WGN Morning News Blog

Here's what new this week. What have you seen that you've loved? Do you have titles we can help you with?
Dean

"Dreamgirls"
Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson stars alongside Eddie Murphy, Beyonce, and Jamie Foxx in the movie-musical based on the Broadway hit about three backup singers who blossomed into superstars during the Motown era.
DVD extras include never seen before footage and a making-of documentary.

"Little Children"
It's "sex in the suburbs" when a housewife has a steamy affair with an at home dad she meets on the playground and a child molestor causes a stir when he moves into town. Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, and Jackie Earle Haley star.

"Happily N'ever After"
The animated children's movie spoofs "Cinderella" along with other classic fairytales such as "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Rapunzel". George Carlin, Andy Dick, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Freddy Prinze, Jr. lend their voices.

"Illegal Aliens"
Anna Nicole Smith's final film performance as an alien from outerspace who comes down with two other space creatures in order to protect the world from evil. Joanie "Chyna Doll" Laurer co-stars as Smith's nemesis.

"Alpha Dog"
"The Hitcher"
"Mahogany"
"The Sandlot: Heading Home"
"Finding Oprah's Roots: Finding Your Own"
"Shirley Valentine"
"Dinosaurs: Season's 3 and 4"
"Will and Grace: Season 6"
"Beverly Hills 90210: Season 2"
"The King of Queens: Season 8"
"Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years"
"Melrose Place: Season 2"
"What I Like About You: Season 1"
"Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days"
"An Officer and a Gentleman: Collector's Edition"
"The Girls Next Door: Season 2"

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Rating - one star
www.photovault.com

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The studios occasionally put out a film without letting the critics see it ahead of time; almost always, a sure sign of trash. This week, there are three films that the studios didn't want us to tell you about.

First, the one I did see this week...and a surprisingly good one, from Stone Cold Steve Austin., “The Condemned.” It’s an high powered action film about a live TV reality show. Ten convicted murderers turned lose on a desert island...kill or be killed, the last one standing wins and gets released.

I guess I was expecting the worst from the former WWE wrestling star, since few wrestlers turn into quality actors, but Stone Cold isn't bad.

Now, I’m not saying that it's "Citizen Kane" or that the Texas Rattlesnake is going to win an Oscar...but it's more than just a former wrestler and lots of explosions. The movie is that...but it's also got a thoughtful message.

Brutal? Bloody? Over the top and sometimes with questionable acting? Yes. It is, what it is., But the statement that "The Condemned" makes about the "anything goes" mentality of reality TV is smart and speaks volumes.

It’s rated "R" for good reason, but I liked it. A dean's list "B."

The ones not screened for critics includes Nicolas Cage's "Next." It’s described as a supernatural thriller. Cage is a Las Vegas showman asked by the cops to help stop a terrorist threat with his incredible talent to see a few minutes into the future. Nicolas Cage, apparently, is unable to see into his "career" future.

There’s also "The Invisible", also described as a supernatural thriller about a high school student trapped in between the world of the living and dead after a beating. He can only save himself by finding his killers.

The worst of bunch "also not screened", "Kicking It Old Skool", with Jamie Kennedy as a guy who wakes up from a 20 year coma after a near fatal break dancing accident. Two decades later, all he wants to do is dance and get back his girl, now engaged to his high school nemesis.

Thanks to the studio for sparing me potentially 6 hours of pain!

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The Russell Simmons interview just might've been one of the most bizarre situations we have ever had on WGN Morning News. Well, the dancing cockroach brothers in '95 were weird, but today wasn't "weird-funny," just "weird-awkward."

Apparently, Russell is tired of talking about racist lyrics and Don Imus. But this being a news program, Robin asked our first question about racist lyrics, and Simmons immediatley turned on us, and accused us of "co-opting" the interview, which was "booked on the premise that we'd talk about my book." Simmons then refused to look at Robin and me, and instead directed a long speech to Dean.

Simmons' approach actually backfired. In his frustration, he tailspinned back to answer the initial question about racism which ultimately left him very little time to talk about his book. The kicker here is that his book is about ways to find inner-happiness. Maybe he needs to reread it.

After the interview, he fumed more. He started to say "Well I had brought these gifts, but..." and as he picked up the bracelets and started to walk away, I think the light-bulb went off that said "Oh yeah--I just wrote a book about being spiritual and happy---and this all looks bad."

As he stepped back and presented the bracelets to us, Robin chided him for not looking at her through the entire interview, and Simmons sort of played dumb.

When he finally stepped off the set, I explained to him that our intention was to ask about the news element--- racism---and get it out of the way, so we could talk about other things. He started to backpeddle a bit, and blamed his PR people. What his PR people should've told him was to hold of on the book tour until the post-Imus thing died down. I guess he failed Simmons Law #6 (p143) "Surround Yourself With the Right People."

What we didn't get to in the interview is that SImmons is a proponent of Yoga. Page 71, he writes, "Meditation can help bring you back to a place that you probably forgot even existed. A place where you will know the right choice to make in every situation. A place where you can be in control of your emotions and ignore the distractions that keep you from focusing on what's really important."

