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My Favorite Summer Movie-Going Experiences

A few movies have already had blockbuster openings this past month but for me, the official summer movie season starts when school’s out in a couple weeks. I’m a long way from my school years but there’s something about going to movies in the heart of summer, with long lines and huge crowds, that brings out some of my fondest movie-going memories.

As a kid on summer break, I used to plan whole days around going to the movies: twenty minutes to walk to the theater, fifteen minutes in line to buy tickets, then two hours sitting around with my friends and/or siblings, playing cards, eating sandwiches, sipping orange Shasta, reading Mad magazine, just waiting to get in to see the latest blockbuster. Then two hours to see the movie, one and a half afterwards to dissect it with everyone, twenty minutes to walk back home and another half hour to write in my journal about the cool movie I saw that day and all the things I loved about it.

Sometimes it wasn’t the movie itself that was the highlight; it was the things that happened because I went to see it. So, as I look forward to this summer’s offerings, I’d like to share some of my favorite summer movie-going experiences from the past.

1. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, summer 1977. My family and I had only been in America for two years and none of us spoke much English. But that didn’t stop my dad from loading us all up in the rusty blue Chevy wagon and taking us to the movie theater. We all loved movies. Dad just bought us tickets to Close Encounters because that’s what was playing; we didn’t have any clue about what we were seeing. And Spielberg’s classic didn’t make it easy on us. We didn’t know why aliens were coming or understand the significance of that five-note score. But afterwards, we all made up our own stories based on what we saw and laughed all the way home. I still have no idea what mashed potatoes have to do with aliens but that was a fun day.

2. Grease, summer 1978. Growing up, I idolized Olivia Newton-John. She was everything I wasn’t: blonde, cute, popular and a talented singer. But in the movie, there was one thing we had in common: Sandy and I were both goody-two-shoes. I was disheartened when she decided she had to tart herself up in painted-on pants to get the guy, but I felt empowered when it turned out Danny was ready to accept her squareness. Whew. Not having to wear leather pants to school was a message I never forgot.

3. Moonraker, 1979. As I mentioned, we’re all movie lovers in my family but we rarely agreed on which movie to see. My sister had no interest in fantasy or sci-fi, my brother wouldn’t go to any girly films (translation: romantic comedies), my dad preferred dramas based on real events (i.e. All the President’s Men), my mother enjoyed sexy fare like Body Heat. But there was one kind of movie we could always agree on: James Bond flicks. Everybody loved 007.

So in June ’79, we all piled into the Ford LTD and the 8 of us took up a whole row in the theater, fighting over who got the aisle seats. Moonraker wasn’t anything spectacular and all the sexual innuendo went right over my head. Still, I hold this memory dear because it was one of maybe only three times the entire family went to the movies together. My oldest sister left for college the following summer and it got harder for us to do that again.

4. Raiders of the Lost Ark, summer of 1981. I was a die-hard Harrison Ford fan because of the Star Wars movies so I had to see this on opening day. Walked over to the mall after school that Friday, June 12, and got in line, still clutching my school books. I went by myself since I couldn’t get anyone to come with me. I sat there agape as the boulder chased Indy, screamed when he and Marion were dumped in the snake pit, screamed some more when the ark was opened and that guy’s face melted. Afterwards, I got right back in line to buy another ticket to see it again. To this day, no other movie has made me do that. It was like the best ride at Disneyland that you just want to go on over and over again.

5. E.T., summer of 1982. Wow, another Spielberg movie. He’s had a big part in shaping my childhood movie memories. My sisters, brothers and I walked to the theater inside the mall. We brought egg rolls, Snickers bars and playing cards, anticipating a long line. And boy, was it loooong. It stretched from Montgomery Ward at one end of the mall all the way down to Chess King at the other. My siblings and I ended up waiting about two hours but we had a blast sitting there, my brother teasing me about my new perm, me calling him stupid, my sister making up hilarious stories about other people in line. Oh, yeah, E.T. was great, too.

I don’t know if I’ll have similar experiences this summer with fare like G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, but I’ve learned that sometimes the movie itself is beside the point. It’s just an excuse for me to get out there and make happy memories.

What are some of yours?

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Never-Before-Published Photos of Marilyn

from LIFE.com

In her short life, Marilyn Monroe managed to be one of the most photographed women of the 20th century and you probably think you’ve seen most of those photos. Nope, LIFE magazine has a bunch more of her that has never been published.

