated on the bluff overlooking the beach...gorgeous view!


BowieNetters party in Redondo Beach!! 

I'm using a new program called Hello to post the pictures. I'm not sure if I like it yet -- the software is not the most intuitive -- but it's a start.

No wonder I'm famous!

I had no idea why I was so famous amongst my colleagues on BowieNet, David Bowie's official website. Everyone I meet from the online community seems to have heard of me or know something about me, even though I don't post much on the message boards.

Well, I happened to be browsing through the Bowie News section from a couple of months ago, back when Bowie & his band returned to LA to play the famous Greek Theater in Hollywood. I wrote a review of that show and posted it on the message boards. I didn't notice that the Bowie News moderator chose my review to be featured on the official Bowie News page!

No wonder I'm famous amongst BowieNetters!! Every person who visited the news page (thousands of 'em) saw my review!

If you haven't already read the review and you're just dying to have a crack at it (shyeah, right) you can find it on the BowieNet news page -- you may have to scroll back to April 25th (my review is the third one down). Or simply visit my blog entry here.

People Are Nice Today

Everyone must have had a nice 4th of July weekend because the whole world is smiling today! (at least in LA)

Traffic was relatively light and curteous, strangers greet each other on the street, attractive young women smile at me, the entire staff at my oil change place stopped by to say 'hello' while I waited for my car, and I have been filled with extraordinary positive energy the last few days. I went jogging through the park the other day for the first time in my life, and I loved it! And I can barely sleep with all the creative ideas popping into my head at night. And this after just a few days off work...imagine what I could do with a week's vacation in Mexico!

We had a three-day holiday weekend and I went to social gatherings all three days! Saturday was a delightful BowieNetters barbecue down in Redondo Beach -- a gorgeous ocean view and cool sea air was enjoyed by all. (Not to mention all the smoke and booze.) It's great to meet so many people who are just as obsessed with David Bowie as I am -- sometimes even more so! My heart ached every time "China Girl" was played ("I feel a-tragic/like I'm Marlon Brando"...rest well old man).

Sunday was the traditional July 4th fireworks extravaganza with the Giffords. Little Gabe was in good spirits and getting cuter than ever. Randy and Heather seem very refreshed and a lot thinner after their month in Breckenridge. We went for a bike ride through the neighborhood after dinner, then watched the fireworks in the Valley from the hill above their home.

Monday was an intimate dinner party with a few friends from the BowieNet party who live in Burbank. Great people and newfound pals. Delicious home-cooked Italian food as well! They inspired a new nickname for me: "Scott Hollywood" since I live in Hollywood (or pretty close at least). There's two Scotts in the BowieNet group but the other guy lives in Orange County. I've used my regular name on BowieNet since I joined back in 1998, although I've considered changing it to a more creative username several times. My close friends always call me "Scottydude" and I've used that on several websites (including my own). I also tried "thinwhitedude" once on BowieNet but it didn't stick for some reason. Everyone already knows me as "scottspalding" or more recently "Scott S." But I love "Scott Hollywood" -- it's totally cheesy but it would be a great gossip rag pen name!!

I think it's going to be a good summer.

Gojira!

I have been to dozens of movies at the Egyptian Theater, but I have never seen a crowd as large or enthusiastic as they were last night for King Kong vs. Godzilla! It was incredible. The line to get in to the theater was HUGE -- actually two lines of people stretching from the entrance all the way to the sidewalk of Hollywood Blvd. And all types of people: kids, parents, grandparents, comic book geeks of all ages, cinephiles, goths, young Hollywood hotties, glamorous older couples...you name it.

I really was suprised at the turnout for some cheesy monster movie. Had no idea there was such a fan base. I'm not really a Godzilla fan. I was just expecting to go and have a nostalgic laugh with a few strangers, but this was more like the atmosphere for a Star Wars movie (back when they were good) or an Indiana Jones flick, something like that. People laughed, cheered, and applauded through the whole film.

They also had a couple of the original Toho company special effects guys from Japan who built all the models and sets for the original Godzilla films. There was a short Q & A before the film with a moderator and the gentlemen spoke through a translator, describing some of their experiences and stories of making the films.

It's too bad the American dubbed versions are the ones being screened for most of the Godzilla festival, a 50th birthday celebration which runs until Tuesday. All of the Japanese sections were pretty good. The American sections were hysterically bad. Horrible filmmaking, but funny to laugh at.

I wish I could see them all!

