This is a re-post of a previous blog entry from 1996.

As I sit listening to pop-rock group Of Montreal, glancing around at posters and photograph collages of Green Day, The Cardigans, The Hives and my Jackson 5 album covers, I smile. The jangly guitars and heart-wrought vocals dance through my ears and fingers typing away. It’s second nature to have music accompany my writing, and nothing does me better than a guitarist, bassist and drummer riding shotgun.

10 years ago, I would have never admitted to liking rock music—let alone realizing it would be the force that would change me. Being a black male in the Chicago suburbs, admitting to liking rock was the equivalent of Jamie Kennedy’s Malibu’s Most Wanted: a subject of ridicule–if even acknowledged.

I had always loved music. As a kid, I grew up influenced by my parents’ diverse record collections. Everything from early Motown to album-oriented rock, blues, early rap and pop wafted though the house most hours of the day.

The group that first captured my heart was the Jackson 5. My parents were fans, and I had access to their 45s and LPs. I remember nights begging my dad to play their songs one more time, loving each play more than the last. That love exploded when my dad first took me to Rose Records at the age of eight. Browsing the album stacks, I found several Jackson 5 re-releases and took them home, beaming proudly.

But that affection soon changed. As kids talked about Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, I felt out of the loop with my J5 fervor. When asked what music I liked, I would mumble, “I like Dr. Dre.” It wasn’t a lie: I liked the G-Funk samples and comical videos, but like dating on the rebound, they didn’t compare to that quintessential love.

In an effort to get hip, I started watching MTV, BET and The Box, absorbing whatever was played. Some of it was good, some was bad, and some was not even worth mentioning…

(Shabba!)

In the sea of discovery, I made one connection, and it frightened me: rock. The soul-tinged howls of Chris Cornell, the wall of guitars and monstrous drumming of Stone Temple Pilots, and the wailing solos of Pearl Jam; I could not understand why I lit up when I heard them.

But nothing hit harder than Green Day. Maybe it was the teenage angst I was wrestling with, but it struck a chord that still resonates: the faux-British bleating vocals, the simple yet powerful three-chord guitars, the melodic bass in step, and the breakneck drumming of Mr. Tre Cool. I wanted to jump up and air guitar/air drum whenever their videos came on.

But the peer pressure! I was so afraid of what people would say to me, a black suburbanite, liking the very music they did. My biggest fear was of what my family would think. My brother Steve and my cousin Corey especially wouldn’t understand how I could prefer guitars to sampled beats and rhymes.

As my love for rock grew, I knew I couldn’t hide it much longer. And one day in 1996, out it came. Sitting in my grandparents’ basement, Steve, Corey and I were watching The Box when Green Day’s “Brain Stew/Jaded” video came on. As Steve normally did when Green Day came on, he imitated Billie Joe’s nasally whine (“Waooww!”) jokingly. As the second half, “Jaded,” came on, I was anxious beyond belief; I wanted nothing more than to jump up and imitate the intense guitar work. And Steve had worked my last nerve.

I told him to cut it out.

Surprised, he and Corey wondered where my outburst came from. Cornered, I admitted, finally, that I liked Green Day. All of the effort to contain my secret escaped in that moment. I braced myself for the teasing and laughing I expected to follow.

But it didn’t happen. Instead, there was surprise, apologies for making fun, and best of all, acceptance. That day, the Indiana Jones-like boulder on my shoulders crumbled. (In an interesting twist, Steve was with me at my first Green Day concert in 2004 and loved it.)

From then on, I strutted proudly in my musical likes. Unfortunately, others weren’t as liberated in their beliefs. When asked what groups I liked, I received puzzled looks when naming rock acts. “I thought you would like rap,” was a common response. More and more, I became similarly puzzled why they didn’t understand that I didn’t have to be pigeonholed because of my skin color.

As I accepted my rock fandom, I opened myself up to different sub-genres—Britpop, Swedish rock (The Cardigans), electronica, acid-jazz (Jamiroquai)—and also revisited the early influences, listening to more rap (sadly, my first CD was Crucial Conflict), R&B, pop and soul. I began going to concerts (Steve and Corey came with me to my first concert, The Cardigans), collecting posters and other merchandise, and becoming a student of past and current music. I even rekindled my love for the Jackson 5.

Becoming more open-minded to music opened me up to try different things and encounter new challenges I previously feared. It was also a great icebreaker, meeting some of my best college friends and adult friendships while connecting over our likes and dislikes. The foundation was laid by growing up in a musically inspired household, but it was forging my own path that led me to find myself.

Can anyone out there even remember how long it’s been since the original Mask film arrived in theatres? Well think of it this way. Jim Carrey was just starting to make a splash on the big screen and a little unknown actress named Cameron Diaz was cast as his love interest. The year was 1994.

Flash forward 11 painful years later and what are we left with. Probably the worst comic-book movie ever conceived and quite possibly the worst film I have seen in 5 years of covering the silver screen. It is that bad.

