Rental Review: Romance & Cigarettes

Posted by

Film

March 4, 2008

0 comments


When you see these names, what do you think?

Steve Buscemi
Bobby Cannavale
James Gandolfini
Eddie Izzard
Mary Louise-Parker
Mandy Moore
Susan Sarandon
Elaine Stritch
Aida Turturro
Christopher Walken
Kate Winslet

On paper, the cast of Romance & Cigarettes reads like a dream; a few Oscar winners and a perennial nominee, a pop star-turned actress, a cross-dressing British comedian, a Broadway veteran and some stellar Sopranos. Add writer/director John Turturro and the Coen Brothers (executive producers) to the mix, and this film should have been a sure thing.

You probably haven’t heard of the movie because it was made 3 years ago, played at several film festivals with high acclaim and then inexplicably went straight to DVD only recently. I can only describe it as an indie musical with an obvious John Waters influence…but far more butch (read: macho).

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you already know that Kate Winslet is my #1 in all categories. In Romance & Cigarettes, Winslet plays a va-va-voom vixen whore who smokes like a chimney and has a mouth like a sailor. Unfortunately, that’s the best part…that and watching Tony Soprano sing and dance.

While this film has potential to grow into a cult classic, I feel that it would play better on the stage than on screen. It doesn’t exactly flow, but I would recommend it as a rainy day rental if you don’t mind a slightly entertaining head-scratcher of a story with a terrific ensemble cast.

[Sidenote: The electricity briefly went out while I was writing this. It is 56 degrees outside with no sign of wind or rain, a typical California evening.  WTF?]

Read More

TV News: Dirt, Grey’s, Lost, Men in Trees, Scrubs, SNL

Posted by

Grey's Anatomy, LOST, Television

March 3, 2008

0 comments


Here is an update about a few of our favorite shows.

DIRT has returned for a sophomore run on FX. Though I haven’t had a chance to catch last night’s premiere episode, I hear that the series has made vast improvements over last season. It has been a guilty pleasure show for me, and I look forward to the changes.

Perhaps it’s because Private Practice is on hiatus until the fall…Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) will be making a one-episode appearance on GREY’S ANATOMY at some point when it comes back on the air next month.

Fans of Rescue Me might want to tune into LOST this week, as Andrea Roth (a.k.a. Tommy’s wife Janet) makes an appearance in what is rumored to be a Juliet-centric episode.

Another guilty pleasure show that has recently transitioned into Season Pass-worthy is MEN IN TREES. It debuted again last week, and has moved to Wednesday nights on ABC. To be perfectly honest, it took me some time to be able to separate Anne Heche’s character from her real life persona (in my eyes, that whole Ellen debacle is her scarlet letter…even 10+ years later). But I really enjoy the ensemble of this show, and Heche is actually a pretty good actress. Thus, the addition to my weekly TiVO lineup.

It appears that SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE is making a refreshing resurgence. Tina Fey was the perfect post-Writers Strike host to kick off the second half of this season, and Juno star Ellen Page did an excellent  job last week (including a funny monologue with Andy Samberg as Diablo Cody; see photo above). Although I admit that her last skit was a tad confusing, I think that many viewers misinterpreted it…Page did not come out of the closet; she was making fun of the rampant and unsubstantiated rumors about her sexuality. I just think that the writing of that sketch fell flat and short.

Although NBC is currently denying it, there is story circulating that ABC is going to pick up and revive SCRUBS. The series has been on the bubble of cancellation for some time now, but apparently ABC would like to give it at least 18 more episodes over on their network.

If there are any other shows that you’d like me to cover, by all means please let me know!

Read More

Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice Benefit: The Recap

Posted by

General Pop Culture, Grey's Anatomy, Music, Television, Writer's Strike

March 1, 2008

0 comments

I flew, I watched, I laughed, I’m back.

Last night my friend and I attended “Good Medicine,” the Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice benefit show in LA. It was her idea to go, and we speak the same rapid pop culture language, so she was the perfect partner in crime for the evening.

I am having trouble staying awake but I promised a recap, so here goes.

PHOTO UPDATE: TVGuide.com has just posted great photos here from the actual event!

VIDEO UPDATE: Although it may not be there for long, someone has posted a few minutes of footage from Good Medicine here on YouTube.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The pipes. Sara Ramirez (Dr. Callie Torres) and Audra McDonald (Dr. Naomi Bennett)…beautiful, amazing singing voices. Sara received two standing ovations alone. And Gina Taylor-Pickens, real life wife of the chief from Grey’s Anatomy, is an absolutely stunning blues singer as well.
  • The sheer talent of both casts. When they weren’t singing or performing dramatic, hysterical interpretations of fan fiction and mail, they were playing the piano, guitars and harmonica.
  • Surprise musical guest Patty Griffin, who performed “Up To The Mountain” solo acoustic!
  • My hair. Seriously. See above. It behaved. By the way, I do not have a black eye. I was wearing mascara, which I usually only don once a year for our office holiday party. I appear vampiric, but it was just the lighting or lack thereof.

FILE UNDER: OH WELL

The show itself was great, but the evening was substantially more mellow than I’d anticipated. The audience seemed to consist of crew, producers, writers and their families, along with a smattering of fans (but of course all enjoyed it and were very receptive to the entertainment presented). There was one lowly paparazzo stationed outside, but he got bored and left [clarification: he was front of house, but there were plenty of autograph hounds and rude photographers near the back entrance where the actors had parked and tried to leave after the show].

