Today would have been the 77th birthday of the lovely actress and author of several best-selling autobiographies Jill Ireland who passed away at the age of 54 in 1990 after a long, brave and public battle with breast cancer. Many remember the string of motion pictures she co-starred in with her second husband Charles Bronson, but Jill Ireland also had a long and interesting career on the small screen.
On "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."
You may also remember that her first husband was David McCallum, the talented actor who became a genuine sensation as the dashing Russian secret agent Ilya Kuryakin on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., also starring the equally dashing Robert Vaughn. While her then-husband was off fighting the global baddies of T.H.R.U.S.H., Jill Ireland was making appearances on series like Ben Casey, My Favorite Martian, 12 O'Clock High, Daniel Boone, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and co-starring on the short-lived series Shane opposite David Carradine. Jill Ireland also starred on several episodes of her husband's TV show which is where I first saw her and remembered her. (Ireland divorced McCallum in 1967 and wed Bronson the next year.)
Most famously perhaps, Jill Ireland made an guest appearance on the legend-making Star Trek -- only nobody knew then how far-reaching that series' impact would turn out to be -- in a first season episode This Side of Paradise. Written by Roddenberry's trusted story editor D. (Dorothy) C. Fontana and directed by TV veteran Ralph Senensky, the episode was a fan favorite as the ever-logical Mr. Spock met up again with a beautiful woman who had been enamored of him on Earth. Leila Kalome as played by Jill Ireland was an ethereal blonde vision of loveliness, a gentle soul who, as we find out, is one of a colony of planetary settlers who have been infected with parasitic spores which induce peace, acceptance and docility. Even the unemotional Mr. Spock is finally able to break his stoic Vulcan demeanor and express his love for Leila.
You'll also enjoy this fan-made video for a song from Leonard Nimoy's second record albumThe Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy. "Once I Smiled" (written by Nimoy and Charles R. Grean) tells the story of This Side of Paradise and the video illustrates the lyrics with clips from the episode. It may be a little silly, but it's Star Trek: The Original Series canon and that's good enough for a lot of us. We can't embed it here but you should go directly to YouTube by clicking here and watch it.
We fondly remember Jill Ireland on this day. She is not forgotten.
Let's be honest -- Star Trek is one of the most important pop culture creations of the 20th Century, and anybody associated with it gains instant immortality. Some of those people actually earn it, too, and Star Trek: The Original Series star George Takei is one of them.
George and his husband Brad
Aside from being a terrific actor on stage, screen and television, Takei has ridden the tide of history to become an important symbol for justice, intelligence, diversity, kindess, hilarity and forward-thinking in general. Lately his star has risen even higher with his activism for LGBT issues including gay marriage, and he never fails to put himself out there when a voice of reason and compassion is needed.
Takei was born April 20, 1937, which makes him 76 years old today. Along with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, both of whom celebrated their 82nd birthdays last months, and Nichelle Nichols who was 80 last December, this quartet of Star Trek actors is helping redefine aging for us boomers. It's also wonderful to see how they all now seem to be completely comfortable in their Star Trek skins, all honored for being essential to the message of Star Trek and to its continued importance to so many of us. Takei has even taken part in one of the fan-based Star Trek revival efforts with his co-starring role in 2007's Star Trek: New Voyages episode "World Enough and Time" alongside Grace Lee Whitney who played Yeoman Janice Rand in the original series. Check out the entire episode here and for more information on this wonderful initiative head over to their website.
But today is George Takei's day! We're sharing just a handful of clips showing some of the diversity of Takei, but the internet is full of great George Takei material. If you're on Facebook be sure to "friend" him because his posts are always wise or funny and probably both; you don't want to miss anything he shares.
So let's celebrate a bit of Takei -- here he is during his TV Academy interview discussing how Sulu got his name.
Here's Mr. Sulu in an action sequence from the episode "Return of the Archons"; he's looking exceptionally spiffy in his quasi-Revolutionary War-era costume, too!
This is one of the character's most beloved moments, from "The Naked Time" --
Here's another favorite moment from "Mirror, Mirror" when Uhura deals with the mirror universe Sulu --
George Takei is hilarious in this Sharp TV ad from a little while back --
In a more serious vein, a young man meets his hero George Takei --
And in a jovial moment, Takei and his husband Brad share his "Happy Dance" --
George is currently starring in the new musical stage drama Allegiance which is expected to end up on Broadway in the near future; please check out the show's website for more information. Allegiance centers on the internment of Japanese American citizens during World War II; here's a preview from its run at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego last fall. This is a personal story for Mr. Takei -- he and his family lived this experience.
