There haven’t been that many working actors from Atlantic City (James Avery and Rosalind Cash come immediately to mind), but Jeremy Slate was one of them. He passed away Nov. 19 after cancer surgery.
Born in Atlantic City on February 17, 1926, he was never famous but he did a slew of television guest spots and the occasional movie in his long career. You can catch him in an unaccredited role as a policeman in Hitchcock’s classic North By Northwest, and John Wayne killed him (and fellow bad guy Dennis Hopper) in True Grit. He also died on-screen trying to save John Wayne’s life in The Sons of Katie Elder. A World War II veteran who saw action at Omaha Beach, he got into acting in his thirties after careers as a lifeguard, sportscaster and public relations man. His other film roles include GI Blues and Girls! Girls! Girls! opposite Elvis, Born Losers, Hells Angels ’69 (which he co-wrote) and Lawnmower Man. He was the star of the 1960 TV series The Aquanauts, and was a long time regular on the soap opera One Life to Live in the 1980s. His many TV guest spots include the shows Combat, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Bonanza, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Route 66, Perry Mason and Have Gun, Will Travel. More recently he guested on My Name Is Earl.

Posted by moviejunkie at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Emilio Estevez is very passionate about his new film Bobby, a drama about a group of people living and working at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles the night Bobby Kennedy was shot at the hotel. At the Toronto Film Festival, where the film was given its North American debut, he and members of his cast, including William H. Macy, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone and Christian Slater talked about the film ...

Here is a portion of that press conference.
Question: Do you remember where you were when Robert Kennedy was shot?
Bill Macy: I was a card-carrying hippie in those days, so it’s a little bit of a fog.
Emilio Estevez: I was 6 years old. I was staying with my grandmother in North Benton, Ohio. I heard the news and I recall running upstairs to tell my father [Martin Sheen] the news. He was devastated of course.
Sharon Stone: My father was a very liberal person who taught us ethics and values. It was a heartbreaking family experience.
Question: For those who weren’t born yet or were too young to remember, what do you remember learning about Bobby?
Demi Moore: What was most important [about making this film] was being reunited with his original message. He had an incredible ability to instill a sense of hope and there are some incredible photographs where you really see all lines are blurred—white, black, brown. What’s amazing and why I wanted to be a part of the film was his igniting a sense of a hope at a time when people felt hopeless.
Christian Slater: This movie certainly shed a lot of light on the kind of man Bobby Kennedy was. Other filmmakers as I’ve grown up have shed light on this time period—Oliver Stone, Spike Lee—and now Emilio. That’s the great thing about getting to meet artists. To be reminded of a particular time in our history.
Question: Why do this story now?
Emilio: I originally began to write this story in 2000 and finished it in 2001. Then 9/11 happened and the world turned upside down. I've been asked if I’m taking advantage of the current political climate—the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The script is the script. I only changed the length. Sadly the film has become more relevant now [with the parallels to the Vietnam era] and it is not by my design but the design of the current administration. Where we find ourselves now is at a very critical point. The movie forces us to take a look at our inhumanity.

Bobby Kennedy believed that we are all connected. That we are all brothers and sisters and we share the same short moment of life. What we choose to do with that life is entirely up to us. We can touch and inspire people or we can go in another direction. I think the movie explores that. We need Bobby Kennedy’s voice now more than ever.

Posted by moviejunkie at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Can you generate Oscar buzz with a movie that makes fun of Hollywood types who go nuts when the O-word is mentioned in regards to their work? I’m here to suggest that Catherine O’Hara, a long time member of the Christopher Guest repertoire company, and an SCTV alumnus, is Oscar-worthy as Marilyn Hack, an actress who lets Oscar talk swell her head, in Guest’s often hilarious spoof For Your Consideration. (To read my complete review, check out http://www.acweekly.com/index.php this Thursday.)
Catherine O’Hara has been underappreciated over the years, except by my fellow fanatics who found her so amazing as a regular on the Canadian TV sketch show SCTV.
Since the premise of For Your Consideration is that a blog suggesting that Marilyn Hack is Oscar-worthy in Home For Purim starts the Oscar buzz rolling, I've decided to do the same in reel life. Katherine O'Hara should earn as Oscar nomination for playing Marilyn.
Let’s start the Internet buzz right now—we want an O-nod for O’Hara.

