GLEE CONTINUES TO BE A HOT LASER BEAM FOR FOX
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THE GLORIOUS CORNER
Story By: G. H. HARDING
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GOLD MADNESS --- Last night’s Golden Globes (the 72nd) were chastened a bit by the events of the last several days in Paris, and as such, the speeches were the real key here: thoughtful, emotional and totally captivating. Rapper Common‘s speech, for his award, for his work in Selma: he wrote the song “Glory” with John Legend for the film, was completely outstanding, commanding and spot on.
Michael Keaton’s speech for his win in Birdman, was truly stirring and at one point (talking about his son Sean and his wife who passed in 2010), the brilliant actor teared up onstage. Truly a magic moment for the exemplary actor.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler did a terrific job again, though, I could have done without their Bill Cosby joke, as that major imbroglio seems far from over. As much as I love them, after three years it seems appropriate to go onto another host. Former host Ricky Gervais, who appeared onstage to present an award, was again a breath of fresh air.
Boyhood won big as Patricia Arquette and director Richard Linklater both scored honors. Fey & Poehler had a funny line at that movie: saying it still is possible for a woman over to 40 to land a great role … if you get cast before you're 40! Funny indeed.
Fargo and Bill Bob Thornton were winners as well, with Thornton delivering possibly the shortest acceptance speech ever. JK Simmons, from Whiplash won, as well as Gina Rodriguez, winning for Jane The Virgin, a hot new series on the CW, as well as Maggie Gyllenhaal, Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Julienne Moore (Still Alice), Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) and Ruth Wilson (The Affair).
Amazon's Transparent won for Best Series and its Jeffrey Tambor as actor. This is a brilliant show btw: if you haven't seen it, you're missing something very special and very important.
An ongoing skit with Margaret Cho, repping a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press from Korean, was funny, but went on too long, but her query as to where’s Dennis Rodman, was terribly funny.
One of my favorites Colin Firth had a funny line intro-ing the movie The Imitation Game: "This is a movie I might have wanted to do, but the producers were waiting for Benedict Cumberbatch to be born." Funny!
Presenter Jared Leto said, “To our friends, our thoughts and our prayers and our hearts are with you tonight. Je suis Charlie.”
George Clooney, receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award for contributions to the industry, and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, were among those prominently wearing Je Suis Charlie buttons. His gracious acceptance speech inevitably turned to that subject: After thanking the group for keeping small films alive, and paying tribute to Lauren Bacall and Robin Williams, he said, “Just to reiterate what we’ve all been talking about, today was an extraordinary day. There were millions of people that marched not just in Paris but around the world. And they were Christians and Jews and Muslims. They were leaders of countries all over the world, and they didn’t march in protest. They marched in support of the idea that we will not walk in fear. We won’t do it. So je suis Charlie.”
Certainly a reflective time for everyone in the room last night; it was a good show all around.
ANNAPURNA RISING --- Megan Ellsion’s Annapurna Pictures (Foxcatcher; Her; American Hustle; Zero Dark Thirty) will finance and produce the next Alexander Payne-directed film, Downsizing, which will go into production in early 2016. It will start production with a killer cast. In addition to Matt Damon and Reese Witherspoon in the lead roles, the film will also star Alec Baldwin, Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Sudeikis.
Baldwin is now finishing shooting the NFL concussion drama that stars Will Smith, and he just completed Warren Beatty’s Howard Hughes film, Cameron Crowe’s untitled film and Mission: Impossible 5; Harris is coming off Gone Girl and is hosting the Oscars; Sudeikis is coming off Horrible Bosses 2.
Looks like another hit for Annapurna.
GLEE SCORES --- When Fox’s Glee hit the airwaves some five years ago; it was like a white hot laser beam. I loved it as much for the terrific cast of actors, as for the songs they performed. Face it: It was a huge, huge laser hit then.
In the intervening years, they're been several duplicates that have failed miserably; the cast has scattered and there’s been one huge, huge loss. I watched their final (6th) season beginning Friday and I have to say, I was again blown away yet again. Sparing absolutely no expense on effects, wardrobe and terrific direction and photography, it still remains a first-class production through and through.
Truth be told: It felt fresh all over again.
It starts (Loser Like Me and Homecoming) with Rachel (Lea Michele) failing at her sitcom on the East Coast and returning to the school that launched her hopes and dreams. The evil Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) has taken the reigns at McKinley High and banished forever (!!??) The Glee club. One by one, most of the original members return and prevail.
I loved Michele’s version of “Frozen.” She’s always had a delicious voice and this was a wining performance.
I loved it all over again.
CLOSING NOTES --- The Idina Menzel-led musical If/Then will end its Broadway run March 22. Written by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey and directed by Michael Greif, the show succumbed to the unbreakable Broadway law: If audiences don't come to a show then there’s no way it can survive.
“I am extremely proud of this musical, the entire creative team and cast and the remarkable work they have done in bringing this story to life,” producer David Stone said in a statement. “We all look forward to sharing it with audiences for the next ten weeks.” If/Then will have played 29 previews and 501 performances …
Trailblazing and hilarious) actor/comedian Taylor Negron passed away at 57 after a long battle with cancer. He was stunningly good; no more so than in his terrific turn as the bad guy Milo, in Tony Scott’s The Last Boy Scout. Said Negron about the role, “It wasn't a stretch, but it came as a surprise to me, because Bruce Willis, Tony Scott and Joel Silver had this idea in their head. So when they offered me the part, I thought it was a joke and they had made a mistake in the printing — that I was going to play the first goombah to the left. I realized very early on that Joel and dear, dear Tony Scott really cared about appearances, so with great detail they blonded my hair and gave me that asymmetrical ’60’s cut. It was like Hitler, only softer. I wore Dolce & Gabbana clothing and I looked so strange and otherworldly, and just by the sheer virtue of the fact that I had a gun in my hand, that did all the acting for me.” ...
The final cycle of AMC's Mad Men begins April 5 ...
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