Carol Burnett – We Are Movie Geeks

LUCY AND DESI – Review

(Original Caption) Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz going over business matters. Picture from Lucy’s personal file.

So here’s the perfect companion to one of the big feature film “docudramas” from the last weeks of 2021. You may even consider it a “super bonus extra” for a proposed home video release. Ah, but it’s so much more than that. It delves into the history and legacy more thoroughly than any “squeezed into a brief timeline” big-screen treatment. Sure there are lots of clips from this duo’s greatest collaboration, which is still being adored by fans all over the planet every day, but there are historical artifacts that many of us have never seen and heard before. And happily, there are the early, early”pre-superstardom” snippets as the careers of these two began to converge and meld. These gems along with archival footage have been assembled by a talented comic actress who might be considered a “spiritual offspring” of the feminine half of the couple in question. Hey, these two still come to mind when examining their main medium’s history. In the arena of real-life couples who worked together, you’ve got Lunt and Fontanne on stage, in the movies there’s Bogie and Bacall and in television, particularly comedy, it all begins with (and some say is still dominated by). LUCY AND DESI.

It all starts with the enduring images of the two, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. There are countless clips of the Ricardos: Lucy trying to share the stage with Ricky at “the club”, Ricky exploding with a barrage of Spanish as he reveals Lucy’s newest scheme, Lucy hatches said plot with BFF neighbor Ethel Mertz. Then the filmmakers take us back to the duo’s modest, even desperate early times. Brother Fred (in an archival interview) tells of his sister Lucy almost becoming the head of the household when a target practice accident nearly takes everything from their grandfather’s Jamestown NY home. She’s determined to be a star, trying out for Broadway shows, modeling, and even creating a “wild west” persona “Montana” Ball to try and jumpstart a hopeful film career as she heads to LA. Not far from the US, young Desi flees the Cuban Revolution of 1933 and barely makes it to Miami, eking out a living by cleaning canary cages before his musical skills attract the attention of Xavier Cugat, leading to the formation of Desi’s own band. Fans only familiar with the sitcoms will be dazzled by the early images of the two, Lucy, a Technicolor flaming-red-haired movie goddess at MGM, and Desi, a gorgeous exotic untamed congo drum-pounding heartthrob. Home movie scenes and audio recordings (Desi on seeing Lucy for the first time, “Now, thas’ some hunka’ woman!”) chronicle their fiery romance, courtship, and marriage. We’re treated to an amazing montage of Lucy’s screen roles, many of which couldn’t quite capture her talents (leading lady or wisecracking supporting player). And there’s that TV show that never “went away”. We see the foundation being built for the Desilu empire, and its demise as the divorce almost derails the entertainment juggernaut. Though the heads of the company wouldn’t perform on camera, they still had a behind-the-scenes working relationship…for a time. The film provides an overview of their solo lives and careers leading up to their final days in the late 1980s.

Oh, that talented comic actress I mentioned earlier is none other than the “pride of Pawnee” Amy Poehler, known for her memorable TV work on SNL and “Parks and Recreations” in her impressive feature documentary debut. Though much of the story and materials are familiar, she brings a real vitality to the legend via access to those family treasures. Hearing the duo’s voices paired with the keenly selected clips adds an unexpected poignancy. Footage shot on the set of the 1960s “The Lucy Show” gives us Desi’s unexpected visit to the Studio, surprising the guest star (another show biz superstar), though Ms. B doesn’t look that pleased (maybe just indifferent). We get Ball’s work ethic, hinted at in Sorkin’s biopic, as she shockingly states that, “I’m not funny…I just work very hard”. And though he professionalism often caused many to label her the “B word’, I’d think that stands for “boss” as we see her presiding over a board meeting of Desilu shareholders just after Desi was bought out. .Ms. Poehler know when to sparingly utilize some great “talking head” subjects. Carol Burnett gushes over her “gypsy pal, Bette Midler tells of Lucy’s mentoring, while Charo (yes the “gootchie-gootchie gal”) sings the praises of Desi while strumming a guitar. Most prominently daughter Lucie Arnaz offers insights and anecdotes, while we only hear from brother Desi Junior. Plus we’re treated to news interviews with TV writers Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll Jr., along with Lucy’s brother Fred, though it’s a shame that the last surviving TV cast member, Richard Keith (“Little Rick”) doesn’t appear. We really get a sense of the Desilu domination of early TV as Desi was the major force behind the three-camera filming setup (still used today) and (for better or worse) the rerun., That’s one of the sadder aspects of the tale as Desi had to remind folks that he wasn’t just the “lucky stiff’ riding the apron strings of his comic firebrand wife. And this helped accelerate the breakup that devastated fans. My only complaint with the film is its omissions of the post “I Love Lucy” careers of the two. Yes, Lucy’s follow-up sitcoms are here, but no mention of her feature film work: two comic romps with Bob Hope, the surprise hit YOURS MINE AND OURS (recently spoofed in LICORICE PIZZA), and the “megaflop” MAME (reportedly Desi tried to warn Lucy of the bomb, but she didn’t listen). Oh, and no mention of the mid-80s misfire sitcom comeback on ABC, “Life with Lucy” (perhaps that’s a good thing). Plus Desi stayed active behind the scenes in the late 60s show “The Mothers-In-Law”. Maybe it’s not a “knock” to wish this engaging and often moving non-fiction film was a bit longer. And really, couldn’t the world right now use a lot more of LUCY AND DESI? Babalooooo!!

3.5 Out of 4

LUCY AND DESI is now streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video

Bradley Cooper Featured In New Poster For BURNT

The Weinstein Company has released the new poster for their upcoming film, BURNT.

The movie features an all-star ensemble cast including Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Omar Sy, Daniel Brühl, Matthew Rhys, Uma Thurman and Emma Thompson.

Chef Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) had it all – and lost it. A two-star Michelin rockstar with the bad habits to match, the former enfant terrible of the Paris restaurant scene did everything different every time out, and only ever cared about the thrill of creating explosions of taste. To land his own kitchen and that third elusive Michelin star though, he’ll need the best of the best on his side, including the beautiful Helene (Sienna Miller). BURNT is a remarkably funny and emotional story about the love of food, the love between two people, and the power of second chances.

Directed by John Wells (AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY), BURNT hits theaters everywhere on October 23, 2015.

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SAG-AFTRA Announces Carol Burnett As The 52nd Recipient Of The Life Achievement Award

Carol Burnett – comedic trailblazer, actor, singer, dancer, producer and author – has been named the 52nd recipient of SAG-AFTRA’s highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Burnett will be presented the performers union’s top accolade at the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 at 8 p.m. (ET), 7 p.m. (CT), 6 p.m. (MT) and 5 p.m. (PT). Given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” the SAG Life Achievement Award will join Burnett’s exceptional catalog of preeminent industry and public honors, which includes multiple Emmys, a special Tony, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and both a Kennedy Center Honor and its Mark Twain Prize for Humor.

In making today’s announcement, SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard said, “Carol Burnett is a creative dynamo and a comedic genius. She embodies the generosity and courage that the greatest actors use in creating enduring and memorable characters. From her heartbreakingly hilarious Starlet O’Hara to the adorably inept Eunice and alarmingly funny Miss Hannigan, Carol has delighted and inspired millions of viewers and thousands of comedic actors. She took risks as a performer and through her courage, encouraged fellow actors to try new things and always, always reach for the sky. Her innate love of actors led to the creation of an ensemble cast that made The Carol Burnett Show a masterpiece of variety programming.”

The public and her peers treasure Carol Burnett for her comedic and dramatic roles on television, film, and Broadway, most notably The Carol Burnett Show. Named in 2007 by TIME magazine as one of “100 Best Television Shows of All Time,” and by Variety in 2011 as one of “The 25 Shows That Changed Television,” The Carol Burnett Show ran for 11 years, averaged 30 million viewers per week, and received 25 Emmy Awards, making it one of the most honored shows in television history.

An inductee into the Television Hall of Fame and the California Museum’s Hall of Fame, Burnett’s many accolades also include a Peabody Award, the Television Critics Association’s Career Achievement Award, five Golden Globe Awards, five American Comedy Awards, 12 People’s Choice Awards, an Ace Award, an Horatio Alger Award, both Crystal and Lucy Awards from Women in Film, the TV Land Legend Award, the Jimmy Stewart Museum’s Harvey Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2013, the City of Los Angeles named the intersection of Highland Ave. and Selma directly adjacent to Hollywood High School, Burnett’s alma mater, Carol Burnett Square.

Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1933, Burnett, her mother, and grandmother moved to a less-than-glamorous section of Hollywood in the late 1930s. Raised in a small studio apartment by her grandmother, but with no financial means, Burnett could only dream of college. After receiving an anonymous donation of $50 to pay for her tuition to UCLA, she enrolled. While studying journalism, she took an acting class, and the rest is history.

After moving to New York City, Burnett staged a musical revue, featuring her out-of-work roommates from The Rehearsal Club, a theatrical boarding house, performing material by unemployed writers and composers. Soon, offers for summer stock and 13 weeks’ work on Paul Winchell’s television show followed. While performing at the Blue Angel nightclub, she was spotted by talent bookers from both The Jack Paar Show and The Ed Sullivan Show and was invited to perform her infamous rendition of “I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles,” written by Ken Welch. Shortly thereafter, she landed the leading role of Princess Winifred in the original Broadway musical production of Once Upon a Mattress, which earned her a Tony® nomination. In 1959, after guest spots on Garry Moore’s morning television show she became a permanent cast member on The Garry Moore Show, taping the show during the day and performing Mattress at night for the remainder of its Broadway run. She remained a regular on Garry Moore for the next four years.

During this period, Burnett met Julie Andrews and the two became close friends. After the duo appeared in their Emmy-winning special, Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall, CBS took notice of this emerging new talent and signed her to a ten-year contract. On September 11, 1967, The Carol Burnett Show premiered on CBS. With a talented ensemble featuring Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner, costumes by Bob Mackie and musical sketches by Buz Kohan, Bill Angelos, Artie Malvin, and Ken and Mitzie Welch, the show became a hit. Guest stars included many of the greatest performers from music, stage and screen including Lucille Ball, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Jimmy Stewart, Gloria Swanson, Ronald Reagan, Betty White, Cher, Jim Nabors, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Liza Minnelli, The Carpenters, Rock Hudson, Dick Van Dyke, Alan Alda, and many, many more.

Her portrayal of “Starlet” O’Hara in “Went With The Wind,” a parody of Gone With The Wind, is always counted among the top 10 greatest moments in television history. The Bob Mackie designed “curtain-rod” dress, as it is known, now resides at The Smithsonian. In 2012 Time Life released The Carol Burnett Show on DVD and set a record, selling more than 4 million DVDs in six months.

After the show concluded in 1978, Burnett immersed herself in numerous projects. She wrote three New York Times bestsellers: Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Storyand This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection, which both received Grammy® nominations for best spoken word, and her autobiography, One More Time. She added playwright to her credits when she and her daughter, Carrie Hamilton, wrote Hollywood Arms. Sadly, Carrie passed away four months prior to the play’s premiere at the Chicago Goodman Theatre in April 2002. Directed by Hal Prince, Hollywood Arms premiered on Broadway on October 31, 2002. An anniversary concert reading of Hollywood Arms will be performed on September 21, 2015 at the Kaufman Music Center in New York (under the auspices of the Sundance Institute Theatre Program) directed by Mark Brokaw and starring Tyne Daly, Emily Skeggs, Sydney Lucas and Michele Pawk.

On Broadway she recently starred in A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters (2014), opposite Brian Dennehy, Fade Out, Fade In, with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green with music by Jule Styne; Stephen Sondheim’s musical review Putting It Together; and Ken Ludwig’s farce Moon Over Buffalo, starring with Philip Bosco. She produced and starred in numerous television specials and guest starred on several television series, including Glee, Hot in Cleveland, Hawaii 5-0 and Law and Order: SVU. She also starred in the television series Fresno and Carol & Co., as well as the highly acclaimed made-for-television movies Friendly Fire, Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice. In 2005 she returned to her Once Upon a Mattress roots, appearing in a television special, this time playing the evil Queen Aggravain.

Burnett’s film credits include playing Miss Hannigan in the film version of the musical, Annie, directed by John Huston; Noises Off, directed by Peter Bogdanovich; A Wedding, directed by Robert Altman; and Four Seasons, directed by Alan Alda.

