The Song Remembers When

MusicAndMemory

They say that the sense of smell is the one most closely linked to memory.  Duly noted.  We’ve all experienced that sensation where we’ve caught a whiff of a (hopefully pleasant) scent and were immediately transported to another time and place.  The slightest trace of Calvin Klein’s Obsession fragrance, for example, takes me right back to 1985 London and a Benetton-clad girl named Alison with whom I spent a semester there.

But, for me, songs seems to trigger more memories than smells do, so I’d have to credit my sense of hearing with being most closely linked to memory.  My memory, anyway.

My recollections associated with specific songs are usually tied to their peak in popularity.  “Dancing Machine” by The Jackson 5 makes me think of my fourth grade birthday party at Coachlight roller skating rink.  I ate an entire carton of malted milk balls and got so sick that I haven’t touched one since.  “Hold My Hand” by Hootie and the Blowfish reminds me of a ski trip to Telluride with a bunch of Chicago chums, while “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia transports me back to my first day of work at Entertainment Weekly.  In each of these examples the songs were in heavy rotation on the radio at the time (and the latter two got lots of video play on VH1.)

But sometimes a song transcends the era of its release date and becomes — in my mind, anyway –tied  to an event that happened years later.

Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” was released in 1975, but I have no specific associations with the song at that time.  Instead, hearing “Born To Run” makes me think of two completely different occasions.  1.) A paper I wrote for my American Social Experience class during my sophomore year in college.  In the paper I contrasted the optimistic outlook on the American dream reflected in the folk songs of the early U.S. pioneers vs. the pessimism found in American pop music of the late 20th century.  “Born to Run” was one of my examples, natch..  2.  The back room at the Dublin House Irish pub in New York City circa 1998.  “Born to Run” came on the jukebox and the entire crowd — friends and strangers alike — belted out the song in unison, each of us knowing every single word (if not every note.)  It was one of those simple but wonderful moments that sticks with you forever.

The Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night” was released when I was a fetus; I have no embryonic memory of it.  Thanks to a wedding I attended a few years ago in Ojai, California, however, I now  have a very specific association with the tune.  The rehearsal dinner featured a live band who played only Beatles songs and they encouraged the crowd to come up and sing in a live karaoke way. Having no interest in this level of participation (nor vocal talent), four friends and I decided to do our well-rehearsed toast/skit for the bride and groom while the band was on a much-deserved break.  Unbeknownst to us, as we lined up to begin our tribute in front of the five microphones that had been placed on the stage, the band returned to their instruments behind us and started up on the famous opening chords of “A Hard Day’s Night.”  It would have been in bad form to storm off the stage, so we all just started singing, “It’s been a hard day’s night and I’ve been working like a dog…”  all the way through the end of the song.  Let’s just say our toast that followed was much better than our butchered Beatles rendition.  Still, I now have that association whenever I hear the song.  And it makes me chuckle.

Speaking of The Beatles — and on a much sadder note –  for me Elton John’s “Empty Garden” is no longer the tribute to John Lennon that he intended when he released the song in 1982.  (Lennon was fatally shot in 1980.)  Whenever I hear it I think about my friend John Loiacono who lost his battle to cancer in 2000.  He was a huge Beatles fan (a huge John Lennon fan, in particular) and Elton’s tribute is just as fitting for him.  I tear up every time I hear the chorus:

And I’ve been knocking, but no one answers

And I’ve been knocking most all the day

Oh and I’ve been calling, “Oh hey hey Johnny

Can’t you come out to play in your empty garden?

Thank you, dear music, for constantly flooding me with silly memories (roller skating in 4th grade) and poignant ones (a friend who died way too soon.)

Trisha Yearwood said it best: “Even when the whole world has forgotten, the song remembers when.”

Today’s (unrelated) poll:  Iron Man 3 hits movie theaters today.  Who’s your favorite cast member?

Don Cheadle

Robert Downey, Jr.

Ben Kingsley

Gwyneth Paltrow

Post a Comment (0) 8:49 am on May 3, 2013

A Tale from the Orchestra Pit

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The nominees for the 67th annual Tony Awards were announced earlier this week and on behalf of the entire People’s Choice Awards staff, I’d like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to all the talented actors, actresses, plays and musicals that received this magnificent recognition. Unfortunately, I’m unable to go into much detail about this year’s pool of nominees as I am a terrible New Yorker and have not been frequenting the theater as much as I should. I’ve heard the buzz that Matilda and Kinky Boots are the musicals to beat and I can get excited about that, considering I loved the Roald Dahl Matilda movie starring Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman, and I’m a fan of Cyndi Lauper (who wrote the music for Kinky Boots). I know that Tom Hanks (star of one of my top five favorite movies of all time, Forrest Gump) and Nathan Lane (star of one of my top five movies that can always make me laugh, The Birdcage) have been nominated so, again, good stuff. But that is where my familiarity and knowledge about this year’s nominees ends. I can, however, wax poetic about some other Tony winners of years past, all which have one, tiny link to each other: they have all featured my incomparably talented mother as flutist.

