Great Oscar Moments

February 20th, 2009 by david lay

The Oscars are only a couple of days away, and since this is the least hyped Academy Awards season EVER, I thought I’d share some memorable Oscar Moments of days gone by.

Obviously some of these are before my time, but they are all poignant and have molded the Academy Awards show into what it is today:

Roberto Benigni Goes Nuts

Sally Field - “You Really Like Me”

So, the Academy is ridiculous, so the rest of these aren’t embedding properly, but if you double click you can watch them at the YouTube Page.

Jack Palance Finally Wins After 40+ Years in Hollywood

Scorsese’s LONG Overdue Directing Oscar

Princess Little Feather Accepts for Marlon Brando

Charlie Chaplin Gets a Long-Deserved Oscar


Posted in Tribute, Television, Yada Yada, Movies | No Comments

I Miss Arrested Development

February 18th, 2009 by david lay

Dear Arrested Development,

I miss you. Please begin filming Arrested Development: The Movie soon.

The End.




Posted in Tribute, Television, Yada Yada, Movies | No Comments

Attention Rent-heads

January 30th, 2009 by david lay

You may or may not know that Rent: The Broadway Musical closed its curtains for the last time in November. In commemoration of the show’s 12-plus years on Broadway, the final show was recorded and available in theaters across America this past fall.

Many wondered if a Rent: Filmed Live On Broadway DVD would follow, and today I found out that it not only will, but that it will be released across the country on Tuesday, February 3rd. Grab your copy and hold on to the Rent legacy forever.

No day but today.


Posted in Tribute, Yada Yada, Events, Movies, Music | No Comments

Dr. Manhattan News Report from 1970

January 27th, 2009 by david lay

Watchmen fans are gonna love this.

Check out this new viral marketing campaign for Watchmen in the form of a news reel from March 11, 1970.

I don’t know very much about Watchmen yet, but this is pretty clever and definitely piqued my interest in the movie and the Dr. Manhattan character.


Posted in Tribute, Movies, Politics | 1 Comment

The Dark Knight: Overlooked or Overrated?

January 23rd, 2009 by david lay

With the Oscar nominees being announced yesterday, we seem to have ushered in one of the most controversial Oscar seasons in recent history. The internet has been bombarded with “Are you *bleeping kidding me’s” and “Those guys are gonna pay’s” from well-meaning Batman fans who feel that their FAVORITE movie of the year should be considered by the Academy as the BEST movie of the year.The Joker Will Win an Oscar

I absolutely loved The Dark Knight, and I am extremely impressed that it is now the second highest-grossing film of all time. However I still think that it is overrated. Keep in mind that something can be overrated and still be extremely good. But based on the incredible, ridiculous amount of hype that The Dark Knight garnered, I don’t think there is any way it could have possibly lived up. I can’t help but wonder how the film would have made out if Heath Ledger had not died.

Additionally, only one of this year’s nominated films has had a wide release prior to the Oscar deadline and that one (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) has only been released for a month. I think if more people had a chance to see the other nominated films they wouldn’t be as quick to chastise the Academy for leaving out their favorite. There really are some great films out there this year (I personally would have loved to see Gran Torino and The Wrestler get more love) and The Dark Knight is certainly one of them - but certainly not the only one.
By the way: Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader, and Frost/Nixon all open nation-wide today.

History will be - as it always is - the judge of where The Dark Knight fits into the 2008 film hierarchy, and even more so, where it fits into the annals of film history. The good news is: the film will live on as an Oscar winner as Heath Ledger is a sure thing to win Best Supporting Actor - it won’t even be close!


Posted in Tribute, Events, Movies | 1 Comment

Voice Actor LaFontaine Dies

September 2nd, 2008 by david lay

Don LaFontaine
What a great voice. You will be missed.

Here are some favorite LaFontaine moments.



I always appreciate it when people can make fun of themselves…




Posted in Tribute, Movies | 1 Comment

DMB Saxophonist Moore Dies

August 19th, 2008 by david lay

Dave Matthews Band saxophone player and founding member, LeRoi Moore, died this evening at age 46.

Moore was seriously injured in an ATV accident on June 30 outside Charlottesville, VA. He had a punctured lung and broken ribs but was released from the hospital after a short stint. Moore went back into the hospital last month due to prolonged complications that continued to arise.

Moore died in Los Angeles this afternoon, after taking a turn for the worse. It is uncertain at this point how Moore’s death will effect the remainder of DMB’s summer tour.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Moore’s children and family.

