Where'd ya go, Pop Culture Chick #11? Deborah Raffin.

Former Revlon model and one-time unoffical Hollywood ambassador to China, Deborah Raffin first hit her stride in the made-for-TV movie, Once Is Not Enough (1975). I fell in love with her when she played the beautiful Chris Farris in the made-for-TV mini-series, The Last Convertible (1979), still one of my favorite television films of all-time.

Raffin was next in line for the role of Sandy in Grease after Susan Dey turned it down, As fate would have it, producer Allan Carr bumped into Olivia Newton-John at a dinner party and...well, you know the rest.

Raffin was seen on 7th Heaven for a couple years and most recently on The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Not sure what she's up to these days and can't find any up-to-date information.

Here's Deborah in a scene from Once Is Not Enough.

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TGIF! presents...The Monkees' "Valleri"!

I met Davy Jones somewhere between 1987-89 while I was working in the sales department of WKLH Classic Hits 96 in Milwaukee. I told him this song was my favorite Monkees' tune. Short guy - surrounded by four babes.

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Shatner? Captain Kirk? 80?

Missed your birthday last Wednesday, Bill. That's OK - wanted to let the hubbub die down a bit so you and I could enjoy the moment alone.

I love William Shatner. I may even put him right up there as my 2nd favorite all-around entertainer (2nd to Dean Martin). Loved him in Star Trek, on The Twilight Zone, Boston Legal, (never watched T.J. Hooker), like his Priceline commercials, love his "singing" renditions of popular songs. But what I like best about the man is he doesn't take life too seriously and has an innate ability to poke fun at himself. That's a rare quality. I don't know anyone else who transferred the Shakespearean acting technique to places it should not go - like television and movies. And Shatner has spawned a whole generation of impersonators, jokesters - all at his expense.

And does Shatner care? Fuck no. Here are a few clips you should watch if you're not familiar with the Man called Shatner:

1.) Worst fight scene ever. Capt. Kirk v. Gorn.
2.) Shatner singing "Rocket Man" on television.
3.) Shatner singing "Mr. Tambourine Man" - audio only.
4.) Shatner on the original Twilight Zone in episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet". Inarguably in the top 10 of all Twilight Zone episodes. Notice I said, "inarguably".
5.) Shatner doing his verison of the Cee Lo Green song, "Fuck You".
6.) Denny Crane meets the Chinese on Boston Legal.

Come on...all those clips beat the pants off Leonard Nimoy's (Shatner's close friend) song, "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins". If that's not enough for you, check out William Shatner's website here.

Live long and prosper, Mr. Shatner.

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Dick Winter's (of "Band of Brothers" fame) memorial.

Major Dick Winters, who led the real "Band of Brothers" during WWII passed away on January 2, 2011. A public memorial will be held at the Hershey Theatre in Hershey, PA, tomorrow (Saturday) at 2 pm.

Major Winters' character was a primary focus during the film, and he was heavily featured during the narration segment of the television series.

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X hates "reality television".

(reprinted from Ditalini Press)

There is no such thing as "reality television" - which boggles X's mind that he can hate a few choice words or phrase that theoretically don't exist. As soon as the dumb asses who choose to air their private lives for the world to see know there's a lens focused on them AND as long as there are producers, writers and directors who are manipulating the dumb asses' "reality", it's no longer "real".

In X's world, this list is no longer. And, according to X, the world grows smarter.

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TGIF! presents...Happy Birthday, Elvis! "Memories".

"The King" woulda been 75 today, man. This is the original broadcast recording from the '68 Comeback Special, a television special sponsored by The Singer Sewing Machine Company. It originally aired on December 3, 1968 on the NBC television network and was the highest rated special for that year.

Great special. GREAT special. Happy Birthday, Elvis. You are missed and I love you.

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Follow the Yellowbrick Road...to Dr. Oz! And 7 health myths you should know.

My mother has been watching Dr. Oz for some time. Now I'm hooked. If this guy told me to shove my head up my ass 'cause it would make me healthier, I would.