A classically trained musician with an MFA from the Manhattan School of Music, my mother definitely paid her dues, as they say, as a struggling musician in New York City, playing any gig she could get. But then, Broadway called. I remember the first time she got the call to sub at Phantom of the Opera. I was in the 6th grade and we all (mom, dad and I) started jumping up and down because, even at that age, I knew this was a big deal. This call, from the principle flutist to take over the flute book for one week in 1992 while she went on vacation, would lead to more calls and it soon became clear that my mother’s days of playing with her quartet on the streets were over. She was known. She was in demand and, 20 years later, she still gets called a couple times a month to play Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece. With my future looking up — my mom was a musician on Broadway! — I devoted myself to the score, learning “Think of Me” on the piano, playing “The Music of the Night” over and over again on my Walkman, and of course, attending the show. I still get chills thinking about the scene when Phantom takes Christine to his lair, the whole stage aglow with steam and lit candles. But, being able to run down to the pit and wave to my mother packing up her flute stand was the best part of it all.

The next show to stick out in my mind was the 1996 adaptation of The King and I when my mom was asked to sub periodically once again. I vividly remember going backstage to see her — using the stage door located to the right of the Neil Simon Theater entrance — and meeting Lou Diamond Phillips, the star of the six-time Tony winning revival. He signed my Playbill and I hung it on my wall for the next three years. I was a very big fan of La Bamba. I was really starting to enjoy the perks of having a Broadway playing mom.

Mom’s next big gig was 1997’s Titanic, an adaptation of the fabled story that was brought to the Broadway stage the same year James Cameron had a little success with his own film version. While the movie broke box office records, the Broadway show collected Tony Awards, five to be exact, and the show marked the first time my mom’s name was listed in the Broadway Playbill as she officially took over as principal flutist. But the best was yet to come.

In 2000, my mom got the call to be the principal flute/alto flute/piccolo player in the new Tim Rice / Elton John production of Aida. This is what musicians hope and pray for as it gives them the stability to lead a different kind of life. It’s the closest thing to a steady paycheck that one can get (unless you are the principal for the NYC Ballet, NY Philharmonic or the Metropolitan Opera, the most coveted positions for any NYC classical musician). That gig put my sister through college and my mother played it, night after night (and twice on matinee day) until its doors closed four years later. It was a spectacular show, led by the extraordinary Heather Headley, and it took home four Tony Awards in the spring of 2000. I remember that mom and dad got to go to the after party that year and came home very, very late.

Over the years, mom has touched many of the shows that graced the Broadway stages, and I’ve reaped the benefits by seeing every single one; The Lion King, Carousel, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables. The only one she has consistently subbed for that I have never seen is Wicked, something I hope to remedy very soon. So, while we celebrate the nominees of 2013 and you head to the theaters to see them, tell us which of these former Tony winning Broadway shows is your favorite?

Aida

The King and I

Phantom of the Opera

Titanic

Post a Comment (0) 9:16 am on May 2, 2013

So This Is What Winning Feels Like

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Let me start off by saying thank you. “For what?” you might ask. Well, a week ago I asked you to vote for us – our mobile app was up for a Webby Award, the most coveted award in the world of new media (can we even still call it new media?). Anyway, you voted. And we won. Hats off to you for showing us that not only is People’s Choice about fan favorites in movies, music and TV, but we are also a fan favorite ourselves! Frankly, it would have been a little embarrassing if we didn’t win the public vote considering we are the epitome of fan voting, but luckily it didn’t come to that. We are so thrilled and we are looking forward to accepting our award later this month at the awards ceremony in New York City. Imagine that – an awards show winning an award? Kind of meta, if you think about it. And definitely kinda cool, so thanks again.

All this talk of winning got me thinking about iconic winning moments in pop culture (professional sports not included, or we’ll be here all day). Let’s stick to movies… The first to come to mind is probably not the first thing you would guess, but it’s the scene at the end of Miss Congeniality when Sandra Bullock’s character Gracie Hart appears to be distraught over having lost the beauty pageant, but is in reality trying to save the newly crowned Miss United States from having her head blown clear off her head. The tiara was a bomb planted by the evil Kathy Morningside (Candice Bergen) and was going to wreak havoc on the whole event once detonated. Agent Hart figures it out just in time, managing to rip the crown off the winner’s head and send it clear into the open air where is explodes above the massive stage. Quite the memorable winning moment, wouldn’t you say? And then at the end when at a separate ceremony Agent Hart is awarded Miss Congeniality, it’s equally memorable and touching, the perfect ending to a very entertaining film. (Well, that coupled with the fact she does ultimately end up with Benjamin Bratt’s character, thankfully).

