Movie Review (Classic)-----STRIPES

I was 11 years old when STRIPES was released. Through the years, it just slipped thru the cracks and I never saw it. So when I saw that it had been released on Blu-Ray, I rented it thru Netflix. Being a huge fan of PRIVATE BENJAMIN, I was expecting it to be the same type of fish out of water story, but with a male in the lead. Now that I've seen STRIPES, it certainly isn't on the same level as Goldie Hawn's classic Army tale, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. Bill Murray's Superstar status was solidified with this film and he is terrific as John Winger, the cab driver who joins the Army out of desperation. Harold Ramis is great as Murray's sidekick and John Candy is hilarious as the overweight Dewey. John Larroquette is brilliant. Fun to see Judge Reinhold, Sean Young, and Warren Oates in supporting roles. It's not the laugh out loud comedy I had expected and does seem to suffer a bit with age, but it was fun to finally see what is considered to be one of the great comedies from the 80's. One of my resolutions for 2012 was to see popular and classic films that have escaped me up to this point. This was a forgetful but fun way to start.

Book Review-----THEN AGAIN by Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is one of my top five favorite actresses of all time. So when I heard that she was writing a memoir I was extremely excited. Having just put THEN AGAIN down, I can tell you it is not what I expected. Yes, there are tales from the sets of her films such as THE GODFATHER, SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE, and ANNIE HALL. Yes, there are recollections of the great loves of her life including Woody Allent, Warren Beatty, and Al Pacino. Yes, there are details about what led her to adopt not one, but two children when she was in her late forties. But all of those stories are told in counterpoint with excerpts from Diane's mother's journals that Diane read after her mother had passed away. This book is much more than a Memoir. It is a tribute to an adoring mother who journaled nearly every moment of her life. And what she didn't chronicle in writing, she saved through photos and scrapbooks. The book is incredibly moving as it tells the story of not only a daughter's journey into finding herself but the mother standing by watching and commenting on everything that was happening in her daughter's life. For those looking for a pure Hollywood tell-all, this is not it. Diane Keaton has served up a book that is every bit the essence of herself....classy, elegant and wonderfully candid.

Movie Review-----TINY FURNITURE

Sometimes an Independent Film works just a little too hard to be just that....an Independent Film.  TINY FURNITURE is a small film that got a lot of attention last year from critics and film festivals around the country.  Written by, directed by, and starring Lena Dunham, it is far from an egotrip, but also far from a completely fulfilling cinematic experience.  Dunham plays Aura, a 22 year old recent Ohio college graduate who returns to her mother's apartment in NYC with absolutely no clue as to what her future is going to be.  Her mother is a successful Artist/Photographer who lives in one of those apartments in Manhattan that no Artist/Photographer could ever afford in real life.  Aura's exsistence is spent in a meaningless job as a Hostess in a small cafe.  Two very different men enter her life.  One is a homeless "artist" and the other is one of the Chefs at the cafe where Aura works.  While she wonders if one or both of these men are interested in her, she also balances the few girlfriends that she has with a hostile relationship with her younger sister and a condescending one with her mother.  The dialogue is witty in a "nobody really talks like this" kind of way, the locations are far from Woody Allen's version of NYC, and the characters are oh so full of angst and depression over "what comes next".  It all adds up to a pleasant but sluggish and empty experience for an audience.  It's not a bad film, just a hollow one.

