Movie Review: The Green Mile by Lorraine Messina

Castle Rock

Paul Edgecomb: Tom Hanks
Brutus "Brutal" Howell: David Morse
John Coffey: Michael Clarke Duncan
Percy Wetmore: Doug Hutchison
Eduard Delacroix: Michael Jeter
"Wild Bill" Wharton: Sam Rockwell

Written and Directed by Frank Darabont

Based on the novel by Stephen King.

If you like sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for the next plot twist, this movie will not disappoint you. It is one of the few long movies that can keep your attention and your heart pumping. I know I was pumped. In the three hours of running time for this film you see the personalities of the characters explored and view a vivid depiction of life in a maximum security prison. The movie at times entertains the odd and obscure moments demonstrated by the prison staff and inmates.

The story is set in 1932. To achieve the look and feel of the period many penitentiaries were scouted for the film. The old Tennessee State penitentiary was selected for the filming of the Green Mile. The Tennessee State penitentiary has been used in a variety of Hollywood productions and it once housed felon James Earl Ray. Some of the penitentiaries visited still had their electric chairs preserved. The art directors working on the Green Mile used characteristics from several electric chairs to create three electric chairs that were used in the film. Some of the exterior scenes in the movie were filmed in Tennessee and also at a nursing home in Blowing Rock North Carolina.

The actors used a dialect coach to help them correctly portray southern accents. The guard uniforms that the actors wore incorporated characteristics from army uniforms, police uniforms and other guard uniforms. The black and white clip used in the movie of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing to “Cheek to Cheek” was used with permission from Mrs. Fred Astaire.

The best part of the movie was how the characters were developed. Tom Hanks did a good job portraying Paul Edgecomb a likable head prison guard. His thoughtfulness and at times his willingness to bend the rules made you want to sympathize right along with him. Paul Edgecomb’s dislike for a young prison guard named Percy Wetmore played by Doug Hutchison kept the plot of the movie energized. Percy definitely was not a very likable guy. Probably the best performance came from Michael Clarke Duncan who played John Coffey. A giant, docile inmate who possesses a special power. You could feel the intense emotion from him come out in the film and you felt sorry for the situation he was forced to endure.

Some critics say this film is too long. I usually dislike long films but this one was different. The nuances of the characters in the film are really what holds your attention. Anyway, how can you go wrong when the plot is based on a Stephen King novel.

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Dave Howe: President of Syfy by Lorraine Messina

It was beyond cool having the opportunity to be inside NBC studios for a question and answer session with the President of the Syfy channel Dave Howe. The question and answer session was off the record and there was clearly no Twittering allowed. That being said it was a very lively and humorous discussion about the workings of Syfy. It was very gracious of Mr. Howe to take the time to meet with an assortment of members from the International Radio and Television Society. IRTS can be found on the Internet at irts.org. The people in attendance were journalists, students, production producers, and sales people.

Most of the discussion was concerning Syfy’s sales growth and new upcoming Syfy programming. It is interesting to note that the Syfy staff does work together as a team and contributions and ideas are accepted from everyone. Programming ideas that have contributed to the success of Syfy have been well written, relate to the brand, imaginative, sellable and have characters that viewers can relate to.

This is a little bit about the Syfy channel, www.syfy.com, and Mr. Howe from IRTS:
Syfy, a division of NBC Universal Cable, was launched in September 1992. More than a decade later, Syfy continues to attract industry-wide interest in its achievements, most recently winning an Emmy for its history-making Steven Spielberg Presents TAKEN - the biggest miniseries ever on television. In the last few years, the Channel has undergone a massive re-design and become one of cable's leaders in the production of high-quality original programming.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 95 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)
With major investment from its parent company and notable programming successes, Syfy continues to generate buzz among advertisers, affiliates and consumers.

