Monday, September 23, 2013

"The Wizard Of Oz" 75th Anniversary IMAX 3-D Release

Andrew & I at the movie theater after our EXTREMELY

long but fabulous day. :)

Andrew got me a replica of the Wicked Witch's hat from

"Oz: The Great & Powerful" while we were in The Disney Store :)

And yes, I'm a dork so it made my day! <3 i="">

Well, the real beginning of the many celebrations Warner Bros. has in store for the 75th Anniversary of "The Wizard Of Oz", my all-time favorite movie and life's dedication (along with Judy, of corse) was the re-release of the film in IMAX 3-D for the first time ever! I've been hearing rumors and speculation about this for years now but who knew if it would ever really happen and if so, how it would turn out? It was publicly released on September 20th to rave reviews and unanimous praise from critics and fans alike.

Clearly, the reviews have nothing to do with the actual movie. I mean, it's "Oz"! It's the most watched and beloved movie ever made so it's success really depended on the execution of the IMAX restoration. In 2009, for it's 70th Anniversary, Warner's released a PRISTINELY restored print from the original three-strip technicolor negative for DVD and Blu-Ray. The movie truly never looked better... until NOW!

After the Broadway (Equity Fights AIDS) Flea Market today, which will be a blog in itself, Andrew took me to see it in Manhattan. I'd read all the articles, heard all the hype, talked to a few people who've seen it since it was released earlier this week, and even though I make it a rule NEVER to give into hype or expect things like this to live up to it, I made an exception because, for me, it's quite the event. I was not disappointed! Not only did it live up to my expectations, it surpassed them beyond my wildest imagination! They've done EVERYTHING they can with the film as far as removing dirt, aligning the strips of color, restoring the sound etc. in '09. It's been restored using the best possible technology available in the world. Now the real question: How do you take a 75 year old movie everyone has seen a million times and make it look like something new without destroying the original integrity of the film and making it look like a cheap ploy to prey on us Oz fans who will buy anything and EVERYTHING available to us?

Well, Congratulations, Warner Brothers! You've done it (again)! Classic movie fans have come to expect a certain standard of quality from Warners for a while now. They began restoring films like "Meet Me In St. Louis", "Gone With The Wind", "Singin' In The Rain", "Easter Parade", and so on and so forth a few years back. The first really major release was the Blu-Ray version o Judy's "A Star Is Born" which was done using original eliminates and the highest bit-rate quality available at the tine. But the pristine restorations have been going on since the early 2000's, but somehow they constantly manage to surpass their own best work. I think it's because this truly is a labor of love for the people who do this painstaking work. Reportedly over 1,000 people worked on this particular version of "Oz" and let me tell you, it shows!

From the very first scene when the lion roars, you're astounded! It's a brand new movie, yet it's the same film with the same characters we all grew up knowing and loving. I won't sit here and list every single moment of the movie. I mean we've all seen it! However some moments were just so breathtaking, they absolutely warrant mentioning. Let's start with "Over The Rainbow", naturally! To see up close like that makes you feel like she's right there, singing only to you. She look ravishing. And of corse, that moment we all wait for when she opens the door and leaves the black & white (or sepia) Kansas behind and reveals the Colorful Land Of Oz for the first time has always been movie magic at it's best and the moment we all wait for; but now, it's unlike anything you've ever seen! You're actually THERE! Every detail, every flower, every color, every bumble bee in every flower is surrounding you and you're just transported to Oz. The first time you see The Wicked Witch of The West appear in her signature red and orange smoke, it seems as if it could make you cough, it's so realistic! Glinda's wand, the Witche's broom (those small details) are really neat to see in 3-D. I must say though, for me, the two moments that just made me gasp out loud were the first glimpse you get The Emerald City and the shot showing the flying monkeys coming to abduct everyone for the witch.

As usual, I cried several times. I start at the first note of "Over The Rainbow" and then by the time Dorothy turns to the Scarecrow and says "I think I'll miss you most of all", I've gone through three packs of travel Kleenex.

25 years ago when Oz had it's 50th Anniversary, a lot of really quality merchandise was produced. Since then, the copyright has been sold and it's now all in Warner's hands. They have managed over the years since they acquired the rights to produce some nice things and five years ago for the 70th Anniversary, they did put out some cute things like Pez dispensers, a few dolls, and a handful of other okay collectables including the best "Ultimate Box Set" since "The Ultimate Oz" back in the 90's when MGM still had the rights and we, the world, still used VHS tapes. The 60th Anniversary set wasn't all THAT impressive. It was basically a rehash of the "Ultimate" set with different photos and glossier covers. However, this was also the beginning of high-def and the first really great DVD release, which at the time was a new thing. But here we are, fifteen years later, and fifteen years more technologically advanced, and I must say, I'm impressed with what we have to look forward to this year! This new latest "Ultimate" box set includes literally every form of media available to watch the movie on in it's new (and semi-new) glory and a few new other little glories. Also, due to the recent "Oz: The Great And Powerful", which was a big hit with the kids for Disney, Warners has launched a $25 million dollar ad campaign to promote the film (which is already seeing profits) and the box set and various home video releases haven't even been put on the shelves yet! Also, a few of the things i+I've seen are of pretty good quality, reminiscent of what we were seeing back in 1989 for the 50th Anniversary, which makes me really happy and excited as a lifelong devoted Oz collector! There are even some updated re-releases like John Fricke's fabulous Pictorial Oz History starting with its birth in 1900 as a children's book. At the end of this post, I'll include a few highlights (old and new) along with some links . However, I think that's enough babbling on about this for one evening. It's an exciting year for Oz fans (albeit and expensive one!). So make it as Oz-Some as possible! Yes, I just used the term Oz-Some (because it's 4 am and I've been in the streets of Manhattan all day rooting through vintage theatre memorabilia) don't judge until you've walked a mile in my Ruby Slippers.