Movie Review (Classic)-----PSYCHO

It was a weekday afternoon during the summer of 1984.  My Mother was heading to the store and was leaving me home to fend for myself for a short time.  I sat in front of the television flipping channels and came across a black and white movie that I hadn't seen before.  On the screen, Janet Leigh (who I knew as Jamie Lee Curtis's mother) was buying a car while looking over her shoulder at a policeman parked across the street.  My curiosity was grabbed immediately and I put the remote control down.  My mother walked through the living room on her way out the door, took one look at the television and said "David, this is PSYCHO. Please don't watch this alone."  I looked at her like she was nuts.  It was the middle of the day and the sun was shining.  How scary could it be?  An hour later, my mother returned from Kroger's (remember Krogers?) and I was just reaching the point in the story where Vera Miles entered the Bates Home and took that infamous trip down to the basement.  Nothing affected me this much since 1979 when I watched the network premiere of John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN and slept with a lamp on for two weeks.  PSYCHO is the movie that I believe officially made me a Movie Fanatic.  Here was this movie made 10 years before my birth that still had an impact on a new viewer 24 years later!  I immediately rented PSYCHO II and although not coming close to the original, it still worked some magic and shimmer into the continuing tale of Norman Bates.  PSYCHO III was a letdown and the prequel PSYCHO IV: THE BEGINNING brought a permanent end to the franchise.  I have seen PSYCHO several times, including the shot by shot remake from 1998 that did nothing but piss people off (I'm one of the few that enjoy it for simply being made at all).  But I hadn't sat down to watch the original PSYCHO since cleansing myself of the remake by watching the Hitchcock masterpiece immediately afterwards.  So, last week I turned the final page in a book called ALFRED HITCHCOCK AND THE MAKING OF PSYCHO by Stephen Rebello.  It's a fascinating account of how Hitchcock made the film and the effect it had on directors, audiences and the genre itself for years to come.  Over the weekend, I sat down and rewatched PSYCHO.  From the first strains of that brilliant "all-strings" score by Bernard Herrmann, I was immediately transported back to being a teenager and watching it for the first time.  It is incredible how it still holds up, even after numerous viewings.  The dread I still feel when Marion Crane turns on the shower, when Arbogast begins climbing those stairs, and when Lila Crane enters the fruit cellar gently calling "Mrs. Bates.....".  But what I really noticed this time were the performances.  It's a shame that the shock of the film in 1960 took away from the appreciation of some of the portrayals.  Janet Leigh absolutely deserved her Best Supporting Actress nomination.  Most of her work is done without dialogue and she is spellbinding.  Her "reaction" work during that Parlor Scene with Norman is masterful.  Janet Leigh is the only Acting nomination the film received at that year's Academy Awards.  How Anthony Perkins was ignored is beyond me.  What a performance.  Again, the silent moments as he is cleaning up "Mother's" dirty work.  The way he compulsively eats the candy corn while Arbogast is questioning him.  His final look at the camera before the skull makes an appearance (look fast!!!).  Perkins makes you care about Norman and even as the movie ends one can't help feel a little sympathy towards this abused Mama's Boy.  One also can't forget the wonderful work from Martin Balsam, Vera Miles, and John Gavin also.  PSYCHO is an example of how they truly DON'T make 'em like they used to.  If you have never seen it, do yourself a favor.  Just don't watch it alone......

Movie Review-----THE DOUBLE

I admit that I have remained a loyal Richard Gere fan ever since AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN. If he is in something, I will see it. The first 15 years of his career have been more impressive than his most recent choices, but I enjoy him enough to sit through almost anything that he is attached to. His latest film THE DOUBLE didn't receive a nationwide release, which is always the sign of a dud. But being the fan that I am, I recently sat down at home to watch it. Gere plays a retired CIA agent who joins a young FBI agent (Topher Grace) to track down a Russian assassin who has seemingly returned after the Cold War. Old conspiracies quickly resurface, embroiling the pair in deeper and deeper peril. I am not sure why this didn't get a wide release, because although it is far from perfect, it is a cut above most of the crap that arrives weekly in local cinemas. It is well directed and beautifully shot. The screenplay has a few holes in it, but is surprisingly well written for this type of film. Both Gere and Grace give solid performances and Martin Sheen has a nice supporting role as the Director of the CIA. THE DOUBLE certainly doesn't break new ground, but it's a nice choice for a mindless Friday or Saturday night.

Movie Review-----REAL STEEL

The Trailer for REAL STEEL caused me to worry about Hugh Jackman's career choices and led me to tell myself that I would never ever see the movie under any circumstances. The movie was released last fall to positive critical response and huge box office, but it wasn't enough to get me to the Multiplex. But I kept hearing people rave about it and had several trusted friends tell me that it was worth a Netflix rental. So this afternoon, I popped the Blu-Ray in with the thought that it might be a pleasant yet forgetful way to spend my day off. When I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Yes, it has Robots boxing, but this movie has more heart than found in most big budget action films. In a future world where flesh-and-blood boxers have been replaced by towering mechanized fighters, boxer-turned-promoter Charlie Kenton reconnects with his estranged son to convert a discarded machine into a World Robot boxing contender. Hugh Jackman is in fine form (literally) as Kenton and leads a terrific supporting cast. The visual effects are astounding. The Robots seem human without looking like Jar Jar Binks. Truly some of the best work I have seen recently. The movie is much more than Robots sparring in a ring, which is how I found the Trailer to make it appear. The crux of the story is a Father connecting with a young son he never took the time to know. It's surprisingly moving. It really was a great way to spend a day off. While so many 2011 movies meant to stir the soul left me cold (HUGO, THE DESCENDANTS), this was a genuine surprise and I'm glad I finally took the ride.

Book Review-----ALFRED HITCHCOCK AND THE MAKING OF PSYCHO by Stephen Rebello

One of my favorite films of all time is PSYCHO.  I can remember watching it with my mother when I was barely a teenager.  She warned me not to, but I did it anyway.  I paid for it later that night when I lay in the darkness of my room scared to death.  It is the perfect thriller and on my list of things I'd like to travel back in time for, going back and watching this in a movie theater in 1960 with an audience seeing it for the first time.  It holds up each and every time that I see it.  And each time I view it, I see something new as if it's my first viewing!  I thought I had read everything possible about the making of this classic film until I read in Entertainment Weekly that Anthony Hopkins was playing Alfred Hitchcock in an upcoming film based on a book called ALFRED HITCHCOCK AND THE MAKING OF PSYCHO by Stephen Rebello.  I immediately went to trusty Amazon and downloaded this 1999 non-fiction book to my Kindle.  I sat uninterrupted for 3 hours and read it cover to cover.  It is an incredible book that begins with the infamous Ed Gein murders in Wisconsin that inspired Robert Bloch to write the original novel PSYCHO.  From there, it is impossible to put down as you literally feel as though you are on the set of this timeless movie.  Interviews with all the key players involved give a constant reminder that this is not some unauthorized tabloid reporting, but an honest recreation of what it took to make this movie that NO ONE wanted to make.  The movie is due out in 2013 and stars Hopkins as Hitchcock and Helen Mirren as Hitchcock's wife.  For any movie buffs, this book is a must-read.  Since I'm late in discovering this book, I'm probably the last arriving at the party.  An essential addition to Hitchcock fans!

Movie Review-----FIREFLIES IN THE GARDEN

FIREFLIES IN THE GARDEN was filmed in 2009 and never received a theatrical run. It was just released on DVD and caught my attention due to the Cast which includes Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, and Emily Watson. After watching it, it is understandable why it was not theatrically released. It is a very small slice of life film that has no business being seen in a multiplex alongside vampire movies and 3D blockbusters. The story involves a family gathering for a graduation that suddenly becomes a tragedy after the sudden death of one of the characters. Told through flashbacks intercut with present day drama, it is a study in family dysfunction that is often hard to watch but utterly engrossing. Willem Dafoe is mesmerizing as a Father filled with a lifetime of unexplained rage towards his wife and son. Ryan Reynolds shows dramatic chops as a character haunted by unresolved issues with his estranged Father. Emily Watson proves again that she is one of our most underrated and underused actresses. Julia Roberts is impressive in a small but important role. I found the film flawed but highly moving. It's at times painful in it's honesty and I admired the fact that it didn't go for a typical "Hollywood ending" but instead concludes with an ending that rings true, yet hopeful. It runs a swift 90 minutes and is worth a slot in your Netflix queue.

Movie Review-----WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER?

Sometimes a movie is just misleading in it's advertising campaign. When I saw several trailers for WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER? it looked like it was going to be one of those poorly written badly acted raunchfests that would be a pleasant waste of time but absolutely forgettable 5 minutes after the end credits started to run. So when Troy and I sat down to watch it, it was with the lowest of expectations. So, imagine our surprise when it turned out to be a charming romantic comedy with a better than average screenplay filled with charming performances and actually not that raunchy. The story follows a woman who is tired of watching all of her girlfriends get married while she continues to have bad relationship after worse relationship. She finally decides that since she's not meeting anyone new that is worthwhile that one of her 20 ex's must have been the Love of her life and she just didn't see it at the time. So with the help of a hunky next door neighbor who is the son of a cop, she tracks down several of her old flames to see if in fact they are "the one". Anna Faris has always been one of my favorite character actresses in movies. She has a great look and terrific timing. This is the first film that I feel she has actually had opportunities to stretch herself and show that she actually does have some acting chops. She is very funny and also incredibly sweet and genuinely heartbreaking at times. Chris Evans is the hunk next door and he also proves that he's more than 'Captain America'. He proves to be a terrific romantic leading man who also has some terrific acting chops and great comedic timing. It's a feel-good comedy that is for Adults, but it's also not a gross-out comedy with raunch just for raunch sake. Might not have been worth $8.00 at the Cineplex, but absolutely worth your time as a Netflix or On Demand choice.

Music Review-----FOSTER THE PEOPLE (Torches)

It seemed that every time I turned on the radio or walked thru Target I was hearing this catchy hook to a song that stuck in my head for hours after. I found myself humming it and repeating it to myself until it made me crazy that I didn't know who sang it or what the name of it was. Finally the other night at The Grammys, I found out that the song was called PUMPED UP KICKS and the name of the group was Foster The People. I did some research and discovered that Foster The People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles in 2009. The group is composed of 3 people and their music has been described as melodic dance-infused pop and rock. With that information intact, I went to Target and found their debut CD called TORCHES. It is a complete delight. It zips along at a brisk 35 minutes playing time and it contains 10 terrific tunes that seem to me to span several genres. A mixture of jazz, pop, disco, techno, and a tinge of 80's rock, it's a rare CD that I finish and immediately begin listening to again. Besides the infectious PUMPED UP KICKS, a few of my other favorite tracks are CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT, HOUDINI, and WARRANT. This is a group that I will keep my eyes and ears on. It's nothing short of bubblegum pop, but sometimes that's all I need behind the wheel.

