Summer '08: Clashes for cash?

John Horn of the L.A. Times already is looking ahead to handicap the Summer '08 race for box-office supremacy. And to mix our sporting metaphors: He sees some heavyweight match-ups on at least six weekends.

National Film Registry taps 25

The good news: John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Nicholas Ray's In a Lonely Place, Irving Rapper's Now Voyager, Peter Yates' Bullitt, Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men, Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future, Edmund Goulding's Grand Hotel and Jules Dassin's Naked City are among the 25 new titles added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.

The bad news: "Even as Americans fill the movie theaters to see the latest releases, few are aware that up to half the films produced in this country before 1950 — and as much as 90 percent of those made before 1920 — are lost forever," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington in announcing the selections.

Celebrating the Bette Davis centennial

From the Associated Press: "A face that will tease you, and please you and perhaps unease you is coming to the post office next year..."

Kiss and tell

Pity poor Lindsay Lohan. In return for a reportedly hefty payment, one of her ex-lovers has revealed to a London tabloid many of the juicy details about their sex life. Extreme sports enthusiast and el supremo skank Riley Giles refers to Lindsay as a "nymphomaniac," a term customarily used by losers when they get kicked to the curb by women who enjoy sex as much as they do, and claims: "She’s wild in bed. We’d have sex a couple of times in the day and then go to it through the night ... We once did it four times in a row straight. That was crazy. Lindsay was insatiable. She’d demand sex again and again. We’d go at it for hours. She’d have worn out most guys.”

So let me see if I have this straight: According to Mr. Stud Muffin here, any woman who wants to have sex six times during the course of a single day is a "nymphomaniac." And because he can, at age 24, rise to this sort of challenge, that makes him some sort of fantastically resilient cocksman. That's about the gist of it, Riley?

Geez, I'm glad this guy never met some of the women I knew when I was back in college. He might have had to give his interview from a hospital bed.

Another art house bites the dust

Houston's Greenway Theatre, which has offered alternative film fare for more than a generation, and once served as the annual site for WorldFest Houston, is slated to close on New Year's Eve. The three-screen multiplex is one of two art houses operated in the city by Landmark Theatres. The other, the River Oaks 3, also is on the endangered list, despite ongoing efforts by local preservationists. It is my coolly considered and entirely objective decision that this really, really sucks.

And yet...

I have to admit: Every year I'm given a free-admission pass to the theater, but I can't remember the last time I actually saw a movie there. The Greenway Theatre, I fear, is one of those local landmarks that can all too easily slip off your radar. You know the sort of places I'm talking about: You feel like they've always been around. And you take them for granted because you think they always will be around. But then you wake up one morning -- in this case, Christmas Day, for cryin' out loud! -- and you learn that, pretty soon, yet another one will be gone, baby, gone.

The ten carols of Christmas: No. 10

Let joy reign supreme! And Merry Christmas to one and all!

Chronicling movies

Eric Harrison of The Houston Chronicle gets the story behind the story of The Great Debaters, which I review here. But wait, there's more: Eric also interviews artist-filmmaker (and former University of Houston student) Julian Schnabel, director of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

R.I.P. Michael Kidd: 1915-2007

It happens almost every year, alas: A major showbiz figure (or two, or three) will die during the final days of December, long after most newspapers and magazines have printed (or pre-printed) year-end wrap ups, and the bad news about great talent(s) is insufficiently noted. All the more reason to make the effort to take the time and honor Broadway and Hollywood choreographer Michael Kidd, the man who tuned "Lonesome Polecats" into lithe terpsichoreans. As the Associated Press notes:

"To moviegoers, Kidd was best known for the 1954 film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, in which a bunch of earthy backwoodsmen (some of them really stage dancers) prance exuberantly with their prospective brides.

"He also directed dances for Danny Kaye in Knock on Wood, took Fred Astaire out of his top hat to play a private eye in a Mickey Spillane spoof in The Band Wagon, and taught Marlon Brando how to hoof for Guys and Dolls."

In addition to directing for stage and television, Kidd worked sporadically as an actor -- most memorably, in Michael Ritchie's 1975 cult-fave Smile, masterfully playing Tommy French -- a sly, sardonic beauty pageant choreographer ("No, dear, if you kick and bend at the same time, you're going to knock yourself out!") whose inspirational speeches to comely teen-age contestants are somehow all the more effectively uplifting for being transparently (to the audience, at least) bogus.

The ten carols of Christmas: No. 9

And just in time for Christmas Eve...

The ten carols of Christmas: No. 8

Have a White Christmas with The Man in Black...

Season's Greetings

Had lunch today with my brother to celebrate the holiday. And I have to give him props: He's always so busy this time of year, but, God bless him, he made time to see me.

The ten carols of Christmas: No. 7

Der Bingle again...

The ten carols of Chistmas: No. 6

Jingle Bells, y'all....

