The Men Who Stare at Goats

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"The Men Who Stare at Goats" is about the U.S. Army's exploration of New Age concepts and the potential military applications of the paranormal. The title refers to attempts to kill goats by starring at them.

The movie is set in Iraq (filmed in Puerto Rico), and centers on a reporter (Ewan McGregor) who stumbles upon the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), who claims to be a former secret US military psychic soldier re-activated post -9/11. Jeff Bridges plays Bill Django, the founder of the psychic soldier program and Lyn's mentor. Kevin Spacey plays Larry Hooper, a former psychic soldier who is running a prison camp in Iraq.

The 2004 book, which the movie is based on, examines the connections between paranormal military programs and psychological techniques being used for interrogation in the War on Terror. It also investigates the use of the theme tune to Barney the Dinosaur on Iraqi prisoners-of-war, the smuggling of a hundred de-bleated goats into the Special Forces command center at Fort Bragg, and the connection between the U.S. military and the mass-suicide of a cult from San Diego.

Starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges.

November 6, 2009.

R.I.P. Soupy Sales (1926-2009)

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Soupy Sales was born Milton Supman in the backwater town of Franklin, N.C. The Supmans were the only Jews in town and "the family name was often mispronounced as 'Soupman,'" said the Los Angeles Times.

His parents nicknamed him Soupbone. Inevitably, Milton became just Soupy. After the family moved to West Virginia, Sales acted in school plays, getting his first taste of the stage. During WWII, he joined the Navy and fought in the Pacific. He also entertained crew mates. After returning to West Virginia to earn a bachelor's degree in journalism, he worked as a scriptwriter for a local radio station, did stand-up comedy in nightclubs and eventually became a disc jockey.

Taking the name Soupy Sales from old time comic actor Chich Sales, in 1950 he "launched one of the country's first teenage TV dance shows," in Cincinnati, said The Washington Post. Three years later in Detroit, he hosted "Lunch With Soupy Sales," an afternoon show filled with "goofy skits, slapstick antics and pie-tossing shenanigans" that outgrew the more stad Kukla, Fran and Ollie. The ABC network later brought his show, renamed "The Soupy Sales Show," to New York.

Sales chatted with guest stars and puppets, mangled the language and made outrageous puns in a segment called "Words of Wisdom." But the highlight of each show was his "getting smacked in the face with a cream pie or three."

Sales claimed that some 20,000 pies had been hurled at him or his guests in the 1950's and 60s. Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, and Jerry Lewis were among those who "turned up just for the honor of being creamed," said The New York Times.

"I used to look like Cary Grant," Sales once joked, "but not after being hit with 19,000 pies."

2,000 Kids Knocking on White House Door!

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

It's the ultimate trick-or-treating treasure, that one house on the block that offers the coolest candy and surprises galore.

This year it's the big gated place on Pennsylvania Avenue. No. 1600. There's no mailbox out front, but every little kid knows who lives there.

Welcome to the White House, boys and girls. By early afternoon, a big, stuffed, black spider was dangling in a web of string from the top of the portico, and pumpkins had sprouted up around the columns.

The word, according to the Associated Press, is that the president and the first lady didn't plan to dress up in costumes. But don't rule out the chance that some youngsters might dress up as the Obamas.

The early afternoon extravaganza was to include outdoor entertainment and activities for the children and their families, so all the youngsters won't be lining up at once for candy.

Later, in the East Room, the first couple were to be joined by Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, at a Halloween reception for military families and for the moms and dad who work at the White House, along with their kids.

It's also the first White House Halloween for the Obama's daughters, 8-year-old Sasha and 11-year-old Malia.

The Obamas are not the first to show Halloween spirit.

President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush hosted 500 children on Halloween in 1989, loading them up with fun loot but also teaching them about the dangers of drugs. The kids came decked out in costumes, some Secret Service agents came dressed as clowns.

During the Nixon administration, first daughter Tricia hosted parties for underprivileged children, according to the White House Historical Association. No telling what kind of goblins might pop up this year, although stories of ghosts--especially Abe Lincoln's--are woven in the White House history.

Tracy Morgan: "I Am The New Black!"

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"I'll be honest: I wasn't the best drug dealer I've ever seen--or you've ever seen either, suburb people!" said Tracy Morgan. " I was the kind of drug dealer who had to keep a day job to support his night job as a drug dealer. You don't hear that shit in rap songs. I had jobs at Wendy's, Popeyes, a few pizza shops and a few sneaker stores and I was terrible at every single one of them. That's why I had so many!

When I worked in restaurants, I dropped all the food. I dropped so many fries on the floor it looked like the Hamburglar ran through there every five minutes. The sneaker place wasn't much better.


The funny thing was, I liked being a drug dealer--the job I was the worst at. I had my personality going for me. I could talk to people all day because I love people. So as a drug dealer, I was good in only one way--I could talk to any motherfucker that came up to me."

Tracy Morgan is the wildly unpredictable funnyman who rocked to fame on Saturday Night Live. The Emmy-nominated actor behind the sly and ingenious character Tracy Jordan on the hit sitcom 30 Rock is a pretty good writer, as evidenced by his new book "I Am The New Black!"

