Open Letter to Bret Easton Ellis,Re:50 Shades of Grey Twitter

Dear Mr. Ellis,

Usually I would ignore such blatant attempts at attention getting such as your recent string of comments on Twitter regarding the film adaptation of 50 Shades of Grey but some of your statements are just too borderline offensive for me to simply stay silent about.

Your opinions about Matt Bomer being a possible candidate for the lead role(a part that has neither been confirmed nor denied to this actor)are incredibly sad to read and worse,the apology that you offered later on was far from acceptable:

"Okay I'll say it. Matt Bomer isn't right for Christian Grey because he is openly gay. He's great for other roles but this is too big a game."

"I don't care how good an actor you are but being married to another man complicates things for playing CG."

"I am NOT discriminating Matt Bomer because of his sexuality. Fifty Shades of Grey demands an actor that is genuinely into women. Get it?!?


"I actually think it's cool that women want Matt Bomer as Christian Grey. It means that we've moved beyond stereotypes and that gay is hot... I think Matt Bomer is incredibly handsome and a good actor but I think he comes off totally gay in White Collar."

First off,let me clarify something for you-your notion that it's now "cool" for ladies to find gay actors hot is rather naive there. Ladies have always found gay to be hot,even since the days of Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter. Granted,back then not everyone knew about the personal preferences of those gentlemen but finding that out many decades later doesn't diminish the wonderful film memories that they helped to create for both male and female audiences.

I've never watched White Collar or recalled anything that I've seen Matt Bomer in but I have no doubt his female fans are more than happy to see him on screen due to his talent as well as his good looks.

In fact,judging by the decent box office returns that his new summer movie Magic Mike has been taking in,it doesn't appear to be a problem for anyone to see him as an object of feminine desire,other than yourself:



While I may not be a Matt Bomer fan,I am an admirer of Zachary Quinto,best known as one of the major villains from the TV series Heroes and as Spock in the most recent Star Trek film.

The fact that Mr. Quinto is gay is not an issue for me at all,nor I suspect the majority of his female fan base because we're attracted to the characters that he plays rather than the man himself. That's a very important distinction since part of my disgust with your insistence that any actor being cast for Christian Grey has to be "into women" shows such little imagination from someone whose profession involves creativity:

This isn't your first foray into controversy and probably won't be your last yet with a little maturity on your part,it could be.

You happen to be a writer whose work is given serious scrutiny by readers and critics alike and instead of taking a more grown-up approach to life and art,you are still clutching onto this literary bad boy image of yours like a worn out teddy bear. This seems like an attempt to cling to your youth and glory days of notoriety,which frankly makes you come across as the old guy in the club.

Give up,Mr. Ellis. You're not the only artistic rebel(and I use that term loosely here) who has had to face the fact that keeping up with the rate of shock value is a younger person's game. No matter how much you try,there will always be someone out there with fresher ideas and a snappier business card:



Some people say that this is all a dog and pony show on your part,to either build up interest for your 2013 film Canyons or to get the chance to adapt 50 Shades,which you now have been turned down for. It really doesn't matter why you feel the need to beg for the spotlight in this manner but if you are as intelligent as you profess to be,any fool can see this gimmick isn't working for you.

My advice to you is stay off of Twitter or any social media until you can think before you type(something that a lot of other people should do as well but that's another conversation altogether). There is enough ignorance and ill will in the world without you adding to it.

As to Matt Bomer,hopefully this unwarranted attack on his personal life will benefit his future career possibilities rather than hinder them and even though I could care less about who is cast in the 50 Shades movie,if he wants the part,I will be happy for him if he gets it. You're almost fifty yourself,Mr. Ellis-time to accept that this is not the springtime of your life and prepare to deal with the hazy shades of winter coming for you.

Sincerely,

Lady T and the rest of the adults in the audience:

Bad Movie Month arrests Dragnet

Welcome back for another round of Bad Movie Month and on our docket for today is 1987's Dragnet,the attempted revitalization of the classic 1960's crime drama that most remember for Jack Webb as lead detective Joe Friday with his crime-fighter catchphrase,"just the facts,ma'am."

Apparently,Dan Ackroyd recalled that series fondly,since he took the lead role of Friday's nephew(also named Joe Friday)carrying on the family tradition in a more modern setting. Unlike the previous film incarnations of Dragnet(a theatrical 1954 release based on the radio show version and a made for TV movie in 1966 that was actually aired in '69),this was meant to be a comedy yet the laughs are few and far between.

The new generation Friday is partnered with Pep Streebek(Tom Hanks),the Oscar to his Felix as this film's odd couple of leading men and the two of them are sent out by Captain Bill Gannon(Harry Morgan,who played Jack Webb's partner in the original series)to look into some strange robberies in the area. Most of their leads point them in the direction of a cult that calls itself P.A.G.A.N.(People Against Goodness And Normalcy). Subtle,no?:

During their undercover work,which consists mostly of the guys wearing outlandish costumes that would look out of place in a Halloween parade,Friday and Streebek rescue a gal named Connie Swail(Alexandra Paul)from being a virgin sacrifice thrown to a giant snake by P.A.G.A.N. and for the rest of the film,she's known as The Virgin Connie Swail since that's what Friday keeps referring to her as.

Most of the plot here is pretty boring and full of loop holes such as how did the cult know Connie was a virgin in the first place and what benefit would they get by targeting her?

There's also a muddle of a scheme involving a local porn king(Dabney Coleman)and a shady preacher(Christopher Plummer)who has the Police Commissioner(Elizabeth Ashley) in his pocket but most of the action is taken up with prolonged car chases and opportunities for lame jokes such as "Thank God it's Friday!"

To his credit,Ackroyd does commit himself to a full on Jack Webb impersonation and if this was a running character for a Saturday Night Live skit(I believe he did do a Dragnet bit on the show once when Desi Arnaz was the host),that would be fine. Unfortunately,his talent for mimicry was being wasted on an audience that didn't get his references at all:

The main problem with this take on Dragnet was that weak attempt to make a parody of a pop culture favorite that would work for older fans and engage the younger section of the audience. What they wound up with was a half baked hybrid that failed to please anyone.

The "hip-it-for-the-young-people" marketing was particularly painful in the soundtrack for this film,which had the band Art of Noise do a remix rendition of the TV show's instantly recognizable theme. That choice dismayed critic Roger Ebert(who otherwise liked the movie)so much that he"walked out of the screening singing the notes(of the original version) out loud to drown out the disco Drano from the screen." :



To be fair,that last quote was mainly referring to the song that played over the end credits,"City of Crime",a rap tune performed by Hanks and Ackroyd with a video that did some hard time on MTV's rotation that summer.

Dragnet was sentenced to shelf life on video store racks after it's less than successful run and some do consider it to be an underrated film but I prefer to be paroled from seeing it again. Check in with Bad Movie Month next Friday to see how Lost In Space we are and until then,keep on your goat skin pants when you do an unlawful dance or the officer in charge will add on to your list of offenses as he reads you your rights:

True Blood's Pam gets dethroned,a budding Bunheads romance and a couple of unappetizing commercials

The vampire revolution is under way on True Blood,as the bombing of the TB factories is making worldwide news and mainstreaming vamps are getting nervous about their supply. At Fangtasia,Tara suggests stockpiling what's left on hand to Pam,who quickly shoots that notion down. Her reasoning is that if their human customers become items on the menu,the bar will be shut down fast.

That line of pragmatism that Pam wants to take won't be holding up for long,as a new Authority appointee to the Area Five Sheriff post sets up shop at Fangtasia and insists that public feeding on humans is no longer banned. Looks like our two new blood buddies are going to have to make a stand all on their own:

Eric,on the other hand,has plenty on his plate as well. He plans an escape from Authority headquarters with only Molly the tech girl vamp and Bill as active allies.

Unfortunately,Bill sells them out after getting a wicked high off of Salome's blood and having another vision of Lilith(which I find a little suspicious there and hopefully so will Bill before it's too late).

Plot lines seem to be converging towards a major league showdown,which should be fun but perhaps not so safe for both mortal and immortal participants alike when the dust finally settles:

Love is in the air for Bunheads,as Fanny returns from her vacation with a long time lover in tow(played by Richard Gant and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll be more than just a one time appearance character)and Boo's new dance partner Carl is interested in more than her fox trot.

The reason that Boo is even dancing with Carl,a sweet but overenthusiastic fella,is due to Sasha extending her teen rebellion to the dance studio by getting a tan and streaking her hair blue. As a warning to her wayward pupil, Fanny assigned Boo to the standard Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire routine for an upcoming performance.

Since Carl is not as tall as her,Boo was less than thrilled to be rehearsing with him. However,the guy is a charmer and begins to court Boo in such a wholehearted old school way that she starts to respond to his persistent wooing there.

Unfortunately,her gal pals are quick to put the kibosh on this potential romance and since the finale is next week,perhaps by then Boo'll tell them to back off and let her make her own choices of the heart:

Normally,I don't get into commercials too much during my TV rundowns but there are a couple of ads on the air that are using kids in not the right way,in my opinion. Ragu spaghetti sauce is doing a series of spots called A Long Day of Childhood where the premise is to get over those unpleasing moments(Mom cleaning your face with spit,mean kids drawing on you while you sleep)with a plate of Ragu coated pasta.

One of those moment,however,has a little boy walking in on his parents in the bedroom and apparently no one at the ad agency has read Proust or they would know that linking food with a traumatic event is not a good notion:



Also,the folks at Kraft have been doing a set of ads where kids complain about their parents swiping their mac and cheese. At first,it was cute but now the ads are becoming more aggressive with the youngsters taking action against their folks.

The one commercial in this series that really annoys me has a little boy lecturing his mother's book club and threatening to write a tell-all book about how horrible Mom is for sharing his mac & cheese with her friends.

Yes,I know this is meant to be a joke and granted,I don't have any kids but I wouldn't even talk to my own mother like that now as a grown woman and it's not funny to see this child speak that way to his elders. If I were the mom in this ad,my first response would be more like Tyler Perry's Madea than the guilty faced woman presented here,that's all I'm saying:



RANDOM NOTES:

HELL'S KITCHEN: New episodes start next Monday and one would think that by now,the remaining chefs have their timing down pat during dinner service but then again,they do need to keep Chef Ramsey annoyed about something:

Fall into the past with these upcoming autumn films

With only a few short weeks before the fall movie season begins,I find it's easier to look over the list of upcoming cinematic candidates to earmark those films you most want to see by singling out the ones that share a little something in common.

While there are plenty of comedies,dramas and kiddie fare ready to arrive,some of us like to slice the genre cake extra thin and go for the sweet taste of period films,those stories set in the past that can bring a real old fashioned flavor to the popcorn proceedings.

Let's start off with a bang and a gander at Django Unchained,Quentin Tarantino's take on the spaghetti western. Jamie Foxx stars as Django,a slave in the Deep South who is given a chance at freedom by Dr. King Schultz(Christoph Waltz)a bounty hunter seeking his assistance in tracking down the notorious Brittle Brothers.

Along with his freedom,Django is also interested in finding his wife Broomhilda(Kerry Washington)who is in the clutches of a particularly nasty plantation owner(Leonardo DiCaprio,doing a rare villain role). Tarantino's love of old school genre films is no secret and lately,he seems to be rather comfortable with period pieces,so this movie promises to be a real wild ride and then some:

For the literary crowd,a new version of Anna Karenina is on the way with Keira Knightley in the title role. She's joined by Jude Law as her husband Alexei and other well known film folks such as Kelly Macdonald,Olivia Williams and Matthew Macfadyen.

While it might seem like the same old doomed love story,this take on Karenina is being given an elaborate face lift in the visuals department. The theme appears to be "all the world's a stage",which could liven up the show considerably:

If you'd rather have a historical film that is an out-and-out theatrical experience,then you will be thrilled to hear that the award winning musical version of Les Miserables is set to raise the curtain at a multiplex near you this Christmas.

Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway are two of the big names appearing in this most popular rendition of Victor Hugo's classic novel and as we know from their duet during an Oscar night opening number,those two know how to sing. Climbing on board this Broadway band wagon with them is Russell Crowe,Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen,in this epic tale of the French Revolution that still resonates strongly with us today:

For something a bit more lighthearted but still a tad serious,Hyde Park Over Hudson should fit the bill nicely. The story takes place in 1939,when the King and Queen of England pay a visit to President Franklin D. Roosevelt(Bill Murray)and his First Lady(Olivia Williams,really making her mark in the period piece section) at their country estate in upstate New York.

During this time,FDR is getting rather friendly with Margaret Suckley(Laura Linney),his distant cousin who later becomes his lover. The culture clashes during that visit,as well as the personal tensions amongst the Roosevelt clan,sound like a fun yet factual mix of hidden history worth seeing on the big screen:



Many say that historical fiction of any sort is just a way for people to escape the hard times facing them in the present and while there is some truth to that,it's also true that exploring the problems of those previous time periods can give you a better perspective on the current state of affairs.

So,feel no shame in enjoying a period film even if you're only interested in checking out the costumes. A truly good story can give the audience entertainment along side education,plus show us that no point in time is trouble free yet the solutions can be found in the most unexpected ways:

Bad Movie Month unfolds Miss March

Welcome back,folks,for this special installment of Bad Movie Month that I like to call Sister's Choice-my sister Stephanie happens to have an August birthday(which was yesterday)so my blog gift to her is highlighting a bad film of her choosing.

Originally,we were going to tackle the Mark Harmon teacher comedy Summer School but unfortunately,that goof fest is not available for DVD viewing. So,our runner-up pick was Miss March,a 2009 comedy whose plot line is basically the J.Geils band hit song "My Angel is a Centerfold",with the main difference between them being the quality of the writing.

Miss March stars Trevor Moore and Zach Cregger,two of the main players in the comedy troupe,The Whitest Kids U Know. Since my sister and I are big fans of their skit show and have seen Whitest Kids perform live,our expectations for this movie were rather high but mine were quickly lowered upon seeing the trailer:

Zach plays Eugene,a high school senior eager to break his purity vows with his beloved good girl Cindi on prom night when a fall down the stairs puts him in a coma for four years. His wacky buddy Tucker(Trevor Moore)wakes him up with a baseball bat-so not kidding about that-and informs Eugene that Cindi is now a Playboy Bunny.

This leads to a road trip to the Playboy Mansion,with all sorts of supposedly zany adventures such as legions of firemen hunting down Tucker due to causing his epileptic girlfriend(whose brother is ,of course,a fireman) major bodily harm after an ill chosen love session using strobe lighting. I cringe just describing that last bit of business there.

This is the kind of movie where you think to yourself,"Why the hell is he/she is this thing in the first place?!". A good example is Craig Robinson,well known for his stint on the workplace sitcom The Office,who plays a rapper with a stage name that is too gross for me to write down but apparently the important part of his moniker is dot.MPEG(which becomes one of least vulgar running gags in this movie):

Some of you might be saying at this point,"Oh,come on,Lady T! Don't be such a prude,this is just a little gross-out humor,no big deal!" Hey,I'm no stranger to the gross-out,folks,but in order to work,the timing and the content have to be like Goldilocks's porridge and be presented just right.

From what I read online,this script was given to Cregger and Moore as a rewrite assignment that they mostly did for fun and then were offered a development deal that let them co-direct as well co-write. Also,the Playboy people were not involved at first and Robert Wagner was actually hired to play Hugh Hefner in a pivotal scene.

At some point,Playboy did get official included which did this movie no favors considering that Hugh Hefner received a Razzie nomination as Worst Supporting Actor that year for playing himself!:

What really makes Miss March so dreadful,apart from the obvious jokes that even a fifth grader could spot from a mile away and the pacing that stops and starts like a broken down car driven off a sleazy salesman's used auto lot,is that I know these guys can do better than this.

Sure,even the best comedians have their down moments and routines that may sound funny to them but horrible to everyone else(*cough* Daniel Tosh*cough),it's part of the art. However,the awkwardness onscreen here makes me think Cregger and Moore had to film this cinematic sludge under duress,as if John Malkovich from Con Air was standing behind the camera telling them "make a move and the bunny gets it!"

Miss March died a quick death at the box office and will hopefully not be too much of a blemish on either one of the WKUK member's careers. Trevor Moore has had a role on the short lived Fox series Breaking In and several film shorts on The Tonight Show as well as developing a Whitest Kids feature film. Zach Cregger has popped up on a couple of TV shows-Friends With Benefits and Guys With Kids and will probably be part of the WKUK movie,too.

Perhaps this abysmal flop of a farce taught the guys what not to do in making a motion picture since their online Whitest Kids' feature, The Civil War on Drugs, was a thousand times funnier and better than one second of Miss March,which a film critic rightly declared was worse than water-boarding.

So,maybe there is a hint of a silver lining around the dark cloud that is Miss March and when the day finally comes for the likes of Trevor Moore and Zach Cregger to truly conquer Hollywood,they'll have the right stuff. Tune in this Friday for my police report on Dragnet and in the mean time,don't overlook a good movie pitch when you hear one,even if it's from the new hire in the mail room:

Bad Movie Month conquers Masters of the Universe

Greetings and welcome to Bad Movie Month 2012,where our theme this year is TV Remake Madness,those small screen gems that failed to shine when brought to the silver screen. First up is Masters of the Universe,based on the cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe that launched a tie-in toy empire.

While I was much too old to fit into the demographic aimed at for that show,I was lucky enough to have a younger sibling around to justify watching it(plus,I totally dug She-Ra:Princess of Power,it's spin-off series).

However,by the time this movie was released into theaters in 1987,the popularity of He-Man had gone the way of most boy bands and it's diminished appeal was part of the reason that the film ultimately tanked at the box office even with an opening weekend spot in the Top Five:

Dolph Lungren played the lead role of He-Man(who is never referred to as Prince Adam,the character's true identity)and he certainly is convincing as an action figure come to life. The basic plot here is that He-Man and allies Teela,Man-at-Arms and new friend Gwildor(the great Billy Barty who wears a troll wig and Silly Putty cheeks throughout this thing)are trying to save the Sorceress from the clutches of Skeletor(Frank Langella).

They need to hide a "Cosmic Key" invented by Gwildor from Skeletor and his crew but they wind up opening up a dimensional portal that takes them to our world,where the key is found in a graveyard(the most natural spot for a magical device to end up in!)by Kevin and Julie(Courtney Cox,in her film debut).

Kevin thinks that the Key is some kind of new musical instrument and takes off to show one of his friends,leaving Julie in the lurch as Skeletor's minions have tracked down their master's missing item and are ready to rumble.

Speaking of minions,I must give credit where credit is due to Meg Foster as Evil-Lyn,the high ranking hench woman of Skeletor's band of warriors. She gave a certain Anna Wintour/Miranda Priestly flair to her performance and at times,I was expecting her to end her orders to her foot soldiers with "That's all!"

At times,Evil-Lyn seemed a lot savvier than Skeletor,particularly when she was patrolling the earth and assessing the civilians as conquerable prey. It would have cool if she had double crossed Skeletor at one point,but alas,that sub plot was not meant to be.

Her finest moment of villainy was tricking Julie into handing over the Key by pretending to be her dead mother. Sorry,Julie but you were being incredibly stupid here-yeah,because during a fire fight between beings from another world,it makes total sense for your died-in-a-plane-crash mom to suddenly show up in the alley behind the place you're holed up in and ask for the strange new object that everyone's fighting over! Even sandwich-eating Joey from Friends would've caught on sooner:

Props must also be given to Frank Langella,whose main purpose as Skeletor was to do the heavy lifting in the dialogue department. Granted,his make-up was pretty good despite those close-up shots that showed just how painted on his nostrils were and he carried off those clunky costumes just right but the real benefit to casting him in this pivotal role was his verbal talents.

Langella has said that this was a favorite part of his and he is clearly not doing a walk through here. It's nice to see an actor give that extra effort,especially in such an overblown mess of a movie and makes watching scenes like this elevation to godhood all the more entertaining to endure:

Sequels and remakes have been bandied about regarding MOTU:The Movie but so far,no one has gotten a solid greenlight. There is a 25th Anniversary Blu-Ray edition scheduled for release this October,but for those like me who haven't upgraded our home entertainment centers just yet,it's still available on regular DVD.

Just remember to wait for a final Skeletor shot during the end credits(which I sadly did not see during my initial viewing). Tune in next week for a double dose of BMM when I honor my sister's birthday with Miss March and get pulled over by Dragnet.Until then,good journey and praise be to Gwildor!:

True Blood's Pam gives her girl a gift,more Bunheads bonding and Elementary's Watson dilemma

Things are unraveling quickly on True Blood,as Salome's new "back to basics" take on the Authority is gearing up for major trouble,Sookie and Jason learn more about what happened to their parents(and accidentally connect with their killer)via their new fairy friends and Jessica is saved from the Monster Squad by Hoyt,of all people.

Amidst this madness,Pam finds time to further bond with her new vampire daughter as Tara runs into Tracy, an old high school acquaintance, at the Fangtasia bar. Those two were never best pals to begin with and Tracy's charming habit of dropping racist insults casually into the conversation causes Pam to break up this reunion rather quickly:



However, Pam is not as displeased with Tara as she appears to be in public. Later on that evening, she brings Tara down into the basement to see what her blood momma picked up for her which happened to be a chained up Tracy,glamored into being a devoted food supplier for our Miss Thornton.

Tara was delightfully surprised and I can't say that I blame her. Pam has that special trait of gift giving,which is to hone in on what truly appeals to the person receiving the present and to make it something that she can never truly resist and for Tara,that happens to be the sweet taste of revenge:

Meanwhile,Eric is stunned to realize that he's become the only voice of reason left in the Authority. Even his blood sister Nora is unswayed from her Sanguinista convictions when he informs her that their maker Godric appeared to him during the Lilith induced feeding frenzy they went on.

How Eric is going to take on Salome and her growing army of followers(with help from Russell,who is ready to add werewolves to the mix)is tough to figure out as his last possible ally from within,Bill,is totally on board the bloodbath train. Chances are that he'll try to recruit Sookie but she's busy dealing with a brand new enemy that has been looking for her for a long time,so good luck with that!:

On Bunheads,Michelle wears herself out teaching both her new classes and Fanny's regular ones,due to Madame Flowers extending her impromptu vacation.That stress is compounded by leaky pipes in the dance studio,which gives her more time with the girls who help Michelle dry out the rug in the dressing room and take them to dinner.

During that meal break,she winds up making a few unexpected impressions on her students that lead to a break-up(which was long overdue,in my opinion because dating only one boy since the second grade is a bit much there)and a new authority figure for Sasha to rebel against:

Sasha is pretty much begging to be parented by someone,since her own folks are too involved with their own lives to pay a minimum of attention to her comings and goings.

Fortunately,Fanny will be back for the next episode and frankly,she's more capable of dealing with Sasha that Michelle is at this point. Michelle means well but her persistent foot dragging about being perceived as a full fledged adult is getting in the way of helping any of the girls out:

Controversies surrounding TV shows before they make their on air debut are now becoming commonplace and in the case of Elementary,the ruckus being raised here has some very unpleasant undertones.

Elementary is a modern day take on Sherlock Holmes that is set in NYC,with Jonny Lee Miller playing the lead and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson,who has been hired by Holmes' father to be his sober living companion. Most of the objections to this upcoming fall series are aimed at Lucy Liu,whose casting is being questioned due to her gender and race.

*Sigh*Listen up,Sherlock Holmes fans-I understand getting a little peeved at changes made to a beloved literary character but honestly,flexibility in your viewpoint is something that Holmes himself would demand for those wishing to emulate his adventures.

This is a modernization,after all,and if you prefer a male Watson,there is an updated BBC series that has one and is available for viewing on PBS in their Masterpiece Mystery runs in America.

Take a cue from Jane Austen fans,folks;if we can handle seeing Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy fighting zombies or taking part in a Vlog and even as escapees from their own fictional world,you certainly can entertain the notion of Dr. Watson as an Asian lady.

Especially when such a talented actress as Lucy Liu is in the role and frankly,this series looks pretty good to me. CBS does have a decent track record when it comes to putting solid mystery/crime/thriller shows together,plus another new version of Sherlock Holmes brings more readers into fold,as my fellow Austenites can attest to. So,lighten up,people and give Elementary a true sporting chance there:



RANDOM NOTES:

HELL'S KITCHEN: New episodes of HK and Master Chef will start up on August 13 and the fury awaiting us should be worth watching,as the remaining six contenders have to battle a team of carefully selected opponents for dinner service victory. Ten to one,that group will be made up of former competitors from previous seasons,so this rowdy crew of current chefs better be able to step up or be shipped out:

Mourning Maeve Binchy

I was sad to hear today that one of my favorite writers is no longer with us. Irish author Maeve Binchy passed away at the age of 72 with sixteen novels,four short story collections,a play and a novella under her belt,a nice tidy total indeed.

Of course,it's not really about the quantity,it's the quality of her work that endeared Ms. Binchy to an audience of readers that spanned the world. She was in such demand that when it was announced in 2000 that Scarlet Feather would be her last book,scores of people sent letters of protest to the Irish Times.

Naturally,Maeve did return to the literary world with Quentin's in 2002 and a few more novels,with her final one< A Week In Winter,due out before the end of this year.

Her first novel was Light a Penny Candle published in 1982 but most people discovered Maeve's warm words about life and love with Circle of Friends,which came out in 1990. Like many of her stories,this tale of three friends was set in Ireland near the fictitious town of Knockglen and focused on the choices facing the girls as they went off into the wider world.

As did many others,my favorite character here was Benny,the awkward large sized country girl who couldn't believe that a handsome city boy like Jack would fall truly in love with her and yet,she wasn't some meek and mild miss when it came to that relationship or any other.

Even with the 1950's setting of the story,Maeve brought strong female leads to the forefront and allowed them to rise or fall by their decisions in life. Circle of Friends was adapted for the movies in 1995,with Minnie Driver(in her film debut)and Chris O'Donnell,which complimented the source material rather well:

Binchy's talents were thrust under a bigger spotlight in 1999,when her novel Tara Road was chosen as a selection of Oprah's Book Club. The core concept of the plot was two women at crisis points in their lives who traded homes(and countries)to gain a fresh perspective on things proved to be popular,as it inspired other writers and film makers to do their own spin on that premise.

Tara Road was turned into a film by 2005,starring Andie McDowell and Olivia Williams,with Maeve doing an uncredited cameo in one scene. The movie played mostly overseas but is fortunately available on DVD and as I write this,it's on top of my Netflix queue and will hopefully not have too long a wait:

Maeve Binchy's appeal was based on the emotional connections that her characters made with the reader and what raised her work to a higher level of female friendly fiction,in my opinion.

I have many happy memories of enjoying the realistic yet hopeful society that she created,along with a personal recollection or two. When I was attending Weight Watchers many years ago,one of my rewards for doing well was a new nice edition of Evening Class(which I also own in paperback)and still have on my shelf.

My most emotional moment as a reader is due to The Glass Lake,where I actually spoke out loud in anger to one of the characters who was blaming her child for something that she should've taken care of herself! Wacky,yes but it was only for a minute or two and things did work out all right in the end for them both(I'm probably going to reread that one,now that I'm thinking about it).

