Susan Boyle, I Dreamed A Dream . . .

_Susan Boyle,Great Dreamer

Kudos to IKEA France, Earth Sustainability Car Ad

Kudos to IKEA France with the launch of an eco-friendly car ad last week. It's either a great inspiration or hilarious April Fool's Day joke.

Expectation setting is in order for consumers who might consider buying an IKEA car.

It's not yet clear how many different aisles you'll need to find or the number of boxes you'll need to pick off the self-serve shelf before heading to check-out.

Detroit Automakers beware!

Linked In, A Global Warming

A string of people from my past have found me in the last few months---or I've found them.

Not that any of us were lost.

Our paths crossed over the years through childhood, college, weddings, and work. Today some of our paths cross online over Linked In.

Linked In gives new meaning to "global warming"---we're reaching out to those who loved us, liked us, laughed with us, encouraged us, appreciated us, collaborated with us, and simply touched us in some small or large way.

We're seeking comfort, familiarity, and one another.

On a recent trip to see dear friends in Florida, sort of a "ROOTS" tour back to my home state, I had a chance to visit my paternal Grandparents home located at 40 Derby Street in Cocoa, Florida. My Father sold the home back about 1987, some years after Grandma died. A lovely woman named Gun owns the home today. Now a widow, she and her husband bought it around 2000. She graciously gave my friend Mary and I a tour.

Another day, we took an excursion to see what was formerly the old Florida Hotel and then Howey Academy in Howey-in-the-Hills. My friends Gary and Mary kept telling me that some state funded program had taken over the property as I described what I remembered 50 years ago when attending boarding school there. To my utter dismay, the old main building had been blown up during filming of The Incredible Hulk and no one would believe that the equestrian stables and riding rink ever existed. Thankfully, the lakefront setting remains.

On my last day full day in Florida, Mary and I rediscovered another dear friend from college, Janie. We hadn't seen or spoken with one another for at least 35 years. We all talked and laughed 'til we cried. I could not remember many of our adventures from a 1970 tour of Europe. Amazingly, Janie's precious 94 year-old mother still thrives.

Everything has changed . . . personal histories recorded.

Linking In, a clear signal to come together.

40 Derby Street

GREAT dream PRODUCTIONS 2009 Oscar Picks

Most Missed:

Original Screenplay: In Bruges
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Directing: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire





Best Picture:

Best Actors: Leading & Supporting Roles

American History

Caricature by high school pal, Ken Fallin
for the Wall Street Journal, October 2008.

Suze Orman in The First Church of Harpo

When one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world is speaking at a local event, check it out. Especially when it's Suze Orman talking while the global economy spirals downward into the worst meltdown of our life time.

Orman appeared in San Francisco on October 25 courtesy of O You!, a wildly successful 'live your best life' experience delivered by O as in The Oprah Magazine. O Yes!---if you've never been in The First Church of Harpo live with Oprah herself, you've simply got to make an effort.

Never underestimate the power of individual brand identity and marketing. My 20th Century top three include Madonna, Martha, and Oprah. Once Oprah embraces you and your message, you're sphere of influence sky rockets. As Suze Orman's brand positioning and financial expertise gained credibility, she's created her own mini-empire worth millions. She talks with Oprah weekly. And in this economic climate, one can imagine those conversations.

When the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury beckoned Orman to Washington in September and asked, "What should we do?" Orman replied, "Now you're asking?" For those folks paying attention, she's been telling all of us for the past 10 years what we should do.

Passion for money, it's power, and how one manages money to control one's destiny define Orman's message and brand success. She ends her television show on cable's CNBC with the mantra "People first, then money, then things."

In The First Church of Harpo, Orman delivers the same diagnosis and prescription we've seen her deliver recently all over cable news and network shows. On this warm, beautiful sunny October day in San Francisco, Orman took the stage where she masterfully held our attention for about an hour.

Suze flashed her trademark sparkling white teeth, walked us through what's happening, and pleaded with us to listen to her. Orman's tired and frustrated about the economic disaster, in fact, Suze's mad as hell.

Video Story:

Oh, This and That and Stuff Like That, Tina Fey on Palin

"Not since Sling Blade has there been a voice that anybody could do," Tina Fey.

The Four Tops' Songs Make A Girl Feel Good

"Well, I'm rather loud and raw," Levi Stubbs told the Los Angeles Times in 1994. "I don't really even have a style; I just come by the way I sing naturally. When I learn a song, I try to live it as best I can."

Chart toppers throughout the mid-60's,The Four Tops lost a third founding member on Friday with the death of Levi Stubbs. Stubbs experienced a long series of debilitating illnesses for more than 10 years and had not performed with the group since at least 2000.

Levi Stubbs' sang lead on a string of Top 10 Motown hits from 1965 - 1967, "Baby I Need Your Loving," "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Bernadette," and probably the most widely used hit on film soundtracks, "Can't Help Myself." It's the latter song's hook line "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch" that has stayed with us forever--at this point in time, just two years shy of five decades. Best of all, with Levi Stubbs and The Four Tops singing any one of these tunes, a girl couldn't help but feel good!

Four Tops on Ed Sullivan (1967)

When it can't be done, deliver a gift of hope

Tony Melendez began learning how to play the guitar at age 16. People told him it couldn't be done. Tony played before Pope John Paul II in 1987, he has delivered his "Gift of Hope" playing guitar as a full-time musician ever since.

Let it be.

Tony Melendez, great dreamer.

Ringo "Too Much To Do" But He Loves You

After more than 40 plus years of signing autographs, Ringo Starr claims "Peace," "Love," and that he has "Too Much To Do" now to sign anything else. I'm thinking he has a point, eBay sellers may make a killing, and wondering will he sign autographs when fans approach him in person? He looks a little tired and scruffy on his web site video clip, but he loves you. . .yea, yea yea.

SNL Mavericks Take On Biden-Palin

"Gosh Darnit" NBC's Saturday Night Live Mavericks delivered another hysterical parody with the Biden-Palin VP Debate. The gang surprised us with a guest spot for Queen Latifah as journalist and moderator Gwen Ifil. A perfect pitch for Ifil's new book, who could ask for any better publicity? Latifah really held herself together as she tried not to laugh outright at Tina Fey's too funny Sarah Palin. To be fair, SNL gave "scrappy" Joe Biden the "Scranton is a hell-hole" business, too.


Links:
Tina Fey at"30 Rock"SNL's Perfect Palin
Queen Latifah Lights Up Symphony Hall

In Pursuit Of The Common Good, Paul Newman

Shameless Exploitation In Pursuit Of The Common Good, Newman's Own Founder, Paul Newman leaves a powerful legacy with more than $250 million donated to charities worldwide over the past 25 years.



Retiring from filmwork, December 2007



Check a previous post: On Cool Hand Luke

Ads Entertain: Look what the cat dragged in

Simple creative storytelling in an entertaining way, this ad says it all.

Tina Fey at "30 Rock" SNL's Perfect Palin

NBC's Saturday Night Live team gave fans a perfect parody of Sarah Palin with Tina Fey's return to 30 Rockefeller Center last night.

Amy Poehler portrayed the tougher stereotypical view of Hillary Clinton in sharp contrast to the clear likeability quotient of Sarah Palin. If we've learned one thing during this campaign, the likeability factor remains King or Queen.

Fey hit the mark on every media discussion point of recent days by covering the difference between pitbulls and pigs, Palin's foreign policy experience "I can see Russia from my house," and professing her service as mayor of the "crystal meth capitol of Alaska." SNL fans should expect to see more of Fey's Palin. It seems only fitting at this point, if we can't cry over the election mess, we'll just have to laugh. Again.

MAMA MIA Delivers On Happy

Seriously sappy and happy, MAMA MIA triumphs on the big screen. Ignore the critics. Don't expect a great film, see it for the sheer entertainment of watching Meryl Streep lead an eclectic ensemble cast in being silly and charming while singing ABBA tunes amid a glorious Greek Island backdrop. I defy women over 50 to not walk out of their neighborhood movie theatre with a smile and lighter step, it can't be done.

I remember seeing Streep for the first time in a PBS broadcast version of Wendy Wasserstein's stage show "Uncommon Women and Others"-- it's hard to imagine this now, but the show had to be at least 30 years ago. The next time I remember seeing her was in "Julia" and "Kramer vs. Kramer." These critically acclaimed performances were followed a few years later with her emotionally shattering performance in "Sophie's Choice." Watching MAMA MIA caused me to reflect that Meryl Streep has delivered many of the most naturally striking performances of my generation. Very cool.

It seems odd to me, but I have friends who really don't care for Meryl Streep, something that I don't quite understand since I'll actually see a film because it has Streep in it--regardless of the critical reviews. I'm always curious to see how she delivers a role, embodies a character. So, I appreciate Meryl Streep in just about any project she undertakes.

Her early breakout performances underscore womens' role in society, MAMA MIA offers yet another culturally historic snapshot of circumstance, choice, and consequence. Among my generation, it's very familiar territory when contrasting her character's life with those of her best pals, played by the incomparable Julie Waters and Christine Baranski.

As for me and MAMA MIA, I always enjoyed listening to ABBA in the 70's for sure, and "Dancing Queen" is one of my favorite numbers in the film.

I was struck by the lighting in the film and attribute some of this to what I remember about the Greek Islands. The light and color of the sky and water are like no where on earth. When you first see Meryl Streep on screen, you'll notice she's standing in a halo of light, the effect is a combination of natural light and how the film is lit. My filmmaker friends tell me that lighting is the most important aspect of a film shoot, I can't say otherwise after watching MAMA MIA. The director and DP definitely make the most of light. Silly entertainment with a lot of heart, MAMA MIA delivers on happy.

Got a MAMA MIA story to share? Feel free to comment.

Photo Credits: Universal, Peter Mountain

Check out a fun clip of "Dancing Queen":