Coinciding with Marilyn’s 83rd birthday today, LIFE.com is running a batch of pictures taken by photographer Ed Clark in 1950 at L.A.’s Griffith Park (there’s an option for you to buy them as framed prints). The negatives were only recently found as part of LIFE’s attempt to digitize their photo archive. The site says: “Why LIFE never published this gold mine of photos after Marilyn became a superstar remains a mystery. The only clue: a brief note about the shoot we found in our archives, addressed to LIFE’s photo editor and saying that ‘this take was over-developed and poorly printed.'”

In the photos, Marilyn is already transformed from Norma Jeane and is undeniably beautiful but still unpolished and innocent, not quite the sex symbol she would soon become. It’s kinda cool for me to see her roaming around a familiar area where I’ve spent loads of time.

What do you think of the photos? After looking at them, raise a glass to Marilyn and sing “Happy Birthday” to her in your breathiest voice.

from LIFE.com

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Jim Kelly's DEATH WORE WHITE Has Dark Edges

I love a good locked-room mystery and that’s essentially what Jim Kelly’s Death Wore White (out June 9) is, except it takes place outdoors. One winter evening during a blizzard, eight drivers are trapped after taking a detour down a small road surrounded by a wide ditch on one side and marshland on the other. A felled pine tree lies across the road, making it impassable, and the last car in line somehow gets stuck sideways, preventing the drivers from backing out. And of course, they’re in a black hole with no cell signal.

When the police arrive about three hours later, they find a corpse behind the wheel of the lead vehicle. No one at the scene saw the murder and there are no incriminating footprints in the snow surrounding the truck. How can this be? Furthermore, the viciousness of the stabbing would have resulted in a lot of blood in the truck and on the killer, but there’s none on any of the other drivers and only a small amount in the cab, implying the man was killed elsewhere. What the hell?!

Detective Inspector Peter Shaw (Scotland Yard’s youngest DI) and his partner, George Valentine, catch the case on the same night they find the corpse of another man washed up on a nearby beach. Before they can get to the bottom of either mystery, more bodies pile up and the puzzle becomes more puzzling. Shaw and Valentine are also dealing with unspoken tension between them resulting from a twelve-year-old case involving a murdered boy which Valentine worked with Shaw’s father, Jack. Valentine and the senior Shaw were accused of planting evidence in that case and Jack eventually died of heartbreak from disappointment. While dealing with all the murders happening on his watch, Peter is also re-investigating the cold case to maybe clear his father’s name.

Death Wore White is interesting in that it reads like an old Agatha Christie novel but the detectives text-message each other and the story is very much a contemporary one. Jim Kelly piles on a lot of subplots and many twists but he deftly juggles them and resolves everything by the end. Except for one subplot, which sets up the next novel featuring Shaw and Valentine. I normally get annoyed when all mysteries aren’t cleared up but in this case, it makes me really eager to see what happens next in this new series.

Nerd verdict: White will suit most mystery fans

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Wolverine and James Bond on Broadway

It’s raining hot men on Broadway this fall when Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig team up to do Keith Huff’s play, A Steady Rain. The New York Post reports they’ll be playing two cops whose friendship takes a hit when they get embroiled in a domestic conflict in a poor neighborhood. Dang, I’ll dial 911 right now if they want to get all up in my domestic business.

I think we’ve all heard about Jackman’s Tony-winning role as Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz but this will be Craig’s Broadway debut (he’s done theater in England). Rain will be conveniently produced by Craig’s Bond producer, Barbara Broccoli.

Will you buy tickets for this?

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Giveaway: Free Tickets to Bookstock 2009

Do you live in the San Francisco area and are looking for something cool to do next weekend? Check out Bookstock 2009, a music, art and music festival held next Saturday, June 6, at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The cost is $15 per person but I have 5 pairs of tickets to give away. Read on for more info.

The following is a description from the event website:

“Attendees will enjoy a night of live music provided by top Bay Area bands including Stroke 9, Eoin Harrington, the Monophonics; a live art show featuring 25 renowned artists; and an advanced screening of Logan and Noah Miller’s film Touching Home, starring 4-time Academy Award nominee Ed Harris, the movie that inspired it all! Plus, the book release and signing of the Miller brother’s exhilarating memoir Either You’re In or You’re in The Way, published by HarperCollins April 28.”

