The English Teacher May 17th

The English Teacher opens May 17th, starring Julianna Moore, Greg Kinnear , and Nathen Lane. It's a film about a quiet, small town high school teacher who takes on the production of a former students play, in an effort to bolster his confidence and get him back to New York.

It also is a bit of a scathing look at the movie/theatre industry, if you take it that way. The way the writer, director, producer, and actors behave terribly and never taking responsibility for their behavior. Everyone is lying  to everyone about the production, among other things. You could even go so far as to see the principle as the studio head. No one comes out looking particularly clean.

The English Teacher is a fun comedic ride, check it out!

HBO Family Tree May 12

Christopher Guest has created a new Mockumentary series for HBO, Family Tree. Joining his usual team of brilliant comedic actors is Chris O'Dowd. If you are familiar with him at all you'll know he should fit right into this quirky comedy troop.

The show premieres May 12th on HBO. It begins with 8 episode. I've yet to see an episode so I can't say how it is, but I think these people have a pretty good track record, so watch it!

Family Tree: Invitation to the Set

Mad Men Season 6 Episode 5 The Flood Wrap Up

Episode 5 The Flood brings us to April 1968 and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. America is hitting a point of cataclysmic change. Bobby Kennedy will be killed in just two more month. Change has been coming slowly but now there is no more dragging your feet, everyone is going to change in relation to it. As Megan's father says "...the escalation of decay".

This show opens with Peggy looking at an apartment on the Eastside. She's making lots of money and coming up in the world. Abe is along for the ride, but without being  financially involved, he feels he has no say. When Peggy finally asks his opinion he says he'd rather they raise their kids in a more diverse neighborhood. I think all Peggy hears is he wants to have kids with her and she is happy to live wherever that is going to happen, apparently. Also if Abe keeps writing political peices for the NY times he's coming into the best time to be anewspaper reporter.

We get some real time with Bobby this episode. He seems to be disturbed by the misalignment of the wallpaper in his room. I'm not sure if this is some OCD showing itself or just a metaphor for him seeing that things aren't right in his home and his wanting to see what's beneath it.  Henry looks to be heading to the senate, and Betty pulls out an old dress from her thin blond days. I think we may be seeing that incarnation again soon.

Ginsberg set up on a date was a surprise, but not as big a surprise as his announcing he's a virgin. I know his social skills are not what they should be but hopefully this girl will resurface as a girlfriend for him. His father brings us the speech about The Flood and the animals being gathered in twos. Saying who are you going to go with your father?

There were lots of new characters this episode. Jim Cutler, who Peggey discribes as Roger Sterling with bad breathe. With the way he leers at Megan looks like he wants to park in Don's garage too. We also meet Roger's loopy insurance friend Randy Walsh. I get the feeling these two have been having some acid  sessions together. I think Randy may have taken one tab to many...

Finally Don reveals his feelings about his children to Megan. From all the flashbacks over the years we have learned that Don has never experienced love as a child and after last week, his adolescence in a whore house probably didn't teach him any healthy lessons about adult love, either. He really has no idea how he is suppose to feel, and has just been faking it. But when the real feeling comes over him it overwhelms him. He really is the saddest character.

This and That:
Roger to Randy - I think the emotions of the day and whatever else you have in your system
Abe going to Harlem in a tux to cover the MLK assassination
Pete and Harry arguing who is the worse human being
Ernest Borgnine on Mchales Navy
Planet of the Apes
Megan telling Don he drinks like her father believes in Marx
Hope we hear next week if Silvia and Arnold make it home safe from DC
Tecumseh quote in the original Shawnee

Jane Fonda TCL Grauman's Print Ceremony #TCMFF

One of my favorite parts of the TCM Film Festival is the hand print ceremony at The Chinese Theatre. This year the honoree was Jane Fonda. She brought her personality to the print by doing one hand in a peace sign. You gotta love it. Jane's prints will go right next to her father's, which is so touching.

 Jane's son Troy Garrity spoke about how meaningful it is to him to be able to put his hand in his grandfather's prints, who died when he was 9. Also how he hopes that young women will take inspiration from standing in his mother's prints.

 Next Lily Tomlin, Jane's 9 to 5 co star and close friend talked. Lily had the crowd laughing talking about Jane's frequent expression "we just have to make a leap of faith" saying that she does it so often it may be why she is in such great shape. Maybe we should all stay tuned for Jane's next exercise tape, Leap of Faith to toned thighs...

 Finally the last speaker was Maria Shriver. She didn't give us any details but told us that she was 13 years old when she first met Jane. She went on to say that she appreciated Jane's example of coming from a famous family, and a famous marriage and coming through it whole.

When Jane came out she talked about how she had hoped as a young actress to someday get to do her prints, but as the years went by thought that the only way she was going to get to do her handprints in this town was if they repaved the sidewalk in front of her house.

 She was very emotional about having her prints next to her father's. She told us how her father had always warned her about letting people in Hollywood walk all over her. Joking that now everyone could walk all over both of them.

 Jane and Peter admiring her penmanship.

 Jane, Peter, Shirley (Henry Fonda's widow), Troy Garrity

 The whole gang looking very proud. The whole thing reminded me of a graduation ceremony. Very Sweet!

TCM Film Fest Funny Girl Red Carpet 2013

Here is the entrance to the red carpet for tonight's gala premiere restoration of Funny Girl at The TCM Classic Film Festival. Below find pictures of all the great classic stars that walked it.


 Jane Withers and can anyone place the woman with her in the black dress? When Jane told the fans in the bleacher that it was recently her 87 birthday, they sang her happy birthday. The only thing sweeter than that was her reaction of tears and sincere gratitude.

Ann Blythe with Tom Brown 

Max Von Sydow, who even at a fun event looks a bit ominous.

 Tippi Hedren

 Mitzi Gaynor, who is a live wire. She gave Ben almost more than he could handle at the South Pacific interview. But that a whole other blog post.

 Eva Marie Saint greeting Ann Jeffries

 Robert Hayes, whose Airplane! will be showing at this years fest.

 Eva Marie was the last on the red carpet and gave us one of her high school cheers before heading into the film.