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Friday, March 21, 2014

Beauty and the Beast - The Television Series

I'm sure that we all have those moments from our childhood that we have very vivid memories of, but for whatever reason are unsure why we have them, or even where they came from.

Well, today's blog entry begins as exactly that.  A childhood memory that has plagued me for years and I had no idea where it even came from...

...until now.

Okay, so let me set up the story by telling all of you that my memory of early childhood is quite vivid.  I remember things that probably a lot of other people my age might have forgotten.  For some reason, I remember lots of fragments about my early childhood.  Not full memories, but bits and pieces.

For instance, I remember when I was younger, my older sisters were practicing sewing skills, and they took some of their old clothes and made stuffed letters for me to play with.  And, I also remember that they were trying to get through the whole alphabet but for some reason only managed to make it to the letter "J" before giving up.  They either got too busy or they ran out of clothes!  But you know, it was a brilliant way to learn the letters of the alphabet.  Or, at least the first ten letters of it anyway.

(I wish I still had those letters.  They were really neat.)

I also remember that we had this little blow-up clown doll that I absolutely despised, and whenever I passed by it in the hallway, I would charge towards it and try to knock it down.  Unfortunately, I remember knocking it down, and it getting back up again.



(And, now I have Chumbawumba stuck in my head.  Silly me.)

What else do I remember?  Well, I remember watching Polka Dot Door and trying to memorize every single host of the program.  I still remember a few of them, but I won't list them here.  I'd take up too much space.  I remember being sick with the flu and watching "The Hilarious House of Frightenstein" in between throwing up when I was really young.  I only remember that moment because it was the first time ever that I woke up before the sun came up!

I remember unwrapping Good Luck Bear underneath the Christmas tree when I was really young.  I remember watching "Romper Room" while riding on my rocking horsey.  I remember that there was a guy who used to walk by my house when I lived downtown and I used to call him "Bob with the Smoke" because he was always smoking a pipe when he strolled down the street.  Funny thing is, the man didn't even mind.  Even played along!

And although I was only four, I still remember trying "New Coke"...and not liking it very much. 

But of course, not all the memories of my childhood were all that pleasant.  Certainly there were some bad moments mixed in as well that have stuck by me.  I remember a group of boys tackling me in the schoolyard during the winter months to wash my face out with snow.  I remember developing a slight fear of dogs after the dog across the street mistook me for a walking pork chop.  And, I even remember having to move in with my grandparents for a bit of a spell because of some financial issues that my family was having at that time.  But, you know, looking back on that time, I saw it as a fun adventure - the way that most four year olds would.  Of course, it was also during this adventure that I almost drowned in a neighbour's pool and the experience terrified me of water so much that I didn't learn how to swim for fifteen years after it took place!

Like I said, it's amazing how many memories flow through your brain during a lifetime.  And, I suppose that by writing about these memories, it's a reminder of a life gone by so far.  A life filled with the good and the bad.

So, how does this relate to today's TV topic?

Well, one memory I remember having happens to be a very scary one.  You see, my parents used to watch television in the evenings, and keep in mind that I grew up during a period in which there was no V-chip.  Back then, parents controlled the television, and they were also supposed to make their own judgment calls over what programs were acceptable for their kids and which ones were not.

I will make the claim now that my parents were not strict when it came to what we watched on television.  Quite often than not, I wasn't really paying attention to the television when I was that young.  While my parents watched "Dallas", "Knots Landing", or "The Dukes of Hazzard", I was too busy playing with my toy cash register or playing on my Tomy Tutor Play Computer to notice.

But there was one scene that had me screaming from the television set and hiding in my toy box (yes, I actually hid in my toy box when I was scared).  All I remember about the scene was that there was a woman who was in a bed, and I assume that she was going to go to sleep, but then she noticed a whole bunch of gigantic spiders crawling up the covers, and she freaked out trying to get the spiders off of the bed.

The show I couldn't remember for the life of me, but I do remember that scene.  And, afraid that my mind was playing tricks on me, I did a quick Google search recently to try and find out if the scene really did exist, and what show it came from.

Well...I couldn't find the scene.  But I did find out that the scene was in fact a part of a first season episode of a 1980s drama that only ran for three years.  And, many fans of this series were shocked by that, as they had expected the show to go for much longer.  But as you'll soon see, the reason why the show met a quicker than expected end was something that was completely out of anybody's control...and as a result, it remains a cult classic.

Today we'll be taking a look at "Beauty and the Beast".



No...not THAT one.  Although the Disney one is a fantastic movie, I already did that for a topic.  And besides, there were no spiders in that movie.



No, I really mean this CBS drama, "Beauty and the Beast", a show that ran for three seasons from September 25, 1987 until August 4, 1990.

And the show featured two people who are very big in the world of entertainment.



Playing the role of "Beauty" is actress Linda Hamilton, who is best known for her turn as Sarah Connor in the first two "Terminator" movies.  But she most recently appeared as the estranged mother of Chuck and Ellie in the television series "Chuck", which wrapped up production in 2012.