NETWORK LAUNCH:
September 24, 1992

DISTRIBUTION:
95 million
Dave Howe Bio:
Dave Howe was named President, Syfy in January 2008. Howe oversees Original Development, Programming and Marketing, Global Brand Strategy and Market Development, Strategic Planning, Syfy Digital, Syfy Ventures, Media Relations and Syfy’s public affairs initiative, Visions for Tomorrow. In July 2009, Howe launched a new global brand identity by evolving SCI FI Channel to Syfy. He is charged with expanding and diversifying its business portfolio beyond broadcast and digital media into new affinity areas such as video gaming, mobile, licensing and merchandising and the youth market.
Appointed the Channel’s General Manager and Executive Vice President in July 2004, Howe had served as Executive Vice President, Marketing & Brand Strategy since joining the company in September 2001. Since becoming General Manager, Howe has overseen the launch of some of Syfy’s most successful and ground-breaking programming, including "Tin Man" -- which was ad-supported cable’s top entertainment telecast among Adults 25-54 in more than two years in addition to being the most-watched telecast in Channel history -- and the critically acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning series "Battlestar Galactica."
Howe also spearheaded a major overhaul of Syfy’s brand strategy, focused on redefining the genre and making it more relatable and accessible to a broader audience and new generation of viewers. This lead the way for record-breaking hit drama series, "Eureka," and hit reality series, "Ghost Hunters," which have attracted record numbers of new, female and younger viewers to the channel.
Howe has been instrumental in shaping Syfy’s pioneering digital strategy, ensuring Syfy remains at the forefront of digital growth and innovation. Howe orchestrated the launch of a successful portfolio of Syfy.com standalone sites, including technology blog DVICE, gaming site Fidgit and SCI FI Wire, the on-line destination for the entire science fiction genre’s entertainment news.
Howe has played a lead role in Syfy's consistent ratings and revenue growth, firmly establishing its top 10 cable network ranking and culminating in its best year ever in both ratings and revenue in 2008. Syfy continues to demonstrate unprecedented growth in all key demographics fueled by its original dramatic and reality series. Syfy is widely regarded as one of the best-branded and marketed channels on television. The Channel has been honored with numerous accolades, including a D&AD Award, a Clio, countless PROMAX & BDA awards, two Cannes Lions, two One Club Awards, as well as a 2004 Gold Effie Award for the campaign promoting TAKEN.
In 2003, Howe was the recipient of the prestigious Brandbuilders Award. Presented by PROMAX & BDA, Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News, the honor was awarded in recognition of his industry leadership and outstanding dedication to branding in the electronic media.
Prior to joining Syfy, Howe spent 15 years at the BBC in London, most recently as head of the BBC’s on-air marketing and creative services division (now part of Red Bee Media), where he is credited with building the BBC’s multi-award-winning in-house creative team, which has delivered acclaimed on- and off-air campaigns, as well as world-class branding for the BBC’s 17 UK and international TV channels, including BBC America, BBC World and the UK flagship broadcast channels BBC One and BBC Two. As Creative Director of the BBC’s new channels, Howe also directed the branding and on-air launch of the BBC’s five new commercial channels, UKTV, and the re-launch of the BBC’s new on-air corporate identity and program branding initiative.

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Movie Review: Aliens of the Deep by Lorraine Messina

IMAX 3-D

Directors: James Cameron, Steven Quale

Cast: Dijanna Figueroa, Dr. Jim Childress, Dr. Anatoly Sagalevitch, Loretta Hidalgo, James Cameron

Isn’t that the coolest photo you have ever seen! If you are looking for a family friendly movie to watch on Halloween, look no more.
This movie is a continuation of Mr. Cameron’s undersea adventures this time involving scientists and a robot named Jake.

In Mr. Cameron’s view undersea exploration is like exploring space and more exciting than filming aliens in front of a green screen.
There is a lot we don’t know about the depths of the ocean and Mr. Cameron has brought along a team of experts some of whom
have worked in space to explain what they have uncovered on their exploration in Aliens of the Deep.

At times the movie is slow with researchers explaining how creatures pulled up from the depths of the ocean are examined and studied.
The most interesting video footage comes from the robot Jake. Jake was able to get up close and personal with some crustaceans that
enjoy volcano water jets and smoke. Jets hot enough to melt the windows of the submersible sub making it a very interesting underwater
Jacuzzi to watch.

I watched this movie on DVD which probably doesn’t do it justice as opposed to the IMAX experience with the 3D glasses.
The DVD does not possess bonus features and I did miss the humorous out takes that would have made the DVD more fun to watch.

Only on the big screen can you get that submersed feeling and that theater sound system that sends chills up your spine. Maybe I am
one for cheap thrills yet this movie did pass the time on a rainy afternoon and would make a nice addition at a kids Halloween party.
It is educational and does posses those creepy looking aliens.

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The Today Show with Special Guest Steve Ballmer the CEO of Microsoft

A News Brief by Lorraine Messina

At the Today Show today Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft demonstrated Windows 7. The demonstration went well without any glitches. For those of you that have not been to New York City to watch the Today Show live, it is a very interesting experience. The Today Show is filmed in a TV studio located in Rockefeller Center. People in the plaza can watch the show by looking through a glass window. The studio backdrop actually rolls down at times revealing the commentators and the audience standing outside the window. In the plaza outside the studio two cameras are setup to video tape the audience.

Today Steve Ballmer was a guest. You can watch his interview on the Today Show at this link:

http://www.cultofmac.com/video-watch-steve-ballmer-intro-windows-7-on-today-show-no-bsd-unfortunately/19398

There were also some free tee shirts given away to mark the Windows 7 launch event.

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Jason Marcus: A Fresh Young Comic from Boston by Lorraine Messina

He’s fast and he’s hot! Jason Marcus is a young comic from Boston, Massachusetts that has participated in several nationwide comedy contests. Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with Jason about his latest projects, his comedy and working in the entertainment field.


Lorraine:

Please tell us about your experience at the Laugh Your Asheville Off Comedy Festival.

Jason:

The LYAO Festival was the best comedy festival that I have ever participated in. The staff really knew what they were doing and they were extremely professional and supportive in every aspect of the event. They did an excellent job of promoting the shows so that the tickets were almost sold out every night and it really makes for a better performance if the comics aren’t performing in front of only other comics and industry panelists. Another thing that was head and shoulders above nearly every festival that I have done is there actually was industry present at the shows, offering advice and work for comics who did well. The LYAOF staff set all the comics up in a nicer hotel with a great discounted rate and even provided a shuttle to and from the hotel to the shows. They also had plenty of events following the festival every night to keep comics around to comfortably network and tell road stories on stage at a bar next door.

Lorraine:

What was the event like, that is, how much stage time did comics get?

Jason:

I had a blast; I drove down to Asheville with fellow comic and good friend, Sean Wilkinson. We recorded a mini travel video our adventure and of our experiences every night at the festival before and after every show. Performing on stage at the Diana Worthem Theatre was AMAZING. It was my first time ever performing in a theatre and it was intense. The place was nearly sold out every night so it would have been kind of intimidating if the festival staff and other comics hadn’t been so supportive and fun. We all got 10 minutes to do our thing and they weren’t too harsh on anyone who had gone over (and there was a bunch of them.)

Lorraine:

Who was there?

Jason:

There were so many great comics from around the country present at the festival, people I’d met at different festivals over the years in Las Vegas, New York, and Detroit as well as comics I’ve met on the road at random places. Almost everyone was outstanding; I watched every show as a huge fan of nearly everybody I saw.

Lorraine:

What positive outcome came from performing at the Festival?

Jason:

I made a lot of new friends and reconnected with a lot of old ones; I got to work with comics who are so good that it makes me feel miserably unfunny in comparison ha-ha. I even got some work out of it. Plus I got to see beautiful Asheville, North Carolina and perform in front of the biggest audience in my career to date in a beautiful theatre.

Lorraine:

Where does your comedy come from? If it is from your family background, in what way did your family influence your creative talent?

Jason:

My comedy comes from my neuroses, my irrational fears, and what I’ve seen in my real life every day. I wouldn’t call it observational humor in the same way that people describe Seinfeld’s comedy where he finds the funny in random everyday things; my comedy is more of an observation of the unfunny things about everyday life. My experiences create a broad range of topics, from racism and pro-life activists, to addressing the parallels of dating strippers and dating the prom queen. I think my family plays a huge role in my comedy, my mom is my rock and my dad is a lunatic. On top of everything, I grew up with racially mixed parents (white mother and Hawaiian father) although that never mattered inside of our home; it was a constant issue everywhere else. In a lot of ways comedy is an outlet for me to laugh about things that otherwise wouldn’t be funny at all… but that’s life I think and when you get it, it’s hilarious.

Lorraine:

How did you get started in the entertainment field? Do you have an academic background in the performing arts?

Jason:

I have always wanted to be a comic; I grew up listening to George Carlin and Richard Pryor at a really young age. I think they inspired me to try to be funny at family parties; it really was all about making the grownups laugh. I knew that if I could do that they wouldn’t think I was just a dumb kid and they’d treat me like I was one of them. That mentality and reasoning carried on with every group of people I admired all through my life. I got my first chance to perform kind of on a whim as a friend of mine was running a variety show at his college and when one of his acts dropped out, he needed to fill the time and he said, “you were always hilarious, would you want to just come in and do some standup comedy for 20 minutes” I didn’t think it would be that hard so I did it and the crowd was actually into it, I didn’t have any jokes at that time, just sad and true stories that I’d made funny by not crying as I told them. It was a rush and I was hooked. I always wonder if I would have kept doing comedy if the audience had hated me that night instead of laughing and being so cool.