When he was just a boy living in the Tompkins projects in Brooklyn, being funny was about survival. With the right words, Tracy could shut down the playground bullies who picked on him and his physically disabled older brother. Later, being funny was about escape--from the untouchable sadness of his dad's death, from the desperation of the drug dealer's trade and from the life-and-death battles waged on the streets of the South Bronx in the age of crack.

"I wasn't your average 13-year-old because growing up in the hood isn't the same as growing up anywhere else," Morgan says in an interview. "Kids are wise and too tough for their own good there, you know what I'm saing? There's a reason no kids get abducted in the hood: By the time we're three we know which uncles to stay away from. If you try to snatch a three year old in the hood, he'll turn it around on you, steal your car and call you a fucking pervert. There's a reason why there are no episodes of To Catch a Predator: Hood Edition. All those would be perpetrators would end up as corpses on Unsolved Mysteries. I can tell you right now where you can find their bodies. They're buried in a vacant lot."

With brutal honesty and his trademark take-no-prisoners humor, Tracy tells the story of his rise to fame, with all its highs and its many lows--from the very public battles with alchohol and diabetes that threatened both his career and his life to the private and poignant end of his 20 year marriage. Hilarious, inspiring and touching, I Am The New Black is a fascinating peek inside the mind of one of the most compelling and defining comedians of our time.

Schwarzenegger's "F" bomb

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A California newspaper spotted what it called a coded message inside a note from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, explaining his veto of a mundane bill. The first letters in seven lines, read vertically, spell "F--- you," a sentiment that may have been intended for bill sponsor Tom Ammiano. Ammiano recently made news by telling Schwarzenegger, who has vetoed bills that would legalize same-sex marriage, to "kiss my gay ass." Was the slight intentional?

Of course it was intentional: "Any math major want to take a run at calculating the odds of his happening by pure chance?" asks Allalhpundit in Hot Air. The vulgar message was obviously intentional. Tom Ammiano probably had it coming but his remarks were made in the heat of the moment. Schwarzenegger ratcheted up the "incivility" with his painstakingly executed riposte. "Schwarzenegger sends very special message to legislator who heckled him."

Maybe, but it was probably an aide, not Arnold. The hidden "F--- you" from Arnold Schwarzenegger, say Philip Matier and Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle was in the words of Sacramento State University political science professor Barbara o'Conner, certainly "more subtle than 'kiss my gay ass.'" If it was intentional, she said, it was probably written by a staffer "having a good time."

Don't be so sure--Arnold's a known prankster: The governor's spokesman claimed the hidden message was a coincidence says Mike Rothfield in the Los Angeles Times, but don't be so sure. "Schwarzenegger has been a prankster" since his bodybuilding days, when he persuaded rivals to eat lots of ice cream and ground nutshells so they'd get sick, according to two of his biographers. Would he hide an obscenity in a veto letter? It's not exactly far-fetched.

The frat boys in the governor's office should act their age. This "F--- you" didn't just go out to Ammiano, says Tim Redmond in the San Francisco Bat Guardian, it went out to everyone in San Francisco, because Ammiano's bill would have helped the city's port with some financing issues. "No wonder it's hard to get anything done in Sacramento," Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger's "office is full of frat boys spending hours making stupid little boy jokes." Grow up guys.

Maria Shriver's Women's Conference

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Maria Shriver was hoping to inspire and empower women today at what was the biggest woman's conference in the world.

More than 10,000 gathered at the Long Beach Convention Center to meet such famous folk as Katie Couric, Elizabeth Edwards, Suzie Orman, actress Sharon Lawrence, Caroline Kennedy and other female movers and shakers.

"When I have really tough decisions to make, I ask the Almighty....my wife, Maria." Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger noted. "Maria isn't only a beautiful woman, she's smart and determined--she is the female terminator!"

"I love the smell of estrogen in the room," mused CBS anchor Katie Couric.

"I do belive women can have it all," said Shriver in an interview. "Women are now the primary workers in families."

Hanging with Marcia Brady

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Maureen McCormick was one of the many celebrity guests at Saturday's "Friendly House" event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and she had lots to say about addiction, recovery and playing Marcia Brady on the popular TV sitcom.

"Playing Marcia was a double-edged sword; it always will be whenever you play a character like that. You will be known as that character forever. So much good came from being on the show, so much fun that I had. At the same time, it was weird because I felt like I had to show to the public that I was Marcia--perfect, with no problems. I didn't think I could be my imperfect self. I pretended I was Marcia, so I was always playing this role. I became her, but yet I wasn't. It's strange."

But Maureen admits to hitting rock bottom when she was filming "The Brady Brides."

"I was supposed to be at the studio, screen testing to pick the guy that would play my husband. At this same time, I had been up for three days doing coke and was playing solitaire in my closet. My agent had to go to the sixth floor, climb into my place, tear off my clothes and get me in the shower. He said, "You have to get to Paramount right now and you have a problem." I couldn't hide anymore. Everyone knew--the producers knew, everyone at Paramount knew. It was the first time I had to fact that I really had a problem."

When asked if she remembered the first time she took a hit, Maureen said, "Yes. It burnt my nose. I didn't feel anything for the first snort. After a couple more, I had this feeling that everything was perfect and great. I was on top of the world and I could do anything. I had an extremely addictive personality and drugs just took over my life--24 hours a day I was thinking about where I was going to get the next bit of cocaine. I had been addicted to coke since I was 20 years old. It was part of my everyday life; it was all-encompassing. It helped me hide a lot of my problems, numbed me out and was a way of not dealing with things."

