Happy New Year!

The clock is ticking down on 2008, and as we ring out the old in time for the new, we here at Movie Dearest wish you all a happy and safe New Year's Eve. See you in 2009!

Women We Love: Ethel Merman

Object of our affection: Ethel Merman, actress/singer.

- She was the bold and brassy belter, known as "The Grande Dame of the Broadway stage", who originated such classic musical theater characters as Reno Sweeney (Anything Goes), Annie Oakley (Annie Get Your Gun) and Momma Rose (Gypsy).

- Hollywood never knew quite what to do with her though, and most of her legendary stage roles were given to other actresses for the film versions. However, she did recreate her Tony Award-winning performance in Call Me Madam for the big screen (and won the Golden Globe for it) and starred in such other movie musicals as Kid Millions, Alexander's Ragtime Band and There's No Business Like Show Business.

- Other memorable screen appearances include comedic roles in the all-star in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (a New Year's Eve favorite in my childhood) and Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, plus voicing the wicked witch Mombi in the animated Journey Back to Oz and a scene-stealing cameo in Airplane!

- On television, she was Lola Lasagne on Batman, voiced Lilly Loraine in Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July and played Gopher's mother on The Love Boat.

- And of course, who could forget The Ethel Merman Disco Album.

Monthly Wallpaper - January 2009: 2008 - The Year in Film

What better way to start 2009 out right than to celebrate 2008 - The Year in Film all month long with January's Movie Dearest calendar wallpaper.

Twenty-eight of the best and brightest of this past year are represented — see how many you can name in the comments section below. And for more fun, identify the three stars who show up in the collage twice. Plus, bonus points for whoever names the guy who kinda appears twice.

Just click on the picture above to enlarge it to its 1024 x 768 size, then right click your mouse and select "Set as Background", and you're all set. If you want, you can also save it to your computer and set it up from there, or modify the size in your own photo-editing program if needed.

The Latest in Theaters: Last But Not Least

The last two high profile movies of the year — Defiance and Good — have a lot in common. First off, they are both set in World War II-torn Europe. They also star two of our favorite leading men, Daniel Craig and Viggo Mortensen, respectively. Plus, Craig is joined by Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell, while Jason Issacs co-stars opposite Mortensen. Finally, they are both opening this week in limited release, just under the wire in time for award consideration.

To find out what films are playing in your area, visit Fandango - Search movie showtimes and buy tickets!

Tune in to TCM: Now That's Entertainment!

It will be all singing, all dancing on Turner Classic Movies this New Year's Eve. The channel celebrates the ringing in of 2009 with a special marathon of all three That's Entertainment! movies, plus That's Dancing! The festivities begin tomorrow night at 8:00 PM EST.

And in more Latest on TV news, CBS will broadcast this year's Kennedy Center Honors tonight at 9:00 PM EST. The 2008 honorees, who will be feted by a host of celebrities and entertainers, are acting legend Morgan Freeman, choreographer Twyla Tharp, country singer George Jones, rockers Peter Townshend and Roger Daltrey and the diva herself, Miss Barbra Streisand.

Awards Watch: National Film Registry 2008

You may recall back in June, Movie Dearest ran a poll asking for your votes on which gay-themed movie should be inducted into the National Film Registry this year, and Philadelphia was your choice. Well, the Library of Congress announced today this year's 25 inductees, and alas, the Tom Hanks AIDS drama was not on the list.

However, the NFR's Class of 2008 is not without some queer influences. In addition to the screen version of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and James Whales' The Invisible Man, there's the celluloid closet classic Johnny Guitar, starring Joan Crawford herself and directed by Nicholas Ray. And I suppose you could say Deliverance too ...

Aside from the experimental and amateur works that most people haven't heard of (let alone seen), the NFR's choices for the year (which now brings the total preserved films to an even 500) includes The Asphalt Jungle, A Face in the Crowd, Flower Drum Song, Hallelujah!, The Killers, The Pawnbroker, Sergeant York, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and The Terminator. See the comments section below for a quick look at all of this year's inductees.

The Latest on DVD: It Takes Two

Bruno Barreto's classic comedy Dona Flor and Her Two Husbandsfinally makes its DVD debut today in its original version. Upon its release in 1976, Dona Flor was the most successful film in Brazilian history, and earned nominations from both the Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards.

Sônia Braga stars as Flor, a woman married to a cad (José Wilker) who's good in the sack, but not much else. When he dies unexpectedly, Flor marries a kind but dull pharmacist (Mauro Mendonça) who treats her well ... except in bed. Flor's problem may be solved though when her dead (and nude) first husband begins to haunt her. If this all sounds familiar, Sally Field, James Caan, and Jeff Bridges starred in the Americanized 1982 remake Kiss Me Goodbye.

Check out the Latest on DVD widgets located in the sidebar for more of this week's new DVD releases available today from Amazon.com.

Cinematic Crush: Montgomery Clift

Crush object: Montgomery Clift, actor.

- Beginning his career on the stage, he "trod the boards" on Broadway for ten years, including starring in the original productions of The Skin of Our Teeth and Our Town.

- Hollywood called, and he made his debut in The Search in 1948, earning him his first of four Academy Award nominations. Later that same year, he co-starred in the western classic Red River.

- Following The Heiress, he played George Eastman in A Place in the Sun and Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt in From Here to Eternity, resulting in his next two Oscar nods.

- During the filming of Raintree Country, he was involved in a car accident that would change his looks and his life. But he continued to work, starring in Lonelyhearts, The Young Lions, Suddenly, Last Summer, Wild River and The Misfits.

- His last Oscar nomination came for his riveting 12-minute performance in Judgment at Nuremberg. He did two more films — Freud and The Defector — prior to his tragic, untimely death in 1966 at age 46.

Reel Thoughts: Nazis, Nazis Everywhere!

No fewer than seven films out now feature Holocaust or Nazi atrocities, including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Defiance, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and now Valkyrie and The Reader.

Despite all the negative publicity surrounding Tom Cruise in Valkyrie, Bryan Singer’s film manages to be a taut history lesson about a group of Germans who conspired to kill Hitler. Cruise plays Col. Claus Von Stauffenberg, whose love of Germany brought on a hatred of Hitler and the Nazis. The supporting cast, playing men who aided or tried to stop the plot to kill der Fuhrer, includes wonderful performers like Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, Bill Nighy and Eddie Izzard.

History buffs already know about this plot to take down the Nazis, and I was familiar enough with it (as is everyone who knows what happened in Hitler’s bunker) to know how it turns out, but it was still enthralling to watch how the event unfolded. Cruise handles himself well, never seeming like a little boy playing dress-up, while his British costars give uniformly excellent performances. If you enjoy espionage films done with Singer’s particular flair, you might want to take a ride to Valkyrie.

Based on the acclaimed novel, The Reader features Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet in an Oscar-worthy performance, as well as an extraordinary young man named David Kross. Kross plays Michael, Fiennes’ younger self, a fifteen year-old German schoolboy who falls in love with an enigmatic transit worker (Winslet). The two have a passionate affair, augmented by the woman’s constant desire to have the boy read to her. Years later, Michael is studying law and is shocked to find Hannah (Winslet) the main defendant in the trial he’s studying. How do you reconcile loving a person who is capable of inhuman acts? How do new generations of Germans overcome the horrors their elders allowed to happen?


The Reader has a wonderfully literate script by playwright David Hare and director Stephen Daldry does a wonderful job of keeping his audience off balance. Winslet, more so than in the depressing Revolutionary Road, gives a frighteningly complex performance, as a woman who committed vile acts in the name of honor and yet is sympathetic. Kross is engrossing as he portrays Michael’s sexual awakening and schoolboy heartbreak. Fiennes is given less showy work to do, and yet manages to explain with his performance what kind of a man Michael became. He is shut-off and distant, but finds himself forced to confront buried feelings.

The Reader is one of the best films of the year, and I think it will affect you profoundly if you let it.

UPDATE: The Reader and Valkyrieare now available on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.com.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Film Art: Samuel L. Jackson Edition

Wow, it's true ... he is in every movie.

"Bad Mutha Wizard", acrylic painting by Dave MacDowall.

In Memoriam, 2008

With 2008 coming to a close, it is time to take a look back at those we have lost in the past year. And, as always, Turner Classic Movies presents a classy, moving tribute to the many and varied talents whose work on the silver screen will always be cherished.

Reel Thoughts: Button It

If you ask yourself who directed Brad Pitt’s new film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, David Fincher wouldn’t be the first name on anyone’s lips. The sprawling, melancholy tale of a man who ages backwards over seventy years looks and feels like something Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard or even Robert Zemeckis could have directed.

It is a moving and meditative story about a man who craves affection his whole life, but is dealt such a perverse hand by fate that it is virtually impossible for him to find lifelong love and happiness. At the same time, his warm and positive spirit makes a profound impact on everyone he meets. It doesn’t hurt that he looks like Brad Pitt for a lot of the film, either.


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a movie full of magical scenes and performances that only drags in the middle of its 167-minute length. Benjamin Button was born on Armistice Day, 1918, to a mother who died in childbirth and a father who was so repulsed by the shriveled, ancient looking baby, he abandoned him on a stranger’s steps. Queenie (played the amazing Taraji P. Henson), who runs an old folk’s home in New Orleans, becomes his surrogate mother and gives him a loving foundation for the rest of his life.

One day, Benjamin meets a girl named Daisy (first played by Elle Fanning and then Cate Blanchett), and they form a lifelong bond, even when apart. Pitt gives a great performance, especially early on, through his affair with Tilda Swinton as a lonely diplomat’s wife. Blanchett is even more amazing, playing her character at all stages from youthful narcissism to end of life clarity, and she deserves an Oscar nomination.


Fincher has created a breathtakingly beautiful film, and is ably assisted by composer Alexandre Desplat, whose gorgeous score elevates every scene and deserves to win the Academy Award. Toward the middle of the film, when Benjamin goes out to find himself, the momentum lags and I found myself wondering, “How many years are left until we’re back in Hurricane Katrina-whipped Louisiana?” (where the story’s framing device takes place). The last portion of the film, featuring Blanchett’s finest work, is almost beyond sad but a very satisfying movie-going experience.

I don’t feel that the film gave enough justification for being set during Katrina, and its episodic nature sometimes felt like a less-contrived Forrest Gump, which isn’t surprising since Eric Roth wrote the screenplays for both. Still, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a haunting cinematic experience that is equal parts romance and wistfulness. Its lasting message is to enjoy every wonderful moment life gives you and not to settle for less.

UPDATE: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is now available on DVD and Blu-rayfrom Amazon.com.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Out in Film: Bryan Singer

Idol worship: Bryan Singer, director/writer/producer.

- His second feature film, The Usual Suspects, became an instant crime classic upon its release in 1994, winning two Academy Awards.

- He followed that hit up with the controversial Apt Pupil, starring Ian McKellen and Brad Renfro.

- Even though he was never a comic book fan, his biggest success came with the first two blockbuster chapters of the popular superhero saga X-Men, as well as Superman Returns.

- For television, he is the executive producer (and sometimes director) of House and Dirty Sexy Money.

- His most recent project, Valkyrie, is in theaters this week, and he is still attached to the next Superman movie, Man of Steel.

Eartha Kitt: 1927-2008

Eartha Kitt, legendary performer of stage and screen, died today at the age of 81.

Known for her distinctive voice and catlike purr, Kitt became famous in the 1950's with such recordings as "C'est Si Bon" and the holiday standard "Santa Baby", and even more so as the ultimate "sex kitten", Catwoman, on the 60's camp classic Batman. A fixture on the international cabaret scene for decades, she also made a name for herself on Broadway, earning Tony Award nominations for Timbuktu! and The Wild Party.

In more recent years, Kitt could be seen in such films as Boomerang, Harriet the Spy and Holes, and memorably voiced the villainous Yzma in Disney's The Emperor's New Groove. She won an Annie Award for her performance and reprised it in the movie's video and television spin-offs, winning two more Annies as well as two Emmys.

Happy Holidays from Movie Dearest!

From the Movie Dearest family to yours, wishing you a happy and safe holiday season!

The Latest in Theaters: Seasons Screenings

There's all sorts of movies opening on just about every day this week, making a very bountiful (and busy) time for movie fans of all kinds:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Brad Pitt is born old and ages backward, romancing Cate Blanchett along the way, in David Fincher's adaptation of a F. Scott Fitzgerald short story.
• Revolutionary Road: Titanic lovebirds Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite for this not-so-happily-ever-after tale of suburban ennui, directed by Sam Mendes.
• The Spirit: Gabriel Macht is the title crime fighter in Frank Miller's heavily stylized take on the iconic Will Eisner comic.
• Valkyrie: Tom Cruise takes on Hitler in this World War II-set thriller from director Bryan Singer.
• Waltz with Bashir: Ari Folman's autobiographical documentary about his involvement in the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Oh, and it's animated.
• Last Chance Harvey: Dustin Hoffman finds love with Emma Thompson in this romantic dramedy for those who liked The Bucket List.
• Marley & Me: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston and an unruly dog. Gooey hilarity ensues.
• Bedtime Stories: Adam Sandler discovers the titular tales he tells to two tykes come true in this family friendly fantasy.
• Pageant: A documentary look at five fabulous men competing in the Miss Gay America pageant.

To find out what films are playing in your area, visit Fandango - Search movie showtimes and buy tickets!

Women We Love: Melinda Dillon

Object of our affection: Melinda Dillon, actress.

- She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance of Honey in the original Broadway production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

- Although it was her third feature film, she received a Golden Globe nomination for "Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture" for Bound for Glory.

- Academy Award nominations came for her supporting roles in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Absence of Malice.

- Other films she has appeared in include Slap Shot, Songwriter, Harry and the Hendersons, The Prince of Tides, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, How to Make an American Quilt, Magnolia, Adam & Steve and Reign Over Me.

- But it as Ralphie's mom in the beloved yuletide classic A Christmas Story that she is most known. Never seen it? Well, you'll have plenty of chances to spend the holidays with the Parkers starting tomorrow night on TBS as they present their annual 24-hour Christmas Story marathon.

Tune in to TCM: Christmas Cheers

Continuing their holiday week salute to festive film favorites, Turner Classic Movies will present a 24-hour Christmas Eve marathon tomorrow. Films scheduled for the all-day event include the 1938 Reginald Owen A Christmas Carol, Christmas in Connecticut starring Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan, Holiday Affair with Robert Mitchum, Loretta Young as The Bishop's Wife and (of course) Meet Me in St. Louis.

The festivities continue on Christmas Day with a trio of Biblical epics: The Greatest Story Ever Told, King of Kings and Ben-Hur. That's a total of 595 minutes of running time, folks, so take it easy on the eggnog.

The Latest on DVD: Mommie Queerest

After the groundbreaking Swoon, it took director Tom Kalin awhile to make another movie, yet his Savage Graceis just as controversial as his first feature.

Based on a true story, Julianne Moore stars as Barbara Daly Baekeland, a wealthy socialite whose dysfunctional/incestuous relationship with her gay son Antony (Eddie Redmayne) leads to murder. Stephen Dillane plays the husband/father while Hugh Dancy beds them both ... at the same time (although the real Sam Green denies that ever happened).

Check out the Latest on DVD widgets located in the sidebar for more of this week's new DVD releases available today from Amazon.com.

Robert Mulligan: 1925-2008

Robert Mulligan, the Academy Award nominated director of To Kill a Mockingbird, died Friday at the age of 83.

In addition to Mockingbird, other notable films he helmed include Fear Strikes Out, Love with the Proper Stranger, Inside Daisy Clover, Up the Down Staircase, Summer of '42 (which he also narrated), Same Time, Next Year, Kiss Me Goodbye, Clara's Heart and The Man in the Moon.

Cinematic Crush: Leonardo DiCaprio

Crush object: Leonardo DiCaprio, actor.

- His career began inauspiciously on the sitcom Growing Pains and in such movies as Critters 3 and Poison Ivy. Nevertheless, he soon proved his acting chops with strong dramatic turns in This Boy's Life and What's Eating Gilbert Grape, which landed him his first Academy Award nomination.

- Following the western The Quick and the Dead, he took on two literary roles in The Basketball Diaries (Jim Carroll) and Total Eclipse (Arthur Rimbaud) as well as two stage adaptations, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Marvin's Room.

- But it was a little movie called Titanic that made him an international superstar. As the ill-fated Jack Dawson, he memorably bellowed, "I'm the king of the world!" and romanced the lovely Kate Winslet.

- After The Man With the Iron Mask and The Beach, he teamed up with Steven Spielberg for Catch Me If You Can and Martin Scorsese for Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Departed. His performance as Howard Hughes in The Aviator won him a Golden Globe and his second Oscar nomination.

- His third Oscar nod was for Blood Diamond, and he also produced and hosted the documentary The 11th Hour. This year, he has already starred in Body of Lies, and reunites with his Titanic love Winslet for Revolutionary Road, in theaters this week.

The Latest on TV: Return to Grey Gardens

Albert Maysles returns to familiar territory with Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway, a new documentary that will begin airing tomorrow night on PBS' Independent Lens (check local listings for exact dates and showtimes in your area).

As the title suggest, the hour-long program "unfolds the creative journey" that turned the cult classic Grey Gardens from non-fiction film to Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. In addition to a look behind-the-scenes and performance footage, the doc includes interviews with the creators and cast (such as the original stage Little Edie, Christine Ebersole) and even an interview with Maysles himself.

Lay-Ee-Odl-Lay-Ee-Odl-Oo

Here's something for you last minute gift shoppers out there: a singing goat! Oh, it's not just any singing goat ... press her leg and she’ll break into "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music — key-change and all!

And not only will your purchase benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, you can also take along your newfound friend to the next "Sing-a-Long Sound of Music". All the drag queen nuns will be green with envy.

Tune in to TCM: Happy Hanukkah

Turner Classic Movies is celebrating the start of Hanukkah tomorrow night with a mini-marathon of inspirational Jewish-themed films.

Otto Preminger's Exodus (starring Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint and an Oscar nominated Sal Mineo) tells of the post-WWII birth of Israel. For a lighter subject, Barbra Streisand stars as a girl disguised as a boy who falls in love with a boy but marries a girl in her musical version of Yentl. Wrapping up the evening, Topol is Tevye in Norman Jewison's film adaptation of the Broadway classic Fiddler on the Roof.

MD Poll: Global Conflicts

"OK Joan, you can let go of it now ... Joan ...?"
The last MD Poll of 2008 is dedicated to this year's Golden Globe nominations and asks you to pick which of the nominees for Best Picture — both in the Drama and Comedy or Musical categories — will take home the prize.

The polls — which can be voted on in the sidebar at right — will run for three weeks, ending on January 10, the day before the big night.

And be sure to vote in both polls!

UPDATE: These polls are now closed; click here for the results, and click here to vote in the latest MD Poll.

MD Poll: Hang a Shining Star

"Faithful friends who are dear to us" named the classic Judy Garland holiday chestnut "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" their favorite Christmas movie song in the latest MD Poll. In fact, the Meet Me in St. Louis tune (by Kerry Mills and Andrew Sterling) received over 50% of the votes.

Irving Berlin's Oscar winning "White Christmas" (from Holiday Inn) came in second, the only other song to rake in double digits. In fact, three of the choices received no votes at all (see the comments section below for the full stats), proving that to most of us, we like our Christmas carols a little bittersweet.

Click here to vote in the latest MD Poll.

Out in Film: Stephen Spinella

Idol worship: Stephen Spinella, actor.

- For his role as Prior Walter in Tony Kushner's seminal, two-part "gay fantasia" Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America: Perestroika, he won two back-to-back Tony Awards, the only time that has happened for playing the same character.

- He was also Tony nominated for the musical James Joyce's The Dead. Other Broadway shows he has starred in include A View from a Bridge, Our Town and Spring Awakening.

- His screen debut was in another landmark production about AIDS, the TV movie version of Randy Shilts' And the Band Played On. He has also guest starred on such programs as Frasier, Alias, Will & Grace, Grey's Anatomy, 24, Nip/Tuck, Heroes, ER and Desperate Housewives.

- On film, he has appeared in Virtuosity, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Great Expectations, Cradle Will Rock and Connie and Carla.

- He can currently be seen in Milk, wherein he plays Rick Stokes, Harvey Milk's political opponent for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Making the Yuletide Gay

With the holidays upon us, we felt that it was time to open up the Movie Dearest Videodrone vault for some old Christmas favorites:

• First, a look at a tender family moment from the John Waters' classic Female Trouble with Divine ... and without her cha-cha heels.
• Speaking of seasonal family get-togethers, what better time to come out than at Christmastime? The London Gay Men's Chorus tells you how.
• Time for some Christmas caroling with the "12 Gays of Christmas".
• And let's not forget the beefy boys of Bearforce1 and "Christmas is Here".
• Wait ... here's something even gayer: the opening number from Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special.
• To wrap things up, it's the [title of show] Show Christmas Show! Hunter, Susan, Heidi and Jeff are joined in some yuletide merriment with special guests Dr. Joyce Brothers, Morgan Brittany, Cheyenne Jackson, the pre-face lift Bruce Jenner, Louise Mandrell, the tiny bones of Hervé Villechaize and Shamu with "power bottom" Joey Stefano.

Please note: some videos are slightly NSFW due to some naughty language.

Music to Raise the Dead By

If you too are still bummed by the cancellation of Pushing Daisies, then this news should cheer you up a bit: an official soundtrack albumwill be released this Sunday!

In addition to Jim Dooley's compositions for the series (including the opening theme), the disc will also feature the vocals of Broadway stage faves Ellen Greene and Kristin Chenoweth singing songs heard on the show, including the former's heart-breaking "Morning Has Broken" and the latter's show-stopping rendition of "Hopelessly Devoted to You". The two are also heard dueting on the upbeat "Birdhouse in Your Soul".

However, it looks like this soundtrack is just for the first season, as it doesn't include Chenoweth's version of The Bangles' classic "Eternal Flame", heard on the series a few week's back. Is it to much to hope for a volume two?

Reverend’s Reviews: Dickens Meets Bollywood

The holiday season has proven over the decades to be a lucrative time for cinematic adaptations of the works of Charles Dickens. Not coincidentally, the concurrent Hollywood award season has bestowed blessings upon past versions of Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol, to name a few of the author’s classic novels.

Slumdog Millionaire has been anointed the best picture of 2008 by several major critics’ groups, and Oscar nominations seem more than likely. While it isn’t based on a Dickens book, it owes a lot to the master. A cross between Oliver! and Salaam Bombay, it depicts a former street urchin’s eventful rise to the upper ranks of society thanks his to unlikely success on a TV game show. Only the location is unique, with the story playing out in Mumbai and other parts of India rather than merry olde England.


À la Dickens, there is no shortage of orphans, child-exploiting opportunists, prostitutes, abusive government agents and lower-class citizens pining for social achievement in Slumdog Millionaire. While one can’t deny the engrossing technical accomplishments of director Danny Boyle, editor Chris Dickens (any relation?) and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle as they weave their tale — which is actually based on Vikas Swarup’s novel Q&A — there’s a familiarity about the story and characters that makes the film utterly predictable.

We are reminded so frequently of how pre-destined the lifelong love is between Jamal (the rather dull Dev Patel) and Latika (similarly pretty-but-bland Freida Pinto) that it drains any suspense from the latter part of the film. In the same fashion, viewers are virtually guaranteed of Jamal’s climactic win on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? long in advance because we are repeatedly told “It is written.”

Anil Kapoor gives the best performance in the film as the game show’s host, a Regis Philbin-from-hell who is the most complex character in the script. With its colorful style and happy ending, Slumdog Millionaire is emerging as an audience-pleaser as well as an obvious critics’ darling. Just don’t go see it thinking you’re going to be told an original story.

UPDATE: Slumdog Millionaire is now available on DVD and Blu-rayfrom Amazon.com.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

The Latest in Theaters: A Mouse, a Wrestler and Jim Carrey

Consider this the not-quite-so-calm before the "Opens on Christmas Day" storm:

• The Tale of Despereaux: Matthew Broderick voices a resourceful mouse who protects a princess (Emma Watson) from a vengeful rat (Dustin Hoffman) in this charming animated fantasy.
• The Wrestler: It has been described as Rocky as directed by Scorsese; Mickey Rourke as the title character battles his demons in and out of the ring in this Darren Aronofsky drama co-starring Marisa Tomei.
• Yes Man: Jim Carrey returns to familiar territory in this Liar, Liar-esque high concept comedy (co-starring the always-winsome Zooey Deschanel) about a guy who just can't say "no".
• Seven Pounds: Will Smith and his Pursuit of Happyness team reunite for another uplifting story about a man struggling to atone for an auto accident that claimed the lives of seven people.
• Nothing But the Truth: Loosely based on the Judith Miller scandal, Kate Beckinsale is a reporter sent to prison for not giving up the name of her source (Vera Farmiga). Matt Dillon also stars.
• The Class: This French pseudo-documentary chronicling a year in a Paris classroom won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival and is France's official entry at the Academy Awards.

To find out what films are playing in your area, visit Fandango - Search movie showtimes and buy tickets!

Majel Barrett Roddenberry: 1932-2008

Majel Barrett Roddenberry, the "First Lady of Star Trek", passed away this morning at the age of 76.

Roddenberry, who was married to Trek creator Gene Roddenberry from 1969 until his death in 1991, was a part of the Trek universe for over 40 years. She played several different characters in many of its various incarnations, most notably Nurse Christine Chapel in the original series (as well as the animated series and two movies), Lwaxana Troi (the randy mother of The Next Generation's Deanna) and the voice of the ships' computers. Her final role will be in that capacity in the upcoming J.J. Abrams movie.

Awards Watch: SAGs Filled with Doubt

With five nods, Doubt leads the Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations, announced this morning. All four of the religious drama's main actors — Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis — received individual mentions, as well as en masse in the ensemble category.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Milk came in second, with three nominations each, including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture as well. Joining these three in the top category are Frost/Nixon and Slumdog Millionaire. See the comments section below for a quick look at all the film nominations.

The 15th Annual SAG Awards will be presented live on both TNT and TBS on January 25.

Reverend’s Reviews: It Came From Outer Space

Keanu Reeves as a tree-hugging, emotionless alien? Talk about typecasting! While neither as charismatic nor debonair as Michael Rennie, the first to play intergalactic ambassador Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still's 1951 incarnation, Reeves succeeds in bringing a more threatening demeanor to this classic role.

As revered as the original Day the Earth Stood Still is, I’m surprised it has taken Hollywood nearly 60 years to remake it. It was a “message movie” that has withstood the test of time as well as, sadly, humanity’s war-faring ways. Klaatu threatened the people of Earth with annihilation if we didn’t give peace a chance. The original screenplay, written by Edmund H. North, features enduringly profound insights, but the late Robert Wise’s film is naturally dated and doesn’t spring to mind for younger moviegoers today.


While the new Day the Earth Stood Still predictably ups the visual effects, the original source material remains pleasingly intact. In fact, Klaatu’s mission is expanded upon. He has non-violent instincts and identifies himself as “a friend of the Earth,” which Helen, the scientist who greets and ultimately aids him, initially interprets to mean Klaatu bears no threat to humankind.

Helen (played with appropriate intelligence by Jennifer Connelly) is soon enlightened, however, and learns that Earth’s population has been condemned to death in order to save our dying planet. She and her patience-testing stepson (played by Jaden Smith, Will’s son) become the sole humans who can potentially convince Klaatu to change his mind.

Klaatu’s sidekick Gort is along for the remake ride, and has himself been expanded in both size — he’s now three or four stories tall as opposed to his “monstrous” 8-foot stature in 1951 — and destructive capability. The new model is also decidedly less clunky than his predecessor was, and has more versatile features, as becomes apparent during the film’s climax.


A nice character addition is that of an alien observer, Mr. Wu, who has been living among and studying human beings for 70 years and advises Klaatu. Though he only appears in one scene, Wu is poignantly played by veteran Asian-American actor James Hong (most recently heard in Kung Fu Panda). While critical of the human race and advocating for its destruction on the one hand, Wu has also seen the “other,” good side of human beings and subsequently elects to die with us rather than leave Earth with Klaatu.

Director Scott Derrickson brings to The Day the Earth Stood Still the same nuanced sense of foreboding he applied well to his 2005 feature, The Exorcism of Emily Rose. And while this film’s special effects are plentiful, Derrickson uses them more subtly than many modern big-budget filmmakers. Shots of alien “ark” spheres collecting the non-human organisms of the Earth for preservation have an unexpectedly inspirational feel to them.


It is only during the film’s finale that the filmmakers lose their footing to some degree, or perhaps the producing studio (the increasingly disreputable 20th-Century Fox) intervened to muck things up. Unlike in the original, the title’s meaning becomes clear not midway through but at film’s end. Klaatu warns Helen that humanity will have to pay a price in being saved from destruction, and that price is revealed. It is actually a bold and inspired stroke but then the film ends, abruptly and cheaply. Most of those who have seen it are likely scratching their heads, and I would agree with them that greater clarification and exploration is needed.

While many critics and moviegoers have been dissing the current Day the Earth Stood Still, I recommend it. Even with its truncated ending, the basic story is more timely now than ever. Whether we will finally put its lessons into practice remains to be seen.

UPDATE: The Day the Earth Stood Still is now available on DVD and Blu-rayfrom Amazon.com.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Women We Love: Anna Faris

Object of our affection: Anna Faris, actress.

- Previously seen only in dramas, she showed off her flair for comedy — and became a star — as scream queen Cindy Campbell in the Scary Movie franchise.

- She stole her scenes as a thinly veiled Cameron Diaz-type in Lost in Translation and had a brief but memorable part in Brokeback Mountain.

- Late in the hit series' run, she guest starred on Friends in the pivotal role of Erica, the dim bulb who gave birth to Chandler and Monica's twins.

- Other films include a real scary movie (May), two co-starring roles opposite Ryan Reynolds (Waiting ..., Just Friends) and the comedies My Super Ex-Girlfriend and The House Bunny (available on DVD and Blu-raythis Friday).

- Next, she'll be seen in some more comedies (Young Americans, Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, Observe and Report) and heard in the animated fantasy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Awards Watch: Playing Their Song

The music branch of the Academy has released the (not so) short list of the movie tunes eligible for this year's Best Original Song Oscar. And of the 49 songs that qualify for the next round of voting, 22% are from High School Musical 3: Senior Year. That's right, Disney submitted every single original song from their tweener hit (including "I Want it All", pictured), 11 total. However, unlike in previous years, only two songs per movie can be nominated due to new rules in effect this year.