And, in the role of the Beast, we have actor Ron Perlman, who is best known for several roles.  He played Hellboy in...well, "Hellboy".  He played the role of Clay Morrow in the television serial "Sons of Anarchy".  And, if you've ever seen the television show "1000 Ways To Die", Perlman was the narrator of the show!

Now, as far as what the plot of the show was all about...well...just picture what the fable "Beauty and the Beast" would look like if it was set in Manhattan, New York circa 1987. 

Catherine Chandler (Hamilton) is an Assistant District Attorney in the heart of New York.  Bright, beautiful, and unwilling to back down to anybody, Catherine is a public figure who attends a lot of social events, and she is one who takes her work seriously.  So seriously that she often makes as many enemies as she does acquaintances.

One fateful night, Catherine is brutally attacked by a gang of thugs who mistake her for someone else.  And poor Catherine really has some of the worst things happen to her in one day.  She is kidnapped, beaten, slashed, and left for dead in the middle of Central Park. 

And you thought YOU had a bad day!

Well, fear not.  Although Catherine is badly injured, someone does come and save the day.  A man by the name of Vincent (Perlman) happens to be in the park and nurses her back to health.

Oh yeah.  I should mention that Vincent happens to be a beast-like character.  He appears more human than the Beast found in that Disney movie, but he'd still probably have people running away from him if he happened to stroll down Times Square. 

On a related note, I wonder how long Ron Perlman had to stay in that make-up chair each tape day?  I mean, sure, make-up is nothing new to Perlman, and he did have twice as much on his face when he played Hellboy.  But man, that's commitment!



Of course, Vincent decides that if Catherine is to recover from her injuries, she must do it in a safe place, so Vincent decides to take her home to his place.  But what Catherine isn't aware of is the fact that his place just happens to be underneath the streets of New York City, where a hidden group of people happen to live down below.  I suppose you could call them the Misfits of the city.

(I wonder if they ever happened to cross paths with Michaelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, or Raphael?)

Anyway, Catherine recovers after a week and a half, and she returns to the surface with the promise that she will keep Vincent's identity a secret from the world, as well as keeping the secret of the hidden community below.  But Catherine soon discovers that just because she survived the attack the first time doesn't mean that she is safe by any means.  She immediately begins taking self-defense classes, switches law firms, and begins her new career by tracking down the intended victim of the attack that she sustained, Carol Stabler, to find out why she was attacked.  But when Catherine discovers the real reason behind the attack, and is once again threatened by evil creeps, Vincent comes out of hiding to protect Catherine from harm.

This actually becomes a recurring theme during the first two seasons of the show.  Catherine investigates and tries to prosecute Manhattan's most dangerous criminals, she ends up getting into serious danger, and Vincent saves her from doom every time.  Is it any wonder that Vincent and Catherine begin to develop feelings for each other and start to fall in love?  Of course, as the intro says, their love is such that they can never really be together as society would deem it wrong, and because Vincent would be hunted down and killed if his identity was revealed. 

It certainly made for some interesting viewing.  Imagine falling in love with someone and not being able to be with them due to circumstances out of your control.  It's better than some of the soap operas on the air these days.

And, as the series progressed, Catherine soon found herself accepted by Vincent's underground community, and many of the storylines saw Catherine trying to help some of the people down below by doing some work on the surface. 

But by 1989, the show would transform from a light-hearted tale of forbidden love to a dark action series - a move that was spawned by two major developments.

First, CBS wanted to change the format of the show so that more men would tune it (the main demographic of the series were women aged 18-45).  And, well, many people have the idea that while change was good, why fix something if it wasn't broken?  And, well...prior to 1989, the show was gaining a good following.

But reason number two was even more telling.  In 1989, Linda Hamilton had gotten pregnant, and because of that, she decided that she would leave the show so she could have her child.  And, considering that Catherine was a main character of the series, there was only one way to write her off.  And, well...I won't exactly reveal how Catherine was written out of the show, but it was such that the show never did recover.  How can you continue a love story when one of the two halves is removed from the canvas?  The show did try to bring in another female lead, but the damage had been done, and the show aired for the final time in the summer of 1990.

But for a show to run three years, it definitely was a show that was quite unique, but surprisingly worked.  It's a shame that it didn't last longer, but take comfort in the fact that had it not been for the show, Ron Perlman wouldn't have been cast in other projects.

Or, maybe he would have?  What do I know? 

Thursday, March 20, 2014

What Grade Are YOU Getting In Life?

March 20, 2014

Okay, so, according to the calendar, it's supposed to be the first day of Spring.  And, yet, I look out my window and we still have snow on the ground.  Am I the only one who thinks that the season of Spring won't actually start until June?  It just seems that way.

Okay, so normally in this spot on Thursdays I am supposed to be doing a video blog.  However, I've already done a video blog this week, and I don't particularly like doing more than one video a week.  So, I've opted to do an honest to goodness written entry.

Which is fine, because what I have to say for today is best explained through written word anyways.



Okay, so here's a question for all of you.  Have you ever done any of those Facebook quizzes that tell you basically everything about yourself that you never really wanted to know?  Well, I'll bite the bullet.  I admitted that I have taken more of these quizzes than I ever care to admit to.