LeRoi Moore
LeRoi Moore 1961-2008




Posted in Utah Concerts, Tribute, Music | 1 Comment

Eddie Murphy Calling it Quits (Sort of)

July 1st, 2008 by david lay

Eddie Murphy Calling it Quits (Sort of)In the “wow, I didn’t see that coming, though maybe I should have” department, we get word today that Eddie Murphy has made his last film and now plans to retire from Hollywood and go back to the stage and continue his career as a standup comedian.

“I have close to 50 movies and it’s like, why am I in the movies?” he said, “I’ve done that part now. I’ll go back to the stage.”

Murphy who is now 47 said that there is indeed a Beverly Hills Cop 4 picture in the works, but he has opted out of it because it “wasn’t ready to be done.”

I found my jaw dropping this morning when I read that Eddie was retiring from film because after films like Pluto Nash, Norbit, and Daddy Day Care, I figured that he obviously didn’t care if his films sucked.

But then again, after Pluto Nash, Norbit, and Daddy Day Care, it’s pretty hard to deny that your films suck and maybe you should go back to doing what made you popular. Maybe after a couple trips back around the comedy circuit, he’ll be fresh enough again to get back into the motion picture business - but let’s not count on that.

I really think this is a great decision by Eddie, and an opportunity to regain his popularity and to return to the headlines, instead of the punch lines.


Posted in Tribute, Yada Yada, Movies | No Comments

George Carlin 1937-2008

June 23rd, 2008 by david lay

George Carlin 1937-2008

You made a lot of people laugh, and we thank you for that. Rest in peace you foul, filthy, sonofab**ch!



Posted in Tribute, Television, Yada Yada, Movies | 1 Comment

AFI’s 10 Top 10

June 18th, 2008 by david lay

Every June since 1997, the American Film Institute releases a new list of films in its 100 Years… series - celebrating 100 years of American films. I set a goal a few years ago to watch all of the movies in the series, but I didn’t complete that mission. When the “updated” list came out in 2007, I rededicated myself to watching them all, and I’m proud to say that I accomplished that goal within the last six months.

I have found so many great movies through AFI and their efforts to preserve and promote American films, though in all honesty, I have found a handful of stinkers as well. The good has FAR exceeded the bad, however and I am so grateful that I undertook the challenge - there’s a reason that these movies are so well respected!

Today, AFI announced a new list - the 12th in the series, AFI’s 10 Top 10. I have actually said before that I think they should do this - breaking down a “top 100″ into smaller genres and ranking them against similar films.

So, here is the list - AFI’s 10 Top 10 (with a few comments):

Animation

  1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - First Feature-length animated film - still great!
  2. Pinocchio
  3. Bambi
  4. The Lion King
  5. Fantasia
  6. Toy Story - Groundbreaking - I remember the first time I heard “computer animated”
  7. Beauty and the Beast
  8. Shrek
  9. Cinderella
  10. Finding Nemo

Romantic Comedies

  1. City Lights - One of my new favorite films - I LOVED it!!!
  2. Annie Hall - I used to think Woody Allen was overrated - then I watched Annie Hall.
  3. It Happened One Night
  4. Roman Holiday
  5. Philadelphia Story
  6. When Harry Met Sally
  7. Adam’s Rib
  8. Moonstruck
  9. Harold and Maude - This is one of those movies I’ve always said I wanted to see… Haven’t yet.
  10. Sleepless in Seattle

Western

  1. The Searchers - Awesomeness
  2. High Noon - One of THE best movies ever made! Most requested film by US Presidents.
  3. Shane
  4. Unforgiven
  5. Red River
  6. The Wild Bunch
  7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
  8. McCabe and Mrs. Miller
  9. Stagecoach
  10. Cat Ballou

Sports

  1. Raging Bull - Scorsese’s best film.
  2. Rocky - Classic.
  3. Pride of the Yankees
  4. Hoosiers
  5. Bull Durham - Starring Danny Gans!
  6. The Hustler
  7. Caddyshack
  8. Breaking Away
  9. National Velvet
  10. Jerry Maguire

Mystery

  1. Vertigo - One of four Great Hitchcock films on this list - but where’s Psycho?
  2. Chinatown
  3. Rear Window
  4. Laura
  5. The Third Man
  6. Maltese Falcon - FANTASTIC! Fell in love with this film noir while watching the top 100.
  7. North by Northwest
  8. Blue Velvet
  9. Dial “M” for Murder
  10. The Usual Suspects

Fantasy

  1. Wizard of Oz
  2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - This film represents the entire trilogy…
  3. It’s a Wonderful Life - They begin to stretch the “Fantasy” moniker at this point, but I get it…
  4. King Kong
  5. Miracle on 34th Street
  6. Field of Dreams
  7. Harvey
  8. Groundhog Day
  9. The Thief of Bagdad
  10. Big

Science Fiction

  1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
  2. Star Wars: A New Hope
  3. ET: The Extra Terrestrial
  4. Clockwork Orange
  5. The Day the Earth Stood Still
  6. Blade Runner - I think this film is good, but very overrated.
  7. Alien
  8. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
  10. Back to the Future - Awesome!!! So glad this is on the list!

