by Sandy | Aug 17, 2009 | Actors, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Film, Movies
A special box set of 17 DVDs/13 films, along with an illustrated coffee-table book, will be released this September as a celebration of this actors work.
Some of the films included:
The Long, Hot Summer (1958), From the Terrace (1960), Exodus (1960), The Hustler (1961), Hombre (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Quintet (1979), The Verdict (1982
(Some of my favorites are not included in this tribute, but all are available on DVD: The Sting, The Hustler, Road to Perdition, Hud)
Paul Newman passed away in September, 2008 at age 83. A good actor and humanitarian, he had a long, full and varied life – he entertained us and he contributed to us.
“Paul Newman: The Tribute Collection” to be released 9/22/09
by Sandy | Aug 14, 2009 | Actors, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Books, Film, Movies
Whether he is acting in a film of serious social commentary, “Traffic” and “Crash” or fun stuff, the “Ocean’s” films – (11, 12 and 13), Mr. Cheadle always stands out.
Whether crying with him in “Hotel Rwanda” or laughing with him as he “attitudes” his way thru “Talk to Me”, a story about 60’s/70’s activist, and Washington, DC, disk jockey Ralph “Petey” Greene directed by Kasi Lemmons, he just elevates it all to another level.
Also a stage actor, he appeared in Lori Parks Pulitzer Prize winning play, “Top Dog/Under Dog”, on Broadway to much acclaim. But, Don Cheadle also has an activist streak. While filming “Hotel Rwanda”, he learned the plight of people in the Sudan and after visiting Darfur in 2005, he’s made a committed effort to bring the horrors and violence of the region to the attention of the American people. He wrote a book with John Prendergast called, “Not On Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond”. An accompanying documentary was released in 2007.
Don Cheadle is outstanding.
by Sandy | Aug 13, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Creativity, Culture, Film, Movies
“I Bring What I Love” – is a documentary film about Youssou N’Dour, the pop music superstar from Senegal, West Africa.
N’Dour is revered for his “remarkable range and poise and for his prodigious musical intelligence as a writer, bandleader and producer. He absorbs the entire Senegalese musical spectrum in his work, often filtering it through the lens of genre-defying rock or pop music from outside his culture. N’Dour has made “mbalax”—a blend of Senegal‘s traditional griot percussion and praise-singing with Afro-Cuban music—famous throughout the world during more than 20 years of recording and touring outside of Senegal with his band, The Super Étoile”.
The director of “I Bring What I Love”, Elizabeth Chai Vasahelyi, followed the singer for 2 years throughout Africa, Europe and the U.S. to bring us a picture of this super talented and complex man who spread the music and rhythms of his homeland worldwide.
Youssou N’Dour * “I Bring What I Love“
by Sandy | Aug 11, 2009 | Artist, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Exhibits, Museums
The Holland Rijksmuseum is sending Vermeer’s “The Milk Maid” to the Met in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Manhattan by Henry Hudson. (In 1609, he sailed down the now Hudson River to ”New Amsterdam” while searching for a route to Asia)
Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer, (1632 – 1675), was born in Delft, the Netherlands. During the 17th century, the “golden age” of Holland, the middle class became rich as a result of trade. These merchants used their excess money to become patrons of the arts and their wealth supported artists like Vermeer.
5 more of his paintings, along with the work of other artists from Delft , Pieter de Hooch, Gabriël Metsu, Nicolaes Maes, Emanuel de Witte, Hendrick van Vliet, and Hendrick Sorgh, will be on view.
“Vermeer’s Masterpiece The Milk Maid” – September 10 to November 29, 2009
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, NYC
by Sandy | Aug 10, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, music
Formerly “Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles”, this fabulous group, Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash and Patti LaBelle, changed their name to “LaBelle” in 1967 and sang, danced, sashayed their way to star status. Always in full costume, they sang great, put on a great show and were just fun.
Their classic album, “Nightbirds”, became a huge hit in 1975, (it included “Lady Marmalade”). The group split in 1976, went their successful separate ways and have returned with a new CD, “Back to Now”, released late last year.
The music is still terrific and judging by the CD cover, “LaBelle” still loves to dress up. I’m happy the ladies are back.
BTW – The group sang back up on the brilliant Laura Nyro album called “Gonna Take A Miracle” in 1971. Excellent.
by Sandy | Aug 9, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Movies
Denzel. He is a “single name” person – like Cher, Madonna, Fidel. I must admit I’m supremely biased – I think Mr. Washington is fabulous. Just watch him walk! I saw him Off Broadway in the 80’s in a great piece called “A Soldier’s Play”, written by Charles Fuller. It was just after he left the TV series “St. Elsewhere” and before his award winning performance in ‘Glory” – you could tell he was the real deal.
He is one of the best actors of his generation. When he gets a good script (and even sometimes when he doesn’t) he is wonderful and his performance in “American Gangster” is no exception.
Written by Steve Zaillian and directed by Ridley Scott, with a group of excellent actors – Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin and the legendary Ruby Dee – this movie is based on a true story. It follows a NYC drug dealer, Frank Lucas, (Washington), and the cop that is obsessed/committed to taking him down, (Crowe).
Regardless of his personal issues, (he and that model seem to have a penchant for throwing phones?) Crowe is terrific as the gangster’s arch enemy. His determined lawman assembles a mini task force in response to the drug explosion that happened in 70’s NYC. This evil became widespread and brought both desperation and devastation to the communities where it thrived and huge amounts of money to those who sold it. A dangerous and toxic combination – those addicted wouldn’t give it up, those that became rich, refused to.
Engrossing film. Drug dealing is not glorified thank goodness, but, you get a chance to see how some think that the havoc that they wreak on their fellow man is not only ok, but, entrepreneurial – the American way.
Scary.
