Saturday, August 28, 2010

MOVIE TRIVIA … E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL

MOVIE TRIVIA …

E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL 1

ET The Extraterrestrial movie poster

1.    At the auditions, Henry Thomas thought about the day his dog died to express sadness. Director Steven Spielberg cried, and hired him on the spot.

2.    ET's face was modelled after poet Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein and a pug dog.

3.    Most of the film is shot from the eye-level of a child to further connect with Elliot and E.T.

4.    When it was test-screened at the Cannes Film Festival as an unofficial entry, it received a standing ovation that eluded most of the official entries.

et

5.    E.T. riding in the basket on Elliot's bicycle flying in front of the moon has become the trademark image of Amblin Entertainment.

6.    The script was largely written whilst on location filming for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) during filming breaks. Steven Spielberg dictated the story to screenwriter Melissa Mathison who was there with her then-boyfriend and future husband Harrison Ford.

7.    Steven Spielberg is reported to have spent $100,000 digitally removing guns from the 20th Anniversary re-release of the movie in 2002. He regretted using the scene and said he would remove it if he ever re-issued the film.

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8.    Almost 10% of the $10.5 million budget went on the alien creature puppets and related animatronics.

9.    Elliot's last name is never mentioned.

et elliott

10.    With the exception of Elliot's mom, no adults' faces are shown until the last half of the film.

11.    This script was being developed at Columbia at the same time as another script about an alien visitation. The studio did not want to make both, so the head of the studio had to choose which film to make; he decided to let ET go and make Starman (1984). ET was then made by Universal Pictures.

QUOTABLES ... GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

QUOTABLES ...

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

George_Bernard_Shaw

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.

- George Bernard Shaw

SUPERSTITIONS … SEAGULLS

SUPERSTITIONS …

SEAGULLS

THREE SEAGULLS

Three seagulls flying together, directly overhead, are a warning of death soon to come.

TRIVIA BITS … AGLETS

TRIVIA BITS …

AGLETS

SHOES AGLETS

The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.

Friday, August 27, 2010

QUOTABLES … GEORGE GOBEL

QUOTABLES …

GEORGE GOBEL

george gobel 

If it weren't for electricity we'd all be watching television by candlelight.

- George Gobel

REMINISCING … TONY CURTIS

REMINISCING …

TONY CURTIS

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Tony Curtis is an American film actor who has played a variety of roles, from light comedy, such as the musician on the run from gangsters in Some Like It Hot, to serious dramatic roles, such as an escaped convict in The Defiant Ones, which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Since 1949, he has appeared in more than 100 films and has made frequent television appearances.

tony curtis

Curtis's screen debut came uncredited in the Criss Cross (1949) playing a rumba dancer. Later, he cemented his reputation with breakout performances such as in the role of the scheming press agent Sidney Falco in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) with Burt Lancaster and an Oscar-nominated performance as a bigoted escaped convict chained to Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones.

the-sweet-smell-of-success-movie-poster-1020143936 the-defiant-ones-movie-poster-1020511158 As he did both screen comedy and drama together, Tony became the most sought after star in Hollywood: Comedies include Some Like It Hot and Sex and the Single Girl, and his dramas include The Outsider, the true story of WW II veteran Ira Hayes, and The Boston Strangler, in which he played the self-confessed murderer of the film's title, Albert DeSalvo. The latter film was praised for Curtis' performance.

 

TRIVIA BITS … LONG BEACH

TRIVIA BITS …

LONG BEACH

LONG BEACH

Washington State has the longest single beach in the United States. Long Beach, WA.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … BEST TV COUPLES

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

BEST TV COUPLES


1

From Lucy and Ricky to "Moonlighting's" David and Maddie, we've highlighted 20 TV couples who've had the sexiest, zaniest and most romantic chemistry to ever grace the small screen. Best TV Couples of All TImeMaddie Hayes and David Addison ("Moonlighting")

When ex-model Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) loses most of her money in a bad investment, all she has left is a rundown detective agency run by the irascible P.I. David Addison (Bruce Willis). He convinces her to come in as the new boss rather than sell it, and the two begin to work together. A match made in heaven — or hell, depending on how you look at it. Shepherd and Willis totally nail it.

2

Jonathan and Jennifer Hart ("Hart to Hart")
As the Harts, Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers have just the right chemistry, the Nick and Nora Charles of television. They are a fun-loving, filthy rich couple who like to solve crimes in between jet-setting all over the world.

3

Mac and Sally McMillian ("McMillian & Wife")
San Francisco attorney Stewart "Mac" McMillan (Rock Hudson) is named Commissioner of the San Francisco Police Department, and along with his sharp-witted, but somewhat kooky, wife Sally (Susan Saint James), Mac manages to solve some of the city's most baffling crimes. A favorite of the classic Sunday night mysteries.

4

Mike and Carol Brady ("The Brady Bunch")
Robert Reed and Florence Henderson brought as much spark to the wholesome Brady couple as was possibly allowed on TV in the 1960s. Kudos for making us believe Mike and Carol would stay together so long with all those kids.

5

Lucy and Ricky Ricardo ("I Love Lucy")
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz are definitely one of the most indelible TV couples of all time. One wonders why Ricky didn't strangle Lucy for all her screw-ups, but that's what made them so lovable.

6

Sam Malone and Diane Chambers ("Cheers")
The completely mismatched Sam (Ted Danson) and Diane (Shelley Long) probably never had a chance in hell of staying together — she is prim and proper, he is a former baseball star-turned-bar owner — but it is sure fun watching them try to make it work. Danson and Long have never been better than when they are bickering as Sam and Diane.

7

Roseanne and Dan Conner ("Roseanne")
Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) and her stalwart hubby Dan (John Goodman) showed us a real blue-collar marriage, full of ups and downs but lots of love.

8

Rachel Green and Ross Geller ("Friends")
Never did we want two people to get together more than Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). He's loved her since they were in high school, and she finally realizes, after many misfires, that he is her soul mate.

9

Cliff and Claire Huxtable ("The Cosby Show")
Claire (Phylicia Rashad) and Cliff (Bill Cosby) represent one of the hippest married TV couples of all time, juggling successful careers with raising their five kids. And eating Jello pudding... just kidding.

10

Will Truman and Grace Adler ("Will & Grace")
They aren't an official couple per se, but Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace (Debra Messing) are still roommates... and soul mates. They definitely go down in the annals of best TV couples.

12

Buffy and Angel ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer")
Before Edward and Bella, there was Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Angel (David Boreanaz). Buffy is a sworn vampire hunter, but she can't kill the one vampire who has ever understood her. At least he tries to be a good vampire.

13

Homer and Marge Simpson ("The Simpsons")
One wonders how Marge puts up with her selfish, idiotic husband, but he's her Homey, and their love has endured the many trials and tribulations Homer has brought to their life.

14

Bob and Emily Hartley ("The Bob Newhart Show")
Psychologist Bob (Bob Newhart) wouldn't be the same without his grounded wife, Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) to keep him —00000000000 and their sometimes crazy life — in line

15

Morticia and Gomez Addams ("The Addams Family")
When Gomez (John Astin) woos his beloved wife Morticia (Carolyn Jones), he begins by reciting French, kissing her hand, then her wrist, then up her arm to her neck. For a gothic 1960s family, that's pretty racy. Go Gomez!

16

Joey and Pacey ("Dawson's Creek")
Sure, Joey (Katie Holmes) grew up loving her best friend and neighbor Dawson (James van der Beek), but once she got a little taste of the wacky Pacey (Joshua Jackson), that was all she wrote.

17

Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly ("The Office")
From flirting to romancing to marriage and babies, Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) have taken the art of the office romance to new levels.

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Paul and Jamie Buchman ("Mad About You")
Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt showed some of the best chemistry on TV ever as the Buchmans, two New Yorkers trying to have a normal, happy marriage. They are, after all, mad about each other.

18

Rob and Laura Petrie ("The Dick Van Dyke Show")
As another classic TV couple, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) knows just the right thing to say to calm her neurotic husband Rob (Dick Van Dyke) down — except when it's his turn to calm her down. "Oh, Rob!"

19 

Sawyer and Juliet ("Lost")
There were many couplings on the twisty "Lost," but none of them held as much resonance as the love story between Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell), who found each other under some very unusual circumstances.

20

Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big ("Sex and the City")
Carrie's (Sarah Jessica Parker)on-again, off-again romance with Big (Chris Noth) has given her a lot of grief through the years but also much joy. And through it all, they knew in their hearts they were destined to be together.

SUPERSTITIONS … WINDOWS

SUPERSTITIONS …

WINDOWS

open-window

All windows should be opened at the moment of death so that the soul can leave.

QUOTABLES ... ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

QUOTABLES ...

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

eleanor-roosevelt-opt

Women are like teabags. We don't know our true strength until we are in hot water!

- Eleanor Roosevelt

TRIVIA BITS … MONA LISA

TRIVIA BITS …

MONA LISA

mona-lisa

The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. It was the fashion in Renaissance Florence to shave them off.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … U2

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

U2

u2header

Supergroup U2 has announced concert dates in Australia

The Irish band will tour Australia in December, as part of its global U2360 degrees tour that will ultimately play to four million people around the world.

Australian fans have been promised their best ever look at the band, thanks to a new, in-the-round stage, offering views from every angle and complete with rotating bridges and a towering video system.

U2 will play at :

Melbourne's Etihad Stadium on December 1

Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on December 8

Sydney's ANZ Stadium on December 13

Perth's Subiaco Oval on December 18.

Before heading to Australia, the band will play at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium on November 25.

IN THE NEWS … TOP 50 SEXIEST MEN POLL

IN THE NEWS …

TOP 50 SEXIEST MEN POLL

Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson has been named the world's sexiest man for the second year running.

The Twilight hunk has topped Glamour magazine's 50 Sexiest Men poll after fighting off stiff competition from other actors starring in vampire-based productions.

The top five was dominated by Twilight actors, with 18-year-old Taylor Lautner in second place, Australian actor Xavier Samuel in the No. 4 spot and Kellan Lutz fifth.

The Twilight actors were rivalled by The Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder, who was voted third in the survey, proving that women can't get enough of men with fangs.

"Women are attracted to vampires because of the element of danger that comes with them," said Glamour's acting editor Charlotte Duck. "They are the ultimate bad boys – and women want to tame the beasts."

The list - which was compiled from over 50,000 votes by the magazine's readers – also included many shocks, with many popular stars being placed further down the list than in previous years.

Johnny Depp dropped from second place to sixth, while soccer star David Beckham slipped from fourth down to 21st.

Hollywood legend George Clooney only reached position 35 on the list, while Leonardo DiCaprio, Keanu Reeves and Jude Law- who have scored highly in the survey in recent years – did not even feature.

Glamour magazine's top 20 sexiest men of 2010:

1. Robert Pattinson

2. Taylor Lautner

3. Ian Somerhalder

4. Xavier Samuel

5. Kellan Lutz

6. Johnny Depp

7. Justin Bieber

8. Gerard Butler

9. Hayden Christensen

10. Channing Tatum

11. Orlando Bloom

12. Chace Crawford

13. Chris Brown

14. Justin Timberlake

15. Christiano Ronaldo

16. Ryan Gosling

17. Ed Westwick

18. Ashton Kutcher

19. Jake Gyllenhaal

20. Bradley Cooper

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … THE BILL

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

THE BILL

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After more than 25 years, Britain's longest running police drama The Bill will broadcast its final episode in the UK on August 31.

We look back at 10 top actors and actresses who have used The Bill as a springboard to further success.

1. Robert Carlyle, known for his roles as Begbie in the film Trainspotting and Gary Schofield in The Full Monty, guest starred in the 1991 episode The Better Part of Valour while his career was on the rise.

Robert Carlyle

2. Martine McCutcheon, actress of Eastenders and Love Actually fame and singer, got one of her first breaks when she appeared in a 1991 episode of The Bill, then returned the following year for another appearance.

Martine McCutcheon

3. Emma Bunton of Spice Girls fame appeared in a 1993 episode of The Bill, playing a troubled teenager in the episode Missionary Work.

Emma Bunton

4. David Tenant, the actor most famous for his portrayal of The Doctor in the television series Doctor Who, made an appearance as the kidnapper Stephen Clements in 1995.

David Tenant

5. Omid Djalili, the famous British/Iranian actor and comedian, has completed several headline tours and starred in films such as The Infidel, as well as playing Fagin in the West End production of Oliver! in 2009. Back in 1999, he made a guest appearance in the episode Chasing Shadows.

Omid Djalili

6. Russell Brand, the notorious stand up comedian and actor who starred in the 2010 film Get Him to the Greek, has expressed regret at the axing of the Bill, reminiscing about the time he starred as a cocky young thief in 1995 when he was 18.

Russell Brand

7. Hollywood star Keira Knightley kicked off her early acting career playing ten-year-old troublemaker Sheena Rose in the 1995 episode Swan Song.

Keira Knightley

8. Comedian and actor Hugh Laurie made a guest appearance on the Bill playing defence counsel Harp in the 1998 episode Good Faith: Part 1.

Hugh Laurie

9. Craig Charles, famous for his portrayal of Dave Lister in the cult sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf and now a Corrie actor, played Martin Bailey in a 1995 episode of The Bill entitled Honey Pot.

Craig Charles

10. Meera Syal, The Indo-British comedian and actress famous for her role as the Grandmother in successful TV comedy The Kumars at No. 42, made an appearance as a solicitor in season seven episode of the Bill.

Meera Syal

REMINISCING … MAHALIA JACKSON

REMINISCING …

MAHALIA JACKSON

mahalia_jackson

Mahalia Jackson was an African-American gospel singer who with her powerful contralto voice, became one of the most influential gospel singers in the world and is the first Queen of Gospel Music. She recorded about 35 albums (mostly for Columbia Records) during her career, and her 45 rpm records included a dozen "golds"—million-sellers.

At the March on Washington in 1963, she sang in front of 250,000 people "How I Got Over" and "I've Been 'Buked, and I've Been Scorned". Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous "I Have a Dream" speech there. She also sang "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" at his funeral after he was assassinated in 1968.

2012_mahalia jackson 1963

In addition to sharing her singing talent with the world, she mentored the extraordinarily gifted Aretha Franklin.

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences created the Gospel Music or Other Religious Recording category for Jackson making her the first Gospel Music Artist to win the prestigious Grammy Award.

mahalia jackson1

A prominent namesake in her native New Orleans is the Mahalia Jackson Theatre for the Performing Arts, which was remodelled and reopened on January 17, 2009, with a gala ceremony featuring Placido Domingo, Patricia Clarkson, and the New Orleans Opera directed by Robert Dyall.

mahalia-jackson-theater