Screen-Legend Paul Newman, 1925-2008
September 27, 2008 by Bob
It is hard to imagine a world where Paul Newman isn’t busy working on philanthropy. The infamous handsome blue-eyed actor was a respected elder in Hollywood, a feat that should not be overlooked. Mr. Newman passed away yesterday on September 26th at his home in Connecticut at the age of 83.
Paul Newman got his start in showbiz with the now forgotten film, The Silver Chalice in 1956. In 1958, he starred alongside Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and in the American melodrama The Long, Hot Summer. In 1960 he played Ari Ben Cannon, an Israeli freedom fighter in Exodus, the first film to end Hollywood’s blacklist era.
It wasn’t until the 1960s when Mr. Newman was a sure box-office success with films like Hud, The Hustler, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Cool Hand Luke. The Color of Money was the film that finally gave Paul Newman an Oscar for his performance as an aging pool shark — he had been nominated 9 times prior to earning an Academy Award for this film. Later he starred in The Verdict and Road to Perdition.
In later years, Mr. Newman became as well-known for his philanthropy, as his roles in major Hollywood films. With Newman’s Own — a food product line including salad dressings, pasta sauces and wine — Paul Newman donated all proceeds to charity. You can read all about it a book he recently co-wrote entitled, In Pursuit of the Common Good.
Paul Newman was an incredibly talented actor, but more than that, he was a generous man with an inspiring spirit and may we always remember him for those reasons.
2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Nominees
September 24, 2008 by Danny
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the 9 induction nominees for 2009:
Jeff Beck
Chic
Wanda Jackson
Little Anthony and the Imperials
Metallica
Run-D.M.C.
the Stooges
War
Bobby Womack
Only 5 of these artists will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in January 2009. The museum (known by its cooler name ‘Hall of Fame’) sends out 500 nomination ballots and determines who will be inducted. My 5 choices? Well, the first would be rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson who has only recently received the attention she deserves for her role in ’50s rock and roll. Next would be the Stooges, who have been nominated SEVEN times — i believe it’s time for them to take their rightful spot in the Hall of Fame. Le Freak c’est Chic, and let’s give disco its deserved place in the music canon. Not this year for Metallica, they just released a new album last week and they’ve got plenty more years to accomplish things — I say, save the induction for an artist that actually needs archiving in a museum. Say for instance, Run-D.M.C. or Little Anthony and the Imperials.
It’s HERE! The New Oprah Book Club Book!
September 23, 2008 by Bob
Worry not my dear friends, Oprah has saved you from complete fall hibernation mode with the announcement of the new Oprah Book Club book: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle written by first time author David Wroblewski.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is, perhaps obviously, the story of a young man named Edgar Sawtelle! What is unique about this man is that he is mute and lives on a farm with his family in 1970s Wisconsin (clearly Wisconsin was the best place to grow-up in the Seventies: That ’70s Show takes place in WI, and Milwaukee’s Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley were popular in the ’70s). Getting back to Wroblewski’s tale, although Edgar is mute, he is able to communicate with the dogs that are bred on the family farm. Life is pretty great until Edgar’s uncle unexpectedly shows up at the farm, and Edgar’s father mysteriously dies. Edgar, determined to discover the truth about his father’s death, enlists his canine buds to help solve the mystery.
This mystery/coming-of-age tale is reminiscent of Hamlet, but told through a prose style of American literature greats like Hemingway or Fitzgerald. Wroblewski spent 10 years writing this book, and the care he took to craft each sentence is apparent
Oprah’s book club is the largest on the planet: 2 million readers and growing. Be sure to check out this 62nd book — it’s well worth the read.
Travis Barker & DJ AM Survive Plane Crash
September 20, 2008 by towerblog
Scary news to report. It’s hitting all major news reports now that DJ AM and Travis Barker, former drummer of Blink-182, were involved in a plane crash late last night in Columbia, South Carolina. DJ AM and Barker are at a hospital in Georgia in critical condition. Sadly 4 others aboard the plane were killed. 2 worked with Barker: Chris Baker, 29, was an assistant and Charles Still, 25, worked as Barker’s body guard. The other two were pilot Sarah Lemmon, 31 and co-pilot James Bland, 51.
The duo, known as TVSDJ-AM were performing last night, and were about to fly back to Los Angeles when their plane crashed shortly after take-off. It was rumored that also aboard were Perry Farrell and Gavin DeGraw; however, it has been confirmed that they were not on the flight.
This news comes at a weird time: I’m currently writing this blog from a stuffy train because I chose to take the train to Montreal instead of a plane. My birthday is tomorrow, and I’m superstitious about flying near my birthday. It’s bizarre to be reading about this whole tragedy while on a train.
Creative Arts Emmy Awards 2008: Recap
September 19, 2008 by Danny
Last weekend the Creative Arts Emmy Award show was held in Los Angeles. The Creative Arts Emmy differs from the Primetime Emmy Awards because it “recognizes technical and other similar achievements in American television programming. They are commonly awarded to behind-the-scenes personnel such as art directors, costumer designers, cinematographers, casting directors and sound editors.” These shows are usually untelevised (highlights from the show will air September 20th on E!) and recognize all the people that actually make a television show what it is.Nevertheless, HBO cleaned up with 8 Creative Arts Emmy awards last night with the series John Adams - where Paul Giamatti plays the 2nd US President in this historical drama.
Other noteables include Cynthia Nixon earning an Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Janis Donovan, a woman pretending to have multiple personality disorder in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Mad Men walked away with Outstanding Main Title Design, while Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List won the Outstanding Reality Program award for the second year in a row. The super inspiring documentary Autism: the Musical, follows a group of young kids with autism in Los Angeles as they produce their own musical play won Outstanding Nonfiction Special.