Dr. Oz speaks plainly and he covers health concerns that I'm sure all of us experienced at one time or another. Here's one of them - 7 health myths:

1. Sugar makes kids hyper. MYTH
2. 8 glasses of water a day. MYTH
3. Going out in the cold/rain gives you a cold. MYTH
4. Most body heat escapes from your head. MYTH
5. Beer before liquor, never sicker. Liquor before beer, you're in the clear. MYTH
6. Apple a day keeps the doctor away. TRUE
7. Pregnant women shouldn’t dye their hair. MYTH

For more information on Doc Oz, as well as where to watch him in your neck-o-the-woods, check out his website. Watch a clip from his show and I think you may be hooked. For detailed explanations on the myths I talked about above, click here.

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"Hell-A Woman". From Season 1 of "Californication".

One of my favorite scenes from one of the first episodes. Hank is a novelist from New York who's bitter about how Hollywood "treated" the movie based on his best-selling novel. He has writer's block and, against his better judgement, takes a blogging job at the behest of his ex, who's fiance owns the company Hank would be blogging for. Here are some of Hank's thoughts as he writes his first blog post....very poignant. (Adult language, kiddies)

Season 3 starts at the end of the month. Well-written comedy. One of the best on television.

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"Where'd ya go, Pop Culture Chick #7, Salome from 'Jesus of Nazareth'?"

Hailed by TV Guide in 1987 as "the best miniseries of all time" and "unparalleled television", the 1977 epic "Jesus of Nazareth" is considered by many - including my own family - as the definitive telling of the life of Jesus Christ. I just watched some of it today - it's aired every Christmas and Easter.

I won't get into much background of the television movie (you can look it up), aside that Franco Zeffirelli directed and produced it and the multi-national cast was a Who's Who in Hollywood - James Powell as Jesus, Farentino, Bancroft, Plummer, Mason, Olivier, Pleasance, Steiger, Ustinov, York, McShane, James Earl Jones, Hussey, Holm, Keach, Borgnine, Cardinale, Quinn, Richardson. Difficult to do that today.

But if you've seen it, you'll remember Salome, who dances for King Herod and gets the king to chop off the head of John the Baptist. The actress who portrayed Salome is the Spanish actress Isabel Mestres. Growing up, I waited with a sense of irreverence for Salome to do her thang. Whoo! Oops - sorry.

According to IMDB, the last movie she was in was in 1996. I can't find her anywhere on the Internet. She's 62 now (unbelievably). The only picture I could find of an older Isabel is this one. If it's her (the picture listed her name).

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Separated at birth? Talosian and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

The Talosian is on the left - from Episode One - "The Cage", Star Trek television series (1966)

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"The L Word" series finale? Lez than fulfilling. Whoo!

I know - it's just a television show.

So was MASH, Seinfeld and The Sopranos. Seems "The L Word" creator Ilene Chaiken has pissed off millions of faithful viewers of her popular Showtime drama that made lipstick lesbians in West Hollywood chic for six seasons. And I don't blame them. The viewers, that is.

I missed Seasons 3 & 4 (I think...the whole Dana cancer storyline) because I didn't have Showtime, which sucked because Dana was my favorite character. The series finale was built up to monumental status..."Who Killed Jenny Schecter?" You were made privy to the fact that she died in the first episode and the rest of the season was devoted to "flashbacking" the events that lead up to Jenny's death.

The problem is that in last night's series finale, the question, "Who Killed Jenny Schecter?" was never answered with any finality. Quite frankly, all the characters had a motive to kill Jenny. I had a motive...Jenny was a bitch and I wanted her dead since last season. (The character turn that Jenny took was too sudden and unbelievable for me. I blame the writers for that.)

Everyone has their own theory on what happened, but no one really knows for certain. I, for one, think Jenny committed suicide. It was really the only honorable thing left for the bitch to do. And I don't think any of the other lesbians are "killers" in the purest sense of the word. The only for-sure clues the audience is given are the following:

1) Bette was the last person the audience SAW with Jenny - ripping her a new one on the stair landing where the railing was yet unfinished. This was during the day.

2) Alice was the one who entered the living room announcing Jenny was dead (floating in the pool). Where she was just prior to that we don't know. All the main characters were present in that room. There was no indication how long Jenny had been in the pool and it was evening out. Oddly, Chaiken's new pitch, "The Farm", is about straight women and lesbians in prison and the lead character is Alice. Why is Alice in prison? Could it be that in "The Farm" we'll find out she killed Jenny? Chaiken said that premise would not necessarily be the correct one. Odd.

