The trilogy

Ronnie Barker, a comedy legend in the UK, died Monday at the age of 76 from recurring heart trouble.
Death of a comedy icon: The one and only Ronnie (Independent UK)

The phrase “national treasure” is bandied about with diminishing discernment these days, but if Ronnie Barker wasn’t a national treasure, then nor are The Fighting Temeraire by J M W Turner, Stonehenge and the spire of Salisbury Cathedral. Barker, whose death on Monday at the age of 76 came as a shock even to those friends who knew he was suffering from a recurrence of heart trouble, was a colossus of television comedy, perhaps even its pre-eminent colossus, in that he mastered all its forms – the sitcom, the sketch show and the gag-laden monologue direct to camera – both as performer and writer.
Ronnie Corbett led the tributes to his erstwhile comedy partner, saying: ” Ronnie was pure gold in triplicate, as a performer, a writer and a friend. We worked together since 1965 and we never had a cross word. It was 40 years of harmonious joy, nothing but an absolute pleasure. I will miss him terribly.”
To some extent, we all will. After all, Barker was that extraordinarily rare animal: a funny man who made everyone laugh. There are those who remained resolutely untickled by Spike Milligan and even Tommy Cooper; others who are immune to the ramblings of Billy Connolly and Eddie Izzard. But only a statue could sit stony-faced through the comedic output of Ronnie Barker, from sketch-based shows such as The Frost Report and The Two Ronnies, to his classic turns as the resourceful jailbird Fletcher in Porridge and the devious, stammering grocer Arkwright in Open All Hours.
Maybe only Eric Morecambe shared Barker’s quality; the one which makes all of us feel, with his departure, as though the world is suddenly a smidgin less jolly. “I can only think that God must have needed cheering up,” said the comedy writer and actor Craig Cash yesterday. “He had flawless comic timing”, said Michael Palin, who worked with Barker on The Frost Report. “I never saw him blow a sketch. But he was quite self-contained. It was hard to write collaboratively with him. You’d write a piece and he would change it to what he knew he could do brilliantly. He was modest, never ambitious or pushy, but he knew what he did well.”

BBC has the following profile:

Ronnie Barker was born in Bedford, and after a brief sojourn as a Bank Clerk, he joined the Manchester Repertory Company as an Assistant Stage Manager. However, a career on stage beckoned. In 1956, he landed his first radio appearance and two years later, appeared in Frankie Vaughan’s first film, Wonderful Things! He then went on to appear in The Navy Lark and The Seven Faces of Jim, starring Jimmy Gilbert.
He further made his mark in 1966 on The Frost Report as a sketch-writer and performer. It was on this show that he met his future comedy partner Ronnie Corbett. According to legend, when Barker and co-host Corbett were presenting the BAFTAS, a technical hitch occurred. They covered so well that producers offered them their own show. In 1971, they signed contracts with the BBC to record a series of shows called The Two Ronnies.
As a performer Ronnie Barker made comedy look effortlessly funny, as meticulous as he was talented.
He was also a prolific writer. After several years, a team meeting with a mysterious contributor to their show called Gerald Wiley was arranged. Wiley allegedly wrote about 75 per cent of the material used. The team met Ronnie Barker. He had wanted to ensure material was chosen for its quality, not his star status.

IMDB has an extensive filmography and other details of Barker’s career.
crosspost from OTB

MTV is coming back to Canada, in a rather backdoor manner
CTV partnership brings MTV back to Canada (CTV)

Canadians who want their MTV will soon be able to get their fill. CTV and the iconic American music channel have announced they are joining forces.
The new strategic alliance announced Wednesday will see CTV and U.S.-based MTV Networks team put two new MTV channels on the Canadian television dial. Under the terms of the deal, CTV has also gained exclusive access to MTV’s broad array of channels, Internet sites and video on demand services.
According to Brad Schwartz, an expat MTV Networks International executive who has returned home to lead the new venture, viewers can look forward to a unique 360-degree entertainment experience.
[…]
Within hours of the announcement, there were already reports rival broadcaster CHUM Television would be keeping an eye on the new venture. CHUM, through a growing slate of MuchMusic channels, has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with its American counterpart. And it doesn’t intend to let any newcomers edge it out without a fight. “We’ll be intrigued to see how Talk TV can be morphed into an MTV brand and still remain a talk channel as licensed,” CHUM Limited CEO and president Jay Switzer said in a statement released Wednesday. “We will be actively encouraging the CRTC to enforce both the spirit and letter of all Talk TV’s conditions of licence.”
But Schwartz dismisses any suggestion that rebranding TalkTV will violate the station’s broadcasting licence. “We’re going to take that MTV DNA, that irreverance, and engage and excite the Canadian production and creative communities to come up with great stuff for us,” he told CTV Newsnet, distinguishing MTV’s lifestyle branding from the music-focused Much Music.
CTV has already enjoyed popular success broadcasting a number of MTV programs. From the car-customizing show Pimp My Ride to Punk’d and Newlyweds with Jessica Simpson, audiences have demonstrated their love of MTV’s irreverant TV style.

Why is it the government’s business whether a cable television station plays music or talk?
It’s quite incredible how much regulation people will put up with.
Of course, a people who will watch “Pimp My Ride” deserves the government it gets.
crosspost to OTB

Maybe Americans aren’t as keen about seeing their military portrayed by human exterminating aliens as screenwriter David Koepp thinks they are.
FoxNews;

The $182 million horror epic, struggling to hold its own among new releases, was beaten at the box office by an indie film about a pimp-turned-rapper.
“Hustle and Flow” (search), a Sundance favorite this year, is playing in only 1,013 theaters. “War” is on 3,265 screens. But the former film took in $2,750,000 on Friday night, beating the latter by about $300,000.
“War of the Worlds,” finishing in the eighth spot Friday night, has just passed the $200 million mark domestically. Internationally it’s made a little more than that, giving the Tom Cruise (search) pic a total worldwide take of $500 million. Believe it or not, that means it’s just about broken even. If it weren’t for the foreign audiences, though, War would have been a money loser for Paramount Pictures.
“Hustle and Flow” wasn’t the only film that beat “War” at the box office on Friday night. So did newcomers “The Island”, “Bad News Bears”, and a Lions Gate film called “Devil’s Rejects”. The Top 8 was filled out by “Fantastic Four”, “Wedding Crashers”, and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, the latter at number 1.

Or, maybe they looked at the Martians and looked back at the “hero”, and decided that Tom Cruise was scarier.
Via Neale

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

The June 5 edition of Variety reports that a movie deal is in the works about the 21-year old lapsed-terrorist’s life. Paramount Pictures has even enlisted the Oscar-nominated screenwriter Keir Pearson to turn Abdurahman’s story into a script. The movie will reportedly find a feel-good lesson in Abdurahman’s journey from bin-Laden�s training camp in Afghanistan, through Guantanamo and Bosnia to Toronto, Canada, where Khadr, having allegedly renounced his terrorist ways, now resides with other members of his family. � For his participation in the project, Khadr will be generously rewarded: The National Post, quoted by Daniel Pipes, reports that Abdurahman – the “good son” of the Khadr family – could earn as much as $500,000 when the movie debuts sometime around 2006. Daily Variety, also quoted by Pipes, suggests that the deal may be worth in the “mid- to high-six figures.” The producers hope Johnny Depp will star in the lead. Vincent Newman, president of Vincent Newman Entertainment, who bought the rights, is quoted hailing Khadr’s “a classic black sheep story – a story about the rebel of the family.” Khadr meanwhile has reserved the rights to develop the screenplay. Variety notes that “it appears it will follow the storyline that makes him look best….”

More

Ian at Inoperable Terran asks;

“Can we just nuke Hollywood now?”

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

How’s it going? Ready for the next step? Let me know what you’ve been up to and any ideas you have about what our next move should be (write me at the addresses below).

Send your suggestions!

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

“Michael Moore makes a substantial living going into peoples’ private lives. Sneaking up on them,” Urbanski said. So Urbanski feels no compunction in talking about the only client he ever fired. In fact, he fired Moore with a 10- page letter. “A more dishonest and demented person I have never met,” Urbanski wrote me in an e-mail, “and I have known a few! And he is more money obsessed than any I have known, and that’s saying a lot.” Urbanski believes that Moore hates America, hates capitalism and hates any normal concept of freedom and democracy. This seems odd, considering that if it weren’t for America, freedom and capitalism Moore’s brand of expression and capitalistic success would be impossible, if not illegal. “Michael Moore could not withstand Michael Moore’s scrutiny for more than 15 seconds,” Urbanski said. Has Hollywood figured out what Moore is really about? Was that why he was snubbed? Urbanski has given some thought to Moore’s methods. “Moore has an interesting racket. A Jesse Jackson-like shakedown. He figured out he could shake down his own type of thinker, his own constituency, for his own enrichment.”

And to think, nobody suspected a thing!

Well, time for the Second Annual Small Dead Oscar Live Blog.
(2004 Edition here)
Into the first few minutes of the red carpet. Pretty slow. Annette Bening makes me feel better about how well I’ve aged. And memo to Rene Zelwiger – I don’t think the collagen is supposed to go in the eyelids.
Oh man, this is mindnumbingly boring. I may have to start drinking.

As an aside, with Dan Rather being turned out to pasture soon, wouldn’t it be thoughtful to send him a old cow for company?

So far, no sign of Michael Moore… though I don’t expect the luck to hold.
Chris Rock is … strident. Oh dear….There are shades here of Live At The Apollo amateur night. Is Steve Martin in the audience?
(See also – The PW annotated Rock monologue)
Set Decoration: Aviator
ACKKK!! Camera swings wide to catch a glimpse of ALAN ALDA… my eyes… my eyes…
Rene Zelwiger isn’t fooling anyone. The “walk” gave her away. She’s wearing a corset made with triiple layered molybdenum steel under that dress, that extends to her knees.
Supporting actor: Morgan Freeman
Robin Williams just sucked the big black donkey dick.
*Disclosure Notice*: the only movie I saw this year was Team America.
Animated Feature: Incredibles
Oh look. How clever. A presentation done in the audience to some people for “Lemony Snickets”. . Imagine how nice that is to have your life’s work recognized and you don’t get to set foot on stage.
Beyonce singing in FRENCH, and me, fresh out of sedatives..
This is actually funny. Chris Rock interviewing people who haven’t seen any of the nominated movies. Audience is subdued….. (update – a commentor protests that there was laughter. Yes, there was, but I don’t think they found it as funny as I did… now, if all those interviewed who said they’d seen “White Chicks” had been white, rather than black, the Hollywood elite have been roaring with “self deprecation”.)
Costume Design: Oh. How original. A cartoon character shares the stage with a real prson. Never seen that before. (Aviator)
Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchette, Aviator
Now, this was a good idea – stark reminder of how good Carson was. Backstage, Chris Rock is chewing off his paw.

Continue reading →

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

Janeane Garofalo salutes Iraqi voters

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

Heh.

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

Filmmaker Michael Moore’s bodyguard was arrested for carrying an unlicensed weapon in New York’s JFK airport Wednesday night.. Police took Patrick Burke, who says Moore employs him, into custody after he declared he was carrying a firearm at a ticket counter. Burke is licensed to carry a firearm in Florida and California, but not in New York. Burke was taken to Queens central booking and could potentially be charged with a felony for the incident. Moore’s 2003 Oscar-winning film “Bowling for Columbine” criticizes what Moore calls America’s “culture of fear” and its obsession with guns. – Foxnews

update – the story has been updated. It appears that Mr. Burke was a former Moore bodyguard.

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

‘Sexuality is a large issue in America right now, but it isn’t so much in other countries. There’s a raging fundamentalism in morality in the United States. From day one audiences didn’t show up. They didn’t even read the reviews in the south because the media was using the words: ‘Alex is Gay’. “The script was just too ambiguous, too questioning about an action-hero who was masculine/feminine. These are tough qualities in Hollywood. It’s just too big a life. It doesn’t fit in into the Hollywood formula.” – Oliver Stone – director

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

“Hi, I’m Richard Gere and I’m speaking for the entire world.” – Richard Gere

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

I don’t know where sorrow is anymore, its presence in the world has vanished, leaving behind greed and the false claims of democracy. I mourn for the victims of Tawid and Jihad, headless and hopeless and names forgotten, their lives used as bargaining chips between corrupt governments where the gangsters rule all. I must also grieve for Tawid and Jihad, that our actions led to their inestimable anger. I beat my chest and cry out hardest of all for our country, with its government so far from its people that most of us cannot see why anyone might want to harm us, take us hostage, fly planes into our towers, kill us and die trying. Most of us don’t even know why, which is the saddest fact of all. We are like the headless corpse, confused and swiping at the air for clues, for understanding. As we bleed from our mortal wound we flail for mercy and answers with eyes and ears missing, cut off. We are removed from our sense of self, conscience, purpose, but it isn’t the fault of the body, slowly starting to slip away into death. We have lost our head, or it has been taken from us, along with our voices, our reason, our control. All that is left is dissipating strength and a heart that will soon cease to beat. – Margaret Cho, Comedian