'Paranormal Activity' slays 'Saw' at box office

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"Paranormal activity" has won a weekend battle of fright films over part six of the "Saw" franchise.

Paramount's upstart chiller "Paranormal Activity" went into nationwide release and took over the No. 1 spot with $22 million. That compares to just $14.8 million for the debut of "Saw VI," a franchise that has been an annual fixture before the October Halloween holiday since 2004.

It was the worst opening ever for Lionsgate's "Saw" series, whose previous low was $18.3 million for the original movie.

This time, horror fans simply gravitated toward "Paranormal Activity" instead of "Saw VI."

"Paranormal ate their lunch," said Paul Dergarbedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com "There's no other way to explain it." It has a strong shot at topping $100 million, something none of the "Saw" movies ever managed. While "Saw," the grisly saga of a puppetmaster putting victims through savage moral tests, was embraced as a fresh twist by horror fans five years ago, it now is part of the Hollywood establishment compared to "Paranormal Activity."

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, "Where the Wild Things Are," fell to No. 3, just behind "Saw VI" with $14.4 million. "Astro Boy" opened at No. 6 with $7 million, Universal's "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" debuted at No. 8 with $6.3 million and Fox Searchlight's "Amelia" premiered at No. 11. "Amelia" is a film bio of pioneering aviator Amelia Earheart starring double-Oscar winner Hilary Swank.

Chris Kennedy Lawford Honored by Friendly House

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The Friendly House honored Chris Kennedy Lawford at a luncheon/fundraiser at the Beverly Hilton Hotel today.

Stars like Viola Davis ("Doubt"), model Amber Valletta and actress Maureen McCormick ("The Brady Bunch"), turned out to raise money and awareness for Friendly House--the oldest home in the country for women in recovery from substance and alcohol abuse.

"I've had my problems with heroin addiction so I know how it feels to be in recovery," said Lawford in the Hilton lobby. "This is a great organization and I fully support all their efforts to help women get clean from drugs and alcohol."

Lawford was also on hand to sign his new book, "Moments of Clarity," his third book on the recovery process.

"My mother told me I was a great writer as did Normal Mailer," Lawford mused. "After writing my memoir, Symptoms of Withdrawal, the last thing I wanted to do was write a book about recovery. When I first completed writing my book I was 17 years sober, recently separated from my family, living in a crummy teardown on the Westside of L.A. that my cousin Maria Shriver owned and was letting me squat in until I put my life back together.

My career was in flux and I had just begun therapy for Hepatitis C, embarking on a course of treatment that would save my life but leave me feeling really angry and depressed for close to a year. My only friend seemed to be a mouse that lived in the decaying chimney of the practically empty house I was living in."

In the end, Chris decided to write the third book hoping it would help others going through drug recovery.

"Recovery is a bigger subject than just one person; there's a community of voices out there and each voice has a different story. The message couldn't come only from me. I knew a lot of people who had put down the booze and chemicals--people who took their own path toward sobriety and I realized that a collection of these stories, in different voices would be more meaningful and powerful than any single recollection could be."

So Chris decided to interview those people and get them to share their stories in order to inspire others.

"I sent an e mail to four people I knew in recovery. The response suprised me, leaving me with a sinking feeling that getting people to share an intimate, profound moment that altered their life forever might not be as easy as I had imagined. The movie star I had known for years and who I was sure would say yes--said no! He didn't want to make pronouncements about recovery or pose as an expert. The other movie star, someone I barely knew at all, said yes without reservation. A man I'd known in recovery who had a story to tell wanted to keep it private. Then there were the journalist and the rock star, both of whom I never heard back from."

"Moments of Clarity" collects stories from men and women, young and old, and across all barriers of celebrity, color and class. Represented in the book are the singer and the actress, the writer and the anchorman, the man from the movie screen and woman who lives down the street.

Prince Albert of Monaco Visits Cartier in Beverly Hills

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A group of "B" list female stars swarmed around Prince Albert of Monaco last night at the Cartier store in Beverly Hills.

A well-heeled crowd showed up at the famous jewlery store on Rodeo Drive for a fundraiser benefiting the Princess Grace Foundation.

Actresses like Debra Messing, Angie Harmon and Jordanna Brewster clamored around the dashing prince as he spoke to reporters.

"I didn't realize my mother was still so popular," he mused. "Even after all these years she's still of great interest to the general public. I hear there's a book coming out about here in a few weeks."

Guests nibbled on mini-meatballs and sipped Champagne while 20 security guards surrounded the shy royal.

"Precious"

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"Precious"; based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire, premiered in January 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for best drama, as well as a Special Jury Prize for supporting actress Mo'Nique.

Obese, illiterate teenager Clareece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) lives in Harlem with her dysfunctional family; she has been impregnated twice by her father and is in a destructive relationship with her mother (Mo'Nique). Precious is invited to an alternative school where she hopes that her life can change direction.

The film also stars Mariah Carey as the social worker Mrs. Weiss, Paula Patton as Precious' teacher, Ms. Rain, and Lenny Kravitz as John the nurse.