Let's put it this way.  Apparently I'm going to be a grouchy old man when I grow old, I'm going to end up sharing a jail cell with Jennifer Lawrence if I get arrested in Hollywood, and if I ever decide to move to Los Angeles, I would fit in best in the Echo Park neighbourhood.

(And, well...I didn't know that there WAS an Echo Park in L.A.  To me, all I know of Los Angeles is that it has movie studios, star studded streets and a gigantic Hollywood sign up in the hills.)

And, well, one of these quizzes happens to be the subject of today's entry.

Just today, I took a quiz entitled "WHAT GRADE ARE YOU GETTING IN LIFE?", and if you click HERE, you can take the quiz yourself if you want.  And, well...I thought I'd share my answers to the questions and see how I'm doing in life. 

Let's see what I end up scoring.  Here's hoping that I don't get an "F"!

1.  HOW OFTEN DO YOU WORK OUT?

A:  Well, it's important to know that each of these questions have four possible choices.  I won't waste space showing you ALL of the choices, but I can tell you that I did select "I go through on-again, off-again phases".  And, this is very true.  I don't make it a habit to go to a gym (I honestly don't think I've ever set foot in one), but I do take frequent walks now and again.  I would like to do more of this, but somehow working out solo just doesn't seem fun.  I need a workout buddy.



2.  ON A SCALE OF 1-10 (with 10 being best), APPROXIMATELY WHERE DOES YOUR PERSONAL HAPPINESS FALL?

A:  Easily for me, it would be a 4-7, with emphasis on the seven.  I'm content most days, but still I have instances in which I wish I could have more, or be happier.  And for those of you who claim to never have those feelings, you're either the biggest liar in the world, or Ned Flanders.

3.  WHAT'S YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE WORK LIKE?

A:  Easy one.  I picked "Right now, I have no life outside of work, but it'll pay off".

I keep telling myself that in order to keep question #2 at 7.

4.  WHAT IS THE STATE OF YOUR HOME/APARTMENT RIGHT NOW?

A:  It's not super clean, but does it really matter?  I never invite people over, and I'm not a hoarder.  I'm good.



5.  HOW'S YOUR LOVE LIFE?

A:  Could be better.  Seriously, I have NO love life at the moment.  Might be linked to question 3.  Who knows?  Um...next question please.



6.  LET'S TALK DEBT.

A:  I do wish they had a choice where it said "no debt", because I paid all my debts off at the moment, so let's just go with the "good kind" of debt.

7.  HOW MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU READ WITHIN THE LAST THREE MONTHS?

A:  3 to 5.  Not counting Jughead Double Digests.

8.  WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS?

A:  I HATE answering questions like this, but let's be optimistic.  I went with I've moved into my place and advanced in my career.

9.  OK, BUT REALISTICALLY WHERE WILL YOU BE IN 5 YEARS?

A:  Maybe making some more money, but not enough for a huge life change.  That's my story thus far.  But hey, I'm optimistic.  I just answered safely.

10.  WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF STRESS?

A:  Easy one.  Figuring out the future.  As someone who kind of likes to live in the present, the future scares me.  I am definitely not like that Timbuk 3 song at all!



11.  A GENIE COMES AND GRANTS YOU THREE WISHES.  WHAT DO YOU DO?

A:  D-uh!  More wishes!

12.  WHAT KIND OF THING ARE YOU MOST GUILTY OF?

A:  Some tough choices there, but the one I went with is checking out of friendships when life gets too crazy.  There was a period in my life in which I had difficulty telling the difference between friend and foe.  Sometimes I still have those feelings...

13.  WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING/ORGANIZING PLANS...

A:  ...when I owe somebody facetime, I always show up.  I don't get invited to things very often, so I definitely try to honour any commitments!

No, that didn't sound pathetic at all, did it?

14.  SAY YOU CALL IN "SICK"...HOW DO YOU SPEND THE DAY?

A:  Um...only one choice here.  I stay in bed and watch TV because if I call in sick, I really am sick.

We'll ignore all the seventh grade classes I skipped because of bullying issues.  Though, I suppose emotional stress could be considered an illness...maybe?

Okay, that's all the questions.  Let's see what I got!



Really?  An A minus?  Wow.  The pessimistic side of me said I'd get a C minus!  Okay, let's see what the description says...

NOT TOO BAD...NOT TOO BAD AT ALL.  IF AN A- REALLY FEELS LIKE A STRETCH FOR YOU, THEN CONGRATS ON THE HARD WORK.  OR MAYBE YOU'RE CHEATING?

Yeah...that tells me nothing.  Maybe I'll decipher this one myself.

You know, the more I look at it, the more I think...maybe an A minus is a good grade.  And, I think it's a grade that I deserve.

Oh, sure, there's some things that I want to fix.  Priority #1 is actually finding an affordable place to live in a safer neighbourhood (which is probably leading to any stress that I might have at the moment).  But the more I see it, I'm quite happy in all other facets of my life.  My charity work has enabled me to meet different people, I'm actually doing well in my actual paying job, and embarking on new challenges in my non-paying hobby.  And, maybe I'm just in a giddy mood because I just watched the movie "Frozen" and was absolutely blown away by how good it really was.