Music Review-----WHITNEY HOUSTON

I can remember standing in the laundry room at Hammon House on the campus of SMSU my freshman year of college when I heard that Lucille Ball had passed away.  I was dumbstruck and felt a deep sadness.  But I didn't shed tears.  I have never thought that it was logical to shed tears over the loss of a Celebrity.  But when I heard about the sudden and tragic death of Whitney Houston, I was about to play the piano in front of about 200 people and had to put whatever I was feeling aside.  It was only the next morning, watching every News program in the Country paying tribute to the legacy that was Whitney Houston, that I wept.  I cried as though I had lost a personal friend.  That may sound ridiculous, but I felt as though a major and integral part of my teenage years had been suddenly yanked away forever.  The reality of this beautiful talented woman being gone was devastating to me.  Even now, three days later, it still feels very surreal.  I have spent the past few days reviewing every Whitney Houston CD that I have and it has been incredible to listen to those albums in the order of release.  I sat and listened to each of them with no other distractions.  Just me and that unmatched voice.  Here are my thoughts on each major Studio Album she released, including the three Soundtracks....

WHITNEY HOUSTON (1985)

The first track on this CD is the first song that I ever heard Whitney sing.  YOU GIVE GOOD LOVE was the first single and the world was introduced to this young Beauty with a voice unlike anything that had been heard before.  The music was a cross between Pop and R&B and it seemed to hold something that everyone could appreciate.  Out of all of her albums, it is this one that comes off as the most dated.  Her duets with Jermaine Jackson and Teddy Pendergrass come off as incredibly schmaltzy and over-produced.  But this album also contains SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU, which was the true catalyst for the start of her reign.  HOW WILL I KNOW and ALL AT ONCE also stand out.  And of course, GREATEST LOVE OF ALL will always be one of Whitney's definitive recordings.  Whitney won her first Grammy for this Album.

WHITNEY (1987)

I was in New York City walking through Times Square with my mother and my best friend Nate when I first heard I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY.  I can remember clearly seeing the video for the first time and feeling that excitement that Whitney had released her sophomore album.  It seemed that everytime I turned on the radio, I heard THAT song.  For those with high expectations for a second album that would surpass her first, this was a moment.  There was no doubt that WHITNEY was going to definitively announce Ms Houston as THE voice of my generation.  The late 80's were the time of the Power Ballad and this album contained WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO, JUST THE LONELY TALKING AGAIN, YOU'RE STILL MY MAN, and the duet from CHESS with her mother Cissy, I KNOW HIM SO WELL.  But this album also introduced a funky upbeat Whitney with songs like SO EMOTIONAL, LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY, and LOVE IS A CONTACT SPORT.  As I listened to this CD, memories of Hazelwood Central High School and cruising Florissant in my chevy/chevette flodded my mind.  It's a terrific album that is certainly representative of a time and place.

I'M YOUR BABY TONIGHT (1990)

Listening to this CD again, it's astounding to me that there weren't more Singles released from it.  It's a very peppy and fun listen, but yet only two songs ever made the charts.  The title track, I'M YOUR BABY TONIGHT, and ALL THE MAN THAT I NEED were both very successful Hits.  But the whole album is filled with memorable catchy tunes accompanied by the best vocals that Ms Houston had yet recorded.  Some of the standouts are MY NAME IS NOT SUSAN, LOVER FOR LIFE, and WHO DO YOU LOVE.  The whole album has a much more Urban feel to it than the previous two.  Maybe that's why it didn't get as much play in the Mainstream.  But it is a very worth addition to the Whitney legacy and one of those overlooked Albums that deserves more recognition.

THE BODYGUARD Original Soundtrack Album (1992)

When it was announced that Whitney Houston was making her film debut starring with Kevin Costner in a thriller about a famous singer being stalked by a rabid fan, I crossed my fingers and hoped that the magic of Whitney would work on the Big Screen.  I was standing in my first apartment when my friend Dan called me and told me to turn on the radio.  Whitney was daring to sing Dolly Parton's I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU.  I turned on Y98 in time to hear that famous ending where Whitney belts to the heavens her enduring love!  The Soundtrack was released a few weeks before the film, which built up already existing anticipation!  The Soundtrack is one of the most successful of all time, which is amazing when you consider that Whitney only sings on six of the twelve tracks.  But oh my, how unforgettable those tracks are....I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, QUEEN OF THE NIGHT, RUN TO YOU, I HAVE NOTHING, I'M EVERY WOMAN, and a beautiful rendition of JESUS LOVES ME.  If in her entire career she had only recorded I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU and I HAVE NOTHING, she would have left behind more than most singers ever will.  The rest of the soundtrack is worth listening to once and then returning ONLY to play the Whitney tracks.  It is this Soundtrack plus the enormous success of the film that made Whitney an international megastar!