After screening at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, the film was reviewed in Variety, where critic John Anderson said "to simply call it harrowing or unsparing doesn't quite cut it: Precious is also courageous and uncompromisng, a shaken cocktail of debasement and elation, despair and hope."

Oprah Winfrey was said to have assisted by giving Precious a "high-profile promotional push." According to CNN, the win will "at the very least...guarantee Precious substantial distribution, as well as exposure for two-time director Daniels. Entertainment Weekly said actress Gabourey Sidibe was now more likely to receive an Academy Award as a result of the win in Toronto.

Precious will be screening at Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood November 1 at 7 p.m. at the annual AFI Hollywood Film Festival.

Hilary Swank: 'Amelia'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank delivers a "feisty" performance as the pioneering aviator Amela Earhart in Mira Nair's new biopic Amelia, said Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel. The story of Earhart is quite "moving," and this occasionally "thrilling and poetic" film boasts "magnificent period settings" and "majestic aerial photography."

There is some visual "pleasure to be had" while taking in the film's "classic 30s fashions," said Robert W. Butler in the Kansas City Star and Hilary Swank does hand in a "solid" performance. But Amelia "never really soars," and some of the "big questions" about Earhart are never answered, like whether she was "lesibian or bisexual," or what happened following her crash in the middle of the Pacific.

Amelia is a "biopic on autopilot" said Associated Press writer David Germain in Newsday.com. This "dowdy movie" features a "stumbling, choppy" structure and leaves its subject "remote and muted," thanks to dialogue that ranges from "languid to soporific." And even Swank is "out of her skin" as Earhart--she's "drab, distant" and "utterly uninvolving."

Jolie in Discussion for 'Gucci' Film

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to Variety, Ridley Scott is in discussions with Angelina Jolie for the femme fatale role of "Gucci," a drama about murder and decadence in the Gucci fashion dynasty.

FOX 2000 is fashioning a 2010 start date for the film, and Scott is talking with Jolie to play Patrizia Gucci, who was sentenced to 29 years in jail for plotting the murder of her ex, Maurizio Gucci.

The drama is a priority for FOX 2000's Elizabeth Gabler and Carla Hacken.

The studio is about to hire a scribe to rewrite the drama that recaptures the glamorous days of the Gucci family dynasty in the 1970s and 80s, when the family was selling $500 million in products annually.

Updating 'Astro Boy'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Hong Kong-based Imagi Studio's Astro Boy "merges the best of western and eastern animation styles," said Des Partridge in Australia's The Courier Mail. Based on the popular 1960s Japanese television show about a grieving scientist who builds a robot child to replace his deceased son, Astro Boy is a "frequently moving epic adventure" that "should satisfy both adults and children."

The CG animation in Astro Boy is "stunning," said Tim Grierson in ScreenDaily.com and it "creates an exciting, high-tech environment for the film's flashy robot battles." But the movie feels like it's "been assembled from spare parts," and although the filmmakers try to make us "sympathize with Astro's predicament of being both man and machine," the story "underwhelms."

It's too bad said Roger Moore in The Orlando Sentinel, because "lovely dollops of wit and warmth float through" Astro Boy. But nothing can save this "thinly-plotted cartoon from sagging," and the "look themes ans slam-bang Tranformers violence" of the original Japanese series make this updated version feel "every bit as dated as Speed Racer."

Audiences go 'Wild" at box office

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Warner Brothers' "Where the Wild Things Are" topped the box office this October weekend. Based on Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's classic book, it played more like an adult movie than a family picture, grossing an estimated $32.5 million.

"Law Abiding Citizen" came in second with an estimated $21.3 million and Sony's "The Stepfather," came in third with $12.3 million, fourth place went Paramount's sleeper hit "Paranormal Activity" and Universal's "Couple's Retreat" came in fifth place.

According to Variety, Jonze, who began shooting "Wild Things" in 2006, went through several versions of the film before finalizing the picture's darker feel.

"Spike has done an incredible job with the movie," said Dan Fellman, of Warner distribution. "I think we have an interesting film that should play well through the next few weeks."

Holdover "Coco Before Chanel" continues to see strong returns. The Sony Classics release grossed an estimated $311,955 from 54 in its fourth frame for a per-location average of $5,777.

Spike Jonze: 'Where the Wild Things Are'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"Where the Wild Things Are" is "one of the year's best movies," said Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly. Directed by Spike Jonze, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Dave Eggers, this adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic 1963 children's book about a group of untamed creatures who adopt a young boy as their "like-minded king" is "profoundly beautiful and affecting." The film is "a breathtaking act of artistic transubstantiation," and I was "bowled over with emotion."

Sendak's book deals with "the rage of children," said Rafer Guzman in Newsday.com "and Jonze's film captures this beautifully during its opening scenes." It's obvious that "Jonze and Eggers have a firm grasp on a way a child's joy can quickly turn to tears, but they squeeze hard and can't let go"--the film essentially becomes "a parade of negative emotions."

Where the Wild Things Are is "like group therapy with the Muppets," said J. Hoberman in The Village Voice, and "children brought to see it might find it a downer." The movie does have a "kinetic feel for physifcal play," but also a "blandness--the sense memory of a child raised on Sesame Street." Fortunately, "Where the Wild Things Are" isn't "overlong, but it's underwhelming."

