The Valley Wire - 2/20/2009

Hollywood Takes a Gamble
By Mary Beth Gentle


This year when the Academy Awards come to town it won’t be LA that they come to, it will be more like Las Vegas. And I say that only because the Hollywood Cube Dweller Oscar pool ballot is due any day and I have not seen one movie. I know that is hard to believe – I do work in Hollywood after all – but it is true. I have my list of the five nominated movies for best picture; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk, Frost/Nixon, The Reader and Slumdog Millionaire. And amazingly enough, I haven’t seen one of them.

The nominations were announced on January 22nd and I thought I would have more than enough time to see everything on the list. I have always prided myself on the fact that I see all the top movies and then I sit down with my office pool ballot and I vote with my heart. I never listen to who Vegas predicts as the odds on favorites or who the Hollywood insiders guarantee to pull out the win. But, this year I may just be out of time. It’s been almost a month since the announcements were made and I still have not seen anything.

I quickly started making the calls around town to see who might have an Academy Screener or two that I could borrow. For those of you that don’t know what those are – they are DVD copies of the nominated movies that go out to Academy and Guild members all over town. Academy Screeners are one of the biggest gambles the Studios take throughout the year. These DVD’s have always been a top source for piracy rings. The Studios have taken steps to secure their product by putting in security codes on the discs and sending out scary legal letters to all the recipients about not losing track of or sharing their copies. Needless to say, the DVD’s still make their way all over town.

But, as with anything in Hollywood, the lists to borrow any of the top movies on DVD were a mile long and I was, as always, on the bottom of the list. So, I have done the only thing I could do, I went on line with my office pool ballot at my side and decided to throw my heart out the window and vote with the best odds I could find. I mean come on, my hard earned five bucks was at stake and during an economic downturn, a girl has to do what a girl has to do.

So, I read about the Vegas handicaps. I went to all the Entertainment sites and read their predictions. I tallied what pictures had won at the Golden Globes, which actors had won at the SAG Awards and which Guild awarded what to who in their Academy Bake-off’s. And I basically came to the following conclusions: I am not Vegas material, the internet is filled with people with too much time on their hands and most importantly, I really just need to go to a movie theatre and see the movies.

So, this year I made the decision not to join the office pool. I figure if I can’t vote with my heart there is really no point voting at all. I will just have to tune in to root for my favorite actors, rate the nights best and worst fashions and enjoy the show. Next year, I will make sure I see al the movies, so that this Hollywood Cube Dweller is ready for next office pool.

The Valley Wire - 1/20/2009

Hollywood and the Hero
By Mary Beth Gentle

Explosions. Natural disasters. Diabolical bad guys. Hollywood has always known how to set the scene that puts us on the edge of our seats waiting for the hero to appear and save the day. And for the most part, whether Hollywood gives us a character that is inherently heroic or reluctantly heroic, they do a pretty good job at delivering. Bottom line, Hollywood loves a hero. They create them. They promote them. And whenever possible they build an entire franchise around them.

From the time we are very young we find heroes at every turn. They are in our bedtime stories, our television shows and our movies. We pick our favorites, we collect our action figures and we fight over who gets to play the hero and who has to be the bad guy. Hollywood did not invent the concept of the hero, but they are better than anyone at making them larger than life.

There have always been heroes and the tales of their heroic deeds have been told and written down since the beginning of time. By definition a hero or heroine is a person endowed with great strength or ability and who in the face of danger or adversity displays great courage. Hollywood has made a pretty good business out of the telling and re-telling of the famous Heroes throughout time. There have been countless movies of swashbuckling and sword-fighting heroes, cowboy movies helped define the early Hollywood hero and of course Superheroes have become the ultimate Hollywood box office hero.

And whenever possible, Hollywood will look to the world around them for heroes that have walked among us. Every war movie ever made is based on a true-life hero or an amalgamation of the many heroes that have served our country, historical heroes are an easy mark for Hollywood as they can spin the facts in order to tell the most captivating story and then there is the modern day hero. He is the every-man, the imperfect hero who steps forward when no one else will or can.

