Sharing one last dance with Donna Summer

One of the darlings of disco has taken her final bow. Donna Summer passed away yesterday at the age of 63,due to cancer. As with many celebrity deaths,we all feel a little something there but Donna's departure saddens me deeply. I grew up in the era where her music was born and imagining the world without her is hard yet fortunately,the legacy of song that she has graced us with makes Donna Summer a true immortal.

To celebrate the beauty of her life,I have gathered up a few of her songs that reflect my personal feelings towards her and maybe some of yours as well. To start with,let's take a listen to" Mac Arthur Park",which has the most confusing lyrics on earth. It was written by Jimmy Webb and originally sung by Richard Harris(yes,the actor)back in the late sixties,which makes Donna's rendition a cover version. Yet,her wonderfully melodramatic tones made that crazy cake in the rain tune all hers:

Early on in her career,Donna was known for her sexy numbers such as the infamous "Love to Love You,Baby" but she wanted to be known for more than just that.

Still,her flair for sensuality was blended with her taste for solid get-on-your-feet-and-dance songs that made the lusty bravado of the lyrics feel rather proper in their place. Two of her most popular tunes were "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff",that became back to back performances in concerts and
made a tasty tuneful treat for audiences of more than one generation:

As disco faded out of fashion in the eighties,Donna attempted to make the switch into the newer styles of music with varying degrees of success. The title track from her 1980 album,The Wanderer,reached as high as number three on the Billboard charts and was received well enough but isn't as instantly recognizable to most of her fans,I suspect.

This song is a personal favorite of mine,for reasons I can't readily explain. It's noticeably different from her usual 70s songs,yet the song is distinctly Donna with a hint of mischief in her voice that gives it a pleasingly quirky air. Hey,maybe I did just explain why I like it!:

A song that did resonate strongly with the new wave of eighties music was "She Works Hard For The Money" in 1983. It topped a lot of charts and is still considered one of the best numbers performed live on the Grammy Awards.

This anthem to working women endeared Donna to those who were too busy to hit the clubs on the weekend and yet loved to have a better reason than cleaning up to move around. One of those ladies is my mother,who this song has become an all-time favorite.

I know that Mother's Day is past us now,however this ode to strong and steady females on more than one front should be the official theme song of that day:

To wrap this tribute up,the clear choice is "Last Dance" from the soundtrack of the quintessential disco movie,Thank God It's Friday which won an Oscar for Best Song,thanks to Donna. While the song writer was the one who actually took the award home,her gorgeous rendition of this song is what really earned that honor,in my opinion.

Condolences to the family and friends of Donna Summer, who will feel the loss of her more keenly than those of us in the audience. Speaking from the heart of that audience,we thank you dearly,Donna,for sharing all of your dances with us:

Game changes on GOT,dark shadows over Mad Men and who is the dream team on The Next Food Network Star?

With all that's happening in Westeros on Game of Thrones,it's easy to overlook Jon Snow and his travels north with the Night's Watch,so let's play a little catch-up.

After leaving the homestead of creepy Craster,he and his band of brothers went forth to seek out the wildings and find out what Mance Rayder,the self proclaimed "King Beyond the Wall",is up to.

Jon gets separated from his group when left alone to finish off a wilding woman named Ygritte,the last one alive from a raiding party. His reluctance to kill her has caused the two of them to wander off from anyone they know out in the chilly countryside and for Ygritte to encourage Jon to join her people. How sincere she is about recruiting him for Mance is uncertain but the one thing that is certain is Jon Snow isn't as steady about his emotions as he would like to be:

Meanwhile in Qarth,Dany is determined to get her dragons back and is not eager to rely on her only ally amongst the governing Thirteen,Xaros,whose hand in marriage she has already refused. It turns out that her instinct to stay independent was a good one,as Xaros and his warlock pal were the ones behind the dragon heist.

Xaros plans to use them as part of his overall takeover of Qarth,to become a king in his own right and expand the influence of the city's bounty. He and his mystical friend do want Dany to stay in the mix and after a bloody coup on the council,insist that she claim her "children" at the House of the Undying,which was the whole reason for this switch from the book,as I suspected. I don't mind the twist,since it keeps things interesting and peaks my curiosity even more to see how the show unveils that sequence for us all:

On Mad Men this week,Betty's eating issues are being worked upon at Weight Watchers but she is still ignoring her emotional ones.

Her envy of Don and Megan's new life together,along with her frustrations about her own situation,put Sally in the middle as Betty dropped a clue about Anna,the first Mrs. Draper.

Sally did get into a fight with both Don and Megan over that revelation but was made to realize that she was being used by her mother and the ruckus was squelched soon enough. Man,that girl is being made to grow up fast this season!