Lorraine:

What are your current projects?

Jason:

Currently, I’m working on a few writing projects and trying to get on the road more. I am trying to write a feature (like everyone else in the world), I’m writing a lot of sketches, and of course I’m always writing new jokes. The feature I am writing is kind of a secret but I can tell you it’s not really a comedy... but if it is, it’s more of a dark comedy. Its one of the kind of movies that I have always hated where the good guy doesn’t necessarily win in the end and your left with same kind of feeling that is conjured up in the movie the Shawshank Redemption when Tim Robbins isn’t able to fight off “the Sisters” in the laundry room. I am also working on a series of sketches with comedian Sean Wilkinson about a former mini golf champion and his alcohol/mental illness driven fall from grace entitled, ”Booze Allen: Semi-Professional Mini golf Champion “ part 1 of 3 is already on YouTube and has been getting generally positive feedback.

Lorraine:

I hear you perform at colleges. How would you rate your material? PG 13?

Jason:

I love doing college shows! I would rate my material PG-13 but I can change the depth of my material to be cleaner or dirtier depending upon what is appropriate for the room. I do a lot of charity shows and typically it’s all the same jokes just with the “F word” taken out.

Lorraine:

What colleges have booked you? How should people contact you regarding a performance?

Jason:

I have done a lot of colleges in the New England area and as far as contacting me for bookings please contact me at Jasonmarcuscomedy@gmail.com or visit any of my social networking sites.

www.Facebook.com/jasonmarcuscomedy

www.Myspace.com/jaycomedy

www.Jasonmarcus.com

Lorraine:

What advice do you have for new comics?

Get out and get on stage as many times as you can every single night. If you live in a comedy town (Boston, Austin, Seattle, San Fran, LA, etc...) there is no excuse for you to not to be getting onstage every night as many times a night as possible in order to get better at your craft. If you don’t live in a comedy town and are serious about becoming a comic, pack your bags and move your butt to a comedy town!!! The only way to get better at comedy, the only way to become a competent comic is by performing a lot...to the point where you are the same guy/girl off stage that you are on stage. You should be really comfortable with a microphone and it’s the only way you are going to find your real voice as a comic. Comedy, like everything else takes a lot of practice and dedication. Don’t give up, try out new jokes, get a tight 7 minutes, and become a student of comedy by reading every book, article, newspaper review, or blog and go out and see live comedy as often as you can, take notes on how the greats move and keep a rhythm on stage. This should take you forever.

Lorraine:

Where are you currently performing?

Jason:

All over New England. Please visit www.myspace.com/jaycomedy for an updated schedule.

Lorraine:

Do you have a link to a video online?

Jason:

Yes.

Either //www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFR-6AFqNq4

or

//jasonmarcus.com/Media.html

Lorraine:

Visit Jason on Twitter too at:

http://twitter.com/Jason_Marcus

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Great Soup Recipe

Check out this great soup recipe that will keep you warm on cold days. Mushroom Spinach Soup.

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Movie Review: Frost/Nixon by Lorraine Messina

Universal Pictures

Directed by Ron Howard
Written by Peter Morgan and based on his play.

Richard Nixon: Frank Langella
David Frost: Michael Sheen
Bob Zelnick: Oliver Platt
James Reston: Sam Rockwell
Jack Brennan: Kevin Bacon
Caroline Cushing: Rebecca Hall
Swifty Lazar: Toby Jones
John Birt: Matthew Macfadyen
Pat Nixon: Patty McCormack

A great movie based on Peter Morgan’s play of the 1977 Watergate Interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon. The performances of Richard Nixon played by Frank Langella and David Frost played by Michael Sheen were just superb. These two actors really captured the motivation behind the interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon. I have heard that Mr. Langella asked the film crew to refer to him as “Mr. President” as a way to stay in character. A technique that definitely worked for him.

Keep in mine the movie isn’t a truly accurate representation of the interviews yet it is a very gripping movie to view and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I just love the retro décor in the movie. The movie was filmed at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and at the Nixon compound in San Clemente, California. These filming locations in the movie give the movie a realistic feel that makes viewing it such a pleasure. It really makes you feel that you seeing history created all over again.