We have had one such man in the news over the recent week, Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger. He was the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 who went on to safely land the Airbus A320 in the Hudson River saving all 155 people on board. This is the type of heroic event that had all of us in the Hollywood cubicles glued to our computers to watch and read every detail we could. In the Hollywood cubicles we spend our days working on the TV shows and movies of the make believe heroes. It was amazing to see something that heroic happen in real life.

It is events like this that in many ways prove Hollywood right. We all want a hero. We want the innocent to be saved. We want the wrongs to be righted. We want the hero to save the day. And right now that hero is a commercial airline pilot named “Sully”.

And I know that in many ways there are heroes all around us. They are serving our communities, caring for our children or even simply taking the time to help a neighbor in need. In someway to someone, we are all heroes. But, when you want to escape the daily routine and see something that is larger than life, it’s Hollywood that we turn to for that escape.

And I can guarantee you that right now every Producer in Hollywood would love to be the person that ends up owing the rights to tell “Sully’s” story. Because of this man, what could have been a horrible disaster had a very happy ending. It is a story with all the elements to be found in a Hollywood movie, but this one has a real life modern day hero in Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger.

The Valley Wire - 12/19/2008 Column

Hollywood and Christmas Memories
By Mary Beth Gentle

Yes Osceola, there is a Santa Claus and he comes from Hollywood. Every year without fail he brings a whole sack full of Holiday themed movies for us to unwrap and enjoy. There are the classics, there are the funny ones and there are the heart wrenching sad ones and until we have seen our favorite ones, our Holiday’s can’t really get started. I watch my first Christmas movie on Thanksgiving Day and I don’t stop until the New Year has been rung in. I watch them on DVD, I watch them on the Lifetime Channel and I watch them in the movie theatres.

My memories are interwoven with the Holiday movies I have watched over the years. I grew up watching little Natalie Wood believe in Santa Claus for the first time in a Miracle on 34th Street. And no matter how old I got, I believed right along with her, every time. As a child, I couldn’t wait for A Charlie Brown Christmas to play on TV. It was a big night in the Gentle household when Mom and Dad would let my sisters and I stay up late to watch Charlie Brown search for the true meaning of Christmas. But, without a doubt some of my fondest memories were when the whole family would camp out in front of the television every year to watch Frank Capra’s classic, It’s a Wonderful Life.

This is the first year that I was fortunate enough to see It’s a Wonderful Life up on the big screen. I watched George Bailey as he offered to throw a lasso around the moon and pull it down, proving his love to Mary Hatch. I watched as his life grew further and further away from the life he had dreamed of, until it spiraled into a place of utter hopelessness. And I watched as angel second-class Clarence Oddbody showed George just what life would have been like had he never been born. It is truly one of my favorite movies, and there is a lesson to be learned every time I watch it. Because just like George it is good to be reminded that “No man is a failure who has friends.”

I decided to take a quick poll of my fellow Hollywood cube dwellers to see what their favorite Holiday movies were. Of course I was sure they would all say It’s a Wonderful Life and my claim that it is the best Holiday movie to ever come out of Hollywood would be proven. And I got some answers in my favor and I got a few more of the classics as responses, White Christmas, Holiday Inn and The Bishop’s Wife. But, I was very surprised to see that some of the newer films made the top of the list, in fact they were in the top three. After I recovered from my favorite not being in the running, I decided to take a closer look at the top three.

Number three on the list was Elf. Not only was it a top favorite and described as an instant classic, I was amazed at how many of my fellow cube dwellers could deliver quotes from the movie without hesitating. The favorite of Post Production Supervisor, Brent Hall, was, “ You sit on the throne of lies!” He described the movie as “heart warming and hilarious”. To him, it was a perfect Holiday movie, pure happiness. And I have to say that Elf delivered just that, Will Ferrell plays, Buddy, an orphan who was raised by Santa’s elves. The twist here, they never told Buddy that he wasn’t an elf at all, that he was human. Buddy’s journey of discovery and pure joy of everything Christmas was enough to win me over.