Gangster

  1. The Godfather - Love it! Definitely don’t think it insists upon itself.
  2. Goodfellas
  3. The Godfather Part II
  4. White Heat
  5. Bonnie and Clyde
  6. Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (Not the one with Al Pacino)
  7. Pulp Fiction - Great Flick!
  8. Public Enemy
  9. Little Caesar
  10. Scarface (The one with Al Pacino)

Courtroom Drama

  1. To Kill a Mockingbird - Extremely powerful and emotional
  2. 12 Angry Men - Learned who Henry Fonda was the first time I saw this. Excellent.
  3. Kramer Vs. Kramer
  4. The Verdict
  5. A Few Good Men
  6. Witness for the Prosecution
  7. Anatomy of a Murder
  8. In Cold Blood
  9. Cry in the Dark
  10. Judgment at Nuremburg

Epics

  1. Lawrence of Arabia - Beautiful landscapes and cinematography
  2. Ben-Hur
  3. Schindler’s List
  4. Gone With the Wind - As good as they come.
  5. Spartacus
  6. Titanic
  7. All Quiet on the Western Front
  8. Saving Private Ryan
  9. Reds
  10. The Ten Commandments

My initial thoughts are that this a good list only a couple of obvious omissions (Psycho and Double Indemnity from the Mystery category, namely). I’m sure I’ll find some more down the road…

But overall, not bad?


Posted in Tribute, Yada Yada, Movies | No Comments

It Insists Upon Itself…

June 16th, 2008 by david lay

This is one of the cleverest, funniest pieces of Television writing. Just hilarious.


Posted in Tribute, Television, Yada Yada | 3 Comments

Danny Gans - Entertainer of the Year

May 4th, 2008 by david lay

If you have been to Las Vegas in the past five or six years, and are observant at all, you are probably familiar with Danny Gans. Danny Gans took over for Sigfried and Roy at The Mirage after Roy Horn was attacked by the white tiger in October of 2003.Danny Gans - Entertainer of the Year

Gans is billed at The Mirage as “The Man of Many Voices” due to his Vegas show in which he mixes his knack for comedy and music to create a hilarious act as a musical impressionist. However, Gans did not begin his career as a singer or an aspiring entertainer.

Gans was a high school and college baseball star, being drafted by the Royals after high school and by the White Sox after college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he became an All-American. He played for a while for the Durham Bulls and was even on screen as a third baseman during a brief scene in Kevin Costner’s 1988 film, Bull Durham.

A knee injury had ended Gans’ career as a baseball player, but like any true superstar, he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and started all over again. Gans began a 15 year tour throughout the U.S. working as an impressionist and motivational speaker . Soon he was one of the hottest and most sought-after performers in the corporate world, playing for thousands of people for McDonald’s and IBM and various other Fortune 500 company events. He began to catch the eye of fellow entertainers such as Bill Cosby and Natalie Cole, and soon he was a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

Danny Gans has been in Las Vegas now for 12 years and has headlined at The Mirage for nearly six of those. He has won numerous awards during his career and has certainly earned the status of “Entertainer of the Year”. Next time you are in Vegas, look for his billboards, and try to check out his show at The Mirage.

Additional Links:

Danny Gans at The Mirage.
Danny Gans Official Site.
Book Danny Gans as a Motivational Speaker.


Posted in Baseball, Tribute, Utah Concerts, Yada Yada, Sports, Movies, Events, Music | 2 Comments

Heath Ledger 1979 - 2008

January 23rd, 2008 by david lay

We lost an amazing talent - an actor with an incredibly bright future who had so much more to offer the World of Entertainment.

Heath Ledger 1979-2007
Heath Ledger, 1979 - 2008

Rest in Peace, Heath.


Posted in Tribute, Movies | 3 Comments

Rest In Peace, Evel

November 30th, 2007 by david lay

You entertained millions and your legacy will live on…

Evel Knievel - 1938-2007
Evel Knievel, 1938-2007


Posted in Tribute, Yada Yada, Sports, Events | No Comments