Tracy Morgan's New Book: 'I Am the New Black'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Tracy Morgan wrote his upcoming memoir I Am the New Black "because they gave me a big bag of money," he says, adding that it took him two years to complete because "it was a lot of old wounds reopened," he tells Time. "It was a lot of me going back to my father, my mother, what we had to go through living and growing in the projects."

Morgan also discusses how "staying funny" helped him through his struggle with alchoholism--he's been sober a year and a half--and, of course, waxes humorous on the Obamas. Of the president's Nobel, he says, "I wish he would just punch somebody in the face. You can't finesse a bull, man." And on the first lday? "Michelle knows. We had something going on back in the day. One of them little girls is biologically mine."

A new Moses movie: Offensive to Jews and Christians?

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A new movie about the life of Moses has the potential "to offend millions of Christians and Jews alike," said Brandon Fibbs in Christianity Today. Twentieth Century Fox has announced plans to film a version of the Biblical story "in the style of Zach Taylor's "Pornographically violent film" 300. That's all we need: Moses transformed "from a weak leader, terrified of his calling and dependant on God for every ounce of his strength into a revolutionary figure who employs violence to attain his ends."

Hollywood writers do have a tendency to modernize a story to "such a degree that it no longer resembles the original tale," said Paul Young in Screen Rant. A few years ago, NBC made a "TV movie about Noah and the flood and it was horrible." But as "a Christian," I've always thought that stories from the Bible are "ripe for the cinematic picking"--they contain "greed, sex, lust, war, intrigue," and much more. If done properly, a new Moses movie could be great.

It's certainly one way "to make kids more interested in the Bible," said Tony Lang in JoBlo.com and the filmmakers plan on drawing from other "historical and mythological sources" as well. But of course, there could be a trade off: "Ramses might be 10 feet tall and full of bling"--and wrapped in "latex." And there's sure to be "lots of CG, rippling pecs and slow-motion blood splatter all over" the place.

Holy Moses!! Another re-make

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Hollywood is taking on a film project of Biblical proportions.

According to Variety, 20th Century Fox has made a pitch to tell the story of Moses in "300" style. The tale will start with his near death as an infant to his adoption into the Egyptian royal family, his defiance of the Pharoah and deliverance of the Hebrews from enslavement.

The Moses story will be told using the same green screen strategy as "300" so it will feel more like that pic of "Braveheart" than "The Ten Commandments," the 1956 Cecil DeMille film.

Beach Boy Wilson to Complete Gershwin Songs

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson will put a gloss on unfinished tunes by revered Jazz Age composer George Gershwin. Gershwin's estate tells the Los Angeles Times that dozens of fragments, from a "few bars to some almost finished songs and everything in between," have been in limbo since Gershwin's death more than 70 years ago. The estate had been casting about for artists to complete them, but the pick is a surprise.

Wilson says he's "thrilled to death" about the project, which he thinks will produce short pop songs, not the longer pieces Gershwin was known for like Rhapsody in Blue.

"I'm proud to be able to do it," he says. "Hopefully I'll be able to do them justice." The idea of a "Gershwin-Wilson" credit on a song is "a weird dream come true," says an exec at Gershwin's publisher.

'Couple's Retreat' tops weekend box office

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Universal topped reigning champ Sony at the nation's box office this weekend with its launch of the comedy "Couple's Retreat," earning an estimated $35.3 million.

Zombieland dropped to second place with $15 million while "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" continued to play strong with $12 million.

Marge Simpson strips for Playboy

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Marge Simpson has gone where no animated character has gone before--on the cover of Playboy magazine.

As part of The Simpson's 20th anniversay shenanigans, Marge has been honored with both the November 2009 cover and a three-page pictorial featuring Marge in various states of undress.

How did this come about? Well, let's just say the new CEO of Playboy's name is Scott Flanders.
Yes, Flanders.

FOXNews.com can also report exclusively that Playboy is in high-level talks with other female animated characters.

Chris Rock's 'Good Hair'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"Good Hair" is an "amusing, poignant and surprisingly candid" exploration of "the multibillion-dollar business" of the black-hair-care industry," said Betsey Sharkey in the Los Angeles Times. Comedian Chris Rock who co-wrote the script, serves as tour guide, "coaxing answers and opinions from an eclectic cross section of African Americans"--and "the result is a documentary that weaves as much comedy as fact into the narrative."

It's a fascinating subject, said Keith Uhlich in Time Out New York and Good Hair "is especially powerful in how it offhandedly shows certain races fomenting and exploiting the desires of others." But it's a shame Chris Rock "merely" uses this film "as an opportunity to crack wise"--whenever he's onscreen, "there's always a punch line or a snooty eye-roll to be had."

That's not entirely true, said Melissa Anderson in The Village Voice. Chris Rock "is certainly a sympathetic and curious observer." But what about "Don Imus's 2007 remarks about 'nappy-headed hos'" that "underscored the immense fear of and fascination with the hair follicles of African-American women"? Rock doesn't get into it and in that he "betrays some of the gender politics that remain vigorously unexamined in this breezy, superficial doc."

"Save the Deli"

By: Vickie J. Rubinson
Book Review

As a journalist and lifelong deli obsessive, David Sax was understandably alarmed by the state of the Jewish delicatessen. A cuisine that once thrived as the very center of Jewish life had become endangered by assimilation, homogenization and health food trends. He watched in dismay as one beloved deli after another was shuttered, only to be reopened as some bland chain restaurant laying claim to the very culture it had just paved over.