Other Disney tunes making the cut include two from Bolt (which means the phrase "Miley Cyrus, Academy Award nominee" could become a reality ... shudder), "Down to Earth" from WALL-E and "The Call" from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Also short-listed are such musical oddities as "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" from Hamlet 2, "Dracula’s Lament” from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and three rocking arias from Repo! The Genetic Opera, any of which (if nominated) will make for an interesting production number. I vote that Oscar host Hugh Jackman play Sexy Jesus, how about you?

See the comments section below for a quick look at the finalists.

UPDATED: Film Experience has collected sound bites from most of the eligible songs, including (double shudder) Clint Eastwood croaking out "Gran Torino".

Reel Thoughts: Xana-Do!

“A place where nobody dared to go
The love that we came to know
They call it Xanadu.”
For more than 20 years, that lyric was oh-so-true for cult lovers of the 1980 Olivia Newton-John movie musical mess. I was young enough and gay enough to embrace the film wholeheartedly when it came out, while the rest of the world retched at its over-the-top corniness.

Fast-forward to the new millennium and playwright Douglas Carter Beane and director Christopher Ashley have reincarnated what was most fabulous about the mega-flop and threw in a healthy dose of parody. Voila! Xanadu lives again, only this time it’s loved and respected. And now, La Jolla Playhouse has captured the magic of the Broadway hit as it makes its West Coast premiere (now through December 31).


Having seen Ashley’s Broadway version starring Cheyenne Jackson and Kerry Butler, I have to say that recreating it for the national tour may be like trying to capture lightning in a bottle. All of the elements are there and the show is a campy delight, but what was missing in La Jolla, sad to say, was the audience.

Elizabeth Stanley, who was so marvelous in the underappreciated Cry-Baby, strikes a more classic comic siren note than Butler, who went for full-on Olivia Newton-John. Stanley is a master comedienne, while Butler magically channeled her inspiration. Max von Essen is the opposite physical type to the impossibly gorgeous (and built) Jackson, playing Sonny Malone more like a spaced-out dreamer, but he is impossibly adorable nonetheless.


The story of Xanadu remains the same: the Grecian muse Clio comes to Earth to help an artist attain his highest achievement — a roller disco named Xanadu. Hey, it’s 1980, nothing much was happening artistically! In this version, however, her evil sister muses, Melpomene and Calliope, set the plot in motion by casting a curse upon Clio to fall in love with a mortal, thereby sealing her fate. Sharon Wilkins brings a full-bodied brazenness to the role originated by Mary Testa, while the hilarious Joanna Glushak finds her own variations in the sublime Jackie Hoffman’s role, even though she’s wearing a Jackie Hoffman wig and glasses.

The biggest improvement is Larry Marshall as Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly in the film, Tony Roberts on Broadway), who, despite some line difficulties, imbued his character with a lot more personality and heart than the seemingly at-sea Roberts. Danny is the man Clio left in the ’40s when he chose money over art, and Marshall makes you feel for him.


The other muses are sexy and hilarious, especially in the trip to Mt. Olympus. Perhaps due to space constraints, the wild free-for-all roller-skating that typified Broadway’s Xanadu has been scaled back. The night I attended, the understudy Brett Stang played the Featured Skater, but shouldn’t really have bothered.

Watching Xanadu this time, I realized what a major part the audience plays. The cast seemed to have to work overtime to get the jokes out there to a house that didn’t want to play along and have fun. However, the infectious spirit of the cast won them over and by the end, the audience was on their feet clapping and dancing in their rows. La Jolla is at least as magical a place as the fabled Xanadu, so catch this comic gem when it comes your way.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

The Latest on TV: A Muppets Christmas

Kermit, Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppet gang are back once more in yet another holiday special with A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa tomorrow night on NBC.

The brand new show, which promises to be filled with laughs, song and dance and Christmas cheer, also features an all-star supporting cast, including Whoopi Goldberg, Jane Krakowski, Nathan Lane, Jesse L. Martin, Uma Thurman and Richard Griffiths as Santa Claus.

The Latest on DVD: Gimme Gimme Gimme

Mamma Mia!, the Golden Globe nominated blockbuster worldwide hit, makes its DVD and Blu-raydebut today. The two-disc special edition of the ABBA-licious musical comes packed with bonus materials, including the never-before-seen song "The Name of the Game", a sing-along feature, bloopers and more, such as:

• Anatomy of the Music: Cuties Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper rehearse "Lay All Your Love on Me".
• Becoming a Singer: The marvelous Meryl Streep makes everybody nervous as she prepares to record her songs.
• Colin Firth's Transformation: The Movie Dearest fave on how his character transforms from stuffy to spontaneous.
• A Woman's World: Stellan Skarsgård (along with his bare derrière) discuss how he, Pierce Brosnan and Firth are the "bimbos" of the film.
• And speaking of bare derrières ... (Oh La La is right).

Check out the Latest on DVD widgets located in the sidebar for more of this week's new DVD releases available today from Amazon.com.

Reel Thoughts: All the President's Lies

After a celebrated Broadway production, Frost/Nixon has been lovingly brought to the big screen. It’s a powerful premise — lightweight talk show host squaring off with disgraced former President Richard Nixon — with each man desperate to gain respect from the media and the public.

Frank Langella gives an Oscar-worthy performance as “Tricky Dick,” showing us a man who did terrible, abusive things to the presidency, which actually seem quaint by George W. Bush standards. Michael Sheen, who was such a marvelous Tony Blair in The Queen, does an equally wonderful job showing us David Frost’s insecure core beneath the glib TV showman.

Not having seen Peter Morgan’s play, I have to say that the film makes up for the lack of live theater electricity with its well-produced ’70s settings and supporting cast. Look for Patty McCormack (The Bad Seed herself) as a frail-seeming Pat Nixon, while Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona’s Vicky) is engaging again as socialite Caroline Cushing, Frost’s girlfriend.


Director Ron Howard does a masterful job driving the conflict and action leading up to Frost’s historic four-part interview with Nixon by showing the major manipulations going on behind the scenes on both sides. Sam Rockwell plays what Sarah Palin would call a “gotcha” journalist, James Reston, who is determined to force Nixon into admitting guilt and apologizing for his involvement in Watergate. Kevin Bacon is effective, but fairly standard, as Nixon’s stiff right-hand man.

Frost/Nixon is a powerful character study that feels anti-climactic, only because they’ve shown the dramatic final showdown in the ads. Even if you’re not a history buff, the film is a fascinating glimpse back in time. I sincerely doubt that the present administration will garner the same sympathy Langella elicits.

UPDATE: Frost/Nixon is now available on DVD and Blu-rayfrom Amazon.com.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Cinematic Crush: Matthew McConaughey

Crush object: Matthew McConaughey, actor.

- In Dazed and Confused (only his second film), he uttered the now-classic line "That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age."

- After roles in Angels in the Outfield, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Boys on the Side and Lone Star, his casting as the lead in A Time to Kill made headlines ... and made him a star.

- His career continued with such films as Contact, Amistad, The Newton Boys, Edtv, U-571, Frailty, Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, Reign of Fire, Sahara and We Are Marshall.

- But he is perhaps best known as the dreamboat leading man of a string of popular romantic comedies, including The Wedding Planner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Failure to Launch, Fool's Gold and the upcoming The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

- This past year, he co-starred in Tropic Thunder and headlined his dream project, Surfer, Dude (which he also produced), coming to DVD and Blu-rayDecember 30. Next year, he'll also be seen in the NASCAR drama Hammer Down.

The Claws Are Out

Here it is, mutant fans and Hugh Jackman groupies: the first official trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, in theaters May 1.

Awards Watch: AFI and Satellites 2008

The American Film Institute has named the winners of their 2008 AFI Awards. Their top ten includes two comic book superheroes (The Dark Knight and Iron Man), a robot (WALL-E), a man who ages backwards (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and a professional wrestler (The Wrestler), plus the based-on-fact Frost/Nixon and Milk, indie faves Frozen River and Wendy and Lucy and, of course, Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino).

The AFI "Almanac Honors" will be presented to the creative ensembles for each of this year's recipients in a special luncheon in Los Angeles on January 9.


In other award news from over the weekend, the 13th Annual Satellite Awards were handed out last night. The Best Picture winners were Slumdog Millionaire (Drama) and Happy-Go-Lucky (Comedy or Musical), with these two films also winning, respectively Best Director (Danny Boyle) and Best Actress (Sally Hawkins). Other acting award honors went to The Visitor's Richard Jenkins, Changeling's Angelina Jolie, Ghost Town's Ricky Gervais, Revolutionary Road's Michael Shannon and Rachel Getting Married's Rosemarie DeWitt (thereby ending Penélope Cruz's winning streak).

See the comments section below for a quick look at the Satellite winners.

UPDATE: Here's a video salute to this year's AFI Award winners.

Reel Thoughts: Re-Gifting

Remember that Will & Grace episode where they had to go to multiple Thanksgiving holidays? Well, someone went and regurgitated it as the new Vince Vaughn/ Reese Witherspoon vehicle Four Christmases, and it’s not as awful as you might fear. Given the retread plot, it’s up to the amazing cast of actors to save Four Christmases from the return counter.

Reese Witherspoon is a hilarious control freak with high school secrets, while her boyfriend Vince Vaughn is the doughy product of the divorce of a gun-loving misanthrope and a Buddha-loving free spirit (Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek, who should have been given a much better movie to be in). Mary Steenburgen and Jon Voight play Witherspoon’s parents, who have divorced as well. Who wouldn’t divorce Voight for supporting McCain and Palin?


The film is basically a big screen sitcom with very good actors, and the plot couldn’t be simpler or more simply directed. Reese and Vince (since using their character names would indicate that they had characters to play) are a happily dating couple who escape to romantic getaways every holiday to avoid their terrible parents. Surprisingly, given that they live in San Francisco, they have never been fogged in before, but find themselves in that position and broadcast on the local news. The jig is up and they have to go to all four parents’ homes instead of their wonderful Fiji adventure.