WAITING TO EXHALE Original Soundtrack Album (1995)

This is absolutely one of my all time favorite Soundtrack Albums.  It is an incredible mix of some of the best R&B singers of the time and the songs are all incredible.  Not a weak song in the bunch.  My personal favorites are SITTIN' UP IN MY ROOM (Brandy), MY LOVE, SWEET LOVE (Patti LaBelle), LOVE WILL BE WAITING AT HOME (For Real), and Chaka Khan's incredible version of MY FUNNY VALENTINE.  As for Whitney's three tracks, for me this is the first time that Whitney sounded smokey and sultry when she sang.  It was a new sound for her as her voice was noticeably deeper and lower than we had been used to hearing.  EXHALE (SHOOP SHOOP) became the breakout hit from the soundtrack and introduced what I consider to be the "Adult" Whitney.  A perfect song with a new sound from the biggest female performer of her time.  Her other tracks are WHY DOES IT HURT SO BAD and COUNT ON ME, a duet with CeCe Winans.  This is one of those CD's that can get you from a bad mood to a good mood by Track #4.

THE PREACHER'S WIFE Original Soundtrack Album (1996)

After having two smash movies and two enormously successful Soundtrack Albums, even the most mighty fall.  THE PREACHER'S WIFE was unsuccessful as a film and also as a Soundtrack.  But....only if you look at them both from a financial standpoint.  Although neither the movie nor the Soundtrack set any sort of records, they are both very worthy additions to Whitney's resume.  The movie is Whitney at her most relaxed and charming.  She and Denzel have real chemistry and it makes you long for that remake of A STAR IS BORN that never came to fruition.  The Soundtrack is mostly Gospel music, which is absolutely fine by me.  Whitney sounds fabulous belting out such incredible songs as I BELIEVE IN YOU AND ME, STEP BY STEP, YOU WERE LOVED, and WHO COULD IMAGINE A KING?  But the standout on the CD is also the movie's finale which is an incredible arrangement and performance of JOY TO THE WORLD.  Just try keeping your feet firmly on the ground listening to it!  This CD should be a welcome addition to everyone's Christmas CD Collection!  If you've never heard it or seen the charming film, seek them both out!

MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE (1998)

Confession.....this is my very favorite Whitney Houston CD.  The song selection combined with her voice and interpretations make every single track even better than the one before it.  There weren't a lot of smash singles from this CD, but it is one of the finest R&B albums that I have ever heard.  HEARTBREAK HOTEL, IT'S NOT RIGHT BUT IT'S OKAY, MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE, IF I TOLD YOU THAT, and I LEARNED FROM THE BEST are a few of my very favorite Whitney performances.  This album also contained the Oscar winning song WHEN YOU BELIEVE from the film THE PRINCE OF EGYPT.  The song is a duet between Whitney and Mariah Carey and the two of them together make this a timeless classic.  The cover of the CD is Whitney wearing a blond wig showing leg and wearing leather boots as if to say "This is a new 'me'."  Not everyone went for it, but I loved it and when I go to pick out a Whitney to play in the car, this is usually the one that gets chosen.

WHITNEY-THE GREATEST HITS (2000)

This is an odd 2 CD Collection.  The first CD is mostly the ballads and soft R&B Whitney.  New songs include SAME SCRIPT, DIFFERENT CAST with Deborah Cox and COULD I HAVE THIS KISS FOREVER with Enrique Iglesius.  The second CD is disappointing because instead of just having all of her uptempo songs on it, instead they have taken those songs and put annoying Club Mixes on each of them.  Each one blends together and honestly, all I wanna do is hear the Songs the way they were meant to be heard.  What does make this collection worthwhile however is the inclusion of the Olympic song ONE MOMENT IN TIME and also the unforgettable and moving performance of THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER that Whitney made history singing.  The only version of our National Anthem to ever top the Billboard Charts!!!

JUST WHITNEY (2002)

Whitney's least successful CD.  It really is a disappointment.  Whitney went into major publicity for this album, including that famous "Crack is Whack" interview with Diane Sawyer.  But nothing mattered if the song selections weren't good, and they just aren't.  Things get off to a good start with ONE OF THESE DAYS which is a memorable song with a great hook, but it's the only song on the album that you remember or even wish to hear again.  There are some real dogs on this album like WHATCHULOOKINAT, DEAR JOHN LETTER, THINGS YOU SAY, and an unfortunate duet with Bobby Brown called MY LOVE.  But the most unnecessary and embarrasing track is the closing one....YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE.  Why anyone thought it was a good idea for Whitney to sing this song is beyond me.  The whole CD leaves you with a bitter aftertaste and certainly began a strong decline in Ms Houston's popularity.

I LOOK TO YOU (2009)

This is the last album Whitney Houston recorded.  The anticipation for her return after 7 years was enormous and everyone was rooting for Whitney in hopes that this would be the comeback of the new century thusfar.  Whitney did two interviews with Oprah in which she seemed completely coherent, sober, and ready to take on the world.  The album was released and although it debuted at Number One, it quickly slid out of the top five and eventually out of the top ten.  The voice is clearly not what it was and the song choices were ones that were written specifically for the limited range that Whitney had when recording it.  Most of the songs are unmemorable, but there are a few gems.  The title track, I LOOK TO YOU, is quite honestly the song that I would most like to remember Whitney by.  It's a moving tribute to the Higher Power and how it got Whitney through the rough spots.  Another winner is I DIDN'T KNOW MY OWN STRENGTH, which is a typical Diane Warren power balld, but Whitney sells it with all she has.  The problem with the CD is that there isn't a single that could have built longevity for record sales.  With the exception of a Club version of A SONG FOR YOU and moments of the Alicia Keys penned MILLION DOLLAR BILL, most of these tracks just don't work.  For those of us hoping for THE comeback, this album just didn't do it.  But I and many other crossed our fingers and hoped that her next effort would be THE ONE.

