QUEEN IS THE PERFECT VEHICLE FOR ADAM LAMBERT
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THE GLORIOUS CORNER
Story By: G. H. HARDING
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| Anthony Hopkins |
MONSTER MASH --- Writers Alex Kurtzman and writer Chris Morgan have been tapped to reboot Universal’s classic monster movie franchises.
Before the Fast and the Furious, Jurassic Park and the Bourne franchises became what Universal was known for, they had a Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolfman, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein. Now the studio is committing to rebooting these franchises. Kurtzman has been part of the Transformers, Star Trek and Amazing Spider-Man franchises while Morgan has been the writing force behind Universal’s more reliable franchise, The Fast and the Furious.
Universal has tapped into these characters over the years for movies like Van Helsing, The Mummy, The Wolfman and the upcoming Dracula Untold, but this is the first time they’ve tried to revive all of the characters in a cohesive, connected world. The first movie being put together in this effort is a reboot of the Mummy slated to be released April 22nd, 2016.
For the older demographic, the original versions of these movies, with actors like Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney were good, camp fun that have endured till the present day. Terrific stories with sinister, mysterious visuals. Who could not love Chaney as the Wolfman?
I just watched the re-boot (2010) several years back with Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins, and while it held up surprisingly well, the original (1941) was just an awesome classic. Good to have the fellows back!
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| Adam Lambert |
QUEEN ADAM --- From PR-pasha Randy Alexander, who was sitting front-and-center in Philadelphia: “Thrilled I decided at the last minute to pick up tix and take my son Harrison to see the Queen and Adam Lambert concert last night. Never much paid any attention to Lambert before, nor have I ever had any desire to consider even semi-seriously following him. But after seeing him last night fronting Queen, he's got a new fan right here, certainly in this vehicle.
To say he was perfect in this role is with the greatest respect to Freddie Mercury. I saw the tour with Paul Rodgers six years ago, and Lambert energizes the band in a way Rodgers never did. Lambert not only has the natural flamboyance, but his original interpretations of the Queen catalogue and how to present these indelible songs vocally and theatrically were spot-on while making them his own.
More astounding was how effortlessly he delivered his vocal acrobatics - dare I say even more effortlessly than Freddie himself, as was proven each time the video screen gave us the chance to compare/contrast against vintage Mercury clips. True, there was and will only be one Freddie Mercury, rest his soul. But with Lambert out front, ya gotta hand it to him - this version is a greater tribute than ever imagined. It's Killer Queen.”
Check out this link from the show HERE.
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| Bryan Cranston |
ALL THE WAY IN --- Can an Emmy winner, a Tony winner and an Oscar winner walk into… HBO?
Yes indeed, the pay cable network has scored the rights to Broadway smash All the Way — which won 2014 Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Actor in a Play — with Bryan Cranston set to reprise his role as President Lyndon Johnson and Steven Spielberg‘s Amblin Entertainment among the producers, according to Deadline Hollywood.
The adaptation’s pedigree is, to put it conservatively, rather eye-popping.
Spielberg, a four-time Emmy winner (most recently as producer of 2010′s outstanding miniseries The Pacific) and an Academy Award winner as director of Schindler’s List, acquired the rights to All the Way last month.
In addition to his Tony this year, Cranston will, of course, attempt to win his fifth Emmy award as Best Actor in a Drama Series for Breaking Bad next month.
To add to the project’s cachet, playwright Robert Schenkkan (who’s also got a Pulitzer Prize on his resume, for 1992′s The Kentucky Cycle) will adapt his own script for the small screen.
All the Way takes place in 1964 — during LBJ’s first year in office following the assassination of President Kennedy — as America grapples with its involvement in the Vietnam War and a landmark civil rights bill is passed. J. Edgar Hoover, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Governor George Wallace are just a few of the historical figures represented in the stage version.
We didn't get to see this and really wanted to. The whole scenario reminds me of the play Frost/Nixon, which was adapted to the big screen (in 2008, directed by Ron Howard) with its original cast intact: Frank Langella and Michael Sheen. Both were as good, if not better, than their stage roles. And, the movie was terrific!
Looking forward to this one for sure.
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| Elaine Stritch |
CLOSING NOTES --- RIP Elaine Stritch and blues-legend Johnny Winter. Two huge losses for sure. Stritch was just amazing and even at 89 was a scream. From the screen to the stage, she was a treasure for sure. White-haired-Winter in his storied career was just a tower of showmanship and talent. They'll both be missed terrible. The lights on Broadway will dim tonight to honor this huge star....
How about ole’ Rupert Murdoch trying to buy Time-Warner for upwards of $85 billion? Trust me, that’s just his first offer and you never, ever accept the first offer. I believe it’s a done-deal. Time-Warner (including HBO) has some of the best content-around and that’s the key here. Remember, content is king. Will be interesting to see how the media-landscape changes with this one and believe me, it will change …
We didn't get a change to mention last week’s third installment of HBO’s The Leftovers, starring Justin Theroux, who was hardly in this episode at all. Rather, it focused on holy-man Christopher Eccleston (the ninth Doctor Who) and his tactics to try to save his Episcopalian church, which is on the chopping block. It was by far the best episode so far. Eccleston was just outstanding and the story terrifically compelling; certainly noteworthy as this series has had a very, very hard getting its sea legs. And, I'm afraid, that most of the negative criticism is justly due. Sad, as Lost’s Damon Lindelof is involved. Also, odd, that almost none of the regulars were in it. The title of the episode was: Two Boats and a Helicopter.
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| Micky Dolenz AT BB Kings |
Two weeks until Micky Dolenz hits B. B. King's ... check out the club's site for tickets.
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