It's too bad that Betty still resorts to passive aggressive tactics when things aren't going her way. I can see her discomfort at the WW meetings and it's a shame that she doesn't embrace the positive energy handed out there.

I do have some sympathy for Betty's body image struggles but that doesn't excuse her from needlessly stirring up trouble just to make herself feel better and having Sally do her dirty work to boot:

Things are very different,indeed,on this season of The Next Food Network Star,as instead of everyone competing against each other in a pack,the contenders are divided into three teams lead by three major players on FN.

Team Bobby,Team Giada and Team Alton had a huge opening challenge as each group had a day to start up a restaurant. They also had to do a live promo for their venue and each person was responsible for one course. By the end of the night,two people from two different teams were up for elimination and in another new twist,they had a cook-off to determine who would be going home.

So far,I'm liking this format and the hands-on mentoring that is happening here. Also fine with Cristie being the first to head on out,as she had a bad attitude about being given a soup course and it showed on the plate. Next week,the remaining competitors are tasked to run a foodie tour in NYC,which promises to be not too appetizing for one of them:



RANDOM NOTES:

HELL'S KITCHEN: The new season will begin in June,on Monday nights with a new season of Master Chef following right after it. Back to back Gordon Ramsey programs sounds great in theory but might be a tad Jekyll and Hyde in reverse. One show has him nurturing potential chefs and the other allows him to scream at them. Take your pick,people-do you want your GR reasonable or raw?:

Censoring colorful reading casts more than 50 Shades of Grey on libraries

The most talked about book of the moment is E.L. James' novel 50 Shades of Grey,the first in a sexy trilogy that began as an online sensation and is now available in print form. The book has been labeled "Mommy porn" since the core audience for this erotic series seems to be over the age of 21 ladies(some of whom may not even be mothers)and that less than charming nickname is catching the eye of the censor happy crowd.

Reports of libraries pulling 50 Shades off of the shelves are coming in,fast and furious. One of the most recent removals was in Florida,where a local resident is petitioning for the book to be put back into circulation. That particular branch had about twenty copies,due to the long list of library patrons waiting to read it,and to deny tax paying citizens the right to reserve a popular title at their local library is flat out wrong,regardless of how you may feel about the contents of the book:

I don't blame the librarians themselves,clearly these decisions were made by their bosses who fear reprisals from the usual small minded suspects. However,I do hope that this matter is settled soon,for the good of the reading public in choosing what they want on the shelves. In the meantime,I do have a few recommendations for folks still waiting to get a hold of a copy of 50 Shades and looking for a bit of heat not related to the weather. You may be able to find these titillating titles at your library,hiding in plain sight,I wouldn't be surprised.

First up is Cecilia Grant's debut Regency romance,A Lady Awakened,which was reviewed at this blog a few months back. This story of a widow making a secretive bargain with a young nobleman in the neighborhood in order to inherit her husband's property is more than a mere excuse to roll in the hay. The characters are well thought out people,with emotional ranges that expand beyond the bedroom.

That being said,A Lady Awakened is suitably spicy for a forbidden fun read and the author will be releasing a new title along the same lines in June called A Gentleman Undone. Reading ALA first may not be necessary but it should be quite the warm-up,if you know what I mean*wink*:

Another steamy favorite of mine is Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart,the first in her fantasy series about a young woman that uses her unique talents and endurance for pain to save her kingdom from the clutches of evil doers. Now,this is a lengthy book to be sure but that is one of the best things about it,in my opinion.

If you're looking for a tempting tale to share with your significant other,this book should be your ticket to ride(particularly if your partner has a taste for Game of Thrones). The Kushiel series has fans both male and female that adore it,despite any off-color denials they may make:

Finally,for my fellow Jane Austen fans,a modern classic of sorts in this category is Mr. Darcy Takes A Wife by Linda Berdoll. The book was originally published in 1999 under the title The Bar Sinister and gained a rather notorious reputation for it's very intimate details concerning the Pride and Prejudice couple continuing their honeymoon,so to speak.

The new title came with a reprint in 2004 and a sequel soon followed,Darcy & Elizabeth:Days and Nights at Pemberley. While there are those who prefer not to venture beyond the parlor doors with these characters,one must admit that imaging the unbridled passion between Miss Lizzie and Mr.Darcy after the last page has turned is nearly impossible to resist:

Whatever lively lit you chose to indulge in,it's good to keep in mind that today's shocker quickly turns into tame fare in another generation or two. The history of scandalous books is a mixed bag,ranging from high art to sheer entertainment,but the right to read freely is always in style.