The sequel which bares little resemblance to the original finds Loki (Alan Cumming), creator of the Mask, banished to Earth to find his mask that has caused so much mischief. Loki’s father Odin (Bob Hoskins) is keeping a close eye on his disappointment of a son.

Meanwhile, cartoonist and would-be animator Tim Avery (Jamie Kennedy) is struggling to start a family with his eager wife, Tonya (Traylor Howard). Tim wants a big promotion at work before they have the baby Tonya has always wanted.

To make a long story short, Tim acquires the powers of the Mask and wows the big-wigs at work. After he scores big at work, Tim rushes home to make love to his wife but forgets to take off the mask. Thus we get “The Son of the Mask”.

Will Loki find Tim and his new son and finally regain his former glory and more importantly the mask? Will Tim ever find a happy ending?

Ok so the film has a plot, well, sort of.

What makes “Son of the Mask” so utterly painful to watch is how much it insults the audience that is watching this train wreck of a film. Every low-brow bathroom joke, bodily function and other things I don’t want to mention are passed off as rip-roaring comedy.

There is a sort of zany cartoon element to the child in the film who faces off against a “Mask-enhanced” dog for the father’s affection. But the whole scenario is so out of this world that it belongs in a cartoon. The scenario being played out in real-life and CGI just seems utterly wrong.

I can say for a fact there wasn’t anything I liked in this film. The acting was awful, the effects were in poor taste and nothing was funny.

I would suggest that if you have to relive the adventures of the Mask, stay home, lock the door, microwave some popcorn and rent the original. I shudder to think some people actually wanted to see this flick.

This is probably the worst film I have ever seen! And that includes all seven Deathstalker movies.

0 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer.

I was looking for something equally easy and uncomplicated this Sunday as I’d admittedly gotten into the sauce pretty early.  What? I have no guilt.  I work a lot and I deserve it. Sob, sob.

This is a grownup version of the meatloaf your mom would smear ketchup on in the early ’90s, except it isn’t dry and frightening.

I adapted this recipe from the Jamie Kennedy Seasons cookbook.  By adapt I mean changed the potatoes and added carrots.  The gravy is simply heated up beef demi-glace, which I bought at Cumbrae’s for $6.00 (in the freezers).  Again as I always mention, please buy your meat responsibly.  The few extra pennies you spend towards local, farm raised meat is good for your body, the animals and the environment.  Just do it.

Printable Recipe

I’m unable to control myself.  The song has been stuck in my head since Sunday!

From the OC Pavilion Calendar – From November 12 – November 15, there will be eight special tapings for Comedy Central at the OC Pavilion in Santa Ana, which is located along OCTA Routes 53 and 83.

November 12
7PM – Loni Love – Her many television appearances include “Chelsea Lately”, her own “Comedy Central Presents,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn,” “The Best Damn Sports Show Period”, VH1’s “I Love the 70’s/80’s/90’s,” and “Comics Unleashed.” Loni was named 1 of the top 10 comics to watch by both Variety and Comedy Central. This is a special taping for Comedy Central. Please arrive no later than 1 hour prior to show time to guarantee your seat.

9PM – Hal Sparks – At a young age Hal was named “Funniest Teenager in Chicago” and went on to have a very successful run with the famed Second City Troupe. Hal has been seen as the host of the Emmy winning “Talk Soup” on E!, 5 seasons of Showtime’s “Queer as Folk,” VH1’s “I Love the 70’s/80’s/90’s & New Millennium,” and in the box-office hits “Spider-man 2,” “Dude, Where’s My Car?,” and “Dickie Robert’s, Former Child Star.” This is a special taping for Comedy Central. Please arrive no later than 1 hour prior to show time to guarantee your seat.

November 13
7:30PM – Bobby Slayton – A true “comic’s comic,” Bobby Slayton is often referred to as “The Pitbull of Comedy.” You’ve seen him in movies such as “Get Shorty,” “Bandits,” and “Dream Girls,” not to mention multiple late night appearances and whose voice has been heard on “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist,” “Family Guy,” and popular radio shows across the country, including “Howard Stern.” This is a special taping for Comedy Central. Please arrive no later than 1 hour prior to show time to guarantee your seat.

9:30PM – Orny Adams – You’ll recognize Orny from his multiple appearances on late night including “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and “Late Show with David Letterman,” Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedian,” his debut CD/DVD “Paths of Most Resistance,” and comedy clubs across the country. This is a special taping for Comedy Central. Please arrive no later than 1 hour prior to show time to guarantee your seat.

November 14
7PM – Kevin Pollak – Having appeared in over 50 films including “The Usual Suspects,” “Grumpy Old Men,” “Casino,” and “A Few Good Men,” Kevin has established himself as one of the few comics to have both a successful comedic and dramatic career. Best known as a stand-up for his dead-on impressions and countless late night appearances, Kevin now hosts his own online talk show, appropriately titled “Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show.” This is a special taping for Comedy Central. Please arrive no later than 1 hour prior to show time to guarantee your seat.