That's how well developed Maeve's stories were,creating people as real as your family and friends whether they lived in Dublin,London or anywhere else. Those who simply thought that what she did was simple literary comfort food were quite mistaken about the matter:



My sincere condolences to Maeve Binchy's loved ones,who will no doubt miss her dearly,and to those who haven't read any of her books,there is no better time than now to give at least one of them a go. She was a great lady who knew the value of a life well lived and left such a wonderful legacy of words in her wake:

Browsing thru a few late summer literary treats

With the approach of August fast upon our heels,the remaining days of summer are truly numbered yet that doesn't mean all of the fun is far behind us. Considering how hotter than usual it's been lately,staying indoors to enjoy a good book is looking to be the best option and to make those moments in the shade all the more pleasant,here are a few suggestions of both upcoming and already released books worth a leisurely look.

We begin with The Lost Prince,a follow-up to Selden Edwards' small sensation The Little Book. The heroine of that story enters this one with a new name(Eleanor Burden)and engages in the life that a woman of her time was expected to lead in Boston during the 1890s.

However,she has something that none of her contemporaries possesses,a journal that predicts every major historical event to come. Eleanor's faith in that book keeps her going through trying times but a sudden turn of events involving a young man in her life gives her pause and a reason to risk everything to find him. While I haven't read The Little Book,it sounds as if The Lost Prince will be a welcome guide to this tale of timeless devotion:

Another long awaited sequel,The Prisoner of Heaven picks up where author Carlos Ruiz Zafron left off in his world wide bestseller,The Shadow of the Wind. Daniel,the son of Sempere & Sons bookshop in Barcelona,gets involved in another mystery as the mysterious purchaser of a rare edition of The Count of Monte Cristo uses that book to deliver a strange message to an assistant in the store.

Daniel's curiosity leads him and his new family down a couple of dangerous roads,including one that takes him back to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books,the place where all of his book related troubles started. This novel is the last volume in a trilogy but don't despair of more wonderful works to come from it's rather creative creator:

For sci-fi/fantasy fans,a new Terry Pratchett book is a delight and the pleasure is doubled with The Long Earth,which Pratchett co-wrote with Stephen Baxter. In this futuristic tale,the bridge between our Earth and similar planets in other dimensions has now been extended,thanks to a device called The Stepper.

With human beings only existing on our world,the possibilities for unlimited resources may be truly endless and that leads two people,Joshua,who has the natural ability to cross realities and Lobsang,an AI creation,on a journey to map the entirety of this new realm.

However,their discoveries caused them to ask more questions than answer them about the nature of the universe and may turn out to be more risky to the continuation of the human race than anyone could imagine. This book is meant to be the lead-off to a brand new series for both authors and sounds like a trip worth taking:

I received a lovely surprise in my mailbox last week,as the book chosen to be sent to folks who signed up for Simon & Schuster's newsletter at Facebook in June arrived.

My book was The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley,which begins with emotionally weary concert pianist Julia Forrester taking a much needed break from her troubles at her grandparents' estate in Wharton Park.

While reconnecting with an old flame,Julia comes across a old diary that revels a secret romance that nearly tore two families apart. Since this former fling happens to include an ancestor of her newly rekindled love,she is determined to seek out the truth,no matter what the cost.

This is exactly the kind of steadfast saga that I would pick out for myself and how well I was matched to it is very uncanny,indeed. My thanks to the good fairy that sent it my way and I hope that the rest of my fellow S&S newsletter joiners were just as fortunate in their introductory gift:



I do wish that whatever new book you decide to try before the autumn leaves fall gives you plenty to indulge in and doesn't cause anyone to complain to their local book adviser about the quality of the writing(not to mention demanding to speak to dead authors to address their reader grievances directly to the source):

Setting up a soundtrack for the London Olympics

Tonight is the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Olympics,which are being held in London and should fulfill most of your TV viewing needs as the show starts at 7:30 EST and ends around midnight.

While I am not a major sports fan,I do appreciate an event likes this and want to at the very least see what sort of elaborate production number has been cooked up from the comfort of my living room. Even late comers to these games can simply settle in and have a nice little Olympics party without too much fuss there:

If your party plans for this evening's big show are a little more elaborate and you're seeking some appropriate music,here are a few pop culture picks that should do the trick nicely.

It's hard to go wrong with "You're The Best(Around)" from the original 1984 Karate Kid movie. The tune is the perfect go-to for rooting on your team favorite and despite the fact that karate is still not an official competition in the Olympics(they did try to get it for 2012 but it didn't get enough votes for approval),this song is inspiring to all potential athletes out there:

When it comes to sports themed inspiration,most look towards the Rocky films and there are plenty to choose from. A favorite of mine happens to be "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor,which was nominated for a Best Song Oscar that year.

This song is also a favorite at stadiums,where crowds never fail to cheer upon hearing just the opening notes. A plus for Olympic audiences is that tigers are considered fortunate for those going into battle in some cultures,which should even the odds up for anyone needing a solid win:

Since the Olympics are in England this time,choosing a British artist is only right and you don't have to search any further than Queen for great rousing numbers. "We Will Rock You" is one of their best known ones,having played at many sporting arenas,pro wrestling matches,commercials and video games.

It's also been featured in many TV shows and films,such as A Knight's Tale where it wasn't exactly chronologically correct for the medieval time frame of the story. However,it did suit the rock'em,sock'em vibe of the jousts that were a major focus of the plot to a T:



And what victory dance would be complete without "We Are The Champions",a true Queen
classic that needs no frills attached to it:



So,if you're going to celebrate the Olympics tonight and over the next few weeks,I hope these tunes provide the proper background for your singalong scoreboard. As for those just watching to check out the sights and sounds of the British Isle,I'm running right along side you,in spirit if not in full Jane Austen style:

True Blood's Pam and Tara special moment,a Bunheads birthday and the winner of Food Network Star is....

Things are really ratcheting up on True Blood,as Sookie seriously considers the possibility of being free of her fairy powers,Jason struggles with the need to know more about the vampire that killed his parents(I have my doubts about that story he and Sookie were given,since in the books it was fairies who did the Stackhouses in)and Hoyt falling in with the self appointed monster hunter crowd.

On top of that,Lafayette being held prisoner by Jesus's uncle who wanted to transfer that demon legacy to his unborn child,Sam on the trail of the gang that shot him and Luna and the werewolf division in the ranks over who's in charge makes for a rather full plate of plot lines at the moment.

During all of this,Tara received a less than welcome visit from her mother at Fangtasia,while she was on the stripper pole,no less. Her mother declared that she as a preacher's wife couldn't have a vampire for a daughter(although it was fine for that daughter to grow up with a manic drunk for a mom,apparently).

Tara acted like that maternal dismissal was nothing in public,yet later alone with Pam,she opened up a little about how much that relationship still affected her. Pam actually offered her some comfort and approval,which was nice to see. However,I don't think Pam expected such a strong emotional response from Tara as that hug. This blood bond between them is growing by leaps and bounds,which may be a good thing considering what's happening with the Authority right now:

Meanwhile,at the Authority,it was revealed that Salome was behind Russell's reemergence and everyone seems to be in a forgiving mood about past grievances,except for Bill and Eric,that is.

Nevertheless,the guys were included in an initiation ritual that involved drinking the sacred blood of Lilith. Eric and Bill went along,convinced that vampire blood wouldn't affect them at all. Turns out that ancient vampire blood is pretty potent,as the lot of them were higher than kites and roaming the streets of New Orleans looking for a good time.

Their idea of fun was attacking a wedding party and turning the guests into their own personal buffet of blood. That was very bad business there and the potential spark for an all-out vampire/human war. Someone seems to be invested in that concept,what with the werewolves being offered V for their allegiance and the suspiciously grassroots monster squad who has a secret source of info about the supernatural folks in their community.

Sookie needs to hold on to what fairy mojo she has left in her,especially since many of the dark forces brewing up know of her existence and even the protection of Bill,Eric or even Alcide might not be enough to save her or her loved ones. Plus,this new path of Lilith followers is going towards a very bad end,if you ask me:

One of the major characters on Bunheads took a break this week,as Fanny decided to push Michelle out onto the dance floor to teach by taking a much needed mini vacation without any prior warning.

Michelle's big worry was about the plans for her birthday,a road trip that she and her best friend Talia from Vegas were geared up for. Those arrangements changed and included Truly,the quirky dress maker who knows what's good for everyone but herself.

Truly may not have been the friendliest person that Michelle's meet in Paradise but she really isn't the scary troll that Michelle thinks she is. Perhaps Michelle is starting to realize that making a local friend or two might be a good idea,if she's planning to stick around Paradise there:

Those last minute birthday plans took the merry trio to a carnival with a "movie truck" showing a grisly flick called Mountains of Arms(which sounds hilariously bad,btw). The quartet of budding bunheads from Fanny's school were also in the audience,with Boo crushing hard on her friend's brother and aloof Sasha trying hard to ignore the dramatic implosion of her parent's marriage.

That inner angst was well expressed by an end credits dance that added a surreal air to the episode. With more interesting stuff like this to strut,Bunheads has a better shot at getting a second season,it appears to me:

The winner of this season's The Next Food Network Star was Justin and congratulations are in order for him. While I would have preferred Michele or Yvan to take the win,Justin is a talented chef with a strong point of view that will work well for him and his future show.

Most of this run of TNFNS was pretty drama free,unlike the last time with the Dreadful Penny*shudder*. The mentor concept was interesting to see,but I hope that if they keep this set-up in place that they change the line-up. A little Giada goes a long way,that's all I'm saying:



RANDOM NOTES:

DESIGN STAR: It was great to watch Danielle win this season,although Brittany did her best and would've been a good choice,too. Danielle's new series,Shop This Room,starts up in early August and I wish her the best of luck:

Let's hear for the Emmy girls!

Last week,the Emmy nominations were announced with the usual fanfare and raised eyebrows over who was on the list and who was not.

Since my TV tastes are rather erratic,to say the least,I try not to worry about who gets what here. I am happy to see Mad Men,Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones earn several spots for these awards and thought it might be best to highlight some of the ladies vying for the win this time out(plus a nod to one that shouldn't have been left on the sidelines,in my opinion)that I will be particularly rooting for.

While it's wonderful to see such DA actresses as Michelle Dockery and Joanne Froggett(who play Lady Mary and her equally troubled in love maid Anna)up for Best Lead and Supporting Actress,the true gem of the show is Maggie Smith as Violet,The Dowager Countess(also in the Best Supporting Actress category) who seems to be never at a loss for words no matter what the occasion.

Not only is her verbal timing immaculate,Maggie Smith also breathes humanity into a character that could otherwise be simply used as comedy relief. Granted,she does provide that but the Dowager Countess offers much more than that and the series wouldn't be the same without her.:

The gals on The Big Bang Theory may have become more than the feminine sidekicks to the main male quartet but the true breakout star amongst them is Mayim Bialik,who is up for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy series.

Granted,the former child star has a leg up there yet her winsome portrayal of Amy Farrah Fowler,the oddly ideal soulmate of quirky Sheldon Cooper,makes those sharply blunt edges of her tight knit personality very endearing.

Another plus in the character's favor is her developing embrace of social interaction combined with those moments of silly sweetness that Amy allows herself to have,which makes more than worthy of a tiara there:

Julianne Moore appears to be a shoo-in for the win in the Best Actress in a Miniseries or Made for TV Movie section with her amazing performance as Sarah Palin in Game Change. However,I don't see her possible victory for her work in this role as mere partisan politics.