2013 Ultimate Box set due in October

(Amazon.com Exclusive Version):

Special Features:

Hours of extra content including:
-Sing-a-long feature with the film
-Complete Magic Cloak of Oz silent shorts (60 min)
-All-New Feature Length Documentary The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
-The Dreamer of Oz TV Special (101 min)
-Munchkins at the Hollywood Walk of Fame Featurette (20 min)
-Patchwork Girl of Oz (60 min)
-6 hr. MGM Documentary When the Lion Roars (exclusive to Blu-Ray)
...and more

Exclusive Promotional Items:
-52 pg Hardcover Photo Book
-Ruby Slippers Sparkle Globe
-Collectible Award Pin Set by The Noble Collection
-Journal
-Frameable Map of Oz

Amazon exclusive Promotional Item:
-4 GB "Wicked Witch of the East" flash drive

The Wonderful World Of Oz

By: John Fricke

The wonderful world of Oz is a magical place—and has been for generations of Americans since L. Frank Baum penned his enduring classic in 1900. With the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland, Oz was forever woven into our culture. Over the course of the 20th century, Oz continued to capture the hearts of the American people—as well as people all over the world.

This book documents that magical journey through beautiful photographs of the world’s largest collection of Oz memorabilia. Whether it’s first-edition covers, a munchkin costume, or the Wickedplaybill, the iconic items on these pages tell the story of America’s most beloved fairy tale. Come over the rainbow and see why there truly is no place like Oz.

The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companion

by William Stillman

An over-the-top, beautifully designed book that commemorates the seventy-fifth anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. Officially licensed with Warner Bros., this collectible edition features accessible text, a host of never-before-seen ephemera, and nine removable features.

Written by the foremost authorities on the subject—Jay Scarfone and William Stillman—and designed in close collaboration with Warner Bros., The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companiondelivers an entertaining and interactive experience, transporting readers over the rainbow and into the wonderful Land of Oz. The authors detail filmmaking secrets—the inspiration behind the film's realistic tornado; why Dorothy's shoes were ruby-colored; and how the filmmakers got a fleet of monkeys to fly—and reveal never-before-seen artwork from their personal collection, including, but not limited to, rare stills, Technicolor test frames, and costume and set illustrations.

The Wizard of Oz Collectible Set: A Commemorative Trip Down the Yellow Brick Road

by Running Press

For anyone who was ever enthralled by the story of Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, this the perfect keepsake celebrating some of the most popular elements from The Wizard of Oz.
Miniature ceramic commemorative plate with easel

A Ruby Slippers pendant
A 9 x 12” The Wizard of Oz poster tied with ribbon
64-page book: A “75 Years of Oz” introduction is followed by a novelization of the story, illustrated with full-color photos from the movie.

The Wizard of Oz: The Wicked Witch of the West Light-Up Crystal Ball

by Running Press

Generation after generation of fans have fallen under the spell of The Wizard of Oz and this officially licensed kit focuses on the ever-popular Wicked Witch of the West. Kit includes a figurine of the Wicked Witch of the West with a light-up crystal ball that glows green, plus a 32-page book of full-color photos and quotes from the movie.

The Making of The Wizard of Oz

by Aljean Harmetz

This is actually one of my favorite Oz (movie-related) books. It's been around for years and has been re-released a few times with different covers. It is THE definitive "making of" book even if you're just into old Hollywood and/or the studio system. FANTASTIC book! With a forward by Margaret Hamilton.

Synopsis:

Released in conjunction with the 75th-anniversary DVD release of The Wizard of Oz, this book is the definitive story of how one of America’s most beloved movies was made and a marvelous, unprecedented examination of how Hollywood used to make movies. This updated edition includes numerous photos and shares hundreds of interviews with cameramen, screenwriters, costume designers, directors, producers, light technicians, actors, and more to reveal how the factory-like Hollywood system of moviemaking miraculously produced one of the most enduring films ever made. From the scandalous headlines of Munchkin orgies at the Culver City Hotel and the Witch’s (accidental) burning to the building of the Emerald City and the sewing of nearly 1,000 costumes, The Making ofThe Wizard of Oz provides a richly detailed re-creation of MGM’s production No. 1060 and a detail-by-detail, department-by-department look at the most powerful and flamboyant studio Hollywood has ever known.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

"It seems like happiness is just a thing called Joe..."

