Oprah As Metaphor For Netflix

“I’m every post-theatrical content opportunity… it’s all in me….” As I was reading a NYT piece about Oprah tweeting that people with Nielsen boxes should turn in to the still-not-hot OWN, it occurred to me that Oprah’s current challenge is not unlike the current future challenge of Netflix. She was the unquestionable leader in daytime…

DP/30: 53 Oscar Nominees

There are just over 300 hours left until The Academy Awards are given out. It would take only about 10% of that time to watch the 61 half hour DP/30 interviews with 53 of this year’s Oscar nominees.

Happy viewing!

DP/30: A Cat In Paris, writer/directors Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol

Sometimes a Grammy is Just a Grammy

All over Twitter and Facebook today, virtual jabs have been tossed back and forth between those who think Chris Brown winning for Best R&B Album equates to the Grammy Award’s tacit approval of Brown’s physical assault of his then-girlfriend Rihanna three years ago … and those who think it’s time to move on, already. The…

Adventures in Filmmaking: Something Resembling Forward Motion

The other day I was grumping to my colleague Ray Pride about how I needed something to stir a fire in me to write about. Usually a stroll through my Twitter and Facebook feeds and my routine pit stops through my morning bookmarks is good way to shift my writing mode into gear, but I…

The Komen Controversy: Rethinking Pink

The internet is all in a tizzy today over the Susan G. Komen Foundation cutting off a grant to Planned Parenthood. I don’t know why everyone is so shocked that an organization founded by a major GOP supporter would have an agenda around not supporting a pro-choice organization. It’s not like Komen CEO Nancy G….

SNL Recap – Helen Mirren and Foo Fighters

If you’ve ever seen an interview with Helen Mirren, then you’d know that in addition to being a world-class actress, she also has a wicked sense of humor.  She has the twin traits of being both regal enough to play Queen Elizabeth II (The Queen) and versatile enough to play the proprietor of a Nevada…

Come Back, Warren Beatty!

So I just finished reading Peter Biskind’s biography about Warren Beatty, “Star,” and I found it as enjoyable as all of Biskind’s other books about Hollywood.  He has a knack for finding people that are willing to speak their minds about subjects that are usually taboo and off-limits according to the modern-day PR machine.  Even…

SNL Recap – Elton John

I mean, we all know that Elton John is a world-class singer/pianist and he’s crafted some of the greatest songs of all-time, but I’m curious to see if he’ll be able to entertain us when he’s not singing on SNL.  My guess is that there will probably be a lot of skits revolving around John…

RIP Peter Breck

Seen here in Samuel Fuller’s Shock Corridor, after exclaiming in interior monologue, “Nymphos!”

For Valentine’s Day, T-Mobile Clips A Joe Swanberg Movie

A clip from Alexander The Last? Um…. thanks, Cupid? [Via Joe Swanberg.]

Leonard Cohen On How To Speak Poetry (3’51″)