More of this fuss over 50 Shades will increase when the film version is made,no doubt about that. The wave of raised eyebrows and proclamations regarding decency at the movies when that time comes should be taken with a serious grain of salt,as this will have hardly been the first sexy book based motion picture. When it comes to pop culture, nothing is new under sun,or under any shade of grey indeed:

Being pummeled by The Weight of the Nation

Tonight,HBO starts to air Weight of The Nation, it's four part documentary about the hot button topic of overweight Americans,most commonly referred to as the "obesity epidemic." As an overweight American myself,I have a few decided opinions about this program(which I haven't seen but have been reading and hearing a lot about lately). Yes,we do have more than our fair share of folks struggling with their body size and some of them do have health issues because of this,myself included.

However,from what I have heard about this series,most of the material seems to be going over ground that has long been covered already. Too much advertising of fast food and the abundance of sugary,salty goods are to blame and people need to be educated about the evils of bad eating before it's too late! Well,my anxious friends,let me enlighten you on a few points.

No one denies the long term ill affects of a poor diet or that it's healthier to be at a sensible weight for your height. What the problem is that you seem to think that heavyset people don't know that and the best way to get them to change is by scaring the hell out of them in the media with all of this dire talk about how this "crisis' will destroy our country. Guess what,guys-we're way ahead of you. We've been working on this problem on our own for years(check the profit margins of most commercial weight loss programs for proof)without the lot of you panicking over this:

I know that some of you mean well with this onslaught of worry over weight but assuming that people who are this way don't have knowledge about it is insulting,along with calling it an "epidemic." If you look up the term epidemic,diseases such as malaria,smallpox,the black plague and HIV/AIDS rightly are listed. Having too many fat people is not in the same ball park or even near the stadium of suffering. Implying that overweight people are on the level of a deadly virus doesn't help your cause at all.

Getting off the personal politics here,being overweight in such a image conscious society is difficult and finding positive characters in film and TV who are large sized is about as easy as locating a discount store in Beverly Hills. However,there have been a few more prominent faces out there and some of them do address weight loss issues in a nurturing,caring manner that is far more effective than any of the bullying,boogie man tactics invading the media and pop culture these days:

It would be beneficial to those wanting to spread the word about weight loss in fictional forums to remember that fat people are people first. Not everything in their lives is about those numbers on the scale,they also have other items on their plates that are not edible.

They're also smart and savvy,such as Penelope Garcia on Criminal Minds whose razor sharp computer skills help to save the day or federal prosecutor Caroline Julian on Bones who often saves Booth and Brennan from their impetuous methods of investigation.

The reason that these characters fit so well into their ensemble casts is that they are valued for their skills first and foremost, not seen merely by any perceived physical drawbacks.

Ignoring the weight issue for any character would be just as bad as paying too much attention to that factor,but it would be nice to encourage more appreciation of that person as a fully developed individual rather than the sum of their heavy parts. As RuPaul so eloquently puts it,"If you can't love yourself,how the hell are you going to love anyone else?":



So,if you really want to create a movement towards healthier eating and living,especially with the help of pop culture,stop lecturing and start treating overweight people as human beings instead of talking points. Adding some flavor and fun to the discussion will bring more guests to the table and something might actually get done. Plus,if we all start to sing a better song,dancing will follow and that's a great form of exercise that everyone can enjoy. It's a true win-win that is worth a try:

A Pop Culture Salute to Stepmothers

With Mother's Day on the weekend horizon,I thought it would be nice to acknowledge a few maternal figures who are usually portrayed as bad guys but are not always so. Yes,I'm talking about stepmothers,those women who take on a second marriage and try to make the best of it,especially for the kids.

For example,one of the most beloved mothers in television history is actually a stepmom. Carol Brady,who got three new sons along with new husband Mike,always made an effort to treat both her girls and boys the same way in terms of love and discipline.

An early episode of the Brady Bunch had Mike and Carol trade parenting places with the children to see which one of them could bond the best. Carol wound up having to teach the boys baseball,but they actually taught her a thing or two,in a humorously respectful manner. Turns out Mike wasn't any better at conducting cooking lessons with Marcia and her sisters but that attempt at spending equal time was appreciated by all :

Another spunky stepmother came from the syndicated TV series,Reba in the early 2000s. Barbara Jean was overtly sweet to everyone,which was annoying at times yet her sincere desire to be a member of the rather extended Hart family eventually won over all of them. While her stepkids did see her as a bit of a ditz,they did accept Barbara Jean as part of their lives long before Reba herself did.

Oddly enough,the stepchild that Barbara Jean bonded with the most was Kyra,whose sarcasm and fiery temperament made it hard for her own family to like at times. Something about their two rather opposite natures,however,just clicked together and their kinship created a nearly perfect harmony:

Fictional accounts of stepmothers,fairy tale or otherwise,tend to make them the household aggressor but in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility,she is the one being persecuted. Mrs. Dashwood is not only forced by law to hand over her home to her stepson,Fanny,her stepdaughter-in-law goes out of her way to make her feel unwelcome,not to mention her husband's half-sisters as well.