Number two on the list was Chevy Chase’s, Christmas Vacation. The Griswold family set out to have a perfect old-fashioned family Christmas and instead got a house full of insanity. Editor, Don Thompson, called it a Classic saying, “Everyone has or has had this kind of crazy neighbor, thinks about their Christmas bonus and has family that you wish never showed up!” And Animation Coordinator, Alyssa Mauney, said, “I love everything from the opening credits to the jelly of the month club…it’s the gift that keeps on giving.” I haven’t seen this one in years, but I do remember the hilarious twists and turns and think it’s time to add it back onto my Christmas movie list.

And finally, number one on the list was cult classic, A Christmas Story. Hands down this one came in as a favorite on everyone’s list. Of course the movie is all about Christmas lists, 9-year old Ralphie Parker’s to be exact and in his words he only wants one thing, “an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time.” When he makes his wish known, he gets the same response from everyone, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Financial Analyst, Karen Alana, had this to say about the movie, “From Ralphie’s obsession with getting a Red Ryder BB Gun to the family being serenaded with Deck the Halls in the Chinese restaurant on Christmas, it’s just my cup of tea!”

A Christmas Story is such a cult classic that every year it plays on TV for 24 hours straight starting on Christmas Eve. Ultimate fan, Post Production Supervisor, Jill Breitzman, said, “I have it playing for the full 24 hours every year since it started. My Sister and I even go so far as to dress in our pink bunny suits as a special “gift” to our Mom.” And Jill was kind enough to share this Christmas memory with a photo from her Hollywood Christmas Cubical!

So, no matter what your favorite Holiday movie is, whether you happen upon it while you are flicking channels or set aside time to settle in with a bowl of popcorn and the DVD, this Hollywood Cube Dweller hopes you have a wonderful Holiday season!

The Valley Wire - 11/14/2008 Column

Hollywood Holiday Movie Guide
By Mary Beth Gentle

The holiday movies have arrived and this year Hollywood’s gift basket is filled to the brim with tales of Vampires, stories to capture a child’s imagination, a ‘Yes man’ and an epic love story. And those are just the ones that have this cube dweller eager to escape the holiday madness and hide out in the local Cineplex. Every weekend from now until the end of the year there will be a slew of movies making their debut. From the mainstream movie fare to the Oscar contenders this year has a lot of entertainment to offer.

November starts the season off early with family fun in Madagascar 2, outrageous comedy in Role Models, action-adventure with James Bond in Quantum of Solace and an early Oscar entry with The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas. But, for me, the first big weekend of Holiday Movies comes on the weekend of November 21st with the release of a Walt Disney Pictures family film 3D event called Bolt and the highly anticipated film adaptation of the much loved book, Twilight.

Bolt hits 2D film Screens and where available Digital 3D Screens with a lot of anticipation. From what I have heard around town, this one sounds like it is going to be a hit and defiantly worth checking out, especially if you have access to theatre with 3D. Bolt tells the story of a pampered pouch that is also the star of a TV show about a ‘Super-Dog’. The twist here is that Bolt thinks he really is that Super-Dog and the actress that plays Penny, his young owner, really is his owner. So, when the season ends in a cliffhanger leaving Penny in dire straights, Bolt carries on the mission of his character to save Penny. With the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, we are taken on a journey with Bolt and his furry friends as a little dog discovers what true heroes really are.

Twilight is the next big release of the season and one I can’t wait to see. In fact, I have already bought my ticket for a sneak screening a day early! For anyone who has not caught the Twilight fever and read the book, this is a story of forbidden love between Bella, a seventeen-year-old girl and Edward, a forever young and handsome Vampire. There are millions of teenage girls and their mothers who have read the book and are standing by anxiously awaiting its release. The trick for this release will be to see if they can capture more than just their core audience. And with the amount of press I have seen on this one, they certainly are trying.

When seventeen-year-old Bella Swan moves to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks Washington, she never expects to come face to face with mysterious and amazingly handsome Edward Cullen. Everyone, including Edward, warns Bella to stay away, but Bella cannot. As she is drawn further into her obsession of Edward, Bella soon discovers his and his family’s secret, they are vampires. Vampires that try really hard not to eat people, but vampires nonetheless. Knowing that being in his company can only lead to danger, love-smitten Edward tries to stay away from Bella, but their bond is too strong. And before long, Bella does fall into danger and it will be up to Edward to save her. To me, Twilight sounds like built-in movie fun, even if I hadn’t read the book.

And finally November’s offering of Holiday fare comes to a close on November 26th with the release of the Epic love story, Australia. This one re-teams Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann with actress Nicole Kidman. The story unfolds in the outback of Northern Australia during World War II when a rich English aristocrat, Kidman, joins forces with a rough around the edges Australian cattle herder, Hugh Jackman, to save her cattle ranch from a takeover. Along the way they must survive an attack from the Japanese forces and come to terms with their growing attraction for each other, the result being a Hollywood Epic that I can’t wait to see. This is the kind of movie that promises adventure, romance and I’m sure a little heartbreak and from everything I have seen it looks sure to deliver.

Most of the big Oscar contenders will make themselves known in December and this year is no different with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet’s Revolutionary Road, Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt and Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Those are just a few of the growing list of December releases that hope to capture the Academy’s attention. But, two of the December Releases that have stood out to me as, again, good fun and a chance to escape the Holiday madness, are Jim Carrey’s Yes Man and Adam Sandler’s Bedtime Stories. Yes Man is the first one up, releasing to the big screen on December 19th. Based on the book by Danny Wallace, Yes Man tells the story of a man who decides to change his life by saying ‘Yes’ to everything that comes his way. By unleashing the power of yes into his life Jim Carrey’s character, Carl Allen, changes his life in many surprising and amazing ways. One look at the trailer and I added this to my list of must see fun Holiday movies. It looks to be classic Jim Carrey outrageous comedy with, I’m hoping, a little heart mixed in.

And finally, to be released on Christmas Day, is Adam Sandler’s, Bedtime Stories. This one is sure to capture the imagination in this family comedy of a Hotel handyman, Sandler, whose life changes when the elaborate bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew start to magically come to life. When he attempts to turn this mysterious phenomenon into financial gain for himself by weaving his own good fortune into his stories, his niece and nephew also add their own twists to the tales, turning his life upside down. Maybe it’s because I tell stories to my two nephews all the time, or maybe it’s because I just can’t help laughing at Adam Sandler’s antics, but this one looks like it might be worth a trip to the theatre over the holiday season.

So, as the Holiday madness of Turkey dinners and hours of shopping descend on our lives, just remember that we can all find a little solace in the aroma of popcorn and the slurp of a good Icee at our local theatres this Holiday movie season. Happy Holiday movie watching from the Hollywood cubicle.

The Valley Wire - 10/17/2008 Column

Hollywood Travels the Hard Times
By Mary Beth Gentle

Hollywood is preparing to travel the hard financial times ahead. They are making cuts and reviewing budgets. They are no different than any other big business and cannot escape the effects of the current financial crisis. In fact, Hollywood could hardly be called a newcomer to hard times. It has survived many turbulent financial periods over the years, including the Great Depression. Because no matter how hard the times get, the American public still wants to be entertained, which means Hollywood will survive. And no movie reflects this sentiment better than the Preston Sturges 1941 classic, Sullivan’s Travels.

The movie follows a young and naïve Hollywood director, John ‘Sully’ Sullivan, and his desire to make a film about the troubles of the poor and downtrodden. He decides to leave behind the comforts of his mansion, his swimming pool and his bank account to go out into the real world and experience life among the masses. Can you imagine if the CEO of one of the Fortune 500 companies or a Hollywood mogul of today decided to do that?