The ten carols of Christmas: No. 5

Dino has the yule blues...

R.I. P.: John Harkness (1954-2007)

Canadian film critic John Harkness and I crossed paths many times over the past quarter-century during my annual trek to his Toronto turf for the world’s greatest film festival. And while I would not presume to describe us as close friends, I must say I always enjoyed our spirited conversations – during which, more often than not, John did most of the talking, and made by far the funnier wisecracks (which, of course, I would later repeat and claim as my own) – even as he gleefully trashed a movie I meekly admitted to half-liking. He was an excellent writer with a devoted following. Indeed, I remember one of my film history students appearing extremely impressed when I told her I knew the author of her favorite book, John’s The Academy Awards Handbook. Later, when I told John about this, he smiled wickedly and inquired: “So, did that help you get laid?” That it most certainly did not seemed to genuinely disappoint him.

BTW: Quite inadvertently, John once taught me an invaluable lesson about how little we sometimes know, and how much we may assume, about colleagues with whom we share professional relationships. Anyone who has ever covered a major film festival can tell you that, while you’re immersed in the day-to-day, morning-to-midnight grind, you tend to narrow your focus to the point of ignoring, or simply forgetting, the outside world. (While at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival, I caught a TV news report about the escalation of demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. Shortly afterwards, I ran into a very well-known film critic – whom I will not name, because he’s no longer with us – and I remarked: “Isn’t it amazing what’s going on in China right now?” The film critic, who obviously had not been paying attention to world news, responded with a stricken expression and an anxious query: “There’s a new Chinese movie here? When was it screened? Where?”) One year at Toronto, John and I were hanging with a few people in a hotel bar, discussing some movie or another, when I made a passing reference to my son (who was, if memory serves me correctly, about eight or nine at the time). John gave me a quizzical look, then said: “You know, Joe, you and I have known each other for years – but this is the first time you ever mentioned having a son.” At first, I was shocked: Surely John was mistaken, surely I had mentioned someone as important to me as my child many times before. But it hit me: No, I probably hadn’t. Because while I’m at a film festival, talking with colleagues I see only at film festivals -- well, all we usually talk about is movies. That, and where’s the best place to get a quick meal between screenings.

If you totaled all the time I spent with John over the years at various festivals – or with any one of a few other colleagues I never see in any other context -- it might add up to more hours I’ve spent with blood relatives over the same period. And, yes, there’s something ineffably deceptive about spending long periods in close quarters alongside people with similar interests: You start to think that you actually know these people. But you don’t. Such is life.

The ten carols of Christmas: No. 4

Well, she ain't the Virgin Mary, but....

It's a scenario for (a) Juno II, (b) Knocked Up Again, or (c) a remake of Poor White Trash

What would the tabloids do without the Spears girls? Go back to running stories about Bat Boy? My favorite part of the article: "Jamie Lynn plans to raise the baby in her home state of Louisiana — 'so it can have a normal family life.'" Speaking as a Louisiana native, I can only say: Well, normal is a relative term...

Wichita Lineman

Oddly enough, whenever I hear this song, I am reminded of the final moments of Charlie Chaplin's City Lights. And I find myself thinking: Here is someone who feels that he is not worthy of being loved. But, hey, let's face it: That isn't something any of us wants to think about too long, right?

The ten carols of Christmas: No. 3

OK, you had to know this one was coming, right?

No more entries, please! We have a winner!

Arriving just in time to qualify as The Freaky-Deakiest Movie Swag of 2007....

(Pretty dang clever, actually, though I might have preferred a jug of Sunny D.)

The ten carols of Christmas: No. 2

No Christmas carol list would be complete without it.

R.I.P.: Floyd Red Cloud Westerman

Leukemia has claimed the life of Floyd Red Crow Westerman, the Native American activist, actor and country/folk singer best known for his roles in Kevin Costner's Dances With Wolves (as Sioux leader Ten Bears) and TV's Walker, Texas Ranger (as Uncle Ray Firewalker).

Westerman, who passed away Thursday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, was born on Aug. 17, 1936, on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Sioux reservation in South Dakota. A man of many impressive talents and passionate interests, he was a respected musician who worked with such artists as Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt, and toured the world with Sting during the 1990s to raise money to preserve rain forests. He remained active in show business until just a few months ago, when he completed work in another Kevin Costner film, the forthcoming Swing Vote.

Kevin Abourezk of Reznet describes Westerman as man who provided a "lyrical and plainspoken voice for the oppressed," and reports: "In his final years, [Westerman] had begun work on a six-part documentary called Exterminate Them: America's War on Indian Nations. With the help of his niece [Gwen Westerman Griffin], he had completed the first part, California Story, and had begun work on the second installment, Great Plains Story. Westerman Griffin said she doesn't plan to let her uncle's death end efforts to complete the documentary. Nor does she plan to let his relentless efforts to improve the lives of Native people die with him. 'It's going to take a lot of us to fill in the void that this one man is going to leave,' she said. 'It's going to take so many of us to carry on his work.'"