Despite these troubles,the elder Mrs. Dashwood shows true decorum in enduring these trials,unlike the younger Mrs. Dashwood,who should be more gracious if she truly intends to be considered a lady worthy of holding an estate. Then again,some things can not be taught to those unwilling to learn:

Finally,it's fitting to also showcase a step-grandmother,even if she isn't exactly the best role model in town. While Sally Draper on Mad Men does have a stepmother in Megan,they haven't had too much personal interaction this season unlike Pauline Francis,who has become an on-the-spot babysitter and unlikely confidante for the budding teen.

Don't get me wrong,Pauline is not a warm and cuddly person,plus her habit of handing out pills to the females in her family to fix any need is not a good one. Yet,despite her gruff exterior and strict ways,she does mean well and seems to truly want to give Sally some sensible advice about handling life's little challenges:



Happy Mother's Day to all mothers of every type everywhere. Remember,biology does not a good parent make but even if you have had some strife with your step mother in the past,that doesn't mean you have to be at each other's throats forever. Believe it or not,there will be a time when the two of you can sit down and share a glass of apple juice to laugh your former friction away:

Game of Thrones gets chaotic,TAR's winner and we go Around the World in 80 Plates

Bravo unveiled their new cooking competition show last night,Around The World in 80 Plates,where contestants travel to different countries and get to know the local cuisine before preparing it at eateries in the area for the natives,who vote for the best version of their regional food.

There's a big cash prize at stake,naturally,and our hosts/judges are Curtis Stone and Cat Cora who didn't get a lot of one on one with the chefs here but the opportunity for that may occur soon(I hope).

The first stop was London and the arriving chefs had to quickly divide into two teams(Red and Black)and go through a Course before tackling the main challenge. The Course was a pub crawl,aka hitting the bars,and each team had to find three of them.

At each pub,the teams had to finish a plate of standard pub food(black pudding hash,steak and kidney pie,fish and chips)and/or a drink before moving on to the next one. Red Team won the Course and as a reward,were granted an Exceptional Ingredient to use for the main challenge that the other team couldn't. That ingredient was potatoes,a huge blow to the Black team since fish and chips had to be part of their menu.

For the big challenge,each team took over one of the pubs they visited and had to make every dish offered to them for the regular customers and the judges.

That caused a problem for both groups,since none of them tried the steak and kidney pie,opting to finish off a yard long glass of ale instead. Not smart,folks-you would think a pack of chefs on a competition show would taste all of the food available to them,right? Plus getting drunk that soon in the game wasn't a great idea. They also were allowed to add appropriate plates of their own,which helped and hindered the results.

The Black Team,for example,was able to compensate for not having potatoes by making polenta fries to go with their fish and chips. Special guest judge Nigella Lawson really liked them and so did the pub diners.

They also offered a halibut that went over just as well and wisely chose to go with a dessert.

The bread pudding,made by "Cheven"(his name is Kevin,so this is a combo of Chef and Kevin. Believe me,he's not as interesting as this may sound)was a crowd pleaser that earned the Black Team the win for this round.

Cheven got annoyed when fellow BT member Chaz was singled out for honors here,due to the bread pudding being his idea. Chaz,however,provided the right tone of leadership required to make all of the team's efforts succeed,so he deserved that immunity award there.

The Red Team had to vote off a member of their group and a ripe contender for that spot was "Nookie"(I'm sorry but I can't take a man seriously whose nickname is the same as a Limp Bizkit song).

His steak and kidney pie was so terrible that Nigella Lawson proclaimed it to the stereotypical notion of how awful some people claim British food to be.

"Nookie",however,convinced others on his team to vote Clara off,instead. Granted,her vegetarian version of a bubble and squeak(which is a mash-up of Sunday roast dinner leftovers)didn't wow anyone but the feedback from the diners didn't name Clara's dish as a deciding factor in liking RT's menu or not.

That steak and kidney pie was outstandingly bad but he got away with it,for now. I'll be watching this show for awhile and hopefully,there will more food focus than team member manipulation as we go on. The next stop is Leon,France and with any luck,the only fishy thing about that round will be on the plates.

It was a two hour finale on The Amazing Race,where the next to last leg was in Japan and Ralph and Vanessa were tagged out,due to her badly sprained ankle.

She really should have wrapped that up in some sort of bandage,particularly during the game show challenge where you could clearly see how swollen and purple it was. Vanessa did her best there and Ralph,to his credit,was mainly concerned for her welfare.