Whatever the case...I haven't quite figured out life yet.  But the fact that I'm still alive and smiling...well, that's got to be some success right?

Still...I am apprehensive about some things.  One of which I'll bring up next week in this spot.

Until then, keep smiling...and if you want to, keep doing silly quizzes!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

They Say Not Making Up Is Hard To Do...



Welcome to another edition of the Whatever Wednesday!

And once again, I have decided to do a video blog.  I suppose it's easy to do, given that I've drawn the PROFESSOR PLUM card.  I tell you, I seem to be drawing that card an awful lot this month.


But what the hey.  I love doing video blogs.

And, you know, one thing that I want to point out when I do these video blogs is that I don't put a whole lot of effort into making myself look movie star ready.  I mean, I'll just put it out there.  I'm filming this blog entry in my bedroom, I have a two-day-old beard on my face, and I'm wearing a $7 yellow T-shirt from Walmart and khakis made by Wrangler.


(Though, admittedly you can't see the pants...rest assured I am wearing them.)

And the reason why I'm admitting this is because I do very simple grooming when it comes to my personal appearance.  And, in a way, that admission - coupled with a recent trend that I am experiencing on my social network pages - is what inspired this post.





This post is all about beauty.  And, while Courtney Thorne-Smith once pitched cosmetics once upon a time...I ask the question...are all those cosmetics really needed?




EPILOGUE 1:  The Doritos story I referenced in this blog deals with a news story coming out of Canada where a couple reportedly found mouse droppings inside a bag of snack sized Nacho Cheese Doritos.  Aren't you glad you're reading this blog on an empty stomach?

At least I hope so.





EPILOGUE 2:  I still won't reveal what colour my underwear is.  But I can tell you that it's not orange, pink, purple, or yellow.  I own none in those colours.  Not that I really needed to share that info, but it'll keep you guessing.

If you care.



Tuesday, March 18, 2014

March 18, 2009

I'm very excited to bring you another edition of the Tuesday Timeline, even though today's subject happens to have had their career end rather abruptly, and on a sad note.  That's your only hint for right now as we enter the eighteenth day of March.

Of course, here in Canada, you'd never know that it was March 18 because apparently we're still in deep freeze/polar vortex mode.  Who ever heard of minus thirty degree temperatures in mid-March?

Well, unless you're on Antarctica.  Which is much colder.

Anyway, on this and every edition of the Tuesday Timeline, we take a look at all of the events that took place on this date, as well as celebrity birthdates.  So, let's begin with the former.

1314 - The twenty-third and final Grand Master of the Knights Templar - Jacques de Molay - is burned at the stake

1496 - Mary Tudor, Queen of France, is born

1741 - The New York Conspiracy of 1741 begins when New York Govenor George Clarke's complex at Fort George is deliberately burned to the ground

1766 - The British Parliament repels the Stamp Act

1850 - Henry Wells and William Fargo found the company that would come to be known as American Express

1865 - The Congress of the Confederate States of America adjourns for the final time

1892 - Lord Stanley donates a silver cup as an award for the best Canadian hockey team - would later come to be known as "The Stanley Cup"

1913 - The assassination of King George I of Greece takes place in Thessaloniki

1925 - Nearly seven hundred people lose their lives in the "Tri-State Tornado" which strikes Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana

1926 - Actor Peter Graves (d. 2010) is born in Minneapolis, Minnesota

1937 - A devastating explosion at the New London School in New London, Texas kills 300 people - most of the casualties were children

1941 - American singer-songwriter Wilson Pickett (d. 2006) is born in Prattville, Alabama

1944 - Mount Vesuvius erupts in Italy, killing 26 people and forcing thousands to flee their homes

1945 - The city of Berlin, Germany is beseiged by 1,250 American bombers during the tail end of World War II

1959 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a bill into law which would formally declare Hawaii the fiftieth U.S. state - would go into effect five months later

1965 - Cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes the first person to walk in space

1970 - The United States Postal Strike of 1970 begins, lasting one week

1974 - Most OPEC nations end a five-month long oil embargo against the United States, Europe, and Japan

1990 - Twelve paintings are stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, valued at over $300 million

1992 - White South Africans vote to eliminate Apartheid from South African government rule

1996 - A deadly nightclub fire in Quezon City, Philippines kills 162 people

And, a very happy birthday goes out to the following people...Carl Gottlieb, Charley Pride, Kevin Dobson, Joy Fielding, Patrick Barlow, John Hartman, Ben Cohen, Irene Cara, Thomas Ian Griffith, Mike Rowe, Vanessa L. Williams, Jerry Cantrell, Queen Latifah, Dane Cook, Evan and Jaron Lowenstein, Sutton Foster, Rodleen Getsic, Mike Quackenbush, Virginia Williams, Adam Levine, Cornelius Smith Jr, Kyle Downes, Lily Collins, and Madeline Carroll.

And, now it's time to hop into our time machine and take a gander to see what date we'll be stopping at.



Hmmm.  March 18, 2009.  That was only five years ago, so I should be able to remember what exactly happened on that date.