R.I.P.: Dan Fogelberg (1951-2007)

At a time of year when his classic "Same Old Lang Syne" is a radio staple, it's all the more tragic to hear that singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg has passed away at the ridiculously young age of 56. He was never what you would call a superstar -- truthfully, never someone who immediately sprang to mind when the discussion centered on defining musical talents of the '70s and '80s -- but his music always appealed to me, and millions of others, and I can't remember ever wanting to change the station when one of his songs came on my car radio. Indeed, I can remember singing along with some of the tunes -- late at night, especially, when melancholy claims dominion on my soul. To pay him the highest compliment I can think of: He left this world a better place than it might have been if he'd never been in it.

The ten carols of Christmas: No. 1

Rejoice and be glad.

Hey, Will Smith really is legend

The Box-Office King's latest effort rules the Top Ten chart this weekend. And Alvin and the Chipmunks looks pretty damn impressive in the No. 2 position. Looks like I'm not the only one who was feeling nostalgic about Alvin and the gang.

Dumped in the heart of Texas

According to People magazine, Blonde Ambition, a starring vehicle for the lovely and talented Jessica Simpson, is coming soon.... to a video store near you. Strictly speaking, however, it won't be a straight-to-DVD release, because the comedy (which co-stars Luke Wilson) will open Dec. 21 for an extremely limited theatrical run. How limited? Elizabeth Wolfe, a spokeswoman for both Nu Image/Millennium Films, the film's production company, and First Look Distribution, which will distribute the comedy, tells People:

"It is being released in this crowded marketplace in eight theaters in Texas. The reason we chose Texas is the two stars are from Texas: Jessica Simpson and Luke Wilson. As an independent studio, we, as a rule, don't have major wide releases. It's a very common release practice for independent studios."

Hey, when it comes to positive spin, Dana Perino has nothing on this lady.

It seems to me that... Oh, sorry, have to answer the phone. I think it's my Variety editor with a review assignment.

Graduation Day

The last time I received a diploma, Richard Nixon was in the White House. More than 33 years later, I am, as of today, a Master of Arts, thanks to my incredibly patient mentors at the University of Houston's School of Communication. Let there be dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons and necking in the park. Feel free to have a glass or two of Beaujolais Nouveau in my name, if not on my bill, and share wine kisses with the one(s) you love.

Of course, all of you lesser mortals now will have to address me as "Master Leydon." (Well, OK, at least for the next day or two.) And just to please me, the college's latest celebrity alumnus, the mighty UH Cougars will smite the lowly TCU Hornfrogs in the Dec. 28 Texas Bowl. Go Coogs!

He is legend

A provocative piece in today's L.A. Times suggests that Will Smith has become "Hollywood's biggest post-racial movie star." Money quote: "At a time when the world is growing more multicultural by the minute, movie studios cling to the notion that black performers cannot sell as many overseas movie tickets as their white counterparts. But Smith is shattering that perception..." Which doubtless will make the producers of I am Legend -- opening Friday at theaters and drive-ins everywhere -- very, very happy

And while Santa Claus gets all the attention....

What is another holiday-centric icon up to these days?

Oh, Mama!

Cinematical has posted some exclusive photos from the upcoming film version of the ABBA musical Mama Mia with, among others, Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan (above). Looks like it might be fun, but.... Well, is it just me, or does the plot sound like it was recycled from 1968's Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell?

10 X 2

Film critics Richard Corliss and Richard Schickel of Time magazine have posted their selections for the Top 10 of 2007. I might quibble over a few titles that are conspicuous by their absence, but I must say I'm pleasantly surprised by the titles that do appear (especially on Schickel's list).

Ho, ho, horror!

It's quickly becoming a Christmas tradition for me: Midnight mass, opening presents, getting a bit of shuteye before.... before.... I go see the first public showing of a horror movie that hasn't been press screened. Can you guess where I'll be on Dec. 25? Don't misunderstand: I hope to be pleasantly surprised by Aliens vs. Predator -- Requiem. Contrary to what some of you suspect, critics really don't enjoy writing scathing reviews, because that entails having to sit through a crummy movie. And, trust me, I'm pretty whack, but I'm not that masochistic. On the other hand, I must admit: I'd be looking forward to this flick with a lot more enthusiasm if they'd figured out a way to drop a certain superhero into the mix.

Uma and Al in Oslo

Uma Thurman waxes euphoric about the Nobel Peace Prize-winning star of this year's Oscar-winning documentary: "He seems to be flourishing and following his calling. It's just the most enviable thing in the world, like watching a beautiful racehorse run."

Hat trick

Sam Elliott tells the Kansas City Star that the "Tom Mix-style hat" he wears in The Golden Compass, which opens Friday at theaters and drive-ins everywhere, didn't come from the wardrobe department. Rather, it's his very own chapeau, a gift he received 35 years ago after making a series of beer commercials.