3) Alice's girlfriend, Tasha, enters after Jenny's body has been shipped off to the morgue and the cast is sitting around in shock with the police.

4) Nikki (the actress) is found in the bushes near the pool by police. No - it's not even clear cut that she did it. She was on her way to the party, saw the cop commotion and hid. That's what she said anyway.

5) There's talk of an "L Word" movie, which may be another reason why the series (and the who murdered Jenny) were not wrapped up so tightly.

Here's the problem I have with taking a cop-out approach. On SheWired.com, Chaiken was asked why was Jenny Schecter killed at all? And Chaiken said, "I think the entire season is dedicated to answering that question. So I think that I would be doing the show a disservice if I were to answer it. I mean, really you're meant to want to know the answer to that throughout the entire season."

And yet, we didn't get the answer. I don't understand why writers and producers feel the need to be cute and mysterious? I don't mind "twist" endings (as a playwright) - at least there's some finality. I think it comes down to selfishness (creators) and greed ("The L Word" movie). It's akin to a guy manipulating marionettes - or puppets. Control and power - there's your answer. 'I created this series and I can end it anyway I see fit'. Chaiken even admitted on camera that had she known the public outcry over Dana's death would be so deafening she may have rethought that plotline. During the one-hour special leading up to the series finale, Jennifer Beals (Bette) and Laurel Holloman (Tina) were lauding the viewers about how that without "our" support the show would not have been possible.

Considering her "questioning" Dana's death, why then did Chaiken give all of "us" who helped keep "The L Word" alive such a bullshit finale, one she had to know would piss her core viewers off?

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Correction: "Janis Joplin SPENT..."

About 7 posts down I have a story on Harry Nilsson's song, "Me and My Arrow" from The Point! I wrote, "...and Janis Joplin spend her last night on earth there." However, once you post from YouTube you can't go back into the post and make corrections or you'll lose the video. At least, I haven't found a way to do it.

Look for more on The Troubadour (which I may have misspelled in that post as well) and The Leather Soles.

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Separated at Birth? 80's Ted Danson / 80's John Spinks.

You know Ted Danson from "Cheers" fame. John Spinks is the British rocker from the 80's group The Outfield ("Say It Isn't So", "Your Love").

Come on - "you know I like my girls a little bit older".

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"Frost/Nixon". I wonder if I can still get on Nixon's "Enemies List"?

I viewed the movie at a friend's house last Saturday - brother's in the DGA and had a screener copy. And I will see it again.

You don't need me to write a review - pick up a newspaper or go online. However, I will say this. I've had a keen interest in multiple topics of the 1960's: Nixon, Watergate, Yippies, hippies, SDS, Weatherman, anti-war movement & Vietnam, Abbie Hoffman, protest music, "Steal That Book!", etcetera, so naturally I was attracted to the subject matter. And, in the end, it a great history lesson. Sheen and Langella are formidable - Sheen's Frost impersonation was excellent.

The photo above is from the stage play version - same actors (Frank Langella as Richard Nixon and Michael Sheen as David Frost). The real Frost and Nixon, top.

The effervescent Rebecca Hall plays Caroline Cushing, Frost's love interest at the time of the interview

If so inclined, you can read this TIME magazine article on David Frost from 1977. as well as this recent interview with the real Caroline Cushing from The Daily Beast. Cushing is the Founder of C4 Consulting and is a grandmother of 4.

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The Last Dance. "Boston Legal" series finale? WTF?????

Let me clarify my expletive. I mean, "WTF", as in "I didn't know the series was ending"...WTF???

And it's ABC's fault. And it's ABC's shortsightedness that angers me.

According to show creator, David E. Kelly, it was ABC that pulled the plug. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Dec 7th, Kelly said that it was in fact ABC's decision to end Boston Legal. He also stated that executives did not want to commit to a fifth season, so he had to fight to bring it back for a short season of 13 episodes.

It's ratings weren't blockbuster, but it maintained the majority of its audience over its five-year run despite being switched four different times to different nights (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.) According to Nielsen Media Research, Boston Legal drew the richest viewing audience on television, based on the concentration of high income viewers in its young adult audience (Adult 18–49 index w/$100k+ annual income).

