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When the 62nd annual Emmy Award nominations were announced on July 8, "Glee" led the pack.  Their nominations were:Outstanding ComedyOutstanding Actress in a ComedyOutstanding Actor in a ComedyOutstanding Supporting Actor in a ComedyOutstanding Supporting Actress in a ComedyOutstanding Guest Actor in a ComedyOutstanding Guest Actress in a ComedyOutstanding Director in a Comedy SeriesWow. ...

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Back in 1998, the American Film Institute presented 100 Years, 100 Movies.  Do you agree with the choices?Often referred to as the greatest movie of all time, number 1 was Citizen Kane.  I very much looked forward to seeing this movie many years ago, but I was disappointed.  I find Citizen Kane highly overrated.  (Go ahead, write to me.)  In Orson Welles's upside-down care...

Have you had it with the summer shows?  Not sure whether you'll see your favorites this fall?  Here's a list of some of the shows that made it back to the schedule, and how long you'll have to wait for their premieres. ABCBrothers & Sisters (9/26), Castle (9/20), Desperate Housewives (9/26), Grey's Anatomy (9/23), Private Practice (9/23)CBSCriminal Minds (9/22), CSI: Crime Scene Inve...

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Before a commercial was introduced during the Super Bowl this year, what did you think about Old Spice?  An old brand used by old guys who've slapped it on since the Eisenhower administration?  All that changed with a new campaign featuring Isaiah Mustafa.  He's an irresistible, funny (don't forget hot) 36-year-old man who will stop you from racing through commercials.  The fir...

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Compared to some summer movies that were supposed to be blockbusters and didn't quite get there, here are just three released in July.  Will they pack them in?Salt - First half-hour is a somewhat confusing fake-out.  Just when you finish your popcorn!  Offers homage to Bourne films.  Jolie plays the title character -- Evelyn Salt -- a CIA agent who, soon after we first meet her...

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The documentary "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" follows Joan with a camera crew for a year of her life -- the year she turned 75.  Joan has said that once the crew was through filming, she missed having them follow her around.  Name a female comedienne who's had a 40-year career.  She's played dives (and still will to get the gig), written movies, written and performed on the Broadwa...

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A few surprises here and a few sure things, but one snub worth mentioning.  How long has Jack Bauer been saving the world?  "24" is over, and the Emmy committee didn't mention it.  But they must have been distressed about Jay Leno's return to "The Tonight Show," because Conan O'Brien was nominated for his 15 minutes hosting the show.  Will Tina Fey's auto-Emmy come to an end th...

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Audiences look forward to summer blockbuster movies.  They're widely publicized, their stars go on talk shows, and we can't wait.  Summer 2010 is in for a shock.  Even now in early summer, some highly anticipated films are bombs away.Shrek Forever After:  Not a huge disappointment, just being called an underperformer.Get Him to the Greek:  In another Judd Apatow film, Jona...

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It's really hard to watch a show that's number one, fanatically discussed, and a pop-culture phenomenon.  Especially when you're trying week after week to like it.  The show is "Glee."  Amazingly, it was created by Ryan Murphy of "Nip/Tuck."  He goes from edgy and fairly outrageous to, well, geeky.  Maybe that's deliberate.  The show is saved by the production numbers...

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The world lost Lena Horne on Mother's Day -- May 9, 2010.  For many, details of Lena Horne's life and career came to light only after her death.  It's been said that Horne did for show business what Jackie Robinson did for baseball.  She helped to shatter color barriers during decades of prejudice.  Born in Brooklyn in 1917 to a middle-class, professional family, Lena dropped o...

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Will they be summer blockbusters or forgettable losers?  Remember, there's huge competition with summer releases.  If they don't bring in big money during the first week or so, they're gone and you have to wait for the DVD.  Here are the new ones -- you be the judge.May 7Babies - DocumentaryCasino Jack and the United States of Money - DocumentaryHappiness Runs - Andie MacDowell, Mar...

This book and movie are not current, but both are worth a trip back to the '90's.  The book is 1993's A Season In Purgatory by Dominick Dunne, and the movie is the 1996 mini-series by the same name.  I've read all the late Dominick Dunne's books.  He lived in and wrote about the elite.  His writing seemed to show him as a shameless social climber, or maybe just his characters a...

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As I've written before, “Medium” is my favorite television show.  The year 2005 was a big one for TV psychics.  “Medium” premiered in January, and "Ghost Whisperer" arrived in September.  I've watched "Ghost Whisperer" several times.  It's never made it to my Season Pass list.  Come on, they brought back her dead husband in another man's body.  That's when they lost m...

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"The Men Who Stare At Goats" from 2009 was a quirky Coen Brothers film.  It starred George Clooney (as Coen movies usually do these days).  Ethan and Joel Coen have been writing, producing and directing films for the last 20 years.  Do people either love them or hate them? Like Woody Allen's films?  The Coens leap from crime thriller to drama to screwball to black comedy. ...

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Imagine being a struggling actor.  You pass the audition, and you get the role!  Now comes the pilot.  It's picked up!  Save your money --  some don't last very long.  Here are several shows in danger.  On the flip side, click on the right side of the page to see the "TV Shows" page.  They're the top 20 winners.  Here are shows that may be ending. ...

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The Academy Awards for 2009 movies were presented on Sunday, March 7 at the Kodak Theater.  It was a predictable year considering the winners of the SAG awards and the Golden Globes, seen as the warmup for the Oscars.  Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock won Best Actor and Best Actress awards every time.  Mo'nique and Christoph Waltz were consistent winners for Best Supporting Actress a...