Maybe all that sitting in silence caused his inner Ying or Yang to explode. All of the book's quotes from Ghandi about peace and love are fine, but it's all hard to take seriously when the author is cussing on two phones at the same time, and text-messaging his empire, instead of focusing on the people sitting right in front of him.

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An interview with morning show producer Jeff Hoover will appear Sunday on a media blog:

http://medianotebook.blogspot.com.

Jeff has played everything from Jerry Lewis to Whiting Indiana resident Cletus T. Hognut on the morning show, and used to produce for Jonathan Brandmeier.

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Gossip has entered a new age, where scandal spreads faster than you can call your PR fixer. Alec Baldwin recently learned this the hard way, when he called his 11-year-old daughter a "rude, thoughtless little pig" in a voice message, and that message ended up all over the Internet, radio and TV

You can spin it, smack it, rub it down, and wrap it in pretty pink paper--there is no amount of manipulation that will make Baldwin’s rant any more tolerable.

When it comes to celebrities, there is a strong attraction to watching a star tarnish. As Aaron Spelling once noted, "Gossip is about rich people having problems money can’t solve."

Perhaps this is the upside of celebrity gossip: It can give us a more balanced glimpse of the celebrity world, and deflate the unhealthy fantasy that stars are perfect people and that we are failing miserably to emulate them.

The problem is, distributors of celebrity gossip, such as celebrity magazines, are manipulated by publicists to spoon-feed sugar-coated happy-news. All that fluff will make your brain soft and jiggly.

A better way to get an injection of celebrity scoop is to get it from a guy in the trenches. Michael Musto of the Village Voice seems to have as much fun siphoning off the secrets as he does spilling them in his creative style.

Here’s what Musto wrote about Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic remarks and DUI arrest:

"The resulting photo is reminiscent of that last image of Norman Bates in ‘Psycho,’ where he’s eerily grinning in the police station, with the corpse’s teeth superimposed on him, as you hear his alter ego think ‘I wouldn’t hurt a Jew,’ I mean ‘fly.’ I had no idea that an open bar is all it takes to turn Mother Teresa into a hair-plugged Hitler."
"I do adore the chance to bring celebs down a peg when they deserve it and conveniently enough, they do," he writes in his new book, "La Dolce Musto." "As one of the first gossip snarksters of the modern age, I learned to perform a delicate tight wire act whereby I’m devilishly nasty and dubious, but not so much so that they cut me off the guest list."

Musto is not one of those journalists who lines up with the pack like a cattle call to wait his turn to interview movie stars at the movie studio’s "media day." He’s at the parties with Madonna, and high tea with James Woods.

"That’s where I get my better stuff. (laughs) When celebrities have a couple cocktails and you catch them without their bodyguards, their entourage or their publicist," Musto said. Gossip is sometimes fact, sometimes fiction, and often a blend of the two, which is what makes it so dangerous and salacious.

As celebrities and their publicists continue to use gossip to spin a tale of fame, fortune and romance, it’s good to know that with the Internet, and freethinkers like Musto, we can gain a more balanced perspective without the sanitized story from the spin doctors.

Some moral leaders suggest that the person who hears gossip may be as sinful as the person who dishes it. Let’s not be naive-- gossip does have its role in society. Keeping your ear open to the pipeline of information, for instance, can at least help you prepare for an impending round of job cuts.

But therein lies the trap. Gossip is its own currency, you have to give some to get some. In the process, it often tailspins into the gutter.

I take no joy in knowing Alec Baldwin is a lousy parent. But a little inside scoop can enlighten us to find worthy people to admire, or create a fantasy that’s more down to earth.

Posted by Larry Potash at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sometimes unplanned pregnancy can be one of life's greatest blessings. I would know this first-hand.

Eight years ago someone who wasn't planning one, left a child on my door step.

Later, I found out this baby girl was the love child of Joan Rivers and Eugene Levy. But after many unsuccesful attempts to reunite little "Estella" with her biological parents, I decided to raise her all on my own. She was my visitor on "Take your child to work Day," and even helped her Daddy with his sportscasting.

People say we look alike. I don't see it.

http://www.myspace.com/pattomasulo

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I mentioned on the show last week that I had a myspace page, and quickly came to the conclusion that so does everyone else on the planet, and they're all checking them as soon as they arrive at work. No sooner had I returned to my desk from the studio, than my inbox was deluged with bulletins from myspace:

"Just A Tad would like to be added to your MySpace friends list!"

"Lisa says...WAY TO GO MARK BUEHRLE!!! would like to be added to your MySpace friends list!"

"Renowned Psychic Medium would like to be added to your MySpace friends list!"

Not only did I have 35 people requesting my friendship, but many of them left messages for me. Nearly half of those messages began with a disclaimer:

"OK, just so you know, I'm totally not a stalker, just a big fan!"

It's been my experience in life that people who make it a point of telling you they're not a stalker, are usually STALKERS!

But I understand people not wanting to be seen as desparate or strange. When I was a kid, I wrote a letter to the guy who played "Sarge" on the obscure 80's Vietnam War TV show "Tour of Duty." I felt a little weird about writing to such a big star, but I'll tell you what, when that glossy 8x10 signed by Sarge himself arrived in the mail a week later, I didn't stop playing "Tour of Duty" make-believe for a week.