And, as a matter of fact I do.  Sadly, the story that I have to tell about this date in history is not a happy one.  In fact, it's a tale in which one freak accident ended up costing a talented actress her life.

To begin the story, we must take a look at the one event that began the whole thing.

Our story begins a couple of days before our intended Tuesday Timeline destination, on March 16.

Now, as I explained in the beginning of this blog, we're currently in a deep freeze right here in Canada.  We've had countless spells of snow (some storms bringing as much as two to three feet of snow each go round), and the temperatures very rarely go above the zero mark.  I am having a really hard time believing that Spring is just in a few days.  At the rate we're going, Spring won't arrive until June 7!

But despite this longer than normal winter, there are some silver linings to be found.  And one of these silver linings is that the ski season tends to last longer, which means that more people are planning vacations at ski resorts, which means more business for the people who own the resorts.

Of course, I'm only speculating, as I've never been skiing in my entire life.



Anyway, the point that I'm trying to make is that our story begins at a ski resort - the Mont Tremblant Resort located in Quebec, Canada to be exact.  And, on March 16, 2009, a celebrity couple and their two children were on vacation at the ski resort hoping to get a few runs in before they had to return to work.  Little did the couple know that in just a matter of 48 hours, their vacation would take a tragic turn.



That couple was Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson, who along with their two children, Micheal and Daniel, were staying at the resort on a holiday.

Of course, everyone knows who Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson are.  Both of them were huge stars in 2009.  Irish-born Neeson was best known for his roles in "Schindler's List", "Nell", "Taken", and "Batman Begins". while Richardson was considered a double threat of sorts, partaking in film and theatre. 



Seriously, just have a look at some of the credits and accolades that Natasha Richardson had linked to her name.  Most people might remember her for her film roles in the 1998 remake of "The Parent Trap", but she also starred in other films such as "The Handmade's Tale", "Maid in Manhattan", "The White Countess", and "Nell".



Coincidentally, Richardson and Neeson fell in love while filming "Nell", and the couple tied the knot on July 3, 1994.



But as I mentioned earlier, Richardson didn't just shine in front of the camera.  She also flourished on stage.  She appeared in theatre off and on for several years with her first stage performance being 1983's "On The Razzle".  She also played the iconic role of Blanche DuBois in "A Streetcar Named Desire" in 2005 and won a Tony Award in 1998 for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in the Broadway musical "Cabaret".

But on March 16, 2009, Natasha Richardson had decided to embark on another challenge.  She had never really gone skiing before, so she enrolled in a beginner's skiing class that was taught near the Mont Tremblant resort.  And at the beginning, it was a normal, everyday beginner's lesson.

That is, until Natasha suffered a fall during the lesson and sustained a nasty knock on the head as a result.

Now, normally this would not be much of a concern, as many skiers (both beginner and advanced) have sustained falls several times and gotten back up again.  What made this fall different was that Richardson was not wearing a protective helmet at the time of the accident.  And as a result, paramedics were dispatched almost immediately following the accident.

Because Richardson had gotten up after the accident, and was speaking normally without any hesitation or slurring of speech, it was believed that she was not badly hurt, and the ambulance left after the paramedics were told that they weren't needed.  Throughout the day, Richardson was asked if she wanted to go to the hospital for medical treatment as a precaution, but both times, Richardson refused to go.  She had it in her mind that she would be fine.

However, three hours later, Richardson began feeling extreme pain in her head, and the pain was getting worse.  She eventually allowed herself to be checked into hospital in Montreal, and by that time her condition grew worse.  By the time she was admitted into the hospital seven hours after the accident, her condition was critical, and she was losing consciousness. 

The next day, Richardson was transferred to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, still in critical condition, and while doctors tried their best to revive Richardson, she never did regain consciousness.

On the morning of March 18, 2009, Natasha Richardson was declared dead at just 45 years old.  The cause of death was listed as an "epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head", and was declared an accident.



What started off as a simple fall at a ski resort ended up being the one thing that killed Natasha Richardson.  And, of course, we could speculate about all the things that could have saved her life.  The most obvious one is that she could have been wearing a helmet.  It isn't known just how much lesser the damage would have been had she chose to wear one, but I imagine that it could only have helped.  A spokesperson for Mont Tremblant, Ian Galbraith, stated that while they recommended that all skiers and snowboarders wear helmets, it certainly wasn't enforced.  It certainly sparked debate as to whether or not helmets should be worn on ski mountains, and according to a report by BBC news, helmet use on ski resorts increased significantly after Natasha Richardson's death.

The epilogue of the story is this.  On March 19 - the day after Richardson's death - the lights on Broadway and on London's West End were dimmed to pay tribute to the actress, and a private service was held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church near Millbrook, New York.  And Liam Neeson has gone on to continue acting in several films - his most recent being 2014's "Non-Stop".  But he has never remarried since the death of his wife.

Certainly Natasha Richardson's death sparked a lot of debate about safety concerns at ski resorts...but her death left behind a huge hole in the acting world, both on Broadway and in Hollywood.  Natasha Richardson certainly had talent, and she is still missed.

