Entries
Jerry Lewis announces he's retiring as host of the MDA Telethon
This is one of the saddest days of my adult life. Jerry Lewis has been with me for as long as I can remember. With his yacht docked in San Diego, he's practically my neighbor. My first introduction came when …
Roundup: Slumming Graybeards
Watching Christopher Plummer gibber his way through his role in Priest... ...I found myself thinking back on other wondrous performances from the lions of the theatrical tradition. These are just a few that spring to mind: Laurence Olivier in the …
The Day the Ken Cinema Made Cult Movie History
July 29, 1983, Ken Cinema: First Known “Shadowcast” Fan Participation at a screening of Phantom of the Paradise! The Rocky Horror Picture debuted as a midnight movie at OB’s Strand Theater in 1977 – soon enough, devotional fans were showing …
ArtPower! Press Rewind showcases 3 directors' early shorts
Art Power was my old deejay name. ArtPower! is UCSD's creative collective to showcase music, dance, film, exhibition and food. This Tuesday evening is their fourth annual Press Rewind, a one-night exhibition of the early short films by three talked-about …
Dateline: May 1959 - Elvis Movie Causes Mexican Riot
May 1959: While Elvis Presley’s popularity in the U.S. was arguably at its all-time peak, Mexico was in the midst of a huge anti-Elvis backlash. Tijuana tabloids called him a racist and homosexual, after the singer reportedly told gossip columnist …
Dig a Hole: Dolores Fuller, Ed Wood's former girlfriend and leading lady
Dolores Fuller, erstwhile galpal (both on and offscreen) of legendary cross-dressing, grade-Z "director" Ed Wood, died Monday after suffering from a long illness. She was 88. She first met her misguided guiding spirit while answering a casting call for a …
Drive-In Movie Reviews: Black Caesar (1973) and Cover Me Babe (1970)
BLACK CAESAR (1973) I've only seen a few vintage "blaxploitation" films, so bear in mind that my POV here is far different from that of devotional (and well-informed) fans who frequent the many websites focusing on this genre, which flourished …
Commentary: The Beaver
Mel Gibson, the original soul surfer, stars as a beleaguered, hopelessly depressed executive who finds redemption through a discarded beaver hand puppet. Embarrassing autobiographical angst or confirmation that Mel's agent is a vengeful Jew with a funny bone? As if …
Local Celebs Who LOVE Star Wars!
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/may/29/25184/ With Legoland having unveiled its new Star Wars display, and the Blu-ray release of Star Wars: The Complete Saga, it’s a good time to be fool for the Force. Man of a thousand bands Rob Crow has referenced SW …
Review: Priest
Wow. A five-genre pileup. Let’s make a list: 1: A buddy cop movie, complete with a hero (Paul Bettany, who never seems to tire of these religious-type gigs) who gets told to turn in his badge because he wants to …
The Lowbrow: Will Ferrell Wins the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
Well, as Twain said, it's difference of opinion that makes horse races. Actually, I agree with my esteemed colleague (see his post) about a lot of Ferrell's cinematic output; I found Talledega Nights mostly painful, except of course for the …
The Three Phases of Yves
Caught a screening of L'Amour Four, the somber, at times impervious documentary about Yves Saint Laurent commissioned by his partner of fifty years Pierre Bergé. It opens exclusively on May 27 at Landmark's Ken Cinema. Perhaps it's the lack of …
Catholic Geekery at Pixar
Spotted on the Cars 2 display in the lobby of AMC's Mission Valley 20: Well, I guess it is the most famous car in the world... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGHwlExcaqU "Are you ready?" "Is the Popemobile Catholic?"
And the winner of this year's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is...Will Ferrell? Really?
In the past, the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor has been bestowed upon the likes of comic legends Richard Pryor, Jonathan Winters, Lily Tomlin, Carl Reiner, George Carlin, and Steve Martin. This year's honor goes to Will Ferrell. …
Movies Shot in San Diego: A Force of One (1979)
THE DAY CHUCK NORRIS CAME TO THE PALMS HOTEL ON 12TH AND ISLAND (and Jennifer O’Neal, too!!) A Force of One is a Chuck Norris/Jennifer O’Neal thriller with Chuck kicking ass all over downtown San Diego, circa 1979. Some shots …
Movies Shot in San Diego: Wicked Wicked (1973)
WICKED WICKED, 1973: TCM has been showing the weirdest 1973 psycho killer film, Wicked Wicked. It takes place at the historic (and reportedly haunted) Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, set up in the flick to be a somewhat seedy …
Albert Brooks: Read the book, see the movies!
What's wrong with contemporary cinema? Slob comedies, comic book atrocities, and dialog-driven animation are poised to break box office records this summer and Albert Brooks can't get arrested in Hollywood. Why isn't Albert Brooks making three movies a year? Surely …
Reviews!
This week in the Reader, John Rubio reviews Everything Must Go, Hesher, and Bridesmaids. Plus capsule listings of The Bang Bang Club, Insidious, Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, and POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever …