Duckie in Pretty in Pink

I just love this scene from Pretty in Pink and Los Angelista just reminded me of it. So here is Duckie singing Tenderness. I can't believe this was the first time I heard this song. I mean when I saw this in the 80's not now.

2010 LA Film Festival Giveaway

I am so excited to have been invited to attend the 2010 LA Film Festival. It runs June 17-27 and kicks off with the film The Kids Are All Right, which I've been harrassing Focus Films to let me see a preview of.

There are so many great movies and conversation to see in the one week. I'm sure I'll be even more exhausted than I was after the TCM Classic Film Festival. But it will be worth every darker shade of bag under my eyes.

I also have 5 pairs of tickets to give away to the LA Film Festival. These tickets are good for one film (excluding opening and closing films and Eclipse) and entrance into the Film Festival Lounge that day.

If you'd like to enter to win just leave a comment on this post. I'll draw a winner June 1st, which is the day tickets go on sale for the LA Film Festival.

Good Luck!

Love, Loss, and What I Wore

Last night I took my mom to see Love, Loss, and What I Wore at the Geffen for Mothers Day. It was great! The cast is stellar, with Rita Wilson, Carol Kane, Tracee Ellis Ross, Natasha Lyonne, and Carolina Aaron. This is a play by Nora and Delia Ephron. I've said it before, but I am really loving Nora Ephron again. We had a rocky decade, but I feel like we're back on the same page again.

The show kind of reminded me of The Vagina Monologues, except they're talking about their clothes not their woo has. It really does make you think of all your favorite clothes through your life time. For me that included a fabulous polka dot dress and a navy blue felt hat (yes I said hat) I wore to a Miles Davis concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 1986. I loved that outfit...

Anyway, the show runs through June with a cast change at the beginning of June. I think everyone would really enjoy it. Also there were several celebrities sprinkled through out the audience, so you can do a little star gazing preshow. Rhea Pearlman was sitting in front of us last night, and Cate Capshaw was seated at the end of my row.

The Good Guys Tonight on Fox

I just heard that Bradley Whitford (West Wing, greatest show EVER)has a new show starting on Fox tonight at 8pm. It's called The Good Guys, and it looks like a ridiculous cop show. It looks pretty funny. Also it co-stars Colin Hanks(who played the priest on Mad Men, I think his dad acts too). My advice is to check it out.

Chorus Line Giveaway

I have 2 tickets for the opening night, June 1st, of Chorus Line at The Pantages to give away. Just leave a comment on this post to enter. For an extra chance to win post the contest with link on twitter. Then leave another comment that you posted it to twitter.

I'll draw a winner May 24th

Good Luck!!

Winner: We have a winner Adrienne number ten. Adrienne please email me as there is no email in your comment. Thanks!

John Lithgow's TCM Essentials JR.

John Lithgow is back on TCM this summer with his series of essential films for kids. It will be on every Sunday at 8pm et and 5pm pt beginning June 6th

Here's the line up:

June 6 Old Yeller (1958)
June 13 Duck Soup (1933)
June 20 To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
June 27 The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953)
July 4 Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
July 11 Speedy (1928)
July 18 Beauty and the Beast (1946)
July 25 Buck Privates (1941)
Aug. 1 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
Aug. 8 Road to Morocco (1942)
Aug. 15 The Secret Garden (1949)
Aug. 22 Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
Aug. 29 Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)


I got to chat with Mr. Lithgow a bit this morning about the series.
I find when I'm watching old films and sometimes even new ones there will be racial, gender, or some other kind of inequality depicted as exceptable behavior. So I asked Mr Lithgow how he felt that should be dealt with for children. His answer was to set the context for the child going in. It will give the child an opportunity to engage in what might not be as easily digested as Avatar, and it can give you a chance to talk about how things have changed. He said that each parent must use their own judgement, of course.
He also talked about how he was glad they had included a silent film, as well as Duck Soup. They are the two oldest in the series. Obviously, in very different styles from todays films. I totally agree that it's great to expose children to them.

John Lithgow has also writen 7 children's books. One of which I have a copy to giveaway. I Got Two Dogs.
If you'd like to enter to win it just leave a comment on this post, with which film from the series you are looking forward to watching.
All entrants should live in the contiguous US. I'll draw a winner Wednesday, May 19th.
Good Luck!

Here he is talking and singing about the book


WINNER:
Raquel is our winner. Thanks for entering and enjoy the Essentials Jr.

LA Theatre Ticket Deals

I got two good tips on theatre ticket deal today

First there's $39 tickets to The 39 Step at The Ahmanson. Use Promotion Code: 39OFFER. It closes May 16, so act fast.



Then there's a discount for A Chorus Line at The Pantages. Up to $20 off select seats, I'm not sure what that means but check it out. I already bought full price tickets so it's too late for me. Use Promotion code BLA20. It runs June 1-13.

Enjoy the great live theatre in LA!!!!!

Bengal Tiger at The Baghdad Zoo

A big thank you to the people at The Center Theatre Group for giving me tickets to Bengal Tiger at The Baghdad Zoo, at The Mark Taper Forum last Friday night. What a treat it was. I admit I sometimes am concerned the Taper is too "artsy" for me. Maybe I'm getting more adventurous, or maybe this show is so good it just doesn't matter.
Bengal is laugh out loud funny and incredibly thought provoking. My friend and I couldn't stop talking about the show all the way home. The show runs through the end of May, so hurry up and get over to see it. Trust me you won't regret it.

Lena Horn RIP

I'm so sad to hear that Lena Horn passed away yesterday. It kills me every time we lose another one of these treasures.

Mother and Child

Mother and Child came out this weekend. Sony let me see a preview of this film a month or so ago. It is an amazing all star cast with Annette Bening, Samuel L Jackson and many more. The story is about adoption, from every possible angle. The Mother who gives a child up, the child, and the family looking to adopt. It doesn't paint a very pretty picture of the experience. But, it is fascinating to watch these actors create such emotionally charged characters.

It's not the feel good movie of the year, but it is well acted and interesting subject matter.

Parenthood on NBC

Alright, I'm going to start by saying I really want to like this show. I come back every week to watch it and every week it does something to piss me off.

If you don't know the show it's about a family that lives in Berkeley(an alternate universe Berkeley, where it never rains and is always sunny). There are the hippy grandparents, who really don't seem to have any hippie philosophy, just the clothes and long hair. In fact they're your basic uptight wealthy grandparents.
Then there's their two 40ish children who are total yuppies, who are obsessed with themselves and appearances, and two other children who are a little more likable. Finally there are the grandchildren who are the least offensive part of the show.

I really don't know who is writing this show but I think it's a bunch young male writers, who have no idea what hippie parents were really like(ie. Free love and having children roll their joints for parties), Also they seem to not understand how to write female characters. The women on the show are door mats or in one case work crazed.

Anyway, I'll be watching it this Tuesday and probably the next few Tuesdays but then I'm really going to give it up. The Good Wife is on at the same time so it's not like there's nothing else to watch.

Nine DVD Giveaway

Nine comes out on DVD/BluRay today. I actually have yet to see this movie. But I'm guessing it's pretty good since it was nominated for a bunch of Oscars. Also the musical numbers looked really good, what I've seen of them.
I have one copy of Nine to giveaway, thanks to Sony. If you would like to enter just leave a comment on this post. Make sure to leave your email address. All entrants should live in the contiguous US. I'll draw a winner on Friday May 7.
Good Luck.

WINNER: Number 2 Rea is our winner.