Cost of Living vs. Population Growth (A Rant)

I hope the housing prices come down someday in California but I doubt there will be a significant decrease in prices without a major event (earthquake, terrorism) which motivates people to leave the market.

There was an extensive article about the housing market in the LA Times a few months ago. Unlike the 1980s when the CA bubble market did reach a breaking point and burst, builders and developers today have been very careful not to overbuild and saturate the market with too many houses, thereby decreasing value.

That is not to say development hasn't continued. In fact, it's progressing at a higher rate than ever. However, the demand is so strong that builders usually don't have to start building until they have a buyer lined up. There are lines of buyers waiting to buy houses that haven't even been built yet!

The population of California is currently around 36 million people. That number is expected to almost double in the next 30 years. It increased by 4.2 million during the 1990s alone. That's a 12% increase! Surprisingly (or not) almost 100% of the population increase is due to immigration, particularly Latinos. Not only do they come to California, legally and otherwise, but they tend to have more children than other racial groups (an average of 3 children for every Latino mother). One in four Californians was born outside the United States.

In the United States, 50% of all children age 5 or under are Latino. And they just keep coming!! At more than 292 million people, the United States is the third-most populous country in the world, behind China and India. We will soon surpass 300 million and reach 400 million by the middle of this century. The United States is the only developed country (along with 7 other third-world countries) that will account for half of the planet's population growth between now and 2050, mostly due to the US's lax immigration policies.

I never thought I'd say this, but maybe Tom Tancredo is right! Maybe we should shut down the borders?!

In the meantime, start practicing your Spanish.

Hollywood Funerals

If you're ever in Los Angeles and want to see some free entertainment from famous stars, look no further than a celebrity funeral.

A few months ago, I attended the funeral of Carl Anderson, who was not exactly a superstar (pun intended), but who attracted a number of famous celebrities and musicians including Stevie Wonder and Nancy Wilson among many others.

Today I happened to turn on the TV and the local NBC affiliate was broadcasting live coverage of Ray Charles' funeral here in Los Angeles. Mr. Charles passed away last week to little fanfare amongst the remembrances of President Reagan.

I missed the beginning of the Ray Charles funeral, but the hour I saw included appearances and performances by luminaries such as Willie Nelson (who sang a mournful version of "Georgia On My Mind"), Clint Eastwood, Glen Campbell (he sang a gospel song - I can't remember the name), Cicely Tyson, LA mayor James Hahn, LA Chief of Police William Bratton (ex-Chief of NY and Boston), the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Stevie Wonder (he's making a new career out of funeral gigs it seems), B.B. King (A boyhood friend of Ray Charles, B.B. was very emotional and weeped all through his speech and song tribute.), Wynton Marsalis (tears streaming down his face as he strolled through the audience playing "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" and "When The Saints Go Marching In" on his trumpet), Little Richard, and Johnny Mathis (who just completed a duet recording with Ray Charles of "Over The Rainbow", which was played to end the service).

After all the music, the remembrances, the laughter, and the tears, the casket was opened for viewing as the limousines lined up for the cortege to the cemetary. Although the camera was far back, there was little Ray nestled snuggly in his coffin with his glasses on. I think he was smiling too.

Two funny stories recounted in the service:

Willie Nelson recalled that he and Ray loved to play chess together whenever they were touring on the same bill. Ray was apparently a master at chess (go figure!) and Willie said he could never win against Ray. Finally Ray told Willie he would give him a break and play with the lights on for a change.

B.B. King said Ray also was an avid poker player and they used to play cards all the time. Again, Ray was such an excellent player the B.B. could never beat him. Eventually B.B. realized Ray had fixed the cards with some Braille code which helped him win!

So if you're hoping for some star-sightings or some heartfelt performances from world-class celebrities, just check out the obituary page of the LA Times. It's the best ticket in town!!

Memories of Reagan

These are my most vivid memories of President Ronald Reagan:

"Are you better off now than four years ago?"

Split-screen TV image of Iran hostages being released as Reagan took the oath of office.

Reaganomics.

"Honey, I forgot to duck!"

The cowboy riding horses on the ranch.

Recession. Deficits. National Debt.

"Well...." Johnny Carson's hilarious impersonation on countless episodes of The Tonight Show.

Jelly beans.

"My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."

Calling Nancy "Mommy"

Removal of several polyps.

"We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to touch the face of God."

Nancy Reagan's astrologer.

Just Say No.

"I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."

"I have no recollection..." (of approving arms shipments to Iran.)

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

"My fellow Americans, I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease...I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead."

The Great Communicator.