James Bond 007, Casino Royale, seemed like it was time for me to catch up with the rest of the world and watch when it came on USA.  So, I’m watching the movie and there is a blaring flaw that I just can’t knock.  So, I started to do my research and came up with the notion that Ian Fleming wrote the James Bond series as a fantasy of the man he wished he could have been.

So then why if Casino Royale was the first James Bond book Fleming wrote and the movies that were later made reflected real life signs and times, then why would they have computers and cell phones in a world that would seem to be 1953?  Didn’t anyone else catch this major flaw?

I think we lose ourselves in fantasy too many times and forget what is supposed to be happening on the screen.  But, setting and reality have always been scrutinized heavily by the media if the producer and director wasn’t on top of things.

A phone in a Benjamin Franklin movie would be a glaring discrepancy.

A helicopter landing in a caveman movie would be a huge embarassment.

Why are there computers and cellphones in Casino Royale ?

Posted under Celebrity, James Bond, Reviews, ian fleming

Burn Notice is the real world equivalent to video games.  Ok, we’re not really even there yet.  It’s television.  It’s Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell and Sharon Gless.

You know, Cagney & Lacey.  She was Cagney.

Anyway, so they’re actors.  Michael Weston isn’t a real life operative who runs around Miami saving innocent people.  He’s an actor who walks off the set after a long day and goes home.

But, a video game is worse.  First of all, it doesn’t prove real parameters.  And just like Burn Notice, video games can be turned off at the end of the day and the player can go about living a somewhat normal life.

So, where does Burn Notice surpass the video games?

Actually, that’s easy.  For viewers, we get to see a man in action.  What would it be like if a man were actually burned from the CIA and ended up in Miami with all of his assets frozen and no identity, but the one he left behind years ago?

But, it’s more than that.  It keeps us interested because Michael Weston has gone through stages.  Each one harder than the one before.  Not many shows can say that.  They become stagnant and are unable to get us any further, which ultimately leads to their end.

With Michael Weston’s journey, we have watched him start over.  FBI were following him just to see what he was up to and they were relying on Michael’s best friend Sam to be their informant.  Sam only told them what would serve Michael’s interests best, so that worked out for him.

But then, the FBI were called off the job and an agent was put on him.  He made life a little tough and almost had Michael backed into a corner, ready to give up the spy business.  But in true Michael Weston style that we have all grown to love, he turns the books and the agent is taken off the case.

An assassin enters the picture and Michael takes care of that too.  But just when you think no one can get at Michael Weston, a handler is called to, well, “Handle” him.  Season One ends with a meeting he has been building up for since he first was burned.

Season Two picks up where Season One left off with Michael Weston driving a borrowed car into the back of a dark trailer.  It appears that we have reached a level we didn’t know existed.

Now, Michael Weston has a “boss” but he’s a rogue agent.  In other words, he’s not back yet.  But, he’s on his way.  His handler sends him on missions and through contact with her, Michael is like a grabby little kid.  If you put candy out in front of him, he will take it.  But, Michael Weston will look at it and diagnose it.  He won’t eat it.  Candy dangled in front of Michael Weston is just a source of information that gets him to where he wants to go.

Michael takes little by little and learns more and more about his handler.  Then, as he gets close she hires another rogue agent to keep a tighter check on Michael.  They get into some sticky stuff together and it all turns out good.  But then, as fast as the agent comes into his life he is gone.

Now, the world is chaos for the CIA and his handler.  It’s working out real well for Michael Weston, until he is almost killed in an explosion.  But, without skipping a beat Michael returns the next episode ready to find the man who tried to kill him.

Michael steadily gets closer and closer to the man who tried to kill him and by the end of Season Two, he has him in custody.  It appears that his old handler, the rogue agent is the culprit.  But, Michael decides to form an alliance with him to go after Carla.  It’s the perfect plan because when Fi finally gets her chance to take Carla out, she does so with precision.  But, that’s not until Michael’s newly formed alliance is also shot.

With two agents down, it appears that Michael has an oppening.  Management picks him up in a helicopter to ask him if he wants the position.  When Michael declines, his only way out is to jump out of the helicopter into the water below.  No more handlers.  But, no more protection either.

Very logical, very precise step by step levels that viewers loved following.  But, now what?  The New Season is coming and we can only hold on for the ride.

Posted under Bruce Campbell, Burn Notice, Cagney & Lacey, Gabrielle Anwar, Jeffrey Donovan, Sharon Gless

Variety, Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - Robert Abele writes about The Office 100th Episode and brings up some interesting dialog about the innovative nature of the American version.  My attention actually started with the first line, which contrary to popular practices, my attention span normally hits somewhere after the introductory blah, blah, blah.  I’ve learned to scan for information and I have an internal trigger that lets me know when the real stuff is about to begin.  So, sue me.

Anyway, I was drawn from the first sentence, “It wasn’t the ideal situation…”  I wondered what could be meant by that.  The Office is the off-spring of the British show with so many differences that it hardly looks the same anymore.  So, what could be wrong with a show that has met with its own success?  I didn’t realize I was reading that backwards.  I had put the cart before the horse, so I was thrown off by it.

The “Single-Camera Mockumentary Format” of The Office is just part of its allure.  I love how lost Michael Scott is when it comes to management, “You have to play to win, but you also…have to…win…to play.”  And Ryan is supposed to take something meaningful from that.  But, Michael is a very competent sales person.  His track record stands for itself.  Challenged by anyone in sales and he can blow them out of the water.  Even his superiors would say that, even though they can’t and won’t say anything good about his management skills.

And then, there are times when you see experience in Michael’s management abilities.  Jim took over one day so Michael could go out into the wild and try to survive.  Meanwhile, Jim was bombarded with plenty of requests when he tried to make it so that everyone’s birthday could be celebrated on the same day.  When Michael returned to the office, he and Jim shared the experience.  It seems that Michael had learned from his own mistakes, the same ones Jim had just made.

How the relationship between Jim and Pam is the perfect example of how The Office is making landmark decisions that throws traditional notions out of the window.  Sitcoms have previously made a big thing out of the chase and then destroyed the relationship once it was established.  Jim and Pam had their tensions at the beginning, but they’re over now.  The relationship is strong and its not being outplayed in the show.  It’s there and we all know it.  But, it’s not shoved down our throats and we really appreciate that.

This is the stuff of The Office.  But, there is so much more to the American version.  When Jim plays a joke on Dwight, it’s always good for a laugh.  When the entire office is placing bets, that’s just too good for television.  Getting off work early as in tonight’s episode is the stuff that makes The Office work.  There is perfect chemistry between the characters.  There is so much going on that the show can literally go in any direction and then redirect itself.  This is one perfect show.  And it’s starting to wear off on other shows.

Parks and Recreation was created with a great template in place and it’s only a matter of time before it finds its own wings.  It’s already showing signs of being able to take off, but it is still stuck in its awkward beginnings.  By the way, that’s what kept viewers watching.

I think The Office has tapped into something that is not just Americana, but deeply human.  Uttered perfectly by Jennifer Aniston in Friends years ago, “I can not not watch this.”

It has an awkward hilarity that we can’t stop watching.  The Office started off that way and it kept us watching.  I’m sure it’s that awkward hilarity that drew our attention to the British version in the first place.  The Office now has strong momentum and I think they’re going to share it with plenty of shows to follow.

Posted under Celebrity, Jenna Fischer, Jennifer Aniston, John Krasinski, Parks and Recreation, Reviews, Robert Abele, Steve Carell, The Office, Variety

Shortly after writing A Danger to Society, I was contacted by a business woman out in California who wanted me to write her life story. She said it was stranger than fiction. I could relate. So, I agreed.

I was taken on one huge ride over the next couple of months. It had taken her over thirty years to live the life that she wanted portrayed in the book. But, the book soon took on a life of its own. She told me all about her sexual pursuits and then she started flirting with me. I tried to keep the relationship purely professional. But, she was persistent.

When I sent her the finished book, she invited me to California where we met for the first time. She said she couldn’t stand how truthful the book had become. She had completely exposed herself and she wasn’t going to be able to go through with publishing it. I begged her to reconsider. But, she eventually ended up giving me the full copyrights as long as I changed the names and places in the book.

I agreed. I loved the book. I had lived part of it. It was a part of me and I didn’t want to let it go. So, I contacted a beautiful model Paula Kaiser and asked her if I could use one of her photos for the cover of the book. She agreed. All she wanted was a mention on the copyright page. That was more than perfect for me.

Over the years, with each new project I took on, the book slowly faded into a memory. I don’t know why. But, I was working so hard on establishing myself as a writer and always thinking in the back of my mind that Ashlie Wrote would get published once I had accomplished some other things in life first.

Then one day, after wrapping up a screenplay for a producer in Texas and writing a treatment for a director in Maryland, I saw the bookcover I had created years ago and I thought about the book. It suddenly became a passion of mine to publish. I had a new fire in me burning to make Ashlie Wrote into something special.

But, I wasn’t sure if Paula Kaiser would remember giving me permission to use her photo. So, I thought about it for a few days and something dawned on me. I wanted to run a bookcover contest. I wanted to get models involved and have them compete. So, I opened up the Ashlie Wrote Bookcover Contest to all models or anyone who wants to be on the bookcover of Ashlie Wrote.

The contest will run until the end of July, 2009 and the Ashlie Wrote community will vote for the winner. The winning model will be placed on the cover of Ashlie Wrote as well as mentioned in the copyright page along with her website, agency or company if she so desires. People interested in entering do not have to be professional models.

So, this is the official call for those who are interested in being on the cover of Ashlie Wrote to visit the ashliewrote.com website and enter. The more active you are, the greater your chances become to win. Upload videos, pictures, write a bio and stay active. Promote yourself to your family and friends. But most of all, make sure you have fun.