*As for those writing me, please don't request a glossy 8x10. We're not issued them anymore. Don't ask.

Myspace is quite the phenomenon. I'll admit, it can be addictive. I'm currently involved in a campaign to make sure I occupy the #1 spot on all of your Friends lists. But there are some annoyances with the system, like the "Match.com" ads with the co-eds who catch you checking them out in the gym mirror. I've done a lot of staring in my life, and believe me, not once have I been told it's OK.

Otherwise, the ads for Beer Nuts and wholesale candy really don't bother me at all.

http://myspace.com/pattomasulo

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Rating - 4 stars
eddiekorosajr.com

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"Night at the Museum"
Ben Stiller's smash comedy about a night watchman at a hisotry museum where the exhibits comes to life after dark. The movie comes in a two-disc DVD set, a single-disc DVD and a single-disc Blu-ray release, all with commentary tracks from director Shawn Levy and the screenwriters. The two-disc DVD set also has deleted scenes with Levy commentary and a huge range of featurettes.

"The Queen"
Helen Mirren won an Oscar for her prtrayl as Queen Elizabeth during the days following the death of Princess Diana. It's one of the best films of 2006. The DVD and Blu-ray disc come with a making-of featurette
and two commentary tracks, one with director Stephen Frears and screenwriter Peter Morgan, the other with British historian Robert Lacey, an expert on the royal family.

"Deja Vu"
Denzel Washington stars in a crime thriller from two of Hollywood's biggest action masters, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott. Washington plays a federal agent investigating a deadly ferry explosion in New Orleans, who is given access to a secret government lab that provides a window into the recent past
so he can observe events leading up to the tragedy - and possibly prevent it. Along with deleted and extended scenes, the DVD and Blu-ray disc have a wide range of behind-the-scenes segments that examine the pyrotechnics used in the ferry explosion, the stunts and special effects, the filmmaking team and the practicalities of
shooting in New Orleans.

TV on DVD:
The long awaited, "WKRP in Cincinnati: The Complete First Season", is satifying to see the sit-com that debuted in 1978 centers on wacky colleagues trying to breathe life into a third-rate radio station. The problem is that many of the episodes are 22 minute editted versions, instead of the originals. Even worse is that many oriignal songs from the series have been replaced with Muzak versions so producers wouldn't have to pay licensing feeds. It really dilutes the memories.

"Planet Earth: The Complete Series" -
"Tsunami: The Aftermath"
"The Lost Tomb of Jesus"
"The Odd Couple: The First Season"
"Ironside: Season 1"
"The Drew Carey Show: The Complete First Season" -
"One Day at a Time: The Complete First Season"
"Flipper: Season One"
"NCIS: The Third Season"
"The New York Yankees: 1977 World Series"

Posted by Dean Richards at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You may have seen this story on the news this morning.
Singer Sheryl Crow wants you to start using one square of toilet paper every time you go to the bathroom.
She says this will help the environment.
Is she crazy???
Have you ever tried this?
You know what I mean.
You go to use the bathroom.
You have to use it real bad.
You get started doing your do.
And then you realize there's one square left and the other toilet paper rolls are somewhere out of your reach.
It happened to me just this past weekend.
You should have seen me trying to hop to the other bathroom to get more rolls....well, maybe not.
Trust me. Not good.
I know...too much information right?!?!?
Well, back to the point here....you need at least 10-20 squares if not more than that to feel comfortable when you're done in the restroom.
I just think this is a crazy story and an even crazier idea.
I'm going to have to figure out how to help the environment another way.

That's my thought for today.

Val

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Rating - 4 stars
www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC

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Charlie Murphy deserves a lot more than just being referred to as if he only exists as a shadow of his Oscar nominated brother. He was one of the best guests that we've had on the show this week. He was energetic. He told great stories. Unlike some of the guests that arrive with huge entourages and surround themselves with "people" so they don't have to talk to anyone, Charlie was more than friendly, easy going and hugely professional. He was a complete gentlemen to the entire staff; from the interns, to the crew, to the producers and even Larry, Robin and I on the air. Mario "Dancing with the Stars" Lopez could learn some basic manners from Charlie.

The only semi-juicy behind the scenes story is how he "de-blinged" himself before he came on the air. Rings, chains, necklaces and either a bracelet or a watch were whipped off and handed to the man that accompanied him just before he came on-set. It was almost like being at Rogers and Holland's on delivery day.

I was expecting someone trying to live off of his brother's fame without much substance and what I got was a solid talent on his own. The co-writer of hit films like "Norbit" and others who's proven himself on venues like Dave Chappelle's show. He said that he doubted Chappelle would be returning to his Comedy Central show. I mentioned to him that he'd make a natural replacement. With that trademark "Murphy" smile and a twinkle in his eye, he said, "if it can be pulled off properly, I'd love it."

Behind the scenes Charlie told us about his new DVD of true Hollywood stories and how he's not so crazy about some of the people who are disputing his stories.

Enjoy, Dean

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When he walked down the long hallway, there was an aura around this legend of show business. Holy crap! He's the guy that sat next to Johnny for 30 years!! Hi-ooooooo!

