Wicked: The Musical, The Book, The Event

Well, now that I’ve seen Wicked, I know what all the fuss is about.  I had a great time watching this production of the show, that runs through December 13, at Playhouse Square.  At the end of the first act, I tweeted that I didn’t know how they could possibly top it, and it occurred to me that that is where the expression “tough act to follow” comes from!

Whether you are new to the following, as I am, or you’ve been living in Oz for ages, you’ll want to check out this new book, Wicked The Musical: A Pop-up Compendium of Splendiferous Delight and Thrillifying Intrigue.  What a fun present for a Wicked fan in your life!  The exclusive Cleveland launch for the book is at the Barnes and Noble in Woodmere (28801 Chagrin Boulevard), Friday, December 4 at 5pm.  Stephanie Torns, who plays Elphaba in the current touring company, and Stefanie Brown, who plays Glinda, will be there and perform AND sign copies of the book.

There are still ways to get Wicked tickets here.  And, you can find out more about the release of the book here.

Thanks Given for New Stuff on DVD!

For various reasons, my DVR is PACKED.  So, I don’t know how many movies I’m going to get to watch this weekend.  I hope I get to see a few!  Because, that’s our holiday thing to do.  I caved and gave the baby Up! already, and we’ve watched that a few times.  I highly recommend it!  Here’s what’s new out this week:

There’s a fine line in Hollywood between letting a star pick their vehicle and cornering them into a marketable hole.  Poor Adam Sandler isn’t allowed to do more serious stuff, because his fans don’t like it.  I mean, that’s a pretty broad version of the story, but I think you know what I mean.  He’s a really good actor, and Funny People, while it’s about Funny People, is also somewhat serious.  I think, if you’re a real fan, you appreciate all the good things your object of affection does.

The Maiden Heist is a direct to DVD, starring Morgan Freeman, William H Macy and Christopher Walken as security guards for an art museum who decide to steal their favorite pieces, when they’re transferred to another museum.

In Four Christmases, Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn struggle with their lack of chemistry, as they, as a couple, try to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas Day.

Imagine That is light family fare, with Eddie Murphy playing an business executive on the decline who learns his daughter’s active fantasy life holds solutions to his real life problems.

Shorts is written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, who brought us Spy Kids, but also Shark Girl and Lava Boy.  Here, a kid finds a magic wishing rock, but things go south when other people find out, including adults, and will do heinous things to get their hands on it.

Santa Buddies is a direct to DVD tale of the Snow Buddies, that may be descendents of Air Bud?  I don’t know, a litter of adorable puppies who talk and apparently help Santa get things delivered on Christmas Eve.

Angels and Demons is the blockbuster sequel to the DaVinci Code movie.  But, oddly, the book that spawned the story was released before the DaVince Code book.  Anyway, the important part is that Tom Hanks is back as Robert Langdon, and there’s more church bashing to do.

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever is the horror movie about a virus that is infecting people via a popular brand of bottled water.

Gomorrah is a film from Italy that gives you the inside look at a crime family operation.  This was highly touted at film festivals, including the CIFF, but I found it to be rather grim, as you’d expect.  It was very much more like a documentary than a drama.

Three Monkeys is a film from Turkey that chronicles the trials and tribulations of a family.

The Rebirth is a very artsy film from Japan that studies two nameless characters, as they go through the course of their day.

New TV on DVD:

• Alfred Hitchcock Presents – Season 4
• Beverly Hills, 90210 – Season 8
• Daniel Boone – Best of Mingo and Fess’ Favorites
• The Golden Age of Television
• Hogan’s Heroes – Complete Series
• The Jerry Lewis Show – The Jerry Lewis Show
• Kenny vs. Spenny – Season 5 (Canada only)
• Laredo – Complete Series
• Law & Order: CI – Season 4
• Life on Mars – Series 2 (BBC)
• Melrose Place – Season 5, Vol. 2
• The Sopranos – Season 1 (Blu-ray)
• The Spike Jones Show – Best Of
• Superman – Complete Animated Series
• Three Sheets – Season 4
• The Tudors – Season 3

 

Magazine Rack

Since Continental Airlines apparently didn’t pay the DirectTV bill and had no TV or movie service on the flight from Cleveland to LA (and back), there was time to read, this weekend.  Perusing the newsstand, the choice was obvious!

Hello, Johnny!!  Johnny Depp wins the title Sexiest Man Alive from People Magazine for the second time.  And, with 110 of the “Hottest Guys on the Planet” within, my friend Anne Marie and I knew we’d have something to do for at least part of the trip!!  It was fun, though the picture for Robert Downey Junior was NOT good.  Also in the issue, an interesting article on Sarah Palin and her book, an hilarious photo shoot with Jerry O’Connell in a speedo in really random places and a totally ridiculous look at a new book where cats are wearing wigs!  We had some laughs!!  What are your thoughts?

We read the People on the way home, which was perfect, because we were really tired and had spent time in Beverly Hills with the stars.  Thank goodness on the way to LA I had foresight to pack an issue of Mental Floss!!  It always has a lot of interesting information, and it’s all presented in a fun way.  The Nov/Dec issue kept me entertained the whole trip, with the story of Ikea and lots of fun facts.  I was particularly intriqued by the article about kid book authors who don’t like kids!  Honestly, if you’re stumped for a gift idea for someone in your life who has an inquiring mind, I can’t say enough about Mental Floss.  They publish it right around here, so you’re helping the local economy, plus your loved one will thank you every month after they start receiving it.  It’s THAT good. 

 

Put Your Glasses on, at McDonald's!

Lately, I’ve been trying to shed some of the dozens of plastic cups we have in our cupboards.  They just bug me, even though you can conveniently stack them inside each other, to make for more room in the cabinet.  I threw away some of the ones we got and kept from Browns games and bought some cute ombre plastic drinking cups, but a couple of them melted in the dishwasher!  So, this news comes at a perfect time!!

McDonald’s is giving out these beautiful vintage Coke glasses for the holidays.  You get one free, when you buy any large Extra Value Meal.  The colors are really pretty:  violet, turquoise, aqua and light brown.  I think they’re going to go fast, and they’re only available while they last or until December 14th.  Drink up, with McDonald’s!

Put Your Glasses on, at McDonald’s!

Lately, I’ve been trying to shed some of the dozens of plastic cups we have in our cupboards.  They just bug me, even though you can conveniently stack them inside each other, to make for more room in the cabinet.  I threw away some of the ones we got and kept from Browns games and bought some cute ombre plastic drinking cups, but a couple of them melted in the dishwasher!  So, this news comes at a perfect time!!

McDonald’s is giving out these beautiful vintage Coke glasses for the holidays.  You get one free, when you buy any large Extra Value Meal.  The colors are really pretty:  violet, turquoise, aqua and light brown.  I think they’re going to go fast, and they’re only available while they last or until December 14th.  Drink up, with McDonald’s!

New to View on DVD!

This is a great time for movie rentals, because all the fun blockbusters from the summer are coming out on DVD.  You can also pick up some really cool special edition releases for stocking stuffers and holiday gifts.

Star Trek is the movie my family selected for our Thanksgiving Blockbuster viewing tradition.  It’s one of my favorite movies of the year, with a healthy respect for the original and a fresh take on the Star Trek franchise.  The casting is inspired!

Bruno – Sacha Baron Cohen movies are supposed to be offensive, but Bruno really struck a lot of bad chords as a flamboyant Austrian fashionista.  This might be a good guilty pleasure for you.  I just don’t like the way he makes people look and feel stupid.

Humpday – Even more offensive than Bruno, probably!  Two guys are friends, looking to make an arthouse film project.  Despite the fact that they’re heterosexual, they decide to “be together” for the film.  Uncomfortable mayhem ensues.

My Sister’s Keeper is the film adaptation of a beloved book my Jodi Picoult.  Filmmakers decided to change the story, and the devoted fans don’t like that.  A family has a daughter with leukemia and struggles to keep her alive by using her younger sister for her body.  Lawsuits ensue.

How to Be is probably not a very good movie, but here’s the catch, Robert Pattinson is in it!!!  His character is having an existential crisis and convinces a Canadian self-help guru to come to London and become his personal life coach.

Thirst is a thriller from South Korea about a priest who becomes a vampire, after a failed medical experiment.  He struggles with the ramifications.

The Open Road sounds interesting.  Not sure why it didn’t get a theatrical release, but Justin Timberlake stars as the son of a baseball legend who looks to re-connect with his estraged Dad on a road trip with his girlfriend.

Wild Child stars Emma Roberts as a rebellious Malibu princess who is shipped off to a strict English boarding school by her father.

Bringing Balanchine Back is a documentary about the New York City Ballet

Downhill Racer is getting the Criterion Collection treatment.  It’s from 1969, featuring a beautiful Robert Redford as a brash downhill skier who clashes with the USA coach, played by Gene Hackman.

Is Anybody There? is about a ten year old boy living in seaside England in the old folks home run by his parents.  He connects with a bitter old man, played by Michael Caine.

New TV on DVD:

• 7th Heaven – Season 9
• Andy Barker, P.I. – Complete Series
• Ben 10: Alien Force – Vol. 5
• Drawn Together – Complete Series
• Elvis Costello Spectacle – Collection 1
• Farscape – Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 and Complete Series set
• Hammertime – Season 1
• Hollywood Wives: The New Generation 
• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – A Very Sunny Christmas
• Monk – Best Of
• Moonshot
• Patton 360 – Season 1
• Rome – Complete Series Gift Set
• Scrubs – Season 8
• The Smurfs – Vol. 3
• The Sopranos – Complete Series (New box)
• The Spectacular Spider-Man – Vol. 5
• Star Trek – Best Of, Vol. 2
• Star Trek: TNG – Best Of, Vol. 2
• The Steve Coogan Collection
• Wagon Train – Season 1

 

TV Randoms

Just for fun, if you watch NCIS: LA, look for my friend, Jerome, tonight.

He tells me he’s riding shot gun in a late model brown pick-up truck that is hi-jacking a white/armored/military/transport vehicle.  He wasn’t sure how much of his work would end up in the final cut of the episode, but if you see him, wave to Jeronimo Spinx!!  We were grade school pals.

Kudos to CBS for bringing the funny back!  I thought this week’s episodes of How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory were hilarious, maybe the best of the season!  In a time where an relationship (the end of Robin and Barney) could be bringing the show down, NPH and company got back to the crazy timeline storytelling.  And both of the threads of BBT were good, with Raj doing an American accent and having a particularly funny episode.  Monday, with a depressing football game going on, we all needed some laughs.

Also, have you seen the commercials for the new show on ABC called Find My Family?  Whoa.  I don’t watch those Makeover shows ABC does, specifically because I feel like it’s a Barbara Walters interview, where the only goal is to make me cry.  I’m sobbing in the previews for this one!!!  They’ve found compelling stories about people separated from family members, and they’re getting them back together.  Both of the hosts were adopted, and one of them is my hero, Tim Green.  We were in college together, and he’s gone on to have a professional NFL career, successful novel writer career, broadcasting career, and now, this.  He’s a brilliant, engaging dude, and I will watch at least one episode for TG.  Bring out the tissues!!

 

New TV on DVD!!

Forgive me.  It’s been weeks since I ran this down, but I am always interested to see what shows are coming out on DVD, whether it’s one I love now or one I missed but would like to see sometime, there are even some that never got a DVD release, until now.  And just in time for Christmas!!

 