The final leg was in Hawaii and two of the three remaining teams had trouble along the way. Team Border Patrol got lost at one point and Team Big Brother took a taxi when the clue stated that they were supposed to walk(Rachel even read it out loud before they went off!). None of that mattered in the end,as Dave and Rachel,the military couple,won the Race. Despite their fighting,which got nasty at times,those two did manage to work well together and set a TAR record by being the team to win the most legs,a nice feather in their cap indeed:

Things are getting out of hand for most of the main players on Game of Thrones,as Dany is having trouble getting anyone to give her ships in Qarth and losing her dragons(something that didn't happen in the book but I think I know why it was done for the show. The next episode will soon tell me true on that score)and Arya had to cash in her second dead man chip sooner than expected.

A major sign of chaos spreading throughout the realms,however,was the riot in King's Landing. Upon sending Myrcella off to Dorne,the Lannister royals made their way through the streets of starving citizens,one of whom chose to throw a piece of literal crap at King Joffery. He took that as well as expected and soon violence broke out all over the place.

Sansa was nearly ravaged by a pack of men,as she became lost in the confusion. Fortunately,Sandor came to her rescue and brought her back to the frying pan instead of the fire raging outside amongst the residents of the city. Only Tyrion expressed any gratitude for that action(or even cared about what happened to Sansa)but Sandor had his own reasons for saving her,as we will see as time goes on:

Meanwhile,the Starks are taking a direct hit at their base,as Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell. That wasn't hard to do,considering that the place is stacked with a skeleton crew,due to Robb waging war,and the only other head of the family at home is Brann. Way to go,Theon,in bulling a little boy who happens to be crippled into calling you "Prince."

For added measure of misery,Theon's new friends caught a Stark banner man,Ser Rodrik,and his outrage over Theon's disloyalty lead to an impromptu execution.
It's too bad that Theon didn't listen to the Maester's advice,because now he's in this gruesome game for keeps. Robb was furious upon hearing this news and his wrath will be the least that young master Greyjoy has to worry about, but worry he should:



RANDOM NOTES:

MAD MEN: Megan's decision to pursue her acting career seems to have shaken up both Don and Peggy pretty badly. While the agency will probably do just fine without her,that departure is being taken as a personal judgment by the two of them,who at one point,sound as if they're arguing about their child that an adult in their lives,if you ask me. Whatever the subtext,it was good to see Peggy not take any of Don's misdirected anger anymore and tell him off:

A sad yet sweet so-long to Sendak

As most of you know by now,cherished children's book author/illustrator Maurice Sendak passed away earlier this week at the age of 83.

His work includes such time honored classics as Where the Wild Things Are,In the Night Kitchen,Pierre and Chicken Soup with Rice completely written by him and illustrations done for other titles such as the Little Bear series. Sendak won several awards in his field,including a Caldecott medal for Where the Wild Things Are and a National Book Award in 1982.

What some might not know or remember is the animated special based on his books that came out in the 70s. Really Rosie was a collection of Sendak's stories from his Nutshell Library series with songs performed by Carole King.

The connecting thread that tied these tales together for the show was Rosie,the boisterous little girl who dreamed to become a star. She charges all of the neighborhood kids to audition for the imagined movie of her life story,which happens to be called "What Happened to Chicken Soup?"-Chicken Soup being her baby brother. You have to admit that's a catchy title:

Chicken Soup does make an appearance during the course of the special,with his big musical tribute to that particular style of soup that goes well with every month of the year. Even devoted vegans couldn't resist the charms of that edible ode:



More recently,Sendak did a pair of interviews with Stephen Colbert,speaking frankly about the state of children's literature and offering amusingly blunt opinions regarding Colbert's efforts to produce his own celebrity kiddie book(which actually will be out in stores),I Am A Pole(And So Can You). Those appearances were some of the best moments on The Colbert Report this year and the timing was oddly appropriate,something no doubt Mr. Sendak would have appreciated:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Pt. 2
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Maurice Sendak gave joy to many people over the years with his art yet battled many personal demons throughout his life such as his all time favorite writers,William Blake and Herman Melville. Nevertheless,he managed to showcase his creative genius to the world and impart a sense of wonderment about childhood for generations to come. It's a pity that he couldn't stay with us a little bit longer. However,the beauty that he left behind in the pages of his books will be cherished in the hearts of readers everywhere:

Should you enter Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall before you can Bring Up The Bodies?

One of the big book releases this spring is Bring Up The Bodies,Hilary Mantel's follow-up to her Man Booker prize winning novel Wolf Hall. Since the bulk of the plot of BUTB is about the downfall of Anne Boleyn,considered to the best known of the doomed wives of Henry the Eighth,diving right into this story without having read the previous book is a reasonable option for any reader.

