Film Editor Extraordinaire Dede Allen

The NY Times noted the passing yesterday of film editor Dede Allen.  She cut such notable films as "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Dog Day Afternoon".  I am esepcially a fan of "Dog Day" which, in and of itself, is a self-contained master class in how to edit suspense.  It is a thrilling story which remains so even after multiple viewings due to the remarkable craft of Ms. Allen.


Her obit states that she started as a sound editor way back during the studio era on films like the landmark "Citizen Kane".  She received credit for editing more than 20 films during her career and worked into the new century.  One of my favorite, recent films she did was the undrerrated screwball comedy "Wonder Boys" that came out in 2000.  It's a delightful character study, starring Robert Downey Jr. at the height of his crazy years and Michael Douglas in possibly his best and most natural performance.  


Directors often get all the credit when it comes to filmmaking...but not with Ms. Allen.  The directors she worked with universally praised her genius and her devotion to a career that made for a remarkable body of work.  Anyway, if you're looking for something to add to your Netflix queue, just type her name into IMDB and you'll find more than a few cinematic gems.  

A Broadway Star Goes Country

A few years ago, there was quite a stir on the Great White Way when country star Reba Macintyre took Broadway by tornado with her star turn in "Annie Get Your Gun".   Now the connection is running the other way as Broadway's Laura Bell Bundy ("Hairspray", Legally Blonde") is taking on Nashville.


Last night, LBB did an almost Broadway style number in the middle of the CMA awards to launch her first country album, "Achin' and Shakin'".  And she was not kidding around.  The blonde diva did some serious line dancing which certainly looked like country on the surface but, with all the high kicks and bounding leaps, felt more like a scene out of "Oklahoma".   


LBB actually grew up in the south, born and raised in Kentucky so her new act is not much of a put-on as it seemed.  But I find it  interesting how country music, which was recently invaded by rock/pop legend Bon Jovi, is now getting an attack from the world of musical theatre.  In some ways, it actually makes sense in that there has always been something very Broadway about country, with it's storytelling songs, corn-pone sentiment and classic American melodies. So it'll be interesting to see if the country world embraces LBB as she goes back to her roots.

Dog v. iPad

This video is making the viral rounds....a corgi checking out an iPad. He is interested at first when he sees his reflection.  But his relationship to the techno-beast changes over time.  Steve Jobs would not be pleased.

The Mystery of Roosevelt Island

For me, the mystery of Roosevelt Island is located not in the creepy ruins of an abandoned small pox hospital or grounds of an infamous insane asylum but in the name of the island itself. Why was this slip of land in the middle of the East River named after Franklin Roosevelt? The answer was revealed this week when the NY Times announced that a memorial to FDR is under construction on island's southern tip....a memorial that has been nearly 40 years in the making.

This two mile spit of land barely 800 feet wide was originally named Welfare Island then Blackwell's Island. However, it was not a place you'd want to visit, home to violent prisoners, the mentally insane and the mortally ill for more than 100 years. In the 1960's, plans were made to redevelop the island and make it livable, with affordable housing and a tram line to connect it to Manhattan. In 1973, the island got it's presidential moniker when plans were announced for a memorial and historical center designed by famed architect Louis Kahn. Then the city nearly went bankrupt and the project was put on indefinite hold. Until now...

Last month, ground was broken for the memorial, pictured above, which will grace the tip of the island directly across from the United Nations (an FDR legacy). The official groundbreaking will happen this summer and the first phase of the memorial along with some beautiful new parks should be open to the public by summer 2011.

Countdown In The Launch Box

As I've blogged before, New York City is currently in the midst of the biggest expansion of its mass transit network in decades. There are four projects underway tunneling beneath the city to build the new 7 line extension, the LIRR Grand Central terminal, a new Hudson tunnel for NJ Transit and the biggest project of them all, the long-delayed Second Avenue Subway.

After months of blasting, the actual tunneling far beneath 2nd avenue is set to begin later this spring. The launchbox, a large cavern where a TBM (tunnel boring machine) is assembled and set in motion, is ready to go. The TBM itself weighs roughly 485 tons, thus the big assembly launch/box. It just arrived in Newark last week.

There are some remarkable photos and videos of this machine (as well as the launch box) posted on a blog following the project called, of course, The Launchbox. The blog will be counting down the days to the start of tunneling from 96th to 63rd street.

The Next Saudi Arabian Idol?

In Saudi Arabia, there is a hit show on national television that looks just like the top US show, "American Idol". It has a flashy set, dramatic lighting, intense music. The only difference is that instead of songs, the Saudi idols recite poetry. That's right....poetry. On television.

The show is called "Millions' Poet" and is taped in Abu Dubai. Each week a new round of men stand at the center of a stage that has all the glitzy trapping's of an "Idol" set and they recite their own personally penned poetry about subjects like family life and the desert. But what's even more remarkable is that during last week's finale, one of the five finalists was a woman.

Hissa Hillal, a 43 year old mother draped in a niquab, defied convention by reciting poetry critical of consersvative Muslims. For taking such a brave and daring step, Ms. Hillal did not win the top prize which was expected. But, even in third place, she took home more than 600K....which is more than most US poets have ever made in a lifetime. However, what she really gained was worldwide recognition, including being named ABC News' Person Of The Week (I've posted the story below). It's a fascinating look at a remarkable woman and well worth watching. But I still can't get over the idea of a poetry contest on television. That's something even PBS wouldn't dare try in this country!

Sunday In The Park With Swing

I was passing through Washington Square Park on Sunday and heard a New Orleans-style jazz band whipping up some swing for a gorgeous spring day. There were also a couple dancers who were cutting some concrete with some pretty sweet moves. They were amateurs but definitely a lot more entertaining than the usual jugglers, showmen and folk singers that populate the center of the Park. A lovely diversion on an April afternoon....

My Brownie Husband

Tina Fey hosted SNL this weekend and it was one of the best shows of the season.  Not only did she bring back Sarah Palin and do a killer routine on Weekend Update about Jesse James' hookers, she also starred in and probably wrote one of the best SNL fake ads I've seen in a while.  It's for the Brownie Husband and it is hysterical.  I possibly laughed a little more than the average viewer as I had just baked some brownies earlier in the evening.  But, just for the the record, I didn't curl up to them on the sofa or bring them to bed.  OMG--that last scene is a riot!

Behind The Scenes @ GLEE

The GLEE kids were on Oprah this week, singing and dancing and being incredibly talented and totally adorkable.  Oprah put together a great little behind the scenes segment on the show, showing the cast going through their dance moves, singing and wardrobe.  They all look like they are having a blast...like they're living in some sorta cotinuous MGM-heyday flashback.  They even dropped a little spoiler in the clip....Kurt joins the Cheerios!  


Season 1.2 starts up in just 4.5 days (next Tuesday night on FOX at 9, to be exact).  My own informal GLEE club will be gathering 'round the flatscreen....no HULU or iTunes for GLEE.  You have to watch it live and preferably with a crowd of enthusiastic gay men who work in the arts. :)  Can't wait!

Chat Roulette--The Song

Well...it didn't take long for someone to do a parody song of ChatRoulette, the face-to-face networking site that has been taking the Internet by storm over the past few months.  This spot-on take on the ChatRoulette phenomenon comes from Hank Green, the brother of fellow teen author John Green and the co-creator the their site nerdfighters.com.  So enjoy this comical musical interlude....and beware the pantless. Next!