• Batman: The Brave and the Bold – Vol. 2
• Dawson’s Creek – Complete Series
• Discovery Collection – Complete Collection
• G.I. Joe – A Real American Hero Collector’s Set
• Heartland – Season 1, Part 2
• JAG – Season 9
• Justice League – Complete Series
• Keeping Up With The Kardashians – Season 2
• Midsomer Murders – Barnaby’s Casebook
• Nash Bridges – Season 3
• The Sandbaggers
• The Sarah Jane Adventures – Season 2
• Sesame Street – 40 Years of Sunny Days
• Spectacle – Season 1
• SpongeBob SquarePants – Truth or Square
• Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye – Season 1, Vol. 1
• Touched By An Angel – Inspiration Collection: Hope and Inspiration Collection: Holiday
• The Tudors – Season 3
• The Untouchables – Season 3, Vol. 2
• Afro Samurai – Complete Murder Sessions
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 1
• Doctor Who – The War Games and The Black Guardian Trilogy
• Edge of Darkness – The Complete BBC Series
• Fraggle Rock – Complete Series, A Merry Fraggle Holiday, and Final Season
• G.I Joe: A Real American Hero – Season 1.2
• G.I Joe: Resolute – Resolute
• Here’s Lucy – Season 2
• Kate & Allie – Season 6 (Canada only)
• Mission: Impossible – Season 7 (Final Season)
• The Rockford Files – Movie Collection, Vol. 1
• The Shield – Complete Series
• Six Feet Under – Complete Series (new package)
• Spin City – Season 3
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Season 7
• Wolverine & The X-Men – Vol. 3 and Vols. 1-3
• Zorro – Seasons 1 and 2 (Limited Edition Tins)
• Zorro: Generation Z – Vol. 5
• Black Adder – Black Adder 1, II, III, IV, and V (All remastered) and Ultimate Edition
• The Botany of Desire
• Claymore
• The Donna Reed Show – Season 3
• Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman – Complete Series (New package)
• Eleventh Hour – Complete Series
• Faerie Tale Theatre – Bedtime Tales and Magical Tales
• Fawlty Towers – Complete Collection (Remastered)
• Hawaii Five-0 – Season 7
• Homicide – Complete Series
• Iron Man: Armored Adventures – Vol. 1
• It’s Garry Shandling’s Show – Complete Series
• The Judy Garland Show – Holiday Special
• The L Word – Season 6 (Final Season)
• Numb3rs – Season 5
• Peanuts – 1970s Collection, Vol. 1
• Route 66 – Season 3, Vol. 2
• Saturday Night Live – Best of Amy Poehler
• The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour – Best of Season 2
• Top Chef – Season 5
• Transformers – 25th Anniversary Matrix of Leadership Edition Collector’s Set
• Vegas – Season 1, Vol. 1
• Wow, Wow Wubbzy – Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure
• Adult Swim in a Box
• The Barbara Stanwyck Show – Vol. 1
• Battlestar Galactica – The Plan
• CBS News Sunday Morning – On The Road with Charles Kuralt: Set 1
• The Diary of Anne Frank – BBC Miniseries
• Dogfights – Complete Series
• The Fugitive – Season 3, Vol. 1
• The Guardian – Season 1
• Hell’s Kitchen – Season 2 Raw and Uncensored
• Life After People – Season 1
• Mannix – Season 3
• Monty Python: Almost The Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut) – Complete Series
• Monty Python’s Flying Circus – The Other British Invasion and 40th Anniversary Set
• Patton 360 – Season 1
• The Prisoner – Complete Original Series
• Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s – Vol. 2
• Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s – Vol. 2
• The Secret Saturdays – Vol. 2
• Tales from the Darkside – Season 2
• Trial and Retribution – Set 3
• Walt Disney Treasures
• Xavier, Renegade Angel – Seasons 1 and 2

 

The Baby Turns 4!!

This is the busiest time of year for us.  The boy’s birthday is the last week of October.  Then, Halloween.  Then, the baby has his birthday.  I feel like I can breathe now.  Of course, I’m 800 pounds heavier than I was in mid-October.

Reece had very specific ideas about what he wanted for his 4th birthday cake.  This is the edited version, which includes:  bowling, Scooby Doo and dinosaurs (in the ganache around the sides).  He and his Dad made it a birthday weekend project, and I think it came out pretty fantastic, although I am not a big ganache fan.  Big winners out of the presents?  Doodle Pro Glo (or whatever it is), some new 48 piece Melissa & Doug puzzles (he had memorized the 3 we had) and the Play-Do Ice Cream Shoppe.  Fun!

New for You to See on DVD!!

I am so excited to finally see Up!  We missed that one in the movie theaters, and I hope we’ll get to see it at home soon.

New for you to rent or buy on DVD, this week:

UP – sure to be nominated for Best Animated Film this year.  Walt Disney brings great animation and a heart warming story about a crusty old man who just wants to fly off on an adventure.

The Accidental Husband – promising romantic comedy that never got a theatrical release.  Griffin Dunne directs.  Uma Thurman is a radio talk show host who raises the ire of Jeffrey Dean Morgan.  Colin Firth and Sam Shepard increase the eye candy quotient.

The Ugly Truth – romantic comedy with Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler.  She’s a sports producer, he’s the sportscaster.  They rub each other the wrong way until, perhaps, they rub each other the right way.

Spread – a sex infused romantic comedy, starring Ashton Kutcher as a serial womanizer

Ballast – A drama about a man in the Mississippi Delta who commits suicide, and the ripple effect that has on other people in his life.

Woman in Berlin – German movie about a woman trying to survive the invasion of Berlin by Russia in the last days of World War II

Ink – Sci fi story about two entities that cruise the night time sky and influence people while they sleep

Enlighten Up! – Documentary that tries to demonstrate whether yoga can improve someone’s life

Pray the Devil Back to Hell – Documentary about women rising to power in Liberia

Must Read After My Death – sounds very interesting, I think, and a little scary.  Documentary about audio and film tapes left behind by a Grandmother with a note that becomes the title of the film.  Uncovering real family secrets on film.