Be sure to visit George Takei's website where you will find out everything that this versatile and eternally young-at-heart but old-in-wisdom man of the world is up to. He's also just published a new e-book Oh Myyy: There Goes the Internet which you can purchase off his page, too.
George Takei is an inspiration and a delight. Happy Birthday, George!
This is pure love for me, wishing the amazing performer Bill Irwin a Happy Birthday today! Sigh...I've been a fan of Irwin's since I saw him on TV doing his hilarious and brilliant theater piece The Regard of Flight on PBS in 1982, then was lucky enough to see it live when he brought it to Los Angeles the next year in a small theater next to the Hollywood Bowl. Oh my god...it was a revelation and I had to go back to see it again. One -- well, two -- of my best times in a theater ever, and I immediately sat down and wrote him a fan letter c/o the theater to tell him so. I got back a nice postcard (which I know is somewhere around here stuck in a book, most likely) thanking me and I've been following his career ever since.
There is simply no one like Bill Irwin. Looking to my mind like a mild-mannered Clark Kent with mad kinetic skillz, Bill Irwin and his cohorts Doug Skinner -- the stage manager/pianist -- and Michael O'Connor -- the irascible critic -- presented a madcap treatise on comedy and acting, as seen here in a few clips that are on YouTube. (There doesn't seem to be a release of the PBS show available now, and so my old VHS copies are among my most beloved possessions.)
It's hard to describe Bill Irwin by making a list and including all the things he can do -- his talent is limitless. It's easier to say that there is nothing he can't do, from classic farce to knockabout vaudeville to circus clowning to song-and-dance to acrobatics to deep emotional drama to light comedy and everything in-between. He is a bonafide genius, certified years ago by the MacArthur Foundation which gave him a multi-year grant back in the early 1980s and boy, did they ever get their money's worth and pick the right guy.
If you don't know him by name, you would know him by face. If you or your kids ever watched Sesame Street, he was Mr. Noodle. If you watch C.S.I. he had a recurring role as a serial killer and he also was a recurring character on Northern Exposure. Bill Irwin has been a semi-familiar face on TV for decades and continues to land big roles, most often dramatic these days. Very early he was one of the Sweethaven townspeople in Altman's film Popeye starring Robin Williams; this was his first screen appearance, in fact, after training at the Ringling Bros. Clown College and working with the Pickle Family Circus in San Francisco where he practiced the unique form of idiosyncratic acrobatic dance that evolved into his signature style. (I was thrilled recently to see a special mention of him in the Ringling Circus Museum here in Sarasota.)
But mostly, probably, he's best known to theatregoers all over the country for his constant appearances throughout his career in both his own works and more traditional roles, all of which have garnered him honors and awards commensurate with his talents. (Check out his listing at the Internet Broadway Database for more details). His next big self-written and performed Broadway theatre piece after The Regard of Flight was Largely New York which won the 1989 Tony for Best Play and received several other important nominations. (Bill won the Tony Award for Best Actor for his 2005 performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.) Here's a clip from the Tony Awards special that year with the Largely New York segment -- a rare treasure!
Along with performing partner David Shiner he created the lauded Fool Moon in 1993, and they reunited earlier this year at the Signature Theatre in NYC for a new production entitled Old Hats. You'll be happy to hear that the show (read the NYT review here) has been extended at least until early June and you can buy tickets online right now!
You'll like this clip of Karen Ziemba and Irwin performing "Sooner or Later" in the 1993 PBS special Stephen Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall.
Bill Irwin was featured in another PBS Great Performances, this one a celebration of his career entitled Bill Irwin, Clown Prince in December of 2004. You can still check out the website -- click here -- and though it's not available on DVD, by some miracle somebody posted the show on Vimeo and I suggest you go to there immediately and watch it! Click here!
Bill Irwin is an American treasure, a work of art and a one-of-a-kind force of nature. Happy 63rd Birthday, Bill. Irwin!
I've said it before and I'll say it again...we are living in a golden age of television viewing. Fantasy epic Game of Thrones just started its third season on HBO. Emmy award winning period piece Mad Men is returning to AMC this Sunday. And currently we have two dark and thrilling original mysteries on the air; ANE's Bates Motel and the superb Top of the Lake on the Sundance channel. Both are set in small rural towns where the citizens are menacing and off kilter. Like Twin Peaks except everyone has a smart phone, and half the folks are crazier than a burlap bag full of poly-dactyl cats. Both series also have big name talent in their casts. And both have plenty of sex and violence, in keeping with the first law of cable TV which is that all bets are off except for full frontal naked dudes (and HBO even gets away with that from time to time). Let's take a look at both of them, starting with the good and working our way up to the sublime.