But unfortunately, her comeback didn't happen.  At least not one that was truly worthy of the Whitney that all of us remember.  Watching clips from all of her music videos the past few days, you would be hard pressed to find a singer that the camera loved more than Whitney.  She could lip synch like a Master and when she smiled she absolutely glowed.  I believe that the best was always ahead of Whitney.  She just couldn't let go of the past in order to get to it.  For some sad reason, her talents could never make her as happy as they made the rest of us and for that, I think there is a lesson to be learned.

As one of the newscasters said Sunday morning, it's very sad for us left on earth.  But just imagine what that Choir in Heaven sounds like now.....

TV Review----DOWNTON ABBEY

Lightning doesn't strike twice. It's been proven time and time again with second seasons of TV Shows that hit it big and become cultural phenomenons in the first season. GLEE was practically perfect it's first season and then fell short it's second season and has fallen even shorter in it's third season. I was enthralled with the first season of THE GOOD WIFE and completely let down by the following one. The list goes on and on.....LOST, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, MAD MEN, etc. I fell in love with and became completely obsessed with DOWNTON ABBEY when it premiered in January of 2011. I was too young when UPSTAIRS/DOWNSTAIRS swept the nation in the early seventies and I was so excited to see this new gift from Masterpiece Classic. With a Cast of some of the best Brits in the business and a welcome return to acting by Elizabeth McGovern, the first season was a delicious mix of romance, elegance, and style that hadn't been seen on TV in several years. DOWNTON ABBEY became an Event and won several awards. I, along with most of America, counted the days and months until the second season premiere this past January. I had hoped that the integrity and uncompromising brilliance of the first season would carry into the new season. It was about 45 minutes into the 2nd season Premiere that I realized my expectations were too high. And as each week has gone by, I have found myself increasingly disappointed. The "soap opera" element has been pushed too much. Paralyzed victims suddenly realize they can walk, a Housemaid begins an affair with the Patriarch of the family, vindictive ex-wives are murdered so there can be a trial....etc. Maggie Smith was such a standout in the first season, but has been pushed off to the sidelines in this season. She enters, makes a quip, and exits. It seems that in an effort to get thru the War and the years so we can enter the 1920's, storylines have been rushed and characters motives have no true meaning behind them. Instead of being swept away each week as I was with the first season, I found myself just mildly entertained each week and not invested into either the characters or the dramatic situations. My hope for the third season is that the focus gets back to the relationships. Less drama and more solid storytelling. This season is still worlds above what most of TV has to offer, but it was an absolute comedown. Hopefully Season 3 will raise the bar, just as Season 1 did!!!

Movie Review-----EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE

The film EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE is based on a novel that I found profoundly moving. Moving to the point of not being able to shake it for a few days and then opening it again and reading it a second time. The novel was one that I didn't want to end. With each page turn as I got closer to the end of the book, I became sad and went to that imaginary place where I hoped that magically the story would keep going on and on and on. The film version however made me pray for the end to come quickly. It always fascinates me when filmmakers completely do away with the tone of the original source material and come up with something that is maudlin, depressing, and just annoying. The novel had a way of dealing with 9/11 and the aftermath on one particular family that never felt like a plot device. It felt authentic and necessary to the story. The film feels like the exact opposite. It made me angry and ashamed that the filmmakers would choose to relive moments from that day instead of just simply allowing the audience to fill in the blanks and let the story speak for itself. I feel that the film is missing its heart, which is something the novel had plenty of. Tom Hanks is just starting to wear on me. I'm tired of his 'everyman' portrayals and I am ready for him to shake things up. Play a terrorist, play a serial killer, play a woman...just do something different and soon. Sandra Bullock has some very nice moments in a very subtle performance that in a better film might have gotten some recognition. A great supporting cast includes John Goodman, Viola Davis, Zoe Caldwell, and in an Oscar nominated role, Max Von Sydow. Thomas Horn is pretty good as the main character, but he gets a wee bit self-indulgent and whiny at times, which is something the character in the novel never did. Not really sure why this movie is up for Best Picture, unless the Academy Voters felt that the subject matter demanded it, regardless of how the film actually turned out. I can normally separate a novel that I loved from its film version. My favorite book of all time is THE PRINCE OF TIDES by Pat Conroy and even though the film is only half of the novel and too much of a vehicle for Babs, I still love it for what it is. This is one of those rare times that I can't let go of the beauty of the novel and accept what the filmmakers did to it. If you are a reader, go buy the novel and skip the film.

Book Review-----UNNATURALLY GREEN by Felicia Ricci

I saw WICKED on Broadway when it began Previews.  I entered the theater without having heard one note of the score.  It was incredibly exciting to hear and see Idina and Kristen introduce those songs for the first time before they had been recorded forever to CD.  I have always been fascinated by all things "OZ" and WICKED continued my obsession.  So when I heard that an actress named Felicia Ricci had written a memoir of her time as the Elphaba standby in the San Francisco company of WICKED, I knew that I had to seek it out.  I am so glad that I did.  It is a delightful and dishy remembrance of a crazy period in her life where she stood by for Eden Espinosa as Elphaba.  The book chronicles her arduous audition and callback process, her rehearsal period (brief as it was), and her first official day as a Standby when she got called on midway thru Act One due to an ailing Espinosa.  It's written with great humor and with a great love for musical theatre, in particular WICKED!  Above all else, it is a chronicle of what life is like backstage of one of the most beloved Musicals of all time.  A fun and brisk read!

TV Review-----SMASH

I resisted watching the Pilot episode the past few weeks online or On Demand. I wanted to watch it as it was broadcast on NBC in it's Premiere. Now that I've seen it, I must admit a wee bit of disappointment but I am keeping my hopes held high that it will just get better and better. I was kind of hoping for a wee bit more "realism" in how a Broadway Musical is created, but it's obvious that the main focus of the Show, or at least the first few episodes, is on the battle between Megan Hilty and Katherine McPhee for the lead role of Marilyn Monroe in a new Broadway Musical based on the iconic film legend. The hour started with nary a thought in anyone's head about a musical on Marilyn and by the end of the Pilot, there's enough of a Show there to start Workshops. Call me crazy, but it's the in between stuff that I wanted to see. Regardless, it is exciting to have a network show aimed at the Show Freaks!! The Show has some serious pedigree behind the scenes and it was terrific hearing two new songs from the composers of HAIRSPRAY and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The Cast is wonderful. Debra Messing is a welcome sight back on TV and Katherine McPhee is sensational. McPhee shows that she has some acting chops to go along with that amazing voice! Everything about the Production Design is first class and it's wonderful to see the actual New York City locations used instead of fake Los Angeles backlots. My excitement for SMASH has not diminished and I will absolutely continue watching each week. I simply had an idea in my head of what I had hoped for, and it didn't quite deliver.

Movie Review-----ABDUCTION

A Popcorn Flick is something that I have to be in the right mood for. Mindless action movies are not always my cup of tea. I don't like the TRANSFORMER series, I loathe THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS franchise, and I avoid all movies with the words "Clash" or "Battle" in their Titles. But tonight, I was in the perfect frame of mind to settle into the couch and watch this Taylor Launter vehicle. Let's get the obvious out of the way....yes, he's gorgeous. The camera loves him and so does anything Teenage Girlish. He has two expressions however....sultry and smiley. His inflections are less varied than a GPS voice. And he's never gonna be asked to play Biff Loman or Romeo. But there is something about him that you root for. And if he continues choosing movies of this genre, he could find himself with a long career as an Action Star. He plays teenager Nathan Price, who comes across his own childhood picture while scrolling through a missing persons website. He begins to question everything he ever took for granted, including the people he always assumed were his parents. The plot is a bit more involved than movies of this type normally have and the screenplay is actually above average. John Singleton isn't the ideal Director for a movie of this nature, but he keeps things moving swiftly and has assembled a respectable cast including Alfred Molina, Maria Bello, Jason Issacs, and Sigourney Weaver. If I had watched this on any other night, I might have been bored to tears. But as it turns out, it was a perfect way to spend a Saturday night.

Movie Review-----ALBERT NOBBS

Glenn Close is one of my five favorite Actresses of all time. I consider her to be one of the bravest in her choice of roles. I had the pleasure of seeing her play Norma Desmond in SUNSET BOULEVARD on Broadway and it remains one of the most exhilarating nights in the Theatre that I have ever had. I can honestly say that I usually love most of her films. THE BIG CHILL, FATAL ATTRACTION, IMMEDIATE FAMILY, DANGEROUS LIAISONS, and JAGGED EDGE are movies that I can watch over and over again. In 1982, my parents and I went to New York for a weekend of theater. While there, my mother ventured Off-Broadway to see Glenn Close in a play about a female masquarading as a man in turn of the century Ireland. That play was called THE SINGULAR LIFE OF ALBERT NOBBS and I still have the Playbill. My mother was an early admirer of Glenn Close after seeing her in BARNUM on Broadway and then in the film THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP. After seeing the play, I remember my mother raving about Ms Close's performance but only thinking the play was so-so. And now 30 years later, I have the same reaction to the film. ALBERT NOBBS is very lovingly detailed in it's period and the set design and costume designs are gorgeous. The movie is filled with incredible British and Irish acto