Tomorrow it will be one year since my brother, Joey, died. I was up all night thinking about it and it amazes me the memories that come flooding back when I'm alone in the dark in the middle of the night. It's truly the worst time of the day for me. It's the only time I have totally to myself without anyone or anything to distract me and I hate it. I can remember every time I made him laugh, every time I yelled at him, every joke he made at my expense, everything he ever said to me, even his facial expressions and his speech pattern.

The fact that it's already been a year alone is enough to make my head spin. What's happened to me and in my life in that time is just incredible in so many ways. But anything good is as bittersweet as it comes. I think about him every single day almost constantly but in order to control myself I have to push him into a corner of my mind where he's there but not really there. If I think too hard it literally becomes unbearable to think that he's really gone. I'm not one for kids and never really have been, but I love Joey & Joshie more than I knew it was possible to love another person. Anyone who knows me can probably attest to that, even though there are some who think they know me inside and out but in reality know nothing.

Joey was truly an extraordinary kid. I suppose anyone can say that in retrospect about someone they loved who's passed away, but in this case, I think a lot of people share my sentiments about him. From the day he was born, he had this power to bring people together. When my mother was pregnant with him, we had all just moved into a large house in New Jersey. We were two families, neither of which wanted to be there and who couldn't agree on anything. Then, this little boy was born and we all loved him to pieces. If there was anything in that house that made us a "family" it was Joey (and later on, Joshie). He had a strong personality for a little boy and he reminded me a lot of myself. He was always watching and listening and I always got the sense he knew what was going on. He was always looking out for people around him. Even a few days before he died, I remember my little cousin, Palma was crying outside and he heard her in his practically comatose state, not even able to keep is eyes open, and said, "What's wrong with Palma? Is she okay?". When he was diagnosed with cancer and people started holding fundraisers and things for him, he did it again. Brought people together. My friend, Angelina and I put on a little Cabaret show to raise some money for his charity fund two days before Christmas and I was really overwhelmed by how many people (friends & strangers) came out to sing, donate, and support him. One thing I've always said about Joey and Josh is that they're the two most grateful kids I've ever met. Any little gift you'd give them or any little thing you did for them would always be met with a big smile and a "thank you!". I remember once I got them these silly little comic books from the dollar store just in the check out line and when I got home I handed them to Joey not even thinking about it and you'd have thought I just got him a new bicycle. He beamed and ran to get Josh and John (his father) "Hey Josh! Look what Vincent got us! Dad! Look it's Spiderman! Can you read them to us!?". When I moved out of my mother's every time I'd see him, he'd give me a big hug and say "We miss you, Vint. We haven't seen you for a while". He was the easiest kid in the world to please.

The night he died, I was on my way back to my mother's house but first had to go to a concert Matthew was doing in Montclair so I could drive back to South Jersey with Robin & Gene. At that point he wasn't doing so well and we knew it was just a matter of time. Toward the end of the show, they sang a really beautiful spiritual hymn that I can't recall the name of, but it made me cry. It was the first time I'd cried in a while and I just got this feeling. I knew. It was like an instinct. As soon as the concert ended, I went out to find cell phone service and found out that he had died right about the time they were singing that last song. It was like he was saying goodbye to me and oddly enough in the place where I'm happiest, the theater.

I know Joey knew I loved him. I remember talking to him in the middle of the night when I'd stay over my mother's (he was an insomniac too) and we'd have real conversations which is rare with an eight or nine year old. He was a very old soul and was always listening and eager to learn. Even a year later, I don't know that I've fully accepted his death or let myself feel the full force of emotion I know I'm keeping at bay out of pure fear. A lot of people have always had a lot of things to say about me and it is what it is. It doesn't get to me so much anymore but the one thing I will never forgive or let anyone get away with is ANYONE saying or implying I don't or didn't care about my brother. How dare anyone (and in such a certain and accusatory way) tell another person how they feel!? Particularly when it comes to death. There's no handbook that tells you what to do or how to handle these things. I've watched a lot of people I love pass away and a lot of lives cut short but still nothing could have prepared me for the range of emotion this brought out in me. And mostly in private, which to some people is practically a crime. If you're not making a fuss, posting seventy facebook statuses a day, and dramatically throwing yourself into an open grave, clearly you didn't care enough, right? Of all the emotions and feelings I've had about this, that part of it is the only one that actually makes me angry. Anyway, it's all over now and I'm sure anyone who had anything like that to say to or about me did so out of grief or a need for validation at the time.

The point of all of this is that it's important when grieving the loss of a loved one, be it a child or someone in their nineties, to do what you have to do to get through it. Find the support you need and try to ignore the rest as hard as that may be. No one has the right to tell you how to act or how to feel. It's a deeply personal thing and the only one who can truly know how you feel and what is right for you is YOU.

In the final analysis, I suppose the only thing one can do to move forward is to count your blessings and appreciate life that much more. I'm definitely a moody one, but I'm grateful every single day for my home, my friends, my family, the things I've been lucky enough to do and see and the things I still have to do and see before my time is up. I live for the time I get to spend with the people I care about and no matter how much time that is, it never seems like enough. I guess that's a good thing in a way. Joey may have only lived nine years, but what he was able to do in those nine years in terms of generating love and togetherness in people is something I've been trying to do my entire life and I'm still working at it. So, even though I'd give anything to have him here, At the top of my list of blessings is the fact that I had the privilege of knowing, loving, learning from, and being loved by such an incredible little boy. I love you, Joey.

Goodnight, Sleep tight

Don't let the bed bugs bite.

If they do, hit 'em with a shoe

Beat 'em till they're black & blue.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

F*CK CANCER!

Okay, as anyone who knows me knows, I rarely weigh in on current events or things like this unless of course, they involve celebrity gossip, movies, divas, or jewelry. However, this story INFURIATED me!

My cousin, Nicole, sent me this article she found, which was actually quite timely because my mother asked me to get her a "Fuck Cancer" t-shirt for her birthday. Now, I'm not a fan of those shirts not for any moral reason or anything like that, I'm just not a fan of slogans like that. But hey, if that's how you want to show your support, go for it! I wear my Barbra concert shirts and Broadway show shirts all the time in celebration of the things I care about.

This whole "Fuck Cancer" campaign has been around for a while and I believe the proceeds from these products go to cancer research. I've seen it a lot on facebook and I get it. I've lost and nearly lost a lot of people I really care about to cancer and yes, it is maddening but wearing something to constantly remind me of it is not the best way for me personally to deal with it. That's just me, but I do appreciate the rebellion. Anyway, the point of all this is, long story short, is that a group of sisters who just lost their mother to cancer were eating in a mall and were all wearing "F*CK CANCER" baseball caps. They were then approached by security and asked to take them off, then when they refused, they were asked to leave, and then surrounded and THREATENED by a slew of security with the prospect of the cops being called as if you could be arrested for wearing such a thing (I should mention they had a child with them who was petrified through all this). And apparently, it's within the mall's rights to do this.

Why does this make me so angry? Because I work in a mall, I've been shopping in malls my entire life and every single day I see people (male and female of ALL ages) wearing shirts, hats, pants, whatever saying things like "Lick this", "Suck that", "Fuck this", "You're a ____" , "Eat my ___"... you name it! And I have NEVER known a single one to be reprimanded or even acknowledged. But these girls who just lost their mother instead of being shown the tiniest bit of compassion or even treated with a little bit of respect as people are treated like common criminals? That's just a disgrace. The same people who are threatening to arrest people expressing their opinions and dealing with their grief in their own way are the same ones who are always harping about "Freedom of speech" and "Free expression", and of course, what the world owes them. It sickens me. It really does. The shirt that should be trending is "WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?". Walk an inch in the shoes of someone who's lost a loved one to an incurable disease and felt helpless then tell me you're "offended" while you're probably listening to some rap song about how cool STD's are.

In the last few years I've lost a lot of friends to AIDS too including one just two days ago. How long is it going to be before it's not just the gay-hating Christians who have a problem with people showing support for a cure for that as well? I can't believe how far back we continue to regress.

...and in case there was any question, yes, I'm buying my mother the T-shirt and the bumper stickers!

The full article from Philly.com is here:

Did cancer hats go too far?

05/22/2013 11:01 AM

DAVID MAIALETTI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Makia Underwood (from left), her sister Zakia Clark and their uncle Curran Underwood wear their anti-cancer gear yesterday in Philadelphia. King of Prussia Mall security took offense to the hats Sunday.

View gallery

BY STEPHANIE FARR
Philadelphia Daily News

Daily News Staff Writer farrs@phillynews.com, 215-854-4225

JUST HOURS before dawn on May 14, Jackie Underwood's three daughters held her in their arms as the cancer stole the last breath from her broken body.

For many days before, and almost every day since, her children - Makia Underwood, 32, Zakia Clark, 29, and Tasha Clark, 27 - have worn hats and shirts that read "F--- CANCER," with the "C" in "F---" replaced by a breast-cancer-awareness ribbon.

"That's how we feel. It took our mom away. It's a demon. It's the devil," Zakia Clark said. "There are no other words you can use to explain how you feel. You want cancer to get cancer and die."

Zakia and Tasha Clark were wearing their black-and-pink "F--- CANCER" hats Sunday when the three sisters went to King of Prussia Mall with a group of friends and relatives to pick out a dress for Zakia's 9-year-old daughter to wear to her grandmother's funeral today.

The group shopped for 2 1/2 hours, then split up, and Zakia and Tasha, Zakia's daughter, an adult female friend and two girls younger than 5 grabbed something to eat from Master Wok at the mall's upper-level food court.

The ladies had just sat down when a security guard approached them and, without a greeting, ordered: " 'Take your hats off,' " Zakia said.

Zakia took hers off, but Tasha, who once worked at the mall, told the guard she wanted to see something in writing.

It was almost as if Tasha were channeling their mother's strong spirit, Zakia said, and it inspired her to put her own hat back on.

"He said, 'Since you don't want to take your hat off, you can leave my mall,' " Zakia recalled. "He stood there while we ate and threatened to call the cops."

Out of nowhere, Zakia said, seven more guards surrounded them.

"I was very embarrassed," she said. "My daughter was so scared she was crying."

As the group was escorted to the mall office, Makia called and met up with them.