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Movie mistakes happen most often because of "continuity."  It's supposed to be someone's job to watch that scenes that continue after "cut" and before "action" retain details.  It's said that Bette Davis, arguably a chain smoker, would remember exactly how much her cigarette had burned down and would smoke to precisely that place before starting the next take.A lot of these flubs were no...

Producers are thrilled to see big numbers as their U.S. movies open in foreign countries.  They don't, however, have a lot of control over the various countries' new names for American movies.  Here are a few strange ones. China --  Knocked Up:  One Night, Big Belly.  Nixon: The Big Liar. (Writer's Note: Love it!)  Free Willy:  A Very Powerful Whale Runs to ...

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For some people the big day is the Super Bowl.  For others, like me, it's the Oscars.  Watching the red carpet for three hours.  (I know, I know, one channel actually starts with previous years, because no one has arrived yet.)  It means those attending are dressed formally at 3:00 in the afteroon.  It means smiling faces toward their competitors.  It might mean now o...

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Well, he warned you.  Before January 17's Golden Globe Awards, Ricky Gervais created several promotional commercials reminding us that he would host the awards show, and it would be live.  And the network should be ready.Gervais took aim at many in the Hollywood community, but with a tongue-in-cheek, good-natured manner.  There were groans when he remarked about Paul McCartney, "We ...

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Stage names can be fun.  They can also be memorable when they're one-syllable first names only.  Cher, Madonna and Sting come to mind.  Now there's Pink.Pink is a singer/songwriter as well as an actor.  Born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, she now has sold over 32 million albums since 2000.  She changed her name from Alecia Beth Moore to Pink because of a tendency to blush as...

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It's a pleasure to give you a movie critique from a regular commenter, Mateo Caliente.  Thank you for your review.A Review of Julie and JuliaI liked it, but Julie and Julia is a total chick-flick. Straight men beware, the two male characters are extremely supportive of their spouses. The points you get for sitting through a chick-flick could vaporize in contrast to Julie's husband, "Saint Eri...

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What if you hadn't crashed your car, Tiger?  You've never been one whose name was hidden from the press, but lately you've been equated with, let's say, questionable behavior.  There have been some endorsement issues, but your $1 million contract dropped by Gatorade won't make you poor.  Your biggest endorser, Nike, has a $30 million deal with you.  They're unlikely to drop you...

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I saw "Twilight" because I had to know what all the fuss was about.  I just saw "New Moon."  Let's start with some boffo box office details. "New Moon" grabbed $140.7 million for the first three days in theaters.  It placed third on the all-time chart behind "The Dark Knight" at $158.4 million and "Spider-Man 3's" $151.1 million.  (These numbers represent first weekends....

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I must admit, I eagerly watch Grey's Anatomy as much as I ever did.  But now I have to admit there are several things that get on my nerves.The March 2005 pilot opened with a voiceover by Joe, the bartender across the street from the hospital.  He's never done the narration again, and it has since opened with the monotone voice of Meredith Grey.  She has been and continues to be tra...

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A comment was made on this article:Movie Remakes - For Better or Worse?Author: Mike @ 11/30/2009 5:46:41 AMHi Mike, This is your comment:Pellam 1-2-3 did not do as well as they hoped. They remade "The Hulk" only a few years after the first (though not the same story, but they changed the origin of the Hulk). I liked both the original and the remake equally.Response:Pelham 1-2-3 was a great 1973 bo...

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Who knew Kelsey Grammer could make a heart attack funny?

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It doesn't happen often that the book you loved turns into a movie you love.  Your mental picture of the characters doesn't match up at all with the actors.  Or that whole great middle part is cut out.  But then, sometimes the movie's as good as the book.  Then you keep the book on your shelf along with the movie's DVD.  Are you like me, rereading favorite books and watchi...

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It was a great book.  You look forward to reliving it in a great movie.  Unfortunately, it doesn't do justice to the book on the screen.  Here are some examples, and where they went wrong.Striptease - Carl Hiaasen is a witty, prolific writer who formerly had a daily newspaper column.  He's in southern Florida, and that's where all his books are based.  "Striptease" was a p...

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Ever wonder which celebrity might have your birthday?  Here's a list of November birthdays including the year of birth.  Some are celebrating along with you, but others have left us.  Happy Birthday to all!November 1LaTavia Roberson, 1981; Aishwarya Rai, 1973; Jenny McCarthy, 1972; Fernando Valenzuela, 1960; Lyle Lovett, 1957; Dan Peek, 1951; Larry Flyntk 1942; Gaary Player, 1...

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It once was a great relationship.  But now it's not working.  Before you break up in a way that will hurt the other person, think of it this way.  How would you want the other person to break up with you?Just disappearing, or not returning calls, is cowardly.  Breaking up through texts?  E-mails?  Voicemail?  Tacky.  And cruel.  Starting a fight may eas...

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Ooohh, just in time for Halloween.  The vampires are out there, especially in movies and TV.  "Twilight" and its sequel, "New Moon" are hits with just the right bite.  Robert Pattinson has become a big star with tweens (and other ages) despite his need for orthodontia.  Vampires are also found on TV, in "True Blood."  Subtle title, huh?Our fascination used to be with zombi...

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Roman Polanski is a famous and award-winning director who has created movies all over the world.  He has had tragedy in his life.  The 76-year-old experienced Nazi persecution in Poland during World War II.  His parents were sent to separate prison camps.  The whole experience -- traumatic.As an adult, Polanski became a director and created movies in Poland, France and the UK i...

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