Next there is What Happens in Vegas (Hey, I never said this was a sophisticated list!) Co-stars Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz (Jack and Joy) win the big jackpot at a slot machine after a night of insane amounts of partying, ultimately ending in the couple tying the knot. Their first instinct is to divorce and split the cash, but the court decrees that the two must stay together for 6 months to work on the marriage, after which they will be allowed to divorce and split the winnings if things don’t work out (completely unrealistic, but as with many movies, suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy the film). Ultimately the two actually fall in love and end up together, but the long road it takes for them to get there, riddled with outrageous attempts to undermine each other and keep all the winnings, is quite hilarious. A guilty pleasure, I grant you, but fun nonetheless.

Lastly there is Academy Award winning Slumgdog Millionaire. (Yes, I do have at least some discerning taste in movies). There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the underdog ultimately succeed, especially one who has been through what Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) has been through in his life – having grown up in the slums and fought against all odds to create a decent life for himself, all the while hoping desperately to reunite with his childhood sweetheart Latika (Freida Pinto). We witness pieces of his life through flashbacks that he experiences while a contestant on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” He is able to answer every question correctly (with the knowledge he has gained from his diverse experiences over the years) which raises suspicion among the show’s producers. He is interrogated at length before being posed the final question and is finally allowed to finish his run when the authorities concede that he isn’t cheating. All the while, he is trying to communicate with Latika who is being kept from him by her violent, possessive male companion. She is finally able to go to him toward the end of the film (while seemingly all of India is rooting for him to win) and answer his call when he “phones a friend” to help him answer the last question. She doesn’t know the correct response, but knowing she is safe gives him the courage he needs to correctly answer the question, thereby winning the prize money. The two end up reuniting that night on the train platform and a Bollywood dance like none other ensues to the now forever famous “Jai Ho”. I mean, if you didn’t shed a tear at the end of that movie, I would have to question your emotional wherewithal.

There’s nothing quite like winning, and here’s hoping that you will all get to win something in life, be it an award, happiness, good fortune, true love, or all of the above.

Voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which of these films featuring winning moments is your favorite?

Miss Congeniality
Slumdog Millionaire
What Happens In Vegas

Post a Comment (0) 10:18 am on May 1, 2013

When TV Boyfriends Disappoint: April Edition

By the time you read this blog, I may have broken up with one of my TV boyfriends, The Following’s Joe Carroll. I admit that a large part of the reason I fell in love with him in the first place is because he is portrayed by the very talented and handsome James Purefoy, with whom I took a liking to all the way back in his Resident Evil days. Upon hearing that he would be playing a charismatic leader of a serial killer cult on FOX’s The Following, I couldn’t wait to see how much fun would be had watching him take on Kevin Bacon in a brutal, intellectual chess match with Edgar Allan Poe and the world as the chess board.

Unfortunately, the dance hasn’t been all that. In fact, Purefoy’s character Joe Carroll, has not only been a pretty benign serial killer he hasn’t been that sadistic leader of crazy you’d expect to inspire a following. He’s been kind of a loser in being completely absorbed in winning over his ex-wife so that they and their son can be a family again while making prank calls to the FBI when he’s not working on his book. Purefoy’s been doing the best he can with a limp character, but so far the season has been less than spectacular. The Following’s ‘Powers That Be’ have one more episode to win me over — Monday night’s season finale — to elevate Joe Carroll from a poseur to the real deal so that I’ll keep him on my DVR. He’s already got a high bar to clear:  Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter on NBC’s Hannibal is nailing it as a charismatic following-inspiring serial killer. Do you want to see The Following done right with the FBI not getting completely pawned every episode?  Check out Hannibal.

Another TV boyfriend finding himself on my disappointing list is Ragnar Lothbrok of Vikings, but I am more than eager to catch up with him in season two of the History Channel’s hit show come 2014. Less due to questionable writing and more from following actual historical accounts, Ragnar went from rootable savvy, ruthless, forward thinking explorer (despite leading raids that pillaged and murdered and raped) to a dirty double crossing dog in Sunday night’s finale. He turned away from his awesome wife, Lagertha, to run to the bed of a lady, Aslaug, in order to secure what every virile Viking wants — more sons! All in all this show was a treat to watch: hairy, strapping men get their Anglo-Saxon on, the  Nordic religion clashes with Christianity, and Travis Fimmel finally shakse the stench of the WB’s Tarzan and comes into his own as a captivating leading man. Even if his Ragnar is a smug jerk.