"I have never worn it since. But I took it with me when we started doing the wardrobe fitting for Golden Compass. We tried on several hats. I got the hat out of the car and everybody said that's the hat. With Western characters, it all starts with the hat," Elliott says.

George Clooney stalls for Julia Roberts

Hat tip to that hep cat Garth Jowett for this one.

Jack Nicholson got his ass kicked by a girl

That and other shocking revelations in this weekend's Parade magazine, by way of The Huffington Post.

This just in from the National Board of Review...

The first prizes of the season: No Country for Old Men gets the Best Picture nod -- and Diablo Cody (above) gets the first of what I'm sure will be many accolades for her Juno screenplay.

Remembering Alvin (and Lee)

Believe it or not, I'm actually looking forward to next week's release of Alvin and the Chipmunks -- if only because, way, way back during the Antediluvian Period, when I was 10, I was a major fan of The Alvin Show, a TV cartoon series that aired Wednesday nights on CBS. But to give you some idea just how truly whack my childhood was: I would watch The Alvin Show each week right after the CBS affiliate in my hometown of New Orleans aired reruns of M Squad, quite possibly the most violent series in the history of television, featuring Lee Marvin as a pre-Miranda hardboiled cop and the coolest theme song I can remember from that era. Did I watch both shows? You bet. And, oddly enough, my sainted mother never saw anything wrong with this.

The slow fade of film critics

Matt Eagan of The Hartford Courant offers an intelligent, insightful and... and... oh, hell, just plain goddamn depressing piece about the seemingly irreversible decline in the number of film critics -- and fine arts critics -- at newspapers across the United States. Among the money quotes:

"The era of the newspaper film critic, the era of newspaper criticism, seems to be coming to a rapid and unceremonious end. As recently as a decade ago, no self-respecting mid-sized daily newspaper would have dreamed of publishing without a film critic.These days only major cities have them and those that remain (other than [Roger] Ebert) have seen their influence wane."

Every so often, I am asked by a young writer how he or she can get a job as a professional film critic -- that is, how he or she can get paid to write film reviews for a daily newspaper. And I must admit: Increasingly, I am tempted to respond: "Well, you can't. Not anymore. You're better off starting your own website. Pretty soon, the Internet is the only place you'll find serious film critcism." On the other hand, maybe I should just direct them to Eagan's article.

Mama's Boy

In certain primitive cultures, it is common for the aged or infirm to be abandoned in the wilderness, or atop ice floes, and left to fend for themselves. On Friday, Warner Bros. emulated that approach to disposing of the inconvenient with its conspicuously unpublicized regional release of Mama’s Boy, which I review here. This strenuously unfunny comedy is just aggressively quirky enough to attract a small but fervent cult. But here's the catch: I'm willing to bet such a cult would be comprised primarily of emotionally stunted slackers who have far too much in common with the lead character played by Jon Heder.

Bad-ass Bible tales

If the producers of Christian-skewing movies ever want to reach a wider mainstream audience, perhaps they should consider filming these Biblical stories of ass-kicking and bloodletting. (Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the tip.)

No 1 on the DVD wish list: Les Miserables

Every great once in a while, I am reminded that, contrary to what we might sometimes think, not every great movie is available in the U.S. on DVD. Case in point: Claude Lelouch's Les Miserables (1995), one of my favorite films of all time. As I wrote on Amazon.com a few years back:

"Claude Lelouch's audacious and exciting epic is neither a film version of the long-running musical nor a traditional adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel. Rather, it is a sweeping and sensationally passionate drama that succeeds brilliantly on its own merits as a celebration of storytelling (and, of course, moviemaking) as inspiration and illumination. A magnificently ravaged Jean-Paul Belmondo plays Henri Fortin, an ordinary man whose life spans an extraordinary period in French history: Born at the turn of the century, he lives long enough to endure the cruelties of the Nazi occupation. Rootless and illiterate, he is introduced to Les Miserables at an early age -- in a silent movie! -- and embraces Jean Valjean as his hero, mentor and alter ego. So much so, in fact, that Henri agrees to help a Jewish family escape from Paris, setting into motion a fateful series of betrayals, reconciliations, reversals of fortune and triumphs of the spirit. There are images in Les Miserables that are as hauntingly beautiful as any in the history of cinema. And there are entire sequences that are nothing short of astonishing. Lelouch is one of the few contemporary filmmakers who remains capable of the grand romantic gestures that made many of us fall in love with movies in the first place."

If anyone at Warner Home Video reads this, take it as a plea: Give me a DVD, please.

At long, long last: The best movies of 2006

Boy, and I thought I was late getting my list completed! But, what the hell, I guess we can cut Roger Ebert a little slack, right? I mean, he did have a few distractions...

Shameless showing off

Yes, it's that time of year again: The DVD screeners have started arriving. Life is good. Wonder if the extended Leydon/Tucker clans will want to polish off the Thanksgiving Day feast with a look at In the Valley of Elah?

Solidarity

Of course I'm on the side of the writers in the current WGA strike. After all, I'm a writer, right? And just in case you've ever wondered what it would be like in a world without writers...

Me on TV yet again

Talkin' 'bout American Gangster and Lions for Lambs. (Actually, the photo above has me getting hammered at last week's Denver Film Festival, and has nothing whatsoever to do with my reviews, but never mind.)

Bloggus interruptus

I continue to slave away at my master's thesis, ever mindful of next week's drop-dead deadline. As a result, there will be few if any postings here until after Thanksgiving weekend at the earliest. On the other hand, I may have a new movie-review clip on YouTube soon. Please stay tuned for further developments.

Coincidence or... ?

I continue to slave away at finishing my master's thesis -- yep, that's right, that's why I haven't been posting lately -- and yesterday I finally finished a chapter on Rosemary's Baby. And then, this morning, while taking a break from my work, I see this. Scary stuff, kids.

All I want for Christmas

Dear Santa: Please send me one of these, so I'll never again have my moviegoing experiences ruined by rude cellphone users.

This Movie is About Cats Flying

Could you possibly get more high concept than this?

Me on TV, Episode 7

Talkin' 'bout Dan in Real Life and Gone Baby Gone.

Death Wish redux

Now that he's finished making new sequels to his own movies -- the new Rambo epic is due in theaters Jan. 25 -- Sylvester Stallone has set his sights on directing and starring in a remake of Death Wish. But, really, is this movie necessary? I mean, didn't we already have two kinda-sorta Death Wish remakes already this year?

OK, if we're going to out Dumbeldore...

While teaching film history courses at University of Houston and Houston Community College over the past several years, I've occasionally had students ask me -- earnestly, not snickeringly -- if certain movie characters are intended to be interpreted as gay. They fully understand the censorious restraints placed on directors and screenwriters during the bad old days of the Production Code, so they realize that, from the 1930s to at least the mid-'60s, movies had to utilize implications and allusions -- had to be "coded," if you will -- to even hint that the hero's best friend might... might... well, might want to be a tad friendlier. But, you know, maybe a little knowledge really is a dangerous thing?

In any event: The two names that pop up most often during these "Is he or isn't he?" queries: Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotten) of Citizen Kane and Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) of Singin' in the Rain. For some odd reason, middle-aged female students seem to be the ones most curious about divining Leland's orientation. But the issue of whether Cosmo is a closet case is a four-quadrant obsession. As students of all ages and genders have repeatedly pointed out to me, Cosmo is the lifelong companion of Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), spends an inordinate time at Don's home (at all hours), and expresses nothing but withering sarcasm when speaking of Don's romantic escapades. More tellingly, Cosmo has this to say when judging the attractiveness of a female star: "Yeah, Lina, you looked pretty good for a girl."

My take on this? Well, why the hell not? Anything's possible. And interpreting those characters in that way does indeed add a provocative new dimension to both films (Kane, especially). And, hey, if they were gay, they would have been among the very few non-hetero characters (or at least apparently non-hetero characters) who weren't objects of ridicule in films of the '40s and '50s. (Just compare them to, say, Peter Lorre's effete Joel Cairo.) So, I dunno, wouldn't gay folks be proud to claim them as two of their own?

What do you think? And do you have any names you would add to the list?

The Lone Ranger rides again?

After reviving the swashbuckler with his fabulously successful Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, producer Jerry Bruckheimer may be setting his sights on reintroducing a classic Western hero, The Lone Ranger. Does this mean Johnny Depp -- or Nicolas Cage, star of Bruckheimer's National Treasure franchise -- might be donning the mask? Or will they go with an unknown like they did back in 1981 when... oh, wait, maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea.

It's just like they say in the Michael Clayton ads: The Truth can be adjusted

Now filming in Memphis: Nothing But the Truth, the latest political drama from writer-director Rod Lurie (The Contender, TV's Commander in Chief), who used to be a movie critic until he found more respectable employment.

The flick is based loosely -- evidently, very loosely -- on the misadventures of former New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who went to jail rather than out her source for a story about outed CIA agent Valerie Plame. But don't expect of wealth of verisimilitude here. In the parallel universe imagined by Lurie, the fifty-something Miller is a younger and lovelier reporter named Rachel Armstrong, played by the va-va-voom Kate Beckinsale (above). Of course, you won't get any complaints from me about that. But I'm not entirely sure that Vera Farmiga (below) -- cast as a CIA op named Erica Van Doren -- is a suitable replacement for the easy-on-the-eyes Plame.

Still more me on TV

Talkin' 'bout The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and The Comebacks.

Luciano Pavarotti & Simon Le Bon. No, seriously: Luciano Pavarotti & Simon Le Bon

This is one of my favorite songs. But, I must admit, I'd never heard it quite like this before.

