Harvey Korman, aka, Hedley Lamarr has passed away at 81.
Through the entire obit on Fox News about Korman and his career, they don't even give mention to one of his biggest roles, that of the Great Gazoo on the Flintstones. They give mention to his role in the Flintstone movie...but not the series. Korman was a great cartoon voice in the early years of Hanna Barbera and his voice can be found on countless cartoons from the early 60's.
Unless you've been hiding under a rock this week, you're probably aware that today is the thirtieth anniversary of opening day for the original "Star Wars."
For whatever reason, expat son pulled out the DVD box set of Star Wars movies last night and asked to watch 'number 4'. No son, that movie is actually number ONE...errr...never mind. So there we all sat, watching the young Luke Skywalker destroy the Death Star.
I had no idea it was the 30th anniversary...we have been under a rock and that rock is called China.
China is the land of copy DVD's. Although there is always big talk about 'crackdowns' on piracy in China, the ease at which anyone can obtain the latest season series of 24, or premier editions of the latest blockbuster films are always available.
I don't buy them...I just don't. Back when they were first available in 1998 or so, I tried to buy a few, and the quality was one of three things.
Generally, I head to HMV in HK to pick up what I want. Because our tv sucks here, it is not uncommon for me to plunk down $300 in DVD's from HMV on a quick visit to HK. I can count on the quality, and more important, the extra features that the knock off guys just don't copy. I just picked up the first few James Bond flicks, all of them are 2 DVD sets with loads of extras. I love that stuff.
Tai-Tai recently went to the market and picked up a handful of movies. I scratched my head as to why...because you just get frustrated at the quality of it to enjoy the movie itself. The first movie she popped in was Night At The Museum. The menu of the movie should tell you something when it gives you the following options:
Traler? Don't ya think they have spell check on the latest version of DVD software?
When we start the movie, it becomes clear...this was filmed by a camcorder inside a theater. The sound is like a tin can...and the edges of the picture are fuzzy and dark. Although expat son watched the movie and liked it...I just can't handle the poor quality. $1, down the drain.
Every time I have visitors come, they all ask, 'can you take me somewhere that I can get copy DVD's?' WHY? You can get the real thing at home!! It's funny the things you want. I point them to the subway station entrance...and they can go at it all they want.
I frequent the computer market here in order to pick up blank DVD's so I can burn hockey games on them. The shop I stop in is usually humming with some sort of copying going on...always. But, its not only that shop, you can walk through stall after stall in this one small market and you will see hundreds, if not thousands, of discs being burned at any given time. The only way to fight this in China, is to stem the demand.
Just as much as I liked Donna Reed for her girl next door hots...June Allyson was another. June
passed away at 88.
Who can forget her in The Stratton Story or The Glenn Miller Story? She knew she had it...
"I have big teeth. I lisp. My eyes disappear when I smile. My voice is funny. I don't sing like Judy Garland. I don't dance like Cyd Charisse. But women identify with me. And while men desire Cyd Charisse, they'd take me home to meet mom."
RIP...you'll live on in your movies.
Long battle with drugs, alcohol and multiple schlerosis is over...Richard Pryor heads home
He was regarded early in his career as one of the most foul-mouthed comics in the business, but he gained a wide following for his expletive-filled but universal and frequently personal insights into modern life and race relations.
In this long recount of Pryor's career, they fail to mention his biggest contribution to showing how racial hatred can be so incredibly stupid and laughable...he co-wrote Blazing Saddles with Mel Brooks. In fact, Pryor was initially dubbed to play Sheriff Bart...but as he was such an unknown at the time, they opted for Cleavon Little instead.
RIP.
Just give me a game on tape. Hockey or college football. I can watch them over and over and not really grow tired of them
Here in the land of expats...everyone has people bring their 'favorite' TV show on tape for them WHY? It's generally garbage. And this just helps prove the point...
The nets have filled their development slates with a bevy of brave ideas and bold format experiments, VARIETY reports on Monday, including shows about THE END OF AMERICA!
ABC alone has at least two would-be shows set in post-apocalyptic America ("Resistance" and "Red & Blue") while Gavin Polone and Bruce Wagner are teaming for the comfy-sounding plague drama "Four Horsemen" at CBS (which also is developing "Jericho," about life in a small town after America is destroyed).
Imagine if, just a few years into the Cold War, Hollywood made a bunch of movies depicting the US under Communist rule. Or if Casablanca ended with Rick shooting Laszlo and selling off Ilsa to Major Strasser. Now imagine that studio executives called those creative decisions "inspired" and "exciting."
There were some great cold war films, but, as Stephen points out, I can't really think of anything that came out in 1950 that slapped at the American way of life.
OK...so this prompts a list from me! My favorite cold-war movies...
Honorable Mention: The Bridges of Toko-Ri (William Holden). Only because my dad's naval vessel was featured in the movie!! OK...that is not entirely true. Grace Kelley is in this movie and well, she's much better looking that my old man's boat!
As I have pointed you to frequently, Michael Yon's blog is the BEST coverage of the Iraq war there is out there. Michael gets into the action...not sitting in a hotel in Baghdad somewhere safe and sound. Well, he is getting some well deserved attention from the media...
Die Hard star Bruce Willis is taking on two Hollywood traditions in his attempt, reported by the Timesonline Sunday, to make a pro-war feature film about United States involvement in Iraq. Willis is bucking a nearly unbroken skein of Tinseltown anti-war films that goes back to such Vietnam era favorites as Coming Home and Platoon. And the actor is doing it not with mainstream media source material, but basing his movie on the reporting of a blogger - former Green Beret Michael Yon. Chosen by Willis for his story is Yon's on the scene reporting of the heroics of the Deuce Four unit in Mosul, Iraq.
Let's hope that this venture is as successful for Bruce Willis as The Passion was for Mel Gibson. A movie that MUST be made...with or without the Hollywood elite.
Michael is currently looking for donations for his efforts to continue his reporting in Iraq. He recently has offered his touching photo for sale. If you are interested...
Another grand example of how a corporation can get so incredibly out of touch with its consumers
One of the more interesting interviews I’ve had recently was with a Disney executive on its upcoming film, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”
“We absolutely have not made a religious film,” Senior Vice President Dennis Rice said about Walt Disney Studios’ hoped-for blockbuster, to be released Dec. 9. “We don’t think we’ve made a movie from a book that was a religious book,” he continued. “C.S. Lewis [its author] would say he didn’t intend to write a religious book, and if there’s been meaning taken from the story by religious groups, that’s their interpretation.”
Well, hmmmm. If the book isn’t about religion, what is it about? “It’s just a great piece of cinema that is true to a great piece of literature,” Mr. Rice insisted.
That is sort of like Ford saying they have developed a new car that seats 1, has a 427 cu in engine with 4bbl carb (the heck with electronic fuel injection!) and this car is very suitable for a family of 4. Uhhh...right.
Good luck with the movie...it's so incredibly obvious the only reason you chose to do this film in the first place is because of the success of Harry Potter...and you want to get in on the action. It's called 'being a follower'. Develop something new and exciting, perhaps audiences will want to view it.
But then, maybe not:
* Box Office: down by 7% this year (tickets per capita have fallen every year since 2001).
* Newspapers: circulation, which peaked in 1987, is declining faster than ever and is down another 2.6% so far this year.
* Music: Sales are down another 5.7% this year; although digital downloads (still just 6% of the business) are climbing nicely.
* Radio: down 4% this year alone, continuing a multi-decade decline.
* Books: down by 7% in 2004 (but see comments below for discussion)
SO many people I knew fell for the whole SuperSize Me scam that was the 'documentary' by Morgan Spurlock. Too many gullible folk out there just waiting to believe whatever is thrown in front of them on a TV or movie.
The latest is his TV 'documentary' show in which the outcome of the show is already determined, before production.
While Mr. Spurlock is often referred to as a journalist, and touts “30 Days” as a “documentary,” the outcome of the show was decided before production began. A show summary sent to me before taping said: “This process aims to deconstruct common misconceptions and stereotypes. . . . Our character will learn firsthand about Islam and the daily issues that . . . Muslims in America face today. The viewers will witness our character emerge from the immersion situation with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Muslim-American experience. . . .
Read the whole thing...and maybe next time you will be able to see the agenda on the table prior to watching any of this garbage in the future.
Jeff Jarvis has a report on the new Disney Love Bug movie...and the digital alterations they are making to Lindsay Lohan's...breasts. I kid you not...read it all here:
Disney technicians were forced to plough through numerous scenes - especially those showing the busty actress jumping up and down at a motor racing track, reducing her breasts by two cup sizes and raising revealing necklines on her T-shirts.
Imagine if Disney ever made a Bond movie...