Disappointing, but holding out hope for a season three turnaround, is my Dallas TV boyfriend, John Ross Ewing, III, as played by Josh Henderson. He suffered blows — losing his father, JR — as well as enjoyed highs-finding love with his equal in every scheming- daddy issue way, Pamela Rebecca Barnes. John Ross was no stranger to scheming and double crossing like his daddy, but he also seemed to have a heart searching for love, like his mother Sue Ellen. His reluctant, anguish dance with Pamela Rebecca became a huge draw for the season until the couple became an outright super couple in their own right with tributes to their ship popping up online all over the place. Over the final episodes, somehow these two became a solid pillar of the show and something to look forward to watching. That is until in the final seconds of the season two finale where John Ross was revealed to be every bit a cad as his daddy. He did not rendezvous with his new bride, Pamela Rebecca, but with the skanky, psycho daughter of his step-aunt-in-law. If you heard a collective wail of anger on April 15th at 11:01 PM EST, it was the sound of the John Ross-Rebecca fandom breaking their television sets. But the fandom is already holding out hope that those final seconds were less about John Ross being a player like his father and more of John Ross still scheming and scamming with his wife’s blessing and the audience just isn’t in on the game plan yet. Yeah, us shippers are well acquainted with denial.

The two TV boyfriends who not only didn’t disappoint but more than came out right in the end were Sterling Archer of FX’s Archer and Raylan Givens of FX’s Justified. Sterling Archer is not known for his selflessness, but in the April 11th finale that paid homage to creator Adam Reed’s Sealab 2021, selfless was Archer’s middle name. He actually took a break from being a word that cannot be published in this blog and actually put his body and soul on the line to save his fellow spy love, Lana Kane. If you haven’t checked out this zany animated spy spoof, do so (via Netflix!) because you will laugh, feel guilty for laughing, laugh again, and love it in the end.

Meanwhile, Raylan Givens takes the prize as best TV boyfriend of April for continuing to kick butt and take names while looking good — even with a shaggy haircut — and despite beginning season 4 as a hot mess. The man was messing up in all kinds of ways:  hooking up with the wrong women, illegally moonlighting and getting into off-duty trouble, never leaving well enough alone when it comes to his crazy nemesis, and screwing over his colleagues and boss. He stumbled quite a bit, but came up right come season end by taking care of his baby and baby mama and dispatching his current seedy nemesis without ever firing his weapon — a rarity for Raylan and his shoot-after-your-one-and-only-warning ways.

What was your favorite April TV finale?

Justified

Archer

Dallas

Vikings

The Following

Post a Comment (0) 5:36 am on April 30, 2013

The Beautiful Smell of Sweat, Cigarettes, and Rock and Roll

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Whether or not you’re a big fan of music, seeing a live band is always special. The rush of walking into a packed concert venue with hundreds if not thousands of screaming fans is hard to replicate. The smell of sweat and cigarettes may be unappealing outside of a concert hall, but when you’re in it, and you’re swaying back and forth to the beat, the smell is intoxicating.

Living across the street from a concert venue, I get the opportunity to bask in this aroma on a pretty regular basis. Sometimes, the aroma isn’t as pleasant as you might expect it to be, as was the case on Friday night when I saw a band called Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., but other times, you just want to bottle it up and take it wherever you go. Last night was one of those nights.

Steve Buscemi and Vampire Weekend kicked off the 2013 American Express Unstaged series at Roseland ballroom. In its third year, the unstaged series has included the likes of Kenny Chesney, The Killers, Usher, Duran Duran, and many others. I had not planned on attending the event, but got tickets from a friend a half hour before the show. By the time I walked in, Vampire Weekend was just getting on stage, and the crowd was going wild. I was greeted with the welcoming first notes of “Cousins,” followed by the pleasant odorous kick in the face of alcohol, sweat, and cigarettes. I knew from that moment, it was going to be one hell of a show.

While the band is certainly not known for rocking out on a stage, their energy was palpable and the indie band made it feel like a true rock and roll concert. They played fan favorites all night, including “I Stand Corrected”, “A-Punk” and “Oxford Comma’” and ended the show with a four song encore performance. While they didn’t play “M79”or “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance,” (my favorite songs off their first album), their set list was more than enough to keep me satisfied.

Their new song, “Obvious Bicycle” was met with great applause, and that overwhelming concert smell was kept fresh all night long. I personally love a band that seems to ignore their designated performance time, and Vampire Weekend definitely did that. They played well past midnight, and even though they had probably already planned to do four songs for their encore, it truly felt like they were never going to leave the stage.

While you may not be able to experience the aroma and energy from last night’s show, I definitely recommend checking out the re-stream.  Besides being able toggle between four cameras (the stage, the crowd, a director’s cut, and back stage) you will see a few clever gags by Fred Armisen and Steve Buscemi and you might be able to catch the author of this blog screaming his face off in the middle of the crowd.  I was wearing a blue v-neck and I have a beard. Good luck.

For today’s poll

Which artist from past American Express Unstaged concerts is your favorite?

Coldplay (2011)

John Legend (2010)

Kenny Chesney (2012)

Post a Comment (0) 10:15 am on April 29, 2013

Here’s Looking at You, Bid

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At a charity event I attended on Monday night I bid on and ended up winning a pair of tickets to see Bruce Springsteen in concert.  If you’ve ever seen The Boss perform live you know he puts on an amazing show and you can commend me, therefore, on money well spent.  The pair of VIP tickets come with access to the “E Street Lounge” before the show (I’m not exactly sure what that really means, but it sounds cool) and drinks with members of the E Street Band afterwards.  Pretty awesome, huh? The trick — and the treat — is that the Bruce is going on a European tour so my choice of concert locations includes London, Paris, and Rome.  Or Rio when he goes to South America this fall.  Ah, decisions, decisions.