George Clooney times 3

While George Clooney continues to impress moviegoers with his masterful performance in Michael Clayton, I thought it might be a good time to exploit his popularity.... er, I mean, pay tribute to a great actor by dusting off three interviews I taped with him back in 1996-97, during my brief heyday as a Houston TV celebrity.

While discussing From Dusk Till Dawn, his movie breakthrough, he's very funny while talking about co-star Quentin Tarantino (who had directed him in an episode of E.R.). One year later, he's equally enthusiastic about Batman & Robin -- yeah, the film wasn't very good, but that wasn't his fault -- and The Peacemaker (directed by Mimi Leder, another E.R. veteran). If I had to pick a favorite of the three, it would be the middle one, for a reason that won't be readily apparent: My son George, then 10 years old, accompanied me to this taping, and Clooney couldn't have been more charming while briefly chatting with him. ("That's a great first name you got," he told my unabashedly starstruck young'un.)

By the way, you'll notice that, while I have aged considerably since these interviews were taped, Clooney hasn't changed much at all. The dirty dog.

Buy a dog

Great song, great video.

Viva? Nada

Well, my worst suspicions are confirmed: All I have to do is merely think of watching a new TV show that appears interesting, and it's cancelled. Case in point: Viva Laughlin got axed today after all of two episodes. Damn. That's harsh. Even Raines got more exposure than that. Guess I'll have to wait for the DVD boxed-set to get my first look.

A pleasant surprise

Good news: Dan in Real Life is not the rollicking laff riot it's being sold as in coming-attractions trailers. (In fact, one of the sillier scenes in the trailer is, thank goodness, nowhere to be found in the movie itself.) Better news: It is a warm and witty and wonderfully understated comedy from the maker of Pieces of April. Here's my Variety review.

Weekend b.o. report: $15 million for 30 Days

From Fantasy Moguls: More good news for Tyler Perry and George Clooney. From Nikki Finke: Vampires feast, New Line flops -- and The Comebacks lives down to my worst expectations.

Denver honors Norman Jewison (and I get to help)

As previously indicated here -- well, OK, as teasingly indicated -- Norman Jewison will receive the 2007 Mayor’s Career Achievement Award at the 30th Starz Denver Film Festival. But the really big news is that, after actually getting the grand prize, following a special 40th-anniversary screening of the celebrated filmmaker's In the Heat of the Night, he'll be interviewed on stage by... by... well, me. And let's face it, it's all about me, right?

Of course, I'm no Robert Osborne. But I hope I can rise to the occasion.

Bad day at the death watch

Deborah Kerr departs at age 86, Joey Bishop joins the rest of the Rat Pack at 89, and Teresa Brewer takes her final bow at 76. Adieu.

Me at the Movies, Episode 5

Being the episode in which our hero talks about Michael Clayton and The Game Plan.

The Ultimate Hottie

Entertainment Weekly wants you -- yes, you! -- to choose the Ultimate Female Hottie from a lineup of 25 nominees who have come to prominence during the past decade or so. I, for one, would like to express my deep dismay that a 21st century magazine would sponsor a competition that is so egregiously sexist and degrading to women.... Aw, hell, who am I trying to kid? Salma Hayek (above) gets my vote.

Star Wars: The TV Series?

George Lucas tells the Los Angeles Times that a live-action TV series rooted in the Star Wars mythos is in the early planning stages. But there's a catch: "'The Skywalkers aren't in it, and it's about minor characters,' Lucas said in an interview. 'It has nothing to do with Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader or any of those people. It's completely different. But it's a good idea, and it's going to be a lot of fun to do.'"

From the critic who raved about Knocked Up

Paul Farhi of the Washington Post is shocked – shocked, I tell you! – to find that some critics blurbed in movie advertisements aren’t quite what they appear to be. That is, the “John Doe of ABC” who raves about a new Hollywood blockbuster may really be a John Doe who fills in as weekend weathercaster at an ABC affiliate deep in the heart of Flyover Country. Quelle horreur!

Well, now that Mr. Farhi has gone ahead and spilled the beans – hey, thanks a lot, buddy! – I guess I have to fess up: If you ever see a blurb credited to “Joe Leydon, NBC” on some DVD package in a Wal Mart bargain bin – or, more likely, on the case of a VHS tape gathering dust on a shelf at Blockbuster – that’s only because, between 1995 and '99, I reviewed movies for the NBC affiliate here in Houston. And you know what? Every time I was credited that way in newspaper ads back in the day, I was ridiculously pleased with myself. There, I’ve admitted it. I hope you don’t think any less of me.

Actually, it wasn’t so terribly long ago that the folks in charge of hyping movies wanted to identify me as working for any outlet except the one that, by my reckoning, was (and still is) my most important one: Variety, the showbiz bible. Indeed, it’s been my perception that, up until fairly recently, the hype merchants actively avoided blurbing trade paper reviews. (Things have changed, however.) And, occasionally, this has led to some truly bizarre episodes.