Having received a review copy of BUTB,I was prepared to do just that but my tendency towards sticking with continuity lead me to picking up the paperback edition of Wolf Hall,which I am currently reading at the moment. While I am pretty familiar with whole Anne Boleyn saga,Hilary Mantel's writing style and take on that time frame is crisp and new to me. Her prose is engagingly readable,with a touch of stream of consciousness to add fresh flavor to what could be a stale story in other hands.

Mantel's twist is seeing the Tudor world through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell,a legal adviser to Cardinal Wolsey who makes his path to power via the political struggle to divorce Henry from Katherine of Aragon and replace her with Anne. Cromwell is seen in history as the polar opposite of Thomas More,whose refusal to endorse the dissolution of the Catholic Church's authority in England lead to his official execution:

However,Mantel humanizes Cromwell,who started out life as a commoner and made his own way in the world. While not every deal he made was ethical,most of his decisions seemed to be based on street smarts as well as book knowledge. Plus,his knack for making enemies as easily as others make friends didn't help Cromwell's likability factor any.

I suspect his more pragmatic side will be at the forefront of Bring Up The Bodies,as the book covers the trial of Anne Boleyn and those accused of being her lovers. As much as folks will want to see him as a self interested villain,blame for the downfall of Boleyn can be cast in more than one corner and Cromwell's part in that sad ending is about equal with Henry's,one could argue:

This retelling of the Tudor tale is no easy trick to pull off,as any writer of historical fiction can tell you. However,Mantel holds the reins quite steady and breathes some lively air into the proceedings. Of course,most people are more intrigued with Anne Boleyn than Cromwell but both sides of that coin are in focus in BUTB,from what I've been seeing.

Bring Up The Bodies is intended to be the second volume in a trilogy,which will probably take Thomas Cromwell to his inevitable demise. Too soon
to tell when that one will be out,yet judging by what Hilary Mantel has graced us with so far,that book should be well worth the wait:



As to whether or not you should start with Wolf Hall before BUTB,it may be a good idea to get both books and see which way works best for you. Regardless of how you get there,this journey into the heart and mind of Thomas Cromwell is an exhilarating reading experience to behold. Everything old can be new again,particularly when it comes to history in the making and unmaking of a true to life character:

Seems we have the makings of a real superhero showdown this summer

The superhero film has had it's ups and downs over the past couple of decades but with the instant blockbuster impact of Marvel's The Avengers on both audiences and critics this past weekend,all signs are pointing to go for this genre to dominate the summer movie season.

Raking in a truly record breaking box office take of $2000.3 million and ranking highly in the Rotten Tomatoes count of positive feedback from film critics,The Avengers has become an overnight sensation that,for once,is living up to the massive hype generated by the studio and the comic book company.

Not to mention the fact that certain producers must be kicking themselves over the golden opportunity they had to work with Joss Whedon on a Wonder Woman movie and allowed that deal to slip through their fingers. With Whedon working his magic on Marvel territory,one hopes that he might be persuaded to display his talents with a DC project again(probably after a lot of groveling,I would imagine):

The gang at DC Comics does have an ace up their cinematic sleeve,as The Dark Knight Rises is due out in late July. Despite doubts about Anne Hathaway's Catwoman garb and the garbled speech of heavy hitter bad guy Bane,the combo of Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan in this third and promised to be final collaboration should please all comers.

The catch is,of course,that this is the last Batman movie both Bale and Nolan will work on. In a way that's good because as we have seen in the past,wearing out your welcome in the caped and cowled genre leads to very cheesy flicks that are so bad even the director will actually apologize for making such a mess on the DVD extras. On the other hand,getting another visionary director to elevate the genre is not as easy as it seems:

The underdog in this game is a reboot of the Spider Man franchise,which was upgraded by director Sam Raimi(until the third movie,that is.)and is now in the hands of Mark Webb,who gave us (500)Days of Summer. Granted,I didn't see that rom-com but it can make folks puzzle over why that fella was chosen for this gig.

The Amazing Spider Man stars Andrew Garfield as the teen title hero,replacing Tobey Maguire and takes a few twists with the story such as having Gwen Stacy be the focal girlfriend(who actually was Peter Parker's first big love interest before Mary Jane Watson)and having The Lizard/Dr. Connors as the major villain of the piece.

I was ready to rip on this remake,having fond memories of the earlier Raimi Spidy films but after watching the trailer,I must say that ASM does look promising. The action looks great,the story appears to be smart and funny and casting Denis Leary as the chief of police is a nice touch. The film opens on the July 4th weekend,so it does have a good shot at staking it's superhero claim:



So,it looks as if we actually have some great superhero movies to enjoy,a nice surprise for all concerned. I would advise,however,Marvel to not be too quick to rest on their laurels just yet and for DC to gear up and make a few superhero films that are not overly reliant on visual effects,plus allow some crossover connection. A Justice League movie,if done right,could open up a whole new world of possibilities both artistically and financially.