Bates Motel airs on ANE Monday nights at 10pm. Three episodes have already aired and if you missed them you can stream them all on their website for free. Based on the classic Hitchcock favorite Psycho, this series is a sort of prequel to the movie. Call it Norman and his mother...the early years. It stars the extremely talented Brit actor Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as our dear nut-ball Norman and the gorgeous and capable Vera Farmiga as his smother mother Norma. They just moved into the big house in a rural U.S. town (looks like northern California) and they're off to a rocky start. The cops are crooked, the former owner is enraged and something very bad is happening up in the woods. The characters are mildly quirky (I particularly love the high school nerd girl who has to wear an oxygen tank) and the writing is sharp. It has become appointment TV for me now, filling what was formerly a Monday night desert.
Top of the Lake is the phenomenal new short series (alas only 7 episodes) from the Sundance Channel. If TV shows were boyfriends then Top of the Lake is my new boyfriend and I'm in love. I'm a late bloomer for the show, having just gotten around to watching my first episode last night on (cable) demand. You can also catch it on Sundance or download episodes from iTunes or Amazon.
Written and directed by Academy Award winner Jane Campion (The Piano), Top of the Lake is terribly disturbing and yet also darkly hilarious. It takes place in a backwater town in New Zealand, so when things seem off-the-charts odd you're not sure if it's nuts because that's the way things are in New Zealand or maybe this town sets a whole new high bar for weird. At the center of the tale is a woebegone 12 year old (Tui) who is five months pregnant. She's not saying how, and Detective
Griffin (the incredible Elisabeth Moss from Mad Men) is brought in to investigate. She seems the only one in this strange little town that is even remotely outraged by this poor child's terrible situation. Tui's father is one of the scariest, most unlikable characters I've seen in quite some time. He shoots dogs, he drowns real estate agents...and he's practically incomprehensible with a Scottish brogue thicker than mud. In fact, he is so despicable, my guess is that we are going to find out that there's a decent fellow buried under all his sputter and menace. Campion will try to surprise us, I'm sure of it. And speaking of surprise, I thought I would go the rest of my life not liking Holly Hunter but now it's not going to happen. I always found her off-putting...mostly because of that voice which has the metallic grate of a spoon caught in a garbage disposal. In this series, she is a revelation. She plays a new-age guru for abused women. She looks a bit like aging punk rocker and poet Patti Smith. Her character (GJ) is 82 pounds of androgynous woman and 42 pounds of long silver hair. Of course, one is captivated by her in every scene. Much of her appeal has to do with the writing which is insanely good. When she first meets the unfortunate Tui, her reaction is not concern or even anger. With great conviction she points to Tui and says, "You've got a time bomb in there...it's going to go off!". Absolutely nothing in this series is predictable.
All of this would keep me coming back for more, but I'm a sucker for odd-ball secondary characters and this series has plenty. One of GJ's acolytes is recovering from a tragic friendship with a chimpanzee. Another is a corpulent sex addict. Underneath all the odd, is Campion's trademark tightly crafted rage against the patriarchy. Ticking like a bomb, and ready to go off.
Hunt for these series as fast as you can. I'll see you in the woods, or down by the lake!
There's a great opportunity today on the Encore Western channels to see the superb actor Michael Dunn in the 1970 Michael Landon-written-and-directed Bonanza episode It's a Small World. It airs at 4pm Eastern and then again at 7pm on the W feed.
Michael Dunn in 1964
If you are a Little House on the Prairie fan you will recognize that Landon did a remake of this theme -- a dwarf circus performer turns out to be far more courageous than any of the other townpeople -- in the episode Little Lou, where Billy Barty takes on the central role. You can watch the episode on YouTube (click here).
It's a Small World comes from the 11th season of Bonanza, and is a great example of what a sensitive writer and director Michael Landon evolved into. This evolution produced the timeless gem Little House on the Prairie -- proof enough, I'd say.
In terms of sheer acting prowess I have to give the nod to Michael Dunn, but Barty is pretty darned good. If you're not familiar with Dunn, just think of him as yesterday's Peter Dinklage. Every few decades a preternaturally talented actor emerges who is unlike most others. I wrote a post a few years about him for TCM's Movie Morlocks, which you can check out by clicking here.
We'd like to extend a Happy Birthday today to actress Sharon Acker, a talented beauty who enjoyed a terrific career playing mostly on series TV during the 1960s through the 1980s. Of course we're going to particularly shout-out her Star Trek appearance in the third season episode The Mark of Gideon. Remember that one? She was the lost young woman who was trapped on a deserted version of the Enterprise with Captain Kirk, and every so often the windows would open and they'd see these creepy figures staring in at them.
Nobody is crazy about the episode -- a lot of the third season entries strike fans that way -- but at least The Mark of Gideon was saying something about overpopulation. (I don't want to give away more of the plot in case anyone hasn't seen it.)
In any case, Ms. Acker was a lovely Odona, and if you watched any series TV during that time you'd have seen her on just about every program -- The Wild Wild West, Get Smart, Gunsmoke, Alias Smith and Jones, It Takes a Thief, The Bold Ones, Mission: Impossible, The Mod Squad, McMillan and Wife and so on. Check out her full list of career credits here. She had a good role as Lee Marvin's wife in the big-screen tough guy thriller Point Blank in 1967, but most of this Canada-born actress' work -- and there was plenty of it -- was on the small screen.
Sharon Acker is included in this clever compilation of Star Trek and Mission: Impossible
actor crossovers:
She's also featured in this Get Smart/Star Trek crossover video:
The Flaming Nose wishes she had continued her career into the 1990s and beyond-- her last credit is from 1989 -- but as we've noted around here before, all you need to have done is one Star Trek and you are a TV immortal.
If you're a Star Trek fan you probably have your own Spock favorites (and please tell us in the comments), but we've assembled a selection of trailers from Star Trek: The Original Series episodes featuring great Spock moments. A few of these episodes are totally Spock-centric, but all the others have some terrific insights into Spock and of course Leonard Nimoy's marvelous portrayal. You'll find that most of the trailers emphasize Captain Kirk, but that's 1960s episode TV for you -- action adventure was king!
1. Amok Time -- because it's all about Vulcan sexuality! Hot blood, green blood, it's all boiling when Spock goes into Pon Farr and must return to Vulcan to take a mate. This was the 2nd season opener and can you imagine what it must have been like to have seen this for the first time back then? Completely awesome and featuring one of the most famous musical riffs ever to come out of TV!
2. Journey to Babel -- because we get to meet Spock's human mother Amanda and his Vulcan father Sarek, played to perfection by Jane Wyatt and Mark Lenard. The Enterprise is in a tizzy when a shipload of intergalactic ambassadors is aboard on their way to a meeting, and Spock's father's sudden illness forces the First Officer to assert priorities which pitch his Human side against his Vulcan identity. From the series' 2nd season.
3. The Naked Time -- because we see Spock breaking down when an alien virus infects the crew and hidden emotions come to the surface. We definitely learn here that Nurse Chapel has a thing for Spock, too -- and can you blame her? From the 1st season.
4. This Side of Paradise -- because we get to meet Spock's former ladyfriend and watch alien spores loosen his Vulcan reserve. The lovely Jill Ireland guests as Leila, and Spock gets the chance to cavort around the countryside and also have a bare knuckle fight with Captain Kirk! 1st season.
5. Return to Tomorrow -- because Spock lends his body to a lecherous and devious alien entity and it's fun seeing him be sort of sexy/evil. Great guest role for Diana Muldaur, too.
2nd season.
6. Mirror, Mirror -- because we really like Spock being sexy/evil, especially when we're in an alternate universe and he gets to wear a stylish goatee. Great acting opportunity for all the cast in this one and many great Spock scenes. 2nd season.
7. The Enterprise Incident -- because Spock gets to go undercover and seduce an alluring female Romulan commander played by Joanne Linville. This is also the one where Kirk gets pointed ears. 3rd season.
8. Plato's Stepchildren -- because this is such a nutty episode and we get to watch Spock singing, dancing, crying and rueing it all afterwards. One of the better episodes from the very uneven 3rd season, with a great guest star in the brilliant Michael Dunn. We're not saying this isn't silly bordering on the out-and-out bizarre, but lots of interesting Spock in it!
9. All Our Yesterdays -- because Spock goes back in time and falls for the exiled beauty Zarabeth played by Mariette Hartley. Who doesn't love Time Travel, and it's always fascinating to watch Spock lose control. 3rd season, and the 2nd to the last episode of the show filmed.
10. The Menagerie, Parts 1 & 2
-- because Spock is the main engine for the action here and we also get to see the earlier version of his character. Spock kidnaps his former captain, now horribly mutilated, hijacks the Enterprise and heads for the most forbidden part of the galaxy. Very science fiction-ish, serious and interesting. From the 1st season.
This review comes courtesy of Read On Read Now.
The Eagles were then and are to this day the definers of the music of my youth. I can legitimately say I love their music without falling into the pit of idol worship. Showtime's two part documentary is a superb piece of storytelling, although why they felt a need to make this into two parts is a sorry example of extending a story that didn't need the extension. The second part only runs 1:10, so it easily could have been edited and placed into the original night of programming. The second half is mostly a look at the solo careers of Don Henley and Glenn Frey; and we get to see the big reveal as to how the band reunited in 1994. Show me the money, although I honestly believe that creative instincts played a role in their reunion as well. It would be difficult for anyone not to recognize what those voices, combined, sounded like, although they were a weaker vocal group without Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon.
"The History of the Eagles - The Story of an American Band" is a solid overall look at the single most significant act of the 1970's. They are in the top five of the biggest selling artists in history, so their record sales spell out their commercial success. "Their Greatest Hits" album is the biggest selling album of the 20th Century. They were often dismissed from a critical perspective, but time has been on their side.
Alison Ellwood directs "The History of the Eagles" in a song by song fashion with an enormous emphasis placed on Henley and Frey. They are the only two people who get a "where did I come from" treatment. We know they are the authority figures of the band (they make that very clear), but the complete dismissal of the other band members' lives is insulting, but I suspect that neither of them care. This is a complete execution - set from on high.
For years, Henley was seen as the big bad guy in the band, but this documentary shows Frey as the band-mate who seemingly can't get along in the sandbox (even more so than Henley). He is ultimately the person who fires Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner and Don Felder. Is it always someone else's fault? As the greatest American band ever - they should have listened to their own words - "Get Over It." Although, David Geffen (I'd love to have been a fly on the wall in their meetings) gets in the single best dig of all. He refers to Henley as a malcontent. He says it two times. I suspect this may all be a badge of honor for these folks. Henley and Frey, that is. In the end, it is sanitized. If you have read their biographies you know this is sanitized.
Felder recently hinted that Henley and Frey pretend that they were best buddies and clearly that wasn't their foundational relationship or their ongoing Eagles relationship. If you doubt their comfort zone with one another go and watch their interview with Steve Croft from 60 Minutes. Squirm time arrives. Seriously, go and watch that interview.
Thankfully, we get the comic relief of Joe Walsh. Not only is Walsh funny, but he clearly has a sweetness to him that I've never seen displayed before. Loved when he vocalized "that one of the most terrifying things ever was when Keith Moon decided he liked me." Walsh clearly gets along well in the sandbox. In the end, the most impressive aspect of Walsh's contributions in the documentary is his wisdom. Yes, his wisdom. Some of the most profound statements in the entire three plus hours come from the mind of Joe Walsh.
Randy Meisner is treated as an afterthought in much of the three plus hours -- which is appalling. Meisner was one of the best bass players in rock history. He composed a lot of songs. He could hit notes that a Basset Hound couldn't hear and he was one of the cutest guys ever and I mean ever to stand before a microphone in any genre of music (sorry, but it counts). He sings lead on "Take It to the Limit" which means he needed to do nothing else; and that number one hit (their first) would secure him Eagles status for the balance of his days. The song has one of the great dramatic builds in all of rock history and that soaring climax breaks my heart to this day. He was obviously way in over his head and he is the one person in this documentary who sincerely had no business being in the entertainment industry.
The fact that Henley and Frey seemingly think they are a duo with sidemen is mean-spirited. Can you comprehend Paul McCartney or John Lennon dismissing George Harrison or Ringo Starr? Lennon famously said that they weren't four people, but one with four parts. McCartney's genuineness on the concept of a band shines through in the underwhelming Living in the Material World documentary. McCartney has talked a great deal over the last fifty years, but he has rarely actually said much, but he provides some profound commentary while waxing poetic about George Harrison in the aforementioned documentary.
Some of the finest moments in the entire documentary don't necessarily come from the Eagles, but from those they worked with. Glyn Johns, their first producer (who also produced the Rolling Stones, the Who and Led Zeppelin) and Bill Szymczyk (their last producer - not counting them) have several insightful moments of memory. Szymczyk let them do all the things Johns wouldn't let them do. You wish there was more of both of them. Irving Azoff (their famed manager) pops up quite frequently. I met Azoff years ago at a World Music Awards taping in Las Vegas. At the time he was managing Christina Aguilera and I managed to get him to talk for about three minutes. Of course, I went on and on about the Eagles. I was truthful in my admiration (it's about the music), so I didn't falsely tell tales, but I must admit he was engaging and after that three minutes I couldn't get him to move on. He likes to chat.
The big plus in this retrospective - no talking heads. You don't have to sit through "rock historians" and assorted other folks that examined their career, their songs or their lives. The only people that pop up for commentary are those that worked closely with them. The second part does end on a strange note with two - only two comments closing out the documentary. We hear thoughts from then and current California Governor, Jerry Brown; and for some reason the last person we see is Stevie Nicks. I am a huge fan of Nicks', but why does she get the last word?
Henley opens the documentary speaking back in the 1970s by saying this is "not something you can do forever;" and of course the intimacy of the truth is literally staring you in the face for an evening of viewing. When Glyn Johns first encountered them in a British studio he almost gave up on them since he initially wasn't impressed. Just as he was about to depart from their existence he heard what he heard and that was perfect harmony. Literally, by the way. He heard them singing together and that was that. Henley, Frey, Meisner and Leadon. That group of four still reigns on high vocally.
There are other great harmonizing acts, but even the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees and Crosby, Stills and Nash aren't fit to tie the shoelaces of the Eagles. Their voices were stunningly beautiful. When I hear "Seven Bridges Road" I still get goosebumps up my spine. All these years later, it is a delightful moment in life to hear the Eagles sing. They were superbly talented songwriters, arrangers and musicians, but they are the voices that mattered for multiple numbers of listeners to the music.
"The History of the Eagles" is one of the best documentaries ever produced on any music artist. By the time it ends you feel like you know them. In spite of themselves, you are glad you got to know them. You probably wouldn't want to hang out with all of them, but you are glad you were taken down their road. Just go and play some of their music. Keep in mind, every time you download their songs - you make them richer (the songwriters get richer). Thankfully, I've got their catalog. They were second only to the Beatles and I assume a Kennedy Center Honors is on the way. How did the Brits get that honor before the Eagles? The Who and Led Zeppelin have already been rewarded (not that this stuff means anything). For better, for worse you can't get more American than the Eagles.
Watch it and enjoy. This is a straight A for Eagle fans. If you want the inside track to a somewhat shady business you will have an education in three hours. If you don't like the music of the Eagles - what is wrong with your ears?
My five favorite songs by the Eagles:
1) Take It To the Limit - Practical tears every time I hear it. Those notes! Loved Randy Meisner!
2) One of These Nights - One of the best pop songs of all-time.
3) Seven Bridges Road (live) - Harmony vocals don't get better than this.
4) Most Of Us Are Sad - Country/pop/rock on the mountaintop.
5) You Never Cry Like a Lover - (Lyrics are silly, but Henley's vocal is one of his defining moments).
The last time I saw the Eagles they played for three and a half hours. I broke my ankle exiting the building that night, but thankfully, the show was over and they had loitered supremely.
I cannot imagine not loving their music. The best band ever, next to the Beatles, that is!
Copyright Read On Read Now 2013
"Are We Alone?" Indeed...Science Channel asks this most mysterious question tonight and lucky for us they know how to make some terrific television to try to answer it. As a follow-up to the tremendously effective two hours they produced last year -- Alien Encounters: The Message and Alien Encounters: The Arrival -- tonight and next week they bring us two more installments under the umbrella theme title of Are We Alone?. March is -- and was last year, too -- an "Are We Alone?" theme month, though I'm not sure it's so much a month as just a Tuesday evening stunt, but that's plenty good enough. What really makes this collection of programming special is that these four special are made with the help of the SETI Institute, the foremost authority on the search for alien life, and their participation ensures that these shows are both scientifically accurate and dramatically far-reaching, a perfect combination.
Tonight's new hour, premiering at 10pm, is Alien Encounters: The Invasion. If you saw the other two specials, you know that Earth intercepted a message from an alien source -- first contact -- and then in the second hour it was discovered that the aliens were headed straight for our planet. If you didn't see these two excellent hours, you will have a chance tonight when they are repeated at from 8pm to 10pm, and we highly recommend watching. Not only will it get you up to speed for the newest special, but these are hours that can stand up to repeat viewing. They are superb, with believable fictional characters and scenes featured along with real scientists who offer their views on the history-making events taking place.