After viewing the DVD for this movie I was fortunate to watch the actual Frost/Nixon interviews being re-broadcasted on PBS. It was a great coincidence to have the opportunity to compare the movie to the actual interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon. The movie’s recreation of the event does do it justice. No doubt that is why the movie earned several Oscar nominations. I would highly recommend watching both the movie and the footage of the actual interviews. You can watch the real Frost/Nixon interviews at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH8qujkk3rU

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Celebrity Interviews

More celebrity interviews coming soon!

Movie Review: Julie and Julia by Lorraine Messina

Columbia Pictures

Directed by Nora Ephron
Screenplay by Ephron and Julie Powell, based on her book

Julia Child: Meryl Streep
Julie Powell: Amy Adams
Paul Child: StanleyTucci
Eric Powell: ChrisMessina
Simone Beck: Linda Emond
Louise Bertholle: Helen Carey
Madame Brassart: Joan Juliet Buck
Dorothy McWilliams: Jane Lynch

Loved Meryl Streep as Julia Child in the movie Julie and Julia. The theater audience equally loved Ms. Streep’s portrayal of the famous chef. I haven’t heard so much laughter from an audience in a long time. What a trip it was to view this movie. An Oscar nod should definitely go to Ms. Streep. She just sings her way through this movie. It is so funny to watch her Julia Child mannerisms and the audience thought so too.

On the other hand Amy Adams’s portrayal of Julie Powell wasn’t so bold. Ms. Adams interpreted Julie Powell as a sweet innocent victim of an idea to get herself out of the doldrums by cooking all of Julie Child’s 524 cookbook recipes in 365 days. The whole feat Ms. Powell chronologized in an online blog. I would have liked to have seen more drama in the role. There were some blood, sweat, and tears but I think it should have been more empowering to watch
than it was.

Being a blog writer myself I can certainly identify with the long hours needed to create interesting content. I clearly could relate to this in the movie. The two hours spent watching the movie did go quickly and I didn’t find myself glancing down at my watch at all.

There were a few technical details of the movie that I wished were cleaned up. A couple times I could see the camera lights in the eye glasses worn by the actors. It shows a lack of attention to details from the technical staff but I maybe more perceptive than some people are. It’s one of those pet peeves I have. I like the movie to be real, that is, when a couple is in
a bedroom there should be no headlights shining in their eyes.

I am dating myself now, but if you use to watch the old Julia Child cooking shows as I did, this movie should delight you. It is always fun to reminisce.

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Great Laughs with Owen Smith

By: Lorraine Messina







Comedian Owen Smith is sizzling in his new comedy DVD called Anonymous. Anonymous will be the featured anchor show on the new BBN Network coming this September. Owen currently writes for the TV show Everybody Hates Chris and has a pilot show in the works called The Judge Moore Show. You can see Owen perform at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles and he appears in a number of Fiber One TV commercials.

Born in Nassau, Bahamas and raised in the Washington, DC area, Owen’s unique ability to look at this rough society and still paint a clean picture has audiences gasping for air all over the country! Destined for success and longevity, this energetic 1995 Notre Dame graduate has already logged appearances on NBC’s Friday Night, BET’s Comic View,
HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, the hit ABC sitcom Cupid and Comedy Central.

Clearly one of the hottest young comics today Owen’s realistic and honest approach to comedy is very refreshing. He blends stories about himself with things that people can relate to making his take on comedy very unique.

Owen draws his comedy from his personal family experiences. When he was nine months old his parents separated and his mother took him with her to live in Maryland. Owen fondly remembers his mom telling him the very first time he ever flew on an airplane he flew first class. Definitely a sign of things to come for this young comic. Owen would visit his father in the Bahamas every summer and in his early 20’s, after graduating Notre Dame, he lived in Chicago for five years before moving to Los Angeles where he currently resides.

Owen has been in the entertainment field for over fifteen years. His advice to new comics is: “Don’t rush to success.” “Enjoy the journey.” Owen feels that the best way to success on stage is to perform a lot, record your shows, watch them,
prepare and study. Be sure to study clips from new comics as well as the great masters.

Watch Owen’s very funny videos online at:

http://www.owensmithlive.com/

http://comedians.comedycentral.com/owen-smith

Check out Owen’s web site:

http://www.owensmithisfunny.com

Become a fan of Owen’s on Facebook:

http://bit.ly/FDNLX

http://www.facebook.com/owenlol

Follow Owen on Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/owenlol

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/owensmithtv

Purchase Owen Smith: Anonymous at Owen’s Website or on Amazon.com

http://bit.ly/LCxdC

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