Chatting with Robert Osborne, Turner Classic Movies host 1

Film
robert osborne, turner classic movies host I very much enjoyed a chat with Robert Osborne who has achieved god-like status on TCM’s first-ever Classic Film Cruise. As we spoke, we were bobbling on the Celebrity “Millenium” cruise liner docked near to the coast of Cozumel in Mexico. Everyone loves this smart, sensitive man. He’s tall, ...

Update on our cabin for TCM Classic Cruise, boarding tomorrow

Film
Seeking assurance that we are getting the best, just like Paulette Goddard below, we asked the nice people at TCM to give us an advance peek at our cabin. They dispatched the following video snippet. Are those my hard-boiled eggs? I can’t tell until they get into the room.  Do you want a manicure? No, ...

Prepping for TCM Classic Cruise, departs Port of Miami Thursday

Film
We’re packing sun tan lotion and espadrilles for TCM Cruise, with stops in Key West and Cozumel, departing Thursday afternoon from Port of Miami. Having never taken a cruise before, I checked on the Internet to see what to expect. This is what a cruise “stateroom” looks like. Can’t wait to see what my “cabin” ...

Preparing our Letters of Transit for TCM Classic Cruise 1

Film
The moment arrives soon for the first-ever … er, the first annual Turner Classic Movies TCM Classic Cruise. We fly to Miami on Wednesday and set sail this Thursday for a fun long weekend of floating film geekdom!  Destinations: Key West and Cozumel. Getting our letters of transit in order is a huge challenge — ...

Janet Jackson, queen of the desert, thrills fans @ McCallum Theatre gala 4

Dance · Music · Reviews
Twenty minutes after Janet Jackson’s much anticipated “Number Ones: Up Close and Personal” gala concert was scheduled to start Thursday evening at Palm Desert’s McCallum Theatre, some in the audience began to squirm in their seats. Many of the theater’s older patrons, though geared for an unusual performance, were unaccustomed to late-starting rock shows. Suddenly, ...

To Palm Desert to see Janet Jackson

Music
After a weird and crazy night of windstorms in Los Angeles, we’re departing power-free Los Feliz and heading into the sandstorms of the California desert, east of Palm Springs. An amazing experience awaits us; we’re seeing Janet Jackson perform in a very small and intimate space, the McCallum Theatre of Palm Desert. Stay tuned to ...

Holiday picks: Joffrey ‘Nutcracker’ & Lula Washington ‘Kwanzaa’

Dance
Dance critics — that bad bunch of bah-hambugg’ers — roll their eyes at the words, “The Nutcracker.” But when the houselights dim, and the Tchaikovsky pours forth, just catch a glimpse of their faces. You know — when the Sugar Plum Whatzz’its dance before their eyes? They love it. You’d have to be a Certified ...

Experimental films by Topanga Canyon creatives @ Los Angeles Filmforum

Film · Ideas & Opinion
An upcoming program at Los Angeles Filmforum — screening experimental and avant-garde film and video art, documentaries, and experimental animation — captures my interest. It’s the ninth installment of Filmforum director Adam Hyman’s extensive and rigorous 24-program exhibition of experimental films made in L.A. between 1945 and 1980. This survey fits neatly into the time ...

Quiz: Who got the best gig @ MOCA gala, dancer or bartender? 3

Dance · Visual arts
    Rehearsals  15 hours none Performance  four hours four hours Competition 800 applicants me & my buddy Training MFA in performance from UCLA California bartender license Interactivity Stare like a zombie while guests gnaw on foie gras Chit-chat & flirt all night Drinks Bottle of water after four hours Free drinks all night long ...

The courage of Sara Wookey 4

Dance · Ideas & Opinion · Visual arts
The subject is the so-called performance art featuring nude dancers on display as dinner-party decorations at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s fundraising gala in mid-November. Some poked heads thru tables as patrons dined; others lay inert with skeletons draped on their bodies. All women decorating tabletops, mind you. No men. It’s a tired idea that ...