I'm not often star struck but I have to admit it was pretty cool to meet him and have the chance to talk with Ed McMahon. I mentioned to him just before we taped our "web only" interview that there is a certain level of professionalism that he brought with him that we don't see in some of the up and comers (again, hello Mario Lopez.) He was happy to sign autographs, to take pictures with anyone who asked and mostly was a consummate professional at everything that we threw at him. He was terrific in the on-air interview, it was just like the old days during the "Konrac the Magnificent" segment in which we paid homage to Johnny and Ed's old "Carnac" routine with a Morning News twist. He didn't bat an eyelash when we asked him to introduce rockers, The Smithereens, "Johnny-style."

Now 84 years old, Ed is a little more frail than the last time that we've seen him. He had an assistant with him every step of the way; holding his arm, keeping him steady, helping him in and out of chairs and up and down the steps that are on our news set. He seemed frail but was as sharp as a tack and completely with it during our interview and especially during our "after the show-web only" interview where we had some time to dig a little deeper than we ever seem to have time to do during the show. He reflected on his appearance on our show, the good old days, behind the scenes with Johnny Carson and his legacy.
Enjoy, Dean

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Hot on the heels of their first studio album in years, we were thrilled to have 80's legends, The Smithereens, live on the show today. They did a couple of songs from their new album of Beatles classics, "Meet The Smithereens" and also their first hit song, "Blood and Roses."

They were especially excited to be on the show on the same day that Ed McMahon was. From historic studio one where they were performing, they were peeking out into the hallway to catch a glimpse of Ed. Lead singer, Pat Pat DiNizio, whispered to me how they'd love to get a picture with him (they did) and they'd love it if Ed could introduce one of their songs that they were going to perform (Ed did; Heeere's Johnny style.)

The guys were like school kids when Ed came into the studio telling him how they grew up watching him and mentioned that they missed being on the Tonight show with him and Johnny by about a week. They were on during Jay Leno's first week as the host.

DiNunzio also mentioned to me that he spends a huge amount of time here in Chicago to be near his daughter who lives here. He's got a place in the DePaul/Lincoln Park neighborhood while also maintaining an apartment in New York.

After the show, The Smithereens, did an extended "web-only" performance of "Blood and Roses."

Enjoy, Dean

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There are six new movies opening this weekend.

HOT FUZZ
The best of the weekend is from the guys that brought you the zombie spoof, "Shaun of the Dead." Instead of taking on the walking dead...this time their poking fun at buddy action cop flicks in “Hot fuzz.”

What would you get if you did a send up of "Bad Boys/Lethal Weapon" type movies and mixed in a bit of "Reno 911", "Police Academy" and "Naked Gun?"

Add in some brilliant writing and deadpan, on the mark performances, and you get "Hot Fuzz"; hilariously funny from start to finish with clever tributes to the films that they're spoofing, as one of London’s top cops is transferred to a sleepy little village with inept cops, no crime and suddenly a murder spree.

Credit of the team of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost who star in the film along with their director Edgar Wright who top "Shaun of the dead" with a slicker, smarter effort. I had a great conversation with them a few weeks ago. You can see it at Dean's Entertainment at WGN TV dot com. This is the funniest movie of the year, a solid, Dean's List "A."

FRACTURE
Well, at least he didn't eat her brains with fava beans and Chianti this time. It’s Anthony Hopkins back to his creepy best as a scorned husband whose wife is having an affair so he puts a bullet in her head...and then, concocts a genius alibi to get away with the murder.

Everyone buys the alibi except an up and coming distorct attorney, played by Oscar nominee, Ryan gosling, who pursues him, Clarice style.

A lot of "Fracture's" success as a who-dun-it is because of "Silence of the Lambs" and all of the memories it brings back with it's solid story and great performances, especially Hopkins' piercing stares...worth the price of admission for this Dean's List " B plus."

THE YEAR OF THE DOG
The lady that had too many dogs could have been one of her wacky Saturday night live characters but in molly Shannon’s new movie, "Year of the Dog", she balances the quirky with the thoughtful.

In it, she's a single 30-something loner, who’s beloved beagle, Pencil, is accidentally killed sending her into a inconsolable, animal loving tailspin that goes from funny...to PETA-loving political, to a look at loneliness and our attachments to mans best friend.

John C. Reilly, Laura Dern, Regina King and Peter Scarsgard turn in great supporting performances, as does Molly. Clearly, they all enjoyed making this refreshing indie.
A Dean's List "B."

KILL “EM, SLASH ‘EM
There are two bloody offerings; Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale's "Vacancy", in which a couple check into a seedy motel only to find that they're apparently booked the murder suite and that a crazed killer is about to star them in their own snuff film.

There’s also David Arquette's "Tripper." A killer in a Ronald Reagan mask is on the loose with an ax at a rock festival taking out young college students one at a time.

Both films are scary...but nothing special. In light of the Virginia Tech murders, they both seem inappropriate. The studios couldn’t have waited a couple of weeks before putting more mindless killing out there? "Vacancy" will probably be number one on Monday.

DULL
There’s also Meg Ryan and "The OC's" Adam Brody’s, “In the Land of Women" that's a whole lotta nothing. Not even the enjoyment of watching Meg Ryan’s overly colleganed lips could make this pointless story about a writer who goes off to find himself but gets involved with a neighbor and her teenager daughter worth seeing.

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Tree-hugging has always been associated as a liberal cause, but I don’t see the melting of the planet, whether it is global warming, or nuclear radiation, as a partisan political issue. Earth Day is a reminder that, in principle, it is an issue of survival for all life forms---yes, even Lush Limbaugh and Al Franken.

Still, in a partisan world, environmentalists need to grab the attention of the conservative, and the apathetic, by adding a new sex appeal to their mission. MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR” was the liberal protest slogan of Vietnam; the philosophy is making a comeback. This time, instead of wasted hippies protesting, we have a protest about wasting resources—energy, trees, minerals, etc. LSD hallucinations of the 60's have been replaced with harmless hemp tube-tops that would even catch Pat Buchanan's eye.

Greenpeace even has a list of strategies for environmentally-friendly sex. It’s called "getting it on for the good of the planet---you can be a bomb in bed, without nuking the planet." Their tips include things you should do and things you shouldn’t.

>> Turn her on, when you turn the lights off. It’s romantic and it promotes efficient energy use--yeah baby!

>> Oysters and other shellfish can be aphrodisiacs but, according to Greenpeace, all the plundering for pleasure is destroying the ocean. Greenpeace advises you grab a fruit drink instead from community-based operations from the Amazon rainforest. Another environmental site suggests horny goat weed. ( I’ll stick with the melon smoothie.)

>> A roll in the shrubs can put the spark in your love life, unless of course, your bare bottom is sliding in weed killer, so make the switch to natural fertilizers.

Sites like www.treehugger.com advise on how to "shop green" to put the romance back in your life and pleasure back into the planet. Here’s what you can buy:

>> a soy massage candle--the soothing smell of pure protein

>> eco-undies--underwear that’s fun to wear year after year after year. (Men ask: "What’s new about that?’)

>> bamboo bed sheets--supposedly more comfortable than they sound, but I can’t stop thinking that it sounds like something Thurston and Lovie Howell would’ve used in the privacy of their own hut, which is somewhat of a turn-off.

There are so many causes out there, this kind of creativity is what it takes to cut through the clutter of communication.

Another tactic: Get them while they’re young. Did you know there’s an environmental superhero? "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" is on every day in some parts of the country on Boomerang (subsidiary of the Cartoon Network.)

It was a Ted Turner project that first aired on TBS in 1990-- which might explain why Captain Planet has a mullet—but its goal was to reach children with the slogan "The Power is Yours!"

The Planeteers, featuring the voices of people like Ed Asner, Whoopie Goldberg, and Sting, use the powers of the environment (earth, wind, fire, water and "heart" ) to battle villains like Looten Plunder. The bad guys aren’t stealing mojo, they’re clear-cutting forests!

You can still enjoy Captain Planet on the Captain Planet Foundation Web site (http://captainplanetfdn.org ).

So what can we mere humans do to weed out all the "takers"?

Well, if your date pulls up in a Hummer, you could turn off the porch light off and sneak out the back. You could take a stroll to the farmers market and find someone wearing recyclable sandals and buying fair trade clothing from sewing cooperatives in Bolivia. Or perhaps your new found environmental sex appeal could convert that wasteful heathen with the Hummer into an eco-lover

Posted by Larry Potash at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Rating - 1 star
www.hippoworks.com

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Hollywood actor and famous husband of Courteney Cox, David Arquette came by the studio this morning to talk about his new movie "The Tripper."

And, since it's a low-budget film, he's taken it upon himself to do promotions - shaving the title of the film into the back of his scalp.

Hmmmmm.
We here at the morning show have been asking for a little publicity for years now.
I think it's about time someone named Potash steps up and gets busy with the clippers.

Posted by Robin Baumgarten at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

It would seem that I would be more tired on Mondays versus Tuesdays, but not so.
You know coming off the weekend, a lot of people have the Monday Blues.
But not me.
I'm pumped on Mondays...ready to work....not sleepy....just energized.
It's Tuesdays that wear me out.
I am just drained today.
So with that said, I'm going to keep this short today.

Peace,

Val

Posted by Valerie Warner at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I found Andy Dick to be quite an anxiety-producing interview subject. The guy is actually as sweet as pumpkin pie- truly, a very nice man- but he's Andy Dick. The man has licked another man's head in public. And in light of some recent inappropriate public comments involving a high-profile figure, we are in DEFCON 5 MODE here (I began to sweat when I blurted out that I was a high school wrestler). Anyway, Andy and I had a quick Q & A and then he performed a montage of songs, most of which are appropriate for your viewing. Those that weren't have been edited out.

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In his new movie, Jamie Kennedy plays a former 80's break dance king waking up from a 20-year coma in the present-day. To research what it feels like to wake up from a 20-year coma, he spent a day working my shift. We chatted about all things 80's, including his character's outfit, which looked like it had been purchased at a boardwalk shop in Seaside Heights, NJ. Jamie was very nice. He even gave me one of his snap-on bracelets. His movie "Kickin' It Old Skool," opens April 27.

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Tomorrow marks the 142nd anniversary of the assassination of President Lincoln but perhaps he's not really dead at all. A new book suggests he could be sitting next to you right now; maybe he's doing magic tricks in Vegas (great top hat for pulling rabbits) or frothing cream for a mochachino at Coffee Hut. Richard Salva has explored the "journey of Lincoln's reincarnated soul. He set out to test the hypothesis of a Himalayan yogi 50 years ago, who claimed Lincoln had been an advanced yogi in a past life. Here are some of the "yogic connections" he found:

*Lincoln's public objections to church doctrines paraphrased yoga's deeper teachings.

*Lincoln's prophetic dreams that he would ascend to a high office, then fall to his doom, including a White House funeral.

*Lincoln was a meditator. "His wife once whacked him with a piece of wood after he had gone so deep within he hadn't heard her speaking."

But the journey of Lincoln’s soul doesn’t stop there. Salva claims he was reincarnated as the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh. I have done a story or two about reincarnation and “past life regression” and mostly people have claimed to be princesses or warriors in their previous lives. Nobody was ever a rag salesman or the town leper.

What is different here, is that we are dealing with a couple of famous people who have led well-documented lives. This allows Salva to make his case, by outlining hundreds of remarkable similarities (or ordinary coincidences) in the book “Soul Journey; from Lincoln to Lindbergh.”

Let’s look at the surface-level connections:

*Both had deep set, bluish grey eyes. (Hey I have deep set bluish grey eyes! Hmmm.)

*Lincoln was born in Kentucky. Lindbergh, in Michigan---but “southern” Michigan. (ah, I don’t get it either. It’s 415 miles from Hodgenville to Detroit.)

*Lindbergh’s middle name is Augustus---the name of an Emperor, “significant when we consider that Lincoln was a president.”

OK don’t turn the page of your newspaper just yet. It gets better (or funnier.)

Both had frustrations with Washington, and women.

Both were good shots with a gun, and both enjoyed a practical joke.

The similarities range from the deeply serious (both had sons who died) to the trivial (they both had oval driveways at one time in their lives.)

Much of this is fascinating reading for history buffs. Also, it may offer solace for people hoping to evade death forever, and perhaps ultimately fulfill their dream of returning a kickoff a Soldier Field for a touchdown, instead of just delivering reports to the eighth floor. However, it raises some troubling questions about nature, theology, and our identity.

Why should I be saddled with the baggage of a previous life? And if I am, and I am not aware of it (as I am not) then what good is that? How can anyone be sure of the connection?

“One life isn't long enough to learn from all our past actions. It takes time for things to catch up, and they have to catch up several times before we learn from them,” Salva said. “You may not remember the challenges of your past lives, but you remember, deep inside, what you learned from them.”

If my very being is driven by a previous life, are my physical, and personality traits that are remarkably similar to my parents just a coincidence? (Are they a coincidence for my sister too?)

Also—what’s the endgame? Being with the great spirit? Is that better than eating ice cream, playing football, and raising your children?

“If you keep reincarnating, you begin to have this sense of anguishing monotony. It's always the same old thing - birth, childhood, puberty, worries about bills, and old age. The joys are so fleeting and imperfect. People who realize this get interested in "being with the great spirit" pretty quick.”

What would Illinois’ favorite son say about all this reincarnation? I find the answer in a famous Lincoln quote:

"For people who like that sort of thing, that is about the sort of thing they would like.”

Posted by Larry Potash at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

PERFECT STRANGER
Halle Berry stars as an investigative reoprter who, with the help of a uber-techno buddy, Giovanni Ribisi, goes undercover to try to solve the murder of a childhood friend. The pursued is a womanizing executive, played by Bruce Willis.

Perfect Stranger is a good, not great who dunit whose story could have been stronger with Halle desperately tryng to show why she won an Oscar. Willis grumbles his way through another film, not adding much. The real star is Ribisi who has several layers of creepy complexity to his character making it worth seeing.
A Deans List C plus.

DISTURBIA
Take a pass on Disturbia. Shia Le Bouef is a deliquent teenager, traumatized by the death of his father, who lashes out against a teacher and forced to wear an ankle braclet while placed under house arrest. While confined, he sees deliquent kids in his neighborhood...sees the hot new neighbor girl...and, maybe a murder or two take place. No one seems to believe thistrouble making kid on the murders.

Disturbia wants to be a scary white knuckler but fails. The story doesn't have the stuff to keep you on the edge of your seat...and the actors don't have what it takes to keep you in the story.
A Deans List C minus.

Posted by Admin at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rating - 3 stars
www.famousr.com

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It's the age old question. I looked at my disaster of a closet last night and all my shoes were either in boxes, on two-tiered shelves or on the floor. How am I supposed to find anything? I probably have 50 pairs. And I have more shoes that I've worn only once, it's disgusting. How many women out there have done the same thing? In the store, they feel great! On my feet after one day, they're hell! I carry boxes of bandaids with me at all times. I also keep the "Foot Petals" company in business.

Yesterday I went to TJ Maxx for a computer game for my six-year-old son. I didn't find any but I did buy three pairs of shoes! One brown wedge sandal. One leopard print pair of flats with cute little red trim. And one pair of Havianas flip-flops for $9.99! If I could wear those flip-flops every day I would. But they're bright blue and really don't go with any of my work clothes. :)

I am hoping these new shoes will pull through for me. I don't have much faith though. Maybe Dr. Scholl's can come up with a good orthopedic pair soon. Any suggestions?

-- Marcella Raymond

Posted by Admin at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Rating - 2 stars
www.richsamuels.com

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So, I'm back to work after a week's vacation.
And, NO....I didn't go anywhere for my Spring Break.(thanks for all the great advice, though)
Nothing tropical.
Nowhere sunny.
Just in and around the Chicagoland area everyday taking care of business.
Monday, I spent 4 hours at I-Hop with my husband and sister catching up.(even though we live 5 minutes from each other, we still had a lot to talk about).
I also took my daughter to tumbling, got a wall painted black(it looks hot) and ended the day at Chuck E. Cheese.
Tuesday, my husband, daughter and I spent the day downtown....doctor's appointment, lunch, walked on Michigan Ave. and then the movies.
Wednesday, my family had an interview to get my daughter into kindergarten next year, another doctor's appointment and then a dentist appointment.
Thursday, I spent the day at Ikea in Joliet with my sister.
Friday, I cleaned out the basement and got everything ready for the garage sale I plan to have once the weather breaks.
So, there you have it....A whole lot of nothing.
It's back to work baby!

Val

Posted by Valerie Warner at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Rating - 4 stars
www.whatifsports.com

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Dean’s Reviews-“Grindhouse”, “The Reaping”, “The Hoax.”
Let's hear what you think......

“Grindhouse”
It’s one of the most anticipated "films" of the year; a throwback to the days when you go to see a couple of bad "b" movies, full of blood and gore; movies that were "ground" out fast and furious; the genre called "grindhouse" films.

And that's where Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez get the title of their "2 separate movies for the price of 1” double feature. But the double feature doesn’t start until you go through a couple of fake trailers for films that don’t exist. After those and some bad, animated reminders to visit the concession stand it’s time for the first of the “Grindhouse" twin spin, Robert Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror."

Former Marilyn Manson squeeze, Rose McGowan, plays the machine-gun peg-leg ex-stripper who is just one of the survivors fighting off flesh eating zombies infected by a virus taking over a small Texas town. Chicago’s own Freddy Rodriguez, Bruce Willis, Josh Brolan, Naveen Andrews
and a cast of over the top characters are the uninfected trying to stay un-eaten.

Purposely over the top, campy and disgusting; purposely grainy, appearing to be badly spliced, it’s just a load of fun and a loving tribute to the genre, but after about an hour, you get the bloody idea and it just gets repetitive.

Then, there are a couple more hilarious fake trailers, actually more entertaining than the features, one of them for a fake film, “Thanksgiving”, because every other holiday has had it’s own horror movie. Without a break to “refresh” yourself, it’s on to feature two, the Quentin Tarantino directed, "Death Proof."

If you're a hot babe in a car, look out for that crazed mad man, Kurt Russell, at his whacked out best. After a long set up, he hunts down a bunch of hot chicks that have been drinking their way through town, and takes them on the ride of their life...and death. Then, it’s on to a second group of gals who prove to be up for his thrill-ride challenge.

"Death Proof" is the better of the double feature; and the right length at about an hour. Both films and the trailers run 3 hours and 15 minutes without a break.

I liked this creative package. They’re both fun, but a little long and a little "film snob" self-indulgent. Regardless, these directors march to their own beat and make film-going fun. I give them a Dean’s List “A.”

The Reaping
It’s Hilary Swank’s scary story about 9 biblical plagues that are happening in a small town being blamed on a creepy little girl played by Anna Sophia Robb. Swank is a professor sent in to find rational reasons for the locust attacks, frogs dropping from the sky and water turning to blood.... but can't.

“The Reaping” IS scary, even a little "Exorcist-like disturbing", with it's roots in religion...but overall, the story falls short. British actor, Idris Elba and David Morrisey co-star. Maybe, check this one out when it comes out on DVD...but it’s not worth $9. A Dean’s List “C.”

The Hoax
There’s also Richard Gere’s, “The Hoax”, the true story of Clifford Irving, the author who wrote a fake biography of reclusive billionaire, Howard Hughes; had it published and became an instant celebrity. It’s a great piece of 70's history and a really interesting look at our thirst for inside celebrity news. Alfred Molina and Marcia Gay Harden co-star in this Dean's List "B."

Posted by Dean Richards at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A good Friday would be a great Friday if we could put the ‘holy’ back in the Holy Land. It is also the middle of the Passover season, and yet there seems to be no escape from the stalemate between Israel and the Palestinians, one that impacts the entire Middle East as well as the United States.

Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice just returned from the Mideast in hopes of bringing the two sides together. While diplomats in finely tailored suits argue about borders, broken promises, who did what to whom, maybe Rice could get everyone’s attention with a well-executed joke.

Hey--is that a Hezbollah rocket in your pants or are you just happy to see us?

What? I’m not kidding. Short of dragging Mahmoud Abbas and Edhud Olmert to a strip club and getting farshikkert, I don’t see much chance of getting anyone to open up.