And so David set out on a journey across the U.S. and around the world in search of authentic delis. Was it still possible to save the deli?

"With their numbers declining to dangerously low levels, Jewish delis now take on a different meaning to New York's Jews as symbolic representations of a fading past. Why do we love these nostalgic places?" the author asks. "Why is the sense of history and unchanged decor and the behavior of the waiters so important to the character of a Jewish deli?"

Unfortunately, with each successive generation as the number of delis in New York has declined from thousands to mere dozens, the link between NY Jews and NY delis has grown perilously weak. The assimilation of New York's Jewish community is one of the crucial factors that brought the Jewish deli to it's current endangered state. The Jewish desire to blend in and achieve acceptance in a Christian-dominated nation remains strong. Yet today's Jewish youth are far less likely to eat at a deli than their parents, who in turn, were less likely to eat at delis than their own parents.

Join David as he investigates everything deli--it's history, its diaspora, its next generation. He tells about the food itself--how it's made, who makes it best and where to go for particular dishes. And ultimately, he does find hope: deli newly and lovingly made in places like Boulder, traditions carefully tended in Montreal, and iconic institutions like the 2nd Avenue Deli resurrected in New York.

So grab a pastrami on rye and sit down for a great read, because Save the Deli is an energetic cultural history of Jewish food, a vibrant travelogue and a rally cry for a new generation of food lovers.

'Hawaii Five-O' Coming Back to TV

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who were the kings of the summer B.O. as the screenwriters of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," and "Star Trek," have enlisted on another classic franchise reboot, "Hawaii Five-O" for CBS.

CBS has long wanted to revive "Hawaii Five-O," which was a staple of its schedule from 1968-80. It starred Jack Lord as Steve McGaarrett, head of the hardboiled Hawaiian State Police, which handeled the toughest criminal cases and investigated organized crime on the island.

The show's catchphrase "Book 'em, Dano"--which McGarrett often said to his right-hand-man detective Danny Williams after a suspect was caught--has become a part of pop culture vernacular.

The original series, was filmed on location in Hawaii. Presumably, the redo would also head to the Hawaiian isles to take advantage of tax credits the state offers film and TV productions.

Weekends at Bellevue: Nine years on the night shift at the psych ER

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Book Review

Julie Holland thought she knew what crazy was. Then she came to Bellevue. New York City's Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital in the U.S., has a tradition of "serving the underserved" that dates back to 1736. For nine eventful years, Dr. Holland was the weekend physician in charge of Bellevue's psychiatric emergency room, a one-woman front line charged with assessing and treating some of the city's most vulnerable and troubled citizens, its forgotten and forsaken--and its criminally insane.

Deciding who gets locked up and who gets talked down would be an awesome responsbility for most people. For Julie Holland, it was just another day at the office.

"On one Saturday evening, a man shares a cigarette with a stranger in a bar and ends up dancing naked on top of a car. The cigarette has PCP in it, which luckily shows up in his urine screen, helping to explain his behavior. The man has no psychiatric history and I speak to the couple he babysits for to prove it. No matter how psychologically healthy you think you are, circumstances can transpire that will bring you to Bellevue. Hopefully, the doctor in charge will know what to do with you when you get there.

There is a diaphanous membrane between sane and insane. It is the flimsiest of barriers and because any one of us can break through at any given time, it scares all of us. We all lie somehwere on the spectrum, and our position can shift gradually or suddenly. There is no predicting which of us will be afflicted with dementia or schizophrenia who will have depression or panic attacks or become suicidal, manic or addicted."

In this absorbing memoir laced with humor, Holland provides an unvarnished look at life in the psych ER, recounting stories from her vast case files that are alternately terrifying, tragically comic and profoundly moving: the serial killer, the schizophrenic begging for an injection of club soda to quiet the voices in his head, the subway conductor who watched a young woman being pushed into the path of his train.

Holland supplies not only a page-turner with all the fast-paced immediacy of a TV medical drama but also a fascinating glimpse into the inner lives of doctors who struggle to maintain perspective in a world where sanity is in the eye of the beholder.

The Letterman Fiasco

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

So-called women's groups need to get their priorities straight, said Martha Zoller in Human Events. The National Organization for Women scolded David Letterman after the "slutty stewardess" remark he made about Sarah Palin, but NOW hasn't said a word about Letterman's "abuse of his power" by having sex with women on his staff. "This goes beyond sexual harassment. Letterman is a predator, and for that he should be fired by CBS."

On what grounds? said Maureen Dowd in The New York Times. "Sexual harassment entails pressuring or penalizing a staffer or making the office atmosphere hostile," and nobody who works for Letterman has ever accused "the curmudgeonly comedian" of that. One of his lovers--"described herself as his best friend," and former Letterman intern Holly Hester said she wanted to marry Letterman but he broke off their relationship over the age difference.

David Letterman didn't even violate company policy said Tim Goodman in the San Francisco Chronicle, because his production company, Worldwide Pants, own the show--not CBS--and it doesn't restrict management-employee relationships. "Letterman's probably not going to get many people thinking that sleeping with the help is a good idea." But as long as no woman comes forward saying she was pressured into an affair, this is a case of "sketchy behavior," not sexual harassment.