Of course, the film is then split into four visits from hell, first with Vaughn’s white trash father and brothers. Jon Favreau is a lot of fun as his cage-fighting brother, Denver, who proceeds to humiliate his former Swingers cast mate in fairly homoerotic fashion. Steenburgen gets to shine as Witherspoon’s suddenly Holy Roller cougar of a mom, who’s now smitten with a local mega-pastor (Dwight Yoakum). Country fans will also enjoy seeing Tim McGraw as Vaughn’s other brother Dallas. The boys are all named for the cities where they were conceived, but Vaughn kept his real name Orlando from Kate, I mean Reese.

The humor is almost fully based on the high-caliber cast, while the script probably wouldn’t have made it as a Fox family sitcom without the stars attached. With a lesser cast, Four Christmases would have been four too many, but as it is, it’s a merry mediocre way to spend you holiday dough.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

From Screen to Stage: Shrektacular and More

The Great White Way goes a little green today as Shrek the Musical has its official opening at the Broadway Theatre. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated favorite and William Steig's original book, DreamWorks' first foray into legitimate theater stars Brian d'Arcy James as the title character (watch him get all ogre'd up with The Today Show's Meredith Vieira). Joining him as his fare Fiona is Tony Award winner Sutton Foster, as well as Tony nominees Daniel Breaker, Christopher Sieber and John Tartaglia as (respectively) Donkey, Lord Farquaad and Pinocchio. Avenue Q's Jason Moore directs, with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori.


And speaking of DreamWorks, their Catch Me If You Can is also getting the stage musical treatment, with songs courtesy of Hairspray Tony winners Marc Shaiman (who's been in the headlines of late with his Prop 8: The Musical) and Scott Wittman and a book by Terrence McNally. The show will have its world premiere next summer in Seattle, with Jack O'Brien directing. No casting has been confirmed as of yet, but past workshops have used the talents of Nathan Lane, Matthew Morrison and Tom Wopat in the roles created on film by (respectively) Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio and Christopher Walken.


And in more From Screen to Stage news: Graham Norton is donning the frock of Albin/Zaza in the London revival of La Cage aux Folles starting January 19; watch him in action here. Meanwhile, the drag queens of Priscilla Queen of the Desert will make their North American debut next fall in Toronto.

Tune in to TCM: The Age of Believing

As part of their month long salute to "Family Classics" (every Sunday in December), Turner Classic Movies will presents the new documentary The Age of Believing: The Disney Live-Action Classics tomorrow night.

Hosted by Angela Lansbury (of Bedknobs and Broomsticks fame), the TCM original takes a look at how the Disney Studio "ventured beyond its animation legacy to develop non-animated family fare" such as Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson, Old Yeller, Pollyanna, The Absent-Minded Professor, The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday and many more.

The special will also feature interviews with such Disney faves as Tim Conway (The Apple Dumpling Gang), Dean Jones (That Darn Cat), Michele Lee (The Love Bug), Kim Richards (Escape to Witch Mountain), Dick Van Dyke (Mary Poppins) and Lesley Ann Warren (The Happiest Millionaire), plus Poppins' Academy Award-winning songwriter Richard M. Sherman, Roy E. Disney and film historian Leonard Maltin.

The Age of Believing will also air on December 21 and 28.

Van Johnson: 1916-2008

Van Johnson, former heartthrob and popular actor of stage and screen, died yesterday at the age of 92.

Johnson's film career took off in the early 1940's when most of the leading men of Hollywood were off fighting World War II. In addition to his all-American looks, his versatility also contributed to his stardom, proving himself equally adept at dramas, comedies and musicals. Of his over eighty movies, notable titles include A Guy Named Joe, Two Girls and a Sailor, The White Cliffs of Dover, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, In the Good Old Summertime, The Caine Mutiny, Brigadoon, The Last Time I Saw Paris, The End of the Affair and The Purple Rose of Cairo.

On television, Johnson danced with his longtime friend Lucille Ball on a memorable I Love Lucy episode and was nominated for an Emmy Award for co-starring in Rich Man, Poor Man. Later in his career, he found success on the stage, starring in The Music Man in London and La Cage aux Folles on Broadway.

UPDATE: Turner Classic Movies will pay tribute to Van Johnson on Tuesday, December 23, with a five-film festival saluting his career.

Out in Film: Denis O'Hare

Idol worship: Denis O'Hare, actor.

- He won Tony and Drama Desk awards for his acclaimed performance as the manager of a gay baseball player in Take Me Out. He also won a Drama Desk for Sweet Charity, and received another Tony nomination for Assassins. Other Broadway shows he has appeared in include Cabaret and Inherit the Wind.

- His film roles have included The Anniversary Party, 21 Grams, Garden State, A Mighty Heart, Michael Clayton, Charlie Wilson's War and Baby Mama.

- On television, he played Rob Lowe's presidential election advisor on Brothers Sisters, and has guest starred on all three Law & Orders (as different characters).

- He can currently be seen on the big screen in both Changeling and Milk, wherein he plays Harvey Milk's nemesis, homophobic Senator John Briggs.

- Next up for the busy actor: no less than five feature films, plus an Off-Broadway revival of the Chekhov classic Uncle Vanya.

Awards Watch: It's Hugh!

From X-Man to The Boy from Oz to the Sexiest Man Alive to Oscar's main man: Australia's own Hugh Jackman has been chosen to host this year's Academy Awards!

A Movie Dearest favorite since he first donned the claws of a certain mutton-chopped mutant, we are thrilled that a true triple-threat (not to mention a certified movie star for a change) has been selected to helm show biz's biggest night. And, as a three-time Tony Award host, he has proven he can handle it; heck, he even won an Emmy for doing so. And yes, it doesn't hurt that he looks great in a tux ...

The 81st Annual Academy Awards will be broadcast live on February 22 on ABC.

Bettie Page: 1923-2008

The queen of the pin-ups, Bettie Page, has passed away at the age of 85.

A pop culture icon, Page was the subject of several documentaries and two biopics, Bettie Page: Dark Angel and The Notorious Bettie Page. The latter starred Gretchen Mol (in a Satellite Award nominated performance) and was co-written by Guinevere Turner.

The Latest in Theaters: Klaatu, Che and Sister Aloysius

If you thought last week was a slow one, well, the studios sure are making up for it this week:

• Doubt: John Patrick Shanley directs the screen adaptation of his Tony Award-winning drama with a dream cast, including Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams.
• Che: OK, see if you can keep this straight: Steven Soderbergh's four-hour biopic of the iconic Ernesto "Che" Guevara (played by Benicio del Toro) is being released in NY and LA in the original, full-length version. It will then be split in two and re-released on January 9 as two separate movies, Part One: The Argentine and Part Two: Guerrilla.
• The Day the Earth Stood Still: Keanu Reeves is Klaatu in this unnecessary and unwanted remake of the Robert Wise sci-fi classic.
• The Reader: The Great Kate Winslet stars in this post-World War II courtroom drama from The Hours director Stephen Daldry.
• Adam Resurrected: In another WWII era film, Jeff Goldblum turns in a career-best performance as a Holocaust survivor.
• Gran Torino: Clint Eastwood (who also directed, produced and wrote the theme song) is a grumpy old man in this racially tinged drama.
• Wendy and Lucy: Michelle Williams is Wendy and Lucy is her beloved pet in this different kind of "dog movie".
• Nothing Like the Holidays: The unlikely married couple of John Leguizamo and Debra Messing pay a Christmas visit to his sprawling family in this comedy/drama. Not to be confused with Four Christmases ... or This Christmas ... or ...
• What Doesn't Kill You: Ethan Hawke and Mark Ruffalo are two friends scraping out a living on the mean streets of Boston.
• $9.99: This Annie Award nominated stop-motion animated film from Australia is about a group of Sydney apartment complex neighbors looking for meaning in their lives.

To find out what films are playing in your area, visit Fandango - Search movie showtimes and buy tickets!

A Very Zuni Christmas

If you ever wondered what ever happened to that Zuni Fetish Warrior from Trilogy of Terror, let alone what the little bugger does for the holidays, than take a look at this.

And guess what? Now, you too can have your very own Zuni Fetish dollof your very own! Just don't tell Karen Black ...

Awards Watch: Golden Globe Nominations 2008

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced today the nominees for their 2008 Golden Globe Awards, and three dramas — The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt and Frost/Nixon — lead the field with five nominations each. Both Button and Frost landed Best Picture nods, while Doubt saw all four of its main cast recognized.

The Reader, Revolutionary Road and Slumdog Millionaire round out the top five in Best Picture - Drama, while the Best Picture - Comedy or Musical nominees include Burn After Reading, Happy-Go-Lucky, In Bruges, Mamma Mia! and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. As you can see, Milk is notably absent, save for a Best Actor nod for Sean Penn; it at least faired better than Australia, which came up empty-handed. See the comments section below for a quick look at all the film nominees.

The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards will be broadcast live January 11 on NBC.

Women We Love: Rachel Weisz

Object of our affection: Rachel Weisz, actress.

- Her early career consisted of roles in several British television productions (Inspector Morse, The Scarlet and the Black) and small film roles (Stealing Beauty, Bent).

- Chain Reaction was her first lead in a feature, but her breakout role was as resourceful librarian Evelyn "Evie" Carnahan in The Mummy; she reprised the part in the first sequel, The Mummy Returns, but bowed out of this year's third go-round.

- Her next big hit was About a Boy, followed by her greatest success in The Constant Gardener, for which she won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and several other awards.

- Other films she has starred in include Sunshine, Beautiful Creatures, Enemy at the Gates, The Shape of Things, Runaway Jury, The Fountain (directed by her fiancé, Darren Aronofsky), Fred Claus and Definitely, Maybe.

- After next week's con man comedy The Brothers Bloom, she'll be seen in three movies next year: the Roman epic Agora and two literary adaptations, The Lovely Bones and Dirt Music. Plus, she'll star as Blanche DuBois in a West End revival of A Streetcar Named Desire next summer.

UPDATE: Make that four in '09 for Rachel: The Brothers Bloom has been bumped until next May.

Awards Watch: Milk Scores in NY

The New York Film Critics Circle has named Gus Van Sant's Milk the Best Picture of 2008 in their annual awards, announced today. In addition to their highest honor, the Big Apple group named Sean Penn (as gay icon Harvey Milk) and Josh Brolin (as his assassin Dan White) Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.

