I was flipping through channels tonight, and happened upon the 2nd half of a Star Trek: The Next Generation ep I never saw. Billy Campbell (who some will know from Once and Again and 4400) was a guest star on this ep.
Young Billy Campbell on "Star Trek: TNG"
An older (MORE handsome) Billy
Wow- some people get BETTER-looking w/ age!
What I’m watching lately:
Little Mosque on the Prairie is a comedy (for ALL ages) set in a small Canadian town. It is currently in its 3rd season and a surprise hit on the Canadian Broadcast Network. I heard a few people talking about it a few months ago; they said it was pretty funny. (I’m watching it on You Tube.) The creator of the show, Zarqa Nawaz, is a practicing Muslim woman, former journalist, wife, and mother.
Cast of "Little Mosque on the Prairie"
I’ll write more on this show VERY soon- I want to see what happens next!!!
The bottom three this week: Matt (hard to believe!), Michael (sorry, but he’s not a strong contender), and Scott (I think he has potential). Then it went to bottom two: Matt and Michael. Sorry to Michael fans, BUT he lost out!
Wow, Ruben has lost QUITE a bit of weight! He also got married- how cool is that!?
Isn't this dress classy?
Pics of Boston (where Dad went for a conference):
Indie films from director Ramin Bahrani:
The Jackson Heights Film Festival (in my old ‘hood in Queens) showed Chop Shop last fall. I wanted to see it, but got the info too late. This film is about an orphaned Dominican boy who works at an auto repair shop in a rough area (near Shea Stadium). Ale (as he is known) has never been to school and worries about his 16 y.o. sis. The sibs’ big dream is to save enough money to buy (and eventually run) a food van. I wondered who the director was.
I read about director Ramin Bahrani, an Iranian American raised in Winston-Salem, NC, in last weekend’s New York Times Magazine. He has already made 3 movies and teaches at Columbia (where he received his BA). And he’s only 34!
Bahrani’s 1st film, Man Push Cart, is about Ahmad (a young Pakistani immigrant) who runs a coffee cart in NYC. He is also a dreamer, a lover, a hustler, a pop singer and, not incidentally, a Muslim man making his way through a city still gripped by post-9/11 anxiety.
Bahrani’s latest film, Goodbye Solo, is set in his hometown of Winston-Salem. It will be out tomorrow (March 27). The protagonist is a young Senegalese family man who drives a taxi. He becomes friends w/ one of his passengers, an elderly white Southern man who is nearing death.
This is a GREAT classic film based on Dickens’ novel! The grown-up Pip is played by John Mills (one of the UK’s most respected actors; father of actress Hayley Mills). Alec Guiness is Pip’s bubbly, helpful roomie Herbert Pocket. He’s fun to watch!
A VERY young Jean Simmons plays Young Estella
The young Estella is the (unusually) pretty Jean Simmons; she was later in Spartacus, Guys and Dolls, etc. And yes, she always had that posh speaking voice!
The best performances tonight were (in my order): Adam, Allison, Matt, Danny, and Anoop. Adam (a stage actor who recently appeared in Wicked) showed that he has range; he looked SO different (but still original). His song was GREAT! Matt was very confidant onstage, and his song went smoothly.
Anoop Desai
Anoop was good (as I expected), BUT could have been better. Maybe it was song choice? Maybe he needs to show more confidence or style? Hmmm… He looked even better than last wk (my mom said he looks great).
Danny Gokey
Danny showed that he has personality and energy; his performance was VERY fun! I felt bad for Lil b/c she didn’t have a great performance. Allison improved a LOT from last time; she is very natural (like Anoop) tonight. Very good group of young people w/ humble, nice personalities (I feel).
You can see NYC-based actress Sarita Choudhury (half Brit/half Indian) on NBC’s new drama Kings. I watched the 2 hr. pilot (on IMDB) and thought it was pretty good! It stars veteran Scottish actor Ian McShane (King Silas Benjamin) and blonde, fresh-faced Aussie newcomer Christopher Egan (David Shepherd). Don’t be shocked- the 25 y.o. Egan has VERY similar looks of fellow Aussie Health Ledger.
Christopher Egan on "Kings"
He also reminded people of Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. TV needs MORE fresh new talent like this, not merely posers!
There are interesting supporting characters in Kings. The creator based his show on the story on King David in the Bible. It’s set in an alternate reality where America has a monarchy. Sarita plays the (secret) love of King Silas’s life; they have a young son together. (I saw Sarita close-up after a play reading in spring of ’08- she is GORGEOUS!)
Maybe not EVERYONE thinks of James Callis as a traditional hottie, but he really throws himself into his roles! He can be funny (like in Bridget Jones) or take on a range of emotions (like on BSG).
Brits are the best IMHO!
Tahmoh Penikett (Helo)
This actor is from the Canadian Yukon- WOW! See, hotties can be found EVERYWHERE!
Canadian Alessandro Juliani (Gaeta)
At first I thought he could be desi (South Asian) b/c of his looks! Maybe Pakistani? Actually, his mom is Chinese and his dad is Canadian.
Movies I watched recently:
A lesser known noir film w/ great acting!
Monty Clift shines in this pic- so does Liz.
"Of Mice and Men" (1992)
This is an engaging, sad, and VERY well-acted film starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinese (who also directed and co-produced!) It deals w/ issues of friendship, mental disability, loneliness, and home. This pic is based on John Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men; it’s set in Salinas, California during the Depression. The main actors ALL hit the right notes, and do it effortlessly- no over-acting here!