Chief among them: After giving Star Trek: First Contact a rave in Variety back in 1996, I got a phone call from a Paramount rep asking me if I would be reviewing the film for some other outlet as well. When I asked why, she actually blurted out: “We prefer not to run quotes from the trades.” I have to admit: For about three seconds, I considered telling her that I also would be reviewing the film for The Daily Worker. But I restrained myself, because – well, truth to tell, she sounded like she might believe me, and it would be “Joe Leydon, The Daily Worker” in the full-page New York Times ad. Which would have delighted my father, an unrepentant socialist, but might have needlessly pissed off most other aging Lefties.

So I told her that I would be reviewing the film for… yes, you guessed it.

Al Gore, Superstar

Variety queries: "Who knew that winning an Oscar was a pathway to the Nobel Peace Prize?"

Truth is, Al Gore has done for for mankind with An Inconvenient Truth than his snarky detractors could ever dream of accomplishing. Indeed, whenever I read bloggers like David Poland dismiss Gore's Oscar-winning documentary as "a boring slideshow by a boring speaker," I have to wonder: Do these boneheads ever wonder how silly they will look 20 or 30 years from now? Don't they ever worry that, when future generations read them, they'll appear as foolish as Alabama racists talking about "nigras" in 1962? Do they freakin' care?

Truth is, folks have made sport of Gore for a long time. And while he has survived, and thrived, since the presidency was swiped from him in 2000, the country hasn't exactly prospered. Cheap-seat jeerers such as Poland might do well to read Bob Herbert's scathing response to those who made fun of Gore's alleged "stiffness" during the 2000 campaign: "Mr. Gore... was mocked unmercifully by the national media. And the mockery had nothing to do with the former vice president’s positions on important policy issues. He was mocked because of his personality. In the race for the highest office in the land, we showed the collective maturity of 3-year-olds.

"Mr. Gore was taken to task for his taste in clothing and for such grievous offenses as sighing or, allegedly, rolling his eyes. It was a given that at a barbecue everyone would rush to be with his opponent.

"We’ve paid a heavy price. The president who got such high marks as a barbecue companion doesn’t seem to know up from down. He’s hurled the nation into a ruinous war that has cost countless lives and spawned a whole new generation of terrorists. He continues to sit idly by as a historic American city, New Orleans, remains wounded and on its knees. He’s blithely steered the nation into a bottomless pit of debt.

"I could go on..."

Retro grit

Eric Harrison offers a sharp and insightful Houston Chronicle piece about the return of irony-free, '70s-style grit to contemporary cinema. Glad to see a savvy writer confirm what I saw coming (or, to be more precise, hoped I saw coming) here and there a couple years back.

TV viewing tip: Sleuth (1972)

Thanks to Turner Classic Movies, you can take another (or a first) look at Joseph L. Mankiewicz's original 1972 version of Sleuth just in time to compare it with Kenneth Branagh's newly released remake. The devilishly clever and impeccably acted mystery -- currently hard to find on DVD -- can be seen at 8 pm EDT Sunday (Oct. 14) on TMC.

The good, the bad and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

OK, I admit -- I checked this out, on the advice of my buddy John Guidry, expecting to laugh. But I wound up smiling instead. Go figure.

Stupid is as stupid does

Occasionally, I wonder why movie stars and other showbiz celebrities complain so stridently about having to endure interviews whenever they're promoting their latest projects. But then I read something like this, and I wonder why they ever grant interviews to anyone, ever. Let's face it: There are people in my racket who are... gee, how can I say this? I mean, the word assholes comes to mind, but it somehow seems inadequate.

Read at your own risk

Michael Caine is, hands down, my favorite film actor. And Susan Wloszczyna certainly is one of the better film journalists working right now. But, I'm sorry, both deserve black marks in their copybooks for the spoiler that appears near the end of this USA Today piece about the new Sleuth remake. (If you're ever seen Sleuth on stage, or if you recall the 1972 film adaptation, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.)

First the movie, then the musical, and now... The MTV special!

I'm old enough to recall Sunday evenings when The Ed Sullivan Show would offer live performances of production numbers from then-current Broadway musicals. (Trivia note: Davy Jones, later to star in The Monkees, appeared as the Artful Dodger in an Oliver! excerpt when that show was highlighted on the same 1964 Ed Sullivan telecast that introduced U.S. audiences to The Beatles.) And I vaguely -- very vaguely -- recall seeing a 1964 Hallmark Hall of Fame telecast of The Fantasticks when that show was just four years into its legendarily long off-Broadway run. But I can't remember ever seeing a TV presentation of a Broadway musical while that show continued to be a hot ticket on The Great White Way. But that's precisely what MTV will offer this weekend.