Happy-Go-Lucky also faired well, with prizes for director Mike Leigh and another one for leading lady Sally Hawkins. Vicky Cristina Barcelona's Penélope Cruz continues her winning streak as well, with her third straight trophy, as does hot doc Man on Wire. For a quick look at all the winners, see the comments section below.

The NYFCC Awards will be handed out January 5.

First Look: Meryl Streep as Julia Child

On the eve of the release of the film (Doubt) that many are saying will get the actress her 15th Academy Award nomination, here's an early picture of a role that may nab her #16: Meryl Streep as renowned chef Julia Child in next year's Julie & Julia.

The Nora Ephron film, which also stars two of Streep's past co-stars (The Devil Wears Prada's Stanley Tucci and Doubt's Amy Adams), is due for release August 7.

Awards Watch: WALL-E Surprise in LA

Putting their money where their mouth is, a film critics group has given the best-reviewed movie of the year their top prize ... and it's an animated movie at that. Disney/Pixar's WALL-E has been named Best Picture of 2008 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire continued its winning streak, winning Best Director, while Sean Penn (Milk) and Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) took the lead acting honors. The late Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) won his first real award of the year, while Penélope Cruz was named Best Supporting Actress for both Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Elegy (I have a feeling these latter two will be tough to beat through the rest of the awards season). See the comments section below for a quick look at all the winners.

The 34th Annual LAFCA Awards will be presented January 12 in (where else) Los Angles.

The Latest on DVD: Sequel Showdown

Two of this summer's sequels — The Dark Knightand Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild— are hitting DVD today. And while they don't have a whole lot in common, both did illicit some strong opinions from our very own Men on Film.

Regarding the blockbuster bat-flick, Chris had this to say: "The best movie of the year and/or best comic book movie ever? I think not", while Neil recommended you "take a walk on the dark side". (Editor's note: I have to agree with Chris on this one.) But the bigger disparity between our two pundits was on Todd Stephens' follow-up to his Another Gay Movie. Neil suggests "if you check your sensibilities with your luggage on Transamerica Airlines, you might just go wild for Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild". On the other hand, Chris admits that he walked out on it toward the end (at least he lasted longer than Roger Ebert did).

Now that both films are on DVD, you can see for yourself which of our critics you agree with.

Check out the Latest on DVD widgets located in the sidebar for more of this week's new DVD releases available today from Amazon.com.

Awards Watch: Critics' Choice Nominations 2008

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Milk lead the nominees for the Broadcast Film Critics Association's Critics' Choice Awards with eight nods apiece. Both films are up for Best Picture, Best Director and four acting categories, among others.

Three other BP hopefuls — The Dark Knight, Doubt and Slumdog Millionaire — raked in six nominations each, with Changeling, Frost/Nixon, The Reader, WALL-E and The Wrestler rounding out the top ten. Glaringly absent: Revolutionary Road.

The 14th Critics' Choice Awards will be presented on January 8. For a quick look at the nominations, see the comments section below.

Trivial Pursuits: A Christmas Story Edition

A modern holiday classic, A Christmas Story is a perennial favorite this time of year. But did you know that ...

By the numbers: Ralphie says he wants the Red Ryder BB Gun 28 times during the film's 94-minute running time; that’s approximately once every three minutes and 20 seconds.
Cameos: All three of the film's screenwriters have bit parts in the film. Director Bob Clark plays "Swede", the neighbor who admires the leg lamp. Author and narrator Jean Shepherd is the grouchy guy waiting in line for Santa; Leigh Brown (Shepherd's wife) is standing with him.
Racy beginnings: Three of Shepherd's semi-autobiographical short stories on which A Christmas Story is based were first published in Playboy magazine between 1964 and 1966.
A Christmas legacy: A Christmas Story supposedly inspired the creation of the Emmy Award winning comedy series The Wonder Years. Peter Billingsley even guest starred on the show.
Deleted scene: Ralphie teams up with Flash Gordon against Ming the Merciless in another fantasy sequence. Why isn't this on the DVD?
A different Story: Jack Nicholson wanted to play Ralphie’s dad, but was nixed due because his salary would have doubled the budget. The considerably cheaper Darren McGavin was cast instead as "The Old Man".


Now that's a special effect: A hidden suction tube was used to create the realistic illusion that Flick's tongue had stuck to the metal flagpole (and yes, that really could happen, as seen in an episode of Mythbusters).
And speaking of Flick: Yes, it is true that Scott Schwartz, the actor who played him and also co-starred in the Richard Pryor comedy The Toy, became a porn star, mostly (thankfully?) in "non-sex" roles. He even won an AVN Award.
Musical homage: The music heard when local bully Scut Farkas first appears is the "Wolf" music from Sergei Prokofiev's classic composition Peter and the Wolf. The name "Farkas" is derived from the Hungarian word for "wolf".
The sequel you never heard of: My Summer Story (a.k.a. It Runs in the Family) was released in 1994 with Kieran Culkin, Charles Grodin and Mary Steenburgen playing Ralphie and his parents. Jean Shepherd returned as the narrator, as did Tedde Moore as Miss Shields, Ralphie's teacher.
Fanatic fans: The documentary Road Trip for Ralphie shows how two Canadians visit every location used in A Christmas Story. Scenes include the duo rescuing Miss Shields' blackboard from destruction and tracking down the real-life location of the Chop Suey Palace.
That's a fact: Mrs. Parker is correct when she says the Lone Ranger's nephew rode a horse named Victor.
Oops: And speaking of Mrs. Parker, Melinda Dillon is correctly identified in the opening credits, but her name is misspelled in the end credits as "Dillion".

Cinematic Crush: Brad Pitt

Crush object: Brad Pitt, actor/producer.

- He began his career with roles on TV soap operas (Another World, Dallas) and bit parts in movies (Less Than Zero), but his big breakthrough was as J.D., the sexy hitchhiker who takes Geena Davis for a ride in Thelma & Louise.

- Alternating between quirky characters (Kalifornia, True Romance) and golden boys (A River Runs Through It, Legends of the Fall), this period was highlighted by his morose vamp Louis in Interview with a Vampire and his biggest hit to date, Seven.

- Another oddball character, Jeffrey Goines in Twelve Monkeys, netted him a Golden Globe and his first Academy Award nomination. Following a string of flops (The Devil's Own, Seven Years in Tibet, Meet Joe Black) was the cult classic Fight Club, wherein he played the enigmatic Tyler Durden, recently named by Empire magazine the greatest movie character of all time.

- His subsequent characters have included an Irish Gypsy boxer (Snatch), a smooth con man (the Ocean's Eleven movies), Sinbad the Sailor, Achilles (Troy), an assassin gunning for his own wife (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) and Jesse James. He is also a successful producer, including Running with Scissors, A Mighty Heart and the Oscar winning The Departed.

- This year, he has proven his range yet again, playing the himbo Chad in Burn After Reading (available on DVD and Blu-raynext Tuesday) and the title character in the eagerly awaited The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which just may land him another Oscar nod. And he's not slowing down; other upcoming films include Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and a film adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey.

Poster Post: Slash Art

Paul Morrison's Little Ashes, which tells the (slightly) fictionalized love story between famed artist Salvador Dalí and poet Federico García Lorca, is shaping up to be the gay art house event of 2009. Stars Robert Pattinson (hot off of Twilight) and newcomer Javier Beltran are, naturally, featured in the latest poster art, as well as a fresh new trailer.

Reverend’s Interview: Minsky's Beth Leavel

Actress Beth Leavel won a boatload of theatre awards, including the Tony, for originating the title role in The Drowsy Chaperone. The hilarious musical had its world premiere in Los Angeles prior to its Broadway debut, and the creative team behind The Drowsy Chaperone is hoping lightning strikes twice, as their new musical Minsky’s will have its world premiere January 21-March 1 at the Ahmanson Theatre in LA before moving to New York.

Based on the 1968 movie The Night They Raided Minsky’s, it is, according to the advance publicity, “a big, racy, romantic musical comedy set in Depression Era New York City.” Set in Minsky’s, a burlesque hall “where profit margins are as skimpy as the costumes,” it features a musical score by Broadway legend Charles Strouse (Bye Bye Birdie, Annie) and Susan Birkenhead (Jelly’s Last Jam, Triumph of Love). In addition to Leavel, the show’s great cast includes Christopher Fitzgerald, who originated the role of Boq in Wicked and currently stars as Igor in Broadway’s Young Frankenstein, as well as Rachel Dratch (of Saturday Night Live fame) and George "Norm!" Wendt.

Prior to her acclaimed turn in The Drowsy Chaperone, Leavel played such iconic roles as Miss Hannigan in Annie and Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street. She is currently starring on Broadway as another classic character: Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein.


Earlier this month, Leavel took time out from decorating her home in New Jersey for Christmas to speak with Movie Dearest. Leavel said she had “a six-hour window” before she had to report for that evening’s performance of Young Frankenstein, but was delightful to talk to. Of her current assignment, Leavel told me, “It’s such a fun show and I’m so grateful to have a job,” especially in these difficult economic times. (Sadly, the expensive Young Frankenstein is scheduled to close January 4.)

Leavel plays Maise in Minsky’s. “She’s (lead character) Billy Minsky’s right-hand gal, a performer and former dancer and now kind of the heart of the burlesque house.” The actress confided that while the Drowsy Chaperone remains her favorite role, “Maise is the character closest to me.”

Of her current show-in-development, Leavel told me “It’s an original piece, even though it’s based on a movie. This is a true original. The score is breathtaking, it has huge dance numbers and covers a fascinating time in American and entertainment history: burlesque.” She also raved about the costumes designed for the musical by Gregg Barnes.

Leavel (center) in rehearsal with her Minsky's co-stars.
The actress is clearly thrilled to be working again with choreographer-director Casey Nicholaw and author Bob Martin after their mutual success with The Drowsy Chaperone. “They provide such a safety net, these talented people,” Leavel said. “I jumped at the chance to work with them again.”

Leavel gave high marks to the theatre scene in southern California. “I also wanted to do Minsky’s out of loyalty to everyone at the Ahmanson Theatre, who was so supportive of The Drowsy Chaperone. It’s also a beautiful theatre.”

