January, 2009

Beyonce will sing for Barack and Michelle Obama’s first dance on inauguration night Tuesday, The Associated Press reports.

Which song she will perform is not being disclosed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.  “It is our hope that we can keep the song a secret until the moment,” said spokeswomen Linda Douglass.

Beyonce had expressed shortly after the presidential election that she was eager to participate in the inauguration.  “Whatever they want – if they need me to volunteer, the need me to sing, I’m there, and I’m ready,” she told a reporter.

Along with the first dance honor, Beyonce is also set to perform at Tuesday night’s Neighborhood Ball which will air on ABC.

Other stars performing along with Beyonce include her husband Jay-Z, will.i.am, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Sting, Faith Hill, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder and Maroon 5.

“I’m the King of Rock, there is none higher/Sucker Mc’s should call me sire/To burn my kingdom, you must use fire/I won’t stop rockin’ till I retire.” These were the famous opening lines to Run DMC’s crossover hit, “King of Rock,” establishing the rap trio as veritable rock stars.

It’s fitting that these self-proclaimed Kings of Rock are being inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of fame along with Metallica, guitarist Jeff Beck, soul singer Bobby Womack and doo-wop group Little Anthony and the Imperials.

In an interview Wednesday, rapper DMC (Darryl McDaniels) called their induction inconceivable. “I’m a rap dude, I’m an MC from Hollis, Queens just rockin’ the mic, and to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with the Beatles and Dylan, and the rock n’ roll gods? It’s ridiculous! Ridiculous in a good way,” he said.

DMC also acknowledged the predecessors who paved the way for their success. “I share this nomination and induction and the whole award with those cats, everyone from Bronx and Harlem who started this.”

The group will not perform, however, at the induction ceremony April 4 due to the absence of their legendary DJ, Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell), who was shot to death in his New York recording studio back in 2002. “We can’t do it without Jay,” DMC said. “I want people to remember the last time they saw us together, the three of us.”

Some might consider the induction bittersweet in light of Jay’s death, but DMC disagrees. “Because Jay isn’t here to celebrate doesn’t mean he’s not partaking in this event.”

So congratulations Run DMC on this incredible honor; you’ve surely earned it.

“Las Vegas” actor Josh Duhamel and his music star wife, Fergie, exchanged nuptials January 10 in an extravagant wedding ceremony that reportedly had an estimated $1 million price tag.

The affair was held at the ultra-private 8,000-square-foot church Estate Vineyard in Malibu, California.  It included a full string orchestra that played at the ceremony and an enchanted forest themed reception. 

Fergie told Us Weekly that it was “magical, ethereal.”

The bride wore a custom-designed Dolce & Gabbana dress for the big day, and the ceremony included delicate details representing both of the couple’s personalities.

“Lots of nature was important to Josh,” celeb planner Mindy Weiss told Us.  “I knew I could bling it up for Fergie.”

After a traditional Catholic ceremony the party was kicked into high gear with Fergie’s first words to the crowd “I’m married bitches!”

Us Magazine reports Duhamel kept the energy rolling with a surprise segment he produced for Fergie of 40 of the couple’s friends and family lip synching and dancing to her signature hit, “Fergalicious”.

A family friend said “Fergie was hysterically laughing.”

More details of Josh and Fergie’s wedding are featured in the current issue of Us Magazine.

I don’t generally gush over this type of thing (the whole celebrity lifestyle), but even I would be remiss if I failed to mention the return of Jennifer Hudson.

Since the family tragedy that, sadly, made this Dreamgirl and Oscar-winner more of a household name, Jennifer has been in seclusion with her sister, Julia. But rumor has it that Jennifer will sing her way back into the spotlight – and into our hearts – during the upcoming Super Bowl game when she’ll belt out the national anthem on February 1.

Jennifer is also up for four Grammy’s for her self-titled album, which was released just weeks before her mother, brother and nephew (son of sister, Julia) were brutally murdered, allegedly by Julia’s former beau.

It was a big year for the Brits at Sunday’s Golden Globes with “Slumdog Millionaire,” Kate Winslet and Sally Hawkins taking home major awards.

“Slumdog,” a low-budget film about an Indian teenager looking for love and competing on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” took home the prizes for Best Motion Picture- Drama, Best Director for Danny Boyle, Best Screenplay for Simon Beaufoy and Best Original Score for A.R. Rahman.