Posted by moviejunkie at 05:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that renowned chef Susanna Foo, going against the tide of several Philly area restaurateurs, will close her Suilan restaurant at the Borgata on Jan. 1. The Euro-Chinese restaurant opened with the Borgata in July 2003. Last week, it was also reported that Foo reached a deal with prosecutors that would allow her to instruct Philly's homeless on cooking instead of "facing trial for allegedly striking a Parking Authority ticket writer" earlier this year.

Posted by Ace E. Weekly at 09:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I took my nephew and his best friend to Vineland’s Delsea Drive-In last Saturday night for the holiday triple bill of Flushed Away, Happy Feet and Man of the Year. It was appropriate that one of the movies was set at the South Pole. My feet felt like they were incased in ice while watching Happy Feet as the temperature dropped to near freezing.

Of course taking a sub-compact to the drive-in was the problem. While my nephew Garrett and his best bud Jordan were sitting in the front seats of my new Saturn Ion, I was sitting outside in my beach chair, well bundled up in my snazzy 76ers parka (just $20 at the newly opened Forman Mills in Egg Harbor Twp.).
However, I forgot to pack blankets and my sneakers did not protect me from the cold—next time I’m bringing blankets and wearing my work boots. Still, I was delighted to see that the Delsea Drive-In, http://www.delseadrive-in.com/ opened three years ago and the only drive-in in New Jersey, is doing well.
There were plenty of people also braving the cold, and the concession stand was busy dispensing tea, coffee, hot chocolate and hot apple cider at reasonable prices. Of course I had to break my rule about eating in the new car, but the boys did a good job of keeping things neat. Both the animated movies were tons of fun (read my review of Happy Feet in Atlantic City Weekly). Having already seen and panned Man of the Year, the Robin Williams’ comedy that is not actually a comedy, I tried to convince the boys to pass on the last flick but of course they had to see for themselves. They did agreed with me about the merits of the movie, and I avoided frost bite by putting down the back seats and keeping my feet relatively warm in the trunk as I rested in the back seat. As the boys conked out on the 45-minute ride home, I decided the winter chill was a small price to pay to introduce Jordan to the communal fun of going to the drive-in.

Posted by moviejunkie at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The problem with having a passion for sports is that your state of well being is tied directly into the success or failure of the teams you are passionate about. When those teams are doing well, the euphoria can help you rise above the mundane problems of your own life. On the other hand, when those teams are falling off a cliff, you feel like jumping over the edge with them.
Welcome to the cliff-jumping world of the Philadelphia sports fan. In the last twenty-five years the negatives have outweighed the positives, and frankly, we are pissed about it.

The Eagles are a broken team, not just because Donovan McNabb is lost for the season. The team still should have won the game Sunday against the Titans. The whole idea of signing Jeff Garcia was to have a solid back-up QB, but with no reps with the first team, the layers of rust were obvious. The defense does not have that excuse; two dropped interceptions were killers.
As for the Sixers, they are trying and working hard on their defense. And, in the wacky word of the NBA with so many teams not meeting expectations, they still have a chance at making the playoffs this year. I just wish Andre Iguodala would step up and show he is ready to take the next step. Against the Pistons on Tuesday, without Allen Iverson, he was tentative and didn’t take enough shots. Surprisingly enough, Willie Green did step up and was aggressive and determined in the losing effort.
As for the Flyers, I refuse to even discuss the Broad Street bums.
On a brighter note, the meteoric rise of Ryan Howard to Philly hero and now MVP of the National League is something we nega-delphia fans can embrace. His big grin and jumbo swing were enough (along with J-Roll and Chase Utley) to keep Phillies fans rooting for their hometown team until the bitter end. Now we get to circle the calendar until spring training starts, hoping that GM Pat Gillick adds the pitchers and a right-handed bat the team needs to be in contention in 2007.
I’m a diehard Phillies fan so I’m not going to start rooting for teams in other cities. I’m going to keep hoping my teams do better than expected. That’s all I have at the moment.