Moore showed the inner woman inside the ambitious VP candidate,who was hoisted to incredible heights very much like an overnight sensation that was never meant to last,kind of like a boy band or a super model. Her troubles in keeping a firm grip on that brass ring she was handed seemed to be partly due to the dwindling support from the male power brokers that placed Sarah in the spotlight in the first place.

Regardless of how you feel about her politics(which I am not a fan of),Moore gave
Sarah Palin some of the emotional dignity that many of her real life counterparts weren't willing to grant her towards the bitter end of the campaign:

As good as it is to see Game of Thrones receive plenty of nominations,especially Peter Dinklage for Best Supporting Actor,it would be nice to honor the women in the cast as well. Those vibrant characters are just as strong a draw as the men and the dragons to this series.

One fine example is Lena Headey as Queen Cersei,the devious matriarch whose power struggles with her hated younger brother have been a cornerstone of both plot and character development in the second season.

Cersei,in lesser hands,could come across as a one note villainess but Headey is able to flip from brutal boldness to tender vulnerability with alarming ease that even puts her already suspicious sibling in doubt of how to connect with her. It's a shame that Headey's brilliant work is being overlooked,similar to how her character feels about her own position of power:



The Emmys will be handed out in September,which allows for some time to catch up on the nominees or get reacquainted with your favorites. So,if you're looking for a bit of entertainment relief during the dog days of summer,tuning into some of these ladies might be your best bet.

As to who wins or loses,we all win by seeing more and more talented women in the spotlight both in front of and behind the camera. A big song and dance is not necessary to achieve this but if like recent Emmy winner Melissa McCarthy you get the prime opportunity to have one,then put on those dancing shoes and do a victory romp around the stage:

The Dark Knight Rises over an American tragedy

Like most of the movie going nation,my sister and I made plans to see the third chapter in director Christopher Nolan's Batman saga,The Dark Knight Rises,this weekend. We didn't intend to go on opening night or one of the midnight shows on the preceding Thursday,knowing just how crowded those theaters would be.

Unfortunately,someone else took gruesome advantage of that anticipation and the large audiences at a movie house in Aurora,Colorado,with the results of that terrifying night still unfolding before us all.

I won't dwell on the details,since they have been well covered enough and will continue to be so for quite some time. However,if you are seeking ways to send what help and support you can to the folks in Aurora,there are plenty of places to choose from and what ever you give will be appreciated.

The outpouring of sympathy for the victims has been enormous and even Hollywood has shown a good deal of respect towards the situation by holding off on their usual report of box office totals during this time of crisis.

The cast and crew of TDKR have made statements of support regarding the tragic event,plus many of the pop culture followers out there are showing their maturity and thoughtfulness by talking about what matters most here:

What does matter most is making the best out of what life has to offer or throws in your path unexpectedly and that includes taking some time out to enjoy the pleasures available to you,especially with family and friends

In that spirit,my sister and I did go to a matinee showing of The Dark Knight Rises(which was our original plan,due solely to the lower ticket prices than fear of attending a movie theater after dark).

We had no trouble getting in and everything at the multiplex we went to ran smoothly. The entire atmosphere of the place and the other people in the audience was not any different from the last time the two of us saw a film in it's first run(which was The Hunger Games,btw).

The only thing that was missing from the show that day was a trailer for an upcoming movie called Gangster Squad that the studio pulled from Dark Knight showings because of a scene involving movie theater gun play.

Instead,a teaser trailer for next year's Superman movie,Man of Steel,played and the one we saw had a voice over by Kevin Costner who plays Pa Kent(there's another version that has a Russell Crowe as Jor-El narration). Granted,it was just standard superhero talk but I did feel that brief bit of speech resonated much more strongly than it normally would,to me at least because of what had happened:

As to the movie itself,The Dark Knight Rises was a solid conclusion to the story line that Nolan set up and while Bane, the major villain of the piece,wasn't as dynamic a foe as the Joker was in the previous entry,he still made for a very viable threat to both Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle was suitably subtle and sleek for this take on a more mean streets rendition of Catwoman. The true breakout performance of the ensemble cast belongs to Joseph Gordon-Levitt as police officer John Blake,who is more than he seems.

The themes of the story do play into some of our current social economic troubles,along with the classic struggle between rising and falling regimes that are the spine of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities,which Nolan points to as a direct inspiration for the plot points of this film. That book showcases how even a movement to change the world for the better can be misused by those looking to wield power unjustly or satisfy their own personal vendettas,which is well reflected in TDKR and can be a helpful teaching tool for English Lit students to boot:



My heartfelt condolences and best thoughts go out to the people of Aurora and all those affected by this terrible event. The only consolation that any of us have at this point is that the despicable being responsible for this horror was swiftly captured and will face justice.

Actually,that's not the only comforting thing to come out of this. Stories about the heroics of those in the audience who saved the lives of their loved ones during the attack and the police officers that drove the injured directly in their squad cars to local hospitals in order to get them medical assistance as soon as possible have helped to replenish my faith in the decency of humanity.

People insist that superheroes or other fantasy fare are mere escapism but during this last decade,we've needed the inspiration that they have provided us with in preserving the belief that when the chips are down,there are those who will rise up to do the right thing,more than perhaps ever before.

That shining thread of hope may seem slim at times,yet it is strong enough to help us hold on and reach out to others when the world appears to be falling down all around us. Hopefully,the true legacy of this Batman trilogy will be one of triumph over fear from without and within,rather than the sad real world horror unleashed during it's final chapter. Knowing the basic nature of movie fans,that will come to pass as time goes on: