Warner Bros. is celebrating their long-standing partnership with actor/director Clint Eastwood with one amazing boxed set collection called Clint Eastwood: 35 Films 35 Years at Warner Bros. Just about any actor or director would be so lucky to be working so long in Hollywood. But what is perhaps more amazing is the sheer quality of films in Eastwood's repertoire. Among the classics in this collection of 35 films are his Oscar winners for Best Picture (Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven) plus his other nominated films like Mystic River, Letters from Iwo Jima, and other critical favorites like Gran Torino, Bird, and Pale Rider. There is also room for films popular with audiences, like The Bridges of Madison County, Dirty Harry, and even Every Which Way But Loose.
Curiously absent however—especially considering how prolific he's been lately—are Iwo Jima's partner film Flags of Our Fathers and the excellent and overlooked Changeling. And also there is the problem that some of his missing hits, like Play Misty For Me (Universal), The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (United Artists), and Escape From Alcatraz (Paramount) were from other studios, making this a big yet limited retrospective.
The 35th "film" included in the collection is The Eastwood Factor, an up-close and friendly documentary about Clint by Richard Shickel. This would be all well and good, but it is only 21 minutes, and promises that it is merely a teaser for a full-length doc that will be available later this year. Um. What? The collection is presented on 19 DVDs, with 16 of those being annoying double-sided discs. There is a 24-page retrospective book (a sampler from a bigger coffee-table book) also by Richard Shickel, plus studio correspondence and photos.
All in all, it's an impressive release for any film artist. And if you are one of those types that is moving away from DVD collections to go digital, the 35 movies are all also available now for download from iTunes. Pretty cool!
If it weren't made clear from the start that the "real-life" series The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty began filming months before brother Michael's death, it would have come across as crass exploitation, floating on the resurgence in popularity of the Jacksons most famous (dead) brother. But the show, loosely revolving around the idea of a 40th Anniversary Jackson 5 reunion, was well into filming when the brothers hear of their most famous sibling's much-publicized death. Creepy coincidence? Sure. But the timing of that event can only help this series, both in the curiosity factor and in the content.
As it is, even before MJ was out of the picture, it never seems that he was going to be involved in the Jackson 5 reunion. The stars of this A&E show (and the much-discussed reunion) are actually only the Jackson 4: Tito, Jackie, Marlon, and Jermaine. Brother Randy (of the post-Motown Jacksons) is never mentioned and is mysteriously absent. Mother Katherine appears, as do some of the foursome's kids (including Tito's sons who form the creatively stuck band 3T).
As I was a HUGE Jackson fan in the early 80s, I admit I was curious about the show. The opening credits show the nattily-dressed brothers emerging from a limo to an adoring crowd, to the infectious disco hit "Can You Feel It" (I swear, I've watched the opening credit several times, and it gives me a chill). Hearing the brothers sit down and scratch out a potential set list for a reunion concert just about brings me to tears, especially when (after MJ's death) they all agree wholeheartedly to do a medley of Michael's hits. But as this was all filmed in the spring and summer of this year (and it is implied they would have a concert within two months) we already have the hindsight that this concert being discussed never happened. Or at least it hasn't happened yet.
The series starts out strangely stagey, as the brothers sit down to hash out details, they get in fights and run to mom Katherine (Jackie sounds like he is reading a script when he admission to their mom that he cut Jermaine's vocals out of a demo). But by the second episode Michael has died. As horrible as this is for the family, it shakes things up as far as this show. Jermaine plays the flighty diva, not showing up for photo shoots or group interviews. Tito and Marlon get notably pissed off, and Jackie lets out some raw emotion (and hard-to-watch tears) about his brother's death. In the meantime, all of them hide behind their sunglasses even while indoors.
One of the most fascinating scenes shows the brothers hashing out some hard feelings that have been buried for DECADES. Jermaine explains how freaked out and hurt he was when the rest of the brothers left Motown Records for a new deal with CBS, for more creative power. At the time, Jermaine was married to the boss' daughter, and stayed as a solo artist at Motown. Apparently each side thought the other was ditching them, and it caused a huge unspoken rift in the family. And, if we are to believe this show, they have never talked about it! As hard as that might be to believe, it makes for fascinating TV for any fans of the Jackson brothers.
I don't know if someone who isn't already a fan, or who is at least familiar with the family beyond Michael, will find The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty riveting. But I'll say as a fan, I found the show at least interesting... We'll see how the rest of the episodes flesh out. In the meantime, yep, I'll still buy a ticket in a second if they ever get their act together and have a reunion tour.
The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty premieres Sunday, December 13 at 9pm ET/PT on A&E. The series will then move to its regularly scheduled time, Sunday's at 10:00pm ET/PT beginning December 20 on A&E.
Carrie Fisher, talented a writer a she is, knows that she will be haunted by a certain character that she first played onscreen when she was a mere 19. Who knew that the Star Wars franchise would be arguably the biggest pop-culture phenomenon film series of modern times, and that Princess Leia, a chick sporting a weird cinnamon-bun haircut would be her most instant recognizable association. Well, if you are Carrie Fisher, you may a well work this blessing/curse. After all, she says, George Lucas legally owns the rights to Fisher’s likeness (yikes!).
Wishful Drinking, Fisher’s one-woman autobiographical stage show, feels (for fans especially) like a chance to get to hang out with this fiercely funny and admittedly scarred woman one-on-one. The stage is set up in cozy living room style, with a couch, chair, and table, and Fisher pads around the stage barefoot. And if you are in the front rows, expect to get showered with glitter, picked on, and yes, occasionally addressed or mocked throughout the show. And one lucky person gets pulled on stage for a cute visual stunt (the guy at our show got on his knees to kiss “Princess Leia’s” hand, since he had the opportunity, while his wife heckled him from the audience).
The first half of the show (there is one intermission breaking up the two hours of performance) is the lightweight part. Well, even though she opens with a story of waking up next to her dead gay friend a few years ago, and it was just another example of the bizarre scandal-like things that have happened in her life literally since the day she was born. In hilarious detail, Fisher explains (with a sort of classroom chart) how truly messed up it is, growing up in a Hollywood family (mom is sweetheart Debbie Reynolds and dad is crooner Eddie Fisher). Throw in some Liz Taylor, a fetish for Asian women, gay husbands, and, yes, singer Paul Simon… and you get some idea of this complicated generational family tree.
As the show continues, there are many laughs at the expense of Star Wars and George Lucas (who claimed, “There are no bras in space!” leaving poor Carrie literally strapped down with tape under her costume) as well as the Hollywood scene in general. But as the show moves on, it takes a tone of seriousness, despite her self-effacing tone. It took a long while for Fisher to get diagnosed as manic depressive (also known as bi-polar). She has a wild history of highs and lows… and lots of lots of alcohol and substance abuse.
She goes into her stormy relationship with Paul Simon—fights, break-ups, getting together, breaking up—and jokingly adds, “If you can get Paul Simon to write a song for you… DO IT!” Then she plays (illegally, she adds), part of his song “Hearts & Bones” and explains that he and she were the “one and one half wandering Jews” (now the song makes me want to burst into tears even more than it already did).
Things are better for Fisher now since she has found a balance of therapies that work for her, including Electro Convulsive Therapy. She jokes that she’s made it into the medical textbook “Abnormal Psychology”. There she is… at the beginning of Chapter 3, "The Biology of Bipolar Disorder”, there’s a photo of her as Princess Leia. She is a sort of “poster child” for bipolar disorder, and curious honor. But by not hiding her mental problems, she does bring a face to a disorder that affect thousands of people. Wishful Drinking is a treat for fans of Star Wars and Hollywood gossip, but Carrie Fisher’s storytelling sneaks up on you, leaving you with the sobering tale of one woman’s lifelong battle to identify and control her demons.
Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking plays April 2 through May 9th at the Seattle Reperatory Theatre.
The first half of the show (there is one intermission breaking up the two hours of performance) is the lightweight part. Well, even though she opens with a story of waking up next to her dead gay friend a few years ago, and it was just another example of the bizarre scandal-like things that have happened in her life literally since the day she was born. In hilarious detail, Fisher explains (with a sort of classroom chart) how truly messed up it is, growing up in a Hollywood family (mom is sweetheart Debbie Reynolds and dad is crooner Eddie Fisher). Throw in some Liz Taylor, a fetish for Asian women, gay husbands, and, yes, singer Paul Simon… and you get some idea of this complicated generational family tree.