I love a good charity auction.  By participating, I get to help raise money for a good cause by either a.) driving up the bidding or b.) actually writing a check and taking home a prize or two.  Over the years I’ve learned  — the hard way — that the more alcohol one consumes during such events directly correlates to the likelihood of spending money one doesn’t have on things one doesn’t need.   Years ago I had one too many cocktails at a breast cancer fundraiser and almost bought the yellow suit that Stockard Channing wore in the final scene of Six Degrees of Separation.  Thankfully I was outbid at the last minute. I have no idea what I would have done with that bit of movie memorabilia had I triumphed.  I mean, she’s not even my size..  :-)    All I know is that it seemed like a really good idea at the time.

Sometimes winning an auction item has meant that I got to enjoy an experience I might have done anyway (a getaway weekend in Florida, for instance) or procure an item that made a great gift (a t-shirt signed by Rafael Nadal for my friend Jules’ birthday.)   The charity gets the cash, I get a little vacation or trinket, and everyone wins. Other times, it has lead to an adventure I might not have sought out on my own (Calabria, Italy) or a keepsake I didn’t realize I must have.  I don’t know that I really needed two signed black & white photos of Muhammad Ali, for example, but I’ve got ‘em.  The first of which was the result of heated bidding war between me and Sam Waterston.

These auctions that I’ve participated in aren’t exactly of the high stakes variety that take place at famous auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s, but they aren’t without their own level of excitement, either.  And they got me thinking about some of the iconic auction scenes in the popular culture.  On TV comedies, auction scenes typically involve an auctioneer misinterpreting someone’s nose scratch or hand wave as a bid, thereby declaring “SOLD” to someone who had no intentions of bidding let alone buying.   In some of my favorite movies, auctions have played small but pivotal roles.  For instance…

North by Northwest: Cary Grant walks into an in-progress auction and confronts Eva Marie Saint. The witty dialog, chic 1959 wardrobe, and signature Hitchcock direction are just delicious.

Octopussy:  Roger Moore as James Bond and a Faberge Egg.  ‘Nuff said.

Sex and the City:  At the auction of a jewelry collection from a recently divorced socialite, Samantha has her eye on a cocktail ring but it gets outbid by some mysterious bidder-by-phone.  It turns out to have been Smith, who wanted to get it for her as a gift.  A breakup ensues.

A Very Brady Sequel:  Unbeknownst to them, the horse statue that famously sat upon the credenza in the Brady’s groovy ’70s home turns out to be a valued at $20 million.  Carol donates it to a local auction.  Rosie O’Donnell and Zsa Zsa Gabor make cameos.

There are plenty more movie auctions scenes than the ones I’ve cited here, but these were the first to have popped into my head.  Place your bid by letting us know your favorite.

Today’s Poll:  Which of these movies that features an auction scene is your favorite?

North by Northwest

Octopussy

Sex and the City

A Very Brady Sequel

Post a Comment (0) 7:42 am on April 26, 2013

Ode to the World’s Most Beautiful Woman

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The magazine does not officially hit the stands until tomorrow, but the announcement came yesterday that Gwyneth Paltrow has been named the 2013 “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” by People Magazine. She claims the top spot over the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry and Zooey Deschanel. My reaction to this news? Hooray! The woman is unarguably gorgeous and can do no wrong in my eyes. In her 40 years on this planet she has accomplished so much and with such poise, which is more than I can say for many other Hollywood bombshells who have simply relied on their good looks to fall back on over the years. She is wife to rock star Chris Martin, mother to Apple (I like to think she and Chris had a little fun there with the similarity to a certain cocktail) and Moses, Oscar winner, style icon, cookbook author, ex-girlfriend to Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck, daughter to Blythe Danner, creator of the GOOP website, bathing suit designer (I know it was controversial, but sue me if I like the idea of matching mother daughter bikinis) and, last but not least, a talented actress who has remained top of mind for over two decades for making clever film choices that cover a multitude of genres. To honor Ms. Paltrow on the heels of her People Magazine cover story, here is a snap shot of what I consider her best work.

I love, Love, LOVE the movie Shakespeare in Love and, as evidenced by its Oscar win in 1999 for Best Picture, I’m not the only one. I’m a big Shakespeare fan and anytime a movie is successful at bringing the complex language and gut wrenching story-telling to the masses, I am going to be a supporter. For her portrayal of Viola, Gwyneth walked away with the Oscar, the Golden Globe and two Screen Actor’s Guild Awards, and her character has been cemented in my mind in many different, unexpected ways. When The New York Times crossword puzzle offers the clue “shortly, to Shakespeare” I always think of Viola speaking the word “anon” to her good nurse on the balcony. When I go to brush my teeth at night, I think of the wooden toothbrush Viola was seen using that, in all honesty, probably didn’t do a very good job. Though many will say this movie never should have won over its Oscar competitor in 1999, Saving Private Ryan, I can’t deny it is one of my favorites, mainly because Gwyneth was so charming, believable and beautiful to watch.