Sam Elliott, Flying Cowboy

Sam Elliott -- the subject of a cover-story profile I've written for the December issue of Cowboys & Indians Magazine -- hosted the world premiere launch of the official trailer for The Golden Compass Tuesday evening at the Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center in New York. Elliott plays a dashing cowboy figure named Lee Scoresby in the lavish fantasy, which opens Dec. 7 at theaters and drive-ins everywhere. And just in case you missed the Manhattan extravaganza, you can link to the trailer here.

Remembering Reign

Maybe it was because I was sitting in one of my favorite New York pubs, and it occurred to me – a thought unbidden but unavoidable, like a sudden slap to the face – that I had visited this place for the first time years ago with a friend who’s no longer alive. Or maybe it was because the song by The Who roared through the speakers of the high-tech jukebox just as a bolt of lightning illuminated the rainswept streets outside the window near my table. Whatever the reason, tonight I was reminded of Mike Binder’s Reign Over Me, and I remembered: There hasn’t been another movie that I’ve seen this year that had a comparably devastating emotional impact on me. So I have to ask: Why isn’t anyone talking about possible Oscar nominations for this masterwork? I mean, good heavens, what more does a movie have to do to be considered a contender? Or are we really in an age when we forget important things so quickly?

The Duke in 3-D

Writer/researchers Bob Furmanek and Jack Theakston want to the set the record straight regarding "myths" about Hondo. (Thanks to John Guidry for the tip.)

But seriously, folks: Jim Carrey on Burma

From Jim Carrey, by way of Crooks and Liars: “A couple of weeks ago I sent you a message about a hero of mine named Aung San Suu Kyi, a brave lady in Burma who won the Nobel Peace Prize and who has often been compared to Gandhi or Nelson Mandela. After she won 82% of the Parliamentary seats in her country, she was denied the right to govern, and held under house arrest by a military regime that has burned over 3,000 villages, forced million from their homes, raped and tortured thousands, and recruited more child soldiers than any other country in the world. That message got a lot of attention because a lot of you watched it. Now I’d like to ask you to use that power again, by sending your very own email to this address: Inquiries@un.org urging the UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon to coordinate a strong response by the United nations Security Council to the situation in Burma. …”

War stories

For the past few years, I have taught a course at the University of Houston -- Social Aspects of Film -- with a syllabus designed to make students more informed and critical viewers as they approach war on film and films on wars. To that end, we've examined the various ways that various wars – ranging from The Great War to The Gulf War, and beyond – have been rendered in cinema. We look at how filmmakers have prepared the nation for global conflicts, boosted morale with celebrations of men (and, occasionally, women) in combat – and, during post-war eras, re-examined attitudes and assumptions while questioning the morality of war.

Naturally, a major chunk of the course is devoted to the Vietnam War -- and, specifically, to the ways Hollywood-produced features of the 1960s and early '70s often alluded to U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia, even as Hollywood conspicuously avoiding the production of "combat movies" (in the traditional sense of that term) set in Vietnam. (The exception that proves the rule: John Wayne's The Green Berets.)

So it is with more than pasing interest that I devoured Carrie Rickey's thoughtful article about recent and upcoming movies dealing head-on with the Iraq War. (Thanks to David Poland for the tip.) Some money quotes:

"When it comes to protest films, 'it's traditional to see movies set in a previous war that are implicitly critical of the current one,' notes [film historian Jeanine] Basinger, citing M*A*S*H. Though the 1970 black comedy was set in a Korean War medical unit, its allusions are to Vietnam.

"It's also traditional, she notes, just prior to U.S. involvement in war, to detect a call to arms in films. In the run-up to Iraq, Black Hawk Down and Behind Enemy Lines (both 2001) framed war as a fight for humanitarian values in, respectively, Somalia and Bosnia.

"'The movies that explicitly ask, "Is the war worth it?" - historically, those films come out after the conflict has ended,' says Basinger. The Best Years of Our Lives was released a year after World War II, Men in War after the Korean conflict, Coming Home and The Deer Hunter after Vietnam, and Three Kings after the Persian Gulf War.

"'That these films are coming forward during the progress of a war and questioning it sooner may mean that the general public is rejecting what our leaders are telling us . . . and want to know more about the war,' she suggests.

"During World War II, Hollywood complied with the nonmilitary Office of War Information, which aimed to have movies show an America united behind the war effort. Today there are no such guidelines, 'in contrast to that period,' says Phil Strub, Department of Defense public affairs officer."

BTW: Six years ago, many observers duly noted the flurry of war-related movies that invaded theaters and drive-ins everywhere in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. But I often have wondered: Why were these movies already green-lit -- already produced, already in the pipeline -- long before the planes crashed into the Twin Towers? Basinger views these films collectively as "a call to arms." But if so, why was that call made? To put it another way: What was in the air during, say, 1999 and 2000 that made so many producers so eager to make war movies?