9PM – Jamie Kennedy – A multi-talented actor, writer, producer and comic, Jamie’s many credits include “Scream” and “Scream 2,” which he won a Blockbuster award for, his own show “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment,” “Malibu’s Most Wanted,” MTV’s “Blowin’ Up,” CBS’ “Ghost Whisperer,” countless late night appearances and his recent comedy documentary “Heckler.” This is a special taping for Comedy Central. Please arrive no later than 1 hour prior to show time to guarantee your seat.

November 15
6PM – Michael McDonald – With dozens of appearances including 10 seasons of FOX’s “MADtv,” scene stealing roles in the Austin Powers Trilogy, and multiple episodes of “Scrubs,” Michael is also an accomplished writer and director. This is a special taping for Comedy Central. Please arrive no later than 1 hour prior to show time to guarantee your seat.

8PM - Steve Byrne – You’ve seen Steve on NBC’s “The Real Wedding Crashers,” “Four Christmases,” numerous late night appearances, “The Kims of Comedy,” his own “Comedy Central Presents,” and his first hour long Comedy Central special and DVD, “Happy Hour.” This is a special taping for Comedy Central. Please arrive no later than 1 hour prior to show time to guarantee your seat.

All of these celebrities are funny in their own way. Always entertaining. 

Cracking up their audiences. No one’s safe from their satirizing critiques. 

Dabbling in a variety of media formats. Whether it’s tv shows, talk shows, movies, stand up comedy, books, etc.

They have proven time and again that they can handle the media with ease! 

Jon Stewart delivering his masterpiece from the Daily Show. Funny, down to earth humor that can be silly and thought provoking at times. Lashing out at critics.

Sometimes these same critics, especially in politics, conservatives accused of scapegoating these socalled leftist shows of Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, and Stephen Colbert.

Bill Maher serving his critiques from Real time and various formats. Maher is pure common sense funny. Controversial. Criticizing everyone. He throws stinging blows in all directions, nomatter who’s the target.

Critics and supporters alike. It’s obvious that Bill Maher is the most controversial of the three.

He can be harsh like Rush Limbaugh, but he’s funny with common sense. Not stale and bashing for no reason.

Whenever he bash, he always give a reason why he’s bashing.

Also he is one of the rare white comedians that’s not afraid of talking directly about race related issues.

Speaking his mind  which has gotten him in a little trouble.

Jamie Kennedy impersonating anybody that’s out there. Portraying over the top characters.

Kennedy sort of like a milder version of Sacha Baron Cohen.  

Joking at the expense of others. Whether it’s his tv shows, movies, Kennedy is always poking fun of other celebrities in the media in order to enhance his routines.

Though his former satirical reality show “The Jamie Kennedy experiment” was cancelled due to declining ratings a few years back, but his fans have his movies and tv shows to check out.

All of these media personalities have their own independent styles and fan bases.

So the fans can decide who’s the funniest to them!

Tuc Watkins (Photo: ABC/Yolanda Perez)

One Life To Live and Desperate Housewives star, Tuc Watkins, can now add poker champion to his resume. He participated in a Celebrity Poker Tournament over the weekend.  Children’s Institute, Inc., held its “First Annual Celebrity Poker Tournament” at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. Hosted by Emmy and Golden Globe winner Camryn Manheim (Ghost Whisperer). The fundraiser was to benefit children who have been affected by violence in their homes or communities. More than 20 celebrities supported the tournament including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jamie Kennedy, Kevin Nealon, Joely Fisher, Mekhi Phifer, Cheri Oteri, Mimi Rogers, Allison Sweeney, Jennie Garth and Nicholas Gonzalez; four made it to the final table: Cheryl Hines (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Ricki Lake, Kevin Rahm and Tuc Watkins. Kevin Rahm and Tuc Watkins, both on “Desperate Housewives”, battled it out as 2 of the final 3 players. Tuc Watkins ultimately won the grand prize.

The Superficial Jennifer Love Hewitt is hurt that people would suggest Jamie Kennedy wants to have sex with other women, according to People: “It’s really hurtful that people say that,” says Hewitt, 30, who attended the event with her beau of 8 months, costar Jamie Kennedy. “Because he is like the most awesome person.”
Adds Hewitt: “I really hate that people would make it seem like he’s not really a good guy, and not treating me well. He treats me very well. “We are just trying to be really happy,” Hewitt says. “It makes it hard to do that when everybody is putting negative energy out there.”