I’m putting the Iron Man/Avengers franchise on this list of favorite Gwyneth movies because a) I really enjoy these films, the characters and the special effects and b) I applaud her for signing on to a big movie franchise simply because a little bit of work (she plays Pepper Potts, Tony Stark’s assistant and love interest but with a minimal role) still pays the big bucks and makes it possible to spend time with family and pursue her other interests. Obviously, I don’t really know the details behind why she chose/was chosen for this role, but I like to think freedom to be with family was a consideration. Besides, she got to work with 2013 PCA winner for Favorite Movie Actor Robert Downey Jr., and that is always a plus. The banter and sexual chemistry between these two, especially in the first Iron Man film, is delightful and brings to the screen the constant dilemma for any girl who has ever loved the bad boy – to love him or leave him? I was happy to see her promotion to CEO in the second movie, albeit a little unbelievable, and again, simply enjoyed watching her strut across the screen in those form fitting pencil skirts. What can I say? The woman has got the right stuff.

Though she doesn’t exactly have a starring role in the movie Seven, I list it here as it is the movie that really put her, or at least her head, on the map. Yes, she debuted in the 1991 film Shout with John Travolta and received a small role in the 1991 film Hook thanks to a friendship with Steven Spielberg, but it was in 1995 that her then fiance Brad Pitt gave her career a big boost by choosing her to play his wife in the sadistic cop drama. Now, I’m not a devoted sadistic cop drama fan, but this movie I just really like. It’s a top-notch, suspense-filled, action-packed, star-studded (including 2012 PCA Favorite Movie Icon winner, Morgan Freeman) film that features Gwyneth as the lonely, innocent, pregnant wife of a madman obsessed cop. The death of her character is a poignant part of the film, but the movie purposefully doesn’t show it, and I am always left to wonder about how her demise came to be. Fan of the movie or not, you have probably heard Brad Pitt’s famous quote: “What’s in the box?!” And the unfortunate answer is: the world’s most beautiful woman’s head.

Those are the films I care to expand upon but her impressive catalogue has much, much more to offer. The girl can do comedy, as evidenced by roles in Shallow Hal alongside Jack Black and more impressively in The Royal Tenenbaums, a dark comedy with an all-star cast. And, she can perform with the best of them, as she did alongside Anthony Hopkins in the little seen but brilliant Proof. We hated her for cheating on Matt Damon in Contagion, we rooted for her to find love in Emma and we absolutely loved her singing in Country Strong. Wow, I can’t believe I haven’t referenced her vocal talents in this blog yet. Duets with Huey Lewis, live performances with Cee Lo Green, HELLO!? See? She is a quintuple threat that, as evidenced by her recent accolade in People Magazine, keeps getting better with age.

Which of these movies featuring People Magazine’s newly anointed “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” Gwyneth Paltrow is your favorite?

Iron Man
Seven
Shakespeare in Love

Post a Comment (1) 8:43 am on April 25, 2013

Sweeping Away the Bad for the Good

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When you live in New York City, you make concessions about cleanliness. Whether you realize it or not, after a while you learn to accept certain things that you wouldn’t stand for anywhere else. Your apartment’s “pet” rat who you aptly named Stuart Little (even though he is far from cute, and probably carrying the plague) becomes a member of the family. The faint smell of urine that welcomes you each morning as you step onto the subway platform becomes a natural aroma you yearn for after a long trip. And the homeless man who sleeps on your stoop every Tuesday? At some point, you regard him as the friendly neighborhood man who just happens be down on his luck. No matter how hard you may try to clean up the gunk, if you want to live here, you just have to accept the filth that comes with the beast.

Similarly, if you’re an avid TV fan, you have to accept the bad with the good. There will never be a year where every lineup is free from waste. You may have to accept that a show about alien neighbors will take up the  prime time slot over your favorite new murder mystery. Or, even worse, an incredible show about how to make it in America will be replaced by a bunch of lost hipster chicks complaining about everyday life.  The TV world is brutal and you just have to accept that dirty cue tips will always somehow get in the mix.

Just as millions of New Yorkers begin their feeble attempt at spring cleaning, the cable networks during this time of the year are shedding last year’s unsavory shows for potentially better replacements.  After sifting through their mounds of pilot reels, they decide on a handful of prospects and present their decisions to media agencies in what are known as “The Upfronts.” At these meetings, agencies get a sneak peek at the upcoming lineup and decide which shows they think are worth buying into.

Here is my list of a handful of upcoming shows that I believe will either be clean winners in the upcoming year or just plain dirty disasters for the fall lineup.