And, her death left behind a hole in the Neeson-Richardson family that can never really be repaired.

Hard to believe that it's been five years since she passed away.  It doesn't seem that long.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Monday Matinee Actor Spotlight - Colin Farrell



Well!  Top 'o the mornin' to ye!  And, a happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you, whether you have the blood of the Irish flowin' through your veins, or just pretendin' to be Irish for the sake of drinkin' lime coloured lager!

Okay, so maybe I'm not exactly the best example of somebody who can be classified as Irish.  As far as I know, I have absolutely no Irish ancestry at all within my family.  And for the record, I do a horrible Irish brogue. 

Seriously.  If I tried to do one, Liam Neeson would either laugh at me, or slap me in the face.  And, Sinead O'Connor would likely take my picture, rip it apart in several pieces and tell the world to "fight the real enemy". 

Yeah, maybe I'll just stick to my muddled Canadian accent, thanks.

But, there are some things that are inspired by Ireland that I do enjoy.  I used to eat Lucky Charms cereal and I occasionally use Irish Spring soap.  And, sometimes I'll even eat a serving or two of Irish stew. 

And, hey...I did turn this entire blog entry green for the day.  After all, the legend goes that if you are not wearing green today, you'll get a nasty pinch!  As you can see in the picture below, I took no chances.

Okay, so because today is St. Patrick's Day, it should come as no surprise that today's Monday Matinee subject will be heavily influenced by the luck of the Irish.  Consider it the "Blarney Stone" of the whole year's work, if you will.

But, considering that I have unofficially declared the year 2014 to be the "year of the twist" in "A Pop Culture Addict's Guide To Life", I'm going to incorporate a twist in how today's blog topic is presented.

You see...I'm not just going to spotlight one film in this space today.  I'm actually going to feature several.  And rather than make the films the meat of this Irish sandwich, the real story will be about one actor who is linked to each and every film featured in this entry for today.

An actor who was born and raised in the country of Ireland.

The main reason why I have chosen to do this is simple.  I haven't really seen a whole lot of Irish movies, and I'm even having a hard time coming up with a list of films that are either set in Ireland or filmed in Ireland.

But today happens to be St. Patrick's Day and I really wanted to have some sort of Irish connection.  Hence the reason why I chose to do an actor spotlight instead of a movie spotlight.

(At least this way, I can continue to maintain my claim that I never reveal movie endings.  In fact, if this happens to be successful, I might end up doing more of these actor spotlights.  Let me know what you think, okay?)

So, which Irish actor/actress will we feature?  Pierce Brosnan?  Brenda Fricker?  Daniel Day-Lewis?

Well, how about an actor who has worked consistently since the 1990s?  An actor who has worked with some of the best actors and actresses in the business?  An actor who got his start on an Irish soap opera?



Such is the life of 37-year-old Colin Farrell...today's first (and so far only) actor spotlight in the Monday Matinee!

So, what do we know about Colin Farrell?  Well, he was born in Baldoyle, Dublin, Ireland on May 31, 1976 to Rita and Eamon Farrell, and is one of four children.  And he was inspired to take on a career in acting after watching the 1982 film "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" after the movie moved him to tears.

(Okay, I admit that E.T. could be a bit sad and uncomfortable to watch in some parts.  It didn't make me cry, but I understand Colin's feelings entirely.  It took everything inside of me to get through "All Dogs Go To Heaven" with dry eyes.)

But believe it or not, Colin Farrell's path could have gone a different route had he been successful in his audition for this Irish based boy band.



Yeeeeah, I can't really picture Colin Farrell as a member of Boyzone either.  In fact, picturing him as an Irish Backstreet Boy kind of makes me chuckle.

But he did enroll in the Gaiety School of Acting after graduating from secondary school, and he would have likely stayed in the school and graduated from there had a twist of fate not happened in 1998.

You see, in 1998, Colin was offered his very first high-profile role (well, high profile in the United Kingdom anyway) and because of the commitment needed for the role, he had to drop out of his studies.



The part he played was of Danny Byrne, and the name of the television show was called "Ballykissangel".  It aired on the BBC between 1996 and 2001, and the premise of the show was all about how a British priest would move into a little Irish village and integrate himself into the community.  I've seen a couple of episodes of it, and I'll admit the program was a little bit too dry for my tastes, but it was decent enough.  It was certainly a huge hit in Ireland, and it was the very first production that Colin Farrell was linked to.  But, Colin only stayed on the show for just under two years because in 1999, he was cast in the British film "The War Zone", a chilling film about child abuse which also starred Tilda Swinton and Ray Winestone.  He also had his first taste of Hollywood when he worked with Kevin Spacey and Linda Fiorentino on the film "Ordinary Decent Criminal".  But that film was a bomb, as were Farrell's next few projects (though his turn in 2000's "Tigerland" was critically acclaimed).  It appeared as though Colin Farrell would not be able to catch a break.



That is until 2002 came around and suddenly Colin found himself to be a triple threat with a trifecta of successful American films.  He kept audiences glued to their seats with the film "Phone Booth", he got critics talking with his role in "The Recruit", and he showed everyone just how much of an action star he was when he appeared in the action-crime thriller "S.W.A.T."