Posted by moviejunkie at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Robert Altman created a style of moviemaking that has been often imitated but rarely duplicated. The maverick film director who mostly worked outside the studio system died last night at age 81. His body of work is a legacy of movies that featured multiple characters with overlapping dialogue. These characters would often circle around in their own universe until they crashed into other characters in exciting ways. Notable examples of his distinctive style include Nashville, The Player, Short Cuts and Gosford Park. His fourth movie was a studio job that remained his most popular effort in terms of box office success. Before the TV series, there was M*A*S*H (1970) a movie that took a well worn genre, the G.I. service comedy, and took it into the realm of cutting edge anti-war black comedy at the height of the Vietnam War. In my mind Donald Sutherland is Hawkeye Pierce, Elliott Gould is Trapper John, Sally Kellerman is Hot Lips and Robert Duvall is Frank Burns.
My other Altman favorites include his take on the detective film, The Long Goodbye; his devastating look at Hollywood insiders, The Player, featuring a brilliant performance by Tim Robbins, and his Altman-ized version of the classic British upstairs/downstairs drama Gosford Park. His last film, A Prairie Home Companion, was Altman in a minor key, but it made fans of his multi-character canvas smile. While accepting a lifetime achievement Academy Award last February he noted,

“No other filmmaker has gotten a better shake than I have. I'm very fortunate in my career. I've never had to direct a film I didn't choose or develop. My love for filmmaking has given me an entree to the world and to the human condition."

Posted by moviejunkie at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hollywood said goodbye to rugged character actor Volodymyr Palaniuk last Friday when he died at age 87. The son of a coal miner from Pennsylvania was better known as Jack Palance. Palance’s craggy visage was earned by an early boxing career and plastic surgery after a training accident as a pilot during World War II. He had a face made for menacing film roles and that’s just what he did following graduation from Stanford University in 1947. His first break was as stand-in to Marlon Brando for A Streetcar Named Desire on Broadway, where he took over the role. He made his film debut in 1950’s Panic in the Streets and earned back-to-back Oscar nominations for bad guy roles in Sudden Fear and the classic western Shane. Forty years later he won the golden statuette for his comedy performance in City Slickers (1991) as Curly. His one-arm push-ups after he accepted the award earned him the biggest notoriety of his long career. It remains one of the most memorable Oscar moments of all time. My personal Jack Palance film festival would include his finest performance, an Emmy-award winning turn as a washed-up fighter in Rod Serling’s TV drama Requiem for a Heavyweight. Also on the “best of” list would be Shane, Panic in the Streets, The Big Knife, City Slickers and Bagdad Café.

Palance with his 1957 Emmy (above); doing push-ups at the Oscars (right).

Posted by moviejunkie at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday, Rod Stewart announced he will embark on a 56-city North American tour - but it looks like local fans of the sex-symbol-cum- born-again-crooner will have to travel to Philly or New York to see him as he will not be returning - as of now - to our neck of the woods. Perhaps he was miffed about a recent AC Weekly article mentioning him?

Posted by Ace E. Weekly at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As we all know from watching the West Wing, while the winners and losers of yesterday’s election are all saying the right things and striking a consolatory tone in their speeches, they are ranting and raving behind closed doors. But like a football victory, let’s hope the crowing stays behind closed doors, and that the job of embracing an angry nation’s distress, and finding palatable and workable bi-partisan solutions will be achieved. That said, I’m no politician. I am a Bush basher and hope that he understands the message being sent by the ballot box. President Bush, listen to your advisors. Fire Rumsfeld. That will send a clear message that you are willing to—and I hate this phrase—“Change the culture of our Iraqi policy.” Work together with the new Congress to find a road you can both walk towards a resolution of the mess in Iraqi. Our politicians might use party politics as a nasty club to bash opponents with ridiculous and seemingly libelous accusations, but after the votes are counted we are not going out and killing members of the other tribe. In our hearts and souls we are Americans first. Let’s show the rest of the world what “United We Stand” really means. For a more formal fire Rumsfeld argument check out this link http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/08/AR2006110800894.html
Later
P.S. Don't you love this picture. For more like it, check out http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blpic-rumsfeldreloaded.htm

Posted by moviejunkie at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In a completely unscientific poll, I asked my colleagues who voted today, how the turnout was at their polling places. One person replied, “Voted for what?” and another admitted she had forgotten all about it. Most of the AC Weekly staffers who had voted said it was slow, despite either voting at the usually busy pre-work hour, 7-8am, or at lunchtime. Of course it might be a South Jersey Shore thing, with our smaller population. A colleague who lives in Gloucester County (Woodbury) said his polling place was busy.
If you haven’t yet done so, please vote this evening. There is plenty of time left.