I asked Leavel how her experience on Minsky’s thus far compared with helping to create The Drowsy Chaperone. She replied, “Everything is going so amazingly quickly; everyone is so prepared, and it’s such a luxury to work this way. The process is still a little too young to say working on this is exactly the same as The Drowsy Chaperone, but we’re doing great.”


Of working with composer Charles Strouse, Leavel told me “He is such a dear and such a legend. It is a pleasure and honor to work with him; everyday, I’m like a star-struck student.” She is particularly fond of one of the songs Strouse and Birkenhead have written for Maise, an anthem she sings at the end of Minsky’s first act “about how the theatre is our home.”

In terms of Minsky’s appeal to the LGBT community versus general theatergoers, Leavel said “I can’t really differentiate; it’s a very human story that appeals to everyone’s heart.” She continued, “There isn’t a specific gay angle yet but, since it is still in development, things could change.”

Whether it ends up containing overt LGBT content or not, the world premiere of Minsky’s promises to be one of the theatrical highlights of the new year.

Interview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Ho Ho Gizmo

How's this — a Gremlins Santa Gizmo Singing Plush— for a cutie-patootie stocking stuffer? Not only is good ol' Giz all dressed up for the holidays, just push a button and he hums a little Christmas tune and does a little dance!

Just don't feed him any fruitcake after midnight ...

MD Poll: Cinematic Christmas Carols

'Tis the time of year for roasting chestnuts, drinking eggnog and gathering around the spinet for a few old fashioned Christmas carols. But did you know that some of the most well known yuletide tunes actually came from the movies?

Sure, everyone knows that Bing Crosby crooned "White Christmas" in Holiday Inn and that Judy Garland warbled "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in Meet Me in St. Louis. But how many of you know that "Silver Bells" was originally in a Bob Hope movie (the crime caper comedy The Lemon Drop Kid)? Or that "We Need a Little Christmas" was sung by Angela Lansbury in Broadway's Mame, only to be butchered by Lucille Ball in the film version?

These and six more classic holiday-themed movie songs are the subject of the latest MD Poll, so pick your favorite and place your vote in the poll located in the sidebar to your right. Check back in two weeks to see which is the most popular cinematic Christmas carol of all time!

UPDATE: This poll is now closed; click here for the results, and click here to vote in the next MD Poll.

MD Poll: The Joker's Wild

With close to 60% of the vote, Heath Ledger's already iconic portrayal of the Joker in this year's The Dark Knight (available on DVD and Blu-raythis Tuesday) easily beat out all previous Batman villains in the latest MD Poll.

In fact, the only other bat-baddie to register in double digits was the practically purr-fect Michelle Pfeiffer as the Catwoman; Heath's predecessor as the Clown Prince of Crime, Jack Nicholson, rounds out the top three. See the comments section below for the full run-down, and click here to vote in the latest MD Poll.

Reverend’s Reviews: Hello and Goodbye

Ciao, opening this weekend in limited release, is a quiet, affecting story of two men unexpectedly brought together by the sudden death of a common friend.

As Jeff (played by Adam Neal Smith) undertakes the sad task of going through the recently-deceased Mark’s e-mail messages to inform acquaintances of his best friend’s loss, he discovers a romantic correspondence Mark was having with Andrea (Alessandro Calza, who also co-wrote Ciao’s script). What’s more, Andrea is due to visit from Genoa, Italy in just a few days.

Andrea is initially inclined to cancel the visit, but Jeff invites him to come to Dallas and stay with him rather than waste the plane ticket. Andrea accepts the invitation, and a weekend of increased awareness of their late, mutual friend as well as each other results.


Directed and co-written by Yen Tan (who previously made the award-winning gay film Happy Birthday), Ciao realistically conveys the vacuum that is often created through the death of a loved one. However, I didn’t find it maudlin or depressing; in fact, the movie is pleasantly hopeful in tone. It becomes a story of discovery between two men previously unknown to each other and from different countries.

While Jeff and Andrea’s time together provides some closure of their individual relationships with Mark, it opens up a whole new opportunity for friendship and love between the two of them. Benefiting from fine performances from its intimate cast, Ciao is well worth seeing.

Watch the trailer here.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Out in Film: Victor Garber

Idol worship: Victor Garber, actor.

- He made his film debut as Jesus in the movie version of the musical Godspell. His other film credits include Sleepless in Seattle, Jeffrey, The First Wives Club, Legally Blonde, Tuck Everlasting and Titanic, wherein he portayed shipbuilder Thomas Andrews.

- On Broadway, he has received four Tony Award nominations for his performances in Deathtrap, Little Me, Lend Me a Tenor and Damn Yankees, and also appeared in the original New York productions of Sweeney Todd, Noises Off and Assassins.

- TV movie roles have included Liberace in the biopic Liberace: Behind the Music, the King in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, Daddy Warbucks in Annie, Mayor Shinn in The Music Man and Sid Luft in Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, which earned him his first Emmy Award nomination.

- Three more Emmy nods came his way for his most well known character, Jack Bristow on Alias, followed by two more for his guest spots on Frasier and Will & Grace.

- He can currently be seen on television in the final episodes of Eli Stone and at the movies as San Francisco Mayor George Moscone in Milk.

Greased Turkey

Ace Young, Derek Keeling and the rest of the Grease T-birds spent their Thanksgiving morning doin' a little "Greased Lightning" on the CBS turkey day parade. Just a few days later, they found out their show was closing on Broadway. Happy holidays, guys!

The Latest in Theaters: Tricky Dick and Company

This week's new movies feature everything from a former president to a new Punisher:

• Frost/Nixon: Frank Langella recreates his Tony Award winning performance as Richard Nixon opposite his Broadway co-star Michael Sheen in Ron Howard's screen adaptation of the acclaimed stage drama.
• Cadillac Records: Adrien Brody stars as the founder of Chess Records, whose stable of artists included Etta James, Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters, played here by Beyoncé Knowles, Mos Def and Jeffrey Wright.
• Punisher: War Zone: Another month, another superhero movie (not to mention the second Marvel Comics reboot of the year), with Ray Stevenson taking over vigilante duties from Thomas Jane.
• Ciao: A story of love and loss about a man who meets his best friend's Italian boyfriend ... just a few days after that friend's death.

To find out what films are playing in your area, visit Fandango - Search movie showtimes and buy tickets!

Awards Watch: National Board of Review 2008

One way or another, the 2008 movie award season has begun, and Slumdog Millionaire has won the first prize. The National Board of Review has unveiled their annual awards, and Danny Boyle's inspirational sleeper won three, including Best Film.

Acting honors went to Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino), Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Josh Brolin (Milk) and Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), with "breakthrough" awards going to Slumdog's Dev Patel and Viola Davis of Doubt, which also received the ensemble acting prize. Best Director went to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button's David Fincher, while Mongol, Man on Wire and WALL-E were named the best in foreign language, documentary and animated films, respectively.

See the comments section below for a quick look at all the winners, including the NBR's top tens of the year. The awards will be handed out January 14 in a New York gala hosted by Whoopi Goldberg.

School's Out for Grease on Broadway

January 4 is going to be a busy day for Broadway closings. In addition to the already announced Hairspray and Young Frankenstein, Grease will no longer be the word on the Great White Way after that date.

The Tony Award nominated revival was the first Broadway show to cast its leads by way of a TV reality show. The winners of Grease: You're the One That I Want, Max Crumm and Laura Osnes, played Danny and Sandy for the show's first year; two other G:YTOTIW alums, Derek Keeling and Ashley Spencer, are now playing the lovebirds.

Additionally, Grease has also featured the talents of some former American Idols. Taylor Hicks was the Teen Angel for a time and is now headlining the just-launched national tour, while Ace Young is the current Kenickie.

Awards Watch: Grammy Nominations 2008

The nominees for this year's Grammy Awards were announced yesterday, and below you will find the four categories of most interest to fans of stage and screen:

Best Musical Show Album:

• Gypsy
• In the Heights
• The Little Mermaid
• South Pacific
• Young Frankenstein

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television 0r Other Visual Media:

• American Gangster
• August Rush
• Juno
• Mamma Mia!
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media:

• The Dark Knight
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
• Iron Man
• There Will Be Blood
• WALL-E

Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media:

• "Down to Earth" from WALL-E
• "Ever Ever After" from Enchanted
• "Say" from The Bucket List
• "That's How You Know" from Enchanted
• "Walk Hard" from Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Note that the cut-off dates for the Grammys are not by calendar year, thus why there are so many nominees from last year's films. The good showing of WALL-E in both score and song categories does bode well for future award prospects for Thomas Newman and Peter Gabriel. However, James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer's Dark Knight score has already been disqualified from the Academy Awards.

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on CBS February 8.

UPDATE: In a surprise turn of events, the Academy's music branch has reversed their disqualification of the Dark Knight score.

Reel Thoughts: The Mayor of Castro Street

Harvey Milk was known as “the Mayor of Castro Street” long before he rose to prominence as the first openly gay politician in the US. Seeing Sean Penn’s amazing performance in Gus Van Sant’s incredibly moving new film Milk, we can only imagine what mincemeat Milk would have made of the Proposition 8 people.

Sadly, he was brutally gunned down, along with Mayor George Moscone, by a paranoid psycho named Dan White (he of the infamous “Twinkie Defense”), just as his great work was finally paying off. Of course, what ultimately makes Milk such an unbearably sad film to watch is that the same intolerance temporarily vanquished in the film is still on full display by the heartless supporters of Prop 102, Prop 8 and just about any place where “social conservatives” gather. I just hope that Milk will be a catalyst for positive change in driving anti-gay zealots back under their rocks.


Penn plays the 40-year-old Milk, who travels to San Francisco with his lover Scott Smith (the delicious James Franco), intent on doing something important with his life. In the late 70's, the Prop 8 of its time was the Briggs Initiative, a vile piece of legislative crap that prohibited gay people from teaching in California schools. Laws like it were being pushed across the country by the orange juice-shilling hag, Anita Bryant, shown in actual footage that confirms that she’s a Disney-esque evil fairy-tale witch.

Because we know what is to befall Milk, I almost wish that Van Sant had managed to inject more joy and humor into his film. It felt bogged down at times by the fighting and break-ups he endured, and the viciousness, both casual and violent, shown by Milk’s opponents. One great missed opportunity would have been to show Anita Bryant getting a pie in the face, and then hissing out, “At least it was a fruit pie!” — especially since pies in the face are a motif in the film.