I’ve read the Miller brothers’ book and it’s fantastic. It’s a funny, inspiring story of how they made a movie about their lives with their late father (played by Harris) without any money, experience or industry contacts.

If you want to attend (or know someone who does) and would like a pair of free tickets, you just have to do two things: 1) Be a subscriber to my blog (see upper right corner of page) and 2) leave me a comment here telling me why you’d like to go. All interested parties will be entered in a random drawing this Friday and 5 winners will receive two tickets each in the mail. Good luck!

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Best of Cannes 2009

By now, you’ve probably heard about the winners from the 62nd Cannes film festival. Austrian director/writer Michael Haneke won the Palme d’Or for his black and white movie, The White Ribbon, which explores strange events taking place in a rural German village right before the start of World War I.

Christoph Waltz won Best Actor for his portrayal of the Nazi “Jew Hunter” in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds and French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg won Best Actress for playing a bereaved mother in Lars von Trier’s controversial Antichrist.

For more official festival winners, click here for Variety‘s round-up. To see who won my Nerdes d’Or for Best Dressed, read on.

Shortly after Robin Wright Penn appeared at at the Up premiere looking fabulous in this Elie Saab gown, her divorce from Sean Penn was called off. Coincidence?

Not only is the color stunning, look at the fit of this gown on Michelle Yeoh‘s body. Perfection.

Continuing the beautiful color trend is this pink column gown on Shu Qi, one of the festival’s judges. Love the necklace, too.

How fabulous does Elizabeth Banks look in this Armani Prive´gown? If I looked that good, my smile would be that big, too.

I have no love for Devon Aoki‘s acting but she looks like royalty in yellow Roberto Cavalli at a Chopard party.

I’m not a fan of beige (I read somewhere this was actually rose-colored) but the way this Versace drapes over Angelina Jolie‘s body is magnificent. It looks soft, comfy and sexy as hell. Love the siren-red lipstick, too.

Brad Pitt’s Inglorious Basterds co-star, Diane Kruger (in Marchesa), gave Angelina fierce competition for most radiant woman at the premiere.

I usually find metallics boring but Zhang Ziyi looks the sexiest I’ve ever seen her look in this gown. Yowza!

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks like Venus rising out of her clamshell in this seafoam blue gown.

Roberto Cavalli seems to be MVP at this year’s festival, designing so many of my favorite gowns, including this one on Shu Qi. Love the rich blue hue, asymmetry and leather belt details.
Devon Aiki again, this time in lilac Alberta Ferretti, but once again with impeccable hair and Chopard jewelry. Aoki should stop venturing into acting and stay a model because she sure knows how to wear clothes.

Finally, I have to give a shout out to Tilda Swinton, who looks stunning in this burgundy ensemble. Her style is so unique that her outfits usually leave me confused but in this, she is awe-inspiring in the best way.

What do you think? Which ones are your faves?

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The First Reviews of Heath Ledger's Last Movie

Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus screened at Cannes and the reviews are out. Here’s Entertainment Weekly‘s, Variety‘s and the Hollywood Reporter‘s. Heath Ledger died while working on this (Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell stepped in to finish his role) and apparently the first time you see him in the movie is as a corpse. Yikes.

The plot sounds intriguing but also confusing. I’m not a huge fan of Gilliam’s oeuvre and the movie doesn’t have a U.S. release date yet but I’ll probably see it when it does arrive so I can pay tribute to Ledger’s work. Will you?

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AMERICAN IDOL Season 8 Finale–The New Idol Is Crowned

I can’t believe Kris won! Whoo-hoo! I don’t think I’ve been this pleasantly surprised in the eight years I’ve followed this show. I’d accepted that Adam would win since everyone keeps saying he would—the judges, Entertainment Weekly, his vocal fan base, many of my friends, etc. That, and the fact I only had time to vote for Kris 10 times last night made feel like he’d have to settle for second place. But I kept my fingers crossed, just maybe…

And the impossible happened! When the confetti rained down, it was Kris who was the new American Idol. He even received a little trophy in the shape of a microphone, which is a new thing this year. Only drawback to winning was he had to sing that lame song, “No Boundaries,” but he sounded much better than last night.