In the long tradition of weird hollywood bang buddies Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy are one of the strangest.  Jennifer used to be the hottest chick in America, she was on the bedroom walls of every teenage boy in the country back in the 90s.  Jamie Kennedy is some freak who made shitty movies like “Kickin it old Skool” and dumb reality prank shows, “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment.”  So how the fuck does he land J-Love?  I’m starting to believe she is being held in this relationship against her will.  We’ve seen this before with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.  I’m not sure if Kennedy is a Xenu fearing freak (scientologist) like Tom is but he’s definitely got some kind of mind control going on here.  Cuz I feel like J-Love should be looking for a reason to leave this guy and if rumors of him banging other chicks only causes her to defend his ass then you know she’s being manipulated…because nobody says Jamie Kennedy is “like the most awesome person.”  That gives it away right there, what she is really saying is “this freak wears Hilary Clinton masks and asks me to spread peanut butter on his balls and call him madam secratary.”   Weird shit…

eeeuuuuuwwww, these celebs know the cameras are always around…why is this clown buying X2 condoms?? YUCKY. AND, Jennifer Love Hewitt, even is she lies about being a size 2 (c’mon, hello?!), is wwwayyyyyyy too good for him…

The Lifestyles of Jamie Kennedy

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This post was originally going to be about my investigation into the ripping off of Bruce Hornsby (and the Range)’s Mandolin Rain (or is it Tupac’s Changes?) in Proactiv Acne Solutions’ commercials, but then I stumbled onto a greater conspiracy.

What do these young ladies’ have in common?

LiLo, KelCla, JeLoHew

They had stellar careers, booming out of nowhere, sky’s-the-limit…

Then they did Proactiv commercials.

How have they fared since?

LayLow - Kelly Clark Bar - Mrs. Jamie Kennedy?!

(SIDENOTE: You may have noticed Jessica Simpson was also in their commercials, but did she really ever have a career?)

My biggest concern of late is this cutie:

Julianne Hough of "Dancing With My Heart"

She’s been in Proactiv commercials, and although she’s well-known (?) amongst Dancing with the Stars, country music, and Juicy Fruit fans, I hope to see more from her in the entertainment world.

Ultimately, this comes down to whether or not I’m reading into this (Coinkydink) or I’m onto something (Coinkydonk).

Your drunk thoughts Diddy?

GHOST WHISPERER: 5.03 “Till Death Do Us Start”

I’m so disappointed. Incredibly disappointed.

I was expecting this amazingly well-done episode that follows up with the incredible Sally Stitch storyline of the previous week. I wanted to see more creepiness and possibly go to bed with nightmares.

Yes, I’m weird.

Instead, we got this. A lame story of Eli and his parents.

Now, I realize that Jennifer Love Hewitt thinks that Jamie Kennedy is the bee’s knees, but I find the Eli storylines to be excruciatingly dull. Not only are they just boring, but Jamie Kennedy’s Eli is quickly going downhill in his capabilities to be a “blind” ghost whisperer, you know, someone who can only hear the ghosts.

And this storyline with his parents was just so awful.

First, they set it up like he could have a half sister. Well, that’s all well and good–except that we had that storyline last year. So unless we were going to just regurgitate some stuff we’ve already seen (which it really did seem to be that way for a while), we knew there would be some sort of twist.

And what was that twist, ladies and gentlemen? Lesbianism!

Sigh. Must every TV show had lesbians somehow incorporated? What’s worse is that not only is Eli discovering this truth about his family, but the amount of time he spent thinking about his mother’s possible sexual partners is a creepfest in itself. Perhaps I should watch what I ask for.

I don’t know. For some reason, I had absolutely no interest in this episode, and was highly considering flipping over to Say Yes to the Dress instead. I think it would have had more drama.

I feel bad saying this. I mean, I’ve overall been rather positive about Ghost Whisperer. It surprises me that sometimes the writing on this show–a show that I don’t think many people take seriously–is actually pretty good. The entire Sam Jim Jim Sam storyline last year was unpredictable and a good watch. I give them props and kudos.

But they need to find the correct strength in the show. And that’s not Eli. I don’t care who Eli is dating, and I don’t really care about his family life. I do like his new role to guard the book, but that’s a rather limited capacity. It only comes up now and then.

I just think this could have been stronger. Maybe if they had just cast someone else as the son–not replaced Eli but making the son of the deceased father a random third party–it would have been stronger.

Or maybe I’m biased. You tell me. What did you think?

(Season 5, Episode 3)

Well, there are a lot of interesting questions going on tonight. And all of them revolved around Eli. In fact, there wasn’t even room for Ned or Delia to show up at all this episode. Speaking of which, what’s the deal with Camryn Manheim? Are they no longer sure what to do with her character, or is she tied up in some other project? She’s had nothing but a few bit scenes here and there.

Nevertheless, we did get to spend a lot of time with Eli, as the ghost in question turned out to be his mother. Only she’s been dead a long time, and as we see when she first crops up, she’s been keeping quiet so as to keep it quiet from Eli. But why?I didn’t expect Eli’s dad to die as well, but it made for a much more interesting case as Eli and Melinda tried to uncover the secret history of Eli’s parents and the parents of a girl he used to be smitten with … and kind of still is.

Through a few uncomfortable scenes where the possibility existed that Eli and Casey might be related, I found myself wondering what kinds of things they’d already done; either in the past or in the present. It went a long way toward explaining Eli’s father’s reluctance to have him get too close to her.