With all the film’s honors and Winslet’s double-win, one might also say it’s the year of the underdog. Winslet, widely proclaimed to be the best actress of our generation, was 0-10 at the Golden Globes and the Oscars until last night.

The extremely shocked and humble star won Best Supporting Actress for “The Reader” and Best Actress for “Revolutionary Road.” She relished the moment saying, “Wrap up? You have no idea how much I’m not wrapping up” but sweetly stumbled through her speech by repeatedly telling herself to “gather” and even forgetting Angelina Jolie when acknowledging her fellow nominees.

“Happy-Go-Lucky’s” Hawkins was another speechless Brit. Fellow Best Supporting Actress nominee, Emma Thompson, who was still seated in the audience had to gently sooth and coach Hawkins to compose herself and go on.

Best Actor Mickey Rourke from “The Wrestler” had no trouble with his speech and, on the contrary, gave the audience quite an entertaining one thanking his dogs and saying “balls” twice. Plus, he got flipped off (lovingly, of course) from his director after calling him “a tough son of a bitch.”

Other noteworthy speeches from winners included the “30 Rock” cast who won Best TV Series – Comedy, Best Actor for Alec Baldwin and Best Actress for Tina Fey. Fey proceeded to tell all the web-dissers out there to “suck it,” and Tracy Morgan informed us that “Tina Fey and I had an agreement that if Barack Obama won, I would speak for the show from now on. Welcome to post-racial America!”

You didn’t have to be a winner to score laughs either. Presenter Ricky Gervais swaggered out on the stage with a beer in his hand complaining about how the Hollywood Foreign Press didn’t nominate his comedy, “Ghost Town.”

“That is the last time I have sex with 200 middle-aged journalists,” he said.

Not everyone laughed, however, at presenter Sacha Baron Cohen when he said Hollywood is also suffering from the financial crisis and Madonna had to “get rid of one of her personal assistants. Our thoughts go out to you, Guy Ritchie.” In fact, he was met with dirty looks from Sandra Bullock and Salma Hayek.

Perhaps Hollywood’s not a big fan of Borat…

Speaking of offensive, Colin Farrell who usually goes hand-in-hand with the network censors was surprisingly well-mannered not even cursing once. Although some would say his Best Actor win for “In Bruges” was surprise enough beating out Javier Bardem and Dustin Hoffman.

Gabriel Byrne’s Best Actor in a TV-Drama win and Anna Paquin’s Best Actress-Drama win also threw off Globe handicappers who were expecting more likely wins from “Mad Men’s” Jon Hamm and January Jones.

“Mad Men’s” win for Best TV Series- Drama, however, was easily predicted along with “John Adam’s” sweep and Heath Ledger’s win for Best Supporting Actor for “The Dark Knight.”

Director Christopher Nolan toasted Ledger’s legacy he built for himself in cinema’s history and also acknowledged “the hole ripped in the future of cinema” as a result of his premature death.

Despite the huge, surprising shut-out of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” at least the Globes gave “Slumdog Millionaire” its rightful place in the history of cinema.

Out of rock and roll heaven comes the news that Jack White and Thom Yorke will be collaborating musically.

Radiohead’s most recent album In Rainbows was released a little over a year ago, and their previous album Hail To The Thief was released four years before that.  In that same span of time, The White Stripes went from local Detroit favorites to worldwide sensation.

Besides his work with The White Stripes, Jack White is notable for his many collaborations, working most recently with Alicia Keys on the title theme to the latest James Bond film, Quantum Of Solace.  He has a second band, The Raconteurs (which he refuses to call a “side project” and their two recent albums and steady touring schedule support his refusal), and has worked with Beck, Mark Ronson,  Loretta Lynn (with the band that would morph into The Raconteurs) and local Detroit band Electric Six.

Thom Yorke, frontman for Radiohead, has collaborated with Björk, DJ Shadow, and electronic group Modeselektor.

While recovering from a neck injury last fall, White had the time to write “a lot.”  The duo is in the studio now, reportedly.  Can’t wait to see what sort of magic they conjure up…

I wrote an article back in September of last year, previewing the movie Righteous Kill and saying I’d for certain see it on the big screen. Well, I lied. I never got around to seeing Righteous Kill in the theaters and apparently I’m not the only one; the movie did poorly at the box office and there was very little positive buzz from critics.

So now I’m here four months later to give it the positive buzz it deserves. Righteous Kill stars Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino as two cops tracking a serial killer. The killer has tallied fourteen victims by the time the police department’s investigation leads to a killer within the department.

