Is Nothing Sacred?

Alvin and the Chipmunks Circa 1980's


Alvin and the Chipmunks Circa 2007


Underdog Circa 1960's


Underdog Circa 2007


Betty & Veronica Circa 1950's



Betty & Veronica Circa 2007

This is a sad commentary on the entertainment business when these cultural icons can't be left alone.

Run and Tell That...

I just got back from seeing ‘Hairspray’ and am very upset. Hollywood ruined what could have been a great movie musical. They cut all of the humor out and just made the movie weird and awkward. The re-wrote all of the good stuff from the stage show out of it. The completely changed the meaning of “Without Love”. The song is supposed to be the two girls being rescued by their true loves. Here it was reduced to an untalented High School Musical Alumnus singing to a freaking picture, which sung back! I don’t know what scared me more John Travolta’s prosthetic face or Michelle Pffiefer’s regular face. She’s been nipped and tucked so many times she has lost the ability to have emotions. There is a great line in the movie (one of the few) in which Christopher Walken makes a plastic surgery joke to Pffiefer. I’m sure that was very intentional on the part of the writers. The director of this movie obviously doesn’t know how to do “camp”. He attempted to make it “real”, which the show is not. I’m not exactly sure what country Travolta’s Edna was supposed to be from, but I don’t think it was America. His accent was atrocious. Hollywood basically cut Penny Pingleton ( my favorite character) down to what seemed to be a total of ten spoken lines and a few reaction shots. She is the funniest part about ‘Hairspray’ and I was sure Amanda Bynes would have been hilarious if given good material. She unfortunately was not.

As Much as I disliked the movie there were a few saving graces to it. First, Allison Janney as Prudy Pingleton. I didn’t think anyone could top the amazing Jackie Hoffman, but she was as funny, if not funnier. As Penny’s racist and very religious mother. The other saving grace was some of the cameos in the movie. John Waters as “the flasher who lives next door” made me smile. I was happy to see the original acknowledged. Another wink to the original was Ricki Lake ( the original Tracy) as a talent scout. Marc Shaiman, who wrote all of the music for the Broadway show and the movie also pops up as one of the talent scouts. Lastly, Jerry Stiller as Mr. Pinky the owner of the Hefty Hideaway was semi-entertaining, but very random. I truly do not see what everyone is raving about. Every person who has seen this film loves it and the critics love it as well. I just don’t understand. Maybe I cannot separate the Broadway show from the Movie, but I still don’t understand the fuss.

Is Rory Gilmore Transfering to WCSU?

Today I walked onto what I thought was the WCSU midtown campus. I, apparently, was wrong. As I looked around signs told me otherwise. Signs that used to read “WCSU – Western Connecticut State University” now read “RISD – Rhode Island School of Design”. What was the old science building had now become the RISD art building. I thought I was losing my mind. I was beginning to wonder what was in the Starbucks I had just finished drinking. I wondered if this was some elaborate dream and I was about to wake up. Then I saw her. Rory Gilmore, also known as Alexis Bledel. She was walking around the corner of a building. I was sure I had gone crazy. Then a minute later came two cameras following her. I wasn’t crazy!

Some time ago movie scouts had come to the WCSU theater department looking for locations for “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2”. After visiting they told the theater department that they would be letting them know when they were coming. That was the last I had heard about it. This was them! In the sequel Alexis’ character ( I never saw the first so I don’t know her name). Goes to art school. That art school – WCSU! Well…RISD, but when all of us WestConn folks see it, we will know. Today they were filming a dozen or so scenes on the quad, in front of the student center and in front of the “art” building. The exterior of the science building is being used as the art building but the are actually using the WCSU art classrooms for classrooms in the movie.

After class this morning I stayed and watched them filming for a little bit. I got to say hello to Alexis and she said hello back. She seemed very nice. I left and came back a little while later with my sister. She is a HUGE Gilmore Girls fan and she wanted to meet her. Unfortunately she was very busy filming so that didn’t happen. We’re going to go down there again tomorrow. The crew is there until Friday. I was excited to be on a professional movie set. I hadn’t been on one since “Mr. Deeds”. This was much better experience. Deeds had hundreds of people flocking there to watch because it was Winonna Ryder, Adam Sandler and Peter Gallagher. The only big name at this shoot is Alexis. There were a lot less people. Plus the crew was so nice. I was able to get really close to the filming area. Honestly I think they thought I was an extra so they let me go anywhere. That was fine with me. I think I may have slipped into a few of the shots as well. So I guess I’ll be going to see this movie I would never see in theaters normally, just to find myself. It was fun. SPOILER ALERT – Alexis’ character kisses a guy in front of the ‘art’ building, but doesn’t really love him. Another scene involves another guy attempting to kiss her and she pulls away and walks away harshly while he stares longingly at her. SPOILER OVER. Anyway – I’m going back tomorrow, so maybe another report tomorrow ( and if I have my way - news that I’m going on a date with Alexis Bledel, but I doubt that will happen).

I Am My Own Worst Enemy

I haven’t updated this in a while and finally got some free time so here goes…These past few weeks have been pure insanity. Fiddler has opened and closed, I’ve stopped working at Cartus, started taking a Chaucer course and opened 20th Century. That’s the short list. I’ve also done a great deal of evaluation these past couple of weeks, evaluation of my life and everything in it. I came to a startling conclusion; I am my own worst enemy. I kind of already thought that but after looking at recent things that have happened to me I have come to a full realization. I get in my own way. I am afraid of failure; it is as simple as that. So in order not to fail, I don’t try. When I do try I don’t give it one hundred percent because what would be the point? The times I have given one hundred percent have resulted in failure. I know failing is okay. Someone needs to tell my brain that.

This is one of the main reasons I cannot be an actor for a living. I can’t deal with rejection. I just don’t have the drive most actors do. After sitting in the audition room for the Broadway tour of ‘The Producers’ earlier this year I have realized I’m not one of them. I don’t NEED the job. Those people needed the job to survive. I could never live that way. There were people at that audition that had five or six others that same day. I will forever remember a quote from Felicia Finley who was starring in Wedding Singer. She said, “Opening night of Wedding Singer I had another audition earlier that day, because you just never know how long a show will last”. That really had an effect on me. I need steady work. I can’t always be on the verge of failure. I’ve realized that this is the reason I have not had one decent relationship – ever. I’m afraid to go after the girl. When I finally get up the nerve, she’s either with someone else or gone for good. I’m afraid because most of the time I become such good friends with the girl that I fear losing that friendship. I just don’t know. This is something I just have to get over and soon, if I ever want to be successful in life.