Eric Braeden Leaves Young and the Restless!

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Say it ain't so! Handsome, debonair daytime actor Eric Braden has left CBS' "The Young and the Restless" after almost 30 years on the popular soap opera.

Braeden was the No. 1 star on daytime's No. 1 serial and a lot of female viewers aren't happy about his departure.

"I'm not going to watch the show anymore without Victor," huffed one fan. "He's the only reason I even watch the show."

According to TV Guide, Sony is the culprit. That's the same corporation that ousted suds superstars Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn from Days of Our lives last year.

Braeden, who plays badass billionaire Victor Newman, says his current three-year deal wasn't due to elapse until November 2010, but Sony took advantage of a sneaky, yet standard, clause in soap contracts that leaves a star's salary prone to renegotiation every 26 weeks. Sinister Sony demanded that Braeden take a major pay cut.

The actor won't say how much but likens it to "being hit with a sledgehammer." He chose to walk. "I was dealt with in a cold, deeply insulting and unconscionable manner and I'm a defiant bastard," admitted Braeden who is nearing his 30th anniversay at Y&R. "I feel a great loyalty to the show, but that loyalty is not reciprocated. The daytime business has become cut-throat."

Let's face it folks...Y&R just won't be the same without Braeden, but I'm sure there's plenty of other TV shows he can appear on like he did with "How I Met Your Mother," where he debuted his comedy chops. He could also switch to a different soap. What do you think?

An Education

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"An Education" (2009) is a British coming-of-age film based on an autobiographical memoir of the same title written by the British journalist Lynn Barber. The film was directed by Lone Scherfig, and starring Emma Thompson, Peter Sarsgaard and headed by newcomer Carey Mulligan.

Jenny (Mulligan), is a bright young girl on the cusp of her 17th birthday who finds herself in a whirlwind romance with a much older David (Peter Sarsgaard). Prior to meeting David, Jenny was trying to excel in her life by studying to get into Oxford. Once she sees the lifestyle David can provide, one she never imagined might so easily be hers, she is hooked and thoughts of Oxford go out the window.

Then, when things are looking pretty good for Jenny with the dashing (yet a little too smooth), David, the truth hits her like a ton of bricks. Jenny goes from being a bright eyed school girl to a sophisticated young lady and then all the way back to questioning if she really knows who she is at all.

"An Education" is set in 1961 London, a city caught between the drab, post-war 1950s and the glamorous, more liberated decade to come. The screenplay for the movie is based on the memories of journalist Lynn Barber. These memories weren't published until June 2009, when the film was already completed filming.

"An Education" won the Audience Choice award and the Cinematography award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Carey Mulligan won at the Hollywood Film Festival an award for Best Hollywood Breakthtough Performance for a Female.

Debut: October 9, 2009.

Elizabeth Taylor to Have Heart Surgery

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Elizabeth Taylor is letting friends and fans know that she is about to go to the hospital for heart surgery.

"Any prayers you happen to have lying around I would dearly appreciate. I'll let you know when it's over. Love you Elizabeth," the 77-year-old star wrote on her Twitter page this afternoon.

That message was preceded by two others:

"Dear Friends, I would like to let you know before it gets in the papers that I am going into the hospital to have a procedure on my heart."

"It's very new and involves repairing my leaky valve using a clip device, without open heart surgery, so that my heart will function better."

Kelly Osborne sent well wishes to Taylor over Twitter writing, "Good luck. My mother and I are praying and thinking of you!"

Comedian Sandra Bernhard also tweeted to Taylor saying, "You have weathered harsher storms dear lady, we send every variety of prayer from many lands may they carry you through."

Why Conde Nast is Closing Gourmet

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

This is a "sad day" for anyone who loves tasty recipes, "lush photography, and endlessly curious, immensely smart travel and food writing," said Sam Sifton in The New York Times. Conde Nast announced Monday that it is closing Gourmet which another Times blogger described as "a magazine of almost biblical status in the food world." The news comes as a shock--the "literate, beautiful," 68-year-old magazine had a rising circulation and was "widely thought to have been safe from the economy's depredation."

"It's not terribly shocking that Gourmet is now getting the ax," said The Wall Street Journal. Stricken by a deep advertising slump, Conde Nast just underwent a three-month study by McKinsey and Co. to see how it could cut costs. There are "similarities between Gourmet and Conde's other title, Bon Appetit--and in this economy redundancy is death."

To a casual reader, said Sheryl Julian in The Boston Globe it seemed like Bon Appetit was the expendable one. Gourmet's superstar editor, Ruth Reichl, has brought the magazine many awards by focusing on publishing interesting articles.

"Bon Appetit doesn't seem to care much about writing but seems to invest a lot in recipes"--if you can find them among all the food ads. "But the food ads have kept BA alive, and lack of them has made Gourmet a relic."

It's chilling to think what the food world will be like without Gourmet said Gabriella Gershenson in Time Out New York. "What will young people today who love food aspire to? Cheaply won celebrity chefdom?" Reality TV? Blogs with nothing but restaurant gossip? Let's hope people who "crave quality" find a way to fill the void.

Victoria Gotti: This Family of Mine

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

For decades, scandalous rumors and sensational tabloid headlines have obscured the truth about one of the most famous and intriguing families in modern history: the real players, the real relationships, behind the closed doors of the Gotti dynasty.