Currently, Burnett is focused on three major projects. The first is the long awaited release of the initial five seasons of The Carol Burnett Show. These “lost episodes” have never been seen nor distributed since their initial broadcast and will be for the first time combined with the already available episodes from Seasons 6 – 11. Rollout commences August 2015. On the filmed entertainment front, Burnett is in active development with CBS Films on a theatrical project originated by her late daughter, Carrie, entitled Sunrise in Memphis. In the publishing arena, Burnett is in the midst of writing her fourth book entitled In the Sandbox, which is a poignant love letter to the golden era of television while simultaneously dissecting the elements of what made The Carol Burnett Show the iconic success that it was. This publication is scheduled for release in November 2016.

When not performing or occasionally presenting her Q & A format “Laughter & Reflection,” she enjoys spending time with her husband Brian, her two daughters Erin and Jody, her grandsons, and her cat, Nikki. As a passionate supporter of the arts and education, she established several scholarships around the country, including the Carol Burnett Musical Theatre Competition at her alma mater, UCLA, and the Carrie Hamilton Foundation, to honor her daughter’s memory. She is a Lifetime Director of the Hereditary Disease Foundation Among the other arts, health and youth charities to which she lends her support are the Sundance Institute, Young Playwrights Inc., the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara and the Hereditary Disease Foundation for which she has been named a Lifetime Director.

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY Official Trailer, Poster And 3 Images

Disney has sent us the new poster, trailer and latest photos for THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY. Residing quietly beneath the floorboards are little people who live undetected in a secret world to be discovered, where the smallest may stand tallest of all. From the legendary Studio Ghibli (“Spirited Away,” “Ponyo”) comes “The Secret World of Arrietty,” an animated adventure based on Mary Norton’s acclaimed children’s book series “The Borrowers.”

Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger. The English language version of “The Secret World of Arrietty” was executive produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, and directed by Gary Rydstrom.

Fun Facts:

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most influential and admired filmmakers working in animation today and is a major figure in the Japanese cinematic landscape. His films have inspired moviegoers and colleagues around the world, from Pixar’s John Lasseter to fantasist Guillermo del Toro to Chinese director Tsui Hark, and consistently top the box office in his native Japan.
Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi, a top animator at Studio Ghibli, was responsible for the animation in a signature scene in “Ponyo,” in which Ponyo runs atop ocean waves.
English language voice talent director Gary Rydstrom is a seven-time Academy Award winning sound designer/mixer (“Terminator 2: Judgment Day”). He joined Pixar Animation Studios as an animation film director in 2003. His directorial debut for the studio was the Academy Award®-nominated short film “Lifted,” and he directed the short film “Hawaiian Vacation,” which was released with “Cars 2” in June 2011.
Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall are highly successful producing partners whose films, separately and together, include “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “E.T.,” “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?,” the Indiana Jones films and the Jurassic Park films. In total, Kennedy and Marshall have earned 11 Oscar® nominations.
English language screenplay writer Karey Kilpatrick’s credits include “Spiderwick Chronicles” and “Over the Hedge,” which he also directed (with Tim Johnson)

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY Tiny but tenacious Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler) comes face to whiskers with the menacing household cat, but won’t allow herself to be intimidated by this fussy feline. © 2010. All Rights Reserved.

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY Human boy Shawn (right, voice of David Henrie) is astonished when he visits the garden and discovers Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler) a tiny person who lives hidden with her family under the floorboards of the house where he’s staying. © 2010. All Rights Reserved.

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY Strong-willed Arrietty (left, voice of Bridgit Mendler) shows her mother, Homily (voice of Amy Poehler), an amazing object that she has ?borrowed? while on her first covert mission with her father. © 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Visit the film’s official site: http://disney.go.com/official-sites/arrietty/index

“Like” THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/SecretWorldOfArriety

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY opens in theaters everywhere on February 17th, 2012!

Review: ‘Post Grad’

The new comedy ‘Post Grad’ can’t even really be construed as a comedy. It tries to be in parts. Well, Michael Keaton tries, but even his best Clark W. Griswold impression can’t save this one from being a stale redux of so many other movies. What the film really is, other than a piggybacker of movies about young adults seeking their place in the world that go all the way back to ‘The Graduate’ and beyond, is a lighthearted depiction of a family. Lighthearted isn’t exactly a genre, though it probably should be. That’s really all this film lives up to be. It’s humor isn’t particularly funny. It’s drama is anything but theatrical.