rs of the highest quality including Pauline Collins, Brenda Fricker, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Brendan Gleeson, and the wonderful Janet McTeer. Mia Wasikowska is quite affective, as is Aaron Johnson in a smaller but pivotal role. Everything is in place....except for a film that truly takes the time to tell the plight of two women forced to make incredibly difficult choices to live the life they long to live. The backstories of "Mr" Nobbs and the character played by Ms McTeer are glossed over so quickly that you suddenly realize that THAT is the film you want to be watching. It all feels a bit rushed. However, through it all there is Glenn Close. She is astonishing as the title character. Yes, she is 30 years too old to play the role, but I stopped thinking about that 2 minutes into the movie. I put this performance in the same calibre as Alex in FATAL ATTRACTION or Sarah in THE BIG CHILL. She is absolutely worth the price of admission. Much like THE IRON LADY, the film is not worthy of the Lead performance. Although I do think ALBERT NOBBS is a much better film than THE IRON LADY, it is still lacking in several areas. Having said that, I found myself very moved at the end of the film. As the credits rolled, I realized that I had fallen in love with Albert Nobbs, the character. I wish the movie had served him and Ms. Close better.

Movie Review-----BUCKY LARSON: BORN TO BE A STAR

Let me say first that the only reason I watched this movie is because a friend from College has a small part in it. But I must confess that what started as a favor to a friend actually led to an enjoyable laugh out loud hour and a half. Is it good? Absolutely not. Is it so funny that I actually had to pause the Blu-Ray so I could get it out of my system? Absolutely it is. After discovering that his mild-mannered parents were huge porn stars in the 1970s, a young man (Nick Swardson) bids farewell to his small Iowa hometown and seeks his destiny in Los Angeles, where he aims to become the world's most popular adult-film actor. Co-starring Christina Ricci as our hero's innocent girlfriend and Stephen Dorff as porn great Dick Shadow, the VERY Adult Comedy features a script co-written by Adam Sandler. Now....it's offensive and raunchy. At times, my jaw hit the floor with what passed for an R Rating. So this is absolutely not for everyone. But if you enjoy the kind of humor you would find in THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY or KINGPIN, then you will have a great time. But it's bad....real bad....just REAL funny. I will be saying a few extra prayers today to apologize for how hard I laughed at this movie. It's shameless.

Movie Review-----THE DEBT

There's nothing better than sitting down to watch a Blu-Ray of something that you have low expectations for only to find yourself completely sucked in and entertained. That is exactly what happened this afternoon as I sat down to watch THE DEBT. Not a big critical or commercial success in its theatrical run, I hope that it finds a following thru it's DVD release and future cable showings. Rachel Singer (Helen Mirren) is a former Mossad intelligence agent forced to relive her 1965 pursuit of a notorious Nazi war criminal when the bold and dangerous fugitive is thought to have reemerged 30 years later in the Ukraine. This is a remake of a 2007 Israeli suspense film. Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson play the trio of Mossad agents in their "upper" years. But the majority of the film takes place in the sixties as we see the trio in their younger years. Jessica Chastain plays the young Mirren and in my opinion it is THIS film that she should be nominated for an Academy Award for. She is incredible. You can't take your eyes off of her. Sam Worthington plays the young Hinds and he has never been better. His wooden performance in AVATAR has been wiped away and I have high hopes for more work like this from him. I was completely engrossed in this film. I loved the unpredictability of it. Right up to the last frame, I was unsure of how the plot would resolve itself. A few times I caught myself talking out loud at the screen. Totally invested. Great plot, great suspense, great performances. Just loved it.

Movie Review-----COWBOYS & ALIENS

I had heard so many negative things about this movie that I decided to put it in my Netflix queue rather than go to the Cinema to see it. So when I sat down to watch it this morning, my expectations were low and the best I hoped for was a pleasant waste of time. Perhaps because of my low expectations, I ended up enjoying it. The plot has an amnesiac gunslinger Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) stumbling into the Wild West town of Absolution where he's confronted by Col. Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) and a terrifying problem: invading Aliens. Aided by the lovely Ella (Olivia Wilde), Jake rallies a posse of the townspeople, Dolarhyde's minions and local Apache warriors to fight off the extraterrestrial threat. One of the things I admired was the atmosphere the film creates. I loved the sets, costumes, and contrast between the Western and Sci-Fi elements. I bought into the concept because it wasn't played for satire. The actors are believable and totally invited me into investing into

the ridiculous plot. Daniel Craig is quickly becoming one of my favorite Actors. He is terrific and completely at home in the Wild West. Harrison Ford is always a welcome presence and seems to be having a great time as a cantankerous Cowboy. A great supporting Cast that includes Paul Dano and Sam Rockwell add to the fun. So, I enjoyed it. It is not a great film and won't be remembered as a milestone in either Ford's or Craig's resume, but it succeeds as a Popcorn flick, and clearly that's what I was in the mood for this morning.