(Of all these films, I liked "Phone Booth" the best, but really, all three of them were winners.)

And, Colin's experiences on these films helped him rub elbows with some of Hollywood's finest actors and actresses.  By the end of 2003, he had worked with Samuel L. Jackson, Al Pacino, Bridget Moynihan, Katie Holmes, Olivier Martinez, Jeremy Renner, and Kiefer Sutherland...just to name drop a few.

And, those were just his lead roles.  As a supporting actor, Farrell shined in such films as "Minority Report" (a role that Farrell earned after Matt Damon turned it down to work on "Ocean's Eleven"), and in the role of Bullseye in the 2003 film "Daredevil".



And Colin Farrell showed that he wasn't just capable of playing fictional characters either.  In 2004, he won the role of Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone's "Alexander", which did very well overseas, but didn't do so hot in North America.  His second historical role was that of Captain John Smith in the film "The New World", and the director of the film, Terrence Malick, went to great lengths to make sure that the film was a success.  He even kept Farrell away from the actress who was playing Pocahontas (Q'Orianka Kilcher) during filming until they shared scenes together so that their chemistry would be more believable.  The gambit worked as the film was essentially well-loved by critics.



And, in 2006, Colin Farrell scored another hit role when he was cast in the role of Sonny Crockett in the film adaptation of the 1980s series, "Miami Vice", which also starred Jamie Foxx as Ricardo Tubbs.



(Yeah, I know...the video above is from the television show.  So help me, I like the original Miami Vice theme.)

And, Colin Farrell is definitely showing no signs of slowing down in the movie business.  Over the last five years, he has appeared in no less than a dozen film projects which have included a wide variety of roles.  And, the good thing is that he's done movies that are suitable for a variety of audiences.



For instance, if you're looking for a good and fun family film, might I recommend the 2013 animated film, "Epic"?  In that film, he voices the role of Ronin, the leader of the Leafmen. 

If you're a fan of historical dramas that are based on true stories, I'll recommend the film "Saving Mr. Banks", which depicts the story of how Disney acquired the film rights to the movie "Mary Poppins".



TRIVIA:  In the film, Colin plays the alcoholic father of a young P.L. Travers, and I can't imagine that it must have been very easy for him to play, considering that he was in rehab at the end of 2005 for drug addiction.  But on the other hand, the fact that Colin played the role and played it well just goes to show that he definitely has acting talent.

(By the way, the movie comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray tomorrow, so definitely check it out if you haven't already.)



If comedy is your thing - particularly dark comedy - then you might consider watching the movie "Horrible Bosses", which has Farrell playing the role of the lazy, unproductive, boss of Jason Sudeikis' character, Bobby Pellitt.  In fact, the rather grotesque look that Farrell sports as the character of Bobby was largely inspired by Colin's own ideas as to how the character should appear. 



And of course, if you're still interested in seeing Colin Farrell on the big screen, you might be lucky enough to have a chance to go and see him in the film "Winter's Tale", which was released in February 2014.  As far as describing the character that he plays...well...I'd have to go into a whole lot of detail, and even so, I'm not quite sure how to describe it.  It might be best if you just went to the theatre and saw for yourselves.

So, that's just a brief summary of the life and times of Colin Farrell...so far.  Now, I have a couple of questions for you.

1.  Do you want me to do more of these actor spotlights in the Monday Matinee?

2.  What's your favourite Colin Farrell film?

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Workin' 9 To 5...or 7-3:30...or 3:30-11...or Whatever...

In many ways, this Sunday Jukebox entry is going to be a bit of a departure from what you normally see in this space. 

Oh, don't worry, we're still going to be featuring #1 songs on the Billboard charts all year long.  For the rest of 2014, this will not change. 

It's just that this week, we're going to be tackling a genre of music that I don't really do a lot on...mainly because of the fact that I never really listen to it.

That genre, is country.

I have nothing against country music in general.  I think some of the artists who perform country music are very talented, and I think that I am a lot more open-minded to country music than I used to be.  But let me tell you...when you grow up in a family in which three-quarters of the whole family (extended and all) grew up listening to nothing but country music, there was a small part of me that wanted to rebel by listening to every other genre.  When my family were stamping their feet to Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, George Strait, and the Judds, I was cranking up Michael Jackson, The Cure, Stone Temple Pilots, and Alanis Morissette on my stereo system.

What can I say?  I got my teenage rebellion out through music.

So, naturally, you've probably guessed that today's featured song is going to be by a country music artist...which might have you feeling quite confused.  After all, the Billboard Hot 100 is mostly devoted to Top 40 music, right?

Well, it's not that unusual for country artists to cross over to the pop charts and vice versa.  Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Jewel, and Michelle Branch have all had at least one hit on both the Top 40 and country music charts.  And, I'm sure that more will follow as time passes by.

And, that was the case with the Billboard Hot 100 charts of 1981.

