Forget Angelina and Brad

They are just pale imitations of the most passionate couple that ever hooked up on a movie set. That's right kids, I am talking about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Okay, so it was before your time but they will go down in Hollywood history as one of the most scandalous couples ever. Their behaviour was so outrageous on the set of Cleopatra in Rome that they attracted paparazzi from all around the world and this was in the late 1950s. Sound familiar?

Their antics on and off the set almost sent Twentieth Century Fox into bankruptcy with the overrun costs of the movie. Liz was a trail blazer then and she still is now. She was the first actor to receive a million dollar paycheque and it was for - guess what kids? Cleopatra. The story goes that Liz didn't like the Cleopatra script so she thought she would ask for an outrageous sum - like a million bucks never thinking that the studio would go for it but they did and history was made.

Like Angelina, this wasn't Liz's first foray in stealing someone else's man. After the death of her husband Mike Todd, Liz was consoled by Mike's best friend, Eddie Fisher. Eddie was married at the time to Debbie Reynolds and they had two young children (you know Carrie Fisher from the original Star Wars, she's their daughter). As soon as you can say Cleopatra, Eddie had dumped Debbie for Liz and they eventually married in 1958 or 1959. Richard Burton was married with two young children also but that had never stopped him from catting around. Eventually Liz and Dick got divorced from their respective spouses and they married in 1964. They didn't live happily ever after either, they got divorced and then re-married and got divorced again. They were like magnets repelling themselves until sadly Richard died in 1984.

Angelina wasn't the first to adopt an orphan from a foreign country. Elizabeth has also adopted an orphan and she didn't give the child a prententious name like Shiloh. Liz has acted as a spokesperson for AIDS research almost from the beginning after her friend Rock Hudson died from the disease.

Elizabeth Taylor is one of the last of a dying breed. She was raised in the Hollywood studio system. She has worked with some of the best known actors, writers and directors including: Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Montgomery Clift, Tennessee Williams,and George Stevens and Mike Nichols (his latest flick was Closer) to name a few. So, the next time someone says how groundbreaking Brad and Angelina are - remember, they aren't - they are just poor imitations of Liz and Dick.

What's a girl to do?

I hope that this summer will not be an identical twin to last summer. Summer 2005 had crap all for movies if one was not into seeing sequels or other drivel. I cannot remember another summer like it. Oh wait, there was one movie that I was dying to see Dukes of Hazard! Like not....

As we approach the first week of June the only movies coming to town seem to be the big blockbusters which according to George Lucas are dying. See my first blog for details. If anyone has seen any great movies lately, please tell me in the comment section so that I won't have to spend the summer telling you all about the many classic films available in your local Blockbuster or Rogers. (However, I will be talking about some classic films so that was an idle threat). Thankfully there is a new season of the Sopranos which is fantastic. James Gandolfini is simply an amazing actor. But enough of that for now, there will be a Sopranos blog, count on it.

Mea Culpa

In my last blog "Odds and Sods", I inadvertently said that Gavin Rossdale's surname was Bush when in fact that is the name of the band that he is the lead singer for. Am I red? Gavin is married to the lovely Gwen Stefani and according to today's paper, they had a baby boy whom they named Kingston (a British name I believe)James McGregor Rossdale.

Anyhow I humbly apologize for my error (how many blogs do that?) and send my congratulations to the happy couple.

Odds and Sods

Just as he is about to turn 64, Paul McCartney announced that he and his bride Heather Mills McCartney are separating. How sad for them and their sensibly named child, Beatrice Millie aged 2. Of course once his first wife Linda passed away, Paul should have waited for me. However he was selfish and took up with Ms. Mills - oh well third times a charm and since the latest Mrs. McCartney is younger than I am there will be no quibbling about an age difference. I will even allow Stella McCartney to dress me. I have no problem wearing designer wear - my pocket book does but I don't.

If it doesn't work out with Mr. McCartney, I have heard that Mr. Hugh Grant will soon be on the market. Hugh baby, I am waiting. It must be the accent that I am attracted to.

Still dealing with British matters, Geri Halliwell aka Ginger Spice of the Spice Girls has given birth to a baby girl. As a sequel to my earlier blog on baby names just when you thought it could not get worse, Ms. Halliwell has named her child Bluebell (that's right, Bluebell) Madonna. The kid doesn't have a hope in hell of not being teased and it will only get worse when the other kids find out her mother was part of the Spice Girls.

Hopefully Bradgelina and Gwen Stefani and her husband Gavin Bush (could they change the surname?) will not name their child something stupid but I am not holding my breath.

Kinky Boots

You have to love the British film industry. If only the Canadian film industry could make the same sort of films. Of course we could have had a similar film policy to the British, one with quotas on the amount of Canadian content, but being nice Canadians we never developed our policies. However that is for another blog.

Back to British films. This latest charmer, Kinky Boots, has a rather formulaic story line with an ironic twist. Economic times have changed and the family business which has been around for hundreds of years simply doesn't work anymore. So what do you do when your father dies and leaves you his shoe factory which is going under? You have to develop a new product. Movies with similar story lines are Saving Grace (a widow selling pot to save the estate) and Green Fingers (where the cons learn a new way of life with flowers) just to name a couple.

I won't give the plot away but I think you can guess some of the story from the film's promotional poster. What could have been a dreary little film is given life with terrific performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor (who steals the show) and Joel Edgerton.

The film made its North American debut at the Sundance Film Festival where I believe it won the audience's best film award. There are some very funny parts, some sad parts, some predictable parts and it has no nudity and only one swear word.

If you can't see it in the theatre, then buy all means it is a sure bet as a rental.

The Da Vinci Code

Remember when I wrote the blog about the supposed death of the blockbuster. Well, in one week I think the season's first real blockbuster will be opening.

To be fair, I haven't read the Da Vinci Code. I received it as a gift for Christmas (Thank you cc) but havent' read it yet. I was thinking I would go see the film and then read the book because lately I like the book better than the film (when I see books being filmed) and didn't want to ruin the experience of the film for me. But my brand new book club has picked the Da Vinci Code as their new book so I have to hurry up and read it.

The vibes coming from the film promotion seem good. I saw Ron Howard on the Tonight Show talking about the flick. Ron sure has come a long way from Opie and Happy Days, dont' you think? He (Howard) is a masterful filmmaker where the story is the key and he ususally chooses a good cast to support his film vision. Hopefully, the same remains to be true here.

But what is with Tom Hank's haircut? Was Donald Trump's toupee maker not available? Sorry, I just had to say it so I won't be thinking it when I view the film.

Don't worry, I will let you know what I think of Da Vinci after I see it. Happy Mother's Day!