"I couldn't believe they were acting like they were going to arrest my sisters," she said.

Once they got to the office, the women were met by an Upper Merion Township police officer, who had been called to the mall by security guards.

"The officer said, 'I find it offensive that you even have that hat that says 'F--- CANCER,' " Zakia said. "He said, 'It's their mall, they want you out, you have to get out.' "

The women were escorted out, and two security cars were waiting for them at their car just to make sure they left, Zakia said.

"I just wanted to tell them the whole story," Makia said of the guards. "I wanted to tell them a monster came into our house, got into my mother and we had to watch that until the day it took her, so don't tell me it's offensive to say, 'F--- CANCER.' "

Jackie Underwood was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. She had a breast removed, but refused chemotherapy or radiation, Makia said.

"She said, 'I'm going to be fine,' " Makia recalled.

And she was - for seven years.

But in 2011, Jackie called Makia and said her breast was hurting and she would go for chemo.

Makia, a hairdresser who owns Hair Trance boutique on 22nd Street near Allegheny Avenue in Tioga, shaved her mother's head and went to treatments with her.

On Labor Day weekend 2012, Jackie began an eerie, uncontrollable laugh. The cancer had spread to her brain.

"I took her to the emergency room and they said there were all these tumors floating around," Makia said.

In October, doctors told the women that their mother had three months to live.

Instead of spending those months in a hospital, she was cared for by her daughters in her Northeast Philadelphia home.

Makia closed her salon and had her customers come to her mother's house so she could take care of her during the day.

Zakia and Tasha would relieve her when they got out of work.

The women bathed their mother, fed her and changed her diapers, just as she had done for them many years earlier.

"It was gruesome to watch," Makia said. "When I watch monster movies, that's the image I have of cancer - the zombie movie or the movie when Will Smith was the only person left alive. That's what the clinics look like."

Toward the end, Makia watched the cancer spread over her mother like a plague. In the last two weeks, it went to her throat and lungs and she couldn't talk anymore.

About 3 a.m. May 14, Makia watched her mother's breathing slow.

"I called my sisters downstairs and said, 'Death is coming,' " she said. "And it came, and that was that."

Jackie Underwood was 51.

One of Makia's clients who went to her mother's house after she closed her shop was Tiffany Wade, a registered nurse.

Wade, 29, has watched the effects of cancer on patients for years, but was particularly moved by Jackie's plight and her daughters' anguish.

"Your hairdresser is your counselor," Wade said. "She was in so much pain."

Although Jackie had health insurance from her job at the post office, Wade wanted to do something to help offset the cost of related expenses for the family.

So Wade decided to make the "F--- CANCER" clothing. She estimates that she has sold 200 items and said the money she has raised has gone to help 11 families dealing with cancer.

"When you watch your mother turn from a super-strong woman to a woman who can't walk, can't talk, can't breathe, you get so frustrated," Wade said. "You really feel like, 'F--- CANCER.' That's how you feel in your heart."

Wade said the sisters' experience at the mall was a first.

"I felt so bad they had to be the family to get thrown out," she said. "What's the odds that the one I started it for gets thrown out of the mall?"

After the Daily News began looking into the incident, Les Morris, spokesman for Simon Property Group in Indianapolis, which owns King of Prussia Mall, called Zakia yesterday to apologize.

Zakia said Morris was sincere and even asked for her mother's name and inquired about her battle with cancer.

"Certainly this could have been handled in a much more empathic and sensitive manner," Morris told the People Paper. "We're very sorry about her loss and wanted to apologize for the way her party was treated."

Morris said it's important for the mall to be "flexible."

"I do think this is an entirely different situation than a 16-year-old kid with a swear word on his T-shirt cruising the mall," he said. "We need to be empathic, sympathetic, and listen and make sure that we're approaching each situation as it comes up."

To express their displeasure with the way they were treated, the sisters and Wade had planned a protest for 7 p.m. tomorrow at the mall entrance near Nordstrom, Zakia said.

The event will go on as scheduled, and they will wear their "F--- CANCER" hats and shirts, she said. But in light of the apology, it will be more of an awareness rally against cancer.

The sisters won't be wearing those shirts and hats today.

This morning, at their mother's funeral at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in East Mount Airy, they will wear white, as their mother did to every funeral.

Afterward, Jacqueline Denise Underwood will be laid to rest a few blocks away in Chelten Hills Cemetery.

For those who survive, only time can heal the pain.

"I'm not mad at God," Makia said yesterday. "But the picture of my mother I was left with is beyond 'F--- CANCER.' "

Thursday, November 29, 2012

"Liz & Dick"

Ok, here goes...

Sunday night, the Lifetime movie "Liz & Dick" starring Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor and Grant Bowler as Richard Burton aired on television. As anyone who's read any review or blog I've ever written knows, I tend to take movies for what they are... entertainment. This, however, wasn't even that. I'm just going to say it; the film should have never been made and here's why...