I don't know about anyone else, but to me, 1981 was one of the most bizarre years of the Billboard Hot 100 charts.  But then again, I always looked at 1981 as a real transitional year for music.  It was the last gasp of the disco era, and the year where we heard the newborn cries of a genre that would come to be known as "New Wave".  And, the charts certainly reflected the instability of Top 40 music in 1981.  It almost seemed as though the music industry couldn't decide what the biggest music trend was because it was constantly changing week to week.

If you were a fan of rock and roll, Rick Springfield and REO Speedwagon had you covered.  For fans of dance pop, Sheena Easton and Olivia Newton-John were your go-to-ladies.  Adult contemporary artists like Christopher Cross and Air Supply were big in '81, as were R&B artists Lionel Richie and Diana Ross.  There was even a medley of old classic songs redone by a Dutch novelty pop act called "Stars on 45" that hit the top of the charts in the summer of 1981. 

Again, 1981 was a bizarre year in the world of music.

Perhaps the most bizarre period during the whole year was in the late winter of 1981.  During the period of mid-February to mid-March, the top of the charts were occupied by country music artists!  One of those artists was the late Eddie Rabbitt, whose love for a rainy night propelled him to the top of the charts in late February 1981.

But before - and after - Eddie's two week-run on the charts, another country legend took her turn at the top with this anthem of female empowerment in the workplace.



ARTIST:  Dolly Parton
SONG:  9 to 5
ALBUM:  9 to 5 and Odd Jobs
DATE RELEASED:  November 1980
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 2 weeks

NOTE:  The two weeks that Dolly Parton spent on the charts were non-consecutive.  The song hit #1 the week of February 21, 1981, was dethroned by Eddie Rabbitt for two weeks, re-entered the top spot on March 14, 1981, and was dethroned again by REO Speedwagon's "Keep On Loving You" one week later.



But, anyway.  Today, we're going to be looking at the song "9 to 5", which was made famous by Dolly Parton, and was the main theme to the 1980 film of the same name, which starred Parton, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dabney Coleman.  The film itself (which I won't really go into as this technically isn't a Monday Matinee) is about three women who are fed up with their sexist beast of a boss, and they team up to get him out of their lives once and for all.

Consider it like the movie "Horrible Bosses", had it been made in the early 1980s.



Thankfully, the song itself is not about how to poison your supervisor's coffee or pushing your boss over the side of a cliff.  Rather, it's a song about women in the workplace - and keep in mind that in 1980, there were far less women who held a full-time job than there are now.

And, certainly the lyrics seem to describe what a rat-race the working world could be.  It's hard enough for anybody to get ahead in the world of corporate business.  Trust me, I know exactly what that struggle is like, and there's a part of me that just wants to get out of that struggle entirely, but can't afford to do so, and I'm just rambling on about myself when I really should be talking about the song, so I'll conclude this run-on sentence before I steer this train of thought straight over a bridge.

(takes deep breath)

Anyway, it's hard enough to try and make a living.  But just imagine how hard it was for women of the 1970s and early 1980s to make their way in the world!  Statistics stated that women, on average, made less than their male counterparts, and very rarely did you ever have a female CEO or a female boss.  Of course, times are very different now, but back then women really had to struggle to make a living, as Dolly Parton sang about in "9 to 5".  I think that's why many women saw this particular song as a sort of anthem for the working gal. 

Well, at least they did until Donna Summer released "She Works Hard For The Money" three years later.

But I suppose in a lot of ways, the song "9 to 5" is kind of a slap in the face to corporate America as well, by pointing out the obvious.  That many people in the world are working their fingers to the bone so that someone else can become richer as a result.  It's capitalism at its finest.  And, while many of us may not like it, it's what we're stuck with until someone else comes up with a better idea.  I'm sure many of us (both male and female) have gotten up out of bed to drink a "cup of ambition" to get through the day and cope with another day at work.  Believe me.  I know I've been there.

But I also know that for most people who work a 9-5 job (or, I suppose in my case, it's mostly 11-8, or what have you), it's only a struggle if you let it get to you.  And, granted, I admit to being one of those who used to let it get to me.

But just keep in mind that in the end, a job is just a job.  And, while Dolly Parton certainly talks about the bad parts of working a 9-5 job, she does it in such a way that we can all relate to it, and relate to it very well.  And, hey, if it became the anthem to one of 1980's most successful films, it was an added bonus.

Now, here's something that is interesting about the song.  Did you know that it was one of TWO #1 songs that charted in 1981 with the title "9 To 5"?  Here was the other song, which was a #1 hit in May 1981.



Okay, so technically, Sheena Easton's "9 To 5" was released first.  In the United Kingdom, it was released on May 16, 1980.  But Dolly Parton's "9 To 5" charted on the American charts first.  So, as a result, when Sheena's version was released in the United States almost a full year after its European release, the title had to be changed to "Morning Train (Nine To Five)", as Dolly's song was still on the charts. 

Either way, both became #1 hits.  And, Dolly became one of the few people to have a Billboard hit on the country and pop charts at the same time...only the second woman to do so behind Jeannie C. Riley when she released "Harper Valley P.T.A." in 1978.

And, just for kicks, even Sesame Street covered the Dolly Parton song featuring the Muppet known as Polly Darton!