If only the truth could have come out sooner, I think it would have helped with the healing. It was very forward-thinking, though not surprising in today’s television landscape, to have the secret affair actually have been between the mothers.

At least Eli is in the clear with Casey, though it doesn’t look like that’s going to matter much, and now Casey’s parents can work on healing their own relationship. It was fun seeing Barry Bostwick again, as Casey’s father.

It’s too bad Eli’s love life sucks so bad. I wonder why the writers don’t seem to want him to be in a relationship that lasts more than an episode or so. Since the plan to have us see Jim and Melinda courting again kind of flopped in their faces, maybe we’d like to see an Eli courtship?

(Season 5, Episode 2)

It looks like we have more than one long-form mystery this year. And Melinda hasn’t even gone into the catacombs beneath Grandview yet. No sign of the Watcher, which is a shame. I’d be interested to see what his take on Scarlet is.

They even managed to put a clever twist on the ghost-of-the-week story, albeit under a very dated premise. Maybe it’s because I’m not young and impressionable anymore, but does anyone really believe in those chain emails anymore? They’ve been around for how many years now? Send this to ten people or you tongue will crawl out of your mouth and lick your butt.

I thought those were the butt of jokes these days, but here it was being treated as something that some people are still wary of. Gwen, the primary ghost we were concerned with, was so wary of them that she was haunting recipients of it to keep it going.

Yes, she thought by doing so she could save her mother from a coma but … what? How crazy was this chick? Head trauma, I guess. She was pretty scratched up.

I kind of like seeing Ned as a more active participant in the capers now. He’s more than just Delia’s son. In fact, I think Ned’s been getting more airtime than her. Tonight, she was just the would-be victim of crazy ghost when Ned deleted the chain email.

It was kind of a good thing that her mother showed up when she did, also dead, because Melinda wasn’t getting through. I did have to wonder, though, why the light appeared for Gwen. Didn’t she just hurt a bunch of people for no good reason?

I guess because she was confused, and nobody got killed, all is forgiven. How very heartwarming. Even Melinda stopped being pissed at and frustrated with her and just crossed her over.

Which left the weird little girl who lives in the hospital and Scarlet, the sewn up ghost who’s “directing” her to do … whatever it is they’re trying to do. I’m guessing this will be a recurring storyline, so we probably won’t see it next week.

But they’ve been laying it on pretty heavy that there’s something different about the hospital, other than it being a natural hangout for ghosts. And they put Jim working there, which makes it a more convenient destination for the characters.

I’m so excited about Nuit Blanche this Saturday. I love the feeling of wandering around the city all night knowing that something — an art, a happening, whatever — could just pop up at any second.

Embrace the unexpected, that’s my motto. That and dress warm.

Still, there are destination installations that I will check out. It’s like all the crazy good stuff happens on your way from point A to point B right? My point A will be Jeff Koons’ Rabbit Balloon at the Eaton Centre(pictured above). We will take lots of pictures for my hunnybunny, who is in St. John, NB this weekend.

From downtown, we (me, niece Sarah and her BF Josh) will make our way to Parkdale. Maybe we’ll stop off at the Greyhound Station to watch blindfolded professional wrestlers grapple each other. I’m keen to see Brandon Vickerd’s construction crane pas de deux. I’d like to end the evening with Tom Dean’s Fire and Sausage: Small Mercies. It’s described as a “Hobo Utopia” and apparently Jamie Kennedy is providing sausage and hot chocolate.

So the word is in. Scream 4 is officially in production, with Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette all officially signed on. Wes Craven is also in talks to direct; the whole gang is back on board! The whole gang minus, of course, my favorite actors in the series: Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy and Liev Schreiber. They died in that order, and they were great characters who each added some subtle humor and charm to actors like Skeet Ulrich and Emily Mortimer who would belong more in a serious horror film. Don’t get me wrong, I think both of them are terrific actors (and I can’t say the same for some of the characters who have survived), but it stops being a spoof when you take yourself seriously.

How many people have to die before they stop making these masks?

But since they used the shitty premise of the third film to kind’ve umbrella over the whole series and fit it all in a nice little package, what could the fourth film be about? Did Sidney’s mom ruin another family we don’t know about? More vengeful parents perhaps? Or was Roman a twin or triplet to more abandoned kids? I guess we will wait and see, but I honestly don’t care all that much. I still greatly enjoy the first film as a brilliant blend of gore and satire (Shaun of the Dead would repeat that feat later), but the second one seems a little tacked on (especially Kennedy’s pointless death), and the third one, while it has an excellent premise, really falls apart and gets a little too ridiculous. Noteworthy: one actress complains about her character only surviving two scenes. Then the same happens to the actress.

So you see, the films descend in quality as they go along, and so the fourth (of possibly another trilogy, the producers are saying) doesn’t excite me in the least. I will however be excited for the next Bourne movie, as they stayed at a high level of excellence throughout the series. Still, who knows, maybe another Ghostface is just what the tired world of horror needs.