Until now. Here at last is the explosive memoir that captures the Gottis as they are--unvarnished, raw and real. And who better to tell this no-holds-barred story than their most famous daughter? Victoria Gotti never intended to reveal the inside story of the Gotti household, but with the pressing need to finally set the record straight came the realization that only she can do so.

Interestingly, John Gotti was an amazingly generous mobster who threw huge 4th of July parties every year for the entire neighborhood, replete with plenty of BBQ hot dogs, hamburgers and a magnificant display of fireworks. He did this every year without fail. The locals loved him for it.

Those on the fringes of life, the down-and-out, would go to Gotti to ask for money or favors, which he often granted. And he had a soft heart for the underdog; always coming to the aid of society's weaker members.

Same thing with Christmas. "My father's place was always open on the holidays to those friends who had no place to go. Dad always made sure that any of the men without wives or family were never forced to celebrate the holidays alone. He had a generous pocket and a huge heart. And he made sure there were gifts under the tree for them as well."

While Gotti was indeed a cold blooded killer, his personality and charm managed to compensate for the "other" side of "the life."

And celebrities were intrigued and enamored with Gotti. Marlon Brando wanted to meet him (and did), along with Tony Danza and other Hollywood luminaries. Yet Gotti wasn't at all impressed by them. He was actually a shy man according to Victoria. He couldn't even dance with her at her Sweet 16 birthday for fear of being the center of unwanted attention.

With the trial of "Junior" Gotti poised to continue the high drama of the Gotti story, fascination with the icons of this clan is stronger than ever. For anyone wanting to know the behind-the-scenes life of a mafia daughter, this book is a definite must read.

Manga Mein Kampf Sweeps Japan

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A cartoon version of Hitler's Nazi manifesto and early autobiography has been a hit in Japan since its launch late last year. The manga-style Mein Kampf is the biggest seller in the publisher's "learn with manga" series of adpatations of historical classics and political tracts. It has sold 45,000 copies, compared with 35,000 for Karl Marx's Das Kapital and many others.

The manga's success has reignited debate in Germany on whether the state of Bavaria, which holds the copyright to Mein Kampf, should stop refusing publishers permission to reprint it, reports the Telegraph. The Japanese publishers say their version isn't covered biy copyright protection and stress that their aim is to give readers an insight into Hitler's twisted way of thinking instead of glorifying his ideology.

A Serious Man

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a physics professor at a 1960s university and his life is coming apart at the seams. His wife (Sari Lennick) is leaving him, his jobless brother (Richard Kind), has moved in and someone is trying to sabotage his chances for tenure.

Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis, but whether anyone can help him overcome his many afflictions remains to be seen.

Friday, October 2.

'Whip It'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Drew Barrymore's "female-centric" roller derby dramedy "Whip It" is "funny without trying too hard to be wacky," said Christy Lemire in the Associated Press, and "sweet without being overly sentimental." Starring "Juno's" Ellen Page as a "misfit" who joins a team of "tough on the outside but decent to the core" roller derby queens known as the Hurl Scouts, Whip It has "an appealing, low-budget, 1970s-style kitsch" and refreshingly depicts women as "strong, smart, cool individuals."

Ellen Page makes the movie, said Steve Persall in the St. Petersburg Times. She has an "unerring knack for expressing teen agitation without angst," and she's great as the "sassy hero not contento to spin her wheels in a tiny Texas town." But Drew Barrymore's "directing debut isn't anything special"--she just "doesn't have her action directing chops yet," and Whip It "loses steam" when the Hurl Scouts are onscreen.

The direction is "generic and blocky" in this "cliched underdog film," said Marshall Fine in The Huffington Post. The skaters' names "are the only witty element to the whole film: Bloody Holly, Eva Destruction, Iron Maven." But "after that, the writers apparently went on permanent hiatus." Whip It is nothing more than a "turgid, predictable and not particularly funny sports tale."

The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

By: Vickie J. Rubinson
Book Review

In this groundbreaking work, author J. Randy Taraborrelli draws detailed and sympathetic portraits of the women so influential in the life of the actress, including her mother, her foster mother and her legal guardian. He tells the heartbreaking story of a world-famous daughter dealing secretly with a parent's severe paranoid schizophrenia--and exposes the shocking scope of Marilyn Monroe's own mental deterioration and her desperate attempts to help both herself and her mother.

When Norma Jean Baker became famous as Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s, she said her mother, Gladys Baker, was either dead or not a part of her life, depending on the publicity campaign of the moment.

However, neither was true. In fact Marilyn's mentally ill mother was very much present in her world and the complex family dynamic that unfolded behind the scenes, as the star went from actress to icon, is a story that has never before been told...until now.

There is also the tale of Monroe being committed to a mental hospital, when an intern told her, "You are a very, very sick girl."

Taraborrelli uncovers evidence suggesting Monroe heard voices beginning in her late teens, which "disrupts the romantic, self-flagellating narrative we prefer--that 'we,' the insatiable public ruined her."

With newly discovered photographs of Marilyn that have never before been published and research that includes voluminous family and medical files and interviews with the Secret Service and the FBI, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe redefines her story.

J. Randy Taraborrelli is the New York Times best-selling author of Elizabeth; Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot; and Sinatra, A Complete Life.