AMC

CLEAN WINNER: Low Winter Sun

Starring Mark Strong (Zero Dark Thirty) and Lennie James (The Walking Dead), the show focuses on a detective who gets pulled into the Detroit underworld to solve a murder mystery. While the premise sounds a bit generic, AMC is known for delivering some of the grittiest shows on TV, and I predict that this will be a cross between The Wire, Breaking Bad, and A. Mark Strong may not be the perfect choice for the role, considering he doesn’t bring much sexiness to the show, but then again AMC isn’t built on only Don Drapers – ever heard of Walter White?

Dirty Disaster: Ballistic City

Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Oblivion), Ballistic City is a sci-fi drama about a former cop thrust into the criminal underworld of a city housed in a spaceship traveling to an unknown world. I personally don’t think it will fit in with AMC’s “real world”, “real drama” moniker, and I just don’t see it becoming the next Firefly or Stargate. Sorry guys, but Sci-Fi does not belong on AMC.

FX

FX will attempt to reach a larger audience this year by dividing into three channels: FX, FXX and FXM. FX will target 18-49, FXX will attempt to woo a younger 18-34 audience, and FXM is aiming for a broader 25-50 market.

Clean Winner: Tyrant

The show is still in development, but the pilot centers on an American family that gets caught up in Middle Eastern politics, as their son replaces the newly deceased dictator as the head of a country. Produced by Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff (Homeland) and directed by the little known Oscar winning director Ang Lee, I am going to flat out say, “PUT AWAY THE BROOM, THIS WILL BE A HIT.”

Dirty Disaster: Fargo

Based on the Oscar winning Coen brothers film with the same title, FX will attempt to turn part of the plot into a miniseries. Although both Joel and Ethan Coen are attached as directors and Noah Hawley (Bones) will write the series, I do not see this lasting longer than five episodes. I loved Fargo, but I do not want to see it translated as a miniseries. The Coen Brothers are known to have complicated, often unresolvable plots that many audiences just absolutely hate.  Sorry guys, stick with film –TV people like resolutions!

E!

Clean Winner: Total Divas

Centered on the women of the WWE, this unscripted series may not be everyone’s first choice, but I have a feeling it may be the surprise show of this season. Put a bunch of muscled women with attitudes in a room and there will be some seriously good drama.

Dirty Disaster: What Would Ryan Lochte Do?

Even though it already premiered this past Sunday, it would be hard pressed to find anyone who thought this would be a good idea. Would I dare say this will be canceled within three weeks? “JEAH”

So there are a couple of shows I am expecting to find on the new spring lineup. Get ready to get your brooms out for a couple of them. But as you can see, there are some definite roses to help with the stench. Good luck with your spring cleaning!

Post a Comment (0) 10:23 am on April 24, 2013

My Reality TV Obsession: The Amazing Race

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There are very few reality shows that have wormed their way into my scripted television lovin’ heart. Syfy’s short-lived Who Wants to be a Superhero hosted by Stan ‘The Man’ Lee was one; another was the controversial one season wonder that was CBS’s Kid Nation. Apparently it’s okay to starve and pit adults against each other in physical and mental challenges in a contained location with camera’s rolling, but kids? Someone call Child Protective Services!

Okay, seriously, Kid Nation definitely had some kinks to work out, but IMO CBS’s heart was in the right place it was a family-friendly kid-centered reality show that aimed to educate kids about politics, government, and the running of a community. Think Model UN set in a rustic dude ranch. It was like a hard core summer camp! Sure, the kids looked a little worse for the wear and more than one parent had an ‘I let my kid sign up for this?’ bewildered expression on their face in the finale when the kids were reunited with their parents and got to show off their community, but no one starved or had to perform dangerous tasks. They simply had to figure out how to earn their keep with no moms or dads around. Without killing each other.

But I digress, as I always do when I talk about television, for I am a sucker for tangents. While Who Wants to Be a Superhero and Kid Nation both hold a special in the small area of my heart reserved for reality television, the number one spot goes to that glorious, heart-stopping, whirlwind, brain and physical teasing wondrous awesomeness that is the Amazing Race.

This is my kind of reality show: a true competition that pits teams against each other, testing their book and common sense, social savvy, courage, and physical prowess in a race around the world (a prize in itself) in order  to win a (modest by today’s standards) cash prize of 1 million dollars. Forget living in Big Brother’s claustrophobic glass house under the watchful eye of Julie ‘Chenbot’ Chen or growing hairier, smellier, and thinner while I live in fear of a freshly showered, well-fed Jeff Probst extinguishing my torch on Survivor- I’m all about getting that big smile from Phil ‘Tight Pants’ Keoghan at the pit stop mat.

