Voice Actor LaFontaine Dies

September 2nd, 2008 by david lay

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 1961-2008

Posted in Utah Concerts, Tribute, Music | 1 Comment

Eddie Murphy Calling it Quits (Sort of)

July 1st, 2008 by david lay

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

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

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - First Feature-length animated film - still great!
Pinocchio
Bambi
The Lion King
Fantasia
Toy Story - Groundbreaking - I remember the first time I heard “computer animated”
Beauty and the Beast
Shrek
Cinderella
Finding Nemo

Romantic Comedies

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

Western

The Searchers - Awesomeness
High Noon - One of THE best movies ever made! Most requested film by US Presidents.
Shane
Unforgiven
Red River
The Wild Bunch
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Stagecoach
Cat Ballou

Sports

Raging Bull - Scorsese’s best film.
Rocky - Classic.
Pride of the Yankees
Hoosiers
Bull Durham - Starring Danny Gans!
The Hustler
Caddyshack
Breaking Away
National Velvet
Jerry Maguire

Mystery

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

Fantasy

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

Science Fiction

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

Gangster

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

Courtroom Drama

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

Epics

Lawrence of Arabia - Beautiful landscapes and cinematography
Ben-Hur
Schindler’s List
Gone With the Wind - As good as they come.
Spartacus
Titanic
All Quiet on the Western Front
Saving Private Ryan
Reds
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 | 2 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.

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 | 1 Comment