But perhaps Chicagoans Ray Hanania and Aaron Freeman can. They are doing the modern day version of McCartney and Wonder's 1982 number-one single, “Ebony & Ivory.” Hanania is Arab. Freeman is Jewish. They’re living together “in perfect harmony” albeit on the “west bank” of Lake Michigan. They recently performed their stand-up comedy tour together in Israel.

“I am the Condi Rice of comedy,” Freeman said. “We want to resolve the conflict in six shows, and on the seventh show, we will rest.”

I imagine this little comedy tour could be counter-productive for the movement, if not dangerous for Hanania and Freeman. Judging by the video clips on the news, the descendants of the sons of Abraham don’t seem to have much of a sense of humor these days.

FREEMAN: “The [Jews and Arabs] will be laughing and angry at the same time. I think we are genuinely funny enough to overcome the animosity

HANANIA: ”What’s really cool about this is that you put the [Jews] and Palestinians on the same stage. Putting a Palestinian and a Jew in the same room? We really just want to argue about hummus and tabouli. We invented it—you stole it.”

FREEMAN: [“The Jews] look at Ray and wonder if this is somebody they are going to be afraid of; they look at me and they say ‘Is it going to be OK?’”

HANANIA: “The first five rows are usually empty. Everyone sits in the back when I’m on stage.”

FREEMAN: “We are the people that make the change that you want to see in the world. When you want to be ‘the change,’ you are not only having a good time, you are making money. That’s what everybody wants. It’s funny, because Ray actually owns property in Israel. But, I can come and take it over any time.”

HANANIA: “I keep using him to come see my property.”

FREEMAN: That’s the only chance he has! And, I was born in Kankakee!”

It will take creativity to bring Peace to the middle east. I remember hearing Ellie Weisel offer his ideas. One was to get all the leaders in a room and just talk about their favorite books. Another idea was to do an exchange program where Jewish teachers would mentor Palestinian children and Palestinian teachers would spend time with Jewish kids. The bottom line---both sides need to do more than sacrifice chips at a bargaining table; they need to give of themselves. Perhaps only then will each side begin to empathize with the other’s pain.

Hanania has seen this strategy work first hand. He married a woman who is Jewish.

“She thinks I am Puerto Rican.”

I am not sure if Condi Rice is funny but perhaps Hanania and Freeman would give this professional advice to her and her Israeli and Palestinian negotiators. Before taking a seat at the bargaining table, a little self-deprication might go a long way in breaking down barriers that impede accords and cease-fires.

“Nobody is offended if they are laughing,” Freeman said. “If we can laugh together, we can live together.”

Posted by Larry Potash at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rating - 4 stars
www.motionbox.com

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Every time I see that picture of me, Pat Tomasulo, and Keenan Smth for the Bally's Fitness Challenge, I want to shoot myself. (Or the person who took the picture!) I feel fat, old and yucky. i know I keep complaining about it but it's just bugging me like crazy! Take for instance the fact that I tried on my pants from last summer and they don't fit. Or the fact that I have to wear glasses in order to read the teleprompter. Or that my face is sagging in the same spot my Mom's is. Now my mother is a beaufiful woman but she's twenty years older than I am. I'm forty one years old and twenty pounds overweight! If I gain ten pounds a year, I will be considered obese by this time next year. And by the time I'm 60 I won't be able to leave the house without a forklift. Those people who say "Embrace your age!" obviously don't work in television. Or they have fantastic make-up and hair stylists. Who has the time or the money? I'm sick of constantly dieting and exercising. What I'm really hoping is that those Bally's trainers can work a little magic on this old broad.

-- Marcella Raymond

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Rating - 2 stars
www.yelp.com

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Congratulations are in order to "SlickRick76," for he is the champion of the WGN Morning News Bracket Challenge. His Slickness won the championship by just 4 points, edging out "GregOdenIs30," "redgoof'," and "U Got Owned By an 8th Grader" (which I apparently did, finishing 27th out of 185).

SlickRick76 guaranteed his victory weeks ago, writing to me on Myspace:

"Looking forward to taking this tournament home," and
"You're going down." Apollo Creed

He was absolutely right, and for his achievements, he gets . . . nothing more than 2 mentions on the show, and his name in print here.

http://www.myspace.com/pattomasulo

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Very rarely does just a geographic portion of a city require its own Board of Tourism, but few areas are as dynamic and unique as the South Side of Chicago. Finally, the region has set up an agency to accomodate the thousands of vacationers and international tourists who flock to the area yearly.

Heading up the brand new "South Side Chicago Board of Tourism" is Tourism Director Brett Smalls. You may recognize him from the Board's public service spots on TV. These commercials are being produced by the Chicago White Sox, who have partnered with TSSCBOT to further draw awareness to the South Side.

I recently had a chance to sit down with Smalls, and he educated me on all things South Side

http://www.tsscbot.com

http://www.myspace.com/pattomasulo

Posted by Pat Tomasulo at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The Good Shepard
Volver
Charlotte's Web
Jump In
The Natural-Director's cut
All That Jazz-Music Edition
Entourage-Season 3, Part 1
Law and Order-The 5th Year
Roseanne-Season 7
Mind of Mencia-Season 2
Twin Peaks-Season 2
The Brady Bunch-Complete Series

Posted by Dean Richards at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Rating - 4 stars
one.revver.com

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