This is the one reality show that I would totally LOVE to be on (after I get myself into fighting shape) for the travel factor alone. Given that I can drive a stick shift, can swim, paid attention in history and geography classes, would LOVE to be forced to parachute out of a plane, and grew up on Southern food and so can eat just about any weird item you can think of for a food challenge (if you can eat chitlins, aka pig intestine, you can pretty much work yourself up to eat anything), I think I could go far in the race.

How can you not love a show that has Bunny Steeple Chases? Or working with leading St. Bernard’s through the snowy mountains in Germany or rolling cheese wheels down a mountain or have someone actually utter ‘My Ox is Broken!’ in disgusted anguish or has people parachute over Bora Bora or swim with alligators.

Okay, swimming with alligators may be a bit much but the thing about the Amazing Race is that it is never boring. What’s fun about the Amazing Race is that while it’s a raaaaaaaace it also looks fun as all get out compared to its sister reality competition shows on CBS. You get to go to exotic locales and hit all but one of the continents in your journey (if you last far enough into the race); you are ‘forced’ to participate in crazy, local customs, eat weird but non-lethal foods; and you get to see the world and have your mind blown and expanded by stepping beyond the borders of the US to see the world at large.

Also it’s an educational reality competition. The tasks are not just random, but questions and tasks related to the locale of that particular leg. You can’t be a dummy on this show or else you get exposed. Big time. Like in last night’s episode when racers had to answer what I thought was a simple question (“What US president said ‘Tear down this wall?’) in order to unlock their product placement car and drive themselves to the next task. It was alternately bewildering and hilarious to see so many races frown as they tried to puzzle out the answer. Considering they were in Germany, you’d have thought they’d realize the wall in question was the Berlin Wall which came down when Ronald Reagan was President. But no. We’re in a generation where the fall of the Berlin Wall is old school history (along with the political figures involved.) There was much brow furrowing as some racers tried to figure out which wall the question was referring to, with some venturing to guess that maybe it meant the Great Wall of China.

Viewers face palming-themselves in the course of watching the fatigued, confused, brain farting contestants every week is part of the fun of the show. They are the comedy moments to counter the drama of a missed flight, bad cab driver, sprained ankle, misread clue, and other randomly lucky or unlucky twists of the game that can make or break your favorite team.  For me, the Amazing Race is the perfect ultimate game show: a high stakes all-in-good-fun thriller that has the world and all its interesting people and places as its game board.

Post a Comment (0) 9:02 am on April 23, 2013

People’s Choice Awards: Up for a Webby!

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We know awards. We live them and breathe them all year and we follow them closely each step of the way. No matter which awards show, we know the value of each and every one and like to stay in the know about how talented people are being recognized across the board. We kick off red carpet season and all throughout the rest of the year we watch with excitement as each ceremonial honoring of the very best takes place. We happen to honor the favorites in movies, music and TV, but we are no strangers to all the other greatness happening in the world. Which is why we were beyond thrilled to learn that our very own People’s Choice Awards iPhone App – the one that enables you to effortlessly cast your votes anywhere, anytime – is up for a Webby Award! That’s right, folks, we are not ones to toot our own horns, but we are making an exception (toot! toot!) because we a) are very proud of our accomplishments and b) we need YOUR help! (More on that later.)

For those of you who may not be familiar with the Webbys, they are essentially the very best of the Web, which this day and age can mean anything from a cool website to an ingenious social media campaign to a fancy mobile app, and everything in between. It’s a way to shine a light on the most creative, intuitive, forward thinking and thought provoking “stuff” in the interactive world. That’s a pretty wide net to cast… which is all the more reason we are beyond excited.

Now here’s where you come in: the Webbys have what’s called the “People’s Voice” award (not to be confused with the award of the very same name that vocal powerhouse Christina Aguilera received at our 2013 show) so we are reaching out to enlist all of our fans to help us bring home the trophy! After all these years of us enabling you to decide which of your favorites get to win, we’re hoping you might be willing to return the favor and make us the “People’s Choice” er, “People’s Voice” for Best Mobile App in the Webby’s Entertainment category. We think it’s a reasonable request, and we’re hoping you’ll feel the same.

It’s incredibly easy to do – simply go to this website, log in (you can use your Facebook or Twitter account, which makes it super painless) cast your vote, and then share with your friends. We’ll be forever grateful.

Win or lose, we will always deliver the best possible ways for you to keep voting for your favorites in movies, music and TV in the years to come.

Now voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which of the features of the Webby nominated People’s Choice iPhone App is your favorite?

Award Voting
Entertainment Polling
Show Photos & Videos

Post a Comment (0) 9:04 am on April 22, 2013

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The People's Choice Awards staff is dedicated to providing commentary about the world of pop culture through our daily blog. We are TV producers, digital mavens, PR professionals, and entertainment executives who share a love for movies, music and TV. Each day, a member of our team will divulge insights and opinions on topics from TV star trivia to musical inspirations to the ultimate pop culture guilty pleasures, and everything in between. We can’t guarantee you'll agree with every word, but we promise to always be honest, positive and celebratory in true People's Choice Awards fashion.

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