Emile Hirsch is unrecognizable as Cleve Jones (who also appears in the film), as is Diego Luna as Milk’s crazed lover Jack Lira. Josh Brolin does a great job as Milk’s assassin, White, showing us the perfect example of the kind of person that hate speech (like that shown in the recent election) inflames.

Milk should net Penn an Oscar nomination, and the film is almost as important as Brokeback Mountain. It isn’t as well made, mostly because the story doesn’t allow for as much depth of characters, but Van Sant has truly captured the era, the attitude and the hope for change in Milk.

UPDATE: Milk is now available on DVD and Blu-rayfrom Amazon.com.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Women We Love: Liza Minnelli

Object of our affection: Liza Minnelli, actress/singer.

- She's the daughter of cinematic royalty (Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli) who became a superstar of stage and screen in her own right. And she's back on Broadway starting tonight with Liza's at the Palace ...! The production, described as "an incomparable Minnelli songfest including many of her personal favorites and signature hits", is already a huge hit and has been extended for two extra weeks (until December 28) due to ticket demand. Plus, a two-disc recordingof the show will be released on February 2.

- At the age of three, she made her show biz debut opposite her mother in her father's film In the Good Old Summertime. However, her first professional job was Off-Broadway, and she soon took the Great White Way by storm with Flora the Red Menace, which made her the youngest Tony Award winning Best Actress. She would win two more Tonys (for The Act and a special award in 1974 for "for adding lustre to the Broadway season") and be nominated again for The Rink. Other productions she added her unique "lustre" to include Chicago and Victor/Victoria, as well as several of her own concert events.

- Her first real movie role was in Charlie Bubbles, followed by The Sterile Cuckoo, in which her performance as "Pookie" earned the actress her first Academy Award nomination. Following Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, she would go on to star in the classic movie musical Cabaret, winning the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and many other prizes for her iconic portrayal of Sally Bowles. Her other classic film roles include New York, New York and Arthur.

- The legendary television special Liza With a 'Z' netted her an Emmy Award. In addition to her many appearances on musical variety programs through the years, she also memorably guest starred on Arrested Development and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

- Last but certainly not least, her recording career has won her two Certified Gold records and a Grammy Legend Award, thereby completing her grand slam of all the major entertainment awards, a rare feat.

UPDATE: Liza's going to stay at the Palace ...! a little longer: the show has been extended through January 4.

First Look: Breaker as Donkey

With its opening night less than two weeks away, we finally get a look at one of the main characters of Shrek the Musical: Donkey, played by Passing Strange Tony nominee Daniel Breaker. Now how about John Tartaglia as Pinocchio?

The toon tuner, which is still making changes during its preview period, officially opens December 14 at the Broadway Theatre.

Reverend’s Reviews: And Your Little Dog, Too!

2007 was a good year for actress Julie White. She had a memorable role in the biggest movie of that year, Transformers, in which she played Shia LaBouf’s hilariously in-the-dark mom (a role she will reprise in next summer’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen). That same summer, White won a Tony Award for her performance as Diane, the all-knowing talent agent who serves as ringmaster of The Little Dog Laughed. Her Tony acceptance speech alone made many want to see the play but, alas, it had already closed on Broadway.

Praise the Theatre Gods, Julie has resurrected Diane and moved her where she was meant to be all along: Culver City, California! The Little Dog Laughed is having its West Coast premiere through December 21 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, right across the street from the Sony Studios. Joining her are original New York castmates Johnny Galecki, Brian Henderson and Zoe Lister-Jones, as well as original director Scott Ellis.


Written by Douglas Carter Beane (author of the book for Xanadu on Broadway as well as the screenplay for To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar), The Little Dog Laughed is a fairly slight but hugely enjoyable satire about the chaos that ensues when a closeted gay movie star, Mitchell Greene (very well-played by Henderson), falls in love with a male prostitute, Alex (the winning Galecki, who can also be seen currently on the clever sitcom The Big Bang Theory). Alex’s best friend-with-benefits Ellen (a very funny turn by Lister-Jones) complicates matters all the more.

It falls to Mitchell’s lesbian agent, Diane, to save her career, salvage Mitchell’s, redeem Ellen and try to get Alex out of the picture entirely. Her desire to wring a Hollywood-esque happy ending out of this scenario, as well as the gay-themed play she and Mitchell have just optioned to turn into a movie, is the force that propels The Little Dog Laughed to its wry conclusion.

And what a force Julie White is as Diane. While verging perilously at times on going over-the-top, she never does. She succeeds in making Diane hysterical yet human. What’s more, Diane is clearly the smartest of Hollywood power players, even though it has taken her a lot of humiliating turns at playing second-fiddle to get there. The Sunday matinee audience of Hollywood-savvy folks I saw the play with clearly sympathized with her, and loved her.

There are a handful of smart, philosophical monologues in the play that give it some depth, as well as some racy sequences of man-on-man action to titillate gay observers. But The Little Dog Laughed is primarily a farce, and a good if not great one. With a cast this good, though, as well as Allen Moyer’s great sliding-panels set, the material is easily elevated to the ranks of comedy heaven.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Awards Watch: Rachel Getting Nominated

Rachel Getting Married just may follow in the footsteps of Juno (another film about a misfit young female protagonist) as it goes into this year's Independent Spirit Awards with a leading six nominations. Joining Jonathan Demme's dysfunctional family drama with a half dozen nods a piece (including Best Feature notice) are the lesser known Frozen River and Ballast. Rounding out the top five are Wendy and Lucy (starring Michelle Williams) and The Wrestler (starring Mickey Rourke).

Glaringly missing from the Best Feature and Best Director lists is Gus Van Sant's Milk, which did receive four nominations, including acting nods for Sean Penn and James Franco and a "First Screenplay" nomination for Dustin Lance Black.

The 24th Annual Independent Spirit Awards will be presented in a televised ceremony on February 21 (the day before the Oscars). For a quick look at the nominees, see the comments section below.

The Latest on DVD: Still Standing

With a spiffy cover like that, if someone were to mistakenly pick up this two-disc special edition of the science fiction masterpiece The Day the Earth Stood Stillthinking it was the upcoming Keanu Reeves remake (which looks as noisy as the original is elegant), they shouldn't be disappointed.

In addition to the Robert Wise-directed classic (starring Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal and ... Frances Bavier!), the new set (available on both standard DVD and high def Blu-ray today) also includes featurettes on the film's most famous phrase ("Klaatu Barada Nikto") and "The Mysterious, Melodious Theremin", among many other bonus features.

Check out the Latest on DVD widgets located in the sidebar for more of this week's new DVD releases available today from Amazon.com.

Cinematic Crush: Josh Holloway

Crush object: Josh Holloway, actor.

- He began his career as a model ... perhaps you saw him mugging his way through this Old Navy commercial or mugging Alicia Silverstone in the Aerosmith "Cryin'" video.

- Appropriately, his first television role was as "Good Looking Guy" on an episode of Angel. Other early work includes guest spots on everything from Walker, Texas Ranger to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

- But his real breakout was as James Ford, better known as Sawyer, the sexy Southern con man with a heart of gold and a soft spot for classic literature (not to mention freckles and nicknames) on the modern TV classic Lost (catch up before it returns next month with its complete fourth season, on DVDnext Tuesday).

- His film roles have been scarce so far (including the little seen thriller Whisper), but he will co-star in the upcoming comedy Stay Cool as "Wino", a ne'er-do-well tattoo artist.

- In the meantime, you can enjoy the view of these two recent ad campaigns he is featured in, from Magnum Ice Cream and Davidoff's "Cool Water" fragrance.

Awards Watch: Annie Nominations

The nominees for the International Animated Film Society's 2008 Annie Awards have been announced ... and a panda shall lead them. DreamWorks' hit Kung Fu Panda leads the field with a butt-kickin' 16 nominations, plus 8 more for its video game and Secrets of the Furious Five spin-offs.

That leaves only seven for the expected front-runner, Disney/Pixar's WALL-E, which found itself surprisingly left off the list for its screenplay and score. Both films were nominated for the big prize, Best Animated Feature, along with Disney's Bolt, the stop motion $9.99 from Australia and the toon doc Waltz With Bashir from Israel. See the comments section below for a quick look at all the film nominations. The final awards will be presented on January 30.

Interestingly enough, the IAFS website lists their sponsors, and what-do-you-know, DreamWorks is listed as "Silver", while Disney and Pixar are only "Bronze". I guess Jeffrey Katzenberg got what he paid for ...

Awards Watch: The Race Begins

Depending on which Oscar pundit you pay attention to, the "official" start of the 2008 movie award season is either tomorrow (when the Independent Spirit Award nominations are announced) or this Thursday (when the National Board of Review unveils their winners). Regardless, there are a few early entrants into this year's race, with the Annie Award nominations (for animated productions) planned for later today and the International Press Academy's nominations for their 13th Annual Satellite Awards announced yesterday.

As I mentioned last year, the Satellites are what one might call the "red-headed step child" of Hollywood awards; nobody pays that much attention to them and (as you can see in the full list in the comments section below) their nominations can be all over the place, naming movies that you may not have heard of and probably never will again. In any event, some observations:

• Australia received the most nominations, with nine, but none in any of the major categories. Baz Luhrmann will receive the vague "Auteur Award", which must be a consolation prize of some sort.
• Milk got six nominations, including Best Picture - Drama and acting nods for Sean Penn and James Franco. James Brolin was nominated (in the comedy category!) for W.
• Meryl Streep (Doubt, Mamma Mia!) and Mark Ruffalo (What Doesn't Kill You, The Brothers Bloom) were both nominated twice in the lead acting races, one each for drama and comedy or musical.
• Heath Ledger received his first of what will probably be many posthumous nominations for his Joker in The Dark Knight.
• The Quantum of Solace theme "Another Way to Die", which received mostly mixed reviews, was nevertheless nominated for Best Original Song.
• The animated documentary Waltz With Bashir was nominated in both categories.
• Four of the group's "top ten movies of 2008" were left out of their Best Picture categories, with Ballast receiving no nominations at all.

The Satellite Awards will be handed out December 14.