Even though everyone else was getting away with it, I was asked to stop taking photos. My flash was not on, but I was reprimanded nonetheless. From our vantage point of the stage, the photos weren’t turning out clearly anyway (like this  photo of Eric Dane and Brooke Smith below).

STAR SIGHTINGS: VERY RANDOM

Look, even if I know someone’s entire IMDB history, I tend to avoid bothering celebrities of any level. I am not interested in getting their autograph in person, and unless I have something meaningful to say, I prefer to observe from a distance. So I noticed but didn’t actually chat with any of the following people last night…

  • Marc Cherry: Creator & Executive Producer of Desperate Housewives
  • Paul Dooley: Very recognizable character actor, played Dad in Breaking Away and 16 Candles
  • Winnie Holzman: Dooley’s wife, and Creator of My-So Called Life and The Wonder Years
  • Steven Bailey: Joe from Joe’s Bar on Grey’s Anatomy
  • Sarah Utterback: Nurse Olivia from Grey’s Anatomy
  • Greg Pitts & Tim Griffin: George’s brothers on Grey’s Anatomy

I know that I’m forgetting important details, but we stayed up far past the witching hour and I need to nap it out.  Then I plan to revisit this week’s episode of Lost again and post more theories. And then watch Short Bus and The Nines.

UPDATE: Several people have asked what the actors were wearing. I am not a celebrity gossip hound and do not tend to cover the glamorous/fabulous aspects of the industry, but here is my attempt at a summary….

I did not witness a single fashion faux paus. Sandra Oh looked very pretty in a short black and white dress. Katherine Heigl looked every bit the Old Hollywood Movie Star that she is in a beautiful red dress with her hair swept up. Chandra Wilson had a sassy long and fitted black gown on; very non-Bailey. Amy Brenneman was adorable in her strapless cream and black dress. Audra McDonald wins for best arms; she must be a pilates or yoga girl. McDonald, Sara Ramirez, Ellen Pompeo and Brooke Smith all opted for variations on the little black dress, all with great success.  And the gentlemen were as handsome and charming as expected in their suits and tuxes: Eric Dane, James Pickens, TR Knight, Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, Paul Adelstein and Chris Lowell.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Read More

I’m Going Back to Callie: A Musical Grey for a Day in LA

Posted by

Grey's Anatomy, Music, Television, Writer's Strike

February 28, 2008

0 comments


I am pretending to play it cool, when in fact I can hardly contain my enthusiasm.

In the morning I am flying down to Los Angeles to attend the Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice benefit show (to support the crews from both shows who lost their jobs during the Writers Strike), a one-night-only event tomorrow night.

Kate “Addison” Walsh and Patrick “McDreamy” Dempsey won’t be participating because they’re out of town, but that’s just fine with me. I’m there for Callie, Bailey and George, as well as the entire cast of PP.

I will return on Saturday and report back with a complete recap of the experience and star sightings (if any).

In the meantime, a new episode of Lost will keep me very busy and happy.

See you on Saturday!

Read More

Season Pass Reset: The Return of Your Favorite Shows (Air Dates & Number of Episodes)

Posted by

Television

February 27, 2008

0 comments


Here is an update about stunted seasons on the small screen:

24
Will return next season

30 Rock
Returns April 10
5 new episodes

Big Shots
Canceled

Bionic Woman
Canceled

Bones
Returns April 14
4 new episodes, maybe more

Boston Legal
Returns April 8
6 new episodes

Brothers & Sisters
Returns late April
4 new episodes

Burn Notice
Will return mid-summer

Chuck
Will return next season

The Closer
Will return this summer

Cold Case
Returns March 30
5 new episodes

Criminal Minds
Returns April 2
7 new episodes

CSI
Returns April 3
6 new episodes

Desperate Housewives
Returns April 13
5 new episodes + 2-hour season finale

Dirt
Returns March 2 (this Sunday)
7 new episodes

Dirty Sexy Money
Will return next season

ER
Returns April 10
6 new episodes

Friday Night Lights
No new episodes; series in jeopardy
[click here for details]

Gossip Girl
Returns April 21
5 new episodes

Grey’s Anatomy
Returns April 24
5 new episodes

Heroes
Will return next season

House
Returns April 28
4 new episodes

How I Met Your Mother
Returns March 17
9 new episodes

Life
Will return next season

Lost
Returns April 24
5 new episodes
[in addition to the batch of 7 currently airing; click here for more info]

Medium
7 new episodes
[in addition to batch of 4 currently airing]

Men in Trees
Returns February 27 (tonight!)
11 new episodes

My Name is Earl
Returns April 3
9 new episodes

Nip/Tuck
Returns this summer

The Office
Returns April 10
5-6 new episodes

Prison Break
No new episodes; series not renewed yet

Private Practice
Will return next season

Pushing Daisies
Will return next season

The Riches
Returns March 18
7 new episodes

Samantha Who?
Returns April 7
6 new episodes

Scrubs
Returns April 10
5 new episodes

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
1 new episode left; series in jeopardy

Ugly Betty
Returns April 24
5 new episodes

Has the Writers Strike affected your enthusiasm for television? Which of these shows (or others not listed) are you excited to see new episodes of?

Read More