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11/28/08
In 2006, Sacha Baron Cohen’s guerilla comedy Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, became a box office smash, raking in $260 million worldwide. I can't wait to see the follow-up, Bruno, which hits theaters next May. In Borat, one of Cohen's jaw-dropping pranks involved Borat inviting an African-American prostitute to a formal Southern dinner. If you’ve seen the film, you know what I’m talking about, if you haven’t you should bump it to the top of your Netflix and put the kids to bed. Anyway, the prostitute was performed by East Bay-raised comedienne Luenell, who happens to be performing stand-up comedy at Tommy T’s in Pleasanton tonight though...
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11/25/08
Here's another recent celebrity sighting in Diabloland. Legendary comedy duo the Smothers Brothers came through Livermore recently to perform at the beautiful new Bankhead Theater. In this pic, Dick Smothers (second frorm left) and Tom Smothers (second from right) are surrounded by members of the Bankhead family.
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11/25/08
Just got this cool pic from our friends at Salon 4062 in Blackhawk Plaza. A famous governor/former terminator recently popped into the Starbucks in Blackhawk Plaza, and took a minute to pose with stylist Jessica Rae and the Salon 4062 salon staff!
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11/20/08
Here's a sure cure to the gloom and doom news of late: Singin' in the Rain at the Paramount Theatre, this Friday, November 21. This has been my favorite film since I was maybe six-years-old, and i watched it on PBS one night. It's widely regarded as the greatest of Hollywood musicals, but underappreciated as one of the great comedies as well. If you've never seen it before, it's best seen with an audience, because of the infectious laughter and applause that ripples through the theater from start to finish. It's simply a pure shot of joy from start to finish. And on the big screen of the magnificent Paramount Theatre, it simply doesn't get better. Tickets are only $5, more information here.
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11/19/08
I don’t often write about San Francisco-exclusive screenings or engagements, except, I’ll admit, for somewhat selfish reasons. If there’s something cinematic happening that I would absolutely get on a BART ticket or burn a Fastrack credit for, I have to imagine there’s another East Bay film geek who should know about it. Past examples include the Noir City festival at the Castro and a midnight screening at the Clay of A Boy and His Dog, with the director, L.Q. Jones, in person.
When I heard documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield was in town to promote the single...
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11/17/08
You won't find a more authentic rock 'n' roller in today's music scene than Lucinda Williams. Adored by critics (Time magazine recently mentioned her as the greatest American songwriter today) and her hardcore contingent of fans, Williams would probably be the biggest thing in music today were it not for a culture that puts High School Musical and American Idol above the real deal on our cultural top shelf. No worries though—the lucky thousand fans who got to watch Williams rip through a mesmerizing two hour set of tunes last night—and those who are going back tonight for more (tickets still available), were in for a treat of the highest order. Backed by her outstanding four piece band, Buick 6, Williams took the stage at 9:30 p.m. with...
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11/12/08
In September, we ran an interview with Journey bass player Ross Valory, an East Bay native who grew up in Lafayette and now resides in Blackhawk. I just saw an article online that Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" is the first song to get two million downloads on iTunes, making it the biggest hit single of the digital era. Meanwhile, the Journey/Heart/Cheap Trick tour was the best selling concert ticket to come through the Bay Area this year, selling out concerts in Sacramento, Concord, and Mountain View. To top it off, Valory recently designed the "Mouth Man" hoodie, which is selling...
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11/12/08
I have tickets to see Lucinda Williams at the Fillmore on Sunday night, and now I'll have to rearrange my plans for Sunday afternoon. Because Adrienne Barbeau—she of Escape From New York, The Fog, and Swamp Thing fame—will be signing her new book at Clayton Books. I watched Escape From New York again recently and it holds up really well. Can't wait to meet Ms. Barbeau at Clayton Books this Sunday! Information below: HOLLYWOOD LEGEND ADRIENNE BARBEAU
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 16 AT 5:00
As a film, television, and Broadway star, ADRIENNE BARBEAU's career spans forty years.
Genre fans know her from The Fog, Creepshow, Swamp Thing, and Escape From New York. She was nominated for a Tony for creating the role of
Rizzo in...
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11/06/08
From its Mad Men beginning to Cary Grant's sexy train ride with Eva Marie Saint to the nailbiting cropduster chase to the climax atop Mount Rushmore, Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest is a masterpiece of Hollywood entertainment. It's the kind of classic that plays much better on a big screen than on dvd, which is why you should go see it at Oakland's Paramount Theatre this Friday night. Plus, it's only $5. Check it out! Quick North By Northwest story: A couple of years ago, the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto had a special screening of this film, and star Eva Marie Saint attended and did a quick Q&A after the movie. By coincidence she sat one row...
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11/04/08
I'm just about to head to the polls to cast my votes—but I thought that first, I'd re-post this blog about killer election related films, with a few new entries. Before he hit the bigtime with the wine-tasting black comedy masterpiece Sideways, director Alexander Payne perfectly adapted Tom Perotta's fantastic novel, Election. The 1999 film, starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, makes metaphor for US politics by following a Middle America high school election that goes haywire. Very funny stuff here, well worth a revisit in the Sarah Palin era. Another good campaign film is Barry Levinson's Wag the Dog. Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman are wonderfully...
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