Alright, let's start with the fact that Lindsay Lohan was embarrassingly miscast as Elizabeth Taylor. Now, this isn't news. Anyone who expected her to be "perfect" for this role, either knows nothing about Elizabeth Taylor or is a complete moron. But hey, let's give the girl a chance, right? Maybe she'll surprise us. After all, she has turned out some pretty good performances in her career. However, nothing could have prepared me for just how BAD her acting was here! It was bad! There's no other word for it. She literally read each line like a middle-school kid in a school play reciting half-memorized lines from a script. The script, by the way, was not so good either.

By no means do I blame Lindsay completely for the movie's failure. The producers (no matter what they say) cast her because they knew it would generate buzz and ratings. At some point it seems as though they stopped caring weather or not it was a good film and only focused on how many viewers and revenue they could get. No surprise there. In fact, the whole film was shot in 21 days! And it shows. Even TV movies deserve a respectable shooting schedule.

Not only did Lindsay not "become", "evoke", or even "resemble" Elizabeth, but judging by her performance and some of the interviews I've heard and seen with her, I don't think she's ever seen an Elizabeth Taylor movie or really for that matter knows or bothered to research anything about her. That's most likely the reason for her flat, lifeless performance. I can't believe the producers had the GAUL to suggest that Lindsay is the "Modern day Elizabeth Taylor". Excuse me? To the best of my rather extensive knowledge, I don't recall Elizabeth ever getting arrested in night clubs, crashing cars, flipping off judges, having coke-induced fist fights with her equally messed up mother, or having warrants out in multiple states for her arrest and being on probation. But that's just me.

Now about the movie itself, I have extensive notes of things that I wanted to touch on because there really are THAT many:

Lindsay's look:

At times in the film, she really did look rather beautiful. However, those goddamn lip injections were so distracting it was hard to notice. She managed to look both too young and too old to play Elizabeth at the same time. I don't know how that's possible, but if you saw the movie, you know what I'm talking about. The "Cleopatra" scenes were almost laughable. The costumes were nothing like the actual garments, the eye makeup (which was the start of the 60's 'cat eye' look and pretty important to the story) looked like it was done at a teenage girl's slumber party, the "Virginia Woolf" scenes (though, thankfully brief) were perhaps the worst of all. The set was good, but Lindsay looked anorexic and the whole point of showing that followed by a few scenes dealing with Elizabeth's weight problems was that she gained twenty pounds for the role and used prosthetics to look more fat and dumpy. Completely pointless. One of the things that also got under my skin was that Lindsay was rarely seen in purple. This probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but again, anyone who knows anything about Elizabeth knows that she wore purple ALL the time to set off her violet eyes and because it was her favorite color. She wears a lot of black and dark rather somber colors in this film which simply wasn't Elizabeth's style. I don't know who made that decision.

Elizabeth/Lindsay's personality:

Lindsay played Elizabeth as a selfish, spoiled, rather cold and heartless, materialistic, pretentious bitch who didn't give a damn about anyone but herself. That was not Elizabeth. She was famously kind and generous. She liked her jewels, yes but by no means did she put them before people. In the movie, the one or two times, the children are mentioned, she speaks as if she couldn't care less about them or just forgot she had them to begin with. This was not at all true. In fact, most of the staff they had in their traveling entourage was to protect the children. Elizabeth was forever apologizing for what the kids had to go through due to the Taylor/Burton affair/lifestyle. This again, shows the writer and Lindsay's lack of knowledge about their subject.

Lindsay's portrayal of Elizabeth was also WAY too overdramatic. She smashes a bottle in every other scene. In fact, one of the many drinking games going around on twitter the night it aired was to take a shot every time she smashed a bottle. Then the scene where she half-heartedly attempts suicide by overdosing on pills because she "won't live without Richard" just came off as stupid. Yes, stupid. I wanted to slap her because there wasn't an iota of sincerity in anything she said.

Elizabeth was vulnerable, yes, but she was also one of the strongest women who ever lived and she was a fighter! They barely mentioned any of her health problems, including, you know that little episode where she was pronounced DEAD while filming "Cleopatra" in London before it was moved to Rome.

She and Richard really loved each other and it all just came off as an acting game in the movie.

Inaccuracies:

Where do I even begin? First of all, the circumstances under which they met on the set of "Cleopatra" are rather important to how the rest of the story played out. But I guess the film makers didn't think that was important which is why the timeline of this movie made no sense.

Elizabeth had married Eddie Fisher breaking up him and Debbie Reynolds in the wake of the death of Mike Todd (Elizabeth's third husband and Eddie's best friend). They were never in love. That whole thing came out of grief. Elizabeth was labeled a whore by the press for breaking up America's sweethearts which added to how big a deal this scandal was. It also didn't help that Richard was married to Sybil Burton and both couples had children. This was during the fall of the studio system when studios didn't have publicity departments to cover these things up and the beginning of the paparazzi. "La Scandale" as the affair was dubbed by the press really was the beginning of tabloid journalism. People today don't realize just how big this was. At one point the Pope himself accused Elizabeth of being guilty of "erotic vagrancy" and the Vatican wanted to take her children away from her. This was no joke. Again, these things are just barely brushed upon. I could see them glossing over these things if they wanted to focus more on their private time alone, but the simple fact is they didn't even do that! And besides, the truth of the matter is that they simply didn't have enough "alone time" to fill a 90 minute movie. Another thing they didn't really go into which would have helped to make some sense out of the story and situation was how hard it was for both of them to obtain divorces from their respective partners. Eddie Fisher drug it out as long as he could, taking a pretty hefty chunk of alimony from Elizabeth and Sybil Burton was in no hurry to let Richard go right away even though he was a famous womanizer long before this. On a more personal, opinionated note, I just want to point out that Eddie Fisher was a first rate scum and I hate him. Well, hated* now that he's dead.