Pamela Anderson is a “fashion” designer.

8 habits that wreck a relationship.

Jamie Kennedy is a dawg.

We’re still mad for plaid.

Megan Fox knows her role.

Everyone needs a little purple in their closet.

(Season 5, Episode 1)

Five years in the making, Ghost Whisperer took a bold step into the future with their fifth season premiere. I guess it was all about the fives tonight. I have to say, it’s always a risk when you screw around too much with the formulas you’ve established, but at the same time sometimes a dramatic change can reinvigorate a franchise.

This was also the first week that saw Ghost Whisperer paired up with the ridiculously compatible Medium, and that combination helped give CBS the win for the night, not surprisingly. I wonder if that means a crossover might be in the works. Allison has a dream about Melinda seeing a ghost … well, I’ll let them work out the deets.

I tend to do a pretty good job of avoiding spoilers and/or forgetting them as soon as I read them. So while I suspected something might be up with Melinda and the baby, I was still a little thrown when they jumped the whole show ahead five years.

Certainly, it means we can skip years of dirty diapers and crying fits all night and get right to the part where the Watcher told Melinda her son would be able to do even more than she could. So far, though, I haven’t seen it.

It’s also a convenient way to kind of quickly move past the Jim/Sam situation. Now Melinda and “Sam” will have been together for five years, so no more of Jim’s past associates being pissed that she’s moving on so quickly. Hell, they’ll probably argue that it’s been so long that even in the mirror he looks like David Conrad now.

And there’s the matter of what else has been going on for five years. As we’ve seen, a lot goes on in this sleepy little town of Grandview. Did all the crazy stuff kind of go quiet? Yes, Melinda’s still been helping ghosts, but what about the bigger stuff the Watcher stuck around for?

It was also convenient that a single spirit bridged the five-year gap with us. Tied to Aiden’s birth, another expectant mother who died on the table was convinced that her child’s spirit jumped into Aiden’s, but as we learn that wasn’t the case. In fact, her kid’s fine and with his biological father, who feels remorse for how he treated the woman five years prior.

What it doesn’t answer, though, is what did happen to Aiden at his birth? He was blue and non-responsive and then suddenly flushed with life. It could certainly be explained of Aiden had died and another spirit had taken up residence, but if not, then what?

Sometimes I’m really in the mood for fish.

As it happens, I couldn’t find grouper (as per Jamie Kennedy’s recipe). It wasn’t available at my favourite fish monger, Pisces.
I bought halibut instead.

I started off with this delicious tomato consomme:

Consequently, a raft is not a very gorgeous image to the untrained eye.  If you have no experience with consomme, please refer to this guide.

Recipe:

Before you start, preheat the oven to 350F/175C

Tomato Consomme

1kg very ripe (Ontario) tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
1 leek, well washed
1 small celery heart (center of celery)
12 leaves fresh basil
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (use fresh!  Buy a microplane!)
4 egg whites, beaten stiff
salt and pepper to taste

(yield is six cups/ 1.5 litres)

- Corsely chop tomatoes, leek, celery, garlic and basil.  Pulverize inside a food processor or food mill.
- Use your favourite method to whip the egg whites.  Manually or mechanically, whatever you fancy.
- Add nutmeg, egg whites, and all ingredients to the pot.  Bring quickly to a low boil.
- Do not move the ingredients after the raft has begun to solidify.
- Liquid should erupt now and then (on my glass-top range   …or slow and steady if you have a gas range)
- Allow to simmer for one and a half hours.  Don’t disturb the raft!
- Strain through a cheesecloth.

While the consomme is bubbling, you can get the garnish ready:

Garnish

1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and diced (1cm)
1 leek, cleaned and diced
1 tomato, washed and diced (1cm)

- Place the sweet potatoes in an oven proof pan and bake until tender, but still firm (30 minutes)
- Put the leeks in with the potatoes for the last five minutes.
- When cool, place in a bowl with the uncooked tomatoes and reserve.

Place two ovenproof plates inside the oven to keep warm.

Seared Halibut

2x 500g halibut fillets
Canola oil
Salt and pepper

- Go ahead and heat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet to the highest heat possible.

The fish will not stick if the pan is HOT, guys.  The only uses for Teflon in the world are for airplanes, cancer and crepes.
The pan should sit on the heat for a good five to ten minutes heating up.
- In a separate bowl, coat the fish with oil and season the fish with salt and pepper.  Don’t put oil in the pan.
- Sear one at a time until golden on each side.  About three minutes depending on the shape of the fillet.
- When the fish is done, it will lift up off the pan without sticking.
- Place in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes to finish cooking.

To plate:

*Don’t forget that the plates in the oven are hot.  It may seem dumb, but I’ve seen many people get burned!
Sprinkle vegetable garnish on each plate and ladle the consomme on top.  Place the fish and a garnish on top.

You can find Jamie Kennedy’s cookbook “Seasons” here.

