Tribute: Carl Reiner

Posted on July 2, 2020 at 2:06 pm

I had the privilege of writing a tribute to one of my all-time favorites, Carl Reiner for rogerebert.com. He was a legend in every possible form of entertainment, as a writer, actor, showrunner, director, and resident wit on social media. From his time in the legendary writers’ room of “Your Show of Shows” alongside Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Woody Allen, and his lifetime best friend Mel Brooks to his 2020 appearance in Pixar’s “Forky Asks a Question” series, his mentorship to newcomers Mary Tyler Moore, Steve Martin, Dick Van Dyke, and many others, his affectionate skewering of popular culture, he was a major force in the culture of more than half a century.

I love this affectionate remembrance from TCM.

Here is one of my favorite moments from what Reiner said was his best creation, “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”

May his memory be a blessing.

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Movies for the Homebound XIV: 4th of July

Posted on July 1, 2020 at 8:00 am

No parades and picnics this year, so take some time to celebrate Independence Day with movies for the family.

Hamilton: LIn-Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster Broadway musical about Alexander Hamilton will premiere on DisneyPlus this week with original Broadway cast in honor of the 4th of July.

Independence Day Will Smith, Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum star in one of the all-time great popcorn pleasures. Aliens attack the earth and it takes a quirky engineer, a plucky President, and a heroic military pilot to save the day. What does that have to do with the 4th of July? Listen to the President’s stirring pep talk.

The Patriot There are many films about the Civil War, but not many about the Revolutionary War. Mel Gibson stars in this uneven but stirring film about a farmer pulled into the rebellion.

1776 I love this film, based on the Broadway musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence, with almost all of the stars from the acclaimed stage production, including William Daniels as the “obnoxious and disliked” John Adams, Ken Howard as a dashing Thomas Jefferson, and Howard Da Silva as Benjamin Franklin.

And don’t forget Schoolhouse Rock!

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For Your Netflix Queue

Josh Gad Reunites Ferris Bueller’s Day Off!

Posted on June 28, 2020 at 10:09 pm

Props to Josh Gad and to his sponsor, Barefoot Wine. Be sure to stay through the very end for a very sweet tribute to the late writer/director John Hughes featuring many of his stars.

Sneak Peek From Pixar’s Fall Release: Soul

Posted on June 27, 2020 at 8:10 pm

There’s no movie I’m looking forward to this year more than Pixar’s “Soul,” from Pete Docter of “Inside Out” and “Up.” Voice talent includes Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx along with Tina Fey, Quest Love, “Hamilton’s” Daveed Diggs, and Angela Bassett. Here’s a sneak peek.

And here’s a behind the scenes panel discussion from the Essence conference.

ALL THAT JAZZ – In Pixar Animation Studios’ upcoming feature film “Soul,” Joe Gardner is a middle-school band teacher whose true passion is playing jazz. A single unexpected step sends him to the cosmic realms where he finds the “You Seminar”—a fantastical place where Joe is forced to think again about what it truly means to have soul. Jamie Foxx was tapped to voice Joe. Directed by Academy Award® winner Pete Docter (“Inside Out,” “Up”), co-directed by Kemp Powers and produced by Academy Award® nominee Dana Murray (Pixar short “Lou”), “Soul” opens in theaters on June 19, 2020. © 2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

The Actor’s Fund Sings “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray

Posted on June 25, 2020 at 9:25 am

As Irving Berlin said, there’s no people like show people and one of the bright spots of the pandemic era has been the contributions of performers from Broadway. I absolutely love this joyous version of “Hairspray’s” “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”

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Live Theater Music