Grant Bowler, who I'm actually a huge fan of (I've had a crush on him since I saw him in "Ugly Betty") I thought was the perfect choice to play Richard. However, because (in my opinion) of the script, he came off as a bit of a wimp. The reason Elizabeth didn't care for Richard the first time they met was that she thought he was sort of a pretentious theater and intellectual snob and rather arrogant. He sort of was but then the first day of filming on "Cleopatra" with Richard, he came in completely hung over and his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't bring a cup of coffee to his lips. Elizabeth went over to help him and apparently that maternal pang she felt for him is what started to change her tune. That could have been a really adorable scene in the movie, but they instead opted to show Richard introducing himself by shamelessly telling Elizabeth she was beautiful and her refusing to shake his hand because of her wet nails and bitchily walking away in the middle of his sentence.

After "Cleopatra" the Burtons made a deal that they would never work apart. This cost film and insurance companies astronomical sums of money but it was okay, because everything these two touched seemed to turn to gold. They were THE celebrity couple to see and be seen with. Prior to "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf", the two films they made were okay if not great but then with "Virginia Woolf" they made a fortune both for themselves and the film. Now, after that, due to their excessive personal lifestyle and insane spending their careers really didn't rise to those great heights again. As one writer said "They no longer made movies that mattered". However, even though they weren't masterpieces (like "The Sandpiper" and "Divorce His, Divorce Hers"), people wanted to see "Liz & Dick".

The Academy Award situation was brought up in the film. It wasn't really explained well though. Richard was essentially a stage actor (a GREAT stage actor) and eventually a great film actor as well, but for some reason was always passed over at Oscar time. Elizabeth however had won an oscar for "Butterfield 8", a movie she hated and admittedly said she won as a consolation prize for having nearly died in London and having an emergency tracheotomy. Then won again (and very deservedly) for "Virginia Woolf" while Richard was one of the few nominees on the film who lost that year. One of the conflicts in the Burton's marriage/careers was that since "Cleopatra", Elizabeth's earning power was much more than his. She was the first star in history to be paid a million dollars for a single role and that became her standard fee (which she lowered more than once in order to co-star with Richard in future films). Richard couldn't compete with her in the bankable star department and it clearly bruised his ego.

The legendary Taylor/Burton fights and brawls fizzled miserably in this film. They enjoyed fighting. Elizabeth once said an "out and out fight is one of the greatest exercises in marital togetherness". These scenes could have been movie GOLD but again, they were underplayed and fell flat. I read a few reviews that described them as hilariously bad and "campy fun". No. And that's what makes it even more sad. If they were over-the-top, campy fights, they'd at least be enjoyable to watch. Instead, they drag and you wait for them to be over. There were some great one liners but the delivery was so bad that they weren't even chuckle-worthy. It was just a disaster.

The movie also implied that after their second divorce that was the end of their relationship. This is not even remotely true. They remained very close until Richard's death. In fact, in 1983 they reunited to do a Broadway revival of Noel Coward's "Private Lives" to rave reviews and great success. Elizabeth, at the request of Richard's then wife stayed away from the funeral to avoid a media circus but was devastated and admittedly never really got over his death. The scene where she visits his grave and is supposed to be playing Elizabeth nearing the age of sixty (Lindsay is 26) is again, embarrassing. She looks ridiculous in the 80's wig, shoulder pads, and the ever-present collagen injected lips.

Oh, just a side note. I keep reading over and over again that Lindsay abandoned Elizabeth's "English accent". Elizabeth Taylor DID NOT have an English accent! She was born in London and lived there until she was seven. By the time she was a teenager she had merely a hint of an English inflection nothing more. Originally I wanted to point this out to give Lindsay a little credit, but then I watched the movie and there are three or four scenes where she goes in and out of what I can only assume is an English accent but it actually sounds more like a speech impediment.

The Jewels:

Okay, I saved this one for last because this was my single biggest problem with the film. You can't tell a story about this relationship without mentioning the jewels and the stories surrounding them and that is because the jewels marked milestones in the relationship and actually helped to further it. Not to mention the pieces are legendary. I'm not going to go into too much detail because that would make this post a lot longer than it already is, but I'll give you the gist...

The Bulgari Emerald Suite:

Necklace, pendant/brooch, earrings, bracelet, and ring were given to Elizabeth piece by piece on different occasions. The necklace (with the detachable brooch was purchased from Bulgari in the showroom during the filming of "Cleopatra") was cheaply and unattractively recreated using of all things, a ROUND ruby necklace that was made green with CGI. Really? Apparently due to the copyright of some of the pieces they couldn't be exact, but how about using, I don't know EMERALD CUT STONES FOR EMERALDS! It looked cheap. And the scene where she picks it out (which is not how it happened) looked like she walked into Target, said, "That's cute. I want that", bought it and left. The necklace eventually grew into the famous Emerald and Diamond suite which I'll post a picture of at the bottom of this post.

The Krupp Diamond:

THEY NEVER MENTION THE KRUPP DIAMOND! She's wearing a version of it throughout the film, but it's never mentioned! How is that possible! Elizabeth wore this nearly every day of her life until she died and it was one of the first really big things Richard gave her. In fact it's name has been changed to the "Elizabeth Taylor Diamond". It's 33.19 karats and used to belong to Vera Krupp (of the Krupps who helped knock off millions of jews) and since Elizabeth had converted to Judaism for Eddie Fisher she thought it would be perfect for a "nice little Jewish girl like her" to own it. Another fabulous story that wasn't acknowledged.

The Cartier Diamond AKA: The Taylor/Burton Diamond (69.42 karats):
In 1969 this was the largest diamond ever put on the market and Richard was hell-bent on getting it for Elizabeth for her 40th birthday. In the movie the reason behind his getting the diamond was as an apology for calling her fingers "pudgy little digits" so she wanted a big ring to make them look smaller. While it's true that Elizabeth had rather pudgy fingers and that was one of the things he picked on her about (she often picked on his pockmarks), that had nothing to do with why they purchased this diamond. In fact it was originally set into a ring (which can be seen on my favorite episode of "Here's Lucy" called "Lucy Meets The Burtons" where she gets the ring stuck on her finger) but Elizabeth said it was too big even for her so she had Cartier design a necklace for it and wore it for the first time at Princess Grace of Monaco's 40th birthday party. The diamond was also i interchangeable at one point from a necklace to a ring. Also, in the film, the auctioneer announces that the winner of the auction was Richard Burton on the phone. Also not true. Cartier was actually the winner of the auction which is why it was dubbed "The Cartier Diamond". But what Elizabeth wanted, Elizabeth got. So, minutes after the end of the auction, Richard called Cartier who agreed to sell it to him for a minimum profit due to the great amount of publicity it would receive with the condition that Cartier could put the diamond on display for the public to see before handing it over. Over 6,000 people flocked to the window of Cartier New York to get a glimpse of it. Cartier paid $1,050,000 for it at auction. It was the largest sum ever paid for a jewel up to that time. After Richard and Elizabeth divorced, she sold the diamond for $5,000,000 to build a hospital in Botswana. It was the only piece she ever sold.

The Diamond on display at Cartier in New York.

The Peregrina Pearl:

The Peregrina Pearl was one of the more famous pieces purchased for Elizabeth by Richard because it has an amazing history spanning over 550 years. I won't go into it. Instead, I'm linking a page with a pretty good rundown of it's history. In the movie, Lindsay does wear a replica of the necklace (which is pretty identical to the one Elizabeth designed for it with Cartier, making their "CGI copyright infringement of the jewels seem like a bullshit excuse to get out of spending the money to replicate all the jewelry). All she says about it in the movie is "Richard just said, 'Elizabeth, here's another trinket for you'". Again, the whole story about how they came to own the pearl is great. When they finally got it home it fell off it's original chain and they found it in their dog's mouth. It's a funny story that you can read online and again, it could have been really funny and sweet to watch but they decided to leave it out of the film.

History of La Pelegrina:
http://www.gemselect.com/other-info/la-peregrina-pearl.php

Richard also bought her the Taj Mahal diamond and lots of other things from Bulgari, Cariter, Tiffany's, and so on but I just wanted to touch on the more important pieces.

The Taj Mahal Diamond

Interview with the jewelry designer on the film:

http://www.pricescope.com/blog/creation-elizabeth-taylors-jewelry-liz-dick

So, in conclusion, the movie was a complete and total failure in every single way. Once again, I don't blame Lindsay completely, but her acting was less than sub-par and the chemistry between every cast member was nonexistent. I've read that Lindsay is blaming various things for the failure of the movie like the script, the editing, being cast in the first place etc... But I also heard her telling Jay Leno how she fought for this role and wanted to play it more than anything and how "proud" she was of the final result. I'll post that video as well. Own up to it, Lilo. You screwed up...again. Don't look around desperately trying to assign blame. And if all that wasn't enough, just last night (two days after the airing of the movie and Twitter blowing up with Liz & Dick drinking games and digs at her) she was charged with assault at a night club in NYC then hours later arrested in LA for reckless driving. The only thing Lindsay has in common with Elizabeth Taylor is that they both went to Betty Ford for substance abuse, except Elizabeth actually stayed the full time and kicked her problems.

If you really want to know the truly fascinating story of the Burtons, there is an amazing book that came out shortly before Elizabeth's death which I reviewed on her (I'll link that below) called "Furious Love". It's accurate, entertaining, and really paints a wonderful portrait of the real "Liz & Dick" relationship and sensation it caused. It also explains why we're still fascinated with them after all these years while the movie doesn't make it seem all that interesting.

Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and The Marriage of The Century By: Sam Kashner & Nancy Shoenberger:
http://vincentsestito.blogspot.com/2011/05/furious-love-by-sam-kashner-nancy.html