(hat tip –Is This Blog On)

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

*

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

“I believe Michael is absolutely innocent and that he will be vindicated,” – Liz Taylor

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

September 23rd, 2004 – My Journal I am a full-blown Democrat. I always have been. I did visit President George Bush Sr. and his wife when they were in the White House. However I feel their son is in there without truly having won the election. I think he is a C minus President. Don’t you have to have straight A’s to be valedictorian of a college class? How is it possible that we, the great country of America, have become so deaf, dumb and blind to the obvious? I am voting for John Kerry because I think he is his own man. He is extremely intelligent and has a heart of gold. I have met his wife and she is extremely bright and charismatic. I believe he should be our next President. And if Bush is actually voted in this time, I hope we hold him accountable for 911 and for this disastrous war in Iraq. I am pissed!! Please vote for John Kerry. Lots of Love Melanie [Griffith] PS- Also if you want to know about what really happened on 9/11 please read The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11 by David Ray Griffin This book will blow your mind!

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

I recognize your face Standing in precisely the same place Mouthing the same hypocrisy About preserving democracy And keeping the people safe. So four million killed in Korea and Two million more in the Vietnam war We feel so secure Let’s keep our bloodlines pure. I recognize your face And I recall your name, Your daddy killed for oil And you did the same, Then you used my country’s flag To wipe your greasy hands Wrapped in stars and stripes you dropped Million dollar bombs on distant lands. Now we feel so secure Let’s keep our bloodlines pure. I have often wondered how Hitler played his game Attacking other nations but always in the name Of security, eradicating evil and impurity Fear is the greatest fascist tool, The bigger the lie the more people you fool. But how did Hitler hypnotize a nation? Like the moral back bone of a population Took an untimely vacation… The answer is simple, though still an awful shock Hitler had his Goering You have clear channel and Murdoch And all the moral Lepers Who white wash mass murder for oil are every bit as responsible For the blood spilled on their soil Maybe if you looked you’d recognize our face Standing in precisely the same place where Jesus stood with Gandhi and Martin Luther King Lifting our voices above the den of your drums we sing: “From your corporate grip we shall be released How long? Not long! We are the people united and strong And all of us want peace, All of us want peace!” — Woody Harrelson

“Democrats need to embrace Hollywood because this is where they need to come to learn how to tell a story.” – Michael Moore*

“Republicans know that there is a massive population of people who are too stupid to vote, and that no one in their right mind would necessarily want them for their constituency anyway, except perhaps David Duke. However, these are hard times for the GOP, and they cannot afford to be choosy when it comes to registered voters. Republicans know that they may not be able to sway anyone with their ideas on domestic and foreign policy, or their views on the economy, but they do know that hatred and bigotry are great motivators. They get the ear of the leaders of these so called ‘family groups’ and Christian media watchdogs and warn them of the impending storm of gay ‘legitimization’ and they get them all riled up by telling them that gays are going to get married and move into their neighborhoods. As if a newly married gay couple would ever choose to live in a trailer park. They pump up these Bible thumping, cousin humping genetic mistakes with hot air and propaganda which sends them into a mullet fantasia of pink trianglesand rainbow flags, and convinces them that their tax dollars will be used to foot the bill for Elton John and George Michael’s wedding. Hatred is a powerful motivator, and these Christian soldiers will march onward, fighting tooth and nail for the theoretical hand in marriage, to protect marriage. “You’ll get this bouquet when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.” Although the Republican party doesn’t openly endorse prejudice, if it results in more votes, then no one is complaining. It really is genius, harnessing hatred in order to further your own political party. We wish that democrats would have thought of it first, but even if they had, the plan to introduce prejudice as an enlistment strategy doesn’t work with the ethical ideals of the party. Compassion really does block the way to power. What is deeply distressing is the incredible numbers of people who are vehemently opposed to equality, and the need for them to deny equal rights to others simply because they cannot bear the thought of equality. It isn’t like anyone who is against marriage equality would be directly affected by the existence of it. Not unless they were part of the wedding industry, and then they could reserve the right to refuse service anyway. More likely, they would welcome the extra revenue. Gay marriage would create a huge boon, and it is doubtful anyone would turn away cold hard cash. Greed remarkably has no bias. This is evidenced in the way that Republicans will pander to this creepy Christ crowd and allow the asinine, the atrociously unfit and the morally repugnant to swell their ranks because it means more for them, and more is where it is at if you are a Republican. — Margaret Cho, comedian.