As for the fans,we must try to encourage good comic book films from the powers that be and avoid arguing over which franchise is better. It would be fun to not only have a Justice League movie but to have an Avengers/JL crossover film as well. Sounds crazy,perhaps,but I can dream,can't I? Stranger things have happened,especially at the movies:

Tune into Bad Movie Month this summer for some terrible TV time

One of our few traditions at LRG is Bad Movie Month,where every Friday in August we highlight a truly awful cinematic offering. This year's theme is TV Remake Madness,a Hollywood standard that doesn't seem to die,only multiply like a string of zombie movies.

First in our lackluster line-up is Dragnet from 1987,starring Dan Ackroyd as a descendant of Joe Friday with Tom Hanks as his modern day partner. This film version of the iconic 60s crime series takes a comedic spin on the subject matter,which might have seemed great on paper but when put into action,becomes one of those SNL skits that never knows when to end.

As proof of that,check out this rap video made for the soundtrack featuring Hanks and Ackroyd(they wear short shorts and wind up in go-go dancer cages at one point;you have been warned!):

On the next channel,we have 1998's Lost In Space,starring William Hurt as the dad of the Robinson clan,accompanied by the likes of Matt LeBlanc,giving the kind of performance you would expect from Joey on Friends in a sci-fi flick and Heather Graham as daughter Judy(not of the Jetsons).

One of the few things that make this overwrought film bearable is Gary Oldman,as the devious Dr. Smith. This is the second time that I know of Oldman being a great villain in a bad yet watchable science fiction movie(before that,The Fifth Element in 1996). However,even a good bad guy can not redeem a truly awkward film fiasco:

It would be wrong to leave kid shows out here,so the 1987 live action version of Masters of the Universe is on the viewing schedule here. Muscle man extraordinaire Dolph Lungren plays He-Man while Frank Langella gets to hide his face in Halloween make-up and avoid the shame of being recognized as Skeletor.

Like Lost in Space,another Friends regular has a pivotal role in this more campy than the actual cartoon feature. Courtney Cox is denied the opportunity to wear a kooky costume,however,as her part of hapless Earthling drawn into this cosmic battlefield only allows her to scream on cue. Then again,it's probably more of a realistic character than the one she plays on Cougar Town these days:

Speaking of cougars,the last and most likely the least of these TV based terrors is Sex and the City 2. Since I am NOT a fan of the highly touted HBO series,watching this pack of whiny well-to-do gal pals take a glamor trip to the Middle East is cinematic torture for me. Yet,due to this sorry sequel making every Worst Movie of the Year list back in 2010,plus a good number of Razzie nominations and wins,makes it hard to overlook this ripe for the ripping chick flick.

And no,I don't intend to sit through the first SATC movie. I'm not that much of a glutton for cinematic punishment,folks. After all,there were plenty of
people who saw this sucker in theaters who didn't either and watching it from that p.o.v. should be useful. Hey,if I can get through Battlefield Earth,this shouldn't be too bad,right?:



My consultation prize for enduring that horror show will be The Sister's Salute(my sis Stephanie has an August birthday and I like to add a favorite bad movie of her choice as a blog gift),which is Summer School from 1987. Granted,it's not TV based but the plot does have a sitcom feel to it.

I hope you all check our Bad Movie Month write-ups this summer and share your best of the worst TV related Hollywood film thoughts. While some major motion pictures made from small screen favorites haven't been all bad,too many of them haven't been that worth while opening weekend watching either. The only way to find out whether or not a big screen TV remake has what it takes to entertain is to stay tuned:

A pair of unlikely alliances on GOT,a sad departure from TAR and a night of Mad Men revelations

The shadow creature birthed at the end of the last episode of Game of Thrones served it's purpose this week,as Lady Stark and Brienne were the lone witnesses to the assassination of Renly Baratheon. Unfortunately,both ladies were blamed for the would-be king's death so they had to make a run for it.

Their escape gave each woman time to ponder their move,which for Brienne was mostly about avenging Renly's murder. However,she decided not only to take Lady Stark's advice regarding that issue but to pledge her services to Catelyn as well.

This new bond between them should prove to be useful for each of them as war fare rages on in Westeros(and there's no sign of that ending any time soon!). It's a sort of mother-daughter connection that they truly need at this juncture:

Speaking of daughters,meanwhile Arya is managing to keep her place as Tywin's cup bearer at Harranhal without letting too much of her fury towards the Lannisters being on full display. One of her good deeds is coming to fruition as Jaqen(one of the men trapped in the cage during the trek towards the Wall)expresses his wish to repay her for saving his life and those of his fellow captives.

As "only death can pay for life",he offers her the elimination of three of Arya's enemies. To test drive this bargain,Arya selects the Lannister torturer known as The Tickler and she is well rewarded indeed. This deadly deal is going to lead this particular young lady of the house of Stark down a very intriguing path,mark my words:

On The Amazing Race,Team Kentucky(Bopper and Mark) made their best bid to reach the finale but even with a Fast Forward at their disposal,the guys still came in last place.

Seeing such goodhearted friends,who truly looked out for each other and avoided a lot of the pointless drama,have to go home is such a shame. They did at least win one First Place prize and if Team Border Patrol(Art and J.J.)honor their promise to share some of the money they earned at one Pit Stop with Bopper and Mark,that will help to cut some of their loss.

The TAR finale is a two hour presentation and without Mark and Bopper,hard to root for the remaining four pack. Just as long as Team Big Brother and Team Border Patrol don't win,I'll be happy with either Ralph and Vanessa or Dave and Rachel crossing the finish line first. It would have been nice,though,to see Team Kentucky get that shot at the home stretch:

Things were appearing to be pretty rosy on Mad Men for Don and Megan,as their team effort to save the Heinz account was a roaring success,with Megan being able to take her fair share of the victory pie.

That was followed up with an awards banquet for Don,to which Roger,Sally and Megan's visiting parents attended. Everyone got a lot more than they expected at this shindig,as Megan had a chance to talk with her father about his true feelings about her marriage and Don discovered just how the business community really feels about him.

The one who really had an eye opening experience was Sally,as her trip to the ladies' room gave her a full view of her step grandmother and Roger getting better acquainted,in the blunt sense of the term. Poor kid,what a way to be introduced to that! Granted,she was going to come across something sexual amongst the adults around her sooner or later yet that little incident is clearly going to haunt Sally for the long run. Guess disappointment flavored pudding was on the dessert menu at this party:



RANDOM NOTES:

DESIGN STAR:The seventh season of the HGTV competition show is set to start soon,with a blast from the music scene of the 90s past making a guest appearance. Vanilla Ice,who has a home repair show on the DIY network,will be stopping by at some point to guest judge and that alone is reason enough to check this out:

Battle of the books instead of bands?

There's an interesting debate going on at the Smart Bitches,Trashy Books site over whether or not it is possible for a fan of the Bronte sisters to be
able to love both Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. According to the guest author of the piece,most Bronte followers seem to prefer one over the other.

I suppose that enjoying Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights in equal measure is not an impossibility but I can fully understand making only one of them your favorite read of the Bronte bunch. Jane Eyre was and is a long time favorite of mine since childhood,where as Wuthering Heights,I only read to completion once in adulthood and that was enough.

In reading over the comments left at the post,one person cited a point in favor of WH over JE in that Kate Bush wrote a song about it and there weren't any for Eyre. So,out of curiosity,I looked up the Kate Bush tune,which is suitably haunting,and went in search of any musical ode for Jane Eyre:

While the commenter was correct about there not being a specific song for Charlotte Bronte's best known heroine,a musical version was launched back in the late 1990s and reached Broadway in 2000. The show didn't last long but it did garner several Tony nominations.

There was also a WH musical(along with a ballet and an opera) but that one never went beyond London,so I think we can put a check in the win column for Jane Eyre here:

This could be a fun way to debate literary preferences,by finding songs connected to them to use as counterpoints. For example,many Jane Austen fans often discuss which one of her books is best,with Pride and Prejudice as a major front runner. The ever lasting popularity of that book has lent itself to nearly countless reinterpretations from classic remakes to modern day love stories.

One of those P&P updates was the Bollywood themed musical film,Bride and Prejudice,that outlined many of the trials and tribulations of the Bennet sisters and especially leading lady Lalita(aka Elizabeth). Plenty of those songs could make the case for that book easily:

However,quite a few folk claim Austen's Emma as her masterpiece and can be just as tenacious as the title heroine in staking that claim.

To further bolster their argument in song,a musical adaptation of the novel has made it's way around the repertory theater circuit and does have a couple of catchy numbers that could go up against P&P rather well,I think:



The options for book battle through song are plentiful;the listings range from the works of Stephen King and Poe to Ovid and even Daphne Du Maurier can be put up for debate-which is better,Rebecca or Jamaica Inn? Of course,such things are really just a matter of personal preference but it's fun to argue about works of art.

After all,one does need a chance to exercise their mind outside serious real world matters. Folks can get too worked up over less vital subjects as well but if things become too intense,we can always break out our action figures to settle the argument once and for all: