John Wood (RIP) and Link Roundup

Before the link roundups I wanted to say a fond farewell to British actor John Wood who died at 81 this weekend in his sleep. I'll always remember him as the Bishop of Aquila who was driven to madness and lust by the beauty of the young Michelle Pfeiffer in Ladyhawke (1985). It happens.

Though the Tony winner spent much of his time on stage he also had several screen roles including parts in hits like War Games (1983), critical darlings like Orlando (1993) and The Purple Rose of Cairo (1995) and Oscar favorites like The Madness of King George (1994) and Chocolat (2000). His final feature film was also the final Merchant/Ivory film The White Countess (2005). RIP John Wood.

Socialite Life Harry Shum Jr (Glee) is taking voice lessons. Guess he doesn't wanna wear that "CAN'T SING" t-shirt on the show anymore.
Vulture surveys Southern accents in the movies and compares them to the real thing.
Kenneth in the (212) remembers Body Heat (1981) and bemoans the passage of time. It gets us all!
i09 Matt Damon is playing a cyborg in Neil Blomkamp's District 9 follow up Elysium. Here's some unofficial photos so proceed at your own risk.
Cinema Blend surveys the extremely crowded December release schedule... in 2012. It's already crazy. Zombie epic World War Z with Brad Pitt is the latest inductee. 

Stale Popcorn Glenn surveys the 60 (gasp) films he watched at the Melbourne Film Festival. Drive gets his number one spot and Melancholia is another favorite.

Off Cinema
The Awl shares t-shirts on view at 2011's Lollapalooza (they still have that?). This amused me for some reason. 
Tom Shone on the election of 2012 and Rachel Maddow's problematic prediction. I so agree and Shone always give good prose. 

"Happy Birthday Mr. President"

Barack Obama is 50 years old today! Movie stars don't sing to presidents anymore. Such a shame.

If you could pick an actress to sing to Obama today, who would it be?

OOPS. I spoke too soon. In the wee hours just as this was scheduled to post, the internet started sharing video of dreamgirl Jennifer Hudson singing to him late Wednesday night. Here that is 

Gay Marriage Equality In New York

This is one of the nights, a history maker, as New York legalized same sex marriage. It's a win-win for everyone... it's just that some people don't know it yet. Eventually they'll make movies about this and everyone will watch and think "Duh! Of course" and imagine themselves fighting the good fight with the protagonists and shake their heads at the small minded antagonists. Ah, those "safely in the past" message movies. But it's all part of the predictable beauty of social progress. Eventually everyone ends up on the same side (which is why one should always cross first and help with the bridge building.)

In the past decade of the movies, we've seen some beautiful transformative and realistic depictions of gay love onscreen. We love to dream about fictional couples here at the Film Experience but the beauty of what's happened tonight in New York is what it will mean for the dreams of real couples, just living their lives together day in and day out.

Much love to all. Happy Pride Weekend!

P.S. The Empire State Building is rainbow tonight -- previously scheduled for Pride but I can't see it due to all the fog. Here's a photo. Sunday's parade is going to be insane.

TV @ The Movies: Parks and Recreation

Summer is a strange time at Chez Nathaniel. Though I'm a film guy, summer movie season isn't really even close to my favorite movie time. And though I'm not totally a TV guy, I miss my shows (No Mad Men this summer is going to be the strangest).

Fr'instance, I'm already missing Parks & Recreation since the fantastic two part Season Finale aired a week back.

The Haverford Charm Ray! wah-wah-wah

You know I LOL'ed at this moment when Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari) decides to use the "Haverford Charm Ray" on an old lady who works on the dread 4th Floor. How to do it? Flatter her with screen goddess comparisons.

He wants this old lady to do his work for him. Time to butter her up.

Click to read more ...

It's OK to be Takei!

I grew up watching Star Trek. Not by choice exactly but my parents and siblings were all totally into it so it seems like it was always on the television. Damn you syndication! My favorite character was Lt. Sulu (George Takei) with Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) as runner up. Apparently, I was all about the lieutenants. And the tribbles... but that was, like, one episode.

Not that I was a Trekkie. But those Lieutenants got me through since I didn't otherwise care.

George Takei officially came out in 2005, though he hadn't really been technically "in" per se, and since then he's become such a witty and adamant champion of human rights that he's made me so proud in retrospect for my good childhood taste to have dubbed him "favorite".

What's more, if you stop to think about it, his championing of human rights and his own history as the first Asian hero on US series television is in beautifully synchronicity with Star Trek's progressive diversity way back in the 1960s with its depiction of a peaceful multi-ethnic future.

You've probably seen this already -- Rachel Maddow featured it last night in her "best new thing in the world today" segment -- but here he is offering up a witty solution to Tennessee's homophobic legislation.

That is soooo Takei.

Fighting hatred not with more hatred but with humor and heart? What a class act. You can buy "It's okay to be Takei" merchandise if you're so inclined.