This explains John Larroquette's argument to a jury in the second to the last episode about how the elderly aren't seen as a viable market by the various networks. Course I didn't realize Boston Legal was on the chopping block; however, I did think it was a strange case for Larroquette's character to be arguing.

Read the Los Angeles Times review here. Also from YouTube, a compilation tribute to the show, as well as the series final balcony scene with James Spader and William Shatner.

I will miss you, Boston Legal - particularly the characters Alan and Denny, played by Spader and Shatner respectively. They seemed so real to me. And in all their triumphs and flaws I saw a bit of myself in each of them. And I fell in love with them.

Emmy Awards:

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series James Spader (2007, 2005, 2004*)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Christian Clemenson (as Jerry 'Hands' Espenson: 2006)
Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing for a Series Craig Hunter, Peter Kelsey, Clark King, William Butler (2006)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series William Shatner (2005)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series William Shatner (2004*)

Golden Globe Awards:
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV William Shatner (2005)

*2004 awards were for The Practice but for the same character portrayed on Boston Legal.

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Dick Martin of Rowan & Martin's "Laugh-In" fame passes in May.

Dan Rowan (left) and Dick Martin (right)

You've all seen the lists at the end of the year of celebrities who have passed away that year. I was sad to see that Dick Martin of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In fame had died in May of this year. I worked with Mr. Martin on the film, The Trial of Old Drum, a few years ago. We spoke briefly on set and I told him how much I was entertained by Laugh-In and applauded him and partner Dan Rowan (who preceeded Martin in death in 1987) on that groundbreaking series. Very nice man.

Incidentally, Dick was married to former 1966 May Playmate of the Month, actress Dolly Read, best known for her lead in Russ Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. They were still married when he died. Here's Dolly in all her - well, part of her "glory".

Laugh-In was an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968 to May 14, 1973. The title, Laugh-In, came out of events of the 1960s hippie culture, such as "love-ins" or "be-ins." These were terms that were, in turn, derived from "sit-ins," common in protests associated with civil rights and anti-war demonstrations of the time.

The show was characterized by a rapid-fire series of gags and sketches, many of which conveyed sexual innuendo or were politically charged. Rowan and Martin continued the exasperated straight man (Dan Rowan) and "dumb" guy (Dick Martin) act which they had established as nightclub comics.

Beside the regular "cast" on the weekly show, Laugh-In had celebrities drop by and do schtick, as well as musical groups. Check out this holiday clip.

Dan Rowan (left) and Dick Martin (right) on Laugh-In.

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I got the "True Blood" cravings, but Sookie sucks!

True Blood is a drama series on HBO created by award-winning director, writer, actor and producer, Alan Ball. The show is broadcast on the premium cable network HBO in the United States. It premiered this season and has been renewed for a second season. Ball is noted for writing American Beauty, and creating the HBO television shows Six Feet Under.

Based on the The Southern Vampire Mysteries book series by Charlaine Harris, True Blood details the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional small Louisiana town. The series centers on Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a telepathic waitress at a bar, who falls in love with vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer).

Anna Paquin plays Sookie. And Paquin sucks in this role. She may have one a Best Supporting Oscar for her role in The Piano, but she's terrible in this - I'll fast forward through her parts if I've TIVO'd the episode. Problem is she has a ton of scenes with the lead vampire, Bill Compton, played by Stephen Moyer (they're apparently dating in real life). He's good. The guy who plays her brother, Ryan Kwanten, is good - but his character is one of the dumbest characters on TV...EVER. And all the hot actresses he sleeps with on the show keep dying (plot point), so I'm left with Paquin. There's a black girl on the show - Tara, and the character is annoying; her accent is annoying, and the actress, Rutina Wesley, sucks too.

Otherwise, I like the premise and the show so far.

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Must be a slow day in Hollywood. Scarlett, Paris and Gyllenhaal talking but not saying much.

Internet Movie Database (IMDB) posts daily news items on it's Internet site. I've included three of those items posted today - in an abbreviated form:

Hilton Set To Team With Spears + Lohan In Reality Show
7 July 2008 12:11 PM, PDT
Paris Hilton is hoping to team up with fellow tabloid targets Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan for a new reality show about their lives in the spotlight.