DeNiro gives a winning performance as Turk, a 30 year veteran of the police force under suspicion for the murders. Al Pacino is credible as his sidekick but his performance is kind of disaffected; we, naturally, expect more from Pacino in this role given the fact that some of his best career performances are as cops.

Rapper turned actor, 50 Cent, is typically awful in the role of the drug kingpin, Spider, a role he was born to play. Maybe I’m being a little harsh on 50. I thought he did an outstanding job in his first feature role, the autobiographical Get Rich or Die Tryin.’ But now, whenever I see 50 (Curtis Jackson) on screen I’m amazed by how much he lacks in charisma and conviction. When he’s given a scene with one of the heavyweights, he simply looks like he doesn‘t belong.

John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg give stellar performances as fellow cops. Leguizamo is typically brilliant as the cop trying to implicate DeNiro’s character, Turk.

Overall, the script these great actors are given to work with is kind of weak. It doesn’t really provide enough spark to let the two screen legends flex their muscle. So you just have to accept Righteous Kill for what it is: a low brow thriller, a perfect rental, and a must-see for any Pacino or DeNiro fan who couldn’t get enough of Heat.

“Slumdog Millionaire” vs. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?” Brad Pitt vs. Mickey Rourke? “Mad Men” vs. “True Blood?”

Who will win?

We’ll find out when the 66th annual Golden Globes air Sunday on NBC at 8/7 c, but in the meantime here’s Positively Celebrity’s picks for who will be seeing gold.

Best Motion Picture – Drama

* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

The Reader

Revolutionary Road

Slumdog Millionaire

While “Slumdog Millionaire” is equally if not more deserving, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is the most popular and beloved movie right now.

Best Actor in a Drama

Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road

Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn, Milk

* Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Rourke will most likely win at the Oscars, but Pitt will win at the Globes because he is more popular and mainstream.  

Best Actress in a Drama

* Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Angelina Jolie, Changeling

Meryl Streep, Doubt

Kristin Scott-Thomas, I’ve Loved You So Long

Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Fresh off her Critics Choice Award Thursday night, Hathaway will go on to win the Golden Globe as well.

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Burn After Reading

Happy-Go-Lucky

In Bruges

Mamma Mia!

* Vicky Cristina Barcelona

This one goes to the beloved Woody Allen’s film. The Coens (fresh off last year’s “No Country for Old Men” accolades) won’t win again for “Burn After Reading,” not enough people saw “Happy-Go-Lucky” or “In Bruges,” and many didn’t take “Mamma Mia!” too seriously.

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy

Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Colin Farrell, In Bruges

James Franco, Pineapple Express

Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges

* Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey

If Bardem didn’t just win last year for “No Country for Old Men,” I’d say he’d win, so this year it could be a toss-up between Farrell and Hoffman. Given Hoffman’s popularity and long, great career, I’ll predict him.

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy

Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

* Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading

Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!

Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey

Hawkins is the critical favorite who has the best chance of all these ladies to be nominated for an Oscar. Yet, look out for Streep, whose popularity and work in “Doubt” could help score her a win.

Best TV Series- Drama

Dexter

House

In Treatment

* Mad Men

True Blood

“Mad Men” did win last year, but its second season was even better than its first. Plus, the show didn’t have much of a chance to celebrate last year because a boring press conference took the place of an actual show due to the writer’s strike.

Best TV Series- Comedy

* 30 Rock

Californication

Entourage

The Office

Weeds

“30 Rock” is the best comedy on TV right now, and it is yet to win a Golden Globe for best comedy.

Best Actor in a TV Drama

Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

* Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Hugh Laurie, House

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors

This could be a toss-up between Hamm and Hall, but I’ll give the edge to Hamm due to “Mad Men’s” enormous popularity.

Best Actress in a TV Drama

Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters

Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU

* January Jones, Mad Men

Anna Paquin, True Blood

Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Field, Hargitay, and Sedgwick are starting to become clichés in this category, and Paquin’s “True Blood” isn’t well-known. Plus, Jones really had a chance to flex her acting muscles on this season of “Mad Men.”

Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy

* Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Steve Carell, The Office

Kevin Connolly, Entourage

David Duchovny, Californication

Tony Shaloub, Monk

Baldwin won two years ago in this category, but, again, no comedy is better than “30 Rock” right now. Plus, Baldwin’s great lines and even greater delivery of them really makes the show.