This result is rather shocking because I didn’t think much of Kris at all for much of the early competition. I couldn’t even remember his name since his shy, unassuming ways made him blend into the background. But as the fat started getting trimmed from the competition, this quiet boy gained confidence and started making such daring, innovative choices (“Falling Slowly,” “She Works Hard for the Money,” “Heartless”) that I had to take notice. I’m glad he won because I love an underdog story and it made for good TV!

The show was better than I thought it would be. I let the DVR get ahead an hour and 20 minutes before I tuned in ’cause I figured I’d have to fast-forward through lots of filler but ended up watching and enjoying much of it.

I liked the Kris and Keith Urban duet, “Kiss a Girl.” When they first announced Urban, I thought, “Oh no, country music,” which I do not like. But the song was upbeat, their styles blended well and the duet sounded cohesive. It was a performance that seemed rehearsed instead of thrown together at the last minute.

Other things I enjoyed: seeing Alexis Grace again, Jason Mraz, the Lionel Richie/Danny Gokey pairing, Allison and Cyndi Lauper doing “Time After Time,” Steve Martin playing the banjo while Megan Joy and Michael Sarver sang Martin’s song, “Pretty Flowers” (though Megan sounded a little wobbly), Rod Stewart doing “Maggie May” (with his 1978 hairdo intact!), and Adam and Kris dueting with Queen on “We Are the Champions.”

Moments I thought were awkward, embarrasing or downright disgusting: The Golden Idols, which wasted time on obnoxious, talentless people desperate for attention (I refuse to mention them by name); the Lil Rounds/Queen Latifah duet of “Cue the Rain,” which was a huge mess; and most of the group sing-alongs, especially “So What.” They need to brush up on their dancing and choreography skills before they start the tour.

What I Both Liked and Hated: Kara getting to show her singing prowess (she’s awesome!) and hot bod (did you see those abs?!) but having to share the stage with that skanky, porny girl.

What were the highlights for you? How do you feel about Kris winning? Whose album will you be buying? Will you be seeing the top 10 on tour?

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SHERLOCK HOLMES Trailer

I’ve been waiting for this trailer. Not only am I a deep-rooted Sherlock Holmes fan (devoured all the stories, short and long, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the summer before 7th grade), I think Robert Downey Jr. is one of the best actors currently alive. One’s playing the other? I hyperventilated when I heard the news.

And now the trailer is here. You have to tell me your first impressions because I’m not sure what to think. It’s all over the place for me. Some of it looks good—the on-location scenery, some of the action, Downey and Jude Law (as Dr. Watson) and Rachel McAdams—but some of it is questionable. Downey’s British accent seems uneven to me and so does the tone. Is it a dark, gothic action thriller or Forgetting Sarah Marshall, as indicated by the nude scenario at the end? (Update: Read review here.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4K3aM5H5KM]

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AMERICAN IDOL Season 8: Final Competition Night

This is gonna be a tough call. I thought both Adam and Kris performed well, but neither was perfect and they have such different styles it’s like comparing bears and chickens.

Each performer had to sing 3 songs. The first would be their favorite from the season; second would be chosen by the show’s creator, Simon Fuller; and third would be the “winner single,” co-written by Kara.

Adam went first and sang “Mad World.” I liked it, as I usually do when he shows some restraint. He gave the song a haunting lilt. Kris sang “Ain’t No Sunshine,” accompanying himself on piano. It was a heartfelt performance and both are off to a strong start.

Fuller chose Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” for Adam’s next song and Adam put on his shiny suit to sing it. He hit every note and was technically perfect but I didn’t get real soulfulness from him, more like affected anguish.

Kris updated Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” and while I appreciated his Jack Johnson-esque take, I like the smooth groove of the original melody so much I don’t think it needed all the changes. So, both did well again but neither performance was eye-opening.

Then came the dreaded “winner single,” which is cheesy and tedious every year. If I were one of the two finalists, I’d almost want to throw the competition just so I wouldn’t have to record it. This year’s song, called “No Boundaries,” was no different and was written by Kara, Cathy Dennis and Mitch Allen.

Adam went first and the song seemed to be in the right key for him. But when he got to the chorus, I couldn’t understand what he was singing because he went for the volume and blew the words into oblivion. Not that I cared, since the lyrics to these singles are always insipid.

Kris didn’t do any better. The key was way too high for him, he strained through most of the song to hit the notes and didn’t always succeed. His face at the end showed that he knew he didn’t do as well as he’d hoped.