Posted under Celebrity, Michael Allen

The journey began watching a commercial with Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange.  The movie, Grey Gardens.  I wasn’t interested until I saw Drew Barrymore really act the part of Little Edie.  She came alive and I had no idea who this character was supposed to be.

The Beales of the Hamptons, Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale is the story of two ladies who were once in high society.  Big Edie Bouvier Beale is actually the aunt of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, making Little Edie her first cousin.  But, what makes these two characters so remarkable is their retreat inside their home in the Hamptons.

Years go by and they live in absolute isolation.  Little Edie who once was a fashion model and an elite American socialite, is now in her 50s when the first “Raid” takes place.  The Suffolk County Health Department caught attention of the dilapidated condition of the home and decided to inspect.  Not being up to code, the Edies face eviction.

This story makes headlines around the fall of 1971and was featured in both the National Enquirer and the New York magazine.  Of course, Jackie Onassis comes to their aid and brings the home up to code so the two ladies won’t get evicted.  But, the story doesn’t stop there.  They continue to live in poverty and seclusion.

Grey Gardens, surrounded by beautiful houses in every direction, is standing in the middle of this prestigious community, an ocean front property with paint chips peeling, screen doors tearing, raccoons rummaging, cats peeing, and fleas biting.  The Edies keep themselves great company, living in their pasts.  They reminisce daily.  The don’t move forward.  They don’t think about moving forward.  They are stuck in their past, reliving moments they once had.

The Maysles brothers enter in 1975 when they decide to do a documentary of these two ladies.  Big Edie likes to sing and has a way with words that are quite interesting.  But, Little Edie dances around and talks to the camera often in a conspiratal tone.  The words that come from her are priceless and have been coined by many who just wanted to frame Little Edie in history for her way of remarking about the world and society, the way things are and the way things should be.

My father gave my mother a fake Mexican divorce.  (Because the Catholic Church didn’t recognize it…)

They’ll get you for wearing red shoes downtown on Thursday.  (A comment on the Un-America of America…)

This is the costume of the day.  (Commenting on her sense of style, which had slipped somewhat at this point…)

I’m a staunch lady.  How could they have known how to deal with me?  I’m staunch, s-t-a-u-n-c-h.

And so many others, it is hard to count.  The Maysles brothers recorded them talking, singing, dancing and just about anything else of interest.  They caught the fire on camera, when no one knew what to do.  They finally found water and put it out, by the time the fire trucks came.

That’s where the raccoon found a nice little way of getting around, now through the hole in the floor.  But, Little Edie just drops bread there so the raccoon has something to eat.

In the large house, I believe I read or heard that there were 17 rooms, they both slept in one room and stayed in that room mainly throughout the day.  There is footage of them on the porch enjoying the sun.  There are scenes of them in the kitchen or in the foyer.  But, not much.

Little Edie puts on several shows for the camera in the front yard.  She dances on the front porch and tries on different outfits.  I think she might have developed a small crush on the camera guy.  She does seem to flirt, but that could be her nature and memories of years gone by coming out in her.

Two years later, Big Edie passes away.  Little Edie stays in the house for another two years before finally selling it.  It’s a completely restored, beautiful estate now.

But, Little Edie tried her hand at Cabaret one more time before finally settling down in Bal Harbor, Florida in 1997.  She kept in touch with family and close friends.  She had some adoring fans.  The documentary on the Grey Gardens had made her a cult classic and there is some really interesting footage of her.

She finally passed away at the age of 84, in 2002.  The story of Grey Gardens became a Broadway Musical and now Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange have reenacted the Maysles documentary.  It’s always interesting to me what strikes us as noteworthy, worthy enough to be noted.

If the two ladies hadn’t been family of Jackie Onassis, would we care?  Would we make such a big deal out of it?

The only answer I have is that they once were among the elite, and they decided to decline into isolation.  They relived those years in their minds as Little Edie is often depicted as studying herself in a small mirror.  In live footage of her, I only see a magnifying glass.  But, both are symbolic of the bigger picture.  Either she was constantly looking at herself or magnifying the world around her, Little Edie had found a part of us that she didn’t like all too well.  She commented on it.  She sneered at it.

Perspectives.  Impressions.  Conformity.  Expectations.  These are not the best parts of ourselves, of our world.  The un-American of America strips away our differences and finds a way to tie down our freedoms.

Grey Gardens is an old dilapidated house in the Hamptons.  But to many of us, it is the home where we need to return.  It is the isolation we all need to embrace, so that we can find ourselves again.  It is that symbol of true love between a mother and a daughter that brothers, sisters, fathers, sons and friends need to find.

Because if you can still love someone after you’ve seen them at their very worst, then you deserve them at their very best!  I think Marilyn Monroe can be credited as having said something similar.

Posted under Big Edie, Celebrity, Drew Barrymore, Edie Beale, Grey Gardens, Jackie Kennedy, Jackie O, Jackie Onassis, Jessica Lange, Little Edie, Reviews