Best Actress in a TV Musical or Comedy

* Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?

America Ferrera, Ugly Betty

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Debra Messing, The Starter Wife

Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Fey has been on a complete winning streak this last year with all her accolades and praise. Either she could continue her streak or there could be a backlash. I’ll go with the latter and give the edge to Applegate for her fresh, funny performance. Plus, she’s yet to win an Emmy or a Golden Globe for “Samantha Who?” and it’s about time.

Revolving doors and Deja Vu. One sings of love….one sings of blues. It’s my birthday, and it’s Elvis’s too.  Haha….that rhymed.

I decided to revisit the works of Elvis Presley in light of his birthday. One work in particular: Viva Las Vegas.

Viva Las Vegas (1964) is a romantic musical starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. It goes like this you see….Lucky Jackson (Elvis Presley) goes to Las Vegas to participate in the city’s first annual Grand Prix. The predicament is that Lucky needs a new engine for his race car in order to compete. Lucky makes the money for the engine the only appropriate way in Vegas, by winning it. After winning the lump sum at the tables, Lucky prepares to go to Los Angeles to buy the engine.

That’s when he meets Rusty Martin (played by Ann-Margret), in need of help with her car. Believing Lucky to be a mechanic, Rusty asks Lucky to aid her. Lucky becomes infatuated with Rusty and tries to convince her engine is completely haywire and that she cannot go anywhere for days. Just then, one of Lucky’s rivals in the Grand Prix, Count Elmo Mancini (Cesare Danova), enters the picture to fix Rusty’s engine and send her on her way.

Lucky looks for Rusty all night, scouring all the burlesque shows in Vegas. He comes into encounter with hundreds of women, but not finding his amor. At the clubs he attends, he sees other couples absorbed in each other. He sings of his loneliness and his longing for the like.

The next day, just as Lucky has given up on finding Rusty and is preparing to leave for Los Angeles, he sees her at the pool of his hotel. He discovers she is the swimming instructor and pool manager at the Flamingo Hotel. Lucky goes to the pool and sings Rusty a song to gain her love, but she does not bend to his will. Instead of driving her into his pond of passion, he is driven by her into the pool of humiliation. Falling into the pool, he loses the money that he was going to buy the engine with.  When he discovers he has lost the money, he is obligated to work as a waiter at the hotel to pay off his bill and save up for the engine. This gives Lucky a chance to spend time with Rusty. After trying several times to win her affection, Rusty concedes.

Lucky and Rusty spend much time together and become yin-yang. They engage in both song and quarrel through their relationship, but ultimately always returning to each other for ascension. Amidst their relations, Lucky and Rusty enter a talent contest individually at the Flamingo Hotel. After showcasing a dazzling song and dance, both climactically tie for 1st place. Lucky wins the tie-breaker by chance in a coin flip. The song that Lucky sings in the contest is the renown “Viva Las Vegas”.

As time flies by, Lucky realizes the window of opportunity to attain the money for his engine is dwindling. Just when he begins to accept that his chances of racing in the Grand Prix have vacated, one of Lucky’s friends overcomes the situation.  Shorty, Lucky’s friend and car mechanic, seeks Mr. Martin (Rusty’s father) to borrow money to pay for the engine. Lucky purchases the engine and is able to assemble it just in time for the race.

The race is rather suspenseful, considering the time period in which it was shot. The majority of the shots focused on the tension between Lucky and his rival, Count Elmo Mancini. The car spin-outs and crashes were amusing, which included the crash of the Count’s car near the end of the race. And of course, Lucky (Elvis) wins the race. The movie concludes with Lucky and Rusty getting married.

While the storyline of Viva Las Vegas was not at all consistent, I don’t think I would be wrong in assuming that a captivating story was not the objective of the film.The film intended to encapsulate Elvis Presley, showcasing his many talents. Conclusively, I enjoyed the film and can understand why he remains topical today, 31 years after his death.

Watching Viva Las Vegas was a nice way of remembering Elvis Presley….

Elvis is a legendary figure that will not soon be forgotten. His mark on the music and film industry has been one of considerable proportion. I’m sure on this day, “The King”, the “idiot savant”, whatever you may call him, is smiling down on his residual reign.

(Cool and unusual note: Another notable film and one of my childhood favorites, Rock-A-Doodle, tells the story of a singing rooster named Chanticleer, a discernible parody of Elvis Presley.)