I, for one, cannot. Especially when my view from the Hollywood cubicle is that of the Senior Executives walking the hallways and shaking their heads at the plight of their stock options while they monitor the tumbling market on their Blackberry’s. Of course, those of us in the Hollywood cubicles have never seen a stock option, so we are not as dramatic about the effects of the current situation, we just know that our already tight budgets are going to have to get a little tighter.

In my little corner of the Hollywood cubicle world, we have decided to start brown bagging our lunches. Although, I’m sure it will do nothing for our ‘Hollywood Hipster’ images, it will keep our checkbooks out of the red. It may not be hip to sit in the corner of the commissary with a brown bag lunch, but who knows, maybe we will start a trend because we can’t be the only cubicle dwellers trying to save a buck in these hard times.

But, even if our brown bag lunches get a little leaner and times get a little tougher, the one thing we know we can count on is that Hollywood will see us through the hard times by keeping us entertained. This is the lesson John ‘Sully’ Sullivan learned on his travels. His journey took him to a point where he has lost his money, his freedom, his identity, his health and his pride. Incarcerated in a prison work camp he learned the importance of laughter one evening when he and his fellow prisoners were allowed to watch a Walt Disney Cartoon. It was there, surrounded by the poor and downtrodden that he had so desperately wanted to understand, that John ‘Sully’ Sullivan realized that even though he had lost everything, he still had the ability to laugh. He saw the true power of laughter first hand.

I think the opening dedication in Sullivan’s Travels says it all, “To the memory of those who made us laugh: the motley mountebanks, the clowns, the buffoons, in all times and in all nations, whose efforts have lightened our burden a little, this picture is affectionately dedicated.” So when the gas prices go on the rise again or the scrimping and saving to make ends meet starts to wear thin, just remember that laughter may be the best medicine. Take in a movie, tune into a sitcom or if you haven’t seen it yet rent Sullivan’s Travels and escape the hard times for just a little while.

Blood Moon - Charity Book Auction

Need A Dress Up Idea For Halloween This Year?

Why Not Be A Women’s Cancer Fighting Super Hero!

Make a donation. Bid on an item. Join Blood Moon author A.W. Gryphon and Jeepers Creepers Jonathan Breck for an auction of celebrity collectibles, hosted by the Charity Folks organization, in support of the Entertainment Industry Foundations Women’s Cancer Programs.

October ends with Halloween and its Breast Cancer Month all month long. Join in on the bidding at CharityFolks.com for a host of celebrity items, including a personalized Jeepers Creepers 1 DVD paired with a signed Creeper Action Figure and a personalized, leather bound, No. 1 copy of Blood Moon from a limited edition series.

The bidding begins on September 30 and closes on October 14, the night of this year’s Blood Moon!

Every penny helps. Please visit the Events page at www.awgryphon.com for more information about Charity Folks, EIF Women’s Cancer Programs and how you can help or Go Straight to the Link Below To Place Your Bid!

http://www.charityfolks.com/cfauctions/auction_verticalngo.asp?slrid=59

BLOOD MOON - New Book to Read!

Blood Moon is a new book by first time novelist and friend A.W. Gryphon (Allison). It is the first of a three part series and having just read part one - I already can't wait for the next installment. I encourage all of you to pick up a copy (Available at Amazon) to support a fellow writer and enjoy a great read!

Set in the world of Wiccan lore, the story follows young Amelia Pivens, whose perfect childhood crashes to a halt the night her mother is murdered right infront of her. She turns her back on her wiccan life and her study of the craft until the year of her 28th birthday when it all comes back to her full force. As her birthday and the Blood Moon approaches, Amelia must rediscover who she is if she is going to face the truths of her past and survive the murderous plots surrounding her.

This is a great Halloween read!!

And Don't forget to check out Allison's website! http://www.awgryphon.com/