Posted by moviejunkie at 05:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tomorrow is Election Day and while it may not be for the president, you should still go out and vote. I remember the pride I felt when I voted for the first time back in 1972. Some people get so turned off by the negative campaign ads, they don't vote. However, as AC Weekly editor Mike Epifanio noted in his excellent editorial in last week's issue, "If we don't take the time to educate ourselves about the candidates running for office, then the people who create their campaign ads are the ones who end up running our government." http://www.acweekly.com/view.php?id=5447&issue_id=152
Despite the fact that terrorists threatened to shoot voters, an estimated 57% of eligible Iraqi voters went to the polls in 2005. We don't have that excuse. Even if you have to get up earlier, drag your butt out of bed and vote before you go to work, or get your required sleep and vote after work.
This is a government of the people, but not if you don't bother to vote!
Later

Posted by moviejunkie at 02:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One thing you have to understand about Philly sports fans, we rarely look on the bright side, but when we see effort from our teams, we are as loyal as a junkyard dog. After complaining that my 76ers didn't do enough in the off-season in a blog last week, I have to give the team their props. After three games they are 3-0, including a home victory over the defending champion Miami Heat. What has been most refreshing about the team so far is that they are hustling, playing decent defense, A.I. is dishing assists as well as taking over when needed, and Kyle Korver (pictured above right) is having a monster start as the sixth man. Andre Igodala is getting a few more shots (and making them) and the center combo of Sammy D and Stephen Hunter, has combined to add some key blocks and rebounds. C-Webb is still shooting well in less minutes. While 3-0 is no big deal in the long run, it sure beats the team's play out of the gate last year. They must be listening to Mo Cheeks and and Jimmy Lynam. As long as they keep playng D, and battle in the fourth quarter, I'll be happy with the results. With the Flyers in the tank and the Eagles residing in mediocre-ville, the Sixers' fast start was a welcome surprise. For more on the Sixers visit http://www.nba.com/sixers/

Posted by moviejunkie at 01:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Atlantic City Aquarium at Gardner's Basin has a cool new attraction. Every Saturday and on school holidays it presents "Dive & Dine" with aquarium diver Dianna Mercuri feeding the fish (all from local waters) including sharks, drum fish, a loggerhead turtle and the hottest attraction, the cow-nose stingrays. Stingrays have been getting a bad rap as being aggressive because of the Steve Irwin tragedy. For more info on the Aquarium check out this link http://www.atlanticcityaquarium.com You can also see a TV40 video report on the Dive & Dine show at http://www.nbc40.net/view_story.php?id=358

Posted by moviejunkie at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tenacious D, the acoustic rock and comedy duo composed of Jack Black and Kyle Gass, has canceled its Atlantic City show originally scheduled for December 2 at the Borgata. No reason has been given for the cancellation and there is no mention of it on the band's web site.
This comes on the heels of last week's postponement of the Rolling Stones show at Boardwalk Hall (rescheduled for November 17 - tickets for the Oct. 27 show will be honored at the rescheduled performance).
If this is a sign of an epidemic, it might not be all bad considering that Kevin Federline's show at House of Blues has also been canceled. According to ETonline.com, K-Fed's shows in Atlantic City and Cleveland, OH were canceled due to poor ticket sales.

Posted by Mike Epifanio at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mapping technology has really been advancing rapidly on the web. Our favorite map tool is Google Earth and that same satellite image integration has now been picked up by Yahoo maps and Mapquest, among others allowing users get directions and see them in hybrid view which overlays street layouts on satellite images.
Not to be outdone, the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority has added some pretty cool interactive maps of their own on their web site. The maps (one for Atlantic City and another for the surrounding area) let you customize your view by adding points of interest like parking, restaurants, shopping and attractions.
Very cool and worth checking out.

Posted by Mike Epifanio at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On Saturday, Oct. 28, my mother and I headed out to get a flu shot and stop by Target to get a crockpot. Little did I know that by the end of the day I would be going home with a new car.
Our local Saturn dealer had sent me a letter saying they were looking for 2003 Ions and would make a good deal on a trade-in for a 2007 Saturn. Since I leased my car and still had seven payments on my four-year lease, I figured I’d hear the pitch, not imaging a deal would be struck.