Gyllenhaal Sought Holmes' Batman Approval
7 July 2008 12:11 PM, PDT
Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal almost rejected her role in upcoming film The Dark Knight - until she was assured her casting was approved by Batman predecessor Katie Holmes, allowing her the freedom to create a new character for the role with Holmes' blessing. She says, "If I'm going to do what I do well, I have to be free to do it."

Johansson: 'Monogamy Is Hard'
7 July 2008 12:11 PM, PDT
So is my dick. Sorry. Scarlett Johansson is convinced her relationship with fiance Ryan Reynolds will last, because they are among the few humans who can be monogamous. The actress claims remaining faithful to one partner is "hard work" and not natural. "Monogamy can be hard work for some people. I don't think it applies to everybody, and I don't think a lot of people can do it." But Johansson insists she is among those who can resist the temptation to cheat.

Please tell me there isn't more important news in the entertainment industry than this crap?First of all, who cares about any news having to do with Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears? And the fact that it has to do with another lame reality show is another knife in the collective public's back. The glut of shit on TV under the "reality" umbrella truly represents a dumbing down of America (admittedly, I've watched a handful of shows myself - a handful) and this genre of entertainment needs to disappear sooner than later. Here's an idea: include Jessica Simpson in the show. Then fire the writers and hire me. I will put all four women on a train, then have the train crash. End of show. "Spears, Lohan, Simpson and Hilton involved in train wreck." That's news.

Secondly, why does Maggie Gyllenhaal feel the need to consult the actress who formerly played her part in the Batman series? It's not like Gyllenhaal is taking over the role of Batman or of Indiana Jones or Inspector Clouseau or some other iconic role. Just "act", Maggie, and don't worry about what the "great" Katie Holmes may think of you taking over her role as Batman's love interest. I doubt the movie-going public will notice.

Thirdly, I don't care that Scarlett Johansson thinks she and her fiance can remain monogamous. I don't care about your sex life, Scarlett - unless I'm the one you're sleeping with. And please don't speak for me and assume that I can't be monogamous. The fact that Johansson states being monogamous is hard work and not the natural instinct of human beings...WOW! - what a revelation. I'll have to remember to send all my future sex education inquiries to S. Johansson so I can make sure I've got it right. And, if I ever find out she and Ryan Reynolds break up over an affair, I will publicly roast her ass on this blog.

Fourth, who is the editor making decisions to place these news items on IMDB? The editor of a 3rd-rate high school newspaper has more editing savvy than that.

Just shut up. All of you.

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Two of my Venice Canal shots featured on "Californication"

In anticipation of the 2nd season of Showtime's Californication, I just finished re-watching the first season. I'll cut to the punch - star and executive producer David Duchovny is brilliant (recently won a Golden Globe) in his turn as Hank Moody, a novelist who moved to Venice, CA to from NYC in order to see his name on the big screen, but it turns out he hates LA, lost the woman of his dreams that he had a love child with, and drinks, smokes and screws everything in sight - this show is not for kids. That being said ('cause I'm no kid), the writing, acting and music is an A+ all the way through. It's one of the smartest shows on TV.

I'll give you a little taste - three clips you have to watch: 1) select scenes from Season 1, Episode 1 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4zarPHvSd1A, 2) Hank Hates You All http://youtube.com/watch?v=7C7E_Z81uR8 and 3) http://youtube.com/watch?v=IWJhAOnJIzI Hank knows how to sweet-talk a woman on the first date.

Truthfully, perhaps one of the reasons I'm attracted to the show is that I identify with the character of Hank. Could be a little of me in Hank. Or is it a little of Hank in me? Maybe it's David Duchovny. Anyway, I love the show, though I shouldn't really make that public. One of the last shows I loved was Rome on HBO and it was yanked after two seasons.

Which brings me to these pictures. I took them last summer along the Venice Canals. The one above is featured in my book, PASSION = TRUTH, A photographic essay on life's truths (see right panel for order information). BOTH vistas are featured in Episode 9, "Filthy Lucre" at about the 14 minute mark. You can see the boats in the picture above in the master shot below, at the left base of the bridge. See?

None of this means anything. Just thought it was funny when I saw the shots in the show. Like minds...you know.

Stay tuned for a post on the women in Hank's life and more YouTube clips from the show. "Dude, dude...she's gonna blow."

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