When It's OK to Start Over

I know I ripped an American Idol contestant a new one for starting "You Must Love Me" over a few years ago. A singer should never do that on live TV.

But the one time where it is appropriate is when a star like Marie Osmond is paying tribute to her tragically deceased son Michael on The Oprah Winfrey Show, with a very moving version of Pie Jesu. She needed a second start at it, and got much support from Oprah and her audience.

The one thing she didn't talk about on the show was Larry King's outing of Michael's treatment and rehab struggles during a live interview simply because he was pissed off that the Osmonds chose Oprah's show over his to celebrate all their years in show business. The man can sometimes be an ass, that's for sure.

Am I blaming Larry for Michael's death? Not by a long shot. But I'm sure King's faux pas didn't help.

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RIP Leslie Nielsen

We have lost a true comic legend today. Leslie Nielsen died today in Florida at the age of 84. Personally I will remember Mr. Nielsen for four things:

1) Laughing my guts out in 1988 at the Naked Gun at Edmonton's Capitol Square theater, particularly during the press conference scene and baseball finale.

2) Getting a rare chance to see his serious side in 1996 when he brought his one-man show Darrow to Edmonton's Citadel Theater.

3) After seeing Airplane! for the first time on TV, at the age of 12, I was going to write a very indignant letter to Messers. Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker. I was sure that there was no way the Bee Gees' Staying Alive should be in a scene set in the '40s. Didn't they know it wasn't out then? I'm sure it would have given them a laugh.

4) And of course, "Of course I'm serious. And don't call me Shirley."

Thanks for the joy sir.

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Stallone Vs. Austin

I had the chance to watch The Expendables tonight on DVD. As it was in the theater, it was a fun throwback to classic '80s action with the top stars of the last 20 years of the action genre. As usual, any detailed plot analysis is pointless.

But one aspect deserves some analysis. While watching the climactic fight between Sly and Steve Austin, it looked like Stone Cold might be forgetting the art of taking it to the safe edge and cutting, a standard action-movie practice. And a look at the Making Of featurette proved me right. With Stallone nursing a torn knee ligament, there's Steve bragging to the documentary crew that "that's no big deal in the wrestling ring...this movie stuff is b.s.". All this as we see Sly go to a Louisiana knee specialist who practically begs him to shut down the film and get it fixed. Cast commitments being what they are, he can't. So a cortisone injection has to suffice. I have new respect for Stallone as my contempt for Austin grows.

I can only hope that Austin's only comfort down the line isn't stone cold icepacks as his macho redneck swagger renders him a physically broken man like Mick Foley.

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Clint No-Brainer

In response to all the grousing I've seen online that the Leone films are not a part of the 35 Films 35 Years set: get over it already! Those films were put out by United Artists, not Warner Brothers. But for those craving their Man With No Name fix, MGM has put out The Man With No Name Trilogy, which can be had cheaply this holiday season.

And I've decided that if I can find 35...35 fire-sale cheap on Boxing Day, I might consider it...along with some Nerfs.

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Oscar Watch: The Kings Speech gets an R-rating for language - HitFix.com

Oscar Watch: The Kings Speech gets an R-rating for language - HitFix.com

OK, I know I said no more links, but this really caught my eye...using its for it's. Do we not care for spelling and grammar anymore? Charlie Brown had it right the first time he said "Good grief!"

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