Based on the final performances, I think Adam’s got the edge and will win. But whatever happens, these two will most likely get recording contracts, make completely different albums for their separate fan bases and no one will have to argue again over who’s the better performer.

Who do you think will be crowned the eighth idol tomorrow night?

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Jack Reacher Will Not Be GONE TOMORROW

The title of Lee Child’s 13th Jack Reacher novel, Gone Tomorrow (out today), is misleading since Reacher ain’t going anywhere any time soon. He’s back, this time in New York City, kicking asses like always and kicking them hard.

Reacher, a former military cop who’s now just a traveling man, finds himself on the subway at 2 a.m. as the story opens. He sees a woman who shows all the outward signs of being a suicide bomber. Reacher approaches her and attempts to diffuse the situation but instead sets off a shocking series of events that escalate faster than the train on tracks.

The web of intrigue ensnares a former Delta Force major now running for the Senate, a pair of Ukrainian women who may not be what they seem, a human resources clerk in the Pentagon and lots of guys in suits who won’t show ID. Reacher becomes both hunter and prey in the urban jungle, trying to stay one step ahead of deadly opponents who match him in fighting and survival skills but whose hearts are pure evil.

I’m a huge fan of all Reacher novels but I particular like the ones written in first person, as this one is. Reacher is so clever and meticulous that it’s fun to be inside his head when he’s figuring out how to get himself out of a bad situation. I never really want a magician to show me his secrets but with Reacher, I think, Aha! I’ll remember that next time two guys come at me while I’m walking down the street.

Actually, I’m more likely to walk away from a fight or talk myself out of a conflict. But when reading the Reacher books, I always want him to put some serious hurt into the bad guys. This is a testament to Child’s writing skills. A protagonist can only be as heroic as the villains are evil, and Child gives Reacher enemies so hideous that only the Reacher brand of justice will satisfy.

Nerd verdict: Grab Tomorrow today

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ABC Picks Up Rupert, TED and V Remake (Review Included)

Back in March, I wrote about MI-5‘s Rupert Penry-Jones doing a Jerry Bruckheimer pilot, which had me excited at the prospect of seeing this fine British thespian every week on my TV. The Hollywood Reporter now reports that it’s official! ABC has picked up the pilot, called The Forgotten, which also stars Reiko Aylesworth (whom I enjoyed on 24), Rochelle Aytes, Anthony Carrigan, Michelle Borth, and Bob Stephenson. Penry-Jones plays a former cop whose child was kidnapped so he leads a team of amateur sleuths in solving cases involving unidentified victims. I’m predicting (hoping?) Penry-Jones will be huge here in America. I mean, he looks like that and he’s a good, classically-trained actor. (Alas, bad news update here.)

ABC is also picking up V, the remake of the 1980s mini-series -turned-series about reptilian aliens, dubbed the Visitors, who come to Earth in human form pretending to be friendly and in need of help. They soon start killing people, revealing their real intention of stealing Earth’s resources for their dying planet.

I was interested in the remake because I really liked the original mini-series. I got to see the pilot (see clip below), which still uses the striking red “V” logo, and think it’s well done. It’s suspenseful, with good acting, high production values and one decent fight scene between humans and aliens.

Lost‘s Elizabeth Mitchell brings her usual intelligence and competence to Homeland Security agent Erica Evans, Scott Wolf makes a good replacement for Marc Singer in the reporter role, and Morena Baccarin is perfectly cast as Anna, the alien leader. Jane Badler’s performance as Diana in the original is very memorable but Baccarin puts her own stamp on the role with her smiling-but-slighly-menacing presence. She also sports a close-cropped hairdo which goes well with her sleek alien wardrobe (silver, not red). Others in the cast include Baccarin’s Firefly co-star Alan Tudyk, Morris Chestnut, Lourdes Benedicto, Laura Vandervoort and Joel Gretsch.

Variety reports that ABC will present V as a “limited event series,” which suits me just fine because it’s better when the story isn’t dragged out. When they turned the mini-series into a series back in the mid-’80s, it lost its juice.

Other good news included ABC’s renewal of Better Off Ted; that show is hilarious but suffered from anemic ratings. Cheers to the network for giving it another season to find an audience.

Are you excited about any of these news? Any other V fans out there?

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