No doubt these two new hours -- the fourth one premieres next Tuesday -- will not disappoint. We've been introduced to several recurring characters who will no doubt be facing the scary reality of alien contact in these newest segments. Science Channel has managed here to combine some of the best scientific minds -- and not only merely brilliant, but enthusiastic and emminently entertaining -- with an appealing semi-documentary look to the dramatic segments that works to increase believability in material that skirts the unknowable.
Don't miss Alien Encounters 2: The Invasion tonight at 10pm, with an encore at 1am, and last year's Alien Encounters: The Message and Alien Encounters: The Arrival at 8pm and 9pm, respectively, with encores at 11pm and 12 midnight.
We don't exactly know why HBO is keeping this one such a secret, but you should be getting ready to watch the superb English miniseries Parade's End which begins tonight. Starring the elegent and exceptional Benedict Cumberbatch -- PBS' recent present-day Sherlock Holmes and the villain in the upcoming J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness feature and many other production -- Parade's End will be interesting to anybody who's been devouring Downton Abbey, to be sure, and anyone else who thrives on intelligent drama done played to perfection with that refined British stiff upper lip. Also starring with Cumberbatch are Rebecca Hall and Adelaide Clemens, both very talented and adding so much to Parade's End.
Parade's End airs beginning tonight -- Tuesday, 2/26 -- at 9pm -- and plays for the next three nights, and that appears to be it, for at least a while on actual TV, though it looks like it will be available On Demand and on HBO Go.
We don't even need to go into the plot here, but rest assured that the provenance of Parade's End is solid. It's based on the novels of Ford Madox Ford, which may mean something to you but if it doesn't that's okay, too. If you'd like to know a little more before you dip your toe in, click here and take a look at this detailed synopsis from HBO, but really...it's not necessary. You'll be just fine tuning in tonight and having a go. Think World War I, think aristocracy, think infidelity...
Parade's End aired first on BBC Two back in August of last year, causing a run on Ford's original novels and garnering unanimous critical acclaim and impressive audience ratings. There seems to be a divergence of opinion on Parade's End over here with critics; some, like Robert Bianco from USA Today think it's a duller version of Downton Abbey, while others, like Time's James Poniewozik, rather likes its deliberate tone. We think this one should get your attention if for no other reason than Cumberbatch, and that should be sufficient.
Tune in tonight on HBO beginning at 9pm for two hours (Parts 1 & 2), tomorrow Wednesday at 9pm for Parts 3 & 4, and finally on Thursday at 9pm for the only one hour of Part 5.
A very interesting experiment is unfolding on Netflix this week and I predict it's going to be a winner. They've premiered a dark, engaging, top notch political drama....and all 13 of the series episodes are available to download instantly on Netflix. I think this innovative television approach is going to work because the series stars Kevin Spacy as a Machiavellian politician with a menacing southern drawl. And there's no better time to show case a D.C. villain than now, with public official approval ratings in America at an all time low. I think it's also ripe for success because Robin Wright stars as his even colder, meaner, psychopath wife. And I still haven't forgiven her for being mean to Forrest Gump as Jenny the space cadet hippie. So she's extra easy to boo and hiss.
But the real reason I think the time is perfect for a series like this on Netflix is because of tablets. Kindle Fire and iPad ownership is exploding, and there's nothing quite like curling up in bed with a darling little device that lets you watch about a billion hours of TV in a row. Studies have actually shown that insomnia has increased because nobody can put down their tablets at night. There's a small blue glow emanating from the bedrooms of millions of Americans. It's a new army of Netflix zombies being born. I don't think it's going to be the end of TV consumption as we know it anytime soon. But if I was in charge of Pay-Per-View at any of the cable companies I'd be getting that resume polished. I personally have not succumbed to overly expensive PPV movies in over a month. Now, if there's nothing on TV, I'm glued to my Kindle Fire HD and it will take me years to plow through all the stuff I'm finding on Netflix.
I've watched the first two episodes of House of Cards and I'm impressed so far. The imagery is mesmerizing. It makes me want to visit the capital and look at the Lincoln monument at night. Kevin Spacy's character is terrifying and charming. He's like a political Dexter. From time to time he narrates the series by staring directly at the camera. That doesn't bother me as much as some critics, who think this technique is old hat now. If it was anyone less than Spacy, I'm not sure it would work.
It will be loads of fun to see if this innovation will result in a spike of subscribers for Netflix. I still remember the howling when they split their business model into streaming vs. DVD delivery. It didn't make much sense at the time, but boy oh boy it sure does now. Just as one word defined a generation in the movie The Graduate (plastics!), it's quite possible one word will define a shift in television viewing for the 21st Century. Tablets!
Hello again from The Flaming Nose after a long, long hiatus. We'd like to welcome back a new year of FN posts by featuring Black Wings, a fantastic one hour documentary which is running now on the Smithsonian cable channel as well as streaming on the Smithsonian Website. "Black Wings" is the riveting story of African American aviators. It showcases the pioneers who paved the way during times when segregation made their dreams seem impossible...and those who continue the dream today as astronauts in the NASA space program.
This exceptional documentary opens with the early days of aviation, when barnstorming African American dare devil Bessie Coleman flew stunt planes in the 1930's. A brave, gorgeous woman who wouldn't take no for an answer, this pioneer was a true American hero, and few have ever heard of her. Maybe this special will change that.
"Black Wings" also features stories about African American trail blazers who are continuing to inspire young Americans with the glory of flight today...like helicopter pilot Robin Petgrave. His Los Angeles non-profit (Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum) is showing inner city kids how to fly.
From barnstorming bi-plane pilots to military heros like the Tuskegee Airmen, to NASA astronauts like Bernard Harris, the first African American space walker...this special is an exciting triumph for anyone who loves history and aviation. Be sure to hunt for it on the Smithsonian channel. It will air again on February 4th at 7pm and you can click the link above to watch it stream on their website.
Black Wings has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Watch and root for it to win on the Image Award telecast, NBC on February 1st!
Nashville
premiered on ABC television last Wednesday at 10pm.If you’re anything like me, you had to be
begged or bribed to watch it because of the title.It’s not that I dislike Country music.In fact I love country folk and bluegrass and
even some alt country.But I never “got”
the Southern ambiance, and I wondered if this series would make any sense to
me.I once spent at year attending school
in Knoxville, Tennessee and let me just say that while the Blue Ridge mountains
are beautiful, a football obsessed town is not a good cultural “fit” for this
native New Yorker.
Therefore I’m happy to say that you can be southern,
northern, western or even urban and still find something compelling about this
series.It stars the always fascinating
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights, American Horror Story) as the fading Queen
of country music, Rayna Jaymes.Britton
does her own vocals and she sounds terrific.Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) stars as her baby faced nemesis
Juliette Barnes.She’s an oversexed,
auto-tuned monster, as cute as a Pomeranian but with the bite of a Pit
Bull.Juliette grew up in a troubled
home; absent Dad, Meth addict mom.She was
destined to be the terror of her local trailer park, but is instead a fast
rising cross-over star ala’ Taylor Swift.In her spare time she’s starting a business empire by marketing her own
perfume and her new hobby is making Rayna’s life a living hell.When they are first introduced she tells
gushes that the aging Rayna is “her Mom’s favorite”. There will be no further
need to watch Internet cat videos when these two get their claws out.It’s a more interesting rivalry than the one
between the cast members Karen and Ivy on NBC’s Smash, mainly
because cattiness is a blood sport for some southern girls and they are very,
very good at it.If you have any doubt,
see Vivian Leigh’s performance in the classic movie Gone With The Wind. She was
all fiddle-dee-dee on the outside and “I’m gonna rip out your eyeballs and feed
them to your little sister” on the inside.
There’s more tension from Rayna’s family members too, so
she will be quite stressed out in this series.Her husband is a stay-at-home Dad who just happens to be running for
Mayor.Her father Lamar Wyatt (Emmy
winner Powers Boothe) is a wealthy industrialist and political king maker.He’s a control freak and a snake but will
make a convincing villain for the series if they let him become a bit less
one-dimensional.Layered bad guys are
all the rage these days (Dexter, Breaking Bad, Mad Men) so I hope they will
allow Lamar to evolve.
If you’re able to access the pilot that aired last week
(you can stream it from the website), pay close attention to the last ten
minutes.We’re introduced to Gunnar
Scott (Sam Palladio) an affable song writer with a fierce falsetto and a
remarkable resemblance to a young Bruce Springsteen.He’s paired with Scarlett O’Connor, a shy gorgeous
poet who may herself be on the way to country music stardom.The alt country duet they sing is
mesmerizing.I predict a lot of real
life downloads for that song which (like all the music in Nashville) is
available on iTunes.
More fireworks are
anticipated in episode two. Juliette's making a video dressed in white Daisy
Dukes and a bustier. Rayna's manager wants to pair her on stage with an old
beau to spice up her lagging concert ticket sales. Save me a seat!
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