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Celebrate good Obama, Come On! The president and vice were sworn in for their second term yesterday. Obama kicked offed the party with a speech (if your interested in the actual politics part you can check that HERE) where he soaked in the crowd once said speech was delivered saying "I want to take a look one more time. I'm not going to see this again." Musical performances by Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley and Jennifer Hudson followed as the first couple danced up a storm. There was some kind of parade. Vice President Joe Biden was periodically jogging along the route accompanied by his wife Jill with sporatic oxygen tank breaks.
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People in Spain have become significantly cooler in this guys books. A 'square' (assuming it's town not Rice Krispie) is being named after late Clash frontman Joe Strummer. A petition was proposed to city officials and city hall spokeswoman, Maria Jose Anguita confirmed this and released the following statement: "A square has been identified and now the proposal has to be approved by the committee of honours and distinctions. There was a popular petition for this to happen and the city hall accepted it." The square is located in Grenada, mentioned in the track "Spanish Bombs" from the band's "London Calling" album.
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Be prepared for another biopic. At least it isn't a reboot of a comic book franchise. The Beach Boys, more specifically Brian Wilson, are about to hit the silver screen. Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood, Ruby Sparks, Looper) is slated to portray the early years of Wilson. The film, titled "Love & Mercy" follows the Beach Boys early years, Wilson's relationship with his wife and his subsequent struggle with mental illness. The film covers several decades of his life and will see Dano play the early years while the role of his older years is still unchaste. BIll Pohland will be directing the film, whose previous credits include producing "The Tree Of Life" and "Into the Wild."
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Despite having past away almost thirty years ago I still thought I'd throw out some props to the King of Class, Cary Grant, who would be 109 on January 18 and definitely wouldn't have had a hair out of place if he was still alive. He was born Archibald Alexander Leach on Bristol, England and started off in show biz as a stilt walker in the "Bob Pender Stage Troupe." The troupe toured the US on the RMS Olympic for two years, and when the troupe headed back the UK, Grant stayed behind. He performed at the Muny Theatre in St. Louis before moving to Hollywood in 1931. A master of comedy and drama, he appeared in over 70 films in his career and astonishingly didn't win an Academy or Golden Globe during his entire career, despite two Oscar and five Globe nominations (He did win a Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 1970). "The Philadelphia Story" is one of his best balancing comedy and drama perfectly in a tale of socialite Katherine Hepburn's upper crust wedding ruined upon the arrival of ex-husband Cary and tabloid reporter James Stewart (who won the Oscar for Best Actor for his work). The film was one of the first films to show a couple divorce, seek out other partners only to reunite. This was a necessary ploy since the Production Code at the time forbade the depiction of extramarital affairs, and actually spawned a slew of films with similar formulas and shorelines. "The Philadelphia Story" was the second collaboration between Hepburn and Grant, who previously teamed up in 1938's "Bringing Up Baby." The catch is the baby in the title is a leopard named Baby, who is cared for by Katherine (a gift some her sibling? Amy - never get me a leopard for future reference)whom Cary gets to hang out with on the eve of his wedding. Watch "Notorious," "An Affair To Remember," "To Catch a Thief" should be watched by everyone who likes lavish, classically made films. I tend to ramble about my favourite Grant film (as well as my favourite Hitchcock film) 1959's "North By Northwest." A case of mistaken identity for Manhattan advertising executive Roger O Thornhill (Grant) who is mistaken for a government agent by a group of spies. George Kaplan, the agent he's mistaken for doesn't exist, but was made up by the government so the spies believed someone was on their tail. The government's fake agent agent has now become a real one, and Thornhill must elude the spies, the government and police officers after an incident in the classic United Nations scene. Legend has it that Hitchcock was denied access to shoot at the building so he had a camera across the street in a cab and took the footage of Grant entering the building. The crop dusting scene is one of the most famous scenes in American film, as is the iconic ending on the faces of Mount Rushmore. It has everything you'd want in a Cary Grant film, and everything you'd could want in a Hitchcock film at once.
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Download a tribute album compiled by Filter Magazine to celebrate Descendents vocalist Milo Aukerman's 50th birthday. The album feature 13 Descendents songs covered by Mike Watt, The Bronx, Edsel, Good Riddance, Milo Greene and other! Get it HERE.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the NHL kick off their season tomorrow. Will the Leafs fare any better this season? There's no reason to think they will; they still have inexperienced goalies, a group of forwards who are soft in their own end and defence corps with more holes and question marks than Jodie Foster's Golden Globes speech. The Leafs have made a change or two while finalizing their roster, including shipping Matthew Lombardi to Phoenix for a pick and placing underproducing/overpaid forward Tim Connelly on waivers. It's great to see Colton Orr cracking the line up out of the shortened camp and I'm looking forward to seeing him on the ice again after playing in just five games with the Leafs last season. Leafs are in Montreal tomorrow night, 7PM, Hockey Night In Canada on CBC. The Leafs opening night roster HERE.
*** Was having some internet issues so I couldn't post this for the last couple days so the Leafs have played two games. They look rusty, but let's be fair; so has every team I've watched so far this season (what's going on in Philly?). The Leafs won the ugly season opener in Montreal 2-1 before losing their own home opener last night against the Sabres by the same score. Nazem Kadri has been quite good, never thought I'd say that (sorry.. I kind of gave up), and has scored in each contest. The puck actually looks like its trying to find him sometimes. The Leafs visit Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.
Other early season story lines: The old guys! Look a Jagr and Kovalev light it up (Kovalev and his new team the Panthers did get shutout by Ottawa last night). Vancouver goalies! Who's the number one guy? Blackhawks! Eleven goals in two games. They still have arguably the most snipers of any team in the league with Marian Hossa (another older guy lighting it up), Jonathan Toews and the two Patricks' (Sharp and Kane). Rangers and Flyers! Are they really this bad defensively?
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