Hard to believe Rod Stewart could turn 66 but he has and is now packing Caesar’s Palace in Sin City.
May he live forever.
About ten years ago I saw Stewart perform live. He wasn’t supporting an album, which can be the best time to catch your favorite artists live. Instead of supporting a new release by playing a bunch of new songs you don’t know, they mainly stick to the hits — and what a reminder that night was of just how many terrific hits Stewart has cranked out over the years. It was a two-and-a-half hour concert loaded with memories all performed by a superstar who was obviously having a great time — in Charlotte, North Carolina, no less.
It’s easy to forget how many great songs Stewart’s recorded over the decades. I found the same is true with John Mellencamp, Elton John, Billy Joel, Tina Turner, and Eddie Money. You tend to kind of forget these performers over the years, but if you take a moment to grab hold of a greatest hits collection or see them live, it’s striking how prolific they were and for how long.
Can anyone name more than a few present-day pop artists under the age 30 who will have that many hits, or even as many as Loverboy? (“Turn Me Loose” will now be stuck in your head all day. I apologize for nothing.)
IS ADAM SANDLER’S “JACK AND JILL” TRAILER FOR REAL?
I stopped second-guessing Adam Sandler after seeing “The Waterboy.” When that trailer came out, between the accent and concept, I was sure I was seeing the stupidest movie ever conceived. Then it made over $100 million (when that still meant something), then I fell in love with the DVD, and now it’s one of those movies I never tire of.
“Jack and Jill” is also directed By Dennis Dugan, the comedic genius behind many of Sandler’s biggest hits and THE GREAT UNDER-RATED COMEDY OF THE CENTURY: “Saving Silverman.”
Recognize.
R-E-C-O-G-N-I-Z-E.
As far as the J&J trailer goes, it kind of won me over when Al Pacino showed up.
A READER EMAIL REGARDING NETFLIX:
There’s no reason why you should know this, so don’t take it as criticism, but Netflix streaming is nearly worthless to hearing impaired people like me who need captions to understand what’s being said on the screen. For some reason, Netflix streaming doesn’t do captions.
This is an excellent point and when you consider our aging populating, not a small thing. Not to diminish those who face serious hearing issues, but in deference to my lovely wife who rarely has trouble falling asleep, I prefer captions when watching television in bed at night and am frustrated by Netflix’s lack of them. So those with truly serious hearing issues…
Netflix isn’t short on cash. They should fix this.
WILL AND JADA’S MARRIAGE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
So rumors pop up about the state of Will Smith’s marriage, the couple denies the rumors, and now the entertainment media has only exploded the number of speculative stories they’re writing.
For everything I hate about the political and cultural biases in the entertainment media, that pales in comparison to my loathing of the gossip media. I get that when you choose to become a superstar, you invite this kind of coverage. But it’s still an unfortunate price to have to pay.
The Smiths have children, young children, and whether the rumors are true or not (and who really cares?), no thought is ever given to the innocent bystanders in these matters.
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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING
Damages (2007): Watched a couple more episodes and am happy to see that the flash-forwards have finally caught up with the main story. They were coming off as melodramatic, but I think they will now make more sense and actually add to the central plot. This isn’t addictive television like “The Wire,” “Lost” or “24,” but I am eager to see what happens next.
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QUICK HITS
FOUR TEASER CLIPS FROM ‘THE WALKING DEAD’ SEASON 2
STEVE JOBS’ MOVIE LEGACY: PIXAR
HEADLINE I NEVER THOUGHT I’D WRITE: PHOTO OF STEVEN SEAGAL AND JOE THE PLUMBER AT REPUBLICAN FUNDRAISER
“MADE IN TAIWAN” AND 15 OTHER REJECTED “TOY STORY” TITLES
GRRR… GEORGE LUCAS ADDS CGI YODA ON STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA BLU-RAY
HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME BANS REALITY STARS
BECAUSE “THE WOLF MAN” REMAKE WAS SUCH A HIT…
CHRISTIAN TOTO INTERVIEWS SADDAM HUSSEIN’S SON AND IRON MAN’S DAD
SAM SHEPARD AS AN ELDERLY BUTCH CASSIDY IS A GREAT PIECE OF CASTING
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CLASSIC PICK FOR FRIDAY, AUGUST 26
TCM:
4:00 PM EST: Royal Wedding (1951) — A brother-and-sister musical team find romance when they tour to London for Elizabeth II’s wedding. Dir: Stanley Donen Cast: Fred Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford. C-93 mins, TV-G, C.
Though most famous — and deservedly so — for Astaire’s dazzlingly elegant dancing-on-the-ceiling number (Astaire’s moves with a coat rack are just as impressive), director Stanley Donen’s follow-up to his classic “On The Town” (which he co-directed with Gene Kelly), always surprises me by how good it is. Sure, the story surrounding all the complications that get in the way of True Love is light and predictable, but the execution is impeccable, all of the song and dance numbers are delightful, and Jane Powell (Donen’s third choice after Ginger Rogers and June Allyson) a real breath of fresh air.
“Royal Wedding” tends to get overlooked for a couple of reasons. First off, it lapsed into public domain, so people tend to associate it with all those awful, cheapie DVD releases. Second, it was released in the middle of a slew of higher-profile musical productions and outright masterpieces, such as “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Show Boat,” “An American in Paris,” and “Singin’ In the Rain.”
Stiff competition but “Royal Wedding” is still a deserving entry. It does the all-important job of capturing your attention, holding it, and delivering The Joy.
–Please send tips/suggestions/requests to jnolte@breitbart.com
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