Several hours after I arrived for my chat with Juan, Mom and I were leaving in a new car without a single penny changing hands. This is my fourth Saturn, and it’s the first time my checkbook never left my handbag. Saturn had incentives in place to pay GMAC four of my final seven payments, plus $750 cash back, plus another $500 bonus for purchasing a Saturn demo with 5,000 miles on it. Car dealers just love to fatten their sales figures at the end of the year by offering great deals. Giddy with the anticipation of that new car smell, I didn’t even find out until the final papers were signed that all 2007 GMAC cars come with a free year of OnStar technology, plus 30 free minutes of hands-free calling. I’m so old school I don’t have a cell phone and one of my biggest road rage complaints is seeing people chatting on the phone while driving and not paying attention. However, my mom and I have said more than once we would like to have a phone for emergencies while in the car. When we got a flat tire about six months ago, we had to wait until a nice older gentleman stopped to help us change the tire on a busy highway. Now we have a button to push for roadside assistance or a serious accident. And, if mom is running late again, she can call me from the car to tell me. Of course I’m still amazed when I hit the blue OnStar button and suddenly somebody is talking to me through the radio! Programming the speed dial feature is so easy even a caveman can do it—or my mom for that matter—although she insists she will pull over and stop before she uses OnStar. Also, when you first get the service, they offer 100 minutes (no long distance, no roaming) for just $15.99.
I was so psyched about the OnStar I didn’t grill Juan about the extras. However, since the car was a demo, it had more bells and whistles that I usually get. I love the travel package (compass, temperature gauge, auto dimming mirror) plus this will be my first car with power windows and mirrors and cruise control. The alarm and keyless entry earned me a discount on my insurance. Sally the dolphin (picture above) is thrilled with her new home and her responsibility to guard the OnStar buttons on the mirror.
I think I’ll call my friend Sharon in Toronto on the way home.
Later

Posted by moviejunkie at 03:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Basketball is my favorite sport to watch and in my glory days of yesteryear, to play. As a Philadelphia sports fanatic that means I am in for a long winter. The Sixers are predicted as a lottery team this year for good reason. They should have traded A.I. and started over, but instead they looked at that horrible finish last year, the whole Fan Appreciation Day fiasco and decided to basically stand pat.

Yes Rodney Carney will be a nice addition eventually, and Andre Iguodala just might step up big time this year, but he has to get the ball. With A.I. and C-Webb in charge, how likely is that? A.I. talks a good game at the beginning of the year, and I really believe he wants to get everybody involved offensively so they will have incentive to work on the defensive side. But then the season starts and A.I. sees too many passes bang off the hands of Sam Dalembert, or shots clang off the rim by the rest of the team, and he will feel the need to take 25-30 shots as usual, with C-Webb getting 18 himself. That doesn’t leave much for the other A.I. He can’t bloom as a superstar until the tattooed one is playing for a contender when he is traded during the all-star break. That said, I will be watching and hoping my team plays like it has a chip on its shoulder, and defies logic. Until, that is, ten games are played and that brutal schedule sabotages good intentions (6 of 10 games on the road to start, including a West Coast swing). And two of the home games are Miami and Detroit, are you kidding me? Of course, the defending champion Miami Heat went out and lost their home opener by 42 points, 108-66 to the Ben Wallace-led Chicago Bulls. So maybe the basketball world is crazy enough to give my Sixers a chance to make the playoffs.
You can dream, can’t you? College basketball should provide a better alternative once the season begins, except that none of the local teams look like they will be top contenders this year. Villanova lost its three best players to the NBA, John Chaney is happily retired, Phil Martelli’s St. Joe’s team struggled last year and isn’t likely to be much better and LaSalle lost its best player Steven Smith, to a bench-sitting role with the Sixers. Penn has to deal with losing its coach to Temple. The good news is that whatever teams come out on top in the Atlantic 10 will be in Atlantic City for the Atlantic 10 tourney in March. We get to have a slice of March Madness right here. So no matter happens with the Sixers and the Big Five, March will be a special month for B-ball fans in the area.
Later

Posted by moviejunkie at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)