ANOTHER OPENING, ANOTHER SHOW: Sadly, most of the publicity surrounding the making of Chloe, the new Atom Egoyan drama set to premiere

SEYFRIED: at TIFF as Chloe

Sunday night at TIFF, focused on leading man Liam Neeson when his actress wife Natasha Richardson died tragically during the shooting of the film. What no one seems to have noticed is that the title character in Egoyan’s film is played by Amanda Seyfried, so outstanding as Meryl Streep’s daughter in Mamma Mia.  In Chloe she plays a sultry young seductress hired by Julianne Moore to test her husband’s faithfulness. (Expect to hear a lot of tongue-wagging after this one!) … and tonight’s TIFF Galas should offer some genuine surprises. Already winning rave reviews, The Men Who Stare At Goats showcases a stellar cast led by George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges in a stranger-than-fiction true story. (Want a sample? Just click here.) And the new version of Dorian Gray, with Colin Firth and terminally handsome Ben Barnes directed by Oscar Wilde aficionado Oliver Parker, reportedly takes that famous portrait mythology to new heights (and depths.) This one sure doesn’t look like any of the Dorian Grays we’ve seen before. For a sneak preview, click here.

OUR TOWN: Hollywood columnist George Christy, Norman Jewison and Gina & Paul Godfrey were among the boldface who turned up for the Best Buddies tribute to Ann-Margaret this week at the Four Seasons. Glamourous

STREEP: Toronto-bound

in a glittering cocktail dress, the award-winning actress beamed when someone asked her if she minds being called Ann-Margrock, her character name on The Flintstones. “No, I love it!” she exclaimed. “That’s why I voiced the part in the first place!”… delighted by its successful run at Niagara-On-The-Lake, Theatre Museum Canada has finally brought its much-lauded retrospective of stage designer Cameron Porteous to T.O. After a week of previews, Risking The Void: The Scenography of Cameron Porteous, opens tonight at the Design Exchange and runs through October 20 … and talk about a hot ticket: current box office queen Meryl Streep is set for a public sit-down session with Johanna Schneller at the ROM on Oct. 7. Bon appetit, ladies!

McKELLAR: Tiff Talent booster

TIFF TALK: The aspiring filmmakers who made the final cut to attend TIFF’s annual Talent Lab are in good and remarkably famous hands this year. Governors overseeing the program are Danny Boyle, John Collee, Miranda July and Cooking With Stella star Don McKellar. Film folk who have agreed to be drop-in mentors include Tilda Swinton, Atom Egoyan, Gaspar Noe, Jane Campion, Bruce Beresford and Suzana Amaral … is anyone having a better year on film that Christopher Plummer? He’s a major voice in Up, one of the summer biggest box office hits, and one of the top-billed stars of the new animated film 9, which opened here this week; he’s nominated for a Gemini Award for his performance in the screen version of his Stratford hit

PLUMMER: as Dr. Parnassus

Caesar & Cleopatra; he plays the title role in Terry Gilliam’s much-anticipated Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus, premiering here at TIFF next week; and he and Helen Mirren play Leo Tolstoy and his missus in the new German-Russian-U.K. co-production The Last Station. Can’t wait to see that one … and the best and most significant comment I’ve seen on the current tiff over TIFF’s choice of Tel Aviv for its City To City program comes from Toronto film critic Peter Howell. Says Howell: “Film festivals are supposed to be about opening minds, not closing them.” To which we say, bravo. To read his thoughtful column in yesterday’s Toronto Star, click here.

DOUGLAS: playing Solitary

STARS IN OUR EYES: New Manhattan-dwellers Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones won’t have a lot of time to unpack their California bags. He’s already started shooting Oliver Stone’s sequel to Wall Street, reprising his role as imprisoned corporate crook Gordon Gekko opposite TIFF scene-stealer Carey Mulligan (An Education.) Meanwhile Solitary Man, Douglas’ meaty new drama with Susan Sarandon, Mary-Louise Parker and his longtime pal Danny DeVito premieres at TIFF next week. Meanwhile the ravishing Zeta-Jones, who won her

ZETA-JONES: back on the boards

Oscar for her song-and-dance tour de force in Chicago, is starting rehearsals for her return to the musical stage in A Little Night Music, tackling the role played by Glynis Johns on Broadway, Judi Dench in London, Jean Simmons in Toronto and Elizabeth Taylor on screen. And speaking of Dame Elizabeth, who not so coincidentally happens to be the Founding International Chairman of AMFAR – will she jet here to attend our first-ever Cinema Against AIDS Toronto Gala on Tuesday at the Carlu? And will Global Fundraising champion Sharon Stone come with her? Kevin Sullivan & Trudy Grant are presenting sponsors of the lavish evening, which features a special dinner designed by Jamie Kennedy with Sarah McLachlan and Deborah Cox served up for dessert. For ticket information, click here.

Have a great TIFF weekend.

See you at the movies!