There are so many elements to the film that go absolutely nowhere, and you wonder if the screenwriter had it in mind to sell this as a pilot for a new TV series. “The Malbeys” it would be called, and it would have everything those lame sitcoms from the ’90s stole from the glorious sitcoms of the ’80s and further back spewed at their audiences week in and week out.

The film opens with graduation day for Ryden Malby, a name I’m sure it took screenwriter Kelly Fremon days to piece together. Ryden, played by Alexis Bledel, has got a loving family, dysfunctional and quirky as it may be. Her father never seems to finish anything he starts. Her grandmother, who lives with the family, is a stubborn, old woman seems to take all her cues of love for her family from “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Her little brother licks people’s heads. That’s enough said about him. Her mother does her best to keep the family in line, but even she has her eccentricities here and there.

Ryden has her whole future planned out. She will graduate from college, get a job with a prestigious publishing house, and discover the great American novel. Of course, things don’t go quite as planned. Ryden doesn’t get the job of her dreams, and, as such, she moves back in with her family all the while trying to get her foot in the door somewhere, anywhere. You thought the whole “male friend who’s in love with the girl but never knows how to express it” went out once John Hughes stopped making movies two decades ago? Think again. He’s here and played with awkward conviction by “Friday Night Lights” star Zach Gilford. The hot guy who lives next door that the girl is infatuated with? Xerxes himself, Rodrigo Santoro, brings this character to life.

In fact, there is nothing in ‘Post Grad’ that brings any sense of freshness or originality to its audience. Every gag, every plot turn, everything about this film is choreographed beyond belief. There is one joke, just one, that doesn’t fall flat on its face. It involves a casket and a group of Latino thugs. The less said about this joke, the better, because if you do decide to see this film, you might want just one surprise in the whole thing. That would be it. Another scene involving Keaton as Ryden’s father telling her what the future holds with one, definitive word might have been more than slightly interesting were it not a complete rehash of the famous “Plastics” scene from ‘The Graduate.’

However, for all of its lazy cinematic thievery, it is hard to out and out hate a film like ‘Post Grad.’ Director Vicky Jenson’s heart seems to be in the right place. You know, though, that judging from the vitality missing in this film’s execution, it was Andrew Adamson and not Jenson who brought ‘Shrek’ to such lively execution. Every shot in ‘Post Grad’ is strictly point and shoot, but you can’t expect much cinematic flare here. You can’t assume Jenson set out to make a lazy film, but that’s exactly what she has come up with.

That also doesn’t mean it is particularly commendable, either. There are moments where the film simply doesn’t know what it wants to be. Is it a harsh look at a young graduate trying to find a job in a recession-era world? Is it a jovial depiction of family struggles? Is it really a 90-minute sitcom? It seems to be all of these things at different point throughout.

Everyone in the cast seems to be doing their best. Bledel, like Reese Witherspoon’s blue-eyed younger sister, takes the lead with force. It just doesn’t feel right, though. She’s more of a supporting performer, and you get the impression she is in way over head here. Gilford and Santoro do their collective best as the potential love interests, but their scenes are so derivative of scenes from other films you can’t help but notice how much better they have been played before. Keaton dives in head-first working every bit of his magic towards the film’s comedy. Unfortunately, Jenson can’t keep up with him, and much of his spirited antics are simply lost in the mire of poor direction. Carol Burnett shows up as the grandmother, but she doesn’t seem to be giving it her all. It’s more for names sake that she’s in this film at all.

As bland as you can get while still being this colorful, ‘Post Grad’ is a film that seems to be resting on the laurels of how cute it is. I wouldn’t consider it particularly safe. It is a film that absolutely lives up to its PG-13 rating, forced F-bomb included. However it feels like a film that should have made the attempt at the PG. At least then the content of the film would have run right along with the safe, generic way Vicky Jenson created it. Neither moving nor completely wretched, it is a film that is simply there. It has too much to say and doesn’t quite know how to say it. In the end, it says nothing, and ‘Post Grad’ is a film that be leaving your consciousness very soon after you leave the theater.

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