-/-

]]> http://goremasterfx.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/david-arquette-birthday-september-8/ Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:03:04 +0000 goremasterfx http://goremasterfx.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/david-arquette-birthday-september-8/

David Arquette

 

 

 

David James Arquette (born September 8, 1971) is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, and former professional wrestler. He became known during the late 1990s, after having starred in several Hollywood films, including the films of the Scream trilogy. He has since had several television roles, including playing Jason Ventress on ABC’s In Case of Emergency. In addition to his acting career Arquette took a brief foray into professional wrestling in early 2000, competing for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and becoming a one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion; a booking decision often cited as being pivotal to the degradation of the title and the downfall of WCW.

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He is a member of the Arquette family of actors.

Trivia:

He is the 1-800-CALL-ATT Guy.

Dated Ellen Barkin. [1995]

Brother of Richmond Arquette, Alexis Arquette, Patricia Arquette and Rosanna Arquette.

Son of Lewis Arquette and Brenda Denaut.

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He is in a rock band called EAR2000.

On “WCW Thunder” (1998) on 4/27/00, he became the WCW Heavyweight Champion in a special tag match, pitting him and his partner Diamond Dallas Page against Jeff Jarrett and Eric Bischoff. The stipulation was that whoever got the pin would become champ, and after his involvement in previous matches, Arquette was able to pin Bischoff and win the title.

Grandson of Cliff Arquette, better known as Charley Weaver from “Hollywood Squares, The” (1968)_.

Formerly brother-in-law of Nicolas Cage, who was married to his sister, Patricia Arquette.

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His wedding to Courteney Cox was held at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral.

Is the voice of Eddie Wachowski, a character in the EA Sports Big game SSX Tricky (2001) (VG) (for Playstation2, Nintendo Gamecube, Xbox).

Since radio host Howard Stern continually referred to his wife as “Courteney Cock” in a 2000 interview, Arquette responded by calling the King of All Media “Howard Sperm”.

Buy this Title on DVD

He was among two people to be a non wrestler and hold the WCW World Title, the other was Vince Russo, a booker. Another non wrestler who held another title was Eric Bischoff, as WCW Hardcore Champion. The company was sold within a year of all of this.

On a 2002 episode of “WWF Raw Is War” (1997), he sat behind announcers Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross for the entire show while holding a sign reading “Former WCW Champion”. He was there simply as a fan, and the announcers never acknowledged him.

Owns the former booking chair from the West Hollywood Police Department which was sat in by a number of different stars when they were arrested, among them Hugh Grant. David has mentioned this to Hugh, and publicly offered to give the chair to him on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” (1993) in October of 2003.

Attended The Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies in Los Angeles, California.

He played a character whose last name is “Geller” in Never Been Kissed (1999). His wife Courteney Cox plays “Monica Geller” on “Friends” (1994). He appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), the title role of which was later portrayed in the TV show of the same name by Sarah Michelle Gellar, who appeared in Scream 2 (1997) with Arquette.

13 June 2004: birth of his daughter, named Coco Riley Arquette.

During a live televised event in Los Angeles, the WWF was “fighting” an invasion from WCW and ECW. Arqutte, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins and Arnold Schwarzenegger were all in attendance at the event in one night. This is interesting for that fact that David was a former WCW talent, Billy was a loyal ECW supporter and Arnold had always been a WWF supporter. The WWF showed each one of them on screen. David got a huge laugh for wearing a mask and then ripping it off to show who he was.

Born on the same day as model Brooke Burke and actor Henry Thomas.

He, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and Liev Schreiber are the only four actors to appear in all three “Scream” films. Although Jamie Kennedy also appeared in all three films, his character only appeared on a videotape in the third movie.

Attended Mid-City Alternative school on the corner of Adams Blvd. and Arlington Avenue in the mid 1970s. His sister, Patricia Arquette, and brother, Richmond Arquette, also attended this school.

Jennifer Aniston is the godmother of his daughter Coco. She co-starred with his wife, Courteney Cox, on “Friends” (1994).

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Former brother-in-law of James Newton Howard. He was married to his sister, Rosanna Arquette.

Brother-in-law of Thomas Jane.

In 1990, he managed to appear in two unsuccessful television series based on popular movies: Parenthood (1989) (in which he played the role originally played by Keanu Reeves), and The Outsiders (1983) (in which he played the role originally played by Emilio Estevez).

He and Robert Duvall, who preceded him in the role of Augustus McCrae, have also both shared a role with a member of the Sheen family. Duvall played Robert E. Lee in Gods and Generals (2003), a role previously played by Martin Sheen in Gettysburg (1993). Arquette played Two-Bit Matthews in the television series The Outsiders (1983), a role previously played by Emilio Estevez.

Is a descendant of explorer Meriweather Lewis.

Was succeeded in the role of Augustus McCrae in the “Lonesome Dove” film series by Steve Zahn. He and Zahn have both appeared on episodes of “Friends” (1994).

Was considered for the role of Detective Shane Vendrell on “The Shield” (2002).

Is of French and Jewish descent.